Sept 14 (GDI) There is no agreement by the Government to allow animal sacrifices at the Sri Bhadrakali Amman Kovil, Munneswaram, Chilaw. Both in principal and policy the Govt is against cruelty to animals that takes place in these ritual sacrifices, states a statement by the Secretary to the President contradicting media reports about such an agreement. The Govt is aware that the matter of Cruelty to Animals is at present before the judiciary. more..

Sept 14 (USE) It is a great honor to be here with so many old friends at the American Chamber of Commerce. I would like to begin by thanking President Vijaya Ratnayake and the rest of the AmCham staff and Board of Directors, for hosting this event and bringing our focus to expanding trade and investment opportunities for the United States and Sri Lanka. We have strong, important, and long-standing ties between more..

Sept 14 (Island) The police have arrested a 22-year-old Sri Lankan youth for inflicting cut injuries on a 29-year-old Danish woman�s neck in a super market at the Royal Park Housing complex, Rajagiriya, yesterday evening. A senior police officer said the arrest had been made last night after the super market made available the video footage of the incident. The police said that the victim had been there to buy some items when the youth attacked her. The police identified the victim and her husband as employees of an NGO. more..

Sept 14 (Island) The Sri Lanka Society for Medical Laboratory Science (SLSMLS) warned that they would resort to trade union action if the Health Ministry failed to intervene in the awarding of accreditation to laboratories. President of the SLSMLS, Ravi Kumudesh said that Medical Laboratory Technologists were in the dark as to who was involved in awarding accreditation as none of the qualified medical laboratory technologists, registered with the Sri Lanka Medical Council, more..

Sept 14 (Island) The Govt Medical Officers� Association (GMOA) on Tuesday accused the private hospitals of instituting legal proceedings to facilitate the registration process of 184 Indian Consultants in the private sector. The GMOA said it was aware that the Indian Consultants were practising medicine at the private hospitals with the annual registration from the SLMC, but the Indian doctors were without the required qualifications to be consultants. more..

Sept 14 (PTI) The proposed visit of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse to Sanchi next week for laying foundation of a Buddhist University is mired in controversy with MDMK strongly opposing it even as the Madhya Pradesh govt has stated that his schedule will not be changed. In a letter to MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, MDMK general secretary Vaiko urged the state govt to cancel the visit of Rajapakse, scheduled on September 21, as it will amount to more..

Sept 14 (CT) Naomi Reice Buchwald, United States District Judge For The Southern District Of New York deferred to the Suggestion of Immunity issued by the U.S. State Department and dismissed the lawsuit brought by Vathsala Devi, the wife of Col. Ramesh. The Plaintiff in the lawsuit asserts cause of action against President Rajapaksa for torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and international infliction of emotional more..

Sept 14 (Island) Undergraduates yesterday launched a protest against the government�s failure to solve the ongoing crisis in the education and higher education sectors. As a part of the protest, they launched a signature campaign on a 100m long banner at the Badulla town on Tuesday. Convener of the Inter University Students� Federation (IUSF) Sanjeewa Bandara told The Island that they had collected signatures for the banner-petition in the Bandarawela town too. more..

Sept 14 (GDI) Mrs. Meira Kumar, the Speaker of Lok Sabha, the Lower House of the Parliament of India, called on Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Thursday morning at Temple Trees. The Speaker was accompanied by Prof. P.J. Kurien, Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Ashok K. Kantha, High Commissioner of India, and T.K. Viswanathan, Secretary General, Lok Sabha. The Meeting was held in a cordial and friendly atmosphere and the Lok Sabha Speaker conveyed her more..

Sept 14 (Island) The Govt Medical Officers� Association (GMOA) Executive Committee has unanimously decided to forward a complaint, to IGP N. K. Illangakoon next week, against the South Asian Institute of Medicine (SAITM). They want the IGP to probe the activities of the SAITM. The GMOA claims that the SAITM does not have a proper panel of the lecturers, a professorial unit, laboratory facilities and a teaching hospital for its students to do clinical work. more..

Sept 14 (DM) Minister Mervyn Silva said that his son Malaka Silva did not assault any army officer as reported. He however said that Malaka would have assaulted a man. �My son had never assaulted an army officer; he would have assaulted a man, but definitely not an army officer,� the minister said adding that �even in your childhood you had fought with others, in the younger age you would have fought and even at my age you would have had a fight with someone. more..

Sept 14 (AD) UPFA General Secretary, Minister Susil Premajayantha has informed the Elections Commissioner of the persons to be appointed to the six bonus seats that the UPFA won at the recently concluded Provincial Council elections in the North Central, Sabaragamuwa and Eastern Provinces. The UPFA has divided the six bonus seats equally amongst the three Provinces therefore according to the most preferential votes that were received by candidates of particular Districts, more..

Sept 14 (CT) �A/S Blake regretted the current state of GSL-ICRC relations, noting the very critical role ICRC had played on human rights and the constructive relationship the GSL had previously had with the ICRC. He asked if Pascoe had raised the ICRC during his visit. Holmes surmised that the Sri Lankan military is taking revenge on the ICRC, which it believes abetted the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) in the past. more..

