Dec 1 (CT) Over the years during which I have written for publication about the predicament of people in our neighbourhood who are having road access denied to them by the behavior of a local Pradeshiya Sabhawa (PS), I have desisted from identifying the person who had the power, authority, �connections� and clout to do something about this state of affairs. As I have documented more times than I care to remember, a road which is the only means of access to and egress from their more..

Dec 1 (CT) What was termed the militarization of the North was attributed mainly to Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Secretary of Defence, and in many minds he was considered the greatest barrier to Reconciliation. He was thought the architect of the policy that held security to be the most important consideration, and that to ensure this the footprint of the military had to be heavy and pervasive. This was ironic, for during the course of the war he had seemed of the view that, while the forces could handle the military more..

Dec 1 (SO) Agriculture Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said the abolition of the Executive Presidency within 100 days as pledged by the Common Opposition Candidate Maithripala Sirisena is a fallacy and can never be done in 100 days. He said that the Constitution cannot be amended in a haphazard manner. The Govt has already appointed a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to look into it. more..

Dec 1 (NS) The announcement by SLFP General Secretary Mathripala Sirisena that he would run against President Rajapaksa at the presidential election on Jan 8 came as a surprise to many and was also a rude shock to the ruling UPFA. The contest is taking shape since the battle lines have been clearly drawn for the election and the identity of the �common� candidate is now known. Nominations will be handed over only in December but the Sirisena candidacy is worthy of more..

Dec 1 (NS) Slovenian cultural critic and a Marxist philosopher Slavoj �i�ek suggests what the �New European family� requires as it expands a different way of being at least a shared economic entity, even though politically diverse. I suggest this scenario as �manyness in political passionoption� but �oneness� of economic purpose. �i�ek is seen as representing one of two trajectories in contemporary thought of �a progressive alternative�, which he suggests for European Union and further afield more..

Dec 1 (CT) Former Deputy Minister of Buddha Sasana M.K.D.S. Gunawardena says that Twenty-three govt MPs were to us. But they had to reconsider their decision after they saw the threats we faced. Q: Do you feel happy now that you quit the govt? A: Frankly, I am happy. Q: Who was it that first suggested this quitting? A: Well, I was planning it over the last two years. Q: Why? Was the situation getting that bad? more..

Dec 1 (ST) A sudden and somewhat amusing enthusiasm for observing constitutional proprieties has become apparent on the part of the Rajapaksa Govt. In his address at Colombo�s Nelum Pokuna theatre, (yet another public facility named after him) President Rajapaksa warned that only his administration had the parliamentary majority to abolish the Executive Presidency. Implicit in this claim was that promises made by common opposition candidate Maithripala Siriisena more..

Dec 1 (Island) Billions of dollars are spent annually on space exploration and several countries are in competition with each other to reach other planets and comets. The European Space Agency created history the other day by landing a robot lab on a comet billions of kilometres away. There are bound to be many more such successful space missions as science pushes back the boundaries of human knowledge. But, is man barking up the wrong tree? He is trying to invent more advanced more..

Dec 1 (CT) General Secretary of the JVP Tilvyn Silva, says that the JVP will campaign against the re-election of President Rajapaksa, but will not directly support Maithripala Sirisena. Q: The JVP is of the opinion that President Rajapaksa must be defeated at the next presidential election. How do you explain your stand? A: Our stand on the Presidential election is clear. First and foremost, this Presidential election is illegal. more..

Dec 1 (ST) Last Wednesday (19), India sent a signal to the world�s drug mafia that they could patently use Indians, posing as Tamil Nadu fishermen, to smuggle drugs into Lanka confidently without fearing any reprisals. If their couriers were caught, convicted and jailed, even sentenced to death, India would stand as guarantor to get them off scot free. A little bit of arm twisting followed by a presidential pardon were all there was to it. Out of eight Tamils, five of them Indians and three Sri Lankans, more..

Dec 1 (Island) Power and tradition destroy good people. In Sri Lankan standard, Maithripala Sirisena (MS) is a good politician. Resigning from the post of the General Secretary of the SLFP and announcing that he would stand against President Rajapaksa (MR) at the forthcoming presidential election would appear as a very courageous decision. Nonetheless, the events as unfolded may also give the impression that MS has become a secondary actor moved by other powerful political forces. more..

Dec 1 (Hindu) It is not just the Tamils, but a wide majority of Sinhalese too are disillusioned with President Rajapaksa�s govt, according to Sobitha Thero, leader of the National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ). In an interview to The Hindu, he said: �From the police force to the judiciary, the President has everything under his control. People who are corrupt are protected by the govt and people are suffering.� more..

Dec 1 (Island) Staff Development Centre of the Kelaniya University recently received the ISO 9001-2008 accreditation from the Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI) for its Staff Development Programme it conducts for lecturers of higher educational institutions in SL, marking a milestone in the history of Staff training at tertiary level. The certificate was awarded in recognition of the Centre�s commitment to implement international quality standards in its Staff Development Programme, more..

