Aug 4 (SM) Lanka news paper reveals that Mr. Dayasiri Jayasekera is possessing a Hummer jeep and is using it in his election Campaign. Such a jeep exceeds 70 Million Rupees in Sri Lanka. When Sri Lanka Mirror inquired about this from Mr. Jayasekera's office, an official told that the vehicle has been given to Mr. Dayasiri by an egg merchant named Sarath Rathnayake to be used in the election campaign. Meanwhile another UNP candidate named J.C. Alavathugoda is also using more..

Aug 4 (MED) The Chefs’ Guild of Sri Lanka presents ‘The Battle of the Chefs,’ a trade show and culinary competition. The opening ceremony took place at the BMICH with Minister Basil Rajapaksa as the Chief Guest. The show will be open to the public from 2 to 4 August. The main objective of The Chefs Guild in hosting this show is to provide a platform for upcoming chefs to display their skill, technique and creativity more..

Aug 4 (PTI) Inclement weather played spoilsport as the first 'Youth ODI' between India and Sri Lanka did not yield any result after splendid batting by the visitors, here today. Put into bat, India scored an imposing 301 for five in their stipulated 50 overs while Sri Lanka were 63 for one in 14.1 overs when heavens opened up. The Lankans were chasing a revised target of 295 in 48 overs but the match could not be started following a heavy downpour. For India, skipper Vijay Zol (76) again did the more..

Aug 4 (Island) Hatton National Bank (HNB) its 200th school library was ceremoniously declared open by Mr A J Alles, Managing Director/CEO at the Kopai Nawalar Tamil Vidyalayam, Jaffna on 12 July. HNB when it embarked on a project to provide 100 libraries for some of the most deserving schools in remote areas of the country considered the venture more than just another CSR initiative. Achieving double the original target with the setting up of the 200th school library in Jaffna more..

Aug 4 (CG) A media trade union today launched a black wrist band campaign in protest over the recent attacks on local journalists. The Sri Lanka Journalists’ Trade Union (SLJTU) questioned the validity of the media accreditation issued by the Govt Information Department (GID) given the continuous attacks on media personnel while on duty. President of the SLJTU, Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema, said that accreditation card is more..

Aug 4 (CG) The UNP claims, based on reports received from Rathupaswala in Weliweriya, over seven people had been killed during the clashes last week. According to official figures 3 people had died as of today and at least two others are in critical condition. UNP MP Mangala Samaraweera said that according to reports, six people had died by yesterday and that figure rose further today. He said not only did the govt give bullets in place of water for the public in Weliweriya, it is now more..

Aug 4 (DM) The UNP is being destroyed by certain members who publicly call for unity within the party while secretly undercutting others to safeguard their party posts, party front-liner Sajith Premadasa said. He said this had undermined the expectations of those members who were longing to see the UNP forming a govt. “Underhand activities of some cut-throats continue to shatter the dreams of loyal members who have stood by the party for more than 20 years through thick and thin hoping to more..

Aug 4 (CI) It was South Africa against Kumar Sangakkara again, this time in Hambantota, and the visiting bowling unit managed to overcome and guarantee their side a trophy. In vicious winds, South Africa's attack held their nerve to defend a challenging total and ensure the series was won with a game to play. Sangakkara was the only batsman to mount a challenge and lacked the support South Africa's line-up gave more..

Aug 5 (SL) Sri Lanka cricket is entitled to feel a sense of wellbeing following its 4/1 success over South Africa in the just concluded five-match ODI series. It should be noted however that the South African shave never won a series on the island’s shores, last week’s loss being the third since the Proteas first visit here back in 1993. In their previous visit, in 2004, fate had, in fact, dealt the visitors a harsher blow than it did in this time – a 5-nothing thrashing at the hands of Marvan's team. more..

Aug 5 (DBS) I was GA and District Secretary Jaffna at that time, and was not directly a victim of the pogrom, but was very much involved with the care of around 60,000 victims who moved into Jaffna in the days and weeks following the pogrom. But that is not all. My story starts earlier, around 1980, during the time that I was posted to the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration. I had an unexpected visit from Prof. A. J. Wilson and Dr Neelan Tiruchelvam. I did not know it then, more..

