Mar 3 (SO) Through a mesh of ventilator tubes in the Intensive Care Unit, the Borella Police Traffic OIC was struggling for life, as investigating officers attempted to put the pieces together in last Sunday’s brutal hit and run case where he was reduced to a mass of human flesh. The tragic and outrageous incident, caught on CCTV camera brought goosebumps to all those who were tuned in to the late night news on Sunday. more..

Mar 3 (SO) Chairperson of the Office on Missing Persons (OMP), President’s Counsel Saliya Peiris has called on the Govt to provide interim relief to families of missing persons, according to the recommendations by the OMP in its interim report. The Chairperson highlighted the importance of providing immediate relief to the families at the opening of the OMP’s first regional office in Matara, yesterday. more..

Mar 3 (CT) Animal Welfare Activists are yet to find the community dogs from around Sri Dalada Maligawa and the Vishnu vigil was held yesterday by Secretary Kandy Association for Community Protection through Animal Welfare (KACPAW), Champa Fernando and animal welfare activists. Two dogs found sedated and abandoned were brought to this vigil. The dogs were abducted at night by three men, claiming to be from more..

Mar 3 (CT) Sri Lanka has arrived at a critical stage, where water security is concerned, as the country has no national policy pertaining to water security, the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Management warns. The Ministry also warns that by 2030, the country will definitely face a severe water crisis. Therefore, if the Govt does not focus its attention on giving priority to managing water resources, when deciding on national more..

Mar 3 (CT) Mannar JMO Dr. Saminda Rajapaksa said that the Mannar Magistrate has, as yet, not ordered a local report on the Mannar mass grave. However, the Office of the Missing Persons (OMP) had made a submission to the Magistrate on what ought to be done and the process involved. OMP has urged that the process to be speeded up. Out of the six samples from Florida, USA, five had come but more..

Mar 3 (ST) Former Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda and other navy officers are to face a High Court trial-at-bar over the alleged abduction and disappearance of 11 youths, the AG’s Department has decided. The case is to be taken up without a jury in view of the public controversy it has created. In terms of the Criminal Procedure Code clause 450, the High Court trial-at-bar could sit without a jury. more..

Mar 3 (DM) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) regained its ICC Status, after nine months of being relegated to observer status, SLC President Shammi Silva tweeted. SLC’s newly elected President, Shammi Silva, yesterday participated in the ongoing ICC Board Meetings in Dubai as a fully recognised Director of the ICC Board as per its constitution, the SLC said. Mr Silva’s participation and contribution at the ICC Board Meeting more..

Mar 3 (SO) Party leaders of the JVP will meet Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa to discuss the 20th Amendment presented by the party. JVP MP Bimal Rathnayake said that the meeting will take place on Wednesday led by JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake and several members of the party’s politburo. “The JVP has decided to meet members of other political parties on abolishing the Exec. Presidency through 20th Amendment,” more..

Mar 4 (CT) Frequent detections of large hauls of heroin, cocaine and other illicit drugs which most likely are the tip of the iceberg would suggest that Sri Lanka has become a regional hub for the trade in illicit drugs in the Asian region. Such an occurrence is only possible under ENABLING conditions which include lax laws which facilitate money laundering/smuggling and the nexus between sections of the political leadership and bureaucracy with key players in the trade in illicit drugs. more..

Mar 4 (CT) Politicians in parliamentary democracies are commonly blamed for their short-termism. Cynics point out that in these democracies the first third of a govt’s term is spent in blaming the previous govt for all deficiencies, the middle third is devoted to doing something constructive and the last third is kept for preparing for next election. In SL however, since govts usually change hands after every election, unless extended by extraordinary means, parliamentarians are mostly interested in more..

Mar 4 (SO) State Minister Eran Wickramaratne, said fiscal consolidation, empowerment of people, reducing the Budget deficit, curbing inflation and channeling more funds into nation building projects such as Health and Education improvements, (with a special emphasis on strengthening the entrepreneurial base), will be the key features of the Budget 2019. He said the 52 day political coup was an instance of more..

