Sep 29 (FT) Commercial High Court Judge Amendra Seneviratne last week issued an interim injunction after inquiry, restraining Osh Holdings Ltd. from using the packages and cartons used by Stassen Exports and Stassen International. Commercial High Court Case 10/2015/IP was filed by Stassen International. and Stassen Exports against Osh Holdings for the unauthorised and unlawful use and disclosure of secret, confidential, and undisclosed information belonging to the Stassen Group more..

Sep 29 (SLBC) Minister Sajith Premadasa says that housing programmes have been planned until December of this year in connection with the world habitat day which falls on the 5th of next month. The work includes to complete construction of 10,000 houses selected from each of the 25 districts. The houses of low income families will be chosen. The govt has set aside a sum of 50 million rupees in this regard. He further said that a habitat week has been declared from the 5th to the 12th of Oct. more..

Sep 29 (FT) CB Governor Arjuna Mahendran denied all allegations made over the shuffle of divisional heads, pointing out that it was a common practice of the bank. “I categorically deny it. It is a normal routine that the bank practices in the medium term. Bank has done it many times in the past as well,” he said. He went on to say that although he wanted to implement it, due to General Election he could not implement it. more..

Sep 29 (CG) Ministry of Education will decide in future if it will allow tuition classes to operate during school hours. Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said that it has become a norm now by teachers and private institutions to have tuition classes during school hours. He said that discussions will be held with the relevant officials soon to decide on the future of tuition classes which operate during school hours. “We will decide if tuition classes can operate from 7.30am to 1.30pm,” minister said. more..

Sep 29 (ENS) India is now exploring the Sri Lankan model of palmyra tree fencing around human habitations to check the increasing cases of human-elephant conflict which, on an average, results in 400 human deaths annually. The Environment Ministry will be interacting with Sri Lankan authorities to see if the tree fence model can be replicated in India, following its success in the island nation. According to a senior official in the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, more..

Sep 29 (CT) Police commenced immediate investigations into an incident in which a woman was stabbed to death, in Kotakethana area yesterday around 1:30 p.m. The body of the woman was found in a tea estate in Opatha, Kahawatte. The mutilated body of the female had several severe laceration wounds according to the police. The deceased has been identified as Nadan Paabu, a 48-year-old plantation worker more..

Sep 29 (CT) The govt is mulling the merger of the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) and Employees' Trust Fund (ETF) Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran said yesterday. Addressing the press Conference he said that this merger procedures have to be decided by the govt. "Both funds are managing more than One Trillion worth of private sector retirement money .So, consolation of both funds may bring efficient and transparency to those funds", he remarked. more..

Sep 29 (EN) Sri Lanka should target American travellers coming to India and make the United States its next source market, official from a market research firm has said. “A leading source market for India is the US,” said EuroMonitor’s Shabori Das. “Sri Lanka should be targeting American tourists coming to India.” Travellers coming to India usually also visit Hong Kong, Malaysia & Singapore, she told Future of Tourism summit organised by Cinnamon group of hotels. more..

Sep 29 (DN) Minister Ravi Karunanayake said he will make a special statement about the financial situation of the country within the next two days. It will also reveal the manner in which world economic trends influenced Sri Lanka. Their main responsibility is to strengthen the country’s economy notwithstanding the world financial situation. They were presently discussing these (situations) with economic experts and more..

Sep 29 (DM) After much intrigue, which naturally made for speculation that ranged from intelligent to insane, finally the Govt has produced a cogent and clear articulation of position with respect to the US sponsored UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka. At a press meeting, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe outlined for the first time Sri Lanka’s approach to the vexed issue of possible censure at the UNHRC, over allegations of war crimes and other violations during the final stages of the war. more..

Sep 29 (DM) Many issues that contributed to our gory human rights record stemmed from barefaced denials by the successive govts and subordinate authorities of alleged incidents of abuses and rights violations blamed on the security and law enforcement apparatus of the State. Some abuses were deliberate and fostered by a culture of impunity; some committed under the pressure of hazardous conditions, in which the Service Personnel and Police work, and some could more..

Sep 29 (DM) It’s a mere change of venue - instead of Geneva or New York; the US-Sri Lanka joint resolution shifts the backdrop to Colombo to cast a false sense of domestication. Circus moves on with foreign actors in starring roles. The Big Top would be erected in the halls of the BMICH, would space the domestic mechanism in courtrooms, cloakrooms and washrooms for inquiries on war crimes. more..

Sep 29 (DN) Sri Lanka's sovereignty is guaranteed again by formulating a domestic mechanism to find out the truth about the war, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, said PM Ranil Wickremesinghe. He said the LTTE and its leader Prabhakaran are responsible for this conflict and if they were alive, cases would have be filed against them, but most of them are dead. The prime concern should be reconciliation and not filing cases. more..

