Aug 17 (LBO) Residents in Sri Lanka could enroll as fulltime students of University of Ballarat in Australia through a study centre in Colombo under an education service deliver structure implemented for the first time in the island, officials said. The Sri Lanka centre is run by the Australian Technical and Management College (ATMC), which operates campuses for University of Ballarat in several locations in Australia. more..

Aug 17 (Island) The National Trade Union Centre accused the govt of deploying the police to remove its posters displayed in many parts of the country, including Colombo and its suburbs in support of its ongoing campaign demanding a Rs. 10,000 monthly salary increase. JVP trade union leader K.D. Lal Kantha said that the police had been targeting the JVP, whereas those near and dear to the ruling coalition were allowed to display posters. more..

Aug 17 (SL) Sri Lanka has one more unenviable reputation added to her already blotted copybook. This time her reputation of doping scandals across most competitive sports has grown. Last week saw the return of cricketer Upul Tharanga after having served a three month ban for the use of an illegal substance. Two days prior to his return weightlifter Chinthana Vidanage was slapped with a four year ban for having tested positive during more..

Aug 17 (Island) Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Rajitha Senaratne said that Sri Lanka would be able to obtain modern techniques to reap better harvest of tuna. The Regional Fisheries Project of Rome, co-organized by INFOFISH Malaysia would support development of long-line fishery in the country by providing technical know-how on improved on-board and on-shore handling of tuna and other long-line fishing. more..

Aug 17 (Island) The much talked about construction of 50,000 Houses under Indian and for the Internally Displaced People (IDP’s) who had been resettled in the North and East has got off the ground with the construction of 1000 houses as a pilot project. The sources said that an Indian company had been contracted to carry out the construction of the houses with each house having 520 square feet and costing more than one million rupees. more..

Aug 17 (DM) Claiming that the Expert Panel report on Sri Lanka known as the Darusman report has not been formally submitted to the Human Rights Council yet, the UN said it expected to see that concerned Member States would “take it up and push for something further.” UN Chief’s Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq however said that the report could be sent to the HRC in the near future. The next session of the HRC is to be held from Sept 18 to 30. more..

Aug 17 (LT) The origin of corruption is when someone thinks power is for him, his family and his henchmen says former Chief Justice Sarath N. de Silva. He pointed out that the power the President has to release prisoners is a very corrupt one. The former Chief Justice made these observations participating at the launching of ‘Voice against Corruption’ and its website. Former Auditor General S. Mayadunne opened the website. more..

Aug 17 (HNS) Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed who arrived in Sri Lanka on Tuesday held several rounds of bilateral discussions with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and several senior Sri Lankan government officials. Senior government sources told Haveeru that the Maldivian delegation that had come to Sri Lanka on a state visit, discussed with the Sri Lankan government on matters related to maritime security, tourism, trade and fisheries. more..

Aug 17 (Island) UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekera said that a UNP delegation would meet senior officials of the Bribery Commission today to press for a thorough inquiry into the import and distribution of low quality petrol. The UNP reformist emphasised that the Bribery Commission couldn’t ignore their complaint especially in the wake of the govt of Sri Lanka facing legal action in overseas courts over controversial hedging deals. more..

Aug 17 (AFP) When the 2004 Asian tsunami hit Sri Lanka, the sleepy fishing region of Hambantota was flattened and 3,000 people perished. Now it is riding a massive wave of construction. Hambantota, the home constituency of President Mahinda Rajapakse, is not only emerging as a commercial and logistics hub of Sri Lanka, but is also attracting attention as a new geo-political hotspot in South Asia. "The port in Hambantota will be the catalyst to make Hambantota more..

Aug 18 (LT) Nine people including two TNA Councilors of the Thirukkovil Pradeshiya Sabha have been arrested alleging that they were involved in the disturbances that occurred recently. The police were unable to confirm security for the people in the area during the disturbances on Friday and this lead to a clash between the police and villagers. During the clash two villagers were injured when police shot at the agitators and had to be hospitalized. more..

