Sep 9 (DM) Responding allegations of retired Army officers, that they were not contended with the battle alertness of the Army at present, Army Commander Mahesh Senanayake said that no one could review the Army's strength after having gone on retirement years ago, “They have no moral right to do so,” he said. He said the SL Army, with the dedicated objective of strengthening it further when necessary had consulted more..

Sep 9 (CT) Last week the Indian Supreme Court took a landmark decision which Human Rights activists across the region are praying would have a cascading effect in their countries, so that people discriminated against for their sexual preferences would be safeguarded. On 6 Sept India’s highly respected Supreme Court unanimously struck down the archaic law which criminalizes consensual same-sex relations. more..

Sep 9 (AD) Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero has been transferred from Sri J'pura General Hospital (SJGH) to the prison hospital, today, said SJGH hospital director Dr. Susitha Senaratne. Thero, who is currently serving 6-year prison sentence, had been transferred to the Prisons Hospital on August 30 after undergoing surgery at the J'pura Hospital. However, thero was once again transferred back to SJGH on more..

Sep 9 (EN) A complaint to the Supreme Court against the conduct of former chief justice Sarath Silva may have unwittingly triggered a knotty question – should English take precedence over Sinhala -- in unravelling what promises to be thorny constitutional issue. Deputy Minister Ranjan Ramanayake set the ball rolling when he lodged a formal complaint with Chief Justice Priyasath Dep over Silva’s alleged violation of constitution more..

Sep 9 (DM) A tense situation prevailed when Minister Champika Ranawaka held a discussion this morning at Wanathawilluwa Divisional Secretariat on the Aruwakkalu Hygienic Solid Waste Disposal Project (AHSWDP) in Puttalam. He was in discussion with members of the Pradeshiya Sabha and Divisional Secretary of Wanathawilluwa last morning when a group of villagers staged a protest against more..

Sep 9 (CT) Powerful Govt politicians have stalled the Cabinet Paper to award the Tender for the construction of the 100 Mw Wind Power Plant in Mannar, which could provide electricity at the lowest cost in the world per unit. Tender was to be awarded to world-renowned Danish wind turbine manufacturer, Vestas Asia Pacific A/S. It is learnt that VestasAsia Pacific A/S submitted the lowest bid when international bids were called more..

Sep 9 (ST) A rampant Sri Lanka outplayed Singapore 69-50 on Sunday in the final of the M1 Asian Netball Championship at the OCBC Arena to win their first Asian title since 2009. The young Sri Lankan side showed that they had the depth to complement their 2.08m goal-shooter Tharjini Sivalingam with three other players in the starting XI standing over 1.8m. "I'm so proud of my team now and I'm very happy," said more..

Sep 9 (ST) A Cabinet paper presented by Wildlife Minister Sarath Fonseka had erred in stating the Govt will issue AK-47 rifles — a select fire weapon capable of fully automatic fire — to solve the human-elephant conflict. What will be imported are 2,568 semi-automatic SAR-40 rifles from China, to be issued to Civil Security Department (CSD) personnel and Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) officers, for more..

Sep 10 (CT) Ranil, oh, Ranil, I cringed with shame, listening to your speech made at the 72nd anniversary of the UNP. Later I thought to myself, “Why should I be ashamed, I’m not your wife or child!” But, why did I cringe? Because you are the only viscerally conscious liberal democrat in current politics in Sri Lanka. Regardless of your good and bad, rights and wrongs, I believed that you are the only current politician who was futuristic. Because I stood up for you when Sirisena et al more..

Sep 10 (SO) Sept 5, 2018 was supposed to be much more than just a mass mobilisation of support for former President Rajapaksa and his proxy party known as the SLPP. Janabalaya, organised by the SLPP youth wing, was also about a passing of the torch. Over a decade long presidency, Mahinda Rajapaksa groomed his eldest son Namal to be his successor in politics. The second boy, Yoshitha, dreamt of a military career, the youngest Rohitha dabbled in aerospace engineering. more..

