Mar 13 (Island) Presidential Secretariat yesterday handed over the remaining 22 volumes of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) report, hitherto declared sensitive and withheld from Attorney General Dappula de Livera, PC. The delivery of those volumes which dealt with some aspects of the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage took place close on the heels of an unprecedented meeting between Archbishop of Colombo more..

Mar 13 (ST) After abruptly withdrawing 84 of its welfare officers from 16 of SL’s diplomatic missions abroad, citing budget constraints, the Labour Ministry is to send 40 officers back. The decision follows Foreign Ministry complaints that it could not cope with the mounting workload, including migrant grievances. Labour Ministry retained just 25 welfare officers when it implemented the overhaul necessitated by the bankrupt situation faced by the SLBFE, which paid their salaries. more..

Mar 13 (DM) Govt intended to provide relief to the people by reducing tariff on sugar, but a handful of fraudulent businessmen pocketed the advantage, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said. He said although our country has a large supply of minerals, a bulk of them is exported as raw materials. He said the country had lost the opportunity to earn a proper income from the mineral industry as a result. “Every govt has made some efforts in this regard. But, it is still difficult to export as value added more..

Mar 13 (CT) It has been decided to increase the monthly benefits granted to MPs, while each MP is also set to be provided with an insurance cover worth Rs 1 million. A proposal to this effect had been submitted by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene to the Select Committee on Parliamentary Affairs. Select Committee had unanimously approved the Speaker’s proposal. Speaker in submitting the proposal had noted more..

Mar 13 (FT) Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) said it was deeply troubled by the Presidential Commission on Political Victimisation report and warned appointment of a Special Prez Commission of Inquiry (SPoI) could undermine judicial independence and renewed calls to repeal the Special Presidential Commissions of Inquiry Act as it could be used to target political opponents. The full statement is given below. The CPA is deeply troubled with the report of the more..

Mar 13 (CT) SJB MP, Dr. Kavinda Jayawardena, on Friday, lodged a complaint at the CID regarding the recent statement made by Minister Wimal Weerawansa, that there were people in the Govt who wanted to work with Islamist extremists and they were trying to prevent the masterminds behind the Easter Sunday bombings from being punished. Speaking to the Media after lodging the complaint, he said an investigation should be conducted regarding Weerawansa’s statement and more..

Mar 13 (EN) Sudden tax changes that gave large profits to a few traders was not limited to the current administration, but had taken place before, and it was not correct to say there was a tax loss when levies are deliberately lowered to bring prices down, an official said. SL’s current administration is under fire after sugar taxes were cut to 25 cents from 50 rupees a kilo when one trader in particular had imported unusually more..

Mar 14 (SO) It has been exactly one year since the WHO declared Covid-19 as a global pandemic. Within that one year, Covid-19, a viral disease caused by a Coronavirus, has infected 120 million around the world and claimed 2.6 million lives. In SL, 87,000 people have been infected while just over 500 have died as a result of Covid-19. Needless to say, it was a year that turned the world upside down. The virus that originated in Wuhan, China (the exact origins are still being probed), more..

Mar 14 (GV) Terror tore through me when I heard that my friend and editor of the Nation newspaper Keith Noyahr had been abducted. It was May 2008; civil war was raging, and Sri Lankan troops were chalking up victories against Tamil Tiger separatists in the north. In the fog of war, government critics were being terrorized all over the country. We had learned to expect the worst when a journalist went missing. The night unfolded in slow motion. Outside Noyahr’s home that night, more..

Mar 14 (TG) Maj Gen Anton Muttukumaru was a barrister, soldier and diplomat who loved collecting walking sticks. He was known for being charming and shrewd, had a talent for mimicry, and was once driven to Ascot to join the Queen because she was too busy enjoying the races to meet him at Buckingham Palace. Born in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Muttukumaru was the Queen’s aide-de-camp in 1954. more..

