Aug 4 (LG) A professional website for Minister Rohitha Bogollagama is being prepared by Dr.Levins T.C.Rajaratnam with the assistance of highly qualified IT specialists to be launched on August 06th,2009 at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Centre for International & Strategic Studies. The Website would have all modern features including Speeches on video and audio made by the Minister in Parliament and at various Meetings and Conferences. more..

Aug 4 (LG) After Velupillai Prabhakaran went down in waters of Nanthi Kadal, between the night of 17th and the morning of 18th May, the Vadukoddai Resolution has lost its political rationale and its power to generate high-intensity violence. Nevertheless, historically it remains as the official starting point of Jaffna-centric violence. This Resolution was passed on May 14, 1976 in Vadukoddai, the electorate of S. J. V. Chelvanayakam, the father of Tamil separatism. more..

Aug 4 (LG) As per a media report, Prof. Tissa Vitharana, the Chairmen of the APRC is expected to present his final proposals based on 13th Amendment (plus) to President very soon. As far as we (the general public) is aware, also according to the media reports, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has had requested his ministers few weeks ago to refrain from making any statement on the political solution to the press at this stage as more..

Aug 4 (LG) I was sure that I did not want to prolong people’s dukkha by creating tanhâ through Madison Avenue techniques, which I learned in Oregon. Therefore, after consulting with my adviser, I decided to do course work for two additional years despite the fact that some overlap existed between the mandatory Minnesota courses and those in my Oregon transcript. The final shape of my Ph.D. from Minnesota emerged from the following knowledge-base: more..

Aug 4 (LNW) Now comes “Sri Lanka facing an Aid Shortfall” from the mouth of the Presidential sibling, Gotabhaya Rajapakse, who gave an interview to the BBC. He has expected much more than what had been promised from the UN, the United States, which incidentally is his homeland and also from Japan according to the said interview. As per his comments, the funds are needed for facilities of nearly 300,000 Internally Displaced People or IDPs as the Government call them. more..

Aug 4 (LBO) Sri Lanka plans to impose minimum room rates for hotels in and around the capital Colombo to push up prices following the end of a war which has made the country safer for tourists, government officials said. The Tourism Ministry said minimum room only rates of between 40 US dollars and 120 dollars would be imposed when regulations under the tourism law are enforced, which they said would be soon. more..

Aug 4 (wsws) The Sri Lankan government continues to detain nearly 300,000 Tamil civilians despite growing anger inside the country, particularly among the Tamil minority. President Mahinda Rajapakse has ignored calls by international human rights agencies for the release of the detainees, who were incarcerated in the final stages of the civil war against the separatist LTTE. more..

Aug 4 (GDI) The deadly dengue fever which claimed 225 lives and inflicted over 20,000 persons now appears to be sliding with the health sector and public taking precautionary measures to combat the breeding menace. Following instructions from health authorities, the public fully cooperated in cleansing home gardens to prevent the breeding of the deadly mosquito. All garbage and and dirt were burnt in all possible places as a measure of preventive action more..

Aug 4 (GDI) The ongoing hectic polls campaign by political parties contesting the local elections in Jaffna,Vavuniya and the provincial poll to the Uva Provincial Council will end tomorrow midnight. Elections to these local bodies and the provincial body in Uva will be held on August 8. In the North, the people are experiencing the first ever election after peace was restored having crushed LTTE terrorism which threatened the democratic rights of the Tamil speaking people. more..

Aug 4 (GDI) Thirty four local institutions in the north have been provided with transport facilities for day to day activity under the 'Northern Pring' concept of President Mahinda Rajapaksa by the Minister of Local Government and Provincial Councils, Janaka Bandara Tennekoon. These facility cover three municipal councils in the Jaffna district, 13 pradeshiya sabhas, three councils in the Kilinochchi district, Mannar Municipal council and more..

Aug 4 (PSM) The Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) has collected Rs. 215 million from January to June this year as revenue. This is consequent to the EPC passing two important statutes relating to finance and motor traffic in the province. Out of this, Rs. 125 million is collected by implementing the financial statute and Rs. 90 million by implementing the motor traffic statute. more..

Aug 4 (LNW) A senior official at the Justice Ministry told Lanka News Web that a massive state sponsored mud-slinging campaign has been launched against former Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva and his associates due to the fear harbored by the Rajapakses that he would contest as the common candidate of the opposition at the next presidential election. more..

