www.themorning.lk Late City VOL 01 | NO 28 | Rs. 30.00 { WEDNESDAY } WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2021 ‘SKILLS SRI LANKA’ LAUNCHED BY PREZ AND PM WE STILL AREN’T READY TO SAY GOODBYE ‘TRADITIONAL NEW SIZE-BASED AND NEW CESS ON TO TIGER! TERRORISM’ CERAMIC TILES »SEE PAGE 2 »SEE PAGE 6 »SEE PAGE 7 »SEE PAGE 14 Black Sunday not India and Japan against report: Cardinal z Warns of Black Flag protest from 21 April 2021 BY PAMODI WARAVITA AND NILANTHA MADURAWALA The Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith said yesterday (2) that the to develop WCT planned “Black Sunday” protest on Sunday (7), where devotees have been asked to come in z 35-year BOT agreement z Only JVP unions to oppose black to the sermons, is not being held against the report by the Presidential Commission of BY DINITHA RATHNAYAKE of the Colombo Port. to nominate investors. Inquiry (PCoI) into the Easter Sunday attacks. The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the development of The Terminal will be developed However, the exact “We thank the commission members who the West Container Terminal (WCT) of the Colombo Port as a on a 35-year Build, Operate, shareholding between the three investigated various aspects of these attacks over public-private partnership between companies nominated and Transfer (BOT) basis and parties is yet to be announced. a one-and-a-half-year period. The Archdiocese by the Indian and Japanese Governments and the Sri Lanka the BOT plan approved by the It is widely expected that an of Colombo cannot comment yet on the report, Ports Authority (SLPA). Cabinet-appointed negotiation 85% share will go to the foreign despite many views being expressed on it from The decision came on Monday tripartite agreement with India committee has been forwarded companies, with 15% remaining various quarters.” (1), exactly a month after and Japan to jointly develop the to both the High Commission of with the SLPA. Contd. on page 2 PHOTO PRADEEP DAMBARAGE Colombo pulled out of the 2019 East Container Terminal (ECT) India and the Embassy of Japan Contd. on page 2 FLYING HIGH Probe on vaccination Businessmen become farmers to cut trees data entry gaps BY PAMODI WARAVITA this deforestation took place after Approximately 20 acres businessmen misinterpreted and z Entering vaccine name a must: Epid. Unit of forest land close to the exploited President Gotabaya BY HIRANYADA DEWASIRI Dahaiyagala Sanctuary, Rajapaksa’s statements made at to know which vaccine to administer belonging to the Department the “Gama Samaga Pilisandara Following an incident where the details for the second dose. The vaccination of Forest Conservation (DFC), (Discussion with the Village)” of vaccination had not been recorded card has dedicated spaces to enter the is alleged to have been cleared programme held on 30 January properly at a Covid-19 vaccination centre, information because it is imperative by businessmen acting under that land should be released to health authorities promised to look into that this information is entered. We the guise of being traditional traditional farmers for cultivation the matter of the necessary data not will inform the relevant centres to farmers, The Morning learnt. purposes. being entered in the vaccination cards of look into the matter,” Ministry of Wildlife officials claimed that Contd. on page 2 members of the public being vaccinated. Health Epidemiology Unit Consultant “In a case where Sri Lanka receives Epidemiologist Dr. Deepa Gamage said, other types of vaccines, having the addressing the media yesterday (2). name of the first vaccine is essential Contd. on page 2 No vaccine priority for teachers zUnions threaten action after new term on 15th BY HIRANYADA DEWASIRI Health Epidemiology Unit Consultant Despite the ongoing GCE Ordinary Epidemiologist Dr. Deepa Gamage Level (O/L) examination for the year said that school teachers have not been 2020, and the new school term scheduled identified as a priority group. to commence on 15 March, school teachers “Under the existing health have not been included in the priority list recommendations, teachers have not for vaccinating against Covid-19. been identified as a priority group. But Responding to a question raised teachers living in areas where people The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) celebrated its 70th anniversary yesterday (2) at the SLAF at a press conference regarding the are being vaccinated can receive the base in Katunayake prioritisation of teachers in light of the vaccination.” PHOTO LALITH PERERA upcoming school term, Ministry of Contd. on page 2 Rishad’s March for Decapitated missing persons reforestation on Women’s Day in limbo body brought BY PAMODI WARAVITA BY DINITHA RATHNAYAKE The families of 100 missing persons will A programme to reforest part of the Wilpattu commence a protest march in Mullaitivu on Forest at a cost of Rs. 1 billion, following the Court from Hanwella 8 March