Sep 10 (FT) Health officials state that 2,856 persons tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, raising the country’s COVID-19 detections to 477,636. The patients detected yesterday include 2,856 persons from the New Year cluster. 12,528 PCR tests were carried out yesterday. On Wednesday, 10,395 PCR tests and 4,499 rapid antigen tests were carried out. The COVID-19 detections on Wednesday include more..

Sep 10 (Island) This is a good time to appoint a special Committee headed by a former Chief Justice to furnish a report on persons who were involved in terrorist activities, Karu Jayasuriya, President of the National Movement for a Just Society said. “Global trust for SL will only be ensured once this process is properly completed. We propose the President take immediate action on this. The PM’s meeting of the European Union is very important to address all unresolved issues related to GSP+ etc. more..

Sep 10 (Island) Prof. Neelika Malavige said that she had not suggested that schools be reopened. Issuing a statement on Facebook, Prof. Malavige urged SL media institutions to refrain from misquoting her and posting content out of context, especially given the fact that the country was in the middle of a pandemic. Given below is her statement in full: “I have been silent all this time while SL media has been misquoting me, stating things that I never said, taking a single sentence out of a more..

Sep 10 (TM) Following the issuing of a Health Ministry directive allocating 50,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to administer to the 20-30-year-old population in the Hambantota District, Health Ministry Communications Director, Public Health Services Deputy Director General (DDG), and Disaster Preparedness and Response Division Head Dr. Hemantha Herath said that this vaccine stock allocation was decided as more..

Sep 10 (CT) Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage has decided to obtain an immediate report regarding the illegal disposition of over 100,000 acres of lands belonging to the Janatha Estates Development Board (JEDB). Minister said a fully empowered committee will be formed by him shortly to probe charges such as the illegal leasing of 200 blocks of land, the unlawful takeover of land etc. He stated that during the previous UNF-led regime some of these lands had been disposed of, based on more..

Sep 10 (CT) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa says there are many scams ongoing in the country and that these are a burden to the public including the recent data wipe at the National Medicines Regulatory Authority and the Rapid Antigen Test kit and essential medicine rackets. He said the Govt is giving the fullest freedom and maximum space for bribery, corruption and scams and the SJB as the opposition, is carrying out public services that should be rendered by a Govt. more..

Sep 10 (FT) In a bid to save scarce foreign exchange, the Govt yesterday imposed a fresh barrier to the import of over 600 non-essential items, with the Central Bank requiring banks to impose a 100% cash margin deposit to bring down these goods. The Central Bank said yesterday that the Monetary Board at its meeting on Wednesday decided on this move which is expected to “support the ongoing efforts to preserve the stability of more..

Sep 10 (TM) An employee attached to SriLankan Airlines (SLA) is currently being held in China – under the country’s health regulations, as she had tested positive for Covid-19, sources told The Morning. However, high-level sources within the national carrier said that she has not been detained but is only receiving medical care at the moment. ITAK MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam had tweeted on 8 Sept that an employee at the SLA is currently detained in China due to SLA management more..

Sep 10 (TM) Health Ministry Medical Services Deputy Director General (DDG) Dr. G. Wijesuriya said that a third dose of a Covid-19 vaccine must first be given to healthcare workers who received the Covid-19 vaccine during the first round of the vaccination drive in January this year, as the need to administer a third dose would arise within the course of a few months. “In a few months, the country will face the need for a third dose as well. When this need arises, healthcare workers who got more..

Sep 10 (TM) Archbishop of Colombo His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith stated that the Catholic Church had never supported the incumbent SLPP-led Govt or Prez Rajapaksa to come to power but had only criticised then UNF-led Govt. “We only criticised the Govt at the time of the Easter Sunday terror attacks because they knew about the attacks but did not prevent it and did not arrest the perpetrators. more..

Sep 10 (FT) Among probable disasters there are avoidable as well as unavoidable ones. Even in unavoidable disasters, the resultant damage caused can be minimised with prudent and timely action. The tsunami disaster in 2004 can be considered as an unavoidable catastrophe. According to official statistics, its death toll rose to 27,589 while the number displaced remained at 889,179. Although there was a possibility of minimising the loss of lives caused by the train accident at Paraliya, more..

Sep 10 (FT) To term the Govt’s Appropriation Bill for 2022 the most anticipated and decisive presentation since the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war is far from fallacy. The Sri Lankan economy and its people are deep in crisis, plagued by the unceasing pandemic with questions raised over its handling. Whilst we indulge some ingenuous introspection over the incapacity to escape this vicious cycle, let us consider some quick fixes for the immediate concerns regarding our economy. more..

Sep 10 (AD) PM Rajapaksa left the BIA, this morning for a diplomatic visit in Bologna, Italy. He is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the inaugural session of the G20 Interfaith Forum Italy-2021. The event is held at one of Europe’s oldest seats of learning, the University of Bologna. The visit will also include several other high-level diplomatic meetings. PM was accompanied by a delegation of 17 officials including Minister G. L Peiris and Secretary to the PM, Gamini Senarath. more..

