Feb 10 (Island) Cabinet approval has been granted for the installation of a comprehensive integrated CCTV Camera system to ensure the safety of the Colombo Port. Sri Lanka Ports Authority has submitted the proposal to establish a comprehensive security camera system covering all entry points within the port premises, cargo, warehouses, terminals, open storage areas, roads, perimeter fences and the breakwater entrances to the harbour to observe, monitor and record all activities more..

Feb 10 (EN) Sri Lanka�s best option is to use the dispute resolution mechanisms provided by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to retrieve money paid to Airbus as a lease cancellation fee, a top expert said. Asoka Obeysekere, Executive Director of Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) said that Sri Lanka has the option of utilising international mechanisms for dispute resolution in this case. more..

Feb 10 (EN) Sand mining near Deduru Oya and Ma Oya still continues despite a Supreme Court order banning sand mining in those areas in 2006, environmentalist Dr Ravindra Kariyawasam said. Kariyawasam said sand is mined in all 103 rivers in Sri Lanka. The environmentalist argued that excessive sand mining leads to several environmental issues. �Excessive sand mining in rivers leads to reduced water levels in rivers which in turn results in low water levels in wells. more..

Feb 10 (DM) CEB urges consumers to exercise care in using electricity sparingly a month- long drought prevailing in central hill country had caused rapid decrease in water level of the Maussakele and Castlereagh Reserviours. Maussakele and the Castlereagh Reservoirs are the main sources of water for the generation of hydro-electricity by the Laxapana, New Laxapana, Canyon, Wimalasurendra and Polpitiya Power Stations feeding the national grid. more..

Feb 10 (DM) More than 1,600 people, including students, who had arrived from China and areas affected with new Coronavirus, were being monitored by the Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) throughout the country, Chief Epidemiologist of the Epidemiology Unit Dr. Sudath Samaraweera said. He said foreigners employed in Sri Lanka and tourists arrived from China and other infected areas in China, were among those more..

Feb 10 (AD) A special meeting of the UNP Working Committee is scheduled to be held this evening. Accordingly, meeting will be held at Sirikotha, chaired by Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. A final agreement on the formation of a new alliance � led by the UNP � is to be reached at this meeting. However, Field Marshal MP Sarath Fonseka stated that he is not invited to the Working Committee meeting today. Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa says he should not be obstructed more..

Feb 10 (DM) SLMC and TNA have not yet decided whether to support the United National Front at the upcoming General Elections or not. A spokesperson of the TNA said that in order for any main party to secure majority power in the Parliament, the support of the TNA would be important. He also said that the party was studying the reactions of the govt to his party's demands, their conduct and the conduct of the Opposition before taking a decision on its support to any major party. more..

Feb 10 (FT) Construction work on major projects in Colombo as well as highway projects which employ Chinese workers remain stalled since the coronavirus outbreak, with SL workers refusing to report to work while Chinese workers have been asked to stay indoors. Chamber of Construction CEO Nissanka Wijeratne said fears over the possible spread of the virus had had a big impact on the progress of ongoing projects more..

Feb 10 (CT) A special Police unit has been set up to tackle public protests and riots aimed at maintaining public order, a spokesman from Police Headquarters said. The unit will be manned by 50 selected personnel who have been trained in Scotland Yard and possess special training to work with the agitators in particular and the public in general, and will also closely coordinate with the relevant State institutions aimed at finding solutions to the problems the protesters encountered. more..

Feb 10 (AD) A follower of the notorious underworld crime gang member Angoda Lokka has been arrested with narcotic drugs. The arrest has been made by the Organized Crime Prevention Division (OCPD) of the Police STF in the Mulleriyawa area. STF Officers have discovered 10 g 25 mg of heroin on the arrested suspect. Preliminary investigations have revealed that the suspect had assisted large-scale drug rackets of Angoda Lokka while being a close accomplice of him. more..

