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Sri Lanka hardline group calls for halal boycott

A new hardline Sinhalese Buddhist group in Sri Lanka has called for the abolition of the Muslim halal system of certifying foods and other goods. The Bodu Bala Sena, or Buddhist Strength Force, also said foreign propagators of religions should leave the country within a month. […]



Women storm home in cricket’s World Cup

AUSTRALIA’S women cricketers have stormed to a sixth World Cup victory in India with an awesome display of bowling that demolished West Indies’ powerhouse batters and elevated 22-year-old pace bowler Ellyse Perry to almost certain pin-up status. The champion team posted the biggest winning margin in the history of women’s World Cup finals, snatching a […]



Gunmen shoot Sri Lanka investigative journalist

(Reuters) – Unidentified gunmen shot and seriously wounded a Sri Lankan investigative journalist, colleagues and officials said on Saturday, prompting condemnation from the United Nations’ top human rights official. Three unidentified gunmen entered a guest house where Faraz Shaukatally, who works at the Sunday Leader, was staying, broke into his room and opened fire, police […]




‘Treasury Chief a loan addict’ Wimal fires another salvo against Treasury Chief

Housing, Engineering Services, Construction and Common Amenities Minister Wimal Weerawansa yesterday fired another salvo against Treasury Chief P. B. Jayasundara claiming that the latter was in the practice of drawing massive loans and for the current year alone an overdraft to the tune of one billion rupees had been obtained. […]




Nasheed supporters rise in midnight protest across ‘Male’

Submitted by Walter Jayawardhana MALE: When the rest of south Asia went to sleep on Friday, thousands of Maldivians rose in protest demanding the safety of their former president Mohamed Nasheed and formation of a caretaker government in place of president Waheed Hassan Malik to ensure free and fair elections in September. […]



Pakistan SC says its CJ did not support a stand against Shirani Bandaranayaka

  Submitted by Walter Jayawardhana The Supreme Court of Pakistan this week clarified that Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had not supported the International Council of Jurists’ (ICJ) position that the recent impeachment of his Sri Lankan counterpart Shirani Bandaranayake was totally legal and in accordance with the prevalent laws of Sri Lanka. […]



Meteorite hits central Russia, 400 hurt

About 400 people were injured when a meteorite shot across the sky in central Russia on Friday sending fireballs crashing to Earth, smashing windows and setting off car alarms. Residents on their way to work in Chelyabinsk heard what sounded like an explosion, saw a bright light and then felt a shockwave, according to a […]




Halal issue: govt holding talks with both parties

The government is conducting discussions with concerned individuals and groups belonging to both Sinhala and Muslim communities on issues related to Halal certification, Mass Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said. […]



Powdered Castor Seeds (Endaru Eta) as an insecticide

Submitted by Walter Jayawardhana Green revolution led to serious issues like insect resistance Andiyur village in Erode district is well known for groundnut and sugarcane cultivation. But the farmers there face a recurring pest problem called white grub that makes it difficult for them to harvest a good yield. Managing the pest proves difficult for […]




INDIAN SCIENTIST HAILS THE POLONNARUWA METEORITE AS A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT IN THE SEARCH FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE

By Walter Jayawardhana Professor Godfrey Louis Pro Vice Chancellor of the Cochin University of Science and Technology of Kerala, India hailed the discovery of life in the Polonnaruwa meteorite as a major development in the search for extraterrestrial life. Professor Louis is the pioneer scientist who drew the attention of the whole world to the […]



Ravi Shanker’s daughter says she was sexually abused

Submitted by Walter Jayawardhana Revealing the scale of violence against women that goes on behind closed doors even in the most privileged homes, Anoushka Shankar, composer and daughter of the late sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, has said how as a child she suffered “sexual and emotional abuse” in silence for several years at the hands […]



Wimal lashes out at PB

Housing Minister Wimal Weerawansa yesterday hit out at Treasury Secretary Dr. P. B. Jayasundara calling him an ‘economic hit-man.’ […]