Feb 12 (CT) It has been exposed to the world that the internationally blacklisted company named Lycamobile has purchased the companies belonging to EAP Holdings Ltd. under disguise with the patronage of the Governor of CB Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy and PM Ranil Wickremesinghe. Lycamobile is a blacklisted company and no legal business transaction is carried out with it in partnership by any organisation due to the illicitness and the ignominy of the company as more..

Feb 12 (FT) Last week we saw the appointment of another respected business professional to drive Sri Lanka Tourism � the sixth Chairman to drive the entity SL Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) within a space of just four years. If I may capture since 2015 � Rohantha Athukorala, Paddy Withana, Udaya Nanayakkara, Dehan Seneviratne, Janaka Sugathadasa and now Kishu Gomes to be specific. This performance does not augur well of the policymakers of the country who were elected more..

Feb 12 (CT) Lawyers for Democracy (LFD) stated that the current delay in appointing the chairperson of the Court of Appeal has resulted in a constitutional impasse. The appointment of the Court of Appeal Chairperson has delayed as the President has refused the accept the recommendation of the Constitutional Council on the matter. The Constitutional Council has shot down the Prez�s nominee for the position, Deepali Wijesundara. The full statement issued by more..

Feb 12 (Island) The Navy, in a joint operation, with the Mannar police arrested a person with three kilos (30 sticks) of gelignite at South Bar area in Mannar, on Sunday. They also recovered 19 three-inch long safety fuses and 19 non-electric detonators while they were being transferred on a motorcycle from Mannar to South Bar area. The Navy identified the suspect as a 36-year-old resident of Mannar area. After questioning him, the Navy handed him over to the Mannar Police along with more..

Feb 12 (EN) Offering better pay, security of employment and flexible working hours could help resolve labour shortages facing several industries in SL, a new study has said. The top three challenges faced by employers in recruitment are competition from other employers, the lack of job-specific skills among candidates, and the low prestige or status of a job, according to the study by Verit� Research, an independent think-tank. more..

Feb 12 (DM) Three women Chief Inspectors (CI) of Police have been promoted to the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) based on their seniority and skills, Police said. They said National Police Commission approved the promotions with effect from Feb 27, 2015. Accordingly, the promoted women chief Inspectors were; W.A.G.N.P. Weerakkody of Ministerial Security Division, N.A.S. Marambe of Crimes Record Division and A.A.J.K Seneviratna of Kandy Division. more..

Feb 12 (AD) Former Prisons Commissioner Emil Ranjan Lamahewa, who was indicted over the alleged killing of 27 inmates during the prison clashes at Welikada Prison in 2012, has been further remanded until 26th of Feb. When the case was taken up before the Colombo Magistrate�s Court, CID stated that investigations into the incident are still ongoing. The report of the Govt Analyst on the firearms seized in connection with the incident has not yet been received and more..

Feb 12 (FT) SLPP national organiser Basil Rajapaksa said Party members will not support anyone outside the party as a Presidential candidate under any circumstance, and the candidate would have to contest under the Party�s flower bud symbol. Rajapaksa expressed these views during a meeting held at Party headquarters between Gampaha District Local Govt members of SLPP. SLPP commenced a series of meetings more..

Feb 12 (CT) Any person can now get an electricity connection from the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), regardless of the ownership of their property, added Minister of Power, Energy and Business Development Ravi Karunanayake yesterday (11). He was addressing the media at the Western Province Governor�s office after a meeting with the Governor Azath Salley. �I�d like to remind all citizens that any person living in a house can get an electricity connection from the CEB. more..

Feb 12 (CT) Sri Lankan officials at both the SL embassy and consulate general in the UAE have been barred from speaking on the arrest and detention of Makandure Madush who is currently being held in Dubai. Madush�s toxicology reports had showed that he and nearly 25 others had various drugs ranging from cocaine to heroin in their blood, when they were arrested at a lavish birthday he had thrown for his son on Monday. Only 5 individuals have been cleared. more..

Feb 12 (DM) Former education minister Bandula Gunawardane urged Prez Sirisena to suspend the cabinet paper allowing private schools to expand its network by setting up more branches. Cabinet paper, submitted by Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, states that there are 80 govt approved private schools under the purview of the ministry and that in the event an approved private school seeks permission to more..

Feb 12 (CT) Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne on 10 Feb blamed the Government Medical Officers� Association (GMOA) for the islandwide drug shortage at the Govt hospitals. The Minister, addressing a foundation stone-laying ceremony at the Pottuvil Base Hospital, alleged that the GMOA is partially responsible for the drug shortage as they had not informed about it to the Health Minister of the Govt which was appointed on 26 October 2018 and lasted for 56 days. more..

Feb 12 (Island) Unidentified men stormed the house of a rehabilitated LTTE cadre in Visvamadu in Mullaitivu, and assaulted him before fleeing. The victim upon his return after rehabilitation had engaged in political work. He was attacked with clubs. His son who rushed to save him, was also assaulted. The vicitms have said they cannot recognise their assailants. Former LTTE cadre is being treated at the Mullaitivu hospital. Viswamadu police are conducting investigations. more..

