Dec 13 (NF) The Ministry of Finance and Planning points out that prices of commodities will be maintained at a stable level during the festive season. The ministry noted that the govt is prepared to take measures to stabilise commodity prices if the need arises. In its communique, the Ministry of Finance and Planning states that with the aim of maintaining prices at a minimal level, the tax thus far imposed on potatoes will be reduced by Rs. 15 with immediate effect. more..

Dec 13 (DM) A female employee attached to the United States Embassy in Colombo has made a complaint with the Kollupitiya police alleging that she was sexually harassed by a doctor of a private hospital while pretending to carry out a medical exam for an ailment in her hand. The complainant told police that she went to a private hospital in Kollupitiya on December 2 in order to receive treatment for the pain. The victim complained that she was taken into an examination room and more..

Dec 13 (DM) A person believed to be a coordinating secretary of a controversial Minister was abducted last evening in the Pita Kotte junction by a group of men who came in a van. According to information gathered the group consisted of around eight to 10 men. The incident had taken place between 2.30-3.00pm today. Police said that the victim had been identified as Amal Rodrigo. At the time of his abduction he was inside a restaurant situated close to the junction. more..

Dec 13 (NF) Colombo Additional Magistrate Prasanna Alwis has ordered the CID to act under the advice of the Attorney General in order to arrest Duminda Silva. He called for a report in this regard at the next court hearing. This order was issued when the magisterial inquiry into the deaths of four persons including Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra was taken up again today. President's Counsel Tirantha Walaliyadde who is representing the Premachandra family more..

Dec 14 (NS) War is hell and the suffering goes on after war�s end. Over the past few years, there have been many books describing what happened at the end of the Second World War. The Long Road Home: The Aftermath of the Second World War by Ben Shephard was published in April 2010. After the Reich: The Brutal History of the Allied Occupation by Giles McDonogh was published in July 2007. The Struggle for Europe by William Hitchcock was published in January 2003. more..

Dec 14 (NS) This is regarding the news report that Higher Education Minister had announced his intention to introduce police posts on university campuses to quell student violence. This, needless to say, is asking for trouble, though may be well intentioned. It is common knowledge that university students resent presence of police on their campuses, irrespective of political biases. It is an irritant. Presence of the police is an incongruity, in a kind of academic environment. more..

Dec 14 (SO) The historic and cultural resources associated with people, events or aspects of a country's past give that country its sense of identity and help tell its story. These resources are the most tangible reflections of a country's heritage. The recognition of an area's historic resources can bring about neighbourhood revitalisation, increased and sustainable tourism, economic development through private investment, and citizenship building. more..

Dec 14 (GV) The job of a writer, especially one dealing with matters of historical import, is to make his or her agenda clear to the reader. Michael Roberts[3] and Muttukrishna Sarvananthan[4] do not explicitly deal with the story told by Niromi de Soyza. They are more interested in defending their narrative on the conclusion of the civil war and its aftermath. In doing so, they smother the story de Soyza wants to tell. The book, as Roberts grudgingly admits, more..

Dec 14 (GV) Being Poya with nothing much else to do, we strolled over to the newly restored and opened Old Dutch Hospital, which Colombo�s oldest building and now a shopping and dining �precinct�. A plaque at the entrance notes that restoration work was done by the Army and that the project was basically the brainchild of the Secretary of Defense Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who as head of the Ministry of Defence also directly oversees the Urban Development Authority (UDA), more..

Dec 14 (SL) How fair is it by the voters when an MP who gets elected from one party crosses over to another party? How then can people have faith in the entire system of elections and a thriving democracy? What has happened where politicians of today so blithely will forego this principle? This article focuses on the impact of the now common place crossing over by elected representatives of Parliament from one party to another, on the political structure of more..

Dec 14 (DBS) Hello Friends; Sri Lanka despite its size has produced quite a few personalities who made their mark in the International sphere through distinguished service. One such person is Jayantha Dhanapala who was United Nations Under-Secretary General for Disarmament Affairs from 1998 to 2003. He was earlier director of the UN institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) from 1987 � 1992. Dhanapala was in Sri Lanka�s foreign service and served in places like more..

Dec 14 (TC) Although I took up this and related issues many a time before, the current impasse in talks between the Govt of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the TNA has compelled me to address those issues once again as, in my view, the resolution of the national question would be key to Sri Lanka�s future. Two different views have been presented by the relevant parties in explaining the current impasse. According to the TNA, the GoSL delegates have come up with a condition that more..

Dec 14 (Island) The Ministry of Sports is going to spend more than 70 percent of the 2012 budget allocations for infrastructure development according Udaya R. Seneviratne, the secretary of the Ministry. He said that of the Rs. 2,094 million allocated for the ministry, Rs. 1,542 million will be spent on infrastructure development. The amount which will be spent on building the proposed provincial level sports complexes alone is Rs. 600 million. more..

