Oct 30 (DM) The local authorities� election, tipped to be conducted in March next year, would hold political relevance to the two main parties in repositioning themselves and charting their future political course. Currently, both the UNP and the SLFP are engaged in consensus politics and share responsibilities in the National Unity Govt. Cohabitation is primarily intended for a term of two years, and the way after would depend upon its success. more..

Oct 30 (SL) An inspection programme conducted by the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) has found that eight factories in the Colombo and Gampaha Districts function without Environmental Protection Licenses (EPLs) in violation of the national environmental act of the country. The waste water treatment plants in these factories it is learnt is not at the level of the required standards. Sunday Leader questioned CEA more..

Oct 30 (DM) This veteran politician hailing from a district adjoining the Colombo district is one of the seniors in the Diyawanna council. Now holding Ministerial rank, the politico is well known as a ladies� man, ready for romantic escapades undeterred by disabilities imposed by age. In fact, his pastime is enjoying the company of comely lasses! A highly embarrassing misadventure this politico had to go through recently was more..

Oct 30 (ST) The threat of a landslide at the 114th milepost on the southern highway between Imaduwa and Kothalmaduwa and several recent closures of the road are raising doubts about the viability of the $US741.1 million Southern Expressway project. Doubts are being cast on the engineering methods and procedures adopted in constructing roads in the mountainous terrain. Questions are also being raised over more..

Oct 30 (EN) Sri Lanka's govt will have to extract more taxes from the people to sustain itself and repay debt and the country faced a make or break challenge over revenues, Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran said. "Sri Lanka still taxes its people like a Sub-Saharan country," Mahendran told members of Sri Lanka's Association of Professional Bankers Thursday. "We still manage to get only about 10% of GDP which is quite pathetic." more..

Oct 30 (DM) The lavish Rs.10.4 million training tour to Austria for eleven senior CEB officials that caused so much controversy for misusing state funds was justified by the Secretary to the Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy, who explained that it was not public funds that were spent on the programme. Ministry Secretary, Dr. Suren Batagoda, who vehemently denied that the six-day training tour to Vienna, Austria more..

Oct 30 (PSL) President Maithripala Sirisena held a special discussion with religious leaders of all faiths to discuss Geneva Proposals and its challenges, at the Presidential Secretariat today (29). President apprised the religious leaders regarding the ideas expressed by the representatives of political parties during the all-party meeting held under the patronage of President Sirisena. President proposed to set up more..

Oct 30 (Island) Patriotic National Movement (PNM) said that the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe govt should review its policy towards China. PNM spokesperson Dr Wasantha Bandara said that recently finalised China-UK trade deals worth 40 bn pounds underscored the importance of Chinese investments. UK had given China a 30% stake in a new nuclear plant, thereby proved strong relationship between the two countries. more..

Oct 30 (CT) Down-In-Street has highlighted several issues pertaining to housing, road development and garbage dumps. This week, Down-In-Street spoke to the Deputy Mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), Titus Perera, in order to ascertain the role of the CMC with regard to the key issues Colombo is currently facing. Last Monday, Mayor of Colombo A.J.M Muzammil ordered all unauthorized structures to be removed more..

Oct 30 (DM) Casinos are required to bring in additional high-spending tourists, Deputy Minister Arundika Fernando said. �I know different people have different views, but my view is that casinos are needed,� he said. He added that casinos are a major source of entertainment for the type of high-spending tourists SL aims to attract. �But we shouldn't let locals enter. We should have them in a separate place, like US has in Las Vegas,� more..

Oct 30 (CG) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe has called for a report into the clash between the police and students at Ward Place yesterday. PM has told Law and Order Minister Tilak Marapana to order an investigation into the incident through the IGP and submit a report on the findings. The police fired tear gas and water towards hundreds of students protesting near the UGC at Ward Place yesterday. more..

Oct 30 (CT) I would like to thank the SLMC for organizing this commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of the Expulsion of Muslims from the North. At this historic juncture, when Sri Lanka is grappling with its past and creating a constitutional framework for true peace, this tragic episode in our history, and the anguish that persists to this day, needs to be remembered and addressed. I would like to particularly thank Minister Rauff Hakeem for his vision and leadership in organizing more..

Oct 30 (Island) The UNP, UK Branch as well as British Sri Lanka Forum have strongly protested against the appointment of a UK based dual citizen Manoj Warnapala as the head of the Consular Division of the Sri Lankan HC in London. They alleged that Warnapala being a lawyer and UK qualified solicitor could benefit from the diplomatic appointment at the expense of other SL lawyers/law firms. Those campaigning against the appointment asserted that the govt favoured Warnapala as more..

Oct 30 (CT) MPs occupying the MPs quarters at Madiwela, Battaramulla have panicked as the deadly dengue mosquito had started to attack them. Already MP Ranjith Soyza's wife and child, Mahindananda Aluthgamage's sister, 10 STF personnel and several relatives of legislators occupying the housing complex are victims to the dengue mosquito. This is the first time that dengue mosquitoes have chosen to attack the legislators and kith & kin in an unprecedented manner. more..

