Mar 20 (FT) The Ambassador of the Republic of Korea Santhush Woonjin Jeong this week hosted Board of Investment Chairman Sanjaya Mohottala at the Korean Embassy along with representatives of the Korean Businessmen’s Association and the Korean Resident’s Association. Woonjin said fruitful discussions to promote bilateral trade and investment were held. “Korean investors have played a significant role in developing two-way trade and investment in ways which benefit both more..

Mar 20 (DM) Grand Oriental Hotel (GOH), an icon of generations past, is opening its doors to a new era of splendour, bringing to life its rich colonial architecture. Built in 1837 as a British military barrack, the iconic building has withstood the tests of time, standing strong for almost two centuries. Being the first European-owned hotel in the East, it was reputed worldwide for its plush services, becoming the choice of many illustrious patrons, including the likes of author Anton Chekhov. more..

Mar 20 (AD) Sri Lankan PM Mahinda Rajapaksa on Friday said Father of the Nation of Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman dedicated his entire life for wellbeing of the people of Bangladesh. “Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a person of principles who dedicated his entire life for the Bengali people, their language and their wellbeing,” he said more..

Mar 20 (FT) Despite the improvement in sentiment recorded in January, less than three in 10 respondents to the latest LMD-Nielsen Business Confidence Index (BCI) survey expect economic conditions to improve in the next 12 months. Moreover, slightly less than a quarter (compared to around a fifth in the preceding month) of those consulted by Nielsen say the economy will deteriorate during this period while nearly half expect conditions to remain the same. more..

Mar 20 (FT) Health authorities yesterday confirmed six COVID-19 deaths, stating that the country’s COVID-19 death toll has risen to 544. An individual from Polgahawela died of COVID pneumonia on Thursday at the Kandy General Hospital, where he was transferred from the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital. The individual was 70 years old. A 79-year-old individual from Suduhumpola died of heart disease and COVID pneumonia while receiving treatment at the Kandy General Hospital more..

Mar 20 (DM) Allowing the appeal made to the UK High Court by Major General Priyanka Fernando, the former Minister Counsellor (Defence) of the SL High Commission against the judgement of the Westminster Magistrates’ Court on him, the High Court today quashed his conviction by the Magistrates’ Court on Dec 6, 2019 and acquitted him. High Commission of SL in London said the defendants, who are pro-LTTE demonstrators more..

Mar 20 (CT) Information has come to light that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had billed a hefty sum of Rs. 5.7 million for the event held on 17 March, under the aegis of PM Mahinda Rajapaksa, to fete the 1996 World Cup-winning SL Cricket Team and to mark the silver jubilee of the momentous triumph. The event was held at Temple Trees’ Reception Hall on the advice of the PM. The event was coordinated by the PM’s Office, Ministry of Youth and Sports and SLC, while the cost had also been overseen by more..

Mar 20 (CT) State-owned CEB recently invited bids for a floating storage and re-gasification unit (FSRU) to be deployed in open sea off the coast of Kerawalapitiya. Based on the recent FSRU tender, energy analyst Dr. Vidhura Ralapanawe’s calculations project that by 2030 SL may end up generating 47% of electricity from fossil fuels, leaving only 53% for renewables. This would directly contradict Prez’s 2019 manifesto of achieving 80% renewable energy by 2030 or more..

Mar 20 (DM) While claiming that the PCoI probing Easter Sunday attacks had not obtained any statement from the JVP over the nominating of Mohammed Ibrahim from its National List, former JVP MP Bimal Ratnayake today said PM Mahinda Rajapaksa should be questioned first for paying salaries to 21 individuals including Zahran Hashim during his tenure as the President. He said that this businessman was conferred with awards by more..

Mar 21 (Island) The newspapers and television news bulletins these days are full of reports of the alleged sugar scam, continuing environmental degradation in many parts of the country, the human-elephant conflict resulting in losses of both human and animal life and crop depredation devastating rural farmers eking a bare living from the land. Today’s rulers who were eloquent about the despicable bond scam under the previous dispensation have been dumbstruck by the megaphone reporting of more..