Feb 10 (EN) Profitability of mini-hydro developers in Sri Lanka will rise despite environmental risks, due to a new tariff structure which was approved in January, ICRA Lanka, a ratings agency, said. In Jan 2020, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera had called for a fixed rate to be introduced for renewable power supply. The state-owned power supplier and regulator, CEB, had signed Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) until 2008 more..

Feb 10 (EN) All national newspapers carried a govt advertisement today calling for public complaints on ragging at institutes of higher education. The notification, issued by the UGC, called on members of the public to bring forward any complaints or appeals to a 7-member committee appointed to provide relief for victims of ragging. Minister Bandula Gunawardena said that according to statistics, 2,000 students left higher education in 2018 due to ragging. more..

Feb 10 (AD) A youth has been stabbed to death using a pair of scissors at a tailor shop at the Urubokka area in Matara, today. An escalated disagreement between a client and the owner of the tailor shop had led to the stabbing, stated Ada Derana reporter. Reportedly, a young couple had arrived at the tailor shop when an argument between the woman and the owner of the tailor shop. In an escalation of the situation, the tailor had moved to stab the woman with his pair of scissors. more..

Feb 10 (EN) Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education and Human Resources Development yesterday met in parliament to discuss the Hathe Ape Potha, a supplementary textbook on reproductive health which caused much controversy in the recent past. The meeting saw the participation of Dr Gamini Samarawickrama and consultant community physician Dr Asanthi Fernando, who contributed to writing the book more..

Feb 10 (DN) Computer Crimes Division of the CID which conducted investigations into a case of child abuse conducted through the internet has arrested a suspect involved in it on Feb 7. The 21-year-old suspect employed in a job relating to the computer sector had contacted schoolboys attached to popular schools in and around Colombo through fraudulent Whatsapp, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat accounts during the night and got them to post their nude photos/videos by threatening more..

Feb 10 (AD) Several naval officers including former Commander of the SL Navy Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda are due to appear before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) to investigate incidents of political revenge, this afternoon. Accordingly, Rear Admiral D.K.P. Dassanayake, Commodore R.P.S. Ranasinghe and Lieutenant Commander H.M.P.C. Hettiarachchi will appear before the PCoI. They have been summoned to obtain statements regarding a complaint more..

Feb 10 (EN) Sinharaja rainforest reserve has sustained great damage due to the construction of a concrete-laden road, environmentalists said. Centre for Environment and Nature Studies (CENS) said that construction of the Kudawa access road to Sinharaja has destroyed the natural habitat of the Bulath Hapaya, a species of freshwater fish endemic to SL. CENS Convener Dr Ravindra Kariyawasam said ongoing construction has destroyed more..

Feb 10 (DM) Pakistani HC Muhammad Saad Khattak said he wondered as to why Sri Lanka could not become a developed country like Singapore when it had all the necessary assets and a literacy rate as high as 97%. High Commission organised a seminar titled Peace and Stability � An Imperative to Prosperity in South Asia at BMICH Colombo recently. HC was addressing the function. He said South Asia was home to 1.8 billion people, and 16.1% of them live on less than US$ 2 a day. more..

Feb 10 (EN) Sri Lanka will see a slow improvement in external accounts, trade deficit will continue to fall in 2020, and there will be no adverse development in foreign exchange reserves, CB Governor W D Lakshaman said. �The contraction in imports is likely to continue this year,� he told a business forum organized by CCC in Colombo. �The 2019 decline in the trade deficit is expected to continue in 2020.� There will be �exchange rate stability at competitive levels,� he said. more..

Feb 10 (AD) UNP MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara has been approved as the General Secretary of the new UNP-led alliance. The appointment has been unanimously approved at the UNP Working Committee, according to MP Sujeewa Senasinghe. A Special Working Committee meeting of UNP was held at Sirikotha, the UNP Headquarters, this evening. "The present Govt is struggling, especially with the cost of living more..

