Oct 18 (CT) Investigating deeper into this up and coming, borderline illegal industry, Ceylon Today found that a convergence of several factors helped such establishments to remain in existence as well as to continue to sprout more outlets; the availability of girls and women to carry out the illicit trade, the ample supply of hungry customers and the lack of legal provisions to outlaw such institutions altogether. The financial reward from entering more..

Oct 18 (ST) Malwatte Valley Plantations is planning to open its 2-star, 60 room property in two years � transforming an old tea factory to a hotel. This would be the second tea factory hotel after the Aitken Spence Tea Factory hotel in Nuwara Eliya. �It will build on a defunct tea factory (which hasn�t been in operation for the past 20 years) and will have 60 rooms. This will be mainly targeting budget travellers. We are investing some Rs. 350 million on this property,� an official said. more..

Oct 18 (Island) University of Kelaniya announced that it is first Sri Lankan campus to provide free Wi-Fi facilities covering both student hostels as well as all the faculties. Director of the Compuer Centre, Dr. Dhammika Weerasinghe said the university provides Wi-Fi to five faculties in Dalugama, the women�s hostels within the university premises, the men�s and women�s hostels at Bulugaha junction, Thorana junction and the Ragama Faculty of Medicine and its affiliated hostels. more..

Oct 18 (Island) Secretary to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Ms. Chitranganee Wagiswara has been nominated as Sri Lanka�s new High Commissioner to London. Ms. Wagiswara, who joined the Foreign Service in 1981, is the senior-most officer serving at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. BComm degree holder from Sri J'pura University, her first appointment was to Rome, Italy as Third Secretary from 1984 to 1988. more..

Oct 18 (Island) For the first century of its existence, the Taj Mahal was unknown outside India. If there was a cricketing equivalent of this monument it would be Aravinda de Silva. For much of his career, Aravinda was not recognized abroad. World Cup victory changed that, but not enough. Indian cricket historian Ramachandra Guha has argued that Sunil Gavaskar was a superior batsman to Viv Richards. Though Viv Richards was much more destructive, he never had to face his own bowlers. more..

Oct 18 (CT) In the Sport Ministry website the description given to the Institute of Sports Medicine's mission is: "Provision of facilities required for the upliftment of the sports talent of the Sri Lankan sportsmen and sportswomen with the view of bringing to an international level through the sports." The uplifting of sports talent does not take place simply because it is an idea etched out in a mind or on paper. It has to be done going on a well planned out programme. more..

Oct 18 (CT) Director General of the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC) M.M. Zuhair and the Board of Directors, have been removed from their posts by President Maithripala Sirisena. They have been removed for granting Rs 62 million to Teledrama directors Nalin Mapitiya and Arosh Fernando going against the financial regulations of the TRC for the production of a Teledrama Thaanaapathilage Gedera. more..

Oct 18 (Island) Sri Lankan carrom players were successful in winning four runners-up trophies in Men�s Singles, Women�s Doubles, Men�s Team, Women�s Team together with the Third Place of Men�s Doubles at the seventh International Carrom Federation Cup Competition held at Thiagaraj Sports Complex in New Delhi, India recently. For this Carrom Trophy competition, 17 countries including Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh and Maldives participated. more..

Oct 18 (Island) SL�s Nethmi Waduge beat Great Britain�s Jonea Bach 6-1, 6-2 in International Tennis Federation (ITF) Week 2 Girls� Singles semi-finals on Saturday, Oct 17, to enter a memorable ITF junior circuit tournament final, at the SSC clay courts in Colombo. In her quarter-finals, Waduge beat current Sri Lanka National champion in women�s, Thisuri Molligoda 7-6 (4), 7-6 (1) on Friday. Bach beat 7th seed Demi Tran of Netherlands 7-5, 1-0 (retired) in her quarter-finals. more..

