July 3 (Island) The Ministry of Disaster Management (MDM) pledged its support to the National Mosquito Control month. The spokesman for the Health Ministry said yesterday that the Ministry had pledged its support to the programme with its human resources and transport facilities. The spokesman said that the Disaster Management Units in the 25 districts would participate in the national programme. The MDM would continue to provide its support to mosquito control in the absence of more..

July 3 (Island) "As a powerful organization, the Bar Association or its members should have arrested the suspect and produced him in Court, " Nugegoda Magistrate Ajith Masinghe said, when the case pertaining to the assault and intimidation of Attorney-at-Law Sumith Silva, by a group of persons outside the Nugegoda Magistrate’s Court, was taken up before him yesterday. The Rev. Vitharandeniye Nanda appeared in person and entered the dock when his name was called. more..

July 3 (CT) Colombo Additional Magistrate Prasanna Alwis yesterday ordered the CID to obtain a report from the Colombo University’s IT department regarding the PCs that were seized from the office of the Sri Lankamirror and Sri Lanka news that were searched by the CID in Kotte last Friday. The Magistrate ordered the head of the Colombo Universities IT department to analyze the data from the seized computers and recover data that had been deleted and more..

July 3 (Scoop) The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its partners in the South Asia Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN) strongly condemn the June 29 crackdown by Sri Lanka’s police and security agencies, in which the offices of two web-based news sites were raided and nine media workers arrested. The IFJ learns from Sri Lankan affiliates that a team of approximately 25 law enforcement officials arrived at the shared premises of the two websites, SriLankaXNews and SriLankaMirror, on Friday morning. more..

July 3 (Hindu) This past Last Monday, I attended went to the release of a book titled ‘The Prabhakaran Saga.’ I thought the book by S. Murari, a recently retired journalist who had closely followed the Sri Lankan ethnic conflict for nearly 30 thirty years, would have been better titled ‘The Struggle for Eelam.’ For that is what the book is all about, being as it is a painstakingly detailed account of everything that’s happened in Sri Lanka since 1983 -- in Colombo, the North, the East and points in between. more..

July 3 (ET) A high-level committee has found that an alternative route for implementing the Sethusamudram project, other than the one cutting through 'Ram Sethu', is not economically and ecologically feasible. Placing the committee's 37-page report before a bench of justices HL Dattu and CK Prasad of the Supreme Court on Monday, solicitor-general Rohinton Nariman submitted that the Union Cabinet was yet to take a decision on the report. more..

July 3 (DM) The French Naval Ship ‘Dupay De Lome’ arrived at the Port of Trincomalee this morning for a goodwill visit. The Navy Headquarters said that the visit is the first of its kind by a French naval ship to the Trincomalee Harbour. To mark the historic occasion, the Commanding Officer, Commander Gregolfe Germain, accompanied by French Ambassador to Sri Lanka Christine Robichon paid a courtesy call on the Commander Eastern Naval Area Rear Admiral Colombage. more..

July 3 (DM) A Colombo Court yesterday remanded a woman who had allegedly bitten off the hand of a decoy when the police tried to arrest her for allegedly operating a mobile prostitution ring. The main suspect who was remanded till July 12, had allegedly operated the ring and procured women for prostitution. He had fled the scene after biting off the police officer’s hand after obtaining Rs.1,000 from the police decoy who carried out the raid in purchasing a woman at more..

July 3 (CT) Stanley Liyanage a witness of the museum theft who was abducted by an unidentified gang was released yesterday early morning at the Gadaladeniya junction, executive committee member of the Activists for Human Rights, Udul Premaratna. He said Stanley Liyanage, a security officer at the John de Silva Auditorium was abducted by an unidentified gang who came in a three wheeler on 12 May. more..

