Oct 18 (EN) Sri Lanka's electricity users will be compensated for appliances damaged by power fluctuations and mandatory service standard will also be enforced over the next three years, the regulator said. The director general of the Public Utilities Commission said CEB and LECO will be subject to regulations covering reliability, safety and quality of service. Compensation will also be provided for damaged appliances after an independent verification by more..

Oct 18 (DN) Fisherfolk from Thalawila, Kalpitiya and Negombo have arrived in Colombo to protest what they claim is government inefficiency in protecting their waters. They handed over a letter detailing their concerns and demands at the Presidential Secretariat a short while ago. Fishermen allege that illegal and destructive fishing is destroying their eco-system and depriving them of a livelihood. They refer specifically to more..

Oct 18 (DN) The 37th Asia Conference on Remote Sensing commenced in Colombo yesterday, under the patronage of the Lands Minister John Amaratunge. The conference, under the theme ‘Promoting Spatial Data Infrastructure for Sustainable Economic Development’ will go on until October 21. The ACRS is an annual event organized by the Asian Association of Remote Sensing (AARS) - Asia's largest society of remote sensing scientists and professionals. more..

Oct 18 (DN) Minister Champika Ranawaka, said the govt had no special reason to halt the Colombo Port City Project and would go ahead with it. He was referring to protest by fishermen in Negombo yesterday, alleging that dredging and sand mining from the seas around in their areas for the Colombo Port City Project was depriving them of a livelihood. He said that if the fishing communities were being adversely affected by the sand mining they would be compensated. more..

Oct 18 (DN) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, in Belgium to renegotiate GSP+ concessions for Sri Lanka, met yesterday with Prince Laurent, son of King Albert II. Prince Laurent, a military officer, is president of the Royal Institute for the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources and the Promotion of Clean Technologies. Belgium, which currently utilises nuclear power for electricity generation, more..

Oct 18 (Reuters) Sri Lankan shares fell for a seventh straight session on Tuesday and posted their lowest close in a month as cautious investors awaited a flurry of corporate results and next month's national budget, while fresh political concerns also weighed on sentiment, brokers said. The benchmark index of the Colombo Stock Exchange ended 0.15 percent weaker at 6,442.87, its lowest close since Sept. 20. "Investor sentiment will be the same until the budget next month. more..

Oct 18 (EN) Survey Deparment is setting up national spatial data infrastructure where spatial or location-based information can be better used and shared by both the govt and businesses, an official said. Remote sensing is a useful tool for national development, disaster management, environmental protection, and mapping and land registration, Surveyor General P.M.P. Udayakantha said. “Sri Lanka is stepping into a new era of geo-spatial information,” he said. more..

Oct 18 (Xinhua) Govt handed over financial compensation to families of migrant workers who had died or become disabled while being employed in foreign countries. Ministers Mangala Samaraweera and Thalatha Athukorala handed over cheques amounting to Rs. 51 million to the families at a ceremony held in Colombo. Govt had been able to hand over compensation worth over Rs. 200 million to families of migrant workers who had more..

Oct 18 (AM) The AG can file indictment against Tiran Alles in the RADA case despite the Fundamental Rights petition filed at the Supreme Court, a three member bench of the Supreme Court directed today. Alles had been indicted at the Colombo High Court in the RADA case where he and three others are accused of misappropriating funds provided to reconstruct houses for people who lost their homes during the 2004 Tsunami. Alles's lawyers presented preliminary objections, more..

OctOct 18 (DM) Former Army Lieutenant, who was convicted for the death of a LTTE suspect, when he was attempting to escape military custody in 1998, today paid Rs. 2 million to the victim’s family as compensation. Former army Lieutenant Wimal Wickrema was charged under section 298 of the Penal Code by AG for shooting carelessly and causing the death of Robert Wellinthan. The incident took place at the Point Pedro camp in 1998 while the victim was allegedly in handcuffs. more..

OctOct 18 (DM) A draft of the much-awaited National Trade Policy had been given yesterday to the Govt Medical Officers Association (GMOA) for their opinion, by Minister Malik Samarawickrama. Calling a media conference at GMOA Head Quarters, Colombo, GMOA Spokesman Dr. Samantha Ananda said they were in receipt of the draft and that they had been asked to give opinion. more..

Oct 18 (DM) NFF today asked the IGP to resign from his post because he was the one who was responsible for politicizing the independent institutions including the CID, FCID and the Bribery Commission. NFF media spokesman Mohammed Muzammil said that the President’s statement made on Wednesday had proved that these institutions were working to a political agenda. “There is no use of the National Police Commission if the FCID is functioning to satisfy various political forces. more..

OctOct 18 (DM) The recent statement by President Maithripala Sirisena on the manner in which the FCID, CID and the Bribery Commission function indicates that the country was not governed by the democratically elected President but by someone else, PHU said. PHU General Secretary MP Udaya Gammanpila said the President was not only the head of the State but also head of the govt and the Cabinet. “People’s mandate was given to the President so he could rule the country. more..

