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US websites suspended after federal shutdown

A number of US government websites and Twitter feeds have been suspended due to a partial US government shutdown. Nasa’s website was unavailable as non-essential services were closed, and the White House web page was not being updated, after a lapse in federal funding. […]



800 cases of cyber crimes in 9 months

The Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT), yesterday said approximately 800 cyber related crimes were reported in the last nine months alone. Spokesperson of SLCERT, Roshan Chandragupta, said 90% of the reported cyber crimes are related to Facebook and the most serious type of crimes reported are in connection with internet banking. Explaining further, […]



15,000 tonnes of substandard petrol imported

Ananda Palitha, the secretary of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) chapter of the Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya (JSS) alleged that a consignment of 15,000 tonnes of substandard petrol (90 octane) had been imported and was scheduled to be pumped to the Muturajawela Oil Storage facility on Sunday. […]



U.S. government shutdown begins after Congress fails to break impasse

(Reuters) – The U.S. government began a partial shutdown on Tuesday for the first time in 17 years, potentially putting up to 1 million workers on unpaid leave, closing national parks and stalling medical research projects. Federal agencies were directed to cut back services after lawmakers could not break a political stalemate that sparked new […]



Sajith wants to lead UNP, run for President

Amidst moves to name him as the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate, at the forthcoming Southern Provincial Council polls, UNP MP Sajith Premadasa demands that he be made the leader of the party and its next presidential candidate. […]




NO WITHDRAWING ARMY FROM NORTH

President Mahinda Rajapaksa asked as to how he could withdraw the army from the North without acceding to the requests of other Provincial Councils too to do the same. “Where can I have the Army?. Ask somebody else to give me a place to keep the Army”, he said in an interview with Al Jazeera. […]




Sri Lanka rupee weaker on importer dollar demand despite cbank direction

(Reuters) – The Sri Lankan rupee ended weaker on Friday on importer dollar demand, while the central bank’s direction not to trade above 132.00 per dollar made dealers trade in the forward market, dealers said. The rupee spot quoted at 131.90/132.10, compared with Thursday’s close of 131.90/132.00. […]





Looking Forward to CHOGM, New Zealand PM Tells President Rajapaksa

NEW YORK: President Mahinda Rajapaksa and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key held discussions this morning in New York. In a cordial conversation, the two leaders talked about a number of topics, including the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2013 that will take place in Colombo in a little more than a month. […]



Puttalam election chief transferred

Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya decided yesterday to transfer the Puttalam district Assistant Elections Commissioner to Colombo with effect from October 1, the Elections Department said. […]



Ambassador Aryasinha says High Commissioner Pillay has no mandate to set deadlines on Sri Lanka

FILE PHOTO Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha told the UN Human Rights Council on Wednesday (25 September 2013) “Sri Lanka strongly repudiates the High Commissioner’s assertion that if certain concerns are not comprehensively addressed before March 2014, she believes the international community will have a duty to establish […]



Sri Lanka drifting towards authoritarian rule – UN rights chief

(Reuters) – Four years after it crushed a long separatist rebellion, Sri Lanka may be sliding towards an authoritarian system as President Mahinda Rajapaksa gathers power around him, the U.N. human rights chief said on Wednesday. The report by Navi Pillay, said the largely Buddhist South Asian state was also seeing a surge of violence […]