July 1 (LB) The arrest of nine persons attached to websites, Sri Lanka Mirror and LankaXnews last Friday by the CID under Article 120 of the Penal Code has once again raiseda hornet’s nest over media issues. Article 120 refers to ‘exciting or attempting to excite disaffection among the people.’ Although the nine persons, of whom seven are journalists, were released by the Colombo Magistrate on Saturday – seven computers confiscated by the CID are to be sent to more..

July 1 (ST) Imported consumer items, hardware and electronic items are on the rise with the depreciation of the Rupee over the past few months. The Sri Lanka rupee has seen a steady decline against the US dollar since January 2012, from Rs. 114 to the dollar on January 15, to ultimately reach a record high of Rs. 134.8 to the US dollar on June 28, 2012. Prices of toys, cosmetic items and vehicle spare parts have also more..

June 30 (SO) Sri Lanka will be a US$ 100 billion economy earning five billion US dollars in tea exports by 2020 despite the sluggish global business environment, said Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera. He was addressing the 118th AGM of the Colombo Tea Traders Association (CTTA) on Friday. Dr. Jayasundera said Sri Lanka has crossed many critical milestones such as defeating terrorism and achieving economic prosperity within a short span. more..

July 1 (Island) Muslim political circles were speculating about the possibility of SLMC Leader Rauf Hakeem considering standing as chief minister for the Eastern Province in the forthcoming provincial elections. Hakeem threw his hat into the ring in alliance with the UNP at the last EPC election but Pillayan won the battle. Hakeem and other SLMC leaders who had resigned their parliamentary seats to run for the EPC more..

July 1 (Island) Former UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya has called on "all political forces’’ in the country to unite and oppose the "tyranical’’ presidential system that had concentrated power in the hands of a single individual to the detriment of the country. "As a member of the UNP, the country’s single largest political party, I believe that the time is right to call upon my fellow members of opposition to unite in shedding our differences, more..

July 1 (ST) The Z-score calculation for university admission is once again in the spotlight following last week’s Supreme Court decision, with the new development bringing fresh hope to some students and confusion to others while education authorities are embroiled in a blame game. The Supreme Court ordered the UGC to annul the 2011 G.C.E. A/L exam Z-score calculation and recalculate for the old and new syllabus separately. more..

July 1 (NS) The validity of Pakistan’s off-spinner Saeed Ajmal’s bowling action has once again been raised with Sri Lanka expressing their concern to ICC match referee David Boon during the first Test played at Galle last week. Ajmal took seven wickets in the Galle Test all top-order batsmen, but Pakistan yet finished on the losing side being beaten by 209 runs as the Test ended inside four days. more..

June 30 (SO) Sri Lanka will strengthen its laws by bringing in new amendments to the Immigration and Emigration Act to prevent the country being used as a safe haven for human smuggling, Controller of Immigration and Emigration Chulananda Perera said. Sri Lanka will take steps to put a stop to human smuggling by introducing severe punishment for the offenders under the proposed amendments to be presented in Parliament soon, he said. The Legal Draftsman’s Department has already approved more..

July 1 (ST) Despite persistent media exposures particularly in the Sunday Times of tender irregularities at the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), the crisis over the procurement of petroleum products continues, sources said.In the latest allegedly irregular tender, a fuel oil purchase contract that had been extended for six months has been worked out in such a way that the country stands to lose more than Rs. 1 billion, more..

July 1 (NS) Due to current conditions of drought, reservoirs across the country are reporting dangerously low water levels. Officials from the Ministry of Power and Energy pointed out to The Nation that, if current conditions prevail or worsen, long power cuts throughout the country will be inevitable very soon. Currently, the national power grid receives 14 percent of generated electricity through hydro power sources, the official pointed out, while 86 percent is via thermal sources. more..

