Jan 20 (Island) Minister of Livestock and Rural Community Development Arumugam Thondaman yesterday visited the flood affected districts in the Eastern and North Central Province in order to get first hand knowledge of the devastation caused to livestock. Secretary to the Ministry of Livestock and Rural Community Development A. H. Gamage and high ranking officials of the Ministry accompanied Thondaman. Before his visit to the flood affected areas, more..

Jan 20 (LBO) Swiss-based M�venpick Hotels and Resorts, which is to manage a city hotel in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo is looking for opportunity to run a resort elsewhere in the island, an official said. Movenpick has struck a management deal with Sri Lanka's Softlogic group which is planning to build a 24-floor tower hotel in Colombo which will have 224 rooms. "Any resort hotel would complement the city hotel here in Sri Lanka," more..

Jan 20 (NS) Despite the cumulative number of confirmed cases of AH1N1 in the country (513) rising over last week�s figures (475), health sources said that the numbers were decreasing with positive signs of the diseases waning. �The number of confirmed cases in the previous week (January 3-9) was 31 which is half the number recorded between December 27 and January 3, which was 60 cases. The number of deaths too has come down from more..

Jan 20 (AA) At least 12 fishermen of Arukattuthurai were �chased away� and their nets were damaged by the Sri Lankan naval personnel in the mid sea off Kodiakarai on Tuesday night. The incident triggered tension among the fishermen in the coastal area in the district. The 12 fishermen, from Arukattuthurai, ventured into sea in three fibre boats from Kodiakarai on Tuesday afternoon. They had anchored their boats and cast their nets in mid sea on more..

Jan 20 (CPJ) In recent years, January has emerged as Sri Lanka's cruelest month for journalists. To commemorate that ugly fact, 100 journalists and press freedom activists gathered Tuesday outside the Fort Railway Station in the capital, Colombo, demanding that the government expedite investigations into a series of attacks and January killings that occurred in both 2009 and 2010. Sri Lanka is notorious for impunity in anti-press attacks. more..

Jan 20 (DNA) Muttiah Muralitharan, talented bwoler of Sri Lanka, is the first man to take more than 1300 wickets in international cricket. He is also the highest wicket-taker in Test and one-day international format. World Cup 2011 could be his last World Cup. Muttiah Muralitharan tells DNA that Sri Lankaare well prepared for the mega event. Q: Sri Lanka won it in 1996. What do you think of your chances this time around? more..

Jan 20 (DM) The airport customs seized silver granules valued at Rs.400, 000 yesterday morning from a dustbin in the airport and arrested two suspects who had arrived from Dubai in connection with the find. The mystery garbage weighed about 5 kilos.The customs received a tip off from cleaners in the airport that they had discovered a heavy parcel in a dustbin. �When a group of customs officers were sent to the scene they found the silver granules more..

Jan 20 (VO) Nine years ago I arrived with my family in Canada. In Sri Lanka I worked with the Urban Development Authority as an urban planner in the municipal offices for eleven years and for another six years as the deputy director for regional offices. After settling in the community of Surrey in 2002, I established VanLanka Planning Consulting where I continued to seek opportunities to use my experience in the international development field. more..

Jan 20 (CPJ) Sri Lankan cartoonist and political reporter Prageeth Eknelygoda disappeared almost one year ago today. He was last seen leaving the Colombo offices of the political Website Lanka eNews, where he worked, late on the evening of Sunday, January 24, 2010. No one has heard from Eknelygoda since. His wife, Sandhya, told CPJ that after her husband failed to come home that evening, she filed a police report. more..

Jan 20 (DN) The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) asset base crossed the Rs 900 billion mark for the first time in its history, Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal said. The emergence of new employment opportunities in recent times and the increase of salaries in the private sector had a direct impact in boosting the EPF asset base. He pointed out that the cumulative EPF assets which stood at Rs.379 billion in 2004 had more than doubled by the end of 2010. more..

Jan 20 (DN) The Government will support innovative Sri Lankans who endevour to produce home grown solutions for local requirements, Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said. She expressed this view at the Ministry recently when Keerthi R De Silva, a Sri Lankan scientist who invented a dry cell hydrogen - engine enhancement equipment that is run by water brought his invention to the Ministry. "This invention saves up to 40 to 50 percent petrol or diesel and more..

Jan 20 (�sland) Flood-hit houses owned by CEB customers would get power connections free of charge Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Working Director Roshan Gunawardena says. He said that they were in the process of estimating the number of houses that were destroyed or damaged due to floods that wreaked havoc in some parts of the country. The low voltage cables and one high voltage cable in the Eastern Province had suffered damage. more..

