Mar 11 (DM) Wahabbism and Quasi Courts should be banned in Sri Lanka as it is recommended by the report of the PCoI which probed the Easter Sunday attacks, MP Venerable Rathana Thera told Parliament. Thera said those organisations which embrace Wahabbism, such as All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama should be probed and banned. “The PCOI probing the Easter Sunday attack has revealed that the Jamiyyathul Ulama Organisation had embraced Wahabbism,” the Thera said. more..

Mar 11 (AFP) SL has invited the new foreign minister of Myanmar's junta to a regional meeting next month, sparking accusations on social media that Colombo is tacitly endorsing the military coup. There has been no formal international recognition of the regime which toppled Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb 1 although Wunna Maung Lwin, the junta's newly appointed foreign minister, has met virtually and physically with some regional more..

Mar 11 (FT) Health authorities yesterday confirmed four more COVID-19 deaths and the country’s COVID-19 death toll currently stands at 511. An 81-year-old individual from Uduvil tested positive for COVID-19 at a private hospital in Colombo and was admitted to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases. However, she died of blood poisoning, COVID-19 and acute diabetes yesterday. A 57-year-old individual from Akurana was admitted to the Teldeniya Base Hospital more..

Mar 11 (DM) In response to the reports on social media regarding the invitation extended to the Foreign Minister of Myanmar to attend the 17th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting, the Foreign Ministry said Sri Lanka as the Chair of the BIMSTEC has invited all Member States including Myanmar. Ministry said Sri Lanka also as the host of the Ministerial Meeting had to invite all Member States to participate in the discussions in order to finalise documents of the 5th BIMSTEC Summit. more..

Mar 11 (CT) Minister Sarath Weerasekara, said Mohamad Ibrahim Mohamad Naufar, alias Naufar Moulavi, has been recognised as the main fundamentalist who was behind the Easter Sunday terror attacks in 2019. Weerasekara further said according to the investigations conducted by the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID), Naufar Moulavi was the one who had significant influence on more..

Mar 11 (Island) Many are those who flay the western bloc for duplicity anent its handling of human rights issues. The West, in fact, deserves such criticism in that the powerful nations in the Global North are unashamedly using democracy as a weapon to further their geo-strategic interests; they manipulate UN, especially the UNHRC, and int'l human rights groups, dependent on them for funding, and have damning reports put out so that they can carry out their human rights offensives, more..

Mar 11 (FT) Please be informed, says a notice from the Deputy Director of Customs, that from today (05.03.2021) onwards, any Islamic religious books brought into the country should be released only on approval from Ministry of Defence. In other words, and henceforth, only the Ministry of Defence (MoD), which is under President NGR, and not any institute of scholars would decide on what to read and not to read about Islam. This notice, when taken together with NGR’s public resolve not to allow more..

Mar 11 (DM) SLMC Leader Rauff Hakeem and ACMC Leader Rishad Bathiudeen have been associated with the Easter Sunday attackers, Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage told Parliament yesterday. Minister said both Mr. Hakeeem and Mr. Bathiudeen visited those who were wounded in some incidents which took place prior to the Easter Sunday attacks. “Mr. Hakeem went to hospital to visit a member of Zahran’s group who was injured in an attack. more..

Mar 11 (AD) SJB MP Ashok Abeysinghe has left the CID after recording a 5-hour-long statement. He was summoned to the CID this morning to record a statement with regard to his comments on Easter Sunday terror attacks. MP was accompanied to the CID by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and several other MPs of the party. MP Abeysinghe recently alleged that Prez Rajapaksa and former Minister Basil Rajapaksa are linked to the bombings which claimed the lives of more than 260 more..

Mar 11 (Island) The govt and the Opposition had a heated exchange in Parliament over the state-owned helicopters placed at the disposal of Prez Rajapaksa and an allegation that the Presidential Secretariat had not paid the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) for chopper rides. SJB MP Hesha Withanage asked why the Air Force continued to provide chopper rides to the Prez and his office at a time it has not been able to recover more..

