Nov 6 (ENS) Sri Lankan cabinet on Wednesday resolved to amend the existing law to regulate fishing in Lankan waters by foreign vessels in view of the considerable increase in poaching. A note presented to the cabinet by Fisheries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said that while legal actions have been taken years against foreign vessels which were illegally fishing in Lankan waters, a tightening of the regulatory mechanism has more..

Nov 6 (CG) Ministry of Defence says the sniper arrested in the Maldives recently is not from the Sri Lankan military. The Maldives media had reported that the police had arrested a Sri Lankan sniper from the Maldives days after a sniper rifle bullet was found in the biggest weapons bust in the country’s recent history. Haveeru reported that the sniper had served in the Sri Lankan military and that he was arrested a week ago and remains in custody. Maldivian authorities, neither confirmed nor more..

Nov 6 (IPS) UN General Assembly adopted the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at a global summit of world leaders in September. They agreed on 17 new universal goals, and 169 targets that will provide the framework for economic and political policies of UN Member States over the next 15 years to make the world a better place for humanity. The indicators, against which their performance will be measured, will be finalised by Mar 2016. more..

Nov 6 (PSL) President Maithripala Sirisena said that he is not ready to keep farmers of this country unsatisfied, as a politician who grew with the farming community and understand their tears and joys. President said that he is always with the farming community according to his conscience and the govt will take every possible step to uplift the economic conditions of the farming community and the agricultural sector of the country. more..

Nov 7 (CT) When a business makes profit, perhaps labor unions might define that the profit resulted from the exploitation of labor power. When a business makes losses, how do we define it? Here, I mean across the board loses made by most businesses. At least we cannot use the word exploitation when businesses make loses. China is the largest steel producer in the world. Chinese steel industry accounted more than 50% of world’s steel production. This industry is in crisis now. more..

Nov 7 (GV) The fast by prisoners last month has given rise to fresh debate about justice for them. It is a sad reflection on Sri Lankan people and the new govt that the prisoners had to resort to such drastic action in order to even gain momentum for justice; for what is a categorical breach of these individuals’ fair trial rights and a failure of the criminal justice system. It has been reported that the fast was called off based on assurances by the President to offer a solution by 7 Nov 2015. more..

Nov 7 (SO) With just under one week to go, the countdown has begun for the International Film Festival of Colombo (IFFCOLOMBO) 2015; arguably the most looked forward to cinematic splurge in Sri Lanka. Hosted by the Director’s Guild of Sri Lanka for the second consecutive year, the fully-fledged Film Festival, scheduled to be held from Nov 7 to Nov 11, will see over 100 films, including the works of local artistes as well as more..

Nov 7 (CT) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe has been frequently described by his fellow politicians as a person who prefers to identify himself as a Westminster politician in his western attire. But not only in his dress even when he praised the Leader of the Opposition R. Sampanthan in Parliament early this week (3) for condemning the attack on the HNDA students by police on 29 Oct, PM Wickremesinghe had proved himself a politician who still follows the finer aspects of Westminster more..

Nov 7 (CT) It did not take me very long to find out the enormity of the funding that had been given to the LTTE and to groups supportive of the peace process even after the LTTE had made it clear that it would not attend negotiations. In Nov 2007 I wrote to the UNDP Head with a list of questions about the project which suggested that it was concerned less with peace than with keeping both the LTTE and the peace constituency happy. Much of that letter will bear reproducing even now. more..

Nov 7 (CT) V Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman has once again switched loyalties and this time it is in favour of the TULF and its leader Anandasangaree. In an interview, he describes this as a practical and necessary move if he is to continue to remain relevant in Sri Lankan politics. Q: When you first broke away from the LTTE, you declared that all northern Tamil leaders, including the LTTE Leader Prabhakaran did not care for Tamils in East. more..

