Jul 27 (TM) The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal to obtain the services of 150 teachers to the National Institute of Education to assist in educational reform processes. The National Institute of Education is currently working to introduce educational reforms to create an education system that will endow the country with skillful children who will be able to find successful solutions to the challenges facing the 21st century, the Department of Govt Information stated. more..

Jul 27 (DM) The 600,000 people, above the age of 30 years, who received the first dose of Astrazeneca, but who have not received the second doses are vulnerable to the rapidly spreading Delta variant in the country, a leading health expert said. The expert, who is well briefed on the efficiency of the COVID-19 vaccines said those who await the second jabs of Astrazeneca were now under the vulnerable more..

Jul 27 (AD) President Rajapaksa expressed the hope that more countries would be inspired by SL’s bold approach to sustainably transform its agricultural system to organic agriculture in order to ensure food security and nutrition for future generations. President made these remakes addressing the virtual session of the Pre-Summit of the UN Food System Summit, yesterday. In partnership with the Govt of Italy, the Pre-Summit takes place in Rome from 26-28 July 2021. more..

Jul 27 (EN) SL’s newly appointed finance minister Basil Rajapaksa is expected to deliver a dramatic change in a 2022 budget to achieve meaningful fiscal responsibility, President’s Secretary PB Jayasundera said. Rajapaksa is expected to present one of the most difficult budgets in November this year with the island nation is facing the risk of sovereign default amid loose fiscal and monetary policies to boost a faltering economic growth. “The new finance minister is market friendly, more..

Jul 28 (DM) In July this year, the US, like many imperialist states before them, pulled their troops out of Afghanistan. The Americans were following in the footsteps of many foreign forces before them which had tried and failed to conquer the Afghan people. Afghanistan in the bygone era was referred to by historians as the roundabout of the ancient world because of the variety of cultures flourishing in that land. Among the early settlers were the Persians (now Iran) and Greeks who fought with more..

Jul 28 (CT) Yesterday, this newspaper carried an article under the heading Delta variant prevalent in all districts - DDG. The delta variant of COVID-19 is said to be the most vicious of all COVID-19 variants. That article, quoting DDG Disaster Management and Emergency Response Dr. Hemantha Herath said, with COVID-19 cases infected with the delta variant being identified in several areas of the country, health authorities have deduced that that viral variant was present in all districts. more..

Jul 28 (DM) Parents enroll their children at their Alma Mater with hope, mixed with nostalgia, that their sons will thrive in a holistic school environment. Parents commit their time, money and effort to facilitate the education process, with the justified expectation that the authorities of the school would fulfill their end of the agreement and provide their child a safe, conducive and stimulating platform to receive the best education and more..

Jul 28 (CT) Although most legal restrictions have been lifted by the govt and even though many people have been vaccinated with varies vaccines, still there is a high chance to contract and spread the COVID-19 virus. Even though if you are fully vaccinated, we are still struggling with the third wave of this COVID-19 pandemic like many other nations. Particularly, everyone should understand vaccination means, you are not 100% protected and secure from the virus. Still, you might get caught to virus more..

Jul 28 (CT) The nature of university education in the 21st century is a topic of discussion in many countries due to a range of reasons. Access and equity issues, the nature of curriculum and teaching quality, state provision as a public service versus privatisation as a commodity, contribution to knowledge production and innovation are some of the ideas that attract public attention. With the expanding neoliberal, market-driven economic policies and programs pursued by govts more..

Jul 28 (CT) Rajendran Rajamahendran, who was one of the most influential individuals in business field in Sri Lanka, and later in the field of communication, passed away yesterday (25). In politics, Media, and commerce he was known as Kili Maharaja. His name was synonymous with the Sirasa Media Network. At the time of his demise, Rajamahendran was 78 years old. He was born on 19 May 1943. more..

Jul 28 (DM) Founded in 1929, making it the oldest and also the largest Rotary Club in SL, the Rotary Club of Colombo held a virtual installation to induct its 93rd club president, Aroshi Nanayakkara. In a meticulously planned & executed virtual installation ceremony, the mantle of leadership of the hallowed Rotary Club of Colombo was transferred from outgoing president Nithi Murugesu to President Aroshi Nanayakkara and her new Board at a ceremony witnessed by Rotarians from more..

Jul 28 (ST) If the objective behind the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) on Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila was to further exploit fractures that were publicly opening up within the SLPP led govt, then the SJB’s efforts failed in embarrassing fashion this week. The result at the end of a two-day debate saw the Govt again displaying to the opposition and the country that its two-thirds Parliamentary majority was still very much intact, as the NCM was comfortably defeated by a majority of 91 more..

Jul 28 (Island) Those who do not believe in miracles will be hard put to explain why SL is still behind India and Indonesia anent the pandemic death toll, given the extremely irresponsible behaviour of its people and rulers. Delta is deadlier and more transmissible than all other coronavirus variants and spreading fast here. But there are street protests, where nobody cares about the Covid-19 protocol. Hospitals are struggling to cope with the increasing number of Covid-19 patients, most of whom are said to more..