Oct 18 (ST) Indian real estate company Krrish Group will break ground soon for its long-delayed US$650 million mixed development project at Transworks House in Fort as the company has received the approval of the UDA last week to go ahead. The local company Krrish Transworks Colombo (Pvt) Ltd, a subsidiary of Indian real estate company Krrish Group, will launch construction of the proposed 1st & 2nd phases of the project more..

Oct 18 (SL) Probing large scale corruption, fraud and crime that allegedly took place during the former regime and ensuring justice to the victims and the nation on the whole was one of the main reasons for 6.2 million odd citizens of the country to cast their votes before the swan symbol at the last Presidential election. Post January 8th, 2015, investigations were launched into many incidents and people were seen making a bee line to CIABOC, FCID and other such investigative bodies with much zeal to more..

Oct 18 (SO) India has joined the competition to sell Sri Lanka a new generation of fighter jets for the Air Force, even as SLAF commander Air Marshal Gagan Bulathsinghala prepares to visit Pakistan to look at models on offer there. Last week the Sunday Observer reported that Pakistan had offered her latest locally manufactured fighter jet, the JF-17 supersonic strike fighter, to the SLAF. SLAF officials have denied persistent reports in the global arms industry that the Air Force was poised to buy more..

Oct 18 (CT) Despite the govt's repeated assurances of not implementing the policy of privatization of State enterprises, a Deputy Minister yesterday hinted that there were State institutions such as SriLankan and Mihin Air, which might be privatized to relieve the Treasury of their burden. "There are some State institutions such as SriLankan Airlines and Mihin Lanka for which capital can come either through more..

Oct 18 (Hindu) A Bangalore-based film director has moved the Madras High Court, challenging the order of Film Certification Appellate Tribunal, refusing certification to Porkalathil Oru Poo, a Tamil film based on the life of LTTE journalist Isaipriya. Director K. Ganeshan submitted that he directed the film based on the telecast made by London-based Channel�4 on the war between the Sri Lankan army and the LTTE. �I came to know about the Tamil News Reader Isaipriya through the telecast more..

Oct 18 (SL) Fisheries associations express disappointment of the new laws related to fishing approved recently by the cabinet based on a proposal made by the Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development. Head of the National Fisheries Solidarity Movement (NAFSO) of Sri Lanka, Herman Kumara said that at a glance the amendments to the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act No 02 cannot be accepted. �The regulations do not seem proportionate. more..

Oct 18 (ST) Malaysia�s Maxis group, Sri Lanka Telecom�s (SLT) second largest shareholder, has expressed concern on the company�s bureaucratic bungling of top officials when handling its administration. Maxis Group representatives on the SLT board of directors were highly disturbed about the handling of operations of the national telecom operator, a local representative with close connections to Maxis said. more..

Oct 18 (Island) Lanka Ventures PLC (LVP), a long established venture capital company controlled by the DFCC Bank and HNB, has posted its best ever result in its 23-year history in the period ended Mar. 31, 2015, achieving the highest income and profit since inception, the company�s chairman, Mr. Jonathan Alles, has said in its annual report. The LVP portfolio is focused mainly on the power generation sector with ongoing projects both in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh with investments in more..

Oct 18 (Island) Greening Finance, with support from the French Development Agency, initiates greening power generation for sustainable expansion of power. Ambassador of France in Sri Lanka, Jean-Marin Schuh, Guest of Honour at the �Green Finance� forum last week, said the Conference of Parties (COP 21) to be held in Paris during the first 10 days of December, will discuss and determine global warming to limits of 2 Degrees Centigrade over the next century. more..

Oct 18 (Island) The govt has decided to initiate action to recover losses running into billions of rupees by reviewing ethanol smuggling cases, where the culprits had escaped by paying small fines, thanks to the patronage of powerful political figures of the previous regime. "I have instructed the authorities to take measures to recover the losses from the relevant parties as govt has suffered enormously due to more..

Oct 18 (ST) Orders to cut the nets of Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lanka�s waters are to be issued soon in a fresh bid to deal with illegal fishing, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said. The services of the Coast Guard would be sought to put the plan into action to discourage poaching in Sri Lanka�s waters. The tough action is to be initiated after several previous attempts � including the arrest and detention of the boats � failed to control the intrusion of the Indian fishermen. more..

