Sep 14 (CT) On Thursday, the High Court of Colombo issued a chilling verdict on one of the most anticipated cases filed by the FCID: Lalith Weeratunga, former Presidential Secretary and Anusha Palpita, former Director General of the TRC, were sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment after being found guilty to the charge of misappropriating Rs.600 million belonging to the TRC and using it to distribute Sil Redi during the 2015 presidential election campaign. more..

Sep 14 (FT) Hayleys said it entered into an agreement to buy 61.73% stake or 231.86 million shares of Singer SL at Rs. 47 per share in a deal worth Rs. 10.89 billion from the latter’s parent Retail Holdings (SL) BV. Hayleys also entered into a further agreement to purchase either by itself or through nominees a further 9.47% being the balance shareholding of Retail Holdings SL at Rs. 47 per share by itself or through its nominees more..

Sep 14 (Island) In an effort to boost Surrey’s County Championship bid, star batsman Kumar Sangakkara smashed a sensational 164 to help his team to post a mammoth 592 all out at The Oval yesterday. Surrey are currently placed third in the points table of the County Championship and have got two more games against Somerset and Lancashire. Essex are the table leaders. Sangakkara was in the West Indies last week representing Jamaica in the Caribbean Premier League and more..

Sep 14 (DN) The re-laying of Sugathadasa synthetic running track which was delayed for about a year due to tender procedure issues commenced yesterday at 9.15 a.m. under the patronage of Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara. Access-Konika Joint Venture was offered the contract of re-laying the 200m and 400m tracks recently after the facility was closed in 2013. According to the Sports Minister, the new track will be completed in December. He also said that local athletes were greatly affected more..

Sep 14 (CT) Former Northern Health Minister, Dr. P. Sathiyalingam, recently said there was no evidence found in the medical examinations to prove that former LTTE cadres were injected with toxic chemicals during the rehabilitation process. It was earlier alleged that former LTTE cadres were injected with chemicals, while in rehabilitation, following which the Northern Health Min. made arrangements for all former LTTE more..

Sep 14 (EN) Withholding tax will have to be deducted from listed corporate bonds which are in existence, a tax official said, raising concerns over the risk of doing business in Sri Lanka, selective implementation of the law, with the possibility of some bonds being taxed twice. The taxation changes of bonds including government debt, under a new income tax law also raised the question of indirect expropriation, according to some analysts, though uncertainty prevails. more..

Sep 14 (CT) A 27 member Sri Lanka contingent will be flying to Turkmenistan tomorrow to take part in the fifth edition of the Asian Indoor Athletic and Martial Arts Games to be held from 17 to 27 September at the Olympics Sports Complex, Ashgabat. The championship is organized by Asian Olympics Council (AOC). 6,000 athletes from 65 countries will be vying for glory. 21 athletes will represent Sri Lanka in five events, namely: Indoor Athletics (6), Chess (4), Taekwondo (2), more..

Sep 14 (Island) Sri Lanka are almost there to qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 without playing a qualification round after yesterday’s one off ODI between West Indies and Ireland was washed out without a ball being bowled due to inclement weather in Belfast. The no result means that West Indies now have to lose only one game in their five match series against England for Sri Lanka to go through. Given England’s dodgy weather in September, two washed out games also more..

Sep 14 (CI) In a game that far exceeded its predecessor in electricity, intensity, quality and competitiveness, World XI edged Pakistan in a nerve-wracking contest that went down to the last two balls. Hashim Amla anchored a chase that seemed just out of World XI's reach with an unbeaten 72 off 55 balls, but it was Thisara Perera, who delivered the knockout blow. Walking in with his side needing 63 off the last five overs, Thisara displayed a level of clinical ruthlessness that more..

Sep 14 (Island) Attorney-at-law Nagananda Kodituwakku has vowed to go ahead with his anti-corruption campaign, despite the Supreme Court initiating a disciplinary inquiry in respect of his conduct in the Court of Appeal on May 21, 2015 before the then President of the Court of Appeal, justice Vijith Malalgoda, PC and justice H.C.J. Madawala. A smiling Kodituwakku, emphasized that he wouldn’t keep quiet, more..

Sep 14 (CT) Launching ceremony of the book Janadhipathi Thaththa, which contains a wonderful story of an extremely ordinary man, who was born to a farming family, becoming the President of the country, through the eyes of his daughter will be held at 7:30 a.m. on 15 Sept at the BMICH. This book is based on the personal experiences witnessed by the President's eldest daughter during the difficult political journey of Maithripala Sirisena, who began as a local political activist more..

Sep 14 (Hindu) Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney has urged Sri Lankan authorities to ensure the safety of her client and former President of the Maldives Mohammed Nasheed. Her message comes in the wake of recent remarks made by Mohamed Hussain Shareef, Male’s Ambassador-designate to Colombo, that he would have Mr. Nasheed arrested if the latter set foot in Sri Lanka. In a recent interview to a local TV channel in Male, Mr. Shareef reportedly said: more..

