Sep 3 (Island) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced yesterday that middle order batsman Lahiru Thirimanne will lead Kandurata Maroons in the upcoming Champions League tournament to be played in India from September 17th to October 6th. Kandurata will have to play a qualifying tournament to get through the first round. They will face Sunrisers Hyderabad, Otago and Faisalabad Wolves in the first round. All first round matches will be played at Mohali. Kandurata Maroons Squad: more..

Sep 3 (CI) The ECB has ditched the May Test matches which have been a part of the English summer since 2000 by shifting the two-match series against Sri Lanka next year to June with the T20 and ODIs being played beforehand. Playing Sri Lanka's Tests in mid-June should help avoid problems of clashing with the IPL, which has created availability issues with some players not arriving until shortly before the first Test, and also opens up more..

Sep 3 (CT) The Ministry of Higher Education has planned to construction 60 hostels for 17 State universities around the island within two years. According to officials of the Higher Education Ministry, the proposed hostel project will be built according to 'pre-fabricated' technology, and each complex is estimated to cost approximately Rs 196 million. The overall expenditure in this regard would cost in the region of Rs 13 billion, a source at the ministry said. more..

Sep 3 (Island) The Hatton Magistrate yesterday remanded four suspects, till Sept 10, for the alleged theft of brass bells from a kovil in the Diwulapatana police area. The police suspect that four of them had robbed the brass bells, weighing 13 kg, from the Kovil and cut them into pieces. The suspects were arrested by the Hatton police in the Hatton town on Sunday evening, while trying to sell the brass pieces. A trishaw, they were travelling in, was taken into custody. more..

Sep 3 (FT) Corporate earnings of important listed companies have shown resilience amidst challenges in the quarter ended June, according to a top broking firm. NDB Stockbrokers said a sample set of 95 companies, which accounts for 79% of the total market capitalisation of the CSE, saw profits rise by 8% YoY. This includes 31 companies reporting profits for FY13H1 while others reporting profits for FY13/14Q1. more..

Sep 3 (FT) Under the instructions of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) is making arrangements to set up 40 new Nenasala rural telecentres in the Northern Province. �The first 20 of these new Nenasalas (wisdom outlets) will be inaugurated within two weeks,� said ICTA Chairman, Professor P.W. Epasinghe. Minister Ranjith Siyamabalapitiya is scheduled to declare open the 20 centres in the Northern Province on 16 and 17 September. more..

Sep 3 (ST) A Sri Lankan entrepreneur based in Australia, hard on the heels of the new era of incentive travel and �enjoying an experience�, is organising the �Miris Trail� � a culinary tour of the island for just eight couples. It is not enjoying lunu miris or kochchi miris in the real sense of the word but Sonali Peiris, director and founder of �Miris�, an organisation that produces a range of gourmet Sri Lankan condiments, says �this tour is designed for the gourmet traveller and more..

Sep 3 (FT) A trial run was conducted on the completed new railway track between Omanthai and Killinochchi covering a distance of 63 kms. In town to personally overlook the final run was Mohan Tiwari, Chairman of Ircon International Ltd. CECB Team Leader Padamsiri and General Manager of Ircon International Ltd. S.L. Gupta, along with other officers from Sri Lanka Railway, CECB and IRCON, undertook the trial run. more..

Sep 3 (CT) With the upcoming Provincial Council election, posters of many candidates are seen 'adorning' almost all walls and boards in the Matale District. Walls and any available space are awash with posters and notices, predicting victory for the candidate whose face is seen smiling at the public from a vantage point. Those engaged in the exercise of pasting posters have not spared even road signboard, as the posters extol the virtues of each candidate who is in the fray. more..

Sep 3 (DN) He appreciates what President Mahinda Rajapaksa is doing for the country to make it into one nation, one people and one family, Batticaloa and Trincomalee Diocese Bishop Most Rev. Joseph Ponniah said. �You treat everyone as equal. You want everyone to be united as one people and live in peace and harmony. We wish and pray that your dreams be realised and we assure you our full support and cooperation,� Bishop Ponniah said. �I see you as a bridge builder. more..

Sep 3 (IL) President Mahinda Rajapaksa declared open the newly constructed Panichchankarni Bridge located on A15, Batticaloa- Trincomalee road in Wakarai yesterday (1). This bridge was destroyed by the Tsunami disaster in 2004. The new bridge constructed at a cost of 1,060 million rupees. The bridge, which is 132 metres in length and 10.4 metres wide, has been constructed utilising local funds and 769 million rupees more..

Sep 3 (ST) The Cargills Group, in a major announcement on Wednesday, said that Cargills, established in 1844, will cease to be involved in retail operations of the Food City business and henceforth function as a holding company giving strategic directin to the group. Under the changes, as explained to the CSE, Cargills Food City brands will be transferred to a fully-owned subsidiary � Cargills Foods Pvt Ltd under a board of directors� decision taken on August 28. more..

