July 10 (ST) In a tiny corner of a plush building down Main Street in the throbbing heart of Pettah, there is much activity. While the finishing touches are being added on a huge painting, the �people� who will be before it are in the process of being �dressed�. A Roman ship has docked at the harbour and the barrels on board are being ferried to shore, then lugged or rolled to a circular building with ornamental tiles adorning it. more..

July 10 (NS) Local Govt officials in Aluthgama have now commenced activities to re-establish communication between communities that were affected due to the unrest in Aluthgama last month. Apart from damages to property and lives, the unrest also created a considerable gap between Sinhalese and Muslims who had been living in the area for decades. While reconstruction and rehabilitation works have gained momentum, authorities have also started looking at building a strong more..

July 10 (FT) Obviously among our population there is only a handful that can claim a sound knowledge of business or economic realities. On the contrary, many seem to have a distorted vision of how and why things happen. The vast majority in this country would have no concept of how public money, which is collected through various taxes on the people, is utilised and accounted for. That every telephone call made from a Govt owned telephone to every car used by the Govt is paid for with his money more..

July 10 (Island) The Mahanayake theras should awaken to this danger. They have remained quiet long enough. We have to protect the Sasana. If the Sasana is protected, the Buddhists will be protected and the country will be protected. The Vice-President of the UNP Bhikku Front, the Ven. Malabe Seelarathana speaks to C. A. Chandraprema about the situation that has come about due to the activities of the BBS. more..

July 10 (Island) Brazilians� leonine roar which reverberated through Belo Horizonte at the outset of the FIFA semifinals on Tuesday gave way to an agonizing groan heard continents away. With shock and dismay, football crazy Brazilians watched their beloved Selecao collapse under a German onslaught. Mournful sighs that 200 million Brazilians collectively heaved, unable to come to terms with their worst ever defeat, were strong enough to form a hurricane sweeping across South America. more..

July 10 (CI) Mahela Jayawardene made Sri Lanka's second-highest score, but the innings was far from fluent. The early four he did get though, was disallowed, effectively by an umpiring error. Jayawardene's sweep to Imran Tahir in the 27th over took an under-edge, brushed his front pad and trickled away to the fine-leg fence, but Tahir had flown into an appeal raucous enough to convince the umpire that Jayawardene was out lbw. That decision was overturned on review, but more..

July 10 (FT) Jacob Zuma, South African President, appointed a special envoy to oversee the African nation�s conflict resolution and reconciliation initiatives in two post-war societies earlier this year. In civil war struck South Sudan, Zuma�s appointee and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has his work cut out for him. But in Sri Lanka, where for five years a relative peace has reigned, the road to reconciliation seems more..

July 10 (CI) The stark contrats between South Africa's dominance in Colombo on Sunday and the manner in which they were dominated in Pallekele on Wednesday is what frustrated AB de Villiers the most as his team continue their preparations for the 2015 World Cup. For the South African captain, the swing in the margin of results - from winning the first ODI by 108 runs to losing the second by 87 runs - illustrates erratic form that does not bode well for a major tournament. more..

July 10 (CI) When the questions first began about when Jacques Kallis' international career would end, they were prompted by a short-ball assault. In the summer of 2010, Kallis was attacked by a barrage from Pat Cummins in Johannesburg and for the first time, Kallis appeared to cower. Cummins had Kallis ducking uncertainly, leaving a periscope behind. He had Kallis taking evasive action against missiles aimed at his throat and head. He had Kallis thinking more in the 19 deliveries he spent more..

July 10 (FT) It is commonly known that in financial terms State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) have often performed very poorly. Many firms in that sphere operate at a loss, entailing heavy opportunity costs to the national economy. They place a heavy fiscal burden on the State through explicit subsidies, and the assumption of operating losses, or re-capitalisation costs, made necessary by the continued erosion of capital structure more..

