Sep 26 (CT) The brutal end of the war in 2009 had demoralised en masse not just the Tamils living in Sri Lanka but also those in the diaspora. But that onslaught was not a complete defeat for the idea of struggle. The mood was such that the leaflet with the headline, struggle must go on, was grabbed by the crowd. The Tamil Solidarity campaign was the first to produce such material to lift the mood of the people, and constantly ran out of their leaflets. The idea of struggle was not defeated. more..

Sep 26 (Island) Once again the battle is raging in Geneva about the problem of war crimes in Sri Lanka. I believe that there is a sub-text to that battle, namely the problem of finding a solution to the ethnic problem. Some time ago I wrote an article on the Ban Ki-moon conspiracy, a tripartite one involving the US, India, and the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to use the threat of war crimes investigations to promote a political solution to the ethnic problem. more..

Sep 26 (NS) With the issue of oil contamination of the Kelani River by a bottling plant of Coca Cola Beverages set to go before courts next week, the company on Friday claimed that it had paid all fines and compensation to various authorities as specified by the Central Environmental Authority (CEA). However, the company declined to specify the exact amount in damages it had paid or identify the authorities concerned. more..

Sep 26 (SL) Sri Lanka’s new govt, earlier this week, presented its plan to achieve meaningful reconciliation in the form of a domestic mechanism at Geneva. With the backdrop of the UNHRC sessions, the Sri Lankan delegation, led by Minister Mangala Samaraweera outlined the new govt’s vision to ensure the country is able to move past its bloody history. For almost six years, Sri Lankan govt led by Mahinda Rajapaksa has been at the receiving end of continuous US sponsored resolutions. more..

Sep 26 (ST) There’s something about Isuru De Silva that will immediately put you at ease. Perhaps it’s the twinkle in his eye, or the ever-present smile, or even his sunny disposition. Or maybe it’s just the fact that he has quite a snazzy haircut-you just know this is a man you can trust with your hair. Isuru acquired a name for himself as a sought-after hairdresser and makeup artist at salons like Capello and Kess. His talent for casual, but elegant haircuts combined with a talent for more..

Sep 26 (NS) Following the retirements of Dilshan, Mahela and Sangakkara over the last three years the Sri Lanka team are undergoing a period of transition as they try to plug the gaping holes left by these cricketing icons who had held the batting together for more than two decades. As the Lankan team prepares to take on the West Indies in a home series comprising two Tests, three ODIs and two T20Is next month, chief selector Kapila more..

Sep 26 (NS) Volkswagen’s pollution cheating scandal in the US will not have an impact on its commencement of operations in Sri Lanka, official of the BoI said. Volkswagen International suffered a major setback on Wednesday when its CEO in the US Martin Winterkorn resigned over a pollution cheating scandal. The scandal had sparked a US criminal investigation and worldwide legal action with unfathomable financial consequences for the auto giant, the AFP reported. more..

Sep 26 (CT) Despite finishing fourth in the first-leg in China, Sri Lanka skipper Fazil Marija is hoping for an improved performance in the second leg of the Asian Sevens Series which will kick off at the SCG Stadium, Nonthaburi in Thailand, today. Sri Lanka will open their campaign today when they take on Chinese Taipei at 1.52 pm (SL time), followed by the game against defending champions Hong Kong in the last group match at 4.22 pm (SL time). "Last time we ended up in fourth place, more..

Sep 26 (NS) Despite the rupee depreciation having a toll on the import sector, experts say that the export sector and tourism industries are expected to see a surge in the immediate future. Sri Lanka allowed the rupee to float early last month which resulted in the depreciation of the currency hitting an all-time low of Rs. 141. Importers claimed that the depreciation had made an impact. Prices of vehicles and other consumer goods had more..