Mar 14 (GV) This country can never be developed as long as there are environmentalists. Can we eat oxygen?” “Those who come to our villages and speak against development think that development should only be for Colombo people. Development is an act of conquering the environment for the benefit of humans. These are some of the ideas that were heard recently from various parties in the dialogues and debates on environment and development. The essence of these expressions is the notion more..

Mar 14 (SO) The Govt moved an Adjournment Motion in Parliament on Wednesday (10) on the report submitted by the PCoI that probed the Easter Sunday attacks. The motion was moved by MP Jayantha Weerasinghe, PC and was seconded by MP Nalin Fernando. Commencing the debate, MP Weerasinghe said that every person responsible for the Easter Sunday attacks should be brought before justice despite their position or rank. He said, “The report states that former Yahapalana Govt more..

Mar 14 (SO) Minister of Public Security Dr. Sarath Weerasekera said the Govt will bring about the maximum punishment against the perpetrators of the Easter Sunday carnage in order to mete out justice for the innocent victims adding that the Govt has no intention whatsoever to sweep this incident under the carpet. Minister said Prez Rajapaksa has appointed a six-member ministerial Committee to get a thorough idea about more..

Mar 14 (Island) A report in The Island of Mar 8, 2021, referring to a statement made by the TNA relating to Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena’s UNHRC speech, states: “SL has not conducted any investigations to ascertain the truth and dispense justice. Anything done to ascertain the truth has been through the investigations highlighted in the PoE Report of Mar 2011, or the OISL Report of Sept 2015. No steps have been taken to dispense justice even on the basis of the said investigations”. more..

Mar 14 (CT) The largely forgotten individuals I have considered thus far in this series were all Ministers in UNP Govts. Four of them served J R Jayewardene, two going on to serve Premadasa too, while Gamani Jayasuriya retired from politics before the change and Ronnie de Mel in effect fled the country when Premadasa came to power. Sirisena Cooray, who only served in Premadasa’s Cabinet, had however occupied senior positions previously, including the Mayoralty of Colombo. more..

Mar 14 (TM) Remember way back when, before all anyone talked about is getting the Covid-19 vaccine, there was a time when all anyone talked about was their trip to Ella. Quite a while before the pandemic, there was a time when Ella was the hot travel location. Everyone wanted to go and whoever went, did the same four things: Took a picture with the Nine Arches Bridge, hiked up Ella Rock, ziplined the Flying Ravana stretch, and drove past Ravana Falls. To be fair, there were quite a few who, more..

Mar 14 (Island) In an opinion piece we run today, Dr. Upatissa Pethiyagoda, an accomplished scientist who had served the Tea Research Institute in a senior capacity and had also been the Director of the Coconut Research Institute and later Sri Lanka’s ambassador in Rome, has asked the question What Next? This relates to the Easter bombs that massacred 279 people in Catholic churches and high-end hotels about two years ago, permanently disabled many and injured many more. more..

Mar 14 (Island) Much of the political talk in the past week was about Bajiri. The Gazette Minister Bandula Gunawardena was reminding us how our people ate in the World War time of colonialism. Why make such a fuss about not having kaha or turmeric in our curries? Surely, you won’t die without kaha, he told a journalist. He gave the impression of having enjoyable memories about the wartime days in what was Ceylon? more..

Mar 14 (Island) SL’s premier connectivity provider, Dialog Axiata PLC, has come forth to power the Sri Lanka Legends cricket team which at present is competing for top honours at the T-20 ‘Road Safety World Series’ played off in Raipur, India. The SL Legends team is skippered by former national all-rounder TM Dilshan, while legends of the game, such as master blaster Sanath Jayasuriya, Rangana Herath, Upul Tharanga, Favreez Maharoof, Ajantha Mendis, Chamara Silva, Kaushalya more..

Mar 14 (SO) Ashen Bandara the promising cricketer is the latest addition to the SL team as a brilliant fielder at any position and a useful middle order batsman who also bowls right arm leg spinners. The 22-year old player from St. Aloysius’ College in Galle has already proved his ability during the current West Indies tour and made 44 in the second T20 match that SL won and then become the fifth batsman from the island to make a half century on debut in an ODI when he achieved the feat more..

