Oct 18 (NR) MP Kumara Welgama says if concerns persist with naming former President Rajapaksa as the JO�s Presidential candidate, a suitable senior member apart from the Rajapaksa family must be named instead. Speaking at a public rally MP said he cannot agree with the stance that only a member of the Rajapaksa family can be named as a Presidential candidate. Speaking later on at a SLPP meeting the MP responded to more..

Oct 18 (DM) The JO said the Indian national, who claimed of a plot to assassinate Prez Sirisena, former Prez Rajapaksa and his family members, was identified as an India�s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) member bearing the RAW identity card number of RB317217/VJ. JO member MP Wimal Weerawansa said that they had investigated on this issue and had found out that the Indian national who was arrested in SL more..

Oct 18 (CT) In 2016 and 2017, a total of 1,987 university students had left Govt Universities within the first three months of registering due to ragging, said the Chairman of UGC, Professor Mohan de Silva. �Most of these students have registered with the relevant Universities, before leaving them because of ragging. This means that they can�t attend again either. It is sad to see the learning environment of Universities being destroyed more..

Oct 18 (DM) Animosity between President Sirisena and PM Ranil Wickremesinghe took new heights on Tuesday as the two leaders embroiled themselves in a heated exchange of words at the weekly Cabinet meeting. It started after Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe presented a Cabinet memorandum seeking approval to develop the East Container Terminal of Colombo Port by Sri Lanka Ports Development Authority (SLPDA). more..

Oct 18 (FT) Sri Lanka�s excessive reliance on foreign capital to finance investment under favourable external financial conditions is now leading to disruptions, as those conditions change in a decisive interest rate tightening phase in the US. As US monetary policy becomes tighter and the dollar strengthens, emerging economies like SL are hit by twin blows from both the interest rate and currency adjustments. SL rupee has depreciated by 10% in nominal terms by end Sept 2018, more..

Oct 18 (CT) The biggest clich� in mystery fiction/ drama/films and television is unsurprisingly the biggest clich� in politics too. The butler did it! naturally transforms in the political arena, not exclusively in the Sri Lankan one but synonymously less recognized, into The former regime did it! But with matters unravelling at hand, is it possible that the butler � er, the former regime � was framed? Up until recent times the generalized rant of the current political administration was more..

Oct 18 (Island) The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) supported the consultative workshop on Development of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Strategy for Fruit and Vegetables in Sri Lanka together with Department of National Planning (NPD), Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs last week. In the workshop, the participants from NPD, Department of Agriculture, private sector, academia and other relevant agencies in addition to JICA, had extensive discussion to more..

Oct 18 (DM) The United National Party (UNP) said it had identified 25 of its electoral organizers to be axed under its reorganization programme, it is learnt. According to sources, the UNP would dispense with its organizers identified as weak in the reorganization process. The party leadership, at the Working Committee meeting yesterday, instructed its organizers to establish branch organizations at the grassroots level in preparation of future elections. more..

Oct 18 (SLA) Sri Lanka Army, recognized globally as a UN troop contributing country (TCC) with its second contingent of 260-strong Combat Convoy Company (CCC) is now set to wing to Mali, a landlocked West African country, marred by ethnic tensions for UN peacekeeping assignments. A brief inaugural ceremony of the FTX - Harmattan - 2 will take place at Chundikulam, before the Exercise more..

Oct 18 (Island) Court of Appeal, yesterday, fixed for Nov 2, arguments pertaining to the writ application filed by wartime Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa in respect of alleged misappropriation of public funds in the construction of D. A. Rajapaksa Memorial at Madamulana, Weeraketiya The petitioner Rajapaksa has requested the Court to quash the decision of the FCID to charge him with misappropriating Rs. 50 mn. However, the Attorney General has already indicted Rajapaksa more..

Oct 18 (Island) Air Force Commander Air Marshal Kapila Jayampathy yesterday took delivery of six brand new PT-6 aircraft, assembled at the Aircraft Engineering Wing (AEW) at SL Air Force Base, Katunayake. The event was also attended by Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Sumangala Dias, members of the Air Force Board of Management and other officers as well as representatives of the Aviation Engineering Division of the M/S CATIC of China, more..

Oct 18 (PMD) The Colombo Air Symposium (CAS), a forum that provides an even ground for the stakeholders to blueprint pragmatic air power solutions for the issues emerging in the global, regional and national levels, was commenced under the patronage of President Sirisena at the Eagles� Lakeside Banquet & Convention Hall in Attidiya, today. The CAS 2018 is themed as Air Strategy in Substantiating more..

Oct 18 (AD) A suspect has been arrested in the Padukka area while in possession of 1.1 kg of heroin valued at around Rs 13 million, police said. The arrest was made by a team of officers from the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD). The arrested individual is a 37 year old name Sameera Rasanga Gunasekara alias Hybrid Sudda, stated Police Media Spokesperson. He had been conducting his heroin racket in a rented house in Netioluwa-Angampitiya in Padukka while his permanent address more..