Mar 21 (SO) The use of vaccines dates back 200 years and over the intervening years, they have saved millions of lives around the world and made people healthier. Today, many diseases from Diphtheria to Influenza can be prevented with the use of vaccines. They are usually the only effective deterrent against viral diseases, since there really is no cure for them. A century ago, when the Spanish Flu conquered the world after World War I, scientists could not invent a vaccine as medical science more..

Mar 21 (CT) Minister Sarath Weerasekera has issued a direct threat against lawmaker Anura Kumara Dissanayake when he claimed that the JVP Leader would soon see if the government was firing blanks or live bullets. Soon afterwards, Dissanayake recognized the threat but shot back that Weerasekera’s threats did not scare him. The spat began when the JVP Leader accused the Govt of firing blanks to distract the public more..

Mar 21 (CT) Whether the Sri Lankan regime is deep-fired or lightly sautéed in Geneva on 23 March will not in itself much affect the lives of ordinary citizens since sanctions, if applied at all will be against some bigshots, so who cares. I am confident that hard sanctions that will hurt the whole country such as withdrawal of GSP Plus or a trade embargo will not materialise. The Executive and military are thick-skinned and they will brush away verbal humiliation with a wave of the hand. more..

Mar 21 (CT) A political observer with an exceptionally sharp mind offered this online comment recently: With little on offer as a political alternative, many of us seem to wallow in idle gossip and pin hopes on plain speculation. Who would disagree? Except to add that gossip, speculations and outbursts are emanating more from within the govt than from outside, indicating both frustration and helplessness in govt ranks. As well, those who heralded the present govt as more..

Mar 21 (SO) State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana said the Opposition has launched a disinformation campaign to discredit the Govt which has secured a two- thirds majority in Parliament and also has the blessings of the overwhelming majority of the Maha Sangha and the patriotic people. He said during the period from 2014 to 2015, a similar campaign was launched with the help of NGOs & certain Western embassies. more..

Mar 21 (ST) Last week’s front page news story in this newspaper seems to have reverberated among Cabinet Ministers like an aftershock following an earthquake, but they are too scared to say anything. It was all about a suggestion made by the Prez to his Cabinet Ministers and it passed with nary a word of protest from the Ministers. After all, the President has said, his word is law. The story was that the bureaucrats — i.e. the Ministry Secretaries — have been given the duties of Cabinet of Ministers more..

Mar 21 (ST) My dear Sajith, I thought of writing to you when I saw that you were celebrating your first anniversary. Most people would have asked what the anniversary was for, but it turned out to be the anniversary of the formation of your new party which carries the telephone symbol. So, I suppose congratulations are in order. We know it has been a difficult year for you. The formation of your party was a hurried event, made necessary because the Green Man didn’t allow you to contest under more..

Mar 21 (Island) Tomorrow (22) a vote will be taken in Geneva on a resolution against SL to be tabled the same day. The outcome will decide the fate of SL or so some believe. Let’s be sober here. First of all, given the power wielded by the architects of the resolution and its principal marketers, it is likely that the resolution will pass with a majority of the 47 member voting for it. Remember this is not the first resolution (to be taken up and — in all likelihood — passed) to see the light of day in Geneva. more..

Mar 21 (AFP) SL cricket's woes of the past 12 months could be extended for at least another fortnight unless the visitors can rise to the challenge of a buoyant West Indies team in the two-Test series starting on Sunday at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua. Swept 3-0 in the One-Day International contest after being edged 2-1 in the tour-opening T20 International duel, Dimuth Karunaratne's team have offered litle by way of confidence-building performances more..