Oct 30 (GDI) A discussion was held between Cuba and Sri Lanka to establish inter-cooperation in the mass media sector. The discussion was held between Minister Gayantha Karunatilake and Cuba�s Ambassador to Sri Lanka Florentino Batista. During the discussion, attention was focused with regard to exchange of news reports between Sri Lanka and Cuba on the basis of a News Agency. They directed their attention also to the type of support that could be solicited from Cuba to improve more..

Oct 30 (GDI) The first woman to lead Sri Lankan exports took the helm of country�s apex export facilitator EDB on Oct 29. �I am very confident of making a positive contribution to the export effort of our country� said Indira Malwatte (new Chairperson & CEO of EDB). New EDB Chairperson Malwatte said this after assuming office at EDB�s Nawam Mawatha offices on Thursday morning. She was joined by members from more..

Oct 30 (Island) Director of the National Hospital Sri Lanka (NHSL), Dr. Anil Jasinghe said that police had been called in to probe an alleged fraud which had taken place in one of the doctors� canteens of the National Hospital. He alleged that the person to whom the tender had been awarded had in turn sold it to another party. He said that the Welfare Committee comprising doctors and other staff members ran the canteen. An NHSL official alleged that the tender had been given to more..

Oct 30 (Island) In a landmark case (No. HCC/Civil/ 51/2014) in the Commercial High Court in which shareholder of Global Rubber Industries Pvt Ltd, Prabash Subasinghe and Global Sea Foods Pvt Ltd sought 15 interim orders against the insurance giant in Sri Lanka, Ceylinco Insurance Company, were all rejected and turned down by the Commercial High Court. This was one of the series of cases, which involved Ceylinco Insurance, Prabash Subasinghe and his two companies more..

Oct 30 (LBO) Sri Lanka has recorded a 1.7% of inflation measured by Colombo Consumer Price Index after three consecutive months of deflation. The statistics department said this is due to the elimination of effect of reduced electricity bills and recent price increases of certain food items. Electricity was the main contributor to deflation experienced during previous three months. Electricity contributed �1.3% to inflation rate. more..

Oct 30 (Island) A resident of Korichchena in Pottuvil travelling in a van hired from the Katunayake Airport premises has been robbed of his gold chain valued at Rs. 20,000, cash amounting Rs. 106,000 and his belongings at a point near Orutota on Kandy-Mahiyangana highway on Wednesday, Teldeniya police said. The robbery is reported to have been committed by four men who accompanied him in the vehicle from Katunayake. An outsider who had watched the robbery informed the police, more..

Oct 30 (EN) Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi (BTMU) will open a representative office in Sri Lanka at the end of March 2016, subject to regulatory approval by Japan, its President Nobuyuki Hirano announced. The bank said in a statement that there are more than 100 Japanese companies have been investing in Sri Lanka and more investments are expected. The BoI said the presence of the bank, Japans biggest, would greatly facilitate investment by Japanese companies into Sri Lanka. more..

Oct 30 (CG) A Sri Lankan born woman whose family fled riots for a better life has been elected the first Greens mayor in Moreland, an Australian city. South Ward councillor Samantha Ratnam won the mayoral vote 6-5 over Labor candidate Cr Lita Gillies, bringing an end to the ALP�s stranglehold on the mayorship, the Herald Sun reported. Cr Ratnam had been unsuccessful in the previous two mayoral votes, but more..

Oct 30 (UCAN) Catholics in Sri Lanka believe they now have evidence of alleged miracles to proceed with the beatification of the country's first cardinal. "We have got evidence of the miracles and once the medical reports have proved that there is a miracle then we will proceed," said Thaya Nissanka, member of the committee for the beatification of Servant of God Thomas Benjamin Cooray. "The committee already has several proved cases," he said while people gathered Oct. 29 at more..

Oct 30 (EN) Sri Lankan stocks fell for the second day Friday amid foreign selling in large cap stocks, brokers said. The All Share Price Index lost 28.07 points or 0.4% to close at 7,042.06 while the S&P SL 20 index, which tracks the top 20 largest and most liquid stocks, fell 24.89 points (0.7%) to close at 3,803.00. Daily market turnover was 1.9 billion rupees, with 15 crossings or off-the-floor negotiated deals, brokers First Capital Equities said. There were seven crossings in Commercial Bank of more..

Oct 30 (GN) Former SL left-arm pacer turned coach Chaminda Vaas believes that fitness is key in today�s cricket to be successful. Vaas, who is here to launch his academy which will be known as Vaas�s Victoria Cricket Academy, said: �If you want to play cricket you have to give 100 per cent for fitness, because fitness will decide how long you can play and anyone who wants to play Test cricket has to be extremely fit. more..

Oct 30 (BN) Sri Lanka is aiming to close a fiscal shortfall by raising as much as $5 billion over the next six months through new budget measures as it seeks to win back foreign investors after the currency fell to a record low. South Asian nation�s budget on Nov. 20 will include a plan to boost revenue through a new tax structure on services, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake told Bloomberg's Mark Barton. Changes will help narrow the deficit next year from 6.8% in 2015 more..

