Apr 1 (CT) The long awaited National Drug Regulatory Policy (NDRP), which seeks to bring redress to patients in terms of quality and affordable drugs, is to be implemented soon. Secretary to the Ministry of Health, Dr. Nihal Jayatilake said the legal draft of the policy has been passed by the Legal Draftsman's office. "It is now ready to be sent to the Attorney General for his opinion, and once we receive his comments, the draft more..

Apr 1 (Island) Swarna Hansa Foundation has alleged that the appointment of LLRC was a grave mistake on the part of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Gallege Punyawardana told The Island that in the absence of a clear mandate, the LLRC headed by former Attorney General C. R. de Silva had failed to examine the accountability of India in forming several terrorist groups, including the LTTE in the 1980s. more..

Apr 1 (CT) The Roman Catholic Bishop of Mannar, Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph has appealed to the govt to ensure the religious freedom of the minorities, and take appropriate and stringent action against chauvinist forces. In a statement released on Saturday, the Bishop has made several suggestions to the govt to improve the human rights situation in the country as well as to protect the people from extremist elements. more..

Apr 1 (SL) The National Organizer of the All Ceylon Farmers� Federation, Namal Karunaratne accused the govt of manipulating the rice market in order to safeguard several ministers who are involved in trading rice in the country. �This is a time that paddy is being released into the market, but the government has not yet stipulated a reasonable price for paddy. Minister Mahinda Yapa said that the stipulated price per kilo of Nadu is Rs. 32 and more..

Apr 1 (CG) The Department of Elections has registered the new political party of former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka. Additional Elections Commissioner R.M.A.L. Ratnayake said that the �Democratic Party� has been included in the electoral list. He said that Fonseka has been formally notified that the application to register his political party has been accepted. The flaming torch will be the symbol associated more..

Apr 1 (DM) Ahead of the Northern Provincial Council election likely to be held in September, the rift within the TNA has widened, opening up avenues for a possible split in the party in the near future. The TNA is an amalgam of five parties - ITAK, EPRLF, TELO, TULF and PLOTE. Only the first three parties have Parliamentary representation. These allies have held negotiations over a period of time on the registration of the TNA as more..

Apr 1 (CT) Rampant indiscipline seems to be the order of the day in Sri Lanka. We have seen the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), an extremist organization supported by a section of the monks, running riot, protesting against and also tearing down establishments owned by Muslims. They have also created havoc at some places of religious worship attacking and injuring people who were running such places, all the while forgetting that religion is a matter of individual choice, and that each more..

Apr 1 (CT) When the Italians and the Germans unified their countries and became nation states they became aggressive and it is the new found confidence in themselves that led these two states to embark on wars. The Italians sought to build an empire in North Africa and invaded Abyssinia. Germans fought three wars against France beginning with the war in 1870 and then in 1914 and 1939. We the people of Sri Lanka have failed to build a nation state on the basis of a more..

Apr 1 (LBO) Heavy state borrowings from banks crowded out credit to private business to a 44-month low in Jan 2013, despite the monetary authority cutting policy rates. But crowding out is needed to keep the economy stable and limit loans to deposits and credit repayments. In Jan 2013 credit to the central govt from dollar books of banks eased marginally to 131.6 billion rupees from 132.4 billion, which may be due to currency valuations. more..

Apr 1 (CT) Two million Sri Lankans are suffering from insomnia, a sleep disorder that prevents people from falling asleep or stay asleep, Dr. Rathnasiri P. Hewage, Director, Lady Ridgeway Hospital, Colombo said. He warned, the disorder is taking a heavy toll on the people, and the children are also suffering from insomnia. A Sri Lankan Paediatric Neurologist, residing in Oxfordshire, UK, Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya, has introduced a treatment called 'Nidra Snaayuweda,' more..