July 1 (NS) Despite the setting up of a ‘one stop shop’ at the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) to cut down red tape, bureaucracy issues which are deeply rooted into the current system of investment approval is acting as one of the biggest impediments to attracting and rolling out some of the most feasible foreign and local investment projects associated to tourism development, acknowledges the Chief of the SLTDA. According to Dr Nalaka Godahewa, more..

July 1 (CG) A seven year old child from Kirullapane was found dead this morning after she was believed to have been raped and killed by two teenagers, the police said. The child, identified as Krishna Kumari, was reported missing last night after attending a religious event at Sidhartha Road. Investigations were launched and the body of the child was found in a canal opposite a house in Narahempita this morning. more..

July 1 (Island) An exciting weekend of activities will be held in Kalpitiya as preparations are in full swing for Sri Lanka’s first ever Redbull Kitesurfing race scheduled to be held on July 7 - 8. Divyaa Lagoon Resort - the only luxury boutique hotel in Kalpitiya will play host to the event including a fantastic after-party on Saturday night with DJ’s, BBQ’s, cocktails and more. On Saturday morning guests and visitors can enjoy watching the exciting Kitesurf race. more..

July 1 (Island) A 23-inch, ancient bronze sword embedded with 20 red colored valuable stones and lion’s faces designing the handle was found hidden in a house at Daladapura in Talawa, Anuradhapura recently. Police believe that this is a priceless artifact from the time of ancient kings. It was discovered with the sheath also intact. A suspect arrested in this connection had claimed he had come across this invaluable object while clearing his home garden. more..

July 1 (Xinhua) A skilled long range shooter, K. Vijiyan who used his gun with perfect accuracy against Sri Lanka's military during the country's brutal three decades of war has now come forward to shoot for the country. "We were hardly aware that shooting required expertise knowledge, technique and more than anything strict discipline," Vijiyan one of the rehabilitated Tamil Tiger rebels who is undergoing training to use weapons for more..

July 1 (NS) The fact that the island's vehicle registrations, which has not accelerated at same pace on par with the country's per capita income during the last five years is a blessing in disguise as Sri Lankan roads would not have been able to cope with the traffic on the existent roads, the Head of the Motor Traffic Department, popularly known as RMV said Friday. Speaking at the Annual General Meeting of the Ceylon Motor Traders Association (CMTA) on Friday, the Commissioner of Motor Traffic, H S Harischandra revealed that more..

July 1 (SL) Over 15 percent of the population in the North Central province are suffering from the Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Aetiology (CKDU), the Health Ministry said. According to Health Ministry spokesman W.M.D Wanninayake research was carried out in the area with the assistance of the World Health Organization (WHO) to investigate the magnitude of the spread of the disease. Wanninayake said that Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena convened a more..

July 1 (Island) Securing global expertise to mine Sri Lanka’s rich mineral resources – a lucrative industry largely relegated to the backwoods by the three-decade war – has now come under focus with the door open for key foreign players, officials said last week. Finding the right investors for mining projects translates into millions of dollars in dividends for Sri Lanka, they noted. "In some countries, mining mineral resources more..

July 1 (NS) Military intelligence has received information of an increasing number of armed groups operating with political backing in Batticaloa. Intelligence sources said that there are around 150 armed persons in these groups. Sources said the groups included several Muslim factions consisting of around 90 members. It is said that some of these groups were initially with the LTTE and functioned independently after the organization was militarily defeated. more..

July 1 (SL) The Media Ministry says it is monitoring the activities of around 4 to 5 websites which publish mostly gossip news and are also not registered. Media Ministry Secretary W.B. Ganegala said that instructions had been issued over and over again for news websites operating in Sri Lanka to be registered. However he said that so far only 45 websites have registered with the govt information department while many others have not. He said that most websites which more..

July 1 (CI) The Colombo weather hurt Pakistan's push for a result, allowing only 44.2 overs on the second day, during which the visitors added 154 for 3 to their overnight 334. It could have been worse for Pakistan after the slow start they made to the day, but their batsmen showed more urgency as the clouds gathered. Azhar Ali might have slowed down in the 90s, but he made up for it through some urgent accumulation after more..