Mar 11 (SLN) During a special operation conducted in Kurakkanhena, Kalpitiya today, SL Navy was able to foil an illegal migration attempt by apprehending 24 persons involved in this unlawful act. Having spotted a suspicious lorry parked near the Kalpitiya lagoon in Kurakkanhena area, the Northwestern Naval Command engaged in this special operation made further interrogation and found there were 24 persons including the lorry driver. As it was revealed that they were waiting for a boat to arrive more..

Mar 11 (AD) Three farmers, who were engaged in a fast-unto-death over 06 demands, have been hospitalized. The protest fast had ended last evening after the Director-General of Wildlife Department through the Hambantota District Secretary assured them that the gazette notification on the proposed wild elephant management reserve will be published within the month. The three farmers were subsequently admitted to the Sooriyawewa Hospital. more..

Mar 11 (Island) AG Dappula de Livera, has informed the Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith that it is futile to proceed with the 2019 Easter Sunday case unless he receives access to all volumes of the PCoI report, and the CID completed its investigations into the attacks. The AG met the Archbishop on Monday. The meeting took place against the backdrop of the PCoI decision to deny the AG access to 22 volumes out of 87 more..

Mar 11 (AD) Individuals interested in contesting at the upcoming Provincial Council polls through the SLFP may submit their applications before March 31, General Secretary of SLFP State Minister Dayasiri Jayaekera said. He mentioned this following a meeting held at the SLFP Headquarters, yesterday. A meeting attended by SLFP Chairman former President Maithripala Sirisena was held at the SLFP Headquarters last evening. After the meeting, State Minister Jayasekara spoke more..

Mar 11 (Island) TNA MP M. A. Sumanthiran, PC, has declared that he will not give a statement to the police regarding his participation in the recently concluded protest march from Pottuvil in the East to Point Pedro in the Jaffna peninsula. Jaffna District lawmaker Sumanthiran said that the police hadn’t obtained a court order against him nor had he violated any court directive in respect of the protest march. Alleging that the police had sought to record his statement regarding the protest march more..

Mar 11 (AD) Another 500,000 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca’s COVISHIELD coronavirus vaccines manufactured by Serum Institute of India (SII) are expected to arrive on the island within the next two weeks, says Senior Advisor to President, Lalith Weeratunga. His remarks came during a media briefing held on Wednesday. Sri Lanka’s inoculation drive kicked off on 29 January after 500,000 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca more..

Mar 11 (Island) Colombo City was declared the world’s first Ramsar Wetland by the Ramsar Convention due to efforts of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to conserve the wetlands during his tenure as Defence Secretary, said Minister Mahinda Amaraweera. The City has been named the world’s first wetland city by the Ramsar Convention for the conservation and development of all wetlands such as Beddagana, Kotte, Bellanwila, Kimbulawala, Kolonnawa, Diyasaru and Diyatha Uyana more..

Mar 11 (DM) In a statement issued today, 8 Human Rights Ambassadors of Europe including the UK, Germany and Sweden called on the SL govt to respect human rights defenders such as Hizbullah. The statement issued by the Ambassadors of UK, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, Estonia and the Netherlands said that after ten months of Detention, Hejaaz Hizbullah was being accused of speech related offences. Prominent Attorney-at-Law Hejaaz Hizbullah was arrested by the CID more..

Mar 11 (Island) Minister of Public Security Rear Admiral (retd.) Dr. Sarath Weerasekera told Parliament yesterday that action would be taken to ban Madrasas and burqas as a measure to prevent the recurrence of Islamic extremist activities in the country. Making a ministerial statement on the Report of the PCoI on the Easter Sunday attacks, the Minister said that all those directly or indirectly responsible for the terror attacks on more..

