Aug 23 (FT) SL – Singapore Free Trade Agreement is now in force despite a committee appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena to analyse the deal, State Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs Dr. Harsha de Silva said, condemning attempts by the Opposition to create a “bogeyman” of the Singapore trade deal. He said that, although the President has appointed a committee to analyse the trade agreement, the FTA, which was signed in March this year, is already in effect. more..

Aug 23 (Island) The govt yesterday denied accusations that garbage was to be brough in under the Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SL-SFTA) finalized in January this year. State Minister of National Polices and Economic Affairs Dr. Harsha de Silva claimed at a media briefing at Sirikotha that there was no basis for JO spokesman Bandula Gunawardena’s repeated claims that garbage was to be allowed in under SL-SFTA. more..

Aug 23 (DM) Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Dr. Subramanian Swamy arrived in SL and called on former President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Medamulana. In a tweet, Mr. Rajapaksa said, “I welcomed my good friend Dr. Subramanian Swamy and I’m honoured to accept his invitation to speak in New Delhi,” He said Dr. Swamy is a long-time friend of Sri Lanka who has always vehemently spoken out against LTTE terrorism. “He has always had SL’s best interest at heart,” Mr. Rajapaksa said. more..

Aug 23 (DM) The electoral system under which the PC Elections should be held was not important for the UNP as the party wanted the PC Elections held as soon as possible under any system, several party seniors said. UNP Spokesman Harin Fernando said that the system under which the elections were held was not important as the party wanted the elections held as soon as possible under any system. “If we keep on crying on the electoral system, it will result in a political setback,” more..

Aug 23 (Island) Japan wants Sri Lanka’s southern Hambantota port to be free of military activities, the visiting Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onedera has told Japanese media amid concerns in the region over the leasing of the facility to China. Onedera, who arrived in Colombo, is the first Japanese defence minister ever to visit Sri Lanka. His visit comes amid regional concerns over growing Chinese influence in Sri Lanka. more..

Aug 23 (Island) The police have ordered 5,000 tear gas canisters and 2,000 high tech protective helmets for policemen deployed to disperse protests. "There is a rumour about a shortage of tear gas and that we might be compelled to use rubber bullets to disperse protestors," a senior police officer said, "that is false and we have sufficient stocks of tear gas and we have also ordered 5,000 more gas canisters, he said. He said that they had ordered 2,000 high tech protective helmets more..

Aug 23 (FT) CB Governor Dr.Indrajit Coomaraswamy this week expressed confidence that by early next year SL will be able to move away from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list. “A great deal of work has been done under the guidelines of FATF. We are hopeful that by February next year, Sri Lanka will be able to move away from the FATF grey list. I believe this will give some room for us to manoeuvre in terms of moving forward digital transformation and particularly in Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements,” more..

Aug 23 (FT) President Maithripala Sirisena assured that there was no cash crunch in the Govt, nor lack of support from multilateral donors to fund much-needed and multi-faceted development projects. This declaration by President Sirisena was during a meeting with editors and heads of electronic media, to announce the launch of the second phase of the Rs. 23 billion worth Moragahakanda-Kaluganga reservoir tomorrow more..

Aug 23 (CT) Sri Lanka Netball selectors have picked an experienced squad for the upcoming Asia Netball Championship, in Singapore from 1-9 September. The only new face in the squad is Ellilenthini Sethukavalar from Jaffna, who has made great progress since joining the pool. The Sri Lanka team travelled to Malawi a few weeks ago to take part in a tournament, where Sethukavalar impressed a lot paving the way for her selection, in a well balanced squad. more..

Aug 23 (DM) The Govt had failed to release the decentralized budget funds to MPs for the past eight months, the Joint Opposition (JO) said. JO MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage said the decentralized budget allocates Rs.10 million per an MP and the MPs depend on this fund to facilitate projects at their electorates. “For the past eight months, no decentralized budget fund was released to an MP. Meanwhile, the govt has launched an initiative called ‘Gamperaliya’ to boost the villages. more..

Aug 23 (PMD) 88% of land in the Northern Province under the control of Security Forces has been released to the original owners and President Sirisena says the govt has a clear policy to release the remaining 12% of the land also to its original owners promptly. President further said that steps will be taken in the next two weeks to release the lands, which are still under the control of Security Forces, belongs to several schools more..

Aug 23 (Island) JVP’s art wing, the Society for Socialist Art (SSA) has condemned the government for its recent attempts to block the right to expression. A statement signed by Premarathne Tennakoon, National Committee Member of the SSA said: Freedom of expression is one of the main rights enjoyed by the people living in a democratic state. The incumbent government came to power with promises to ensure the freedom of expression under its good governance policies. more..

Aug 23 (DN) Sri Lanka’s Digital Literacy has reached 39% and ICT exports have surpassed USS 1 billion making ICT the 5th largest foreign exchange revenue earner. The ICT sector goal is to attract US$ 5 billion export revenue especially through entrepreneurship, innovation and digital adoption. In line with the national development priorities and digitization agenda of the Govt is geared to provide the benefits of ICT to every citizen in the country a release from the ICTA of SL said. more..