Sep 3 (CG) The Swiss authorities have suspended deporting Tamils back to Sri Lanka after two people who were deported were arrested. The Federal Office for Migration (FOM), has said that the deportation was suspended to ensure the safety of the Tamils deported to Sri Lanka. The Swiss Embassy in Colombo is looking into the fate of the two Tamils who were arrested. The FOM is to look into all the dossiers of Sri Lankans in Switzerland who are currently facing deportation. more..

Sep 3 (Hindu) The report on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka by UN Commissioner for Human Rights -Navi Pillay was �unfair, wrong and biased� said G.L Peiris Sri Lanka�s Minister for External Affairs. He was addressing a press conference at the Sri Lankan High Commission in London on Monday. He said the �tone and substance� of the report showed a �distressing lack of balance.� more..

Sep 3 (FT) The Colombo Fort Magistrate yesterday issued notice returnable on 16 September on three Directors of Central Investments and Finance Plc (CIFL) for allegedly cheating and committing a criminal breach of trust with regards to depositors� money. Filing a further investigative report regarding the incident, the Slave Island Police submitted to Court that the Police has currently received over 70 complaints against CIFL. Police further alleged that the complainants had charged that more..

Sep 3 (CT) Up Country People's Front (UPF) has warned the govt, if the authorities do not take steps to boost the tea plantations in the hill country, it will be compelled to import tea, before long. A Uva Provincial Councillor representing the UPF attributed several reasons for the degradation of the upcountry plantation industry. These include private companies depriving the rights of estate sector workers, suspending the maintaining of tea nurseries, demolishing tea factories for iron scrap more..

Sep 3 (Island) The Krrish Group has been granted more time to make its final payment, to the UDA, on the 99-year lease of the Transwork tower land in Colombo Fort, which it has undertaken to develop. This follows three extensions granted by the govt to the group, the last of which ended on July 30. 2013. The company has already paid 84% of the lease and been charged 12% interest due to the considerable delay in payment. more..

Sep 3 (Island) A team of police officers from Pakistan is expected to arrive in Colombo to interrogate the Pakistani national, now in the custody of the Police Narcotics Bureau, in connection with the detection of the biggest haul of heroin smuggled into Sri Lanka. The team would arrive here on the advice of Interpol, a senior officer, attached to the Law and Order Ministry, said. Acting on a tip-off from the Police Narcotics Bureau, the Pakistani national and two Sri Lankans more..

Sep 3 (DM) A dictator is a ruler who does not conduct polls and works according to his own agendas but this govt has restored democracy and taken steps to hold elections in the North. Therefore, no one can accuse this govt of being a dictatorship, said President Rajapaksa. Addressing the 62nd annual convention of the SLFP at the Maligapitiya Grounds in Kurunegala today he added that the govt treated all religions alike but that Buddhism had been provided with Constitutional safeguards more..

Sep 3 (Island) Cabinet has approved a mega USD 4 billion Industrial Park in Sampur, Trincomalee by Singapore based Gateway Group, to be submitted to Parliament tomorrow, by Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, for debate. The mega project, which would be completed in three phases, within seven years, would facilitate heavy industries, mainly from Singapore and would self-facilitate infrastructure and other more..

Sep 3 (DM) In a country where multiple races and religions exist it is natural to have misgivings, tensions and even the eruption of violence. It is here that the prudent leadership and intervention of community leaders is essential to minimise harm, rather than that of politicians mostly hell-bent on exploiting situations. Hence the decision of the newly-formed Dhammadeepa Council to discuss with the Hindu clergy and Muslim Ulemas to form a strategy to overcome existing racial and more..

Sep 3 (DM) Sustainable Development as it is practised today is essentially a myth. The linear economic growth model that is widely subscribed to across the world today does not promote sustainable development. Any setback in economic growth even in the most developed country is presented as a sign of economic recession that can lead to rising unemployment, decreasing profits, business closures etc. So, no political leader in a developed country can afford to let more..

Sep 3 (DM) Gambling sparks controversy wherever it plants its seed, particularly in conservative societies such as ours where it is stigmatized as being �immoral�. It comes as no surprise then that the breeding grounds and facility which houses and accommodates gambling is not readily accepted on the basis that it causes social degradation, depreciation of cultural values and increases crime rates. more..

Sep 3 (SL) As Sri Lanka traverses the path of economic development with significant amounts being spent by the government and the private sector, many question the level of public expenditure. To answer those concerns Faraz Shauketaly spoke to the Governor of Sri Lanka�s Central Bank, Ajith Nivard Cabraal for a frank overview of the economy. Excerpts of the conversation: more..

Sep 3 (ST) Motor Traffic Department officials and Traffic Police officers will fan out to different parts of the City of Colombo from tomorrow to check vehicle emissions. The move follows the discovery that a large number of vehicles are still plying the roads with heavy emissions. This is notwithstanding the centres which have been issuing certificates confirming they are fit to run. Some of these certificates, it has now come to light, more..

