Aug 28 (CT) In no time in history being positive has felt more negative than it is today. With the total COVID-19 positive cases reaching 412,370 (and counting) and the recoveries were at 351,069, it is needless to say that Delta has wreaked havoc in the country. According to the Independent Technical Group Meeting, facilitated by the WHO, on the COVID-19 situation and way forward, urgent action needed to be taken to save lives by more..

Aug 28 (TM) It is depressing to see how Sri Lanka sweeps its priorities under the rug, or fails at identifying what should be its priorities. When the Easter Sunday terror attacks killed close to 300 people and injured scores, everyone from the then Opposition and the then Government camps came forward, vowing to be committed to giving justice to the victims of the bombings, and that was the expectation of the people too. However, that enthusiasm seems to have ebbed away. more..

Aug 28 (Roar) Following a successful webinar conducted by Senior Software Architect Dr. Rasika Withanawasam that set in motion the LSEG Tech Talks series, organised by London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), Thayaparan Sripavan and Janaka Perera will be taking lead on the next webinar, focusing on De-Risking the Risk with Machine Learning (ML) and Graphic Processing Units (GPUs) on Aug 20th. The webinar will be the second in the series of seven conducted by professionals more..

Aug 28 (CT) A nationwide lockdown has always been the harshest yet the most effective method to reduce the spread of COVID-19. One must weigh the pros and cons of imposing a lockdown. On one hand, lockdowns may end up causing poverty and hunger, but on the other lifting a lockdown can cause an uncontrollable spike in COVID-19 infections. So, sadly, people are caught between a rock and a hard place. more..

Aug 28 (CT) Minimizing human to human contact has been universally accepted as the key to prevent the spread of Covid-19. We fully appreciate all the measures taken by his Excellency and the govt including accelerated vaccination drive and travel restrictions of various levels to curtail the spread of Covid-19 in our country. However, it is quite disheartening to observe that the current lockdown during the worst part of the pandemic has not reached the expected level as observed by more..

Aug 28 (Island) Yes, what I wrote as my title is correct; even thinking powers are shut in and energy locked out. But life must go on so Cass cheers up and will not fail the faithfuls who read her every Friday. The punch may be missing; the acid absent; any humour unavailable and sardonic subtlety totally non-est. Additionally, what she writes is not all she has in mind; there is self censorship too. Let’s go first into a ray of light and hope. Most MPs have decided to donate their salaries for more..

Aug 28 (CT) The present govt before coming to the power stressed that they would not seek assistance from the IMF. After coming to power, they have followed the same policy direction which the Central Bank also adhered to. The main reason for not seeking assistance from the IMF is the conditions associated with the loans. According to the IMF, when a country borrows from them, its govt agrees to adjust its economic policies to overcome the problems that led it to seek financial aid. more..

Aug 28 (DN) Kandy is desperately in need of another playground for all sports as it is the largest sports promoting District in SL. Today Kandy are faced with major issues to conduct sports activities as the District has insufficient playgrounds to provide with adequate facilities, especially for cricket, rugby, hockey and football. At one time, when the Bogambara Ground was under the Municipal Council it gave a big hand for all sports. The Bogambara Ground was the home for many more..

Aug 28 (TM) Farmers are expecting crop losses after a chemical fertilizer ban and want more time to learn about organic alternatives and their use, but most thought it was a good idea to drop chemicals, a study has found. Over 90% of the farmers surveyed by Verite Research, a Colombo-based think tank said they currently use chemical fertilizer, and about 85% expected output falls if they cannot use them. more..

Aug 28 (Island) The extension of the countrywide lockdown until 06 Sept. came as no surprise. There was no alternative. The daily count of infections is edging up, and so is the death toll, which has crossed 200. However, it is too early to gauge the impact of the ongoing lockdown on the spread of the pandemic and the fatality rate. What we are currently reaping is what we sowed collectively before the commencement of the lockdown. Whether we have at least behaved more..

