Nov 13 (GDI) The Navinna Ayurvedic Medical Research Institute has commenced research work to find the possibility of controlling cholesterol through indigenous drugs. According to this, the Director of the Ayurvedic Research Institute, Prof. S.P.Samarakone said that about 50 patients had been selected recently. more..

Nov 13 (GDI) The rate of the civilian influx from uncleared areas to cleared areas has mounted over the weekend. This situation is continuing in the North and the East, as the LTTE has increased their military preparations for more attacks on the Security Forces. More than 700 civilians from Uyilankulam in Mannar had dismantled a LTTE roadblock to enter the cleared areas over the weekend, the Army said. more..

Nov 13 (GDI) The Inland Revenue Department plans to increase their tax collection revenue by enhanced efficiency and modernisation of its services to its clients. Presiding at the inauguration of a new sophisticated office complex in Jawatte Colombo last Friday, President Mahinda Rajapaksa underscored the importance of a more streamlined, efficient and sophisticated service both to the tax payers and the staff. more..

Nov 13 (AT) Young sailors are burning and drowning as a consequence of the legacy of a previous administration. The absence of the 30mm cannon is the reason our Dvora Fast Attack Craft (FACs) cannot outgun the Sea Tigers in their more maneuverable boats, and that absence is NOT primarily due to financial corruption on anyone�s part, as popular misconception has it, though that may have played a part. more..

Nov 13 (AT) A cultural and educational program about Sri Lanka is being held at the National Zoo in Washington on 16 and 19 November jointly sponsored by the Sri Lanka embassy, Smithsonian National Zoological Park and Friends of National Zoo. The highlight of the program is the celebration of the fifth birthday of the Sri Lankan baby elephant �Kandula.� more..

Nov 13 (AT) The Tamil National Alliance, the proxy party of the LTTE will join hands with the National Anti-War Front led by Kumar Rupasinghe to turn the funeral procession of the slain Jaffna District parliamentarian Nadaraja Raviraj into a demonstration that expresses strong sentiments against the war. more..

Nov 13 (CI) Aakash Chopra and Ravneet Ricky slammed centuries to put North Zone in an impregnable position in the Duleep Trophy final against Sri Lanka A at the Eden Gardens. Resuming on 51 for no loss on the second morning, North Zone finished on 321 for 2 with a lead of 25 with eight wickets in hand. more..

Nov 13 (CHA) Ampara: There is no improvement in the weather condition in the district despite passing showers in certain areas. The monsoons have yet not begun. Though the cultivators have prepared their land for the Maha cultivation, they are unable to do anything without rain. Despite the distribution of water by the Government and NGOs through bousers, a shortage of portable water still prevails. more..

Nov 13 (LNP) The Premadasa family is willing to swap their Stanmore Crescent residence for a suitable one provided by the government. Family sources said that the government recently requested them to leave the house as a high ranking military official needed it. A senior security official said that the officer, believed to be high on the LTTE hit list, wanted to move to a secured area. more..

Nov 13 (LNP) An immediate investigation into 9,000 NGOs, especially ones that have been registered in the North and the East or `supposedly` carrying out operations in those areas is to be carried out by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Non Governmental Organisations. This was revealed when the Committee met last week. more..

Nov 13 (LNP) The amicable and unanimous resolution by the UNP last week, of the controversy over party reforms, constituted a victory for democracy and an example for democratic conduct within political parties. The leaders of the party should be complimented for thwarting efforts by some prompted apparently by selfish motives to disrupt party unity and reaching decisions to bring about changes to democratise the party. more..

Nov 13 (AN) A non governmental organisation based in Negombo, launched a plan last Saturday to supply baby formula to the children of Jaffna, northern Sri Lanka, where a humanitarian crisis has been worsening over the last few months. Responding to an appeal made by the local bishop, the �Negombo People�s Collective for a Political Solution� shipped 500 packs of baby food to the bishop�s residence. more..

Nov 13 (SAMN) The Opposition UNP will not attend today�s All Party Representative Committee (APRC) meeting owing to objection by two political parties to the allocation of two slots to the UNP. The APRC is represented by one member from each political party but President Rajapaksa invited two members from the UNP to attend the meeting. more..

