Feb 22 (Island) DFCC Bank continues to aggressively pursue its role as a commercial bank by strengthening its core business, creating momentum in the industry with its constantly evolving best in class offerings and creating a culture of service amongst its people, a DFCC press release said. It adds, ‘DFCC Bank, the largest entity within the group recorded a profit after tax (PAT) of LKR 2,828 Million for the year ended 31 Dec 2019 excluding the fair value loss on Comm Bank more..

Feb 22 (AD) Two suspects have been placed under arrest over the alleged murder of police constable who was reported missing from Kadawatha area since Monday (17). His body was recovered this morning from Werahera area in Pannala last morning (21) in a decayed condition. Acting Kuliyapitiya Magistrate conducted the magistrate’s inquest on the body. This constable had been involved in an extramarital affair more..

Feb 22 (ICC) Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Atapattu is looking forward to giving fast bowler Lea Tahuhu a run for her money in their ICC Women’si T20 World Cup 2020 opener against New Zealand. All eyes are on Atapattu after her match-winning display in SL’s 10-wicket warm-up victory over England, the Sri Lanka captain hitting an unbeaten 78, including eight fours and five sixes, as well as taking three wickets against the reigning 50-over world champions. One of the fastest bowlers in the world, more..

Feb 22 (AD) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and former President Maithripala Sirisena have held a discussion yesterday (20). The General Secretary of SLFP, Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara said the meeting was held at the Presidential Secretariat with the participation of several other representatives of the party. The discussion was centred on the activities of the new alliance, SL Nidhahas Podujana Sandhanaya, the minister said further. SLPP and SLFP recently reached an agreement more..

Feb 22 (MoD) Defence Ministry vehemently denies the accusations by the Human Rights Watch (HRW), which claimed that families of enforced disappearance and activists supporting them are under the microscope of the SL Security Forces and intelligence agencies. HRW releasing its new report has claimed ‘SL Security Forces and intelligence agencies have intensified surveillance and threats against families of victims of more..

Feb 22 (Island) A MoU for upgrading of infrastructure in Plantation Schools was signed by Acting High Commissioner of India Vinod Jacob and, Secretary, Ministry of Education of SL N.H.M. Chithrananda. The project envisages improvement of infrastructure of nine plantation schools as identified by the Govt of SL under an Indian grant assistance of 300 m LKR. It includes six schools in the plantation sectors of Central Province and one school each in Uva, Sabaragamuwa & Southern Provinces. more..

Feb 22 (DN) Based on investigations carried out by National Child Protection Authority’s Internet Crime Investigation Unit regarding a group involved in sexually abusing young girls online, 7 persons have so far been arrested. The group involved in this crime had targetted young girls online by obtaining their nude images and inserted the photos of the girls obtained from social media. Young girls were then sexually abused by threatening to release the doctored images on the internet, more..

Feb 22 (TM) A fire that has erupted in the Muthurajawela nature reserve has caused heavy damages to the mangrove lands and biodiversity surrounding the environment. National Coordinator for the Center for Environment and Nature Studies, has said that the fire has destroyed close to four acres of mangroves in the nature reserve. He has further noted that there is a belief that the fire has been set by some elements with the intention more..

Feb 22 (TL) A daughter-in-law of PM Mahinda Rajapaksa has bought over shares of a company known as Media Factory (Pvt) Ltd which engages in media scheduling. Kapila Vidanagamage functions as the chairman of the company while Prashanth Subramaniam functions as the other primary shareholder. PM's daughter-in-law had bought Prashanth Supramaniam's stake in the company. It has been reported that these shares have been bought at a high price for the purpose of more..

Feb 22 (DM) The UNP yesterday defended their decision not to support the amendment to increase expenditure stipulated in the vote on account and to increase debt ceiling saying the country would have gone into a deep economic crisis if it was approved in Parliament. UNP MP Mangala said that country would have gone into a greater debt trap if debt ceiling was increased. "It was the same govt that had called for moratorium from India saying it is not in a position to settle the pending loans. more..

Feb 22 (DM) UPFA MP Namal Rajapaksa denied any involvement in the allegations mentioned during this week's court proceedings on the 2013 Airbus deal. He said he is in the process of seeking legal advice for a further course of action. “I have my doubts whether the investigations are heading in the wrong direction to divert the attention and to protect the wrongdoers. I have no clue why my name has to be mentioned in courts. more..

Feb 22 (CT) The recent fire that broke out in the Ja-Ela-Seeduwa area, which was abundant with mangroves, may have been the work of saboteurs, as it happened just after the vehement protest of Gampaha District Assistant Forest Conservation Officer Dewani Jayathilake, UNF MP, Professor Ashu Marasinghe, said. He said the fire damaged a large expanse of mangroves and added that Prez Rajapaksa should appoint a special committee to investigate the cause of the fire. more..

Feb 22 (AD) Steps have been taken to establish a laboratory to regulate the quality of medicinal drugs imported to Sri Lanka, says PM Mahinda Rajapaksa. PM said many allegations prevail pertaining to importation of medicinal drugs. He said there are instances where medicinal drugs were imported for higher prices despite having the chance to import them for low prices. The PM emphasized the importance of regulating the quality of medicinal drugs that are being imported to the country. more..

