Sep 25 (CG) The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay today set a deadline for the govt to address human rights concerns by March 2014 or in the absence of which she believes the international community will have a duty to establish its own inquiry mechanisms. In a statement on Sri Lanka, which was delivered to the UNHRC by the Deputy High Commissioner Flavia Pansieri, Pillay said that she has not detected more..

Sep 25 (CI) Lalit Modi, the former IPL chairman, has been expelled from the BCCI during a special general meeting (SGM) of the board in Chennai. The unanimous decision was made quickly after the meeting began at 2.00 pm and it came following a series of legal proceedings in court over the last couple of weeks, as Modi tried to stay the SGM. The Supreme Court on Wednesday gave the final go-ahead for the BCCI meeting and the board's action was swift and severe. more..

Sep 25 (TA) It is only four years since Sri Lanka's civil war - a war that spawned the most wicked weapon of modern conflict, the suicide bombing - was brought to its dramatic close after 26 bitter years. Yet a provincial election has now been held in what was the main battlezone of the war, in the north of the country, with remarkable success. That success stems from both the turnout of voters - 68% of the 719,000 in the electorate - and the identity of the clear winners, the TNA. more..

Sep 25 (DM) The Govt has decided to revive the �District Ministerial System� and appoint 25 district ministers shortly to expedite the development process and maintain law and order, the Daily Mirror learns. This system was first introduced by President J.R. Jayewardene, A senior Cabinet Minister on condition of anonymity said that District Ministers would act as the political authority of each district under the direction of the President. more..

Sep 26 (NS) Separatism and TNA go hand in hand. Its election manifestos of 2001, 2004, 2010 and now 2013 see no major difference. There is no major difference in the fact that Tamils have kept on voting for the TNA despite its allegiance to the LTTE. What must be also reiterated is that though their numbers are hardly representative of the entire Tamil population, given the nature of the election voting system minority political parties will continue to find themselves seated in parliament more..

Sep 26 (NS) One and a half months ago, C.V. Wigneswaran was the ideal �option� for the TNA, to be fielded as its chief ministerial candidate. Although his federalist inclinations were known to the public to a certain extent, many believed he would steer the party away from the separatist line and restore moderation and sensibility in Tamil politics- at large. Being a federalist, after all, does not constitute a wrong-doing or crime, no matter how unrealistic that may be in Sri Lanka�s context. more..

Sep 26 (NS) Sri Lanka has expressed discontent over the recent UN report where it said that one in 10 males had admitted to raping. According to the report on violence against women, 14.5% of men in Sri Lanka had admitted to having committed rape. Minister Tissa Karaliyadda reacting to the contents of the report said that he doubted the accuracy of the survey results in light of the fact that previous reports of the UN more..

Sep 26 (CT) A few years back, when the Central Bank�s senior officers were summoned before the Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises, commonly known as COPE, the members of the Committee were inquisitive about the Central Bank�s making a lesser amount of profits in the year in question compared to the previous year. The Committee had been guided by a report filed by the Auditor General. The Committee was perplexed when it was explained to them that a good more..

Sep 26 (CT) Is too late to write about the election manifesto of the TNA? I don�t think so at all, because although the elections will be over by the time this comes out, the impact of the election manifesto is yet to be felt. In the true sense, the TNA manifesto is not a policy proposal for the NPC election, but a programme for the launch of the third phase of the Tamil Separatist struggle. As discussed in previous columns, the first phase (1951-1972) dubbed �the non-violent phase� more..

Sep 26 (CT) As the people of the Northern Province gathered at polling stations around the region in search of what they hoped would be a successful bid for self-governance, a small community of displaced persons set out to vote with the sole desire of having their original houses returned to them. Fifteen kilometres north off the Jaffna town in Chunnakam, a small refugee camp called Sabapathy remains inhabited by more..

