Oct 5 (AFP) NAURU has announced that asylum-seekers at an Australian immigration camp on the Pacific island will no longer be locked up, saying they will instead be free to roam around the tiny nation. The Nauru govt said the Regional Processing Centre had been converted into an open centre, giving its inhabitants freedom of movement. It also promised to process all outstanding refugee claims — about 600 of them, total number of asylum seekers on the island — within a week. more..

Oct 5 (LT) It is reported that the committee of three appointed to investigate frauds committed in the Sports Ministry during the Rajapaksa regime has been paid Rs. 3.7 million to prepare the report. The three member committee appointed by the Minister of Sports of the 100 day govt has carried out investigations for three months regarding frauds and corruption committed in the Ministry of Sports during the period Jan 2012 to April 2015. President of the committee was Senior State Counsel more..

Oct 5 (CG) Transnational Govt of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) led by former LTTE negotiator Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran, is to form an international team comprising of international Judges, international lawyers and Human Rights specialists to monitor the implementation of the UNHRC Resolution on Sri Lanka. The TGTE said that rhe world witnessed two visions of justice at the UNHRC this month. more..

Oct 5 (NS) The body of an individual has been found at the Golf Grounds situated at Kithulwatta Road in Borella this morning. Police said the body bore several stab wounds. The body was found by Borella police after a call was made to the 119 emergency hotline at around 6.05am today. The murdered individual has been identified as a 38-year-old man who was an employee of the golf club at the grounds. The body is currently lying at the location pending a magisterial inquiry. more..

Oct 5 (CG) Minister Lakshman Kiriella says the media still fears former President Rajapaksa. Minister said that he had urged one newspaper to publish a headline for an interview he had given, stating that Rajapaksa was the first person to agree to a domestic process to address human rights issues. “However that newspaper did not publish the part in the interview,” he said. Kiriella said that when Mahinda Rajapaksa’s name is mentioned some journalist are scared to either say anything more..

Oct 5 (CT) Last month, little Seya Sadewmi was sexually abused in the crudest manner possible and grotesquely dumped into a marshland. A 17-year-old boy was arrested as a result. According to reports, the suspect was severally assaulted by Kotadeniyawa Police. He was later cleared of the charges. Teenage Koshala from Gampaha who knew the young boy personally made a startling observation, whilst expressing more..

Oct 5 (Island) OIC Public Relations and Education of Prevention of Crimes on Children’s and Women’s Unit of the Police, Inspector Kumara Manoj Samarasekera recently said there were at least 10 crimes perpetrated on children and women in this country on any given day. Addressing the International Children’s Day at Ambalanatota, Inspector Samarasekera said children were more often abused by people who closely associated with the families of the victims. more..

Oct 5 (Reuters) Sri Lankan shares ended slightly weaker on Monday, after hitting one-week closing highs in the previous session, led by falls in John Keells Holdings Plc and Commercial Bank of Ceylon Plc. The main stock index ended 0.23%, or 16.48 points, weaker at 7,089.06, slipping from its highest close since Sept. 25 hit on Friday. "The bourse opened the week on a negative note despite most counters gaining. This was due to dips on index-weighted counters," TKS securities said. more..

Oct 5 (PMD) This is the best time to develop our country when all the countries in the world and international organizations do not have any animosity against us, says President Maithripala Sirisena. He said so at the inauguration ceremony of the National Program for Local Food Production, held in Iranamadu today. President pointed out that over 80% of requirement of chilies, soya, cowpea & green gram is imported. more..

Oct 5 (CI) Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner and legspinner Ish Sodhi brought about a collapse in which Sri Lanka A lost nine wickets for 80 runs, paving the way for New Zealand A's eight-wicket victory at Hagley Oval, Christchurch. Having chosen to bowl, New Zealand A faced some resistance from the visitors' top order. Opener Danushka Gunathilaka made 57 and added 95 for the second wicket with Kithuruwan Vithanage, who top scored for Sri Lanka A with 59. more..

