Sep 15 (CT) Gampaha Police arrested the suspect who murdered a couple and their three and a half year old daughter at their house in the Galpotta area in Udugampola, Gampaha. The suspect had a previous warrant issued against him by the Monaragala Magistrate's Court for a similar murder case. The family was murdered to gain the familiy's property unlawfully. Suspect had stolen the vehicle and several jewellery items from the house after killing the family, which were also discovered more..

Sep 15 (FT) Making a landmark statement before the 30th Session of the UNHRC in Geneva yesterday, Minister Mangala Samaraweera articulated Govt plans for justice and reconciliation, shortly after a top UN official underscored the importance of keeping international focus on the country to ensure a credible accountability process. Delivering a 10 minute address, Minister Samaraweera made an impassioned plea to more..

Sep 15 (DM) We have a newly elected govt that is entrusted with the responsibility of resolving many long standing and pressing problems in the country. But, not all issues are equally important and some of them are more urgent than the others. It seems that there are three key challenges that the country has to overcome to ensure long term political stability, social peace and a reasonable quality of life for the vast majority of citizens. The first is the urgent task of revamping the economy more..

Sep 15 (DM) One of the major achievements the country gained during the govt with the 100-Day Programme was the recognition of people’s Right to Information (RTI). The right has been legalised not through an ordinary law but through an amendment to the Constitution-the 19th Amendment passed in Parliament on April 28, though with restrictions. The RTI has been a long standing demand by the media community as well as the civil society that has been fighting for a wider democracy. more..

Sep 15 (ST) None of the three solutions in practice for minimising human-elephant conflict are working, say vulnerable villagers, and the new Minister for Wildlife, Gamini Jayawickrema Perera, has asked for a report from officials of the 11 zones affected by the problem. A committee consisting of govt agents, assistant govt agents and Grama Sevaka Niladharis have been appointed to investigate and submit a report by Sept 22. more..

Sep 15 (CI) Roshan Mahanama, the former Sri Lanka batsman, will step down from the ICC elite match referees panel at the end of the year so that he can spend more time with his family and focus on his business activities in Sri Lanka. Mahanama joined the elite panel in 2004 and has refereed in 58 Tests, 222 ODIs and 35 T20Is till date, including in three World Cups and the Champions Trophy 2009. more..

Sep 15 (PSL) President Maithripala Sirisena says he would implement a program from next year to select the best farmers in provincial and national levels. He said he would take any possible action as a govt to empower the farming community in the govt’s program to build a self-sufficient country by making this country rich in agriculture again. President made these remarks at a discussion held at Presidential Secretariat more..

Sep 15 (SL) The CID has been informed by relatives of the late national rugby player, Wasim Thajudeen, that an unidentified group of men had approached one of Thajudeen’s uncles recently. Fayaz Latheef, the younger maternal uncle of Thajudeen, said that the group of men had visited his brother at his office. Latheef, who accompanied the Thajudeen family to Fort Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, when more..

Sep 15 (CG) TNA has had talks with British Govt and noted the need for full international participation in all mechanisms established to advance transitional justice in Sri Lanka. TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran met Hugo Swire, Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the UK on the sidelines of the UNHRC sessions. He explained TNA’s position concerning importance of full international participation more..

Sep 15 (DM) In a bid to clamp down on the vehicle imports weighing on the country’s Balance of Payment (BOP) Central Bank sent directions to all banks and finance companies imposing restrictions on loans and leases to vehicles. Directive, which comes into effect from today, the regulator bars the commercial banks and finance companies granting loans and leases in excess of the 70% of the value of vehicle. more..

Sep 15 (EN) Sri Lanka’s new govt intends to remove the military from business activity, punish security forces personnel guilty of torture and other human rights abuses and repeal a controversial anti-terrorism law. The govt will also sign and ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances without delay, Mangala Samaraweera told the UNHRC on Monday. more..

Sep 15 (DC) PM Narendra Modi met his Sri Lankan counterpart Ranil Wickremesinghe for delegation level talks. Two neighbours are expected to sign MoUs in various fields as well. Here are the highlights of Modi's speech: India-Sri Lanka have a huge stake in each other's success and stability and development in our region. I informed him of the steps we are taking to encourage Indian fishermen to take up deep sea fishing. more..

Sep 15 (DM) The National Child protection Authority (NCPA) today cautioned people and media organisations to stop publishing or sharing pictures or videos of five-year-old Seya Sadewmini on social media websites. The little girl was abducted and killed on Friday. Her body recovered from the banks of a canal nearby. Police investigations revealed that the child had been sexually abused & strangled. more..

Sep 15 (PTI) Over 50 eminent citizens from across the world today in a letter asked the UNHRC to show courage and consistency when it discusses a report this week on human rights in Sri Lanka and help bring justice to the war crime victims of the country. The letter, signed by 62 eminent personalities from diverse fields, reminds the UNHRC that just as it was necessary to set up an international inquiry, so it is now necessary to more..

