OTHER NEWS LTTE aircraft sighted A series of protest campaigns against recent EP polls Pillayan- first chief minister for Eastern Province Pillayan - new CM EP    Advertisement Print Version | Email to friend Iranian president launches $1.2 billion energy project in Sri Lanka 29-04-2008 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday launched a $1.2-billion project largely funded by Tehran to upgrade Sri Lanka's sole oil refinery, officials said. Ahmadinejad and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse planted an ebony sapling to launch work at the Sapugaskande refinery, just outside the capital Colombo. The four-year upgrade will triple Sri Lanka's refinery capacity to 150,000 barrels per day from the current 50,000 barrels. Iran, which supplies 70 percent of Sri Lanka's oil needs, has agreed to pay for $700 million of the upgrade, petroleum minister A.H.M. Fowzie said at the ceremony. With the upgrade, Sri Lanka hopes to be self-sufficient in aviation fuel and tar. President Rajapakse thanked the Iranian people for their financial assistance and praised Tehran for showing 'the spirit of friendship to assist us to establish a modern oil refinery.' Speaking through a translator, President Ahmadinejad said Iran has always assisted nations that are seeking independence and trying to be self-reliant. 'Iran has always given development assistance and is not afraid of those who oppose that task since evil forces in the world are not eternal,' Ahamedinejad said, adding that bilateral relations had now 'reached great heights.' Bad weather, however, prevented the Iranian leader from inaugurating the Tehran-funded $450-million Uma Oya irrigation project in Wellawaya, southeast of Colombo. The plant will add 100 megawatts to the national grid once completed in the next four years. Ahmadinejad left Sri Lanka on Tuesday for India. Print Version | Email to friend

LTTE aircraft sighted Fri, 16-05-2008 04:00:00 An LTTE air craft was detected by the air defence system yesterday evening over the LTTE built Iranamadu runway, military sources said. A senior Air Force official told media that the air defence system had detected the LTTE aircraft soon after, it was airborne. “However it immediately disappeared from the radar system, as it went down,” the official said. ... |FULL STORY|

A series of protest campaigns against recent EP polls Fri, 16-05-2008 19:00:00 UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake , said , this Govt. has no capacity to do anything legal and honest ,whether it is administration, development or in the conduct of elections. It thrives only on murder, mayhem, corruption and malpractices. The Eastern Provincial Council elections bore all those hallmarks, he added. At the last Presidential elections it entered into a pact with the LTTE paying them billions of rupees betraying the country, and won. This time it entered into an allianc... |FULL STORY|

Advertisement

Pillayan- first chief minister for Eastern Province Fri, 16-05-2008 18:00:00 Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan was sworn-in as the Chief Minister for the Eastern Province before President Mahinda Rajapaksa this evening. Three other provincial councilors also took their oaths, as cabinet of ministers despite M.L.A.M Hisbullah was absent. They are T.Navaratnarajah, Wimalaweera Dissanayake and M.Uduma . After swearing in ceremony Minister Athaullah welcomed the newly appointed Chief Minister. Chandrakantha obtained the highest number of preferential vo... |FULL STORY|

Pillayan - new CM EP Fri, 16-05-2008 14:00:00 Mr.Pillayan took oaths as the Chief Minister of the Eastern Provincial Council in a short while ago.... |FULL STORY|

EVENT REPORTS Songstress Nanda Malini takes UK by storm..[Read] Sri Lankans unite at Bak Maha Ulela in London..[Read] UK Visakhians Elect the 2008-09 Committee at the 25th AGM..[Read] Agents sparkle at SriLankan awards night..[Read]