Oct 5 (DM) Out of the 58,716 students who applied for university entrance, 24,343 students have been selected for admission to state-run universities this year based on the results of their GCE A/L examination, UGC said a short while ago. The UGC released the cut off marks of students who sat the GCE A/L exam. They could obtain their Z-score marks by accessing the UGC’s official website www.ugc.ac.lk or by calling the Government Information Center on 1919. more..

Oct 5 (USE) As part of its continuing efforts to preserve Sri Lanka’s cultural and religious heritage, the Embassy of the United States of America is pleased to announce new grants totaling $300,000 (42.1 million LKR) to help restore the ancient Buddhist Rajagala Monastery and improve preservation of artifacts at the Anuradhapura Archeological Museum. “The US recognizes the importance of preserving more..

Oct 5 (DM) Southern Provincial Council Vice Chairman Sampath Atukorale who was remanded on charges of uploading defamatory pictures of President Maithripala Sirisena to his Facebook page, was released on bail today. Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya released the suspect on Rs. 10,000 bail and two sureties of Rs. 500,000 each. The CID earlier filed a report saying that the offense was committed during December 2014 just before the Presidential Election, when more..

Oct 5 (GDI) A new Mental Health Bill will soon replace the antiquated and only officially recognized Act on Mental Health enacted in 1892, which is now before the Cabinet Sub Committee for approval. A national mental health policy too was ready, offering fresh guidelines on services and manpower resources of the NIHM, Health Ministry revealed. The new law and the national policy will together contribute to drastic changes in the present approach to treating mentally ill patients. more..

Oct 5 (DM) The CID today apprised the Court that the elder brother of Kondaya has confessed to the murder and sexual assault on five-year-old child in Karandeniya. The suspect, who was the elder brother of Konadaya, was arrested over the murder of Seya Sadewmi, on Oct 3. Minuwangoda Magistrate has also remanded Kondaya till Oct 19. Meanwhile, IGP N. K. Illangakoon has ordered an investigation into more..

Oct 6 (GV) The 4th US sponsored Resolution to the UNHRC Sessions in Geneva concedes the SL govt could conduct its own investigations into alleged serious violations and abuses of human rights and related crimes assisted by international and Commonwealth experts. This US position is what China (and Russia) fundamentally stood for as “non-interference” in national issues during previous Resolutions initiated by the US. The 4th US Resolution was adopted without a division at more..

Oct 6 (CT) The Libyan Arab dictator murdered by US-UK backed rebels is in the news again over a photo which shows the flamboyant narcissistic and eccentric dictator Gaddaffi with his hand on President Rajapaksas’ shoulder and not the other way around. President Sirisena (acting defense minister 2009) now says the West was ticked off because of this photo. Libya is in chaos now with Islamic terrorists wreaking havoc only and only due to Western duplicitous interventions. more..

Oct 6 (SO) The mystery over the murder of Nagam Pappu, a tea plucker from Opathawatta, in Kotakethana on Sept 28, shows that the killing of women in Kotakethana in crime-ridden Kahawatta has not come to an end. 48-year-old mother of two was found hacked to death in the upper block of Opathawatta, an isolated and soggy area of the tea estate, after she was reported missing from her routine visit to the No.2 hut more..

Oct 6 (CT) The people of Sri Lanka have placed their trust and pinned their hopes when they voted in millions in favour of the new govt, that President Maithripala Sirisena and PM Ranil Wickremesinghe will fulfil their aspirations by laying a strong foundation to rebuild a democratic, compassionate, peaceful, law abiding, and sovereign society by the advancement of social, religious, cultural, economic, and technological developments in the country. After the appointment of the new cabinet by more..

Oct 6 (CT) Several days have passed since President Sirisena asserted the public that the international community gave their approval to adopting a domestic mechanism on the alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka. Yet, the talk of the town has not deviated from the Special Hybrid Court as proposed by the UNHRC. Several individuals suffering from xenophobic tendencies are still spreading rumours which cite that President Sirisena, PM Wickremesinghe and their Yahapalana Govt more..

