Apr 20 (DM) Commonwealth Centre for Digital Health will be Launched in London today and Prez Sirisena will be a special guest at the launch. Launch will be a part of a special Side Event to the CHOGM 2018 on Global Health Security & the Digital Health Society 2030 � Innovation & Investment for One Planetary Health & Universal Health Coverage. Centre was proposed by Prof. Vajira Dissanayake of the Uni of Colombo in 2016 and approved by the Commonwealth more..

Apr 20 (CT) EPRLF Leader Suresh Premachandran, commenting on Northern Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran contesting for a second term, said, �Although it is uncertain that the Chief Minister will form a new political party or will form a coalition, he had framed the correct policies. Therefore our party will work with him,� Before his visit to India, Wigneswaran said that since the people want him to contest at the upcoming PC polls, he would do so. He also said rather than contesting from more..

Apr 20 (CT) The minimum monthly expenditure per person, per district, needed for a person to stay out of poverty fell for the third consecutive month last month, led by declining inflation, official data showed. As a result, the national poverty line which was Rs 4,584 in December, declined to Rs 4,580 in January, before further falling to Rs 4,547 in February and to Rs 4,528 last month. District wise, the poverty cut-off point in the rich Colombo more..

Apr 20 (NR) President Sirisena, who is currently attending the CHOGM 2018 in London, has joined a special dinner organised by Queen Elizabeth last evening. President Sirisena received special recognition during the dinner that was attended by many state leaders. CHOGM 2018 is scheduled to conclude today. Meanwhile addressing the CHOGM 2018 yesterday the President said SL's main initiative is to achieve a sustainable future like other developed countries. more..

Apr 20 (DM) The Tusker Missaka, that frequented the Yala Sanctuary, died yesterday morning after suffering from a trap gun injury that persisted for over two weeks. Yala National Park Warden D.P. Siyasinghe said the tusker died due to a wound in his left front leg which had gotten worse and injuries sustained by it close to his left eye. �Tusker was found walking around with severe injuries near the Bandu Wewa in close proximity to the Ondaatje Bungalow in Kataragama last Sunday� more..

Apr 20 (EN) IMF said had reached preliminary agreement for the next phase of the reform program, with the current review to be completed after implementing a fuel pricing formula. "Subject to cabinet approval of an automatic fuel pricing mechanism�consistent with the EFF-supported program, the Board is expected to consider SL�s request for completion of the fourth review in June 2018," more..

Apr 20 (IHS) SL Navy has commissioned its second Saryu-class advanced offshore patrol vessel (AOPV) platform. The vessel, which has been named SLNS Sindurala with pennant number P 624, was officially inducted in a commissioning ceremony at the Eastern Container Terminal of the port of Colombo on 19 April. Sindurala is the second of two 105 m offshore patrol vessel (OPV) platforms ordered from Indian company Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL). It is the largest ship class to be operated by more..

Apr 20 (AD) A female employed as an Accountant at a bank in the Gampaha area who is accused of financial fraud amounting to Rs 20 million has been arrested in Kegalle by the CID. CID had launched investigations into a complaint received that the woman in question had defrauded a sum of Rs 22,941,000 from the bank. Gampaha Magistrate�s Court had also reportedly issued an order preventing her from leaving the country. However, the accused had returned to the country on April 18 more..

Apr 20 (AFP) Sri Lanka announced Friday it would establish new police posts and step up patrols at popular resorts after a spate of sexual attacks and violence targeting foreign tourists. Police chief Pujith Jayasundara said 20 new stations would be established at holiday hotspots to protect visitors from touts and criminals, despite concerns his force was already overstretched. "I wish we had more men and resources for this job, but more..

Apr 21 (CT) Jaffna has a generally liberal-minded population. At the LG Elections even Nallur where the Kandasamy Temple is, elected a Christian woman. However, not everything is perfect. Danger signs of growing Hindu intolerance are growing. I have written previously of public meetings where the Indian PM�s Siva Sena and Batticaloa MP Yogeswaran called on the public to vote only for Hindus, even as NP Chief Minister delivered hot speeches insulting to Christians more..

