May 21 (CT) Dietrich Bonhoeffer observed in his Letters and Papers from Prison that there were two groups who successfully resisted the Nazi propaganda onslaught: they were the strong Christians and the Marxists. Their perceptions were rooted in their understanding of History. Senthan was a critical reader of Marxist literature, whose mind and literary style were enriched from school days by the late classics of English and Continental authors such as Chekov and Joseph Conrad. more..

May 21 (FT) In the journey of finding hidden talents of SL youth and their unsung contribution to the nation, Women in Management (WIM) in partnership with SL National Youth Services Council is organising the New Generation Awards for the second consecutive year on 17 July at the Galadari. The New Generation Awards 2021 aims to shine a spotlight on extraordinary young leadership within the age group of 15 to 30 years, to support and recognise positive contribution to their more..

May 21 (TM) Established in 1953, Devi Balika Vidyalaya (DBV) Colombo 8 is a popular girls school in SL that admits top achievers at the Grade Five Scholarship Exam and GCE O/L exam based purely on merit. Recently, the Ministry of Education revealed a move to conjoin the 4.5 acre plot of land of the Sri Wijayarama Maha Vidyalaya in Udahamulla to DBV in a bid to, as claimed by the Ministry, increase the number of classes more..

May 21 (TM) Football Federation of SL (FFSL) is currently in a spot of bother with regard to holding its Annual General Meeting (AGM) of 2021. The current committee under Anura de Silva is set to finish their term at the end of this month. But with the sudden surge in Covid-19 pandemic in the island, public gatherings are restricted, the public is not allowed to cross Provinces, and the whole country is amidst intermittent lockdowns. The FFSL AGM was initially scheduled to be held on 30 May (Sunday). more..

May 21 (Island) We seem to face a complicated set of problems in handling the epidemic Covid-19 in our country. The infection rate is well above 1. The number identified to have been infected during the last few days has been counting up to 2,000. That is alarmingly high. Consequent upon the rapid rise in infections, there are four tightening bottlenecks: there is an emerging scarcity of hospital beds; the number of acute-care-beds is well short of probable requirements; healthcare personnel more..

May 21 (ST) Several consignments of previously-ordered fertilisers and pesticides were stuck in the Colombo port this week despite a gazette being issued to permit any shipments of agrochemicals seaborne on or before May 5 to arrive, be cleared and distributed. The block occurred because the necessary instructions had not been conveyed by the relevant authorities, a spokesman for a pesticide company said, more..

May 21 (ST) Sri Lanka will be implementing a comprehensive cross border and foreign currency transactions monitoring system through licenced banks to assist migrant workers on the continuation of their remittances from overseas. The aim of the government is to pay more attention and provide more assistance to migrant workers when they enter a very different job market in the new normal COVID-19 situation and afterwards, Finance Ministry sources divulged. more..

May 21 (DN) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Director of Cricket Tom Moody said that Sri Lanka has to undergo new player contract changes if they want to move forward as a cricketing nation and compete with the rest of the world. “There was a lot of work done in exploring, on how other cricket boards around the world go through this process and a lot of information was brought into what we come up with which is in Sri Lanka’s contract system for this year moving forward,” said Moody. more..

May 21 (FT) Lord Michael Naseby who is also the joint chair of the All-Party Group (on SL), on Wednesday in his remarks during the Queen’s Speech debate in UK Parliament, took the opportunity share key insights to Sri Lanka’s challenges and progress with regard to achieving reconciliation following the end of the armed conflict in 2009. Here are some excerpts: My Lords, I welcome the gracious speech. more..

May 21 (DN) Navy is synonymous with the ocean and ships. Interestingly the SL Navy has a fully combat-capable ground force component for various duties. Among these shore establishments a special section of sailors are stationed at SLNS Gemunu in Welisara. These sailors are the proud handlers of the robust Navy dogs. Navy Kennels (K-9 Branch) has a variety of dog breeds each with a special skill. The kennels are situated in a serene part of this massive naval base giving the dogs and more..

May 21 (DN) Asia Rugby (AR) has extended an invitation to Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) to conduct two back-to-back Men’s & Women’s Sevens Tournaments later this year. AR incumbent President, Qais Al-Dhalai has spoken to Rizly Illyas, President SLR and has offered him this window to conduct these tournaments under the local health authority guidelines. Illyas is to meet Minister Namal Rajapaksa initially to discuss this offer and get his blessings and approval to conduct this event. more..

May 21 (TM) Selendiva Investments is focusing on restructuring state-owned hospitality ventures like Hilton Colombo and Grand Hyatt Colombo, according to the company’s CEO Shamahil Mohideen. Mohideen said this, following the nod selendiva received from the Cabinet of Ministers for the proposal to implement three exclusive investment portfolios. Selendiva Investments Ltd., as a holding company, does not operate any business activity more..

