Feb 27 (TM) The travel ban imposed on MP Namal Rajapaksa has been temporarily lifted until 23 July 2020. The order was delivered when the money laundering case against Namal Rajapaksa was taken up before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court today. Namal Rajapaksa and three others have been accused of laundering money amounting to Rs.30 million through Gowers Corporate Services (Pvt) Limited between 2013 and 2014. The case will be taken up for hearing once again on 23 July. more..

Feb 27 (AD) There should be no fear on the withdrawal from a co-sponsored resolution, in the context where even the United States has withdrawn from the UNHRC, stated Dr. Nalaka Godahewa. Godahewa mentioned this attending an opening ceremony held in Gampaha. Responding to a question by a journalist on whether there could be a possibility of losing the GSP Plus concession, he stated that the past govt did nothing for the country’s economic development with the GSP Plus. more..

Feb 27 (AD) Sports Minister Dullas Alahapperuma has instructed Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to investigate the assault on spectators near the entrance to the Sooriyawewa Stadium during the second ODI between SL and West Indies yesterday. A large crowd of cricket fans had reportedly been assaulted near the ticket counters located at the entrance to the int'l cricket stadium in Sooriyawewa during yesterday’s ODI match. more..

Feb 27 (EN) Sri Lanka is expecting domestic maize output to reach 310,497 metric tonnes in the main Maha harvesting season that is getting underway, up 40% from 220,425 metric tonnes reported last year the Department of Agriculture said. SL’s maize output was hit by the fall army worm and erratic weather last year. By January 78% of the targeted 99,431 hectares of maize had been cultivated. Most the maize is expected from the Anuradhapura, Moneragala and Amparai districts. more..

Feb 27 (AD) UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe will enter the parliament through the national list at the upcoming general election, says UNP MP Sarath Fonseka. He said that it is said that Wickremesinghe will not be contesting at the elections and if he does he has to contest under Samagi Jana Balawegaya. However, Wickremesinghe can contest separately, if he wishes, Fonseka added. Although there is a curiosity in the silence of the UNP Leader, several agreements were arrived at following more..

Feb 27 (EN) Sri Lanka will appoint a Supreme Court Judge to examine its post-war reconciliation process SLPP Chief Prof G.L Peiris told reporters Thursday. He said that the judge will act as a Commission to review what has taken place and recommend future action. This follows Sri Lanka declaring its decision to withdraw from the co-sponsorship of the UNHRC resolution 40/1 and the preceding resolutions 30/1 and 34/1. more..

Feb 27 (NR) The govt has directed attention towards introducing a web portal for foreign tourists to obtain secure transport services. Ministry of Tourism & Civil Aviation said tourists will be able to obtain accommodation, vehicle rental services and other services necessary for their trip, through the online service, introduced by the SL Transport Board. The introduction of the web portal has been proposed as a solution to prevent illegal activity and abuse linked to the tourism industry. more..

Feb 27 (Island) Inscribing another milestone in the history of People’s Bank Digital transformation Journey, a new self-service school banking unit with NFC-enabled Cash Deposit Machine (CDM) was inaugurated at Royal College, Colombo on 26th Feb. The inauguration ceremony was held at school premises with the participation of Chairman, People’s Bank Sujeewa Rajapakse, its CEO Rasitha Gunawardane, Principal, Royal College B.A. Abeyrathne, Senior Deputy Principal more..

Feb 27 (AD) MP Vadivel Suresh says that the hike of the daily wage of estate workers to Rs 1000 cannot be just a campaign promise. He pointed out that Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa promised that the daily wage of estate workers will be hiked to Rs 1000 after he wins the Prez Election. “They say that the wage will be given in March. However, the March salary will be given on Apr 10. Yet, by any chance the general election has been more..

