Dec 20 (ST) This week’s BT-RCB poll on the issues relating to the emergence of a new casino culture drew the largest ever response seen so far. Business Times, and lately in collaboration with Research Consultancy Bureau, has been conducting email polls for many years on issues of national interest. RCB poll is conducted in Colombo while some are conducted across the country. Both polls have become a popular outlet to more..

Dec 20 (Island) In a sure indication that Sri Lanka’s ethnic divisions are remaining largely unaddressed, some TNA and govt MPs traded vociferous claims recently over the religious identity of some of the kings who are said to have reigned in ancient Sri Lanka. ‘Ravana’, ‘Vijaya’, ‘Tissa’, all revered names among sections in Sri Lanka’s south, were really Hindu kings, some TNA MPs claimed on Tuesday in Parliament. They even claimed that the Sri Lanka of antiquity was a Hindu kingdom. more..

Dec 20 (ST) Global Allianz, Sri Lanka’s pioneering Chinese hydropower equipment supplier, is providing the latest Chinese technology to reduce electricity bills with the use of micro hydropower systems. “We have been representing one of China’s top 10 manufacturers certified by UNIDO for the last 15 years. We are proud to be the single largest supplier of the hydropower systems in Sri Lankan mini hydropower industry and to be associated with many sophisticated projects,” more..

Dec 20 (FT) Professor P.W. Epasinghe says that experts who have extensively studied the videos produced by Channel 4 have clearly stated that these videos are forgeries. ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) Chairman said so while participating as Chief Guest at ICTer 2013. He decried the misuse of technology and reminded the audience that the country had witnessed the negative impact of the controversial video ‘Channel 4’. more..

Dec 20 (CI) The first ODI finished in circumstances that may have left both teams with a positive outlook for the upcoming matches. Pakistan will be buoyed by the mastery of their batsmen. Mohammad Hafeez's return to form is a valuable boost to their top order, and it was not so long ago that Ahmed Shehzad made a ton against the best pace attack around, in South Africa. Even more heartening were Sharjeel Khan and Sohaib Maqsood's innings. Both scored briskly, but responsibly more..

Dec 20 (Island) We refer to the news item which appeared in the Sport Page of The Island on the 18th Dec bearing the heading "I do what the Minister says - Jayantha". The statement attributed by you to the President of Sri Lanka Cricket is inaccurate. At a meeting of the Executive Committee held on the 6th of Dec, the President, after consulting some of the senior members of the Executive Committee, nominated three names to fill the vacancies that had arisen in the Executive Committee. more..

Dec 20 (FT) Dipped Products Plc said it has decided to set up a new export glove manufacturing plant at the Biyagama BOI Zone, as the subsidiary Venigros Ltd. operations in Weliweriya remain suspended over five months. “The Board of Directors has made a decision to invest in a new manufacturing facility at the Biyagama BOI Zone where commercial operations are expected to commence from mid-April 2014,” more..

Dec 20 (TOI) Making clear the aspirations of the AIADMK and its supremo and Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, the party on Thursday said the time was ripe for a Tamil to lead the nation. "In the past, people from Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka were elected for the Prime Minister's post. The time is now ripe for a Tamil to lead the country," said a resolution passed by the AIADMK's executive committee and general council. more..

Dec 20 (CI) Sinhalese Sports Club, Colts Cricket Club, Nondescripts Cricket Club and Ragama Cricket Club will contest the semi-finals of the Premier Limited Overs competition, after finishing in the top two of their groups at the end of the round-robin phase. Both semi-finals will be played at the Premadasa Stadium with Colts taking on NCC on December 21, before SSC face Ragama on Dec 23. Opening the batting in his first match of the tournament, Mahela hit 90 for SSC, more..

Dec 20 (TN) Sri Lanka are full of confidence going into Friday night’s second ODI, despite defeat to Pakistan in Wednesday’s first encounter. Pakistan earned an 11-run first ODI win in Sharjah, but the SL tail-enders gave them a scare in chasing a mammoth, 323-run target. At 221-7, Seekkuge Prasanna (42) and Sachitra Senanayake (42) put on an 87-run stand for the 8th wicket, a record for Pak-SL, but fell just short. more..

Dec 20 (DM) The Venerable Kobawaka Dhamminda Thera was today appointed as the Chief Incumbent of Kirivehera Rajamaha Viharaya in Kataragama by the Sangha Sabha led by Malwatu Mahanayaka, the most Venerable Thibbotuwawe Sri Sumangala Thera. The Ven. Dr. Aluthwewa Soratha Nayaka Thera, the former chief incumbent of the Kataragama Kirivehera Temple and Chancellor of the Uva Wellassa University passed away at the age of 70 years on September 27, 2013. more..

Dec 20 (AP) A man from Singapore who spent years in a U.S. prison after trying to funnel arms to a Sri Lankan terrorist group has been deported. Prosecutors in Dallas announced the deportation of 51-year-old Balraj Naidu. Naidu in 2010 was convicted in Baltimore of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and sentenced to 5 years in prison. Prosecutors say Naidu tried to buy $900,000 in weapons from an undercover business in Maryland. more..

