Sep 29 (CT) A quantity of gems worth over Rs. 20 million that was brought from a gem polishing and selling centre in Beruwala to be displayed to a Chinese national arriving at a Colombo hotel had gone missing. This centre at Beruwala was launched by a French national to provide employment to groups who were displaced by the Tsunami. The French national had dispatched the parcel containing 46 gems through an employee of the centre on 26 Sept, but the Chinese national more..

Sep 29 (CT) The maiden meeting of the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) is likely to be held at a temporary venue as there has never been a Provincial Council building. The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), which won the NPC with a four-fifth majority, said they will have to look for a venue to hold the first meeting of the Council, probably at a Pradeshiya Sabha building or at a hotel, which would be a temporary measure, until a permanent venue is made available. more..

Sep 29 (GDI) The UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth Ahmad Alhindawi, along with several youth representatives involved in the World Youth Conference (WYC) 2014, called on President Rajapaksa on Friday in New York. The youth representatives briefed President Rajapaksa about the preparations underway for the WYC, which is scheduled to take place in Sri Lanka in May 2014. It will be the first time the Conference is being more..

Sep 29 (TR) If the recent Test series between Zimbabwe and Pakistan, levelled one-all by the home side after the mayhem on days four and five of the second Test, proved one thing it is that the hierarchy of Zimbabwe Cricket should have moved heaven and earth to keep the postponed series against Sri Lanka on the table. Indeed, everything should have been done to ensure that the Test series, originally slated for four weeks in October, had happened and all aspersions against more..

Sep 29 (CT) A hospital cannot run without a constant and stable supply of blood, as for many patients who undergo surgery, the deciding factor between life and death may be a blood transfusion. State hospitals as well as private hospitals depend on the National Blood Bank (NBB) to ensure they do not �bleed� out of this vital supply. While there is a steady flow of donors, trade unions of the health sector warn, there could be a severe shortage of blood at the Blood Bank, more..

Sep 29 (CT) Several govt schools in Colombo are on the verge of a technological upgrade with plans for a swipe card system (iCard), for use by students on entering and leaving the premises. The new system is to be implemented in collaboration with a leading mobile service provider. The system will not only ensure the safety and security of its students, but it will also help parents to also keep track of their children�s more..

Sep 29 (Island) There would be a surge in the number Chinese tourists visiting Sri Lanka, Ambassador Wu Jianghao told the Chinese National Day reception at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel last Wednesday. He noted that the growth in tourist arrivals in the first half of this year was 74% and said it would surge in the coming months. Ongoing discussions between China and Sri Lanka on a Free Trade Agreement would give a welcome boost to the tourist sector as well, he observed. more..

Sep 29 (Island) To commemorate 20 years as the market leader in timber coatings in Sri Lanka, JAT Holdings partnered with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) as its comprehensive sponsor of the Kandurata Maroons team � the winner of the 2013 Super 4�s tournament qualifier for the 2013 Champions League Twenty20 held in India from Sept 17 onwards. To celebrate the momentous 20th anniversary milestone, JAT has undertaken numerous activities by partnering with SLC, more..

Sep 29 (AD) Another batch of marked ballot papers has been found in a hall at the St. Andrew�s Central College in Puttalam, according to a UPFA candidate and former member of the NWPC. Three polythene bags filled with ballot papers were initially discovered on Tuesday inside a building of the same school, which was used as a counting center for the PC polls. Those ballot papers were sealed and are currently in more..

Sep 29 (CG) Hot on the heels of its victory at the Northern Provincial Council elections, the TNA says it is considering contesting provincial elections in the South. TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran said that the TNA is confident of garnering support from the Tamils in the south. He said that the Tamils in the North had given overwhelming support to the TNA manifesto at the Northern provincial council elections despite the adverse publicity to it from the govt. The TNA feels that Tamils in the Southern province more..

