Sep 15 (DM) A heated argument took place during the PCoI proceedings yesterday when PTL lawyer Nihal Fernando PC attempted to continuously interrupt during the cross-examination conducted by DSG Gunatilleke on PTL CEO Kasun Palisena. While DSG Gunatilleke was questioning the witness, Mr. Fernando PC on several times tried to indicate answers to those questions before the witness gave answers. But DSG objected to that and emphasized let the witness talk not the counsel. more..

Sep 15 (NR) Minister Lakshman Kiriella today accused certain factions of the Opposition and media of attempting to derail the Central Expressway project. Govt headed by the President and PM recommenced the project following amendments to contracts which were signed during the tenure of the UPFA led govt. UPFA led govt was accused of signing agreements that were deemed detrimental to the country. more..

Sep 15 (LT) They are not fighting to get any salary increment but their struggle is to get the fraudsters and the corrupt in the CEB whose crimes make the consumer pay more for the electricity bill says the General Secretary of CEB Employees� Union Ranjith Jayalal speaking on behalf of the Joint Trade Unions Alliance of CEB. He added that the attempt of the authorities to give a bribe of a salary increment would not stop the employees from carrying on their struggle. more..

Sep 15 (DN) The National Police Commission has approved the promotions of 464 female police constables to the position of police sergeants. Their decision has been communicated to IGP Pujith Jayasundera. Promotions are part of the decision taken by the Commission to resolve the long delays in promotions faced by Police Department. Last week the Commission granted promotions to over 2500 policemen whose promotions had been delayed for a very long time. more..

Sep 15 (EN) Economy grew 4% in the second quarter of 2017 from a year ago, supported by industry and services while agriculture contracted. GDP grew 3.9% in the second half of 2017 compared with the year before. GDP in the second quarter of 2017 at constant (2010) prices reached Rs 2,211,612 million compared with Rs 2,125,848 million in the second quarter of 2016. Services contributed 56.6% to GDP more..

Sep 15 (EN) SL export promotion authorities have developed local versions of international agricultural and manufacturing practices to help certified exporters get better access to European markets. The initiative was being tried out with fruit and vegetable exporters many of whom do not follow good practices, said Indira Malwatta, chairperson of the Export Development Board (EDB). �We are doing GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice),� more..

Sep 15 (NR) Former Minister of Education and Sports of the North Western Province Sandhya Kumara Rajapaksha said he was not disappointed by the decision to remove him from his post claiming he was expected to politicize the Education Ministry. President�s Media Division said the Chief Minister of the North Western Province Dharmasiri Dasanayake has been assigned with the Education Ministerial portfolio. Accordingly, the Chief Minister will hold the portfolios of Finance and Policy Planning, more..

Sep 15 (NR) Minister Lakshman Kiriella says an interim report on the draft pertaining to the proposed new Constitution will be tabled in Parliament on 21st of Sept. All aspects in the report will be debated in the House. He said the govt we will table an interim report on the draft pertaining to the new Constitution on the 21st of this month adding that this will be out in the open. Minister said the govt will discuss and debate every clause of more..

Sep 15 (CT) The Cabinet has allocated Rs 952 million to provide 560,000 bushels of seed paddy to farmers in areas where there are shortages to avoid an issue in rice production during the 2018 Maha season. A bushel of seed paddy can range from Rs 1,550 to Rs 1,800 depending on the variety. In a memorandum the Ministry of Agriculture has requested the cabinet to provide funds for the creation of a joint arrangement, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, more..

Sep 15 (PMD) President Maithripala Sirisena opened the Colombo International Book Fair 2017 organized by the Sri Lanka Book Publishers Association for the 19th consecutive year, held at the BMICH, today. After declaring open the exhibition, President Sirisena made an inspection tour of the exhibition. He also engaged in a cordial discussion with writers and book publishers. Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Deputy Minister Dr. Harsha De Silva and more..

