Apr 19 (IL) President Mahinda Rajapaksa and First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa graced the Fox Hill Super Motor Cross Rally-2010 in Diyathalawa, successfully organised by the Sri Lanka Military Academy of the Sri Lanka Army and the Sri Lanka Association of Racing Driver and Riders. The President, First Lady, Army Commander Major General Jagath Jayasooriya and Mrs Jayasooriya participated at the occasion more..

Apr 19 (NS) A few miles away from the sacred city of Anuradhapura, along the Thantirimale Road is a 10-acre land where 500 Arahangs walk behind Gauthama Buddha with the objective of eliminating sufferings of laymen as it happened more than 2,500 years ago. Well, no need to get confused, as this was only an introduction to the newest addition to places you can visit and worship when go on Anuradhapura pilgrimage. more..

Apr 19 (LBO) Two news items hit the headlines of media simultaneously last week. Both relate to the year 2009 and are sourced to the Central Bank Annual Report for the year. One is the news on the key state enterprises making colossal losses. The other is the news on Central Bank’s making unprecedented profits. State enterprises making losses is bad news. more..

Apr 19 (GV) The idea of liberalism in Sri Lankan politics is intimately associated with the life and writings of the leader and founder of the Liberal Party, Dr Chanaka Amaratunga. He passionately believed in the liberal idea, hoped fervently that it would inspire the body politic and be integrated into it and the political culture of Sri Lanka. His all too brief life prevented him from realizing this and more..

Apr 19 (LG) President Mahinda Rajapaksa recently raised a nagging issue in the country’s tourism and travel trade circuits: the ‘Open Skies’ policy. Hitting out at the opposition UNP, the President, speaking at the launch of the Central Bank’s annual report for 2009 said the open skies policy duringthe then-UNP government (in the years the party ruled the country) had eroded the viability of national carrier, SriLankan Airlines and more..

Apr 19 (LG) Among the Babel of voices in national newspapers, the muted voice of one Uawatte-Arachchi writing in a local journal, probably was the most penetrative in recent times. Mr. Uawatte-Arachchi claimed that most political projects such as rebellions and putsches for power etc., are at bottom, motivated by the desire of the protagonists to secure a slice of a country’s limited resources. more..

Apr 19 (LG) Friends! One of the penalties I have had to pay for my 77 years on earth has been recurrent sorrow for near ones, dear ones and close ones who quit this vale of tears. Particularly gnawing has been the sorrow when it was occasioned by the death of a near, dear or close one who was much younger than I. My dear friend Tissa, the fragrance of whose memory we are gathered here to remember, belongs in that category. more..

Apr 19 (MoD) There has been nearly four million visitors, both local and foreign to the Jaffna peninsula since the end of the war, Jaffna commander Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe said. "President Mahinda Rajapaksa's aim is to provide the freedom enjoyed by the people of the South to those in the North as well," he said speaking at a Sinhala and Hindu new year festival in Chunnakam Saturday. more..

Apr 19 (GDI) A Buddha statue carved from rock is being brought in a motorcade to be placed at the historic Somawathie sacred area. The motorcade began its journey from Kiribathgoda yesterday morning. The Pinkama was organized by the Mahamevuna Amawathura meditation Centre under the guidance of Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda thera. Religious observances were held before the motorcade started its journey. more..

Apr 19 (Island) Politicians wear their hearts on their sleeves, when they discuss problems affecting the youth. They make various promises at every election but do precious little afterwards to help the young. Immediately after the second youth uprising in the South in the late 1980s, the then Premadasa government appointed a special presidential commission to inquire into the causes of youth unrest, which had, among other things, led to the bloodbath at issue and more..

Apr 19 (LNP) Major blue chip companies were exploring business opportunities in the former war-torn areas in the country through the Jaffna International Trade Fair 2010 which began yesterday at Jaffna Central College. The organizers of the event, Lanka Exhibition and Conference Services Director Imran Hassan told Daily News Business large scale companies like John Keells, Aitken Spence, Mackwoods, Jinasena, CIC and Cargills participating more..

Apr 19 (GDI) A survey conducted by the Nutrition Department of the Medical Research Institute has been found that iron deficiency is widespread among Sri Lankan children. One in every four children is reported to be suffering from this deficiency. Head of the Department Dr. Renuka Jayatissa, who conducted the nutrition and food security survey, said the wrong diet was producing a sick nation. Sugar, Coconut, rice is the staple food of Sri Lankan children. more..

