Sept 3 (Hindu) Sri Lanka can initiate inquiries into allegations that have been levelled against its Army of war crimes in the final stages of the war against the LTTE in 2009 only if it is provided specific instances with prima facie evidence, a MP from President Mahinda Rajapaksa's ruling alliance has said. Rajiva Wijesinha, who was nominated to Parliament by the ruling alliance, said the majority of the soldiers had �behaved impeccably.� more..

Sept 3 (MST) Sri Lanka is renowned for pioneering irrigation but it looks to San Francisco town of Camotes Islands for ways to cope with calamities caused by weather disturbances. Four mayors from the Indian Ocean nation completed last week a study visit to adapt strategies to tackle landslides, floods and cyclones at the community level. Municipal Vice Mayor Alfredo Arquillano Jr. received in May the United Nations Sasakawa Award for Risk Reduction in Geneva, more..

Sept 3 (Island) Transport Minister Kumara Welgama yesterday said that 20 double decker buses would be imported from Ashok Leyland, India and the first bus will arrive in the country before the end of this month. The new fleet of buses will be operated in Colombo and suburbs he said. The Minister also said that the now non-functional Karagampiya-Mawaramandiya bus service (route No: 132) will be re-introduced. He said that additional revenue will be earned by more..

Sept 3 (Island) A unique project initiated by the govt to improve livelihoods of rural communities while at the same time addressing the accommodation constraints for a growing number of tourists, has come under serious strain with visitors calling for better regulation. The �Home Stay� project of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority has attracted a large number of tourists who are fascinated by more..

Sept 3 (Island) The poultry industry is facing an impending shortage of maize with prices increasing daily. It was Rs. 47 per kg on Friday. In September last year it ranged from Rs. 42 to Rs. 43. Industry sources told The Island on Thursday that the quality of maize available was low. With the rise in prize of maize, the cost of production of poultry too is increasing. They said that they had increased the production of poultry products, more..

Sept 3 (DN) The Japanese govt reiterated that it will remain committed to provide humanitarian aid based on Official Development Assistance (ODA) despite the earthquake that hit eastern parts of the country. The Japanese Govt will continue to make appropriate and active contributions to the international community in humanitarian assistance in spite of the recent serious domestic natural disaster, more..

Sept 3 (Island) Sri Lanka will support Palestine�s bid for UN recognition as an independent state, when the UN General Assembly meets later this month. The Palestinian Ambassador Anwar H. Al-Agha said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had assured him of Sri Lanka�s backing for Palestine�s UN resolution, which if adopted would rectify decades of injustice resulting from more..

Sept 3 (DN) Consequent to a lengthy discussions, Ministers Devananda and S.B. Dissanayake sorted out all prevalent problems concerning the University of Jaffna. At a discussion held comprising Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake, Minister Douglas Devananda, University of Jaffna Vice Chancellor Professor Mrs. Vasanthi Arasaratnam, Ministry of Higher Education Secretary Dr. Sunil Navaratne and more..

Sept 3 (DM) The third term of public and government- sponsored private schools, except those being used as evaluation centres for the GCE Advanced Level answer scripts, will begin on Monday, the Education Ministry said. The third term of 22 schools which are used as evaluation centres under the stage I of the evaluation process will start on September 12. They are Royal College, Ananda College, Nalanda College in Colombo, more..

Sept 3 (DPA) The head of a pro-opposition radio station was attacked by unidentified men in the outskirts of Sri Lanka's capital on Friday, police said. The managing director of the 'V FM' radio channel, Ruwan Sugathadasa was attacked by three men outside his house in Boralesgamuwa. 'The reason for the attack is not known, we are investigating the matter,' a senior police officer said. more..

Sept 3 (Island) With a nod from the Asian Development Bank, the Sri Lanka Ports Authority has taken the bold step to build, on its own, a single berth of the new Colombo South Harbour�s second terminal, by the end of next year, to accommodate large vessels with a carrying capacity of about 10,000 TEUs. SLPA Chairman Dr. Priyath Bandu Wickrema said that they had to take this unusual step pending the completion of more..

