Jun 23 (DM) Policemen in civvies are deployed to arrest persons who do not wear masks and violate quarantine rules at supermarkets, shopping complexes and public transport services. Policemen were deployed to check whether people who enter shops wearing face masks, adhering to health guidelines and violating the health rules in public transport. There were reports that the public have failed to follow the guidelines after the islandwide travel restriction was lifted on Monday. more..

Jun 23 (Island) SLPP lawmaker Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC, says he no longer considers himself as a member of the ruling party. Asked to comment on his present status, Justice Minister, in the previous UNP regime, said that he had stopped participating in SLPP group meetings since the passage of the 20th Amendment in Oct last year. Dr. Rajapakse, who entered Parliament from the Colombo District on the SLPP ticket at more..

Jun 23 (DM) A red alert for thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning was issued for seven districts, the Department of Meteorology said today. They said fairly heavy rainfall of more than 50 mm could be expected in some places in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle and Matara districts. There may be thundershowers in Eastern and Uva provinces and in Mullaitivu and Vavuniya districts in the evening or night, they said. Accordingly, the nine districts, more..

Jun 23 (EEAS) In response to serous oil and hazardous chemical spills triggered by the fire that broke out on a ship carrying hazardous substances in May, the European Union is directing €200,000 (over Rs. 48 million) in humanitarian funding to provide crucial assistance. The aid will benefit 15,000 people who have been heavily affected by the disaster in the districts of Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Kalutara, Puttlam and Matara. This EU funding supports the SL Red Cross Society more..

Jun 23 (FT) Today is the 97th birth anniversary of former PM and Prez Ranasinghe Premadasa. He served as PM from 1978 to 1988 and as Prez from 1989 to 1993. Premadasa was assassinated by a Tiger suicide bomber on 1 May 1993. The political ascendancy of Ranasinghe Premadasa in SL through the UNP was indeed a commendable feat. For a person of subaltern status in class and caste terms to more..

Jun 23 (AD) Veteran dancer Kulasiri Budawatta has passed away at the age of 71, family sources confirmed. Mr Budawatte, who was well-known for his iconographic and pioneering choreography, is the founder of the Budawatta Dance institute which specializes in traditional and modern dancing. Taking up dancing at a very younger age, he managed to develope a unique style that made him a cultural icon. Mr Budawatte remained a gifted, committed teacher throughout his life and more..

Jun 23 (TOI) A SL Tamil refugee was booked for murdering his second wife at Gandhima Nagar on Monday night. Police have formed four special teams to nab the accused. One of the teams has left for Rameswaram to prevent him from escaping to SL. Saravanampatti police said 49-year-old Lavendran alias Kumar, who is engaged in demolishing old buildings, had beaten his 32-year-old wife L Kavitha to death with a cricket bat around 10pm on Monday at their rental house more..

Jun 23 (EN) SL’s Media minister ordered an investigation into sexual harassment of women journalists after they named perpetrators who either remain in top editorial jobs or had moved onto work in diplomatic missions and political parties. Fuelling a #metoo style campaign, female journalist said she and her colleagues were made uncomfortable by some male colleagues who made lewd comments and gestures and publicly more..

Jun 23 (EN) SL has sold 19 billion rupees or 42% of 45 billion rupees of Treasury bills at this week’s auction, leaving 57% of bills unsold under a yield ceiling of 5.21% set by the debt office. The debt office offered 10 billion rupees of 3-month bills and sold 14.5 billion rupees at a yield of 5.17%. After offering 17.5 billion rupees of 6-month bills only 4.4 billion rupees was sold, also at 5.17%. After offering 17.5 billion rupees of 12-month bills only 75 million rupees was sold at the ceiling yield of 5.21%. more..

Jun 23 (TM) SL’s Mission in Japan facilitated connecting investors in diverse sectors at the first ever country specific Virtual SL Investment Forum (SLIF) which concluded two weeks ago, they stated in a press release. The 220 potential investors the mission attracted through its outreach and marketing efforts included a cross section of segments including software, pharmaceutical, agricultural and manufacturing where SL has a comparative advantage as a low-cost high-quality labour more..

Jun 23 (AD) UNP MP Ranil Wickremesinghe says that SL’s COVID-19 Task Force is a complete failure and questioned as to why the relevant powers and responsibility is not vested with the Cabinet of Ministers. The former PM made these remarks while addressing the parliament for the first time after he was sworn in as a new MPs before the Speaker today. “What has happened today? We can say one thing. more..

Jun 23 (TM) Minister Keheliya Rambukwella is unaware of the alleged presence of what appears to be personnel attached to China’s People’s Liberation Army at the launch of a Chinese Joint Venture to dredge the Tissamaharama Wewa. When The Morning asked Minister Rambukwella if he had any understanding of the presence of Chinese military boots on SL soil, he stated that to his knowledge, he did not know about the same. “This project is being handled by Chamal Rajapaksa, more..

