Feb 5 (Island) The combined security forces march-past and drive-past at the 72nd Independence Day celebrations yesterday, were the highlights of the day. All fighting formations joined the military parade, the first since wartime Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa won the 2019 prez election. President Rajapaksa received the guard-of-honour before the commencement of the march past and drive-past. more..

Feb 5 (IFP) Iran�s President Hassan Rouhani has congratulated his SL counterpart on the anniversary of the independence of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. In a message to Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prez Rouhani expressed hope mutual relations will further expand. �Given the political will of both countries� leaders, I hope cordial relations and cooperation between the two sides will expand on all fronts in order to serve the interests of both nations� mutual interests,� read the message. more..

Feb 5 (SLA) In what could be considered as the biggest-ever share of the Army promotions, Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces on account of the 72nd National Independence Day has promoted a total of 244 Officers, including 17 Brigadiers to the Rank of Major General, 45 Lieutenant Colonels to the Rank of Colonel, 49 Majors to the Rank of Lieutenant Colonel, 42 Captains to the Rank of Major, 80 Lieutenants to the Rank of Captain and more..

Feb 5 (DD) The World Bank reaffirmed its continued support to SL's growth and development for the benefit of all its people, as WB Vice President for South Asia, Hartwig Schafer concluded a four-day visit. During his visit, Schafer gained a better understanding of the country's development priorities under the new govt and how the World Bank's financial and knowledge resources can be deployed for maximum impact. more..

Feb 5 (TM) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa is yet to accept the post of leader of the new UNP led alliance. Accordingly, Premadasa will be appointed Leader of the UNP led alliance, once he informs the Working Committee (WC) on the 6th of February. �Until then Premadasa cannot make any decisions on behalf of the alliance nor hold discussions representing the UNP regarding the alliance,� the senior UNP member said. Following the WC meeting held on the 30 of January, more..

Feb 5 (Island) Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna said that the govt has reduced the expenses for the 72nd Independence celebrations compared to previous years. The govt had taken this decision following instructions of Prez Rajapaksa. The time allocated for the military parade too had been curtailed and independence day celebrations held at district and district secretariat levels would not be held this year. Prez had advised relevant authorities to plant trees to mark the Independence Day. more..

Feb 5 (EN) Power cuts of up to two hours a day from Feb 3, were averted after Energy Minister intervened to arrange extra fuel on credit from state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, for a thermal power plant the ministry said. �The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation stopped fuel supplies to the Kerawalapitiya power plant because the credit limit has been exceeded,� the Power Ministry said in a statement. more..

Feb 5 (FT) On the occasion of the 72nd Independence Day of SL, China�s President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi have conveyed their congratulations to Sri Lankan counterparts. In his message to Prez Rajapaksa, President Xi said: �On the occasion of the 720d Independence Day of Sri Lanka, I would like to extend my sincere greetings and best wishes to Sri Lanka and her people, on behalf of the Chinese Govt, people & myself. more..

Feb 5 (DN) SriLankan Airlines staff members who volunteered to operate Flight UL1423 in the airline�s mission of mercy that brought back Sri Lankan students from Wuhan, China, has refused to accept the special incentives and allowances offered to them by the Airlines for the journey. They have requested the SriLankan Airline authorities to use those funds to buy masks, gloves and other necessary equipment for the SriLankan Airlines staff who engaged in ground handling in Wuhan, more..

Feb 5 (FT) Police were unable to trace the whereabouts of former SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena and his wife Priyanka Wijenayake, after a warrant was issued for their arrest by the Colombo Fort Magistrate on Monday, following the AG directing that they be apprehended and produced in Court to face charges of money laundering. Police had visited the residence of the couple in Colombo but they were not there. more..

Feb 5 (DM) President of Russia Vladimir Putin today said he was convinced that the further development of bilateral ties with Sri Lanka was in line with the strengthening of regional security and stability. �I am convinced that the further development of the constructive bilateral dialogue and fruitful cooperation in various fields meets the fundamental interests of our people, and is in line with the strengthening of regional security and stability,� Russian President said more..

Feb 5 (USE) On behalf of the people of the United States, I send my best wishes to SL as you celebrate the 72nd anniversary of your independence on Feb 4. Our relationship is based on common democratic values, and the US steadfastly supports SL�s vibrant democracy and its sovereignty. We share a commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region that ensures peace, economic growth, security, democracy, and human rights for the advancement of our peoples. more..

Feb 5 (CT) TNA Leader, R. Sampanthan said that due to the national anthem not being sung in Tamil at this year's Independence Day celebrations, the Tamil community in Sri Lanka were disappointed. He added that the TNA boycotted the Independence Day celebrations due to Tamil people living in Sri Lanka not being accepted as citizens of this country. He added, "TNA members including me didn't attend more..

