Mar 3 (CT) Leader of the new Tamil political party, Tamil Makkal Kootani (TMK) C.V. Wigneswaran, has urged the UN' international community to "respond adequately to the SL Govt now for flouting its collective will, and has added that because it can now use its authority of universal jurisdiction to charge all accused SL personnel at International Criminal Court" by withdrawal from Resolution 30, 40, etc. to strongly propose that Sri Lanka be quickly dismissed from membership of the UN. more..

Mar 3 (NR) General Secretary of the UNP Akila Viraj Kariyawasam charges a certain group of attempting to claim political wins by creating divisions with the UNP. He said the upcoming General Election can be won only if all persons unite. He said there are certain groups, however stressing not Sajith Premadasa or Ranil Wickremesinghe, but others who are trying to use a different route, but will still not be able to win, more..

Mar 3 (EN) Sri Lanka has hiked a tax on imported fish to 150 rupees a kilogram from 100 rupees or 10% of the value, the finance ministry said. The tax has been hiked to help domestic fishermen, the finance ministry said. Sri Lanka has high import duties on many industries including agriculture, which has led to of inefficient production processes which are not export competitive. Sri Lanka is facing revenue shortfall in 2020, after value added tax was suddenly cut. more..

Mar 3 (EN) Sri Lanka will host a conference of Asia Pacific tourism ministers, state and industry officials in June 2020 focusing on developing crisis management process and responses and sharing information in the Asia Pacific region, the island’s, tourism development office said. The conference themed Contemporary Challenges and Tourism Revitalization will involve a joint meeting of the UNWTO’s Commission for East Asia and the Pacific and the UNWTO Commission more..

Mar 3 (EN) The fishing community is facing numerous challenges due to foreign fishing vessels being allowed to unload their stocks in SL harbours, former Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa said. He warned that this could sully the reputation of SL fish-product exports as there is a tendency to mix low quality fish caught by foreign vessels with locally sourced fish, which are subsequently exported as SL products. more..

Mar 3 (Island) Supreme Court gave former Prez Maithripala Sirisena 3 weeks to file limited objections to the Fundamental Rights violation petition filed by Sandya Ekneligoda, wife of Pradeep Ekneligoda. Sandya Ekneligoda has moved court against the then Prez Sirisena’s pardon for Ven. Galagodaatte Ghanasara thera. Ekneligoda disappeared on the eve of Jan 26, 2010 prez election. Sandya Ekneligoda has told court that the prez pardon given to Ghanasara Thera was unfair. more..

Mar 3 (DN) With the aim of showcasing research and development outcomes and innovations of institutes and universities whilst promoting science literacy at all levels of the society, the Ministry of Higher Education, Information and Technology will host Sri Lanka's first national technology exhibition Innotech 2020 from March 11th to 14th this year. The exhibition which will be open until the 14th will be inaugurated on the 11th under the patronage of PM Mahinda Rajapaksa. more..

Mar 3 (EN) PM Mahinda Rajapaksa is driving the governing party’s Parliamentary Election campaign and at the outset has taken a hard right turn. He has also revived the discussion over the controversial anti-conversion Bill. In the week preceding the dissolution of Parliament which happened at mid-night Monday, Rajapaksa has been seen with dozens of leading Buddhist Monks, offering them gifts and alms and more..

Mar 3 (FT) Sri Lanka has attracted $ 370 million in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) during the last two months, a top Minister confirmed. “After the appointment of the present Govt in November last year, we have received many fresh applications for several new tourism-related projects. During the last two months, we have received applications which altogether amount to $ 370 million worth of projects,” Minister Prasanna Ranatunga told the Daily FT. This $ 370 million in FDIs includes more..

Mar 3 (AD) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has ordered relevant authorities to provide fertilizer to farmers without any shortages for the forthcoming Yala season. The President made this observation during a meeting held at the Presidential Secretariat this afternoon (03) to review the current situation of imports and distribution of fertilizer. The PMD stated that issues prevailing in the process of importing fertilizer were discussed at length during this meeting. more..