Oct 18 (AD) The SLFP Organizer for Mawanella Imtiaz Cader Mohamed has been arrested by the STF. STF officers had found 3 unregistered firearms and several rounds of ammunition with him when searched his house in Kegalle, this morning. A Dubai-imported MP5K automatic rifle commonly used for VIP security purposes, a T-56 rifle, a Repeater-type firearm and a stock of live ammunition has been recovered from the house. Reportedly, he is currently being escorted to more..

Oct 18 (AD) Sri Lanka�s much-talked about Fuel Pricing Formula was revealed in detail to the media by Minister Mangala Samaraweera, at a press conference in Colombo today. Cabinet of Minister had granted approval for the implementation of a cost reflective formula based pricing system of auto fuels effective from May 11, 2018. The pricing formula was constructed by a technical committee based on the following more..

Oct 18 (CT) Attorney-at-Law Rajitha Amarasuriya, appearing for the Beneficiary Owner of the primary dealer, Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL) Arjun Joseph Aloysius, yesterday requested the Colombo Fort Chief Magistrate, Lanka Jayaratne, for permission to locate the PTL Private Limited, currently found at Park Road in Colombo, at a different venue. He submitted the request to Magistrate Jayaratne through a motion. Making further submissions in Court, he said that more..

Oct 18 (AD) The general public has to pay for the consequences of the power struggle within the govt, says the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He stated this joining an event held in Colombo last evening. A meeting of professionals, organized by the Sri Lanka Podujana Engineers� Front, was held yesterday under the patronage of the former President. �It is doubtful whether a got or a country really exists today,� Mahinda Rajapaksa has said addressing the meeting. more..

Oct 18 (DM) Minister Malik Samarawickrama today said the Board of Directors of BOI comprised of highly respected professionals, who functioned with utmost responsibility and Integrity. Issuing a statement, he said the news reports which cast aspersions on the conduct of the BOI Board of Directors are irresponsible and factually Incorrect. �I categorically reject these baseless allegations made in those news items. more..

Oct 18 (DM) The cabinet spokesman saying will be hanged, should be hanged, everyone will be put in jail at a press conference will give rise to serious questions in the minds of the people about the Executive, the Legislative and the Judiciary in a country like ours that is still evolving a mature political culture, SLFP General Secretary Professor Rohana Lakshman Piyadasa said. He was referring to Cabinet Spokesman Rajitha Seneratne who said will be hanged, more..

Oct 18 (AD) MP Johnston Fernando alleges that the two officials who were remanded along with him were stripped naked in front of all inmates in the prison. Stating that he had to suffer through various difficulties during his time in prison, MP Fernando accuses that they were all under the orders of the govt. Fernando stated that this was carried out by a group from Colombo sent by the Minister of Justice Thalatha Athukorale. He says that the former Sathosa Chairman and more..

Oct 18 (GDI) One of the prominent features of the series of 69th Army Anniversary ceremonies, commemoration of War Heroes at Battaramulla monument got underway last afternoon (17th), graced by Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake, Commander of the Army as the Chief Guest. The memorial reverence at Battaramulla recalled unmatched valour and unparalleled gallantry of thousands of War Heroes who more..

Oct 18 (CT) The Parliament reportedly wastes the most amount of food in the country, President Maithripala Sirisena said while speaking at a ceremony organized to mark the World Food Day. �We all know that the most amount of food wasted daily in the country is at the Parliament Canteen. A majority of the Parliamentarians do not attend the Sessions at Parliament. Even if they are present, they never have their meal there. Therefore, most of the food prepared daily, is wasted. more..

Oct 18 (AD) Former DIG Nalaka de Silva left the CID premises, a short while ago, after being questioned for nearly 9 hours. The officers of the CID had recorded a statement from the former DIG of the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) in connection with the alleged assassination plot against the President and former Defence Secretary. Nalaka de Silva was also ordered to appear before the CID once again tomorrow. He had arrived at the CID at around 10.00 a.m. this morning more..

Oct 18 (AD) Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe says that the media reports, which had alleged that the President pointed the finger at India over an alleged assassination plot targeting him, was the result of an organised and deliberately attempts to create a conflict between the two countries. Quoting several unnamed sources, who were reportedly present during the Cabinet meeting, The Hindu had reported that more..

Oct 18 (AD) The Chairman of the National Livestock Development Board (NLDB) and one other person arrested over allegedly accepting a bribe to expedite the process of renting out a restaurant at a farm in Melsiripura have been further remanded until 23rd Oct as per the order of Colombo Magistrate�s Court. When the case was taken up before Colombo Chief Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake, today (18), officials of the Bribery Commission requested the court to further remand more..

Oct 18 (AD) The Court of Appeal has fixed for hearing the case filed against the GMOA President Dr Anuruddha Padeniya over contempt of court, on March 02. The case, filed by two civil society activists Prof. Sarath Wijesuriya and Gamini Viyangoda, was taken up before a two-member judge bench consisting Court of Appeal President Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and Justice Arjuna Obeysekara today. The plaintiffs allege that Dr Padeniya has made a controversial more..

