Apr 13 (TC) Election malpractices are regrettably nothing new in Sri Lanka: nor is the wholly hypocritical ritual condemnation of them in tones of simulated righteous indignation by all major parties. What would be new if it did happen is a political party taking disciplinary action against any of its Members of Parliament or other members for having indulged in such manifestly unlawful conduct. more..

Apr 13 (DN) There is no controversy on the statement that science and technology are very important for socio-economic development of a country. According to Dr Gamini Corea, an eminent economist of our country, Science and Technology is an area of the highest priority and perhaps the most important single factor that can make a qualitative difference to the prospects for development in the years to come. more..

Apr 13 (LT) Potta Naufar, Notorious underworld gangster, who was found guilty for murdering High Court Judge Sarath Ambepitiya, has been assaulted at Bogambara prison yesterday evening. He has been admitted to hospital with serious injuries. According to prison authorities the attack by two other inmates was as a result of a personal feud and both the police and prisons are conducting two separate inquiries into the incident. more..

Apr 13 (MoD) Building a prosperous nation is the next challenge we should overcome in this free and liberated Motherland, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka said in a Sinhala and Hindu New Year message. "I sincerely hope that all Sri Lankans will resolve to perform their duty in unity and sincerity to achieve this national objective," he said. The message: "The Sinhala and Hindu New Year is celebrated by all Sri Lankans as a new beginning. more..

Apr 13 (LT) Just like the budget proposal presented after Mr. Ranil Wickremsinghe signed the ‘ceasefire’ agreement became a ‘tsunami’ for him, the forthcoming budget would definitely become a tsunami for President Mahinda Rajapakse says former JVP MP K.D. Lal Kanthe. He said, “There won’t be a general election for the next six years nor a presidential election for the next 6 1/2 years. more..

Apr 13 (UCAN) Church concerns following the general election are now focused on the immediate resettlement of people displaced by the civil war, infrastructure and new housing schemes. “Resettlement is one of the major issues,” Father Anthony Victor Sosai, vicar general of Mannar diocese, told UCA news. “The Church is planning new housing schemes for the internally displaced persons (IDP),” Father Sosai said, more..

Apr 13 (LBO) Units of Sri Lanka's state petroleum and power utilities could be listed in the Colombo Stock exchange to broad base their ownership and make them more transparent and accountable, the Central Bank has said. Last year the state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation had lost 12.3 billion rupees partly due to subsidizing Ceylon Electricity Board, the state power utility. "[A] profit centre concept covering various key activities of the CPC, more..

Apr 13 (DN) The second consignment of 200,000 bags of cement donated by the Indian Government for resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons of the North will arrive Thursday. This is in addition to the 2,600 metric tons of corrugated roofing sheets provided by India for the IDPs, Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Ministry Secretary R.H.W.A. Kumarasiri told the Daily News yesterday. more..

Apr 13 (DN) Years ago, writing an account of a scout camp in Matara, my friend Kanishka Goonawardena, described a cricket match in great detail. He happened to be on the side that won. There were complaints about the winning team not playing fair. Kaniya observed wryly (and unfairly; I was on the losing side!), ‘complaints about the umpiring usually comes from the losing side’. I was reminded of this log-entry after reading Kishali Pinto-Jayawardene’s article in more..

Apr 13 (DN) The All Ceylon Hindu Congress in a New Year message states, “Let the past be left behind and the future be bright. With that belief and in that hope, we welcome the New Year.” “Everybody’s prayer is that a bright future should dawn with the New Year. The Tamil people should live in peace and with self respect and freedom. The atmosphere for that should be created and that should remain forever. more..

Apr 13 (LP) The timing of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year coincides with the New Year celebrations of many traditional calendars of South and Southeast Asia. The festival has close semblance to the Thai New year, Bengali New Year, and Sankranthi festival in India. Cultural anthropological history of the ‘Traditional New Year’ which is celebrated on month of April, goes back to an ancient period in Sri Lankan history. more..

Apr 13 (Island) Some members of the international community who tried their damnedest to paint a black picture of Sri Lanka and haul her political and military leader before a war crimes tribunal for eliminating terrorism have had to swallow their pride and congratulate the Rajapaksa government on its historic win at last week's general election. They must be finding it difficult to stomach the fact that the government as well as the UNP-led UNF has regained a more..

Apr 13 (DM) The Pensions Department said they do not have any information on some 2000 government pensioners, who are staying abroad and also enjoying pension benefits. “No exact information is available on around 2,000 retired individuals who enjoy pension benefits, staying abroad,” Director General of Pensions K.A. Thilekeratne said. He made this comment in connection with the issue that has come up on the absence of comprehensive information on the beneficiaries. more..

