Mar 14 (DN) SriLankan Airlines alone has been incurring continuous losses amounting to billions of rupees since 2008 onwards after its management was taken over by the Govt of Sri Lanka from Emirates, it was revealed yesterday. The Airlines’ Financial Management Head, Yasantha Dissanayake, testifying before the PCoI said it had been earning profits during the Emirates Management, but, turned into a loss making more..

Mar 14 (EN) Sri Lanka should hand back land in the north to citizens quicker, because the war ended 10 years ago, JVP, Bimal Ratnayake said. He said the problem was acute in Mullativu, Kilonocchi and Mannar areas, even more than Jaffna and some military bases have been set up after the war. "It is alright to set up bases when there is a war," Ratnayake told parliament. "But the war ended 10 years ago. more..

Mar 14 (PMD) President Maithripala Sirisena, who arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, yesterday (13) on a four-day Official Visit to Kenya to attend the fourth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-4) held in Nairobi, received a grand welcome at the Airport. The President including the Sri Lankan delegation was warmly received by a Kenyan special delegation. The Chief Administrative Secretary of more..

Mar 14 (DM) Popular restaurant Calorie Counter at Ward Place, Colombo 7 which targets health-conscious patrons and markets itself as such, was raided by the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) health officials on Tuesday (12) for allegedly violating food safety regulations. A check of the freezer at the restaurant showed that food items unsuitable for human consumption had been stored inside it. more..

Mar 14 (Island) President Maithripala Sirisena owed an explanation to the nation and to Parliament as to why he had removed Director General of the CIABOC Dilrukshi Wickremesinghe, JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told Parliament yesterday. He said that an explanation was overdue from the President as to the removal of Director General of CIABOC. "After 2015, the Voice against Corruption organisation made more..

Mar 14 (FT) SL’s current need is to better grasp the intricacies of the investment climate. Its stakeholders, whether domestic or foreign, have standards which define their confidence to invest, with all other factors being equal. The basic comprises time. The reason why mega-investors around the globe use their own aircraft is to suit their timelines. Consequently, if SL as a nation is to leapfrog in its economic and tourism development, the basics of time have to be an integral part more..

Mar 14 (CT) Electricity has become an essential commodity in the contemporary era that people can hardly survive without it. Even an hour-long interruption in power supply can paralyse the day-to-day operations of the country and can detrimentally affect the national economy. Statistics derived from the Ministry of Power, Energy shows that the daily electricity consumption in SL is 42.4 gigawatt and the hydro-power generation is limited to 20% at present, due to the prevailing heat weather. more..

Mar 14 (GDI) The govt has declared a week named Thripitakabhivandana week from March 16 to 23 in view of the declaration of Theravada Thripitaka as a World Heritage. The national ceremony to submit the request letter to the UNESCO representatives seeking the World Heritage recognition to the Tripitakaya will be held on a grand scale at the Dalada Maligawa premises on March 23, Secretary to the President Udaya Senaviratne said. Addressing the media yesterday at more..

Mar 14 (AD) Two persons were reportedly killed while another was injured following a shooting incident in Moratuwa, police said. Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekara said that the shooting had occurred in the Moratumulla area on Piliyandala Road at around 10.30 a.m. today (14). The shooting had reportedly been carried out over a personal dispute. Police said two gunmen on a motorcycle had opened fire at the three individuals in front of a house and fled the area. more..

Mar 14 (CB) Suranga Lakmal has been recalled to the Sri Lanka T20I squad to take on South Africa in a 3-match series. Jeffrey Vandersay, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Asitha Fernando are among the other additions while Dasun Shanaka misses out from the 16-member squad. Lakmal's inclusion comes after a lengthy absence for the bowler in limited-overs cricket. He last played a T20I in March 2018 while more..

Mar 14 (CT) Nurses of the Teaching Hospital, Kurunegala went on strike yesterday, providing only emergency services, demanding hospital authorities remove a consultant general surgeon who allegedly hit a theatre nurse on the head. Branch President of the Govt Nursing Officers’ Association (GNOA), R.M.C. Sajeewa said that Maadawi Rajaguru (32) of Wariyapola, a theatre nurse was allegedly attacked with a bone cutter on the head by consultant general surgeon A. Wijemanna on 12 March. more..

Mar 14 (EN) Ports Authority is to buy three ship-to-shore gantry cranes from China’s Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. for its deep-water Jaya Container Terminal (JCT). The Cabinet of Ministers this week approved a proposal by Minister of Ports Shipping and Southern Development Sagala Rathnayake to buy the cranes, a statement said. The move is part of efforts to upgrade the JCT facility to enable it to handle bigger container ships. more..

Mar 14 (CI) Sri Lanka Cricket is once again moving to remove a head coach, with CEO Ashley de Silva headed to South Africa for crisis talks with Chandika Hathurusingha. An SLC release also confirmed that Hathurusingha will be required to return to Sri Lanka following the ongoing ODI series in order to "discuss the Sri Lanka team's preparation for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup". more..

