Oct 28 (CT) President Rajapaksa yesterday said no party could any longer give election pledges in their future election manifestos – to restore peace, provide electricity or build highways, as he has already delivered on many of those promises. He was addressing the crowds, after he officially declared open the 26 km Colombo – Katunayake Expressway, linking the country's main international airport with Colombo. more..

Oct 28 (AN) This refers to media reports that legislative assembly in the southern Indian state of TN has urged the federal govt to respect the sentiments of Tamils and boycott the CHOGM scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka. The assembly also urged New Delhi not to send any representatives to the CHOGM. It will be unfortunate if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh decides to keep away from this event. It has to be noted that summit is being held in Asia after 30 years. more..

Oct 28 (Island) Chief Opposition Whip John Amaratunga has decided to resign from the Presidency of the Party’s trade union, the Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya (JSS). He said that he had decided to step down as he was holding too many positions in the UNP and found it difficult to find time for JSS activities. Amaratunga said that the UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, too, had indicated to him that he wanted to hand over the leadership of the JSS to UNP MP Ajith Perera. more..

Oct 28 (Island) Having failed to secure a seat in the TNA-run first NPC, TULF Secretary General V. Anandasangaree has alleged that an influential section of the five-party grouping and expatriate Tamils are hatching a plot to oust him. Sangaree has claimed that the plot to remove him from the political scene got underway overseas about a year ago. He made the allegations in a letter addressed to Bishop of Mannar, more..

Oct 28 (DN) Being able to host the 22nd CHOGM is a tremendous victory gained by Sri Lanka defeating national as well as international conspiracies being hatched against the country. It can also be described as a personal achievement of President Rajapaksa, Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne said. He said the groundwork is being laid for CHOGM. “The inaugural meeting of CHOGM will be ceremonially held at the Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre on November 15. more..

Oct 28 (Hindu) Tamil National Liberation Movement (TNLM) has questioned the choice of Sri Lanka as the venue for the CHOGM and called for its expulsion from the meeting in light of the “genocide and human rights abuse” against Tamils in the country during the war against the LTTE. Even as the TN Govt moved a resolution demanding that India boycott the meeting next month, TNLM general secretary Thiagu said that Sri Lanka should be rejected as a venue, just as its bid was more..

Oct 28 (ST) With Android phones being fixed to engines, the woes of train commuters whose common complaint is delays, will soon be eased. To be tried out initially on the coastline between Colombo Fort and Matara starting next month, the ‘Train traffic optimisation system’ has become a reality due to the tireless efforts of Research and Development Officer Anura Kasthoori of the Department of Railways. more..

Oct 28 (Island) Head of the Arya Nikethana Bhikkhu Training Centre, Ven. Mawarale Bhaddiya thera, requested Western Provincial Council Minister and JHU strongman Udaya Gammanpila to stand up against the govt’s plan to permit casinos in Sri Lanka. Ven. Bhaddiya thera, addressing a ceremony to mark the annual Katina Pinkama of the Arya Nikethana Bhikkhu Training Centre, in Homagama on Saturday, made this request to Gammanpila, who attended it as a special invitee. more..

Oct 28 (CT) Ceylon Teachers' Union (CTU), called on the govt to admit as many students as possible, from those who had successfully completed the 2012 GCE A/L exams, to universities. CTU General Secretary, Joseph Stalin, alleged the govt is playing with the lives of the students, and is not paying enough attention to higher education. "More than a year has passed since the GCE A/L Exam 2012 was held. Students who had qualified to enter university were expected to be admitted by June 2013," more..

Oct 28 (Island) Signalling a positive turn for its export diversification moves, Sri Lanka has notched itself up in the latest Global Competitiveness Index. And no less than 22 FTAs have helped Sri Lanka's topmost Southern hemispheric trading partner to lift itself off from a 'backyard GDP' and speed up to one of the best economies in South America today. "I am pleased to say that Sri Lanka has improved to Rank 65 more..

Oct 28 (LBO) Sri Lanka opened its second expressway Sunday linking the capital with the country's main international airport with some $250 million borrowed from China. The 25.8-km four-lane road is expected to reduce travel time by more than half, but the for Sri Lankan tax payers it would be a long haul to repay the loan and finance the estimated $292 cost of the project. At current market prices, the cost of the express is eqivalent to nearly seven tonnes of pure gold. more..

Oct 28 (CT) Former Colombo University Vice Chancellor and Emeritus Professor of Law Savithri Goonesekere, called upon the students of international schools to be attuned to the immediate environment around them and be sensitive to the local culture. As students of international schools, you should be aware of the conditions of the environment that you are studying or otherwise, you will be criticized as elitist, she told the 16th Gateway College Awards Day at the BMICH. more..

Oct 28 (TOI) Political parties in Tamil Nadu on Sunday expressed their anguish and disappointment over external affairs minister Salman Khurshid's reported remarks assuring his participation in the CHOGM in Colombo. "I can say I will be there. The issue of Sri Lankans Tamils remains important for us," Khurshid had said on Saturday when asked about India's participation in the summit. Asked whether the PM would go more..