Oct 6 (CT) Schoolboy Suranjan Seneviratne who was arrested by the Police on suspicion says that he was assaulted by the Police officers asking whether he raped and killed 4-year-old girl Seya Sadewmi. It had been a misery for this schoolboy who was subjected to cruelty, assault and being stripped naked. CID too had behaved in an inhuman degrading manner. Young student had suffered unbearable pain being assaulted more..

Oct 6 (ST) The most fundamental economic problem that must be resolved is the containment of the fiscal deficit. The increasing public debt, foreign debt and trade deficits are closely connected with, and arise to a large extent from, the continuing fiscal deficit. Bringing down the fiscal deficit to 5% of GDP or below is essential for economic stability and growth. Containing the fiscal deficit is vital as a high fiscal deficit has serious repercussions on the economy. It creates inflationary pressures, more..

Oct 6 (ST) Hallelujah! British govt is ready to stand steadfastly by Sri Lanka’s side as Colombo adopts and proceeds with the implementation of the recent Geneva resolution that it acceded to, readily co-sponsoring it. Not to be outdone, the US which has actively pursued the chastisement of Sri Lanka for several years at successive Geneva confabs and elsewhere joined in the commendation. Sri Lanka, said the US ambassador Keith Harper, was taking “courageous steps to strengthen democracy more..

Oct 6 (GV) Wasim Thajudeen’s death and lackluster investigations took center stage during the run up to the August 2015 general elections. His body was exhumed, and after further examination was reburied a few days ago. I was a witness to the exhumation at the Dehiwela Mohiyadeen Jummah masjid. The media and civil society who were very vocal about Wasim’s death inquiry have now joined the political vultures and are forgetting Wasim. Was this part of election agenda of a vested few. more..

Oct 6 (IPS) The famous President of American Airlines, C.R. Smith once said “These days no one can make money on the goddamn airline business. The economics represent sheer hell.” While he made these remarks on the financial condition of airlines, the most legendary joke of all was probably by Herb Kelleher, founder of Southwest Airlines, most financially successful airline in the world: “If the Wright Brothers were alive today, Wilbur would have to fire Orville to reduce costs”. more..

Oct 6 (CT) Previous Ministry of Defence and Urban Development led by former Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa swindled Rs 400,000 per 400 square feet and Rs 360,000 per 500 square feet from each apartment, through forced urban relocation and resettlement of the impoverished, the UNFGG alleges. Deputy Minister Dr. Harsha De Silva, citing a report commissioned by PM's Office, prepared by the Chief Quantity Surveyor of more..

Oct 6 (CT) The Police was set up for Protection Of Life In Civil Establishment. And, the Police Officers were told to be Polite-Obedient-Loyal- Intelligent-Courageous-Efficient. Some in the Police Department seem to be ignorant of these noble precepts when dealing with the public. Thus, the public trust in the Police has fallen to low ebb. The cause is the derogatory behaviour of some Policemen who take the law unto their hands. Over the past decade, the conduct of the Police more..

Oct 6 (DN) Pussalla Meat Producers, a leading poultry producer in SL, signed an agreement with Andritz feed milling and bio fuel company in Denmark to build a fully automated poultry feed milling facility. Total investment of the project is Rs. 900 million and constructed at Udamapitigama, Dompe in the Gampaha district. “The mill capacity is 20 tonnes per hour and capable of producing 12,000 metric tonnes of feed per month,” Pussalla Meat Producers, MD, Philip Wewita said. more..

Oct 6 (FT) With the new Govt’s first Budget around the corner, the World Bank gave a wakeup call to policy makers urging to improve fiscal management, measures to boost Foreign Direct Investments and exports. Perfect dose of recommendations was contained in the lender’s twice-a-year South Asia Economic Focus report released yesterday. Striking a positive note, World Bank said the newly-elected govt more..

