July 22 (DM) The protestors who staged demonstrations in front of the United Nations (UN) Organization office in Sri Lanka against Ban ki-moon�s panel of advisors, it is reported have gone to the Russian Embassy in Sri Lanka, and expressed their gratitude for opposing the Ban Ki -Moon�s panel. Similarly, when Minister Wimal Weerawansa of the Rajapaksa government who commenced a fast against Moon�s panel wished to end it, the protestors have sent word to the Russian embassy and more..

July 22 (ST) MV Cordiality, a large ship operated by a Chinese crew was anchored in the seas off Pulmoddai, loading valuable ilmenite, when LTTE Sea Tigers attacked it on September 1997. Six sailors were killed and the ship sank with its cargo close to the shore. This war victim was forgotten within months, but nature claimed its ownership of the sunken vessel. Corals started growing on its large metal surface and more..

July 22 (Indi) There�s a slightly odd story on Ada Derana about a joint Army/Navy operation to rescue a beach ball some kids had lost at sea. It�s sweet that the Army guy swam after the ball and a Navy boat actually picked it up. It�s is, however, rather odd that there remains such a military presence that children are playing within distance of Army, Navy and perhaps Air Force. Foreign friends have found it a bit odd that there are so many armed soldiers, but more..

July 22 (Island) Nearly 2,000 people had visited the Kumana National Park after it was opened to the public on January 30, this year. Northern Province Assistant Wildlife Director, M C G Rupasinghe, says that upto to June this year the Park generated an income of Rs. 1.2 million. Most of the visitors were locals. "We hope to attract more foreign tourists to the Park. "Personally, I am very happy that the Parks are under the purview of the Economic Development Ministry. more..

July 22 (DM) Several historical and strategic factors contributed in the decision to hold the first ever cabinet meeting which was held outside Colombo at the Security Forces Headquarters at Kilinochchci situated near the Iranamadu tank, a senior armed forces officer said. The holding of this first ever cabinet meeting out of Colombo in Kilinochchi was a significant achievement for the government and more..

July 22 (LG) In the recently concluded �World Classical Tamil Conference�, and also in columns, articles and reports about it, there was a fresh attempt to project the myth that the Tamil language would have died but for the contribution of Christian Missionaries. There was also an immense propaganda that the �prose� style of writing was a gift from Christian Missionaries to the Tamil language. Indeed, such a misinformation campaign has been sustained for years since more..

July 22 (LBO) Sri Lanka's PC House is planning a 100 seat business process outsourcing centre in the island's northern Jaffna peninsular to provide accounting and back office services to the international market, an official said. "We are now negotiating with several US and UK based companies to finalize contracts," PC House chairman Shaheedul Hijiry Mohamed Rishan told LBO. "We have found premises in Nelliady in Jaffna to set up the centre." more..

July 22 (LBO) A beach stretch from Tangalle Bay to Weligama in Sri Lanka's south and Bentota in the southwest have been named among the top 10 in Asia by Forbes, a business magazine. The beaches were judged by a panel which included Graham Uden, a photographer based in Hong Kong and John Borthwick, a Sydney-based travel writer and photographer. "Sri Lanka has beautiful beaches on its southwest coast, from more..

July 22 (LBO) SriLankan Airlines is to build a tourist hotel near the island's main international airport at Katunayake north of Colombo, the airline's chairman Nishantha Wickremasinghe said. "We are about to start building an airport hotel right in front of the departure lounge,' he said. The site is an abandoned factory at an export processing zone near the airport that has been handed over to the national airline. Wickremasinghe said the planned hotel would have at least 125 rooms. more..

July 22 (LBO) Sri Lankan ship builder Colombo Dockyard has begun building a ferry for passengers in the former northern war zone using a new yard on a river close to Colombo port, a statement said. The 100-passenger launch is being built for the state-owned Road Development Authority and will be used to ferry passengers between the northern Jaffna peninsula and a nearby island. Colombo Dockyard, a unit of Japan's Onomichi Dockyard, more..

July 22 (DBS) Hello Friends, Today July 21st is the 50th anniversary of Mrs. Sirima Bandaranaike becoming Prime Minister of Sri Lanka then known as Ceylon. Needless to say she made history then as the world�s first woman prime minister and put the Island nation on the global map. I thought of remembering on this historically important date this remarkable woman who made a lasting impact on the fate of her country. more..

July 22 (wsws) A protest by 250 workers in the Colombo suburb of Ratmalana last Thursday pointed to the growing unrest among working people in Sri Lanka over rising prices and deteriorating living standards. At the same time, the organisers�ex-lefts of the Nava Sama Samaja Party (NSSP)�demonstrated their determination to block any independent political struggle against the government of President Mahinda Rajapakse, which has suppressed real wages for the past four years. more..

