Dec 31 (DM) The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) will conduct an awareness programme for Colombo�s �kotthu roti� makers on hygiene and cleanliness, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam said. At a ceremony organized by the CMC Public Health Department where certificates were distributed to food vendors of Galle Face Green on Thursday he said what was needed was not to penalize the restaurants which were unhygienic but to ensure that the customers more..

Dec 31 (DM) The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has expressed its disappointment over the statement by the President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the devolution of power. TNA National List Parliamentarian M.A Sumanthiran now on an overseas visit told the Daily Mirror yesterday over the phone that President Rajapaksa was obviously going back on his words. �After the war ended the President himself announced that he needed to implement the 13th amendment in full. more..

Dec 31 (DH) In October this year, President Mahinda Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka used his constitutional powers to grant a special pardon to a politician convicted of misusing public funds. The Appeal Court and the Supreme Court had upheld the conviction of Kesara Senanayake, a former mayor of Kandy. Rajapaksa�s timely pardon saved him from a year in prison and made him a free man. This November, a bipartisan parliamentary committee accused a state entity, controlled by more..

Dec 31 (SM) The JVP dissidents say the JVP leadership is acting in an arbitrary manner in violation of all accepted traditions of the left movement merely to safeguard their posts in the party. JVP Politburo member and dissident G. Kularatne says the JVP leaders have resorted to methods practiced by weak capitalist political parties to protect their powers in the party. Kularatne notes that instead of acting democratically and according to the majority stance, more..

Dec 31 (LP) Twelve Sri Lankan nationals and four Afghans were arrested at Pantai Sungai Tengah, Bandar Penawar, while they were attempting to sneak out of Malaysia yesterday. Marine Operations Force deputy commander (Region Two), Supt N.Kalai Chelvan said they were arrested at 1am following a tip-off. The foreigners, aged between 17 and 40, admitted that they were going to Indonesia and then to Australia by boat, he said in a statement today. more..

Dec 31 (LT) A precarious situation has arisen in Pelawatta sugar factory that was taken over under the �Revival of the Underperforming and Underutilized Assets Bill� states Inter Company Employees� Union (ICEU). The sugar cane crushing season has been concluded and the next season will begin in February. However, there is no preparation for the season points out ICEU. There are reports many machinery in the factory have been disassembled states ICEU. more..

Dec 31 (AIR) The Sri Lankan Navy today rescued six more fishermen of Tamil Nadu from its waters in the north, and handed them over to the state authorities for further action. With this, the total number of fishermen rescued by the Sri Lankan Navy in the past fortnight has gone up to 35. All the fishermen are stranded in Jaffna because of the bad weather conditions along the Tamil Nadu coast. An official said, the fishermen want to go back with their boats. more..