July 24 (NS) A Lankan, Roshan Gun්wardena, working as a driver in Kuwait returned to Sri Lanka with 13 nails inside his legs. His employer, an officer in the Kuwait Royal Army and the employer’s father had ordered him to lay on his back while one on them had strapped him to the ground and the other had inserted the 13 nails into his legs. The employer had inserted nails after the employee had refused to clean a bathroom used by a blind person in the house. more..

July 24 (SL) A private radio station registered under the name of the wife of the Director General of the Media Center for National Security Lakshman Hulugalle, owes the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) over Rs. 900,000 on electricity bills. The Matale transmission station of Sath FM had not paid its electricity bills for a period of time before supply was disconnected in October last year. An official said that even after the electricity was discontinued the bills still remain unpaid. more..

July 24 (DM) The governing UPFA has secured a comfortable win at the second phase of the Local Govt Election 2011 wining a total of 45 LG bodies out of 65 bodies. Illankai Thamil Arusu Katchchi or known as TNA won 18 bodies, while TULF won the power of two LG bodies. UNP, JVP and SLMC failed to secure the power of a single LG body. Accordingly, the UPFA secured a total of 512 seats, 183 seats for ITAK, UNP-137 seats, JVP-13 and 12 seats for TULF. more..

July 24 (LBO) A Chinese firm which will invest 355 million US dollars in a hotel and shopping complex in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo will help draw more tourists from the fast growing Asian giant, a government minister said. A Chinese defence contractor China Aviation Technology Import-Export Corporation (CATIC) is being sold seven acres of state-land in Colombo's 'Galle Face' beachfront deputy economic development minister Lakshman Abyewardene said. more..

July 24 (AP) A former proxy to Sri Lanka's defeated separatist Tamil Tiger rebels swept local council elections held in areas ravaged by the country's 25-year civil war, officials said Sunday, amid reports of intimidation and vote-buying. The Elections Department said the TNA won 20 local councils out of the 25 it contested in the ethnic Tamil-majority north and east. President Mahinda Rajapaksa's ruling UPFA coalition secured five councils in Saturday's vote more..

July 24 (ST) Events across both sides of the Palk Strait, the waters that divide Sri Lanka and India, were much in focus this week. Across the seas, the world's only super power fired a strong diplomatic salvo on Sri Lanka. That was through the visit of US Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, to Chennai -- easily the first such official engagement from a highest ranking dignitary from Washington DC. The conduct of mature diplomacy, where there is little more..

July 24 (CI) Leicestershire completed a massive 223-run win over Sri Lanka A on the fourth day at Grace Road, Jigar Naik's offspinners bringing him four wickets as several bowlers contributed to the county's win. Lahiru Thirimanne's gritty 70 was the only bright point for the Sri Lankans, with most of their middle order making starts but failing to build a significant innings. Sri Lanka A had lost opener Malinda Warnapura to the first ball of their second innings on the third afternoon, more..

July 24 (ST) President Mahinda Rajapaksa telephoned Norway's Ambassador Hilda Haraldstad on Friday night (11.30 pm Sri Lanka time/8 p.m. Norway), who is on vacation to convey the Sri Lankan govt's sympathies to the government and people of Norway following the bomb explosions in its capital, Oslo. President Rajapaksa had conveyed the sympathies of the Sri Lankan govt and its people and expressed "the solid support" of Sri Lanka to Norway to eradicate terrorism more..

July 24 (ST) Sri Lanka has ruled out common fishing zones with India and will insist on adhering to maritime boundaries between the two countries, Minister Rajitha Senaratne said. He said Sri Lanka would continue to insist that the fishing rights of the fishermen were protected in keeping with international maritime laws. The issues about fishing rights will figure during next month’s Colombo meeting of the India-Sri Lanka joint committee on fisheries. more..

July 24 (ST) In the run up to yesterday's local council elections, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, attended a UPFA rally in Kopay on Tuesday. Even the weekly Cabinet meeting last Wednesday was called off because of the high pitched UPFA campaign, Large crowds turned up for the rally which was in full gear. When it ended, some of the crowds did not leave. Instead, they began queuing up before Grama Niladharis and others who had arranged the meeting. more..

July 24 (ST) Sri Lanka stands to lose 13 million dollars (Rs 1.4 billion) in development assistance from the United States if a ban on aid becomes law. Altogether US AID has sought US$ 55 million (Rs 6 billion) for aid programmes for the fiscal year 2012 (Oct 1, 2011 to Sept 30, 2012). On Thursday, the US House Foreign Affairs Committee decided by a unanimous voice vote on such a ban if the government does not address “accountability issues”, more..

July 24 (Island) The govt alleges Sri Lanka is being targeted over alleged ‘accountability issues’ by those under heavy flak themselves for ‘war crimes’ in their so-called global fight against terrorism. Authoritative govt sources alleged that a section of the international community seemed to be taking pleasure in Sri Lanka bashing on the basis of ‘Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields’ produced for more..

