Oct 19 (CT) "Time has come up for us to defeat our main enemy, the combination of over-confidence, irrationality, and the absence of sensibility and selfishness caused by dishonesty topped by complacence. Although, all those are directly linked to the political leaders, it becomes applicable to the whole nation as it is their incapacity to understand this simple truth that has not only dragged our nation into this bottomless pit. Unless we become smart now and shed our differences which more..

Oct 19 (DN) The fight to end gender based violence received overwhelming support from SL cricketing legends Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara this week as they chose to tackle the subject with the most susceptible of minds - school boys and girls. The cricketers speaking to an awe struck audience explained that the best way to end violence against women and girls was to prevent it from more..

Oct 19 (IL) The Katina ceremony of the Sambodhi Temple in Berlin was held in the presence of a large gathering at the SOS Kinderdorf hall in Berlin on the 14th of October, under the guidance of the Venerable Rambukwelle Devanada Thera, the Chief Incumbent of the Sambodhi Temple in Berlin, who is concurrently the Chief Incumbent at Doranegoda Sumanthindarama Rajamaha Temple in Gampaha. The meritorious task of preparation and presentation of the Katina robe and organising more..

Oct 19 (FT) Invest Sri Lanka Investor Forum organised by Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka (SEC), in association with CSE member firms and listed companies, and supported by Asia Securities (Event Sponsor) and the Oxford Business Group (Exclusive Publication Partner), drew strong interest among the investor community in New York. A Sri Lankan delegation which included senior representatives of CSE, SEC, stockbroker more..

Oct 19 (Island) Dhruv Sheoran salvaged some pride for India defeating Chalitha Pushpika 3 and 1 in the first semi-final, to set-up an intriguing India – Sri Lanka, 36 hole final to be played at the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club today. Chalitha made one too many mistakes, hitting out of bounds on the fourth and eighth, in addition to several missed putts. Despite all these errors, Chalitha was just one down playing the 15th and a missed putt cost him the hole to be dormie 2 down. more..

Oct 19 (FT) The Power and Renewable Energy Ministry is now in the process of floating tenders for 90 projects of 1 MW solar power plants under the second phase of the Suryabala Sangramaya Program.  Approval was granted by the Govt this week to go ahead with the program, where the ministry will call for tenders to purchase power from solar power generators to be connected to 17 grid substations identified by the Ceylon Electricity Board. more..

Oct 19 (FT) Sri Lanka’s external sector showed a mixed performance in August 2017, Central Bank disclosed. It said although export earnings increased in August 2017, higher growth in import expenditure resulted in an expansion of the trade deficit. Despite the increase in tourist earnings in August 2017, the decline in workers’ remittances, together with the expanded trade deficit, dampened the performance more..

Oct 19 (CT) Dashing left hander Kusal Perera failed to prove his match fitness when he failed a fitness test on Tuesday, subsequently ruling him out from a comeback for the forthcoming three match T20I series against Pakistan. He hasn't played for SL since his match winning knock in the Champions Trophy where he ended up with a hamstring injury. He had been considered to lead the SL team to Pakistan after several high profile players withdrew from the T20I to be played at Lahore. more..

Oct 19 (DM) Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa was critical of the govt’s current mechanisms established to contain the rising cost of living, at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting. Cabinet met with Prez in the chair. Asked about what happened, Mr. Yapa said that he said the mechanism had not yielded, and therefore new measures had to be worked out. He said SATHOSA, the state-owned retail chain, could not make an impact in bringing down the prices of essential items. more..

Oct 19 (DM) MP Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera said that he would join hands with students of medical faculties and their parents in their struggle against the SAITM if the govt did not act in a flexible manner to resolve the issue within the next two weeks. Thera warned instead of going for more discussions with the govt on the issue he would join anti-SAITM forces in their fight to abolish the campus if the govt keeps delaying more..

Oct 19 (DM) A 26-year-old woman and her 12-year-old son were found murdered in Eravur this morning, police said. They said the investigations were initiated on received information via 119 police emergency. The deceased were identified as Kiriwan Maduwanthi (mother), Pirambaram Badushan (son). The police said they were murdered on their bed and the intruders had entered the house through the roof. Maduwanthi’s husband was employed abroad. more..

Oct 19 (DN) Gramashakthi People’s Movement will be launched under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena at 2 pm at the Sugathadasa Stadium tomorrow. Gramashakthi People’s Movement, a brainchild of President Sirisena, has especially been designed to alleviate poverty, that has become a severe threat to country’s economy especially to the rural economy, President’s Secretary Austin Fernando said. The first phase of the Gramashakthi People’s Movement, more..

Oct 19 (DM) While claiming that President Maithripala Sirisena had no moral right to contest the presidential election again, the JVP said they would defeat him just as the former president Mahinda Rajapaksa if he contested the election breaking his pledge to the people. JVP MP Vijitha Herath said the President should reveal his stance on the abolishing of the executive presidency. more..

