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Changes in education system soon:
Universities to catch them young
The Higher Education Ministry is holding
discussions with the Education Ministry to enact changes in the
education system to get students to State universities at least one
or two years earlier than at present, Higher Education Minister S.B.
Dissanayake said. He was addressing the media at the University
Grants Commission. The Minister said the idea was mooted by the Vice
Chancellors’ Forum of the Universities,
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Errant traders - CAA nets over Rs 300m in fines
Co-operatives and Internal Trade Minister
Johnston Fernando said the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has
earned over Rs.300 million on 120,000 raids against errant traders
within three years. The Minister said when he assumed office in
2010, the highest number of raids conducted by the CAA was 4,000 a
year. However, the CAA had conducted 120,000 raids within three
years following the targets given by the Minister.
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Commonwealth Secretary General satisfied with Sri
Lanka’s progress:
CHOGM will focus on growth and development
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
(CHOGM) 2013 scheduled to be held in November will focus on
inclusive growth and development opportunities. ”Preparations for
CHOGM 2013 are impressive and on track”, said Commonwealth Secretary
General Kamalesh Sharma in a media statement concluding his visit to
Sri Lanka from February 10 to 13.
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Reasonable price for agriculture products:
Kilinochchi DEC, a boon for farmers
Co-operatives and Internal Trade Minister
Johnston Fernando said the Government will set up a Dedicated
Economic Centre (DEC) in Kilinochchi to help farmers secure a
reasonable price for agriculture products and provide cheaper food
items to consumers. Following the discussion on Thursday with
President Mahinda Rajapaksa ,
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STF raids on ganja cultivations, a resounding success
The three-day operation launched by the Special
Task Force (STF) and the Walana Vice Squad in the state forest
reserves of Udawalawe was successfully completed with the uprooting
and destruction of several ganja (Cannabis Sativa) plants in the
thick jungle last week. Around 300 Special Task Force (STF)
Commandos and 30 police officers from the Walana Vice Squad were
sent to the Udawalawe forest reserve last week on the instructions
of IGP N.K. Illangakoon,
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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. 
