Aug 27 (BBC) Anti-graft campaigners in Sri Lanka have accused the world football governing body, Fifa, of not carrying out a proper investigation on allegations of serious corruption in Sri Lanka football. Ravaya journalist Tiran Kumara Bangamaarachchi and sports columnist Vijitha Fernando say the world body has failed to take any action though they have been reporting serious corruption in the game for years. Denying the accusations, Fifa says it is more..

Aug 27 (DM) An owner of an orphanage who had allegedly sexually harassed four underage girls who were living in the orphanage was remanded till August 29 by a Colombo Court today. Police had begun investigations into the incident after receiving several complaints about this orphanage located in the Ja-Ela area. Accordingly, the suspect Rodney Perera a resident of Ragama, Kandana was arrested and produced in Court by police and charged that the suspect had committed more..

Aug 27 (LT) The Union of Samurdi employees engaged in a protest demonstration yesterday (25) in Kurunegala demanding the Samurdi authority not to utilize it’s funds for Government needs leading it to bankruptcy. They point out that the funds of the Samurdi banks are being withdrawn to pay the water and electricity bills of Govt institutions and the funds are deteriorating fast as a result. They also demanded the immediate removal of the present Director General who more..

Aug 27 (SMH) Thilan Samaraweera dodged 'the luckiest bullet' when the Sri Lankan team was ambushed by terrorists, writes Chris Barrett in Colombo. FIREWORKS still scare the life out of Thilan Samaraweera. They remind him too clearly of automatic gunfire, and without warning send a shiver of terror down his spine or make him duck for cover. He has good reason. The 34-year-old batsman, the middle-order bedrock of the Sri Lanka team looking to extend Australia's post-Ashes woes in more..

Aug 27 (BBC) Three men convicted in connection with the 1991 assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi are to be hanged on 9 September, officials say. They will be hanged in the early hours of the morning, an official at the prison where they are being held in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu said. The move comes after India's president rejected mercy pleas from the men known as Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan. The killing of Rajiv Gandhi by a more..

Aug 27 (BBC) An opposition party in Sri Lanka has called on the government to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) in addition to the emergency regulations. President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Thursday announced the imminent withdrawal of the emergency regulations. "I am satisfied that an extension of emergency is not required any more. So I inform that we will not extend the emergency any more,” the president told the parliament. more..

Aug 27 (AD) Former Sri Lankan Cricket Captain, Kumar Sangakkara was named the captain of the ICC Test Team of the Year which was announced today (26). Sangakkara appears in the team of the year for the second time running. The Test Team of the Year, was chosen by a specially appointed selection panel chaired by West Indian batting legend Clive Lloyd. The announcement was made at the media conference to announce the short-lists for the LG ICC Awards 2011 more..

Aug 27 (ST) Trade union activists launched a massive leaflet campaign in and around the Free Trade Zones at Katunayaka and else where ahead of a massive protest set to be held at Colombo Fort on August 30th. Anton Marcus-President of the Free Trade Zone and General Services Union said the planned protest was to highlight the government’s broken promises regarding compensation payment to the injured persons during clashes between police and FTZ workers in June. more..

Aug 27 (IANS) Sri Lanka has invited Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and an Indian parliamentary delegation to visit the country, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said here Friday. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj has been invited by the speaker of the Sri Lankan parliament to visit the country. Swaraj has accepted the invitation and is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka September 16-20, Krishna told the Lok Sabha. more..

Aug 27 (LG) Maddini Chandradasa, one of President Rajapakse's nieces was admitted into the Cadet batch in 2008. However, despite her 'family credentials', she did not pass the Sri Lankan Commercial Pilot License which was a mandatory requirement. She later managed to convert the License after she was recruited by Sri Lankan Airlines and started the Ground school for the Airbus. In the past some Cadets were turned down for not having the Sri Lankan Commercial License at the intake. more..

Aug 27 (LG) I am writing in response to the review by Arun Ambalavanar on " Tamil Tigress" written by Niromi De Soyza, published by the Sri Lanka Guardian recently. I had some reservation about the book ‘Tamil Tigress’ written by Niromi De Soyza so I watched the video published by Allen and Unwin Australia on Youtube about the book and I later purchased online to read the book. It is beautifully written and gives a clear understanding of the issues with a high degree of integrity. more..

Aug 27 (ST) Max is the self-appointed leader while Jackie takes it cool. Max is bossy, stubborn and goes about his job quickly and efficiently. Jackie averse to harsh orders is meticulous, a perfect contrast to Max. Max, a German Shepherd, and Jackie, a Belgian Malinois, are among a pack of six de-mining dogs undergoing rigorous training at the Sri Lanka School of Military Engineering at Embilipitiya. Training with their dogs every day more..

Aug 27 (LG) The Lanka News Web is able to exclusively reveal today the real truth behind so called Grease Yakas, a myth created by Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to create fear psychosis in the North and East. It shows that full military control of these two provinces has started and others will also come under soon. Gotabhaya has deployed secretly over 5,000 military intelligence operatives to military camps in the North and East. more..

