Jan 30 (SL) With Minister Mervyn Silva being re-appointed SLFP Organiser for Kelaniya after a lapse of about one year, there seems to be pandemonium in the area once again. Silva resumed work in the electorate on Thursday (23) with the distribution of school books to 1,500 scholarship recipients and also donated Rs 50,000 each to 46 Buddhist temples in the electorate, one Christian church, one Hindu and one mosque. more..

Jan 30 (SLA) President Rajapaksa, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Wednesday took his time off to gift a new baby elephant to the Army’s Sri Lanka Light Infantry (SLLI) Regiment as its mascot, Kandula VIII and another one to the Police during a brief ceremony at the Temple Trees. Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake, Commander of the Army, himself from the SLLI Regiment, on behalf of all ranks in the SLLI accepted documents, more..

Jan 30 (Island) A major water supply scheme in Batticaloa had been started using the water resources available in Ampara without facing an iota opposition from Muslims and Sinhalese living there but the Tamils living in Jaffna could not access the water available in Kilinochchi despite it being a fundamental right. "This is the dilemma faced by the Tamil community. What sort of unity are we talking about?" more..

Jan 30 (DM) Two actresses and one songstress who applied for nominations to contest in the Colombo District from the SLFP under the UPFA would not be receiving nominations, according to the SLFP Headquarters sources. The two actresses, Ruwanthi Mangala and Gayesha Perera and songstress Anne White alias Ginger had gone for interviews for nominations that were held at the SLFP Headquarters recently. more..

Jan 30 (Guardian) Five members of a criminal gang who smuggled Sri Lankans into the UK through Channel ports have been jailed. The men, four Sri Lankans and one British national, helped illegal immigrants attempting to reach the UK by smuggling them in vehicles and charging them £4,500 each for the service, according to the Home Office. Many of the smuggling attempts were foiled by Border Force officers who discovered more..

Jan 30 (Island) UPFA will finalise its nominations for the PC Elections today. A spokesman for the UNP said that his party would finalise the lists of its candidates before the end of this month. Nominations will be accepted from today. There are 4,024,614 voters in the Western Province where 104 members will be elected, while there are 1,873,804 voters in the Southern Province where 57 members are to be elected. more..

Jan 30 (CI) Sri Lanka recorded their second biggest ever Test win by an innings, wrapping up the first Test an hour after lunch on the fourth day with Bangladesh still 248 runs short of making the visitors bat again. An innings deficit of 498 was demoralising enough for Bangladesh to capitulate without a fight, and there was no stoic resistance from them to take the game to the fifth day, let alone save the game. Sri Lanka's seamers began more..

Jan 30 (CT) If there was ever a disease that had more stigma attached to the one infected, it would be very difficult to outdo Leprosy. Streaming down from Biblical days, Leprosy has been haunting the spirit of man, sapping away his energy, debilitating his body and benumbing his mind. History records how people infected with the disease were often confined against their will in leper colonies and how in Medieval Europe, they were required to carry a bell to identify their presence. more..

Jan 30 (LBO) Stocks close 0.4% lower Thursday with tobacco and hotel stocks losing ground amid strong foreign selling and Fed’s stimulus cut, brokers said. All Share Price Index closed 24.88 points lower at 6,227.26, down 0.4%. The S&P SL20 closed 12.13 points lower at 3,444.56, down 0.35%. Turnover was 808.33 million rupees, down from 809.31 million rupees a day earlier, with stocks of 122 firms closing in the red against 69 gainers. Aitken Spence closed 90 cents lower more..

Jan 30 (CT) There is a particularly pithy Sinhala aphorism which, in inadequate translation, can be rendered as, ‘If both the fence and the bund eats the paddy, to whom do we tell our plight?’ In its original, it is an evocative expression of the tragic and despairing dilemma that is created when protectors turn abusers. That dilemma is becoming increasingly familiar to Lankans, from North to South. In the absence of an independent judiciary, a non-partisan police and a free media, more..

Jan 30 (Island) Five fundamental rights violation applications filed by Chairmen of five Pradeshiya Sabhas, who had been considered as having vacated their posts, will be taken up for support, before the Supreme Court today. The petitioners had said that the Assistant Commissioner of Local Govt and connected authorities, had informed them that they were deemed to have resigned from office, consequent to the defeat of the budget, 2014, in their respective Pradeshiya Sabhas. more..

Jan 30 (DN) Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga is painting a gloomy picture about Sri Lanka, playing the human rights card, among LTTE sympathizers both local and abroad, said former WPC Minister Udaya Gammanpila. “However, it is nice to know that she is concerned about the freedom of expression and people’s rights at last.” “But it was during her time as President that the worst election (Wayamba) of this country more..

Jan 30 (Reuters) Rupee ended firmer on Thursday due to exporter dollar sales in the absence of importer demand for the greenback and intervention from state banks, but dealers expect the currency to fall on possible foreign outflows after the U.S. Federal Reserve further trimmed its monetary stimulus. The Fed announced a further $10 billion reduction in its monthly bond buying as it stuck to plans to wind down its extraordinary stimulus despite the recent turmoil across many emerging more..

