Sept 10 (LBO) The Colombo stock market is a "cess pool" of indiscipline with no proper regulation and a "blood bath" waiting to happen," a former head of Sri Lanka's markets watch dog said. The CSE is a "gold mine" for a few big investors who make money but a disaster waiting to happen for small investors, says Arittha Wikramanayake of law firm Nithya Partners and former Securities and Exchange Commission director-general. more..

Sept 10 (LT) When the 'white flag' case was taken up today at the HIgh Courts, Senior Defence Counsel Mr Nlin Ladduwahtti stated that LTTE suspects from other prisons are currently being brought to the Welikada Prison, where the former Army Commander is serving his sentence. The Defence Counsel also informed the Courts according to information provided by Mr Fonseka, LTTE suspects are also being taken close to the area where his cell is located. more..

Sept 10 (CI) Suranga Lakmal's first ball to Shane Watson on the second morning whirred in towards the batsman with a hint of seam and swing, whistling very closely past off stump as Watson shouldered arms. While Watson was implacable, Sri Lanka oohed and ahhed about how close it had been. For once, the more composed party was to lose out. Lakmal's next ball was even closer, seamed a little more, and uprooted the stump it had so closely threatened the previous delivery. more..

Sept 10 (BBC) More than 11,000 families from High Security Zones (HTZ) are still to be resettled, the government revealed to Supreme Court. The figures were presented to Supreme Court on Thursday in a document prepared by Jaffna Divisional Secretary (DS) when a Fundamental Rights petition was considered. The petition by a group of Jaffna farmers was stating that they have lost their ancestral land due to the establishment of HSZ. more..

Sept 10 (LT) Despite the TNA was elected at the recent Provincial Elections, the TNA has not been invited to the Karainagar Development Committee meeting. It is learnt that this is consequence to a directive by the Nothern Province Governer. The meeting of the Karainager Development Committee was held on 08th instant which was attended by Minister Douglas Devananda and other leaders of the multi-ethnic communities. But the TNA Members have not been invited for the meeting. more..

Sept 10 (LP) A man who posed off as a medical doctor and operated an “Ayurvedic Brothel” under the guise of a Herbal Massage Clinic was rounded up by a special police team in the early hours of today with four young women at Kaduwela, Police said. Police acting on a tip off raided the brothel pass midnight yesterday and took into custody seven suspects including four women from the location. The four young women from Matugama, Ambalantota, Elpitiya and Theldeniya were reported to more..

Sept 10 (GDI) Minister Sarath Amunugama addressed the First South Asia Forum, as the Leader of Delegation of Sri Lanka, in New Delhi on the theme of “25 years of SAARC – Achievements and Challenges”. This special Ministerial Sessions which included Ministers from SAARC member countries was chaired by the Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission of India, Dr. Montek Singh Abhuwalia. The objective of the South Asia Forum was to advance economic interests with the integration of more..

Sept 10 (LP) The challenges and opportunities in Sri Lanka today transcend the specific circumstances of the country situation and are highly relevant to the experience of the developing world n general, said the External Affairs Minister Prof. G L Peiris. While bilateral discussions in Amman with Dr. Marouf Al Bakhit, Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Prof. G.L. Peirisprovided a detailed briefing on developments in Sri Lanka more..

Sept 10 (LBO) Climate change brought about by global warming could threaten the famed quality of Sri Lanka's tea, the island's main agriculture export and its best known brand, a new report said. "The impact of climate change seems to be drastically altering weather patterns, not only in Sri Lanka, but throughout the world," John Keells brokers said in a report. "We have seen floods and severe droughts which has caused extensive damage to agricultural outputs in more..

Sept 10 (AD) Representatives of the Tamil people including TULF leader V. Anandasangaree met President Rajapaksa yesterday (8) for a special discussion regarding the situation in the North and East. Several government Ministers had also attended the discussion held at Temple Trees which had been mainly focused upon the prevailing ‘grease devil’ menace in the Northern and Eastern parts of the island primarily in the Jaffna peninsula. more..