Sep 26 (GV) The NPC Elections has concluded amidst various challenges. While WAN welcomes the conclusion of these elections the need for the full devolution of powers so as to ensure the rights of historically subordinated communities remains. The women who contested the elections faced several additional challenges to their male counterparts irrespective of the fact that only a very few women got nominated. In the post war context when women came forward to participate in the more..

Sep 26 (CT) �It�s a ghost of the past,� shouted the media in the south. The northern media, however, was relentless in creating the ghost of a new future. The North had not seen an election of this kind for decades. In the first and only NPC election, held in 1988, a dismal number of people turned out to vote � so embarrassing that the number of votes were not even widely published! Then the EPRLF in control of the north, with the Indian army, won all seats. Contrast that to the second NPC more..

Sep 26 (FT) The first postal vote results of the NPC election were just trickling in, when President Rajapaksa left for New York, to address the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly. With the historic northern poll just concluded and declared largely peaceful, other than for sporadic incidents of violence, the President no doubt left native shores with mixed feelings. On the one hand, he was going before the UN having finally more..

Sep 26 (Island) He is the commander-in-chief of an unbelievably strong military equipped with huge fleets of warships, submarines and fighter jets carrying nukes capable of blowing up the planet several times over. He could make war or peace at the stroke of a pen and command, if he so wishes, from the refuge of his office, forces on secret missions to hunt down and execute dangerous terrorists in faraway countries. In short, he is considered the most powerful man on earth. more..

Sep 26 (Island) News item: The Election Commissioner has begun replacing the old wooden ballot boxes with see-through plastic containers topped with a flip-flop aperture for ballot papers. It is, indeed a sad day for those sturdy brown guardians of democracy that have lasted well over half a century and undergone many travails � carried along jungle paths, up steep mountains, across rivers, lagoons and in the boots of cars and jeeps escorted by an �honour guard� of Election Officers. more..

Sep 26 (CT) Popular businessman and UNP branch committee chairman, Vipula Gunaratne, said those who accuse the group that staged protests in front of the UNP headquarters, Sirikotha, were the ones who had worked to ensure the govt's victory, obsessed with securing posts. "J.C. Alawathuwala announced that I, along with my team, supported the govt based on the fear that I may not be appointed as the more..

Sep 26 (FT) First it was MP Duminda Silva and now enters football administrator Solomon Kankanamge Dhammika onto the Board of Touchwood Investments. The troubled company yesterday announced a fresh appointment to its struggling Board with the latest entrant being S.K. Dhammika, who is the Vice Chairman of South Asian (7side) Football Association and a Director of Benchmark Education Institute, Matara. The company also announced the resignation of Independent more..

Sep 26 (DN) Adding power generated by renewable energy sources to the national grid must be paid more attention, Minister Susil Premajayantha said. "We need to change the attitude regarding alternative energy resources to fulfill the increasing power demand. As at present 35 MW are being generated by the wind power plant installed in Kalpitiya. The CEB is of the view that it is difficult to add power generated from renewable energy sources to the national grid as more..

Sep 26 (Island) The national cricketers and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) could be in for a major showdown after it emerged that the national cricket team�s tour of the UK next year would clash with the next edition of the IPL. Sri Lanka are due to fly to the UK on the 10th of May this year, but the IPL is expected to go on till end May. This year�s IPL ended on May 26th, while in 2012, the IPL ended on May 27th. more..

Sep 26 (DN) With continued foreign currency inflows in the form of workers' remittances, earnings from exports and tourism as well as inflows to the financial account, SL's external sector remained stable during the first seven months of 2013. The external sector is expected to strengthen further with continued inflows to commercial banks and the private sector as well as through projected inflows in the form of tourist earnings and workers' remittances during the remaining months of 2013. more..

