Aug 3 (DM) With the government preparing to set up a �Media Development Authority�, the main opposition UNP yesterday announced it would present a motion titled �Right to Information� in parliament this week.The UNP said through this motion it hoped to guarantee the people�s right to information on matters relating to the government and state institutions and safeguard the right of journalists to report these matters. more..

Aug 3 (CI) Sri Lanka batted determinedly to gain control of the deciding Test in conditions that promised more parity with the bat and ball after the run-fest in the previous game at the SSC. In a much improved bowling performance, the Indian seamers got decent movement off the deck and the spinners extracted both turn and bounce to often unsettle the Sri Lankan batsmen. But Thilan Samaraweera, backed up by Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, more..

Aug 3 (Island) Police are still clueless about the identity of the gang which attacked the Siyatha media office in Hunupitiya last week. The damage caused by the petrol bomb attack and the attendant fires has been estimated at around Rs. 50 million. Cameras and other equipment had been destroyed in the attack, co-owner and popular actress Sangeetha Weeraratne said yesterday. more..

Aug 3 (DM) Several irregularities have occurred in more than 3,000 schools in the preparation of the second term test papers because of the lack of funds to print them, the Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) said yesterday. General Secretary Joseph Stalin said many schools were giving hand written or photocopied test papers to students sitting the second term test now being held in schools. more..

Aug 3 (DN) A countrywide dengue eradication program will be implemented this month to mark the National Dengue Control week from August 15 to 22, a Health Ministry spokesman said. Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena has declared August 2, 9, 21 and 28 as National Dengue Control Days. The National Dengue Control Week will be held from August 15 to 22. According to the spokesman, the dengue eradication program will be implemented with the participation of more..

Aug 3 (AFP) A group of global statesmen, founded by Nelson Mandela, Tuesday criticised the Sri Lankan government for failing to build on peace brought to the island by the end of the civil war last year. Sri Lankan troops defeated the separatist Tamil Tiger guerrillas in a massive military offensive that ended decades of bloody ethnic conflict. But the "Elders" -- who include former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan, more..

Aug 3 (DM) Deputy Minister Mervyn Silva tied a Kelaniya Pradeshya Sabha official to a mango tree a short while ago over his failure to attend a dengue prevention programme in Kelaniya last week. The official was however later released while two other women and a man were also reprimanded by the Deputy Minister over their failure to attend the same programme. The Deputy Minister also severely warned one of the lady officers after more..

Aug 4 (ST) A team of US government officials headed by assistant trade representative Michael Delaney is scheduled to arrive in Colombo on Sunday and meet members of the Sri Lankan government, private and public sector employers and trade unions on Monday and Tuesdy to discuss workers� rights in this country. The delegation�s visit is in response to an appeal by one of America�s largest association of trade unions, more..

Aug 4 (BBC) Administrative officials in Sri Lanka have condemned a minister for tying an official to a tree accusing him of failing to attend a meeting. Deputy highways minister Mervyn Silva has tied the Hunupitiya Samurdhi officer accusing the officer of not attending the meetings on controlling the dengue epidemic that has already caused over a hundred deaths during this year alone. Sri Lanka has declared a National Dengue Prevention Week in this month as more..

Aug 4 (HT) "LTTE's self proclaimed leader in exile� Kumaran Patmanathan alias KP was the key arms smuggler who conspired to assassinate several VVIPs including the former Indian Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi." That was Sri Lanka government�s portal news.lk�s description of KP on August 7, 2009, two days after his arrest in Kuala Lumpur. A year later, the smuggler and conspirator has become a VVIP himself. more..

Aug 4 (BBC) The Supreme Court in Sri Lanka has ordered the Bar Association (BASL) to submit its opinion over a contempt of court case against a Sinhala newspaper. Lanka Irida, a Sinhala weekly affiliated to opposition JVP is accused of contempt of court in an article published on 27 June alleging that President Rajapaksa has exerted pressure on the judiciary. They backed the unsuccessful presidential bid by the former military chief Sarath Fonseka against President Mahinda Rajapaksa. more..

Aug 4 (Reuters) Sri Lanka said on Tuesday China would have no operational role in new oil bunkering facilities being built as part of a $1.5 billion port due to open in November on the island nation's southern coast. The Hambantota port is set to become Sri Lanka's biggest and give the Indian Ocean country prime access to traffic on one of the world's biggest East-West shipping lines, more..