Jan 30 (Island) Health Ministry has blacklisted contractors who had undertaken to construct Angoda new drug store, nine-storeyed building at Kalubowila Teaching hospital, some complexes at Kandy Teaching hospital from undertaking any further contracts, Minister Maithripala Sirisena disclosed. Although the construction of the Angoda new drug store should have been completed last year, due to constant delay the construction was delayed. more..

Jan 30 (DM) The UNP today charged that the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) has overstepped it constitutional mandate by passing a resolution that called for an international investigation on Sri Lanka. The resolution passed by the NPC calling for an international probe on the war in Sri Lanka is illegal as a provincial council has no power over international affairs, UNP MP President’s Counsel Wijedasa Rajapaksa said. more..

Jan 30 (LT) Treatments for various ailments have been hampered due to a severe shortage of drugs in hospitals throughout the island states the General Secretary of All Ceylon Health Services Union Gamini Kumarasinghe adding that medicines specially those used in the treatment of high blood pressure (hypertension) and heart diseases are not available in hospitals. The govt has been unable to supply necessary drugs to hospitals as necessary funds have not been allocated for more..

Jan 30 (DM) Ex- WPC Minister and JHU legal adviser Udaya Gammanpila requested the public to give him Rs 100 each for his election campaign as he is unable to afford the campaign this time. “I do not have a vehicle of my own and I have never been corrupt. Anybody can check any personal details or bank accounts of mine. Politicians become corrupt when they start earning for their next election campaign or when they let their supporters to earn on behalf of them” more..

Jan 30 (CI) Lasith Malinga has been released by Sri Lanka Cricket for the upcoming Big Bash League semi-finals. Malinga plays for the Melbourne Stars who will play the Hobart Hurricanes on February 4 in Melbourne. Malinga was recalled, along with Ajantha Mendis, by SLC so that the pair could undertake a training programme in Sri Lanka as they wanted the fast bowler to be fit for a busy schedule featuring the Asia Cup and more..

Jan 30 (Island) Public Health Department of the CMC met with managers of construction sites in the city to issue instructions on dengue control. Chief of the Public Health Department (PHD), Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam said that over 50% of dengue cases in the city last year had been due to the large number of mosquito breeding places in construction sites. The situation was the same this year. Over 30% of the cases were from the surrounding areas of construction sites. more..

Jan 30 (Island) Radiological technologists warned they would further trim down their services in wards and ICUs if the Health Ministry failed to grant several of their demands including an increase in their risk allowance. General Secretary of the Govt Radiological Technologists Association (GRTA), Dharmakeerthi Epa said that the risk from radiation faced by radiological technologists attending to patients in their wards and ICU’s were more than what they were subjected to within their units. more..

Jan 30 (Island) ‘The creativity and design proficiency of Brandix will once again be displayed on a fashion catwalk in Colombo, through the Group’s exciting designer Radhika Mendis, who will unveil a new collection created exclusively for the 2014 HSBC Colombo Fashion Week (CFW) in February. ‘A key partner of the event, Brandix will support the CFW’s principal objective of developing young designers by bringing in more..

Jan 30 (DM) Police have started investigations into an incident in which a woman police constable (WPC) broke into a house in Kadawatha and forcibly took out her lover who was living there, having first assaulted his wife and four year old child. The woman who had been assaulted had lodged a complaint with the Peliyagoda Police. WPC had been carrying on with this man for some time. Police later found the man whom the WPC had abducted and recorded his statement. more..

Jan 30 (CT) The Ministry of Agriculture has given permission to import the poisonous insecticide, ‘Monocrotophos,’ which is banned in several countries including Sri Lanka, reliable sources said. This insecticide is prohibited, as it is deemed to contain arsenic and several other poisonous substances. Despite the ban on the pesticide, the ministry has given permission to resume importing it from last year. This type of insecticide is used to control red beetle that affects coconut trees. more..

Jan 30 (DM) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) issued a media statement on Tuesday stating that they have not agreed to a revised position paper presented to the ICC Executive Board meeting and asked time to get the views of the SLC before taking a final decision. “At the meeting, revised position papers were forwarded taking in to deliberation the concerns faced by the member nations, for the consideration of ICC as opposed to the more..

Jan 30 (Island) In response to our news report headlined "CEB: Breach of Contract costs the public dear" published as page one lead story in The Island issue of Monday, Media Secretary of the Ministry of Technology and Research Dhanushka Ramanayake has sent the following reply: A news report with the byline of Ifam Nizam under the above heading is factually incorrect and has a defamatory effect on Minister Champika Ranawaka. Therefore it is necessary the actual situation that more..

