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Latest News from Sri Lanka: [Last Updated = Sun, Jul 18, 2010, 08:59 pm SL Time]
TOP STORY
Sri Lanka's main opposition party Working Committee to meet tomorrow

July 18 (CP) Colombo- The Working Committee of Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) is to meet tomorrow (19) to finalize the party reforms proposed by the committee headed by parliamentarian Joseph Michael Perera and to also decide on when the party convention would be held. The UNP convention was initially scheduled to be held during the second week of August after finalizing the party reforms. However, party's General Secretary Tissa said that no final date for the convention had been decided by the Working Committee yet.

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SECURITY - SITUATION

President attends musical extravaganza to raise funds for Sri Lanka's disabled war veterans
July 18 (CP) Colombo- Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa attended the 'Tharu Dilena Reyak' musical extravaganza held at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo on Saturday night. The gala music show was organized by the Sri Lanka Army under the Brave Hearts project, to raise funds to build 'Abhimansala', a wellness resort for the permanently disabled war veterans.

CID officers to visit the Lanka newspaper again for investigations
July 18 (CP) Colombo- The officials from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Sri Lanka Police are to question the staff of the Sinhala weekly, Lanka, tomorrow (19). The CID officials have said they needed to question the staff to continue their investigations that have been launched into the activities of the newspaper.

Horror tales behind Australia's refugee influx
July 18 (HT) Cowering in the dark bowels of a leaky fishing boat, surrounded by grown men vomiting and catatonic with fear, Sri Lankan refugee Tharumalingam Punniyamoorthy was too weak to cry. He shudders as he recalls the "hell" of his voyage, when he became one of thousands of poor Asian asylum-seekers fleeing to Australia -- unwittingly setting off a public backlash which will dominate next month's elections.

‘Hardcore’ Tamil Tigers aboard B.C.-bound ship, Sri Lankan paper says
July 18 (OC) VANCOUVER— A ship carrying over 200 Sri Lankan migrants — including “hardcore” leaders of the Tamil Tigers — is on its way to the B.C. coast, according to Sri Lanka’s Sunday Observer. But David Poopalapillai of the Canadian-Tamil Congress cautioned Canadians against believing the state-owned paper’s claim that terrorists are aboard the MV Sun Sea, last spotted in the Gulf of Thailand two weeks ago.

Body of Sri Lankan killed in Iraq to be flown home
July 18 (PD) The body of a Sri Lankan killed in Iraq will be flown home soon, officials of the Foreign Employment Bureau said Saturday. Local Sirasa television station reported that Iraj Galhena, a 31-year-old telecommunication engineer was killed when the hotel in the northern Iraqi city of Sulaimaniya caught fire late Thursday.

Two injured as armed masked men open fire
July 18 (Island) A jewellery shop owner and his daughter were injured when armed masked men broke into his Weliweriya house and opened fire last week, police said. The intruders had broken the main gate of the house around 2.30 am last Thursday and ordered the owner to open the door, but after he refused they had opened fire injuring him.

UN delays peace jobs for Lankans
July 18 (ST) A United Nations plan to recruit more than 100 Sri Lankan police officers for its peace-keeping force has been put on hold indefinitely with no reasons given. Two UN officials were scheduled to arrive in the country on June 18 to interview and recruit some 100 police officers from the rank of inspector and above. But the officials had still not come and no reasons were given for the delay, a police officer said.

Fresh moves to break LTTE ‘backbone’ abroad
July 18 (SO) Fresh moves are under way with the assistance of Interpol and other intelligence agencies abroad to break the `backbone’ of the LTTE’s international terror network which is believed to be still active in certain countries, according to informed sources.

Pro- LTTE Indian film director jailed for one year for hate speech against Sinhalese
July 17 (CP) Chennai- The Tamil Nadu government has slapped a one year jail term under the National Security Act (NSA) on the pro-LTTE Tamil film director Seeman for his inflammatory speeches against Sri Lanka, Indian media reported.

516 incidents of archaeological vandalism in Sri Lanka since 2008
July 17 (CP) The special police unit investigating archaeological vandalism in Sri Lanka has recorded 516 such incidents since 2008. Police say that the fines imposed on the offenders are Rs. 5.6 million.

Sri Lanka Police apprehends Eppawala murder suspect
July 17 (CP) Colombo- The Sri Lanka Police today arrested the 21-year-old suspect of the Eppawala family massacre case in downtown Colombo. Police Spokesman Prishantha Jayakody told the media that the suspect, a resident of Mindipura, Eppawala was arrested on the Fort overhead bridge in front of the Fort Railway Station by the Pettah Police.