Sept 3 (CI) The Michael Clarke era might not match the Ricky Ponting years for sheer victory numbers, but Clarke has at least started his tenure as Australia's full-time Test captain the same way as his predecessor - with a comfortable win over Sri Lanka in Galle. Seven years ago it was Shane Warne who ran through the Sri Lankans in the final innings; here it was Ryan Harris, whose five-wicket haul set up Australia's 125-run win. more..

Sept 3 (DM) The National education system in the country will undergo a complete overhaul for the first time since independence when the new Education Bill is passed in parliament by December and implemented from next year, Education Minister Bandula Gunawardana said yesterday. �This is the first time the education system is being reviewed with far reaching reforms based on the proposals submitted by the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on more..

Sept 4 (Island) During the last few weeks of their trade union action we saw a lively discussion on matters related to higher education among university teachers. While the main issue that attracted attention was the meagre salaries of university lecturers, attention was paid to inadequate funds allocated to the state university system, behaviour of the authorities responsible for the administration of higher education, arbitrary �leadership training� programmes more..

Sept 4 (SL) While my neck of the woods has not proven to be immune to the Bhoothaya/Grease Devil gossip and speculation that has been sweeping the country, nothing of particular importance had come down the pike till a few days ago. That�s when we had the whole nine yards of near-hysteria descend upon us. I hope that, by the time I reach the end of this anecdote, readers will have got a sense of what it means to live some distance away from urban amenities and more..

Sept 4 (ST) One of the stamps issued to commemorate the 2600th Sambuddhatva Jayanthiya, depicting Lumbini, the birth place of the Buddha as a part of India, has been withdrawn due to requests made by religious and nationalist groups in Nepal who say this venerated Buddhist site is in their country. Posts Ministry Secretary Hemasiri Fernando said that 18,000 of these stamps of the Rs. 5 denomination are being withdrawn from general circulation but more..

Sept 4 (CI) Ricky Ponting equated the Galle pitch to the infamous Mumbai surface of 2004 while Michael Clarke said "day one felt like day five" after Australia wrapped up a 125-run victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test. The Australians' pride in victory was made moreso by the state of the surface, which can be described as a desert in the middle of an oasis. Galle is lashed by frequent rain and the outfield is verdant green, but the pitch prepared for the Test, ostensibly to aid Sri Lanka's spin bowlers, was tinder dry. more..

Sept 4 (Reuters) Australia's former captain Ricky Ponting will miss the second Test match against Sri Lanka as he will fly home for the birth of his second child, Cricket Australia said on Saturday. Ponting became the first player to participate in 100 Test victories when he helped Australia to beat Sri Lanka by 125 runs in the first Test in Galle which ended on Saturday. "New South Wales batsman David Warner will join the Australian test squad in Sri Lanka as a standby more..

Sept 4 (CI) Tillakaratne Dilshan, the Sri Lanka captain, has said he will not consider changing the way he bats after a pair of impetuous innings contributed to his team's heavy defeat by Australia in the first Test in Galle. Mahela Jayawardene and Angelo Mathews added 142 before being parted on the fourth day, showing what might have been achieved by Sri Lanka with a little more application on the most difficult of Galle pitches. more..

Sept 4 (F2F) A new footwear factory has been inaugurated at Muthiyammagama near Tissamaharama town in southern part of the country by Chamal Rajapaksa, Speaker of the Parliament. Speaking on the occasion, the Speaker said that the new factory will be able to generate better revenue from foreign trade, as opening of the Mattala airport and Hambantota port would facilitate swift and easy exportation of products. He said that all the workers working in the factory are more..

Sept 4 (CI) Australia's team for the first Test was well prepared, well drilled, well motivated and well selected. So much so that not even a spiteful Galle pitch could upset its progress against opponents who were far less steady in their make-up and attitude. Michael Clarke rejoiced after a job well done in his first Test as full-time captain and selector, and saved special praise for Ryan Harris, who was playing his first international match since returning from an ankle fracture. more..