Aug 23 (DM) The National Medicine Regulatory Authority (NMRA) would issue a Gazette Notification to reduce prices of yet another batch of 26 essential drugs next Friday (25). This is in addition to the reduction of prices of 48 essential drugs in November 2016 by the NMRA. The new regulations would apply to the branded and generic versions of the listed drugs bringing the number of drugs reduced in price to 74, more..

Aug 23 (FT) PM Ranil Wickre-mesinghe on Tuesday emphasised the significance of a MOU on strengthening defence cooperation between Sri Lanka and Japan with the visiting Defence Minister of Japan. During a meeting between the visiting Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera and PM Ranil Wickremesinghe held at Temple Trees on Tuesday Wickremesinghe pointed out that Sri Lanka has always been committed to free maritime movement in the Indian Ocean. more..

Aug 23 (FT) SL Human Rights Commission (HRC) Chairperson Deepika Udagama was critical of the media for its lack of social responsibility for sensationalising crime, despite a drop in a crime rates. Addressing the Convocation of SL College of Journalism as its Chief Guest on 21 August, Udagama, speaking as HRC Chair and a member of the general public, said that the media highlighted and sensationalised crime and violence frequently. “Hardly a day goes by without a dead body more..

Aug 23 (Island) National Election Commission (NEC) Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya disowned the responsibility on the part of the then Election Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake for the LTTE-TNA combine organising a polls boycott which is believed to have caused UNP candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe’s defeat at the 2005 presidential election. Deshapriya asserted that his predecessor would have acted if agents of more..

Aug 23 (DM) The Health Ranger and Natural News.com Editor Mike Adams says, after having analyzed more than 1,000 foods, super foods, vitamins, junk foods and popular beverages for heavy metals and other substances at the Natural News Forensic Food Labs, he has arrived at a conclusion so alarming and urgent that it could only be stated bluntly. He says that based on what he has found via atomic spectroscopy analysis of all the dietary substances, people are consuming more..

Aug 23 (DM) Western Provincial Council (WPC) and Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), unlike our cash strapped treasury are inundated with extra cash, as proudly claimed by Chief Minister Isuru Devapriya and the Mayoress Rosy Senanayake. They, as reported, are on a shopping spree for chairs, toilet accessories and aspiring for extravagant Thamashas and enhanced compensation for councilors. Both these politicians who are close allies of the President and the PM have more..

Aug 23 (DM) It was a sudden decision taken by MP Athuraliye Rathana Thera, who served in the capacity of senior advisor to the President, to resign from this post. The following interview with the monk is aimed at finding out what his next move in politics would be. Q: What made you suddenly decide to resign from the post of senior advisor to the President? A: When you mention about senior advisor to the President, more..

Aug 23 (ST) On Monday night, the day after the Fisheries Minister Wijith Wijayamuni Zoysa assured Mullaitivu fishermen that illegal fishing will not be allowed at the expense of traditional fishermen, local fisherfolk stopped a boat with a group of fishermen ready to go fishing using high powered lights — a fishing method prohibited by the Fisheries Ministry. Hours later, seven fishing huts belonging to local fishermen were burned down by more..

Aug 23 (NDTV) Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said he and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were not happy after the terror group LTTE's chief Prabhakaran, who ordered the assassination of his father Rajiv Gandhi, was killed, as they felt the violence inflicted upon him had impacted others, including his children. The Congress chief said he has lost two members of his family to violence. more..

Aug 23 (Island) State Minister Eran Wickramaratne, blamed growing tendency among lawmakers to skip parliamentary sessions on the executive presidency introduced in 1978. Addressing the media, Wickramaratne, flanked by Deputy Minister Harsha de Silva & Minister Harin Fernando, asserted that over the past 20 years the situation had gradually deteriorated due to weakening of parliamentary system vis a vis exec more..

Aug 23 (Island) Apropos Sri Lanka chosen garbage dump by Singapore after China etc. shut their doors: Expert with strap line SL is the worst deal a country can enter into in yesterday’s issue of The Island, Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade has sent us the following statement: The main news item published on 22nd Aug, based on an interview given by a Former Director General of Commerce, more..

Aug 23 (CT) A project worth nearly Rs 8 billion to supply much-needed equipment to three hospitals in Jaffna, Batticaloa and Galle, and scheduled for launch in 2014 is yet to serve patients. The project to supply Linear Accelerator (LINAC) machines to Tellipalai Cancer Hospital in Jaffna, Batticaloa and Karapitiya Teaching Hospitals, was mooted at the time Maithripala Sirisena was Health Minister – under the previous regime. more..

Aug 23 (EN) Former Chief Justice Sarath Silva may have openly violated constitution by presenting himself as legal counsel for ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa who was questioned by police in connection with the abduction of journalist Keith Noyahr. Official sources noted that the police CID informed the Mount Lavinia Magistrate that Silva was present as part of the legal team of Rajapaksa when he was questioned more..

