Aug 10 (Island) Against the backdrop of President Maithripala Sirisena�s repeated declarations that the government of Sri Lanka hadn�t accepted foreign judges to inquire into accountability issues, it would be pertinent to examine the stand taken-up by the GoSL, on Sept 21, 2015, in respect of the draft resolution on Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka rejected the draft resolution, on Sept 21, 2015, at the first informal session called by the Core Group pursuing the matter. more..

Aug 10 (Island) Chief Guest, Dr. R.H.S. Samaratunga; VC, Professor Upul Dissanayake; Chairman, Professor Shantha Hennayake; distinguished participants of the conference, I thank the Vice-Chancellor and the organising committee for inviting me to make this presentation. Apart from the honour, any visit to the university is, to me, a sentimental journey down the memory lane stretching back almost exactly 60 years to July 1956 when I came here as a first-year student. more..

Aug 10 (DM) Minister S.B. Dissanayaka yesterday cast doubts on charging former Minister Basil Rajapaksa with the misappropriation of Divineguma funds to buy GI pipes. He told the media that it might not have been a violation of law or a financial fraud but an inappropriate act that took place during an election campaign. FCID had charged Mr. Rajapaksa of misappropriating Rs.35 million belonging to the Divineguma funds to more..

Aug 10 (Island) The govt has received another sobering gavel blow from the Supreme Court. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya informed Parliament yesterday that the apex court had held that the VAT (Amendment) Bill was unacceptable as it did not adhere to due process. The court previously suspended the implementation of the VAT and the NBT increases. The govt may be able to overcome the constitutional snag at issue, which is the least of its problems. more..

Aug 10 (DM) The media�the print media to be precise�has been in the limelight recently after the PM of the country made allegations that it was partial to some political factions. He went to the extent of pointing a finger publicly at a particular newspaper that he claimed was anti-Tamil and anti-Muslim. Another newspaper that dealt with commerce and finance also came under fire pushing their editors into a tight corner. PM reminded that media personnel had no issues with more..

Aug 10 (FT) Brandix Group won a remarkable 11 awards including the Exporter of the Year award for 2014 and 2015 at the Presidential Export Awards last evening, taking the top honours at this prestigious event conducted by the EDB. The awards presented by President Sirisena at the BMICH recognise the contribution of Brandix to the national economy as the country�s largest exporter overall; as Highest Net Foreign Exchange more..

Aug 10 (TD) Sri Lanka, an island nation situated in the Indian Ocean, is unfortunately not solely known for its beautiful landscapes, beaches, and the hospitality of its people. The country is sadly more known for the vicious civil war that cost more than 150,000 lives; less is known to the wider public of the violent clampdown of two inter-ethnic riots, two brutal abatements of Marxist uprisings, ethnically motivated pogroms, countless incidents of torture, extra-judicial killings, and enforced more..

Aug 10 (DN) Sri Lanka�s ace shooter Mangala Samarakoon said that he feels like giving up the sport and announcing his retirement as the country�s shooting federation officials had failed to provide him a suitable shooting kit, even though the Sports Minister had released funds well in advance. It was an altered shooting bottom that had cost Samarakoon his men�s 10m air rifle event at the XXX1st Olympic Games here yesterday. Neither Samarakoon nor SL team management more..

Aug 10 (DM) Wasim Thajudeen, a talented rugby player, a friend to all and a man full of smiles, was brutally murdered and his body was left in a charred state at Narahenpita, four years ago. After much investigation, many breakthroughs and dead-ends, the case is yet to be solved. Although nothing was heard of the incident during the previous regime, quite surprisingly matter emerged as soon as Good Governance regime more..

Aug 10 (DM) Breaking his long silence Presidential Adviser Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera said he would intervene in matters of crucial importance just as he played his part in toppling the Rajapaksa regime. Addressing the launch of the National Consumer Network by the Strategic Enterprise Management Agency (SEMA) he said he was with the ordinary people and always prepared to serve the country. He said there were several people who had asked him why he remained silent. more..

Aug 10 (EN) A so-called Golden Shareholder in for the state is blocking sub-leasing of privatized plantations, making it more difficult for estates to diversify out of the traditional tea and rubber, to better use of the land. Golden Shareholder in the form of the Treasury Secretary, was put in to allay concerns over the mis-use of land in the mid-1990s when the estates were privatized and given back to private hand through 22 companies which had long term leases. more..

Aug 10 (FT) Forging ahead in building digital infrastructure, Govt has closed the largest-ever information system tender for a National Digital Identity system budgeted at $ 100 million to provide every citizen with a cryptographic private key. Minister Harin Fernando addressing Cyber Security Summit 2016, noted that the step would revolutionise transactions countrywide as it would empower every Sri Lankan to do online more..

Aug 10 (DN) Matthew Abeysinghe finished third in his men�s 100m freestyle qualification round at Rio Olympics on Tuesday. Competing in lane four of men�s 100m freestyle heat two, Abeysinghe clocked 50.96 seconds. �This is my debut in Olympics and I have a long way to go. I would have loved to clock a better timing but am not dejected at all. My ultimate target is 2020 Olympics in Tokyo� he said after the race. Lgor Mogne (MOZ) won the heat two in 50.66 seconds, ahead of Sean Michael Gunn more..

