July 30 (CG) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has decided to ban portable horns and hooters from cricket match venues. The ban comes just a day after commentator Tony Greig was seen on TV, just before the start of 3rd one day international between India and Sri Lanka, saying such items should be banned from match venues. A statement by the cricket board said that the ban on portable horns and hooters used by spectators to more..

July 30 (Island) Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) in a statement yesterday confirmed that the proposed Port City Development Project will be implemented on schedule with construction work to commence during the latter part of this year. As earlier reported, the project is expected commence in October and the entire investment is estimated at US$ 15 billion. "Whilst the Sri Lanka Ports Authority has invested over US$ 3 billion on all present port development projects (that include Colombo Port more..

July 30 (FT) Smart Media The Annual Report Company has been awarded the Gold for the Worldwide Agency of the Year for Annual Reports by The League of American Communications Professionals (LACP). Smart Media was also awarded the Platinum for the Asia Pacific Agency of the Year. This is the second consecutive year that Smart Media has been awarded these two metals. Smart Media was ranked just below the German leader for Annual Reports Kirchhoff more..

July 30 (DN) ‘The resettlement of IDPs in the North will be accomplished 100 percent by mid-August this year. All welfare camps in the North will be shut down, Defence and Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said. Speaking after opening the Army reconstructed two storeyed orphanage ‘Blessed Virgin’s Children’s Home’ at Kaththankulam, Mannar on Saturday, he said: “The resettlement in the North was to be completed by the end of July, but heavily mined more..

July 30 (DN) The UPFA has made an official written request to former Chief Ministers and Provincial Councillors contesting the forthcoming Provincial Council elections to refrain from using immovable or movable state property for election campaigns, UPFA General Secretary Susil Premajayantha said. The minister said some of the former councillors and Chief Ministers have already responded to this request stating they have officially handed over state property. more..

July 30 (Island) The Yakkalamulla police on Saturday arrested four suspects in connection with the killing of the principal of Minuwandeniya junior school, at Karagoda. The principal, while on his way home, on seeing a group of persons attacking his two sons had attempted to save them. The attackers had than assaulted the principal and stabbed him. The incident occurred around 7.30 pm on Saturday at Karagoda in Yakkalamulla. The neighbours had rushed the popular principal and more..

July 30 (Island) Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) said that they had not been informed by official letter to report to work today by the Minister S.B. Dissanayake. FUTA spokesman Dr. Devaka Weerakoon said that even if they were officially asked to report to work, they would not do it until a permanent solution to their demands was found. FUTA has been on strike from July 04 demanding an annual six per cent allocation of the GDP for education, more..

July 30 (Island) The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the UNP, which comprises the largest representation from various party organisations, is the only committee which has power, under the UNP constitution, to draft or amend it, and not the working committee, Reformists argue. UNP Southern Provincial Councillor Maithri Gunaratne expressed that view at a media briefing on Friday. He said that there was a glaring discrepancy between the English and Sinhala versions of more..

July 30 (Island) A stock of food items which had passed their shelf life and was not suitable for human consumption was found in the refrigerators and storerooms of an orphanage by officials of the National Child Protection Authority, who conducted a raid with the assistance of the Kohuwala police and Public Health Department. Among the confiscated outdated food were cooked rice, curries, fish, fruits, papadam, ice cream, yoghurts and sweetmeats that the orphanage had more..

July 30 (Island) The extension of Ranil Wickremasinghe’s term of office to six years, as leader of the UNP, was advantageous to the UPFA, Minister Susil Premjayantha said. He said as long as Ranil Wickremasinghe heads the UNP, that party would never win any election. All 129 UPFA candidates contesting the three Provincial Councils had been instructed to declare their assets prior to the election as directed by the more..

July 30 (DM) The Economic Development Ministry of Basil Rajapaksa has been assigned as the ‘implementing agency’ of construction projects related to the development of 5000 primary schools in the country. Education Minister Bandula Gunawardane told the Daily Mirror the construction of buildings, play areas and activity rooms and gardening would be done under the direct involvement of the Economic Development Minister under this project. more..

July 30 (Island) The Bodubalasena, an organisation of bhikkus, wants the govt to immediately ban vasectomy and tubectomy surgeries in state health institutions as such operations have resulted in a rapid decline in the Buddhist population of the country. The organisation, which held its first national convention at the BMICH on Saturday, passed five resolutions, including one which called upon the govt to take serious note of more..

July 30 (ST) Five senior journalists will receive the Distinguished Service Award for Journalism in Sri Lanka, at the 13th edition of the Journalism Awards for Excellence Ceremony on July 31 at 7 p.m. in the Empire Ballroom of the Mt. Lavinia Hotel, organized by The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Press Institute. They are: D.C.A. (Bernie) Wijesekera - Bernie Wijesekera joined the Times of Ceylon of the old Times more..

July 30 (Island) Despite the vociferous outcries of tea exporters for a tea hub where imports were to be made for value addition, Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said that he has not taken a decision in this regard as the line Minister and claimed that it will be government policy only after he takes a decision in this direction. "A decision in this regard will have to be taken only after consulting President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the interests of the tea small holders cannot be compromised," more..