Aug 4 (MoD) The Government's 180 day resettlement program is in progress with another batch of 1,500 civilians from the Manik Farm relief village being re- settled in Omanthai, Nochchimotai, Piramanalamkulam, Pirappumadu area tomorrow, Vavuniya District Secretary P.S.M. Charles told the Daily News. Reconstruction of roads, supply of electricity and water were already completed in these areas and the de-mining of the areas was also over, she said. more..

Aug 4 (LNW) Reliable sources told Lanka News Web that foreign dignitaries and foreign media are being taken to the Zero Camp in the Menik Farm IDP camp in order to show the plight of the displaced persons to the international community. Civilians who arrived in government controlled areas during the latter half of 2008 and early 2009 are being housed at the Zero Camp and the camp is said to have better facilities than the other camps housing civilians believed to be LTTE supporters. more..

Aug 4 (MoD) Royal College felicitated two great sons of the alma-mater, Commander of the Sri Lanka Army Lt. General Jagath Jayasuriya and C-of-N Vice Admiral T.S.G Samarasinghe at the Nawarangahala, today. The ceremony was organized to pay tribute to the newly appointed Army and Navy Chief's who took office as the 19th and 16th Commanders of the respective services. Lt. General Jagath Jayasuriya and Vice Admiral Tissara Samarasinghe were two fine products of more..

Aug 4 (LNW) NFF Leader and parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa, who lamented that he could not visit Sigiriya as a youth due to his dedication to party work, was extended and invitation by the President to visit Sigiriya with him. However, Weerawansa had not accepted the invitation made by the President to visit Sigiriya. Lanka News Web reliably learns that Weerawansa had not visited Sigiriya accepting the President’s invitation due to more..

Aug 4 (GV) Many thousands of the IDP children have lost both their parents comes news from the Sri Lankan ‘welfare camps’.
Bright red pottu
Every morning
Never missed.
The point of your finger
Right here between our eyebrows
For both of us. more..

Aug 4 (Hindu) A native of Sri Lanka has filed a petition in the Madras High Court seeking transfer of a cheating case against a person, who had promised to cure her son, to the CB CID. In her petition, N. Pushparathnam submitted that she had settled down with her family in Switzerland 10 years ago. She was now staying at Koyambedu. Her son, aged 14 years, lost his vision after a bout of viral fever. He was also suffering from cerebral palsy. more..

Aug 4 (AN) A Sri Lankan resident of the UAE who came to the Kingdom on business died in a Riyadh hotel on Monday. Doctors have yet to confirm the cause of death. Sabarullah Khan, charge d’affaires at the Sri Lankan Embassy, said that the embassy was coordinating with the medical authorities and the family of the dead man. Mohammed Mafaz Mohammed Saleem, 31, was found dead in his hotel room. more..

Aug 4 (LG) The last six decades have witnessed many violent conflicts1 across the world; only a few of which have been successfully resolved2. The protracted conflict in Sri Lanka continues to cause death, destruction and devastation, particularly to those living in the north and the east. Recent infantile and chauvinist statements of the country’s elite express their belief that the current phase of political violence is mainly due to the LTTE’s terrorist activities and more..

Aug 4 (LG) The Vice Governor of the Yunnan Province Mr. Gao Feng paid a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama on 3rd August 2009 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Welcoming Vice-Governor Feng to Sri Lanka, Foreign Minister Bogollagama noted that the visit was significant as it was the first visit to Sri Lanka by a Vice Governor of the Yunnan Province of the People’s Republic of China. more..

Aug 4 (LP) Two private buses collided in Pasyala, Gampaha this morning (04) at around 06.30 am. Over 48 passengers including school children were injured in the incident said Police Spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunesekara speaking to Lankapuvath. The injured have been admitted to the Warakapola and Wathupitiwala Hospitals. The drivers of the two buses are reported to be in a critical stage. more..

Aug 4 (LT) Three youths said to have put up posters protesting against inconveniencing students by muddling up the school term tests have been arrested by Athurugiriya and Kaduruwela police. The three youths who were arrested are members of Socialist Students Union. The youth putting up posters at Athurugiriya has been arrested by the police claiming he had put up anti-government posters. more..

Aug 4 (LT) An audit report has revealed that Chief Minister of the Western PC Prasanna Ranatunga has defrauded public money from a tour to the UK and a mobile phone bill while he was the Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine in the former provincial council. The fraud has been revealed in the audit report of the provincial council for the year ending on 31st December, 2007. more..

Aug 4 (LT) According to Department of Examinations disciplinary inquiries have been initiated against a principal of a school who had submitted applications of 15 students who are sitting the G.C.E. A/L examination to be held on the 11th. The lady Principal from Ganemulla area has submitted the applications to the Department of Examination only last week. The applications for the A/L examination this year closed on 31st of March. more..

