July 14 (NS) Amidst hundreds of oral and written protests by the Sri Lankan community in Australia, it’s appalling that the ABC telecast the fiction film clip titled ‘Sri Lanka’s killing fields’ borrowed from an unethical broadcaster from UK- Channel 4. Even though the Channel 4 is a public TV funded by the Tax payers, Channel 4 is alleged to be in the edge of bankruptcy and telecasting this clip would have bought them out of the RED presumably by LTTE funding. more..

July 14 (NS) On the 9th of August 1991 Mangala Moonesinghe moved a motion in parliament to appoint a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) that would “arrive at a political solution to the question involving the devolution of power to the Northern and Eastern Provinces”. The Sri Lankan polity had realised that a PSC with such a mandate would prevent the disintegration of the nation, the killings of innocent civilians, members of the armed forces and youths fighting for a cause. more..

July 14 (GDI) "It is imperative to pay careful attention to world tendencies in order to overcome the challenges faced by Sri Lanka at present", stated President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing a ceremony held at Temple Trees to give letters of appointment to 227 newly recruited Management Trainees for the People’s Bank. The President also said that any task undertaken methodically can be accomplished successfully, as exemplified by more..

July 14 (UCAN) Around 100 seminarians and some of their parents are rolling up their sleeves to provide much needed help in extensive renovation and building work at a seminary in Chilaw diocese. St Paul’s Minor Seminary in Marawila, which was built in 1950, has been in need of restoration work for several years, according to Father Jayantha Perera, its rector. So to minimize high labor costs the seminarians are putting aside their books and are volunteering in more..

July 14 (TN) British Defence Secretary Liam Fox’s visit to Sri Lanka over the weekend has drawn the critical attention of the press back home. The Sun and the Daily Mail, two of Britain’s leading tabloid papers carried similar articles Tuesday questioning Dr. Fox’s penchant for foreign visits, and cited military brass as dubbing him the ‘the Flying Fox’, while The Times newspaper reported on criticisms by human rights and Tamil groups that his visit to Colombo more..

July 14 (GV) The former captain Kumar Sangakkara, in his great Sir Colin Cowdrey speech at Lord’s, spoke of a shared fanatical fashion and collective joy and ambition of the Sri Lankans, when he found something in common in the form of cricket. He spoke of diversity of our society and how cricket brought together a divided nation during 1996 world cup victory. Nobody disputes the fact that Sangakkara played a celebrated more..

July 14 (TN) Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and cadres of para military groups under the guise of civil administration are allegedly extorting money from traders who come to Batticaloa town from Paduvaankarai area. Sri Lanka army soldiers and para military groups are also being accused of forcibly taking produce brought by traders at several check points. Traders from Paduvaankarai daily bring their produce including fruits, dry fish, and raw fish from tanks and rivers in their areas, more..

July 14 (Island) Sri Lanka Police Inspectors’ Association has lashed out at UPFA MP Nishantha Muthuhettigama over a recent threat to assault the Officer-in-Charge of the Akmeemana police station and chase him out unless police headquarters transferred him immediately. The SLIA has urged Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa, SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena and IGP N. K. Illangakoon to take punitive action against the Galle District MP. more..

July 14 (DT) Pakistan should strengthen bilateral trade with Sri Lanka and also exploit the vast untapped potential in many sectors. Muhammad Tauseef Zaman, Vice President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) talking to members Pak-Sri Lanka Business Council, Colombo Sri Lanka said bilateral trade between two countries was around $320 million which was not up to the potential. He said Pakistan could initiate a credit line to help cement and sugar industries more..

July 14 (DM) Three men were arrested and 500,000 illegally imported cigarettes under the brand name Gold Seal seized from a house in Negombo by the Excise Department Narcotics Division. The cigarettes valued at Rs.4 million were packed in 2,500 cartons and found hidden in a shop. The tax loss on this illegal imported consignment of cigarettes had been estimated at Rs.7.5 million. The raid was carried out by Narcotics division officers led by S.E. Prabath Jayawickrama. more..

July 14 (CI) Scotland's cricketers dared to dream of a first-ever win against a full member after a fighting display with the ball at the Grange, but were rapidly brought down to earth by a feisty Sri Lankan attack. Buoyed by their victory over Ireland, the Scots restricted Sri Lanka to 284 for 7 at the break. That target was 36 less than they successfully chased against the Irish, but it was never in sight as Scotland collapsed to 101 all out in 32.4 overs. more..

July 14 (DM) The Iraq govt has asked the Sri Lanka’s External Affairs Ministry to assist in the filing of a case against the private company over the alleged nonpayment of salaries to 41 Sri Lankan workers there. The Iraqi Ambassador Kahtan Al Janabi said he had forwarded the Iraqi govt’s letter to External Affairs Ministry in Colombo. “The Iraqi govt is unable to help the 41 Sri Lankans because they have entered the country illegally and are also working for a private Company. more..