Mar 3 (CI) Before the ODIs, you could make the claim that these two sides were relatively evenly matched. And although it's true that West Indies are defending T20 world champions and Sri Lanka will have to qualify for the main draw of the T20 World Cup later this year, perhaps they are not so far apart in the shortest format. West Indies have failed to win each of their last five T20I series, even losing a recent match to Ireland, more..

Mar 3 (AD) Two Sri Lankans have been arrested at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja in Nigeria while in possession of fake passports. Foreign media reported that the officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) of Nigeria and other related offences Commission had made the arrest on Sunday (02). An airport official stated that it was the second time in 2020 that Sri Lankans would be arrested for the same offence at the airport. more..

Mar 3 (CT) Colombo Additional Magistrate Lochani Abeywickrama, yesterday (2), ordered to remand until 16 March, nine suspects who were arrested in connection to an incident where a 14-year-old girl was allegedly-sexually abused. The suspects, aged between 19 and 20, were residents of the Kaduwela area. The teenage girl had identified 11 suspects in connection with the incident when the suspects were produced before the Additional Magistrate for an identification parade. more..

Mar 3 (AD) Election Commission has decided to inform all religious leaders of the need to prevent the use of religious places for election campaigning, says its Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya. Article 79 of Parliament Elections Act (No. 1 of 1981) prohibits holding political meetings at religious places and campaigning for elections at religious events, the elections chief said further. However, this does mean the clergy does not have more..

Mar 3 (FT) Sri Lanka High Commission in Canberra successfully organised a tourism promotion event at the Annual National Multicultural Festival, Canberra on 22 Feb. National Multicultural Festival is an annual event that celebrates cultural diversity of Australia with the participation of hundreds of community organisations, commercial establishments and diplomatic missions and attracts large crowds. The Sri Lanka Pavilion showcased a range of Sri Lankan spices and Ceylon tea. more..

Mar 3 (FT) The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Sweden in partnership with Lotus Travel organised an informative session on Sri Lanka tourism on 19 February at the Embassy. This is the first of a series of customer events being organised during 2020 in association with leading travel agencies in Sweden. Lotus Travel is a reputed Swedish travel agency which arranges guided group trips, theme trips and tailor-made trips to selected countries, mainly in Asia including Sri Lanka. more..

Mar 3 (AD) Attorney General has directed Acting IGP to obtain arrest warrants against several suspects in the CB bond scam case including former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake, former CBSL Governor Arjuna Mahendran and PTL owner Arjun Aloysius. AG’s Coordinating Officer Nishara Jayaratne stated that the Acting IGP was instructed to obtain warrants from court for the arrest of former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake, more..

Mar 4 (ST) SL’s persistent trade deficit – the gap between export income and import expenditure – has finally declined, according to official data. It was nearly US$8 billion last year 2019, compared to US$10 billion deficit in 2018. But I am not sure, if this is good news to be happy rather than worry. SL has been experiencing a persistent trade deficit so anyway its reduction is good news. However, the reduction in the trade deficit is a result of a significant decline in import expenditure more..

Mar 4 (ST) Temperatures are rising … and I’m not just referring to that of Kussi Amma Sera and her buddies. For the record, the trio was seated under the margosa tree drinking water after a to-and-fro argument with the mobile vegetable vendor over rising prices of vegetables and other food. “Mey davas hari rasneine (It’s very hot these days),” exclaimed Kussi Amma Sera. “Watura godak bonna kiyala saha sevane inna kiyala apita avavada karala thiyenva (We have been warned to drink more..

Mar 4 (SO) Former Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media and Information during 2012-2015, Prof. Charitha Herath is a leading scholar in Sri Lanka in the field of philosophy. Currently, he has invested his time in active politics, hoping to contest a Parliament seat from the Kurunegala district. Here are excerpts of an interview with the Professor about the current political climate and his political plans. more..

