Aug 28 (Island) The All Ceylon Transport Employees Union has complained to the Court of Appeal that the Sri Lanka Transport Board has not remitted money to the EPF accounts of 36,000 employees amounting to Rs. 3,748 million up to 2013. The petition has said that the Finance Minister is vested with powers to recover the EPF money from the State and credit the EPF accounts of these employees as the SLTB was not remitting the arrears. Among the respondents are more..

Aug 28 (Island) Higher Education Minister S. B. Dissanayake said yesterday that the gazette notification to establish a Management Faculty at the Peradeniya University would not be signed until undergraduates who were currently performing an indefinite satyagraha over the issue at Galaha Junction dispersed. He said that all steps including buildings and academic systems were in place to start the new faculty and all that was needed was a gazette notification. more..

Aug 28 (Island) Amidst intense speculation that Sajith Premadasa would be re-appointed Deputy Leader of the UNP, Chairman of the party Kabir Hashim said that their focus was on uniting and strengthening the party with a view to winning not only the forthcoming Uva PC polls, but also the next Presidential election. Admitting that there had been several rounds of talks between UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and more..

Aug 28 (MoD) Making a statement, Director of the Media Centre of Ministry of Defence and Urban Development Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya said that 71 houses and 22 shops have been completely renovated and handed over to their owners which were severely damaged during the communal riots in Aluthgama and Beruwala last month. Among the remaining buildings which are to be reconstructed, 109 houses and 33 shops are under the rebuilding process. more..

Aug 28 (CT) Actor turned MP, Ranjan Ramanayake asserted that Sajith Premadasa was the most popular UNP leader next to Ranil Wickremesinghe. He called upon all UNP leaders to come together on one stage to achieve positive results at the upcoming Uva provincial election. "It is an accepted fact that after Wickremesinghe, Premadasa is the most popular leader in the Party and Premadasa has a vital role to play to secure victory in Uva," he stressed. more..

Aug 28 (PTI) TNA leader R Sampanthan today alleged that SL govt was not interested in implementing the 13th Amendment and was only impeding the functioning of the Northern Provincial Council (NPC). "The govt is not interested in implementing the 13th Amendment and is interested in blocking, impeding and restraining the functioning of the NPC," Sampanthan, said. Regretting that Chief Minister is unable to more..

Aug 28 (Island) President of the Jaffna Chamber of Commerce (JCC) R. Jeyasegaran appeals to expatriate Tamils visiting SL to purchae gifts such as jewellery and clothes in Jaffna as to boost the local economy which has suffered severe setbacks because of the war. Jayasegaran said as a large number of Tamil residents overseas came here for various festivals and visit their family members had helped revive the Jaffna economy which, he, however, says needs a bigger boost. more..

Aug 28 (Hindu) The village of Kolathur, was one of the places in TN where the cadre of the LTTE were imparted armed training in the early 1980s to fight the Sri Lankan forces. 1983 riots in SL brought the ethnic issue into a sharp focus, and the island nation was unable to deal with the anti-Tamil violence effectively. This was a cause for grave concern to the Indian govt. The public sentiments in TN turned strong, resulting in a forceful demand for India�s military intervention. more..

Aug 28 (Island) Sri Lanka�s primary High Security Zone (HSZ) in the Northern Peninsula has recently come under satellite surveillance consequent to a request by a UK-based NGO, namely the Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice. The Geo-spatial Technologies and Human Rights Project of the American Association for the Advancement of Science has obtained/studied high resolution satellite images of the Palaly more..

Aug 28 (DM) Yesterday�s arrest of a girl for slapping a man who sexually harassed and humiliated her in public at the Wariyapola main bus stand, again brings to focus vital issues relating to women�s rights and the growing sexual abuse of girls including children. The Daily Mirror reported yesterday that the man, possibly suffering from some mental imbalance, had allegedly shown his private parts to the girl and even masturbated, continuing the vulgar conduct till the bus terminal timekeeper more..

Aug 28 (DM) He is no stranger to controversy but this week, retired Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva has opened a Pandora�s Box of legal arguments, claiming that President Rajapaksa is not eligible to run for a third term as President of the country. Mr. Silva argues that when the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, which did away with the limit of two terms as President for any individual was introduced, President Rajapaksa had already been subjected to the previous law and more..

Aug 28 (DM) Thilini Amalka, who made headlines in mainstream media and social media over the week was arrested by Wariyapola Police yesterday for the mere reason of slapping a man who had allegedly sexually abused her. She was also produced in court and given bail. When the incident with a video in which she slapped the man�but without mentioning why she was compelled to such an action� was released more..

Aug 28 (ST) Each year, numerous cases of sexual offences against tourists are reported in the local and international media. Yet the authorities drag their feet in addressing a serious issue affecting an industry that makes up nine percent of the country�s Gross Domestic Product. A couple of weeks ago, a 13-year-old Norwegian girl, who was touring with her family, was bathing at the Polhena beach when a fisherman more..

