Oct 11 (DM) SC ruling on the fundamental rights petition filed by a teacher against her interdiction over her interview given to an electronic media is, no doubt, a landmark decision since there is a notion among the higher ups of the public service that the Establishment Code for the public service has to be followed under any circumstance. It is a landmark ruling as it has upheld the freedom of expression of the citizens setting a specific precedence in respect of the Establishment Code. more..

Oct 11 (DM) Politics is also a continuation of things, good, bad and ugly -- including the usual antics of the progeny of a privileged few. Even though the faces in the govt will change and the new powers-that-be would promise to be the harbingers of good things, but behind this facet, like all humans, they are malleable and susceptible to the temptations that naturally come with power. A mob allegedly linked to President Sirisena’s son Daham is said to have gone on rampage at more..

Oct 11 (SL) The abduction and brutal assassination of journalist Dharmeratnam Taraki Sivaram, in 2005 caused shock waves among many of us even though he was under severe threat for what he had been writing before he was murdered. Now over 16 years after his assassination, it has been revealed that a former DIG and the ex-director of Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) had allegedly covered evidence more..

Oct 11 (DN) TULF Secretary General V. Anandasangaree in a letter to Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan under the title Lead the Tamils towards a genuine solutions asked Sampanthan to call for an all party meeting to discuss the main issues of the Tamils or leave that task in his hands. Anandasangaree had drafted the letter with reference to a judgment delivered on August 25 at the Ottawa Ontario Federal Court. more..

Oct 11 (CT) The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) states studies have revealed that 90% of the population in Sri Lanka suffers with a mental disorder. NIMH Director said that currently the hospital and the adjacent faculties of the Institute treat around 1,300 patients- including those at the women's halfway-home. The number of patients on an islandwide basis is subject to adjustment due to various reasons. more..

Oct 11 (ST) A draft Counter-Terrorism Bill to replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act is expected to be presented to Cabinet next week but civil society experts are already expressing concern about several of its clauses. Among other things, the draft is expected to – as with the proposed amendment (37A) to the Criminal Procedure Code – deprive a suspect of access to counsel at the first point of arrest. more..

Oct 11 (Island) Former UPFA Minister and veteran leftist Vasudeva Nanayakkara said the next budget proposals by Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake would KO the masses who are already overburdened with taxes. He said the govt had ruined the economy and it was stuck in debt without a proper foreign policy. Nanayakkaara was of the view that the govt was rushing to negotiate with India on the ETCA. more..

Oct 11 (AT) A group of 30 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees from Tamil Nadu, India are arriving Sri Lanka under the UNHCR facilitated voluntary repatriation programme. They are a voluntary repatriation process on Tuesday (18), consisting 30 persons (11 families) scheduled to arrive through Sri Lankan Airlines from Madurai. Minister of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation & Resettlement had a discussion with UNHCR more..

Oct 11 (CG) Sri Lanka Solidarity Movement has raised concerns over the process to draft a new Constitution for Sri Lanka. SL Solidarity Movement notes that many persons, especially Sinhala Buddhists and the Sinhala people are having very strong reservations about the drawing up of a new Constitution. “There are widespread fears that a federal constitution will be brought in surreptitiously with a unitary label to hoodwink more..

Oct 11 (DN) Sri Lankan economy grew moderately by 3.9% during the first half of 2016 supported by improved manufacturing and services activities. The relatively slow growth was mainly a result of disruptions caused by adverse weather conditions in particular to agricultural activities, Minister Ravi Karunanayake said at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the IMF in New York. He said the strong commitment of the govt to increase revenue more..

Oct 11 (Island) There was not truth in the claim that the govt was planning to abolish the constitutional provision granting the foremost place to Buddhism, National Flag and the National Anthem in the proposed Constitution, Minister Champika Ranawaka told the Mahanayaka Theras of Malwatte and Asgiriya yesterday (10). The process of the Constitution had not even commenced and therefore nobody more..

Oct 11 (CT) President of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Thilanga Sumathipala dismissed media reports from India which stated that SLC is planning to support the BCCI at the ICC Meeting to continue with the Big Three formula which maximizes India's revenue from the ICC. "As far as the Big Three is concerned we have been always against it, and that's going to be the case (for the future). Cricket has to be equal. Equity has to be distributed more..

Oct 11 (CT) Water is a right. And, as it's a right, it's the bounden duty of the government to ensure its availability to the masses of this country. Primarily, water should be available to the public to meet their drinking water and ablution needs. In times of drought, the other needs of water, such as for irrigation and power generation may be secondary. Even, water, required for man's primary needs such as for drinking and for his ablutions, in critical situations such as a drought, transcends more..