Sep 29 (Island) A faction of the UNP has organized a protest march from Devundara in the South to Colombo demanding that party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe step down to pave the way towards building a stronger opposition in the country. The march, which will begin at 9 am on Saturday after a pooja at the Devundara Devale, is expected to reach Colombo on Oct 11, said Maithri Gunaratne, a UNP Southern Provincial Councilor. Members of the Maha Sangha will hand over a more..

Sep 29 (AD) The UNP today accused the govt of turning the country�s election process into a �cricket tournament� and development into exhibitions. UNP National Organiser Daya Gamage stated that when the govt came to power 20 years ago the country�s debt was Rs 750 billion and that now that amount has risen to Rs 7,500 billion. Even children who have not been born yet are indebted around Rs 431 000, he said, more..

Sep 29 (E24|7) A bathing middle-aged woman was drowned in Sri Lanka after falling into a well following a sudden embrace by a strange man, the �Dinamina� newspaper reported. According to a complaint lodged by the area�s residents to the Bakamuna police, a man embraced the woman and jumped into a well, dragging in her as well, in the Aththanakadawala area of Bakamuna on Thursday evening while she was bathing. When he surfaced from the well, the woman was dead, more..

Sep 29 (CT) Elections to select representatives to the Northern, North-Western and Central Provinces concluded a week ago � and for many reasons � the 21 Sept elections and the results will collectively create political history in the country. The North-Western Province grabbed much public and media attention, largely due to the Dayasiri Jayasekara factor, the level of violence reported connected to the preference battle and the uncertainty with regard to the post of Chief Minister. more..

Sep 29 (PTI) Sri Lankan provincial councils, including the Tamil-dominated Northern, will not have discretion over land and police matters and they will have to operate within the existing limits of power. �Provincial councils would have to operate within the existing limits (of powers),� Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said today. The Northern Chief Minister-elect K.C. Wigneswaran was no stranger to these limitations of powers more..

Sep 29 (CG) UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe says several proposals with regards to the future of the party are being considered at present. Following a meeting with the venerable Girabe Ananda thero in Anuradhapura today, the UNP leader said that a final decision will be taken later this week on the UNP proposals. UNP MP Lakshman Kiriella meanwhile said that an advisory committee will be formed within the next few days and that committee will then decide on the future course more..

Sep 29 (CG) The TNA has named a Muslim member of the party to fill one of the two bonus seats for the NPC. TNA General Secretary Mavai Senathirajah said that Ayub Asmin has been named to fill one of the bonus seats in the Council. Ayum Asmin, a Jaffna TNA member, contested the last PC elections in the North from the Mannar district. Senathirajah said that the party had also today decided on naming Mary Kamala, a TNA member from Mullaitivu, to fill the second bonus seat. more..

Sep 29 (ST) Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) systems are to be installed in four more district cities to detect crime and traffic offences, Police Chief N.K. Illangakoon said. Plans were being made to install the CCTV system in Kegalle, Anuradhapura, Kandy and Galle early next year. Police and Moratuwa University technology experts had visited the cities to identity places to install CCTV cameras, he said. more..

Sep 30 (CT) Saturday, 21 Sept, remains a historic day in the lives of Sri Lankans. The day represents the dawn of a new era, and marks the arrival of important times. A democratically elected NPC has emerged today after decades of oppression, violence and suffering. Any supporter of democracy and freedom will rejoice in the results of the NPC elections�regardless of race, religion or ethnicity. The long struggle for freedom began with the satyagrahas of the Federal Party. more..

Sep 30 (SL) Popular TV host Kawadath Hamapathette was on the Katha Pettiya TV Channel Hallo, Hallo,Yakkos. This is your favourite TV host Kawadath Hamapathette, bringing you a special session of Pissu Pitiya for an analysis of the recent elections. We have today, the country�s leading political pundits, intellectual bandits and analysts to tell you on how, what and why the people voted or didn�t vote. Now, you will all agree that under normal circumstances it would have been more..