Aug 28 (Island) Humans have existed on earth for over 300,000 years. History of human civilisations on earth shows the gradual transition from hunter gatherers during stone ages to agricultural civilisations. Stone age represents an era where man lived more like an animal but certain physical features such as erect posture, larger brain size relative to body size and the separation of the thumb from the rest of the fingers helped man to perform better compared to other animals. more..

Aug 28 (Island) Sri Lanka has lost proportionately more than twice the number of people that China had lost due to COVID-19, Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa said yesterday. Premadasa said that the govt’s lack of concern for human life was the main reason why such a large number of people had died. Premadasa said that over 4,000 new cases were now officially reported by the government on a daily basis and more..

Aug 28 (ST) On the weekend I settle down to read Anuk Arudpragasam’s latest novel, recently longlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize, pictures of exhausted Public Health Inspectors and medical staff punctuate my social media feed. A news article announces that burial grounds in Ottamavadi – the sole site designated for the burial of the COVID-infected dead – is nearing its capacity. On one part of the internet, people are crowd sourcing oxygen and medicines for patients unable to access more..

Aug 28 (FT) Ambassador of the Netherlands to SL Tanja Gonggrijp paid a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris on Wednesday (25) at the Foreign Ministry in Colombo. Ambassador Gonggrijp extended her warm felicitations to Foreign Minister Peiris at the outset of the courtesy meeting. During discussions, Foreign Minister Peiris highlighted the long and fruitful relationship between SL and Netherlands which has influenced the legal system, architecture, cuisine, culture, lifestyle, more..

Aug 28 (TM) As the number of Covid-19 cases and the death increase by the day, so do a number of allegations against private healthcare providers and importers of necessary items such as the rapid antigen test (RAT) kits, and overall accusations against the reigning Govt and other parties. One of the most recent accusations was made by Ven. Dr. Omalpe Sobitha Thera who said the company importing RAT kits to SL more..

Aug 28 (Island) One of the most innovative batsmen of all time – T M Dilshan has joined Gamer.LK’s Singer Esports Premier League as the mentor for Sabaragamuwa Knights. The Sabaragamuwa Knights is a franchise Esports team that competes in the annual league. SL’s top Esports athletes compete for a prize pool of Rs. 1 million in the mobile game “PUBG Mobile”, which is played by over a million SL youth today. Dilshan is one of six cricketing legends to have announced their more..

Aug 28 (DN) Sri Lanka’s Mahesh Jayakody qualified to compete in the Repechage Stage after he finished sixth in the Men’s Rowing Singles Sculls second heat of the 16th Tokyo Paralympics at the Sea Forest Waterway in Japan yesterday. Jayakody, who was the first Sri Lankan to compete at the Para Games, finished with a time of 12.16.80s and secured his place in today’s Repechage event. However, Jayakody could not even get close to his personal best time of 11.04.23s in the heat, more..

Aug 28 (TM) “Justice should not only be done, but should also be seen to be done”, is an oft-quoted phrase by Lord Chief Justice (CJ) of England and Wales Gordon Hewart in the case of R vs. Sussex Justices, ex parte McCarthy. The idea it expresses is, in fact, something every citizen expecting justice from law enforcement institutions expects, and the lack of it is likely to result in the loss of faith in the Judiciary, more..

Aug 28 (Island) If you wonder why Delhi Capitals have had a decent run in the IPL, there are several factors. One of the key reasons being that they have the luxury of having two of the quickest, meanest fast bowlers around. They are both South Africans and will share the new ball during the six match bilateral series against SL. Both Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje are from different backgrounds. Rabada is from Johannesburg and attended one of the top schools in the country; St. Stithians more..

