Sep 30 (Island) 16 years ago, I met a child soldier. He had a T-56 and was cocky. The A9 had opened up a few months ago, and taking it to Jaffna with a group of journalists, we encountered a checkpoint manned by the LTTE, past Omanthai. The children at the checkpoint, with guns strung around their torso loosely, were in the LTTE’s signature fatigue. Hostile and demanding, they curtly instructed our driver to provide the documentation to enter the area, which at the time the LTTE provided. more..

Sep 30 (ST) Colombo’s Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith’s controversial statement on human rights set off a political storm this week, with both Govt and Opposition figures weighing in. The Cardinal, who has made several controversial statements about various subjects in the recent past, said during the morning service last Sunday that human rights had become the latest religion of Western nations. more..

Sep 30 (SO) The Ceylon National Chamber of Industries (CNCI) in its proposals for budget 2019 has called upon the government to formulate a Customs and Excise Duty structure to create a level playing field for local industries. Chamber seeks to increase the current Cess for imports under the HS Code 3905.12, 3905.21, 3903.90.10, 3906.10.10, 3906.90.10, 3910000 and 32082010 by 5% to safeguard local manufacturers. more..

Sep 30 (Island) President Maithripala Sirisena came under severe criticism from the war-time general Sarath Fonseka for announcing in New York that political and military leadership fled abroad fearing Tiger bombings in Colombo. Minister Sarath Fonseka dismissed Sirisena’s claim in New York last week that the country’s military and political leadership were out of the island in the final two weeks of the war in May 2009. more..

Sep 30 (NR) The Department of Railways says there will be no change in the minimum price and the percentage of season tickets following the train ticket revisions that will come into effect from tomorrow. Department said accordingly the minimum prices of Rs.10 for third class, Rs.20 for second class and Rs.40 for first class will remain unchanged. According to the new price revisions the ticket prices will be revised, more..

Sep 30 (SO) Colombo will be transformed into a world class Smart City for South Asia through the port city on which already 90% of land-filling has been completed and land reclamation to be completed by mid next year, Assistant General Manager, CHEC Port City, Colombo, Simon Tham told the 31st Annual Conference on Innovative Digitisation organized by the Organisation of Professional Associations of SL in Colombo more..

Sep 30 (DM) The scheduled Scotland Yard training programme for IGP Pujith Jayasundera, had been postponed, Law and Order Deputy Minister Nalin Bandara said. The IGP, who is facing an investigation over allegations levelled against him, was scheduled to leave for the UK today. However, the training has been postponed due to the top level instruction. Deputy Minister Bandara, Ministry Secretary Padmasiri Jayamanne, more..

Sep 30 (EN) Deputy Minister Ranjan Ramanayake has drawn the attention of the Supreme Court to his complaint against the conduct of the former chief justice as there has been no response for almost a month. The minister addressed a reminder to Chief Justice Priyasath Dep expressing the hope that the Chief Justice may have already initiated an inquiry although Ramanayake himself had not been informed about it. more..

Sep 30 (ST) The Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) head DIG Nalaka Silva sought commando training for a group of policemen in his organisation, STF Commandant has told the CID. DIG M.R. Latiff, who heads the commando arm of the Police, has said in a statement to CID detectives that a request for specialised training had been forwarded to him with the approval of the Police Chief, Pujith Jayasundera. more..

Sep 30 (Island) President Maithripala Sirisena’s appeal to the 72nd annual session of the UNGA last week to permit Sri Lanka to resolve on its own issues facing the country could go down well at the next session of the UNHRC provided there was meaningful progress on transitional justice, diplomatic sources said. When asked why Sirisena- Wickremesinghe govt had been pressurized into co-sponsoring UNHRC Resolution more..

Sep 30 (SO) In spite of the Supreme Court ruling ordering the Sri Lanka Medical Council to register SAITM graduates, Minister of Higher Education Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe yesterday appeared to be siding with the GMOA, saying he would still urge graduates of the beleaguered private medical college to undergo yet another 10-month training at the Kotalawela Defence University (KDU). more..