Oct 6 (LBO) Apartment complexes have had a strong hand in shaping the skyline of Colombo with the island’s real estate and construction industry sectors presently experiencing a boom. The key market drivers remain the luxury condominium market which has picked up within the last year. However, experts warn that buying by expatriate Sri Lankan and foreigners who are driving the condo market may have peaked or may be nearing its peak due to their finite numbers. more..

Oct 6 (TZ) In order to boost trade between Turkey and Sri Lanka, the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) commenced the operations of its affiliate, Turkey Ceylon Business Chamber, in Colombo last week. An inaugural ceremony held in Colombo was attended by Rishad Bathuideen, the Sri Lankan minister of industry and commerce and Sujeewa Senasingha, the minister of international trade, along with businessmen from Turkey, France, more..

Oct 6 (FT) The Govt will raise more revenue via the latest hike in tax on cigarettes, a move that has been welcomed by anti-tobacco lobby but with caution by the sole manufacturer. An industry expert told the Daily FT that the Govt’s decision to go ahead with the tax hike on cigarettes would result in at least a 10% increase of tax revenue to the State. Over the weekend the Govt increased the excise duty on 1,000 cigarettes of Gold Leaf variety more..

Oct 6 (DM) The import duty rates on vehicles, to be imposed in this year’s Budget, would be applied to all the vehicles that reach Sri Lankan shores after the budget was produced, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said today. He said many people had criticized last year that they were not informed beforehand when the previous govt imposed taxes on imported vehicles. “We decided to make this announcement as we were subjected to heavy criticism last year. more..

Oct 6 (DM) Twelve people were injured today in an accident when two buses toppled on the road in Nawakkulama, Madawachchiya. Madawachchiya police said the busses which had skidded off the road had toppled due to the high rainfall in the area. Police said the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) bus which was travelling from Kilinochchi to Anuradhapura had collided with a Sri Lankan Navy bus travelling from Anuradhapura to Vavuniya and the two buses had toppled on the road. more..

Oct 6 (CT) A head-on confrontation between PM Ranil Wickremesinghe and Foreign Minister, Mangala Samaraweera has become inevitable after officials in the Foreign Ministry and Foreign Service have continue to defy the PM. After tensions between the two began to mount, Wickremesinghe has said he will raise all the pertinent issues with Samaraweera when he returns to Colombo. He is now on a tour of Japan more..

Oct 6 (FT) Despite the invitation extended by Minister Ravi Karunanayake requesting citizens holding Swiss bank accounts to redeposit the cash in the country’s banking system with a promise that no questions will be asked, industry experts say that it is against international regulations. “If we are to follow Singapore and the UK standards, all significant inward remittances need a declaration of source of funds,” East West Holdings Group Chairman Nahil Wijesuriya said. more..

Oct 6 (DN) The first three day game between the touring Pakistan under-19 cricketers and the Sri Lanka under 19 team was heading for a draw at the end of the second day's play at the MRICS Sooriyawewa. When Sri Lanka resumed their innings last morning, Night watchman Charith Asalanka became the second Richmondite to score a double ton in an under 19 international game. Charith in his determination to surpass Yasodha Lanka's score of 212 was unfortunate to be more..

Oct 6 (DN) Urbanization has both positive and negative impacts on society said Minister Champika Ranawaka said at the Capacity Building Programme for urban sector officials. “Urbanization has resulted in increased employment opportunities, escalated standards of living and easier access to healthcare, education, transport facilities and entertainment. Social integration took new heights in the urban society. more..

Oct 6 (SLN) An ambulance water craft, built by the Sri Lanka Navy on the request of Governor of the Northern Province, for the benefit of civilians in the northern islands was ceremonially handed over to President Sirisena by the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Karunasena Hettiarachchi at Killinochchi on 5th Oct. President in turn handed over the craft to the Director for Health Services of Northern Province who accepted the craft on behalf of the Governor of Northern Province. more..