Mar 4 (ST) If clear evidence was wanting, if further proof was required, as to the impudent manner Lanka’s members of parliament hold themselves as sacred cows above the law of the land, it came this month in unambiguous clamour when some UPFA members called upon the Speaker to turn a blind eye to the violent scenes that occurred on Nov 15 last year: when some fifty-odd members went berserk and held violence to be the sole means to give expression to their views in a chamber more..

Mar 4 (ST) Verbal gymnastics indulged in by SL politicians in respect of the draft Counter Terrorism Act (CTA), now before Parliament awaiting amendments from the sectoral oversight committee, are vastly entertaining in truth. Unlikely champions of constitutional rights are emerging from the Rajapaksa-led opposition. This week, the de jure head of the Pohottuwa party GL Peiris held forth in full flood on the danger that the Bill poses to the rights of students, trade unionists and more..

Mar 4 (CT) As a bio-diversity hotspot enriched with centuries of Ayurveda knowledge, Sri Lanka has become a frequent victim of bio-piracy, with more than a dozen powerful and developed nations obtaining patents to properties of local medicinal plants such as Bitter Gourd, Kothala Himbutu and Kekatiya. While the SL Govt can file for patent revocations in these countries, doing so would prove to be extremely costly. more..

Mar 4 (CT) The UNP Government is now in deep trouble. Tamil separatists played a crucial role in bringing the govt to power in 2015. After securing victory at both presidential and parliamentary elections, the UNP wanted to reciprocate the support received from the separatists, who urged the UNP to co-sponsor the resolution to be brought by the USA against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC session in Geneva in Sept 2015. Mangala Samaraweera was the then Minister of Foreign Affairs. more..

Mar 4 (CT) A debate over the Constitutional Council (CC) was triggered by President Maithripala Sirisena’s angry remarks criticising the CC following his disagreement with it over some key judicial appointments. Some people who are not happy with it, for whatever reasons, have gone to the extent of even calling for its abolition. But the million dollar question is: What then is the solution? Are we to go back to the 18th Amendment giving all powers to one person? more..

Mar 4 (Island) The late President J.R. Jayewardene created the executive presidency because he was bent on attaining self-aggrandizement and confident of securing a second term. Now, there has been a strident call for scrapping that institution. The political leaders who are campaigning for a stronger Parliament with a titular presidency are either debarred from contesting another presidential election or wary of running for President in view of their low popularity ratings more..

Mar 4 (Island) The post-independence history of SL is characterized strikingly by failure on the part of SL govts and the representatives of the Tamil people and other relevant stakeholders to take efforts launched by them to manage the ethnic conflict to their logical conclusion. It is the Lankan state that bears the greatest responsibility for these failures by virtue of its position and power to push through any consensual agreements it arrives at with other major parties to the conflict. more..

Mar 4 (CI) Faf du Plessis led a resounding comeback in the grand scheme of the tour as South Africa utterly dominated SL for their first win against the visitors. South Africa went 1-0 up in the five-match ODI series thanks to du Plessis' hundred, and his rapid 136-run stand with Quinton de Kock that left SL with no chance after they had been bowled out for 231. Their 8-wicket win was completed with 11.1 overs to spare. more..

Mar 4 (Island) Median age of the population of Sri Lanka is increasing because of declines in fertility and mortality rates. The growing number of older adults increases demands on the public health system and on medical and social services. Chronic diseases, which affect older adults disproportionately, contribute to disability, diminished quality of life, and increased health and long-term care costs. Increased life expectancy reflects, in part, the success of public health more..