July 14 (BBC) A British Tamil arrested on allegations of providing video footage to British Channel4 television on alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka had 71 compact discs in his possession say the police. Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) told Colombo magistrate that the suspect was arrested on 30 June. Nandavanam Jagatheeswaram is accused of trying of tarnish the image of Sri Lanka military by providing fake war crimes footage. more..

July 14 (DN) “All Tamils should rally round President Mahinda Rajapaksa at this juncture since this is the real time to show our gratitude to all what he had done for Tamils and as the only leader who can bring a peaceful solution to the country’s ethnic problem.” This was stated by Deputy Minister Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan at a media briefing. He pointed out that President had brought permanent peace to this country by eradicating a 30 year war and more..

July 14 (DM) President Mahinda Rajapaksa has asked the sub-committee on food safety and monitoring cost of living to talk to importers on the increase in the prices of infants’ milk food. The President told the sub committee at a meeting in Temple Trees on Monday that by next month the paddy harvest would reach the market and we should be prepared with a scheme to purchase the stocks of paddy. He spoke of the need to provide cold room facilities for storing vegetables and more..

July 14 (LBO) Having been "offline" for some time, Sri Lanka is now strongly re-emerging from 25 years' civil war, the 2004 tsunami and the global financial crisis. The focus of the country is now on reconciliation and reconstruction. Sri Lanka is a resource-rich country (with major exports including gems, tea, rubber, coconut and textiles) and international trade is key to its economic revival. This, together with the need to cater for Sri Lanka's dense population of more..

July 14 (Age) Sri Lanka's most famous cricketer, and Tamil, Muthiah Muralidaran, does not share the view expressed by almost 3000 people in an Age poll that Australia should boycott its impending tour to the island nation for moral reasons. The Australian tour will go ahead as scheduled, but since the screening on Four Corners of a graphic Channel 4 documentary about atrocities committed at the end of the Sri Lankan civil war and its aftermath, more..

July 14 (Island) At the start of Sri Lanka’s tour of England, to imagine that the tourists would triumph in the Test series was too much to ask for, against a side that had just won The Ashes. But it was felt that Sri Lanka would emerge victorious in the ODIs, but at the end of the tour, they had lost both the Tests and the ODIs. England had their moments in the just concluded World Cup, but more often than not their deficiencies in the shorter version of the game were exposed. more..

July 14 (SL) The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) ofSri Lankais to launch a new national green award to recognize the environmental services rendered by production and technical firms. CEA Chairman Charitha Herath has said that the National Greed Award organized under the Environment Ministry would be the country’s main environmental award from this year. The awards ceremony is to be organized to coincide with the CEA’s 30th anniversary. more..

July 14 (DM) Former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka would have to serve the full prison term of 30 months passed on him by the Military Tribunal (MT) as his sentence did not come under the category that entitles amnesties or parole, a senior official of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms said. Accordingly, he would be released on April 30, 2013 after serving the full prison term of two and a half years served on him by the MT that started on November 1st, 2010, more..

July 14 (DM) The Govt of Iraq has requested the Ministry of External Affairs in Sri Lanka to assist to file legal action against a private company due to the non-payment of salaries to the 41 Sri Lankan workers in Iraq. The Iraqi Ambassador in Sri Lanka Kahtan Al Janabi said yesterday that he had sent an official letter of the Iraqi Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Baghdad addressing to the Consular General of the External Affairs Ministry in Colombo. more..

July 14 (DM) An elderly mother of four children, who had been locked up with a dog in a room of an abandoned house in Nupe area was saved yesterday by the Women and Children’s Bureau of the Matara Police. Police rushed to the scene and initiated inquiries on information from the volunteers of the Yasodara Organisation in Galle Kumara Seneviratne and Renuka Damayanthi. The 65 year old woman who had been starving for a long time was immediately admitted to Matara police. more..

July 14 (DM) Every single dollar invested in Sri Lanka for Hotel Development Projects had been deposited in a special fund in the Treasury and the Minister Basil Rajapaksa said. He said that the US$ 125 million invested for the seven star Shangri-La Hotel chain in Hong Kong at the Galle Face has been deposited in the Treasury and no one could access it. “Anyone who wants to use this money must get the Cabinet Approval and submit a supplementary estimate in Parliament. more..

July 14 (DM) Leader of Opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe called for a Parliamentary Select Committee for Cricket to which the officials of Sri Lanka Cricket Board could report to and submit accounts. Mr. Wickremesinghe who met club representatives and coaches in Kirulapone yesterday said a Bill which would determine the structure of the Cricket Board, and the method of appointing the selection committee should be drafted and presented to Parliament without delay. more..

July 14 (IE) After four weeks of training the national camp at the IG Stadium, newly appointed coach Kenny Natt had said that he was eager to see his team execute his guidelines. While he had made his team work hard, a competitive match would be a better barometer of progress than indoor practice, he had said. Natt couldn’t have asked for a better start by the Indian men’s team. On the first day of the Middle Asia Zone qualifying matches held at the Thyagraj Stadium more..

July 14 (DM) The Sri Lankan Airlines Pro 2011 international surfing competition of the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) is to be held from August 29 to September 4 at Arugam Bay. Promoters of the championship the Sri Lanka Tourism Board says the showpiece is an event for surfers who are full time professional athletes aiming to qualify for the ASP World Tour Title and the Tour will allocate points and maintain world ratings. more..