Mar 14 (GDI) The govt is considering to increase the guaranteed price for paddy from the forthcoming Yala season, Minister P. Harrison said. There would also be a mechanism to keep the balance between paddy prices and the price of rice to safeguard the farmer and consumer, he said. He was speaking at the Rajarata Govi Jana Abhiman celebration held in Anuradhapura, recently, to appreciate industrious and dedicated farmers and officials in the North Central Province.“ more..

Mar 14 (EN) SL has already repaid about US$ 2 billion denominated debt so far this year and is on track to settle the rest, which were taken by previous administrations, Minister Mangala Samaraweera said. Sri Lanka had raised US$ 2.4 billion from bond markets last week adding to fiscal reserves for debt repayment. Sri Lanka will also repay the balance debt due, he said. Samaraweera said new debt was being raised to repay old debt which was taken during previous administrations. more..

Mar 14 (EN) Women and children in Sri Lanka's North are being exploited to produce rape tapes and snuff videos by members of the community who are returning from abroad to prey on them, a legislator said. "There is a rape film industry," JVP MP Bimal Ratnayake told parliament. "This is a great tragedy. It is being done by members of the area who had gone abroad. "They come back for a period and engage in this racket. more..

Mar 14 (GDI) The second Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar was declared open by Minister Thalatha Atukorale today at the Hulftsdorf court complex. Accordingly, second Special High Court will commence its function from today onwards. The government decided to set up three Special High Courts to hear the cases related to fraudulent acts, misuse of public property and acts of bribery. The amendment bill to set up Special High Courts was passed in the parliament on 9th May 2018 more..

Mar 14 (AD) An aunt of Makandure Madush has filed a fundamental rights petition seeking a restraining order preventing the police from arresting him. The notorious underworld kingpin Makandure Madush is currently under arrest of the Dubai Police. Petitioner A. W. Sriyani from Suriyawewa, a younger sister of Madush’s mother, has filed the petition at the Supreme Court. Five including the IGP, DIG of STF, and the OIC of Organized Crimes Prevention Division (OCPD) have been named more..

Mar 14 (DN) For the first time in SL, Registrar General Department announced that it would take steps to computerize birth, death, marriage certificates and title deeds whilst also issuing it to the general public through a one-day service, Minister Vajira Abeywardena said. “This move would greatly reduce the incidents of corruption and illegal means that people have used over many yrs to forge & obtain documents” more..

Mar 14 (DM) Dept of Meteorology today issued an Extreme Caution Heat advisory for most parts of North-western province for tomorrow. The department advised the public to remain hydrated and take breaks, while also trying to stay in the shade as often as possible at job sites. It also advised those caring for the elderly and the sick who are indoors to take extra precautions and not to leave children unattended. According to the advisory, Puttalam and Kurunegala were more..

Mar 14 (AD) Two new Acting Senior DIG have been appointed to the Southern and Sabaragamuwa Provinces. Accordingly, W.F.U. Fernando, who is in charge of the Support Services and Information technology Division, has been appointed the Acting Senior DIG for the Southern Province. Central and Uva Province Senior DIG S. M. Wickremasinghe was appointed the Acting Senior DIG for the Sabaragamuwa Province.The appointments were made to fill in the vacancies created following more..

Mar 14 (AD) SLPP says it was <>baffled by the decision of the SLFP faction of the UPFA to refrain from voting on the Second Reading of the Budget 2019 on Tuesday and admitted it puts a little strain on the efforts of both parties. “That baffled us as to why they would take such a decision and that also puts a little bit of strain on this effort by both parties to get rid of this UNF govt,” UPFA MP Tharaka Balasuriya said. more..

Mar 14 (ANI) Protest erupted near Sri Lankan Embassy against Sri Lankan Govt here on Thursday for dragging the investigation on the war crimes that took place in the south-Asian island nation in 2008. The protesters demanded the Indian govt to take the issue in the UNHRC to take immediate action against Colombo. The protest was organised by Ezha Tamilar Vaalvurimai Kootamaipu, and VCK party leaders including Thirumavalavan, Thyagu, Kolathur Mani participated in the protest. more..

Mar 14 (DM) Sri Lanka will not agree to what is written in the UNHRC report and will express its opinion, Minister Tilak Marapana told parliament. Responding to a question raised by Leader of Opposition Mahinda Rajapaksa, he said the govt will respond to UNHRC on the allegations made against SL. Citing an example he said the government will dismiss the claim made in the UNHRC report that the military had failed to hand over the lands held by them to the civilians in the North. more..

Mar 14 (NR) Minister of Justice Thalatha Athukorala says SL anticipates the repatriation of both Former Governor of the CB Arjun Mahendran who faces charges in the bond scam case and former SL Ambassador to Russia Udayanga Weeratunga who faces charges in the MiG aircraft case. She said accordingly requests have been forwarded to relevant foreign countries where they are believed to be residing in. more..