Aug 4 (LBO) Sri Lanka's SEC has halted trading in shares in Environmental Resources Investments (ERI) warrants, Dankotuwa Porcelain, Blue Diamonds and Touchwood Investments, a stock exchange filing said. "Trading has been halted until further notice in terms of a directive received from SEC due to unusual increases in the price and the number of transactions of the said securities during the period from 29th July 2010 to 02nd August 2010," more..

Aug 4 (DM) Samurdhi officers have decided to suspend their participation in dengue eradication programmes islandwide until disciplinary action is taken against Deputy Minister Mervyn Silva for tying a Samurdhi officer to a tree today. President of the All Ceylon Samurdhi Workers Association Nishantha Udawatta speaking said that all associations affiliated to the Samurdhi Authority have decided to support the strike and will also seek legal action against the Deputy Minister. more..

Aug 4 (CBC) The Public Safety Ministry has yet to respond to the City of Ottawa's request to be reimbursed for the costs of keeping the peace during a two-week Tamil protest in the capital more than a year ago. In the spring of 2009, hundreds of protesters demanding the Conservative government intervene to aid civilians caught up in Sri Lanka's civil war clogged the streets in and around the parliamentary precinct in downtown Ottawa. more..

Aug 4 (LBO) Sri Lanka's exports in May 2010 rose 15 percent to 620 million US dollars from a year ago, helped by industrial exports, mainly apparel, and tea. Imports rose 36 percent to 1,051 million dollars in May over the same period resulting in a trade deficit of 431 million dollars in the month. Exports of apparel, the island's main industrial export, rose 11 percent to 263 million dollars in May 2010 from the year before, more..

Aug 4 (PTI) Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh, who was left out of the playing eleven, on Tuesday lost his cool and showed his middle finger at the Sri Lankan fans who jeered him with 'water boy' chants during the third cricket Test here. The incident happened during the opening day of the final Test when 12th man Yuvraj entered the ground and made his way towards his team-mates with water bottles and some drinks in hand. more..

Aug 4 (DM) The Panel appointed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to advise him on matters relating to Sri Lanka is compiling a list of Sri Lankan officials who will be approached in order to gather information to compile a report, UN sources told Daily Mirror online. When asked if detained former Army Chief General Sarath Fonseka is among those likely to be approached, the UN source refused to commit to a response but more..

Aug 4 (CI) MS Dhoni isn't doing his attack any service. Old-school captains used to say their first and supreme duty was to win the toss. Many had theories on how to win the toss too. Ranjitsinhji wrote in The Jubilee Book of Cricket that the coins were more inclined to come down "tails" because the "heads" side is slightly heavier and given to land undermost. Sunil Gavaskar is believed to have advised some to more..

Aug 4 (CI) Sri Lanka assistant coach Stuart Law has said he is confident his team can reach 450 and put themselves in a good position to win the third and final test against India. "If you look at the averages and what has happened in the past, 350-400 is a pretty good score," Law said. "If we try and bat as long as we can tomorrow, the way we play, who knows, 450 might be. The closer we get 500; it sets up for a good victory. more..

Aug 4 (AFP) Sri Lankan troops arrested over 1,500 Tamil rebel suspects during July, more than a year after the separatist guerrilla group was crushed militarily, the prime minister said Tuesday. About half of the suspects were picked up at government-run shelters where they had taken refuge after the fighting ended in May last year, Premier D. M. Jayaratne told parliament during a debate to extend a state of emergency. more..

Aug 4 (LG) The armed attack on the Siyatha radio and television station, which has latterly been supportive of the Opposition, has highlighted the absence of a return to normal democratic life. It reinforces the realization that the country is still in an early post-war stage. The government�s security measures remain in place and visibly so. It is difficult to travel a few hundred metres without seeing someone in the uniform of the security forces. more..

Aug 4 (LG) Indy Media came up with a brilliant line which I have quoted many times over the past 10 years: �BE THE MEDIA!� What it means is that anyone and everyone can be the media, or to be more precise, be a media person, a journalist, as long as the person concerned has eyes that see that which is apparent and that which is not, ears that listen as well as hear, tongues that can turn word and in this and other ways communicate and share. more..

Aug 4 (TOI) Trial in the sedition case against the MDMK leader Vaiko is set to commence before a sessions court here on September 6. On Tuesday, the MDMK leader appeared before the III additional sessions judge P Bhoopalan, who framed the sedition and other charges against him. After the charges were read out to him, Vaiko told the judge that he would not deny having made the speech for which the case was registered, but more..

