Incumbent President Barack Obama, at a press briefing called at the White House today, made an official statement on Donald J. Trump winning the 2016 Presidential election.
“I had a chance to talk to President-elect Trump last night - about the 3.30 in the morning I think it was - to congratulate him on winning the election,” said President Obama.
“I had the chance to invite him to come to the White House tomorrow, to talk, about making sure there is a successful transition between our Presidencies.”
“Now, it is no secret, that the President elect and I have some pretty significant differences – but remember, eight years ago, President Bush and I had some pretty significant differences,” he said.
"I'm sorry."With those simple words, Hillary Clinton, who thought she would wake up Wednesday as the first woman president-elect but crashed to a stunning election defeat to Donald Trump, ended her White House quest and likely her political career.
The Democratic nominee unequivocally conceded the presidential race, and said that the Constitution requires a peaceful transfer of power.
"Last night, I congratulated Donald Trump and offered to work with him on behalf of our country. I hope that he will be a successful president for all Americans," Clinton said.
"Donald Trump is going to be our president. We owe him an open mind and a chance to lead," said Clinton, who was composed and dignified even as she admitted how painful her defeat was in her first public comments on the result of the election.
"This is not the outcome that we wanted and we worked so hard for, and I am sorry that we did not win this election," Clinton told supporters and campaign workers in New York.
Clinton also addressed the historic achievement for which she twice strived in losing presidential campaigns.
"I know we have still not shattered that highest and hardest glass ceiling, but someday, someone will, and hopefully sooner than we might think right now."
She then directed her remarks to women.
"To all the women and especially the young women who put their faith in this campaign and in me, I want you to know that nothing has made me prouder than to be your champion," Clinton said, her voice breaking with emotion.
"And to all the little girls who are watching this, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and to achieve your own dreams."
Clinton speech was devoid of bitterness and seemed at times to be an attempt to inspire her supporters about the virtues of public service and of fighting for what they believe.
But she also put Trump on notice that the core American values, which many Democrats believe Trump abhors with his proposals for a ban on Muslim immigration and rhetorical assaults on female journalists during his campaign.
"Our constitutional democracy enshrines the peaceful transfer of power and we don't just respect that, we cherish it. It also enshrines other things: the rule of law, the principle that we are equal in rights and dignity, freedom of worship and expression. We respect and cherish these values too and we must defend them." (CNN)
Republican Donald Trump has defeated his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the US election, according to foreign media reports, and will become America’s next president.
US networks are reporting Hillary Clinton has phoned Donald Trump to concede she has lost the election.
Trump claimed victory before a crowd of cheering supporters at his New York headquarters.
He moved on to thank his family and friends. “First I want to thank my parents, who I know are looking down on me right now. Great people. I’ve learned so much from them. They were wonderful in every regard. I had truly great parents.”
He also thanks his siblings, Mary-Ann and Elizabeth, Robert, and his late brother Frederick.
“To Melania and Don and Ivanka, and Eric, and Tiffany, and Baron: I love you, and I thank you and especially for putting up with all of those hours.
“This was tough. This was tough. This political stuff is nasty and it’s tough. So I want to thank my family very much. Really fantastic. Thank you all. Thank you all.”
Donald Trump says “we have a great economic plan”.
“We will double our growth and have the strongest economy anywhere in the world. At the same time we will get along with all other nations, willing to get along with us,” he said.
“We will have great relationships. We expect to have great, great relationships. No dream is too big, no challenge is too great. Nothing we want for our future is beyond our reach. America will no longer settle for anything less than the best.”
“We must reclaim our country - our country’s destiny. And dream big and bold and daring.”
Donald Trump says he will take care of America’s war veterans:
“We will also finally take care of our great veterans. They’ve been so loyal and I’ve gotten to know so many over this 18-month journey. The time I’ve spent with them during this campaign has been among my greatest honours. Our veterans are incredible people.
“We will embark upon a project of national growth and renewal. I will harness the creative talents of our people and we will call upon the best and brightest to leverage their tremendous talent for the benefit of all. It’s going to happen.”
Trump: ”I’ve spent my entire life and business looking at the untapped potential in projects and in people all over the world. That is now what I want to do for our country,” he said.
“I’ve gotten to know our country so well. Tremendous potential. It’s going to be a beautiful thing.”
“Every single American will have the opportunity to realise his or her fullest potential. The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.”
Both candidates had early victories but Mr Trump picked up the key battleground states of Ohio, Florida and North Carolina.
Mrs Clinton will not be speaking publicly this evening.
Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta told a room full of supporters at Clinton’s election rally in New York to go home.
“Several states are too close to call so we’re not going to have anything more to say tonight,” he said.
“You should get some sleep. We’ll have more to say tomorrow,” Mr Podesta said.
