June 21 (CT) Fifteen persons have been arrested by the Chennai Police for setting fire to the effigy of Lankan Minister Champika Ranawaka and tearing off the Lankan National flag in a protest carried out opposite the Lankan Consulate in Chennai today. The supporters of Thirumavalvan and Y. Gopalaswamy the Tamil Nadu politicians who sympathize with the now defunct LTTE had gathered outside the Lankan Consulate in Chennai this morning to protest more..

June 21 (DM) The UNP charged today that the disclosure by the Tangalle high court judge Chandrasena Rajapaksha clearly shows that "underworld gangs operate with state patronage". UNP Vice president Lakshman Kiriella asked how a criminal with arrest warrants issued against him was able to visit the Tangalle prison to meet a remand prisoner �The fact that despite �Julampitiye Amare� having over a 100 warrants against him issued by various courts in the country, more..

June 21 (GDI) The Ministry of Plantation Industry has taken measures to expand rubber cultivation in non-traditional rubber plantation areas in order to meet the increasing demand for rubber in the world market. Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said that there is a very high demand for natural rubber in the world market and Sri Lanka has not been able to meet this high demand due to insufficient local production. At present Sri Lanka produces about 150,000 metric tons more..

June 21 (DM) Sri Lanka are seeking their first ever test series victory since the retirement of ace spinner, Muttiah Muralitharan, when they take on depleted Pakistan at the Galle International Cricket Stadium, on Friday. The islanders played 19 tests in the post Muralitharan era but won only two of them, while losing seven and drawing ten. They couldn't win a single series since Muralitharan retired from test cricket, with a whopping 800 more..

June 21 (AD) Similarly in Omanthai, a woman had allegedly buried her infant child alive soon after giving birth, while the woman�s mother had unearthed the child who died a little while later. The suspect�s mother had then informed the police of the incident, SP Ajith Rohana stated. He stated that there are several govt and non-govt organizations that can aid a mother who is too poor to raise a child or has had an unexpected pregnancy. He further requested more..

June 21 (DN) A major dengue prevention programme will begin today in all state institutions. It will be carried out under the guidance of Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. The programme aims to control mosquito breeding. It will be implemented in all ministries, govt departments, corporations and all other state affiliated institutions. Inspections of premises will be performed by teams comprising health officials, security officials, more..

June 21 (LT) The area opposite the residence of Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri, the President of Federation of University Teachers Associations (FUTA), has become a favourite place for white vans to be parked say reports. At times the white vans with several individuals inside them have been parked there for hours. On two days a group identifying themselves as from the Ministry of defense had gone to Dr. Devasiri�s neighbours� residence and more..

June 22 (NS) Cannes award winning filmmaker Vimukthi Jayasundera has achieved another first in the field of cinema becoming the first Sri Lankan to direct an Indian film � Chatrak (Mushrooms), which had its Sri Lankan debut yesterday 16th June as part of the Bonjour Cinema festival. Chatrak is the only official Indian entry to Cannes film festival 2011. But how did this project come about and what culminated in a Sri Lankan filmmaker being chosen to direct it? more..

June 22 (DM) Sri Lanka�s Ministry of Environment is reportedly pursuing active preparations for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, commonly known as Rio+20. It is learnt that President Rajapaksa will be visiting Brazil himself joining some 130 world leaders to attend the High Level Segments of the summit which many term is the most important global conference of this decade. Post-war Sri Lanka should seize Rio+20 as an opportunity (and not a threat) for the ongoing development agenda of the govt. more..

June 22 (Island) Central Bank�s EPF Superintendent Ms. Kalyanee Gunatilake says internal firewalls are in place to prevent conflict of interest and possible insider trading because they kept the Central Bank, the regulator of the banking system, away from the EPF, which was investing in listed banking stocks. "The EPF Department functions independently from all other departments of the Central Bank. We have stringent firewalls more..

June 22 (GV) It has been many years of writing in the Sri Lankan media of the stupidity of the so-called Green Revolution that successive govts in Sri Lanka aided by their �knowledgeable� scientists and bureaucrats have promoted. As it has been pointed out many times, the only winners in this deadly game were those who sold fertilizers, agrochemicals and the politicians and bureaucrats who received kickbacks from this lucrative trade. But the price that we pay as a nation is heavy, more..

June 22 (CT) There is an undeniable Tamil Nadu factor in Indo-Sri Lanka relationship. While successive govts at the centre deem it as a subversive but maneuverable constituency, the political establishment in Sri Lanka sees it as a plain villain. Now, after the 60-year struggle for political equality and dignity for the Tamils in the island nation ended in May 2009, the role of the Indian govt in supporting the military solution enforced by the Sri Lankan govt has raised questions. more..

June 22 (Island) I am 16.3 hands tall. My name is ENZO. I was born on April 28, 1992, and I arrived on this beautiful island from France on January 5, 1998. I am eager to tell my story and wait patiently for Maheen and Thanuja. For mine is a story I am eager to share. Me and my friends have come from far off lands and are serving in your country. For us this has become our adopted land and it is very likely that I will indeed die here. more..