July 3 (AT) 10 Sri Lankan youth selected for the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) undergraduate scholarships in fine arts (Music, Dance and Painting) visited the High Commission of India today (2) before leaving for India to join their respective Institutes. The students had applied for the scholarships in response to applications invited by the Indian Cultural Centre, Colombo and were selected through a transparent process. Of these 10 youth, two would be learning Kathakali more..

July 3 (Island) Under no circumstances would there be electricity tariff hikes in the near future, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said. He said that Minister Champika Ranawaka had, during the Cabinet meeting, told President Mahinda Rajapaksa that his ministry would do its utmost to prevent power cuts. He said that Ranawaka had also said that under no circumstances would the high fuel charges be passed on to consumers though they could make recommendation to the Public Utilities Commission for price revisions every six months. more..

July 3 (NP) One of Sri Lanka’s top naval officers has fled to Canada but federal officials are refusing to accept his refugee claim on the grounds he was complicit in war crimes during the troubled island’s long civil war against Tamil rebels. Nadarajah Kuruparan was Commodore of the Sri Lanka Navy, third in rank behind the Admiral, when he retired in June 2009 — just weeks after his forces helped defeat the separatist Tamil Tigers more..

July 3 (AT) The Office of the Deputy High Commission of Sri Lanka in Chennai conducted a Special Consular Service for Sri Lankans living in Tamil Nadu refugee camps on Saturday the 30th June 2012 at the Chancery premises. Amongst the Sri Lankan children born in Tamil Nadu refugee camps, there are thousands of births yet to be registered under the Consular Functions Act of Sri Lanka and citizenship certificates to be issued accordingly. more..

July 3 (PTI) Ten fishermen from this coastal town have been taken into custody by Sri Lankan Naval personnel for reportedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line and fishing in their waters. The fishermen included five stranded at mid sea after their boat developed a snag yesterday and five others who went in search of them, Assistant Director of Fisheries Karthikeyan said. Their boats were seized and all of them lodged in prison in Talaimanar in Sri Lanka, more..

July 3 (DM) The French Embassy in Colombo has stressed on the need to pay compensations to the family members of the 17 aid workers killed in 2006, informed sources said yesterday. These aid workers attached to the French NGO ‘Action Against Hunger’ were killed during the height of fighting between the security forces and the LTTE in Muttur. Besides, five students were also killed in an incident in Trincomalee the same year. more..

July 3 (CT) Minster S.B.Dissanayake had to find shelter when the gaily decorated stage where he was sitting with other dignitaries came down when a sudden mini cyclone appeared in the Batticaloa region yesterday. Deputy Ministers M.L.A.M. Hisbullah, V. Muralitharan and the academic staff of the Eastern University were also moved away from the stage along with the Minister sources said. Minister Dissanayake was attending an event at the Eastern University in Batticaloa where more..

July 3 (Island) About 15,000 non-executive staff belonging to the Joint Trade Union Alliance of the CEB will stage a 24-hour strike from midnight today demanding the rectification of their salary anomalies. The trade union alliance spokesman Ranjan Jayalal of the JVP said the consumers could expect supply breakdowns during the strike, which is expected to be concluded at Wednesday midnight. He said members of 25 trade unions of the Board would take part in the strike and govt should be held responsible for any disruption to more..

July 3 (Island) A crucial discussion between the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) and govt would be held today at the Presidential Secretariat to avert a strike schedule to commence tomorrow. The meeting will be chaired by Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga. Secretary to the Higher Education Ministry Dr. Sunil Jayantha Navaratne said that Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga, Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake and other relevant officials more..

July 3 (Island) Vavuniya police last Friday arrested three persons, who were said to be LTTE spies. They are alleged to have been passing information on STF movements to the LTTE suspects detained in the Vavuniya prison. A woman and two men had been arrested, Headquarters Inspector Vavuniya Police, Chief Inspector Erick Perera said. He said that as some lawyers were recording the operation to rescue three guards held hostage more..

