Nov 3 (CT) Every year we experience at least two dengue outbreaks. Both of which are accompanied by the monsoon rains. This year, sticking to its strict schedule has turned up again to cull our population. This year the last dengue outbreak was reported in July where 10,636 cases were reported, by and large the highest number of cases reported this year. During the last 11 months of this year, 44,535 suspected dengue cases have been reported to the Epidemiology Unit from all over the island more..

Nov 3 (CT) On a cold winter evening in 1984, a handsome young Sri Lankan was cycling in the Dutch city of Eindhoven. He had arrived there the previous day, his first time out of SL, and the experience of freezing cold and early sunset were amusing for the young fellow. Having read that the landscape of The Netherlands was as flat as his village back in the north of SL, the first thing the young fellow did was to purchase a bicycle. “Do you also want a puncture kit?” salesman asked. more..

Nov 3 (LBO) Cabinet nod has been given to award a tender to the only bidder who submitted a bid to supply six Diesel Multiple Units for the island’s railway system under an Indian credit line. A diesel multiple unit is a multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines and it requires no separate locomotive, as the engines are incorporated into one or more of the carriages. As per a memorandum forwarded from more..

Nov 3 (AM) In March this year, Britain's Daily Mail carried a story about Indira Jayasuriya, daughter of Karu Jayasuriya, who refused to have an early C-section to give her unborn second child a better chance at surviving after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The story (Written in March, 2016) is given below: A terminally ill mother reveals how she chose to delay crucial cancer treatment while she was pregnant with her second child. Indira Jayasuriya, 39, from Bromley, Kent, more..

Nov 3 (NR) Former Governor of the Central Bank Arjun Mahendran has returned to the island following a private visit to Singapore. Former governor arrived at the Katunayake International Airport around 4.20 this evening. COPE recently found former Governor Mahendran responsible for the controversial Treasury Bond issue. COPE also recommended action against the former Governor. Accordingly the former Governor’s foreign travel was criticised by Opposition MPs. more..

OctNov 3 (Island) Sri Lanka will never be able to achieve economic development unless measures were adopted to control the cost of living and inflation, Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayake says. "We cannot think of developing our economy without controlling inflation. What we have been doing so far is getting loans and more loans to settle the previous ones. Loans obtained have not been utilized to develop economy," he said. more..

Nov 3 (DM) The joint opposition’s economic research unit yesterday urged the govt to cancel the primary dealer licence of Perpetual Treasuries Limited allegedly connected to the Central Bank bond scam. Addressing a media briefing, joint opposition member G.L. Peiris said the first step which would be taken after the COPE report was to cancel the primary dealer licence of this company as it had been proved that it was directly connected to the Central Bank bond scam. more..

Nov 3 (Island) Western Province Chief Minister Isuru Devapriya dismissed the claim that the subversive group operating in the north called Aava Group posed a threat to national security. Devapriya described the Aava Group as an underworld gang comprising young extortionist without a political agenda. Chief Minister also said the students unions of Jaffna University had held discussions with the govt and action had been taken to solve their problems. The Chief Minister quoted more..

Nov 3 (CG) British Minister for the UN and Commonwealth, Baroness Anelay is to visit Sri Lanka next week. During her visit the Minister will reiterate the UK’s commitment to supporting Sri Lanka in strengthening democracy and human rights (including tackling gender based and sexual violence), delivering reconciliation and combating corruption. Minister will discuss these issues with PM, Foreign Minister and Opposition Leader. more..

Nov 3 (Island) Former Test captain Mahela Jayawardene walked from north to south for 28 days to collect Rs. 750 million to build a cancer unit at the Karapitiya Hospital in Galle. Mahela Jayawardene in a magnanimous gesture completed a marathon 28-day walk yesterday to collect funds for a cancer unit at the Karapitiya Hospital in Galle. Mahela’s walk was reminiscent of the walk of England’s 1981 Ashes Hero Sir Ian Botham, to help those suffering from leukemia. more..

Nov 3 (EN) Sri Lankan tea prices at the Colombo auctions hit a new monthly high in Oct 2016 as volumes fell while demand picked up, brokers said. “Auction averages reached record levels in the backdrop of a sharp decline in availability,” Forbes & Walker Tea brokers said. “Auction average for the month of October totalled Rs550.92 a kilo vis-à-vis Rs390.13 of October 2015 showing a substantial gain of Rs160.79, establishing the highest ever average for a calendar month.” more..

Nov 3 (NR) Minister Ravi Karunanayake has condemned the comment made by Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Yi Xianliang. Minister said the govt is trying to pay off only the interest for the loans obtained by the previous tenure of the UPFA led govt. Speaking to media, Minister said the Chinese ambassador is a good friend the govt adding that however the statement he made is incorrect. more..

