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Move to stabilise fisheries industry :
Northern fishers hail South Indian decision to fine poachers
Northern fishermen’s unions have welcomed their
South Indian counterparts’ decision to impose a Rs. 100,000 fine on
any of their members violating the fishing territory and entering
Sri Lanka’s fishing grounds for poaching. The decision is a
significant move to end the decades-long poaching issue that
remained unresolved despite repeated discussions between the two
governments and fishermen’s representatives.
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Bilateral pacts with Thailand strengthened Lanka’s ties
Leader of the House and Irrigation and Water
Management Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva told Parliament on
Friday that the bilateral agreements signed by President Mahinda
Rajapaksa with Thailand’s Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on his
reciprocal visit to Thailand in 2012 had resulted in greater
cooperation in the agriculture, fisheries and education sectors.
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Private hospitals extract ‘blood money’ from patients
Several private hospitals fleece patients by
charging Rs. 20,000 per pint of blood after obtaining it free from
the Narahenpita blood bank. The Health Ministry has received several
complaints in this connection. Deputy Minister of Health Lalith
Dissanayake told the Sunday Observer that although his Ministry was
aware of the racket,
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Compensation at market value:
Army to relocate camps in Palaly
The Army will soon relocate 14 of the 17 camps
in Valikamam in Jaffna to Palaly. These camps are on private lands
and rents are being paid at current market value. Land owners where
these camps are located barely have any complaints but politicians
make a big hue and cry, military spokesman Brigadier Ruwan
Wanigasuriya said.
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Mobitel launches 4G-LTE network
The National Mobile Service Provider, Sri Lanka
Telecom Mobitel’s (SLT’s) 4G-LTE service went live in Colombo,
Hambantota, Matara, Galle, Kalutara, Kandy and Jaffna from today, a
media release from the company said. The trial of Mobitel’s 4G-LTE
network in May 2011 exhibited downlink speeds exceeding 96Mbps, the
first time in the South Asian region.
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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. 