to mark International Women’s Day, of Appeal ruling that ordered former Minister BY DINITHA RATHNAYAKE The Morning learnt. and incumbent MP Rishad Bathiudeen to pay for the perpetrator leaving the bag Speaking to us yesterday (2), an organiser engaging in deforestation for resettlement activities, The decapitated body of a behind. of the march said that the protest is being held is yet to get off the ground, The Morning learnt. woman found in a suitcase at Unverified sources said that on International Women’s Day in recognition Contd. on page 2 Dam Street had been transported the suspect was a 50-year-old, of the women – mothers and wives – who to Colombo from Hanwella in a married Sub-Inspector (SI) have continued their struggle to search for Hanwella-Pettah (143) bus, The attached to the Buttala Police the disappeared. COVID-19 CASES Morning learnt. Station and that the murder had Ministry of Foreign Affairs Secretary ACTIVE CASES TOTAL CASES Speaking to The Morning, been committed in Room 106 (Retd.) Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage Police Media Spokesman Deputy of a hotel in Hanwella. When had said last week that President Gotabaya 3,654 Inspector General of Police the Police had gone to his house Rajapaksa would be reaching out to the 83,552 (DIG) Ajith Rohana said that to make the arrest, he had fled, families of the disappeared for the first time DEATHS RECOVERED SOURCE: HEALTH PROMOTION BUREAU THE ABOVE STATISTICS ARE CONFIRMED closed circuit television (CCTV) according to reports. in a bid to find a solution to their problems. 476 79,422 UP UNTIL 9.45 P.M. ON 02 MARCH 2021 footage had been obtained of Contd. on page 2 Contd. on page 2 42 www.themorning.lk { NEWS } Wednesday, March 3, 2021 US, EU impose sanctions on Russia ‘Skills Sri Lanka’ over Navalny’s poisoning The US and the European Union the Kremlin’s actions against Navalny, Convention. The Kremlin has denied (EU) announced co-ordinated sanctions interference into the US election, the any involvement in the attack. on Russia Tuesday for the poisoning Solar Winds hack, and reported bounties Upon his return to Russia in January, of Russian Opposition Leader Alexei offered to Taliban-linked groups to Navalny was arrested and sentenced Navalny and his arrest and detention target US forces in Afghanistan. to more than two years in jail. He has launched by that followed. The officials said these actions in been transferred to a penal colony just Senior US administration officials response to the Navalny poisoning are several days earlier. told reporters during a briefing call the beginning of the administration’s “The United States has consistently ahead of the public release of the actions against Russia as President characterised the legal offensive against measures that the US is adopting the Biden’s review of specific actions by Navalny as politically motivated, an new sanctions, export restrictions, and Moscow continues. The US response assessment shared by our G7 partners, President, PM visa restrictions on Russia following to those other three issues are coming and the European Commission of The “Skills Sri Lanka” programme an intelligence community assessment “sooner rather than later”, one senior human rights,” a senior administration initiated by the State Ministry of on the poisoning of Navalny that administration official said. official said. “We reiterate our call for Skills Development, Vocational determined with “high confidence” “Today is the first such response, the Russian Government to immediately Education, Research, and Innovation, that officers with Russia’s FSB used and there will be more to come,” the and unconditionally release Navalny.” was launched by the President and a nerve agent to poison him. official said. The EU has also issued its own the Prime Minister (PM) yesterday (2). The US is sanctioning seven senior At the same time the officials insisted restriction measures against Moscow Speaking at the ceremony held at the members of the Russian Government as the US wants to work with Russia on Tuesday, sanctioning four top BMICH, PM Mahinda Rajapaksa said it well as 14 entities that are involved in where possible, including on Iran and government officials, including Head was the responsibility of the Government the chemical and biological industrial North Korea. “The United States is of Russia’s National Guard Viktor to secure the lives of youngsters regardless base in Russia, officials said. neither seeking to reset our relations Zolotov and Prosecutor General Igor of the exams they may fail. The officials did not disclose names with Russia nor are we seeking to Krasnov as well as Chairman of “We will take measures to empower of those sanctioned, but said some of escalate,” the first official said. Russia’s investigative committee and our youths with skills that are up to the them have been previously sanctioned Toxicology tests conducted in director of penitentiary service.