Nov 3 (DM) A container filled with milk powder packets issued by a private factory in Biyagama was seized in transit and four suspects were arrested by the Biyagama Police today. Consignment of 3,400 kilos of milk power unfit for human consumption were seized during the raid. A leading businessman, a shopkeeper of the milk powder factory, the driver of the container lorry and his assistant were taken into custody. Police said the factory usually send condemned stocks of milk powder more..

Nov 3 (EN) Denmark’s Maersk Group, which operates the world’s biggest container shipping line, is interested in developing a deep water terminal in Colombo’s new south port. The group already has a stake in the island, having a stake in a private container terminal and its shipping line making regular calls at Colombo, said Julian Michael Bevis, senior director, group relations, South Asia, Maersk Group. “The geographical position of this country is second to none with its location at the more..

Nov 3 (CG) On the instruction of the Minister Ravi Karunanayake, Finance Ministry has taken the necessary initiatives to make a formal complaint to the FCID on the large scale misappropriation of funds and malpractices said to have taken place in the construction of the Hyatt Hotel projects in Colpetty and Hambantota during the last regime. Hyatt hotel project is owned by M/S Canwill Holdings more..

Nov 3 (DN) Civil Defence Forces personnel will be deployed at unprotected railway crossings left unguarded by the gatekeepers who are on strike demanding a salary increase, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said. He made this observation at a meeting with officials from Police, CDF, Labour Department, Central Bank and Railways General Manager and officials. “There are 676 unprotected railway crossings in Sri Lanka. About 175 gate keepers are involved in the strike,” the minister said. more..

Nov 3 (NR) Department of Census and Statistics has decided to conduct a census on Public and semi-govt sector employment. The census conducted once in four years, will be carried out on the 17th of November. Director General of the Department AJ Satharasingha issuing a statement said the census will be conducted from 9.30 to 11.30 am on the 17th of this month. Census Department has also launched a website containing all material that will be used for the census. more..

Nov 3 (CT) The FUTA urged the govt to allocate 6% of GDP for the education sector, as promised, in the forthcoming Budget. President of FUTA, Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri said this was necessary to secure free education. He added that if the Govt fails to honour its promise of securing the free education system, they would be forced to take action. Dewasiri alleged that present govt also has not done anything to ensure a better future more..

Nov 3 (PTI) Four fishermen from Tamil Nadu, arrested by Sri Lankan Navy, were on Thursday set free by a court in the island nation, a senior fisheries official said. The fishermen from this island town were arrested on November 1 on charges of fishing in Sri Lankan waters and remanded to judicial custody. The four were produced before Oorkavalthurai Court in Sri Lanka, which ordered their release, Rameswaram Assistant Director of Fisheries K T Gopinath said. more..

Nov 3 (NR) A week of national mourning has been declared from today as a mark of respect for the late Dr. Pandit WD Amaradeva. The music maestro passed away today at the age of 88 at the Sri J'pura Hospital after being admitted to the Intensive Care Unit after suddenly taking ill. President Sirisena has recommended the funeral of Pandit Amaradeva to be held under full state honour. The final rites of the late music maestro will be held on Saturday at the Independence Square. more..

Nov 3 (DM) A majority of Human Rights groups and NGOs in the country were only protecting the rights of suspects and criminals, instead of looking into the grievances of victims or witnesses, Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said. Addressing the inauguration ceremony of Victims of Crime & Witnesses Assistance and Protection Division of the Police, he said there was no single NGO or civil organization in the country to more..

Nov 3 (DN) Expressing his concern about the incident where a prefect of a leading school in Kandy had allegedly beaten up and injured a grade six student of the same school during school’s morning assembly, State Minister of Education V. Radhakrishnan said yesterday the principal of the school must take responsibility for its occurrence. In a similar incident seven Cadet Corps of the same school had been held for assaulting another student inhumanely. more..

Nov 3 (NR) Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena says certain groups are attempting to create controversies based on CB bond issue. He said investigations should be launched into the incident as fair and just investigations have been conducted. He said involving the PM due to political motivations is futile claiming instead of tabling a No Confidence Motion an investigation should be carried out. Certain groups are attempting to create an uncomfortable situation for govt based on more..

Nov 3 (DM) President Maithripala Sirisena said today the investigations into the Central Bank issue should be free of political interference and he would forward it for an impartial and independent judicial process. President said he came out of the previous govt and became the President with the support of everyone, not to punish those who committed wrongs while allowing the others to do wrong. more..

Dec 4 (DN) Politics, as much as it is about convincing people and winning elections, is also about dealing with the challenges of retaining that trust, as the National Unity govt found out last week as it grappled with the fallout from the Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprise (COPE) inquiry into the sale of Central Bank bonds. The so-called bond scam first came into the public domain soon after the minority United National Front govt came into office early last year. more..

Dec 4 (DN) The name Gamini Dissanayake is synonymous with Accelerated Mahaweli Development Project for he established the foundation of the largest ever multipurpose national development programme in the history of Sri Lanka. The people’s leader, in his short span of life, rendered a considerable service to the country especially the rural poor and the plantation sector community. Dissanayake entered Parliament as a UNP MP under PM Dudley Senanayake, more..