Aug 27 (LG) I respond to the article ‘Caste & Politics’ by Professor Robert Sidharthan Perinpanayagam, published in Sri Lanka Guardian. I enjoyed reading this article very much and could identify with most of it. In some ways it helped me complete the cycle in relation to Tamil Community. The part that I deeply identified with is the following. ‘It is the case that the caste system in northern Sri Lanka, as well as among the Sinhalese, is an inverted pyramid. The Vellalas are more..

Aug 27 (MoD) Secretary Defence Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa today (25) visited Jaffna Peninsula to have glimpse into lives of Jaffna people and to find ground facts on post-war development projects. On arrival to Jaffna, Commander Security Forces Headquarters - Jaffna (SF-J) Maj. Gen. Mahinda Haturusinghe briefed the Secretary on present security situation and development projects are being carried out in the Peninsula. more..

Aug 27 (LG) Mr. Lionel Wijesiri has been described as ‘a corporate director with 23 years of hands-on experience in General Management and Human Resources Development, and a prolific writer on a range of issues.’ Mr. Wijesiri writes in his article ‘There are no bad bosses’ – ‘Your boss is what he is for one important reason: either he is the owner or someone above them thinks that he should be the boss! He may have lied or bribed his way to the top but complaining about more..

Aug 27 (LG) Political solution for Sri Lanka is on the top of the agenda where the agitation is mainly from the outside world rather than within. Outsiders are of the view that we are torn apart after the winning over terrorism. Honestly we do not feel so. But in reality we are expected to heed to external pressure to be a respected and a respectable member of the world family. Therefore we have taken into consideration the document Rule of War Tools prepared by more..

Aug 27 (ST) Now that The National Performing Arts Theatre is a work in progress no longer but a completed architectural fact, a colossal, visually stunning fait accompli, everyone wants a peek inside. We are agog, for we are about to get our first peek. Here on a private visit, we are waiting at the main gate to be admitted to the sprawling premises. Recently, after what felt like ages, the outer wrappings – corrugated sheets on a surrounding fence more..

Aug 27 (Island) The scam-hit govt of India is on the horns of a dilemma. While reeling in shock from a string of scandals, it has come under immense pressure to make stringent laws to battle graft, as specified by a group of aggressive activists led by Anna Hazare, whose Gandhian-style protest against corruption is gaining momentum. Aggravating an already volatile situation, Hazare has launched a fast unto death and talks between the govt and his supporters to work out a more..

Aug 27 (DM) The perfect epilogue for the war victory came in the form of eliminating Emergency law in Parliament on Thursday. Though considered a necessity during the dark days when brutalities of the LTTE terrorized every form of civilian life in the country, after the conclusion of war, Emergency was seen as a hindrance to the democratic rights of the people who were waiting to enjoy the benefits of liberation. The time when it was re-imposed in 2005 after the more..

Aug 27 (LB) Once again the failed 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 of its position on more..

Aug 27 (SO) Advanced 'Scientific systems' have been formulated by developed countries to save harvests and cultivations from natural disasters such as floods, heavy rains and drought. Those methods have been introduced to Sri Lanka for better productivity, said North East Agriculture and Irrigation Project (NEAIP) Director S.K. Liyanage in an interview with the Sunday Observer. Excepts of the interview: Q: The people who visited the Vavuniya Agriculture Exhibition 2011, more..

Aug 27 (GV) Basically the whole plethora and all variations in media, from print to electronic to the web, from Sinhala to Tamil and English including the “updates” via SMS in some instance, broke the news of PC 61006, Navaratne Bandara of the Puttlam police station being assaulted to death by mobs in the town itself. First reports said he was at the time of the attack, returning after duties. Said to have been on “traffic duty”. A few kilo metres away, in the adjoining more..

Aug 27 (ST) Sipping his tea, John Falconer tells me that on the morrow he will visit Jaffna for the first time. He’s looking forward to it – though he once lived in Trincomalee as a five year old, a Navy brat, he’s never been that far North before. John is here in his role as the lead curator of Visual Art and curator of Photography at the British Library and he and his co-curator, photographer Menika van der Poorten are heading out to inspect venues for more..

Aug 27 (DM) Parliament witnessed an important incident on Thursday—the abolition of the state of emergency after six years. The govt came under immense pressure and criticism over the continuation of the emergency after the end of the war on May 19, 2009. Some forces that supported the emergency during the time of the war were also among those who were critical of it in the aftermath of the war victory. Critics, both local and international, argued that the govt was using more..

Aug 27 (DM) I was in London just before the riots broke out. Visiting a well-known super store, it was obvious that trouble was nearby. The sales were offering unbelievable bargains. Sri Lankan made clothes were cheaper in London than the factory seconds without labels we find at the clothes shops in Colombo. Even then, goods were not moving. The shops were empty compared to the usual bustle I have experienced before in London. The Garment Industry in Sri Lanka has already more..