Sep 30 (SL) Minister Kumar Welgama said the govt is happy to emerge as the second force in the north and added that the govt is ready to work with the TNA if any help is needed. Speaking further Welgama said that the govt is willing to work with the opposition in the central and north western PCs. �There should be a strong opposition but not a weak one. It is a strong opposition that can make the govt correct,� he added. more..

Sep 30 (CT) The tail end of the NWPC election was full of suspense. All eyes were focused on the tooth and nail battle between Chief Minister aspirants, former UNP MP, Dayasiri Jayasekara, and Johann Fernando, son of Minister Johnston Fernando. Both candidates were boasting they would top the preferential votes. A day ahead of the election, on Friday 20 September, President Rajapaksa made a special call to Jayasekara and revealed the findings of a confidential report. more..

Sep 30 (SL) IT�S been a long and oft-repeated theory: Sevens rugby, more than fifteens, is propitious ground for Sri Lanka to make its presence felt on the international stage. The premise is based on life�s fundamental facts: our players aren�t endowed with the physique and strength that players of other countries possess, and hence, are unable to withstand eighty minutes of the mauling and colliding that is �fifteens�; were blessed instead with litheness and nimbleness, which are what more..

Sep 30 (DBS) The electoral triumph of the TNA at the NPC elections is being viewed by many as a significant breakthrough in the long struggle waged by Sri Lankan Tamils to achieve equality and justice in the Island. Despite the widely prevalent optimism this writer however is quite pessimistic at this point of time about this expectation. The hawkish manner in which the TNA conducted its campaign as well as the hostility it has more..

Sep 30 (CT) We have thus found that alternative explanations, which hold the general violence of July 1983, and the prison massacres, to have occurred spontaneously without a core of advance planning, are defective in every respect. As to the planning, we have further the testimony of Tamil UNPer Mr. Ganeshalingam, former Mayor of Colombo. The following is an extract from Victor Ivan�s article, �The best laid plans of govt men�� in the Counterpoint of July 1993: �The next question I put to him more..

Sep 30 (CT) For the Northern Province (NP) we have a provincial council now. In 2012, the GDP share of NP is 4% but has the highest provincial GDP growth. In the year 2012 NP�s nominal GDP grew by 25.9%. The nominal GDP means the GDP at current prices and in 2012 the country�s nominal GDP grew by 15.9% whereas the real term GDP adjusted for inflation grew by 6.4%. This GDP growth was before the election of NPC. Therefore, these basic statistics set the annual overall more..

Sep 30 (GV) Co-hosted by Sri Lankans Without Borders and the South Asian Journalists Association, the event was held on Saturday, September 21, 2013 Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada. The panel discussion included, Stewart Bell, Senior Reporter, National Post; Sanjana Hattotuwa, Founding Editor, Groundviews; J.S. Tissainayagam, award-winning journalist-in-exile; Malinda Seneviratne, Editor-in-Chief, more..

Sep 30 (SO) Curly haired and hefty-looking Nandana, who had no proper education came from a very poor family. Because of his lack of eduction he did not get a god job but was always on the look-out to marry a beautiful woman. He was dreaming of leading a life with a beautiful woman and spent his time looking out for likely places where he could spot a beautiful woman. One fine day, quite by accident while waiting to board a bus to a relative's house, he spotted a beautiful girl clad in a blue skirt more..

Sep 30 (ST) Despite the importance of foreign direct investment (FDI) for sustained economic development discussed last week, the country has failed to attract an adequate amount of the right type of FDI over many years. All forms of FDI have not reached US$ 1 billion. The flow of FDI has been inadequate and not of the types that would develop the country�s industry and export earnings. In contrast, many Asian countries, especially in South East Asia, have propelled their economic more..

Sep 30 (Island) Imagine a cricket game on a warm sunny day, when a bowler has just bowled out the batsman as the crowd cheers. Assume the bowler hasn�t broken any of the game�s rules �overstepping the crease, chucking, no balling, etc. Then the crowd expects the batsman to walk back to the pavilion. However, in our hypothetical match assume the umpire simply takes out the rulebook from his pocket and writes a new set of rules, or more..

