July 31 (CIMIC) Chief Prelate of the Malwatte Chapter Most Ven. Thibbotuwawe Sri Sumangala Siddhartha Mahanayaka Thero and a group of senior monks of the Malwatte Temple in Kandy together with leading members of the Dayaka Sabha arrived in Jaffna on Wednesday evening as the last leg of their three day itinerary relating to humanitarian assistance to poor families in the North. The Mahanayaka and the entourage passing war affected areas in Vavuniya and Mullaittivu where more..

July 31 (CTV) The Ministry of Defence says it is prepared to intercept a migrant ship, reportedly carrying about 200 suspected Sri Lankan asylum seekers, that is due to arrive on B.C.'s coast in the next few weeks. "We've been tracking this vessel for some time," Defence Minister Peter MacKay said. "We'll have ships in Canadian waters as they approach, and then an assessment will be done with more..

July 31 (wsws) The Democratic National Alliance (DNA) held a protest in Colombo last week demanding the release of its leader former general Sarath Fonseka and the restoration of democracy in Sri Lanka. The demonstration was another attempt by the DNA’s main component, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), to exploit rising anti-government sentiment by cynically posturing as a defender of democratic rights. more..

July 31 (TN) Leader of DPF and Convener of Civil Monitoring Commission, Mano Ganesan, has unequivocally condemned the arson attack on the Siyatha Media Network studio in Colombo on Friday morning. In a statement released Friday, Ganesan, while condemning the attack in the strongest of terms, noted that the incident had taken place in the very heart of the city location in close proximity to the major political and military installations of Sri Lanka. more..

July 31 (MoD) 56 girls and boys, studying at Pappamotai Maha Vidyalaya, Mannar along with 17 parents and 5 teachers were taken on a picnic for the first time in the school's history, following an initiative taken by 212 Brigade under Security Forces Headquarters, Wanni. As the clock struck 5.30 in the morning on Friday, these students were boarded into a private bus provided by the Army at its cost and more..

July 31 (LNP) It is with shock and dismay that we note the dastardly attack on the Siyatha TV and Radio stations in the wee hours of yesterday. What is more shocking is the ease with which the attackers carried out their operation and got away in a heavily guarded city teeming with so many checkpoints and military and police personnel. According to eyewitnesses, six unidentified armed persons came in two cars and mounted the attack with no resistance from the unarmed security guards. more..

July 31 (TN) At least a thousand of the persons disappeared during Sri Lanka government’s war on Vanni are students below the age of eighteen and their families, mostly mothers, have begun a desperate search for their children gone missing after arrest by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) at the end of the war. Sri Lanka government has failed to disclose the particulars of the teenage students who had either surrendered or been arrested while more..

July 31 (LP) The President called a meeting for the leaders of Governmental Trade Unions to Temple Trees last Wednesday (28th). During the meeting, there were discussions about the various difficulties faced by Government empolyees. The leaders of the Trade Unions chose to discuss about inadequacies and differences in salaries, blatantly choosing not to talk about the cost of living. more..

July 31 (DN) The Government yesterday ordered IGP Mahinda Balasuriya to conduct a full-scale investigation into the predawn attack on the Siyatha TV and Radio station in Colombo 2. Three special police teams were deployed to investigate the attack which resulted in extensive damages to four news rooms of the media station, under the directive of IGP Mahinda Balasuriya. These police teams are following several leads to bring the culprits to book. more..

July 31 (LP) Not only roots of the kothala himbutu tree (Salacia reticulata) - an indigenous Sri Lankan plant, but also all the parts including leaves and trunk can be used for control sugar in the body said Dr.J.A.S Premakumara. According to the experiments, Dr.Premakumara of the Industrial Technology Institute stated that the compounds contain in the parts of the kothala himbutu tree can control the process of the enzyme which helps to produce food into sugar. more..

July 31 (NF) Hospital authorities have complained to the Diyatalawa hospital police that several items of clothing belonging to the female soldier, allegedly raped at the Buttala police station recently, had been taken away by the police without their knowledge. According to the judicial medical officer at the hospital, Palitha Subasinghe, the hospital police have been informed in that regard. more..

