Sept 19 (Island) The loss caused by the fire which gutted 57 stalls at the Kilinochchi public market last Friday is around Rs. 20 million. The cause of the fire is not known yet. But, an electrical short circuit was suspected said, Kilinochchi SSP Palitha Siriwardena. He said all the stalls had been constructed with wooden planks and due to strong winds the fire had spread fast. Although the security forces and the police extinguished the fire the damage caused was considerably high. more..

Sept 19 (ENS) Sri Lanka is exploring possibilities of private investment in oil refining and has invited several foreign companies, including Indian companies like Reliance, to come up with proposals, the Minister for Petroleum, Chandima Weerakkody, told the Foreign Correspondents� Association. He said that he will be visiting India soon to meet his Indian counterpart. Officials said that the visit could take place either in October of November. more..

Sept 19 (DN) A 75-year-old retired Police Sergeant resident in Galhena Road, Madampe who received serious injuries after being beaten up by his own son, a constable who had abandoned his post, succumbed to his injuries on admission to the Puttalam Hospital on September 16 night. He was identified as H.M. Chandratilleke. Madampe Police investigating the incident said the 43-year-old suspect had arrived at his father�s house in a drunken state the same night. more..

Sept 19 (DM) Two bodies of a male and female believed to be that of a husband (54) and wife (46) were found hanging on a tree this morning, a day after their two sons drowned at Kalkudah, Trincomalee. The victims were residents of Kalkudah. Police said the brothers, aged 18 and 21, had gone missing, while they were bathing at the Kalkudah beach on Sunday. They said they suspected that the death of two sons might have led the parents to committed suicide. more..

Sept 19 (LBO) Power regulator Public Utilities Commission (PUCSL) has given the nod for the CEB to add 1,275 megawatts of power to the national grid during next four years through the least cost long term generation expansion plan (LCLTGEP) 2015 � 2034. �Plants listed in the LCLTGEP for the period 2017�2020, should be immediately constructed and operated, to prevent the possible power shortage in 2018,� more..

Sept 19 (DN) Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne has informed Health Services Director General Dr. Palitha Mahipala to import Ethanol only through the Medical Supply Division of the Health Ministry, Health Ministry sources said. Minister had done so after considering the issues that had been brought to his notice by officials of the Sri Lanka Customs and the Department of Import and Export. They pointed out that importing ethanol by several parties, could cause various problems. more..

Sept 19 (DM) Two Kuwaiti men including a 22-year-old who was dressed in female attire were arrested by the police today on charges of damaging the properties of a hotel in Ella, Police said. The duo had checked into the hotel as a married couple. The Hotel management had informed the police that the couple was engaging in a brawl and damaging the properties of the hotel room they were in. Police said the couple was under the influence of alcohol when they were arrested. more..

Sept 19 (PSL) President Sirisena arrived at the John F Kennedy Airport in New York last evening amidst tight security as the city suffered a major security threat with an explosive devise going off on the previous day injuring 29 persons. President was received at the Loews Regency Hotel by Minister Mangala Samaraweera, Deputy Minister Ajith P Perera SL�s Permanent Representative to UN, Dr Rohan Perera, more..

Sept 19 (CT) Since independence, we have not been able to make a tangible improvement to the public sector. At the same time, due to petty political gains, the last govt too, though it was no longer tenable to inflate the public sector; expanded the number of ministries, departments and the cadre positions without radically and meaningfully re-structuring the public sector. Constitution of Sri Lanka together with numerous Acts passed by Parliament from time to time have set out more..

Sept 19 (OBG) Adverse weather conditions, combined with rising costs and greater competition, threaten to weaken SL�s position in the global tea industry, though efforts to develop new markets could help offset downturns in exports and revenue. Flooding in mid-May struck a number of tea-producing regions and led to the inundation of several tea export facilities around Colombo, causing widespread disruption and compounding losses from El Ni�o-related drought more..

Sept 19 (DM) Fast bowler Nuwan Kulasekara had been arrested this evening following a fatal accident at Kadawatha. They said Kulasekara was arrested for running over a motorcyclist at the Ranmuthugala area in Kadawatha on the Kandy-Colombo main road. The motorcyclist (28), who was travelling from Colombo, had collided with Kulasekara�s vehicle which was coming to Colombo. more..

Sept 19 (CT) A large marshy land close to the Kande Vihara in Aluthgama is being filled up these days. Area residents say that this area which has been a marshy land from time immemorial is being filled in and reclaimed. During the rainy seasons, water from a number of villages in the vicinity drain into this marshy land and later flows into the sea via the Kaluwamodera River. Residents of the area express fear that once this marshy land is filled in, floods could affect the areas they live in. more..

Sept 19 (DM) Top govt leaders had different opinions on the unitary character of the country and the prominence given to Buddhism which had resulted in utter confusion, PHU MP Udaya Gammanpila said today. He said the President and the PM had assured to leave the prominence given to Buddhism and the unitary character of the country as it is but former President Chandrika Kumaratunga had expressed contradicting sentiments. �Mrs. Kumaratunga is in-charge of reconciliation. more..

