Aug 24 (LBO) A planned expressway between Sri Lanka's capital Colombo and Kandy in the central hills will significantly reduce transport costs and connect under-developed regions with developed ones, a new World Bank study said. The Colombo-Kandy highway is to be built by the government's Road Development Authority with Asian Development Bank aid for the first phase. more..

Aug 24 (SL) It has been more than one year since the end of the war and many views have been expressed with regard to getting the lives of civilians in the North back on track as well as the development work. We received an opportunity to listen to the views and needs of various people in the North and to witness the true situation there during a recent visit to the area. Jaffna was liberated from the LTTE in 1998. more..

Aug 24 (LB) Those who appeared before the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) last week repeatedly pointed out that the CFA was a total disaster, and that the power struggle between President Chandrika Bandaranaike and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had a negative impact on the CFA --- and that there were not enough measures or provisions to guarantee that all parties will adhere to the agreement, in essence things we already knew only too well. more..

Aug 24 (DN) The temperatures of hot springs are known to be much higher at greater depths. The reason for the occurrence of hot springs can be due to normal heat flow. within the earth or due to the presence of Hot Dry Rock (HDR). A hot dry rock is created when hot magama from the interior of the earth intrudes into the earth's outer layer, also known as the crust. If the event is generally less than 500 million years old, it will still be anomalously hot due to the decay of radioactive material within. more..

Aug 24 (DN) President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday directed the National Heritage and Cultural Affairs Ministry to implement a viable program to conserve the ancient Sigiriya frescoes for posterity with the assistance of scientists and the experts in the conservation field. President Rajapaksa issued this directive after an inspection tour of the Sigiriya frescoes yesterday. more..

Aug 24 (DN) The Government will provide Rs 5 billion to promote �Pure Ceylon Tea� in the international market in the next five years. This program will be implemented from November 1 this year. Each year Rs 1 billion will be provided for the project. �The main purpose of this program is to promote value added and finest Ceylon tea products to the world market,� Plantation Industries Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said. more..

Aug 24 (DM) While the improved road conditions are attracting more and more local as well as overseas tourists to the hill country, the utter inefficiency in managing the mountains and their views has started creating a major gulf between the reality and tourist expectations. Be it the gross soil erosion that has made some mountains look like mounds of soil or the hoardings and unauthorized wayside boutiques blocking the most spectacular views, more..

Aug 24 (Island) In this country serious issues crop up at such a rate that none of them receive adequate public attention. Time was when terror strikes kept us worried. We used to live from one day to the next, so to speak, not knowing when another bomb blast would occur. Now that the war is a thing of the past, we are beginning to take cognisance of other issues. Currently, we are busy with a battle against dengue��quite rightly so. more..

Aug 24 (TS) There is nothing unusual or suspect about Tamil refugees in Canada who have gone back to Sri Lanka, says the Canadian Tamil Congress. After all, there was a four-year cease-fire in the civil war and they were "good years," according to CTC national spokesman David Poopalapillai. "Lots of people went back during those days, lots of people," he said. "They were good years and people thought that peace had returned to Sri Lanka, that everything had gone back to normal. more..

Aug 24 (DM) The gem merchant and four others had been remanded till Monday, September 6 by Matara Chief Magistrate Udesh Ranathunga for allegedly assaulting Matara Inland Revenue Official Hewage Denzil, Police said. The Chief Magistrate ordered them to be produced before an Identification Parade soon. Hewa Anthonige Dharmadasa (36), a brother of a UPFA member of the Southern Provincial Council is a gem trader who also has other business interests, police said. more..

Aug 24 (BBC) More than 400 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who arrived in Canada aboard a cargo ship 11 days ago have been told they must stay in jail. The Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board agreed with government requests for more time to check the migrants' identity papers. Government officials want to establish whether any are militants from the Tamil Tigers, a group banned in Canada. more..

Aug 24 (Island) Former Peace Secretariat Chief UPFA MP Professor Rajiva Wijesinha yesterday launched a scathing attack on a section of the UN hierarchy and other international players for backing LTTE terrorism, thereby prolonging Sri Lanka�s war. In his presentation before the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, headed by former Attorney General C. R. de Silva, at the Kadirgamar International Institute for Foreign Relations, more..