Jan 20 (DN) The Institute for Constitutional Studies conducted a workshop for media personnel on Twenty Two Years of Devolution - An evaluation of the working of Provincial Councils in Sri Lanka. The institute has published a book about 22 years of devolution. At this meeting Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne spoke on various aspects of the experience of power devolution in Sri Lanka which came into being as a result of the enactment of the 13th Amendment. more..

Jan 20 (DM) People living in 40 houses in Matale were evacuated yesterday following landslide fears in the area. They were evacuated as cracks began to appear on the floors of the houses. This was the second time these people were evacuated following landslide threats within a period of around one week, residents said. The people who were living in these houses are now living with their relatives. The area might be heading for a landslide as there had been a movement of more..

Jan 20 (ICP) The role of the �UN's special envoy to Sri Lanka� Vijay Nambiar was described in a detailed article in The New Yorker magazine published nine days ago. On January 19, Inner City Press asked UN spokesman Martin Nesirky to respond to the article, in particular the description of Mr. Nambiar as one of only two negotiators who urged surrendering fighters to come out with white flags -- after which they were shot to death. more..

Jan 20 (DM) The Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) had not maintained annual accounts over the last 20 years, an inquiry by a high level parliamentary committee had revealed. The committee had directed the PMB officials to submit a report in this regard within three months. It had been revealed that the PMB had not submitted its annual accounts to either the Auditor General or the high powered parliamentary committee since 1990. more..

Jan 20 (SOS) Eighty unaccompanied children under the care of SOS Children�s Villages since the end of Sri Lanka�s civil war in May 2009 have been moved with their caregivers to the northern town of Jaffna. SOS has rented two houses in the port town at the northern tip of the country, where the children will live until the new SOS Children�s Villages at Jaffna is built. SOS Children�s Villages President Helmut Kutin expressed confidence that construction of more..

Jan 20 (PTI) More than 170 demonstrators belonging to various political parties were arrested today in Udumalpet in nearby Tirupur district for staging a protest against a Sainik school distributing calendars to students featuring photograph of Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Police said the protesters were led by Periyar Dravida Kazhakam (PDK) general secretary, K Ramakrishnan. They were demanding that the school in Amaravathi, more..

Jan 20 (DM) Former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka's party the Democratic National Allaiance (DNA) has been rejected by Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake on the ground that it failed to produce audited accounts when applying for registration under the title Democratic Party, Elections Department officials said. A top official told Daily Mirror yesterday that it was always difficult for a political party to be registered under the present law. more..

Jan 20 (Island) The SLMC has decided to contest a total of 22 councils on its own at the forthcoming local government elections, while negotiations are on with regard to the areas where it would team up with the government. General Secretary of the SLMC Hassan Ali told The Island yesterday that discussions were continuing with the ruling UPFA and they expected to reach agreement by Friday. more..

Jan 20 (Island) Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake yesterday said that all preparations had been made to begin accepting nominations, for the forthcoming local government polls, from today (20). The Chief Returning Officers of the 25 districts would accept nominations from 8.00 a.m. today. Nominations close at 12 noon on Wednesday, January 26. Acting on the orders of the Inspector General of Police Mahinda Balasuriya, more..

Jan 20 (LBO) Sri Lanka is opening a rice flour factory with a loan from a state bank re-financed by the central bank, the monetary authority said. The central bank said the monetary "in association with several key stakeholders and two state banks, is currently promoting rice based industries in the country with a view to utilize excess rice to produce value added agro based products." more..

Jan 20 (NF) Former MP K. D. Lalkantha says that although millions have been allocated to import luxury vehicles for parliamentarians who have not been granted ministerial posts, the government has approved only a meagre sum as relief to those affected by the recent floods. He made this statement during a seminar held in Colombo on Tuesday, which took place in line with the cost of living, salary increments and the collapse of the government. more..

Jan 20 (UCAN) The Catholic National Association of Laity (CNAL) in Sri Lanka has backed calls for people of all faiths to dress modestly in places of worship. CNAL is worried about the wearing of increasingly revealing clothing during church feasts, weddings and Sunday Masses. In an appeal to worshippers, Victor Silva, secretary of CNAL, noted �with great sadness and dismay the unfortunate trend among some Catholic lay faithful to be dressed in an more..

Jan 20 (AFP) Canadian Public Safety Minister Vic Toews renewed calls for tougher measures to curb human smuggling, amid reports the defeated Tamil rebels are regrouping in his country. Toews said "new information" suggests that "syndicated criminal networks are organizing migrant smuggling ventures potentially destined for Canada." Without elaborating, he said "action is needed now... before further boats turn up on Canadian shores." more..

