President with Kandyan dancers : Traditional costumesPresident Mahinda Rajapaksa with a group of dancers in traditional Kandyan dancing costumes. Picture by Sudath Silva

Abu Dhabi to breathe life into coral reefs

Abu Dhabi: On a mission to breathe life into degrading coral reefs, the Environment Agency, Abu Dhabi (EAD) has embarked on a two-year project to learn more about the colourful world of corals.
The Coral Reef Restoration programme was launched in March this year in association with Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology (TUMSAT) and Japan Oil Development Company (JODCO).
Scientists on the programme are interested in gathering information about two aspects — the reproductive cycle of coral reefs and information that would help in restoration of damaged reefs in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Experts have been diving into the waters close to Saadiyat Island and Al Dhabeiyah to install devices that would help them explore the world of corals.
Separate devices are used for each purpose.
"We have installed coral settlement devices with the hope that they will eventually help us with restoring degrading coral reefs. And marine blocks have been installed to throw light into their reproductive cycle", Suaad al Harthi, a scientist with the EAD's coastal zone management division said.
The coral settlement devices were developed by Dr. Mineo Okamoto of TUMSAT. The devices have proven successful in rehabilitating corals in various parts of Japan including one in Sekisei Lagoon, the largest coral reef in Okinawa Prefecture-Japan.
Whether the success can be replicated in Abu Dhabi can only be found out by the end of the project, in two years, as coral reefs are very slow growing, Al Harthi explained.
"These resemble stacked trays and are made up of calcium carbonate and other materials", she said.
Settlement devices
In nature, the coral larva settles on any hard substrate and they grow by building several colonies over that. The settlement devices are meant to replicate this environment.
"Typically they tend to settle in little crevices".
Once the devices become homes to corals, they can easily be transferred to labs to be studied closely for the types of species that have settled, their growth pattern etc. These could then be moved to a nursery site where they could be cared for until they are installed at sites with damaged coral reefs, thus help restoration.
Presently no such nurseries have been set up. Based on the success of the project EAD will decide on setting up nurseries at a later stage, Al Harthi said.
The second device, called marine block, resembles bricks and has hundreds of holes in it. "These were installed in phases in March, April and May, during the expected spawning period of corals".
By installing in phases, the reproductive cycle of corals could be better understood.
The holes in the blocks reveal the actual growth rate, she added.
EAD first began monitoring coral reefs in 2005. Ten permanent monitoring stations have now been established. Coral reefs in waters off Abu Dhabi survive in stressful conditions. This is due to extreme seasonal temperature variations and very high salinity levels.(Gulfnews)

UAE petrol prices to rise for third time in a year after Eid

Abu Dhabi: Petrol prices in the UAE are set to rise for the third time this year, a source in oil company, Adnoc, has told Gulf News.
A number of different types of petrol including Special, E-plus and Diesel, will be affected by the increase, which the source said will take place after the Eid holiday.
The rise in fuel costs is in line with a report by Gulf News three months ago which stated that a rise in petrol prices would take place in three stages, before the end of the year 2010. This is the third such rise. (Gulfnews)

RCMP police officers remove two computers from a home in west-end Ottawa on Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2010. Two men were arrested and charged with terrorism-related offences, and a third was detained Thursday.(The Star)

Suspects planned explosive devices in Canada: RCMP

An Ottawa-based terrorist cell with international connections was only “months” away from exploding bombs on Canadian soil, a senior RCMP official said Thursday.
The three suspected home-grown terrorists arrested over the past two days — two in Ottawa and one in London, Ont. — are charged in connection with a plot to make and detonate improvised explosive devices as well as financing terror groups operating in Afghanistan.
The arrests follow a year-long investigation and have stopped an imminent threat to targets not only in Ottawa but possibly across the country, said Chief Superintendent Serge Therriault, the RCMP’s chief of criminal operations in the nation’s capital.
Police refused to identify the targets of the alleged terrorists, saying that information would come out in court.
Over a 36-hour period, the RCMP’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team arrested Hiva Mohammad Alizadeh, 30, and Misbahuddin Ahmed, 26, in Ottawa, and Khurram Syed Sher, 28, in London, Ont. All are being held in custody.
Police allege that since February 2008, the three men conspired with three others — James Lara, Rizgar Alizadeh and Zakaria Mamosta — in a terrorist plot they have traced back to Iran, Pakistan and Dubai.(The Star)

Foreigners can vote for DPJ leader ¥2,000 annual fee to sign up as a party supporter is all it takes

