May 10 (NS) The Kotte period was one of the golden eras of Sri Lankan history and it was a splendid era of Sinhala literature where human intellect was nurtured so dearly. Nugegoda was a part of that kingdom and even to this date it stands as a vital center for academics. St Joseph’s Boys’ College, Nugegoda started on January 14, 1953 by Very Rev. Fr. Charles Raymond, the former parish priest of Nugegoda, for the poor boys in the Nugegoda parish with 11 students and five teachers. more..

May 10 (NS) Though it hardly looks like a zebra in color, that is what it is called -a Zebra Crossing, due to its striped nature. Well, it certainly is no zebra as pedestrians always make it a point to use the zebra crossing for fear of paying a fine by not using it, and to get across the road the proper way. Kandy’s new zebra crossing at junctions seems to be the center of attention these days. Pedestrians and crossing have been discussed earlier, yet news and pictures of the latest methods used in and round in more..

May 10 (SO) Kilinochchi district in the Northern Province is the most affected district due to the 30-year-old war on terrorism in this country. LTTE's central command was in the heart of Kilinochchi district, popularly called Wishwamadu. The people of this district suffered the most. During the 30-year-war on terrorism the people had to shift from place to place on the orders of the LTTE. The LTTE manipulated its more..

May 10 (DBS) Even though the protracted internal armed conflict has ended, community members have been unable to return to their day-to-day lives. Under the administration of Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka’s militarization has continued unabated. The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has established numerous checkpoints and camps near peoples’ homes. Military personnel frequently patrol these areas – day and night. Sadly, the military’s intrusion into practically all aspects of civilian affairs more..

May 10 (DBS) A Presidential Offspring hammers a referee, in full view of hundreds of spectators. An Appeal Court Judge has a temper tantrum in an international airport and throws a water bottle at another Judge. Fellow referees do nothing either to protect their colleague during the incident or to protest against it afterwards. The Appeal Court judges have reportedly complained to the President, but nothing is likely to come out of it. The alleged tantrum-cum-bottle-thrower had been the more..

May 10 (FT) “The ‘Mahinda Chinthana’ is in danger; it is increasingly overshadowed by the ‘Gota Chinthana,’” stresses Diplomat and Political Scientist Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka. He warns that President Rajapaksa has devolved far too much of his power to those close to him. “I am not sure really whose hand is consistently on the tiller. I am not sure who is really driving policy.” He points out that the country is experiencing an intra-regime more..

May 10 (GV) Must the Sri Lankan citizenry accept or acquiesce in the sacrifice, even in peacetime, of due process and civil liberties at the altar of an absolutist model of security? The state, or rather its hard-core and its propaganda apparatuses, has sallied forth to defend its conduct in the Azath Salley affair. Unpacking its aggressively defensive discourse, many things stand revealed. Firstly, that the doctrine of pre-emptive hyper-securitisation has increasingly become the driving doctrine and dominant more..

May 10 (CT) Having accepted that Sri Lanka’s average income per head, also known as per capita GDP, will reach the US $4000 mark one year before the previously targeted year of 2016, the Central Bank Annual Report for 2012 has now concentrated on how to take that impressive economic growth beyond that level. Table 1.5 of the Annual Report has given the Bank’s projections of economic growth till 2016 based on an accelerating linear economic growth during this period. more..

May 10 (CT) If there is a single act that the Rajapaksa regime has committed in the post-2009 era to abundantly reveal its authoritarian and undemocratic character then that is the arrest and detention of Azath Salley for 90 days under the Prevention of Terrorisms Act (PTA). It also exposes its chauvinistic bias against all minorities strengthening the activities and hate speech of the Sinhala extremists. The act polarizes the society and brings considerable discredit to more..

May 10 (Island) Minister Kumara Welgama told Parliament the other day that the govt would assign different colours for some categories of vehicles engaged in public transport—blue for private buses, red for the state owned buses and yellow for school vans. This is a step in the right direction, though much more remains to be done to develop the transport sector. However, we hope that the government’s decision to have all private buses which far outnumber the ailing SLTB fleet more..

May 10 (IRIN) Planners in Sri Lanka should do more to mitigate the effects of extreme weather in order to help those most likely to be affected, experts say. According to Disaster Management Centre (DMC), in 2012, 1.2 million people were affected by drought and over half a million by floods, while in early 2011, floods affected over a million and displaced more than 200,000 - a trend expected to increase in the future. more..

May 10 (FT) Dialog Axiata reported a profit of Rs.1.59 billion for the first quarter of 2013, against a loss a year earlier from currency depreciation. Financial results included those of Dialog Axiata and of the Dialog Axiata Group post-consolidation with subsidiaries Dialog Broadband Networks (DBN) and Dialog Television (DTV), a statement from the company said. The Group recorded strong revenue growth across mobile, international, digital pay television, tele-infrastructure and more..

May 10 (FT) The North Central Province Road Development Authority (NCP RDA) has interdicted two of its highest ranking officers and started investigating against allegations of massive corruption prior to the Deyata Kirula exhibition in 2012. Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL)-led Coalition against Corruption (CAC) has revealed that over Rs. 3,000 million has been swindled during the construction and development of roads by the NCP RDA prior to the exhibition. more..