Oct 28 (DM) The latest scandal at the National Cancer Institute in Maharagama is a symptom of how much Sri Lanka’s health service has degenerated. It also gives a clear diagnosis of the need for the Rajapaksa regime—amid fanfare of expressways and other showpiece projects at skyrocketing costs—to act urgently in restoring a health service where the well-being of the patients is given top priority. According to reports, five pharmacists attached to the Cancer Institute more..

Oct 28 (DM) Human social life is full of contradictions, mainly due to the inherent tension between nature and culture. We are often torn between emotion and reason, between naked self-interest and compassion for others, between material greed and spirituality, etc. etc. Such contradictions manifest in our daily lives and in society at large. While Sri Lanka today displays a very high level of religiosity, social evils have become as pervasive, illustrating one of the more..

Oct 28 (LBO) Travel time to African destinations from South Asia and the Far East will be cut by around three hours through a new route from Sri Lanka via Seychelles, an official said. Sri Lanka state-run budget carrier Mihin Lanka will fly twice a week to Mahe in Seychelles from November operating Airbus A320 aircraft, code-sharing with sister full service carrier SriLankan Airlines. Kapila Chandrasena CEO of both airlines said more..

Oct 28 (ST) “In the early hours of Tuesday (22) we were woken by neighbours who were banging on our door and windows and shouting for us to come out. When my husband opened the door the house was filled with smoke and a strong smell and we began to choke,” 23-year-old Samanthika Priyadharshani said. It was 2.30 a.m. and residents of Batakeththara-Piliyandala began to panic as fumes accompanied by a strong odour more..

Oct 28 (SL) While religions and other beliefs have brought hope and consolation to the lives of billions of people, it has also held great potential for peace and reconciliation. However not only in present times but in the past too it has also been a source of tension and conflict leading to innumerable tragic conflicts. The United Nations recognized the importance of freedom of religion or belief in Article 18 of the 1948 more..

Oct 28 (Island) Deputy Minister Faiszer Musthafa, responding to a statement made by SLMC leader Rauf Hakeem, earlier this week, claiming that the two thirds majority was the worst curse Sri Lanka had ever faced, said yesterday that public figures should refrain from demeaning parliamentary supremacy. While addressing the gathering, at Grandpass, on the importance of making individual and collective more..

Oct 28 (Island) Angry residents of Rathupaswela, Weliweriya shouted at Western Province Chief Minister Dhammika Ranatunga when the latter visited Rathupaswela on Saturday to inquire about the difficulties experienced by them due to the absence of a regular supply of water. They alleged that the government, in spite of repeated promises, was yet to remove the glove factory, responsible for contaminating water in the area. more..

Oct 28 (CG) UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe will meet with UNP MPs Sajith Premadasa and Karu Jayasuriya this week to discuss proposals on party reforms which will be submitted to the UNP Working Committee next week. UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said that several rounds of discussions have already been held involving senior members of the party. He said that at the last round of discussions held more..

Oct 28 (Island) Colombo Mayor A.J.M. Muzammil will not boycott the CHOGM and any ceremonies connected to it. He said that the UNP Working Committee, of which he was a member, had not taken a final decision on whether to boycott the CHOGM or not and party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was fully supportive of him. Muzammil said that the CMC had given top priority to the city beautification programme more..

Oct 28 (DC) The Tamil diaspora has thanked chief minister Jayalalithaa for piloting the Assembly resolution demanding that India should entirely boycott the CHOGM being held at Colombo. Expressing their ‘sincere thanks’ for the resolution, the Global Tamil Forum (GTF), which is the most widely represented diaspora platform, in a letter to the chief minister said, “The support shown by you and the Assembly for truth, more..

Oct 28 (SLBC) Deputy Director of the controlling and maintenance unit of the Colombo Katunayake expressway R.A.D. Kahatapitiya says 11,000 vehicles have journeyed at the expressway upto 7 am today since opening. It has generated 3 million rupees income. The expressway was opened for transport at 6 pm yesterday. 3000 vehicles have used the road during the first hour generating 800,000 rupees income. more..

Oct 28 (LB) Chief Minister of NPC, C.V. Vigneswaran has rejected the call by the TNA to boycott the CHOGM in Colombo. The TNA has decided to boycott the CHOGM summit and has also called on the Indian govt to boycott the event. TNA MP Mavai Senathirajah has said that his party boycotting the event is not intended as a protest against the participating nations and the party expects to meet the CHOGM attendees. more..

Oct 28 (LBO) Bora Bora Resources, an Australian firm said it had begun aerial surveys of graphite in central Sri Lanka after acquiring more exploration licenses in the South of the country. The firm has engaged Geotech Airborne (Perth) to complete the Versatile Time Domain Electromagnetic (VTEM) Surveying and is using a Senok Aviation helicopter. Bora Bora is collecting 1,587 kilometres of data in Matale and Paragoda North areas, the company said in a statement. more..

