Aug 2 (Island) The cost of living is rising in Sri Lanka, data released by the Central Bank shows, with or without the consideration of price sensitive food and fuel in measuring inflation, which is the rate at which prices increase. The Central Bank yesterday said core inflation, which excludes price sensitive items such as fuel and food, had increased from 5.8 percent year-on-year in June to 6 percent in July. Core inflation is measured to more..

Aug 2 (DM) Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage has ordered the Sri Lanka Automobile Sports Association to conduct a National Championship without foreign competitors. This decision was taken by the Minister after he had discussions with representatives of Riders Union which boycotted the Gunners Super Cross, held recently at Minneriya. The Gunners Super Cross was organized by the Sri Lanka Army Artillery Regiment and more..

Aug 2 (Island) Police headquarters has transferred out of Mahawa 12 officers including the HQI for failure to carry out their duties. The decision to transfer the 12 officers with immediate effect had been taken following an investigation into complaints from the public that they were not discharging their duties properly, police sources said. Besides the HQI, the others transferred include two officers, five sergeants, three constables and one woman police constable. more..

Aug 2 (FT) The message to stakeholders of the Colombo Bourse was loud and clear as it was repeated on Tuesday by Finance Ministry Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera that the depressed market must be revived and on its part the Govt has committed to spearhead this much-needed thrust. Dr. Jayasundera said yesterday that the capital market stakeholder meeting on Tuesday was “positive and productive”. more..

Aug 2 (TOI) Kindness is the mantra for U Arulanandam (65) of the Alliance for Release of Innocent Fishermen in Rameswaram. It is because of this approach that he believes he was able to move things including winning of hearts of Sri Lankan fishermen as well as the authorities despite the animosity between Indian fishermen and Sri Lankan authorities during the civil war in the island nation. Born in 1947, Arulanandam grew up in Pamban and took up fishing after his father. more..

Aug 2 (Island) The National Transport Commission (NTC) launched a programme to conduct medical tests on bus crews, as nearly 80 per cent of them are prone to oral cancer due to their addiction to betel chewing and smoking. Doctors from the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) of the Health Ministry diagnosed two persons, a bus driver and an assistant, with pre-symptoms of oral cancer, at the Bastian Mawatha main bus terminal on Tuesday. NTC Chairman more..

Aug 2 (DN) Time has come for Sri Lanka and United Kingdom to build a strong economic relationship. Once the United Kingdom was the Sri Lanka biggest trading partner," said minister Basil Rajapaksa at a meeting with visiting British parliamentarian. A delegation of UK parliamentarians representing the Conservative party and one member from the Democratic Unionist party met Minister last week. more..

Aug 2 (Hindu) There is nothing about the wizened old man with a free-flowing beard that suggests he was a sought-after architect, who’d been a senior town planner in Liverpool, United Kingdom, and later became the chief architect and town planner of Mombasa in Kenya. Living as the guest of a family of Sri Lankan Tamils here, 88-year old Solomon Arulanandam David, who arrived in Chennai in 1984 in the wake of ethnic riots in Sri Lanka, has only bitter memories of his homeland, more..

Aug 2 (Island) The Public Service United Nurses Union (PSUNU) says its decision to launch a strike will depend on the outcome of today’s discussions with Health Secretary. PSUNU Administration Secretary, Hector Francis said yesterday that nursing union had decided to strike over 22 issues – a majority which included service development demands. Francis said the main demands included a risk allowance. At present only the ICU and theatre nurses received the risk allowance. more..

Aug 2 (DM) Sri Lanka’s first space academy is to be built next year through an investment of US$ 20 million, through a joint venture between Supreme Satellite Private Limited Colombo and Great Wall Industry Corporation of China. The new space academy is to be set up in a 30 acre land in the Koggala area to train Sri Lankans in space and satellite technology with the aim of promoting space science in the country. more..

Aug 2 (Island) The police have arrested a soldier wanted for attacking a police constable deployed at the Warakapola Magistrate’s Court. The attacker fled the Court after seizing the policeman’s T-56 assault rifle. The victim, identified as constable Dharmapalitha (64744), told senior officers at Warakapola police of an unidentified person throwing some liquid on his face before grabbing the weapon. Minneriya police arrested the deserter and subsequent to initial interrogation more..

Aug 2 (DN) Sri Lanka will be able to generate 35 percent of electricity through renewable energy sources by 2020, Sustainable Energy Authority Director General Dr Thusitha Sugathapala said. He said 20 percent of this will be through mini hydro power, wind power, solar power and bio max power. "Large scale hydro power plants will generate around 15 percent," he said. Only seven percent of the country's energy requirement is generated by renewable sources, while more..

Aug 2 (CI) Former ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat's role as special advisor to the SLC will include an independent review of its governance and recommendations to the heavily indebted board on financial management, SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga has said. All recommendations made by Lorgat in his three-month tenure will then be made public. He will also advise the board on the structure of more..