July 31 (LP) Sri Lanka is one of the few countries that provides students the opportunity of a free secondary education. More than 200,000 students sit for the GCE Advanced Level examinations in Sri Lanka every year, of which only around 20,000 are selected to the universities across the country. University Entrance is a dream of every student. Every parent wishes their child to enter University to become a Graduate and then get a good job. more..

July 31 (LP) The most talked about nocturnal in the island these days is “Bassa”, and this particular Bassa is the bassa at the Ruhunu University. “Bassa” is the common name given to all Bassanayakes in all schools and Universities in Sri Lanka and in Uni language naming the students in this manner are called “The Card”. The Student at the Ruhunu University also got the name according to the “Card” not so because he looks like an “Owl”. more..

July 31 (NF) The government has no clear cut foreign policy, says Somawansa Amarasinghe, leader of the JVP. He expressed this view addressing a convention in Panadura under the topic 'The government's two-faced foreign policy'. “Does this government have a foreign policy? What is this foreign policy? Where do we stand according to Sri Lanka's foreign policy? What are the countries that we are aligned with? Who are the leaders with them? more..

July 31 (LT) The thug attack carried out against ‘Siyatha’ TV and Vetri TV yesterday morning is a threat to media freedom states the JVP. A communiqué issued by the JVP states the attack is a treacherous attack on the right of the masses for information. The communiqué further states: A group of 10 to 15 thugs attacked the institution that telecast ’Siyatha’ TV and ‘Vetri’ TV today morning and set it on fire. We vehemently condemn this dastardly and cowardly act and more..

July 31 (GV) How can evil ever be low intensity? It is similar to a low intensity cyclone. It appears to be a misnomer. However it does really exist. A depression given the right conditions which causes spinning and convergence in the atmosphere becomes a highly damaging cyclone. Wisely meteorological institutions track depressions before they become cyclones due to their harm potential. Should not we be aware as to low intensity evil? more..

July 31 (HA) The 136th Annual Aadi Vel festival was held in Colombo with colour and glamour. Beautifully decorated wooden carved cart left the Colombo Sammaankodu Sri Kathirvelaayuthaswamy temple in Sea Street left in the morning on July 23rd 2010 and reached the Sammaankodu Sri Maanikka Vinayagar temple at night. The colourful procession paraded through the main streets in Colombo. more..

July 31 (LP) Indian Supreme Court has rejected the plea for release of four key conspirators in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case who had claimed that the investigation was flawed as the alleged role of tantrik Chandraswami and 21 others were not probed. A Bench refused to interfere with the Madras high court judgement which had on April 28, 2009, dismissed the petition with a fine of Rs one lakh on the petitioner E Veluchamy, claiming to be a Congress worker. more..

July 31 (CI) England surged to a series-levelling six-wicket win, overcoming a tenacious Sri Lanka side after four days of hard fought cricket at Scarborough. Having folded in the first Test, this was a spirited comeback by an England side beset with off-field problems. That they completed victory was largely down to a 174-run fourth-wicket stand between Daniel Bell-Drummond and Ateeq Javid that hauled England out of trouble at 25 for 3 to make their 221 chase a formality. more..

July 31 (LP) It is a Government’s repsonsibility to ensure the goodwill of everyone in its country irrelevant of race or religion, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He further said that the Government of Sri Lanka is now focussing specially on children’s education. He emphasized the importance of equal rights to everyone living in this country, which is now devoid of terrorism. more..

July 31 (DN) A special motorcycle squad has been deployed by the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) to nab errant and reckless bus drivers who flout road rules. The SLTB has formed seven motorcycle teams to bring the offenders who do not follow the laws within the Western Province to book. The major objective of the program is to avoid passenger injuries and deaths in road accidents and improve road safety. more..

July 31 (DN) The Health Ministry will pay Rs.750,000 compensation to a 21-year-old person who had been infected with HIV 20 years ago during a blood transfusion.Cabinet approval had been granted to a memorandum submitted by Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena to pay compensation to this person. The incident took place and the case remained unsolved during the UNP regime where infected blood was given to the child who was receiving treatment at a state hospital. more..

July 31 (DN) The Supreme Court yesterday granted permission to a group of persons who sought to open the newly constructed road within the Wilpattu National Park for public on the basis that it would facilitate the resettlement of the displaced in the Mannar district. Counsel J.C. Weliamuna seeking intervention for thirteen persons argued that his clients were permanently settled in Mannar before they were forcibly evicted by the LTTE before 1990. more..

