July 23 (CI) Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene has said Dinesh Candimal will continue to bat at No. 4 to settle into the role in time for the 2015 World Cup. Since Chandimal became a regular in the side after the 2011 World Cup, Jayawardene has given up his usual No. 4 position and batted either at No. 5 or at the top, pushing regular opener Upul Tharanga down the order. Jayawardene said he had thought of coming in at No. 4, instead of Chandimal, in the first ODI against India, but more..

July 23 (CI) Windy Wellington has competition, from howling Hambantota. The ground here is surrounded by miles of forest and when the wind blows, it really does, from roughly west to east and right across the square. It nearly blows you off your feet; the low stands and grass banks are no barriers at all. The wind is supreme through the day but stops at night, creating different challenges for the batting and fielding sides during the first innings. Batsmen have to be careful more..

July 23 (AD) Lawyers engaged in a protest in front of the Hulftsdorp Court Complex today afternoon, against the intimidation of a magistrate and attack on Mannar court, demanding the immediate arrest of Minister Rishad Bathiudeen over the incidents. The protestors, including several leading attorneys in the country, held placards and called on the public to rally to protect the independence of the judiciary. A petition has been filed against more..

July 23 (NDTV) Despite Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's strong objection to Sri Lankan defence officers being trained anywhere in India, sources have told NDTV that four officers have landed in Chennai from Colombo and have left for Kolkata by a connecting flight to undergo an AN32 engine fitter course. The four-month course is to be conducted at Barakpoor, near Kolkata, and is slated to be completed on November 23, this year. more..

July 23 (AD) The Medical Laboratory Technicians� Association today condemned alleged �irregularities� said to have occurred during filling the vacancies for new officers, who have received training as medical laboratory technicians. In a statement issued the association accused that even appointments made by the Health Minister have been changed by several officials. Appointments made according to the priority list have been changed under political interference, it said. more..

July 23 (PTI) TN Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Monday asked the Centre to �arrange� for the immediate release of 23 fishermen from the state held by the Sri Lankan Navy and to tell Colombo to instruct its Navy to refrain from arresting fishermen in their traditional waters. �I also wish to point out that unless the govt of India intervenes in this issue, there is every possibility of recurrence of such incidents in the coming months,� more..

July 23 (JS) The fourth Sri Lanka Design Festival is set to take place in Colombo later this year, offering a range of opportunities for brands and retailers to explore sustainable sourcing, networking and sharing of best business practices. During the event, which takes place from 14-18 November, international delegates will be able to visit a variety of world-class apparel manufacturing facilities as part of their tailor-made itineraries. The event will also include opportunities for one-to-one meetings with pre-matched factories and more..

July 23 (PTI) Sports broadcasting major, ESPN STAR Sports on Sunday said it has bagged multi-year broadcast rights for exclusive coverage of the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) in India. The first edition of the T20 league will be played in August 2012. No financial details were disclosed. The multi-year deal includes a minimum of 24 T20 matches per season and the first edition will see seven provisional teams compete for the trophy as well as a qualifier berth to more..

July 23 (SM) The CID today informed the Colombo Magistrate�s Court that they have found material violating the Obscene Publications Act from the computers seized from the office premises of Srilankamirror. The CID informed this when Colombo Additional Magistrate Prasanna Alwis took up the case on the raid of www.srilankamirror.com and www.srilankaxnews.com. The CID searched the office and arrested nine staff members of more..

July 23 (NF) A function was held to hand over aid to the residents of several areas in the Badulla district that came under natural disasters recently. The function was held under the auspices of Minister Mahinda Amaraweera. Accordingly, residents from fifteen district secretariat divisions and fifteen Pradeshiya Sabhas were provided with aid. A stock of household utensils that can be used during an emergency were also handed over to the district secretariat divisions and and the Pradeshiya sabhas. more..

