Sep 30 (Island) Minister Rajitha Senaratne has appealed to the medical fraternity to do away with political ideologies and settle the issues affecting their profession. HMinister said he had held special discussions with the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) and the Deans of the state-run medical faculties on the minimum standards of medical education (MSME). He said he had urged two sections involved in medical education more..

Sep 30 (NS) Elephant conservationists called for new additional regulations to be put in place and implemented to ensure that tourist activities such as safaris are conducted in a responsible and sustainable manner in sanctuaries, natural/nature reserves and national parks, and other such elephant habitats and home ranges. Author of The Life of the Last Proboscideans: Elephants, Tharindu Muthukumarana said that wildlife conservation was not solely the responsibility of more..

Sep 30 (Dawn) THE juggernaut of hatred in the name of faith is spreading. It is hounding the Rohingya Muslims as they flee Myanmar in various directions to escape ethnic cleansing. Added to the list of excesses committed against them is an attack led by Buddhist monks on a UN-run safe house in Colombo where several of them had been given shelter. Perpetrators, a Sinhalese nationalist group, justified their action with claims that the Rohingyas had been involved in violence against more..

Sep 30 (DM) Supreme Court yesterday fixed the fundamental rights petition filed by the Centre for Environmental Justice, and four individuals, including M.D.P. Manatunga, who are residents of Bandarawela, allegedly victimised as a result of the Uma Oya multi purpose project, for October 17. Bench comprised Justices B.P.Aluvihara, Sisira J.De Abrew and Anil Gooneratne. more..

Sep 30 (AD) The Galle court issued an order preventing any party from conducting protests before the Boossa detention camp against the Rohingya refugees. Rohingya refugees were transferred to the Boossa detention camp on Sept 26, after a group of radical monks and a large mob caused a commotion in front of a safe house that the refugees were stationed at. The refugees that included a contingent of 14 children, 7 women and 7 men, were transferred to the Boossa camp more..

Sep 30 (USE) Thank you Ravin for the warm introduction.  It’s a pleasure to join you once again for the Annual General Meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka. I would like to thank the AmCham Board of Directors for hosting this event and Radika and her staff for all the hard work that went into organizing it.  I would further like to thank Radika for all of the extraordinary work she has performed for the AmCham through the years.  We will all miss you.  more..

Sep 30 (DN) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said the country’s education sector will be modernised in keeping with the 21st century. PM participating on an observational tour of the smart class introduced at Sri J'pura Maha Vidyalaya, Kotte said this concept pilots the modernised education system which will be established within the next 10 years. As another step of modernisation, the govt will provide tabs to A/L students next year, more..

Sep 30 (CT) Chairman of the National Transport Commission (NTC) M.A.P. Hemachandra on 28 Sept, was allegedly threatened by a mob of 'thugs' during a meeting with bus owners whose vehicles operate on the Kandy-Colombo route, the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation said. In a statement, Media Secretary to the Ministry, Viraj Abeysinghe, said that there is a monopoly by a few bus owners on this route. He went on to say that even though the NTC tried to establish a roster for buses, more..

Sep 30 (Island) The Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka says it earlier attributed two suicides to the prevailing drought here, but later found that they are not directly attributable to the effects of the drought. The media statement issued by the Colombo UN office says: The Office of the United Nationa Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka would like to make a clarification on the text of the recent UN Sri Lanka Drought Updates issued publicly. more..

Sep 30 (DN) President Maithripala Sirisena assured that there would be no room for a division or a separation of the country under the proposed new constitution. He also assured that his government would not in any way dilute the position given to Buddhism that has already been guaranteed in the present constitution. He made these remarks yesterday in response to the comments of several Maha Nayaka Theras, more..

Sep 30 (CT) Ministry of Law and Order issuing a press release on the recent upheaval related to Rohingya refugees says that though several groups have begun to create tension on the presence of such refugees here, eight years ago, when they were present in the country such groups had not uttered a word. Ministry has charged that certain groups with vested interests are attempting to cash in on the situation and seek cheap political publicity while trying to tarnish the image of Sri Lanka more..

Sep 30 (Island) One person was killed and another seriously injured when the motorcycle they were travelling on collided head-on with UPFA MP Wimalaweera Dissanayaka’s SUV early yesterday near the Karangawa Janaraja Vidyalaya, Ampara on the Ampara-Kandy road. The incident had occurred around 1.00 am, police said. One of the injured had been declared dead on admission, police said. The deceased was from Tissapura in Uhana. The injured person is currently receiving treatment more..

Sep 30 (CT) Ceylon Petroleum Workers Union warned of tough trade union action, if the govt failed to make arrangements to assign the Fuel Facility Yard at the Hambantota Port to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) as promised. "If the govt fails to hand over the Fuel Facility Yard to the CPC and go ahead with endorsing the Port deal with the China Merchant Company, which is expected to happen on 1 October, more..

