Oct 24 (TP) The Trelleborg Wheel Systems manufacturing facility in Sri Lanka was recognised for its export achievements when it was honoured with a Presidential Export Award in a ceremony presided over by President Maithripala Sirisena in Colombo. In the 25th edition of the annual Presidential Export Awards, designed to recognize companies who have helped the country’s economy through significant contributions to its exports, Trelleborg’s award for the more..

Oct 24 (DN) Four men from Nallandaluwa, Puttalam were arrested for beating a woman 100 times with a coconut frond. 25-year-old woman said she had been asked to come to the mosque in Nallandaluwa and beaten by the men, who said she was being punished under Sharia law for infidelity. The men had accused her of having an affair with man. Puttalam Police arrested the four men and produced them before court. Puttalam District Judge remanded them today, until November 2. more..

Oct 24 (ENS) CM C.V. Wigneswaran, refused to hoist the LTTE’s flag at a function organized by the pro-LTTE organization Tamil Coordination Committee (TCC) at Harrow in London on Sunday. When the CM came to know that in the meetings of the TCC, the Tiger flag is invariably hoisted and homage (Veera Vanakkam) is paid to the dead LTTE cadres (Maaveerars), he said he would not be able to speak at such a function as that would more..

Oct 24 (DN) A 30-year-old mother, a resident of Uvakelle Estate Madolsima had stabbed her three-month-old daughter and two-and-a-half-year-old son and stabbed herself in her stomach. Neighbours who found three of them lying inside the house with stab injuries had alerted the Police who arrived at the scene and rushed them to the Badulla Hospital. All three are out of danger. The mother would be referred to the hospital’s mental health unit for a check up to see if she had a mental disorder. more..

Oct 24 (AD) Cops have no authority to shoot at a vehicle for disobeying orders to stop at the request of the police, the Police Commission asserted. Secretary of the Commission, Ariyadasa Cooray, said “What they should do is, either inform the next check point or chase the vehicle,”. He pointed out it is an offense for the cops to shoot at a vehicle according to the terms of the Penal Code as well. However, it is the responsibility of the motorists to cooperate and comply with the police,” more..

Oct 24 (DM) The Socialist Youth Union affiliated to the JVP today filed a complaint against Minister Sajith Premadasa with the Bribery Commission against a recently leaked video clip which purportedly showing him recommending jobs to a group of youth. National Organiser of the SYU Comrade Eranga Gunasekera said they hoped the CIABOC would soon start investigations into the complaint. more..

Oct 25 (CT) At present, climate change has become one of the major challenges faced by mankind. In view of the adverse impacts of climate change, cuts in global emission levels are considered to be an imperative and immediate need. Food & Agriculture Organisation of UN (FAO) has noted that livestock supply chains, the meat production industry in particular, are among most significant contributors to climate change with emissions estimated at 7.1 gigatonnes CO2-eq per annum, more..

Oct 25 (ST) The elimination of poverty has been a popular promise among political leaders in Sri Lanka and elsewhere. Despite their repeated promises of eliminating poverty, poverty persists. The rhetoric on poverty elimination has far surpassed efforts to reduce it and not been adequately backed up by policies that mitigate poverty and reduce income inequality. The people left behind by economic growth have not been adequately taken care of by social security safety nets. more..

Oct 25 (SO) Surrounded by serene beaches and the ocean, the town of Trincomalee is a unique travel destination. Its resplendent aura is further enhanced by maritime history, which stands today having somehow withstood senescence. The natural harbour with its deep water capacity attracted the British East Indies fleet to set up a naval presence as early as 1795. Older European colonial powers had previously entrenched more..

Oct 25 (CT) The common cause of the National Unity Govt to tackle the corruption of the past and to put an end to it in the present seemed to come apart at the seams when President Maithripala Sirisena made an angry critique of the way in which the investigations into corruption was taking place. The resignation of Director General of the CIABOC Dilrukshi Dias Wickramasinghe was prompted by the President’s remarks on CIABOC and on the police investigative agencies in the wake of more..

