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News Archive for Mar 2020

Discrimination that the Sinhalese face in the North and the East
Chanaka Bandarage
After the war, all governments have miserably failed to settle the displaced Sinhalese (numbering about 50,000) in the Northern province.  In the past five years, the governments have embarked on a massive ‘Sanhindiyawa’ campaign, placing lots of onus on the Sinhalese to embrace Tamil culture and Tamil way of life. For this, a ministry of National Language and Social Integration was created. It ran racist policies against the Sinhalese. State-owned TV and radio stations promoted ‘Sanhindiyawa’ day and night in the Sinhala dominated South. Even on Sinhala TV channels, cheap Thamilnadu... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 31/03/20)

The Country That Used Nuclear (1945), Biological (1951) and Chemical (1968) Weapons on Civilians Blames Others!
Kumar Moses
There is only one country in the world that has used nuclear weapons in anger. That too on civilians! It happened in 1945. The targets were large cities, not military bases. Hundreds of thousands of Japanese died due to direct and indirect exposure. No other country has done so. Just six years later that same country bombed North Korea with various biological agents causing famine, widespread infestation and deaths. Once again it was targeted at civilians. No other country has used biological weapons. In 1968 and throughout the Vietnam War that very... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 31/03/20)

කොරෝනා මද සුළඟ
චන්ද්‍රසේන පණ්ඩිතගේ
පසුගිය වසරේ නොවැම්බර් මස 19 වෙනිදා ලෝකයේ උපත ලද කොරෝනා හෙවත් කොවිඩ්-19 නම්වූ මදනල කුමරිය පසුගිය වසරේ දෙසැම්බර් මස 10 වෙනිදා චීනයේ හුවාන පලාතෙන් මතුවී සුළි සුළඟක් ලෙසින් ලොවපුරාම ගමන් කරමින් සිටින අවස්තාවක අපි ඒ දෙස මහත් උද්යෝගයකින් බලා සිටින්නේ, මේ කොරෝනා කුමරිය මේ ලෝකය තුල කුමන අරමුණකින් කුමක් කිරීමට සැරසෙන්නේද යන කුතුහලයෙන් යුක්තවය. ඇත්ත වශයෙන්ම අපි මේ දෙස මහත් බලාපොරොත්තු සාහිතව බලා සිටින්නෙමු. අපි එහෙම කියන්නේ මේක මහා විනාශයක් මේක වහාම නැවැත්විය යුතුයි යන හඬ හැම තැනකින්ම ඇසෙන තත්වයක් තුලදියි. නමුත් යම් ශුභවාදී වටිනා යමක් මේ තුලින් මතුවෙන බව අපි දන්නවා. මේ ලෝකයේ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 31/03/20)

GMOA proposes ‘Hammer and Dance Theory’ to control COVID-19
Courtesy The Daily Mirror
The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has proposed ten steps "Hammer and Dance Theory" to control COVID-19 Outbreak in Sri Lanka. “All possible aggressive actions should be implemented immediately to control COVID-19,” it said.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 31/03/20)

Covid-19 deaths: Exclusive cremation says new guideline
Courtesy The Daily Mirror
Updated guidelines on Covid-19 related deaths issued by the Ministry of Health on Tuesday state that the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of the disposing of bodies of those who succumb to coronavirus would exclusively be cremation. The fourth update on the Provisional Clinical Practice Guidelines on COVID-19 suspected and confirmed patients indicate that cremation remains the best practice to avoid further spread of the disease. Judicial Medical Officers across Sri Lanka were issued the SOP to be followed in the event of a death a coronavirus infected person last week.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 31/03/20)

China zeroes in on coronavirus patients with no symptoms as new infections rise
Courtesy Ceylon Today
China will start releasing information from tomorrow (01) on coronavirus patients who show no disease symptoms, ordering them into quarantine for 14 days, a health official said, after the mainland witnessed its first rise in infections in five days. As local infections peter out and new cases surface among travelers returning home, the existence of virus carriers with no symptoms is fuelling public concern that people could be spreading it without knowing they are ill. From 01 April, the daily report of the National Health Commission will include details of such... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 31/03/20)

India cracks down on Muslim group emerging as coronavirus cluster
Courtesy Ceylon Today
India sealed off the headquarters of a Muslim missionary group on Tuesday and ordered an investigation into accusations it held religious meetings that officials fear may have infected dozens of people with the coronavirus. India has registered 1,251 cases of the coronavirus, 32 of whom have died. The numbers are small compared with the United States, Italy and China but health officials say India, the world's second most populous country, faces a huge surge that could overwhelm its weak public health system.One of the coronavirus hot spots that the government of the capital,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 31/03/20)

Rs 5000 allowance for low income families affected by COVID-19 outbreak
Courtesy Adaderana
A host of more financial and material benefits have been granted to low income and vulnerable families and individuals in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed the Presidential Task Force established to administer essential services that provision of Rs. 5000/= as a single payment to the low-income families will ease the financial difficulties faced by them. The following are the declared concessions and the eligible groups, according to President’s Media Division. - Measures have been taken to pay Rs.5,000 each to all 416,764 senior citizen... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 31/03/20)

COVID-19 cases tally jumps to 143 as 21 more test positive today
Sri Lanka News
The Ministry of Health has confirmed that 11 more persons tested positive for COVID-19 as at 7.30 pm today (31). With this addition, the tally of coronavirus cases in the country has now reached 142. As of 4.15 pm this evening, 10 patients had tested positive for the virus. Sri Lanka has accordingly recorded the highest daily surge of COVID-19 cases with a total of 20 during the course of the day. In the meantime, 17 patients have been discharged from hospitals after recovering completely. https://youtu.be/RCXJCw9J_j0... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 31/03/20)

Trina Solar leads the era of 500W+ output with its shipment of world’s first Vertex modules to Sri Lanka
By NS Energy Staff Writer Courtesy NS Energy
The facility waiting for the delivery, in Sri Lanka, has a capacity of 10MW The Vertex series includes bifacial double-glass modules and back sheet modules. (Credit: Pixabay/Free-Photos) Trina Solar Co., Ltd (“Trina Solar” or the “Company”), a global leading provider of integrated PV modules and smart energy solutions, has just shipped the first lot of its Vertex series modules. The Vertex series modules, with conversion efficiency of up to 21 per cent, boasts power output exceeding 500W. With this shipment, Trina Solar sets a new benchmark... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 31/03/20)

New snake discovery in Sri Lanka is latest twist in slow-burning mystery
by Dilrukshi Handunnetti Courtesy Mongabay
Sri Lanka’s southwestern mountains have yielded a new snake species, Dryocalamus chithrasekerai, based on specimens collected in 2009 and 2017.Chithrasekara’s bridle snake, named in honor of local conservationist Nagamulla Hewage Chithrasekara, is the latest species in its genus, which researchers say should be kept taxonomically distinct from another genus of very similar snakes, Lycodon.The researchers also make the case that a previously recorded Dryocalamus species, D. gracilis, was identified incorrectly and doesn’t actually occur in Sri Lanka. Dryocalamus chithrasekarai, named in honor of N. H. Chithrasekara, a key player in the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 31/03/20)

SriLankan Airlines brings down medical aid from China
TradeArabia News Service
SriLankan Airlines uplifted a consignment of medical aid from Shanghai, China on March 28. This was a donation made by the Sri Lankan community in China through the Consulate Generals of Sri Lanka in Guangzhou and Shanghai, facilitated by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in China.  The consignment contained essential medical items such as masks, protective clothing, goggles, face protection splash guards, nebulizers, pulse oximeters, thermometers and glucometers, which will be handed over to the Sri Lankan health authorities to be distributed among state hospitals for the benefit of... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 31/03/20)

Coronavirus: Iceland’s mass testing finds half of carriers show no symptoms
Muhammed Nafie, Courtesy Al Arabiya English
As the coronavirus pandemic surges worldwide, each piece of data counts in the fight against the deadly pathogen. But significant findings about the contagious disease are coming from an unlikely place: Iceland, the tiny Island state with a population of just 364,000 people, where authorities are testing large numbers of the population – without imposing any lockdown or curfew. Read more: The coronavirus test you don’t know about, but should: Experts Coronavirus: WHO chief says ‘Test, test, test’ Social... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 31/03/20)

COVID-19: WHY WE SHOULD ALL WEAR MASKS — THERE IS NEW SCIENTIFIC RATIONALE
Sui Huang
The official recommendation in the United States (and other Western countries) that the public should not wear face masks was motivated by the need to save respirator masks for health care workers. There is no scientific support for the statement that masks worn by non-professionals are “not effective”. In contrary, in view of the stated goal to “flatten the curve”, any additional, however partial reduction of transmission would be welcome — even that afforded by the simple surgical masks or home-made (DIY) masks (which would not exacerbate the supply problem). The latest biological findings on SARS-Cov-2... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 31/03/20)

CORONAVIRUS outbreak – Who is responsible?
Everyone has a right to their opinion but a subject as important as the present global outbreak requires some meaningful debate and certain actions give clues to read between the lines to understand whether the virus was something natural, something spread by accident or something purposely created. There is no patient zero found to date. But that is crucial to answering a plethora of questions. The 3 questions we must now answer is Is the virus naturalIs the virus something spread by accident – if so by whom?Is the virus something created to spread... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 31/03/20)

ERASING THE EELAM VICTORY Part 14 F
KAMALIKA PIERIS
Examination of war history should focus on the transformation of the Navy and the Air Force with the former achieving 100 percent success by destroying LTTE’s floating arsenals in international waters while the Air Force achieved strategic bombing that caused massive losses on the enemy, including prized Tigers killed in their hidden lairs, said Shamindra Ferdinando. The Army and the Navy are yet to release their own versions of their work, he observed. The navy was in an unfortunate position during Eelam wars II and III     said, analysts.  Jayanath Colombage has this to... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 31/03/20)

Presidential Pardons for criminals, terrorists, and who else?
By Chandre Dharmawardana.
When the family of Czar Nicholas, children, and women included,  were brutally killed by the Bolshevik revolutionaries, that was justified by a throng of intellectuals who were ready to defend anything done in the name of Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin. Clever dialectical arguments were presented as to why even the children had to be killed. More sensitive souls presented excuses rather than justifications. A  favorite one was that “it is inevitable” that some bourgeois sentiments will be upset when a little extra blood is let – but all that is justified in the quest to... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 31/03/20)

Soldiers Sacrificed Much More Than You Know to Protect the Nation
Dilrook Kannangara
Sri Lankan soldiers sacrificed much more than what everyone knows. Arms, legs, limbs, eyes, blood, sweat and life are not the only sacrifices. They sacrificed their time, marriage, family time and safety. Most soldiers being Buddhists believe in good deeds and bad and their inevitable consequences. Taking life, right or wrong, is a bad deed resulting in suffering life after life. Sadly, people cannot be saved from most barbaric Tamil terrorists without taking their lives. Knowing its consequences, soldiers rose up to the challenge. In doing so they have signed up for suffering life... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 30/03/20)

Suggestions for staying healthy and prevent COVID-19 infection:
Sunil J Wimalawansa Professor of Medicine, Endocrinology, & Nutrition, USA
Dear friends: Since I haven't seen any medical society from Sri Lanka providing safe practices and guidelines for avoiding COVID-19, I thought of sending this in a summarized form.  I hope these and the links provided at the end of this email will be useful and save lives. It is time that everyone takes personal responsibility and actions needed seriously, rather than waiting for the government to take care of yourselves.  The latter will not be materialized.  This includes but not limited to engaging... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 30/03/20)

ERASING THE EELAM VICTORY Part 14 E
KAMALIKA PIERIS
In Eelam War IV the Sri Lanka army fought using military strategy. There was an operations room, where battle strategies were planned. In Eelam war II and III, the government had fought only on one front. In Eelam War IV, the army opened three fronts simultaneously, Eastern, Northern, and Wanni.  The army made sure, in its battle plans, that there were enough soldiers for the three fronts.  The army had the numbers needed. For the Northern front alone, the numbers were increased from 27,000 to 34,000 with two reserve divisions. ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 30/03/20)

Where is the G20?
Dr Gaya  Kulasinghe    Consultant Physisian writes  .....
I thought to write a few words on FB, especially for my friends in Sri Lanka, though I have never posted my personal views on social media before. As a physician, currently working in the front line, dealing with a new Coronavirus pandemic in a leading hospital in the USA, I have witnessed a drastic difference between the USA, which beliefs to be a part of first world country and Sri Lanka, known as a third world country. I don’t have enough words to appreciate... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 30/03/20)

SOS FROM UNCLE SAM
Corona News
The US reaches out to Sri-Lankan health workers amid coronavirus outbreak The United States has appealed to medical professionals in Sri-Lanka, particularly those working to treat or mitigate the effects of COVID-19, to reach out to the nearest embassy or consulate to request a visa appointment. The appeal was made on Thursday, March 26 through the Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs’ website.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 30/03/20)

කොරෝනා සුව වෙන්න IDHදී උණුවතුර..- කොරෝනා සුව වූ පලමු ශ‍්‍රී ලාංකිකයා කියයි
උපුටා ගැන්ම ලංකා සී නිව්ස්
කොරෝනා වෛරසය වැළඳී තමන් කොළඹ ජාතික උණ රෝහලේ ප්‍රතිකාර ලබද්දී දිනකට උණුවතුර ලීටර් 06-07ක් පමණ බීමට ලබාදුන් බව කොරොන් වැලදී දැනට සුවපත් වී සිටින පළමු ශ‍්‍රී ලංකිකයා සදහන් කරයි. තම රෝගය සුව කරන්න උණු වතුරද ඉවහල් වූ බව මත්තේගොඩ පදිංචි ජයන්ත රණසිංහ වන ඔහු කියා සිටී. කොරෝනා වයිරස් රෝගීන් සුවකරන්න උණු වතුරද ඉතාම හොඳ දෙයක් යයි තමන් එම රෝහලෙන්ම දැනගත් බව ද ඔහු සඳහන් කරයි. සති අන්ත පුවත්පතක් වෙත අදහස් පළ කරමින් ඔහු මේ බව සඳහන් කර ඇත.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 30/03/20)

COVID 19 AS A PROTECTION
RANJITH SOYSA
Digressing from the plight brought about by the  COVID 19, I wish to draw the attention of your readers to an important item discussed in the Island, issue of 23rd March. It was referring to the British High Commissioner who was said to be too busy to comment on his alleged intervention in the judicial process of Sri Lanka. The former chief magistrate Mr. Tilina Gmage under oath at the Presidential Commission stated that he received a letter from the British High Commissioner offering ‘unsolicited advice’ in dealing with a case handled by him.. ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 30/03/20)

COVID-19: Just Control Your Response To It and Keep Going!
By Zaithoon Bin Ahamed Courtesy www.medium.com
When Sri Lanka went into lockdown about two weeks ago, the company I work for took a firm decision to follow government recommendations and close all offices and encouraged people to work from home wherever possible. Top priority was health and wellbeing of people and taking all measures to help the government’s efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country and ensure everyone is safe. At that time, it seemed like it would possibly be about a week or so in isolation and we’ll all be back on track. I... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 30/03/20)

Questions thrown up by the COVID-19 crisis in Sri Lanka
By Shivanthi Ranasinghe Courtesy Ceylon Today
COVID-19 containment jostles with demand for food and democracy Colombo, March 30 (Ceylon Today): Today, the people of Sri Lanka are in the grip of two worries: One of them, of course, is COVID-19. The other is food sufficiency – whether the household has enough food until the currently “indefinite” curfew is lifted. However, people appear to be more worried about food than COVID-19. Most are trying really hard to adhere to government regulations and expert advise on keeping themselves from getting infected. But there is... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 30/03/20)

Lanka’s economy can’t recover until the global economy recovers from the COVID-19 trauma
By Shiran Illanperuma courtesy Xinhua
COLOMBO, March 28 (Xinhua) — Global communities and financial institutions must unite to put the world economy back in order amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a senior Sri Lankan economic expert said here Saturday. Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Senior Economic Advisor to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa told Xinhua that developing countries like Sri Lanka could face unemployment, low economic growth and debt problems due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Sri Lanka is looking at an economic situation created by circumstances beyond our shores. The global community must therefore come... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 30/03/20)

Small is useful
Editorial Courtesy The Island
Tuesday 31st March, 2020 Time was when there were retail shops, or sillara kades, at every nook and cranny of the country, selling various commodities, including grocery items, at reasonable prices. Catering as they did mostly to low income groups, they could keep prices low as they had no overheads as such. They were open, from morn till night, daily. They stood the ordinary people in good stead in that essentials were available at affordable prices. But, most of these small businesses could not withstand the tide of consumerism, which paved the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 30/03/20)

Five villages in Beruwala locked down as dodger tests positive for COVID-19
Courtesy The Daily Mirror
The detection of an individual from Pannila in the Beruwala police area today, who failed to report his infection to health authorities, had compelled relevant officials to isolate at least 100 people from about 20 families in the area, police said. The dodger Mohammed Haris Mohamed Hafeez (31), a driver attached to the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) from Kiripattiyawatta in Pannila, has been reported to the police by residents of the area after he had gone into hiding with the development of cough and fever. Commenting on this, Kalutara SP... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 30/03/20)

Chilaw family of 5 including infant infected with COVID-19
Courtesy Adaderana
Five persons from the same family have tested positive for the novel coronavirus infection, stated Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi. Reportedly, the family from Chilaw had been detained and quarantined yesterday (29) under the suspicion of contracting the virus. After testing for the virus today (30), all 5 members of the family have tested positive for COVID-19. Among the family members is a 4-month old infant, according to the Health Minister. https://youtu.be/YW13gvrDHxE... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 30/03/20)

Two new COVID-19 cases brings total to 122
Courtesy Ada Derana
The Ministry of Health says that two new cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been identified in the country. Accordingly the total number of confirmed cases reported in Sri Lanka, as of 3.30 p.m. today (30), stands at 122. Seven new patients have been identified within he past 24 hours.   Meanwhile three (03) patients have recovered and were discharged within today, the ministry said. A total of 104 patients are under observation at several hospitals on suspicion of contracting the virus while 14 patients have been discharged thus... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 30/03/20)

The second corona related death reported in Sri Lanka
Courtesy Adaderana
Another patient who had been infected by the novel coronavirus has passed away while receiving treatment at the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH). The deceased is a 64-year-old male from Porutota, Negombo, stated the Ministry of Health. He had been admitted to the Negombo Hospital over a cardiac-related illness. However, the doctors had tested him for COVID-19 upon been diagnosed with suspicious symptoms. This is the second patient in the country to succumb to the virus. . https://youtu.be/vzcKetPRUZ4... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 30/03/20)

ප්‍රජා -තන්ත්‍ර-වාදය නමැති නාස් ලණුවෙන් ගැලවෙමු! (පලවෙනි කොටස)
චන්ද්‍රසිරි විජයවික්‍රම, LL.B., Ph.D.
ඇඳිරි නීති අතරතුර කාලයේ ජනයා හැසුරුණ ආකාරය නිසා මෙතෙක් කොරෝනා කොටු කිරීමට කල වැඩ සියල්ලම වතුරේ ගියාය යන සෞඛ්‍ය අධ්‍යක්‍ෂකගේ ප්‍රකාශයෙන් නොකියා කියන්නේ සුද්දගෙ නීතියේ, නීතියේ ආධිපත්‍යය නොහොත් ප්‍රජාතන්ත්‍රවාදය මිථ්‍යා කතාවක් ලෙස මෝඩ හෝ මෝඩ නොවන ලංකා ජනයා සළකන බව නොවේද? ප්‍රජා-තන්ත්‍ර යන සංස්කෘත වචන දෙකේ තේරුම ජනයා අතේ ඇති නාස් ලණුව (තීරක බලය) යනුය. එහෙත් මුළු ලෝකයේම දැන් ඇති දූෂිත නියෝජිත ප්‍රජාතන්ත්‍රවාදය යටතේ නාස් ලණුව වැටී ඇත්තේ (දමාගෙන ඇත්තේ) ජනයාටමය (චන්ද දායකයාටය). ඇමෙරිකාවේ වුවද යථා‌ර්‌ථය එයය. 1990/91 දී, ත්‍රෝ ද රාස්කල්ස් (බින්න බැස ඉන්නා මන්ත්‍රීන්) අවුට්, යන්න ඇමෙරිකාවේ ජනප්‍රිය සටන් පාඨයක්... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/03/20)

බෝවන ‌රෝග ගැන අතීත අත්දැකීම්
මතුගම සෙනෙවිරුවන්
                පෘතුගීසීන් ලංකාවට පැමිණ සිංහල රාජධානිය තමන් සන්තක කර ගැනීමට යුද්ධ කරන කල්හි.ඒවාට ‌නොබියවම මුහුණ ‌දීමට අපේ මුතුන් මිත්තන්ට හැකිවුණා.මේ කාලෙ තමයි 1580 දී පමණ ලංකාවට වසූරිය බෝ වුණේ. මන්නාරම් කොටුවේ පරංගීන් ගේ රැකවරණය යටතේ සිටි කරලියද්දේ බණ්ඩාර සහ බිසව මේ වසූරිය රෝගය නිසා මිය ගිය බව ඉතිහාසයේ සඳහන්ය. ලංකාවෙ මුහුදු කරය විදේශිකයන් ‌ගේ ආධිපත්‍යට නතුවන්නට ඉඩ හැර සිංහල රජුන්ට උඩරට දුර්ග වල සිය රාජධානි පිහිටුවාගන්නට සිදු වූයේ රජ පවුල තුල ඇති වූ බල අරගල නිසාවෙනි.පසුව 1766 දී මුහුදේ සිට ගව්වක ප්‍රමාණයක් ලන්දේසි කොම්පඤ්ඤයට පවරා දීමට ගිවිසුම් ගැසීම නිසා ස්ථීරවම මුහුදුකරය අහිමි වුණා..‌මේ කාලෙදි රට ආර්ථික... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/03/20)

Pardoning Sunil Rathnayaka is the Right Thing
Dilrook Kannangara
The president must be commended for pardoning Sunil Rathnayaka. It’s the right thing to do. Those who howl foul about it are missing the point. They are wrong on many counts. Sunil committed no war crime. Some half-baked reporters say Sunil was in prison for a war crime. No such accusation or charge was made against him in court. He was charged for murder and other offences but not for war crimes. So many others who have committed murder, arson, terrorism and robbery have been pardoned over the years. A very large number... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/03/20)

As coronavirus becomes pandemic, scientists ask if lines on the map hold the key to contagion’s spread
Courtesy South China Morning Post
Studies suggest that ‘hotspots’ for virus that causes Covid-19 are found between the 30 to 50 degree lines of latitude northTemperature and humidity data might allow scientists to forecast the ‘next’ Wuhan The coronavirus pandemic that has infected more than 125,000 people around the world is concentrated in a “corridor” across the northern hemisphere, researchers said, as more studies focused on how temperature and humidity could be used to predict the spread of the contagion. Despite worries that Southeast Asia may become a coronavirus hotspot after central... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/03/20)

Series of Strategies for Reviving the Economy in the ‘post-Covid-19’ era
By Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Courtesy The Island
March 29, 2020, 6:29 pm Former Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka, andPrime Minister's Senior Advisor on Economic Affairs Strategy 1: Return approximately 20% of the balances amounting to around Rs.500 billion of the Employees Provident Fund, lying to the credit of members, directly to the Members. As is well known and documented, the Sri Lankan economy has suffered tremendously from the gradual and continuous deterioration of the economy for five years, from 2015 to 2019. It has also been devastated... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/03/20)

Japan, China donates drug for COVID-19
Courtesy The Daily Mirror
Sri Lanka is to use anti-influenza drug ‘AVIGAN’ on COVID-19 patients on an experimental basis from next week, a senior Public official said today. Chairman of the State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) Dr. Prasanna Gunasena told Daily Mirror that a stock of 5,000 ‘AVIGAN’ tablets would be handed over to the SPC as a gift from Japan and China tomorrow (31) to be given to COVID-19 patients on a trial basis. “No one must take ‘VIGAN’ as an absolute drug for the recovery of the COVID-19 viral infection. It is up... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/03/20)

Three villages sealed off to prevent COVID-19 spread
Courtesy The Daily Mirror
Two villages in Kadayankulam, Puttalam and one village in Akrurana, Kandy have been sealed off after health authorities found two more COVID-19 patients, official sources said.The decision has been taken to prevent the spread of the COVID-19. They also said that the residents in Kadayankulam have moved to a nearby centre for 14 days quarantine purpose.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/03/20)

Legal action against former MP Patali Champika for conducting a meeting disregarding health advisory
Courtesy Hiru News
Police Media Spokesperson stated that the law will be enforced against former minister Patali Champika Ranawaka who held a meeting yesterday disregarding the health advice. It has been reported that the meeting was held in the premises of the former minister's residence yesterday. The health units had worked together to disperse the crowd. The Police Media Spokesperson further stated that the charge against the former Minister who conducted the meeting was reported to the court .... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/03/20)

Main suspect of suicide bomb attack on Zion Church arrested
Courtesy Adaderana
The main suspect who had allegedly organized the suicide bomb attack Zion Church in Batticaloa on Easter Sunday 2019 has been arrested. Police Media Spokesperson SP Jaliya Senaratne mentioned this addressing a special press conference held at the Department of Government Information this afternoon (29). https://youtu.be/jsb8Fx3Z8oA On 21 April 2019, Easter Sunday, three churches and three luxury hotels Colombo, were targeted in a series of coordinated terrorist suicide bombings. The attack on the Protestant Zion Church came just before the church’s Easter mass was to begin.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/03/20)

Unemployed graduate trainees to be assigned to MOH offices for coronavirus prevention duties
Courtesy Adaderana
Considering the prevailing situation, training period of trainee graduates who have reported to the Divisional Secretariats has been delayed until May, the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government has announced. However, taking into account the request of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medicine, a decision has been taken to temporary attach these trainee graduates to Medical Officer of Health (MOH) offices for assisting the process of controlling coronavirus disease. The Secretary to the Ministry revealed this in a press release issued yesterday (29). Due... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/03/20)

Two new COVID-19 cases in Sri Lanka; Tally rises to 117
Courtesy Adaderana
As of 8.00 pm today (29), two more patients have tested positive for COVID-19 in Sri Lanka increasing the total cases tally to 117, says the Ministry of Health. In the meantime, a total number of 11 patients have recovered from the deadly virus so far. Currently, Sri Lanka has 105 positive cases of coronavirus and 117 suspected patients who are under observation at selected hospitals. The country reported its first COVID-19 death yesterday; a 60-year-old male from Marawila area.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/03/20)

Sri Lanka to import Japanese drug against COVID-19
Courtesy Adaderana
Chairman of State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC), Dr. Prasanna Gunasena says that an order has been issued through the Presidential Secretariat to import the drug found in Japan against COVID-19, the novel coronavirus. Joining Ada Derana Big Focus, he said that plans are underway to streamline the drug distribution system in the country. He further said that the pill found by Japan to combat coronavirus is due to be brought to Sri Lanka within two days. Previously, Japan’s health minister said the government was considering using a drug called Avigan, also... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/03/20)

WHO considers ‘airborne precautions’ for medical staff after study shows coronavirus can survive in air
Courtesy CNBC News
WHO is considering “airborne precautions” for medical staff after a new study showed the coronavirus can survive in the air in some settings.The coronavirus can go airborne, staying suspended in the air depending on factors such as heat and humidity, WHO officials said. The World Health Organization is considering “airborne precautions” for medical staff after a new study showed the coronavirus can survive in the air in some settings. The virus is transmitted through droplets, or little bits of liquid, mostly through sneezing or coughing, Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of WHO’s emerging diseases and... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/03/20)

If LTTE hardcore killers can be pardoned why shouldn’t Sunil Ratnayake be pardoned?
As if we did not have one global virus to contend with – there is another biased virus. A bandwagon calling themselves human rights activists deem the pardon of ‘butcher’ Sunil Ratnayake to be an unpardonable offence by President Gotabaya Rajapakse. Where were these angels when LTTE were killing pregnant Sinhalese mothers in Kent & Dollar Farms in 1985? Of course, it’s important to understand that the attack against Sunil Ratnayake is in reality an indirect attack against the President who was gaining popularity amongst the people for his professionalism in handling the covid-19. That professionalism was spraying charcoal over... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 29/03/20)

Need to maintain the 24 Hour, island-wide Curfew for some more time; caring for the curfew affected population is equally important
Chanaka Bandarage
The government should be commended for imposing a 24 hour, island-wide curfew. It was a brave decision.  Sri Lanka is possibly the first country in the world to impose a 24 hour, island-wide curfew. We are also one of the first countries in the world to shut down schools. Many countries have followed our successful examples. Avoidance of close contact between peoples is the best way to stop the spreading of the deadly virus. In 3rd world countries, where people are less educated/disciplined, a blanket nation-wide... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/03/20)

How sick will the coronavirus make you? The answer may be in your genes
By Jocelyn Kaiser Courtesy Science
Science’s COVID-19 reporting is supported by the Pulitzer Center. COVID-19, caused by the new pandemic coronavirus, is strangely—and tragically—selective. Only some infected people get sick, and although most of the critically ill are elderly or have complicating problems such as heart disease, some killed by the disease are previously healthy and even relatively young. Researchers are now gearing up to scour the patients’ genomes for DNA variations that explain this mystery. The findings could be used to identify those most at risk of serious illness and those who might be protected, and... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/03/20)

No, the coronavirus wasn’t made in a lab. A genetic analysis shows it’s from nature
By Tina Hesman Saey Courtesy Science News
Scientists took conspiracy theories about SARS-CoV-2’s origins seriously, and debunked them The coronavirus pandemic circling the globe is caused by a natural virus, not one made in a lab, a new study says. The virus’s genetic makeup reveals that SARS-CoV-2 isn’t a mishmash of known viruses, as might be expected if it were human-made. And it has unusual features that have only recently been identified in scaly anteaters called pangolins, evidence that the virus came from nature, Kristian Andersen and his colleagues report March 17 in Nature Medicine. ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/03/20)

SOME OBSERVATIONS ON EARLY BUDDHISM IN SRI LANKA Part 2
KAMALIKA PIERIS
Buddhism was accepted with enthusiasm in the north Indian republics of the Ganges region. People took robes in considerable numbers. In the lifetime of the Buddha, there were 29 monasteries. There were 18 at Rajagaha, 4 at Vesali, 3 at Kosala and 4 at Kosambi. Over time, it became clear that a set of rules governing the conduct of the Bhikkhus were needed. These rules became the Vinaya Pitaka. The Vinaya rules were not commandments ordered from above. They were rules made by the Buddha for practical reasons. Most were to enforce discipline... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/03/20)

Global War on COVID19 -An Open Letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations Asking Him to Call Upon the United States of America to Forthwith Lift-All Embargos and Sanctions imposed on Some Countries
The Sri Lanka Study Circle
An Open Letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations Asking  Him to Call Upon the United States of America to Forthwith Lift-All Embargos and Sanctions imposed on Some Countries   We, the members of the Sri Lanka Study Circle in the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka call upon the Secretary-General of the United Nations to immediately impress on the United States of America and some other countries to forthwith lift, unconditionally, all sanctions and embargos imposed against some Nations, in order to save human lives and facilitate the global... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/03/20)

ERASING THE EELAM VICTORY Part 14 D
KAMALIKA PIERIS
The Eelam war IV victory can be interpreted historically, as yet another Sinhala triumph over Tamils, when they threaten to destabilize the country. This is not the first time that the Sri Lanka army, acting on its own, defeated Tamils in the north. In the Gampola period, when Ariyachakravarti, the head of the Pandya outpost at Jaffna, attacked, the Sinhala king ruling at Gampola (forget the name) refused to fight or ran away or some such thing. The army took over and defeated the Tamil invader. In 2002, the army was... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/03/20)

කොරෝනා හෙවත් ලෝක විනාශය
යූ. ෂාති උදිතේන්ද කුරුදුගහහැතැක්ම ඇල්පිටිය
කොරෝනා හෙවත් covid 19 වෛරස් රෝගය මේ දිනවල ලෝකය පුරා පැතිරෙමින් තිබේ. මෙම රෝගයෙන් මිනිසුන් දහස් ගණනක් මිය යමින් සිටින අතර ලෝක සෞඛය සංවිධානය අනතුරු අගවන්නේ මෙම රෝගය පාලනය කිරීමට නොහැකි වුණ හොත් විශාල මිනිස් ජීවිත විනාශයක් සිදුවන බවයි. මෙම රෝගයට ගොදුරු වීමෙන් ඉතාලිය ඇතුළු යුරෝපා රටවල් රැසක මිය යන ප්‍රමාණය දිනෙන් දින වැඩි වෙමින් තිබේ. කොරොනා වෛරසයේ ආරම්භය සිදුවූයේ චීනයේ උහාන් නගරයෙන් බව පැවසුවත් චීනය චෝදනා කරන්නේ මෙහි ආරම්භය සිදු වූයේ ඇමරිකාවේ බවය. ඇමරිකන් ජාතික සෙබලෙකුගෙන් උහාන් නගරයේ ජනතාව අතර මෙම රෝගය පැතිර ගිය බවත් චීනය පවසන අතර. චීනයට පැමිණීමට පෙර ඇමරිකාව... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/03/20)

Coronavirus: Warning against ‘Made in China’ monopoly
LIONEL RAJAPAKSE
Most countries in the world are experiencing a shortage of essentials. These include day-to-day household items, medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, food items, etc. Luckily, only a couple of cities in China were locked down, due to the COVID-19 threat. If the whole of China had been locked down, there would have been a catastrophic situation in the world, which is dependent of Chinese products. COVID-19 has alerted the world to the danger of relying on one country for supplies. Open economic policies have worsened this situation, especially in the developing world. Once a... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/03/20)

COMPASSION: FOR BETTER HEALTH AND HAPPINESS
Dr. Daya Hewapathirane
Genuine compassion is based on the rationale that all human beings have an innate desire to overcome suffering and be happy. As an integral part of the Buddhist spiritual path, compassion is a state of mind that is non-violent, non-harming and non-aggressive. It is a mental attitude based on the wish for others to be free of their suffering.  Compassion is associated with a sense of commitment, responsibility and respect towards the other. It brings about a sense of affinity and closeness with others. Reaching out to help others can induce a feeling of happiness... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/03/20)

BAN ON ANIMAL SLAUGHTER - PROTECTION OF NATURE
Navin Gooneratne Honorary Chairman Light of Asia Foundation
His Excellency Gotabaya Rajapaksa President of Sri Lanka BAN ON ANIMAL SLAUGHTER - PROTECTION OF NATURE The Peoples Republic of China announced the ban on the slaughter of Wild Animals which is a lucrative Billion Dollar Industry, after experiencing the disastrous effects of the Corona Virus that started in China now spreading across the globe in uncontrolled proportions. Over 2600 years ago, the path shown by The Enlightened Buddha clearly defined the need to protect all living beings as a... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/03/20)

How is Sri Lanka managing the coronavirus pandemic -Setting a global example
Courtesy Health Review Global
Sri Lanka, dubbed as the pearl of the Indian ocean, is a very famous tropical destination among thousands. The island nation ranked as the number 01 tourist destination by lonely planet. We did a thorough analysis of public health measures employed by Sri Lanka. The point to ponder is how a properly organized preventive care plan can bring about astounding results in a pandemic situation. Sri Lanka Health System – Brief Sri Lankan health system has both public and private health care sectors. The... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/03/20)

Corona prevention Police should do better
Dr Sarath Obeysekera CEO Walkers Colombo Shipyard Colombo Sri Lanka
Today I went to the Thalangama police station after calling the OIC who asked me to come in person to get a curfew permit I had a letter from the company involved in export and foreign exchange earnings  At the gate a young cop who was surrounded by many people trying to get into the police station  After much persuasion, I went in to see the small police  station of 30x 30 feet reception full of people waiting  to see the OIC... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/03/20)

Corona : මුල් දින 15 ලංකාවේ 100යි.. ඇමරිකාවේ 75යි, ස්පාඤ්ඤයේ 84යි, ජර්මනියේ 13යි.. ලංකාවට දැඩි අවදානම් වාර්තාව මෙන්න..
උපුටා ගැන්ම ලංකා සී නිව්ස්
ශ්‍රී ලංකාව තුල කොරෝනා ව්‍යාප්තියේ මුල් දින 15ක කාලය ජර්මනිය, ස්පාඤ්ඤය, ඇමරිකා යක රටවල මුල් දින 15 සමග සසදද්දී අවදානම් තත්ත්වයක ඇති බව රජයේ වෛද්‍ය නිලධාරීන්ගේ සංගමය සඳහන් කරයි. එහි ලේකම් වෛද්‍ය හරිත අලුත්ගේ මහතා දත්ත සටහනක් ඉදිරිපත් කරමින් මේ බව කියා සිටියේය. එම සටහන අනුව කොරෝනා ආසාදිතයන් මුල් දින පහළොවේ දී ශ්‍රී ලංකාවෙන් 100ක් වාර්තා වෙද්දී ජර්මනියෙන් 130ක්, ස්පාඤ්ඤයෙන් 84ක්, ඇමරිකාවෙන් 75ක් වාර්තා වී ඇත. නමුත් ඊළඟ දින 15දී සහ දින 25 වැදී එම රටවල තත්ත්වය බොහෝ දරුණු බව ඔහු සඳහන් කළේය.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/03/20)