Sep 14 (DM) The Google Loon dream of the current govt is still alive, with Minister Harin Fernando set to make a renewed effort at negotiations with the International Telecom Union (ITU) for the rights to use the frequency band required for the project. “ITU has some concerns. Google was a bit worried that it was taking time but right now for the same band, I think Malta apparently has got the approval. more..

Sep 14 (Hindu) Tamil Nadu govt is awaiting clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to salvage 36 trawlers impounded by SL Navy in March 2015 and ordered to be released by the govt of SL last month. After SL govt ordered the release of 42 boats – 36 belonging to TN fishermen and six to Karaikal fishermen – a 7-member team, led by G.S. Sameeran, Additional Director of Fisheries, inspected the condition of the trawlers from August 17 to 20 and decided to salvage them. more..

Sep 14 (SLN) A training module on Preventive Medicine and Casualty Care Subject Matter Expert Exchange got off the ground at the naval base SLNS Gemunu in Welisara yesterday (11). The US Marine Corps Forces Pacific (MARFORPAC) is conducting the training engagement for the personnel of the Sri Lanka Navy. The training programme consists of two modules; Train the Trainer and Tactical Combat Casualty Care Training, in which 70 naval personnel belonging to the Marine Battalion, more..

Sep 14 (FT) As the days tick down for Budget 2018, Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera yesterday pledged to present an overarching policy framework that would concentrate on greater liberalisation and reforms as well as promote entrepreneurship, expand key sectors and grow the country on the dual pillars of reconciliation and development.  Speaking at the 2018 pre-Budget forum organised by the Daily FT and more..

Sep 14 (Island) Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) may contest the forthcoming LG elections independently under the Cock Symbol. CWC Leader Arumugam Thondaman MP said that his team would contest the local elections independently under the Symbol of the Cock. By doing so it would be able test the strength of the different groups in the up-country plantation sector, MP and former Minister of the previous govt said at the opening of the Hindu Cultural Centre in Fairlone Estate, Samimale. more..

Sep 14 (DN) The Invest Sri Lanka Investor Forum organized by the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka (SEC) in association with CSE Member Firms and leading Listed Companies will be held on 16th Oct at the Sofitel New York. Forum is organized with the objective of promoting investment in the Sri Lankan capital market among US based institutional investors and a strong interest among the investor community in the US is expected. more..

Sep 14 (Island) Commission of inquiry inquiring into the issuance of Treasury Bonds yesterday issued the following order in respect of PTL owner Arjun Aloysius decision not to give evidence: "Mandate issued to this Commission of Inquiry by His Excellency, the President requires this Commission of Inquiry to investigate, inquire into and report on the several matters specified in the Mandate. more..

Sep 14 (DN) The govt will present its Budget 2018 on Nov 9. It will present govt expenditure for the next year estimated to be Rs 3,982,367 million. Revenue including foreign grants is estimated at Rs 2,175,000 million. Minister Mangala Samaraweera this week received Cabinet approval for the Budget. Appropriation Bill for Budget 2018 is expected to be tabled in Parliament in the last week of Sept with the Budget Speech held on Nov 9. Rs 1,308,939 million will be spent on recurrent expenditure more..

Sep 14 (CT) State Minister for State Enterprise Development Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena refuted allegations that the Govt is planning to sell SriLankan Airlines. Speaking to the media after a meeting with a group of SLA executive officers on Tuesday, Abeywardena said that the Govt only aims to reduce colossal losses of the airline. That is why they decided to restructure the airline, he added and pointed out that there is a huge difference between selling and restructuring. more..

Sep 14 (Island) The country’s electricity service was left rudderless as the entire CEB workforce joined the 48-hour trade union action that commenced at noon yesterday, unionists claimed warning that there would be none to attend to any power-failures or service related matters till Friday noon. CEB Workers’ Union Secretary Ranjan Jayalal said 2-day boycott demanding immediate rectification of salary anomalies was successful more..

Sep 14 (HRW) UN member countries at the Human Rights Council in Geneva should press Sri Lanka to promptly meet the targets of the council’s October 2015 resolution for transitional justice, Human Rights Watch said today. Sri Lanka should put forward a time-bound and specific implementation plan on the four transitional justice mechanisms it agreed to establish as pledged in the resolution.  UN high commissioner for human rights, Zeid al Ra’ad Hussein, in his opening remarks more..

Sep 14 (Reuters) Sri Lanka plans to increase its overall government borrowing by 16% in 2018 to 1.8 trillion rupees ($12 billion), a document showed on Wednesday. Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera has also sought cabinet approval for spending of 3.98 trillion rupees next year, up 10.5% from its estimate for this year, govt data showed. Finance Ministry officials, however, said the govt would stick to its medium-term budget deficit target of 3.5% of GDP by 2020. more..

Sep 14 (DM) DSG Milinda Gunatilleke observed before the PCoI that dealers in National Savings Bank (NSB), SL Insurance Corporation (SLIC), EPF and DFCC (intermediary) who were involved in the process where Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL) sold bonds to Govt Institutions in the Secondary Market were friends and benefited as part of a ring. DSG Gunatilleke also played several voice recordings more..