Sept 10 (LT) An agitation was held by students of Peradeniya University against the decision to establish private medical colleges and govt’s massacre of free education. The students accused the government of having displays of false development but taking measures to sell education. The President of the Students’ Council of Peradeniya University Mahesh Lanka said the govt is engaged in a massive attempt to sell education and has, without any hesitation, more..

Sept 10 (Hindu) ‘Hanumadhoothangam' is the second of the seven acts of ‘Abhishekanatakam,' written by Bhasa. It is rarely staged, unlike other acts of the play such as ‘Balivadham' and ‘Thoranayudham.' The attaprakaram – the acting manual – for the play was written by the late legend Ammannur Madhava Chakyar, and he had also directed it. This act was staged for this year's annual Kootiyattam festival of the Sree Koodalmanikyam temple, Irinjalakuda. As the name of the act implies, more..

Sept 10 (BBC) All children's homes in Sri Lanka should be closed down because of "rampant" abuse, the head of the country's child protection body says. The National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) says it is already working to replace children's homes with a foster parenting system. Nearly 20,000 children - orphans or children abused by parents or carers - are housed in 470 institutions. But many who run such homes say the new approach may not guarantee safety. more..

Sept 10 (LG) Students of contemporary South Asian history are aware of the fact that the Government of India has responded favourably and spontaneously to any appeal for assistance by the Sri Lankan Government to tackle its domestic problems. Two illustrations are in order. Faced with the internal security threat posed by the JVP in April 1971 Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike asked for external assistance from India, United Kingdom, United States, Yugoslavia, Soviet Union and Pakistan. more..

Sept 10 (LG) It is widely believed that the success of the Iranian coup & the coup in Guatemala by the US prompted its successive leaders to follow covert action & regime change as a foreign policy. Mohammad Mossadegh was the democratically elected Prime Minister of Iran in 1951. His fall is seen as the perfect example of how a rich & powerful nation can create chaos in another nation. Kermit Roosevelt, grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt was tasked by the CIA to head the mission to overthrow more..

Sept 10 (SL) The current crisis in the main opposition is due to the failure on the part of the party leadership to adhere to the agreements arrived at on March 12 says member of the pro-reforms group in the UNP MP, Thalatha Atukorale. In a telephone interview, Atukorale said the party leadership has violated the agreements reached to resolve the leadership crisis. Excerpts: Q: You have been agitating for party reforms and a change in the leadership for some time. more..

Sept 10 (SL) I respond to the article ‘Indian Assistance to Sri Lanka for Rehabilitation and Reconstruction – Few Reflections’ by V. Suryanarayan and Ashik Bonofer, published in Guardian. To me, this article in essence is about whether Indian help to Sri Lanka was/is to be through Belief, Merit or Likes-Dislikes? Belief is largely through cultural connections between Tamils of Sri Lanka and India’s Tamil Nadu. Merit – ought to be on the basis of rights and wrongs as per UN Principles and Values more..

Sept 10 (LG) The Asian Human Rights Commission in a previous Open Letter to the Inspector General of Police and Urgent Appeal brought to the attention of the authorities a series of threats to Diyaththara Kalutara Kalusayakkarage Sajith Shehan Fernando of Ja-Ela. We are now issuing a YouTube presentation in which Shehan and his mother explain their ordeal. Please see this presentation at: The details of their story are given below: Twenty two-year-old Diyaththara Kalutara more..

Sept 10 (TC) V. Anandasangaree, President of TULF has urged President Mahinda Rajapaksa to probe the “activities of the grease man” via a “Presidential Commission”. He has referred to related incidents taking place in Jaffna peninsula and other places in the letter. Full Text of the letter to the President by TULF leader as follows: Your Excellency, It is with deep concern that I wish to bring to your notice, of the fear and tension created among the people of the North more..

Sept 10 (NS) It is fashionable at times to compare apples and oranges. It is convenient to blur differences. It is easy to use blanket terms. For example, ‘The Arab Spring’, which implies that all Arab nations suffering political convulsions can be spoken of in one breath. Egypt, however, was not Libya and neither Saudi Arabia nor Bahrain will be allowed to be Egypt or Tunisia, let alone Libya. ‘Libya’ was different because a degree of international approval for the NATO invasion was more..