Mar 4 (CT) The United States that exited the Human Rights Council after calling it a cesspool has been a little slow to respond to Sri Lanka’s official exit from Resolutions 30/1 and 40/1. Canada has, as expected, called out on the delegation, expressing their disappointment and hoping that Sri Lanka will get back on track resorting to domestic mechanisms. The move may or may not be a diplomatic pincer – let history judge that – but it certainly spells out an end of an era. more..

Mar 4 (CT) The significance of Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena’s speech at the ongoing UNHRC session in Geneva must not be missed. There is a possibility it will be, in the greater attention given to the issue of Sri Lanka’s withdrawal from co-sponsorship of UNHRC resolution No 30/1 of 2015. The govt of that time co-sponsored the resolution, which set out in detail a process for reconciliation and justice in the country, in order to demonstrate its good faith to int'l community. more..

Mar 4 (SO) State Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said the people would decide who should represent the next Parliament whether they should be professionals, non-professionals or politicians. He said the UNP would not secure even 70 seats in Parliament at the upcoming General Election as there was no reason for the people to put their faith back in the UNP. State Minister said there are clear divisions within the UNP more..

Mar 4 (DN) The fifteenth Parliament of Sri Lanka was dissolved at the first available opportunity; ending a lackluster hundred days with a minority govt marred by an unresponsive opposition that held the majority. Obtaining a two-thirds majority at the General Election is not beyond for the govt in terms of the mandate received at the last Local Govt and Presidential Elections. There is little or no room for a divided opposition in their efforts at turning back the rush. more..

Mar 4 (Island) The Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB), launched by UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa, on Monday, has hit a brick wall. It is still without a symbol and his rivals in the UNP are all out to throw a monkey wrench in the works. First, the new alliance wanted the Heart symbol and then sought to secure the UNP’s Elephant or the New Democratic Front’s Swan, but in vain. It will have to get a symbol fast because the next parliamentary election is around the corner. more..

Mar 4 (DN) The Colombo Museum, as it was called at the beginning, was established on January 1, 1877. Its founder was Sir William Henry Gregory, the British Governor of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) at the time. The Royal Asiatic Society (CB) was instrumental in bringing to the notice of Gregory on his appointment as Governor in 1872, the need for a public museum. With much difficulty, the approval of the Legislative Council was obtained within a year. The Architect of the then Public Works Department, more..

Mar 4 (Island) Having received the appointment as Foreign Relations Minister last November, Dinesh Gunawardena, experienced a torrid time, with his ministry under siege, following the Swiss bombshell accusations that govt agents, on the evening of Nov 25, 2019, abducted an employee of its Embassy in Colombo. The Swiss, on behalf of Western powers, opened a new front against Prez Rajapaksa’s govt. Int'l media was also brought into the operation with New York Times taking on the administration. more..

Mar 4 (TM) Uber SL has reaffirmed its commitment to SL with the addition of new safety features in an agile response to widespread criticism and says it hopes the country keeps its faith in the global ride-hailing giant. “I sincerely hope SL’s faith in us is not lost; I think it just took a bump. We are absolutely committed to bringing world-leading technology to people in SL, which enhances both the rider and driver’s experience & ups the bar on safety,” more..

Mar 4 (Island) At the 43rd Session of the UNHRC, held in Geneva, Minister of Foreign Relations Dinesh Gunawardena, on 26th Feb, placed on record a clear, firm and unambiguous statement that Sri Lanka was withdrawing from co-sponsorship of UNHRC Resolution 40/1 and its precedent 30/1, on grounds that "Constitutionally, the resolution seeks to grant upon Sri Lanka obligations that cannot be carried out within the constitutional framework and it infringes the sovereignty of the people of SL more..

