Sarvodaya Development Finance renews MoU with DIMO to accelerate post-COVID agriculture revival

Sarvodaya Development Finance Chief Executive Officer Nilantha Jayanetti and SDF team (left) with DIMO Group Chief Executive Officer Gahanath Pandithage and DIMO team (right)

Multilingualism vial for building Sri Lanka as a nation

International Mother Language Day

WORLD SUMMIT FOR A GLOBAL WAR AGAINST COVID-19 PANDEMIC

As nations rich and poor struggle to come out of the pandemic pit pinning their hopes on hurriedly tested vaccines approved only for emergency use, a clarion call comes from the United Nations Security Council.

My Quarantine Diary

Isolated Tourism

DHAMMIKA PRASAD ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM INTERNATIONAL CRICKET

Sri Lanka fast-bowler Dhammika Prasad announced yesterday that he would be calling time on his international career.

Big hitter Morris smashes IPL auction record with $2.25 million fee

South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris became the most expensive player bought for the Indian Premier League yesterday, when Rajasthan Royals paid $2.25 million for him.

ALLEGED ARBITRARY

ARREST CREATES UPROAR

MODI'S REMARKS ON TAMILS SET THE CAT AMONG THE PIGEONS

The Government has articulated over and again that its foreign policy will be neutral and non-aligned. However, it is now challenging for the regime to be true to such a policy since the major powers with interests in the region have made it almost unworkable in a practical sense. The absence of a cohesive policy regardless of the change of governments has made matters worse.

LET'S CALL THE BLUFF OF INDIA AND THE INDOPHILES

A few years ago, the Indian Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah, who also served as the President of the Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP) from 2014 to 2020 in a conversation over the party’s victories in several States is reported to have quipped ‘Nepal and Sri Lanka are still left’.

Concerns of a nation before UNHRC sessions

In February valentine’s day parties were canceled and people were told to remain at home. Sri Lanka also braces itself to face a new variant of the COVID-19 pandemic which is said to have originated in England and now present in this island nation. But Sri Lankans who have their ‘thinking caps on’ are living life low key. This is because of the upcoming UNHRC sessions in March which could put Sri Lanka in a spot of bother if resolutions are passed against it for alleged human rights violations.

CANADA SUPPORTS SCHOOL MEAL PROGRAMME, HELPS LOCAL FARMING

Global Affairs Canada recently funded one million Canadian Dollars (Around Sri Lankan Rs. 151 million) to help smallholder farmers cultivate nutritious crops for the National School Meal Programme.

A MILLION RUPEES UP FOR GRABS AT AIR FORCE COMMANDER'S CUP RUGBY SEVENS

Prize money to the tune of one million rupees will be on offer to the champions of the inaugural Air Force Commander’s Cup InterClub rugby sevens tournament, which will be held over two weekends next month.

Cricketing Legends Batting For Road Safety

>>In an attempt to address a pressing problem in India, the Road Safety World Series was launched last year, bringing some of the game’s legends back to the field, hoping to use cricket’s popularity in the country as a vehicle to create awareness on road safety >>There will be notable absentees, with Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup winners, Muralitharan, Vaas, Kaluwitharana and Chandana not taking part

Power Sector: New Theatre Of Big Power Rivalry

The resolution of the East Container Terminal saga with a Cabinet decision that the Sri Lanka Ports Authority would retain 100% ownership and control, was widely seen as a victory for nationalist forces in general and the port trade unions in particular. Events that followed however raise doubts as to whether this was but a pyrrhic victory.

Govt Willing To Explore The Possibility Of Expanding Suwaseriya

The Emergency Ambulance Service was first launched in 2016 in the Western and Southern Provinces of Sri Lanka under an initial Indian grant of USD 7.5 million It did a great job during the pandemic

Struggling Against Animal Abuse

Animal abuse is rampant in our Island Nation. One wonders when and where the compassion, loving-kindness and sympathy towards the voiceless vanished, as tragic incidents occur daily. This is a never-ending battle for the limited Associations and few ardent animal activists who have dedicated their lives solely towards this humane cause. Apart from accidents caused by reckless, hardhearted motorists; evil public unleash their fury by stoning, stabbing, poisoning and harming the voiceless who are unable to defend themselves.

‘The Half': The Muffled Story Of Shakthika Sathkumara

It is impossible to be truly artistic without the risk of offending someone somewhere.”

Arushi Emerges Under 12 Girls' Champion

Arushi Thomas emerged the Under 12 girls’ champion at the 105th Colombo Tennis Championship when she recorded an easy two sets to nil victory in the final played at the SLTA tennis courts in Greenpath, Colombo yesterday.

Ashwin Hits Century As India Near Victory In Second Test

Ravichandran Ashwin hit 106 and took a key wicket yesterday to edge India closer to victory in the second Test against England, who face a daunting target of 482 to win. The tourists, who lead the four-match series 1-0, were struggling at 53 for three at stumps on the third day in Chennai.

Copyright Issues, TV Rights In Sports Broadcasting And Streaming

One way or the other we have all benefited from advanced communication technologies which have revolutionised the television broadcasting of sports which has enabled billions to follow sporting events.

EU Seeks New Covid-19 Vaccine Deal With Moderna, Astrazeneca

The EU is holding talks with Moderna on buying more COVID-19 vaccine and AstraZeneca, with which talks have stalled, has suggested delivering doses of its own vaccine made outside Europe to make up for supply cuts, two EU sources said.

GoSL May Ask UNHRC To Set Up Data Base On War Time Dead

The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) is discussing the possibility of asking the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to set up a database on those who were killed, or were injured or had gone missing in the last phase of Eelam War IV, according to Dr.Rohan Gunaratna, Honorary Professor at the Sir John Kotelawala Defense University and Senior Advisor to its Department of Defence and Strategic Studies.

Hundreds of thousands protest in Myanmar

REUTERS, 14TH FEBRUARY, 2021 - Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets in Myanmar for a ninth day of anti-coup demonstrations on Sunday, as the new army rulers grappled to contain a strike by government workers that could cripple their ability to run the country.

EU to speed approval of variant-modified coronavirus vaccines

FRANKFURT (REUTERS), 14 FEB, 2021 - The European Union will fast track approvals of coronavirus vaccines adapted to combat mutations, the bloc’s Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said in a newspaper interview on Sunday.

CHAMEERA, ISHARA WIN DHANASIRI AMARATHUNGA CHALLENGE TROPHIES

WPTTA All-Island Ranking Table Tennis Tournament

BANGLADESH FALL 17 SHORT AS WEST INDIES SEAL 2-0 WIN

A total of 17 wickets fell across two innings, Tamim Iqbal made a stroke-filled 44-ball half-century, and West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite turned out to be one of the unlikely bowling heroes on a day dominated by spinners, as West Indies held on for a 17-run win to seal the series 2-0.

Auckland under 3-day lockdown over new Covid-19 cases

DPA, 14TH FEBRUARY, 2021 - New Zealand’s largest city will be placed into a three-day lockdown after three new cases of Covid-19 were detected on Sunday.

URBAN DEVELOPMENT MINISTRY PROPOSES LIGHT RAIL PROJECTS FOR COLOMBO AGAIN

There are three more lines. We requested the Prime Minister to see how we can proceed with them

No time for anyone to exploit opportunity - State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabral

Temporary relaxation of import restrictions on tiles and sanitaryware. An inquiry will be made to determine whether anyone had opened letters of credits through any bank

Govt. to amend Muslim Laws: Ali Sabri

The Government was committed to uphold the policy of “One country one law”. Ven. Rathana Thera had said that the Muslim laws were violating human rights of Muslim women and girls