June 27 (Island) The Sinhala phrase swasamayaabhiwurdhiya sandaha patisothagaamiwa (meaning ‘going against the current in the interest one’s own religion’) that the Bodu Bala Sena has adopted as a motto or a slogan or a battle cry is not at all in the spirit of the Buddha’s teaching, and is thoroughly misleading. The key word here patisothagaami which has profound associations in Buddhist scriptural texts is being misappropriated for vulgar aims. more..

June 27 (FT) A person who has one of the best insights into SL’s economy in my view in Dr. P.B. Jayasundera, not only due to his experience but also his power of conceptualisation and understanding of the issues of the micro economy. The other day I was listening to him present the Ministry of Finance and Planning Annual Report. Some very interesting data from the grass root level was analysed and conceptualised, which made me think on the strong performance of ‘Brand Sri Lanka’. more..

June 27 (CT) As the govt's decision to go for a presidential poll in early Jan 2015 now hangs in the balance, with Pope Francis' visit to Colombo confirmed in that month, UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe is now in touch with certain seniors in the party to effect changes, party insiders said. Pope is not prepared to pay a visit to Sri Lanka during the period of an election as he is a Head of State and also represents the Catholic community in SL as Head of the global Catholic Church. more..

June 27 (Island) During every election, the house where I stay in Pilibhit fills up with sick and injured animals that I rescue. This time I had two rabbits, a horse with a broken leg, a pregnant cow who had been hit by a truck (she died), and three beautiful jungle cocks who were taken from these disgusting chicken khokhas on the road that stuff chickens into cages and kill them in front of their customers. This, by the way, is illegal under Municipal laws and any group can file a case against more..

June 27 (CI) Arrive at Heathrow after a long flight. Acquiring a visa for the UK was such a drawn-out ordeal, I was almost expecting to be waterboarded at the airport. The reality is far more pleasant. The border-control officer - probably of Indian descent - asks me what I'm here for. "I'm covering the cricket over the next couple of weeks," I say. Her eyes light up. "Oh, brilliant! I've got tickets for one of the matches. more..

June 27 (CT) Batticaloa industrialists denounced extremist elements causing violence and mayhem in some parts of the country and urged authorities to maintain law and order, as citizens continue to struggle with the cost of living. Batticaloa Chamber of Commerce and Industries CEO K. Kugathash speaking to Ceylon FT stressed the need for communal harmony in the country. "We denounce extremism and intolerance. All communities should learn to live in harmony," he said. more..

June 27 (CT) Adam Investment, which raised Rs 400 million through an IPO recently, has increased its stake in the loss making PC Pharma to 25.7%. Adam Investment in a stock exchange filing said that the company holds 25.96 million shares of PC Pharma which was equivalent to 25.7% stake in the company. Adam has purchased 430,562 shares of the company at Rs 1.60 and 4,057,563 shares at Rs 1.70 on 24 June, and another 2,957,825 shares at Rs 1.70 on 25 June. more..

June 27 (DM) Bolstered by the team’s incredible performance against England, Marvan Atapattu will stake a claim for an extended run as head coach when SLC starts its hunt for a full-timer. Atapattu, who was drafted in as interim coach by the cricket establishment when Paul Farbrace decamped in April, led Sri Lanka to a remarkable series-winning performance against England under most trying English conditions. more..

June 27 (CI) N Srinivasan has been confirmed as the ICC's first chairman after constitutional changes to the governing body were passed at the annual conference in Melbourne on Thursday. Smooth passage of the changes devised by the "Big Three" of India, England and Australia had been expected after a set of broad resolutions were approved by Full Member countries earlier this year. Srinivasan had been barred from his role as BCCI president due to a Supreme Court of India investigation more..

June 27 (CI) Illegal bowling action procedures for international matches will be reviewed, with the potential for suspect bowlers to be monitored more closely even after they have passed the round of biomechanical testing currently required. The ICC chief executives committee meeting in Melbourne as part of the governing body's annual conference, recommended that ICC management review the current process for reporting, assessing and clearing suspect bowling actions, more..

June 27 (Island) Up on their arrival on home soil, after what could be termed the most successful cricket tour of England, skipper Angelo Mathews said, outside pressure and troubles they underwent in England, especially by way of unsavoury comments made in British media, made his team tougher and more united in hostile conditions. "As we faced more and more troubles, unity within the team became stronger more..

June 27 (CT) At the Third World Construction Symposium investor's forum held at the Galadari Hotel on Saturday 21 June, Ravi Randeniya from the Sri Lanka – Myanmar Economic Cooperation Council speaking on the internationalization of Sri Lanka investments, encouraged investors to open businesses in Myanmar which had great potential following the recent opening up of its economy. Stressing on the cultural ties that existed between the two countries Randeniya said, more..

June 27 (ET) As if the anti-Muslim surge in India and Myanmar wasn’t horrible enough, Sri Lanka’s recently joining the club has rung many alarm bells among the Muslims of South Asia. The killing spree in the Aluthgama town in southern Sri Lanka has resulted in at least four deaths, with many houses and shops gutted in violence sparked by an anti-Muslim rally organised by an extremist Buddhist revivalist group, BBS. Religion-based clashes, if they randomly occur hither and thither, more..

