Feb 22 (Island) Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) would refile their case against the illegal import of toxic garbage from the UK as the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) and Dept of Customs have not taken legal action against the companies that imported the garbage, CEJ consultant and former Executive Director Hemantha Withanage said. SL Customs yesterday shipped out the last 45, out of 243 containers, more..

Feb 22 (FT) Airline Pilots Guild of SL (ALPGSL) yesterday via a statement set the record straight on a number of issues linked to it’s ongoing Fly the Roster campaign while countering what it described as several erroneous and misleading reports published in connection with its campaign. The ALPGSL which launched the Fly the Roster campaign on 4 February after unsuccessful talks with the Chairman and Management of Sri Lankan Airlines to win several demands, more..

Feb 22 (DN) Harsha Kashyapa of Vidyartha College Kandy and Hasini Dullewa of Hillwood College Kandy excelled at the All Island Novices and Intermediate Table Tennis championships concluded over the week end at Municipal Council Indoor Stadium, Kegalle in collaboration with Sabaragamuwa Province TTA. Kashyapa won Intermediate men’s title with defeating Senul Ratnayake of Dharmaraja after making three setter game 11/9. 7/11, 11/1. more..

Feb 22 (TM) Colombo High Court (HC) Judge Amal Ranaraja informed that the order with regard to the application filed by former Western Provincial Governor Azath Salley seeking compensation from three govt MPs who had filed a complaint against Salley for allegedly making statements that violated inter-ethnic harmony during a media briefing, would be given on 23 Mar 2022. Salley had filed said application, seeking compensation more..

Feb 22 (FT) Health officials yesterday confirmed the detection of 1,206 COVID-19 patients, raising the country’s COVID-19 detections to 638,043. The patients detected yesterday were from the New Year cluster. The previous day, 1,226 persons from the New Year cluster and five SL returnees from overseas tested positive for COVID-19. 8,421 PCR tests and 4,306 rapid antigen tests were conducted on Sunday. 532,374 patients from the New Year cluster, 82,785 patients from Peliyagoda more..

Feb 22 (FT) COVID-19 vaccines were administered to 27,209 persons on Sunday and 78.36% of the country’s population has received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. 65.49% of the population has received the second vaccine dose as well. The booster dose has been administered to 29.61% of the total population. Of the population over 12 years, 95.4% has received the first dose and 79.8% has received the second dose. As of 20 February, 95.3% of the population over 20 years had received more..

Feb 22 (TM) The Buddhasasana, Religious, and Cultural Affairs Ministry has decided to make certain changes to the process of the registration of Buddhist places of worship in view of a request made by the Buddhist Advisory Council, to reduce the number of approvals to be obtained in the said process. Ministry Secretary Prof. Kapila Gunawardana said that the Buddhist clergy had requested that the number of approvals to be obtained in the registration of places of more..

Feb 22 (EN) SL's Foreign Ministry has asked citizens in Ukraine to be vigilant and be in touch with the embassy in Turkey and other citizens to avoid travel to the country amid fears of a Russian invasion. “The Foreign Ministry requests all SL nationals in Ukraine to exercise vigilance and to be in contact with the Sri Lanka Embassy in Ankara,” a Foreign Ministry statement said. “The Ministry also advises all Sri Lankan nationals to avoid non-essential travel to Ukraine at present.” more..

Feb 22 (FT) Headline inflation in January had risen to 16.8% as against 14% in the previous month, Census and Statistics Dept revealed. DCS said as per the National Consumer Price Index (NCPI), contributions to the inflation rate of Jan 2022 from the food group and non-food group was 11.4% and 5.4% respectively. Whilst contributions of food and non-food groups to the inflation in Jan 2021 were 2.7% and more..

Feb 22 (Island) The annual revenue of the Dept of National Zoological Gardens, which was around one billion rupees in 2018, fell to Rs. 204 million in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dept’s Annual Performance Report for the latter year shows. The 2020 income is the lowest the Department earned since 2010. The income of the department also declined in 2019 due to the Easter Sunday attacks. Between 2014 and 2018 the department annually made about a billion rupees a year. more..

Feb 22 (CT) CBSL Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal noted that the sensitivity of G20 hasn’t been sufficient enough for emerging market issues. Speaking to an Int'l media, Cabraal said that he welcomed Bank of Indonesia Governor Perry Warjiyo’s comments at the G20 summit held at the tourist island of Bali, Indonesia. “A global viewpoint is extremely important with regards to debt repayments, fund inflow and outflows. Developed countries should consider impacts of more..

Feb 22 (ST) The elimination of a Chinese company from the long delayed, third phase Central expressway construction contract without opening their bid submitted for the tender has triggered concerns of irregularities in the tender process, several heads of leading construction companies said. While a local consortium named LDIC has won the bid despite the bid being higher than the Chinese party, more..

