Dec 26 (LBO) Sri Lanka's 3-month treasury bill yield soared 116 basis points to 21.30 percent amid a year-end cash crunch as the Central Bank refrained from printing money to intervene in the bill auction Wednesday. During the past four weeks, 3-month yields have shot up 523 basis points, 6-month 220 basis points and 12-month yields 189 basis points. more..

Dec 26 (LD) An intoxicated police sub-inspector, who was dressed in civilian clothing, has assaulted a sub inspector and two constables attached to the Welikada Police. The victims of the incident were on traffic duty for a function that was attended by the Prime Minister on Dec. 24th. The incident began when constable Somarathne who was at the Welikada Filling Station to refuel his motorcycle had asked a man who was creating a commotion in the long queue to shut up. more..

Dec 26 (LD) Leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Rauff Hakeem alleges that the government is settling scores with his party for taking up seats in the opposition before the crucial budget vote at its third reading. After reducing the security of the SLMC MPs who crossed over, the government has taken off the security posted in front of the SLMC party headquarters in Kalamunai and the SLMC office in Samanthurai. more..

Dec 26 (LD) The TNA says that it will take legal steps against the eastern province elections scheduled for next year. Jaffna district TNA MP Nallathambi Srikantha says he believes that the elections to nine local government institutions in the east will not be and independent. Srikantha said that he thoroughly opposes the government�s robbing of votes after handing over the eastern province to a paramilitary group after expelling another such group. more..

Dec 26 (GDI) President Mahinda Rajapaksa declared open the new Manama Bridge at Matara today. The bridge, destroyed by the tsunami, was constructed with a grant worth USD 7 million provided by the Government of Korea. The newly reconstructed Mahanama Bridge is 116 meters in length, 29.5 meters wide and has six tracks. The Project was implemented by Road Development Authority (RDA) Sri Lanka, with the Korean Highways Corporation providing consultancy services. more..

Dec 26 (GDI) The Government has allocated Rs.214 billion for Government employees salaries, signifying an increase of 135% compared to 2001-2003 during which period it totaled only Rs.91.7 billion. This was revealed by the Minister of Trade, Marketing Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Bandula Gunawardena participating at the opening of a three storey building of Attanagalla Mulity Purpose Cooperative Shop (MPCS) at Nittambuwa recently. more..

Dec 26 (GDI) Unusual change in weather conditions played havoc in the North Central and Eastern part of Sri Lanka in the last two weeks rendering many homeless and occupants of temporary shelter. According to the latest statistics received from Deputy Director of Emergency Operations, Ministry of Disaster Management, Mr. Ramya Siriwansa the situation was improving but people were still in need of help and support. more..

Dec 26 (GDI) Today (26) is National Safety Day. On the third anniversary of the devastating tsunami, the tragedy is commemorated by observing 2 minutes of silence from 9.25 - 9.27 a.m. The Government has decided commemorate the tragedy at the national level every year on the 26 th of December. Today the official ceremony is being held in Ratnapura with the participation of the cabinet ministers, members of Parliament and provincial councilors. more..

Dec 26 (GDI) Approximately 80% of tsunami resettlement work has been successfully handled and the damaged infrastructure facilities are been restored, it has been reported, three years after the tragedy. Contributions from the Government and donor agencies together with the determination, will power and moral courage of those affected have proved to the world that speedy recovery from tragedy and trauma is possible. more..

Dec 26 (LNP) Burglars have remove over ninety cellure telephones from a telephone dealer at Katukele, Peradeniya Road on a recent night. The telephones values at several thousands of rupees have been stolen by the intruders who entered the shop by cutting five padlocks of the front entrance, the owner of the cellure phone shop said. The pieces of the padlocks were taken away by the burglars with them, the proprietor of the shop said adding that there were a large number of cellure phone which were meant ot be repaired. more..

