Nov 13 (CI) Former allrounder Dilhara Lokuhettige has become the third ex-Sri Lanka player to be charged with corruption-related offences, this time for allegedly breaching the Emirates Cricket Board's anti-corruption code. The charges, of which there are three, relate to the T10 Cricket League played in December last year. The charges are as follows: Being party to an effort to fix or contrive or to otherwise influence improperly the result, more..

Nov 13 (LBO) Former CEO of Sri Lankan Airlines and Mihin Lanka Kapila Chandrasena has been appointed as the Chairman of Sri Lankan Airlines and Mihin Lanka following the change in the govt. Corporate communications office of the Sri Lankan Airlines, however, did not reply to our request for more information. The appointment has been made despite allegations made by Weliamuna report on the abuse of power. Sri Lankan Airlines Chairman Ranjit Fernando has resigned more..

Nov 13 (TN) Pakistan has awarded fully funded higher education scholarships to nine SL students in fields of pharmacy and engineering in top Pakistani institutions under Pakistan Technical Assistance Programme (PTAP) for Sri Lanka, says a press release received here today from Sri Lanka. High Commissioner of Pakistan, Dr. Shahid Ahmad Hashmat met the selected students at the HC of Pakistan and congratulated them on their selection for higher education in Pakistan. more..

Nov 13 (CB) SL's stand-in captain Suranga Lakmal has backed Akila Dananjaya, confirming the spinner will play in the second Test. Dananjaya was reported for a suspect action by the match officials after the first Test in Galle, which England won by 213 runs to take a 1-0 lead. The 25-year-old will need to be tested in the next 14 days but is free to play in this period. There were thoughts SL may leave Dananjaya out for this fixture, more..

Nov 13 (NR) US based Freedom House think tank says democracy worldwide today finds itself battered and weakened; claiming the latest developments in SL put the future of one of Asia’s oldest democracies at serious risk. Think tank said nowhere is this truer than in Asia, where only a small number of states are genuine democracies. The report highlighted that Prez Sirisena’s recent unconstitutional actions are similar to the kind of authoritarianism that Mahinda Rajapaksa more..

Nov 13 (AD) The alleged moves to handover the leadership of UNP to Sajith Premadasa ahead of contesting the election is an attempt to purposely to bring his political journey to a halt, says Media Spokesperson of NFF Mohamed Muzammil. He claimed that the intention behind putting forward Sajith Premadasa as a candidate in the election, knowing that he would be defeated, is to deliberately make him unpopular with the general public, Muzammil said. more..

Nov 13 (AD) Speaker’s Office has issued a statement saying that the Parliament will reconvene tomorrow. “In terms of the Gazette Notification No. 2095/50 dated 4th Nov issued by the Prez, Speaker informs that Parliament will meet at 10 a.m. on 14th Nov. Speaker requests all MPs to attend the Parliament sessions,” statement said. Meanwhile the Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has also called for a special party leaders’ meeting tomorrow, more..

Nov 13 (DM) The Diocese of Colombo of the Church of Ceylon today expressed its shock and great dismay over the dissolution of Parliament by the President. It said in a statement that “this arbitrary act appears to us to be a direct and blatant violation of the clear and express provisions of the Constitution, following the passage of the 19th Amendment. The actions of the dismissal of a sitting PM, the appointment of a new PM, the prorogation of Parliament by the President more..

Nov 13 (Island) Mohammad Naufer, who is on death row for killing a judge and drug dealing, has been transferred from the Badulla Prison to the Dumbara Prison. The Ministry of Prison Reforms said the decision had been taken in view of the security situation. Naufer was transferred to Badulla Prison three years ago following a plot to escape from the Bogambara Prison, where he was being kept at that time. Naufer had tried to escape from the Badulla Prison as well, sources said. more..

Nov 14 (DN) Prez Sirisena’s decision to dissolve the parliament sounds fairly prudent and timely since the country had plunged into anarchy and political wilderness due to the undemocratic statements flung by the Speaker in an attempt to harness majority will in it to help Ranil Wickremesinghe to hold power of the Temple Trees. It is evident that Ranil Wikremesinghe does not seem to believe his own voters, and that’s why he wanted to convince the ambassadors from the West to impose more..

Nov 14 (CT) Never had there been a Political mayhem in the post independent history of SL as we are witnessing nowadays. Watching the breaking news on television since 26th of Oct is as if you are watching a horror movie in a 3-D theater, sitting on the edge of the seat bamboozled as to what is going to happen next, making yourself ready for the vertiginous shock. Then a Twitter notification chirps. You are flummoxed and high as a kite, sometimes shaking in your shoes just to open the tweet. more..

Nov 14 (Roar) A small lane on the byroads of Rajagiriya is perhaps not where you would expect to find the legacy of one of Sri Lanka’s musical titans. But this is where many minds were guided and moulded through music and performance arts to greatness: The Khemadasa Foundation. Khemadasa Foundation is named for its founder: Master Premasiri Khemadasa who passed away in Oct 2008. more..

