Sep 9 (ST) As SL banned the usage and import of chemical fertiliser for agriculture production – for both domestic agriculture and plantation agriculture -, I too received many requests from some of my regular readers to write about its economic implications. However, my response in writing on the fertiliser issue in this column got delayed. It’s because I had no subject knowledge to evaluate the impact of the overnight transition from chemical fertiliser to organic fertiliser on more..

Sep 9 (Island) Smallpox is a virulent infectious vesicular disease. Vesicular and pox in that it causes eruptions on the skin which develop into pustules or pox, and eventually leaves one covered with pitted pockmarks; and designated small since the 16th century, to distinguish it from the great pox syphilis. It is caused by the virus variola major, variola being a term introduced in circa 570 AD by Marius of Aventicum, now Avenches, then the capital of Roman Switzerland, and meaning pustule. more..

Sep 9 (Island) Federation of National Organisations (FNO) says the move to secure parliamentary approval for the controversial Bill titled Human Rights Organisation (Incorporation) Act should be inquired into at the highest political level. Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, PC, Justice Mahinda Samayawardhena and Justice Arjuna Obeyesekere has ruled that Clause 6 of the Bill is not consistent with more..

Sep 9 (DM) Sri Lanka received the highest monthly tourist arrivals of 5,040 in August so far this year, amid relatively eased COVID-19-related restrictions globally and locally, aggressive vaccination drive and growing consumer confidence. SL received only 2,429 tourists in July and 1,497 tourists in June. The cumulative tourist arrivals up to August amount to 23,377, down 95.2% over last year, when over 500,000 tourists had visited the country from January to March 18, 2020, more..

Sep 9 (Island) In recognising the hard work and untiring dedication by the frontline health workers, SLT-MOBITEL announced the launch of Suvaviru Upahara, a free connectivity offer designed to empower health heroes. Embarked on it with the collaboration of Manusath Derana, it offers health workers and their families, free SLT-MOBITEL connectivity solutions including Voice and Data for three months. Healthcare workers at 14 selected locations including PHI Officers, Nurses, more..

Sep 9 (DM) The Health Minster agreed with the proposal made by the GMOA to stop the use of the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID vaccine for the age group 18 to 30 and to use it for the 12 to 18 age group, GMOA said. GMOA Secretary Dr. Shenal Fernando said that the agreement was made following a discussion held with the Health Minister. Dr. Fernando said a technical report was submitted to the Minister with GMOA suggestions more..

Sep 9 (FT) Markets are awaiting the appointment of Nivard Cabraal as the new Governor of the Central Bank, but ex-staffers and experts are questioning whether such a move is in the best spirit of the laws enunciated under the Monetary Law Act. Experts pointed out that the Section 11 of the Monetary Law Act relating to the disqualifications for appointment as the Governor states as follows: Disqualification for appointment as Governor, or as member of the Monetary Board. more..

Sep 9 (ST) Pelwatte Dairy, one of the leading local dairy brands in SL that produces a range of dairy products and saves valuable foreign exchange for the country, has made significant investments to upgrade its milk preservation technologies to cater to the rising demand and to ensure its milk is of the highest quality, the company said this week in a media release. Pelwatte Yoghurt for instance, was the Pelwatte product line with the third highest sale in FY 2020/21, bringing yoy growth of 49%. more..

Sep 9 (FT) Colombo stock market yesterday suffered the biggest drop in recent months as investors continued to book profit after record highs, though panic selling was evident on concerns over the CB's currency move. All Share Price Index plunged by 3.6%, or 328 points, and the S&P SL20 was down by 3% or 102 points. Since all-time high levels as of 3 Sept, the ASPI has dipped by 571 points and S&P SL20 by nearly 200 points. more..

Sep 9 (Island) This year, we have seen the remarkable rise of two young players, who overcame poverty and several hardships to become household names of the game of cricket. Pathum Nissanka became the first Sri Lankan to make a hundred on debut overseas while Praveen Jayawickrama was quite a sensation picking up 11 wickets on his debut. Maheesh Theekshana is the latest sensation having picked up a wicket on his first ball in int'l cricket & ending with 4 wickets more..