Oct 25 (SL) I believe that my descent into a, hopefully, respectable, version of popular slang in the title of this piece is more than justified given the conduct of the bunch we supported and elected to SERVE US, often at significant personal risk. The Aiyo Sirisena (AS) govt is providing ample proof of its deliberate approach to the slippery slope of equivocation of a kind that will take us back to the days of Rajapaksa hegemony. Recent allegation of President that Commissions & Committees more..

Oct 25 (SL) Senior Minister and SLFP Member A.H.M. Fowzie says the govt firmly opposes any type of corruption and that he, too, vehemently backs the actions against corrupt officials. However, he recently received the notice from the Bribery Commission to appear in court to face charges filed against him by Commission alleging that he has taken a vehicle given to the Disaster Management Centre for his personal use. more..

Oct 25 (Island) The incumbent dispensation seems to be the political version of Golden Key. Those who, expecting higher returns on their investment, reposed their trust in Golden Key lost their deposits. The people who, fed up with the previous regime, voted the present administration in, hoping for good governance have also been taken for a ride. As for economic relief the current administration granted them initially it has been a case of swings and roundabouts for the people. more..

Oct 25 (DM) Soundarie David Rodrigo is the consummate musician who transformed the Western choral music scene in Sri Lanka by starting and directing a female ensemble, Soul Sounds, the first choir to perform and win awards internationally over the last few years. On July 6 the 9th world choir games were held in Sochi, Russia and Soundarie David Rodrigo was called to be on the panel of judges. The world choir games is an intense competition, where international community more..

Oct 25 (DM) I hadn’t heard of Kaveesha Ayeshani until her untimely death in a car accident. That’s because I do not have the time to watch tele dramas. This may be partly due to a feeling that there has been a drop in quality over the years. But this writing is not about teledramas. It’s about all the talk generated over social media websites and in the print media about this young teledrama actress’s death.  Accidents kill Sri Lankans at a rate which comes close to the civil war years, more..

Oct 25 (Island) And if distinguishing a civilian from a combatant was impossible, it follows that it is also not possible to ascertain whether military advantage gained by planned attack was proportionate or not. Furthermore, it is also not possible to determine who among the dead was a civilian and who was a combatant. In view of the particularities of the circumstances that prevailed, in particular after >350,000 civilians were taken hostage, principle of proportionality becomes inapplicable. more..

Oct 25 (ST) In our October 9th issue, we took up the subject of re-gularising school cricket and, according to Education Ministry’s Special Consultant Sunil Jayaweera, the ministry is very serious about the task at hand, and is hoping to rope in most of the stakeholders of school cricket, when they are ready to take up the subject for further scrutiny. He said, “At present, there are well over 400 cricket playing schools. more..

Oct 25 (FT) Following two interim orders Hatton National Bank (HNB) yesterday notified CSE that it would not be holding the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) that was initially scheduled for tomorrow. Last Thursday the Commercial High Court issued an Interim Order to HNB and its key shareholders preventing them from holding an EGM, which was scheduled for next week, until a court decision was made on the bank proceeding with a share issuance of $ 50 million to ADB. more..

Oct 25 (Dawn) OF late, I have been studying Sri Lanka’s war experience. The country has fascinated students of comparative politics like me as it defies virtually all conventional wisdom about peace and conflict within societies. Unlike the rest of South Asia, it checks several boxes typically associated with relatively peaceful outcomes for nations. It boasts a 90-plus per cent literacy rate. It is now formally a middle-income country — even when it wasn’t, it didn’t suffer from more..

Oct 25 (Island) Imasha Dissanayake of Ratnayake Central, Walala hogged limelight as she shattered Under-15 girls’ javelin throw record on day three of the Sir John Tarbet Junior Athletics Championship at Embilipitiya on Monday. On a day that featured only five finals Hasanthi’s was the only record in individual events as she hurled the javelin to a distance of 33.98 metres. The thrower coached by Susantha Fernando broke the record more..