While Green has called it for the Republican, some US media outlets are yet to announce a Trump win.
“There are the current numbers, 259 for the Republicans, if you give Pennsylvania the Republicans, 279 and they can quote that,” Green said on ABC24.
“We think the Republicans will win Wisconsin as well. So they’ve got two paths. But Associated Press have given Pennsylvania away and they’ve got 97 per cent of the votes counted of the precincts counted in Pennsylvania and the Republicans are more than 1 per cent ahead.
“It looks like that’s the state that’s put Donald Trump over the quota and into the White House.”
Predictions say the GOP will also hold onto a majority in the House and gain control of the Senate.
The shock result came after opinion polls over the weekend showed Mrs Clinton went into polling day with the advantage over her Republican rival.
Clinton supporters in shock
North America correspondent Stephanie March is at Hillary Clinton’s headquarters in New York where supporters are visibly devastated.
“Hillary Clinton and her supporters had hoped to make history today by electing the first female president in the United States,” she said.
“Heading into election day polls had pointed to a victory for the Democrats nominee but losses key states south eastern of in Florida and North Carolina significantly narrowed her path to victory.”
Washington bureau chief Zoe Daniel is also at the headquarters:
“People have literally sat around in this venue on the floor, staring into space, some people are in tears. People are hugging each other,” Ms Daniel said.
“There’s just a sense of pervasive shock. Not only that Hillary Clinton appears to have lost the election, but that it has been such a complete and utter rout”.
Mrs Clinton had a lead in Florida of one percentage point and a win there would likely have secured her the presidency.
But Mr Trump enjoyed a swing in the state, winning it back from the Democrats.
The Chinese restaurant named Chinatry Dish, Silk Road Restaurant, at no. 7 A, near Bishop’s College at Sri Ernest de Silva Mawatha, Colombo is run as a night club and brothel, according to a complaint lodged with the president.
The students’ parents also charge in the letter of complaint that the night club is given a liquor license, although it is located within 500 metres from a religious place.
The DIG in charge of the area and excise officers have informed them that what was taking place there was illegal.
Investigations have revealed that the restaurant has been given the license with the mediation of a leading government minister who is aiding to run its activities.
The night club is open until 2.00 or 3.00 am in the morning and between 20 to 25 Chinese prostitutes can be seen frequenting the place, parents have also noted in their letter.
Rangana Herath became just the third bowler to pick up five-wicket hauls against all nine Test opponents to earn Sri Lanka a big first-innings lead before Zimbabwe bounced back on the third day of the third Test at Harare Sports Club on Tuesday.
Herath recorded figures of 5 for 89 -- his first five-wicket haul against Zimbabwe -- to bowl the home side out for 272 and give Sri Lanka a 232-run lead in the first innings.
But after the tourists opted not to enforce the follow-on, fast bowler Carl Mumba picked up three wickets to reduce Sri Lanka to 84 for four.
With opener Dimuth Karunaratne scoring an unbeaten 54 -- his third fifty-plus score in four innings -- Sri Lanka went to stumps on 102 for four, giving them an overall lead of 334 with two days to play.
Although Herath had come into the series with 26 five-wicket hauls in Test cricket, he had never played against Zimbabwe in a 17-year career.
On Tuesday he joined countryman Muttiah Muralitharan and South Africa’s Dale Steyn among an elite group of bowlers with five-wicket hauls against all of the other nine Test-playing nations.
“If you take my career until 2009, I had only taken about 40 wickets with no five-wicket hauls,” said Herath.
“So if you take the last seven or eight years, I’ve done a consistent job for the national team. It’s a different sort of achievement, which makes me very happy.”
Although Zimbabwe reached 134 for two on the third morning in reply to Sri Lanka’s first innings total of 504, they ultimately succumbed to spin, with offspinner Dilruwan Perera picking up 3 for 51 as the hosts lost their last five wickets for just 19 runs.
However, it was fast bowler Suranga Lakmal who set Sri Lanka on their way in the morning session, which saw Zimbabwe resume on 126 for two, when he had Craig Ervine caught at slip for 64 in the eighth over of the day.
Herath got in on the action when he bowled Brian Chari for a career-best 80 with a quicker delivery, and then dismissed Malcolm Waller for 18 on the stroke of lunch. Zimbabwe had been rescued by their lower order in the first Test, but after the interval Perera ensured there would be no such recovery as he grabbed three wickets in three overs, including Sean Williams for 58 and Peter Moor for 33.
All that was left was for the stand-in captain to pick up a record fifth wicket, as he trapped Carl Mumba lbw.
Sri Lanka then tumbled to 44 for three in their second innings, as Zimbabwe’s bowlers were rewarded for greater consistency.
