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   http://www.lankanewspapers.com/elephanthouse - Archive of Apr 2012




What a great talent
Sunday, 1 April 2012 - 8:13 PM SL Time

In figure ice skating I`m usually more interested in the ladies or couple performances for their elegance, but in this year`s world championship in Nice my particular attention went to the 17 year old Japanese called Yuzuru HANYU. Even with two errors in the final show, the former junior world champion finished bronze medalist for his first participation in this world class event.

I have seen this live yesterday and would like to share these great moments with you.

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Ali s weekly notes: is this the future of Sri Lanka?
Tuesday, 3 April 2012 - 9:26 PM SL Time

Is this the type of future you would like to see? There are of course a few LNP guys who are desperately waiting for such a sign since May 19, 2009, but for the majority of us (at least I should hope so!) it`s DEFINITELY NO!

Unfortunately, this week`s events gave us already a good indication that we should not be too optimistic for the near future. Some of you might have noticed that there is one common denominator in the list of those who seem to be no longer on MR`s favorite hit list, I speak of course about

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Ali s notes on Easter
Thursday, 5 April 2012 - 10:12 PM SL Time

As promised, something more joyful to cheer you up.
There is nothing more wonderful than a child`s voice.
Here a very nice little song corresponding to this season.

A very Happy Easter to all of you.

Ali

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Ferdinand A. Porsche, Designer of 911, Leaves a Legacy Beyond Sports Cars
Friday, 6 April 2012 - 8:37 PM SL Time

By PHIL PATTON
This 1963 photo shows Ferdinand Alexander Porsche leaning on a Type 901 Porsche. The creator of the legendary Porsche 911 died at the age of 76, the car manufacturer announced Wednesday. (Porsche AG)

Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, who conceived one of the world`s most recognizable sports cars, died Thursday in Salzburg, Austria, at age 76. The cause of death was not disclosed by Porsche, which issued a statement on Thursday, but he was known to have been ill in recent months.
Mr. Porsche was the son of Ferry Porsche and the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, the engineer credited with the design of the Volkswagen Beetle and the founder of the sports-car company that bears his name.

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Politically Incorrect, the Sri Lankan style
Saturday, 7 April 2012 - 2:18 PM SL Time

With 61 ministries, why not a crab ministry too?

Beg your pardon?


When the New Year dawned, there was intense speculation that former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka would be pardoned. There was equally feverish speculation of a possible cabinet reshuffle and even of a change in prime ministers.

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Southern hawkers supply northerners demand
Sunday, 8 April 2012 - 1:42 PM SL Time


Date: 2012-04-08



By Imaad Majeed



Hundreds of hawkers from the South have begun selling goods in the Jaffna peninsula for the April New Year season.



Make-shift stalls have been set up in an open space adjoining the fort in the Muttaveli area in Jaffna and in various other parts in the Peninsula. The Southerners have also put up pavement stalls in Kilinochchi as well. Goods such as clothes, furniture, and various other products from the South are in big demand in the North and are reported to have a brisk sale there. The people of the Jaffna Peninsula have been receptive of the Sinhalese traders, with both sides benefiting from the venture.

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That`s no yolk `World`s largest Easter egg` weighing 4 TONS and over 27ft high unveiled in Argentina
Monday, 9 April 2012 - 1:14 PM SL Time

Picture 1
World`s largest: Pastry chefs unveil a chocolate Easter egg towering over 27ft tall at the Chocolate Festival in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina

Picture 2
Crowds: Hundreds gathered at the City Centre for a taste of the monster concoction

Picture 3
Sweet treat: Spectators fills the square to admire the Easter egg

Pictures 4 + 5
Chocolate coma: A reported 8,800lbs (4,000kgs) of chocolate was used to create the egg

Picture 6
Dripping: Pastry chefs began breaking the egg for the crowd as the surface began to melt

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Ali s notes on DOGTV
Monday, 9 April 2012 - 5:33 PM SL Time

Would DOGTV be successful in Sri Lanka?