Apr 21 (CT) I recently contributed a comment on Toni Morrison�s The Origin of Others. Subsequently, the above-mentioned work by Professor Sen came to mind: what follows are a few points from his book. Page reference is to the Penguin Books edition, 2006. To save clumsy and repeated attribution, unless otherwise made clear, the argument is that made by Amartya Sen. A Nobel-Prize winner, Sen was Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, and is a Professor at Harvard University. more..

Apr 21 (Roar) Pahiyangala Cave packs a punch: physically and emotionally. As supposedly the largest natural rock in South Asia, Pahiyangala Cave is an awesome sight from a distance, and fiercely imposing to anyone who approaches. The cave is the site of the oldest archaeological remains found in South Asia. Human fossilized skeletal remains were discovered in the cave�s sediments during excavations in more..

Apr 21 (CT) The ACF issue had been a bone of contention also with the United Nations, when the head of its Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance, John Holmes, visited us in June 2007. The visit had generally gone well, but at the end, Sir John had met the media and was quoted as claiming, with reference to the number of ACF workers who had been killed, that Sri Lanka was one of the world�s most dangerous places for aid workers. more..

Apr 21 (CT) Agree to disagree processes may only be used in relation to different Party positions within a coalition. Any public dissociation from Cabinet decisions by individual Ministers outside the agreed processes is unacceptable� Cabinet Manual of the UK ParliamentIt was reported that of the 16 Members of the SLFP, who voted in favour of the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) against PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, had resigned from all their ministerial portfolios. more..

Apr 21 (Roar) Chances are, if you kept up with the Tuskers� 7�s series during the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia, it was via ThePapare.com. The innovative sports website is a portal into the Sri Lankan sportsphere. It has revolutionised the way many people engage, support, and enjoy spectator sports. Plus, it has the added advantage of accessibility to sports that could be considered niche, or not part of more..

Apr 21 (Island) Northern terrorism is, thankfully, a thing of the past, but, sadly, southern terrorism is on the rise. Underworld figures, with political connections, remain above the law and terrorise hapless men, women and children, with impunity. It was thought that the law and order situation would improve considerably after the 2015 regime change, but there hasn�t been any discernible improvement, if the spate of grave crimes, reported in the media, is any indication. more..

Apr 21 (SL) A girl in Singapore has found her father in Sri Lanka after a story appeared on The Sunday Leader and another website saying she was looking for him. Durga Keshav said that she has received various messages from her paternal relatives and cousins with regards to her father. �After so much of questioning and getting proofs from them, It is confirmed that my dad is still around. I have spoken to my dad. He still has all the letters that my mum wrote to him and the photographs as well. more..

Apr 21 (GV) After the election of the new government in 2015, the people of Iranaitheevu, forcibly displaced since 1992, finally thought they would be able to return home. Yet a flurry of letters and high-level meetings with government officials and politicians in 2016 and 2017 didn�t bring any results. In desperation, the community took the difficult decision to begin a continuous roadside protest on 1st May 2017. Almost a year later, they are still fighting. more..

Apr 21 (DN) Royal College, Colombo will go out as clear favourites against Trinity College, Kandy when they scrum down in the first leg of the 74th Bradby Shield rugby encounter at the Royal Sports Complex at 4.15pm today. The junior game for the C. E. Simitharachchi trophy will be played prior to the first XV encounter. The two teams look almost even but Royal has a firm edge due to having remained unbeaten thus far with Trinity managing to win only two games after four matches the two sides more..

