Nov 17 (CI) The Test captaincy of England is not like the Test captaincy of Sri Lanka. On the smaller island, the captaincy is a vexed and volatile thing, thrust upon you on Monday, snatched from your grasp the next week, with a raucous win, a haunting defeat, a disciplinary suspension and a furious war with the board in between. When a new captain is appointed, you may not know whether they will be very good, more..

Nov 17 (CT) Adheesha Dissanayake of Gateway College who recorded four wins became the youngest member of SL’s Under 18 Scrabble team. He was ahead of the rest at a selection tournament that was concluded recently. Adheesha will be part of a ten member SL Scrabble team that will take part in the World Youth Scrabble Championship in Dubai in Dec 2018. Adheesha is currently the under 10 world champion. SL team will also include Aabid Ismail defending WESPA Youth champion more..

Nov 17 (CT) MPs Wasantha Senanayake and Vadivel Suresh have assumed duties as the Minister of Wildlife and Tourism, and Minister of Plantation Industries, respectively, in the current Govt, said MP Rohitha Abeygunawardena. This was said by him at a SLPP Media briefing at the Party headquarters. When queried by journalists whether switching to and fro between Parties was ethical, he replied that this was definitely a serious problem. There is a serious problem in this sort of behaviour. more..

Nov 17 (FT) A second vote on the no confidence motion against MP Mahinda Rajapaksa passed yesterday with Speaker Karu Jayasuriya being forced to conduct the session from behind a human shield as Rajapaksa loyalists unleashed havoc in the House. Regardless of Prez Sirisena’s promise to party leaders on Thursday night to allow the vote to pass uninterrupted, UPFA MP Arundika Fernando occupied Speaker’s more..

Nov 17 (FT) Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) Group has reported an impressive year-on-year (YoY) growth of 23.4% in its Net Profit After Tax of Rs. 3.99 billion in the last nine months. The continued revenue growth of the group has largely contributed to the improvements of the net profits. Backed by all the revenue streams including fixed voice, data, mobile, carrier businesses, television and the corporate business segment the Group record Rs. 60.1 billion revenue with 6.6% YoY growth during more..

Nov 17 (DN) The 26th edition of SL Hand Gun Nationals 2018 organised by the International Practical Shooting Confederation of Sri Lanka (IPSC) under the patronage of National Rifle Association of SL will be held from Nov 30 to Dec 2 at SL Army Shooting Range Complex, Panaluwa. Around 250 shooters from SL Army, Navy, Air Force, Police and 13 civil clubs will showcase their talents in the events of standard guns, production guns, production optical guns, more..

Nov 17 (Island) Colombo suburb of Delkanda was the chosen location for the launching of the first in a series of super markets under the Glomark label by major business conglomerate Softlogic Holdings PLC. ‘Four more are expected to be set up over the next four or five months. Eventually, ten more will be added to this number of super markets in the city and the suburbs. The extraordinary feature was that each of the Glomark retail more..

Nov 17 (Forbes) Asia’s technology industry has traditionally (almost stereotypically) become known for its outsourcing capabilities. More specifically, India has outstripped even China (Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines are also strong) in the provision of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) i.e. the provision of back office business systems functions such as finance, data crunching etc. as well as the more front office functions such as customer contact center services. more..

Nov 17 (Island) Former MP Kumara Welgama condemned the manner in which Speaker Karu Jayasuriya had handled parliamentary proceedings on Thursday and if he had done so in a proper manner, the chaotic situation in the House could have been avoided. Welgama said that some MPs of the SLFP who clashed in Parliament disregarding the advice given by the seniors had acted in a despicable manner. He said it was wrong for UPFA to continue to claim to be the ruling party more..

Nov 17 (DN) Filing a motion before the Supreme Court, Prof. G.L. Peiris and four others sought a fuller Bench comprising more than five Judges of the Supreme Court to hear Fundamental Rights petitions which challenged the Gazette notification issued by the President to dissolve Parliament. Intervenient petitioners including Prof. G.L. Peiris, PHU leader Udaya Gammanpila, Prof. Channa Jayasumana, Premanath Dolawatta and more..

