Feb 27 (AD) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa instructed officials to take measures to create an environment for the consumers to purchase fish at reasonable prices while safeguarding the fisheries industry. Prez issued this directive during a meeting convened to discuss matters related to multi-day fishing boat owners held at the Presidential Secretariat today (26). While emphasizing the importance of involving both the exporter more..

Feb 27 (DN) Banking sector showed resilience despite the challenges while maintaining higher liquidity ratios, through cautious lending said First Capital in their Banking Sector Outlook event organized at Cinnamon Grand last week. The profitability of the banking sector was hampered during the last couple of years primarily by the economic slowdown, increase in taxes and implementation of Basel III requirements and adoption of SLFRS 9. more..

Feb 27 (ST) Sri Lankan tour operators have once again been sidelined as a result of which they incurred approximately Rs. 275-300 million in losses over the past two months since, unlike hoteliers, they were not exempted from the zero VAT. Former SL Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) head and NKar Travels Managing Director Nilmin Nanayakkara said that by Destination Marketing Companies (DMCs) not being exempted from VAT, they were to lose as much as 8% from profits. more..

Feb 27 (CI) Kusal Mendis and Avishka Fernando dovetailed beautifully through the middle overs, producing an effortless 239-run third-wicket partnership that became the bedrock of Sri Lanka's 345 for 8, and by extension, their series-sealing 161-run victory over West Indies. Mendis hit a run-a-ball 119 and Fernando made 127 off 123 deliveries, as they punished West Indies' indiscipline with the ball and sloppiness in the field, more..

Feb 27 (MoD) The Defence Ministry is to expedite the Virusumithuru housing project, which has been designed to address the housing needs of families of fallen and disabled soldiers. The project, which was jointly implemented by the National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) and the Ranaviru Seva Authority (RVSA), was scheduled to be completed by 2020 under the previous regime. At a progress review meeting held with the Defence Secretary Maj Gen (Rtd) Kamal Gunaratne, more..

Feb 27 (DN) Head of Cargo Chamara Ranasinghe said that SriLankan Airlines was hit by a drop in passenger and cargo throughput from China. Ranasinghe said this at an event to educate the public on the offerings of air freight as supply chains have been disrupted by the coronavirus. SriLankan will shortly be expanding its fleet and in doing so its capacity to handle cargo. On arrivals from China, he said �We have zero bookings and we have been going with very low cabin factors. more..

Feb 27 (DM) In a bid to escalate the security and to counter all suspicious movements, the Department of Immigration and Emigration has set up three special surveillance units at the BIA recently. A senior official in charge of the department�s investigation unit said that the special units were introduced as a necessity felt by the authorities following the unexpected Easter Sunday attacks and to monitor the arrival of more..

Feb 27 (GDI) T Zambian Republic�s Army Commander, Lieutenant General W.M Sikazwe visited the Naval Boat Building Yard (NBBY) in Welisara. A Zambian Army delegation headed by Lieutenant General W.M Sikazwe presently in Sri Lanka on an official tour, visited the Naval Boat Building Facility in Welisara where they were warmly received by Director Marine Engineering, Commodore Kapila Silva and Naval Officer in-charge of Welisara Naval Complex, more..

Feb 27 (Island) The nomination made by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, of Sanjeeva Jayawardena, PC, as a member of the Monetary Board of the CB, has been approved by the Constitutional Council. A vacancy on the Monetary Board arose after Chrisantha Perera, then sitting member of the Monetary Board, resigned. Prez Rajapaksa forwarded the nomination of Sanjeeva Jayawardena PC, for the approval of the Constitutional Council, consequent to the said vacancy arising. more..

Feb 27 (CT) It was revealed at the PCoI appointed to probe into the Easter Sunday terror attacks on 21 April, 2019 that it is difficult to investigate emails exchanged between Police Headquarters and Police Stations island wide concerning the bomb blasts as all the emails exchanged since 2017 are not available in the main information system of Police Ravindu Meegasmulla of SL Computer Emergency Readiness Team more..

Feb 27 (GDI) The BIT International Travel Exhibition was held from 09 to 11 February 2020 at Fieramilano city in Milan, Italy. The striking Sri Lanka Country Pavilion, which was sponsored by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) was a major attraction at the Exhibition and was visited by many participants and visitors. A Sri Lanka dance troupe from Milan, enhanced the glamour of the country Pavilion by their performances. Ceylon tea was also served at the Pavilion. more..

Feb 27 (CT) The UDA has brought down a building in Nuwara Eliya without obtaining a Court Order because they were aware that the Court Order was going to be in favour of the owner of the building, alleged UNF MP, Navin Dissanayake. Speaking at a Media briefing, regarding the recent incident where MP allegedly reprimanded the UDA for attempting to bring down an illegal construction, he emphasised that the reason he spoke against the UDA was because before bringing down the building, more..

Feb 27 (FT) The Election Commission is cash-strapped, with nearly Rs. 2 billion needed to pay public officials and settle bills relating to last November�s Prez Election, while the department will need at least another Rs. 5.5 billion for the upcoming General Election slated for late April, Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said. The National Election Commission had sought Rs. 3 billion to be allocated to more..

