Cabinet Subcommittee for PTA amendments
Three months to make recommendationsBy Pamodi WaravitaA Cabinet Subcommittee has been appointed to present recommendations with regard to the amendment of the controversial Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act (PTA), No. 48 of 1979 to the Cabinet of Ministers within the next three months. The Morning learnt that the reforms are to be led by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Justice Ministry, the Defence Ministry, and the Public Security Ministry. Sumanthiran PC welcomed the announcement by the Government to make changes to the PTA, adding that the “draconian” PTA must be repealed. On various occasions, organisations such as Amnesty International have raised concerns about the PTA.
Source:The Nation
June 23, 2021 19:05 UTC
Rs. 48 mn for ship fire victims from EU
By Pamodi WaravitaThe European Union (EU) stated yesterday (23) that it would be providing Rs. 48 million in funding to the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society to aid over 15,000 people affected due to the MV X-Press Pearl maritime disaster. Therefore, the State Ministry has requested fisherfolk who lost equipment to the disaster to inform their relevant District offices of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Department. “The fisheries industry workers were especially affected, as they cannot engage in their livelihoods or support their families. He also noted that the registered number of fishermen in the Negombo division is approximately 6,000.
Source:The Nation
June 23, 2021 18:56 UTC
Pre-trial resolution for High Courts
Criminal Procedure Code to be amendedBy Pamodi WaravitaThe Justice Ministry will be gazetting amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure Act, No. 15 of 1979, to introduce a pre-trial procedure to High Courts. It is learnt that the pre-trial procedure will enable the two disputing parties to negotiate with lawyers in a conference so as to curtail a lengthy trial period. The aim is to ensure that all pre-trial activities are concluded before the case is heard before the trial judge. Pre-trial conferences are also used in a number of other countries to shorten the trial period or even to bring a resolution to the disputing parties before the case goes to trial.
Source:The Nation
June 23, 2021 18:11 UTC
Victims need Covid test to access shelter home
Speaking to The Morning, Women’s Bureau of Sri Lanka Director Champa Upasena said that Covid-19 has posed a difficult challenge to the management of shelter homes, as the Bureau should now also be wary and active in its efforts to ensure that the virus does not spread within shelter homes. “We have mandated RATs for all women who require shelter home access, which is often provided by the Bureau itself. However, we do inform the women to get a PCR test if possible, prior to seeking shelter access. Sometimes, if they are already in hospital due to domestic violence-related injuries, they may be able to get a PCR test from the hospital before coming to stay in one of our homes,” said Upasena. Upasena also added that as an extra measure, women are given a separate room as soon as they come into a shelter home during the pandemic.
Source:The Nation
June 23, 2021 18:00 UTC
Energy Ministry split on new Fuel Fund
High level sources at the Energy Ministry recently told The Morning last week that the previous Fuel Price Stabilisation Fund, which was set up in 2020 to absorb shocks in global price fluctuations without changing local oil prices, which at the time had between Rs. Against this backdrop, Gammanpila had submitted a Cabinet paper last April to re-establish the Fund, for which Cabinet approval is yet to be granted. Due to this, the expected objectives of setting up the Fund could not be achieved, Ministry sources had said. He also said that the said Fund would be set up to absorb both profits and losses by maintaining fuel prices unchanged. However, amidst controversy over the Government’s decision to increase fuel prices, Dr. Gunawardana recently told The Morning that the said Fund may have “evaporated” by now.
Source:The Nation
June 23, 2021 18:00 UTC
New Zealand win inaugural World Test Championship final with eight-wicket win over India
By Paul Newman for the Daily MailPublished: 13:58 EDT, 23 June 2021 | Updated: 13:58 EDT, 23 June 2021Extra time proved decisive in the World Test Championship on Wednesday as New Zealand’s outstanding seam and swing attack inspired a dramatic victory over India. And the first six-day Test in England since 1975 belonged to the perennial bridesmaids of New Zealand, with India collapsing in an English-style heap. New Zealand won the World Test Championship final against India on a dramatic sixth dayNew Zealand's seam and swing attack got India all out for 170 on the rearranged final dayNot that what became a chase of 139 in 53 overs was easy for New Zealand. This is the best Test side in New Zealand’s history and how they have proved it by thrashing England at Edgbaston and then upsetting the might of India in little more than a fortnight. The World Test Championship is not perfect and may need tweaking.
Source:The Nation
June 23, 2021 18:00 UTC
Health Ministry studying vaccinating children
Multiple requests including from paediatriciansBy Buddhika SamaraweeraThe Health Ministry is studying the possibility of administering Covid-19 vaccines to children, taking into account the requests made by a number of parties, including paediatricians, according to Family Health Bureau Maternal and Child Health Services Director Dr. Chithramalee de Silva. The cost which will have to be borne and its cost effectiveness should also be studied,” she noted. Meanwhile, Consultant in Clinical Immunology and Allergy Prof. Suranjith Seneviratne, when contacted by The Morning, said that children infected with the Covid-19 virus are less likely to have serious complications, but that it is important to administer Covid-19 vaccines to children as they can transmit the virus to adults. Prof. Seneviratne is attached to the Immunity and Transplantation Institute, the Royal Free Hospital, and the University College, London, UK, and is the Consultant Speciality Lead of Immunology at the Health Services Laboratories. Older children transmit the virus faster than younger children while young children are more likely to become infected with the virus, he further noted.
