Nov 20 (Hindu) Florence-on-the-Elbe, they used to call the historic German city of Dresden, before it began to turn to ash that evening in February 1945. Inside of days, the United Kingdom and the United States bomber command dropped some 3,900 tonnes of ordnance over the city, creating an inferno which would claim an estimated 25,000 lives. The military utility of the slaughter is still debated by historians: proponents claim it destroyed key Nazi communication hubs, and more..

Nov 20 (TH) A Basingstoke mother is this month visiting Sri Lanka to showcase the work of a charity she set up in 2004. Catherine Mole, a former Queen Mary�s College student, launched ECSAT (equality-based community support and training) in the wake of the devastating tsunami. Her aim was to bring about the inclusion of people with disabilities in Sri Lankan society. The 35-year-old mother-of-two, who lived in SL for almost 15 years, has returned to the country to host dignitaries at CHOGM, more..

Nov 20 (Island) President Rajapaksa, who spent much of his time, during CHOGM, defending his govt�s human rights record, appealed to the international community not to corner him. Press conferences were dominated by a barrage of questions on allegations of war crimes by SL security forces in the last stages of the war against LTTE, which prompted him to reply "those in glass houses should not throw stones." more..

Nov 20 (CT) The Supreme Court refused leave to proceed with the fundamental rights application filed by 159 govt teachers challenging the Cabinet of Ministers' decision to absorb Assistant Directors of Education into the Sri Lanka Education Administrative Service (SLEAS). The Bench comprised Justices Shiranee Thilakawardane and Eva Wanasundara. The petition stated that this absorption was outside the applicable minutiae of the SLEAS and that therefore this decision more..

Nov 20 (Island) Blood soaked bodies of two Air Force personnel were found at a guard post in Pidurutalagala yesterday morning. Police spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana said that one had committed suicide after killing the other with his T-56 weapon issued. The incident occurred around 4.00 a.m. The deceased were identified as J. M. Prasanna of Alapaladeniya and Anusha Madusanka of Matugama, both aged 24 and attached to the Nuwara-Eliya Air Force Camp. more..

Nov 20 (CT) President Rajapaksa said yesterday that no decision had been taken up to now, on how the limousines which were imported for the recently concluded CHOGM, were to be either used or disposed of. Asked by the representative of this newspaper as to what his decision was, with regard to the 63 luxury limousines used during the CHOGM by the visiting Heads of States and country representatives, the President had said more..

Nov 20 (CG) UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe says a formal apology has not been conveyed to the Bodhu Bala Sena (BBS) over the recent incident where a group of monks were assaulted when they forced their way into Sirikotha. He said that UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake had apologized to the BBS monks on his personal capacity and not on behalf of the UNP. The leadership council of the UNP needs to approve the apology if it is to be made on behalf of the party and so far there was no approval. more..

Nov 20 (CT) Students who have qualified for admission to university next year, will attend the Leadership Training Programme commencing 24 Nov at the Minneriya Army Camp. The programme will be launched by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The Secretary to the Ministry of Higher Education, Sunil Gunawardene, said, "8000 students would comprise the first batch who would undergo training. In all, around 22,000 students are expected to follow the Leadership Training Programme. more..

Nov 20 (LBO) Sri Lanka has expressed a commitment to keep the budget deficit down next year, but the country has to guard against external risks and boost its business climate, a top IMF official said. IMF deputy managing director Naoyuki Shinohara, said Sri Lanka had managed inflation, economic growth and the exchange rate was stable and authorities showed a strong commitment to keep the budget deficit down. more..

Nov 20 (DM) Despite President Mahinda Rajapaksa being a PR maestro, a fact that was vividly displayed to the entire world when he invited a journalist of the Channel 4 of Britain for a cup of tea as the latter approached him with a provocative question during a CHOGM related event in Colombo, what seems to be lacking in his subordinates is exactly the very skill which was also exposed to the world through their handling of the journalists of the same Channel. What would have been the difference had the more..

