July 15 (BBC) The breakaway group of JVP has accused India of trying to colonise Sri Lanka by forcing free trade partnerships. The National Freedom Front (NFF) called for a parliamentary debate over the proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and Sri Lanka. NFF president, Wimal Weerawansa, MP, said Sri Lanka’s giant neighbour is not only trying to control trade but also the service sector. more..

July 15 (BBC) Sri Lankan choir group 'Revelations' was awarded the gold medal at the World Choir Olympics held in Austria on Sunday. Revelations was selected the best group in gospel and spiritual category at the contest which had 441 ensembles from 93 countries. This is the first time a choir from Sri Lanka had won the first prize in any category. The group said they were proud to bring credit to Sri Lanka. more..

July 15 (TW) The environment of war and hostilities is drastically reducing the school and education activities in Mullaitivu and Kilincochchi districts, reports premier Colombo Tamil daily Virakesari. The newspaper quotes the education officers in the region, saying that the attendance in schools have fallen substantially. Virakesari report further says: Many reasons including displacement are attributed to the falling attendance in schools. more..

July 15 (EBR) German power engineering major Siemens has received a contract to modernize and expand the medium-voltage electricity distribution network of the Sri Lankan capital city, Colombo, on behalf of the power supply utility, Ceylon Electricity Board. The order is worth around E31 million. The contract includes the expansion and modernization of a 33/11-kV transformer substation; the delivery, installation and commissioning of several medium-voltage power supply installations; more..

July 15 (HT) India captain Anil Kumble said on Monday he was confident his experienced batsmen will see off the threat posed by spinner Ajantha Mendis in the Test series in Sri Lanka. The Indian players found Mendis virtually unplayable in the recent Asia Cup final in Karachi, where the spinner grabbed 6-13 with subtle variations to script his team’s emphatic 100-run victory. more..

July 15 (AT) Since oil crisis began in early 1970s due to Arab Israel war, Sri Lanka’s government had been interested in oil exploration as many scientists in the country expressed opinion that there may be potential oil deposits in Mannar Bay to be discovered. When Mrs. Sirimao Bandaranaike was holding power in early 1970s, the opportunities for oil exploration was given to a Russian government sponsored company and more..

July 15 (SAMN) Commissioner of Elections Dayananda Dissanayake Monday assured opposition parties that the Elections to the Sabaragamuwa and North Central Provinces would be democratic, free and fair and would be held on schedule on August 23. The Commissioner gave this assurance after hearing complaints of the UPFA’s misuse of State machinery, property, media, security and vehicles in the election campaign, by the secretaries and representatives of the main opposition political parties who more..

July 15 (SAMN) The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) said Monday it had combined forces with the Immigration\ Emigration Department and Police to counter the spate of malpractices pertaining to the recruitment of Lankan overseas job seekers. According to SLBFE sources, a joint operation spearheaded by the Bureau has been launched to stamp out illegal activities such as child trafficking, human smuggling, forged documentation to obtain passports, rogue recruitment agents and illegal migration. more..

July 15 (SAMN) Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told voters of Anuradhapura on Sunday not to tolerate vote rigging and violence during the forthcoming provincial council election. “Chase away all those who apply terror tactics to win the election,” he told the people at a propaganda rally held at Anuradhapura. Wickremesinghe said no outsider should be allowed to interfere with the voting and nor should the illegal presence of any powerful politician be tolerated. more..

July 15 (SAMN) President Mahinda Rajapaksa has assured justice against the perpetrators of the recent attack on journalist Namal Perera and British High Commission official Mahendra Ratnaweera. In a letter to newspaper publishers and editors the President said he had already directed the Inspector General of Police to ensure that a conducive environment is created for journalists and other media personnel to conduct their profession without intimidation and violence in any form. more..

July 15 (DN) Police are implementing new security arrangements with regard to vehicles entering the High Security Zone (HSZ) in the Colombo city during the Seventh SAARC Summit. Residents and those working in the HSZ are also required to obtain a pass affixed with a photograph. Police spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekera said the public and vehicles entering the HSZ from July 25 to 30 will be subjected to checks including a body search. more..

July 15 (DN) Thousands of Catholic devotees yesterday paid homage to the statue of St. Anne which was taken in procession from St. Anne’s Church in Thalawila to St. Anne’s Church in Weligampitiya, Ja-ela which is celebrating its 125 th Jubilee this month. Deputy Fisheries Minister Neomal Perera told the Daily News that Catholic devotees and the political authorities irrespective of party differences extended their support towards this worthy cause as the statue was brought from Thalawila to Wennappuwa on its way to Weligampitiya yesterday. more..