July 22 (MoD) Located in the tranquility of Aththidiya, a suburb of Colombo is a site where construction work is under way with speed for a special centre for those war heroes in need of special care and comfort. The Ranaviru Nikethanaya is best described as a Healing Home, the first of its kind that will be a home for over 200 heroes of war, carefully identified as those needing special care, in a nation so indebted to them for their invaluable sacrifices more..

July 22 (LP) �SHILPA 2010� Four day National Exhibition and Trade Fair will be declared open by President Mahinda Rajapaksha at BMICH, today. This is the national level exhibition of handicraft and small and medium industries held in the country. There will be 156 stalls exhibiting the best products selected from the provincial fairs held throughout the country. Items on sale will be toys, new designs for women�s wear, ornaments and jewellery, more..

July 22 (LP) The Katharagama fire walking ceremony of the Katharagama Esala Festival is to be held today (22). Walking on fire is one way of expressing the faith in God and it has been taking place for many years and devotees are seen walking on fire each year during the Katharagama Esala Festival. Over 500 devotees along with foreigners are expected to witness the ceremony this evening. more..

July 22 (NF) Two Lankan women have died in Jordan and in Lebanon. According to the Foreign Employment Bureau, one woman who had been employed in Jordan had committed suicide by setting herself on fire. The deceased was 35-year-old resident of Horowpathana. The Additional General Manager of the Bureau L. K. Ruhunage disclosed that an investigation carried out by the Sri Lankan embassy in Jordan had confirmed that the death had in fact had been an act of suicide and not murder. more..

July 22 (LP) Measures will be taken to stop selling seeds which are not of good quality and which are not suitable for Sri Lanka says the Agriculture Ministry. Secretary to the Ministry K A Karunathileke said that investigations on a company which sold onion seeds of poor quality to farmers. Reports indicate that the company has exported the two varieties of onion seeds called Rampur Red and Rampur Rose which are not suitable for Sri Lanka. more..

July 22 (LP) Beira Enviro Solution (Pvt) Limited opened a new state-of-the-art plant established in Horana. The Beira Enviro Solution Limited, a subsidiary of the Beira Group is an innovative project approved by the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka. The Chief-Guest at the opening ceremony First Lady, Mrs. Shiranthi Rajapaksa formally opened the factory. more..

July 22 (LNP) The Logan Rockefeller Global entered Sri Lanka with the opening of Logan Rockefeller Global Lanka Asset Management Company yesterday. The company also announced their sister company LR Global Strategic Investments will invest Rs 2.5 billion in Sri Lanka. LR Global Lanka Asset Management Company Managing Director Channa de Silva said the company intends to bring significant portfolio investments to Sri Lanka. more..

July 22 (DM) Two Cabinet Ministers have ventured into changing the names of institutions under them. Minister of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms D.E.W. Gunasekara has expressed his intention to call prisons �Correctional centres� while Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena renamed the Angoda Hospital as National Institute of Mental Health. Minister Gunasekara is on record that he intends to change people�s attitude towards prisoners with the name change while more..

July 22 (NF) There are 35,000 widows in Batticaloa alone and if long-term solutions are not found, they would always have a mentality of being dependents, said Citizen's Front parliamentarian J. Shri Ranga in parliament. Expressing his views in Parliament on Tuesday on the plight of women, especially in the estate sector, north and east, he said that necessary steps should be taken to provide them relief. more..

July 22 (LP) It was decided in the latest Cabinet Meeting to ban the use of thangoose nets used in the fishing industry. The go ahead was given for the ban following a suggestion made by Fisheries Minister Rajitha Senaratne and in the midst of protests by various other ministers. One of the MPs who opposed this idea was Deputy Minister of Agriculture Jagath Pushpakumara, who said that enforcing this ban is easier said than done. more..

July 22 (LP) This time the Cabinet held lengthy discussion about the official residence of the Government Ministers. It was revealed during this discussion that the maintenance of these houses are not properly looked upon. President Mahinda Rajapaksa joining the conversation said that �yes they are not properly maintained, know the status of these houses as I have also occupied them�. more..

July 22 (N360) Top garment exporter Brandix says ex-tiger combatants recruited by the company to work in its eastern factory is shaping up very well in their new roles as �manufacturers of clothing items� for international brands. Theodore Gunasekera the General Manager of the Brandix plant established in Punani a remote village in Batticaloa says �we haven�t faced any issues with them�. more..

