Oct 5 (EN) Govt has received an unexpected boost to its ethnic reconciliation efforts from former president Mahinda Rajapaksa's political strategist brother Basil. Govt spokesman Rajitha Senaratne announced that Basil Rajapaksa had travelled to Jaffna at the weekend and made sweeping statements supporting his brother's successor Maithripala Sirisena. Basil Rajapaksa, the chief political ideologue of the former regime, more..

Oct 5 (FT) The Court of Appeal on Tuesday deferred for 16 October the hearing of the alleged contempt of court offence against Ven. Galagoda Atte Gnanasara Thera. The bench comprised justices L.T.B. Dehideniya (CA President) and Padman Surasena. Senior Counsel Manohara de Silva with Anusha Perusinghe appeared for Gnanasara Thero.  Deputy Solicitor General Rohantha Abeysuriya appeared for the Attorney General as Amicus Curiae. more..

Oct 5 (DN) A Special Task Force (STF) officer and two other individuals were injured during a raid conducted by the Police STF on an illegal sand mining racket in Mee Oya, Kaladiya in Puttlam earlier today. The injured were rushed to the Puttlam Base Hospital. The Police said that the STF officer was injured while he attempted to stop the lorry. The lorry which was filled with illegally mined sand was driven without heeding Police orders. Police said that two others were shot more..

Oct 5 (AP) As lawmakers in Sri Lanka celebrate the 70th anniversary of the country's parliamentary democracy, one of the oldest in Asia, minorities including Tamils, Christians and Muslims remain on the fringes of society. Even with some representation in Parliament, the minorities complain they have been sidelined by the majority Buddhist Sinhalese. The Sinhalese-controlled legislature has done little to heal the wounds left from more..

Oct 5 (DN) Health Ministry handed over ten Indian scholarships for ten Sri Lankan medical students who were selected to follow the Homeopathy Medical Degree at the National Institute of Homeopathy in Kolkata, India, the Health Ministry spokesman said. According to the spokesman, Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne and Deputy Health Minister Fizal Kassim handed over the scholarships along with the air tickets to the ten students at the Health Ministry recently.  more..

Oct 5 (CT) Cabinet approval was given for the release of an additional Rs 105 million for the reconstruction of religious places in Nepal which were damaged by an earthquake in 2015, Minister Gayantha Karunathilaka revealed yesterday. Accordingly, the Ananda Kuti Viharaya and the Ratho Machchidarath Hindu Kovil are to be reconstructed by the Engineering Services Brigade of the Sri Lanka Army at an initial estimate of Rs 345 million. more..

Oct 5 (NR) Minister of Petroleum Resources Development Arjuna Ranatunga says the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation will not increase fuel prices. Speaking to media Minister said other corporations distributing fuel have also been informed to refrain from increasing fuel prices. Minister noted the CPC said fuel prices would increase from the 1st however this had not come into effect yet. more..

Oct 5 (DM) Health authorities in the North have focused immediate attention on a kind of mosquito identified as Anopheles Stephensi - a primary mosquito vector of malaria in urban India- that has been spreading in the Mannar and Vavuniya areas. A senior official of the Anti-Malaria Campaign said this kind of mosquito had been reported first from India but it was not found in Sri Lanka until recently. A senior official of the Anti-Malaria Campaign said just as the Dengue mosquito, more..

Oct 5 (DM) The Acting Crimes OIC of the Divulapitiya Police, IP Saman Priyanka, was arrested by the Negombo Police today over the death of a suspect who was detained at the Negombo Prisons. Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekara said the Acting Crimes OIC and two others-an IP and a constable-of the Divulapitiya Police Station were transferred to the Peliyagoda Police today over the incident and IP Priyanka was arrested following the transfer. more..

Oct 5 (GN) The dark horror of March 3, 2009 when SL team bus was attacked by terrorists is still fresh in the mind of Suranga Lakmal, who is one of the only two members, along with Thilan Samaraweera, remaining in the current squad. It was Lakmal’s maiden tour for Sri Lanka and though he could not show his bowling prowess as he was not picked for first two matches before the series was called off midway through the 2nd more..