As the Democratic Party of Japan's presidential election nears, an interesting fact has surfaced regarding internal regulations on who gets to vote for the ruling party's leader — and effectively the prime minister.
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The Sept. 14 election, the DPJ's first major presidential race since 2002, will be open not only to Diet lawmakers but also to regional assembly members and the estimated 350,000 registered party members across the nation.
With kingpin Ichiro Ozawa throwing his hat in the ring Thursday to face off against Prime Minister Naoto Kan, it will be the most heated presidential race in the party's history.
But here's the catch. DPJ regulations allow anyone who is 18 or older to become a member of the party, provided they dish out an annual fee. Membership comes in two flavors: being a "member" costs ¥6,000, while being a "supporter" takes ¥2,000. This includes Japanese nationals living abroad and foreigners living in Japan.
The issue was no big deal back when the DPJ was still in the opposition, but now that it's the ruling party, critics have pointed out that resident foreigners have a chance to vote for the next DPJ president, and ultimately the prime minister.
The Political Funds Control Law states that foreigners are not allowed to donate to political parties, but while the ¥6,000 and ¥2,000 payments are calculated as party membership fees — not donations — and do not directly come under the fund control law, critics question the legality of such money.
In contrast, the Liberal Democratic Party, the main opposition force, limits its membership to Japanese nationals. The same goes for the Japanese Communist Party and Your Party.
"It's fine for Japan to be open to foreign nations, but extreme caution should be required when dealing with issues of sovereignty or deciding on the nation's leader," said Yasuharu Ishizawa, a professor of media and politics at Gakushuin Women's College, adding that the same goes for the ongoing debate on whether to give foreigners living in Japan the right to vote in local elections.
Staunch opponents of granting suffrage to foreigners have argued that the foreign community could vote as a bloc to elect governors and assembly members they favor, thus indirectly influencing Diet members elected from their areas and ultimately undermining national interests.
Critics have also pointed out how this might breach the Constitution, which states that sovereignty rests with the people — who are defined as those who possess Japanese nationality.
But to be fair, the chance is rather slim that resident foreigners who sign up as DPJ members will have a significant impact on the outcome of the presidential election.
It is difficult to tell what percentage of party members are of foreign nationality, as the DPJ doesn't keep track of the number of foreigners registered. A DPJ representative said the entry sheet for membership doesn't require applicants to state their nationality.
Under the party's voting system, the winner will be whoever gets the majority of 1,224 total points up for grabs.
DPJ Diet lawmakers, of which there are currently 412, each get one vote that counts as two points.
This means they will account for 824 points.
The 2,382 regional assembly members will share a total of 100 points between them, while the roughly 350,000 party members will be responsible for 300 points.
Koichi Nakano, a political science professor at Sophia University, said it is unrealistic to think resident foreigners could have a significant impact on the outcome.
"Considering how the ruling party's president becomes the prime minister, I can understand how there might be further debate on the DPJ's current system," he said. "But I believe it's highly unlikely that foreigners will realistically hold sway in national politics — it's best to avoid any hysterical reactions."(The Japan Time)

Ozawa to challenge Kan for DPJ helm: Kingpin amasses backers, gets Hatoyama's nod

Democratic Party of Japan heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa broke his silence Thursday to announce he will run against Prime Minister Naoto Kan in the ruling DPJ's Sept. 14 presidential election, raising the possibility of a third prime minister in a year if he wins.
After much speculation, Ozawa met with former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama Thursday morning and announced his decision to run in the poll, the winner of which, as party president, will also presumably become prime minister. After the meeting, Ozawa told reporters he decided to run after receiving Hatoyama's backing.
"Former Prime Minister Hatoyama said that he would fully cooperate and back me up if I decided to run in the presidential election," Ozawa said. "Therefore, I have just come to the decision to run."
Separately, Hatoyama told reporters Thursday morning that he would back Ozawa. The former prime minister explained that he had been the one to invite Ozawa and his Liberal Party to merge into the DPJ back in 2003.
"Considering that it was at my invitation that Ozawa joined the DPJ, I think that it is justifiable for me to support him," Hatoyama said.
Hatoyama had been acting as a go-between, trying to prevent a head-on collision between Kan and Ozawa that would split the party in two. Hatoyama had voiced his support for Kan earlier this week, but apparently changed his mind after meeting with Kan on Wednesday and only receiving a vague response when he urged the prime minister to "sincerely seek" Ozawa's cooperation.
"I said (I support Kan) in the natural sense that I was backing him up as a Diet member of the DPJ," Hatoyama said.
Meanwhile, Kan said during a meeting with the party's first-term lawmakers Thursday morning that he welcomed Ozawa's bid and promised a clean fight.
"We shall fight fair and square, and the winner will become the prime minister and head of the party," Kan said. "If re-elected, I will devote every second to my job as the prime minister and the party's leader."
It remains unclear how much support Ozawa, who just stepped down as DPJ secretary general over a political funds scandal, can garner from his party members and supporters. The next couple of weeks will likely see a fierce battle between his and Kan's allies.
Campaigning for the race will begin Sept. 1. Voters consist of 412 DPJ lawmakers, 2,382 local assembly members and about 350,000 party members.
According to Kyodo News, Kan has around 120 supporters among DPJ Diet members — about 50 from his own group, 40 from transport minister Seiji Maehara's faction and 30 from Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda's supporters. Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, who does not belong to a faction, has also voiced his support for Kan.
Meanwhile, Ozawa has a great deal of strength, with about 150 in his faction alone. The group led by Hatoyama, the second-largest in the DPJ, has about 60, bringing the total to around 210.
Other factions include the estimated 30 members of the former Democratic Socialist Party and about 30 members of the ex-Social Democratic Party of Japan, neither of which have decided whom to support.
Unlike the Liberal Democratic Party's factions, however, these DPJ groups are not as strongly bound and their votes are likely to be fluid.
The reaction among DPJ lawmakers was mixed. Some are confident Ozawa will win and others are concerned the party will be divided.
"I hope that the candidates will fight a fair presidential election and after that, I would like the DPJ to come together as a whole and cooperate one and all," said Environment Minister Sakihito Ozawa(The Japan Times)

