Sep 9 (CT) Northern Province Director of Health Services Dr. A. Ketheeshwaran extended a request to all above the age of 30 in the province to get vaccinated without delay. He said the vaccination drive to administer the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is nearing completion. There are 657,543 persons above the age of 30 in the Northern Province and 558,131 of them have already been administered with the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine. Nearly 50,000 persons have to be more..

Sep 9 (CT) Environmentalists have voiced their concerns over the Magistrate giving an order on Tuesday, on the submissions made by the AG’s Department, to release illegally captured elephants back to their illegal owners. 14 elephants presently kept at the Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home Ath Athuru Sevana and the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage with pending Court cases, were released by the Magistrate Court to more..

Sep 9 (EN) SL’s Expolanka Holdings said it had bought 100% of US-based Complete Transport System LLC through an overseas unit for US$ 6.1 million, continuing an acquisition spree as the firm made unusually high profits amid a Coronavirus pandemic. “EFL Global Logistics (Pte.) Ltd (Singapore) a, fully owned subsidiary of Expolanka Holdings PLC (Expolanka), has acquired 100% equity interest of Complete Transport System LLC for a purchase consideration of US$ 6.1 m more..

Sep 9 (FT) The Information and Communication Technology Agency of SL (ICTA), the apex ICT institution of the Govt and a catalyst in driving the start-up ecosystem forward, recently launched the ‘10,000 Ideas’ national tech innovation program with an aim to empower the next generation of tech entrepreneurs along with start-up ecosystem enablers. Facilitated by ICTA in collaboration with start-up ecosystem enablers and partners for entrepreneurs, 10,000 Ideas sets the tone more..

Sep 9 (TM) Teachers’ and principals’ trade unions (TUs) are to meet with several parties including religious leaders, parents, artistes, and university teachers within the course of next week to obtain their support for the ongoing trade union actions that have been initiated by teachers and principals, demanding solutions to the issues in the education sector, particularly the teacher-principal salary anomalies. Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union (CTSU) more..

Sep 9 (DM) The magisterial inquiry into the alleged questionable last will of late Miss Ceylon 1962 Jennifer Ingleton (nee Labrooy) was postponed for Sept 21 by Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court owing to the prevailing pandemic situation in the country. Court had earlier ordered the registrar of Colombo District Court to produce the purported Last Will and Testaments of late Jennifer Ingleton in Court for perusal relating to the magisterial inquiry. Jennifer Ingleton (nee Labrooy) was crowned more..

Sep 9 (DM) A total of 175 more COVID-19 related deaths that occurred yesterday (08) were confirmed by the Director-General of Health Services today pushing the death toll to 10,864. According to the Government Information Department, 79 females and 96 males are among the deceased. A total of 139 people who are above 60 years of age are among the deceased while 35 of them are between 30 and 59 years of age. One death has been reported below 30 years of age. more..

Sep 9 (TM) SL Station Masters’ Union (SLSMU) has requested that a systematic programme be prepared and necessary facilities be provided to railway stations as soon as possible to ensure the operation of train services after the reopening of the country. SLSMU General Secretary Kasun Chamara said that written requests were made in this regard during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, and added that it is important in the current more..

Sep 9 (TM) Election Commission (EC) has raised concerns regarding the alleged undemocratic means employed by the Police against the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) when its members and activists exercised their democratic right to political action. According to the FSP, in a letter to IGP Chandana Wickramaratne on 3 Sept, Election Commission has highlighted the concerns expressed by the FSP to the Commission last month, and has stressed that under more..

Sep 9 (Hindu) National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested Arasaratinam Ramesh, a Sri Lankan national, in connection with the Vizhinjam arms seizure case. The case was originally registered by the Vizhinjam police against six SL nationals following their arrest and seizure of 300 kg of heroin, five AK-47 guns and 1,000 live rounds from their a boat by the Indian Coast Guard during patrolling off the Vizhinjam coast on March 18, 2021. The NIA took over the investigation and more..

Sep 9 (TM) Gravity and complexities of the Covid-19 pandemic are becoming more and more evident as health experts keep discovering new information about the nature of the virus and the pandemic. What they highlight most is that regardless of the nature of the infection, managing the pandemic is a gradual process that requires both prevention measures and treatment, and prompt action could make a considerable difference. more..

Sep 9 (TM) CEB Engineers Union widely circulated a letter by the CEB General Manager (GM) N.W.K. Herath, addressed to the Secretary of the Ministry of Power, dated 29 July 2021, on the challenges to achieving the State policy of 70% renewable electricity by 2030. Herath retired from service a month after sending this letter. The newly appointed AEMO (Australian Electricity System Operator) Head Daniel Westerman noted: “Everything I’ve learned in my career in engineering and more..

Sep 9 (AD) Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) has proposed that people aged above 60 years, who were fully vaccinated with the Sinopharm COVID-19 jab and those with a weak immune system, be given a booster shot with the AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. In a press release, the SLMA presented several recommendations based on scientific principles with an objective of preventing severe disease and deaths from COVID-19. Preventing severe disease will reduce more..