Oct 5 (DN) The country needs a constitution which devolves power without dividing the country and does no harm to the nation and religion. The misunderstanding certain groups have that power devolution amounts to a division creates a wrong picture to the outside world, Most Ven. Thibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Mahanayake thera of the Malwatte Chapter said. Malwatte prelate made this observation when a delegation of the National Movement for more..

Oct 5 (DM) JO’s Panchaudha received a phone call from a purohita in yahapalanaya the other day. And the conversation that ensued lasted for several minutes. This purohita, a former provincial chief, was among the few who did much spadework to usher in yahapalanaya. However, he is said to be among the disgruntled few in yahapalanaya these days. By the way, according to some sources privy to what transpired during the phone-chat between Panchaudha and the unhappy purohita, more..

Oct 5 (AD) Dinuka Krishan Kumar of Negombo Harischandra Maha Vidyalaya emerged as the islandwide topmost student who obtained 198 marks at this year’s Grade 5 Scholarship Examination. Indumini Jayaratne of Welipillawa Junior School in Ganemulla and Sanjana Thennakoon of Thulhiriya Kanishta Vidyalaya, Thulhiriya. shared the second place securing 197 markseach. Tharul Dharmaratne of Kirillawala Primary School in Kadawatha more..

Oct 6 (CT) The Rohingya are the world’s largest stateless community. Most of them live in the western coastal state of Rakhine, one the poorest states in Myanmar. The majority of the Rohingya are Muslims and have for centuries lived in the majority Buddhist Myanmar. The Rohingya speak Rohingya or Ruaingga, a dialect that is distinct from other dialects spoken in Rakhine State and Myanmar. They are not considered one of the country’s 135 official ethnic groups and have been denied more..

Oct 6 (GV) This report of an incident of sexual harassment is from a female friend who was too afraid to publish under her own name. Just as disturbing as the incident itself, is the complete lack of faith in our public service to hold accountable sexual predators. My friend feared for her safety and thus did not complain to the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) – how many others have found themselves in similar situations? Below is her story of bribery, sexual harassment and complicity more..

Oct 6 (CT) Although, SL's Constitution declares that the country is a Unitary State some are of the view that the country should be a United State. Legal experts say that 13th Amendment would affect the sovereign power of the people and it annuls and destroys the unitary nature of SL by devolving authority such as Land and Police to regional govts (provinces) and abating authority of Central Govt, paving way to a Federal State. more..

Oct 6 (GV) We call him Prem. The editor of the largest selling Jaffna daily, Thevanayagam Premanath, is sitting at a large table with his usual smile. The wall behind him has three bullet marks. Two photographs of slain media workers, probably killed by the same machine gun, are hung on the wall above the round bullet marks. ‘Compared to the Rahapaksa era we have media freedom today. Today there is no one following us behind. Although one cannot say that more..

Oct 6 (CT) Mahanayaka of the Malwatte Chapter, Most Venerable Tibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera has made an interesting pronouncement.  Referring to the fact that President and PM had said the proposed new Constitution would safeguard the country’s unitary status and the pre-eminent place afforded to Buddhism, the prelate states, “When the two leaders ruling the country have given such an assurance there is no point in questioning about its validity.”  more..

Oct 6 (CT) "Kutty cried the entire day when my Chellam (darling) went missing. Kutty joined us in our search for her. Kutty was very attached to my daughter and she loved Kutty very much. Kutty was her best friend," Vithya's mother Saraswathy wept while recollecting memories of her daughter and her best friend Kutty. We have only heard about Vithya's brutal death and all of SL wept for her. Meanwhile, her loving dog, Kutty, had also wept for days more..

Oct 6 (DN) Katina Pinkama or offering of robes to Bhikkhus takes place on Vap Pasalosvaka Poya in temples throughout SL. Religious ceremonies mark the conclusion of the Vas period for the Bhikkhus. This religious ceremony called Katina Pinkama, as usual, takes place in the early hours of Vap Poya. Before sunrise, devotees make their way in Perahera to the temple where Bhikkhus have spent three months confining themselves till end of Vas or rainy season that begins after Esala Poya. more..

