Nov 15 (SO) Govt is to pass a resolution in Parliament seeking its approval to set up a Constitutional Secretariat to draft a new Constitution. A committee, headed by MP Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne, has already been appointed to take measures in this regard. Among its members are senior lawyer Suren Fernando and Additional Secretary (Legal) to PM Bimba Thilakaratne. Prof. Suri Ratnapala, a veteran in the field of legal studies, is likely to be more..

Nov 15 (Island) In the backdrop of moves to impose a total ban on asbestos, defiant industry players last week debunked assertions that the products posed a serious health hazard, and insisted on a closer, indepth examination of the critical factors before implementing arbitrary decisions. With the govt actively considering a generic ban on all asbestos related products by 2018, 70-year-old trade, now dominated by four key companies more..

Nov 15 (ST) A depression buildup in the Bay of Bengal this week caused stormy weather conditions in several areas of the country wreaking havoc.At least one person died and around 300 people were displaced by heavy rains and strong winds, with Kilinochchi District the worst affected. Kilinochchi District Secretary, S. Arumainayagam said one person yesterday drowned in flood waters yesterday in the Vaddakkachchi area, more..

Nov 15 (ST) Labour Ministry has stepped in to resolve a dispute of a private plantation company following a string of protests by workers over the non payment of EPF and ETF contributions. Labour Minister John Seneviratne said that the Ministry had called the parties concerned for a discussion. This was after hundreds of workers of Agalawatte Plantations under Mackwoods Plantations took to the streets last week more..

Nov 15 (ENS) He is the Tamil face of extreme Islam. Moulvi P Jainul Abideen, better known as PJ, the founder and star speaker of the fundamentalist TN Thowheed Jamath (TNTJ), who was denied a visa to speak at an Islamic convention in Sri Lanka last week believes what he preaches is true Islam. Muslim community in Sri Lanka, which has borne the brunt of many riots and attacks from both Buddhist hardliners and more..

Nov 15 (ST) The eyes of many were focused skyward around noon on Friday the 13th in anticipation of observing the much-hyped space debris predicted to fall into the sea off the southern coast. Local and foreign space observers camped out at several locations to witness traces of falling debris but no sign of it could be observed from land in the cloudy sky. The falling debris was, however, observed from an airborne chartered jet more..

Nov 15 (Island) Countless tributes are being paid, and will continue to be paid, to the late Most Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero. Taken together, they will, in time, provide so complete a picture of this heroic figure that there is little that the Citizens� Movement for Good Governance (CIMOGG) could add to it. Nevertheless, the service that Sobitha Thero rendered in creating the conditions that will help us to put the brakes on our headlong plunge into the abyss of corruption, more..

Nov 15 (Island) From an early age the Venerable Sobitha Thero exhibited a remarkable selfless concern for the welfare of others. He consistently spoke out against abuse of the extensive powers vested in the Executive President in the 1978 Constitution. Verbal and even physical attacks failed to deter him but only reinforced his resolve to stand up for the rights of the ordinary citizens. By mid 2012 Venerable Thero realized that our beloved country was reeling in the firm grip of a dictatorship. more..

Nov 15 (SO) A memorial service of thanksgiving for the life, vision and mission of the Ven. Maduluwawe Sobhitha Hamuduruwo will be held on Nov 23 from 10 a.m. at St. Thomas' Church in Kotte. The service is organised by the Archdiocese of Colombo and the Kotte deanery headed by Rv. Fr. Sanjeewa Mendis, under the guidance of Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith. Main preacher at the service will be Rev. Fr. Reid Shelton Fernando who for several years had worked closely with Sobhitha Hamuduruwo more..

Nov 15 (SO) Plans are afoot to set up a Police University which was a long overdue progressive measure meant to overhaul the police force to adapt better to the changing situations and issues. The Police Department has already drafted a report to take concrete action to set up a Police University, the National Police Commission (NPC) Chairman Prof. Siri Hettige told the Sunday Observer yesterday. The NPC would facilitate the process to ensure that it is duly set up. more..

Nov 15 (SL) With the new found peaceful co-existence between the two main political parties in the country, various opinions are being given and criticisms being made about its functions. A much discussed issue in society at present is the conduct of the newly appointed MPs and the new governance. A recent report that a minister has spent over Rs. 40 million on his ministerial office at World Trade Centre (WTC) resulted in more..

Nov 15 (CT) Political and cultural history of the tiny mango shaped island on the planet earth attracted the world, way back in the 60s when Sirimavo Bandaranaike was made the first woman PM in the world. But in the aftermath of the 1983 Black July, whenever a Sri Lankan introduced his or herself to anyone anywhere in the world, the immediate reaction one would get was that Oh it's that guerrilla fighting country isn't it? That is how Sri Lankans were recognized and that level of popularity more..

Nov 15 (CT) People of this country woke up last Sunday to the shocking news of Most Ven. Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera, breathing his last at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore. Ven. Thera's passing away comes at a crucial time when the country and its civil society needed him the most. He left behind his dream to see a just society free of corruption, degeneracy and putrescence and treat everyone equally irrespective of race, religion, caste or creed. more..

