Aug 10 (DM) Leading Dutch Archaeologist Oscar Hefting was in Sri Lanka recently to visit the Dutch heritage sites in the country and discuss measures for their proper conservation. The Dutch East India Company drove out the Portuguese from SL in 1636 and established its rule over the maritime provinces. It ended after the British conquered SL and ousted the Dutch. Mr. Hefting spoke of similarities between the Galle Fort and more..

Aug 10 (Island) UNP backbenchers told Parliament that there was a conspiracy to instigate people against the govt by blocking the implementation of its rural development projects by local govt bodies, controlled by the Opposition. Registering their dismay and frustration over the inability of Provincial Councils and Local Govt Ministry to remedy the situation, the MPs called for the resignation of Minister Faiszer Musthapha. more..

Aug 10 (CT) As a step forward to achieving the Yahapalanaya Govt�s promise of one million job opportunities, a broad range of 10,000 private sector job opportunities have been made available under a programme initiated by him and a some private sector companies, Deputy Minister Edward Gunasekara said. The project is due to start on tomorrow from Minuwandoda, Gampaha. Additionally, a process of verifying more..

Aug 10 (CT) Minister Vajira Abeywardena said in the Parliament that the Govt plans to increase the basic salary of an Office Staff Assistant, who is in the lowest rank in the public service, to Rs. 28,000 by 2020. He made this remark while responding to a question of the JO MP Dinesh Gunawardena. Gunawardena making a statement noted that the basic salary of the workers in this category was only Rs. 13,000 in Nov 2014. more..

Aug 10 (SLA) SL Army on Thursday during an inaugural ceremony at Viharamahadevi Park, headed by Prez Sirisena embarked on another mega nation-building project to plant more than 135,000 herbal saplings inside all island-wide Army formations in collaboration with the SL Ayurvedic Drugs Corporation (SLADC). Army under the Presidential Secretariat�s Punarudaya (Re-awakening) project undertook responsibility more..

Aug 10 (FT) The newly appointed National Audit Commission will begin its task by investigating several major frauds that have been uncovered by the Committee on Public Enterprises. Chairman of the Commission and current Auditor General Gamini Wijesinghe made these remarks soon after the swearing-in ceremony of the National Audit Commission. �We will probe the coal-purchasing deal, rice importation case, and more..

Aug 10 (AD) The Organised Crimes Prevention Division (OCPD) today informed court that inquiries on MP Vijayakala Maheswaran�s controversial statement regarding the LTTE have been concluded and that all report have been submitted to the Attorney General�s Department. When the case was taken up before the Colombo Chief Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake, the OCPD informed the court through a report that more..

Aug 10 (AD) Speaker Karu Jayasuriya informed the House that according to existing Parliamentary norms and the Constitution, he has no provisions to affect any change in the Opposition Leader�s post. Speaker said that he was declaring his final decision on the situation which has risen with regard to the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament after much deliberation & extensively studying the matter. more..

Aug 10 (CT) There is a moment when push comes to shove and a time when anyone of us could push off the edge of sanity, decorum and patience when faced with incredible injustice and unfairness. This motive to drive off prejudice is the ultimate essence of rebellion and revolution that burns within the human being. That spark is not enraged into a fiery flame easily for humanity however. Most of the time, we are complacent, aware of the problems that surround our species, but self satisfied more..

Aug 10 (FT) Petitions, marches, vigils, strikes, fasts, rallies, rebellions all can be called commonly as protests. Protest is an essential component of democracy. Protest is the tool used to keep the people�s representatives at their rightful place, an inch below the foot of the people. It is another way of exercising the people�s sovereignty. It�s the most powerful mechanism to keep the govt, foreign govts, intergovernmental agencies, local and foreign corporations under the control of the people. more..