Apr 13 (CaFFE) The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) said yesterday that last week’s parliamentary election was not free and fair, because the rule of law did not prevail and the government flagrantly violated polls laws. Director of CaFFE Keerthi Tennekoon told The Island that while ruling party candidates violated every clause in the Elections Act, the Police and Elections Commissioner simply looked on. more..

Apr 13 (DPA) Sri Lankans are set to celebrate their traditional New Year free of the threat of terrorism for the first time in 26 years, after the army defeated Tamil rebels in May. Traditional sports festivals and other celebrations are among the events planned for April 14, as locals take time off and travel all over the country, including to the northern regions held by the LTTE until their defeat last year. more..

Apr 13 (Island) A delay in detailed medical reports, the arrival of 10 Penguins from the Ohio Zoo in Japan to the Dehiwela Zoological Gardens would be further delayed, officials yesterday said. The Zoo’s Acting Director Ananda Lokuranmuka told The Island yesterday that the penguins were expected to arrive this week, but they had to go by certain procedures and until they were cleared the birds could not be brought down. more..

Apr 13 (Island) The re-poll in the Nawalapitiya electorate on April 20 is set to decide the political fate of Democratic People’s Front (DPF) leader Mano Ganesan, sources said yesterday. The Commissioner of Elections annulled the results at 37 polling centres at Nawalapitiya in the Kandy District, citing election malpractices. Sources said Mano Ganesan, who contested the April 8 poll from the Kandy district as more..

Apr 13 (DM) Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister should be a person who had long weaned off worldly pleasures. This is what majority of countrymen think after the latest debacle. In order to make sure that there’s no repeat of mistakes recommendations are being made to pick a national list candidate for the slot over many others who are now eyeing this prime slot. Among those who are ambitiously pursuing the goal is a relatively younger former minister who more..

Apr 13 (DM) Tension prevailed in Nawalapitiya yesterday as candidates were planning to resume the election campaign for the re-poll fixed for April 20. Security was tightened in the area with several police teams including Special Force Task personnel being deployed to maintain law and order. Former Minister D.M. Jayaratne said the candidates would begin their campaign soon, probably after the National New Year. more..

Apr 13 (Island) The JVP, now down to five MPs, pending the release of final results of Mahanuwara and Trincomalee electoral districts, yesterday said that it could secure one seat from Kandy if the party received several thousand votes at the re-poll scheduled for April 20. Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake ordered a re-poll following more..

Apr 13 (DM) Investigations are continuing into the death of a Sri Lankan in Venice Italy. Foreign Ministry sources told the Daily Mirror that the Sri Lankan Embassy in Italy was looking into the matter to identify the individual and release details to the family. The 27-year-old was found dead at his home, according to Italian Police who said the man was shot dead just outside his home. more..

Apr 13 (DM) The all too familiar names roll on and continue to hold the mantle of their ancestors, following their political footsteps successfully, most often than not. For some voters the old adage ‘the known devil or angel is always better than the unknown’ perhaps plays a part and thus we see the political offspring’s emerge. This year’s General Election is no different, perhaps this election saw the largest number ever with political blood in their veins facing the hustings. more..

Apr 13 (Island) Former Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka will be appointed Prime Minister of the new UPFA government to be formed on April 21, The Island reliably learns. Although there are several contenders for the post, including former Minister D. M. Jayaratne, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has decided to reappoint Wickramanayake PM because he is acceptable to all SLFPers and more..

Apr 13 (GDN) A Facebook page has been set up campaigning for the release of a Bahrain-based author arrested in Sri Lanka. Sarah Malanie Perera, who is being investigated for possible links to Islamic extremists, has been detained in the capital Colombo without charge since March 20. She was taken into custody under emergency laws following allegations of "anti-state" activities after more..

Apr 13 (DM) Army Commander Jagath Jayasuriya said yesterday for the first time in the history of the Army it would send its Women’s Corp members for United Nations peacekeeping operations overseas. In a New Year message Lieut. Gen. Jayasuriya said the number of soldiers and officers being sent for peace keeping missions would also be increased. more..

Apr 13 (IPS) Voter turnout in the Apr. 8 election was one of the lowest in Sri Lanka's post- independence history. But the result was a landslide win that has strengthened the hand of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s administration like never before. Of the 14 million eligible to vote, only 59 percent marked on the ballot card to select 225 members for the country’s Parliament. more..

Apr 13 (AT) Boosted by a yet to be finalized landslide victory in parliamentary elections, the UPFA is already taking on the world, especially the West's finger pointing-over the South Asian nation's human-rights record. Addressing a news conference soon after registering victory, senior members of President Mahinda Rajapaksa's administration demanded "international forces" to stop dictating terms to Sri Lanka." more..