Oct 11 (Island) Supreme Court, yesterday, dismissed the fundamental rights violation application filed by attorney-at-law, Dharshana Weraduwage, Challenging the legality of a recent statement made by PM Ranil Wickremesinghe in Parliament regarding the issue pertaining to the Parliament Attempting to set aside a supreme Court judgment pertaining to the Sinharasa case. Supreme Court upheld the preliminary objection taken by the Deputy Solicitor General, Viraj Dayaratne, more..

Oct 11 (CT) Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, had organized an International Conference on the Humanities (ICH) which was held on the 6th and 7th Octo at the Faculty of Humanities. Theme of the conference was, New Direction in the Humanities: Our Engagement with the Environment. Focus was on Environmental Humanities which according to ICH is an interdisciplinary area of int'l research and teaching that encompasses multiple shades of learning. more..

Oct 11 (EN) European Union is to fund a project to help increase the competitiveness of Sri Lankan small and medium-sized enterprises and increase exports with the help of the International Trade Centre (ITC). The project, for which the EU is giving 8 million euro (Rs1.3 billion), was discussed during a meeting between the Chargé d'Affaires of Delegation of European Union to SL and the Maldives Paul Godfrey and the Executive Director of the ITC Arancha González, held today. more..

Oct 11 (DM) Minister Lakshmana Yapa Abeywardane said the SLFP members in the Govt were awaiting the decision of the Monetary Board (MB) on the phenomenal profits earned by bond trader Perpetual Treasuries for the year ending March 2016. He said that they would take their next step based on this decision but he did not elaborate what that step would be. He said this controversy had tarnished the image of the unity govt more..

Oct 11 (Reuters) Sri Lankan shares ended weaker for a second straight session on Tuesday, led by top conglomerate John Keells Holdings, though foreign investors' buying and gains in financials helped to cap the fall. Trading volume was low as cautious investors awaited direction from the budget and September-quarter corporate results. The benchmark index of the Colombo Stock Exchange finished 0.37% weaker at 6,538.28, its lowest close since Sept. 30. more..

Oct 11 (Island) Education Ministry has decided to send 300 new school principals for a five-day training programme in Malaysia. 300 best scorers at the exam conducted by the National Institute of Education after the new principals got their appointments would be selected for the training programme, sources said, adding that they would be sent to Malaysia in ten batches comprising 30 each. Interviews are now being conducted for the first batch of principals selected for the training. more..

Oct 11 (IT) The aiyo word- a Sri Lankan and South Indian phrase that expresses distress, regret or grief, was included in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), last month as a part of the latest addition of words to its database. OED has defined the popular word as, "In southern India and Sri Lanka, expressing distress, regret, or grief; Oh no!, Oh dear! Apart from aiyo, aiyoh and aiyah have also been included in the lexicon. more..

Oct 11 (CT) Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya today granted permission to Major General Palitha Fernando to travel to Doha, Qatar to attend an athletic seminar, despite a travel ban initially imposed. Fernando is currently released on bail over his alleged involvement in a multibillion rupee scandal at Avant Garde. He was issued with a travel ban, however the Magistrate has lifted the travel ban temporarily on an additional surety bail of Rs. 5 million. more..

Oct 11 (AD) Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has to sink a lot deeper to match this horrible thing former President Rajapaksa did, Deputy Minister Dr. Harsha De Silva stated in a Facebook photo caption today. The Deputy Minister also slammed the former President for abusing state media to spread absolute falsehoods during his term in office. Full statement:  “Trump has to sink a lot deeper to match this horrible thing MR did. Having gone on my first visit with President overseas more..

Oct 11 (CT) Clandestine moves are afoot to cover up the weekend nightclub brawl allegedly orchestrated by President Sirisena’s son, Daham, which left several security guards of the nightclub injured. Highly placed sources said that the management of the Clique Nightclub, located on Union Place, Colombo 2, has not only issued gag orders on the staff against speaking to anyone other than the police, but steps have already been more..

Oct 11 (GDI) Sri Lanka and the Philippines further cemented relations with the signature of Visa Waiver Agreement for Diplomatic and Official Passport Holders on Friday, 7th Oct at the Carlos P. Garcia Conference Room of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila. The Agreement facilitates holders of Diplomatic and Official Passports of the two countries to enter and stay in the territory of either country up to thirty (30) days without having to obtain prior visa. more..

Oct 11 (DM) Keheliya Rambukwella’s son Ramith, who pleaded guilty to the charges of negligent driving, not avoiding the accident, driving a vehicle with a fake number plate and registered under another name was today fined Rs.29,000 by Colombo Additional Magistrate Chandana Kalansooriya. His driving license was later released. He had not pleaded guilty to the two charges of drunken driving and driving a vehicle with a fake number plate. more..

Oct 11 (Island) Ministry of Justice has entered into an agreement with the Law Faculty of the Colombo University to establish a legal research unit entrusted with the task of collecting the views of the country when new laws are introduced. Secretary to the Ministry Padmasiri Jayamanna and Vice Chancellor of the Colombo University Prof. Lakshman Dissanayake inked the agreement recently with the participation of Minister more..