Aug 10 (DN) Minister Ranjith Maddumabandara said that he will inform the House of the Wadduwa incident where four persons died of drugs, as soon as he receive the findings following a complete inquiry. Minister Maddumabandara made these observations when Joint Opposition MP Ranjith De Zoysa inquired about the developments in the probe of the said matter. MP Zoysa alleged that there is a political figure behind the incident. When Zoysa directed the question to PM Wickremesinghe, more..

Aug 10 (NR) Inter Provincial Private Bus Operators Association says a final decision on the proposed strike planned for Monday will be determined this evening. Chairman of the Association Sarath Vijitha Kumara said they will discuss whether a bus strike will be launched at a time that a train strike is also currently underway. Kumara noted the meeting will take place at 4pm this evening. He said they will arrive at a decision that will not inconvenience the public or incur losses to the govt more..

Aug 10 (Roar) Benislos Thushan, 25, still remembers the first time he heard the word period used freely in conversation in Colombo. Although it was only a few years ago, the openness of the discussion made a mark on him. It was a culture shock, he said, contrasting it to his conservative upbringing in the North. He noted that there was a lack of dialogue on female reproductive health among schoolchildren in general, and said more..

Aug 10 (NR) Ministry of Internal Affairs says a fee of 100 rupees should be paid for an application to obtain a national identity card for the first time in history with effect from the 1st of Sept 2018. The gazette in this regard was signed by Minister SB Navinna. Henceforth a fee of 500 rupees will be charged for a duplicate of the National Identity Card also in effect from the 1st of Sept. Meanwhile a ten year validity period will be stated in the Electronic National Identity Cards. more..

Aug 10 (DM) Northern Provincial Council (NPC) Member T. Raviharan was arrested by the Mullaitivu Police this afternoon on charges of unlawful assembly and damaging public properties during a protest held on August 2. The 57-year-old councillor is a resident of Kallapadu, Mullaitivu-North. Police said the councillor had damaged the Mullaitivu Fisheries Inspection Office during a protest held against the use of illegal netting. Councillor was to be produced in Mullaitivu Magistrate�s Court. more..

Aug 10 (DM) All train journeys, which commenced today during the ongoing strike, would also be ceased from tomorrow, Locomotive Engine Operators� Union (LEOU) said. LEOU Secretary Indika Dodangoda said that the work stoppage launched by the railway trade unions would be continued further in the absence of a reasonable solution from the authorities concerned. �We have not been offered with a discussion yet. more..

Aug 10 (DM) A Maldivian national has been apprehended this morning by the officials of Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) at BIA, for smuggling counterfeit US Dollars into the country. The suspect (49) had arrived at the BIA in a flight belonging to SriLankan Airlines (UL 186), which had departed from Lahore, Pakistan at 5.35 a.m. this morning. Due to the suspicions regarding smuggling of heroin into the country, passengers of flights from Pakistan are generally subjected to extensive more..

Aug 10 (NDTV) The seven Rajiv Gandhi assassination convicts jailed in Tamil Nadu cannot be released, the govt told the Supreme Court today, asserting that the case involves the assassination of a former PM. The assassination of Rajiv Gandhi was a most heinous and brutal crime, the govt said, one which had brought the Indian democratic process to a grinding halt as general and state elections had to be postponed. Centre said the trial court had given cogent reasons for imposing death penalty more..

Aug 10 (CT) Against a backdrop of the dangerous tendency of people taking the law into their hands as evidenced by the violence at the Fort Railway station, the abysmal levels to which respect for rules and regulations has sunk is also evident by General Secretary of BBS Galagoda Atte Gnanasara, sentenced to 19 years of rigorous imprisonment on four Contempt of Court charges over an incident that took place on more..

Aug 10 (LBO) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday said that they are monitoring and reviewing the Singapore FTA to address issues. Speaking at an award ceremony held yesterday, he emphasized that if Sri Lanka wants to go global, the country must have access to the global market. �Lots of people are worried about the FTA with Singapore, but I can�t see it having a harmful effect,� PM said. �We are monitoring and reviewing it to ensure that if there is some problem you can take it up.� more..

