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UNHRC Geneva:
US draft resolution backs Govt mechanism
The draft of the resolution to be submitted by a group of member
states led by the United States to the UN Human Rights Council in
Geneva next week has endorsed the new mechanisms proposed by the
Government for a comprehensive review and investigation of human
rights violations and other injustices in the country in recent
years and asks the world community to provide all possible help to
Sri Lanka.
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CS nominees to Constitutional Council to be tabled
The names of three civil society representatives nominated to the
Constitutional Council (CC) Dr. A. T. Ariyaratne, founder, Sarvodaya
Movement, Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy, former Under-Secretary-General
of the United Nations, Special Representative for Children and Armed
Conflict and Shibly Aziz.
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Govt. rejects call to set up OHCHR Office
UN Office in Colombo to be strengthened instead:
Sri Lanka has agreed to strengthen the existing UN Office in Colombo
in place of setting up a full-fledged OHCHR office in Colombo to
monitor the human rights situation in the country. Foreign Minister
Mangala Samaraweera said that he did not agree to a proposal by the
High Commissioner but expressed no objection to spruce up the
existing UN Colombo Office.
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Avant Garde owes Rakna Rs 900 m
Avant-Garde Security Services (Pvt) Limited, a commercial security
solution provider for commercial, industrial and residential
establishments owes a hefty Rs. 900 million to the state subsidiary,
Rakna Arakshaka Lanka Limited, according to the Chairman of the
latter organization, Victor Samaraweera.
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Duty free vehicle bonanza:
63 new parliamentarians to get vehicle permits
Some 63 new parliamentarians elected to the 8th
Parliament on August 18 are eligible for duty free vehicle permits.
According to highly informed sources, a newly elected
parliamentarian is entitled to a duty free vehicle permit worth US$
50,000. A vehicle permit is issued to MPS who have not received a
vehicle permit for the last five years.
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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. 