Feb 22 (DM) Action has been taken to provide adequate security to the area where Journalist Chamuditha Samarawickrema resides, police said. They said Chamuditha has requested Piliyandala Magistrate's Court to issue an order to provide him with protection. Accordingly, the Magistrate directed the Director of Assistance and Protection of Victims of Crime and Witnesses to act in accordance with the Victims and Witnesses Protection Act. Police said following the receipt of the order by IGP, more..

Feb 22 (Island) Reports that Ministry of Health was considering the removal of the mask mandate were baseless, Medical Technical Services Director Dr. Anwar Hamdani said. He said some people were spreading rumours that mask mandates would be removed soon. However, neither the govt nor the Health Ministry had even thought of that, he said. “We can’t even think of such a decision. The booster roll-out is still going slow,” he said. SL health officials followed the example and recommendation more..

Feb 22 (EN) SL should table in parliament an IMF country economic report which is going to the Washington-based lenders Executive Board on Feb 25, and come up with a program to save the economy, opposition legislator Harsha de Silva said. The IMF has a prepared a country report under annual Article IV consultations which also contains a debt sustainability analysis (DSA) which shows whether the debt can be more..

Feb 22 (FT) On 28 Feb 2022 at the 49th session of UNHRC, its High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet would submit her report card on Sri Lanka’s performance over human rights and other associated issues, in accordance with the landmark resolution 46/1 passed a year ago, a copy of which was received by the Govt and response dispatched a couple of days ago. That resolution was passed with 22 votes in favour, 11 against and 14 abstentions. more..

Feb 22 (DM) Hollywood legend George Clooney was spotted at the BIA over the weekend when his private jet landed on transit, en-route to London from Australia. Clooney was traveling in a private jet belonging to Care Aviation Lanka Pvt Ltd, when he landed at the BIA for the jet to be refueled and have a change in the crew. He was traveling from Gold Coast in Australia. When contacted Care Aviation Lanka confirmed the details with one of its members also releasing a picture with Hollywood actor more..

Feb 22 (FT) According to the Daily FT, despite restrictions and forex shortage, 2021 import figures soared by 28.5% or $ 4.6 b to $ 20.6 b; highest in three years. December inflows was the highest ever at $ 2.2 b. The FT noted that SL’s love for imports remains irresistible as confirmed by the CB’s latest data, up sharply by 47%. The all-time highest imports figure recorded was $ 22.2 billion in 2018, the same year SL had the highest ever tourism income of nearly $ 5 billion. more..

Feb 22 (SLN) SL Navy brought ashore an ill fisherman in the high seas and rushed him to hospital for treatment today (21st February 2022). The fisherman who was aboard a local multiday fishing trawler, in seas about 115 nautical miles (about 213 km) off the Galle Lighthouse, had suddenly fallen ill and was in need of medical attention. The particular multiday fishing trawler ‘Raja 01’ (Reg No IMUL-A-0105 KLT) was on a fishing voyage leaving Galle fisheries harbour more..

Feb 22 (EN) Permitting Sri Lankans in the North and East to commemorate their kith and kin killed in the country’s 26-year war in private was among the proposals by a presidential commission appointed look into alleged human rights violations. “Terrorists are not allowed to be commemorated but the commission has recommended to grant the right to commemorate the death of a relative [that] occurred during more..

Feb 22 (Island) SL’s glorious culture was on full display at Expo 2020 Dubai – as Kandyan dancers swirled gracefully to the rhythmic beats of traditional drums to welcome the 2022 Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton to the SL Pavilion on 10th February. The Baton arrived at the SL Pavilion to coincide with UK’s National Day at Expo 2020 and was met by Malraj de Silva, the SL Ambassador to the UAE and Consul General of SL Nalinda Wijayawartne. The procession arrived at the outer area of more..

Feb 22 (DM) People seem very careless about receiving their COVID-19c, and it was reported that not enough people are coming forward to get their COVID-19 booster vaccines. The govt had provided facilities, such as establishing vaccine centers around the country and importing a variety of COVID-19 vaccines to control the spread of the coronavirus, especially for the Omicron variant. Every time the govt requested people to get their vaccine doses, even for the booster doses, more..

Feb 22 (EN) SL is seeing a surge in demand for fuel and power generators since the govt announced scheduled power outages from the third week of February as the island nation struggles to ensure an interrupted fuel supply while finding US dollars for imports. SL is facing one of its worst forex and debt cresses in its history as the country’s foreign exchange reserves dwindled to US$ 2.36 billion in end January, just enough to finance more..

Feb 22 (DM) The govt has imported 350 million kg of rice during the past three months, despite assurance given by the Agriculture Minister that rice would not be imported under any reason, NPP MP Vijitha Herath said today. He told Parliament that 4 million out of the daily requirement of 6 million kg of rice were supplied by rice imported from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. He said about 500 small and medium scale rice millers have been affected by the govt's decision to import rice. more..

Feb 22 (AD) All 88 volumes with proceedings, final report and witness records of the PCoI which probed the Easter Sunday terror attacks have been handed over to the Speaker of Parliament. The complete 88-volume report of the PCoI was presented to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena by the President’s Legal Director-General Harigupta Rohanadheera this morning . The final report of the PCoI appointed to investigate and inquire into and report or take necessary action on Easter Sunday attacks, more..

