Mar 8 (Island) Marking International Women�s Day, IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, partnered with the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) for the fourth consecutive year to ring the opening bell for trading. This annual global initiative is aimed at promoting women�s participation in the global economy to catalyze sustainable and inclusive private sector growth. While the private sector is increasingly recognizing that advancing gender equality means better talent, more..

Mar 8 (CT) Colombo Additional Magistrate Lochana Abeywickrema, yesterday, released on bail the three suspects who were remanded on charges of being involved in a beedi leaves racket. The Magistrate gave this order after taking into consideration the submissions made to the Court through a motion by the Customs that a probe conducted into the incident has been concluded. Third suspect Anushka Nihal, fifth suspect T. Saleem and sixth suspect N. Ahamed were thus released more..

Mar 8 (FT) Vehicle Importers Association of SL (VIASL) voiced its concern about the increase in taxes imposed by the Budget and warned it would be detrimental to the industry. Association said it was dismayed that the customs duty increase in petrol and hybrid vehicle categories have resulted in vehicle prices increasing sharply. Due to the increase in the production tax and tax on luxury vehicles, the prices of several popular more..

Mar 8 (Island) The rabies prevention programme had been brought under the Health Ministry to achieve the goal of eradicating rabies in the country, Minister Rajitha Senaratne told parliament. He said rabies cases had decreased until 2017, but by 2018 it had increased by 57.26%. The anti-rabies drive had been under the purview of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Health and as they were unable to implement the programme effectively, it had been taken over by the Health Ministry, more..

Mar 8 (FT) Business tycoon Harry Jayawardena, though welcoming the 2019 Budget as wonderful, was critical of the authorities� failure to consult industry to resolve issues, and the lack of enforcement of law against unscrupulous officials and businesses. His scathing attack came as a panellist at KPMG�s post-Budget seminar, triggering applause as well as laughter from the audience. �You don�t need rocket science or magic. Put the house in order, enforce law, catch the crooks, more..

Mar 8 (DN) A 5-year National Action Plan for combating bribery and corruption has been sanctioned by the Cabinet is to be launched in the presence of Prez Sirisena on March 18. This will be followed by a series of draft proposals on graft, conflict of interest and amendment to bribery, asset declaration, election finance laws within this year. President�s Counsel and Director General of the Commission Sarath Jayamanne said that more..

Mar 8 (DM) The Teachers' and Principals' Trade Union have decided to launch a 24-hour countrywide token strike on March 13 demanding to increase their salaries while resolving the salary anomalies, Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) General Secretary Joseph Stalin said. He said the ministry should take steps to remove the salary anomalies in Teachers' and Principals services since 2017. Seventeen trade unions including the CTU are expected to join the token strike, Mr Stalin said. more..

Mar 8 (EN) BDO India LLP and KPMG Sri Lanka have been awarded contracts for forensic audits into securities fraud involving the sale of bonds, the state information office said. The contracts were approved by the Cabinet of Ministers this week on a proposal presented by Minister Mangala Samaraweera. The forensic audits were recommended by a commission of inquiry into the so-called bond scam in 2015 and 2016, and will also cover earlier periods, when bonds were issued outside auctions. more..

Mar 8 (PTI) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe appeared to be on collision course with Prez Sirisena over SL�s commitment to the UNHRC on war-time atrocities against Tamils as he reiterated the govt�s commitment to implementing the UN resolution. PM�s Office in a joint statement with the Foreign Ministry on Thursday said Sri Lanka will continue to demonstrate its commitment and determination towards a steady more..

Mar 19 (DM) The education sector in the island is providing some of the most shocking news these days, much to the concerns of worried parents. Just a few days ago we heard of as many as 34 unruly schoolboys entering a leading girls� school in Colombo and causing havoc. There was also news of a party organised by Facebook users where a schoolboy was among those caught for substance use. And the mother of all these sensational news was the reporting of an incident where more..

Mar 19 (DM) Is Budget 2019 about addressing our problems? Are we talking about the Budget in terms of future development? Are we serious about future prosperity and stability with freedom? If that is the direction of this Budget 2019 presented by Minister Samaraweera, why then are we so impatient in selecting a winnable Presidential candidate to head the next Govt from 2020? National budgets have had very little to do with development issues all through post independent history. more..

Mar 19 (DM) Some strange turns of events have been taking place in politics these days. Former Prez Rajapaksa has expressed keenness in scrapping the Executive Presidency all of a sudden. He and his loyalists have been arguing against the scrapping of the system, claiming that it would pave the way for the bifurcation of the country. And he had a round of discussion on the matter with the JVP on Wednesday. more..

Mar 19 (NA) Gotabaya Rajapaksa, former Defense and Urban Development Secretary and younger brother of the country� fifth President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is confident of getting elected as President of Sri Lanka at the end this year. He said that his confidence rests on his belief that Sri Lankans are yearning for a non-mainstream, ethnically unbiased and an economic and social development-oriented leader to wrench more..