Dec 26 (LNP) A majority of ordinary patients suffering from chronic renal failure in the North Central, North Eastern and Mahaweli B zone areas had to buy costly drugs from pharmacies to be used in the dialysis machines.Although the Health Ministry spends around Rs.3,500 million annually for the treatment of nearly 30,000 kidney patients,adequate funds had not been allocated to purchase drugs required for renal dialysis treatment,Health Ministry sources said. more..

Dec 26 (LNP) Parliament has become something like a pond infested with frogs during monsoon rains. It is full of croaking and leaps. The bush telegraph has it that some more political jumps are likely to happen in the next few weeks. The incidence of crossovers is so high that JVP Parliamentary Group Leader Wimal Weerawansa recently made a tongue-in-cheek request in the House that an electronic board be put up at the entrance to Parliament indicating the strength of the Opposition and the government each day! more..

Dec 26 (SAMN) Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) Tuesday accused the government of giving a misleading picture of the ground realities of the tsunami development as the country marks the third anniversary of the tsunami disaster today by observing a two-minute silence from 9.25 am to 9.27 am as a mark of respect for those who lost their lives. �TISL reiterates the duty of the Sri Lankan Government to guarantee and respect the right to housing of the affected communities in the North and the East, as the government statistics represent a misleading picture of ground realities,� more..

Dec 26 (SAMN) The defence authorities Tuesday warned that the LTTE could exploit the practice of presenting Christmas gifts and hampers to plant explosive devices. The Army Headquarters said the people have therefore being advised to check for details of senders of such gift parcels and hampers before accepting them. They public have also been advised not to accept suspiciously heavy parcels particularly when the identity of the senders are suspicious. more..

Dec 26 (SAMN) Amidst a raging controversy over MPs switching sides allegedly for their personal benefits, perks and privileges, Speaker WJM Lokubandara Monday strongly defended their right to switch allegiance on a case-by case basis. Fielding questions on Janahanda, a weekly political show on TNL, the veteran politician asserted that members, irrespective of the position of their respective political parties, should be given the opportunity to vote according to their conscience. more..

Dec 26 (SAMN) The All Party Representatives Committee (APRC) which is currently working out a power devolution package, will decide during its next session whether its members should undertake a visit to North Ireland and Spain to study the governance systems there before finalising the interim report. APRC Chairman and Minister Tissa Vitarana said Tuesday the proposal for a study tour in these two countries had been mooted by some quarters. more..

Dec 26 (DM) More than 250 accident victims were admitted to the Accident service of the National Hospital as Christmas dawned, hospital sources said. They said three of the 267 victims were fire cracker burn cases admitted to the ward for the first time in five years. Accident Ward Director Dr. Anil Jasinghe said road accident victims and domestic accident victims topped the list this year too. more..

Dec 26 (DM) The funeral of award-winning film and tele drama actor Ashoka Peiris who passed away on Monday, will be held on Friday, December 28. The veteran actor who was born in Moratuwa and educated at St. Thomas� College, Mount Lavinia, made his film debut in Dr. Lester James Peries� �Delowak Athara� and later went on to act in several films and tele dramas. In 1993 he won the best actor�s award for his role in Guru Gedara and more..

Dec 26 (Island) Over Rs.53 billion of disbursed tsunami donor funds has gone missing,Transperancy International Sri Lanka(TISL) said yesterday. Implementing agencies were given Rs 122.2 billion but they are unable to account for Rs 53.6 billion of that money, the transparency watchdog said. "While certain officials are reluctant to divulge information,there were some responsible bodies which implied that the government had utilized the funds for other purposes." more..

Dec 26 (Island) While many welcome the move by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to introduce Vehicle Emission Testing (VET) Programme from March next year, some feel that the lack of proper equipment can hamper the programmes. They strongly stress the need to improve the garage network of the country prior to going for specialised testing programmes on vehicle emissions. more..

Dec 26 (IANS) The destruction wrought by the tsunami of Dec 25, 2004 on the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka would have been much less if successive governments had heeded Sir Arthur Clarke's persistent call to stop the mining of corals. The British-born science writer and diving enthusiast, who had been living in Sri Lanka since 1956, was campaigning for coral reef protection and other matters relating to coastal preservation for long. But few in the island listened. more..