Sep 15 (CT) State controlled Sunday Observer on its Sunday's issue said that PM Ranil Wickremesinghe left for New Delhi this week, coinciding with the island's human rights record also being taken up by the UNHRC in Geneva. Wickremesinghe is expected to request India's support in Geneva. Sunday Observer added that among some of the other key issues to be discussed between Wickremesinghe and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi are power devolution under more..

Sep 15 (EN) Sri Lankan shares closed slightly weaker in thin trade with foreign investors being net sellers while poultry sector stocks hit fresh highs. The All Share Price Index lost 10 points or 0.1% to close at 7,152.4 while the S&P SL 20 index, which tracks the top 20 largest and most liquid stocks, lost 4.5 points (0.1%) to close at 3,915.1. Turnover was a low 613.5 million rupees compared with the 12-months average daily turnover of 1.4 billion rupees. There were crossings or off-the-floor more..

Sep 15 (CT) The purpose of this article is not to lay out my political beliefs, to brag about my liberal values or to simply appear above the fray. In an age in which we constantly contradict our democratic beliefs and our personal sentiments, this was written purely for the love of humanity, which we sometimes disregard, in our search for justice. Whenever a hate crime (murder, rape etc) that gets considerable media attention surfaces, it has been a trend in our society to lash out with demands to restore more..

Sep 15 (PSL) Mr. Chamara Sampath Dassanayake has been appointed as Chief Minister of Uva Province. He was sworn-in, before the Governor of the Uva Province, Mr. M.P. Jayasinghe, in the presence of President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat today. Mr. Dassanayake who was a Member of the Uva Provincial Council since 2009, served as the Minister of Sports, Youth Affairs, Power, Textiles, Small Industries and Cooperatives of Uva Province. more..

Sep 15 (Island) Sri Lanka had not benefited from any of the agreements it had entered into with India and therefore the proposed CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) should be revealed to the public if it was to be signed, Ven. Aturaliye Ratana Thera of the JHU said. No agreement should be signed with a foreign country without first being presented to Parliament for its approval, Thera said. He said JHU would oppose any agreement which was not revealed more..

Sep 15 (Island) Arrangements are being made under the patronage of Governor Central Province Surangani Ellawala for planting 15,000 bamboo saplings on the banks of the Mahaweli Ganga up to Gannoruwa to mark the World Bamboo Day on Sept 18. It was decided at a meeting chaired by Governor Surangani Ellawala to request the participation of schoolchildren in the programme in addition to the volunteer groups from several other institutions and organisations. more..

Sep 15 (GDI) President Maithripala Sirisena said that the county's sports sector will be subjected to a wider transformation by introducing new policies. Addressing the conclusion ceremony of 29th Mahaweli Sports Festival held in Galnewa Mahaweli Grounds Sunday, President said the govt is committed to provide opportunity for youths to successfully face international competition in the sports sector. more..

Sep 15 (EN) Sri Lanka sold 28.7 billion rupees of bonds in an auction Tuesday after offering 16 billion rupees, after printing over 20 billion rupees to repay maturing short term bills last week. Sri Lanka sold 3.1 billion rupees of 5 year bonds maturing on 10.05.2022 at an average yield of 9.58%, 7 basis points lower than the last auction at 9.65% on Sept 8. A 9.559 billion rupee tranche of 7 year bonds maturing on 01.10.2022 was sold at an average yield of 9.95%. more..

Sep 15 (DN) Nearly 100 Sri Lankans die daily due to health problems caused by drugs, alcohol and smoking, Minister Gayantha Karunatilleke said. One third of the total earnings of a needy family is spent on alcohol and smoking. Over 22% of the expenses of state hospitals go for treating patients falling sick due to the use of drugs, alcohol and smoking, he said. Addressing the media, he made a special appeal to the traders not to sell cigarette on September 18 as a tribute to President more..

Sep 15 (CG) UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence, Pablo de Greiff, says any accountability strategy in Sri Lanka needs to provide answers to key basic questions. He also said that Sri Lanka has the potential to constitute an example for the region and for the world of how a sustainable peace ought to be achieved. He said that one largely untouched aspect in the area of more..

Sep 15 (Hindu) Dharmapuri MP and PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stress on his Sri Lankan counterpart Ranil Wickremesinghe for an international judicial probe into the alleged war crimes in the island nation during the final stages of the civil war. In a statement here, Mr. Anbumani said the purpose of Mr. Ranil’s visit to India, which begins on Monday, was to seek India’s help to scuttle a multinational probe into the issue. more..

Sep 15 (DN) Army, Navy and Air Force personnel will assist to uplift rural schools in the Polonnaruwa district, North Central Province Chief Minister Peshala Bandara Jayarathna said. CM addressing a meeting at the Polonnaruwa District Secretariat about developing schools in the Polonnaruwa district, emphasised that the building material and other resources needed to repair dilapidated rural schools and man power would be provided by the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. more..

