Aug 19 (DM) UNP is to decide its mayoral candidate on Saturday by its nomination board on August 20. UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said several names proposals have come up with regard to the Mayoral candidate for the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) and other local bodies. Names of Former MP Mohamed Maharoof, Western Provincial Council member K.Y.P. Ram and M.J.M. Muzamil are mentioned as the prospective mayoral candidates while the UNP reformists have proposed more..

Aug 19 (CI) Tillakaratne Dilshan has been named as Sri Lanka captain in all formats until the end of the year. This means he will stay in charge for the three-Test home series against Australia and at least the first two Tests of the South Africa tour that kicks off in December. The appointment was ratified by the sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage. Dilshan took over the reins from Kumar Sangakkara following Sri Lanka's runners-up showing at at the World Cup, but the team's fortunes have dwindled since more..

Aug 19 (GDI) Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Gotabhaya Rajapaksa will be the Chief Guest at the symposium, organized by Strategic Initiative for the Protection of Sri Lanka (SIPOS) together with Federation of National Organizations. The symposium will be held at 'Mihilaka Medura' at BMICH today from 3:30 p.m. onwards. The symposium will be 'Battles won and wars that must still be fought'. At this function publication of the organization's three maiden publications more..

Aug 19 (DM) Colombo Chief Magistrate remanded a traffic police constable of Slave Island Police till August 19 for allegedly snatching a gold chain and a gold pendant of a pedestrian at Ward Place Colombo 7. Cinnamon Gardens Police produced the suspect Wellage Roshan Indunil Silva of the Traffic Police of Slave Island and complained to the Magistrate Rashmi Singappuli that the suspect had snatched the gold chain and a gold pendent worth Rs 90,000 from its owner more..

Aug 19 (DM) The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) said today that neither the UN nor the govt could pressurise the LLRC to complete the commission’s report immediately in order to present it to the UN General Assembly next month. LLRC Spokesman, Lakshman Wickremasinghe responding to reports that certain members of the international community had requested Sri Lanka to produce a report on war crimes allegations against the country before Sept 21, more..

Aug 19 (LBO) Sri Lanka will set up a single tourism authority with industry participation as the apex body to set policy and regulate the industry minister Keheliya Rambukwelle said. "The idea is have the government and the private sector work hand in hand and facilitate that," minister said. "That should be the core of tourism in Sri Lanka." He said the cabinet of ministers had approved the proposal by economic development minister Basil Rajapaksa to create such an agency. more..

Aug 19 (LBO) A combined men and women's' professional surfing event in Sri Lanka's Arugam Bay sponsored by national carrier SriLankan Airlines will strengthen the island's image as a sporting destination. The Australasia Association of Sporting Professionals Men's World Longboard Title event and ASP 6-star Women's even has drawn surfers from 19 countries ranging from Argentina to New Zealand. The SriLankan ASP Pro meet is held for the second time running more..

Aug 19 (LP) A popular Herbal Massage Clinic at Rajagiriya which catered to market young girls as prostitutes to University students, VIPs and Underworld criminals was raided by the police in the early hours of today and the woman who managed the clinic was taken into custody. Police also arrested three young girls and two customers who had been at the clinic when the raid was conducted. One of the customers in custody is a western medical doctor, police said. more..

Aug 19 (ST) Six university students including two Buddhist monks raising funds for a talent show were arrested by the Police in Fort today afternoon, Police said. The students are currently being questioned by the Fort Police. The Police has issued a circular banning the collection of such funds on the roads. However IUSF Convener Sanjeewa Bandara said that they were only collecting money for a talent show - 'Bihidora Abiyasa', which is due to be held at more..

Aug 19 (DM) A section of the diaspora is engaged in an economic onslaught against Sri Lanka to prevent and derail it from gaining economic prosperity, Minister G.L Peiris charged today. The Minister highlighted that they want to keep the government continuously engaged in dealing with their propaganda. “The government has taken lot of steps to bring prosperity to people living in the North and the East”, he said addressing the KDU Symposium, more..