Welcome to DOGTV
The First Television Channel for dogs
Scientifically developed. Pup approved. DOGTV is cable`s first network created exclusively for canines, and the humans who love them. DOGTV`s 24/7 programing helps stimulate, entertain, relax and habituate dogs with shows that expose them to various movements, sounds, objects, experiences and behavior patterns, all from a dog`s point of view.Take a minute to browse our website and see just how DOGTV helps improve the lives of dogs and their humans everywhere.

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The External Affairs Ministry Are Liars Dayan Jayatilleka
Tuesday, 10 April 2012 - 2:27 AM SL Time

By Dinouk Colombage
Sri Lanka`s Ambassador to France, Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka, has described the charges laid against him by the Ministry of External Affairs as lies agreed upon . In an interview with The Sunday Leader Jayatilleka refuted all allegations laid against him. He further expressed his opposition to the US Resolution stating that the recommendations should not be complied with.
Excerpts:
Q: Are the charges laid against you by the Ministry of External Affairs accurate? And do they deserve disciplinary action?

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Activist kidnapped in Sri Lanka freed and deported
Tuesday, 10 April 2012 - 10:52 PM SL Time

Dylan Welch, Ben Doherty
April 11, 2012

THE Sri Lankan-Australian political activist kidnapped in Colombo last Friday was dumped on the streets of the same city in the early hours of yesterday morning, before handing himself into police.

Premakumar Gunaratnam, a former dual citizen who is reported to have been in Sri Lanka on an Australian passport under the name Noel Mudalige since September last year, has since been deported from the country, allegedly for breaching his visa conditions.

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Sri Lanka s economy grows 8.3%, but what does it mean to me?
Wednesday, 11 April 2012 - 2:10 PM SL Time


Date: 2012-04-11



The economy has apparently recorded a growth of 8.3% in 2011, a record but this particular citizen does not feel particularly well off.



One reason is that my pay has been stuck at virtually the same level as it was in 2008. Wages were frozen due to the poor performance of the company. There were also unfortunately, too few job opportunities opening, and what ones that did open up were taken by `Sri Lankan returnees`, fleeing recession in the West so I was unable to shift to a better job. Expenditure however has been growing steadily.

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Old Tsunami Nightmares, New Warning Systems in Sri Lanka
Thursday, 12 April 2012 - 7:10 AM SL Time

Amantha Perera

Residents evacuate the Sri Lankan coastal suburb of Rathmalana, soon after a tsunami warning was issued on Apr. 11, 2012

Credit: Indika Sriyan/IPS


COLOMBO, Apr 11 (IPS) - The fear was palpable for Mohideen Ajeemal when he heard the news of an 8.6 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Indonesia on Apr. 11. The last time an earthquake of similar magnitude hit the same area, Ajeemal lost two of his children, a young daughter and an infant son, when massive tsunami waves crashed onto his house on the eastern coast of Sri Lanka on the morning of Dec. 26, 2004.

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The alternative 1948
Thursday, 12 April 2012 - 9:19 PM SL Time

Out of sight, out of mind or so the saying goes. However, having just returned from Sri Lanka on my first bona fide trip as an Israeli traveler, I am beginning to doubt the wisdom of this phrase. The more I discovered about the pearl of the Indian Ocean, the more I uncovered uncanny parallels between the respective recent histories of Sri Lanka and Israel. The similarities in their progression from colonial backwater to statehood are striking. And yet, today, they are radically different countries, revealing much that we Israelis should be proud of.

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German man calls police over insatiable date
Friday, 13 April 2012 - 9:42 AM SL Time

A German man hid on a balcony and called police for protection after his companion during a one-night stand refused to let him leave her flat.

The 43-year-old man had met a woman four years his senior in a bar in the southern German city on Monday and she took him back to her apartment for sexual intercourse, a police spokesman said in a statement.


`There they had sexual intercourse several times,` the spokesman said.

`When the 47-year-old wanted even more, her partner said no.`


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Sri Lanka`s sinister white van abductions
Saturday, 14 April 2012 - 2:04 PM SL Time

14 March 2012 Last updated at 00:42 GMT

Almost three years after the end of the civil war, Sri Lanka is still dogged by allegations of human rights violations. Amid fresh moves in the UN`s Human Rights Council to hold Sri Lanka to account, the BBC`s Charles Haviland in Colombo reports on a rise in sinister abductions by anonymous squads in white vans.