Sep 30 (DM) PAFFREL has stressed the need to include provisions in the proposed campaign finance law to monitor transnational funding to political parties during elections. It has submitted proposals to be included in the campaign finance law which would govern the finances of candidates during election campaigning. PAFFREL Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi said enacting of the proposed legislation would make it necessary for each candidate to maintain separate accounts for more..

Sep 30 (DM) Posters appeared in the Jaffna town yesterday calling for a Hartal today demanding legal action against all those who attempted to protect the murderers of schoolgirl Sivaloganathan Vidya. The posters carried pictures of State Minister Vijayakala Maheswaran and Attorney Thamil Maran who appeared for Swiss Kumar.The posters claimed that when the first accused Swiss Kumar was in custody, it was the state minister and the attorney who assisted in getting him released. more..

Sep 30 (CT) Army Commander Mahesh Senanayake said that expediting the removal of Army Camps in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, is not suitable under the present circumstances. He said that according to the CM of Northern Province there are 180,000 soldiers based in the region. He said that this claim was incorrect adding that soldiers have to be deployed in those areas according to the requirements of the country. more..

Sep 30 (DM) World religious leaders have told us that anyone who causes damage to a child’s life should be thrown into the deepest ocean with a millstone tied around the neck -- symbolically showing the seriousness of the crime committed and the severity of the punishment. It is with such reflections in mind that Sri Lanka celebrates World Children’s Day tomorrow in a modern digital era where many children carry in their pockets smart phones that give them access to more..

Sep 30 (DM) The first Minister of Education in this country to announce curriculum reforms on facebook is Akila Viraj Kariyawasam of this Yahapalana Govt. The change of curriculum and a change in secondary education now lined up, was reported at random in the media as a directive given by Minister Kariyawasam to the Education Ministry. It is called the 13 Years Certified Education Programme. A website reported on 14 Sept, this would allow those students, who fail to qualify for GCE A/L more..

Sep 30 (DM) Constitutional Assembly Steering Committee chaired by PM Ranil Wickremesinghe has laboured mightily and brought forth the Interim Report of proposals for an envisaged new Constitution. It would be premature to prognosticate on the report’s potential future or delve deeply into its contents at this point of time.  Nevertheless it must be stated that the release of the report in the current political landscape more..

Sep 30 (Roar) Kandy is one of the most popular cities in Sri Lanka. Locals and tourists alike, visit this historic city because it is the perfect holiday destination for those who want to get away from the heat, dust, and of course the traffic that comes with Colombo and its suburbs. More importantly, the city has an array of enchanting places of historic and natural interest—each with their own interesting story backstory. more..

Sep 30 (SL) A criminal investigation has been launched into some of the activities carried out by the Chief Medical Officer of the Welikada prison hospital Dr. Nirmali Thenuwara. The investigation was launched after several allegations surfaced over the treatment given to some VIP prisoners transferred to the Welikada prison. Sources said that a group of doctors at the prison hospital had submitted a petition to more..

Sep 30 (ST) Colombo’s local authority and its private partner say they will ensure that drivers pay parking fees in the city limits in compliance with by-laws that have been gazetted. And drivers should not try to slip away without paying. They are likely to be tracked down. Smart meters being installed by a private company, Tenaga Car Parks, under a deal to share revenue, will make fee collection more efficient, CMC believes. more..

Sep 30 (CT) Although the SLFP has already held discussions with the Buddhist Task Force (BTF) ahead of drafting the new Constitution, the UNP was yet to hold talks with the BTF in this regard, informed sources said. Sources close to the BTF charged that since drafting the new Constitution in 2016, and despite the many reminders and invitations to the UNP, to participate in discussions, there had been no positive outcome. more..

Sep 30 (ST) The Harsha de Silva Committee has attempted to propose a way out to salvage SAITM at any cost, states the Federation of Faculty of Medicine Teachers’ Association (FFMTA), stressing that statements in the report indicate the failure to grasp the root cause of the issue and attempt to deviate from the main issue by misinterpreting it stating to resolve uni students boycotting academic activities. more..

Sep 30 (CI) Fifties from Pakistan's top three ensured Pakistan edged - very slowly but surely - towards Sri Lanka's imposing first innings total of 419. Neither side gave up much ground on a blazing day in Abu Dhabi on a day that was hardly the best advert for how Test cricket is to thrive in the 21st century. Pakistan added 202 runs over the course of the entire day's play for four wickets to finish on 266 for 4, 153 runs behind SL. more..

Sep 30 (EN) Police have arrested a man and woman for taking part in a violent demonstration against Rohingya refugees and are looking for several others, including three Buddhist monks who led the mob and "behaved like animals." Police said a search was underway for monk Akmeemana Dayaratne and two other monks who orchestrated the mob violence against the UN safe house where 31 refugees were sheltered. more..

