New Year surprise for 2011’s first visitors

Tourism will be one of the major pillars in the mega development projects to be launched this year and the’Visit Sri Lanka 2011’ drive began on New Year’s day yesterday. This year, Sri Lanka hopes that a record number of more than 700,000 tourists will visit the country and the first of them were given a grand welcome at the Bandaranaike International Airport with traditional dances and a kiribath breakfast. A young tourist is seen here feeding kevum to a girl. Pic by N.T.S.P. Kumarasinghe

TOP NEWS
New visa rules cause panic in hotel-tourism sector

Sri Lanka hoteliers yesterday expressed serious concern over government moves to charge for visas from foreigners visiting the country, except those from Singapore and the Maldives.

MP knocked down by duty-free racket

An MP who recently sold his duty-free vehicle permit to a person unknown to him through a broker has now been called upon to pay a luxury tax as the new owner has imported a vehicle over the engine power permitted.

More asylum seekers return
Spy eyes catch offenders on New Year’s eve
31st night of horror for group of Vavuniya bus depot employees
Murders, abductions, armed robberies bedevil Jaffna
Track or death trap?
Poultry Association cries foul
Bigger shock after light bill shock
‘Eyes’ wide open for road offenders
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MAGAZINE
Bringing class to a classic
The English Literary and Drama Society of St Peter’s College presented ‘A Christmas Carol’ (December 17 to 19) with a cast of over 50, in all shapes, sizes and ages, who brought to life this charming holiday tale that ushered in the spirit of the season.
BUSINESS TIMES
Chinese investment zone in troubled waters
Work at the 161-acre dedicated Chinese Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Mirigama has come to a grinding halt due to some disagreements between the Chinese investor entrusted with the task of setting up and managing the zone and the Sri Lanka Board of Investment (BOI), informed sources said.
TIMES 2
Year belongs to WikiLeaks
If 1999 was the Year of Napster in the history of the Internet then 2010 will go down as the Year of WikiLeaks. Napster, the file-sharing renegade, upended the music industry and copyright in ways still being felt a decade later while WikiLeaks, for better or worse, is likely to have a similar impact on government secrecy and transparency.
EDUCATION
Scholarships for USA-assists Lankan students
Miyuru Arangala, Scholarships for USA's (www.scholarshipsforusa.com) latest student to University of North Dakota (UND) was recently introduced to Prasath Nanayakkara (Royal College group of '86 & Massachusetts Institute of .....


SPORTS
BW and AW – the good and bad of Lankan cricket
It may be that on this New Year’s morn of January second 2011, the sun rose the same as yesterday and things are still hunky dory.
 

EDITORIAL
Forgotten builders of Lanka's economy

He has proudly stated that 2010, the first full year without the menace of terrorism in more than quarter of a century saw the country posting an impressive 8 percent growth rate; that tourist arrivals hit a record high and development work is happening around Hambantota.

COLUMNS
UNP war hots up: Contest is likely -- Political Column
It was felt most in the country's main opposition United National Party (UNP), which is torn by internal feuding and power struggles. On Wednesday night, the UNP's besieged leader, Ranil Wickremesinghe, had just returned to Colombo after another visit to India. Whilst moves were afoot in Colombo to oust him from leadership, he was in New Delhi.
This country is not a political plaything -- Focus on Rights

My response was that once the Pandora’s Box is proverbially opened and politicians are given virtual blanket power to bypass the law, to subvert the courts, to manipulate the media and public opinion to frightening levels, it is myopic to assume that such intoxicating power would be voluntarily abandoned once a war is won. These responses were of little avail however.

 
PLUS
The future of our forests

Historical accounts suggest that more than 75% of Sri Lanka was once covered by forest. But since the British colonial era, there has been mass scale clearing of forests largely for agricultural expansion.

FUNDAY
Baby orangutan at the Dehiwala Zoo
A baby male orangutan was born on November 3, 2010 at the Dehiwala Zoo in Sri Lanka. The general public was asked to suggest names, and the name suggested by six year old Dimuth Tharinda was chosen. He named the baby Sakifo.

 