Jan 20 (LBO) Sri Lanka's Jaffna hospital, the main state health facility in the former war torn northern peninsular is being upgraded with a 2.9 billion rupee grant in a three year project which began Thursday, the Japan International Co-operation Agency said. A central facility to house surgeries, intensive care, diagnostic imaging, laboratory testing and central supply and sterilizing will be built. more..

Jan 20 (DN) The flood-affected farmers will get seed paddy and fertilizer totally free for their cultivation for the next Maha season. Some media had reported that there will be a scarcity of paddy seeds in the flood hit areas particularly Batticaloa and Ampara districts with the country facing a future paddy shortage. Batticaloa Divisional Secretary K Rushanthan said that no farmers will suffer though their lands were affected. more..

Jan 20 (MoD) The four-star General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, at the invitation of his Sri Lankan counterpart, arrived in Sri Lanka Wednesday (19) afternoon on a three-day goodwill visit amidst beating of Magul Bera (auspicious drums). A traditional ceremonial reception at the Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake, greeted the visiting Pakistan Army's Chief of Army Staff General Parvez Kayani, more..

Jan 20 (AFP) Amnesty International on Thursday urged the United States to launch a war crimes investigation of Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse, who is on a private visit to the country. Rights groups have accused both the Sri Lankan military and the separatist Tamil Tiger guerrillas of war crimes in the final months of their decades-long conflict that ended in 2009. more..

Jan 21 (ST) The Singapore Government is contributing US$20,000 (S$25,750) in flood aid to Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement on Thursday. The money will go towards post-flood rehabilitation efforts undertaken by Mercy Relief in Sri Lanka. Mercy Relief, a Singaporean humanitarian organisation, will be distributing water filtration units for fresh drinking water to those affected by the floods, the MFA said. more..

Jan 21 (NN) A provincial council member of the TMVP was arrested in Batticaloa this morning over a complaint lodged by the Aryampathy Divisional Secretary alleging his life was under threat. TMVP PC member Prashanthan was arrested by the police over a protest staged against the Divisional Secretary yesterday. At the protest the TMVP PC member had made comments which could place the life of the Aryampathy Divisional Secretary at risk. more..

Jan 21 (NN) The DNA claims that the reason behind Sarath Fonseka�s ill health is because he is unable to obtain his medication from Singapore and is instead being forced to depend on local doctors. JVP MP Vijitha Herath told News Now.lk that due to internal injuries caused by the suicide blast on Fonseka when he was the Army Commander, he needed his medication from Singapore but this facility had been stopped and more..

Jan 21 (NN) The Education Ministry has advised the public to lodge complaints with the police if State school principals seek bribes to admit children to school. Ministry Secretary H.M Gunasekera, speaking to News Now.lk said that while school development boards can seek donations school principals cannot ask for money to admit a child. He said that the Education Ministry has received so many complaints against school principals seeking a bribe and more..

Jan 21 (NN) Opposition leader Ranil Wickramasinghe told parliament this evening the situation in Jaffna had deteriorated drastically despite the tight security. Wickramasinghe said that despite the security being increased in Jaffna since 2009 the incidents of violence have not decreased with at least 10 murders reported in recent times. Meanwhile TNA MP M. Sumanthiran who also spoke on the situation in Jaffna said that the number of killings, more..

Jan 21 (NN) Despite Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan aka Big B saying this week that IIFA did not want him to come to Sri Lanka last year, IIFA however states otherwise claiming it was Bachchan who did not want to attend the gala award ceremony in the island. According to Indian media reports, Bachchan was �extremely hurt� by IIFA�s decision to host the awards in Sri Lanka last year and due to that he does not want to be associated with the Association anymore. more..

Jan 21 (IFRC) As I sat in Colombo reading reports, and assessing photos and maps from the field, I was aghast at what I saw. In one small corner of Polonnaruwa district, 20 kilometres north of the capital � total and utter devastation. And this is just one small area in one of nine districts that have been seriously affected by floods and landslides. I join a group of highly experienced recovery experts � in agriculture, livelihoods, construction, and women and more..

Jan 21 (NN) The UGC says only doctorates issued by the 17 institutions affiliated to the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) will be accepted in Sri Lanka. UGC Chairman Professor Gamini Samaranayaka said that notice has been issued not to accept doctorates issued by at least 12 institutions in Sri Lanka which are not affiliated with the ACU. However he admitted that there are no legal provisions in Sri Lanka to remove illegal doctorates issued to several individuals. more..

Jan 21 (AFP) Leading media freedom group Reporters Without Borders on Thursday accused Nobel-winning author Orhan Pamuk and other writers of legitimising repression in Sri Lanka by attending a literary festival there. Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said it was "disturbing" that Sri Lanka should celebrate literature while suppressing freedom of expression and attacking independent journalists and writers. more..