Aug 23 (DM) After holding the discussion with the Railways unions this evening the Railway Technical Services Trade Union Committee (RTSTUC) said they had decided to launch indefinite train strike from Wednesday midnight. Union’s Secretary Kamal Pieris said that they were planning to launch the strike from tonight, but their decision would affect the rail commuters who are planning to visit Kandy to witness Easala Perahera more..

Aug 23 (GT) SL Ambassador to China Karunasena Kodituwakku strongly pushed back recent media reports criticizing Chinese investments in his country, saying that Sri Lanka was not forced to accept investments and loans from China and wants to continue cooperation with China under the Belt and Road (B&R) initiative. Chinese investments in Sri Lanka have come under increased criticism, mostly from Western media and officials, more..

Aug 23 (DM) Senior Deputy Solicitor General Haripriya Jayasundara today told court that the CB's former governor Arjuna Mahendran, who is the first suspect in the magisterial inquiry into the bond scam had recently requested the CID to forward some of the documents on the investigation through Interpol. This was revealed when Colombo Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne asked the prosecution what had happened with regard more..

Aug 24 (CT) The poet is a curious creature. He does not pander to the majority, but his role is that of a public voice. The language he resorts to thus cannot be esoteric or obscurantist, because by definition, being a poet, he cannot obfuscate. So he gets entangled in a strange conundrum: he has to speak to the people, but not in the language of the people. He has to be the voice of an entire collective and identity, yet strike some sort of a balance between the emotions of the majority and more..

Aug 24 (CT) A targeted tariff war declared unilaterally by the Trump administration while disrupting the free flow of global trade and destabilizing currency markets, may, quite inadvertently, provide a new lease of life to import substitution (IS) as strategy for economic development for smaller nations. SL policy makers may well be advised to consider this possibility, not as perfect substitute to export promotion but as partner in the free market model. more..

Aug 24 (CT) The world around us is increasingly moving forward with regional and bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) as the multilateral trade liberalization process led by the WTO has come to a standstill. There are now 419 regional trade agreements in the World. If we look at South Asian countries in SAARC, Sri Lanka is far behind others in working out duty free or preferential market access with other countries. more..

Aug 24 (CT) The potential and, depending on who you ask, return of the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa seems to have never left the minds of the collective consciousness of society ever since his departure on 8 Jan, 2015. Even after suffering two political defeats subsequently, the people still hold his image with a certain authority. He lost twice. And now, with a fluke on the 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the country, it seems that his return might yet again be possible. more..

Aug 24 (GV) It is estimated that Sri Lanka’s debt servicing cost will be USD 4.2 billion next year. From 2000 to 2009, Sri Lanka’s foreign debt doubled, from USD 9 billion in 2000 to USD 18.6 billion in 2009. By 2014, this amount had skyrocketed again to USD 42.9 billion, while in Jan 2017 the total amount owed was USD 46.6 billion – a slight dip. This has resulted in serious pressure on the part of the Govt regarding debt servicing, especially from 2019 onwards, with the Govt likely to borrow more more..

Aug 24 (CT) National Organizer of JVP, MP Bimal Ratnayake says the JVP’s goal is to take forward the country which was betrayed by Maithri and Ranil. Q: JVP is said to begin a new journey from January; what is this new journey? A: The country needs a good political journey. And the JVP will bring together all groups necessary, to build a good country, and begin this journey. JVP and these social groups and organizations have more..

Aug 24 (GV) Three recent pronouncements caught the attention of the media and dominated conversations. Advisors to President Trump quoted the Bible in defence of the separation of children from parents; as if being refugees disqualifies them from the joy and security of being family. In Sri Lanka a Buddhist Prelate all too hastily suggested that an authoritarian style of governance was necessary to save the dominant community; and President Sirisena, while more..

Aug 24 (CT) In 1978, President J.R. Jayewardene appointed a three-member Presidential Commission comprising SC Judges S. Sharvananda and Joe Weeraratne and Appeal Court Judge K.C.E. de Alwis to investigate into the conduct of the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Govt of 1970-77. After a two-year sitting, the Commission recommended that she, among others, be stripped of their civic rights for misuse and abuse of power. Bandaranaike had the right to appeal to Court against her verdict, more..

Aug 24 (FT) Visa – one of the most advanced payment processing networks in the world – has signed in as a Strategic Partner for Sri Lanka’s sixth annual Cyber Security Summit on 19 and 20 Sept at the Cinnamon Grand. The summit consists of three key events: CEOs’ Forum on Cyber Security on 19 September and Cyber Security Day Conference and the Night Hack on 20 September. The CEOs’ Forum discusses why cybersecurity should be a board room discussion, whilst the Night Hack is more..

Aug 24 (DM) First ever strike called for Aug 15 last by private bus drivers’ union did not make much of an impact on daily commuters. They could not keep buses off the road as bus owners do, when on protest demanding an increase in bus fares. Yet, these bus drivers were condemned as Errant Drivers who should be severely punished and disciplined. The outburst against them made all other drivers, saintly users of public roads. There are nearly 5,000 private buses plying on the roads. more..