Nov 14 (DM) 25 years after the Berlin Wall�s fall, which symbolised the end of the Cold War between the US-led Western bloc and the Soviet Union-led East European bloc, the Earth we live in is far from being a planet of peace but a place of never-ending conflicts. The root cause of most of these conflicts is man�s greed. Whether it is the Ukrainian conflict which has stoked fears of a new cold war or many recent and ongoing wars in the Middle East, it is the greed factor � the greed for more power and more..

Nov 14 (DM) Considering the many discussions about the impending Presidential Election an important question on the minds of people is whether the incumbent, President Rajapaksa can contest for a third term at a presidential election. Meanwhile, President Rajapaksa himself on Nov 5 sought the Supreme Court�s opinion on the constitutionality of contesting for a third term under the 18th Amendment more..

Nov 14 (AM) Minister Rajitha Senaratne said that President Rajapaksa was also against the executive presidency and will move to abolish it after the next presidential election. Senaratne said that he has been always against the executive system and added that the executive presidency and the current parliamentary system had taken the country down to the present state. �President Rajapaksa�s hands were tied more..

Nov 14 (ST) Dengue cases were 100 per cent higher last month than in October 2013 despite intensive eradication campaigns, and authorities warn of a greater outbreak in coming weeks following islandwide rains. Neither the Epidemiology Unit nor the Dengue Control Unit of the Health Ministry will officially reveal the exact number of deaths from dengue so far this year but ST learns the mortality toll is more than 60. more..

Nov 14 (DM) Vega, Sri Lanka�s first electric super car will be sold at US$ 400,000 upwards, according to Codegen CEO Dr. Harsha Subasinghe who was speaking at the 59th LBR LBO CEOs Forum recently. �Middle East and Sri Lanka are the markets. There is a demand for exclusive cars,� he said. He further added t hat t he first prototype will be completed next month, and that once the commercial model is ready, more..

Nov 14 (SL) The UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake raised the issue of the Hambantota Port SLPA Aviation Fuel Tank farm site in parliament last Friday subsequent to the visit to the site by a group of UNP members on the July 10, 2014. He revealed some of the observations on the prevailing condition of the facility, before taking over by the CPC. According to the report, continuous ground settlements in excess of more than 400 mm more..

Nov 14 (DM) Panadura Urban Council Chairman who resigned from the UPFA said today it was they who brought President Rajapaksa to power and it will be they who will campaign to send him home. �I should have taken this decision earlier. But I did everything possible to turn this Government away from corruption. I have actively engaged in the activities of Pivithuru Hetak Udesa Jathika Sanvidanaya and the discussions more..

Nov 14 (CG) The Sri Lankan Govt will not directly file an appeal at the EU Court of justice against a recent order on sanctions imposed on the LTTE in the EU. External Affairs Minister, G.L Peiris said that appearing in a foreign court will result in Sri Lanka submitting itself to that court. He said that instead the Govt will look at alternative methods to challenge the court decision instead of placing national interests at stake. more..

Nov 14 (CG) President Rajapaksa today launched construction work on the first phase of the proposed Northern Expressway, which also has an extension to Kandy. The President placed the foundation stone at the Senkadagala entrance launching the construction of the Kandy � Colombo segment of the Expressway. 300-kilometer long highway will be constructed under four stages and the first stage of the project from Enderamulla more..

Nov 14 (Island) The CEB with the support of the China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) has erected six pylons in the Chilaw lagoon to supply power to Anuradhapura via transmission lines from the Norochcholai coal-fired power plant. A top CMEC official said that the plant was now in a position to supply 900MW to the national grid without any hindrance. However, due to the high intake of hydro generation they were more..

Nov 14 (IL) Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the UN in Geneva Ravinatha Aryasinha has said Sri Lanka stands ready to share its experience in comprehensive demining as a 'best practice' with countries which are facing similar challenges. Noting that "Sri Lanka�s continuing progress in demining has been achieved by telescoping what according to some estimates was to take 15�20 years, into one of 5�7 years duration, he said this was not only more..

Nov 14 (CT) Rains have ceased after the second largest tragedy, in Koslanda, after the 2004 Tsunami. At least 350 lives were buried in Koslanda following last month's landslide. Yet, dead bodies continued to surface and the kith and kin are weeping. Search operations were called off, and the curtain fell on the Koslanda tragedy. But hundreds are destitute in temporary camps. When will they get permanent shelter is a question for the authorities to answer. more..

Nov 14 (CT) Non-alignment has been the cornerstone of our Foreign Policy. It may be that there were times when we deviated from this policy, but that has been rare and has had its own consequences. Generally, we have been steadfast in our adherence to the policy of non-alignment. We have maintained an equidistance and I would, in that context, like to pose the question, what has been the policy of the present Govt? Has this Govt, for narrow parochial domestic considerations, more..

Nov 14 (Island) A five-Judge-bench of the Supreme Court held that Article 35 of the Constitution gave legal immunity to the acts of the President only. The acts of the Minister of Finance did not come within Article 35. Supreme Court thus overruled the objection taken by the counsel for the directors of the Golden Key Credit Co., who said that the fundamental rights violation petitions, filed by the aggrieved depositors should be dismissed because the name of Mahinda Rajapaksa had been more..

