Nov 13 (LD) Students of the presently-closed Sabaragamuwa University staged a protest march and demonstration in Colombo this afternoon (Nov. 12th), demanding the government to reopen their campus immediately. Organized by the Students Union and the Inter-University Students Federation branches of the University, the picketing began with the protestors marching from Viharamaha Devi Park to the Ministry of Higher Education at Ward Place. more..

Nov 13 (LeN) The parliament or the people are unaware of what happened to the Rs.19.87 billion allocated from the 2007 budget for non-specified expenses, says UNP MP Lakshman Senevirathna. Addressing a media briefing at the Opposition Leader's office, he pointed out this fact as an example for the lack of transparency in the budget expenses. He accused the government for initiating an unpleasant tradition of spending massive amounts of public money without approval of the parliament that is responsible for fiscal management. more..

Nov 13 (AT) Phone less rural masses now can enter the telephone communication business and help their neighbors using Sri Lanka’s first ever rural public telephone system launched by C.N.S.Lanka Private Ltd a joint venture with Call One Networks and Cellnet –Israel with a US$ 17 million projected investment. “In recent years, we have witnessed a rapid worldwide growth in the telecommunication sector in general and in Sri Lanka this growth was more predominant in the mobile GSM sector. more..

Nov 13 (IANS) Tamil Nationalist Movement leader P. Nedumaran and MDMK chief Vaiko were Monday taken into custody for holding a condolence rally for LTTE spokesperson S.P. Tamilselvan in defiance of ban orders. The LTTE leader was killed in an air raid on Nov 2 in northern Sri Lanka. The condolence rally was banned by the DMK government here, although Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had written a poem in memory of the slain leader. more..

Nov 13 (LG) According to reliable Sri Lankan sources, the Government of President Mahinda Rajapakse has requested the Government of Iran through a Malaysian Muslim of Indian/Sri Lankan origin for an urgent loan at low interest to enable it to purchase trainer and electronic surveillance aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles in replacement of those lost during the recent ground-cum-air attack launched by the LTTE at the Anuradhapura air base of the Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF). more..

Nov 13 (TA) SRI LANKA heads to Tasmania disappointed with its performances on the field and in disarray off it. The team, which lost by an innings and 40 runs, needs to find 16 more wickets from its bowlers and a lot more resistance from the batsmen if it is to worry Australia at the second and final Test which starts on Friday in Hobart. At this stage Sri Lanka cannot finalise the side for the Test until it hears whether the board will take action against Marvan Atapattu over more..

Nov 13 (GT) TWO of the three Sri Lankan nationals who were killed in a fire in the Industrial Area last week would be buried in Qatar, an official of the Sri Lankan embassy told Gulf Times yesterday. The embassy has obtained permission from the relatives of the two victims for their funeral in Qatar, the official said. The mission is making arrangements to send the body of the third victim home. more..

Nov 13 (GV) Having decided to write in to Bloomberg.com for including what looked like a clear underestimation of the proportion of Tamils in its news items and to highlight the sensitive nature of a country’s ethnic make up (particularly of course Sri Lanka’s), I wanted to check for myself the veracity of what I was saying. I also wanted to find out where the figure of “8.5%” that Bloomberg routinely refers to derives. more..

Nov 13 (LR) Fire works are fascinating and it may provide temporary impetus to the viewers. They may cheer for the fire works for short time, yet it has mere sound and flash with no real long lasting effect. If the recent behavior of media in Sri Lanka is closely analyzed, one can clearly identify the chain of media fire works. It all started with Benze saga of Ven. Ellavala Medananda thero. more..

Nov 13 (UCAN) Catholics and Buddhists lighted lamps with Hindus to celebrate Deepavali, the Hindu festival of lights, so as to strengthen communal reconciliation and religious harmony. The SEDEC, social arm of the Catholic Church, organized and hosted the ceremony on Nov. 7 in a large tent inside its headquarters compound in Colombo. The annual Hindu festival, called Diwali in India, this year fell on Nov. 8, but it was celebrated on Nov. 7 because the next day was a public holiday. more..

Nov 13 (LBO) A power investor says it may take more than two years to set up a thermal plant if it was given the go ahead now, after Sri Lanka's power minister said the state electricity utility was seeking additional capacity. "If we were given the go ahead now, it may take about two and a half years to supply the plant because production slots at power plant makers are filled," Hemas group managing director Hussein Esufally said. more..

Nov 13 (CI) The Sri Lanka selectors have kept Marvan Atapattu on the tour of Australia to minimise disruption for the team, but will take "the necessary disciplinary action" when they return home. SLC issued the statement on Tuesday, following a committee meeting, which said they felt "distressed and disappointed". Atapattu, then, will be considered for the second and final Test which begins this Friday in Hobart. more..