Sep 30 (PTI) Former captains Sangakkara and Mahela in all likelihood will be drafted in the high-powered committee, formed to revive country's cricket, which has been on a downward spiral. Sangakkara and Mahela may join Aravinda de Silva and corporate honcho Hemaka Amarasuriya in the committee. The committee will recommend corrective measures to minister Dayasiri Jayasekera short and long term measures. more..

Sep 30 (DM) The top priority for socialist parties should be to harness their strength to fight govt plans to diversify the ownership of the Bank of Ceylon, Peoples Bank and the National Savings Bank, EPF and ETF, Communist Party General Secretary D.E.W. Gunasekara said. He said if the shares of those vital state assets were sold the entire state sector would be in jeopardy because they were govt's main sources of revenue. more..

Sep 30 (CT) History was created on 21 Nov 2014, when the then SLFP General Secretary and Health Minister of the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government, crossed over to contest as the common opposition candidate to take on the might of Rajapaksa at the 8 Jan 2015 Presidential Election. It was history because that was the first time that the UNP supported a common candidate from the SLFP to take on a despotic regime. It was also the first time since Chandrika Kumaratunga's presidential more..

Sep 30 (CT) Bar Association of Sri Lanka in its website displays the following quotation taken from the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers: Govts shall ensure that lawyers are able to perform all of their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference. However, following the same path of those who are holding office in the Legislature and Executive who pledge people to perform public office faithfully with due respect to more..

Sep 30 (EN) Sri Lanka's loss making state owned enterprises (SOEs) particularly in energy, are an economic risk requiring reform and market based pricing. "An important priority is to accelerate implementation of structural reforms in public financial management and SOEs," IMF mission chief Jaewoo Lee said. "Large financial obligations of SOEs pose fiscal risks and need to be managed by enhancing oversight and following through on fuel and electricity pricing reform." more..

Sep 30 (ST) A glut of imported Bombay onions in the market has resulted in the drastic fall in the price of local onions, farmers charge. Traders at the Dambulla Economic Centre said that the importation of B-onions from neighbouring countries has resulted in reduced demand for the local variety. Farmers said that a kilo of local B-onions that they usually sold for Rs. 35 to Rs. 50 is now going even lower and they are unable to fetch the monies that they had spent on cultivation. more..

Sep 30 (CT) About a year ago a campaign to raise money to purchase a much-needed machine for a hospital was carried out. Successfully. It was an attempt to get relevant authorities to be aware that such a machine was needed for about 100,000 of those living among us suffering from cancer, and 20,000 more who get added to that number every year. I wrote on that, the person who led this campaign, more..

Sep 30 (CT) The walk to collect funds, initiated by a group of Buddhist monks, to pay the fines and compensation imposed by the Colombo High Court on former President's Secretary Lalith Weeratunga and former Director General of TRC Anusha Palpita after they were convicted in the Sil Cloth case, has been suspended with immediate effect. Prof. Ven. Medagoda Abhayatissa Thera, secretary to the fund said that, as the accused have been released on bail there was no necessity to more..

Sep 30 (CT) A group of representatives of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) led by former Minister Basil Rajapaksa yesterday officially commenced the membership promotional programme in the Jaffna District. The programme will be in operation until 2 October. Instead of the conventional method of getting together with political parties representing the Northern Province the SLPP intends to interact directly with the people of the region. more..

Sep 30 (NS) Willing to consider the further pruning of Presidential powers; provided the Executive is in charge of defence and remains the commander-in-chief of the tri-forces. With constitutional reforms in the pipeline, the Govt constituent the SLFP in relation to the contentious question of the devolution of power announced its decision to support the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. more..

Sep 30 (CT) Minister of Plantation Industries Naveen Dissanayake said he expects a drop in the price of coconuts in the coming two or three weeks. He said that a special programme will also be implemented aimed at reducing the price of coconuts. This special programme was initiated following discussions with President Maithripala Sirisena on this issue, Minister added. He had earlier pointed out that the steep increase in the price of coconuts was due to severe drought more..

Sep 30 (ST) In its issue of June 17, the Sunday Times reported an illegal construction of a pool/ reservoir at Hantane situated at a height of over 3,000ft and the dangers it posed to area residents. Having seen the report and discussed its contents, the Hantane Management Committee headed by the District Secretary, ordered the Environment Division of the Kandy Police to stop the construction of the proposed reservoir/swimming pool and the filling of earth at Urugala more..

Sep 30 (CI) Test matches take time to unfold in the UAE. The heat, more than anything else, saps the pace out of the match. Batsmen find it difficult to find the concentration that is required to score runs in these conditions. Pitches aren't exactly belters, and scoring is not easy. Pitches don't wear down in the first three days of the match and wicket-taking is tough. Cricket is at its attritional best: batsmen try to wear down more..