Nov 14 (Island) Transport Minister Kumar Welgama said that those who had been demanding the abolition of the executive presidency couldn't even find a person to lead the Opposition campaign. Only Parliament could scrap the executive presidency, Minister Welgama said, addressing a meeting at Mathugama recently. The Opposition was seeking to do away with the Constitution through other means as it had realised that the electorate remained loyal to incumbent President Rajapaksa. more..

Nov 14 (DM) The Galle Face Hotel announced that it will play host to the first ever CFW Design Trunk Show 2014 organized by the Colombo Fashion Week. The event, which is set to see some of the leading locale designers showcase their talent, will unveil their Seasonal collection in an interesting and stylish setting at The Library of Galle Face Hotel in a 24 hour trunk show from 4pm on 29th to 4pm on 30th Nov. more..

Nov 14 (Reuters) Sri Lanka rupee forwards ended weaker on Friday due to importer dollar demand, while the central bank's moral suasion prevented a further fall in the local currency. Central bank governor said on Friday the rupee currency was in an appreciation trend and the monetary authority would manage any volatility through intervention. However, dealers said the local currency was under downward pressure as imports continue to rise in a stable exchange rate regime more..

Nov 14 (LBO) Sri Lanka's stocks closed higher with the positive price movements in Lanka Orix Leasing Company and Vallibel One. All Share Price Index closed 21.40 points higher at 7,501.09, up 0.29%. The S&P SL20 closed 11.96 points higher at 4,155.82, up 0.29%. Turnover was 2.40 billion rupees, down from 4.08 billion rupees a day earlier with 115 stocks closed positive against 104 negative. The aggregate value of all off-the-floor deals represented 11% of the daily turnover. more..

Nov 14 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's rupee currency is in an appreciation trend and the monetary authority will manage any volatility through intervention, the central bank governor said on Friday. The rupee has been defended from both appreciation and depreciation via central bank's moral suasion, which has compelled the market to trade forwards. The rupee forwards have also been capped by central bank from time to time, more..

Nov 14 (Island) A Food and Nutrition Project will organize an International symposium on biodiversity, food and nutrition at the Kingsbury Hotel at 8.30 am on Dec. 8 to promote agro-biodiversity and dietary diversity. Dr. Renuka de Silva of the Waymba University said that the nutritional importance of the diverse foods available in Sri Lanka had been neglected as technological options focused on new staple foods to address global food security and hunger. more..

Nov 14 (CT) Chief Minister of the Eastern Province, Najeeb A. Majeed, was determined to curb the sale of liquor in the Eastern Province, thereby restricting what he called the 'menace of alcoholics.' The Eastern CM at a recent Council sitting had pledged that he would do everything to get rid of the problems that alcohol brought with it. "I will function as a Chief Minister of Virtue; liquor has been a problem in the eastern province, especially in the Batticaloa District. more..

Nov 14 (LT) The 25th Commemoration of November Heroes to commemorate heroes of the JVP including its founder Rohana Wijeweera who sacrificed their lives for the country was held at the Open Air Theatre of Viharamahadevi Park yesterday evening with the participation of a large crowd. The Leader of the JVP Anura Dissanayaka, its General Secretary Tilvin Silva and Secretary of Foreign Affairs more..

Nov 14 (DM) Construction industry leader Maga Engineering (Maga) has projects worth nearly Rs.30 billion to be initiated in the coming months, which could exceed Rs.80 billion before the end of the financial year. �We�ve submitted a proposal to the govt to undertake a 28 km stretch of the Northern Highway. It�s worth Rs.54 billion,� Maga Development Director Mega Kularatne said. For the financial year 2014/15, the company has so far attracted over Rs.26 billion in contracts. more..

Nov 14 (Island) Transport Minister Kumara Welgama told Parliament that Sri Lanka Railways (SLR) had suffered a loss of over Rs. 5 billion (Rs 5,164,946,687.09) last year. Transport Minister Welgama was responding to a query raised by UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake. Kalutara District MP said that the SLR had experienced a loss of Rs. 3 billion (Rs. 3,816,386,874.16) in 2012. Asked whether the profit or losses of the SLR had been projected for the year 2014 and 2015, more..

Nov 14 (CI) So complete has India's dominance of Sri Lanka been this series that Angelo Mathews, an increasingly forthright speaker, has virtually run out of ways to describe his team's failure. For the fourth match in a row, Mathews said his team was outplayed in all three departments. This loss was perhaps the most dispiriting match of the series for Sri Lanka's bowlers, who conceded 233 runs in the last 18 overs. more..

Nov 14 (AM) Minister Basil Rajapaksa expressed his amazement at the conduct of the opposition in the country. He made these remarks with reference to the concerns raised by the opposition over the timeline of the next presidential election. Rajapaksa leads the ruling party's strategic operations pertaining to the forthcoming election where the incumbent President will seek a mandate for his third term in office. Rajapaksa said that while opposition parties in other countries are more..

