Feb 3 (CT) A rescue mission of a different kind to bring down the SL students on 1 Feb from Wuhan the Chinese Province which is terribly affected by coronavirus could be considered a well coordinated operation to prove to the world, how Sri Lanka could respond swiftly crossing even global boundaries to ensure the wellbeing of its citizens at a time the country is on the threshold of celebrating its 72nd Independence Day. An all SriLankan 16-member air crew attired in their white jumpsuits more..

Feb 3 (AD) Three persons have died after falling into an abandoned mine at Seethawaka in Avissawella. Three individuals had attempted to rescue two chickens that had fallen into the abandoned mine and that youths were later found unconscious and in critical condition after falling into the mine. All three of them had passed away after being rushed to the Avissawella Hospital. The deceased are youths aged 17, 27 and 25 from Avissawella. The bodies have been placed at the Avissawella Hospital more..

Feb 3 (FT) Asani, the bright Advanced Level student and her grandfather – Sarath Mahatthaya – a well-read retiree, are having intellectual discussions frequently on current issues of public interest. Earlier, they had two such interactive sessions, one on Millennium Challenge Corporation or MCC grant to Sri Lanka and the other implications on the economy of recent tax cuts by the present government. Asani had been confused by the conflicting public opinions expressed by more..

Feb 3 (EN) The UNP accused the govt today of planning to postpone the upcoming parliamentary elections till August this year. Citing unnamed sources, UNP MP S M Marikkar told reporters this morning that the govt plans on completing the current parliament’s five-year. “They’re planning to postpone the elections in an attempt to get away from the problems in the country without facing the current economic crisis head on,” he said. Ministers Keheliya Rambukwella & Mahindananda more..

Feb 3 (EN) Tourist arrivals from China to Sri Lanka have dropped about 40% from January 23 as both countries tightened travel requirements in a bid to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, officials said. “A considerable number of travelers have stopped coming to the country from China, as a percentage it could be on average 40%,” Director of SL’s Airport and Aviation Services Shehan Sumanasekara said. more..

Feb 3 (DM) Opposition Leader Sahith Premadasa would ultimately become the leader of the UNP, a UNP MP said. MP Mujibur Rahaman told a press conference that Mr Premadasa would ultimately become the UNP leader as well. He came out with the remark in response to a question raised by journalists. “Mr Premadasa will become the leader of UNP at the end of the day but I cannot give a time frame for it,” Mr Rahaman said. He said Mr Premadasa’s group had responded positively more..

Feb 3 (AD) A person has been killed in a clash that had occurred at a club in Mount Lavinia early this morning . Police stated that a clash had taken place at a club in De Saram Road, Mount Lavinia, around 4.45 am today. Reportedly, a 31-year-old resident of Galle Road, Horethuduwa has been killed in this manner. The body is currently kept at the mortuary of the Colombo South Teaching Hospital in Kalubowila. Further investigations are carried out by the Mount Lavinia Police. more..

Feb 3 (DN) Galle Additional Magistrate Pavithra Sanjeewani Pathirana remanded a married couple for attacking and attempting to kill their seven-year daughter until February 13. The daughter is from the father’s first marriage, police said in court. They had tied her hands with a rope and poured hot water on her. Mathis Prasanna (34) and Ranjula Aanuradga (24) of Gonanwala, Imaduwa, Galle were remanded more..

Feb 3 (GDI) Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa has granted a General Amnesty for 512 prisoners to mark the Independence Day which fall on 4th of February. The amnesty has been granted in accordance with powers vested in the President by Article 34 of the Constitution and on the recommendation of Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva. Those who will be released have been serving jail terms after being convicted for minor offences such as theft, breach of trust and drunken driving. more..

Feb 3 (FT) Leading SL conglomerate Renuka Holdings celebrated the beginning of construction for its flagship development the Galle Face Icon with a ground breaking ceremony held on 30 January. The ground-breaking ceremony was held in the presence of Renuka Group Chairperson Indu Rajiyah, Galle Face Properties Chairman Dr. Ranjit Rajiyah, Managing Director Shamindra Rajiyah, Sanken Construction Managing Director Ranjith Gunatilleke and Phillip Weeraratne of PWA Architects, more..

Feb 3 (EN) Preparations are underway to celebrate Sri Lanka’s 72nd Independence Day in Colombo tomorrow with full military pageantry, attended by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, members of parliament, diplomats and others. Tomorrow’s ceremony, to be held at Independence Square under the theme A Secured Nation – A Prosperous Country, will be Rajapaksa’s first Independence Day commemoration since more..

Feb 3 (EN) Secretary of the Central Cultural Fund (CCF) Bandula Harischandra said that an unrequired number of workers have been recruited to work for the CCF under the previous govt. Harishchandra said that the CCF has seen a huge downfall in the recent past. “There is an Act regarding the CCF and it clearly states that the Fund should be administered by a board of administration. During the previous government that Board hasn’t met properly, ” he said. more..