Aug 10 (DN) Four persons including a five-year-old child were injured and admitted to the Kandy Hospital when a broken window of a highrise building overlooking them, fell on their heads while watching the first Kumbal Perahera of the Dalada Maligawa Esala Pageant along Colombo Street around 7.00 p.m. on August 8. Investigations revealed that a window on the first floor of the building had broken as a group of people were watching the perahera leaning on it. more..

Aug 10 (Island) LSSP leader Prof. Tissa Vitarana said growing military ties between SL and the US as confirmed by the U.S. Ambassador Atul Keshap would pose a major threat to Sri Lanka�s national interest. He said that if military cooperation of that nature continued, Sri Lanka, too, would become a puppet of the US, like the Philippines. Highlighting US Ambassador Keshap�s statement at a reception on board the ship more..

Aug 10 (Island) Sri Lanka have backed the misfiring opening duo of Dimuth Karunaratne and Kaushal Silva for the third and final Test against Australia that gets underway at SSC ground on Saturday. The squad for the final Test remains the same with the addition of fast bowler Suranga Lakmal, who was taken out of the squad ahead of the first Test after he complained about hamstring strain. Lakmal has been drafted back into the squad in place of injured fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep. more..

Aug 10 (DN) JO parliamentary group leader Dinesh Gunawardane said today either the Subject Minister or the Parliament Secretary General had blundered when presenting VAT Amendment Bill without following the proper procedure. Mr. Gunawardane expressed his views after the Speaker read out the Supreme Court determination and said the Constitution stipulated the procedure to be followed. He said the Cabinet should endorse the Bill and that decision should be communicated to more..

Aug 10 (CT) Chaminda Vaas will be back with SLC Coaching Staff, revealed SLC President Thilanga Sumathipala. Vaas will be handed the responsibilities of training fast bowling squad which will comprise fast bowlers coming through District, Provincial and Developments Squads. "We have requested Vaas to start working with us from the end of this month" he said. Appointment will not be for National Team. more..

Aug 10 (FT) Counsel for MP cum businessman Tiran Alles yesterday asserted that arrest could not be caused merely on suspicion. The Fundamental Rights petition filed by Alles seeking to prevent his arrest came up before the Bench for argument. President�s Counsel Romesh de Silva PC with Sugath Caldera appearing for the Petitioner Tiran Alles submitted that qualifying arrest is for absconding, interference with witnesses or attempting to destroy evidence. more..

Aug 10 (Island) Nishantha Ranatunga, former Secretary of the Sri Lanka Cricket, filed an application in the High Court of Colombo, requesting the Court to grant him permission to leave for UAE, for three days. He requested the Court to release his passport, which is in court custody. Yoshitha Rajapaksa, Nishantha Ranatunga and four others are suspects in a case filed by the FCID, alleging hat they had failed to explain how they raised the funds to set up the CSN Channel. more..

Aug 10 (Island) COPE report on CB Treasury Bond issue will be presented to Parliament within two weeks, COPE Chairman Sunil Handunneti said. He made this observation while presenting COPE interim report for the first quarter of the year in Parliament yesterday. The concise report consisting of 120 pages includes findings and recommendations on 19 public enterprises probed by COPE from Jan 26 to Apr 8, 2016. more..

Aug 10 (CT) Price of a litre of fuel, imported by Lanka IOC, has been reduced by Rs 2 with effect from yesterday. Price of a litre of Extra Premium Euro Three petrol has been reduced from Rs 123 to Rs 121, while the price of a litre of Extra Mile diesel has been brought down from Rs 99 to Rs 97. Price reduction had been carried out as per the lowering of fuel prices in the world market. Prices of Lanka IOC petrol and diesel were reduced in early March this year before it was hiked in early July. more..

Aug 10 (CT) Customs Department has planned to bring down sniffer dogs from overseas to combat the smuggling of narcotics into the country in large containers, sources said. Customs sources said that narcotics had been discovered in several large containers in and around Colombo recently. Customs Director General Chulananda Perera said that he will be meeting the IGP regarding the import of the dogs. All containers that are being unloaded in Colombo are henceforth subjected to more..

Aug 10 (ENS) India and Sri Lanka on Tuesday began preliminary official level talks on an Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) which the two countries hope to sign by year end. 4-member Indian delegation is led by Bhupinder Bhalla, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce. Talks will be held over a period of two days. Officials said that since this is the very first meeting, the two sides will only explore more..

Aug 10 (AD) State Minister Sujeewa Senasinghe, says that political-wise independent commissions are disadvantages to them as they removes political powers and vests them with state officials to work independently. �Political-wise they are unfavorable for us, but it�s good for the country,� he said. No matter what crazy person who acts in dictatorial frenzy comes to power again, although they believe that will not happen, they cannot carry out the previous Rajapaksa administration. more..