Jun 23 (Island) The winners of the Gratiaen Prize 2020 and the H A I Goonethilake Prize for Translation will be announced on July 02 at an online event live-streamed at 7.00 PM on the Facebook page of the Gratiaen Trust. The Gratiaen Prize shortlist for 2020, which was announced on April 5, 2021 is: Ameena Hussain for Chasing Tall Tales and Mystics: Ibn Batuta in SL – a creative telling of the journeys of Ibn Batuta; Carmel Miranda for Crosswatch – a medical mystery novel; more..

Jun 23 (AD) Yet another judge has recused himself from hearing the FR petitions filed by MP Rishad Bathiudeen and his brother Riyaj Bathiudeen challenging their arrest and detention over the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks. The FR petitions were taken up before the three-member judge bench consisting of SC Judges Preethi Padman Surasena, A.H.M.D Navas, and Achala Vengappuli earlier today. more..

Jun 23 (DM) The inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) reached a cumulative audience of 557 million people through TV, digital-social space and traditional media outlets, the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said. The matches which were telecast live by Sky Sports, Sony Sports Network, Geo, PTV and Willow TV in SL, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, UK, US, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand saw 155 million people tuning in to catch live action. On social media it achieved 218m more..

Jun 23 (EN) Nihal Keppetipola, a port sector veteran has assumed duties as Chairman of Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), following the resignation of retired military general Daya Ratnayake. Keppetipola was Managing Director of the SLPA from 2008 to 2015. He was previously Harbhour Master until 2006 and Director Operations till 2008. He had joined SLPA in 1990 from SL Shipping Corporation. He was the Chairman of Ceylon Fishery Harbours Corp shortly before being appointed as SLPA chairman. more..

Jun 23 (Island) Farmers would be harvesting their paddy by the time the govt imports 100,000 tonnes of rice and it would lead to a decrease in prices they received from millers, Chinthaka Rajapakshe, Moderator of the Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR) warned yesterday. On Monday, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella announced that the Cabinet had approved the import of 100,000 tonnes of rice more..

Jun 23 (AD) Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi says she has given directives to impose severe penalties on individuals who violate health guidelines imposed to control the COVID-19 pandemic. Minister said that it would be difficult to save the country from the pandemic if such severe punishments are not meted out. She added that the SL Police and the Ministry of Health would work together to enforce the law in this regard. She said, “When we say shopping malls cannot be opened, they cannot be opened. more..

Jun 23 (EN) SL police will be increasing patrol duties and road barriers June 23 till June 25 in areas where authorities have imposed travel restrictions, police said. SDIG Ajith Rohana said that security will increased island-wide from 8pm June 23 till 4am June 25. The travel restrictions imposed on May 21 were relaxed on June 21 after 29 days. However, Army Commander Gen Shavendra Silva announced the travel restrictions will be re imposed at 10pm June 23 until it’s lifted again at 4am June 25. more..

Jun 23 (EN) With the highly transmissible delta variant now confirmed in SL, health authorities are taking measures to accelerate the country’s vaccine rollout, though research in the UK is pointing to some concerning cases of resistance to vaccines. Given that both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine are needed for protection against this newer, more transmissible strain, Sri Lanka is looking to accelerate the rollout, more..

Jun 23 (EN) Sri Lanka is procuring cryogenic liquid oxygen tanks for six hospitals to assure availability, and is also buying concentrators and 2,500 mobile concentrators to expand supply, Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said. “Cabinet has authorized the Health Ministry to call bids for six Cryogenic oxygen tanks with a 22-ton capacity through Ceylon Oxygen Limited and Gas world Pvt Ltd which are registered as importers and suppliers of oxygen,” she told parliament. more..

Jun 23 (GLR) Imagine the following: feeling the wind blowing softly against you as you sit in the open doorway of a train, towering mountains and lush forests offering a view that you won’t find anywhere else. This is the famous train ride from Kandy to Ella, one of SL’s biggest tourist attractions. All that you need to experience it for yourself are the right tickets, and a SL visa. What is now a prime way for locals to move through the country once used to be a railway used exclusively to transport goods. more..

Jun 23 (NR) Parliament today debated the supplementary budget estimate tabled by the govt to allocate funds for coronavirus mitigation efforts. National People’s Power says the public has been severely burdened by the COVID-19 crisis as the govt has not been able to provide a solution to those who have existing loans. NPP MP Vijitha Herath said although banks are operating, due to various containment measures & lockdowns more..

Jun 23 (CT) State Minister Jayantha Samaraweera, said it had been leaders of constituent parties of the SLPP such as Wimal Weerawansa and Udaya Gammanpila that had worked overtime towards the triumph of Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Prez Election. But, he lamented that currently within the SLPP alliance there were both sinister and hidden moves to derail the forward march of the Govt by destabilising work done by Ministers such as Weerawansa and Gammanpila. more..

Jun 23 (CT) Construction of the fourth car park under the ’12 Car Parks Project’ commenced on 20 June at Abdul Cader Mawatha, Colombo 11. The project, which was launched on the instructions of PM Mahinda Rajapaksa, is expected to ease the severe traffic congestion in Colombo. Under President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour programme, several new car parks are to be constructed in Colombo and congested cities across the country. more..

