Aug 26 (Island) Governor of the Uva province Nanda Mathew said that the Governors would have to fix a date between Sept 20 and the next Presidential elections to hold the 17th annual meeting of the Governors’ Association in the province. Governor Mathew said that all matters such as the agenda for the next Governors’ meeting would be taken by incumbent President of the Governors’ Association, Governor of the Sabragamuwa Province W.J.M. Lokubandara in consultation with more..

Aug 26 (GDI) Minister Basil Rajapaksa declared open recently, the newly refurbished Avenra Beach Hotel – Hikkaduwa with the participation of Chairman of the Avenra group Dhanesh De Silva. Hikkaduwa Avenra Beach Hotel is a beautiful hotel that is located on a strip of land between the sea and taking maximum advantage of the beach front. Avenra Hotel consists of 60 rooms, swimming pool, conference and banqueting hall which can seat 450, restaurant and many more facilities more..

Aug 26 (CT) Education – a glorious enterprise in this enlightened century increasingly purveys and panders to the economically viable forms of knowledge' and skills, meant to take the world from metaphorical darkness to literal light or vice versa. In Sri Lanka, the land where education is free, the eternally grovelling critics sprouting the snivelling grievances of the common man, represented by the Ceylon Teachers' Union more..

Aug 26 (DM) Chandra Kumara alias Selva who was slapped by a girl at the Wariyapola bus stand was admitted to the Wariyapola hospital yesterday after complaining of a hearing problem in one of his ears, hospital sources said. According to hospital sources, steps have been taken to transfer him to the Kurunegala hospital for further examination. Over the past few days, the video depicting a girl slapping a youth at the Wariyapola bus stand went viral on social media. more..

Aug 26 (Reuters) Sri Lankan rupee traded weaker on Tuesday as importer dollar demand outpaced inward remittances and exporter dollar sales, dealers said. The dealers said they expect the local currency to remain steady for the rest of the year after positive comments by the central bank chief last week. Central bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal said last week the banking regulator would intervene in the thinly-traded market whenever required to keep the rupee stable. more..

Aug 26 (AJ) Since ending its civil war in 2009, Sri Lanka has become increasingly financially dependent on China, receiving an estimated $4bn worth of loans, grants and aid. While govt officials maintain the loans have brought to fruition much-needed infrastructure projects, opposition politicians warn the country is being led down a path of financial reliance on China. Nearly 70 percent of Sri Lanka's infrastructure projects, including more..

Aug 26 (AM) BBS General Secretary Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera today questioned the role of Ministry of Social Integration and that of Minister Vasudewa Nanayakkara saying the ministry and the minister have done nothing to strengthen social integration in Sri Lanka. Gnanasara Thera said Minister Nanayakkara had done nothing to fulfill his responsibilities, apart from “flying kites” at Galle Face to develop national harmony in the country. The kite festival was organized by more..

Aug 26 (Island) Public, semi-govt and Private Sector Trade Union Alliance will stage a protest opposite the Fort Railway Station tomorrow over several demands including a salary increment of Rs. 10,000. Convener of the Alliance Saman Rathnapriya said that they had decided to stage a protest as the National Salaries and Cadre Commission did not respond to their letter requesting a discussion on Aug 13. He said that according to the Cost of Living index of the govt, all employees needed more..

Aug 26 (DT) Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt is scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka on a three-day visit on Wednesday on the invitation of Commander of Sri Lanka Air Force Air Marshal KA Gunatilleke. During his stay, the air chief will call on President Rajapaksa and meet top military leadership including Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and the services chiefs, according to a message received more..

Aug 26 (CG) Grammy award winning saxophonist Kenny G is scheduled to perform in SL in November this year. His official website has listed him to perform on Nov 15 at the Royal College Sports Complex. Kenny G is the biggest-selling instrumental musician of the modern era and one of the best-selling artists of all time, with global sales totaling more than 75 million records. Kenny G won the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition for Forever in Love. more..