July 14 (FT) Former Miss Sri Lanka turned hotshot Bollywood babe, Jacqueline Fernandez is bringing back her glamour and experience to train and take more people in her path of success. Fernandez this week joined hands with ImageBay, an event and image management company which is set to launch a high profiled modelling school in Sri Lanka. She will work alongside choreographer Brian Kerkoven in more..

July 14 (Island) French Ambassador in Colombo, Christine Robichon, says the defeat of LTTE terrorism and the end of war have created a lot of aspirations among the Sri Lankans and a renewed interest for culture and arts. In a message to mark the French National Day today, Ms Robichon said that in the post-war era, the French business community was interested in increasing bilateral trade and interest. more..

July 14 (Island) A Japanese member of the UN Law Commission, Shinya Murase, has paid a glowing tribute to newly appointed Sri Lankan Ambassador to Japan Admiral (Rtd) Wasantha Karannagoda for taking over the diplomatic mission in spite of radiation fears caused by the destruction of the Fukushima nuclear facility, on March 11, 2011. Addressing the International Law Commission recently, regarding ways and means to more..

July 14 (ABC) Tamil Tigress is the intriguing story of a young girl growing up in Sri Lanka in the midst of a civil war. At the age of just 17, Niromi de Soyza found herself equipped with nothing more than a rifle and a cyanide capsule as she became one of the first females soldiers to join the Tamil Tigers - still seen by many today as a terrorist organisation. So how does a teenager from a mixed-race, middle class, Catholic family end up involved with a militant guerilla group? more..

July 14 (Island) Over 200 kg of chicken, imported illegally into Sri Lanka, was seized from two trading establishments in Sea Street, Pettah. Two teams from the Investigative Unit of the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) and another team from the Central Intelligence Division of the Customs Department conducted the raids. The chicken was stored in deep freezers in the establishments, which were caught unaware by this raid, conducted on information received. more..

July 14 (Island) Returning migrant women workers, most in need, are forgotten and abandoned despite the presence of a plethora of reintegration programmes run by Governmental and non-governmental organizations. This is the conclusion of a new study conducted by the Law & Society Trust. Findings from the research reveals that many women migrants return without sufficient savings, employable skills, nor viable livelihood options. more..

July 14 (DN) President Mahinda Rajapaksa instructed officials of the Ministerial Sub Committee on Food Safety and Cost of Living Control to put in place a viable mechanism for the purchase of paddy with the seasonal harvest expected to arrive in the open market by August. While also directing their attention to ensure cold storage facilities to preserve fruits and vegetable, the President instructed them to more..

July 14 (Island) Senior Minister Dew Gunasekera warns that Sri Lanka could face an explosive situation similar to that causing chaos in the Arab World unless swift action is taken to tackle acute unemployment. He says demand for democracy and struggle against authoritarianism rule emerged from economic factors. He suggested that those in charge of Sri Lanka's economy shouldn't turn a blind eye to the crisis in the Arab World. more..

July 14 (FT) The Export Development Board (EDB) yesterday launched the official logo with tag line ‘Expo 2012, partnering with the hub of Asia and website for the Expo 2012 international export exhibition scheduled for 28-30 March 2012. Highlighting encouraging export growths, EDB Chairman Janaka Ratnayake stated, “The export market has experienced a growth of almost 42% over the last five months and Sri Lanka is at the right place at the right time. more..

July 15 (LT) The General Secretary of the JVP Tilvin Silva has complained to the Commissioner of Elections again regarding the endless obstruction that are being carried out against political activities of the party in the North. The officers of the security services had pledged that they would take measures to stop all obstructions for political activities in the North at the discussions held yesterday (13) between representatives of political parties and more..

July 15 (IANS) President Mahinda Rajapaksa has condemned the "cowardly terrorist attacks" in Mumbai that led to the death of 17 people Wednesday evening, a government statement said Thursday. Three blasts rocked India's financial hub at Dadar, Zaveri Bazaar and Opera House. At least 17 people died in the coordinated terror attack, Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram said Thursday. Rajapaksa condemned the "cowardly" terrorist attacks and expressed his condolences to more..

July 15 (DP) Former prime minister Helen Clark has waded into the debate over asylum seekers, saying it is "highly unlikely" people-smuggling boats will reach New Zealand. A boat carrying 87 Tamil asylum seekers, including women and children, was detained on Saturday by the Indonesian Navy. Many on board were photographed holding signs saying they wanted to go to New Zealand. Prime Minister John Key has said it was "inevitable" that more..

July 15 (PTI) MDMK leader Vaiko today requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to pressure Indonesia to release 89 Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seekers who were on their way to New Zealand. "The 89 Sri Lankan Tamils are not illegal immigrants. As per International Law, their right to seek asylum cannot be curtailed by Indonesian authorities by illegally detaining them and threatening to send them back to Sri Lanka," he said in a letter to Prime Minister. more..