Nov 6 (ST) When protesting bus operators kept their vehicles off the roads on Monday, it was the 200th strike action by them this year but what has not been quantified is the inconvenience such wildcat strikes cause to commuters. In the wake of the latest bus strike on the Colombo-Panadura route, the Sunday Times learned that these 200 strikes had taken place over issues ranging from bus time tables to fuel hikes, but more..

Nov 6 (FT) Public interest litigant Nihal Sri Ameresekere has written to Attorney General Palitha Fernando, urging him that massive losses of public funds in hedging deals warrant prompt legal action against those responsible. Following are excerpts from the letter sent by Ameresekere to the AG, which has been copied to Minister Susil Premajayantha and Secretary to the Lalith Weeratunga as well: I was quite perturbed more..

Nov 6 (LB) Bread now retails in Colombo at Rs57-Rs65 per 450 gram loaf. Tea buns, rolls, Chinese rolls with fish, egg or beef, and patties, pastries and other short eats are expected to increase this week by Rs2 to Rs5 each. Hot dogs, buns with cheese, ham and chicken filling will retail at an increase of Rs10 during the next few weeks. Now the millions of working people and schoolgoers who enter Colombo on working and more..

Nov 6 (GDI) Sri Lanka recruited recruited 5,000 new permanent employees including pharmacists, physiotherapists, paramedics, midwives and health assistants with the objective of uplifting the health sector. President Mahinda Rajapaksa handed over the appointment letters to the new health sector employees at a ceremony held Monday at the Temple Trees. Addressing the ceremony, the President said the state has more..

Nov 6 (SL) Losses amounting to Rs. 40 billion plus so far this year have triggered a red light for the CEB calling for an immediate intervention to salvage the cash strapped institution from falling further into an abyss. While the govt blames the delay in implementing the energy policy for the massive losses recorded by the CEB, opposition parliamentarians and sometimes even governing party members have claimed that more..

Nov 6 (DM) The Hindu newspapers yesterday alleged that Sri Lankan refugees living in Tamil refugee camps in Madurai, Tamil Nadu were facing shoddy treatment by the Tamil Nadu govt. “Surveillance and shoddy treatment by the State are some of the things which we commonly hear in the case of refugees across the world and the Madurai Sri Lankan Tamil refugee camps at Anaiyur and Koodal Nagar (Tamil Nadu) are no exception. more..

Nov 6 (DM) Q: What are you planning to do under Divineguma Bill? A: Divineguma is actually a movement. In the past, there were family based self-sufficient economies. They did paddy cultivation. Likewise, they cultivated other food crops such as chilli. With the onset of seasonal rain, they started cultivating them. Once the tanks were filled, they did paddy cultivation. They collected their harvests mainly for consumption. more..

Nov 6 (Island) A group of corrupt officials in the Health Ministry, with the connivance of some powerful politicians, are fixing drug tenders for their favourite drug companies and as a result, quality-failed drugs, especially antibiotics end up in govt hospitals, Health Ministry insiders said. Such actions had, they said, resulted in the recent death of a child at the Karapitiya Hospital They said coordinators of politicians to inform the more..

Nov 6 (Island) The Mahinda Rajapaksa regime, having shown scant regard for Supreme Court directives, which were not to its liking, was now accusing the Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake of misconduct, the UNP said. UNP MP Gayantha Karunathillake said that a govt which did not respect the rulings of the highest court in the country had no moral right to be levelling allegations against the head of the judiciary. more..

Nov 6 (ABC) The International Organisation for Migration has backed the Australian govt's view that some of the Sri Lankans arriving in Australia by boat are economic migrants, not refugees. The IOM is working with Australia trying to convince Sri Lankans not to make the dangerous journey and helping repatriate those who chose to return home rather than wait for years indetention centres. Since Australia restarted offshore more..

Nov 6 (Island) A clash between students of two schools in Ibbagamuwa, over a school crest, yesterday left 14 injured and requiring hospitalisation. The clash was sparked during a workshop at Ibbagamuwa Central to which students of the area Model Central School too had been invited. One student of a school had not been wearing his school crest and when he was questioned as to why he had not worn it a dispute had arisen resulting in a free for all with more..

Nov 6 (GDI) SriLankan Airlines together with the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau organized a familiarization tour for 65 MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) agents and Media personnel from Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai in order to boost MICE tourism from India to Sri Lanka. The tour, which began on the 28th of October and ended on the 2nd of November, enabled the group to view Sri Lanka as the paradise isle that it is and showcased more..

Nov 6 (TOO) Sri Lankan maid in Muscat claims to have lost hearing ability in her right ear after her sponsor allegedly "tortured-¯ her for demanding her wages. M.M. Deshapriya, the Counsellor of Labour at Sri Lankan Embassy in Muscat, said the 45-year-old maid, Mulia Nona fled from the sponsor's house and took shelter at the embassy following the incident in October, 2012. "We immediately admitted her to a private more..