Oct 6 (Island) It is said that a man can be judged by the company he keeps. It may also be said that a nation can be judged by the parliament it elects, at least where this country is concerned. Foreign dignitaries in the Speaker’s gallery on Tuesday, when Parliament had a ceremonial sitting to mark its 70th anniversary, must have been puzzled by the sheer number of empty seats in the Chamber below. Party leaders should hang their heads in shame for their failure to ensure that their MPs more..

Oct 6 (DN) World renowned Financial Advisor, Ziad K. Abdelnour in his book Economic Warfare once said Rumours are carried by haters, spread by fools and accepted by idiots. This quote has aptly described the recent round of gossip spread over social media that Muslim hotels in Galle were selling food mixed with contraceptives to the Sinhalese who come to dine in their hotels. The following is our investigation into the rumours, and not surprisingly, we found that they were fabricated and more..

Oct 6 (Island) When looking at the interim report of the Steering Committee of the Constitutional Assembly, the game plan of the yahapalana coalition becomes immediately apparent. For over one and a half years, we have been intermittently receiving various documents from the Steering Committee which made it only too clear what the yahapalana govt has in mind in terms of constitutional reform. The most immediate thing that becomes apparent in this interim report is more..

Oct 6 (CT) After finding a firm footing in the Caribbean, calypso travelled across the oceans to reach the shores of Sri Lanka and Goa. The Portuguese colonizers, dealing in slaves travelled to the Emerald Island drinking colheita and singing calypso. Calypso catered to music maniacs and colheita for the connoisseurs of wine. It was a perfect blend of music and wine in a new country of their dwelling. more..

Oct 6 (Island) Several articles by Dr. Dayan Jayatilleke published in The Island during the past few days indicate that he is very definitely the most articulate and, arguably, the most intermestic exponent of the notion of 13th Amendment (implemented more comprehensively than at present with all powers and functions referred to in its Ninth Schedule vested on Provincial Councils– PCs) being constitutional via media that would ensure stability, good governance & interethnic harmony. more..

Oct 6 (CT) As his loyal supporters remember the late founder of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) M.H.M. Ashraff‘s 17th year death anniversary which fell on the 16th of Sept, Colombo Telegraph learns that former Chairman of the SLMC Basheer Segu Dawood has appealed to the RTI Commission to release the Presidential report of inquiry into Ashraff’s death. Ashraff died in a plane crash along with 14 others, including party officials, bodyguards and crew members in 2000. more..

Oct 6 (DN) Spinners will have a key role to play in the second Test between SL and Pakistan – the first to be played by Sri Lanka under lights with a pink ball at the Dubai Int'l Stadium today. Play is due to commence at 2 pm (3.30 pm SLT). Having taken a look at the pitch that is being prepared for the Test, SL skipper Dinesh Chandimal said, “It is really dry so I think that is a more kind of Abu Dhabi pitch. more..

Oct 6 (FT) On a night which saw the most esteemed figures in SL society gather under one roof, Aban Pestonjee, Chairperson and Founder of Abans Group of Companies, was named SL’s Entrepreneur of the Year 2017 at the Derana Sri Lankan of the Year Awards hosted last week at the Colombo Hilton. Working out of her home garage, Pestonjee started from humble beginnings in 1968, managing to sell and restore used electronic appliances that she carefully sourced from auctions.  more..

Oct 6 (FT) Business leader Dhammika Perera emphasised that without proper connectivity Sri Lanka could not achieve the four million tourist arrivals target. Vallibel Group Chairman Perera made this observation at the World Tourism Day Celebrations - Tourism Leaders’ Summit and International Research Symposium 2017 at the BMICH titled Sustainable Tourism for Development.  Perera raised serious concerns about achieving the four million arrivals target set by the Govt.  more..

