Sep 3 (FT) Harsh enforcement of price controls may worsen food shortages, warned independent policy think-tank Advocata Institute yesterday. It said the decision to grant the Commissioner of Essential Services the power to seize food stocks held by traders and retailers and regulate prices is of serious concern in the context of a steep rise in the price of essentials over the past two years. It said the Advocata’s ‘Bath Curry Indicator’ (BCI), which tracks commonly consumed items, more..

Sep 3 (GDI) As part of the economic diplomacy programme of the High Commission, the High Commissioner of SL to Kenya Velupillai Kananathan, visited on 31 Aug, the Hela Clothing factory in Nairobi. The purpose was to interact with the Sri Lankan investors in Kenya who remit investment proceeds to contribute to the foreign exchange earnings of Sri Lanka The Managing Director of Hela Clothing Dilanka Jinadasa who received the High Commissioner Kananathan at the facility, more..

Sep 3 (Island) Director General, Legal Affairs, at the Presidential Secretariat attorney-at-law Harigupta Rohanadeera says the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) retained the right to initiate fresh proceedings in respect of cases dismissed by courts as well as those withdrawn by the institution. Presidential Secretariat Director General explained how those cases could be resumed again more..

Sep 3 (MFA) Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris met the Charge d’ Affaires of the Embassy of the State of Libya in Sri Lanka Amar A.M. Muftah, on Wednesday, 01 September 2021 at the Foreign Ministry and discussed matters of mutual interest in the bilateral relations between the two countries. The Libyan Charge d’ Affaires conveyed the felicitations of the Libyan Minister of Foreign Affairs to Minister Peiris on his recent appointment as Foreign Minister. Libyan Charge d’ Affaires Muftah briefed more..

Sep 3 (CT) With the interbank foreign exchange (FX) market dead for the 86th consecutive market day to yesterday, an activated black (kerb) market brought about as a result was selling US dollars at between Rs 240 and 250 to the dollar in a greenback starved country, while Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) persisted in fixing the benchmark Spot at an unrealistically inflated rate of Rs 210 to the dollar for the third consecutive market day to yesterday, sources told this reporter. more..

Sep 3 (FT) The Central Bank (CB) has extended the debt moratorium for COVID-19-affected businesses and individuals by another three months till 31 December. It said the extension was after considering the new surge in COVID-19 outbreak and requests from many concerned parties. The moratorium was to expire on 31 August. With a view to facilitate the challenges faced by businesses and individuals due to more..

Sep 3 (FT) Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa this week requested members of a high-level Chinese delegation to look into the $ 1.5 billion fiscal transfer between the Central Banks of the two countries as a measure to overcome the current economic challenge which is at a halt due to some areas of contention relating to the technicalities of the agreement. He also requested them to facilitate the expansion of industries such as garments, tea and gems to enter the Chinese market under more..

Sep 3 (FT) Meeting SL’s rapidly increasing water and sanitation needs will require a comprehensive national policy capable of managing institutional coordination, improve planning, and attract investment to benefit millions of people. Sri Lanka is on track to meet its Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of providing basic access to clean drinking water and sanitation but it will have to focus on safely managed access (SDG 6.2). Especially, in the coming decades with growing urbanisation, more..

Sep 3 (DM) For most women, pregnancy is considered an important, delightful yet completely stressful period in life. The arrival of a new family member is not just a new experience for the woman bearing a child, but also for the other family members. The last thing a family would want to go through therefore, is the added stress of a raging pandemic at their doorstep. For hundreds of expectant and new mothers, pregnancy more..

Sep 3 (FT) Top apparel manufacturers yesterday reiterated that the European Union (EU) GSP+ is very critical for the future growth of exports and expressed hope that the Govt will work towards retaining the concession. “Since the past five years, the major part of the export growth, which took us to over $ 5 billion came from the EU brands and markets. It’s a very important part of our current growth strategy,” Hirdarmani Group Director Aroon Hidramani said at a webinar yesterday. more..

Sep 3 (FT) COVID-19 vaccines were administered to 474,116 persons on Wednesday, raising the number of persons to receive the first dose of a vaccine to 12,564,209 and the number of persons to receive the second dose to 8,582,094. 74.7% of the country’s population over the age of 30 has received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. On Wednesday, 58,181 persons received the first dose of Sinopharm and 400,949 persons received the second dose of the vaccine. more..

Sep 3 (Island) Medical experts and health sector trade unionists yesterday criticised Deputy Director General of Health Services, Dr. Hemantha Herath for claiming that there was no mechanism to prevent the new COVID variant detected in South Africa from entering Sri Lanka. Executive Director of the Institute for Health Policy (IHP), Dr. Ravi Rannan-Eliya told The Island yesterday that he disagreed with Dr. Herath’s assertion. more..

Sep 3 (TM) Police have arrested a man and a woman who were seen in a video clip shot near the Pahanthudawa waterfall in the Belihuloya area in Balangoda under the Obscene Publications (Amendment) Act, No. 22 of 1983, and warned that people who share the clip would also be punished. Police Media SSP Nihal Thalduwa said that the duo in question hails from the Maharagama and Pannipitiya areas. Furthermore, he said certain websites have been informed by more..