Mar 14 (MB) Sixteen-year-old Pasindu Dilshan from Padukka, a small town in SL’s Western province, has always been fascinated by the study of nature. When the COVID-19 lockdown left him stuck at home, he found an outlet for his roving curiosity in iNaturalist, a citizen science app that lets users contribute to identifying plants and animals around the world. Dilshan soon started photographing the various insects in his home garden and more..

Mar 14 (CT) Even though farmers of the Gurugodella village informed the Govt and the authorities regarding the illegal cultivation-taking place in the Aluthwewa area, action in this regard has not been taken against the culprits, farmers said. They said a group of people has begun illegal cultivation in Aluthwewa and it has almost destroyed the surroundings and the lake. A canal to discharge water from the lake has been dug using backhoes to cultivate their lands, farmers allege. more..

Mar 14 (ST) My dear Arjuna, Aravinda and the World Cup winning cricket team, I thought of writing to you this week because in just three days you would be celebrating 25th anniversary of your famous victory in Lahore. I know it is an occasion to be proud of but at this time, it is difficult to decide whether we should be happy or sad and whether we should laugh or cry. Most Sri Lankans remember how you took on the mighty Aussies and made them eat humble pie. Victory in Lahore was not even a close finish. more..

Mar 14 (ST) A motley crowd led by onetime presidential candidate Siritunga Jayasuriya staged a protest last Tuesday outside the Myanmar Embassy at Flower Road in Colombo. Their aim was to condemn the military coup d’etat in Myanmar (former Burma) on Feb 1. Troops captured power and arrested Nobel peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi whose National League for Democracy won a landslide victory at the general elections more..

Mar 14 (ST) A news item in the front page of this newspaper last week has raised not just eyebrows, but alarm bells within and even outside the public service. It referred to SLIDA (SL Institute of Development Administration) taking over the conducting of examinations for recruitment and promotions in the public sector, from the Examinations Department. With the public service already under siege by continuing politicisation over the years, and now the creeping induction of more..

Mar 14 (SO) Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (SLIC), the largest state-owned insurer in the country, aims at recording a turnover of around Rs. 60 billion this year surpassing the all time record notched last year, said SLIC Chairman Jagath Wellawatta. He said the company recorded a stellar performance of Rs. 55.2 billion last year, the highest turnover in its history despite an over five months lockdown that stifled the economy and brought daily chores of people to a stand-still. more..

Mar 14 (MG) It is really alarming to note how SL govt is misled by some uneducated people on Islamic ideological groups. Like Buddhists and other religious people, Muslims too have different denominations. Jamath-E-Islami has been a moderate Islamic group since its establishment in 1950s in Sri Lanka. It has been functioning since 1950s and has never been labelled as a radical group. more..

Mar 14 (ST) Imperial College and Central Campus Colombo (CCC) will clash in the finals of the Red Bull Campus Cricket 2021 to be played at the BRC grounds in Colombo today. In the first semi-final CCC beat SLIM by 8 wickets while Imperial easily romped to victory with a 5-wicket win against Esoft in the second semi-final. The two victorious sides became the best out of the lot of 12 teams that competed in the four-day tournament, which will culminate with the grand finale. more..

Mar 14 (ST) President of Royal Turf Club (RTC) Nihara Jayatilleke revealed a comprehensive plan to get women involved into horse racing at Sri Lanka’s only available racecourse in Nuwara Eliya. The first and only female to head a turf club in Asia, Nihara made the announcement coinciding with the Int'l Women’s Day, as RTC look forward to initiate their latest venture in empowering women in Sri Lanka. “The RTC is really keen to have the women involved with horseracing as workforce members. more..