Feb 27 (DN) SLMC led by MP Rauff Hakeem is not a decisive factor in forming govts anymore, SLFP General Secretary, Industries and Commerce State Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara said. He said the SLMC has been such a significant factor when the UNP is in power but that situation changed with the election win of Nov 16 last year. He said the people would re-affirm the verdict given to them at the next election too. �Rauff Hakeem has no right to manipulate govts of the country,� he said. more..

Feb 27 (DM) A committee appointed by the Power and Energy Ministry to probe unannounced power cuts by CEB � which is suspected of sabotaging electricity supply � has submitted a report revealing power cuts on Feb 3 could have been avoided. Report accuses the CEB of violating conditions set by the Transmission License thereby abusing the Electricity Act. It estimates an impact of Rs.188 million to the economy owing to the curtailment of 1.4 GWh of power on Feb 3 between more..

Feb 27 (DM) Leader of Opposition Sajith Premadasa said he had invited UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to join the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) together with his party. Mr. Premadasa said that he had met Mr. Wickremesinghe together with SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara and invited him and the UNP to join the alliance and to participate in the launch of the new alliance more..

Feb 27 (FT) The UK and Canada are disappointed with SL�s decision to withdraw its co-sponsorship from a UN Resolution. UK Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Lord Tariq Ahmad expressed deep disappointment that SL has withdrawn support for the resolution. He urged SL to protect human rights, and focus on reconciliation, justice and accountability. Canadian Foreign Minister Fran�ois-Philippe Champagne said that Canada is disappointed by SL�s decision to change more..

Feb 27 (TM) Health Ministry is to tighten measures taken to prevent the outbreak of the coronavirus in SL, following an influx of cases in South Korea, the Middle East and Italy. Health Ministry�s in a press statement today said the decision was made after The World Health Organization announced that countries should do more to prepare for a possible coronavirus pandemic. South Korea on Wednesday reported 115 new cases of the coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections there to 1,261, more..

Feb 27 (Island) Many an eyebrow was raised yesterday, when Elections Chief Mahinda Deshapriya asserted that the candidates who had failed to enter parliament couldn�t be considered candidates rejected by the electorate. Deshapriya said that it was not fair to categorise them as political rejects as they, too, contributed to the overall vote obtained by a particular political party, thereby the National List reflected their contribution, too. more..

Feb 27 (DM) The proposals submitted by Yuthukama to the public in the presence of the President of the Republic last week are well crafted, reflect the views of a majority of those who voted for Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa and should be subject to serious discussion. Some of the proposals may go through a process of refinement during the public debate, but nevertheless, they should be explored seriously. They also reflect some of the deepest concerns of the people which found more..

Feb 27 (DM) SLPP teamed up with SLFP and formed SL Nidahas Podujana Sandhanaya in view of the upcoming parliamentary elections. Its electoral strategy is clear in the districts outside the North and the East. They will stick together along with the other small allies in these areas. However, the two parties are now considering different approaches to contest the elections in the North and the East where demographic patterns are different due to the concentration of Tamils and Muslims. more..

Feb 27 (DM) 2006 MiG Deal is back in the spotlight, with the FCID investigation into the saga has led to SL�s first-ever successful extradition request of a suspect, Udayanga Weeratunga, who is the alleged mastermind of the deal according to police reports. The dramatic extradition of the former SL ambassador to Moscow has been overshadowed by the efforts of senior officers of CID to ensure he was granted bail. more..

Feb 27 (EN) Sri Lanka�s children are facing a massive issue with drug dealers targeting students near schools making the spread of drug addiction the most serious problem facing the nation, PM Mahinda Rajapaksa says. He said that in the past a student found smoking a cigarette would be sacked from the school. �But today marijuana, heroin and even more dangerous drugs such as Ice is being sold to children� he said. more..

Feb 27 (ST) The debate on the SriLankan Airlines Airbus deal, held on Thursday (20), again saw both sides trading accusations against each other over their alleged part in a swirling corruption scandal that had already seen the arrest of a former SriLankan Airlines CEO and his wife. Moving the adjournment motion, UNP MP Nalin Bandara said the commission that had been demanded from Airbus to purchase a new fleet of aircraft more..

Feb 27 (TM) Sri Lanka�s engineering talent has long been held in high regard by the international community, as seen by 2015�s all-electric supercar Vega, which was featured on BBC�s Autos, and 2019�s Ravana-1 satellite that was launched from the International Space Station (ISS) in Virginia, US. Both of these were created by Sri Lankan engineers and are indisputably world-class feats of engineering. more..

Feb 27 (AD) According to the report of the Committee on Public Accounts (CoPA), govt organizations which have achieved a high performance in the year 2018 will be presented with awards at the Parliamentary Complex tomorrow (28) under the patronage of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. PM Mahinda Rajapaksa and Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya are also expected to grace the ceremony. more..