Nov 13 (CI) Shane Warne believes Muttiah Muralitharan's action should be assessed in a Test match to end any lingering speculation over its legality. Warne is set to be overtaken as the world's leading Test wicket-taker by Muralitharan, who needs seven more victims to pass Warne's mark of 708. Muralitharan's action has been repeatedly cleared by biomechanical tests over the past decade but those trials have never taken place in a match situation. more..

Nov 13 (CI) Iran's Mammut group has tied up with Sri Lanka's Mod-Tec trading company to provide infrastructure services to the island's wireless telecom operators, senior company officials said. Mammut provides a broad range of turnkey solutions, from land acquisition, architectural designs, construction, and electronic service implementation to training of individuals and maintenance. more..

Nov 13 (TW) “Our strength is pen”, We will continue to write, even our hands are chopped”, “We will not stop writing”. These were some of the slogans shouted during the protest last week in front of the Fort Railway Station. It was organized by the Movement Against Media Suppression (MAMS). Free Media Movement, Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association, Federation of Media Employees Trade Unions, Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance and Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum have joined hands to fight for media freedom in Sri Lanka. more..

Nov 13 (KT) GEORGE Soros, financier, philanthropist and chairman of the Open Society Institute, might be the villain behind the 1997 South East Asian financial crisis. But, on one aspect, he is better than politicians. He is leading a campaign to cleanse society of deception, especially in the political field. Idealistic though it may seem, Soros should be commended for his mission to unearth the truth. more..

Nov 13 (LG) With the death of S.P.Thamilchelvan, the head of the political wing of the LTTE, under mysterious circumstances on November 2,2007, the Sri Lankan Tamil cause faces an uncertain future. Thamilselvan, the presumed No.3 in the pecking order of the LTTE leadership after Prabakaran and Pottu Amman, the chief of the intelligence wing of the LTTE, was the only leader not involved in any major act of terrorism either in Sri Lankan or Indian territory. The direct involvement more..

Nov 13 (wsws) Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, who also holds the finance portfolio, presented what can only be described as a war budget to parliament on November 7. Announcing a record allocation on defence spending, he insisted that “protecting the motherland” took priority over other areas of government spending. Rajapakse is directly responsible for plunging the island back to civil war. more..

Nov 13 (ISL) The resolution of long-running conflicts in Northern Ireland and South Africa should serve as prime examples for Sri Lanka in seeking a long lasting solution to the country’s ethnic conflict, a leading academic in Australia told a community seminar in Melbourne last Sunday. “Initiate a dialogue in humanity; be willing to listen, understand and appreciate the views of each other – one group does not have a monopoly on the truth” more..

Nov 13 (ISL) It is said that when God wishes to destroy someone, he first drives him mad. This is exactly what has happened to the government today. The government which does not care about the sufferings of the common man is increasing the prices of commodities which are essential for his survival. And all that just for those in power to rob and get rich quickly. It is difficult to pin the blame for this on any one particular minister, for the whole lot in power today are corrupt. more..

Nov 13 (ISL) Ain’t the Ministers jokers too going by whom they select for different responsibilities? The man sent for a seminar on climate change in the UK by the Minister of Environment Champika R is a para military leader from the East accused of child recruitment and other human rights violations. What climate would he know of other than the climate of insecurity he is responsible for in the East? Worst is, the name given to this para military leader to travel with an alibi. more..

Nov 13 (LG) Dr. Ranjith Mapa, Professor of Soil Science, University of Peradeniya, received the prestigious 2007 International Partners Award from Agricultural Institute of Canada (AIC) that held its annual award ceremony in Edmonton, Canada, on November 6, 2007. The ceremony, attended by about 300 leading agricultural experts from around the world, was held at Edmonton’s Crown Plaza Chateau Lacombe. more..

Nov 13 (LG) The targeted killing by the Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) of S.P. Tamilchelvan, head of the political wing of the LTTE and the international face of the botched peace process, signals the virtual end of any prospect for a negotiated solution to the ethnic conflict. That is why there is much clarity today in Sri Lanka about the intentions and capabilities of the two warring sides. more..

Nov 13 (LBO) Sri Lanka's high tobacco taxes and new laws have brought big benefits, with smokers and consumption falling, information filed by the multinational that has most of the island's cigarette market showed. Ceylon Tobacco Company, a Colombo listed firm owned by British American Tobacco and Phillip Morris said revenues increased 12.6 percent to 11.8 billion rupees as prices were raised. more..

Nov 13 (LBO) Sri Lanka's top activated carbon maker, Haycarb, says its patented charcoal making process is transforming the industry by cutting emissions to the environment and generating power as a by-product. A unit of Sri Lanka's Hayleys group, the company makes coconut shell charcoal through a carbonisation process without using oxygen called 'pyrolysis' which releases methane rich gases. more..

