Aug 2 (JS) Attempts are being made by some quarters in the United States to frame war crimes charges against Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa in respect of the incidents that had allegedly taken place during the last lap of the war against the LTTE. Ryan Goodman, co-editor-in-chief of Just Security, who had made a presentation at a congressional briefing recently on issues of accountability in Sri Lanka has more..

Aug 2 (AP) More than 150 Sri Lanka asylum seekers have been flown from an Australian immigration detention camp to the Pacific island nation of Nauru after they refused to consider returning to India, an Australian official said. 157 ethnic Tamil men, women and children had left the southeast Indian port of Pondicherry in an Indian-flagged ship in late June and were intercepted by an Australian customs vessel. more..

Aug 2 (AM) Minister Rajitha Senarathne has been selected to deliver the keynote speech at the National Shoora Council meeting which is to be held in Colombo on August 13. The BBS organization, a few weeks ago, demanded the govt to ban National Shoora Council on the grounds that it supports Muslim extremism and terrorism in Sri Lanka. Minister Senaratne is known to be a strong critique of the BBS and hardcore more..

Aug 2 (Island) Undergraduates of Rajarata University have decided to continue with their satyagraha despite university administration announcing a pardon for troublemakers and making arrangements to reopen the university on Monday. Former President of Rajarata University Students� Council Dinesh Kumara said that they had received the news that the university administration had pardoned those who were suspended earlier, but there had been no letter issued to that effect. more..

Aug 2 (Island) The Govt of Japan has approved Rs, 305 million to be financed through the counterpart fund under Japan�s non-project grant aid scheme for the capacity development programme through MILODA Academy of Financial Studies (AFS). The programme is aimed at institutionalizing and enhancing the capacity of AFS, the training arm of the Ministry of Finance and Planning. The new Co-CEOs jointly selected -Professor J. �Hasagawa and Mrs. H.M.N.S. Gunawardana, being the more..

Aug 2 (NS) Several days ago, a popular television channel telecast an investigative report where undercover journalists filmed the owner of a pharmacy engaged in selling illegal pills to women who wish to abort their pregnancies. The owner, who is a Muslim, is seen in a hidden camera stating he imports the pills illegally from Pakistan. A glance through the �comments� section of the news report on the channel�s websites makes interesting reading. Sinhalese are sprouting conspiracy more..

Aug 2 (NS) �A steady stream of articles is appearing in the local English medium, attacking demonizing and condemning the Sinhala people and more specifically the Sinhala-Buddhists as extremists, intolerable, genocidal and violent. It is seen by a perusal of these that the writers of these fall into three broad categories. One is the traditionally anti-Sinhala and anti-Buddhist lobby, led by a diverse mixture of Marxists, neo-marxists, liberals, neo-liberals, Eelamists and Christian more..

Aug 2 (AAP) "What'll happen?" the waiter asks. At least that's what I think I hear him say. Puzzled, I decide a non-committal nod is the most appropriate answer. Now it's his turn to look confused. "For both of you?" he inquires, gesturing towards my companion. The penny drops when I remember a Sri Lankan friend's warning that locals' pronunciation of their national dessert, wattalappum, often sounds like "What'll happen?" more..

Aug 2 (Island) Acting on a tip-off, police Divisional Crimes Investigations Unit, Kalutara on Thursday, arrested �Mervin Janaka� and his paramour with 150 grammes of heroin and also took into custody a luxury car used to transport drugs to Panadura, Kalutara and Hikkaduwa areas. Two suspects are being grilled on a seven day detention order. Initial investigations have revealed that the woman is studying law at a private institute. The suspects had been arrested in Panadura town more..

Aug 2 (ST) Ranjith, 42, greets us with a big smile. The smile is marred because his teeth are stained a dark brown. Not only the staining of the teeth but numerous other issues had been the bane of the lives of a huge 1,500 families comprising about 5,000 men, women and children of Thunkama in Embilipitiya. �Now, however, my children don�t have these problems,� points out Ranjith. For, he and his neighbours have laboured to put in place an invaluable water project maintained and more..

Aug 2 (SMH) The lawyer representing 157 Tamil asylum seekers moved overnight on Friday to Nauru says a High Court case challenging the Australian government's actions in detaining them on the high seas would continue. Three planes carrying the asylum seekers, including 50 children, from the Curtin detention centre had landed at Nauru's tiny airport, Nauruan officials said on Saturday. Lawyer George Newhouse, who more..

Aug 2 (ENS) Shenali D Waduge, who wrote the article, is a Sri Lankan freelance journalist who is known for her pungent writings that support Sinhalese-Buddhist nationalism and against Muslim and Tamil �separatism�, expansionist West, and of course, India, Sri Lanka�s �Big Brother� across the Palk Strait. A Delhi University alumnus, who is currently Head of Corporate Communications at DHL Forwarding, Waduge has recently turned into an ardent supporter of Hindutva, more..