July 15 (Island) The Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration mismanaged its funds and had not adopted correct accounting procedures for the past three years according to the Auditor General in his report on SLIDA for 2006. The annual targeted training courses had not been conducted during the past so many years. Only 77 courses had been conducted of 128 scheduled for the year 2006. 86 percent of the total annual lecture hours of the consultants had not been utilized, more..

July 15 (Island) Die and mould is a basic tool required for all goods manufacturing Industries. But, 80% of die and mould requirement in Sri Lanka has to be imported. For this lots of local foreign exchange go to foreign countries. It’s a big problem that there is no local institution for private sector Industrialists to manufacture a relevant model. Industrial Development Minister Kumara Welgama who understood this problem well has taken many relevant steps to uplift the die and mould Industry. more..

July 15 (DM) Elections Chief Dayananda Dissanayake yesterday apprised political party representatives of the Supreme Court ruling on sound pollution with regard to the use of loudspeakers for mobile electioneering at the forthcoming Provincial Council elections. According to the SC ruling loudspeakers cannot be used between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. because of the disturbance that will be caused to others. more..

July 15 (DM) Environment Minister Champika Ranawake yesterday charged that India had given military training to some 29,000 Tamil youth and regardless of diplomatic norms had used LTTE terrorism to interfere with the 1984 government. Addressing the media he said India helped the LTTE to take up arms and boost itself, when the Sri Lankan army with a strength of 15,000 soldiers was not able to control the LTTE then. more..

July 16 (BBC) The British Foreign Office minister for Asia, Africa and the United Nations has praised Sri Lanka government's efforts to resolve Sri Lanka’s human rights violations. Lord Malloch-Brown has made the remarks as he met President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees, the government information department said. “The Minister told President Mahinda Rajapaksa that Sri Lanka had achieved something remarkable and impressive in establishing a process for the resolution of human rights issues,” more..

July 16 (BBC) The JVP says party’s trade unions will stage a three day strike in collaboration with all other trade unions against the rising cost of living. The leader of the NTUC KD Lal Kantha, MP, told BBC Sandeshaya that union leaders agreed to work together to organise a major action to win their demands. The unions are seeking a Rs. 5000 pay hike, increasing estate workers daily wages from Rs. 290 to Rs. 500, reducing transport prices and a reasonable payment to cover cost of living index. more..

July 16 (BBC) The Attorney General (AG) of Sri Lanka has denied accusations that a minority community was targeted in videoing residents in Modera area by the police on 02 July. The AG informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday that the measure was needed to curb criminal activities in the area. The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the AG to explain as to why hundreds of Tamil people were videoed after a search operation. more..

July 16 (TC) If the one – four base of Tiger supremo Velupillai Prabakharan possessed the ability to respond to recent media reports about its anticipated demise, it is very likely that the “1 – 4“ too would have echoed Twain, saying the reports were “greatly exaggerated”. The recent past has seen much media attention being focused on the purported LTTE base located in the dense jungles of Mullaitheevu district codenamed “one – four base”. more..

July 16 (LBO) Sri Lanka has tightened its growth target for the monetary base in 2008 to 11.75 percent from 12.50 percent, the island's central bank, which is running a quantity targeting framework to counter inflation, said. In April 2008 the bank tightened targets from its beginning of the year plan, after inflation spiked up. But by June inflation was running at a record high of 28.2 percent despite more..

July 16 (LBO) Sri Lanka is scrambling to head off an imminent travel warning from Japan, in a bid to save the struggling tourism industry from a new blow, a top official said. Tourism secretary George Michael said Sri Lanka has learned of an imminent travel warning from Japan and tourism minister Milinda Moragoda had already met the Japanese envoy in Colombo. Deputy tourism minister Faizer Mustapha was now in Tokyo for discussions with Japanese authorities to head off the travel warning, more..

July 16 (LBO) Sri Lanka's environmental and transport ministries have made it compulsory for all vehicles to acquire vehicle emission test (VET) certificates to be eligible for revenue licenses. Two companies, CleanCo Lanka and Laugfs Eco Sri Lanka opened emission test centres Tuesday to launch the air pollution reduction scheme. Every vehicle must be tested and approved for it to be eligible for its next revenue license, more..

July 16 (AFP) Sri Lanka has been rescuing orphaned baby elephants for more than 35 years with state help, and the transit home is part of a drive to save the island's endangered elephant species. However, after years of being bottle-fed formula milk, eight orphaned baby elephants appear reluctant to leave their temporary home, but mahouts heave-ho them onto trucks for a journey back to the wild. more..

July 16 (GDI) The National Development Bank (NDB) has expanded the services available to its customers by issuing a Visa Debit Card that can be used in 1,000 ATM locations of the bank, including in the North and East, and even at other banks with Visa-enabled ATMs, sources said. The NDB Debit Card is also valid internationally and provides access to over one million Visa-enabled ATMs worldwide. more..