Mar 19 (ST) The life of late Hemantha Warnakulasuriya P.C. symbolises significant achievements that brought honour and glory, not just to himself but also to the profession which he represented, Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne said recently during a reference held in honour of Mr Warnakulasuriya at the Colombo Chief Magistrate�s Court. Excerpts of the speech made by the Chief Magistrate on more..

Mar 19 (EN) The govt is open to releasing state-held land in the capital Colombo to private sector real estate developers to build apartments for Home Sweet Home loan applicants, a minister said. "If the private sector is interested and will come up with proposals which will enhance this loan, we are willing to consider," Minister Mangala Samaraweera said. The 2019 budget offered Home Sweet Home loans more..

Mar 19 (FT) Marine biologist, ocean educator and Blue Whale Project pioneer Dr. Asha de Vos believes that women should focus on their capacity to define themselves and not let their gender limit their potential. Delivering the keynote address at the Ring the Bell for Gender Equality event, organised by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in partnership with the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) to mark more..

Mar 19 (DN) The TNA�s position is that a new Resolution must be adopted at the UNHRC and Sri Lanka must agree with that and co-sponsor it yet again, TNA MP M. A. Sumanthiran said. Joining in the Budget debate yesterday in Parliament, the MP said the Tamil community is desperate and thoroughly disappointed at the pace with which the reforms and actions that SL has agreed to take under UNHRC have moved. more..

Mar 19 (DM) President Maithripala Sirisena has appointed a separate 3-member delegation to represent the country at the forthcoming UNHRC sessions in Geneva as he does not have confidence in the govt, MEP MP front liner Dinesh Gunawardana said. He said Prez Sirisena was never in agreement with the resolution passed on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC session in Sept 2015. The delegation of the president would be led by more..

Mar 19 (FT) Romesh De Silva PC launched a blistering attack on CID Gang Robberies Branch OIC Nishantha Silva, lead investigator in the controversial Navy abductions case that has garnered wide public interest. De Silva PC said that in Feb 2015, IP Silva had been handed over the investigation into the alleged abduction racket by the Navy, on the basis that a proper job had not been done on the probe that far. more..

Mar 19 (DN) Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation has today launched a train compartment service designated for women. The Women Only compartments launched from today to is in line with the World Women's Day. And has been implemented as a measure to prevent the sexual harassment and hardship endured by women using public transport. Ministry said, as the first stage Women Only compartments will be more..

Mar 19 (Island) Govt did not encourage alcohol promotional activities through sponsorships at any school functions, said Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam in parliament. He said this during the oral question and answers session in parliament, in response to a request made by UPFA MP Wimalaweera Dissanayake urging the govt not to allow liquor manufacturing companies to sponsor annual school big matches. more..

Mar 8 (Island) The Peliyagoda Division Police Investigation Unit, yesterday, recovered two mini pistols buried in a two-acre land belonging to a key member of underworld kingpin Madush�s gang named Indika, in Pitigala. The suspect had told police that the two firearms had been used in the robbery of a diamond and gems worth Rs. 700 million from a gem merchant at Arawwala in Maharagama. Making a statement to the police, the suspect�s 66-year-old mother said that more..

Mar 8 (CT) Today is International Women�s Day. This Day, which has been celebrated for over a century, aims to commemorate the accomplishments of women and to raise awareness of the injustices they encounter. While the rich and the affluent members of the fair sex are celebrating this day across Sri Lanka there is significant number of women who even hardly know that a day like this exists. Those women are the ones who eke out a miserable living & undergo untold hardships more..

Mar 8 (DM) A Chinese couple and two shop owners were hospitalised following an explosion that occurred at a shop at Kollupitiya Junction this morning. About 11 shops were damaged in the explosion. The cause of the explosion had not been determined yet. The injured were admitted to the General Hospital, Colombo with minor injuries. Kollupitiya Police, STF Bomb Disposal Squad officers and Scenes of Crime Officers (SOCO) are conducting investigations. more..

Mar 8 (FT) It was Dr. Muhammad Yunus, a Bangladeshi social entrepreneur and civil society leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner, pioneer of the concepts of micro credit and finance and the founder of Grameen Bank, who initiated the system of granting small loans to poor rural women without collateral and at a low interest rate, repayable by installments enabling them to start up a business of their own as a means of emerging out of poverty. The Grameen Bank that he founded with more..

Mar 8 (DM) There is no one in this govt who accepts what I say, President Sirisena said. He said that he told those responsible for the construction of the Colombo-Kandy Expressway to continue with their work without flattening mountains and ruining the environment, but they continue building this road ignoring my instructions and it is clear that there is no one in this govt who accepts what he says. more..

Mar 8 (CT) Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance (COPF), MP M.A. Sumanthiran said Minister Mangala Samaraweera has been invited to appear before COPF today, to obtain details on the costs involved in some of the budgetary proposals he made. During the Second Reading of the Appropriation Bill 2019, Sumanthiran said COPF noted that costs of some of budgetary proposals had not been indicated by Samaraweera in his Budget speech. more..