Mumba had Kaushal Silva and Kusal Mendis caught in front of the wicket, while Cremer trapped Upul Tharanga lbw. First-innings centurion Dhananjaya de Silva attempted to rebuild with
Karunaratne, but scooped a low full toss straight to extra cover in the final half-hour of the day.
Nevertheless, Zimbabwe faced a serious deficit as they look to level the two-match series. “Let’s be honest, if they put another 100 on it will be a lot,” said batting coach Lance Klusener.
“But at the same time we’d like to finish this Test match on our terms.” AFP
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the first death anniversary of Ven. Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera was not the usual sort of commemoration of a worthy person but was also an indictment of the government and especially of its leaders by social conscious civil society activist groups who put in great effort to bring this government into power.
"What is happening at this commemoration is that we are being accused of unfulfilled pledges while we are in their very presence. That is why this differs from a normal commemoration event" the Prime Minister said in response to an address by Professor Sarath Wijesuriya, at the first death anniversary commemoration of the late Chief Incumbent of the Kotte Naga Vihara who engaged in a decisive social revolution to bring this government of good governance to power.
President Maithripala Sirisena, former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge, Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya and a large gathering of clergymen and laity attended the event.
Professor Wijesuriya directed outright criticism against the government in his address to the large gathering in the presence of the leaders of the government. He said that the leaders of this country should set aside their private political agendas and work on behalf of the country. He stressed the point that good governance had failed to implement the law in a fair manner and said it was implementing one law for the powerful and another for the ordinary man.
He added that the government must respond at this assembly to the request made to establish a Special Court to implement the law in relation to large scale corruption and fraud. He emphasized that " there is no point in sweet-talking the people. The public want action, now ! We must also say that the struggle we are engaged in with the government and our criticism is not a struggle against the government."
President Maithripala Sirisena then addressed the gathering emphasizing that new conspiracies are being played out in the country with the objective of destroying peace and reconciliation and that during these conspiracies the government needs to act in harness with civil society organizations which put in a great effort to bring the good governance government into power. The President said "we have to get together as a single entity, the government and you, and act together against these conspiracies."
The President added that the Special Court mooted by Professor Wijesuriya will be discussed with the Prime Minister and action will be taken to establish it in accordance with the Constitution.
The Government emphasised that the tense situation which occurred on Monday at the Presidential Secretariat premises and the area around it, is a conspiracy against the Government.
The Presidential Media Division in release added that tense situation at the Presidential Secretariat and the area around it is a conspiracy against the government, which intended to create a division between the Government and the War Heroes as well as to cause inconvenience to the Government, despite the agreement to provide the pension benefits to the differently abled War Heroes.
It is clear that the innocent War Heroes did not know who led them and this situation can be assumed as an attempt by a group who are against the Government as this protest
held in an environment where all the necessary arrangements had already been made to solve the issue.
As the minister in charge of Defence, the President had presented a special Cabinet Paper to the Cabinet four months ago, to provide these demands of the War Heroes. Subsequently, the decision of the Treasury was obtained by the Ministry of Defence.
Even though the direct intervention of the President was given on this issue, the protest held with the involvement of a group of Bhikkhus who engaged with political organisations against the Government as well as with the support of few outsiders, is undoubtedly a protest led with some
persons with a political agenda.
This tense situation arose when a discussion being held at the Defence Ministry between the Secretary for the Ministry of Defence, representatives of the Presidential Secretariat and the representatives of the organisation to protect the rights of the war heroes.
Even though providing pension benefits to the differently abled War Heroes who volunteered to retire before completing their 12 year mandatory service period with retirement compensation, is contrary to the provisions of the Armed Forces Pensions and Gratuities Regulations, a decision was taken to provide pension benefits to these war heroes amending those rules and regulations under the direction of the President.
When the demonstrators carried out their protest opposite the Presidential Secretariat, a discussion being held at the Presidential Secretariat with a foreign delegation and the Security Forces took steps to control the trespass of demonstrators to prevent them from entering the
premises of the President’s Office.
A group of conspirators wanted to put the Government in difficult situation, putting forward the demands of the retired war heroes and although during the past few days they made attempts in this regard, it is apparent that the Security Forces and the Police have fulfilled their duties understanding the scenario.
The Ministry of Defence issued a press release on November 6, 2016 promising to pay pension benefits in addition to the monthly salary and allowances and disability allowance from next February.
Joint Opposition (JO) and SLFP Kurunegala District MP Mahinda Rajapaksa is scheduled to visit Beijing on 23 November, JO sources said.
They added that the former President will be touring China following an invite extended to him by the Chinese Government. Sources added that the former leader will be meeting Chinese leaders, Opposition politicians as well as Sri Lankans domiciled there, during his trip to Beijing.