Dec 14 (ST) The country is in the midst of a crisis in business confidence. The latest blow to business confidence was the takeover of 37 named business enterprises and assets under the Revival of Underperforming Enterprises and Underutilized Assets Act. This Act has shocked the business community and eroded their confidence. Foreign investors will no longer view the country as a hospitable place for investment. Much needed foreign investment will no longer be forthcoming. more..

Dec 14 (Island) Vegetable farmers, wholesalers and transporters have taken to the streets against what they call the strict enforcement of the so-called crate law, according to which certain varieties of fruits and vegetables have to be transported and stored in plastic containers to prevent waste. Protesters claim that the prescribed method is not feasible because of the cost factor and space constraints. Vegetable growers cannot afford crates and one cheap gunny bag could take four times the amount of vegetables that a plastic box holds, more..

Dec 14 (FT) UNP MP Dr. Harsha de Silva urged the Govt to give back part of the telecom levy imposed in the 2012 Budget to operators to enable them to aggressively rollout all important broadband in the country. Speaking during the debate on the votes on Ministry of Media and Telecommunications, Dr. de Silva said that in Budget 2012, the Govt had proposed that the levy on incoming international calls be increased from US$ 7 cents per minute to US$ 9 more..

Dec 14 (Island) The Minister Prof GL Peiris usually gives no reason to be described as �irate�. That however, was the newspaper description of his uncharacteristically sharp remonstration, urging Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe not to �outsource� the role of the Opposition to the international/diplomatic community. The MEA website carries the story: "Prof. Peiris lambasted Wickremesinghe for taking all domestic issues before the international community instead of more..

Dec 14 (Island) Periodically there are strong statements by members of foreign govts on the issues of war crimes and human rights violations in Sri Lanka. But it ends there unless the Sri Lankan govt chooses to answer. While the international rhetoric of war crimes and human rights abuses still prevails, there is little or no manifestation of that pressure in concrete terms. Now there are media reports that the UN Commissioner for Human Rights, Navaneethan Pillay, has decided to more..

Dec 14 (Island) With the rapid diminishing of its role in Sri Lanka, due to the conclusion of the conflict in May 2009, the ICRC is now seeking a larger role in revamping the country�s prisons. The Geneva-headquartered humanitarian agency wants an agreement with the government regarding its post-conflict role here. The government in November last year requested the ICRC to close its offices in Jaffna and Vavuniya and operate from Colombo. more..

Dec 14 (OO) Khalil bin Abdullah al Khonji, Chairman of Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) received here yesterday a delegation from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka led by C Jayewardena, Senior Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka currently visiting the Sultanate. The meeting touched on developing economic relations between the two countries and means of enhancing them in a manner that assists in increasing mutual trade activity, more..

Dec 14 (MoD) Cyclists representing the Sri Lanka Army in the "Tour De Sri Lanka Youth", the mega cycling event of the year, organized by The National Youth Services Council clinched all first three places in the entire race. Lakshman Wijerathne bagged the first place by finishing the 366 Km in 08:24:32 hours while second and third places were secured by Dileepa Prabath and Sameera Chathuranga respectively. Sameera Chathuranga, a past pupil of President's School, Katharagama more..

Dec 14 (DN) The govt always considers the fertilizer subsidy and other assistance to agricultural activities as a future investment. The govt�s policy to provide maximum assistance to farmers since 2005, despite difficulties, has paid rich dividends, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said. He was addressing the �Mahaweli Govi Upahara � 2011�, the annual Mahaweli farmer felicitation ceremony at Temple Trees yesterday. more..

Dec 14 (DT) Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) is quite willing to join hands with the High Commission of Pakistan in Sri Lanka to expand volume of trade between the two countries to further strengthen the long standing commercial ties for mutual benefit. Janaka Ratnayake, Chairman and Chief Executive of the EDB in a joint press conference on Tuesday at EDB in Colombo with High Commissioner of Pakistan Seema Ilahi Baloch said, �In February 2010, the EDB had to more..

Dec 14 (AP) Sri Lanka's coast conservation officials are demolishing hotels and restaurants that had encroached into protected areas on a famous beachfront. Bulldozers started demolishing the buildings Tuesday amid protests by owners and tourists at Unawatuna. The authorities had demarcated 42 buildings as illegal constructions according to a 1981 conservation law. Officials say the business owners ignored several notices to move out by themselves. more..

Dec 14 (DH) The Union Cabinet has effected several key changes in the funding and implementation pattern of the Rs 1,320 crore housing project in Sri Lanka by involving agencies belonging to the United Nations in it. The cabinet decided to exclude agencies virtually acting as middlemen following a controversy which included allegations of corruption. A senior official of the external affairs ministry was transferred as the controversy broke out. more..