Aug 24 (DN) The SLFP will celebrate its 59th anniversary on September 2 at 9.30 a.m. at Temple Trees under President Mahinda Rajapaksa�s patronage, Petroleum Industries Minister Susil Premajayantha said. All political parties in the alliance, SLFP MPs, Provincial Council members, members attached to SLFP organizations, trade unions and others will participate, the Minister told a press briefing at the SLFP Headquarters, more..

Aug 24 (DM) Discussions among UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, MPs Sajith Premadasa and Ravi Karunanayake to resolve party disputes are to continue amid various suggestions on the changes to top posts including that of the post of opposition leader. Party sources said the party hierarchy which met on Sunday night was undecided whether Mr. Wickremesinghe should remain as party leader and Mr. Premadasa appointed as the deputy leader. more..

Aug 24 (Hindu) Referring to the remarks of former LTTE leader Kumaran Pathmanathan on the role some politicians from Tamil Nadu in the efforts to arrive at a ceasefire in Sri Lanka's war against the LTTE, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi said Mr. Pathmanathan has to explain the facts relating to the war. Mr.Karunanidhi pointed out that KP had contended that MDMK leader Vaiko had stood in the way of a ceasefire. more..

Aug 24 (CI) After reaching the finals of the tri-series with one of Sri Lanka's biggest wins over India, Kumar Sangakkara has said the team must aim at winning consistently, irrespective of the margin of victory. In front of a raucous Sunday crowd, Sri Lanka rolled MS Dhoni's side over for 103, inflicting the largest defeat in India's history in terms of balls remaining. "It's a good preparation for the final, but that is a new game six days away," more..

Aug 24 (SL) Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa is to leave for India today (24) on a two-day official tour till the 26th. During Rajapaksa�s visit, he is scheduled to meet Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other high ranking members of the Indian government. Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunge were to also participate in the Indian tour, but later cancelled the plans. more..

Aug 24 (Island) Branches of foreign universities should be established here to improve the quality of higher education and to create more opportunities for children, Chairman of the University Grants Commission, Prof. Gamini Samaranayake says. He told The Island that at present 40,000 students qualified for university entrance, but the UGC could accommodate only 21,500 of them. more..

Aug 24 (DM) The government yesterday challenged the UNP to reveal whether it would accept the 15 conditions laid down by the European Union (EU) as a precondition to renew the GSP+ facility and if not why. Minister Susil Premajayantha said that UNP deputy leader Karu Jayasuriya must first put his own party in order before asking Sri Lanka�s political forces opposed to what he saw as the government�s tyrannical course of governance to join to preserve Sri Lanka�s future. more..

Aug 24 (Island) President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday told UNP leader Ranil Wickremsinghe, MP and SLMC leader Rauf Hakeem, MP that he would seek a third term, though they had earlier discussed the possibility of replacing the executive presidential system with executive premiership. The announcement was made at Temple Trees, when President Rajapaksa met a group of UNP and SLMC MPs to discuss proposed constitutional reforms. more..

Aug 25 (BBC) A court in Sri Lanka has ordered to detain two foreign nationals who have been illegally collecting endemic species from a World Heritage site in the Sri Lankan highlands. Jan Pyreh and Monica Melacova, were arrested by the police in Nuwara Eliya on Monday. The two Czech students were collecting endangered insects at Horton Plains, say conservation authorities. Horton Plains has been recently named as a World Heritage by the UN's cultural body, UNESCO. more..

Aug 25 (BBC) Doctors in Sri Lanka say that they are treating a housemaid in Saudi Arabia to remove nails and steel pins from her body. Dr. Kamal Weeratunga of Kamburupitiya hopsital told BBC Sandeshaya that the patient NP Ariyawathie, a mother of three informed them that her employer inserted nails and steel pins to her body daily. "She still can't properly sit down and walk. When we checked her, we found 24 metal pieces in her legs and hands," more..

Aug 25 (MoD) The 5th Randooli Perehera (procession) - final pageant of the Esala Perehera is scheduled to commence Tuesday (Aug 25) night. The event marks the finale of the Buddhist ritual cum National ceremony that for centuries drawn great devotion, evoking blessings to the island nation in times of crisis and catastrophe. According to officials, the Kandy Perehera has also been a major tourist attraction more..

Aug 25 (FL) THE war hero of Sri Lanka General (retired) Sarath Fonseka, who led the military against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Eelam War IV, was indicted by a court martial on August 13 on charges of dabbling in politics while in uniform. The conviction has not come as a surprise to those who have been following the events in the island nation since the military defeat of the Tigers in May last year. more..