Feb 3 (AD) Minister Mahinda Amaraweera has called for a report on the incident of a bus traveling from Nuwara Eliya to Colombo overcharging its passengers. The Minister had issued these directives to the Chairman of the National Transport Commission (NTC). Meanwhile, the Commission has already carried out an inquiry into the incident, stated the Ministry of Passenger Transport Management. Accordingly, the report is due to be handed over to Minister this week. more..

Feb 3 (AD) The 33 Sri Lankans who were repatriated from Wuhan, China, continue to be in good health according to Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi. Speaking at a special press conference today, Wanniarachchi stated the students from Wuhan who are currently quarantined at the Diyatalawa Army Camp regularly undergo medical tests. The Minister said that the students haven’t even contracted a minor cold that is usually more..

Feb 3 (EN) The ruling SLPP does not wish to protect anyone involved in the Airbus-SriLankan Airlines corruption scandal, a party spokesman said. “We are thankful to Prez Rajapaksa for expressing immediate concern over this alleged corruption case,” Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardana said. Allegations surfaced on Saturday that Airbus had paid the wife of a SriLankan Airlines executive at least USD 2 million through a Brunei shell company for a large aircraft order. more..

Feb 3 (EN) Ruling SLPP is reconsidering the previously mooted co-leadership of the party’s proposed alliance with the SLFP, a party senior said. SLPP Chairman Prof G L Peris said that a majority of the party membership are of the opinion that the proposed alliance should contest the upcoming parliamentary elections under the SLPP’s pohottuwa (flower bud) symbol given its recognition and strength as a political force. “Our party leader is PM Mahinda Rajapksa. more..

Feb 3 (AFP) In the days following Sri Lanka's first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus, an article was shared hundreds of times on Facebook claiming that asafoetida, a plant often used in traditional Indian medicine, can prevent all coronavirus infection. This claim is misleading; health experts in Sri Lanka say there is no evidence asafoetida or other herbal medicine can definitively protect people from infection. more..

Feb 3 (GN) Newly-appointed Sri Lankan Consul General Nalinda Wijerathna has assured UAE nationals and residents that it is safe to visit the island country, following a series of bombings that ripped through the country’s capital almost a year ago. In an exclusive interview with Gulf News on the eve of the country’s 72nd Independence Day, Wijerathna said: “Security situation is back to normal and Sri Lanka is on track to receive tourists from around the world.” more..

Feb 3 (DN) An All Night Pirith Chanting Ceremony was held at the Independence Square to mark the 72nd National Independence Day and to invoke blessings on the citizens and the country. Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa joined in listening to Pirith. Pinkama was held under the directions of Most Venerable Agga Maha Panditha Kotugoda Dhammawasa Mahanayaka Thera, Supreme Mahanayake Thera of the Amarapura Maha Nikaya and under the guidance of Chief Incumbent more..

Feb 3 (AD) Justice Yasantha Kodagoda has been sworn in as a Judge of the Supreme Court of SL. Meanwhile Justice Dilip Nawaz has been sworn in as the new President of the Court of Appeals. They were sworn in before Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat today. Constitutional Council (CC) had last month approved the recommendation to appoint Yasantha Kodagoda, PC as a SC justice more..

Feb 3 (AD) UNP MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara has been named as the General Secretary of the UNP-led alliance. The Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa mentioned this at the meeting of electoral organizers held today (03). At the meeting, the electoral organizers had informed the Opposition Leader that the people’s lives matter more than political agendas. However, this is not the political system of certain individuals, Premadasa had responded. more..

Feb 3 (PMD) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa commended the SriLankan Airlines crew who flew to Wuhan, the epicenter of coronavirus to bring back Sri Lankan students. The crew joined a luncheon hosted by the President at the Presidential Secretariat today. Led by the Chairman of the Airline Ashoka Pathirage, Board of Directors, engineers and pilots and the crew who took part the operation were present on the occasion. Prez Rajapaksa said the commitment and courage exhibited more..

Feb 3 (AD) Fort Magistrate has issued arrest orders on former SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena and his wife on charges of money laundering. Previously, AG directed the CID to obtain a warrant and arrest the former CEO of SriLankan Airlines Kapila Chandrasena and his wife Priyanka Wijenayake. AG after considering the investigative material submitted by the CID has directed CID to name them more..

Feb 4 (CT) We approach the 72nd anniversary of independence with yet another Sinhala Tamil issue looming before us. By lunchtime on Feb 4th, the national anthem may or may not have been sung at the official Independence Day function, including or excluding the stanzas in the Tamil language, a practice adopted since 2016. Current dispensation has stubbornly refused to clarify beforehand if the rendition of the national anthem at the official ceremony will be mono or bilingual. more..

Feb 4 (CT) The footprints of the Portuguese, Dutch and British, washing back from 1948 to the early years of the 16th century, have left behind chronicles of wars fought and won by our people. The grit, grimaces, pain and bitterness, the screams of death as they were killed for this freedom, still echo through the ages. The truths are vividly often retold by the foreign invaders themselves. The road to independence saw Sri Lanka's kings and queens taken captive and shipped off to India. more..

