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News Archive for Jul 2012

A Case has been filed against TNA- Additional information.
By Charles.S.Perera
After the article  “ A Case has been filed against the TNA” was published in the Lanka web and copied to an email Forum with Google, a question was raised as to the transparency of accounting for the contributions sent to the Account of the  Sinhala Jathika Peramuna on behalf of its secretary Jayantha Liyanage. Some of the forum  members expressed their willingness to contribute provided an assurance could be given as to how far Jayantha Liyanage could assure  transparency of contributions received on account of the case against the TNA. I have been working solely in... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 31/07/12)

Can Asia challenge the West
Shenali Waduge
A question never answered is why does the West dominate the world and why do the rest of the world allow the West to dominate them? Moreover, it is always inferred that the West is superior and thus what the West says, does or advises is superior – no questions asked. As we enter the 21st century we can be assured that the world is witnessing two major changes – beginning of the end of Western domination and the Asian renaissance.  When people are the same all over the world to understand how the West came to... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 31/07/12)

India Military Designs and Regional Peace
By Afshain Afzal
India has decided to go for fast track to reach to the level of regional super power. When Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is now President of India, met Indian Chief of Army Staff General V K Singh in February 2012 but refused to disclose the details of his discussions many analysts got the hint what is cooking up with regard to Indo-US-Israeli partnership. The new Indian Chief of Army Staff, General Bikram Singh who assumed charge on 31 May 2012 is said to have links with Pakistan. Indian media reports claimed that General Bikram Singh’s eldest daughter-in-law is... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 31/07/12)

The Unique Historical Gandhi Mandir(Temple)”
PRAMOD RANJAN KUMAR President On behalf of Gandhi Mandir Development Committee.
“The temple is being re-developed, beautified and maintained with the financial assistance graciously given by ADITYA BIRLA GROUP”. The foundation stone of Gandhi Mandir at Bhatra in the municipal area of Sambalpur was laid on March 23, 1971 by the then Revenue Divisional Commissioner of Sambalpur Sri Rabindra Nath Mohanty, I.A.S. It took almost three years to complete the construction of the temple. Its interior decoration was designed by Mr. Truptabhusan Dasgupta a local artist of repute and the idol of Mahatma Gandhi was sculpted by an artist... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 31/07/12)

"අගෝ්ස්තු 1 දා සිට දිවයිනේ වීදි ලාම්පු වලින් 50%ක් නිවාදැමීමට පියවර"
මාධ්‍ය අංශය විදුලිබල හා බලශක්ති අමාත්‍යාංශය
පළාත් පාලන අමාත්‍යාංශ ලේකම් සහ පළාත් පාලන ආයතන නියෝජිතයන් සමග අමාත්‍ය චම්පික රණවක මහතා අද (31) පැවති විශේෂ සාකච්ඡාවකින් අනතුරුව මෙම තීරණයට එළඹ තිබේ. දිවයින පුරා ස්ථාපිත කර ඇති මුළු වීදි ලාම්පු සංඛ්‍යාව ලක්ෂ 8 ඉක්මවයි. ලංකා විදුලිබල මණ්ඩලයේ හෝ ලෙකෝ ආයතනයේ නීත්‍යානුකූල අවසරය සහිතව දිවයින පුරා ස්ථාපිත කර ඇති විදි ලාම්පු ප්‍රමාණය ලක්ෂ 4කට අඩු බව අමාත්‍ය චම්පික රණවක මහතා පවසයි. අද වන විට ජල විදුලි උත්පාදනය ඉතා සීමිත තත්ත්වයකට පත්ව ඇති හෙයින්, රාත්‍රියේ දැල්වෙන එක් වීදි ලාම්පුවක් වෙනුවෙන් වැයවන මුදල ඉහළ ගොස් තිබේ. එක් රාත්‍රියකට එක් වීදි ලාම්පුවකට විදුලිය සඳහා පමණක්... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 31/07/12)

LTTE sympathisers and Catholic priests oppose Muslim Resettlement in Northern Sri Lanka
By Muhammad Siddique
I am writing this to draw the attention of all Sri Lankans to the continued injustice committed against the Muslims of Mannar by the remnants of the LTTE and their sympathisers, including the Catholic clergy. It is very unfortunate that the Muslim political leadership is so divided on this issue that there is a deafening silence from them and the religious leadership is also silent. Though we remain unconcerned, anti- Muslim elements are active in their efforts to perpetuate the injustices against the Muslims. However, The Island newspaper has editorially commented on the latest issue and has... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 31/07/12)

Injustice in Mannar - Tamil Extremist Forces threaten Muslim Resettlement
By Dr Hasbullah
Tamil politicians, Tamil state officials, the Catholic clergy and the legal system in the north including in Mannar have been trying their best to prevent the return of Muslims who have waited for more than two decades to return to their places of origin in the north of the country. The Muslim displaced hoped that these forces would help and facilitate their rightful return to the north with self-respect and dignity after the end of the war. But unfortunately, this did not happen. In Mannar, the Catholic Church and its leading priests are in the background... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 31/07/12)

Lack of Culture or Business Etiquette of Sri Lanka "Businessmen"
Prof. Hudson McLean
I have heard from numerous sources and potential investors, their frustration of not being able to get a response from Sri Lanka "Businessmen". Whether it be the Government Official Ministries or the Private Sector, the Sri Lankans seem to overflow with lethargic incompetence when it comes to answering emails, or telephone calls. This is an illness from the days of post-Colonial Sri Lanka, specially after the British management withered slowly but regretfully. Today, in this Day & Age of Internet, Email free with abundance, the lazy and incompetent Secretaries and their Masters, do not check emails... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 30/07/12)

FUTA President Nirmal Devasiri is mislead and suffers from a complex
By Charles.S.Perera
Lanka Truth of the JVP reported on 28 July,2012, “  The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) today said it is not prepared to accept the invitation of Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake, to report to work from July 30” . Nirmal Devasiri says, “ the strike action will not end until their demands are met.” This man Devasiri who is thinking of bring the Minister and the government to their knees is being manipulated  by the  anti- government forces such as  the JVP and Dambara Amala. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri, is holding the University students as a... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 30/07/12)

Suggestion for Z Score related problem in university admission
Shyam Ratnayake
Dear sir I have a suggestion for Z -score mess,please publish it in order to get everyone in to the disscusion.I think ranking the two students populations based on a combined z score for a single competitive ranking list is not the best way. The two groups have sat for two different set of exam papers , therefore they should be ranked separately. My suggestion is to , allocate a statistically calculated average percentage of university seats to first attempt AL student group, based on the past few years statistical average of number of  first try student suceeded in getting... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 30/07/12)

What the Tamil Refugees taught the HR-Lawyers.
by Double-Beedi Selva (DBS)
 Two Asian Human-Rights lawyer types were waiting for the Brussels-to-Paris fast-TGV train, holding their first-calls tickets in hand. Then they noticed two of the Tamil-refugee claimants (TRCs) that they had defended the day before, also appearing on the same platform, but with only one first class ticket!  'Dorei' said the short, genial TRC and bowed deeply to show respect, while the older TRC remained silent, yet bowed his head. The senior lawyer ignored them while the junior said haughtily "if you guys get caught,  don't expect us to help you out".  `Don't worry Sir,  we... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 30/07/12)

Buddhism and Organic Evolution.
R Chandrasoma
Unlike the clear metaphysical stance of the Monotheists (Christians, Jews Muslims etc.), Buddhism does not endorse a definitive background ontology on what may be called the ‘Cosmic Habitat’ – the grand stage on which the events of the world as we know it are enacted. The Monotheists have a very direct description of the how the world – the cosmos – came into being. There was a Creation Event and the Divine Lord made things to fit a Plan that reflected his his Omniscience. Living species were immutable products of of this Grand Design. In Indian religions... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 30/07/12)

TEA IS OUR PRIDE
Sarath Wijesinghe  (Ambassador to United Arab emirates)
Tea is our pride, for which we can be proud of for the reason that it is the best tea on the Globe. It is the duty of every Sri Lankan, especially the Diplomatic Missions worldwide to defend and promote our silver inherited as much as the beauty of Sri Lanka which is no match to other. Sri Lanka Tea is unique due to unique flavor, color and character which cannot be readily found elsewhere. The humidity, cool temperature, sunshine, and rainfall (two monsoons) in the country’s central and southern highlands are... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 30/07/12)

UK Tamils’ dud shell against Sri Lanka President’s arrival for Olympics Opening
Asada M Erpini
A recent report in the UK Independent has served as a neat dead rope for the UK Tamils whose raison d'être seems to be protesting against the Sri Lanka President, high government officials or, for that matter, anything that gives a positive image of Sri Lanka, According to a news item that appeared in Island on 29 July, the Tamil groups had made elaborate plans to protest against the Sri Lanka President, although no arrangements had been made for His Excellency to be at the Opening Ceremony of the ongoing Olympics in London. The correspondent of... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/07/12)

ASYLUM SEEKERS - GOOD RIDDANCE OF THE BAD RUBBISH (GROBR)
Jaymangala
Over the last few weeks, Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) has intercepted eight boats heading towards Australia  with almost 600 asylum seekers arrested including the smugglers. But still not good enough for the Ausralain High Commissioner Robyn Mudie. She has hinted at the failure of SLN when she met the SLN Commander Vice Admiral Somathilake Dissanayake and asking the SLN to step up action to put an end to the human smuggling when SLN is doing its best to assist Australian Government in arresting the problem. This attitude of the Australian HC demoralises the SLN . There is hardly... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/07/12)

Lankan Dogs protest in the Indian Way
Anuradhini
Doing business in India, arguably the filthiest country in the wold as described by a Chinese tourist, goes like this. “Puri is a tourist hot spot on the east coast, where heaven and hell come together. One side of town is the hotel area, with its picturesque beaches, the other side is a poor fishing village. The inhabitants’ straw huts are lonely islands in a sea of trash, and I got the feeling that it’s never taken away. The most shocking thing: every villager would defecate on the beach. It wasn’t only villagers who would take a crap... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/07/12)

Save the Muslims of Mannar
... -Full Story- (youtube.com - 29/07/12)

Injustice to Mannar Muslims - who is the BIG LIAR?
S.H. Hasbullah  University of Peradeniya
I wish to add few additional points on this.  The information that I am adding here come from my own observations on this and similar other issues that returnee Muslims are faced today in the north.  I can substantiate what I say in the following section with necessary evidences  if situation warrants so. Politicians, state officials, clergies and legal system in the north including in Mannar have been trying their best to prevent the return of Muslims who waited for more than two decades to return  their places of origin. Muslim displaced hoped... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/07/12)

YA TV interiewed Minister Rishard Badurdeen but some Lawyers prevented TNL from broadcasting the programme below.
Please watch here to listen to what Minister Rishad Badurdeen has to say:... -Full Story- (youngasia.tv - 29/07/12)

Speech made by Hon. Hunais Farook in the parliament
... -Full Story- (youtu.be - 29/07/12)

Religious History of Fasting: How it establishes the Truth of the Holy Quran!
By I. Ahmad Source / Credit: Ahmadiyya Gazette USA
 Holy Qur’an says:-“O ye who believe! fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may guard against evil.”  (Al Quran 2:184)  This verse was revealed in the seventh century Arabia, which had very limited knowledge of religions in other parts of the world, yet the verse makes a very bold and daring statement about all revealed religions.  Additionally, it is a statement which would not have helped the local struggle against the polytheistic society of Mecca and the utility of the verse would not be seen... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/07/12)

Worship and Righteous deeds during Ramadhan.
By A. Abdul Aziz, Press Secretary, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, Sri Lanka.
(Given below is an excerpt the Friday Sermon of Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Supreme Head of the world-wide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Islam, delivered on 27th July 2012 at ‘Baithul Futhuh’, London, U.K., gave a discourse on Ramadhan, Worship and Righteous deeds. Ahmadiyya Khalifa said: With the grace of God we are currently going through the holy month of Ramadan. Fortunate are those who will benefit from this blessed month. Blessings of Ramadan are attained by understanding the reality of fasting and by fully benefitting from it. Doubtlessly,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/07/12)

Coming to terms with Sri Lanka's colonial past : Call for justice after 500 years
by Janaka Perera Courtesy Daily News
Galle Fort with Old Harbour in foreground "HOW long illustrious companions, shall we live as slaves to these vile Portuguese, whose harsh servitude you have borne for nearly 125 years without any other liberty than what they permit us?... If they put up with us, it is only to make use of us and that with our own arms we may be the executioners of our own lives, the creditors of our riches, our precious stones and spices, for there is not a year when... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/07/12)

Sri Lankan boat refugees move to Australia: Economic concerns main reason - Counter-terrorism expert
By Shanika SRIYANANDA Courtesy The Sunday Observer
Shanaka Jayasekara Apart from crime stories, boat people, who risk their lives on a deadly journey to Australia have 'decorated' the front pages of most of the local newspapers as well as Australian newspapers. Australia, with a steady influx of asylum-seekers, has become the most sought after destination among Sri Lankans fleeing the country via Indonesia, which is the transit hub. Sri Lankan men and women, despite surveillances by the Sri Lanka Navy and being frequently arrested, leave the shores in risky... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/07/12)

Continuing the series on What Happened in the History of Jaffna - Blaming the Sinhalese for the "insane fury" of Jaffna
H. L. D. Mahindapala
 A closer look into what happened in the history of Jaffna will reveal that dark, demonic and destructive forces presided over its hidden past. Tragically, these dark forces have not evaporated. They still cloud the skies of Jaffna casting long shadows ominously across its future. The ill-fated future of Jaffna was first identified by Mylvaganam Pulavar who wrote the first official history of Jaffna, Yalpana Vaipava Malai, at the request of the Dutch governor in 1736. The forecast of Jaffna's doomed future is pronounced by Suppathidda muni who told King Pararajasegaram that "sovereignty... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/07/12)

Ideas on Economic Development
By Garvin Karunaratne, Ph.D. (Michigan State University) former G.A. Matara,
 The aim of this paper is to highlight certain areas of action to enable Sri Lanka  to make headway in economic development.  Minister Sarath Amunugama in his opening words at the recent Economic Summit  has said some words of wisdom. Both Foreign Investment as well as the Private Sector have not contributed as expected. Sri Lanka has offered perhaps the maximum possible concessions for foreign investors. The Private Sector has had a heyday since 1977. Suffice it to state that the taxes on the rich levied in Sri Lanka... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/07/12)

Indian Olympians see red: Gate-crashing girl steals spotlight from athletes (PHOTOS)
RT
A girl wearing a bright-red blouse gate-crashed the march of the Indian Olympic team at the opening ceremony, infuriating the guests and embarrassing the host’s security staff. ­The company came out of the blue for the Indian delegation comprising around 40 athletes and 11 officials, acting chef de mission Brig PKM Raja was quoted as saying by the Times of India newspaper. First a man, whom the Indians thought to be a member of the organizing committee or a security person, asked them to let the girl walk in front of them. The Indians thought the girl was also... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 29/07/12)

Oh Danny Boyle, the world has watched Britain in awe
James Gillespie, Jon Ungoed-Thomas and Kate Mansey  Courtesy The Sunday Times (UK)
The opening ceremony mixed this island’s history, its humour and the Sex Pistols to stun a global audience IT HAD everything: thunderous music, dancing beds, cycling doves and a first-time actress who stole the show. Danny Boyle’s £27m opening ceremony for the 2012 London Olympics had set itself the herculean task of a gallop through British history from a nation of farmers to the industrial revolution, the creation of the National Health Service and on to the internet. We had been promised magical moments and we got them by... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 29/07/12)

A Case has been filed against the TNA
By Charles.S.Perera
One man stood up against all odds to challenge the legal right of the TNA to claim to represent the Tamil people with an Agenda to set up a separate Eelam state despite its sham call for a Separate State within a united Sri Lanka.  There was another –Stanley Perera who did not want to go about it alone, but wanted some sort of assent of the Government  before filing a FR case.  But the supposed to be the best Lawyers he contacted in Sri Lanka, discouraged him  giving various excuses with regard to the out come... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/07/12)

Village Sketch--26, Wala Semba: Simpleton or Entertainer?
By Arcadius
 Wala Semba (one who used a pot to empty a pit) was a well-known person in our village. He was a seedy, bandy-legged man sporting a bristling moustache. His face revealed the unmistakable signs of a quitter. Although the village folks had no knowledge of physiognomy, they saw cowardice wrapped up in his personality. Village records showed he had (dis)graced the terra firma (solid earth) for more than fifty years. As if to prove that he were a true terrae filius (son of the earth), he preferred not to scrub his legs, which were invariably bedaubed with... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/07/12)

LTTE Diaspora dramatics will soon become a nuisance to Western nations
Shenali Waduge
There’s always a tolerable level to anything and sooner than later the LTTE diaspora are going to find out that they may need to do far more than take to the streets in processions against Sri Lanka, bribe the local MPs while carrying out nefarious acts like credit card scams, gang wars, human smuggling, narcotics, terror financing etc. Should we even flag these crimes to any of these Western governments? Well if these western governments and their leaders are not bothered that their own citizens are victims of people demonstrating on behalf of a banned terrorist outfit... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/07/12)

How on earth did they do that? Danny Boyle turned the audience into a huge human video screen -World heaps praise on Opening Ceremony
Courtesy The Times
The Olympics opening ceremony has been hailed as a “whimsical, riotous and very British” triumph by viewers from around the world, who heaped praise on director Danny Boyle’s tribute to Britain. A billion people are estimated to have tuned in to watch the £27 million spectacular, while thousands of others travelled to the UK to witness the official start of the sporting celebration in person. The three-and-a-half-hour show appeared to be an instant hit with many, with its British sense of humour and vibrant soundtrack celebrated by viewers from other countries who flooded social media sites... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/07/12)

It is great stupidity if Editors, News Editors, Features Editors, Senior reporters and Media Directors of national Newspapers and the Electronic Media believe that media is above reproach.
By Professional Analyst - Canada, 28.07.2012.
“Freelance Journalist/Journalism" cannot be killed in Sri Lanka by these media bandits. From the comments made by a reader, (Ref: Groundviews.com2012/07/24/whither-sri-lankas-media/)   I begin my contribution of thoughts to that wonderful presentation of the reality of the plight of Journalism in Sri Lanka. In fact, there is nothing more to indulge, because the “message” has been unraveled in the content and there cannot be any scrutiny of the facts, yet as a freelance journalist, I wish to add some comments that may be worthwhile to present under this glare of facts about Sri Lankan... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/07/12)

Syrian wheel of fortune spins China's way
By Peter Lee
The question before the People's Republic of China (PRC) leadership is how badly it misplayed its hand on Syria. Or did it? Certainly, the solution advocated by Russia and China - a coordinated international initiative to sideline the insurrection in favor of a negotiated political settlement between the Assad regime and its domestic opponents - is a bloody shambles.And the United States, in another case of the Middle Eastern tail wagging the American dog, has downsized its dreams of liberal-democratic revolution for the reality of regime collapse driven in significant part by domestic thugs and... -Full Story-
(atimes.com - 28/07/12)

Liberal MP, Jim Karygiannis
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario, Canada
27 July 2012 Avinash Gavai (Chatter House) THE EMBASSY Ottawa Dear Avinash Gavai: Your news item 'Jim's at it again" and the comment by Azerbaijani's Ambasador Farid Shafiyev "What a choice made by the Liberal Party for the position of multicultural critic!" says  it all about this Liberal member of parliament, Jim Karygiannis. During the Tamil Tiger war in Sri Lanka he was the spokesperson for his Tamil constituents pulling out all his shenanigan's flaying at the Sri Lankan government at every turn. During the February 4, 2009, Emergency Debate... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/07/12)

Death of Mr. Chandraguphta Mettananda
Senaka Weeraratna Hony. Secretary German Dharmaduta Society
It is with deep regret that we convey the sad news to the members of the German Dharmaduta Society of the death of Mr. Chandra Mettananda. He was a life member of the German Dharmaduta Society. He was the eldest son of the Late L.H. Mettananda, a former Principal of Ananda Vidyalaya, Dharmaraja and Nalanda Vidyalaya. L.H. Mettananda was a leading Buddhist revivalist in the post – independence period of Sri Lanka and accepted by many in this country as a national hero. Chandra Mettananda was a former student of both Ananda... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/07/12)

SRI LANKA RELEASES INDIAN FISHERMEN ON HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS
by Walter Jayawardhana
Indian External Minister S.M. Krishna said the Twenty-three Tamil Nadu fishermen, arrested by Sri Lankan Navy on July 22 when they were fishing near Katchatheevu in the Palk Straits, have been released. The Indian High Commission was making all arrangements for their return, Mr Krishna said at a joint press conference with his Indonesian counterpart Marty M Natalegawa in Delhi. Their release today came a day after Krishna appealed to Sri Lanka to immediately set free the fishermen, who were also accused of ramming their boats into Lankan naval ships, on humanitarian grounds. In Rameswaram in... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/07/12)