Nov 13 (LD) “The leader of my party Rohana Wijeweera had been capable of doing anything for the people and taking the country forward. He should have been alive today. If so, people would not have undergone the present sufferings. We are remembering that great leader today, even if we cannot make our physical presence at the commemoration,” said JVP MP Nandana Gunatileke today (Nov. 13th). more..

Nov 13 (LD) “I was captivated by His Excellency the President at my very first meeting with him. Therefore, I decided to join the government and work with him to serve the innocent masses,” said Duminda Silva, who is responsible for the latest political crossover. He joined the government yesterday (Nov. 12th) after functioning for several years as Chief Organizer for the UNP in Colombo Central and as a Western Provincial Councillor. more..

Nov 13 (LD) Minister Keheliya Rambukwella claimed today that certain individuals in the government were preparing to defeat Budget 2008 for monetary gains. We have received information that these persons are going to receive money from a country that backs the LTTE and lend their support to the terrorist organization, Rambukwella told the media. If they go ahead with their traitorous plans without giving any regard to the country and nation, they can expect the proper response from the people, he said. more..

Nov 13 (LD) President Mahinda Rajapaksa has advised Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle to take every possible measure to take former Minister Mangala Samaraweera back into his regime. Samaraweera was sacked from his ministerial portfolio and from the SLFP early this year. The president has summoned Chief Government Whip Fernandopulle to a private discussion at his office in Parliament prior to the presentation of the budget on November 07th and impressed upon him the necessity to bring Samaraweera back to the government. more..

Nov 13 (LD) “Can a UNP government bring down commodity prices in the world market?,” asked Leader of the House and Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva in Parliament today (November 13th). Speaking during the budget debate, the minister claimed that the UNP’s dream of forming a government has already faded and asked that the government be allowed to carry on with its business of running the country. more..

Nov 13 (LD) The Supreme Court yesterday granted leave to proceed with a fundamental rights petition filed against former President Chandrika Kumaratunga over alleged corruption in leasing land for the construction of a golf course in Colombo. Issuing notice to the former President, the SC ordered the case to be taken up on February 11, 2008. Former Ministers of Urban Development Mangala Samaraweera and Indika Gunawardena as well as the Kaduwela Pradeshiya Sabha and former BOI Chairman Thilan Wijesinghe are cited as respondents. more..

Nov 13 (LD) The Propaganda Secretary of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna Wimal Weerawansa raised a point of privilege in the House today, wanting to know the reason for two female CID officers recently visiting the Parliament Library and taking photocopies of newspaper articles critical of his party. Weerawansa told Parliament today (November 13th) said that the CID does not have the authority to enter the library premises in such a manner. more..

Nov 13 (LD) The Jathika Sangha Sabha is to seek legal advice to appeal to the Supreme Court regarding the latest regulations on noise pollution. Addressing the media yesterday (November 12th), Ven. Ittepane Dhammalankara Anunayaka Thera said the Jathika Sangha Sabha is urging the President and the government to revise the regulations and make them reasonable for religious and cultural affairs. more..

Nov 13 (GDI) Minister of Construction and Engineering Services, Dr Rajitha Senaratne, addressing a media briefing today (13) in Colombo stated that the recent visit to the Middle East by a team of experts including Secretary General of the Chamber of Construction Industry, D. Talgodapitiya, renowned architect Surath Wickramasinghe and 20 others from state and private sectors was a pioneering effort to establish relations with Qatar and Dubai in the field of construction. more..

Nov 13 (GDI) Among the several projects launched to fast track the development of the East, the Government has paid special attention to education, according to Coordinating Secretary of the Ministry of Education, S.M.T.U. Senaratne. In order to run the schools appropriately the vacancies for the positions of principals would be filled by those who have passed the relevant examination and vacancies of teachers would be filled by those trained under the ‘Tharuna Aruna’ programms, he said. more..

Nov 13 (GDI) Minister of Export Development & International Trade, Prof. G.L. Peiris addressing a media briefing this morning (13) in Colombo stated that Sri Lanka’s primary strength lies in the caliber of human resources in the service sector, which was more important than other material components. He made these comments in reference to his recent visit to the Middle East in cooperation with the Minister of Construction and Engineering Services, and more..

Nov 13 (GDI) Governor of the Central Bank, Ajith Nivard Cabraal, at the post-Budget press conference held in Colombo recently said that this year’s budget would help build a developed regional economy. This would be the basis of creating a sustainable economy in the long term, he said. The Governor also said that the 2008 Budget will consolidate the fiscal position, enable the continuation of major infrastructure projects and provide relief to low-income groups and local entrepreneurs. more..

Nov 13 (LNP) JVP Parliamentary Group leader Wimal Weerawansa yesterday charged in the House that UNICEF remitted over Rs 100 million to the LTTE through its front organization, an NGO known as the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) for a period of six years ending in July 2006. The UNICEF like in other countries functions in Sri Lanka for the express purpose of serving the children Weerawansa in a special statement In Parliament further said: more..

