July 4 (TC) The end of the war has brought with it the opportunity for a restoration of normalcy and reconciliation after 30 years of suffering and trauma. However, the plight of the nearly 300,000 internally displaced persons who are being kept within welfare centres in Vavuniya is a continuing source of much suffering and heartburn. The situation within these camps is reported to be very poor and more..

July 4 (SLW) Mysterious LTTE posters have appeared inside several IDP camps threatening the inhabitants and the Sri Lanka government. The posters, mainly hand-written on pieces of paper contain the following messages: "Our National Leader (Thalaivar) is not dead. How can anyone kill him? He is invincible. The Army is lying. Anyone collaborating with the Army will be severely dealt with. The Eelam struggle still continues under our leader." more..

July 4 (GV) Though several comments made on my article were not directly related to the topic, I wish to respond to some of the issues that have been raised. The lop-sided comments about the JVP do neither take into account the context nor the causes for their insurrections. Political violence in Sri Lanka cannot be properly understood without recognizing its complex relationship with the socio-political establishment. more..

July 4 (GV) Located strategically in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka was a hub in the maritime silk and spice routes for millennia. It drew traders from the east and west for both business and pleasure. Notable among the attractions were spices, whose many aromas and flavours formed an integral part of the tropical paradise experience. The traditional Lankan curry contained up to 13 spices and herbs. more..

July 4 (Hindu) The last phase of Sri Lanka�s low-intensity military conflict saw the elimination of the LTTE as a military force. It simultaneously witnessed a poignant human drama in which some 300,000 Tamil civilians were rescued by force of arms from a terrorist organisation that, claiming to fight for their freedom, had no compunction in using them as a human shield. more..

July 4 (BBC) The Supreme Court on Friday annulled an earlier order preventing probe into alleged criminal charges against Negombo police. The earlier order issued by former Chief Justice (CJ) Sarath Nanda Silva was stripped by the new CJ Asoka de Silva on Friday. The previous order prevented investigating criminal charges against six police officers including the OIC of Negombo police. The bribery commission had earlier filed a case against the police officers alleging more..

July 4 (AT) During the last couple of months when the Sri Lankan war was on, the Tamil Diaspora and the sympathisers of the LTTE went on a rampage in the Western countries conducting demonstrations, processions, blocking roads, fasting and so on causing problems to the locals and inconveniencing the tourists. Because of this, tourists changed their travel arrangements from the West to Asia. This had an impact on their tourism. more..

July 4 (AT) N Srikantha and other TNA lawmakers attended an all party conference held by the President for the first time in several years signaling thereby a change of heart in synch with the times. They appreciate the government efforts at resettling the IDPs but have their own views on how the work should progress. In an exclusive interview with AT, Srikantha has spelt out these views. more..

July 4 (CD) Rumors that China and Sri Lanka engaged in an arms deal during the southeast Asian country's recent civil war was rejected by visiting Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama on Friday. "Sri Lanka and China enjoy a traditional bilateral relationship and have enjoyed a smooth development of cooperation since the diplomatic ties were established in 1957," Bogollagama told China Daily. more..

July 4 (LBO) The Sri Lanka unit of the Indian Oil Corporation is running out of cash and may not be able to import the next consignment of oil as oil prices rise and taxes take away most of its revenue, an official said. "My next import is coming in end July," Lanka IOC managing director Suresh Kumar said. "How I am supposed to open the letter of credit if I do not have money? I want to import but I simply do not have the money." more..

July 4 (GV) I began my conversation with Prof. Tissa Vitharana, Minister of Science and Technology and Chair of the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) by asking him about the state of play in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in Sri Lanka, and what exactly the declaration of 2009 as the Year of IT and English meant. We talked about work force development, business service outsourcing, more..

July 4 (LBO) The Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) said it has launched its annual 'Sri Lankan Entrepreneur of the Year' contest to be held in December this year. Kosala Wickramanayake, President, FCCISL, said the entrepreneur awards provide national recognition of the entrepreneurial skills and achievements in Sri Lanka. "The main purpose is to motivate entrepreneurs to reach the best level of excellence," more..

July 4 (TC) There are two types of people who assert that President Mahinda Rajapakse is against the 13th amendment or does not intend to or will not implement it. These are the Tamil ultranationalists, the Tamil hawks and their fellow-traveling Sinhala doves, who say that no devolution will emanate from the Rajapakse administration, and the Sinhala hardliners who oppose any kind of devolution and more..

