May 22 (Island) A 13-year-old boy from Mullaitivu ran away to the house of a friend in the South after his father punished him for wrongdoing. Logeswaran Rerushan felt hurt when his father hit him after the teenager had hit his younger sister. He felt very sad and left home without telling anyone. After leaving home he decided to visit his Sinhala friend in Homagama whom he had met during an event organized by the Mahinda Rajapaksa Vidyalaya, Homagama where 125 students more..

May 22 (LT) The govt, instead of solving problems, allows them to escalate and a good example for this is the incident that occurred at Alawwa Railway Station yesterday when passengers assaulted the engine driver said JVP MP Vijitha Herath. He said, �By now the passenger transport sector has moved towards a national crisis. A large number of train passengers as well as bus passengers have become victims of this crisis. more..

May 22 (Island) Chief Medical Officer of Health, Colombo Municipal Council, Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam, retired from govt service on Tuesday after serving the city for 26 years. An old boy of Royal College he won the only medical scholarship offered by the Soviet Union to Govt of Sri Lanka and studied at the prestigious Russian State Medical University in Moscow and graduated in 1984. He then underwent specialised postgraduate training in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care in Moscow. more..

May 22 (CG) Deputy Minister Faiszer Musthapha, slammed Secretary to Ministry Buddhasasana and Religious Affairs for failing to implement a decision taken last year over the Grandpas mosque issue. In a strongly worded letter, he said that inaction by public officials can send the wrong signal to the public. Minister said that the meeting last August, which was chaired by Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, was held to settle a dispute between two factions over Grandpas mosque. more..

May 22 (Island) The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is to summon the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) to ascertain alleged fraud in some of its transactions in the Colombo Stock Exchange. Harsha de Silva MP, who is a member of the PAC said that it was only yesterday afternoon that the EPF�s financial statements for 2011 had been submitted to Parliament. "We will now summon the EPF to the PAC to initiate necessary action more..

May 22 (LT) The issues have become more complex than when executive presidential system was introduced in 1978. The dialogue in the society should be directed on a broad transformation that goes beyond changing heads and a mere change of govts says JVP MP Sunil Handunneththi. He said, �A team of representatives from �People�s Movement for Social Justice� including Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera came to our head office and had discussions. The discussion was not on more..

May 22 (PTI) Amidst growing opposition from Tamil Nadu parties to the invitation to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa for Narendra Modi's swearing in as PM, Congress' state unit today virtually defended it, saying the Lankan leader was the only option to discuss issues related to welfare of minority Tamils in the island country. "Congress has no second opinion on issues like equal political status to Tamils, implementation of 13th Amendment to Sri Lankan constitution more..

May 22 (UCAN) Journalists in Sri Lanka have lobbied the govt to reopen two news websites that were blocked this week by officials because of their criticism of the country�s leadership. The closure of the srilankamirror.com and independent.lk websites were decried by critics of the govt, who said it was a further sign of a rapidly deteriorating environment for freedom of expression in the island nation. It brings to eight more..

May 22 (CI) Najam Sethi, the PCB chairman, has said the Pakistan board is inviting Sri Lanka over for a series, asserting that Pakistan is "ready" to host international cricket in the country once again. The PCB's invite follows Sri Lanka President Rajapaksa's statement on Tuesday, when, on the sidelines of a summit in China, he said that his cricket team "must go to Pakistan and play there". The PCB decided to write Sri Lanka Cricket, offering its team a series in Pakistan. more..

May 22 (CG) The rape and murder of a Sri Lankan Tamil refugee at a camp near Bhavani Sagar Dam in Erode, Tamil Nadu recently must be investigated by the police, a fact-finding team of Evidence, a human rights organisation, has recommended. The body of the woman identified as Felicitra Kurus (67), who had gone out to collect fire wood, was found with multiple injuries and post-mortem indicated rape. Body was found a day after a police complaint was preferred by her husband. more..

May 22 (DM) UNP National Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said today he went to the US to learn how to form a UNP Government and develop the country and if he wanted to learn about corruption and terror he would have gone to Medamulana. �I went to MIT in the United States to teach and I wanted to learnmethods of developing the country. I wanted to learn how to set up a UNP Govt and develop the country. more..

May 22 (Island) A ten-member expert committee, appointed to look into the high failure rate in mathematics at the GCE (O/L) Exam, expects to submit its recommendations to the Education Ministry within two months. Co-chairman of the committee and Vice Chancellor of the Moratuwa University Prof. Ananda Jayawardena said that the committee had held an introductory session so far and the next meeting would be held on May 26. "All members of the committee met the more..

May 22 (Island) The Court of Appeal yesterday issued notice returnable on June 25, 2014 on the Secretary to the Ministry of Environment, the Conservator of Forests, the Director General of Archaeology and connected respondents in respect of a Writ Application filed by the Green Movement of Sri Lanka. The respondents have been ordered to be present in Court or be represented by Counsel on that date. The petitioner has complained that the Conservator of Forests by more..

