Mar 23 (Island) An attempt by a London-based organisation to grab an ecologically sensitive island in the Batticaloa lagoon, with the help of a Batticaloa-based govt politician, has come to light. The purpose of this land grab is reportedly to erect a 120-foot- tall Lord Shiva statue. The island, known as Kokkuthivu, in the Thiruppalugamam area, in the Porativu Pattu Vellavelly Divisional Secretary’s Division, is a bird sanctuary, where a large number of migratory birds are found. more..

Mar 23 (DM) Fits Aviation Pvt Limited (FitsAir) is gearing to commence flight operations from unpaved dirt-strips, targeting cities and locations with congested and time-consuming road networks such as Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya. FitsAir is a member of Aberdeen Holdings Group of Companies, owned by the Kassim family, the former majority shareholder of Expolanka Holdings PLC. “We have a plan to commence flight operations from dirt-strips. The CAA is looking at it very seriously now,” more..

Mar 23 (TM) There had been 12 cricket World Cups and six world champions during the past 45 years. Yet there was no other world champion who was bolstered in their course by one single individual, like the way Arjuna Ranatunga did for SL to win World Cup in 1996. The 96 is almost synonymous with Arjuna. Even the worst of his detractors would not deny this fact. Not even Kapil or Imran, or Allan Border or Steve Waugh, more..

Mar 23 (TM) The unmistakable sounds of army boots chasing someone outside could be heard clearly, although the doors and windows were tightly shut in my room at the guest house in the northern Sri Lankan town of Vavuniya. I also heard an Indian soldier cry out in Hindi pakdo usko, pakdo usko (catch him, catch him). Very soon, the noises ended. On one of my many temporary postings in Sri Lanka to report for AFP, I was on my way from Jaffna to Colombo, when I found myself crippled more..

Mar 23 (Island) Prez Rajapaksa has struck back at those who accuse the govt of destroying forests. Recalling his efforts to make Colombo a green city, when he was the Secretary to the Ministry of Urban Development, under the previous Rajapaksa govt, he has asked environmentalists not to level false allegations against him. Prez Rajapaksa deserves praise for what he did in the past; he was instrumental in having the Colombo city and its suburbs rid of garbage, and opening many more..

Mar 23 (CI) Until Rahkeem Cornwall joined Joshua Da Silva at the crease, Sri Lanka were in the game, with serious hopes of restricting West Indies to a lead of less than fifty. Suranga Lakmal had already claimed a five-wicket haul, all the specialist batsmen had been dismissed, and the second new ball was around the corner, with West Indies leading by just two runs. But Cornwall, intent on proving he is a better batsman than his more..

Mar 23 (CT) Alcazaba, the Queen of Nuwara Eliya, stole the limelight at the inaugural Royal Turf Club (RTC) Raceday, the RTC Spring and Summer Raceday Cup, while Jayaratne Stables recorded a hat-trick, at the picturesque Racecourse in Nuwara Eliya, that consisted five races. Alcazaba won the main race, the Sporting Times Cup, after Jayaratne Stables had achieved three back-to-back wins. The Queen of Nuwara Eliya, Alcazaba, ridden by S.D. Janaka and owned by Rienzie Edwards, more..

Mar 23 (CNA) Catholic leaders in Sri Lanka are urging the govt to step up its efforts to investigate the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, which killed more than 260 people and injured more than 500. Thousands of Catholics in SL dressed in black as they attended Masses and protested outside churches on March 7. These protests are expected to continue as participants continue to call for action on a report regarding the attacks, which was presented to the govt last month. more..

Mar 23 (FT) Central Bank Governor Prof. W.D. Lakshman urged that the COVID-19 pandemic be utilised as an opportunity to address long standing structural issues stifling the economy from achieving higher equitable growth. “Despite its devastating impacts, the pandemic has also given us unique opportunities to change, redirect our strategies and thinking patterns. It is important to take this opportunity to address more..