Jul 28 (TM) So far, it was through middlemen – i.e. ministers, MPs, and high-ranking officials of public institutions – that the public learnt about what the Govt’s plans and positions about matters of national interest are. However, most of the time, when such information conveyed by the highest authority of the country, i.e. the President, reached the public, it was incomplete, adulterated, or distorted, depending on the people who directly communicated with the public. more..

Jul 28 (HRW) Human Rights Watch joined 10 other organizations on July 28, 2021 in issuing the following statement seeking the release of the lawyer and activist Hejaaz Hizbullah and others held under Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Terrorism Act: We, the undersigned organisations express deep concern for the ongoing detention of lawyer and minority and civic rights activist Hejaaz Hizbullah, who has been held under more..

Jul 28 (Island) The govt comfortably overcame a vote of no-confidence in one of its key ministers over the rise in the price of fuel. Those who expected to have greater numbers supporting the no-confidence motion miscalculated that the apparent differences and rivalries within the govt would be uppermost. Any govt, or institution for that matter, would have its internal differences. The current govt is better secured against these differences that might otherwise split it into different competing parts more..

Jul 28 (PMD) The Govt of China yesterday donated another consignment of 1.6 million doses of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines to Sri Lanka. The two SriLankan Airlines flights UL869 and UL865 carrying the vaccines arrived at the BIA, Katunayake yetsreday morning. Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong officially handed over the vaccines to Prez Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat. In addition to these vaccines, a stock of syringes has also been donated. more..

Jul 28 (CT) Former President of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Thilanga Sumathipala charged that willful political intervention by a former Minister of Sports of the previous Govt had resulted in the humiliating removal of two prominent coaches of the national team, namely Chandika Hathurusinghe and Asanka Gurusinghe. “This ex-Minister took this crass decision to sack these two former SL players from their coaching positions”, he said. more..

Jul 28 (CT) Govt of Oman has agreed to consider investment opportunities in Sri Lanka, through its Sultanate’s sovereign wealth fund, State Minister Dr. Nalaka Godahewa said. He said a non-binding agreement was signed between the UDA and Oman Shumookh International Investment LLC on 26 July. “This agreement is valid only for one month. During this period, they are expected to inquire into suitable investment opportunities and reach their final conclusions,” state Minister said. more..

Jul 28 (CT) SL swimmer Matthew Abeysinghe who contested the 100 meter freestyle event at the 32nd Tokyo Olympic Games, was also forced to return home empty handed, having been ousted from the first round. In the fourth round of the first phase of the event Abeysinghe had clocked a time of 50.62 seconds and had thus ended up as the last competitor in the event, thereby sealing his own fate. Though Abeysinghe had returned a time of 23.47 seconds in the first 50 meter stretch more..

Jul 28 (Island) Ananda Sastralaya Matugama sprinter Isuru Kaushalya produced one of the best performances by a junior athlete in Asia in the 400 metres this year when be bettered the World Junior Championship qualifying mark for the second time this season at the Sugathadasa Stadium on Tuesday. SL Athletics conducted a Junior Trial yesterday to provide competition-starved junior athletes a chance to reach more..

Jul 28 (Island) While sprinters Isuru Kaushalya and Medhani Jayamanne further cemented their places in the team for the World Junior Championships it was a case of so near yet so far for a number of athletes who missed qualifying standards by narrow margins at the Junior Trial held at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo on Tuesday. After going through many a hardships to continue training amidst the Covid 19 pandemic junior athletes produced some outstanding performances during more..

Jul 28 (DM) SJB MP Harin Fernando has been asked to be present at the CID today to record a statement on the information he had come out with regard to the Easter Sunday attacks in Parliament earlier. Mr. Fernando said that he had been asked to report to the CID at 10 a.m. tomorrow (28). “I was asked to come to the CID. They can only record a statement from me as per the Court Order. It was notified to Court that I will be arrested only after Sept 1, this year, they cannot arrest me until then,” more..

Jul 28 (FT) SL’s COVID-19 detections rose to 299,892 with the detection of 1,711 COVID-19 positive persons yesterday. Meanwhile, health officials continue to issue warnings about the spread of the Delta variant, adding that the relaxation of health guidelines will be delayed if COVID-19 detections rise. Samples from certain areas of Colombo District had a 20% to 30% positive rate for the Delta variant. more..

Jul 28 (TM) Airtel announced the launch of its 4G services along with first-of-its-kind Freedom Packs. With one reload, Airtel Freedom Packs claim to offer enough and more data and voice benefits for the entire month, with no conditions attached. All this comes with a superior experience on a world-class, buffer-free 4G network, according to Airtel. With the Freedom Packs, Airtel stated it has eliminated the need for multiple reloads, ushering in an era of transparent, more..