Nov 6 (DN) The National Child Protecting Authority will establish child protecting committees countrywide under the theme Surekum Pawwa to reduce child related issues including child abuse and harassment. Child protecting committees in the Central Province will be set-up under the patronage of Central Province Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake and NCPA chairperson Anoma Dissanayake today. The programme has been conducted in seven provinces. This will contribute towards more..

Nov 6 (DN) The Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Ministry said there was no attempt by the EU to blacklist or ban Sri Lanka’s fish exports to the European market. EU Policy Development and Coordination director Caesar Deban inspected the progress of the measures taken by the Sri Lankan government to arrest the fishermen involved in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and he says the EU has not taken any measure to blacklist or ban Sri Lanka’s fish exports to more..

Nov 6 (CT) “Recent press reports suggest the Australians are taking a closer look at LTTE fundrising. Matthew Hyndes, the Australian Deputy High Commissioner, confirmed to PolChief on December 2 that the police, based on information provided by the Sri Lankan Directorate of Internal Intelligence (DII), is conducting a total of three investigations in Sydney and Melbourne of individuals suspected of raising funds for the more..

Nov 6 (LT) A protest march under the theme ‘Condemn attacks against Judiciary! Rally for Democracy!’ to oppose the impeachment attempt against the Chief Justice was held today commencing from Courts Complex at Hultsdorp and marching to Fort Railway Station. A large crowd including lawyers, artistes and trade unions leaders participated in the protest march organized by the People’s Movement for Democracy. JVP MP Anura Dissanayake addressing the participants more..

Nov 6 (GDI) A 15-member delegation from the Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce on its recent visit to the UK had an interactive dialogue with sections of the Sri Lankan community here to build trade and commercial links and explore technology transfer. At a reception held at the Sri Lanka High Commission in London the delegates from Hambantota whose commercial interests range from textiles and the dairy industry to machinery and tyre manufacture, more..

Nov 6 (GDI) President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his capacity as the Minister of Finance will submit the budget for the year 2013 in the Parliament on the 8th of this month. President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday reviewed the final draft of the budget. The Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Dr. P.B. Jayasundara also associated him in this review. As in the previous years, the President obtained views and suggestions more..

Nov 6 (GDI) Today is the 45th death anniversary of the greatest leader of the Ruhuna, the late D.A. Rajapaksa. A commemoration ceremony took place this morning at the D A Rajapaksa statue in Tangalle. Family members and invitees paid floral tributes at the foot of the statue. President Mahinda Rajapaksa, First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa, Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa, Minister Basil Rajapaksa and Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa headed the commemorative event with more..

Nov 6 (LT) The real reason to bring in an impeachment motion that would be included to the agenda of the Parliament today has been revealed by the UPFA MP Arundika Fernando. The MP has made this revelation at a workshop held at the office of the Divisional Secretariat at Kekirawa. The MP has said, “An impeachment was brought against the Chief Justice. We cannot hide the truth. The govt wanted to remove her as she was a hindrance to the national movement of making Divi Neguma more..

Nov 6 (DM) The impeachment motion against Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake was placed on the order paper of Parliament today, and there were 14 charges mention against her. The motion signed by 116 MPs seeks to appoint a select committee to probe these charges against the Chief Justice. This will be followed by a resolution adopted by Parliament and presented to the President for the removal of the Chief Justice. more..

Nov 6 (SLN) Sri Lanka Navy arrested 47 persons illegally bound for Australia in a multi-day trawler and 02 fiber glass dingies in the early hours of 6th Nov. The trawler named “Thamara” was intercepted off Chilaw seas and FGDs named “Kalinga” and “Udara” were intercepted off Negombo seas by Fast Naval Patrol Craft attached to the Western Naval Command. Among the arrested persons are 39 men, 3 women and 5 children (4 boys and a girl). They (33 Tamils, 9 Sinhalese and 5 Muslims) more..

Nov 6 (AD) The four suspects arrested in connection with the quadruple murders in Poddala, Galle last week were ordered released by court today. The bodies of four youth -shot and killed - were found on Sunday (04) near the Mahasen culvert in Walpitawatta, Poddala with their faces covered and hands and feet bound. Following investigations police arrested four individuals, under suspicion, and were produced at the Baddegama Magistrate’s Court yesterday (05). more..

Nov 6 (CT) Police officers regulating traffic at busy intersections which have traffic lights will no longer be deployed to regulate traffic with effect from today, SSP Prishantha Jayakody said. He said that despite the decision that was made Traffic police will be deployed at these traffic lights to monitor and prevent violations of motor traffic and to crackdown on errand motorists. “Discussions held today with engineers of the CMC more..

Nov 6 (DM) Sri Lanka was highlighted alongside the frontier markets Vietnam and Bangladesh, as being ideal investments for foreign investors with a high risk appetite seeking to diversify their equity portfolios, in an equity strategy report from HSBC. The report cited a marked improvement in the return on equity (ROE) of Sri Lankan companies, particularly in the last two years, as being one of the factors driving foreign participation in the Colombo bourse, a market which is currently more..