June 27 (FT) Making the biggest progress by a member country from its preceding ranking in the 2014 United Nations eGovernment Development Index (eGDI), Sri Lanka has advanced to the 74th position. At the preceding survey determining the eGDI which was in 2012 Sri Lanka’s position out of 193 countries was 115. Thus the 2014 United Nations eGDI of Sri Lanka is a jump traversing 41 positions. more..

June 27 (FT) Vidullanka PLC, one of the pioneers in the Sri Lanka mini hydro power industry, has commissioned its seventh Mini Hydro Power Project (MHPP) in Kotmale, Nuwara Eliya on 25 June. The Lower Kotmale Oya MHPP is a ‘run of the river’ type mini hydro power project which does not require the erection of a dam and storing the water, thus eliminating the adverse impact to the environment and the riparian eco system. The power plant utilises the flow of the Kotmale Oya, more..

June 27 (Island) The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) launched its Mobile App on the Apple iTunes store today; offering all iOS users the latest market information at their fingertips. The App, can now be downloaded free onto all iOS devices and is the follow-up to the CSE’s highly successful Android Application. The CSE App offers the following essentials, easily accessible on any iOS device; Market Summary; ASPI and S&P SL20 graph details; Latest Trades; Announcements; more..

June 27 (FT) Blaming the Govt for serious inaction and its responsibility over the deadly Aluthgama clashes, the UNP yesterday kicked off a national and multi-religious initiative to safeguard ethnic harmony and avoid a repeat of 1983-type communal riots. With the participation of Buddhist, Muslim, and the Catholic clergy, along with the representatives of civil societies assembled in Parliament, more..

June 27 (CT) The Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) Suresh Shah, re-elected for a second term at the 175th AGM yesterday (26), said the chamber was planning to set up a programme to build peace and harmony in the country and called on the corporate sector to contribute funds to the project. "I call upon the private sector to contribute at least a part of their CSR funds towards a programme that we will take island-wide to bring peace and harmony to society," Shah said. more..

June 27 (GDI) The world’s largest travel site Tripadvisor has recognized the Laksala with a 2014 Certificate of Excellence. This prestigious award is based on the excellent customer service, level of fulfilling their needs and the degree of satisfaction reviewed by customers who visited Laksala during the period under review. Minister Basil Rajapaksa while congratulating Laksala Chairman Anil Koswatte on this achievement encouraged them to further consolidate its position as more..

June 27 (CT) Students of the Rajarata University have surrounded the office of their Vice Chancellor (VC) and declared they would not let the VC leave until their demands are met. Rajarata students have been engaged in a satyagraha for the last 200 days with no agreement between the two parties being reached. President of the Rajarata University Students' Union said, "We have discussed our demands with the VC for. more..

June 27 (Island) Govt never wanted to disrobe monks who entered universities annually, but some bhikku undergraduates asked their juniors to do so, Minister S.B. Dissanayake said. He said that Nayaka Theras of village temples educated the Samaneras and guided them on the right path. Govt gave the Buddhist monks a comprehensive education at the Buddhist and Pali University and Bhikku University so that they could back to their temples to serve the spiritual needs of the community better. more..

June 27 (ENS) While the arrests of TN fishermen and damaging of their boats by the Lankan Navy keeps grabs media attention, what often escapes the eye is the torture they are subjected to, if their version is to be believed. Take the case of Justine, a fisherman from Rameswaram. He was recently caught along with a few other colleagues by SL Navy near Katchatheevu. He claims he was stripped and physically abused for several hours. “We were forced at gun point to perform sexual acts. more..

June 27 (CT) Police have charged a woman - reportedly the victim's wife - over the death of a Geraldton doctor. Major crime squad detectives are investigating the death of 34-year-old doctor Dinendra Athukorala. He was found injured at his home in Geraldton on June 24 and died when he was unable to be resuscitated after being taken to hospital. 34-year-old woman, also believed to be a doctor, was charged with murder. more..

June 27 (ENS) A group of 24 senior bureaucrats from Sri Lanka visited Technopark here as part of the capacity building programme on ‘Performance Management and Leadership Development’. As part of the two-week programme, the team from the island-nation spent a few hours at Technopark to know about the initiatives of the Kerala Govt in creating a state-of- the-art IT infrastructure and policy initiatives to develop a vibrant IT industry in the state. more..

June 27 (Nation) Over five hundred Sri Lankan-Americans- Muslims and non-Muslims held a protest demonstration in front of the United Nations on Wednesday to seek the world body’s help for the protection of Muslims from deadly attacks by a hardline Buddhist group in the country’s south-west region. At least three Muslims were killed and 75 people seriously injured in violence on Sunday when Buddhists went on rampage against Muslims in southern Sri Lankan coastal towns. more..