U.S. Exim Bank to finance $900m Reliance Power project

Reliance Power has won a $900 million loan from the United States Export-Import Bank for the purpose of building a coal-fired power plant in India
USEIB reportedly reversed an earlier decision to reject the financing request when its Board of Directors unanimously voted to approve the loan for the 3,960 megawatt Sasan power plant in Madhya Pradesh.
According to reports the USEIB’s earlier refusal to finance the project stemmed from criticism of the power plant by environmental groups, which argued that the project would elevate carbon dioxide emissions levels and contribute to global warming.
Although financing decision had been made, reports said, approval for the project would still have to be obtained from the U.S. Congress.
Yet the bank’s President Fred Hochberg expressed optimism, saying in a earlier statement, “We are pleased that Reliance is making this commitment to renewable energy, which allows us to sustain U.S. jobs and promote both conventional and renewable energy exports.” The company further noted that this project was the largest funding supported by USEIB to any Indian corporation.
In terms of the purpose of the loan USEIB said that Reliance Power would use the loan guarantee to “support the sale and export by Wisconsin-based Bucyrus International of mining equipment.”(The Hindu)

Bill to protect whistleblowers tabled in Lok Sabha

The government on Thursday introduced a legislation that would protect whistleblowers and provide severe punishment to those who expose the identity of, or try to victimise, such people.
The Public Interest Disclosure and Protection to Persons Making the Disclosures Bill, 2010 also provides for setting up a regular mechanism to encourage disclosure of information on corruption or wilful misuse of power by public servants, which cause “demonstrable losses” to the government.
The Bill, introduced by Minister of State for Personnel Prithviraj Chavan, brings under its ambit employees of Central and State governments, public sector firms, local authorities and societies, among others.
According to its Statement of Objects and Reasons, the Bill seeks to provide punishment for false or frivolous complaints as well. The legislation was necessitated as it was felt that there were impediments in eliminating corruption in the government due to “lack of adequate protection” to complainants.(The Hindu)

Headley, others gave U.S. reputation of terror exporter: CIA

The Central Intelligence Agency harboured deep concerns over the possibility that America might be viewed as an exporter of terrorism, and the case of David Headley, prime accused in the Mumbai terror attacks, only substantiated such fears, according to a confidential memo released by the Wikileaks whistleblower website.
The latest in a string of controversial government documents revealed on the Wikileaks website was a paper titled “What If Foreigners See the United States as an 'Exporter of Terrorism'?”, reportedly authored by the CIA's ‘Red Cell.’ According to reports the Red Cell was a think tank set up after the 9/11 attacks by then-CIA Director George Tenet, to provide “out-of-the-box” analyses on “a full range of analytic issues.”
In the report the CIA argued that the actions of Pakistani-American Headley, among others, might indeed have led to the view that the U.S. was a “terrorism exporter”. Headley, who was linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group, pled guilty to undertaking surveillance prior to the 2008 attacks and is currently in U.S. custody.
The CIA further remarked, in the paper, that even other terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda must have been aware of how easily operatives such as Headley moved in and out of the U.S, Pakistan and India.
Reacting to the release of the paper CIA spokesperson Marie Harf however downplayed the significance of the paper. “These sorts of analytic products – clearly identified as coming from the Agency's 'Red Cell' – are designed simply to provoke thought and present different points of view,” she was quoted as saying.
Yet the Red Cell paper clearly noted that even as counterterrorism experts focused on threats to the homeland, al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups “may be increasingly looking for Americans to operate overseas.”
In this context, the CIA expressed concern that "If the U.S. were seen as an exporter of terrorism, foreign partners may be less willing to cooperate with the United States on extrajudicial activities... including detention, transfer, and interrogation of suspects in third party countries.”
However the paper also acknowledged a wider context of American citizens’ involvement in terror-related activities abroad, arguing that such involvement was neither a recent nor rare phenomenon.
The report said, for example, that “Baruch Goldstein, an American Jewish doctor, killed 29 Palestinians praying at a mosque at the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron in 1994.” It noted that that incident triggered a wave of bus bombings by the extremist Palestinian Hamas group, in 1995.
Further, U.S. citizens also provided “financial and material support” for armed groups in Northern Ireland and a significant amount of funding for the Irish Republican Army came from Irish-Americans.
In a candid admission the CIA’s paper concluded that the American export of terrorism or terrorists was not associated “only with Islamic radicals or people of Middle Eastern, African or South Asian ethnic origin.” (The Hindu)

A paramilitary soldier peers out from the window of an armoured vehicle during a protest in Srinagar. Amid heated debate over the Jammu and Kashmir situation in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, Union Minister and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah reiterated that Kashmiris – including from the PoK and the areas with China now – wanted to be with India.