Aug 26 (DM) The Ice Bucket challenge started by an American to raise funds for his friend suffering from a deadly Motor Neurone Disease has been converted into a publicity stunt by some local politicians who blindly follow whatever that comes from the West, UNP MP Mangala Samaraweera said today. He said these politicians who had come into politics using the names of their fathers have begun to waste water when taking part in this so-called challenge when people in several parts more..

Aug 26 (DM) Central Environment Authority (CEA) said it has not completed the preparation of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Puttalam garbage dump project despite a published, approved cabinet paper stating the EIA was completed and that the project could be implemented. At the Cabinet meeting held on August 14, approval was given for the transfer and disposal of solid waste from Colombo area more..

Aug 26 (AD) Police today arrested eight suspects along with a haul of illegally imported foreign liqour and cigarettes worth around Rs 100 million at a residence in Borella. The suspects were arrested in a raid carried out by officers of the Police organized crime and anti vice squad, acting on information received by the IGP. They were involved in a racket of illegally importing cigarettes and alcohol into the country, SSP Ajith Rohana said. Suspects had rented out a residence on Sheffield Road, more..

Aug 26 (LT) The govt, unable to bear a certain defeat at the Uva PC election, is deploying thugs to create panic in Monaragala District. As it has no certainty regarding winning Badulla District it is attempting to plunder votes in Monaragala to gain seats to form the PC states the General Secretary of the JVP Tilvin Silva adding that Mr. Shasheendra Rajapaksa is at the forefront of the campaign to violate election laws. “The govt, from the beginning of the election campaign is carrying out more..

Aug 26 (DM) Seven people, who are alleged to have stolen a colonial era passport issued to a Sub Inspector attached to the then Ceylon Police Force, were arrested by the Kollupitiya police while they were attempting to sell it for Rs.30 million. Policemen pretending to be prospective buyers had arrested the suspects near a private bank in Colombo 7. Seven suspects were produced before Colombo Fort Magistrate more..

Aug 26 (AD) The govt’s resolution to appoint foreign experts to advice the committee probing into complaints regarding missing persons is a foolish decision, Minister Champika Ranawaka said. Minister Ranawaka made the observation at last night’s 360 Ada Derana TV program. He pointed out that if the Sri Lankan army forces to be blamed over this matter, sooner or later, the full responsibility would have to be taken by those who decided to do so. Minister went on saying that more..

Aug 26 (Hindu) The issue relating to frequent arrests of TN fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy should be resolved politically and diplomatically, the Supreme Court observed on Tuesday. A three-judge Bench of CJ R.M. Lodha and Justices Kurian Joseph and Rohinton Nariman made this observation while disposing of writ petitions filed by former DMK MP A.K.S. Vijayan and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha M. Thambidurai seeking the court’s intervention to resolve the issue. more..

Aug 26 (DM) India has turned down a TNA request for the appointment of a special envoy to resolve the national question in Sri Lanka. TNA leader R. Sampanthan is said to have made this request when he met Indian PM Narendra Modi, but sources close to the TNA said the Indian leader had not responded positively to this request. The TNA had reportedly said that the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was insufficient as a power more..

Aug 27 (CT) A bit belatedly for the 25th death anniversary of Dr N.M.Perera that fell on August 14th, I came across a moving tribute by an ordinary citizen. The writer is Mr Sarath Hewagama of Colombo 5, Acting Manager of the People’s Bank where, true to his socialist beliefs, NM apparently did his banking. Mr Hewagama’s letter was published as a Letter to the Editor in the Ceylon Daily News of August 23, 2004. I thought the readers of the Colombo Telegraph will appreciate it, more..

Aug 27 (CT) I had a bizarre experience recently when I had to attend what is termed Standing Committee B of Parliament, which deals with legislation. This was in connection with the Vasantha Senanayake Foundation (Incorporation) Bill which I had sponsored. The experience was rendered worse by the Minutes which I received subsequently, which bore no relation to what had actually taken place. I presume that there is some formula for reporting the meetings of these Standing Committees, more..