Nov 7 (FT) Dr. Madhuwanthi Dissanayake, Senior Lecturer and Consultant Ophthalmologist, Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo was the winner of the BMJ South Asia Award for Excellence in Medical Education 2015. The award ceremony was held at Leela Hotel Mumbai on 30 October. Presenting the project ‘Developing and incorporating a module on Professionalism and Ethics in Medical Postgraduate Training’ in Mumbai she has brought more..

Nov 7 (CT) Whenever the issue of IDPs was discussed by the Tamil politicians amongst themselves or with the govt or with India or with NGOs etc. the resettlement of the displaced northern Muslims was never given the place it deserved. They continued to live with host families where several households crowded under a single roof, without adequate sanitation or water supply. Most lived in refugee camps. In this lot were women, children, the disabled, those chronically ill more..

Nov 7 (CI) Sri Lanka will choose to bed in their new-look ODI outfit over blooding young players in the dead-rubber against West Indies, captain Angelo Mathews said. The hosts have already been fielding an inexperienced middle order through the series. There are no rankings positions on the line for the hosts, but they will close the gap on fourth-placed NZ to four points if they sweep the series. "We are trying to get our team settled," more..

Nov 7 (CI) West Indies have now spent more than a month in Sri Lanka, but are yet to have a lot to show for their time on the island. The Tests went poorly. They have surged in patches during the ODIs, yet now only have pride and a few rankings points to play for in the final match. The points, though, are worth more to them than most - captain Jason Holder has repeatedly pointed out that his team are not safe from being cut from the 10-team 2019 World Cup. more..

Nov 7 (Island) When entrusted with the task of picking three of the best Sri Lankan batsmen of the past, I would recall those greats of the past, the likes of Mahadevan Sathasivam, Aravinda de Silva and Kumar Sangakkara, who with my two cents knowledge of the game fits into my equation. Their phenomenal performance with the willow, in the playing fields at home and in international cricket tells the story. Satha has he was fondly called was a legend of his times, more..

Nov 7 (Island) Avant-Garde is what stands out in creativity, especially in art and fashion, although it is now extended to metal and the latest in Smartphone technology, too. The latest developments in Sri Lanka show that Mr. Tilak Marapana, Minister of Law and Order and Prisons, stands out as an exceptional avant-garde personality. With avant-garde defined as what is radically new and original, characterized by more..

Nov 7 (Island) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe unveiled the govt’s economic policy in Parliament on Thursday. The objectives mentioned therein may have warmed the cockles of many a heart though the proof of the pudding is in the eating. However, the proposal to amalgamate EPF and the ETF to form a pension fund must have sent a chill down every private sector employee’s spine. For, the workers’ experience with previous attempts by some do-gooders to meddle with EPF & ETF more..

Nov 7 (Island) In 1993 the University of Western Australia published a paper of mine in a collection of papers on SL’s ethnic problem. My paper had the title SL Muslims – the Problem of a Submerged Minority. I wrote of my notion of a submerged minority as follows: "Ethnic discourse is for the most part written by majorities and by rebellious minorities. Other minorities from whom nothing much is heard are supposed to be by and large content, without any serious grievances, more..

Nov 7 (DM) Former Sri Lanka national cricket team manager Air Commodore Ajit Jayasekara has written an interesting letter detailing the acrimonious relationship between national players and cricket administrators. Jayasekara was the national team manager from 2000 to 2004 before becoming the CEO of SLC in 2009 and serving the institution in various the capacities till this year including as Head of Anti Corruption more..

Nov 7 (DN) Prima Baking Training Centre spilled out warm scents of freshly baked bread and cakes on the 2nd of Nov, as a room full of students took part in a live demonstration by Chef Paul Kittisou of Canada's Lallemande Yeast Company. Kittisou is a chef of baking renown, having had demonstrations in Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Maldives and his home France, to name a few. The program at the Prima Baking Training Centre, a school for would-be chefs, sought to bring together more..

