Feb 17 (CT) The authorities are probing a major security breach at the BIA after an airline employee was caught red-handed attempting to conceal a parcel stashed with foreign currency inside a SriLankan Airline aircraft, sources said yesterday. They said, the suspect described as a flight technician was nabbed after he was reported to the cabin bursar by two female flight attendants. Investigators later found that the parcel contained US and Euro currencies valued at Rs 4.5 m more..

Feb 17 (DM) Minister Dilum Amunugama said that instructions had been given to integrating all govt medical centres into an online system for people to get their medical reports. �When all medical centres are integrated, people do not need to waste their time at the medical centres,� he said. "People will not need to wait in queues at medical centres. They can book a doctor's appointment online and obtain a number and time. Then people only need to come to the medical centre at the given time" more..

Feb 17 (AD) Former Chief Minister of Northern Province C. V. Wigneswaran says he welcomes the decision of the US to impose a travel restriction on the Commander of the Army Lt Gen Shavendra Silva and his immediate family. Responding to a question by a journalist, he states that he wholeheartedly applaud US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo�s decision to declare Silva persona non grata. more..

Feb 17 (AD) Former President Maithripala Sirisena says he has decided to represent the parliament through public vote instead of the national list. He mentioned this speaking at a public meeting in the Bakamoona area in Polonnaruwa. He says that some have questioned his decision to run for the parliament again after serving as a president. The former President states that he asked the same question when SLFP parliamentary group requested him to contest for parliament again. more..

Feb 17 (AD) The four-member committee appointed to review the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) agreement today handed over its preliminary report to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The preliminary report was handed over to President Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo by the chairman of the committee Professor Lalithasiri Gunaruwan, accompanied by its members. The final report of the committee is expected to be handed over within 4 months. more..

Feb 17 (DM) Malwatte and Asgiriya chapters of Siyam Nikaya Chapters expressed their displeasure over the travel restrictions imposed on Army Commander Shavendra Silva by the US. Anunayaka of Malwattha Chapter Venerable Dimbulkumbure Wimaladhamma Thera said that it was inappropriate that the United States imposed such a travel ban on the Army commander and his family members. He said that Sri Lanka was able to end terrorism more..

Feb 18 (CT) As Bangladesh celebrates more than half a century of independence after a cruel war in 1971 lasting 9 months in which an approximate 3 million died, due to bitter ethnic confrontation between the Urdu speaking Punjabis of West Pakistan and the Bengali people of East Pakistan, both whom are of the Islamic faith, Sri Lankans can learn from their history. This is a country that has undergone far more cruel conflict than Sri Lanka. The flashpoint occurred when PM Mujibur more..

Feb 18 (CT) It was on a day in the first week of July in 1980. I boarded the early morning Jaffna bound train at Fort Railway Station, Colombo, reserved a seat for my friend Mr. H.N. Fernando, then President of Ceylon Teachers� Union, the most powerful teachers� union in the island at that time. He had promised to accompany me to Jaffna as it was my first ever visit to the North and my purpose of the visit was to meet with the teacher�trainees in the Palali Teacher Training College . more..

Feb 18 (TM) The newly formed Tamil alliance led by former Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran is all set for battle at the next parliamentary elections. Leaders of the political parties in the new alliance signed a MoU last week and submitted documents to register it as a political party with the Election Commission (EC). The Thamizh Makkal Thesiya Kootani consists of Wigneswaran�s Thamizh Makkal Kootani more..

Feb 18 (ST) The fiat was in the name of Presidential Secretary P.B. Jayasundera. But there was little doubt where it came from. The tone and tenor of the order said it all. Who it covered seemed to matter little. It applied to all, across the bureaucratic board. How many actually read this story that appeared in the news columns last week is hard to say. Had a swathe of a concerned public absorbed it, they would have raised a loud cheer. Personally, I could barely suppress a smile when I came across more..

Feb 18 (SO) If there is an economy worth talking about, there is no need to crow about it from the ramparts. That was the problem with the previous regime. It�s self appointed economy czar, Harsha de Silva made copious notes and gave everybody a pre election lecture about how well the economy was fairing under the UNP. Really, the problem is that he doesn�t have an ounce of intuition. He didn�t realise that the people would intuit that the more he talked about the economy, the more everybody more..

Feb 18 (SO) State Minister S.B. Dissanayake said former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe and the UNP should be responsible for the economic crisis created during their tenure in office. He said the Easter Sunday terrorist attack and the Coronavirus have also made some impact on the economy. He said there are some issues to be sorted out. However, Countries such as India, China and Russia have a firm confidence in Prez more..

Feb 18 (ST) On the 72nd anniversary of Independence once again the president articulated the aspirations of the country and its people. A society where all its communities could live in social harmony, where all its people could worship their own religion and where there would be freedom of speech and thought. These are essential prerequisites for economic development. Let us hope that these aspirations would be transformed into institutional reality. more..