Nov 15 (ST) Normal activities in the Northern and Eastern Provinces were disrupted as a hartal launched on Friday demanded the release of detainees held under charges for a long time without prosecution. Several towns across the two Provinces shut down completely in support of the hartal which disrupted the daily life of the public. Schools, shops, markets, banks and restaurants in Mannar, Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, more..

Nov 15 (AD) Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif is scheduled to pay a visit to Sri Lanka next year. �The impetus to an economic engagement also comes from the fact that PM Nawaz Shariff is scheduled to begin the new-year 2016 with his first visit, to Colombo. Therefore Minister Bathiudeen and I have lots of work in the few weeks left till his visit to ensure to our leaderships that we can offer substantive steps to formalise and sign at Prime Minister Shariff�s visit. more..

Nov 15 (EN) C T Holdings PLC has said it has suspended its joint venture property development project to build high-end condominiums in the Kotahena suburb of Colombo which has been subject to lengthy delays. The drop in the group�s turnover and profitability of its real estate business in the September 2015 quarter has been attributed partly to �the deferment of the joint venture property development project undertaken with foreign collaboration,� it said. more..

Nov 15 (CT) Ven. Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera led the struggle to change the Rajapaksa regime and bring in a new President and a govt led by a new PM. This is a story about the last meeting between Ven. Sobhitha Thera, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe and President Maithripala Sirisena, as narrated by Prof. Sarath Wijesuriya of National Movement For a Fair Society (NMFFS). A seminar was organized for the 73rd birthday more..

Nov 15 (CG) Indian Govt continues to provide training for the Sri Lankan military despite protests by some groups. Indian Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said that officers from Sri Lanka are not admitted to the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) in Coonoor due to local protests and also considering the level of comfort of officers from Sri Lanka due to the political situation prevailing in Coonoor. However he said the SL militray continues to undergo training at more..

Nov 15 (Island) Dr Sujith Samarasinghe (41), a Consultant Paediatric Haematologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, was a key member of the medical team that recently found a possible cure for leukaemia. The other members were Professor Adrian Thrasher, Professor Wasim Qasim and Professor Paul Veys. For the first time in medical history, they have injected genetically modified white blood cells from a completely unknown donor to a 14- weeks-old patient more..

Nov 15 (MNA) Referring to the launch of new talks with Sri Lanka to resume oil exports, deputy oil minister expressed Iran�s readiness to resume oil sales to the Asian country during post sanction era. Roknoding Javadi described the latest status of resumption of Iranian crude exports to Sri Lanka in time with the cancellation of international sanctions and announced the beginning of Iran�s oil negotiations with Sri Lanka. more..

Nov 15 (DM) Rain which had splashed in torrents over the weekend had created havoc in many parts of the country with the Chilaw hospital and a hotel in Dambulla going under water and making many roads impassable especially in the Puttalam District. Sluice gates of several reservoirs including the Iranamadu tank in the North, Nachchiduwa, Kalawewa, Nuwara Weva, Ampara Wewa were opened as the water levels increased. Water levels of Senanayake Samudra were said to be more..

Nov 15 (CI) New Zealand's top three struck 139 runs between them off 88 balls to lead the hosts to 188 for 3 in 20 overs, a total that eventually set up a 102-run win. In reply, Sri Lanka's Women never really got going and were kept to 86 with only three batsmen passing double figures. Having opted to bat, New Zealand Women had a strong start with openers Suzie Bates and Rachel Priest putting on 82 in eight overs. Left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera, however, broke the partnership more..

Nov 15 (Island) Expressing concern over the promotion of unhealthy food products directed towards children through mass media advertisements, the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) last week called for tough legislation to combat this dangerous trend. "There has been a significant increase in the promotion of foods containing high concentrations of sugar, fats and salt", SLMA president, Professor Jennifer Perera warned. more..

Nov 15 (TOM) Sri Lanka teaches you to tell your Uda Pussellawa from your Uva. My guru smacked his lips appreciatively. An almost Buddhist-like calm suffused his face. He swooned as he swilled, blissfully savouring the anti-oxidants. �The loose leaf produces an excellent rounded intenseness. Dimbulla takes milk well. And is perfectly balanced to be quaffed all day,� he observed sagely. �But to be truly ecstatic it must be brewed at exactly 80⁰C and not be allowed to stand for more..

Nov 15 (Island) Esala Weerakoon, the new Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India, presented his credentials to President Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here on Friday. A career diplomat, 54-year-old Weerakoon joined the Sri Lankan Foreign Service in 1988. He is a graduate of the University of Kelaniya, has an MSc (economics) from the University of London, and a diploma from the London School of Economics in social planning in developing countries. more..

Nov 15 (ST) The gloomy, evening reflected the sombre mood of the thousands who had gathered to pay their last respects to Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera, a renowned monk, scholar and political activist. Cremation of his mortal remains was held at Parliament Grounds on Thursday. National flag hoisted mid mast fluttered against a grey at the event that will be recorded in SL�s history more..

