Jan 27 (EN) Bairaha Farms Plc posted a net loss of 742,875 rupees in Dec 2019 quarter, from a 43.66 million rupee profit a year earlier on falling revenue and rising costs. The group reported a loss of 5 cents per share for the quarter. For the nine months to December, Bairaha reported 6.72 rupees in losses per share on net losses of 107.51 million rupees. Bairaha, which owns poultry breeder farms, broiler farms, hatcheries and a meat processing factory, closed trading on Monday rs. 6 down more..

Jan 27 (DM) Foreign Affairs Ministry said that there were no restrictions on issuing visas to Chinese travelers to Sri Lanka, but the Daily Mirror learns that all those arriving from the areas affected by the coronavirus will have a special mark on their ETA so that they will be subjected to quarantine upon their arrival. Sources from the Dept of Immigration and Emigration said that the special mark was being placed on the ETA so that immigration officers at the BIA could identify them more..

Jan 27 (MB) What is a pest? It implies a value judgment: harmful to whom? A pigeon is not harmful to the pigeon hawk. But let feral populations multiply in cities, where they and their nests foul human structures, and they are considered pests. Tourists pay to see wild elephants and monkeys, but when they come into your rice paddy or home garden, it becomes an emergency. Introduced species, without their natural more..

Jan 27 (IE) The Congress govt in Madhya Pradesh on Monday announced it will build a grand temple of Sita in Sri Lanka, at the place where she is believed to have withstood trial by fire. The idea was conceived by the previous BJP govt under Shivraj Singh Chouhan nearly a decade ago, but the project did not take off. After the change of guard in December 2018, the Congress govt claimed no files on the project had been moved by the previous regime. more..

Jan 27 (Island) India is waiting for a response from Sri Lanka on a Letter Rogatory (LR) on the Rajiv Gandhi assassination. This was stated by Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand in the Supreme Court on Tuesday while appearing for the Central Govt. On March 14 last year, the Supreme Court had asked the Multi-Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA) to file a status report with regard to a LR sent to SL for examining one of the accused, Nixon alias Suren, who is lodged in the Colombo jail. more..

Jan 27 (AD) From being second-largest importer of Sri Lankan Tea or renowned Ceylon Tea in 2018, � Turkey has emerged As SL�s number one tea importer which was reflected in the Jan - Nov 2019 official tea export statistics released by the SL Tea Board recently. Turkey was number 2 to Iraq in 2018 but had become the top on the list in 2019. Other noteworthy importers are Russia, Iran, Libya, China, Azerbaijan, Syria & UAE. more..

Jan 27 (EN) The meeting between Ranil Wickremesinghe and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, which many UNP supporters hoped would happen today has not taken place. Tissa Attanayake, the former General Secretary of the party said that he is hopeful �the minor issues that remain� will soon be resolved and the UNP could present a united front at the Parliamentary General elections due in the last week of April. Attanayake who lost his party position and more..

Jan 27 (CT) Kesbewa Chief Magistrate, Ruchira Weliwatta on 23 Jan ordered suspect Deegoda Kumara to be remanded till 31 Jan in a case where a student had fallen gravely ill when the suspect had used supernatural methods. Police said that during a programme to cure people with illnesses by using supernatural powers conducted by suspect Kumara in Piliyandala around two years ago, the suspect had forced a student to eat bread when the latter had said that it would be harmful to him to more..

Jan 27 (EN) Defence ministry has said it is brining law to control social media and a new agency will be set up to combat cyber crimes, on national security grounds. �The new legal framework will be introduced under the National Cyber Security Strategy, which will be formulated soon to address emerging cyber crimes issues that pose a threat to the national security,� ministry said. �Defence Ministry is to introduce new laws to stop more..

