June 27 (CT) The CEB has launched a programme to provide power supplies within 3 days of handing over of relevant documents. Deputy General Manager of the CEB J. Meegoda said that any delays in this regard should be informed through the telephone number 0114 418 418, and any problems relating to the electricity meters should be informed to the Regional Electrical Engineer. The 24 hour hotline number is 1987. The on line system as well as the credit cards could be more..

June 27 (DM) Devolution of political and land powers to district units would be a viable option instead of the Provincial Council system, the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) led by Minister Dinesh Gunawardane said today. Reiterating the call for the abrogation of the provincial council system, he said that the proposed bill to repeal two provisions of the 13th Amendment should be enacted in Parliament and all the parties more..

June 27 (PTI) A court in Sri Lanka has extended to July 11 the remand of the eight fishermen from Tamil Nadu, detained by the island nation's naval personnel on June 15. "The court at Mannar has extended upto July 11, the remand of the eight fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Naval personnel on June 15," U Arulanandam, president of Pamban fishermen's organisation said. The fishermen, hailing from this coastal town, were fishing near Katchateevu on June 15 when Sri Lankan more..

June 27 (FP) Why did the DMK leave the the company of the Congress in March? By the party’s own admission, it was outraged by the Congress-led UPA govt’s stand at the UNHRC on the US-sponsored resolution against Sri Lanka. “Continuing in this government will be an injustice to the Sri Lankan Tamils,” Karunanidhi had said while unilaterally snapping the ties even as Congress tried to placate him. Barely three months later, what takes Karunanidhi back to the Congress camp? more..

June 27 (Island) 99 elephants have died up to May 31, this year. Though the rate in comparison to other years is lesser, the Department of Wildlife Conservation is going all-out to reduce the number with continuous awareness programmes in elephant-human conflict prone areas. As against 99 jumbos, 24 people were also killed in the on-going human-elephant conflict up to end of May this year. Most elephants, 30, were killed in the more..

June 27 (DN) BRAC, one of the world’s largest micro financing providers entered into a ground breaking strategic alliance with LOLC one of the largest conglomerates whose core business is financial services, to acquire the controlling interest of Nanda Investments and Finance PLC (Nanda Investments). This transaction will transfer 90, 645, 057 shares with 56.6 % stake of Nanda Investments to BRAC with LOLC taking a stake of 33.4 %. LOLC is expected to make this equity more..

June 27 (LT) The Employed Graduates Union held a massive agitation at Lipton Circus in Colombo today demanding permanency to all trainee graduates, withdraw conditions that deny employment and stop moves to belittle the degree. From the very day the agitation was announced the government, its media and its beurocracy attempted to prevent graduates from participating. However, the attempt of the govt was defeated as a large number of graduates took part in the agitation. more..

June 27 (AD) Thamilini was released because she is to contest the elections under the SLFP, UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake charged today. He stated that any criminal could cling onto the ‘Satakaya’ and save themselves. He said that there were several views within the govt regarding the 13thamendment and that this had caused an internal split within the party while he demanded that the govt announce their stand more..

June 27 (ET) As part of strengthening its presence overseas, Sundaram Infotech has expanded its footprint in Sri Lanka with a customised ERP implementation of its Retail Suite developed on Microsoft ERP technology platform to Avirate Fashions. Avirate Fashions is an international high-street fashion label owned by The Timex and Fergasam Group. "The company has now expanded its presence in Sri Lanka with a customised ERP implementation of its retail suite of IT more..

June 27 (IANS) Skipper Angelo Mathews says Sri Lanka will have to raise their game if they are to win the Celkon Mobile Cup Tri-series in the Caribbean which starts in Jamaica Friday. The Sri Lankan cricketers arrived in Kingston Monday for the tournament that also includes the West Indies and India, winners of this year's ICC Champions Trophy. Mathews says his team is on a high after beating England and Australia to reach the semifinals of the Champions Trophy. more..

June 27 (BR) The High Commission of Pakistan in Sri Lanka in association with the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), formally launched The EXPO Pakistan 2013- Opportunities Unlimited on 24 June, 2013 in Colombo. Minister for Industries and Commerce of Sri Lanka, Rishad Bathiuddin graced the occasion as the Chief Guest and jointly inaugurated the event, with the High Commissioner of Pakistan, more..

June 27 (CG) Cuba has offered to supply the BTI bacteria to fight the spread of dengue mosquitoes in Sri Lanka, the Health Ministry said. A spokesman at the Health Ministry said that the Cuban Ambassador to Sri Lanka had made the offer to the government. Cuban Ambassador Indira Lopez Arguelles has said that Cuba will give the bacteria to fight the spread of dengue in schools. The BTI bacteria is to be given free of charge to the Sri Lankan government, the Ambassador has said

June 27 (CT) Appointment by the president of a committee to inquire into the mass grave found behind the Matale hospital while the magisterial inquiry if proceeding into the incident before the Matale Magistrate is of concern as the reason to appoint such a committee at this stage is not disclosed, says the Standing Committee of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka on Rule of Law. Issuing a statement today the Standing Committee of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka on Rule of Law more..