Aug 25 (Age) A high court challenge to the legitimacy of the Christmas Island detention of two asylum seekers could clear the way for every boat person to appeal against their deportation in Australia's highest court. Two Tamil asylum seekers, known only in the court proceedings as M61 and M69, arrived at Christmas Island in October last year. They claimed refugee status, saying they faced persecution from the Sri Lankan army, but more..

Aug 25 (DM) Major General Shevendra Silva has been appointed as Sri Lanka�s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) and will take up his new post soon, sources at the External Affairs Ministry said. Major General Silva�s appointment to the UN comes amidst human rights allegations being raised against the government and the military which resulted in UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon appointing a panel to advise him on Sri Lanka. more..

Aug 25 (NP) Over the weekend, the Sun newspaper chain reported the findings of a �secret government report� suggesting that nearly three-quarters of Sri Lankan Tamils previously granted refugee status in Canada have returned to their homeland for visits or vacations, casting doubt on their claims that they faced persecution, or even death, in their homeland. The �secret report� turns out to be a collection of 50 refugee-applicant case studies, plucked at random from government files. more..

Aug 25 (LG) There is a general perception particularly among the Sinhalese that every Tamil living in the West wakes up daily with thoughts of supporting the LTTE, forming a trans-national government and sending money to the LTTE via PayPal or Western Union. The Tamil diaspora, much to the chagrin of this majority psyche, have much more important things to do such as going to work to earn a living wage and educating their children. more..

Aug 25 (LG) It was certainly no coincidence. Sri Lanka lost European Union�s GSP Plus trade concessions on August 15 but gained the Chinese funded Hambantota port on the very same day. Although there is a very long way to go in making Hambantota a major shipping and trade hub, passing its most important milestone signifies commitment. Coincidences of this magnitude do not happen in geopolitics. Both events were well planned in advance and more..

Aug 25 (LG) 50 year old Vani was a shopkeeper from Tharmpuram with three children. The eldest daughter was married with two daughters. The second son had been forcefully taken away by the Iyakam (movement- LTTE) a year ago. When the fighting became severe in January, they loaded their belongings in a landmaster and with other village folk were displaced from place to place. The 13th displacement was to what had been declared a safety zone, Iranaipalam where they stayed for 10 days. more..

Aug 25 (MoD) Sacred island of Nagadeepa these days is overcrowded with visitors who make it a holiday destination with their families during the August school vacation. Lines of pilgrims' vehicles are seen moving along the causeway to Nagadeepa and thousands of people are falling in line at Kurikadduwan waiting for ferry to the sacred island. A sufficient number of boats are on service between Kurikadduwan and Nagadeepa to more..

Aug 25 (MoD) Fifteen students studying for the GCE Advance Level examination at Mallavi Maha Vidyalaya, Pandiyankulam Maha Vidyalaya and Oddusudan Maha Vidyalaya in Vavuniya and Mulaitivu Districts received scholarships from Security Forces Commander Wanni and Competent Authority for IDP Affairs in North, Major General G.D.H.K Guneratna at a simple ceremony held at the Buddhist Education Centre in Mathavaithakulam in Vavuniya on 18th August. more..

Aug 25 (HP) Last week, a commission began investigating the final phase of a horrendous decades-long civil war. This war, which ended last year, caused tens of thousands of deaths, prompted military interventions from a regional power, drew in a transnational diaspora, and spawned numerous refugees. The war's aftermath presents significant implications for the international community concerning counterinsurgency, terrorism and refugee flows. more..

Aug 25 (SO) The TNA came under fire from TULF leader V. Anandasangaree for evading participation in the Tamil Parties Forum that had already held five meetings in an effort to evolve a common political stance on power devolution to resolve the Tamil issue. The TNA led by R. Sampanthan MP told election meetings in the run up to the April 9, 2010 parliamentary election that they would work in coordination with all other Tamil political parties on more..

Aug 25 (Island) It is reported that the establishment of two Consulates General of India in Jaffna and Hambantota was formalised last week with the Exchange of Notes between Foreign Secretary C.R. Jayasinghe and High Commissioner Ashok K. Kantha, the Indian High Commissioner in Colombo. The Consular district of the proposed Consulate General of India in Jaffna would cover the five districts of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka, more..

Aug 25 (TS) In 2007, the Tamil Tigers approached Sabalingam Kumarasamy and asked him to work for them. When he refused, the Tigers arrested him � he was released six days later only after agreeing to collaborate with them. To escape this enforced recruitment and fearing further trouble, he approached a smuggler who offered to take him to Canada. After receiving thousands of dollars from Kumarasamy, his smuggler abandoned him in Ghana, where he remains to this day. more..