ආගමික කටයුතු නෑ.. එම්බාම් නෑ.. ඥාතීන්ට මුහුණ පමණක් පෙන්වයි.. පැය 24න් සීල් තබා වලදමයි..- කොරෝනාවලින් මිය යන අයට WHO නිර්දේශ මෙහෙමයි…
උපුටා ගැන්ම ලංකා සී නිව්ස්
වසංගත රෝගයකදී මිය යන පුද්ගලයන්ගේ දේහයන් පිළිබඳ අවසන් කටයුතු කරන ආකාරය ලෝක සෞඛ්‍ය සංවිධානය විසින් සියළු රටවල් වෙත නිර්දේශ කර ඇත. ඒ අනුව මෙරටද අධිකරණ වෛද්‍ය නිලධාරීන්ට ඒ පිලිබදව උපදෙස් නිකුත් කර තිබේ. වසංගත ඔහුගේ යන පුද්ගලයන් ගේ දේහය විසිහතරක් ඇතුළත අවසන් කටයුතු කළ යුත්තේ මරණ පරීක්‍ෂණ හෝ ආගමික කටයුතුවලින් තොරවයි. පවුලේ සාමාජිකයන්ට අවසන් ගෞරව දැක්වීම සඳහා ඉතා සීමිත කාලයක් ලබාදෙන අතර එය රෝහල් පරිශ්‍රය තුළදී සිදු කළ යුතුය. ඥාතීන්ට පෙන්වනු ලබන්නේ මියගිය පුද්ගලයාගේ මුහුණ පමණක් වන අතර ශරීරය ස්පර්ශ කිරීමට ඉඩ ලබා නොදෙයි. ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/03/20)

Indigenous robots to look after COVID-19 cases in Lankan hospitals
Courtesy NewsIn.Asia
Local company Atlas, a subsidiary of Hemas, has manufactured and supplied the robots to Homagama hospital. Colombo, March 28 (newsin.asia): At the Homagama Base Hospital near Colombo, indigenously manufactured robots called Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) will be used to assist the treatment of persons suspected to have been infected by the COVID-19 virus. The robots had been designed by the Sri Lankan company Atlas, a subsidiary of Hema’s. It will now be possible to send medicines and other substances to the patient through these robots. Using the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/03/20)

Coronavirus | Sri Lanka terms Chennai COVID-19 ‘high-risk zone’
Meera Srinivasan Courtesy The Hindu
Alert as 4 test positive after city visit. Sri Lanka on Saturday reported its first COVID-19 death, of a 65-year-old patient, who had diabetes and renal health complications, Health Ministry officials said. The island nation has 113 confirmed coronavirus patients so far. Sri Lanka’s health officials have also detected four COVID-19 positive cases in people who recently returned from Chennai, prompting authorities to term Chennai a “high-risk” zone. “Two cases detected today and two more cases from earlier this week were all Chennai returnees, Chennai is... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/03/20)

Sri Lanka confirms first COVID-19 death.
Courtesy Adaderana
First COVID-19 death in Sri Lanka has been reported from the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) earlier this evening (28). Reportedly, the deceased 60-year-old male is a resident of the Marawila area. The patient had suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure, according to Director-General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe. Further, he had undergone a kidney transplant several years ago.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/03/20)

Coronavirus cases in Sri Lanka climb to 113
Courtesy Adaderana
Three more patients have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, hiking the total number of cases in Sri Lanka up to 113. Earlier today (28), four patients were reported as having contracted the COVID-19 virus. It was also reported that two patients who contracted the virus had made a complete recovery today, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 9. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s first coronavirus death was confirmed from the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH), earlier this evening. The deceased is a 60-year-old kidney transplant patient who had suffered from... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/03/20)

The missing six weeks: how Trump failed the biggest test of his life
by Ed Pilkington and Tom McCarthy in New York Courtesy Guardian (UK)
The president was aware of the danger from the coronavirus – but a lack of leadership has created an emergency of epic proportions When the definitive history of the coronavirus pandemic is written, the date 20 January 2020 is certain to feature prominently. It was on that day that a 35-year-old man in Washington state, recently returned from visiting family in Wuhan in China, became the first person in the US to be diagnosed with the virus. On the very same day, 5,000 miles away in Asia,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/03/20)

FDA will allow doctors to treat critically ill coronavirus patients with blood from survivors
By Mike Hixenbaugh Courtesy NBC News
Experts say the treatment might be the best hope for some patients until more sophisticated drugs are developed. Doctors test hospital staff with flu-like symptoms for COVID-19 in triage tents at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx borough of New York on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. The Food and Drug Administration will allow doctors across the country to begin using plasma donated by coronavirus survivors to treat patients who are critically ill with the virus under new emergency protocols approved Tuesday. The... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/03/20)

Untouchable Humans Vs Coronavirus (Corvid-19)
Kanthar Balanathan, Australia
It would be much appreciated if readers read this article with a positive and constructive mind, rather with a negative and destructive mind to criticise. In the early centuries, people in India were classified into various categories on caste basis. Indians had a category known as untouchables (தீண்டத்தகாத / නොපැහැදිලි). The disgraceful part is that the Indians categorised people based on their profession. India has safety standards; however, they never apply and practice the safety standards. The untouchables and some lower caste (පහත් කුලය) people were not allowed into temples, not... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/03/20)

Attempts to politicise Corona Pandemic
By : A.A.M.NIZAM – MATARA
The Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is a true friend of Sri Lanka, has commended Sri Lanka for steps being taken to combat the Corona Virus pandemic and expressed his readiness to send a team of specialist doctors and health sector personnel who have gained expertise in treating corona affected people. The reputed Saudi Arabian newspaper “Arab News” widely read throughout the Middle East similar to the well-known “Al Ahram” newspaper of Egypt has hailed measures taken by Sri Lanka to confront the Corona pandemic threat.  The Arab News on... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/03/20)

Extraordinary message in extraordinary times
by A. Abdul Aziz
Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community addresses the worldwide Jama’at from his office, Tilfrod, Surrey, United Kingdom. Today  (27 March 2020), during the Covid-19 pandemic, His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (Khalifatul Masih V, may Allah be his Helper), delivered a LIVE message for the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at. Ahmadiyya Khalifa at the beginning of his address said that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, governments around the world, including the British government, have stopped all congregational prayers. His Holiness pointed out that at present, the exact law... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/03/20)

Newspapers’ struggle to survive the novel coronavirus
by NJ Thakuria
Guwahati: Newspapers in many parts of the world face an uphill task to maintain its readership index as Bharat (India) goes for a complete lockdown till 14 April 2020 because of pandemic COVID-19 outbreak. A shutdown that prevents the vendors to deliver newspapers at the doorsteps of buyers and the rumour that the paper itself can carry the novel coronavirus has forced the publishers to drastically reduce their circulation figure. As China originated deadly virus started smashing almost all the countries on the planet resulting in affecting over a hundred thousand people and... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/03/20)

රටේ පවතින තත්වය මත පීඩාවට පත්ව සිටින සී/ස අධ්‍යාපන සමූපකාර සමිතියේ සාමාජිකයන් සඳහා ණය වාරික සහන ලබාදෙන ලෙස ඉල්ලා සිටීම
ලංකා ගුරු සේවා සංගමය
සමූපකාර සංවර්ධන කොමසාරිස්, සමූපකාර සංවර්ධන දෙපාර්තමේන්තුව, අංක 330, යුනියන් පෙදෙස, කොළඹ 02. රටේ පවතින තත්වය මත පීඩාවට පත්ව සිටින සී/ස අධ්‍යාපන සමූපකාර සමිතියේ සාමාජිකයන් සඳහා ණය වාරික සහන ලබාදෙන ලෙස ඉල්ලා සිටීම සී/ස අධ්‍යාපන සමූපකාර සමිතියේ අතිශය බහුතරය වන ගුරුවරුන් ඇතුළු සාමාජිකයන්ගේ ඉල්ලීමත්, මූල්‍ය ආයතන වලින් ලබාගත් ණය වලට අදාළ මාසික වාරික ගෙවීම රටේ පවතින තත්වය මත තාවකාලිකව අත්හිටුවීමට රජය ගෙන ඇති තීරණයත් පිළිබඳ ඔබගේ කාරුණික අවධානය යොමුකර සිටිමි. මෙම සමිතියේ ණය ක‍්‍රම යටතේ ණය ලබාගත් සාමාජිකයන් හට රටේ පවතින වත්මන් තත්වය මත එකී ණය වලට අදාළ ණය වාරික ගෙවීම මේ මොහොතේදී... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/03/20)

Coronavirus: Emergency flights for tens of thousands of travellers stranded in South Asia
Courtesy The Straits Times
KATHMANDU (AFP) - Foreign governments on Friday (March 27) stepped up operations to evacuate tens of thousands of tourists stranded by the coronavirus pandemic in remote locations across South Asia, from Everest base camp to beach hotels in Sri Lanka. A plane chartered by Berlin took 304 people out of Kathmandu in the first of a series of flights aiming to ferry more than 10,000 people from Nepal. Almost 17,000 tourists are stuck in Sri Lanka, while tens of thousands of travellers and expatriates are in India, according to the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/03/20)

South Asia shows vulnerability to the coronavirus pandemic
Courtesy Economist
Cases of the novel coronavirus have now been recorded in all South Asian countries. Dense living conditions, low hygiene awareness and overburdened healthcare systems make the region vulnerable to the worst effects of an outbreak. Preventive measures to stem the spread of the outbreak are set to exact a heavy economic toll. The Economist Intelligence Unit expects countries to provide fiscal and monetary stimulus, although the scope of such measures will vary. India and Bangladesh, given their stronger economic positions, will be able to provide relatively more; meanwhile, measures in Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be more limited.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/03/20)

Why Lankans arriving from Italy are a problem for coronavirus control
By P.K.Balachandran/Daily Express Courtesy NewsIn.Asia
Large-scale illegal migration to Italy makes tracking difficult, say researchers. Colombo, March 25: Italy has been identified as the predominant source of COVID-19 infection in Sri Lanka. No wonder then that the Lankan government has imposed an indefinite curfew in the districts of Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara where most returnees from Italy reside. Italy is one of three countries most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 24, Italy reported 602 new deaths from the coronavirus, bringing the total number of deaths to 6,077 with the tally of cases... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/03/20)

Infected man had associated with more than 50 people: Minister
Courtesy The Daily News
Health Minister Pavithradevi Wanniarachchi today expressed her utmost disappointment and anger when the Police and Health authorities detected a 67-year-old COVID 19 infected individual who had dodged quarantine for more than a week and suspected of having infected over 50 other Sri Lankans in the last few days. The patient from the East has come back to Sri Lanka after a two week stay in India on March 18 and travelled to many parts of the country and associated with more than 50 other persons. https://youtu.be/-g0SueSzQzw ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/03/20)

Govt. urges public to strictly adhere to curfew orders
Courtesy Adaderana
The Government insists that the public must strictly adhere to the curfew now in force island-wide. Curfew has been imposed with the sole purpose of to preventing the spread of COVID – 19 which has now become a major health issues, the President’s Media Division said. The Task Force entrusted with the management of the essential food and other items distribution has taken all the necessary measures to ensure continued door to door supply of essential items for the people to purchase, it said. https://youtu.be/GDgdaqxp9ko “While... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/03/20)

Police chief orders supermarkets, groceries and pharmacies closed
Courtesy Adaderana
Acting IGP C. D. Wickramaratne has ordered police stations to ensure that all supermarkets, groceries and pharmacies, except state-run Rajya Osu Sala outlets, in the country are closed with immediate effect. The Police Media Spokesman said that although supermarkets have been permitted to deliver essential food items to the homes of consumers, there have been reports that certain supermarkets and grocery stores are open and selling goods to customers.  https://youtu.be/qSLMfGhuvUI Therefore the Acting IGP has instructed the OICs of all police stations to close down all such supermarkets... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/03/20)

Health Ministry publishes list of pharmacies for home-delivering medicines
Courtesy Adaderana
In order to contain the spread of COVID-19, the government has introduced a mechanism to home-deliver medicines through pharmacies in relevant areas. For this purpose, the Ministry of Health has identified pharmacies island-wide and the list of these pharmacies can be accessed from the official website of the ministry: www.health.gov.lk The details include the address, contact number for WhatsApp/ Viber/ IMO and the name of the pharmacist. The Health Ministry says that payments can be made online or via cash on delivery, adding that a fair amount will be charged... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/03/20)

Medicines for clinic patients at govt hospitals to be home-delivered during curfew
Courtesy Adaderana
he Ministry of Health and the Postal Department of Sri Lanka have jointly arranged a programme to distribute medicine for those who are getting treatment from government hospitals and have not enough medicine for their daily use. The correct name, address, clinic number and telephone number are essential to distribute medicine to the doorstep of the patient, Director General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe said in a press release. Hence, clinic patients are requested to contact the hospital they are registered with and update the aforementioned details at the earliest possible.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/03/20)

Sri Lankans abroad - Request to come home will only be considered after eradicating the virus threat
Courtesy Hiru News
The government has requested the expatriate Sri Lankans who wish to return home to stay in the country that they are residing  now until the coronavirus threat is eradicated in Sri Lanka. The President’s Media Division issuing a statement stated that the government has taken several steps to prevent coronavirus spreading in the country. As a measure to prevent the virus coming into the country and its spread, all incoming overseas travel has been completely stopped. The government also pointed out that... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/03/20)

18 persons arrested for religious gathering during curfew
Courtesy Hiru News
Horowpathana Police say that 18 persons including the President of the Kiwulekada Mosque have been arrested in Horowpatana for attending a religious service disregarding the danger and threat to the public. According to the police, nearly 80 people attended the service... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/03/20)

NY Times Column Blames Evangelicals for 'Coronavirus Hell'
By Theodore Bunker Courtesy Newsmax
President Donald Trump's "ultraconservative religious allies" are responsible for his response to the coronavirus pandemic, author Katherine Stewart wrote in an opinion article for The New York Times on Friday. Stewart, a journalist and the author of "The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism," noted "Trump rose to power with the determined assistance of a movement that denies science, bashes government, and prioritized loyalty over professional expertise. In the current crisis, we are all reaping what that movement has sown." She adds the "denial of science and critical thinking... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/03/20)

එකෙක් රැවුළ පත්තුවී එය නිවාගන්ට දඟලන විට තව එකෙක් සුරුට්ටුව පත්තු කරගැනීමට සූදානම් වෙන ස්‍රී ලන්කාවේ කුහක දේශපාලනය
සුදත් ගුණසේකර මහනුවර 
26 3 2020. කොරෝනා වසන්ඟතය විසඳීමට මේ රටේ ප්‍රවීන යයි කියාගන්නා දේශපාලන නායකයින් තිදෙනෙකුගේ විසඳුම් වහාම පාර්ලිමෙන්තුව කැඳවන්ට- සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාස හිටපු විපක්ශ නායක "වහාම  සර්ව පාක්ෂික රැස්වීමක් කැඳවන්ට" - කරු ජයසූරිය -හිටපු කථානයක "පක්ස නායකයින්ගේ රැස්වීමක් වහාම කැඳවන්ට"- රනිල් වික්‍රමසින්හ”                                                                                                                                                  ප්‍රවුර්තිකීපයක් (එකෙක් රැවුළ පත්තුවී එය නිවාගන්ට දඟලන විට තව එකෙක් සුරුට්ටුව පත්තු කරගැනීමට සූදානම් වෙනව සහ බොරදියේ මාලු බානවා, කියන ගැමි කතා දෙක මට මතක් උනේ  මේ කථා දකින විටය). ඉහත සඳහන් නායකයෝයයි කියන අයගේ මේ යෝජනා දකින... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/03/20)

A Special Message to our Excellency the President. From Dr Garvin Karunaratne
By Garvin Karunaratne,
Please consider getting the Army to establish the Marketing Department of the Fifties and thereby enable vegetable availability as well as controlling inflation. It can be later developed to be a major department. The total outlay can be recouped including the cost of establishing a Cannery within the first year. I can vouch for this, My earlier paper is reproduced and if implemented now(can be done in days) will be a great feat. Thanks Garvin Karunaratne(garvin_karunaratne

hotmail com)26/03/2020 Our President’s Clarion Call for a Remedy to high veg prices.... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 27/03/20)

“ALMIGHTY GOD” AND CORONA VIRUS PANDEMIC
Dr. Daya Hewapathirane
Rev. Tom Honey was the Parish priest (vicar) of the Church of England in Oxford for more than 20 years and was highly reputed for his thoughtful sermons and the best perhaps being the one he gave in 2005, on “Almighty God and Tsunami Disaster” after the devastation caused by the Indian ocean tsunami in which some 300,000 people died.  https://www.ted.com/speakers/revtom honey.  What he said then on god and the tsunami devastation, is directly applicable to the present CORONA VIRUS HEALTH DISASTER as well. The corona virus pandemic has been spreading rapidly... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/03/20)

වගකීම ආණ්ඩුවට පවරලා කොරෝනාවෙන් මිදෙන්න බෑ!
ආචාර්ය වරුණ චන්ද්‍රකීර්ති
තමන් මුහුණ දුන් කෝවිඩ් - 19 උවදුරෙන් අත්මිදීමට චීනය සමත් විය. එහෙත් ඉතාලිය ඇතුළු බටහිර රටවල් මෙම සටන තුළ බලවත් අර්බුදයකට මුහුණ පා සිටිති. මේ වන විට අපිදු මෙම වසංගතය නිසා පීඩාවට පත් වී සිටිමු. චීනය මෙම සටනින් ජය ගත්තේ කෙසේ ද, බටහිර රටවල් මුහුණ දී සිටින ගැටලුව මොකක්ද, මේ සියල්ලෙන් අපට උගත හැකි පාඩම් මොනවා ද යන මේ ප්‍රශ්නවලට පිළිතුරු ලබා ගැනීම සඳහා අප හමුවූයේ අන්තර්-සංස්කෘතික සන්නිවේදනය සහ චීන අධ්‍යයන විෂයය පිළිබඳ ප්‍රාමාණිකයකු ද සමාජ විචාරකයකු ද වන ආචාර්ය වරුණ චන්ද්‍රකීර්ති මහතායි. කොරෝනා උවදුරෙන් මිදෙන්න චීනයට පුළුවන් වෙලා. ඒ අය මේ සටන ජයගත්තේ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/03/20)

කොරෝනා වෛරසයේ දේශපාලනය
චන්ද්‍රසේන පණ්ඩිතගේ 
මේ දිනවලදී කොරෝනා වෛරසය ජාත්‍යන්තර දේශපාලනයේදී හා ජාතික දේශපාලනයේදී මනරම් කාර්යභාරයක් ඉටුකරමින් සිටි. අප මේ වෛරසය හා ගනුදෙනු කිරීමේදී, ඉතා බුද්ධිමත්ව කටයුතුකර කොරෝනා වෛරසය ඉතිහාසයේ, විමුක්තිදායකයකුගේ කාර්යභාරය ඉටුකළ දෙවාශිර්වාදයක් බවට පරිවර්තනය කරගත හැක. ඉපදෙන සෑම සියලු දෙනෙක්ම මැරෙන අතර, කොරෝනා වෛරසය විසින් මේ මතක්කර දෙන්නේ, අමරණීයයි සිතාගෙන කටයුතු කරන මිනිසුන්ට මරණය ඔවුන් කරා ඕනෑම අවස්ථාවකදී ලඟා විය හැකි බව පෙන්වාදීමයි. අපි ඉතිහාසයේ, වෛරස් ගණනාවක් සමග ඇසුරුකර ඇති මිනිසුන් වශයෙන් ඒ ඒ වෛරසයන් විසින් ඉටුකරන ලද දේශපාලන කාර්යයන් සම්බන්ධව මනා අවබෝධයකින් සිටින්නෝ වෙමු. වසුරිය, සරම්ප, පැපොල, ඒඩ්ස්, ඉබෝලා, සාස්, දැන් කොරෝනාව දිදුලමින් සිටියි. ඇමරිකාවේ මුල්පදින්චිකරුවන්... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/03/20)

වතු කම්කරුවන් සඳහා සහන සැලසීම
මුනියණ්ඩි කාලිදාස් කැඳවුම්කරු කඳුකර සහෝදරත්ව ව්‍යාපාරය
ඉතා බිහිසුනු ලෙස කොරෝනා වෛරසය ලොවපුරා ජීවිත දහස් ගණනින් බිලිගනිමින් තිබෙන මොහොතක ලාංකික අප ද එම භයානක තත්වයට මුහුණදී සිටින්නෙමු. මෙම වෛරසය පැරදවීම සඳහා ආණ්ඩුව විසින් තීන්දු තීරණ ගණනාවක් ගෙන තිබුනද මෙරටේ විශාල පිරිසක් ජීවත්වන වතු ආශ‍්‍රිත ජනතාවගේ ජන ජීවිතය පිළිබඳ කිසිදු සාධාරණ තීන්දුවක් නොගැනීම සම්බන්ධව අපට තිබෙන්නේ මහත් කණගාටුවකි. සියවස් දෙකක ඉතිහාසයකට හිමිකම් කියන වතු කම්කරු ජනතාව මේ මොහොත වන විට ඉතා අසරණ තත්වයකට පත්ව සිටී. එසේම ඔවුන්ට සේවයට පැමිණෙන ලෙසට වතු සමාගම් බලපෑම් කරමින් ඇත. පෙර පාසල් ද ඇතුළුව සියලූ අධ්‍යාපන ආයතන වසා දමා තිබෙන තත්වයක් තුළ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/03/20)

කොරෝනා වැනි ජාත්‍යන්තර ව්‍යසන/වසංගතවලින් ඉදිරියේදී ආරක්ෂා වීමට ශ්‍රී ලංකාව අනුගමනය කළ යුතු ක්‍රියා මාර්ග 07ක් මැයෙන් නීතිඥවරයෙකුගෙන් ජනාධිපතිවරයාට විවෘත ලිපියක්....
නීතිඥ අරුණ ලක්සිරි උණවටුන
1. සංචාරකයන්ගේ පැමිණීම සීමා කිරීම, සංචාරක ප්‍රවර්ධන කටයුතු නතර කිරීම සහ සෑම සංචාරකයෙක්ම ලංකාවට පැමිණීමේදී තමා පිටත්වෙන රටෙන් "නිරෝධායන වූ බවට සහතිකය" ලබාගෙන තිබිය යුතු බවට නියම කිරීම සහ පූරණ සෞඛ්‍ය  පරීක්ෂණයට ලක් කිරීම. 2. රාජ්‍ය තාන්ත්‍රික කටයුතු සදහා පැමිණෙන සියලු දෙනා දින 14ක් නිරෝධායනය සදහා යොමු කිරීමෙන් පසු අදාල රාජ්‍ය තාන්ත්‍රික කටයුතු සදහා අවස්ථාව ලබා දීම හෝ  තමා පිටත්වෙන රටෙන් "නිරෝධායන වූ බවට සහතිකය" ලබාගෙන තිබිය යුතු බවට නියම කිරීම සහ පූරණ සෞඛ්‍ය පරීක්ෂණයට ලක් කිරීම. 3. විදේශ රැකියා සදහා පිටත්ව යන අය පිටත්වීමට... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/03/20)

A MORAL LESSON FROM THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
Senaka Weeraratna
What we do to animals ruthlessly and brutally the Coronavirus is doing likewise to humans, generating so much fear, alarm and anxiety. Do humans deserve pity, when we have no pity for innocent animals, who are eternal victims of our cruelty and inhumanity?    Senaka Weeraratna... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 27/03/20)

GMOA urges people not to lower guard because of lull in detections
By Rathindra Kuruwita Courtesy The Island
The public should not let their guard down because of a decrease in the detection of COVID-19 patients, Dr. Haritha Aluthge of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA), warned yesterday. Dr. Aluthge told The Island that though the official count of COVID-19 patients was 101, the actual number of infected people might be about 500.  The GMOA feared that many people were not able to maintain an appropriate distance when they went out to buy goods, after the curfew was lifted, and that could have led to more infections. “It is possible that the number will spike, by around April 08. About 19 000 people had come into physical contact... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/03/20)

SL may have 550 Covid-19 infected persons: GMOA
Courtesy The Daily Mirror
The Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) today said that based on the experience from Hubei, China, “It can be technically assumed that at present, 550 infected individuals are circulating within the population.” Issuing a situational report, they said 101 cases were confirmed by today (25) while 32 of them were among those who arrived from abroad and sent to quarantine directly and 69 from the community. The GMOA said an estimated 550 possible patients would have had a total of 19, 000 contacts.“Nineteen Thousand of our population may have been... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/03/20)

Coronavirus: US now has most cases in the world, report says
Courtesy worldometers.info
As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases reaches more than 82,000, including nearly 1,200 deaths, the US now has more cases than any other country. The latest global health data collected by Johns Hopkins University shows the US eclipsing hard-hit countries Italy and China as the nation struggles with a consistent response after delayed efforts to take the mounting Covid-19 crisis seriously. On Thursday, Margaret Harris with the World Health Organization warned that the US was likely to become the world’s viral epicentre as the number of cases escalated in several states, including New York, which spiked to more than 33,000 cases.  ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/03/20)

Sergeant Sunil Ratnayake on death row released
Courtesy Adaderana
Army officer Sunil Ratnayake who was on the death row over alleged murder has been released of his sentence. The court convicted Sergeant Ratnayake and he was to be hanged for the murder of 8 civilians in December 2000. Along with Ratnayake, 4 others had been charged with the same offense; however, they were acquitted by the court for lack of sufficient evidence. However, there was a stir in the social media regarding the death sentence given to the army sergeant.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/03/20)

Presidential Task Force empowered with responsibility to maintain civilian life
Courtesy Adaderana
As per the powers vested in the President under the Constitution, the responsibility to ensure that the civilian life moves on without any hindrance has been bestowed with the Presidential Task Force established to combat COVID–19 in Sri Lanka. Special Representative of the President Basil Rajapaksa has been appointed as the Chairman of the Task Force while Additional Secretary to Prime Minister Anton Perera serves as the Secretary. The membership of the Task Force is 40 including Provincial Governors, several Secretaries to Ministries, Commanders of Tri-Forces, security chiefs including Acting Inspector General... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/03/20)

Coronavirus: Italian city’s warning to the rest of the world
Sky News
Bergamo’s streets are empty as it deals with a devastating number of coronavirus-related deaths – and residents have a warning for others. https://youtu.be/vdx4Jo0GCRU... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/03/20)

Hell' at New York City's COVID-19 ground zero
Courtesy Sky News
President Trump has admitted that New York City is "by far our biggest problem" - the city is now the epicentre of the outbreak in the US. New York State alone has accounted for more than 30,000 cases and close to 300 deaths, most of them in New York City. https://youtu.be/J7s6n_ySkmQ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/03/20)

Lankan government’s plan to deliver essentials at the doorstep
Courtesy NewsIn.Asia
Meant to prevent crowding in markets. Delivery will take place even during curfew Colombo, March 25 (newsin.asia): In order to prevent uncontrolled gathering of people at market places amidst effort to combat COVID – 19, a special mechanism has been established by the govenment of Sri Lanka to deliver essential food items to homes. This will be implemented through a local system in collaboration with Cooperative Societies and super market chains, Head of the Presidential Task on Continuous Supply, Operation and Coordination of Services that are essential to maintain... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 25/03/20)

No new Covid-19 positive cases so far today - Health Minister
Courtesy Adaderana
Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi says that as of 4.30 p.m. today (25), there have been no new Coronavirus positive patients reported in the country within the day. The minister confirmed this at the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak. Accordingly the total number of confirmed cases of Coronavirus in the country as of yesterday is 102, she further said.  https://youtu.be/6T0NDTIk1z0... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 25/03/20)

Door-to-door delivery of essential items commences in Western Province
Courtesy Adaderana
he Department of Co-operative Development implemented the door-to-door dry rations sale program "Wait for Us, Stay at Home" in the Western Province today. Under this program, bags containing dry rations worth Rs 500 and Rs 1000 were provided to the public for purchase.  A system has also been introduced to deliver a bag of goods as requested by a telephone call, the Government Information Department said. Plans have been made to further strengthen the program through Divisional Secretaries and Grama Niladhari, the release said.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 25/03/20)

Updated schedule for curfew announced
Courtesy Adaderana
The President’s Media Division has announced the updated scheduled with the times for the lifting and re-imposition of the curfew currently in effect across the island. The President’s Media Division has announced the updated scheduled with the times for the lifting and re-imposition of the curfew currently in effect across the island. https://youtu.be/wlbHUTzaypY The on-going island-wide curfew will be lifted and re-imposed as follows: 1. The curfew currently in force in Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara districts will continue until further notice. 2. The curfew... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 25/03/20)

Notice Regarding Curfew - PMD
Courtesy Hiru News
The President’s Media Division (PMD) stated the following with regard to the enforcement of curfew and the times that curfew will be relaxed. The Curfew currently enforced in Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara districts will continue until further notice. The existing curfew in Puttalam, Vavuniya, Mannar, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Jaffna districts will be lifted at 6.00 am on Friday, 27 March and will be reinforced at 12 noon on the same day. The curfew currently in force in all other districts will be... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 25/03/20)

Commercial banks to be kept open - President
Courtesy Hiru News
The President has instructed the heads of commercial banks to keep all the banks open to facilitate trade and other essential transactions https://youtu.be/1hV9KxLF5S0... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 25/03/20)

8 Ways To Enter The Present Moment
Einzelgänger
How to enter the present moment? These are 8 ways! Eckhart Tolle - The Power Of Now (audiobook): https://amzn.to/31IrMWi (affiliate link) https://youtu.be/YefMpOWi4lU... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 25/03/20)

THE WORLD ECONOMY IN CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC AND POLICY OPTIONS FOR SRI LANKA
BY EDWARD THEOPHILUS
It is reported that the world economy has commenced to unexpected backward as a result of the corona outbreak and many leaders have commented that this experience could be regarded as the main incident after a century of economic history.  The major impact would be unemployment and lower-income for families. It will impact the aggregate demand in all countries and the significant consequence will be declining the purchasing power of people forcing to restrict spending. It also encourages us to assume that the prices of certain goods and services might get a down turning trend... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 25/03/20)

UNIQUE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE SINHALA BUDDHIST NATION
Dr. Daya Hewapathirane    
Sri Lanka is the only country in the world that was visited by the Buddha on three different occasions. During these visits, the Buddha set foot on 16 different places within the country which are still venerated as sacred sites (for details see Deepawamsa written in the 3-4th century CE). Sri Lanka and Thailand are the countries with the largest collection of relics of the Buddha. The most venerated among these relics are The Tooth relic, the right collar bone and the Alms Bowl of the Buddha are enshrined in Sri Lanka.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/03/20)

US Threatens Families Of Int'l Criminal Court Staff If They Try Americans For War Crimes
by Tyler Durden Courtesy zerohedge.com
Authored by Ben Norton via TheGrayZone.com, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has threatened the family members of International Criminal Court staff, vowing that Washington will take punitive action against them if the court tries American soldiers for war crimes. Pompeo also announced an intensification of unilateral US sanctions on Iran and Syria, which are illegal under international law, and which are undermining the countries’ attempts to contain the coronavirus pandemic. In March 2019, the Pompeo State Department threatened to revoke or deny visas to any International Criminal Court (ICC) personnel investigating crimes committed... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/03/20)

Sri Lanka imposes indefinite curfew in 3 districts as COVID-19 cases hit 100
Courtesy NewsIn.Asia
Colombo, March 24 (newsin.asia) — Sri Lankan authorities, on Tuesday declared three districts including capital Colombo as ‘high risk’ areas due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 and imposed an indefinite curfew there, a statement from the President’s Office said. As a result of the curfew, the statement said essential items including medicines will be delivered to people’s doorsteps as the public had been banned from leaving their homes until further notice. The decision was reached after large crowds gathered at supermarkets and grocery shops earlier Tuesday in Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/03/20)

Will warm weather really kill off Covid-19?
Courtesy NewsIn.Asia
Some people hope that outbreaks of the new coronavirus will wane as temperatures rise, but pandemics often don’t behave in the same way as seasonal outbreaks. March 24 (BBC) – Many infectious diseases wax and wane with the seasons. Flu typically arrives with the colder winter months, as does the norovirus vomiting bug. Others, such as typhoid, tend to peak during the summer. Measles cases drop during the summer in temperate climates, while in tropical regions they peak in the dry season. Perhaps unsurprisingly, many people are now asking whether we can expect similar seasonality... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/03/20)

Colombo, Gampaha & Kalutara districts classified Covid-19 high risk zones; curfew until further notice
Courtesy Adaderana
https://youtu.be/Xo2LYHSJQ_8... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/03/20)

US may become centre of coronavirus pandemic, WHO says
Courtesy Adaderana
The United States could become the new centre of the global coronavirus pandemic, according to the World Health Organization, which said case numbers were rising quickly there even as Donald Trump talked of re-opening the country for business. “We are now seeing a very large acceleration in cases in the US. So it does have that potential [to become the centre of the pandemic],” the WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said. So far, 46,450 people in the US have become infected with the virus and there have been 593 deaths,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/03/20)

311 quarantined persons return home
Courtesy Adaderana
https://youtu.be/zT6c0gV-4xQ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/03/20)

Political party reps endorse a national programme to fight Covid-19
Courtesy Adaderana
Many political party representatives have expressed their support for a national programme to prevent the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19), instead of convening a Parliament session, Prime Minister’s Office says. A meeting to discuss the current situation prevailing in the island, prompted by the Novel Coronavirus outbreak was worked off under the patronage of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Temples Trees this morning (24). Steps taken by the government to curb the spread of the virus were discussed during the meeting. Former President Maithripala Sirisena, former Speaker... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/03/20)

Colombo, Gampaha & Kalutara districts classified Covid-19 high-risk zones; curfew until further notice
Courtesy Adaderana
Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara districts have been identified as high risk areas for Coronavirus (Covid-19) and hence the curfew imposed on those districts will continue until further notice. Districts of Colombo, Gampaha and Kaluthara have been identified as high risk zones in view of the spread of COVID-19, the President’s Media Division said. https://youtu.be/zw28FR4ghN8 Large crowds in shops had been observed after curfew was lifted this morning in three districts. Health officials fear that this in turn could lead to a wider and faster spread of the virus,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/03/20)

India's 1.3 billion people go into full lockdown from midnight
Courtesy Hiru News
India's 1.3 billion people will go into full lockdown from midnight Tuesday(24), for 21 days in a bid to slow down the coronavirus pandemic Lockdown measures were already in place from Monday in many major cities, but will now be extended to “every village, every district” in the nation, according to the prime minister said. Speaking in a televised national address, PM Modi told Indians to forget what it feels like to leave their homes. He further stated that... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/03/20)

2,405 arrested for violating curfew orders
Courtesy Hiru News
Police have arrested 2,405 persons who violated curfew regulations this afternoon. The Police Media Spokesperson's office stated that 646 vehicles have been taken into custody during this period... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/03/20)

Keep Children Safe from the virus
Courtesy Hiru News
The accepted medical theory is that young children are at greater risk of getting sick That is why every adult pays greater attention to young children. How do you protect your children in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic. This is the medical opinion. https://youtu.be/Nkk-yRDiHZo... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/03/20)

SOME OBSERVATIONS ON EARLY BUDDHISM IN SRI LANKA Part 2
KAMALIKA PIERIS
Buddhism was accepted with enthusiasm in the north Indian republics of the Ganges region. People took robes in considerable numbers. In the lifetime of the Buddha there were 29 monasteries. There were 18 at Rajagaha, 4 at Vesali, 3 at Kosala and 4 at Kosambi. Over time, it became clear that a set of rules governing the conduct of the Bhikkhus were needed. These rules became the Vinaya Pitaka. The Vinaya rules were not commandments ordered from above. They were rules made by the Buddha for practical reasons. Most were to enforce discipline... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/03/20)

කුන්ඥ ගැලවීමට ගිය වඳුරාට සිදුවූ දේ නොවීමටනම්
සුදත් ගුණසේකර මහනුවර 
කොරෝනා වසන්ඟතය විසඳීමට මේ රටේ ප්‍රවීන යයි කියාගන්නා දේශපාලන නායකයින් තිදෙනෙකුගේ විසඳුම් 1.වහාම පාර්ලිමෙන්තුව කැඳවන්ට- සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාස හිටපු විපක්ශ නායක 2."වහාම  සර්ව පාක්ෂික රැස්වීමක් කැඳවන්ට" - කරු ජයසූරිය -හිටපු කථානයක 3."පක්ස නායකයින්ගේ රැස්වීමක් වහාම කැඳවන්ට"- රනිල් වික්‍රමසින්හ”               ප්‍රවුර්තිකීපයක් (එකෙක් රැවුළ පත්තුවී එය නිවාගන්ට දඟලන විට තව එකෙක් සුරුට්ටුව පත්තු කරගැනීමට සූදානම් වෙනව සහ  ජරමර අස්සේ බරකරත්ත, කියන ගැමි කතා දෙක මට මතක් උනේ  මේ කථා දකින විටය). මේ යෝජනා දකින විටම මට ඇතිවූ පලමු ගැටලුව මේ දේශපාලන පක්ශ කියන ඒවා අද... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/03/20)