Jan 27 (TC) Chamari Atapattu will captain Sri Lanka at next month's T20 World Cup, with the country making four changes to the squad that lost 3-0 to tournament hosts Australia in a T20 series late last year. Sathya Sandeepani is the only uncapped player in the final 15-woman squad, earning her maiden call-up after impressing in October's Asian Cricket Council Emerging Teams Cup. Teenage spinners Kavisha Dilhari and Umesha Thimashini are both recalled to the setup after more..

Jan 27 (FT) Prez Rajapaksa last week said that rapid economic growth is the prime responsibility of all State enterprises, and not-for-profit State institutions should provide an efficient service to the people. He pointed out that it is the responsibility of the heads of State institutions to eliminate inefficiency and increase efficiency, earning profits, and not to be a burden to the Govt. Prez made these remarks when he met the new heads of State corporations and statutory institutions, more..

Jan 27 (AD) The first confirmed case of Coronavirus has been reported in Sri Lanka, as a Chinese national has been tested positive with the mysterious virus, stated the Ministry of Health. Reportedly, a 47- year old Chinese from Hubei Province in China had been admitted at the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) in critical condition. She has been tested positive for the new Coronavirus during treatment, more..

Jan 28 (CT) The recent meeting of the Parliamentary Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education and Human Resources Development and the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Women and Gender [hereinafter referred to as PSC meeting], focused on the sex ed book Hat� ap� potha [HAP] was highly demonstrative of social, political and cultural misconceptions in SL society. Three cis male Buddhist monks were given front-row seats to flaunt their positions on the topic of sex education! more..

Jan 28 (ST) The phone rang. I had just woken up on a glorious morning with the rays of the sun making their way through the curtained window. Sipping my cup of tea, I watched the trio in conversation under the margosa tree. On the phone was Pedris Appo, short for Appuhamy who is a retired agriculture expert now engaged in farming. �Hello friend, long time no see,� he said. �Hi, hi � nice to hear your voice after a long time. What�s up?� I said, in a welcoming tone. more..

Jan 28 (SO) Commenting on UNP MP Ranjan Ramanayake�s leaked audio clips, Justice, Human Rights and Legal Reforms Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said that politicians or the Justice Ministry has no authority whatsoever to look into the conduct of judges, inquire or punish them for any alleged misconduct. It is something the Govt and my Ministry are very concerned about because we want to ensure the independence of the judiciary more..

Jan 28 (ST) While fires in Australia continued to destroy thousands of hectares of forest and kill millions of animals trapped inside and out, in snow- covered Davos Donald Trump and his naysayers sang the same old song. To them climate change and the impending dangers to the planet from man-made activities were hyperbolic nonsense propagated by sections of the scientific community and their panic-driven supporters. Trump dismissed all the scientific reports and the writings of more..

Jan 28 (CT) Last week, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had told U.N. Resident Coordinator Hanaa Singer that those reported missing from the war are actually dead and that the govt would soon issue death certificates. Although the President has since clarified that death certificates will follow proper investigations, his remarks are an affront to mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters of the disappeared who have for years been demanding answers in monthly street protests, more..

Jan 28 (CT) If serious thought is given to finding oil and gas in Sri Lanka, it can resolve payment of the thumping debt the country has acquired over the last two decades which is now public knowledge. The length of time wasted in exploration compared to that of other countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines which were well behind and have now overtaken SL. What was their common thread? more..

Jan 28 (CT) SL last suffered an epidemic of devastating proportions 80 years ago in the form of the malarial disease which wiped out hundreds of thousands, if not millions, especially in the dry zone in the 1930s, till the advent of DDT which put a stop to the spread of malaria. Sri Lanka was recently declared being Malaria-free by the WHO. Since then the closest the island has come to suffering from a disease of epidemic proportions is the dengue virus which has been plaguing the country since more..

Jan 28 (DM) Religion, politics and democracy might appear as three distinct realities; in fact, in many ways, both of a religious and secular nature. But strange as it may seem, they emerge strikingly intertwined in an exceptional way ever since independence. This triumvirate has indeed become a permanent national phenomenon in the arena of politics. As a cultural m�lange, it betrays both positive and negative impacts with favourable and not-so-favourable intrusions into our national more..