Oct 18 (ST) Minister Ravi Karunanayake will reintroduce a resolution in Parliament on Tuesday to get approval to raise Govt borrowing by 47% or Rs. 400 billion, a move that was defeated by majority vote in April this year. Unlike in April when the UNP led a minority govt, the resolution is likely to have an easy passage through the House with the large majority Govt enjoys now. In April, resolution to raise Rs. 400 billion through issuance of Treasury Bonds was defeated with 52 MPs voting against it more..

Oct 18 (ST) Ports and Shipping Minister Arjuna Ranatunga has appointed his brother, former cricketer Dammika Ranatunga, as Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA). Mr. Ranatunga, a younger sibling of the Minister, assumed duties on Thursday. The move took many by surprise as the elder Ranatunga had been at the forefront of the campaign against nepotism and corruption against the previous Govt. more..

Oct 18 (ST) Visitors to the Pinnawala elephant orphanage will no longer be able to bottle feed baby elephants, according to a new directive by Wildlife Minister Gamini Jayawickrama Perera. National Zoological Gardens coordinator S.R. Dullewe said the decision was taken to protect the calves from falling sick. �We are concerned about the health of the calves. We cannot allow them to get sick. There is a possibility of the animals contracting illnesses from visitors,� he said. more..

Oct 18 (Island) Revelation by a Sunday newspaper last week that the govt had moved courts in a Middle Eastern country to freeze the account of the son of a VVIP of the former regime set the cat among the canaries. The courts were to freeze the account last Sunday but we have not heard anything about it thereafter. Be that as it may the govt officially confirmed last week that not one but three secret accounts had been discovered in Middle East, containing US$ 1,086 million, US$ 1,800 mil more..

Oct 18 (ST) It was ten days before parliamentary elections on August 17 when news reached the highest levels of the Govt about a secret account held by a young politician, the son of a former VVIP, at the Emirates National Bank of Dubai (NBD). That was to cause considerable excitement. The prospect of obtaining the details and exposing it during the polls campaign, it was felt, would bolster tremendously the positions of both the SLFP more..

Oct 18 (Island) More by accident than by design, Mr. DEW Gunasekara has kicked open Sri Lanka�s constitutional can of worms. All he may have wanted to do was to make a political statement by grieving before the Supreme Court that the new UPFA leadership under President Sirisena wrongfully deprived him of a national list seat in parliament in favour of a defeated SLFP candidate. Then his intrepid lawyer, Nagananda Kodituwakku, appears to have made a startling discovery that more..

Oct 18 (Island) Minister Ravi Karunanayake (RK) has announced that foreign currency stashed in Swiss banks by locals may be safely brought home; no questions will be asked, protection of funds guaranteed and hinted that better interest rates than Switzerland may be offered. A decision of this magnitude must have Prime Ministerial, Presidential and Cabinet approval surely? No, this is not because RK or any of these worthies have money buried in foreign accounts that they are more..

Oct 18 (ST) President Sirisena has told the ministers there was a timely need to formulate a Code of Ethics to be followed voluntarily by them. The move comes in the wake of a Code of Ethics being introduced for MPs. Code of Ethics for Ministers, President Sirisena has noted, should be �in keeping with best practices of good governance, in addition to the statutory requirements specifically enshrined in Constitution & in written laws, more..

Oct 18 (SO) Former Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga on Friday (16) publicly acknowledged instructing former Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, to appoint Anura Siriwardena as chairman of the Independent Television Network (ITN), replacing well-known media personality Rosmond Senaratne, in violation of procedure. Weeratunga and former Secretary to the Media Ministry, more..

Oct 18 (SO) The report of a joint investigation carried out by the Indian High Commission and the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society into allegations that some officials involved with the project had sought sexual favours from women to disburse aid instalments is ready. Mahieash Johnney, SLRCS Senior Manager, said that a high level meeting would be held tomorrow to discuss the report�s findings. more..