July 16 (GDI) The Government has appointed Senaka Walgama PC as the new Sri Lanka High Commissioner for Australia. Senaka C.B. Walgampaya PC assumed duties as the new High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in Canberra, Australia on Monday (14). He will present credentials on the 30th of July 2008. He studied at the Trinity College in Kandy and obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Ceylon. more..

July 16 (GDI) Mozilla Firefox 3.0 version was officially launched in Sri Lanka by the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) with the University of Moratuwa. The 'e-Sri Lanka' programme is implementing many projects in the information and communication field, among them the introduction of technologies allowing the easy use of the Sinhala and Tamil languages, said Chief Operation Officer/Director, Information and Communication Technology Agency. more..

July 16 (GDI) A Tamil man living in Australia employed as the director of a Melbourne business college has been arrested for alleged links with the LTTE. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) took him into custody at the request of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Thulasitharan Santhirarajah, 34, is expected to face extradition proceedings after his arrest on Monday when AFP agents raided homes and businesses around Melbourne, including the office of his Melbourne International College. more..

July 16 (CI) Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lanka captain, has predicted a close contest in the three-Test series against India, while his counterpart Anil Kumble emphasised his team's consistency in the run-up to the tour, during a press conference in Colombo to launch the series. "Every time we've played them, there has been some really good cricket played by both teams, who possess some good-quality players," Jayawardene said. more..

July 16 (AT) Sri Lanka has expressed its serious concern over the burning of the effigy of the President yesterday morning at NSC Bose Road, located near the Chennai High Court by a group of Advocates. It is learnt that on behalf of the Sri Lanka Government, the Deputy High Commission based in Chennai has brought this matter to the notice of the Law and security agency of the Tamil Nadu Government expressing the concern of the Sri Lanka Government. more..

July 16 (AT) Amnesty International, said to be a human rights watchdog from London, has expressed its utter disappointment over the deportation of Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan, known as Karuna, who is alleged to have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sri Lanka. He was deported following his conviction on immigration charges. Amnesty International in its press release has called on the UK authorities to establish effective witness protection programmes for investigations into allegations such as these, more..

July 16 (LD) Fifty schools in Colombo city and suburbs will remain closed for a weeklong period in view of the 15th SAARC summit that gets underway at the BMICH early next month. According to a decision by the Education Ministry, these schools will accommodate police personnel who will be deployed for security duty for the regional meeting, from July 26th to August 05th. A senior official of the ministry told 'Lanka Dissent' that the decision followed a request by the Police. more..

July 16 (LD) Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Saliya Wickremesuriya, is to step down from his post from July 31st, a senior official of the Civil Aviation Ministry says. The reason for his resignation is yet to be revealed. Speaking to ‘Lanka Dissent’, the official said that Mr. Wickremesuriya has already handed in his resignation to the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The source also said that either Vice Chairman Priyath Bandu Wickrema or Working Director Sedara Senerath is most likely to be appointed to the post. more..

July 16 (LD) The Supreme Court has been told that Tamil nationals in Mutwal, Colombo had been rounded up and videoed separately in order to curb crime and violence in the area. Additional Solicitor General Palitha Fernando made this submission when a fundamental rights petition filed by the Ceylon Workers' Congress came up before the court. Head of the SC panel, Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva, noted that such searches should continue to ensure the law's hand against crime and violence. more..

July 16 (ML) The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) formal request for an arrest warrant Monday, for Sudan’s head of state on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, should serve as a warning to other heads of state with accusations of a similar nature hanging over their heads. More importantly it should serve as a warning to Sri Lanka’s present government which has taken the country down such a dark path of violence and impunity that since 2007 the country has ranked among the worst in a failed state index together with Sudan. more..

July 16 (ML) A resolution has been tabled in the US Congress calling on the United States government and the international community to encourage the deployment of an international human rights monitoring mission in Sri Lanka and help maintain law and order in the embattled island nation. Resolution 1338, sponsored by Representative Brad Sherman of California and co-sponsored by Congressmen Frank Pallon Jr. of New Jersey and Jerry Weller of Illinois, has messages for more..

July 16 (ML) The UNP yesterday said that it was going to move for a writ of mandamus in court against the Chief Secretary of the North Central Province (NCP) to prevent the government using state property for the election campaign. Accusing the government of using official vehicles with garage number plates in Kekirawa, UNP Parliamentarian Ranjith Aluvihare told The Morning Leader that the UNP too would use vehicles with garage numbers if the government fails to halt this practice immediately. more..

July 16 (ML) Sri Lanka’s prevalent human rights situation is high on the agenda of the visiting British Foreign Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown who arrived in the island yesterday for a three-day visit, the British High Commission said. "The Minister will discuss the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, in particular ways of strengthening the mechanisms for monitoring and investigating allegations of human rights abuses, such as the Human Rights Commission and the Commission of Inquiry," more..