Dec 26 (AFP) The Sri Lankan navy detained a "suspicious" Indonesian vessel off the island's east coast, an official spokesman said. The Indonesian registered boat was carrying a 12-member Indonesian crew when the navy detected it 95 nautical miles (109 statute miles) east of Arugam Bay, navy spokesman D. K. P. Dassanayake said. He said naval officers were still in the process of questioning the crew. more..

Dec 26 (AFP) A Sri Lankan judge freed two foreign television reporters held for two days by police while making a documentary about people detained under emergency laws, officials said. The two-member crew of France 24 were detained overnight at Ratgama, 105 kilometres south of the capital, after they were taken into custody by the military on Christmas Eve. "They were taken before a judge in Colombo after being questioned by the Terrorist Investigations Department," a court official said. more..

Dec 26 (RC) A new housing complex comprising 32 apartments constructed for families affected by tsunami in Ratmalana area was handed over to them on 13 th December. The 4 storey housing complex in Kandawala initiated by the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society was built at a cost of 58 million rupees with financial support from the Canadian Red Cross. Coordinating Secretary to H.E. the President Kumarasiri Hettige who ceremonially inaugurated the housing complex stated that more..

Dec 26 (AFP) Sri Lanka marked Wednesday the third anniversary of the devastating Asian tsunami by opening a showpiece bridge in the south of the island where 31,000 people died. President Mahinda Rajapakse formally commissioned the 116-metre bridge across the Nilwala river here in this southern coastal town of Matara 160 kilometers. Rajapakse observed two minutes of silence at 9.25 am, the time when the first giant waves lashed the coastline in a disaster that also displaced a million people on the island. more..

Dec 26 (AFP) At least 40 Tamil Tiger rebels were killed during a heavy sea battle that erupted off Sri Lanka's northern coast of Jaffna, the navy said. The navy claimed it destroyed six rebel boats, including two suicide craft, while "40 terrorists" were killed in the sea battle. Navy spokesman D.K.P. Dassanayake said one naval craft was damaged but did not give casualty figures of naval personnel. more..

Dec 26 (AFP) President used a tsunami mourning ceremony to repeat a vow to crush Tamil rebels before conducting peace talks to end Asia's longest-running ethnic conflict. President Mahinda Rajapakse, addressing a public rally in this southern heartland of the majority Sinhalese, said the rebel LTTE may not resume peace talks without first being militarily defeated. "We are for a political settlement. But there is no point in talking about a political settlement without first defeating terrorism," more..

Dec 27 (AT) Para Kumarasamy, or �Para Master� as he was known to many militants in Jaffna, who passed away on 16th December 2007 on his 72nd birthday, was a man who dedicated his whole life to fight oppression and exploitation both in his native Sri Lanka and internationally. I first met Para in 1976, in his house situated behind the Nallur Temple in Jaffna. At the time he was an organiser for the Ceylon Mercantile Union and a militant of the Revolutionary Marxist Party. more..

Dec 27 (AT) Over the last week, 25 from Sinhala villages were settled in Kadatkaraichenai, the so called High Security Zone, alleged Peace Secretariat of the LTTE. In a statement, Peace Secretariat of the LTTE, revealed that Kadatkaraichenai in Trincomalee was a thriving Tamil village less than a year ago. The Sri Lanka military onslaught on 2006 forcefully displaced the Tamil from this and the surrounding areas, it said. more..

Dec 27 (BBC) The President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa, says his government is still ready to engage in talks with the Tamil Tigers. However, the LTTE should lay down arms before entering into negotiations, hew said. The President made the remarks in the southern Sri Lankan city of Matara, marking the third anniversary of devastating Asian tsunami. He led a two-minute silence at a special ceremony and re-opened a six-lane bridge, the widest in the country, in Matara. more..