Sep 10 (GV) United Nations General Assembly by Resolution 74/275 established the International Day to Protect Education from Attack, which falls annually on 9 Sept. A striking feature of the resolution is that it focuses principally on protecting education from armed conflict. It also predominantly revolves around the education of children. However, as it reaffirms the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, particularly Goal 4 to ensure equitable opportunities for all-inclusive edu, more..

Sep 10 (DM) Parents are at a loss these days when deciding on whether to curtail the time and data given to kids for online education. This is largely because their children as students are misusing the smart phones and laptops given to them for education by engaging in video games. What’s alarming is that children have mixed up their priorities and sacrifice study time to play video games. Children are aggressive these days and confront their parents who question the time more..

Sep 10 (Roar) In April this year, Prez Rajapaksa proposed a complete ban on the import of chemical fertilisers. At the time, a statement from the Prez’s Office noted that although such fertilisers lead to better harvests, “the negative consequences caused on human lives through pollution of lakes, canals and groundwater due to the chemical fertilizers outweigh the profit.” The decision received widespread objection, more..

Sep 10 (Roar) Deshamanya Marhoom Al Haj Mohammed Abdul Bakeer Markar’s ancestry is traced to Sheik Jamaluddeen-Al-Maghdoomi, an Arab settler who settled down in Beruwala. His father Hakeem Alia Marikkar Mohomed Marikkar belonged to a family of physicians, whose ancestors too were physicians. He was born in Beruwala on May 12, 1917 and educated at Zahira College, Colombo under the tutelage of Dr. T.B. Jayah, the Principal of Zahira. more..

Sep 10 (DM) I have been greatly troubled by the current Covid situation like everyone else, not merely because of the disruption of the economy and our way of life, but also because of the set back to the education system and the aspirations of our children, who are our human capital for the future. Every country responded by organizing virtual classes, but to make such a system work you need the fullest co-operation, as well as relevant skills, on the part of the staff of each school. more..

Sep 10 (CT) Viruses multiply and spread from cell to cell and person to person. During the process of multiplication, changes may occur in the genetic make-up of the virus. Many of the changes are not of any consequence, whilst a very few may have specific and important follow-on clinical effects. The changes may affect one or more of the following: transmission, disease severity, diagnostic testing aspects, effectiveness of medications and more..

Sep 10 (CT) In these terribly hard times there was a natural furore when Ajith Nivard Cabraal, State Minister of Finance, Capital Markets, State Enterprise Reforms and whatnot called for a pensions scheme for the Central Bank. The public perception was that Ajith Nivard Cabraal was trying to manipulate a pension scheme to cover his previous assignment as Governor CBSL. In his Twitter account Cabraal reiterated he had not received a single cent as pension so far more..

Sep 10 (TM) On the surface, imposing regulations to control prices is a good decision, at a time when traders started trying to set prices of their own accord. At least, that is what the Govt said when it imposed these new regulations. However, there is a problem as to whether the Govt paid any attention to the plethora of outcomes that would result from price controls, besides giving some kind of relief to consumers. The part most people, and the authorities, seem to have overlooked is that more..

Sep 10 (CT) Some interesting comments were posted in response to my previous column. They asked the question why only the Bandaranaikes and the Rajapaksas are singled out. Why not Senanayakes, Kotalawelas, Jayewardenes, Wickremesinghes and Premadasas are aimed at for inglorious criticisms. Why? It’s a very valid inquiry. Hence this piece. The latter, the Senanayakes etc. are the ones who belonged to the UNP. Their macro picture appeared as painstakingly obscene to more..

Sep 10 (Island) These two quotations deal with discipline among students in places of learning, including schools. One of the main contentions of the protagonists of the Defence University is that students need to be disciplined. Vice-Chancellor of the uni shall be a senior officer of the armed forces, in the case of the Army, an officer not below the rank of Major General (Article 10 (1) and (13). It will take a long while for a uni graduate to rise to that eminence, if ever. more..

Sep 10 (Roar) For more than a decade, multiple invasive fish species have been released into natural waterways in different parts of the country — posing a threat to endemic species. Despite the existence of govt-imposed bans that seek to control exotic fauna and flora being brought into SL, for years, experts have complained that specimens are still being smuggled into the country. On multiple occasions, exotic fish species more..

Sep 10 (Island) Medical experts and scientists continue to resign from the Health Ministry’s technical committee tasked with pandemic prevention, claiming that their views and advice are not heeded, and decisions are taken arbitrarily. Doctors have taken exception to the government’s decision to use the Pfizer vaccine to inoculate the youth in Hambantota. Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama and Dr. Ashoka Gunaratne have tendered their resignations during the past few days. more..

Sep 10 (ST) Since making its debut at the Olympic Games in 1948, Sri Lanka has had a few genuine warriors who truly made it to the ranks. Beginning from the first appearance with a silver medal from Duncan White, to Susanthika Jayasinghe, who won the silver medal in Women’s 200m at Sydney Olympics in 2000, the tiny island with a population of over 22 million has had its glory twice at the world’s pinnacle sporting extravaganza. Parallel to Olympics, known as Summer Games, more..