July 23 (CT) SLMC confirmed they had no plans of forming a coalition with the TNA. Denying newspaper reports, General-Secretary of the SLMC, Hassan Ali said that most of the media carried pictures of Mavai Senathirajah and himself and stories which said the SLMC had plans of forming a coalition with the TNA, but they are only just rumours. �The photos which showed both of us together were taken when I met Mavai at the Kachcheri on nomination day. Our decision to contest alone will not change,� he said. more..

July 23 (NF) The interim injunction order issued by the Commercial high Court preventing the MTV/MBC media network from broadcasting the Olympics was set aside by the Supreme Court today. The ruling was given when an appeal filed by MTV/MBC Network was taken up before a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court consisting the of the Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake and Justice Nimal Marasekara and K. Sri Pavan. more..

July 24 (LB) By and large, ideologues come with inseparable attachments of narrow blinkers, tinted glasses and, worst of all, thundering egos � all which obfuscate and limit their vision to see only the half-baked theories they breed in their fragmented and deracinated minds. This applies mostly to Marxists like my fellow-columnists, Prof. Kumar David (KD) and Dr. Vikramabahu Karunaratne (VK) and anti-Sri Lanka academics and theoreticians (mainly in NGOs) whose formulas, more..

July 24 (LB) This writer recently came across in an international news magazine, a considered opinion about how the �left� � the apocryphal Left some would say � in the West, came to identify with pockets of Muslim militancy manifest around the globe, simply because the Left feels that there is nothing or nobody other than the �Muslims� that are offering any kind of resistance to the rapacious capitalist machinery of the global Establishment. That may be so. In parts at least. more..

July 24 (SO) The import of plastic brooms and brushes were eating into the fabric of coir manufacturers and small scale manufacturers of brooms and ekel brooms. Coir manufacturers say that there has been a drastic drop in sales and that the Govt should intervene and protect small-time coir manufacturers. Prison history shows that the first coir rope which was to be fixed to the gallows in Sri Lanka, 150 years ago was more..

July 24 (GV) An early activity of the CGES management team was the prioritization of displaced persons �needs�. This was based on an assessment of personal requests, complaints and, sometimes, fervent pleas by the �displaced�, now virtual refugees, in the hastily set �up welfare centres. The senior management Team, consisted mainly of the eight Deputy Commisioners supplemented by other staff members as required. It met daily with the CGES during the first five days and more..

July 24 (CT) In these days of gloom and doom it is an occasion for much happiness that the National Peace Council has conferred the 2011 Peace Award on Nimalka Fernando. I have been losing faith in Jehan Perera and his outfit for a few years now since he began to adapt � well to put it gently to adopting a much-restrained approach to the regime�s manifest violations of human and democratic rights. (Perhaps an unfair criticism; outsiders are never fully aware of threats more..

July 24 (GV) Nimal Lakshapathiarachchi, who suddenly died on July 19 aged 57, is being described in tributes as a �veteran broadcaster� and a pioneering figure in private radio and TV broadcasting. He certainly was � but that covers only part of his legacy. He was also an indefatigable champion of popular culture, a rebel who undermined, in a very short time, an artistic �feudal system� that had been entrenched in our airwaves for well over more..

July 24 (GV) The announcement that elections to the Northern Provincial Council will be held in September 2013 has raised eyebrows in some quarters and generated criticism in certain others. As one who unfashionably � and riskily�advocated the holding of that election soon after the decisive military victory of 2009, I find myself paradoxically in agreement with the decision not to hold the election right now. This is due to the difference in the situations and prospects of 2009 and 2012. more..

July 24 (CT) Reality shows are the rage these days. If all the stars of these reality shows actually shed light, we would not worry about the vagaries of the weather or fluctuations in the oil price. Every years, on almost every television channel, we see stars and star-aspirants. Thousands get together to ensure that a few individuals enjoy a moment of fame. Few thereafter would remember the names of the particular stars, but this won�t stop thousands from doing the same for another set of more..