Sep 26 (LBO) Sri Lanka has welcomed the largest container vessel to Colombo port today (25). UK registered vessel Marco Polo has 16,020 containers of cargo carrying capacity. The vessel is 396 meters by the length and 29.9 meters of height and it was the world’s largest vessel in 2012. Visiting the vessel, Minister Arjuna Ranathunaga has asserted that the Govt would keep 51% shares to the country, from future investment projects to be received to develop the Colombo harbor, more..

Sep 26 (CT) Preparations are underway to take disciplinary action against MPs of the SLFP who left the Parliament boycotting the debate on approving provisions under the Appropriation Bill and engaged in protests while issuing statements to the media. It is reported that a certain group of the SLFP is engaged in discussions to report this incident to President Sirisena on his return to the island. Although there is no bar to SLFP MPs seated in the Opposition criticizing wrongdoings, fraud and more..

Sep 26 (NS) SLCast, a television channel bridging Sri Lankan community living abroad with the country’s latest programs and music was launched on Sept 22 at Jaic Hilton, Colombo. The channel provides Sri Lanka’s popular television programs and the key content providers of the channels are Dialog Television, HiTV, VerbumTv, Heritage TV, Arsikmedia, Sri Lankan TV, Torana Music Box and Shradda Buddhist Channel. more..

Sep 26 (NS) Campus Radio was launched in 2011 by the Sri Palee Campus, Colombo University as a World Bank-funded project. The online radio is managed by the students of Sri Palee Campus and Dr. Pradeep Weerasinghe and Sajitha Lakmali, a lecturer, guide the team. Unlike commercial radio stations that only provide entertainment, Campus Radio aims at creating an audience with inquisitive minds. The program of the station, which can be found at www.campusradio.lk, more..

Sep 26 (NS) Sri Lanka is in the process of restructuring its foreign offices based on the requirements that are needed to strengthen economic diplomacy around the world, Deputy Minister Dr. Harsha de Silva said. Speaking at an event organized by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), the Deputy Minister made these comments responding to a question pertaining to difficulties in obtaining the necessary travel documents when traveling to countries more..

Sep 26 (Island) Five bodies of victims of landslides were found yesterday by the Kotmale police at Lilly’s Land in Vedamulla. Three other persons injured in the landslide have been admitted Kotmale Hospital and one of them was transferred to the ICU of Gampola Teaching Hospital. Five houses were buried in the tragedy and the police are looking for more survivors. Special teams had been deployed to search for the missing victims. more..

Sep 26 (LBO) A senior official of RDA has been demoted by the new minister, a day after taking over the highways portfolio. Although this could be an attempt to clean up an institution notorious for corruption, it appears to be the opposite. The official in question has been known for blocking extra-budgetary allocations for contractors, and some believe he offered hope for the RDA to clean up its act. “New secretary to the ministry could not work with him, it seems, so has been demoted,” more..

Sep 26 (DM) Five suspects including three main heroin dealers of the same family allegedly connected to a drug smuggling network were arrested today by the Police Narcotics Bureau with 3 kg of heroin. Police on a tip-off arrested a man called Podi Bennett and his mother who had 400 grammes of heroin in their possession. When questioned, Podi Bennett had told police that they were on their way to his brother- Thotalanga Bennett- described as main distributor more..

Sep 26 (NS) A decision to co-sponsor the US draft resolution on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC sessions in Geneva could be seriously detrimental to the Govt of Sri Lanka, Minister Champika Ranawaka said. Ranawaka further stated he had expressly warned PM Ranil Wickremesinghe against co-sponsoring any such resolution, as that would legally bind Sri Lanka to fulfill all its recommendations. more..

Sep 26 (CG) The British Govt has welcomed the stand taken by Sri Lanka on the draft resolution submitted to the UNHRC in Geneva. UK Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Hugo Swire said that Sri Lanka’s cooperation on the resolution is another step closer to addressing the legacy of the conflict. The draft resolution on Sri Lanka was submitted to the UNHRC yesterday with several amendments to the original text proposed earlier in the week. more..