Mar 23 (TM) It looks as if Sri Lanka Rugby’s (SLR) wait to end its long affected competition drought will continue for more weeks to follow, or perhaps months, after the well-planned Commander’s Cup 7s was put off in the eleventh hour by the organisers. SLR, as it is learnt, are presently having a series of meetings to look at possibilities of conducting their competitions, beginning with the 7s series, as they earlier revealed at a press conference held last year in Colombo. more..

Mar 23 (ST) City hotels in Colombo continue to cater to locals for business and not foreign visitors due to the bubble concept that is in place for tourists. At present there are only two Level 1 hotels in Colombo, City Hotels Association President M. Shanthikumar said, pointing out that most of the city hotels continue to obtain business from Sri Lankans that patronise them. Every hotel, he noted is making a tremendous loss as they are compelled to function amid a number of regulations more..

Mar 23 (TM) Ministry of Technology has taken a step forward in establishing a technology-based society, under Prez’s National Policy Framework Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour, by commissioning five new technology parks in the country. It was highlighted that the establishment of the techno parks is only one of the major initiatives identified by the Ministry of Technology to build a technology-based society. more..

Mar 23 (GDI) Lanka Ashok Leyland's factory in Jalthara, Homagama, which has not been operational since 1994, has resumed operations after 27 years and was recently inspected by Minister Wimal Weerawansa. Lanka Ashok Leyland has a 28% stake in India and a 72% stake in Sri Lanka. 30% of this is owned by local shareholders and the remaining 42% is owned by Lanka Leyland Company which operates under the Ministry of Industries. Buses, lorries and other vehicles more..

Mar 23 (FT) The SJB condemned a recent controversial statement by Prez Rajapaksa regarding the freedom of the press. SJB MP Mayantha Dissanayake condemned the Prez’s comments, and called on the public to be vigilant about the oppression of the media. He was joined by fellow Opposition MP S.M. Marikkar. “We saw the Prez’s statement regarding the media. We urge the public to be vigilant about who such comments were directed to. Today, journalists are at risk. more..

Mar 23 (EN) The SL govt is proposing to build reservoirs and an irrigation scheme in the Sinharaja rainforest which is protected as a UNESCO Heritage site and scientists believe contains flora and fauna from the Jurassic period. Irrigation Minister Chamal Rajapaksa said Saturday that two irrigation reservoirs would be constructed inside the Sinharaja rainforest to provide clean water to his home district of Hambantota enraging environmentalists. more..

Mar 23 (DM) A three-day special operation will be conducted across the country from today to inspect the worn-out tyres of vehicles, police announced. Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana said about eight people were killed in the past 24 hours due to fatal road accidents. He said faulty conditions of the vehicles are the root cause for the accidents. DIG Rohana said the Divisional SPs, SSPs and OICs have been told to conduct operations to detect vehicles that are running with worn out tyres. more..

Mar 23 (DM) SL was lending money to the UK during the era of former PM the late D.S. Senanayake though it has become indebted to almost all-powerful nations at the moment, UNP Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene said yesterday. He was speaking during a ceremony held at Botale Walawwa to mark the 69th death anniversary of Mr. Senananayake who founded the UNP. “SL did not owe any money to any other country during the time of late PM Senanayake while no funds more..

Mar 23 (ST) Eyebrows were raised over the tender procedures practised and processes adopted in assigning the West Container Terminal (WCT) by the govt to the Adani Group and John Keells Holdings (JKH). The AG’s Department has raised a number of concerns regarding the development of the Colombo South Port in SL – WCT and this had been discussed at a meeting held on March 4. more..

Mar 23 (CT) An average of 64,000 kilolitres of waste oil is brought to the country annually from merchant ships, Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera said. It is also revealed that the smuggling of waste oil by ships is causing great environmental damage, as well as harm to public health. To curb illegal waste oil dumping, Central Environmental Authority (CEA) has started regulating the transport of waste oil by bowsers using GPS technology. more..