OctOct 18 (Reuters) In this village in Hambantota District, water sales are big business. Beset by a prolonged dry spell and day-time temperatures reaching above 36 degrees Celsius (97 Farenheit), the village has seen all of its wells run dry. Water arrives once every three days in the form of a free govt tanker, but it’s not always enough to last. Buying a tanker of water privately costs 5,000 rupees, more than most people can pay. more..

Oct 19 (CT) My Dear PM, I wish to draw your kind attention to my letter dated 13th June, 2016 addressed to the President captioned, War victims need financial assistance a copy of which was sent to you. In that letter I had suggested the reintroduction of the supply of food items under the ration scheme, either free or under subsidy, to the deserving people. I wish to mention here about the request I made to the former President soon after the end of the war in May 2009. more..

Oct 19 (CT) There was a time when we believed that history had entrusted two Sri Lankans, Maithripala Sirisena and Dilrukshi Dias Wickramasinghe, with important roles. One symbolized the aspirations for good governance while the other represented our desire to rid the nation of bribery and corruption. But now, it seems that one incident has diminished them both and there are those who wish to see one or both relegated as relics of our political history. The forces which stood behind both more..

Oct 19 (SO) In the aftermath of the mysterious death of national rugby player Wasim Thajudeen and the controversy surrounding his body parts surfacing in SAITM, it has come to light that SL is lacking a proper code of conduct for handling human remains, for research purposes. In other countries the subject of taking over dead bodies for education, research or transplant purposes are governed by a strict code of conduct. more..

Oct 19 (SL) Rudyard Kipling’s quote in the days of the British Raj about East is East and West is West and never the twain can meet is hardly relevant in these times of the Global Village but it keeps coming back. When Donald Trump during the Second Presidential TV debate last week declared that if he is elected president, he would ask his AG to conduct an investigation into Hillary Clinton’s alleged crimes and that she would be in jail. Pro-Clinton TV commentators were aghast. more..

Oct 19 (DN) Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Sing’s (WHO South East Asia Regional Director) article on Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) published in Ceylon Daily News on Sept 2, 2016 has inspired, ignited and motivated me to pen this article. Dr. Sing's in-depth knowledge in public health, health policy, health administration and her global outlook in the field of medicine are truly inspiring. Her brief yet illustrious and scholastic article amply reflects her genuine desire to combat against more..

Oct 19 (GV) Last week, on Oct 12, President Maithripala Sirisena lashed out at independent commissions, in a speech that drew condemnation from many quarters. This week, the Director General of the CIABOC Dilrukshi Dias Wickramasinghe has tendered her resignation. Although she did not give a reason for her resignation, it appeared that the move was a reaction to Sirisena’s comments. more..

Oct 19 (GV) Drought has followed the floods in mid-May in Sri Lanka, affecting 625,000 people directly along with agriculture, water supply, irrigation and nature. Here, we quantify this drought and show that it (a) is most severe in the Eastern and North-Central Provinces; (b) was due to markedly low rainfall after May, (c) has reached the intensity of the initial phase of the last major drought of 2013 and (d) shall likely not be sustained for as long. 625,000 people were affected by the drought more..

Oct 19 (Island) Norochcholai coal-fired power plant seems to be jinxed. It has broken down umpteen times since the commissioning of its first unit in 2011. It used to fail at such a nagging rate that cynics coined the sobriquet, Always Breakdown; it has since lived up to its reputation! It failed again the other day. What really irks the public is not the frequent Norochcholai shutdowns or the attendant power cuts as such but the failure on the part of CEB experts to find out more..

Oct 19 (GV) It was 5 pm. The bus travelling from Matale to Kandy arrived at the bus stop. The last two buses, which I let pass, now seemed a better choice, for if there was any space in this bus, it was on the hood. The rest of the bus was stuffed with humans up to the doorways. With some difficulty, I squeezed myself in. It was a pathetic sight; people were nearly in a pile; squashed, sweated and suffocated, some of them dangling helplessly, suspended in the air. more..

Oct 19 (Island) "The reality in international affairs has rapidly grown in complexity, pressuring the discipline of International Relations to engage with new phenomenon. Int'l Relations scholarship thus has to address concerns and issue areas by translating them into innovative theorizing. Science and technology is the most prominent among these – it is hard to imagine any international or global issue that does not entail scientific or technological aspect". more..

Oct 19 (ST) love pigeons. Their cooing even has a romantic connotation. In reality, pigeons have many connections with humankind, and of the bird kingdom, they are one of our closest allies. In days gone by, they even were vital cogs in the war machine. Then, in the same breath, a stool pigeon is a criminal who tells on other criminals to the police. Hence, it seems, the pigeons and we have a lot in common. more..

Oct 19 (ST) Many moons ago, my Kussi Amma once exclaimed Aiyo Mahattaya … mehema nevai… She was referring to my sorry attempt to make a cup of tea which ended up with too much milk, too little tea dust and I forget the sugar. It was neither tea nor milk.  Mahattaya – mevata kremayak thiyanawa, she said and after that I followed her kremaya and never went wrong.  Not following the kremaya (loosely translated – proper system) is what we see today. A sense of apathy, helplessness and more..