July 1 (SL) Hundreds of people who collected gold from the Pugoda river close to Kelaniya must now submit in writing the amount of gold they collected or money obtained after selling the gold. Chairman of the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Authority (AEA) Dr N. P. Wijeyananda said that forms have been issued to those who collected gold from the area to furnish the required information. He said that the gold rush in Pugoda has now seen a sharp decline after the initial frenzy which more..

July 1 (SL) UNP MPs Palitha Range Bandara and Palitha Theverapperuma swore allegiance to the UNP and its policies, UNP National Organizer Daya Gamage said. There was speculation that Range Bandara and Palitha Thweraperuma may support former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka and his party at future elections. However Gamage said that both MPs had met party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and assured they will stand by the UNP and its policies. Both Range Bandara and Palitha Thweraperuma had more..

July 1 (CG) The United States says the govt has to have an action plan that deals with reconciliation issues. During a live video online chat with journalists from around the world including Sri Lanka, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Michael Posner said that as far as the U.S is concerned there is a big unfinished agenda in Sri Lanka. “We are going to continue to raise those issues with the govt,” more..

July 1 (TOI) The deputy high commissioner of Sri Lanka in India R K M A Rajakaruna on Saturday gave away 58 birth and citizenship certificates to children of Sri Lankan Tamils living in refugee camps in the state. The envoy thanked the state government for providing the Sri Lankan nationals relief measures. "The time has come where our people are now wishing to return to Sri Lanka. We now welcome all our citizens back to the motherland," Rajakaruna said. more..

July 1 (AME) Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Al Hilal Bank, Mashreq's Islamic Banking Division, Mashreq Al Islami, Noor Islamic Bank and United Bank Limited arranged the facility as Mandated Lead Arrangers and Bookrunners The facility structure is as per Islamic Sharia'a principles and was subscribed in US$ and Dhs. Mashreq Al Islami acted as the Coordinating Bank. For Sri Lankan Airlines, this financing marks their debut in the international syndicated loan market. more..

July 1 (LT) The govt has only the advantage of intimidation; it will gain nothing from a fair, free and democratic election says the Member of the Political Bureau of the JVP MP Anura Dissanayake. “The election process of the govt is not to give democratic rights to the masses or an attempt to find out the opinion of the masses through a fair and free election. It is only a knavish and arbitrary need of the govt to grab more power. more..

July 1 (CI) Hundreds from Dean Elgar and Faf du Plessis led South Africa A to a commanding position against Sri Lanka A in the first unofficial Test in Durban. Having resumed on 141 for 2, South Africa A asserted their authority through a 292-run stand for the third wicket. Despite losing wickets at the end of the day, they were on course to bat only once. Elgar, who has played sparsely since making his comeback from a knee injury, was on 78 overnight and added 93 runs to his total. more..

July 1 (PTI) With cases of dengue rising sharply, the police along with defence forces today arrested 53 persons from Colombo for failing to prevent breeding of mosquitoes around their homes. "Some 11,000 household were checked in the special campaign and 53 persons were arrested for having dengue mosquito breeding grounds," police spokesman Ajith Rohana said. Health officials also assisted the police and defence forces in the operation which was carried out between 9am and 4pm. more..

July 1 (SMH) AUSTRALIAN authorities are rushing to upgrade quarantine facilities at the remote Cocos Islands, confirming fears that people smugglers from Sri Lanka and southern India have chosen the island group as a new frontier in the asylum seeker trade. A jet load of stretchers, washing machines, dryers, antiseptic and other supplies was flown out of Christmas Island early yesterday, bound for the Cocos Islands, more..