At a small shrine in her home, Shiromani lights a candle and rings a bell, offering prayers to the Hindu deities. She has few consolations now.

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Bouquets for BRICS
Sunday, 15 April 2012 - 7:34 AM SL Time

The hangover from Sri Lanka`s recent Geneva debacle continued to give the Government headaches for yet another week. A two-day parliamentary debate demanded by the Opposition saw accusations being made against the Government`s mishandling of the country`s foreign policy. The Government defended itself with statements ranging from the feeble to the outrageous.

Clearly, the Government is embarrassed over its own incompetence. So much so that the Minister of External Affairs is now suggesting that Sri Lanka re-evaluate its overseas representation and reassess the capitals in which we should have our missions. All well and good but a glimpse of the way he was thinking betrayed his mindset.

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The Goldfish That Looks Like Hitler
Monday, 16 April 2012 - 8:36 PM SL Time

Huffington Post UK | By Alastair Plumb Posted: 16/04/2012 10:24 Updated: 16/04/2012 10:24

We`ve had cats that look like Hitler - also known as `Kitlers` - a house that looks like Hitler and, um, things in general that look like Hitler.

But a fish that looks like Hitler? Well, that`s a new one for us - and a new one for George here too, with the toothbrush moustache-like suddenly appearing above his upper lip recently.

`George`s colour has changed a lot over the years... he was originally brown, but he has stayed a glorious orange over the past year or two and that`s when the moustache developed,` explains his owner, Deborah Cochrane, who lives with the fishy F hrer in Belfast.

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Dayan off to Colombo for three days
Monday, 16 April 2012 - 11:04 PM SL Time

Sri Lanka Ambassador to France, Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka summoned to Colombo for consultations with President Rajapaksa and External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris.



`I am going back to Colombo tomorrow, for three days. Have been requested by the Ministry Secretary to come for consultations with His Excellency President Rajapakse and the Minister Peiris,` Dr. Dayan told the Sri Lanka Guardian short while ago.
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Conspiracy policy
Tuesday, 17 April 2012 - 10:13 PM SL Time

I don`t believe one word of this `conspiracy policy`, as presented by H. L. D. Mahindapala at the Royal Asiatic Society last week (*). Some people are able to learn from their mistakes and some others don`t. The later ones belong to the group of those who are unable to clean their own shop prior complaining about the others.

The final act of the Geneva Theater Play on March 22 was really due to a home grown problem (the term is also appropriate for negative things, haha!) that could have easily been sorted out before, if needed with the help of the big boss!

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Where responsibility lies for the President being let down
Wednesday, 18 April 2012 - 3:43 PM SL Time

by Rajiva Wijesinha



( April 18, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) I was quite saddened by some of the responses to my article entitled `Letting down the President`, which recorded instances in which I thought the President`s instructions had been completely ignored, to the detriment of the country. I had been prepared for those who believe this government is appalling to claim either that I was being hypocritical, or else that I was na ve to have thought that progress towards pluralism was possible. But what upset me was the view of someone who I believe appreciates what this government has done, who suggested that the body tasked to work out an Action Plan for implementation of the LLRC Report had perhaps `been warned not to go ahead with the meetings`. The response went on to claim that `the LLRC was an opportunist ploy so as to meet the widespread criticisms`.

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Sri Lanka tourist arrivals from Western Europe jumps over 35 percent in March
Thursday, 19 April 2012 - 1:10 PM SL Time

Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka from Western Europe jumped over 35 percent in March while arrivals from South Asia declined , the data released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Wednesday showed.

The month recorded 91,102 tourists arriving in the country compared to the 75,130 arrived in March 2011.

Overall, Sri Lanka has recorded a 21.1 percent increase in the number of tourist arrivals in March this year, compared to the same period last year. A total of260,525 tourists arrived in the first quarter of the year, while 215,124 tourists arrived last year during the same period.