Sep 10 (DM) A mysterious respiratory disease affecting puppies in the Central Province is resulting in the death of nearly all young pups infected by it, according to Nayana Wijayawardhane, Professor in Veterinary Clinical Sciences at the Uni of Peradeniya. This fatal disease, mainly affects purebred puppies under 6 months old, but has been seen in crossbreeds and some mongrel pups as well. more..

Sep 10 (CI) A T20 World Cup is around the corner. For SL, it begins with the qualifiers, which kick off approximately six weeks from now. For South Africa, who go straight through to the main draw, the World Cup starts about a week later. Either way, this is the lead-in - the phase in which teams look to tighten up their combinations, get key players into form, and battle-test their match-ups and strategies. South Africa's eight T20I wins to their seven losses this year suggests they are closer figuring out more..

Sep 10 (FT) Vaccination of the 12 to 18 age group will commence soon, the Health Ministry stated, adding that vaccination would be required if schools are to reopen soon. According to Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, two million students in Grades 7 to 13 will be vaccinated first, after which schools can reopen. When asked if the allocation of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines for persons in the 20 – 29 age category could impair the vaccination drive of school students, Director General of Health more..

Sep 10 (Island) State Minister Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle says that the Expert Committee on Covid-19 will have to decide on making an official request for women not to get pregnant for about a year. Dr. Fernandopulle said so when The Island sought her opinion on Dr. Harsha Atapattu’s appeal to the newly married and others to delay getting pregnant in view of the increased threat posed by raging Covid-19 epidemic. more..

Sep 10 (FT) Hotels Association of SL (THASL) welcomed moves to ease entry requirements for foreigners, saying a quick rebound in tourism could help revive the COVID-battered economy and boost foreign exchange. Commenting on a request made by Sri Lanka Tourism to the Director General of Health Services, THASL stressed the importance of further relaxing the current protocols in place, especially with multiple global airlines announcing direct flights. more..

Sep 10 (FT) Ceylon Motor Traders’ Association (CMTA), yesterday said it welcomes the Govt’s view that Electric Vehicles (EVs) represent the future of mobility, not just in SL, but around the world. While the benefits of EVs are very clear in terms of reduced emissions and fuel savings, the CMTA, the most senior automotive association in South Asia, cautions that the transition from internal combustion engines (ICE) to EVs – commonly referred to as electrification – should be carried out more..

Sep 10 (AD) Defence Secretary Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne urged the public not to be misled by the various false claims being made regarding the Easter Sunday attacks and that police investigations have progressed rapidly. “A certain group is attempting to create a public opinion that this is a conspiracy by the President to come to power. They are attempting to drag the President into this,” he said during a media brief more..

Sep 10 (FT) The influential Travel+Leisure (T+L) magazine has included Sri Lanka among the latest list of Top 25 Islands in the World for holidaymakers. Published by the American media conglomerate, Meredith Corporation, Travel+Leisure in its latest issue of 8 Sept ranks the top 25 islands in the world. Sri Lanka is ranked at number 24 along with Seychelles with a score of 88.20. The magazine said this year’s World’s Best Awards survey was open for voting from 11 January to 10 May, more..

Sep 10 (FT) COVID-19 vaccines were administered to 429,099 persons on Wednesday, raising the number of persons to have received the first dose of a vaccine to 13,128,756 and the number of persons to have received both doses of a vaccine to 9,994,589. 12.2% of the country’s population in the 20 – 29 age group have received both doses of a vaccine, with second dose coverage in the age group recorded at 26.1% in the Mannar District, 23.7% in the Colombo District, and more..

Sep 10 (TM) Newly appointed Commissioner General (CG) of Essential Services Maj. Gen. M.S.P. Nivunhella, in the wake of the Govt seizing nearly 1,000 metric tonnes (MT) of rice stored in large-scale rice mills in the Polonnaruwa area as per the recently declared emergency regulations on essential items, warned large-scale rice traders of strict action against them if they continue to challenge the Govt by hoarding more..

Sep 10 (FT) The world’s first integrated safety, security and mobility operating system, Restrata, has partnered with One in a Million Ltd. to provide technology as part of a wider project aimed at bringing tourists back to SL. By creating bio-secure hotels, guests can enjoy their stay with the confidence that proven technology is being used to monitor and mitigate the risk of infection. Working alongside other measures (PCR testing, social distancing etc.), Restrata will monitor all more..

Sep 10 (FT) National Carrier SriLankan Airlines, a member of the oneworld alliance, continuing to reaffirm the universal appeal of its marketing communication content, won a Gold award for its campaign #SriLankanPromises in the Marketing – Carrier category at the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Awards 2021 on 8 Sept. This year’s virtual award ceremony crowned 20 Gold award winners and two Grand Title winners out of 113 entries submitted by travel & tourism more..