Feb 27 (Island) A special squad of the Police STF is conducting further investigations on the cause of the fire that broke out in a marshy land at Perera Mawatha on the Rajagiriya- Buthgamuwa Road, on Tuesday. Police believe that illicit liquor dealers were behind the suspicious act. Several barrels used to distill illicit alcohol were found at the location. Going by the initial investigations, police said that the area residents blamed the fire on illicit distillers in the area. more..

Feb 27 (CT) State Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage, said the CID would call a top politician for investigation over the course of next week for alleged orders the latter made to MP Ranjan Ramanayake to murder Aluthgamage. He said the Govt Analyst report on the alleged conversation where the said politician instructing Ramanayake has been released on 25 February. Meanwhile, speaking on the CB Treasury Bonds scam, he added that the AG has to initiate legal action more..

Feb 27 (AD) Former UPFA MP Sajin de Vass Gunawardena has been remanded until March 12 by the Colombo High Court for allegedly intimidating witnesses in a court case. The former MP has been indicted on the charge of money laundering amounting to over Rs 306.26 million, under Section 3 [1] [a] of Money Laundering Act No 05 of 2006 as amended by Act No 40 of 2011. When the case was taken up today before more..

Feb 27 (DM) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa today ordered the relevant officials to take measures to immediately stop Oil Palm (Katu Pol) cultivation in the country. He made the order after the people of Galle complained that Katu Pol cultivation was one of the main reasons for the water scarcity. President Rajapaksa, who was presiding the Galle District Coordinating Committee meeting, said a proper environmental study should be carried out immediately over the issue. more..

Feb 27 (DN) Due to the restriction on the intake of Advanced Level students into state universities, the govt loses an estimated Rs.56 billion annually as there are more students seeking university entrance in foreign countries, Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardane said. Minister made this observation at the Diploma awarding ceremony held at the SL Foundation Institute auditorium, yesterday. He said the Govt will make a revolutionary change in higher education institutions this year. more..

Feb 27 (EN) The Truth Square -Trap Disinformation a platform created to battle fake news during the upcoming General Election campaign was launched today at SL Foundation Institute. The platform spearheaded by NextGenSL involves youth representing the main political parties in SL, civil society activists, senior journalists, academics and media. UNP, JVP & SLPP were represented at the launch. more..

Feb 28 (FT) Quick! Pick between reading this and opting to do something that really makes you happy. I suspect 99% of you would be more fulfilled getting to work half-an-hour earlier, going to market or school sooner than later, or simply goofing off at home or in your favourite chill-out spot – without an opinionated editorial offering in sight. But something keeps us coming back to the old black and white piece on the state of the nation. And that is a nagging sense of unease that all is not quite more..

Feb 28 (CT) Chief Government Whip of the newly established govt of SL declared to Parliament that 142 incidents of rape, 42 cases of serious sexual abuse and 54 cases of child abuse have been reported from various police divisions in the country in the first 15 days of 2020. The most recent shocking images on social media of a 6yr old girl performing oral sex on an alleged supporter of the current ruling party has sparked widespread condemnation of the silence of the authorities more..

Feb 28 (TM) A novel prisoner rehabilitation programme was launched last week under the leadership of the Ministry of Justice, Human Rights, and Legal Reforms and the Department of Prisons in collaboration with the Avant Garde Group in an endeavour that is expected generate $ 400 million in foreign exchange to the country. The event was officially launched at the Welikada Magazine Prison last Tuesday (18) more..

Feb 28 (SO) Informed and knowledgeable are two terms that complement each other, but do not mean the same in several ways. One can be a well informed person yet lack knowledge in his own conscience. A person may learn about everything new and get updated about everything in the world yet lack a viewpoint. An informed person may not be justifiable or understanding. The reason for creating a well informed child with knowledge is not only one of the most important decisions made by more..