May 10 (DM) NFF MP and Minister Wimal Weerawansa said that the United States was making its way into the region and India had become powerless in this backdrop. Expressing concerns over the reports on the US plan to sign a contract with the Maldivian Govt to establish a military base, he said, India was paving the way for it. “The US is trying to breach the region with their power. India is also silent on the issue. more..

May 10 (DN) The Wayamba Udanaya tabloid newspaper will pave the way for the overall progress of the Wayamba province, North Western Province Chief Minister Athula Wijesinghe said. The launching of Wayamba Udanaya tabloid is significant for both Lake House and the Wayamba Province, he said. The Chief Minister was speaking after launching Wayamba Udanaya, the official newspaper of the North Western Province at Lake House. Wayamba Udanaya, a 22 page tabloid, published by more..

May 10 (DN) The earlier decision to raise the minimum age limit of female migrant domestic workers to Middle East countries will be implemented with immediate effect, Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) said. The minimum age of female domestic workers to Middle East will be 23 other than Saudi Arabia where the minimum age has been increased to 25. Female domestic workers to all other countries have to be 21 years plus, which has been continuing since 2010. more..

May 10 (Reuters) Sri Lanka will allow foreigners full ownership of businesses if they invest more than $10 million, a minister said, and the measure will likely be introduced within two months. The proposed change comes as the $59 billion economy is struggling to attract foreign direct investments (FDI) into the island despite gradually stabilising macroeconomic economic conditions since the end of a three-decade war more..

May 10 (DM) A lion gifted to Sri Lanka by the Seoul Zoo arrived at the Dehiwala Zoological Gardens early this morning. The two-year-old lion was gifted to Sri Lanka under the programme of exchange of animals between the two countries, the Zoological Garden authorities said. The lion would be caged until it became accustomed to the environment and would later be released to the open zoological gardens in Rideegama, Hambantota. Two lionesses are also expected to arrive from Germany more..

May 10 (CT) A group of high-ranking officials, including the Commissioner of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (SLHRC), Dr. Prathiba Mahanamahewa, visited Azath Salley, at the Colombo National Hospital, yesterday. Measures were taken to inspect the medical condition of Salley, after Ameena Salley, the daughter of Azath Salley filed a petition with the SLHRC on Wednesday. Dr. Mahanamahewa said the SLHRC is in the process of conducting investigations, more..

May 10 (Island) The govt has directed the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CEYPECTCO) to provide 5,000 MT of fuel, costing Rs. 500 million, on credit to the 270 MW West Coast Combined Cycle plant at Kerawalapitiya to avert possible power shedding during the peak hours. Despite its earlier stand not to provide fuel on credit, particularly to Independent Power Producers (IPPs), CEYPECTCO yesterday released more..

May 10 (CG) Minister Kumara Welgama says he has decided to do away with his traditional sarong in Parliament and wear trousers to attract female MPs. Speaking at a public event, Welgama said that when he walks into parliament wearing the sarong no one looks at him. He says there are pretty MPs in parliament in the likes of MP Rosy Senanayake and Upeksha Swarnamali, whose eyes he would like to attract. As a result he says he had decided to wear trousers in parliament and now some female more..

May 10 (GDI) Inter-sectoral Participation in Eradicating Mosquito Breeding Places for the Control of Dengue Disease - the proposal made by minister Maithripala Sirisena for the need to strengthen the actions taken by the Ministries mainly on the following for the prevention of the spread of Dengue disease, was approved by the Cabinet. Ministry of Defence and Urban Development: • regular participation of Officials of the Police Department in inter-sectoral meetings at more..

May 10 (CT) In a damning revelation, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has stated Azath Salley was arrested as he conspired to mobilize Sri Lankan Muslims for an armed struggle along with a Tamil group in Tamil Nadu. Rajapaksa said intelligence agencies have uncovered evidence against Salley, who had been held in detention under a controversial detention order obtained by the CID under the PTA. more..

May 10 (Hindu) Kochi and other ports in the State are attracting Sri Lankan refugees trying to make their way to Australia. Agents bring refugees from Tamil Nadu and send them abroad on large vessels from Munambam or ports near Thiruvananthapuram or Kozhikode. “It is risky for them to board a ship from Tamil Nadu as there is strong patrolling along the coast there. So they go from Munambam and other ports, not just in Kerala, but also Karnataka and Orissa,” said an officer from the Aluva more..

May 10 (LB) The govt is taking measures to enter into agreements with neighboring countries to strengthen its ability to provide Search and Rescue Services for aircraft in distress. According to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, also known as Chicago Convention, it is a requirement for every state to enter into arrangements with neighboring countries to strengthen its ability to provide Search and Rescue Services in mutual cooperation and coordination with each other more..