Apr 1 (Island) The Dehiwela Zoological Gardens will soon have three more lions gifted by Zoos in Korea and Germany, Zoo director Ms. Dhammika Malsinghe, announced. She said that the cost of bringing down the animals, two from Germany and one from Korea, would be borne by the Sri Lankan govt. She said that the seven lions, currently in the Zoo, were ageing. They were all around 15-years-old, which was the usual life span of a lion. "The aged lions have lost their appetite more..

Apr 1 (DM) Ousted Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake will make a full statement pertaining to her alleged �non declaration of assets and liabilities and bank accounts� on May 17, to the Bribery Commission, sources said. When the inquiry was taken up this morning at the Bribery Commission, the two inquiring officers were informed by the legal team of the ousted Chief Justice that they would submit answers to the more..

Apr 1 (CT) The govt is planning to legalize the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM), Malabe by giving scholarships to students, Socialist Students' Union (SSU) charged. National Organizer of the SSU, Nalinda Jayatissa, said, 10 students who were unable to get selected to the Medical Faculties of State Universities, even after scoring three As at the GCE A/L Exam 2011, have been given scholarships to study medicine at the SAITM in an attempt to promote the private more..

Apr 1 (Reuters) Stocks fell for the fourth straight session on Monday to hit a more than two-week low as upward pressure on interest rates kept many investors on the sidelines, while the rupee ended firmer on remittances. The main index finished 0.53 percent or 30.48 points weaker at 5,705.20, its lowest March 15. "Interest rates are still high. They need to come off for retailers to get activated," said a stockbroker. Yields on T-bills rose for the fourth straight week at a March 25 auction more..

Apr 1 (IBN) Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Kumar Sangakkara feels keeping the Sri Lankan players out of the Chennai matches in the sixth edition of the IPL is not going to "curtail" the spirit of the game. Bowing to intense political pressure, the IPL governing council last week withdrew top Sri Lankan players from all the Chennai matches of the high-profile IPL after Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa refused to more..

Apr 1 (Hindu) The temperature in Chennai has begun to climb. Hardly surprising since it is summer. But, the heat that is being generated over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue is definitely surprising, given that the protests have been prolonged and widespread. When political parties rake up the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, you can be sure that elections are round the corner and everyone is getting ready to milk this issue. This time too, Parliamentary elections are due in a year, and more..

Apr 1 (Island) The lives of expectant mothers warded at the De Soysa and Castle Street Maternity Hospitals and the Mahamodara teaching hospital, are in danger for want of a vital drug used in caesarian section. It is known as Marcaine by its trade name or Bupivacaine, used for spinal anesthesia has been out of stock for the last one month. The relatives of expectant mothers are issued with prescriptions and told to buy the drug from private pharmacies. more..

Apr 1 (DN) Sri Lanka launched their campaign for the HSBC Asian Five Nations title with a smashing 39 (four goals, one try, two penalties) to 8 (one try, one penalty) win over Chinese Taipei at Havelock Park yesterday after leading 6 � 3 at lemons. After being contained in the first half, the Sri Lankans got their act together in the second half to pile up 33 points . The Lankans won an abundance of possession with the duo of Dinesh more..

Apr 1 (DM) A Pakistan national who had arrived at the Bandarnayaka International Airport (BIA) last Friday with 1,240 injections used in abortions and 1,130 tablets prescribed for mental patients was arrested. The value of the seized medical items is said to worth Rs. 3 million. The suspect, a 25-year-old businessman who arrived at the airport at 9.30 pm on Friday on a Sri Lankan flight had stayed at the airport overnight. The following day as he was attempting to exit through the green channel, more..

Apr 1 (Island) Former acting principal of Swarnamalie Balika Vidyalaya, Kandy Maheshika Rupasinghe has won the case filed by her, in the Central Province High Court against her being transferred from her post to the Provincial Education office as an Assistant Director. After hearing the case High Court Judge Manilal Waidyatilake ordered that the petitioner, Ms. Rupasinghe, be reinstated as the principal at Swarnamalie Balika Vidyalaya or at any other school of the same grade. more..