Nov 13 (SAMN) Heavy rains that lashed the Central Province during the past few days have led to floods and landslides which have severely restricted public movements, endangering the lives of motorists, residents and shopkeepers. A large-scale landslide occurred in Peradeniya town on Saturday, severely damaging 10 shops, leading to the evacuation of shop owners and workers and the closure of the Colombo road at that point. No one was hurt. more..

Nov 13 (SAMN) The Government is likely to lift taxes and increase foreign borrowing in its 2007 budget in a bid to meet bloated defence costs and fund large development projects, say analysts. They expect the budget deficit next year at 7.5%-8.0% of gross domestic product, down from an expected 9% this year. more..

Nov 13 (SAMN) The Sri Lanka Export Development Board in collaboration with Sri Lanka Embassy in Berlin will organise Sri Lanka's participation at ISM Cologne Trade Fair (International sweets and Biscuits Fair) from January 28 to 31, 2007. It includes exporters/potential exporters, manufacturers/Commercial scale producers of Confectionery and Bakery products. more..

Nov 13 (UCAN) A Sri Lankan prelate's retreats on Blessed Joseph Vaz are inspiring priests of Goa archdiocese in India with their forebear's progressive approach to evangelization. Some priests told UCA News that retreats conducted by Bishop Vianney Fernando of Kandy have helped them appreciate better the 17th-century Goan missioner's far-sighted vision. more..

Nov 13 (DN) The Ministry of Health Care and Nutrition took a large number of measures during the past year to fulfil the pledges made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to provide equal health facilities and to secure the free health service in all hospitals throughout the country. It is in a way the good fortune of the nation that the Ministry was able to achieve a host of health service developments during more..

Nov 13 (AFP) A part of a Buddhism sutra was found inside one of the two giant Buddhas of Bamiyan, providing a hint for unveiling the mystery surrounding the creation of the statues, a Japanese news agency reported Sunday. The fragment of the scripture was believed to be the original Sanscrit document, written with the letters often used in the 6th and 7th century, more..

Nov 13 (LeN) Veteran musician Karunaratne Divulgane is due to take oaths at 10.30 a.m, today at Temple Trees as the new Governor of the North Central Province. When contacted Mr. Divulgane said he accepted it at the request of the President and added that his main objective was to serve the people in his area. "The blessings of the people in my area enabled to elevate to my present position as a singer, and my ambition is to serve them," he said. more..

Nov 13 (TR) Six villages in Sri Lanka that are still struggling to recover from the tsunami two years ago will get help from scientists at local universities. University of Guelph is the lead partner in the $2-million project, which also involves University of Waterloo, Queen's University in Kingston and University of Manitoba. more..

Nov 13 (LBO) Increasingly wealthy countries tend to have better access to water and sanitation, but some countries like Sri Lanka do far better despite lower incomes, a new report on human development, shows. Access to clean water has emerged as the single biggest issue facing people as they progress towards achieving development goals, the new United Nations Human Development Report for 2006, shows. more..

Nov 13 (LBO) Lion Brewery Ceylon Ltd, Sri Lanka's malt liquor brewer, expects dismal final year results for 2006/7, hit by higher taxes, possible restrictions on alcohol adverts and a growing illicit liquor industry. High excise taxes are blamed for heavy illicit liquor consumption of 627 mn litres a year. more..

Nov 13 (AP) Sri Lanka's national carrier SriLankan Airlines said Monday it will expand its services to the Middle East region by adding the holy city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to its destinations. The airline said it planned weekly flights to Jeddah, its third destination in Saudi Arabia after Riyadh and Dammam, that will commence in the coming weeks. more..

Nov 13 (AFP) Police stepped up already tight security in the capital ahead of a mass protest over the assassination of a moderate Tamil legislator and growing rights abuses, officials said. Several major roads in the city were closed and vehicle inspections intensified as anti-war demonstrators prepared to stage a march in Colombo denouncing Friday's slaying of human rights campaigner Nadarajah Raviraj. more..