The coronavirus wake-up call
By ASOKA BANDARAGE courtesy Asia Times
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought to light the dangers inherent in the dominant military-industrial complex People wearing face masks attend obligatory Friday prayers at a mosque in Surabaya, East Java, on March 20, 2020. Photo: AFP / Juni Kriswanto The number of people infected and dying from the Covid-19 pandemic is increasing exponentially. A massive loss of humanity, as occurred during the “Spanish” flu of 1918 that killed 50 million to 100 million, is feared. The collapse of financial markets and economic supply chains, border and airport closings, lockdowns... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/03/20)

වගකිවයුතු රජයක් ලෙස මෙම බැරෑරුම් අවස්ථාවේ දී රටේ ජනතාවගේ සෞඛ්‍යාරක්ෂණය මෙන්ම එදිනෙදා පරිභෝජනයට අවශ්‍ය ආහාර ද්‍රව්‍ය හිගයකින් තොරව ලබා දීමට බැඳී සිටිනු ඇත.
මාධ්‍ය නිවේදනය. චමල් රාජපක්ෂ අමාත්‍යතුමාගේ මාධ්‍ය ඒකකය.
වගකිවයුතු රජයක් ලෙස මෙම බැරෑරුම් අවස්ථාවේ දී රටේ ජනතාවගේ සෞඛ්‍යාරක්ෂණය මෙන්ම එදිනෙදා පරිභෝජනයට අවශ්‍ය ආහාර ද්‍රව්‍ය හිගයකින් තොරව ලබා දීමට බැඳී සිටිනු ඇත. ඒ අනුව අතිගරු ජනාධිපතිතුමන්ගේ උපදෙස් මත ගරු අමාත්‍ය චමල් රාජපක්ෂ මැතිතුමන් කි්‍රයාත්මක වී රජයේ ආහාර ගබඩා වල මෙන්ම සතොස ආහාර ගබඩාවලත් අත්‍යාවශ්‍ය ආහාර ද්‍රව්‍ය සංචිත මාස කිහිපයකට ප්‍රමාණවත්ව ගබඩා කිරීමට අවශ්‍ය වැඩ පිළිවෙල සකසන ලදී. ඇඳිරිනීතිය පැනවුවද එය තාවකාලිකව ඉවත් කරන සෑම අවස්ථාවකදීම සතොස වෙළඳසැල් වලින් සහ අනෙකුත් සුපිරි වෙළඳසැල් වලින් හිගයකින් තොරව භාණ්ඩ ලබා ගැනීමේ අවස්ථාව ජනතාව වෙත සලස්වා ඇත. එමෙන්ම භාණ්ඩ වර්ග කිහිපයකින්... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 23/03/20)

Coronavirus: Strict new curbs on life in UK announced by PM
Courtesy BBC
Strict new curbs on life in the UK to tackle the spread of coronavirus have been announced by the prime minister. From this evening people must stay at home except for shopping for basic necessities, daily exercise, any medical need and travelling to and from essential work. Shops selling non-essential goods are being told to shut and gatherings in public of more than two people who do not live together are to be prohibited. The UK death toll has reached 335. If people do not follow the rules... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 23/03/20)

Three more COVID-19 positive patients raise total to 97 cases
Courtesy Adaderana
The number of COVID-19 cases in Sri Lanka edges close to 100 as 3 more patients have been tested positive with the virus. This raises the total number of COVID-19 positive cases to 97. Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi speaking at 360 program on TV Derana, stated that 10 patients have confirmed of having contracted the virus, today (23) alone. All patients who were tested positive for the coronavirus are currently receiving treatment at the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) in Angoda. Meanwhile, the first Sri Lankan to have... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 23/03/20)

First COVID-19 patient in Sri Lanka discharged after complete recovery
Courtesy Adaderana
The first Sri Lankan who tested positive for COVID-19 has completely recovered from the illness, sources told Ada Derana. Accordingly, he has been discharged from the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH), where he had been receiving treatment, this morning (23). Reportedly, he was kept under observation at the hospital for two more days after his recovery. The, now completely recovered patient, is a 52-year old tour guide from Mattegoda. He had worked closely with a group of Italian tourists who had arrived in the country. Once he... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 23/03/20)

A dastardly attempt to use legal arguments to block government finances and sabotage the anti-Coronavirus campaign
MEDIA RELEASE Mahinda Rajapaksa Prime Minister
On the day that a countrywide curfew was declared to prevent the spread of Coronavirus – Friday the 20th March 2020 - UNP Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe issued a media release stating that the previous government led by him had not passed a Budget for 2020 but that they had passed only a Vote on Account which would last till the 30th April 2020. He contends that therefore, after the 30th of April 2020, the present government would not have the legal right to allocate funds for any purpose whatsoever. Former opposition leader... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 23/03/20)

නීති තර්ක වලින් ආණ්ඩුවේ මුදල් හිරකොට කොරෝනා මර්ධන ව්‍යාපෘතිය අඩාල කිරීමේ දුෂ්ඨ උත්සාහය හෙලා දකිමු.
මාධ්‍ය නිවේදනය මහින්ද රාජපක්‍ෂ අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය
කොරෝනා වෛරසය ලංකාවේ තවදුරටත් පැතිරීම වැලැක්වීමට මුලු රට පුරාම ඇඳිරිනීතිය පැනවූ දිනයේම, එනම් 2020 මාර්තු 20 වන සිකුරාදා එ.ජා.ප නායක රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ මහතා විශේෂ නිවේදනයක් නිකුත් කරමින් පවසා සිටියේ, තමන් නායකත්වය දුන් පසුගිය ආන්ඩුව 2020 වසර වෙනුවෙන් අයවැයක් සම්මත නොකොට 2020 අප්‍රේල් 30 වනදා දක්වා පමණක් බලපවත්වන අතුරු සම්මත ගිණුමක් සම්මත කොට තිබීම හේතුවෙන් අප්‍රේල් 30 වනදායින් පසු, මොනම දෙයකටවත් මුදල් වියදම් කිරීමට ආණ්ඩුවට නෛයිතික බලයක් නැතිවෙන බවයි.  සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාස හිටපු විපක්‍ෂ නායකවරයාත්, මුහුණුපොත හරහා මේ තර්කයම ඉදිරිපත් කරමින් සිටි. පාර්ලිමේන්තුව විසිරුවා හැර තිබෙන අවස්ථාවක රජයේ සේවාවන් පවත්වාගෙන යෑම... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 23/03/20)

Why Tamils Do Not Contribute Proportionately as Others to the COVID-19 Battle?
Dilrook Kannangara
Muslims and Sinhalas have contributed heartily to the battle against COVID-19. Big and small hoteliers have given up their hotels to be used as quarantine centres, etc. Other Sinhala and Muslim businessmen have contributed millions each financially. Yet others have distributed masks in tens of thousands free of charge. It was reported that a smalltime Muslim tailor works around the clock to stitch masks and distribute them at no cost. Mostly Sinhala nurses have taken to make masks in their precious spare time to distribute to patients and caregivers. Buddhist monks stitch masks for the village... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 22/03/20)

SOME OBSERVATIONS ON EARLY BUDDHISM IN SRI LANKA Part 1
KAMALIKA PIERIS
Gautama Buddha lived and preached in the Uttar Pradesh and Bihar regions of north India in the 6th century BC.  The 6th century BC is of great significance in North India. The 6th   century is considered the beginning of the Early Historic Period of India. This period also corresponds to the classical period of ancient Greece. Significant social changes took place in north India during the Early Historic Period. This period saw the establishment of urban civilization with a literate culture.    There was writing. During this time, a religious and economic reform movement... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 22/03/20)

Corona Virus on Astrological Prospective | Ashish Mehta
Ashish Mehta
A lot of people ask about the coronavirus these days. Out of curiosity or out of fear Everyone's question remains, now what next. Let's talk today about the coronavirus on the astrological perspective. Any virus is born from the conjunctions of Rahu or Ketu or from the position. And due to the combination of Guru and Ketu, it intensifies. At this time, the coronavirus is attacked all over the world. And that too has been intensified due to the combination of Guru and Ketu. Two things are mentioned in... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 22/03/20)

ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවේ කොරෝනා මර්දනයට අපි එනවා..- චීන ජනපති ලංකාවට දන්වයි..
උපුටා ගැන්ම ලංකා ඊ නිව්ස්
ශ්‍රී ලංකාව සහ එහි ජනතාව මේ වනවිට මුහුණ දෙමින් සිටින කොරෝනා වෛරස ව්‍යාප්තිය පාලනය කිරීම සඳහා අවශ්‍ය සහාය ලබාදීමට චීන මහජන සමූහාණ්ඩුවේ වෛද්‍ය විශේෂඥයන් පිරිසක් වීම සඳහා ඕනෑම මොහොතක සූදානම් යයි චීන ජනාධිපතිවරයා විසින් ශ්‍රී ලංකා රජයට දන්වා තිබේ. කොළඹ සිටින චීන තානාපතිවරයා හරහා මෙම විශේෂ දැනුම් දීම කර ඇත. ශ්‍රී ලංකාව ඉල්ලා සිටින ඕනෑම මොහොතකට කොරෝනා මර්දනය සම්බන්ධයෙන් අත්දැකීම් සහිත වෛද්‍යවරුන් ඇතුළු විශේෂ පිරිසක් එවීමට සූදානමින් සිටින බවද සදහන් කර ඇත. ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාව කොරෝනා මර්දනය සදහා මේ වන විට සිදු කරමින් ඇති වැඩපිලිවෙල අගය කර ඇති... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 22/03/20)

ලොව දැවැන්තම කොරෝනා ඇන ගැනීම සජිත්ගෙන්… (Video)
උපුටා ගැන්ම ලංකා ඊ නිව්ස්
කොරෝනා රෝගීන්ට හයිඩ්‍රෝක්සික්ලොරෝකුවීන් නොව ප්ලැකනිල් නම් ඖෂධය ලබා දිය යුතු බව පවසමින් සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාස මහතා ඔහුගේ මුහුණු පොතේ වීඩියෝවක් පළ කර ඇත. මේ සම්බන්ධයෙන් සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාස මහතා වෙත විද්‍යුත් තැපැල් ලිපියක් යොමු කරන ඖෂධවිද්‍යා මහාචාර්ය වෛද්‍ය චන්න ජයසුමන මහතා පෙන්වා දෙන්නේ ප්ලැකනිල් යනු හයිඩ්‍රෝක්සික්ලොරෝකුවීන්ම බවයි. හයිඩ්‍රෝක්සික්ලොරෝකුවීන් යනු අදාල ඖෂධ නාමයයි. ප්ලැකනිල් යනු එම ඖෂධය නිෂ්පාදනය කරන සමාගමක් ලබා දී ඇති වෙළද නාමයයි. ජනතාව නොමග නොයවා සාවද්‍ය කරුණු වහාම නිවරද කරන මෙන් මහාචාර්යවරයා සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාස මහතාගෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටී. එම සම්පුර්ණ ලිපිය පහත දැක්වේ. විද්‍යුත් තැපෑල ඔස්සේ ය. ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 22/03/20)

ලන්ඩනයේ සිට ආ ලොක්කෙක් නිරෝධායනයට පයින් ගසා යන්න යයි..
උපුටා ගැන්ම ලංකා ඊ නිව්ස්
එංගලන්තයේ ලන්ඩන් නගරයේ සිට පැමිණි ශ්‍රී ලංකන් ගුවන් සමාගමේ ඉහළ නිලධාරියෙක් නිරෝධානය ප්‍රතික්ෂේප කර තම කාර්යාලයට පැමිණ ඇති බව වාර්තා වේ. ඔහු කාර්යාලයට සෙසු නිලධාරීන් කැඳවා සාකච්ඡා වල නිරත වීම නිසා එම නිලධාරීන් භීතියට පත්ව ඇත. ලන්ඩනයේ සංචාරයට ගොස් පැමිණි මෙම ප්‍රධානියා එදිනම කාර්යාලයට පැමිණ රාජකාරි පටන් ගෙන ඇත්තේ නිරෝධායන කටයුත්ත තරයේ ප්‍රතික්ෂේප කරමිනි.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 22/03/20)

Coronavirus | South Asian coordination on pandemic crisis intensifies
Courtesy The Hindu
Bangladesh pledges $1.5 million to SAARC COVID-19 Emergency Fund Members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation intensified anti-COVID-19 steps to secure people from the pandemic. Sri Lanka evacuated a large number of Buddhist pilgrims from India in the early hours of Sunday before India stopped all flights as Kathmandu boosted health inspection on the Indo-Nepal border. “All Sri Lankan Buddhist pilgrims, who were stranded in India, have now returned to Sri Lanka,” a press release from the High Commission of Sri Lanka informed and said 1,500 Buddhist pilgrims from... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 22/03/20)

In Sri Lanka Departure flights to be operated as usual
Courtesy The Daily News
All departure flights leaving from Sri Lanka would continue to be operated as usual, officials at the Airport and Aviation Services Limited said. The President Media Division also said the departure terminal will continue to be operational. Also flights are allowed into the country to take the departing passengers. All passenger transit operations have been stopped for the moment. All import and export operations are to continue without interruption.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 22/03/20)

Another confirmed COVID-19 patient brings total to 81 cases
Courtesy Adaderana
The number of COVID-19 positive cases has gone up to 81 as another patient has been diagnosed with the virus today (22), stated the Department of Government Information. Previously, Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi stated that 3 patients were found positive with the deadly coronavirus. However, another person has been confirmed to have contracted the virus. https://youtu.be/bHl6IkjcCHU The Epidemiology Unit at the Ministry of Health stated 245 persons suspected of having contracted the coronavirus are currently under medical supervision in 18 hospitals island-wide. Currently,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 22/03/20)

Public urged to strictly adhere to guidelines to win the battle against COVID-19
Courtesy Adaderana
The Government has requested the entire nation to strictly adhere to the guidelines issued with the objective of preventing further spread of COVID-19 virus and safeguarding the well-being of the people. Prevention is the main instrument in combating this global health threat. Maintaining a social distance of at least of 1m when people are at public places such as markets, offices, bus and railway stations has been recognized as the best way to prevent the transmission of the pathogen. Also, health advises given by the experts should be followed. During the last... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 22/03/20)

Curfew extended in Northern Province
Courtesy Adadera
The curfew currently imposed in the districts of Mannar, Vavuniya, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, and Jaffna in the Northern Province has been extended till 6.00 a.m. on Tuesday (24). However, it will be re-imposed until further notice at 2.00 p.m. on the same day, the government announced.  Accordingly, the residents of these districts have been prohibited to leave their respective districts. https://youtu.be/0PosyUZHr9w The travel ban will continue to be in effect until all those who visited and associated with the COVID-19 infected pastor who arrived from Switzerland recently.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 22/03/20)

Qureshi phones Sri Lankan FM; stresses need to revitalise SAARC to tackle common challenges
Courtesy APP
ISLAMABAD, Mar 22 (APP):Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi Sunday held a telephonic conversation with his Sri Lankan counterpart Dinesh Gunawardena and exchanged views on the situation arising from COVID-19 pandemic and ways to enhance cooperation against the threat. Reaffirming the abiding commitment to the SAARC process, he reiterated Pakistan’s readiness to host the SAARC Health Ministers’ Conference to enhance cooperation among member countries and development partners in the health sector, with particular focus on COVID-19. He also proposed that a video conference could be organised first in... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 22/03/20)

What happened in our history
H. L. D. Mahindapala
The pioneering Indo-Aryan settlers, who came to be known as Sinhalese later, never stopped making history from the time they stepped ashore. The mission of making history came naturally to them. It was their innate penchant for making history that gave birth to a new civilization which rose to the heights of any other civilisation of its time. Their achievements entitled them to the foremost place in the history they created and left behind. They sowed the land with their sweat, blood and tears and the history they made in the process belongs exclusively... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 21/03/20)

කොන්ඩෙ බැදපු චීන්නු
LUXMINDRA JAYASEKARA 
PANIC SELLING In recent days, China broke many records, and earned absolutely everything, $ 20 billion in the first news and bought about 30% of the shares of companies that belong to the West in China. President Xi Jinping has surpassed Europeans and intelligent American Democrats. He played a wonderful game in front of the eyes of the entire world. Due to the situation in Wuhan, the Chinese currency began to decline, but the Chinese Central Bank took no action to stop this collapse. There were... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 21/03/20)

දේශප්‍රේමයෙන් කොරෝනාව පැරැද වූ චීන්නු!
ආචාර්ය වරුණ චන්ද්‍රකීර්ති
කොරෝනාවේ අවදානම දැන් අපේ රටටත් ඇවිල්ලා. ජනවාරි මාසයේ ඉඳලා චීනයේ කොරෝනාව පැතිරෙද්දි ඒක හැදිච්ච අය ඒ ගමන් ම මැරිලා වැටෙනවා කියලා කියපු අයත් අපි අතර හිටියා. ඒත් අපේ රටේ අය නම් ලෙඩේ හදාගෙන හතර වටේ රෝන්දේ ගහ ගහා අනිත් අයටත් ලෙඩේ දීලා හරි අපූරුවට කකුල් දෙකෙන් හිටගෙන ඉන්න බව අපිට පේනවා. ඉතින් චීනයේ කොරෝනාව පැතිරෙද්දි කියපු කතාවල ඇත්ත නැත්ත දැන් අපිට හොඳින් තේරුම් ගන්න පුළුවන්. මේ ලෙඩේට අදාළ රෝග ලක්‍ෂණ විදිහට සැළකෙන්නේ උණ, කැස්ස, හුස්ම ගැනීමේ අපහසුව, ඇඟපත වේදනාව සහ උගුර රිදීම. මේකට තවත් එකක් එකතු කරගන්න ඕන කියලා මට නම් හිතෙනවා. ඒ තමයි... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 21/03/20)

පිරිත් සජ්ජායනයේ බලයට පශ්චාත් භාගයේ අමාරුව සැදුණු අසුර බලවේග හඳුනා ගනිමු !
සුර්ය වංශ රත්න විභූෂණ පාලිත ආරියරත්න සෙන්කඩගල සිංහ ද්වාරයේ සිට
මේ දිනවල පිරිත් සජ්ජායනය කිරීම විහිළුවක් හා හිතළුවක් කරගත් දේව වාදී අදහසකින් පෙළෙන ඔබ ලෝකයේ ඕනෑම ලෙඩක් හොඳ කිරීමට සමත් යැයි කියන දෙවියන් හොඳින් දන්නා බව අප හොඳින් දනී. අද මේ කොරෝනා  වසංගතය හමුවේ  තිබෙන මහත් ව්‍යාසනය දැක නිශ්ශබ්ද සැඟවී සිටින නමුත් බුදුදහමේ සඳහන් අනිත්‍ය දුක්ඛ අනාත්ම යන සංකල්පය මනාව වටහා ගත් සියලුම ආගමිකයන් මෙන්ම සියළුම රටවල බුද්ධිමතුන් රහසේ ලොවේ අස්ථිර බව වටහාගෙන ඇතැයි ද සිතමි. මුහුණු පොතේ මේ දිනවල ආගමික හා අනාගමික කාරයන් විසින් සිදුකරණ  බුදුදහමට හා පිරිත් සජ්ජායනය එරෙහි බලවේග  සඳහා කෙටියෙන්... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 21/03/20)

Tomorrow (march 21) is International day of Forests: Sinharaja: Mother Nature’s precious gift
H.P. Gunawardena and H.M.P.R Wijebandara Courtesy The Daily News
Forests cover one third of the Earth's land mass, performing vital functions around the world. Around 1.6 billion people—including more than 2,000 indigenous cultures—depend on forests for their livelihoods, medicines, fuel, food and shelter. The fact that Sinharaja forest reserve is a precious gift to us from the nature is nothing new. It is an evergreen tropical forest located in the Wet Zone of the country, stretching across the Districts of Galle, Matara and Ratnapura with an extent of approximately 1,185 hectares. ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 21/03/20)

සිංහල බෞද්‌ධයින් රවටන පිරිත් නූල් පක්‍ෂ දේශපාලනය
චන්ද්‍රසිරි විජයවික්‍රම, LL.B., P.hD.
හැඳින්‌වීම -හාමුදුරුවනේ, ආණ්ඩුව සරණං ගච්චාමි කියා ශික්‍ෂා පදයක් නෑ නොවැයි- -අගමැති ඩී. ඇස්. සේනානායක -හාමුදුරුවනේ, ආණ්ඩුවේ රෙගුලාසි අනුව මේ පොලිස් නිලධාරියාව මාරු නොකරම බැහැ- -ඩොනමෝර් ස්වදේශ කටයුතු ඇමති ඩී. බී. ජයතිලක මෙහි ඉහතින් දැක්‌වෙන්නේ, පිළිවෙලින්, හේන්පිටගෙදර ඥානසීහ හිමියන්ව හා කළුකොඳයාවේ ප්‍රඥාශෙඛර හිමියන්ව, සිංහල දේශපාලකයින් දෙදෙනෙකු විසින් රැවටූ අවස්ථා දෙකකි. හාමුදුරුවරුන් පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට යවන්න එපා යයි අස්ගිරි-මල්වතු මහනාහිමි වරුන් විසින් ප්‍රකාශ කිරීම හාස්‍යයට කරුණක් වන්නේ, සිංහල බෞද්‌ධ යයි කියා ගන්නා දේශපාලකයින් විසින් වැඩියෙන්ම රවට්ටන්නේ, රවටා ඇත්තේ, සුද්දන් විසින් ඔවුන්ගේ ඊනියා සාමය හා මනාපාලනය උදෙසා මෙවලම් දෙකක් ලෙස යොදා ගත්... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 21/03/20)

A vaccine against outbreaks: Ban wildlife trade
WRITER: STEVEN R GALSTER Courtesy BangkokPost
As Thailand and its neighbors scramble to contain the pandemic and panic, we urgently need to start building a response to the source of Covid-19, or risk having new outbreaks hit us even harder. There is good reason to believe that we know the source -- global wildlife trade -- and that there is a solution. Scant attention is being paid by world leaders to the fact that Covid-19 jumped to people from wild critters on sale. Experts agree that the likely source this time was a bat, either transmitted directly... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 21/03/20)

Why does Russia, population 146 million, have fewer coronavirus cases than Luxembourg?
Courtesy CNN
Moscow (CNN)Russian President Vladimir Putin said this week his country managed to stop the mass spread of coronavirus-- and that the situation was "under control," thanks to early and aggressive measures to keep more people from getting the disease.Does Russia have coronavirus under control? According to information released by Russian officials, Putin's strategy seems to have worked. The number of confirmed Russian coronavirus cases is surprisingly low, despite Russia sharing a lengthy border with China and recording its first case back in January.The numbers are picking up, but Russia -- a country of 146 million people -- has fewer... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 21/03/20)

Cuba can produce 23 drugs to treat coronavirus and is working on a vaccine against it
Courtesy CubaSi
Cuba has full capacity to supply Interferon alpha 2B and other 22 medicines to the national health system in the fight and treatment of COVID-19. It is also s working on a vaccine against that disease. Biocubafarma Business Group is studying how some existing medications of its production line can contribute to the positive response of patients. Such drugs include Biomodulin T, an immunostimulant with which clinical studies are already being carried out, and a vaccine to facilitate the systemic response of patients affected by COVID-19. According... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 21/03/20)

Lanka extends curfew to Tuesday, with 77 positive so far
Courtesy NewsIn.Asia
130 persons booked for defying the curfew Colombo, March 21 (newsin.asia) – Sri Lankan Police on Saturday announced that the island-wide curfew which was imposed over the weekend will be extended till Tuesday, after the total number of positive COVID-19 cases went up to 77.The 77 includes a senior doctor and a child. Over 200 are under observation in hospitals across the country while over 10,000 are under quarantine.In a statement, the police said that in capital Colombo, Gampaha in the outskirts and Puttalam district, in the north western province,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 21/03/20)

Citrus offers 150-room resort as a quarantine center
Courtesy Adaderana
The Board of Directors of Citrus Waskaduwa (Waskaduwa Beach Resort PLC) took into account the current crisis faced by the Nation and the world at large. The Board noted that the occupancies of the hotels in the Citrus Group have dropped to a bare minimum and considering the global and local travel restrictions, it would continue to drop further in the near future. Apart from the devastating impact faced by the Tourism Sector, the Board noted the valiant efforts made by the Government, the Health Sector and the Security... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 21/03/20)

Hemas Holdings offers its hotel in Negombo as quarantine centre
Courtesy The Daily News
Hemas Holdings Plc has offered its Club Hotel Dolphin in Negombo as a quarantine centre to the Government if the need arises, as part of wider public-private sector efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Speaking to Daily Mirror, Mr. Abbas Esufally, Chairman of HEMAS Leisure stated that, “we feel that as a Sri Lankan company the private sector must stand up and rise to the occasion. This is a national crisis and we must come together to combat it. We spoke to Mrs. Kimarli Fernando, Chairperson of Sri Lanka Tourism and... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 21/03/20)

Hotel Association offers selected hotel facilities to prevent COVID-19
Courtesy The Daily Mirror
The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) today said that the Association is willing to work with the membership to offer selected hotel facilities in the battle against preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the country. THASL President Sanath Ukwatte said the members of the association have been following with deep appreciation the strenuous efforts made by the Government to contain COVID-19 crisis. "Our members are willing to house those who are subject to two weeks of quarantine at remote locations. In addition, THASL has come forward to house medical... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 21/03/20)

Sri Lanka records 77 positive coronavirus cases
Courtesy Adaderana
Another person has tested positive for Covid-19 in Sri Lanka, bringing the total number of infected persons to 77, says Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi. Earlier this evening (21), four new positive coronavirus (Covid-19) cases in the country. Accordingly, the Covid-19 case tally in the country now stands at 77. The majority of these patients are reportedly males. As of yesterday (19), Sri Lanka recorded a total number of 72 Covid-19 patients. However, five new patients were reported during the course of today’s observations. According to the report... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 21/03/20)

Two dead in A’pura Prison shooting; no inmates escaped, says Police
Courtesy Adaderana
Another inmate injured in the Anuradhapura Prison shooting incident has succumbed to his injuries, stated the Director of Anuradhapura Hospital. This brings the total number of deaths in the incident to 2, stated the Hospital Director. A tense situation occurred at the Anuradhapura Prison this evening (21) leading to a shooting incident. Previously, an inmate suspected with an infection of COVID-19 had been identified and had been hospitalized for treatment. Reportedly, inmates had staged a protest over the incident today, with several detainees attempting to escape during the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 21/03/20)

Police arrest 180 over curfew violations
Courtesy Adaderana
Police Media Division stated that 180 individuals have been arrested over violating the curfew within the time period between 6 pm yesterday (20) and 9 pm today (21). The government yesterday (20) imposed an island-wide curfew from 6.00 pm until 6.00 am on Monday (23). The curfew was enforced as a means to minimize public gatherings in order to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus within the country. All individuals were advised to remain indoors during the time of the curfew and to maintain a minimum distance of each... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 21/03/20)

Global Pandemic: Coronavirus has shaken the world
Corona virus has today impacted 182 countries with 246,467 confirmed cases and 10,047 deaths. In fact, though China had 80,967 confirmed cases the death toll was 3,248 and China proudly claims zero cases in China. However, Italy with 41,035 confirmed cases has 3,405 deaths exceeding that of China. What did China do right and what is Italy doing wrong? This is the question that engulfs most countries now dealing with the coronavirus coupled with indiscipline and selfish attitude of citizens as seen in the case of Sri Lanka. The peak in cases and contaminations has been as a result of... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 21/03/20)

72 active COVID-19 patients in Sri Lanka
Courtesy Adaderana
Two more persons have tested positive for Coronavirus, increasing the total number of cases in Sri Lanka to 72, Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said. As of yesterday (19), the number of Covid-19 patients in the country stood at 59. However, 13 new patients have identified within today alone. According to reports, over 200 patients are under observation at selected hospitals on suspicion of being infected with the virus. Meanwhile, the National Operation Centre for Prevention of Covid-19 has stated that 2,738 persons including 30 foreigners are being quarantined at 17... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 21/03/20)

AWAKENING TO REALITIES OF LIFE
Dr. Daya Hewapathirane
By regular practice of “Bhavana” or Buddhist meditation, one could go beyond everyday consciousness to a deeper level of consciousness or a deep state of mental calm which leads one to a state of awakening to realities of life, to self-understanding and the ultimate meaning of life. According to the teachings of the Buddha, “Bhavana” is the key to understanding your true nature or discovering who you truly are.  It helps one to develop one’s understanding of oneself that comes from a clear view of reality. Buddhist meditation is not a means of escaping reality.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/03/20)

ERASING THE EELAM VICTORY Part 14 C
KAMALIKA PIERIS
This essay concludes the discussion on the contrived failure of Eelam War II and III.  The essay starts with the Millenium City Raid.  The Intelligence branch of the Sri Lanka army had carried out top-secret covert operations from a safe house in Millennium City Housing scheme at Aturugiriya.  It is usual for armies to have safe houses. The Athurugiriya Safe House had been rented by the Directorate of Military Intelligence in December 2001. The location of the house was known only to one or two DMI officials. It was a closely... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/03/20)

Sri Lanka imposes curfew as South Asia steps up coronavirus battle
Courtesy The Straits Times
COLOMBO/RAWALPINDI, PAKISTAN (REUTERS) - Sri Lanka imposed a nationwide weekend curfew on Friday (March 20) as South Asian countries escalated efforts to check the spread of coronavirus across the densely populated region of 1.9 billion people. South Asia appears to have been less hard hit than elsewhere in the world, but the rate of new infections in Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka is accelerating with the total across South Asia passing 800. Seven people have died. Officials worry that these countries could prove especially in danger due to poor health facilities and infrastructure... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/03/20)

Strictly adhere to social distancing policy: Govt.
Courtesy The Daily News
The Government today requested the public to strictly adhere to the social distancing policy of one metre at public places. In a statement, the President's Media Division (PMD) said this should be adhered to while travelling in public transport as well. "In order to observe the social distancing in buses and trains must carry only half of the number of passengers that they normally transport," it said. The statement further said, "In an attempt to mitigate the spread COVID-19, the Government has taken two more stern measures today. First is... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/03/20)

Cabinet allocates Rs.75Bn to settle ’Red bills’ of former Govt.
Sandun A. Jayasekera Courtesy The Daily News
The cabinet gave the nod on Wednesday (18) to allocate a massive Rs. 75 billion to settle unpaid bills of the Yahapalana government to small and middle-level development projects, fertiliser companies, banks and many other investors, goods and services suppliers, cabinet spokesman, Minister Bandula Gunawardana said yesterday. Addressing the weekly cabinet news briefing, Minister, Gunawardana said the cabinet gave approval to pay Rs. 10 billion immediately to drug companies for outstanding bills that remained payable by the Ministry of Health for drugs purchased on credit in 2018 and 2019,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/03/20)

Island-wide curfew to be imposed until Monday
Courtesy Adaderana
An island-wide curfew will be imposed from 6.00 pm today (20) until 6.00 am on Monday (23), says the President’s Office. The curfew is to be imposed with a view to prevent violation of provisions and regulations of the Quarantine and Prevention of Diseases Ordinance imposed for prevention of spreading COVID - 19 alias New Corona Virus. https://youtu.be/HTDujIBNSBw All individuals shall remain indoors during the time of the curfew, the Acting IGP C.D. Wickramaratne said in a statement declaring the curfew.  Furthermore, permission will be granted... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/03/20)

Prime Minister's statement on Coronavirus outbreak in Sri Lanka
Courtesy Adaderana
PM urges public to follow medical, government advice properly to beat coronavirus https://youtu.be/3joO7P83qls Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa today (20) urged the public to take well thought out decisions amidst the global Covid-19 pandemic while assuring that the government has taken necessary measures to face any crisis situation. In a special statement, the Premier also appealed to the public to adhere to medical and government’s advice properly in order to rid the country of the deadly virus at the earliest possible. “Not even during the era of... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/03/20)

Dambulla Mayor arrested for organising bicycle race
Courtesy Adaderana
The Mayor of Dambulla and another individual have been arrested in connection with organising and participating in a bicycle race, despite a ban on such events and large gatherings due to the Covid-19 outbreak, police said. https://youtu.be/YOdizHdzRJs The bicycle race had commenced in the Dambulla town yesterday (19) morning while the start of the race had been signaled by Dambulla Mayor Jaliya Opatha. DIG Ajith Rohana told reporters yesterday that the relevant incident will be investigated after it was reported by media and on social media. ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/03/20)

All expressways to be closed from 4pm
Courtesy Adaderana
The Road Development Authority (RDA) says that all expressways will be closed for motorists from 4.00 p.m. today (20). RDA Chairman Chaminda Athuluwage stated that vehicles will no be allowed entry to any of the expressways from 4.00 p.m.  The decision has been taken owing to the curfew to be imposed island-wide from 6.00 p.m. today to 6.00 a.m. on Monday (23). Meanwhile Sri Lanka Railways says that all train services will be halted from 3.30 p.m. today and will resume at 6.00 a.m. on Monday (23).... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/03/20)

All leisure trips, pilgrimages & picnics banned until further notice
Courtesy Adaderana
The government has banned leisure trips, pilgrimages and tours within the country with immediate effect until further notice. President’s Media Division (PMD), issuing a communique in this regard, stated that this decision is coming into effect as a preventive measure to protect the general public from the risks of coronavirus outbreak in the country. https://youtu.be/ZNLY9G79h6I Despite the advisories issued by the government that public congregation can lead to the further spread of the virus, reports have been received that foreign and local tourists are travelling the country in... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/03/20)

Train services to be halted until Monday
Courtesy Adaderana
The Railway Control Room says that all train services will be halted from 3.30 p.m. today and will resume at 6.00 a.m. on Monday (23). Accordingly, the train departing at 3.30 p.m. from Fort Railway Station to Mahawa will be the final train journey of the day, it said. The decision has been taken owing to the curfew to be imposed island-wide from 6.00 p.m. today to 6.00 a.m. on Monday (23). Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Road Development Authority (RDA) Chaminda Athuluwage stated that vehicles will no be allowed... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/03/20)

ඉතාලියේ සිට ආවේගශීලී වීඩියෝවක් එවූ තරුණයා ගැන කියමින් තරුණියක් කොරෝනා ගැන කී කතාව
Hiru News
https://youtu.be/1aNjJWlY30Q... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/03/20)

කටුනායකින් පැන්න විදේශිකයා බේරගන්න හිටපු මුස්ලිම් ඇමැති කෙනෙක් යකා නටලා
උපුටාගැණීම  මව්බිම
කටුනායක ගුවන් තොටුපොළේදී නිරෝධායන මධ්‍යස්ථානයකට යැවීමට සූදානම් කර සිටියදී තම ගුවන් ගමන් බලපත්‍ර ඇතුළු ලියකියවිලි දමා පැනගිය විදේශිකයකු බේරාගැනීමට හිටපු මුස්ලිම් ඇමැතිවරයකු ආගමන විගමන නිලධාරීන්ට බලපෑම් කර ඇතැයි ඊයේ (18 වැනිදා) අනාවරණය විය. මෙම විදේශිකයා ඇමෙරිකාවේ සිට පැමිණි එංගලන්ත ජාතිකයෙකි. හිටපු ඇමැතිවරයා කොළඹ දිස්ත්‍රික්කය නියෝජනය කළ අයෙක්. එංගලන්ත ජාතිකයා නිරෝධායන මධ්‍යස්ථානයකට යැවීමට ඊයේ (18 වැනිදා) උදෑසන කටුනායකදී සූදානම් වූ පසුව තම ලියකියවිලි දමා ඔහු හොර රහසේ එතැනින් පිටව ගොස් ඇත. අනතුරුව මෙම විදේශිකයා අදාළ හිටපු ඇමැතිවරයා ලවා තම ලියකියවිලි මුදාගැනීමට කතා කර ඇත. හිටපු ඇමැතිවරයා කතා කළ පසුව තම ලියකියවිලි ගැනීමට යළි... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/03/20)

ERASING THE EELAM VICTORY Part 14 B
KAMALIKA PIERIS
Revised 24.3.20 This essay, which is a continuation of the previous essay, gives other reasons for the bungling of Eelam War II and III. One reason was the attitude of the army high command in Colombo. The army high command of this period   was not interested in winning Eelam war II or III. They did not know how to fight it either. The high ups in the army HQ in Colombo did not know what was happening in the operations areas   of the war, said Kamal Gunaratne. Those who knew did not... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/03/20)

ශ්‍රීමත් ලකිසුරු තුමාගෙන් කෙරෙණ අතිවිශේෂ ඉල්ලිම් කීපයක්
ආචාර්ය සුදත් ගුණසේකර. මහනුවර
ශ්‍රීමත් ජනාධිපති තුමනි, 19.3.20202. උද්ගතව ඇති මේ මහා ජාතික ආපදා අවස්ථාවෙදී ජනතාවගේ ජීවිත හා රටේ ආරක්ෂාව සඳහා වහාම පහත සඳහන් පියවර ගන්නා මෙන් මම ඔබතුමාගෙන් ඉතා ඕනෑකමින්  හා ගවුරවයෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටිමි 1මේ අවස්ථාවේදී ඡන්දයක් පැවත්වීමට වඩා මිනිස් ජීවිත රැක ගැනීම වැදගත් නිසා සෞක්ය බලධාරින් සහතික කරණතුරු මැතිවරණය වහාම කල්දැමීම 2 වහාම ක්‍රියාත්මක වනසේ කුලීවැඩ කර එදාවේල සොයාගන්නා ලක්ශගානක් මිනිසුන්ට  පවතින ආපදා තත්වය මඟහැරෙනතුරු රජයෙන් ආහාර මල්ලක් ලබාදෙන වැඩ පිලිවෙලක් ක්‍රියාත්මක කිරීම 3කොරෝනා වෙන් ආරක්ශාවීම සඳහා රජය විසින් දෙන උපදෙස් කඩකරන සියලුදෙනාටම දැඩි දඩුවන් දීම... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/03/20)