May 22 (IANS) TN Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa Thursday termed as "unfortunate" the invitation extended to SL President Rajapaksa to attend the swearing-in ceremony of India's new prime minister Narendra Modi. The MDMK and DMK also opposed the invitation, while the Congress and the BJP supported the invitation move. The DMDK and the PMK did not react yet. "We had hoped that the new govt. would be sympathetic to the more..

May 22 (Island) Repairs to a damaged pipeline were nearing completion and the water supply would be restored to areas like Hendala and Wattala, the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWDB) Area Engineer, Dilini Hapuarachchi said yesterday. Residents said they had not had access to clean water following for about five days. Vice Chairman of the Board K.D Gamini Gunaratna said he had not been informed of what was being done to restore the supply and Additional General Manager more..

May 22 (Island) The Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Hawa Bangura, said that she hadn't been able to visit Sri Lanka before the recent release of a new UN report which placed Sri Lanka among 21 countries, where rape and other sexual violence were committed in current and recent conflicts. Communications Officer Ms. La Neice Collins said that Bangura had called for the appointment of a special person to more..

May 22 (SLA) Lieutenant General Niu Zhizong, Chief of Staff of the Chinese People�s Armed Police, now in Sri Lanka on a three-day long official visit, together with five more senior Colonels, paid a courtesy call on Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake, Commander of the Army at the Army Headquarters this afternoon. The six-member delegation, headed by Lieutenant General Niu Zhizong, is comprised of Senior Colonel more..

May 22 (GDI) The Presidential Commission to Investigate into Complaints Regarding Missing Persons will conduct its fourth round of Public Sittings in Batticaloa District from June 06 � 08. Sittings will be held at the Kattankudy DS on June 6th and 7th, and at Manmunaipattu DS on June 8th. The Commission had previously conducted Public Sittings in January, February and March this year in Killinochchi, Jaffna and Batticaloa respectively. To date, 18,590 complaints have been received, more..

May 22 (CG) US Ambassador Michele Sison had talks with UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe at the UNP head quarters in Sirikotha, Pitakotte today. The meeting comes following Wickremesinghe�s return to Sri Lanka after a visit to the US. UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake also participated at today�s meeting. The current political situation in the country, five years after the war, were among the issues discussed at the meeting between the US envoy and the UNP leader. more..

May 22 (DM) Former Matara JMO Dr Kithsiri Wijeweera who is now serving in Badulla, today told that even though blood transfusion and surgery were performed on British national Khuram Sheik, his death was imminent since the stab injuries on his face had cut blood and oxygen supply to his brain. He was responding to a question by defense counsel Jayantha Weerasinghe PC who appeared for the first accused, more..

May 23 (CT) When a political party leader is swimming in a murky sea with greed for power, the rank and file is in a state of confusion most confounded. Hence, the emerging features of disgust within his party cannot be envisioned clearly through his wet obscured goggles. It is in that backdrop, UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, seems to act in the oldest political party in the country which has suffered 29 election defeats in a row under his command. more..

May 23 (CT) In 2006, Barack Obama, then a Senator of the US Senate, left an important message with the students when he delivered the commencement speech at USA�s Northwestern University. He said that what was more dangerous in USA was not the Federal Budget Deficit but the emerging �Empathy Deficit� among Americans. Then he defined what he meant by empathy deficit by using an aphorism. That was failure to get into the shoes of another person and see the world more..

May 23 (SO) Major General Shavendra Silva, popularly known among the people as the 58 Division Commander during the battle against terrorism is now the Deputy Permanent Representative at Sri Lanka�s UN Mission in New York. At a time Sri Lanka is celebrating the 5th anniversary of the great victory it achieved against the LTTE, Major General Shavendra Silva said that those who were affected by terrorism will not more..

May 23 (CT) The complete conquest of the Indian parliament by finance capital is almost complete. The victory of the BJP, with 282 seats, has utterly defied what had become the norm in Indian politics � coalitions with reliance on regional alliances. Although it was in fact the NDA that won 336 seats out of the 543 available, there is no doubt which party will dictate governance. This is a historic first � with the centre in the control of one party and that party not being Congress. more..

May 23 (CT) Some of the key govt interlocutors, including powerful presidential brother Basil Rajapaksa have taken comfort in the premise that new Indian PM Narendra Modi would be "another Rajapaksa". Asia has produced another Rajapaksa and 'doer', Basil Rajapaksa told this newspaper last week, referring to Modi's victory. "There would be better 'chemistry' between President Rajapaksa and Modi, compared to the rapport he had with outgoing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh." more..

May 23 (CT) Clouds of controversy loom over the govt's decision to sell the Valachchenai Paper Mill where most of the machinery and vehicles had been sold as scrap metal while even certain buildings had been demolished and the material too sold for a song. The buyers had underpaid by Rs 22 million for the lot when the value was Rs 38 million. They had paid only Rs 16 million. The sale had been made in a manner where the buyer had more..

May 23 (Island) A female teacher in the North Western Province (NWP) has taught a very good lesson to a hoity-toity politician who made her kneel down by way of punishment for instructing that his daughter�s school uniform be lengthened as it was found to be far too revealing. She has not only fought a successful legal battle against the provincial potentate against numerous odds but also set up a scholarship fund called �Ahinsa� for needy students and teachers with the money more..

