Sep 16 (Island) It was at then SL President J.R. Jayewardene�s specific and frantic request that Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi had rushed Indian troops to the island�s troubled North East 31 years ago on the night of July 29, 1987. This was disclosed here on Thursday by K Natwar Singh, who was Gandhi�s Minister of State for External Affairs at that point of time, at a dinner, hosted for former Prez Rajapaksa by Dr Subramanyam Swamy, more..

Sep 16 (ST) Cabinet has approved a draft Counter Terrorism Act (CTA) that requires suspects to be produced before a magistrate within 48 hours and limits detention orders to a maximum of eight weeks. It also grants a magistrate the discretion to refuse an extension after two weeks and entitles suspects to bail six months after arrest if criminal proceedings are not instituted during that time frame. more..

Sep 16 (CT) One of the most important principles of Islam is that you have to speak up for any form of injustice. If you do not, that is considered a sin. In many countries, laws governing Muslim families stem from verses in the Qur�an, which guarantees gender equality. But the guarantors of justice are not just. Very often, such laws ensure that beneficiaries are, overwhelmingly, Muslim men. Whether it be divorce laws or laws on inheritance, men are generally the faction that more..

Sep 16 (CT) Sri Lanka achieved a spectacular victory of 69-50 against Singapore at the 2018 Asian championships. The fantastic performance of the SL team�s power women was very much an example of resilience, in a local context in which women in sport face a range of specific challenges, primarily linked to ways in which patriarchy reigns in the sporting sphere. Most often, women in sport do not receive the same visibility, facilities, exposure, pay and recognition as men in sport. more..

Sep 17 (GV) The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) doesn�t always get it right. In May 2018, it predicted that Nawaz Sharif�s party, PML-N, will win Pakistani elections scheduled for July. That was wrong. In April 2016, it predicted that Hakainde Hichilema will win Zambian elections scheduled for August. Wrong again. According to the EIU, the SLPP win most parliamentary seats and form a govt while an associate or relative of Mahinda more..

Sep 17 (SO) Truth in the modern world has different shades and different facets. Our former President Rajapaksa is a proven practitioner of using these different shades and facets according to situational context and climatic ecology. In New Delhi he excelled in authoritative truth with the press. He was charmingly flexible with esoteric truths in his dealings with New Delhi�s political elite. In his lecture on India SL relations: Way Forward, he relied on creative truths with a sprinkling of relative more..

Sep 17 (ST) This week in India, fond father Mahinda Rajapaksa declared for the first time the presidential ambitions he harbours in his heart of hearts for his eldest son Namal to be his natural successor and heir apparent, groomed to be the president of Lanka come 2025. Speaking to the Indian media, he said on foreign soil what he has kept secret all along in Lanka: that his choice of candidate to run for the presidency is his own son and heir. Alas, the 19th Amendment had raised the age limit for more..

Sep 17 (SO) Officials of the Financial Unit of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) dropped another bombshell last week, when they filed a B report in the Colombo Magistrate�s Court, in a first step to filing legal action against former Minister Ravi Karunanayake, for allegedly making false statements under oath before the Presidential Commission investigating 2015 Treasury Bond issue that completed investigations late last year. more..

Sep 17 (ST) It is difficult not to be exasperated by the constant bewailing of what is wrong about the functioning of Govt institutions by leaders of the Govt, no less. It is almost as if the coalition alliance is perpetually in Opposition mode, a part of which is noisily quarreling with each other and the other part, occupied in reciting a long litany of woes. This is despite the fact that the responsibility for redressing those failures lie only with them, none other. That is until a sadder and sorrier bunch of more..

Sep 17 (SO) Agriculture in Sri Lanka is the cornerstone in the economic and social development of the country. A colossal sum of money is spent annually to import food, most of which can be produced locally. In 2017, around Rs. 250 billion worth food including milk food has been imported. Sri Lanka has a wide variation in soil and climate with 24 agro-ecological zones, each characterized by specific climate and soil, making it possible to cultivate different crops. more..