"ශ්රී ලංකාව පකිස්ථානයේ සහාය ඇතිව සාම්පූර් ප්රtදේශයේ න්යාෂටික බලාගාරයක් සදන බවට පලවී ඇති ඉන්දීය මාධ්යය වාර්තා අමූලික බොරු"
මාධ්‍ය අංශය විදුලිබල හා බලශක්ති අමාත්‍යාංශය
"සාම්පූර් ප්‍රදේශයේ න්‍යෂ්ටික බලාගාරයක් සැදීමට රජය කිසිදු පාර්ශ්වයක් සමඟ සාකච්ඡා කර නැහැ.. එවැනි සූදානමකුත් අප සතුව නැහැ.. මේ පිළිබඳව ඉන්දියාවේ පලවූ මාධ්‍ය වාර්තා අමූලික බොරුවක්" බව විදුලිබල ඇමති පාඨලී චම්පික රණවක මහතා අවධාරණය කරයි. අමාත්‍යවරයා එම අදහස් පලකළෙ අද (28) පැවති විශේෂ මාධ්‍ය සාකච්ඡාවකට එක්වෙමිනි. මෙම මාධ්‍ය සාකච්ඡාවට ශ්‍රී ලංකා පරමාණු ශක්ති අධිකාරියේ සභාපති ආචාර්ය රංජිත් විෙජ්වර්ධන මහතාද සහභාගි විය. ඉන්දියා ටුඩේ වෙබ් අඩවිය සහ ඉන්දීය මාධ්‍ය කිහිපයක් වාර්තාකර ඇත්තේ, ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ සාම්පූර් ප්‍රදේශයේ න්‍යෂ්ටික බලාගාරයක් ඉදිකිරීම සඳහා ශ්‍රී ලංකාව සහ පකිස්ථානය අතර සාකච්ඡා සිදුකර ඇති බවයි. මේ පිළිබඳව ඉන්දීය රජය විසින් ශ්‍රී... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/07/12)

Was L. H. Mettananda an Extremist?
P. Wevala (Old Nalandian) Courtesy The Island
I refer to the article "There is only one way to national solidarity" of July 4 in The Island by Shanie. According to this article opportunity for national solidarity was lost due to the extremists, who "strangulated and silenced the moderates". We would like to know who the moderates are and how they were strangulated. Shanie has chosen L. H. Mettananda as the spokesperson for the extremists while not mentioning any Tamil leader symbolizing the extremist forces. This letter is written to object to branding L. H. Mettananda as an extremist. He... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/07/12)

Is the Fate of the World Being Decided Today in the Indian Ocean?
by Grégoire Lalieu and Michel Collon / November 3rd, 2010
Straddled by the Islamic arch (which stretches from Somalia to Indonesia, passing through the countries of the Gulf and Central Asia), the region has certainly become the world’s new strategic centre of gravity. This new chapter in our series ‘Understanding the Muslim world’, takes us there on a tour. Mohamed Hassan explains to us how China’s economic development is overturning the world balance of power and is freeing the countries of the South from their dependence on the West. He also lays bare the strategies employed by the US... -Full Story-
(dissidentvoice.org - 28/07/12)

"Embassy of Sri Lanka facilitates student US study tour for "Project Common Bond"
Embassy of Sri Lanka  Washington DC Press Release
Five teenage schoolchildren from Sri Lanka who had lost a family member to an act of terrorism attended this year’s "Project Common Bond", a weeklong peace building and conflict resolution program held in the United States.  The program was organized by Tuesday’s Children, a New York based nonprofit organization serving the needs of those affected by the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack in the United States, as well as other victims of international terrorism and their families. Responding to a request made by the Embassy of Sri Lanka, Tuesday’s Children generously granted the opportunity for the Sri Lankan students... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/07/12)

POSTPONEMENT OF HE HINA RABBANI KHAR'S GUEST LECTURE ON 02ND AUGUST, 2012 -Kadirgamar Institute
Executive Director Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute Sri Lanka
We just received details of postponement regarding HE Hina Rabbani Khar, Foreign Minister of Islamic Republic of Pakistan's visit to Sri Lanka. Therefore the scheduled lecture on 02nd of August, 2012 from 1700-1800hrs had to be postponed as well. A new date regarding the guest lecture will be communicated to you in future. Thank you for your understanding. Best regards Asanga Abeyagoonasekera  Executive Director... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 28/07/12)

HOW JUDEO-CHRISTIAN SECTS TOGETHER WITH DARWINISM ASPHYXIATED THE GLOBAL CIVILISATION (Part II of II)
Mahinda Weerasinghe -The Author of ‘The Origin of Species According To the Buddha’
Part II Buddhist “Sensory Becoming” principle contra Darwin’s “Natural Selection” Extraordinarily enough, it is taken for granted that, it is through Darwin’s famous work ‘The Origin of Species’ that the world first stumbled upon the evolutionary process of species and its shadowy workings. Indeed now these Darwinians were promoting that we swap these fatalistic ‘magical’ creeds of the Judeo-Christian verity with this newly revealed ‘Scientific’ mechanistic one, of theirs. Darwinists are absolutely convinced that ‘natural selection’ is a ‘scientific theory’, just as the true believers are of the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/07/12)

Money Greedy Professors and unsophisticated poor Sinhala Buddhist Villagers
By Charles.S.Perera
I was in a Buddhist Meditation Centre – Pallekelle Devenapetis Samatha Vipassana Meditation Centre, in Kundasale, not far away from Kandy. Peradeniya University  and the Polgolla Open University are not far away from it.  Some times students from these Universities meditate at the Centre. This Meditation Centre is a unique place founded by  late  Venerable Amatha Gavesi.  He was a retired Director of the Police Training School.  He was well versed in the teachings of the  Buddha, and  well known for his knowledge of the Sutta Pitaka- the Canonical writings on the discourses of the Buddha. After... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/07/12)

Codex Alimentarius : Pharmaceutical Industry legally poisoning our Food
Shenali Waduge
The stories of a New World Order, a One World Government and a One world religion is brushed aside as far-fetched conspiracy theories not to be taken seriously. Nevertheless, most of us will be alarmed to know that under our very nose and unknown to us and kept secret by officials and kept silent by mainstream media has been a series of legal food codes and regulations that covers every thing we eat eventually making us victims of the pharmaceutical industry legally denying us our right to purchase or take alternate medicinal cures. The facts are shocking... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/07/12)

We Remember Black July 1983
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario .Canada
 26 July 2012  Sri Lankans Without Borders 1200 Bay Street, Suite 202 Toronto, Ontario.  For the attention of all the Sinhalese Members of the SLWB  In your Mission Statement you say - " Sri Lankans Without Boarders (SLWB) is a growing non-for-profit network based in Toronto, Canada that provides you Canadians of Sri Lankan origin with opportunities to connect, build and lead initiatives that promote dialogue, reconciliation and peace in the diaspora community...."  All that sounds good, extremely good and I am a Buddhist-Sinhalese, and ready to have a dialogue with... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/07/12)

“Tamil illegal immigrant will be killed on return to Sri Lanka”, laments sister in Melbourne
Asada M Erpini
“A desperate bid to stop Australian immigration officers deporting a Tamil man back to Sri Lanka has failed — despite fears from his family he will be killed on his return”, goes the opening sentence in a story in theage.co\m.au – The Age - National Times, dated 27 July. The story continues: ‘‘If he goes there, they kill him’’, his tearful sister said before the flight left. The “they’ in the ever-loving sister’s wailing obviously refers to the government of Sri Lanka or its armed forces, or could even be the Sinhalese who are projected to... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/07/12)

More false claims about beating and torture
George Rupesinghe
The Editor LankaWeb This is a letter I have sent to The Sydney Morning Herald in response to their news item today. More may follow as Tamil deported Once again the Herald publishes unsubstantiated claims of state-sanctioned torture of returned refugees in Sri Lanka (More may follow as Tamil deported, (Herald 26 July). Leaving the country illegally is an offence in Sri Lanka and is subject to prosecution. Yes, those deported from Australia and elsewhere are questioned on arrival to determine how and when they left the country; if they had ties to or were part of terrorist groups; if... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/07/12)

Jealousy - the monster within
Dr.Tilak Fernando
      A friend of mine, strapping Army officer, over 6 ft tall, who braved the terrorist war with a lot of endurance suddenly became sick at a domestic social gathering once. Excusing himself, he swiftly whooshed into a nearest toilet, bent over the wash basin, turned the taps on and started to puke. Certainly he was not intoxicated with liquor, but in a silent aside he muttered to me: "That bloody woman"! I tried to help him by propping his head over the basin. He had a rather heartbreaking tale but I was convinced... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/07/12)

LTTE Global Operations and Creepy Motives of Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu
John MacKinnon
There are folks who love their country and are willing to die for it. Then there are folks who get everything from a developing nation and attack the same nation to make a living. Some time back, Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu came on the radar with his pro-LTTE anti-Sri Lankan and most obviously anti-Sinhalese agenda. Saravanamuttu happens to be just another operative in a vast global network that has creepy motives. The following is our response to a professional journalist who was kind enough to have a civil conversation about the issues. We invite you all to add your... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/07/12)

Undefined Terrorism
By Afshain Afzal
President Barack Hussain Obama ordered the American flag be flown at half-mast over the White House, all public buildings and embassies & military bases overseas, until sunset on July 25, to honor the victims of the mass shooting in Aurora Colorado on 20 July 2012. In a proclamation released by the White House, Obama said he meant the gesture to be "a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless violence." One wonders why US President is not convinced that it was terrorism and the tragic incident is being confused with violence. It was 20 July 2012, when an American... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/07/12)

BABAJ CUTS PRICES IN SRI LANKA
by Walter Jayawardhana
Bajaj Auto   has decreased the price of its three wheelers by 10 percent and its two wheelers by 5 to 14 percent depending on its sizes in Sri Lanka, the Times of India said. Bajaj is having the biggest volume of exports i.e. 17 to 18 percent currently to India’s Southern neighbour. In both categories the company  sells 2,60000 vehicles to Sri Lanka annually.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/07/12)

Invitation to a Guest Lecture by HE Hina Rabbani Khar, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on Pakistan Sri Lanka Relationship - South Asia Context
Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKIIRSS), Colombo
  Hon. Prof. G.L. Peiris M.P., Minister of External Affairs and Chairman, the Board of Management of the LKIIRSS cordially invites you    to a lecture on Pakistan Sri Lanka Relationship - South Asia Context by Her Excellency Hina Rabbani Khar  Foreign Minister of the  Islamic Republic of Pakistan on Thursday 02 August 2012, 1700 -1800 hrs at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies “The Lighthouse”, 24, Horton Place, Colombo 07 Please RSVP with your full... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/07/12)

"ලක්විජය බලාගාරය නැවතත් ජාතික පද්ධතියට"
මාධ්‍ය අංශය  විදුලිබල හා බලශක්ති අමාත්‍යාංශය
•        මෙගාවොට් 300 ක් අද රාත්‍රියේදී ජාතික පද්ධතියට එක්කෙරේ •        තාවකාලික විදුලි කප්පාදුව අද රාත්‍රියේ සිට නතරකිරීමට පියවර   පසුගිය ඉරිදා (22) අළුයම තාක්ෂණික දෝෂයක් හේතුවෙන් තාවකාලිකව ක්‍රියාවිරහිත කළ පුත්තලම ලක්විජය බලාගාරය අද (26) නැවතත් ජාතික විදුලිබල පද්ධතියට එක්කිරීමට කටයුතු කර ඇත. ඇතිව තිබු තාක්ෂණික දෝෂය මඟහැරවීම සඳහා ගත් සියළු පියවර සාර්ථක බව බලාගාර පාලනාධිකාරිය සඳහන් කර සිටී. ඒ අනුව බලාගාරයේ පළමුවන අදියරේ සම්පූර්ණ ජනන ධාරිතාව මෙගාවොට් 300 ක්  අද රාත්‍රියේදී ජාතික පද්ධතියට එක්කෙරෙන බව ලංවිම අවධාරණය කර සිටී.   පසුගිය 24 වනදා රාත්‍රිය වනවිට බලාගාරයේ ඇතිවූ තාක්ෂණික දෝෂය පිළිබඳ ස්ථීර නිගමනයකට එළඹිීමට එහි ඉංජිනේරුවන්ට... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/07/12)

INDIA URGES SRI LANKA TO RELEASE 23 TAMIL NADU FISHERMEN ON HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS
by Walter Jayawardhana
Keeping away from the arrogant stance of the Tamil Nadu government of Jayalalitha New Delhi urged Sri Lanka to release on humanitarian grounds 23 Tamil Nadu fishermen , arrested on charges of entering Sri Lankan waters. “External affairs minister S M Krishna urged the Sri Lankan government to release the fishermen, who were also accused of ramming into Lankan naval ships, on humanitarian basis immediately, official sources said”,the Times of India reported. Sri Lanka Navy arrested 23 Tamil Nadu fishermen when they were fishing off Katchatheevu in the Palk Straits,reports in Chennai said. In Sri Lanka,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/07/12)

Spices not only spice up your chicken curry but they also have antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial and many more medicinal values.
Dr Hector Perera        London
Indian traditions have long been utilizing various spices and there is a scientific basis to their use. Spices have tried, tested and trusted for their medicinal values and a profound effect on general health. They have a wide variety of biological functions and their cumulative or synergistic effects are likely to shield the body against a variety of ailments. Spices also improve digestive processes by intensifying salivary flow, by cleaning the oral cavity and checking infections. Traditionally, spices used as part of the diet, have holistic effects on human health. It is an acceptable fact... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/07/12)

Deshamanya Professor Nandadasa Kodagoda Memorial Oration
Yasantha Kodagoda Trustee
With the view to commemorating the 15th death anniversary of the late Dheshamanya Professor Nandadasa Kodagoda, the Nandadasa Kodagoda Memorial Trust has organized a function to be held on Thursday the 2nd August 2012, at 5.30 pm at the Auditorium of the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute. The main item of this public function will be the delivery of the Deshamanaya Nandadasa Kodagoda 15th Memorial Oration by President's Counsel Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne on "Human Rights : Ours or Theirs". Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne is an eminent lawyer and an expert in Human Rights and Constitutional Law. As... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 26/07/12)

An Expatriate’s Impression on arrival in Sri Lanka and opportunities missed …..
Anjalika Silva - USA
An Expatriate s Impression on arrival in Sri Lanka and opportunities missed  .. For the longest time, expatriates waited in anticipation of the new dual citizenship rules that have finally been made public.  In the whole debacle, those who wanted to  cheat  the Government Regulations were quick to obtain their dual status because of the poor planning that went into the process at the inception.  The focus of the exercise was the revenue of Rs. 200,000 which is approximately US$2,000 per application. With a war stretching 30 years and the well-known ruses used internationally to... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 25/07/12)

CHILD ABUSE IN SRI LANKA
Sarath Wijesinghe
It is true but sad that there appears to be an increasing trend in Child Abuse in Sri Lanka on media. This unfortunately is a sudden development - may be due to media exposure or any other socio economic factors.  Child in Sri Lankan society has been considered precious protected and venerated. Parents in Sri Lanka make the supreme sacrifices for the sake of children because they invest on the education of children rather than accumulating wealth for them as has been done previously. More often they sell family silver for the education of their loved ones... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 25/07/12)

MP Paul Calandra's fundraising linked to bid for radio licence
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . Canada
25 June 2012 Paul Calandra, Conservative MP for Oak Ridges-Markham Parliamentary Secretary to the Canadian Heritage Minister House of Commons, Ottawa cc. Hon. James Moore, M.P., P.C., Minister of Canadian Heritage Dear Paul Calandra: What’s this disgusting piece that I read in today’s Globe & Mail on POLITICAL FINANCE: Junior Minister’s fundraising linked to bid for radio licence! Still linked to the GTA Tamil community, you seem not to have given up being cautious wanting their vote, as they are your bread and butter.  Right, Paul?... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 25/07/12)

Competing bidders for radio spot donated money to Tory MP
BILL CURRY OTTAWA — The Globe and Mail
A Conservative MP who serves as parliamentary secretary to the Canadian Heritage Minister raised thousands of dollars in political contributions from people involved in a high-stakes campaign to win a new Toronto radio licence. Paul Calandra, the MP for Oak Ridges-Markham, attended and received money at two private fundraising parties that included people connected to two of the bids under consideration by the CRTC, which reports to Canadian Heritage.... -Full Story-
(theglobeandmail.com - 25/07/12)

Russian warships in Syria: Any guesses?
Source: Itar-Tass
The departure of a large group of ships of the Russian Navy to the coast of Syria is pursuing two well-defined goals, experts believe. The first one of them is to reinforce Russia's stance on Syria with real arguments. The second one is to evacuate Russian citizens from the country, if necessary. However, they suspect in the West that the training and combat mission of the Russian warships is being carried out to cover up the delivery of arms to the troops of Bashar al-Assad. Many in the West also think that the mission manifests Russia's... -Full Story-
(english.pravda.ru - 25/07/12)

Syria: The cemetery of western credibility
Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey
The West is backing Jabhat Al Nosrah, the al-Qaida branch in Syria. After Libya, only an idiot would believe a word iterated by the west and particularly, the FUKUS Axis (France, UK, US), which backed a terrorist group on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's own list of proscribed factions. As the west and its terrorists grow desperate, read on and see what they are planning. First stop: False Flag event at the Olympics? The repulsive filth we saw in Libya, slicing the breasts off women, murdering, torching buildings, torturing, raping, looting, committing ethnic cleansing is the political... -Full Story-
(english.pravda.ru - 25/07/12)

HOW JUDEO-CHRISTIAN SECTS TOGETHER WITH DARWINISM ASPHYXIATED THE GLOBAL CIVILISATION (In two parts) Part I;
Mahinda Weerasinghe The Author of ‘The Origin of Species According To the Buddha’
FATALISTIC AND MECHANISTIC THEORIES OF LIFE When the first edition of ‘THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES’ appeared in 1859, it was not touted as such, but  as; On the Origin of Species by Means of Natu­ral Selection, or the Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life. Darwin in fact, was not expounding on the ‘origin of life’, but how differences in living forms, which naturalists specified as species, came into being. In order to explain his ‘my’ theory, he variously specified it as "the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/07/12)

The gallows: Sandbag tested, hangmen on verge of recuitement
By Mario Perera, Kadawata
Such was the report in the ‘Island’ recently. The death penalty is a contentious subject. The present actual context as always counts for much in determining the issue. What the times have to tell us is alarming. No one denies that this country is in the throes of a lawlessness crisis. Rank, status and position do not count today where crime is concerned. Drug barons, murderers, hooligans, extortionists, swindlers, commision crows, all corrupt to the core, occupy high seats whether at national or provincial level. They are not only tolerated but even embraced and kept... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/07/12)

Mr Mahinda Weerasingha’s Hallucinations on Darwinism-Rejoinder to article published
R, Chandrasoma
That Mr Weerasinghe has had bad experiences - with persons and institutions ranging from the Island Newspaper to Dr Carlo Fonseka - is no grounds for making a monkey out of Darwin. I presume he is a Buddhist but his stance is exactly that taken by Christiaan Fundamentalists in their mindless campaign of vilification against those regarded as the authors of the ‘infamous ‘doctrine of evolution through descent. To blame Darwin for all the hideous social evils that followed the publication of his epochal work on the transformation of species by descent is like blaming... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/07/12)

"දිවයිනේ ප්රHධාන නගර 62 ක සහ ඒ ආශ්රිoත ගම්මාන වල හෙට සිට දින 02 ක් විදුලිය බිඳවැටේ"-ලක්විජය 27 වනදා පද්ධතියට එක්කිරීමට සැලසුම්.
මාධ්‍ය අංශය  විදුලිබල හා බලශක්ති අමාත්‍යාංශය
මේ වනවිට පුත්තලම ලක්විජය බලාගාරය නැවත පණගැන්වීම සඳහා කටයුතු කෙරෙමින් පවතී. බලාගාර ඉංජිනේරුවන් පවසන පරිදි තව දින 02 කින් මෙගාවොට් 300 උපරිම ධාරිතාවයට බලාගාරය ක්‍රියාත්මක කළ හැකිවේ. කෙරවලපිටිය බලාගාරයේ මෙගාවොට් 100 ලබන 28 වනදා හෝ 29 වනදා සන්ධ්‍යාව වනවිට ජාතික පද්ධතියට එකතුකළ හැකි බව ලංවිම සභාපති මහාචාර්ය විමලධර්ම අබේවික්‍රම මහතා පවසයි. අද වනවිට පවතින දෛනික විදුලි ඉල්ලූම මෙගාවොට් 2050 කි. ඉන් 82% ක් තාප විදුලිය ආශ්‍රයෙන් නිපදවෙන අතර ඉතිරි 18% නිෂ්පාදනය කෙරෙන්නේ ජල විදුලිය ආශ්‍රයෙනි. මේ වනවිට තාප විදුලි බලයෙන් මෙගාවොට් 400 ක් පද්ධතියට අහිමිවීම මත දින කිහිපයක් සඳහා පමණක් තාවකාලික විදුලි කප්පාදුවක්... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/07/12)

JAYALALITHA WANTS TAMIL NADU FISHERMEN TO FISH IN KATCHATEEVU WATERS
by Walter Jayawardhana
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha has insisted the Central government.that arrangements should be made with Sri Lanka government to ease Indian fishermen to fish in the Sri Lanka waters off Katchteevu. Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Jayalalithaa Jeyaram on July 23 requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to arrange for the immediate release of 23 fishermen from Rameswaram, apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy on previous day, off Katchatheevu of Sri Lanka and take up with the Sri Lankan government the need to advise its Navy to refrain from arresting fishermen. In a letter to Dr. Singh,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/07/12)

Sitting for the GCE A/L exam in 14 days!!!!!!
D. Rajapaksa  (2011 GCE A/L)
Its inappropriate to use a topic like above.But it will help to understand the real issue.After the new Z score was out  Examination Department of Srilanka has given an opportunity to apply as private candidates for the 2012 exam for the students who had to suffer with this Z score complication. They have given 5 days to fax the newly filled application with all the necessary documents and sit for the exam on the 6th of August. What is the purpose of this? Can anyone prepare for the exam with in 14 days?... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/07/12)