Apr 1 (Xinhua) Pakistan Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani will be visiting Sri Lanka from April 4 to 5 to take part in the 3rd Round of Bilateral Political Consultations between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. During his stay, he will call upon President Rajapaksa, Ministers G.L. Peiris, Basil Rajapaksa and will hold in-depth discussions on a variety of bilateral issues of mutual interest with his counterpart Amunugama more..

Apr 1 (AD) The Muslim nations must feel foolish having voted in favour of Sri Lanka on the US-led resolution at the UNHRC after the recent attack in Pepiliyana, Western Provincial Councillor Mujibur Rahman stated. Speaking at a press conference held in Colombo today (April 1) Rahman said that he was baffled at the fact that the government had stayed silent on this issue after around 40 incidents of attacks against Muslims were reported in the recent past. more..

Apr 1 (APP) A group of officers from Pakistan Navy War College visited Sri Lanka recently as part of their Foreign Study Tour Programme. The delegation led by Commodore Sajid Mahmood, comprised of Officers from Pakistan Armed Forces and four allied officers from Nigeria, China and Turkey, said a press release received here on Monday. During their stay in Sri Lanka the delegation called on Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal WDRMJ Goonetileke, more..

Apr 1 (Island) Private bus operators said that they had decided to launch a countrywide strike in April in protest against the govt�s failure to permit them to increase bus fares by seven per cent. Lanka Private Bus Owners� Association president Gemunu Wijeratne said his association would be compelled to launch a strike at any moment. He said Private Transport Minister C.B. Ratnayaka had said that he would have to more..

Apr 1 (CT) The Police Department has imported 40,000 balloons to conduct breathalyser tests to arrest drunken drivers during the festive season. A highly placed official in Police Department said police officers could not nab drunken drivers in the past few months due to the scarcity of the balloons. On an average, around 35,000 drunk drivers are arrested by the police, annually. When contacted, DIG Amarasiri Senaratne of the Traffic Police Headquarters said the more..

Apr 1 (CG) Three Buddhist monks surrendered to the Mirihana police this evening over the attack on the Fashion Bug warehouse in Pepiliyana last week, police said. A monk who was seen on television throwing stones towards a CCTV camera at the store during the mob attack last week, while police officers stood there doing nothing, had also surrendered. The three monks had been given time till this afternoon to surrender but they handed themselves over this evening, more..

Apr 1 (CG) Several Muslims expelled from the Northern Province by the LTTE in a systematic and organized manner during a two week period in 1990 are yet to be resettled, the Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen said. He said this when a delegation consisting of seven Ambassadors to Sri Lanka and a First Secretary witnessed the plight of Muslim IDP settlements in the Mannar region, the Ministry of Industry more..

Apr 1 (LT) Two plunderers who broke into a reputed jewelry shop at Kiribathgoda yesterday have taken away jewelry worth about Rs.20 million after threatening the two female employees. The two plunderers had pushed the two female employees aside when they opened the shop for business yesterday morning, rushed to the safe and removed the jewelry. The security officer of the shop had been severely injured when he tried to prevent the plunderers from thieving. more..

Apr 1 (CT) Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga reiterated yesterday she will never return to politics. She said she will however support whoever is willing to change the current system. "I will extend my support to any common force that intends to change the current system, but I will not accept any position," she said. While noting the independence of the Judiciary is of utmost importance, Kumaratunga said she had always worked to ensure the same during her tenure more..

Apr 1 (LT) The govt is attempting to conceal the truth regarding the mass grave at Matale, which is the largest such graves found in the history of this country says the General Secretary of the JVP Tilvin Silva and demands that a special judiciary process should be carried out to elicit the truth regarding the mass grave. He said, "After Matale mass grave was first detected in November last year an investigation report more..