Sep 17 (Island) Today (15), saw one of the few really intellectual activities in Jaffna at Veerasingham Hall: the first C.W. Thamotharampillai Memorial Lecture. CWT was a legendary Tamil literatist of the nineteenth century credited with discovering some of the oldest extant Tamil literature like the Tolkapiyam and other lost Tamil Sangam works. The hall was packed to capacity. A product of Jaffna�s Batticotta Seminary, CWT was ranked first between the first two graduates more..

Sep 17 (Island) US President Donald Trump has apparently got signing executive orders down to a fine art. Some of the orders he issued immediately after his induction blew up in his face. He incurred much opprobrium for his attempt to prevent Muslims from entering the US. Trump�s latest executive order calls for sanctions against any foreign person or country which seeks to interfere in American elections. It instructs the US intelligence agencies to assess potential foreign interference on more..

Sep 17 (CT) The legendary Adam�s Bridge or Rama�s Bridge that�s made up of 16 sandy islets, stretched like a string of pearls, located between the Gulf of Mannar to the West and the Palk Straits to the East appears to be true to the legendary epic bridge narrated in the Ramayana dating back to some 1.5 million BC. However, Sri Lankans and Indians want that sacred Bridge to remain as it is, untouched in its pristine more..

Sep 17 (Roar) If you were in the vicinity of Royal College on an August evening, you may have heard an orchestral melody wafting from the Navaranghala area. The musical notes were the work of the Gustav Mahler Society of Colombo, practising late into the night for their August 28 debut. Colombo�s newest orchestra of Western classical music is different from its peers when it comes to its aims. Orchestra is a term that goes all the way back to ancient Greece. It�s derived from the Greek more..

Sep 17 (FT) 17 speakers and panellists, including top foreign experts, will attend the sixth annual Cyber Security Summit, Sri Lanka�s premier information security awareness event, on 20 Sept at the Cinnamon Grand Colombo. Defence Secretary Kapila Waidyaratne PC will inaugurate the summit as the Chief Guest while Central Bank Governor Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy will serve as the Guest of Honour. The deliberations, being held under the theme Towards a secure digital future, more..

Sep 17 (Island) Barely two hours after clearing immigration in Dubai, off-spinner Akila Dananjaya showed up at ICC Cricket Academy yesterday afternoon where the national cricket team trained ahead of their must-win Group �B� fixture against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi today. Dananjaya missed Sri Lanka�s opening fixture against Bangladesh to remain in Colombo for the birth of his first child. He is expected to play today�s game more..

Sep 17 (CI) It's debatable how much of an upset an Afghanistan victory would even be, on Monday. ODIs are, without a doubt, Sri Lanka's worst format. Over the last 18 months, they have lost half the matches they have played against Zimbabwe, for example, on top of which they have comprehensively lost ODI series against India, Pakistan and South Africa. And although they did win one tri-series involving Bangladesh and Zimbabwe early in the year, more..

Sep 17 (ST) In spite of a gallant late rally by Nalanda, Royal proved that their experience was superior during the second Royal-Nalanda annual water polo encounter at the Royal Swimming Complex yesterday. The lads from Campbell Place went down fighting at 16-21 to the experienced Royal outfit thus giving opportunity for the Reid Avenue school to snatch a 2-0 lead in the series. Royal with a load of experience dominated play in the first 3 quarters but a sudden explosion more..

Sep 17 (CT) Sri Lanka batting coach Thilan Samaraweera said that their star batsman Kusal Mendis, who continued his miserable run in ODIs, needs some mental adjustment. Mendis, who stars in Tests, went through a rough patch in the ODIs, where he was even dropped to give him a break. Mendis hasn�t scored a half century in 21 ODIs since 2017 June, and since then his highest score is just 38 runs. more..