Aug 19 (Reuters) Shares gained on Thursday mainly on heavy retail buying after a decision by the SEC to ease a margin trading ban, but large investors sold blue chips as speculation overwhelmed market fundamentals. The island nation's main share index ended 0.24 percent or 16.74 points up at 7,060.85. "The gain is mainly due to retail speculative buying," said an analyst on condition of anonymity. "Large investors seen selling blue chips and large caps and more..

Aug 19 (PTI) Doctors in Sri Lanka have come under pressure from the public not to treat "grease devils", sex maniacs who allegedly indulge in sexually assaulting women in rural areas. "We have been told of several incidents where public had stormed hospitals to warn that grease devils should not be provided medical treatment," Upul Gunasekera of the GMOA said. He said that they have asked the defence establishment to guarantee the personal safety of their members. more..

Aug 19 (DM) A suspect in the Rizana Nafeek alleged human trafficking case is to be produce for an identification parade on August 30 on the orders of the Colombo Chief Magistrate. The CID produced the two suspects Shahul Hameed Abdul Latheef of 178, Shafie Nagar Muttur and Pakeer Mohamed Wajurdeen of No 03, Mosque Lane, Colpetty, Colombo 3 before the Colombo Chief Magistrate and complained that the suspects had aided and abetted to forge documents to more..

Aug 19 (LG) Many scholarly studies on Sri Lanka explain the nature and the roots of the ethnic conflict between the Tamils and the Sinhalese, which eventually opened the way for the birth of the LTTE, established in May 1976 and violently defeated in May 2009. However, very few studies on Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflicts focus on the Tamil perspectives and the complexities of their struggle or the dynamic evolution from the non-violent stage (1947-1976) to the violent phrase (1976-2010) of more..

Aug 19 (LG) Existence is one according to Hindu Advaita philosophy. The conceptual categories of space and time lead to a relative plurality around us. Divinity is one with several manifestations according to Vedanta. The Goddess Kali represents one aspect of divinity. Often situated on the margins of high Hinduism, she remains much sought after by those in distress. Her petitioners include women and men in all walks of life, throughout the Hindu world, be it in more..

Aug 19 (MoD) While the terror stooges in the Tamil Diaspora spend billions of dollars to breathe life to the terrorism that destroyed generations of Sri Lankan Tamils for their own advantage, a group of Sri Lankans living in the USA has come forward to lend helping hands to the children in the war affected areas to rebuild their lives. The group, "Friends of Sri Lanka" has donated school equipment worth of over Rs. 650,000 to 200 schoolchildren in more..

Aug 19 (GV) Mr. Pattani Razeek’s case is a rare instance where the body of a disappeared person has been found, based on information given by arrested suspects. The arrest of key suspects is itself a rare occurrence in the thousands of disappearance cases in Sri Lanka. It is even more unusual that people connected to a Minister in the ruling regime would be arrested for a serious crime. Razeek’s case had generated mass outrage in his home district of Puttalam. more..

Aug 19 (DM) Once again the Tamil leadership is resorting to the old tactic of threatening the Govt with demands and deadlines. The latest is the TNA setting conditions for talks with the Govt. It has not only put forward three conditions but also insisted that the Govt should respond within a period of 10 days. It is insisting that the Govt delegation, with whom it is having talks, should inform the TNA in writing of its position on the following matters: (1). more..

Aug 19 (DM) During the time when society was controlled by slave masters, they always maintained that society should move in the way they desired. But in retaliation the slaves rioted and opened new directions for society to move towards. Despite the attempts of the Feudalistic Lords to mould society towards achieving their goals, the Masses led by the commercially oriented Capitalist rose in rebellion and society was drifted towards a new avenue. more..

Aug 19 (SL) We hear, ad nauseam, the sentiment, if not the categorical statement, that the current regime, even if not beyond reproach, cannot be deterred from their current behavior in the foreseeable future. I have to admit that I too subscribed to this belief not so long ago. However, statements of this kind are, by virtue of their being sweeping generalisations, deserving of re-visiting and re-examination, which I propose to do in this column. more..