Aug 2 (TA) Cocos Islands residents fear a large loss of life if Australia-bound Tamil asylum seekers continue their ploy of sailing direct from Sri Lanka. Their fear was stoked with the arrival yesterday of another boatload of Tamils, the fourth since Friday. Cocos resident Jack O'Donnell spotted the boat about 8am about 300m offshore at the edge of a treacherous coral reef when four men started swimming for shore through big surf. more..

Aug 2 (CT) Five powerful politicians representing the UNP will cross over to the govt within next few days, Minister Felix Perera said. The minister revealed this at a meeting held in Marthugoda, Pujapitiya recently. “Today, the UNP leadership has become extremely weak. There is a plan to change the party constitution for the leader to remain for another six years. The leader is trying to chase away the members who act according to their conscience. This is the real situation.” more..

Aug 2 (Island) Sri Lanka has achieved excellent results in its Northern and Eastern rehabilitation and resettlement programme and post-conflict economic development drive. Other countries with similar problems can learn a lot from Sri Lanka on these issues. Therefore, Sri Lanka should share its experience with other countries. These views were expressed by John Ging. Director, Coordination and Response Division, more..

Aug 2 (DN) A DNA bar code system to identify indigenous plants in Sri Lanka has been introduced by the Industrial Technology Institute of Sri Lanka that operates under the Technology and Research Ministry. Sources said the DNA bar code is a type of genetic ID which uses a part of genetic data of an organism, allowing fast and accurate identification of the species. Sources said the system has been developed to verify the authenticity of Sri Lanka's plant products in the international market. It is reported some traders sell substandard more..

Aug 2 (DN) Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Ltd has issued fresh stocks of fuel to institutions which complained that their vehicles had suffered damage as a result of using contaminated diesel. The issue had been settled according to a Petroleum Ministry media release. Complaints were made of damage to diesel run vehicles, especially by two government institutions, following which fuel samples were obtained from the two institutions and subjected to analysis by CPST where it was found that more..

Aug 2 (Hindu) Union Minister of Commerce Anand Sharma will lead a high-level Ministerial delegation to Sri Lanka coinciding with the India Show organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in association with the Ministry of Commerce & Industry and the High Commission of India in Colombo for three days from August 3. The India Show is an initiative of the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the CII. more..

Aug 2 (DM) A tense situation is reported from Thambuttegama as area residents staged a protest in front of the police station, against the release of a suspect driver who caused the death of a female pedestrian. The residents had marched with the coffin of the victim towards the Police station and are reportedly pelting stones towards it. SP Ajith Rohana said that the police had fired tear gas to disperse the demonstrators. “The police had to use tear gas to disperse the protesters. more..

Aug 2 (Island) Around 20,000 public health sector employees, from doctors down to the labourers, have been deprived of obtaining distress loans since 2007. The loan is 10 months salary and can be applied for by any employee. But, the loan scheme has been put on hold due to the Health Ministry not allocating adequate funds to Line Ministry-run hospitals and to those run by the provincial councils, the All Ceylon Health Services Union (ACHSU) said. General Secretary of the Union Gamini more..

Aug 2 (LB) Not so long ago mini hydro power plants were considered by many as a greener power option. However, examples from recent times show that such projects, which are mainly based around waterfalls as they need a rapid flow of water and a significant drop, have an adverse effect on the environment and the biodiversity of the up-country wet zone. In addition, the contribution of mini hydro plants to the energy needs of more..

Aug 2 (SL) Questions have been raised as to why the Health Ministry officials have refused to comply with the recommendations of College of Surgeons and want the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) to issue provincial registration to unqualified foreign doctors to practice in Sri Lanka. College of Surgeons (CS) on many occasions has instructed Director General Health Services (DGHS) Dr. Ajith Mendis not to issue provincial more..

Aug 2 (LBO) Sri Lanka Cricket tips the island will earn in excess of six million dollars from its inaugural Twnety20 premier league from professional fees, sponsorships and hotel accommodation. The Sri Lanka Premier League runs from August 10-31 and will be played at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium and Kandy’s Pallekele Stadium. The seven franchises, which are owned by Indian companies, players, officials, media crew, more..

Aug 2 (LBO) Sri Lanka’s Galadari Hotels (Lanka) PLC has sunk deeper into debt with a net loss of 323.1 million rupees for the June quarter largely due to exchange losses on foreign exchange debt. The company, which owns and operates a five star hotel in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo earned 384.3 million rupees in the June quarter, interim accounts filed with the Colombo Stock Exchange showed. more..

Aug 2 (CG) Sri Lankan cricket fans at the fourth One Day International (ODI) between India and Sri Lanka at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Tuesday had harassed some Indian fans and abused them after India won the match. An Indian journalist tweeted saying that one Indian woman had beer cans thrown at her and that there was also a lot of jeering and booing at the Indian fans amidst a tight police presence. The journalist also said that a fan of Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar who travels around the world with more..

Aug 2 (Xinhua) The interception of Australia bound boats with illegal immigrants from Sri Lanka has caused concern and caught the attention of the government of Australia, yet the perilous journeys do not seemed to be lessened or reduced. Over 700 arrests done during last six months on information received of those preparing for the illegal Australian bound boat rides have not discouraged those would be asylum seekers journeying in multi-day fishing trawlers that more..