Sep 3 (TM) Public Health Inspectors’ (PHIs) Union has alleged there is a shortage of Covid-19 vaccines supplied to public vaccination centres in several districts despite the country being in possession of adequate stocks of these vaccines. PHIs’ Union Secretary M. Balasooriya said that Kandy, Kurunegala, Matara, and Galle are among those districts. “Health officials and PHIs at the ground level face a huge problem related to this issue because they are the ones who face more..

Sep 3 (MFA) Govt of SL has been made aware that UK Home Secretary has decided to maintain the proscription of the LTTE as a terrorist organization under the UK Terrorism Act No. 7 of 2000. Home Secretary’s decision, which has been taken following the judgement of Proscribed Organizations Appeals Commission (POAC), rejects the application of a LTTE front organization to de-proscribe the LTTE in the UK. more..

Sep 3 (FT) The country’s COVID-19 detections rose to 447,757 with the detections of 3,627 COVID-19 positive persons yesterday. 14,009 PCR tests were carried out yesterday and the detections include 3,619 persons from the New Year cluster and eight overseas arrivals. On Wednesday, 13,336 PCR tests and 4,345 rapid antigen tests were carried out and 3,828 COVID-19 patients were detected. Out of the detections, 3,826 were from the New Year cluster and two were from the Prisons cluster. more..

Sep 3 (CT) Based on provisions contained in the Essential Public Services Act, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has declared as essential services the institutions coming under the purview of Ports, Banks and Railway. An Extraordinary Gazette Notification has also been issued to this effect. Hence, all activities coming under the SL Railways Department, the SLTB and all services rendered as per the Ports Authority Act No. 51 of 1979, have been declared as essential services. more..

Sep 3 (TM) The extension of the Covid-19 vaccination drive to persons between the ages of 20 and 30 commenced yesterday (2) on a district-wise basis, according to Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella. “We took steps to begin the vaccination programme for people between the ages of 20 to 30 on a district-level basis today,” Rambukwella had announced at a discussion with the Public Service United Nurses’ Union more..

Sep 3 (FT) As a country SL is currently in a great crisis which cannot be overcome only by the Govt in power; it requires a very strong and consolidated national effort involving all Opposition parties and the people in general. Unfortunately both the ruling party and the Opposition have failed to realise that. SL is a deaf and dumb country that cannot be awakened by prior warnings. It is a country that lacks the foresight to anticipate what the future holds for what it is doing now, and it never more..

Sep 3 (FT) Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha has published a slim memoir entitled Representing Sri Lanka on his experiences at the Human Rights Council in Geneva with sub themes on Rights and Sovereignty (Godage 2021). It focuses primarily on the period 2007-2009 under Ambassador Dayan Jayatilleka in Geneva culminating in the famous adoption of a positive resolution in favour of Sri Lanka, and its aftermath which he described as a slow self-destruction in Geneva and Colombo. more..

Sep 3 (AD) A jailer has been transferred to the Vavuniya Prisons after it was revealed that he had provided a mobile phone to MP Rishad Bathiudeen, who is incarcerated at the Magazine Prison. The transfer came into effect following a disciplinary inquiry, Prisons Spokesman, Chandana Ekanayake said. The mobile phone was found in possession of the parliamentarian yesterday. When the chief jailor and another jailor of the prison were walking by the former minister’s cell, they had observed more..

Sep 3 (DM) A young Tamil journalist based in Jaffna has died after contracting the coronavirus, hours after he tweeted saying he had been refused the Covid vaccine. Pragas Gnanapragasam, a muscular dystrophy patient, tweeted on Wednesday saying he had tested positive for the coronavirus. He said that he had tested positive for the virus after suffering from fever for five days. Gnanapragasam said that health authorities had refused to give him the coronavirus vaccine as he was more..

Sep 3 (AD) The SL govt has decided to further extend the quarantine curfew orders, currently enforced across the island, by another week. Accordingly, the restrictions will be in effect until 4 a.m. on Sept 13 (Monday). The decision to further extend the quarantine curfew was taken during the virtual meeting of the Special Committee on COVID-19 Control convened under the patronage of more..

Sep 3 (AD) The Dept of Immigration and Emigration says the validity period of all types of valid visas currently obtained by foreigners residing in SL has been extended by 30 days from 7th Sept to 07th Oct 2021. Only Visa fees applicable for that period will be charged for the Visas expire within this period and exempted from charging overstay penalty, it said. Instructions for Tourist Visa holders to get endorsed visas: Accordingly, Tourist Visa holders can follow one of the methodologies more..

Sep 3 (MFA) Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris received the UN Resident Coordinator (UNRC) Hanaa Singer – Hamdy, on a courtesy call at the Foreign Ministry in Colombo on 2 Sept. Minister Peiris thanked the UNRC for the constructive and ongoing cooperation between SL and the UNRC and the UN country team in the context of the national development priorities and needs for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He briefed the UNRC on SL’s ongoing efforts to more..

