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To assist suspects detained for questioning:
Duty Attorneys at police stations
The Justice Ministry through the Legal Aid
Commission is considering the feasibility of stationing Duty
Attorneys in police stations to assist suspects detained for
questioning. Justice Minister Rauff Hakeen in a statement to
Parliament last week revealed the ongoing plans in this connection.
He said, ‘We have already prepared the amendments to the Criminal
Procedure Code and we can perhaps discuss it at the next
Consultative Committee of the Ministry,
 Full Story
No decision to privatise CEB
Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika
Ranawaka said that the Government has not taken any decision to
privatise the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB). The Government’s
policy is that the CEB should continue as a Government entity. There
may be some inefficiency in the CEB. Therefore, some management and
structural changes should be made within the CEB without any delay.
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Ampara tremors – further investigations to probe cause
The Geological Survey and Mines Bureau will
conduct further investigations in the Ampara district to ascertain
the real cause for the tremors reported in Ampara as to whether they
related to human activities or natural causes, the chairman of the
Bureau N.P. Wijayananda told the Sunday Observer.
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Following attack on policemen and trackers:
Wildlife officials take refuge in jungle
A massive search operation is under way to
arrest eight officers including the Sub Warden of the Wildlife
Department of Hambegamuwa who are believed to be hiding in the State
Forest Reserve at Galamuna after they abducted, assaulted and kept
two police constables and two trackers in wrongful confinement in
the thick jungle,
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Plantation TUs agitate for higher wages
Plantation trade unions have launched campaigns
for a better wage structure for workers ahead of the expiry of the
biennial Collective Agreement (CA) that concludes on March 31, 2013.
The CA was signed on June 6, 2011 among three major unions
representing the bulk of the plantation workers and 23 Plantation
Management Companies including the two state agencies,
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President Maithripala Sirisena is in Thailand making a three-day official visit and attending the second Asia Cooperation Dialogue Summit. The Dialogue Summit that brings together 34 nations in the Asian region takes place from October 8 -10 in Bangkok under the theme "One Asia, Diverse Strength".
Official level discussions have commenced between Sri Lanka and Iran on reviving trade agreements that were signed between the two countries and will be put into operation soon after ironing out technicalities, Minister of Industry and Commerce, Rishad Bathiudeen said. 
Pakistan on Friday (September 30) officially postponed the 19th SAARC Summit scheduled to be held in Islamabad on November 9 and 10. A new set of dates for holding the Summit will be announced soon through the Chair of SAARC (Nepal), reports said. 
Due to the prevailing drought, water levels of the main reservoirs have dropped to half its capacity, with authorities warning that drastic measures may need to be taken if water is to be continuously released from the reservoirs for power generation. 
To avert a possible dengue outbreak in the next three months, when the number of mosquito breeding sites are likely to surge with the monsoon rains, the Dengue Control Unit of the Health Ministry will launch an island-wide Dengue Control Week starting on Tuesday, September 27 to Monday, October 3.
Sir Richard Jolly, former Deputy Executive Director, UNICEF, and Special Adviser to the Administrator, United Nations Development Programme (1996 to 2000), and Principal Coordinator of the widely-acclaimed Human Development Report will deliver a lecture on, “Development: Can Sri Lanka be a model for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs)?” on September 28 at 5 pm at the BMICH Committee Room D, on the invitation of the Gamani Corea Foundation. 
Richmondite Charith Asalanka joined the elite band of school cricketers by winning the coveted Schoolboy Cricketer Of The Year 2016 title for the second year in succession emulating the feats of former Sri Lankan greats Arjuna Ranatunga, 1980/82' ( Ananda) Roshan Mahanama, 1983/84'(Nalanda) Thilan Samaraweera 1994/95' ( Ananda) 'Lahiru Peiris 2004/2005 (St.Peter's) and Bhanuka Rajapaksa 2010'2011 (Royal) who had also won the award twice .
Cricketing legend and former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene will grace the occasion at the 38th Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year awards night scheduled to take place at the Galadari Hotel on September 20. 
Stern action will be taken against traders who sell sugar above the controlled price of Rs. 95. Instructions have been given to the relevant authorities to launch island-wide search operations, a press communique from the Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake said. 
Refuting speculations, Power and Renewable Energy Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said, no decision has been taken to impose power cuts on account of the current dry spell in the country. 