Aug 2 (LT) The procession of vehicles for the ‘Jana Pelagasma’ mass agitation by the JVP that commenced from Dondara Point on the 27th ended yesterday (1st) at Point Pedro. Tamil masses warmly welcomed the JVP leaders when they reached Jaffna town. The procession of vehicles with JVP leaders drove through Medawachchiya, Vavuniya and Killinochchi towns and reached Jaffna where they carried out an awareness programme and a meeting. more..

Aug 2 (LBO) Sri Lanka is set to begin work on the second stage of a housing project to relocate Colombo's shanty dwellers in a bid to improve living standards and transform the congested Slave Island area to a modern residential and commercial zone, officials said. The project named 'Slave Island Station Passage Redevelopment Programme' spans across three acres of land and is set to kick start this September, the Urban Development Authority said. more..

Aug 2 (DM) A large number of parents and students affected by the Z- score muddle staged a protest march to the UGC. The protest march brought the heavy afternoon traffic to a complete standstill. Some 1,500 students and parents from various districts were seen shouting slogans against the injustice caused to them by the recently released Z-scores. Ten students from different districts were invited to discuss their concerns with UGC Chairman more..

Aug 2 (LBO) The United States Thursday welcomed the release of Sri Lanka's National Action Plan on the LLRC proposals saying its full implementation will help achieve reconciliation and long term peace.The post war commission appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa is seen as a home grown mechanism that suggested measures for accountability and reconciliation in the aftermath of a three decade conflict with the separatist Tamil Tigers. more..

Aug 2 (DM) Sadly, Shakespeare was proved wrong. The news about vandalizing the Mahatma Gandhi statue in a community hall in Jaffna, hits the newsrooms at a time when the state of safety in the country is constantly questioned. It is reported that the statue was damaged on Sunday when a brawl broke out between two parties who had gathered there. According to the Jaffna police, the community hall has been a place where the residents come and take part in various sports activities while more..

Aug 2 (NF) The Federation of University Teachers' Association says were unable to arrive at a satisfactory solution to their trade union demands, during Wednesday's meeting with Minister Basil Rajapaksa. Secretary of FUTA Dr. Terrence Madujith says that they will therefore continue with their trade union action until they receive a solution to their problems. He added however that they are willing to hold discussions regarding the matter in the future. "We held discussions with more..

Aug 2 (Island) The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has appointed a committee to evaluate the establishment process, standards and all ongoing activities of the Malabe private teaching hospital, known as South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM). The committee comprises Doctors Chandika Epitakaduwa, Nath Wijesooriya, Nalin Ariyaratne, K.S.D. Milroy, S.H. Kolambage and Navin de Soysa. more..

Aug 2 (PTI) A terrorist wanted for alleged involvement in the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team was killed in a shootout with police in Pakistan’s Punjab province, officials said on Thursday. Law enforcement agencies started checking vehicles near Ghazi Ghat bridge in Multan, 400 km from Lahore, after getting a tip-off on Wednesday that some terrorists were bound for the city in public transport. more..

Aug 2 (NF) The Journalism Awards of Excellence 2011, was held in Colombo on Tuesday evening. It was jointly organised by the Sri Lanka Press Institute and the Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka for the thirteenth time. Editor and Publisher of Himal South Asia magazine Kanak Mani Dixit was the chief guest at the occasion. Kandiah Nithyanandan, Sybil Wettasinghe, S. Hewage Chithrananda, Sunil Madawa Premathilaka and Bernie Wijesekera received the Life Time Achievement Award more..

Aug 2 (CT) “The Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Sarath De Silva, has shifted over the past month from regularly supporting the President in its rulings to deciding against the Govt on key issues. When former President Chandrika Kumaratunga appointed De Silva over more senior judges to sit as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in 1999, the public criticized De Silva as a tool of the Kumaratunga administration. more..

Aug 2 (GDI) Iran plans to accomplish one of the main objectives of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) since its inception by launching the movement’s international news agency. The Deputy Head of the 16th NAM summit for public relations and communications Mohammad Sheikhan, said yesterday that the establishment of the news agency has long been an unfulfilled objective of the Non Aligned Movement. He said that since Iran assumes the presidency of the NAM for the next three years, they plan to establish the news agency more..

Aug 2 (LT) A 42 year old mother of two who had climbed on to a 60 foot water tank and carried out a fast to get her demands fulfilled has ended her fast after winning all her demands. Samantha Nandani, a resident of Medirigiriya climbed on to the water tank yesterday at 6.00 a.m. protesting against the failure of Medirigiriya Police to investigate a complaint she had made regarding a sexual abuse on her by a ‘Grama Sevaka’ officer in the area. The ASP in charge of Habarana area more..

Aug 2 (DM) A Singaporean company which was once blacklisted by the CPC, had supplied diesel contaminated with a chemical to Sri Lanka, eventually damaging trains, buses and heavy machinery, it is learnt. Train and bus services were crippled all of a sudden during the last few days due to the use of diesel of inferior quality imported to the country once again. A former head of the CPC had acted to more..