Mar 14 (Xinhua) Sri Lanka looks forward to benefiting more from the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and is ready to welcome more Chinese investment into the country, Minister John Amaratunga said. In an interview with Xinhua, Amaratunga said Sri Lanka and China shared strong relations and Sri Lanka was one of the first countries to pledge support for the Belt and Road Initiative. "To start with, Sri Lanka is fully supportive of the Belt and Road Initiative of China. more..

Mar 14 (DM) At least ten chairs at the Lanka Hospital’s consultation area were recently found with bed bugs, Chief Medical Officer of the CMC Dr Ruwan Wijemuni said. He said the complaint had been received following a post published by an individual who had experienced bed bug bites while waiting for treatment at the Lanka hospital. “We as Public Health Department of Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) have surveillance system where we watch out for publications that come through more..

Mar 14 (PMD) President Maithripala Sirisena said that the biggest challenge faced by the farmers in Sri Lanka is the uncertain climatic conditions. “Agriculture is the main source of livelihood for people living in the rural areas of Sri Lanka and it has much potential for greening and to be climate smart. We like to see Sustainable Consumption and Production and science and technology are applied in our Agriculture,” more..

Mar 15 (CT) We are extremely disappointed, although not surprised by The President’s endorsement of corporal punishment. As the Head of State, President is responsible for the welfare of all citizens of mother Lanka. Article 11 of the Constitution states ‘No person shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment’. But how can we expect a man who violated the constitution just three months ago to honor the commitment he made to more..

Mar 15 (CT) News has begun to trickle into the public domain of Leader of Opposition Mahinda Rajapaksa MP agreeing to permit the leader of TNA and former Leader of Opposition R Sampanthanthan MP, to continue to reside in the official residence and retain the two official vehicles assigned to the Leader of Opposition. Rajapaksa has supposedly agreed to the request as he already has a residence provided by the state as a former President. It is very easy to be magnanimous and charitable more..

Mar 15 (CT) Agriculture, Rural Economic Affairs, Livestock Development, Irrigation, and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister, P. Harrison, said Mahinda Rajapaksa began talking about abolishing the Executive Presidency to solve the crisis in the family. Q: After the 52 Day Govt it looks like you have won a lottery? A: No, I have been given several portfolios. It is not only to me, the PM also has been given many Ministries. more..

Mar 15 (SO) Travelling on Galle Road towards Dehiwela one is bound to see the majestic structure of a Catholic church. It has stood there for more than a century and a half, guiding generations of devout Christians. As I walked in her large garden the 10 massive palm trees that lined the paved terrace offered some shade on a Saturday morning. The parish priest was engaged in conversation with some parishioners. The serene atmosphere of the church was a refreshing contrast to the traffic more..

Mar 15 (CT) China has widened the world of sovereign financial resources by establishing new development financing institutions to serve both global debt financing markets and equity financing markets. While the two bilateral development banks viz China Development Bank (CDB) and the China Export and Import Bank (EXIM Bank of China) and the two multilateral development banks viz, New Development Bank (founded by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) more..

Mar 15 (CT) During the Colonial era, Ceylon was a safe haven for foreigners in general, especially for émigrés, missionaries, traders, idealists, and asylum-seeking migrants who surged in from all quarters of the globe to make permanent settlements on our sun-drenched Island. Among those who sought sanctuary in Ceylon, were the Jews. Although the vast majority of them were non-observant Jewish servicemen & traders more..

Mar 15 (DN) Sri Lankan politics has known to have peculiar twists and turns from time to time. Over 25 years ago, a suicide bomber assassinated then President R. Premadasa and Dingiri Banda Wijetunge, the unlikeliest of politicians to be President, became the third Executive President of the country. Four years ago, a presidential election had been announced and the opposition was struggling to find a candidate to challenge the political juggernaut of then Prez Rajapaksa. more..

Mar 15 (CT) SL is a mosaic of cultural, religious, ethnic and linguistic diversities, the heterogeneous nature of the island is responsible for generating a plethora of internal and external threats to the Nation. It is suffering from the problem of ethnicity and has been struggling to establish peace and social stability since Independence. The communal and ethnic conflicts, the separatist tendencies, inter-State terrorism, and the practice of militarisation are the prolonged challenges to the island. more..

Mar 15 (Island) We are living through an era when there is growing unease in the country due to the rise of anti-social gangs in the North. They may still be at an incipient stage, but networks are being built and a lifestyle is evolving. One never knows what it will develop into, given the fact that there are thousands of unemployed youth in the North, who are averse to local work and dream of migrating overseas. Then there is the rise of the drug related underworld in the South. more..

Mar 15 (CT) Weather in Hong Kong was completely different to what they were used to in Colombo, with rain and cold winds breezing through, but that did not stop the Sri Lanka Youth team from training as they completed their final session prior to the Asian Youth Athletics Championship in Hong Kong today. Out of 13 athletes, five will be in action during the opening day as the revised schedule will have the first round of the 100m and 400m on day one. Gateway sprinter Sadeepa Henderson will be more..