Mar 4 (DN) It has been the desired build-up to the second big match for St. Joseph’s College, soaring and peaking swiftly and steadily, as the 86th Battle of the Saints against traditional rivals St Peter’s College is all set to start at the P. Sara Oval on Friday. The Joes leading as the host for the 86th edition are oozing with confidence with the U-19 quarter-final berth. Darley Road lads, in the last few U-19 two-dayers had showcased the ideal performance with batters complementing and more..

Mar 4 (CI) Sri Lanka have lost each of their five most-recent T20Is, but the team's improved fitness standards, and its batting confidence - both of which were on display in the ODI whitewash of West Indies - should have a knock-on effect. This is what captain Lasith Malinga hopes anyway, as he attempts to correct a woeful captaincy record since taking over in late 2018. "When you start winning matches, the bad things more..

Mar 4 (ST) SL’s U-19 head coach Hashan Tillakaratne laments that his charges lacked consistency and flair they are known for, leading to their premature exit from the World Cup concluded last month. Bangladesh beat India to win their first global silverware while SL returned home empty-handed finishing in an embarrassing 10th position. “I am really disappointed with our performance in the tournament,” said the former SL skipper. “After winning in WI, I thought we were fit to more..

Mar 4 (Island) The University of Ceylon, Peradeniya, was an integral part of post-colonial history of Sri Lanka. It is a mirror of the socio-political transition that Sri Lanka has witnessed since independence. The University of Ceylon conceived, in the British colonial womb, came into being in the post-colonial historical environment. The management of transition from a colonial to post-colonial environment was the main challenge faced by the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya. more..

Mar 4 (FT) Tourist arrivals fell by 17.7% to 207,507 in Feb from a year earlier, largely influenced by the sharp drop in visitors from China, following the outbreak of novel coronavirus COVID-19. Feb marked the second consecutive month of decline in tourist arrivals. In Jan, arrivals fell by 6.5% to 228,434. Since April 2019, following the Easter Sunday terror attacks, SL has witnessed monthly decline in tourist arrivals year-on-year more..

Mar 4 (ST) While German authorities were in talks with ITB Berlin organisers to possibly cancel or postpone the largest travel event on March 4-8, some SL travel companies have opted out of participating this year over concerns of the coronavirus epidemic that global health experts warn could reach pandemic levels. SL Association of Inbound Tour Operators President Mahen Kariyawasam explained that under the current circumstances they have allowed more..

Mar 4 (SLN) Blangladesh Naval ship Shadhinota arrived at the port of Colombo on a goodwill visit today (3). She was warmly welcomed by the SL Navy in accordance with naval traditions on her arrival. The Commanding Officer of the Bangladesh ship which is on a goodwill visit to Sri Lanka, Captain Mostafa Zillur Rahim Khan with officers of the crew, called on the Commander Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral Sumith Weerasinghe at Western Naval Command Hq. more..

Mar 4 (FT) The manufactured exports sector has begun 2020 on a negative note, with January’s performance down 7.4%, prompting the private sector to fear more challenges, given the impact of the coronavirus global pandemic, and local incentives and policies awaiting the conclusion of General Elections to become law. EDB revealed that merchandise exports declined by 7.4% to $ 961 million and services exports are estimated more..

Mar 4 (TG) The director of Vavuniya-based Thinapuyal newspaper, Sakthivelpillai Prakash and his wife alongside another editor, were summoned by Terrorism Investigation Dept (TID) on Monday, following the paper’s coverage of the UNHRC in Geneva. The latest incident of journalist intimidation comes as the 43rd session of the Council is currently underway, where SL has withdrawn co-sponsorship of a resolution on accountability and the UN human rights chief has urged more..

Mar 4 (DN) When Angelo Mathews entered international cricket 12 years ago big things were expected from him and he managed to fulfill them and even go onto lead his country in all three formats of the game with merit. He was essentially a middle order batsman and he also bowled occasionally at medium-pace proving to be a more than useful all-rounder. All this was until he became injury prone in the mid 2000s. His injuries were by & large below the waist especially in his legs. more..