Apr 19 (MoD) Different military formations established under the Security Forces Headquarters-Jaffna organized a series of New Year festivals for Jaffna civilians and soldiers who stayed away from their homes during the festival season. New Year festivals organized by the 55 Division at Vetthalaikerni on 11th April and the 51 Division at Chunnakam on 17th drew large crowds of civilians living in surrounding areas. more..

Apr 19 (TN) The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) on Monday blamed Wellawatte Police in Colombo for not having taken any action during the two-year period since a young Tamil student was allegedly arrested by the CID. "No information has been given to his family and his whereabouts are entirely unknown. The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has also been aware of the case since 2008," more..

Apr 19 (LP) The Cement Factory in Kannkasanthurai (KKS) may probably begin within next few months. The factory was closed for the last 30 years due to terrorist activities in the area. Preliminary steps have been completed under the directive of the pioneer of the Uthuru Vasanthaya program on the guidance of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa to recommence the factory and that renovation work has commenced more..

Apr 19 (wsws) The University Grant Commission (UGC) in Sri Lanka recently issued a circular that revives legislation aimed against political protests on campuses throughout the island. The notice comes as the government of President Mahinda Rajapakse prepares to bring down its delayed budget that will slash social spending in line with the International Monetary Fund’s demands. more..

Apr 19 (LeN) According to reports reaching lanka e news , 22 Armories of the Sinha regiment Headquarters at Gampaha have been sealed. This sealing had been done at the time when Gen. Sarath Fonseka became a candidate at the Presidential elections. Gen. Fonseka was the Head of the Sinha regiment before he became the Army Commander. It is reported that during the Presidential elections, instructions had been given to more..

Apr 19 (DN) Robert Blake has stated that Sri Lanka should now concentrate on a political solution for the minority Tamils. He urges power sharing with the Tamils whom he says were suppressed. If at all they have been suppressed it was by the LTTE who held them in bondage. They have now been liberated from that bondage by none other than President Rajapaksa. The simple answer to the likes of Robert Blake, has been already voiced by Minister Dullas Alahapperuma more..

Apr 19 (LP) Ms. Anoma Fonseka took time from her busy schedule to address the inaugural meeting of the ‘Campaign for Democracy for Sri Lanka – Canada’, held in Toronto, Canada. She stated that Gen. Sarath Fonseka had been informed about the event and the general had conveyed his best wishes and thanks to the Sri Lankans living in Canada for the continued support that he has been receiving from them. more..

Apr 19 (MoD) While the government's rehabilitation project for ex-LTTE combatants successfully continues, thirty one more such persons who had been temporarily sheltered at the Kaithady welfare centre joined their families when they were released on the 14th April, in Jaffna. Those beneficiaries, after proper legal proceedings, had earlier been sent to Kaithady welfare centre where majority of them got opportunity to follow training courses on various trades. more..

Apr 19 (NF) Around 300 fishermen in the Pothupitiya West area are severely inconvenienced due to sea erosion, which they attribute to a project being carried out in the nearby area. Two meters of sand has been washed away as a result of this problem. The Divisional Secretary of Kalutara and the officer in charge of the Kalutara District Disaster Management Center engaged in an inspection tour in the area yesterday. more..

Apr 19 (LP) The Jewel of Muscat, a replica of a 9th Century Arab trading vessel on an historic voyage sailing from Oman to Singapore arrived at its second stop, in Galle today after sailing through a tropical storm. A welcome ceremony will be held in Galle on Monday. The Arabian Dhow Jewel of Muscat, a gift from the Sultanate of Oman to the Singapore government, is expected to arrive in Singapore in July this year. more..

Apr 19 (NF) According to historical records, the Manampitiya Tamil Village was established in 1893. In 1897 the residents of this village constructed a dam across the Galarawila River, a branch of the Mahaweli River in order to obtain water for their farming activities. However, the dam was destroyed in the floods that took place in 1948 and it has not been reconstructed by authorities to date. more..

Apr 19 (DN) Re-polling in the annulled polling divisions in Nawalapitiya and Trincomalee will take place tomorrow in accordance with the decision taken by Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake. Dissanayake has reportedly told election monitors that he would announce even the re-poll annulled if there were any incidents of election law violations. The re-poll of the General election will be held in 37 polling centres in Nawalapitiya and more..