Sep 3 (AP) New Zealand authorities were so worried about an extremist inspired by the Islamic State group they were following him around-the-clock and were able to shoot and kill him within 60 seconds of him unleashing a frenzied knife attack that wounded six people Friday at an Auckland supermarket. Three of the shoppers were taken to Auckland hospitals in critical condition, police said. Another was in serious condition, more..

Sep 3 (CI) It was to nobody's surprise that Sri Lanka turned to spin to defeat South Africa in the first ODI. But what will have been heartening for the home fans, was the poise and determination their team showed when a target of 301 came under threat. South Africa were in the hunt for 90% of the chase, but despite some expensive overs, captain Dasun Shanaka trusted his more experienced spinners, and they, along with Dushmantha Chameera, ensured that 10 crucial ODI Super League more..

Sep 3 (DM) The Govt Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) requested the Presidential Task force to administer COVID-19 vaccine to children aged 12 to 18 years before the re-opening of schools to prevent a catastrophic situation with the spread of COVID in schools, as well as in households and society. Hence, failure to vaccinate school children will delay the reopening of schools and have a significant impact on their education as well as their mental well-being, the GMOA said. more..

Sep 3 (Island) The prices of all essential commodities have skyrocketed. The govt is running around like a headless chicken, having done precious little to control them. It has been left with no alternative but to order raids to seize and confiscate hoarded sugar, rice, etc., and even declare a state of emergency to bring the situation under control. Curiously, the SLPP propagandists claim that there are no shortages. If so, will they explain why the govt has resorted to raids and more..

Sep 3 (AD) Notorious drug trafficker and underworld figure Amila Prasanna Hettihewa alias Sunshine Sudda has been killed in a shooting at Kotawila, Matara. Police said the victim was traveling by car when he was gunned down by an unidentified suspect near a school in Warakapitiya in the Kotawila police area at around 11.99 a.m. today. Police said that the suspect had opened fire from a wooded area located near the school. The victim had been rushed to hospital in critical more..

Sep 3 (AD) Prez Rajapaksa says the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine could be given to the schoolchildren of the relevant age groups as soon as the medical approval is received. His remarks came during the virtual meeting of the Special Committee on COVID-19 Control held this morning, President’s Media Division (PMD) said. During the meeting, provincial and divisional directors of health services have submitted facts and details more..

Sep 3 (TM) In a letter addressed to the High Commissioner of New Zealand in SL Micheal Appleton, the Supreme Council of Sufi Thareeqas in Sri Lanka (SCOT-SL) condemned the extremist attack which unfolded in Auckland today. “The recent extremist incident by the lone attacker in Auckland is strongly condemned by the Muslim community in Sri Lanka. We firmly believe that this vicious attack does not represent any race, religion or nationality but is an act carried out by an extremely more..

Sep 3 (CT) In the future, the Ministry of Agriculture will take steps to develop a QR code system that will allow farmers to check the quality of their fertiliser. Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture stated that the 1920 hotline will provide solutions to farmers’ problems, and that they have formed a team of technical officers to conduct field inspections in each area. “As a result of the use of organic fertiliser, the country has established a young entrepreneurship. State banks are already in the process of more..

Sep 3 (CT) Gazette Notification No. 2241/41 of 19 Aug 2021, promotes illegal elephant trade, alleged Director of Environmental Conservation Trust Sajeewa Chamikara. He said that the new Gazette Notification claiming to update the registration order for tame elephants, however, supports elephant trade in the county. He said that the Regulation on the Protection, Welfare and Registration of Domestic Elephants more..

Sep 3 (CT) Within 24 hours concluding on 1 Sept evening, 286 individuals had been infected with COVID-19 in Jaffna District, Regional Director of Health Services (RDHS), Jaffna District said. The RDHS added that 16 of them were detected after performing PCR tests, while 270 were detected with rapid antigen tests. A total of 85 patients from Chavakachcheri Medical Officer of Health (MOH) Division, 48 from Jaffna, 14 from Kopay, 19 from Chankanai and 41 from Karaveddy more..

Sep 3 (EN) Amid speculation of growing differences within the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP)-led ruling coalition, Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) has said it has no plans to leave the govt but is looking to strengthen its own alliance under the leadership of former president Maithripala Sirisena. SLFP general secretary and state minister Dayasiri Jayasekara said that the party’s central committee took a decision to revitalise the UPFA, SLFP-led coalition that once governed SL for 11 years. more..

Sep 3 (EN) SL Army-run Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine rollout under way in the sparsely populated Hambantota district for the 20-to-30-years age group has been questioned by a doctors’ union that says school children aged 12 to 18 ought to be prioritised and that the health sector is well-equipped to vaccinate children. Writing to Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, GMOA asked that the rollout be reconsidered and more..

Sep 3 (CI) Sri Lanka Cricket has floated the idea of a women's T20 franchise competition to precede the men's Lanka Premier League (LPL) this year. But it appears that SLC would require substantial commercial interest before such a tournament can materialise. On Thursday, SLC advertised for a sports marketing/management agency that would not only find franchisees for the participating teams, but also partner with SLC as a sponsor of the tournament in addition to other duties. more..