Feb 22 (Island) Reiterating that the controversial travel ban imposed on Army Commander Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva hadn’t been based on independently verified information, but on the much-disputed OISL Report of 2015 and other organizations. Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Washington Rodney Perera on Thursday (20), urged the US to verify the authenticity of its sources of information. more..

Feb 23 (SO) Gotabaya Rajapaksa achieved a magnificent victory at the Prez Election held on Nov 16, 2019 and was sworn in on Nov 18, which also happens to be the birthday of former President and present PM Mahinda Rajapaksa. It is only the second time in living memory that two brothers are simultaneously holding these two posts in the global political arena. On Feb 25, the administration of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will pass the important milestone of 100 days. more..

Feb 23 (CT) The debate on religious and minority rights versus national security concerns resurfaced last week, 10 months after the devastating Easter Sunday attacks, when the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security made suggestions to Parliament to ban face-covering attire such as the burqa and to suspend the registration of political parties on ethnic and religious basis. The special report, presented to Parliament by Chairman of the Committee MP Malith Jayatilake on 19 Feb, more..

Feb 23 (SO) Islam does not cite religious differences as a reason to justify waging wars. According to Islam, Jihad is to struggle against the oppressors, the book Does Al-Qur’an Encourage Violence points out. Authored by Usthaz M.A.M. Mansoor, the book is being promoted to dispel myths about the teachings of Islam and create awareness among communities, following the Easter Sunday tragedy which exposed a dimension more..

Feb 23 (Island) JVP MP Nalinda Jayatissa’s speech in Parliament about the Udayanga Weeratunga affair has captured the imagination of the media. What MP Jayatissa said in his speech in the form of a query directed at the State Minister of Defence Chamal Rajapaksa, was the following: "Today’s newspapers report that the CID officer who had been investigating this matter for the past five years has been transferred. A new officer comes to courts & says that he knows nothing about this matter. more..

Feb 23 (ST) My dear Devanee, I thought of writing to you because so many people are talking about you and praising you these days- even though no one had heard of you only a few weeks ago. All this was because you took the bold step of telling a local politician that no matter what people wanted done, it had to be within the law. Of course, what you did was not merely right, it was praiseworthy. That is because you had the courage to do so while a group of people were trying to silence you by more..

Feb 23 (SO) The event seemed scripted. Clad in a skin-coloured dress and clutching two bouquets of flowers, she walked out of the hospital. Its staff were at her heels, and so was the Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi. At one point Wanniarachchi held the woman’s head in her hands and placed a kiss on her forehead, a gesture that let lose a media frenzy, given the context of the event. more..

Feb 23 (ST) The recent US decision to slap a travel ban on Sri Lanka’s Army chief and his family is either a warning salvo across the bow – for the Govt to fall in line, or an utterly ill-conceived move that pits ordinary Sri Lankans against the US. In announcing its decision, Washington said it had credible information of war crimes committed by the Army commander. It also famously said it had credible information that Saddam Hussein had Weapons of Mass Destruction. more..

Feb 23 (TM) The political equilibrium seems quite fluid these days given the realisation of the powers that be, that the state of the economy will weigh down not only the current Govt but even more heavily, the next one. So heavily that given the current context, the next govt will have little or no leeway to embark on capital investment or large-scale development projects unless they are fully funded through grants or long-term funding with at least a five-year grace period. more..

Feb 23 (SO) To place on record the political significance of the SLPP, is not to belittle the SLFP. SLPP is a political phenomenon. Its historical significance will be of tremendous scholarly import in the future, for both the student of politics, and the regular political chronicler. But, what would be the future role of the SLPP? Would it be the political party that becomes one of the two most significant political entities in the country, alongside the UNP, or perhaps even totally eclipsing the UNP? more..

Feb 23 (Island) Newspaper readers and followers of television bulletins and talk shows have been inundated with reports in recent weeks of massive frauds that are alleged to have occurred in the national airline. Though it is not our intention to damn anybody who has not been convicted through due process, some may have taken vicarious pleasure or satisfaction by seeing handcuffed images of the alleged perpetrators. Be that as it may, conviction and arrest on suspicion are more..

Feb 23 (CT) The SL Govt has decided to withdraw from co-sponsoring the UNHRC Resolution 30/1, PM Mahinda Rajapaksa, in an official statement issued last week, said. This comes in the wake of the decision to prevent the SL Army Commander Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva and his family members from entering the US by the US State Department. Even though this collective punishment has been meted out on the grounds that more..

Feb 23 (CI) Sophie Devine wants to lead by example as New Zealand captain it was no surprise that she was unbeaten to marshal her team to a victory that stretched them for stages. In the end, though, the margin was comfortable with 14 balls to spare as SL's lack of power with the bat beyond Chamari Atapattu again hurt them. However, it was Sri Lanka who made the early running and they were 51 without loss after the powerplay with NZ a little untidy and getting a touch nervous more..