Aug 27 (SO) It was hard to say if she held back tears or if she had none in her little eyes. It was also hard to say if she had any recollection of her actions of the day before. There was not a trace of trepidation despite being surrounded by strangers. All she had was a blank expression on that small round face. In fact the 13- year-old who was arrested by the Badalkumbura police last Thursday showed no emotion at all. more..

Aug 27 (Island) Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), the National ICT Solutions Provider together with the Ministry of Education (MoE) and Ministry of Telecommunications & Information Technology launched "Sisu-Connect", an especially architected virtual telephone platform to bridge the much-needed "Children-Parent" communication gap that occurs when children are away from their parents. The Sisu-Connect communication service was launched under the patronage of more..

Aug 27 (DN) An all night Pirith Chanting ceremony was held in the auditorium of the Sri Lanka Mission to the United Nations on Friday, July 18 under the patronage of Major General Shavendra Silva, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations, in the presence of a gathering of Sri Lankans from New York, New Jersey and other surrounding states. Monks from the Sri Lankan temples of New York City, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Staten Island and more..

Aug 27 (CT) Q: You are a brother of a Minister who faces lot of allegations. What do you think about that? A: I can swear upon name of my son is a trainee pilot, that I have no connection to them. Q: OK. Let us start from there. Are you a businessman? A: Yes. Now I am a businessman. Q: How did you start? A: I began with an investment of Rs. 75,000, which was borrowed from two of my friends. Q: After that? A: I met Minister more..

Aug 27 (NS) Quietly reflecting on the current predicament of our own country on the diplomatic front where neo-colonialists have, by passing the recent Geneva resolution against her, with barefaced aggression and having effectively put a noose round her neck, through the manipulation of the venal functionaries of certain ‘international’ bodies, in order to tighten it in the future for their own ends while caring nothing for the mental relief and physical security of her long suffering more..

Aug 27 (Island) There are attempts by some people who are mainly interested in maintaining the western Christian hegemony to paint a rosy picture of the Western Governmental Organizations in the country as innocent outfits. These organizations are referred to as NGOs the name given by the westerners themselves, and our so called intellectuals who can imitate but not create any knowledge, continue to use the tag the NGOs. The moment one identifies the WGOs as NGOs their structures more..

Aug 27 (CT) LSSP leader and Senior Minister Tissa Vitarana, said President Rajapaksa, prior to the crossing over of a band of UNP dissidents to the UPFA Govt in 2007, had been having discussions with them to replace the Executive Presidency with an executive style of Prime Ministerial System in the country. "But talks failed after the crossing over of those UNP dissidents led by Karu Jayasuriya then, which effectively meant that UPFA govt more..

Aug 27 (CG) “We wish to extend our invitation to Japan – Sri Lanka Business Co-operation Committee to consider inviting SME’s in Japan to set up their manufacturing facilities in Sri Lanka and make use of the opportunity of entering Indian and Pakistan markets through the present Free Trade Agreements Sri Lanka is enjoying with these two countries. Indeed, many of Japan’s SMEs have come to rely more on international markets,” said Daya Weththasinghe, President of more..

Aug 27 (NS) Sri Lanka’s National Human Development Report for 2014 was launched by UNDP on Aug 12 which happened to be International Youth Day. The theme for this year’s report was ‘Youth and Development’. The NHDR provides some great analysis on Sri Lanka’s youth from a human development perspective. Here is a list of 10 things, inspired by the report, that I feel need to change in Sri Lanka’s system of education. 1) Even though govt spending on education more..

Aug 27 (FT) Asserting that appointing a common candidate is the path to victory, UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake said that as a UNPer, he would be delighted to see a UNP nominee accepted by all Opposition parties; however, if that is not acceptable, there must be a sharing of opinion on how to pick that common candidate. “Anybody who can’t share that common candidate together is only an agent of the govt,” he emphasised, in an interview more..