Aug 19 (SL) The Ministry of Finance and Planning (published a neat, large and a colourful book, detailing all its achievements in the yesteryear, titled Annual Report – 2010. This comprehensive report talks of a steady increase in salaries over previous years in all sectors. 3.3 percent in the state sector, 41.6 percent in the agriculture sector, 7.1 percent in the industrial sector and 8.2 percent in the service sector – a record drop in unemployment to the lowest more..

Aug 19 (BL) Since nationalisation of the petroleum import and distribution trade in 1961, successive Sri Lankan Govts have continued to carry the burden of operating this business. During the past four decades, the political and economic burden became evident with the drastic increase of prices, partly due to the cartel exercised by OPEC. This has meant that price increases as well as product and service quality have been key issues for more..

Aug 19 (NS) An acute shortage of doctors, nurses, and minor staff at the Anuradhapura Hospital has put the hospital authorities in a serious dilemma. All these personnel are urgently required due to an increasing number of patients following the widespread prevalence of life threatening illnesses such as rat fever, dengue, and kidney ailments both in the district and outside, hospital authorities told The Nation. In addition, they said that the current commitments of the hospital, more..

Aug 19 (NS) The blame game between the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) and the National Co-operate Council (NCC) intensified last week after the latter released the controversial cement consignment to the market without the authorisation of the SLSI. The importation of cement from a Pakistan company triggered a fresh controversy last week when the SLSI refused to authorise the said consignment. The SLSI maintained that it would not authorise the said more..

Aug 19 (DN) Buddhists in Kandy constructed two kovils for Hindu devotees in two villages in the Vanni, strengthening the friendly ties between the two communities thus boosting the peaceful environment in the aftermath of the humanitarian operation. Two Muththumari Amman Kovils were newly constructed in the villages of Madukulam and Sinnathampane in Vavuniya which was a need of the devotees to conduct their religious observances. more..

Aug 19 (GDI) President Mahinda Rajapaksa will declare open the new headquarters of Ceylon Petroleum Corporation tomorrow. The new headquarters, named as Ceypetco House is constructed in a 109 perch land purchased by CPC for Rs. 85 million at a bank auction. Petroleum Ministry officials said that the CPC currently pays Rs. 4 million as monthly rent for its building in Rotunda Gardens. Meanwhile, the CPC has announced that it will set up 17 more petrol more..

Aug 19 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's exports recorded 40.9 percent year-on-year growth in the first half of this year, helping the island nation with a foreign inflow of $5.1 billion, the country's Industry and Commerce Ministry said. However, the ministry said the island nation will have to diversify its export destinations if the $50 billion economy is to achieve its full year export target of $9.1 billion as the United States and European Union are both facing a debt crisis. more..

Aug 19 (AN) Sri Lankan women in the Kingdom who want to go home for their Eid holidays are panicking over recent incidents in the country caused by night prowlers dubbed "grease devils." A grease devil is a thief who wears only underwear and covers his body in grease to make himself hard to grab if pursued. Panic over midnight assaults by the alleged grease devils is rising across rural Sri Lanka, leading to the deaths of at least three people last week. more..

Aug 19 (Island) Beleaguered UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe emerged unscathed from another leadership tussle on Wednesday putting paid, as he did, to a determined effort by some UNPers to oust him. On Wednesday the UNP reformists treated the public to a spectacular circus, which included devil dances or thovil, and vowed to take him on at the party's Working Committee meeting, but that showdown was not to be! UNP reformists seem to believe that if Ranil is removed as leader, more..

Aug 19 (DM) Milking the country dry may be a cliché but when taken literarily with facts and figures of the past three decades, the country appears to have been milked dry to catastrophic proportions and the main victims are millions of innocent children. Deputy Minister H.R. Mithrapala who is handling Livestock and Rural Community Development told a meeting of dairy farmers at Kottukachi in Puttalam on Tuesday that before 1977, 85 per cent of Sri Lankans had more..