Sep 15 (EN) The Monetary Board of Sri Lanka�s Central Bank has promoted six Staff Class Grade IV officers to the post of Assistant Governor with effect from 31st August 2017. �These promotions have been made to ensure the smooth functioning of the bank by filling the vacuum created in the Assistant Governor position due to promotions and retirements during the period from May 2016 to August 2017,� a statement said. more..

Sep 15 (DM) GMOA Assistant Secretary Naveen De Soyza said the vehicle parade oraganised by the anti-SAITM groups was blocked at Panadura by the STF personnel this evening. He said they were counter such measures and would continue with their action. �STF personnel said they were carrying out sudden checks. We have never witnessed the STF carrying out checks in this a manner,� Dr. De Soyza said. He said the participants in the vehicle parade were determined to go ahead. more..

Sep 15 (CT) Ministry of Hindu Religious Affairs has made a financial allocation of Rs 10 million to restore 50 kovils island-wide. Granting financial assistance for the restorations of kovils was carried out on Wednesday under the patronage of Minster D.M. Swaminathan. Representatives of 50 kovils, selected from around the country, participated in the function conducted. These kovils were presented with cheques between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 million according to their restorations estimates. more..

Sep 15 (DM) President Maithripala Sirisena's daughter Chaturika, said at today's launch of the book authored by her and titled, Janadhipathi Thaththa, that she had no intention of entering party politics but would use politics for community service, women empowerment and social justice. �So many people, including my friends keep asking me when I enter politics. I am reminded of what Aristotle said that man is either a more..

Sep 15 (TG) Today marks 30 years since the death of Lt. Col. Thileepan, a political wing leader of the LTTE who fasted to death on hunger strike, appealing to the Indian govt to honour pledges made to the Tamil people. Thileepan began his fast on 15th Sept 1987, with 100,000 people gathered around the historic Nallur Temple in Jaffna. As he began his strike he put forward 5 demands to the Indian govt. 30 years on, Tamils continue to call for the demands made by Thileepan. more..

Sep 15 (CT) An unprecedented crowd thronged and marched in Sammanthurai recently, against the attacks on Rohingya in Myanmar, in a protest organized by Sammanthurai Jummah Mosque Trustees, Jemmiyathul Ulama and Majlis Us Soora. Protest march started from the Sammanthurai Hijara Junction, after Jumma prayers and a Duwa recital, and was attended by a large group of protesters who were holding placards demanding the end to human rights abuses and genocides committed by more..

Sep 15 (AD) A pindapatha (alms begging) tour organized by several Buddhist clergy members to raise funds in aid of former President�s Secretary Lalith Weeratunga and former Director of TRC Anusha Palpita who were convicted over the sil redi case began earlier today.�Tour began at the Sambuddhaloka Viharaya on Lotus road amidst the chanting of seth pirith by a large congregation if Buddhist monks. more..

Sep 16 (CT) Last Sunday (10), I woke up earlier than my mother, who woke up so late that breakfast delayed meant my schedule for the day delayed. I don�t resolve to travel on weekends; those are the only two days in my life that I spend at home. But Sept 10, no different to all other Sundays in Sept, was special. To me. Somewhere in Colombo, an organisation was about to hold its inaugural forum. This forum, I got to more than an hour after it started. What I heard and what I missed, more..

Sep 16 (Island) If Hitler had won the war, history would have been written differently.��Wars are fought for various reasons, be it power, politics, geopolitics, religion, ethnicity or even women.��Which way the cookie crumbles, it is the winner that interprets history.��Some may call JR a hero while some may consider him a horror.��The fact, however, remains that he is a historic figure, the interpretations of which are being re-written on an almost daily basis.��It may also be recalled that more..

Sep 16 (Island) We are in the midst of loud proclamations of the truth � the doctored truth of the Sil Redi type. Religion and spirituality are brought to the forefront in seeking to hide the truths of corruption under the veil of the Sil Redda. Mahinda Rajapaksa �is doing his own dance of the Sil Redda or Cloth of Virtue, trying to make a big show of his silence through a whole court case involving 2 of his most trusted public officers more..