Sep 3 (CT) Higher Education Minister, S.B. Dissanayake, said students who were successful at the London GCE A/L exam cannot be admitted to local universities, adding, they can obtain degrees from any of the 18 foreign universities that have associate colleges in Sri Lanka. Students who are successful in the local GCE A/L exam only can enter local universities, he further said. more..

Sep 3 (CT) The Mayor of Colombo, A.J.M. Muzammil, has complained to the IGP about the destruction of valuable public documents belonging to the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) requesting him to investigate the incident. The Mayor had described the destruction of CMC documents as a serious violation of the law, particularly the Public Property Act, the Penal Code, the Municipal Councils Ordinance, the National Archives more..

Sep 3 (Island) Following President Rajapaksa�s order that the Dipped Products factory, which was accused of contaminating the ground water surrounding the Rathupaswala area in Weliweriya, be relocated, the BoI has identified and submitted two suitable locations to the company. The President ordered the relocation of the factory following a military crackdown on a protest against ground water contamination believed more..

Sep 3 (CT) SLC could be making world history by appointing 8 officials to take care of an 11 member cricket team that is not even representing the country or people but for a showbiz tournament in India this month. The occasion is for the Champions League and the 8 officials will be accompanying a team called the Kandurata Maroons which has only one player in Kumar Sangakkara who is worthy of the team's more..

Sep 3 (DN) Sri Lankans spend Rs. 210 million a day on smoking while 54 Lankans die daily from smoke related diseases, a Health Ministry spokesman said. Annually 20,000 Sri Lankans die from smoking and state hospitals spend Rs. 12 billion to treat persons falling sick due to smoking. Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena took a decision to introduce pictorial warning on cigarette packs covering 80% of the packaging. more..

Sep 3 (GDI) The govt has made arrangements to build a Medical City in Hambantota to provide world class medical treatment to both Sri Lankans and foreigners. This project will get underway near the proposed state-of-the-art 650 bed general hospital being built at a cost of Rs. 7 billion. A plot of 100 acre land has been ear marked for the project and already two SL private hospitals have shown interest for this project. more..

Sep 3 (CG) The govt today clarified its relationship with China saying it is purely for economic and development purposes. Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said that some countries have misinterpreted Sri Lanka�s relationship with China. He said that some foreign delegates who visited Sri Lanka had also raise concerns over China�s ties with Sri Lanka. Some countries including India feel China has strategic more..

Sep 3 (LBO) German automaker Porsche is expecting to boost sales in Sri Lanka which have been hurt due to tax hikes with its newly launched Cayman model and a hybrid to be introduced soon, officials said. "The market in Sri Lanka is maturing nowadays and we have seen lot of interests in the Porsche brand and model itself," Alexandria Senanayake, head of marketing communications at Eurocars, agents for Porsche said. The firm launched the latest Porsche Cayman model more..

Sep 3 (CT) There was a time when Sri Lanka was a paradise and a pearl in the Indian ocean. There was a time when all the superlatives used to describe the country were found to be insufficient. There was a time when peace and happiness, love and friendship were the essence of life in Sri Lanka reflected in the joy and serenity of all Sri Lankans. Can we not regain that Paradise? Can we not all be pearls for the whole earth to admire? Yes, we can. The State which, we Sri Lankans have chosen more..

Sep 3 (CT) Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India, is noncommittal on his attendance at the forthcoming CHOGM scheduled to be held in Colombo in November. The vacillation on the part of New Delhi is one way of conveying its displeasure to Colombo over certain unilateral measures taken by the govt, such as the proposed changes to the 13th Amendment and the rejection of a diplomatic demarche for the release of Indian fishermen held in the Sri Lankan prisons. more..

Sep 3 (Island) Wildlife Resources and Conservation Management Minister Wijithamuni de Zoysa has requested Defence Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to order security forces particularly, the Special Task Force (STF) to take strict action against those who carry out illegal operations inside national parks by claiming to be his associates. Minister Zosya said that he had also instructed park wardens not to hesitate to nab anyone who entered the parks for illegal purposes. more..

Sep 3 (CT) Customs Officers Unions and the law-abiding motor vehicle importers strongly suspect a serious wrongdoing concerning the immediate suspension of a massive revenue fraud inquiry of over a billion rupees initiated by the Deputy Director of Customs, Athula Lankadeva, Colombo Telegraph learns. Some insiders believe that the head of the investigating team has been bought over by those involved in this massive more..

Sep 3 (AD) Seventeen international election observers are scheduled to arrive in the country on September 13 to monitor the upcoming polls for the Northern, North Western and Central provincial councils. A decision was taken to invite international observers following discussion between local monitoring groups, party representatives and the Department of Elections. Nine observers from the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) had previously agreed to monitor more..

Sep 3 (Island) President Rajapaksa, addressing the 62nd anniversary celebrations of the SLFP, at Maligapitiya in Kurunegala yesterday, said that people in the country were enjoying democracy in full with even northerners now being able to elect persons of their choice democratically, after ending the war in 2009. It wasn�t his fault that the Opposition led by Ranil Wickremesinghe had lost 11 elections since 2005, the President said. A smiling President Rajapaksa addressed more..