Feb 18 (SO) Dr. Murugar Gunasingam is a path-breaking and indefatigable Tamil historian who earned his doctorate based on his exploratory history of the Jaffna Tamils of Sri Lanka. He undertook this mission of discovering the history of Jaffna when he first realised that no one had ever written a truly comprehensive history of the Tamil nation in Sri Lanka. (Preface - Primary Sources For The History Of The Sri Lankan Tamils, World-Wide Search, 2005.). more..

Feb 18 (Island) Speaker Jayasuriya has urged the public to vote wisely and return only decent candidates, at the upcoming general election, so that their representatives will deserve the title of honour, honourable, borrowed from French. One couldn�t agree with the Speaker more, in that honourable is originally derived from the Latin word, honorabilis, which means worthy of honour. It is a contradiction in terms to call crooks or ruffians in the garb of people�s representatives hon. MPs. more..

Feb 18 (Island) The Gampaha District forest officer Devani Jayathilaka took a stand against the construction of a playground in the Kadolkele mangrove swamp off the Negombo Lagoon. It is well known that mangroves are the breeding grounds and the refuge for most fish species till they are old enough to venture into the sea. It is also the breeding ground and safe haven for most crustacean species and crabs. Hence there is reason why they should be protected more..

Feb 18 (TM) Amidst growing concerns in the power sector, the woes of mini hydropower generation firms have increased further due to the four-and-a-half-month delay by the CEB in paying their total outstanding dues amounting to Rs. 10 billion. Suppliers say they are frustrated by the CEB�s failure to pay overdue bills as required by law. SHPDA President Prabath Wickramasinghe said such staggering levels more..

Feb 18 (Island) The right to education is a recognized human right and has been stated in a number of international conventions. It recognizes a right to free, compulsory primary education for all, an obligation to develop secondary education accessible to all, as well as an obligation to develop equitable access to higher education. It also includes a responsibility to provide basic education for individuals who have not completed primary education, avoid discrimination at all levels more..

Feb 18 (EN) Central Bank said it will extend the ban on the primary dealership arm of Pan Asia Banking Corporation (PABC), to continue investigations into the so-called bond scam. The six-month ban is extended with effect from Feb 15, and is enforced under the Registered Stock and Securities Ordinance and the Local Treasury Bills Ordinance. The central bank said other operations at PABC will not be disrupted. PABC�s primary dealership has been suspended since August 2017 for more..

Feb 18 (EN) SL�s apparel firms that have built brands and would like to sell online are constrained by the lack of Paypal or similar facility, an industry official said, joining the chorus of calls by the information technology workers who also want to receive inward payments. �The growing increase of B2C (business to customer) transactions is clearly visible in that large number of companies engaged in such e-commerce,� more..

Feb 18 (CM) Huawei Marine Networks (HMN) has been awarded the contract to build a new subsea cable called the Maldives Sri Lanka Cable system (MSC). Once live, the new system will create a direct connection between the Maldives and Sri Lanka increasing regional capacity and route diversity. Comprised of a consortium which includes Ooredoo Maldives, Dhivehi Raajjeyge Gulhun Pand Dialog Axiata, the 130km system will feature four fibre pairs as well as high-output titanium more..

Feb 18 (FT) Dialog Axiata Group has concluded the 2019 financial year on a strong note, continuing its growth momentum across all business segments viz. Mobile, Fixed Line, Digital Pay Television, Int'l and Tele-infrastructure businesses. Group revenue grew by 7% to Rs 116.8 billion and resumed growth trajectory on a Quarter-on-Quarter (QoQ) basis to record at Rs. 29.7 billion up 2% and 4% year-on-year (YoY) for Q4 2019. On the back of revenue performance Group Earnings Before Interest, more..

Feb 18 (LBO) Sri Lanka�s total car registrations recorded 2,536 units in January up from 2,057 units in Dec but down from 3,147 units 12 months ago, a new report shows. �The recent policy interventions both in terms of fiscal policy (taxation) or capital moratoriums did not target vehicle registrations,� research firm JB Securities said. �Hence the surge in demand could be due to a rebound in consumer & business confidence more..

Feb 18 (IPS) On 28 Jan 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) as a global emergency. The new virus emerged in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province in China, but has now spread to at least 27 other countries, including Sri Lanka. At this stage, it is difficult to know the exact impact of the virus, but the human cost is significant. Chinese authorities have said the death toll in the country has exceeded 1,350 people, more..

Feb 18 (PMD) First ever TV channel dedicated to propagate Buddhist teachings and philosophy, Buddhist TV adopted digital technology today (15) under the patronage of the president Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Concurrently, a medicinal pooja offering was held in order to bless the President Rajapaksa. The President paid homage to the sacred relic shrine. Thereafter, the president engaged in religious observances which were held under the guidance of Ven. Boralande Vajiragnana more..

Feb 18 (IE) The US has put travel restrictions on SL�s Chief of the Army Staff, Lt Gen Shavendra Silva, for alleged war crimes committed during the last days of the war with the LTTE in 2009. Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo posted on Twitter on Feb 14: �I am designating Shavendra Silva making him ineligible for entry into the U.S. due to his involvement in extrajudicial killings during Sri Lanka�s Civil War. more..

