Sep 14 (Island) Commission of inquiry inquiring into the issuance of Treasury Bonds yesterday issued the following order in respect of PTL owner Arjun Aloysius decision not to give evidence: "Mandate issued to this Commission of Inquiry by His Excellency, the President requires this Commission of Inquiry to investigate, inquire into and report on the several matters specified in the Mandate. more..

Sep 14 (DN) The Invest Sri Lanka Investor Forum organized by the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka (SEC) in association with CSE Member Firms and leading Listed Companies will be held on 16th Oct at the Sofitel New York. Forum is organized with the objective of promoting investment in the Sri Lankan capital market among US based institutional investors and a strong interest among the investor community in the US is expected. more..

Sep 14 (Island) Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) may contest the forthcoming LG elections independently under the Cock Symbol. CWC Leader Arumugam Thondaman MP said that his team would contest the local elections independently under the Symbol of the Cock. By doing so it would be able test the strength of the different groups in the up-country plantation sector, MP and former Minister of the previous govt said at the opening of the Hindu Cultural Centre in Fairlone Estate, Samimale. more..

Sep 14 (FT) As the days tick down for Budget 2018, Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera yesterday pledged to present an overarching policy framework that would concentrate on greater liberalisation and reforms as well as promote entrepreneurship, expand key sectors and grow the country on the dual pillars of reconciliation and development.  Speaking at the 2018 pre-Budget forum organised by the Daily FT and more..

Sep 14 (SLN) A training module on Preventive Medicine and Casualty Care Subject Matter Expert Exchange got off the ground at the naval base SLNS Gemunu in Welisara yesterday (11). The US Marine Corps Forces Pacific (MARFORPAC) is conducting the training engagement for the personnel of the Sri Lanka Navy. The training programme consists of two modules; Train the Trainer and Tactical Combat Casualty Care Training, in which 70 naval personnel belonging to the Marine Battalion, more..

Sep 14 (Hindu) Tamil Nadu govt is awaiting clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to salvage 36 trawlers impounded by SL Navy in March 2015 and ordered to be released by the govt of SL last month. After SL govt ordered the release of 42 boats – 36 belonging to TN fishermen and six to Karaikal fishermen – a 7-member team, led by G.S. Sameeran, Additional Director of Fisheries, inspected the condition of the trawlers from August 17 to 20 and decided to salvage them. more..

Sep 14 (DM) The Google Loon dream of the current govt is still alive, with Minister Harin Fernando set to make a renewed effort at negotiations with the International Telecom Union (ITU) for the rights to use the frequency band required for the project. “ITU has some concerns. Google was a bit worried that it was taking time but right now for the same band, I think Malta apparently has got the approval. more..

Sep 14 (Hindu) Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney has urged Sri Lankan authorities to ensure the safety of her client and former President of the Maldives Mohammed Nasheed. Her message comes in the wake of recent remarks made by Mohamed Hussain Shareef, Male’s Ambassador-designate to Colombo, that he would have Mr. Nasheed arrested if the latter set foot in Sri Lanka. In a recent interview to a local TV channel in Male, Mr. Shareef reportedly said: more..

Sep 14 (CT) Launching ceremony of the book Janadhipathi Thaththa, which contains a wonderful story of an extremely ordinary man, who was born to a farming family, becoming the President of the country, through the eyes of his daughter will be held at 7:30 a.m. on 15 Sept at the BMICH. This book is based on the personal experiences witnessed by the President's eldest daughter during the difficult political journey of Maithripala Sirisena, who began as a local political activist more..

Sep 14 (Island) Attorney-at-law Nagananda Kodituwakku has vowed to go ahead with his anti-corruption campaign, despite the Supreme Court initiating a disciplinary inquiry in respect of his conduct in the Court of Appeal on May 21, 2015 before the then President of the Court of Appeal, justice Vijith Malalgoda, PC and justice H.C.J. Madawala. A smiling Kodituwakku, emphasized that he wouldn’t keep quiet, more..

Sep 14 (CI) In a game that far exceeded its predecessor in electricity, intensity, quality and competitiveness, World XI edged Pakistan in a nerve-wracking contest that went down to the last two balls. Hashim Amla anchored a chase that seemed just out of World XI's reach with an unbeaten 72 off 55 balls, but it was Thisara Perera, who delivered the knockout blow. Walking in with his side needing 63 off the last five overs, Thisara displayed a level of clinical ruthlessness that more..

