July 17 (CT) Reports from Indonesia say that the country�s central bank, Bank Indonesia, has increased its interest rates by half a percent, the second such increase it has made within one month. Previously in June this year, it raised its interest rates by a quarter of one percent. Though the market had expected Bank Indonesia to make this move in July, it had not anticipated an increase of this magnitude since the normal increases in interest rates in the past have been only more..

July 17 (LBO) Sri Lanka's tourist arrivals rose 12.8% to 73,628 in June 2013 from a year earlier, with half year arrivals up 18% to 512,281, data from the state tourism promotion office showed. Visitors from Western Europe rose 14% to 19,731 with arrivals from UK up 5.3% to 6,400, Germany up 6.4% to 3,248, France up 12.3% to 2,545, Norway up 16.2% to 1,668 and The Netherlands up 19.6% to 1,204. In six months visitors from the region was up the 13.8% to 196,355. more..

July 17 (SO) Tasting tea as a profession is an art that can be mastered only with special training and skill. It is the process that a taster determines the distinctive quality of Camellia Sinensis plant or popularly known as tea that is grown in different terrains under different climatic conditions and being manufactured according to different processes. Having owned a global reputation for its speciality teas for over a more..

July 17 (Island) The government�s determination to show progress in regard to a political solution and to improving its human rights image is evident in recent developments. During his recent visit, the Indian National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon is reported to have urged government leaders to keep its promises to India. The Indian government�s position that the government should deliver on its promise to go beyond the 13th Amendment poses a major challenge. more..

July 17 (Island) We will continue with our discussion on the infamous Indo Lanka Accord that was imposed on us almost twenty six years to date, which according to some was signed by J R Jayewardene under duress. However, we are not prepared to excuse JRJ for that as he should have stood up to any pressure from India without betraying the sovereignty of the people. As we said in the first installment of the present series Indo Lanka Accord is not only defunct due to India more..

July 17 (Island) Opposition lawmaker Dr. Harsha De Silva slammed the govt for not publishing the 2011 annual report of the country�s largest superannuation fund, the trillion rupee EPF, which is used to finance the state, manipulate interest rates and invest in questionable stocks at the country�s bourse. Dr. Harsha De Silva has officially written to the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) more..

July 17 (GPI) �The way women are being visually portrayed in Sri Lanka is something that has to be questioned,� says Liz Fernando, a photographer and visual artist in Colombo. Fernando sees two common trends in the visual portrayals of women. �They say that women are treated badly by men, and I think the solution is to get men involved in the discussion. And this project is a good example. �Either the woman is objectified, or she is victimized, There is nothing in between.� She Says. more..

July 17 (Island) Captain Angelo Mathews justified his decision to bowl the less experienced Shaminda Eranga in the last over against India in the final of the tri-nation competition in Trinidad on Thursday. He also backed under-fire fast bowler Lasith Malinga whose performances against India made Chairman of Selectors Sanath Jayasuriya question the fast bowler�s performances against the neighbouring country. Mathews came in for much criticism after he left the last over for Eranga in a tense final, more..

July 17 (CT) The Habeas Corpus case of missing journalist, Prageeth Ekneligoda, took a new turn yesterday, when UPFA MP told Court that JVP MP, Sunil Handunnetti, also confided to him that Ekneligoda was alive and living in Belgium. This was revealed after Counsel Upul Kumarapperuma, appearing for family members of Ekneligoda, queried Fernando about several statements he has made to print media more..

July 17 (DN) People like S. Sridharan of the TNA and Mangala Samaraweera of the UNP should apologise to the people for instigating Callum Macrae to suggest that the President and the Defence Secretary who ushered in peace and freedom after overcoming the greatest challenge which faced the motherland in its recent history, should be hauled before a war crimes tribunal, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said. �If they do not tender an apology, the nation�s curse will more..

July 17 (DN) A recent research conducted by the Medical Research Institute (MRI) found that when people destroy artificial mosquito breeding sites including yogurt cups, tins etc, the mosquitoes go to natural breeding places such as tree hollows and leaves of certain varieties of trees, a Health Ministry spokesman said. Although people destroy artificial mosquito breeding sites created by them as much as possible, the mosquito density goes up all the time increasing the dengue risk. more..

July 17 (Island) The much delayed Indian Investment of US$ 460 million by the Krrish Group, which faced several issues, has been granted a third extension to finalise the balance payments to the UDA for the development of four acres in Fort area. The company has so far paid 81% of the land lease and has been charged 12% interest on the balance payment, which has been due for a considerable period. more..

July 17 (CT) A burly police cop prevented reporters and photographers from covering the ceremony held at Maitland Crescent, Colombo 7, to rename Gregory's Road as R.G. Senanayake Mawatha, by President Rajapaksa yesterday morning. When media representatives approached the venue around 9 a.m. a police officer stationed at a point wanted to check the names of the journalists and their institutions in a list, purportedly of journalists, the police personnel had with them. more..