July 10 (CT) Capital markets watchdog Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Dr. Nalaka Godahewa said good governance must be improved in order to attract foreign investors into the market, hinting that many listed companies need to understand the value of governance. Although, foreign investors are making a comeback, low liquidity and poor governance are preventing the capital market from realizing its true potential, analysts warn. more..

July 10 (NYDN) The restaurant scene in Queens is so dazzlingly diverse, it�s surprising that Sri Lankan fare has been so scarce � which explains at least some of the excitement for Spicy Lanka, a new eatery in up-and-coming Jamaica. The rest of the excitement comes from the simply stellar food. Start with vegetarian patties ($3). They�re a ubiquitous street food in the motherland, but they achieve perfection at Spicy Lanka: Crispy, greaseless shells surround a mix of potato, onion, curry, more..

July 10 (CI) Pallekele is not a difficult place to like. Road from Kandy winds over rolling mountains, through lush tropical flora still beaded with droplets from the last rains. Troupes of Sri Lankan macaques loiter like rogues on village shop rooves, waiting to swing down when the shopkeeper takes his eyes off the bananas. Even on a clunking govt bus or a rickety three-wheeler, the serenity of the surrounds is irresistible. more..

July 10 (Island) Dr Priyath Bandu Wickrema, Chairman Sri Lanka Ports Authority will be delivering the annual oration at the Moratuwa and Peradeniya Engineers reunion which will be held on Aug 2. Dr. Priyath B. Wicrama is an Engineering graduate from University of Moratuwa. A engineering graduate from University of Peradeniya Eng. Ranjith Premasiri, the Secretary to the Ministry of Ports and Highways, Chairman RDA and Chairman National Water Supply and Drainage Board, will more..

July 10 (DN) Deputy Minister and Hajj Committee co-Chairman Abdul Cader, said that the Govt had made all arrangements to assist devotees who wish to undertake the Hajj pilgrimage. Cader said he was thankful to the Saudi Arabian embassy in Sri Lanka for the support extended to Sri Lankan devotees wishing to engage in the Hajj pilgrimage. �Performing these rituals known as the Hajj, is the fifth pillar of Islam and the most significant manifestation of Islamic faith and unity. more..

July 10 (DM) Feasibility studies for the Colombo-Ratnapura expressway from the Kahathuduwa interchange on the Southern Expressway are being finalised and construction work is expected to begin this year, Minister Nirmala Kothalwala said. The 71.8-km expressway will be stretch from Colombo to Pelmadulla via Ratnapura and will be connected to the Kahathuduwa interchange of the Southern Expressway. It will pass through Horana, more..

July 10 (Island) Our new easy payment scheme for state sector employees to own Bajaj motorcycles will make other financial institutions to have second thoughts about their terms of leasing, Pradeep Gunawardena, Chairman, Sri Lanka State Trading (General) Corporation (STC) said yesterday. "The Upahara mobile connectivity package introduced by the STC and Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel compelled mobile service providers in the country to sacrifice a sizeable slice of their profit margin and more..

July 10 (Island) UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday requested Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa to take action against ministries that had failed to submit reports of their consultative committees to Parliament. Wickremesinghe made this request when the monthly progress report on consultative committees was presented to Minister Dinesh Gunawardena. Minister tabling the report in the House said that it was the first time in parliamentary history such a report had been presented more..

July 10 (FT) The first-ever Sri Lanka-Belarus official trade talks commenced in Colombo yesterday amidst avowed assertions from both sides towards forging sustainable trade links while making inroads to the huge �New Asian� and upcoming Eurasian Union markets. The first Colombo talks have now paved the way for a prospective future visit of the President of Belarus to Sri Lanka. �I am pleased to note that Belarus more..

July 10 (Island) Fashion retailer Odel is extending a hand of friendship to the people of Jaffna by deploying its unique community animal welfare initiative �Embark� within the city�s Municipal Council limits. Responding to a request by the Jaffna Municipal Council for assistance with its stray dog problem, the Embark team will commence work later this month with community organisations Dogstar and the Tsunami Animal-People Alliance (TAPA) to catch-neuter-vaccinate-release (CNVR) more..