July 2 (SL) TO accord Upcountry Lions first division rugby status in the first year of it coming into being is not a concession that’ll find universal approval. The popular belief is that, had not the Union decided to put on sale first division slots to new clubs for a fee of Rs.2m. and had not the Upcountry Lions been located in the electorate of Sport Minister Mahindananda Aluthgagame, the Nawalapitiya-based club might not have seen the light of day. more..

July 2 (SL) This column dedicated to the notion of fulfilling the aspirations of Sri Lankan society turns its spotlight on the existence of political goons as Sri Lankan society would aspire to be rid of such goons in order to lead a peaceful existence in our country. Last week it was reported in the media that a person named Julampitiye Amare who had 100 warrants issued by the Courts and who is a prime suspect in the murder of a young boy and a woman who attended a JVP pocket meeting, more..

July 2 (DBS) When the Secretary of our Party, Maitripala Sirisena, asked me whether I would like to join the party’s reorganization campaign in Batticaloa district, I had no hesitation in accepting. It may not have been a very rational decision considering the fact that my Labugolla Farm in Hataraliyadde is on the border of Sabaragamuwa district where a similar party reorganization campaign was in progresss. It would have been very convenient for me to more..

July 2 (CT) FUTA is dismayed by the statements issued by the UGC and the CVCD (Committee of Vice Chancellors and Directors) on the trade union action of a continuous strike called by the Federation of University Teachers (FUTA) from 4th July, 2012. The statements suggest that FUTA has undertaken this trade union action in wilful disregard of the welfare of students and the larger society, without any attempt at negotiation, without the consensus of the academic community, more..

July 2 (CT) Mr. Hemakumara Nanayakkara has made history, he was not shy or afraid, its better late than never, he saw this devilish political business is going from bad to worse. I wonder if it is the astrologer’s advice that this small country should have air ports at every corner, while the need for better roads at village level is ignored. Travelling by road brings people together within four hours one could reach north, south and east while enjoying the remarkable scenery which warms ones heart. But since we are governed by corrupt more..

July 2 (SO) Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga was the chief guest at the event held to launch the publication History of Royal College – 1985 to 2010 at the College premises.His adress to the gathering: "I am greatly honoured to have been invited by the Principal of Royal College, my alma mater, to be the chief guest at the launch of a landmark publication, History of Royal College – 1985 to 2010. more..

July 2 (DBS) Bereavement for families of a missing person is an unrelenting anguish. The suddenness of a person vanishing and not knowing what has happened, disallows the family to accept the finality of death. Saroja Devi and Tharsalamma, the mothers of Leon Roxi and Hudson Lorantine, the uncertainty of not knowing whether their sons are dead or alive after they went missing in 2008 know the never ending feeling of anguish all too well. The trauma and grief in the more..

July 2 (DBS) What began with a stay order preventing protests from taking place in Jaffna on June 18, has ended with the editor of a Tamil newspaper being called to court and asked to apologise for an article. Editor of Tamil newspaper, Uthayan, Thevanayagam Premananth, was last Friday summoned to court by Jaffna Magistrate over an article published in Thursday’s edition of the newspaper. more..

July 2 (SL) The Governor of Central Bank, Ajith Nivard Cabraal spoke extensively with Faraz Shauketaly on a number of key economic factors and on allegations of the Governor’s qualifications for that position. Q: What do you attribute the current Dollar Rate to? The consensus was that this rate was to be gradual. Does this mean that FDI and other inflows like Foreign Remittances has not been as expected? more..

July 2 (SO) Hambegamuwa and Thanamalwila located in the Uva province have been a safe haven for Ganja (Cannabis Sativa) growers for several decades due to its jungle terrain infested with wild elephants, buffaloes and wildboar. The area borders the Southern province. Only a handful of farmers till the land in the state forest reserves illicitly to grow cannabis that bring them a substantial profit than any other crop. But in recent years, wealthy businessmen from the deep south have shown a keen interest in cannabis cultivation as more..