INDIA TODAY SAYS PAKISTAN WOULD HELP SRI LANKA TO GO NUCLEAR: INDIA CONCERNED
by Walter Jayawardhana
India Today news magazine said Pakistan would probably help Sri Lanka to put up a nuclear power plant in Sampur, Trincomalee. “Pakistan is all set to begin consultations with Sri Lanka to help set up a nuclear power plant in Trincomallee's Sampur, it is believed”, the latest edition of the magazine said. Since the Indian High Commission in Colombo has informed this to their Prime Minister’s office Sri Lanka’s Nothern neighbor seems to be viewing the situation with concern, the newsmagazine said. The strategy is part of Pakistan's grand design of increasing influence in the island... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/07/12)

ගිනිගත් නගරය
වෛද්‍ය රුවන් එම්. ජයතුංග
ග‍්‍රාමසේවක එනවිට  හේමපාල හිටියේ බුලත් කොරටුවේය. උදයම බුලත්වැල්වලට සාත්තු කිරීම දිනචරියාවේ අංගයක් කරගෙන සිටි හේමපාල ග‍්‍රාමසේවකගේ හදිසි පැමිණීම අපේක්ෂා නොකළේය. ග‍්‍රාමසේවකගේ මුහුණේ  ඇති බැ?රුම්කම දුටු ඔහුගේ සිතට අසුබ සිතිවිලි ගලා ආවේය.            ”ග‍්‍රාමසේවක මහත්තයා, මොකද උදේ පාන්දරම? ‘‘හේමපාල මුහුණින් වැගිරෙන දහඩිය ඇඟිලි දෙකෙන් සූරා දමමින් මේස් බැනියමේ පිසදමමින් ඇසීය. ”හේමපාලට කියන්න හදිසි පණිවිඩයක් තියෙනවා. කලබල වෙන්න එපා.” ග‍්‍රාමසේවක උපැස් යුගල අතට ගත්තේය. ” මට පොලීසියේ රාළහාමි කෙනෙක් පණිවිඩය ගෙනාවේ.” ඔහු මොහොතක් නිහඬතාව රැුක්කේය. ”පොලිසියේ රාළහාමි කෙනෙක් ” හේමපාල ග‍්‍රාම සේවකගේ වචන ප‍්‍රතිරාවය කළේ පොලීසිය සමග තමාට ඇති ගනුදෙනුව කුමක්ද යන්න සිතා ගැනීමට නොහැකිවය. ”ඔව්,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 24/07/12)

TO THE EDITOR OF “The ISLAND”; WE HAD DIFFICULTIES IN DECODING YOUR MEESAGE?
Mahinda Weerasinghe
Dear editor, Bizarrely, Carlo Foneska connects Victor Ratnayake and his music with Darwin’s theory through his piece: - ‘Kissing Goodbye to Sa! Wishing Long Life to Victor!’ We are targeted by last Sunday’s issue (The Island, 15th July 2012) thus, with another of his empty pompous hyperboles. We know what Carlo really is: ‘A Catholic in disguises’.  Over the years this chameleon has secreted his true colours and posed as a rationalist and currently connected up with ‘Darwinians’. Now he has hitched his wagon with the ‘Bull frog of Darwinians’; Dawkins, and has become a thorough blooded... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 23/07/12)

NURSE,NURSING AND HOME NURSING -THE NOBILTY OF SERVICE TOWARDS THE SICK & AILING -Are We Being Cheated by Unscrupulous Companies/Individuals?
By Ramani D.Wickramaratne
The word “ Nurse” embodies a paragon of nobleness and virtue which most of us fail to realize. A patient puts his/her life in the hands of the nurse with the hope that a nurse will be able to help him/her back to normal life with due care and nursing. As a child, many are the times that the writer has been amazed at the serenity and calmness with which a hospital Nurse or Sister carried out her duties in the wards whether in private or government hospitals amidst the crowd of patients under their care.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 23/07/12)

Kuruparan vs Minister of Citizenship & Immigration Canada
Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1 Canada
 22 July 2012  Hon. Jason Kenney, P.C.,  M.P. Minister of Citizenship, Immigration & Multiculturalism Canada House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario  Dear Minister Jason Kenney:  I had the opportunity to read the judgement by The Honourable Mr. Justice John O’Keefe of the Federal Court a few days ago between  Nadarajah Kuruparan, Bhamini Kuruparan, Maiyuran Kuruparan, Kirushanty Kuruparan (applicants) and yourself  THE MINISTER OF CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION  (respondent).  These four applicants, all Tamils from Sri Lanka, whose father  Nadarajah Kuruparan was a Commodore in the Sri Lankan Navy and the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 23/07/12)

The Care of Children
BY Rajiva Wijesinha Courtesy The Island
A few months back, at the suggestion of the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies, we arranged consultations on Human Rights at the Reconciliation Office. The invitees were a number of governmental and non-governmental agencies that had significant roles or interests, and the discussions proved extremely productive. This preparation was helpful when the Minister in charge of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the National Human Rights Action Plan appointed me to convene the Task Force he established to expedite activity in this regard. Though we have no powers, the discussions we held have shown both the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 23/07/12)

"හෙට සිට දින කිහිපයක් දිවා කාලයේ පැය 2 යි විනාඩි 15 ක් සහ රාත්රී කාලයේ විනාඩි 45 ක් විදුලිය විසන්ධි කෙරේ"
මාධ්‍ය අංශය විදුලිබල හා බලශක්ති අමාත්‍යාංශය
•ප්‍රධාන පද්ධතියට අහිමි වූ මෙගා වොට් 400 කඩිනමින් ලබාගැනීම සඳහා පියවර ගැනේ.  •කෙරවලපිටියෙන් අහිමි වූ මෙගා වොට් 100 ලබන 28 වනදා ජාතික පද්ධතියට එකතුකරන බව ලංවිම සභාපති මහාචාර්ය විමලධර්ම අබේවික්‍රම මහතා අවධාරණය කරයි. පසුගිය මාස 07ක කාලය තුළ ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ දෛනික විදුලිබල අවශ්‍යතාවයෙන් 75% සිට 88% ක ධාරිතාවක් උත්පාදනය කෙරුනේ තාප විදුලි බලාගාර ආශ්‍රයෙනි. පසුගිය වසර තුළ අපේක්ෂා කළ මෝසම් වර්ෂා දෙකම අහිමිවීම මත වාර්ෂික ජල විදුලි උත්පාදනය 40% සිට 12%, 20% අගයයන් දක්වා පහත වැටිණ. මෙම තත්ත්වය හමුවේ ජාතික විදුලිබල පද්ධතිය සවිමත් කළේ කෙරවලපිටිය වෙස්ට්කෝස් ද්විත්ව චක්‍රිය බලාගාරයේ මෙගාවොට් 270 ක ධාරිතාව... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 23/07/12)

Wherever injustice occurs there can never be peace - Ahmadiyya Supreme Head.
By A. Abdul Aziz.
(Given below is the complete text of Ahmadiyya Khalifa His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad’s Keynote Address -- in Gold Room, Rayburn Building, Capitol Hill, USA, on 27th June 2012.) All distinguished guests (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon you all) Before proceeding, I would like to first of all take this opportunity to thank all of you for taking the time to come and listen to what I have to say.  I have been requested to speak about a subject that is extremely vast and wide ranging. It has many different aspects... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 23/07/12)

Police arrest two marchers
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crecent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1 Canada
 23 July 2012  The Editor THE OTTAWA CITIZEN  Sir:  What's all this then?  You report that 'Police arrest two marchers in tution demonstration'.  The reason given was, 'Police said domonstrators caused traffic disruptions and concerns  during their march from Laurier Avenue to Major Hill Park.' The number of the demonstraters amounted to "around 40" you said.  But when 20,000 Tamils protested carrying a sea of red Tamil Tiger terrorist flags in April and May  of 2009 disrupting evening rush hour traffic for days along Wellington Street for... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 23/07/12)

THE DRONES IN REWARD
PROFESSOR ALI SUKHANVER
According to media reports, the new ISI chief, General Zaheer-ul-Islam would be there in Washington on 2nd of this August to hold talks with CIA Director David Petraeus on counter-terror cooperation and intelligence sharing. Since after the ‘uncivilized and unethical’ raid of the US marines in search of Osama Bin Laden in Abbotabad, the relationship between the two countries is continuously at stake. Moreover the Salala incident in November 2011 and beheading of 17 Pakistani soldiers by the Afghan insurgents in the last week of June 2012 added salt to the injuries. US reaction over the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 23/07/12)

Z score issue is over? Or, a beginning of another muddle?
D. Rajapaksa (2011 GCE A/L)
Finally the Department of Examinations managed to release the Z score yesterday afternoon, after 28 days, after the Supreme court order which was given on the 25th of June. So now we can not ensure that the problem is over. We would be glad if it was. Now it is time to analyze through a vivid mind. Its an Up and Down results sheet. Nobody can not say that is wrong or can not question about the reliability this time because it is the system which has been carried since 2000 and as... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 23/07/12)

Sri Lankans in the armed forces, sports and government should not take any more insults from the riff raff in Tamil Nadu!
Asada M Erpini
A four-man team that went to Tamil Nadu for an International Karate Tournament had to leave the country, according to reports in Express News Service on 22 July, which had also been reproduced in the local media. The Sri Lankans were forced to abandon their proposed participation in the event due to threats by the Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (PDK). PDK had even warned that the players and trainers would not be allowed to stay in a private resort.  The same source carried another story under the title, “Furious Jaya asks Manmohan to pack off Sri Lankan... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 22/07/12)

The Government is still under threat from LTTE ideology.
A patriotic son of Sri Lanka - 22nd July 2012.
 Justice has to be fair. Rishad Bathiudeen the Hon. Minister of Industry and Commerce has been accused by the Mannar magistrate of threatening him and interfering in a judicial order made by the magistrate. The rule of law has to definitely take it's course of action. It is appreciative that the President has directed the IGP to commence an in-dept inquiry on the incident. The Government is still under threat from LTTE ideology. Supportive groups and individuals, both government officials and guardians of the law as well as opposition politicians... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 22/07/12)

Mailgram Study, Stanford Prison Experiment and Hammond Hill to K (Killing) Point
Dr. Ruwan M Jayatunge M.D.
 Sometimes this whole world is just one big prison yard. Some of us are prisoners, the rest of us are guards. — Bob Dylan  Psychologist Albert Bandura once said “Our ability to selectively engage and disengage our moral standards…helps explain how people can be barbarically cruel in one moment and compassionate the next.”. Indeed man is capable of committing atrocities and derives satisfaction. Contrary to that man is capable of love and care. But our past experiences in Nanking,   Guernica, Gulags, Auschwitz-Birkenau, Buchenwald, My Lai, Killing Fields in Cambodia, Rwanda,  Abu Ghraib prison... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 22/07/12)

Beware of the shoe racket at the airport
Dr. Mrs. Mareena Thaha Reffai
My brother who was waiting at the Katunayake International airport for  his flight to Qatar,  went to the prayer area to pray. There he left his brand new shoes at the shelf outside the prayer area but when he returned after prayers only one shoe was found- the other was missing. Since he happened to know  an officer he complained to him who asked the laborers around about it. One laborer   said he found a shoe far away near a shop and went and brought it. When my brother was contemplating paying him for... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 22/07/12)

WATER WARS BETWEEN TAMIL NADU AND KARNATAKA OVER CAUVERI RIVER WATERS
by Walter Jayawardhana
After jointly bashing Sri Lanka over the ethnic Tamil issue political arch rivals in Tamil Nadu have now started attacking their other neighbor , the state of Karnataka for their scarcity of water in one voice. Both DMK leader Muthuvel Karunanidhi and his arch rival Chief Minister Jeyalalitha Jeyaram have issued scathing attacks and initiated legal battles against Karnataka state authorities for the bone dry conditions in Tamil Nadu and the immense problems their Tamil Nadu farmers are facing  alleging   lessening waters of River Cauvery which has its beginnings in Karnataka state. Lashing out at the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 22/07/12)

World Fellowship of Buddhists takes step towards promotion of animal welfare
by Janaka Perera
The World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) in its final Declaration read out at the conclusion of the 26th General Conference held in Yeosu, South Korea from June 11- 16, 2012, called on humanity, among other things, to extend compassion and loving kindness to all living beings as advocated by the Buddha. The placing of an emphasis by the WFB in its final Declaration on the need for greater moral concern to be shown for the welfare of other living beings was pursuant to the adoption of a Resolution by the WFB Standing Committee for Humanitarian Services chaired... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 22/07/12)

Misguided Marxist midgets posing as theoretical giants
H. L. D. Mahindapala
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 deracinated, disoriented and disinherited 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, recipes and the mono-causal fictions they concocted to demonize the nation have gone down the drain that ran all the way to disgorge in the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 21/07/12)

To compliment Sri Lanka’s Military achievements Tamils must live without Caste and Class say Mullaitivu Tamils
Shenali Waduge
Anyone keen to know and understand the dynamics of Sri Lanka’s conflict will need to also realize that the cries of discrimination by the Sinhalese was an orchestrated plan to keep hidden from the world the fact that Tamils were and wanted to continue to remain divided by caste and class so that only a handful of Tamils would between themselves enjoy education, social and political development. Now that Sri Lanka’s military has eliminated the terrorist factor, what remains is the need to vanquish the caste and class divisions that continues to remain unabated. While the military... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 21/07/12)

SPINNER RAHUL SHARMA THROWN INTO JEOPARDY A S HE IS FOUND POSITIVE FOR DRUGS
by Walter Jayawardhana
Spinner Rahul Sharma’s participation in the ODI in the India Sri Lanka match at Hambantota has been thrown into jeopardy as he has been tested positive for the drug test after having been arrested at a rave party in Bombay last May. On the eve of the Hambantota clash both Sharma and South African cricketer Wayne Parnell who also took part in the party together with many others have been found positive for having imbibed themselves with narcotics and alcohoL at a rave party in a posh hotel. The Times of India report said Sharma is... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 21/07/12)

Deportation only antidote to human smuggling – SLN Chief tells Aussie HC-GoSL-Australia on collision course over refugee boats
by Shamindra Ferdinando Courtesy The Island
Sri Lanka and Australia are on a collision course over what the Australian High Commissioner in Colombo Ms Robyn Mudie asserts is the failure on the part of the Sri Lankan Navy (SLN) to put an end to human smuggling. Australian HC Mudie urged Navy Commander Vice Admiral Somathilake Dissanayake to step up SLN action, at a hurriedly arranged meeting at SLN headquarters to discuss the issue last Wednesday (18). Asked whether Australian action had been prompted by his failure to take tangible measures, Vice Admiral Dissanayake told The Island that trawlers... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 21/07/12)

Safeguarding Sri Lanka’s Natural Resources from Investors
 Shenali Waduge
The euphoria of post-war has insisted that the Sri Lankan Government showcase its ability to lead by attracting foreign investment. The pressure has been such to artfully deter the local authorities from taking into consideration the type of investment they are welcoming into Sri Lankan shores and instead to concentrate on the number of investment totally ignoring factors to be considered before striking any deals. This is leading Sri Lanka to compromise its key natural resources which invariably is likely to affect the long term needs of the people of Sri Lanka as well as the likelihood... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/07/12)

Diplomats promoting communal politics
S. Akurugoda
According to media reports, a Colombo based senior Norwegian diplomat had been trying to forge an electoral alliance between the TNA and the SLMC since the government dissolved the Eastern Provincial Council and the diplomat is believed to have the blessings of the countries campaigning for a war crimes probe against Sri Lanka. Although in a subsequent statement made to the press, Norwegian embassy has denied any involvement in the countries elections or internal party politics, those who are aware of the past of these Norwegians and their interference in internal affairs and partiality since they... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/07/12)

Village Sketch—25:Four Merry Gentlemen
By Arcadius
After my mother’s younger brother, Punchi Maama, left Pathegama, he settled in a village in the Northwestern Province. The new headmaster of the village school was an elderly man. But he was quite different from the common run of his confreres (fellow members of his profession). He did not care to be dignified. Neither was he interested in assuming any degree of gravity or sobriety. Whether he had anything in his head that could be called learning was rather doubtful. If Oliver Goldsmith (1730–1774) had heard of a similar worthy in his day, his description of the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/07/12)

AFP'S INVOLMENT IN FOREIGN AFFAIRS - RESPONSE TO BRUCE HAIGH
Dr Anura Weereratne    Barrister  &  Solicitor, Canberra
I refer to the article in today’s  July 20, 2012- Canberra Times,  AFP should not be involved in foreign policy affairs - The Sri Lankan high commissioner should be recalled immediately- by Bruce Haigh -: http://www.Canberra.com.au/national/letters/war-crimes-allegations-and-the-sri-lankan-high-commissioner-20120719-22d7f.htmlixzz217EAQcqp The Federal Government can use any of its Agencies including the AFP (Australian Federal Police) to ascertain any matters at any time.  It is quite reprehensible on the part of  Mr Haigh to cast aspersions on the integrity of the AFP. Haigh’s article had a number of inaccuracies.  The UN has not accepted that... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 20/07/12)

Call for Sri Lankan envoy's expulsion -response to the news item in today’s Canberra Times.(20 July 2012)
Anura Weereratne, Nicholls
I refer to the news item in today’s CT quoting Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon’s demand for the expulsion of Admiral Samarasinghe the Sri Lankan High Commissioner.http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/call-for-sri-lankan-envoys-expulsion-20120717-228qd.html The request purportedly made  of alleged war crimes leveled against the Sri Lankan military on the last days of the war against the Tamil Terrorists in 2009. Admiral Samarasinghe was the head of the Sri Lankan Navy and was largely responsible in annihilating the Tamil Terrorists fleet that were transporting war materials to the conflict.   This Navy action contributed greatly in the defeat of the terrorists.   Admiral Samarasinghe’s statement that... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/07/12)

Hardcore Tiger operation at Vavuniya prison foiled by STF commando
Tissa Ravindra Perera, in The Nation, 8 July 2012
Last week, the international Tamil Eelam movement attempted to raise their heads at the Vavuniya prison, where a number of LTTE terrorist suspects are being held. The operation was to hold some prison officers hostage and take full control of the prison. The prison premises located on a 40-perch land was taken under the control of the LTTE suspects, who were being given instructions over digital phones by the international LTTE leaders. While the operation was in progress, some members of a political party in the South were also in... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/07/12)

SAUDI ARABIA’S NON MUSLIMS SHOULD ALSO NOT EAT DRINK OR SMOKE DURING RAMAZAN OR BE EXPELLED
Associated Press
RIYADH: Saudi authorities are warning non-Muslim expatriates against eating, drinking or smoking in public during Ramzan, the monthlong sunrise-to-sunset fast - or face expulsion. The interior ministry of the oil-rich kingdom is calling on non-Muslims to "show consideration for feelings of Muslims" and "preserve the sacred Islamic rituals." Otherwise, a statement says, Saudi authorities will cancel violators' work contracts and expel them. The warning came on Friday, the first day of the Ramzan observance. In addition to Saudi Arabia's 19 million citizens, there are nearly 8 million Asian workers in the country, as well as hundreds of... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/07/12)

VICTOR RATHNAYAKA STAGED HIS FINAL LOVABLE MUSICAL EXTRAVAGANZA “SA” AMID CHEERING OF THE GATHERING AT ‘NELUM POKUNA”ART AND PERFORMING THEATRE.
Claude Fernanado,Brampton,Canada
Victor Rathnayaka’s  “SA” the greatest  single song show came to the conclusion at the Nelum pokuna”  Art  theatre recently. The chief gust was His Excellency  President  Mahinda Rajapaksha   who is also an admirer of Victor and his songs . For sure It was an inexplicable moment  overjoyed viewers flocked to share their artistic  emotional  feelings with  tear welling eyes  with Victor  for ending  his most popular musical extravaganza  which has been performing long decades  by indelibly  impressing   and sticking  in  minds  and hearts of music  enthuastic fans in Sri Lanka as well as  abroad.  “SA” was... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/07/12)

MIHIN LANKA TO START FLYING TO MADURAI
by Walter Jayawardhana
Mihin Lanka will connect Colombo to Madurai soon, Civil Aviation Minister Piyankara Jayaratne has assured Travel Club,The Hindu reported. The long wait of southern residents and trade bodies in the region for international connectivity to Madurai Airport, which boasts of a new Indian Rs.130-crore integrated terminal, is about to end soon as the Sri Lankan  carrier Mihin Lanka is likely to commence operations from Colombo to Madurai in September. Sri Lankan Civil Aviation Minister Piyankara Jayaratne assured a delegation from the Travel Club that the low cost carrier was likely to launch its operations in the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/07/12)

New Delhi’s boo to Karunanidhi and Jayalalitha
Lucien Rajakarunanayake, Courtesy The Daily News
Whether the action is one of a tiger or mouse is left for the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha to decide. But New Delhi acted with continued courage and determination in banning the LTTE for another two years. The decision came almost in sync with Jayalalitha’s call for the Indian government to act like a tiger and not a mouse against little Sri Lanka. It is evident whatever Jayalalitha thinks New Delhi is of the view that the LTTE or Tamil Tigers, who continue their false championing of the Tamils of Sri Lanka... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 20/07/12)

Afghanistan and global dominance Pt2
The Real News.com
Engdahl: New regional cooperation that challenges US dominance is good for the world Watch full multipart Afghanistan and global dominance... -Full Story-
(therealnews.com - 20/07/12)

Afghanistan and global dominance Pt1
The Real News.com
Engdahl: US-China strategy driving Afghan war, but no real long-range thinking in place Watch full multipart Afghanistan and global dominance... -Full Story-
(therealnews.com - 20/07/12)