Dec 27 (AT) After the three decade of the Sri Lankan LTTE separatist war which claimed more than one hundred thousand lives, since Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse assumed the office, war against Terrorism has taken to a new Dimension of targeting �Big Cats� of the LTTE hierarchy. The Government of Sri Lanka and the people are now confident that all three forces can eliminate the LTTE separatism before long and restore lasing peace in Sri Lanka, where all the nationalities can enjoy right of living in any part of the Country. more..

Dec 27 (AP) The navy sank nine Tamil separatist vessels in a fierce battle off Sri Lanka's northwest coast Wednesday that killed 40 rebels and one naval officer, the military said. One navy craft sank, the rebels said. Ground battles in the north, meanwhile, left 26 guerrillas and two soldiers dead, the military said. Fighting across northern Sri Lanka � where the separatist rebels control a de facto state � has intensified in recent months, more..

Dec 27 (LBO) Sri Lankan fisherman are using mobile phones to 'auction' their catch before reaching shore, allowing them to get better prices, backed by better bargaining power, an official said. Once the fishermen land their catch, it has to be sold quickly time before the fish starts to spoil. "As soon as they get closer to coverage he [fisherman] calls all the mudalalis [traders] and has done the auction," more..

Dec 27 (LG) The government and its military machinery is making hyped up claims of deaths of LTTE cadres in the current fighting in the north. Unprecedented numbers of deaths are being reported without any verification of the toll. �Whilst the NGO�s and monitoring agencies are muscled by the government, one sided claims of deaths of disproportionate numbers are questionable indeed� said a media reporter of a leading Sri Lankan newspaper who is closely monitoring the claims. more..

Dec 27 (LG) JHU Party Policy-maker and the Minister in the present UPF coalition government had made a statement in a National News Paper on Thursday December 20, 2007, that the Sinhalisation of the East is a myth scoffing at the allegations regarding the Sinhalisation of the East by some minority politicians. Some facts and figures to prove the fallacy of the statement of the Minister. more..

Dec 27 (LG) Neither Bogollagama nor the government appears to understand the message they send out when they recall an Ambassador. They should at least, for their own sake and in their own interest, read Sir Edward Satow � it should be treated like the Bible by those in charge of our foreign affairs. A 'RECALL' is tantamount to our declaring our own Ambassador as Personna non grata! Our Ambassador to the European Union has been recalled before his term expires. more..

Dec 27 (LG) As part of Sri Lanka�s foreign policy initiative to strengthen cultural and religious ties where we have strong political relations Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama visited the Shanghai Jade Buddha Temple and met the Most Venerable Dr. Jue Xing Nayaka Thero of the Temple and Vice President of the China Buddhist Association. Venerable Dr. Jue Xing stated that he was happy to welcome the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister on Saturday, 22nd which was a special day in the Lunar calendar more..

Dec 27 (LG) With the agreement between SriLankan Airlines and Emirates Airline coming to an end in March 2008 and the haphazard way President Rajapakse intervened to cancel the work permit of Emirates-seconded CEO SriLankan Airlines, Peter Hill is expected to have wide ranging consequence for the Airlines. Since the election of Mihinda Rajapakse, governance in Sri Lanka is fast deteriorating to become a terror regime like Mugabe rule in Zimbabwe. more..

Dec 27 (LG) One Ultra Fast Attack Craft (UFACII) was destroyed and another damaged in the fierce fight that erupted between SLN Patrol Craft and 16 Sea Tiger Boats Between Delft Island and Mannar this morning. The cluster of 16 Sea Tiger boats included 6 suicide boats and were en route to a Sea Tiger hideout in Nachchikuda, Near Veduthalthivu- Mannar. One suicide boat managed to ram into the CDL manufactured UFAC destroying it completely. more..

