Oct 29 (Island) A Sri Lankan couple, Nalin and Nisansala, are trying to get their names entered in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most number of bridesmaids at a wedding ceremony. Their wedding scheduled to take place on Nov 8 in Negombo is to be graced by First Lady. Nalin and Nisansala will have 125 bridesmaids apart from 30 bestmen, 20 Flower Girls and 16 Pageboys, an entourage of 191. Previous record for the most number of bridesmaids (96) more..

Oct 29 (NP) A Canadian who helped a Sri Lankan rebel group acquire “sophisticated military technology” was sentenced by a New York judge Monday to two years imprisonment. Suresh Sriskandarajah, 33, also known as “Waterloo Suresh,” had pleaded guilty in July to conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization, Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers. In pre-sentencing arguments, he had asked to be released immediately more..

Oct 29 (ST) Despite requests from police stations and prison officials, the country’s only detention centre for the destitute is full of inmates, said Ambalantota’s Ridiyagama Detention Centre Superintendent. The detention centre was established to house beggars and homeless persons brought from Colombo, during the Non-Aligned Movement Summit in 1976. “Though the maximum capacity is 600, there are 595 inmates. With dilapidated buildings and most inmates more..

Oct 29 (SM) According to the Appropriation Bill for the Budget 2014, millions have been reserved for the Rajapaksa family while giving ministers the stepmother treatment, 'UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake says. Speaking at a media briefing in Colombo today (28), the UNP General Secretary said that the President's expenditure for 2014 has been increased to Rs. 8560 million from the Appropriation Bill for 2014 presented to the parliament recently. more..

Oct 29 (CT) The CID requests the public to inform the nearest police station or the CID, if they come across currency notes with the serial number P 67799159 as a large quantity of Rs 2,000 counterfeit notes that were printed in Malabe, are in circulation among the public. The information can be passed through phone numbers 011 2326670 or 071 8931932. CID said the possession of counterfeit currency notes is an offence more..

Oct 29 (DM) Barely three weeks after the appointment of nine Deputy Ministers, again there are reports that the govt is making arrangements to appoint another set of Deputy Ministers, this time mostly from the up-country based parties of the UPFA. No doubt, this is a slap on the face of the people of the country since even the blindest follower of the ruling UPFA very well knows the necessity of these appointments as well as those made recently and most of the portfolios more..

Oct 29 (DM )Unnecessary drugs for simple illnesses. Prescriptions of expensive brands of pharmaceuticals. Pointless laboratory tests. Unwarranted imaging such as CT and MRI. Needless medical procedures. “Diseases” that do not exist, but are “treated”. This is a world-wide phenomenon. All of which end up as profits of the pharmaceutical and medical devices industry. It is big business. The estimated turnover of the twelve largest pharmaceutical companies in the more..

Oct 29 (SL) After the excitement and hype of the Commonwealth Summit next month will come the presentation of the Budget for 2014 which some MPs and supporters of the govt will consider to be a cake walk having made a clean sweep of the NCPC and CPC elections held recently. But the budget conditions for making budget proposals are ‘by no means propitious’ as a well known Economist wrote in his column recently. more..

Oct 29 (Island) The UNP said that it had not received an invitation to the CHOGM. Party General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, said that some representatives of the govt had telephoned them and asked if the UNP would be participating in CHOGM. "Is this the way you invite the main Opposition party to an international conference," he queried, adding that common courtesy required written invitations be sent more..

Oct 29 (ST) Almost every other vehicle the Environmental officials along with the Police checked for the use of loud horns were found to be violating the new regulations, a senior official said. The checking of vehicles for horns and other sound equipment that emit loud noises began on October 15 and 69 vehicles were checked in the first week. “We found that of the vehicles checked, 30 had breached the regulations on noise pollution,” more..

Oct 29 (ENS) Critically acclaimed Indian filmmaker Leena Manimekalai’s White Van Stories, a documentary on enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka with never-seen-before footage, is set for an international release. The two-hour documentary shows seven characters and the unexplained disappearances of their loved ones in post-war Sri Lanka. The characters will also give audiences a stark glimpse at their resilience more..

Oct 29 (LB) Opposition political parties here are planning to organize protest campaigns during the CHOGM in Colombo. Leader of the NSSP, Dr. Wickramabahu Karunaratne has said that the joint opposition will hold a series of agitation campaigns during CHOGM. He said the joint opposition protests are aimed at showing the real situation in the country to the world leaders who will be attending the upcoming summit. more..

Oct 29 (SLN) Vice Admiral Jayanath Colombage has been appointed as the Chairman of Ceylon Shipping Corporation with effect from today. This is in addition to his present duties as the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy. Vice Admiral Colombage is an expert in maritime security with a distinguished naval career spanning 34 years. As a renowned scholar of international repute, he has published papers and conducted more..

Oct 29 (Island) Minister Tissa Karaliyadda said that despite the attempts to boost the country’s tourism by permitting the setting up of casinos, commercial sex would never be legalised under the UPFA govt. He said that the country would not sell its women for the sake of promoting tourism. "Women enjoy a special place in our society and, therefore, prostitution should not be legalised. Women’s purity should be protected more..