IN FOCUS - WHAT MAKES YOU QUIVER …… ?
Dr. Tilak. S. Fernando
Is nausea a thing that we create in our mind…..?  Repugnance, revulsion , queasiness ,  abhorrence or whatever term  one likes to define it,   simply  it  boils down to natural  human emotion that reflects  us towards a specific people, animal (s)  insect(s) ,  object (s ) or  the type of food each community consumes.  Charles Darwin proclaimed   that ‘disgust can be aroused by quite a few varying factors such as an emotion shared by different cultures which are radically assorted.  In this regard a particular culture which considers flagrant can vary tremendously by another’. Psychologists’... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 19/07/12)

INITIATIVES IN POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN INDIA AND SRI LANKA AND THE WAY FORWARD:
PRESS RELEASE- Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKIIRSS)
Monday, 23rd July, 2012   2:00 – 6:00pm   Followed by Q & A and a Networking Session
-------------------------
The Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKIIRSS) will convene the National Conference in Reconciliation on the Role of Women in Reconciliation from 2:00-6:00 pm on Monday, 23rd July, 2012. The conference will bring together experts, state representatives, activists and diverse organizations on women’s affairs to share their experiences, expertise and unparallel work. The three decade long internal conflict damaged Sri Lanka's political, social and cultural fabric.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 19/07/12)

"න්යUෂ්ටික ආපදා පූර්ව සංඥා පද්ධති ස්ථාපනයට පියවර"
මාධ්‍ය අංශය  විදුලිබල හා බලශක්ති අමාත්‍යාංශය
න්‍යෂ්ටික අනතුරක් මගින් ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ පාරිසරික විකිරණශීලීතාව යම් අයුරකින් ඉහළ ගියහොත් එම තත්ත්වය හැකි ඉක්මණින් හදුනාගෙන ඒ සදහා ප්‍රතිචාර දැක්වීමේ පද්ධතියක් සවිකිරීමට, විදුලිබල හා බලශක්ති අමාත්‍යංශය යටතේ ක්‍රියාත්මක වන පරමාණුක ශක්ති අධිකාරිය පියවර ගෙන ඇත. ඒ සඳහා පරමාණුක ශක්ති අධිකාරිය/ හ්‍රී ලංකා නාවුක හමුදාව/ ආපදා කළසණාකරණ අමාතයාංශය සමග ඒකාබද්ධ ගිවිසුමකට අත්සන් තැබීම පසුගිය ජූනි 28 වනදා සිදු කෙරිණ. එම ගිවිසුමට අනුව  පරමාණුක ශක්ති අධිකාරියේ මෙහෙයවීමෙන් කල්පිටිය, තලෙයි මන්නාරම, ඩෙල්ප්ට් දූපත් හා කන්කසන්තුරේ පිහිටි නාවුක හමුදා මූලස්ථාන වල නුදුරු දිනකදී මෙම පද්ධති ස්ථාපනය කිරීමට සැලසුම් කර තිබේ. පළමු අධියර යටතේ මෙම ස්ථාන හතරේ මෙම... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 19/07/12)

THE HINDU SAYS KARUNANIDHI’S TESO IS INCONGRUOUS IN CURRENT POLITICAL CONTEXT
by Walter Jayawardhana
The Hindu newspaper in a strongly written op-ed piece said veteran politician Karunanidhi’s attempt to revive a forum called Tamil Eelam Supporters Organization, a mid 1980’s created platform to drum up support  for a separate Tamil nation in Sri Lanka is something incongruous in the current political context. The op-ed piece entitled “Seriously Out of Touch”further said, “Having eliminated rivals to emerge the sole proponent of the cause, and having let the power of arms overshadow its political content, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) effectively destroyed the movement for separation through its ultimate defeat.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 19/07/12)

SRI LANKA MUSLIM CONGRESS TO CONTEST BOTH RULING PARTY AND UNP
by Walter Jayawardhana
Following bargaing with Sri Lanka’s governing party and Opposition United National Party about the number of seats it could get at the forthcoming provincial council elections the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress has now decided to go it alone as neither parties did not want to have an election pact with them. Muslims of either parties would be contesting  the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress at the Eastern Provincial Council Polls in the coming elections. Sri Lanka’s main Muslim minority party has announced that it will contest the eastern provincial council polls independent of the ruling coalition, just... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 19/07/12)

Russia, China veto western-backed Syria resolution at UN Security Council
RT
Russia and China have vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution that threatened Syria with more sanctions. ­It was the third time in nine months that Russia and China used their powers as permanent members of the 15-nation council to block resolutions on Syria. There were 11 votes in favor of the resolution. Russia and China voted against it, while South Africa and Pakistan abstained from voting. Addressing the council, Russian Representative to the UN Vitaly Churkin accused the Western members of the UNSC of attempting to "fan the flames of confrontation in the Security Council." "The draft resolution... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 19/07/12)

ICRC Supports Imperialism for Profit
by Stephen Lendman
Progressive News Hour regular James Petras once said most NGOs skim 90% of donations for themselves. They're predators, not humanitarians. They serve political agendas for profit. They avoid denouncing governmental patrons providing financing. They don't link neoliberal exploitation and human rights violations to imperial agendas. They support wrong over right. They prey on the world's vulnerable. They commit flagrant abuses for self-enrichment and close ties to top government officials. ICRC is no exception. More on it below. On July 18, Security Council members again vote on a Western resolution. Russia and China vetoed two earlier ones.... -Full Story-
(sjlendman.blogspot.co.uk - 19/07/12)

Texas executes mentally impaired inmate with animal drugs
RT
A 33-year-old man with alleged mental impairments was executed by the state of Texas on Wednesday after being administered a single narcotic by lethal injection — the same drug commonly used by veterinarians to kill dogs and cats. Despite requests for authorities to reconsider the mental functions of Yokamon Hearn, the convicted car jacker and murderer became the sixth death row inmate executed in only seven months by the state. And although the execution occurred in a state unarguably infamous for its routine capital punishment procedures, the case is continuing to raise questions about why and how Hearn was... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 19/07/12)

Who's afraid of India and USA?
H. L. D. Mahindapala
I wish to begin by welcoming the initiative of the convenors of the National Organisations' Conference aimed at focusing on the impending threat of imposing 13 + under Indian, American, NGO and the separatist lobbies, both in Sri Lanka and abroad. It is the latest front organised to combat the anti-Sri Lankan forces in NGOs, foreign separatist and diplomatic lobbies, the UNP-TNA combination, the Tamil wing of the divided Catholic Church and other allied groups. This move is timely because there is a  well founded fear of the  GOSL caving in under local, regional and international pressures. Private and... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 19/07/12)

Sri Lanka’s Education Crisis : Need for Natural Teachers
Shenali Waduge
Is Sri Lanka’s education crisis due to our children not studying or is it because our teachers cannot teach? Students would list out why they are lethargic to study, why they can’t understand their teachers, why nothing makes sense while teachers when asked would say students are not interested in studies, they lack concentration and they lack motivation to teach because they are poorly paid. While both student and teacher will have reasonable arguments the root cause of the problem is that we are facing a dearth of natural teachers who have the passion to teach and... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 19/07/12)

Wither Higher Education in Sri Lanka.
By Garvin Karunaratne, Ph.D. Michigan State University
 Introduction
These days our University dons are on the streets – it is perhaps the seventh day they are on strike,  in pursuit of  higher salaries and also dictating to the Government that the quota of the budget  devoted to education should be increased from less than 2% today to the accepted level of 4% to 6% and also seeking a consultative place in the education policy making process,  all worthwhile aims, provided the dons have played their part in the interests of the development of their Motherland. I graduated from... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 19/07/12)

Frederica Jansz not far from the truth of what she “ Claims ” the Defence Secretary said over the phone
By Charles.S.Perera
Frederica Jansz is well known for her telephone call to the  former Commander of the Army. She has done enough damage to Sri Lanka with those calls and subsequent inter views with Sarath Fonseka.  That alone should have been enough to withdraw her licence as a Journalist.  She is now out to make herself a name with the International Community, who are there to help dissidents and writers and journalists writing against the governments who have gained the displeasure of the West.  The International Federation of Press Freedom and the Reporters without Boarders are out crying for... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 19/07/12)

Black July’: Victim was the Sinhalese and not the Tamils
Asada M Erpini
The LTTE members and the supporters of the terrorist group based in the richest countries in the World – Norway, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, etc. - are getting ready to hold their annual ritual under the banner “Black July”. It is to tell the ignorant and gullible citizens of these countries how tens of thousands of innocent Tamils were massacred by the criminal Sinhalese in Sri Lanka in July1983, forcing those who managed to escape to seek refuge in far off lands. The number of innocents killed during the July ’83 riots may have been a few... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 19/07/12)

Sri Lankan Ambassadors Worldwide with a Novel Experience
Sarath Wijesinghe- Ambassador to United Arab Emirates -
His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan Governmentappoints Ambassadors, High Commissioners, and Consul Generals to present the image of the country on Political, Economical and diplomatic activities which deal with states and intergovernmental organizations in the international arena. The novel experience and training during the rigorous training and exploratory voyage at the workshop organized by the Ministry of External Affairs is of immense value to the Ambassadors attended  in finding a way forward for transformation of the traditional foreign service and policy to be a more proactive,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 18/07/12)

Rajesh Khanna passes away
IANS
Rajesh Khanna is no more after being critically ill from last few months. He breathed his last in the presence of his ex-wife Dimple Kapadia, daughters Rinkie and Twinkle, son-in-law Akshay Kumar, grand children and close relatives. From the dizzying heights of fame to quiet shadows behind the arclights, Rajesh Khanna's life had a theatrical sweep, almost like one of his films. In an era long before this age of instant connect of mobile phones and internet, Rajesh Khanna was the man who sparked a frenzy never seen before and never since, not even by the likes of... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 18/07/12)

SIX YEAR OLD GIRL FROM A LANKAN REFUGEE CAMP IN TAMIL NADU RAPED AND MURDERED
by Walter Jayawardhana
A six year old girl belonging to a Sri Lankan refugee camp at M.Mettaputti has been found raped and murdered and left in a concrete pipe in a culvert in Tamil Nadu. Finally a pirated version of a DVD which the rapist accidentally dropped while engaging in the crime from his shirt pocket provided a a clue to the identification of the criminal. An outraged crowd mobbed the hall where he was interrogated by the police and he had to be carried away to the police under heavy protection. The Hindu which carried a news story... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 18/07/12)

Karunanidhi says ready to drop eelam
BY S VENKAT NARAYAN Courtesy The Island
Our Special Correspondent NEW DELHI, July 17: Heeding Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s advice, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Chief Muthuvel Karunanidhi has now decided not to push for Eelam or a separate state for Sri Lankan Tamils. Instead, he will focus on ensuring justice for them. "Now, there will be no protests or agitation in favour of a separate Eelam. The immediate requirement is to heal the wounds of the island’s Tamils and enrich their livelihood," he declared while talking to reporters in Chennai on Monday. Readers will recall that... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 18/07/12)

India's beggar my neighbor policy
Ranjith Soysa
According to reports, India has expressed her concern about the development of the cement deposit in KKS when Sri Lanka requires to get the assistance of foreign investors for such a project. It is ironical that India has indicated security reasons  to prevent  Sri Lanka seeking foreign funds for KKS.. In short , as in the case of Trinco oil tank farm. Coal fire station in Sampur and oil exploration in the gulf of Mannar , India demands that Sri Lanka has to depend on Indian investment and also poor Indian technology  ONLY for economic development. In... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 18/07/12)

Battle of Britain - July/August 2012
Bimal Ferdinando Athurugiriya Courtesy The Island
Dear Mr. John Rankine, British High Commissioner Please do not waste your not very valuable time making comments on the militarisation of Northern Sri Lanka. Just visit your own country and observe how it is faring in organising the Olympic Games which is all to do with peace. Your defence ministry, not ours, has already deployed 18, 000 soldiers to defend the games! (More than SL has in the whole of the North for post 30 year conflict garrison duties). Some 3,500 Brit troops are to do commercial and industrial security duties in... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 18/07/12)

FACING AN INDIAN DOOSRA
By Gomin Dayasri         
India is a friend of Sri Lanka? Often said but listened in disbelief. If it is in India’s interest, the answer is, yes. Who stays mum to help a friend in distress and seek multiple benefits in return?  India opts to cheer at the mayhem of another and enjoys watching the discomfort. Worse, never to mind its affairs, prefers to covertly interfere. Pakistan has been a friend in the midst of all its troubles. China from a distance impacts the region thriving on distrust and suspicion India attracts. An event tells the story vividly.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/07/12)

Black July’83 was staged to humiliate the Sinhalese and create the Tamil Diaspora
Shenali Waduge 
It is often only after events take place and the damage has been done that we realize a lot of the riots, civil unrests, invasions taking place globally have all been planned and executed to perfection. The Arab uprisings leading to the fall of Egypt, Libya, Syria were all planned by external forces. These same forces overthrew the democratic Government of Iran and replaced it with the Shah. It was these same forces that implored Saddam to invade Kuwait and then used that as an excuse to invade Iraq. It now emerges that even Hitler was paid... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/07/12)

Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapakse to resign from Defence Secretary Post? – No, he should be there as long as he wants
Asada M Eripini
There is such brouhaha in the media demanding that Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapakse, Secretary of Defence of Sri Lanka, should resign, or should be sacked, because of his purported unbecoming behaviour in an interview with the Editor of the Sunday Leader newspaper. Regular writers to the media such as Dr. F’do as well as the Head of a Colombo-based group,  which ostensibly was involved for many years in unearthing alternatives to policies so that the so-called ethnic problem in the country could be solved – naturally as demanded by the rich West and probably prodded on by... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/07/12)

God Particle and God like properties
Nalin de Silva. Courtesy The Island
It appears that some readers including Bodhi Dhanapala have misunderstood the objective of my letter to the Editor on who or what gave mass to the God particle. At the outset it has to be said that in my letter to the Editor I had mistakenly referred to the Higgs Boson as God’ particle when it should have been referred to as the God particle. I was not interested in finding out who gave the name God particle to it. As the title very clearly indicated I wanted the readers to ponder on... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/07/12)

TAMIL EELAM SUPPORTERS ORGANIZATION OF KARUNANIDHI MINUS A DEMAND FOR EELAM
by Walter Jayawardhana
The Tamil Eelam Supporters Organisation (TESO), a forum started by DMK leader M. Karunanidhi,  has dropped the demand to create a Tamil Eelam as expected earlier  in its theme paper issued on Monday July 16 Asked why the paper was silent on a referendum for a separate Eelam, Mr. Karunanidhi has said that in democracy it was unfair to force an idea before listening to the views of the conference delegates. “Now, there will be no protests or agitation in favour of a separate Eelam. The immediate requirement is to heal the wound of the Tamils... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/07/12)

SRILANKAN SCIENTISTS DISCOVER A NEW GENUS OF FRESH WATER FISH: DAWKINSIA
by Walter Jayawardhana
Sri Lankan scientists have discovered a new genus of freshwater fish and named them Dawkinsia after the world renown evolutionary scientist and aethist, who wrote the popular book, God Delusion. According to Lead researcher Rohan Pethiyagoda  the new genus, comprises nine species that are found only in South Asia and are characterised by long filaments that trail from the dorsal fins of males. The fish has previously been classified under the genus Puntius, comprising around 120 species of small tropical fish known as barbs. A report said “Pethiyagoda, an ichthyologist and internationally acclaimed conservationist, said extensive... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/07/12)

NO DEMAND FOR EELAM AS KARUNANIDHI DROPS CONTROVERSIAL CLAMOUR AT TESO UNDER PRESSURE FROM NEW DELHI
by Walter Jayawardhana
DMK leader Muthuvel Karunanidhi who came under the pressure of New Delhi had to drop his demand to create a separate state called Eelam the Times of India reported. In a Chennai datelined news item the Times of India said , “ Union home minister P Chidambaram on Sunday (July 15) reportedly conveyed to DMK chief M Karunanidhi the central government's displeasure over a move by the ally to pass a resolution to demand Tamil Eelam at a meeting of the Tamil Eelam Supporters Organisation (TESO) in Chennai on August 12.” “The TESO, which comprises supporters... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/07/12)

Z score complication is heading towards its end
D. Rajapakse (2011 GCE A/L)
Dear editor. i just want to express my ideas to your website on this issue. 2011 Z score calculation made a chaos in this year. Everybody knows what happen. Students along with the Ceylon Teachers Union had to seek justise through the Supreme Court. So this issue went that far to solve. Now it is heading towards its end. It took nearly 7 months to come this far and exam for this year will be Starting on the 6th of August. Without the Z score or correct District ranks no one who... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/07/12)

දඩයක්කාරයා හමුවීම
වෛද්‍ය රුවන් එම් ජයතුංග  
සයිමන් නවගත්තේගම යනු සිංහල සාහිත්‍යයේ මනෝවිශ්ලේෂණාත්මක  සලකුණ සනිටුහන් කල  ලේඛකයා කිවහොත් නිවැරදි බව සිතේ. ඔහු නිර්මාණකරණයේදී මනෝවිශ්ලේෂණාත්මක සංකේත බහුලව යොදා ගත්තේය.  සයිමන්ගේ  සංසාරාරණ්‍යයේ දඩයක්කාරයා කෘතිය මුළුමනින්ම පිරි තිබෙන්නේ මනෝවිශ්ලේෂණාත්මක  සංකේත වලිනි. මනෝවිශ්ලේෂණාත්මක   සංකේත  යොදා ගනිමින් සයිමන් නවගත්තේගම දඩයක්කාරයාගේ ප්‍රයාණය විස්තර කරයි. මේසා ගැඹුරු මනෝවිශ්ලේෂණාත්මක ප්‍රවේශයකින්   සිංහල නවකතාවක් ලියන ලද ප්‍රථම ලේඛකයා සයිමන් නවගත්තේගම ශුරින් විය යුතුය.  මුලින්ම මනෝවිශ්ලේෂණාත්මක ප්‍රවේශයකින් නවකතාවක් පළ වන්නේ 1923 වසරේ  Ettore Schmitz   විසින් ලියන ලද    Confessions of Zeno   නවකතාව සමගය. නමුත් මනෝවිශ්ලේෂණවාදය  බොහෝ කාලයක් යන තෙක්  ලාංකික ගත්කරුවන් ගැඹුරින් යොදා නොගත් බව පෙනී යයි.   මාර්ටින් වික්‍රමසිංහගේ විරාගය... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/07/12)

“National Seminar on Cultural Heritage”-”පුරාවිද්යාnත්මක වස්තු වල අඩංගු මූලද්ර(ව්ය සෙවීමට පරමාණු ශක්ති අධිකාරියෙන් පියවර”
The Media Team Ministry of Power & Energy
The above seminar was held at the Atomic Energy Authority today (16th July 2012). About 50 Archaeologists, Curators of Museums, Conservaters of archaeological arifacts, Researches and Managers of Archaeological Institute, participated at this seminar.  Delivering the inaugural speech, chairman AEA Dr. Ranjith Wijayawardana described the activities of the AEA.  Describing the future plans of the Atomic Energy Authority (AEA) he mentioned about the Non-Destructive Centre, Multi Purpose Gamma Irradiation facility under construction. He also added that AEA wishes to diversity its’ activities more by establishing a centre for... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/07/12)

Unpublished News
Dennis
Sri Lankan media reported that Indian Minister Jeyaram Ramesh, gave a lecture on right to information. As Sri Lankan we have right to know about the information regarding new LTTE training camps in Tamil Nadu. Highly reliable source reveal that over 400 Ex-LTTE carders were smuggled to India using encroached fishing boats and are now stationed in two locations namely forest reserves of Kumarpiddi and Kumarimale. They have been instructed and trained how to conduct cyber and other types of sabotage operations. Their new leader is one Luxman (Ex-LTTE leader from Manner). He was coordinating recent Vavuniya prison... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/07/12)

Fitch Rates Sri Lanka's Upcoming Bond 'BB-(exp)'
FITCH CREDIT RATINGS
Fitch Ratings-Hong Kong-17 July 2012: Fitch Ratings has assigned Sri Lanka's upcoming USD-denominated global bonds due 2022 an expected 'BB-(exp)' rating. The final rating is contingent on the receipt of final documentation conforming to information already received. The rating is in line with the Sri Lankan sovereign's Long-Term Foreign Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) of 'BB-'. Sri Lanka's Long-Term Local Currency IDR is also 'BB-'. The IDR Outlooks are Stable.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 17/07/12)

In Defense of the Secretary of Defense
Prof. Hudson McLean
The late 1970s started to development of the LTTE Terrorist Tiger Campaign in Sri Lanka, and it was a bonanza for the politicians of all colours, Sinhala & Muslim arms-mudalalis, the Tiger bag-men, a continuous Christmas for a few, over rivers of blood of innocent Sri Lankans. The Rulers, Prime Ministers, Ministers came, and went with loaded commission cheques from various suppliers, bought mansions in the UK, Switzerland, Australia, and sent their brood to schools, mainly in the UK. Whether it was the UNP or the SLFP led governments, neither had the quality of leadership to... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 16/07/12)

ISN’T JULY 1983 RIOTS A BLESSING IN DISGUISE FOR HALF A MILLION TAMILS LIVING IN THE WESTERN WORLD?
Malin Abeyatunge
The LTTE rump of the Tamil Diaspora is supposed to be getting ready  to commemorate the “So called Black July 1983” during the coming weekend (21 and 22nd July)  in all big cities in  Canada, UK, USA, Switzerland, Norway, EU Countries and Australia in their continuation of humiliating Sri Lanka and specially the Sinhalese community. Of course, they may even bring the message of War Crimes against Sri Lanka though it is irrelevant with 1983 riots. There will be big dramas created with their demos, arrogant speeches, moaning, weeping crying and doing every possible thing to attract... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 16/07/12)

