Oct 27 (PTI) India would take up the issue of Indian fishermen languishing in Sri Lankan jails during the visit of defence secretary of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa to New Delhi later this week, Union minister of state in the PMO V Narayanasamy said today. Talking to reporters, Narayanasamy said the Centre had initiated several steps to secure the release of 32 fishermen of Karaikal and neighbouring areas, who have been lodged in Trincomalee prison since July 30. more..

Oct 27 (AD) The UNP stated that it will take measures to completely prohibit casino businesses within the country when it comes to power. UNP stated that with the country’s attention being drawn towards the casino issue an important legal matter which had been hidden so far has now to light. That is the fact that even small scale casinos currently operating in the country do not have licenses, UNP MP Ajith P. Perera said. more..

Oct 27 (SM) Bodu Bala Sena organization emphasizes that further discussions regarding Halal issue is not necessary. BBS secretary Ven. Galagoda atte Gnanasara thero states that what is required now is to execute the agreements made by responsible parties during the previous negotiations. Ven. Gnanasara thero made this comment in response of a statement made by Minister Rauf Hakeem that an open discussion is needed regarding the Halal issue as there is a more..

Oct 27 (ST) A pilgrimage to Anuradhapura ended in a tragic accident at Karuwalagaswewa, killing three persons including a 10-month-old infant on Friday. The accident along the Puttlam-Anuradhapura road in Karuwalagaswewa occurred when a van carrying eight residents of Madampe, hit a stationary lorry at 5.45 am. Three died instantly while five others with critical injuries were rushed to Puttalam Base Hospital. The deceased have been identified as 10-month-old Kenedhi Dinanya, more..

Oct 27 (NS) The Mahaweli Authority refuted allegations by environmentalists that it was engaging in unlawful clearing of forest lands, and challenged anyone to prove there was illegal activity on its part. Director General of the Mahaweli Authority, Gamini Rajakaruna, stressed all forest clearing activities that his officials were engaging in as part of development efforts of the Mahaweli zones, were ‘strictly in accordance more..

Oct 27 (SO) A known LTTE sympathiser wrote to South Africa's African National Congress on Friday, in a bid to coerce that country to boycott the CHOGM to be held in Colombo three weeks from now. "The letter is an indication that the LTTE and its sympathisers have not abandoned their campaign to make CHOGM in Sri Lanka a non-event," a senior diplomat said. Fr. S.J. Emmanuel of the Global Tamil Forum, who was once rejected landing in Chennai for his terrorist affiliations, more..

Oct 27 (Island) The SLMC Mayor of the Kalmunai Municipal Council, Shiraz Meera Saibu has agreed to comply with the party decision and step down this week to hand over the Mayoralty to Nizam Kariapper on a rotational basis, as agreed earlier, to avert a crisis within the party, SLMC sources said. General Secretary of the SLMC, MP M.T. Hassen Ali denied there was a controversy surrounding the circumstances under which the Kalmunai Mayor was quitting. He blamed a section of the media more..

Oct 27 (DM) Pakistan has decided to start sale of state of the art JF-17, Thunder combat planes developed by the collaboration of China to several other countries including to Sri Lanka from next year. Pakistan Defence ministry said as many as 42 JF-17 Thunder planes have been developed so far under joint venture with China. “Pakistan Air Force has been assigned a target of exporting 5 to 7 JF-17 Thunder planes next year, more..

Oct 27 (NS) Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown origin (CDKu), which has plagued the entire North Central, and Uva Provinces is spreading swiftly to Yapahuwa in the North Western Province amidst futile efforts by Health authorities to control the situation. Approximately 1,700 patients are presently registered with the Renal Clinic of Padaviya Hospital. Around 200 patients are in a critical stage where they need a dialysis on a regular basis. But since the disease is spreading rapidly more..

Oct 27 (CG) TNA Northern Provincial Council member Anandi Sasitharan says she hopes the court will give her justice in the case over her missing husband. Sasitharan had filed a case saying there is evidence her husband, former Trincomalee District LTTE political head S. Elilan, had surrendered to the military during the final stages of the war. The Mullaitivu Court is to hear the case on December 2 and Sasitharan said that she has collected more evidence to back her case. more..