Sep 10 (SO) The Chief Justice who is the apex authority of the Council of Legal Education has appointed a three-member committee to conduct an inquiry against several Law College students who behaved in an unruly manner last week, even taking the Law College Principal hostage and locking her in a room for nearly 24 hours. According to highly placed sources the council meeting after considering the reports submitted by the Principal of Law more..

Sep 10 (CT) Last week I attended a seminar on this topic presented by Professor Manfred Steger from the department of sociology, Uni of Hawaii where I studied for my Master’s degree in the late 70s. It was presented at the Institute of Culture and Society, Western Sydney uni. He has analysed campaign speeches by President Donald Trump by using discourse analysis. Several key points from his seminar are worth mentioning. According to Prof. Steger, Globalisation has an objective and more..

Sep 10 (ST) This was no Arab Spring where a downtrodden people rose in unison and, with concerted dedication and genuineness of purpose, succeeded in bringing down to the ground and trampling in the dust dictatorial regimes in the Middle East. This was more a party, Sri Lankan style, a capital day out in Colombo where all had a jolly good time — a politically sponsored orgy of fun, sing song and dance followed by a sleep over at Galle Face Green which left them all with a splitting more..

Sep 10 (SO) Over the years, since its introduction in 1978, criticisms against the Executive Presidency have been mounting with consecutive govts promising to abolish it, only to fail in honouring the promises. As a result, on May 22 this year the JVP took it upon itself to present the 20th Amendment (20A) to the Constitution which seeks to abolish the Exec. Presidency in its current form while distributing the powers vested in the post between more..

Sep 10 (ST) Regardless of whatever possessed inebriated supporters of the so-called Joint Opposition to climb a lamppost in the capital and hang precariously from that perch while screaming rowdy slogans during the Rajapaksa-led peoples power march to Colombo this Wednesday, this exuberance (to put it kindly) did their political puppeteers no favours. That was just one action, some may protest. Yet, by itself, it was fairly symptomatic of the unbecoming character of more..

Sep 10 (SO) At the Fireside Chat at the Hilton the well fed and the fat, complained about their tight boots. The poor who could not go to the Hilton in their serenity read about it the next day or watched them on YouTube. Six of our country’s rich, famous and successful plutocrats took turns in informing and explaining the pitfalls and the price of amassing amazing wealth. Some called it an oligarch’s chat. Oligarchs are those who receive and exist on state patronage. more..

Sep 10 (Island) President Maithripala Sirisena has come to terms with reality. He has gone on record as saying that the head of the next govt will be the Prime Minister, according to the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. Speaking at a public event in Nivitigala, on Saturday, he said the onus was on the people to elect a clean person as the next PM. The President has got it right at last, but stopped short of referring to his own position vis-à-vis that of the Prime Minister. more..

Sep 10 (ST) SL Slicers made their country proud by winning the Men’s World championship in South Korea last week. SL gained further recognition with another feather to her cap, when Parakrama Basnayake, President of the Carrom Federation of SL, was elected Vice President (VP) of the Int'l Carrom Federation at a Special General Meeting held concurrently with the 5th Carrom World Cup in South Korea. Basnayake was a former Director of Customs and is the current President of more..

Sep 10 (ST) Almost one-third of his objectives are accomplished as said by Carrom Federation of SL President, Parakrama Basnayake, but the retired Director of Customs is facing an unexpected challenge outside his purview. Basnayake, who took over the CFSL 10 months ago had many challenges and obstacles to conquer, and he methodically put the sport back on the board. With a little more to do, the most vital part more..

Sep 10 (SO) Winners and runners-up at the 30th Mahaweli Games will be presented with land in their respective places of domicile as all arrangements have been finalised to conduct the event on Sept 15 and 16 in Embilipitiya. Mahaweli director Prasad Lekamge said that the land deeds will be presented to the successful men and women as a further incentive that will encourage them to do bigger things and improve their humble lifestyles in their own places of residence. more..