Oct 25 (ST) There is no other topic in Sri Lanka on which there has been so much controversy, disputes and allegations of abuse than on the subject of Sports. The recent tour undertaken by our National Football Team to Cambodia has come in for much comment and criticism in the local Dailies. In view of the regular brickbats hurled at the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) which continue unabated, accepting and undertaking any invitation from abroad, it is time more..

Oct 25 (FT) Rs. 5 billion debenture issue of Commercial Bank of Ceylon Plc closed within minutes of opening yesterday after it was oversubscribed twice over, the bank has announced. The bank received a substantial amount of applications and has decided to exercise its option of enlarging the issue to Rs. 7 billion, the bank notified the CSE. The basis of allotment of the debentures will be decided by the Board of Directors of the bank and will be notified to the CSE more..

Oct 25 (DN) SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala has blamed poor player management for the number of injuries the national team is carrying at the moment. “We have not managed our players properly for the last three years. We are experiencing good cricketers who have come in from under 19, 23 and club level that once they reach the top level they can’t sustain their physical condition because they have been badly managed,” more..

Oct 25 (CT) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) President Thilanga Sumathipala said that salaries of all players will be increased within the next three years and all National players have agreed to a performance based contract. He made these comments during a press conference yesterday, prior to SL Team's tour of Zimbabwe. Sumathipala commented that salaries of all players will be increased within the next three years, and all players have agreed to a performance based contract. more..

Oct 25 (CT) Sri Lanka Air Force SC defeated Sri Lanka Navy SC in a nail-biting 26-25 score-line to clinch the 2016 Inter Club Open Netball Championship which was concluded at FTZ ground Katunayake on Sunday. After a brilliant first half, Air Force led by as many as 7 points with a score of 15-08, but Navy came back strongly in the opening few minutes of the 2nd half to cut the deficit to just two points. However, they were unable to close the gap further as Air Force kept them at bay more..

Oct 25 (FT) The broadcasting license of the Carlton Sports Network (CSN), which has strong links to the family of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has been cancelled as the channel failed to adhere to regulations.  CSN was plunged in controversy when the FCID commenced investigations into the ownership of the business entity and how CSN had secured all broadcasting rights for international sporting events.  more..

Oct 25 (Island) Rangana Herath, who was appointed SL’s Test captain on Sunday says he never expected the captaincy of the national cricket team in the twilight of his career. Herath was named as SL’s 14th Test captain after regular skipper Angelo Mathews was ruled out with a calf strain. The national cricket team left the island last night and will play two Tests and a tri-nation series also involving West Indies. Both Tests will be played in Harare and the first Test gets underway on Saturday. more..

Oct 25 (DN) Two sportsmen representing the Muay Thai Association of Sri Lanka (MTASL) have earned their first high-profile wins in the home of the sport, Thailand, having recently excelled in their individual weight classes at the world famous Grand Thai Boxing Stadium in Hua Hin. The winners from Sri Lanka were Kumudu Prasanna who won in the 60kg weight class, and Nilanka Madushan, the winner in the 75kg weight class. The tournament showcased three Sri Lankan competitors, more..

Oct 25 (FT) After a prolonged battle to retain his office, Lankaputhra Development Bank (LDB) former Chairman Lasantha Goonewardena has been removed from his post by the Monetary Board of Central Bank. Monetary Board made the decision at a meeting held on 3 Oct and had released a letter notifying stakeholders that they upheld the decision made by Director Bank Supervision of CB to more..

Oct 25 (Island) NDB Investment Bank (NDBIB) successfully advised Mobitel (Private) Limited in its recent acquisition of e-Channelling PLC. The transaction was announced on the floor of the Colombo Stock Exchange on Sept 5, 2016 and the acquisition was executed via a Voluntary Offer. "NDBIB takes pride in having partnered Mobitel in its maiden acquisition and supporting the latter as it ventures into value added services, particularly in the fast growing e-health space, more..