Mar 11 (SLN) Making a visit to the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) on 10th March, Defence Secretary, General (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne launched a specially designed logo to signify the upcoming 40th KDU Anniversary. During the visit, he also declared open several navy-constructed facilities at KDU, with the attendance of Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne. Incidentally, the Defence Secretary, in company with Commander of the Navy, more..

Mar 11 (FT) Cabinet has approved mandating employers deposit a bond before initiating legal action to terminate employees or in cases of industrial disputes to protect workers, an official said. Cabinet Co-Spokesman Dr. Ramesh Pathirana said Cabinet had approved the proposal tabled by Minister Bandula Gunawardena to amend the Termination of Employment of Workmen (Special Provisions) Act. No. 45 of 1971 (TEWA) and the Industrial Disputes Act No. 43 of 1950 (IDA). more..

Mar 11 (EN) Opposition MP Kavinda Jayawardena says he does not see the current govt implementing the recommendations of the PCoI into the Easter Sunday attack as they will be unhelpful to their staying in power. Jayawardena told “the current govt came to power saying that they will deliver justice to victims of the Easter Sunday attack, but today the investigations done into the attacks have fallen apart as more..

Mar 11 (EN) Sri Lanka will need 500 more women directors in boardrooms of listed companies to reach gender parity although the number of women joining leadership roles have steeply increased amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Washington-based International Finance Corporation said. “We would need about 500 more directors to reach parity with men on boards of listed companies and the reason for this push is beyond a social and moral imperative there is a business case behind it,” more..

Mar 11 (DM) NFF MP Mohamed Muzammil today requested the IGP to conduct a probe with regard to the comments made by former Governor of Western Province Azath Salley challenging the law of the country. He said Salley had publicly pronounced that he does not respect the law of the country but only respect & welcome Islamic law. “These comments are very serious and pose a big challenge to the general public and people who express their views against extremist ideologies,” more..

Mar 11 (Island) Jaffna District Development Council co-chairperson Angajan Ramanathan denied accusations regarding his coordinating officers threatening the Jaffna-based public servants. Northern Province Governor Sarojini Manmatharajah Charles is the other co-chairperson of the Jaffna DDC. SLFP MP Ramanathan, who is also the Dy Chairman of Committees, emphasised that he had never resorted to threats. more..

Mar 11 (USE) On March 8, U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) Martin Kelly visited a Mines Advisory Group (MAG) demining site to observe the painstaking measures undertaken to clear explosive hazards in the area and speak with a team of female deminers. The project, which is part of the more than one billion SL Rupees ($5.5 million) the United States is providing this fiscal year for clearance activities, promotes the safety and security of local residents. more..

Mar 11 (DM) The Govt is planning to stop the usage of diesel for power generation completely by the year 2030, Power Minister Dullas Alahapperuma said. He made this comment while participating at an official discussion with the Turkish Ambassador at the Ministry recently. "The contribution of green and renewable energy to the national power generation will be increased to 70%, the share of diesel to generate power will be reduced to 5% by the year 2025," the Minister said. more..

Mar 11 (EN) Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka is promising that a future govt that will be formed by his party will ensure that the Catholics in the country get justice for the Easter Sunday attacks. Speaking in Parliament, the Opposition SJB MP said that the current govt promised to bring the masterminds behind the Easter Attacks before the law within two months of gaining power. That promise has not been kept, more..

Mar 11 (CT) Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage accused SJB MP Harin Fernando of playing cricket in Negombo on Black Sunday, which was declared a day of protest, demanding speedy justice for the victims of the 21 April 2019, Easter Sunday Attacks. “Harin was playing cricket on Black Sunday. How pathetic was that? Everyone was remembering the Easter Sunday victims. He was just enjoying his time instead of going to Church and participating in the protest. more..

Mar 11 (CT) Inquiries conducted into the murder of a woman from Kuruwita by a Sub Inspector (SI) of the Buttala Police revealed the latter had spent two nights with the former at a guest house in Hanwella, not with the intention of killing her or due to a well hatched plan beforehand, despite the SI having had several disagreements with the deceased woman. A Police detective told this paper that if the SI had intended to murder the woman according to a prior plan, he would have carried a sharp knife more..