BIG PHARMA PREPARES TO PROFIT FROM THE CORONAVIRUS
Sharon Lerner Courtesy The Intercept
AS THE NEW CORONAVIRUS spreads illness, death, and catastrophe around the world, virtually no economic sector has been spared from harm. Yet amid the mayhem from the global pandemic, one industry is not only surviving, it is profiting handsomely. “Pharmaceutical companies view Covid-19 as a once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity,” said Gerald Posner, author of “Pharma: Greed, Lies, and the Poisoning of America.” The world needs pharmaceutical products, of course. For the new coronavirus outbreak, in particular, we need treatments and vaccines and, in the U.S., tests. Dozens of companies are now vying to... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/03/20)

Sri Lanka Health Ministry says all 59 COVID-19 patients in stable condition
Courtesy NewsIn.Asia
Colombo, March 19 (newsin.asia) – All 59 patients who have to date tested positive for COVID-19 in Sri Lanka are in stable condition and are being treated by a senior medical team of doctors and nurses and are under close observation, the Health Ministry said.“We are satisfied with the state of recovery of all patients so far. No one is in a critical condition,” the Ministry official said. On Thursday Sri Lanka detected 7 more virus-infected patients bringing the total confirmed patients to 59, since the first case was detected... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/03/20)

Chinese experts to have video conference with foreign counterparts on COVID-19
Courtesy NewsIn.Asia
In Sri Lanka it will be held at 12.30 pm local time at the Ministry of Health. Beijing, March 19 (China Daily): China will hold a video conference with more than 10 countries in the European-Central Asian region and South Asia on prevention and control of novel coronavirus disease on Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang announced. Officials from China’s Foreign Ministry, National Health Commission and General Administration of Customs will attend the conference. In Sri Lanka, the video conference will be held at the Ministry of Health at... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/03/20)

Police curfew in Ja-Ela and Wattala
Courtesy Adaderana
Police curfew will be imposed within the Ja-Ela and Wattala Police Divisions from 10 pm tonight (19). The curfew will be in effect until further notice, stated the Police Spokesperson. https://youtu.be/buHZeNfpD2c Previously, the government imposed police curfew in 11 police divisions in Puttalam, 7 in police divisions in Chilaw and the Kochchikade police division in Negombo from 4.30 pm last evening (18). However, the curfew was lifted for 6 hours from 8.00 am this morning (19) and re-imposed at 2.00 pm in the afternoon. ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/03/20)

59 confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Sri Lanka
Courtesy Adaderana
UPDATE (4.22 p.m.) - Three more Coronavirus patients have been identified today bringing the total confirmed cases in Sri Lanka to 59. Director General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe said a small child, a 64-year-old patient from Colombo North Teaching Hospital and 23-year-old youth from IDH Hospital have tested positive for the virus.  https://youtu.be/ckSV2Zv493s He revealed this while responding to a question during the press breifing of the National Operation Center for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak. Four more patients have tested positive for Coronavirus bringing the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/03/20)

Sri Lanka’s General Election postponed
Courtesy Adaderana
The Election Commission (EC) has decided to postpone the General Election 2020, which was set to be held next month. Holding a special media briefing at the Election Commission this afternoon (19), its Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said the General Election will not be held on April 25 as scheduled. The Election Commission has taken this decision considering the prevailing situation in the country owing to the threats posed by the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak. https://youtu.be/zDJwaNqPrwA Deshapriya added that the Election Commission may continue to receive accepted and... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/03/20)

PM and Ministers required to pay govt for use of official vehicles and residences
Courtesy Adaderana
The Cabinet of Ministers has decided that the Prime Minister, the Cabinet Ministers, the former Speaker and former Opposition Leader would be required to make certain payments to the government for the use of official vehicles and official residences, if they participate in activities promoting the party or candidature during this pre-election period.  The Cabinet Spokesman stated that the President has dissolved the 08th Parliament by now and has declared the dates for the General Election.  However, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Ministers are engaged in their official duties until the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/03/20)

Govt to declare 6-day period for public, private sectors to work from home
Courtesy Adaderana
The government of Sri Lanka has decided to declare a period of six working days from 20th to 27th of March for employees of the public and private sectors to work from home. This measure is being implemented as a means to limit the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19) by minimizing movement and gathering of the general public during the outbreak. It is noted that this period of six days is not a public holiday and the heads of relevant workplaces are to decide on the spells of work that the employees should... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/03/20)

Parties submit national list nominations
Courtesy Adaderana
Several parties have submitted their nominations for the National List to the Elections Commission today (19). The national list of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) was handed over by the party Chairman Prof. G. L. Peiris and its General Secretary Attorney at Law Sagara Kariyawasam. The list with 29 names consist of Chairman of SLPP Prof. G. L. Peiris, President’s Counsel Ali Sabry, ‘Yuthukama’ Chairman Gevindu Kumaratunga, former SLFP General Secretary Prof. Rohana Lakshman Piyadasa, former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabral, former Cricket Captain Thilekaratne Dilshan, General Secretary of SLPP Attorney... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 19/03/20)

Banks ordered to halt facilitating import of vehicles, non-essential goods
Courtesy Adaderana
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has introduced several measures to ease the pressure on the exchange rate and prevent financial market panic due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, licensed commercial banks and National Savings Bank are directed to adopt the following measures during the next three months, with immediate effect:  Suspend facilitating the importation of all types of motor vehicles, other than those excluded specifically under Banking Act Directions No.01 of 2020, under Letters of CreditSuspend facilitating the importation of non-essential goods specified in Banking Act Directions No.01 of 2020,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 19/03/20)

Importance of cultural values in the delivery of sexuality education
By Rohana R. Wasala Courtesy The Island
This is in response to two recent articles published in The Island that relate to the aftermath of the debate about the suitability of the booklet titled ‘Hathe Ape Potha’ as supplementary reading material for introducing sexuality and reproductive health education for Grade 7 students in Sri Lankan schools, viz. ‘Attempts to introduce reproductive health education in schools - Need to face the realities’ by Dr. Janaka Ratnasiri/Midweek Review/February 11, 2020 and ‘Reproductive Health’ by Citizen S/Opinion/February 12. Both refer to an earlier Opinion piece of mine carried in the same... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 19/03/20)

AS YOU SOW---
ALI SUKHANVER
For the last many years US has been providing immeasurable financial assistance and support to Afghanistan; it is a day-light fact. Under the banner of USAID program trillions of dollars have yet been spent in the fields of health and education there. According to a report published by the USAID, ‘the basic purpose of all this support is to help Afghanistan become a more responsible and integrated member of the region and the world. Apparently the USAID program’s only purpose is to bring more Afghans back into economic and civic life. US’ huge investments in infrastructure... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 19/03/20)

මාරාන්තික වෛරස් රෝග පිිළිබ`ද ඔබ දැනගතයුතු දේ "වෛද්‍යවරයෙක් කතා කරයි" වෛරස් රෝග - 3 කොරෝනා
මහාචාය්‍ය _ නිමල් සේනානායක සමුද්‍ර ප්‍රකාශනයක්
‘වෛද්‍යවරයෙක් කතා කරයි’ මැයෙන ්පළවන පොත් පෙළෙහි 12වැනන් මහාචාය්‍ය _ නමිල් සෙන්ානායක ඉතා වැදගත් වූ රෝගයක් පිළිබදව ලිවීමට යොදාගෙන ඇත. අලූතින ් ව්‍යාප්තවන භයානක වෛරස ් රෝග අතුරෙන ්කොරෝනා වෛරසය වැදගත් වනේන ්එය ගැන නොදන්නා කරුණු බොහොමයක් තිබීමත්, එම කරුණු ගැන වෛද්‍ය විද්‍යාඥයිනේග් අවධානය යොමු වී ඇති නසිාත්ය. මෙම කරුණු සාමාන්‍ය ජනතාවට වටහා ගැනමී සදහා වූ නපිැයුමකි මහාචාය්‍යවරයාගේ අලූත්ම කෘතිය. අනසි ිබියක් ඇතිකර නොගැනමී ද නසි ිඅවධානය ඇතිකිරීම ද මාරානත්ික වෛරස ්රෝග පිළිබද ලිවීමේ දී මහාචාර්යවරයාගේ කාර්යභාරය වී ඇති බව පෙනෙ.් එම නසිාම මේ කෘතිය ඉතාමත්ම වැදගත් නර්ිමාණයක් ලෙස හැදිනවි්ය හැක.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 19/03/20)

සිරිමාවෝගේ ප්‍රජා අයිතිය අහොසි කළ ආකාරයේ වැරදි සහගත බවක් ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණ තීරණ උල්ලංඝනය කරමින් කථානයකගේ සහතිකය 19යට වැරදිය ලෙස ලබාගත් අයගේ ප්‍රජා අයිතිය අහිමි කිරීමේදී සිදු නොවේ...!
නීතිඥ අරුණ ලක්සිරි උණවටුන
ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණ විනිශ්චයකාර ජේ. ජී. ටී. වීරරත්න (සභාපති වි), එස්. ශර්වානන්ද (වි) සහ අභියාචනාධිකරණ විනිසුරු කේ.සී.ඊ. ද අල්විස් (වි) සමන්විත විශේෂ ජනාධිපති පරීක්ෂණ කොමිෂන් සභාව විසින් 1980 අගෝස්තු 29වන දින ඉදිරිපත් කළ වාර්තාවේ පරිදි සිරිමා ආර්. ඩී. බණ්ඩාරනායක විසින් කරනු ලැබූ බලය අනිසි ලෙස හෝ අයථා ලෙස පාවිච්චි කිරීම හේතු කොට ඇය ප්‍රජා අශක්නුතාවයට යටත් කළ යුතු බවට 1978 අංක 07 දරණ විශේෂ ජනාධිපති පරීක්ෂණ කොමිෂන් සභා පනතේ 9 වැනි වගන්තිය මගින් නිර්දේශ කර තිබුණි. ‘‘විශේෂ ජනාධිපති පරීක්ෂණ කොමිෂන් සභා නීතිය" අතීතයටද බලපාන ක්‍රියාකාරකම් පාලනයට සහ දඩුවම් නියම කිරීමට ඇති... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 19/03/20)

ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨාධිකරණ තීරණ උල්ලංඝනය කරමින් 19 නීතියක් ලෙස සැළකීමට කථානායකවරයාගේ සහතිකය වැරදියට යෙදීමට සම්බන්ධ වූ අය ප්‍රජා අශක්නුතාවයට යටත් කළ යුතුයි...!
නීතිඥ අරුණ ලක්සිරි උණවටුන
ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාව ආරක්ෂා කොට අනුගමය කරන බවට වන ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 4වන සහ 7වන උපලේඛනවල ඇති දිව්රුම් දීම සෑම පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රීවරයෙකුම සිදු කරයි. එකී දිව්රුම කඩ කිරීම බලවත් වරදකි. එමෙන්ම නීතිය නොදැනීම සමාවට කරුණක් නොවේ යන්න පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට සහ එහි මන්ත්‍රීවරුන්ටද අදාල වේ. පනත් කෙටුම්පතක් සම්මත කිරීම සහ පනත් කෙටුම්පතක් නීතියක් වීම යන්නෙහි වෙනස, පනත් කෙටුම්පතක් නීතියක් වීමට පෙර කථානායකවරයා අනුගමනය කළ යුතු 79වන ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ අවසන් විධානය, පනත් කෙටුම්පතක් නීතියක් වීමට අවශ්‍ය 80.2 ව්‍යවස්ථාව, 19යට දැන් කළ යුත්තේ 2015 සිටි කථානායක සිදුකළ ව්‍යවස්ථා වැරැද්ද නිවැරදි කිරීම... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 19/03/20)

Police curfew in Puttalam, Chilaw, Negombo-Kochchikade to be temporarily lifted
Courtesy Adaderana
Police curfew imposed within Puttalam District and Negombo-Kochchikade area to contain the spread of COVID-19 within the country will be lifted at 8.00 am today (19), says the Department of Government Information. However, curfew will be re-imposed at 2.00 pm in the afternoon and will be in force until further notice, the Police said. This measure is being taken to carry on submission of nominations without disruption in the following areas: Puttalam Police Division:Puttalam, Anamaduwa, Kalpitiya, Karuwalagaswewa, Mundalama, Nawagattegama, Pallama, Vanathavilluwa, Udappuwa, Norachcholai, Saliya Wewa Chilaw Police Division:Chilaw,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 19/03/20)

Foreign govts requested to extend visa for visiting Sri Lankans
Courtesy Adaderana
Sri Lanka has requested foreign governments to facilitate the appropriate extension of visas for Sri Lankans currently visiting their countries, and facing difficulty to return to Sri Lanka on account of the travel bans that have and will become applicable as part of the control measures on COVID- 19. Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha noted that the Government of Sri Lanka had on Tuesday (17 March) announced a one-month extension of all types of visas for those foreign nationals currently in the country, from the date of expiry of their present visas. He said such... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 18/03/20)

Investigations into Rajitha and Fonseka’s statements on COVID-19
Courtesy Adaderana
Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) has launched investigations into the controversial statements made to the media by former MPs Rajitha Senaratne and Sarath Fonseka on COVID-19, stated the Police. The police media Division said in a statement that it is to be investigated whether the statements had been made to cause undue fear and turmoil among the public regarding the spread of coronavirus. DIG Ajith Rohana said that the police department has received both video clips in question and that the Acting IGP has appointed a special CCD team to investigate the matter.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 18/03/20)

Confirmed Covid-19 cases in Sri Lanka climb to 50
Courtesy Adaderana
Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi says that 9 more patients who had tested positive for Coronavirus have been identified in the country bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 50.  Speaking at a press briefing of the National Operation Center for Prevention of COVID- 19, she stated that 41 patients had been identified as of yesterday and that another 8 were identified today (18).  https://youtu.be/hcG6d6J_SC8 However, during the press conference she stated that another patient has just been identified bringing the total identified today to 9. ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 18/03/20)

Coronavirus: UK schools, colleges and nurseries to close from Friday
Courtesy BBC
Schools in the UK are to shut from Friday until further notice as a response to the coronavirus pandemic. Schools will close except for looking after the children of keyworkers and vulnerable children, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said. This academic year's exams will not go ahead in England and Wales; decisions are due to be made in Scotland and Northern Ireland. It came as UK deaths reached 104 after a further 33 people died. Thirty-two were in England and one in Scotland. Confirmed cases in... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 18/03/20)

Sri Lankan pilgrims from India will be quarantined – Army Chief
Courtesy Adaderana
All Sri Lankan pilgrims returning from India will be directed to quarantine centers, stated Army Commander Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva. Speaking at a special press conference currently ongoing, Silva requested all foreigners in the country to curtail their movement within the country in order to avoid infection and limit the spread of the virus. https://youtu.be/zpApped48tY Further, Silva noted that he had received reports of foreigners currently in the country being harassed by locals. He urged the public to act in a manner that does not compromise the rapport... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 18/03/20)

WHO urges “aggressive” measures in South-East Asia to fight COVID-19
Courtesy Adaderana
With South-East Asia reporting more than 480 cases of COVID-19 and eight deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday called for countries to “act now” and urgently scale-up “aggressive” measures to tackle the disease.  Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO Regional Director, warned that the situation is evolving rapidly.  “More clusters of virus transmission are being confirmed. While this is an indication of an alert and effective surveillance, it also puts the spotlight on the need for more aggressive and whole of society efforts to prevent further spread of COVID-19. We clearly... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 18/03/20)

Sri Lanka, China sign USD 500 Mn agreement for development funding
Courtesy Adaderana
Sri Lanka and China Development Bank have signed an agreement for a financing facility of US$ 500 million for development efforts. Earlier, Senior Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Nandalal Weerasinghe stated that the Government is in the middle of negotiating a loan from the China Development Bank, which could be between $ 1-2 billion. “The loan could be finalized within weeks, and the loan would be within the borrowing limits approved in a vote on account up to April,”  he said whilst addressing the media during a press briefing... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 18/03/20)

Corona-virus will change the way we live
Orpheus Perera
Scientists are still trying to find out how and where this virus came from. The first casualties were discovered in a large crowded city of Wuhan in China. This does not mean that it originated there. People who are prejudiced against Chinese, most people in Sri Lanka making up stories and put on FACEBOOK, that Chinese are responsible for this dangerous virus. One faith healer who attracted many thousands of followers, in his You-tube, has confirmed the gossip among the uninformed people of Sri Lanka when no other scientist in the world point the finger at... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 18/03/20)

දිස්ත‍්‍රික් ලේකම් කාර්යාල/ ප‍්‍රාදේශීය ලේකම් කාර්යාල වල සේවයේ නියුතු ආශ‍්‍රිත සේවා නිලධාරීන් ඇතුළු කාර්ය මණ්ඩල සඳහා ද නිවාඩු ලබා දීමට පියවර ගන්න
සමෘද්ධි සංවර්ධන නිළධාරීන්ගේ සංගමය
ලේකම්, එස්. හෙට්ටිආරච්චි මහතා, රාජ්‍ය පරිපාලන අමාත්‍යාංශය, නිදහස් චතුරස‍්‍රය, කොළඹ 07. ලේකම්තුමනි, දිස්ත‍්‍රික් ලේකම් කාර්යාල/ ප‍්‍රාදේශීය ලේකම් කාර්යාල වල සේවයේ නියුතු ආශ‍්‍රිත සේවා නිලධාරීන් ඇතුළු කාර්ය මණ්ඩල සඳහා ද නිවාඩු ලබා දීමට පියවර ගන්න. 2020 මාර්තු 17 සිට දින 3 ක් රජයේ ආයතන හා සේවාවන් කීපයක සේවකයින් සඳහා රජයේ නිවාඩු ලබා දී ඇත. රජය එවැනි තීරණයක් ගෙන ඇත්තේ දැනට රට පුරා ව්‍යාප්ත වෙමින් පවතින Covid-19 කොරෝනා වෛරසයේ අවධානම් තත්වය හේතු කරගෙන බව පැහැදිලිය. එමෙන් ම එම මාරාන්තික වෛරසයේ ව්‍යාප්තිය පාලනය කිරීමේ අරමුණින් ය. නමුත් එම රජයේ නිවාඩු දිස්ත‍්‍රික් ලේකම් කාර්යාල හා... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 18/03/20)

කිරි මිලදී ගැනීමට මිල්කො සමාගම සුදානමින්
ලසන්ත වික්‍රමසිංහ
කිරි ගොවීන්ගේ කිරි නිෂ්පාදනය මිල දී ගැනීමට මිල්කො සමාගම සූදානම්. මේ වන විට රටේ පවතින වාතාවරණය හේතුවෙන් ඇතැම් කිරි ගොවීන් හට ඔවුන්ගේ කිරි අලෙවි කර ගැනීමේ අපහසුතා ඇති වන බව අපට වාර්තා වී ඇත. එය සැළකිල්ලට ගෙන කිරි ගොවීන් නිපදවන දේශීය කිරි අඛණ්ඩව මිල දී ගැනීමට මිල්කො සමාගම විසින් තීරණය කර තිබේ. එබැවින් මහවැලි, කෘෂිකර්ම, වාර්මාර්ග හා ග්‍රාමීය සංවර්ධන අමාත්‍යාංශයට අනුබද්ධ පූර්ණ රාජ්‍ය සමාගමක් වන මිල්කො සමාගමේ දිවයින පුරා පිහිටි කිරි එකතු කිරීමේ මධ්‍යස්ථාන හරහා කිරි ගොවීන් සපයනු ලබන එළ කිරි මිල දී ගැනීමට මිල්කො සමාගම සූදානමින් සිටින බව දන්වා සිටිමු. වැඩි විස්තර සඳහා පහත අංක අමතන්න. ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

නෞකා සමග ඍජුවම සම්බන්ධව කටයුතු කරන සේවකයන් වෙත කොරෝනා වෛරසය ආසානය වැළැක්වීමට ක‍්‍රියා කිරීම
සමස්ත ලංකා වරාය පොදුසේවක සමිතිය
සභාපති, ශ‍්‍රී ලංකා වරාය අධිකාරිය, කොළඹ. ගරු සභාපතිිතුමනි, අත්‍යවශ්‍ය සේවා යටතේ ක‍්‍රියාත්මක වන ශ‍්‍රී ලංකා වරාය අධිකාරියේ නාවික හා ක‍්‍රියාකරවන කොට්ඨාශ තුල නෞකා සමග ඍජුවම සම්බන්ධව කටයුතු කරන සේවකයන් වෙත කොරෝනා වෛරසය ආසානය වැළැක්වීමට ක‍්‍රියා කිරීම. අප වෘත්තීය සමිතිය මගින් 2020. 01. 29 දින ඔබ වෙත යොමුකළ ලිපියේ සඳහන් කොරෝනා වෛරසයේ ව්‍යාප්තිය පාලනය කරගැනීම සඳහා සියලූ වරායන් සෞඛ්‍ය ආරක්‍ෂිත කලාපයක් බවට තහවුරු කිරීමට වැඩපිළිවෙලක් ඇති කිරීමට එහිදී යෝජනා කරන ලදී. මේ වන විට රජය මගින් රාජ්‍ය හා පෞද්ගලික අංශයන් වෙත නිවාඩු ලබා දී ඇතත් අත්‍යවශ්‍ය සේවා කටයුතු අනිවාර්ය කර ඇත.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

The Validity of the Buddhist Approach to Reality
by Professor Carlo Fonseka Courtesy: The Buddhist (YMBA)
After much thought, I have become convinced of the validity of the Buddhist approach to human conditions. I will tell you very briefly, as to how I arrived at that conviction.  A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE I was born into a Roman Catholic family and received a very orthodox Roman Catholic education until about the age of eighteen. I believed in the central teachings of Roman Catholicism , namely the existence of an all mighty GOD WHO CREATED THE WORLD, and the existence of an IMMORTAL SOUL in man.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

China SWAT Team Practices Taking Down Uncooperative Driver At Coronavirus Checkpoint
QuickTake by Bloomberg
A SWAT team in China's Henan province practiced taking down an uncooperative driver in a staged drill at an official coronavirus checkpoint. China’s unprecedented lockdown and restrictions may have blunted the coronavirus’s spread and averted hundreds of thousands of cases, according to a team of medical experts that visited the outbreak’s epicenter last week. Fewer patients are crowding hospitals in Wuhan and are consulting doctors for fevers, Bruce Aylward, an assistant director-general at the World Health Organization, said in Beijing. But the outbreak could gain ground again as schools reopen and work resumes, Aylward... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

LockDown කලොත් ඇතිවන තත්වය මෙන්න.. නොදන්න රැලි පස්සෙ දුවන්න එපා..
මහින්ද තොරතුරු
Lock Down කිරීම යනු: ජනතාව කිසියම් නිශ්චිත ප්‍රදේශයකට ඇතුළු වීම හෝ පිටවීම වළකාලීමයි. ඒ හරහා හමුදාව සහ පොලිසිය හැරුණ විට රටේ අනෙකුත් සියල්ලන්ටම සිදුවන්නේ තමන්ගේ ගෙවල් ඇතුළට වී සිටීමටයි. චීනයේ වූහාන් පළාත රටෙන් පහළොවෙන් එකකටත් වඩා අඩු ප්‍රදේශයක්. ලෝකයේ සිටින අති විශාලතම හමුදාවට පුළුවන් අන්න ඒ කුඩා ප්‍රදේශයේ ජන ජීවිතයට අවශ්‍ය ආහාර ඇතුළු සැපයුම් ලබා දී සති දෙකක් ආරක්ෂා කරන්න. නමුත් ශ්‍රී ලංකාවම Lock Down කළොත් අපේ රටේ හමුදාව රටේම ජනතාවට ආහාර ආදී සැපයුම් ලබා දීමට ප්‍රමාණවවත් වේවිද..? රජය සහ රණවිරුවන් සියලුම පහසුකම් උපරිමයෙන්ම දීලත් නිරෝධායනය වෙන්න බෑ කියමින් සමහරු දඟලපු හැටි... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

Several attendees of Royal-Thomian big match go into self-quarantine
Courtesy NewsIn.Asia
March 17 (Daily Mirror) – Several attendees of the big match held between S. Thomas’ College and Royal College last weekend have gone into self- quarantine after a SriLankan Airlines First Officer who attended the matches tested positive for the COVID-19, the Daily Mirror learns. Several companies, last night also informed its employees who attended the matches to self- quarantine for 14 days and not to report to work. SriLankan Airlines, in a statement said that upon learning of the First Officer’s medical condition last evening, all crew members who had come... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

Full Text of Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s address on the crisis precipitated by COVID-19
Courtesy NewsIn.Asia
Landing of passenger flights to be banned from midnight of March 18, but normal life to continue with some restrictions Colombo, March 17 (newsin.asia): Here is the full text of Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s address to the nation on the crisis created by the spreading COVID-19 virus: Today, I am addressing you to explain the the steps we have taken and the current status regarding the Coronaviruas, also known as CORVID-19. This January, while the world was just getting to know about the Coronavirus, I took the decision to... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

Fighting COVID-19: Lankan President lists restrictions but rules out lockdown
Courtesy NewsIn.Asia
Holidays and avoidance of large gatherings are currently the preferred ways to stall the spread of the virus Colombo, March 17 (newsin.asia): The Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, on Tuesday allayed fears that the government is thinking of imposing a lockdown of the country to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Speaking on TV, the President made no mention of a lockdown, though the air was thick with the rumor that it was imminent. He, however, advised people not to go out of their residences unnecessarily and avoid... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

From the UK to Sri Lanka: the Australians stranded around the world
Emma Graham-Harrison Courtesy  The Guardian
Cancelled flights, airport shutdowns and soaring ticket prices all preventing people returning home  From Latin America to Los Angeles, people of all ages and professions are considering everything from abandoning holidays, to uprooting studies, and months-long separations from loved-ones. Photograph: Mateusz Słodkowski/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock Australians stranded around the world by cancelled flights, airport shutdowns or soaring ticket prices say they want to heed their government’s advice to return home during the pandemic – but don’t know how. From the UK to Sri Lanka, Latin America to Los Angeles, people of all ages and... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

A complete lock-down essential: Sajith
Courtesy The Daily Mirror
The government should not act like Nero, who played the fiddle when Rome was burning or beat about the bush but should announce a complete lock-down to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Leader Sajith Premadasa told a news conference today. “Many countries have cancelled all events and gone into nationwide lock-downs. France has cancelled the second round of its local elections, Britain has postponed its local elections while the US is currently carrying out discussions on postponing its presidential election even though it is only due in November.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

US donates supplies to aid fight against COVID-19
Courtesy Adaderana
The United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alaina B. Teplitz, on behalf of the American people, presented a donation of equipment that will help protect airport personnel Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) and prevent the spread of COVID-19. The donation of Dupont Tyvek coveralls, nitrile gloves, heavy-duty work gloves, boot covers, and cleaning supplies was received by Major General (Rtd) GA Chandrasiri, Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka, at BIA. The donation is part of U.S. efforts to assist Sri Lanka, stated the US Embassy.  “We stand in... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

Visa extended for foreigners currently in country
Courtesy Adaderana
Due to the spread of the Covid-19 virus in the country, it has been decided to extend the validity period of all types of Visas issued to all foreigners who are currently residing in Sri Lanka, stated the Department of Government Information. The validity period of all types of Visas will be extended for a period of 30 days with effect from 14th March 2020 to 12th April 2020. Accordingly, any foreign national is informed to visit the Visa Division of the Department of Immigration and Emigration on either 08th or 09th... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

Cuba rolls out first coronavirus-fighting drug in China
Samuel MAXIME courtesy sentinel.ht
Cuba's BioCubaFarma group is expected to increase the production of a drug called Interferon B which cures the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, pharmaceutical executives announced Friday. BioCubaFarma President Eduardo Martinez said they have developed 22 drugs, including Interferon B, that are set to be used to contain the COVID-19 global pandemic. The company reports 1,500 COVID-19 patients having been cured by taking Interferon B and the drug will be used by the Chinese National Health Commission to combat the disease which attacks the respiratory system. Mr. Martinez said... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

President addresses the nation
Adaderana
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is currently addressing the nation on the matter of COVID-19 in Sri Lanka. Watch President’s complete speech live on TV Derana or Ada Derana 24x7. https://www.facebook.com/AdaDerana24/videos/2884074625008375/ ජනාධිපති ජාතිය අමතා කරන විශේෂ ප්‍රකාශය▸President Gotabaya Rajapaksa addresses the nation▸ஜனாதிபதியின் நாட்டு மக்களுக்கான விசேட உரை https://youtu.be/4gjI7eYGVVs... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

Number of coronavirus patients in Sri Lanka surge to 43
Ada Derana
Nine more persons have tested positive for coronavirus in Sri Lanka, the National Operation Centre for Prevention of Covid-19 has announced. Accordingly, the total number of coronavirus cases in Sri Lanka now stands at 43. Earlier the number of COVID-19 positive cases in Sri Lanka has climbed to 34, says Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi. She mentioned this at a special media briefing by the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO). Director-General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe stated one of the 6 new patients... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

Four more Coronavirus patients identified
Courtesy Ada Derana
Three more confirmed cases of Coronavirus (Covid-19) have been identified in the country bringing the total number of the patients to 22. The twenty-second Coronavirus patient in the country has been identified, according to the Director General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe. He stated that a 73-year-old male who is being treated at the Karapitiya Hospital has tested positive for the virus. Earlier today three more confirmed cases of Coronavirus (Covid-19) had been reported in the country. Director-General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe revealed this... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

ශ්‍රී ලංකාව තුළ කොරෝනා ආසාදිතයන් 28 දක්වා ඉහළට-Coronavirus patients in Sri Lanka rise to 28
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
A total number of 28 patients tested positive for Covid-19 in Sri Lankan as of now, says the Director General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe. කොවිඩ් -19 හෙවත් කොරෝනා වෛරසය වැළදුණු තවත් රෝගීන් 6 දෙනෙකු හඳුනාගෙන තිබෙනවා. සෞඛ්‍ය සේවා අධ්‍යක්ෂ ජනරාල් විශේෂඥ වෛද්‍ය අනිල් ජාසිංහ හිරු ප්‍රවෘත්ති අංශය කළ විමසීමකදී සඳහන් කළේ ඒ අනුව මෙරට දී හඳුනා ගත් මුළු කොරෝනා වෛරස් ආසාදිතයින්ගේ සංඛ්‍යාව 28 දක්වා ඉහළ යන බවයි. https://youtu.be/u0DiJT0d0wE... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

Public gatherings further restricted
Courtesy Adaderana
The Government has taken several more measures to limit congregation of people in the wake of COVID – 19 outbreak in the country, the President’s Media Division said. Several decisions related to justice and prison activities will be implemented from tomorrow (17) onwards, it said issuing a statement. https://youtu.be/_eHw4RG_dNI The Judicial Services Commission which met today (16) sent out a circular relating to judicial cases to be taken up from March 17 to 20. All the court cases which are to be called at Commercial High Courts, Court... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

This time will pass too - Lord Buddha
Sunil Yatalamatta Gamage 
We’re living through a moment in history when the world is facing the unknown, the unknowable and the uncontrollable. If you’re worried too, I understand. It’s natural. I wanted to share a few thoughts with the Sri Lankan People, that I’ve found helpful to make the best of a challenging situation. 1.Prioritize self - care First and formost, be kind to yourself. Listen to your body.Taking care of yourself physically and mentally is vital in times of stress, worry and anxiety because it’s draining to be “on alert” 24/7. Prioritizing Your wellness will... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

MAITHREEPALA SIRISENA must be defeated
By M D P DISSANAYAKE
Maithreepala Sirisena is aiming to obtain 1st place in Polonnaruwa and garner over 200,000 votes at the next parliamentary elections. In 2010 election, the Alliance of Mahinda Rajapakse secured 127 seats. In 2010 election, Maithreepala secured 90,118 votes in Polonnaruwa District, at a time Maithree’s and Mahinda Rajapakse’s popularity  remained  high.  Since then, has popularity of Maithreepala increased or decreased? Of course, he won the Presidential Election, at the peak of Maithree’s popularity, he only managed to score 118,845 votes in Polonnaruwa with the support of UNP, section of... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

19යට දැන් කළ යුත්තේ 2015 සිටි කථානායක 19යට සහතිකය යෙදීමේදී කළ ව්‍යවස්ථා වැරැද්ද නිවැරදි කිරීම මිස පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රීවරුන්ගේ කැමැත්ත ගෙන 19ය ඉවත් කිරීම නොවේ....!
නීතිඥ අරුණ ලක්සිරි උණවටුන
මාර්තු 15 දිවයින ඉරිදා සංග්‍රහය 04 වැනි පිටුවේ ඇති වෛද්‍ය වසන්ත බණ්ඩාර ලියා ඇති "19ට දැන් කළ යුතු දේ" ලිපිය මගින් 19යේ ව්‍යවස්ථා විරෝධීබව සම්බන්ධයෙන් වන විද්වත් සාකච්ඡාවට හොද අවස්ථාවක් සපයා දී ඇත. "19ට දැන් කළ යුතු දේ" ලිපිය ලිවීමේදී එම වෛද්‍යවරයාට පනත් කෙටුම්පතක් සම්මත කිරීම සහ පනත් කෙටුම්පතක් නීතියක් බවට පත්වීම අතර වෙනසත්, සම්මත කරන ලද පනත් කෙටුම්පතක් නීතියක් බවට පත්වීමට පෙර කථානායක අනුගමනය කළ යුතු ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ  79වන ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ අවසන් විධානයත්, පනත් කෙටුම්පතක් නීතියක් වීමට අවශ්‍ය ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ  80.2 ව්‍යවස්ථාවත් නොපෙනුනේ ඇයි? යන්න ඒ ලිපිය කියවූ අවස්ථාවේ ඇතැම් පාඨකයන්ට... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

කොරෝනා වෛරසය වැළැක්වීමේ අරමුණින් රාජ්‍ය හා පෞද්ගලික අංශ සඳහා දෙනු ලබන නිවාඩු
අන්තර් සමාගම් සේවක සංගමය
ගරු ජනාධිපති ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්‍ෂ මැතිතුමා, ජනාධිපති ලේකම් කාර්යාලය, කොළඹ 01. ගරු ජනාධිපතිතුමනි, කොරෝනා වෛරසය වැළැක්වීමේ අරමුණින් රාජ්‍ය හා පෞද්ගලික අංශ සඳහා දෙනු ලබන නිවාඩුව සම්බන්ධවයි කොරෝනා වෛරසය ව්‍යාප්ත වීම වැළැක්වීමේ අරමුණින නිරෝධායන කි‍්‍රයාවලියට ජනතාවගේ සහයොගය ලබාගැනීම සඳහා 2020 මාර්තු 16 දනි නිවාඩු දනි යක් ලෙස රජය විසනි ප‍්‍රකාශයට පත කරන ලද අතර, එම නිවාඩවු වෙළඳ නවි පාඩුවක් ලෙස පෞද්ගලික සමාගම්, කඩසාපප් ඇතුලූ පෞදග් ලික අංශයේ සියලූ ආයතන වෙත ද ලබාදීමට කටයුතු කරන මෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටිමු. මෙරට ලක්‍ෂ 40 කට අධික ප‍්‍රමාණයක සේවය කරන පෞදග් ලික අංශයේ, සමහර සෙව් ස්ථාන වල 500 කට අධික... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

Racism, finger-pointing, politicizing is the American way
By Wang Wenwen Source:Global Times Published:
The novel coronavirus epidemic has exposed the deep-seated bigotry and substandard manner of some American elites.While China has made enormous sacrifices to contain the spread of the epidemic, and when China's successful practice has gained other countries sufficient time to be alerted and prepared, some Americans just seek xenophobia and finger-pointing to generate more fear and anxiety instead of finding real solutions, an approach that's very American. Tucker Carlson, a political commentator and host of the nightly talk show Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News, nastily called... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

China wants to take a victory lap over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak
Analysis by James Griffiths, CNN
Hong Kong (CNN)China's Communist Party wants more gratitude for its handling of the novel coronavirus outbreak.Speaking Friday, Wang Zhonglin, party chief of Wuhan, the virus-hit capital of Hubei province, said that people in the city -- much of which remains on lockdown -- were not appreciative enough.It is necessary, Wang reportedly said, "to carry out gratitude education among the citizens of the whole city, so that they thank (President Xi Jinping), thank the Chinese Communist Party, heed the party, walk with the party, and create strong positive energy."His comments attracted widespread criticism online, and have since... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

Beijing launched a powerful campaign to project an image of global leadership in fighting Coronavirus
FB
https://www.facebook.com/harsha.perera.5661/videos/10156549828102531... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

The Two Dark Sides of COVID-19
By Peter Singer & Paola Cavalieri courtesy Asian Tribune
The apocalyptic images of the locked-down Chinese city of Wuhan have reached us all. The world is holding its breath over the spread of the new coronavirus, COVID-19, and governments are taking or preparing drastic measures that will necessarily sacrifice individual rights and freedoms for the general good. Some focus their anger on China’s initial lack of transparency about the outbreak. The philosopher Slavoj Žižek has spoken of “the racist paranoia” at work in the obsession with COVID-19 when there are many worse infectious... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