All Sri Lankans should benefit from the development of the East
Asada M Erpin
The media reported on 15 July that the government is to spend over 16 billion rupees for the development of the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. Whatever the detractors of the present rulers may say the fact remains that there will be additional opportunities for employment and a boost in the upgrading of the infrastructure of the region. An important message that should be given the widest possible publicity, hand in hand with the investment, is that the benefits that would become available should be reaped by all Sri Lankans who opt to live in the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 16/07/12)

The Toronto Star – Staff Reporter in Canada violates the Ethics Guidelines of the Canadian Association of Journalist.
Professional Analyst – Canada. 
What right has this journalist to pen that, Sri Lanka is a country notorious for its lack of press freedom, and even a story about a puppy can draw a veiled death threat from the government. The Toronto Star journalist, a staff reporter has published an article in the Toronto Star dated Friday the 13th., stating that in Sri Lanka, a country notorious for its lack of press freedom, even a story about a puppy can draw a veiled death threat from the government. Reporting is a commodity, but journalism is not says American media... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 16/07/12)

BETRAYAL TO THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY
A statement made by Azath Salley
With only two days away for the nominations for the 3 provincial council elections, Muslim civil society organization and religious groups are concerned about the stand that the three main Muslim political parties are going to take on this election.  The Eastern provincial council election has become crucial for the Tamil parties as well as for the government, in view of the fact that both sides are trying to impress upon the International community through this election that the Eastern Province is with either party. However, the fact that this election is... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 16/07/12)

“Energy Manager Certificate Award Ceremony”-"මහා පරිමාණ ආයතන 150 ක් වෙනුවෙන් බලශක්ති කළමනාකරුවන් පත්කෙරේ"
The Media Team Ministry of Power & Energy  මාධ්‍ය අංශය - විදුලිබල හා බලශක්ති අමාත්‍යාංශය
Energy is the prime requirement for economic development of any country. However, the whole world is facing daunting arrays of energy and environmental related issues, and therefore there is high global concern towards going for mitigating measures for those challenges. The possible solutions are switching to renewable energy and introducing energy management.  In the Sri Lankan context, the national policy document, Mahinda Chinthana identifies energy as a key area in the journey of national development and a Cabinet sub-committee has been appointed to prepare a... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 16/07/12)

Invitation from Kadirgamar Institute to the National Conference on Role of Women in Reconciliation on the 23rd of July 2012 from 02-06pm
Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute,Sri Lanka
Dear Madam/Sir, You are cordially invited to our next national conference on the Role of Women in Reconciliation on the 23rd of July, 2012 from 02pm- 06pm. We appreciate if you could circulate the e-invitation among your contacts as well. Please RSVP by 19th July, 2012 to reserve your seat. Ms. Shanika/ Ms. Amali: 011-5363501-3/ 2687025/ 0771182654 Email: lkiirss

gmail.com Thank you Kind regards Asanga Abeyagoonasekera -- Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute 24, Horton Place, Colombo 7 Sri Lanka Email: lkiirss
gmail.com Phone: + 94 5363501-3/ +94 11 2687025 Fax: + 94 5363504 www.kadirgamarinstitute.lk ... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 16/07/12)

Chief Sangha Nayaka Thera of the UK & Europe, Ven. Dr. Sumana Siri calls on Ambassador Dayan Jayatilleka
Media Release :Embassy of Sri Lanka Paris
On Wednesday 11th July, 2012, Venerable Dr. Sumana Siri, scholar, linguist and a leading advocate of co-existence and dialogue among religions, paid a call on Ambassador Dayan Jayatilleka at the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Paris. Venerable Dr. Sumana Siri, a Singapore-Malaysian Buddhist monk of Sri Lankan origin who holds a postgraduate degree in Applied Theology from Oxford University, is the founder and Director of the Buddhist Realists’ Vihara in London and the Buddhist Realists’ Centre, Milan and Penang. He was appointed Chief Sangha Nayaka Thera of the UK & Europe in... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 16/07/12)

President Rajapaksa appoints former SG Sarath Fernando as new AG
By Janaka Alahapperuma
Former Solicitor General, President’s Counsel Sarath Palitha Fernando was sworn in as the new Attorney General of Sri Lanka before President Mahinda Rajapaksa a short while ago at Temple Trees. Secretary to the President, Lalith Weeratunga was present at the occasion. President Rajapaksa has appointed former SG Sarath Palitha Fernando as the new Attorney General of Sri Lanka with immediate effect, press release issued by Wijayananda Herath, Coordinating Secretary to the President (Media) at Presidents Office reported this morning. His appointment was approved by the Parliamentary Council on 12 July 2012. New AG Fernando, who was... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 16/07/12)

Letter to the Editor - Show of emotions of love
Dr. Mrs. Mareena Thaha Reffai, Dehiwela.
Reading a recent article of Kolu in the Life pages of the daily Mirror  made em wonder where are we heading. All that is sacred and respectable are scoffed at and all what is despicable and shameful are recommended. He goes onto elaborate that a show of love by gazing into the eyes and holding hands by young lovers in public is understandable but show of love by old married couples to be shameful. And he goes onto find hidden reasons why they do- like they may not be really  ok with each... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 16/07/12)

West is using 'blackmail' in new draft of UN resolution on Syria - Lavrov
RT
Western governments are trying to blackmail Russia into supporting their interpretation of the Syrian resolution, said Russia’s Foreign Minister. They have threatened to end the UN observer mission if an agreement is not reached. “If our western partners do not recognize the fact that if they block our resolution to the conflict then the UN observer mission will have to withdraw from Syria, it will be regrettable indeed,” said Minister Lavrov. He added that Russia gives its full support to Kofi Annan’s peace plan, but some western powers have distorted the document’s meaning to push for the removal of... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 16/07/12)

Egyptians pelt Clinton with tomatoes, chant ‘Monica’
RT
Hillary Clinton has been welcomed in Egypt by locals greeting her motorcade with tomatoes, shoes and water bottles. Rallying protesters showed awareness with US domestic policy history, chanting “Monica, Monica”. ­The two-day visit by the US secretary of state to Egypt ended in scandal when the convoy she was driving in from the newly-opened American consulate in the Mediterranean port of Alexandria was attacked by local citizens chanting anti-American slogans. The protesting crowds hailed the motorcade with vegetables and other objects, reportedly hitting one of the Egyptian officials in the convoy in the face. The American armored motorcade suffered... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 16/07/12)

US Navy ship opens fire in Gulf killing one
RT
Rising tension in the Gulf has claimed a victim as a civilian boat came under fire from a US Navy ship after getting too close to an American tanker. One person was killed and three others wounded in the incident, say US officials.The deceased was an Indian national, as were the three others who were injured, reports the UAE’s state news agency WAM. The boat appeared to be a civilian vessel, of a type frequently used for fishing, about nine meters long and powered by three outboard motors. It bore no obvious military markings... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 16/07/12)

Journalistic Ethics in Covering Politics: Sri Lankan perspective
Shenali Waduge
In a country with 20m population a majority populace of close to 15m, Sri Lanka’s media is divided along commercial, ethnic, religious, linguistic lines and difference of opinions relayed by state and private media is making Sri Lanka projected as a nation without press freedom. What exactly is press freedom, what does it mean for the press to be “fearlessly” reporting, how “free” do journalists want the press to be – the questions are many and so too are the questions that revolve around ethics in media and how far journalists themselves hold upto their end of... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/07/12)

Devil quotes scripture; shaky Paki (etc.) call for Gota’s removal…
Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu asking for the removal of Gotabaya Rajapaksa over the alleged verbal abuse of a newspaper editor is a Bible-study case of devil invoking scripture, insofar as Saravanamuttu who did his utmost to stymie the war effort, now seeks to remove the architect of the successful campaign against the LTTE with a trumped up case of ‘abuse and harassment’. Saravanamuttu and his ilk agitating over this affair, including Mangala Samaraweera, and those other self-righteous busybodies in the British Economist, etc., may turn around and say that the defence secretary’s role in winning the war has nothing to do with... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 15/07/12)

LTTE TORTURED AND KILLED CASUALLY, SAYS FORMER WOMAN TIGER IN NEW BOOK
by Walter Jayawardhana
The Hindu quoted a former LTTE girl fighter Niromi de Soyaza who recently published a book as telling the LTTE tortured and killed alleged spies and “traitors” and also looted Tamil shops and homes while fighting the Indian peacekeepers in Sri Lanka. Niromi de , who joined the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in early 1987 at age 17 and now lives in Australia, says she quit the group after realising that violence cannot lead to a Tamil Eelam state. One afternoon, in Sudhumali in Jaffna, Niromi and her Tiger friends saw some of their... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/07/12)

DO NOT STOP THE BOATS ! LET ABBOT DO IT.
anuradhini
Why is Sri Lanka spending money and risking  lives of our navy boys to save money and compassionately help Australia who treat their real native people  like dirt ? This is a country harbouring LTTE terrorist. They have recently re-opened the LTTE office in their country. Australian politicians participated in the ceremony by raising the LTTE flag. No response from our government or my friend ex-Navy commander !  Not too long ago a terrorist (a wanted man in India) was given protection and brought back to Australia just because he was given a ride in a white van.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/07/12)

Use of idioms by the all knowing lady doctor from Dehiwala
Asada M Erpini
One of the writers to your journal – a lady who uses the title Dr. before her name - continues to keep the readers amused as always. She obviously thinks she is qualified to write on every topic under the sun.  The topics on which she writes are legion. Sometime back, in her piece to a widely read English daily, she lambasted women for wearing slit skirts, although Sri Lanka does not ban such dresses, as in her model country in the Middle East that she wants the 93% of the population that do not belong... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/07/12)

Music would be the poorer for the death of Mehdi Hasan
Dr Kamal Wickremasinghe
The death of the renowned Pakistani Ghazal singer Mehdi Hasan on 13 June took away one of the legendary exponents of ragadari based popular music scene in the subcontinent. Hasan’s death at 84 removes the ‘King’ (Shehnshah-e-Ghazal) of the immensely popular triumvirate of Ghazal singers he formed together with Ghulam Ali and Jagjit Singh. Hassan who had withdrawn from public performances since the late 1990s due to the debilitating effects of a stroke he suffered held his last concert in Kozhikode in India in 2000, when he was 73-years old. His last recording was the song... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/07/12)

Indian interference halts resumption
Written by  Ishara Gamage Courtesy The Nation
KKS Cement plant Sri Lanka has temporarily halted the transferring of Kankesanthurai (KKS) Cement factory to any investor outside Sri Lanka and India due to an objection made by  neighboring India, said a senior government official. “Some regional security matters were raised with regard to this KKS cement deposit. What we heard is that the Indian government is strongly opposed to transferring this deposit to investors other than from India and Sri Lanka”, the government official said. Earlier, UAE based Ras Al Khaimah Cement Company had expressed interest in reviving the KKS... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/07/12)

LTTE OBJECTIVES AMOUNTS TO CESSION FROM INDIAN UNION HOME MINISTRY TELLS BANNING TIGERS
by Walter Jayawardhana
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) objective for a separate homeland (Tamil Eelam) for all Tamils threatens the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India and amounts to cession from the Indian Union and thus falls the ambit of unlawful activities said the Home Ministry of India explaining the reason for the further ban of the organization in India. The Home Ministry said activities of LTTE are detrimental to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India and there is a continuing strong need to control all such separatist activities by all possible means. The notification by... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/07/12)

President Rajapaksa declares open the Upper Kotmale Hydro Power Project.
By Janaka Alahapperuma
President Mahinda Rajapaksa ceremonially declared open the 150MW Upper Kotmale Hydropower Plant this morning on 14 July at the auspicious time of 10.45 am. The ceremonial opening also attended by Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka and Japanese Ambassador in Colombo, Nobuhito Hobo. The Upper Kotmale hydro power plant which consists of two generators with 75 MW of capacity adds 150MW of power to the National Grid today to produce 409GWh energy per year. One of the generators became operational from March this year and the other generator was in operation from last month. ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/07/12)

What are the advantages of home cooking?
Dr Hector Perera          London
It is very important for one to get educated on the foods you intend to cook before you fire up that stove to cook. One cannot jump out to cook all kinds of food first need to understand the basic cooking such as how to boil something like, pasta, spaghetti, rice, potatoes and carrots. Strictly speaking they are a matter of boiling with water until they are soft. Some Sri Lankan ladies told me that they do not have a specific technique to cook rice without burning; they say it’s by chance to get it... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/07/12)

KARUNANIDHI SEES MOTIVE BEHIND FRESH ELECTORAL ROLLS IN SRI LANKA
by Walter Jayawardhana
Following President Rajapaksa’s statement the elections for the \Northern Council elections in Sri Lanka would be held in September 2013 DMK president M. Karunanidhi on Wednesday wondered whether Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa had any genuine intention to hold elections to the country’s northern provincial council. In a news item published in the Hindu Karunanidhi  suspected that that there could be a motive behind the idea of preparing electoral rolls there. In the news item it was not revealed what the motive was. Mr. Rajapaksa had told The Hindu that the provincial election in the north... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 15/07/12)

Bull-headed arrogance of Vellahla politics and violence
Continuing the story of what happened in the history of Jaffna By H. L. D. Mahindapala
Before proceeding any further it should be emphasized that the focus in these essays has been on the Vellahlas because no other factor or entity wielded the kind of power in northern -- and subsequently in national -- politics as this self-adulating and self-destructive caste. The Vellahla factor, incidentally, is the most under-reported, under-explored, under-estimated and marginalized force in Sri Lanka political science, ignored even by the leading social scientists who virtually claimed omniscience in their partisan analyses. Taking the Vellahla factor out... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 14/07/12)

Sri Lanka’s Claims for Reparations from Portugal
By Senaka Weeraratna
The Portuguese while pursuing a policy of destruction and plunder of Buddhist Temples held out various inducements for Buddhists to convert to Christianity. Conversion meant a sure means of exemption from taxes due to the Government. For example, Christians were exempt from the marala i.e. death duties. This meant that they could leave the entirety of their property to their heirs upon death. Therefore death - bed conversions became quite common to enable one's kinsmen to secure property upon death. This was a privilege granted only to Christians. Further becoming a Christian also meant receiving preferential... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 14/07/12)

Too big for its boots? New Delhi needs realism in rhetoric
by Krishnan Srinivasan   -Courtesy The Island (The writer is India’s former Foreign Secretary)
THE Cold War came to an end with a whimper after 40 years, and India lost the leverage of having a superpower positioned on its side in moments of crisis. It was obliged to adjust itself to globalisation and free market economies, and to a new western-dominated expeditionary campaign for environment and human rights. A revised international order had been brought about neither through international consensus nor external mediation by a group not affiliated to either bloc, but by powerful countries in the West led... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 14/07/12)

US-India-China and the indian ocean: impact on Sri Lanka
By Neville Ladduwahetty Courtesy The Island
A section of the diplomats who participated in the Residential Workshop for Heads of Sri Lankan Missions, at Diyatalawa .File Photo The resolution on Sri Lanka at the recently held UNHRC secessions in Geneva has caused Sri Lanka to reassess the effectiveness of its investment in the deployment of diplomatic capital - its soft power. A direct consequence of this assessment has been to summon Heads of Sri Lankan Mission for a briefing by the President who emphasized the need to focus on Public Diplomacy and to realign its missions abroad. This... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 14/07/12)

Ahmadiyya Khalifa calls for vigilance against all forms of extremism
By A. Abdul Aziz, Press Secretary, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, Sri Lanka.
According to our Press Department, U.K., on 11 July 2012, the World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the Fifth Khalifa, officially inaugurated the ‘Tahir Hall’, a three-storey complex built by the Ahmadiyya Community (Jama’at) on land adjacent to the Baitul Islam Mosque in Peace Village, Canada. More than 550 people attended the event including more than 150 non-Ahmadi guests. The event began as Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad unveiled a plaque to officially mark the occasion. This was followed by a welcome address by... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 14/07/12)

Islam Ahmadiyya Viewpoint on Promised Messiah and Mahdi
By I. Ahmad Dalupotha, Negombo.
 Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad – Founder of Ahmadiyya Jama’at in Islam, is accepted as Promised Messiah and Mahdi by Ahmadi Muslims world-over. the terms "Messiah" and "Mahdi" are synonymous terms for one and the same person. Like the term Messiah which, among other meanings, in essence means being anointed by God or appointed by God the term "Mahdi" means guided by God, thus both imply a direct ordainment and a spiritual nurturing by God of a divinely chosen individual.  According to Ahmadiyya thought, Messiahship is a phenomenon, through which a special emphasis is given... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 14/07/12)

Wedding gifts
By Dr. Mrs. Mareena Thaha Reffai, Dehiwela.
It has become a custom to send wedding invitations which say  “Avoid gifts” or “Please do not bring gifts.” Exchangign gifts is  a wonderful way of showing love and affection. In fact Prophet (sal) said “Exchange gifts, for it increases brotherhood  amongst you.” He even went on to say “ Do not refuse a gift however small it is.” So requesting not to bring gifts is going against the teaching of the Prophet(sal) . All of us know that receiving a gift, although we are not in need,  is a pleasant experience.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 14/07/12)

The Z score
Dr. Mrs. Mareena Thaha Reffai Dehiwela.
It is amazing how unconcerned the authorities seem to be regarding the A/L results and the Z score and the battle seems to be going on and on forever. Do they realize how demoralizing this is for the youngsters who are looking forward to continue their studies? Are we so incapable of settling such a simple matter that affects so many thousands of our youth? Cannot the authority come to a settlement to find a solution for the problem? Do they realize that we are robbing months or even years of our youth... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 14/07/12)

VILLAGE SKETCH—24, GHOSAKAYA AND GOLUWA
Arcadius
Ghosakaya, the loudmouthed, was not a big man. He talked big though. A swarthy man with graying hair tied in a small knot, he became famous for his propensity for Bacchanalian habits. Equally famous was his tone of voice. Apparently, he had an incredible degree of lungpower. It was the general belief that he was not inclined to make a distinction between softness and loudness when he conveyed his thoughts verbally. Or he could not. Irrespective of the time, place, or circumstance, he was invariably sonorous. Even in his bed! Whenever he opened his oral cavity, he made... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/07/12)

Portugal's total civilizational war
Dr.Susantha Goonatilake 

Chapter 5 Total Civilizational War
1563 was the year Dharmapala donated temples to Franciscans. The "the ever dreaded"  (the Portuguese description) Diogo de Melo in the 1560s commenced hostilities around Kotte and Colombo by various assaults [1].  He did "great damage [to the towns and villages of the present day suburbs of Colombo namely] Attitidiya, Kalubowila, Gorakana, Galkissa, Mapana, Panadura, Kollonnawa, Mulleriyawa, Peliyagoda, Telengipata, Mattumagala and Hendala[2]. Around 1574, Diogo de Melo attacked the already ruined Kelaniya city where he destroyed a "temple of great pilgrimage" among the people.  He destroyed the city "altogether,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/07/12)

ඉහළ කොත්මලේ ජල විදුලිය ජනපති සුරතින් දැයට දායාද කිරීම හෙට
මාධ්‍ය අංශය - විදුලිබල හා  බලශක්ති අමාත්‍යාංශය
සොබාදහමේ දායාද තුළින් ජාතියට ආර්ථික සමෘද්ධිය ළඟාකරදෙන ඉහළ කොත්මලේ ජල විදුලි ව්‍යාපෘතියේ සමස්ථ වැඩකටයුතු මේ වනවිට 100%ක ප‍්‍රගතියක් ලබා ඇති අතර 2012.07.14 එනම් හෙට පෙ.ව. 10.45ට යෙදී ඇති සුභ මොහොතින් මෙගාවොට් 150ක ධාරිතාවය ජාතික විදුලිබල පද්ධතියට නිල වශයෙන් එක්කිරීම, අතිගරු ජනාධිපතිතුමන්ගේ හා ජපන් තානාපති නොබුහිටෝ හොබො මැතිතුමාගේ ප‍්‍රධානත්වයෙන් සිදු කෙරේ.  ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවේ වැඩිවන විදුලි ඉල්ලූම සපුරාලනු වස් 2006.03.03 දින වැඩ ඇරඹි ඉහළ කොත්මලේ ජලවිදුලි ව්‍යාපෘතිය, නුවරඑළිය පරිපාලන දිස්ත‍්‍රික්කයට අයත්ය. ශ‍්‍රී ලංකාවේ මධ්‍යම කඳුකර ප‍්‍රදේශයේ දකුණු පසට වන්නට පිහිටා ඇති මහවැලි ගෙඟ් ප‍්‍රධාන අතු ගංඟාවක් වන කොත්මලා ඔය හරස්කොට, මීටර් 180 ක් දිග,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/07/12)

Lessons from Royal Park Murder for Sri Lankan Society
Shenali Waduge
The Royal Park murder has a multitude of lessons for Sri Lanka and reminders to society of the significance of life – our own and that of others. It also gave a message that there are limits to what money can do and limits to the level of influence any rich and influential persons can make upon the justice system. The sentence given in 2006 by the High Court for the murder committed in 2005 would have remained 12 years imprisonment and Rs.50,000 fine had not the accused decided to file an appeal against the ruling with... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 13/07/12)

New massacre in Syria amid UN Security Council talks
RT
The Syrian opposition claims government forces stormed Tremseh village in the province of Hama, killing up to 200 people. One activist said the majority of those killed were rebels while seven were civilians. “An army convoy was on its way to the region of Hama when it was attacked by the FSA,” he said. “The army staged a counter-attack with the support of [pro-regime] reinforcements from [nearby] Alawite villages. The FSA resisted for an hour before it was defeated,” said an opposition activist named Jaafar, as reported by AFP. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported that “several... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 13/07/12)