July 10 (DN) The school health education program on dengue which focuses on improving the knowledge and attitudes of schoolchildren towards the prevention of dengue through environmental conservation is one of the main priorities of a program conducted by the eDoctor team. The eDoctor team has successfully conducted this program in several leading schools in Colombo. The most recent program was conducted at Hemamali Balika Vidyala, Kandy. more..

July 10 (Island) Director General of Sri Lanka Customs Jagath Wijeweera yesterday said that he faced a formidable challenge in erasing the black mark that the institution had earned during the previous administration. "When I took over as Director General I found that Sri Lanka Customs had gone through a dark era due to various reasons and some of them were due to inefficiency and corrupt practices," he said. more..

July 10 (FT) JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake exposed the violation of tender procedures to award the $278 million worth railway line constructed between Matara and Beliatta. Charging the Govt for skipping the tenders and obtaining a loan at commercial interest rates from the EXIM Bank of China to fund the project, MP Dissanayake said: �You have not entered into an agreement with the Govt of China; it is an agreement between Govt of Sri Lanka and a Chinese company. more..

July 10 (HN) Minister Bandula Gunawardana says he would present a Cabinet paper today seeking approval for O/L students who failed mathematics to study for A/L if they assure a pass in mathematics within two years. If Cabinet approval is given, the affected students since last year would be benefited by this opportunity. Addressing a ceremony held at the Medagama Abhaya Vidyalaya in Madampe, Minister expressed his views about the cabinet paper to be presented today. more..

July 10 (Island) JVP led CTSU claimed that Education Ministry had asked schools to bring more than 15,000 students from nine provinces to Colombo to attend the World�s largest Esala Procession on Saturday and also directed to allocate Rs. 300,000 to Rs. 400,000 from the School Development Committee account to cover the expenses. CTSU General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe said that it was a shame to use more..

July 10 (Island) Special Crime Investigations Unit, Mirihana led by its OIC Nimal Karunaratne on Tuesday arrested two suspects with the largest ever haul of robbed gold from a pawning centre in Moratumulla on May 25. The suspects had gained entry into the shop through a hole they made on a wall. The team had been deployed by DIG of Police, Sumith Edirisinghe following a complaint he received on May 30 from the owner of the Palliyaguru Pawning Centre in Moratumulla. more..

July 10 (CG) Govt told Parliament that Chinese trawlers are not involved in poaching in Sri Lankan waters. Minister Rajitha Senaratne said that so far it has been only Indian fishermen who enter Sri Lankan waters illegally and catch fish. He said that the Chinese catch fish in international waters and offload them in Sri Lanka under an agreement signed with the BoI. Senaratne denied opposition claims that Chinese trawlers catch fish within Sri Lankan waters while flying the SL flag. more..

July 10 (Island) A project will get underway shortly to introduce a new Sri Lankan passport with biometrics to strengthen the govt efforts to curb malpractices by streamlining the passport issuing process. The project was meant to prevent large scale abuse of the Sri Lankan passport was in line with joint Australian-Sri Lankan efforts to tackle illegal migration. Australia was funding the project to the tune of Rs. 500 mn, with the Treasury more..

July 10 (GDI) Minister Sarath Amunugama told Parliament that the govt has introduced a social security scheme for the owners and drivers of three-wheelers. This introduction was made in line with the promise outlined under the Pride Place of Three Wheelers in the Mahinda Chinthana � Vision for the Future policy manifesto, he said. Under the social security system the drivers and owners of three wheelers in countrywide could be benefited with an insurance cover and a pension scheme. more..