Feb 28 (CT) The people of SL believed in UNP lies and had more than enough with its so-called good governance. The well-established peace by the Rajapaksa Administration was brutalised by creating the space for a gang of extremists, who blasphemed the goodness of Islam, by exploding a couple of bombs and killing more than 300 innocent Christian worshippers and injuring over 600 civilians. A non-SL Singaporean was appointed as the Governor of CB & detrimental repercussion was Bond Issue, more..

Feb 28 (Roar) Aisha*(50), flustered and somewhat embarrassed, showed us the bag she had bought with her. It contained a large wad of cotton wool, a pink comb and other implements — all used in the process of circumcision. She was at first reluctant to speak to us, unsure of how much to divulge, but gradually relaxed. “I was circumcised by my grandmother,” she told us. “[And] she was the one who taught me. more..

Feb 28 (DM) The 29th Delegates’ Conference of the SLMC is reported to have adopted a resolution to renounce the proposal to completely repeal the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA). The Conference has instead resolved to reform it in keeping with Islamic teachings and on what had been agreed upon by Muslim MPs. The wording of the missive includes condemnation of what the Conference believes is an attempt to ‘deny the democratic right of representation to more..

Feb 28 (Island) The police must be authorized to go into the university campuses from time to time to show the undergraduates that they should respect and abide by the laws of the land. Vice-Chancellors should not try to prevent this in any way. I say this because there have been VCs who have not allowed the police to enter the uni premises without their approval. Also some VCs have gone to the extent of going to police stations to bail out students who have been taken into custody for ragging! more..

Feb 28 (CT) 30 years ago, Richard de Zoysa was abducted and disappeared. His dead body was later found on a beach. During the same period, literally tens of thousands of persons throughout the country were also disappeared, and none of the cases relating to such disappearances have been resolved through genuine investigations and prosecutions. Indeed, the process of causing such disappearances by the state fundamentally changed the practical reality of the country’s legal system. more..

Feb 28 (Island) Indian PM Narendra Modi, during PM Mahinda Rajapaksa’s recent state visit to India, exhorted Sri Lanka to ensure that the rights of its minorities, especially the Tamils, were safeguarded. In an interesting turn of events replete with irony, close on the heels of Modi’s much-publicised exhortation, ethnic violence erupted, in New Delhi; the riots which have left about 30 dead are being described by the media as a chilling reminder of the 2002 Gujarat anti-Muslim violence, more..

Feb 28 (Island) Former SL captain Anura Tennekoon’s autobiography – Passionately Cricket – was launched at SCC Wednesday. Tennekoon, who captained S. Thomas’ and SSC was SL’s captain in 1975 and 1979 Cricket World Cups. Tennekoon’s former school mates, his SSC and SL team mates, some of the leading players produced by the country and leading figures of the business world were present at the occasion. more..

Feb 28 (Island) Nations Trust Bank Group demonstrated strong resilience amidst external challenges, to record a profit of LKR 3.71 billion, a marginal increase over the previous year. Total Operating Income grew by 6% to LKR 22.5 billion. Subdued economic conditions which prevailed in the country affected many key economic sectors impacting the financial performance of businesses leading to low credit growth and higher non-performing loans. more..

Feb 28 (DN) Former Prince of Wales College, Moratuwa cricketer Sripal Silva passed away yesterday succumbing to injuries sustained in a motor accident some time ago. He was 59 at the time of his death and was bedridden after the accident. An outstanding schoolboy cricketer, he received SL Schools cricket colours in the late 70s. Silva was a fine paceman in school and at inter-club cricket. He claimed a record 97 wickets in a season in 1979 when Ranjan Madugalle was more..

Feb 28 (TM) The retail prices of consumer goods in SL, especially non-fast moving consumer goods (FMCGs), are likely to witness a slight uptick in the coming months due to the supply shortage created by the mushrooming coronavirus outbreak in China. SL Retailers’ Association (SLRA) President Hussain Sadique said that imports from China have been disrupted as many factories and manufacturing facilities remain closed more..

