July 11 (DM) It was President John F. Kennedy who said, “Children are the world’s most valuable resource and the best hope for the future.” Indeed, they are the ones most capable of dealing effectively with problems of today’s world and also take it to greater heights. Every age and generation brings out children best equipped for that period. For children of a bygone era surely wouldn’t be able to fit into today’s world. more..

July 11 (Island) The Kotahena police took into custody on the 05th four persons including the father of a 3 month old baby, who had been sold for Rs. 25,000. Investigations have revealed that the transaction was done despite strong objections by the baby’s mother. When the child’s mother was making arrangements to go abroad for employment, her husband had suggested giving the baby to someone for adoption. Disregarding his wife’s opposition the baby’s father had made more..

July 11 (Island) The Central Bank (CB) by ignoring the Auditor General’s advice, that an investment in Greek Bonds was "questionable" had lost Rs.3.4 billion, UNP said. UNP MP Tissa Attanayake said that the Auditor General, had questioned the viability of investing in Greece, which was facing its worst economic crisis, but the CB Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal, who was increasingly acting in a dictatorial manner, had gone ahead more..

July 11 (DM) The Government said today that the former Chief Ministers would most likely be named as Chief Ministerial candidates for the UPFA at the upcoming provincial council elections. “We are still awaiting the committee report and unless there are serious allegations against the former Chief Ministers they would most likely be nominated as candidates for the provincial council that were dissolved” Cabinet Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said. more..

July 11 (Island) The MRI yesterday warned of an outbreak of filaria as well as dengue if action was not taken to control mosquito breeding in the Western Province. Its assessment was based on a survey carried out in the Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara Districts. A spokesman said yesterday that the survey had included two schools, 31 places of worship and 15 hotels and rest houses. Both schools were vulnerable to dengue as survey teams had found mosquito breeding more..

July 11 (CT) Private secretary of UNP MP Mangala Samaraweera and Director of the two websites, srilankamirror.com and srilankaxnews.com, Ruwan Ferdinandez, who is currently being probed by the CID, had met with President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Sunday (8) and revealed details of the main sponsors and news sources behind the two controversial websites. During the meeting with the President, held at Temple Trees, Ferdinandez had revealed more..

July 11 (DM) A Nigerian national allegedly involved in organised crime, deceiving Sri Lankans assuring them that they are eligible for lottery winning prizes was remanded till July 18 by a Colombo Court yesterday. The suspect Clinch Christian was arrested by CID sequel to a complaint made by a businessman in Wellawatta. The businessman said he received a SMS saying “You won 750,000 pounds in the ESPN cricket board mega lottery, to get prize send your name/ address/ phone number/ more..

July 11 (LBO) A 5.4 kilometre new breakwater at Sri Lanka's Colombo port is armoured with 20 tonne patented concrete blocks to withstand the worst monsoons in 200 years, an official said. Three new container terminals which are schedule to be built up to 2020 are coming up within a new 375 million US dollar breakwater. The breakwaters of the existing port were build in the early part of the last century when the country was under British rule. more..

July 11 (CG) The police today hailed the Appeal Court judgment in the Royal Park murder case. Jude Sharmantha Anthony Jayamaha was given the death sentence today by the Court of Appeal after it revoked an earlier order in the 2005 murder of Swedish national Yvonne Johnson at the Royal Park condominium. The police media unit said that the order was issued following an application filed by more..

July 11 (CT) The Ceylon Teachers Services Union (CTSU) has expressed displeasure over a military training programme organized for the A/L students of the Mahinda Rajapaksa College Homagama at the Rantambe Military Camp. In a press release, the CTSU had stated Minister of Education Bandula Gunewardena should provide an explanation as to what necessitates military training among school children and also stated that in occasions prior to this only school cadets were subjected to more..

July 11 (DM) A special security program will be introduced to ensure the safety of the officials engaged in the operations of the National Mosquito Eradication Program, Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena said today. Speaking at a media briefing yesterday, Minister Sirisena said the program will be carried out in collaboration with the Defense Ministry where an armed, police or military official will be included in teams engaged in field work and inspections. more..

July 11 (CI) Pakistan showed how tough a challenge coming from behind in a Test can prove. Even though they erased the deficit of 111 runs with relative ease, their position in the match was never secure. Even in conditions in which the assistance to bowlers had reduced drastically, the Pakistan batsmen struggled to perform collectively. Azhar Ali's solid, determined century was the glue that held their innings together, but more..

July 11 (DM) The UNP charged today that the govt had lost its support from the Muslim community in the Eastern Province. The UNP said the govt was planning to get the Muslim parties to form an alliance with it in an attempt to garner votes at the forthcoming PC elections. UNP MP Kabir Hashim said that some parties with vested interest and some religious organisations have requested Muslim parties to unite and all this was a part of a devious plan so the govt could obtain more..