Dec 27 (LG) News reaching from Colombo state the government has let loose a campaign of celebrations on its anticipated victory against the LTTE. Banners hailing Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse as a hero have been strung at several locations by the government backed Federation of Sinhala Buddhist associations. Whilst this banner campaign got underway, the pro-government campaigners had gone further by provocatively erecting a small Buddha statue in Bambalapitiya at the top of Lawrence Road adjoining the Wellawatte Pillaiyar temple. more..

Dec 27 (ISL) Lakshman Seneviratne, UNP Mahiyangana M.P.addressing the Media briefing today (26Dec) at the UNP Media Unit, regretted that on the third year commemoration of the Tsunami tragedy today , the achievement made by this Govt. in this direction is its unaccountability for Rs.53 billion of disbursed Tsunami donor funds!! Besides, thousands of Tsunami affected families are still in appalling conditions, without proper shelter, food and clothing, and children�s education. more..

Dec 27 (LeN) Retired Supreme Court Judge Priyantha R.C. Perera who chaired the investigation committee on Pereliya rail accident during tsunami says that the report of the committee was submitted to the Ministry of Transport two years ago. Retired Court of Appeal Judge Chandran Nanayakkara and Retired Additional General Manager of Railway T.C.N.W. Jayasundara were the other members of the committee. more..

Dec 27 (LeN) Today, diplomacy is our fist line of defence in the world arena as we are faced with numerous challenges to our national interests. Unlike in the past, nation has high expectations from the Sri Lankan Foreign Service today in a highly competitive international environment. Diplomacy means our relations with the outside world as an independent nation. more..

Dec 27 (LD) The Gangodawila Chief Magistrate called for an identification parade on Jan 07th for the female suspect who is under the charge of kidnapping a two-day infant at the Kalubowila Hospital. Till then, she is to be held in remand custody. She was produced in court today with her face covered. The missing baby was found just before Christmas. The suspect was detained at the Kohuwala police station after being arrested in Thalapathpitiya. more..

Dec 27 (GDI) The Gangodawila Chief Magistrate called for an identification parade on Jan 07th for the female suspect who is under the charge of The Government has completed 79% of the country's total electricity demand by the year 2007 utilizing a financial grant of USD 24 million provided by the Republic of China for electrification projects in Sri Lanka, Ministry of Power and Energy sources said. more..

Dec 27 (GDI) Sri Lanka Board of Investment has entered into 6 major projects with leading investors. It is estimated that the total investment is of US $ 5.52 million. Mr. Dhammika Perera, Chairman/ Director General, signed the Agreement on behalf of the BOI. Dr. Sarath Amunugama, Minister of Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion formally presented the investors with the BOI Certificates of Registration. more..

Dec 27 (GDI) Sri Lanka will launch its SAARC action plan today (27) at a function in the Lakshman Kadirgamar centre in Colombo under the auspices of Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayaka. The Government's development plans which are relevant to the project are to be integrated with the commitment to the SAARC ensuring that the set programmes would continue even in the case of Governments being changed. more..

Dec 27 (LNP) The government said the responsibility and understanding led to accelerating the relief work. Sri Lankans faced the natural calamity three years ago, in the morning of 26th December. The tsunami had a severe impact on coastal areas of 13 districts. 30 thousand people lost their lives. 562,601 were rendered homeless. 117,372 houses were destroyed. more..

Dec 27 (LNP) The woman held in connection with the robbery of a new born from the Colombo South Hospital on December 18, had promised a bribe of Rs. 20,000 to two minor employees of the hospital to help her, police investigations have revealed. In the suspect`s statement to the police she had said a minor employee of the hospital had agreed to give her an infant of a mother who had died at childbirth or to help her to rob an infant from a maternity ward of the hospital. more..

Dec 27 (LNP) Prima has jacked up the wheat flour price by nine rupees per kilo again, causing the price of a loaf of bread to go up by three rupees. The kneejerk reaction of the government has been to pass the blame on to its opponents. Last time, the government blamed the flour price hikes on a controversial clause that had been surreptitiously incorporated into the Consumer Affairs Authority Act in favour of Prima. more..