Sep 10 (DM) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is to attend the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly to be commenced on Sept 21 in New York, the PMD said. This is the President's first address to the United Nations General Assembly and also the first foreign conference to take part outside the country. The President is expected to hold bilateral discussions with several Heads of State on a number of areas including economic, education and agriculture during the visit. more..

Sep 10 (AD) The Governor of the Central Bank Professor W. D. Lakshman says that he will be retiring from his position as the governor on Sept 14, 2021. Governor made this announcement during a press briefing held today at the Central Bank. Deshamanya Professor W D Lakshman had assumed duties as the Governor of the Central Bank of SL on the 24th of Dec 2019 at the Governor’s Office in Colombo. more..

Sep 10 (EN) India’s IndiGo airlines will start flying to Colombo from Sept 10, as South Asia expands vaccination and attempts to re-start tourism and travel. IndiGo will fly from Chennai to Colombo on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays. Flights from Kochi to Colombo will be on Friday and Sunday. Flights from Mumbai is expected to begin from Sept 15. SL is gradually relaxing quarantine requirements for vaccinated travellers as the domestic population is also rapidly vaccinated. more..

Sep 10 (Kyodo) Family of a SL woman who died in March following mistreatment at a Japanese immigration center visited the immigration agency Friday to seek full disclosure of two weeks' worth of a security camera footage of her final days. The family members of Wishma Sandamali, 33, were only able to see about half of a two-hour edited version of the footage in August due to its shocking content. They also demanded the Immigration Services Agency of Japan accept more..

Sep 10 (EN) A study by University of Sri J'pura (USJ) has found that 96% of SL’s daily COVID-19 cases are caused by the delta variant of SARS-CoV-2. Dr Chandima Jeewandara, director of the USJ’s Allergy Immunology and Cell Biology Unit, told reporters on Friday (10) that investigations over the past week covering all provinces of the island showed that the highly transmissible variant has spread throughout the country. more..

Sep 10 (DM) Organized criminal Janith Madushanka alias Podi Lassie and his mother yesterday filed a Fundamental Rights petition in Supreme Court challenging Podi Lassie's continuous detention under Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). The petitioners are also seeking an order directing the authorities to release Podi Lassie from the custody of the CID. THE petitioners cited Inspector General of Police (IGP), the CID and the Attorney General (AG) as respondents in the petition. more..

Sep 10 (DN) IGP C.D. Wickramaratne said those involved in the Easter Sunday terror attacks will be able to creep through the law’s loopholes and escape punishment, if the investigations are not done properly. Commenting on the Easter Sunday terror attack investigations he said that although the police can arrest persons alleged to be involved in the incident, if the investigations are not done properly, those involved will be able to creep through loopholes of the law & escape punishment. more..

Sep 10 (HRW) The UNHRC should maintain its rigorous scrutiny of Sri Lanka’s worsening human rights situation and press for genuine improvements, Human Rights Watch said today. At the Council’s upcoming session, which begins on Sept 13, 2021, UN member countries should express their alarm about the ongoing abuses by the govt of Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the weakening of independent more..

Sep 10 (TM) Condemning former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe for the decisions made over the Colombo Port when he was in office, Minister of Ports and Shipping Rohitha Abeygunawardene stated that questions relating to whether leases with regard to the Colombo Port will bring in US Dollars should be directed to the previous Yahapalanaya Govt. He made these statements while responding to questions from journalists, while adding that if the Yahapalanaya Govt is presented with more..

Sep 10 (Island) The Parliamentary elections should be held under a mixed electoral system, EPDP leader and Minister of Fisheries Douglas Devananda told the media on Wednesday. He said that he had already proposed it to the Parliament select committee on electoral reforms. “There are 225 seats in Parliament. 150 of them have to be elected under the first-past-the-post system while the rest should be elected under the Proportional Representation sytem and appointed via more..

Sep 10 (AJ) Political detainees in SL are being tortured while in police and military custody, a human rights lawyer who wrote a report on alleged abuses says, days before a UNHRC summit. The Int'l Truth and Justice Project (ITJP), a rights group documenting alleged abuses in SL, on Friday gave details in its report of 15 members of the minority Tamil community, who said they were beaten, burned, suffocated and more..

Sep 10 (DM) A 25-year-old woman who had gone missing since last Sunday (5) afternoon while collecting firewood at Nuwara Eliya Estate, has been traced in a combined operation by the Army troops,Police, Special Task Force and Estate workers. Balan Kathmuna Tharani had gone to collect firewood at Nuwara Eliya Estate with her mother on Sunday afternoon and had gone missing ever since. She was found last afternoon (9) at about 6.30 pm and immediately admitted to more..