July 24 (ST) University lecturers have ended their two-month-long trade union action, but vow to resume agitating for pay increases if the govt fails to align salaries according to official recommendations made in 2008. On Thursday, the FUTA agreed to an interim solution offered by the govt to increase salaries for university faculty members. Accordingly, the gross salary (allowances included) of a senior professor will be raised from Rs. 98,380 to Rs. 114,984; more..

July 24 (LB) The army’s efforts to disarm armed groups in the east has come a total cropper, claim army sources. So far, the army has collected only three weapons which had belonged to certain groups in the east. “The eastern commander promised to disarm armed groups in the east after the robbery that took place at the Batticaloa branch of the Peoples’ Bank. However almost three weeks later, only three weapons have been found,” more..

July 24 (ST) As perturbed conservationists flexed their muscle, a top level WildLife official was categorical in his rebuttal of 'proposed moves' to drive 200 elephants from the Hambantota area to make way for the infrastructure that would support Sri Lanka's bid for the Commonwealth Games. No elephants will be driven from Hambantota, for it would not only be detrimental to Sri Lanka's bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2018 but it is also against current thinking, more..

July 24 (ST) MP Ven. Aturaliye Ratana Thera who represents the JHU, has taken a hard line against agro-chemical companies in the wake of the controversial claim by a group of researchers that the weedicides and pesticides used by local farmers contain arsenic. His position contradicts that of the Govt which has dismissed the “arsenic theory’. Speaking to the Sunday Times on his campaign he described the damage caused by more..

July 24 (Island) Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has bluntly denied the charge that his securitty forces had committed "war crimes" against unarmed Tamil civilians during the last stages of the socalled Eelam War that ended 26 months ago. In an interview to The Hindu newspaper published today, he simply dismissed British TV Channel 4’s controversial documentary "Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields" by calling it a "film." A panel of United Nations experts and more..

July 24 (Island) The three member committee headed by Power and Energy Ministry Secretary M.M.C. Ferdinando, which is probing into the 20,000 tonnes substandard petrol import scam by the CPC is now expected to hand over their findings next week. But the question being asked is whether that report will tell the whole truth because of its limited scope. Sources said the investigators will definitely point out the more..

July 25 (SLN) Two Japanese Naval Ships, Inazuma DD - 105 and Sazanami DD – 113, which belong to the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF), arrived at the Port of Colombo for logistics support on 23rd July 2011 with Commander Escort Division Captain Terutsugu Hirano Four onboard. They were ceremonially welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy on arrival in accordance with naval traditions. The ships are en route to the Gulf of Aden to participate in counter piracy operations. more..

July 25 (Island) Chevron’s Managing Director, Kishu Gomes, who consistently initiated moves to defuse the stigma of AIDs sufferers, says the challenge was that population growth at about seven billion globally would increase by an additional one billion in 20 years. The attendant crisis would include food, terrorism, threat to security and rising incidence of HIV/AIDS. The extra financial bill to combat these unavoidable strictures would mean a financial global bill of more..

July 25 (NN) Amnesty International (AI) says it was “disappointed” with a meeting held with the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Dr. Palitha Kohona last week. The international human rights group said that the Sri Lankan delegation, at the meeting in New York, had consistently denied that the military had committed any crimes during the war. “Amnesty International had a different interpretation of the meeting and was, in fact, more..

July 25 (NS) Poor solid waste management and overcrowding have been cited as the main contributors to the high incidence of deadly deceases such as rat fever (Leptospiroris) and dengue in the city. The worst affected by these deceases in the recent past, according to health authorities were North Colombo encompassing areas such as the Welikada Prisons, Wanathamulla, Maligawatte, Mariakade and Borella A prisoner at the Welikada prison died this week of rat fever while more..

July 24 (PTI) DMK, a key ally of UPA on Sunday said India and other "human rights respecting nations," should make efforts to bring to justice those who committed 'war crimes' against Tamils in Sri Lanka and called for a plebiscite for a political solution to the ethnic issue in the island. "Human rights respecting nations including India and others should make efforts to punish those who had committed war crimes against Tamils and bring them before the more..

July 25 (LT) At the second phase of the local government election that was concluded yesterday the government, as in all other elections held so far, obtained its results not by allowing masses to express their wish independently within a democratic or fair and free election process states the JVP. Issuing a communiqué regarding the concluded local govt elections the Political Bureau of the JVP states the just concluded election is a challenge for election democracy. more..

July 25 (Dawn) It has emerged that Sri Lanka have not agreed to play an upcoming series against Pakistan in the UAE despite several media reports confirming the series venue as Abu Dhabi & Dubai. “We haven’t been informed of venues for the series yet. In fact the other day, I read on BBC website that series was confirmed to be played at Abu Dhabi. I learnt about it only then. We are going to discuss this matter at our Interim Committee meeting and then only we can more..

July 25 (DM) TNA, which won nearly all the local councils in the Northern and Eastern Provinces at the yesterday’s LG election, said that the Tamil people had voted for a dignified political settlement at this election despite intimidations and threats by the ruling UPFA. TNA MP Suresh Premachandran said “we campaigned for a dignified political settlement. We asked for a mandate to fight for some sort of regional autonomy for us. People have endorsed it.” more..