Nov 17 (Island) Colombo Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne put off a case filed against the former General Manager of the CWE Wimal Perera for Dec. 16 as the 11th witness in the case and former minister Ravi Karunanayake failed to appear before court. CIABOC has sued Perera for misappropriation of funds to the tune of several millions during the period 2001-2002 for importing rice for the CWE. Karunanayake’s Counsel informed the court that his client was not in a position to appear before more..

Nov 17 (Island) Under a new Colombo Plan project, a 19-member team of Sport Scientists from Edith Cowan Uni in Australia will spend two weeks in SL collaborating with counterparts at the Uni of Sri J'pura exchanging views and transferring expertise. "This is a wonderful opportunity for academics to get to know each other, strengthen people-to-people contact, learn of each other’s history, culture and way of life while imparting knowledge to achieve high order outcomes in the field of sport" more..

Nov 17 (CT) The JVP, claimed that the appointed PM Mahinda Rajapaksa should take the responsibility for yesterday’s violence in Parliament, as he failed to control his followers from breaching Parliamentary conventions and behaving in an unruly manner. Addressing a media briefing, after the unfortunate incident that occurred in the Chamber, JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that if Rajapaksa truly wanted to bring more..

Nov 17 (DN) The members of Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) yesterday appeared before the Court of Appeal to show cause why they should not be punished for contempt of Court for their failure to register a student of the SAITM in Malabe in terms of the Court of Appeal judgment. The matter was fixed for Nov 30 and the members of SLMC were advised to appear in Court on next hearing date. The Court of Appeal bench comprised Justice (President) Preethi Padman Surasena and more..

Nov 17 (EN) Profits at Sri Lanka's largest bank, state-owned Bank of Ceylon, grew 26 percent from a year earlier to 5.4 billion rupees in the September quarter despite higher costs, bad loan provisioning and transfers to the govt, interim accounts showed. Earnings for the nine months to end September was 12.9 billion rupees, down 12.3% from a year earlier as net interest income grew 8.8% to 49.4 billion rupees, unaudited accounts filed with the Colombo Stock Exchange showed. more..

Nov 17 (FT) Prez Sirisena has refused to accept the second vote on the no confidence motion yesterday, setting the stage for the constitutional deadlock to continue into next week. Despite three weeks lapsing since President Sirisena replaced sitting PM Ranil Wickremesinghe with former President Rajapaksa, the constitutional crisis remains at a stalemate with the Executive refusing to accept the decisions of Parliament. more..

Nov 17 (LBO) Norway extended to support up to 30 million NOK (US$ 3.5 million) to expand the ongoing project on Local Empowerment through Economic Development and Reconciliation (LEED+) implemented by ILO. Ambassador of Norway to SL Thorbjørn Gaustadsæther and Country Director of the Int'l Labour Organization (ILO) Simrin Singh signed the agreement yesterday. This project is jointly-funded by Australia and Norway, and it aims to improve sustainable livelihoods for more..

Nov 17 (CT) Committee for Protecting the Rights of Prisoners will hand over a petition to foreign diplomatic missions stationed locally, including the UN local headquarters, seeking the arrest of Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne. Wijegunaratne, who is a former Commander of the Navy, was previously ordered by Colombo Fort Chief Magistrate, Ranga Dissanayake to be arrested by the CID for allegedly aiding and abetting former Lieutenant Commander of the Navy, more..

Nov 17 (FT) Mahinda Rajapaksa loyalists rejected that Prez Sirisena had made a promise at the party leaders meeting on Thursday night to allow an undisrupted vote for the no confidence motion in Parliament. Addressing media well before the House assembled in the afternoon, MP Dayasiri Jayasekara confirmed that President Sirisena’s intention was different, and gave no assurance to party leaders during the meeting. more..

Nov 17 (CT) Lanka Private Bus Owner’s Association (LPBOA) called for a presidential elections, after 8 Jan 2019, to be held under a caretaker Govt with representatives from all political parties. Chairman of the LPBOA, Gemunu Wijeratne said that he had backed incumbent Prez Sirisena’s campaign in 2015 when he contested the presidential elections as the common candidate. “Our Union was amongst those trade unions and organizations which backed his campaign and supported him.” more..