කිඹුලා සමග පොරබැදූ කාන්තාව දෙදරු පියාගේ ජීවිතය බේරාගනී

හුංගම කිවුල කච්චිගල්ආර ප්‍රදේශයේදී මාළු අල්ලමින් සිටි පුද්ගලයකු කිඹුලකු විසින් ඩැහැගෙන කච්චිගල්ආර ඇළට පැන ඇත. මෙම සිද්ධිය දුටු එම ස්‌ථානයේ පළා නෙළමින් සිටි කාන්තාවක්‌ එම පළා බිම දමා දියට පැන කිඹුලා සමග පොරබදා කිඹුලා ගෙන ගිය පුද්ගලයා නිදහස්‌ කර ගැනීමට සමත් විය.පසුව ඇය විසින් ප්‍රදේශවාසී අයගේ උදව් ඇතිව කිඹුලා කෑ පුද්ගලයා හම්බන්තොට රෝහල වෙත ඇතුළත් කර ඇත. කිඹුලා කෑ පුද්ගලයා දැඩි තුවාල සහිතව තිබූ හෙයින් මාතර මහ රෝහල වෙත මාරු කෙරිණි. මෙලෙස කිඹුල් අනතුරට පත් වූයේ හුංගම ගුරුපොකුණේ පදිංචි ජී. එච්. ගාමිණී නමැති පනස්‌දෙහැවිරිදි පුද්ගලයෙකි.කිඹුලා සමග පොරබදා මෙම වීර ක්‍රියාව සිදුකර මිනිස්‌ ජීවිතයක්‌ බේරාගත් කාන්තාව හුංගම කිවුල ප්‍රදේශයේ පදිංචි එල්. වයි. මල්ලිකා නමැති හතළිස්‌ පස්‌ හැවිරිදි කාන්තාවකි. ඇයත් දැනට හම්බන්තොට රෝහලේ ප්‍රතිකාර ලබයි.මෙම මිනීමරු කිඹුලා මීට පෙර ද මේ ප්‍රදේශයේ ගවයන්, සුනඛයන් විශාල ප්‍රමාණයක්‌ ගොඩ සිට ඩැහැගෙන ගොස්‌ ඇති බව ප්‍රදේශවාසීන් පවසයි. මේ නිසා මේ මිනීමරු කිඹුලා කච්චිගල්ආර ප්‍රදේශයෙන් ඉවත්කර වෙනත් ප්‍රදේශකට මුදාහරින ලෙස අවට ගොවි ජනතාව බලධාරීන්ගෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටිති.(Divaina)

අනුරාධපුර පළාගල අඹරැලි රජමහා විහාරස්‌ථානයේ අභිනවයෙන් ඉදිකරන ලද හතළිස්‌ එක්‌ රියන් සමාධි බුද්ධ ප්‍රතිමා වහන්සේ අස්‌ගිරි පාර්ශ්වයේ මහා නායක අතිපූජ්‍ය උඩුගම ශ්‍රී බුද්ධරක්‌ත ස්‌වාමීන්ද්‍රයන් වහන්සේ අතින් ඊයේ (26 වැනිදා) නිරාවරණය කෙරුණු අයුරු. අනුරාධපුර - පර්සි කුරුනේරු

මත් පැන් බී රෝගීවූ අයට රෝහලේදී ප්‍රතිකාර වෙනුවෙන් ගාස්‌තුවක්‌ ලබන වසරේ සිට අයකරන බව සෞඛ්‍ය ඇමැති කියයි