Sri Lanka's DNA to take legal action against preventing General Fonseka from attending consultative committees
July 17 (CP) Colombo- Sri Lanka's Democratic National Alliance (DNA) is to take legal action against the violation of a court order that permits former Army Commander and DNA parliamentarian retired General Sarath Fonseka from attending parliamentary affairs without any hindrance.

Sri Lanka, India strive to solve issues of cross-border fishing
July 17 (PD) With the media report of Sri Lankan Navy attacking South Indian fishermen recently, the two governments are making efforts to defuse the tension. According to media reports from the southern India state of Tamil Nadu, eight Indian fishermen were attacked by the Sri Lankan Navy crew on July 7 and one 55-year-old fishermen died and seven others were injured due to the assault.

More : SECURITY - SITUATION
* CID questions Lanka newspaper editor and staff member (17 - CP)
* JVP demands arrest of UC member’s killer (17 - Island)
* Girl alleges sexual assault by judge (17 - DM)
* Govt. urged to stop attack on fishermen (17 - Hindu)
* Navy salvages parts of LTTE craft sunk during final battle (17 - DN)
* Seeman denied bail in hate speech case (17 - TOI)
More : SECURITY - SITUATION

NEWS - HIGHLIGHTS

President inspects progress of the Hambanthota international cricket stadium in Sri Lanka's South ahead of World Cup
July 18, Hambanthota: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa Saturday (17) inspected the construction of the proposed international cricket stadium at Sooriyawewa in Hambanthota District. The stadium, located about 8 kilometers from the commercial city of Hambantota in Meegahajandura off Sooriyawewa is designed to hold day/night matches.

Sri Lanka bats first against India in Murali's farewell Test match

Sri Lanka 256/2 (68.0 ov)

July 18 (CP) Galle- Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bat against India in the rain delayed Test match today at the Galle International Stadium. Today's match, the first of the three-match Test series will be Sri Lanka's ace spinner Muttiah Muralitharan's swan song in Test cricket.
Live Scorecard

Sri Lanka's Higher Education Ministry takes immediate steps to ban ragging in universities:
July 18 (CP) Colombo- Sri Lanka's Higher Education Ministry has banned the abhorrent practice of ragging in universities with immediate effect. Those who found guilty of such activities are to be expelled immediately from the respective university. Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake has told the local media that Sri Lankan universities have brought disrepute to the country over the years as a result of 'dishonorable ragging.'

Canada revokes charitable status of Tamil charity for funding LTTE
July 17 (CP) Ottawa- The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) agency responsible for administering tax laws for the Government of Canada and for most provinces and territories today announced that it has revoked the charitable registration of Ottawa-area charity, Tamil (Sri Lanka) Refugee-Aid Society (TRAS) effective July 17, 2010.

5,000 Sri Lankan migrant workers in Iraq without permission from government
July 17 (CP) Colombo- The Additional General Manager of Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau L.K. Ruhunage says that the government has not granted permission to any Sri Lankan to work in Iraq although around 5,000 Sri Lankans are employed there.


FINANCE

Airtel goes to SC objecting to TRC’s new floor prices
July 18 (Island) Bharati Airtel Lanka (Private) Ltd., the newest entrant to Sri Lanka’s telecommunication field, has filed a fundamental rights action in the Supreme Court claiming that the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission’s new floor price scheme for mobile telephony is against the interest of the consumer and has pleaded that it be struck down by the court.

SLT halts job cuts , aims to enhance productivity
July 18 (ST) Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) has abandoned plans to cut jobs and a recruitment freeze which was to have been done by shutting down unproductive divisions of the firm. The plan aimed at reducing staff to 3,500 from around 6,000 through its manpower restructuring method was introduced earlier in an effort to stem losses, a senior SLT official said.

Sri Lanka goes for Japanese investments
July 18 (SO) The Government is set to attract more investment from Japan. Last week when President Mahinda Rajapaksa met Corporate President of the Noritake Group of Companies, Hitoshi Tanemura in Colombo, he called upon Noritake to invest in the Hambantota Free Trade Zone.

Captivating Ceylon
July 17 (Star) Sri Lanka is a land of gentle people, ancient Buddhist shrines and picturesque tea plantations. At every station people board the rickety timber train and wander through the carriages selling mango slices, parcels of rice and curry, oranges, spiced chickpeas and lottery tickets.

More : FINANCE
* The Hotel Show 2010 kicks off (17 - Island)
* Marketers catalyst to drive new Sri Lanka forward (17 - DM)
* Industrial Finance gets first CBSL loan (17 - DN)
More : FINANCE
POLITICS - GENERAL

President opens renovated entrance to sacred city of Kataragama
July 18 (CP) Kataragama- Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa inaugurated the renovated "Wahalkada", the main entrance of Kataragama Kiri Vehera Raja Maha Viharaya on the Sella Kataragama Road in the deep south Hambanthota district yesterday.