July 30 (LB) The govt made it clear last week that there will be no separate event on National Day to express solidarity and empathy will all victims of the war, as recommended by the LLRC. What would be observed instead is the present practice of continuing to “express solidarity as one nation and one people,” said the National Plan of Action to Implement the Recommendations of the LLRC. more..

July 30 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's annual inflation rate may have accelerated to a 42-month high in July as a drought pushed up local food prices and a weaker rupee aggravated import bills. Annual inflation is expected to have accelerated to 9.4 percent in July, its highest since January 2009, a Reuters poll of 13 analysts showed. In June, prices rose 9.3 percent from a year earlier. "We will see the impact of the drought and rupee depreciation in food prices this month, too," one analyst said more..

July 30 (Island) A French Tanker, MT Famenne, rescued 28 Sri Lankans, including four women and a five-year-old child from a watery grave on the high seas in the wake of a spat between Navy Commander Vice Admiral Somathilake Dissanayake and Australian High Commissioner Robyn Mudie, as regards Sri Lanka’s alleged failure to prevent the launch of trawlers carrying those seeking political asylum Down Under. more..

July 30 (Island) Media Ministry Secretary Charitha Herath yesterday emphasized that the introduction of the ‘Right to Information Act’ couldn’t be at the expense of national security. In spite of the conclusion of the conflict in May 2009, the govt couldn’t share everything, the Media Secretary said. Herath was responding to queries raised by those participating at the SAARC Media Internship Programme (SMIP) for journalists more..

July 30 (Rediff) Indian Oil Corporation will set up its first refinery outside India with an investment of up to Rs 200 billion in Sri Lanka. It will thus become the second Indian company to have a refinery abroad. The Ruias-promoted Essar Energy owns the Stanlow refinery in the UK and has 50 per cent interest in Kenya Petroleum Refinery. IOC operates 10 refineries in India and the capacity of its Sri Lankan refinery is expected to be 5-9 mtpa (million tonnes per annum). more..

July 30 (DM) The fact that the Tigers putting their paws into any international event with a Sri Lankan participation, is nothing new. Despite tight security measures, the pro-LTTE sects of the Diaspora always find ways and means to make their presence felt to the rest of the world. The cameras, stationed to capture the actions, inevitably capture the fluttering Tiger flags and the boards that carry anti-Sri Lanka slogans; a convenient yet stingy publicity move, coming from more..

July 30 (LBO) A trading surveillance system developed by MillenniumIT, a London Stock Exchange unit based in Sri Lanka has gone live in at the Egyptian Exchange (EGX), the company said. "We are very pleased offer our services to the Egyptian Exchange to improve its surveillance and market monitoring functionsm," Tony Weersinghe, chief executive of Millennium IT and director global development at LSE group said more..

July 30 (AD) Minister S.B. Dissanayake says that the report detailing the implementation of the Z-score results will be handed over to the President this evening. President Rajapaksa on Wednesday had directed the Minister Dissanayaka to forward a comprehensive report on the Z-score issue immediately. Participating in the monthly meeting of media heads today, the Higher Education Minister said the report will be submitted in the evening. more..

July 30 (VA) Following participation of Sri Lankan exporter’s at the SAITEX 2012 International Trade fair held in Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand from 15-17 July, 2012; business delegations from Sri Lanka are looking to explore more investment opportunities in South Africa. About nine companies representing various sectors from Sri Lanka including Porcelain Tableware, Ceylon Black Tea, Green Tea, Organic Tea, Spices, Desiccated Coconut; Rubber based value added more..

July 30 (CT) Economist and UNP MP Harsha de Silva charged that the real “economic hit-men” are those responsible for the transactions that resulted in an enormous loss of public funds. Dr. De Silva told Daily Mirror those responsible for the losses in the derivatives, equities and the fixed income market were the very same individuals. “The countries funds were gambled on the derivatives market through the hedging deal resulting in a loss of 27 billion rupees, and the Greek Junk bonds deal has resulted in a loss of close to eight million dollars,” he said. more..

July 30 (IPS) It was the ghostly silence that struck him hardest as he walked through the Colombo suburb of Kirulapone the day after the lifeless body of a six-year-old girl had been discovered floating in a filthy canal, Kumar de Silva, a well-known local media personality, told IPS. The autopsy report later revealed that the child had been raped by a 60-year-old relative and his two friends, and then dumped in the canal, where she drowned. more..

July 30 (Reuters) Rupee ended weaker on importer demand for dollars on Monday while the island nation's stock market inched higher on retail buying. The rupee closed at 131.70/132.10 against the dollar from Friday's close of 131.50/70. Three currency dealers said a state bank sold dollars, preventing the rupee weakening further. The stock market edged up on retail buying in light volumes ahead of a Tuesday meeting with Treasury Secretary P.B. Jayasundera to more..