මත්පැන් (ඇල්කොහොල්) පානය කිරීමෙන් රෝගාතුරව රජයේ රෝහල්වලට ඇතුළත් කෙරෙන රෝගීන්ගෙන් ලබන වසරේ සිට ඔවුන්ගේ ප්‍රතිකාර සඳහා වැයවන ගාස්‌තුව අය කරගන්නා බව සෞඛ්‍ය ඇමැති මෛත්‍රිපාල සිරිසේන මහතා ඊයේ (26 දා) පැවසීය.සෞඛ්‍ය අමාත්‍යාංශය විසින් වාර්ෂිකව හෘද රෝග, අධි රුධිර පීඩනය, දියවැඩියාව, වකුගඩු රෝග වැනි බෝ නොවන රෝග හා හදිසි අනතුරුවලින් ඇතිවන ආබාධවලට ප්‍රතිකාර කිරීම සඳහා රුපියල් කෝටි 350 කට අධික මුදලක්‌ වැය කරන අතර එම මුදලින් වැඩි ප්‍රතිශතයක්‌ වැය වනුයේ මත්පැන් පානය කිරීමෙන් එම රෝගවලට ගොදුරු වන්නන් වෙනුවෙන් බව ඇමැතිවරයා කීවේය. බෝ නොවන රෝගවලට ගොදුරු වීමෙන් දිනකට 300 ත් 350 ත් අතර සංඛ්‍යාවක්‌ මියයන බව අනාවරණය වී ඇති අතර හදිසි අනතුරුවලට වසරකට 50,000 ක්‌ ගොදුරු වී 2000 ක්‌ මියයන බව හෙළිවී ඇතැයි කී සෞඛ්‍ය ඇමැතිවරයා මෙම තත්ත්වයට ප්‍රධාන වශයෙන් වගකිව යුත්තේ මත්පැන් පානය කිරීම බව අවධාරණය කළේය.මෙම තත්ත්වය සැලකිල්ලට ගෙන මත්පැන් පානය කිරීම අධෛර්යමත් කිරීමේ හා මත්පැන් පානය කර රෝගාතුර වන්නන් වෙනුවෙන් වැය කිරීමට සිදුවන අධික මුදල අවම කර ගැනීමේ අරමුණින් මත්පැන් පානය කර රෝගාතුර වන පුද්ගලයන්ගෙන් ගාස්‌තුවක්‌ අය කර ගැනීමට පියවර ගන්නා බව ඔහු පැවසීය.රජයේ රෝහල් වෛද්‍යවරුන්ගේ නිර්දේශය මත එවැනි රෝගීන්ගෙන් ගාස්‌තුව අයකර ගන්නා බවත්, ඉදිරියේදී එම ගාස්‌තුව සම්බන්ධව ප්‍රකාශයට පත් කරන බවත් හෙතෙම වැඩිදුරටත් සඳහන් කළේය.නවක හෙද හෙදියන් 550 දෙනකුට පත්වීම් ලබාදීම නිමිත්තෙන් ඊයේ (26 දා) මහනුවර පැවැති උත්සවයකදී සෞඛ්‍ය ඇමැතිවරයා මෙම කරුණු අනාවරණය කළේය.(Divaina)

රු.5000 ක නව මුදල් නෝට්‌ටුවක්‌

ඉතිහාසයේ ප්‍රථම වතාවට රුපියල් 5000 ක වටිනාකමකින් යුත් නව මුදල් නෝට්‌ටුවක්‌ නිකුත් කිරීමට ශ්‍රී ලංකා මහබැංකුව තීරණය කර ඇතැයි "දිවයින"ට වාර්තා වේ.මහ බැංකුවේ 60 වැනි සංවත්සරය නිමිත්තෙන් නිකුත් කරනු ලබන නව මුදල් නෝට්‌ටු කාණ්‌ඩයේ නෝට්‌ටුවක්‌ වශයෙන් මෙය නිකුත් වනු ඇති බව දැනගන්නට ඇත.ලබන වසර (2011) මුලදී මෙම නව නෝට්‌ටුව නිකුත් වනු ඇති බව ද මෙම නව මුදල් නෝට්‌ටු කාණ්‌ඩය මගින් ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ සංවර්ධනය සහ සෞභාග්‍යය විදහා දැක්‌වෙනු ඇති බව ද තවදුරටත් වාර්තා වේ.(Divaina)

එ.ජා.ප. උපනායක ධුරය ප්‍රතික්‍ෂේප කරන බව සජිත් කියයි

එක්‌සත් ජාතික පක්‍ෂයේ උපනායක ධුරය තමාට මීට පෙරත් පිරිනැමීමට පක්‍ෂය උත්සාහ ගත් බවත් තමා එම තනතුර ප්‍රතික්‍ෂේප කරන බවත් හම්බන්තොට දිස්‌ත්‍රික්‌ එ.ජා.ප. පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී සජිත් ප්‍රේමදාස මහතා "දිවයින"ට පැවසීය.තමා තනතුරු සූදුවලට හෝ තනතුරු වෙන්දේසිවලට අකමැති බව පැවසූ ඒ මහතා වරදාන සහ වරප්‍රසාද ප්‍රතික්‍ෂේප කරන බවද කීවේය.(Divaina)

Sri Lanka Triangular Series 2010 : Sehwag backs Indian youngsters

India's misfiring young batsmen are getting plenty of support from their seniors. Two days after captain MS Dhoni said he was not too concerned about the batting collapses in the Dambulla tri-series, Virender Sehwag has also backed his less experienced team-mates to deliver.
The quartet of Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthi, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have managed just 94 runs between them through the tournament. But India are still in the final, on the back of two solo efforts from Sehwag which led to two victories.
"When I was a youngster, it took me almost 50 to 70 innings to perform consistently, so we have to give more time to youngsters," Sehwag said. "We are not worried about them too much because in Dambulla, everybody's not scoring. We have to live with that and give youngsters some confidence and tell them to go out and spend some time at the wicket."
India's batsmen have kept the opposition wicketkeepers and slip fielders busy, giving up nearly half their wickets to catches in that area. Dhoni had called for his batsmen to be more decisive with their stroke-selection, particularly to balls outside off. However, on Wednesday two of India's top-order batsmen, Karthik and Kohli, fell wafting at precisely such deliveries.
"It's very easy to say that you should leave the ball or hit it according to its merit but it's very difficult to react according to the merit of the ball," Sehwag said. "When we were young, it would have been confusing whether to hit or leave. It used to be tempting to hit and we used to get out in that confusion. It's important to either leave or play the balls outside off rather than defending them."
Sehwag, the only batsman from the three sides to come to terms with the seam and swing in Dambulla, advised caution in the early stages of the innings. India's scores after 15 overs in their league matches were 54 for 5, 47 for 3, 56 for 3 and 81 for 4.
"If you see off the first 10-15 overs, it becomes easier to bat. But those first few overs are difficult to survive," he said. "If you see off the new ball (even) without scoring much in the first 15 overs, it helps the team a lot."
Saturday's final could well be the last chance for the likes of Kohli and Rohit to press for a permanent place in the side, as senior batsmen including Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir could return to the one-day team for the home series against Australia in October. (ESPN CricInfo)