Sep 14 (Island) Sri Lanka are almost there to qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 without playing a qualification round after yesterday’s one off ODI between West Indies and Ireland was washed out without a ball being bowled due to inclement weather in Belfast. The no result means that West Indies now have to lose only one game in their five match series against England for Sri Lanka to go through. Given England’s dodgy weather in September, two washed out games also more..

Sep 14 (CT) A 27 member Sri Lanka contingent will be flying to Turkmenistan tomorrow to take part in the fifth edition of the Asian Indoor Athletic and Martial Arts Games to be held from 17 to 27 September at the Olympics Sports Complex, Ashgabat. The championship is organized by Asian Olympics Council (AOC). 6,000 athletes from 65 countries will be vying for glory. 21 athletes will represent Sri Lanka in five events, namely: Indoor Athletics (6), Chess (4), Taekwondo (2), more..

Sep 14 (EN) Withholding tax will have to be deducted from listed corporate bonds which are in existence, a tax official said, raising concerns over the risk of doing business in Sri Lanka, selective implementation of the law, with the possibility of some bonds being taxed twice. The taxation changes of bonds including government debt, under a new income tax law also raised the question of indirect expropriation, according to some analysts, though uncertainty prevails. more..

Sep 14 (CT) Former Northern Health Minister, Dr. P. Sathiyalingam, recently said there was no evidence found in the medical examinations to prove that former LTTE cadres were injected with toxic chemicals during the rehabilitation process. It was earlier alleged that former LTTE cadres were injected with chemicals, while in rehabilitation, following which the Northern Health Min. made arrangements for all former LTTE more..

Sep 14 (DN) The re-laying of Sugathadasa synthetic running track which was delayed for about a year due to tender procedure issues commenced yesterday at 9.15 a.m. under the patronage of Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara. Access-Konika Joint Venture was offered the contract of re-laying the 200m and 400m tracks recently after the facility was closed in 2013. According to the Sports Minister, the new track will be completed in December. He also said that local athletes were greatly affected more..

Sep 14 (Island) In an effort to boost Surrey’s County Championship bid, star batsman Kumar Sangakkara smashed a sensational 164 to help his team to post a mammoth 592 all out at The Oval yesterday. Surrey are currently placed third in the points table of the County Championship and have got two more games against Somerset and Lancashire. Essex are the table leaders. Sangakkara was in the West Indies last week representing Jamaica in the Caribbean Premier League and more..

Sep 14 (FT) Hayleys said it entered into an agreement to buy 61.73% stake or 231.86 million shares of Singer SL at Rs. 47 per share in a deal worth Rs. 10.89 billion from the latter’s parent Retail Holdings (SL) BV. Hayleys also entered into a further agreement to purchase either by itself or through nominees a further 9.47% being the balance shareholding of Retail Holdings SL at Rs. 47 per share by itself or through its nominees more..

Sep 14 (CT) On Thursday, the High Court of Colombo issued a chilling verdict on one of the most anticipated cases filed by the FCID: Lalith Weeratunga, former Presidential Secretary and Anusha Palpita, former Director General of the TRC, were sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment after being found guilty to the charge of misappropriating Rs.600 million belonging to the TRC and using it to distribute Sil Redi during the 2015 presidential election campaign. more..

Sep 14 (DM) For the first time since Eelam War IV ended nearly eight years ago, a book entitled Mission Impossible: Geneva by Sanja de Silva Jayatilleka has come out on Sri Lanka’s path breaking diplomatic victory at the UNHRC in Geneva on May 27, 2009.  While Sri Lanka’s decisive military victory over the LTTE on May 19, 2009 is still talked about for its historic significance for Sri Lanka, the region and the world, the diplomatic victory registered over the Western powers more..

Sep 14 (Island) One of the main election promises of the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration was to rebuild the economy and create one million jobs. But, this goal is far from achieved as is obvious and the govt is desperate to improve its performance on the economic front with an electoral contest on the horizon. PM has told a group of captains of industry in Colombo they have to make the best use of the opportunities the present govt has provided them with and get their act together. more..

Sep 14 (CT) Health is wealth for a nation or an individual as wealth or material benefit will be of no use to a sick body full of ailments. Sri Lanka once a healthy nation enjoying long life, self-sufficiency in food and other needs in the village full of peace and stability is now invaded by drug addicts, sex maniacs, and a new generation indifferent to religion, culture, and good behaviour, based on traditional breeding of historical traditional and religious values adored & respected by world. more..

