Feb 4 (CT) Jasprit Bumrah was pivotal in India's 7-run win over NZ in the 5th T20I on Sunday, which made India the first Test-playing nation to win a T20I series 5-0. Bumrah picked up 3 wickets and gave away only 12 runs to restrict NZ to 156 for 9 after India had put on 163 for 3 batting first. In the process, Bumrah also broke a world record. Bumrah, who started with a wicket maiden, became the bowler with most maidens in T20I cricket surpassing the record of Nuwan Kulasekara. more..

Feb 4 (DM) Former Senior Advisor to the Finance Ministry and the first Chairman and CEO of the Strategic Enterprises Management Agency (SEMA), Mano Tittawella passed away in Melbourne Australia today. Tittawella was the Senior Presidential Advisor on Economic Affairs and was the Senior Director General – President’s Office under President Chandrika Kumaratunga from Aug 2003 to Nov 2005. more..

Feb 4 (Island) Singer Sri Lanka’s long association with schools rugby ended ahead of this season with the leading sports promoter pulling out of sponsoring the popular league tournament. Singer has been the number one sports promoter in the country and their association with schools rugby began almost two decades ago. It all started with sponsoring around 20 schools that were playing in the league at that point but it gradually expanded to all provinces except north and east. more..

Feb 4 (DN) His father was the first cricket captain of Christian College Kotte (now known as Sri Jayawardenepura Maha Vidyalaya) in 1919. He and his elder brother were boarded at this famous old school, which had the best hostel in that era and the Principal was E.D. Thambimuttu and a few other distinguished educationists. The proper etiquette was instilled into young Keerthi Ranasinghe from his early days. He was a versatile sportsman, a basketball player of no mean repute more..

Feb 4 (PTI) For the first time since 2016, there will be no Tamil national anthem at the 72nd Independence Day celebrations in Sri Lanka and it will only be rendered in Sinhalese, the govt announced on Monday, amply demonstrating the administration’s priority for the majority Sinhala community. The then SL govt in 2015 started including the Tamil national anthem as a means of achieving reconciliation with more..

Feb 4 (Island) SLT has partnered with more than 25 leading Sri Lankan firms including financial institutions and technological service providing companies to empower small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with ONE STOP ICT solutions. To achieve this objective, SLT has embarked on a special project to empower SMEs to develop their businesses with the use of modern information and communication technology (ICT). As a result, SMEs across the island will be supported to more..

Feb 4 (FT) PM Mahinda Rajapaksa said Sri Lanka was on the cusp of a golden era and added that he was confident that all Sri Lankans would work towards creating a prosperous country. Following is the full statement. Sri Lanka marks 72 years of independence on 4 Feb 2020. During the past few years, independence that we won on 4 Feb 1948 faced unprecedented challenges. What we can learn from that experience is that achieving freedom and preserving it are two different matters entirely. more..

Feb 4 (MoD) Russia, which offers more training facilities for SL military, has pledged to increase assistance to improve air operation capabilities of the SLAF. Russian Federation’s Land Forces Commander-in-Chief, General Oleg Salyukov, who is on a five –day official visit, pledged to offer more training opportunities for the SL military. Gen. Salyukov said 72 cadets were trained last year and Russia was looking for avenues to increase more..

Feb 4 (Island) The fertilizer subsidy given by successive SL govts since 1994 had created annual shortages of fertilizer and drained state coffers while doing very little to increase agricultural output, moderator of Movement for National Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR,) Chinthaka Rajapakshe said. "The current fertiliser shortage has occurred because the govt has to pay Rs. 71 billion to 19 companies that imported fertiliser. Out of this, Rs. 45 billion is for fertiliser subsidy," he said. more..