Oct 19 (DN) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said the govt will never shrug off the responsibility vested upon it to revive the country’s economy. PM further stated that the present govt took over the country with a colossal mountain of debt and the country is yet to reach the peak of funding these debts. He said the country is yet to pay debts running into trillions while addressing the gathering at the ceremony held to hand over the ‘Ashokapura’ housing project in Maningala, Nattandiya. more..

Oct 19 (Island) A landmark event calling for ethnic and religious harmony and protection of children was held in Mullaitivu last week. Organised by the Ministry of National Integration and Reconciliation in collaboration with World Concern, 6500 schoolchildren from Mullaitivu District took part in a walk to drive home their message. The participants also lobbied for the rights of differently abled children. The children who took part in the parade were drawn from 71 villages more..

Oct 19 (Island) Doubling of the number of members of local authorities from current 4,000 to 8,000 in accordance with the newly introduced hybrid electoral system would be a massive burden on the taxpayer, civil society grouping, the March 12 Movement said. PAFFREL spokesperson Rohana Hettiarachchi said the very purpose of the new system would be lost if electors failed to choose honest candidates who hadn’t been jailed, more..

Oct 19 (FT) Judges and legal practitioners and academics from South Asia are scheduled to meet in Sri Lanka for the 14th South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation in Law (SAARCLAW) Conference, which will be held from 27-29 Oct at the Taj Samudra Hotel.  The conference will deal with timely issues like artificial intelligence, human trafficking, FDIs and environmental protection concerns. This marks the third time that Sri Lanka will be hosting a conference of such nature. more..

Oct 19 (Island) Pakistani Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua said that her govt would extend credit lines, ongoing scholarship and training assistance to Sri Lankan students and public servants. Addressing the launch of the Pakistan Alumni Society of Sri Lanka at the Galadari Hotel, she noted that the scholarship and training programmes conducted in Pakistan had benefited a large number of students and public service employees. "It is our intention to widen the scope of both programmes." more..

Oct 19 (DM) The Karaka Maha Sangha Sabha, of Malwatu & Asgiriya Chapters today decided that there was no necessity of a new Constitution or amendments to the present Constitution of the country and urged to stop the Constitution drafting process. The decision has been taken during a special meeting held at the Dalada Maligawa, Kandy yesterday evening, with the participation by the members of more..

Oct 19 (DM) Colombo University Physical Science Department Prof. Chandana Jayaratne confirmed that the bright light and sound which was heard from the Southern Province this evening (18) was because of an explosion caused by a meteor. He said the explosion was known as a fireball explosion and occurs after an astroid enters the earth’s atmosphere. “Astroid could be a size of 50 centimetres. Every astroid enters the earth’s photosphere at a speed of 65 km per second. more..

Oct 19 (DM) UPFA General Secretary Mahinda Amaraweera said that he would submit the final report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) on the Treasury Bond scam to Courts. He said that even though the PCoI concluded its proceedings, he would not rest until he sees an end to the matter. Minister also said that he made the first complaint requesting an investigation from Bribery Commission, therefore have a responsibility until the matter is entirely probed. more..

Oct 19 (DN) Govt is prepared to accept the solution to the SAITM problem proposed by the Mahasangha with due honour and it is hoped that the GMOA will be flexible enough to agree to the proposal to find a final solution, Minister Lakshman Kiriella said. He said the GMOA sticked to the position that SAITM should be abolished and it would be futile if it came in for discussions clinging on to the same position. more..

Oct 19 (DM) With more than 330 municipal councils, urban councils and pradeshiya sabhas likely to go to the polls on January 20 next year, the three major contenders will obviously focus their attention on the elections, but we hope the National Govt will also give priority to its vision 2025 programme and the mission of building a peaceful, just and all-inclusive society. President Maithripala Sirisena as leader of the main faction of the SLFP, last week decided to fire even senior party members who more..

Oct 19 (DM) Under the Constitution any citizen who is qualified to be elected to the office of President may be nominated by a recognized political party (Article 31) elected by the people (Art (30-2) and hold office for a period of six years. Citizenship is described in Article 26 as the entitlement of one who has exclusive rights to be a member of the legislature and the Executive. Voter is defined in the Constitution and the subsidiary legislation as a citizen qualified with restrictions more..

Oct 19 (DM) JVP MP Bimal Rathnayake spoke about the much looked forward to provincial council elections, the SAITM issue, the Rajapakse’s and how the party he represents hopes to move forward in the political scene in an interview with our sister paper Deshaya. following are excerpts of the interview. Q: The JVP is always in the forefront regarding the issues faced by the country, but there seems to be no solution to these problems. more..