Letter to Mr.Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam of All Ceylon Tamil Congress, from Kanthar P Balanathan, Melbourne, Australia
From Kanthar P Balanathan, Melbourne, Australia
Mr. Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam All Ceylon Tamil Congress 15, Queens Road Colpetty, Colombo 3 SriLanka  Dear Mr.Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam  SRILANKA, TAMILS & AMATEURISH POLITICS  On the 1st June 2012, the journalist from Inbaththamil Radio in Sydney interviewed you.  The discussion went on for more than an hour with lengthy answers given by you, which may or may not have convinced the Tamil Diaspora. This interview has been the driver for me to write this letter to you. Please read the letter in full. I also courteously request you to do a bit of research... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 12/07/12)

Gota Goes Berserk. Is this investigative journalism or provocative journalism?
By Professional Analyst – Canada. 12th., July 2012.
The Sunday Leader dated the 8th., July carried a news interview with the Secretary Defense Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa where investigative information as suggested by the journalist who produced the content has published them as being a dialogue between the journalist and the Secretary Defense on the phone regarding certain administrative matters that happened at the Sri Lankan Airlines, the National carrier. Interestingly the journalist is no other than the much gossiped about writer Ms. Fredrica Janaz who is the present editor of the Sunday Leader. Reading through the article, I am... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 12/07/12)

Indian Infiltration secret behind calls to remove Mullikulam Navy Camp
Shenali Waduge 
India’s comments, actions and gestures never happen without reason and become accentuated by their Sri Lankan mouthpiece the TNA ever willing to carry out anything and everything India orders. Thus, the diplomatic tempos being thrust on Sri Lanka are all nothingbut pressure points to clear Sri Lanka’s military presence along the coastal fronts leaving Sri Lanka open to India’s whims and desires. Therefore, we should not shrug the links to the greater plan currently being carved by India in continuing its efforts to destabilize Sri Lanka whilst pretending to be a friend. Mullikulam is important because... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 12/07/12)

The z score problem is not over yet
A justice seeker.
After the Supreme Court decision still the responsible authorities have not solved this. Only another committee was appointed. We appreciate that. Now it has been two weeks and 3 days... Still students who sat for the exam, who are about to sit this year (2nd and 3rd attempt) have no idea about what is going to happen. Ministers are silent, department is silent, UGC is silent and still no justice to the students. As a popular web page it’s your utmost duty to seek justice. Please help students like us through your media. Let the public... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 12/07/12)

Cultural disparity leads to flashpoints
Dr. Tilak Fernando
London Telegraph, on May 22 carried a news item by Nigel Bunyan on a 17 year old Pakistani teenager, Shafilea Ahmed, murdered by her parents, Iftikhar Ahmed and Farzana, for bringing 'shame' on them by leading a Western way of life. Her parents had gone berserk when, Shafilea adopted a Western type lifestyle and could not overpower her will and finally did when she resisted parents’ plan for an arranged marriage. Shafilea’s sister had broken the news of the murder after an eight year silence at Chester Crown Court in Britain. Mr. and Mrs.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 12/07/12)

KARUNANIDHI SAYS HE DOUBTS RAJAPAKSA STATEMENT ON NORTHERN POLLS IN JAFFNA
by Walter Jayawardhana
DMK leader Muthuvel Karunanidhi said that he very much doubts about President Rajapaksa’s statement on the Northern Provincial Council elections saying there is some “hidden meaning” on the polls scheduled a year from now as was said by the President. “There seems to be some hidden meaning in Mr. Rajapaksa’s comments that electoral rolls have to be revised,” he told reporters in Chennai when asked about the Sri Lankan President’s remarks that they wanted to hold the election to the provincial council in September 2013. Karunanidhi did not clarify exactly what he is skeptical about the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 12/07/12)

Media Freedom in the U.S: Not so Rosy as Projected to Give Advice to Others
By Daya Gamage Asian Tribune Political Note Washington, DC.11 July
The photograph depicting a police officer handcuffing a woman we are reproducing along with this political note did not occur in a developing country or a Third World nation which more frequently receive ‘lectures’, ‘advises’ and sometimes’ reprimands’ from the United States about the virtues of press or media freedom and the importance of upholding those freedoms to safeguard or consolidate democracy. This is the image of journalist Kristyna Wntz-Graff, whose press badge is well visible, when arrested while covering an Occupy Wall Street Protest Movement last November in... -Full Story-
(thelionandsword.wordpress.com - 12/07/12)

Negombo completes the Sri Lankan experience
Anwesha Mittra Jul 12, 2012, 12.00AM IST
The cobalt blue of the sea in the travel magazine I held matched exactly with that of the one below us as our flight edged over the vast Indian Ocean past a meandering coastline stretching like a long white ribbon, towards the tropical paradise of Sri Lanka. After bobbing in and out of large puffs of clouds we finally touched down at Bandaranaike International Airport, eager to begin our 'honeymoon', eager to get an eyeful of the sea. Sri Lanka, it was decided a month prior to our wedding for its idyllic... -Full Story-
(articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com - 12/07/12)

SUNDAY LEADER FAILS TO APPLY ETHICS OF JOURNALISM
By Shelton A. Gunaratne - professor emeritus at Minnesota State University Moorhead
The Sunday Leader (July 8, 2012) published a story titled “Gota Goes Berserk” written by its eminent editor Frederica Jansz, who faced a legal tiff with Gotabhaya Rajapakse recently. We do not know how many comments the Leader received on this gutter-level story. The next day, it published 22 comments moderated by its editorial staff. But all the selected ones were those supporting the editor’s stance aimed at exposing GR as a foul-mouthed nincompoop. The following comment that I wrote failed to pass muster: “FJ: It is... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 12/07/12)

Karunanidhi: Who or what is he, and is it this person’s business to worry about Sri Lanka’s Northern Province elections
Asada M Erpini
The Hindu on July 11 reports that when Karunanidhi was asked about the Sri Lankan President’s statement that the election to the Northern Provincial Council will be held in September 2013, the octogenarian “doubts (President) Rajapaksa’s remarks”. President Rajapakse is the Executive Head of State of Sri Lanka, and was elected by the majority of the people who are eligible to vote. Sri Lanka, furthermore, is an independent sovereign nation and has no obligation to satisfy the whims and fancies of individuals who once were in the limelight through the follies of the illiterates who gave... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 12/07/12)

Meanings missed.
Paul R Connellan
Greetings fellow readers, May you be well and happy. The Theravada interpreters / translators of the Pali Canon will have to point out the entire meaning of emptiness found in the 2 Sunnata Suttas and the Maha - nidana sutta for there to be a progression to Nibbana. Others are aware of the entirity of emptiness and that it was the union of emptiness as an attribute and dependant origination that enlightened Siddhattha to full awakening. This emptiness is such a wonderful subject to explore, and during the process the mental attachments fall away to pure... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/07/12)

Waiting for the final move by Sri Lanka's Man with the Plan
Nimal Fernando
July 10  --  What some in Sri Lanka and in many parts of the world see as a sluggish pace, or even irresolute meandering, to the crafting of a lasting solution to the ethnic problem, could also, more positively, be accepted as a careful, clinical approach to the most critical national issue ... As the debate continues -- as it must -- and respected, well-meaning Sri Lankans of all ethnicities air their views on Lankaweb and many other vital forums, it is pertinent to ask whether there is enough information on all aspects of the issue available both domestically... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/07/12)

GALLE DISTRICT SANGHA NAYAKA OF THE ASGIRIYA CHAPTER ARRESTED FOR ROBBERY
by Walter Jayawardhana    
Following criminal investigations and arrest by the Police against Venerable Migettuwatte Sumitta, the Galle District Sangha Nayaka of the Asgiriya Chapter of the Siam Maha Nikaya, his Chapter has suspended his clerical titles. The Asgiriya Chapter is the second largest group of the Siyam Maha Nikaya, the most powerful clerical group in the island. Several news websites quoted Venerable Anamaduwe Dahmmadassi Thera, the Registrar of the Chapter as saying that the decision to suspend his clerical titles was taken after he was arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department of the Police  for aiding and abetting several... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/07/12)

PRESIDENT RAJAPAKSA TELLS THE HINDU THAT NORTHERN ELECTIONS WILL BE IN SEPT. 2013
by Walter Jayawardhana
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has told the Hindu that Northern Provincial Council elections in Sri Lanka will be held in September 2013. There was criticism that government was holding elections in areas already proven faithful to the government  and avoiding Northern Province since it has not shown any such allegiance to it. Hindu’s Colombo correspondent said “In an interaction at his official residence, Temple Trees, here, Mr. Rajapaksa said there were many issues to be resolved ahead of holding of elections. The primary one related to the electoral rolls. People who fled when the Tamil Tigers were... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/07/12)

AHMADIYYA CONVENTION IN CANADA CONCLUDES
By A. Abdul Aziz, Press Secretary, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, Sri Lanka.
 The first ever ‘Sir Zafarulla Khan Distinguished Public Service Award’ presented by Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad  The three-day 36th Annual Convention (Jalsa Salana) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at in Canada concluded on Sunday 8th July 2012 with a powerful and faith inspiring address by the World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the Fifth Khalifa. The Annual Convention was held at the International Centre, Mississauga and was attended by more than 18.000 people from across Canada and twenty three other countries. The conference was... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 11/07/12)

Russia will continue to supply weapons to Syria by contracts
RT
In keeping with its contractual obligations, Russia will continue to supply Syria with arms and military hardware, including anti-aircraft defense systems, a top Russian official in charge of military-technical cooperation has told reporters. “Russia has its obligations to Syria under contracts that had been previously signed,” Vyacheslav Dzirkaln, the head of the Military Technical Cooperation service, told reporters at the Farnborough air show. Dzirkaln also mentioned contracts related to the “delivery of anti-aircraft weapons,” as well as helicopters serviced in Russia.... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 11/07/12)

Russian warships on maneuvers, will re-supply in Syria
RT
A dozen Russian warships from three fleets are participating in a joint three-month exercise. The group is to visit the Syrian port city of Tartus, where a Russian base is located. The drills are not related to the Syrian conflict, the military say. The warships and supply ships are derived from Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, Northern Fleet and Baltic fleet, the Defense Ministry said. The exercise’s main goal is to test inter-fleet coordination during the joint maneuvers. The Northern Fleet is contributing the largest portion of the group, a destroyer, four tank landing ships and two support ships. The... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 11/07/12)

Mandate mash-up: UNSC to clash on Syrian mission
RT
Russia proposes a non-confrontational approach towards transition in Syria as the UN Security Council is to discuss the future of its mission in the country. The US is pushing for a more aggressive take on the Syrian government. The current 90-day UN mission in Syria expires on July 21. Russia has proposed a draft resolution to extend it for three months. Under the document, it would shift focus from monitoring a non-existent truce to hammering out a transition solution for the conflict. The draft resolution is “absolutely non-confrontational” and is in line with the decision taken on June 30... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 11/07/12)

COMMENT-Covering Syria: The information war Page 1 of 3
By Aisling Byrne
The narrative that has been constructed by the Western mainstream media on Syria may seem to be self-evident from the scenes presented on television, but it is a narrative duplicitously promoted and coordinated so as to conceal and facilitate the regime-change project that is part of the war on Iran. What we are seeing is a new stage of information war intentionally constructed and cast as a simplistic narrative of a struggle for human rights and democracy so as deliberately to exclude other interpretations and any geo-strategic motivation.... -Full Story-
(atimes.com - 11/07/12)

Syria, the United States, and the El Salvador Option (Part Two)
By Ibrahim Kazerooni and Rob Prince, July 9, 2012
o what is the Salvador option? “The Salvador Option” is a “terrorist mode” of mass killings that was perfected by the US to destabilize regimes that the US saw as threats to its interests. Taught at places like the School of the Americas, it is employed when other forms of political manipulation fail to produce the desired results. The option works through created and sponsored death squads, with the primary goal of committing slaughter of innocent lives. This triggers world outrage, necessitating intervention by the US under the humanitarian intervention framework.... -Full Story-
(fpif.org - 11/07/12)

Syria, the United States and The El Salvador Option (Part One)
by Ibrahim Kazerooni and Rob Prince
Every day the news from Syria is more and more somber as the country and the region continue their journey to unknown and more dangerous realms. Syria appears headed for “beyond explosion”, for implosion and NATO foreign military intervention that could result in unpredictable dangerous consequences. The most recent news reports are alarming. A curious person asking about the situation would get the following predictable reply: Syria is on the verge of civil war; it is run by a ruthless leader that violates human rights on a biblical scale and needs to be removed... -Full Story-
(robertjprince.wordpress.com - 11/07/12)

Bye-Bye Syria: The Globalist Destruction of a Nation State
Patrick Henningsen Infowars
With all the rhetoric and talk of democratic reform in Syria, the Syrian opposition’s message is now clear: “No negotiations. We want power now.” Sounds more like a radical dictatorship in the making. Yet, this is the very opposition being backed by the western powers led by Hillary Clinton and her ‘Friends of Syria’ steering group, an opposition that is currently killing, burning, and looting their way through to Damascus, with Syria looking more and more likely to eventually go the way of Libya.... -Full Story-
(pakalertpress.com - 11/07/12)

New carrier, new war scenarios
By Carl O Schuster
HONOLULU - China's as yet unnamed aircraft carrier will soon begin another round of sea trials before its planned commissioning in August. It has yet to conduct a full range of flight operations and its fixed-wing air component remains largely in the prototype and testing phase. It will be several months, if not years, before it can fulfill many of the key roles attributed to a modern aircraft carrier and will not achieve full operational capability, including a complete fixed-wing and helicopter equipped air wing, nor full integration into fleet operations before 2016-2017.... -Full Story-
(atimes.com - 11/07/12)

Fmr. General Fonseka Calling For An Arab Style Uprising In Sri Lanka Is Not Only In Poor Wisdom But Endangers His Well Being If True!
In Retrospect By Sarath Kumara
July11th 2012 Reviewing the recent item by UK Telegraph's Asian Editor Mr.Dean Jones' captioned "Sri Lanka's former army chief Sarath Fonseka calls for Arab Spring-style uprising" it makes one wonder whether this was an opinion expressed by the Telegraph and its Asian Editor rather than coming from Gen Fonseka as it has a very contentious and dangerous ring to it while it also portrays the General as dim witted to make the statements he has been quoted for but then the scales weigh in favour of the latter given all the publicity of what the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 10/07/12)

Obama gives himself control of all communication systems in America
RT
US President Barack Obama quietly signed his name to an Executive Order on Friday, allowing the White House to control all private communications in the country in the name of national security. President Obama released his latest Executive Order on Friday, July 6, a 2,205-word statement offered as the “Assignment of National Security and Emergency Preparedness Communications Functions.” And although the president chose not to commemorate the signing with much fanfare, the powers he provides to himself and the federal government under the latest order are among the most far-reaching yet of any of his executive decisions. “The Federal... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 10/07/12)

Obama Seizes Control of All Communications Systems With Executive Order
pakalert
Radio and wired communications systems “of all levels of government, the private and nonprofit sectors, and the public must inform the development of national security and emergency preparedness (NS/EP) communications policies, programs, and capabilities.” Cellular phone corporations like Sprint owned Boost Mobile have released messages to their customers concerning the US government’s allocation of their phone communications at the whim of the President. In a text message to customers, Boost Mobile said that: “. . . you can receive national and local emergency alerts directly on your phone.” Back in 2011, Hillary Clinton admitted that the US government, via... -Full Story-
(pakalertpress.com - 10/07/12)

President Putin to put major amendments to “foreign agent status" bill
RT
President Vladimir Putin will put his amendments to a “foreign agent” status bill for NGOs, significantly changing it in the process. Thus the activity of social welfare services, medical and cultural organizations will not be considered political. ­Vladimir Putin told human rights representatives on Tuesday that he supports the idea of the bill proposed by United Russia, but still wants to put his amendments to it. “This law does not prohibit anything,” Putin stressed. “Its main aim is to make the political activity of organizations operating in Russia transparent.” If passed into law, it will mean that all NGOs... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 10/07/12)

The Wall Street Scandal of All Scandals
ROBERT B. REICH, Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley,
Just when you thought Wall Street couldn't sink any lower -- when its myriad abuses of public trust have already spread a miasma of cynicism over the entire economic system, giving birth to Tea Partiers and Occupiers and all manner of conspiracy theories; when its excesses have already wrought havoc with the lives of millions of Americans, causing taxpayers to shell out billions (of which only a portion has been repaid) even as its top executives are back to making more money than ever;... -Full Story-
(huffingtonpost.com - 10/07/12)

Russia loses hold on Tajikistan pivot
By M K Bhadrakumar
The simmering rivalries amongst Russia, China and the United States have begun bubbling up in Tajikistan against the backdrop of the uncertainties of the post-2014 period for regional security and stability. After months or years of secretive negotiations, Russian exasperation over Tajikistan's foot-dragging on the renewal of the lease agreement for its military base is surfacing. However, the Russian-Tajik entanglement is more than a family quarrel, as it underscores the complex geopolitics of the post-2014 period in Central Asia when Western troops will have withdrawn from Afghanistan but the United States would still hope... -Full Story-
(atimes.com - 10/07/12)

Libyan election joy darkened by divisions
By Victor Kotsev
"Election Results in Libya Break an Islamist Wave," read a New York Times headline on Sunday. While only interim results are currently available, it seems that the most votes, by a considerable margin, went to the Alliance of National Forces, a broad coalition of 40 parties and hundreds of non-governmental organizations and independent political figures. Headed by Libya's former transitional leader, the American-educated 60-year old political scientist Mahmoud Jibril, the Alliance is often described as secular and liberal, despite vowing to uphold Sharia law as its main source of legislation.... -Full Story-
(atimes.com - 10/07/12)

Bloodbath mars anti-Maoist 'success'
By Sudha Ramachandran
BANGALORE - India's anti-Maoist operations are under fire again. It appears that 19 "hardcore Maoists" who the government claimed were killed in an encounter with the Chhattisgarh police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on the night of June 27-28 were in fact unarmed civilians. About a dozen of those killed were below 16 years of age, and at least one of them just 12. What officials jubilantly declared at first to be one of the biggest successes of India's war against Maoists was described by a social activist, Swami Agnivesh, who has acted... -Full Story-
(atimes.com - 10/07/12)

Education is at its best when de-linked from forced tests of competence
R Chandrasoma
The recent brouhaha over Z-Scores underlines the fact that at all levels of Sri Lankan society the cherished goal in matters of education is the acquisition of the necessary academic competence to pass examinations. This is, surely, not the same as the genuine learning that truly instills the wherewithal that separates the learned from the ignorant. The fact that learning (in the authentic sense) has little to do with testing is swept aside in the face of the mounting social pressures to weed out the ‘unfit’ and select the ‘best’ in a civil order that makes competition... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 09/07/12)

IN PRAISE OF A ‘TERRORIST ORGANIZATION’
PROFESSOR ALI SUKHANVER
    Sometimes silence becomes a serious crime whether it is on the part of the crushed ones or on the part of those who claim to be the caretakers of the crushed ones. Sometimes a long silence pops up into the form of a disastrous protest and a catastrophic reaction ultimately giving birth to a large scale bloodshed and massacre. Same is the etymology of the Naxalite movement in India. "The single biggest internal security challenge ever faced by our country is the Naxalite Movement," said Dr.Manmohan Singh, the Indian Prime Minister somewhere in 2006. The... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 09/07/12)

THE ROVING EYE- Iran won't crack
By Pepe Escobar
Let's start sledgehammer style. Iran won't crack. Iran won't crack. Iran won't crack. No sledgehammer, though, is likely to perforate the limitless fog of delusion hovering over a US elite that a relentless propaganda campaign tries to sell as "the international community". See, for instance, this bland op-ed, where we discover that "the international community is now on watch for cracks in Iran's defiant stance: Will increased sanctions compel Tehran to make real concessions and allow for a diplomatic solution to the standoff?" Here's your short answer: no. For starters, the "international community" is not... -Full Story-
(atimes.com - 09/07/12)

The economics of confrontation in Egypt
By Spengler
Egypt has enough foreign exchange on hand to cover six weeks' of its imports (US$7.8 billion in liquid reserves, against a $5.5 billion monthly import bill). It would have run out of cash in June except for emergency loans from Saudi Arabia, which backs the Egyptian military but abhors the Muslim Brotherhood, whose candidate Mohammed Morsi won Egypt's presidential election last month. Total reserves are listed at $15 billion, but this includes gold, International Monetary Fund (IMF) drawing rights and other non-liquid items.... -Full Story-
(atimes.com - 09/07/12)

THE ROVING EYE- There will be hell to pay for NATO's Holy War
By Pepe Escobar
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is running out of rhetorical ammunition in the US's Holy War against Syria. Perhaps it's the strain of launching a NATO war bypassing the UN Security Council. Perhaps it's the strain of being eaten for breakfast routinely by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Hillary has just called on "Western powers" and their Arab stooges - the NATOGCC compound [1] that passes for the "international community" - to "make it clear that Russia and China will pay a price because they are holding up progress" regarding weaponized regime change in... -Full Story-
(atimes.com - 09/07/12)

Russia champions Annan Plan amid Syrian violence
RT
At the start of talks with the Syrian opposition in Moscow on Monday, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, citing the Kofi Annan plan, called for ending the violence and starting a political dialogue in Syria as soon as possible. Lavrov kicked off the talks by stressing that Moscow actively engages both sides in the Syrian conflict. "Russia is one of the countries that actively works with the Syrian government and different opposition forces, in order to implement the Kofi Annan Plan," the Russian minister noted. "This will become an important chance to carry out the agreements which were reached in... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 09/07/12)