Aug 27 (DM) In another instance of large-scale wastage of public funds for mega shows it was revealed in parliament that 14 ministries and institutions under their purview had spent a whopping Rs.65 million for the Deyata Kirula Exhibition held in Buttala at the beginning of this year. In response to a question by JVP MP Sunil Handunnetti it was also revealed that the External Affairs Ministry alone had spent some eight million rupees more..

Aug 27 (Island) The People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), has written to the Elections Commissioner requesting him to instruct the govt not to make appointments during the election period. "Appointments, transfers and promotions of public officials during election periods could be given with political motives in the guise of ‘making urgent appointments’. Such actions should be prevented and the elections should be held in a free and fair manner. more..

Aug 27 (Island) The volunteer teachers representing northern educational zones of Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Thunukkai, Vavuniya North, Vadamarachchi East and Madhu, who have been appointed to schools for the last 10 years, with the promise of permanent appointments as govt teachers, have been left in the lurch by the Education Department. In a letter addressed to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, they say, "We were taken as volunteer teachers with the permission of more..

Aug 27 (TC) Statement by A.J.M. Muzammil–Mayoral Candidate for Colombo-UNP. I am deeply humbled and extremely honoured to accept the nomination the UNP has bestowed on me as its Mayoral candidate. The Colombo Municipal Council has been a bastion of the UNP for generations; thereby proving time and time again that the trust the people have placed in the UNP is steadfast. It is an enduring symbol, a torch, passed on from generation to generation more..

Aug 27 (DM) 95 persons who were remanded in connection with a clash that erupted between the armed forces and the public in Navanthurai, Jaffna on Monday night were enlarged on 5000 Rupees cash bail and 5000 Rupees surety bail by Jaffna District Judge A. Premshanker yesterday. Police made the arrests following the clash which was triggered by an incident in Navanthurai, where police personnel tried to intervene in an incident where several people were pursuing three strangers. more..

Aug 27 (Island) The State Engineering Corporation (SEC) has been given road development project contracts to the tune of nine billion rupees by the govt. Minister Wimal Weerawansa said that it was a great achievement for the corporation. He said that he would develop the corporation coming under the purview of his ministry as the leading construction body in the country. He said that earlier the contracts for these projects were given to the private sector. more..

Aug 27 (LT) With the lifting of emergency, democracy will not be established, and justice in law and order should be accentuated abolishing Acts such as PTA, emphasizes JVP MP Anura Dissanayake. He pointed out that in a country where law and order is not functioning existence of any law will not be worthwhile. Hence to accomplish democracy many more things have to be procured and the JVP will be vigilant whether the Govt will more..

Aug 27 (DN) The lifting of the Emergency would have a major positive impact for the economy, stimulating growth and taking the country even closer to being a wonder of Asia. An official of the Board of Investment (BoI) said that this would definitely help to increase foreign direct investments to the country. Chairman Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) Dr. Priyath Wickrama : The shipping sector is very sensitive and lifting of the emergency would help to increase trade. more..

Aug 27 (Island) The Supreme Court yesterday refused to grant 22 petitioners leave to proceed with an FR violation application against the shifting of the St. John’s Fish Market. The Court said that was no basis to grant leave to proceed with the Fundamental Rights violation application, filed by the ‘Samastha Lanka St. John’s Dheewara Welanda Samithiya’ and 21 others, challenging the shifting of the St. John’s fish market from Pettah to Peliyagoda. more..

Aug 27 (DS) Former president Chandrika Kumaratunga stressed the need for South Asian nations to promote inclusiveness and equitable distribution of wealth to address poverty and make democracy sustainable. She urged regional leaders to ensure full participation of all in development efforts, as govts, often seen in South Asia, tend to slip into dictatorships. “We will not probably emerge from poverty without inclusiveness and equitable distribution of wealth,” more..

Aug 27 (DM) External Affairs Ministry Secretary Karunatileka Amunugama said that Sri Lanka’s fight with the international community is a bigger challenge than winning the 30 year war as the govt had to deal with millions of people, billions of resources, big governments and large international media organisations, which he said was a difficult task. He said this was a challenge for a small country such as Sri Lanka. The Secretary called on the public to use internet, print publications, more..

Aug 27 (DH) High Commissioner for Sri Lanka to India, Prasad Kariyawasam, on Friday said it was time his country expanded business from Chennai to other parts of the country. Bangalore will be the first among a series of economical hotspots that Sri Lanka looks to strengthen ties with, he added. In his talk on ‘Sri Lanka and its relations with India’ at Teri, Kariyawasam highlighted the importance India plays in Lanka’s post-civil war developments. more..

Aug 27 (DN) The lifting of the state of Emergency on Thursday by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was warmly welcomed by a wide cross-section of Sri Lankan society, including the clergy, important public figures in the Tamil and Muslim communities, Ministers of state, the intelligentsia and public officials. The following opinions emerged from a wide-ranging survey conducted by us at the News Desk: The Ven Prof. Bellanwila Wimalarathana Thera, Chancellor of the more..