Students for Grade One classes of schools throughout the island will be enrolled on Monday(16), the Ministry of Education has announced. Main ceremony in this regard will be held at the C.W.W.Kannangara Central College at Mathugama, it added.
(JNW)
January 10, 2012 at 4:30 pm
If any letters with stamps containing symbols of LTTE are received steps will be taken to remove the stamps and distribute the letters, the Postmaster General M.K.B. Dissanayake said. The UN-affiliated Universal Postal Union (UPU) has also been requested to stop the circulation of such stamps, he added.
According to the UPU, all countries are obligated to accept and distribute post with stamps printed by a certain country, the Postmaster General pointed out.
“However, as soon as information is received regarding stamps depicting images which threaten the sovereignty of the country, the Central Postal Exchange has been instructed to document them, remove the stamps and distribute the letters to the relevant persons.”
Stamps baring images related to LTTE were also issued in Canada and Britain in addition to the four personalized stamps issued in France.
External Affairs Minister Professor G.L. Peiris had registered the country’s protest to the stamps in question with the Ambassador of France to Sri Lanka while La Poste had apologized for printing the collection of stamps “by mistake”.
Protest has been expressed to the other establishments which issued similar stamps as well, the Postmaster General also said.
(JNW)
January 10, 2012 at 2:29 pm
The Navy has confisticated the boat and arrested a crew of 4 in Hambanthota, who attempted to smuggle 22 persons to Australia who taken into custody near Rekawa area, Navy Spokesman Commander Kosala Warnakulasooriya said.
(JNW)
January 10, 2012 at 1:30 pm
A Royal visit took place in Sri Lanka recently with the arrival of Prince Michael of Kent. Prince Michael was accompanied by Princess Michael during the tour in Sri Lanka. They were here on a private visit which paved the way for them visit a few tourist attractions in Sri Lanka.
Among the places they visited in Sri Lanka was Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. Pinnawala officials facilitated the visit with a planting of a tree.
“This kind of high profile visits are welcome at a time we are trying to reach out to high end tourists,” Sri Lanka Tourism’s Acting Director General Vipula Wanigasekera said.
Prince Michael of Kent is a grandson of King George V and Queen Mary, he is a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II.
Prince Michael occasionally carries out royal duties representing the Queen at some functions in Commonwealth realms outside of the United Kingdom.
( President’s media)
January 10, 2012 at 12:17 pm
The naval contingent assigned for the United Nations Peace Keeping Mission has left for Haiti. A total of 44 naval personnel including 02 officers, 10 senior sailors and 32 junior sailors were among them, the media unit of Navy said. They will be deployed for the mission along with 118 army personnel and 41 air force personnel.
The naval contingent completed their training at the United Nations Peace Keeping Operations Training Center in Kukuleganga and passed out at Armoured Corps Regimental Headquarters at Modara to take on their UN Peace Keeping duties in Haiti, it added.
(JNW)
January 10, 2012 at 11:13 am
Gangodawila Magistrate has ordered the Police to remove all students from Sri Jayawardenapura University premises, Police Spokesman SP Ajith Rohana said.
(JNW)
January 9, 2012 at 1:30 pm
A 380 aircraft has landed at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) for the first time for refuelling on its way to Dubai, Minister of Civil Aviation Services Priyankara Jayaratne said. A 40 % increase has been recorded in aircraft landings in the BIA during 2011, when compared to year 2010, he disclosed.
(JNW)
January 9, 2012 at 12:33 pm
Recent attacks on Indian fishermen by the Sri Lanka Navy are mere allegations sans any proof, the Union External Affairs Ministry of India said.
Deepak Mittal, Director, BSM (Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Maldives) Division, Ministry of External Affairs, made the submission in a counter affidavit filed in reply to a couple of contempt of court applications filed in the Madras High Court Bench against the Union Cabinet Secretary, National Security Advisor, Defence Secretary, External Affairs Secretary and Deputy Director-General of Indian Coast Guard.
However, even if the alleged attacks had happened, it would have taken place only in Lankan waters, counter affidavit said.
Director (BSM) further said the reports of alleged attacks on Indian fishermen have not taken place in Indian waters which have strictly kept under vigil by the navy and the coast guard and no intrusion of Lankan vessels into Indian waters have taken place.
After the filing of contempt petitions in November 2011, deaths of only four fishermen were reported by fisheries department at Mandapam.
Pointing out that the fishermen communities on either side of the Palk Bay were Tamils, Mr. Mittal said the problems faced by fishermen in both countries emanated from their fishing vessels straying into each other’s waters.
(Priu)
January 9, 2012 at 9:37 am
Allrounder Albie Morkel has been called up to South Africa’s one-day squad for the five-match series against Sri Lanka because of an injury to batsman Dean Elgar.
Fast bowler Wayne Parnell also suffered a pinched nerve during a SuperSport Series match but he has been cleared for the ODIs. The series begins in Paarl on January 11.
Elgar suffered a knee injury while playing for the Knights against the Cape Cobras during the SuperSport Series matches over the weekend. “It is feared that he may have suffered ligament injury, which could necessitate surgery,” Cricket South Africa said in a media release.
Morkel has not played for South Africa since November 2010. He suffered an abdominal muscle tear while playing for Chennai Super Kings in the Champions League T20 and then had surgery at the beginning of the South African summer.