Nov 14 (CG) Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) headed by Minister D E W Gunasekera has called for more teeth in order to carry out its work more effectively. He expressed this view after submitting the second interim report of COPE to Parliament today. The second interim report of COPE covers the period May 7 to Sept 26, 2014 and looks at the performance of state sector institutions. He said that the COPE committee has made a few recommendations in the report and more..

Nov 14 (CG) Vatican today confirmed the schedule for the 2015 Apostolic Voyage of Pope Francis to SL and Philippines. Pope Francis will leave Rome on Jan 12, and return on Jan 19. Archbishop Socrates Villegas, president of the Catholic Bishops� Conference of the Philippines, said that Pope Francis is bringing the �joy of Gospel personally, to us, on the five special days in January that we have officially announced.� more..

Nov 14 (GDI) Sri Lanka has signed a MoU with Spain for collaboration between the Ministry of External Affairs of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain. MOU aims to strengthen existing bilateral relations and enhance cooperation between the two nations in several key areas. The agreement stipulates cooperation in the areas of combating terrorism and transnational organized crime, water, sanitation and hygiene, renewable energy, agricultural & environmental policies, more..

Nov 14 (AM) Minister Mervyn Silva stated that the govt was not interfering with the police and the judiciary. Speaking at the opening of the Presidential Election operations office of the UPFA at Modera, he asked how his son Malaka Silva may be in remand custody for 16 days for the alleged assault of a foreigner if the govt was interfering with the police and the judiciary. The Minister made these remarks in the presence of Minister Basil Rajapaksa who is also the District Leader of Gampaha. more..

Nov 14 (IPS) Jayantha Dhanapala, a former U.N. under-secretary-general for disarmament affairs (1998-2003) and a relentless advocate for a world free of nuclear weapons, will be the recipient of the 2014 International Achievement Award for Nuclear Disarmament sponsored by Inter Press Service (IPS) news agency. �Short of actually dismantling nuclear devices himself,� says Dr. Randy Rydell, until recently a senior political more..

Nov 14 (AM) JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva said that the forthcoming Presidential Election will not be a fair race as President Rajapaksa has already started the race and run half way through. He made these comments at the 25th Il Maha Viru Samaruwa, commemorating the fallen heroes including founder leader of the JVP Rohana Wijeweera. Former JVP leader was killed in unclear circumstances on Nov 13, 1989, after being arrested by security forces at closing days of an armed rebellion by JVP. more..

Nov 14 (CG) Govt today denied there were attempts to curb media freedom in Sri Lanka, with Minister Keheliya Rambukwella claiming that the weekend newspapers shows how free the media is. He said this while speaking in Parliament today during the 2015 budget debate on the Media Ministry. Speaking earlier, UNP MP Dr. Harsha de Silva said that the curb on media freedom has resulted in websites being used to promote news and views. He also urged Media Minister to take measures more..

Nov 14 (CG) Govt today rejected claims that attempts are being made to undermine India by getting China involved in several local projects. Minister G.L Peiris condemned attempts to give the impression that China has hidden interests in Sri Lanka. He told Parliament that China�s ties with Sri Lanka go back several years before the current Govt came to power in 2005. Meanwhile monitoring MP Sajin de Vass Gunawardena, more..

Nov 14 (PTI) A former Tamil Tiger rebel has been killed in Northern Province by an unidentified person but police on Friday said the murder was a result of personal grudge. Krishnasami Naguleswaran, 40, was shot dead in front of his house in Mannar on Wednesday night. Former cadre of the LTTE had undergone the SL govt's rehabilitation programme. Police claimed to have recovered the gun used in the murder of Naguleswaran, who worked as as a brick-maker. more..

Nov 14 (CT) Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha thera � leader of the People�s Movement for a Just Society denies being part of a meeting last night that was attended by President Rajapaksa where he was allegedly coerced into abandoning his call to field a common candidate at the upcoming election. Sobitha thera, who might himself be the much anticipated common candidate at the upcoming Presidential elections, however told CT that he was not part of such a meeting. more..

Nov 14 (DN) President Rajapaksa said he has already given the green light to abolish the Executive Presidency. He said he will never hesitate to abolish the Executive Presidency and added that the process of abolishing the Executive Presidency is in progress through the Parliamentary Select Committee. "The people who talk much about abolishing the Executive Presidency do not really work for it," the President said more..

Nov 15 (NS) A definite shift in India�s Look East Policy is underway with added emphasis on Buddha diplomacy under the new dispensation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans to market the Buddha card to the countries in the region as India is the place of origin of Dhamma and Sangha. He indicated such a change in emphasis by his first official visit abroad to a neighboring Buddhist country Asia, Bhutan, and then to Nepal, where Buddha was born. more..

Nov 15 (CT) The recent siege of Israel on Gaza citizens has made Israel a reinvigorated hero among two Islamophobes in the South Asian region, the ruling BJPs of India and Sri Lankan hardliners and their Facebook warriors. These two forces in the region promote and venerate Israel among the general public. These two supporters of Israel decry its excesses. They wring their hands over the tragic necessity of air-strikes on Gaza. The recent siege of Israel on Gaza citizens has made Israel more..