Nov 20 (DM) There are some extraordinary implications of the two resolutions passed unanimously by the Tamil Nadu Assembly on India�s participation in the CHOGM being held in Colombo this week. The first is that the Govt of India should cease all meaningful ministerial engagement with Sri Lanka in protest against the alleged violation of Tamil human rights. It is not enough, said the Assembly resolutions, for the PM to stay at home: even the External Affairs Minister shouldn�t more..

Nov 20 (SL) The Commonwealth summit which ends today gave most countries the opportunity to see for themselves the ground situation following the end of the war. Canada was one country which was keen to use the opportunity to get a firsthand assessment and back the decision by PM Stephen Harper to boycott the summit over human rights concerns. Canadian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs more..

Nov 20 (DM) Sri Lanka Railways (SLR) Operations Superintendent L.A.M. Ratnayake said the law would be strictly implemented on those walk along the railtracks. �The Director General of Railways has instructed the Railway Protection Services (RPS) to arrest those walking along the rail tracks as it is illegal to do so. Legal action will be taken against those who are found walking along the rail tracks,� he said. more..

Nov 20 (DM) Sri Lanka skipper Dinesh Chandimal said that Sri Lanka could no longer go on the experiment mode as there were just six more T20 internationals for the national team before next year�s T20 World Cup, hinting that he would take the field today in the first of the two T20 internationals against New Zealand at Pallekele with a full-strength local team. �We experimented a lot by resting some senior players in our recent more..

Nov 20 (SL) Land issues in the Eastern Province is a matter of grave concern to the Muslim people in the region who claim that certain areas that were not under threat during the war have now been acquired by the state. The Govt has been accused of arbitrarily taking over substantial extents of lands purportedly for development activities, such as tourism and other industries, disregarding the legitimate residential and more..

Nov 20 (LT) Chilly Colombo would be warmed up in a few weeks time says the Member of the Political Bureau of the JVP K.D. Lal Kantha at a ceremony held at Maharagama to open a co-ordinating office of the party. He has been named as the chief ministerial candidate of the JVP for the forthcoming WPC election. Speaking further he said, �Colombo warms up from agitations carried out by those who come from outside. more..

Nov 20 (Island) A new trade union umbrella, comprising unions representing the public, private and estate sector employees, staged a poster demonstration, at the Borella junction yesterday, demanding urgent relief in the 2014 budget. Co�convener of the Co-ordination Committee for Trade Union Alliance (CCTUA) Wasantha Samarasinghe said that their organization would stage a repeat demonstration opposite the more..

Nov 20 (CI) Sri Lanka Cricket's hunt for the next national coach is not necessarily confined to its two-man shortlist of Marvan Atapattu and Mark Davis, CEO Ashley de Silva has confirmed. SLC had narrowed its field of candidates down to Atapattu and Davis on November 6, stating they would carry out a final round of interviews with these two applicants. However, while either man could still end up with the job, it is possible the SLC will more..

Nov 20 (AD) Implementation of the helmet law for motorcyclists temporarily suspended due to the exploitation of the law by traders, Police spokesman said today. On Nov 7 police advise motorcyclists and passenger riders to wear authorized helmets without tinted visors enabling better identification from today. Spokesman added that certain traders are charging exorbitant prices for authorized helmets making it a great burden more..

Nov 20 (CT) Nearly 10,000 school teachers who have applied for transfers are unable to shift from their current workplaces as the National Teacher Transfer Boards have been dysfunctional for the last three years, the Lanka Guru Sangamaya (LGS) claimed. LGS General Secretary, Joseph Stalin told, Ceylon Today, that as a consequence, the teachers were compelled to make personal appeals to the Secretary to the Education Ministry more..

Nov 20 (CG) The UNP feels the CHOGM held in Sri Lanka was a failure and will only add to the burdens of the public. UNP MP Karu Jayasuriya, says many Sri Lankans are unaware of the heavy price that they have to incur in the coming weeks and months for the enormous cost borne for the Commonwealth summit. He says the Govt has purposefully left everyone in the dark regarding the exuberant expenditure for the event more..