July 22 (LP) The returning Ambassador of Socialistic Republic of Vietnam in Sri Lanka Vu Quang Diem, after his term of office met Minister of Pubic Management reforms Rathnasiri Wikcramanayake. The Ambassador met the Minister Wickramanayake at the Ministry premises located in Pelawatta, Battaramulla. Both sides concentrated in their long term mutual relationship in promoting investments on trade and Tourism sectors. more..

July 22 (LNP) UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has revealed his hand, albeit unwittingly. He has finally dropped the fig leaf of impartiality. When he appointed an advisory panel on Sri Lanka, he claimed that it would be independent. But, the UN has officially announced that the panel is under the umbrella of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay, whose anti-Sri Lankan stance is only too well known. more..

July 22 (DN) The Government has paid money to the Cuban Government to import BTI bacteria to Sri Lanka. It will arrive in Sri Lanka soon. According to the normal procedure, Cuba produced the bacteria after Sri Lanka placed the order and paid money. Locally produced BTI bacteria will be available in the market within the next week, Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena said. more..

July 22 (LNP) Deputy Minister Vinayagamurthy Muralidharan allayed fears of the villagers of Vellaveli in the Batticaloa district by assuring them that he would speak to the authorities concerned, to move the pack of rogue elephants that were marauding their villages causing heavy damage to life, limb and property. He said so in awarding a compensation of Rs 25,000 to more..

July 22 (DM) UNP MP for the Moneragala district Ranjith Madduma Bandara said yesterday that he, along with his colleague MP Sajith Premadasa, would agitate for the voting right to the party�s local government members in the election of five key office bearers including the leader. Earlier, MP Premadasa, in his meeting with the members of the Reforms Committee, made this proposal. He opined that the party�s grassroots level members should have a say in more..

July 22 (Island) The government has set up Environment Protection Units island-wide. They have been tasked with nabbing and charging people who pollute the environment. Offenders would be dealt with severely, Presidential Secretariat sources said. DIG (Crimes) Anura Senanayake said that the units functioned under the direct supervision and guidance of Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and no mercy would be shown to the offenders. more..

July 22 (SL) The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Regiment troops based at Trikonamadu found 2 caches of hidden arms in the general area of Iranapallai, Pudukuduirippu, on the 15th and 19th of this month, said SLAF spokesperson Group Captain Janaka Nanayakkara. The recovering of these arms was made possible with the help of rehabilitated former LTTE cadres. more..

July 22 (Island) The Galle Face Green was considerably damaged during the victory parade held there on June 18 in soggy underfoot conditions. The cost of restoring the Green is expected to be in the region of Rs. 30 million. The victory parade to celebrate the defeat of LTTE terrorism had earlier been scheduled to be held on May 18 but due to inclement weather it was postponed to June 18. more..

July 22 (DN) The need for a proper program to control illegal activities in the Knuckles Forest Reserve was stressed by Sri Lanka Nature Forum Program Manager Sajeewa Chamikara. He pointed out that the Knuckles is threatened due to the illegal clearance of the forest, the absence of accurate boundaries, Nutmeg cultivation, gem mining, setting fire to the forest, illegal possession of forest lands by individuals and promotion of tourist hotels in the area. more..

July 22 (DN) Rarely do our politicians visit the Mental Hospital. When they do they don't fail to comment on its deplorable condition. The same was true when Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena visited the Angoda Mental Hospital which is now renamed National Institute of Mental Health. The Minister hit out at politicians and public servants saying their neglect and lack of responsibility was a major contributory factor for mental health problems among Sri Lankans. more..

July 22 (DN) The Government has allocated Rs 560 million to develop education in the Northern Province. Most of the projects have been accelerated. Northern Province Governor Major General G A Chandrasiri said selected schools in the Kilinochchi district will be reconstructed and provided with facilities. Some schools will be reconstructed with Indian Government funds while more..

July 22 (Island) The Criminal Investigation Department yesterday arrested a leading businessman who had constructed an up-market condominium complex in Wellawatte allegedly with the money received from the LTTE. The alleged deal came to light following a CID probe into 11 condominium complexes in Colombo. The suspect Sivakumar, alias Siva, is a Canadian citizen. He had lived in Wellawatte for a long time after his return to Sri Lanka and more..

July 22 (LP) An unexpected death took place in Palliwasalthure area when 32 year old Chaminda Sampath a resident of Bellanthare, Palliwasalthure area tried to open a king coconut by using a bomb which has a sharp pointed edge yesterday evening. The victim along with two others had found this unexploded bomb in the Air Force camp in Palliwasalthure area taken it to a coconut estate and then has tried to pierce it using the 1 feet lengthy explosive. more..