Mar 4 (Island) Sri Lanka’s skipper Lasith Malinga was full of praise for Oshada Fernando after he scored a run a ball 49 in the opening ODI against South Africa here at the Wanderers yesterday. Asked to bat at number four, the 26-year-old played some elegant shots which included lofted sixes off Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi. He was looking good to post a big score before a mix up with Kusal Mendis saw him being run out, just one run short of a well deserved half-century. more..

Mar 4 (FT) Following the successful disbursement of $100 million financial intermediation loan to uplift micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), Asian Development Bank (ADB) said that its innovative approach in effectively implementing the project has achieved the intended objective with banks having overshot targets. “At first, we set some targets because there was no previous data, we later revised those targets. more..

Mar 4 (DN) LogiPark International (LPI), a fully-owned subsidiary of John Keells Holdings (JKH) and sister company of John Keells Logistics (JKLL), a key third Party Logistics Services Provider (LSP) in the SL market, embarked on commissioning its flagship integrated logistics centre with the groundbreaking ceremony that was held on the 1st of March at the Muthurajawela Logistics Zone. The ceremonial event was held in the presence of Krishan Balendra, Chairman of JKH, more..

Mar 4 (CT) More than six million rupees has been robbed from a safe at the administrative unit of A'pura Teaching Hospital, yesterday, Director of the hospital Dr. Dulan Samaraweera said adding that the robber had also caused a fire to break out in the premises. The individual had broken the lock of the door to get to the safe and had opened the safe with the key. He said that the robber has had the key with him and so he had been able to open the safe without any problem. more..

Mar 4 (DN) Minister Champika Ranawaka stressed the need of acting against the business and political mafia running the power sector in the country. He said this had been an issue for a long time. “I have stated my opinion on this issue to the Cabinet of ministers also. Academics should act against this,” he said. Ranawaka said politicians with repressive opinions, businessmen and media are out to weaken more..

Mar 4 (Island) Jayavihan Mahavithana top scored with 83 runs as Thurstan College thrashed Isipatana by 139 runs in their 39th Battle of Brothers Limited Overs encounter played at P. Sara Oval on Sunday. Deciding to bat first Thurstan posted 256 for five wickets with Mahavithana and Ranesh Silva making main contributions. Silva finished with unbeaten 65 runs. Isipatana were bundled out for 117 with Avishka Kaushalya and Sandaru Dias claiming three and two wickets respectively. more..

Mar 4 (CT) 36-year-old Eranda Tennakoon (father of two) and Nimesha Nandasena clinched the Men’s and Women’s titles respectively at the National Cross Country Championship 2019 held at the Golf Course, Nuwara Eliya yesterday. Men’s race commenced at 9 am, while Women’s race started at 10.30 am. Tennakoon, from Boralanda, Uva Province, had placed within the top three several times in the past, but had never won the event. As expected, race favourite and more..

Mar 4 (AJ) Before he decided to undertake a perilous 22-day journey by sea to Reunion, 35-year-old Dilan Mendis had never heard of the tiny French island off the eastern coast of Africa. On March 21 last year, two days after being set adrift on a raft without food or water following a boat mishap, six Sri Lankans including Mendis arrived. "If we had not been seen by the tourists it would be over for us," he said of the ordeal; more..

Mar 4 (Island) Group closed the year ending 31st Dec 2018 with a post-tax profit of Rs. 3,702Mn, up by 10% over previous year in a difficult operating environment which witnessed increased non-performing loans, tightening of liquidity, moderation of credit growth and higher taxes and levies. Bank strategically steered its resources in consolidating of selective portfolios and managing impairment. Net interest income increased by 27% mainly attributed to growth in volumes (up by 21%) more..

Mar 4 (SLN) Bangladesh Naval Ship (BNS) Dhaleshwari arrived at the port of Colombo on a goodwill visit today (3) and the ship was welcomed by the SL Navy in accordance with naval traditions. During the 4-day official visit, the ship’s crew is scheduled to visit some of the famous tourist attractions in the country and take part in several programmes including friendly sporting events and cultural events organized by SL Navy. BNS Dhaleshwari is an 81-metre-long vessel more..

