Feb 11 (EN) Media reports claiming that another patient infected with Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has been found in Sri Lanka are false, Chief Epidemiologist at the Epidemiology Unit Dr Sudath Samaraweera said. Samaraweera said that the only patient who tested positive for coronavirus is the Chinese woman tourist who is currently recovering. “There are fifteen patients receiving treatment in the country at present for suspicions of having infected with the novel coronavirus. more..

Feb 11 (GDI) Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa, during a discussion yesterday, has advised the authorities to expedite surveying of the land units. Prez stated that the govt has identified a total of 14mn land units and during the last 20 years 10% of it has been surveyed. Prez added that he would facilitate the process and instructed the remaining 90% of the land units to be surveyed immediately. Prez further instructed the officials to provide Title Certificates following appropriate survey process. more..

Feb 11 (AD) Colombo Magistrate’s Court has ordered the CID to obtain the Govt Analyst’s report on the mobile phone of the Swiss Embassy staffer, Garnia Bannister Francis, and to submit a progress report on the investigations on March 31. The case was taken up before Colombo Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne today. Senior State Counsel Lakmini Girihagama, speaking on behalf of the CID, told the court that a statement with regard to more..

Feb 11 (DM) At the upcoming general elections, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa-led alliance will experience a defeat larger than at the prez election, PHU leader, MP Udaya Gammanpila said. He said some parties like the TNA, which had pledged their support to the UNP at the 2019 prez election, were not currently with the new alliance. “Although it is said that the UNP has formed a new alliance, there is nothing new in it. The same parties, which gave their support at the 2015 general election more..

Feb 11 (PTI) China commended PM Mahinda Rajapaksa's remarks that the island nation has received "lot of benefits" from Beijing's ambitious multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI is an initiative launched by Chinese Prez Xi Jinping when he came to power in 2013. It aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea route. During his recent visit to India, Rajapaksa said his country has received a lot of benefits more..

Feb 11 (DM) Education ministry today advised school administrations to take precautionary measures due to the prevailing hot weather situation including that of not allowing students to engage in any physical activities outdoors between 11 a.m and 3.30 p.m. Recommendations in this regard had been issued to the Education Ministry by the Ministry of Indigenous Medicine and Family Health Bureau. The children had been identified as a high-risk more..

Feb 12 (CT) I am prepared to concede that Gota is not personally corrupt; he is different from his two infamous siblings on this matter. Rajapaksa Memorial scam is like Ranil’s Bond Scam. Ranil was wrong, but did not enrich himself; he allowed those who financed Sirisena and UNP elections recover their contributions. Likewise, this column will concede that Gota is not personally venal; rather the column will be about whether he can overcome corruption in the country at large or whether more..

Feb 12 (CT) This year’s Independence Day national event was significant for two reasons. It was the first to be celebrated under the leadership of Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa of whom much is expected, both in terms of giving meaning to effective govt and in making the transition to the ethos and infrastructure of a developed society. During his period as secretary of urban development, the cities were beautified and modernized. Giving further substance to the positive expectations of him more..

Feb 12 (DN) The groundwork has begun to implement a national programme to provide higher education opportunities for all students who passed the GCE A/L exam, Minister Bandula Gunawardena said. He said the Govt has focused its attention on restructuring the state universities and state-owned higher educational institutes in order to deliver Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s pre-election pledges related to higher education sphere. more..

Feb 12 (CT) In his maiden Independence Day address to the Nation, Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa has reiterated his post-poll commitment to protect the rights of all citizens, even while reasserting his pre-poll declaration that extremist or terrorist organisations would not be allowed to be active again. The former reference is to the ethnic issue, which seems wanting to foment into a political concern all over again, while the latter is to the likes of LTTE and Easter Blasts perpetrators. more..

Feb 12 (CT) The era of modern development is impossible in the void of the sophistication of human resources. All the well-developed countries could bring about their prosperity peak to their present level, only with the completion of the perfection of the human resource component. This central essence has been well absorbed by the SLPP policy think tank, under the powered guidance of the Rajapaksa governing triad and also of the SLPP National Organiser, Basil Rajapaksa. more..

Feb 12 (Roar) The era of Big Data is upon us, and SL is embracing this change. Around the island, businesses and universities are prioritizing their focus on data analytics. For the first time in the country, Data Storm 1.0 is in the works, an initiative which will draw attention to the data revolution. Big Data Analytics is the use of very large, diverse data sets to uncover hidden patterns, correlations, and other insights. more..

Feb 12 (DN) In 2019, the ILO commissioned a research study at the request of the Ministry of Labour regarding the formalization of domestic work in SL. The Center for Women’s Research (CENWOR) was contracted to conduct this study, with the objective of examining living and working conditions of domestic workers, and of assessing the current legal and policy framework in Sri Lanka pertaining to domestic work. The ultimate aim in exploring these two aspects was to assist more..

