Jan 30 (CT) Addressing a group of journalists on Friday at the President’s House President Maithripala Sirisena unabashedly declared that he had instructed PM Ranil Wickremesinghe to make sure that the Attorney General does not prosecute certain individuals unless there’s absolute certainly that a conviction can be obtained. President was referring to cases involving individuals which could cause embarrassment for the Govt in the event that convictions are not obtained. more..

Jan 30 (DN) Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said that it was mandatory for all employers to grant leave with pay for their employees to vote for the upcoming LG elections. Furthermore the EC demanded that an adequate additional leave should be granted by employers, taking into consideration the distance a particular employee has to travel to reach the respective election poll. Legal action could be taken against employers who deprive their employees more..

Jan 30 (CT) SriLankan Airlines CEO Suren Ratwatte who is currently holidaying in Melbourne Australia is to tender his resignation before the 2nd of Feb 2018, Colombo Telegraph reliably learns. Earlier when the Board of Directors of SriLankan Airlines had convened on the 25th of Jan, they had unanimously agreed that the services of CEO Ratwatte should be terminated. Their decision had been conveyed to CEO more..

Jan 30 (NR) Colombo Magistrate’s Court has issued an arrest warrant for former Deputy Minister Sarana Gunawardena. The order was issued by Colombo Additional Magistrate Thanuja Jayathunga this afternoon. The warrant was issued after the former Deputy Minister failed to appear before Court over a case filed by the CIABOC. The case against former Deputy Minister was filed by the Bribery Commission for renting out vehicles of the Development Lotteries Board illegally between 2006 and 2008. more..

Jan 30 (NR) Supreme Court has issued an Interim Injunction order temporarily suspending the conduct of the Local Authority Election of the Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha. The order was issued after taking into consideration a Fundamental Rights petition filed by three candidates contesting the upcoming election. Meanwhile the Supreme Court ordered the three respondents cited in the petition including the Returning Officer of the Galle District to be present before Court on the 15th of Feb. more..

Jan 30 (NR) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe has decided to hold the debate on the report issued by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and Inquire into the Issuance of Treasury Bonds and the 34 reports issued by the PRECIFAC on the 6th of Feb. Deputy General Secretary of the Parliament Neil Iddawela said PM Ranil Wickremesinghe has informed Parliament of the decision. more..

Jan 30 (Island) The Supreme Court yesterday dismissed the fundamental rights violation petitions filed by Ambagamuwa Pradeshiya Sabha. The Court said that there was no basis for granting leave to proceed with the petition since Sri Pada shrine, did not lie in Maskeliya, but in the Palapathwela Pradeshiya Sabha in the Ratnapura District. The court held that the division of the Ambagamuwa Pradeshiya Sabha into three new units did not affect the Sri Pada Temple. more..

Jan 30 (GDI) In response to a complaint made by a student an investigation is being carried out by National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) in relation to an incident in an International School where Nine children had been made to kneel down and their ears were pulled by a teacher as punishment for forgetting to bring their Reading book. Chairperson of the National Child Protection Authority Attorney at Law Marini de Livera said that Such Cruel and Degrading Treatment more..

Jan 30 (CI) Bangladesh have picked six specialist spinners in their 16-man squad. It tells you what you need to know about the Chittagong pitch for the first Test against SL. Spin is set to dominate proceedings as the two sides renew a growing rivalry following years of one-sided Tests. In the absence of Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh have gone as far as picking Nayeem Hasan from their Under-19 team in New Zealand, more..

Jan 30 (DM) Disaster Management Center (DMC) has issued to residents downstream the Rantambe Reservoir to be vigilant of rising water following the heavy showers received in the catchment. DMC requested residents in Mahiyangana and Minipe DS Division and Mahiyangana, Minipe, Morayaya, Ambagahapelassa, Handaganawa, Hasalaka, Rohana GN Divisions to be vigilant for the next couple of hours of rising water levels. “There was a high possibility of opening the spill gates of more..

Jan 30 (DM) President Sirisena has been attempting to protect the major bond scam offenders since the beginning of the first bond scam on Feb 2015, JO MP Prasanna Ranatunga said today. He said the bond scam should have been nipped in the bud if President Sirisena had not dissolved the parliament when the COPE report in connection with the Central Bank bond issue was presented to parliament by its chairman D.E.W. Gunasekera, after the first bond fraud on Feb 2015. more..

Jan 30 (AFP) Bangladesh cricket authorities on Tuesday sought an explanation from their Sri Lankan curator Gamini de Silva for preparing a slow wicket in Dhaka, where the hosts lost the tri-nation final against Sri Lanka. The islanders defeated much-fancied Bangladesh by 79 runs on Saturday to win the 50-over tournament, which also involved Zimbabwe. Bangladesh were bowled out for 142 while chasing 222 at more..

Jan 30 (GDI) Minister of Education Akila Viraj Kariyawasam told the Daily News yesterday in Kuliyapitiya, Kurunegala, that the UGC has made arrangements to enroll about 1,180 more students to state universities this year (2018) than were previously enrolled. For the first time, about 160 more students are to be enrolled to Medical Faculties this year. The others will be enrolled in the Management Faculty, Technology Faculty, Engineering Faculty and Science Faculty. more..