Oct 29 (CG) The Army insists land taken over for security purposes in the North was acquired legally and not by force. Army spokesman said that existing army camps in some areas are now being reconstructed and developed. “When the Southern expressway was constructed, land owned by civilians was acquired legally. The same thing applies here. Land that has been acquired legally is being developed to meet the security more..

Oct 29 (LBO) Sri Lanka made the most changes in South Asia making it easier to do business, but the country slipped to 85 from 81 in a global ranking compiled by the World Bank group as several other nations raced ahead. The World Bank group's 'Doing Business 2014' report said Sri Lanka was the regional leader in implementing regulatory reforms. Over the past year SL had made it easier to get a construction permit by eliminating more..

Oct 29 (ENS) A Sri Lankan newspaper has quoted un-named Indian diplomatic sources in Colombo who say that PM Manmohan Singh is likely to participate in the inaugural session of the CHOGM, and return to New Delhi immediately, without having any meetings with member countries, including Sri Lanka. Ceylon Today quoted diplomatic sources as saying that Singh would come to “express solidarity with other SA nations”. more..

Oct 29 (CT) From last Sunday onwards, tourists who arrive in Sri Lanka and locals who return from their overseas travel, need not spend long hours on the congested Negombo-Colombo road to reach the capital, Colombo. The newly-opened Colombo-Katunayake Expressway would cut down the travel time to just 20 minutes and the breathtaking scenery along the 26 km track, which criss-crosses the Negombo lagoon, would definitely be a pleasant first impression of the country. more..

Oct 29 (CT) I never cease to be fascinated by those who incessantly pillory “Colombians”, in reality those who seek to defend the concepts of law and order, the rule of law and basic human rights and who happen to live in our capital city. Their common place of residence provides the horde of Rajapaksa Sycophants with the opportunity to apply this “urban” stereotype to them. What you will NEVER hear from these paragons of probity and virtue is so much as a reference to the plight of those they go to more..

Oct 29 (LT) Casino brings to the country not an income but destruction and the development of the ‘miracle’ that is incurred by destroying morality and culture would be felt in the future says MP Arjuna Ranatunga. He said, “The withdrawal from presenting to Parliament the act to legalize casino racket is an attempt to temporarily submerge the mass opposition to the move. Buddhists should vehemently oppose the move to legalize casinos and give tax relief to the racket. more..

Oct 29 (Island) Veddhas would take part in cricket matches held in towns only if they were paid 200,000 rupees per match, Veddha spokesman Wimalaratne said. He said: "Cultural Affairs Minister T.B. Ekanayake is speaking against our playing cricket. He says that our culture gets devalued when we play cricket. But, we will never stop playing cricket. If somebody organises a tournament we won’t play for free. We must be paid 200,000 rupees and provided with transport," more..

Oct 29 (DM) Animal rights activists expressed concern over the manner in which stray dogs were being removed from Colombo to make the City presentable for next month’s CHOGM. Animals Rights Activist and Animal Protection Trust Secretary Sharmini Ratnayake said that at a Sept 5 meeting attended by CMC officials, several Veterinary surgeons, WPC Officials and Animals Rights Groups, it was decided to relocate more..

Oct 29 (Island) Time given to people who have not been included in the 2013 electoral register to submit their appeals ends tomorrow. The voters could check whether their names have been included in the list by visiting District Election Offices, Divisional Secretariats, Local Govt institutions and Grama Niladhari offices as electoral lists are being displayed at those institutions. An officer of the Election Secretariat said anyone who needed to enter the name anew or more..

Oct 29 (LBO) Stocks closed 0.38% lower amidst speculative trades and the rupee weakened amid excess rupee liquidity in the banking system. All Share Price Index closed 22.44 points lower at 5,906.53, down 0.38%, after reaching an intra-day high of 5,931.95. The S&P SL20 closed 1.14 lower at 3,260.62, down 0.03%, after reaching an intraday high of 3,269.39. Turnover was 528.71 million rupees, up from 372.54 million a day earlier, with stocks of 98 firms closing in the red more..

Oct 29 (SM) The Socialist Students Union has submitted a petition to British High Commission opposing the laying of foundation stone for a private university by Prince Charles who would arrive in Sri Lanka as the chief invitee of the CHOGM. National Organizer Nalinda Jayatissa and a group of representatives of the union have handed over the petition to a representative at British High Commission. more..

Oct 29 (Island) The National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) said it had uncovered a child trafficking racket, following three children being deported from Australia. Chairperson of the NCPA, Anoma Dissanayake said that three children aged 12, 15 and 16 had arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport on Oct. 15 after the Australian govt deported them. The Australian High Commission in Sri Lanka requested the NCPA to take custody of the children. more..

Oct 29 (CT) Dambulla Badhrakaali Amman Kovil has been completely demolished last night raises question about the safety of Badhra kaali amman temples in the southern Sri Lanka, says Dr. N Kumar Guruparan, Western Provincial Councillor and the Deputy Leader of DPF and Spokesman for the Hindu Front. Issuing a statement he says; “It’s with deep shock & sorrow I record here that Dambulla Badhrakaali Amman Kovil has been demolished yesterday razed to the grounds, more..