Aug 28 (CT) Oshini Gunawardena (Ferguson High School Ratnapura – Under-10 Girls) scored an outright win over Anastasia Chichinadze of Georgia (1-1/2 - ½) in the pre-quarter-finals and qualified for the Quarter-Finals. Oshini, Sri Lanka’s youngest hope, was held to a draw in the first-round, and with the confidence gained, she went on to win the second game. National Chess Champion Ranindu Liyanage (Ananda College – Under-18 Open) pipped the strong Lance Henerson more..

Aug 28 (TM) Health Ministry has stated that the final decision on administering a booster shot, or third dose of the Covid-19 vaccines, should be made only after conducting an extensive study on the immunity development achieved through two doses. Health Ministry Communications Director Dr. Hemantha Herath said that the provision of a third dose of Covid-19 vaccines is currently being evaluated by experts. more..

Aug 28 (MFA) Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris at a courtesy call paid by the High Commissioner of Australia David Holly on 25 Aug, discussed avenues for advancing bilateral relations with Australia across multiple fields of mutual interest. While appreciating Australia’s continued assistance on numerous fronts, Foreign Minister Peiris particularly, underlined SL’s commitment and interest to enhance cooperation in countering irregular migration by sea, combatting COVID-19, education, more..

Aug 28 (TM) Under the leadership of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a key priority of the Govt is to work toward a digitally inclusive Sri Lanka, Minister Namal Rajapaksa stated. The Minister made these statements at his opening address during a webinar on Digital Inclusion and Transformation in South Asia Organized by ORF India in collaboration with Colombo Initiative and the Sappani Foundation. Accordingly, it was mentioned that when this vision is taken forward, more..

Aug 28 (DM) Key data on the effectiveness of Covid vaccines currently used in Sri Lanka, against new variants, is to be submitted to the relevant authorities soon. Uni of Sri J'pura is conducting research on the effectiveness of the vaccines and the data is expected to be released in approximately one month, well informed sources said on the condition of anonymity. Meanwhile, GMA yesterday urged Health Minister more..

Aug 28 (N) Yara Technologies (Pvt) Ltd partnered with Methodist College, to implement the Talkative Parents EdTech platform across the school. This would help further accelerate Methodist College’s digitization drive with the inclusion of Cross Channel Communication, enabling mobile apps, text messages, and email-based communication via one unified portal. Methodist College was an early adopter of Google Classroom and has successfully conducted online classes, despite more..

Aug 28 (FT) Colombo stock market sustained its super momentum yesterday with new high turnover ending a memorable week. All Share Price Index gained by 10.6% and the S&PSL20 improved by 18 points or 0.5%. Earlier in the day, ASPI crossed the 9,000 points mark but profit taking brought it down to finish the day at 8,931 points with a YTD return of 31.8%. For the week, the ASPI gained 691.27 points (8.39%) while the S&P SL20 gained 293.61 points (9.62%). Turnover yesterday shot up to more..

Aug 28 (FT) The detection of 4,591 COVID-19 patients yesterday raised the SL’s total COVID-19 patient count to 416,961. The patients detected yesterday include 4,561 persons from the New Year cluster and 30 overseas arrivals. 18,355 PCR tests were carried out yesterday. On Thursday, 16,189 PCR tests and 4,886 rapid antigen tests were carried out and 4,602 COVID-19 patients were detected. more..

Aug 28 (CT) The purpose of locking down the country is lost if the public fail to mask their mouths and noses, and adhere to health guidelines, State Minister Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle cautioned. She said a lockdown would not serve any purpose if it does not reduce the increasing daily COVID-19 detections and the mounting number of deaths. The purpose of imposing a lockdown becomes futile if the public fail to follow the health guidelines such as maintaining a one- metre distance, more..

Aug 28 (HN) Minister of Trade, Bandula Gunawardena has tested positive for COVID-19. Posting on his official Facebook account, Minister confirmed he tested positive. The Minister noted a Rapid Antigen Test was conducted yesterday, and returned a positive result after a few members of his staff tested positive for the coronavirus. Therefore the Minister requested govt officials, well-wishers and everyone else who came in contact with him, to self-isolate immediately. more..

