Aug 15 (CT) SL’s first ever child-friendly unit was set up at Ragama Police Station for the purpose of better handling and dealing with the children in need of care, attention, safety and justice after their being treated in a cruel and violent manner. This unit has also been made women-friendly as a timely approach to guarantee the right of women to be protected following a brutalized plight. This programme was initiated by the Ministry of Law and Order and it aims to set up specially designed more..

Aug 15 (FT) I want to buy a chair. Not a fancy one with all the bells and whistles. There is such a thing after all as a sense of proportion in the purchase of furniture. Just check out what the Western Province Chief Minister’s office is ordering and you will get a sense of how it is not kosher into the bargain. But still it is a chair of some character and circumference – mine is. It may not cost Rs. 650,000 – or a mere 640-thousand quid, according to the Western Province spokesperson’s prompt correction more..

Aug 15 (AD) A woman who attempted to release goods from the Customs Department using fake documents has been arrested by the Organized Crimes Prevention Division (OCPD). She had tried to release containers of electrical items, clothes and fancy items imported from South Korea by producing a fake Korean Visa document belonging to another person, said the Police. According to the OCPD, the suspect had tried release without paying the duty owed to the Sri Lankan govt. more..

Aug 15 (DM) Hatton-Colombo main road is currently blocked at Watawala due to an earth slide, stated the Watawala Police. The earth slide has occurred at around 3pm this afternoon, due to the recent heavy rainfall in the Western slopes of the Central highlands. Watawala Police requests motorists to use the Diyagala Norton Bridge road in Ginigathhena until the soil from the earth slide is cleared. Watawala Police says that there is a further risk of earth slides in the same area. more..

Aug 15 (CT) India’s leading tug-boat operator, Ocean Sparkle, is to appeal to the National Procurement Commission, an independent commission set up under the 19th amendment to the constitution, against what they term as arbitrary, factually incorrect and contradictory cabinet paper that is to be presented at today’s cabinet meeting (14) by the Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, recommending the award of a tender for more..

Aug 15 (Island) SLFP General Secretary Prof Rohana Lakshman Piyadasa, yesterday, challenged the Joint Opposition (JO) members to sit in Parliament as independent MPs. He said all JO members including former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had been elected on the ticket of UPFA. "They are sitting in the opposition with permission from the UPFA. If anyone wants to resign from the party or to become independent then she or he would have to inform the Speaker in writing. more..

Aug 15 (AD) If the group of MPs representing the JO desires to act independently in the Parliament, they are willing to give the opportunity for it, says UPFA General Secretary Minister Mahinda Amaraweera. He stated this following an event held in Colombo. Although the UNP and the SLFP has their difference, they are working together for the future of the country, he further said. Each JO MP will have to inform via separate letters their will, if they wishes to separate and work independently, he said. more..

Aug 15 (DM) The trade unions of the Railways Department today warned of another work stoppage from Tuesday midnight if the authorities failed to resolve their issues relating to salary anomalies as promised by President Sirisena. Locomotive Engine Operators’ Union (LEOU) Secretary Indika Dodangoda said that the Railways trade unions had scheduled to launch a work stoppage today since no specific solution more..

Aug 15 (AD) Two bodies have been recovered from a well at Kumankulama in Vavuniya, this afternoon, said Vavuniya Police. According to the police, the bodies are of a 33 year old mother named Mayuran Rajini residing in Kumankulama area and her 5 year old son named Mayuran Sashwin. Reportedly, the bodies were found in the well in front of the deceased’s house. Vavuniya police are conducting interrogations regarding the incident as the police consider it to be a suspicious death. more..

Aug 15 (DN) A private bus owner along with several of his thugs had allegedly threatened a Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) bus driver with death at the 6th mile post in Minipe, warning him to run his bus much later than the private buses. Hasalaka Police arrested the suspects yesterday. They were to be produced before the Mahiyangana Magistrate. The Police arrested the suspects based on a video footage recorded by a commuter in the SLTB bus. Private bus owner with several of his thugs more..

Aug 15 (Island) Nearly 600 families resettled on newly released land in the North and East of Sri Lanka will benefit from £1 million from the UK Govt to support the provision of basic infrastructure and services. Helping families return to their villages is a crucial element of Sri Lanka addressing the legacy of civil war and is a key part of the joint strategy agreed by the UN and Govt of SL to support long-term post-conflict peacebuilding in SL. more..

Aug 15 (DN) The Attorney General has indicted seven directors of Entrust Securities before the Colombo High Court for allegedly engaging in financial dealings by accepting savings deposits from the public without Central Bank approval. The seven directors are T.Kanagasabey, Chanuka Ratwatte, Romesha Senarath, Nadeeka Dayaratne, Niloshan Mendis, Isiri Dissanayake and Udayasiri Kariyawasam. They are charged for breaching section 56 (1) of the Monetary Act No 42 more..