Feb 5 (TM) Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka was not present at the 72nd National Independence Day celebrations held at the Independence Square today (4). When contacted Fonseka he said he was on the way to another event that was pre-planned. He added that attendance at the National Independence Day celebrations was not compulsory. However, former Air Force Commander Roshan Goonetileke and former Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda who were recently awarded more..

Feb 5 (TM) Former President Maithripala Sirisena was not present at the 72nd National Independence Day celebrations held at the Independence Square today(4). Sources said that the former President is boycotting all gatherings including today�s Independence Day celebrations due to issues with regard to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) alliance. The SLFP-SLPP alliance was formed to face the upcoming parliamentary elections in April. more..

Feb 5 (AD) Any extremist or terrorist organizations will not be allowed to be active in Sri Lanka, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said addressing the 72nd Independence Day ceremony. The celebrations kicked off at the Independence Square in Colombo this morning (4) following the arrival of the President and hoisting of the national flag. Prez stated that he has the vision that he must serve as the Head of State of all the people more..

Feb 5 (DM) With Pakistan and Somalia both declaring national emergency over locust attacks on crops while a host of East African nations, Iran, Yemen, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Oman and the western states of India going through one of the worst locust episodes in history, speculations are rife whether locust is becoming the biggest threat to the global food security. The devastation of 50% of country�s crops by the insect saw Pakistan PM Imran Khan declaring a state of emergency more..

Feb 5 (DM) Our beloved country has always been steeped in traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation!!! Sri Lanka is a land of mystery, a land whose history, culture and traditions remain even today; they are some of the most exquisite yet remain totally alien to the world at large. Perhaps it is correct to say that one simply has to be Sri Lankan in order to understand the culture, customs and traditions that are ingrained in us and integrated into our way of life. more..

Feb 5 (DM) Ten years after the end of SL�s civil war, the country still seems to be spending its defence budget similarly to that of conflicted-affected states, a new study reveals. It also states that spending is significantly higher than its regional, island and population-size peers. The study done by Daniel Alphonsus, who had served as an advisor to SL�s Finance Minister with experience working at Foreign Ministry and Verit� Research, more..

Feb 5 (ST) CEB Engineers have warned the govt that power cuts would be inevitable by next month, if a decision to purchase emergency power supplies is not taken soon as the govt was trying to push forward with coal power projects. The Union, which represents a majority of CEB engineers, has conveyed its position to the Power and Energy Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, state minister Aluthgamage and CEB management. more..

Feb 5 (ST) With all the documents released to Parliament by the Central Bank on the forensic audits on Treasury bonds, the Speaker can instruct the AG to file a case against those implicated in the losses from Treasury bond sales, officials familiar with the process, said. This, however, can happen only after Parliament debates the five audit reports on Feb 18-19, and until then there is unlikely to be any movement on these reports, more..

Feb 5 (FT) Think-tank Advocata yesterday called on the Govt to attend to the deep-rooted issue of systemic misgovernance embedded within Sri Lanka�s State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), which has been brought to the fore through the $ 2 million corruption scandal involving the national carrier. Advocata, in a statement, welcomed President Gotabaya Rajapaksa�s decision to order an investigation into the bribe paid by Airbus. more..

Feb 5 (FT) Members of the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) and the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) have been appointed, says the Department of Communication of the Parliament. The Committee of Selection, on the meeting held in the 24th of January 2020, appointed 16 members to the COPA in accordance with the provisions of Standing Order 119 (1) of the Parliament. more..

Feb 5 (EN) Hours after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa told the nation in his Independence Day address that his govt welcomed dissenting views, praise came from an unlikely source. UNP MP Mangala Samaraweera, one of the harsher critics of Rajapaksa and his brothers since his very public defection from their camp in 2007, tweeted that the speech was excellent � albeit with a caveat. Coming from a man who once said he was more..

Feb 5 (AD) IGP Pujith Jayasundara, who was sent on compulsory leave, has been granted bail by the Colombo High Court. The revision bail application filed by the IGP, who is charged with criminal negligence of duty by failing to prevent the Easter Sunday terror attacks despite having received intelligence information in advance, was taken up before Colombo HC Judge Adithya Patabendige this morning (5). more..

Feb 5 (AD) Former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, who was remanded over the Easter Sunday bomb attacks, has been granted conditional bail today. The order was delivered by the Colombo HC Judge Manjula Thilakaratne. When the revision application filed by the former Defence Secretary was taken up for hearing this morning, Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris, who appeared on behalf of the Attorney General, more..

Feb 5 (EN) Co-Govt Spokesman Mahindananda Aluthgamage is saying that the state has not been able to trace whereabouts of former CEO of SriLankan Airlines Kapila Chandrasena who is wanted in connection with allegedly accepting a bribe from Airbus. SL is one of at least a dozen countries where a wide international investigation found that the aircraft manufacturer had engaged in corrupt practices to sell planes. more..