Dec 20 (Island) Pointing out that Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage had himself admitted that there had been a fraud of USD 3 million over the Nimbus -SLC telecasting rights deal, the UNP asked whose pockets had been filled. Alleging that a total of USD10 million remained unaccounted for by SLC, UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake said that in the case of the Nimbus deal, a USD 3 million fraud had been alleged. more..

Dec 20 (Island) Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith said that neither he nor any bishop would indulge in politics or seek affiliation in any political party or group. He said although some businessmen had converted Christmas into a commercial event to exploit the people, it was in fact a feast dedicated to the poor. “As we share this Christmas with the poor and speak out about their burning problems, some people are under the wrong impression that we are indulging in politics, more..

Dec 20 (FT) The third and the final vote on the Govt’s Budget for 2014 will be taken up today in the Parliament, ending a lengthy process followed by the Legislature to allocate money to meet recurrent, capital and other State expenses in the coming year. Budget 2014 happens to be the 68th Budget of independent Sri Lanka and the 9th Budget of the UPFA Govt. The Budget process for 2014 was initiated on 22 Oct with the presentation of the Appropriation Bill 2014 to Parliament. more..

Dec 20 (Hindu) As in economic affairs, the tide in global strategic affairs has definitely “pivoted” to the East, to the Indian and Pacific Oceans. This shift, coupled with the web of challenges that populate the environment in India’s immediate neighbourhood in South Asia, and in the Gulf region, makes policymaking complex. For India, the perils of proximity have only grown. This does not mean we turn our back on the world or more..

Dec 20 (GT) Assistant Under-Secretary for Agricultural and Livestock Affairs, Saif Mohammed Al Shara on Thursday received M M Abdul Raheem, Consul-General of Sri Lanka and his accompanying delegation. During the meeting, the parties discussed ways to boost relations between the two countries in the fields of agriculture and livestock, especially regarding the lifting of the ban on poultry and associated products from Sri Lanka. Al Shara stressed that the UAE is an important more..

Dec 20 (AT) Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq arrived in Sri Lanka on 19th Dec, on a two days official visit, undertaken on the invitation of Sri Lanka’s Speaker of Parliament Chamal Rajapaksa. The invitation was conveyed by the Deputy Speaker of Sri Lankan Parliament Chandima Weerakkody, during his recent visit to Pakistan. During his visit, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq will call on his counterpart and also observe the ongoing proceedings of Sri Lankan Parliament. more..

Dec 20 (Island) No person by the name of Dhammika Premalal Raigama had worked as a coordinating secretary to the President, at the President’s office, Minister G.L. Peiris told Parliament. He said that the UNP’s MP had told parliament that a person by the name of Dhammika Premalal Raigama working in the President’s office had tried to sell an artefact for Rs. 350 mn. "There is no such person by that name." more..

Dec 20 (KT) Websites hosting obscene images and videos as well as websites featuring pornographic films produced in Sri Lanka have been banned, the Director-General of Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, Anusha Pelpita said. According to Pelpita, the TRC has detected several secretly filmed videos of unsuspecting men and women distributed through a network of obscene sites. “The government has taken this action to safeguard the children from accessing these websites,” more..

Dec 20 (Island) Former Chairman of the National Savings Bank (NSB) Pradeep Kariyawasam, pleaded not guilty to corruption charges framed against him by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC). 9 charges had been framed against Kariyawasam, who will face trial in the Chief Magistrate’s Court of Colombo, on March 19, 2014. Kariyawasam’s counsel, Saliya Pieris, said he would be raising preliminary objections to the charges. more..

Dec 20 (DN) Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena said the Grade 5 Scholarship Exam will probably be scrapped from 2016 as a result of the secondary school development project, which is in progress. He said however the Grade 5 Scholarship Exam will be replaced by an evaluation test. "The knowledge gathered during the Grade 3, 4 and 5 years by students will be evaluated at this evaluation test. more..

Dec 20 (DN) A female anaconda at the National Zoological Garden, Dehiwala, swallowed its male partner a few minutes after they mated. The female anaconda is 15.5 feet in length and the male anaconda 12 feet long. Both grappled fiercely with each other before the female devoured its partner, he said. "The anaconda couple was brought from the Czech Republic. Female Anacondas usually swallow their baby anacondas and male Anacondas. This is not an usual incident as the more..

Dec 20 (Island) Minister Dinesh Gunawardena told Parliament that he did not want to become the PM of Sri Lanka. He was answering, on behalf of the Minister of Educational Services, a question raised by UNP MP Atukorale, on a circular banning the sale of food made of wheat flour in school canteens. When one of the supplementary questions, asked by the MP was rejected by the Minister saying it was irrelevant, the MP quipped "How can you become the PM if you act in this manner?" more..

Dec 20 (DM) Amid growing pressure for foreign exchange for debt servicing and development projects, the Govt has obtained Cabinet approval to raise US$1,000 million next year through international sovereign bonds under the supervision of the Central Bank. This amount is likely to be increased to US$1,500 later. These bonds will have a maturity period of ten years. President Rajapaksa, submitted the Cabinet paper on Monday. more..