Sep 14 (Roar) In 2015, then Minister of Power and Energy, Champika Ranawaka, stated that SL had embarked on a mission to enter into a new energy era, and was striving to become a nation self-sufficient in energy by 2030. Currently, SL’s largest source of energy comes from hydropower at 21.91 Joule. However, in a country like SL, which receives a lot of sunlight, there is no better source of energy than solar power. more..

Sep 14 (Island) Deputy Minister Karunarathna Paranawithana expressed his view about the elephant conflict in Sri Lanka, and his suggestion to maintain a safe balance between the wild elephants and rural folks is thought provoking. This is the first time a parliamentary representative openly spoke about this persistently nagging tug-a-war that had no practical solution. Electric fences, fire crackers and howling had no effect on these relentlessly hungry jumbos. more..

Sep 14 (DN) The new kid on the block of the Rajapaksa return project is the supremely ill named Eliya meaning light organisation headed by Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, whose stated intent is to oppose the proposed post war reforms of the Unity Govt. At its recent launch with all the usual suspects of the Joint Opposition and their sundry cheer leaders in attendance, the arguments put forward were essentially the same old tired and hackneyed, fear mongering and paranoia more..

Sep 14 (SO) To ban or not to ban? Never was a question so fiercely debated in SL in recent years. On public platforms, business meetings, even wayside boutiques, inside pubs, buses and trains, the topic invariably veered to one particular question: Should or should not polythene and plastics be banned ? Was or was it not, a justifiable step, given the fact that it is currently the cheapest mode of packaging in our country? more..

Sep 14 (GV) I once came into contact with a woman on account of a professional relationship we had. We had met to discuss her prolonged absence from work. With a reserved demeanour and a soft voice she claimed that she had to run her father’s shop back home as he had not been well and hence she said that she had not been able to leave home. After the third conversation that I had with her, she explained the actual reason for her absence. She had been pregnant & her boyfriend’s mother more..

Sep 14 (CT) Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka has charged that his successor, General Jagath Jayasuriya committed war crimes during the ethnic war. The JO has got yet another platform slogan to hype their anti-govt campaign due to Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka. The Patriots of the Rajapaksa bandwagon are forgetting that Sarath Fonseka, decorated war hero was the commander of the Army in May 2009 when the SL armed forces wiped out the brutal terrorist force, the LTTE. more..

Sep 13 (PSL) President Maithripala Sirisena opened the new building of Automobile Engineering Training Institute at Orugodawatta, which is under the National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority, today. When the land acquired for the new bridge construction project over the Kelani river, the land of the Automobile Engineering Training Institute, Orugodawatta was also acquired. more..

Sep 13 (DM) Minister Chandima Weerakkody today hinted that former deputy minister Arundika Fernando was likely to be appointed as a deputy minister shortly. He said this at a function attended by President Sirisena and Mr. Fernando last morning. Minister Weerakkody, who addressed the gathering, introduced Mr. Fernando as “Deputy minister yesterday, MP today and again deputy minister tomorrow”. Mr. Fernando was seen having a cordial chat with the President more..

Sep 13 (NR) The National Movement for Consumer Rights Protection has requested the President to appoint a special Presidential Commission to look into issues in the energy sector. The Movement in a letter to President Maithripala Sirisena requested to hold inquiries into discrepancies during the tender process of the proposed gas plant in Kerawalapitiya. The Chairman of the Movement Ranjith Vithanage said alleged bribery and corruption charges should be investigated. more..

Sep 13 (AD) Sri Lanka unveiled its first ever SME incubator today and vowed its third generation economic reforms shall be led by innovation, technology transfer and SMEs. “We need to change our traditional mind-sets and think anew” said PM Ranil Wickremesinghe today in Makandura Industrial Zone of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. PM was addressing the launch event of SL’s first ever Incubator and Technology Transfer Centre more..

Sep 13 (LBO) Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), the electricity sector regulator, said it is seeking public views on issues related to electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) in order to identify and draft the required regulatory tools. Govt empowered PUCSL to establish a register of charging stations under CEB and LECO, issue code of practice, determine end user tariffs, issue safety and other technical standards and collect information for monitoring purposes. more..

Sep 13 (AD) The Ministry of Finance announced that the Treasury has decided to commence taxation under the new Inland Revenue Bill from April 1, 2018. Inland Revenue Bill was passed in parliament on Sept 7. Draft bill that was presented to Parliament back in July was passed following much debate and discussion.  During the reading of the Bill, Minister Mangala Samaraweera said that one must pay as much income tax as possible, out of love for the country. more..