Sep 25 (AD) Cabinet has granted approval to amend the Workers Minimum Wages Act and increase the current National Minimum Wage. The proposal was presented to the Cabinet by Prez Sirisena to gazette the bill prepared by the legal draftsman for revising the section 3 of Workers Minimum Wages Act No.3 of 2016 and consequently present the same for parliamentary approval. Workers Minimum Wages Act No. 3 of 2016 has set a national minimum monthly wage of Rs 10,000 (400x25) and more..

Sep 25 (AD) Former UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake has issued a statement in response to the invitation extended by UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa for him join hands with the UNP once again and help them to victory. Premadasa, who is vying to become the UNP�s presidential candidate, had invited all former MPs, Provincial Councilors, Urban-Municipal Councilors and party representatives who have worked more..

Sep 25 (EN) State-run SriLankan Airlines said Air Seychelles had become a customer of its engineering unit. SriLankan Engineering had carried out an A Check on the first Air Seychelles Airbus A320 aircraft at its newly upgraded hangar for A320/A321 at its Maintenance-Repair-Organisation unit. �SriLankan has made a significant investment in upgrading our MRO facilities at BIA,� Vipula Gunatilleka, Chief Executive Officer of SriLankan Airlines said in a statement. more..

Sep 25 (AD) All government schools in Galle and Matara districts will be kept closed as a result of the prevailing inclement weather that has affected many areas in these two districts, the Southern Province Governor Hemal Gunasekara stated. Accordingly, the schools will remain closed on the 26th and 27th of September as well. Schools in Galle and Matara districts were closed yesterday (24) and today (25) owing to the showery condition in these two districts. more..

Sep 25 (DM) While rejecting media reports that presidential candidacy was to be offered on condition, UNP deputy leader Sajith Premadasa said yesterday he would not adhere to any condition or demand. Speaking to following a discussion held on the presidential candidacy, he said discussions were still in progress on the matter. When asked whether there were any demands by the minority parties, he said there were no more..

Sep 25 (Island) Former Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran, yesterday led a protest opposite the Mullaitivu DS against the cremation of chief incumbent of Gurukanda temple Colomba Medalankarakiththi in the temple premises on Monday (23) while the Mullaitivu Magistrate Court was hearing a case filed by two parties. Several other politicians, lawyers and members of the civil society joined the protest. Some of those engaged in the demonstration, including lawyers, more..

Sep 25 (DM) Hemas won the Grand Award for Asia�s Most Socially Responsible Company of the year at the Asia Corporate Excellence & Sustainability (ACES) Awards Ceremony held in Bangkok, Thailand. The award was presented to Hemas for their commendable efforts in championing sustainable and responsible business whilst adopting an ethical and holistic approach to profit, planet and people. A key factor for the win is the visible role Hemas plays in society, more..

Sep 25 (AD) Supreme Court today dismissed the fundamental rights petition filed seeking an injunction order preventing the election for the Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha from being held without calling for fresh nominations. The petition was taken up today before a 3-member judge bench comprising Justices Vijith Malalgoda, Preethi Padman Surasena and Gamini Amarasekara. After considering the facts presented, more..

Sep 25 (Island) Mobile internet speeds in India has fallen below Sri Lanka for the month of August as per the latest Speedtest Global Index by Ookla. India ranked 131 out of 145 countries in mobile internet speeds for the month of August while Sri Lanka is ranked 83rd. South Korea topped the list with an average mobile internet speed of 111 Mbps (megabit per second), almost double of what is available in Australia which took the second spot with 66.45Mbps. more..

Sep 25 (EN) Cabinet of ministers had cleared a proposal to build a fourth 300 MegaWatt coal power plant in the West Coast. The plant is expected to be built in Norochcholai, in the same location as three existing coal plants. The plant is proposed in line with a 2018-2037 long term generation plan of state-run CEB. The current administration scuttled a 500MW coal plant in Trincomallee which was to have been built as a joint venture with India, just as contractors were to be tendered. more..