June 22 (CT) Three major evils of the present �degenerated democratic system� inSri Lankacan be identified as violence, corruption and communalism. While these three ills are not of recent origin, they are also not the only ones that have affected the political system negatively. It was the Donoughmore Commission (1929) that first identified �communalism as a cancer in the body politic.� That time communalism was not violent. But since then it has not only become violent, more..

June 22 (ST) The former army commander upon being released from prison has lost little time announcing his intention to challenge the prevailing political order, notwithstanding a restriction that prohibits him from voting or contesting in elections for seven years. Appearing unfazed by the two and a half years of incarceration ("wearing prison jumpers" and "eating prison rice and pol sambol," as he likes to say) the four-star general who was stripped of his titles, outlined his political project to the media on Thursday. more..

June 22 (Island) Almost one year ago, we wrote an article suggesting that there were signals from the academic community that it was waking up from a long slumber. We wrote about the fact that the Federation of University Teachers Association (FUTA) was moving away from, primarily a battle for salaries, to addressing a range of issues affecting not just higher education, but education in general. We felt inspired to write another piece after more..

June 22 (Island) Having had Global Tamil Forum (GTF) spokesman, Surein Surendiran to discuss the role of the Diaspora in the post-war scenario in the previous chapter, it would be pertinent to examine one of the major failures on the part of the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe�s government and the overseas Tamil community to exploit an unprecedented split caused by Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan aka Karuna Amman. Had there been a swift and cohesive response to Karuna�s move, the LTTE would have been forced to more..

June 22 (Island) Galle District UPFA MP Nishantha Muthuhettigama, who underwent psychiatric tests in compliance with a court order a few years ago, suggested that sanity tests be conducted on all politicians. The govt should have taken his suggestion seriously and contracted a psychiatrist to examine at least its ministers and assess whether they are sane enough to carry out their duties and responsibilities. Its failure to do so has made people risk their sanity! more..

June 22 (ST) Old buses, trains and compartments taken off the roads and tracks will be dumped in the sea for an environmental cause � to provide shelter for fish and marine life to live and breed. The Minister of Fisheries� proposal for using decommissioned vehicles in this way has been welcomed by environmentalists and marine experts. Artificial manmade structures, such as sunken ships, can play a role in the sea very much like more..

June 22 (Island) While Sri Lanka is aiming to develop its economy with a high per capita income the country has turned in to a dumping ground for many international markets, several importers said. Emphasising on the low policy measures adopted to control quality, the Sri Lanka-China Business Co-operation Council said that the country was accepting garbage from international markets. They said that the country was a dumping ground for major markets for more than more..

June 22 (DN) Senior Minister A.H.M. Fowzie, yesterday took part in the washing of the Kahbathullah in Mecca, Islam's Holiest Mosque in the world at the invitation of Saudi Hajj Minister, Bandar bin Mohammed bin Hamza Al-Hajjar. Minister Fowzie was in Mecca to attend the funeral of Crown Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, as the representative of the Government of Sri Lanka, when he received the invitation, which is considered a rare honour to Sri Lanka. more..

June 22 (Island) President Chandrika Kumaratunga threw a fresh lifeline to the Tigers in November, 2003. She who survived an LTTE suicide attack in the run-up to the December 1999 Presidential polls made her move, much to the chagrin of nationalist elements, particularly the JVP, which despised the CFA brokered by the Norwegians. But the President felt that Norway should lead the process, under her supervision. An LTTE operative gained access to the Akkaraipattu Magistrate�s Court on the morning of August 24th, 2004. more..

June 22 (DN) The 2012 Yala cultivation in the Anuradhapura District is facing a huge threat due to the acute shortage of irrigation water, resulting from the massive drought prevailing in the area. At the recent Anuradhapura District Committee meeting lengthy discussions were held on the modalities of granting of relief to farmers who have been rendered helpless over the destruction of their cultivations. The methodology to be adopted as a remedy for the water crises depending on the present water levels of the major, more..

June 22 (Island) Thrice Prime Minister and four times Plantation Industries Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, now tagged Senior Minister, reminisces the circumstances which led to the nationalisation of estates in 1975, the Land Reforms Commission and his pioneering efforts of the Thay Skakthi program which empowered the tea smallholder. The nationalisation of the estates in 1975 came in the wake of more..

June 22 (CI) After our run of losses against Pakistan (coming into this tour), we had to have that self-belief that we could beat this team. Pakistan have a very good bowling unit which we did not do well against in the UAE. In the Tests we will come up with a game plan to counter not just Saeed Ajmal but the others as well. Against a quality attack like Pakistan's we need to back ourselves to do well. In the last two Tests against England, we knew we had to take risks against certain bowlers and we need to do it against this unit too. more..

June 22 (LBO) Sri Lanka's banks have to be ready to finance infrastructure when the state is expected to woo private capital into toll roads and ports in the next few years, an investment banker said. Sri Lanka is building ports, an airport in the island�s south, roads and power projects across the country, after a decades-long conflict ended in May 2009. Most of the projects are funded with bi-lateral loans. Chinese export-import finance is playing a prominent role. more..