Aug 15 (AD) Former Navy Lieutenant Commander Chandana Hettiarachchi also known as Navy Sampath, arrested for the abduction and disappearance of 11 youths from Colombo, has been remanded until August 29th. He was arrested at Lotus Road by the CID, yesterday. The court, later yesterday, allowed CID to detain Navy Sampath until today and question him. He had been wanted by the police in connection with the kidnapping for ransom, illegal detention and more..

Aug 15 (PMD) At present a mega development project is being implemented to fulfill the water needs of the people in the Wayamba Province, ending a long term sorrowful story water shortage, under the guidance of President Maithripala Sirisena. Even though various irrigation projects were implemented in the country, the people living in the Wayamba Province faced many difficulties as all the govts power failed more..

Aug 15 (AD) If an MP of a certain political party wishes to act independently, the General Secretary of the relevant party has the authority to suspend the parliamentary membership of the MP, says Lal Wijenayake, Chairman of the Public Representations Committee on Constitutional Reform (PRC). According to our electoral system, the first vote is cast for the party, and subsequently three votes are cast for three candidates in order of preference, he said. more..

Aug 15 (NR) IGP Pujith Jayasundara has issued directives to promptly investigate the compliant lodge by internationally renowned racing driver Dilantha Malagamuwa over a land dispute. SL Police launched a special investigation following a complaint lodged by Malagamuwa into an alleged plot to kill the racing driver. Peliyagoda Police commenced the investigation based on a complaint lodged with the Police headquarters. A complaint was lodged over an agreement reached more..

Aug 15 (EN) Chief of defence staff Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne gave half a million rupees in cash to help the main suspect in the abduction and murder of 11 children escape arrest, the Colombo magistrate was told. Colombo Fort Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne ordered the bank of Ceylon to provide details of a navy account from which 500,000 rupees had been given to Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi alias Navy Sampath more..

Aug 15 (LBO) SriLankan Airlines has temporarily suspended flights to and from the South Indian city of Cochin until 18th August, following the closure of Cochin Airport due to flooding in the region. Cochin Airport was closed today (15) until 2 p.m. on 18th August due to heavy floods in the area and further updates on the situation are awaited from authorities at Kochi Airport. “SriLankan Airlines wishes to inform all passengers booked to fly to or from Cochin during this period, more..

Aug 15 (DM) SriLankan Airlines had to spend an additional cost of USD 90,261 on passengers in 2014 January, who missed their connecting flights after the then Chairman Nishantha Wickramasinghe changed a decision made by highly trained professionals over a flight scheduled for Paris, it was revealed at the PCoI on irregularities at SriLankan Airlines, SriLankan Catering and Mihin Lanka today. Testifying before the commission, Operations Control Manager at SriLankan, more..

Aug 15 (Xinhua) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday inaugurated the Greater Kurunegala Water Supply and Sewerage Project in northwestern SL which will solve the drinking and sanitation problem for thousands of people in the district. This project will provide clean water for households, govt and private sector offices, schools, hospitals, tourist hotels, a daily floating population of over 70,000. more..

Aug 15 (MFA) The 2nd Integrated Consular Mobile Service (ICMS), coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was held on 12 – 13 August 2018 at the Mannar Town Hall. The purpose of the ICMS was to address the consular related needs of those who had sought refuge overseas during the conflict and returned to Sri Lanka following the end of the conflict. During the two-day ICMS, 242 applications for citizenship were received, 59 consular birth certificates were issued, more..

Aug 15 (AD) Spill gates of several major reservoirs in Central Hills have been opened due to the prevailing rainfall. Accordingly, the spill gates of Lakshapana, Canyon, Norton Bridge and Upper Kotmale reservoirs have been opened. Reportedly, water capacity of St. Clairs Falls and Kelani River has risen as the spill gates of Kotmale and Lakshapana reservoirs were opened. Many lowlands in Hatton, Weli Oya and Agra Oya areas have flooded due to heavy showers and more..

Aug 15 (EN) SL's rough rice output in the current Yala minor agricultural season is projected to grow 56% from a year earlier to 1.424 million tonnes, as a severe drought ends, with annual production from both seasons to be up 60% to 3.811 million tonnes. More than 360,000 hectares out of a target of 422,000 hectares have been cultivated up to June. An output of 1.4 million tonnes for Yala is near normal output though still lower than more..

Aug 16 (DN) Election time is always a period when existing political alliances are put to the test and new partnerships are fashioned. That is exactly what is happening, even with presidential and general elections being more than a year away. The govt of national unity headed by President Sirisena, representing the SLFP and PM Wickremesinghe leading the UNP has been an uneasy alliance, barring the initial few months when everything was hunky-dory in the first flush of Prez more..

Aug 16 (CT) Political success but academic failure, was how a local Muslim scholar described to me the South Eastern University of SL (SEUSL) in 1998, when I visited that place. I thought he was too quick to pass judgement on the academic side because that institution was established only in 1995 and one could not expect academic miracles to happen within such a short period. However, he was dead right on the political side and it is that politics that still bedevils the academic development of more..

Aug 16 (Roar) Queer stories are not new, even in Sri Lanka. But the play, The One Who Loves You So, which opens on August 15 at the Namel Mailini Punchi Theatre in Borella, marks an important milestone. Written and directed by Arun Welandawe-Prematilleke, the play is a Sri Lankan queer story told from within the LGBTQ community itself. Known for his immersive style of theatre, Welandawe-Prematilleke uses a more more..