Aug 28 (SL) The medical brain drain continues, and what how would it impact on the health sector as well as the Health Ministry as doctors leave the country? While this all-important question has been debated over the years by the Health Ministry, it has now come to light how some senior medical professionals and official of the health ministry, have to some extent, been embroiled over this issue over a period of time. more..

Aug 28 (Island) CID has busted an international credit card racket operated from Malaysia during the racketeers first attempt in Sri Lanka. Their main tool of communication was �Viber� web facility that allows free calls and messages to any country from anywhere. Sri Lanka has been earmarked by the racketeers as one of the countries that do not verify the card holders� authenticity when transactions are carried out. more..

Aug 28 (CT) The number of Persons affected by the drought increased to over two million as the govt claimed it was contributing much to normalize the situation. The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) reported at the beginning of August (1), that 1,150,973 Persons had been affected by the drought. The latest report indicated a surge in the numbers as 2,013,104 Persons are reportedly now affected by the drought. more..

Aug 28 (AM) In a controversial move, the Western Province Road Passenger Transport Authority has decided to replace the pre-paid card system it was planning to implement with a different mechanism, doing away with the previous system introduced by Chairman of Lisvin Trading, Upali de Silva. This program was introduced in the Western Province with the support of National Transport Commission & a pilot project was carried out more..

Aug 28 (Hindu) The most urgent step necessary in Sri Lanka is to halt the Sinhala colonisation programme being implemented by the govt to change the very identity of the traditional Tamil areas, TNA leader R. Sambanthan said. He said the programme was aimed at drastically changing the demography of the Tamil-dominated areas and rendering the demand for devolution of powers redundant. �If there is no intervention, more..

Aug 28 (CT) There is a belief that the police cannot sue motorists for speeding, using speed guns. SSP Ajith Rohana said it cannot be done as yet since speed limit signs are not installed on most of the newly developed roads. Traffic Police has communicated this directive to all the senior police officers in charge of divisions. Speed limits that are effective today were set before the modern type of motor vehicles were introduced. more..

Aug 28 (Island) Medical Laboratory Technologists and other categories of professions supplementary to medicine yesterday gradually withdrew from he emergency services at the state-run hospitals. General Secretary of the Joint Council of Professions Supplementary to Medicine (JCPSM) Saman Jayasekara, addressing a media briefing at Punchi Borella yesterday morning, said they had given the Health Ministry time till 12 noon more..

Aug 28 (Island) JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva said that there was a rice shortage in the market due to bad policies of relevant authorities and the price had gone up to nearly Rs. 100 per kilo for local varieties of rice. Agriculture authorities had asked farmers to reduce cultivation of paddy by half in the Mahaweli region due to lack of water during the last cultivation season, had resulted in the current rice shortage. more..

Aug 28 (CT) In a recently published lead story, titled, "Dengue on the rise, 500 cases a week," said that 58 people had died of dengue so far this year. Epidemiology Unit Head, Dr. Paba Palihawadana, quoted in that news item, had said that programmes were being carried out to control the spread of dengue by eradicating mosquito breeding places. She had also said that most dengue patients (60%), were reported from the Western Province (WP), and the Colombo District (40%). more..

Aug 28 (Island) K.E.R.L. Fernando (21), a second year law student of the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University presented her paper on �Executing Police Powers during Demonstrations: Legal Challenges in the Sri Lankan context� during the technical session on Law at the International Research Conference 2014 organised by the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University held on August 21 and 22 with the participation of eminent speakers from SL and abroad. more..

Aug 28 (LBO) Stocks close 0.1% higher on Thursday with index heavy John Keells gaining despite low foreign participation. All Share Price Index closed 6.85 points higher at 6,991.76, up 0.1%. The S&P SL20 closed 3.04 points higher at 3,845.87, up 0.08%. Turnover was 888.75 million rupees, up from 742.11 million rupees a day earlier with 92 stocks closed positive against 109 negative. Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings closed 1.40 rupees higher at 84 rupees with an off-market more..

Aug 28 (CT) Bodu Bala Sena has a new ally � All Ceylon Hindu Federation. The purpose of this �Buddhist-Hindu� partnership, according to Galagoda-Atte Gnanasara Thera, is to build national integration. National integration, BBS style. Meaning, inciting Buddhists and Hindus against Catholics/Christians and Muslims; dividing the two main ethnic groups along religious lines; making the Sinhalese forget their economic woes; making the Tamils forget all their woes, including more..

Aug 28 (DM) TNA said it was ready to resume talks with the Govt in search of a lasting solution to the ethnic crisis based on power devolution within a united Sri Lanka. TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran said that it did not have a hidden agenda and said it was strongly committed to finding a solution to the political question. �Govt is now saying it cannot hold talks with the TNA because we are representatives of the LTTE. more..