Feb 4 (Island) The authorities have failed to relocate the two bull elephants in the Sinharaja Forest though those who live in the area have been lodging complaints for the last few months, researchers who operate in the area said. The two elephants were loitering at Rakawana-Polpitiya Road. A researcher said: "They are often sighted within a 2 km radius of Botiyatenna. Due to prevailing drought conditions, the elephants are coming to the area and villagers have been warned not to venture out at night. more..

Feb 4 (PMD) Prez Rajapaksa says that the development process and environmental protection should go hand in hand for the betterment of the country and the future generations. ‘Everyone should pay attention to conserve biodiversity in the process of development. Inappropriate development activities have led to environmental degradation and wetlands destruction. We are losing out on many benefits received from animals and plants. more..

Feb 4 (DN) England won the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup Plate final with a professional display overwhelming defending champions Sri Lanka by 152 runs in the final played at Benoni on Monday. Invited to bat first England ran up an imposing total of 279-7 thanks to a 135-ball knock of 111 from left-handed opener Dan Mousley who hit nine fours and one six to take away the Player of the Match award. Mousley made his first-class debut for Warwickshire against English county champions Essex more..

Feb 4 (LP) The govt has paid attention to develop Kadugannawa, Mudaliwatte and Balumgala areas as a tourist zone and the development work is scheduled to begin this year. Accordingly, a cable car system from Mudaliwatte to Belumgala will also be started, Governor of Central Province, Lalith Gamage said while participating in an inspection tour of the site. Governor said that there was already an investor to start the cable car system. When imperialists invaded the hill country, more..

Feb 4 (Island) The SLPP said that UNP lawmaker Dr. Harsha de Silva couldn’t absolve himself of the responsibility for the Treasury Bond scams, perpetrated between Feb 2015 and March 2016. Colombo District MP de Silva had been involved in the UNP defence, both in and outside parliament, and was a member of the foot note-gang that tried to protect bond racketeers. SLPP flayed the UNPer at the weekly regular briefing more..

Feb 4 (FT) UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his Independence Day message, called for Sri Lankans to refocus on unity, pointing out that the cohesion that existed between different communities had eroded since Independence. In a statement, Wickremesinghe pointed out that at the time Sri Lanka received Independence there was greater social cohesion between the different communities of the country but over the succeeding decades this unity had gradually disintegrated. more..

Feb 4 (DM) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will send a letter of solidarity to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping this week outlining SL's firm support to China as it battles to contain coronavirus and will also discuss sending aid into the country, particularly for the people of Wuhan. Prez is being kept up to date by the special task force set up to monitor and discuss preventive measures against coronavirus in SL and will discuss with members of the task force on the possibility of sending aid to China. more..

Feb 4 (DM) The 16-member crew of SriLankan Airlines Mission Mercy to China to rescue 33 trapped SL students from novel coronavirus said they voluntarily stepped forward to fly to Wuhan. SriLankan Airlines Chief Officer Service Delivery (COSD) Captain Rajind Ranatunga said when the need of the hour arose to send a special rescue flight to China, there was an overwhelming response from the entire staff to join the mission. more..

Feb 4 (Island) A knife-wielding terrorist who was shot dead by police in London on Sunday during a crazed stabbing spree has been named by police as Sudesh Mamoor Faraz Amman, a convicted Islamist terrorist who has extended family in Sri Lanka. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Lucy D’Orsi is quoted having said "The suspect has not yet been formally identified, however, given the circumstance of the incident, we are confident that he was Sudesh Amman, aged 20. more..

Feb 4 (DM) IGP Pujith Jayasundara and former Secretary to President Hemasiri Fernando should be allowed to testify freely before the presidential commission on the Easter Sunday attacks so that they will reveal as to who is truly responsible for the carnage, UNP MP Palitha Range Bandara said. He alleged that former Prez Sirisena exercised undue influence on both the IGP and the former Secretary to President in order to cover up his failures to avert the horrendous bloodbath. more..