Buddhist centre opened in Uganda, the first on the African continent
Mahinda Gunasekera 
Please on the LINK below to access the video about the ordination of two young Africans at the Buddhist Centre in Uganda.  The Burmese and Thai Buddhist communities to have participated in the event. The chief monk of the Centre is Ven. Buddharakkita Thera whom we have met on two occasions on visits to the Bhavana Society established by the Most Venerable Henepola Gunaratana Mahathera.  Ven. Buddharakkita had first ordained as a monk under the guidance of the Late Ven. U. Seelananda Thera (a pupil of Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw) who was in charge of the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

COVID-19: Further Evidence that the Virus Originated in the US
FB
https://www.globalresearch.ca/covid-19-further-evidence-virus-originated-us/5706078 CONFIRMED - FORT DETRICK, THE UNITED STATES BIOLOGICAL WARFARE LAB IS WHERE CORONAVIRUS ORIGINATED FORCED TO SHUT DOWN WHEN VIRUSES LEAKED AUGUST 2019 US SOLDIERS WERE INFECTED 300 HUNDRED CAME TO WUHAN ON PRETENSE OF TAKING PART IN THE WORLD MILITARY COMPETITION - WON NOT ONE MEDAL SPREAD OUT IN WUHAN WITH SOME VISITING THE WET MARKETS US CONSULATE IN WUHAN FULLY EVACUATED WITH BIOWEAPON DRUMS LEFT IN GROUNDS WEEKS LATER FIRST VICTIM OF CORONAVIRUS APPEARED IN WUHAN ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/03/20)

Don’t be deceived by social media posts: Ayurveda Dept.
Courtesy The Daily Mirror
The Ayurveda Department today cautioned the public not to be deceived by various social media posts about Ayurvedic cures for COVID-19 saying there was no such remedy for the viral infection except for immune-boosting spices or herbs like ginger and coriander. Commissioner of Ayurveda K.D.C.S. Kumaratunga said it was a punishable offence under the Ayurveda Act No.31 of 1961 for a person who had not registered with the Ayurvedic Medical Council to dispense or promote such cures publicly. Addressing a special press briefing held today at the Ayurveda Department in... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 16/03/20)

GMOA proposes govt. to shutting down of airport, harbours
Courtesy The Daily Mirror
The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) in a letter to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa today has proposed drastic measures to control the COVID-19 pandemic including the shutting down of all airports and harbours with immediate effect. They also asked to extend public holidays to cover the entire week and prevent unnecessary movement and gathering of people; centrally coordinated vigorous measures for contact tracing and monitoring, utilizing MOH (Medical Officer of Health) offices, Grama Niladharis, Armed Forces and Police; Provide adequate protection for healthcare staff in both government and private sectors and postpone all... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 16/03/20)

Govt. declares three-day special public holiday
Courtesy Adaderana
The Government of Sri Lanka has declared a special public holiday for the next three days. The declared three-day holiday is also applicable to the private sector. Accordingly, the holiday will be in effect from tomorrow (17) until Thursday (19), the government announced.  https://youtu.be/9559scy9_lo However, this special three-day holiday will be effective for departments, corporations and state institutions excluding health, food supply, transport, essential services, banking, District Secretariats and Divisional Secretariats. The government had requested the private sector to also grant the three-day holiday.  ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 16/03/20)

තිස් එක්වෙනිවෙනි රෝගියා patient 31
උපුටා ගැනීම - අනව තප්ත විල
ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ covid-19 රෝගීන් 21 දෙනෙක් වාර්තා වෙලා ඉන්න වෙලාවේ පොඩි දෙයක් කියන්න හිතුණා.. මේ සටහන මම පටන් ගන්නෙ "Don't try to be like patient 31" කියලා ... කවුද මේ patient 31 කියන්නෙ? දකුණු කොරියාව කියන්නෙ චීනයට පස්සෙ ඉතාම සීඝ්‍රයෙන් මේ වෛරසය මුලින්ම ව්‍යාප්ත වුන රටක්.. හැබැයි ඒ යම් හේතුවක් නිසා.. ඒ හේතුව තමයි " patient 31" කතාව. පෙබරවාරි 18 වෙනකන් වගෙ දවසට එකා දෙන්නා වගෙ වාර්තා වුනු දකුණු කොරියානු රෝගීන් සංඛ්‍යාව තිබුණෙ 30ක් විදියට.. Daegu වල 61 හැවිරිදි කාන්තාවක් 31 වෙනි රෝගියා විදියට කොරෝනා... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 16/03/20)

No holiday for health workers & wholesale, retail traders tomorrow
Courtesy Adaderana
The Department of Government Information says that there will not be any changes in the already declared Public, Bank and Mercantile holiday tomorrow (16). However, the Department has requested the wholesale and retail traders to remain open. Cabinet Spokesperson, Minister Bandula Gunawardana also announced this during a special media briefing held at the Department of Government Information today. https://youtu.be/AHFBFNNK75Q The government will work in order to make sure the general public will not suffer any shortages of goods, Minister Gunawardana has noted. By declaring... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 16/03/20)

Coronavirus cases in Sri Lanka climb to 18
Courtesy Adaderana
Another 7 returnees from Italy have been diagnosed positive for coronavirus bringing the total number of cases in the country to 18, stated the Director-General of Health Dr. Anil Jasinghe. They had been in quarantine at the Kandakadu quarantine facility. The identified persons are all male and are currently receiving treatment at the Polonnaruwa hospital. Earlier today (15), another 45-year-old male was tested positive for the virus. He had been on the same tour in Germany with the person who had previously been diagnosed with the disease. He... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 16/03/20)

Why we should give two-third majority to Podujana Peramuna and its Sandanaya and not vote for Sajith Premadasa led Samagi Peramuna, UNP. or JVP
By Charles S.Perera
There may not be election meetings. There may not be house to house campaign by Candidates.  But there may the possibility of voting for your preferred candidate from the political party you support. Therefore there are things that you have to think before you cast your vote.  We had been a country that was in the process of being divided and communally separated by a ruthless group of terrorists supported by the so-called Western Democracies. Yes, Western Democracies.  We were saved from that eventuality thanks to the people who elected  Mahinda Rajapaksa... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 16/03/20)

මේ රටේ පන්සල් වලට සහ භික්සුන්ට දේසපාලනය අකැපද?
ආචාර්ය සුදත් ගුණසේකර (ශ්රි.ලo.පසේ) මහනුවර සින්හල බෞද්ධ ජෙස්ඨ පුරවැසියන්ගේ සන්ව්ධානයේ සභාපති
මේ දිනවල සමාජගත වෙමින් පවතින මේ මාතෘකාව පිළිබද අදහස් කීපයක් ප්රකාශ කිරීමට මා අදහස් කළේ ජාතියේ ඉරණම විසදෙන මහ මැතිවරණයක් අතලන්ගම ඇති බැවිනි. පසුගිය දිනක මහනුවරට පැමිණි මැතිවරණ කොමිසමේ  සභාපතිතුමා  අස්ගිරි  හා මල්වතු නා හිමිවරුන් බැහදැකීමට ගිය අවස්ථාවේදි පන්සල් දේශපාලන වැඩ සදහා යොදා නොගත යුතු බවට ඔහු ප්රකාශකළ බවක් පුවත්පත් වල මම දුටුවෙමි.  භික්සුව සහ දේසපාලනය යන කරුණ  බොහෝ සාකච්චාවට බන්දුන් වූ කරුණකි. මේ පිලිබද මනා විග්රහයක් විද්යාලන්කාර පිරිවෙනේ වැඩසිටි වල්පොල රාහුල හිමියන් විසින් භික්සුවගේ උරුමය නමැති කෘතියේ අගනා විග්‍රහයක් කොට ඇත. ඒ මගින්... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 16/03/20)

මාර්තු 15 ඉරිදා දිවයින පත්‍රයෙහි පල වූ අනුර ජයසේන මහතාගේ "රසායනික පොහොර වලින් තොර" වගාව පිලිබඳ ලිපිය සම්බන්ධවයි.
ආචාර්ය චන්ද්‍ර ධර්මවර්ධන විසිනි.
දැනට ඇහැලියගොඩ ආපන ශාලවක් පවත්වාගෙන යන අතර අක්කර හතරක ගොවිතැන් සහ බෝග වගාවක් ද  වවන  අජිත් පිරයන්ත  තරුණ මහතගේ ප්‍රයත්නය ගැන ලක්ෂණ ලිපියක් පසුගිය ඉරිදා දිවයින පත්‍රයෙහි පල විය. එම ලිපිය අනුව:  තම පියාගේ ආභාෂය මත කුඩාකල සිටම කුඹුරට, කමතට ඇලූම් කළ අජිත් කැත්ත උදැල්ල කමතට අවනත කරගැනීමට වැය කළේ කෙටි කාලයකි. සිය අධ්‍යාපනය ද හොදින් හැදෑරූ අජිත් ලද සෑම විවේකයක්ම ගතකළේ පියාත් සමග කුඹුරේය. ... උදෑසනම අවදි වන අජිත් සහ බිරිඳ සිය ආපනශාලාවට අවශ්‍ය ආහාර සකසා ගනී. එ්වාට ද බහුතරයක් අඩංගු වන්නේ අජිත්ගේ ගෙවත්තෙන් නෙළාගන්නා මිරිස්, දෙහි, කංකුන්, මුගුණ, බටු, ඇඹරැුල්ල, අඹ,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 16/03/20)

ERASING THE EELAM VICTORY PT 14 A
KAMALIKA PIERIS
This essay looks at the bungling that took place in the conduct of Eelam war 11 (1990-1995) and Eelam War    III (1995-2002). This was no ordinary bungling. It was calculated bungling. War campaigns were planned in such a way that the LTTE would win. The government launched battles that the army would lose. Experienced officers and fine soldiers were made to die in battle. This was a calculated plan to engineer a LTTE ‘victory’.  The war preparations of the Sri Lanka army during Eelam war II and III were highly questionable.  Since the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 16/03/20)

Collective Destinies in Pestilence
by Asanga Abeyagoonasekera
“No longer were there individual destinies?; only a collective destiny. Made for plague and emotions shared by all.” Albert Camus In 430 BC, an entire chapter of the Peloponnesian war documented by the Greek historian, Thucydides was about a deadly epidemic. According to him, while Athenians prepared for war with Sparta, its course changed dramatically due to a plague. First, Athenians believed it was the work of Spartans who have poisoned their waters, but eventually understood it was a plague. Over the course of history, epidemics have wiped out villages, populations and devastated... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/03/20)

ආචාර්ය සුදත් ගුණසේකර මහතා, 2020, මාර්තු 13 දින, ලංකාවෙබ් පුවත් අඩවියෙහි (Lankaweb- March 13, 2020) පලකරනු ලැබූ ඉතා වැදගත් ලිපිය හා බැදේ:
දයා හේවාපතිරණ
ආචාර්ය සුදත් ගුණසේකර මහතා, අප ජනාදිපති තුමා වෙත යොමුකර ඇති ඉතා වැදගත් ඉල්ලීම් මෙන්ම, මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතා රටෙහි ජනාදිපති ලෙස සිටි කාලයෙහිදී මෙම සිහල බෞද්ධ රටෙහි අභිවුර්ධය සදහා ගතහැකිව තිබුන අවශ්‍යම පියවරයන්, අවස්ථාව තිබියදී පවා, ඉතා අදූරදර්ශී ලෙස අතපසු කිරීම නිසා, රටෙහි ඒකීය භාවයට සහ හෙළ බොදු සoන්ස්කෘතියෙහි උන්නතිය සම්බන්දයෙන් උද්ගතවී ඇති දැවැන්ත අභියොගයන් පිලිබන්දව එතුමා දක්වා ඇති සත්‍ය තොරතුරු, දේශප්‍රේමී සියලු දෙනා අනුමත කරන බව නොඅනුමානය.  විශේෂයෙන් එතුමා දක්වා ඇති පහත සදහන් සත්‍ය තොරතුරු දේශප්‍රේමී සියලු දෙනාගේ-අවධානයට-යොමුවිය-යුතුය: “… ඉන්දියාව විසින් බලහත්කාරයෙන් අප හිසමත පටවනලද පළාත්සභා ශාපය සහ ඊට පදනමවූ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/03/20)

මගී ජනතාවගේ ආරක්‍ෂාව සඳහාත් ශ‍්‍රී ලංගම සේවකයින්ගේ ආරක්‍ෂාව සඳහාත් ශ‍්‍රී ලංගම සියලූම රියදුරු කොන්දොස්තර මහතුන් හට මුඛ ආවරණ ලබාදීමට කඩිනමින් මැදිහත්වන ලෙස ඉල්ලා සිටීම.
සමස්ත ලංකා ප්‍රවාහන සේවක සංගමය
ගරු ප‍්‍රවාහන අමාත්‍ය මහින්ද අමරවීර මැතිතුමා, ප‍්‍රවාහන හා සිවිල් ගුවන්සේවා අමාත්‍යාංශය, 7 වන මහළ, සෙත්සිරිපාය, බත්තරමුල්ල. ගරු ඇමතිතුමනි, මගී ජනතාවගේ ආරක්‍ෂාව සඳහාත් ශ‍්‍රී ලංගම සේවකයින්ගේ ආරක්‍ෂාව සඳහාත් ශ‍්‍රී ලංගම සියලූම රියදුරු කොන්දොස්තර මහතුන් හට මුඛ ආවරණ ලබාදීමට කඩිනමින් මැදිහත්වන ලෙස ඉල්ලා සිටීම. මේ මොහොත වන විට අප රට තුල උද්ගත වී ඇති කොරෝනා වසංගතය නිසා ජනතාව ඉමහත් අසීරුතාවයන්වලට පත්වී ඇත. ශ‍්‍රී ලංගම සේවය කරනු ලබන රියදුරු කොන්දොස්තර මහතුන් දෙපළ දිනකට 1000 කට වඩා ජනතාව සමග අනිවාර්යයෙන්ම ඇසුරු කිරීමට සිදුවේ. බස් රථවල ගමන් කරන මගීන් පිළිබඳව විධිමත් අවබෝධයක් නොමැති නිසා ශ‍්‍රී ලංගම සේවකයින්... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/03/20)

Stop COVID 19 Now!
Dan Lee Dimke
The highly contagious virus that has caused "The COVID-19 Outbreak", carries a significant vulnerability that may be immediately exploitable. In other words, this coronavirus can be stopped, far more easily than most people, and many health professional, realize. Dr. Dan Lee Dimke PhD, explains the science behind the fragile nature of this virus, and offers an easy, self-administered therapy that may hold the key to ending this outbreak quickly. (FULL Extended Version 16:45) https://youtu.be/XXO4Uyrf7z8... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/03/20)

Coronavirus: Modi proposes COVID-19 emergency fund for SAARC nations, offers $10 million
Courtesy Scroll.in
The prime minister said ‘prepare but do not panic’ was India’s motto as it tackled the virus. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the video conference of SAARC nations to tackle coronavirus on Sunday. | BJP/Twitter Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday proposed to set up a COVID-19 emergency fund for South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation nations to help tackle the spread of the virus, and said India can initially offer $10 million, reported The Hindu.Modi had on Friday called on the other seven SAARC nations – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/03/20)

Coronavirus: Sri Lanka border closed to UK visitors
Courtesy BBC
Sri Lanka has closed its border to travellers from the UK, affecting England fans who were still planning to visit the country despite the postponement of the two-Test series. Even though Joe Root's side arrived home on Sunday, a number of supporters intended to go ahead with holidays. However, people from the UK, or who have travelled through the UK, will not be allowed into Sri Lanka from midnight local time on Monday. Some fans are already in Sri Lanka. Several more were set to depart in the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/03/20)

FOREIGN OFFICE ADVISES AGAINST ALL BUT ESSENTIAL TRAVEL TO SRI LANKA
Courtesy TTG Media
The Foreign Office has updated its travel advice to advise against all but essential travel to Sri Lanka. The move effectively places the popular holiday hotspot off limits to British tourists. The FCO made the announcement shortly after midday on Sunday (15 March), citing a decision by the Sri Lankan government to curb travel. "The Sri Lankan government has decided people arriving from the UK, or having travelled through the UK, will not be allowed to enter Sri Lanka from midnight on 16 March (6.30pm UK time),"... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/03/20)

Sri Lanka’s economy has taken severe blow amid coronavirus scare: President Rajapaksa
Courtesy ANI
https://youtu.be/C53D4ezy8ds New Delhi, Mar 15(ANI): While attending a video conference of all South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member countries amid Coronavirus scare, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said, “Our economy has taken serious blow, particularly tourism sector which was just recovering after last years' terrorist attack. I strongly recommend SAARC leaders to formulate mechanism to assist our economies to tide over difficult period.”... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/03/20)

Sri Lanka tackling COVID-19 better than US
MANO RATWATTE, USA Courtesy The Island
March 15, 2020, 8:50 pm Your Sunday paper headlines speak of panic buying in Sri Lanka because of the Coronavirus.  I can assure you it is no different in the US right now.  Almost all major Walmart and Target type super stores are out of toilet paper and all hand sanitizer products (gels and wipes), and people are buying up nonperishable goods in unusually large quantities. I witnessed that at four stores, when I went to buy my regular groceries for the week. I... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/03/20)

Election won’t be postponed - Prez
by Saman Indrajith Courtesy The Island
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, yesterday, said the general election would be held on 25 April, as scheduled. He said so, participating in a video conference of SAARC leaders on Sunday evening. Pakistan was represented by the Health Minister of that country. The SAARC leaders’ video conference was aimed at chalking out a strategy to combat coronavirus spreading in the region. President Rajapaksa informed the SAARC leaders of the steps Sri Lanka had taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Prime Minister Modi said that though the number... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/03/20)

Govt. dispels rumors that Colombo to come under lockdown
Courtesy The Daily Mirror
The Health Ministry dispelled rumors that Colombo city or any other province will come under lockdown following a rise in the number of COVID-19 patients but added that preventive measures were being updated on a daily basis."As of now, there is no truth to Colombo being locked down. However our medical teams are closely monitoring the situation here and are making decisions which will benefit the citizens and prevent a public spread of the virus," an official from the Health Ministry said.A source from the President's Office also denied the rumors stating that... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/03/20)

President calls on SAARC for mechanism to assist coronavirus-hit economies
Courtesy Adaderana
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa today (15) proposed to leaders of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to formulate a collective response to combat COVID – 19. He further called for SAARC Ministerial Meeting to discuss measures to overcome this deadly health threat. President Rajapaksa made these proposals participating in a video conference with all SAARC leaders under the theme of “SAARC Leader on Combating COVID – 19, Setting an Example to the World”, an initiative by Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India.  https://youtu.be/ZlA_1620qs0 President Gotabaya Rajapaksa noted... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/03/20)

6-month prison sentence for concealing coronavirus infection
Courtesy Adaderana
Individuals who conceal the fact that they have contracted COVID-19 will be sentenced to six months in prison, stated the Police. DIG Ajith Rohana mentioned this at a special press conference held earlier this afternoon (15). He added that steps will be take enabling arrest of such individuals without a warrant. https://youtu.be/36UTsyMJ4sI Further, the law will be strictly enforced against those who spread false rumors on the coronavirus through social media, he said. Meanwhile, 23 individuals have been arrested over the spread of such... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/03/20)

Hotline to seek or provide information on COVID-19
Courtesy Adaderana
The government has introduced a hotline (117) for the public to seek or provide information on the novel coronavirus or COVID-19. The hotline will be active from 8 pm tonight (15), stated the Department of Government Information. https://youtu.be/0PIhhe5G4MQ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/03/20)

Incoming flights from UK, Norway, Belgium suspended
Courtesy Adaderana
All flights to Sri Lanka from the United Kingdom, Norway and Belgium have been suspended from tomorrow (16). The relevant travel restriction will be in effect for 2 weeks, stated the Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). All airlines are strongly instructed not to board in any of their flights destined to Sri Lanka, any passenger who is either originating from the aforementioned states or who has been in any of those countries within the last 14 days. Further, any passenger arriving from those countries on March 16 will... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/03/20)

Govt. to identify those who have not undergone quarantine after arriving from Italy
Courtesy Adaderana
Steps will be taken to identify and quarantine those who had arrived in Sri Lanka from Italy and had not undergone a quarantine period, stated the Director-General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe. Persons who had arrived in the country from Italy between the 1st and 9th of March will be identified for quarantine in this manner. Dr. Jasinghe mentioned this at a joint television program conducted to educate the public on the current status of COVID-19 spread and control. https://youtu.be/0PIhhe5G4MQ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/03/20)

රංගේබණ්ඩාරගෙන් සජිත්ට පිළිතුරු
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
ඩීල් කුමන්ත්‍රණයක් සම්බන්ධයෙන් සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාස මහතා කළ ප්‍රකාශයක් පිළිබඳව හිටපු පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී පාලිත රංගේබණ්ඩාර මහතා අද ප්‍රතිචාර දැක්වූවා. ඒ, සිරිකොත එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂ මූලස්ථානයේ පැවති ප්‍රවෘත්ති සාකච්ඡාවකදීයි. https://youtu.be/dprQCHcEGCk මේ අතර, එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂ හිටපු පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී ශාන්ත අබේසේකර මහතා ඇතුළු පිරිසක් සමගි ජන බලවේගයට සහය පළකිරීම සඳහා අද එක්වුණා. එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂ උපනායක රවි කරුණානායක මහතාගේ සහය සමගි ජන බලවේගයට ලබාගැනීම සම්බන්ධ සාකච්ඡාවක් අද බත්තරමුල්ලේ පිහිටි ඔහුගේ නිවසේදී පැවැත්වුණේ, රාජිත සේනාරත්න, සුජීව සේනසිංහ යන මහත්වරුන් ඇතුළු පිරිසකගේ සහභාගීත්වයෙන්.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/03/20)

සන්ධානයට එක් වුණේ නැත්නම් ගමට යන්න බෑ - කිරිඇල්ල
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
අද ‘‘හාඩ්ටෝක්“ විශේෂාංගය තුළින් සෘජුවම ප්‍රශ්න කෙරෙන්නේ එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂ හිටපු පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී ලක්ෂ්මන් කිරිඇල්ල මහතාගෙන්. https://youtu.be/7rsjnwqvFYw... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/03/20)

Power without honour in our Parliament
Dr D.Chandraratna
Countless are the pieces written lamenting the madness at Diyawanna Oya in the past so many years. Editorials, opinion pages and features in this daily alone demanded a proactive approach to stem the declining standards of our Parliament.  There is no denying that if unchecked constitutional democracy becomes unworkable because the system rests on honour, dignity and morality as much as on rules and legalities. It has been noted even in western countries that declining standards have the tendency to promote authoritarian streaks in parliamentary regimes. Belying the democratic principle that every person has the right... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 14/03/20)

USLA Spokepersons Report 4/19 to 3/20
Dr. Chula Rajapakse MNZM  Wellington , New Zealand
The year under review literally began with a bang, a big bang that leftover three hundred dead and many more wounded. Yes, it was the Easter Day 2019 bombings. At a Sri Lankan gathering in Lower Hutt that evening a fellow Sri Lankan, a Sinhalese Buddhist if you would permit me, opined to me rather guiltily, “ don’t know whether an extremist Buddhist organization was behind this”. I immediately dismissed this as being unlikely considering the scale of the bombings, four almost simultaneous attacks at four different sites and... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 14/03/20)

ඉතාලි කොරෝනා ත‍්‍රස්තයන් රටට කොරෝනා බෝකල හැටි හෙලිවෙයි.. ඉතාලියේදීම හොරෙන් පැනඩෝල් බීලා ඇවිත් ගුවන් තොටේත් යකා නටලා..
nethnews
කොරෝනා වෛරසය වැලදී ඇති බවට තහවුරුවූ කන්දකාඩු නිරෝධායන මධ්‍යස්ථානයේ සිටි පුද්ගලයින් දෙදෙනා ඉතාලියේ සිටියදීම පෙනඩෝල් වැනි ඖෂධ පානය කොට මෙරටට පැමිණ ඇති බව සෞඛ්‍ය අධ්‍යක්ෂක ජනරාල් වෛද්‍ය අනිල් ජාසිංහ ප්‍රකාශ කරයි. ” මෙම පුද්ගලයින් දෙදෙනා මිලානෝ නුවර සිට ගුවන් ගතවෙන්න ඉඩ ලැබී නැති නිසා එතැන සිට වාහනයකින් සැතපුම් 800ක් ගොස් එහි සිට ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට පැමිණ තිබෙනවා. ඔවුන් ඉතාලියේ සිටියදීම උණ ගතියෙන් පෙලීම නිසා පෙනඩෝල් වැනි ප්‍රති ජීවක ඖෂධ පානය කරලා ඇගේ උණ ගතිය් යටපත් කර ගෙන තිබෙනවා. ඒ ගුවන් තොටුපලේදී සිදුකරන පරීක්ෂාවෙන් බේරෙන්න. මොවුන් ලංකාවට පැමිණියාට පස්සේ රජයේ නිරෝධායන වැඩසටහනට යන්න... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 14/03/20)

Peak of COVID-19 outbreak is over in China
Courtesy NewsIn.Asia
The daily increase has dropped to single digit, the Chinese government said. Beijing, March 15 (newsin.sia): According to the National Health Commission of China, on 11 March, Wuhan reported only 8 new confirmed cases, which means that the daily increase has dropped to single digit, the Chinese government said. In other places of Hubei, no new confirmed cases were reported throughout the past week. Outside Hubei, 7 new confirmed cases were reported, of which 6 were imported. As of 12 March, no new indigenous cases had been reported for at... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 14/03/20)

Parliamentary election under a crazy election law
by C.A.Chandraprema Courtesy The Island
*  Why Parliamentary Elections Act of 1981 should be amended*  Merits of our 1946 Parliamentary Elections Order in Council March 14, 2020, 6:55 pm Parliament has now been dissolved and an election is now on even though the election campaign has not begun in earnest due to the Covid-19 threat. In China, where the Covid-19 epidemic originated, the first fatality from the virus was reported in mid January and the epidemic had run its course before mid-March. Medical teams from China are now being flown... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 14/03/20)

How many will die of coronavirus in the UK? A closer look at the numbers
Courtesy The Guardian (UK)
What the statistics from the outbreak so far can tell us about infection and mortality rates The startling spread of the coronavirus across the globe is causing understandable alarm. But though it is still too early to draw definitive conclusions about how many deaths may occur, the statistics do point to general trends that can get lost in the drama. At present, one thing that does seem clear is that the vast majority of people who get the disease will survive. The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated the mortality... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 14/03/20)

Sri Lankans arriving from Europe, must undergo quarantine process
Courtesy The Daily Mirror
Any Sri Lankan arriving in Colombo from any European country during the travel ban period, must either undergo the quarantine process or fly back to the country from where they departed, Airport and Aviation Services Vice Chairman Rajeewasiri Sooriyaarachchi told the Daily Mirror. He said the reasons that compelled them to impose a travel ban were the reluctance shown by the returnees to go to quarantine centres and the lack of space at quarantine centres. “There are about 3,000 persons who are being quarantined at the two centres in Batticaloa,”... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 14/03/20)

SL limits provision of consular services in 11 overseas Missions
Courtesy The Daily Mirror
In view of the present circumstances of the rapid spread of COVID-19 globally, and in order to limit the spread of the virus among Sri Lankans who visit the Sri Lanka Missions overseas, the Ministry of Foreign Relations has decided to limit the provision of consular services in 11 Sri Lanka Missions overseas commencing 16 March until further notice. These countries include Italy, Iran, South Korea, France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, The Netherlands, Sweden and Austria, the Ministry of Foreign Relations said. This decision has been taken in view of... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 14/03/20)

Foreign Ministry officer in self-quarantine as family member tested positive
Courtesy The Daily Mirror
On learning that one of the family members of an officer of the Foreign Ministry is diagnosed with COVID -19, the Ministry, upon seeking necessary medical advice, has taken a series of precautionary measures to avoid and minimize the risk of transmission of the virus and the officer concerned has been self-quarantined since Friday.The foreign ministry said that as an initial step, those staff who have come in direct contact with the officer concerned, during one working day earlier this week in Colombo, and others in an European capital where the person was... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 14/03/20)

Number of Coronavirus cases in Sri Lanka rises to 10
Courtesy Adaderana
Two more Coronavirus positive cases have been identified in Sri Lanka, says the Director General of Health Services. Dr. Anil Jasinghe stated that these two patients bring the total number of Coronavirus cases in the country to ten (10). One of them is a 56-year-old woman had returned from Italy on March 07. The other is a 17-year-old girl, who is identified as a relative of a patient who was previously confirmed to be infected with the virus. The first Sri Lankan coronavirus (COVID-19) patient in the country... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 14/03/20)

Zoological, botanical gardens & national parks to be temporarily closed
Courtesy Adaderana
All zoological gardens, botanical gardens, and national parks, which are under the purview of the Departments of National Zoological Gardens, Botanical Gardens, Wildlife Conservation, and Forest Conservation, are to be closed for two weeks. The Department of Government Information announced that this measure will be in effect from tomorrow (15). Accordingly, National Zoological Garden, Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, Pinnawala Zoo, Ridiyagama Safari Park, all botanical gardens and national parks under the Wildlife Department’s purview will be off-limits for the public for the time being. This decision was taken as a precautionary... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 14/03/20)

Refrain from conducting Masses till end of March, Cardinal requests
Courtesy Adaderana
Archbishop of Colombo Diocese, His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has requested all churches to refrain from conducting Sunday and other Masses till the end of March. Cardinal Ranjith stated this addressing a special media briefing at the Catholic Archbishop’s House this evening (14).... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 14/03/20)

Mass gatherings not allowed for two weeks – Health Minister
Courtesy Adaderana
Permission will not be granted for mass gatherings for two weeks due to the risks of coronavirus (Covid-19) in the country, says the Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi. She made this announcement during a special media briefing at the Department of Government Information today (14). https://youtu.be/oIR586hKF28 Minister Wanniarachchi stated that this decision was taken as a precautionary measure since the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus (Covid-19) in Sri Lanka has now risen to a total of seven. She requested the public to avoid places where... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 14/03/20)

Europe now the epicentre of coronavirus pandemic – WHO
Courtesy Adaderana
Europe is now the “epicentre” of the global coronavirus pandemic, the head of the World Health Organization says. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries to use aggressive measures, community mobilisation and social distancing to save lives. “Do not just let this fire burn,” he said. His comments came as several European countries reported steep rises in infections and deaths. Italy has recorded its highest daily toll yet. There were 250 deaths recorded over the past 24 hours, taking the total to 1,266, with 17,660 infections overall. ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 14/03/20)

Indian PM calls on SAARC to fight coronavirus
Courtesy Adaderana
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday called on the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to fight the coronavirus threat jointly. This came minutes after India evacuated 44 citizens who from the Iranian city of Qom after the cancellation of flights due to coronavirus outbreak in that country. “I would like to propose that the leadership of SAARC nations chalk out a strong strategy to fight coronavirus. We could discuss, via video conferencing, ways to keep our citizens healthy. Together, we can set an example to the world and contribute to... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 14/03/20)

Cinemas under Film Corp. requested to halt screening films until further notice
Courtesy Adaderana
All movie theatres under the purview of National Film Corporation have been requested to suspend screening of movies until further notice, says the Cultural Affairs Ministry. This decision was taken under directives of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, taking into consideration the prevailing health concerns due to the threat of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country. Five cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Sri Lanka as of yesterday (13) while several others were admitted to the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) on suspicion of being infected with the virus.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 14/03/20)

මේ රටට හා ජාතියට මහා වියශනයක් හා ජාතික ආර්ථිකයට සුදු අළියෙක් වූ පලාත් සභා හූනියම සහ ඊට පදනම වූ 1987 ජුලි 29 ජේ.ආර් / රජීව් ගිවිසුම වහාම අහෝසි කරමු.
ආචාර්ය සුදත් ගුණසේකර
13. 3. 2020. (මෙම ලිපිය එම විෂය පිළිබඳවම, 2018.7.6. දින ලංකාවෙබ් පුවත් අඩවිය වෙත මා විසින් ලියන ලද ලිපියක වර්තමාන තත්වයට සරිලන පරිදි යාවත්කාලීන කරන ලද පිටපතක් බව කරුණාවෙන් සලකන්න) ගරු ලකිසුරු ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ මැතිතුමනි,  මේ රටට හා  ජාතියට මහා වියශනයක් හා ජාතික ආර්ථිකයට සුදු අළියෙක් වූ  ඉන්දියාව විසින් බලහත්කාරයෙන් අප හිසමත පටවනලද පළාත්සභා ශාපය සහ ඊට පදනම වූ  1987 ජුලි 29 ජේ.ආර් / රජීව් ගිවිසුමේ මූලික අරමුන වූයේ මේ රටේ සිංහල බෞද්ධ ජාතිය මුළුමනින්ම නැති කර දමා මේ රටතුල ඉන්දීය දෙමල ආධිපත්තිය තහවුරු කිරීම සදහා අවස්ය ඉස්ථිර... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/03/20)

WHO WILL STAND UP TO INDIA, THE REAL ENEMY OF THIS NATION, DEMAND REPARATIONS AND THROW OUT THEIR JUNK?
Stanley Gunaratne 
Does India owe Sri Lanka an apology and REPARATIONS for our nation's suffering? Absolutely yes. So when our so called leaders (everyone in Parliament) pander to India, when they dress like the Indian leader, when they say India is their brother (from the President who won the war no less as well as his deputies), it is a cause for major concern. With leaders who call India our brother, we need no enemies! It is also deeply INSULTING to friends like China to say that we offered things to India first. Furthermore, anyone who would go to India for... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/03/20)

Distortion of our History (further clarification)
Chanaka Bandarage
This Part is prepared basically to respond to comments made by readers in the two earlier articles about this topic. Within our country, we can say anything.  We can glorify ourselves and of course, everyone will be happy. But, the facts asserted must be 100% true. Also, the rest of the world must accept them. What we must bear in mind is that the world at large has not yet accepted our recent findings – eg, Sri Lanka had an advanced civilization before others. According to the current school history textbooks... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/03/20)

Time to pay attention to human rights in USA
Source:Global Times Published: 2020/3/12 
Chen Xu, China's permanent representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva, speaks during the opening ceremony of the photo exhibition "Home: Glimpse of People from Various Ethnic Groups in Xinjiang" in Geneva, Switzerland, on March 2. More than 100 pictures and videos presenting a beautiful, open, and richly-endowed Xinjiang were on display Monday here inside the Palais Des Nations during the 43rd regular session of the UN Human Rights Council. The exhibition has three divisions with respective themes of peace and stability, cultural prosperity, and religious harmony. Photo: Xinhua The 2019 Country... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/03/20)

Sri Lankan economy facing short-term challenges from COVID-19
By Shiran Illanperuma Xinhua
The island nation is facing the temporary loss of markets in the US and Europe, says Atchuthan Srirangan of First Capital Holdings COLOMBO, March 13 (Xinhua) — The Sri Lankan economy may experience external shocks due to the COVID-19 outbreak, with tourism, garment manufacturing, and tea exports to be the hardest hit, a local expert said here Friday. Atchuthan Srirangan, Assistant Manager – Research for Investments at investment management company First Capital Holdings, said that the Colombo Stock Exchange this week had dropped at a similar pace as foreign markets,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/03/20)

Sri Lanka to study how China has controlled COVID 19
Courtesy NewsIn.Asia
For two weeks, no visas for people coming from Europe Colombo, March 14 (newsin.asia) The Sri Lankan government has decided to study how China has been able to control the COVID-19 epidemic. This is one of the several decisions taken on by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa at a meeting of top officials here on Friday to discuss measures to check the spread of the deadly virus. “At present, China has successfully controlled the spread of COVID-19. China had given high priority to manage the social... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/03/20)

Beauty supplement claiming to be made in Australia to 'whiten skin' criticised as 'unethical'
By Tasha Wibawa Courtesy ABC News
PHOTO: The Australian Therapeutic Goods Association does not approve products to be sold as "skin lightening". (Supplied: Krisantha Weerasuriya) A "skin lightening" product advertised as made in Australia, which is being sold in South Asian countries including Sri Lanka and Myanmar, has been slammed by experts and labelled "unethical". Key points:
The packaging of the product is advertised in Myanmar and Sri Lanka as "skin lightening"Listed medicines in Australia cannot be sold for "skin whitening/lightening"The Department of Health does not consider the use of glutathione... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/03/20)

Airlines asked not to bring passengers from South Korea, Iran, Italy
Courtesy Island
* Visas to Europeans suspended* Lankans coming from Europe to be quarantined* Universities closed until further notice* England cricket tour called off March 13, 2020, 10:12 pm Sri Lanka, yesterday, (13), informed airlines to immediately stop bringing in passengers from Italy, South Korea and Iran until further notice. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) made the request on behalf of the government as it struggled to cope with several hundred Sri Lankans quarantined at the Batticaloa Campus and Kandakadu rehabilitation centre in the East. In addition, the government suspended... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/03/20)