Nov 14 (GV) The constitution is perhaps the most read official document in SL today. Subjected to selective reading, a few of its words and sentences have been gaining some strange interpretations. Amidst an unprecedented political crisis, we Sri Lankans are caught up in a war of constitutional interpretations as well. Since this war of constitutional interpretations has reached the Supreme Court, I was wondering what arguments lawyers for the petitioners and the state more..

Nov 14 (CT) What is important in understanding the provisions of the Constitution in respect of the powers and functions of the Prez with regard to the dissolution of Parliament is to read carefully the provisions objectively and without preconceived values or advocacy. As Sir Garfield Barwick said, read the language of the constitution itself and I must add – without dragging into what others’ have said, or what must have been desirable given political objectives or intentions in a particular more..

Nov 14 (SO) Alexander the Great was once gifted a gem, which he had never seen before. The precious stone took a greenish colour, and proving how much he loved the gem he wanted to look at it again before going to bed, the same day. Surprisingly, it wasn’t the stone he checked during the day. Instead of the green colour the stone flashed a reddish tint. Alexander’s immediate thought was that he had been cheated by more..

Nov 14 (CT) It is not surprising, if still depressing, that the discourse roused by the current crisis is so partisan. Only now it seems is there wide concern about the ambiguous nature of several constitutional provisions, only now are there worries about people moving from one side to the other for personal gain, whether in the form of ministries or cash or indeed both. Back in 2015, when the 19th Amendment was introduced, several of us drew attention to the problems that would arise by the attempt, more..

Nov 14 (DN) Jeevan Thiagarajah’s story titled Why Indonesia is right to limit NGOs has induced me to add few of my own thoughts on the same subject. NGOs are nothing new to us since they have been functioning in Sri Lanka for more than six decades. They are highly complex organisations that a simple man-in-the-street will find it difficult to comprehend. In fact, even the term NGO itself has various interpretations. In simple jargon, an NGO can be defined as a non-profit, citizen-based group more..

Nov 14 (Island) Dr. Jayampathy Wickrmaratne is reported to have stated: President Maithripala Sirisena cannot dissolve Parliament to overcome the current constitutional crisis caused by the unconstitutional sacking of PM Ranil Wickremesinghe. The report also states: It is a golden rule that in interpreting a Constitution, the Constitution as a whole must be looked at, not one provision in isolation (The Island, 10th Nov. 2018). If the Constitution is to be more..

Nov 14 (CI) It has, at various moments of this tour, seemed as if this is the Test series that time forgot. It doesn't have the history of the Ashes; it doesn't have the audience of contests against India and, for the first few weeks, there was more talk about rain than runs. Number of travelling England supporters has also halved since the last tour here and world cricket's headlines have been dominated instead by the Women's World T20 and Cricket Australia's apparently endless desire to rip itself apart. more..

Nov 14 (DN) Path to drug addiction begins with the voluntary act of using drugs and over time, a person’s ability to choose not to do so becomes compromised. Seeking and taking the drug becomes compulsive. According to medical experts, this is mostly due to the effects of long-term drug exposure on the function of the brain. Addiction affects parts of the brain involved with reward and motivation, learning and memory, and control more..

Nov 14 (Island) President Sirisena has been crafting his own October revolution in Sri Lanka, sacking a PM, appointing a new one (who probably did not command support in Parliament), proroguing Parliament, reconvening Parliament, denying any attempt to dissolve Parliament and finally dissolving that august Assembly, a little over three years into its five-year term. A revolution it certainly is because the President dismissed the winner of the August 2015 general elections and more..

Nov 14 (Island) The political events of the last fortnight that created a change in power structures in the country may bear significance in the short term, but will be unlikely to mark a significant turn in historical terms. In a nutshell, the events marked a simple path correction triggered by the apparent dawning on the President of the dishonesty and anti-national agenda of the 2015 conspiracy. The realisation appears to have prompted him to use his executive powers to free the country from more..

Nov 14 (CT) National Council of Road Safety (NCRS) said that it would receive three Computerized Driving Aids for test drivers to follow, as a predefined drive cycle used during testing. The aid kits were from Japan. NCRS Chairman, Dr. Sisira Kodagoda said each machine costing over Rs 15 million would be set up at the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation. He said that measures would be taken to negotiate with Dept of Motor Traffic more..

Nov 14 (Island) The Supreme Court has issued an interim order suspending the dissolution of Parliament till Dec. 07. This is not what President Maithripala Sirisena and his allies bargained for. His rivals have declared victory prematurely. People are agog with curiosity; thankfully they remain calm and quiet. The sooner this dispute is brought to an end, the better. It has overshadowed all other issues. Nobody seems to care two hoots about the economic front. more..

Nov 14 (DN) As Sri Lanka’s cricket fortunes continue on a downward slide under head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, the latest setback to hit the team was the resignation of the team manager Charith Senanayake midway during the ongoing three-Test series against England. According to reports appearing in the media Senanayake has been targeted as the scapegoat for the team’s poor performances whereas he has nothing to do with the preparation of the team which is more..