Sep 26 (LBT) ADYAPANA 2015, titled, Passport to Your Future, Sri Lanka’s most focused higher education & career exhibition, will be held for the 10th consecutive year on Oct 2,3 & 4, 2015 at the BMICH. The event has been renowned as a focused and education oriented exhibition, patronized by keen students who have clear intentions on furthering their education in Sri Lanka or overseas. Education is indeed the bedrock for the future success of a youth, a country & a generation. more..

Sep 26 (Island) Those who were demanding accountability on the part of the then Sri Lankan govt were silent on the atrocities committed by the LTTE, Minister Champika Ranawaka said. He stressed that there hadn’t been bloodshed since the eradication of the LTTE in May 2009 because the group had been the cause of war. He said that the proposed investigation into accountability issues here was meant to facilitate reconciliation. more..

Sep 26 (CT) The State Intelligence has been able to uncover information that several powerful officers of the Security establishment have been supporting the Siddique faction in the cold-war that exists between the henchmen of Mohammed Siddique who was brought to this country from Pakistan and the henchmen of Wele Suda. These two drug dealers had been friends earlier and based on the effort of one of them becoming the King of Drugs, it was revealed that this cold-war had commenced more..

Sep 26 (CT) Leader of DLF Vasudeva Nanayakkara said that, he will submit a written complaint next week to the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Geneva against PM Ranil Wickremesinghe. He pointed out that, during the entire past, the PM who has behaved in a manner that harms the respect of MPs, is also obstructing the right to declare an opinion of Parliamentarians of the Opposition and at times, is also indirectly obstructing the Speaker and embarrassing the Speaker as well. more..

Sep 26 (CT) President Maithripala Sirisena has taken his son Daham Tharaka to the UN General Assembly which began in New York. Photographs released by President’s office show Daham Tharaka seated with the President and the high level Govt delegation which accompanied the President to the US. Former President Rajapaksa was often criticised when he was in power for taking his sons on official overseas visits. more..

Sep 26 (FT) Previous Govt spent Rs. 280 billion for various purposes without Cabinet approval, Minister Ravi Karunanayake said, participating in the debate on six financial resolutions moved by him in Parliament. He pointed that this staggering amount would ultimately turn into a burden on the general public. “These are financial crimes by the previous Govt. The current budget deficit is what we inherited from the previous regime. That is why Opposition MPs deliberately avoided the debate. more..

Sep 26 (NS) A team of schoolchildren with their parents had a protest against the abuses and violations against the children and women in front of the Government Agent’s office on Mullaithivu on Wednesday; September 23. The significance of the protest was the participants had prepared a letter which is to be handed over to the President Maithripala Sirisena and the letter was handed over to the Government Agent Rupawathie Ketheeshwaran by a child. more..

Sep 26 (Island) The govt said yesterday that the Resolution on Sri Lanka tabled at the ongoing 30th Sessions of the UNHRC by the US, the UK, Macedonia and Montenegro, was in fact an endorsement by the international community of the view that a credible accountability process would safeguard the reputation and honour of all those who had conducted themselves in an appropriate manner and with professionalism. more..

Sep 26 (DM) We are living in an era where time-tested centuries’ old cultural values and traditions need to be interwoven with the marvels of modern technology and the concepts of a global village. It is in this light that Sri Lanka joins the global community tomorrow in marking World Tourism Day with the theme this year being, One billion tourists, one billion opportunities. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in a message to mark the occasion called on the world to work together to maximize more..

Sep 26 (DM) You had been a fire-brand in the front line of politics for the past two decades; your dreams may have come true, but not ours. You got a big mess to clear up. The crucial sector that you are now responsible for needs a total clean up As citizens, or rather as patients, we are totally fed up and have lost confidence in the health sector – whether it is state or private. The story of the status of the state run hospitals is nothing new. We know it is an ailing sector. more..