Feb 12 (Island) Much concern has been expressed about Sri Lankan politics, which cannot get dirtier. Reams have been written on it, all these years, but the best comment thereon has come from Speaker Karu Jayasuriya; it was a three-word remark he made in response to a question posed by a journalist, the other day, in Kandy. However, it has not received adequate media attention. Having visited the Buddhist prelates in Kandy and presented copies of his biography to them, on Saturday, more..

Feb 12 (DN) Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, the two times Executive President of Sri Lanka and the daughter of founder of SLFP and Ms. Sirimavo Bandaranaike, both elected heads of State suffered an unceremonious exit from one time family stronghold of Attanagalle and Party head office in Colombo. She defied party authority and its decisions on two vital instances of Presidential Elections. In 2015 as adviser to party she encouraged the dissident secretary to more..

Feb 12 (DN) It has taken Bangladesh six years longer than Sri Lanka to win a world cricket title, but nevertheless they have finally broken that drought when they emerged champions of the ICC Under 19 World Cup in South Africa when they humbled heavy favourites and defending champions India by 3 wickets in a tightly contested final which swayed from one side to the other before Akbar Ali played a captain’s knock of 43 not out to carry Bangladesh to a stunning win amidst ecstatic support more..

Feb 12 (MB) When a group of herpetologists ventured into Jaffna in Sri Lanka’s north to conduct their first herpetological field survey of the peninsula, they were largely lured by the unknown. This was a part of Sri Lanka that had been largely cut off from the rest of the island by a decades-long civil war, and remained so even after the fighting was over. With no previous herpetological studies to guide them, barring the occasional subgroup more..

Feb 12 (ST) Kussi Amma Sera was vigorously scraping coconut on Tuesday to prepare kiribath with lunu miris for breakfast to celebrate Independence Day. Thus, instead of the gathering of the trio for a tea-kade-like gossip usually on a Thursday morning, they were meeting on Tuesday under the margosa tree – also to watch the Air Force planes fly past as part of the national celebrations, joyfully shouting, Jayawewa. "Mahattaya, ada honda kamek haduwa (Sir, I made a good meal more..

Feb 12 (Island) Carlo Fonseka was passionate about reason. That passion and Hume’s assertion formed the dilemma that embodied his intellectual life – like a problem and its solution in a thick mist, seeking each other for an elusive embrace. Carlo – as we endearingly called him – must have acquired his passion for reason early in life, from his teachers at Maris Stella College, Negombo and St. Joseph’s College Colombo, and also through the influence of rationalist Abraham Kovoor, one of his more..

Feb 12 (CT) Massive corruption and fraud at SriLankan Airlines under the administrations of Mahinda Rajapaksa and Ranil Wickremesinghe are not limited to the Rs 362mn (USD2mn) accepted by former CEO of SriLankan Airlines, Kapila Chandrasena and his wife, now arrested on orders of the Attorney General following exposure in a court case in the UK. Though former PM Wickremesinghe argued in Parliament more..

Feb 12 (FT) Expressing optimism of stronger growth this year, Central Bank Governor Prof. W.D. Lakshman has said he expects recent worrying downgrades by international rating agencies will be reversed after the next budget cycle and growth will be sustained through structural reforms in line with Govt policies. Speaking at the Economic Outlook launch for 2020 at the CCC on Monday, Prof. Lakshman stressed that even though concerns had been expressed over more..

Feb 12 (FT) Galadari is in talks with Radisson Blu, an upscale global hotel brand, to manage the 450-room star class Colombo property. The Daily FT learns that discussions have been ongoing for a few months, though a final decision is yet to be made. Radisson Hotel Group is one of the world’s largest hotel groups, with seven distinctive hotel brands with more than 1,100 hotels globally. Its portfolio of hotel brands includes: Radisson Collection, Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, Park Plaza, more..

Feb 12 (TM) The construction of the long-delayed second terminal of the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) has taken a major leap forward with the project bidder agreeing to lower its initial quotation. This is a major breakthrough in the project which had been delayed since 2016 due to the original quotations submitted by two Japanese contractors being significantly higher than the local engineers’ estimate. more..

Feb 12 (EN) Concerns have been raised that a series of tax changed by cabinet decree without parliamentary consent may violate a recent Supreme Court order and also go against basic principles of representative democracy. Department of Inland Revenue has issued a series of directions to firms giving effect to a cabinet and finance ministry decrees, without seeking parliament consent. While some laws have provisions to change taxes by gazette more..

Feb 12 (FT) The job placement rate of vocational training programs funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Sri Lanka is only 51%, the lowest among other South Asian regions like Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal, a top official said yesterday, calling for evaluations to be focused more on employability rather than employment. ADB Social Sector Economist Ryotaro Hayashi told a gathering at the Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA) open forum on employment outcomes of more..

Feb 12 (CT) Former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen said his lawyers had taken steps to send a Letter of Demand to Minister Wimal Weerawansa demanding rupees one billion for character assassination, over recent statements made by the latter regarding irregularities and money laundering activities allegedly carried out by Bathiudeen. He added that Minister Weerawansa had levelled a number of baseless allegations more..

