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Succumbs to electoral pressure:
Tamil diaspora confab behind Mauritius’ CHOGM boycott
Close on the heels of Mauritius’ decision to
boycott CHOGM 2013 in Sri Lanka, an LTTE supportive diaspora
conference had been organised at the behest of a key terrorist
operative. An authoritative source told the Sunday Observer that the
three-day conference titled “International Tamil Diaspora Solidarity
Conference”
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Heads of Expenditure of 26 ministries:
Minister Nimal Siripala to lead PSC
Leader of the House and Irrigation and Water
Management Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva was nominated yesterday
to lead the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to discuss the
Heads of Expenditure of 26 ministries due to the lack of sufficient
time to discuss each of these ministries separately. Speaker Chamal
Rajapaksa nominated Minister De Silva as Chairman and 20 other
Government and Opposition MPs as members to the committee.
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Upward trend in tourist arrivals
The number of tourists visiting Sri Lanka during
the first nine months of 2013 amounted to 801, 210, a 15.5 percent
year-on-year increase. According to the Central Bank’s report on
“Recent Economic Developments”, Western Europe remained the largest
tourist generating market for Sri Lanka, accounting for 38 percent
of tourist arrivals during the first nine months of 2013.
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Sri Lanka, a dumping ground for e-waste exports
Sri Lanka is increasingly becoming a dumping
ground for used and re-cycled computers, batteries, mobile phones
and spare parts for such items, Head of Toxicology and National
Poisons Unit, National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL), Dr Waruna
Gunathilake said. “These rejects from other countries which make
their way to our country, are a serious health hazard.
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Prawn harvest in full swing
Nearly 40,000 kilos of prawn are harvested in
the Batticaloa lagoon every month. Around 250 canoes are engaged in
the prawn harvest and each fisherman nets six to seven kilos of
prawn daily, Assistant Director of Batticaloa District Fisheries
Department D. George said. He said that they harvest prawn in
Kattankudi, Oorani, Pillayaradi and some other areas along the
Batticaloa lagoon,
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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. 