July 3 (Island) Treasure hunters have damaged Buddha statues and chetiya of the Hakuruwela Pihillawela Purana Rajamaha Viharaya in Weerakeitiya on Sunday night. They had demolished a side of the Chetiya and broken down the pinnacle (kotha) and taken it away with them, police said. At the time the Chief incumbent of the temple had gone for a pirith chanting ceremony. The acolyte of the temple was found gagged and trussed up when the chief incumbent returned. more..

July 3 (SL) Fishermen in coastal areas such as Kalpitiya have had to bear the brunt of coastal erosion, which environmentalists claim is an increasingly serious issue. According to Convener, National Fisheries Solidarity Movement (NAFSO), Herman Kumara, many fishermen along the West coast have lost their anchoring points, and others have even had to move their traditional points of fishing operations. more..

July 3 (LB) The standing orders of the Sri Lankan parliament permit any member to speak without interruption, unless he is out of order. They state that the Speaker or Chairman shall be heard without interruption. A member during a debate in parliament shall maintain silence while another member is speaking and shall not interrupt unless the member speaking gives way. more..

July 3 (SMH) Dawn on this rocky outcrop in the Indian Ocean brought the sight of two near-identical wooden fishing boats, each painted an almost cheery blue, riding a gentle swell hardly 200 metres offshore, right below the Christmas Island township. You needed to blink, for only the evening before, there had been only one of these boats, and its cargo of 53 Tamils from Sri Lanka had been unloaded and driven away to detention. more..

July 3 (Island) Commissioner of Elections Mahinda Deshapriya has summoned political party secretaries for a discussion, on the handing over of nominations for the North-Central, Sabaragamuwa and the Eastern Provincial Councils elections, at the Election Secretariat at 3.00 p.m. on Friday. Deshapriya has issued instructions to the relevant Assistant Commissioners of Elections for the districts of Amparai, Batticaloa and more..

July 3 (Island) More than 350 complaints regarding illegal acts carried out by persons have been received by the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Response Team (SLCERT) during the past five months. This was revealed yesterday by SLCERT media spokesman Roshan Chandragupta. He told The Island that in 2011, the number of complaints had exceeded 1,400. He said that most complaints were about the fake facebook accounts and more..

July 3 (LBO) New vehicle registrations in Sri Lanka may drop up to 40 percent in 2012 and dreams of motor bike owners to move on to small cars will be shattered, industry officials said. In 2011, 525,421 new vehicles including 253,331 motor bikes and 57,886 motor cars were registered, up 46 percent from a year earlier. The Ceylon Motor Traders' Association, an industry body, says higher import duties, more..

July 3 (CT) Four Lankan Tamil refugees have been abducted by a group of unknown men in a white van at around 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. The refugees were abducted from the Kavankarai refugee camp situated near the Poolal Police station in Chennai. The abducted refugees have been identified as Suresh Kumar, Ramesh, Umesh and Suya. Suresh Kumar (33) is a father of three children. According to eye witnesses, the abductors have also taken more..

July 3 (Xinhua) The main minority Tamil political party in Sri Lanka said on Tuesday that moves aimed at reaching a political solution to the ethnic issue in the country remained deadlocked. TNA legislator M.A. Sumanthiran said that his party leader R. Sampanthan and the leader of the UNP Ranil Wickremesinghe had met over the weekend in an attempt to look for a way forward. Following the end of a 30-year war between the Tamil Tiger rebels and the military three years ago more..

July 3 (Island) Staggered early elections not only cost enormous amounts in tax payers’ money but also gave an unfair advantage to the govt, the UNP said yesterday. UNP MP Gayantha Karunathilaka, MP told a news conference in Colombo that the process of staggering polls had not only resulted in millions of rupees being squandered, but also given the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime an opportunity to focus all its resources more..

July 3 (DM) The Ministry of Prison Reforms and Rehabilitation said that they were investigating whether the LTTE suspects at the Vavuniya Prison had international links as three satellite phones had been found in their possession after the hostage crisis came to an end. Minister Chandrasiri Gajadeera said that it was a terrorist act and it showed that the LTTE suspects in custody were still in a terror mindset. more..