Two more quarantine centers operational in Kahagolla & Diyatalawa – Army
Courtesy Adaderana
Sri Lanka Army says that it has enabled two more new Quarantine Centres operational at Kahagolla and the Diyatalawa Army Base Hospital starting from yesterday (12). Issuing a statement, the Army stated that Sri Lankan expatriates and a few South Korean nationals have been accommodated at the improvised Kahagolla Quarantine Centre and the newly-built Diyatalawa Army Base Hospital Quarantine Centres. These quarantine centres were set up under the directives of Commander of the army, Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva. An eight-member medical team has already completed basic quarantine... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/03/20)

Three more cases of Coronavirus confirmed in Sri Lanka
Courtesy Adaderana
Director-General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe confirms that three more patients who had contracted the Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been identified in Sri Lanka. One of these patients is a 41-year-old Sri Lankan male who had arrived from Germany. He has been admitted to the IDH Hospital.  The other two patients are from the group of people who had been quarantined at the facility in Kandakadu. https://youtu.be/hCy2w6J3n8c One of them is a 37-year-old who had arrived from Italy and was placed under quarantine at Kandakadu upon... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/03/20)

Visa for Europeans suspended; Sri Lankans arriving from Europe to be quarantined
Courtesy Adaderana
Several firm decisions have been taken under the guidance of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to combat COVID -19 in the country, the President’s Media Division said.  “Measures initiated by the Government since January have been instrumental in preventing the disease coming into the country. Sri Lanka is in the forefront among the few countries that established a task force to tackle this global health threat,” it said. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa instructed officials to take every necessary action to develop and maintain this positive... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/03/20)

Second case of coronavirus confirmed in Sri Lanka
Courtesy Adaderana
A second person in Sri Lanka has tested positive for Coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total number of presumptive coronavirus cases in the country to two. The Government Information Department stated that another individual who had reportedly stayed with the first Sri Lankan patient diagnosed with the virus, who is currently admitted at IDH Hospital, has also now tested positive for coronavirus. Director General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe states that it has been confirmed that this 44-year-old man had tested positive for coronavirus and that he too is currently receiving treatment... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/03/20)

A Message from Italy
A Friend from Italy
I am writing to you from Bergamo, Italy, at the heart of the coronavirus crisis. The news media in the US has not captured the severity of what is happening here. I am writing this post because of each of you, today, not the government, not the school district, not the mayor, each individual citizen has the chance, today to take actions that will deter the Italian situation from becoming your own country’s reality.  The only way to stop this virus is to limit contagion. And the only way to limit contagion is for... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/03/20)

What Sri Lanka must GIVE to GET $480m MCC “Gift”
The US embassy Colombo is repeatedly saying $480m is a gift & not a loan from the US to the People of Sri Lanka but then insists on signing an agreement & having it passed in Parliament, affording US troops, personnel & contractors immunity and complete waiver of all forms of taxes & levies while section 5.4 has a Late Payment Interest!. MCC also requires Sri Lanka to bear project costs if MCC agreement projects are not complete. Though the MCC agreement is 5 years the economic corridor that was shown by MCC at Temple Trees envisages an electric railway... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 13/03/20)

SL Health System Cannot Cope with the Pandemic; Close Airport for a Month
Dilrook Kannangara
WHO declared COVID19 a pandemic. A pandemic is a global epidemic. Apart from a very few countries including Burma, nowhere is safe from the infection. Within 2 days SL recorded at least two patients. The health system is wholly inadequate to face this challenge. Infrastructure within hospitals is insufficient and the government does not have the funds to sustain a sustained campaign to attend to the infected. Further, if widespread it will devastate poor families as their sole breadwinner will be put out of daily-wage work for a considerable time. ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/03/20)

Hiru Govi Sangarmaya – Another Tamasha to deceive the masses by those already deceived?
By Chandre Dharmawardana
The event, “Hiru Govi Sangraamaya -Thun Helayei Ranketh Udhaanaya” may be visited at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Own9TRzKUYw). A part of the title means “Hiru farmer's battle”. But what does “Uddaana” mean? In Sanskrit, Uddaana implies “the act of binding, fastening together”, while it also denotes the entry of the sun into a zodiacal sign. In Sinhalese  “Uddaana Kaavya”, refers to lyric poetry, while in Buddhist literature “Udaana” refers to a “type of joy”. Perhaps the organizers used words that they thought may imply re-invigoration while ignoring the usage in Sinhala and in mother languages. A writer... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/03/20)

Recommendations of the Lankan Presidential Task Force for COVID-19 control
Courtesy NewsIn.Asia
Hotels requested to voluntarily give space to locate quarantine centers Colombo, March 12 (newsin.asia): The following recommendations made by the Presidential Task Force were approved during the meeting held on 11.03.2020. Request the public to refrain from undertaking overseas visits unless for essential purposes. Temporary suspension of pilgrimages overseas. Temporary suspension of issuing on arrival visas. Increase the space available for quarantining, Appeal to hotel owners for voluntary assistance by allowing the Government to use their hotels as quarantine centres, if the necessity arises.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/03/20)

England consider calling off tour of Sri Lanka amid coronavirus threat before 3,000 supporters travel for first Test
By PAUL NEWMAN and RICHARD GIBSON COURTESY THE DAILY MAIL
England are considering calling off their upcoming cricket tour of Sri LankaThere are concerns travelling England fans could bring the virus with them Sri Lanka has so far been largely untouched, with just three confirmed cases Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor? England were on Thursday night considering calling off their tour of Sri Lanka before an anticipated 3,000 supporters head to Galle for the first Test. Hopes were fading that England could continue with a trip that is scheduled to feature two Tests... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/03/20)

President calls on researchers to identify the right model to develop a small country
Courtesy Adaderana
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa requested the heads of research organizations to find ways and means to uplift a small country such as Sri Lanka with a comparatively small population and an economy. Since the current global economy is based on knowledge, ours should be developed centered around our workforce that can be easily trained, President observed. President Rajapaksa made these observations during a meeting held at the Presidential Secretariat today (13) with Chairmen and Director Board members of state- sector research entities. This is the fourth of the series of meetings... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 12/03/20)

Army Chief on public panic and mass-buying of goods
Courtesy Adaderana
Commander of Army Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva, issuing a special statement, urges the public not to panic over misleading rumors regarding the coronavirus. It has been observed that the public is currently attempting to buy large quantities of food and other goods from supermarkets and shops, said the Army Commander. However, as shops only stock items needed for a day or two, buying large amounts of goods in one day might lead to shops running out of goods, he pointed out. This might lead to a fear among the public that there is... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 12/03/20)

උඩු දුවන එජාප අර්බුදය
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
සමඟි ජන බලවේගය පාර්ශ්වය සහ එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂ පාර්ශ්වය අදත් වෙන් වෙන්ව ප්‍රවෘත්ති සාකච්ඡා පවත්වමින් පවතින අර්බුදය පිළිබඳ අදහස් පළ කළා. https://youtu.be/9-VVY0CDM9A... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 12/03/20)

All schools to be closed from March 13 to April 20
Sri Lanka News
All schools including Private and International Catholic schools under the Archbishop in the country would be closed from tomorrow to April 20 as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 in the country, the Education Ministry said.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 12/03/20)

Second case of coronavirus confirmed in Sri Lanka
Courtesy Adaderana
A second person in Sri Lanka has tested positive for Coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total number of presumptive coronavirus cases in the country to two. The Government Information Department stated that another individual who had reportedly stayed with the first Sri Lankan patient diagnosed with the virus, who is currently admitted at IDH Hospital, has also now tested positive for coronavirus. Director General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe states that it has been confirmed that this 44-year-old man had tested positive for coronavirus and that he too is currently receiving treatment... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 12/03/20)

History currently taught in schools is contrary to the well-established history
Chanaka Bandarage
This write-up is posted in Lankaweb with a view to further clarify the article that I posted in Lankaweb on 10 March 2020, titled ‘Distortion of Our History’. I reproduce from the Grade 6 and 10 textbooks where the history is wrong or questionable (the Sinhala texts below): Please note that the italicized texts are my own comments. Currently, there are 5 history textbooks used by students. They are distributed free of charge by the government to all Sri Lankan schools (Grades 6 -10). Chapter 4.1 of the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 12/03/20)

Now is the time to spread light and love
Bhante Y. Wimala
Dear friends and students,  In the past few weeks, I have been talking with many people who are concerned, anxious and even afraid of the spread of the coronavirus around the world. There is no doubt that this is a serious situation and we all need to listen to the advice of experts and follow their guidelines carefully. I would like to share with you some thoughts that I have been sharing with my close friends and students who are experiencing more than a normal level of anxiety. Self- awareness   You need to pay close... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 12/03/20)

European colonial powers still loth to admit historical evils
Courtesy The Guardian
Netherlands, Germany and Belgium are still coming to terms with their overseas legacies  King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima at Bogor Palace in Indonesia on Tuesday. Photograph: Rex/Shutterstock The Netherlands Visiting Indonesia this week, King Willem-Alexander apologised for his country’s “excessive violence” in its former colony, saying the past could not be erased but must be acknowledged. But while the Dutch view of their colonial history is shifting, the country has yet to fully acknowledge colonial harm, or the extent to which prevailing attitudes to it affect people today, sociologists... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 12/03/20)

කොරෝනා සටන - Battling Corona Virus
Sangkallpa
https://youtu.be/wy60pLJE6TE... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 12/03/20)

කොරියාව, ඉතාලිය, ඉරානයෙන් එන පුද්ගලයන්ට තරු හෝටල්වල නිරෝධායන සූදානම් කෙරේ… තනි කාමර, AC
උපුටා ගැන්ම ලංකා ඊ නිව්ස්
කොරෝනා වෛරසය දැඩිව පැතීරී ඇති දකුණු කොරියාව, ඉතාලිය සහ ඉරානය යන රටවල සිට මෙරටට පැමිණෙන පුද්ගලයන් නිරොධායනයට ලක් කිරීම මේ වන විට රජය විසින් අනිවාර්ය කර ඇත. නමුත් රජය විසින් නොමිලයේ ලබා දෙන ආහාර, කාමර පහසුකම් නැතැයි පවසන පුද්ගලයන් වෙත විකල්පයක්ද මේ වන විට සාකච්චා වෙමින් තිබේ. මෙරට පිහිටි ප‍්‍රධාන පෙලේ සංචාරක හෝටල් සමග සාකච්ඡා කරමින් එම පුද්ගලයන්ට අවශ්‍ය පරිදි වායුසමීකරණය කරන ලද කාමර ආහාරපාන ලබා දීම සම්බන්ධයෙන් අවදණාය යොමු කර ඇත. මේ දිනවල සංචාරකයන්ද පැමිණීමේ විශාල අඩුවක්ද ඇති නිසා සංචාරක හෝටල්වලට ද අමතර ආදායමක් ලෙස මෙම... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

නිරෝධායනයට විරුද්ද පුස් චණ්ඩින් පැමිණි රටටම හරවා යැවේ.. යුද හමුදාව නිල වශයෙන් දැනුම් දෙයි.. [Video]
 උපුටාගැන්ම ලංකා ඊ නිව්ස්
නිරෝධානය කිරීම සඳහා දැනට නිර්දේශ කර ඇති දකුණු කොරියාව, ඉරානය, ඉතාලිය යන රටවල සිට මෙරටට පැමිණෙන පුද්ගලයන් නිරෝධානය සදහා විරුද්ධ වන්නේ නම් ඔවුන් පැමිණි රටටම ආපසු පිටත් කර හැරීමට දැනුම් දී ඇති බව යුද හමුදාව පවසයි. යුද හමුදා මාධ්‍ය ප්‍රකාශක බ්‍රිගේඩියර් චන්දන වික්‍රමසිංහ මහතා කොලඹදී පැවති මාධ්‍ය හමුවේ දී කියා සිටියේ අදාළ රටවල්වලින් පැමිණෙන සියලුම පුද්ගලයන් නිරෝධාන ක්‍රියාවලියට සහයෝගය දැක්විය යුතු බවය. https://youtu.be/7yqYJxmUBBU එම පුද්ගලයන්ට ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට හැකි උපරිම පහසුකම් ලබා දී ඇති බවත් රටක් ලෙස මෙයට යම් පිරිවැයක් දැරීමට සිදුව ඇති බවත් ඔහු සඳහන් කළේය.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

BIA replies to false rumours
Courtesy The Daily News
Referring to a video circulating on social media which shows a commotion at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) with several returnees from Italy, Vice Chairman of Airport and Aviation Services Rajeewasiri Sooriyaarachchi categorically rejected the claims that it was a forcible detention. Speaking to Daily Mirror, he said several returnees with children, had to be temporarily detained inside a room at the Airport hotel and it was purely done on safety grounds. https://youtu.be/NZ7cUYNZalY “It was not something forcible. We have to abide by the instructions underlined... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

Queen discusses intensifying ties between UK & SL
Courtesy The Daily News
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and newly appointed Sri Lankan High Commission to United Kingdom Saroja Sirisena held discussions on deepening and intensifying the longstanding political, economic and cultural relations between the two countries. This was revealed during a discussion between the Queen and High Commissioner Sirisena. Mrs Sirisena presented Letters of Credence to Queen Elizabeth II at a ceremonial event held at the Buckingham Palace. High Commissioner Sirisena and her spouse, Dr. Sudath Talpahewa were escorted to the Buckingham Palace, accompanied by Deputy High Commissioner Samantha Pathirana, Minister (Commercial) Dr.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

Sri Lanka suspends visa on arrival facility due to coronavirus
Courtesy Adaderana
Sri Lankan has temporarily suspended visas on arrival for foreigners until further notice in light of coronavirus scare.  The Government Information Department issuing a statement today (11) said that under the quarantine procedure currently in place with the aim of preventing the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country, all Sri Lankans as well as foreigners arriving from Italy, South Korea and Iran are placed in quarantine facilities for 14 days. https://youtu.be/5Hzu_vQCuH8 Several foreigners who had arrived in the country from those countries are already placed in quarantine. ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

WHO declares coronavirus a pandemic
Courtesy Adaderana
The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said via Twitter that COVID-19 was the first type of coronavirus to cause a pandemic. He said describing the ongoing situation as one did not change the organization’s assessment of the threat, or what WHO is doing, and it doesn’t change what countries should do either. https://youtu.be/5Hzu_vQCuH8 “Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly,” Tedros said. “It is a word that, if misused, can cause unreasonable fear, or... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

Kuwait to suspend all flights from Friday over coronavirus
Courtesy Adaderana
Kuwait has declared that it will be suspending all flights from Friday. The gulf country will, however, limit inbound trips for Kuwaiti citizens and their first-degree relatives. Cargo flights are also excluded.  It also announced a public holiday from March 12 to March 26. These steps have been taken to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus outbreak. Kuwait has also said that it will not allow residents to meet in restaurants, cafes and commercial centres, according to the Kuwait News Agency said. The ministry of Islamic affairs will disseminate... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

622 passengers directed to quarantine facilities
Courtesy Adaderana
A total of 622 passengers who had arrived from coronavirus-affected countries such as Italy, South Korea, and Iran have been directed to the quarantine facilities in the country since yesterday (10). Chairman of Airport & Aviation Services (AASL) G. A. Chandrasiri mentioned this at a press conference held this morning (11).... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

Four students arrested over J’pura Uni. ragging incident
Courtesy Adaderana
Four students from the University of Sri Jayawardenepura have been arrested over the alleged ragging incident which resulted in critical injuries to a first-year student at the university, stated the Police. On March 05, Pasindhu Lakshan, a first-year student at the University of Sri Jayawardenapura was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Colombo National Hospital over injuries in an incident at the university premises. The elder brother of the student claimed that senior students at the university had pushed a tractor tire at his brother which had resulted in... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

සමගි ජනබලවේගයට කෘත්‍යෘධිකාරියේ අනුමැතිය හිමිවුණේ නැහැ - හිටපු මන්ත්‍රී වජිර
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
සමගි ජන බලවේගය වෙනම පක්ෂයක් ලෙස ගොඩනැගීමට කෘත්‍යාධිකාරි මණ්ඩලයේ අනුමැතිය හිමි නොවූ බව එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂ හිටපු පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී වජිර අබේවර්ධන අද ප්‍රකාශ කළා. ඒ, සිරිකොත පක්ෂ මූලස්ථානයේ අද පැවති මාධ්‍ය හමුවකට එක්වෙමින්. https://youtu.be/qRa5JJcS1Lc කෙසේ වෙතත් ඊයේ කෑගල්ලේදි ජන හමුවක් අමතමින් සමගි ජනබලවේගයේ නායක සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාස කියා සිටියේ සමගි ජනබලවේගය මෙන්ම එහි නායකත්වයද තමාට ලබාගැනීම සඳහා කෘත්‍යාධිකාරී මණ්ඩලයේ අනුමැතිය හිමිවූ බවයි. මේ අතර සමගි ජනබලවේගයේ පක්ෂ කාර්යාලයේදී අද පැවති මාධ්‍ය හමුවකට එක්වෙමින් හිටපු පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී ආචාර්ය හර්ෂ ද සිල්වා  කියා සිටියේ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

වෙනම තරග කිරීමට නිදහස් පක්ෂයේ අවධානය - හිටපු ආණ්ඩුකාර පේෂල ජයරත්න
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
ශ්‍රී ලංකා පොදුජන පෙරමුණෙන් එල්ලවන විවේචන හමුවේ ඉදිරි මහ මැතිවරණයට වෙනම තරග කිරීම පිළිබඳව නිදහස් පක්ෂයේ අවධානය යොමුව ඇති බව වයඹ පළාත් හිටපු ආණ්ඩුකාර පේෂල ජයරත්න පවසනවා. පොළොන්නරුව ශ්‍රී ලංකා නිදහස් පක්ෂ කාර්යාලයේ අද පැවති මාධ්‍ය හමුවකට එක්වෙමින් ඔහු මේ බව සඳහන් කළා. https://youtu.be/CjLlnIQ58js මේ අතර කුරුණෑගල - හෙට්ටිපොල ප්‍රදේශයේදී මාධ්‍ය වෙත අදහස් දක්වමින් ශ්‍රී ලංකා නිදහස් පක්ෂ මහ ලේකම් දයාසිරි ජයසේකර කියා සිටියේ තම පක්ෂයට එල්ලවන විවේචන වහා නතර විය යුතු බවයි. කෙසේ වෙතත් ශ්‍රී ලංකා පොදුජන පෙරමුණ බත්තරමුල්ල ප්‍රධාන කාර්යාලයේ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

ALOYSIUS, RAVI ETC ARREST WARRANTS AND NO ACTION AGAINST RANIL-MAITHREE - IS LAW ENFORCEMENT IN SRI LANKA INEFFECTIVE?
By M D P DISSANAYAKE
For the time being, we need to forget about arresting Arjun Mahendran through Interpol.  Sri Lankan Police have not been able to arrest Aloysius and Ravi within Sri Lanka.  As we understand, Aloysius was released on bail.  Then why not arrest those who provided the bail for the release of Aloysius from Jail?  Can this team extradite Arjun Mahendran ever? The time of issuance of the arrest warrant was questionable.  They obtained the arrest warrants on Friday 6 March 2020. With 9 March falling on Medin Poya, the culprits had a... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

MCC Review Committee says MCC Agreement detrimental to Sri Lanka’s sovereignty – what amendments is GoSL suggesting?
The Gunaruwan Committee handed its supplementary report on the MCC to both the President & Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on 17th February 2020 and had made some recommendations and comments that should awaken the government to the dangers at stake for Sri Lanka which $480m could never cover. However, various media reports from Government ministers claim MCC with amendments can be accommodated. While the Gunaruwan Committee has had the foresight to present the dangers in alongside the recommendations & comments, any amendments the Government proposes to suggest to MCC must cover some critical areas. Prof. Gunaruwan describes... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: FAR-REACHING IMPLICATIONS
Dr. Daya Hewapathirane
In computer science, “artificial intelligence” or AI, refers to intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals. It is the ability of a computer program or a machine to think and learn. AI is one of the major developments of our time. Machine learning, and the implications that go with it, are shaking up many aspects of how we do things, allowing us to deploy AI where we previously used a human or a more inefficient process. AI can be quite helpful to businesses, educational institutions, and every-day life.  Companies... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

“WORLD CONSUMER DAY - SUNDAY 15/3/2020”
Sarath Wijesinghe President’s Counsel /former Chairman Consumer Affairs Authority and former Ambassador to UAE and Israel
World consumer day World consumer day is the opportunity for the consumer to show strength by flexing muscles agitating their power and rights of the consumer always in the receiving end worldwide- mostly in Sri Lanka with lack of powers to organize and agitate the legitimate needs of the consumer/citizen as every citizen is a consumer at some stage of life. Initiated by John Kennedy in 1963 and the process continues worldwide organizing consumer movement by world consumer movement and... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

නීතිපති කෝළම
Sangkallpa
දේශපාලන කෝළම් නිර්මාණය කර රංග දැක්වීම දැන් දිනපතාම සිදුවෙන, සිදුකරන කාර්යකි. මේවා පිරුපස සිටින්නේ සෘජුවම විදේශීය ඔත්තු සේවාවන්ය. මෙසේ රංග දක්වන අලුත්ම කෝළම වන්නේ නීතිපතිතුමා විසින් නිර්මාණය කර සමාජගත කරන ලද බැදුම්කර වන්නමයි. මෙය දේශපාලනය කරන යට ඉගෙන ගැනීමට ලැබෙන අලුත්ම පාඩම බැවින් සිදුවෙනදේ හොදින් නිරීක්ෂණය කර සත්‍ය වටහා ගන්න. https://youtu.be/asYVHbkcDG8... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

වී වගාවට හඳුනා නොගත් රෝගයක්-Unidentified disease affecting paddy cultivations in Sri Lanka
Courtesy Adaderana
https://youtu.be/QO4IzTk3Td8... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

‘CONGRATULATIONS’ LETTER OF ENDORSEMENT: Colonel Rathnapriya Bandu.
Ranjith Naranpanawa President. The Global Peace Congress of Australia Incorporated 
The Global Peace Congress of Australia Incorporated wishes to extend our heartfelt appreciation and congratulations to our Organisations Patron: COLONEL RATHNAPRIYA BANDU On his recent nomination for a seat in the Sri Lankan Parliament. Colonel Bandu is held in the highest esteem amongst the Tamil population residing in the North-East of Sri Lanka, whilst being respected by all. Upon reassignment to another position, the outpouring of tears from adoring citizens was quickly circulated around the world. Sri Lankans living overseas were as equally touched by the citizens' combined... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

COVID 19 – The insatiable urge to beat up China surfaces again!
By Dr Palitha Kohona Courtesy The Island
March 10, 2020, 8:44 pm Historically, the West has always had an equivocal attitude towards China, not to mention the non-white world. A fear, a suspicion, a fascination, an uncertainty, a sense of superiority and even a loathing reserved for an undeserving competitor pervaded its dealings. Perhaps, resulting from perceptions that evolved on the basis of the writings of 19th century visitors, missionaries, diplomats, traders, et al who came to China pompously full of their own socio – religious values and found a wealthy society... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

Legal action to be taken against former ministers for forcible occupation of official residences
Courtesy The Island
Twenty six former ministers had not vacated their official residences, and the Ministry of Public Administration would file legal action against them, in the coming weeks, Secretary to the Ministry S. Hettiarachchi told the media yesterday. Hettiarachchi said that the former ministers were yet to vacate those official bungalows though four months had elapsed since the change of government. Ministers were usually given a three-month grace period to vacate their official residences, but the ministers concerned have outstayed that period. Hettiarachchi said that Speaker Karu Jayasuriya had been earlier informed of... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

Police probe into undergrad being hit by tyre at Ja’pura
Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya Courtesy The Daily Mirror
The Mirihana Crimes Division is investigating into the incident where a first-year student of the Sri Jayawardenepura University was hit on the head with a tyre thrown at him by a group of senior students. The victim, 20-year-old Pasindu Hirushan, was admitted to the ICU at the National Hospital, Colombo following the ragging incident on March 5. https://youtu.be/dvhPgSFsT6U Hospital sources said the student is suffering from brain injuries and internal bleeding. The police said statements would be recorded from the students... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

To escape from Coronavirus: UK firm names SL as safe to travel
Courtesy The Daily Mirror
PC Agency, a firm in UK has recommended Sri Lanka and the Caribbean’s as two of the safest places for UK citizens to travel to escape from the Coronavirus (Covid19) outbreak, foreign media reported.  “The two countries where the heat is on, seemed to be reporting very few cases of coronavirus,” the Agency’s Chief Executive Paul Charles said. The PC Agency provides expert, premium PR consultancy, trade representation and crisis communications to airlines, hotels, tourism boards, tour operators, cruise lines, spas and restaurants around the world.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

ඉතාලියේ සහ ද.කොරියාවේ සිට පැමිණි 200ක් නිරෝධායනයට
Courtesy Adaderana
https://youtu.be/xnNhTUf6J-k... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

No fees charged at quarantine facilities – Army Chief
Courtesy Adaderana
Earlier today, it was reported that group of passengers who are being directed to the Batticaloa Campus and Kandakadu Rehabilitation Centre had raised objections over being charged a fee for daily provision of meals at the quarantine facilities. According to reports, the expatriates and foreigners, who are being quarantined at these two centres for 14 days, were asked to pay a total amount of Rs 7,500 for the meals they are provided with during their stay. https://youtu.be/436SsHIeajY However, the Army Chief assured that these individuals will not be... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

Warrant re-issued for arrest of Secretary to Presidential Commission
Courtesy Adaderana
The Colombo Permanent High Court-at-Bar today re-issued an arrest warrant on the Secretary of the Presidential Commission appointed to investigate alleged incidents of political victimization, Pearl K. Weerasinghe. The three-member judge bench ordered police to arrest the Secretary of the commission before March 12 and produced her before the court and warned that the Acting IGP will have to personally appear before the court and show cause if they fail to do so. The arrest warrant was re-issued today when the when the case filed against ‘Ali Roshan’ and seven others over... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

එජාපයෙන් සජිත්ට අභියෝගයක්
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
ඒකාබද්ධ වීමට එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂය තුලින්ම කුමන්ත්‍රණ දියත් වු බවට සිදුකරන ප්‍රකාශ සම්බන්ධයෙන් ප්‍රසිද්ධ විවාදයකට පැමිණෙන්නැයි හිටපු පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී පාලිත රංගේ බණ්ඩාර, හිටපු විපක්ෂ නායක සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාසට අද අභියෝග කළා. ඒ, සිරිකොත එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂ මුලස්ථානයේ පැවති මාධ්‍ය හමුවකට එක්වෙමින්.    මේ අතර, සමගි ජන බලවේගයද අද මාධ්‍ය හමුවක් කැඳවා තිබු අතර ඊට එක්වු හිටපු පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී සුජිව සේනසිංහ කියා සිටියේ නව සන්ධානය සමග එක්වීමට පක්ෂ ව්‍යවස්ථාව තුලින්ම යම් බාධාවක් පවතින්නේ නම් කෘත්‍යාධීකාරි මණ්ඩලය කඩිනමින් කැඳවා එය නිරාකරණය කර ගත හැකි බවයි.   කෙසේ වෙතත්, සිරිකොත... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂ අර්බුදය ගැන අදත් විවිධ අදහස්
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂය සම්බන්ධයෙන් ඇතිව තිබෙන අර්බුදකාරී තත්ත්වය පිළිබඳ දේශපාලනඥයින් අදත් මෙලෙස අදහස් පළ කලා. https://youtu.be/b4FQ-O22zJ0... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

ඇමති චමල් අද හෙළිකරන හම්බන්තොට උකුස්සා
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
හම්බන්තොට දිස්ත්‍රික්කයේ පොහොට්ටුවේ නාමයෝජනා ලැයිස්තුව චමල් හෙළිකරයිඉදිරි පාර්ලිමේන්තු මැතිවරණයේදී හම්බන්තොට දිස්ත්‍රික්කය සඳහා වූ නාමයෝජනා පිළිබඳ අමාත්‍ය චමල් රාජපක්ෂ මහතා ඊයේ පැවති බෙලිඅත්ත ආසන බල මණ්ඩල රැස්වීමේදී මෙලෙස අදහස් පළ කළා. https://youtu.be/P1l3hwe-pe8 https://youtu.be/V8s6ugJlJDE... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/03/20)

Scared to travel around? Here's just what you needed for your fears to fly away! Come visit Sri Lanka, the Pearl of the Indian Ocean!
Tourism Sri Lanka
https://www.facebook.com/tourismsrilanka.gov.lk/videos/661571704593661/... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 10/03/20)

PRODUCTIVITY ENHANCEMENT AND COMPLICATED ECONOMIC ISSUES IN SRI LANKA
BY EDWARD THEOPHILUS
Modernization has been affecting the economic, social and cultural environment of Sri Lanka and it seems that the government policy framework also enthusiastic about going with modernization. Sometimes, people feel that modernization invaded many areas of the country creating distortion or a deformity in attitudes of people and the real behavior of them. The impact of modernization has brought a complexity in economic issues and policymakers have uncertainty on how to approach the productivity-related issues. After the presidential election in 2019 people expect the president's intervention for everything in the country and... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 10/03/20)

Distortion of our History
Chanaka Bandarage
Prabhakaran was hell-bent on distorting Sri Lanka’s history. He launched a campaign with Anton Balasingham in the helm to attack Mahavansa. The LTTE discounted Vijaya’s arrival (more than 2500 years ago) and stressed that Tamils are Sri Lanka’s indigenous people.  According to them, Buddhism existed in Sri Lanka prior to Mahindagamanaya and that a Tamil Buddhist civilization existed in the ancient North and East of Sri Lanka.  Though it is very well accepted that Ravana is mythology, the separatists stressed that Ravana did rule Sri Lanka (more than 4000 years ago) and that he was a... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 10/03/20)

Ravi On The Run
Sunil Yatalamatta Gamage 
Why is he hiding? If you have summoned by the court order to arrest, and if you are hiding; Mr. Ravi you could be charged; on top of the charges already in place against you. First, it could be disobeying to law and order of the country. The Second would be challenging the law of the country. If you are planning to appear and respect the judiciary of the country, you must let the court aware ASAP to protect its integrity. Sri Lankan people now have a better understanding of the people involved in this... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 10/03/20)

Attempts to exhume the provincial council cadaver
C. Wijeyawickrema, LL.B., Ph.D.
A blessing in disguise from the Yahapalana Maralaya was its deliberate attempt to kill the PC white elephant. Nobody wanted this death-trap then in 1987 or since then other than a collection of Colombo black-white and Marxists, who want Sri Lanka divided into two warring factions: Tamil Eelam and the Sinhala quadrant. Rajiv Gandhi, who forced JR to pass 13-A, stopped in Madras, on his return trip to Delhi, and boasted, that he delivered for Tamils what they never thought it possible to obtain! It is so strange that all those protested... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 10/03/20)

One term is enough if allowed to work without hindrance: Gotabaya Rajapaksa
By Shivanthi Ranasinghe/Ceylon Today
The 19 th.,Amedment has put the country in a mess, says the Sri Lankan President Colombo, March 9: Last week, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa met with the print and electronic media editors for an open forum discussion. The journalists were relentless, but the President remained cordial and never bluffed his way out. Following are few excerpts of the discussion. The purpose of the meeting President had with the ICT was the first question. “Knowledge is the word of the century,” stated President. Further explaining,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 09/03/20)

Trincomalee development plans hinge on fate of MCC
By P.K.Balachandran/Ceylon Today Courtesy NewsIn.Asia
MCC is linked to the Colombo-Trincomalee Corridor which involves the controversial issue of land acquisition The elaborate plans for the development of Trincomalee town and the associated Colombo-Trincomalee Economic Corridor (CTEC) drawn up the Ranil Wickremesinghe government in 2018 can be implemented only if the controversy over the US$ 480 million Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact (MCC) with the US is settled, an informed source said. The two are linked. According to the highly placed source, the MCC, as it stands today, has clauses which violate the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 09/03/20)

Consequences of a split in the UNP
By P.K.Balachandran/Daily Express Courtesy NewsIn.Asia
A Ranil-Sajith split will lead to electoral defeat and further splits in both camps Colombo, March 9: A few who depend on a united and strong United National Party (UNP) to win seats in the April parliamentary elections, are still clinging to the hope that a split in the party will be averted even at the eleventh hour. But most UNPers are expecting the split to be formalized any day now. The UNP and the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) have sent separate letters to... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 09/03/20)

Rajapaksa eyes Sri Lanka election landslide to tighten grip on power
MARWAAN MACAN-MARKAR, Asia regional correspondent Courtesy Nikkei Asian Review
Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa addresses the nation during the 72nd independence day ceremony in Colombo on Feb. 4.   © Reuters BANGKOK -- Four months after an electoral triumph, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has set the stage to consolidate his political gains through a landslide victory at April's parliamentary elections, which he called after dissolving the legislature last week six months before its current term ended. The hawkish Rajapaksa is unequivocal about the work cut out for the Sri... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 09/03/20)

Doha airport closed to travellers from India, other coronavirus-hit countries
Courtesy The Hindu
Entry to Qatar has been temporarily suspended for passengers from several countries including India, China, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The restriction will severely affect those travelling to the US, as Doha is one of the major transit points in West Asia, along with Kuwait and Dubai. Qatar’s restriction, following the coronavirus outbreak, affects all individuals intending to enter from these countries, including visas upon arrival, those with a residence or work permit, and temporary visitors, said a press release from Qatar Airways. The airline issued the release following complaints that travellers... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 09/03/20)

Sri Lankans arriving from foreign countries to remain in homes for 14-days
Courtesy Adaderana
Passengers arriving in Sri Lanka from countries other than Italy, South Korea and Iran have been requested to remain in their homes for 14 days. Further, the general public is advised to minimize foreign travel as much as possible, stated Director-General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe. https://youtu.be/uUOY3aEYNH0... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 09/03/20)

Oil prices plunge after OPEC deal failure sparks price war
Courtesy Adaderana
Oil prices and stock indexes were in freefall Sunday after Saudi Arabia announced a stunning discount in oil prices — of $6 to $8 per barrel — to its customers in Asia, the United States and Europe. Benchmark Brent crude oil futures dove 30% — the steepest drop since the Gulf War in 1991 — in early trading Sunday night before recovering slightly to a drop of 24%. The benchmark Brent crude oil price fell below $34 per barrel. The oil price shocks reverberated throughout financial markets. Dow futures dropped more than... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 09/03/20)

Sri Lanka launches 150 MW solar tender
Courtesy Adaderana
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB has, reportedly, issued a tender for 150 MW of solar power. Reportedly, CEB hopes to build 20 solar projects ranging in size from 3 MW to 10 MW. The facilities are set to be built in different locations and each of them will be connected each to different grid substations. The ceiling price for the tender is LKR 15.60/kWh. The utility said that 80% of the proposed tariff will be re-adjusted based on fluctuations in the US dollar exchange rate. Interested developers will have time... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 09/03/20)

Former Colombo Chief Magistrate says UK High Commissioner sent letter advising him how to conduct case against Sri Lanka Navy
The former Colombo Chief Magistrate Thilina Gamage has made 3 startling allegations at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry on political victimization as per 6 March 2020 Island newspaper article by Shamindra Ferdinando. Mr. Gamage is alleging that UK intervened in judicial cases while the Attorney General’s Dept & the CID had also unduly interfered in some high profile cases during yahapalana ‘good governance’ rule. It is interesting how the very countries demanding transparency and independence are found poking their noses into affairs of sovereign nations. http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=219909&fbclid=IwAR3X_du-y1Gq1XqdX_-N-RR7TUE7Pnxnihqc2fl-BridFyyLv-MkNKZOEj4 British High Commission meddling in Sri Lanka’s internal affairs ... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 09/03/20)

RAVAGES OF 2015 – Part IV
By : A.A.M.NIZAM – MATARA
Now let us revisit the “015 General Election process which was held in between the two Treasury Bond robberies.  Within a few weeks of ousting the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, people were greatly dismayed and unable to bear with the loss this great leader busloads of people started arriving in Medamulana from nearby districts such as Matara, Galle, and Ratnapura and far away districts Trincomalee, Vavuniya and Anuradhapura and from other districts in between and express their grief to Mr. Mahinda Rbeen forced Rajapaksa over the folly that has been forced on the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 09/03/20)

Visitor arrivals to Sri Lanka down 17.7% in Feb-2020, arrivals from China drop 92.5% From Russia increased by 61%
blueswandaily.com
Sri Lanka‘s Tourism Development Authority reported (08-Mar-2020) visitor arrivals to Sri Lanka for Feb-2020. Details include: Visitor arrivals: 207,507, -17.7% year-on-year;India: 35,309, +9.4%;UK: 26.348, -11.4%;Russia: 20,948, +61.0%;Germany: 16,405, -5.0%;France: 11.430, -33.9%;Australia: 9578, +8.7%;US: 7803, -19.4%;Ukraine: 6072, +13.4%;Canada: 5482, -15.3%;Poland: 4693, +42.1%;China: 2096, -92.5%.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 09/03/20)

Ranil and Sajith factions agree on ‘Swan’
Courtesy Adaderana
Both Ranil and Sajith factions have agreed to contest under the ’swan’ symbol at the upcoming parliamentary polls, revealed former MP Ravindra Samaraweera. The agreement had been arrived at following a discussion held yesterday (07). A discussion on contesting the general election under a common symbol had been held between the two factions of the United National Party (UNP), at the Malalasekara Road residence of former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya. https://youtu.be/9x6RtBTZhLY Representing the Ranil faction former MP Rajitha Senaratne and representing the Sajith faction General Secretary of... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 09/03/20)