Goda, kasippu seized

The Walana Central Anti Vice Squad arrested two leading illicit brewers with Goda and a lorry worth over Rs 2 million in Wennappuwa Wednesday evening.
The Squad seized 40 barrels of Goda that were prepared for brewing and 1250 bottles of Kasippu loaded in the lorry for the transportation. The Squad also seized the equipment used for the brewery.
The Police stated that the business was run near the river mouth of the Heen Oya. The barrels and the other equipment were hidden in thickets. Police revealed that the business has been carried out for a long time.
The water from the river has been used for preparing Goda.
Businessmen had brewed nearly 1000 bottles of Kasippu and distributed them in Wennappuwa and Colombo, Police revealed.
The 20 and 25 year old suspects from the Heen Oya area were due to be produced before the Marawila Magistrate yesterday.
The raid was conducted by a team of 30 personnel of the Anti Vice Squad led by its Officer-in-Charge IP Duminda Balasooriya.
Wennappuwa Police are investigating.(Daily News)

On Presidential directive: Temple, devalaya lands to be returned

Lands belonging to temples and Devalayas (Vihara and Devalagam) acquired under the Land Reforms Act are to be returned to the Viharayas and Devalayas following a directive of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The President has issued this directive in response to a request by Sri Dalada Maligawa Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela Bandara last year in the Sannasa presented to the President reporting the successful completion of last year's Esala Maha Perahera.
As an initial step in this re-vesting program the 130 acre Randeniya Estate in Pothuhera, Kurunegala which was taken over by the LRC and handed over to the Coconut Cultivation Board has been returned to its previous owner the Kandy Pattini Devalaya. The documents relating to the revesting were handed over to the Basnayake Nilame of the Kandy Pattini Devalaya Rohan Salinda Paranagama by Coconut Cultivation Board Chairman Sarath Keerthiratne at a ceremony held under the Patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Presidents House, Kandy on Wednesday in connection with the conclusion of the Kandy Esala Maha Perahera. (Daily News)

New liquor licences: UNP General Secretary's statement false, misleading

The Excise Department yesterday denied a statement made by UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake which claimed that the Government had issued 2800 new liquor licences for 2009 and said that they had only renewed the existing ones.
Excise Spokesman Inspector Prabhath Jayawickrema said yesterday that the UNP General Secretary's statement was both incorrect and misleading.
Contrary to the statement Jayawickrema said that the department had only issued 40 new licences during the year 2009 and that too for Tourist Board approved hotels.
He also noted that renewing licences was an annual process.(Daily News)

Alcoholics will have to foot medical bills from next year - Health Minister

Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena announced yesterday that from 2011 money will be charged from patients who fall sick due to alcoholism, suffer from illnesses caused by alcohol and seek medical treatment from State hospitals. This will be done under the recommendations of doctors who conduct diagnosis, a Health Ministry spokesman said.
According to the spokesman, Minister Sirisena made this announcement after handing over letters to nursing students at the Kandy Nurses Training School. The Minister said when a doctor diagnoses that the cause of the disease is alcohol, the State money spent on treating such patients will be charged from them under the new system. The main objective of this initiative is saving human lives from alcoholism not having to make the tax payers to foot the bill.
Non Communicable Diseases (NCD) is the latest threat in Sri Lanka and 90 percent of such patients are heavy smokers and alcoholics.
Around 350 persons die daily from NCDs. Around 2000 persons die annually from road accidents and most accidents are caused by drunk drivers. The country looses a significant amount of property and human lives due to alcoholism, he pointed out. The Ministry spend over Rs 60,000 million on development of the health sector and curative services. And also spends over Rs 1,100 million annually on importing drugs. The majority of drugs are used on patients suffering from NCDs. But NCDs can be controlled with good health habits such as avoiding alcohol and smoking. Smoking and alcohol cause many NCDs such as cancer, strokes, diseases in the nervous system and heart diseases. (Daily News)

Kotmale Hydro Power Project: Over 70 percent work complete

Upper Kotmale Hydro Power Project Director Shavindranath Fernando said over 70 percent of work on this project has been completed. The full project could be completed by December 2011.
He was addressing the Media at Upper Kotmale Project site at Niyangamdora Tuesday.
He said the Upper Kotmale Project has the longest tunnel among power projects in Sri Lanka. The construction of this tunnel has been completed.
The Upper Kotmale Power Project will add 150MW to the National Grid.
The total cost of the project is Rs 37,268 million. Japan (JICA) has granted Rs 28,721 million for the Project. The Ceylon Electricity Board is providing the balance funds.
The Upper Kotmale underground power house is located at Niyangamdora. To make the main tunnel a dam has been constructed across the Kotmala Oya at Talawakelle. It is located close to Talawakelle town.
The height of the dam is 35.5 metres and it is 180 metres in length.Jobs have provided to 68 percent of people in the locality of the Upper Kotmale Hydro Power Project, Fernando said. (Daily News)