Sep 26 (CT) Leader of the Left Front, Dr. Wickramabahu Karunaratne, filed a Fundamental Rights application requesting the Supreme Court to direct the Vice-Chancellor and the Deans of Faculties of the University of Peradeniya, to pay his salary, gratuity and provident fund entitlements. He also requested the Court to grant compensation of Rs 2 million, for the violation of his Fundamental Rights by the respondents. The VC, acting VC, Deans of all the faculties, more..

Sep 26 (CT) Close on the heels of PC elections, which saw a massive deterioration in the vote base of the UNP, MP Sajith Premadasa, yesterday said he is willing to accept the Party leadership, if it was handed over to him by the Party's Working Committee and Parliamentary Group, unconditionally and unanimously. The one-time Deputy Leader said, he will and can lead the Party towards victory under his leadership. more..

Sep 26 (Island) "Social responsibility and corporate citizenship are here to stay", CEO and Secretary General of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, (CCC) Harin Malwatte said. Maintaining profit margin is no longer the sole focus of the private sector when looking at long term growth, he added. Malwatte made these comments as the Best Corporate Citizen Awards organized by the CCC celebrates its 10th year using the theme �Decade of Corporate Citizenship� in November this year. more..

Sep 26 (Island) SriLankan Catering, the catering arm of the national carrier, stole the limelight at the National Culinary Arts Competition 2013, ranking fourth in the island with a medal count of 31 which includes ten gold awards. Organized by the Chefs� Guild of Sri Lanka, the contest was held at the BMICH where the chefs of SriLankan Catering who showcased their culinary prowess under different categories were also adjudged the first in the Negombo region. more..

Sep 26 (Island) Results of the election including the preferential vote counts would not be affected by the marked ballot papers found at St. Andrew�s College counting centre in Puttalam, EC Mahinda Deshapriya said. Several parties including Janasetha Peramuna and Democratic Party demanded a re-poll for the Puttalam District, but the Polls Chief insisted that there was no need for any such measures. more..

Sep 26 (CT) UNP MPs, Ruwan Wijewardena and Mangala Samaraweera, have commenced a campaign to safeguard the position of Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Leader of the UNP, amidst fierce opposition being mounted by the UNP seniors and supporters. The UNP seniors point out that Wijewardena, the leader of the UNP Youth Front, seems to be having a need to tenaciously keep Wickremesinghe as the Leader of the Party, in order to safeguard his future leadership. more..

Sep 26 (TS) Sri Lanka�s Tamil heartland has finally regained its political voice, four years after a brutal civil war that tore apart the island. And its first priority speaks volumes: It is to help �war widows, orphans and the disabled,� the region�s chief minister-designate C.V. Wigneswaran says. The fighting claimed 80,000 lives or more, and left a lifetime of pain in its wake. This is a critical milestone for Sri Lanka and its 20 million people, as the Star�s Rosie DiManno has been reporting from more..

Sep 26 (IL) President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is in New York to participate the 68th United Nations General Assembly met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and US President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the summit on Tuesday. Sri Lankan delegation headed by President Rajapaksa held discussions with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and the UN officials at the UN Headquarters in New York. more..

Sep 26 (CT) The Ministry of Health has not suspended or cut down on payments and allowances made to the National Blood Dialysis Centre and despite claims by the unions, they would not face a blood shortage at any given time, the ministry said yesterday. Responding to allegations levelled by the All Ceylon Health Services Union (ACHSU) that Sri Lanka is facing an imminent blood shortage due to a lack of funds to pay collecting officers, Health Ministry Spokesperson, more..

Sep 26 (AT) The 10th Sri Lanka Festival was organized by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Japan at the Yoyogi Park in Shibuya, Tokyo by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Japan on 21st and 22nd Sept. The annual Sri Lanka Festival in Tokyo which provides the Japanese public an opportunity to experience a taste of Sri Lankan culture in the heart of Tokyo was held under the theme �Sri Lanka-Wonder of Asia�. The Festival which entertained around 200,000 visitors, showcased tourism, trade, more..