Aug 16 (CT) Today, 15 August, 2018, is India’s day of Independence. The Consulate General in Jaffna organized a function at India House. The programme was simple and elegant. The Indian flag was raised promptly at 9:00 am – something that we in Jaffna can learn from. A speech by the President read out by the Consul General S. Balachandran, followed by the latter’s own separate speech. Then a dance-drama by Jaffna University’s Ramanathan College, and the vote of thanks. more..

Aug 16 (DN) Wanni! The moment you mention the word it immediately brings to your mind an endless stretch of parched and scorched earth. It immediately brings to your mind an endless stretch of hot midsummer sky devoid of the faintest hint of rain. Even the wind is coarse and dry. Trees and leaves have shrivelled and wizened. Gaunt and skeletal, cattle graze on dead grass that is more like sand. People make their living by chena cultivation against all odds. more..

Aug 16 (ST) Many believe that Jaffna has always been home only to Sri Lankan Tamils. Of course, Sri Lankan Tamils make up most of the population but until the flare-up of the ethnic conflict in the early 1980s, Jaffna was also home to different ethnic groups: Sinhalese, Burghers, Moors, Malays and Bohras. It was only after the clashes between the LTTE and the Armed Forces began that the Sinhalese and Muslims living in Jaffna were more..

Aug 16 (CT) Holidays have, is and will always be what was looked forward for by the majority of people and I cannot be an exception and will not be. It all happens with the job that I do. However, I am sure December and August holidays will remain stressful for some of the school goers, especially those who are sitting some of the most life changing exams in life, O/L, A/L and most importantly Grade 5 scholarship exams. I must say, I was an exception in this case as well. more..

Aug 16 (CT) The completion of the first stage in construction activities of the Moragahakanda-Kalu Ganga Multipurpose Development Project is expected to provide irrigation facilities to over 82,000 ha of farm lands for both Yala and Maha cultivation seasons and domestic and industrial water to the dry zone areas of the North Central, North-western and Northern Provinces during its implementation in the coming years. Under the second stage of the project, which is already underway, more..

Aug 16 (CT) The upcoming election of the SL Aquatic Sports Union (SLASU) has been hit by malpractices and controversy, as the incumbent President Mahinda Liyanage, who is not legally eligible to contest, is set to run for office once again, with only his wife as the opposition candidate. A number of concerned parties have complained to the Sports Ministry regarding the issue on numerous occasions. According to the complaints, Liyanage is the diving coach of Bishops College Colombo more..

Aug 16 (Island) Under the provisions of Appendix I of the 9th Schedule, which was introduced by the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, police and public security are a subject devolved to the provincial councils. However, for more than three decades, no government has implemented these provisions due to the fear that the country would be rendered ungovernable. Despite this history of non-implementation, the proposed draft constitution also has provisions relating to more..

Aug 16 (Island) The long-awaited digital campaign for tourism got Cabinet nod this week with approval to awarding contracts for promotional work in three difference countries. Govt this week approved awarding the contract for the digital promotional campaign to position Sri Lanka as a preferred destination in UK, Germany and France. Tourism Minister John Amaratunga, presenting a paper to Cabinet, said that as per Cabinet more..

Aug 16 (Island) JVP is reported to have sought the Auditor General’s intervention to prevent the Leaders of the House, Opposition Leaders, Chief Government Whips and the Chief Opposition Whips in the Provincial Councils from being paid special allowances because the Constitution does not provide for such positions. This issue warrants the attention of the govt and the Opposition. There have been many other questionable appointments which the JVP & others should take cognizance of. more..

Aug 16 (Island) SL’s first Asian Games gold medallist Nagalingam Ethirveerasingam is concerned over the inability of authorities to get accreditation for Asian Games medal prospect, high jumper Ushan Thiwanka. Olympian and former national high-jump record holder Ethirveerasingam urges the political hierarchy and country’s sports authorities to get together to correct the error and make way for the high jumper Thiwanka and other selected athletes to take part in the more..

Aug 16 (Island) When Chandika Hathurusingha arrived in Colombo to take over as Sri Lanka’s Head Coach in January, the expectations were so high that former great Kumar Sangakkara warned that Hathurusingha is not carrying a magic wand and not to expect him to fix the cricketing woes overnight. However, over the seven months he has been in charge, Hathurusingha has brought much needed more..

Aug 16 (FT) HNB Group has recorded Rs. 14.1 billion in Profit before Taxes (PBT) for the first six months of 2018, representing a 30.7% Year-on-Year (YoY) growth over the first half of 2017, while Group Profit after Taxes (PAT) rose 26.9% YoY to Rs. 9.6 billion. At a Bank level, HNB’s PAT improved by 20.6% YoY to Rs. 8.6 billion for the six months period to June 2018. The Bank’s interest income grew by 9.6% YoY, outpacing the 5.6% growth reported in interest expenses resulting more..