Feb 12 (AD) The prosecution in the case, filed against former President�s Chief of Staff Gamini Senarath and three others for allegedly misappropriating Rs 500 million in funds belonging to Litro Gas, has concluded recording witness statements. The case was taken up before the Permanent High Court of Trial-at-Bar Judges Sampath Abeykoon, Sampath Wijeratne, and Champa Janaki Rajaratne today. more..

Feb 12 (Island) The three-day International Maritime Conference organized on the theme of Global Geopolitics in Transition: Rethinking Maritime Dynamics in the Indian Ocean Region under the auspices of National Institute of Maritime Affairs commenced on Monday (11). Pakistan Navy issued the following statement via Pakistan High Commisison in Colombo: "The President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Dr Arif Alvi graced the Opening Session as chief guest. more..

Feb 12 (AD) SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara has been hospitalized following a sudden illness. MP has been admitted to the Sri Jayawardenapura Hospital over a sudden heart attack, stated the Hospital�s Deputy Director Dr. Prabath Werawatte. Following initial treatments, MP Jayasekara is currently receiving treatment at the Emergency Care Unit of the hospital, according to Werawatte. However, the condition of the parliamentarian is not critical, he further said. more..

Feb 12 (CI) South Africa are playing at their least-favourite venue on home soil, on a pitch that can often take significant turn, but so beleaguered are the opposition, that none of that may matter. Under better circumstances, Sri Lanka would go into a Kingsmead Test feeling they have a decent chance. If they had the experience of Angelo Mathews in their middle order, and their first-choice seam attack on tour, there could've been more..

Feb 12 (CT) A local study has presented the first evidence-based distribution map of Asian elephants for a range State. The study published in Oryx � The International Journal of Conservation, titled First countrywide distribution survey of the endangered Asian elephant: Towards better elephant conservation and management in Sri Lanka, was authored by Prithiviraj Fernando and co-authors from the Centre for Conservation and Research in Sri Lanka. more..

Feb 12 (DM) One should not act as children do and claim credit for the arrest of Makandura Madush but should come together and bust the whole racket, UNP MP Hector Appuharmy said today. He said that the UNP would fully back the eradication of narcotics. �We will support all efforts to bust Madush�s drug trafficking network but we should not act like children, make public statements and claim credit for his arrest. We should make a collective effort to eradicate all social evils� he said more..

Feb 12 (CT) In the wake of Dy Minister Buddhika Pathirana�s revelations regarding imported milk powder, GMOA urged the President to probe the truth behind the Dy Minister�s revelation. In a letter addressed to Prez Sirisena, GMOA said that a guarantee should be given to the public regarding the quality of the milk they consume. The reassurance should be similar to that, which was given by Speaker that the 225 MPs were more..

Feb 12 (CT) Minister Rajitha Senaratne, at a public meeting, after inaugurating new Health Care Building Complex and opening of New Dialysis Unit at Pottuvil Base Hospital, has said that his Ministry has spent a colossal sums of money for the development of health facilities in the North and East, compared to the other provinces in the Island. Minister Senaratne, who was accompanied by State Minster Faizal Cassim, MP Chathura Senaratna and MP for District A.L.M. Nazeer, more..

Feb 12 (DM) The Bribery Commission which is investigating 400 complaints received against politicians and govt officials said they had gathered assets through various malpractices or through links with the underworld. A top officer of the Bribery Commission said there were 32 politicians among them. He said the govt officials can own assets and properties but they are bound by law to reveal the sources of income or assets. He also said such officials should send reports annually to more..

Feb 12 (AD) Preliminary objections have been raised against the petition which seeks Quo Warranto preventing Ranil Wickremesinghe from being a MP. The petition was taken up before the Court of Appeal judge bench consisting of Justices Shiran Gunaratne and Priyantha Fernando today. The attorneys representing the respondents of the case, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, UNP Secretary General Minister Akila Viraj more..

Feb 13 (CT) It is not only the aekeeya/orumiththandu confusion and the draft provisions for a new constitution that are questionable, but also the procedure and the process that were followed in drafting them. Under the present circumstances, there is no possibility of a single major party inaugurating a new constitution even if with minority party support. A new constitution requires a two thirds majority in Parliament at least as the first hurdle. more..

Feb 13 (CT) The arrests in Dubai of many celebrants, presumably Sri Lankans, in a joint operation by our Law Enforcement officials and the Dubai officials, has brought into focus many interesting issues. 1. Almost all the detainees have tested positive for narcotics and are to be brought before their Courts in Dubai. 2. Considering the UAE�s attitude towards, even alcohol and the heavy penalties that are imposed, it is probable that these arrestees may even invite execution. more..

Feb 13 (Roar) As we all know, SL is a beautiful island with many sights, all ideal components for the perfect road trip. The mainstream areas can be easily accessed via public transport, which of course saves money and takes you through beautiful routes. But there are pros to taking an old-fashioned road trip in a car, too, such as taking in the sights on your own time, unlimited bathroom breaks (though this may infuriate your fellow more..