July 24 (CT) A concoction of toxic myths and noxious perceptions created the soil from which the horror that was Black July sprang into bloody life 29 years ago. There was the myth that Sinhala-Buddhists are the sole owners of Sri Lanka. There was the myth that ethno-religious minorities are aliens, descending from invaders. There was the perception that Tamils, Muslims and Christians are essentially unreliable and untrustworthy, that more..

July 24 (DBS) The heritage of the ancient historic city of Kandy, the final capital of Sri Lankan Kings is on the verge of being devalued before the very eyes of its own people. The petty self centred notions of politicians are the root cause for the downfall of this historic city sooner or later. The Opposition Leader of Kandy Municipal Council, former Diyawadana Nilame Neranjan Wijerathne revealed that Kandy is going from bad to worse with malpractices and the unbecoming political conduct of more..

July 24 (DBS) On July 12th, the day of FUTA�s all island signature campaign, a colleague and I walked through Kandy town to speak with people and ask them to sign our petition to save public education. We were a bit wary of the whole task, not sure if we would be chased away, scolded� who knew. We were both aware of the negative publicity the FUTA campaign was getting from the govt and felt that most people would only be exposed to the govt�s version, sponsored by more..

July 24 (ST) I always interpret the story about the young boy who cried out about the coming of the tiger differently. The crux of the story is not that there was no-one when the tiger finally arrived, but that the boy foresaw impending disaster and wanted to tell the world about it. At the same time, if the people came out at his initial call they could have taken proper steps to avert the damage without retreating to their abodes, seeing more..

July 24 (Island) For the first time in electoral history, LTTE cadres entered govt-held areas to exercise their universal franchise at parliamentary polls on April 2, 2004. The LTTE�s move surprised all political parties except the TNA, which contested the polls on the ITAK ticket. The LTTE�s decision to throw its weight behind the TNA at the crucial general election was part of its strategy to strengthen itself in parliament. In spite of a one-time LTTE more..

July 24 (DM) Now that the mood and methods have set in for three Provincial Council polls, the results would determine if the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa would want to go ahead with the process in five others before holding the first-ever elections to the Tamil-exclusive Northern Province in September next year, as promised now. Then could come up the question of advancing parliamentary polls and/or the presidential election. A lot will depend on more..

July 24 (FT) Confirming buying opportunities are being missed, over 100 stocks were trading below asset value and market multiples have fallen below 10 times, according to Softlogic Stockbrokers. �We are bullish on the market over the medium to long term advising investors to accelerate accumulation so as to benefit from the expected bull run,� the broking firm said. DNH Financial urged investors to seek companies that are undervalued with growth drivers. more..

July 24 (Island) The Securities and Exchange Commission Act will be amended in the third quarter of 2012 aimed at bringing in more regulations in consonance with more matured markets in the world. "The SEC Act was brought in 1987 and will be celebrating 25 years this year and we will be bringing legislation which will be in line with more mature capital markets in the world," Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Tilak Karunaratne told The Island yesterday. Responding to a question as to what the reforms were, more..

July 24 (FT) Perhaps after having spoken much, most of the brokers� market reports yesterday were silent on Friday�s meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Only Asia Wealth referred to it whilst several others purely commented on the happenings in the market. �The Colombo Bourse didn�t see any turn around today followed by the much-awaited presidential meeting that was held last Friday. Even though the contentious issues for the prolonged bearish market were more..

July 24 (CI) In the latter stages of the first ODI, Sri Lanka's lower-order batsmen made a push towards the target of 315, but their attempt was too late. The hosts lost by 21 runs but that late charge revealed the fragility of India's bowling attack, which depends heavily on the batsmen to provide a cushion of runs. When the teams meet again in Hambantota today, Sri Lanka's batsmen will want to time their acceleration better. more..