Apr 21 (DM) The losses of Mattala Rajapaksa Int'l Airport (MRIA) have decreased by 15% to Rs.3.39 billion in 2017 against Rs.3.9 billion recorded in 2016, mainly due to the slowing down of the rupee depreciation against the US dollar, unaudited accounts of the Airport & Aviation Services (SL) Limited showed. �The reduction of loesses was mainly due to the reduced exchange loss in 2017 compared to 2016 as more..

Apr 21 (DN) Leading politicians of all hues anointed with the auspicious Avurudu oil are moving to the New Year, taking them to new challenges in national and party politics, and facing the realities of a unity govt having members seated both in the Govt & Opposition. Prorogation of Parliament, coming after many years when this tradition was ignored or was not required by the realities of day-to-day politics and governance, did bring about some quiet and helped give a bigger focus to Avurudu more..

Apr 21 (Island) Male elephants are solitary by nature, having been driven away from the rest of its herd, when they reach puberty. This is called natal dispersal, and is a mechanism that has evolved over the millennia to avoid (a) inbreeding with relatives and (b) competition with kin. After that they lead a nomadic life, sometimes associating with other senior bull elephants to learn the ropes of survival and eventually being ready to claim their own female for reproduction. more..

Apr 21 (Island) With the govt looking to improve healthcare access for the entire population, improve productivity and reduce the burden of healthcare resources it is clear that digital health could be an answer to provide quality, affordable patient-centric care. Recognising the power and promise of digital health, Ministry of Health together with support from Information & Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) more..

Apr 21 (DN) SL�s new spin sensation in Akila Dananjaya, who rose to fame courtesy his jaw-dropping spell of 6/54 against India, provides the SL fans a glimmer of hope to bring resurrection in the nation�s declining prowess in the game of cricket. The 24-year old made his debut way back in 2012 under the captaincy of Mahela Jayawardene in the T-20 World Cup in many controversial circumstances. It is after six years that he has been given the due opportunity to showcase more..

Apr 21 (Island) Sri Lanka Insurance is once again offering talented Sri Lankan students a golden opportunity to receive valuable scholarships through its Life Suba Pathum National Scholarship Scheme. Suba Pathum 2018 is now open and SLI is accepting applications from students who had excelled at the Grade Five Scholarship, GCE O/L and A/L exams in 2016 and 2017. A total of 600 students from across the island, 300 for each year, will be the beneficiaries of this scheme. more..

Apr 21 (Island) Chairman, Weligama UC Rehan Jayawickreme said that considering the high return industry tourism has developed into, the popularity of the South and its safety for tourists would take precedence in economic policy-making to encourage increasing tourist arrivals, particularly to his Urban Council area. �I can speak with confidence in reference to Weligama, and ensure that our contribution to the economy of SL more..

Apr 21 (CT) Dambulla and Galle teams take the spot light with two top scorers, two highest team totals and numbers one and three in the most wickets chart, but none of them have yet registered an outright win in the tournament. This will be their main focus when they play their final four-day matches of the SLC Super Provincial Tournament which begins today at Dambulla and Hambantota. Four teams, Dambulla, Galle, Kandy and Hambantota that include the cream of SL players more..

Apr 21 (Island) The SL fisheries export market will enjoy a tax relief up to 15% through the American GSP+ facility from April 22 onwards, the Minister Mahinda Amaraweera has said. He held discussions with ministry officials on Thursday, to stress the importance of utilizing the GSP+ facility to develop the Fisheries export market and secure greater profits for the country. Sri Lanka has exported 18,262 metric tons of fish to European countries and the United States of America last year, more..

Apr 21 (PSL) Sustainability is a term in the development terminology. Therefore, every govt focuses on it. Achieving a Sustainable future is as in many other countries, a main concern of the Govt of Sri Lanka, said President Maithripala Sirisena intervening in the CHOGM Session, yesterday. Extending our support to the Clean Ocean Alliance, proposed by the UK is part of our commitment towards this end. more..