Feb 4 (FT) Attorney General’s Department yesterday directed the CID to obtain an arrest warrant from the Magistrate Court to arrest former SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena and his wife due to their alleged links to a $ 2 million bribe from French plane-maker Airbus. This followed investigative material submitted by the CID to the AG’s Department which revealed that a Standard Chartered Bank account maintained more..

Feb 5 (DM) Prof. Raj Somadeva had recently made a controversial statement that any archaeological evidence was not available to establish the story of advent of Prince Vijaya in Sri Lanka. Prof. Somadeva has been for the last several years pursuing archaeological research on a pre-historic civilisation in Sri Lanka. He has made an exhaustive attempt to prove that Sri Lanka had been the nurture ground of a well-developed urban civilisation even before the advent of Vijaya. more..

Feb 5 (CT) 1832, 1910, 1931, 1948, 1956, and 1972: it is in these years that we see a transition in Sri Lanka’s position from a plantation economy to a semi-responsible govt to a dominion and finally, with the United Front’s victory, to a republic. Taken in isolation, these represent little to nothing, but it is only when we stop to consider that the attainment of independence in Sri Lanka was free of the turmoil and conflict which other European colonies in Asia faced that we realise how smooth, flexible, more..

Feb 5 (SO) As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread across the world the SL govt has stepped up to combat its spread within the island. From appointing a task force to monitoring passengers at the BIA and upgrading our health services, the Govt has implemented a number of measures to tackle the crisis. This week the Sunday Observer reporters Rajitha Jagoda Arachchi & Maneshka Borham sat down with more..

Feb 5 (ST) As I write this the World Health Organisation has just declared the Coronavirus a global emergency. That was 18 minutes ago. What the WHO and others monitoring the situation would say next is hard to say. The WHO itself has admitted that it had made a mistake in an earlier assessment when it called the global risk moderate. Given the spread of the virus and the fact that it has already been detected in 18 countries outside China, one can only speculate whether the weekend more..

Feb 5 (DM) Yesterday’s Daily Mirror reported about Chinese government’s concern over the incidents in Sri Lanka where its nationals having been refused to be entertained by shops and taxis, subsequent to the worldwide media hype over the outbreak of 2019-nCoV disease caused by a novel coronavirus since last month, mainly in China. Earlier too local newspapers had published pictures of a restaurant having put up a notice saying it had temporarily shunned Chinese visitors. more..

Feb 5 (TM) Sri Lanka is once again facing a serious power crisis that is threatening to cripple the country’s economy if not addressed soon. In this backdrop, Govt has already decided to purchase 300 MW of emergency power from private power plants (PPP) for 30 months as a precautionary measure to avoid any future power outages during the predicted drought seasons. In a letter written to the CEB General Manager last November, more..

Feb 5 (Island) Age inaugurated by Vasco De Gama that led to regular contact between South Asia and the European powers, their colonies in America, and the African countries bordering the sea route to the East was eventful in that it also brought new diseases to the littoral countries of the Indian Ocean. Yaws, a disfiguring skin disease new to Ceylon, appeared suddenly during Portuguese colonial era and was explicitly identified with foreign invaders, Parangi being the name given to it locally. more..

Feb 5 (Island) It is said that when one says something, one has to make sure one has said it. This, Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa (GR) did, in his address to the nation, yesterday. Unlike his predecessors, who, in their Independence Day speeches, dwelt on the past to the point of queasiness, he spoke of the present and the future. Prez GR gave several assurances to the public. He said his govt would protect the people’s religious, political and economic rights while ensuring more..

Feb 5 (DM) The outbreak of the novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The highest level of international solidarity and cooperation is needed to protect health and keep people safe. Since the novel coronavirus emerged late December, the number of cases reported globally has climbed. Human-to-human transmission has been reported in a number of countries. It is imperative that countries report and share information on suspected cases early, more..

