Jun 3 (EN) SL police have introduced a daily sticker pass for vehicles driven by people belonging to essential services during the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown. 50,000 stickers were distributed on June 02 valid only for that day. It is being tried again today with a fresh batch of stickers, he said. Rohana said in a statement that the sticker method will be used to separate vehicles belonging to those in essential services and vehicles engaged in non-essential services in an attempt to control more..

Jun 3 (EN) Sri Lanka has beefed up defences against a possible oil spill from the gutted container ship X-Press Pearl, which has partially sunk in the shallows off Colombo Port, and the owners said international experts have also been roped in. Fisheries Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said a plan had been devised by the Marine Environmental Protection Authority to contain any possible oil spill. more..

Jun 3 (DM) COVID-19 vaccines delivered to SL from certain countries were through diplomatic approach and discussions with the vaccine manufacturing countries, not because the Govt has money, State Minister Dilum Amunugama said. Addressing the media in Kandy after visiting COVID vaccination centres in Mahaiyawa he said the diplomatic approach was made by the President's Secretary. Following the discussions, Prez, Govt and higher officials were able to get down larger more..

Jun 3 (AD) A total of 947 individuals were arrested on Wednesday (June 02) for not wearing face masks in public, DIG Ajith Rohana said. They have been taken into custody for failing to wear face masks in public, not maintaining social distancing, and flouting quarantine rules and regulations. The quarantine law gazette notification was published on the 15th of October 2020, however, the police have been enforcing the law regarding the quarantine gazette since the 30th of October 2020. more..

Jun 3 (TM) Many of the rules and regulations with regard to university admissions are only in place in response to bureaucratic failures and inadequacies, NPP MP Dr Harini Amarasuriya expressed in a letter sent to Minister of Education G L Peiris on Tuesday. Dr Amarasuriya had issued this letter to the Minister of Education in response to her receival of several appeals from students who sat for their GCE A/L exams in 2020 as their 2nd, more..

Jun 3 (FT) Lankem Ceylon PLC has posted a strong Q4 performance for FY 2020/21 recording a Pre-Tax Profit of Rs. 229 million against a loss of Rs. 185 million as reported in 2019-20. Company achieved a quarterly revenue of Rs. 1billion recording a growth of 78% in comparison to the same period as last year. These results were achieved amidst the COVID-19 pandemic which disrupted markets, including global supply chains. These resulted in organisations having to change their more..

Jun 3 (SLN) A special search operation carried out by the Navy in the lagoon area of Wattakkalliya, Chilaw on 02nd June 2021 made way to the seizure of 362kg and 950g of dried turmeric and 571kg and 400g of big onion seeds attempted to be smuggled into the island. The operation also led to the apprehension of 06 suspects in connection to this illegal act. The Navy is constantly on the lookout for seas around the island to curb smuggling activities. In a similar operation, more..

Jun 3 (DM) While stating that some politicians may be involved in the Easter Sunday attacks, Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith yesterday urged the govt to carry out a proper investigation to determine as to who was behind the conspiracy which the former attorney general had referred to. Cardinal Ranjith told a press conference that investigations should be carried out to determine who is behind the conspiracy. more..

Jun 3 (EN) Kenneth de Zilwa, an economist and banker had been appointed chairman of Lanka Clear, which runs SL’s payment networks and cheque clearing house. CB Governor Lakshman had appointed de Zilwa for a period of three years following the retirement of veteran banker Anil Amarasuriya, Lanka Clear said. De Zilwa has 20 years of experience in banking at Citibank N.A. and HSBC where he was involved in Treasury, risk management and debt markets. more..

Jun 3 (MFA) A virtual meeting was held between SL Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and Minister of State of the UAE Ahamed Ali Al Sayegh on 31 May 2021. During the discussion Minister Gunawardena stated that the proposed investment promotion agreement between the countries to enhance the investment and trade can be finalized shortly. Minister Gunawardena also thanked the UAE State Minister Al Sayegh for extending protection and provision of welfare for more..

Jun 3 (FT) The UNP has urged the Govt to publicly reveal the details regarding the operations of Selendiva Investments Ltd. In a statement the UNP said its Working Committee had raised concerns that the Govt was currently attempting to use the ongoing COVID-19 enforced travel restrictions in the country to engage in business ventures related to State-owned assets. At the time of Selendiva Investment’s inception in more..

Jun 3 (DM) Prez yesterday told the Govt officials to purchase crops from farmers and to distribute them free of charge among the needy, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said. While addressing a media briefing, he said the President advised distributing of the purchased crops free of charge to the general public, health and security forces personnel who currently committed themselves in the battle against COVID pandemic. “The farmers who are finding it difficult to sell their crops grown promptly. more..

Jun 3 (FT) Litro Gas Lanka Ltd. yesterday announced plans to venture into the manufacture of oxygen given the rising need for it as the COVID-19 pandemic spreads. As stipulated by the Board of Directors, Litro said a modern oxygen manufacturing plant and distribution network would be set up on the 25-acre land in Kerawalapitiya. The company said the move was also in line with assurances from Prez Rajapaksa that there won’t be a shortage of oxygen. President recently directed PTF more..