Sept 10 (DM) My dear Mahinda Aiyah, Ayubowan, vannakam and assalamu alliakum in the after-glow of Ramazan as the five-year conflict over the extension of the state of emergency turns into a bigger conflict over the lifting of the state of emergency. Opposition parties are alleging that the whole exercise for which you made a highly publicized appearance in parliament last month was a bluff to continue the tough laws in different ways while trying to placate the international community which more..

Sept 10 (Island) Former Deputy Inspector General of Police Premadasa Udugampola, who helped crush the second JVP rebellion against the UNP government in the late 1980s, joined the government this week with nearly 100 supporters. His overzealous younger brother, Assistant Superintendent of Police Kulasiri Udugampola, led a high handed raid on an army safe house at Millennium City, Athurugiriya in 2002, claiming that it had been used to plot attacks on UNP leaders. more..

Sept 10 (ST) The trade deficit is rising to alarming proportions this year. In the first half of this year the trade deficit grew to US$ 4250 million. This is larger than the trade deficit of US$ 3122 million for the full year in 2009 and is as much as 82 per cent of the large trade deficit of US$ 5205 million in 2010. It is likely that at year’s end, the 2011 trade deficit would be around US$ 8 to 9 billion. Despite the gravity of the emerging trade scenario, there is little concern about it owing to more..

Sept 10 (DM) Independent of their relative positions and posturing on the ethnic issue, one thing is becoming increasing clear. If President Mahinda Rajapaksa cannot deliver an acceptable solution to the 'national question', no future leader in his place would ever even attempt one, for decades to come. Likewise, if the Tamils in the island have to trust someone, it has to be incumbent TNA leader R Sampanthan. His successors, whoever they be, would have to spend time and energy, proving themselves as much to more..

Sept 10 (SL) Twenty five year old Seetha was only ten years old when her father passed away. Ever since then Seetha’s mother has struggled to make ends meet and provide a decent meal for her four children. Education was a luxury for this family and Seetha’s only wish was to someday earn a good salary so that her younger sisters could lead a better life. Seetha was 19 when she joined a garment factory in Katunayake. With a talent for stitching she was overjoyed when more..

Sept 10 (Island) Minister of Health, Maithripala Sirisena, has made a bold public statement, according to our sister paper, the Divaina (Sept. 09). Pointing out that medical doctors cannot be churned out the way bulath vita (a chew of betel) is wrapped or thosai is made, he has stressed the need for medical schools to maintain high standards to ensure the quality of their products. He has made these remarks at the risk of antagonising his Cabinet colleague, Minister of Higher Education, more..

Sept 10 (DM) On the eve of the tenth anniversary of the September 11 holocaust, which shook the United States and the whole world, we hear today different interpretations of who did what and what the hidden agenda and strategies were. Among other vices, 9/11 has spawned what is described as a multibillion dollar terrorist industry whereby so-called terrorism or intelligence experts are earning millions by advising or misguiding govt and others on security measures. Whatever is happening or not happening, more..

Sept 10 (Island) The public Health Department (PHD) of the Colombo Municipal Council said it was encouraging vendors on Galle Face promenade to attract foreign tourists in addition to the locals that they primarily cater to now. With that in mind the PHD is training them on hygienic food handling, Chief of the PHD, Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam said. There are more than hundred vendors selling food items from fried and salted ground nuts to ‘kottu roti.’ to locals who more..

Sept 10 (ST) Sri Lanka’s brand new and reconditioned motor vehicle market fell to 41,481 registrations in July from 44,400 in June after gaining momentum from the beginning of this year with India's Maruti /Suzuki dominating the brand new automobile segment and Japanese Toyota leading the re-conditioned or imported used car segment, Motor Traffic Department officials said. The country’s automobile imports are expected to come down, due to the government’s action to raise car duties in April this year more..