Mobile Money

Sri Lanka drafts mobile phone payment guidelines
Aug 27, 2010 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's Central Bank has drafted guidelines for mobile phone payment systems and called for public comments, according to a notice on its website.
Mobile payments will be allowed through accounts in licensed banks and registered finance companies as well as Custodian Account Based Systems operated by non-bank service providers.
Service providers can open 'e-money' accounts for customers and issue e-money by accepting physical money, the guidelines said.
It called for public comments on or before October 18, 2010 to be sent to the Director Payments and Settlements at psd@cbsl.lk
The Central Bank said the guidelines are issued with the aim of promoting safety and effectiveness of mobile payment schemes.
The Customer Account Based System through banks is based on the customer accounts maintained by financial institutions from which the service can only be offered to account holders.
Under this system, account holders are able to operate their own accounts via mobile phones to debit or credit their own accounts or credit accounts of third parties within the same financial institution or in another bank.
Two types of facilities are offered, a 'basic level' in which fund transfers are not allowed and only information can be accessed, and a 'standard level' where actual payments can be done.
The Custodian Account Based System to be offered by celcos allows them to open e-money accounts for customers and issue e-money by accepting physical money from customers.
Such non-bank service providers must operate custodian accounts with banks in which they are required to deposit all funds collected from customers.
Mobile payment services are to be allowed only in Sri Lanka rupees and only for domestic transactions.
All foreign inward remittances to the mobile accounts must be routed through the custodian banks and credited in rupees.
Mobile Payment Service Providers (MPSP) are required to report any suspicious transactions of emoney holders based on the guidelines of the central bank Financial Intelligence Unit.
MPSPs also cannot grant any form of credit to mobile account holders, pay interest or profit on the mobile account balances or anything else that would add to the monetary value of the e-money or issue e-money at a discount
Mobile Payment Service Providers are also required to use strong encryption standards for protecting sensitive and confidential information of the bank and customers while in transit.
They are also required to have security measures to prevent criminal activity while using Near Field Communication (NFC) based mobile payment systems. (L B O)

Man confesses

An underworld gangster who mediated in selling LTTE firearms to the underworld made a voluntary confession before the Colombo Additional Magistrate Alex Rajah today. The suspect, Mohamed Yasar Arafath, was arrested by the CID sequel to the revealing of his involvement into the disposing of LTTE firearms to the underworld in the South.A team of CID officers had conducted a raid on an LTTE hideout in Narakamulla in the North. The detectives had recovered certain vital documents that revealed about an alleged plot to assassinate VIPs.Further investigations had revealed that an LTTE cadre named John Peter Wijendran had been assigned by the movement to carry out the assassinations in Colombo.Consequently a team of CID officers headed by IP Nishantha Silva investigated on John Peter Vijendran. They arrested Vijendran while working as a driver in route No 145.The CID had disclosed the involvements of the suspect in four murders that took place in India where the suspect holds citizenship. The suspect is a duel citizenship holder in Sri Lanka as well as in India.(Daily Mirror)