Jan 30 (DM) Despite reports that popular actresses and songstresses who aspired to represent the UPFA at the upcoming WPC election likely to be rejected nominations, singer Judith White aka ‘Ginger’ said she is 200% confident of receiving nominations to represent the UPFA at the election. Judith who spoke on reports of being rejected nominations assured they are only speculations and added she believes the reports are results of rumours circulated by Opposition that more..

Jan 30 (Hindu) Third batch of 69 fishermen arrived at Karaikal Port onboard ICGS Vigraha after dawn on Thursday, bringing the total count of the repatriated fishermen to 302 in the last fortnight. With their release, 38 Indians arrested on Thursday, and those held for offences other than fishing were on the Sri Lankan side. Similarly, 15 boats arrived here along with the fishermen, taking the total count of released boats to 45 more..

Jan 30 (CT) A shortage of fuel supply to parts of the island looms large with the Ceylon Petroleum Private Bowser Owners Association (CPPBOA) saying, drivers of their bowsers that distribute oil from the Muthurajawela Oil Storage Complex, have embarked on a strike. Deputy General Manager (Operations), Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Limited (CPSTL), Lalith Hettitantirige, however said, this move would not lead to curtailing the supply of petroleum to any part of the country. more..

Jan 30 (KUNA) Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development said it had signed a loan agreement of USD 34 millions with Sri Lanka to fund the reconstruction of 25 bridges. Fund said in a statement on Thursday that Sri Lankan Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning signed the agreement on behalf of his country with Deputy Chairman of the fund Hisham Al-Woqayan. Project aims to meet the demands of the current and future traffic needs in the country, to safely transfer more..

Jan 30 (DM) The Sports Ministry and the Department of Sports Development were shifted to the new building adjoining the Race Course Shopping Complex, the Ministry said. The new building next to the Race Course was ceremoniously declared open by President Rajapaksa last evening. The buildings which housed Sports Development Department would be converted to a sports museum after the shift. more..

Jan 31 (CT) No fish to fish. This is the plain truth. This reality explains why the waters separating Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka continue to remain troubled. Though hyperbolical, it describes aptly and bluntly the true reason for the predicament of fishers. A phenomenon that holds for the world, is more pronounced in certain regions, notably TN and Sri Lanka. In recent times inadequate availability to sustain the fisher community has caused a major conflict between the two states. more..

Jan 31 (CT) Colombo Telegraph carried a piece on the TRO abductions that alleges that UTHR(J) was less than honest about it. The excerpt below appeared in bulletin of March 2007, where we followed it up by contacting people who were privy to the events. Probing deeper into such events inevitably takes time, and first soundings given out in public interest may prove inaccurate. We take this opportunity to present additional testimony on what has been for us an elusive episode. more..

Feb 1 (NS) Recent spate of currency forgeries has little to do with an increase of the crime, but rather the heightened awareness of the people, inform Central Bank. Public are aware of the various security features of genuine currency bills and therefore can differentiate genuine bills from fakes. Counterfeit money reduces the value of authentic or legal money, could contribute to the inflation due to more money being circulated. more..

Jan 31 (NS) At a cursory glance, the links between sport and inter-state reconciliation seem abundant. Some pundits credit Ping-Pong Diplomacy with facilitating the subsequent thaw of U.S.-China relations in the 1970s. Others point to Table Tennis Diplomacy and the attempted Olympic Diplomacy as effective difference-bridges between the two Koreas in the latter decades of the 20th century. More generally, there has been a widely held sense that sports, as Jeremy Goldberg states more..

Jan 31 (NS) It’s that time of year again when political discourse is reduced to a three syllable name. Geneva. That’s another name for the UNHRC. It is time to talk about roads walked and roads not taken, progress made and not made. It is time to talk about reconciliation and its fallen-from-sky twin, ‘justice’. So we ask ourselves some questions, the same that we asked ourselves a year ago or rather were thrust in our faces. The plural refers to Sri Lanka of course although this is less about more..

Feb 1 (SO) President of the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) and Deputy Minister Muthu Sivalingam in an interview, gave his views on the long-term sustainability of the tea industry, the Govt's role towards the socio-economic improvement of the plantation community and the CWC's plans for their future welfare. Q: Your recent remarks that the tea plantations on its present scale will last only another 10 years contradicts more..

Jan 31 (FT) The term sovereignty is frequently confronted with hostile claims. Human right and anti corruption movements are often challenged by various groups with different notions and ideologies on sovereignty. The purpose of this brief article is to examine some of the legal issues with reference to the concept of sovereignty in a global political context, especially in the light of the UN Charter. It is interesting to note that the emergence of sovereignty took place at a time where more..

Jan 31 (GV) Though I cannot say the same of his companions on the voyage, my friend Lalith Weeratunga embodies a rare combination of intelligence, ability, affability and civility. He made a valuable presentation of the govt’s case, in Geneva and USA. Mr Weeratunga has made some very valid points on the dangers of an international accountability mechanism. The problem is that the case itself is inadequate to deter, defer or rally the support needed to stop precisely such a more..