May 23 (GV) When Sidath�s mum wore her wedding sari, she would tell her children, �the lotus would fully open.� The large lotus was noticeable because its bright red sequins, dazzling in the light, added the only colour and texture to her otherwise white sari. In what was for twenty five years a generally happy and loving marriage, her sari occupied pride of place on the top shelf of her cupboard. She glanced at it, every once in a while, when searching for something to wear. Occasionally, she would pull it out more..

May 23 (GV) It is quite possible to give detailed responses to all the questions that my learned friend Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka has asked me. Nevertheless, I will only attempt to respond to those questions that I feel are in need of further clarifications and, ones that I feel are of importance, beyond the scope of our theoretical disagreements. I shall begin with the dispute apropos the place of Christianity, especially the Resurrection of Christ, in Badiou�s edifice, for it is, for me, the most important and more..

May 23 (Island) Buddhism was introduced into this Island during the reign of King Devanampiya tissa in the third century B.C. by the mission of Venerable Thera Mahinda. The Mahindian mission brought the Theravada form of the teaching as approved by the Third Buddhist Council which was held at Pataliputra under the patronage of Emperor Asoka. This meant that the Pali canonical texts served both as the source material and the reference books of the Sri Lankan Buddhist tradition. more..

May 23 (Hindu) During the brutal civil war in Sri Lanka many found shelter in her spaces and many saw life slipping away in those same spaces as the militant outfit LTTE used some of those sites to inflict more damage. They used them to conscript kids and youngsters into the extremist outfit. These are the shrines of the goddess Pattini-Kannaki revered by Sinhala Buddhists and Tamil Hindus in Sri Lanka. more..

May 23 (CI) When Graham Ford departed from his role with Sri Lanka, and Paul Farbrace arrived in late January, both coaches issued identical appraisals of the team's chances in the two upcoming global tournaments. "They have a terrific opportunity to win the World T20 in Bangladesh," Ford said, "there's no doubt about that." But both men were a little less hopeful about the World Cup. "We're not quite there yet," Farbrace had said. "There are some key things to develop, and the England series should more..

May 23 (CT) Access Engineering PLC posted double digit growth in revenue with Rs 16.4 billion at group level and Rs 13.1 billion at company level during the year ended 31 March 2014. Total Comprehensive Income attributed to the owners of the company amounted to Rs. 2,965 million and Rs 2,634 million respectively at group level and company level, growing 25% and 24% compared to the previous year, financial results filed with the stock exchange showed. more..

May 23 (BBC) Bloomsbury Group and Sri Lanka are rarely spoken of in the same breath, but that is partly because Leonard Woolf's groundbreaking first novel, The Village in the Jungle, is unjustly ignored, argues writer and broadcaster Nick Rankin. She was born Virginia Stephen, daughter of the Victorian bookman Sir Leslie Stephen, but when she married in 1912, her name changed to Virginia Woolf, and she went on more..

May 23 (Hindu) The Judicial Magistrate Court at Paramakudi has remanded in judicial custody till June 4 the 14 Sri Lankan fishermen, arrested by the Marine police on Wednesday. They were apprehended by the Indian Coast Guard for illegal fishing in Indian waters off Kanyakumari on Tuesday. Tharuvaikulam Marine police brought the fishermen from Tuticorin and produced them before Judicial Magistrate at his residence here on Wednesday night. more..

May 23 (LBO) Sri Lankan firms and banks should look at borrowing and lending longer term as interest rates and inflation fall, Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal said. Sri Lanka's commercial bank average weighted lending rate is now 14.44% down from 16.36% a year earlier, and Cabraal says there is still space for lending rates to fall. "Especially the long term lending rates have space for reduction," he said. The prime lending rate, the rate and which banks give loans to more..

May 23 (CI) For Sri Lanka, this was a one-day international that will not live long in the memory, a match ruined by rain. But that is only half the story. For England, it was much more than that. It was a match worth remembering: a match that uplifted spirits, created smiles and brought hopes that after a tormented tour of Australia all was not lost. And it was a match that insisted, not for the first time, that England had a new entertainer more..

May 23 (FT) Sri Lanka is the jewel in Nestl�s South Asian crown, the multinational�s regional Head asserted yesterday. Speaking shortly after the conclusion of the company�s AGM last afternoon, Nestl� South Asia Head and Nestl� Lanka Chairman Etienne Benet said that Nestl� was �very entrenched� in the country. �It�s not everywhere that you see a company doing so well in such a lovely environment. This is a lovely country. I would love to be Country Manager here. more..

May 23 (HSG) Various happenings in the world of merchant shipping fuel supply this week as GAC Bunker Fuels and its local partner in Sri Lanka, Interocean Energy (IOE), notify us they have moved the bunker barge MT Kandy to Galle to meet growing demand for bunker supplies at the port on the southern tip of the island nation. Also there is to be a change to the fuel excise duty charge in Australia as from 1 August. The GAC Group has operated in Sri Lanka for two decades with more..