Sep 16 (DN) D.S. De Silva perfected the art of leg spin and deservedly he is a legend of class. In cricket�s folk lore he has a rightful place. Of all the arts of bowling, the most difficult is leg spin bowling. To be efficient and successful in this style of bowling one must master the entire repertoire associated with this art. Starting with the leg spin, one must master and be able to bowl the googly which is bowled with a leg spinning action with the back of the hand towards the batsman, more..

Sep 16 (DN) The judgement by the High Court, Colombo on the Sil Redi issue, apart from the sentence of imprisonment on the former Secretary to the President Lalith Weeeratunga and the former Director General of the TRC Anusha Pelpita, is showing signs of moving to a major encounter between the forces of politics and the powers of the judiciary. The fact that this was the first case involving alleged fraud and corruption under the previous Rajapaksa Regime, more..

Sep 16 (Roar) Sri Lanka is a massive hothouse of plants and vegetables that nobody else in the world has ever heard of, let alone consumed. These include an incredible array of edible green leaves that are chock-full of nutrition. Not only do these greens have a wide variety of health benefits, but they can also be made into highly appetising dishes which would appeal to anyone�s taste buds. more..

Sep 16 (CT) The reaction to Gotabaya Rajapaksa's (GR) new movement, Eliya, is revealing. On one hand,an invitee-only 1,000 guest function became an open event as many people just turned up and insisted on remaining. Finally, an audience of about 2,500+ in three halls watched the whole two and half hour event in rapt attention - some standing throughout. Many others, trapped in unprecedented traffic jam, missed the event. On the other hand, mainstream media & political pundits more..

Sep 16 (CT) During R Premadasa's Executive Presidency, the Sri Lankan expatriate community in the UK had grown excessively due to an exodus of genuine and economic refugees followed by the devastating situations that existed during 1971, 1987 and 1989 with the JVP insurgency, along with the Black July (Kaṟuppu Y�lai) against the anti-Tamil campaign in 1983. The Black July was the result of a deadly ambush on 23 July 1983 by the LTTE killing 13 Army soldiers. more..

Sep 16 (FT) Sri Lanka is strategically located at the midpoint of shipping lanes that connect China and the Middle East. This favourable location helps explain why China has made significant and increasing foreign direct investment (FDI) in SL, and has been the top source of FDI to SL since 2013.�Despite this increasing investment, however, Chinese investment in SL is negligible compared to its FDI in other Asian countries, particularly when considered as a percentage of SL�s GDP. more..

Sep 16 (Island) The ongoing presidential commission on bond scams has taken a dramatic turn with owner of Perpetual Treasuries Arjun Aloysius refusing to testify. Commission has held that it cannot order him to give evidence. But, Senior ASG Dappula de Livera PC, who is the Chief Counsel of AG�s Department before the commission, is convinced otherwise. He is reported to have said he cannot agree with the commission�s decision not to compel Aloysius to give evidence. more..

Sep 16 (CI) Former Sri Lanka seamer Graeme Labrooy will be Sri Lanka's next chief selector. Both SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala and Labrooy himself confirmed the development on Friday. SLC had also been hoping to rope in the likes of Brendon Kuruppu for its selection committee, but at this stage Kuruppu appears unlikely to take up the position - especially because he had originally been among the selectors more..

Sep 16 (CI) In the end, World XI was a group of players, while Pakistan were a team, and it finally showed. In a clinical performance in all three departments, Pakistan outclassed Faf du Plessis' men to clinch the third and final game by 33 runs. It was once again set up by a superb partnership between Ahmed Shehzad and Babar Azam, who added 102 off 57 balls. Shehzad narrowly missed out on a hundred, scoring 89 off 55. He seemed to be hurtling towards the landmark, more..