Nov 20 (CT) Gone are the days when people awaited the budget with expectations of relief from the high cost of living and taxes, hoping that the representatives they elected to power would have their interests at heart and convince the govt which they are part of, that the common man needs to be given some consideration in framing the budget proposals. But Budget after budget in the recent past, has cast more and more burdens on the people who are already reeling under the more..

Nov 20 (CT) As I write this, I am informed that the price of large (�Bombay�) onions, a staple for all the �rice-and-curry eaters� has doubled in price in the local market. I am also told that rice has jumped in price. Coupled with an increase in bus ticket prices and several other essentials inside and outside the categories of food, clothing and shelter, these are all costs that are disproportionately borne by the poor and middle class in a country where there is no progressive income tax structure and more..

Nov 20 (SM) The govt is displaying its nudity after holding a tamasha with borrowed money, JVP MP Vijitha Herath said today. He said, the CHOGM held a with a big clamour is now over and what is left is Mahinda Rajapaksa sitting on the chair for two years, a waste of billions of rupees, British premier David Cameron making a special statement, James Packer speaking to the business community and signing agreements with more..

Nov 20 (Hindu) With train blockade becoming a norm over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue in Tamil Nadu, Centre on Wednesday warned of danger of electrocution and appealed to protesters to desist from climbing atop train or coming near high voltage electric lines. Such acts were also punishable under the Indian Railway Act, a Press Information Bureau (PIB) release said. Referring to attempts by persons to climb the engines running on electrified lines, it said such lines had 25000 volts of power more..

Nov 20 (LBO) Sri Lanka Ports Authority said it had leased liquefied petroleum gas tanks in a facility at newly built Hambantota port to another state run firm. Three tanks with a capacity of 6,000 cubic metres each had been leased to Litro Gas Terminal Lanka for 10 years, SLPA said in a statement. They are part of a 14 tank far, built at a cost of 100 million US dollars with 76 million US dollars from the Export Import Bank of China and 20 million US dollars from Bank of Ceylon. more..

Nov 20 (Island) Comet ISON, the much anticipated �comet of the century� will be visible to Sri Lankan from tomorrow, over the eastern horizon, before sunrise around 5.00 a.m.. Sri Lanka Planetarium said that Sri Lankans would be able to see the comet with the tail stretching away from the direction of the Sun till January during the early mornings. However, astronomers have predicted that the icy object could become the brightest more..

Nov 20 (SM) According to party constitution, the tenure of the present UNP office bearers ends on Dec. 31, 2013 and recommendations made by the leadership council for next year's office bearers are to be submitted before the party Working Committee before this date. It is said that in view of possible national elections next year, it is being considered to name several young members as office bearers and WC members. Rosy Senanayake, Eran Wickramaratne, Harsha de Silva, convener of more..

Nov 20 (Hindu) DMK president M. Karunanidhi said Tamils across the world expected India to demand a fair inquiry into the human rights violations and war crimes in Sri Lanka, as demanded by the U.K. PM, David Cameron, but it had failed to show any concern for the Tamils. �Mr. Cameron has secured a permanent place in the hearts of Tamils in Sri Lanka, Tamils living in other countries and Tamils in Tamil Nadu,� he said. He said if PM Manmohan Singh decided to stay away from CHOGM more..

Nov 20 (GDI) The launching of the Sigiriya World Heritage UNESCO stamp by La Poste, French postal administration, was celebrated by the Permanent Delegation of Sri Lanka to UNESCO on 7th Nov, during the 37th session of the General Conference at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France. Sigiriya is the second Sri Lanka- UNESCO World Heritage site to be selected for the publication of a stamp by French postal administration more..