Nov 7 (ENS) Six years have passed since the violent end to Sri Lanka’s civil war, but the central issue – the plight of Tamils – is no nearer solution than it was in 1983 when the resistance really began. Mahinda Rajapaksa, the man who won the war, was sensationally defeated in the elections last year that saw a new president, Maithripala Sirisena, a Rajapaksa acolyte who turned against his chief at the last moment, come to power. Tamils supported Sirisena in his campaign, but their ability to more..

Nov 7 (FT) In a bid to stabilise sagging tea prices, the Sri Lanka Tea Board will commence buying premium quality tea from the Colombo Tea Auction within the next two weeks, a senior official said. The decision was taken as a result of the discussion the tea industry stakeholders had with Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe last week in order to stabilise prices and uplift small-time growers who are struggling to survive. more..

Nov 7 (NS) SL’s present exports lull is due to many reasons but chiefly a throwback from the global market fall-and achieving national export targets is not a journey of a sole institution but requires a collaborative, cross-sectoral push, as stressed by the new Chairperson of Exports Development Board. “Exports are coming down due to various reasons, but chiefly since the global markets have come down-it’s not EDB alone. The council of Ministers was a beautiful mechanism” more..

Nov 7 (CT) 31 persons including a driver were injured when two buses travelling in opposite directions slammed into each other in a head-on collision on the Polonnaruwa-Colombo road near the Hathamuna Junction in Polonnaruwa yesterday. Police said the private bus travelling from Polonnaruwa to Colombo attempted to overtake another vehicle when it rammed into another private bus coming from the opposite direction. The injured passengers were immediately rushed to more..

Nov 7 (DN) With the Sports Minister calling for elections to Sri Lanka Cricket next month it is only a matter of less than two months before the interim committee headed by former Sri Lanka Test cricketer Sidath Wettimuny will cease to function. Unlike some similar committees of the past Wettimuny and Co can leave with their heads held high. When interim committee took over on April 1, they started with a Rs. 207 million overdraft more..

Nov 7 (FT) Colombo Process has helped to ensure that migrants continue to remain beacons of hope and opportunity, Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva and Chair of the Geneva based Colombo Process member states, Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha said this week at the launch of the Third Senior Officials Meeting of the grouping in Colombo. The Colombo Process is a regional grouping of 11 countriesin Asia, that have substantial numbers of their more..

Nov 7 (Island) Sri Lanka requires to improve the investment climate with transparency and good governance for businesses to flourish. If not the economy will suffer immense fiscal pressures, Carmudi Sri Lanka Managing Director Firaz Markar said. "The wider macro-economic factors, such as steady GDP growth, access to low cost credit, and a rising level of affluence within major demographics of Sri Lankan society, have combined to generate an unprecedented level of growth within more..

Nov 7 (LT) 24 serious charges of plunder of public assets committed during Rajapaksa regime and a special revelation regarding frauds and corruption of the present govt were presented by the JVP Leader Anura Dissanayaka in Parliament on the 4th. Also, frauds and corruption committed during the UNP regime that existed until 1994, frauds and corruption of PA govt that ruled until Dec 2001 and frauds and corruption committed more..

Nov 7 (BN) In mountainous areas of Pakistan or far-flung villages in Sri Lanka, finding reliable economic information is extremely difficult. The World Bank’s solution has been to send surveyors to study the conditions on the ground, which is an expensive, time-consuming, and imprecise task. The resulting dearth of data leaves govts, aid groups, and researchers unsure of where to put resources that can be critical to helping the world’s most impoverished areas. more..

Nov 7 (DN) An Islamic organisation yesterday sought an order from the Colombo Chief Magistrate to prevent the Sri Lanka Tawheed Jamath (SLTJ) Organisation from organising an event which is said to be detrimental to religious harmony in the country. Filing a motion before Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya, Nabaviyyah Islamic Youth Organisation informed Court that the peaceful co-existence of the Muslim community in Sri Lanka has been gradually harmed by a certain group called the SLTJ, more..