Nov 6 (LBO) Stocks closed 0.31% higher Tuesday on the back of gains by John Keells Holdings. The Colombo All Share Index closed 17.28 points higher at 5,556.59 up 0.31% and the S & P SL 20 Index closed 7.23 points higher at 3012.98 up 0.24%. The day's turnover was 231 million rupees. Top contributors to turnover were Seylan Bank (NV) with 55 million rupees, DFCC with 20 million rupees and Indo Malay with 18 million rupees. Aitken Spence Holdings PLC slipped 0.10 cents more..

Nov 6 (TP) A Sri Lankan man alleged to be the captain of a vessel on which 492 Tamils tried to enter Canada in 2010 was ordered to be released on bail Monday. Lesly Jana Emmanuel, who was charged in May with human smuggling aboard the MV Sun Sea, is the third of six accused to be released on bail. The reasons for the decision by B.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Austin Cullen cannot be reported due to a publication ban. more..

Nov 6 (Hindu) Sri Lankan Navy Commander Vice Admiral Jayanth Colombage arrived in Pakistan Tuesday on an official visit aimed at increasing collaboration between the naval forces of the two countries. During the trip undertaken at the invitation of Pakistan Navy chief Admiral Mohammad Asif Sandila, Colombage will visit all major naval establishments in Karachi and hold discussion with his counterpart for “future collaboration between the two friendly navies”, more..

Nov 6 (LBO) Friday Forum, a Sri Lankan citizens group has asked for informed debate on the budget by parliamentarians instead of a slanging match, and has asked the administration to prioritize expenses and pay attention to a growing debt burden. "It would be naļve to expect a single budget, to present instant solutions to any of the chronic problems that the country’s economy faces at present," the Friday Forum said in a more..

Nov 6 (LBO) Sri Lanka's pension funds can invest up to 20% of their funds in listed stocks and debentures, the Securities and Exchange Commission said, after curbs were relaxed last year. Under rules issued by gazette in May 2011, pension funds can invest up to 20% in listed securities, 40% in state banks and govt securities and the balance in other commercial bank deposits. The SEC said it had made more..

Nov 6 (GDI) Following the Speaker's announcement in Parliament of the Supreme Court ruling on the Divineguma Bill the Minister Basil Rajapaksa presented the Bill for second reading. Divineguma Bill have been challenged in the Supreme Court and its verdict was presented to Parliament by the Speaker when the Parliament met this afternoon. The Speaker reading out the SC ruling said that certain clauses of the Bill should be approved by a special majority of 2/3rd in Parliament. more..

Nov 6 (DM) The Colombo Chief Magistrate directed the Sri Jayawardenapura Hospital Director to submit a report on the sections of the skull that were removed during the surgical operation on Mr. Duminda Silva’s head, which had gunshot injuries during the Mulleriyawa shooting on October 8, 2011. Magistrate Prasanna Alwis gave this order when Mr. Silva’s bodyguard in his evidence said Mr. Silva was operated on at the Sri Jayawardenapura Hospital after the shooting, more..

Nov 7 (NS) How many of us know that in keeping with tradition the ruler at his inauguration was directed thus, “Rule thou with justice and peace persisting in the law”. This was done while a maiden poured water on the king’s head from a marine shell. This water is said to be from the river Ganges. It will be of interest to note that rulers who had the welfare of his people at heart went beyond the legal and constitutional provisions that limit the power of holders of responsible office. more..

Nov 7 (NS) What do Sambanthan, Premachandran, Senathirajah and Sreetharan all have in common? Apart from being partners of an unregistered alliance called the TNA, they are all former mouthpieces of the separatist agenda and they continue to be the obstacle to allowing people to start life afresh as that would mean an end to their own existence politically. The Tamils can take a cue from the Tamils in Mullaitivu who are creating their own political and social statement without any assistance of more..

Nov 7 (LB) UNP dissidents blame that the UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe plans to extend his term by amending the party’s Constitution at the party convention scheduled to be held on December 1, allowing his henchmen to participate in the convention and restrict the participation of dissidents’ supporters. UNP Southern Provincial Councillor Maithri Gunaratne says that the party’s Constitution has been more..

Nov 7 (CT) For those of us who prefer to take refuge in comfortable illusions that this Presidency only hides a velvet hand in an iron glove (to mischievously twist that proverbial saying around), the motion of impeachment of the Chief Justice of Sri Lanka presented by 117 govt MPs to the Speaker this week should dispel all such arrant foolishness. Whether the govt goes ahead with the impeachment or not, let it be clearly said that the final nail in the metaphorical coffin of the more..

Nov 7 (GV) The current battle between the Judiciary and the Executive/Legislative, culminating in the ongoing attempt by the government to impeach the Chief Justice, has received a lot of attention in the traditional media, and on Facebook and Twitter. People who don’t usually bother keeping abreast of the goings on in the country have been activated enough to post messages and share articles on FB. However, most of them don’t seem to be aware of the context to this crisis and how it has more..

Nov 7 (SO) The adverse weather has wreaked havoc in the Mullaitivu district causing several displacements and affecting thousands of people. Five hundred and forty three families, with 1,841 persons have been displaced in the Mullaitivu district as a result of the inclement weather. Altogether 6,694 families with 23,056 persons have been affected. The armed forces have been kept in vigil to carry out relief work and more..