Aug 2 (CT) The campaign for the abolition of the Executive Presidency dates back to the early days of the Executive Presidency itself. The 1978 Constitution, under which the office of the Executive Presidency was introduced, was meant to cater to the personal political ambitions of J.R. Jayewardene, the first Executive President, who famously bragged that with the untrammelled powers at his disposal, all he could not do is to turn a man into a woman and vice versa. more..

Aug 2 (ST) A four-wheel-drive motor rally organised along east coast early next month has raised concerns among environmentalists. Commando 4�4, the six-day rally planned to start on August 4, is being organised by the Commando Regiment under its �Experience Sri Lanka with Commandos� project. The rally will start from Point Pedro in Jaffna, ending at the Commando Regiment Training school at Uva Kudaoya in more..

Aug 2 (Island) Candidates of the NFF led by leader Wimal Weerawansa contesting the Uva PC election would lose whether they contested on their own or on the ticket of the ruling coalition UPFA, the JVP said yesterday. JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva told a media conference held at the party head office in Pelawatte that Weerawansa�s sitting provincial councilors in Uva had already crossed over to the UNP and the SLFP even before the dissolution of the council. more..

Aug 2 (Island) During his discussions with the Japanese Parliamentary delegation which called on him at the Ministry on Friday, Minister G.L. Peiris, expressed appreciation of Japan�s approach of constructive engagement with Sri Lanka. He paid tribute to the deep and rich relationship between the two countries, typified by the State Visit of President Rajapaksa to Japan last year, during which he was received by Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, and the subsequent visit to more..

Aug 2 (ST) An attempt by villagers and wildlife enthusiasts to save a rare fish from extinction is a rare ray of hope amid the gloom of the gradual loss of biodiversity. Last week, ignoring blood-sucking leeches, dozens of volunteers got their hands dirty and pants wet on the muddy banks of the Galapitamada stream, known to be the only habitat of the critically endangered Bandula Barb. They cleaned the stream and planted ketala more..

Aug 2 (CT) The witness Susantha Dias Dahanayake who was in CID custody about the end of the year 1990 and early �91 told the Commission that Tarzan Weerasinghe (TW), the main accomplice to the murder, was also then in CID custody. This was denied by SSP Chandra Jayawardene. The Commission found Dahanayake a credible witness because his testimony about TW was supported by three other detainees. The Commission was on good grounds for disregarding the CID more..

Aug 2 (DM) The Meteorology Department said today heavy falls exceeding 100mm is expected in some parts of the country while cloudy skies and showery weather is expected over southwestern parts of the country due to a low level wind convergence and an atmospheric disturbance over vicinity of Sri Lanka. Issuing a severe weather advisory valid for next 24 hours, it said that showers or thundershowers will occur in the Western, Central, Sabaragamuwa and Southern provinces. more..

Aug 2 (CG) The Sri Lankan Govt today blamed the UNHCR in Sri Lanka over the issue surrounding Pakistani asylum seekers in the country. Sri Lankan authorities have decided to deport asylum seekers arrested despite them having sought asylum through the UN refugee agency. The Ministry of External Affairs said that in keeping with its obligations under customary international law, the Sri Lankan Govt has been engaging more..

Aug 2 (CG) The Indian Govt says its position on the probe by the OHCHR on Sri Lanka is clear. Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin recalled that India abstained from voting on that Resolution on Sri Lanka submitted at the UNHRC in March but voted against the paragraph which constituted a Commission of Inquiry. There have been media reports indicating that India had refused to give visas to the probe team of the OHCHR Commission of Inquiry to more..

Aug 2 (AM) Minister Champika Ranawaka will not take part in the govt's election campaign for the Uva PC election, a spokesman of the JHU said. The election propaganda campaign of the UPFA, is handled by a top level committee that includes several cabinet ministers and seniors of the UPFA. The JHU, a major constituent party of the govt, will not play any active role in the propaganda campaign of the govt. JHU earlier announced that it would not contest the Uva PC election. more..

Aug 2 (AM) The UNP today raised questions over the suspicious death of a key witness in the trial against a former ruling party PC Member who forced a teacher to kneel down in her school. Commenting on the nature of the death, UNP said that the incident was �too coincidental to be a coincidence.� The UNP said chances are high that this incident too might be swept under the carpet of mysterious deaths � which has been more..

Aug 2 (PTI) Pakistan's Test and One-day captain, Misbah-ul-Haq has said his teammates will have to take the wickets of the stalwarts like Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara early if they want to win the upcoming two-Test series in Sri Lanka, commencing at Galle on August 6. Jayawardene, 37, has announced that he would retire from Test cricket after the two-Test series this month, and is hoping to have a memorable farewell series. "Obviously you have to take 20 more..

Aug 2 (Island) Minister S.B. Dissanayake says that the govt was boasting that the govt had increased the salaries of university teachers by 20%, but it was only one of the promises on the basis of which the FUTA had suspended its 100-day strike in 2012, former FUTA chief and executive committee member Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri said. Dr. Dewasiri said that the government had promised a 25% salary increment, but after one-and-a-half years it had granted only 20%. more..