Sept 4 (LBO) Sri Lanka has launched a brand for cinnamon, its main spice export, aiming to build an image like its main export, Ceylon tea, and exploit growing awareness of its health benefits. The 'Pure Ceylon cinnamon' brand will be registered in key markets in North America and Europe, said Janaka Ratnayake, chairman of the EDB. "Ceylon cinnamon has unique features like its colour, flavour and aroma. more..

Sept 4 (LT) More than 500 hectares of forests have been destroyed during this year due to setting fire by arsonists states Department of Forest Conservation. Setting fire to forests takes place on a large scale in Nuwaraeliya, Kandy and Badulla districts and the main reason for this wanton destruction is due to the society not being properly instructed regarding the harm setting fire to forests would do to the environment said Deputy Conservator Anura de Silva. more..

Sept 4 (LG) Singapore had its Presidential Election last week. Although the position is largely a ceremonial one, the constitution provides for the President to be elected. The position has been contested only once before in its eighteen year history. This time, there were four candidates in the field. The candidate elected was the one favoured by Singapore�s authoritarian political establishment (read former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew) but he won only by a more..

Sept 4 (GDI) Sri Lankans who seek the Police clearance prior to their departure for foreign employment now check the progress of their report via SMS by referring to the number allotted to such applicants. The foreign employment seekers have to obtain the Police clearance before their departure from the Police Department. But according to Police spokesman SSP Mr. Priyashantha Jayakody this facility is available only in Colombo. more..

Sept 4 (LG) We have just liberated the North from the terrorists. How can we devolve power when other Tamil militants are stalking the land.? Have we eradicated Terrorism or the LTTE ? Why do we still live in fear ? Is it not because we have been made to fear the terror tactics of all Tamil militants ? Is one Tamil militant better than the other ? History has proved that they never changed. There is a lucid interval in every criminal Tamil Terrorist ? History has proved that more..

Sept 4 (UCAN) In a series of counseling programs organized by Caritas-Colombo, teenagers and young adults are getting help to come to terms with the rise of digital communications, the internet, social networks � and the problems they can bring. With their ability to put users in instant, constant touch with family and friends from all over the world, social networks like Facebook have been a true phenomenon of this century. In Sri Lanka, there are now more than a million Facebook users, 48 percent of them in the 16 to 24 age group. more..

Sept 4 (LP) In a latest disclosure of LTTE atrocities committed on politicians, the assassination of former TULF leader, Appapillai Amirthalingam has now come to light as to why he was killed. LTTE records state that Prabhakaran saw Amirthalingam as a spy of former Presidents J R Jayewardene and R Premadasa. A week before the Indo-Lanka Accord was signed in July 1987, LTTE intelligence have reported to Prabhakaran that Amirthalingam drove to more..

Sept 4 (TC) Post-war investments have picked up, with the first half of 2011 recording $413 million in foreign direct investment, almost double the same period in the previous year. Large investments in ports have come primarily from China, the main actor in Sri Lanka�s post-war redevelopment. That said, the deals tend to be shrouded in mystery, so rumours of corruption abound. Many big investors from multi-national companies have shied away, while Indian companies have been aggressively moving in. more..

Sept 4 (DM) Many citizen Perera�s and Silva�s who wish to do their mite for the country at one time or another cultivate a patriot mind set: �I will buy only things made in Sri Lanka. No more Indian, Chinese, Taiwanese, or other stuff for me, man, I am a patriot�. Great thinking that, but the point is things manufactured locally for patriots to buy is limited. Apart from the local arrack (there�s nothing that could be compared with it, claim regular bar hoppers) when it comes to buying cars, bikes, pills, more..