Aug 19 (DBS) Notorious human smuggler Thirunavukkarasu Balachandran alias “uganda Bala” was arrested by Sri Lankan Police at the Katunayake Airport today. The Sri Lankan national was taken into custody at KIA by Police CID officials as he arrived in Colombo. The man known as “Uganda Bala” was arrested in Malaysia earlier & was deported by Malaysian authorities to Sri Lanka where Police awaited him. more..

Aug 19 (DN) Eight villages engaged in kitul production were developed by the Rural Industries and Small Enterprises Development Ministry under the national programme on production villages development. All eight villages were developed with infrastructure facilities. Enhancement of product standards and introducing Casper technology, new technology to reduce wastage and new equipment, took place under this programme. Accordingly, Ambagasthanna, Poddana, Horagala villages in more..

Aug 19 (Island) The number of leptospirosis cases from January to date had been recorded as 4,751 of which 60 had died. The spokesman for the Health Ministry said yesterday that the highest number of cases (1,381) had been recorded from the Kurunegala District.The steering committee on leptospirosis, chaired by acting Health Secretary, Dr. Palitha Mahipala, met at the Ministry to discuss ways and means of controlling the disease, better known as rat fever. more..

Aug 19 (Island) The Road Development Authority had carpeted the Kotte road on Wednesday, at the request of the public and not on behalf of anyone in the UNP, the govt said. Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella denied allegations by the Sajith Premadasa Group that the government, by suddenly repairing the Kotte road on which ‘Srikotha’, the UNP headquarters was situated, prevented them from protesting against the conduct of the Working Committee Meeting which more..

Aug 19 (DM) Terrorism expert Prof. Rohan Gunaratne yesterday advised the government to establish an NGO advisory division and a diaspora division to counter the propaganda of the LTTE international network against Sri Lanka. He was speaking at the KDU Symposium 2011, ‘Challenges of Post Conflict Sri Lanka’ organized by the Sir John Kotalawela Defence University. He said: “Our missions have to be more active. The foreign ministry could not counter the misinformation and more..

Aug 19 (DM) The Kollupitiya police today filed charge sheets in Court against Dinuk Loku Bandara Kiriella, the son of UNP MP Lakshman Kiriella on charges of driving a vehicle under the influence of liquor, obstructing a police officer from carrying out his duty and assaulting him. When the charge sheets were read out by the interpreter mudliyar, the suspect announced that he was pleading not guilty for three counts. On June 3 this year, the Kollupitiya police had arrested the son of UNP more..

Aug 19 (Island) The NARA is in the process of shifting the route taken by the commercial vessels, in the southern seas, to prevent them interfering with whale and dolphin activities. "Currently, studies are being carried out to revise a certain number of nautical miles," NARA Hydrographer M. A. Ariyawansa said. The traffic separation scheme for vessels near the Dondra Head cuts across the whale and dolphin migration route more..

Aug 19 (Island) A 10-member group of school boys of St. Patrick’s College, Jaffna, visited India this week. The visit was sponsored by the Student Exchange Programme of the India-Sri Lanka Foundation. The team was accompanied by Rev. Fr. M. Jero Selvanayagam, Rector of the school and Berty Bannister, a teacher. The student team was hosted by St Francis de Sales Senior Secondary School, Janakpuri, New Delhi. This is the first visit to Delhi in several decades by a team of school boys from Jaffna. more..

Aug 19 (HP) The Sri Lankan government is in hot pursuit of US businesses, seeking to usher in more investment dollars to help rebuild the country following the end of the civil war two years ago. Jobs that help to grow the economy and benefit all Sri Lankans are welcome. But companies are on notice that the Sri Lanka govt is following ethnically discriminatory policies, and those that favor only certain segments of the population -- wittingly or not -- are compounding the ethnic divides that more..