Jun 3 (UCAN) Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has decided to take legal action against the owner of a ship that has caused an environmental disaster on Sri Lanka’s coast. He said the fishing community has been severely damaged by the Singapore-registered MV X-Press Pearl, which has spewed chemical waste into the sea since catching fire on May 20. "I am ready to take the lead in taking legal action against the company that owns the ship," said Cardinal Ranjith on June 2 in Colombo. more..

Jun 3 (AD) A private residential educational institution in Katugastota, Kandy has been raided by the Police for violating quarantine regulations. Nearly 50 students had been engaged in learning activities at the institute when it was raided today. During interrogations by PHIs and the police, it was revealed that a female student had been previously infected with COVID-19. Subsequently, the students and the employees of the institute were subjected to quarantine for a period of 14-days within more..

Jun 3 (DM) Fonterra Brands Lanka has clarified the reason behind Anchor butter not having Tamil wording. The company said that Anchor butter product packaging is fully compliant with the packaging regulations of SL. "We understand and empathise with the recent concerns regarding the languages used on the pack," Fonterra Brands Lanka said. Fonterra Brands Lanka noted that Anchor butter is a multi-market product, more..

Jun 3 (DM) The U.S. Govt, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has airlifted emergency medical supplies to Maldives, Pakistan, and SL to help save lives, stop the spread of COVID-19, and continue to meet the urgent health needs across South Asia. This new airlift follows three shipments of COVID-19 relief supplies by the U.S. Govt to Nepal and the delivery of seven emergency air shipments to India to help contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the USAID said more..

Jun 3 (DM) A minor flood situation was witnessed in Gampaha and Kalutara District as the water levels of Kalu Ganga and Attanagalu Oya swell, the Department of Irrigation said today. People in the low-lying areas of Munuwangoda, Ja-Ela, Milleniya, Kalutara, Horana, Ingiriya and Matugama were cautioned to be vigilant of this situation. Dept of Meteorology yesterday warned of heavy showers exceeding 150 mm in some parts of the country and generally wet weather would prevail more..

Jun 3 (TM) A number of programmes are being planned to expedite the production of organic fertilizers required for the Maha season. It stated that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has advised the officials to study the machinery required to produce organic fertilizer and manufacture machines that could be built locally with the assistance of the SL Army Engineer’s Corps at state owned factories and import the rest. more..

Jun 3 (Island) SLT-MOBITEL partnered with the Maduru Oya Army Training School and Trincomalee Divisional Secretariat in an initiative recently, to distribute dry ration packs to communities affected due to Covid-19 restrictions in the Polonnaruwa and Trincomalee areas. Dry rations packs worth Rs 2,500 each containing essential items were provided to 450 families, who have been unable to provide for their daily needs during these challenging times. Understanding many hardships faced by more..

Jun 3 (DN) On the instructions of Prex Rajapaksa, the Ministry of Health recently decided to convert 50 Ayurvedic Hospitals islandwide into Intermediate COVID Treatment Centres. Accordingly, the Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi inspected the activities of the Navinna Bandaranaike Ayurvedic Research Hospital in Maharagama yesterday (02) which will begin COVID-19 treatment operations today. The Minister of Health said that Prez instructed that Ayurvedic Hospitals more..

Jun 3 (EN) Sri Lanka has ordered salvors of X-Press Pearl, which is partially sunk in the shallows of Colombo Port to take specific countermeasures against a possible oil spill, as the Indian Ocean Island backed by India implements its own action plan. Dharshani Lahandapura, the Chairperson of SL’s Marine Environmental Protection Authority said it was not clear whether any of the 300 tonnes of bunker oil on board more..

Jun 4 (DM) June 2 marked 35 years after the brutal Aranthalawa bikku massacre. It’s a pity that the media has to highlight such a bloody incident that took place in 1987. And the reason for that is that Buddhist monks organise annual events to commemorate those who perished during that terrorist attack. Since 2019 Buddhist monks have organised commemoration events in the name of the dead while following health guidelines set to combat the present pandemic. more..

Jun 4 (SO) Is it liberally chic to treat the Chinese in a racist manner, just because China is a key investor in this country? Port City Commission Bill, made into law recently, has brought on in its wake a steady stream of anti-Chinese memes and other posts on social media. Mockery of the Chinese language, the worst kind of stereotyping of Chinese with references to everything from what they are supposed to eat, and how they will appropriate our national anthem, has been fodder for social more..

Jun 4 (SO) Blood is the lifeline of the human body that brings oxygen and nutrients to all parts of the body. Blood also carries carbon dioxide and other waste materials from the organs to be removed from the body. Dr. Trilicia Withanawasam, Consultant Transfusion Physician at Uni Hospital of Kotelawala Defence Uni invites donors to participate in the benevolence of helping Covid-19 and other needy patients at more..