Aug 5 (SO) The UPFA candidate for the September 21 Northern PC elections Mudiyappu Remedious (Attorney-at-Law), a former TNA councillor of the Jaffna MC said that with the huge development activities implemented by the Govt for rebuilding the war-ravaged province, the multifarious programs for providing enhanced livelihood facilities for the resettled people and, above all, the people's growing sense of dislike towards the TNA more..

Aug 5 (DBS) At long last, after an interminable wait, four years since the end of the war, the people of the North have been given the opportunity to exercise their right to elect their Provincial Council, their representatives. The gazette notification has given the Elections Commissioner the go ahead to make arrangements for the conduct of a free and fair election. The process was moving at its usual pace. Much to the surprise of all, the Northern Provincial Council election has all too unexpectedly more..

Aug 5 (SL) You read newspapers, listen to radio, watch TV, and hear talk and other gossip almost every day. No doubt you receive much knowledge by doing so. However, most media now pour misleading information on their audiences. Such rubbish takes several forms: allegations, evasions, exaggerations, double meaning and many more. Here are two such instances. One involves a UNP MP and a radio station. Both are hilarious, or as John Milton states “laughter holding both its more..

Aug 5 (CT) On Thursday, before the Army turned its guns on the public, a senior military official, who was commanding the troops there, delivered a stern message to the media crews, which had been covering the protest. "Get out. Don't take photos. You are not wanted here," he said in an intimidating voice. The soldiers, armed to the teeth, stood next to him. Hours later, a contingent of battle hardened troops, who once formed the more..

Aug 5 (CT) As many Tamils in the Pettah see it, one of the aims of the violence was to bring ruin on them and have their places taken by Sinhalese supporters of the UNP. A particular sequence did not pass unnoticed. On 25th July the almost wholly Tamil-owned wholesale market in food grains in the Pettah (e.g. 4th & 5th Cross Streets, Keyzer Street etc.) was consigned to flames. On 3rd August Athulathmudali, minister of trade and shipping, called a meeting of retail traders more..

Aug 5 (CT) When I was a child, the famous Sri Lankan artist Victor Rathnayaka held a series of musical shows called “Sa”. I joined my family to experience this show in Galle Town Hall, where all important public events were held at that time. Perhaps that was my first experience in a public event. Apart from the memorable artistic experience, I can never forget how people crowded at the entrance and tried to push each other to get in. As a child I stood no chance, because more..

Aug 5 (NS) Some years ago, a young Army officer was scheduled to address some professionals among whom were senior academics. He detected restlessness. There was chattering in the rows. He began thus: ‘Dhammena heenang pashabbhi samaanang’, there is no difference between a human being lacking discipline and other creatures. There was dead silence. He addressed an alert and attentive audience. more..

Aug 5 (CT) Talking of the post-Black July history is something that earns the ire of Separatists. The reason is clear. Atrocities committed by Velupillai Prabhakaran in the post-Black July history do not warrant any opportunity for separatists to justify or trivialize the conduct of the LTTE. The concept of ‘Eelam’ is inherently flawed in the first place. Adding to its in-built flaws, the LTTE took the political concept of “Eelam” towards a new level i.e., Barbarianism. more..

Aug 5 (SO) Malkanthi was a comely village lass. Her doe-shaped eyes and pink rosy cheeks would attract any man and the village men were no exception. She was married to Sumanasena who was also from her own village. She built her marital home with Sumanasena who was a carpenter and they subsequently had three lovely children. They had come to live in the beautiful village of Urubokka. For some time life went on as usual for the family. Sometimes, Sumanasena's job took him more..

Aug 5 (NG) Indian officials once again are discussing a new canal. The proposed canal would shorten the distance and travel time for ocean-going ships along India’s eastern shore. But this proposal has a contentious history of religious, cultural, economic and environmental concerns involving local, regional and international issues. Main purpose of most canals is to provide a shorter, more economical route for traffic. more..