West clings to Arab influence with airstrike democracy - Putin
RT
Russian President Vladimir Putin has criticized the West for clinging to its influence in the Arab world under the guise of “humanitarian operations.” He dubbed western involvement in Arab affairs as the export of “rocket and bomb democracy.” At a meeting with top Russian diplomats Putin said that certain countries will do anything to retain the influence they have become accustomed to in the Arab world. He stressed that western nations often adopt a one-sided policy in Arab affairs that violates international law. “We must do everything in our power to coerce the opposing forces in the Syrian conflict... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 09/07/12)

Forgiving and forgetting is it the solution? – A reply
By Mario Perera, Kadawata
I refer to the article by Sara De Silva which appeared in InfoLanka a few days ago. Words such as ‘reconciliation’ are now very much in vogue and have become yet other instruments of domination of the self-assumed ‘blameless white societies’ and their brown and black lackeys the world over. The article presents a different post-war scenario than ideas commonly meted out on that subject. If I have any hesitation regarding the writer’s view point it concerns what I consider a deviation from the initial rational trend of thought the writer espouses. This deviation occurs... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 08/07/12)

Can we trust the Doctors and Pharmaceutical Companies?
Shenali Waduge
Would it be wrong to say that the pharmaceutical industry thrives on the existence and continuation of diseases? Is it not because of the existence of diseases and health “issues” that the pharmaceutical industry is able to make over USD500billion annually? Is it possible that the pharmaceutical companies do not really want to eradicate diseases like cancer, AIDS etc so that their multi-billion dollar markets will thrive? Is it not for these reasons that the pharmaceutical industry is quick to patent synthetic drugs to make profits from patent fees and are these synthetic molecules not responsible for... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 08/07/12)

Sarath Fonseka and his wish for a Tamil President
L. Jayasooriya
It has been reported that the former army commander Sarath Fonseka in an interview with a Tamil Nadu newspaper has said that he wished to see a Tamil president in Sri Lanka similar to a black president as Obama in America. One cannot believe every news item and especially this one when the facts are as follows: No black American has ever asked for or advocated a separate state for blacks even if the federal government was not going to instantly lock them up for 99 years at least. Also Obama's election as President has... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 08/07/12)

කහ කුරුල්ලා
වෛද්‍ය රුවන් එම්. ජයතුංග
කහ කුරුල්ලා තම රංචුව අනුකරණය කරමින් උසැති තට්ටු නිවාසයේ වහලය මතවූ විශාල හරස් කණුව උඩ වැසුවේ අසීරුවෙනි. සිය ගණනක් වූ කුරුල්ලන් විශාල දැවමය හරස්කණුවේද, කොන්කී‍්‍රට් වහලය මතද වැසුවේ, හිස් බස් රථයකට කඩා වැදී, එහි වූ ආසන මත තර`ගකාරීව වාඩිවන මගීන් මෙනි.  කහ කුරුල්ලා මළාණික වූ දෑසින් තම රංචුව දෙස බැලීය. සෑම කුරුල්ලෙකුම පාහේ තම තමන්ගේ      ‘‘ කිචි බිචි ’’ කතා බහ වල නිරතව සිටියහ. ඇතමෙක් වහලය මත සිටි කෘමීන් අහුලා ගිල දැමූහ. සමහරු තම හොටෙන් පැරණි පියාපත් උගුල්ලා දැමූහ. එහෙත් කහ කුරුල්ලා පමණක් නිසලව සිටියේ උගේ උදරයෙන් එන වේදනාව නිසාවෙනි. සෑම කුරුල්ලෙකුම වාගේ තමා අවට... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 08/07/12)

MILLIONS WORTH GANDHARA BUDDHIST ARTIFACTS CAUGHT WHILE BEING SMUGGLED OUT
by Walter Jayawardhana
Buddhist artifacts worth millions believed to be from the first century AD Gandhara School of Art were caught while they were in the process of being smuggled out of Pakistan to the adjacent Pujab province in India by smugglers. The Karachchi Police of Pakistan made the recovery  while the valuable cargo was ferried to Sialkot wrapped up in colored foam and packed into wooden crates in a container loaded with water coolers broom sticks and slippers as camouflage. The preliminary inquiries have revealed the collection is not a part of any museum collection and the police... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 08/07/12)

Airport at Kundasala
L. Jayasooriya
Instead of building an airport at Kundasala there is enough flat land at a higher elevation a little distance from Kandy town where a 4 km. runway can be built for an International Airport with no flights. As an alternative we can also use it for local traffic but who will want to go to Kandy where the town is more congested than Pettah and the rest is on hill slopes with dangerous narrow roads with no buses. I have also seen houses built on the hill slopes with the hill slope acting as a wall. So... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 08/07/12)

Islamic sect has appealing message for U.S. politicians but has global enemies
By Dan Merica, CNN
Washington (CNN) – You’ve almost certainly never heard of him, but Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad drew some serious star power at a recent Capitol Hill reception in his honor. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Republican Sen. John Cornyn were among the many lawmakers who showed up to meet Ahmad, a Muslim leader who was in town last week on a rare U.S. visit from London. At a time when the United States is struggling with its views about Islam – as Islamists gain power in the Middle East and with ongoing concerns about Quran-citing... -Full Story-
(religion.blogs.cnn.com - 08/07/12)

'Bloody bandits and Western lies: What’s really going on in Syria
RT
Everything you’ve heard about Syria is a lie says Ankhar Kochneva, a Russian journalist who has seen first hand the realities of the Syrian civil war. Kochneva told RT she has proof a Western invasion of Syria will be launched by summer’s end. ­RT: While visiting Turkish camps for Syrian refugees, I was told that the Syrian army was shooting at them. Ankhar Kochneva: There are a large number of videos from those camps showing people walking upright, not ducking down even though you can hear shooting. The options are that either the sound was added to the video... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 08/07/12)

Live export sheep swims to freedom
In the calm waters of Eilat Bay in Israel, an unusual white figure was seen bobbing in the cold water. Was it a boat? A pelican? No. It was an Australian sheep, swimming for his life. Sahar, as he became known, had jumped or fallen from the nearby pier where a live export ship was unloading. He was beyond exhausted, and struggling to stay afloat. His fleece was waterlogged, and his thin legs — never intended for swimming — were paddling fast but failing to keep his head above water.... -Full Story- (animalsaustralia.org - 08/07/12)

Continuing the series on WHAT HAPPENED IN THE HISTORY OF JAFFNA -Who are the Vellahlas? Part 1
H. L. D. Mahindapala
 Jaffna has a unique history: from its womb came the first mass murderer (Sangkili) of Sri Lanka and also the last (Prabhakaran). Sangkili killed 600 Catholics. Prabhakaran repeated Sangkili's example by killing 600 policemen who surrendered to the LTTE on the undertaking given by Anton Balasingham, the Chief Negotiator of LTTE, to the Foreign Minister, A. C. S. Hameed, that they will be protected. The massacre violated the Geneva convention of protecting prisoners and also the undertaking given to the Sri Lankan Government who ordered the policemen to surrender in the hope of saving the peace process going on at the time.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 07/07/12)

Contain China policy and Sri Lanka
Ranjith Soysa
The Australian, a national new paper in Australia reported recently information relating to a secret war plans of Australia and her allies to contain China. The report was based on leaked   US cables published in Wikileaks website. The Australian Foreign Minister in one if his interviews rejected the existence  of such a white paper . According to the Australian report the USA considers China as a threat.  Hence, the objective of the contain China policy was to plan for a blockade of China’s sea routes to control movement of imports and exports of China when  the US... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 07/07/12)

ALERT: Wall Street Whistle Blower Warns of Meltdown – See His Uncensored Interview.
... -Full Story- (w3.newsmax.com - 07/07/12)

Meltdown on Main Street
Selected Transcript of the Newsmax Broadcast
As you know, the first decade of the 21st century is now behind us.And while it delivered great wealth to a select few, the last 10 years have been a "lost decade" for the average American Family. As I am speaking with you today, the U.S. stock market is 20% lower than it was 10 years ago. And when you add up the wealth that was destroyed by the dot-com crash . . . the housing bubble . . . and now the Great Recession, independent investigations reveal that U.S. households have lost... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 07/07/12)

UNIVERSITY OF MUMBAI TO OFFER POST GRADUATE DEGREE IN BUDDHIST STUDIES
by Walter Jayawardhana
India’s University of Mumbai will be offering beginning this academic year a Master’sdegree course in Buddhist studies  called MA-BS, a university official said.. According to the offical the post graduate degree is being offered in response to the growing demand from the student community . University of Mumbai will be starting the new and specialized master's degree course this academic year. Chairman, the Ad-Hoc Committee for Budddhist Studies Suraj Pandit said"As for the MA-BS, there is no course in the subject offered by the university or affiliated colleges. And while courses in Pali literature, Sanskrit, Tibetan,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 07/07/12)

Dumping Ground of Lethal Weapons
By Afshain Afzal
American media claims that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton talked to Pakistan's Foreign Minister Hina Rubbani Khar and said, "The Foreign Minister and I were reminded that our troops, Pakistani and American, are in a fight against a common enemy. We are both sorry for losses suffered by both our countries in this fight against terrorists," Many analysts took it as an Washington’s apology to Islamabad for its unprovoked attack on Pakistan personnel inside Pakistani territory at Salala post 26 November 2011 but it is totally misleading. What she did was dispel Pakistani point of view that the US wanted to... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 07/07/12)

BUCKLING UNDER MANY PROTESTS IN TAMIL NADU 27 SL AIRFORCE TRAINEES SENT TO KARNATAKA
by Walter Jayawardhana
Buckling under the many protests from Tamil Nadu the New Delhi government transferred 27 Sri Lankan Air Force personnel who were undergoing their training at Thambaram station near Chennai in Tamil Namil Nadu to the nearby state called Karnataka. The Times of India said, "All Sri Lankan trainees are being sent off today from this station (Tambaram) as per instructions of the defence ministry,'' quoting “ a terse statement issued by military authorities in Chennai while noting “ A red-faced MoD in New Delhi, in turn, ducked for cover and refused to say anything on the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 07/07/12)

Why do we Study Chemistry?
Dr Hector Perera           London
In a way I can say, chemistry is the study of matter and energy and the interaction between them. There are many reasons to study chemistry, even if you aren't pursuing a career in science. The reason is, chemicals are everywhere in the world around you! It's in the food you eat, clothes you wear, water you drink, medicines, air, cleaners or gosh, you name anything it is there. Chemistry sometimes is called the "central science" because it connects other sciences to each others, such as biology, physics, geology and environmental science. Here are some... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 07/07/12)

'Bye-bye, Miss American Pie': US pilot mock-sings as missile hits target (VIDEO)
RT
In the latest uproar surrounding American troops in Afghanistan, video has been released of an American pilot singing an impromptu rendition of Don McLean’s ‘American Pie’ at the exact moment a rocket strikes Afghans on the ground. The video appeared on Liveleak.com and is already generating controversy for a US government that has had to deal with multiple scandals involving deplorable conduct of American troops in Afghanistan.... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 07/07/12)

UN Corruption Files: UN Knew Its Money Went To The LTTE But Hushed Up
Uvindu Kurukulasuriya-Courtesy  Colombo Telegraph
A leaked UN email suggests that UN money went to LTTE.  Last May, Colombo Telegraph exposed how United Nations funds were paid to three Sri Lankan companies which were physically not contactable.  US$ 1.57 million ( Approximately RS 167,000,000.00 – valuation 2008) was paid to supply companies which the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations could not contact. Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general The FAO in Sri Lanka purchased project deliveries for the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka to a value exceeding US$ 1.5 million from three suppliers, namely, Dev Trades, A.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/07/12)

Roman Catholic Church an agent of Regime Change
Shenali Waduge
For the first thousand years of Christianity there was no “Roman Catholicism” but today Roman Catholicism has become the largest Christian group with more than 1billion adherents. Needless to say the Roman Catholic Church is the largest and most organized Christian Church in the world. It possesses political power and wealth and has been a major player in global politics often used to facilitate regime change, convert innocent Third World nations and disintegrate nations. An unbiased study of history will showcase how true Biblical Christianity has been replaced with man made versions to enable the survival of... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/07/12)

Eastern Province Tamil Politicians Support Of The Administration Is An Example Which Needs To Be Emulated By All Sri Lankan Tamils !
LankaWeb Weekly Editorial
July 6th 2012 It has been reported as breaking news in Sri Lanka  that several regional politicians of Tamil political parties in the Eastern Province have decided to support the Government of Sri Lanka in the forthcoming election for the Eastern Provincial Council. This is very encouraging and perhaps an important step towards the much sought after reconciliation within Sri lanka which seemed to have run into a few snags due mainly to foreign interference as well as pretentious Tamil representation with their own agendas such as the TNA  albeit though blatantly obvious manoeuvring to whom the... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/07/12)

‘Stop unethical conversions of Buddhists’
By Janaka Perera
Senior Vice President, World Federation of Buddhists (WFB) Dr. Ananda W.P. Guruge has called for a mass campaign to prevent unethical conversions of Buddhists in Sri Lanka. He made this appeal when he delivered the keynote address at the ceremonial launch of the English edition of the report on ‘Unethical Conversion of Buddhists’ at the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress hall, Colombo on Monday, June 2.  ACBC President Jagath Sumathipala presented the English edition to Dr. Guruge who assured that he would draw the attention of the World Buddhist community to unethical conversions in Sri Lanka. The... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/07/12)

VILLAGE SKETCH—23, KUNU NACHCHILE: AN HONEST ANIMAL LOVER
Arcadius
Only one lonely house was along the patch of road from Galkanda to Matthebokka. It was a very small thatched house built of wattle and mud. Facing it was a tract of rice paddies, across which the road meandered. The highland above it was vast expanse of cinnamon. A villager passing by this spot would hear the lowing of cattle, the only thing that disturbs the eerie stillness into which the entire area has plunged. He would turn his head and see the cattle grazing in the land surrounding the house. He would also see an old... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/07/12)

Anti-terrorism program gets $8 million
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester Ontario . Canada
6 July 2012   Kristen Shane Associate Editor EMBASSY Ottawa  The Chatter House news item, Anti-terrorism program gets $8 million, has left me confused.  It said "Mr. Baird (Foreign Minister) said the new funds would go to a program aimed at helping other countries fight terrorism through better training, equipment, and technical assistance."  And yet,  Mr. Baird and his Conservative Government doesn't seem to be happy that Sri Lanka, with no help from Canada, wiped out militarily the Tamil Tiger terrorists, who were the authors and perfected the suicide... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/07/12)

Gluten Allergy Linked to Modern Wheat?
Here is some information provided by Nalliah Thayabharan:
Wheat raises blood sugar higher than most of the other foods. 4 slices of whole wheat bread raise blood sugar higher than 12 teaspoons of sugar. That’s a simple fact as per the table of glycemic index. Almost all wheat in USA is from a dwarf strain, which produces a far greater yield but has contributed to the current obesity epidemic. Some of the world’s most popular diets including Atkins, South Beach and the Dukan Diet have urged followers to ditch bread and other carbs to slim down, while a rising... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/07/12)

FROM KASHMIR SINGH TO SARABJEET SINGH
PROFESSOR ALI SUKHANVER
Playing with the lives of so many innocent Pakistanis, causing a lot of destruction and spreading an air of harassment and terror could never be the aim and objective of anyone belonging to the Sikh community because the Sikhs call Pakistan the Land of their Guru Jee. What were the factors which compelled Surjeet Singh and Sarabjeet Singh to violate all their religious norms and traditions; certainly they might not have done it willingly; they might have been pushed rather forced to do so. In fact it is a common practice along the Indo-Pak Wahga border... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/07/12)

ලංවිම පඩිපතේ ඇත්ත දැනගන්න
පීඩාවට පත් මහජනතාව
මේ වනවිට ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ රාජ්‍ය, අර්ධ රාජ්‍ය, සංස්ථා සහ මණ්ඩල වල සියළු තරාතිරම් වල සේවකයින්ගේ ඉහළම වැටුප් ලබන සේවකයින් ඇත්තේ ලංකා විදුලිබල මණ්ඩලයේ බව වැටුප් හා සේවක සංඛ්‍යා කොමිෂන් සභා වාර්තා තහවුරු කරයි. ලංවිම සාමාන්‍ය සේවකයෙකුගේ දීමනා සහිත මූලික වැටුප රු. 60,000.00 ඉක්මවයි. විධායක ශ්‍රෙAණියේ එහි සාමාන්‍යය රු. 100,000.00 ඉක්මවයි. සෑම සේවකයෙකු වෙනුවෙන්ම අනුමත දීමනා සහ වරප්‍රසාද සංඛ්‍යාව 25 කි. රියදුරු -  මසකට ලැඛෙන මූලික වැටුප 28,000 කි. ලබාගත හැකි මුළු වැටුප රු. 100,000.00 කට ආසන්නය. (දීමනා, අතිකාල, ගමන් වියදම් හා අනෙකුත් වරප්‍රසාද) ශිල්පීය හා නුපුහුූණු -  මසකට ලැඛෙන මූලික වැටුප 28,000 කි. ලබාගත හැකි මුළු... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 06/07/12)

New Kadampa Tradition - Festival Play - Life of Buddha
The Monkey King scene from the Life of Buddha play at Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre in Ulverston, England during the 2009 New Kadampa Tradition Summer Festival.... -Full Story- (youtube.com - 06/07/12)

The Life of Buddha - Angulimala - New Kadampa Tradition
This is a video clip from the New Kadampa Tradition's Summer Festival play entitled "The Life of Buddha". This scene is about Angulimala. He had killed 999 and had the fingers of all the victims strung in a necklace around his neck. He had been told that if he killed 1,000 people he would gain some evil powers. Then he met Buddha Shakyamuni who cared for him with compassion.... -Full Story- (youtube.com - 06/07/12)

Karu Jayasuriya calls for united opposition to "tyrannical presidential system’’
By Charles.S.Perera
Karu Jayasuriya thinks that people in Sri Lanka forgets the past very quickly.  It is not so Mr.Jayasuriya the people remember how you and seventeen others crawled to the executive President Mahinda Rajapakse seeking as a gift for the betrayal of UNP a Ministerial post when you were kicked on your political backside by your now erstwhile leader Ranil Wickramasinghe . If on principle Karu Jayasuriya was against the executive presidency he should not have joined the President Mahinda Rajapakse  and above all not accepted a Ministry in his cabinet. But having sacrificed his principles there is... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/07/12)

Is Sri Lankan journalism sacrificing Objectivity, Integrity, Independence, Ethics and turning into "Prostitution"?
Prof. Hudson McLean
 To my great disbelief I was informed that some leading journalists employed by some of the Top Sri Lankan Media, are demanding a minimum of One Lakh to accept & publish a Press Release! This is a Gross Violation of Media Ethics! Worse than Prostitution. If this is the case can anyone believe the Sri Lanka Media Publications? Also I understood that "Plagiarism" and "Stealing" content and images without written permission is a "Way of Life" to breach Copyright. I would give this particular "journalist?" and the publication one Final Chance before I publish details on... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/07/12)

‘NEVER SAY DIE UNTIL YOU ARE REALLY DEAD’ ! – BATTLE TO COMBAT DENDUE CONTINUES
By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando
 At a time Sri Lanka is gripped with a deadly disease – Dengue fever- and  the government and health authorities are scratching their heads  engaged in all sorts of operations and cleaning up of the environment and imposing fines on those who allow mosquito to breed in  a desperate attempt to combat the disease and  save life,  Joe de Livera  who is the ‘ the Sri Lankan  representative for Homeopaths without Borders ’  made an appeal to the President on an effective homeopathic remedy  with which  he has cured many free of charge.  Among ... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/07/12)

Attitudinal change, and not constitutional bickering, is what we need for ethnic harmony
by Sebastian Rasalingam
Please permit me to comment on the article published in your columns on 2 July 2012 by Mr. Hemantha Warnakulasuriya (HW), entitled “The systemic denial of Justice to Tamils in the judicial sphere”. Mr HW recounts the harrowing story of 15 estate Tamils who had come to the capital in search of avenues of foreign employment, and hauled before the courts for lack of identifying documents on them. This was a short time before February 2008, when an LTTE suicidee blew up the D. S. Senanayake schoolboy team at the Fort railway station. As I... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/07/12)

Unsung diplomats
Dr.Tilak Fernando
Foreign Employment Ministry recently declared government's various projects which are in the pipeline to cocoon Sri Lankan migrant workers against unfair treatment and protect them from all adversities. Migrant workers leave their mother country to sweat out and toil in foreign lands to feed the hungry mouths at home. They in turn contribute largely towards Sri Lanka's foreign exchange reserves to help the country's economy. These workers need to be recognised and pay tributes not only after any alarming situations coming to pass, but from grass roots level they need assistance to improve their social, educational and... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/07/12)

Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the UK, Dr. Chris Nonis invited to address the Council of the Royal Over-Seas League, London on Sri Lanka
PRESS RELEASE- Sri Lanka High Commission London, UK
  Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the UK, Dr. Chris Nonis called on Britain to visit Sri Lanka and make an impartial and objective analysis of contemporary Sri Lanka and the Country's progress in the past 2 years. He was the guest speaker invited to address the Council of the Royal Over-Seas League, London on Sri Lanka in the post-conflict era. The Royal Over-Seas League, London was founded in 1910 and is committed to supporting international understanding and friendship through its own social, music, arts and welfare activities. Its President is... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/07/12)

A Seminar on Poverty Alleviation
PRESS RELEASE Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKIIRSS)
Jointly organised by the  Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations & Strategic Studies (LKIIRSS) Colombo and the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) New Delhi will be held at the Kadirgamar Institute, 24 Horton Place, Colombo 7   On Thursday, 12th July, 2012 from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm   Keynote Address by: Hon. Jairam Ramesh, Minister of Rural Development and Drinking Water and Sanitation of the Government of India   Address by: Chairman Hon. Prof. G. L. Peiris, Minister of... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/07/12)