Feb 22 (AD) According to the Supreme Court’s determination, certain clauses of the Special Goods & Services Tax Bill are inconsistent with the Constitution, says the Speaker of Parliament, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena. This was conveyed to the MPs during today’s session which commenced at 10 a.m. Special Goods & Services Tax Bill was challenged in the SC pursuant to Article 121 (1) of the Constitution. more..

Feb 22 (DM) A total of 200 buses which were out of service due to dilapidation have been repaired and re-added to passenger transportation under the patronage of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat premises this morning (22). The project was carried out on the concept of Dilum Amunugama, State Minister of Vehicle Regulation, Bus Transport Services, Train Compartments, and Motor Car Industry, and under the supervision of Transport Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi. more..

Feb 22 (AD) Vice chairman of SLFP Jeevan Kumaratunga says he would step down from all the positions he holds in the party. Addressing a media briefing held today, Kumaratunga stated that he has already handed over the letter of resignation in writing. Speaking further, he said the supporters of the party are deeply disappointed with the double standards of the party leaders. Accordingly, Kumaratunga said he expects to join the Nava Lanka Nidahas Pakshaya formed under more..

Feb 22 (AD) The recommendations on rolling out Covid-19 vaccinations for children below the age of 12 years are expected to be received in the coming few days, says State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana said. He said SL College of Paediatricians was consulted on the matter. Meanwhile, approximately 50,000 - 60,000 people in total have received the booster dose of Covid-19 within the past week, but this is not enough when taking into account the rapid spread of more..

Feb 22 (Island) Shooting down allegations by JVP-led outfit Anti-Corruption Front that there had been massive corruption in the third phase of the Central Expressway construction, Minister Johnston Fernando yesterday said that the project had not even completed its procurement stage. Minister Fernando asked how such allegations of corruption to the tune of billions could be levelled against a project whose procurement was yet to be completed. “There are media reports more..

Feb 22 (Island) The residence of prominent television journalist, Chamuditha Samarawickrema, was attacked by four unidentified assailants in the Piliyandala district of Colombo on Feb 14. Int'l Federation of the Journalists (IFJ) and its SL affiliates, Federation of Media Employee’s Trade Unions (FMETU), the Free Media Movement (FMM), and the SL Working Journalists Association (SLWJA), urge the SL authorities to expedite more..

Feb 22 (CT) Dethroned Mrs. Sri Lanka Pushpika de Silva has been asked to give a statement to the police in connection with the attack on the home of journalist Chamuditha Samarawickrama. She is the second high profile personality, after chairman of Apey Janabala Party Samantha Prasanna Perera, to be quizzed over the incident on 14 Feb. Both have taken part in YouTube programmes conducted by Samarawickrama just days prior to the attack. De Silva has been summoned to Piliyandala more..

Feb 22 (TM) Solar Power, Wind, and Hydro Power Generation Projects Development State Ministry has taken steps to entrust the approval or rejection of renewable energy projects under the SL Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA) within a period of a month from the submission of the project application, to a committee of 20 members, in order to avoid unnecessary delays in the process. Prez Rajapaksa, last Friday (18), visited the SLSEA and one purpose of the said visit was to look into the delays more..

Feb 22 (EN) State-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation used to maintain two to three weeks of stocks before a currency crisis intensified, but it has now fallen to 5 to 6 days leading to stock outs at filling stations an official said. “Though there were speculation of fuel shortages for about six months, with the help of central bank and Bank of Ceylon and People’s Bank it we have come this far,” Secretary to the Ministry of Energy K D Olga, more..

Feb 22 (NDTV) Jalan Kalrock consortium, the promoters of Jet Airways, have appointed Vipula Gunatilleka as the chief financial officer (CFO) of the airline. He has been tasked with reviving the grounded carrier. Mr Gunatilleka, who till last month, was the CEO of SriLankan Airlines, will join Jet Airways from Mar 1, 2022 onwards. Considered as a turnaround specialist and an aviation expert, Mr Gunatilleka had overseen the most daunting task of leading SriLankan Airlines during pandemic. more..

Feb 22 (CT) A wild elephant known as Pedi Kota, which claimed the lives of two people and severely damaged 16 houses in Madawachchiya was found dead. Elephant was injured when a trap gun had gone off. Elephant was 3.5 metres in height and was said to be 40 years old, had come to the Divulgahawewa pond on Feb 9 at noon. Villagers who saw the elephant’s behaviour realised that the elephant was in bad shape and notified the authorities about the condition of pachyderm more..

Feb 22 (AD) Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) has approved the request made by the CEB for rotational load shedding tomorrow (23), due to the shortage of fuel supplies. PUCSL Chairman Janaka Ratnayake said that power cuts of 04 hours and 40 minutes will be imposed in the areas mentioned under groups A, B and C in the power interruption schedule (see schedule below). more..