Dec 20 (DM) Former PM S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike who swept to office in 1956 through the now- famous people’s force of the Sangha, wedha, guru, govi, kamkaru, was a brilliant orator but thankfully he was not limited to words and was more committed to deeds, much in contrast to most of today’s leaders. His deep human values and principles manifested through a series of laws he initiated to restore the dignity of millions of workers. Among these laws were the declaration of May 1 as May Day, more..

Dec 20 (DM) Often we hear that the youth is not interested in cultured language. Of course those who read and write in English language are bounded by traditional middle class norms and still there are norms to follow. But when it comes to Sinhala it is different. I was told that in the use of Tamil there are some strict codes and there is a common social pressure to use cultured language. However in the case of Sinhala, many learned women and men criticise the way language is used, more..

Dec 20 (SL) I am often being asked “Do we have a Foreign Policy (FP), if so what is it? and I must confess that I have not been able to provide a categorical answer, all I could say is that “This should be our FP”. In the old days from a pro West FP immediately after Independence we moved to a Non Aligned FP during the period of the Cold War and continued with the same policy thereafter. In recent times there is a perception that more..

Dec 20 (ST) Pettah traders have struck back against alleged extortion by a pro-govt vendors’ federation by forming a new front determined to expose thuggery which they claim includes the fire that gutted more than 100 stalls in the Pettah markets last week. Clashes broke out between factions of traders last week over money being collected from businessmen. The newly-formed National Organisation for Patriotic more..

Dec 20 (CT) Addressing the Executive Committee of the SLFP on Wednesday, President Rajapaksa indicated the possibility of General Elections being held next year. He told the SLFP members that next year was going to be an election year and that a parliamentary elections was most likely. The President, despite a media report about a Presidential Elections, did not make any reference to it. He went on to say that there was a more..

Dec 20 (CG) The chief architect of the annual Galle Literary Festival, British born Australian Geoffrey Dobbs has been denied entry into Sri Lanka, UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament today. He said that refusing entry to someone in the caliber of Dobbs, who had opened some hotels down south and is also mentioned in leading travel magazines, could hurt Sri Lanka’s tourism industry. more..

Dec 20 (Island) Wildlife Minister Wijith Wijithamuni Zoysa on Wednesday instructed Wildlife Director General to inform the Interpol about the stolen priceless albino turtle. Minister, addressing a hurriedly organised press briefing, alleged that the lost animal might have been taken to the Maldives because there were offers from that country. "Thus, I instructed the Director General to provide all details about the animal," more..

Dec 20 (MoD) A batch of 55 woman soldiers joined active duty at a Passing Out ceremony held at the Sri Lanka Army's 4th Signal Corps Parade Ground in Anuradhapura on Wednesday. This is the first ever batch of woman recruits of mixed cultures to Pass Out and join national service in the annals of Sri Lankan military history. It also reflects the inroads which have been made under the post war reconciliation process in more..

Dec 20 (GDI) Based on long term economic cooperation between the two countries the Govt of Japan has agreed to provide grant assistance of Rs. 520 million under Non Project Grant Aid and Govt of Sri Lanka has decided to utilize this grant for the provision of advanced medical equipment to improve the health care facilities to uplift the health standards of Sri Lankan citizens especially living in emerging regions. more..

Dec 20 (Island) Minister Dinesh Gunawardena told Parliament that the circular, banning the sale of food made of wheat flour and soft drinks in school canteens, would be implemented to the letter from next month in all govt schools. He said the circular had been issued in 2011 and it was still valid. JVP MP Sunil Handunnetti said that the suppliers of midday meals to schools in the remote areas had not been paid their dues. more..

Dec 20 (CG) UNP MP Sajith Premadasa has denied receiving an SMS from the UNP Leadership Council to attend a meeting this week. Premadasa claims some people were attempting to give the impression he is not making sacrifices for the party when, according to him, he had made sacrifices over the past several years. Premadasa had failed to show up at the UNP Leadership Council meeting held on Tuesday and more..

Dec 20 (CG) The United Nations (UN) says even the UN Security Council (UNSC) had failed on the Sri Lankan issue during the final stages of the war. UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, in a press briefing on Thursday, said that the Internal Review Panel on UN Action in Sri Lanka had noted in its report authored by Charles Petrie, how UN Member States had failed to take action on Sri Lanka in 2009. more..

Dec 20 (CT) Only a very few people would contemplate on the eviternal source whence all pairs of opposite proceed: male and female, peace and strife, and creation and annihilation. Only a very few would think of God as a collective being, combining the characteristics of both sexes, transcending youth and age, birth and death, practically immortal, and exalted above all temporal change. If such a being existed, the present and the moment of creation that occurred some 15 billion years ago more..

Dec 20 (wsws) The Obama administration is stepping up its pressure on Sri Lanka on “human rights,” with discussions taking place on another resolution critical of its record to be put to the UNHRC meeting next March. The US and its allies are using the threat of a probe into Sri Lankan war crimes and human rights abuses to press the Colombo govt to align more strongly with the West. In previous years, the US has already pushed two resolutions through the UNHRC on Sri Lanka. more..