Police investigations into the attack on the Leader Publications press have so far drawn a blank with the investigators unable to make any headway.

OIC Mount Lavinia Police Mahesh Perera however told The Sunday Leader that investigations were being conducted by several police teams.

A day after the attack there was a chance of a breakthrough when one of the witnesses had identified a person believed to be involved in the attack on The Leader press last Wednesday.

However, OIC Perera said the police found out that the said person was in the Welikada prison for a long time.

"We found out that the person identified by the witness is in the Welikada prison. He has been in prison for a long time," he said.

Media Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa told The Sunday Leader that he had enquired about the progress of the investigations and found that statements had been recorded from 12 persons.

"That is all what I got to know. However, the investigations are still continuing," he said.

Police Spokesperson Senior DIG Jayantha Wickremaratne told The Sunday Leader that the police had so far not got any lead on the investigations.

"Fifteen persons, including a couple of persons who were with a container near the premises were questioned. No one has been taken into custody," he said.

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President to state SL’s stance on Pakistan

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama is in hot water following the statements he made in favour of the suspension of Pakistan from the Commonwealth in Uganda last week.

However, the cabinet on Friday decided to change its stance on the matter in favour of Pakistan.

Bogollagama had spoken at the Commonwealth Committee in Uganda in favour of the suspension of Pakistan.

UNP MP Lakshman Kiriella stated that the cabinet had to change its stance as Sri Lanka has maintained a good relationship with Pakistan and the statement made by Bogollagama would affect relations.

Speaking to The Sunday Leader Kiriella said that Bogollagama should step down from his position. "He (Bogollagama) had made a statement in favour of the suspension of Pakistan from the Commonwealth. However, we got to know that the cabinet today (Friday) decided to change its position and that the President would speak in favour of Pakistan," he said.

"The cabinet decided to change its stance because the country has been maintaining good ties so far," he added.

Kiriella said the Minister had to step down due to his statement made last week. "He should step down from his position as the Foreign Minister," he said.

Speaking on the issue to The Sunday Leader, a cabinet minister admitted that the cabinet had changed its stance with regard to the suspension of Pakistan from the Commonwealth. "We decided to be in favour of Pakistan at the cabinet meeting," he said.

However, the Minister stated that nothing was discussed with regard to the action to be taken against Minister Bogollagama.

"I am not aware of any action to be taken by the government on Minister Bogollagama. That was not taken up at the meeting. We only decided to be in favour of Pakistan," the source said.

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The World Food Programme (WFP) is facing possible breakdowns in its supply pipelines for IDPs and other beneficiaries in Sri Lanka yet again and has now sought a government loan to bridge the shortfall, WFP said.

"WFP operations in Sri Lanka face pipeline breaks in cereals and sugar (January) and blended food (December). To ensure uninterrupted distributions, WFP is negotiating a loan from the government, but if no further contributions are received rations will have to be reduced and Food-for-Work activities will have to be delayed,

"until commodities become available," WFP said in its latest Operational Priorities Report for November 2007. The possible shortfall is over 16,000 metric tonnes.

The WFP food supplies are delivered to IDPs as well as poor households in the south as well, and reach up to two million beneficiaries. The report said that displaced populations were unlikely to return home any time soon and food supplies were critical for them.

"The displaced populations in Sri Lanka have lost their livelihoods, with little prospect of returning home, and are almost completely dependent on food assistance. Traditional coping strategies (reducing portions, selling/pawning of jewellery, relying on less preferred foods) are rapidly being exhausted. WFP food rations are critical to prevent vulnerable families from resorting to more damaging strategies like cutting meals and migrating in search of food."

The WFP also said that it is facing fund shortfalls relating to its logistics and operational activities as well.

"Funds are urgently needed to make the Vavuniya hub the transit point for cargo moving to the Wanni complying to the minimum operating security standards (MOSS).