May 10 (LBO) Sri Lanka has to watch inflation, bank credit, tax revenues, keep monetary policy tight and avoid guaranteeing bank forex borrowings and instead create an environment for foreign direct investments, the IMF has said. The executive board of the IMF in a review of Sri Lanka's economy said SL's economy was facing key challenges of slowing growth and high inflation and gave a nod for post program monitoring. more..

May 10 (DM) Amid protests against the admission of foreign students to local universities, Cabinet yesterday approved a memorandum submitted by the Ministry of Higher Education to expand the scholarship scheme to such students from ten more countries, Daily Mirror learns. So far the ministry has limited its scholarship programme to students from 48 countries. Cabinet granted approval on June 23, 2006 to offer 100 scholarships to students from these 48 countries. more..

May 10 (Hindu) The 32-day ordeal for 30 Rameswaram fishermen, who were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on April 6, ended as they returned to a warm reception at the Rameswaram fishing jetty late on Wednesday evening. The fatigued fishermen were received with tears of joy and agony by their family members and the fisher folk, when they arrived along with their five trawlers around 8.30 p.m. The Rameswaram jetty, which is normally dark at this time, was instantly lit up with more..

May 10 (Island) Senior Minister D.E.W. Gunasekera urged state sector trade unions to push for far reaching financial reforms or face the consequences. In fact, the CP Leader said the state sector employees would be the first to suffer from the catastrophic consequences of the continuing drop in state income as a percentage of the GDP. He called for an urgent dialogue among state and private sector trade unions on the state of more..

May 10 (Island) Despite the cost of pumping water increasing following the April 20 electricity tariff hike, the govt will not increase the water tariff although the World Bank had recommended an annual increase. National Water Supply and Drainage Board Chairman Karunasena Hettiarachchi said that the recent power tariff increase had increased the cost of pumping water by an Rs. 42 million per month, which meant that an additional Rs. 504 million was required annually. more..

May 10 (Island) Undergraduates of all medical faculties protested opposite their respective universities yesterday against the govt’s move to admit fee paying students to state universities. Convener of the Medical Faculty Students’ Action Committee Najith Indika said that if the govt did not stop the move, they would boycott lectures in the second stage of their protest. "The UGC sent 10 students to the Peradeniya Medical Faculty, under the Ministry’s new move recently," more..

May 10 (DM) Despite the general public reeling under the rising living costs, Cabinet endorsed a proposal yesterday to allow former provincial council members, who had served for more than two and half years, but were not elected this time, to import duty free vehicles. Earlier, Cabinet approval had been given to issue permits for the importation of duty free vehicles to the sitting provincial council members who had served more..

May 10 (Island) The Supreme Court yesterday fixed for support today, May 10, 2013, the fundamental rights violation application filed by the former Deputy Mayor of Colombo Azarth Salley. The petition has alleged illegal detention by the CID since May 2, 2013. The issue was in respect of an interview said to have been given by Salley to a Tamil Nadu based magazine. Salley says the article is incorrect and he has asked for a correction but not received a copy of that correction. more..

May 10 (CBN) Central bank cut its benchmark by 50 basis points to 7.00 percent, saying a downward adjustment to policy was "appropriate in order to stimulate domestic economic activity, particularly since inflation and inflationary pressures are at levels that do not pose any immediate risk to the economy." The Central Bank of Sri Lanka, which last cut its rate in December after raising it twice earlier in the year, said it had become "somewhat concerned by the slower-than-expected more..

May 10 (Island) The regulatory body of the power sector, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) yesterday rejected the revised tariff structure prepared by the CEB and came out with its own proposal to accommodate concessions promised by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on May Day. The PUCSL has rejected two CEB tariff revision proposals on the grounds that they are not consistent with the govt policy as more..

May 10 (DM) The Health Minister on numerous occasions has assured the people and the Supreme Court that legislation for the implementation of a National Medicinal Drugs Policy based on Professor Senaka Bibile’s essential medicines concept would be presented in parliament soon. That ‘soon’ has dragged on for so many years that health rights activists are sceptical or cynical of the minister’s assurance though his latest promise is that the legislation will be presented this month. more..

May 10 (DM) What is happening in Sri Lanka is frightening. But more horrific is the fact that such incidents continue to occur in higher levels if we remain a country of onlookers. Are we really a nation of onlookers? I ask this question not because we don’t do anything to set things right which we know are wrong but because we remain so preoccupied with our theatric countenance that we seldom realise we could have done better than just keep fighting our war for justice on the media and more..

May 10 (Hindu) “Tamil fishermen pose the biggest threat to our livelihood,” said M. Lingarajan, a Sri Lankan Tamil fisherman based in Jaffna, on Wednesday. “And that is the irony. We are battling our own brothers,” he said, staring emptily at the shore just a few metres away. His is among the seldom-heard voices from this side of Palk Strait. Wedded to the waters since his childhood, Lingarajan knows no other job. more..

May 10 (CT) The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) has collected Rs 230 million as welfare from those who went to Korea for employment in 2011, but no welfare has been provided to any of the migrant workers so far, a special audit conducted by the Auditor General's Department has revealed. The investigation has also brought to light a sum of Rs 49,500 had been collected for welfare purposes from each more..