Sep 9 (DM) Health specialists today advised women to delay their pregnancy by one year if possible due to the spread of the Delta Covid variant. Gynaecologist of the De Soysa Maternity Hospital for women Dr. Harsha Atapattu said that lives of both the mother and the infant were at risk because of the Delta variant. "I would request the newly married women and women who already have children to use family planning and delay their pregnancy by one year if possible. more..

Sep 9 (FT) In a proactive move, the Ministry of Finance has taken the initiative to woo FDIs, launching an important compilation of new opportunities in Sri Lanka for global firms. The publication titled Investment Opportunities in Rising Sri Lanka 2022 is a compendium of opportunities, the combined worth of which are multiple billions of dollars. It lists specific opportunities with description and quantum of investments sought. more..

Sep 9 (EN) Sri Lanka has failed to sell 51% of a 64 billion rupee Treasuries auction, despite a ceiling rate being raised 08 basis points to 6.05%. 29.86 billion rupees of 3-month bills were sold at 6.01% up 09 basis points after offering 18.0 billion rupees. Zero 6-month bonds were sold. 915 million rupees of 12-month bonds were sold at 6.05%, the new ceiling rate. The ceiling rate serves as a de facto policy rate to print large volumes of money and trigger foreign exchange shortages. more..

Sep 9 (Island) The historic speech quoting Buddha’s teaching to attain peace given by the then SL Finance Minister J.R. Jayewardene on Sept 6, 1951, at the San Francisco Peace Conference, has been commemorated on its 60th anniversary with the participation of a limited Japanese VIP delegation at the Sri Lankan Embassy in Tokyo last Monday (06). The ceremony began with the national anthem followed by the lighting of the traditional oil lamp and flower laying ceremony. more..

Sep 9 (TM) Horana Police Headquarters Inspector of Police (HQI) has requested information regarding the recent protests held by teachers and principals demanding a solution to their salary anomaly issues, including the names and addresses of those who organised them. The HQI Horana had made this request from the Divisional Secretaries of Horana, Ingiriya, Madurawala, and Millaniya DS in a letter dated 5 Sept. more..

Sep 9 (FT) The country’s COVID-19 immunisation program has administered the first dose of vaccine to 12,952,755 persons and the second dose to 9,714,857 persons to date, which includes 429,515 persons vaccinated on Tuesday. A total of 126,727 persons received the first dose of Sinopharm and 278,788 persons received the second jab of the same vaccine on Tuesday. The first dose of the vaccine has been administered 10,236,403 persons, while 7,840,922 persons received 2nd dose more..

Sep 9 (FT) Foreign Ministry yesterday set the record straight on the upcoming visit to Italy by PM Rajapaksa saying it does not include a call on the Vatican. The statement follows various reports against a likely meeting between PM and the Pope in the backdrop of failure on the part of the Govt to take proper action yet on the perpetrators of the Easter Sunday terror attacks of 2019. “The PM and the Foreign Minister will shortly make a visit to Bologna, Italy to participate in an int'l event more..

Sep 9 (FT) A total of 2,917 more persons tested for COVID-19 yesterday, continuing the recent trend of daily detections below 3,000. The patients detected yesterday include 2,961 persons from the New Year cluster, while three Sri Lankan overseas arrivals tested positive for COVID-19. Total of 368,651 from the New year cluster and 8,270 patients from the Prisons cluster. The local cases also include 82,785 persons more..

Sep 9 (Island) The WHO has urged countries in South Asia Region to enhance routine immunization along with the ongoing efforts to rapidly increase COVID-19 vaccination coverage. “The vulnerability to vaccine preventable diseases has increased with the pandemic disrupting essential immunization services and surveillance for vaccine preventable disease. Though efforts are being made, much more needs to be done specially at the sub-national levels and to reach unreached and underserved more..