Aug 2 (CG) The police today warned mobile SIM card agents not to sell SIM cards to individuals using an identification card of a third party after it was revealed that suspects involved in the abduction of a four year old boy in Meegalewa had used a mobile phone with a SIM registered to someone else. SSP Ajith Rohana said that the suspects who were arrested after four year old Danidu Yashen was rescued last evening, more..

Aug 2 (DM) Army said today strict action would be taken against those who circulate false information with the malicious objective of creating social disharmony among communities. Army spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya said certain parties with the intent of creating disharmony among communities were circulating a false message via SMS and social media, particularly among the Muslim community, promoting violence. �There is no truth in the content of such messages and more..

Aug 2 (AD) The UNP today charged that the �blunder� made by the Ministry of Defence, by posting a derogatory article on the Indian PM and TN chief minister on its website, underscores the �recklessness and devil-may-care attitude� of the present regime when it comes to affairs of state. Ministry of Defence, which is the overseer of national security and many other aspects of life in Sri Lanka, found itself in an embarrassing position over a defamatory article more..

Aug 2 (PTI) Fishermen of coastal districts, boycotting fishing since July 24 over frequent arrest of their counterparts by Sri Lankan Navy, today dropped their plan to go to Katchatheevu following intervention of Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries, Pon Radhakrishnan. About 500 fishermen, who had gathered at the coastal area near Verkode St Joseph School, were preparing to leave for Sri Lanka when Radhakrishnan more..

Aug 3 (SO) Certain Western countries and the UNHRC are making a mountain of a molehill over the alleged human rights violations during the final phase of Sri Lanka's 2006-2009 humanitarian operation which ended terrorism and ushered in peace and stability. They wax eloquent and champion the human rights of LTTE terrorists killed in action but strangely they show no concern whatsoever over the human rights of civilians killed and injured in LTTE suicide bomb attacks. more..

Aug 3 (SL) The punch-up which took place at the country�s premier hospital, the National Hospital of Sri Lanka, between two factions of doctors on Wednesday is a sad day for the medical profession and the country. It is a day to be regretted by doctors and the country at large because the medical profession has commanded the continuous regard and respect of the general public for over 127 years, unlike most other professions or public organisations. more..

Aug 3 (SO) Senior Minister A.H.M. Fowzie's significant contribution towards inter-communal harmony is a clear reflection of his illustrious political career which spans over 54 years. As a simple and tolerant politician, his prime concern is the welfare of the masses and he works for unity among various ethnic groups in the country. His services to the people irrespective of race and religion are commendable. more..

Aug 3 (NS) Sri Lanka�s health sector has been plagued by bitter internal strife this year. The power struggle between nurses and midwives over conducting midwifery training for nurses caused havoc recently in hospitals, with strikes, heated arguments and even brawls that ended with people biting each other. This issue is far from resolved. However, just when the public thought some semblance of normalcy was being restored, they were treated to the �spectacle� of doctors at more..

Aug 3 (CT) Police narcotics sleuths have rearrested the wife and the mother-in-law of the fugitive drug kingpin, Wele Suda, after a series of discoveries of large caches of heroin were made during the last month. Wele Suda, Sri Lanka's most wanted drug baron, is in hiding in Pakistan, from where he regularly dispatches shiploads of class one narcotic, concealed in seemingly harmless consignments of goods. Last month, the Sri Lankan Customs seized 100 kg of heroin concealed in three plastic more..

Aug 3 (SL) While the opposition, including some Tamil political parties, are pushing for a regime change in order to address some pressing issues, President of the TNPF, Gajen Ponnambalam says a regime change will not directly address the issues faced by the Tamils. He also says the Tamils who suffered during the war do not feel they will definitely get justice under a UN probe. However, Ponnambalam says the Tamils more..

Aug 3 (ST) The situation in the Gaza region in the Palestine territories has multiple issues. Foremost among them are the mounting civilian casualties in the clash between Israel and the Palestinian group, Hamas, an off-shoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. But there are also those issues that have a bearing on countries like Sri Lanka. The �Palestinian problem� if one was to broadly describe what is the single biggest outstanding issue in West Asia had its beginnings, like so many other more..

Aug 3 (SL) Even though the President has expanded the mandate of the domestic Commission on Missing Persons by asking the commission to investigate the death of civilians during the war, the Tamil Diaspora has claimed that they have no confidence in the domestic process. Meanwhile, Former Norwegian envoy Erik Solheim, who played a key mediatory role in Sri Lanka during the war, had made a more..

Aug 3 (NS) Ask anyone the question �Are you a racist?� and the answer would be �no�. You can replace racist with communalist, fundamentalist, extremist, chauvinist or any other derogatory term and you�ll get the same answer. �No�. You can ask �Are you arrogant, jealous, wicked, deceitful etc etc� and you will still get �no�. No one ever does anything wrong. Act and word are generally justified to self beforehand. Arrogance tends to trump humility. And the world stays as it is apart from more..