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The Islamic Republic of Sri Lanka
Friday, 20 April 2012 - 3:34 PM SL Time

Last weekend I received a call from a friend who was understandably outraged. On the way to her estate to join her husband who had been working there for some days, she was instructed by him to stop and buy a bottle of old arrack en route. She went to the Chilaw Food City only to be told that she cannot buy alcohol as she is female. She tried to argue the point as she had never heard of the law that was being put forward by the manager but he merely pointed to a sign which was in Sinhala pasted on the wall (obviously he had never heard of the official languages provisions in the Constitution) and said he was sorry but it was the law. In passing he said, if she brought a man with her, he would be able to sell the liquor to them, even if she paid! This might have been his attempt to subvert the alleged law and be helpful but it made my friend even more angry to be told this. Since then I have heard other stories of women being refused permission to buy liquor in supermarkets around Colombo.

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Equal Ground
Saturday, 21 April 2012 - 7:55 AM SL Time

Remembering Nigel as Ferociously as he Lived
Aarthi Dharmadasa

Prior to Nigel`s passing everytime I heard a song by ABBA I angrily turned it off, Nigel loved ABBA if he wasnt singing or dancing along he was playing it at full volume. After Nigel passed, everytime I hear a song by ABBA I crank up the volume and sing with as much gusto as I can muster. This is how I remember him.

Charles Nigel De Silva`s life was prematurely ended a year ago at the age of 40. He was a proud Josephian with more extra curricular activities than academic achievements. After leaving school he travelled the world on a cruiseliner working as a chef. He was young, vibrant and living out every opportunity he had. A horrific experience, better left unsaid, resulted in Nigel later testing as HIV positive around 1998. His life then began to change at a frantic pace. He lost his job, family ties, emotional support and even the roof over his head. There was a time he lived on the streets, passing one day at a time, in absolute despair.

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For Chennaiites, Sri Lanka sells better than India
Sunday, 22 April 2012 - 3:54 AM SL Time

Last Updated: 23:26 IST(21/4/2012)

Chennai, in the Southern part of India, is one of the closest cricket centres in the country to the Island nation of Sri Lanka. The two also share a common language in Tamil. Apart from this, it also seems that the city and the country share a fair number of fans. Walking through the Wallajah road that leads to the MA Chidambaram stadium in Chepauk, a number of sports stores greet you. Apart from the usual bats and footballs that are on display, a number of team jerseys also decorate the shops.

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Dayan, Gunaratnam et al
Monday, 23 April 2012 - 4:17 PM SL Time

By Lasanda Kurukulasuriya
Events during the past two weeks took a turn that was out of character for the typically laid-back New Year season, with some dramatic developments occupying the media`s attention. Most unfortunate among these events has been the attempted vilification of Dayan Jayatilleka, Sri Lanka`s ambassador in Paris.

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Sri Lanka to gain from China s high cost of garment output
Tuesday, 24 April 2012 - 7:35 AM SL Time

China may lose out on approximately US$ 8.5 billion worth of garment exports during the current year due to the rising cost for production of apparels in that country, according to a report released by Capital Alliance Limited, a Colombo-based full-service investment bank.

The report states that a growing number of buyers will shift to lower-cost suppliers like Sri Lanka, owing to increasing costs of garment production in China.

In addition, the report points out that a high cost source like China would be the first country to lose orders if buyers reduce their apparel import volumes.

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Thriving India lures its expatriates back
Wednesday, 25 April 2012 - 9:37 AM SL Time

After almost three decades of one-way `brain drain`, many of the country`s brightest minds are coming back.

Indian professionals from IT to banking, who once saw the US and Europe as having a future to invest in, are now being lured back to India.

The government has worked hard to encourage expatriates to return home and bring their work experience with them, and it appears that is starting to pay off.

As the world`s major economies struggle to generate work, India`s fast booming economy is eager to welcome its own skilled hands.

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Real Estate in Sri Lanka
Thursday, 26 April 2012 - 4:47 PM SL Time


Date:2012-04-26 11:50:00



Prospects and Potential


Abstract & Highlights of the Research Report



Snapshot of the growing economy


Since the end of hostilities in mid-2009, the country`s economy has been on a strong growth trajectory led by determined rebuilding measures, surging tourism and increased investor confidence. After a sharp decline in growth during 2008-2009, it expanded rapidly by 8% in 2010 and 2011, and a further 7-8% is expected in 2012. This makes it the second fastest growing economy in emerging Asia, after China. With lowering interest rates and moderate levels of inflation, trade and industry might be boosted in the medium term. The government is also placing increased emphasis on carrying out large infrastructure projects, which will not only improve communications in established areas, but also unlock the hidden potential of other locations.