Apr 13 (EU) Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission, made the following statement: "I congratulate President Rajapaksa and the UPFA on their success. I also welcome the fact that these elections took place in a largely calm atmosphere. The EU looks forward to working with the newly elected Sri Lankan government in more..

Apr 13 (GDI) It is my belief that these New Year festivities should seek to further unite our people in heart and mind, stated President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his message for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. The New Year celebrations by Sinhalese and Tamils alike are most appropriate in recognizing the kinship among us. This is the continuance of strong cultural traditions that strengthen the bonds among the people of our land, more..

Apr 13 (DN) Countrywide celebrations are to be held on an unprecedented scale to mark the Sinhala and Hindu New Year. For the first time in three decades, the North and the East have joined in the festivities with the dawn of peace. Reports coming in from the provinces confirm brisk shopping and enthusiastic preparations for festive activities. A large influx of tourists has seen almost full occupancy in holiday resorts countrywide. more..

Apr 14 (DNA) Perhaps for the first time in the world, a Sri Lankan publisher is offering a reward to provide the ending to an unfinished novel. Author Nihal de Silva was working on his new novel Arathi when he was killed in a terrorist landmine explosion in Sri Lanka three years ago. Publisher Vijitha Yapa has now published the unfinished novel and is offering a reward of £500 in a competition being held where anyone who provides a satisfactory ending will be rewarded. more..

Apr 14 (IFRC) The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) have launched an emergency appeal for 3.6 million Swiss francs (3.4 million US dollars) to support as many as 25,000 internally displaced people following decades of conflict in the north of Sri Lanka. Many of the communities and displaced people were also affected by the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004. more..

Apr 14 (HT) Compared to many bombed out homes and churches in town, the Jaffna Library is housed in a starkly and stately, milk-white building. A statute of goddess Saraswati in the courtyard and armed Sri Lankan army patrols outside the walls keep watch as students, retired government servants and academics step inside the library’s noiseless reading rooms with high ceilings to pour over books and journals. more..

Apr 14 (BBC) The Attorney General in Sri Lanka has informed the Supreme Court that disciplinary action has been launched against a group of police officers for failing to investigate an attack on a Christian devotee. The AG was responding to a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition field by Pradeep Sanajana Kumara, a resident of Kirindiwela, Gampaha district. The petitioner has accused the police of failing to take action against a group that more..

Apr 14 (AAP) A Sri Lankan man has been charged with people smuggling by the Australian Federal Police (AFP). Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor said the charge brought the total number of people accused of people smuggling offences in Australia to 133 since September 2008. "(This) is a significant achievement for the AFP and the Australian government," he said in a statement on Tuesday. more..

Apr 14 (BBC) A veteran film actress defeated in the recent parliamentary polls says she is considering legal action against her own party leaders. Geetha Kumarasinghe, a ruling UPFA candidate for the Galle district, told BBC Sandeshaya that she was initially among the winning candidates but by the end of counting, she has lost the election. But she refused to reveal the names of the culprits. more..

Apr 14 (Himal) Two portentous results emerged from the parliamentary election in Sri Lanka. The ruling UPFA led by President Mahinda Rajapakse won a resounding victory, just short of the two-thirds majority needed for a constitutional change. And almost 40% of the electorate did not vote. The UPFA victory is unprecedented. And it happened despite a precipitous decline in the regime’s support base, between January and April 2010. more..

Apr 14 (TIL) Hundreds of people from across north west London came to Harrow on Sunday to celebrate the Sri Lankan New Year. Harrow Leisure Centre was the venue for the largest celebration of its kind in the country, with a day of songs, dancing, and festivities. The event, between 11am and 10pm, was a big day for the Sri Lankan communities in South Harrow, Rayners Lane, and Wembley, but also drew in residents from across the capital. more..

Apr 14 (TA) A solitary policeman in a car appears to be the only security on hand to contain 140 increasingly edgy asylum-seekers holed up on their leaking hulk in the west Java port of Merak. On the western side of the port, where the Sri Lankan Tamils sit on board the Jaya Lestari and in tents alongside the 30m wooden vessel, a battered perimeter wall stops short of the waterline, allowing easy passage along the rocks to freedom. more..

Apr 14 (TC) Amidst the divisive stains that have emerged in the political life of our people recently, the Sinhala and Tamil New Year reminds us a forgotten message. In fact, this New Year occasion emphasises the underlying oneness of our society. It reflects the homogeneity of thought and tradition that binds those born in our soil whether they live in North or in South. A common mood of festivity of goodwill and of generosity, more..