June 27 (Island) Petroleum Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa categorically denied that the country had been buying Iranian crude through third parties to bypass United States sanctions. Minister said, "We have not bought a single drop of Iranian crude oil from a third party since 2011 after the US imposed sanctions against that country, though the country’s only oil refinery has been tailor made for Iranian crude oil." more..

June 27 (LBO) Sri Lanka is looking for a small vessel to unload crude mid-sea from tankers and bring oil to a refinery after a hose in an offshore mooring buoy burst, petroleum minister Anura Yapa said. Sri Lanka's only oil refinery is also shut and is expected to complete maintenance and start operations on July 01, he said. An off-shore buoy which is used to unload is now unserviceable after a pipeline burst and engineers have still not found the cause, he said. more..

June 27 (SM) It has not yet been established that BBS genereal secretary Ven. Galagodaatte Gnanasara Thera had made provocative remarks at the recent meeting in Aluthgama, said police spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana. He told the media in Colombo that the remarks of the Thera were being investigated to determine as to whether they had led to any public provocation. There is no need to record a statement from Gnanasara Thera, he added. The video is still on YouTube

June 27 (Island) Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said that the army would re-build destroyed property and repair those damaged in recent racial violence at Alutgama, Beruwela and adjoining areas. He said that President Rajapaksa had already released the required funds to begin the work. The military would provide free labour, while the govt would pay for building material and other requirements. more..

June 27 (DM) With Sri Lanka facing a crisis where some parties with vested interests, including Trans National Companies (TNCs), are trying to turn our traditional agriculture into an agribusiness largely for their benefit, the visit this week of the well-known Indian activist Dr. Vandana Shiva will hopefully open the eyes of the authorities to the economic neo-colonialism through which the wealth and resources of our country are being plundered. more..

June 27 (DM) Sri Lankans, bruised after weeks of battling rampant floods, a raging dengue epidemic and religious tensions will this week unite in celebrating the sport which often brings them together, after the national cricketers won their first ever series victory in England in a nail-biting thriller on Tuesday. And leading them was their captain Angelo Mathews. Mathews, fresh after a sterling performance at the previous Test at Lords’, surpassed even those high standards, more..

June 27 (SL) Minority shareholders at the Swiss cement giant Holcim Lanka are crying foul at the standards and attitude adopted by the main board of Directors. They charge that minority rights are being violated with an all-time high impunity and that the company has little or no appetite to address their concerns. The latest AGM was held at their Puttalam plant amidst conditions that minority shareholders described as more..

June 27 (ST) Nilmini, 27, wraps her arms around her swollen belly and fears for the child within as clouds of ash from the Norochcholai plant thicken the air like mist, settles thickly on crops and is triggering respiratory illnesses, rashes and eye problems. The Sunday Times learns that area medical officers are being obstructed in attempts to visit the coal-fired power plant and check the hazardous ash emissions. more..

June 27 (Island) The UNP said that the killing of Roshen Chanaka an employee of the Katunayake Export Processing Zone (KEPZ) by the Police, during a protest in May 2011, had made the govt postpone its plan to amend the EPF Act with a view to scrapping the Lump Sum method of payment to retiring employees. "I say with responsibility that we have reliable information from within govt ranks that the bill to amend the EPF Act with a view more..

June 27 (SUN) An ‘Information and Business Networking’ session has been held at Traders Hotel today, to provide information to the visiting business delegation from Sri Lanka regarding investment opportunities in the Maldives. The session was attended by representatives from local companies, and senior officials of the Sri Lankan business delegation. Speaking at the session, Minister of Economic Development more..

June 27 (CT) Two ministers from the North Central Province got into a heated argument over who would be the chief guest when they attended a ceremony to lay the foundation stone for a new IT laboratory in Anuradhapura. Two were Minister Duminda Dissanayake, and Chief Minister of the North Central Province, S.M. Ranjith. Two ministers set 'a fine example' as they argued in full view of all the students who had assembled to witness more..

June 27 (ENS) Sri Lankan Tamil Chenthuran (alias) Murugan (32), who was observing a fast-unto-death demanding the government to hand him and his family over to the United Nations instead of deporting them to Sri Lanka, was arrested by the Cheyyar police on Thursday evening and was shifted to Puzhal Prison in Chennai. Sources said a team of police personnel, led by the DSP of Cheyyar Ravichandran, arrested Chenthuran from more..

June 27 (CT) Social networking website Facebook had blocked a large number of profiles belonging to BBS yesterday including the personal profiles of prominent BBS members Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera and Dilantha Withanage. Several prominent Facebook profiles belonging to the BBS including that of its retail company were blocked owing to the racism claims received. CEO of BBS, Dilantha Withanage more..

June 27 (LBO) State-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation said it was on track to make between 8 to 10 billion rupees in profits in 2014, after narrowing losses in 2013. Minister Anura Yapa said CPC had made a 2.1 billion rupee operational profit in the first four months of 2014. In 2013 the utility narrowed losses to 7,984 million rupees from a 97,308 million loss in 2012. CPC was on track to make 8 to 10 billion more..