July 25 (Island) Not too long ago, when Sri Lankan cricket teams toured down under, their Australian hosts used to give them green tops. During the Benson & Hedges tri-nation competition, if West Indies were the third participant along with Sri Lanka, the Australia Cricket Board ensured that the West Indies took on Sri Lanka at the WACA, but their own team was spared at the World’s fastest wicket against the deadliest pace attack in the world. more..

July 25 (AD) The recent fire which erupted in four compartments of a train in the Kandy Railway Station was an organized act of sabotage, says Minister of Transport Kumara Welagama. Four compartments of a train halted at the Kandy Railway Station caught fire on July 22 completely destroying two of the compartments. Speaking to media during an inspection tour of the site of the occurrence the Minister claimed that it is impossible for two complete train compartment to more..

July 25 (DM) UNP MP Rosy Senanayake today said, it is puzzling that the performance of her party, especially compared to the results of 2006, has deteriorated further. Ms. Senanayake made this point with regard to the UNPs performance at the local govt election. The UNP MP who had been lobbying for reforms within UNP said her party had lost strong holds such as Minuwangoda and Trincomalee while the overall percentages tell their own story. more..

July 25 (AN) Three Sri Lankan housemaids from Dammam who were trying to enter Mumbai posing as Indians were sent back last week by the immigration authorities. Confirming the incident, an official from the Sri Lankan Embassy said that for some reason these maids did not want to go home. “They had convinced the Saudi authorities they were Indians and had obtained emergency certificates issued by the Indian mission,” the official said. The women spoke Tamil, a language of Sri Lanka and more..

July 25 (NF) Responding to govt accusations that there were economic assassins in the country, the UNP said yesterday that these economic assassins were within the government itself. Addressing a media briefing in Colombo yesterday, UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekera said that the public should not be made to pay a single cent of the ill-fated hedging deal. “According to the information I we have received close to 220 million has been spent as legal fees so far. more..

July 25 (DM) Sri Lankan housemaid Rizana Nafeek’s mother Rifana Nafeek has asked the government to take legal action against the foreign employment agency which had sent her daughter to Saudi Arabia after altering her daughter’s age in the passport. She told Daily Mirror online that neither she nor her husband were aware that the age had been altered in the passport at the time Rizana was sent abroad. “My daughter took the decision to go abroad due to the abject poverty our family was battling with. more..

July 25 (LG) Migrant workers generate millions of foreign exchange to the country through their blood, sweat and tears. Just like the plantation workers of Indian-origin who sweated on the estates for the country to reap the fruits of their labour through foreign exchange, with plantations at one time being the biggest foreign currency earner, migrant workers have also become a forgotten lot – remembered only when the Minister in charge speaks eloquently in parliament more..

July 25 (LG) The university teachers, particularly those who teach science subjects have condemned the attitude taken by Prof Nalin de Silva about the scientific method. They claim that Nalin’s statements and actions that ridicule scientific method have led to a very bad impression about the University of Kelaniya in general and the Faculty of Science in particular, among the public and the scientific community. Accordingly this situation degrades the reputation of the Faculty more..

July 25 (LG) There are different perceptions among the majority in this issue. Most of them – coming from the post-1983 generation and the less literate society – think all of them have been and are LTTErs or supporters - then and now. Then there are those of the JVP and Sinhala supremacist variety like the JHU and PNM who know better and yet chose to take the first view for their own political advantages. There is also the more liberal who hold the view more..

July 25 (LG) Do people have the right to rise up against dictatorial judges? This abrasive if not somewhat anarchic question is prompted by former Chief Justice Sarath Silva’s ringing assertion at a public function a few days back that the people have the right to rise up against dictatorial rulers. The thrust of the former Chief Justice’s speech was that Sri Lanka’s judiciary and the legislature are accountable to the people. According to him, this same rationale does not more..

July 25 (LG) Faced with a total public debt of $14.46 trillion, the United States is besieged by layoffs in police, fire stations, libraries, teachers and workers in all core services and professions in all State govts, Americans urge US Govt to use the $126 billion a year it spends on wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for urgent domestic needs. Americans argue that there are so many better uses for the money, and say they are baffled the US govt would build bridges in more..

July 25 (TC) Since I was admitted to the Bar, nearly 49 years ago, I have witnessed the judiciary and the legal profession experience many changes. This is to be expected since reform should keep pace with the evolution of society. I was responsible for some reform measures, and at least one of them, the fusion of the legal profession, may perhaps have been ill-advised. An unintended consequence of this measure appears to have been an explosion in more..

July 25 (LG) The International Court of Justice (ICJ) began its important task in 1946, dealing with international disputes and arbitration of judicial settlements between states. The ICJ is also known as the World Court. Before it was established, there was the Permanent Court of Arbitration – PCA (1899), but this was not a court in the traditional sense, and the Permanent Court of International Justice-PCIJ (1922). These settled disputes through negotiation, enquiry, more..