Jul 28 (EN) Sri Lanka’s Ceylon Chamber of Commerce said a Corporate Citizens Award this year will pay attention to firms that have successfully coped with a Coronavirus crisis. The Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Award 2021 (BCCS Awards) is an application-based award conducted by the Chamber for the last 18 years. The Chamber said this year’s award evaluation includes the COVID-19 pandemic that affected corporates and sustainability in 2020. more..

Jul 28 (DM) Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that a probe will be initiated on the alleged visit to Japan by State Ministers Thenuka Widanagamage, D.V.Chanaka and Roshan Ranasinghe, to witness the Olympic games. Media Minister said the probe will look into the purpose of the visit to Japan by three State Ministers in the entourage of Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa who was officially participating in the Olympic games festival more..

Jul 28 (FT) SL’s COVID-19 death toll rose to 4,195 after the Health Services Director General confirmed 48 COVID-19 deaths on Monday, of which 28 were male and 20 were female. Of the country’s total COVID-19 fatalities, 2,439 are male and 1,756 are female. 75.21% of the fatalities are above the age of 60, 23.51% are between ages 30 and 59, and 1.28% are below the age of 30. The deaths confirmed on Monday include 38 persons over the age of 60, nine persons between ages 30 and 59, more..

Jul 28 (TM) All university academic staff will participate in a collective strike action today by refraining from engaging in online teaching activities so as to demand that the Govt withdraw the controversial General Sir John Kotelawala National Defence Uni (KNDU) Bill, the FUTA said. The FUTA said that today signifies the start of the national action against the militarisation and privatisation of education that will be brought about if the KNDU Bill passes into law in the Parliament. more..

Jul 28 (EN) SL has taken some very painful structural adjustments including shift in fertilizer and fuel price hike under a climate resilience and green economy initiative for a healthy nation, President’s Secretary PB Jayasundera said. Prez’s ruling SLPP has faced countrywide protests from its core vote base after the govt banned fertilizer imports and went on an organic drive without and also raised fuel prices after promising to fix more..

Jul 28 (FT) Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) assured Prez Rajapaksa that it was eager to promote a number of sectors, including exports and tourism, as soon as the country returns to normalcy with its vaccination drive. With the President having implemented the policies listed in the Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour national policy framework amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, CCC pointed out that it could take advantage of this and contribute to the rapid development of the economy. more..

Jul 28 (KT) A Sri Lankan worker at a plastic manufacturing factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, died in an industrial accident. He had been working for 18 consecutive hours to meet a deadline. According to Hwaseong Seobu Police Station, the 33-year-old worker from Sri Lanka died at a plastic goods manufacturing factory in Paltan Township of Hwaseong City, at around 3:30 a.m. on July 25. He was caught in an oil pressure compressor while trying to replace the plate. more..

Jul 28 (TM) Businessman and former Sri Lankan Ambassador to the Ukraine Udayanga Weeratunga said in a special press discussion that approximately 1,000 Russian tourists are expected in Sri Lanka from September this year, as a measure to revitalise the severely affected tourism industry. “A SriLankan Airlines flight will go on 30 July to Moscow, Russia, and will return to the country on 1 Aug with tourists. more..

Jul 28 (Island) Minister Johnston Fernando yesterday called on trade union leaders not to trigger the fourth wave of COVID-19 in the country. Speaking at the launch of the programme to beautify 100 cities at Hiripitiya in Kurunegala, the Minister said: “We became internationally known for our successful battle against the first and second waves of the pandemic. The third wave is also being dealt with successfully, compared to many other countries in the region and elsewhere in the world. more..

Jul 28 (Island) The constitutionality of the controversial Finance Bill seeking to give amnesty to tax defaulters has been challenged in the Supreme Court by several petitioners. The petitioners have alleged that the proposed tax amnesty to be given to those who had not paid taxes or disclosed income was arbitrary, irrational, grossly unreasonable, contrary to the rule of law, Public Trust Doctrine and sovereignty of the people The Finance Bill was presented to the House on July 20 more..

Jul 28 (EN) SL has seen an increase in daily COVID-19 cases even as officials say hospitals are running out of capacity while demand for oxygen is also on the rise. Health ministry data as of Tuesday (27) shows a gradual increase in daily case numbers over the past few days. “Most of the positive patients, we have observed, are showing severe symptoms. The need for oxygen has also increased with growing case numbers,” more..

Jul 28 (DM) Tourism sector employees have reached their breaking point after grappling with the hardships stemming from the pandemic and the Easter Sunday attack, thus it is imperative for the govt to look into their grievances without further delay, Hotels Association of SL (THASL) said. THASL President Sanath Ukwatte said employees attached to the hard-hit sector have reached a dead end with no steady means of income. Despite the repeated pleas made to the govt to more..

Jul 28 (CT) The final decision pertaining to the teacher-principal salary irregularities and transforming their service into a closed service will be given on 2 Aug following a Cabinet meeting. PM Rajapaksa said. PM made this statement during a discussion held with teacherprincipal trade unions while instructing for the resumption of their services from Monday (2). The unions added that although it is understood that the salary anomalies, which have been pending for over 24 years, more..