Sept 4 (SO) Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne first entered the parliament representing Doluwa electorate in the 1970 General Election. He became the 13th member of the SLFP when S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike laid the foundation to his new party at the residence of T.B.S. Gunadasa of Kandy, the owner of �Sithumina�, Kandy. He launched his political career from the grassroot level after being elected the Secretary of the Welfare Society in Deyyannewela in 1952, more..

Sept 4 (DM) Since Sri Lanka's independence from Britain in 1948, the Tamil Politicians have been edged to conclude that they were marginalised and politically disenfranchised. Subsequently both Tamil and Sinhala nationalism started to grow more rapidly and ended up fighting with each other for more than 60 years. Latter part of 30 years was bloody gruesome and both side lost thousands of valuable human life and properties. During the same period, Conflicts of similar nature around the more..

Sept 4 (SL) Sri Lanka�s flagship investments � the new port, airport, the Commonwealth Games bid � have all been in Hambantota. If you visit Hambantota district you will find that the town itself is quite sleepy and the main highlight is the wildlife. Tangalle, Matara and Galle are nearby and growing fast. Yet, instead of creating something from something there or in the rest of the country, the government is trying to create something out of nothing. Hambantota is simply not the best place to put a port, more..

Sept 4 (SO) When the pro-LTTE Tamil diaspora backed by the international media is still spreading mythical stories about the humanitarian operation of the Security Forces Sri Lanka cannot remain silent. If Sri Lanka remains silent on the Britains Channel 4 video clips which are detrimental to the country�s image, the entire international community will believe in all these mythical stories as gospel truth. Therefore, the High Commissions and Embassies of Sri Lanka have more..

Sept 4 (SO) The last phase of the Local Govt (LG) elections will be held on October 8. This is the third of the LG elections, covering 23 LG bodies, including the prestigious Colombo Municipal Council (CMC). Since President Mahinda Rajapaksa first assumed office as the Head of State on November 18, 2005, he ensured that all elections were held on or before the due dates, thus demonstrating his unflinching faith in democracy and the people's power. Unlike the UNP Govts, which postponed elections at the drop of a hat more..

Sept 4 (SL) The Rajapaksa govt should be sitting pretty after its military victory over the LTTE two years ago and the sweeping victories at the presidential and parliamentary elections thereafter. While the leaders are still crowing over these victories and thereafter on winning local govt elections, storm clouds are gathering over the seas on the horizon and President Rajapaksa and his powerful brother Gotabhaya convey the impression that they do not give a toss about these looming threats overseas. more..

Sept 4 (SO) The computer technology which turned the whole world into a global village is said to be instrumental in producing e-waste at a horrific rate. In fact, electronic waste (e-waste) chiefly comprises discarded computer components such as CDs, TVs, radios, mobile phones and other electronic appliances. The environmental pollution caused by e-waste has began to pose a substantial threat which adds up to the problems of other types of environmental pollution. more..

Sept 4 (NS) Without much fanfare, the government last week announced the lifting of emergency regulations. It is indeed a significant landmark for the country which had been subject to these laws for most part of the past two and a half decades. There has been some suggestions that this decision was arrived at to appease the international community which is clamouring for probes on what they call are �war crimes� allegedly committed during the final stages of the Eelam war. more..

Sept 4 (LB) This latest spat between govt and the TNA is interesting in that it has all the makings of a massive brouhaha that's only capable of happening within the wide leeway that's granted inside of the bounds of democratic discourse. TNA MPs have been coming up with point after point, spanning the gamut from gazette notifications or the lack of them, to the contention that allegedly over 10,000 prisoners of war that are now behind bars deserve a reprieve now that Emergency regulations have lapsed. more..

Sept 4 (ST) While driving through the streets of Colombo and its suburbs, what attracts one�s attention most are the posters of various characters littering the streets and most of them screaming out to the people of the area to elect them as their mayor or the head of the local council. To the people of Sri Lanka now an election is as stale as a crow�s melody that they hear at every nook and cranny in repeated monotony. Yet in a more subtle note there is another more..