Nov 17 (SLA) In a gesture of goodwill, the Sri Lanka Army has once again released a total of 56.8 acres of land in the general area of Mundimurippu jungle on Wednesday (14). The two blocks of land (37.1 acres and 19.7 acres) had earlier been used for security purposes by 20 SL Sinha Regiment troops of the Security Forces Headquarters - Wanni (SFHQ-W). The official documents pertaining to the land release was handed over to the District Secretary of Mullaithivu, more..

Nov 17 (FT) A deeply moved MP Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday lamented over what he termed as the destruction of Sri Lanka’s democracy by MPs loyal to MP Mahinda Rajapaksa and condemned their actions while pledging to restore democracy. “This is a blow to democracy; it is a blow to all of us who are voters in Sri Lanka in whom the sovereignty lies,” he told reporters after Parliament was adjourned. more..

Nov 17 (CT) There is an ethical code of conduct that all the Parliamentarians are required to abide by, respecting the tradition of Parliament. However, transgressing the traditions and customs of the House is often witnessed in developing countries and SL Parliament is one of the top places in the world where the unruly, boisterous and unbecoming behaviour by the Honourable Parliamentarians is recurrently shown, making it an abode to a dishonourable rabble. more..

Nov 17 (DM) As a student of politics, I have read a number of times Dr. N.M. Perera’s thesis, A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE 1978 CONSTITUTION, as I love it and its revolutionary author, unreservedly. However, to refresh my memory once again, I went through it a few hours ago as my MOTHERLAND is undergoing a deep Constitutional crisis, endangering the democratic system of govt. In this thesis, the LSSP leader has predicted the evils of the Presidential system more..

Nov 17 (CI) At tea, this was shaping to be a classic. Sri Lanka needed 82 to win, with five wickets in hand, and Angelo Mathews was batting like the colossus he used to be several years ago. But in the 20 deliveries bowled after tea, England took two monumental strides, and the game's outlook was transformed. The first blow after the break was struck by Moeen Ali, who had bowled beautifully just before the break as well. more..

Nov 17 (DM) With intolerance and a lack of respect for the principle of unity in diversity causing an unprecedented political and Constitutional crisis in Sri Lanka, the United Nations yesterday marked the International Day for Tolerance. In a statement, the UN says it is committed to strengthening tolerance by fostering mutual understanding among cultures and people. This imperative lies at the core of the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. more..

Nov 17 (DM) JVP MP Vijitha Herath said that right now there is no constitutionally elected government, a cabinet or a Prime Minister and therefore, public servants must be extremely careful when carrying out orders from pseudo ministers. “They may claim to be Ministers, but none of them have been appointed or elected in accordance with the provisions laid down in the Constitution and therefore their orders to state institutions and public officials are illegal”, he said. more..

Nov 17 (AFP) Sri Lanka’s largest political party Saturday asked Facebook to protect the identity of its supporters, fearing a crackdown by what it called the illegal govt. The Indian Ocean nation has been in crisis since last month with two men claiming to be PM, MPs brawling in parliament and the administration paralyzed. It began on October 26 when President Sirisena sacked Ranil Wickremesinghe as premier & replaced him more..

Nov 17 (AD) MPs of the UNF have held discussion with Speaker Karu Jayasuriya. The meeting took place at the Speaker’s official residence last night. The discussion reportedly focused on the motion of no confidence brought against PM Mahinda Rajapaksa and the govt. Speaking to the reporters after the meeting concluded, SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem said that incumbent govt has zero power and that the Speaker has notified the President in writing with regard to appointing a new PM. more..

Nov 17 (NR) A special discussion will be held between the Leader of the Opposition R Sampanthan and Prez Sirisena tomorrow. According to the TNA, Prez has invited Opposition Leader Sampanthan and members of the TNA for a round of discussions pertaining to the present political crisis in the country. The meeting is slated to be held at 5pm tomorrow. TNA, along with constituent parties of UNF, JVP and SLMC have continuously opposed Prez’s appointment of Mahinda Rajapaksa more..