Jan 30 (AD) Minister Palitha Range Bandara stated that SLFP does not possess the strength to break away from the UNP to form a separate govt. He further stated that no amount of SLPP deserter will be enough to bolster the ailing SLFP as 13 members of parliament from the SLPP have already pledged their support to the UNP further reinforcing the political power of the UNP. In such a situation of political instability the SLFP cannot hope to form their own govt State Minister Bandara said. more..

Jan 30 (ANI) SL's High Commissioner to India Chitranganee Wagiswara advised the govts of India and SL discuss the fisheries issues. Wagiswara's statement comes days after Colombo said the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (Amendment) Bill would be detrimental to the traditional fishing rights of Indians. "Fisheries issue is something for which we need to talk to each other. We have to speak to each other and more..

Jan 30 (NR) Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission has established an Election Complaints Desk to receive complaints regarding rights violations relating to the upcoming LG Election. Issuing a statement Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission Dr. Deepika Udagama said the Election Complaints Desk will pay special attention to the rights violations of female candidates. Accordingly the complaints can be lodged via the 24-hour hotline on 077 3088 135 or 077 3762 112. more..

Jan 30 (DM) Northern Provincial Council (NPC) Chairman C.V.K. Sivagnanam said that it was meaningless to continue with the ban imposed on LTTE within Sri Lanka."Eight years has lapsed since the war ended with even former LTTE members joining mainstream politics after surrendering their weapons and in such a scenario continuing with the ban on the LTTE is meaningless," he said. The chairman said the LTTE wanted to win the rights of the Tamil people and Tamil political leaders more..

Jan 30 (SL) Australia and Sri Lanka signed a Subsidiary Arrangement for grant assistance to work together on strengthening governance in SL, through a four-year program valued at up to AUD31 million (LKR3,850 million). Governance for Growth Program aims to support Sri Lanka’s efforts to increase economic growth and spread the benefits of that growth to reduce poverty and inequality in the country. The program will support activities more..

Jan 30 (AP) Sri Lankan journalists and media rights activists have lit candles and held placards to remember dozens of journalists who were killed, abducted or disappeared under a previous government. C. Dodawatta, convener of the Free Media Movement which organized the vigil, said even after three years in power, the current government has failed to punish those responsible for the crimes and deliver justice to the journalists and their families. more..

Jan 30 (EN) SL's inflation eased to 5.8% in the 12-months to Jan 2017, from 7.1% in December measured by the widely watched, Colombo Consumer Price Index. In the month of January, the price index fell 0.1 point in absolute terms to 122.8 point. A core-inflation index however jumped 0.6%, though the 12-month increase slowed to 3.5% from 4.3%, as last January's 1.3% jump fell away. CB has overshot its 4-6% target in 2017 and the currency also collapsed in 2015 and 2016 due to more..

Jan 30 (DM) In a new twist the GMOA which had been previously highly critical of Minister Rajitha Senaratne, today lauded him saying the minister had committed himself towards granting their demands. It said the Health Secretary Janaka Sugathadasa was told by the minister to approve all their demands. Health authorities had agreed to grant nine of their demands including the release of annual duty free permits to more..

Jan 31 (DN) On a recent evening, Elizabeth Mary stood outside her line home on the Pedro Estate in Nuwara Eliya, occasionally batting flies from her hands and face. She pointed out a drain running across from her house that was filled with stagnant water. It smells so bad, she said. Our surroundings are so unhygienic. But she doesn’t have the time to press the management who controls the land to fix it. Although she has no children, she takes care of her 73-year-old mother, and cannot work. more..

Jan 31 (DN) Human rights movement refers to a nongovernmental social movement engaged in activism related to the issues of human rights. Today some believe that HR issues should be kept outside of politics; mainly left politics. However the foundations of the global human rights movement involve resistance to: colonialism, imperialism, slavery, racism, apartheid, patriarchy, and oppression of indigenous peoples. Clearly these subjects are closely related to the struggle of more..

Jan 31 (SO) Sunday Observer visited two of the export tea production areas, Pussellawa and Kotagala, of the central hill country for an on-the-spot study of the trends in the run up to the Feb 10 LG polls and observed the community gearing up for the polls, with polls campaigns gaining momentum and virtually all candidates representing the different trade-union-based political parties, mainly candidates of TPA led by more..

Jan 31 (CT) It is reported that this chief hasn’t passed beyond standard three in school. He is now Minister in charge of education in addition to being Chief. It is also stated that he was seen those days selling wade at the station. Have you seen the video going round showing the Chief Minister of Uva, Chamara Sampath Dassanayake, getting bail over the police charge of his having ordered a principal of a school in his area to kneel before him? This ugly episode had been an occurrence during more..

