Joint Opposition will boycott convention

SLFP Parliamentarians in the Joint Opposition yesterday formally announced that they would not participate in their party’s 65th anniversary celebrations in Kurunegala tomorrow (04).

Addressing the media at the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s office at Battaramulla, National Organiser of the JO Dullas Alahapperuma said that though they had received invitations from the party, they would not attend the convention due to three reasons.

The media conference commenced following the cutting of a cake to celebrate the SLFP’s 65th birthday.

Alahapperuma said they would not attend the party convention as the present leaders had betrayed the party and insulted former President Mahinda Rajapaksa at every turn in spite of his great service to the party as well as the country.

Alahapperuma said all provincial oragnisations of the party, the Association of local government members, the Association of Provincial Council members asked them not to attend the party convention.

He said seven poweful organisers including C. B. Ratnayake, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Pavirthra Wanniarachchi, Keheliya Rambukwella, Rohitha Abeygunawardena, Gamini Lokuge and Jagath Balasuriya had been removed as party organisers 20 days prior to the convention.

"These members obtained the highest number of preferential votes at the last general election from their respective districts, but were replaced with those who cannot win even a local government election," Alahapperuma said.

Alahapperuma said former President Rajapaksa had been invited by the Malaysian government to attend the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) as its Chairman and the second speech was allocated to him after the Malaysian Prime Minister.

However, some bankrupt politicians were trying to have the public believe that the former Presidnet had left for Malasia to avoid the party convention, Alahapperuma said.

He said the Joint Opposition asked the Malaysian government through its High Commission here to ensure former President Rajapaksa’s security in their country as pro-LTTE Tamil diaspora staged a protest against the arrival of Rajapaksa.

Ratnapura District MP Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Matara District MP Dullas Alahapperuma, Colombo District MPs Bandula Gunawardena and Gamini Lokuge, Gampaha District MPs Prasanna Ranatunga and Prasanna Ranaweera also attended the media conference.

President turns 65 today

President Maithripala Sirisena celebrates his 65th birthday today.

Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Christian religious ceremonies have been organised islandwide to invoke blessings on the President. President Sirisena was born on September 3, 1951 in the Western Province and grew up in Polonnaruwa in the North Central Province.

He was born several hours after the launch of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. President Sirisena studied at Thopawewa Maha Vidyalaya and Royal College, Polonnaruwa. He joined mainstream politics in 1989 as a Member of Parliament and held several key ministerial portfolios since 1994 including that of Mahaweli Development and Health.

He was the General Secretary of the SLFP from 2001 to November 2014.

He walked out of the Government in November 2014 to vie for the 2015 Presidential Election as the Common Candidate of the Opposition.

Following his landmark victory he took oaths as the sixth Executive President on January 9, 2015.

Mathews says extra protection in helmets a must

Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews says that cricketers at all levels should start using helmets with latest safety standards. Mathews was hit on the back of his head during the fourth ODI at Dambulla by Australian fast bowler Scott Boland. The protective strap designed to safeguard the back of his neck was broken, but there was no serious harm to the batsman by the impact.

Play was stopped for several minutes as Mathews recovered from the impact. The incident evoked memories of the on-field death of Australian batsman Philip Hughes, who was hit by a similar delivery during a First-Class game at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Mathews continued to bat, but was forced to retire with an unrelated calf injury when he was on 28. He returned to the middle at the fall of the eighth Sri Lankan wicket and was last man out for 40.

Mathews like all members of the Sri Lankan squad at present uses the new helmet with extra protection called the stem guard. He was glad that he had the extra safety measure fitted onto his helmet.

"Since the unfortunate death of Philip Hughes there has been more awareness on using helmets that had passed the ICC safety standards," Mathews told  yesterday.

"We started using it during the England tour. The new equipment is fitted onto the helmet. Our physiotherapist Steve Mount has advised all players to use it and we do so," Mathews added.

"Yesterday was a very unexpected blow. Thankfully I had the stem guard," Mathews further said.

"I see that most players in domestic cricket too are using the extra piece of equipment nowadays and it’s good. I hope cricketers across all levels start following suit."

Since Hughes’ death two years ago, extensive research has been done on providing equipment that ensures the safety of the players.

Mathews is unlikely to take further part in the series due to the calf injury. He was expected to return to Colombo yesterday. His injury will be assessed today in Colombo and Mathews suspects it to be a tear instead of a strain.

"I can’t walk at the moment. I get the feeling soon I will be walking on crutches," Mathews said.

The Sri Lankan captain reached new heights last month after he whitewashed Australia, world’s number one ranked team, 3-0. World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga praising Mathews said that he could go onto become the best captain produced by Sri Lanka.