Sep 30 (Island) My cocker spaniel was named Junius Richard (JR) to commemorate an event that is etched in memory without any adoration or affection - for holding a duplicitous referendum instead of a general election to retain a 5/6 majority held in parliament for a another term. During that sordid phase, when he carried the 13th Amendment at the behest of the Indians, the then President looked as pathetic as his hunchback namesake Richard III sketched by Shakespeare. more..

Sep 30 (Island) The TNA has reportedly made another clever political move. It is said to have invited President Rajapaksa to visit Jaffna to swear in Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran and other members of the newly elected NPC. It apparently wants to silence its critics by pledging its allegiance to the State through that symbolic gesture while indicating, at the same time, its desire to maintain its distance from Colombo, considered a metaphor for centralised power and unitary status. more..

Sep 30 (ST) Two heads of Touchwood Investments, the troubled forestry management company have tendered their resignations on Friday in the wake of attempts by new investors to resurrect the company. In a stock market disclosure, Touchwood Investments announced that its Chairman Roscoe Meloney and CEO Swarna Maloney have resigned from the positions they were holding in the company. more..

Sep 30 (Island) The best post-election comment in my view was in the statement of TNA Leader, R. Sampanthan, wherein he said that "the results of this election offer everyone an opportunity which should be fully utilized in a positive manner." The principal actors in the utilization of this new opportunity are of course the Rajapaksa govt in the south and the newly elected and TNA-led Provincial Council in the north. I am using the terms �old south� and �new north� merely in the context of the UPFA�s more..

Sep 30 (AN) As a large majority of the sizable 715,000 eligible voters from Sri Lanka�s troubled north went into makeshift polling booths to cast their preferences for electing a 38 member provincial council on Sept 21, India�s influence was written all over. From a five member election observer team led by former election commission chief N. Gopalaswami to transparent ballot boxes imported especially from India for use in polls, New Delhi seems to have invested heavily on more..

Sep 30 (ST) The govt is gearing up to remove 10 to 15 year-old un-roadworthy vehicles from the streets as such vehicles have also been one of the major causes for road traffic accidents and air pollution, official sources said. The Motor Traffic Department will devise legislation providing regulations to prohibit the plying of old vehicles on roads empowering the Traffic Police to seize un-roadworthy vehicles and take necessary legal more..

Sep 30 (LBO) Some of Sri Lanka�s best brains from corporate, academic and research communities and panelists from the region will share their insights on building 'future ready enterprises'. Titled 'LBR LBO Summit on Enterprise 2.0, Building Future Ready Enterprises', the thought-provoking, one and a half-day event will take place on Friday 4th & Saturday 5th Oct at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo. LBR and LBO, the multiplatform business media brands, which pioneered electronic and more..

Sep 30 (ET) It would not be an exaggeration to say that the recent NPC polls in Sri Lanka would not have been held had it not been for the immense pressure that Colombo faced from New Delhi. But for international pressure, Colombo was not going to hold these elections. Despite numerous incidents of voter intimidation, the polls must have been free and fair if 60 per cent voters cast their votes, making the opposition, TNA, win 30 out of 38 seats. Up to 100,000 people have died in the conflict more..

Sep 30 (GDI) Sri Lanka has set a target to make the country a trilingual nation by the year 2020. Under the govt's trilingual policy state sector public employees are required to be bilingual. Accordingly, during the first six months of this year, over 25,000 public officials have received Tamil Language training. Ministry of National Languages and Social Integrity said that a special 10-day long training course was offered to doctors, more..

Sep 30 (Island) The Govt Medical Officers� Association (GMOA) at Yesterday�s General Committee Meeting decided to educate the people on the adverse effects of white bread and imported fruit such as apples and grapes. GMOA General Committee Member Dr. Nalinda Herath said that Sri Lanka had been importing wheat flour sans the bran, which contained essential vitamins and nutrients values. The white portion of the wheat flour only contained carbohydrate. more..