July 16 (BL) A group of industrialists are coming together openly to protest against what they allege as a non-transparent and highly adverse Indo-Lanka Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement framework of which is slated to be signed shortly. A spokesman for this group said despite grave concerns by various business organisations and industrialists, the Government was going ahead with signing the CEPA Framework Agreement on the sidelines of the forthcoming SAARC summit in Colombo. more..

July 16 (BL) Chief Justice (CJ) Sarath N. Silva yesterday stated in open court that, to date, beneficial owners of Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (SLIC) is not known, and therefore, cannot be allowed to run by a mafia. He made this comment, when Counsel for the Respondents of the Fundamental Rights (FR) cases submitted to court to revalue the privatised SLIC and that, their clients were prepared to pay according to the revaluation. more..

July 16 (BL) The United National Party yesterday condemned the manner in which the present government handled the economy of the country with inflation rising by 15 percentage points in comparison to June last year. Speaking at a press conference yesterday, UNP Parliamentarian Sarath Ranawaka said the inflation rate has increased from 13.5% to 28.2%. “In year June 2006, the inflation rate was around 10.6%, in year 2007 July it was 13.5% but this year it was 28.2%. more..

July 16 (BL) The invigilation and related procedures of the AL examinations, would proceed without any disruptions from the teachers or the principals, although the paper marking is boycotted, promised the Ceylon Teachers’ Services Union (CTSU). “We don’t want students or their parents to be worried about any disruptions during the course of the examination or before it. This crisis was caused because of the Government, more..

July 16 (Hindu) Sri Lanka government on Tuesday categorically denied media reports alleging that two fishermen from Nagapattinam on the south Indian coast were killed while fishing off Point Calimere on July 11 due to firing by the Sri Lanka Navy. A third fisherman is reported to have suffered injuries in the same incident. “When reports of this nature are received, a rigorous procedure is instituted by Naval Headquarters in Colombo, more..

July 16 (TW) Kalmunai, a municipality within the Ampara District of Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. It is bounded on the east by the Indian Ocean on the north by the Maruthamunai village and on the south by Sainthamarathu village which is considered to be a suburb of the town. All of Sri Lanka’s ethnicities - Muslims, Tamils, Sinhalese, and Burghers live in Kalmunai, with the Muslims forming a majority. more..

July 16 (LNP) The City of Colombo is being given a facelift in view of the forthcoming SAARC Summit. It is like giving a make-up to a hag hoping that she would turn out to be a pretty damsel! Roads are getting a veneer of tar and state buildings a coat of paint after so many years of neglect and disrepair. Shoddy repairs are being effected in a hurry to broken pavements and wayside iron fences painted. That is how the CMC and the government are trying to beautify the city. more..

July 16 (LNP) Ex-captain Hashan Tillakaratne has beenappointed Sri Lanka`s national cricket team manager for the upcomingtest and limited-overs home series against India. Tillakaratne`s appointment was to be formally announced at a newsconference later Tuesday, Sri Lanka Cricket media manager ShaneFernando said. The 41-year-old Tillakaratne played in 83 tests and scored 4,545runs. more..

July 16 (LG) Some of the British elected parliamentarians are being accused of disrespecting and violating the very same Terrorism Act they brought to halt citizens subscribing to the international terrorist activities in the UK. Five members belonging to cross parties in the House of Commons have knowingly attended the Pongu Thamil festival of the LTTE in the South London on 12 July 2008. more..

July 16 (LG) Operating independently as the Commander's Reserve, the elite units of the Sri Lanka Army have added fresh impetus to the fighting in the North as of late. On the 11th and 12th of this month (Friday and Saturday), The Sri Lanka Army's Special Forces successfully ambushed an LTTE Tractor and Double-cab respectively in the general area west of Weli Oya. The double-cab was part of an LTTE leader's security detail, but the leader was missing during the attack. more..

July 16 (SAMN) While reaffirming its commitment to resuming peace negotiations with the government, the LTTE Tuesday laid to rest any hopes of its disarming before such negotiations took place, as had been insisted on by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. LTTE Military Spokesperson, Rasiah Illanthariyan said the conditions put forward by the government were unrealistic, and noted that it was the government that had so far hindered the immediate resumption of peace talks. more..

July 16 (SAMN) The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) has taken delivery of an advanced type of UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) from Israel. Authoritative sources said the acquisition of UAVs would compensate for the loss of equipment in the LTTE raid on the Anuradhapura SLAF base last October. The recently acquired UAVs have been deployed in the northern theatre with the focus on the 12 kilometre front which runs through Kilali, Muhamalai and Nagarkovil on the Jaffna east coast. more..