Oct 18 (CT) The Jaffna Peninsula�s Thesawalami law, which governs the inheritance of property along matrilineal lines, and grants women the right to own property; nonetheless has certain contradictions which prevents women from optimizing the exercise of such rights, a recent World Bank (WB) report said. Elaborating on the contradictory features of the Thesawalami, it said that the control of property however more..

Oct 19 (CT) Last week, I travelled to Sri Lanka on a very short trip. My task was to conduct a review of a degree programme in the recently established Faculty of Engineering at the University of Jaffna, as part of an accreditation exercise. It was a poorly planned trip on my part, too short to visit friends and family. Before travelling, I had to set aside my prejudices relating to quality assurance processes in higher education. These, pioneered in the UK and adopted elsewhere, more..

Oct 19 (CT) On release of fifth grade scholarship examination scores, our society trembles. It is an escalating annually periodic disruption of a buildup social pressure. Parents of kids who have earned marks above the cut-off point, celebrate and publicize the achievement. Yet the worries continue until the child is admitted to a best school of their choice. Teachers and tutors claim that their effort, paved way for students to succeed. The larger percentage of fifth graders unsuccessful in more..

Oct 19 (CT) UPFA MP JO�s Sisira Jayakody says the JVP submitted 20th Amendment to fulfil the need of the UNP and that the JO has the ability to defeat the 20th Amendment. Q: Your Party Chairman Prof. G. L. Peiris says that he will hand over the chairmanship of the Party to Mahinda Rajapaksa at the second conference of the Party. Can he take it over? He contested from the UPFA and he is still a member of the SLFP? more..

Oct 19 (CT) Many people are complaining about the devaluation of the Rupee in relation to the dollar. While everyone knows that our currency has been losing its value since 1977, in no other time has dramatic fluctuations like what we are experiencing has happened, consistently. Many people wonder what is going on, given that we have many economic masterminds in the country. This is not to imply that this is a phenomenon restricted to Sri Lanka. The US dollar is very strong more..

Oct 19 (SO) President Sirisena�s absolute commitment to solve the major problems faced by the people in the North and the East and bring the hitherto undeveloped districts in the country to be on par with the developed districts is evident from the various steps taken by the govt during the last three and a half years. Addressing the UNGA, he made a firm commitment that the govt would continue to implement the UNHRC proposals that could be done within the constitutional framework. more..

Oct 19 (Roar) Three-and-a-half billion years ago, our planet was in the midst of a decisive transformation. Until then, meteorites had rained down onto a molten landscape and boiled the oceans, making the six-hour days blisteringly hot. Smokey by-products of the volcanic landscape choked the air, making it heavy, acrid, and unbreathable. The sun was dimmer but the world was warmer; all this extra heat came from below, more..

Oct 19 (DN) PM Mahinda Rajapaksa was the candidate of the governing party that ruled the country for 11 years with a short break from 2001 to 2004 when the UNP won the Parliamentary election in 2001 and Ranil Wickremesinghe became the PM, albeit under the executive presidency held by People�s Alliance (PA). Prez Chandrika Kumaratunga�s authoritarian premature dissolution of Parliament, disallowed any breathing space for the new UNP govt to work their programme more..

Oct 19 (DN) New age lifestyle comes with its load of tensions and anxieties. Children are at the receiving end of modern living as many parents vent their frustrations by shouting at or punishing their children for even trivial matters. Frustrations caused by pressures at work, broken home conditions, financial and domestic worries, marital discord and alcoholic problems are some of the reasons for parents to lose their temper on children. According to UNICEF Sri Lanka around 73.4% of children more..

Oct 19 (Island) The Sabaragamuwa, North Central, Eastern, North Western and Central Provincial Councils have now ceased to exist and the Northern PC will stand dissolved next week, bringing the number of provinces without functioning PCs to six. Under normal circumstances, we would already have had elections to the Sabaragamuwa, North Central & Eastern Provinces and been preparing for the second leg with regard to the North Western, Central & Northern PCs. more..

Oct 19 (Island) Higher Education Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has resorted to naming and shaming in a bid to recover nearly one billion rupees some university dons who are currently resident overseas owe the country. There are 485 defaulting dons, according to a list published by the Ministry of Higher Education in the newspapers. This is a welcome move and why his predecessors failed to do so is the question. Many SL professionals, including doctors and uni teachers, more..

Oct 19 (Island) Ave Maria Convent, Negambo thrower Sewmini Nathali, Good Shepherd Convent, Panadura jumper Sandamini Silva and St. Aloysius�, Ratnapura hurdler T.O.V. Ariyawansa set new meet records while one of the oldest records was equaled by Dahamsa Kahangama of Sumana Balika, Ratnapura on day two of the Sir John Tarbet Junior Athletics Championship at A'pura on Thursday. Sandamini proved beyond doubt that more..