July 4 (TC) Sri Lanka has for far too long been held hostage by the extremist forces. These were the vocal elements on both sides of the ethnic divide who strangulated and silenced the moderates. We noted in our column last week the effect of the vocal extremist elements among the Sinhalese on enactment of the Sinhala Only Bill. Banadaranaike�s original draft bill, while enforcing Sinhala as the sole official language, had also provision for the use of Tamil. more..

July 4 (TC) The Group of Concerned Tamils of Sri Lanka is disturbed by persistent reports of continuing lack of adequate shelter, privacy, water, toilet and bathing facilities, nutrition, and medical services as well as other grave ills, notably disappearances in several of the detention centres. In any case it is surely in the interest of all concerned that the detention centres become more accessible immediately and, progressively, converted in to welfare centres more..

July 4 (LT) The essential items collected by members of the JVP to be sent to IDPs in camps were taken to camps in Vavuniya yesterday (3rd). The convoy of lorries carrying goods left JVP District office at Anuradhapura. JVP MPs Lal Kanthe and Ranaweera Pathirana were present. Speaking to the gathering JVP MP Lal Kanthe said, �Innocent masses who were tormented due to Prabakaran�s moves are in refugee camps at present. more..

July 4 (TC) I�m no believer in numerology, or the power that numbers can have on people, but it appears that 13 has suddenly emerged as the make or break number in the politics of Sri Lanka. We are not unaware of the strong superstitions that exist about the number 13 being unlucky. No one knows why this is so, but many say this superstition has come to us from Christians who consider 13 an unlucky number because the Last Supper of Christ had had 13 present. more..

July 4 (GDI) The steps are under way to sign a MoU between Cuba and Sri Lanka to develop the coconut industry in the country. A series of discussions between Minister of Plantation Industries D. M. Jayaratne and Cuban Ambassador Nirsia Castro Guevara was held recently at the Ministry. As a result, a proposal to exchange expertise and technical services of both countries had been made by Ambassador Guevara to Minister Jayaratne. more..

July 4 (GDI) The fourth SAARC Ministerial Conference on Children and the Senior Officials� Conference will be held on July 9 and 10 at Hilton Hotel, Colombo. The inauguration of the 4th SAARC Senior Officials� Conference on Children will be held on July 9 at Hilton Hotel, and the 4th SAARC Ministerial Conference on Children to be inaugurated on July 10 under the patronage of Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka. more..

July 4 (GDI) The cost of electricity would be reduced with the establishment of the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant, Minister of Power and Energy W. D. J. Seneviratne said at a special media briefing in connection with the launching of Phase Two and Three of the coal power plant. He pointed out that Phase Two was scheduled to be completed by year 2012. �There is speculation today that the electricity charges are very high. more..

July 4 (GDI) Indonesian investment is likely to flow shortly into Sri Lanka at a massive scale, following the visit of Special MP, Basil Rajapaksa to Indonesia, sources from the BOI Sri Lanka revealed. Rajapaksa led a high powered BOI team to Indonesia to explore investment opportunities with Sri Lanka's diplomat in Jakarta, Major General (Rtd),Nanda Mallawaarachchi mediating between the Sri Lanka- Indonesia Business Council. more..

July 4 (GDI) �Sri Lanka Champion of Champions Surf Contest� reached its climax today when UK grabbed the award of the first place in the open event category beating 47 other competitors in one of the most exciting surfing events in the world, held off the Eastern coast. Minister of Tourism Promotions Faizer Musthapha attending the presentation ceremony highly commended the participation of the �UK pro- surf tour� contestants, more..

July 4 (Island) The Island reported yesterday that a provincial governor was among a group of top politicians and businessmen, including a minister and an MP, threatned by the gang. Mowlana told The Island yesterday that members of the gang had threatened him on a number of occasions, but he had flatly refused to part with any money and told the extortionists that he did not have the money to give them. more..

July 4 (TC) One is a member of the Malkangiri District Cricket Association and custodian of its cricket kit. Another, a minor contractor in a public works project. A third runs a tiny shop. They�re all pretty rooted in Malkangiri. Not very different from any other small town group. Except that this one consists of a bunch of former Sri Lankan Tamil warriors settled in deep rural Orissa in one of the country�s poorest districts where they�ve been nearly 20 years. more..

July 4 (LT) Electricity supply has been disconnected in about 50 schools in the Western Province due to nonpayment of electricity bills. In Udugama zone the supply in 10 schools has been disconnected. As a result of disconnection of electricity supply the schools are unable to carryout computer studies and work in their laboratories says Mr. A.P. Illeperuma, Galle District Secretary of the All Ceylon United Teachers� Union. more..