Nov 15 (CG) Singapore is to help Sri Lanka restructure the Ministry of Foreign Affairs following talks held between Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera and Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan. Samaraweera made an introductory visit to Singapore from 12 to 13 Nov. Dr Vivian Balakrishnan hosted Samaraweera to a welcome lunch during the visit. At the meeting they reaffirmed the excellent bilateral relations between Singapore and SL and explored ways to more..

Nov 15 (CG) Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa says the terrorist attack in France has once again underscored the need for global resolve in dealing firmly with terrorism. In a statement, Rajapaksa said that it is with shock and disbelief that he heard of the terrorist attacks in Paris which has left well over 100 people dead and scores more injured. �Only those who have endured the same agony will fully understand what the people of France are going through at this moment. more..

Nov 15 (PTI) SL govt risks losing the goodwill of Tamil minorities after the death of an inmate who was among over 200 Tamil political prisoners observing hunger strike demanding their immediate release, Northern Province CM CV Wigneswaran warned. Tamil prisoners who are in a continuous hunger strike would not stop their action as govt had failed to fulfil a pledge to release them, Wigneswaran said in a letter to President more..

Nov 16 (CT) Let me open by apologising to readers for the words I�ve used following unmitigated when the commoner and more accurate colloquialism would have been far more appropriate. Ah, well, this is a publication for public consumption so I will stay with horse feathers! It says something about the Miracle of Asia that perusal of the alleged scandal sheets on the �web� is likely to yield several nuggets of knowledge, while one has to sift and sort before getting anything of even minimal interest more..

Nov 16 (SL) Despite the vital role women play in the country�s social and economic fabric, the women, especially who provide labour, are a neglected entity. They are often exploited and their rights are systematically denied. Mostly, women who work in Free Trade Zones (FTZs) face numerous challenges and risks in and out of the workplace where they are deprived of their labour rights, freedom of association and are subjected to various abuses, harassments, and sexual violence. more..

Nov 16 (SL) Govt is faced with many criticisms over the investigations into corruption allegations and the economic framework. Minister Ravi Karunanayake said the budget 2016 will be a prosperous one and therefore urged the people to stay positive without being speculative. He stressed on the need to carry out a positive message to the country in order to stop people from cursing the darkness as the opportunity is now given to more..

Nov 16 (ST) Last Sunday morning, the nation awoke to the grim news. Sobitha, the Most Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera, was dead. Three hours before the sun rose on Lanka, the monk who had been pivotal in breaking a new dawn, had died in a Singapore hospital at the age of 73. The firebrand monk whose charismatic spirit had inspired a nation to aspire for change, whose indomitable will had infused new life to Lanka�s comatose democracy and thus enabled her people to breathe again more..

Nov 16 (ST) George Orwell once reminded us that in a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act. That powerful injunction came immediately to mind even as the flames dimmed this Thursday over the funeral pyre of Sri Lanka�s inimitable truth teller, the Most Ven Maduluwawe Sobitha who led the yahapalanaya (good governance) upsurge this year. As the South mourned its radical monk, the North and East shuddered to a near total shutdown over more..

Nov 16 (ST) It is seldom that one comes across a situation where certain reactions to actions taken by gifted individuals have brought forth unimaginable results. The results of those actions are so unfathomable that they may even be used as a case study in time to come. To abate suspense� yes; we are on the subject of the cricket elections and the contributions of former Minister Navin Dissanayake. more..

Nov 16 (CT) The Colombo Port warmly welcomed the elegant and renowned ship, the MV Logos Hope on 22 October and allowed it to be anchored until 9 November, as many people from Colombo started streaming in to witness the on board book fair. After paying Rs 100 at the entrance booth to procure an orange coloured ticket slip, all visitors were transported to the ship via a shuttle service. Following a climb up the gangplank to the ship's lower deck, a crew member of the ship gave more..

Nov 16 (CT) There are strings of yellow flags all along our route and huge banners of sympathy carrying the image of the Thera. The Bhikkhu seems to look at us with compassionate eyes and a gentle smile. "I imagine an image of splendour of a Bhikkhu through that particular picture for my drawings. I imagine an image of an attractive compassionate Bhikkhu with a tall well-built body, kindness, pity and that smile and appearance. "This is what a well-known artist and art teacher, more..

Nov 16 (SL) Forthcoming 2016 budget is the centre of attention in society at present. General public is awaiting budget presentation knowing that it will impact on their lives immensely in many years to come. A budget shows the annual income and the expenditure of the govt and its short and long term economic strategies. Governing party seeks ideas and proposals from every important section in society and stakeholders such as more..

Nov 16 (Island) French President Francois Hollande has declared war on terror. France will be merciless in responding to barbarians who carried out the recent terror strikes which left about 130 people dead and more than 350 others injured in Paris, he has vowed. His consternation is understandable. Civilised world has condemned Friday�s cowardly attack on civilians unreservedly. The barbarians responsible for it must be hunted down. Attack has jolted Britain into taking all precautions. more..