Feb 23 (SO) There is only three weeks to go before the oldest big match and the world’s oldest uninterrupted inter-school cricket encounter - the Battle of the Blues - between Royal and S. Thomas’ to be played. It is during this time that the Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year gathers momentum. Now there is an added reason to feel proud because the Observer-Mobitel Schoolgirl Cricketer of the Year too is run concurrently. The 42nd Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer more..

Feb 23 (CI) Wanindu Hasaranga watched more experienced team-mates throw their wickets away, saw his team slip repeatedly from excellent positions, and then, with only the tail for company, shepherded Sri Lanka to their target with a clever, nerveless innings that made up for all those batting mistakes. SL still had 28 to get - off 27 balls - when No. 10 Lakshan Sandakan came to the crease - game decidedly in West Indies' favour. more..

Feb 23 (ST) Champion Police archer Anuradha Karunaratne has not given up on her Olympic dream even as she contemplates going under the knife again to repair a damaged tendon in her right shoulder, just over a year after making a successful comeback from a similar surgery in October 2016. Silver medallist in the Recurve event at the South Asian Games (SAG) held in India in 2016 and in the Compound event at 13th SAG in Nepal in December where she also bagged the team silver, more..

Feb 23 (AAP) Australia are under the pump and SL aim to cash in on the pressure on the hosts when they meet in Monday's key Women's T20 World Cup clash at the WACA Ground. Friday night's shock opening loss to India means Australia probably need to win all three of their remaining group games in order to qualify for the semi-finals. SL are ranked eighth in the world, and on paper shouldn't pose much of a problem to the defending champions. But SL are more than capable of pulling off more..

Feb 23 (CI) If Wanindu Hasaranga kept his nerve in the frenzied finish, it's because he's been a similar situation before. If he batted cleverly with the tail, and measured the last SL push to perfection, it's because memories of triumphing in arguably tougher circumstances are fresh. SL needed 28 off 27 balls, with only two wickets in hand, when Hasaranga had to really take control of the chase against West Indies. more..

Feb 23 (EN) SL’s cement production and bagging capacity will outstrip demand in the near term with new plants coming in, until the economic activity recovers, Asia Securities said. SL’s cement sales had fallen 6% to 6.3 million metric tonnes in 2019 from 6.7 million metric tonnes in 2018. The construction industry has slowed after SL’s rupee collapsed twice in rapid succession in the wake of liquidity injections made by the central bank, breaking a soft-peg with the US dollar, more..

Feb 23 (EN) Parliament to should be recalled by the Speaker to pass a supplement to a four month mini-budget, Minister Bandula Gunawardana suggested, after the opposition withdrew support forcing the administration to withdraw the motion. SL’s new administration submitted supplementary estimate to a vote-on-account, seeking to spend an additional 156 billion rupees an raise an additional 357 billion rupees in debt, but was forced to withdraw the motion after opposition declined support. more..

Feb 23 (ST) Most respondents in an email poll conducted by the Business Times on the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) were of the view that local health authorities were reasonably dealing with the virus and preventing its spread in SL. Asked to respond with Y (Yes), N (No) or U (Unsure) to the question that SL health authorities were adequately dealing with the virus and preventing its spread in Sri Lanka, more..

Feb 23 (MFA) The Ministry of Foreign Relations in coordination with the Sri Lanka Embassy in Seoul has been closely monitoring and coordinating efforts to ensure the safety of Sri Lankans residing in South Korea, following the recent rise of COVID-19 cases, particularly, in the city of Daegu. According to the Sri Lanka Embassy in Seoul, presently no Sri Lankans have fallen victim to the virus. Over 20,000 Sri Lankans comprising migrant workers as well as students reside in that country. more..

Feb 23 (EN) Minister Bandula Gunewardena is blaming Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa for the govt not being able to pay contractors who have carried out work for the state but whose bills have not been settled by the former administration. Gunewardene said that when the govt asked the Opposition to support a lifting of the debt ceiling so that the govt could borrow money to pay off the contractors, Premadasa did not do so. “If Ranil Wickremesinghe was still the Leader of more..

Feb 23 (TM) A Japanese construction company that built a subway which later collapsed and was also found guilty of bid-rigging is set to construct the second terminal at the BIA. This was confirmed last week when Cabinet approval was granted for the construction to commence with Taisei Corporation, a company which was selected by the previous Govt for the project. The long delayed and urgently needed second terminal will have more..

Feb 23 (AD) An individual has been arrested for extorting money from UNP MP Ishak Rahman by threatening him. The arrest was made by the crimes investigation unit of Anuradhapura yesterday (21). The police officers nabbed the suspect in action while he was receiving Rs. 500,000 as an advance payment of extortion money. The suspect had extorted money to remove a video concerning the parliamentarian that he had published on social media. more..

Feb 23 (AD) Toll charges for the newly constructed Matara-Mattala-Hambantota extension of the Southern Expressway have been gazetted. The extraordinary gazette notification declaring the toll charges was issued by the Minister Johnston Fernando, under Section 89 of the Thoroughfares Act, No. 40 of 2008 read with Sections 13 and 14 of the aforesaid Act. Accordingly, vehicles with 2 axles and four wheels, user fee rates will be as follows: Kottawa to Hambantota – Rs. 800.00 more..