Mar 11 (EN) Sri Lanka’s imports grew to US$ 1,592 million in Jan 2021 as credit and economic activities recovered the highest since a Coronavirus hit reduced tourism incomes from around Feb 2020. Sri Lanka’s imports were up from US$ 1,527 million in January, but were down US$ 1.73 billion are year earlier. Sri Lanka’s imports are still down from around US$ 1.7 to 1.8 billion seen before the Coronavirus pandemic more..

Mar 11 (CT) Former State Minister Ameer Ali yesterday cautioned and expressed fear the Oddamavadi area was in danger due to relatives of COVID-19 victims visiting the area, neglecting the limitations issued by the Health Ministry to bury bodies. Ali said, although authorities gave permission for only two relatives to visit the hospital where the death occurred to identify the body of the deceased, many relatives are arriving in the Oddamavadi area to witness the burials. more..

Mar 11 (CI) It had been over a year since SL played ODIs, and yet the script for Wednesday's ODI seemed so familiar. For decent stretch of the game, they appeared confident - dominant, even - as Dimuth Karunaratne and Danushka Gunathilaka sailed to half-centuries and put them seemingly on track for a total in the range of 300. The collapse that followed was tragicomic. There were two run-outs, both extremely avoidable. Gunathilaka was given out unfairly - bizarrely, actually - obstructing more..

Mar 11 (CT) SJB MP Ranjith Maddumabandara, questioned as to why an investigation has not commenced into the conduct of Namal Kumara, who exposed an alleged plan to assassinate former Prez Maithripala Sirisena and current Prez Rajapaksa, yet. Participating in a Parliamentary debate on the report of the PCoI into the Easter Sunday Attacks, Maddumabandara said Namal Kumara’s allegation led to the arrest of more..

Mar 12 (DM) A cup of tea is cherished when fatigue sets in, but do we value the work that tea pluckers put in to give us that cup full of aroma? The answer to this question is no. Just a few days ago the Wages Board gave the nod for tea estate workers to receive a daily wage of Rs 1000. But that decision couldn’t be implemented because regional plantation companies have backtracked from an agreement they signed with trade unions that represent these estate workers. more..

Mar 12 (CT) Sri Lanka, according to State Owned Plantation Human Development Trust’s (PHDT’s) website, has 26 regional plantation companies (RPCs). Of this number, 21 are public quoted, three are owned by the Govt of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the balance two are owned by the private sector. The 21 public quoted companies are: Agalawatte Plantations PLC, Balangoda Plantations PLC, Bogawantalawa Tea Estates PLC, Elpitiya Plantations PLC, Hapugastenne Plantations, more..

Mar 12 (ST) Open the faded periwinkle blue and lemon yellow doors to No 60/8, Shanthi Lane, Battaramulla, and you enter a realm where art is omnipresent. Art claims every minute space on the walls including the bathrooms and storerooms and the whole place is just crawling with objets d’art – from Laki Senanayake’s owls to Italian antiques, Natarajs and baskets of batik Easter eggs- all blending harmoniously. more..

Mar 12 (DM) The purpose of this article is to present the expert views and advice so far published on how to preserve our sovereignty, when nations which describe themselves as a core group, comprising Canada, UK, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Germany, have proposed a resolution at the 43rd session of the UNHRC that threatens the very sovereignty of SL. This group proposes to violate SL’s sovereignty, by changing the global rules, masquerading under cover of Human Rights. more..

Mar 12 (DM) Sri Lanka has seen a dramatic proliferation of commissions of inquiry, set up to probe into high profile problems facing the govts of every hue. Commissions have been a feature of Sri Lankan govt since independence and they have had a lasting presence in Sri Lankan political life and various forms of inquiry have developed over the years. Whenever a tragedy or public scandal arises, demands to establish a new commission of inquiry has become a common place in Sri Lanka. more..