Jan 31 (CT) The culture in a society is shaped by the values prevalent in a society and the practices followed by its citizenry. The political culture would therefore be reflective of the political values and practices of the sovereign people. In a society that is greatly addicted to liquor a leader who bases his campaign on banning liquor and closing down bars will have a poor chance of being elected to office in any election. If the society does not disapprove of violence in political life, such violence will more..

Jan 31 (CT) JO and MEP Leader Dinesh Gunawardena likened the Unity Govt to a game of Chess, where he said 'as a figure of speech' that both the King and Queen have been checkmated! "In Chess, only the King is checkmated, but here in the Unity Govt, both, the King and the Queen have been checkmated!" he quipped. He said that there was a Constitutional Crisis in Govt with period of the MoU, between UNP & SLFP, ending on 31 Dec. more..

Jan 31 (Island) A state employee who got into arrears with assessment rates has received shock treatment at the hands of LG authorities, according to a report we published yesterday. He had ignored warning letters and his noncompliance finally cost him some chairs, which were auctioned by the LG officials to recover overdue rates. People are required to pay rates regularly without fail or run the risk of facing penal action though they get little or nothing in return from local govt institutions more..

Jan 31 (DM) Wisdom acquired through countess eons of indulgence in the ten perfections (parami) endowed the Supremely Enlightened Being with the extraordinary faculty of identifying with absolute precision the mental state of all creatures celestial, human or other at any given time in the past, present or future. This prowess, combined with all-pervading compassion for humanity made Him the unique individual He was, with an infallible capacity to adopt the perfect strategy to plod man more..

Jan 31 (CT) When a series of large-scale scams rocked India at the beginning of this decade, starting with reinvestigations of the Bofors aircraft deal of Rajiv Gandhi's 1984-1989 Govt, the 2G telecommunication scam of Minister A. Raja, in which Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi's daughter, Kanimozhi MP was allegedly involved, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda's ill gained assets case, former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad more..

Jan 31 (Island) Sirima Bandaranaike, wife of SWRD Banadaranaike, became Prime Minister after the general election in 1960, held after the untimely death of her husband when the term of the interim govt led by W. Dahanayake had ended and the govt formed by Dudley Senanayake subsequently had been defeated in a vote taken on the Throne Speech in Parliament. During the short tenure, Dahanayake’s domestic policies demonstrated no great inclination to adhere to SWRD. more..

Jan 31 (Island) Minister Mangala Samaraweera, has contradicted those who had downplayed the importance of Feb 10 LG polls. Samaraweera didn’t mince his words when he acknowledged the growing and formidable challenge posed by the war-winning, twice President Rajapaksa, MP-led JO/SLPP, though his colleagues depicted a different picture. Samaraweera, in a statement issued on Jan 25, warned more..

Jan 31 (CT) Nearly 10 months after the film Baahubali – 1 juggernaut took centre stage, the much awaited Padmavat is now being screened. Padmavat, earlier titled Padmavati, is Bhansali's magnum opus, dedicated to Rani Padmini who is believed to be a SL princess, has created so much of controversy in India that nobody thought that it would be released so soon. According to legend, Padmini (Padmavati) was a princess from Sinhala Desh (SL) married to a Rajasthan prince. more..

Jan 31 (CT) The venues and host cities for the ICC World T20 2020, which will be hosted by Australia, were announced today at events throughout the country. The eight Host Cities are Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Geelong, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. For the first time, the women's and men's competitions will be held as stand alone events in the same host country and in the same year. This will give the best female and male cricketers respective opportunities to capture more..

Jan 31 (DN) Sri Lanka’s recent dip in international cricket where they went through a dreadful 2017 is further reflected by the number of its cricketers that attracted last weekend’s highly publicised Indian Premier League (IPL) auction in Bangalore. To say that only two of them caught the attention of the bidders just go to show how much the current team lacks in quality. It’s not that there is a dearth in talent for there’s plenty of it, but more..

Jan 31 (ST) Transparency International Sri Lanka is assisting residents of three localities to obtain information pertaining to certain condominium constructions in their areas from the UDA while contemplating a public awareness campaign on illegal constructions. “We are helping some residents to obtain information through the Right to Information (RTI) Act. We will be assisting them through RTI and facilitating their requests,” Asoka Obeyesekere, Exec Director of TISL said. more..

Jan 31 (FT) Diversified blue chip John Keells Holdings (JKH) has suffered a 13% dip in pre-tax profit in the third quarter of the current financial year, dragging the first month’s figure down by 4%. JKH’s consolidated pre-tax profit for the third quarter declined by 13% to Rs. 5.8 billion whilst the post-tax profit was Rs. 4.8 billion, down by 15% from a year earlier and net profit attributable to equity holders of the parent declined by a similar percentage to Rs. 4.49 billion. more..

Jan 31 (DM) The SLPP accused President Sirisena of having violated election laws by saying funds won’t be allocated to the LG bodies that are won by the SLPP. It said Minister Lakshman Kiriella had also said the funds would be distributed through PM Ranil Wickremesinghe to the LG bodies. “This is a threat made to discourage SLPP voters and to collect votes for the SLFP and UNP. Council funds belong to people and more..