July 22 (Island) The Chief Justice J. A. N. de Silva has appointed a High Court Trial-at-Bar to investigate the charges pertaining to former Army Commander General (retd) Sarath Fonseka divulging military secrets to the Sunday Leader newspaper. The Trial-at-Bar comprises High Court Judges, Deepali Wijesundera, W. T. M. P. B. Warawawa and M. Z. Razeem. more..

July 22 (DM) In a shocking revelation, the Colombo Municipality said yesterday 1,290 of the 1,400 eating houses in the city were not hygienic. At a ceremony organized by the Municipality public health department to award certificates to 110 city hotels and restaurants, Special Commissioner Omar Kamil said these unhygienic eating houses would either have to clean up their kitchens or close down. more..

July 22 (DM) The Palestine Sri Lanka Friendship Society of which President Mahinda Rajapakse was the founder President has expressed outrage over the reported comments made by Sri Lanka�s Ambassador to Israel Donald Perera who said that Israel should wage war on the Palestinians if they reject negotiations. Co-President of the Palestine Sri Lanka Friendship Society and Government Minister Ataudha Seneviratne said that no matter what Ambassador Perera had to say, more..

July 22 (Hindu) AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa on Thursday alleged that by asking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to send another delegation to Sri Lanka to assess the real situation, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had admitted that the delegation he had sent earlier was counterfeit and their assessment was untrue. Recalling the Chief Minister�s letter to the Prime Minister crying out for immediate and urgent rehabilitation of the IDP, more..

July 22 (DM) The UNP said that the party had doubts whether the ruling party was genuine in engaging the opposition for talks on constitutional changes. The party raise such concerns even after a few rounds of talks with the ruling party. UNP MP Lakshman Kiriella said that the government was acting in �precipitant haste� to replace the executive presidency with an executive premiership despite the most immediate needs of the country being something different. more..

July 22 (DN) The Prisons Department will be subjected to radical reforms with immediate effect as the Department does not meet the present day requirement, Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Minister DEW Gunasekara said. The Minister said that no reforms have been carried out so far eventhough the Prisons Department has been established in 1844 making the Department one of the oldest departments in Sri Lanka. more..

July 22 (LT) Unless the country is granted democracy the government should get ready to face people's opposition said the General Secretary of the JVP Tilvin Silva. He said this while addressing a protest campaign organized by DNA in Colombo yesterday evening. Mr. Silva further said that Rajapaksha regime uses power which was plundered from people to abolish democracy. more..

July 22 (SL) UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya has made an appeal to party colleagues to be cautious, maintain decorum and have a united approach in the face of one of the worst crises faced by the UNP in its glorious 60-year history. He also observes that there is a need for the UNP, like any institutional structure, to possess a succession plan. �Before we resort to squabbling over positions, let us first work to ensure there is a party left worth fighting for. more..

July 22 (LBO) Sri Lanka will sell a billion dollar sovereign bond this year to settle more expensive short term foreign loans, media minister and cabinet spokesman Keheliya Rambukwelle said. "The cabinet approval has been given to issue a sovereign bond of one billion dollars," Rambukwelle said. "We have taken short term loans on high interest and we want to set off those." more..

July 22 (CI) At the start of his final Test, he was eight wickets short of entering territory that no other cricketer had. He began his last day in Test cricket needing two, and took one. His partner threatened to take everything else and he could do nothing but keep on bowling, and wait. The umpire denied him a palpable lbw. VVS Laxman, who kept him at bay for so many hours, ran himself out and there was only one wicket left to take. more..

July 22 (SL) A UNP delegation today (22) met with External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L Peiris to discuss about the implementation of the 17th Amendment to the Constitution. UNP MP Joseph Michael Perera told The Sunday Leader that the discussion was focused on the implementation of the 17th Amendment and on reaching a consensus on the matter. He said the Minister had expressed several views on the matter and the UNP delegation had requested for them to be handed over in writing. more..

July 23 (CT) Private buses in the Western Province will go on strike from July 27 if the Road Passenger Transport Authority of the Western Province fails to withdraw the newly amended charges on private bus workers, Chairman of the Lanka Private Bus Operators Association, Gemunu Wijeratne says. Speaking at a media briefing today (July 22), he said that the new system results in an exorbitant increase in several charges including route permits. more..

July 23 (GDI) At a Press Conference held at the Ministry of Mass Media and Information, the Cabinet Spokesman and the Minister of Mass Media and Information Dr. Keheliya Rambukwella announced the following decisions taken at the Cabinet Meeting held yesterday under the chairmanship of President Mahinda Rajapakse. 1. Cabinet decided to enlist Officer Cadets to be trained as Doctors in the General Sir John Kotalawela Defence University since the Academic Year 2010 as a more..