Sep 10 (Island) The well-known American economist Irving Fisher wrote The Debt-Deflation Theory of Great Depressions in 1933; its full relevance is unfolding now. Though Fisher is deemed the founder of the now discredited theory of neoliberalism, this paper is seminal; debt today is an ubiquitous ailment. In mighty USA govt debt is $18 trillion or 105% of GDP and rising, Japan (250%), Italy (130%), France (95%), UK (90%) and to a degree Germany (65%). Little Greece (175%) more..

Sep 10 (Island) Governor of the Central Bank Dr. Indrajith Coomaraswamy has, recently, stated that Central Bank is to soon raise USD 250 million through the issuance of Panda Bonds. Such funds would be in addition to the Syndicated Loan of USD 1,000 million that it has already raised recently through the China Development Bank. Sri Lanka’s public debt was at a value of LKR 7,391 billion as at end 2014. more..

Sep 10 (ST) The US dollar has entered unchartered waters with money market experts unable to predict at what levels it would reach by December when import demand rises owing to Christmas and New Year demand for goods. This week the dollar hit a high of Rs. 163 and calmed down to a trading level of Rs. 161.80-161.90 on Friday. “No one knows where the dollar is heading and at what level since the Central Bank has stopped intervening in the market,” one dealer said. more..

Sep 10 (FT) Govt will continue to steam ahead on trade deal negotiations with the next round of discussions with Thailand in two weeks and a joint feasibility study for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Bangladesh set to kick off, a top official said recently. Development Strategies and Int'l Trade Ministry, Agency for Development Managing Director Mangala Yapa, speaking at the panel discussion on FTAs organised by the Young Professionals Organisation (YPO) of UNP, more..

Sep 10 (ST) The Ministry of Sports will pursue the multi-billion rupee high altitude training centre at the Nuwara Eliya Racecourse which has been put on hold by the govt over the financial viability of the project. The project which includes indoor and outdoor training facilities at an altitude of 1868m (5708 feet) estimated to cost a staggering US$ 75.5 million (Rs 12.9 billion). The money is expected to be sourced by the contractor. more..

Sep 10 (ST) SL has embarked on an ambitious trade adjustment initiative providing concessionary finance to help companies affected by competition enhance their competiveness while arming workers with tools to re-skill them. This will enable the smooth transformation of firms and workers to the new market conditions created by trade liberalisation, Finance Ministry sources said adding that it provides protection for employees and firms who are likely to be affected by FTAs. more..

Sep 10 (DN) Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority’s (SLTDA) action plan for Kuchchaveli won the first place for the best sustainable tourism action plan at the High-Level Policy Forum on Tourism Development 2018, organized by the Korean govt and Korean Tourism Organization (KTO), in Seoul, last month. At the forum, participants from 10 countries were asked to present their action plans on capacity building for inclusive growth in tourism in their respective countries, as more..

Sep 10 (DN) With two days to go before the SL team embarks to Dubai for the Asia Cup fifty-over cricket tournament doubts still lingered on the fitness of batsman Dinesh Chandimal and off-spinner Akila Dananjaya. SL are due to leave on Tuesday but captain Angelo Mathews was left with the task of knowing whether two of his key players will be with him or not probably by today. Dananjaya is delaying his departure to be beside his wife more..

Sep 10 (CT) Italy’s Ambassador to SL, Paolo Andrea Bartorelli, said that now more and more of the active business community as well as tourists from his country are visiting Sri Lanka while there are positive reviews about the wonderful country and its diversity. Addressing the 19th AGM of SL–Italy Business Council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce at the Hilton Residencies on Thursday, he said there is high potential for business and trade between the two countries. more..