Aug 27 (CI) 0: Number of times that that a 300-plus total has been successfully chased down in an ODI in Sri Lanka. The highest total that has been chased down successfully in Sri Lanka is the 288 that Pakistan had set Sri Lanka at Dambulla in 2009. There have been two instances of teams, India and Sri Lanka, scoring 300-plus runs during an ODI chase in Sri Lanka, but both came in close losses. 6: Number of Pakistan wicketkeepers to have effected 50 ODI dismissals. more..

Aug 27 (Island) A presidential order banning the use of glyphosate (a potent weedkiller commonly known as ‘Round-Up’) has been implemented at long last, but only in the districts of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Kurunegala, Moneragala and some parts of Badulla in view of the Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). CKD described as multifactorial has already snuffed out thousands of lives and is spreading to non-endemic areas. Some scientists and doctors believe that glyphosate is more..

Aug 27 (FT) Hot on the heels of the Floating Market opening, the landmark ‘Dutch Hospital’ building within the Galle Fort, refurbished by the Govt as an exclusive modern shopping complex while maintaining its old world charm, will be opened this week. UDA officials who undertook the demanding task of restoring and developing the Galle Dutch Hospital had completed the project, preserving its original architectural aspect more..

Aug 27 (Island) We are not simply basking in the glory of a military victory, that is certainly not the attitude of Mr. Rajapaksa and of this country. On the contrary, we are reflecting deeply on the causes of the conflict, how it was that we were able to accomplish what is seen by the world as a miracle. Nobody believed that it would be possible for this country in the field of battle to vanquish the most relentless terrorist organization that flourished in the world. more..

Aug 27 (CI) Dilshan had begun the innings in typically flamboyant fashion, hitting three early boundaries before there was a caught-behind appeal off Junaid Khan in the second over. The umpire turned it down, but the wicketkeeper Umar Akmal was absolutely certain, signalling for the referral at least a dozen times as he walked up to discuss with his team-mates. His confidence convinced Misbah to go for the appeal though neither Snicko nor Hot Spot is available more..

Aug 27 (CI) The varying rhythms of the one-day game were on full display in the second ODI in Hambantota, where the spinners thrived and the quicks toiled in a high-scoring encounter. There were bursts of boundaries alternating with periods of lull, with Sri Lanka's run-rate sharply increasing and decreasing through their innings, till a final blast lifted them beyond 300. The hosts began in a hurry despite losing more..

Aug 27 (DN) The seaweed culture project which commenced in the Northern Province has created over 20,000 employment opportunities, Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said. The Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Ministry launched a number of fish breeding projects with the support of affiliated institutions, he added. “We have already exported the first seaweed container from the project in the Northern Province. Sea weed is a very popular food item in Japan. more..

Aug 27 (CT) Tourism industry experts say, the local travel agents have not provided enough support to the development of the domestic tourism market and to fortify the industry, despite its importance to the country. Traveleye.lk CEO and Managing Director Pradeepthi Hemachandra said there was great potential in the domestic tourism market, but only a very few companies had tapped into it, as everybody was keen on the foreign markets and dollars only. He pointed out that, domestic tourism more..

Aug 27 (CT) In an on-going endeavour to enhance the living standards and lifestyles of estate workers, the Planters' Association of Ceylon announced the latest housing scheme for estate workers across the seven regions of Hatton, Nuwara Eliya, Ratnapura, Kegalle, Galle, Kandy and Badulla, being implemented by the Plantation Human Development Trust, a tripartite organization of Regional Plantation Companies, more..

Aug 27 (Island) Paragraph 10 (b) of the UNHRC Resolution of March 2014 on Sri Lanka calls for the investigation of alleged HUMAN RIGHTS violations during the period Feb 2002 to May 2009. The UN Secretary General’s Panel of Experts, on the other hand, states that alleged violations during the "final states of the armed conflict" should be investigated on the basis of provisions of HUMANITARIAN LAW. These incompatible guidelines would set in place different parameters as to how more..