Oct 25 (NYP) I felt like Don Draper in the final episode of Mad Men, getting my om on while meditating atop an ocean-side perch at sunrise. With sea-foam waves crashing nearby and coconut palms towering above, I had a revelation. Only I didn’t want to buy the world a Coke. I wanted to get everyone a flight to Sri Lanka’s south coast. I’d come to the region less for enlightenment and more out of zeal for the new. A dozen years on from 2004’s devastating Christmas tsunami more..

Oct 25 (ENS) Indicating the importance of their on-going visit to SL, Indian public and private sector business delegation headed by Foreign Secretary S.Jaishankar met PM Ranil Wickremesinghe for the second time on Monday, to carry forward the discussions the group had had with SL governmental and private sector stakeholders spread over two days on increasing bilateral trade and investment. more..

Oct 25 (DM) Former Deputy Governor Wijewardena says notion of taxpayers’ money being used to pay defrauded depositors flawed Monetary Act Law doesn’t allow Central Bank to print money and pay depositors. Central Bank’s plan to bailout three fraud-hit finance companies and a primary dealer is against the Monetary Law Act (MLA) as the provisions of the MLA allows the bank to lend only to licensed commercial banks in the case of liquidity requirements but not for more..

Oct 25 (DN) A high-level delegation from Denmark including Peter Taksoe-Jensen the Ambassador of Denmark, Morten Viktor Ranieri-Svendsen, Commercial Counsellor and Head of Trade of the Royal Danish Embassy, Jens Holst-Nielsen, Director International, and Nanna Bogesvang Olesen from the Confederation of Danish Industry will be visiting Sri Lanka from Nov 1 to 4. A business delegation comprising 15 leading Danish companies will be accompanying the dignitaries. more..

Oct 25 (DM) Members of COPE held former CB Governor Arjuna Mahendran's son-in-law Arjun Aloysius and other directors of Perpetual Treasuries responsible for the controversial CB Bond Scam, UNP member of COPE and Deputy Minister Ajith P. Perera said. The COPE recommended to arrest Aloysius and the other directors and take action in accordance with the penal code, he said. more..

Oct 25 (FT) The Supreme Court dismissed a fundamental rights petition challenging a contract to build 65,000 steel houses in the North for displaced persons. Counsel Upul Jayasuriya, appearing for Minister D. M. Swaminathan in the fundamental rights petition, told the Supreme Court that there was a lot of misrepresentation and falsehood in the Petition, and further asserted that even the Cabinet of Ministers had declined to make a decision on the matter. more..

Oct 25 (CT) NCP Member M. K. Shivajilingam said a hartal will be held today and all shops and sales outlets in the North will be closed in protest against the murder of the Jaffna University students. He said representatives of Tamil political parties met in Jaffna on Sunday and agreed to stage the he hartal. A number of Tamil political parties, including the TELO, under leadership of Selvam Adaikkalanadan PLOTE, led by Dharmalingam Siddharthan, EPRLF led by Suresh Premachandra, more..

Oct 25 (Island) Chairman of COPE Sunil Handunnetti walked out of its meeting yesterday evening as UNP members repeatedly asked Auditor General Gamini Wijesinghe in a threatening manner to withdraw his department’s findings which held former CB Governor Arjuna Mahendran responsible for CB bond scams. UNP MPs’ last ditch efforts to save Mahendran succeeded to some extent yesterday as they managed to get Chairman more..

Oct 25 (DM) Minister Palitha Range Bandara’s son Yasodha and three others had been arrested by Anamaduwa Police this evening in connection with a road accident in which a 42-year-old man had been killed. Land Rover which was allegedly driven by the minister’s son had run over the victim, identified as Gamini Wanninayake, of Anamaduwa. The victim was an employee of a shop in Anamaduwa. He had been returning home on a bicycle when he was knocked down and run over. more..