Aug 28 (Reuters) Sri Lankan rupee was slightly firmer in dull trade on Thursday as exporter dollar sales outpaced importer demand for the greenback. Dealers expect the local currency to remain steady for the rest of the year after positive comments by the central bank chief last week. Central bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal said the banking regulator would intervene in the thinly-traded market whenever needed to keep the rupee stable. The rupee was trading at 130.18/24 per dollar more..

Aug 28 (CG) Spain is to seek Sri Lanka�s support for a seat on the UN Security Council, the Spanish media reported today. Jos� Manuel Garc�a-Margallo, who arrived in Indonesia today, will also visit Sri Lanka to seek the country�s support for the non-permanent UN seat. The External Affairs Ministry confirmed to the Colombo Gazette that the Spanish Foreign Minister will visit Sri Lanka next week. The Spanish media said he will travel to Australia on 3 Sept and more..

Aug 28 (CG) International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says in Sri Lanka, the fate and whereabouts of more than 16,000 people remain unknown. In the run-up to the International Day of the Disappeared, 30 August, ICRC is calling on the international community to show greater awareness of the tragedy of people who have gone missing and the plight of their families. Hundreds of thousands of people in all parts of the world have more..

Aug 28 (ST) Govt will not impose any restrictions on breweries buying paddy for beer production, Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene said. Beer companies were encouraged to use rice in their beers when we had an excess paddy production two years ago, he said. The minister claimed the breweries were short of paddy supplies this year. �It is now not economical for them to buy rice at such high prices. And they have stopped buying and switched back to other ingredients,� he said. more..

Aug 28 (NNI) Pakistan's Air Force Chief Tahir Rafique Butt arrived in Sri Lanka on Wednesday for a three-day visit at the invitation of his Sri Lankan counterpart, Air Marshal Kolitha Gunatilleke. During his stay, the Pakistani Air Chief will call on Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and meet top military leadership of the country including Secretary Defence Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and the chiefs of security forces, a statement from the Pakistan Embassy said. more..

Aug 28 (LBO) Sri Lanka�s Colombo Stock Exchange and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka in association with the Sri Lankan Embassy in Washington D.C to host an investment forum in New York. �This is the first instance the �Invest Sri Lanka � Investor Forum� will be held in North America and we see it as an ideal time to do so,� Nalaka Godahewa, Chairman of the SEC was quoted in a CSE announcement. more..

Aug 28 (DM) The National Transport Commission (NTC) said today it had taken action against 218 inter-provincial semi-luxury buses that were found to have carried passengers over and above the number of seats in the buses in violation of the route permit conditions. The detection was made by the NTC mobile investigation team between January 1 and August 20 this year. The NTC said 31 luxury buses were also found to have engaged in similar offences. It said bus operators who violate more..

Aug 28 (Island) Govt Medical Officers� Association (GMOA) yesterday accused the University Grants Commission (UGC) of having granted Registered Medical Officers (RMOs) permission to follow a three-year medical degree in violation of 1590/13 gazette notification issued on 25.2.2009. GMOA President Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya said the UGC had offered three-year medical degree course to the RMOs who did not meet the requirements stated in the gazette notification. more..

Aug 28 (LT) Commissioner of Elections has failed to implement laws despite necessary laws have been passed in Parliament to hold free and fair elections says the Leader of the JVP adding that the Commissioner has become a �voice cut commissioner�. He said this at a rally held at Badalkumbura town on the 26th. Earlier, on the 25th morning, JVP supporters decorating the stage for the meeting had been attacked, shot at more..

Aug 28 (DM) The sun would directly over Sri Lanka from today, till September 7, the Department of Meteorology said. �Between August 28 and Sept 7, the sun is going to be directly above the latitudes of Sri Lanka,� the Meteorology Department said. The nearest towns of Sri Lanka over which the sun would overhead at about 12: 12 noon today are Vaddukoddai, Puttur and Kudattanai, the Department said. However, the department said that the possibility of rains was still low. more..

Aug 28 (SM) The leader of Jathika Hela Urumaya Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thero has stated that since it is a situation where the stance of the Sri Lankan Muslim community towards the brutal activities conducted in Mosul in Iraq and the threat on Borobudur in Indonesia is tested, as Buddhist they are keenly and attentively observing as to what their opinion is. The Thero also requests the government to direct attention towards the emerging Muslim extremism in Sri Lanka. more..

Aug 28 (CG) Govt says it is willing to work with the NPC and has sought its support for the Divi Neguma credit scheme. Minister Basil Rajapaksa said that he had discussed the scheme with Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran during a visit to the North this week. He also noted that some development work in the North is going slow owing to the control the NPC has in some aspects of local administration. more..

Aug 28 (DM) An angry crowd had set fire to a tipper truck at Navakiri, Jaffna after the truck run over a young expectant mother today. The driver, who had fled the scene fearing reprisals, was however taken into custody later. 25-year-old expectant mother, Kasindran Subashini was run over by the truck while she was standing on the side walk at Saraswathy Road in Navakiri today at about 11.30 a.m, eyewitnesses said. The driver of the truck fled the scene fearing reprisals from the villagers. more..