Dec 1 (NS) A 20-member Malaysian business group recently held a �Business Networking� session with a group of Sri Lankan businessmen to discuss potential �Joint Venture� opportunities. The meeting took place at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. The Malaysian delegation was led by the Associated Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) and the team consisted of 17 Malaysian businesses entities. The business session was organized by the more..

Dec 1 (ST) Gold locked away in safes and almirahs in Sri Lanka is estimated at Rs. 5 trillion, Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal said this week. At the same time, Army Commander Daya Ratnayake said that gold seized from the LTTE during the 2009 operations would be returned to 1,900 owners by the President at a ceremony. An opposition MP asked, �If this gold was available for past 5 years why wasn�t it released earlier�? more..

Dec 1 (FT) J.L. Morison Son & Jones (Ceylon), (JLM), a company trusted by Sri Lankans for its portfolio of well-established consumer brands recently celebrated its 75th Diamond Jubilee Anniversary and Awards Night at a gala event at the picturesque Eagles Lakeside banquet hall. From humble beginnings as a fully Sri Lankan owned company, JLM has today, with seven decades of experience and working relationships in the country, evolved into a multi-channel business poised more..

Dec 1 (CT) Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) has received 44 investment proposals for hotel projects during this year which would add more than 2,618 rooms to the existing room capacity of the country. According to the Central Bank final approval was given to 31 project proposals during the first nine months of this year. 15 new hotel projects commenced commercial operations during the first three quarters adding 999 rooms to address the growing demand. more..

Dec 1 (ST) Sri Lanka�s two frontline bowlers Lasith Malinga and Sachithra Senanayake are likely to be included for the tour of New Zealand. Senanayake who underwent the second ICC scrutiny in Chennai last week is currently training with the national squad, but, officially is not a part of it. The ICC is due to release by the seventh of December the findings of his second test which was done in Chennai. more..

Dec 1 (ST) Commercial banks have been informed by the Treasury that the Rs. 30 billion bridging bond to three state banks to enable these institutions to offer 12% annual interest rate for deposits of pensioners and elders will not be extended to private banks. The Central Bank along with Treasury officials had a meeting with the private banks this week in a bid to discuss a game plan in order to avoid a flight of deposits to state banks from the private sector banks, but had decided more..

Dec 1 (Island) Ishanka Wimalaweera, Pethiyagoda D.M.B.T.B. Dissanayake, S. Risly and K.K.R.K. Kandalama also participated in the contest and these civil engineering students have also demonstrated their abilities and professionalism at International level, endorsing Peradeniya Engineering Faculty�s prominent position in the field of Civil Engineering. NIRMAAN International Civil Engineering Students� Symposium is a 12 year old technical contest of Civil Engineering Dept more..

Dec 1 (Island) The presence of a high level Australian delegation at the two-day Galle Dialogue 2014 beginning today highlights close cooperation between Australia and Sri Lanka to stop illegal migration. The fifth edition of the annual event being held at Lighthouse Hotel, Galle has attracted 39 countries including Australia. Australian Navy Commander Border Protection, Rear Admiral Michael Noonan will present a paper on more..

Dec 1 (NS) Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) Propaganda Secretary Pubudu Jayagoda stated that the party aims to promote an ideology different from the two main camps involved in the presidential election campaign. He said that both Mahinda Rajapaksa camp and Maithripala Sirisena camp have been engaged in a discourse dominated by liberal intellectuals. While there has been a considerable discussion on constitutional matters and on large projects, not much attention more..

Dec 1 (CT) An Awareness Workshop on Bribery and Corruption was conducted by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), at the Jaffna Public Library Auditorium on Monday (24). The workshop was jointly inaugurated by the CIABOC Chairman Justice D.J. de S Balapatabendi and Governor Northern Province G.A. Chandrasiri, where the Security Forces personnel, Police officials and govt officials, from the grass root level, were enlightened on more..

Dec 1 (DM) While claiming that former minister Maithripala Sirisena left the govt without informing to anyone in the alliance or party, Minister Dullas Allahapperuma said that DP Leader Sarath Fonseka, who contested at the last Presidential Election, informed the President. �Mr. Fonseka left after informing the Temple Tress in a very respectable manner. But our dear colleague Maithripala Sirisena, who had tea with us more..

Dec 1 (Island) The head of the State Intelligence Service, DIG Chandra Wakista has complained to the CID and requested it to conduct an investigation into reports rumours spread by an organised gang to the effect that he (Wakista) was removed from the post along with some others. Rumour was that he had been relieved of his post after the govt found out that he had leaked to the public the percentages of votes that each party would obtain at the forthcoming Presidential election. more..

Dec 1 (FT) The latest research shows that Aussies are ditching the standard European holidays for more exotic locations and Sri Lanka has been included among the top destinations, according to global travel search engine Skyscanner. �With amazing cuisine, beautiful beaches and luxury hotels, Colombo has been earning itself a well-deserved reputation as a top destination for international travellers,� states an article in news.com.au featuring top 10 destinations. more..

Dec 1 (CT) As part of the discussions held in view of signing a MoU between parties backing the common candidate, the JHU said they would consider working with the TNA if they accepted their proposals. Leader of the JHU, Ven. Omalpe Sobhitha Thera noted that the Party would however not agree with the implementation of the 13th Amendment, which has been the TNA official slogan. JHU proposals are comprised of more..