Aug 18 (AD) I have the capability to chase away any group that gathers outside the Sirikotha UNP headquarters to protest against party leader Ranil Wickremasinghe, Public Relations Minister Mervyn Silva stated. Speaking at a workshop in Gampaha, he said that he was capable of chasing away these crowds by hook or by crook revealing that a group of UNPers were attempting to stage a Sathyagraha in order to force the removal of Ranil Wickremasinghe as their party leader. more..

Aug 18 (DM) A tense situation has arisen at the working committee meeting of the UNP which is currently underway at the Sirikotha. Sources said that heated arguments between the reformists and Ranil factions have erupted. Earlier the proposed Sathyagraha was to be held at the party headquarters at Sirikotha but was abandoned due to an injunction ordered by the Gangodawila magistrate. The roads around Pitakotte were also closed citing construction. more..

Aug 18 (LP) Myanmar’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs U Maung Myint, on a bilateral visit to Sri Lanka, called on Deputy Minister of External Affairs Neomal Perera at the Ministry of External Affairs. During the bilateral discussions both Sri Lanka and Myanmar pledged to further enhance and consolidate relations between the two countries based on cultural and religious affiliations which date back to many centuries. The Myanmar Deputy Minister gave an updated account of more..

Aug 18 (HN) The Police Headquarters stated that information has been received regarding attempts made to stimulate public unrest against law enforcement institutions by spreading false rumours of a grease devil or ‘bhoothaya’. Issuing a statement stated that these groups were attempting to create fear in the public by spreading such false rumours. The Police reiterated that there was no evidence of any grease devil in the investigations that were carried out in more..

Aug 18 (HN) The crisis within the UNP is the most popular political episode currently unfolding in the country. The situation aggravated even more as the Sathyagraha which had been planned by the Sajith faction in front of Sirikotha party headquarters had to be called off due to a court order. The Gangodawila Magistrates Court issued a Restraining Order today prohibiting all protests and demonstrations in front of the UNP Headquarters - Sirikotha. more..

Aug 18 (Reuters) Shares fell from a two-month high on Wednesday as cautious big players stayed away while retail investors actively bought shares after a decision by the Securities and Exchange Commission to ease a margin trading ban. The main share index, which rose 1.31 percent in early trade, closed 0.52 percent or 36.63 points weaker at 7,014.11, down from a two-month closing high. "The indices lost ground towards the latter hours of trading on heavy selling more..

Aug 18 (DM) The CID today arrested a man who arrived at the Katunayake International Airport after he was deported from Malaysia on charges of having been involved in human trafficking and terrorist activities. Police said the man identified as Thirunaukarasu Balachnadran alias ‘Uganda Bala’ is alleged to have been operating a human trafficking racket in Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and India and had cheated a number of people living in the North and East. more..

Aug 18 (HCI) An agreement for supply and installation of Signalling & Telecommunication system for railway network in Northern Province of Sri Lanka was signed today between Mr. B.A.P. Ariyarathna, General Manager, Sri Lanka Railways and Mr. Mohan Tiwari, Managing Director, IRCON (a Government of India Undertaking) in the presence of Kumara Welgama, Minister of Transport, Mr. Ashok K. Kantha, High Commissioner and Mr. Dhammika Perera, Secretary, Ministry of Transport. more..

Aug 18 (YEP) Getting close to nature can be painful, as Liam Creedon discovers on a visit to Sri Lanka – home of the leopard, leech and lovable amphibian. In the land of the leopard it was the frogs that stole the show. Standing in a jungle clearing as night fell with that sudden tropical totality, their alien, jarring calls began to ring out through the gloom. Not a typical croaking, but a primordial, car alarm-like “woo, woo, woo, woo” that reverberated like a Mexican wave of sound around the more..