Oct 18 (SO) Around 200,000 coconut trees have been uprooted due to the Weligama Wilt and we believe that there are around 150,000 affected palms in the Matara district. Blights such as coconut mite, coconut caterpillar, coconut nettle grubs and �Weligama Wilt� have affected coconut cultivation. The blights have caused serious damage to coconut cultivations in Veherakele, Bangadeniya, Kotukola and Manuwangama more..

Oct 18 (Island) The second phase of reimbursements to Golden Key (GK) depositors in the Rs. 2 � 10 million segment is expected to begin this week, with 2,700 investors of this Ceylinco subsidiary billed to receive 41% of their holdings. The resumption of the repayment process after an initial delay follows the sanctioning of Rs. 3.94 billion by the Cabinet of Ministers on Thursday to meet the financial liability towards GK depositors more..

Oct 18 (SL) Former Chief Minister of the Eastern Province Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan is likely to be charged for alleged involvement in the murder of two MPs. Pillayan had been questioned by the CID over the murder of TNA MP Nadaraja Raviraj in 2006. Pillayan was arrested recently by the CID for his alleged involvement in the murder of TNA MP Joseph Pararajasingham in 2005 and has been detained till Nov 4. more..

Oct 18 (ST) The Supreme Court on Friday turned down a fundamental rights (FR) petition filed by the former Chairman of the SEC seeking the court�s order preventing the police arresting him over an alleged illegal financial transaction. Dr. Nalaka Godahewa, former Chairman of SEC filed the petition soon after the CID initiated investigations on the alleged financial transaction where the SEC transferred Rs. 5 million to Tharunyata Hetak, more..

Oct 18 (Reuters) Sri Lanka would consider allowing Chinese naval ships to visit again but no request has been forthcoming yet, country's defence minister said. Sri Lanka's previous govt had caused concern in India with its close ties to Beijing, including allowing Chinese submarines to dock. New President Sirisena has unnerved China though with his re-examination of relations, including a $1.5-billion Chinese-invested port city project. more..

Oct 18 (AM) Subramaniam Sivakamy Alias Col� Thamilin, the ex-leader of the LTTE Women's Political Wing died of cancer at the Maharagama cancer hospital in the early hours of this morning, at the age of 43. Thamilini, who joined the LTTE in 1991, she took part in some battles in her early years in the LTTE. Then she was transferred to the Political Division. She surrendered to the security forces at the end of the war more..

Oct 18 (Island) Bribery Commission�s Director General, Dilrukshi Dias Wickramasinghe warned that her officers will "go after the whales, sharks or sprats, whoever they are, and catch them in the fight against corruption". She was responding to a question whether corrupt politicians will also not be spared following high-profile detection of three senior Customs officials allegedly accepting a gratification of more..

Oct 18 (SL) The ITAK does not see any necessity of registering the TNA as a political party in Sri Lanka. When questioned about certain differences of opinion that prevail within the TNA, a source from ITAK revealed that it is the EPRLF that raises various issues within the alliance. �We do not have any differences of opinion within the TNA as such. EPRLF has been pushing for the TNA to register our alliance as a political party in the country which has created some issues. more..

Oct 18 (Island) A thick pile of printouts sits on the table. It�s the OHCHR report on Promoting Reconciliation, Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka. Arif Zaman Executive Director, Commonwealth Businesswomen�s Network (CBW) sits before me tucking into a pizza. It�s Sept 16, 2015 and he is in Sri Lanka to organize the First Commonwealth Businesswomen Multilateral Trade Mission. "But this report is quite damning. I haven�t read it, but that�s the impression I get. more..

Oct 18 (DBS) TMVP leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillaiyaan is currently being detained and interrogated by the Police over his suspected involvement in the twin assassinations of TNA MPs Joseph Pararajasingham and Nadarajah Raviraj in December 2005 and November 2006 respectively. Chandrakanthan who made history in 2008 as the first elected chief minister of Eastern province more..