May 21 (FT) SL’s Ambassador to the USA Ravinatha Aryasinha yesterday called on Overseas Sri Lankans (OSLs) and Friends of Sri Lanka in the US to contribute relief goods and make donations, in the face of the urgency resulting from the increasing number of COVID-infected persons being detected in Sri Lanka and the challenges posed in treating them. In a communication addressed to the community, Ambassador Aryasinha said the immediate need is for ventilators, more..

May 21 (DN) The Asia Cup 2021, which was planned to be held in SL this year, is likely to be postponed. All Major Asian sides have packed schedules until the end of this year however the major reason for the likely postponement is due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Both Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Pakistan Super League (PSL) got postponed due to COVID-19 breaching the bio-bubbles of teams of both the tournaments. The IPL and the PSL have both been rescheduled more..

May 21 (FT) Monetary Board yesterday kept policy rates unchanged, as mostly expected, to continue with its support for the recovery of the economy amidst a worsening COVID-19 pandemic. Board said it arrived at this decision after carefully considering the macroeconomic conditions and expected developments on the domestic and global fronts. “In the context of the prevailing low inflation environment and well anchored more..

May 21 (FT) UK Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth Tariq Ahmad has cancelled his planned visit to SL early next week. The move is due to the country declaring widespread restrictions to control the spread of COVID-19. On Wednesday during remarks in UK Parliament, Lord Tariq Ahmad confirmed that his proposed visit to SL had been cancelled. In response to Lord Naseby’s statement on SL same day, Ahmad said: “My noble friend Lord Naseby talked about the importance of more..

May 21 (DN) Minister Namal Rajapaksa on Wednesday requested the public to visit National Youth Corps Centres throughout the country next week and donate blood to address the shortage of blood at the blood bank in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. He was speaking to the media after donating blood at the National Blood Centre to direct people to donate blood to alleviate the shortage. Minister inaugurated the programme following a recent announcement by the National Blood more..

May 21 (TM) Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) of the US is probing the entirety of the Easter Sunday terror attacks which took place on 21 April 2019, with a particular emphasis on the cyberspace aspect of the bombings. Making a special statement regarding the status of the investigations into the Easter Sunday bombings, following a controversial claim by Attorney General (AG) President’s Counsel Dappula de Livera more..

May 21 (FT) Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has fined two private sector institutions collectively Rs. 4 million for non-compliance following its regular quarterly reviews. As the regulator for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) in the country, the FIU said it imposed penalties, totalling Rs. 4 million, for the period from 1 Jan 2021 to 31 Mar 2021 to enforce compliance on financial institutions. Penalties were imposed mainly on the violations of more..

May 21 (FT) MAS yesterday announced that its Thurulie plant in Polgahawela reported 380 COVID-19 positive cases, following 2,019 PCR tests. In a statement, MAS said as part of its preventative procedures towards curbing the spread of the third wave of COVID-19, it undertakes regular PCR testing at its manufacturing plants. This enables the plants to ensure that undetected and asymptomatic employees who are COVID-19 positive are placed in quarantine at care centres to prevent more..

May 21 (CT) Considering their vulnerability particularly during the coronavirus variant and the five deaths which have already been recorded, Advisory Committee on Immunisation (ACI) of the Health Ministry recommended the COVID19 vaccine for pregnant mothers, Director of the Family Health Bureau, Dr. Chitramalee de Silva said. Currently there were approximately 170 pregnant mothers infected with coronavirus more..

May 21 (Island) PM Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Office said that a ministerial subcommittee discussed the sharp increase in crude oil prices compared to 2019 and 2020. The PM chaired the meeting in the Committee Room 8 in parliament. The Cabinet subcommittee discussed ways and means of addressing the problems caused by crude price hike. The PM’s Office said that ministers had discussed how to sustain public relief in the wake of further increase in expenditure. more..

May 21 (CT) SL is a country like no other, obviously. There is nothing that is not stolen in this enchanted island. From a bra drying in the clothes line, to Central Bank, jewellery stolen from exhumed corpses to durian fruits- every thing is unashamedly stolen from each other’s backyards, vaults, graves and trees. One can reflect on lost durian fruits and bras with philosophical jocularity. But the laugh buck stops when politicians, so-called freedom fighters, man married to the Minister of Health, more..

May 21 (EN) SL had exported US$ 789.9 million in April 2021, recovering from steep a fall to US$ 282.3 million last year at the beginning of a Coronavirus pandemic and reaching the level of US$ 789.1 million seen in 2019, just as a third wave hit the country. Export earnings from January to April 2021 were up 29.62% to US$ 3,699.34 million, helped by the easing of Coronavirus restriction in the country and in the world, EDB said. more..