July 4 (LP) The Island of Sri Lanka situated in the Indian Ocean has one of the highest specie densities of snakes in the world. Over 96 species from nine families are represented within the diverse habitats found within the borders of Sri Lanka. Many of these species are found nowhere else in the world. In Sri Lanka only around ten terrestrial snakes ossess venom capable of killing a human being. more..

July 4 (LP) The government has decided to relax stern security procedure that prevailed on the transportation of goods to the North. On the instructions of the Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the permitted cargos, being taken to the North will no longer be unloaded at the Medawachchiya security check point from July 1. The check point at Hathare Kotuva junction in Habarana and the check point at Batticaloa junction will also follow the same procedure, more..

July 4 (DM) The media is often thought of being over critical of the actions of government officials, politicians and even the private sector. The Secretary of Defense, Public Security and Law and Order, Gotabhaya Rajapakse stated that a lot more could be done than is already being done and the government is well aware of this. �The media always likes to point out and harp on things we haven�t done, things we cannot do, more..

July 4 (LNP) Our main news item yesterday (in the city and late city editions) must have shocked many. It revealed that an extortion gang had demanded money from some top politicians and chairman of a state institution. If political leaders are not safe from the underworld who else is? Demanding money from a minister is the ultimate in the extortion trade. (It is like waylaying Mahasona and demanding a bili!) more..

July 4 (LNP) Sri Lankan athletes did their country proud, winning three medals, one Silver and two Bronze, to be placed 16th in rankings so far on the last day of athletics of the first Asian Youth Games in Singapore yesterday. The Silver medal came in Sri Lanka s way when the boys ran the 4x200m relay in 1min. 32.57 seconds behind Thailand who clocked 1min. 33.80 seconds. more..

July 4 (DN) The staff of the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation has the prime responsibility of rebuilding public confidence in their institution and transforming it to be the giant in the field of insurance, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said. The President said this when he made a surprise visit to the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation head office yesterday morning on an inspection tour. more..

July 4 (DN) The CID yesterday produced four directors of Ceylinco Sri Ram Capital Management Private Company before Colombo Fort Magistrate and Additional District Judge Gihan Pilapitiya. They are alleged to have failed to pay the depositors Rs.7 billion. Directors H.K.D. Silva, Rajive Wijetunga, K.P. Jayatissa and Ruwan Sirisena were released on cash bail in Rs.50,000 and Rs.500,000 with two sureties each. more..

July 4 (DN) Minister Chamal Rajapaksa has directed the officials to expedite the acquisition of lands to begin construction of the proposed International Airport at Udamattala in Hambantota which will serve as an alternative to the Bandaranaike International Airport. The Government has earmarked a land in extent of 800 hectares for this purpose and the construction of an electric fence has also been expedited. more..

July 4 (DN) Many in Batticaloa will note this month as the birth centenary of V. Nalliah who represented Trincomalee-Batticaloa in the State Council from 1943 and Kalkudah in Parliament till 1956, fell on July 1. Batticaloa is indebted to Nalliah as the most vigorous motivator, contributor and inspirational force for the progress of education in the whole Eastern region and it has always been widely acknowledged and celebrated by grateful people. more..

July 4 (LBO) W A Wijewardena, widely regarded as one of the top economists the country has ever produced, retired from his post as deputy governor of Sri Lanka's central bank Friday, after a 36 year career in public service. From 2001 he chaired the monetary policy committee of the Central Bank which advised the bank's rate setting governing body, the monetary board. more..

July 4 (Island) The Private Bus Owners Association will not increase bus fares, despite the price hike in diesel, though they have enough reasons to increase it by seven per cent, the PBOA said yesterday. They would give the government one month to implement the proposals of the Supreme Court, Association Chairman Gemunu Wijeratne said. "Without burdening anyone we have afforded a golden opportunity to the Government. more..

July 4 (Island) The Government Medical Officers� Association yesterday decided to launch an island wide strike on July 7, Tuesday, at a special executive committee meeting. The unjustifiable appointment of post interns overlooking experienced hands to serve the IDPs in the North, is the GMOA�s main complaint. Post interns voicing their own grievances meanwhile, withdrew their services in the Vanni from yesterday and attended only to emergency cases. more..

July 4 (DM) Another large stock of jewellery pawned by civilians at the LTTE�s �Eelam Bank� was recovered by troops on Thursday in Puthukkudiruppu, the military said. It said troops of Task Force--8 during clearing and mopping up operations recovered 8,709 packets that contained a wide assortment of gold jewellery, including necklaces, bangles, ear rings, chains and many more similar items. �All those items appeared to have been pawned at the LTTE Eelam Bank,� more..