Sep 14 (DM) Texas, Florida, some Caribbean and Latin American countries were devastated in recent days by two of the most powerful hurricanes recorded in human history. About 100 people were killed while tens of millions were severely affected by nature’s wrath though the US President is still claiming that climate change is a Chinese hoax and has pulled the US out of the historic Paris treaty to curb global warming.   In recent years environmentalists have found that oceans, more..

Sep 14 (DM) In the third week of January 2015, just two weeks after he became President, Maithripala Sirisena appointed his brother Kumarasinghe Sirisena as the Chairman, SLT. That was the beginning of making a mockery of the term good governance. A month later the Central Bank decided to issue Treasury Bonds in a process which resulted in the then Governor Arjuna Mahendran’s son-in-law making enormous gains. In June that year, just as the COPE (Committee on Public Enterprises) more..

Sep 14 (DM) If you want to become rich, you will have to build the road first, so goes the traditional Chinese saying. In other words, it is reference to the infrastructure development as the solid basis to propel or boost economic growth. In the analysis of things in this context, it became apparent that China, under its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has stepped in to develop the Hambantota Port and industrial park integrated with it. more..

Set 14 (AD) The Colombo High Court has informed the Attorney General’s Department to make submissions on September 20, for the bail application on Lalith Weeratunga and Anusha Palpita.  The attorneys representing the former Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga and former TRC Director General Anusha Palpita filed a petition against the verdict delivered against them by the Colombo High Court on September 11.   more..

Sep 14 (Island) Two mobile phones recovered during the raid conducted on Tuesday from the Welikada prisons hospital where the convicted former President’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunga and Director General of the TRC Anusha Palpita are warded at, were handed over to the CID for further investigation, prisons sources said. The sudden raid was conducted at the hospital in Welikada Prison on the orders of Minister D.M. Swaminathan more..

Sep 14 (ST) Reckless driving, negligence and fatigue contributed to a spate of accidents increasing the death toll compared with last year. National Council for Road Safety Chairman Sisira Kodagoda said that most accidents caused during the past two weeks were due to drivers’ recklessness and negligence. “Falling asleep while driving, with no rest before the journey, has led to many accidents recently, while overtaking more..

Sep 14 (CT) The Vithya Sivaloganathan murder Trial-at-Bar concluded yesterday with the defence claiming that witness Mohamed Ilfam was a fraudster, who had given all sorts of misinformation to mislead the Court, by saying that Swiss Kumar was trying to bribe CID official Nishantha Silva. Trial-at-Bar Bench announced that judgment would be delivered on Sept 27. Following the end of the prosecution submissions more..

Set 14 (AD) In a press release circulated earlier today, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa expressed his sentiments on the conviction of former Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga and former Director of TRC Anusha Palpita stating that ruling shocked the nation.  In his statements, Rajapaksa explicitly stated that both Anusha Palpita and Lalith Weeratunga had only carried out legitimate instructions given to them more..

Set 14 (JJ) World Economic Forum (WEF) released the Global Human Capital Report 2017. Report proposes a new benchmark for leaders to build the workforces of the future. Index provides a means of measuring the quantiable elements of the world’s talent potential so that greater attention can be focused on delivering it. From South Asia, Sri Lanka (70) is the top performer, while Nepal (98), India (103), more..

Sep 14 (Island) The govt is on a public asset selling spree and their next move is to sell the fisheries harbours to foreign companies, JVP says. JVP MP Vijitha Herath said that the govt has estimated the value of all fisheries harbours and anchorages including the Fisheries Corporation’s head office. "The land, vehicles, buildings and properties of the Fisheries Corporation’s head office have been valued at Rs 280,443,000. more..

Sep 14 (DM) The Ministry of Defence will receive the biggest budgetary allocation amounting to a massive Rs.1,583,507,600 or Rs.158.83 billion in the 2018 Budget, which would be presented in Parliament by Minister Mangala Samaraweera on Nov 9. This amount is in addition to the budgetary allocations for the three armed forces. Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara said the Cabinet approved the 2018 Appropriation Bill more..

Set 14 (DM) Perpetual Treasuries Owner Arjun Aloysius today informed the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the bond issuance that he did not want to testify before the commission on legal instructions he received. At the onset of today’s proceedings, his counsel Gamini Marapana PC commending yesterday’s order given by the commission told that his client is not keen to give evidence. At this point, commission stressed more..

Sep 14 (FT) According to a news report, Department for Registration of Persons (DRP) is to issue a new smart ID within the next two months.  An examination of the available information reveals that this is an electronic ID that will replace the existing NIC. The system is modelled on Pakistan’s CNIC system that was introduced to combat terrorism and which has enabled mass surveillance in Pakistan. ENIC project is far broader than a simple digitisation of the existing National Identity Cards, more..

Sep 14 (DM) Third Space Global, a UK owned BOI approved company, opened its new regional headquarters at Orion City, Colombo 9 on 13 Sept 2017. The company has grown to over 200 staff since it began operations in September 2015. The new facility marks a milestone for the CEO and British-born Sri Lankan Roshan Nilaweera, who has ambitious plans to create 1000s of jobs for young Sri Lankans to engage in the global digital economy. For the opening, Roshan was joined by more..