Aug 4 (LT) A natural spring that spurts about 7000 liters of water per minute has been discovered near Madhu Shrine. the Water Supply and Drainage Board Area Manager Upul Wickremaratne said this was the first time that a spring of this nature that spurts out such a large volume of water was found in the island. The spring was found when tests were being made to find water sources to meet the demand for more..

Aug 4 (LT) The Minister of Education of the NCP Council must resign as The highest number of mistakes in term test papers had been reported from the North Central Province says Opposition Leader of the North-Central PC Kasturi Anuradhanayake. Talking to the media he said term test papers prepared by the Education Ministry of the council carried a lot of mistakes as revealed by the media and more..

Aug 4 (AT) After a great storm, calmness has entered into the life of Sri Lankans and in particular to the Tamils in the North. In the past, every successive Government in Sri Lanka has assured to bring about a Political Solution to the minority Tamils during the elections, which has never happened due to some pressure within or outside the government while in power. The party, which promises to bring about a solution to Tamil minority when voted to power, more..

Aug 4 (AT) While gem mining is confined to Ratnapura , Matale Matara, Badulla and Monaragala (large scale in Ratnapura), there are some predictions that gemstone deposits could be found beneath the earth in 90 percent of the land in Sri Lanka. Yet, it is unfortunate that no proper survey has been made to gauge the gemstone potential. Anyway if gem mining is commenced in many parts of the country, more..

Aug 4 (CT) Intelligence authorities are investigating three German supporters of the LTTE who have arrived in Sri Lanka secretly two days ago, 'Divaina' reports. The newspaper says the three women belonged to Logbeare Gang that had carried out a smear campaign against Sri Lankan armed forces. One of the women is said to be the secretary to Amnesty International’s German head Barbara Logbeare. more..

Aug 4 (CT) The CID has been ordered to file charges in the High Court against suspects in the assassination of north central province opposition leader Maj. Gen. Janaka Perera. Anuradhapura chief magistrate Ruchira Weliwatte took up the yesterday and reprimanded police for their inefficiency in expediting the investigation. Six suspects are presently in the CID custody over the suicide attack in Anuradhapura more..

Aug 4 (CT) The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) of the Swedish government had funded a pro-LTTE publication through a propaganda operative of the outfit. A news report says that facts related to this have been revealed following the decision of Sweden to close its embassy in Sri Lanka. Sweden has also attempted to rescue the LTTE propaganda operative, who is currently being detained. more..

Aug 4 (UNP) UNP M.P. Lakshman Kiriella speaking to the media, while giving a lucid account on how the Govt. has got caught in an inescapable vortex of a vicious circle of eternal borrowings and endless debt settlement due to its own fiscal mismanagement and monumental economic blunders since its advent to power, said, this much publicized IMF loan of 2.6 billion dollars over which the Govt. is jubilant in its puerile nature, more..

Aug 4 (DN) The European Commission (EC) will provide Euro 62 million for emergency rehabilitation activities for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in welfare centres in the North and the East. A huge quantum of funds will also be released for development projects once rehabilitation and resettlement activities are completed, Vice Chairman Development Committee European Parliament Niranjan Deva Aditya said. more..

Aug 4 (DN) A forest fire that broke out in the Knuckles Range has burnt down 200 acres of natural forest and Forest Department managed pine plantations. Deputy Conservator of Forests, K.P.Ariyadasa yesterday said, they were yet to determine the damage caused by the fire. The fire had lasted for about six hours, according to District Forest Officers. ”The forest officers have managed to suppress the fire with the help of the villagers in the area,” he said. more..

Aug 4 (Island) All Sri Lankans are dejected, saddened and disturbed over the separation of two baby tuskers from their mothers at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, well known environmentalist and veteran Silver screen actress Iranganie Serasinghe, said. Serasinghe, a hard core environmentalist, and an animal lover, yesterday said, "We all got love and affection from our mothers. more..

Aug 4 (DN) The total number of persons found positive for Novel Influenza AH1N1 upto date is 60. Seven had been infected due to having close contacts with the infected persons who came to Sri Lanka from abroad, IDH Director Dr. Anura Senanayake said. Dr. Senanayake said there are 10 patients at the IDH at present while five have already tested positive for Novel Influenza AH1N1. more..

Aug 4 (Island) The Southern Provincial Council has been dissolved with effect from mid night yesterday. Governor of the Southern Provincial Council Kumari Balasuriya dissolved the Council using the powers vested in her and the relevant gazette had been sent to the Government Printer at the time this edition went to press. A gazette notification calling for nominations for elections to the next council would be issued in a week or so, government sources said. more..