Oct 29 (Xinhua) A Sri Lankan tour guide has been arrested on the charge of having swindled 900 U.S. dollars from a Chinese woman after guiding her around the capital city. The tourist had gotten into a three-wheeler commonly referred to by Sri Lankans as "tuk tuk", a cheap form of transportation. The taxi driver had charged her US$ 900 after taking her for a tour around Colombo city but was later arrested by police and more..

Oct 29 (Island) Sri Lanka will soon have 25 sets of coins, all in the 10 rupee denomination. Each set will represent a district. Deputy Superintendent of the Central Bank Currency Department G.K.K. Gamage said that the 25 sets would be released in the second quarter of next year. He said that unlike on previous occasions, the Central Bank had the luxury of selecting the minter out of the four minting organisations. The decision to mint the 25 sets was the brain child of the Bank’s more..

Oct 29 (CG) Minister Wimal Weerawansa has accused Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran of paving the way for communal disharmony by saying Sinhalese families will not be resettled in the North. He said that if Sinhalese groups follow Wigneswaran’s line and say Tamils cannot be settled in the South, it would spell disaster for the country. “In the Western Province all communities live together. We are proud of that. By saying Sinhalese people cannot be settled in more..

Oct 29 (TOI) Sympathy and sentiment cannot be a ground to pass judicial orders, and the court was not inclined to interfere with the foreign policy of India. Saying that, the Madras high court on Tuesday, dismissed a PIL against India's participation at the upcoming CHOGM in Sri Lanka. The first bench comprising Chief Justice RK Agrawal and Justice Sathyanarayanan said: "It touches upon the foreign policy of the govt of India, more..

Oct 29 (ET) A Lahore High Court division bench on Monday dismissed the bail application of Zubair alias Nek Muhammad, who has been accused of attacking the Sri Lankan cricket team. He had been granted bail earlier by an anti-terrorism court. The court dismissed his bail on the request of the government which had challenged his bail before the Lahore High Court. The bench, comprising Justice Anwarul Haq and Justice Abdul Sattar Asghar, remarked that the bail granted earlier by more..

Oct 29 (CI) Kenya's second weak batting performance in the day, and another star turn by a Sri Lanka A opener handed the hosts a third comfortable victory in the seven-match Twenty20 series, in Colombo. Batting first, Kenya were waylaid by the spin of Jeevan Mendis and Milinda Siriwardene, who took 6 for 28 in eight overs between them, and mustered just 122 for 9. Kusal Perera then hit two thirds of that total by himself, as he struck 5 sixes and 6 fours in his 81, more..

Oct 29 (CI) Peter Moores, the Lancashire coach, and the Yorkshire assistant coach Paul Farbrace are out of the running for the Sri Lanka job created by Graham Ford's move to Surrey. Moores has signed a one-year extension to his Lancashire deal which takes him to the end of the 2015 season, while ESPNcricinfo understands that Farbrace has ruled himself out of returning to the team where he was the former assistant more..

Oct 29 (DM) UNP said the Deputy Minister of Postal Services, Sanath Jayasuriya should resign from his post in the Sri Lanka Cricket Board, citing that he did not have enough time to spare for the betterment of cricket. “Deputy Minister Jayasuriya does not have enough time to spare for the development of cricket as he spends most of his time abroad. He doesn’t even have time to visit his home town of Matara. A responsible officer on the Board should spare at least 10 hours for the sport,” more..

Oct 29 (CG) A Sri Lankan man has been caught attempting to tie the knot with an Italian woman as immigration officers interrupted the couple’s ‘sham marriage’ in Harrow, England. With an Italian wife on his arm, the 23-year-old would have been considered an EU citizen and under European law he would have been entitled to claim benefits in the UK. A Home Office immigration enforcement team raided Harrow Registry Office, as the pair prepared to say their vows. more..

Oct 29 (Island) Undergraduates of the Sabaragamuwa University would march from Belihuloya, where the university’s main campus is situated, to Colombo in protest against the suspension of 16 students without proper reasons being given. Spokesman for the Student Council, banned by the University administration at present, Rasindu Jayasinghe said that they had planned to start their protest march on Thursday, but more..

Oct 29 (CG) The CEB said that power cuts will be experienced in some areas as operations at the Norochcholai coal power plant came to a halt this evening. According to the CEB, a trip switch at the coal power plant had gone off owing to a technical fault bringing the power plant to a complete standstill. The CEB said that while some areas will experience power cuts measures are being taken to rectify the fault at the power plant and get it back into operation as soon as possible. more..

Oct 29 (NDTV) Petrol bombs were hurled at two post offices in Chennai early this morning, allegedly by protesters demanding India boycott the Commonwealth meeting in Colombo over Sri Lanka's alleged war crimes against Lankan Tamils. No major damage was however reported. The police have reportedly arrested one person belonging to the "Dravidar Viduthalai Kazahagam", a pro Tamil outfit. "We are looking for three others. We will nab them soon," a senior officer said. more..