As No One Can Remove 13A, Try the Next Best Option of Merging Seven Sinhala-Majority Provinces into One Province
Dilrook Kannangara
It has been the dream and demand of all those who love Sri Lanka since 1987 to abrogate 13A. But it is never going to happen. No one has the courage or patriotism to do it. The worst option is to dream of no-13A while living with 13A. Each year that passes with the current form of 13A, the island nation comes closer to dismemberment along new lines of separation. The worst offenders are those who demand removing 13A just to prevent anyone from changing the situation even by a little by promising the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 08/03/20)

“ඇය දිරිමත්” වුවත් “රට සවිමත්” කිරීමට ඇයට අවස්ථාවක් නෑ - ශ්‍රී ලංකා මානව හිමිකම් කේන්ද්‍රය කියයි
මාධ්‍ය නිවේදනය ශ්‍රීලංකා මානව හිමිකම් කේන්ද්‍රය
පවතින දේශපාලන වාතාවරණය තුළ  කාන්තා නි‍‍යෝජනය පළාත් පාලන ආයතනවලට සීමා කර අසරණ කර ඇතැයි ශ්‍රී ලංකා මානව හිමිකම් කේන්ද්‍රය අවධාරණය කරයි. එහි විධායක අධ්‍යක්ෂිකා සුරංගි ආරියවංශ මහත්මිය පෙන්වා දෙන්නේ පසුගිය පළාත් පාලන මැතිවරණයේදී  25% ක කාන්තා නියෝජනය අනිවාර්ය සාධකයක් වූ නමුත් ඉදිරි  මහ මැතිවරණයට සහ පළාත් සභා මැතිවරණයට එලෙස කාන්තා කෝටාවක් ප්‍රකාශයට පත් කර නැති බවයි. මේ නිසා පසුගිය පළාත් පාලන මැතිවරණයෙන් තේරී පත්වූ කාන්තාවන්ගේ ඉදිරි දේශපාලන ගමන ගැටළුකාරී වී ඇති බව ආරියවංශ මහත්මියගේ අදහසයි. වත්මන් පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ සංයුතිය ගත හොත් ආසන 225ට ම කාන්තාවන් සිටින්නේ අතේ ඇඟිලි ප්‍රමාණයටත් වඩා අඩු ප්‍රමාණයක් බව පෙන්වා දෙන... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 08/03/20)

New York declares state of emergency over coronavirus outbreak
Courtesy CNBC
KEY POINTS Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency on Saturday as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in New York increased to 89. An emergency declaration will allow the state to buy supplies and hire workers more quickly and easily to help the health departments monitoring patients under self-quarantine, Cuomo said.Eleven of the cases are in New York City and 70 are in Westchester County.There are also signals of an ongoing spread, including a pair of cases in both Saratoga County and Rockland County, as well as four in Nassau County, according... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 08/03/20)

DILEMMA OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF CANADA
Dr. Daya Hewapathirane
Humans colonized the New World earlier than previously thought. Taken together, genetic, archaeological and geologic records suggest that the humans set out from Asian Siberia sometime between 25,000 and 15,000 years ago, entering the New World via Beringia as the ice sheets blanketing the Pacific coastal corridor and the interior corridor of North America receded. By 14,600 years ago, they had made their way to South America. What is beyond all doubt, is that the indigenous people of the two American continents have been a resilient and resourceful people, trailblazers who settled the longest geographic... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 08/03/20)

Fake gods
Editorial Courtesy Island
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has given Uncle Sam a right royal wedgie. It has ruled that alleged war crimes by the US and others, in Afghanistan, be probed. The Trump administration has seen red. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who condemns other countries that are not US allies for alleged human rights violations, lost no time in rejecting the ICC ruling and vowing to protect the US ‘citizens’. He minced no words when he called the ICC a ‘renegade, unlawful, so-called court’. Surprisingly, he stopped calling it a ‘cesspool of political bias’. He... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 08/03/20)

Lankan military in Jaffna engages in meditation with the Heartfulness meditation movement
By Suryamithra Vishwa/DailyFT/Harmony Page
The meditation session was a profound experience for everyone who participated including 200 military officers. Early last month when I visited the Heartfulness Meditation Centre (also known as Sahaj Marg) in Colombo, I was asked if I would be interested in attending a meditation session to be held in Jaffna. I said yes, of course I would. The meditation it turned out was to be for military personnel of Jaffna and to be conducted by an Indian and Sri Lankan team of the Heartfulness – Sahaj Marg Movement. ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 08/03/20)

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya experiment
by C.A.Chandraprema Courtesy The Island
The present state of the UNP after the presidential election of November 16, 2019 is in many ways reminiscent of the state the SLFP was in the wake of the defeat of 1977, when the latter experienced declining public support and disunity within its ranks. As we pen these words, the UNP is on the verge of a major split, with the possibility that the Ranil Wickremasinghe faction will contest under the elephant symbol and the Sajith faction under a different symbol. This is reminiscent of the way the SLFP... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 08/03/20)

UNP to contest all 22 districts at General Election
Courtesy Adaderana
The United National Party (UNP) has decided to contest all 22 districts at the forthcoming General Election. The General Secretary of the party Akila Viraj Kariyawasam has informed this decision to the Election Commission. In the meantime, a meeting on General Election 2020 is currently being held at the UNP headquarters, Sirikotha. Speaking to Ada Derana, Kariyawasam stated that he would deliver a special statement following the conclusion of the said meeting.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 08/03/20)

President approves government’s expenditures
Courtesy Adaderana
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday (06) granted the legal authority to the Secretary of the Treasury to incur all the expenditures of the government including the cost of election for the period of three months starting from March 6, 2020. This was in accordance with the power vested in the President by the Constitution. Accordingly, the Ministries will be able to settle outstanding dues and other expenditures, the President’s Media Division (PMD) stated.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 08/03/20)

එජාපය වෙනම තරඟ කිරීම සමඟියට බාධාවක් - සමඟි ජනබලවේගයෙන් ප්‍රකාශයක්
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂය ඉදිරි මහ මැතිවරණයට තනිව තරඟ කරන්නේ නම්, එය සමගිය කඩා බිඳ  දැමීමක් බව සමගි ජනබලවේගයේ මහලේකම් හිටපු පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී රංජිත් මද්දුම බණ්ඩාර ප්‍රකාශ කළා. ඒ කොළඹ අද (08) පැවති මාධ්‍ය හමුවකට එක්වෙමින්. මැතිවරණ දිස්ත්‍රික්ක 22කටම එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂය තරඟ කරන බවට, එහි මහලේකම් අකිල විරාජ් කාරියවසම් අද ප්‍රකාශ කර තිබුණා. https://youtu.be/492PqHENkIo ඔහුගේ අත්සනින් යුතු අලියා ලකුණ සහිත ලිපි ශීර්ෂයක් මගිනුයි අදාළ නිවේදනය මැතිවරණ කොමිෂන් සභාවේ සභාපති මහින්ද දේශප්‍රියට දැනුම් දී තිබුණේ. කෙසේ වෙතත්, සමඟි ජනබලවේගයට... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 08/03/20)

පාස්කු ප්‍රහාරයට සම්බන්ධ ඉහළ සිට පහළට සියලුදෙනාගෙන් ප්‍රශ්න කළ යුතුයි - කාදිනල් හිමිපාණන්
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
පාස්කු ප්‍රහාරය සම්බන්ධයෙන් රජයේ ඉහළම තනතුරු දැරූ පුද්ගලයාගෙන් පවා ප්‍රශ්න කළ යුතු බව අගරදගුරු අතිඋතුම් මැල්කම් කාදිනල් රංජිත් හිමිපාණන් පවසනවා. https://youtu.be/H0jzAXD7rf8 73 වන කොළඹ අගරදගුරු පදවි ප්‍රාප්තිය වෙනුවෙන් රාගම - බැසිලිකා දේවස්ථානයේ පැවති ළමාදින සමරු උත්සවයකට එක්වෙමින් උන්වහන්සේ මේ බව සඳහන් කළා. උන්වහන්සේ එහිදී වැඩිදුරටත් කියා සිටියේ පාස්කු ප්‍රහාරයට සම්බන්ධ ඉහළ සිට පහළට සියලූදෙනාගෙන්ම අපරාධ පරීක්ෂණ දෙපාර්තමේන්තුව ප්‍රශ්න කළ යුතු බවයි.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 08/03/20)

එජාප අර්බුදය සහ වත්මන් දේශපාලන තත්ත්වය ගැන කියන කතා
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂයේ මතුව ඇති අර්බුදය හා වත්මන් දේශපාලන තත්ත්වය සම්බන්ධයෙන් පක්ෂ විපක්ෂ දේශපාලනඥයින් අදත් අදහස් පළකළා. https://youtu.be/6Ak0YSewsH8... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 08/03/20)

සත්ව සුබසාධනයට නව පනතක් සකස් කිරීමට අගමැතිගෙන් උපදෙස්
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
සත්ව සුබසාධනය සඳහා නව පනතක් සකස් කරන ලෙස අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ බලධාරීන්ට උපදෙස් ලබාදී තිබෙනවා. සත්ව සුබසාධන සංගම් සහ අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයා අතර පැවති සාකච්ඡාවකදී මෙම උපදෙස් ලබා දී ඇති බව සඳහන්. අරලියගහ මන්දිරයේදී ඊයේ (06) මෙම සාකච්ඡාව පැවැත්වුණා.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 08/03/20)

Controversy about ‘Hathe Ape Potha’, a supplementary reader in Sinhala for Sexuality and Reproductive Health Education for Grade 7
By Rohana R. Wasala
Recently, there was a heated discussion about a supplementary reader in Sinhala titled ‘HATHE APE POTHA’ for Grade 7 students in government schools in Sri Lanka for ‘sexuality and reproductive health education’, which is a novel subject to the country’s school education system. The writer believes that this controversy surrounding an insignificant relic of the disastrous Yahapalanaya is likely to prove an eye-opener for the new administration to be formed under President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa after the forthcoming general election in April. In fact, the issue of sexuality education for early adolescents was raised for... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/03/20)

Abolish the white elephant and the curse that is Provincial Councils and its root the JR/ Rajiv Accord of 29th July 1987 at least now.
Dr.Sudath Gunasekara
(Please note that this is a revised version of an article I wrote to Lankaweb on 7.6. 2018 on the same subject updated to suit the present situation)   Lakisuru Gothaabhaya Rajapaksha Metitumani! Abolish the white elephant and the curse that is Provincial Councils and its root the JR/ Rajiv Accord of 29th July 1987 at least now, before this Indian born Rathaksiya gobbles up the Sinhala Buddhist Nation and this whole Island in its entirety in no time. While congratulating again for the historic and unprecedented victory you have... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/03/20)

RAVAGES OF 2015 – Part III
By : A.A.M.NIZXAM - MATARA
The imbecile and ignoramus Sirisena assumed power on January 8th, 2015 like a puppet without even knowing what he is going to do and what he has to do. After five years, since the end of the war, the terrorist realized that their dream of establishing an Eelam can never be realized as long as Mr. Mahinda Rahapaksa remained in power and subsequent to the ignominious 2012 UNP/Terrorist Singapore meeting the diaspora came forward to pump any amount of funds to launch a regime change similar to Arab Spring which replaced the rulers... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/03/20)

රජය තරුණයින්ගේ රැකියා ගැටළු විසදීමේ වැඩපිළිවෙල ආරම්භ කරනු ලැබුවේ මැතිවරණය ඉලක්ක කරගෙන නොවේ
ප්‍රවෘත්ති නිවේදනය
රජය තරුණ තරුණියන් රවටන වැඩපිළිවෙලක නියැලෙන බව විපක්ෂ නායක ලෙස කටයුතු කළ සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාස මහතා ඊයේ ප්‍රකාශ කර තිබෙන බවත්, බලයේ සිටියදී උස නම් සිකියුරිටි මිටිනම් කම්කර ලෙස උපාධිධාරි තරුණ තරුණයින් පොලිම් ගස්සවමින් තරුණ ජිවිත පාරට ඇද දැමීමට කටයුතු කළ මෙවැනි නායකයින් රටේ සිටීම ගැන කණගාටු වන බවත්, තරුණ ජීවිත තව තවත් අදුරු කරන්නට කටයුතු නොකරන ලෙස තමන් එතුමාගෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටින බවත්, හිටපු නිවාස පහසුකම් රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍ය ඉන්දික අනුරුද්ධ මහතා පැවසීය. රජය තරුණයින්ගේ රැකියා ගැටළු විසදීමේ වැඩපිළිවෙල ආරම්භ කරනු ලැබුවේ මැතිවරණය ඉලක්ක කරගෙන නොවන බව පෙන්වා දුන් ඉන්දික අනුරුද්ධ මහතා, මාධ්‍ය ඉදිරියේ අසත්‍ය ප්‍රකාශ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/03/20)

Exclusive Invitation - Sinhala and Tamil New Year Festival - Saturday, April 11, 2020
Dear Sri Lankan Resident of the United States of America,
The Committee of Sri Lanka America Association of Southern California cordially invites you to celebrate the Sinhala and Tamil New Year Festival, which will be held on Saturday, April 11, 2020, from 9 am to 7 pm at Woodley Park, 6350 Woodley Ave, Van Nuys, CA 91436. The festival is featured with the following activities and offers everyone a glimpse of the exotic Sri Lankan Tradition, Culture, Food and Heritage. Time Program 9.00 am - 9.59 am ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/03/20)

Titanium Sands assays confirm THM depth resource potential at Sri Lankan project, shares up
Jessica Cummins Courtesy Proactive Investors Australia
An upgraded mineral resource estimate will be finalised once the mineralogical studies underway have been completed. Panning of samples from below the water table with the dark material being heavy minerals Titanium Sands Ltd (ASX:TSL) has received all RC aircore assay results drilled in late 2019 at Mannar Island Heavy Minerals Sands Project in northwest Sri Lanka that confirm extensive depth resource potential. All 473 holes indicate that the current shallow surface-exposed resource of 90.03 million tonnes at 6.60% total heavy minerals (THM) is underlain by large areas... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/03/20)

President questions EC’s move to stop graduate training programme
Courtesy The Daily News
President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa yesterday said that the directive by the Elections Commission to stop the training programme for graduate recruits to the government service was wrong. Speaking to Newspaper Editors and electronic media heads at the Presidential Secretariat he said that they would be writing to the Commission soon explaining about it. “I don’t understand why a training program should stop. Their appointment letters had been posted. It’s a training program given for the government recruits. I don’t understand why it should stop. The appointments were not political and they were not... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/03/20)

Arrest warrant issued on Secretary of PCoI on political victimization
Courtesy Adaderana
The Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar in Colombo today (06) issued an arrest warrant on Pearl K. Weerasinghe, the Secretary of the Presidential Commission appointed to investigate alleged incidents of political victimization. The judge-bench comprising  Justices Vikum Kaluarachchi, Dhammika Ganepola, and Aditya Patabendige issued the warrant for police to immediately arrest and produce her before the court, for ignoring the notice issued by the same court ordering her to appear before it. https://youtu.be/3Rzp82uBgQ0 The court also barred her from leaving the country, Ada Derana reporter said. The... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/03/20)

Warrants issued for the arrest of Ravi and 9 others
Courtesy Adaderana
The Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court today issued warrants for the arrest of former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake and 9 others over the Central Bank bond auctions of March 2016. The Attorney General on Tuesday directed the Acting IGP to obtain arrest warrants against several suspects in the Central Bank bond scam case including the former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake, former Governor of the Central Bank Arjuna Mahendran, Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL) owner Arjun Aloysius, CEO Kasun Palisena, former Director of the Public Debt Department of the Central Bank T.H.B. Sarathchandra and several others on... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/03/20)

මහ මැතිවරණයට භික්ෂූන් වහන්සේ ඉදිරිපත්වීම ගැන විවිධ අදහස්
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
ඉදිරි පාර්ලිමේන්තු මැතිවරණයට භික්ෂූන් වහන්සේ ඉදිරිපත්වීම සම්බන්ධයෙන් ස්ථාන කිහිපයකදී මෙලෙස අදහස් පළ වුණා. https://youtu.be/1qLJdceP9z8... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/03/20)

ඉදිරි මාස 3 සඳහා රජයේ වියදම් පියවා ගැනීමට භාණ්ඩාගාර ලේකම්වරයාට බලය
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
අද (06) දිනයේ සිට ඉදිරි මාස 03ක කාලය සඳහා මැතිවරණ වියදම් ඇතුළුව රජයේ වියදම් පියවා ගැනීමට භාණ්ඩාගාර ලේකම්වරයාට බලය පවරමින් ජනාධිපතිවරයා විසින් අධිකාරි බලපත්‍රය නිකුත් කර තිබෙනවා. ඒ ජනාධිපතිවරයාට ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවෙන් පැවරී ඇති බලතල ප්‍රකාරවයි. <br /><br />රජය විසින් ගෙවීමට ඇති හිඟ බිල්පත් හා අනිකුත් ප්‍රමුඛතාවන්ට වියදම් කිරීමට ඒ අනුව අමාත්‍යාංශවලට හැකියාව ලැබෙනවා.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/03/20)

හිටපු ඇමති බදියුදීන්ට එරෙහි පැමිණිල්ල ගැන විමර්ශණ සිදුකර නැතැයි චෝදනාවක්
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
හිටපු අමාත්‍ය රිෂාඩ් බදියුදීන්ට එරෙහිව තමන් සිදුකළ පැමිණිල්ල තවමත් විමර්ශනය කර නොමැති බවට උතුරේ මුස්ලිම් ජනතාව නම් සංවිධානයේ ලේකම් රාසික් මොහොමඩ් කාදර් ඛාන් අල්ලස් හෝ දූෂණ විමර්ශන කොමිසමට චෝදනා කරනවා. https://youtu.be/7xM8aAhpvKE ඔහු පවසන්නේ තමන් හිටපු අමාත්‍යවරයාට විරුද්ධව පැමිණිල්ල සිදුකර අදට වසර 5ක් ගතව ඇති බවයි. උතුරේ මුස්ලිම් ජනතාව සංවිධානයේ ලේකම් රාසික් මොහොමඩ් කාදර් ඛාන් මහතා අද අල්ලස් හෝ දුෂණ විමර්ශන කොමිසමට පැමිණ තමන් සිදුකළ පැමිණිල්ල පිළිබඳව විමසනු ලැබුවා.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/03/20)

අධිකරණ නියෝගයක් නොමැතිව ශානි අබේසේකර කළ දෙයක් ගැන ජනපති කොමිසමේදී හෙළිවෙයි
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
කොච්චිකඩේ ශාන්ත අන්තෝනි දේවස්ථානයට බෝම්බ ප්‍රහාරය එල්ල කළ සැකකරුගේ සහ ඔහුගේ බිරිඳගේ දුරකථන අධිකරණ නියෝගයකින් තොරව අපරාධ පරීක්ෂණ දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවේ හිටපු අධ්‍යක්ෂ ශානි අබේසේකර විසින් ඇමරිකාවේ එෆ්.බී.අයි. ආයතනයට සහ ඔස්ට්‍රේලියාවේ ෆෙඩරල් පොලිසියට භාරදී ඇති බවට අද අනාවරණ වුණා. ඒ, අපරාධ පරීක්ෂණ දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවේ විශේෂ අංශයේ ස්ථානාධිපති ප්‍රධාන පොලිස් පරීක්ෂක ලලිත දිසානායක මහතා පාස්කු ප්‍රහාරය පිළිබඳ සොයන ජනපති විමර්ශන කොමිසම හමුවේ සාක්ෂි ලබාදීමේදී. https://youtu.be/A-e42n_rgeU පාස්කු ප්‍රාහාරය පිළිබද සොයා බලන ජනාධිපති විමර්ශන කොමිෂන් සභාව හමුවේ අද සාක්ෂි ලබා දුන්නේ අපරාධ පරික්ෂණ දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවේ විශේෂ අංශයේ ස්ථානාධිපති ප්‍රධාන පොලිස්... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/03/20)

මහ මැතිවරණය සහ වත්මන් දේශපාලන තත්ත්වය ගැන විවිධ අදහස්
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
ඉදිරි මැතිවරණය හා වත්මන් දේශපාලන තත්ත්වය සම්බන්ධයෙන් විවිධ පාර්ශ්වයන් අදහස් පළකළා. https://youtu.be/9ONOSJqz0MY... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/03/20)

රටේ පවතින ගැටලු සහ තමා පිළිබඳ පැතිර යන කට කතා ගැන හිටපු ජනපති කතා කරයි
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
මේ දින වල රටතුළ මතුව ඇති ගැටලු සහ තමා පිළිබඳ පැතිර යන කට කතා සම්බන්ධයෙන් හිටපු ජනාධිපති මෛත්‍රීපාල සිරිසේන මහතා අදහස් පළ කළා. ඒ ලංකාපුර කාන්තා තරුණ ගොවි සම්මේලණය අමතමින් https://youtu.be/EFdvwl7gH6o... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/03/20)

දේශපාලන හිතවතුන්ට රාජ්‍ය ආයතන තනතුරු දීමේ යුගය වෙනස් කළ බව ජනපති කියයි
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
දේශපාලන හිතවතුන්ට තනතුරු දීමට රාජ්‍ය ආයතන භාවිත කළ යුගය වෙනස් කිරීමට හැකි වූ බව ජනාධිපති ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ පවසනවා. පෞද්ගලික ආයතන ශක්තිමත් කර ලාභ ලබන තත්ත්වයට පත් කළ අත්දැකීම් බහුල පිරිසක් වර්තමානයේ කිසිදු වරප්‍රසාදයක් නොමැතිව රාජ්‍ය ආයතන නගා සිටුවීමට තමන් සමග එක්ව සිටින බවයි ජනාධිපතිවරයා කියා සිටියේ. https://youtu.be/cNlCNOl9x-U රාජ්‍ය ආයතන කිහිපයකට අලූතින් පත් කෙරුණු සභාපතිවරුන් සහ අධ්‍යක්ෂ මණ්ඩල සාමාජිකයන් සමග අද දහවල් ජනාධිපති කාර්යාලයේදී පැවති හමුවකදී ජනාධිපතිවරයා ඒ සම්බන්ධයෙන් අදහස් දක්වා සිටියා.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/03/20)

රවී , මහේන්ද්‍රන් සහ ඇලෝසියස් ඇතුළු 10දෙනෙකු අත්අඩංගුවට ගැනීමට වරෙන්තු (වීඩියෝ)
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
බැඳුම්කර වංචාව සම්බන්ධයෙන් චෝදනා ලැබ සිටින හිටපු පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී රවී කරුණානායක, හිටපු මහබැංකු අධිපති අර්ජුන් මහේන්ද්‍රන්, අර්ජුන් ඇලෝසියස් ඇතුළු සැකකරුවන් 10 දෙනෙකු අත්අඩංගුවට ගන්නා ලෙස කොටුව මහේස්ත්‍රාත් අධිකරණය අද පස්වරුවේ වරෙන්තු නිකුත් කළා. ඒ නීතිපති දෙපාර්තමේන්තුව අධිකරණය හමුවේ දැක්වූ කරුණු සැලකිල්ලට ගනිමින්. මෙම නඩුවේ පළමු සැකකරුවෙකු ලෙස නම් කර ඇති පර්පෙචුවල් ටෙ‍්‍රෂරීස් සමාගමට ලබන 18 වනදා අධිකරණය හමුවේ පෙනී සිටින ලෙස සිතාසි නිකුත් කිරීමට ද කොළඹ කොටුව මහේස්ත්‍රාත් රංග දිසානායක නියෝග කළා. https://youtu.be/CZ4_oFh7-24 එමෙන්ම, නඩුවේ 10 වන සැකකරු ලෙස නම් කර තිබූ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/03/20)

SIRISENA- A POLITICAL LIABILITY, SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN NOMINATION FROM SLPP
By M D P DISSANAYAKE
Sometimes we need to call a spade a spade.  Sirisena is a political Bastard. Any associations with Sirisena is fraught with danger. His future political moves have been explained by Sirisena himself in public.  Though he is claiming to work hard to give 2/3rd majority to President Gotabaya, he hates all Rajapaksa’s. During the recently concluded Presidential Election, Sirisena worked behind the scene to support Sajith Premadasa, pretending that he was remaining neutral during the period of the election. During the upcoming election, massive protests are planned against Sirisena. ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/03/20)

සිරිසේන දේශපාලන පිළිලයකි - පොහොට්ටුවෙන් නාමයෝජනා නොදිය යුතුය
ඇම් ඩී පී දිසානායක විසිනි
සිරිසේන දේශපාලන දුෂ්ඨයෙකි. ලැජ්ජා නැතිකම මහමුදලි කමටත් වඩා ලොකු යන කියමන මෙම අම්බරුවාට ඉතා හොඳින් ගෑලපේ. මීට පෙර කුමන්තර සිතුවිලි සිතතුල තබාගෙන කිරියාත්මක කල අතර,  දැන් මදාවියෙකු ලෙස වහසිබස් දොඩවමින් බලහත්කාරයෙන් තැනකට එන්න බලයි. මොහු පොහොට්ටු වේදිකාවට ආචොත් දරුණු විරෝධතාවන් ඇතිවේ. එමනිසා සිරිසේන පිංගුත්තරයාව පිටුදකින ලෙස නායකත්වයෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටිමි... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/03/20)

උපාධිදාරීන් ඝාතනය කිරීම.
චන්ද්‍රසේන පණ්ඩිතගේ
උපාධියක් ලැබුවෙක් එය ලබන්නේ සිය ජිවිත කාලයම උපාධිය ඉලක්ක කරගෙන සිදුකරන කැපකිරීම නිසාය. එය බරපතල කාර්යභාරයකි. උපාධිය ලබාගත් ඔවුන්ට ඊට සරිලන රැකියාවක් ලබා ගැනීමට නොහැකි සමාජයක් ඇත්නම්, ඒ සමාජය යනු උපාධිදාරියෙකුට සරිලන සමාජයක් නොවේ. එය උපාධිදාරීන් ඝාතනය කරන සමාජයකට සමානය. යම් හෙයකින් උපාධිදාරියෙක් ගොඩනැගිලි කම්කරුවෙක් ලෙස රජයේ ගොඩනැගිලි දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවේ සේවය කරන්නේ නම් තත්වය කොතරම් බරපතලයි දැයි, ඔබම සිතා බලන්න. මෙවැනි තත්වයන් මේ රටතුල නිතරම සිදුවේ. දක්නට ලැබේ. බොහෝවිට එවැනි තත්වයකට පත්වූ උපාධිදාරින්ට එම සේවාස්තානයේ සිටින ඉහල තනතුරු දරන නිලධාරින් තමන්ට හැකි උපරිමයෙන් ඔවුන් කම්කරු තනතුර දැරුවද  යම් යම් ලිපිකරුවන්ගේ කටයුතු ඔවුන්ට පවරාදී, දැක්මෙන් ඔවුන් ඉහල තනතුරක්... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/03/20)

INNOTECH 2020 - තාක්ෂණ හා නවෝත්පාදන ජාතික ප්‍රදර්ශනය මාර්තු මස 11 වන දින සිට 14 වන දින දක්වා හෝමාගම දි.
ප්‍රවෘත්ති නිවේදනයයි තාක්ෂණ හා නවොත්පාදන රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍යාංශය
උසස් අධ්‍යාපන, තාක්ෂණ හා නවෝත්පාදන අමාත්‍යාංශය (MHETI) සහ  තාක්ෂණ හා නවෝත්පාදන රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍යාංශය (SMTI) විසින් එම අමාත්‍යාංශ යටතේ ක්‍රියාත්මක රාජ්‍ය පර්යේෂණ ආයතන (GRI), විශ්වවිද්‍යාල සහ පෞද්ගලික අංශයේ සහයෝගීතාවෙන් සංවිධාන කරන  INNOTECH 2020  - තාක්ෂණ හා නවෝත්පාදන ජාතික  ප්‍රදර්ශනය  මාර්තු මස 11 වන දින සිට 14 වන දින දක්වා හෝමාගම, පිටිපන අධි තාක්ෂණ හා නවෝත්පාදන නගර පරිශ්‍රයේ  දී පැවැත්වේ. සමාජයේ සියලු ස්තරයන්හි විද්‍යා හා තාක්ෂණ සාක්‍ෂරතාව ප්‍රවර්ධනය කරවීමත්, අමාත්‍යංශය යටතේ ක්‍රියාත්මක වන රාජ්‍ය පර්යේෂණ ආයතනයන්හි සහ විශ්වවිද්‍යාලන්හි පර්යේෂණ හා සංවර්ධන අංශවල පර්යේෂණ හරහා බිහිවන නව දැනුම සහ සොයාගැනීම් ප්‍රදර්ශනය කිරීමත් ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/03/20)

මැතිවරණ කොමසාරිස්ගේ බණ
Sangkallpa
https://youtu.be/s1s_2YQ5Hc8... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/03/20)

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN PAKISTAN
ALI SUKHANVER
Right to information or freedom of expression, if suppressed, simply demolishes the whole structure of a society. If a society is filled with all lively activities including business, trade, politics, arts, and sports, it means it is a flourishing society. When we analyze the society of Pakistan particularly in present days, we find all these elements at their best which reflect the liveliness, sparkle, and vigour of the whole nation. Just to blame and defame Pakistan, it is a routine practice rather a tradition of the hostile forces to make hue and cry that there is... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/03/20)

Scientology takes “foremost place” at Sri Lankan Independence celebration in Los Angeles
By Hassina Leelarathna
Aeshea Jayasinghe (right) and Naseema Qureshi at the Sri Lanka Independence Day celebration in Los Angeles: Church of Scientology International  In a message published in the Sri Lanka America Association of Southern California’s (SLAASC) souvenir to mark its Independence Day 2020 celebration, the association’s President claimed his group was “back in the saddle, in organising the signature event”. Well, not quite, as evidenced by a press release issued 19 February by the Church of Scientology. In fact, all signs are that SLAASC, among the oldest Sri Lankan expat community... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/03/20)

Are UNP and SLFP heading for virtual extinction?
By P.K.Balachandran/Daily Express Courtesy NewsIn.Asia
Both parties have undergone splits before, but the current situation appears to be life-threatening. Sajith Premadasa with Ranil Wickremesinghe Colombo, March4: After the April 2020 Sri Lankan parliamentary elections, the island nation is likely to see the virtual extinction of two of its main (and oldest) parties, namely, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) founded in 1951 by SWRD. Bandaranaike, and the United National Party (UNP) founded by Don Stephen Senanayake in 1946. Of the two, the SLFP has already been reduced to a nullity.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/03/20)

Jacqueline Fernandez says she was asked to get a nose job, change her name to Muskaan when she entered Bollywood
Courtesy Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Jacqueline Fernandez opened up about all kinds of ridiculous advice she received when she started out in Bollywood. Jacqueline Fernandez opened up about the struggles she faced when she entered the film industry. When Sri Lankan beauty queen Jacqueline Fernandez decided to pursue a career in Bollywood, she got all kinds of advice on how to fit in. In an interview with Pinkvilla, she revealed that a lot of people felt that her name was “very Western” and suggested that she change it. “I was told, ‘Do a nose job’, ‘Change... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/03/20)

Sri Lanka seizes record drugs haul at sea
Courtesy Mailonline
Sri Lankan authorities believe the Indian Ocean island is being used as a trafficking transit point for drugs Two foreign trawlers packed with over $33 million worth of heroin and crystal methamphetamine were seized in Sri Lanka's biggest-ever drugs bust at sea, a navy spokesman said Thursday. Troops found 400 kilogrammes (about 880 pounds) of heroin and 100 kilogrammes (about 220 pounds) of the drug "ice" on board the two vessels, spokesman Isuru Sooriyabandara said. The street value of the seized narcotics was estimated by officials to... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/03/20)

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa questions EC’s conduct, faults it for suspending graduate training programme ...assures won’t bring back 18 A, defends stand taken in Geneva
By Shamindra Ferdinando Courtesy The Island
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday, (5) questioned the conduct of some members of the Election Commission (EC) during the last presidential election in Nov 2019. Rajapaksa said he had recently raised the issue in the presence of the then Speaker Karu Jayasuriya at a meeting in Parliament. He said so at a meeting with representatives of print and electronic media at the Presidential Secretariat. The EC consists of Mahinda Deshapriya (Chairman), Nalin Abeysekera, PC and Prof. Ratnajeevan Hoole. Acknowledging the right of EC members... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/03/20)

G.L., Cabraal, Sabry to enter Parliament on SLPP national list
Jamila Husain Courtesy The Daily Mirror
Former Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris, former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal and President's Counsel Ali Sabry will enter Parliament through the National List under the ticket of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), government sources told Daily Mirror yesterday. Sources said SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam and MP Wimal Weerawansa had also been nominated by the SLPP. SLPP Chairman G.L. Peiris has held a political career since the early ’90s but lost his parliamentary seat in 2015 when he was not nominated to the National List from... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/03/20)

I’m not behind it
Yohan Perera Courtesy The Daily Mirror
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) leader Sajith Premadasa today refuted the claims made by the government that he had got the election commission to cancel the appointments given to 44,000 unemployed graduates in the state sector and said he will provide employment to them within a week if elected as the Prime Minister. Mr. Premadasa told a media conference that he would provide permanent employment to all unemployed graduates within a week if elected as the Prime Minister. Asked as to how he could ensure his election victory and... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/03/20)

Heroin and ‘Ice’ worth Rs 6,000 mil seized in high seas escorted to Dikovita harbour
Courtesy Adaderana
https://youtu.be/ezY3IXN926U The haul of heroin and crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as ‘Ice’, worth approximately Rs. 6,000 million along with the suspects and fishing vessels in connection to it, seized after a successful naval operation in high seas about 600 nautical miles (1111km) away from Sri Lankan shores, were escorted to Dikovita fisheries harbour this morning (05). Based on intelligence information received from the Police Narcotic Bureau, the Navy deployed its Offshore Patrol Vessels ‘Samudura’ and ‘Sayurala’ on a long drug-busting mission over a period of a month.  Accordingly,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/03/20)

Govt to accelerate national poverty alleviation programme
Courtesy Adaderana
The government has decided to accelerate the implementation of “National Programme for the Alleviation of Poverty” for ensuring food security by providing essential food rationale for the poverty-stricken population. During the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers held yesterday (04), the Internal Trade, Food Security and Consumer Welfare Minister has drawn the attention of fellow members to several measures that are to be carried out through this programme.Accordingly, under this programme, a basket containing essential food items will be provided to one million beneficiaries including differently-abled, widows, senior citizens without permanent income and sufferers... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/03/20)

This era is witnessing the end of western dominance - Ranil
Courtesy Adaderana
This is an era which is witnessing the end of western dominance, former Prime Minister and Chief Guest of WION Global Summit, Ranil Wickremesinghe said in his keynote address on Thursday. He began his address by lauding India’s first international news channel WION as he said, it “is a pioneer in creating a global platform to present the geopolitical analysis of recent South Asian trends”. “This is an era which is witnessing the end of western dominance,” said Wickremesinghe in Dubai. “An era is being shaped by new forces... the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/03/20)

President insists on formulating a National Education Policy
Courtesy Adaderana
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa emphasized the need for formulating a national education policy on a priority basis to suit the rapidly changing situations. The policy should not change with the change of a Government or a President, he observed during a discussion with the officials of the Ministry of Education held at the Presidential Secretariat today (5). The President said that the Cabinet of Ministers, Parliament and the public should be fully informed when formulating an education Policy. Views of the academics, experts in the field and international standards should be taken into... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/03/20)

Two nomination boards from Ranil and Sajith factions
Courtesy Adaderana
Both Ranil faction and Sajith faction of the United National Party (UNP) have appointed their own nomination parties for the upcoming general election. The Working Committee of UNP convened yesterday (04) under Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, where they appointed a nomination board. However, a group of UNP members including the Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa boycotted the meeting. Subsequently, the Sajith faction had appointed their own nomination board for the election. The nomination board is comprised of Kabir Hashim, Malik Samarawickrema, Thalatha Athukorala, Lakshman Kiriella, Mangala Samaraweera, Ravindra Samaraweera,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/03/20)

රිෂාඩ් සහ කබීර් ගැන පාස්කු කොමිසමට ආ සාක්ෂිය
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
එවක කැබිනට් අමාත්‍යවරුන් වශයෙන් කටයුතු කළ රිෂාඩ් බදියුදින් සහ කබීර් හෂීම් යන මහත්වරුන් තුර්කියේ ෆෙටෝ ත්‍රස්ත සංවිධානයට මුදල් සැපයූ මෙරට ව්‍යාපාර හා සම්බන්ධ වී ඇති බව පාස්කු ප්‍රහාරය පිළිබඳ සොයා බලන ජනාධිපති කොමිසමේදී අද අනාවරණය වුණා. ඒ විදේශ සබඳතා අමාත්‍යංශයේ යුරෝපා හා මධ්‍යම ආසියානු කලාපය භාර අධ්‍යක්ෂ ජනරාල්වරියගෙන් සිදූකළ සාක්ෂි විමසීමේදී. https://youtu.be/Iv2bmonS0sY... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/03/20)