Aug 4 (LG) �On or about 10 July 2010 a midwife found dead, hung inside the Veala�nai government hospital. It is �alleged� that the Sinhalese doctor who was serving in the hospital had killed the nurse and then hung her with a rope in an attempt to show that she had committed suicide. The victim, Saravanai Tharsika, is a 28-year-old midwife and a native of Veala�nai. Tension prevails as natives are enraged in Veala�nai where SLN soldiers and police are deployed in large numbers.� more..

Aug 4 (BN) Sri Lanka plans to sell $1 billion of sovereign bonds overseas this year to build infrastructure and repay high-cost local and foreign-currency debt. The bonds may be sold �around September,� the Central Bank of Sri Lanka said in an e-mailed statement today. The monetary authority has invited proposals from investment banks to manage the sale. more..

Aug 4 (GV) Enough conceptual theories are produced and articulated on the need and urgency of the political power sharing in Sri Lanka. Avoiding the torturous repetition and gauging the current diminishing appreciation for any theoretical discourse or appetite for challenging conceptual explanations, we suggest the following five points abstract as a summary of recommendation for a new constitutional re-arrangement more..

Aug 4 (TC) The proposed Nallur Hotel in Jaffna by the Mercantile Bank of Sri Lanka has sparked off a public debate. At a public consultative meeting organized by the Mayor of Jaffna several weeks ago, Minister Douglas Devananda, who chaired this meeting, announced that the Mayor will make a final decision on this matter only after extensive research and further public consultation. I welcome this balanced decision by minister Devananda. more..

Aug 4 (Island) Sixty-two years after regaining Independence as a nation State, Sri Lankans are still trying to find the right type of Constitution to govern themselves. While most other nations of the same vintage, as well as several newer states, have long since settled on the basic structures of governance, and are today looking at the issues of the future such as how best to cope with globalization of trade, more..

Aug 4 (Island) A member of the UNP, Rienzie Algama, committed self-immolation last week as a mark of protest against the current crisis and the resultant disunity within the party. The UNP has decided to suspend its Kandy District MP A.R.M. Abdul Cader from the party Working Committee for voting with the government in parliament on several occasions. Since the last Parliamentary election, many leaders of the party have aired the views that more..

Aug 4 (DM) Two attempts of self-sacrifice on political grounds by two people affiliated to two opposing political parties were reported last month. One on July 27 -- the pathetic but tragic effort by Rienzie Algama, a staunch member of the UNP, where the man with about 90 per cent burn injuries had died while the other by NFF leader and UPFA MP Wimal Weerawansa giving up his �fast unto death,� though comically as seen by many. more..

Aug 4 (ST) It was a relaxed and leisurely Sunday evening���family time spent at the Bolgoda Lake before the rush of the week began. They had been enjoying water- skiing near the Yacht Club for many years and July 18 was no different. His 19-year-old son had just donned water-skis and jacket and was about to get into the water, when �something� told Huzaifa Abdulhusein to peer into the still waters of the lake near the Moratuwa bridge. more..

Aug 4 (MoD) Acting Military spokesman Colonel Duminda Gamage yesterday said that the Jaffna Security Forces Headquarters had lifted security restrictions in the Gurunagar area to facilitate restoration of civil life. Colonel Gamage said that people could now move freely without restrictions. He said that this was part of an ongoing plan to gradually lift restrictions imposed on civilians in the Jaffna peninsula. more..

Aug 4 (MoD) Transport Minister Kumara Welgama said that the CGR and CTB would operate special services for the Madhu Festival and Kandy Esala Perahera scheduled. The CGR would operate 12 additional trains and the CTB 40 additional buses, he told a media conference at the Ministry auditorium yesterday. Minister Welgama said more than 600,000 pilgrims were expected in Madhu for this year's feast of 'Our Lady of Madhu'. more..

Aug 4 (NF) The case filed by the Mirihana police against three persons including journalist Susil Kindelpitiya was taken up yet again today, before the Colombo Magistrate Court. Mirihana police told court that steps were being taken to obtain the Attorney General's advice with regard to filing charges against the suspects. Police further stated that they required more time for the purpose. more..

Aug 4 (NF) Almost all buses on the Jaffna - Colombo route operate without permits and they break all rules with the connivance of both government and opposition members of parliament, says the Lanka Private Bus Owners' Association. President of the Association Gemunu Wijeratne expressed this view at a media briefing. �Around 70 to 75 buses operate on theJaffna - Colombo route. Over 68 buses operate without permits. more..