Feb 27 (TM) Recognizing that nutrition is a fundamental building block in a child�s life and is the cornerstone of a child�s development into a healthy and productive adult, a portfolio developed by the UN, World Bank and UNICEF was handed to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa today at an event held at the Presidential Secretariat. Outlining a vision to end child malnutrition in Sri Lanka, more..

Feb 27 (MoD) The Defence Ministry has decided to issue Virusara Privilege Cards (VPCs) to over 200,000 security forces personnel, including families of fallen war heroes and disabled soldiers to provide them discounts from public and private sector institutions. Over 44,500 cards have already been issued to them under the first phase. The VPCs facility provides a wide range of unique benefits to security forces personnel including more..

Feb 27 (DM) While claiming that shifting of presidency from Maithripala Sirisena to Gotabaya Rajapaksa had made no change in the governance or the economy in the country, JVP said the govt has neither fulfilled any of its promises nor provided any concession to the people for the last three months. JVP MP Vijitha Herath told a news conference that the govt which promised before the presidential election to discard the MCC pact, more..

Feb 27 (AD) The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet will be presenting her Oral Update on SL withdrawing its co-sponsorship of Resolution 40/1 of March 2019 on Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka, which also incorporates and builds on preceding Resolutions 30/1 of Oct 2015 and 34/1 of March 2017. Minister Gunawardena will respond to more..

Feb 27 (AD) Two Sri Lankans on board Diamond Princess the cruise ship have been sent to India after being tested negative for COVID-19, says the Embassy of SL in Japan. They will return to the island after being quarantined for 14 days in India. Diamond Princess cruise ship carrying 3,711 passengers and crew members has been held in quarantine at Yokohama Port in Japan since the 3rd of Feb, after a passenger who had more..

Feb 27 (CT) When India hit a massive gold reserve holding almost five times India's current reserve of gold, with estimated deposits at around 3,000 tonnes and worth Rs 12 lakh crore in Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh, and Premier Modi and US President Trump signed military and trade deals topping a huge US $3 billion, all within 3 days. It will not be laying it on too thickly to say that India, under Modi, seems to be looking pretty good. 'Behind those deals, Modi's budgetary problems will more..

Feb 27 (FT) The Geneva 2015 resolution is a hidden tripwire linked to a maze of claymore mines, some buried, some planted in ditches, others nested in trees. When this article appears, Sri Lanka may have nudged that tripwire. There was another, smarter, safer way. The Geneva 2015 resolution was explicitly based on and legitimised the utterly tendentious Zaid al Hussein report with its outrageous, unfounded allegation of system crimes and its hostile recommendations. more..

Feb 27 (Island) At least 3000 people would be killed in 2020 due to road accidents, given current trends, Minister of Transport Service Management Mahinda Amaraweera said yesterday addressing a meeting at the ministry. He said the govt would have to spend at least one billion rupees to treat the victims of road accidents. Given the colossal loss of life and the financial costs associated with those accidents, the govt would take a number of steps to address the problem. more..

Feb 27 (SLA) Turkey�s new Ambassador, Demet Sekercioglu has called on the Commander of SL Army, Lt General Shavendra Silva, yesterday. Lt General Silva has recalled bonds of goodwill both countries have been harbouring for generations and underlined the need to maintain the status quo. He has further appreciated the support, facilities and cooperation that have been lent to SL all the time by Turkey with special focus on training openings that have been offered to the SL armed forces. more..

Feb 27 (AFR) A guard thumps the car boot closed. All clear. Up at the entrance we know the drill: bags on belt and walk through the X-ray machine. Like at the airport, but with a bevy of hotel employees beaming in the balmy island air, proving it is possible for a security routine to seem like a greeting ritual on loop. Beneath the smiles is trauma. �We�re really proud that no staff lost their jobs after the incident,� more..

Feb 27 (DM) Sixteen Kelaniya university undergraduates including a monk were taken into police custody in connection with the removal of newly installed CCTV cameras at the university premises, Police Spokesman Jaliya Senaratne said. He said the monk and three students were arrested over the incident by the Kiribathgoda Police this afternoon while other 12 students later surrendered. The police commenced investigations into the incident after a group of students of the uni more..

Feb 27 (AD) On a written notice issued by the Nuwara Eliya District Secretary, steps have been taken to temporarily halt the slaughter of cattle at slaughterhouses in the Nuwara Eliya District with effect from today. Accordingly, Nuwara Eliya, Kotmale, Ambagamuwa, Walapane, Hanguranketha Divisional Secretaries had been notified by the District Secretary. Reportedly, it has been noticed that foot and mouth disease are spreading among cattle in several places in N'Eliya district. more..

Feb 27 (FT) UNP criticised the Govt�s failure to deliver the changes it promised in the lead-up to elections within its first 100 days in office. UNP Assistant Leader MP Ravi Karunanayake said the Govt was unable to address several of the people�s issues such as inflation and timely delivery of the fertiliser subsidy. �The Govt failed to walk the talk. They promised a lot during the Prez Election such as the fertiliser subsidy more..