June 27 (Reuters) Sri Lanka has returned a cargo of 40,000 tonnes of diesel supplied by the Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) because it did not meet agreed specifications, the country's oil minister said on Thursday. The Dubai-based firm had been take off its approved supplier list, said Oil Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa. "The diesel supplied was not up to the required specifications," Yapa said. more..

June 28 (NS) On the busy streets of Kandy, there is only a rare possibility that one might miss seeing the view of a passerby by chewing and spitting (considered under littering and punishable). With some mouths in movement chewing some others are seen digging their pouches to roll a chew in preparation. Betel or (Bulath) as it is commonly known seems to be popular among many of the working class people not only in Kandy, but in and around the whole country. more..

June 28 (CT) The slain LTTE Chief, Velupillai Prabhakaran, once said Sri Lankans can remember anything but it remains in their minds only for a few days. This statement still reverberates amongst those who encountered it, as it highlights the unsettling 'forgetting' attitude of the nation. Ceylon Today visited the house of the late Antony Fernando (35), who in 2011 sacrificed his life for the rights of Chilaw's fishing community, while protesting against the fuel price hike imposed by more..

June 28 (CT) The 25th death anniversary of R. Muthuswamy, a musical maestro from Tamil Nadu, who shaped Sinhala film music in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, falls on June 27. 'Muthuswamy Master,' as he was more commonly known, introduced new sounds to Sinhala film music with his eclectic choice of instruments, breaking away from the confines and inhibitions of the past. Though he had no formal training in Western music, more..

June 28 (DBS) Chathurika de Silva, the courageous magistrate who placed the rule of law above the law of the rulers, was abruptly transferred out of Matale. And with that sudden (though hardly unexpected) transfer, the hope of a free and fair inquiry into the Matale mass-grave evaporated. Magistrate de Silva’s transfer was preceded by the equally sudden (and not-unexpected) transfer of Dr. Ajith Jayasena, the JMO in charge of the case, from Matale to Kurunegala. more..

June 28 (DBS) Freedom of expression and the freedom to information are universally accepted values. The individual’s right to freedom of expression has had to be defended from time immemorial whether the threat was from the king or the ruling coterie in a republic. That struggle continues today. The media provides both information and expression of opinions for public consumption. The Judiciary and the media are the two keystones of our democracy. more..

June 28 (SL) Sarath N. Silva, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka interrogated the government’s commitment to national reconciliation in light of the proposed 19th Amendment to the Constitution: specifically commenting on the repealing of the provision for two or more Provincial Councils (PC) to merge, and the need for all PCs to approve any legislative changes to the Constitution. The govt faced opposition from more..

June 28 (CT) “To be or not to be” is the famous opening phrase of a soliloquy in William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. In the soliloquy, Hamlet questions the meaning of life, and whether or not it is worthwhile to stay alive when life contains so many hardships. He comes to the conclusion that the main reason people stay alive is due to a fear of death and uncertainty at what lies beyond life. Now the news comes that Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya had begun more..

June 28 (CT) According to Sri Lanka’s Chronicle Chulavansa, King Parakramabahu, the Great, who ruled the country during 1153 to 1186 CE had built a dam across Deduru Oya to create a reservoir to store water on his becoming the lord of a sub-kingdom called Dakhshina Desha prior to the ascendency to the throne. The King had been advised against this by his engineers on the ground that the particular location chosen was not stable enough to hold a dam. more..

June 28 (CT) Ajith Pathirana, Senior Counsel for former DIG, Vass Gunawardena, who is in remand custody in connection with the murder of Mohamed Shyam, said there was no independent evidence against his client. He said there were some people, who believed the former DIG was the most ruthless criminal in the country. However, he does not represent the entire Police Department; he is just one of the more..

June 28 (Island) When Dan Brown’s unputdownable techno-thriller, Digital Fortress, was first published about fifteen years ago, many may have considered its fascinating story a figment of the imagination. It tells us about a code-breaking supercomputer created by the US National Security Agency (NSA) to access people’s personal information and resistance from a prominent NSA employee, Ensei Tankado, who is pursued and assassinated for trying to expose and sabotage that more..

June 28 (SL) Shortly after the war ended President Mahinda Rajapaksa on behalf of the govt promised that a political solution would be found that had the backing of all communities. This position was reiterated this week in a media interview given by the President’s brother and Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa. “When it was pointed out that President Rajapaksa had assured India as well as other countries that his government would offer 13th Amendment Plus, the Defense Secretary said more..

June 28 (CI) Seen from one perspective, this tri-series could be the latest instance of Testicide - the act by which a scheduled Test match or series is aborted (or rescheduled, to an unspecified date) by cash-strapped boards for the big money that a one-day series, preferably involving India, brings in. The WICB and SLC achieved that by scrapping the two Tests they were scheduled under the FTP to play against each other in May; they also managed to convince India to be the third team more..