Aug 28 (FT) Govt assured there will be adequate supply of essential food items with price stability despite private sector warnings of imminent shortage and rising cost of living. Trade Ministry is engaged in extensive talks with the Finance Ministry to ensure supply of essential commodities and to stabilise prices in the local market. Govt is considering making some key decisions regarding the essential commodities like rice, sugar, more..

Aug 28 (FT) Independent Technical Expert Group at its sixth meeting held this week called for urgent action including extending quarantine curfew till 18 Sept with strong enforcement and household compliance to save lives from the COVID-19 pandemic. Quoting a Monash Uni study, Experts Group said extending lockdowns past 31 days is projected to reduce deaths from COVID-19. “If the lockdowns are extended to 18 Sept & 2 Oct, respectively, 7,500 & 10,000 deaths can be more..

Aug 28 (CT) A request for bail made on behalf of MP Rishad Bathiudeen’s father-in-law, by his lawyers, who has been incarcerated in connection with the case of the suspicious death of the 16-year-old Jude Kumar Ishalini while being employed at the MP’s Colombo 7 residence, was dismissed by Colombo Additional Magistrate Lochani Abeywickrema on Friday (27). The lawyers for the MP’s father-in-law Ali Ibrahim Saibu Kidar Mohammad Sihabdeen had made submissions to Court through a motion more..

Aug 28 (Island) COVID-19 had reached the community spread stage in the Western Province, some parts of Northern Province and in Galle and Matara districts, Prof. Manuj Weerasinghe, Head, Dept of Community Medicine said. He is also involved in the 904 SMS-based system to manage home quarantined Covid-19 patients. Prof. Weerasinghe said that naming clusters, i.e. Avurudu Pokura, Malu Market Pokura, etc, no longer more..

Aug 28 (FT) I did not take very well to Mangala Samaraweera when I first met him in 1995. There I was, hell-bent as I thought I was then, on talking about telecom policy and terrorist politics. While all he wanted to know was the name of a gadfly columnist whose pseudonym irked him a little and whose weekly column irritated him a lot more. “I say, tell me, child, who is this Suranimala fellow?” he bellowed, leaning towards me over his ornate desk at the Telecom Ministry in the Fort. more..

Aug 28 (FT) When Mangala Samaraweera took over the Finance Ministry portfolio in May 2017 SL was preparing to face some of its most challenging years in macroeconomic management. 2018 was the year that the govt had to make its highest ever domestic debt repayments (Rs. 922 billion in capital repayments of domestic debt. For context, in 2020 the domestic debt capital repayment was Rs. 456 billion). In 2019 SL had to make its highest ever foreign debt repayments (Rs. 575 billion more..

Aug 28 (AD) The Public Health Inspectors’ Union (PHIU) stresses that the expected results of the quarantine curfew cannot be achieved if the unnecessary movement of the general public is not completely restricted. The union’s chairman Upul Rohana pointed out that some people move about during the quarantine curfew period on the pretext of carrying out essential services. He said the results of the quarantine curfew are expected following a minimum of 14-day period after it came into more..

Aug 28 (DM) The COVID-19 virus had been contained to a great extent in Colombo City, Chief Medical Officer of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) Dr. Ruwan Wijayamuni said yesterday. Dr. Wijayamuni said that the average daily reported COVID-19 cases from Colombo City is around 140 at the moment. “we conduct more than 600 PCR tests and around 100 Rapid antigen tests daily. Less than 50% of PCR and around 15 percent of Antigen tests are found to be positive,” he said. more..

Aug 28 (Island) The suspension of power purchases from three Independent Power Producers (IPPs) namely Ace Power Matara (20 MW), Ace Power Embilipitiya (100 MW) and Asia Power Sapugaskanda (50 MW) had contributed to the improvement of the financial situation at the CEB, authoritative sources said. CEB had suspended the agreements on 01 March pending re-negotiation with IPPs as it was felt more..