Feb 11 (CT) Mario Puzo, The Godfather, once voiced that, Behind every successful fortune there is a crime. Be that is it may, yet, in present day context, one cannot freely spend their fortune (wealth) which may have accrued by illegal means, without evading the acute income-tax laws and the gawk eyes of law imposing authorities. Luck of having oil discovered on a useless piece of a land, bag of pearls gifted by an old woman who is in the age of her 90s, blue-sapphire found from the backyard of more..

Feb 11 (ST) External shocks have been serious setbacks to the Sri Lankan Economy since independence. Once again the Sri Lankan economy is facing severe external Shocks. Slow growth of the international economy will reduce the country�s exports. The dip in world tourism will cripple the country�s attempt to revive tourism. There is a likely hood of a spike in fuel prices (although prices have fallen at present) and economic dislocation due to the impact of Corona virus. more..

Feb 11 (Roar) Although Sri Lanka was declared malaria-free by the WHO in 2016, the country has struggled with combatting another mosquito-borne virus�dengue. Despite various schemes being implemented over the years, in 2019 alone, 103, 924 suspected cases were reported to the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health�the highest number from the Colombo district. Spread by females of the Aedes type of mosquito, more..

Feb 11 (ST) That was a shock. It was a shock indeed. The day before the country celebrated its 72nd Independence Day some parts of this fair isle were plunged into darkness or so one immediately thought. Reading the news from afar, it was not quite clear whether it happened in the night or the darkness was at noon, as Arthur Koestler would have said. Anyway, whatever the time, it all happened the day prior to an important anniversary when the national anthem would be sung more..

Feb 11 (CT) The continuing political altercation about the forensic audit on Treasury Bonds and CB activity, has largely ignored the related situation of the EPF, the largest Social Security Scheme in the country, and the source of relief for millions who have no pension facilities on retirement from work. The Annual Report for 2016, the latest on the Internet, states the total assets of the EPF increased by 11% during 2016 from Rs. 1,668 bn in 2015; and the total member accounts went up from more..

Feb 11 (SO) On Jan 3, many parts of the country faced unexpected and unannounced two-hour power cuts. Though the CEB had warned that power cuts during the month of March would be a possibility due to several factors, the earlier than expected power cuts had left the public disgruntled. Many even complained to the authorities. At least on the face of it, this was a sign of the deepening power crisis in the country. more..

Feb 11 (Island) Like secularism, nationalism is a much abused term in the vocabulary of the opponents of the unitary status of the SL state. A previous article of mine explained my opinion that the principle of secularism in governance is a good thing for SL and that it is not against religion, although it is often attacked as anti-religion, and hence immoral. In the West, UK, & Norway, for example, are recognised as secular democracies inspite of being avowedly Christian nations. more..

Feb 11 (SO) UNP MP Mangala Samaraweera is reported to have said that Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa should not let conservative forces mislead him. Mangala got that one right. Literally. The issue is, it is doubtful that he understood the meaning of the word. So let�s deal with some definitions first. Conservative is an adjective. It means, averse to change or innovation and holding traditional values. It is also a noun, referring to someone who is averse to change and holds traditional values. more..

Feb 11 (SO) The din against the Govt�s request for a two-thirds majority at the upcoming general election, is two or three decibels higher than the loudest air horn noises made by the most berserk of buses on our streets. But this is a curious call. The opposition UNP says a two-thirds majority is bad for democracy. They say power should not be concentrated in a single group of politicians. Such a broad tent outlook never prevented them from establishing a 2/3rds majority mainly through more..

Feb 11 (Island) Former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe has called upon the govt to demand compensation from Airbus for having bribed a SriLankan Airlines executive and his wife to clinch aircraft sales. One cannot but agree with him. SL must sue Airbus. Now that the aircraft manufacturing giant has paid USD 4 billion in fines to the UK, the US and France, SL�s may be an open-and-shut case. The incumbent govt is apparently wary of taking on Airbus lest some of its politicians should get exposed. more..