Sep 25 (AD) Yoshitha Rajapaksa, son of Leader of the Opposition Mahinda Rajapaksa, has been reinstated as a Lieutenant of the Sri Lanka Navy. The Navy Commander has signed the order issued by the President to reinstate Yoshitha Rajapaksa with effect from Feb 28, 2016, Navy Spokesperson said. SL Navy had suspended Lieutenant Yoshitha Rajapaksa from the exercise of naval service on the 28th of Feb 2016, more..

Sep 25 (AD) A railway strike has been planned to be launched based on salary disparities, stated railway trade unions. Reportedly, the strike is scheduled to be launched from midnight today. A representative of the trade unions stated that night mail trains would also halt their services from midnight today. Railway officials including station masters, railway regulators, and operators will be participating in the strike. The trade unions point out that although public service experienced a salary increase, more..

Sep 25 (RN) Teachers are set to go on strike tomorrow and Friday demanding a solution to salary anomalies in the service, Ceylon Teachers� Service Union (CTSU) said. CTSU Secretary Joseph Stalin said that the teachers affiliated with the union will be on sick leave over the next two days and will also refrain from marking A/L examination papers. �The Govt has not addressed the salary anomalies of teachers and principals since 1997. We carried out trade union action last March and more..

Sep 25 (RN) Successful entrepreneur Rohan Pallewatte was announced as Prez candidate of Abiman Lanka a collective of fringe political groups and civil society organisations this evening 25 Sept in Colombo. Several other independent Presidential aspirants including YouTube star Nagananda Kodituwakku were among a wide range of people who were at the launch of Pallewatte�s campaign to support him. more..

Sep 25 (AD) 12 Fundamental Rights (FR) petitions filed against former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, IGP Pujith Jayasundara, the Cabinet members and several other parties for allegedly failing to prevent the Easter Sunday attacks was taken up before the Supreme Court for consideration today. SC judge bench consisting of Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya and Justices Buwaneka Aluwihare, Sisira de Abrew, Priyantha Jayewardene, Prasanna Jayewardene, L.T.B. Dehideniya more..

Sep 25 (Island) Manohara de Silva, PC, on Monday (23) alleged that lawmakers had been largely silent over the incumbent govt�s bid to bring in a new Constitution at the expense of SL�s unitary status. The project got underway in 2016, the year following the change of govt, he said. The attempt was made when the SLFPers held cabinet portfolios. SLFP quit the UNP-led govt on Oct 26, 2018. De Silva said that wartime Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa intervened to launch a special project in 2017 more..

Sep 25 (RN) The Cabinet has given its approval to pay a special allowance for Govt Executive Officers. The decision was taken yesterday after considering a report submitted by the Special Salaries Commission. Accordingly, Cabinet has given approval for a 50% salary increment for all public sector employees as recommended by the Commission with effect from 1 Jan 2020. The increment will be given with the intention of more..

Sep 25 (CG) The US Govt is helping make Arugam Bay a sustainable, green tourist destination. Through an initiative called Waste Less Arugam Bay, sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the project provides free drinking water at refill stations, recycles plastic bottles, and promotes the benefits of reducing plastic waste. In Arugam Bay alone, since April 2018, more than 230,000 bottles have been mitigated from entering landfills or the ocean. more..

Sep 25 (CT) Urban Development Authority (UDA) has stressed that the controversial Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has not provided any financial assistance to the economic corridor concept from Colombo to Trincomalee which has been identified as the best economic module as per the National Physical Plan (NPP). Chairman of UDA, Dr. Jagath Munasingha said that the Colombo-Trinco economic corridor concept had been in existence much before the NPP had come to the fore. more..

Sep 25 (RN) With the nomination of Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa as the party�s presidential candidate reportedly imminent, UNP stalwarts backing him appear to be backtracking on his decidedly vague position on abolishing the presidency. Premadasa loyalist and State Minister Eran Wickramaratne said that no condition has been imposed on Premadasa to agree to abolish the executive presidency in order for more..