Oct 6 (PSL) National Food Production Battle implemented under the guidance of President Maithripala Sirisena, will be commenced today, with the aim of taking forward the national food production programme, challenged by the climate changes, with a new strength continuously in a sustainable manner to revive the agricultural sector of the country. The inauguration of this programme will be marked by holding more..

Oct 6 (Island) Leading national sprinter Dilip Ruwan bagged the sprint double of 200 metres and 400 metres and South Asian Games 100 metres record holder Himasha Eshan crashed to a below par 10.64 seconds’ finish as the 54th Army Athletics Championship concluded with Sri Lanka Electrical Mechanical Engineers winning the men’s title at Diyagama on Thursday. On a day that was notable for impressive 400 metres performances of both Ruwan and Upamali Ratnakumari, more..

Oct 6 (NR) SL players have also made significant gains in the latest ICC Test Player Rankings after securing a nail biting 21 run win over Pakistan in Abu Dhabi. Captain Dinesh Chandimal gained 13 slots to reach 20th position in the rankings after scores of 155 not out and seven, opener Dimuth Karunaratne moved up five places to 26th place and Niroshan Dickwella moved up 20 places to take a career-best 41st position. Meanwhile in the bowlers ranking, Dilruwan Perera, Nuwan Pradeep more..

Oct 6 (Island) A group, representing the parents of the State Medical Faculty student and the SAITM students, called on the Mahanayake Theras of Asgiriya, Malwatta and Ramagnna Nikayas. They said they had jointly urged the govt to evolve an immediate solution to the SAITM issue. The group presented a memorandum with the signatures of the President of State Medical Faculty, parents association, more..

Oct 6 (DM) All policemen in countrywide police stations had been instructed not to produce used up condoms as courts produce along with sex workers, when they are being produced in courts of law for engaging in prostitution. The Police Headquarters has recently issued a circular to all the police stations directing not to submit condoms as courts produce when producing females who are being arrested in brothel raids and alleged prostitution. DIG Legal, Discipline and Conduct more..

Oct 6 (Island) Sampath Bank PLC, announced that it had successfully concluded a loan transaction with Yangon based hotel developer Family Business Group Hotel Limited (FBGHL), Myanmar. A press release said: This loan marks yet another giant stride in the steady rise of the Bank’s off-shore business which has funded several projects abroad. The loan is to fund a 12 storey, 375 room, 5 star hotel overlooking the great Inya Lake, a famous location for romance in popular culture, more..

Oct 6 (DN) Supreme Court ruled that CEB and Piliyandala Police have violated the Fundamental Rights of an electricity consumer by arresting him on false information that he tampered with an electricity meter in 2005. 3-Judge-Bench ordered the CEB to pay one million rupees as compensation to the petitioner, a resident of Katubedda, for violating his Fundamental Rights. Nishan de Silva, former OIC of Piliyandala Police more..

Oct 6 (DM) This young businessman, incidentally with a moniker that sounds like that of a top team member, is deeply mixed up in the treasury bond fiasco. Young man the other day called on a well-known political advisor to consult him on a way out of his predicament. Once seated opposite political advisor, the young man, a gabby one, began talking in and out of turn throwing discretion to the winds. Advisor gave an attentive ear to the young man without interrupting his long-winded tale. more..

Oct 6 (CT) Mohamed Uwaize, Attorney-at-Law and the President of the True Vision Rural Development Organization (TVRDO) said that the number of school drop-outs was on the increase. He was addressing teachers, parents and other stakeholders in a public awareness programme on sustainable development goals for education. He went on to express his dissatisfaction over opportunities afforded to differently-abled children in mainstream education. more..

Oct 6 (CT) The World Bank has recommended the raising of water tariffs, in order to meet costs needed for expansion and maintenance, despite Sri Lanka's water tariffs being high compared with the South Asian average, a study released by the WB last month showed. Whereas the South Asian average water tariff is US$ 0.17 per unit of water, in Colombo it was five US cents (Rs 7.56)* more, at $ 0.22 per unit. more..