Sri Lanka Marxist party union to launch awareness campaign for demanding salary hike
July 18 (CP) Colombo- Sri Lanka's Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) affiliated National Trade Union Center (NTUC) is to launch an awareness campaign to demand a Rs. 8,000 salary increment in line with the rising cost of living (CoL), at work places in the Colombo District from tomorrow (19) till the 30th of this month.

Sri Lanka to amend the act of land registration
July 18 (CP) Colombo- Sri Lanka Minister of Land and Land Development Janaka Bandara Tennakoon says that the government expects to amend the act of registration of land rights so the land disputes can be resolved fast.

Nature painter inspired by his native Sri Lanka
July 18 (SOSD) FALLBROOK— Conserving nature is not a cause, it is a way of life for internationally acclaimed wildlife artist Gamini Ratnavira of Fallbrook. But first, nature must be understood, said Ratnavira, a native of Sri Lanka. He uses his art to teach that understanding.

Executive President or Executive Prime Minister?
July 18 (Island) Although President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the UNP have quickly agreed on the abolition of the executive presidency and electoral reforms, they are yet to reach agreement on the 17th Amendment to the Constitution, authoritative political sources said yesterday.

Surprise talks to resolve Ranil-Sajith row
July 18 (ST) Talks to resolve the feud between two factions within the main opposition United National Party (UNP) will begin today. The surprise move for reconciliation is the result of suggestions made by deputy leader Karu Jayasuriya and a group of senior UNPers to Sajith Premadasa, who heads what is being described as a dissident group.

Thousands of devotees trek through Kumana
July 18 (SO) Over 15,400 devotees on the Pada Yathra, the traditional foot pilgrimage to Kataragama from the North and the East entered the Kumana National Park from July 2 - 16, said the Park’s Warden Ajith Wasantha. The Wildlife Department has taken steps to provide basic infrastructure facilities to the pilgrims on a directive by Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa.

Sri Lanka President participates in religious functions in Kataragama
July 17 (CP) Kataragama- Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa inaugurated the renovated main entrance of Kataragama Kiri Vehera Raja Maha Viharaya in the deep south Hambanthota district this morning. Annual festivities of Kataragama Devalaya worshiped both by Hindus and Buddhists are now underway amidst participation of thousands of devotees.

Shortage of tamed elephants building up in Sri Lanka
July 17 (CP) Colombo- Within the year since the last Kandy Esala festival, 12 tamed elephants have died, says the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tamed Elephant Owners association Damsiri Karunarathna. He pointed out that there are only 99 tamed elephants in the country now.

Annual Nallur Hindu Temple festival in Sri Lanka's northern Jaffna peninsula to be held next month
July 17 (CP) Jaffna- The annual Nallur Hindu Temple festival in Sri Lanka's northern Jaffna peninsula is to be held on August 15. Organizers of the event have told the local media today that strict dress code guidelines will be in place for devotees entering the temple during the festival period.

Sri Lanka Education Minister contradicts statistics from his Ministry
July 17 (CP) Colombo- Sri Lanka Minister of Education Bandula Gunawardena has stated to the Sinhala daily Divaina today that the number of schools closed last year is higher than what the latest statistics from the Ministry projects.

Sri Lanka President participates in the first ordination ceremony after the end of war
July 17 (CP) Anuradhapura- Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa participating in the 67th ordination ceremony of the Ramanya Maha Nikaya at the banks of Malwathu River in Anuradhapura yesterday said the country now has the ability to conduct an ordination ceremony even in Nagadeepa.

Marxist party wants to see proposed constitutional amendments before talks with Sri Lankan government
July 17 (CP) Colombo- Sri Lanka's Marxist party, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) says the party first needs to see a draft of the proposed constitutional amendments before agreeing to discuss them with the government.

Karunanidhi wants assessment of Sri Lankan Tamils' rehabilitation
July 17 (HT) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi has suggested sending an Indian envoy to Sri Lanka to assess the progress on rehabilitation of Tamils living in refugee camps in the island nation. In his letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh dated July 17, Karunanidhi said: "I would like to suggest that Government of India, through diplomatic sources or by sending a special envoy, may assess the real situation in the affected areas

New child-friendly schools bring new hope to communities in Sri Lanka
July 17 (RW) Thousands of schoolchildren in Ampara district, eastern Sri Lanka, recently cheered in a new era in education, with marching bands playing and UNICEF flags waving during official ceremonies in their villages. Along with local community leaders, they were celebrating the opening of six new schools – the result of a UNICEF Sri Lanka investment totalling $3.8 million. Thousands of students will benefit from the UNICEF-funded schools.