Sep 15 (AFP) Sri Lanka's minority Tamils Tuesday rejected govt plans for a truth commission to promote reconciliation after decades of ethnic war, insisting on an international inquiry. Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera unveiled a range of reconciliation measures on Monday at the UNHRC in Geneva, two days before the release of a long-awaited report on Sri Lanka's alleged war crimes. But Tamil leaders said new unity more..

Sep 15 (AD) The Hajj festival will be celebrated on 24 Sept, the Colombo Grand Mosque announced. The foreign media also reported that, late on Sunday, some officials in Saudi Arabia too announced that the new moon of Dhul Hijjah, the 12th month of Islamic calendar, was not sighted on Sunday, Sept 13. Therefore, the first day of Dhul-Hijjah will be on Sept 15, Arafah on Sept 23 and Eid Al-Adha on Sept 24. Eid Al-Adha, is one of the two most important Islamic celebrations, more..

Sep 15 (CT) Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) observed that resources were needed for the improvement of the capacity of judges and the infrastructure including communication facilities to be in keeping with modern Courtrooms with the use of computers, recording instruments and well-maintained websites. Director of AHRC Basil Fernando said that this meant the provision and allocation of financial resources for the increase of judicial officers as well as more..

Sep 15 (CC) Nuwan Zoysa was appointed as Sri Lanka’s bowling coach on a one year contract, the national cricket board announced on Tuesday. Nuwan has worked in India with Goa Cricket Association and with Royal College & NCC as Fast Bowling Coach before joining SLC on a 1 year contract beginning 1st of Oct 2015. Fast bowler, who played 30 Tests and 95 ODIs for SL, was the first-ever player in the history to take more..

Sep 15 (CG) Minister of Women and Child Affairs Chandrani Bandara today assured justice for the 4 1/2 year old girl killed in Kotadeniyawa. Speaking to reporters after assuming duties, Chandrani Bandara said that she will ensure there is no clemency given to the accused in the murder of Seya Sadewmini. Investigations into the death of a 4 1/2 year old girl in Kotadeniyawa found that the girl had been molested and murdered. Child who went missing in Kotadeniyawa had been found dead more..

Sep 15 (Hindu) A fibre boat suspected to be that of Sri Lankan fishermen was found abandoned at Maniantheevu near Kodiakarai in Nagapattinam district in the early hours on Monday. The boat was fitted with outbound motor engine raising suspicion that it could belong to Sri Lanka as the fishermen of the island nation use such motors in their fibre boats, police sources said. Local fishermen noticed the fibre boat measuring around 16 feet in length and alerted the authorities. more..

Sep 15 (AD) Sri Lankan military officer who allegedly ordered troops to open fire on protesters demanding clean water in the Rathupaswala area in Weliweriya two years back, was escorted out of the airport premises under tight security after he arrived in the island today. Brigadier Deshapriya Gunawardena arrived at the BIA this morning onboard a Qatar Airways flight. He was escorted out of the airport premises under the protection of more..

Sep 15 (CG) The UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka, Subinay Nandy, had talks with President Maithripala Sirisena today. The meeting comes as the UN gets set to release a highly controversial report based on investigations conducted on the war in Sri Lanka. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein will hold a press conference in Geneva tomorrow to discuss the findings of the report, including recommendations for the way forward. OHCHR Investigation on more..

Sep 15 (DM) Indian PM Narendra Modi today praised recently retired Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara, considered one of the greatest batsmen to have emerged from Sri Lanka, saying the left-hander will be missed. ”We just finished an absorbing test series. We shall all miss the great Kumar Sangakkara on the cricket field,” Modi said during a joint press briefing with PM Ranil Wickremesinghe. Sangakkara, who bade adieu to the game after the second Test against India more..

Sep 15 (CG) The second section of an expressway bypassing Colombo will be opened this week, easing traffic congestion in the city and also improving freight transport. Kaduwela to Kadawatha (OCH2) section of the Colombo Outer Circular Expressway, to be opened on Sept 17, will provide better access to island’s expanding expressway network, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which funded the project, said. more..

Sep 15 (AM) The Colombo High Court dissolved the jury of the trial of a double murder in Kotakethana when it was taken up for hearing today. The case pertaining to the murder of a mother, Nayana Nilmini, and her daughter, Kavindya Chathurangani, was taken up today. The accused, Lokugamhewage Darshana and his wife Rasika Chandani, requested the case to be hears in front of a judge. Considering the request, HC Judge Kusala Sarojini Weerawardhana dissolved the jury and more..

Sep 15 (Reuters) Sri Lanka hopes to hammer out an economic partnership deal with India this year, its prime minister said on Tuesday, seeking to strengthen the Indian Ocean island's ties with its big neighbour and reduce its dependency on Chinese investment. PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, visiting New Delhi on his first visit abroad since winning a general election last month, said voters had given his govt of national unity a mandate for trade and investment with India. more..