July 4 (LP) The humanitarian mission to eradicate the three decade long plague of terrorism was successfully concluded by the valiant troops. During this humanitarian operation many brave soldiers were disabled. The Government of Sri Lanka has taken the responsibility of ensuring that these disabled soldiers are well looked after. This was stated by Mr. Lakshman Hulugalle the Director General of the Media Centre for National Security more..

July 4 (Reuters) Sri Lanka bowler Chaminda Vaas has denied reports of his retirement from test cricket after his board said on Saturday the paceman had told selectors he was quitting the longer form of the game with immediate effect. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) secretary Nishantha Ranatunga told Reuters that Vaas informed selection chairman Ashantha de Mel of his decision earlier in the week. more..

July 4 (DM) A person who impersonated as the purchasing officer of the Colombo Municipal Council was remanded till the July 14 by the Colombo Chief Magistrate Nishantha Hapuarachchi yesterday. The person concerned is accused of defrauding a Pettah businessman of four sarees and a sum of Rs. 5550/-. The Magistrate refused to grant bail to the suspect and ordered the Pettah Police to file their investigation report in court on July 14. more..

July 4 (LBO) Central bank has bought 390 million US dollars from forex markets in June to boost its foreign reserves, bringing the total purchases since a float of its currency in March to 450 million US dollars. The Central Bank floated the rupee in March as a prior action for an International Monetary Fund loan of 1.9 billion US dollars. The float ended a period of dollar peg defence that created a balance of payments crisis and more..

July 4 (Guardian) On 19 May this year the president of Sri Lanka officially declared the defeat of the Tamil Tigers, apparently bringing to an end 26 years of civil conflict. The duration, as well as the complex ethnic divisions, caused the Sri Lankan civil war to go unreported for long periods of time. As Roma Tearne observes: "the war had become a worn-out habit on the island ... the brutality of which was hardly noticed in the west. more..

July 4 (DM) The UNP yesterday called on the government to give an amnesty to over 4000 imprisoned deserters and use them for post -war operations and development work in the Northern and Eastern Provinces immediately. UNP MP for the Kurunegala district Dayasiri Jayasekara told journalists yesterday that there were around 40,000 army deserters, but the government was able to arrest only 4000 of them. more..

July 4 (CI) Pakistan had a day of typical Pakistani cricket. Two of their debutants got them off to a great start, but sloppy fielding and a failure to keep a lid on the scoring meant they hadn't run away with the game. The Sri Lankan batsmen, although never entirely comfortable in the middle, kept counterattacking, getting quick runs, making sure they got themselves a fighting total on a pitch that offered movement to bowlers of both variety. more..

July 4 (AFP) Sri Lanka's central bank chief said Saturday that the island could live without a major IMF bailout that had been delayed by the final stages of the government's fight with Tamil Tiger rebels. The government had requested the 1.9-billion-dollar loan in March to help stave off its first balance of payments deficit in four years after foreign currency reserves fell to around six weeks' worth of imports. more..

July 4 (Island) The JVP is accusing the government of making it difficult for them to access the IDPs with much needed aid. "Taking care of the IDPs is not the sole responsibility of the UPFA. It is the responsibility of the entire country. We have collected essential items to be distributed among the IDPs but they are stuck somewhere in Anuradhapura because the government is slow to give us access," more..

July 5 (AN) Every region in Sri Lanka has displaced persons. These include not just war refugees from the North but also people uprooted by the tsunami from Southern and Eastern provinces. Many people also leave their homes to escape the attacks of elephants, because their homes are expropriated by the tourism industry or because they are victims of contradictory government policies. more..

July 5 (AT) Sri Lanka after introducing the latest tourist promotion mantra �The Small Miracle, has now turned it focus on converting the small isletst for tourists promotions in the Kalpitya region and those located in the south of Mannar. In an endeavor to promote tourism, Kalpitya Integrated Tourism Development Project has been launched last year with the view to develop 14 islets in the first phase of the program. more..

July 5 (PTI) A noted historian has warned that it would be catastrophic for Sri Lanka to take a triumphant position on its victory over LTTE and it is time the country gave democracy and pluralism a chance. "In the aftermath of defeat of Tamil Tigers, it would be catastrophic if the Sri Lankan Government were to take a triumphant position. I am told there is a proposal to build statues of a Sri Lankan King who died 2,000 years ago to commemorate the victory," more..