Apr 9 (Island) Several Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) that were on the cards for this year have dwindled as many firms have put on hold their IPOs due to current market conditions, CEO Colombo Stock Exchange Rajeeva Bandaranaike said. "Certain recent IPOs which didn�t perform as expected may have now realized that the climate is not going to be conducive to IPOs. The issuing firms are apprehensive, with investors now more choosy about where to invest their money due to more..

Apr 9 (Hindu) Owners of boats detained by the Sri Lankan Navy on the charge of crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line have appealed to the govt to provide interim relief. Twenty fishermen of Thoothukudi in three country boats were apprehended by the Lankan Navy on March 5. Not only the families of fishermen in detention but also owners of the detained boats were finding it hard to make ends meet, Santhiya Pachek, a fisherman-cum-boat-owner, said here. more..

Apr 9 (Hindu) Looking beyond the current difficulties in reviving a stalled multi-billion dollar project, Sri Lanka and China are now defining a new blueprint, based on rapid infrastructure development, to rail their growing ties for the future. �Our visit today is an important visit because it will discuss and finalise the framework of future cooperation between our two countries,� said visiting PM Wickremesinghe in his opening remarks more..

Apr 9 (VoA) Sri Lanka has agreed to resume work on a Chinese-funded $1.4 billion Colombo Port City project that had stalled a year ago. The decision to restart work on the project was announced Thursday during SL PM Ranil Wickremasinghe's visit to Beijing. The move opens the door for additional Chinese investments, and helps China forward its goal of getting access to the Indian Ocean. SL leader signed several other deals during his trip for railway, road, port and airport projects more..

Apr 9 (Island) With the Sinhala and Tamil New Year or Avurudu dawning in mid-week, there is much activity in organizing Avurudu Kreeda or New Year games in the country. However, due to the emphasis on strict adherence to cultural traditions in public entertainment that is part of the Yahapalana or Good Governance policy, there are worries about those who breach these standards having to face the Madu Valigey or Skate-tail whipping, which is the prescribed punishment of of the emerging more..

Apr 9 (NS) Although an interactive map, published by the Irish Times last week, titled as secret companies around the world has indicated there are three Sri Lankan companies, three clients and 22 shareholders listed in the Panama Papers, SL Govt has so far not made any official effort to obtain information with regard to the same, a top legislator disclosed last week. Deputy Minister Eran Wickramaratne said the govt is presently more..

Apr 9 (ITN) Dual citizenship was awarded to 1500 Sri Lankans living abroad. These dual citizenships were given under the patronage of Minister of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs S.B. Nawinna. Participating in the awarding of dual citizenships, Minister said that this scheme was halted by the previous Govt. However, he mentioned that it was possible to revive the programme of granting dual citizenship of Sri Lankans living abroad under present regime. more..

Apr 9 (NG) The lure of leopard safaris, sprawling ancient cities, and unspoiled Indian Ocean beaches have beckoned me to Sri Lanka since its decades-long civil war ended in 2009. I finally had the chance to visit this past February, and though that month is considered high season thanks to dry, sunny days and moderate temperatures, I encountered none of the tourist hordes or bus caravans that throng Southeast Asia�s other cultural treasures like Angkor Wat and Bagan. more..

Apr 9 (DM) Mahanayake of Asgiriya Chapter Ven. Warakagoda Gnanarathana Thera, said he would uphold the dignity of the post and perform his duties, leaving no room for any allegations against him or the Mahasangha. Delivering an anusasana after his appointment to the post at the Maha Vihara Mangala Conference Hall the Thera said, he considered it his duty to uphold the traditions protected by his predecessors more..

Apr 9 (FT) Mentor Resources, the global mentoring authority, has named SL-born scientist Dr. Binodh DeSilva as the International Mentor of the Year. The esteemed Award has been given to Dr. Binodh DeSilva, Head of Analytical and Bioanalytical Operations, Research and Development at Bristol-Myers Squibb for her dedication to mentoring. The award recognises mentors who demonstrate strong commitment to helping others grow professionally and personally. more..

Apr 9 (DN) UPFA General Secretary Mahinda Amaraweera has already begun talks with friendly parties to invite them to join hands with the SLFP to contest the forthcoming elections under a united UPFA banner. As part of these talks, held under the advise of President Sirisena, General Secretary Amaraweera held talks with an EPDP delegation, led by Douglas Devananda at the Parliamnetary complex on April 5. Two parties held discussions on contesting jointly under UPFA banner more..

Apr 9 (DN) Minister Eran Wickremaratne said the only thing the govt does not want to have in the Port city is a race track for Lamborghini. He said that SL govt has already given its green light to the Chinese Company to go ahead with the port-city project and its up to the Chinese company to take a decision in terms of how they will mobilize and start the project. "Govt has already discussed with the Chinese more..

Apr 9 (NS) Prison rights groups have written to prison officials calling for FSP Politburo Member Kumar Gunaratnam to be shifted to Welikada from Anuradhapura prison. The Committee for Protecting the Rights of Prisoners and the Organization to Protect the Human Rights of Prison Detainees criticized the Govt for incarcerating Gunaratnam in Anuradhapura as opposed to placing him in Welikada. Co-convener of the Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners & Chairman, more..