Jan 28 (DM) SWRD Bandaranaike, Leader of the House was closely followed by a Rajapaksa when the former crossed the floor of House in July 1951, leaving the five-year-old UNP in the able-hands of the Senanayakes, Kotalawalas and Jayewardenes. For DS Senanayake, who was manipulating the hierarchical structure of the party to promote his son Dudley to succeed him, it was a blessing in disguise. Today, the scenario is different; an abrupt exit of Ranil, in spite of his unpopularity, more..

Jan 28 (DM) One of the issues hitting the headlines these days is the possibility of China�s Coronavirus affecting Sri Lanka also. Various preventive strategies have been put in place by the authorities at airports and by SriLankan Airlines with various pre-emptive strategies. The strategies put in place by the Health Authorities in eliminating Malaria and preventing recurrence would also come into play, to automatically isolate any person with even a hint of the disease. more..

Jan 28 (CI) Sean Williams produced a consummate captain's knock, scoring his second Test century, and Zimbabwe, with cameos from Brendan Taylor and Sikandar Raza, seized control of proceedings on the first day of the second Harare Test. While Williams' dismissal in the final hour of play gave a slightly more balanced look to proceedings, the hosts still ended the day on 352 for 6 with Regis Chakabva and debutant more..

Jan 28 (GV) Although the war ended a decade ago, the ethno-political and social fractures from violent conflict endure. On no other day are they more apparent than on May 18. Often, what we see, read and hear on this day is of a country still deeply divided. Television screens and the front pages of newspapers will go on to show military parades. On Facebook and Twitter (and given less, if any, prominence in mainstream print and electronic media) will be photographs of grieving more..

Jan 28 (DN) One drop batsman Ravindu Rashantha and fast bowler Dilshan Madushanka starred with bat and ball respectively for Sri Lanka in their massive 233-run win over Nigeria in a Plate quarterfinal match of the ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup played at Potchefstroom on Monday. Rashantha struck a 111-ball unbeaten 102 (7 fours, 2 sixes) as Sri Lanka raced to an imposing total of 306-7 in 50 overs. Opener Mohamed Shamaaz (56 off 73 balls) & Sonal Dinusha (43 off 36 balls) more..

Jan 28 (FT) Govt is keen to increase Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) to $ 2.5 billion and exports to $ 13.5 billion this year aided by improved policy stability, business confidence, tax cuts and a wide-ranging stimulus package. While final data for 2019 FDI and export performances is still pending, 2020 target suggests expectations of growth higher than what has been seen in the preceding years. In the first 11 months of 2019, more..

Jan 28 (FT) SL�s private sector, despite being aware of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects, requires stronger policy support to tap opportunities and practical assistance to work with Chinese companies, an official said yesterday. CCC Chief Economist Shiran Fernando, speaking at a discussion on the BRI, noted that a survey carried out among members had shown that while 51% of those who responded had a moderate idea of the BRI and its links to Sri Lanka, more..

Jan 28 (FT) PM Mahinda Rajapaksa will face the Premier�s Question Time for the first time since his appointment when Parliament meets next week. The half-an-hour Question Time allows MPs from both sides of the House to raise questions directly to the PM, a practice introduced by the last Govt in 2016. Question Time is held on the first Wednesday of the sitting week of Parliament, and is restricted to four questions, to be addressed to the PM. MPs who wish to raise questions are required to more..

Jan 28 (TM) While welcoming the lifting of the 25-year-old ban on landing at the Galle Face helipad, SL�s helicopter companies have requested the Govt to relax regulations on helicopter flying times too. Three of the country�s leading helicopter services said that they would prefer to operate even after 6 p.m. for the convenience of their international customers. According to the operators, Govt has allowed domestic more..