July 24 (Island) Human rights are not conspicuous in this country by their absence contrary to claims in some quarters. They are recognised, respected and protected where two segments of society are concerned��ruling party politicians and criminals. They enjoy unbridled freedom even to kill and maim others without having to face the consequences of their actions. The same goes for the members of the nether world of crime in cahoots with the powers that be. The ever increasing crime rate is indicative of the level of freedom they enjoy. more..

July 24 (Island) India�s top order batsman Virender Sehwag yesterday admitted that fast bowler Lasith Malinga�s presence in the Indian Premier League tournament, has helped his team to play him with ease. Malinga is one of the valuable possessions of the Mumbai Indians owned by business tycoon, Mukesh Ambani. The fast bowler last year disappointed many Sri Lankan fans when he announced his retirement from Test cricket at the age of 27, at a time Sri Lanka desperately more..

July 24 (Island) An increasing number of Sri Lankans were trying to illegally enter Australia and other Western countries since the economic prosperity that the Rajapaksa regime promised, with the end of the war, had not materialised, the UNP said. Over the last three years there had been endless reports of economic refugees being caught while trying to flee abroad by sea, UNP MP Gayantha Karunathillake, more..

July 24 (DN) The indiscriminate extraction of sand from Deduru-Oya is posing a severe environmental problem. Originating from Moronkanda in Matale, Deduru-Oya flows down 139 kilometres to end up in the sea at Chilaw. Its main characteristics, shallowness, frequency in instant overflowing of its banks and the capacity to rapidly spill into the sea, are legendary. As Deduru-Oya overflows frequently as it is partly dry in between, it has become a convenient resort to earn quick money more..

July 24 (DN) Minister Mervyn Silva yesterday castigated two officers of the Dalugama MPCS for their inefficiency and lack of common sense and failing to arrange a standby generator for the opening ceremony of a Fisheries Sales Centre and Co-Op City in Kelaniya attended by him and said he would terminate their services with immediate effect as a punishment. The two officers earned the minister�s ire because the lights and the public address system at the venue stalled soon after Minister stated his speech to more..

July 24 (IPS) A spate of child rape cases in Sri Lanka has angered child rights activists and moved the government to consider tightening the relevant laws and making the offence punishable with the death sentence. A govt statement released in parliament in May said that of the 1,450 female rape cases reported in 2011, child rape accounted for 1,169, alerting authorities and activists to a rising trend. Earlier this month, police said in a statement over 700 complaints of rape or abuse of more..

July 24 (DN) The clearance certificate, issued by the Police to go abroad for studies, seeking of citizenship in a foreign country or foreign tours can be obtained only from Police Clearance Unit, 331, Olocot Mawatha, Colombo 11. The public are requested not to fall prey to individuals or groups posing as agents or brokers to issue police clearance certificate. The police clearance certificate is issued to an applicant by the Police Clearance Unit after they complete the more..

July 24 (Island) Apropos our news item, Ranil�s invitation to SF a trap �� reformists on July 21, UNP and Opposition leader Ranil Wickram-asinghe has said: "I have no intention of inviting SF or anyone else to join the UNP. "The UNP Working Committee decided that if SF is interested in joining the UNP, he can apply. "The statement that I had issued orders to Parliamentarians not to get involved with SF is also wrong. The Working Committee reiterated the position that the UNP cannot more..

July 24 (Island) A massive Rs. 1.5 billion is owed to the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) by 15 govt institutions, including Corporations, Departments and Authorities, by way of unpaid rates. The Departments alone owe Rs. 800 million, and those monies have been in arrears for the past 20 to 30 years. Municipal Treasurer said that the main defaulter was the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) which owed Rs. 143.4 million. more..

July 24 (Island) The Karawita tank which irrigating about hundred of acres of paddy covers an extent of 1,000 acres. Today, the environs of this ancient tank have become a haven for drunkards. Residents complain visitors consume liquor on the tank bund and haphazardly dispose of empty cans and bottles. The place is full of bottles, cans and garbage as a result. Some men in a drunken stupor dash the empty bottles on rocks and splinters of glass are strewn all over the place making more..