Oct 27 (PTI) In another blow for the troubled Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) summit to be held in Colombo in November, Sri Lanka’s main Tamil party has said it would boycott the event. “We will not take part in CHOGM. But our staying away does not mean we are protesting against the participating nations. We will be eager to meet them,” Mavai Senathirajah, a senior TNA legislator said on Saturday. more..

Oct 27 (ST) The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) has proposed a solution to the recent Chlorine gas leak that took place two weeks ago in Avissawella, R.A.S Ananda of the NWSDB Avissawella said. He added that NWSDB has proposed to carry out development activities at the NWSDB building situated at Penrith Estate, Puwakpitiya, Avissawella. “The NWSDB intends to build a wall round the water supply station, shielding the houses situated around it,” he said. more..

Oct 27 (Island) Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC)leader and Deputy Minister Mutthu Sivalingam said that following negotiations, the SPC, JEDB and the 22 private plantation companies have agreed to pay a Deepavali festival advance of Rs. 5,500 to around 400,000 estate workers. Deepavali is celebrated by Hindus the world over and as the festival falls on Saturday, Nov 2, it has been collectively agreed to start paying the advance this week to enable workers to make their purchases in time, more..

Oct 27 (PTI) DMDK chief Vijayakanth today demanded that India should boycott the CHOGM summit in Sri Lanka as it would give ample opportunity for the island nation "to legitimise its war" against the Tamils. "If our nation is going to participate in the Commonwealth Summit, it would pave the way for Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa to claim that ethnic cleansing was not reported in his country," he said here. more..

Oct 27 (Island) The Northern Provincial Minister of Transport, P. Deniswaran assured that he would ensure private and CTB buses operated on a rotational basis so that commuters would not be inconvenienced. This would also prevent unhealthy competition with buses racing to pick up passengers which also pose a risk to life and limb, he noted. Meanwhile following the conclusion of the maiden meeting of the NPC Assembly on Friday, it was decided that at the next sitting more..

Oct 27 (CI) Steve Tikolo's first competitive match after being recalled by Kenya was overshadowed by a disciplined bowling performance, led by Dilhara Lokuhettige and Ramith Rambukwella, from Sri Lanka A which ensured they opened the seven-match T20 series with a six-wicket victory in Colombo. Kenya batted first, and despite putting on 41 for the opening stand, they began to lose wickets at regular intervals. Tikolo batted as if he had never left, scoring 44 off 40 balls more..

Oct 27 (SMH) Hundreds of Sri Lankan asylum seekers are being sent home to face persecution because Australian authorities are rushing through refusals of their protection claims, human rights lawyers say. Research conducted in Sri Lanka by Melbourne's Human Rights Law Centre has found immigration authorities are grossly underestimating the country's ongoing danger. Despite the end of a three-decade civil war, more..

Oct 28 (SL) Asperger’s Syndrome was once mooted as a cause for the way the Leader of the Opposition acted and behaved. Not being entirely proficient in the science of detecting such inherently medical complications, ‘Inside Politics’ has been left puzzled as the rest of those yearning for a vibrant opposition in Sri Lanka. The Leader of the Opposition’s behaviour and actions can only be described as undemocratic at best. It is equivalent to “last man has a chance” in cricketing parlance. more..

Oct 28 (SL) Rate payers of Kandy are regretting now electing a hopeless team to the Kandy Municipal Council. Actually, who is the Kandy mayor? That is the biggest question Kandy people have now. He never ever answers the telephone. For a few months after the election he was there 24 hours to answer the telephone. Today he has forgotten us. Now voters cannot meet him or even contact him. Whenever a rate payer calls his office or mobile, his henchmen answer every time and say more..

Oct 28 (SO) Three 40 ft. containers of potatoes in the Orugodawatte yard were detained in April by the Customs Revenue Task Force on suspicion and an inspection of the containers was carried out. In the last container, the customs officers found a large contraband of contraceptive vials, the biggest ever detection of the kind. Dumped in gunny bags under unhygienic conditions were a total of 30,000 Depo Provera vials. more..