Sep 9 (CT) SLPP MP Premanath Dolawatte claimed in Parliament that when sending Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine to SL, some countries specifically name which Districts should be prioritised for the vaccination drive considering several facts such as population density. In a question for State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana, he requested the Pfizer vaccine to be given to the youth in Colombo. “People living in several Districts are being vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine. more..

Sep 9 (EN) SL’s newly appointed Commissioner General of Essential Services and the price control agency had seized stock of rice from large millers which will be distributed through a network of state-run retail stores. Stocks owned by Nipuna, Lathpandura, Araliya, Hiru, New Rathna and Suriya mills in the Polonnaruwa district were seized. The seizures were under “the direct supervision of Commissioner General of Essential Services more..

Sep 9 (EN) US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has added Sri Lanka, Jamacia and Brunei to its highest-risk list countries that had reported over 500 COVID-cases per 100,000 people over a 28 day period. “Avoid travel to these destinations,” the CDC said. “If you must travel to these destinations, make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel.” Most developed countries have vaccinated large sections of their population. SL also welcomes fully vaccinated travellers. more..

Sep 9 (Island) Senior medical professionals who had been resigning from the Health Ministry’s Covid-19 Technical Committee should reveal why they had left abruptly, President of CMLS, Ravi Kumudesh said. Commenting on Senior Consultant Physician, at the IDH, Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama and Dr. Asoka Gunaratne leaving the committee that asked with making recommendations to control the Covid-19 pandemic, Kumudesh said that they had a responsibility to tell why they had left. more..

Sep 9 (TM) Archbishop of Colombo His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith yesterday revealed that the Catholic Church has told the int'l community that justice has not been meted out to the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks of 2019 and that there are attempts by the Govt to undermine the investigation. Archbishop made these remarks at a press conference with regard to news reports that govt has sought an audience with Pope more..

Sep 9 (FT) Militarisation can be tracked and traced by the number of military or ex-military brass in positions hitherto occupied by civilian administrators, and the roles, subjects and functions aberrantly assigned to the military or ex-military. Govt’s lame riposte is that once retired, a military officer is a civilian, so their appointments, however ubiquitous, do not constitute a symptom of militarisation. Really? With militarisation comes militarism, a state of mind, turned into an ideology. more..

Sep 9 (FT) The coronavirus has been a game-changer in our lives and acquiring some basic understanding of this virus will help us to counter this invisible enemy. We also acquired a new vocabulary at the beginning of the pandemic: virus, quarantine, lockdowns, social distancing, contact tracing, PCR (which, like Einstein’s famous equation everybody knows but few understand). But new words are being added rapidly – vaccines, immunity, genome, RNA, mutants, variants – more..

Sep 9 (DM) Drug trafficker Kaludura Chaminda Thabrew alias Bob Marley who was wanted over smuggling drugs into the country on a multi-day trawler, had been arrested in Elpitiya by the Police Narcotics Bureau. The police had sought public assistance to locate the 41-year old suspect, who was believed to be the main suspect to smuggle 288.664 kg of heroin into the country on Aug 31. Five men were arrested by the officers of the State Intelligence service and SL Navy more..

Sep 9 (MFA) Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris has sought greater economic cooperation with Iran, including enhanced bilateral trade, investment and the possibilities of cooperation in new sectors, such as tourism and energy. The Minister made this request when the Ambassador of Iran, Hashem Ashjazadeh called on him at the Foreign Ministry on 8 Sept. In his opening remarks, Foreign Minister Peiris highlighted the long standing friendly relations between Sri Lanka and Iran more..

Sep 9 (EN) Detained SL lawyer Hejaaz Hizbullah’s human rights work and legal practice may have been conflated with terrorism and his detention may be used to prevent him from further engaging in ongoing human rights cases, Mary Lawlor, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders said Tuesday. Referring to a joint communication issued on July 8, 2021, signed by seven UN special rapporteurs that more..