Sept 14 (PTI) Sri Lankan Mahela Jayawardene today replaced Virender Sehwag as the captain of IPL team Delhi Daredevils for next month�s Champions League Twenty20 after the Indian sought to be relieved of the job to �bat more freely�. �After leading Delhi Daredevils in four of the five IPL editions, Virender Sehwag has sought to step down from the skipper�s post,� the Delhi Daredevils said on their official Web site. �The new captain will be Mahela Jayawardene, who will more..

Sept 14 (Guardian) The UK is to go ahead with a mass removal of Tamils to Sri Lanka next week despite mounting evidence from human rights group that many of them could be tortured on their return. At least two and possibly three chartered flights are scheduled to leave the UK from Wednesday carrying an unknown number of Sri Lankan Tamils whose pleas to remain in the UK have been refused. The UK Border Agency (UKBA) refuses to discuss such flights until they have landed. more..

Sept 14 (LBO) Sri Lanka's will keep credit ceilings in place as banks still have enough space to lend, and policies taken to fix balance of payments pressure is bringing results, Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal said. Governor Cabraal says measures taken earlier in the year, including credit ceilings are now taking effect and there is no reason to change direction. The Central Bank limited full year loan growth of banks to 18 percent. more..

Sept 14 (FP) Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa�s assertion in Trichy on Thursday that her decision to send back the Sri Lankan students was a symbolic gesture and that her govt would protect Sri Lankan visitors to the state, should put an end to the fear of violence the visiting islanders might feel. Jayalalithaa has given sufficient time for her protest to New Delhi and Colombo to sink in before assuring that she wouldn�t permit lawlessness in the streets against more..

Sept 14 (LBO) Stocks closed up 2.59% Friday gaining 7.8% through the week in a broad based rally, with record gains by an illiquid new stock. The All Share Price Index closed at 5,920 gaining 149.6 points and the S&P SL 20 index closed up 2.6% at 3,214.3 points up 81.76 points. George Steuart Finance, an illiquid new listing, extended gains rising 160 rupees or 50% to 480 rupees. The stock is now trading at 282 times historical earnings with 87 shares changing hands. more..

Sept 14 (AAP) Australia has sent the first group of 30 Sri Lankan asylum seekers for processing on Nauru, as human rights advocates raise concerns. Women and children could be sent from Australia to Nauru in coming weeks despite human rights concerns about the return to offshore processing on the Pacific island. About 30 Sri Lankan men arrived on Nauru on Friday morning after being flown from Christmas Island, more..

Sept 14 (CI) There was a time when the subcontinent was mystery, assigned dark and exotic shades. It was the land of the unknown, rendered even more so by inventive prose. You got the feeling that visiting teams were waiting for the unexpected, that, peculiarly, they expected it, and were almost ready to succumb to it. Either they weren't aware of how to combat the conditions or, more likely, they were just unwilling to. A tour to this part of the world brought out the best in more..

Sept 14 (ENS) The prime suspect in the incident in which 17,000 kg of ammonium nitrate was seized from Vazhikadavu in Malappuram district in July has links with the LTTE. The suspect, Ismail, for whom the explosive was brought, had served six months jail term in Tamil Nadu in a case related to the supply of explosives to the LTTE. Ismail, a native of Vazhayoor in Malappuram district, was the sixth accused in the case with crime number 657/2006 registered in Madurai. more..

Sept 14 (Xinhua) Sri Lanka is ready to promote relations with China during an official visit of the latter's top legislator, which is the most high profile visit to the island nation in recent years and could have enormous economic potential, an economist said here on Friday. Economist Sirimal Abeyratne who is also the head of the Economics Department in the University of Colombo is upbeat about relations between the two countries more..

Sept 14 (AFP) New Zealand will play two Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 match on a tour of Sri Lanka in October-November, Sri Lanka Cricket said on Friday. The month-long tour opens on October 30 with a Twenty20 game in Pallekele, which will also host the first one-day international two days later. Colombo and Hambantota will hold two one-dayers each before the first Test starts in Galle on Nov 17. The second Test will be played in Colombo from Nov 25. more..

Sept 14 (DM) In a shocking disclosure, police said so far this year some 1,778 suicides had been reported to have taken place in Sri Lanka. Police said among them were 41 boys and 77 girls below the age of 16 and 397 women. The highest number of people who were reported to have committed suicide was between the ages of 40 and 55. Police cited the break-up of love affairs and marriages, addiction to drugs and alcohol, family disputes, mental disorder and the death of loved ones as some of the common reasons for more..

Sept 14 (AAP) President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa Friday said his country would not have eliminated the scourge of terrorism without the help and support of Pakistan. Talking to a Pakistani Parliamentary delegation here at Temple Trees, he said Pakistan has proved to be a true friend of Sri Lanka and its government and people have deep affection for Pakistan. more..