Dec 14 (CI) South Africa's fast bowlers will aim to make things awkward for Sri Lanka's batsmen by hitting the bat higher than the visitors are used to, Dale Steyn, South Africa's spearhead, has said. Steyn said he hoped to exploit the South African pitches, known for their pace and bounce, as much as possible against a side who have not toured the country for nine years. "In the subcontinent, where these guys grow up, the ball hits the bat from the stickers down," more..

Dec 14 (Island) Another high level meeting would be held at the University Grants Commission today (14) to finalise matters regarding the �Z� score problem of the GCE (A/L) results 2011. The meeting would be attended by high ranking officials of the education sector including, Education Secretary H. M. Gunasekera, UGC Chairman Prof. Gamini Samaranayake, Higher Education Secretary Dr. Sunil Jayantha Navaratne and Commissioner General of Examinations Anura Edirisinghe. more..

Dec 14 (DN) Over 400 academics from India, China, Japan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Taiwan, Malaysia and America, apart from Sri Lanka, are expected to attend the the third international conference on 'Medicinal plants and medical products' which will be held in Colombo from December 19 to 21. Over 200 scientific research papers will be presented at the conference to be held at the Colombo University's Institute of Indigenous Medical Science. more..

Dec 14 (DN) Around 72 percent of dengue cases and deaths have been reported from the Western Province. Colombo and Gampaha districts recorded 60 per cent of the total of 72 per cent and the rest (12 per cent)of the dengue cases and deaths were of visitors (residents of other Provinces) to the Western Province for various matters, a Health Ministry spokesman said. According to the spokesman, there is a 29 percent decrease of dengue cases and deaths when compared to last year's figures. more..

Dec 14 (BBC) The Sri Lankan mission of the famous order of nuns founded by Mother Teresa of Calcutta is in crisis. The order's overall head has visited the island and held urgent talks with the Archbishop of Colombo, as one of its eight residences in the country faces accusations of irregularities in its home for pregnant mothers and children, irregularities the church strenuously denies. more..

Dec 14 (LBO) An Indian conglomerate is keen to acquire a stake in ports in Sri Lanka given its location and growth potential, an investment advisor from PricewaterhouseCoopers India told an investor forum in Colombo. Anand Dikshit of PWC India said Sri Lanka's location and post-war growth opportunities make it well placed to emerge as a logistics hub for the region. His talks with Indian entrepreneurs indicate there is growing interest in investing in the island, more..

Dec 14 (IANS) Qatar plans to open luxury hotels in Sri Lanka to boost tourism cooperation. Both sides have signed a number of agreements during the recent two-day visit by Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani to the country, said Sarath Amunugama, minister of international monetary cooperation. He said the government will provide lands for the hotel projects. 'As a result of the relationship with Qatar, we will be able to take our tourism to a higher level,' more..

Dec 14 (DN) Minister Keheliya Rambukwella yesterday stated that all govt owned media institutions have reported a record increase in income during the last two and a half years at a time when most world media institutions were facing a financial crisis. He made this observation in Parliament joining the committee stage debate on the Appropriation Bill under the Information and Mass Media Ministry Heads. more..

Dec 14 (FT) The private sector welcomed the relaxation of rules for foreign investment in debentures and overseas borrowings by Sri Lankan firms. The Central Bank announced it was relaxing regulations for foreign investment in corporate debentures of Sri Lankan firms and foreign borrowings by local firms. In the case of corporate debentures raised by local companies, the ceiling on the interest rate of debentures has been removed and more..

Dec 14 (Island) The Ministry of Justice will soon implement a programme to train police officers countrywide on human rights to ensure a better public friendly police service. "The ministry would train all the police trainers of the police academies and colleges countrywide in order to train the new recruits," a top ministry source said. The objective of the programme is to enhance the police officers� knowledge of law and minimize instances of abuse of law by them. more..

Dec 14 (DM) Despite claims made by certain UNP MP�s that the party�s Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya did not officially notify the party leadership of his intention to contest for the leadership post, a Spokesman for Jayasuriya said that he had given formal notice in a letter last week. The Spokesman said that Jayasuriya sent out a letter to party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and party General Secretary Tissa Attanayake informing them expressing his interest in more..

Dec 14 (Island) Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe on Tuesday (13) urged the government to reveal its position on a controversial law which has made mandatory the use of plastic crates for the transport and storage of several types of perishable items. Making a special statement, in the wake of protests in Colombo and several other parts of the country against the new law, Wickremesinghe alleged that the UPFA move had caused chaos and disturbances. more..

Dec 14 (Island) Opening batsman Upul Tharanga, who had been banned by the ICC, after testing positive for a banned substance during the World Cup, had been treated by an Australian physiotherapist, said a document tabled in Parliament. The document tabled by Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage, in response to a question raised by UNP Kurunegala District MP Jayasiri Jayasekera, said that physiotherapist Tom Simpson was treating the batsman Tharanga during the time in question. more..