Sep 26 (CT) A few of my recent short-pieces in Colombo Telegraph have attracted comment. I have met both favourable and unfavourable reactions and this is the time to address some. Most comments were about my call to voters to cast their first-preference for the PP candidate Anura Kumara and second-preference for the strongest anti-Gota candidate. I ask those who disagree to nevertheless give my second-preference tactic a patient hearing. To keep it simple I will assume there are only more..

Sep 26 (CT) What is at issue tomorrow or day after for the UNP is the selection of the best candidate for the prez election. This is on the premise that all agree on policies. That premise is also not correct and there has apparently emerged some policy differences between the two main contenders, Ranil Wickremesinghe (RW) and Sajith Premadasa (SP). Therefore, the selection is not only about the person, but also about policies. The latest news say that the UNP seniors are willing to agree for more..

Sep 26 (CT) UPFA MP Bandula Gunawardana, says all anti-UNP, patriotic forces have rallied round the lotus bud. "I assure that all SLFPers will rally round Gotabaya Rajapaksa," he said. Q: The Prez Election has been declared. Are you prepared? A: We were the first party to select the candidate without any division or split. We have now completed the campaigns of several rounds. We first held the congresses of parties that support more..

Sep 26 (DN) Just this morning, I took a ride in a car made in Japan while listening to a song on an iPhone made in China. Remembering that I have to buy a few goods, I stopped at a supermarket on the way to the office and ticked off a few items � a can of fish made in Chile, a cheese made in Australia, a packet of pasta made in Italy and a bottle of Olive Oil from Spain. None of this would have been possible without shipping � and the associated international trade. more..

Sep 26 (CT) A common snide remark in the days gone by used to say derisively, that if there is a traffic jam somewhere, there is a cop in the middle of it. It means that an incompetent cop without any sense of direction had caused an unwanted and avoidable problem to the public. In contemporary times it can be said, without fear of being contradicted, that if there is a political jam you can be sure that Ranil Wickremesinghe is in the middle of it. You can also be sure that more..

Sep 26 (SO) UNP Chairman and Minister Kabir Hashim, who is one of the vociferous supporters of Sajith Premadasa presidential candidacy campaign, explained the rationale behind their decision to rally round Premadasa junior and why the party should affirm his nomination without delay. Q: What is the update on the committee appointed to select the UNF candidate, in which you are also a member? more..

Sep 26 (CT) The lotus flower symbolizes purity within Sri Lankan culture, and also the country's flourishing development. So, when it was decided to construct a symbolic landmark of Sri Lanka, what better design to use as an inspiration than the lotus flower? This unique glorious skyline of Colombo is indeed the talk of the town today - on one hand for its spectacular beauty, and on the other hand about a shady deal during early stages of construction. The project commenced during the tenure of more..

Sep 26 (DN) Earth is warming from the North Pole to the South Pole. The glacier �OK� (Okj�kull) was the first glacier in Iceland to disappear due to climate change. A monument was placed at the site in memory of the lost glacier. The Amazon forest which is considered as the lungs of the world which produces 20 percent of our planet�s oxygen and which currently accounts for around a quarter of the CO2 removal provided by the world�s forests each year, endured massive fire. more..

Sep 26 (CT) A brazen attempt to thwart Elpitiya PS election from being held as scheduled, by certain interested parties, was foiled yesterday when the Supreme Court refused to grant leave to proceed with a fundamental rights petition filed by three supposed residents of Elpitiya. The petitioners sought an injunction preventing the election on the flimsy claim that nominations for the election were called nearly two years ago in Nov 2017, and that fresh nominations should be called before more..

Sep 26 (RN) The newly appointed High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in Australia J.C Weliamuna presented Letters of credence to Australian Governor-General David Hurly On the 20th Sept. The ceremony was held at the Govt House, in Canberra, a press release said. Deputy Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and Penny Williams representing Minister for Foreign Affairs and Women, Australia were present. more..