Feb 28 (DN) Thurstan College will enter the battle with confidence in their ability to retain the Blackham Wijewardene Trophy for the second successive year while Isipathana College will be hoping to break the 21-year hoodoo this year when they clash in their annual 57th Battle of Brothers cricket encounter at the SSC grounds today and tomorrow with play commencing at 9.30 am on both days. Thurstan will be captained by third year coloursman Jayavihan Mahavithana who made a century on debut more..

Feb 28 (FT) The Monetary Board, with the concurrence of the Minister of Finance, Economy and Policy Development, has appointed Assistant Governor Mahinda Siriwardana as a Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL). Siriwardana has more than 28 years’ experience at the Central Bank. Prior to his recent appointment as a Deputy Governor, Siriwardana held the position of Assistant Governor in charge of the Economic Research Department & Statistics Dept. more..

Feb 28 (DN) Creating a major land mark in the power generation sector, SL’s first power plant using garbage will be opened in May. The project will recycle solid waste within the Colombo Municipal Area to generate 11.5 mw of power converting 500-700 metric tonnes of municipality waste into electricity. The USD 100 million projects managed by Western Power Company, a member of Aitken Spence Group, is now nearing construction more..

Feb 28 (Island) Union Bank demonstrated a healthy performance amid the challenging macro-economic environment in the year 2019, recording a significant increase of 50% in profit after all taxes. Amidst sector shocks that prevailed throughout, the Bank strived for revenue optimisation through portfolio re-alignment and prudent cost management. During the year, the Bank had paid 66% of its profits as taxes which was over Rs.1 Bn. Despite market challenges, the core banking operations of the Bank more..

Feb 28 (FT) UNESCO SL National Commission Secretary General Dr. Punchi Nilame Meegaswatte and UNESCO SL National Commission Deputy Secretary General Ashwini Madanayake visited the National Science Foundation (NSF) on 25 Feb with a view to forge collaborative programs to take science to the community and promote science education in the country. NSF Chairman Prof. Ranjith Senaratne, after extending a warm welcome, underscored the importance of taking science more..

Feb 28 (CT) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) President Shammi Silva apologized to fans for the incident that took place in Sooriyawewa, where footage showed several fans being assaulted by the Police. "We did not expect this much of a crowd for the match. By morning of the match day, there were only 3,000 tickets sold and we had another 2000-2500 tickets printed, which wasn't enough to accommodate 8000-9000 fans that were more..

Feb 28 (Island) LOLC ascended by one position in the Business Today’s Top 30 edition of 2018-2019 to secure the third position in one of the most acclaimed rankings that recognises the exceptional performance of SL’s top corporate entities. The Business Today Top 30 awards ceremony was held recently at the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton Colombo with PM, Mahinda Rajapaksa participating as the Chief Guest. A large gathering of distinguished guests was also present at more..

Feb 28 (ST) As fintech firms and technology giants use consumer data, artificial intelligence and modern technology to build competitive alternatives to traditional financial offerings, banks are consolidating their brick and mortar branches to become more digitised. SL has entered a phase which is dominated by mobile applications. The figures attest to the degree to which digital banking has become a viable alternative to brick and mortar banking, Atchuthan Srirangan, more..

Feb 28 (CI) Thisara Perera has made a return to SL's T20I squad after missing the series in India, while fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep and spin-bowling allrounder Shehan Jayasuriya also earn recalls. There was no room, however, for batsmen such as Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Oshada Fernando, who had both impressed in the series against Pakistan last year. Opener Danushka Gunathilaka continued to be unavailable more..

Feb 28 (DM) The UNP working committee will meet today to discuss and decide on Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa's extension to Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and the UNP to join the Samagi Jana Balawegaya to contest the general election. The working committee would meet at 3 p.m today. It was reported that the Samagi Jana Balawegaya alliance would become legitimate when the working committee grants the approval for the UNP to join it. Mr. Premadasa invited Mr. Wickremesinghe more..