Dec 4 (FT) Dr. Jayasumana, soon after he returned from the International Monsanto Tribunal held in The Hague recently, has urged the Govt to form a Police unit like FCID to investigate how some of the top officials, including academics and politicians, have hoodwinked the people about the reality of the CDK.  “Thousands of farmers are dying due to CKD while those who have been appointed to probe the real causes more..

Dec 4 (DM) Eran Wickramaratne has said the Govt was ready to amend existing laws to enable the recovery of losses incurred in the controversial sale of CB bonds. This is good. Some may talk of closing stable doors after horses have bolted, but then again, there are other horses that can bolt if stable doors are weak or non-existent, so they have to be strengthened or made anew as the case may be.   The issue however is that new laws needed to have been contemplated when more..

Dec 4 (DM) The cultural affinities between Tamil Nadu, our closest neighbour and Sri  Lanka are many but little is known of the religious ties which bound the two countries between the early years of the Christian era and the 14thcentury AD, during which time Buddhism was prevalent in South  India. Buddhism came to South India before the third Sangam period in the 2nd century BC. Pandit Hisselle Dharmaratana Maha Thera, Buddhism in South India states that there is evidence that more..

Dec 4 (CM) Early in December last year, Kadiramalai Loganathan’s father succumbed to a long illness. Funeral exacted a heavy price, and to recoup it the fisherman had little choice but to quickly return to sea. On the night of 16 December, barely a week after his loss, Loganathan set out, with one other fisherman, from Karainagar, a small island off the Jaffna peninsula, in his small fibre-glass boat with a modest engine. more..

Dec 4 (FT) An often-heard statement on TV talk shows, part myth, part hopeful, goes: “In India, politicians do not matter; it is the administrators who run the country. Politicians may come and go but the administrators keep it together. They are good and patriotic.” Invariably, it is in order to contrast with the public service here, by implication a far cry from the admirable Indian administrative service, that the sage sounding declaration is made. That we are certain kind of chaps on a certain kind of map more..

Nov 4 (Island) Joint Opposition (JO) is planning street protests to demand PM Ranil Wickremesinghe’s resignation over the mega bond scams at the CB under his purview, we are told. But, it is doubtful whether the JO leaders will go the whole hog to pressure Wickremesinghe to quit. For, former President Rajapaksa himself has been full of praise of Wickremesinghe. JO’s enemy No 1 is not the PM but President Sirisena. It will be interesting to see how the JO handles the bond issue. more..

Dec 4 (GV) Chinese whispering in Sri Lanka is suggestive of at least twofold meanings – literally and metaphorically. One has to do with the geo-political and international trade related issues, as many International Relations experts have put it. This meaning duly emphasises the significant role China plays in Sri Lanka’s economy and foreign policy. The other significant meaning is about the socio-political fabric intrinsic to post-war Sri Lanka, in which the presence of China more..

Nov 4 (IPS) Sri Lanka’s tourism sector has many benefits. It is the country’s third largest foreign exchange earner and contributes a substantial percentage towards the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In post-war Sri Lanka, tourist arrivals have seen a tremendous increase and there is a significant increase in investments in tourism as well as, infrastructure development, through opening up of new tourist attractions and channeling of funds for promotional campaigns. more..

Nov 4 (Nikkei) Just as Sri Lanka's civil war exploded in the early 1980s, a new nighttime sound began to spread from odd corners of the country's capital: the rapid beat of steel blades. The rhythms flowed out of the oil-stained, all-night restaurants that catered to Colombo's night crawlers. The drummer was the koththu roti chef at work. Koththu roti, a Sri Lankan street food, being made at a food stall that pops up nightly at more..

Nov 4 (Island) In terms of Section 66 (1) of the Monetary Law Act, the Monetary Board is responsible for the management of the international reserves. In keeping with such authority and responsibility, the Monetary Board has approved Foreign Exchange Reserve Management Guidelines to empower and guide the officials of Central Bank of Sri Lanka to manage the international reserves. The decision making structure and process is described in the Guidelines which set out, more..

Nov 4 (Island) The Budget 2017 is to be presented in the midst of many macroeconomic vulnerabilities manifested by persistent fiscal deficits. Revenue generation is constrained by the limitations in mobilizing direct taxes which have led to a continuous rise in the indirect tax burden making the tax system more regressive hurting the poor and further widening income inequality. Meanwhile, slowing down of GDP growth inhibits any autonomous increase in revenue collection. more..

Nov 4 (DN) Sri Lanka owes its global debtors $65 billion while the lower tariffs have brought in formidable challenges, Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen said in Geneva at the fourth review of the trade policies and practices of Sri Lanka yesterday. Sri Lanka also seeks flexibilities as well as Special and Differential Treatments during future WTO negotiations-and any tariff adjustments are only a temporary measure, he said. more..