Sep 9 (DM) The CEO of EPIC Lanka technologies that managed the database of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), arrested for alleged disappearances of data files was today ordered to be released on bail by Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court. The suspect Harindra Kalpage was ordered to be released on two sureties of one million rupees each by Colombo Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya. The suspect was ordered to surrender his passport to the court more..

Sep 9 (DM) SL's controversial self-proclaimed spiritual healer, Eliyantha White has contracted the COVID-19 infection and has been admitted to a private hospital in Colombo. Hospital sources said his condition is stable. The controversial White, recently drew criticism from the public for dropping pots into the rivers, as part of a spiritual healing to eradicate the COVID-19 virus from Sri Lanka. This was followed by former Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Minister Udaya Gammanpila more..

Sep 9 (EN) SL has imposed a 100% cash margin when opening letters of credit on over 600 items ranging from chocolates and wine to raincoats and carpets to discourage imports as the country faced foreign exchange shortages as large volumes of money were printed. Banks have also been barred from giving credit for importers to meet the margins. Licensed Commercial Banks “shall not grant any advances to their customers for the purpose more..

Sep 9 (TM) 90% of the staff at the Dept of National Zoological Gardens are currently protesting at the Dehiwala Zoo against the resignation of the Zoo’s Director General Ishini Wickremesinghe. Dismissing rumours spread on social media which claimed that her resignation was because of the recent release of the 14 tamed elephants back to their original owners, State Minister Wimalaweera Dissanayake said that the resignation tendered by Ishini Wickremesinghe was solely based on more..

Sep 9 (TM) Chief Incumbent of the Abhayarama temple Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thero has questioned whether the Govt is a real govt or if they are running a comical govt, stating that the situation in the country has gone from bad to worse. Thero had been a firm supporter of the Govt in the past, and now questions the Govt and the decisions made based on the sufferings of the people, claiming that the people are having food shortages, further stating if govt is purchasing sugar and re-selling it, more..

Sep 9 (Island) The lockdown has had a positive impact on COVID control, Medical Technical Services Director Dr. Anwar Hamdani said. He said that a few weeks back close to 5,000 new cases had been reported daily, but now the number had dropped to below 3,000. “You can imagine the impact 5,000 new cases a day was having on the health sector capacity. Now, we have to think of keeping this trend going. more..

Sep 9 (AD) Over 100,000 pregnant women in SL have been vaccinated against COVID-19 so far, said Dr. Chithramalee de Silva, Director of Family Health Bureau. “Currently, more than 100,000 pregnant women have been vaccinated against COVID-19. However, no mother has reported any side effects. There are several mothers who have had their babies after being vaccinated. Yet, we have not received any reports of issues from them or of their babies. Almost every vaccine given to women more..

Sep 9 (DM) While stressing the point that a minority of fully vaccinated people could get severe disease, and may even die, the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) requested the Govt to consider giving a third dose to people whose immune system is weak despite being fully vaccinated. SLMA President Dr Padma Gunaratne said studies from Bahrain has shown that in those over 50 years, people given the Sinopharm vaccine, while preventing death and severe disease more..

Sep 9 (EN) With some 40% of the population now fully vaccinated , SL can expect a drop in COVID-19 deaths over time, a health official said, but as more people are jabbed, the percentage of breakthrough cases or deaths is expected to rise merely as a function of statistics and not because vaccines don’t work. Health Services Deputy Director Dr Hemantha Herath said that when a majority of the population wasn’t vaccinated more..

Sep 9 (AD) An accomplice of underworld figure has been arrested in connection with the murder of Sunshine Sudda. The arrest was made in the area of Udukawa, Weligama. The notorious drug trafficker and underworld figure, Amila Prasanna Hettihewa alias Sunshine Sudda was shot dead at Kotawila, Matara on Friday. He was gunned down by an unidentified suspect near a school in Warakapitiya of Kotawila police area last morning while travelling by car. more..