Aug 10 (CT) The govt yesterday presented a Supplementary Estimate seeking Parliamentary approval for an additional sum of Rs 59 million for Minister of Regional Development, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka. Chief Govt Whip, Gayantha Karunatilake presented the Supplementary Estimate on behalf of Field Marshal Fonseka. A sum of Rs 460 million is to be allocated for salary payments, travel costs and office stationary, while Rs 120 million is for operational activities. more..

Aug 10 (DN) A large number of Bills were passed and became law during the last decade in the same manner following the procedure which has been followed in respect of the VAT (Amendment) Bill, although the latter had been treated differently, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said. He also requested Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to discuss with party leaders and deliver a ruling on those laws passed and Parliament could follow one procedure more..

Aug 10 (DM) Sri Lanka is now making a collective effort to seek national reconciliation. That would require concerted actions, through constitutional and administrative means, to address specific grievances of minorities. However, to begin that process, one should first have to distinguish between real and fictitious grievances. The problem in this country is that genuine grievances have been overwhelmed by a much larger set of perceived and inflated ones. more..

Aug 10 (DM) Action against corruption was a main promise given by the leaders of the Yahapalanaya govt during last year�s presidential and parliamentary elections to woo voters who had been frustrated by the daily reports on allegations of corruption and other vices committed by the former regime. With the summoning of several politicians of the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime by FCID and PRECIFAC becoming a sort of a ritual, people who elected this govt are now complaining about more..

Aug 10 (IE) The road to publishing wasn�t the smoothest for Nayomi Munaweera, 43, but when her debut novel, Island of a Thousand Mirrors, on the Sri Lankan civil war, did get published in 2012, it met with critical acclaim. Her second novel, What Lies Between Us, treads on the fault lines of a South Asian family and maps the devastating consequences of childhood trauma with great luminosity. more..

Aug 10 (DM) Q: What is now happening in our country? A: We are carrying out our work and the plans for development of the country are now being finalised, and within the next 6 months or one year the envisaged work would commence. Q: Could you explain further? A: About 170 projects coming under the Megapolis development in the Western Province had been planned out and we hope to get the investors. more..

Aug 10 (ST) Child Specialists downed their stethoscopes, not as a work-to-rule protest, but to take up bags and books for examination. Moving away from medical bags and tomes, they are peering closely at schoolbags and textbooks, analysing and trying to find out what ills are being caused to schoolchildren. The stress faced by voiceless schoolchildren has now been taken up by none other than the powerful SLCP. more..

Aug 10 (PMD) The 20th Presidential Export Awards Ceremony organized by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) held under the patronage of President of Maithripala Sirisena on August 9 at the BMICH. 113 awards were presented for the year the 2014/15 at this ceremony under 10 categories and the President presented awards to 20 recipients. Ten special awards including the SL Exporter of the Year, more..

Aug 10 (Island) Reiterating its strong opposition to controversial VAT Amendment Bill, the Joint Opposition (JO) urged those who had been elected on the UPFA ticket at the last parliamentary polls to quit the UNP-led govt without further delay. Gampaha District MP and JO convenor Prasanna Ranatunga said that the grouping wouldn�t be demoralized by recent suspension of UPFA Puttalam District MP Sanath Nishantha for more..

Aug 10 (SL) The media reports that the Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) is going to give their advertising campaigns to Media Factory have raised concern among anti-corruption groups. The reports say that the SLT is planning to hand over its entire advertising campaign over to Media Factory. It has now become an issue as to how a private firm can have such a monopoly over a govt institution. Moreover, it is important note here that more..

Aug 10 (Island) Northern Province CM C.V. Wigneswaran�s call for the Muslims to back his demand for a re-merger of North and East has met with stiff resistance by the Muslims. President of Federation of Eastern Muslim Civil Organisations, Moulavi Nadeer said that he did not think the Muslims should support a re-merger of the North and East de-merged on a SC order, since it would result in them becoming a big minority. more..

Aug 10 (DM) Over the inquiry into the murder of ruggerite Wasim Thajudeen, Colombo Additional Magistrate today ordered prosecution to obtain a comprehensive report from Director of Colombo National Hospital and Prison Superintendent over the admission of the second suspect ex-SDIG, Anura Senanayake into the paying ward of the CNH, without providing treatment to him from the Prison Hospital. more..

Aug 10 (LBO) COPE has recommended that SriLankan airlines officials not to go ahead with the purchase of new aircraft while also calling them to submit several other reports on irregularities. Transaction of purchasing new aircrafts without conducting a cost basis analysis should not be continued as this transaction by the institution with its net assets at minus value has caused economy to bear a huge expenditure more..

Aug 10 (DM) The NPC, yesterday, unanimously adopted a proposal to inquire into reports of suspicious deaths of ex-LTTE cadres who had undergone rehabilitation. 107 former LTTE cadres had died after being rehabilitated and released, according to reports. Over 11,000 cadres who surrendered during the last stages of the war, or were captured, were later rehabilitated by the state (after the war ended). more..