News

For the first time in the history of the country, twin baby elephants were born at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage today.

A spokesman from the Pinnawala Orphanage said the female elephant 'Surangi' had given birth to twin baby elephants.

He said both baby elephants are male elephants and the first was born at 4.00a.m and the second was born at 12.00 p.m.

Meanwhile, a senior official of the Wild life Department said this twin elephant birth was the first birth in Sri Lankan history among registered domesticated elephants.

In 2020, Sri Lanka for the first time recorded the birth of twin elephant calves in the country’s Minneriya National Park.

The Quarantine Curfew will be extened to 04:00 AM on 06th September, said President’s Spokesperson Kingsly Ratnayake on Friday (27).

He tweeted saying that the decision was made by the President following a meeting at the Presidential Secretariat with the COVID-19 Prevention Committee.

Joint-Cabinet Spokesperson & Minister (Dr) Ramesh Pathirana says that Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa has urged the Cabinet to limit government spending and cut down on unnecessary expenses.

The Minister of Finance Basil Rajapaksa has clarified the economic situation of the country at the Cabinet meeting yesterday (30).

Accordingly, the Minister of Finance has instructed to review the progress of projects that have not already commenced and to take a decision on them, and to stop non-essential recruitments and unnecessary allowances if they are given.

Minister (Dr) Ramesh Pathirana said that the Finance Minister had instructed that strict financial discipline should be maintained.

The untiring efforts of Army troops in order to expand the existing ward capacity at Colombo South Teaching Hospital, in close consultation with health authorities, completed the establishment of three more new wards in the eight-storied building in the hospital complex.

The project, considered as another giant emergency move, undertaken by the Army as per Presidential directives was fully supported by the Army Seva Vanitha Unit (ASVU) and all three converted wards with 250 beds were formally vested in the Colombo South Teaching Hospital authorities this morning (26) by General Shavendra Silva, Head, National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO), Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army, together with Mrs Sujeewa Nelson, President, Army Seva Vanitha Unit who was instrumental in providing the project with all accessories and furniture.

The Sri Lanka Army Ordnance Corps (SLAOC) factory in Dombagoda within a day in a striking dedication manufactured the first set of 150 iron beds to match with recommended ward specifications on the directions of the Army Chief, no sooner than the Presidential directive wanted the building floors be used for this emergency purpose as early as possible. The remaining 100 beds are to be supplied within next 48 hours according to Brigadier Priyantha Weerasinghe, Director, Directorate of Ordnance Services.

The ASVU taking note of the essentials provided 250 mattresses, 300 bedsheets, 300 pillow cases, 300 pillows, bedside cupboards and other pieces of furniture as well as accessories to those three wards, in which an emergency treatment section and a reserved section with a set of beds for affected little children are also available. The continuing increase of COVID-19 patients prompted the Army to assist further expansion of treatment capacity in this hospital by establishing three new wards on priority basis.

The challenge for conversion of those three wards inside an incomplete storeyed hospital building at the earliest was promptly and committedly undertaken by troops of the Security Force HQ-West, 14 Division HQ and other logistics battalions, just a few days ago under the close guidance and the 24hr supervision of Major General Sujeewa Senerath Yapa, Commander Security Forces-West, Major General Crishantha Gnanarathna,General Officer Commanding, 14 Division,Brigadier Thushara Balasooriya – Brigadier Cordination ASVU, Brigade Commanders under the SFHQ-West and the 14 Division, comprised of all Commanding Officers, Sri Lanka Engineers and all other logistics battalions.

Since of recent times, the Army as per directions of the Head, NOCPCO has been engaged in converting hospital wards, abandoned factory buildings, allocated industry buildings, unused state locations, etc to serve as emergency treatment wards or ICCs in the face of looming threat of the virus transmission and the surge of more and more positive cases.

Dr. Jayaruwan Bandara, the Former Health Ministry Spokesperson has been summoned to appear at the Criminal Investigations Department on Tuesday (31).

Police Spokesperson SSP Nihal Thalduwa told News 1st that he is being summoned with regard to an investigation on misleading the general public by stating false information during an interview with a journalist.

The Chairmen of the State Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Corporation and the State Pharmaceutical Corporation had recently filed complaints over the comments made by Dr. Bandara.

The issuance of smart cards to people who have been fully vaccinated has already commenced. In the first round, this card is issued to people who are preparing to go abroad.

This card is issued by the National Institute of Information Technology and the opportunity to register for the card has been provided online. 

Register

Sri Lanka’s Dinesh Priyantha won the first Gold Medal for Sri Lanka at the Tokyo Paralympics after he set a new World Record in the Men’s F46 Javelin Throw with a distance of 67.79m.

Sergeant Dinesh Priyantha Herath sustained injuries in enemy fire on 16 December 2008 when he was fighting against LTTE terrorists in Kilinochchi area.