Feb 18 (TM) Axiata Group Berhad has signed an agreement to invest $ 250 million (Rs. 45.3 billion) in its subsidiary Dialog Axiata PLC. Market sources told us that this agreement was signed on Friday. The cash infusion is to be made in phases by Axiata over a 3-year period for Dialog�s network expansion and new product development. This is the largest investment in Dialog by its parent since US$ 175 million (LKR 24.6 Billion) was invested in 2015 through the BOI. more..

Feb 18 (Island) The unprecedented world cup win by the Bangladesh youth team coached by Naveed Nawaz recently rightly threw him to the spotlight. For years Indian youth teams have been a very difficult opposition to beat and it�s an achievement to savour for the Bangladeshis. Though belated, Nawaz richly deserves the glory that comes with victories such as these after decades of being in the shadows, first as a player, then as a coach. Many talented schoolboy cricketers who played first XI cricket more..

Feb 18 (FT) The trade deficit contracted by $ 2.3 billion in 2019, closing the year at $ 7.9 billion, but December bucked the trend with the trade deficit widening due to merchandise imports increasing for the first time since Oct 2018 by 2.9% to $ 1,784 million even though exports dropped 3.2% to $ 1 billion. The deficit in the trade account widened in Dec 2019 to $ 784 million, from $ 701 million in Dec 2018, led by a decline in exports and more..

Feb 18 (Island) With the coronavirus epidemic becoming a serious cause for concern, the Hambantota Int'l Port has put in place several measures to ensure the safety of their staff, environment, and the general public. Emergency Response Procedure is in place with 3 response levels. A special committee has been appointed headed by the CEO with all Heads of Departments as members. Steps were taken to isolate and observe all employees and their family more..

Feb 18 (AD) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa instructed officials to take measures to uplift local industries and encourage investors by removing obstacles. Stating that issues related to the commencement of industries and their sustainability should be identified, Prez Rajapaksa also highlighted the importance of exploring unique potentials in each field. He mentioned this during a discussion with the members of the Inter-Ministerial Task Force on Industries and more..

Feb 18 (Island) Sri Lanka has fared well in terms of gender representation in the broad field of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, says a research conducted by the IPS. Analysing World Bank statistics the IPS research has said that primary and secondary school enrollments and completion rates are similar for girls and boys, while girls have higher enrollment and more..

Feb 18 (Island) Sri Lanka Cricket XI secured a thrilling two wicket win with 15 balls to spare over West Indies at P. Sara Oval yesterday. The warm-up game was West Indies� opening fixture of the tour and they will play another warm-up game before the first ODI on Saturday. West Indies were bowled out for 282 runs with two balls to spare after electing to bat first. Sri Lanka got over the line in what was a tensed chase. The hosts lost two wickets for just one run on the board as Jamaican soldier more..

Feb 18 (Sputnik) India and Sri Lanka have a narrow strip of water separating the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the Northern Province of the island nation. The traditional fishing ground has now been used for smuggling of contraband to TN through fishermen in their boats. Indian Navy, along with the Marine Police and Customs Department, has apprehended three SL fishermen and confiscated 3.5 kg of gold worth some $210,000 as they were trying to smuggle it through Indian waters. more..

Feb 18 (TM) Despite incriminating evidence provided by the CID last year, Attorney General (AG) Dappula de Livera had not initiated legal action on former SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena who was recently arrested. Two weeks after the arrest, Sunday Morning�s investigations revealed that the CID had submitted a set of comprehensive documents to the AG�s Department as early as July 2019 with the final case more..

Feb 18 (DN) In a bid to support the local agriculture sector Geographical information System (GIS) devices were introduced to farmers Cabinet Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana said at Sethsiripaya. Pathirana thanked International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) for funding this project which would help towards createing an export-led agricultural sector. The project aims to increase the use of GIS and has an inclusive rural financing scheme through major commercial banks. more..

Feb 18 (Hindu) Centre on Monday told the Madras High Court that since 2015 Sri Lanka had stopped releasing boats of Indian fishermen apprehended on charges of trespassing into foreign waters for illegal fishing, particularly through the banned method of bottom trawling. Justices Vineet Kothari and R. Suresh Kumar were told that the decision to not release the boats was taken as a measure of deterrence and that the SL govt had also amended its laws in July 2017 and Jan 2018 to prevent more..

Feb 18 (FT) The possibility of vesting the administration of the $ 1.4 billion Port City project under a new authority with direct oversight of Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa is among several options being considered by the committee appointed by the Govt to review the project. State Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that the committee, which was Cabinet approved in December, is still combing through more..

Feb 18 (DM) Bandaranaike International Ayurveda Research Institute, has informed the Health Ministry that a possible cure to the coronavirus may have been found, but they are unable to test it due to the lack of a coronavirus patient in Sri Lanka. Officials from the Institute, had informed Health Minister, Pavithra Wanniarachchi, that the present ayurvedic medicines used to cure viruses such as dengue and other contagious diseases could possibly help cure the coronavirus, more..