Sep 17 (CI) SL women held their nerve to pull off a thrilling three-wicket win with just one ball to spare in the third ODI against India women in Katunayake. Mithali Raj's unbeaten 125 had powered India to 253 for 5 at the FTZ Sports Complex, but Chamari Atapattu responded with 115, helping Sri Lanka secure their highest successful ODI chase. It also broke a sequence of ten ODI defeats in a row against India for the home side, and earned them 2 points in ICC Women's Championship. more..

Sep 17 (EN) Sri Lanka�s information technology industry will prioritise data science and artificial intelligence in its drive to sharply increase exports despite facing shortages of skilled people, an industry official said. The earnings potential from data science and AI was far greater than traditional IT exports like software, said Jeevan Gnanam, chairman of SLASSCOM. The IT industry now earns $1.2 billion in exports now and has a 28 percent compounded average growth rate. more..

Sep 17 (FT) Govt will soon implement digital identification, a move which was described by a telecom industry leader last week likely to be the single most important entry ticket for broad citizenry to participate in a digital economy. �We are close to implementation of digital ID. Once it is implemented, it will be irrefutable digital ID which cannot be forged as it is biometric. Thereby, every citizen could potentially be incorporated as more..

Sep 17 (Island) Sri Lanka�s fortunes in white ball cricket suffered a further set back following their 137 run defeat at the hands of Bangladesh in the curtain-raiser of the six nation Asia Cup campaign in Dubai on Saturday. Set a target of 262 runs to win, SL were shot out for their lowest total ever against Bangladesh. It was SL�s second heaviest defeat against this opposition. Due to their poor Net Run Rate, SL need to not only win today�s (Monday) clash against Afghanistan more..

Sep 17 (FT) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday called on the private sector to set up educational institutions to cater to the emerging needs of the economy, while insisting that the Govt would provide funding for students. Addressing the closing session of the Sri Lanka Economic Summit, organised by CCC last Friday, the Premier said emerging sectors in Information Technology required new skills and institutions needed to rapidly respond to these requirements. more..

Sep 17 (AD) At a recent interview with Thanthi TV in India former President Rajapaksa stated that under the new constitution that PM would be more powerful than the President. When queried, Rajapaksa says that it is better to be in the parliament and become the PM and that he might opt to contest for the PM�s post rather than be the President. Speaking on the restrictions placed on him for contesting again at Prez Elections more..

Sep 17 (ST) SL�s tourism authorities have spelled out plans to continue to feature the destination on CNN amidst concerns that the international news channel is not the most popular among viewers. Minister John Amaratunga said that they have discussed with the CNN news channel to increase the advertising of Sri Lanka as a destination for another 3-month period. The media blitz on CNN was previously scheduled for a three month period and will now be extended, the minister said. more..

Sep 17 (FT) More Australians are opting for holidays in Sri Lanka as opposed to Bali in Indonesia and Bangkok in Thailand, according to a report published by UK�s Daily Mail. Tourist arrivals from Australia in August had increased by 38% to 8,239 in comparison to a year earlier. Arrivals in the first eight months were 70,010 whilst in the entirety of 2017, the figure was 81,281, up by 9%. Full text of the article: A new paradise island has cropped up as Australia�s favourite holiday destination. more..

Sep 17 (EN) Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa denied he had suggested in India that his brother Gotabhaya could be the next presidential candidate as a succession battle escalated within their ranks. Addressing reporters after a meeting in Kebithigollewa, he dismissed the claims that Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was his nominee as an absolute lie. �I never said anything like that. It is in someone�s imagination.� more..

Sep 17 (AD) A car had collided with a moving train at an unprotected railway crossing in Omanthai, Vavuniya, this morning (16), stated the police. Reportedly, 4 persons had died on the spot and 2 other have been injured in the accident. The car had collided with an express train en route from Jaffna to Matara, said Police. The injured persons have been admitted to the Vavuniya hospital for treatment. The accident had occurred at around 10.30 am this morning and Omanthai Police is conducting more..