Aug 18 (DM) A move to suspend Colombo District MP Rosy Senanayake from the party was thwarted with the intervention of Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya when the working committee met today. The party leadership had reportedly issued warnings to MP's Sujeewa Senasinghe and Buddhika Pathirana for misconduct. "Today’s gathering showed the strength of the party, after a long time we were able to gather people from all walks of life against the leadership of the UNP. more..

Aug 18 (AT) Islamic Da’awa Community members and other Muslims at Beitour in the vicinity of Ramallah prayed for peace, prosperity in Sri Lanka and wellbeing and good health of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and peoples of Sri Lanka. The leader of the Da’awa Community, Sheikh Jamal Ali Saleh Suleiman (Samarah) organized the prayers after Iftar connected with Ramadan breaking of fast on 13th Friday at the mosque at Beitour. Da’awa Community in Beitour is very close to Sri Lanka as members of more..

Aug 18 (DM) Promising right-arm spinner Sachithra Senanayake, who is currently representing the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team in England, has been called for chucking and will return to Sri Lanka for remedial action to his bowling, informed sources said. The right-arm spinner is believed to have been close to a call up to the national team following good performances with the Sri Lanka ‘A’ team in tours to Australia and England, but has since been called back after being reported for chucking. more..

Aug 18 (LBO) Central bank has relaxed some exchange controls allowing citizens and foreign residents to engage in a series of forex transactions without seeking permission from the state, improving economic freedoms. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka said the new moves would "enhance investor confidence, strengthen the foreign reserves in the long run and stabilize the foreign exchange market" allowing Sri Lanka to integrate more closely with the world. more..

Aug 18 (LG) Mr. Alexander Thayaparan (48) of No 352, Hospital Road, Mannar was illegally arrested by officers attached to the Sri Lanka Navy on 17 April 2009. Thayaparan is disabled as his leg was amputated due to shelling some years earlier. He and his family were displaced by force due to the movements of the LTTE. When they were able to escape the LTTE detention and flee to the government controlled area he was arrested by officers of the Sri Lankan Navy. Initially he was detained in Boossa more..

Aug 18 (LG) Under the vertical hierarchical system, status was part of the benefits for showing respect. The switch to democracy and flatter systems has deteriorated the value of ‘status’ and replaced it with money. Status is less tangible and therefore more difficult to define. It is relative – usually to a status we have allocated to ourselves. This status that we allocate to ourselves may or may not be on common merit basis. It does not matter if it is not on merit basis where we are bound by belief. more..

Aug 18 (MoD) As part of the Navy's community welfare projects, another successful medical clinic was conducted at Sri Muthumari Amman Kovil, Thampadi, Kayts on 14th August 2011. This medical camp was organized by SLNS Kanchadewa with the assistance of Command Medical Organization and Dr. Anura Poornamoorthi, medical officer Kayts. This is the 37th field clinic conducted under the Navy's social responsibility project, more..

Aug 18 (LG) Most media reports about Sri Lanka’s prisons today cause much concern while some items of news give the public some satisfaction. To begin with the bright side, a recent report said that many benefits have accrued to the country as a result of prisoners engaging themselves in productive work. According to this report convicted prisoners get training in agriculture, bakery work, carpentry, handicraft and other such activities. It is also said in the report that there is a big demand for more..

Aug 18 (LG) The aim of this paper is to explore the question of whether the central doctrines of Buddhism can be understood as constituting part of empirical human knowledge. In contrast to rationalists, empiricists claim that everything human beings have valid knowledge of has been acquired through the senses, that is to say, from sensory experience. The classic formulation of empiricism came from Aristotle (384 - 322 BC). Declaring that profitable inquiry has to confine itself solely to the world of more..