Apr 9 (DN) The demands for Sri Lankan fresh water fish in the international market is on the rise, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said. He made these remarks at a ceremony to launch several development programmes for persons involved in the fresh water fish trade in Kalawewa recently. Over 300 nets and 20 fishing vessels were handed over to fishermen in Kalawewa. "Sri Lanka has over 10,000 reservoirs around the country. We have to carry out a special programme to breed fish, shrimp & lobsters. more..

Apr 9 (DM) Highways Ministry predicted of possible traffic congestion at the exit points on the Southern Expressway during the New Year season between April 8 and 13 and April 15 and 18 and advised the motorists to use alternate exit points to avoid traffic congestion. Ministry asked motorists using the Expressway between April 8 and 13 to reach the Godagama exit point avoiding peak hours (5am to 10am and 4pm to 9pm) more..

Apr 9 (DM) State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardene said the withdrawal of military personnel from former president Rajapaksa�s security detail was never aimed at humiliating him or putting his life in danger. Addressing a ceremony to mark the launch of the fifth phase of Virusara Privilege card at the Light Infantry Headquarters in Panagoda, minister said specially trained police personnel would replace military personnel in Mr. Rajapaksa�s security division. more..

Apr 9 (DN) The Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) has purchased over 7,500 metric tonnes out of paddy from farmers in the Anuradhapura district so far and the process will be continued immediately after the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, a PMB spokesman said yesterday. He said the purchasing is done at 24 purchasing centres in the district since farmers are still harvesting paddy farmers have requited the PMB to keep the warehouses open at least till April 10. Farmers said that although they informed more..

Apr 9 (EN) Deputy Minister Harsha de Silva invited businesses to help expand an island-wide paramedic service started with support from India, breaking down at nationalist opposition to an initiative to save the lives of the sick and wounded. De Silva is driving an initiative to build a country-wide network of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) who will travel in ambulances to stabilize accident or heart-attack victims more..

Apr 9 (DM) Next week�s National New Year � when people of all races and religions come together for a multitude of cultural events centred on the festival of the Sun � is an ideal time for a just, fair and lasting reconciliation. Sri Lanka�s two major political parties, the UNP and the SLFP led UPFA, for the first time since Independence have come together to form a national govt despite disputes and problems. Whatever that critics or cynics would say, most people believe it is a good first step towards more..

Apr 9 (DM) When Mahinda Rajapaksa defeated Sarath Fonseka in 2010, a senior member of the UNP, responding to claims by a set of fellow UNPers that Fonseka was robbed said, It�s OK to claim anything because rhetoric is part and parcel of politics, but there�s something wrong when you start believing your own propaganda! Democracy! was the clarion call of Maithripala Sirisena�s campaign against MR. Much was promised. So far, the only victory in this regard is the 19th Amendment, more..

Apr 9 (ST) CEB Engineers� Union President Athula Wanniarachchi refuted charges by the Minister and said the CEB engineers would give their fullest cooperation for a probe into allegations that water levels in the reservoirs had been deliberately reduced. According to CEB engineers, there were two causes that led to the reduction of water levels. One was that after the two most recent total system failures, it took nearly four days more..

Apr 9 (DBS) A 44 year old Kandyan Sinhalese widow of aristocratic Radala lineage gained global fame for her country in 1960 when she became the world�s first woman PM. She was none other than Sirimavo Bandaranaike who was sworn in as PM of Sri Lanka known then as Ceylon on July 21st 1960. It is said that the British press had to coin a new description Stateswoman instead of the usual statesman after she assumed office. more..

Apr 9 (GDI) Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs has taken steps to implement research and training complex at the Faculty of Agriculture in University of Jaffna. Japanese govt has agreed to provide a grant of Rs. 2,100 million for the above purpose. Main objective of this project is to improve research programmes, education and promotion activities in dry zone agriculture in Northern Province in an effective manner. more..

Apr 9 (DN) Countrywide raids will be conducted to protect consumers from unhealthy and unhygienic food and beverages sold during the New Year season, Health Services Director General Dr. Palitha Mahipala said. Temporary stalls and trade stalls sell food with illegal and unapproved colouring and additives which are harmful to human health. Therefore, people should buy food from recognised shops. more..

Apr 9 (Island) Election monitoring organisations yesterday urged the govt to conduct the Local Govt elections at least in the areas where there were no issues regarding the delimitation. They called for amending the Local Govt Act to do away with shortcomings. Executive Director of the PAFFREL Rohana Hettiarachchi called for the holding of the poll in areas without any issues regarding the delimitation if it was the reason more..

Apr 9 (DN) The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) Joint Trade Unions Forum demanded the removal of Ports Authority Chairman Dhammika Ranatunga and Ports and Shipping Minister Arjuna Ranatunga. Trade unions will continue to protest unless remedial action is taken to see that justice is done, Joint Trade Unions Forum Convener Presanna Kalutharage said. "Many individuals without qualifications or suitability more..