Feb 11 (TM) The alleged intimidation and overseas travel ban on former CID Director Shani Abeysekara and alleged threat to the life of former CID Inspector Nishantha Silva will be noted in Geneva when the UNHRC meets later this month. The alleged intimidation and overseas travel ban on former CID Director Shani Abeysekara and alleged threat to the life of former CID Inspector Nishantha Silva will be noted in Geneva when more..

Feb 11 (Island) World�s most popular cricket team, West Indies arrived in the island yesterday evening for a five match series that includes three ODIs and two T-20Is. West Indies have earned the affection of SL cricket fans over the years and most locals pick the Caribbean side as their second favourite team. A team that dominated world cricket in 1970s and 1980s faced steady decline since the dawn of the new millennium. However, they are still a strong force in white ball cricket particularly in T-20s. more..

Feb 11 (BS) Bangladesh cricket team clinched its maiden ICC Under-19 World Cup title after beating favourites India cricket by three wickets in the summit clash at JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom on Sunday. Set a revised target of 170 after a brief rain interruption, Bangladesh won the match with 23 balls to spare. Sent in to bat, India's batting wilted under pressure as a superb Bangladesh bowling attack shot the defending champions out for a paltry 177 in 47.2 overs. more..

Feb 11 (CI) The year 2019 will be remembered in cricket for two incredible fourth-innings chases and a scarcely believable World Cup final, and the ESPNcricinfo Awards for the best on-field performances of the year reflect that. While Kusal Perera's 153 not out in Durban beat Ben Stokes' 135 not out at Headingley for the Test batting honour, Stokes didn't go empty-handed - how could he, given the year he had - more..

Feb 11 (ST) His record as the country�s T20 captain is nothing to boast of with just a single win out of 13 matches during the last 13 months. But Lasith Malinga seems to enjoy the unreserved support of national cricket selectors who have retained him to lead a team battling for consistency against West Indies later this month. Malinga will captain the two-match T20 series that will be preceded by a three-match ODI series starting Feb 22 when the West Indies limited-over team arrive more..

Feb 11 (FT) Leading blue-chip conglomerate Aitken Spence PLC remained resilient during a difficult period through its diversity of investments in eight countries, thereby recording favourable results for the nine months ended Dec 2019. Amidst challenging times, revenue of the Group grew by 3.3% to Rs. 43.8 billion for the period ended Dec 2019. The Group�s EBITDA for the nine months remained stable at Rs. 6.8 Close to 57% of the Group�s PBT of Rs. 2.4 billion was generated more..

Feb 11 (MoD) Pakistan Air Force Chief Air Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan said Sri Lanka had an important role to play in maintaining peace and stability in the region and pledged to support strengthening intelligence sharing. 'Pakistan and Sri Lanka share common threats and challenges due to terrorism which has become a global phenomenon', he said. Visiting Chief of the Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force, more..

Feb 11 (EN) The biodiversity of Sri Pada (Adam�s Peak) and its surroundings are at risk due to pilgrims dumping plastic bottles and polythene in the area, environmentalists said. Centre for Environment and Nature Studies (CENS) Convenor Dr Ravindra Kariyawasam said that though carrying polythene and plastic bottles in the Sri Pada pilgrimage site was banned in 2010, over the past few years, the practice has gradually resumed. �Sri Pada is home to 8% of the biodiversity endemic to SL. more..

Feb 11 (DN) SLIIT School of Architecture was awarded a full accreditation by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The SLIIT School of Architecture, at the SLIIT Malabe campus was established in 2016 and it is the youngest school so far in Sri Lanka to obtain this prestigious global recognition within a duration of merely 4 years. The RIBA accredited BSc (Hons) Architecture degree awarded at SLIIT by Liverpool John Moore�s University in UK has also been validated as more..