Feb 13 (Island) Thanks to UK Human Rights Minister Tariq Mahmood Ahmad (Baron Ahmad of Wimbledon- Conservative) we now know, instead of using Lord Naseby�s disclosure in Oct. 2017 in the House of Lords to defend Sri Lanka on the Geneva front, the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe govt, in Oct 2018, and the UNP, in January 2019, reassured Sri Lanka�s commitment to those controversial punitive UNHRC Resolutions. On the basis of UK military dispatches from Colombo, in 2009 (Jan-May), more..

Feb 13 (CT) Last week, SL jumped eleven positions from its last year�s Ease Of Doing Business (EODB) ranking, now being ranked in 100th position from a previous placing at 111th position and also being placed in 13th position in Asia. This was after several years of being heavily downgraded, as a result of losing confidence among the international business community. Within the past two years, the country has proved some remarkable gains in this index by climbing a total of 22 positions. more..

Feb 13 (CT) UPFA MP Wimal Weerawansa says that a no-confidence motion has to be brought against Malik Samarawickrama who prepared the Agreement with Singapore. Q: The CID questioned you and your wife, for over three hours, in connection with the plot to assassinate Prez Sirisena, it seems as if allegations against the UNP have turned back on you? A: An Indian national is taken into custody more..

Feb 13 (DN) It is reported that members of Parliament who have been identified for unruly behaviour, ignoring parliamentary ethics in the house may face judicial actions for violating parliamentary privileges and also obstructing the Speaker continuously from performing his official duties. It is further reported that the Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri who headed the Parliamentary Committee that looked into this ugly behaviour of certain people�s representatives on more..

Feb 13 (DN) On May 19, Sri Lanka will celebrate the 10th anniversary of victory over terrorism. The 2009 victory promised the Northern Province many things. A flourishing economy and a peaceful environment were among them. Many development projects took off in the province following the victory, but not much to the satisfaction of the country�s think tank. The economic phenomenon of the war-affected province is yet to reach its ultimatum. A study commissioned by Central Bank more..

Feb 13 (Island) Husband of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, has voluntarily surrendered his driving licence to the police following a recent accident, where his vehicle crashed into another, injuring a woman. Buckingham Palace did not trot out lame excuses, and the Duke of Edinburg, 97, faced it. Was the Royal family without a single chauffer willing to take the blame for the crash and surrender to the police so that the duke could get away? This is the question many Sri Lankans may have more..

Feb 13 (Island) In Jan 2015, 6.2 million Sri Lankans voted for a new Sri Lanka, giving a mandate for far reaching reforms, even as a rainbow coalition of disparate opposition parties and civil society organizations backed a common candidate for the presidency and Maithripala Sirisena, who had defected from the Rajapaksa administration shortly before and launched a blistering criticism of his erstwhile boss, defeated a deeply entrenched and populist president who sought to leverage more..

Feb 13 (SO) Several people across, the country, have reported being victims of ATM fraud within the last few weeks. Some reported that amounts of Rs. 80,000 and more, were missing from their accounts. Banks, (to their credit - no pun intended), during the same period, took steps to cancel the defrauded ATM cards and inform the victims that the missing amounts will be deposited to their accounts within a week. more..

Feb 13 (Island) At a time when Sri Lanka is caught in a tug-of-war between India and China on the one hand and between China and the West on the other, "independence" would appear to be a misnomer. Both the Reserve Bank of India and the Bank of China are reportedly considering increasing the loan quantum to the country to $1 billion each. Generous as these offers may look, they mask an unpalatable reality: Sri Lanka can no longer rely on the international bond market for debt servicing. more..

Feb 13 (CT) It is surprising that the Govt has sought actively to create further trouble for itself, on top of the problems it faces with regard to dissension within the ranks, confusion as to policy priorities, and the economic mess it has created by excessive borrowing and excessive spending. Only possible explanation I can think of is that it has decided to take its money & run. Mangala, supreme realist, has made it clear, therefore, that he will not tolerate a Customs Chief who acts independently. more..

Feb 13 (CI) Sri Lanka are missing their two most experienced batsmen in Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews, and have several uncapped players in the squad, but new captain Dimuth Karunaratne believed his team can still find a way to score some runs in South Africa. Given the magnitude of the challenge that awaits them, SL's outlook is not great. Over the past three years, there has been no greater challenge for batsmen more..

Feb 13 (AD) SriLankan Engineering, the aircraft Maintenance-Repair-Overhaul (MRO) arm of SL�s national carrier, achieved another milestone when it successfully carried out its first C-check on an Airbus A320neo aircraft of the SriLankan Airlines fleet at its main hub at BIA. Vipula Gunatilleka, CEO of SriLankan Airlines, said: �The highly dedicated and talented Engineering team worked tirelessly to achieve this milestone and once again has strengthen our position as an MRO in more..