Apr 9 (Xinhua) China and Sri Lanka on Saturday issued a joint statement to demonstrate their commitment to enhancing bilateral cooperation in various fields. The statement was issued before Sri Lanka's PM Ranil Wickremesinghe concluded his four-day official visit to China. During the visit, Wickremesinghe called on Chinese President Xi Jinping, held talks with his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang and met with Zhang Dejiang, more..

Apr 9 (EN) President Maithripala Sirisena has asked the Constitutional Council to decide on the next Inspector General of Police amid intense lobbying and social media campaigning by two of the contenders. The President has deviated from the constitutional provision requiring him to nominate a candidate and instead sent three names for the consideration of the Council on Friday evening, a source close to the process said. more..

Apr 9 (Reuters) Sri Lanka has asked China to swap some of the $8 billion the Indian Ocean country owes Beijing for equity in infrastructure projects and offered to sell stakes in Sri Lankan companies to Chinese ones, Sri Lankan officials said. The ouster of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who steered Sri Lanka toward China until 2015, was a setback for ties, as his successor reviewed projects to check if they were fair and legal. more..

Apr 9 (Island) Contrary to speculation Sri Lankan politicians are not among those named in Panama Papers (a vast collection of documents pertaining to massive secret investments in far-flung tax havens). However, among those Sri Lankans who had been named in the Panama Papers are in a range of lucrative sectors mainly among captains of private industries including leisure, tourism promotion, travel industry, more..

Apr 9 (CT) It was not surprising that Aravinda de Silva graciously accepted the blame for the poor performance of our cricketers at the recent 2016 ICC World Twenty20 series. It was something may be he had to do for being drawn into it after saying that he would not get involved just a few days prior to that. Aravinda should have gone with his heart. But, the uncertainty of the actions of politicians, harming those who do not tow their line, might have been what prompted Aravinda to give the nod. more..

Apr 9 (DM) According to Mr. Godage, the President has banned all agrochemicals. President Sirisena did not ban chemical fertilizers, insecticides and weedicides. However, in an Extraordinary Gazette Notification, in Dec. 2014, Registrar of Pesticides Dr. G.A.W. Wijesekara banned the use or sale of Glyphosate, Propanil, Carbaryl, Cholopyrifos, and Carbofuran which are pesticides. Fertilizers are agrochemicals. There are different types of fertilizers such as Urea, Superphospahe (TSP), more..

Apr 9 (DM) A statement to the effect, CP de Silva should have become the PM after the assassination of PM S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, but was prevented from taking oaths, as he was rushed to the UK being treated for poisoning. The SL political history would have changed if CP did not consume a glass of milk poisoned with Python oil, originally meant for Bandaranaike. The above statement was made at the grand event held at the BMICH to launch the biography of C P de Silva, more..

Apr 9 (EN) Janashakthi Insurance, has appointed Husein Esufally as its new chairman, following the retirement of W.T. Ellawala. Esufally, prior to the appointment, was Deputy Chairman of the Board of Janashakthi Insurance and its subsidiary Janashakthi General Insurance Limited. He is presently the Chairman of Hemas Holdings Plc., where he served as CEO from January 2001 to March 2014, the company said in a statement. �Esufally has been instrumental in more..

Apr 9 (DM) Ahead of the Sinhala and Hindu New Year, another week of parliamentary sessions would conclude with the stage set for a lot of political happenings in the post- festive period. Constitutional Assembly, the committee of the whole House, met for the first time on Tuesday in Parliament Chamber when appointment of a steering committee and a panel of deputy chairmen to work on a new Constitution in conformity with more..

Apr 9 (DM) People�s Liberation Front, the party commonly known as the JVP commemorated its Bak Maha Viru Samaruwa or the April Heroes� Day for the 45th time on Tuesday (5) at four places in the country, unlike in the previous years when the main function was held in one place with the participation of all the leaders of the party. At the same time the most recent breakaway group of the party, the Front-line Socialist Party (FSP) too commemorated the day in several places in the country. more..

Apr 9 (DM) National Police Commission (NPC) said today it had received a total of 923 complaints so far out of which, 203 had been investigated. Commission Secretary Ariyadasa Cooray said commission had received 468 complaints during 2016 out of which 148 had been investigated. Mr. Cooray said 455 complaints were received by the commission till March 15 this year where solutions were provided to 55 out of them while the others were being investigated. more..

Apr 9 (CT) The lack of adequate maintenance has emerged as the cause of the recent spate of power outages, investigations by a govt probe Committee has revealed, Deputy Minister Ajith P. Perera told Parliament Thursday. Noting that the final reports of the investigations were yet to be submitted, he said that there was a serious issue with the management of CEB. "These issues should be addressed to assure a good electricity more..

Apr 9 (CT) Met Department sources said the Sun will be directly over Sri Lanka on 14 April. The sources added that there will however be no change in humidity when the Sun is at its peak from between midday until 12.50 p.m. The source added that inter- monsoonal rains were being activated in the first week of April bringing to an end the dry spell experienced in most parts of the country. The same scenario could be expected in a repeat performance tomorrow the source said. more..