Nov 14 (FT) Deputy Leader of the UNP, Sajith Premadasa speaking at the Supreme Court complex in Hulftsdorp yesterday said he firmly believes that fairness and justice will be achieved through the judiciary of the country. President’s dissolution of Parliament is a violation of the country’s constitution and this would lead to anarchy in the country, he said. “We firmly believe that we will receive justice and the fair play more..

Nov 14 (CT) Strengthening cross-border electricity cooperation in South Asia can be part of the solution for providing adequate, reliable and inexpensive electricity availability, Public Utilities Commission of SL Chairman, Saliya Mathew said. Addressing the third meeting of the SAARC Council of Experts of energy regulation in Colombo, he said that increased electricity cooperation and electricity trade among countries can bring economies of scale in investments, strengthen electricity sector more..

Nov 14 (Island) Sampath Bank achieved Rs.14.2 billion in Profit Before Tax (PBT) within the first 3 quarters of 2018, 20.3% higher than the PBT of Rs.11.8 billion recorded in the corresponding period in the previous year. This is a significant achievement particularly given the challenging macroeconomic conditions that were seen throughout this period. Profit After Tax (PAT) too grew by 13.6% YoY to reach Rs.9.6 billion for the nine months ended 30th Sept 2018, more..

Nov 14 (FT) Three veterans have been appointed to lead three state banks following the appointment of Finance & Economic Affairs Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa who was also made the PM by Prez Sirisena. Business leader Neil Umagiliya has been appointed Chairman of Bank of Ceylon, Sujatha Cooray has been named Chairperson of People’s Bank and W.A. Nalini will serve as Chairperson of National Savings Bank. more..

Nov 14 (DN) Fueled by topline growth across all of its key business segments, leading diversified conglomerate Hayleys PLC posted a 65% Year-on-Year (YoY) increase in turnover up to Rs. 103 billion for the six months period ending 30 Sept 2018. The Group posted strong operating profits which expanded to Rs.6.8billion from Rs 3.2 billion in the corresponding period. The Group incurred an increased net finance cost of Rs.5 billion, mainly due to the inclusion of Singer Group, more..

Nov 14 (Island) Mahaweli Authority officials said yesterday filling of the Kaluganga reservoir of Moragahakanda-Kaluganga irrigation project, the last of the Mahaweli schemes was at a satisfactory level. Filling of the reservoir was inaugurated under the auspices of Prez Sirisena in July. They said by next January the job would be completed and it would enable to supply water to irrigate paddy fields during the periods with less rain. Prez visited the Mahaweli Authority on an inspection tour more..

Nov 14 (NYT) SL’s Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked the president from dissolving Parliament, raising the possibility that the former prime minister could reclaim the post after weeks of unnerving political drama. Sri Lanka has been in crisis since late last month, when Prez Sirisena abruptly fired PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, accusing him of being inept and corrupt. He then swore in a new PM: Mahinda Rajapaksa, a popular more..

Nov 14 (Island) Two prominent Bhikkhu organisations yesterday urged President Maithripala Sirisena to hold a referendum immediately to let the people decide whether they approved of the dissolution of Parliament. Ven. Murutththettuwe Ananda Thera said that there were sinister forces in overdrive to deprive the people of the victory they had achieved. "The best way out is for the President to consult the people directly at a referendum because sovereignty resides in them." more..

Nov 14 (FT) PM Mahinda Rajapaksha met with officials of the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU) on 12 Nov along with Prof. G.L. Peiris, Minister Faiszer Musthapha and Mohamed Muzamil from the Jathikka Nithas Peramuna. ACJU Secretary As-Shiek M.I.M. Mubark presided over the meeting. Youth leader As-Shiek Arkam Moulavi, Moulavi Thassim and other executive committee members participated in the event. The gathering, organised by Minister Musthapha, was held at more..

Nov 14 (DM) The govt said Speaker has no legal right to reconvene parliament today and that it would make a decision this morning regarding its MPs attending parliament. Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva said their counsels were still studying the Supreme Court’s interim order given suspending parliament dissolution. “After seeking legal opinion and having further discussion at our group leaders meeting this morning, we will more..

Nov 14 (CT) SL women’s team was comprehensively beaten by South Africa women’s team during their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup match played at Darren Sammy Int'l Cricket Stadium in St. Lucia yesterday. SL batted first and were able to score only 99 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in their 20 overs, which was a below par score on that wicket. Sashikala Siriwardane was the top scorer. The middle batter scored 21 runs in 27 balls with one six and two fours. more..

Nov 14 (Island) Former NPC Minister Ananthi Sasitharan has met Sasirekha, widow of LTTE political wing leader S. Thamilselvan, and asked her to enter active politics. Sources said that Sasitharan informed Sasirekha of her plans to form a new political party called Tamil Party for Autonomous Rule and that party would join NPC Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran’s TMK Party to contest future elections. Sasitharan said that Thamilselvan had been a leader who had a following among more..

Nov 14 (DN) The power struggle inside the UNP continues over who should lead its future course as moves are being orchestrated by some members to stop Ranil Wickremesinghe from running again as the party’s leader. Meanwhile, some members from the UNP-led coalition, the UNF, including MP Champika Ranawaka said they will form a leadership council to achieve victory in the forthcoming General Election. more..