Oct 28 (CT) Govt forces under Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa annihilated well over 40,000 Tamils by May 19, 2009 in the last eight months of war (if one goes by Bishop of Mannar Rt Rev. Rayappu Joseph another 100,000 and we will never know) which began with a ferocity fuelled by the generous gifts of war machinery from several Commonwealth countries. India and US provided aerial surveillance to enable the forces to make a three-pronged attack on Tamils. more..

Oct 28 (CT) The leadership of the UNP fell vacant 19 years and three days ago on 24 Oct 1994. Ever since then the UNP leadership remains ‘vacant’. Upstairs to let, so to speak. In an era in which leaders emerge by default, a leader who bears true and honest credentials is rare indeed. Gamini Dissanayake is of that rare kind. Numerous eulogies have been written by pundits and able writers on Gamini’s strengths and weaknesses, his contribution to the country’s agriculture and land sectors more..

Oct 28 (DBS) The month of October this year records the 23rd anniversary of a cruel, inhuman episode in the history of Tamil –Muslim relations in Sri Lanka. It was in October 1990 that the LTTE forcibly expelled the Tamil speaking Muslim people from the Northern Province in an atrocious act amounting to ethnic cleansing. Within a few days the Muslims were chased out of their homeland where they had lived for more..

Oct 28 (CT) The Guard Post of 11 August was dedicated to explaining why the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) opposes casinos in general. I decided to reopen the topic after the publication of two orders in the gazette by the Minister of Investment Promotion. The minister has published two orders bearing numbers 1829/23 and 1829/24 dated 23.09.2013 under Strategic Development Project Act No 14 of 2008, granting unprecedented tax benefits to two casino projects. more..

Oct 28 (CT) The era that followed the July violence was one that was haunted by ghosts. Those who had harboured carefully conceived agendas against what they took to be an omni- present Tamil separatist enemy were suddenly seeing these plans being flung back at them. One such plan was conceived in the Ministry of Mahaveli and Lands (MML) under Gamini Dissanayake. In Chapter 5, we described some of the minister’s activities around Trincomalee. more..

Oct 28 (CT) More than eight years ago, Sri Lanka was shocked by the murder of a 19-year-old girl. Though the country was in the midst of a war and civilian casualties were not unheard of, this particular death sent shockwaves among the Sri Lankan community, especially among the urban elite. The victim, as well as the perpetrator, Shramantha Jayamaha, also 19-years-old at the time of the murder, were well known among more..

Oct 28 (ST) Despite the high economic growth achieved in the last few years, it is becoming increasingly evident that the growth strategy adopted is unsustainable. Economic growth is declining and fundamental macroeconomic problems are emerging. The declining trend in growth from 8.4% in 2010 to 6.4% last year raises serious doubts about the sustainability of this high economic growth trajectory as exports have declined, trade deficits have been massive more..

Oct 28 (ST) When Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa spoke at the inaugural trial run of the country’s first live telecast of Parliamentary debates, he was hopeful that uncensored public access to see their elected representatives at work, would make Parliamentary debates more somber. But the very next day, sittings literally began with a bang, with UNP MP Mangala Samaraweera losing his cool during a privilege question he raised regarding an alleged plot to assassinate him, more..

Oct 28 (ST) A vast majority of Sri Lankans are usually unaware of the power games in the higher echelons of the UPFA Govt. Sometimes they glean such issues by reading official statements and media accounts. Other times they are in the dark. There are also many instances where inherent contradictions or misleading assertions prevent them from forming a correct picture concerning an issue. They end up being confused. more..

Oct 28 (Island) An irate German Chancellor Angela Merkel telephoned US President Barack Obama the other day to register her protest against the National Security Agency (NSA) having tapped her personal phone for years. The White House has gone on the defensive following the revelation in a classified document disclosed by former NSA operative turned whistleblower Edward Snowden that the US has monitored telephone conversations of 35 world leaders. more..