July 11 (BN) Sri Lanka left interest rates unchanged for a third straight month as one of Asia’s fastest inflation rates limits room to join a monetary stimulus drive stretching from China to Europe. The Central Bank kept its reverse repurchase rate at 9.75 per cent and the repurchase rate at 7.75 per cent, the Colombo-based bank said today. All eight economists in a Bloomberg News survey predicted the decision, which follows increases in February and April. more..

July 11 (LBO) Sri Lankan bank customers holding foreign currency accounts would be able to transfer money among each others' account with greater freedom in the future the Central Bank said. Holders of non-resident foreign currency (NRFC) accounts would be allowed to transfer money to other NRFC account holders and to resident foreign currency (RFC) accounts. Resident foreign currency account holders would also be allowed to transfer money to more..

July 11 (Island) The Faculty of Medicine Teachers’ Association (FMTA) of the Colombo University said yesterday that over the successive years funds allocated for higher education had progressively declined when compared to the country’s inflation and other countries in the region. President of the FMTA Dr. N.D.N.A. Mendis told The Island that it had led to a crisis situation, where the universities found it difficult to retain quality academic staff. more..

July 11 (AD) Following a search operation at the Galle Prison, authorities discovered 44 mobile phones among the inmates, the Prisons Department stated. The search operation was conducted last night by the Prisons Intelligence officers. The Prisons Department stated that three high-tech mobile phones were also seized during the operation. Rehabilitation and Prisons Reform Minister Chandrasiri Gajanayake stated that stern legal action will be taken against more..

July 11 (CI) The sun was out and the fourth day pitch resembled the one at the SSC, with barely any movement on offer. On the third day, Thilan Samaraweera and Tharanga Paranavitana survived a testing morning session without being dislodged, and today, Mohammad Hafeez and Azhar Ali had all but emulated them. The pair had added a fairly chanceless 83, until Hafeez lost his concentration. With another ten minutes till lunch, Dilhara Fernando slipped in an innocuous more..

July 11 (DN) The Army, Navy, Air Force and the Police along with other agencies have come up with new strategies to curb human trafficking and illegal migration, that have assumed serious proportions in recent times. With many persons attempting to illegally migrate to other countries by crossing seas at great risk to their lives, the combination of Tri forces and police together with other agencies to halt this move is seen as a bold and more..

July 11 (Xinhua) Sri Lanka sports authorities have recruited eight former Tamil Tiger rebels to national squads to represent the country in different sports, an official said on Wednesday. Harsha Abeykone, the Sports Ministry media secretary told Xinhua that following selection camps four rebels were chosen for national shooting squad while two others were selected for cricket and one for national karate squad. more..

July 11 (SLN) Sixty-five (65) diplomats that included ambassadors and high commissioners representing Sri Lanka overseas visited SLN Naval Dockyard in Trincomalee on 10th July 2012. Two former Navy Commanders, Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda and Admiral Thisara Samarasingha, were also in the group. They were warmly received by Commander Eastern Naval Area Rear Admiral Jayanath Colombage on arrival. The delegates were provided with a habour cruise more..

July 11 (PTI) Foreign experts, including those from India, will participate in an international defence seminar to be held in Sri Lanka next month on the country's post-conflict reconstruction and resettlement process. The Army-initiated international seminar titled 'Towards Lasting Peace and Stability' will be held from August 8-10. Reconstruction, resettlement, rehabilitation, reintegration, reconciliation in post-conflict Sri Lanka would figure in the seminar, more..

July 11 (PTI) DMK chief M Karunanidhi sounded sceptical about holding of Northern provincial elections in Sri Lanka next year, saying there was some “hidden meaning” in the announcement on the polls by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. “There seems to be some hidden meaning in Mr. Rajapaksa’s comments that electoral rolls have to be revised,” he told reporters when asked about the Sri Lankan President’s remarks that they wanted to hold the election more..

July 12 (DM) Events and developments in post-war Sri Lanka have given the impression that mutual mistrust from the past continue to cause a deadlock in the peace process. What may be on hand is negative movement in the wrong direction, by both sides, namely, the Govt and the TNA. Of the two, the Government wants to abdicate its responsibility by wanting to share it ironically with the rest of the nation’s polity on this one issue in the form of the PSC. more..

July 12 (DM) In 2003, people at the Institute of Human Rights (IHR) due to early stages of madness complained to the Human Rights Commission of human rights violations at the only State women’s home in Sri Lanka. The HRC prepared a report with recommendations based on the complaint in 2004. In April, 2011 the same incorrigibly mad people at IHR made submissions to the Human Rights Commission to enforce implementation of the 2004 Recommendations of the Commission with more..