Mar 23 (CT) Mahanayake of SL Amarapura Maha Nikaya Aggamahapanditha the Most Ven. Kotugoda Dhammawasa Thera passed away yesterday, while receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo. The Ven. Thera was 88 years of age at the time of the demise. Born on 23 January 1933 in the village of Kotugoda, Minuwangoda and the Ven. Thera entered Sasana in 1948. He was conferred with the Aggamahapandita title by the Burmese govt on 2 March, 2007 at Swarnaguha Hall, Myanmar. more..

Mar 23 (TM) The private sector is lobbying with the Govt to permit them to bring down Covid-19 vaccines with price regulation in order to maintain an uninterrupted supply in the local market and to thereby expedite the vaccination process. Nevertheless, Govt has stated that it’s too early to allow the private sector to bring down vaccines considering the shortage of production as well as the prices. more..

Mar 23 (CT) President’s Counsel Shavindra Fernando recently informed Colombo Chief Magistrate Buddhika Sri Ragala that the CIABOC has stated that the new Chairman and Commissioners have decided to withdraw around 45 bribery cases that had not been endorsed by former Commissioners. He made this submission before Judge Ragala when the case filed against former Laksala Chairman Anil Koswatta and three others was taken up for hearing. more..

Mar 23 (FT) Health authorities yesterday confirmed five more COVID-19 deaths, bring the country’s COVID-19 death toll to 551. A 68-year-old individual from Kadawatha died while receiving treatment at the Minuwangoda Base Hospital yesterday. The cause of death was cited as trauma of blood poisoning, heart disease, high blood pressure and asthma. The same day, an individual from Bandaragama died of a liver infection and COVID-19 at the Homagama Base Hospital, more..

Mar 23 (TM) Following Minister Chamal Rajapaksa’s revelations about a plan to revive the Gin-Nilwala Diversion Project, which would involve constructing two reservoirs inside the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, environmentalists have warned the site could lose its UNESCO World Heritage Site status. “Sinharaja Forest Reserve is in danger of losing its UNESCO World Heritage Site status if the development proceeds, as prior approval more..

Mar 23 (CT) A Jamaat-e-Islami (J-e-I) follower, who was deported from the UAE, has been arrested by the TID in Weligama, for allegedly promoting extremism. The 42-year-old suspect had Rs 2.7 million in cash and three laptops in his possession. “He was later brought to the TID Colombo. While the suspect was residing in UAE for a prolonged period, he had collected funds for Sri Lankans to promote extremism and apart from that he had been involved in various ideologies. more..

Mar 23 (FT) A total of 314 persons tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, pushing the country’s total COVID-19 patient count to 90,514. The patients detected yesterday include 258 associates of the Peliyagoda cluster and 16 persons linked to the Prisons cluster. Divulapitiya, Peliyagoda, and Prisons COVID-19 clusters have thus risen to 85,904. The local COVID-19 cases also include 950 Navy personnel and their contacts and 651 persons linked to the Kandakadu Treatment and more..

Mar 23 (FT) 47 member states of the Geneva-based UNHRC will cast their votes on a resolution that will keep the int'l spotlight on human rights violations in SL, and establish a central database of evidence to future prosecutions against perpetrators of war-time abuses. The database which will be managed by the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) will be the second int'l mechanism established pertaining to more..

Mar 23 (MFA) The Chargé d’Affaires of Romania, resident in Colombo, Ambassador Victor Chiujdea, met Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on Friday, 19 March at the Foreign Ministry. The parties reviewed bilateral cooperation in the political, economic and cultural spheres, with a focus on trade, investment, tourism, foreign employment and agriculture. Reaffirming SL’s commitment to further consolidating the warm and friendly relations between the two countries spanning 64 yrs, more..

Mar 23 (FT) Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is a chimpanzee adenovirus vectored vaccine, which encodes the spike protein. In the past few weeks, real-world evidence of the benefits of this vaccine has become available. Initial data from England shows the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to be 60% effective at preventing COVID-19 in persons older than 70 years from days 28 to 34 post-first dose and further increasing to 73% from day 35 onwards. Furthermore, in EAVE II study in Scotland, more..