Mar 4 (SO) Former Chief Minister of the Northern Province and current General Secretary of TPF, C.V. Wigneswaran will visit Geneva this month to block the extension expected by the Govt at the UNHRC to fully implement Resolutions 30 (1) and 34 (1) passed at the UNHRC. Leader of the EPRLF Suresh Premachandran said that a majority of the political fronts in the Northern Province are of unanimous opinion on blocking further more..

Mar 4 (DN) The 90th Battle of the Maroons cricket encounter between Ananda and Nalanda ended in a tame draw at the SSC grounds yesterday bringing the total number of drawn games in the traditional series to 70 with only 20 matches having ended in a winning result, the last of which being achieved 16 years ago when Ananda won. Nalanda went into this game overwhelming favourites having won six matches outright and being group champions, however despite all the success they had more..

Mar 4 (CT) There are several things India and SL can learn from each other in healthcare, India's High Commissioner Taranjit Singh Sandhu said underscoring the need for cooperation in healthcare sector. Addressing the inauguration of Medicare 2019 at BMICH on Friday, High Commissioner said the cooperation in healthcare needs to go beyond frontiers as diseases know no boundaries. "As diseases know no boundaries, our cooperation in healthcare needs to go beyond frontiers more..

Mar 4 (Island) The police are seeking Interpol assistance to track down five persons believed to be involved in large scale smuggling of drugs into the country. Among them is Wakim Abdul Raheem, a brother of one of the persons taken into custody along with the biggest ever heroin bust in the country, on the evening of Feb. 23, in the car park of a supermarket in Kollupitiya. Police spokesman said that the two persons, more..

Mar 4 (AD) A person in an attempt to set himself on fire at the Vishnu Kovil attached to the Ruhunu Kataragama Maha Dewalaya has been admitted to the hospital over burn injuries. A male devotee within Katharagama Maha Dewala premises had unexpectedly set himself on fire this morning (3) and entered the Vishnu Kovil. Vishnu Kovil, too, had caught on fire during this incident. It has been revealed that the devotee in question is a male from Ranminitenna area in Tissamaharama. more..

Mar 4 (EN) Sri Lanka's consumer price inflation rose to 4% in the 12-months to February 2019, from 3.7% in January amid liquidity shortages in the credit system and a steep fall in the currency in the preceding six months. The Colombo Consumer Price Index fell 0.5% to 126.8 points during the month of February 2019, after spiking 0.9% in January, data from the state information office showed. The food sub-index fell 2.1% during the month, while the non-food index rose 0.2%. more..

Mar 4 (ST) Economic woes notwithstanding, UNF Govt will offer an attractive relief package in the 2019 Budget – the last before the Presidential election. Such a package will include an allowance for public sector employees, incentives to attract foreign remittance to Sri Lanka, reduction on tariffs on exports, tax concessions on equipment needed in the fisheries industry and agriculture and loans to improve entrepreneurship. more..

Mar 4 (AD) A major underworld figure in Sri Lanka known as Bloemendhal Sanka alias D. Sanka has been arrested by Indian security forces at Thangappa Nagar in Tamil Nadu, along with another Sri Lankan, reports Indian Media. It is reported that along with the two Sri Lankans, an Indian too had been taken into custody. As per reported by Indian media, on a raid conducted by the Kenikarai Police in Ramanathapuram, based on a tip-off received by them, had arrested the group. more..

Mar 4 (DN) The very first Buddhist Congress in the North with the participation of Buddhist monks from the Northern Province is to be held on March 22 at Vavuniya Sri Bodhi Dhakshinarama Temple Premises. A discussion in this regard was held between Northern Province Governor Dr. Suren Raghavan and North East Chief Sanganayaka Most Ven. Siyambala Gaswewa Wimalasara Thera recently. Northern Province Governor has taken the initiative in this regard, which would pave more..