Feb 5 (EN) Measures have been further strengthened to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in SL the Acting Director-General of Health Services Dr Lakshman Gamlath said. �There is no need for the general public to be fearful,� he said. Gamlath said that health officials have received information regarding a cruise ship arriving with 2000 passengers at the Colombo port and all of those passengers will be examined more..

Feb 5 (CT) Perceptions in today's harsh world of rushing into unintended meanings back of statements made on matters relating to scams in the Govt sector are liable to make you most unendurable in Media and political circles. The reason is simple. They stink to high heaven and all the way back to hell too where scam perpetrators need to be sent to for an eternity. The trick in this whole exercise is that politicians as well as their cohorts in public service, who run through more..

Feb 5 (FT) One media station tagged the bond scam as the greatest financial loss inflicted on the nation since its independence. The million dollar question yet remaining unanswered however is, �will the truth, the extent of the scams, the long-term impact on the nation and its citizens, the real culprits and recovery of proceeds of the crime, be ever be transparently visible for society expectations of Justice to be delivered?� Since 2015, beginning with analyst amber signals, media expos�s and debates, more..

Feb 5 (EN) SriLankan Airlines, the state-owned national carrier, will reduce its flight frequencies to China due to falling consumer demand following the novel coronavirus outbreak, a statement said. �Due to prevailing demand conditions, SriLankan will temporarily reduce flight frequencies to China according to the long-term policies of the airline,� a statement in Sinhala said. �Following the coronavirus outbreak, Chinese outbound tourism has fallen significantly.� more..

Feb 5 (AD) A site has reportedly been marked as an Agitation Site close by to the Galle Face Green, Colombo, stated Ada Derana reporter. It was a common sight in the recent past that the public being inconvenienced by continuous protest demonstrations in Colombo. Vehicular traffic and daily life are largely affected as protestors select crowded public areas such as Lotus Road in Colombo, Galle Face Green, Town Hall and Lipton Roundabout to hold their demonstrations. more..

Feb 5 (DN) Govt will shortly invest Rs. 500 million for the rehabilitation of the Mattala Mahinda Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) to bring it back to int'l standards within 6 months. �Despite the Govt of Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa building the Mattala Airport to int'l standards, the ruination which was taking place during the previous regime was colossal that it will cost around Rs 500 mil, which will also include infrastructure upgrades� more..

Feb 5 (EN) UNP accused the govt of discontinuing an allowance paid to chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. UNP MP Rohini Wijerathna said that the Rs 5,000 allowance, initiated by the UNP-led Yahapalana govt, is now paid only to patients undergoing dialysis treatment. �A majority of kidney patients are reported from Laggala-Pallegama, Wilgamuwa and Yatawatta areas. In Wilgamuwa alone, I believe one person in three families is a kidney patient. more..

Feb 5 (AD) Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL), the electricity sector regulator, has asked the CEB to submit a report on the interruption of electricity supply that occurred on Monday without the prior approval of the Commission. PUCSL said this action was taken following inquires and complaints from consumers received in the areas of Wattala, Ja-Ela, Kandana, Kelaniya, Maharagama, Boralasgamuwa, Nugegoda, Mirihana and Hikkaduwa, complaining that there were more..

Feb 5 (DM) An interesting incident transpired during the proceedings at the Fort Magistrate�s Court yesterday, where two bank officials had been accused of wrongfully confining and intimidating a customer to recover the loan he had obtained by allegedly providing forged documents. According to the police, the complainant-customer had obtained a Rs. 2million loan from a private bank by providing necessary documents last year. more..

Feb 5 (FT) Alpen Capital (ME) Ltd., Dubai-headquartered investment banking advisory firm, announced the publication of its latest report titled Sri Lankan Banking and NBFI Sector. This report provides a comprehensive overview of the SL Banking and Non-Banking Financial Institutions (NBFI) sectors, highlighting the strengths, opportunities and challenges for a diverse group of investors (investment funds, corporate institutions, etc.) looking for investment opportunities more..

Feb 5 (DN) PM Mahinda Rajapaksa will answer the questions raised by the MPs today. This will be the first time that PM Rajapaksa will be answering the questions directed to the PM, the Parliament Communications Office said in a communique. Committee on Parliamentary Business chaired by Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya, decided to schedule the Parliament sittings from today to Feb 7. Accordingly, the regulations under the Motor Traffic Act will be debated in Parliament today. more..

Feb 5 (CTV) A Calgary family is facing deportation back to Sri Lanka even though two of their children were born in Canada. The family�s eldest son, nine-year-old Maneth Fernando, penned a letter to Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Marco Mendicino, in a last ditch effort to have Ottawa intervene. "Canada is a safe place with lots of good schools and my friends are here," Maneth said. more..