Aug 10 (DM) A certain lady occupying a very high chair in a city council had many an eyebrow raised when she recently gave a new look to her official residence at a massive cost. Despite this official residence being in a very good condition, the lady had got the floor and wall tiles of the bathrooms replaced and structural and interior d�cor changes done to suit her extravagant taste, they say. When her officials frowned on her grand plans to give the place a new look, she had said: more..

Aug 10 (EN) A Deputy Minister shocked the parliament Friday by calling for new laws to restore corporal punishment saying that it was the only way to establish discipline in schools. Industry and Commerce Deputy Minister Buddhika Pathirana urged the legislature to amend the 1995 child protection law to allow teachers to carry out physical assault on students. "These new trends of bringing up children will not work in SL, more..

Aug 10 (CT) The CEB charges Rs 50,000 from a consumer if he wants a lamp post trans-located, even if the lamp post is just 50 feet from his residence, the Coordinating Secretary of Allied Organizations in the Biyagama Electorate, R.A. Sisira Kumara said. He was speaking at the public consultation sessions at the BMICH. Kumara said the cost of translocation of a lamp post beyond 50 feet is the responsibility of the CEB. Western Provincial Council�s Power & Energy Ministry more..

Aug 10 (CT) If electricity powered cars from the grid exceed 200,000 it will hit the electricity supply affecting the ordinary consumer, warned SLPP Member and Moratuwa Urban Council (UC) Chairman, Samanlal Fernando yesterday. Speaking at the public consultation sessions on electricity and water, organized by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka at the BMICH, he urged the promotion of solar powered cars as opposed to cars powered by the electricity grid. more..

Aug 10 (AD) Minister Mangala Samaraweera said that the fuel prices have been revised with effect from midnight today, based on the fuel pricing formula. The price of 95 Octane Petrol has been increased by Rs 2 per litre while the price of Super Diesel has been increased by Rs 1 per litre. Accordingly the new price of 95 Octane Petrol is Rs157 per litre while the new price of Super Diesel is Rs 130. more..

Aug 10 (Island) Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said that a reduction in the prices of 48 essential medicines, had resulted in a total benefit of Rs.4.4 billion to the community of patients. The finding was based on a survey conducted by the National Medicines Regulatory Authority on the impact of reducing the price of 48 essential medicines, by Extraordinary Gazette No. 1989/61 dated October 21 2016, he noted. Senaratne said that due to the price reductions, more..

Aug 10 (IHC) At a special ceremony held on 10 August 2018, foundation stone was laid to start the construction of new buildings at Saraswathy Central College in Pusselawa, Kandy district. The foundation stone was laid by H. E. Mr. Taranjit Singh Sandhu, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka jointly with Hon State Minister for Education Mr. V. Radhakrishnan and Hon Minister for Agriculture and Tamil Education of Central Province Mr. M. Rameshwaran. more..

Aug 10 (NR) Terming the on-going railway strike as irrational, Minister Champika Ranawaka today claimed the purported concerns raised by railway employees can be resolved through discussion. He said certain factions are attempting to inconvenience the general public based on insignificant incidents. Minister also requested the public to intervene and ensure the freedom guaranteed by the govt is not misused. more..

Aug 10 (NR) The former Chief of Staff of the President IK Mahanama and the former Chairman of the State Timber Corporation Piyasena Dissanayake, arrested on charges of soliciting a 20 million rupee bribe, have been further remanded until the 21st of Aug. The order was issued by Colombo Chief Magistrate this afternoon. The duo was arrested on the 3rd of May while attempting to obtain 20 million rupees from an Indian investor. Suspects had solicited a bribe of rs. 560 mil more..