Sep 26 (DM) Although much was expected from the much publicized twitter Q and A with President Rajapaksa on Wednesday, in his first foray into the realm of direct engagement via digital media, the session proved to be a damper to many, with the President answering questions that were only related the UN sessions and issues therein. The session which was scheduled to start at 6.30 pm but commenced 90 minutes later saw more..

Sep 26 (Hindu) Inmates of a Sri Lankan Tamil refugee special camp at Poonamallee in Tiruvallur district should be permitted to stay there till the State govt takes a decision on a representation by them for their transfer to Gummidipoondi camp, the Madras High Court ordered on Wednesday. Justice K.K. Sasidharan passed the order on a writ petition by an inmate Suresh Kumar, who sought to restrain the authorities from transferring the refugees who were staying at Poonamallee for more..

Sep 26 (Island) Amidst continuing public protests over the discovery of three bags full of marked ballot papers at a counting center in Puttalam on Tuesday, the UNP urged the Elections Commissioner, not to gazette the results of the NWPC Election that was held last Saturday. General Secretary of the UNP,Tissa Attanayake said that since the matter was now before court,it was best that the NWPC result not be given the official stamp, until there was a judicial ruling. more..

Sep 26 (FT) Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena�s allegation early this week that the tobacco industry had attempted to bribe him enough for many generations to stop new legislations on pictorial warning has shocked corporate Sri Lanka whilst Ceylon Tobacco Company (CTC) has denied the move. During a felicitation ceremony in recognition of WHO�s special award for him in recognition of his service, Minister Sirisena had alleged that more..

Sep 26 (Island) The TNA has decided to grant one of its two bonus seats to Mannar District defeated Muslim candidate Ayub Nasmeen. TNA sources said that the other bonus seat would be given to the defeated candidate with highest preferential votes in the five districts of the province to serve for a period of one year each. The party has not yet decided on its nominees for the Provincial Ministers posts. However, there were requests from the TNA constituents for ministerial portfolios. more..

Sep 26 (FT) The Board of Directors of the ADB has approved a $ 75 million loan to the Sri Lankan Govt for its Southern Road Connectivity Project, which will enable a smoother flow of people and freight between the southern region and Colombo. �This will contribute to an integrated road network that will accelerate economic growth, while reducing travel time and cost and improving safety,� said Chen Chen, transport specialist in ADB�s South Asia Department. more..

Sep 26 (DM) While strongly repudiating UN Human Rights Chief Navinethem Pillay's assertion that if certain concerns are not comprehensively addressed, she believes �the international community will have a duty to establish its own inquiry mechanisms�, Sri Lanka said that she has no mandate to make such a claim. In response to Pillay�s remarks, SL's Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva Ravinatha Aryasinha said, more..

Sep 26 (Island) An Assistant Commissioner of Labour attached to the Polonnaruwa District Secretariat was arrested yesterday while accepting a bribe of Rs. 50,000 from the owner of a private security firm. Director of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, SP W.L.S. Somaweera Lokuge said that the suspect had been arrested, when he allegedly accepted the bribe in his quarters in close proximity to the Pollonnaruwa Secretariat building. more..

Sep 26 (CG) Australia says while there remain important concerns about human rights and reconciliation in Sri Lanka, Commonwealth leaders must still participate in the CHOGM to be held in Sri Lanka. �Sri Lanka will have an opportunity to show what progress has been made in areas of humanitarian support and human rights,� Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told reporters in New York. She said more could be achieved by engaging Sri Lanka than by isolating it. more..

Sep 26 (Reuters) Four years after it crushed a long separatist rebellion, Sri Lanka may be sliding towards an authoritarian system as President Mahinda Rajapaksa gathers power around him, the U.N. human rights chief said on Wednesday. The report by Navi Pillay, said the largely Buddhist South Asian state was also seeing a surge of violence against religious minorities - Christians, Muslims and Hindus - while the Colombo govt stood by. more..