He enlisted to the Army on 18 March 2004 as a recruit and completed basic training at Gajaba Regiment at Saliyapura. After his injuries, he actively took part in Army-organized Para Athletic training events at the GR Regimental HQ.

In 2012, he won Gold in Javelin Throw (52 m) in Army Para Athletic Meet, First place in Malaysia’s Para Athletic Meet (52.95 m) in 2012, Second Place in Germany’s Para Athletic (Qualifying) Meet (53.09m) in 2017 and again the Second Place in London Para Athletic Meet-2017 recording 59.90m in the same Javelin Throw event.

198 COVID-19 deaths were confirmed for Tuesday (24), said the Director General of Health Services. According, the total number of COVID-19 fatalities in Sri Lanka increased to 7,948.

192 COVID-19 deaths were confirmed for Saturday (28), said the Director General of Health Services on Sunday (29).

The total number of COVID-19 deaths in Sri Lanka increased to 8,775.

Musician Iraj Weeraratne, who was appointed as director of the National Youth Services Council (NYSC), has resigned from the post.

Weeraratne has sent a letter to the Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Namal Rajapaksa today informing his decision to resign from the post.

He said the decision was taken as he had to attend to some urgent personal work.

Minister Namal Rajapaksa had appointed Iraj Weeraratne as a director of the NYSC in August last year.

Mangala was loved by many, but disliked by some. There were many who disagreed with his liberal views, but he welcomed a conversation instead of striking fear.

He was not one to let populist demands dictate his worldview. Instead, he questioned what was accepted as the social norm.

Mangala was a reformer in the truest sense. He was committed to building institutions in Sri Lanka that would outlast governments, and help people live a life of dignity.

Mangala governed not through threats or the use of his position, but through consultation. He listened to experts, evaluated their advice against his judgement, and finalised his decision. He always took ownership of the decisions he took and reflected on their outcomes over time.

There are numerous lasting achievements that Mangala made over his 30-year long political career.

One place where Mangala had an outsized impact was in the liberalization of the telecom sector of Sri Lanka. Today, of all of Sri Lanka’s SOEs, SLT is one of the few that is profit-making. Mangala led its modernization in the 1990s, when he worked with the trade unions, brought in new technology, and invited foreign investors to develop SLT.

I had the great honour of working closely with Mangala at the Finance Ministry from 2017-2019. Having such a powerful portfolio can corrupt many men. But Mangala used this opportunity to rebuild the Treasury, and reduce the power and discretion of the Finance Minister. We passed the Inland Revenue Act of 2017 to widen the tax base. We both shared the same philosophy that people who make money should pay their fair share of taxes to the state. But in turn, we would reduce barriers to get their businesses going, so that everyone had a fair shot.

One of achievements was the primary balance in 2017 and 2018 – a repeat of 1954 and 1955, that improved our credibility in the eyes of international investors and reduced Sri Lanka’s borrowing costs. Our interaction with the Central Bank was robust, argumentative and professional. As the then Governor Dr Indrajit Coomaraswamy, then Secretary Dr Samaratunga and senior Central Bankers will affirm - always respectful of the independence of the Central Bank. Mangala did not turn away from the unpopular but sound macroeconomic advice. A man of great inner strength.

Mangala fought to reform Sri Lanka’s political environment. Many have commented on the key role he played in 1994, 2005 and the regime change in 2015. He had the unique ability to marry both civil society and political forces, by building trust between the two.

Mangala led the original efforts to beautify Colombo. One day, while Mangala and I were driving past Galle Face, he noticed that the palmyras they had planted when the UDA was under his purview were being uprooted. Mangala turned to me and said they had chosen to plant palmyras as Galle Face was a sun scorched area, an environment that palmyras would thrive in. He reflected that the trees were probably being replaced as they were a symbol of the Jaffna Peninsula. “We speak about territorial integrity and that we are one country. Yet we desperately still disown the Northern part of our country”.

Mangala was always an advocate for a united Sri Lanka. He strove to build a country where one could live in peace and dignity, regardless of ethnicity, caste or creed. He was also driven to make decisions based on evidence and rationality, not optics or mystics.

My relationship with Mangala began as a professional relationship. But over time, it grew into a bigger friendship, based on our shared vision for Sri Lanka.

With Mangala’s departure from parliament our friendship and dialogue continued by the Bolgoda lakeside. He kept briefing me on his initiatives and on the future. He had a joyous spirit, evident in his open house where he loved to entertain.

Mangala was honest, respected every individual and the most courageous politician of the modern era.

Mangala, I will miss your straightforward manner, your vision, and your friendship.

You have inspired many on your journey, and will continue to have an impact on Sri Lanka.

The maximum retail price for 60 medicinal drugs has been declared by the Minister of Health.

The Minister of Health, Keheliya Rambukwella declared this via the issuance of a special gazette notification.