July 10 (ABC) In Sri Lanka, Australia's Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has upset Tamil groups after he failed to meet with them during a brief visit to the northern region of Jaffna. Jaffna was the scene of some of the worst fighting during the thirty-year civil war, with Tamils saying they still face persecution today. The ABC understands the Minister only met with the regional governor who is a former military general and appointee of the SL govt. Suresh Premachandaran is spokesman for the TNA, more..

July 10 (ABC) Australia's Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has reportedly made a secret visit to the war-torn region of Jaffna during his whirlwind stop in the South Asian nation. The ABC understands Mr Morrison arrived in Jaffna by helicopter yesterday after attending the inauguration of two customs boats donated by Canberra to Colombo. Mr Morrison was accompanied by Australian High Commissioner more..

July 10 (DM) The mere mention of the name, Marie Musaeus Higgins brings to the mind of everyone in this country today the prominent Buddhist school for girls in Colombo 7 that is established in her name with which the fascinating history of this august school is inextricably entwined. Such was the destiny that lay for a baby girl born on May 18, 1855 in Wismar, in the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Germany. She was to achieve prominence and respect for her dedicated, untiring and more..

July 10 (DM) In what appears to be a showdown battle for the restoration of democracy, justice and the rule of law, one of Lanka�s leading activists has called on all associations of professional and civic action groups to come forward and save Sri Lanka from the grave consequences of a growing culture of impunity. The legal activist Upul Jayasuriya, who was recently re-elected unanimously as President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) which gives leadership to about 14,000 lawyers said in more..

July 10 (SL) Who is to be blamed for an unsuccessful cataract operation carried out at the Homagama Base Hospital recently? Is it the Eye Surgeon or the hospital? 71-year-old Sirisena Amaraweera of Rukmalgama who has lost the vision of his left eye after undergoing a cataract operation is now helpless as no one of the Homagama Base Hospital wants to take the accountability for the mishap. Although Amaraweera is feeble, more..

July 10 (AM) More than three weeks after anti-Muslim clashes in Aluthgama, Beruwala and Dharga Town, IGP N.K. Illangakoon has transferred a senior Police officer who overlooked security in the area. Sources confirmed that SP Roshan Silva who overlooked security of Kalutara Police division has been transferred to Colombo Crimes Division with immediate effect. He has been replaced by SSP Kithsiri Kodithuwakku who more..

July 10 (ST) Sri Lanka fishermen apprehended by India and released from custody, are facing a new crisis, as they are finding it difficult to make a living without their boats, which were confiscated by the Indian authorities for poaching in Indian waters. Fisheries Deputy Minister, Sarath Kumara Gunarathna claimed that Indian authorities are not releasing the boats until Indian boats in Sri Lanka�s custody are released. more..

July 10 (DM) President Rajapaksa, accompanied by his Ministers, walked down the isle of the parliamentary chamber on Tuesday and occupied the front row seat assigned to him. By this time, UNP MP Eran Wickramaratne was on his feet, making his remarks during the debate on the regulations under the Motor Traffic Ordinance. He criticized the govt for what he called �the insufficient allocation of funds for the development of more..

July 10 (DM) Sri Lanka�s best young chess players are running the risk of losing a chance to compete at next month�s Asian Chess Championship due to an unethical move by the Education Ministry to include the granddaughter of an ex-minister in the team. The granddaughter of this ex-UNP minister has come 6th in the under 13 category during Sri Lankan selections. Following a request by this ex- minister�s family to accommodate their more..

July 10 (DN) It became necessary to restructure and reorient the economic and political order during periods of turmoil. The world is going through such a period again. There is a widespread feeling today among the international community that there are some things that are going wrong with the manner in which the international order is structured, applied and operated, External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris said. more..

July 10 (DM) UNP MP Palitha Thewarapperuma said the people and the media should view his offer to resign as an indictment on the present system and not attempt to portray him in bad light. �I promised to resign on behalf of all the people of this country, against what the Police and the STF did when the riots were taking place. I didn�t offer to resign because I had got caught cheating or because I had robbed or murdered. more..