Aug 5 (CT) The savagery let loose in Weliweriya provides every reason to say, important political decisions are made, not by the elected govt, but by those who think they have an unquestionable right to decide on what and how they perceive as right and wrong for Sri Lankans. And now, Sri Lankans for them have no difference and include the Sinhala Buddhist constituency as well. The “Weliweriya protest” as it is now called, was no spontaneous outburst on a flimsy, trivial issue or incident. more..

Aug 5 (ST) Recent discussions on the trade balance and external finances have been mostly in terms of current developments and emerging problems. More important than the yearly fluctuations in the trade balance and changes in the annual reserve positions are the structural weaknesses in the economy that are the underlying causes for the country’s persistent problems in external trade and finances. Corrective actions to change these structural weaknesses are the manner to resolve more..

Aug 5 (CI) The day after South Africa arrived in Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka Premier League's franchise owners missed their second payment deadline, and slammed the door on the tournament's second edition. Sri Lanka Cricket had not quite moved mountains to secure a window for their cash cow, but they had postponed the Test leg of South Africa's tour to 2015. As a one-sided ODI series has helped make clear, SLC's disregard for Tests more..

Aug 5 (CT) The violence let loose on the residents of Rathupaswala village and the adjoining areas, by staging a peaceful protest to highlight the lack of clean drinking water, has resulted in the death of three persons and injuries to over 20. The residents got on to the streets as representations made to the authorities over a long time had not resulted in any remedial action. Sending in the military to quell the protesters, who were unarmed villagers, is like using a sledge hammer to crack a nut. more..

Aug 5 (DN) Commissioner General of Examinations W.M.N.J. Pushpakumara requested students sitting the GCE O/L exam not to attach money along with answer scripts. “If a student attaches money along with any answer script he or she will be called for a special inquiry,” he said. The GCE A/L exam will be held from today to August 31 in 2,164 exam centres. Pushpakumara pointed out that last year, Rs 15,000 in three Rs 5,000 notes was attached along with a Tamil medium answer script. more..

Aug 5 (ST) Last week reported three-fatal accidents caused by speeding tipper lorries, or tippers, loaded with sand mined from rivers, and driven by reckless drivers. One such speeding tipper killed a mother and son on the spot, when it hit the motorcycle they were riding on July 26, around 5.30 a.m. Sumith Bandara (23) and his mother Anula Kumari (42) were on the Hettipola-Naula Road, Laggala, returning home after more..

Aug 5 (CT) A question that has been doing the rounds in Colombo and Jaffna for a long while is what India can possibly do if Sri Lanka amends the 13th Amendment or makes the Tamil majority Northern Provincial Council (NPC) a toothless entity by clipping it of police powers in particular. By and large, the general consensus is that India will fret and fume, rush a special envoy to Colombo with a brief stopover in Chennai, and the flurry of activity will end after a joint presser. more..

Aug 5 (CG) Flash floods have been reported from parts of Nuwara Eliya this evening following heavy rain. Several families have been displaced and they have been transferred to temporary shelters. Sudden increase of southwesterly winds speed is expected during next two days. Meanwhile the Department of Meteorology said that there is a possibility of monsoon winds increasing up to 60-80 kmph over the western and southern seas and over the island particularly along the more..

Aug 5 (ST) Lt. Gen. Daya Ratnayake, the 20th Army Commander who assumed office on Thursday unveils a portrait of the outgoing Army Commander Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya at Army Headquarters. It is clear that the portrait of former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka has been removed as the second frame indicates. In the second frame the former Army Commander Lt. Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya s seen unveiling more..

Aug 5 (CT) A mother of three committed suicide by jumping in front of a moving train, presumably due to her inability to pay off a loan, making it the second instance within a month that a woman had committed suicide due to her inability to pay off the monies she had borrowed. The earlier instance was when a woman from Nawalapitiya committed suicide by jumping into the Mahaweli River, being unable to honour her financial commitments. The woman from Ethgala in Gampola, who had jumped in more..