July 3 (DM) India’s National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon during his visit to Colombo has made it crystal clear that there wouldn’t be blind backing by India at Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Sri Lanka’s human rights record at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in November. The long and short of it is that until the Sri Lankan top brass get their act together and show some substantial progress in their reconciliation efforts, India will not sit on the same bench with Sri Lanka. more..

July 3 (CG) An Indian national has been arrested at the Bandaranaika International Airport (BIA) with several foreign travel documents including visas, the police media unit said. The police said that the 42 year old Indian Muslim man had arrived in Sri Lanka from Chennai last night onboard a Sri Lankan airlines flight. He was arrested at the airport and checked by officers who later found several foreign travel documents in his possession. Among the travel documents recovered were more..

July 3 (DM) Five Sri Lankan expatriates were recently arrested for their involvement in a theft that was carried out last week wherein one among them stole KD 60,000 from an armored vehicle at the airport. Reportedly, the armored vehicle that was driven by two employees had KD 570,000 cash, which the employees collected from various communication companies and banks. At Kuwait International Airport, when one more..

July 3 (Island) A rogue elephant responsible for taking two human lives and destroying cultivations in and around Sravastipura and Thalawa areas of Anuradhapura was captured by the Wild Life Department on Sunday. A team led by the Department’s Deputy Director and veterinary doctor Tharaka Prasad and veterinary doctor Chandana Jayasinghe who had camped out in the region caught the animal at Moragoda, Weerawewa. In addition to Sravastipura and Thalawa, more..

July 3 (AD) Strong winds are expected in many parts of the island while the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) also reported that the prevailing conditions have claimed one life in Avissawella. A number of homes around the country have been damaged due to the strong winds, Assistant Director of the DMC, Pradeep Kodippili stated. Eight houses in Nuwara Eliya District were partially damaged while one house was completely destroyed due to the weather conditions. more..

July 3 (DM) The CCD yesterday told Colombo Chief Magistrate Rashmi Singappuli that the gold balls found in a house in Kadawatha should be sent to the Gem and Jewellery Authority to ascertain whether the gold was from the sword stolen from the museum recently. The CCD submitted that they were conducting investigations into the discovery of a large amount of gold in the custody of the suspect, Thenuwara Archarige Kelum of more..

July 3 (EAR) Tamil Eelaam has without a doubt turned into an issue that has nothing to do with the Tamil people either in Tamil Nadu or in Sri Lanka and everything to do with India’s strategic interests. Eelaam is nothing but a tool and a white horse to advance India’s strategic interest. It is something the Tamil people of both countries must learn to accept and refuse to fall prey to. Unfortunately, the Tamil representatives in both India and Sri Lanka are in the pockets of India who have more..

July 3 (NF) The Department of Govt Information says that common human rights are being neglected and violated through false and disrespectful news reports. A communique was issued by the Director General of Govt Information, Professor Ariyaratne Athugala with a clarification on websites. The Department of Govt Information says that certain websites, whose intentions are profit and petty objectives, have undertaken a systematic approach to sling mud at various individuals and groups. The communique further says that more..

July 3 (CI) Rain fell from the sky, records fell by the wayside, but in all likelihood the wickets fell too late in the day. A wet outfield in the morning and obligatory showers in the afternoon meant a result was the farthest thing on people's minds despite four strikes towards the end of the day, inspired by a spirited burst from Junaid Khan. The prospects of a result have been so bleak that, surreally, even the steel bands have more..

July 3 (DM) The UNP today said it had not decided if it would accommodate some ruling party politicians who have expressed willingness to contest under the UNP ticket at the upcoming PC polls. UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake told a news conference that some ruling party politicians had made such requests and even demanded certain positions in the provincial councils. Mr. Attanayake who referred to reports that the party was planning to field some female MPs as more..