Apr 1 (Island) The Nawalapitiya police yesterday rescued a 5-year-old boy and arrested the main suspect behind his abduction. The child was abducted from his home in Mawela after the abductor flung chillie powder into his mother�s eyes. According to the police the boy had been abducted in order to force the mother to give the main suspect her 17-yrae-old daughter in marriage. Police said that the main suspect had wanted to begin a love affair with the woman�s daughter, more..

Apr 1 (PTI) Objecting to the reported statement of Sri Lankan High Commissioner Prasad Kariyawasam allegedly trying to instigate north Indians against the people of Tamil Nadu, Union Minister of State in PMO V Narayanasamy today said he "has exceeded his limits". "He (Kariyawasam) has exceeded his limits. He should confine himself to diplomatic work," he told reporters here. The Minister was replying to a question about Kariyawasam's reported comments that more..

Apr 1 (PTI) Despite mounting pressure from nationalists to snub the event, Sports Minister Aluthgamage said that the players were allowed to take part in the IPL in view of BCCI's assistance to Sri Lanka at times of need in the past. "We have to take into account our good relations with the BCCI and their assistance given to Sri Lanka at times of need in the past," said Aluthgamage responding to why the players more..

Apr 2 (DBS) Women in the North and East were pushed to bear a double burden, after the men in the families were killed by the war, disappeared, surrendered or were detained during and after the end of the war. �My son is a fisherman and has been missing since 2008 from Mannar� says Sinthaththurai Perera Sebamalai. It remains a big challenge for many of these women who have no means of support, except to make a living out of anything that is available to them, now more..

Apr 2 (DBS) It was not very long ago that I had the good fortune to address the Original Judiciary at their Annual Judicial Officers� Conference. I mentioned then that it took eight long years since my retirement for them to remember me. It was indeed a pleasant surprise when your President- elect just a few days ago, last Wednesday, called on me to invite me to address you. Despite the short notice it showed that the Legal Profession still appreciates though rather belatedly the values and more..

Apr 2 (SO) For some people and opposition politicians commissioning an international airport is all about aircraft landing and taking off. They count the number of flights per day that land at an airport and judge the success of the endeavour. When the Gatwick airport in London opened, there were days when a single aircraft would land and take off from Gatwick and it was connected by a single road only. When I had to fly to Berlin to more..

Apr 2 (NS) Dr. Cyril Anthony is a martial artist, a Reiki master and above all a devout catholic. Anyone talking to him for the first time can fathom that he is a person who has good control over his body and mind. If you don�t know Anthony, he is the person credited with introducing the sport taekwondo to Sri Lanka. He was instrumental in forming the Sri Lanka Taekwondo Federation, but sports politics has seen him being sidelined him for some time from taking up any administrative more..

Apr 2 (NS) As the population expands in the country, diseases are also on the rise. Capacity in hospitals cannot meet the demand of indoor patients that rise by the day. Medication is not the only relief a patient visiting the hospital expects. A patient also needs a word or two of consolation to ease their pain. Hospitals world over do not simply grant patients with medicine, but offer a touch of care. Those with terminal type illnesses need more care. However, as cancer has been main cause for illness more..

Apr 2 (Island) Apropos your editorial of 29th March titled �Captain Cool and Flannelled Fools�, I wish to relate a few incidents relating to Arjuna which confirms his strength of character. You say the following, inter alia, in the said editorial. Quote: "Sri Lanka would have lost a world class cricketer - Murali, who suffered persecution at the hands of white supremacists who went all out to ruin the spin wizard�s career at an early stage. more..

Apr 2 (CT) In our article The Truth About the Jaffna Bible in Hri by the Southasia Trust we show that Arumuka Navalar has been built up by Tamil Saivite extremists � Tamils� Bodu Bala Sena. The Rev. Peter Percival, a great Tamil scholar, founded the Wesleyan Mission School (later Jaffna Central College) in 1834 and held the first Chair in Vernacular Literature at Madras University. But he was a Christian. To advance their notion noted by Prof. K. Sivathamby that anything good in more..