"උග්රꠃ ජල හිඟයක් පැවතුණත් විදුලි කප්පාදුවකට සූදානමක් නැහැ"
මාධ්‍ය අංශය - විදුලිබල හා  බලශක්ති අමාත්‍යාංශය
පවතින ජල හිඟයට අපේ ඉලක්කය දෛනිකව ගිගාවොට් පැය 1.6ක් විදුලිය ඉතිරි කිරීමයි.  ඒ තුළින් කප්පාදුවකින් තොරව විදුලිය ලබාගත හැකියි- විදුලිබල හා බලශක්ති අමාත්‍ය  පාඨලී චම්පික රණවක  ඉතිහාසයේ පළමු වතාවට දිගින් දිගටම තුන්වතාවක් අන්තර් මෝසම් වැසි කඩාකප්පල්වීම හේතුවෙන් මේ වනවිට රට උග්‍ර ජල හිඟයකට මුහුණදී තිඛෙනවා. මේ වනවිට පානීය අවශ්‍යතා මෙන්ම කෘෂි අවශ්‍යතා සඳහාත් ජලය නොමැති තත්ත්වයකට පත්වෙලා. 1995 වර්ෂයේදී ජල විදුලි දායකත්වය 100%ක්. නමුත් අද වනවිට ජල විදුලි දායකත්වය 13%ක් වැනි අවම මට්ටමකට පත් වෙලා තිබුණත් තවමත් අපි පැය 24ම අඛණ්ඩ විදුලි සැපයුමක් පවත්වාගෙන යනවා. ජල විදුලි දායකත්වය අඩු වෙද්දි වියදම අධික... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/07/12)

Legislating against clergymen entering Parliament
Sugath Samarasinghe
I take this opportunity to express my opinion on the matter of a Private Member’s motion moved in Parliament to amend the constitution prevent clergymen from entering Parliament. At the present moment no other clergymen of any other religion than Buddhist monks are in Parliament. Therefore it appears to be mainly aimed at removing and preventing Buddhist monks from entering Parliament. Reading through some of the material written and argued in favour of this move and the reasoning given there in, it is intriguing to note the keenness of non-Buddhists to ensure that the tenets of Buddhist... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 05/07/12)

රට කලඹන බණ දෙසූ වඳුරඹ බෝසතුන් එර්දි වූ හැටි
... -Full Story- (lankacnews.com - 05/07/12)

University teachers launch strike today
By Charles.S.Perera
It was a foregone conclusion that Devasiri’s Strike will continue at any rate, even if their demands were to be granted as  Devasiri has a personal vendetta against the Government and the strike is an  excuse to embarrass the government . It is regrettable that the intellectual academicians of the country allow themselves to be driven like cattle by a man like Nirmal Ranjit Devasiri, merely because he happens to be the  President of FUTA without using their brains, if they have any ,to question the  fairness of a strike in our country at this time.  Nirmal... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 04/07/12)

Death Penalty for Rape
Shenali Waduge
No one has the right to take away the innocence of another and in the case of a child, punishment for such an offense needs to go beyond the present practice of filling prisons with these offenders or giving them bail to commit another such offence. Revival of capital punishment is a now or never question which needs prompt attention and action. Take any newspaper and the main page is full of rape, child abuse or molestation incidents happening throughout  Sri Lanka. The incidents related to prostitution, drugs, human trafficking and other such ills are not waning... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 04/07/12)

What is love; it is one of the most difficult questions for all of us. “You just have to wait, love does not come easy.”
Dr Hector Perera  London
Looking for a suitable partner This is not an ordinary marriage proposal but a chemical one. Even in any marriage people say, “Get the chemistry right”. This is how I looked at some of the chemicals in the periodic table of elements; perhaps this might inspire some Chemistry students to remember some properties of chemicals in a humanly, different way. When I asked about the combination power or the valency of some elements, ionic and covalent bonding, sometimes the students find it difficult to figure it out with reasons. The discoverer of the periodic table... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 04/07/12)

Heading towards eelam war IV - War on terror revisited: A passage through a political minefield
By Shamindra Ferdinando Courtesy The Island
  Having won the Nov 17, 2005 presidential poll with a narrow margin, President Mahinda Rajapaksa felt that nothing could be as important as political stability. He knew that political uncertainty would stand in the way of tackling the LTTE. He wanted to accommodate the JVP, which had played a pivotal role in his presidential campaign. On the instructions of the President, then Foreign Minister, Mangala Samaraweera formally invited the JVP to join the new Sri Lankan leader’s first overseas visit in late December, 2005. The FM invited JVP leader, Somawansa Amarasinghe,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 04/07/12)

Israeli troops filmed kicking Palestinian child (VIDEO)
RT
An Israeli Border Police officer has been caught on video kicking a Palestinian child in the southern West Bank. The police have launched a probe into the incident, documented by an Israeli human rights organization. ­The footage shows a 9-year-old boy walking down the road when a uniformed police officer runs up to him and grabs him by the arm, causing the boy to fall on the ground. Another policeman then walks up to them and kicks the screaming child. After that, the soldiers let the child run away, and leave the site. In response to the incident, the... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 04/07/12)

Iran boasts it could wipe out US presence in Middle East in minutes
RT
Iran claims it has the capability to destroy US bases “within minutes” after concluding a massive military exercise in which it launched hundreds of missiles. ­"[US] bases are all in range of our missiles, and the occupied lands [Israel] are also good targets for us," Amir Ali Haji Zadeh, commander of the elite Revolutionary Guard told the FARS news agency. The three-day Great Prophet 7 training exercise wrapped up on Wednesday. It simulated rapidly releasing batteries of guided missiles and Iran-made drones at mock-ups of US bases. Haji Zadesh claimed that 35 US bases are within the 2,000 km... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 04/07/12)

Confirmed: CERN discovers new particle likely to be the Higgs boson (VIDEO)
RT
Two teams of scientists at CERN have confirmed the discovery of a new subatomic particle, which may well be the elusive Higgs boson, also known as “the God particle”. ­"I can confirm that a particle has been discovered that is consistent with the Higgs boson theory," said John Womersley, chief executive of the UK's Science & Technology Facilities Council. The result is still preliminary, but “it's very strong and very solid,” according to Joe Incandela, spokesman for one of the two teams hunting for the Higgs particle. The CMS team is confident about its findings, which they say leave... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 04/07/12)

The drought and depleted tanks in Nuwarakalaviya
Garvin Karunaratne, Ph.D. Former SLAS (Government Agent, Matara District 1971-73)
It is reported that there is hardly any water for Yala cultivation in the Anuradhapura District and that even under Kalaweva, 50,000 acres will have no water.  Farmers under Kalaweva & Polonnaruwa are up in arms complaining against the haphazard distribution of water. I was the Assistant Commissioner of Agrarian Services that took over minor irrigation functions from the Government Agent in 1962. It was a very difficult task to attend to the needs of the farmers of over 2,500 small tanks and some of the issues I experienced... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 03/07/12)

Canard of traditional homelands of Tamils: dismissing it outright is long overdue
Asada M Erpini
Lankaweb carried an illuminating essay by A Denis N. Fernando, Fellow National Academy of Sciences, which had appeared in Island on 01 July. The write up presented valuable information that should be circulated far and wide by the Sri Lanka government and all Sri Lankans who love their country. The myths that had been manufactured by the LTTE and its supporters, as well as by the ardent Tamil nationalists over a period that nears almost a century are now being accepted as fact. Many countries in the West, led by Norway and the USA, either have... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 03/07/12)

Independence of the Nations is in peril
M.M.RAZICK
Independent observation of the international scene where the powerful countries intervene and intrude into less powerful countries for economic, political and other benefits have escalated by leaps and bound during the past few decades to the level of those helpless countries finally surrendering to those powerful countries.  Bitter truth is that the international organizations that are established to maintain peace and harmony in the world have drastically failed or functioning with double standard in taking decisions related to internal conflicts and interventions. Beginning from Palestine we could open a long list like Iraq, Libya, Egypt and several other... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 03/07/12)

Why not use it to secure a country that belongs to all rather than Eelam for some? Sampanthan’s change of strategy:
By Dr. M. A. Mohamed Saleem  Courtesy The Island
July 2, 2012, 6:57 pm The TNA leader R. Sampanthan’s recent speech at the 14th annual ITAK convention has raised a lot of public interest. After many years in the political arena and a mouthpiece of the LTTE, Sampathan used the Batticaloa platform to remind that his group was still relevant, active and invigourated, particularly after the UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka. People should not therefore discount him and his group as a spent force. His speech comes at a time when the young Tamils generation is beginning to... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 03/07/12)

Syria, US elections and collateral damage
Prensa Latina
The threats of reprisal on the part of Ankara and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), renewed the debate about the possibility of a direct or indirect military action by the United States and its allies against the government in Damascus. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the downing of a Turkish military aircraft over Syrian territory was a deliberate act, that any approximation of military force used by Damascus is perceived as a threat and that necessary measures should be taken. European media outlets mentioned that Turkish military armored units moved to border areas with the... -Full Story-
(english.pravda.ru - 03/07/12)

Media Minefields and the Fog of War
by Felicity Arbuthnot
Creativity is the lifeblood of our organisation." (BBC Mission statement)As the sabre rattling towards Iran and the ongoing tragedy in Syria become increasingly hard to unravel, media errors or perhaps even obfuscation create their own navigational complexities. One example: on Sunday, the 1st of July, BBC news programmes repeatedly stated that Syrian troops had fired at mourners at a funeral in or near Damascus (i.) Para 4:... -Full Story-
(english.pravda.ru - 03/07/12)

US ramps up Gulf forces to scare off Iran
RT
The United States is rapidly escalating its military presence in the Persian Gulf to deter Iran from shutting off the Strait of Hormuz or striking out at regional enemies. ­The US has just doubled the number of minesweepers in the regional waters to eight, and several squadrons of F-22s and F-15s have been relocated to nearby US bases. An American combat brigade is also on stand-by in Kuwait, ready to intervene in any regional conflict. Although some of the movements have been long-planned, others have been implemented ahead of schedule. “The message to Iran is, ‘Don’t even think about... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 03/07/12)

Iran lawmakers prepare to close Hormuz Strait
RT
Iranian lawmakers have drafted a bill that would close the Strait of Hormuz for oil tankers heading to countries supporting current economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic. ­"There is a bill prepared in the National Security and Foreign Policy committee of Parliament that stresses the blocking of oil tanker traffic carrying oil to countries that have sanctioned Iran," Iranian MP Ibrahim Agha-Mohammadi told reporters. "This bill has been developed as an answer to the European Union's oil sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran." Agha-Mohammadi said that 100 of Tehran's 290 members of parliament had signed the bill as... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 03/07/12)

Geneva decisions on Syria already being distorted - Lavrov
RT
Russia regrets the Syrian opposition’s position on the Geneva conference, as well as that of some Western countries who wish to distort the agreements, FM Sergey Lavrov said. "It seemed to us that the consensus reached in the final communique is an important step to consolidate the positions of all members of the international community, the participants in the conference and Syrian sides, on the positions of a peaceful settlement and the refusal to solve the problem in the military way," Lavrov told reporters on Tuesday. "Unfortunately, some representatives of the Syrian opposition began to state that the Geneva... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 03/07/12)

French police raid home of former president Nicolas Sarkozy
RT
Police officers have carried out a number of raids in Paris - on the villa Nicolas Sarkozy shares with his wife Carla Bruni, on the law offices of the former president's attorneys and on the apartment provided to him by the governmen.Bettencourt, France’s richest woman, is alleged to have illegally contributed two payments of 400,000 euros each to Mr Sarkozy's 2007 election campaign, despite the fact the legal limit on individual donations being 4,600 Euro. Both were traced to Swiss accounts, and one was allegedly received by Sarkozy in person in Paris, in return for offering the cosmetics magnate... -Full Story-
(rt.com - 03/07/12)

Unholy Silence
By Geoff Thompson and Mary Ann Jolley
The Catholic Church says its response to cases of child sex abuse should be compassionate, that abusers should be brought to justice and that concealing the truth is unjust to victims. But does it follow those principles? Coming up, Four Corners reporter Geoff Thompson investigates a shocking case of abuse involving many children, committed over several years. The abuse in itself is horrifying, the impact on the victims devastating, but perhaps the most alarming revelation is the fact that the Church turned a blind eye to the priest's crimes. Four Corners asks why,... -Full Story-
(abc.net.au - 03/07/12)

READING RESULTS AT STAGGERED ELECTIONS
By  Gomin Dayasri  
The staggered premature provincial council elections are to test the pulse of the people with a purpose-not necessarily to present the people with another democratic opportunity to exercise their franchise. More for the government to inspect the ground conditions to obtain a pitch report - to decide whether to bat or bowl. Yes, in non-sporting language, with politics being a far cry from any respectable sport - whether to hold Presidential elections, sooner or later? The result is predictable-Presidential Election is in the fast lane, either way.  Staggered in a manner to suit the captain calling... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/07/12)

Dominica, Cuba and Venezuela want USAID thrown out
Caribbean 360 - June 27
RIO, Brazil, Wednesday June 27, 2012 – Dominica, Cuba and Venezuela have joined the foreign ministers of Bolivia, Ecuador and Nicaragua in requesting that the heads of government of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) effect the immediate expulsion of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) from the countries of the ALBA bloc. The resolution was passed following an ALBA foreign ministers meetingin Rio, Brazil last Thursday. The statement was subsequently published in Spanish in the Cuban ‘Grandma’ newspaper. Apart from Dominica, the two other English speaking countries in the ALBA... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/07/12)

PETITION FOR THE ELIMINATION OF MANUAL SCAVENGING IN INDIA
Sponsored by:Dalit Freedom Network USA
Every day 1.3 million people in India (of which more than 80% are Dalit women) are forced to clean human excrement with their bare hands for little to no wages, a practice called manual scavenging. On June 17, 2011, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India referred to manual scavenging as "one of the darkest blots on [India's] development process" and asked all state Ministers in his country to pledge to eliminate this scourge from every corner of India in the next six months, by the end of 2011.By signing this petition,... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/07/12)

War on terror revisited: An irrevocable miscalculation
By Shamindra Ferdinando Courtesy The Island
July 1, 2012, 7:50 pm UNP Chairman, Malik Samarawickrema lambasted the LTTE for engineering the defeat of UNP presidential election candidate, Ranil Wickremesinghe in 2005. The staunch Wickremesinghe loyalist alleged that the LTTE had deprived the UNP leader of a certain victory by preventing Tamil speaking people living in areas under LTTE control from exercising their franchise. Had there been an ali-koti givisuma (an agreement between Elephants (UNP)and Tigers) as alleged by the UPFA, the LTTE would never have caused Wickremesinghe’s downfall (LTTE action belies ali-koti pact––The Island of Nov 21, 2005).... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 02/07/12)

Many surprises of the “Arab Spring", still evolving
 Ajit Randeniya
The swearing in last week of Mohamed Morsi as Egypt's first freely elected civilian president marked the latest development in the series of curious ‘uprisings’, tagged the Arab Spring by the American and other western media, that gripped North Africa and the Middle-East, in late 2010, and 2011. The ‘spring’ began in Tunisia with the peaceful toppling of strongman and ‘perpetual president’ Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Morocco also underwent a brief, bloodless revolution when in February 2011, King Muhammed VI swiftly stepped down in response to protests. Next was Egypt, and western expectation was ripe... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 01/07/12)

An ordeal of a patriot seeking to see TNA sinking in to a “ legal Nandikadal”
By Charles.S.Perera
From  Wattegama where  I stay It is a long way to Colombo.  On the 28 June, 2012, an important day for all patriots of Sri Lanka, I got up early in the morning and left home at 3 am  to take the bus to Kandy from where I was to take the Inter City train in which I had reserved a seat to Colombo and back. The bus was delayed and I had to wait standing at the lonely bus stand looking scarey in the dark chilly morning  for 40 minutes before the bus arrived already backed... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 01/07/12)

A war criminal or a global champion of human rights
By Afshain Afzal
The latest statement by former US secretary of state Madeleine Albright that the war on Iraq was the US's "biggest mistake" has not surprised anyone. She said to the media, "America attacked Afghanistan as a direct result of September 11 bombings. However, the war on Iraqwas the biggest mistake we could make and are still hurt because of it." Her claim that America attacked Afghanistan as a direct result of September 11 bombings is absurd as no one can  point out a single Afghan national who participated in the attacks of September 11 on United States’ military Headquarters, “Pentagon” and Intelligence hub of Twin Tower. All... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 01/07/12)

TNA’s gibberish on Mullikulam
Ranjith Soysa
TNA’s main platform at present is to vilify the Sri Lankan defence forces as they have very few options after their armed   ‘boys’ were  pushed out of the political agenda. Their latest fabrication is about  200 IDP families resettled in Mullikulam said to be chased  away by the Navy. The TNA MPs are busy in spreading the fiction to their constituents   and to the foreign do gooders   who  are expected to carry the burden of Tamil separatism for another sorrowful lap. As a person who has visited Mullikulam in Mannar district I can vouch for the excellent... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 01/07/12)

Sarah Coral Hanson-Young -Are Your Tears genuine or a Political Gimmick?
This is an open letter to Greens Senator Ms. Sarah Coral Hanson -Young by Jayamangala
Sarah Coral Hanson-Young (born 23 December 1981) is an Australian politician. She has been a Greens member of the Australian Senate since July 2008, representing the state of South Australia.(Sources-WikipediA) Most of the TV viewers watching the evening news a couple of days back would have seen you Sarah Hanson-young shedding tears for the unfortunate boat people who died in mid seas in a desperate attempt to reach Australia as asylum seekers. Fair enough and no qualms for your emotions but it’s an encouraging... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 01/07/12)

Giving up Gourmet Rice for a dis-functional Air Port in Kundasale?
by Chandre Dharmawardana, Canada
News reports say that there is a move to build an airport in the region now known as "Kundasale". This has been the most cherished rice-growing region of the Kingdom of Kandy, with land bestowed to the temples providing the backbone of the terrain. In fact, even the name "Kunda-sale" may have originated from "Sundra-Sahala,  සුන්දර සහල", i.e., 'beautiful  riceland'.  Nevertheless, I have heard Lankan entrepreneurs claiming that `rice cultivation' is no longer profitable, and alternative 'cash crops', as well as the rapid access to business provided by an airport would help to `develop' and... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 01/07/12)

"Menon refuses to do a Hanuman"
Political Communication research opinion, by Professional Analyst - Canada.
Ref: http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=55700 Once again, we have to accept reality. If Hon. Rauf Hakeem is nominated as the Chief Minister candidate of the UPFA group comprising of the SLFP, SLMC, ACMC, TMVP and other supporting groups at the forth coming Eastern Provincial Council Elections, the UPFA team will win the elections with a profound victory. The vote bank strength that the UPFA will poll, definitely will come from the Muslims. The SLMC and the ACMC cannot be denied this truth. That is the reality in the Eastern political playing field. Rauf... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 01/07/12)

Unpacking the Menon visit
Courtesy The Nation
Visiting Indian Defence Advisor, Shiv Shankar Menon is reported to have insisted that Sri Lanka should sort its own problems, with India ready to help if requested.  Although we know that diplomacy is about saying the palatable and doing the distasteful on the sly, India being India especially, it is prudent for the Government to be mindful of sensitivities.   This envoy of the Indian Government has also urged the Tamil National Alliance to join the Parliamentary Select Committee, thereby effectively snubbing that party for attempting to use India as an instrument to arm-twist the Sri... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 01/07/12)

Deshamanya Dr. Vernon L.B. Mendis Memorial Lecture: “Sri Lanka's Post-conflict Peace Restoration and External Aspects” delivered by Ambassador Nihal Rodrigo.
PRESS RELEASE Issued by:  Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKIIRSS)
Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKIIRSS) organized a memorial lecture commemorating the 2nd death anniversary of Deshamanya Dr. Vernon L. B. Mendis, a giant in Sri Lankan diplomatic corps on June 22, 2012. The principal objective of the event as was mentioned by the Executive Director of the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute was to recall, recognize and honour the service rendered by late Dr. Mendis to the Foreign Service establishment in Sri Lanka. The event was graced by the presence of many... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 01/07/12)

Robert Knox in the Kandyan Kingdom And the various editions of KNOX’s Ceylon
by Brendon Gooneratne Courtesy The Island
In 1681 Robert Knox published his book on Ceylon, the full title of which is an Historical Relation of the Island CEYLON in the East- Indies Together with an Account of the Detaining in Captivity the Author and diver other Englishmen now Living there, and of the Author’s Miraculous ESCAPE illustrated with Figures and a Map of the ISLAND by ROBERT KNOX a Captive there near Twenty Years. Knox’s book was published in London, and printed by Richard Chiswell, Printer to the ROYAL SOCIETY, whose printing establishment seems to have been located... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 01/07/12)

Traditional Homelands a Tissue of Gobellelsian Myths
By A Denis N. Fernando-Fellow National Academy of Sciences-Courtesy The Island
June 30, 2012, 5:13 pm Peninsular Jaffna was called "Post Que est Borem prom" by Ptolemy in circa 115 A.D., which was later called Japane by Javanese who occupied this area in the 12th Century who were fervent Buddhists who settled there from Java to escape the severe volcanic activity that engulfed the famous Borabudhu Buddhist complex with volcanic ash caused by the "Ring of fire" there. This violent volcanic activity in Java resulted in the migration of several Javanese to leave Java and find refuge elsewhere.... -Full Story-
(LankaWeb - 01/07/12)


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