Oct 28 (ST) The trial of two undergraduates of the Peradeniya university who were charged with causing the death of a first-year student, T Varapragas a fresher at the Engineering Faculty of the University of Peradeniya, was taken up before Kandy High Court Judge Manilal Wadiyatilleke on Wednesday. The trial was taken up in absentia as the suspects, two fellow undergraduates at the Peradeniya university, S. Thubkumaan and D.P. Sadiseelean had gone into hiding. more..

Oct 28 (CT) I read defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s keynote address at the inaugural National Engineering Conference, organized by the Institution of Engineers in Sri Lanka (IESL), with great interest. He had given a number of good advices to the members of IESL about positive thinking, initiative, professional conduct, and leadership. The specific examples of success in the infrastructure development projects in Colombo were impressive. more..

Oct 28 (LBO) Sri Lanka stocks closed down 0.33 percent amidst heavy foreign selling and the rupee weakened against the US dollar on importer demand, brokers and dealers said. The benchmark Colombo All Share Price Index closed 19.78 points lower at 5,928.97, down 0.33%, after peaking at an intraday high of 5,953.39. The S&P SL20 closed 18.72 points lower at 3,261.76, down 0.57%, peaking at an intraday high of 3,287.69. Turnover amounted to 372.54 million rupees, more..

Oct 28 (NS) There are no licensed casinos in Sri Lanka, despite the raucous about not issuing licenses to the two proposed ‘mixed development projects’ that will include casinos. The four gaming establishments already operating in the country are made legally operable only due to the fact that they pay the gaming tax under the Gambling Act of 1988. Two of the existing gaming establishments are expected to partner more..

Oct 28 (LT) The two bills under the strategic development projects (amendment) act that were presented to the Parliament to be debated on the 24th and 25th but were temporarily withdrawn would be presented again to be debated after the CHOGM say govt sources. The two acts are to be presented to provide tax relief for the casino games under the Betting and Gaming Levy Act No 40 of 1988. According to these sources the acts would be presented to parliament in about a more..

Oct 28 (CG) Sri Lankan domestic workers have been identified as among workers from Asian countries who need protection by way of laws which need to be introduced in the respective countries. Roughly 40% of domestic workers globally are employed in Asia, yet the region has been slow to enact reforms despite major progress in other parts of the world, the International Domestic Workers Network (IDWN), the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), and HRW said today. more..

Oct 28 (Island) Following reports that HIV positive cases continue to show an alarming increase in the country, Women Rights activists urged the govt to legalise commercial sex claiming that the tourism industry would indirectly affect the reproductive health of the women in Sri Lanka. International Movement Against all form of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR) Asia Committee, Women’s Political Academy more..

Oct 28 (CT) A seminar on 'South Africa-Sri Lanka Joint Dialogue on Post Conflict Reconciliation' organized by the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKIIRSS) was held last Friday at the auditorium of the Institute. Gotabhaya Rajapakse, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development participated as the Chief Guest of the event and Prof. G.L.Peiris, Minister of External Affairs delivered the keynote address. more..

Oct 28 (CT) Austerity and humbleness are virtues that have been advocated by great religious leaders over the ages. But these are the very things that have been followed in the breach by everyone, including govt and religious leaders who pontificate to others but do not practise the virtues themselves. Govt leaders elected by the people impose hardships on the people, asking them to tighten their belts and adopt a simple lifestyle, while living extravagant and pompous lifestyles more..

Oct 28 (SM) The Sri Lanka Transport Board today (28) commenced the luxury bus service on the newly opened Colombo- Katunayake Expressway. MP Sudarshani Fernandopulle has ceremoniously opened the bus service from Katunayake International Airport to Colombo and when she cut the red ribbon to open the bus services the bus was already crowded with people. When the crowd dazzled her, majority of more..

Oct 28 (Island) Senior Minister A.H.M. Fowzi refuted the allegations, levelled against him, that he was responsible for Western Province Governor Alavi Moulana getting lost in Medina while performing Haj. Moulana was reported missing in Medina while performing Haj and then re-emerged. Deputy Minister Abdul Cader and Presidential Advisor Mashoor Moulana charged that Minister Fowzi had failed to guarantee his safety. Fowzi said eight of Moulana’s family had accompanied him more..

Oct 28 (AD) Sri Lanka has won the Offshoring Destination of the Year Award organized by the National Association for Outsourcing (NOA) in London. The NOAAs is the only award ceremony dedicated to the UK outsourcing sector. Commenting on the NOAAs 2013, National Outsourcing Association Director, Kerry Hallard said: “2013 is a monumental year for the NOAAs, as it’s our 10th Anniversary, and yet again we have seen a growing number of submissions – all of more..

Oct 28 (CG) Canada says its financial assistance to Sri Lanka remains unaffected despite human rights concerns as Canada does not directly fund the Sri Lankan govt. Media relations officer at the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charleen Bortot said that Canada’s development programs in Sri Lanka are delivered through trusted international, multilateral and local non-governmental organizations. more..