Mar 21 (ST) India and The Maldives have signed a Maritime Security and Development Administration and Maintenance of the Maldivian National Defence Forces. This will allow New Delhi to station troops in the island of Uthuru Thalafalhu (UTF). The agreement was signed when the Indian External Affairs Minister Subramanyam Jaishanker visited the Maldivian capital of Male on Feb 21. Placing their signatures were Dr Jaishankar and more..

Mar 21 (TM) Tomorrow (22), is D-Day for SL in Geneva as the UNHRC wraps up three weeks of deliberation on the country’s human rights record and in all likelihood, put to a vote a new resolution aimed at fast tracking delivery of previous commitments to the int'l HR body, plus some new ones that may not be to the liking of the Govt. On the domestic front, the economic situation continues to be challenging with the rupee further weakening against the dollar, crossing the Rs. 200 more..

Mar 21 (Island) The 79th birth anniversary of former Minister Gamini Dissanayake falls today. Dissanayake was one of the longest serving Presidents of Sri Lanka Cricket and was instrumental in winning the nation Test status in 1981, something that he achieved at the age of 39. Dissanayake had become a Minister at the age of 35 and had many feathers in his cap from 1978 to 1989. World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga who delivered the keynote address at more..

Mar 21 (ST) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has doled out a whopping Rs 338.5 mn to voting members by way of grants and loans for various projects–from infrastructure development to payment of salaries of employees of district cricket associations–in just the last two years, documents obtained by the Sunday Times through RTI Act show. The documents were released by Kamal Dharmasiri, more..

Mar 21 (SO) An event to mark the 25th anniversary of Sri Lanka’s victory at the 1996 Cricket World Cup and felicitate all the players who were part of the World Cup squad in 1996 was held at Temple Trees on Wednesday (March 17) under the patronage of PM Mahinda Rajapaksa. The captain of the 1996 Cricket World Cup winning team Arjuna Ranatunga said that it has been 25 years since Sri Lanka won the World Cup, but everyone in this country still remembers the winning moment. more..

Mar 21 (SO) If it takes place, an election of office bearers to Sri Lanka Cricket will go down in history as the most dubious and foul-play ridden ballot that the Shammi Silva camp is expected to wrap up on May 20. It means candidates from the poised-to-win Shammi Silva clan could lose one post but sneak up from another end and grab another slot. The rival Nishantha Ranatunga group can only frown on the whole fiasco and the question will be how much time they’ll need before they throw in the towel more..

Mar 21 (CI) West Indies have a good pace attack, and the pitch looks difficult, but get in and get us more than 275 - so goes Dimuth Karunaratne's directive to SL's batsmen ahead of the first Test in Antigua. SL have struggled with the bat in their last four Tests, failing to make 200 in four of their eight innings. The most abject batting displays were at home against England in January - the most recent series they played - more..

Mar 21 (AD) Police operations in search of the teenager from a leading school in Bambalapitiya who went missing on Thursday are still ongoing, says DIG Ajith Rohana. Accordingly, the intelligence unit and crimes investigation unit of Mount Lavinia Division, Bureau for the Prevention of Abuse of Children and Women, and crimes investigation division of Mount Lavinia Police have launched a joint probe into the incident. Investigators are looking into the electronic devices used by the teen. more..

Mar 21 (EN) Handing over the West Container Terminal of Sri Lanka’s Colombo port to Adani group is not a govt-to-govt contract but a private deal without competitive bidding as India had disclaimed all knowledge of it, opposition legislator Eran Wickramaratne said. Sri Lanka had an official govt-to-govt agreement with India and Japan regarding the East Container Terminal struck by the last administration, he said. This current administration said initially that they were going ahead with more..

Mar 21 (AD) SL and Bangladesh on Saturday signed six MoUs to enhance cooperation between the two countries in different areas. MoUs are on cooperation for strengthening youth development between Bangladesh and SL, another between Bangla Agricultural Research Council (BARC) and SL Council for Agricultural Research Policy (SLCARP) and MoU between Directorate of Technical Education of Bangladesh and more..