Aug 10 (Xinhua) Pakistani Maritime Security Ship (PMSS) Kashmir is scheduled to reach Colombo Port, on a four-day goodwill visit from Aug. 13-16. During their stay at Colombo, the personnel of the PMSS Kashmir will take part in various professional activities with SL Navy. "Pakistan Naval ships frequently pay port calls to Sri Lanka, as both countries enjoy warm diplomatic and strong military ties. Such interactions also demonstrate both navies' resolve to contribute towards more..

Aug 10 (DM) The JO is planning to file legal action against Singapore-SL Free Trade Agreement (FTA), JO MP Bandula Gunawardene said. He said that his party file papers at the Supreme Court and pointed out that the FTA was illegal because the govt had embarked on waving tax and import duty on 3000 items. �Govt has claimed that a gazette notification containing a list of items for which tax & duty will be removed was issued, more..

Aug 11 (CT) This rebuttal is dated July 5th 2018. The responses are to individual points made in the �civil society� petition. The points made in the petition are in inverted commas, while my responses are in bold type. I have taken what I feel to be the general misconceptions held by the signatories about the workings of the United Nations, and especially the task of an Ambassador to carry out the mandate given to him by his appointing authority, and answered them briefly. more..

Aug 11 (CT) Striking railway workers were attacked by irate commuters, we are told. Social media is full of cheers. Minister Sagala Ratnayake has dubbed the action by railway employees trade union terrorism. He opined that union leaders showed callous disregard for the interests of the public, particularly young students currently sitting for their A/L Exam. Ratnayake claims to have the greatest respect for trade unions and their rights but insists it is imperative trade unions act more..

Aug 11 (SO) Between 2004 and 2007, 134 SL soldiers deployed as part of the UN Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) were involved in a sex-ring in which they sexually exploited nine children between the ages of 12 and 15. In a country where poverty is rife, soldiers promised children clean water and small portions of food in exchange for sex. SL military repatriated 114 of the 134 accused personnel, however only 9 of more..

Aug 11 (DN) The public interest moved to the Judiciary this week, following the Court of Appeal decision to sentence the Galagoda Atte Gnanasara Thera to six years of rigorous imprisonment, over his contemptuous behaviour in the Homagama Magistrate�s Court in Jan 2016. Gnanasara Thera was found guilty of all four charges of contemptuous behaviour framed against him, proved beyond reasonable doubt, in an important expression of the Independence of Judiciary in recent years. more..

Aug 11 (DN) Now Professor Peiris not unsurprisingly has objected to two clauses in the proposed draft constitution which he says are prejudicial to the interests of the Rajapaksa, even though it is in the public interest. The first objection which Professor Peiris raises is to the abolition of the executive presidency, a near article of faith of the political establishment for several decades. Of the three major political parties in the country, the SLFP, the UNP and the JVP, the SLFP and more..

Aug 11 (DN) Lakmali Jayawardena, a regular commuter said she waited for hours at the Maradana Railway Station on Wednesday evening without a train to return home to Ambalangoda. Leaving her one-and-a-half-year-old child with her mother and grandmother, Jayawardena had come to work in the morning hoping to get home as soon as she finished, but as a result of the railway strike that was launched suddenly, she had gone home more..

Aug 11 (GV) Fort Railway Station was eerily quiet on August 9. The ticket-counters and the Station Master�s office were empty and unstaffed. There was a heavy police presence at the station, but none of the police seemed confident about when the next train was arriving. One is supposed to come now. I don�t know when, said a police officer that Groundviews spoke to. On Aug 8, several railway unions called a sudden strike at around 3 pm. One month before, on July 26, railway trade more..

Aug 11 (CT) Botswana and Zambia appear to have struck an admirable balance between environmental conservation and community needs. There are large national parks and private game reserves in these two sparsely populated countries. Private reserves were once hunting lodges. But today, hunting is strictly prohibited and resort managers, conscious of the expanding employment opportunities and the lucrative income from high-end tourists, both direct and indirect, comply strictly with the law. more..