Sep 29 (Island) General Secretary of LSSP Prof. Tissa Vitarane said that PM Ranil Wickremesinghe was trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the public by denying that govt was against the UN resolution against Sri Lanka. He said, "US is working towards establishing its bases in Trincomalee as it is a strategic location’ for its seventh fleet. US was trying to have the country divided by causing SL military to vacate more..

Sep 29 (ST) Sri Lanka is concerned whether embattled German carmaker Volkswagen’s diesel vehicles sold in Sri Lanka had misled local emission tests, similar to the manner in the United States where a probe is on which could result in possible fines of over US$18 billion for cheating, officials said. The Motor Traffic Department (MTD) will consult the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) and Environmental Ministry to assess more..

Sep 29 (Island) NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa, asserted that the LTTE’s battlefield defeat was the basis for the proposed division of the country on ethnic lines, hence Sri Lanka on the Geneva agenda. He alleged that the Geneva resolution co-sponsored by the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe govt reflected their strategy. He was addressing the inaugural meeting of a seminar series meant to highlight what he called more..

Sep 29 (EN) Trade deficit narrowed 31% to US$ 601 million in July 2015, partly due to a higher base last year, with imports falling 16.9%, while the country's currency remained under pressure amid monetization of debt. Exports fell 2.6% to US$ 932.1 million with textiles and garments falling 0.3% to US$ 413.1 million, rubber products down 9.9% to US$ 71.8 million. Some of the export values were down also due to falling commodity prices. more..

Sep 29 (CG) US Secretary of State John Kerry says the US will support a domestic process led and owned by the Sri Lankan people and conducted in cooperation with the UN and with international support. US Embassy in Colombo said that Kerry had expressed this view when he met President Maithripala Sirisena in New York. The Secretary commended the bold steps taken by the new Sri Lankan govt to restore democratic more..

Sep 29 (Island) The foreign ministry has posted on their official website the English language text of the US sponsored draft resolution on Sri Lanka which has been tabled before the UNHRC along with a Sinhala translation thereof. The Sinhala reading public will obviously be dependent on the Sinhala translation to form an opinion about this draft resolution. Sinhala translation provided by the foreign ministry will also be made use of by more..

Sep 29 (PMD) The world today is a safer place because of the brace UN peacekeepers. On this occasion, let us remember and pay tribute to the hundreds of peacekeepers and staff who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty over the years. Let us also recognize and commend their achievements, said President Maithripala Sirisena at the Leaders’ Summit on Peacekeeping at the United Nations, today (28). more..

Sep 29 (CI) Offspinner Tharindu Kaushal has been banned from bowling the doosra in international cricket due to an illegal action. However his stock delivery, the offbreak, has been found to be legal in tests conducted by ICC at Sri Ramachandra University in Chennai. While his offbreaks were delivered without more than the permitted 15 degrees of flex, elbow flexed beyond 15 degrees when he sent down doosras. more..

Sep 29 (Island) Most Sri Lankans have a very bad habit. They, to put it very euphemistically, fault one’s mother when one does something offensive. Likewise, it is the Constitution which is blamed when politicians do anything wrong. Political leaders who should take the blame for their failure to discipline their party members pull the wool over the eyes of the public by making the Constitution out to be the mother of all evils. When greedy social undesirables clash at elections, resorting as they do to more..

Sep 29 (Island) The govt took a major step forward in rejoining the international community on equal terms when it reached agreement with the US and other Western countries in the UNHRC to co-sponsor the resolution on the future its post-war accountability process. For the past six years Sri Lanka was on the defensive internationally for its conduct of the last phase of the war. From 2012 onwards it was at the receiving end of increasingly adverse resolutions by the UNHRC. more..

Sep 29 (Island) The All Ceylon Nurses Union (ACNU) appealed to the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau (CECB) to effect changes to a nine storeyed building at the National Hospital, Colombo. ACNU President, Gamini Kumarasinghe has, in a letter to the CECB, said that those using the wards are facing difficulties as it has been designed without taking into account the convenience of patients and Hospital staff. He said there were only 2 elevators in the building, more..

Sep 29 (EN) Sri Lanka’s private hospitals are poised for strong growth given favourable demographic trends in the island which has one of the world’s fastest-growing, ageing populations, Fitch Ratings has said. Govt-run hospitals alone have insufficient capacity to handle the growth in demand for healthcare services with nearly 9% of the population now 65 years of age and over, a number likely to double by 2030. “Demand for private health care is also driven by rising per capita income, more..

Sep 29 (EN) Urbanisation in Sri Lanka is higher than officially estimated with almost half the people living in areas that have urban characteristics. “This is a country almost close to boundary of 50% of urbanisation like the rest of world,” said Ede Jorge Ijjasz-Vasquez, senior director of the World Bank. Official statistics on urbanisation using narrow municipal limits to show urbanisation are very different from more..