Sept 19 (AD) Avissawella High Court has granted bail to four army intelligence officers who were remanded over the disappearance case of journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda. The suspects were granted bail following a bail application filed at the Avissawella High Court, Ada Derana reporter said. The CID had earlier arrested an Army Corporal, a Sergeant, and two Lieutenants, in connection with mysterious disappearance more..

Sept 19 (LT) It is reported that former JMO of Kalubowila Hospital Dr. Sunil Kumara who issued the for the postmortem report of Lasantha Wickremetunga�s murder serves as a senior lecturer at SAITM private medical school at Malabe. When the case was heard the CID stated in Court that according to evidence regarding the murder the postmortem report issued by then JMO at Colombo South Hospital Dr. Sunil Kumara is questionable and there are many points that are contradictory. more..

Sept 19 (CG) Sri Lankan Govt today strongly condemned the terrorist attack on an Indian military base in Kashmir in which at least 17 soldiers were killed. The Foreign Ministry said that Sri Lanka, as a country, that has undergone the scourge of terrorism for almost three decades resents all forms and manifestation of terrorism.�In the hour of grief, the government of Sri Lanka offers its condolences to the families of the victims of the attack. Govt of Sri Lanka reiterates the urgent need for more..

Sept 19 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation will incur a loss of about two billion rupees per month after the govt raised excise duty last month, petroleum resources minister said. The finance ministry, which is under pressure from the IMF to increase revenue, raised the excise duty on diesel by 10 rupees to 13 rupees with effect from Aug. 20 without increasing diesel's retail price. more..

Sept 20 (CT) Those who were behind the scene leading to the bloodless revolution of 8 January have started to speak out one by one. First, it was Asoka Abeygunawardana, electrical engineer and social activist, who spoke out first by publishing a book in Sinhala titled Yuga Peraliya which was later translated into English as The Revolution of the Era. Then, it was up to Dinesh Weerakkody, banker, human resource expert and entrepreneur, to narrate the story from his side under the title more..

Sept 20 (CT) From the wig to the Veshti (the traditional, usually snow white Tamil attire, oft mispronounced as Vetti/Verti), Northern Province Governor Canagasabhapathy Viswalingam Wigneswaran (fondly Wiggy to newspaper Editors and journalists for reasons of brevity) these days, does not seem to know from which orifice he is shooting! Whether it is from his lips or from his hips! It was a steady but elongated run for the Royal College, Colombo 7-educated Wigneswaran more..

Sept 20 (CT) The need to reform Sri Lanka Police once again came to the fore after the recent controversy in Hambantota when it was found that policemen changed the report to suit their agenda. A member of the Committee on Police Reforms Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon said the status of Police reforms is long overdue. Q: Another controversy surrounding the Police took place earlier this month when it was alleged more..

Sept 20 (TD) Sri Lanka has always been an indisputable part of South Asia, geographically and culturally. Yet, it is also a place apart in many ways. Unlike other modern countries in South Asia, like India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, which have experienced political unity under many empires, Sri Lanka has always been a distinct region unto itself within South Asia. The great empires of the subcontinent, with one notable exception, made little effort to control SL, and even the British ruled more..

Sept 20 (CT) There are three Buddhisms operating in the world today. I am not referring to Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana. The latter are basically perceived as unopposed to each other and their followers are observed to worship together in many an instance. The reference here is to three different kinds of Buddhism often running in contradiction to each other and extending their coverage across the Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana streams themselves. more..

Sept 20 (Slate) Victos Fernando had been missing for four days when his body washed up, bruised and salt-soaked, off Sri Lanka�s northern coast. He�d disembarked with three other fishermen on April 2, 2011, from the crowded harbor of Rameswaram, a small island off India�s southeastern coast, to sail for the fertile breeding shoals on the SL side of the Palk Strait, the narrow body of water that separates the two nations. more..

Sept 20 (ST) Following the unprovoked assault on SL�s High Commissioner to Malaysia Ibrahim Ansar at the KLIA that country�s Deputy Home Minister rather cursorily dismissed the incident and therefore Malaysia�s own responsibility as the host country to protect the person and dignity of an accredited diplomat. Deputy Minister Datuk Nur Mohamed called it an isolated incident triggered by political conflicts and said it had nothing to do with terrorism. What is worse is his prognosis that more..

Sept 20 (DM) On Sept 10 the Daily Mirror reported that between January and August this year a total of 334 murders had taken place in our country. In 2013 there had been 402 killings in the first eight months alone and during the same period and 391 killings during the same period in 2014.There had also been 267 incidents of attempted murder this year and what is most horrifying is that we claim to be a Buddhist country! Let us recall the rape and murder of that five-year-old Seya, more..

Sept 20 (Island) It must surely be thought odd that I am even undertaking an effort to intervene here on a subject that requires comment by lawyers or political scientists. But as a concerned citizen-observer, I have some worries and since I have not seen any debate whatsoever in the media, I want to raise some questions and hopefully contribute to an informed public discussion. When and who decided that what Sri Lanka needed in the post-war period was Transitional Justice? more..