Oct 30 (DM) The 16-year-old student who was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital with his neck pierced by a stick has died this morning, hospital sources said. The student underwent a three- and- half- hours surgery at the hospital on Tuesday. The student from Bulathsinhala, Horana had faced the tragic experience when he climbed on a tree to pluck Mango and suddenly fell off the tree. He was rushed to the Horana Hospital and then transferred to the Colombo National Hospital more..

Oct 30 (BS) Indian govt sources say they're keen to promote participation of port companies, private or state-owned, in the Colombo Port Expansion Project (CPEP) at Sri Lanka. It has been approached by the Lankan govt. And John Keells Holdings, one of the largest private sector companies in Sri Lanka, has sought help through the Indian High Commission there to identify a suitable strategic investor from India to partner them more..

Oct 30 (AD) The three customs officers who were arrested by the Bribery Commission while accepting a bribe of Rs. 125 million have been further remanded until Nov 13 by the Colombo Chief Magistrate�s Court. Customs Superintendent Sujeewa Jinadasa, Deputy Customs Superintendent Jagath Gunathilake and Assistant Customs Superintendent M.D.U.G. Perera were arrested while soliciting the bribe at a location in Colombo on October 15. It is said to be the largest ever more..

Oct 30 (Island) Former SLFP Vice President and one-time top LTTE member V Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman, who boasts of mass Tamil support in the North and East would not get the blessings of the Tamil masses even though he joins the TULF, a TNA politician said. Kandasamy Selvaraja, Chairman of Trincomalee Urban Council from 2006 to 2015, pointed out that the Tamils would not forget Karuna�s leadership for ruining the unity of the Tamils, Sinhalese & Muslims. more..

Oct 30 (AAP) The first ever Urdu Language Training Centre in Sri Lanka was inaugurated on Friday at an impressive ceremony held in Colombo. Minister Mano Ganesan was the chief guest at the inauguration ceremony. High Commissioner of Pakistan Major General (retd) Syed Shakeel Hussain, Minister A.H.M. Fowzie, SL govt ministers, ambassadors, senior govt officials, think tank representatives and parents and more..

Oct 30 (GDI) Sri Lanka has been tagged as partly free in a global survey on internet freedom among 65 countries. Freedom on the Net 2015, released Wednesday by Freedom House, a nonprofit organization promoting democracy and free expression globally categorized Sri Lanka as partly free with a score of 47 on a 1-100 scale, 100 being the worst. The report on the country highlighted that the defeat of Mahinda Rajapaksa in the 2015 presidential election and progressive politics more..

Oct 30 (CT) Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera has announced that Kilinochchi will be the venue for the National Sports Festival next year and instructed his ministry officials to expedite the renovation of the Kilinochchi stadium and complete it by February. The Sports Minister who visited the Northern Province a few days ago had seen the present state of the Kilinochchi stadium which was directed to be reconstructed with all modern facilities during the Rajapaksa regime. more..

Oct 30 (DM) When asked about Senior DIG Champika Siriwardene�s claim that the HNDA student was not beaten by the Police but was only being removed from the location, the student Sasini Sandeepani said she was not assisted by the policemen to remove but was only repeatedly beaten on the head. A first-year HNDA student the 21-year-old Sasini Sandeepani was clearly seen in the photographs being beaten more..

Oct 30 (CT) Police have unearthed several important details about the disappearance of a Police Sergeant who had given a statement with regards to a senior officer who is presently remanded on charges of hunting for treasure in Vavuniya. Special Investigation Division at Police Headquarters investigating the matter had recorded a statement from Sergeant Gunathilake; following which had reported back to work. On the way back home after work, he had disappeared and more..

Oct 30 (CT) Former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa said, the so-called underground bunker built under President's House was for residential purposes. He said "it's not an underground bunker but a residence. It was constructed for shelter in the case of an aerial attack and was constructed across 2006 and 2009 at the zenith of the war. We had to be prepared for anything." Rajapaksa also claimed that the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa did not want such a place. more..

Oct 30 (CG) Govt today assured Muslims who suffered during the war, solutions to their concerns. Minister Mangala Samaraweera said that Muslims will be an integral part of the truth, justice, reparations and non-recurrence process. He said that Muslims� grievances and concerns will be a part of the consultations, design and operationalization of the domestic mechanisms; including the Commission for Truth, Justice, more..

Oct 31 (CT) As I begin, I must put on record and correct certain misapprehensions that some Members seem to be harbouring with regard to our Party�s position in respect of this Resolution. I will read out the statement that we issued on the day the Resolution was adopted. It states, I quote: �The TNA welcomes the passage of today�s resolution on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC.� We have welcomed it. �We welcome, in particular, Sri Lanka�s co-sponsorship of the resolution indicating their willingness more..

Oct 31 (CT) �And that�s why it�s so encouraging that, at the same time it�s confronting some of the darkest and most painful chapters in its country�s past, the Sirisena administration is also pursuing initiatives�� � US Ambassador Samantha Power. The Ambassador/Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations in New York and the UN Security Council, Samantha Power, holds cabinet rank. She was formerly the National Security Advisor to President Obama. more..