දේශපාලන අර්බුද ගැන මැති ඇමතිවරු කියන කතා
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
වර්තමානයේ පවතින දේශපාලන අර්බුද සම්බන්ධයෙන් දේශපාලනඥයින් අදත් අදහස් පළ කළා. https://youtu.be/lp53YzEYxGo... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/03/20)

රාජිතගේ සමයේ ඖෂධ ගෙන්වීමේදී සිදුවූ අක්‍රමිකතාවයන් අත්හිටුවීමට රජය ක්‍රියාත්මක විය යුතුයි - අඟුලුගල්ලේ සිරි ජිනානන්ද හිමි
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
හිටපු පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී රාජිත සේනාරත්න සෞඛ්‍ය අමාත්‍ය ධූරය දරණ සමයේ ඖෂධ ගෙන්වීමේදී සිදුවූ අක්‍රමිකතාවයන් අත්හිටුවීමට රජය ක්‍රියාත්මක විය යුතු බව බෞද්ධ තොරතුරු කේන්ද්‍ර‍යේ විධායක අධ්‍යක්ෂ පූජ්‍ය අඟුලුගල්ලේ සිරි ජිනානන්ද හිමියන් පවසනවා. ප්‍රකාශයක් ලබාදීම සඳහා අද (05) පෙරවරුවේ අපරාධ පරීක්ෂණ දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවට පැමිණි අවස්ථාවේදී උන්වහන්සේ මේ බව සඳහන් කළා. https://youtu.be/I4WWSapzWok... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/03/20)

විධිමත් ජාතික අධ්‍යාපන ප්‍රතිපත්තියක් කඩිනමින් සැකසීමට ජනපතිගේ අවධානය
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
කාලීන වෙනස්වීම්වලට ගැළපෙන විධිමත් අධ්‍යාපනයක් සඳහා ජාතික ප්‍රතිපත්තියක් වහා සකස් කළයුතුව බව ජනාධිපති ගෝඨාභය රාජපක්ෂ අවධාරණය කරනවා. එය ජනාධිපතිවරයා, අධ්‍යාපන ඇමතිවරයා හෝ පවතින රජය වෙනස් වන විට වෙනස් නොවන ක්‍රමයක් විය යුතු බවයි ජනාධිපතිවරයා එහිදී අවධාරණය කර සිටියේ. https://youtu.be/shxPgn9fe3o අධ්‍යාපන අමාත්‍යාංශයේ ඉදිරි සැලැසුම් පිළිබඳව අද (05) දහවල් ජනාධිපති කාර්යාලයේ පැවති සාකච්ඡාවකදී ජනාධිපතිතුමා මේ බව සඳහන් කර සිටියා. ජනාධිපතිවරයා එහිදී වැඩිදුරටත් පවසා සිටියේ අධ්‍යාපන ප්‍රතිපත්තියක් සැකසීමේ දී ගනු ලබන ක්‍රියාමාර්ග සම්බන්ධයෙන් කැබිනට් මණ්ඩලය, පාර්ලිමේන්තුව සහ මහජනතාව පූර්ණ වශයෙන් දැනුවත් කළ යුතු බවටයි. ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/03/20)

Sri Lanka Challenges UN Human Rights Council’s Impartiality
By Kalinga Seneviratne Courtesy Eurasia Review
Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Relations, Dinesh Gunawardena, has officially withdrawn from the co-sponsorship of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Resolution on “Promoting reconciliation, accountability, and human rights in Sri Lanka”. His predecessor, Mangala Samaraweera, had co-sponsored it along with the U.S. and a number of European member countries, in October 2015. Most Sri Lankans perceive the UNHRC as a ‘big bully’ who acts on behalf of major western nations to steer small nations to serving the geo-political interests of the West. The human rights body in their view... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/03/20)

Executive, Legislature, Judiciary, and vision of Sri Lanka (SL) on a horizon of ten years
Kanthar Balanathan, Australia DipEE (UK), GradCert(Rel-Eng-Monash), DipBus&Adm(Finance-Massey), CEng. MIEE (UK)
Executive It is approximately 100 days since HE GR took up a position as the President of SriLanka. Any intelligent person in SL who is able to assess the progress of the administration and the country can observe the tactical moves the President made on positive progress with his strategic goal in mind. The President may have decided on his tactical moves at important nodes of the network in order to achieve his target on a real-time frame. (Quote: Any system connected to a network is... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 04/03/20)

THE RAVAGES OF 2015 – Part II
By : A.A.M.NIZAM - MATARA
The utterly shameless and spineless master traitor Sirisena released a UNP concocted document as his manifesto, titled A Compassionate Maithri Governance — A Stable Country, on 19 December 2014 at a rally held at the Viharamahadevi Park. The main pledge in the said manifesto was the replacement of the executive presidency with a Westminster style Parliament and a Senate but the manifesto acknowledged that Sirisena would need the support of the parliament to amend the constitution. The manifesto also made a commitment to replace the open list proportional representation system with a mixture of first-past-the-post and PR for electing MPs. It... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 04/03/20)

WITNESSING THE 30/1 DEBACLE
By Asanga Abeyagoonasekera
“Despite all the difficulties, there needs to be a concerted effort to develop a negotiating framework that can command the widest possible support. Such a negotiating framework must include at least minimal acceptance, by both sides, of the norms and standards relating to international human rights and a determination to restore peace, normalcy, civil society, and democratic governance.” Dr.Neelan Tiruchelvam President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Government concluded its first 100 days on 25th February 2020. The previous Sirisena administration maintained a website[i] to track the progress of the initial 100 days. It went defunct after most promises... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 04/03/20)

බැදුම්කර වංචාවන් සම්බන්ධ දේශපාලනඥයින් - නිලධාරීන් ඇතුළු සියළු පාර්ශවයන්ට එරෙහිව අධිකරණ ක්‍රියාමාර්ග ආරම්භ විය යුතුයි
 හිටපු ආණ්ඩුකාර කීර්ති තෙන්නකෝන්  පුවත්පත් නිවේදනය
යහපාලන රජය යටතේ 2015 හා 2016 වසරවල සිදු වූ බැදුම්කර වංචාවන් දෙකට සම්බන්ධ සියළු පාර්ශවයන්ට එරෙහිව අධිකරණ ක්‍රියාමාර්ග ආරම්භ විය යුතු බව දකුණ හා මධ්‍යම පළාත් හිටපු ආණ්ඩුකාර රජිත් කීර්ති තෙන්නකෝන් මහතා පවසයි. රාජගිරියේ දී පැවැති පුවත්පත් සාකච්ඡාවක දී අදහස් දැක්වූ තෙන්නකෝන් මහතා පැවසූවේ “යහපාලන රජයේ පළමු බැදුම්කර වංචාවට සම්බන්ධයෙන් ත්‍රිපුද්ගල විශේෂ මහාධිකරණයේ 1937 අංක 7 දරණ ලියාපදිංචි ස්කන්ධ සහ සුරැකුම්පත් ආඥා පනත යටතේ ද, දෙවන බැදුම්කර වංචාව සම්බන්ධයෙන් 1979 අංක 15 දරණ අපරාධ නඩු විධාන සංග්‍රහය යටතේ ද අධිකරණ ක්‍රියාමාර්ග ගැනීම දිගු කලක් මෙරට ජනතාවගේ බලාපොරොත්තුව බවයි.  දෙවන... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 04/03/20)

Russian Baltic Fleet warship visits Sri Lanka in anti-piracy deployment to Indian Ocean
Courtesy TASS
Yaroslav Mudry guard ship will search for a notional enemy’s submarine with a Ka-27 helicopter’s take-off while the anti-terror squads on the ships and vessels will practice various scenarios of fighting pirates in the Indian Ocean MOSCOW, March 4. /TASS/. The Baltic Fleet guard ship Yaroslav Mudry has made a planned business call at the port of Colombo in Sri Lanka in its anti-piracy deployment to the Indian Ocean, the Fleet’s press office reported on Wednesday. "During its anchorage in Colombo, the crew will replenish fresh water,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 04/03/20)

World Bank Pledges $12 Billion In Coronavirus Aid For Poor Countries
By Peter Hecht Courtesy Newsy's daily newsletter 
World Bank is worried that places like Africa, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam are ill-equipped to handle the coronavirus emergency. The World Bank is providing $12 billion in emergency grants and assistance to help developing countries respond to the coronavirus crisis. The aid package, announced Wednesday, comes as the virus has spread to more than 60 countries and topped 94,000 cases and 3,000 deaths. More than 80,000 cases are in China.  In addition to severe quarantine measures, China has mobilized the resources of its advanced economy and medical... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 04/03/20)

Sri Lanka: Finance Minister Rajapaksa Takes Steps To Rescue Public From Micro Finance Debt Trap
Courtesy Eurasia Review
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Finance Minister has decided to increase the low interest loans from Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 60,000 in order to relieve the burden on those struggling due to the high interest charged by microfinance companies. In order to provide relief to those in the North and North Central Provinces burdened by these debts, currently, low-interest loans are made available to them through rural banks and thrift societies. However, the Finance Minister has been receiving requests to increase the low-interest loan limit. Therefore, taking note of... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 04/03/20)

People suffered when leaders tried to be eagles: Mahinda
Courtesy The Daily News
It was people who had to suffer when leaders of the previous Government attempted to be eagles, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said during an event held at Kurunegala yesterday.   “There were frequent clashes and confrontations between the Executive and the Legislature. At the same time, the then President did not give heed to the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister did not give heed to the President,” Rajapaksa said.  “At the end of the day, nothing worthwhile happened to the common man,” he added.   https://youtu.be/JhyoAr9HhkY... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 04/03/20)

Leprosy Hospital in Hendala converted into a quarantine facility
Courtesy Adaderana
The Ministry of Health has decided to convert Leprosy Hospital in Hendala into a quarantine facility for passengers arriving in the country from Italy, South Korea and Iran where COVID-19 is spreading at a faster rate outside of China. Delivering a special statement in this regard on Wednesday (04), Health Services Director General Dr. Anil Jasinghe stated that every passenger reaching Sri Lanka from the aforesaid three countries will be quarantined for 14 days as per a decision reached by the National Action Committee set up to prevent the spread of... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 04/03/20)

Govt’s people-centric economic model aims at overcoming challenges facing SL – President
Courtesy Adaderana
Accelerating economic development is the primary challenge facing Sri Lanka today and most of the security issues that Sri Lanka has faced over the years have been due to the exploitation of the economically disadvantaged, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said. The proposed people-centric model takes this factor into account, said the President at a forum with representatives of the ICT sector held at the Presidential Secretariat today (4). “We must ensure that the benefits of economic growth will reach everyone in our society, especially the very poor. We must raise their standard of... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 04/03/20)

Overseas travel ban on Ravi & 11 others.
Courtesy Adaderana
The decision on whether or not to issue arrest warrants on MP Ravi Karunanayake and 11 others will be announced by the Fort Magistrate on the 6th of March. The Attorney General, yesterday (03) directed the Acting IGP to obtain arrest warrants against several suspects in the Central Bank bond scam case including former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake, former CBSL Governor Arjuna Mahendran and PTL owner Arjun Aloysius. https://youtu.be/mdKU5RFgOyU Further, the 12 suspects have been barred from leaving the country. The Acting IGP was instructed to... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 04/03/20)

Sri Lankans traveling to Kuwait to produce a medical certificate
Courtesy Adaderana
The Kuwaiti government announced it will start screening travelers coming from Sri Lanka and 9 other countries arriving in the Gulf state beginning Sunday, March 8, following the continued spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) worldwide. The Kuwait Directorate General for Civil Aviation made the announcement on Wednesday, March 4, saying the new measure would cover ex-pat passengers coming from Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Egypt, Syria, Azerbaijan, Turkey, the Philippines, Georgia, and Lebanon. Travelers from these countries will need to undergo a medical examination and submit a certificate confirming they are not... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 04/03/20)

බැඳුම්කර සිද්ධියට හිටපු අගමැති රනිල් අත්අඩංගුවට ගැනීමට නීතිපති නිර්දේශ නොකිරීම ගැන විවිධ අදහස්
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
බැඳුම්කර සිද්ධිය සම්බන්ධයෙන් හිටපු අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ මහතා අත්අඩංගුවට ගැනීමට නීතිපතිවරයා නිර්දේශ නොකිරීම සම්බන්ධයෙන් දේශපාලනඥයන් අදහස් පළ කළා. https://youtu.be/60Ddv9hhC_Y... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 04/03/20)

Partisan politics undermines the neutrality and credibility of human rights
H. L. D. Mahindapala
Of all the community leaders in Sri Lanka only the Tamil leadership has officially declared war against another community (i.e., the Sinhalese) and led their people to commit the crime against peace.  On May 14th 1976 they collectively passed the Vadukoddai Resolution urging the Tamil youth to take up arms and never cease until they achieve Eelam. They unleashed the longest war in Sri Lanka which has led to the violation of human rights on an unprecedented scale. Having laid the foundation for the violations of human rights and perpetuated the violations through a... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 04/03/20)

Issues that affect employees in the private and semi-government sectors
Ceylon Mercantile and General Workers Union,
His Excellency the President Gotabaya RajapakshaPresident of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri LankaPresidential SecretariatColombo 01. Your excellency, We the undersigned trade unions of the Sri Lanka Council of the IndustriAll Global Union representing the private sector and semi Government sector employees, wish to draw your immediate attention to the following. These are issues that affect employees in the private and semi-government sectors in general and our members in particular. As promised during the last presidential election in November 2019, the national minimum... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 04/03/20)

Islamic terrorist attack ---SATP - SOUTH ASIA INTELLIGENCE REVIEW
Giriraj Bhattacharjee Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management
On February 22, 2020, in response to reports of an attempted terror attack, the Maldives Police raided three houses on the Naifaru island of Lhaviyani Atoll. According to the Police, the residences were of three individuals accused of planning to set off an explosive device on the island. On February 13, 2020, the Maldives Police arrested an Islamist extremist from an undisclosed location for his suspected role in a February 4, 2020, stabbing incident. Earlier, on February 6, 2020, six extremists were arrested in the same case from... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 04/03/20)

නීති ගරුක මැතිවරණයකට ඉඩ සැලසීම පක්ෂ නායකයින්ගේ වගකීමක් - කැෆේ කියයි
මාධ්‍ය ඒකකය කැෆේ සංවිධානය
එලඹෙන මහ මැතිවරණය නීති ගරුක මැතිවරණයක් බවට පත්කර ගැනීම සඳහා පක්ෂ නායකයින් සතුව විශාල වගකීමක්  පවතින බව කැෆේ සංවිධානය අවධාරණය කරයි. මෙම මහමැතිවරණය සඳහා ප්‍රධාන දේශපාලන පක්ෂ කිහිපයක් සන්ධානගතව තරඟ කිරීමට නියමිත අතර නාම යෝජනා ලබාදෙන අපේක්ෂකයින් නීති ගරුක  මැතිවරණ ව්‍යාපාරයකට යොමු කරවා ගැනීමට ඒ ඒ පක්ෂ නායකයින් කටයුතු කළ යුතු බව කැෆේ සංවිධානයේ විධායක අධ්‍යක්ෂ අහමඩ් මනාස් මකීන් මහතා සඳහන් කරයි. එමෙන්ම  මෙවර බොහෝවිට එකම පක්ෂයේ හෝ සන්ධානගත පක්ෂවල අපේක්ෂකයින් සහ ආධාරකරුවන් අතර ගැටුම්  ඇතිවිය හැකි තත්වයක් මතුවිය විය හැකි බව කැෆේ සංවිධානයේ අදහසයි.  ප්‍රධාන ධාරාවේ දේශපාලන පක්ෂවල ඇතිව තිබෙන අභ්‍යන්තර... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 04/03/20)

Tamils cannot reconcile among themselves - what chance for the rest of us?
Mahinda Gunasekera Toronto, Canada
UNHRC Resolution Number 30/1 of October 2015 introduced by the USA, UK and other Western powers to get Sri Lanka to revise her constitution, scale back the armed forces, establish a Hybrid Court with foreign judges, prosecutors, and investigators to try members of Sri Lanka's armed forces alleged to have committed war crimes and International HR violations, establish a Reparations Office to compensate members of the Tamil community alleged to be missing after surrender to the armed forces as contained in the report of UNSG's panel of experts published in April 2011 where the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 04/03/20)

AG instructs to obtain arrest warrants on Ravi, Mahendran, Aloysius and others
Courtesy Adaderana
The Attorney General has directed the Acting IGP to obtain arrest warrants against several suspects in the Central Bank bond scam case including former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake, former CBSL Governor Arjuna Mahendran and PTL owner Arjun Aloysius. The AG’s Coordinating Officer Nishara Jayaratne stated that the Acting IGP was instructed to obtain warrants from court for the arrest of former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake, former Governor of the Central Bank Arjuna Mahendran, Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL) owner Arjun Aloysius, CEO Kasun Palisena, former Director of the Public Debt Department of the Central Bank... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 04/03/20)

SL rejects “inaccurate references” by UN Special Rapporteur on religious freedom
Courtesy Ada Derana
Sri Lanka has rejected the inaccurate assertions made by the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief. A statement of Sri Lanka was delivered at the interactive dialogue of the 43rd session of Human Rights Council (UNHRC) with the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief in regards to the report of his visit to Sri Lanka. Ahmed Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, who visited Sri Lanka from 15 to 26 August 2019, has tabled his presented his report containing his conclusions and recommendations... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 04/03/20)

භික්ෂූන් වහන්සේට අපේක්ෂකත්වය එපා - අස්ගිරි පාර්ශවය ඉල්ලයි
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
රට තුළ අද සිට මැතිවරණ නීතිය ක්‍රියාත්මක වන බව මැතිවරණ කොමිෂන් සභාවේ සභාපති මහින්ද දේශප්‍රිය පවසනවා. ඔහු මේ බව ප්‍රකාශ කළේ අද මහනාහිමිවරුන් බැහැ දැකීමෙන් අනතුරුව මාධ්‍ය වෙත අදහස් දක්වමින්. https://youtu.be/_sdbDIJ56LE මැතිවරණ කොමිෂන් සභාවේ සභාපතිවරයා සහ එහි නියෝජිතයින් අද පෙරවරුවේ මල්වතු පාර්ශවයේ මහානායක අතිපූජ්‍ය තිබ්බටුවාවේ ශ්‍රී සුමංගල නාහිමියන් සහ මල්වතු පාර්ශවයේ අනුනායක පූජ්‍ය දිඹුල්කුඹුරේ විමලධම්ම හිමියන් පළමුව බැහැදුටුවා. අනතුරුව ඔවුන් අස්ගිරි පාර්ශවයේ මහානායක අතිපූජ්‍ය වරකාගොඩ ශ්‍රී ඤාණරතන නාහිමියන් බැහැදුටුවා. හූරිකඩුව ශ්‍රී විද්‍යාසාගර පිරිවෙන වෙත පැමිණි කොමිෂන් සභාවේ නියෝජිතයින් රාමඤ්ඤ මහානිකායේ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 04/03/20)

India’s undue interference despite past and current failures
 S. Akurugoda
According to the latest media reports, ethnic violence in India’s capital has left more than 40 dead and hundreds injured after a Hindu nationalist rampage, stoked by the rhetoric of Narendra Modi’s populist government. Violence has been a stain on India’s history since partition in 1947 when Pakistan was formed as a separate Muslim state and up to two million people died in the fighting and its aftermath. Riots have continued to erupt along religious lines in a country where around 14% of the population is Muslim, with an 80% Hindu majority. ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/03/20)

RAVAGES OF 2015 – Part I
By : A.A.M.NIZAM - MATARA
The Parliament was to be dissolved last night to hold the General Election on 25th April.  This is the first of a series of articles to highlight the ravages caused to this country during the worst period of rule that prevailed in the post-1948 Sri Lanka which was the period from 8th January 2015 to 15th November, 2019.  The people of this country (the voters) have a daunting task to take all precautions to prevent the swindlers and crooks gaining power in this country and subject the country once again by falling it... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/03/20)

UNP Saga
Sunil Yatalamatta Gamage
United National Party is in its terrible divisional junction to demise end by itself. In differences in the party outpouring to the public in different ways; as such, frustrated members, different viewpoints in the same party, dishonest answers to public, rude, ruthless comments of their own leaders. These are quite common these days to the public. They don’t know what they are doing, and what they need to do, etc. It is a visible completely unstable party without a vision and no values for the country from them, and its future is in turmoil. People... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/03/20)

WHO WILL DO IT? SCRAP 13th Amendment and Indo Lanka Accord. THE GENERAL ELECTION
Stanley Gunaratne.
Who will: 1. Scrap the wasteful 13th amendment and Provincial Councils 2. Scrap the shameful Indo Lanka Accord, which no self-respecting nation would abide by. Does Austria, or the Czech Republic abide by the Nazi imposed Anschluss to this day? 3. Scrap all unnecessary bureaucracy - a burden to the nation's taxpayers 4. Adopt Singapore's "Ethnic Integration Policy" (which DS Senanayake used) to settle ALL ethnicities islandwide to ensure zero ethnic ghettos 5. Ban all ethnic parties 6. Ensure one medium of instruction in English for all students in one school system and gear... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/03/20)

What I am doing for the upcoming COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic
James Robb, MD UC San Diego
Dear Colleagues, as some of you may recall, when I was a professor of pathology at the University of California San Diego, I was one of the first molecular virologists in the world to work on coronaviruses (the 1970s). I was the first to demonstrate the number of genes the virus contained. Since then, I have kept up with the coronavirus field and its multiple clinical transfers into the human population (e.g., SARS, MERS), from different animal sources. The current projections for its expansion in The US are only probable, due... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/03/20)

Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief on the report of his visit to Sri Lanka (A/HRC/43/48/Add.2)
Statement by Sri Lanka
Madam President, Sri Lanka takes note of the report of Mr. Ahmed Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief following his visit to Sri Lanka from 15 to 26 August 2019, which has been presented to this Council today (A/HRC/43/48/Add.2). The advanced unedited report of the Special Rapporteur (SR) was shared with Sri Lanka, for comments, on 3 February 2020, with a deadline of 28 February 2020, i.e. last Friday, leading to an Interactive Dialogue thereon today - Monday. However, within the limited... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/03/20)

දැව සහ දැව ආශ්‍රිත නිෂ්පාදන සඳහා විශිෂ්ඨත්ව මධ්‍යස්ථානයක් බවට මොරටු ප්‍රදේශය පත් කිරීමේ පළමු පියවර ලෙස “මොරටු ලී” සන්නාමය එළිදැක්වේ.
මාධ්‍ය ඒකකය තාක්ෂණ හා නවෝත්පාදන රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍යාංශය.
තාක්ෂණ හා නවෝත්පාදන රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍යාංශයේ මෙහෙයවීමෙන්, ශ්‍රී ලාංකීය දැව හා දැව ආශ්‍රිත කර්මාන්තය උසස් තාක්ෂණික ගෝලීය අපනයන වෙළෙඳපොළ දක්වා රැගෙන යාමත්, නවෝත්පාදනය හරහා දැව සහ දැව ආශ්‍රිත නිෂ්පාදන සඳහා විශිෂ්ඨත්ව මධ්‍යස්ථානයක් බවට මොරටු ප්‍රදේශය පත් කිරීමේ පළමු පියවර ලෙස මෙරටුව දැව කර්මාන්තයේ අනන්‍යතාව ප්‍රචලිත කිරීමේ අරමුණෙන්   “මොරටු ලී” සන්නාමය එළිදැක්වීම තාක්ෂණ හා නවෝත්පාදන රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍ය ගරු තිලංග සුමතිපාල මැතිතුමාගේ ප්‍රධානත්වයෙන් කටුබැද්ද, ජාතික ආධුනිකත්ව කාර්මික පුහුණු කිරීමේ අධිකාරියේ පරිශ්‍රයේ දී පසුගිය දා සිදුකෙරිණි. ශ්‍රී ලාංකීය දැව කර්මාන්තය සඳහා අගය එකතු කිරීමේ අරමුණෙන් අමාත්‍ය මණ්ඩල අනුමැතිය යටතේ, තාක්ෂණ හා නවෝත්පාදන... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/03/20)

Passengers arriving from Italy to undergo 14-day quarantine
Jamila Husain Courtesy The Daily Mirror
Weeks after the Health Ministry ordered all passengers arriving from China and South Korea to undergo a 14-day quarantine period following the outbreak of COVID-19, passengers arriving from Italy will also undergo 14-day isolation, officials from the Health Ministry told Daily Mirror yesterday. Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera said details of all passengers arriving from Italy would be sent to the Health Ministry which would share the information with public health officers for them to follow up on the passengers. "We will ask them to stay at home... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/03/20)

PCoI on Easter attack presents 2nd interim report to President
Courtesy Adaderana
The Presidential Commission of Inquiry on the Easter Sunday attacks has handed over its second interim report to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The report was handed over to the President at the Presidential Secretariat this evening (02). The first interim report of the Commission was presented to the President on 20th December 2019. The final report of the Committee will be compiled following further inquiries. https://youtu.be/CXjYzyrwa9c The Commission was appointed by former President Maithripala Sirisena on September 22nd, 2019 to investigate the series of attacks... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/03/20)

Gazette dissolving parliament published
Courtesy Adaderana
The gazette notification pertaining to the dissolution of the Parliament of Sri Lanka has been published. Accordingly, the 8th Parliament will be dissolved with effect from midnight today (02). The new parliament is set to convene on the 14th of May, 2020. Meanwhile, General Election 2020 has been declared to be held on the 25th of April. Nominations for the election will be called for from the 12th to the 19th of March. The five-year term of the 8th Parliament began on September 1, 2015, following... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/03/20)

එජාප නායක රනිල් නොමැතිව, සමගි ජන බලවේගය සම්මුතියකට එළඹේ
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
ගජ මිතුරු සංගම් රටේ ජාතික න්‍යාය පත්‍රය තීන්දු කල කාලය, සමගි ජන බලවේගය මගින් අවසන් කරන බව විපක්ෂ නායක සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාස පවසනවා. ඔහු මේ බව කියා සිටියේ ඉදිරි මහ මැතිවරණය සඳහා විපක්ෂ නායක සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාසගේ නායකත්වයෙන් පිහිටුවන ලද සමගි ජන බලවේගයේ සමාරම්භක උළෙලට කොළඹ - නෙළුම් පොකුණ රඟහලේදී අද එක්වෙමින්. https://youtu.be/nWwwamDPwkI එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂයේ නායක රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ, මහ ලේකම් අකිල විරාජ් කාරියවසම්, ජාතික සංවිධායක නවීන් දිසානායක, උපනායක පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී රවී කරුණානායක, පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී ජෝන් අමරතුංග, පක්ෂයේ ජ්‍යෙෂ්ඨ උප සභාපති ලක්ෂ්මන් කිරිඇල්ල, වජිර අබේවර්ධන සහ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/03/20)

අලියා ලකුණින් තරග කිරීමට තීරණය වු බව එජාප නායක රනිල් කියයි
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
ඉදිරි මහ මැතිවරණයට අලියා ලකුණින් තරග කිරීමට තීරණය වු බව එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂ නායක රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ මහතා පවසනවා. ඔහු සඳහන් කළේ ඊයේ රැස්වූ පක්ෂ කෘත්‍යාධිකාරී මණ්ඩලය මෙම තීරණයට එකඟත්වය පළ කළ බවයි. කෙසේ වෙතත්, තමන් ඊට එකඟ නොවූ බව සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාස මහතාගේ පාර්ශ්වය පවසනවා. https://youtu.be/CsKXqrDizlc ඉදිරි මහ මැතිවරණයට ඉදිරිපත් වන ආකාරය සහ සමඟි ජනබලවේගයේ ලකුණ සම්බන්ධයෙන් අවසන් තීරණයක් ගැනීම සඳහා එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂ විශේෂ කෘත්‍යාධිකාරී මණ්ඩල රැස්වීමක් ඊයේ පස්වරුවේ සිරිකොත පක්ෂ මූලස්ථානයේදී කැඳවා තිබුණේ  පක්ෂ නායක රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ මහතාගේ ප්‍රධානත්වයෙන්.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/03/20)

එජාපය ප්‍රමුඛ සන්ධානයේ අර්බුදය ගැන අදත් විවිධ අදහස්
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂය ප්‍රමුඛ සන්ධානය සම්බන්ධයෙන් මතුව ඇති අර්බුදය පිළිබඳව  අදත් පක්ෂ විපක්ෂ දේශපාලනඥයින් මෙලෙස අදහස් පළ කළා. https://youtu.be/XT3BP2sPNYQ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/03/20)

පාර්ලිමේන්තුව විසුරුවා හැරීමට අදාළ ගැසට් පත්‍රය නිකුත් වෙයි - මහ මැතිවරණය අප්‍රේල් 25
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
පාර්ලිමේන්තුව විසුරුවා හැරීමට අදාළ ගැසට් පත්‍රය නිකුත් කර තිබෙනවා. එම ගැසට් නිවේදනයට අනුව අද මධ්‍යම රාත්‍රී සිට පාර්ලිමේන්තුව විසුරුවා හැරෙනු ඇති. පාර්ලිමේන්තු මැතිවරණයේ ඡන්ද විමසීම සඳහා දින නියම කර ඇත්තේ අප්‍රේල් 25 වනදාට බව රජයේ ආරංචි මාර්ග තහවුරු කළා. 2015 අගෝස්තු මස 17 වැනිදා මහ මැතිවරණය පැවැත්වීමෙන් අනතුරුව පිහිටවූ 8 වන පාර්ලිමේන්තුව පළමු වරට රැස්වුණේ  එම වසරේ සැප්තැම්බර් පළමුවැනිදායි. ඒ අනුව වර්තමාන පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ වසර හතරක් සහ මාස 6  කාලය ඊයේ මධ්‍යම රාත්‍රියේදී සම්පූර්ණ වුණා. ආණ්ඩුක්‍රම ව්‍යවස්ථාවේ 70 (1) ව්‍යවස්ථාව... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/03/20)

Michelle Bachelet needs a tutor
BY MALINDA SENEVIRATNE
A year ago, UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet made the following observation in her report on Sri Lanka (tabled on March 8, 2019): ‘On 29 May 2018, human skeletal remains were discovered at a construction site in Mannar (Northern Province). Excavations, concluded with the support of the Office on Missing Persons, revealed a mass grave from which more than 300 skeletons were recovered. It was the second mass grave found in Mannar following the discovery of a site in 2014. Given that other mass graves might be expected to... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/03/20)

Provocative abuse of American power
H. L. D. MAHINDAPALA
With incontrovertible evidence gleaned from unimpeachable international sources Daya Gamage, by far the most knowledgeable analyst of America’s role in Sri Lanka – he once worked in the American Embassy acquiring detailed insights into the operations of the mission – has revealed that the decision to place a travel ban on Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva originated from the Embassy in Colombo though the American Ambassador Alaina B. Teplitz, playing the role of Pontius Pilate, pretended at the meeting with the Foreign Minister, Dinesh Gunawardena, that the decision came down from Washington.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/03/20)

Partisan politics undermine neutrality and credibility of human rights
BY H. L. D. MAHINDAPALA
Of all the community leaders in Sri Lanka only the Tamil leadership has officially declared war against another community (i.e., the Sinhalese) and led their people to commit the crime against peace. On May 14, 1976 they collectively passed the Vadukoddai Resolution urging the Tamil youth to take up arms and never cease until they achieve Eelam. They unleashed the longest war in Sri Lanka which has led to the violation of human rights on an unprecedented scale. Having laid the foundation for the violations of human rights and perpetuated the violations through... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/03/20)

Sri Lanka Again Failed to Present Evidence of Lord Naseby to UNHRC to Counter War Crimes Allegations
Dilrook Kannangara
Quoting UK’s defence attache to Sri Lanka in 2009 Anton Gash, Lord Naseby presented a case to the British parliament on the absurdity of war crimes allegations against Sri Lanka. His reports were comprehensive and clearly annul allegations of war crimes leveled against Sri Lanka’s military. Their usefulness was harped by various patriotic groups from 2015 until 2019. Unfortunately, none of that was presented at the 2020 UNHRC sessions attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This is a very disappointing development as it leaves room for UN members to vilify Sri Lanka with war crimes... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/03/20)

MR. DINESH GUNAWARDANE AN EXCELLENT FOREIGN MINISTER
BY EDWARD THEOPHILUS
It is surprising to Sri Lankans living in the country and overseas that Mr. Dinesh Gunawardena handled the withdrawal from the Co-Sponsorship of UNHCR resolution.  It seemed that many countries respected the views expressed by Minister Gunawardena who showed the nature of real Sri Lankan and educated personnel. There were different types of foreign ministers in Sri Lanka from Mr.J.R. Jayewardene to Mr. Gunawardena. I feel that Mr. Gunawardena has excellent knowledge and stewardship skills to handle the ministry and complicated affairs in modern international relations. Many cataplana supporters in the country and overseas thought... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/03/20)

Angelo Mathews stars as Sri Lanka whitewash West Indies 3-0
Courtesy Hindustan Times
Mathews claimed four wickets and denied West Indies 13 runs in the last over, restricting the tourists to 301 for nine in their chase of 308 in Pallekele. Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews celebrates the dismissal of West Indies' Fabian Allen.(AP) Angelo Mathews held his nerve with the ball to help Sri Lanka clinch a tense six-run win over West Indies in the third one-day international and sweep the series 3-0 on Sunday. Mathews claimed four wickets and denied West Indies 13 runs in the last over, restricting the tourists... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/03/20)

Sri Lanka heads for snap polls as Rajapaksa tightens grip
Courtesy Mail online
Gotabaya Rajapaksa won a landslide at November presidential polls and appointed his older brother and former president Mahinda as prime minister in a move that saw the family consolidate their hold on power Sri Lanka's new president is set to dissolve parliament shortly and call snap a legislative election six months ahead of schedule, a state-run newspaper said Sunday. Gotabaya Rajapaksa is expected to exercise his constitutional power to sack the assembly when it completes four-and-a-half out of its five-year term on Sunday night, the Sunday Observer said.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/03/20)

22 uni. students remanded for protesting despite court order
Courtesy Adaderana
The 22 university students arrested for protesting in front of the University Grants Commission (UGC) have been remanded until tomorrow (March 02). The order was issued by the Colombo Additional Magistrate when the group of students was produced before the court. https://youtu.be/MVrWr8pFKfA Twenty-two university students including 2 monks have been arrested for protesting in front of the University Grants Commission (UGC) violating a court order obtained by the Police over acts of obstruction of the public. The Inter-University Students Federation (IUSF) commenced a satyagraha in front... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 01/03/20)

No pension for 64 MPs if parliament is dissolved tomorrow
Courtesy Adaderana
If the parliament of Sri Lanka is dissolved at midnight tomorrow (02) as planned, 64 parliamentarians will lose out on their pensions. A Member of Parliament must complete a five-year tenure to receive pension rights. Accordingly, the United National Party (UNP) parliamentarians will lose the most pension rights, with 36 MPs in total who might lose the right. Additionally, 21 United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) MPs, 6 Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MPs, and one JVP MP lose their pension rights. The Gazette Extraordinary pertaining to the dissolution of... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 01/03/20)

UNP Working Comm. settles on ‘Elephant’ symbol; Sajith faction disagrees
Courtesy Adaderana
The majority of the United National Party (UNP) Working Committee has agreed to contest the upcoming general election under the election symbol ‘Elephant’. However, the Sajith Premadasa faction has not agreed to the decision, sources told Ada Derana. A special meeting of the UNP Working Committee was held at Sirikotha –UNP Headquarters, today (01), to arrive at a final decision on the party’s election symbol. The meeting was chaired by Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 01/03/20)

Parliament to be dissolved at midnight tomorrow
Courtesy Adaderana
The Gazette Extraordinary pertaining to the dissolution of the parliament is set to be published at midnight tomorrow (02), government sources told Ada Derana. This is under the power vested in the President by the 19th Amendment to dissolve the parliament after four and a half years of the sitting of Parliament. https://youtu.be/5XPJ4-e4hgg The five-year term of the 8th Parliament, which began on September 1, 2015 – including elected members of the parliamentary elections held on August 17, 2015 – is due to expire in August this year.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 01/03/20)

එජාපයේ අර්බුදය ගැන අදත් විවිධ අදහස්
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂයේ මතුව ඇති අර්බුදය සම්බන්ධයෙන් පක්ෂ විපක්ෂ දේශපාලනඥයින් අදත් විවිධ අදහස් පළ කලා. https://youtu.be/Rd35Ywt6YCg... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 01/03/20)

සමඟි ජන බලවේගය, එජාපයේ අලියා ලකුණින් තරඟ කළ යුතු බවට තීරණයක් -
උපුටා ගැන්ම  හිරු පුවත්
සමඟි ජන බලවේගය, එජාපයේ අලියා ලකුණින් තරඟ කළ යුතු බවට, එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂ කෘත්‍යාධිකාරී මණ්ඩලය තීරණය කර තිබෙනවා. කෙසේ වෙතත් සජිත් පාර්ශවය ඊට එකඟ නොවී ඇති බවයි දේශපාලන ආරංචිමාර්ග ප්‍රකාශ කළේ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 01/03/20)

Campus එකේ CCTV ගලවපු තරුණ හාමුදුරුවන් සිවුරු ඇරලා ශාසනයෙන් අයින් කල යුතුයි
Lahiru Mudalige
https://youtu.be/yofDxEIOmus... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 01/03/20)


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