Nov 13 (AP) Thousands of anti-war activists paraded the body of an assassinated Tamil lawmaker through the streets of the capital on Monday to demand an end to fighting that has killed more than 3,000 Sri Lankans this year. Police armed with assault rifles mingled with the marchers and trucks carrying anti-riot police followed the procession. Soldiers were deployed along the route and at government offices. more..

Nov 13 (AP) A landslide triggered by heavy rain killed five people, blocking the main road that connects Sri Lanka's tourist town of Nuwara Eliya with the capital, police said Monday, as the weather office forecast continued downpours. The landslide occurred in Pussallewa, 140 kilometers east of Colombo late Sunday killing five people, policeman R. Jayalath, who responded the telephone, said. more..

Nov 13 (AP) A former British Cabinet minister who was closely associated with the Northern Ireland peace process will visit Sri Lanka this week to share his experiences in peace-building, the British High Commission said in a statement Monday. Paul Murphy was the Cabinet minister responsible for Northern Irish affairs between 2002 and 2005, more..

Nov 13 (Reuters) Thousands of protesters joined a march in Colombo on Monday commemorating a slain rebel-backed MP and demanded the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tigers halt renewed violence. Shouting "Don't kill Tamils" and waving banners that read "Stop Crimes against humanity" and "Shame," some 3,500 supporters of the non-partisan National Anti-War Front accompanied the coffin of Tamil MP Nadarajah Raviraj, more..

Nov 13 (AFP) The United Nations accused Sri Lanka of recruiting child soldiers to battle Tiger rebels as Britain moved to help save a crumbling peace process. Even as mourners protested the assassination of a moderate Tamil legislator, a top UN official issued a scathing attack on government security forces, accusing them for the first time of forcibly recruiting children. more..

Nov 14 (LeN) Kottawa city has become one the towns where the focus of the defence establishment of this country is concentrated. The defence top brass consider Kottawa as vulnerable point. It is one of the easiest places to attack any vehicle that come from Panagoda army complex to Colombo. Though much emphasis has been deployed the true picture of the defence effort was revealed when a bomb was found in a shop at Kottawa. more..

Nov 14 (LeN) The Auditor Generals department has revealed that a contractor who did not perform any construction activity has been paid Rs. 27,69,376/- for the access roadway of the Andaragasyaya Tsunami village under the reconstruction of areas affected by the Tsunami. According to the auditor generals report the contract has been given to a company called Asiri Constructions for a sum of Rs. 54,83,110/-. more..

Nov 14 (AA) The loss of innocence and perversion at its worst � the theme of a Sri Lankan filmmaker Somaratne Dissanayake, in his film Butterfly Wings, highlights the menace of paedophilia, which is rising at an alarming proportion throughout the world. The film screened at the 12th Kolkata Film Festival, portrays the tragic story of a 10-year-old street boy who dreams of buying a bicycle. He seek ways to make quick money, but lands up into greater troubles. more..

Nov 14 (AT) The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) has lodged its vehement opposition to President Mahinda Rajapaksa against the possible United Nations intervention to bring an end to the ongoing Jaffna food shortage. JHU spokesman Nishanth Sri Warnasinghe told the "Asian Tribune" that Sri Lanka was not suffering to a situation similar to Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan or Ethiopia, and so UN intervention was not necessary. more..

Nov 14 (BBC) Residents of Yakawewa, near Kebitigollewa in Anuradhapura district, say they fear further attacks by Tamil Tigers if they go back to the village. Residents at Boralukanda refugee camp say they were asked to vacate the camp within weeks by the security forces. The refugees were housed in the camp after the suicide bomb blast at a passenger bus that killed nearly 60 people. more..

Nov 14 (TW) The Government of Sri Lanka, LTTE and the tiger faction known as the Tamil Makkal Viduthalaip Puligal (TMVP) have all been charged by the United Nations of various acts of omission and commission regarding the recruitment and deployment of child soldiers in North - Eastern Sri Lanka. more..