Nov 20 (Reuters) The rupee ended steady near its seven-week low on Wednesday as banks and dealers were reluctant to trade at above a level seen desirable by the central bank, currency dealers said. The spot rupee ended flat at 131.10/15 per dollar. It closed at 131.10/20 last Thursday, near its lowest close since Oct. 4. "Everybody is waiting for the budget," a currency dealer said. "Nobody wants to trade above 131.10 because that level is seen desirable by the central bank." more..

Nov 20 (Island) A notorious drug dealer known as �Wele Suda� fled when the Kandy police conducted a raid to arrest him at Ogastawatta, near Getambe recently. The anti-vice branch sleuths arrested the wife of the wanted drug dealer and took into custody a tri-shaw and a sword. The woman had in her possession eleven packets of heroin at the time of arrest. The police have launched an operation to track down �Wele Suda� believed to be main supplier of heroin in Kandy. more..

Nov 20 (DN) The construction work of the first stage of the Outer Circular Highway (OCH) from Kottawa to Kaduwela is nearing completion. It will be commissioned by the end of next January. Over Rs. 25 billion has been allocated for the construction of a stretch of 11 km between Kottawa and Kaduwela under the first stage. A 3.3 km long viaduct has been elevated to bypass marshy areas or water retention areas in Mahawela more..

Nov 20 (Island) Panadura High Court Judge Kusala Weerawardhana yesterday bailed out Deputy Mayor of Moratuwa, Sujith Pushpakumara, who had been in remand since February, over the killing of Ven. Matigahatenne Wimalawansa Thera, the Chief Incumbent of Sunandopananda temple at Koralawella, Moratuwa. Sujith Pushpakumara was enlarged on Rs. 25,000 cash bail with four sureties after State Counsel Chamalka Samarasinghe, appearing on behalf of the Attorney General, more..

Nov 20 (CI) Sri Lanka's tour of Bangladesh, which was scheduled for February 2014, has been advanced by a few days to allow the Asia Cup to kick off on February 24. Bangladesh will now host Sri Lanka for two Tests starting on January 27, a week after Sri Lanka's Test series against Pakistan in the UAE concludes. The teams will also play two Twenty20s and three ODIs during the series, which ends on February 22, two days before the Asia Cup begins in Bangladesh. more..

Nov 20 (LBO) Sri Lanka's weak revenue collections in the first half of the year raised questions about the accuracy of gross domestic product estimates, an opposition legislator who is also an economist has said. Harsha de Silva, from the UNP said revenue collections of 435 billion rupees for the first half was 6.5% below a target of 463.8 billion rupees. Tax revenues were also below last year at an absolute level. more..

Nov 20 (CT) Dambulla Mayor, Jaliya Opatha, has alleged that the UDA which acquired some private lands in Badulla town, seemingly for a public works project, is currently engaged in selling the land to private businessmen. Addressing the monthly council meeting, he said he will inform the President of this situation. Mayor Opatha made this statement when UPFA member K.D. Sarachchandra, raised the issue of the UDA selling land acquired for public works to private parties. more..

Nov 20 (Island) Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara said that the British PM�s statement at the CHOGM meeting held in Colombo should be condemned at state level. The minister said that the complaint had to be presented in a proper manner to the Secretary General of the Commonwealth and to the British Foreign Secretary. Such a complaint had become essential due to the reason that there is already an agreement among members of the Commonwealth not to indulge in open criticism of more..

Nov 20 (AD) The govt supplied Channel 4 journalists with the information they needed to create another film on Sri Lanka, UNP MP Lakshman Kiriella stated. He said that after granting the Channel 4 team visas to enter the country, the govt then restricted them. The MP stated that the govt was making promises to the international community similar to the manner in which it makes promises to the public. more..

Nov 20 (CG) British Govt MP and former Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt says it will be better for Sri Lanka if the govt listens to what was being said by so many, rather than offer knee-jerk defensive responses. The MP said that the decision by PM David Cameron to attend the CGOGM was difficult but right, and was vindicated by the media coverage of his visit to the north of Sri Lanka, the first foreign leader to so do since 1948. However Burt says that was just the easy part. more..