CBK wants hackers’ talents positively utilised

Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga said the talents of the 17-year-old boy who hacked the President’s Website should be utilised in a positive manner and it was her belief that this website created recently did not contain adequate security measures.

The former President made this comment answering the media when she visited Veyangoda Madya Maha Vidyalaya yesterday to inspect the new technological laboratory opened by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya earlier in the day.

Former President Kumaratunga said the present government had allocated massive funds almost five times greater then the allocation made by the previsions regime for the development of education.

Now these funds were being utilised to improve education. Now it was upto the Principals and teachers to make maximum use of the provisions made for developing the student generation she said.

Technology was a must for the development of a country. But adequate steps should be taken to prevent its misuse for destructive purposes,”she added.

UN chief hails SL progress

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon yesterday expressed appreciation over the progress made by Sri Lanka in different spheres over the last one and half years.

He also assured continuous assistance and support from the United Nations Organisation for the efforts of the government.

Ban made these comments during talks with President Maithripala Sirisena at the President’s House in Colombo yesterday.

The two leaders discussed about the ongoing development programmes, the progress of the programmes being implemented to strengthen reconciliation and the process of constitutional reforms. The President briefed the visiting UN Secretary General about the steps taken by the government with regard to constitutional reforms, devolution and structural reforms.

He explained the steps taken by the government for resettlement and rehabilitation, release of land to the original owners and livelihood development.

President Sirisena said that he is looking forward to attend the UN General assembly later this month to use the international forum for furthering Sri Lanka’s global interaction.

The UN Secretary General said that during his visit to Galle today he could witness the progress achieved in various fields.

He added that he held a dialogue with the people, especially the youth and expressed his satisfaction of the free and friendly atmosphere.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera, Presidential Advisor Austin Fernando, Foreign Secretary Esala Weerakoon and Sri Lankan Permanent Representative to UN, Dr Rohan Perera also participated in the discussion. The President hosted a dinner in honour of the UN Secreatry General. The United Nations Secretary General met Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at Temple Trees on Wednesday.

Ban is scheduled to meet several ministers and other Parliamentarians during his three day visit to Sri Lanka.

Two arrested over Sulaiman killing

Police yesterday arrested two men, aged 22 and 23, on suspicion of being involved in the abduction and killing of 29-year-old Bambalapitya businessman Mohamed Shakib Sulaiman, whose decomposing body was discovered near a landfill at Rukulagama in Mawanella-Hemmathagama on 24 August.

A senior Police source told Ceylon Today that it was very likely that the two arrested men were the ones who phoned in the ransom demand to Sulaiman's father at his residence in Bambalapityiya. The demand came a day after the victim was abducted.

Sulaiman's body was discovered three days after he was abducted. The ransom call had been made from a public phone booth in Kegalle. The caller had said he would call again giving a bank account number into which he wanted the ransom money deposited. He never called again. The Colombo Crimes Division is conducting further investigations.

Wimal’s brother arrested

Sarath Weerawansa, elder brother of former Minister of Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Wimal Weerawansa, was arrested by the Financial Crimes Division yesterday on charges of misuse of State resources.

According to Police sources, the suspect had secured himself a vehicle belonging to the Presidential Secretariat in addition to availing himself of a fuel allowance totalling Rs 8.9 million.

Weerawansa is also alleged to have used this vehicle as his official ministry vehicle claiming that it was privately owned, but proceeded to avail himself of further fuel and other allowances from the Ministry of Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities amounting to Rs 1,646,632.

Sarath Weerawansa was produced before the Fort Magistrate's Court yesterday where he was remanded till 7 September.

Powerful quake off north-east New Zealand coast

Residents of a small community on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island have been asked to evacuate after a severe earthquake at sea.

Civil defence authorities asked people in the Tolaga Bay area to leave their homes after a 7.1 quake struck 169km (105 miles) north-east of Gisborne.

People in some coastal areas were told to go to higher ground.

The quake caused a tsunami but it has had no noticeable impact, an emergency worker told New Zealand radio.The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii tweeted that only a 21cm (8in) wave had been measured.

The quake occurred at 04:37 local time (16:37 GMT) at a depth of 19km (12 miles), US monitors say.

Residents across North Island said they felt shaking and rattling as the quake struck but there were no immediate reports of serious damage.

In 2011, the city of Christchurch on South Island was devastated by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake that left 185 people dead.

Each year more than 15,000 earthquakes are recorded in New Zealand, but only about 150 are large enough to be felt.
BBC