Sept 20 (Island) The US has been doing its damnedest to protect itself against terrorism. All its institutions have been geared to meet that threat. The judiciary has refused to be moved against the state agencies responsible for abductions and torture on the grounds that legal action against the perpetrators will jeopardise national security. The victims of such acts of cruelty are without anyone to turn to while the US politicians and diplomats are pontificating to the rest of the world more..

Sept 20 (FT) LOLC Group marked its first overseas leisure venture in the Maldives and also broke new ground in SL-China relations last week, announcing its North Mal� Resort Development project in partnership with State-owned China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC). Presenting three brand new islands to CMEC last Thursday, LOLC announced the massive and innovative 50:50 JV project valued at more..

Sept 20 (FT) Axiata Group Berhad (Axiata or the Group) notes that an article published on Bloomberg newswires captioned Axiata Said to Seek Buyers for $700 Million of Overseas Holdings, dated 13 Sept, may have led to some speculation and/or confusion with respect to the Group�s commitment going forward towards Sri Lanka�s telecom sector and its 83%-owned subsidiary Dialog Axiata PLC (Dialog). In a statement issued on the same day, Axiata had clarified that while there were no specific more..

Sept 20 (ST) Ceylon Federation of Labour (CFL) has urged PM not to implement a set of planned labour sector reforms until some outstanding labour issues are resolved. T.M.R. Rasseedin, CFL Deputy General Secretary and a veteran trade unionist himself, said in a letter that while they respect the govt�s prerogative to adopt laws dealing with employment generation �we urge you not to proceed with any planned labour law reform process until the following issues are remedied�. more..

Sept 20 (FT) A landmark agreement was signed between two of the country�s leading accounting professional bodies, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and Chartered Accountants of SL, to promote the CIMA qualification amongst Chartered Accountants and students. In addition this agreement will endorse and promote Global Management Accounting Principles, with more..

Sept 20 (ST) And here I was make-believing that God threw away the mould after he made me. This is something we all like to indulge in, feeding our ego like an obese child merrily stuffing his or her face with candy. But one look at the factory floor at DSL Lanka (Douglas and Sons) and my self-esteem was punctured rapidly for there were ranks and ranks of Alvins � a plush toy which is the brainchild of Mano Sheriff. She laughs when I tell her my bubble has been burst. more..

Sept 20 (Island) Nobody wanted the power plant in Norochcholai except the power system planners who were determined to ensure the country got its electricity at the lowest possible cost. With their knowledge of what exactly was happening with power generation in other countries, they knew the only way to rescue the power sector from the financial mess and recurring power cuts, was to build strong, large capacity, cheaper power plants. Norochcholai was the first such power plant. more..

Sept 20 (Fox) He says it�s too early to know for sure, but that the rest has probably done him a world of good ahead of a packed seven months of cricket. What he does know is the whole thing could have been handled better. Smith and Cricket Australia were hammered from critics left, right and centre when the decision for the skipper to go home early was revealed midway through the one-day series in Sri Lanka, more..

Sept 20 (CI) Thilan Samaraweera reunited with an old friend on his first day as Bangladesh's batting consultant. "I divide my career into two," he said. "First it is from 2001 to 2006 when I was dropped. I became a totally different player when I met Chandika [Hathurusingha]." Samaraweera began with a century on Test debut in 2001 but suffered a drastic dip in form five years later. When he returned to the Sri Lankan side, he averaged over 72 in 2007 and 2008 and peaked with 114.25 more..

Sept 20 (DN) Sri Lanka amazes me in many ways, with its smiling faces among a rich tapestry of cultures, diversity, and natural wonders. On this fourth visit and first time in the Northern Province, I once again found a resilient and industrious people eager to build their lives and advance the country together. As SL recovers from an almost three-decade long conflict, much progress has been made. I am proud that the World Bank Group has been a close and trusted partner with more..

Sept 20 (ST) Lifebuoy soap is not only a brand popular in Sri Lanka but across the world, a new study has shown. In a ranking of the top 10 FMCB brands in Sri Lanka, Lifebuoy was placed fourth while the product came third in the global rankings. The latest Brand Footprint study conducted by Kantar Worldpanel had ranked the top 10 FMCG Brands in SL on the basis of 12 months findings from LMRB Household Panel, more..

Sept 20 (Island) Minister of Justice and Buddhasasana Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe yesterday directed his ministry Secretary and Commissioner of Buddhist Affairs to take necessary action immediately to renovate the library of late Ven. Balangoda Ananda Maithriya Thera. The library situated at Ven. Maithriya Thera�s temple, Sri Nandaramaya in Balangoda has historic and valuable books and other buddhist documents, but it is in a dilapidated state now. more..

Sept 20 (DN) One of the leading world milk industrialists New Zealand said that it will extend its full assistance to develop the milk production sector in Sri Lanka. New Zealand High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Grahame Morton said his country expects to provide Sri Lanka new technology, industry expertise and grants to enable the island to improve its milk production. New Zealand HC Grahame Morton gave this assurance when he met Minister Ravi Karunanayake at the Finance Ministry. more..