Sept 10 (GV) It was just last week that the BBC featured a documentary describing the post war atrocities committed against vulnerable Tamil women in the north and east who are part of the captive Tamil population subject to heavy militarization. Although the state of emergency was suddenly and mysteriously lifted by the President, last week, obviously due to international pressure, we see that new legislation is being introduced to circumvent such action and thereby nullify the objective of more..

Sept 10 (Island) Unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis has been ruled out of the rest of the series against Australia with a back injury. Mendis, who complained of back pain on the morning of the Test Match, was assessed by the Sri Lankan physiotherapist Steve Mount and was ruled out of the rest of the series. Surprisingly Mendis did the 12th man duty on the first day of the Test Match, but he was told to get back home by the selectors at the end of first day’s play. more..

Sept 10 (Island) The enumeration of names of eligible persons for the revision of the electoral register for the year 2011 is nearing completion, states a communique from the Elections Commissioner. The communiqué said: Persons who were displaced during the war and who are still unable to provide information to the enumerator on the appropriate form for inclusion of their names in the electoral register for the year 2011, could now enquire from the grama niladari of the division in which more..

Sept 10 (Island) The Indigenous Medicine Ministry will exhibit several kinds of indigenous medicinal products at the annual trade exhibition in Japan today and tomorrow. The products will consist of packets of Thambunhodi, peyawa, herbal wine, dashmoola Aristaya, tea bags, Eramusu and belimal tea bags. The Ministry is positive that Sri Lanka will be able to capture a good market internationally. The Ministry would exhibit various beverages and tea bags made from Sri Lankan medicinal plants. more..

Sept 10 (FT) The Government yesterday signed agreements that will usher Australian cows to boost Sri Lanka’s dairy industry via the National Livestock Development Board (NLDB). The initiative will be carried out in two stages with the financial support from the Cooperatieve Centrale Raiffeisen-Boerenleenbank (Rabobank) of Netherlands and the Export Finance Insurance Corporation (EFIC) of Australia. They have agreed to provide a loan in a sum of $ 10.52 million for more..

Sept 10 (DM) The Acting German Ambassador to Sri Lanka Marja Einig handed over Rs. 7 Million worth of fishing equipment to villagers in Kannaginagar, a fishing hamlet off the Paranthan-Mullaitivu road. The aid package is part of a three year long German Federal Government funded project worth Rs. 340 million to revive livelihoods of displaced families resettled in the Vanni. “While resettled families are happy to return to their villages, many live in extremely dire conditions. more..

Sept 10 (TN) ‘Celebrating multilingualism’ in Sri Lanka, and delivering a keynote address in a language award ceremony in Colombo in July, Professor of Sinhala K.N.O. Dharmadasa said that Tamil came to be introduced into the island at a later time, especially after the Polonnaruva period (c. 13th century AD). According to the Mahavamsa myth he was relying upon, culture of multilingualism in the island began when “a group of settlers led by Prince Vijaya, who would more..

Sept 10 (DM) Minister Susil Premajayantha, speaking in Parliament yesterday, said that disciplinary action would be taken against those who were responsible for the purchase of substandard oil by next week. The minister, who was speaking during an adjournment debate in the house on the issue, said that the sales and distribution units of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) would be re-organized together with a change in personnel in order to normalize operations at the CPC. more..

Sept 10 (DM) The Engineers Union of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) yesterday warned authorities that they would resort to a trade union action from Monday (12) unless their demands in connection with the irregularities in promoting engineering assistants were met. The president of the NWSDB Engineers’ Union, Srilal Gallage, said that his union would resort to strike action if the authorities failed to respond to their demands. more..

Sept 10 (DM) A wild elephant that had fallen into an unprotected agricultural well, in the Horowpathana Meehondawewa area, turned unruly and began attacking wild life officials and others who were trying to help it to get out of the well. Villagers, on seeing the elephant fallen into the muddy well, had alerted wild life officials who arrived quickly in order to commence rescue operations. However, after they had managed to get the elephant onto dry land the beast, upon spotting the crowds that more..