Mar 31 (LBO) Sri Lanka seeks to establish a Digital Identity Council to implement the national policy on collection, storage, sharing and use of citizens’ personal data under the proposed centralized Household Transfer Management project. In 2015, the cabinet authorized ICTA to facilitate implementation of the centralized Household Transfer Management project. more..

Mar 31 (PSL) President Maithripala Sirisena has given instructions to the officials to implement an accelerated programme to provide necessary desks and chairs to student bhikkhus and other students who are receiving Priven Education across the country. National Buddhist Think Tank held a meeting under President Maithripala Sirisena’s patronage at the Presidential Secretariat, today (30). more..

Mar 31 (CT) President Maithripala Sirisena speaking at a function in Kurunegala on Wednesday had said, while war heroes would be protected from any war crimes prosecution, those who used the war as a pretext to commit other crimes, including the killings of journalists and sportsmen will however not be protected. In respect of the killings of journalists and sportsmen which Sirisena referred to in his speech, what immediately comes into mind is Lasantha Wickrematunge killed in 2009, more..

Mar 31 (EN) An international food festival at Vietnam's historic city of Hội An was held for the second year, with 12 countries including Sri Lanka taking part. "The event marked a milestone in progress of bringing the best culinary practices and tourism to Hoi An, while bringing Vietnamese cuisine to the world," statement said. The food festival welcomed 12 chefs from Sri Lanka, Finland, Greece, Germany, Russia, India, Mauritius, Taiwan, Sweden, Slovenia, Malaysia and USA, more..

Mar 31 (CT) I write this appeal to you to revoke the gazette notification which declares as forest area the vast tracks of traditional lands owned by the people of Musali in Mannar District, knowing that you will protect the rights of the displaced people. You have already proven this by similar actions, giving relief to thousands of war affected people, elsewhere in the conflict affected areas of the country. I support my appeal based on my intimate knowledge and personal experience about the people and more..

Mar 31 (GDI) On invitation from the French Agency for Development (AFD), an Official Delegation headed by M.I.M. Rafeek, Secretary to the Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs will visit the Reunion Island from 1st to 7th of April. The delegation is comprised of key public officers, Director General of Department of External Resources, Director General of the Department of National Planning and representatives from Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development, more..

Mar 31 (DM) Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara, today rejected reports that he requested the UN General Assembly to assign a special rapporteur to probe war crime charges allegedly committed by the SL armed forces. He said he only requested for a special rapporteur to investigate the basis on which the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid al-Hussein compiled his report on Sri Lanka. more..

Mar 31 (DN) A radiologist attached to a private hospital in Kandy who had allegedly taken nude pictures of a woman kidney patient admitted to the scanning room for a MRI scan  on his mobile phone after blindfolding her was arrested by the Kandy Police Children and Women’s Bureau officials on March 29. The woman who realised this on suspicion after removing her blindfold had followed the radiologist who left the room and snatched the phone after grappling with him. more..

Mar 31 (EN) Sri Lankan tea prices are seen remaining high this year on account of the global shortfall in production, with good demand seen at recent auctions, brokers said. “During the first three months of 2017, price levels at the Colombo auctions have shown an increase over the same period in the previous year,” John Keells said. “While world tea production is sluggish, tea prices are expected to remain moderately high in 2017 due to the rise in tea consumption.” more..

Mar 31 (LBO) PM is to sign exchange of notes for a grant assistance of one billion yen (1.3 billion rupees) from Japan for the development of Trincomalee Port. The funds will be utilized to obtain Japanese products in order to develop the maritime guidance system at the Trinco Port while increasing the activities of the harbor. PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said in a cabinet decision that the Japanese govt has agreed to provide more..

Mar 31 (G&M) In the central highlands of Sri Lanka, my driver makes a turn on to a small dirt road. Minutes later, he turns again at an unmarked opening in the trees. Moments after that, we find ourselves in a small forest clearing. I’ve arrived at Pidurangala, an ecolodge named for the giant rock that towers somewhere above us, the dense leaf cover rendering it invisible. My lodgings for the next three nights will be a tree house – not a platform in the trees but a traditional, more..

Mar 31 (NR) Minister of Sports Dayasiri Jayasekara says a programme to appoint sports officials to all Divisional Secretariats will be implemented in future. Speaking at the Sustain Lanka national function at the BMICH today under the Patronage of President Sirisena, Minister Jayasekara said the initiative will promote exercise for elders and youth alike. Minister said the govt brought about an initiative that promotes exercise in the morning. He noted under the leadership of the President Ministry took more..

Mar 31 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's consumer price inflation hit a record high of 7.3% in March under a new index, data released showed, which analysts attributed to the impact of a lingering drought, higher taxes and a weaker rupee, besides the effect of a low base year. The inflation, measured on the Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI), rose to 7.3% in March from a year earlier, accelerating from the previous month's 6.8% more..

Mar 31 (LBO) Sri Lanka’s Tourism Development Authority together with the Railway Department will explore providing tourist accommodation to budget travelers. Under the scheme, Railway Department will renovate discarded railway carriages and lease out unused land to create accommodation facilities for tourists in railway stations. Initially the project will focus on railway stations such as Colombo Yard, Mahaiyawa Sub Railway, Nanu Oya, Ambewela, Ella and Dodanduwa. more..

Mar 31 (CI) Sri Lanka would have felt hard done by after rain ruined the second ODI, when they put up a total of 311. No team had ever won a 50-over game on the island after being set a target over 300. But after taking Sri Lanka's last six wickets in the final five overs, Bangladesh must have thought they were in the contest. Taskin Ahmed's hat-trick would have charged them up even further and considering they had made their highest total away from home in the first ODI - 324 - things had been shaping up more..