Oct 19 (EN) Inspector-General Pujith Jayasundara has scuttled a charity drive organised by women at the police headquarters in the latest in his growing list of controversial moves. Jayasundara stopped trucks transporting food and dry rations that were due to be distributed among low-income families at Ambanpola on Thursday. The Seva Vanitha (women) unit of the police headquarters had organised the event. more..

Oct 19 (ST) Hundreds of of enraged rail commuters surrounded the office of the station master in charge of train operations at the Fort Railway Station on Wednesday, while crowds bayed from the elevated walkways and stairways at the rail hub demanding transport to go home. Massive crowds jeering rail officials and screaming for services to be restored were the result of an unannounced strike by locomotive drivers and more..

Oct 19 (Roar) Despite being an oasis of tropical tranquility, Sri Lanka is no stranger to strife. The country’s past has been plagued through the ages with more conflict than can be counted, the most recent being the civil war that spanned nearly three decades. The island has also been battered constantly and mercilessly by natural elements, from the 2004 tsunami to the recent floods, landslides, and drought. more..

Oct 19 (Island) A civil society group, calling itself the March 12 Movement, alleged that the ruling coalition was scared of facing the electorate and, therefore, did its utmost to delay local govt polls further. Manjula Gajanayake, National Coordinator, Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) affiliated to the March 12 Movement said that yahapalana constituents, UNP and SLFP were afraid of facing voters more..

Oct 19 (FT) In a major boost for commerce, business and trade in the digital era, Parliament yesterday approved the Electronic Transactions Amendment Bill. It was presented to Parliament by the Minister of Harin Fernando. Digital Infrastructure Ministry took the lead initiative with the ICT Agency (ICTA) to prepare this latest amendment. “The new amendment harmonises the SL electronic transactions legislation more..

Oct 19 (AFP) Sri Lankan workers in the Middle East sent back fewer dollars in August, the sharpest monthly drop yet owing to adverse economic and geopolitical conditions in the region. Remittances declined by a record 10 percent to $556.6 million (SR2.08 billion), compared with $618.3 million in August last year, the bank said in a report. About two million Sri Lankans or 10% of the population work overseas, more..

Oct 19 (IE) I will be driving them again to the stadium. Tell them not to worry. The situation in Pakistan has changed a lot. Unko watan ki khushboo aayegi — come and play here, Sri Lanka! That’s Meher Muhammad Khaleel, the man who was driving the bus to Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Mar 3, 2009 — Day 3 of the 2nd Test Match — when SL team came under a terror attack suspected to have been carried out by Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. more..

Oct 19 (AD) It has been reported that former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa returned to SL earlier today, dispelling rumours of his impending arrest. A rumour was being circulated among political circles that former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa was to be arrested upon his return to the country today. It was believed that he was to be arrested in connection with ongoing investigation into an allegation more..

Oct 19 (NR) Minister Lakshman Kiriella says the govt’s stance on the SAITM, will be announced by President Maithripala Sirisena by Monday. Minister made this statement in Parliament today in response to a statement under standing orders by UPFA MP Dinesh Gunewardene. The MP made the relevant statement citing a letter said to have been addressed to the govt by the Maha Nayake Thera. more..

Oct 19 (NR) Minister Malik Samarawickrama says the completion of the Central Expressway will bring in substantial economic development for the region. Minister Samarawickrama said the entire region including cities like Matale, Kegalle and Nuwara-Eliya will greatly benefit with the construction of the Expressway. Speaking in Parliament today, the Minister said the region will experience an economic boom with the construction of industrial and investment zones. more..

Oct 19 (FT) I first met Saman in the early 1990s in Delhi. Over the years, our paths diverged. When I re-engaged on South Asia with a stint in Bangladesh a few years ago, I ran into Saman again, as was inevitable if you worked in the region as an economist. We reconnected instantly, despite the long intervening period. This was easy to do with Saman—soft-spoken, affable, a gentleman to the core. He bore his considerable knowledge lightly. Despite his premature passing away in June more..

Oct 19 (DN) Colombo High Court issued an order directing the Superintendent of the Welikada Prison to produce Medical Faculty Students' Action Committee Convener Ryan Jayalath before the High Court on October 23 regarding his revision bail application, today. Accordingly, High Court Judge A.A.R. Heiyanthuduwa deferred for October 23 to consider the revision bail application filed by Ryan Jayalath. Medical Faculty Students' Action Committee Convener Ryan Jayalath more..

Oct 19 (DM) Customs officers today arrested a cabin crew service supervisor attached to SriLankan Airlines carrying more than five kilogrammes of gold jewellery at the BIA in his person, Customs Spokesman Deputy Director Sunil Jayaratne said. The 50-year-old suspect was arrested with five packets of gold jewellery wrapped around his waist and legs, he said. “The jewellery was hidden inside two specially made girdles and a belt worn around his leg,” he said. more..