Sep 29 (Island) Prisons Department has identified the person who entered a court cell to meet notorious drug dealer Mohamed Siddique with the help of some prison guards. He is the suspect’s elder brother. Investigations have revealed that the brother had been brought to the cell in the court house by three prison guards who were on duty ahead of the arrival of Siddque. The suspect and his brother had established a close association with the prison guards. more..

Sept 29 (Reuters) Shares ended Tuesday slightly firmer from the previous session's 11-week low, snapping a losing streak over three straight sessions, helped by foreign buying of blue chips. Foreign investors were net buyers of 40.3 million rupees worth of shares on Tuesday, but they have been net sellers of 3.07 billion rupees worth of shares this year. Main stock index closed up 0.1%, or 6.74 points firmer, at 7,085.38, edging up from its lowest close in 11 weeks in previous session. more..

Sep 29 (DM) Several Opposition MPs today urged the govt to hold a referendum to implement the UNHRC recommendations including a Hybrid Court to investigate war crimes allegations in Sri Lanka. UPFA MP Wimal Weerawansa said if the UNHRC approves the resolution, Sri Lankans should have the liberty to decide if they want any foreign involvement in solving internal issues. more..

Sep 29 (Island) President of the World Bank recently opened a global conference in Washington DC where several hundreds of the Bank's members of the finance team had come along, and offered anybody in that team who would want to study for CIMA, the Bank's support in terms of time and finance, Myriam Madden-president of CIMA said. "CIMA has been very influential with the World Bank. I met with the World Bank in May in Washington DC, and spoke to them about our more..

Sep 29 (CT) Batticaloa District former TNA MP P. Ariyanethran said that it is a disgrace for the current govt to speak about good governance while hundreds of youth in prisons are detained for several years in the name of political prisoners. The fate of the country solely lies in the hands of the youth. Several hundred youth had lost their lives in the past during the armed struggle; because of their sacrifice, today, the Tamil problem had got the attention of the international community, he added. more..

Sep 29 (USE) The US and Sri Lanka today agreed to implement a $2.6 million program to enhance the capabilities of Sri Lanka’s criminal justice authorities to investigate and prosecute complex crimes, and improve delivery of justice for all citizens. “A fair and equitable justice system goes to the heart of any democracy,” said U.S. Ambassador Atul Keshap. “US looks forward to sharing its experiences to help raise more..

Sep 29 (TOI) Sri Lankan navy and the coast guard of the island nation have detained seven fishermen from Threspuram in Tuticorin district of TN on charges of fishing in their waters. They seized 500 kilograms of fish and navigational equipment from the fishermen. Fishermen, identified as M Robiston, P Anjumugan, R Reegan, P Jerald, D Presco, M Romando and A Milton from Threspuram, went for a multiday fishing expedition on a country boat belonging to Baskar from Tuticorin. more..

Sep 29 (CT) UPFA MP and Minister Susil Premajayantha, has been summoned to appear before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry on Wednesday. He will be providing a statement to the PRECIFAC on the investigation into the unsettled bills on advertisements of the ITN during the last Presidential Election. The former General Secretary was issued notice of the summoning after the former President Rajapaksa said that he was not involved or responsible for the unsettled bills more..

Sep 29 (Stuff) Sri Lankan batting colossus Mahela Jayawardene will become one of the biggest names to grace New Zealand's Twenty20 cricket competition after he was signed by the Central Stags on Tuesday. Stags general manager Lance Hamilton confirmed Jayawardene had put pen to paper and will join them for the final six games of the Super Smash, and finals weekend in New Plymouth in December if they make it. more..

Sep 29 (Island) Two hundred and ninety one disabled soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army have complained to the Court of Appeal that the army has failed to compensate them duly in keeping with their disabilities. The Army Act, prescribes compensation when officers, get injured in the battlefield. The petitioners have requested the court to order the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army and the Defence Secretary to grant them adequate relief, as prescribed by the Army Act. more..

Sep 29 (DM) Taxes on salt, sugar and coconut oil should be increased to limit their consumption because they are known to cause heart ailments, Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said today. Addressing a Ceremony to mark World Heart Day, he said he hoped to discuss this matter with Finance Ministry. He said not only should the taxes on tobacco be increased, but the taxes on salt, sugar and coconut oil should also be increased. “Healthy diet is essential for a healthy heart. more..

Sep 29 (PTI) CPI today demanded that India should take the lead in evolving a consensus for a credible international probe into the alleged war crimes during the last phase of Sri Lanka's war against the LTTE at UNHRC meeting tomorrow. Govt of India should take the lead by by following up on the unanimous resolution adopted by Tamil Nadu Assembly demanding a credible probe involving international judges, CPI MP D Raja said. more..

Sep 29 (Island) British High Commission Colombo announced the calling of applications for this year’s CRISP fellowship programme. HC spokesperson said: "CRISP is a Chevening Fellowship programme funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Rolls-Royce which provides funding for a three month tailor-made course in the Saïd Business School at Oxford University. Programme is aimed specifically at mid-career professionals working in the fields of science, innovation, & business. more..