Mar 14 (Island) The unceremonious exit of SL’s most senior medical administrator just three months after his appointment as Secretary to the State Ministry of Primary Health Services, Pandemics and COVID Prevention, has raised more questions than answers, especially at a time the country is in the throes of a raging deadly virus. The sudden removal of Dr. Amal de Silva, a medical specialist with a highly acclaimed academic more..

Mar 14 (ST) Fear forced by a pandemic chased away sports off the grounds. Some sports have commenced, and is rugby ready to get off the blocks. Starting with sevens is a cause to cheer. Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) President Rizly Ilyas confirmed to that they would start with the sevens for clubs. SLR will be the tournament organiser, while SL Air Force (SLAF) will provide the support services – logistics and the grounds. Having to abide by the COVID–19 guidelines, logistics is a vital more..

Mar 14 (SO) The private healthcare sector should be regulated to improve services offered to patients to ensure that their hard-earned money has value, said Nawaloka Holdings Chairman Dr. Jayantha Dharmadasa at a recent event at the hospital to mark World Women’s Day. “There are no two words about having proper regulations for private sector healthcare so that people needing care will receive a superior service rather than having to face difficulties,” he said, adding that more..

Mar 14 (ST) Govt is building three new railway line-routes connecting Colombo and the suburbs, the first new tracks in 70 years since the end of British colonial rule, to ease growing traffic congestion in the business capital city. These three railway lines will be constructed from Ragama to Kirulapone via Colombo Fort, the other route to Kelaniya via Moratuwa, Piliyandala, Narahenpita and third to Hunupitiya (Wattala) via Kottawa, more..

Mar 14 (TL) SLPP backbenchers called on PM Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees yesterday (10), urging him to take strict action against Minister Wimal Weerawansa. It is reported that the 46 SLPP backbenchers are loyalists of SLPP national organiser Basil Rajapaksa. At the meeting, Matale district MP Pramitha Bandara Tennekoon has stressed to the PM that certain statements made by Minister Wimal Weerawansa are causing serious damage to the govt. more..

Mar 14 (Island) The global economic crisis has affected all countries, but small economies like Sri Lanka are the worst hit. A recent nutritional study in Sri Lanka shows that the level of malnutrition has gone up to 18%, while the poverty level has reached 60%. While the rural and plantation sectors are worst affected, the urban sector has also been hit. On Int'l Women’s Day, it was sad to see continuing discrimination and the sad plight of women in our country, a cause for concern. more..

Mar 14 (TM) The draft of the revised Resolution by the United Nations (UN) Core Group of countries on Sri Lanka was tabled at the UNHRC on Friday night (12) with more revisions, including a paragraph calling for the implementation of the 13th Amendment (13A) to the Constitution. The Resolution, titled Promoting reconciliation, accountability, and human rights in Sri Lanka, was presented by the Core Group comprising more..

Mar 14 (TM) With the new reforms to be introduced to the Assistance to and Protection of Victims of Crime and Witnesses Act, the authority to grant bail to suspects under the Act would be vested with magistrate’s courts, the Justice Ministry said. Speaking with The Sunday Morning, Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Justice Piyumanthi Peiris said that the original Act was enacted in 2015, but that several issues had arisen with regard to the implementation of this particular law. more..

Mar 14 (CI) SL's tours over the past two months have a sense of haunting familiarity to them. Key players are absent due to various unfortunate reasons (on this tour, Lahiru Kumara couldn't make it because he contracted Covid-19, Dasun Shanaka's visa didn't come through, and Angelo Mathews has had to return home for personal reasons). The players that remain have shown fight at times, putting together decent partnerships, occasionally stringing together some solid spells. more..

Mar 14 (ST) Finance Ministry has admitted that the Govt’s decision to drastically cut the tax on sugar in October last year had caused a foregone revenue of Rs 15.951bn while not achieving the desired effect of reducing retail prices. Treasury Secretary S.R. Attygalle insisted that his office did not term this as a loss. Rather, it was foregone earnings — the difference between earnings actually achieved and earnings more..