Feb 12 (Island) The second round of matches of the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Premier League Tier A Tournament concluded over the weekend. Colts’ Vishad Randika 132 made sure Colts secured first innings points against the soldiers as their game ended in a tame draw. Dinesh Chandimal starred with an explosive 89 in the second innings for Army, but it wasn’t enough to force a result. A match bag of eight wickets from Ashan Priyanjan made sure CCC thrashed BRC by 145 runs while more..

Feb 12 (Island) Russia and SL have discussed prospects for advancing political dialogue and cooperation in trade, economy, humanitarian field and bilateral legal framework. Russian Ambassador to SL, Yury Materiy said that on the 10th of Feb each year, the Russian diplomatic service celebrated its professional holiday – Russian Diplomats’ Day, which was established by Presidential Decree in 2002. Materiy said: The date is closely associated with the history of Russia’s first foreign affairs more..

Feb 12 (FT) Top business leader Dhammika Perera yesterday inked deals with global luxury brands Ritz Carlton and JW Marriott to manage two of his latest hotels in Sri Lanka, giving a big boost to tourism. Separate Memoranda of Understanding were signed between Dhammika’s companies Greener Water Ltd. (a fully-owned subsidiary of Vallibel One PLC), and Summer Season Ltd., to establish global luxury brands more..

Feb 12 (MoD) Defence Secretary Maj. Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne arrived in India on an invitation by that country to attend the 11th DEFEXPO-2020, in Lucknow. Maj. Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne, accompanied by Acting Chief of Defence Staff and Army Commander, Lt Gen Shavendra Silva attended the exposition which commenced on Wednesday (5). The mega exhibition of defence related hardware and technology displaying India’s land, sea and air capabilities is considered one of more..

Feb 12 (Island) A man who attacked two policemen during a raid at Elikumbulawa in Elahera was remanded till Feb 14 and his wife enlarged on personal bail when they were produced before Circuit Magistrate’s Court at Bakamuna, on Monday. The husband stabbed OIC of Diyabeduma police and a sergeant during a raid on a moonshine distillery at Elikimbulawa, on Feb 9. His wife had assaulted the injured sergeant and bitten his ear, police told the court. more..

Feb 12 (Island) Minister Susil Premajayantha is sanguine about the prospect of the SLPP-led coalition securing a two-thirds majority at the forthcoming parliamentary election. Colombo District MP Premajayantha said that the possibility could be examined against the backdrop of SLPP candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa comfortably winning the 2019 presidential poll in spite of losing all electorates in the Northern and Eastern regions. more..

Feb 12 (MoD) Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has facilitated the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) to purchase over 3,268,600 kilos of paddy worth of over Rs. 163,430,000 during last two weeks. SLA, under the directives of Prez Rajapaksa, has stepped into purchasing paddy to break the rice mafia in the trade to ensure a fair price for the farmers. The PMB is now directly purchasing paddy from the farmers through the SLA facilitated program. The program is coordinated through District Secretariats with more..

Feb 12 (Island) Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena has explained to a visiting delegation including EU head of mission in Colombo why Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) cannot be replaced with the proposed Counter Terrorism Act (CTA). Authoritative sources said that the delegation raised the new government’s decision to scrap much discussed plans to introduce CTA among several other issues. Following her first meeting with Minister Gunawardena, more..

Feb 12 (AD) A European Union (EU) report, compiled by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has stated that Sri Lanka has shown significant progress on the human rights front. However, some concerns still remain relating to statements on the abolishment of the 19th Amendment, as well as statements by the govt on non-implementation of UNHRC resolution 30/1, report said further. more..

Feb 12 (TM) Musician Jagath Wickramasinghe has been appointed Chairman of Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC). He is a composer, singer, teacher, music producer, actor and a multi-instrumentalist. On the 30th of Jan, Senior Broadcaster Rohana Deva Perera was appointed Chairman of SLBC. However, following employee protests against his appointment, govt decided to remove him from the position. Perera’s appointment was made on the recommendation of more..

Feb 12 (DM) The 33 SL students airlifted from Wuhan in China on Feb 1 and quarantined at the Diyatalawa army hospital will be discharged on Feb 16, Chief epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera said. He said would complete their 14 days of quarantine on Saturday and there was no reason to detain them any longer after being certified free of coronavirus symptoms. "They are doing fine with no sign of any symptoms of coronavirus infection. The medical team at the hospital is confident that more..

Feb 12 (FT) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa may request a moratorium on loan payments from China in order to create policy space for economic revival, State Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said yesterday. His statements come in the wake of PM Mahinda Rajapaksa telling The Hindu in an interview over the weekend that the SL Govt had requested the Indian Govt for a similar moratorium for 3 years more..

Feb 12 (CT) Speaker Karu Jayasuriya yesterday (11) met Arch Bishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith to present him a copy of his biography Karu Jayasuriya Jeewanapadanaya. Responding to questions he said he would remain in politics for the sake of the country and that he had no firm plans once he stepped down as Speaker. "I have dedicated myself to the country and according to its requirements and the needs of the people, I would serve with or without a position," he answered. more..