Nov 17 (EN) Speaker Karu Jayasuriya resisted ordering police into parliament on Friday, but changed his mind 42 minutes after being denied entry into the chamber by an aggressive mob of MPs who occupied his desk and chair. Official sources said the 78-year-old Jayasuriya was offered a specialized STF unit trained in anti-hijacking and hostage rescue operations to clear the way for his entry into the House accompanied by the mace. more..

Nov 17 (Island) Former MP Kumara Welgama condemned the manner in which Speaker Karu Jayasuriya had handled parliamentary proceedings on Thursday and if he had done so in a proper manner, the chaotic situation in the House could have been avoided. Welgama said that some MPs of the SLFP who clashed in Parliament disregarding the advice given by the seniors had acted in a despicable manner. He said it was wrong for the UPFA to continue to claim to be the ruling more..

Nov 17 (Island) Jewels show will be held on Nov 17 and 18, at Hotel Taj Samudra followed by Jewels talk at Ivy room, Hotel Cinnamon Grand on Nov 19 from 9.30 am to 12.30 p.m. Entry tickets for the Ivy room event is priced at SLR 7000/- could be obtained at the entrance. Two world renowned guest speakers will deliver lectures relevant to the Gemmological aspects of sapphire and world market trends. National Gem & Jewellery Authority provides sponsorship every year for the event. more..

Nov 17 (CT) One of Sri Lanka’s traditional art forms, String Puppet Drama of Ambalangoda, has been recommended by the UNESCO to be inscribed in the UNESCO representative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). Consultant in preparing nominations seeking the UNESCO status, Professor Emeritus of the Kelaniya Uni, Prof. B.D. Nandadeva said that every two years the UNESCO requests for nominations from more..

Nov 17 (Island) The 2019 Financial Statement of the Western Province Provincial Council is scheduled to be presented by Chief Minister Isura Devapriya, on Nov 19 at 9.30 at the new Council Chamber located on the 12th floor of the newly constructed Western Province Provincial Council Office Complex at No, 204, Denzil Kobbekaduwa Mawatha, Battaramulla. This Financial Statement is the fifth Financial Statement of the Sixth Provincial Council of the Western Province, and more..

Nov 17 (CT) Around 2,000 patients died last year from renal failure while awaiting kidney transplants, a research study involving academics in forensic medicine, Judicial Medical Officers (JMOs) noted. In Tissue Donation and Transplantation Programme in SL: A Medico-Legal Point of View by A.N. Vaidysinghe, P.B. Dassanayake, D.H. Edussuirya and M.J.F. Rukshana, published in Number One of Volume Nine of the May 2018 edition of Science and Law of the SL Journal of Forensic Medicine, more..

Nov 17 (AD) UPFA MP Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena says that the Speaker had accepted the motion of no confidence against PM Rajapaksa before even 10 minutes had passed and that he has never seen this happen before in his 25 years in the Parliament. He said that the Speaker has acted in this manner despite the ongoing case being heard in the Supreme Court. He also said that the Speaker should respectfully resign if more..

Nov 17 (ST) The Vice Chancellor of the University of Peradeniya Upul Dissanayake, said the institute needed to update its programmes from micro-technology to nanotechnology to be in step with international standards and if it wished to attract foreign students to its courses. He said that facilities were needed to develop and expand nano technology and nuclear science in order to raise the existing standards to international levels. He added these standards could be reached by more..

Nov 17 (Island) The ACMC which has five MPs in Parliament, hailed Speaker Karu Jayasuriya for his courageous stand against anti-democratic forces. It also called for a high level inquiry into the incidents that took place in Parliament yesterday. "ACMC hails the bravery of Speaker Jayasuriya who dared violence against our august House that sprung today. This violence was the most shameful conduct seen in our Parliament to date and a red letter day for the decorum of our Parliament. more..

Nov 17 (DM) UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa said the present crisis would become complicated if he was appointed PM. “There are two PMs already and if a third is appointed things would become more complicated,” Mr. Premadasa said in response to a question raised by journalists at the Parliamentary complex last afternoon. Later, responding to the same question asked during a media briefing he said one must not believe more..