Sep 10 (AD) The Chairman of Sinopharm Group, Liu Jingzhen has expressed keen interest in setting up a vaccine refilling plant in Sri Lanka to take advantage of the island nation’s favourable trade access in the region and beyond. Mr. Jingzhen also assured that Sinopharm will continue to collaborate with SL and supply vaccines. He noted that the Sinopharm vaccine is being used over 100 countries and over 50 Heads of State and other high-ranking officials have been inoculated with this jab. more..

Sep 10 (EN) SL’s ongoing COVID-19 lockdown has been extended till 4am Sept 21, health minister Keheliya Rambukwella said. The minister tweeted Friday (10) morning following a COVID-19 eradication committee meeting chaired by Prez Rajapaksa that cases are on the decline and that SL will be able to reopen without risk. Army Commander Gen Shavendra Silva said the president has requested that health guidelines continue to more..

Sep 10 (AD) The total number people who fell victim to COVID-19 infection in SL moved up as 131 more fatalities were confirmed by the Director-General of Health Services on Thursday (9). The new development has pushed the official death toll from the virus outbreak in Sri Lanka to 10,995. According to the data released by the Dept of Govt Information, the latest victims include 73 males and 58 females. As many as 110 deaths were reported among the elderly people aged above 60 years. more..

Sep 10 (EN) SL’s banks continued to face difficulties in getting foreign exchange from exports and remittances after a revaluation of the rupee to 203 from 230 levels, and were tightening dollar rationing further, market participants said, while there were isolated trades in bonds. Banks were forced to ration dollars as supplies continued to be weak, market participants said. Banks started quoting rates of 198/203 level to the telegraphic transfers this week after they were requested to more..

Sep 11 (DM) Climate change consequences are already battering many countries in the world, although they were expected to come in the 2030s. In the United States the Louisiana State continues its path toward recovery following Hurricane Ida’s disastrous touchdown. Some regions of southern Louisiana could see two to four inches of heavy rain, threatening neighbourhoods still picking up the pieces from one of the strongest hurricanes on record to hit the state. more..

Sep 11 (CT) “As responsible members of the financial community of this country, I most categorically require and request your active and tangible cooperation in order to ensure that the exchange rate range of Rs. 200-203 per dollar, and correspondingly, to ensure that the rate does not deteriorate beyond this agreed rate range”. These words of moral suasion (some are already calling it immoral suasion) from a departing CB governor, is a tacit admission that CB’s quantitative credit more..

Sep 11 (DM) The TNA is currently in a state of great turmoil. The current TNA crisis is linked up with the UNHRC in Geneva. The issue is that of writing letters to the UN Human Rights Commissioner Ms. Michele Bachelet. As is well-known the TNA is the premier political configuration representing the Tamils of the Northern and Eastern provinces of SL. TNA comprising ITAK, TELO and PLOTE has ten MP’s from all the five more..

Sep 11 (CT) A Colombo based Journalist asked me: There seem to be divisions in the Tamil Camp. While some time ago attempts were made to bring all Tamil Parties together, why have such divisions cropped up now? My response was: Political Parties are formed for the benefit and welfare of the People. People are important. Not the Parties. We need to keep that in mind. Divisions among the Political Parties crop up when individuals in Parties try to use their Parties for their selfish ends. more..

Sep 11 (GV) In 2018 the former President of SL, influenced by Philippine Prez Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs policy, attempted to resume executions for people convicted of drug trafficking. Prez’s move reignited the debate on capital punishment. Although the Supreme Court issued an interim injunction preventing resumption, calls to resume executions have since been frequently used by successive politicians for electoral purposes. Historically public opinion, or what is perceived to be public more..

Sep 11 (CT) New Zealand High Commissioner to SL, Michael Appleton speaks about Ahamed Samsudeen, a SL refugee responsible for the Auckland Countdown stabbing spree, in which six persons were wounded. Police shot and killed the attacker when he attempted to charge at them. Samsudeen was a supporter of the Islamic State terrorist group. SL Govt has collaborated with NZ authorities in the investigation. more..

Sep 11 (CT) Two questions were posed to me referring to the views expressed in my previous columns. A couple of weeks ago, commenting on the economic impasse in Sri Lanka, I wrote: “Sri Lanka needs a totally different perspective in order for it to come out of the extant impasse. The novel perspective should be based on the realistic vision that the SL economy should consciously move to what I call low level equilibrium oriented towards the needs of real producers of the society”. more..

Sep 11 (Island) The incumbent govt undertook to ensure that the law of the land would apply equally to all citizens. But the quarantine law is being enforced selectively. An elderly person was taken into custody in Jaffna, on Monday, because a large number of people who gathered near his house to receive Rs. 2,000 each from him did not follow the health regulations. People behave in a similar manner elsewhere as well when they collect money distributed by the govt as pandemic relief, more..