Sep 26 (ST) J.R. Jayewardene entertaining guests on the lawn of the President�s House once asked British MP Michael Morris if he smoked. When he replied no, the President inquired if his father did. Receiving a positive answer he presented Morris with a box of Cuban cigars, saying that President Fidel Castro regularly sent them to him. Back home in the UK, his father called to thank Morris for the cigars, informing him that more..

Sep 26 (TM) Shangri-La Group announced today that the much-anticipated One Galle Face integrated development will open its doors to the public from 8 November 2019 onwards with the opening of One Galle Face Mall and One Galle Face Tower. These two constructions will join The Residences at One Galle Face and Shangri-La Hotel, which opened in 2018 and 2017 respectively. One Galle Face is Colombo�s first internationally developed and managed mixed-use development project. more..

Sep 26 (DM) A senior politician in the country recently bemoaned the practice of subsidising loss-making state-owned enterprises (SOEs) through state banks which has indirectly resulted in crippling Sri Lanka�s banking sector. �A lot of subsidies to SOEs come through the govt forcing the state banks who lend heavily to these SOEs. If you look at accounts of People�s Bank and BOC, a large part of lending is taking place through the corporate sector,� MP Dr. Sarath Amunugama said. more..

Sep 26 (DN) Hiruni Wijayaratne, SL�s lone representative at the 17th IAAF World Athletics Championships scheduled to be held from Sept 27 to Oct 6 in Doha, Qatar, will be aiming to run smart in the harsh and barren environment in the Middle Eastern desert nation in a bid to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The women�s marathon is scheduled to begin at 2.29 a.m. (SL time) on Saturday, final event on 1st day more..

Sep 26 (DN) Day two of the SLT Speedup Cycle Sawariya started from Embilipitiya on its way to Bandarawela yesterday and the cyclists travelled through Ambalantota, Hambantota, Weerawila, Wellawaya, Ella to reach Bandarawela covering a distance of 156 km. The race was flagged off by Sanjaya Kumara, Deputy General Manager (SLT) - Sabaragamuwa Province. The winner of day two was Sujith Hasantha of SLPA team. The 1st and 2nd runners-up were Chamod de Silva of more..

Sep 26 (DN) SriLankan Airlines, a member of the oneworld alliance, continuing to prove the global appeal of its marketing communication endeavors, won an esteemed PATA Gold Award in Astana, Kazakhstan recently. Accordingly, the award winning entry Two Cities, One Spirit which was aimed at enticing travelers to experience the inherent similarities between Sri Lanka and Melbourne, managed to bag a Gold Award in the category Marketing � Carrier. more..

Sep 26 (CT) Dinesh Chandimal has consented to join the SL Army as a Commissioned Officer to play cricket for their team. He is to be enlisted to the Volunteer Force as a Commissioned Officer of its Ordnance Corps. Apart from Chandimal, there will be several other top cricketers lined up to join the Army, to play cricket. They have been hiring sportsmen and women in other sports, such as Athletics and Football more..

Sep 26 (ST) An Army Commando Corporal (Cpl), attached to the 4th Commando Regiment, died yesterday in Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee during a parachute jump rehearsal of the ongoing Operation Diyakawa (Cormorant Exercise-2019). Army Commando Cpl K.H.S. Priyantha (35) of Galle, drowned, when a gust of wind pushed his towards the ocean, soon after exiting an aircraft. Cormorant Exercise-2019 held for the 10th consecutive year, involves personnel from the tri-forces. more..

Sep 26 (CT) Sri Lanka has a total of 100,000 generators used in offices and homes, providing electricity in the event of power failures by the grid, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank's (WB's) private sector development arm, in a report released this month (September), said. These generators are run on fossil fuels such as diesel, petrol and kerosene, and are responsible for more than 2.5% of all fossil fuels consumed by the island, it said. more..