Jan 28 (FT) Sentiment surrounding the economy rose in Dec, with almost two-thirds of respondents expecting economic conditions to improve in the next 12 months, according to the latest LMD-Nielsen BCI poll. This marks the highest level of confidence in the economy since June 2009. In contrast, 16% of survey respondents expect the economy to remain the same, with one corporate executive noting that �it�s hard to correctly anticipate where the economy is heading because the Govt is still new.� more..

Jan 28 (EN) Atlas Axillia, a top stationary maker in SL, says it has overcome a revenue impact from the anti-Muslim boycotts which followed Easter Sunday bombings and is also looking to boost exports. Immediately after the Easter Sunday bombings, when radical Islamists bombed three churches and three luxury hotels, multiple Muslim-owned businesses being attacked and destroyed destroyed by mobs. Diamond Pasta�s factory, the largest pasta maker in Sri Lanka that is owned by more..

Jan 28 (FT) A two-thirds majority in Parliament is vital for the successful implementation of Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa�s policy and projects, SLPP said, referring to the existing House as an expired Parliament. SLPP Chairman Prof. G.L. Peiris reiterated the support given to Prez Rajapaksa to carry out the policies outlined in his manifesto, and emphasised the importance of achieving a two-thirds majority in Parliament more..

Jan 28 (Island) UNP MP Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, on Sunday, identified flaws in the fund allocation under the previous govt as one of the major reasons for the defeat of its presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa. Citing examples, he said the North East had been given Rs. 63 billion whereas the Gampaha District with a population of 1.8 million had got hardly anything. Speaking, at an event, where UNP Deputy leader Sajith Premadasa met UNP local authorities & PC members more..

Jan 28 (Island) PCoI appointed to probe the alleged political victimization of Public Servants under the previous administration has ordered the Attorney General (AG) not to proceed with the case against former Navy Commander Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda and former Navy Spokesman Commodore D.K.P. Dassanayake until it reached a conclusion on the matter. PCoI has said, in a media statement, that Karannagoda and Dassanayake lodged a complaint on Jan 22 and more..

Jan 28 (Island) IGP Pujith Jayasundara, who is currently on compulsory leave, giving evidence before the PCoI, on Saturday, said UNP Kegalle District leader, MP Kabir Hashim was among politicians who had spoken to him over the vandalisaton of some Buddha statues in Mawanella in 2018. Hashim, contacted for comment, said that if the former Police Chief now in remand custody, had made such a statement more..

Jan 28 (TM) Many basketball fans in Sri Lanka are mourning the death of US basketball legend Kobe Bryant. Many have taken to their Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts to pay tribute to their basketball hero. Many have expressed shock at his sudden death. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa taking to his twitter account said, �Greatly saddened by the untimely demise of Kobe Bryant one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game�. Kobe died in a helicopter crash more..

Jan 28 (EN) Sri Lanka has decided on new rules for Chinese nationals to enter the country, Minister for Health Pavithra Wanniaarachchi told reporters yesterday. According to the new criteria the issuing of on-arrival visa for Chinese nationals has been halted with immediate effect, she said speaking to reporters at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA). The Minister noted that Chinese nationals who intend to visit Sri Lanka should apply for the visa online. more..

Jan 28 (EN) Registration of cars with engines larger than 1,600cc has nearly halted in Dec 2019, which requires a rethink of the tax regime, a brokerage said. �Taxes on cars are via an excise duty based on engine capacity and a luxury tax of 60 percent above a value of 4 million rupees,� JB Securities CEO Murtaza Jafferjee said. �An illustration of the need for a rethink of the current policy is that during the month of December, more..

Jan 28 (AD) A special new traffic plan has been introduced for Colombo parallel to Independence Day celebrations and its rehearsals stated the Police. The 72nd Independence Day is set to be held at the Independence Square, on the 4th of Feb. Accordingly, it has been decided to restrict or limit vehicular traffic in certain routes and areas of Colombo. The new traffic plan will be in effect in the following dates: January 31st � 8.30 am till 1.00 pm; February 01st � 6.00 am till 12 noon more..