July 12 (DBS) Minister Basil Rajapaksa, in an interview with the ”Daily Mirror”, discusses the upcoming elections to three Provincial Councils and responds to some of the criticisms relating to the govt’s management of the economy. Q: Could you explain the rationale behind the move to call for early elections to three Provincial Councils – Eastern, Sabaragamuwa and North Central, and why elections to the nine provinces are not more..

July 12 (CT) Julampitiya Amare epitomizes the mockery of our law and judicial procedure, which is now down in the doldrums. The invasion and tragic assault on the JVP meeting at Katuwana on the 11th of June was just the latest in a string of outrageous acts purported to have been executed by this man. Associating with the highest in the land, Julampitiya Amare has been acting as though he has a permanent license to do anything to anyone at any time. more..

July 12 (CT) Two events hit the local and global media separately last week. The local media event was the release of the Midyear Fiscal Position Report 2012 by the Ministry of Finance and Planning in terms of the requirements of the Fiscal Management Act of 2003. The global event was the Keynote address delivered by the newly elected Prime Minister of France, Jean-Marc Ayrault, in French National Assembly outlining the more..

July 12 (NS) Many politicians have an inordinately idealized image of themselves. Will someone please tell them that such excessive self-adulation is only pitiful fantasy! The general public has viewed some of them over the years as figures of ridicule and contempt. Peaceful populace regards a section of the low-life ‘chandiyas’ among them with stark fear. These you will know by the villainous company they keep. more..

July 12 (DBS) The threats to senior academic and trade union leader Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri have been condemned by a wide range of individuals and institutions in the last week. He is a well known personality in Colombo. More importantly, as the representative of the national body of university teachers, he is part of the mainstream. Also, it is clear that the struggle in which his organisation is engaged is in the national interest. more..

July 12 (GV) Along with printed and bound copies of the over 1,400 comments in Tamil, Sinhala and English generated by Not In Our Name (coming to over 300 pages), the following letter was penned and delivered to the Presidential Secretariat late last week, with copies to relevant Govt Departments and the Mahanayaka of the Rangiri Dambulu Chapter, Ven. Inamaluwe Sumangala Thero. Not In Our Name‘s comments and signatories are archived in full online. more..

July 12 (SL) Dr Loka Underpala was delivering the keynote address at the Seminar on ‘Sustainable Corruption’ to the Sri Lanka Association for International Confusion. Dr Underpala: ‘Sustainability is a Western invention, as always. But as you are well aware, for Third World advancement we must beat the West at their own game. Great thinkers of contemporary times such as Jean Paul Sartre, Franz Fanon, Gunadasa Amarasekera and Wimal Weerawansa have maintained that we must get rid of the inferiority suffered by our colonised ancestors. more..

July 12 (Island) Politics in this country is an intellectual wasteland hostile to reason and rational thinking. It is a haven for numerous misfits in the garb of people's representatives who display their crass stupidity in public. This fact is reflected in the sickening cock fights that pass for political debates on TV, characterised by slander and affront. But, an event on Tuesday night infused us with some hope and optimism. It came as a welcome shower during a more..

July 12 (Island) With incessant rains in landslide and earth slip-prone areas, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), the National Building Research Organization (NBRO), the Irrigation Department and Meteorology Department will continue to monitor the situation in the vulnerable districts. DMC Assistant Director, Lal Kumara said yesterday the situation was much better than two days ago. "Rains are receding in the landslide prone areas, and if there are no rains, more..

July 12 (Island) Rathugala Vedda Leader Sudavannila aththo had started a fast unto death on July 08 in front of the Handuna memorial hall. His demands on behalf of his tribe were water facilities, removal of the piggery, legal ownership of the Handuna memorial hall. Another grievance was the division of the village by the church. They said that while people had a right to follow a religion of their choice, the church was dividing the village into two. more..

July 12 (Island) Gold artefacts and coins were found inside a golden casket recovered from the Abhayagiriya site last week. The casket, 49 mm high and 35 mm wide, believed to be dating back to 2nd Century AD, was opened by Archaeological Director Prof T.G. Kulathunga. Inside the golden casket was another golden container, somewhat heart-shaped, wrapped in gold foil. Upon opening the second box, the archaeologists more..

July 12 (CT) Colombo Additional Magistrate Prasanna Alwis charged the dengue problem that has reached an epidemic level in the country cannot be solved by taking individuals having dengue breeding sites at their houses to Court. He said this when the Mulleriya Police produced five suspects before the Magistrate on the charge of breeding dengue mosquito sites in their houses. The Magistrate said that by imposing fines on those accused of having dengue breeding sites in their homes will only make the Court rich and more..