July 17 (CT) In a forceful critique of attempts to amend the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, the Secretary General of the Liberal Party, Kamal Nissanka, also made no bones about the fact that the current Provincial Council system had many flaws. Though the Liberal Party has always been in favour of devolution, we have also noted that there are several things about the 13th Amendment that need improvement. However we believe that this is best done through comprehensive more..

July 17 (Island) President Rajapaksa has disappointed the majority of members of the UPFA administered Eastern Provincial Council (EPC), including the Board of Ministers, by asking them to sort out their differences with the Chief Minister and the Governor without troubling the govt. The President had held a meeting with the members of the EPC last weekend in Kandy, where he asked them to sort out their own problems. more..

July 17 (FT) In recognition of its services to South Asia�s tourism and hospitality industry, SriLankan Airlines, the national carrier of Sri Lanka, received a special �Award of Appreciation� at the World Travel Awards 2013 Indian Ocean ceremony, held at the Paradise Island Resort & Spa in the Maldives, recently. Dubbed as the �The Oscars of the Travel Industry,� the World Travel Awards celebrated its 20th anniversary this year and is acknowledged across the globe as the ultimate travel more..

July 17 (FT) An appeal case has been filed by the affected thirty Hajj travel agencies at the high court on the 12 July 2013. According to this a High Court decision given in 2012 to follow the correct criteria in selecting suitable travel agencies based on a points system. The Court in 2012 directed the respondents to set up a committee headed by the Director of Muslim Cultural Affairs. They must conduct interviews for applied travel agencies and find out the suitability of the agencies by awarding more..

July 17 (BBC) The UK govt has approved more than 3,000 export licences for military sales to countries which it believes have questionable records on human rights, MPs say. The House of Commons Committees on Arms Export Controls says the value of the existing export licences to the 27 countries in question exceeds �12bn. This includes significant sales to China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Israel. Sales to Sri Lanka raise more..

July 17 (CT) SLFP MPs will not be permitted to contest the upcoming Provincial Council elections, according to a decision taken by the party leadership, Minister of Health, Maithripala Sirisena, said. The decision comes in the wake of intense lobbying by a number of SLFP heavyweights in the North-Western and Central Provinces, who are vying for the post of Chief Minister in the two provinces. Sirisena said the new policy is because the SLFP wants new faces to enter to the PCs in more..

July 17 (Island) IGP N. K. Illangakoon last week revealed that in 2012 about 2,444 persons, including school children, had died in road accidents. There were 42,145 accidents in that year. Of the 2,444 deaths around 320 persons had died due to accidents involving private buses. About In the Western province alone 100 persons had been killed in accidents. IGP Illangakoon said that he had drawn up a plan to curtail the alarming increase in road traffic accidents. more..

July 17 (AFP) A couple walks precariously on a railway track as it ploughs through the lush green fields of northeastern Sri Lanka. It�s an old childhood stunt in these parts - trying to walk as far as possible on winding railway tracks without losing balance. But this couple has developed an ingenious way to stay on track. As the camera zooms out, the audience can see they�re cheating. The couple � a young village girl more..

July 17 (Island) A special meeting of secretaries from all ministries and authorities has been scheduled, to be held in two weeks time, in order to discuss matters on improving Sri Lanka�s investment climate, with foreign direct investment inflows lower than expected. The meeting was scheduled after a successful meeting held between Minister and the Deputy Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena and Faiza Mustapha, respectively, with Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga. more..

July 17 (Island) The Grade Six Sinhala language and Literature term test paper, for schools in the North Central Province, has been cancelled yesterday as it contained answers as well. President of the Ceylon Teachers� Union Priyantha Fernando said that around 20,000 Grade Six students in the province were scheduled to sit the paper yesterday. "Answers to six questions in the second paper, of the Sinhala language and Literature, were printed on the fourth page of the paper," more..

July 17 (DM) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has decided to cancel the money spinning Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) for this year. A top SLC official said that this decision was taken last evening at an emergency meeting between SLC office bearers and SLPL�s organiser Somerset Entertainment Ventures (SEV). SEV was represented by its CEO Sandeep Bhammer and Karan Mehta. Lack of interest by prospective buyers to invest in the franchises more..

July 17 (SM) JVP MP Sunil Handunnetti strongly condemns the statement made by SLFP MP Arundika Fernando that Mr. Handunnetti too has seen the missing Journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda alive in Belgium. MP Fernando made this statement at the Homagama Magistrate court saying that the JVP MP told him so. THe calling of evidence from MP Arundika Fernando regarding the "Disappeared" Journalist Eknaligoda was commenced today. And Mr. Fernando further said that he too more..

July 17 (Island) The Mahiyangana Divisional Secretariat had placed a chaffuer-driven pick-up truck at the disposal of the Veddha Chief Uruvarige Vannila Aththo, Divisional Secretary Sunil Abeykoon told The Island. The Veddha chief used the vehicle to travel to faraway places such as Colombo, Anuradhapura, Kataragama and Kandy, Abeykoon said, adding that the cost of fuel for his travel was met by the Secretariat. Abeykoon said the driver, too, was paid by the Secretariat. more..