Aug 4 (Island) The government is treating the Jumbo party the way it is handling the Pinnawala elephants, the only difference being that, of the political pachyderms, it prefers to grab grown-ups capable of pulling loads for it. With days to go for the Uva PC polls, the government has engineered a spate of crossovers from the UNP in the Southern Province. The Southern PC has been dissolved. President Mahinda Rajapaksa's strategy is clear. more..

Aug 4 (Island) The UNP said yesterday that the government was crowing about its popularity, but was dead scared to hold elections monitored by independent Police, Elections and Public Service Commissions. Southern Provincial Council UNP member, Buddhika Pathirane, told the media that if the government was as popular as it claims, it should have no qualms or fears of conducting free and fair elections under the aegis of independent commissions. more..

Aug 4 (DN) Principal Mettananda got down to work assisted by a team of outstanding teachers, that included hard-working men and women and even Buddhist monks devoted to their calling; indeed it was a calling rather than a profession those days when being a teacher was considered as noble as being a priest. Unlike now, teachers were well groomed, coat and tie if they preferred the European attire; others wore immaculately white national dress. Women teachers in neat, unpretentious sari. more..

Aug 4 (DM) In the sports history of Sri Lanka, the Batticaloa district especially, St. Michael’s college, Batticaloa holds a pre-eminent place. Their forte was basketball. The historic record set by Batticaloa district at the Junior Nationals by clinching the trophy for three consecutive years – in 1986, 1987 and 1988, is yet to be broken by any team. While St. Michael’s players formed a big chunk of the district team, more..

Aug 4 (DM) Deputy Finance Minister Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya yesterday said his ministry would be releasing all documents with regard to the IMF loan at the next Parliamentary session scheduled for Thursday. “At the first Parliamentary session following the approval of the IMF loan I promised the House that all documents would be presented at the next Parliamentary session,” more..

Aug 4 (DM) The APRC which has completed its proposals for a power devolution formula is expected to meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa soon to obtain his views and incorporate them together with those of other party leaders in the final document. “We have completed the draft proposals. We hope to meet President Rajapaksa as the leader of the SLFP, the biggest party represented at the Committee and then we will meet other party leaders individually,” more..

Aug 4 (DM) The CID was yesterday ordered to freeze the assets of the Ceylinco Property Developers Ltd., and its directors. The assets are known to be held at several state and private banks and in other financial institutions. Colombo Chief Magistrate Nishantha Hapuarachchi also ordered the CID to serve notice on 12 public and private banks and on two financial institutions directing them to refrain from releasing, transferring or transacting any business on savings accounts, more..

Aug 4 (LBO) A plan to move containers by rail in Sri Lanka and reduce congestion on roads has finally got moving with the state-owned railay making it a priority, a senior official said. "It is our number one priority in future plans," said P P Wijesekera, General Manager of the Railways Department. "The government has given us a token vote to initiate the project. We'll be putting up container depots that will take boxes directly from Colombo port to container depots and distribute from there." more..

Aug 4 (NP) The National Post is absolutely correct in its call for the government of Sri Lanka to adopt less repressive policies toward its people in general, as well as to treat its minority Tamil population with magnanimity now that the Tamil Tigers have been defeated. Canada had friendly relations with the government in Colombo up to the 1980s. Regrettably, this was largely eroded by fact that, for many years, we allowed Tamil Tiger supporters in this country more..

Aug 4 (UTHR) Three years ago, on the 4th of August 2006 at around 4.15pm, one Muslim and 16 Tamil ACF aid workers were forced to their knees, begging for their lives, and shot execution style at point blank range in their office compound in Mutur, Sri Lanka. The victims of this crime were not caught in cross fire, killed accidently or mistaken for combatants in the midst of an encounter. more..

Aug 4 (LBO) Sri Lanka is getting ready to conduct its first nation-wide census, covering all 25 administrative districts for the first time in 30-years following the end of a decades long war, an official said. "The next census will be held in 2011, and we are now preparing for it, and we will need funds for it," Suranjana Vidyaratne, director general of Sri Lanka's statistics office told Vimasuma.com. more..

Aug 4 (DNA) Following LTTE chief V Prabhakaran's death, a massive tug-of-war is on in the drug world to grab his multi-million dollar drug cartel. The LTTE had a well-oiled drug syndicate in Southeast Asia, but there is nobody to run it after Prabhakaran's death. "Therefore, several other gangs are looking to take over the syndicate, which has corporate-like operations," said a senior narcotics control bureau (NCB) officer. more..