Sept 14 (CT) 65 Sri Lankans, who had attempted to travel to Australia illegally and had been stranded mid sea for 22 days due to a technical failure in the motor boat they were travelling in, have been saved by fishermen from Nagapattinam, India. The group includes one child, three women, 61 Tamils and four Sinhalese. The 61 Tamils identified as residents of Killinochchi, Valvettithurai, Point Pedro, Negombo and Mullaitivu and the four Sinhalese have reportedly left to Australia to more..

Sept 14 (CT) �In spite of Sinhala and Tamil being the Official Languages of Sri Lanka the packaging of pharmaceutical drugs contain descriptions and instructions mostly in English. CPA believes that it is in the public interest that the information on such products should be available without any language barrier, to all citizens of the county. Therefore we have requested that dosages, compositions, side effects and other relevant information on all pharmaceuticals be included in Sinhala and more..

Sept 14 (LT) We ask the government to reserve at least the civility of not exposing its nakedness to the world says the President of FUTA Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri. He said this speaking at a summit held in Colombo yesterday organized by 27 trade unions to extend their support to the struggle carried out by university teachers. Speaking further he said, �This is not only a struggle of university teachers. more..

Sept 15 (NS) These days the Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremasinghe is accusing the Govt of destroying Education in Sri Lanka. Ranil Wickremasinghe is also on the streets supporting the dons who are on strike. The TNA is accusing the Govt that it ruined the chances of Tamil youths and even threatens an armed rebellion. Let us delve back, to a few decades ago when our education was accepted as ideal, when our University did turn out graduates who could more..

Sept 15 (CT) The Provincial Council poll held on 8 September 2012 in three provinces (namely, North Central, Sabaragamuwa and Eastern) ended with a repeated victory to President Rajapaksa�s ruling coalition. Under the Constitution of the Second Republic, the head of state wields the power to call elections in separate chunks, as in the case of the September 8 election. It was held only in three provinces, and in the near future, an election will be held in another couple of provinces. more..

Sept 15 (NS) Lalitha asked us to wait for a moment and hurried back to the parking lot. Issuing a parking ticket to a three-wheeler, she pointed at us and said something to the driver, smiling. The driver put his head out of the three-wheeler and spoke laughing out loud. �She never issues us tickets, she just pockets the money,� he was teasing her. �This is the first time Lalitha Akka ever issued a ticket to us.� She issued his parking ticket, more..

Sept 15 (SL) Nodath (ND) and Sududath (SD) had arrived at their usual Water Hole for their monthly discussion on local foreign affairs at noon despite the sweltering August heat. Both were alumni of the Forward School for Backward Boys and MBAs of Oxford Branch of Urugasmangwewa College of Instant English. Nodath, strong supporter of the govt unbuttoning the top buttons of his shirt: Sooh! Sooh! The heat is very hot no? Can�t blame the govt if the monsoons don�t come, no? more..

Sept 15 (Island) On a recent visit to Jaffna I was fortunate to experience first hand the resilience of a-few incredible people that hail from the Northern peninsula of our country. I spent a week in Jaffna and its surrounding suburbs interviewing parents who had children with special needs and asking them about the special education services that were available to them. This was as part of a research project that I needed to complete as part of my doctoral studies. more..

Sept 15 (Island) It is clear that the UPFA or SLFP-led alliances has become the ruling party of Sri Lanka making UNP the alternative. The SLFP-led coalitions have ruled the country for more than half of the existence of the SLFP and the latter has been able to produce leaders who understand the country much better than those in the UNP. The SLFP can attract more than sixty five percent of the Sinhala Buddhists and had the SLFP leadership acted responsibly in selecting more..

Sept 15 (Island) The declaration of the results of the three provincial council elections virtually coincided with the announcement of the visit later this week of a three member team from the office of the Human Rights Commissioner in Geneva. The victory of the govt in all three of the provincial elections conveys a strong political message that the govt continues to hold the whip hand in domestic politics and that it is pragmatic to work in cooperation with more..

Sept 15 (DM) As political analysts predicted, the UPFA returned to office at the North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Councils with conformable majorities. But, in the east, the results showed a different picture with none of the parties being able to get the required majority to form the council. The UPFA which outdid other parties received 14 seats, falling short of four members to establish the provincial administration on its own. more..

Sept 15 (GV) When in early 2009, UNOSAT released satellite imagery of what later turned out to be the final weeks of Sri Lanka�s 27-year old war with the LTTE, the images were met with vehement Govt condemnation, and counter-analysis by the Ministry of Defence. During this heady, hellish time, the subject of The Cage: The Fight for Sri Lankan & The Last Days of the Tamil Tigers by former UN spokesman Gordon Weiss and the recently released Still Counting the Dead: more..

Sept 15 (GV) �We can see how the people are suffering but who are we to tell? Nothing can be done. Who can fight against the Govt? The news on the ground is that the Defence Ministry is trying to secure 1500 acres to build a hotel in this area. This is the main reason they don�t want these people to return to their homes. As we all know what the Defence Ministry wants, it usually gets. Who can stop them,� were the words of a rather unusual source � a Police officer, more..