Aug 4 (DM) After some initial hiccups the government appears to have finally taken some concrete steps to take the dengue menace head on. It has managed to rope in the public through awareness campaigns and now seems to have some control over breeding grounds. Unfortunately the public in their zest and zeal to get rid of the breeders appears to be making quite a few mistakes. For instance, setting fire to polythene and plastics is certainly not the best way to more..

Aug 4 (MoD) The Defence Services College organized 'Viru Daru Sithuwam 2010', the exhibition that showcased War Hero children's artistic talents in painting and handicrafts was declared open jointly at National Art Gallery by Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya and Director for Aesthetic Studies at Ministry of Education Mr Thushara Gunatillake Tuesday (3) morning. more..

Aug 4 (NF) It was only ten years after independence that schools were set up around traditional villages in Rajarata that are dependent on chena cultivations. A majority of schools in the North Central Province are situated around such traditional villages. The number of schools which stood at 832 in 2006, was reduced to 770 by the end of 2009. more..

Aug 4 (LP) There is no shortage of teachers in the country, Minister of Education Bandula Gunawardena noted in Parliament today (4th). He explained that it is dissimilarity of teachers that poses problems in many places in Sri Lanka, and that a brisk solution will be brought forth in the next 2 months to deal with this problem. The Minister said that he has already had discussions with Chief Ministers and more..

Aug 4 (LNP) The JVP-led university students held a protest march in Matara yesterday demanding action against the police who, they said, were responsible for the death of a Ruhuna University undergraduate. They claimed he had died following a brutal police crackdown on a group of students, but the police insist that the JVP was responsible for his death. So, the blame game continues. Both parties, as we said in these columns the other day, are capable of murdering innocents unflinchingly and, more..

Aug 4 (LBO) Sri Lanka's Brandix group, which exports clothing to top brands in the West, has been recognised as the country�s top achiever in energy efficiency, winning the National Energy Efficiency Award in large scale manufacturing. The award, given for the first time, was presented by President Mahinda Rajapaksa as part of the government�s Vidulka Energy Week programme more..

Aug 4 (LP) As Dehiwala Mt. Lavinia area has been declared a high risk dengue Zone Lankapuvath contacted the Leader of the Opposition of the Dehiwala Mt. Lavinia Municipal Council Kesaralal Gunasekara. Mr. Gunasekara said that though some say that the spread of dengue has slowed down he thinks otherwise as recently also there was a death reported and conditions for the breeding of Dengue Mosquito continue to plagues. more..

Aug 4 (LP) Sri Lankan Health officials have taken speedy measures to import Plasma Expander from Thailand. Minister Maithreepala Sirisena requested the Colombo's World Health Organization�s (WHO) rep Dr. Firdausi Rustom Mehta to take necessary actions in importing the Dextran plasma expander- Intra Venus. Dr Mehta has extended is full support in the task. The Health Ministry plans to use the shots free of charge mainly in the tertiary hospitals the base hospitals-in Sri Lanka and more..

Aug 4 (LP) There is no LTTE suspect by the name of Kumaran Pathmanathan in the prisons said Minister of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms D E W Gunesekara. Minister said that if needed inquiries in this regard could be made. He said this answering a query made by UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekara. Minister Gunsekara revealed that a total number of 8780 LTTE suspects were taken into custody while more..

Aug 4 (LT) JVP MP Anura Dissanayake asked in Parliament yesterday what measures would be taken regarding 41 women who are being detained in Saudi-Arabia. Making a special statement he said although those women had informed regarding the issue to Sri Lanka Embassy in Saudi-Arabia the officials have neglected to take any action. At present they are facing immeasurable suffering said Mr. Dissanayake asked the government to more..

Aug 4 (Island) Tissa Kariyawasam, professor emeritus and Chairman of the panel of judges of Journalism Awards for Excellence complained about a sharp drop in quality of news reports as well as the rejection of many applications. Kariyawasam, in a brief note titled �Report of the Panel of Judges� alleged that journalists were not equipped to face the modern challenges of the 21st century. He didn�t mention any other shortcoming. more..

Aug 4 (DN) Customs officials at the Katunayake International Airport has found more than Rs.120 million in foreign currencies stashed under a seat of an airplane which was scheduled to fly to Dubai, Monday night. Airport sources said that the money was found after being alerted by the flight crew on an Dubai bound Emirates flight scheduled to leave at 9.30 pm on Monday. more..