Nov 14 (TW) The daylight murder in Colombo of Tamil National Alliance MP for Jaffna district Nadarajah Raviraj and his bodyguard Police sgt. Lokuwellamurage Shantha Laxman Lokuwella has placed the Government of President Mahinda Rajapakse in great difficulty. The on going killings of Tamils in the North - East and Colombo by �unknown assassins� has been a regular phenomenon in recent times. more..

Nov 14 (LBO) The International Monetary Fund Tuesday says Sri Lanka's economy in under siege from galloping inflation, a wider current account deficit, declining official reserves and a high debt service burden. Large fiscal deficits and a high level of public debt are sources of macro-economic instability while inflation is galloping away and reforms lagging, the international lender said. more..

Nov 14 (LBO) Bank of Ceylon plans to finish linking up all its branches within the next few days, allowing customers to carry out their banking needs by using the Internet, officials said Tuesday. "We have 302 local branches and 248 of those branches are accessible online. Out of our 82 extension offices, 42 have been automated so far," more..

Nov 14 (LBO) Sri Lanka�s is now experiencing stronger growth, and declining unemployment. Though oil prices are now falling, expansionary fiscal policy and accommodative monetary policy continue to destabilize the economy by pushing inflation up and putting pressure on the country�s balance of payments. more..

Nov 14 (ISL) Norway based Nadarajah Sethurupan who is alleged to be the editor of the LTTE Web media Nitharsanam.com is to stand trial in London on the 17th of November, for an incident that took place outside the anti LTTE radio station, the Tamil Broadcasting Corporation. more..

Nov 14 (AT) Activists of the National Anti-War Front led by Kumar Rupasinghe collaborated mainly by the TNA, the UNP and the new Left Front shouted slogans accusing the Mahinda Rajapaksa government for the murder of Nadaraja Raviraj in a highly politicized slogan shouting funeral procession. more..

Nov 14 (AT) Sri Lanka�s Defense spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that the government would immediately order a high level probe by the security forces into the United Nations allegation that some elements of the security forces were helping to abduct children as soldiers to the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) led Colonel Karuna. more..

Nov 14 (AT) Ceylinco Homes International (CHI), is developing another luxury housing property in Battataramulla, just 8 kilometers away from Colombo, consisting of 12 exclusively designed homes. CHI is encouraged to offer high quality standard products due to the trust and confidence their customers have placed in them. more..

Nov 14 (GDI) Sri Lanka Tourist Board (SLTB) emphasises the importance of prevention of Child Sex in Tourism. Chairman of the SLTB, Udaya Nanayakkara made the presentation at the "Task Force to Protect Children from Sexual Exploitation" held at the fifteenth meeting in London on 8 November 2006, as a parallel event to the World Travel Market (WTM) 2006 which was held 6th to 9th of November. more..

Nov 14 (GDI) The Ministry of Social Services and Social Welfare and the Parliamentary Select Committee on Non Governmental Organisations are discussing on bringing out reforms to the Companies Act, which is not powerful enough to take action towards the acts of the certain Non Governmental Organisations, which are operating in the North and the East. more..

Nov 14 (GDI) The Ceylon Fisheries Corporation (CFC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Sprit Wind Limited, a company from New Zealand to establish a Rs. 5.4 billion canned fish factory in Galle. Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Felix Perera said that this project is being set-up on the initiative of the �Mahinda Chinthana�. more..

Nov 14 (GDI) The government has launched a special programme to strengthen the country�s export economy. Outlining details of this programme the Minister of Mass Media and Information, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa said that several far-reaching proposals would be made in the upcoming budget to encourage small and medium scale businessmen. more..

Nov 14 (GDI) "LTTE had not complied with its commitment under the Action Plan to stop Child recruitment and release all children within their ranks" said the Special Advisor to the United Nations and Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict on Sri Lanka, Allan Rock, yesterday. more..

Nov 14 (GDI) Minister Keheliya Rambukwella expressed surprise over the statement made by Special Advisor to the United Nations and Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict on Sri Lanka Allan Rock that security forces assist the Karuna group to forcefully recruit children in Batticaloa district. more..