Oct 28 (Island) It was with great relief that I noted that the govt had decided to put on hold the decision to approve regulations governing gazette notifications for the establishment of casinos in Colombo. Amidst protest by key govt allies SLMC and JVP and opposition party UNP, the powers that be had little choice but to re-think an act that could well turn out to be a disaster for our society and economy. However, there is no guarantee that this decision will not be brought up again more..

Oct 28 (IL) The Chairmanship of the Colombo Process was transferred from the Govt of Bangladesh to the Govt of Sri Lanka during a meeting held at the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka in Geneva on 21 Oct. The Colombo Process is a Regional Consultative Process on the management of overseas employment and contractual labour for countries of origin in Asia, which was initiated at Ministerial more..

Oct 28 (Guardian) Douglas Alexander, the shadow foreign secretary, urges the prime minister and foreign secretary not to attend next month's CHOGM in Sri Lanka (David Cameron should boycott the Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka, 21 Oct). His premises and his conclusion bear challenge. He refers to "two decades of civil war that have seen 40,000 civilians lose their lives". There is no accurate figure, but this is at the top end of credible estimates. more..

Oct 28 (ST) The Sri Lanka Spiny Eel, a freshwater fish that was common in the early ’80s is probably now extinct. This was revealed by Prof. Devake Weerakoon delivering a talk on the Red List, at an event organised by the Open University’s Botany society. Sri Lanka is home to six species of eel known as ‘aandha’ in Sinhala, given its slippery, slimy nature. The threatened species, the Spiny eel, is scientifically known as Macrognathus pentophthalmos. more..

Oct 28 (FT) The country’s capital market has seen over Rs. 40 billion raised so far by corporate and financial institutions as preference for listed debentures continues. The year-to-date figure is an all-time record, surpassing the previous best of Rs.15 billion achieved in 2010. Daily FT on 20 May hinted at the listed debt market heading for record year after the Rs.10 billion mark was surpassed. Several more listed debenture more..

Oct 28 (Hindu) The Danushkodi police have arrested four Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, including a couple, who tried to clandestinely leave for Talaimannar. They were arrested by the police, when they were returning from Arichalmunai near Danushkodi late in the evening on Sunday after a local man, who promised to ferry them to the Talaimannar failed to turn up. The local man had demanded Rs 15,000 to ferry them to Talaimannar and received an advance of Rs 5,000 from them, police said. more..

Oct 28 (ST) People’s Leasing Company (PLC), Managing Agent of Central Investment and Finance Company (CIFL), is looking for new investors willing to part with Rs.1 billion under the Business Restructuring Plan (BRP). Negotiations are underway to transfer a valuable land belonging to Aspic Corporation of former CIFL Chairman Deepthi Perera to PLC, an official said. The Central Bank is also considering pumping in Rs. 500 million under the Liquidity Support Scheme (LSS), more..

Oct 28 (FT) For several years Sri Lanka has been the most recommended wedding destination for couples by world’s leading tour operator Kuoni, bringing high-end tourists and valuable foreign exchange earnings for the tourism sector. However, Sri Lanka appears to have stopped playing the cupid’s role, threatening the future of this important segment of tourism. The travel and leisure industry is furious over new rules imposed more..

Oct 28 (DM) Stray dogs that were loitering along the Colombo-Katunayake Highway had been caught and taken away prior to its opening, an animal organization said today. Animal Lovers Zone director, Dr. Nuwan Kumarasinghe said over 100 dogs were caught and taken away from the highway before the opening ceremony. He said nets were used to catch them so as not to harm the animals. The use of nets is said to be one of the methods of capturing dogs that harms them the least. more..

Oct 28 (Island) Sri Lanka have been drawn alongside Australia, England, South Africa and New Zealand for next year’s World T-20 in Bangladesh. Rivals India and Pakistan were drawn against each other marking an explosive start to the competition, the ICC announced in Dhaka. Former champions India will meet Pakistan as part of the 22-day tournament played in several locations in Bangladesh, featuring 16 countries and starting on March 16 next year. more..