Sep 16 (NS) The bus lanes are already in effect, and the traffic seems to flow fairly smoothly in the peak hours of the morning. This move has resulted in the roads being less congested with traffic, despite the initial chaos soon after it was implemented. Even the garbage issue is being addressed with more people adapting to the system of segregating their waste, and using bio degradable bags instead of polythene. Public transportation and garbage were key issues that plagued the country not so long ago, more..

Sep 16 (NS) The TNA has indicated a possibility of an islandwide campaign to garner wider consensus among the public for the new Constitution, once an agreement is reached on the final document among members of the steering committee. �Yes. We would go for a broader campaign among the people, including those in the South to garner their consensus on the new Constitution,� TNA MP, Sumanthiran said. more..

Sep 16 (Island) Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Bahrain, Dr Saj U. Mendis, met with the Minister of Labor and Social Development of Bahrain, Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, at the Ministry, to discuss primarily the forthcoming visit of Thalatha Atukorale, Chair of the Abu-Dhabi Dialogue and Minister of Foreign Employment and Justice of Sri Lanka to the Kingdom of Bahrain as well as other concomitant issues relating to migrant workers of Sri Lankan nationality. more..

Sep 16 (DN) Former Thomian number eight Sudarshana Muthuthanthri will lead a strong Sri Lanka national sevens squad for the upcoming Asian Rugby Sevens series-2nd leg which will take place on September 23 and 24 in Incheon Namdong Asiad Rugby Stadium in South Korea. Sri Lanka will be drawn in pool �B� along with Hong Kong, South Korea and Malaysia, while the pool �A� will comprise 1st leg champions Japan along with China, Philippines and Chinese Taipei. more..

Sep 16 (PMD) The launching of the book Janadhipathi Thaththa, a fascinating story of an ordinary man from a farming family, becoming the President of the country, seen through the eyes of a daughter was held under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena at the BMICH, today (15). The first copy of the book was presented to President Maithripala Sirisena and Madam Jayanthi Sirisena by Mrs Chaturika Sirisena. more..

Sep 16 (DN) Business Management School (BMS), Sri Lanka emerged victorious in a last-ball finish against University of Sydney, Australia. The hosts� hero was 21-year-old seam-bowling all rounder Chamika Karunaratne, who after having hit a valuable 33 off 29 balls, delivered an accurate final over, conceding only nine runs when Australia needed 14 to win. The final delivery � a perfect yorker � sparked jubilation on the field, Uni of Sydney needed four off that final delivery more..

Sep 16 (CT) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is set to earn Rs 3 Billion ( US$ 15 million) from hosting the Nidahas Trophy Tri Nation Tournament next year. The said tournament which will mark Sri Lanka's 70 years of independence was launched in the middle of the second Test against Bangladesh earlier this year at the P. Sara Oval. Tournament which involves Bangladesh and India is to be a T20 tournament consisting of six T20 matches to be played between 15th to 30th March next year. more..

Sep 16 (CT) Dayasiri Jayasekara stated that he will not appoint an interim committee under any circumstance as long as he is the Sports Minister. The Minister made this remark at the workshop to revamp SL cricket at Water's Edge yesterday. Explaining his decision, Minister said that he does not like to appoint an interim committee to the 62 sports which are under the Ministry due to many reasons. more..

Sep 16 (CT) Former SL skipper Aravinda de Silva was offered the post of vice presidency at Sri Lanka Cricket and take up the responsibility of handling International Cricket, this offer has been made by SLC President Thilanga Sumathipala. Sumathipala publicly announced about SLC's offer to Aravinda yesterday following the workshop to revamp Sri Lanka cricket by the Sports Ministry. De Silva who earlier was the head of the Cricket Committee resigned from the post earlier this year. more..

Sep 16 (MoD) Sri Lanka Air Force Aviation Unit of UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) was awarded with UN Peacekeeping medals during a ceremony on Wednesday (13). According to Air Force media, members of the 3rd contingent of UN Peacekeeping Sri Lanka Aviation Unit and 06 Staff Officers of MINUSCA Bria received UN Peacekeeping Medals at the ceremony. Brigadier General Abdelbasset Aly, Sector Commander more..