Aug 18 (LG) Nadagama in Sinhala does not mean quality drama in spite of so-called adaptations from Nadagam to the Sinhala Theatre. Prof. Gamini Dela Bandara of the University of Kelaniya has brought my attention to the terms "Gee Naluwa" and "Kavi Naluwa" that had been in use even during Dambadeniya period. However, in this article I am not interested in Sinhala Natya but the behaviour of TNA Leader R. Sampaanthan and the other seniors of that party, which amounts a Nadagama at more..

Aug 18 (TC) The existing constitution is more than enough for us to live together. I don’t think there is any issue on this more than that. “I mean this was given as a solution for the whole thing with the discussion of these people. I mean now the LTTE is gone, I don’t think there is any requirement. “I mean what can you do more than this? … Devolution wise I think we have done enough, I don’t think there is a necessity to go beyond that.” more..

Aug 18 (ST) A review of the UN Secretary General’s Advisory Panel Report recently conducted by the Marga Institute, a think-tank on human development issues, has raised some critical questions regarding that report’s adequacy, its motives and its interpretations of govt strategy during the last stages of the war. Ban Ki-moon set up the Panel ‘to advise him on accountability issues in Sri Lanka.’ But this Review suggests that the Panel’s idea from the outset was to prepare the ground for a more..

Aug 18 (ST) Her precise articulation, the firm gestures and the way in which her short hair is held back by clips is enough to tell you that Preethi de Silva brooks no nonsense. In Colombo last month from California, USA, to deliver the Susan George Pulimood oration at her alma mater Visakha Vidyalaya, she was clear and compelling, holding her audience spellbound as she talked of ‘why music matters’. But to see her at the keyboard, her small delicate hands coaxing the more..

Aug 18 (DM) UNP faced defeat in an election after 17 years for the first time in March 1994 and has been in a crisis ever since. Gamini Dissanayake, who returned to the party a few months prior to the elections, made an effort to form a govt by uniting with the SLMC forces that had secured a majority in the East. Fearing his downfall as the possible leader of the party, Ranil Wickremesinghe resigned from his post as the Prime Minister—this move paved the way for the PA Prime ministerial candidate more..

Aug 18 (DM) Undoubtedly, South Korea has one of the rapidly flourishing economies in Asia; whereas we a part of the package that is dubbed ‘the miracle of Asia,’ with the miracles yet to happen. Hardly an hour passes without a state-run television channel, singing praises to the rulers while showing video clips of the roads that are being renovated, flyovers emerging and markets and economic centres overflowing with people with wide smiles. For anyone who sees this mantra-like odes everyday, more..

Aug 18 (DM) Q:How worried are you that the party will spilt, like it did during the time of your father, due to the present rift over the leadership? More than anything I am deeply concerned about the electoral results that we have achieved throughout the past decade and a half. There is a consistent and gradual degradation in the numbers and the percentages, so it is extremely important that we garner our forces, revamp our strategies, re-energize ourselves and more..

Aug 18 (Island) Britain may no longer be in a position to rule the waves vis-à-vis other global powers with strong, modern navies, but it has lived up to its reputation for waiving the rules. The Daily Telegraph reported yesterday that in the aftermath of the anarchical riots which flared across Britain the other day, the British courts had been told to 'ignore the rule book’ and lock up looters. Some magistrates are said to be already handing down harsh sentences to those offenders. more..

Aug 18 (DM) The main Opposition United National Party is possibly at the lowest depths it has reached in its political history, today. From leadership battles, resultant poll defeats to a membership in disarray, the present leadership has an unenviable task in meeting the greater demands before it, in uniting and leading its members to victory. Granted the Party needs a fresh identity that it can attract the new voter with as well as hold the interest of the older loyalists. more..

Aug 18 (SL) Two estate workers in Haputale were walking through the forest, looking for birds’ nests. Once they found them, they would ‘harvest’ the eggs. They were in their thirties, and not easily identifiable in the thick of the forest. The villagers set upon them, and hacked them to death on Thursday (11), according to a situation report. In addition, a man who arrived at the Haputale estate was reportedly tied to a tree and tortured. more..