Mar 21 (ST) It’s no secret that SL is more than susceptible to questionable financial transactions, schemes and downright financial scams. While authorities are warning investors to be more vigilant against online scams and fraud with the rise in digital transactions in the country, many are raising concerns on rupees leaving Sri Lanka – digitally, no less. Thankfully, the Central Bank (CB) is looking at the operations of a company allegedly promoting stocks in the New York Stock Exchange. more..

Mar 21 (ST) The COPE has come across glaring irregularities in the execution of the Central Expressway project particularly because of construction delays, lack of proper procurement and feasibility studies. This has resulted in extra cost of construction running up to billions of rupees giving undue benefits for some contractors and several foreign and local consultancy firms, a recent COPE report revealed. Based on mathematical assumption, there was clear forensic more..

Mar 21 (AD) Fourteen people have died after a bus fell down a precipice at Passara this morning (March 20), according to hospital sources. Reports revealed that 32 other passengers sustained injuries in the fatal accident. They have been admitted to the hospitals in Passara and Badulla for treatment. According to hospital sources, some of them are in critical condition. 29 injured passengers are under medical care at more..

Mar 21 (Island) TNA and ITAK Parliamentary Group Leader, R. Sampanthan has raised issue over not being consulted when the President appointed the Experts Committee to Draft a new Constitution, despite the fact that the Tamil National Question being the most important issue to be settled in a new Constitution for the country. In a letter addressed to the Chairman and Members of the Experts Committee, he draws reference to the TNA/ITAK proposal for a new constitution for SL dated more..

Mar 21 (SO) While the tussle between trade unions and the Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs) over the Rs.1,000 wage increase to the plantation workers is perpetuating, one major union - Up-Country People’s Front (UPF) – said it welcomes the profit-share system’ proposed by the plantation companies. It should be the initial mechanism for the plantation estates transforming as plantation villages an the workers becoming tea or rubber smallholders, having lands on their own under a long-term more..

Mar 21 (TM) The vote on the Resolution of the United Nations (UN) Core Group of Countries on Sri Lanka to be tabled at the 46th Session of the UNHRC in Geneva, Switzerland, tomorrow (22), is likely to be taken up on the same day. The Core Group comprises the UK, Germany, Canada, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Malawi. Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said that the vote could be pushed to Tuesday more..

Mar 21 (SO) The inter-school under-19 limited over cricket tournament which began last week will take place with great enthusiasm as sports activities returned to schools after exactly one year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The preliminary round league stage, where a team will play five first round league games in the one-day tournament will conclude on April 9, according to the SL Schools Cricket Association (SLSCA) Secretary JKAS Indrajith. He said the SLSCA will confine its current more..

Mar 21 (SO) An Air Force officer died on the spot after his parachute got entangled with another parachutist during a training session at Amparai-Uhana yesterday morning. The victim, identified as 34-year-old Manoj Padmathilake was described as an experienced parachutist and was on his maiden free fall jump after the basic training period when the incident took place, Air Force Spokesman Group Captain Dushan Wijesinghe said. The other Air Force officer sustained serious injuries more..

Mar 21 (ST) The Central Bank did a 360 degree turn on its plan to save US dollars in the market, suspending decisions which forced banks and exporters to sell a portion of the US currency to the authorities. The hurried measures came amidst anxiety that the dollar would go way beyond the 200-rupee level. In the early part of the week, it rose to more than Rs. 200 with pressure building and a likelihood that it would rise more..

Mar 21 (DM) A 16 year old boy who was reported missing, has returned home unharmed this evening, his mother told Daily Mirror. The boy, a student of a leading boy's school in Bambalapitiya, had reportedly been staying elsewhere and returned home today evening. His mother confirmed he was safe and appreciated the efforts of the law enforcement and public in helping find her son. A search operation had been launched this week to locate the student who went missing after more..