Aug 5 (Island) JB Securities says Sri Lanka could achieve a higher growth rate if there was greater focus on fiscal consolidation, productivity improvements and export development, and warned that "increasing foreign borrowings coupled with a slow down in economic growth can affect debt dynamics leading to a middle income debt trap". Releasing a report on ‘Sri Lanka: Outlook for Equities 2013/14—Searching for Value’, JB Securities said economic growth, more..

Aug 5 (LBO) Sri Lanka can become a shipping hub with the opening of the 500 million US dollar port Monday which will help secure maritime supply routes. "Sri Lanka has a window of opportunity to get into and become a shipping hub with the opening of the new port with higher capacity ships coming to port," Rita O’Sullivan, Country Director, Sri Lanka, Asian Development Bank said. "There is Singapore and Dubai but the Indian more..

Aug 5 (CT) The two hangmen, who had been recruited by the Welikada Prison, and who were subsequently suspended by the Prison authorities, have appealed they be reinstated, the Commissioner General of Prisons, C. Pallegama said. The two hangmen were suspended after they had failed to report to work last year, contravening Prison regulations. The Commissioner General of Prisons said the two men have appealed to the Public Service Commission (PSC) and more..

Aug 5 (FT) The Dialog Axiata Group has recorded strong growth in revenue across all segments to reach Rs. 15.6 b in Q2 2013 and Rs. 30.9 b for 1H 2013 respectively, representing an increase of 3% Quarter-On-Quarter (QoQ) and 15% year-to-date (YTD). Group EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortisation) increased by 1% QoQ to be recorded at Rs. 5.05 b in Q2 2013. The performance of Q1 2013 is inclusive of the positive impact of a TDC more..

Aug 5 (Island) Mystery surrounds the July 21 broad daylight abduction of a former Inspector attached to the elite STF, from a barber’s saloon at Pelawatte, Battaramulla. Police have so far drawn a blank. According to STF Commandant Chandrasiri Ranawana, they have had no contact with the IP, who left the force about five years ago and all investigations into his disappearance were being handled by the police. more..

Aug 5 (ST) Ministers G.L. Peiris and Anura Priyadharshana Yapa will represent Sri Lanka at the inauguration of new Iranian President Hassan Rowhani in Teheran today. Earlier, Iran’s Majlis Protocol Office Director Mohammad Yasrebi had been widely quoted as saying that 11 presidents, including the Sri Lankan Head of State, would attend the event. However, External Affairs Ministry Secretary Karunatilaka Amunugama said President Mahinda Rajapaksa would not attend. more..

Aug 5 (CG) A drunk driver crashed his van into a three-wheeler last night killing two people and injuring three others in Kosgama. The police media unit said that the van had attempted to overtake a bus along the Colombo – Avisawella road and crashed into the three-wheeler coming on the opposite direction. After crashing into the three-wheeler, the van had hit the bus it was overtaking and then came to a stop. Two women who were in the three wheeler were killed while the driver more..

Aug 5 (Island) The death toll from the military crackdown on a protest at Weliweriya rose to three yesterday with the demise of two more youth in hospital. The police and the army opened fire on a demonstration residents of Weliwerya held against the contamination of ground water in the area due effluents from a rubber product factory. Three other persons are in the ICU of the National Hospital and their condition is very critical, more..

Aug 5 (CityAM) British Airways’ new Colombo route will help open Sri Lanka up to a new generation of tourists, says Lisa Young earlier this year British Airways’ only Sri Lankan Boeing 777 pilot landed one of the company’s jets in his home country for the first time in 15 years. Touching down in Colombo, satisfied a life-long dream for Captain Kiran Mediwake. The airline’s absence in Sri Lanka was due to the armed conflict between the govt and rebel group the Tamil Tigers, more..

Aug 5 (CT) An independent group comprising mostly women candidates who were affected by the war will be contesting the forthcoming Northern Provincial polls. The group comprising 19 candidates is led by Thambipillai Iruthaya Rani. Sixteen of the 19 contestants are women. The group filed their nominations at the District Secretariat, Jaffna, on Thursday. Commenting on their participation, the independent group said, the plight of the widows in the North was pathetic. more..