INSIDE SUNDAYTIMES
  News
New visa rules cause panic in hotel-tourism sector
MP knocked down by duty-free racket
Spy eyes catch offenders on New Year’s eve
AH1N1 under control; vaccine expires on January 8
Military heads of India, Pakistan here
More asylum seekers return
31st night of horror for group of Vavuniya bus depot employees
Raging monsoon leaves trail of floods and destruction
Murders, abductions, armed robberies bedevil Jaffna
Where big brother won’t see
Bigger shock after light bill shock
De-mining programme declared a ‘great success’
New year cop swap
Illicit phones may be disabled
Poultry Association cries foul
Body for dress code within sacred areas
Track or death trap?
‘Eyes’ wide open for road offenders
Don’t pay the price of a life for a call
Sri Lanka’s Chekhov connection recalled
What cannot be achieved must be endured
  Columns
Political Column
UNP war hots up: Contest is likely
5th Column
Oh dear, they could easily touch the sky!
The Economic Analysis
Perspectives on the economy
Lobby
Not Issued with this week
Focus on Rights
This country is not a political plaything
Talk at the Cafe Spectator
Highly taken up but badly let down
From the sidelines
Not Issued with this week
Column By Gomin Dayasri
Agenda Twenty-Eleven: Click east, not west
Double Take
Mrs. Anumaana has a problem with New Year resolutions
  Times 2
Queensland braces for 30-ft flood
Car bomb hits church in Egypt, 21 killed
Global party, Africa violence mark 2011 start
Aisle be damned
Civil war looms in Ivory Coast
All eyes on China’s rise in 2010
Royal wedding bells to chime in 2011
Year belongs to WikiLeaks
Getting corruption right
  Business Times
Chinese investment zone in troubled waters
DCSL gets Rs 5.7 bln refund from Govt.
Rajapaksa win at presidential election seen in BT poll as main event in 2010
Probe accuses former MBSL Chairman of abuse of power
Love thy notes : CB
Creativity of the Veddahs
Comment - Wish list for 2011: Ensure proper food policy
Feature - Business Times on the year gone by
SLT to assume full management control of PEO TV
Global competition with $20,000 prize promotes ethics in finance
Fitch maintains 'BBB+(lka)' stable for HDFC
The Finance Company to reinvigorate operations in the New Year
Reefcomber acquires 78 acres in Kalpitiya for Rs. 122.18 mln
Singer Finance IPO draws Rs 54 bln, oversubscribed by 135 times
Diversity in ‘who you are!’
Service sector Gold to Hayleys Advantis
SEA compulsory for Sri Lanka’s development activities
International trade fair in Jaffna on January 21-23
Commercial Bank ATM at Ranaviru Sevana, Ragama
Learning Tamil at the Central Bank
MBSL signs collective agreement before time
Finance Ministry reshuffles senior officials
Rs. 2 bln tele drama content wasted –industry veteran says
Children from Mullaitivu join ‘Go Green’ project of LIOC
ICASL launches Certified Business Accountant qualification
RONA Electricals steps in to reduce electricity bills
ICASL strengthens its position in Sri Lanka
SEC says to extend credit facilities to clients
Union Bank on rails
Funday Times
Baby orangutan at the Dehiwala Zoo
Scramble for Africa 1880 - 1912 -- World History
A visit to the Zoo -- Poem for the week
Kids' World
Image - Small, upright and virtual
Letters from our Club Members...
Tracking Mammals
Learn with Gihan: Birds of Sri Lanka -- Number 29
  Editorial
Forgotten builders of Lanka's economy
  Sports
Aussie expert to put Sanga in keeping shape
BW and AW –the good and bad of Lankan cricket
A very very special Indian outfit
Whither performance coaching
The Sunday Times—Bata show 2011 version begins today
Malinda and Chamara steer MAS Unichela
Skipper Sachitra guides Ananda to fifth win
Slimline favourites in lower weights
Matale Sri Sangamitta in Bangalore
Short man at it again
Freddie White in tryst to visit his parents’ graves
Halfway stage: The charge is on
  Education
Achievers - attracts quality students
Scholarships for USA-assists Lankan students
SLIIT students host evening of Christmas carols
Examination for Registration to practise Medicine in Sri Lanka
High quality internal British Degrees at APIIT
Cyber Security Summit: A resounding success
XYZ Bank Vs Mr.Perera
Common entrance test for admission to law schools
BCS-Plus - a pathway to obtain a UK IT Degree after O/Ls and A/Ls
MSU your University of choice
SUNY Canton-USA Partners with the International Institute of Health Sciences
Wipro programme for science graduates
Say hello to world-class qualification just after O/L
American University scholarship interviews (Academic Year - 2011)
From Ordinary Level to an extraordinary future with Imperial College
Achievers - attracts quality students
Oxford College of Business MBA students celebrate the holiday season in Bollywood style
International School Curriculum Planning - from a Sri Lankan perspective
Indian factor in education
Choose LBS to achieve success
IIHS Christmas bash
Plus
The future of our forests
Priesthood was the last thing on his mind
Letters to the Editor
Appreciations
Flashback 2010
Sri Lankan music, ‘false’ applause and the ‘great pretender’
Bach – plus bite
Jaffna tugs at heartstrings
Back from New York, Pradeep in concert with Nitin
Different, colourful look at nature
Sir Cyril did much for Buddhists of Kalutara
Mirissa or Trinco: Which will be the hot spot?
Why cutting back and trimming the fat are spat out or sat upon
The year ahead
What lies in store for you 2011
People and events
  Magazine
Magazine Articles
Bringing class to a classic
A ‘natureful’ New Year
In the footsteps of Sir Burton
A feast for fans from Rukshan
A traditional sweet takes joyride in New York
magazine -- Cover of the week
Mirror Magazine Articles
Quirky and bold resolutions
Introducing Google Web Store
World Cup fever kicks off
TV Times Articles
School leavers in movie making
Animated superheroes in action
Between dreams and reality
Gulliver travels to town
Pigeon Island Resort: Beach Holiday at its best
Sam the Man and the Band
Yashoda on “Celeb Chat”

 

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