Apr 21 (DN) New regulatory and accounting requirements, tougher competition and disruptive technology will force SL�s banks to find cost savings and tap local markets for fresh capital, says Euro Money Survey on SL banking sector. �Smaller or struggling lenders that cannot or will not do so may well find themselves swept away, analysts warn, by a wave of much-needed consolidation, it adds. In June 2017, CB said that all licensed lenders would have to meet new minimum capital more..

Apr 21 (DN) My first experience of the Bradby Shield was when I ventured over to Longdon Place, the home of rugby one hot Saturday afternoon in June 1982. The ground was packed to capacity. It was an extremely close match. Both defences were outstanding. The scores stood at 9-6 in favour of Trinity. In the last minute of extra time, Sriyan Cooray the Royal scrum half made a break and was clear and seemed certain to score with no defence in sight. more..

Apr 21 (DM) A record number of Sri Lankan small and medium scale business delegates participated at the Commonwealth Business Forum that was held from 16-18 in London alongside CHOGM 2018. Organized by the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, the Business Forum was held in three iconic venues namely Guildhall, Mansion House and Queen Elizabeth II, Westminster. more..

Apr 21 (CT) According to Eng. Dr. Tissa U Liyanage, Senior Traffic Engineer and Consultant to the RDA, over 2.2 million passengers cross the CMC boundary through 12 main road corridors within a day in both directions. These passengers are carried by nearly 600,000 vehicles which include buses. There are 38 lanes to carry this traffic and generally nearly 50% of the passengers are carried by the bus fleet only consuming 10% of the road space on main corridors. more..

Apr 21 (DN) President should dissolve parliament with immediate effect and pave way for a general election if he is confident of winning the election, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said. He was addressing a gathering at the Tamil and Hindu New Year celebrations at Tangalle. Former President said that the Joint Opposition had a bright future, so they are confident of forming the next regime. He said the govt has halted development work that his regime inaugurated. more..

Apr 21 (Island) The STF hunting for the confederates of Madush Lakshitha alias Makandure Madush, arrested two persons aged 23 and 26 in the early hours of Friday, in Colombo. STF identified the suspects as members of a gang led by Pukuti Kanna, who had been involved with Colombo North crime bosses and, now, a friend of Madush. Madush is believed to be operating from Dubai. Both residents of Fergusan Road, Colombo 15, more..

Apr 21 (Island) The govt must ensure that the private sector workers were entitled to paid leave on May 07, JO leader Dinesh Gunawardena said, criticizing the govt's decision to grant leave only to the public sector workers. Issuing a gazette notification on April 10, Minister Vajira Abeywardana said, "Public and Bank Holiday, on Tuesday, the 1st of May 2018 for International Labour Day has been cancelled in view of the Vesak Week scheduled from 26th April 2018 to 02nd May 2018 and more..

Apr 21 (FT) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced that record profits of Rs. 940 million from the recently concluded Nidahas Trophy triangular series. The rights for the series, which also included India and Bangladesh, was negotiated by SLC outside of the Future Tours Program (FTP), and was seen as a testing ground of sorts for the Lanka Premier League later this year as well as a welcome boost to SLC�s coffers. �The tournament, in total, generated a net income of Rs. 940 million for the SLC, more..

Apr 21 (Island) Former SL batsman Asanka Gurusinha has been appointed as the Chief Cricket Operations Officer who will oversee all international cricket, the high-performance unit and the brain centre operations as well as women�s cricket. "Gurusinha will have more responsibility than Simon Wills. With his experience of working with the national team, as the team manager, who knows exactly what the team�s requirement more..

Apr 21 (DM) Meters with the facility to issue a printed bill has been made compulsory for three-wheeler taxis from today and it will be legalised in two months, NCRS said. NCRS Chairman Dr. Sisira Kodagoda said that it was the responsibility of three-wheeler drivers to issue bills to trishaw users. �This is not an attempt to collect fines for the Govt, but an attempt to regulate three-wheeler taxi system and to minimise issues between the three-wheeler driver and the passenger,� more..