Reflections of campus life 1967-1970 Memories are made of this

The Science and Law graduates of 1970 of the University of Ceylon, Colombo Campus, celebrated their 40th anniversary recently, with a weekend at the Pegasus Reef Hotel. The National Anthem, followed by solemn moments of silence in remembrance of departed colleagues, preceded an evening of revelry, where the men in colourful sarongs and matching shirts, sang and danced into the wee hours of the morning, with their comely fellow graduates dressed in traditional attire.
Many had made a special effort to fly in from overseas, just to grace the occasion. While a majority of us were into retirement, the appointment of batch-mate R. Suresh Chandra to the Supreme Court Bench was singled out and enthusiastically toasted. We missed Lalith Weeratunga (pressures of Temple Trees had confined him to house detention) and Chief Justice Asoka de Silva, but these happy connections coupled with Suresh’s elevation, gave us all a delightful feeling of comfort and security from any possible infringements with the law! Breakfast, the following morning, saw the entire group dressed in blue T-shirts: The choice of colour was unanimously endorsed as sensible! The animated conversation and cheerful laughter emanating from a sea of more than 80 heads made my mind drift down memory lane.
“Good Morning Skandakumar, stand on that table and tell us about yourself.”Those were the first words I heard from my seniors on my first day at the University of Ceylon in 1967. This was followed by a crisp instruction to sing a song of my choice, and at its conclusion, a warm handshake preceded an invitation to Tea. That was in fact, the tone of a “freshers’ rag” in University life then. Some of those ‘ferocious’ seniors were to become my closest friends in the ensuing years.Yes, campus life in our time was both a dignity and a blessing, and mercifully devoid of any form of political interference or involvement (the Arts Faculty students did have their affiliations, but these thankfully, were not of any significance then.)
Our Lecturers endeared themselves to the students, and held our respect, while we in turn, strove diligently to earn theirs. We were very fortunate in academic stalwarts of the calibre of Professors Mylvaganam, Siriwardene, Mendis Ramakrishna, Samaranayake, Kannangara, Dharmaratnam, Thambiah and charming ladies as Mrs Fernandopulle and Pearlyn Perera. They were indeed role models we proudly looked up to. College House, where Vice Chancellor (VC) Walwin De Silva had his office, was considered sacred, and we went through those revered gates in strict silence, only to check on our exam results. In later years, not only did undergraduates storm this prestigious building at will, but even invaded the VC’s office, and in one tragic instance, brutally gunned down the incumbent official….such was the staggering erosion of values, and their cause is common knowledge.
A Degree in Physical Science, in our time, entailed lectures, Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon only, whilst two afternoons in the week were devoted to practicals. Consequently, there was plenty of leisure time to pursue meaningful activities like sitting in pairs cuddled under umbrellas or in the shade of the many willow trees that adorned Thurstan Road, or at Bus Stands (where curiously, no effort was made to get into the many that stopped) or take a leisurely stroll up Queens Road, with options of Green Cabin or Lion House, subject to one’s companion and financial means! For those who had not been smitten by the love bug, there were interesting alternatives in the varsity canteen.
Our batch comprised largely of sportsmen and women, and so, there was always a hive of activity on the Thurstan Road Esplanade late into the evenings, with athletes, hockey players, cricketers, ruggerites and cagers. Across the road and adjoining College House, undergrads pursued tennis, table tennis and other indoor games. The canteen was a regular scene of serious bridge and chess, while the ever popular “asking-hitting” card games held the attention of the light hearted, until the keeper called “lights out”. For badminton, one had to access the racecourse on the far side of the campus across Reid Avenue, where some excellent facilities were available. Soon, a year had passed, and it was time for the Science Faculty’s annual social titled “Tamasha” held traditionally at year end on the premises at King George’s Hall. Amongst the many items listed was a brief stage performance depicting the early life of Adam and Eve, played much to everyone’s delight to enticing music by two male students. The large gathering (which included our University Dons) was held spellbound, until Adam violated the script, and snatched Eve’s Figleaf!! The exposure sent the audience into raptures, while an embarrassed Eve made a hasty retreat. The event also brought to focus many hidden talents, and a fellow undergrad who had been a member of the original music group the Savages, took the limelight with his guitar and powerful voice.
Student interaction was warm, frequent and cordial. So the impact of magnetism was inevitable. Consequently, many of those who walked the traditional campus Lovers Lane, graduated to matrimony, and on to a great life together, as was evident at the reunion.Our batch was unique in almost every respect, and the interpersonal relationships formed the very foundation for our success in many fields. This earned the admiration of our Professors and Lecturers, as one of the best integrated batches that entered the campus. We even went carol singing annually at Christmas time, picking some generous homes to ensure an adequate supply of liquor. Inevitably, the hymns did get mixed up at the tail end of our visits, while some members of our improvised choir, simply fell silent!! The pinnacle of our success as a group, came in 1969, when Science became the University’s champion Faculty in sports, a title that was for many years dominated by the ‘Medicoes’.
Finally, a word about the University’s cricket. In the first two years, we combined with Peradeniya campus in the major domestic tournament for the P. Sara trophy. By the third year, and after a great deal of acrimony, the University’s name was changed to University of Sri Lanka, Colombo Campus, and we participated as an independent unit in the season 69/70. We played exceptional cricket that year, ably led by that king of swing Mevan Peiris, to become league champions of the nations highest grade of cricket. This was the closest we got to the championship, after Carlyle Perera’s team won the trophy in 1962, and was in itself a great achievement. I do not think University cricket ever scaled such heights anytime thereafter, and we owe a debt of gratitude to the Director of Sports, K.L.F Wijedasa, his charming assistant, Sybil De Silva, and of course, that most affable Medical Officer of Health, the late Dr Eric Alles, who were all a great source of encouragement and strength to the University’s sportsmen and women. Yes, those were indeed times when most things connected to life were exactly as they were meant to be. Even with the English language, ass meant a donkey, being gay reflected happiness, cock referred to a rooster, pussy was an endearing term for a cat, prick represented pain, and tit was a response to tat!!
An announcement, that it was time for the tug-o-war event, jolted me back to reality. Nine formidable ladies were being given the right to nominate five men for the other end of the rope, in what was expected to be a fiercely contested “best of three” battle for supremacy. The fairer sex had obviously chosen well, as the lasses went on to win in straights. The five humbled men were duly dumped in the pool by their bewildered male colleagues! Meanwhile, an equal number of empty crates of beer had their own story to tell!!
Finally, it was time for warm handshakes, embraces and goodbyes, not knowing how, where or when we would meet like this again. The memories of a truly remarkable University life, however, will remain etched forever, as will the feeling of gratitude for the opportunity we had to experience that life to its fullest, in far less stressful times. (The Nation)