Source:The Nation
June 23, 2021 18:00 UTC
Pets can get Covid from humans
Speaking to The Morning, SLVA Secretary Dr. G. Sugath Pemachandra said that people can spread the virus to animals in certain situations. However, as explained by Dr. Pemachandra, while humans can spread the virus to animals, it cannot take place vice versa. “If you are infected with Covid-19, please keep your pets at a distance and quarantine them for 14 days. If they are infected with the virus, they would get the same symptoms as humans. If you notice any Covid-19 symptoms in your pet, contact your veterinary physician or the hospital and do a PCR test on the animal.
Source:The Nation
June 23, 2021 18:00 UTC
Unravelling the complex reality of sexual harassment
Various forms of harassments including sexual harassment always existed, even though it was quite recently that people started talking about sexual harassment openly, especially after social reforms that encouraged victims of sexual harassment to come forward and gave the message that having faced such incidents is not their fault. In addition, the Foreign Correspondents’ Association of Sri Lanka also expressed solidarity with Sri Lankan journalists who had faced sexual harassment at their workplaces. Similar incidents of workplace sexual harassment that took place in Sri Lanka gained international attention recently. They were users sharing personal stories of sexual harassment, users discussing the entertainment industry or celebrities in their tweets, and users discussing national politics or politicians. Sexual harassment, or harassment in general, is not at all a new development and it always existed.
Source:The Nation
June 23, 2021 17:26 UTC
Medical officers must identify child abuse victims to stop cycle of violence
Child maltreatment, in the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) “Report of the consultation on child abuse preventio” is defined as “abuse and neglect that occur to children under 18 years” and which includes, according to E.G. Furthermore, physical abuse is found to be more common in families with poor socio-economic conditions, and single parent households. The WHO notes with regard to “Child maltreatment” that exposure to intimate partner violence is also a form of maltreatment and interpersonal violence. de Silva emphasises in “Children needing protection: experience from South Asia” that child abuse and neglect are significant problems. Fernando and Karunasekera’s study showed that 44% of adults have experienced some form of sexual abuse while 36% have been physically maltreated in their childhood.
Source:The Nation
June 23, 2021 17:26 UTC
The Government’s Opposition Leader
Yesterday (23), ending his longest time away from Sri Lanka’s Parliament, United National Party (UNP) Leader and veteran politician Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as a MP and the only parliamentary representative of the UNP. The attention garnered by Wickremesinghe leading up to his return to Parliament is also an indictment on the Opposition and the fact that Sajith Premadasa has failed to strengthen and solidify his position as the Leader of the Opposition. It is highly unlikely that Wickremesinghe could become the Opposition Leader of this Parliament, but he could become the de facto Opposition Leader unless Premadasa can turn the tide in his favour. It is interesting in this equation to ask which of them would be preferred by the Government as Opposition Leader. The Government is well aware of Premadasa’s vote pulling capabilities, and would prefer a highly critical but electorally ineffective Wickremesinghe as the most prominent Opposition politician.
Source:The Nation
June 23, 2021 17:03 UTC
Daily COVID infections count climbs to 2,205
The Health Ministry says 820 more persons have tested positive for COVID-19 today (June 23) increasing the daily count of positive cases to 2,205. All new cases reported within the day have been associated with the New Year cluster. This brings the tally of confirmed infections of coronavirus reported in the country so far to 246,091. As many as 211,186 recoveries and 2,769 deaths have been confirmed in Sri Lanka since the outbreak of the pandemic last year. According to official data, more than 32,000 active cases are currently under medical care at designated hospitals and treatment centres.
Source:The Nation
June 23, 2021 16:07 UTC
Coronavirus death toll up by 65 fatalities
June 23, 2021 08:40 pmThe Director General of Health Services has confirmed 65 more COVID-19 related fatalities that have occurred yesterday (June 21). The new development has pushed the official death toll due to the virus in Sri Lanka to 2769. According to the data released by the Department of Government Information, the new victims confirmed today include 25 females and 40 males. Two of them is aged below 30 years, ten victims are between 30-59 years and the remaining 53 are aged 60 and above.
Source:The Nation
June 23, 2021 15:45 UTC
Sevilla boss Julen Lopetegui rejected a 'dizzying' offer from Tottenham
By Pa Sport StaffPublished: 09:27 EDT, 23 June 2021 | Updated: 09:48 EDT, 23 June 2021Sevilla president Jose Castro says Tottenham made a 'dizzying' offer to Julen Lopetegui to become their new head coach, but he is happy at the Spanish club. In an interview with Spanish radio station Cadena SER, which was published on Sevilla's official website, Castro said: 'Julen rang me and told me. He said he'd received offers he'd not listened to in addition to a dizzying one from Tottenham. They also held talks with Pochettino, who was keen on a return to Spurs, but Paris Saint-Germain activated a one-year extension to his contract. Conte then appeared set for the Spurs job following his departure from Inter Milan before talks with the former Chelsea manager also broke down.
Source:The Nation
June 23, 2021 14:02 UTC
We can save this country - Health Minister
Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi says she has given directives to impose severe penalties on individuals who violate health guidelines imposed to control the COVID-19 pandemic. The Minister said that it would be difficult to save the country from the pandemic if such severe punishments are not meted out. She added that the Sri Lanka Police and the Ministry of Health would work together to enforce the law in this regard. We can save this country. We were able to do that in the first COVID-19 wave.
Source:The Nation
June 23, 2021 13:52 UTC