Aug 25 (NF) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) provides loans only to bankrupt countries and the government has taken a loan from that organisation to pay back loans taken in the guise of development, says parliamentarian Rosy Senanayake. Ms. Senanayake was expressing her views while visiting the Jinthupitiya area in Kotahena along with parliamentarian Sajith Premadasa this afternoon. more..

Aug 25 (DM) My dear Mahinda Aiya, Ayubowan, vanakkam, asssalamu alaikkum and congratulations as your home-base and one-time wilderness of Hambantota is put on the world map with the final stage of an international harbour projected as the showpiece or show-peace of an industrial revolution. The historic ceremony seen live by millions of people produced an ocean of patriotism and national pride. more..

Aug 25 (DM) Three men. Three different sets of allegations. Three different kinds of treatment. Nothing illegal about it. Doesn�t make it �right� and give cause to cheer or be complacent, though. I am thinking of Sarath Fonseka, former Army Commander, accused of wrongdoing and duly stripped of rank, decoration and pension. I am thinking of Mervyn Silva, Member of Parliament, an embarrassment to the Government whichever way one looks at it, a thug if ever there was one, more..

Aug 25 (SO) Former Indian Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi has said that Electricity is one of the key pillars for a nation to be classified as a developed country. Sri Lanka too seems to have taken a cue from this and the much awaited and long overdue Norochcholai Coal Power Station is to be opened in December creating yet another historic landmark in the country. Several political leaders had wanted to go ahead with this project as more..

Aug 25 (NS) The role of a political columnist is to sensitise his readers by highlighting the significance of events and by indicating the trends that may affect the society and the country in the future. In the past eight weeks, I tried to play that role. In the first week, I highlighted the World Tamil Classical Conference which had generated a fresh nationalistic fervour. Tamils in the North and East of Sri Lanka who had been affected by it are holding Classical Tamil conferences. more..

Aug 25 (DM) Confined to a wheel chair by a rather bizarre accident, immobile with innumerable painful hours to contemplate on the various situations that occur in life, I consider the peculiar confusions that prevail in our country in recent times with a certain reflective relief. We see and hear particularly politicians, the bureaucracy, civil leadership and even certain religious leaders pontificate with comparative ease on the precepts that more..

Aug 25 (LB) Our investigation on the compulsory gas emission test for motor vehicles reveals that it has been an utter flop and that two companies are making profits amounting to millions of rupees. Recent surveys too prove that air pollution has not been reduced by the program implemented by the Ministry of Environment and the Department of the Commissioner of Motor Traffic. �One day I took my car for the emission test. It failed the test and I told the examiner that I will look after him, if he passes my vehicle. more..

Aug 25 (RNZ) The New Zealand cricketers are angry that Sri Lanka's captain Kumar Sangakara hasn't been punished after colliding with spinner Nathan McCullum during their last tri-series one day match. Sangakara was turning for a second run when he ran into McCullum and was charged with deliberately colliding with McCullum. But the Australian match referee Alan Hurst ruled that video evidence provided reasonable doubt as to whether the contact was deliberate. more..

Aug 25 (LB) DNA and JVP MP for Gampaha District Vijitha Herath vehemently condemned the tear-gassing, baton-charging and subsequent physical assault by the Galle police of three of his party members during and in the aftermath of a protest campaign organized by them, that was to be held in Galle on Aug 12. He charged that the UPFA government has taken the law into their own hands while being dictatorial, leaving no room for dissent in the country. more..

Aug 25 (AI) On World Humanitarian Day (19August) Amnesty International recalls the many humanitarian workers who have fallen victim to human rights violations in Sri Lanka and the families of victims who have been frustrated in their pursuit of justice. Amnesty International calls on the UN to independently investigate violations of human rights and humanitarian law in Sri Lanka as an essential first step to accountability. more..

Aug 25 (LBO) Sri Lanka's central bank has said it will celebrate 60 years of operations (diamond jubilee) on August 28, with the issue of a commemorative coin, a stamp, orations, and religious ceremonies. An oration will be delivered by Treasury Secretary P B Jayasundera, and an interbank cricket tournament will also be held, the monetary authority said. Sri Lanka central bank was created in August 28, 1950 switching its anchor currency from Sterling to the US dollar. more..