Dec 1 (Hindu) Union Minister for Urban Development and Parliamentary Affairs M. Venkaiah Naidu said that the Sri Lankan govt should give equal rights and opportunities to the Tamils by establishing a constitutional mechanism. At the launch of a State-level membership drive of the BJP here, he said those faulting India�s policy towards Sri Lanka should remember that the island nation, or for that matter other neighbours such as China, could not be antagonised. more..

Dec 1 (CT) A group of Northern Provincial Councillors have planted trees at Valvettithurai, the birth place of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, to commemorate his 60th birthday. Northern Provincial Minister of Agriculture, P. Ayngaranesan, Councillor Ananthi Sasitharan, Local Councillors M. Gajatheepan, Mayor of Valvettithurai, Sathish have planted trees, Tamilnet website reported. The Councillors have also distributed saplings among the people. Despite the warnings given by army more..

Dec 1 (TC) It�s rainy season in Sri Lanka. Tropical storms, torrential rain and surprise sunshine perfectly capture the mood of uncertainty and fear gripping the country ahead of the general election set for the 8th of January next year. Despite its physical beauty and wealth of natural resources, Sri Lanka has 5,676 outstanding cases of missing people, more than anywhere else in the world, apart from post-war Iraq. more..

Dec 1 (CT) Minister Douglas Devananda at a meeting with the Human Resource officers of the Ceylon Electricity Board from the District of Jaffna and Kilinochchi emphasized that the people in the North should not be carried away by the wrong guidance of the unscrupulous politicians in the future. Minister Devananda held the meeting with the Human Resources officers of Jaffna and Kilinochchi at his Secretariat in Jaffna on Monday (25) November. more..

Dec 1 (Island) IUSF has alleged that the govt is forcing undergraduates to attend a UPFA propaganda rally scheduled for Dec. 2 in support of its presidential election candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa. IUSF convenor Najith Indika said that the university administration had warned undergraduates that those failing to attend the event could lose Mahapola scholarship grant. Undergraduates had been told that those coming for the function could collect three installments, more..

Dec 1 (DM) Common candidate Maithripala Sirisena said that more members of the govt were due to defect and pledge support to him in the run-up to the Presidential polls. Speaking at his inaugural rally held in Polonnaruwa, Sirisena said that govt has been shattered after he quit and added that he was expecting more from the govt side to join him in the next few days. �Dear President, this is not a personal more..

Dec 1 (FT) Central Bank said yesterday that foreign banks in Sri Lanka are expected to demonstrate greater participation in economic activities and make a significant contribution to the economy. �Foreign banks expressed their commitment to operate as intermediaries of their entire international branch network to channel funds and expertise to several sectors of the economy,� the Central Bank said in a statement. This commitment from foreign banks was expressed during the Central Bank�s more..

Dec 1 (CT) TNA will address the public, along with several Opposition parties, on 02 Dec at Hyde Park ground, at a meeting organized by the Purawesi Balaya (citizen's power) organization. Ven Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera, UNP leader Ranil Wickramesinghe, common candidate Maithripala Sirisena, former President Chandrika Bandaranaike, JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, former minister Rajitha Senaratne, DP leader Gen. Sarath Fonseka, TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran and more..

Dec 1 (DN) �In my Cabinet there are no Ministers who can be bought with dollars or pounds. The West is keen to see that the country is run by a spineless leader who is ready to dance to their tune. Certain countries want to create a puppet regime here. But, I must say that our people are not ready to elect such a person as their leader to run the affairs of this country.� �I will win this Presidential election. No one is a challenge to me and more..

Dec 1 (DM) Public spending on education as a percentage of GDP in Sri Lanka has been on a steady decline over the last four decades. Educational spending recorded at 3.98% of GDP in 1967 declined to a very low level of 1.7% by 2012, despite the fact that the population in Sri Lanka increased more or less by 100%, by 2012. Conclusion of the 3 decade long armed conflict was a dream come true for people who suffered colossal losses. more..

Dec 1 (DM) The World Health Organisation (WHO) in blazing imagery has described a smoker as �a fool at one end and a flame at the other.� During recent decades the Western countries have strictly implemented tough anti-smoking laws � which unfortunately is not regularly done in Sri Lanka, possibly because of the overall breakdown of the Rule of Law. So the Western tobacco giants, unable to make billions from the cancer stick, have concentrated their main sales operations and more..

Dec 1 (FT) The newly constructed Fairways SkyGardens was ceremonially handed over on 30th Nov to its valued clients who have been eagerly anticipating this much-awaited day! Their dream for vertical luxury living has now been realized. The 31 story Fairways SkyGardens is located in scenic Rajagiriya, the fast growing urban residential area in Colombo. It is adjacent to the wetlands and in close proximity to all the more..

Dec 1 (SL) With the presidential elections around the corner and Colombo buzzing about the possible front runners in the race, Jaffna people show indifference. The northern Tamil people feel that irrespective of who comes into power, their grievances will be the same. While thanking for ending the war, the Tamils in the North say that total freedom still eludes them. The people complain that while roads are being developed, more..