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Dual citizenship gone - to avoid war crime charges?
Thursday, 26 April 2012 - 11:04 PM SL Time

By Ranga Jayasuriya

Some key positions of this government have been filled by dual citizens. Gotabaya Rajapaksa - the powerful Defence Secretary is a dual citizen of Sri Lanka and the USA. Basil Rajapaksa - Investment Development Minister has a US Green Card in addition to his Sri Lankan citizenship. Sarath Fonseka, the now incarcerated former army commander is also a Green Card holder. Palitha Kohona, Sri Lanka`s Permanent Representative to the United Nations also holds his Australian citizenship in addition to his Sri Lankan citizenship.

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Sri Lanka: Slowing economy sharpens government austerity drive
Friday, 27 April 2012 - 7:50 AM SL Time

By Saman Gunadasa
26 April 2012

A drop in Sri Lanka`s economic growth rate this year is driving President Mahinda Rajapakse to intensify his government`s budget-cutting measures, even as surveys show that about half the population is already struggling to pay for food and housing.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have set their growth forecasts for 2012 at 7-7.5 percent, undermining the government`s boasts that it would deliver more than 8 percent growth for the third consecutive year. According to the ADB`s Asian Development Outlook 2012 report, the slowdown is partly due to slower growth in industrial countries and attendant weaker growth in global demand and trade, and partly due to domestic factors.

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Sri Lanka courting the `wrong woman` in Washington power center on `accountability-human rights` issue
Saturday, 28 April 2012 - 7:55 AM SL Time


Daya Gamage - Asian Tribune Political Note


Washington, DC. 28 April (Asiantribune.com):


Samantha Power
When Obama administration`s `top diplomat` Hilary Clinton finds time to take leave for a moment from more serious exploding global issues that engulf her nation, she makes a passing remark about a South Asian nation - Sri Lanka - the importance of transparency, accountability and reconciliation.

Immediately after the Resolution on Sri Lanka was adopted in Geneva on 22nd March, she issued a short media release that said the US believes, the resolution encourages the Government of Sri Lanka to continue on the path toward reconciliation and for the second time said, .. and I look forward to discussing future actions with Foreign Minister Peiris soon.

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After Geneva: Act effectively, but carefully
Sunday, 29 April 2012 - 4:51 AM SL Time

It is now a month since the much-publicised resolution against Sri Lanka was passed at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva. The Cabinet is only now going through the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) and one might grudgingly admit that even this little progress comes because Sri Lanka`s Minister of External Affairs is scheduled to visit the United States next month and will be handing over a progress report with a Top Secret `Action Plan`.

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Sri Lanka rejects India s offer
Monday, 30 April 2012 - 6:15 AM SL Time

| 01:14 a.m.
Last updated 1 hour, 51 minutes ago

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka has rejected an Indian offer to upgrade a refinery that is built to refine only Iranian oil, a minister said on Sunday. Petroleum Minister Susil Premjayantha said the offer to upgrade the Sapugaskanda oil refinery had come from the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) but Colombo rejected it.

He said since IOC already operates a majority of fuel stations in Sri Lanka and as a result increases the fuel prices at will, handing over the refinery to the same company could hurt the local fuel distribution sector, Xinhua reported. Premjayantha said Sri Lanka needs to upgrade the facility to refine oil from other countries as Iran oil imports will be reduced due to US sanctions on Iran. Over 90 per cent of Sri Lanka`s crude oil requirements come from Iran.

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International Labour Organization Report: `Austerity Has Not Produced More Economic Growth`
Monday, 30 April 2012 - 7:56 PM SL Time

Reuters | Updated: 04/30/2012 8:35 am

* U.N. agency blames austerity, tough reforms for crisis

* Says employment not back to pre-crisis levels til 2016

* Estimated 202 mln unemployed in 2012, for 6.1 pct rate

* Warns of risk of social unrest in Africa, Middle East

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA, April 29 (Reuters)

Fiscal austerity and tough labour reforms have failed to create jobs, leading to an `alarming` situation in the global employment market that shows no sign of recovering, the International Labour Organization said on Sunday.

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