Mar 23 (DM) The opposition MPs raised objections claiming that timely questions they had submitted to be asked in Parliament are being delayed. SJB MP Harsha De Silva said some selected questions have been delayed by the govt and said it was not good for the Speaker as well. He pointed out that one question he had submitted in October last year to be asked in Parliament has not been taken up as yet. Chief Govt Whip Johnston Fernando said govt was not running away from questions as alleged. more..

Mar 23 (FT) So, there seems to be confusion in the air. The panic orthodoxy is showing cracks. Immunity to evidence seems to be gradually declining. And the ritual of vaccination is calming unnecessarily agitated brows. However, political autocrats the world over have been leveraging our mass gullibility and unthinking servility to their proclamations, and the real fear is whether that genie will ever go back into the bottle again. Asserting another four weeks of lockdown because more..

Mar 23 (FT) Headline inflation based on the year-on-year (YOY) change as per on the National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) has been measured at 4.2%. Core inflation, which reflects the underlying inflation by excluding volatile items of food, energy and transport groups in the economy as measured by the YOY change based on NCPI for the month of February, has declined to 4.1% from 4.2% in Jan 2021. more..

Mar 23 (AD) Former Minister Ravi Karunanayake and 7 others, who were recently taken into custody over the CB bond scam, have been further remanded until tomorrow. They were produced before Colombo High Court earlier today. On March 17, eight suspects including Karunanayake were ordered to be remanded over the 2016 CB Bond Scam issue. Attorney General had filed indictments against the suspects before the two Trials-at-Bar hearing the legal matters on more..

Mar 23 (AD) A police constable attached to the Sapugaskanda Police has been arrested by the Intelligence Unit STF for the possession of heroin. The arrest has been made yesterday in front of the main gate of the National Hospital For Respiratory Diseases (NHRD) in Welisara. The 35-year-old police constable, stationed at the NHRD police post on special duty, had been arrested while in possession of 107 g 290 mg of heroin intended to be passed on to another individual. more..

Mar 23 (EN) A drop in the number of close contacts of SL’s confirmed daily COVID-19 cases is the reason for a significant reduction in daily PCR testing. Denying allegations that PCR testing has seen an alarming drop, a health ministry official claimed that the aggressive containment of the current clusters and ongoing contact-tracing efforts has minimised transmission have contributed to a drop in close contacts which has in turn led to more..

Mar 23 (AD) A group of parliamentarians of the Opposition today (March 23) engaged in a silent protest against forest destruction. The demonstration, staged near the entry road to Parliament, was joined by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and several other MPs of Samagi Jana Balawegaya. During the event, the Opposition Leader said a massive protest against deforestation is scheduled for tomorrow (March 24) at 3.00 pm near Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo. more..

Mar 23 (TM) Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have agreed to launch Bangladeshi flights to Colombo in the near future to cater to the growing demand for air travel between the two countries. Recognising the importance of enhanced air connectivity, PM Mahinda Rajapaksa announced this agreement during his joint state visit to Bangladesh. Furthermore, the PM also highlighted significant opportunities in the tourism industry, especially in the regional tourism industry, more..

Mar 23 (Island) The Election Commission (EC) has recommended unseating of lawmakers who failed to attend at least one third of the total number of sessions in the first two years of the five-year term without justifiable reasons. The unprecedented subject matter is among eight far reaching proposals Commissioner General of EC Saman Sri Ratnayake recently submitted to Romesh de Silva, PC, more..

Mar 23 (EN) Minister Chamal Rajapaksa is saying that the govt will not act against the recommendations of the United Nations when carrying out developmental activities in and around the Sinharaja rainforest. Remarks made by Rajapaksa, elder brother of Prez Rajapaksa, that plans were being made to construct two reservoirs inside the protected area drew outrage from environmentalists and exacerbated the existing controversy over allegations that more..