JO Gampaha organisation decides to form new party

The Gampaha District Bala Mandalaya of the Joint Opposition passed a resolution on Saturday to form a new political party under the leadership of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to contest the forthcoming local government polls.

The resolution was passed unanimously during a meeting held at Udugampola with convener of the Joint Opposition MP Prasanna Ranatunga presiding.

Four other resolutions were also passed, demanding that the SLFP should leave the national unity government immediately; SLFP members should resign from the ministerial portfolios of the incumbent government, those who had been removed from the SLFP electoral organiser posts should be reinstated and a campaign should be launched to pressure the government to hold the local government elections without further delay.

After the resolutions were passed, convener of the Joint Opposition MP Prasanna Ranatunga said: "The SLFP started facing problems when its former general secretary and incumbent President Maithripala Sirisena defected and contested against the party’s nominee at th last presidential polls. The general secretary decided to campaign against the president of his own party. The incumbent general secretary of the SLFP says that the presidential election was a battle between the SLFP President and its General Secretary. That is not true. Sirisena was removed from the position of party general secretary post when he announced his decision to contest from another symbol against the party’s candidate. Anura Priyadarshana Yapa was appointed the SLFP secretary. Therefore Maithripala Sirisena has no moral right to receive the SLFP leader’s post."

New set of laws for Lankan workers in Saudi Arabia

A new set of laws and regulations has been introduced by the Saudi Arabian External Affairs Ministry for Sri Lanka workers in Saudi Arabia.

According to Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau sources, Sri Lankan workers who abandon their places of work will have to pay Rs.400,000 under the new laws passed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

If employers have lodged a complaint with the Saudi Police regarding the abandonment of Sri Lankan workers, this fine has to be paid by the workers when they depart Saudi Arabian soil.

SL Ambassador attacked in Malaysia

Sri Lankan Ambassador to Malaysia and the Second Secretary were reported to have been mobbed by a group of protesters at Kuala Lampur airport in Malaysia today when they arrived at the airport to send off MP Dinesh Gunawardena who was on a visit to the country with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Former Minister Johnston Fernando said the attack was carried out by a group of LTTE sympathizers, who were protesting against Mr. Rajapaksa.

The Sri Lankan Ambassador who sustained head injuries and the Second Secretary, who was also injured, are currently being treated at a hospital in Kuala Lampur.

According to former minister Fernando, the protesters had asked whereabouts of Former President Rajapaksa from the Ambassador and the ambassador had told to the protesters contact the Police and inquire about it.

The protesters who were irritated by his response had ‘critically’ attacked the ambassador until he bled from his forehead, Mr. Fernando said.

However, it is reported that when the Police arrived in the scene, the ambassador had already been beaten up.

He said none of the delegation of Mr. Rajapaksa had faced attacks.

The Former President and Kurunegala District MP Mahinda Rajapaksa is scheduled to return to Sri Lanka tomorrow morning with  his delegation comprising his Private Secretary Uditha Lokubandara, Former Minister Johnston Fernando and Former Western Provincial Minister Upali Kodikara. (Piyumi Fonseka)

SLFP will contest under the ‘hand’ symbol

President Maithripala Sirisena addressing the Sri Lanka Freedom Party's 65th anniversary in Kurunegala said SLFP will contest the next Local Government election under the ‘hand’ symbol. “I took over the leadership of the party to once again establish a SLFP Government,” he told the gathering. 

Celebrations for the anniversary is being held at Maliga Pitiya, Kurunegala now.

Mother Teresa declared saint by Pope Francis

Pope Francis proclaimed Mother Teresa of Calcutta a saint of the Roman Catholic Church on Sunday, 19 years after her death.

Tens of thousands of pilgrims had flocked to St Peter’s Square for the Mass and canonisation.Two miraculous cures of the sick after Mother Teresa’s death in 1997 have been attributed to her intercession.

Her legacy complements Pope Francis’s vision of a humble church that strives to serve the poor, and the festivities are a highlight of his Holy Year of Mercy, which runs until November 8.

Millions of Catholics revere her as a model of compassion, and the Vatican could easily have issued double the number of tickets but for space and security restrictions.

Among the assembled crowd were 1,500 poor people looked after by the Italian branches of Teresa’s order, the Missionaries of Charity.

In India, a special Mass was celebrated at the Missionaries of Charity, the order she founded in Kolkata.

Shin Godzilla get U.S. release date

The iconic science fiction monster Godzilla makes landfall in the U.S. and Canada this October with the North American theatrical release of Shin Godzilla (aka Godzilla: Resurgence) from Toho Company, Ltd.

Fans have been clamoring for news of the film’s theatrical dates ever since Funimation Films made its surprise acquisition announcement in July at the San Diego Comic-Con 2016. And today, the company revealed that Shin Godzilla will roar into theaters for a limited engagement on October 11 – 18.

The movie will screen in more than 440 theaters across the U.S. and Canada. Tickets for Shin Godzilla will be available for pre-purchase on the official film website beginning on September 9.

 “We are thrilled to bring ‘Shin Godzilla’ to theaters across North America this October,” said Gen Fukunaga, CEO and President of Funimation. “Toho established Godzilla as one of the most iconic monsters in science fiction history and we’re honored to now be a part of that history with the theatrical release of this new movie. Fans will not want to miss this limited theatrical event.”

Shin Godzilla has been a big hit in Japan since its opening on July 29, 2016 , which garnered a box office of ¥ 845,675,500 and total audience of 564,332 during its first three days. To date in Japan, the movie has grossed ¥ 5,302,014,700 at the box office and 3,637,748 in total attendance.

In advance of the movie’s opening, Funimation will be hosting two premieres of Shin Godzilla – on October 3 in Los Angeles and on October 5 in New York before opening day of New York Comic Con 2016. Additional details on these two events to be announced

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.