July 31 (DM) Of course there are different versions to the story. However the fact remains that one needs some guts to send about dozen armed men to a media office located just a few hundred metres from the Temple Trees and throw bombs at it. The gang had also got the employees to kneel down and attacked them. Gone are the days when one had to think twice, thrice or ten times to figure the culprits after an attack on media institutions. more..

July 31 (Island) The Central Environment Authority (CEA) had already taken action against the unauthorized constructions at the Sudugala division of the Knuckles forest range, Charitha Herath, the Chairman, CEA told The Island yesterday. Herath said that even at present a structure was being put up in an environmentally protected area which was earmarked to be acquired by the Forest Conservation Department. more..

July 31 (Island) MP Mangala Samaraweera will receive membership of the UNP on August 6. Samaraweera, who contested the last parliamentary elections from Matara on the UNP ticket is the leader of the SLFP (M). Political sources said that this was confirmed by the UNP during party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit to Ranamaduragama, where he met the wife and three children of Rienzie Algama, who committed suicide more..

July 31 (Island) Exporters Association of Sri Lanka (EASL) urged the government to keep the rupee at a favourable rate for exporters and requested the Central Bank to adopt a favourable exchange rate policy. "The rupee’s appreciation has negatively affected the exports sector. We urge the government to depreciate the rupee to a stable and supportive level so that exporters can survival," more..

July 31 (AP) The U.S. Embassy on Saturday condemned attacks on a Sri Lankan television station saying such acts imperil media freedom in the country. A dozen men armed with assault rifles and petrol bombs attacked the offices of privately owned Voice of Asia Network at pre-dawn Friday. The television management said the assailants assaulted security guards before setting fire to the building that houses the TV station, more..

July 31 (DN) The Government of Japan in keeping with the policy of Prime Minister Naoto Kan’s administration is prepared to engage in consultations with regard to a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Sri Lanka and Japan, Japanese Economy, Trade and industry Minister Masayuki Naoshima said in Tokyo. He was responding to a request by Ministers Prof G L Peiris and Basil Rajapaksa that Japan should consider more..

July 31 (DM) The Colombo Municipality is planning to enforce a ban on pasting posters within the Colombo City limits in a bid to give it a cleaner appearance. Special Administrator Omar Kamil said the council would begin by creating awareness among the people before they adhere to its request to paste posters only on bill boards that have been put up at certain places in the city. more..

July 31 (DM) In a landmark judgment the government the health authorities were ordered to pay Rs. five million to a medical officer who was exposed to radiation and became permanently disabled due to negligence. Colombo District Court made this order on defendants Director General of Health Services, Secretary to the Ministry of Health, Director, National Cancer Hospital following civil suit filed by more..

July 31 (DM) A recent survey on ex LTTE combatants had revealed that most preferred to be drivers when they are integrated into mainstream society. Rehabilitation Commissioner General Sudantha Ranasinghe said 941 former combatants had expressed their desire to work as drivers. He said among the others 20 of them wanted to work as counsellers, eight as accountants, 51 as hair dressers, two as bakery operators, 50 as beauticians, more..

July 31 (SL) The Power and Energy Ministry has organized a national energy exhibition, an energy week and the National Energy Efficiency Award ceremony from August 3-8 at the BMICH. Power and Energy Minister Champika Ranawaka said the ministry’s initiative expects to create awareness on the importance of energy saving and the use of sustainable energy. He said that the objective of the week-long event was to more..

July 31 (Island) The Tamil Diaspora is sharply divided over a post-war strategy with one influential section led by the late LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran’s successor, T. S. Pathmanathan aka KP exploring the possibility of working with the Sri Lanka government. Although the progress is slow, both parties are confident of reaching a workable agreement, which will enable Sri Lanka to capitalize on her war victory more..

July 31 (Island) Co-owner of Siyatha media organization popular actress Sangeetha Weeraratne commenting on yesterday’s predawn attack on her studios at Hunupitiya said that she could not be put down by such cowardly acts of violence. The first floor of the three storeyed building where the Siyatha TV studio is located was badly damaged in the attack but the Siyatha Radio Station on an upper floor suffered minor damages. more..