May 21 (Island) Instead of wasting time to secure vaccines, the govt must take steps to control the rapid spread of COVID-19, UNP leader and former PM, Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday. He said that when the UK variant, first appeared, Britain had closed the country for a month. At least the country should be locked down for two weeks, the former PM said. “There is no point in pondering the impact of the lockdown on our economy. Sri Lankan economy is already in deep trouble. more..

May 21 (DM) The very first eco-friendly luxury boutique resort in Colombo made its debut when Waters Edge recommenced the construction of the much-anticipated 48-room project. With its intriguing design, smart-tech features and eco-friendly sustainable structure and operational strategy, the resort-style establishment is set to become a vibrant business resort for locals and tourists and a hallmark for luxury city hotels around the world. To mark this idyllic occasion that would bring the planned more..

May 21 (Island) Sinopharm vaccine took six weeks to be effective and it did not provide an immediate solution to the current health emergency, President of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) Dr Padma Gunaratne said. “With AstraZeneca there is some protection after two weeks, but you need the second dose. However, Sinopharm doesn’t work like that. You are given a second dose in 4 weeks after the first jab. more..

May 21 (FT) The political and health crisis of SL is galloping towards an inevitable catastrophe. Apparently there is no escape from it. Both the ruling party and the Opposition do not possess the capacity to play a pioneering and innovative role in changing this trend. There is no sign of the emergence of alternative leaders endowed with effective leadership attributes to play a constructive role in tackling the crisis which is characterised by uncertainty & growing intensity. more..

May 21 (FT) What is the only reasonable yardstick to assess any largescale economic project in SL? Simple: its benefit to the Sri Lankan people. Such public benefit should be the sole benchmark by which the proposed Colombo Port City project is evaluated. The Port City project is a vessel that promises to deliver enormous benefits. But we must ensure that those benefits are delivered to the Sri Lankan people. Unfortunately, the Bill to establish the Colombo Port City Economic Commission more..

May 21 (SLN) SL Navy responding immediately to a distress call of fire erupted onboard a container ship ‘X-PRESS PEARL’ in the afternoon of 20th May 2021, promptly dispatched 02 Offshore Patrol Vessels, Sri Lanka Naval Ship (SLNS) Sagara, Sindurala and a Fast Attack Craft to the scene of fire. Further 01 Tug from the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) is engaged in firefighting efforts as of now. The container ship was at anchorage about 9.5 nautical miles NW of Colombo harbour more..

May 21 (AD) At least 21 persons have been wounded and hospitalized after the trailer of a tractor had detached and toppled on the road at Ragala. Police said the incident had occurred at around 8 a.m. this morning when a group of estate workers were being transported on the said trailer. The group of female estate workers were traveling to a tea estate located in Ragala to engage in tea plucking when the trailer of the tractor had suddenly detached and toppled at Medawatta on more..

May 21 (SBS) An Australian professor is appealing to the United Nations after the SL govt released a report alleging he was involved in the deadly Easter Sunday terror bombings in 2019. In February, a SL govt inquiry finalised its report into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, a series of suicide bombings that killed more than 250 people in Colombo. The SL govt report, which hasn’t been released publicly but has been seen by more..

May 21 (FT) Nations Trust Bank yesterday announced the finalisation of a loan facility of $ 40 million from FMO, the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank. Supporting the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector affected most by the pandemic, funds are to be used towards the revival and growth of the Bank’s SME portfolio, in order to ensure lives and livelihoods are protected and new employment is created. Nations Trust Bank’s business value proposition has more..

May 21 (AD) Dept of Meteorology says the showery condition over South-western part (Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and Southern provinces) of the island and the windy condition over the island are likely to enhance during next few days. Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, North- western and Southern provinces, it said. Heavy rainfall about 100mm can be expected at some places in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle, more..

May 21 (AD) Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar has acquitted the Chairman of the Avant Garde Maritime Services Company Nissanka Senadhipathi and the seven other defendants over the operating of a floating armoury in the seas off Galle. The case was heard before a three-judge bench comprising Justices Aditya Patabendige, Manjula Tilakaratne and Mahen Weeraman. more..

May 21 (FT) The Govt fell just short of a two third majority in Parliament when the vote on the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill was taken yesterday with two SLPP MPs absent during the vote. MP Wijedasa Rajapaksha who is opposed to the Bill and appeared for one of the petitioners who challenged the Bill in the SC was absent during the vote. Nuwara-Eliya District SLPP/CWC MP Maruthapandi Rameshwaram too was absent as he tested positive for COVID-19. more..

May 21 (Island) China and its people had been unwavering friends of this nation since time immemorial and SL people would never forget the role played by China as a true and genuine friend to help us to defeat the LTTE terrorism, SLPP MP Gevindu Cumaratunga told Parliament. Participating in the debate on the Colombo Port City Economic Commission bill, Cumaratunge said the people of this country could learn from their counterparts in China on how a nation could sacrifice and more..