June 22 (NYT) Walking into a house created by C. Anjalendran is a pleasure for the senses. The open design allows the tropical breezes of this South Asian island to sweep through the interior. You can hear the chirping of birds or drumming of monsoon rains, although wide overhangs protect the terrace furniture. The building�s structure frames the vistas beyond. A house designed by Mr. Anjalendran makes more..

June 22 (HT) You can expect former Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya to know the merits of practice. And though his first two performances on Jhalak Dikkhlaa Jaa 5 (Colors) were well-received, he's been rehearsing hard, even though he's back home in Colombo. Sanath has been practicing his dance moves with the help of his choreographer, and arrives in the city only a day before the shoot. Sanath confirms, saying, "I have been rehearsing back home because I have some work there which I can't manage if more..

June 22 (DN) The Maldivian government has requested the government of Sri Lanka to extend support to rehabilitate drug addicts in the Maldives, National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB) chairman Leisha de Silva Chandrasena said. She said discussions are underway to initiate a programme in this regard and reports on the situation have been sought from the Maldives. The Sri Lankan government is to sign an MoU with the Maldivian government after discussions. more..

June 22 (CI) Certain pre-series predictions have come to nothing at the conclusion of the ODIs. Recent form suggested that Pakistan began the one-dayers with an upper hand before the first ball was bowled, but in the course of two weeks, the balance shifted quite comprehensively. As a result, the Test series begins with an air of caution for Pakistan, despite their form in Tests being reassuring. They'll do well to remember that they are taking guard in a format more..

June 22 (FT) The Supreme Court yesterday granted leave to proceed with the fundamental rights violation petition challenging the unequal allocation of State resources to schools resulting in a privileged/under-privileged dichotomy in the education system. The Bench comprising Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake, Justices K. Sripavan and P.A Ratnayake granted leave to proceed for the alleged infringement of the fundamental right to equality and equal more..

June 22 (Island) Iraq, bulk of whose imports from Sri Lanka are Pure Ceylon Tea, is now eager for more and more Sri Lankan products, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce announced yesterday. "Apart from Pure Ceylon Tea, we now want Sri Lankan apparels and raw rubber, none of which are being produced in Iraq," Kahtan Taha Khalaf, Iraqi Ambassador to Sri Lanka told Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce of Sri Lanka during his courtesy call on the minister, more..

June 22 (CT) Counsel Upul Jayasuriya, appearing on behalf of the second accused, who was charged over harbouring army deserters,� smashed the Attorney General�s Department policy for granting approval to the accused to go abroad for medical treatment. Jayasuriya made this observation while filing an application to obtain approval for his client, Senaka de Silva, to go abroad to receive medical treatment at the Queen Elizabeth more..

June 22 (DN) The Economic Development Ministry has set up a farmer training institute in Kanagarayankulum named Divi Neguma Training Centre with a view to arming farmers with modern technology, methods and knowledge of present day farming. Livestock Development Officer of the Divi Neguma Training Centre K Janaki said the Centre was established to train farmers in Vavuniya and surrounding districts. Accordingly, the training centre conducts training programmes related to more..

June 22 (LBO) Trade between Sri Lanka and Vietnam had expanded 81 percent to 27.6 million US dollars in the first quarter of 2012 from a year earlier, with a steep increase in Sri Lankan exports, a business association said. Sri Lanka Vietnam Business Council, quoted Vietnamese data which showed that the country had bought 10.1 million US dollars of goods up 111 percent from a year earlier. Sri Lankans had bought 17.5 million US dollars of Vietnamese goods, more..

June 22 (DM) The police arrested a man yesterday in connection with the burglary at the house of Nishantha Wickramasinghe, chairman of SriLankan Airlines and brother of First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa. The suspect was a 33 year old drug addict and a resident of Araliya Mawatha, Ratmalana. The police, who had been investigating the theft of a Rolex watch worth Rs 4 million and about Rs. 5 mil worth of foreign currency more..

June 22 (Island) The JVP yesterday said that it appreciated the UNP�s protests against the Katuwana double murder. JVP General Secretary, Tilvin Silva said that the party really appreciated the UNP�s action, though there was no scope for the JVP and the UNP to launch joint protests targeting the ruling party. The JVPer said that they wouldn�t help the UNP to realise its dream of regaining power, though they could take a common more..

June 22 (Island) A shortage of 43 varieties of drugs still prevailed in the local market, Parliament was told yesterday. Deputy Minister of Health Lalith Dissanayake, responding to a question raised by UNP Matara District MP Buddhika Pathirana, said that those drugs were either unavailable or in short supply due to various reasons. The Deputy Minister said that a total of 1,461 tenders had been called by the Health ministry to purchase drugs from January 2011 to May 2012. more..

June 22 (DN) A massive dengue eradication drive will begin at all govt institutions from today under the direction of Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena and Defence and Urban Development Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakasa. The anti-dengue campaign is to be held held under the supervision of Presidential Task Force on Dengue Eradication and the Tri Forces, the Police and the Civil Defence Force. more..