Nov 7 (FT) The unsolicited proposals and the commissions that changed hands to construct the Kandy Expressway during the previous administration were brought to light in Parliament by PM Ranil Wickremesinghe. According to the Premier, the Kandy Expressway, whose construction is ongoing, should have started from Katunayake instead of connecting Kadawatha and Pothuhera wasting public money. more..

Nov 7 (LBO) Sri Lanka’s plans for mass transit specially in Colombo must ensure that it stays linked to real-estate developments to make it viable, the director general of the Urban Development Authority said at the LBR LBO Infrastructure Summit. “Introduction of mass transit is a critical step and a game changer for urban development and will not work unless it goes along with managing land use,” Nayana Mawilmada, director general, Urban Development Authority said. more..

Nov 7 (DM) A baby girl was born at the Mahamodera Hospital with twin still-born foetuses in her mouth. The doctors had successfully removed the foetuses from her mouth. The baby is in good health. A woman living in Galle had given birth to the baby girl on Oct 26. The doctors who had inspected the pregnant woman's womb had revealed a peculiar attachment on the face of the child inside the womb and suspecting it to be some kind of a cyst had performed a caesarean section. more..

Nov 7 (DN) A group of 32 terrorist suspects detained for a considerable period under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) without any legal action against them will be released on Nov 9. This decision was taken at a meeting chaired by PM Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Parliamentary Complex on Nov 5, stated a joint communique issued by the Minister of Law and Order and Prison Reforms and Justice yesterday. more..

Nov 7 (GV) A group of concerned civil society members have called for the removal of Cabinet Minister Thilak Marapana from his portfolio of of Law and Order, Prison Reforms due to his connection with the controversial company Avant Garde in his capacity as legal adviser to Chairman Nissanka Senadhipathi. Below is the letter addressed to President Sirisena as well as PM Wickremesinghe: We note with much dismay and disgust that President’s Counsel Thilak J Marapana who more..

Nov 7 (DN) The Foreign Affairs Ministry will conduct an investigation to find out what had happened from the side of the Foreign Affairs Ministry in connection with the deportation of the Maldivian national arrested in connection with the assassination attempt of the Maldivian President, Spokesperson Satya Rodrigo said. The investigation is aimed at finding out the details in connection with what had been done on the part of Foreign Affairs Ministry, in connection with deporting of this individual. more..

Nov 7 (DN) Former President Rajapaksa commended the statement made by Public Order Minister Thilak Marapana on the Avant Garde controversy. Rajapaksa praised Marapana's position on the matter and said he was a respected lawyer. "Public Order Minister said some Police officers who wanted to gain points triggered the Avante Garde controversy. He said it was similar to Millennium City issue in 2002. more..

Nov 7 (DN) The govt on the instructions of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has taken measures to grant an additional Deepavali allowance of Rs. 3,500 to estate workers. This is in addition to the previous allowance of Rs. 6,500. The additional allowance will be granted to the workers as a credit allowance. Plantation Industries Minister Navin Dissanayake instructed the authorities to issue monetary assistance to estate industries to pay the allowance. more..

Nov 7 (CT) The Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy said that Minister of Social Empowerment and Social Welfare S. B. Dissanayake had agreed to provide a sum of Rs 17 Billion through the Divi Neguma Development Fund of the Samurdhi Bank to the CEB to facilitate the construction of the proposed 100 MW Wind Power Plant on the Mannar Islands. This sum is 70% of the money required for the construction of the Wind Power Plant and the CEB will provide the other 30%. more..

Nov 7 (CT) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday complained to the Chair that officials in charge of microphones and sound had cut him off while he had been responding to a question posed by the Opposition. The Premier, irked that his microphone had been switched off several times while he was responding to a question by UPFA MP Dullas Alahapperuma, complained about it to the Chair and requested General Secretary of more..