Nov 13 (LNP) Two men who had obtained over 100 new vehicles on rent from car sales firms and sold them to various persons using forged documents and cheated people of million of rupees were remanded till November 16, by Colombo Fort Magistrate Namal Bandara Balalle. The magistrate directed police to investigate whether the suspects were wanted by other Police stations. The suspect, M.Hussain of Katugastota and Mohamed Anvar of Galewela, were produced in court by the Fort police on a complaint made by a resident of Wattala. more..

Nov 13 (LNP) The budget debate was added flavour by UNP MP for the Galle district Vajira Abeywardane yesterday in Parliament, who showed off a coconut and a 50- gram milk powder packet, to protest the soaring cost of living. Abeywardane who spoke during the budget debate pointed out that for the first time in history, milk powder is sold in small quantities as people`s purchasing power had declined to such a level. more..

Nov 13 (LNP) Around 600,000 plantation sector workers are employed in the Rubber Industry contributing 15 per cent to the national economy but although they supporet the main stream economy their rights are ignored, said the All Ceylon Estate Workers Association President, Parliamentarian, Ramalimgam Chandrasekar,told The Island. Even in the past estate workers had struggled hard to get a decent wage increase. more..

Nov 13 (SAMN) The main opposition UNP Monday urged government ministers to bring an impeachment motion against President Mahinda Rajapaksa without delay, because the President was meddling in their affairs unnecessarily. UNP front-liner John Amaratunga speaking at the budget debate said a similar fate befell former President R. Premadasa when he attempted to interfere with ministerial affairs. “President Premadasa tried to do so by appointing a retired DIG to achieve his purpose,” he said. more..

Nov 13 (SAMN) A National Committee will be tasked with formulating a new education system that would cater to the present demands and a development oriented outlook. Education Minister Susil Premajayantha has entrusted the formulation of a new Education Act for General Education in Sri Lanka to this National Committee to overhaul the outdated education set up and replace it with a system that keeps pace with the developing trends. more..

Nov 13 (SAMN) Sri Lanka’s new line of graduates in the fashion industry are earning about a Rs. 100,000 working overseas for well known design organisations with an excellent knowledge gained from the University of Moratuwa. “Within a period of leaving here and working abroad they earn around Rs.100, 000”, Carmel Kelly stated at a press briefing. The University of Moratuwa will hold its Graduation Fashion Show 2007 of their Fashion Design and more..

Nov 13 (SAMN) After many stops and starts, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has once again instructed the All Party Representative Committee chairman Tissa Vitarana to work out a political package as soon as possible to resolve the ethnic crisis, parliament was informed Monday. SLFP general secretary and Minister Maithripala Sirisena told parliament the government believed in a political solution to resolve the conflict while crushing terrorism. more..

Nov 13 (AAP) Former Sri Lanka cricket coach Tom Moody says years of frustrations was most likely behind Marvan Atapattu's extraordinary "muppet" attack on the country's selectors. Recalled Test batsman Atapattu caused a stir in Australia and his homeland when he branded Sri Lanka's national selectors muppets during the first Test in Brisbane. Moody said Atapattu was at the "peak of his frustrations" after years of involvement in Sri Lankan cricket. more..

Nov 13 (PTI) LTTE on Tuesday refrained from making any comment on the arrest of MDMK chief Vaiko and Tamil Nationalist Movement leader P Nedumaran, who were taken into custody in Tamil Nadu for defying a ban on a rally to condole the death of the Tigers' political head S P Thamilselvan. The two leaders were arrested while trying to go ahead with the rally yesterday in Chennai to condole the death of Thamilselvan, who was killed in a raid by the Sri Lankan Air Force on November 2. more..

Nov 13 (PTI) India should take initiative to bring the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers to the negotiation table and end the ongoing strife in the island nation, PMK founder S Ramadoss said in Coimbatore on Tuesday. When different organisations, including United Nations and Norway team, were trying to bring peace in Sri Lanka, the Central government should take concrete efforts in this regard, that too within a short time-frame, he told reporters. more..

Nov 13 (CO) In a bid to prevent Tamil Nadu fishermen crossing the Indian maritime borders and coming under attack by Sri Lankan Navy, the state government has decided to cancel the licences of fishing boats of those violating the order on more than three occasions. The fishermen had been advised on several occasions not to cross the Indian maritime borders with Sri Lanka and it had been notified that a fine would be imposed on those violating the order, more..

Nov 13 (CP) UN spokesman Gordden Weliss said, “We have not restricted any activities but have advised our staff to be more cautious.” The United Nations has advised its ground staff in Batticaloa to be more cautious due to the unrest prevailing in the area created by the two factions of the Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP) while the latter says there is no threat to the humanitarian agencies. more..