Jun 4 (DM) The signing of US$ 200 million currency swap arrangement with Bangladesh has sparked a discussion both in local and regional contexts. On the one hand, it exposed the depth of SL’s foreign exchange crisis. On the other hand, it is an instance showcasing the rise of Bangladesh as an emerging economic power in the region. Internationally, Bangladesh is portrayed in positive light over its achievement as a relatively young nation which celebrated its golden jubilee of independence more..

Jun 4 (GV) After 12 days, the ship MV X-Press Pearl finally sank about 9.5 nautical miles from the Colombo harbour. It has not sunk fully because it is touching a coral bed. The ship had been burning from May 20; an explosion six days later brought disaster in the form of small white plastic pellets spread around almost one third of the coastline from Galle to Kalpitiya. The pellets are low density polyethylene plastic nurdles. The busy East-West shipping route passes 6-10 nautical miles more..

Jun 4 (DM) This article is about the life of the Most Interesting Man I have ever known. Laki passed away in the morning of May 30 following a brief illness. Laki was known for great many things. He was an artist, a sculptor, gardener and had a significant impact on SL arts and culture for the past 50 years or so. He is associated with the greatest names of arts and culture in SL such as Geoffrey Bawa, Ena de Silva, Barbara Sansoni and more..

Jun 4 (Island) Overworked health workers, the police and the armed forces, tasked with pandemic control, have their work cut out for want of public coopration. Roads are full of vehicles despite travel restrictions and people continue to move about, exposing themselves as well as others to the danger of contracting Covid-19. This may explain why the ongoing lockdown so far has not yielded the intended result—a significant decrease in infections and the death rate. more..

Jun 4 (CT) Plagues have historically transformed social, economic, cultural and more than anything else the political landscapes of the countries, as the impacts, pushing towards new global trends. Several are the Interesting revelations with many controversies trailing. While making passing references to those I wish to deal more emphatically with some of the current and possible future developments associated with the COVID-19 pandemic the world is now facing with more..

Jun 4 (Island) It is school admission time. Applications for admission to Grade 1 in govt schools have been called. Admissions to govt schools, especially to Grade 1, result in a spate of fundamental rights applications in the Supreme Court every year. The procedure is complex with children being admitted under different categories that get different weightages. Fifty per cent of places are filled under the children of residents in close proximity category. more..

Jun 4 (TM) The live video posted by model Piyumi Hansamali on 2 June while being sent to a quarantine centre in Passara went viral on social media platforms, mostly due to the scornful remarks and allegations it contained and also the controversial nature of the incident for which she and around 14 more were sent to quarantine. Her statement expressed grave displeasure over the fact that the group was sent to quarantine in a remote area, and she alleged that there were more..

Jun 4 (CT) Chaminda Perera (Himasha Eashan’s coach), has written to Director General at the Dept of Sports Development, Amal Edirisuriya, claiming an injustice has been done to Eashan by Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) by not selecting him for the forthcoming Kazakhstan tour. SLA selected six athletes to tour Kazakhstan for the World Athletics bronze level competition, citing the 6 athletes are closest to Olympic qualification more..

Jun 4 (FT) Pataz.com, a global community of suppliers, buyers, manufacturers and wholesalers, is set to launch its operations in Sri Lanka, bringing the country’s industries significantly closer to the international value chain. The online platform connects bulk buyers and sellers to fulfil global demand and will open up a vibrant international marketplace for SL businesses of various scales. “Our worldwide marketplace of exporters, importers, manufacturers, suppliers, buyers, more..

Jun 4 (DN) Ruwini Abeymanne is a former SL sports shooter who was born in Ratnapura and excelled in athletics, basketball, gymnastics, and hockey in the beginning. After leaving school, she joined the SL Army in 1989 at the age of 19 years. There she followed a physical education instructor course while participating in hockey and gymnastics. Thereafter, she entered the Marksman Training School in Diyathalawa under the instructions of Colonel Daya Rajasingha & went on to claim several titles more..

Jun 4 (FT) The country’s second-largest private sector bank, HNB is seeing a heated battle for seats on its Board in what analysts see as a four-way fight, involving business tycoon Harry Jayawardena, the Finance Ministry, the Captains Group, and the latest entrant Browns investment in the form of Ishara Nanayakkara. The effects of the internal battle have spilled over to the general public with some people even resorting to using WhatsApp, more..

Jun 4 (ST) Royal College, Colombo is not renowned for producing football stars but Jaswar Umar who took up the whistle while still playing for school and rose to become an int'l Match Commissioner, has come up with a vision to make SL a nation of football in South Asia. An accomplished football administrator pioneering SL’s first ever semi-professional Super League, Jaswar presents himself as someone who comes from a humble background with a capacity to give dynamic leadership more..

Jun 4 (Island) Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (ADIC) ays that 48% of Lankan smokers have kicked the habit due to the spread of the Covid-19 virus. The centre points out that this is a very good trend and that about 50 percent of the people who have given up smoking will never smoke again. ADIC Human Development Director Sampath de Saram said that smokers were at a higher risk of contracting Covid-19 and more likely to be seriously affected by the disease. more..