Sep 17 (AD) Northern Provincial Councilman of TNA M. K. Sivajilingam�s request for Visa to attend a seminar in India, has been rejected by the Indian High Commission. A training workshop for representatives of Tamil local government bodies is to be held in Hydrabad, India, with the participation of 18 provincial council members representing Sri Lanka. According to Sivajilingam, he had lost the opportunity to attend the event due to visa refusal while the others have already left for India. more..

Sep 17 (DN) Despite various economic difficulties and constraints, the govt has been able to steer the country forward by providing extensive relief measures to the people. The next step envisaged by the govt is to increase foreign exchange earnings by developing industries and enterprises and totally rid the country of its immense debt burden, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said. PM was addressing a meeting after distributing more..

Sep 17 (DM) The Negombo Magistrate handed a six-month jail sentence suspended for five years for the Kuwaiti couple, who were arrested by the Airport Police for assaulting five customs officials on July 27, after they were found guilty. Police said the case was taken up for the hearing on Friday and the Magistrate ordered to fined Rs. 9,000 for each over six charges. Five officials of the Customs Department including a woman were injured after they were allegedly assaulted by more..

Sep 17 (FT) The World Bank has committed $ 200 million to upgrade the standards of performance of SL�s public health system under the Second Health Sector Development Project for SL. Minister Rajitha Senaratne announced the World Bank�s support for the project at the closing ceremony of the Second Health Sector Development Project held yesterday. The development objective of the project is to enable it to better respond to the challenges of malnutrition & non-communicable diseases. more..

Sep 17 (DM) The govt decided to create a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) under Treasury to absorb the total liabilities of SriLankan Airlines after writing them off its balance sheets. Minister Lakshman Kiriella told Daily Mirror it was a pre-requisite to strike an equity sharing arrangement with an investor to develop the national career. He said the national career should start with a clean balance sheet with no debt burden. more..

Sep 17 (CT) The charred remains of a woman had been found inside a privately-owned bus which was found ablaze in Thammita, Gampaha on 15 September. The vehicle which was on fire was parked near the house of the bus owner at the time of the incident. The deceased, Malkanthi Karunaseeli (58) is a resident of Udugampola, Gampaha, and is said to be the wife of the bus owner. A source from the Gampaha Crime Investigation Unit said that the deceased was more..

Sep 17 (PTI) At least five Indian nationals were Sunday asked by the Sri Lanka Cricket authorities to leave the Katunayake ground near here for suspected behaviour during the third and final ODI between SL Women and India Women. They were handed over to the police for questioning. "They were seen talking on their mobile phones throughout the match. When questioned they said they were informing those back home on the game," an official, who did not want to be named, said. more..

Sep 17 (Island) The Joint Opposition (JO) said that there was an attempt to have the public blieve that the Rajapaksas were responsible for the case of abduction and assault of senior journalist Keith Noyahr. JO MP Dullas Alahapperuma has said, that the then Chief Opposition  Whip Joseph Michael Perera (UNP) blamed Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka for attacks on journalists at that time. more..

Sep 17 (DM) Four major political events more than any other, helped shape SL�s modern destiny. The winning of independence on Feb 4, 1948 under D.S. Senanayake as the first PM of then independent Ceylon, set in motion events that were to create the first seeds of communal suspicion between the Sinhalese and the Tamil communities in the country. PM saw Ceylon Citizenship Bill a necessity due to the failure of talks with Indian govt to settle the issue migrant Indian workers, Up country Tamils. more..

Sep 17 (DM) It is budget season again. For mainstream economists, budgets are mainly about fiscal discipline, and they focus on the impact of state expenditure on the budget deficit and govt debt. For int'l agencies like the IMF and World Bank, it is about whether state expenditure will be cut to address their conditions and interests, including shrinking the role of the state, privatization and free markets. Discussions and debates around the budget tend to focus on state expenditure. more..