Oct 19 (CT) Subsequent to the controversial statement made by President Sirisena that summoning Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the Navy Commanders to Court regarding the Avant Garde Accusation was wrong, the following day which was Thursday, Indian High Commissioner Y.K. Sinha had met Maithri. Although sources from the Indian HC said the meeting was to discuss Maithri's trip to India, we cannot say whether Maithri's controversial speech was also subject to more..

Oct 19 (PMD) President Sirisena said although former leaders say that the govt had not done anything in the past 2 years, as a govt what we fulfill today are the responsibilities neglected by the former leader. The work done by the govt may not be seen or felt, but these are the responsibilities fulfilled for the motherland and the future generations, he said. He pointed out that the govt succeeded in restoring freedom, democracy more..

Oct 19 (DN) LankaClear, the operator of Sri Lanka’s National Payment Network - LankaPay, has made another stride in the payment and settlement arena by automating the cheque clearing cycle by introducing the online transfer mode of the Cheque Imaging and Truncation System (CITS). With this revolutionary initiative, Sri Lanka made history by becoming the first in South Asia to launch the Online Transfer Mode of CITS, which replaced the current inefficient practice of more..

Oct 19 (CG) CIMA has launched an updated CIMA Certificate in Business Accounting (Cert BA). Assessments under the updated syllabus will commence in January 2017. Update consolidates the five subjects of the existing syllabus into four. The former standalone business mathematics subject is now integrated across other subjects, allowing for contextual practical application of maths. The full syllabus content has been reviewed and refreshed, following thorough global industry more..

Oct 19 (PMD) President Maithripala Sirisena stated that not only our country, but the whole world has to face the consequences of environmental pollution and further emphasized that the present Govt follows a very stern policy against the environmental degradation. He made these remarks addressing the main launching ceremony of the Sri Lanka NEXT – Blue Green Era policy initiative, held at BMICH, today (18). more..

Oct 19 (CT) The Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) has invited all the top division local rugby clubs for an 'emergency' meeting as the country's Sevens Side was selected for the World Series Qualifiers which is set to be worked off in Hong Kong next year. Danushka Ranjan's team could only finish fourth in the third-leg in Colombo, but their prolific run earlier in the series, being runners-up twice in the first and second-leg, meant they still managed to hold on to more..

Oct 19 (CT) Minister of Sports Dayasiri Jayasekera confirmed that the synthetic track of the Sugathadasa Stadium will be ready for re-use by end of February next year. The minister visited the stadium last evening, which at the moment is under construction. Grounds of the stadium is set to be ready for reuse from 20 Dec, while tender to relay the synthetic track will also close on the same day (20). "The stadium ground and the sports hotel will be completed by end of December. more..

Oct 19 (EN) Central bank said customers of Entrust Securities, a primary dealer in govt securities and three finance companies will be repaid. Central bank said 8.5 billion rupees of investments made at Entrust Securities by 24 funds and investors, which were not covered by govt securities will be repaid. At The Standard Credit Finance, City Finance Corporation and Central Investments & Finance, 4,848m will be repaid more..

Oct 19 (PMD) President Maithripala Sirisena presented air tickets for the Mahaweli Maha Goviya (The best farmer of Mahaweli) and 18 farmers selected from the best farmer organizations, to participate at a five-day workshop on the use of carbonic fertilizer in farming, to be held in Thailand. The President presented these today (18). The farmers will participate in this workshop according to a concept of the President to give them an opportunity to attend it.  more..

Oct 19 (Island) Female participation in IT related jobs in Sri Lanka is around 30%, which is higher than the corresponding figure in the UK. Female participation in IT jobs in the UK is 17%. Therefore, Sri Lanka is an important market place for the British Computer Society, the Chartered Institute for IT qualifications, its president Ray Long said. "Sri Lanka has achieved significant development in the IT sector and it is the need of the hour to use IT for govt organizations to drive more..

Oct 19 (CT) The drama between Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and player contract took a new turn as only three players, namely Angelo Mathews, Rangana Herath and Dinesh Chandimal, have been given top category and a number of players aren't happy with the decision. Three players had met SLC CEO Ashley de Silva yesterday regarding the matter, and there is going to be a special meeting between SLC & 30 players more..

Oct 19 (Island) The media covering Central Provincial Council’s meeting yesterday staged a walk out as a mark of protest against certain statements made regarding the fourth estate by PC’s Chairman L.D. Nimalsiri and Minister Ediriweera Weerawardana. Chairman Nimalsiri and Minister Weerawardana described reports on the meeting of the council on Oct 4, in some newspapers as malicious. They found fault with journalists for publishing news items which more..

Oct 19 (DN) An opening partnership of 133 between left-handers Kusal Perera and Sandun Weerakkody propelled Sri Lanka ‘A’ to a first day total of 272 for seven wickets in the decisive third and final 4-day unofficial test against West Indies ‘A’ at the Rangiri Dambulla Stadium yesterday. Winning the toss and batting first Perera and Weerakkody provided the ideal beginning to the match for Sri Lanka ‘A’ by batting throughout the first session to take them to a total of 121 for no loss. more..