Feb 5 (CT) World University Service (WUS) is celebrating its centennial in May 2020 in Vienna, organized by WUS Austria, WUS Germany, WUS Canada and WUS Alumni. The central theme of the conference is Human Right to Quality Education for All also reflecting on WUS history, and the experiences of Alumni among other related matters. The importance of the theme is not limited to WUS community or committees, but to people at large in all countries from school teachers to more..

Feb 5 (TM) Despite the Central Bank stating that it is running out of options and is seriously considering cancelling the license of The Finance Company (TFC), the company is still optimistic of being able to carry on its operations. “There are some positive outcomes from our plans, and bringing investors certainly takes some time”, TFC Chairman B.A. Wasantha Kumarasiri said. He made this comment when we contacted him more..

Feb 5 (Island) Environmental organizations urge the govt to reform the Land Development Act as it is misused by affluent & powerful politicians to acquire vast extents of land illegally. Sajeewa Chamikara of movement for land & agricultural reform (MONLAR) said that the present law should be amended to prevent such rackets. He said: "The Land Acquisition Act too should be amended. Under this Act the decisions to acquire land and issue orders to that effect are vested in the State Ministers more..

Feb 5 (AD) Two persons have been arrested in connection with the murder which occurred at a club in Mount Lavinia. A 31-year-old resident of Galle Road, Horethuduwa was killed in a clash at a club in De Saram Road, Mount Lavinia at around 4.45 am last morning (3). Accordingly, two suspects have been arrested in connection with the death. The suspects are 21-year-old males residing in Mt. Lavinia. The arrested suspects will be produced before the Mt. Lavinia Magistrate’s Court. more..

Feb 5 (DM) The prices of vegetables that soared high due to the unprecedented rains across the island during the last season, would come down within next ten days due to beginning of harvesting, All Island Unified Economic Centres & Manning Market Traders Union said. Union’s National Organiser H.M. Upasena said the reason for the present vegetable price increase couldn’t be blamed on any person–especially, the govt. more..

Feb 5 (FT) HCL Technologies (HCL), a leader in global technology yesterday announced the establishment of its global delivery centre in Colombo. Marking its presence within the region, HCL aims at boosting employment, providing resources and skilling the local talent to serve its global clients. An agreement to this effect was signed with the BoI recently. Founded in 1976, HCL Technologies is a next-generation global technology company that helps enterprises reimagine more..

Feb 5 (Island) If the officials at the CEB cannot implement Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s vision of obtaining 80% of the country’s energy needs by 2030 through renewable sources; the govt should seek the support of SL experts working overseas, Secretary of Solar Industries Association (SIA) Lakmal Fernando said. "The cost of renewable energy is pegged to the rupees unlike coal, diesel or LNG, which are tied to the dollar, but CEB officials manage to mislead the Cabinet by coming up more..

Feb 5 (FT) SL & India are expected to finalise the implementation agenda for a $ 450 million line of credit offered by the latter during the visit of PM and Finance Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to New Delhi this week. The PM’s Office said that the line of credit was announced by Indian PM Narendra Modi when President Gotabaya Rajapaksa undertook a State visit to India in November shortly after being elected Prez. more..

Feb 5 (DM) A week-long general amnesty period has been declared by the Ministry of Defence from Feb 5 to 12, for tri-force absentees to receive a discharge or rejoin to their service. This general amnesty is offered only to Tri-Force absentees who remain Absent Without Leave (AWOL) before Sept 30, 2019. Army requested that that Army personnel wishing to accept the legal discharge or the re-enlistment to reach their respective Regimental Centres or Recruit Training Centres if more..

Feb 5 (ST) Some 20 out of the 42 licensed finance companies in Sri Lanka are presently facing liquidity issues, with some of it at a high level of distress with high percentage of non-performing loans. These 20 non-bank financial institutions are facing difficulties at present, the Central Bank (CB) announced. CB Deputy Governor H A Karunaratne said that the management of several licenced finance companies made a request from the CB to grant them a moratorium to repay their bank borrowings. more..