July 30 (AD) The Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) says a suspect has been arrested with a large number of gold items, similar to the gold items stolen from the Colombo National Museum in March. Presenting a report when the museum robbery case was taken up at the Colombo Magistrate’s Court today, the CCD revealed that no other suspect has been arrested in connection to the incident and that so far none of the stolen items have been recovered. Chief magistrate Rashmi more..

July 30 (CT) The monthly general meeting of the Colombo Municipal Council was disrupted as an opposition member had stolen the ceremonial mace which is a symbol of authority in the council today. UPFA Council Member of the CMC, Riza Zarook, explained why his party took hold of the mace, “the mace is in our custody and we will not return it till the Mayor ceases to exclude our motions and takes up motions that are not in ordinance of the Council.” more..

July 30 (NF) Former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka says that he does not hope to join a political party with issues and be a part of them. The former Army Commander made this statement at a public meeting held in the Upper Biyanwila area in Kadawatha. ’I have not even thought of joining the United National Party. I could have joined it. Someone had also explained the manner in which I could join. They said that one could join if Rs. 20,000 was offered. It’s not a difficult task. more..

July 30 (LBO) India Show, an exposition of Indian business in Colombo to be held from August 03 has drawn over 100 exhibitors which will give a chance for the two countries to boost trade and investment as well as influence policy, officials said. "We hope this will be a platform to build partnerships which will promote investments with a view to intensify our economic engagement," India's deputy high commissioner P Kumaran said. More than a 100 companies in automobiles, more..

July 30 (AP) A Sri Lankan who has been on a world tour of badminton's backblocks for 10 months pulled off the first major upset in the London Olympics by eliminating eighth-ranked Kenichi Tago of Japan 21-18, 21-16 on Monday. "This is the biggest win in the history of Sri Lanka badminton," Niluka Karunaratne said with obvious pride. Also through to the last 16 were women's top seeds Wang Yihan and Wang Xin of China, who beat North American opponents more..

July 30 (GDI) The per capita fish consumption in Sri Lanka has increased up to 15 kilograms. It was only 11 kilograms in 2009. The Ministry of Fisheries has taken several measures to increase fish production and encourage fish consumption as it is a main ingredient for reducing malnutrition. Declare opening the Nilwella Fisheries Harbour built at a cost of Rs.450 million in Matara. Minister Dr.Rajitha Senaratne said that construction activities of all more..

July 30 (GDI) The Ministries of Economic Development and Agrarian Services have launched a joint programme to renovate about 2,000 tanks in 17 districts. The objective of the programme is to increase the capacity of water retention in the tanks and reservoirs. It has been identified that there are about 9,000 small tanks in the dry zone alone. These tanks have not been renovated for several centuries, and due to this most of these tanks have become filled with more..

July 30 (GDI) The Ministry of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare said that applications will be called for the Korean Employment Examination next month. It said that application forms will be issued by 30 centers including in the Northern and Eastern provinces. Employment opportunities for Sri Lankan nationals in Korea was initiated by President Mahinda Rajapaksa when he was the Minister of Labour in the 1994 govt. At present nearly 25,000 Sri Lankans are more..

July 30 (Hindu) India’s first packaged fruit juice brand, Onjus, is getting a fresh lease of life with a new manufacturing base in Sri Lanka. Tunip Agro, the company behind Onjus has set up a new subsidiary - Tunip Lanka Private Ltd, with an investment of Rs 75 crore. Using Sri Lanka as an export hub, Onjus would now wend its way to the SAARC countries and even West Asia and Europe. Mr Siddhant Goyal, Director, Tunip Agro, said, “With the new manufacturing hub in more..

July 30 (Hindu) “Neengal ennai nambalam, naanum ungalai nambukiren” [You can trust me, I also trust you], the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa told a gathering of former Tamil Tiger combatants, who were rehabilitated under a govt-aided programme. The combatants — who had been captured or had surrendered during various stages of the Eelam War IV between the Sri Lankan forces and the Tamil Tigers — were segregated on the basis of more..

July 30 (LBO) Central Bank has sold outright 1.2 billion rupees from its 220 billion rupee Treasury bill stock to kill some of the liquidity that came from the purchase of dollars from a sovereign bond. The Central Bank said it had got bids for 850 million rupees for an offer to sell 7.5 billion rupees of bills maturing in 17 days. The monetary authority has accepted bids of 550 million rupees at a weighted average yield of 10.91 percent. more..

July 30 (SL) Sri Lanka’s National Plan of action to implement the recommendations of the LLRC has called for the police department to be de-linked from the institutions dealing with the armed forces. However, if this recommendation is to go forward it will need the approval of the proposed Parliamentary Select Committee. The National Plan was presented on Thursday by Presidential Secretary, Lalith Weeratunga, and Minister G.L. Peiris. more..

July 30 (LT) A gigantic force against the government would be built and this process is taking place at present as working masses, farmers, fisher folk, teachers, students and their parents are rallying around the JVP at present says the General Secretary of the JVP Tilvin Silva. Mr. Silva said this during the procession of vehicles of ‘Jana Pelagasma’ campaign being held to chase away the ‘regime that torments masses.’ more..