More : POLITICS - GENERAL
* Reformists fear latest SLFP-UNP initiative may weaken bid to revamp party (17 - Island)
* CMC to be made a corporation (17 - DM)
* Do not delay, says SLFP (17 - DN)
* Manmohan seeks advice of Karunanidhi on Sri Lanka issue (17 - Hindu)
More : POLITICS - GENERAL

SPORTS

Sangakkara and Paranavitana punish India

Sri Lanka 256 for 2 (Paranavitana 110*, Sangakkara 103) v India

July 18 (CricInfo) The Test is only a day old but already it appears as though it's Sri Lanka's game to lose. As expected, the lambs were led to slaughter. The Indian bowling attack defined mediocrity and Sri Lanka bossed it around in style to reach a strong position by the end of the opening day in Galle.

More : SPORTS

Focus on Giving Murali a Good Farewell: Sangakkara
July 18 (OL) Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara today reminded his teammates to focus on the job at hand and not get carried away by emotions in Muttiah Muralitharan's swansong cricket Test against India. "As a team the best we can do for Murali is to make sure we don't get too overwhelmed or carried away with what's happening around but concentrate on really giving him a good farewell by playing a great match out there," Sangakkara told reporters on the eve of the first Test here.

Spin king Muttiah Muralitharan taking final bow
July 18 (BBC) One of the greatest bowlers in the history of cricket is preparing to play in his final Test match for Sri Lanka, against India in the city of Galle. Muttiah Muralitharan - "Murali", as he is affectionately known - announced his retirement from Tests earlier this month.

Reuters Photo
Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan bowls during a practice session in Galle July 17, 2010. Sri Lanka will play India in a three-test series starting on July 18 at Galle.


WORLD

India Visit Only if Talks 'Result-Oriented': Qureshi
July 18 (OL) Upping the ante, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said he is unwilling to travel to New Delhi for talks unless India is prepared to hold a "meaningful, constructive and result-oriented" dialogue to resolve outstanding issues. "I do not want to visit India for a leisure trip. I want to go for meaningful, constructive and result-oriented talks if the right atmosphere prevails and if they are fully prepared (for talks)," Qureshi said last night after addressing a joint news conference with visiting British Minister Sayeeda Warsi.

More : WORLD

India expresses fresh concern over Nepal passports
July 17 (IANS) Kathmandu- Three months after the Nepal government scrapped a passport deal with India and awarded it to a French company, the growing controversy over the issue has made India express fresh concern about the threat insecure Nepali passports pose to India's security.

Keep talking, India, Pakistan urged
July 17 (IANS) Islamabad- Pakistani newspapers Saturday blamed the tough stance by India and Pakistan for the stalemate in their peace talks, but urged the two to keep talking. 'There was little hope of a meaningful breakthrough during the Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna's visit and that's exactly what occurred In fact, even lesser expectations were not met,' the Dawn said in its editorial 'Keep Talking'.

Comparative photos of Mount Everest 'confirm ice loss'
July 17 (BBC) Photos taken by a mountaineer on Everest from the same spot where similar pictures were taken in 1921 have revealed an "alarming" ice loss. The Asia Society (AS) arranged for the pictures to be taken in exactly the same place where British climber George Mallory took photos in 1921.


About Sri Lanka ::-
Introduction to Sri Lanka ::-

Sri Lanka is a beautiful island paradise in the Indian Ocean with white sandy beaches lush greenery, exciting adventures, amazing wildlife, cascading waterfalls and a rich heritage. The island of Sri Lanka is roughly pear-shaped. The total area of Sri Lanka is 65,610 sq km. Sri Lanka’s coastline is about 1,340 km (about 833 mi) around.

The people in Sri Lanka are warm and friendly. Sri Lankans are known for hospitality in all over the world. People in Sri Lanka ethnically fall into four main categories. The population of Sri Lanka is about 20 million. Sri Lanka has a tropical climate. Sri Lanka has a democratic government. Sri Lanka is mainly an agricultural country. Colombo is the commercial capital of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka gained independence in 1948. Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon.

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Sri Lanka became a plantation economy, famous for its production and export of cinnamon, rubber and Ceylon tea, which remains a trademark national export. By 1996 plantation crops made up only 20% of export, and further declined to 16.8% in 2005 (compared with 93% in 1970), while textiles and garments have reached 63%. The GDP grew at an average annual rate of 5.5% during the early 1990s, until a drought and a deteriorating security situation lowered growth to 3.8% in 1996. The economy rebounded in 1997-2000, with average growth of 5.3%.

Sri Lanka, with an income per head of $1,350, still lags behind some of its neighbors including Maldives and Mauritius but is ahead of its giant neighbor India. Its economy grew by an average of 5% during the 1990s during the 'War for Peace' era. According to the Sri Lankan central bank statistics, the economy was estimated to have grown by 7% last year, although inflation had reached 20%.

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