Oct 11 (CG) Just days after IGP Pujith Jayasundara gave out his mobile number to the public, Central Province Governor Niluka Ekanayake made public her mobile number. She says the public in her area can call her on 071 5307700 if they have any grievances which need urgent attention. She said public may feel they are not getting assistance they need from other officials to address their concerns. As a result she says she is prepared to respond to any major concerns using her office. more..

Oct 11 (DM) A lady doctor and another woman were killed when the double cab they were travelling in crashed into a container parked on the roadside. The seriously injured driver was rushed to the Maho District Hospital and then to the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital. According to witnesses the driver appeared to have lost control of the vehicle and veered off the road before crashing into the container at Udagama in Maho along Anuradhapura–Kurunegala road last morning. more..

Oct 11 (DM) Colombo High Court today granted bail MP Udaya Gammanpila in connection with two indictments filed by Attorney General over charges of illegally representing Australian citizen, Brain Shaddik, in 1995. The MP was released on bail for the first indictment on a cash bail of Rs. 500,000 and two sureties bail of Rs. two million each by High Court Judge Pathmini Ranawaka. more..

Oct 11 (DM) Singer Chillie also known as Thilanka Vidusha was arrested by the Thalangama Police today for the alleged assault of a 57-year-old man last Thursday. Talangama Police said the singer who had surrendered this morning would be produced before the Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court today. The injured man, a resident of Pelawatte, Battaramulla had lodged a complaint with the Talangama Police alleging the singer had assaulted him under the influence of liquor. more..

Oct 11 (CT) Special security provided for Daham Sirisena from the Presidential Security Division (PSD) has been removed with immediate effect following their involvement at the Clique nightclub on Saturday morning, highly placed sources said. This step has been taken on the orders of President Maithripala Sirisena. “President Sirisena does not even approve Daham going to a night club, let alone being involved in such a brawl,” a close source to Sirisena said. more..

Oct 11 (NG) The photograph the young woman holds is barely the size of a postage stamp. But it is the only one of her husband she could find here in her parents’ house. They had not approved of her marriage, given that he was just a fisherman from the coastal town of Mannar, while her family has lived in Jaffna, the capital of Sri Lanka’s Northern Province, for generations. But as the photo attests, her husband, a Tamil more..

Oct 11 (ITN) Air Force helicopters have been deployed in an attempt to douse the fire in a garbage dump in Badulla. It is burning for the third day. As toxic fumes were released yesterday engulfing the city, authorities in the area have taken initiatives to close some schools. Uva Chief Minister has given instructions to keep the Viharamaha Devi Maha Vidyalaya, Uva Maha Vidyalaya, Dharmadootha Maha Vidyalaya and Al Adhan Maha Vidyalaya closed until the 17th. more..

Oct 11 (ITN) Minister Rajitha Senaratne has drawn his attention towards the introduction of a colour code system for confectionaries. The matter came up for discussion at a meeting held with the Lanka Confectionary Producers Association at the Health Ministry. At this discussion, Minister said that action will be initiated for the introduction of a colour code system for confectionaries. The initiative is being taken with the intention of reining in Non Communicable Diseases. more..

Oct 11 (PMD) President Sirisena presented the letters of appointment to 50 retired war heroes for the posts of Technical Officers today. This was done under the national project, initiated according to a concept of President, with the objective of utilizing the war heroes as a human resource for the national development. Project aims to make use of the war heroes after retirement to the national development, and enhance their welfare more..

Oct 11 (GDI) SriLankan Airlines, the National Carrier, has launched full-fledged Sinhala and Tamil language options on its website www.srilankan.com to better facilitate the air travel of people throughout Sri Lanka,as part of a new marketing campaign on the theme of Be Sri Lankan, Fly SriLankan. Captain Suren Ratwatte, CEO of SriLankan Airlines, said: “SriLankan Airlines has for 37 years been the largest carrier of passengers into and out of SL, and we will continue to do so into the foreseeable future. more..

Oct 11 (DM) The NFF today claimed that the funds allocated under the heading of presidential expenditure had been increased by 320% and the funds allocated for education was reduced by 57.6% in the 2017 Appropriation Bill. NFF media spokesman Mohammed Muzammil said Rs.20 million had bee allocated for the President for a day and it was unethical for President Maithripala Sirisena to do so because he considered himself to be leading a humble lifestyle. more..

Oct 12 (SL) In the normal course, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe’s three-day India visit should have made great news in the Sri Lankan media and for the people. But it was not to be. Instead, the nation is shifting its focus between issues of constitution-making, starting with Northern Province Tamil Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran’s seemingly toughening position on unresolved aspects of Centre-State relations in the ethnic context. When PM Ranil landed in Delhi, Sri Lanka’s position on more..