July 17 (FT) Sri Lanka�s macro challenges have changed and asking for export concessions only leaves the country as a subsistence economy. �The biggest block we had for our development, the war, is over. In the post conflict era, the biggest beneficiary is the private sector and today�s challenges are different. New challenges are wage rate hikes, worker unrest and even lack of workers. Also, we will not ask for GSP. more..

July 17 (DM) The Daily Mirror in its Editorial on Monday focused on the dangerously rising wave of violent political crime and corruption � a trend that has given Sri Lanka the dubious distinction of being ranked as the ninth most dangerous country in the world. One of the hundreds of such violent crimes was the recent slaughter of a Deraniyagala tea estate superintendent who had courageously tried to stop the ransom demands, intimidation and thuggery by gangs reportedly connected to more..

July 17 (DM) The dominating narrative is dichotomous. The perceptions are equally remarkable. International interest is in no small measure. The impact on domestic stability remains uncontested. Whichever viewpoint is adopted, consensus is achieved on the limited. The final report of the LLRC recommends, among other things, formulation of a political solution acceptable to all communities. The home-grown mechanism, independent in nature though more..

July 17 (IRIN) Close to 100,000 returnees in Sri Lanka�s north lack national identity cards (NICs), more than four years after the end of the country�s decades-long civil war. �Many people cannot resume their lives as NICs are the passport to accessing multiple services and were made mandatory for voting in 2006,� TNA MP Suresh Premachandran, one of the largest national parties representing Tamils from the north, said. more..

July 17 (SL) With reports that the govt is in the process of preparing the initial paperwork to re-apply for the EU�s GSP Plus trade concession that was withdrawn from the country in August 2010 due to non-compliance with the conditions connected to the facility, the General Secretary of the Free Trade Zones & General Services Employees� Union (FTZ&GSEU) Anton Marcus says the govt first needs to formulate a proper more..

July 17 (ST) J.M. Maharoof, from Ibbagamuwa in Kurunegala is a survivor of a deadly bus accident that claimed 21 lives in 2003. The packed SLTB bus in which he was travelling crashed into a tree, killing 11 on the spot � more deaths followed from among the 80 other casualties. Mr. Maharoof sustained severe injuries to his head and face and had to undergo a number of operations at the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital. more..

July 17 (DN) Three petitions filed challenging the appointment of incumbent Chief Justice Mohan Peiris was dismissed by a five Judge Bench of the Supreme Court yesterday. Two motions were set aside on the grounds of been undated and sans an affidavit. Intervening petitions filed by Bandula Wellala and Nelson Perera will be supported on July 25. The Bench comprised of Justices S. Marsoof, Sathya Hettige, more..

July 17 (CG) The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) has written to the Independent Television Network (ITN) demanding an apology over a news item it aired accusing the CPA of organizing a meeting in support of the LTTE. In a letter sent to Rosmand Senaratne, the Chairman of ITN, Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, the Executive Director of CPA said that neither CPA nor he organized such a meeting. more..

July 17 (WB) Sri Lanka is a lower Middle Income Country with a steady growth. As with all prolonged conflicts, social inclusion has been slow to be established. A long-lasting solution to the ethnic problem and putting in place effective means of addressing grievances of minority communities is vital for sustained peace. By 2036, more than 22% of Sri Lanka�s population will be over 60 and there will be 61 dependents per 100 adults. more..

July 17 (CT) Previously unemployed graduates, who were subsequently given employment by the Public Administration Ministry, are yet to receive permanent placements despite having been employed for over one and a half years, the Graduate Employees' Union (GEU) said. Speaking to Ceylon Today, GEU General Secretary, Chandana Sooriyarachchi, said of the 50,000 graduates who were provided with jobs over more..

July 17 (DM) UNP MP Karu Jayasuriya said today the terms of executive Presidency was extended not on the people�s request but for the personal gain of the SLFP. He said increasing the power of the authorities was a comic story. He said the authorities in Sri Lanka were trying to increase the power while other countries are trying to devolve it. Taking steps to taking off the provisions of the 13th Amendment to more..

July 17 (ST) In an interview with BBC's Sinhala Service, the Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Alistair Burt said he had learnt that some British journalists, especially the director of the 'No Fire Zone' Callum McCrae, will not be allowed to visit the island, as indicated by the Sri Lankan Consul General in Australia Bandula Jayasekara. In the interview Burt said he expects the Sri Lankan govt to more..

July 17 (AFP) Multi-million-dollar casinos planned for Colombo have boosted Sri Lanka's ambitious hopes of becoming Asia's new gambling hotspot, but the projects still face political and religious opposition. Sri Lanka legalised gambling in November 2010, with the aim of eventually luring cashed-up tourists to the island nation and boosting an economy battered by decades of ethnic war. The govt granted approval to John Keells group more..