Jun 24 (CT) English, being the world language today, is a sine qua non in securing employment even locally, not to mention internationally and gaining access to all knowledge and technology with most of the literature relating to these being available only in that language. All nations, irrespective of their political ideology, show a keen interest in their citizens being proficient in the lingua franca that is English. SL became open to the English language over two centuries ago more..

Jun 24 (DM) Dr. Diyanath Samarasinghe, speaking on How the [medical] profession can help us balance work and life issues, at an event organised by the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA), made a very interesting observation on science and the scientific approach. The example he took to illustrate his point, ironically, alluded to an SLMA statement regarding what measures the Govt should take to reduce Covid transmission. This is what he said: ‘I’ve been having a running battle with more..

Jun 24 (DM) Ronald K. McMullen, a U.S. career diplomat- turned academic, in an interview with Daily Mirror shares his views on the policy of the Biden administration on SL. He is the University of Iowa’s Ambassador in Residence and teaches a variety of courses on comparative politics, diplomacy, and international politics. Ron is a former career diplomat with over 30 years of experience as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, including more..

Jun 24 (DM) SL Buddhists celebrate the festival of Poson today. In the Buddhist calendar it is the next most important festival after Vesak. It was on a day such as this that Buddhism was introduced to this tiny Island Nation by Arahat Mahinda, the son of India’s Emperor Dharmashoka. This festival of great historical, religious and cultural significance also marks the conversion of King Devanampiyatissa to Buddhism some 2,300 years ago at Mihintale, where Arahat Mahinda initially delivered his more..

Jun 24 (TM) Yesterday, ending his longest time away from SL’s Parliament, UNP Leader and veteran politician Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as a MP and the only parliamentary representative of the UNP. Though lacking the power and influence he enjoyed before, the heavy media attention given and him becoming the talk of the town despite myriad other issues, prove that he is still one of the most prominent politicians in SL. That he returned to Parliament itself is a testament to his more..

Jun 24 (DM) The media exposed an incident involving the breaking the seal on a lorry loaded with 20 tons of salt dispatched from the Hambantota saltern to Rajan Brothers in Jaffna on June 3 and loading another lorry with the same stock. Following up on a complaint received, the Investigation Officers of the Consumer Affairs Authority, the Internal Audit Division of Lanka Salt Ltd (LSL) and Hambantota Police have more..

Jun 24 (CT) We live in a nation where actual political choice, which lies between the SJB and SLPP, have at least from a media image perspective pivoted themselves to the lower ranks along our socio-economic spectrum. Two major parties in rhetoric pander to the poor. This takes the form of large public gatherings, rhetoric lacking economic feasibility, and a lack of discourse on public policy. There is such a lack of differentiation in the rhetoric that people have started calling SJB, SLPP Lite. more..

Jun 24 (CT) I had 4 passports with me – my US and SL passports, and my wife’s. I recall having them last in my office drawer at the Election Commission. They are lost, as are some critical research documents I had such as the President’s B-C (voter registration) forms. Well, police reports are required by the US and SL authorities for replacements. I made that dreaded visit to the Jaffna police; dreaded because the Head Quarters Inspector Prasad Fernando and I have had several run-ins. more..

Jun 24 (Island) UNP leader and former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, after months of dilly-dallying, entered Parliament via the National List, yesterday. He should be thankful to his late uncle, J.R. Jayewardene, who amended the Constitution to enable defeated candidates to have themselves appointed to Parliament through the backdoor, as it were. Immediately after being sworn in, he began lambasting the govt as if to the manner born. He did not say anything new in his first speech, more..

Jun 24 (Island) This week’s Kuppi Talk takes off from an earlier piece on ragging that drew attention to the anti-democratic culture that breeds violence within the university system. Shamala Kumar linked this violence to the lack of democracy within universities, and society more broadly. When we talk about violence within our universities, the conversation invariably turns to ragging. Some of us also talk about other forms of violence, such as the arbitrary sacking of a vice chancellor or more..

Jun 24 (CI) England have taken a one-nil lead in the T20I series against Sri Lanka with a comfortable eight-wicket victory in Cardiff achieved with 17 deliveries to spare. A much-changed Sri Lanka side - there were six alterations from their previous T20I in March - never really got to grips with the variation and control of the England attack or a slightly sluggish surface that rendered strokeplay tricky. more..

Jun 24 (DM) In a country where tens of thousands of youth have been killed on the streets after being abducted and tortured, where political leaders, lawyers and even artists have been extra judicially killed in the custody of the police or the security forces, where assault, threats, intimidation, verbal abuse by authorities in uniform are a very common occurrence, where suspects in remand die in incomprehensible ways even after the authorities being forewarned of threats to their lives, more..

Jun 24 (GV) Although they overlap, there are some crucial differences between rigid schooling systems and education. Rigid schooling prepares children for exams and qualifies them for employment. Education equips children with values and prepares them for life. Consequently, children schooled under a rigid system are likely to be content with routine. They accept the definition of situations by others. Those educated learn to look beyond. Rigid schooling immerses the child in a world of more..