Sep 10 (DM) There are plenty of people to take over the leadership of UNP at the right time, Deputy Minister Ranjan Ramanayake said. Mr. Ramanayake who was responding to a question raised by journalists said there are Premadasas, Wickremesinghes, Wijewardenes, Dissanayakes, Senanayakes and even Ramanayakes and Rahamans to take over the party. “All those who are in the party that have been seen as leaders of future generations are given opportunities to work. more..

Sep 10 (Island) A longstanding disagreement between the CEB and the Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) on the Least Cost Long Term Generation Expansion Plan (LCLTGEP) 2020 -2039 is coming to an end with the CEB agreeing to attend meetings with the PUCSL following some changes the regulator has made to the CEB activity plan. Meetings between the two parties were to commence on Aug 01, 2018, but more..

Sep 10 (FT) The Port of Colombo has been ranked as the world’s fastest growing port from among the top 30 container ports for the first half of 2018. In container handling, the Port of Colombo recorded a 15.6% growth for the first half of 2018 according to Alphaliner Monthly 2018. This the first time in history the Port of Colombo reached this rank. With this growth, the Port of Colombo has leaped ahead of many other Asian ports, major European ports and Dubai. more..

Sep 10 (FT) Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Kapila Waidyaratne, who was in Russia on an official visit, met Russia’s Deputy Minister of Defence Colonel General Alexander Fomin last week. During the meeting Secretary Waidyaratne and the Russian Deputy Minister had cordial discussions on matters of bilateral importance including military technical cooperation. An agreement was also signed by both parties on military cooperation during the visit. more..

Sep 10 (CT) Preventive steps were taken yesterday by the relevant authorities to repair a fuel leak on the pipeline carrying fuel from tankers to the Muthurajawela Petroleum Storage Terminal Ltd., (CPSTL), after it burst on Saturday evening. Leak was reported by Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) to the SL Navy, which deployed a special response team comprising over 300 Navy and Coast Guard officers to take more..

Sep 10 (Island) President Maithripala Sirisena’s decision not to hold a presidential election before the due date was judicious, former President Rajapaksa said. "Prez Sirisena has said that he will not hold the presidential election even a day before the scheduled day. As someone who held a presidential election two years earlier and suffered the consequences, I can only agree with that statement. This is also a clear sign that Sirisena has learnt a lesson from my experience," Rajapaksa said. more..

Sep 10 (CT) Western Province Chief Minister Isura Dewapriya has misused public money for unnecessary expenses and built a sophisticated door for the entrance to the lobby of new provincial council premises at a cost of Rs 15 million, alleged JVP Provincial Council Member Lakshman Nipunaarachchi. He said that the door had been made similar to the main door at the entrance to the parliamentary lobby and the gold coloured door had been decorated with sculptures of Kotte era. more..

Sep 10 (SO) Western Provincial Council (WPC) that was embroiled in controversy due to the ordering of super luxury chairs for its members has again come to the limelight with JVP councillor Lakshman Nipunarachchi claiming that a thumping Rs. 15 million has been spent on the new chamber door. He said that although the information that he received was unofficial, it was through a very reliable source. The door - gold plated, with more..

Sep 10 (Island) President Maithripala Sirisena says that the political parties and politicians, preoccupied with the next presidential election, should try to find someone who is above board as the next prime minister. Sirisena said that the need of the hour was to find an honest person who upheld SL values to function as the next PM. He said that nobody could decide when the next presidential election would be held as it was his prerogative to do so. He said that he would not hold presidential polls more..

Sep 10 (Hindu) In an indication of warming of ties, former SL President Mahinda Rajapaksa will visit New Delhi this week and hold important discussions. Mr. Rajapaksa, who is credited with ending the reign of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam with the military operations from 2006 to 2009, will deliver a public lecture on India-Sri Lanka relation: the way ahead organised by the Virat Hindustan Sangam, led by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy. He is likely to meet PM Narendra Modi, more..