Sep 26 (SL) Three years have elapsed since the shooting incident at Rathupaswala took place to disperse the residents of the areas who were protesting against the glove factory in the area due to environmental issues it created. The main demand of the people was to have access to pure drinking water. The protest led to a clash when the army was deployed to disperse the crowd and consequently three people were shot dead more..

Sep 26 (SL) The Selacine Television Institute, the only production house and the advertising agency owned by the govt under the Ministry of Mass Media – is alleged to be a den of corruption. Although all Govt Ministries, Boards, Departments and Corporations have been instructed to carry out their advertising through Selacine by a cabinet paper introduced during the former regime, most of these govt institutions have opted more..

Sep 26 (DBS) Yaarlpaanam (Jaffna/Yapanaya) regarded by many as the cultural capital of the Ilangai Thamizhar of Sri Lanka hosted an international film festival from 15 to 21 Sept. Jaffna, the capital city of Sri Lanka’s Northern Province, is probably the only city in the world named after a musical instrument. The Tamil name ‘Yarlpanam’ is derived from an ancient musical instrument call Yaazh or Yaarl in Tamil. more..

Sep 26 (Island) The culinary artists of SriLankan Catering showcased their creative prowess by claiming the  highest number of medals at the recently held Culinary Expo 2015 exhibition. SriLankan Catering team bagged a staggering tally of 53 medals which was inclusive of 13 gold medals, 22 silver medals and 18 bronze medals. The team claimed the highest number of medals at the competition and were only just outdone in more..

Sep 26 (DBS) The long awaited UN report on Sri Lanka compiled by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights released last week has predictably evoked much excitement and controversy. The UN investigation report on Sri Lanka abbreviated as OISL has provided much information about the alleged activities of the Sri Lankan armed forces, the LTTE and state affiliated para – military outfits such as the EPDP more..

Sep 26 (DM) Another saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) was spotted in the sea off the Galle Face beach yesterday afternoon. A Wildlife Conservation Department spokesperson said a team of officials was dispatched to the area immediately. She said the length of the crocodile is about eight feet. Wildlife officers' attempts to catch the crocodile with the help of Navy personnel failed due to inclement weather conditions. more..

Sep 26 (Island) The National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) said that it took more than eight years to try cases of child abuse and stressed the need to establish a fast-track court system at the High Court level, to try cases of child abuse expeditiously. Issuing a communiqué NCPA Chairperson, Natasha Balendra said that the NCPA had proposed a long term response to the disturbing incidence of child sexual abuse and more..

Sep 26 (ET) Miscreants ransacked KFC outlet in Puducherry on Thursday to register their protest against United States for its pro-Sri Lanka stand on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue. A gang of 10 hurled stones at the outlet and damaged the window pane. Gang members barged into the restaurant and broke the chairs, cash counter and equipment. They dumped fish waste in the premises and hurled rotten eggs inside the eatery. more..

Sep 26 (DM) Former Minister G.L. Peiris said it was tragic that Sri Lanka had co-sponsored the resolution tabled by the US at the UNHRC which termed that the security forces had committed war crimes during the war. He rejected claims by some people that the govt had been able to mitigate the allegations in the UNHRC report after the January and August elections and other claims that the report would have been more..

Sep 26 (PTI) Noting a sea change in the approach of the new Sri Lankan govt over the issue of the alleged war crimes during the last phase of the civil war with the LTTE, India has said it supports the quest for justice while being respectful of the country's sovereignty. The issue of human rights and the situation pertaining to the ongoing discussions on UNHRC came up during a meeting between PM Narendra Modi & SL President more..

Sep 26 (CT) It's official, a hybrid of Judges comprising local and foreign, operating under Sri Lanka's domestic laws, will investigate alleged war crimes committed by the Govt of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, in the little over a seven year period from 2002, till the war ended on 19 May 2009. This was as a consequence of a USA led resolution which was tabled at the ongoing UNHRC sessions at Geneva on Thursday. This resolution may undergo changes in the coming days before being more..