June 28 (Island) A 30-year-old nurse, attached to a private hospital in Wellawatte, had been admitted to the Colombo South Teaching Hospital, Kalubowila on Wednesday night with severe burn injuries to her head and body. According to the police conducting investigations, the woman is believed to have attempted self immolation following a dispute with her husband over an what seemed to be a financial matter. However, the mother of the victim has lodged a complaint with the police alleging more..

June 28 (NS) Sri Lanka’s mobile subscribers number has fallen to 19.3 million within the first quarter of 2013, from 20.3 million in December 2012. Consultant and policy researcher in telecommunication, Chanuka Wattegama, noted that this drop does not necessarily mean that those mobile subscribers have moved out of the system, but is a probable result of multiple-SIM users opting to maintain a single connection overtime, more..

June 28 (Island) The 14th annual Sri Lanka Economic Summit which is scheduled to be held from the 9_11 July 2013 in Colombo will have its sixth session discussing about strategies to manage the energy supply and demand in a more efficient manner for the future. Energy has been gaining prominence for countries as a national issue and for its people with economies increasing their energy consumption and depletion of world’s thermal energy deposits / rise in prices. more..

June 28 (N360) People’s Bank’s ‘AA+(lka)’ rating has been affirmed by Fitch Ratings. PB’s National Long-term rating is driven by Fitch’s expectations of the Government of Sri Lanka’s high propensity but limited ability to provide support to the bank under extreme circumstances. Fitch says, the state’s high propensity for support stems from PB’s high systemic importance as the second-largest bank in the country, accounting for nearly 20% of domestic banking system assets in 2012. more..

June 28 (Island) A senior govt official said that the recent revelation of the ongoing top secret US surveillance project targeting both US nationals and selected countries had exposed extreme measures adopted by the US to ensure its national security. While resorting to such widespread extreme and illegal methods, the US was constantly critical of security operations launched by other countries restricted to more..

June 28 (AA) It is ironic that the only memorial to the 1,100 or so soldiers of the IPKF who fell in battle against the LTTE is located in Colombo. There, not too far from Sri Lanka’s beautiful Parliament building, is inscribed the names of all the officers and jawans who died as a result of former PM Rajiv Gandhi’s impetuous misadventure which earned him no brownie points at home or gratitude in Sri Lanka. Yet, despite the political controversies that surround the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord of July 1987, more..

June 28 (NS) Six out of Sri Lanka’s 44 Licensed Finance Companies (LFCs) will become eligible to accept foreign currency deposits with the recent introduction of standard criteria by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CB) to permit non-bank financial institutions, analysts said last week. According to the criteria stipulated by CB, LFCs which are rated at a credit rating of A- or above by Central Bank specified credit rating agencies will be permitted on application, to open and maintain more..

June 28 (DM) An organization calling itself the ‘People’s Wall of Comradeship’ (PWC) which includes members of the JVP said the authorities were constructing Military Camps in the Northern Province and focusing on militarisation instead of establishing democracy in the region. They said about 6000 acres lands of the Northern people had been acquired by the military forces and alleged Minister Devananda’s supporters more..

June 28 (Island) Kidney diseases are fast spreading in Laggala; many patients have been reported from the Wilgamuwa Settlement. Kidney patients have to undergo numerous hardships since the Hettipola hospital does not have a dialysis machine. It has caused problems to the hospital staff as well. Patients have to visit private hospitals for dialysis. Chairman of the Wilgamuwa Pradeshiya Sabha Jayantha Weerasekera said that there were around 1, 200 kidney patients in the area, but more..

June 28 (CI) Ideally, West Indies and Sri Lanka should have been playing a Test series at the moment, but economic forces have meant that not only have the Tests been scrapped, but a third participant - India - has joined to make it a tripartite ODI competition. It's not all gloom though. A triangular competition can produce more twists and turns than a monotonous five-match series and a closely-contested first match between these two contrasting teams could be the caffeine kick more..

June 28 (IL) President Mahinda Rajapaksa commencing his five-day official visit to Tanzania and Seychelles arrived in Tanzania this morning (27). Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete warmly received his Sri Lankan counterpart at the airport. A little Tanzanian girl presented a bouquet of flowers to the President on his arrival while native traditional dancers performed on the side line of the colorful welcoming ceremony. more..

June 28 (Island) A 31-year-old woman of Madawala, near Kandy, yesterday (27) morning delivered quintuplets at the Kandy General Hospital. The lucky mother was Fathima Fasis, who was longing for a child since her marriage five years ago. This was her first pregnancy. Fathima’s husband, Mohamed Rina, 36, is out of the country at the moment. The babies were born prematurely and Kandy Hospital Gynaecologists said their weights were between 500 and 750 grams. One of them is a girl. more..

June 28 (CT) The largest moth in the world, known as the Atlas moth (Attacus atlas), was discovered in Ambagamuwa, Ginigathhena by Assistant Maintenance Engineer of Hotel Topaz and the Tourmaline (Kandy), Lakshman Kumara. A male Atlas moth was discovered on 22 June 2013 by Kumara in the garden of his residence in Ambagamuwa, Ginigathhena. The next morning, Kumara discovered a pair of male moths in the same location. The Atlas moth is found in more..