Mar 31 (DM) The request to summon Major General Shavendra Silva before the Court in connection with the disappearance of former LTTE leader Sinnathurai Sasitharan alias Elilan during the war period was rejected by Mullaitivu Magistrate M. Samsudeen. The request has been made by Elilan’s wife Ananthi Sasitharan during a Habeas Corpus court hearing claiming that 12 individuals including Elilan had gone missing more..

Mar 31 (DM) UPFA MP Namal Rajapaksa has arrived before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry. MP Namal Rajapaksa was summoned before the Commission to record a statement pertaining to several discrepancies reported at the National Youth Services Council during the previous tenure of the UPFA led govt. A Spokesman of the Commission said MP Namal Rajapaksa is currently recording a statement after he arrived at the Commission at 11 this morning. more..

Mar 31 (NR) Colombo Chief Magistrate Lal Ranasinghe has granted MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage permission to travel overseas until the 30th of June. Accordingly the Magistrate ordered the release of MP Aluthgamage’s passport. Magistrate advised MP Aluthgamage to return his passport to Court by on or before the 3rd of July. A case was filed against MP Aluthgamage by the CIABOC pertaining to the misuse of 35 million rupees belonging to the Department of Sports more..

Mar 31 (CI) SL's inconsistent selection has had a big effect on the present state of the ODI team, cricket manager Asanka Gurusinha has said, ahead of the third ODI against Bangladesh. SL have rifled through 41 players - five higher than any other international side - since the 2015 World Cup. Team has been especially changeable since Sanath Jayasuriya's selection committee took over following last year's more..

Mar 31 (DM) Customs officers detected 1.4 kilograms of heroin worth Rs.14 million left in a flight that arrived from Dubai this morning, Customs Media Spokesmen said. He said the four packets of heroin was found packed inside a baggage left in the flight lavatory. It was found during the checking done by the flight crew after passengers left the flight. “The baggage was found inside the flight lavatory and the flight crew informed the customs officers that there is a suspicious baggage,” more..

Mar 31 (AD) Two suspects who had allegedly owned the van used in the Kalutara prison bus shooting, and had fuelled the ambush, have been arrested. The suspects include a 48-year-old and 51-year-old, residing in the Bandaragama and Moratuwa areas. Suspects had stolen the van on the 2 of February  from  Seeduwa, and had proceeded to change the number plates and prepare the van for the prison bus shooting. After the shooting had taken place, the two individuals had   then more..

Mar 31 (ENS) Colombo is the most suitable to be South Asia’s commercial hub, says Liang Thow Ming, Chief Marketing Officer of the US$ 1.4 billion Colombo Port City project being executed by China Harbor Engineering Company (CHEC). Liang said that Colombo is not only South Asia’s cleanest and the most livable city, it is also the capital of a country which has no quarrels with any of the nations in South Asia. more..

Mar 31 (CI) Bangladesh have recently won two Tests against teams they had never previously beaten, made the knockouts of the World Cup in 2015, won six of their seven most-recent home ODI series, and have unearthed match-winning young bowlers, so it is time to take aim at the next frontier, captain Mashrafe Mortaza has said. His goal: to consistently defeat oppositions in their own conditions. Bangladesh have taken a step towards that target in SL, winning first ODI by 90 runs. more..

Mar 31 (DM) Green leader’s confidant from Matara currently handling foreign matters is strongly tipped to take over the public purse shortly, they say. Many purohitas, Diyawanna members and well-wishers who attended a commemorative pinkama held at his residence the other day had showered him with warm greetings when he admitted that that he had already been offered the challenging job. He had also emphasized that he agreed to accept the new job as Number Two pressed him, but more..

Mar 31 (Forbes) SL finance minister Ravi Karunanayake recently declared he would push capital market reform ahead in 2017 with eye-catching privatizations of state enterprises and securitization of billions of dollars of his govt's debt. These were big promises, but could such ideas deliver the desired results, I wondered? In human development terms, SL is rich. Its literacy rate is 93%, comparable to Europe, higher than that of the U.S. (86%). more..

Mar 31 (DN) Colombo Commercial High Court issued an Enjoining Order today preventing well known tuition master and author Upul Shantha Sannasgala and Sanhinda Printers from publishing, distributing and selling eleven books written by prominent academic in Sinhala Literature late Prof. Sucharitha Gamlath, until April 7.  Colombo High Court Judge made this order pursuant to a lawsuit filed by Shantha Pathmaperuma, widow of Prof. Gamlath more..

Mar 31 (APP) The govt of Pakistan is dispatching three relief ships containing 3000 Metric Ton (3 million kgs) of rice, to alleviate the effects of severe drought in Sri Lanka and to express solidarity and compassion with the brotherly people of Sri Lanka. This relief tranche is a part of total 10,000 Metric Tons of rice approved by the PM of Pakistan Muhammad Nawaz Sharif for drought affectees of SL. The remaining 7000 Metric Tons rice will also reach Colombo within April 2017. more..

Mar 31 (PSL) President Maithripala Sirisena says today everyone needs to work unitedly to achieve common goals and objectives for the future of our country and nation instead of answering and chasing allegations and criticisms. He made these remarks participating at the inaugural ceremony of the Sustain Lanka National Celebration held at the BMICH, today (31). Addressing the gathering, President said more..