(ESPN)
January 8, 2012 at 8:21 pm
Three faculties of the University of Sri Jayawardenapura have been closed indefinitely. The faculties of Humanity and Social Science, Management Studies and Commerce as well as faculty of applied science have been closed in this regard, Vice Chancellor Dr. N.L.A.Karunaratne said.
Accordingly, students of these faculties were requested to vacate the premises by 8 am today(8).
(JNW)
January 8, 2012 at 11:00 am
South Africa won their first home series since 2008, a period in which they had been denied on five occasions, prevailing over Sri Lanka by 10 wickets to take the rubber 2-1. An innings defeat seemed the most likely result at the start of the day, but a wicketless pre-lunch session and another century from the resurgent Thilan Samaraweera helped Sri Lanka barely avoid that ignominy.
Needing two runs to win in the fourth innings, South Africa got home without facing a legal delivery, with Dhammika Prasad over-stepping and Alviro Petersen punching down the ground to trigger relief and smiles in the home camp. Graeme Smith has now captained his side to 41 Test wins – joint second with Steve Waugh in the all-time list. Only Ricky Ponting, with 48, lies ahead.
Once again, Vernon Philander made the breakthroughs for South Africa in a passage when they were beginning to look listless. Samaraweera and Angelo Mathews had extended their overnight association to 142 runs, and were looking at ease against the second new ball, when Philander ended the fun with a double-strike. The tail slogged along merrily, while Samaraweera chiselled his way to three-figures. Jacques Kallis and Imran Tahir side-stepped his defiance, and ended the innings at the stroke of tea.
South Africa 580 for 4 decl. (Kallis 224, de Villiers 160*, Petersen 109) and 2 for 0 beat Sri Lanka 239 (Dilshan 78, Philander 3-46, Steyn 3-56) and 342 (Samaraweera 115*, Kallis 3-35) by 10 wickets
(ESPN)
January 6, 2012 at 9:32 pm
The government has decided to issue free passports for Sri Lankan refugees who return home from Tamil Nadu. Around 90,000 Sri Lankan Tamils live in refugee camps and residencies privately sought by them in Tamil Nadu due to LTTE terrorist activities that prevailed for more than 3 decades.
On the initiative of the President in his capacity as the Minister of Defence and Urban Development, they are to be re-settled in their own villages. However, in terms of the provisions of the Immigration and Emigration Act, they should have a valid passport to return to Sri Lanka. A levying a fee of Indian Rs.4,400 should be paid to obtain them.
The proposal made by the President to authorize the Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in Chennai to issue passports for the refugees without charging the fee, has been approved by the Cabinet.
(JNW)
January 6, 2012 at 5:16 pm
The government has observed the economic difficulties that are being faced by the people due to law’s delays and pending legal cases. With the view to overcome this situation, a system of judicial mediation is to be introduced as a first step in Court proceedings and pre-trial procedures are to be adopted thereafter. Judicial mediation through creation of a post of Master in the courts will endeavor to bring about an amicable settlement on the issues concerned between the relevant parties.
The proposal made by Minister of Justice Rauff Hakeem in this regard was referred to the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Legislation for its recommendations.
(JNW)
January 6, 2012 at 4:41 pm
South Africa produced an exhibition of blistering seam and swing in the first innings, followed by nagging persistence in the second, to nip out 12 of the 18 wickets they needed for victory at the start of the third day. Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander delivered spells of unmitigated menace to demolish Sri Lanka’s last eight first-innings wickets for 90 runs, allowing South Africa to enforce the follow-on around 30 minutes after lunch.
The pair’s combined first-innings effort on the third morning yielded 6 for 28 in 17 overs, and provided a cruel twist to Sri Lanka’s plans of batting through the day. Wickets weren’t that easy to come by in the second innings, following Tillakaratne Dilshan’s customary brainfade, but South Africa chipped away to skim the top order by stumps.
The wicket-fest left Sri Lanka staring at defeat with two days of good weather expected in Cape Town. Their euphoria after winning the Boxing Day Test has steadily dissipated since the toss at Newlands, and the tone for another day of disappointment was set early in the piece.
Sri Lanka 138 for 4 (Mathews 28*, Samaraweera 19*) and 239 (Dilshan 78, Steyn 3-56, Philander 3-46) trail South Africa 580 for 4 dec by 203 runs
(ESPN)
January 5, 2012 at 9:43 pm
Deadline for accepting applications for rescrutinizing of Advanced Level answer scripts has been extended till January 17, Commissioner General of Examination Jayantha Pushpakumara said. Earlier it was due to conclude on January 08.
(JNW)
January 5, 2012 at 3:33 pm
MP Ajith Perera has been appointed as the new Deputy Chief Opposition Whip by the Advisory Committee of the United National Party. The post was earlier held by MP Dayasiri Jayasekara.
(JNW)
January 5, 2012 at 3:31 pm
Over 100 Army sportsmen will be awarded at the Army Colours Night ceremony that will be held at Sugathadasa stadium today(05). Secretary of Defence and Urban Development Gotabhaya Rajapakse will be the chief guest of the occasion.
(JNW)
January 5, 2012 at 1:32 pm