Feb 4 (SO) Twenty-year-old Anjeleena Stronach wasn’t worried about the hoo-ha people were making over a virus till the teacher in charge of the student group she belonged to sent a message on WeChat. “There will be no bus between Tianjin and Beijing. If you want (to) go back to Sri Lanka you should take (an) airplane from Tianjin. And you should know where (you can) take your second plane to your country,” more..

Feb 4 (CT) India has provided citizenship to more than 4.5 lakh Tamils from Sri Lanka, between 1964 and 2008, announced Indian Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman. This is the first indirect admission by the Indian Govt, that India has not fully absorbed the Indian quota of the Indo-Ceylon Agreements of 1964 and 1974. From 1964 to 2008, more than 400,000 Tamils from Sri Lanka have been given Indian citizenship, Indian Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs more..

Feb 4 (CT) Sri Lanka's post-war livelihood strategies for women in the Eastern Province have failed, necessitating fresh thinking based on the experience garnered so far and the findings of research conducted there. This is the impression one gets after reading Nayana Godamunne's excellent monograph: Understanding Women's Livelihood: Outcomes and Economic Empowerment in the Eastern Province of SL, brought out by Colombo-based Int'l Centre for Ethnic Studies in 2019. more..

Feb 4 (SO) Confirmed cases of coronavirus from around the world have now topped 11,000 since the initial outbreak of the disease in Dec 2019. Since then the virus has been spreading across the world causing fear and panic. But even as China reported the first death on January 9 when a 61-year-old man from Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak succumbed to the deadly virus over 4,000 km away, Sri Lankans remained calm. more..

Feb 4 (Island) Sri Lanka celebrates the 72nd anniversary of Independence, today. The incumbent govt’s decision to scale down the event and hold it at the Independence Square is most welcome. Independence Day celebrations, held previously, at Galle Face, etc., only served to boost politicians’ egos. It does not make sense to spend huge amounts of public funds to hold a mega show of little independence the country has. On Independence Day, we have politicians boasting of more..

Feb 4 (Island) The day that a country obtained its political independence from a colonial power or the day that a tyrannical regime was overthrown is celebrated as the Independence Day of that country. Many countries including Sri Lanka celebrate their Independence Day annually. Although there is a certain consolation in having obtained political freedom, is it possible to assume that the people of those countries are free? If someone is under any sort of influence, is it possible in any way to more..

Feb 4 (DM) On this day of the seventy-second anniversary of independence, Sri Lanka is yet again at the crossroads. I do not mean that with an aura of doom and gloom as some international pundits have already indulged. But, surely the country and its political, cultural and economic institutions are in a state of transition, and they could take a turn for better or for worse. The critics of the govt base their criticism primarily on symbolism and prejudice. That is the wrong choice for analysis. more..

Feb 4 (EN) An internationally renowned Marine Conservationist is warning that a species of shark found in SL waters has disappeared along with other species of shark and ray species which are now considered critically endangered. Conservationist Dr Rima W. Jabado, consultant of the Elasmo project made this remark at a seminar conducted by Pigeon Island in partnership with Blue Resources Trust. “Sawfishes (carpenter sharks) are a critically endangered species with only five species more..

Feb 4 (DN) In this modern day and age it is rare for a Test series to be played without the DRS. That is how the recently concluded two-Test series was played by SL in Zimbabwe. The absence of the DRS had its shortcomings with Sri Lanka being at the receiving end of it on a couple of occasions, but overall considering this factor and the slow pitches they encountered the 1-0 result they achieved was described by chairman of more..

Feb 4 (CT) The myth of independence is the sole idea that resonates with all Sri Lankans, regardless of their age, gender and ethnicity; one national narrative that binds them together. The strong sense of independence has even historically served to legitimise many discriminatory policies initiated and adopted by many Post-Independence governments. In this context, if there is one lesson Sri Lankans should learn from the past, it is that the inclusion of the myth of independence more..

Feb 4 (EN) Sri Lanka should avoid ambitious short term goals amid fiscal constraints and make long-term economic reforms for sustained gains to avoid economic instability, an economist said as the island slashed taxes, which was later followed by a rate cut. “The only way that this short term risk can be managed is if the govt sets very modest public investment targets, and sets a measured pace for recovery of the Sri Lankan economy, without going steaming ahead with very ambitious targets,” more..

Feb 4 (TM) With the new coronavirus being declared as a global emergency by the WHO on Thursday (30), local health workers raised fears over the acute shortage of necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) and lack of isolation rooms in the 12 major hospitals named by the Govt to provide complete recovery care for any infected patients. Last week, following the confirmation of first coronavirus case in SL, more..

Feb 4 (AD) The sum of Rs.205.49 million invested by the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) Dept of the CB in the troubled The Finance Company has gone to zero, the equity portfolio listed by the EPF as of 31 Dec 2019 revealed. The market share of The Finance Company has come to a standstill, mainly due to the suspension of the share trading of the company at Colombo Stock Exchange as the Monetary Board decided to issue a Notice of Cancellation of the License issued to TFC. more..