Mar 8 (AD) A person has died after being assaulted with a sharp weapon by a co-worker at their respective workplace located at Sangharaja Mawatha in Kotahena. He had sustained critical injuries to his eye due to the incident, however, succumbed to injuries following his admission to National Hospital in Colombo. The deceased was identified as a 33-year-old residing in Dematagoda area. Kotahena Police has, reportedly, arrested the perpetrator. more..

Mar 8 (NR) The Mannar Magistrate T Saravanaraja has issued an order temporarily suspending further excavations at the site of the Mannar mass grave. Chief Judicial Medical Officer in charge of excavations said the order was issued when the Mannar Magistrate arrived for daily observations at the site. The carbon dating report of six skeletal samples unearthed from the mass grave was previously presented before Court. more..

Mar 8 (EN) SL's govt is offering pre-election relief and has set ambitious revenue and investment targets with little room for missteps under the 2019 budget, a think tank said. "The 2019 Budget offered some pre-election relief as anticipated; a consistent downward trend in current spending is set to reverse for the first time since 2015," Dushni Weerakoon, Executive Director of the Colombo-based Institute of Policy Studies said. "However, the overall direction is clearly one of restraint in order to more..

Mar 8 (MF) Food insecurity and malnutrition in Sri Lanka remains a major challenge, the World Food Programme said. According to WFP, in most countries, including SL, women produce between 60 and 80% of the food and are responsible for half of countries' food production. Yet recognition of women's critical contribution to household food security, is very low. This year's UN theme for Int'l Women's Day (Mar 8), is think equal, build smart, innovate for change. more..

Mar 8 (SMH) One of the remaining maritime mysteries of World War II may soon be solved, thanks to a joint operation between the Royal Australian Navy and the Sri Lankan Navy. Nine sailors died when the destroyer HMAS Vampire sank after enduring an intensive Japanese air attack off the SL coast. The Vampire had been attempting to protect the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Hermes on April 9, 1942. more..

Mar 8 (Island) One-time Foreign Secretary and former UN Under Secretary General Dr. Palitha Kohona criticized the govt decision to co-sponsor Geneva Resolution again at the expense of an opportunity to push for re-examination of allegations on the basis of Lord Naseby�s disclosure in Oct 2017. He said: "I am amazed that SL has again cosponsored a HRC resolution, the original of which was based on blatant unsubstantiated statements contained in Darusman Report. more..

Mar 8 (AD) Colombo High Court today rejected the revision bail application filed on behalf of former DIG Nalaka de Silva, who is in remand custody following his arrest over the alleged VIP assassination plot. When the application was taken up for consideration, the attorneys representing the former DIG stated that the Colombo Fort Magistrate�s Court�s decision to reject the bail application of their client, who has been produced before the court under the PTA, was unlawful. more..

Mar 8 (AD) President Maithripala Sirisena has said the upper class, who enjoy the luxurious, the high ranking govt officials and the politicians, who use luxurious vehicles, enjoy these facilities owing to the foreign exchange earned by female migrant domestic workers. Even though the migrant domestic workers are the main source that earns foreign exchange for the country, the life stories of mothers, sisters and daughters more..

Mar 8 (NR) The examination of the appeals filed by former Chairman of the TRC and former Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga and former Director General of the TRC Anusha Palpita over the case pertaining to the distribution of Sil material will be taken up on the 10th of July. The order was issued when the case was taken up for hearing before Appeals Court judges Deepali Wijesundara and Achala Wengapulli. The duo was sentenced to a 3 year imprisonment over the case more..

Mar 8 (DM) Dept of Meteorology today issued a heat weather advisory for tomorrow, warning people in 14 districts to be extremely cautious of the hot weather. According to the heat advisory issued by the department, the 14 districts are Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya, Trincomalee, A'pura, Puttalam, Polonnaruwa, Kurunegala, Monaragala, Batticaloa, Ampara and Hambantota. The dept warned that those living in these areas should avoid venturing outside too much more..

Mar 8 (EN) SL's central govt debt is estimated to have soared to 84% of GDP in 2018 from 77.6% in 2017, finance ministry data showed, amid deliberate real effective exchange rate targeting and monetary instability that led to a collapse of a soft-exchange rate peg. A port loan from China had also been consolidated into central govt debt for the latest data. SL's rupee fell from 153 to the US dollar in 2018 as Central Bank suddenly halted more..

Mar 8 (PHC) High Commissioner of Pakistan, Major General (R) Dr. Shahid Ahmad Hashmat paid a courtesy call on Speaker, Karu Jayasuriya on March 7. The High Commissioner apprised the Speaker on the prevailing situation in the region. He underscored Pakistan�s commitment to peace and stability in the region. Highlighting the repeated overtures by the PM of Pakistan to de-escalate tensions across the Line of Control, he emphasized that Pakistan would encourage more..