Apr 19 (LP) The government, despite bragging it would be the miracle of Sri Lanka has become a government of vultures when its deeds are considered says the former JVP MP Anura Dissanayake. He said, “Before the 8th of April this government reiterated that it would make Sri Lanka the ‘miracle’ of Asia. Some said Hambantota would be made the centre of this ‘miracle.’ more..

Apr 19 (DN) Three night club managers will be produced before Court today for selling liquor on the day of the polls and the following day when a ban was imposed on liquor sales by the Excise Department. Excise Department OIC, Jayantha Fernando yesterday said they arrested managers of three nightclubs in Colombo for selling liquor to people in their nightclubs during the day of the polls and the following day despite more..

Apr 19 (DN) The business community hails the decision of President Mahinda Rajapaksa not to appoint defeated candidates as Members of Parliament from the National List. “We welcome the President’s decision not to appoint rejected candidates. The Government should respect the wish of the people”. “Rejected candidates must go to their electorates and work hard to gain confidence of the people,” Federation of Chambers of Commerce and more..

Apr 19 (AJ) Sri Lankan migrants who had refused to leave their boat in Indonesia for six months have boarded buses bound for a detention facility to be relocated. More than 200 ethnic Tamils left the dock in Merak, a port in southern Java, on Monday after months of negotiations over their demands to be resettled in Australia as refugees. The migrants have been on their boat or camped at the dockside since October more..

Apr 19 (Island) Government sources say an attempt by the JVP to exploit the arrest of former Army Commander Gen. (retd) Sarath Fonseka over conspiracy charges, to help its parliamentary election campaign in the Kurunegala electoral district, home to the largest concentration of security forces personnel and their families, has failed. Sources say former JVP MP from Kurunegala, Bimal Ratnayake more..

Apr 19 (DM) The President mentioned this when he met the newly elected UPFA members at Temple Trees yesterday. Informed sources said that the President was planning to assign a team of UPFA seniors to monitor the progress of each Ministry in the next government and report to him in this regard. Sources also claimed that the President has promised the MPs, who are not getting any ministerial or deputy ministerial portfolios that they would be appointed to supervise the ministry work. more..

Apr 19 (NF) Shamali Gunewardena of Devi Balika Vidyalaya has earned first place according to the island-wide results of the 2009 GCE O/L Examination. Shamali is a resident of the Gothatuwa area. Meanwhile, Charith Wimalaratne, a student of Dharmasoka Vidyalaya in Ambalangoda, is placed second. Dininthi Upeksha of Southlands Colllege in Galle bagged third place. Female students are occupying 11 out of the 15 top positions. more..

Apr 19 (Island) Sri Lanka has achieved remarkable standards in healthcare but the Central Bank warns that more government healthcare spending would be needed as an ageing population, widely spreading non-communicable diseases and certain communicable diseases, urbanisation and changing lifestyles are beginning to challenge the country’s health sector for which the government spent 1.5 percent of GDP in 2009. more..

Apr 19 (Island) The re-poll in Nawalapitiya is the first such exercise ordered by the Election Secretariat due to intra-party disputes leading to the disruption of a national election. The battle for preferential votes in many districts caused animosity among former UPFA ministers, who publicly denounced each other as they jostled for commanding positions. The campaign for the Nawalapitiya re-poll, which is scheduled for tomorrow (April 20), more..

Apr 19 (LP) “Bambara Wallalla” (Whirlwind), the maiden film of Athula Liyanage, bagged the Jury’s Special Remi award at the 43rd WorldFest-Houston Independent International Film Festival. This is the first time a Sri Lankan film has been awarded the Jury’s Special Remi award and was also the only award handed out to a director at the event. Athula Liyanage had directed, written the screenplay, acted and co-produced in the movie. more..

Apr 19 (DM) Police headquarters said that 64 senior police officers including four DIGs, four SSPs and 40 ASPs had been transferred with effect from tomorrow. Among them are 16 police Inspectors as well. According to the transfers the DIG in charge of the CID Nandana Munasinghe has been appointed in charge of the Colombo Division crime investigations and operations while DIG Western area of the North-Western province Daya Samaraweera has been appointed DIG CID. more..

Apr 19 (DM) It’s easy to blame it on the global economic down turn, however everyone knows it has got much less to do with the latest Central Bank Report data that indicates dismal performances by key ministries. While the Central Bank appears to have made attempts to camouflage the losses with sugar-coated apologies it is obvious that poor policy and weaknesses at the operational stages had made a mess out of certain sectors. more..

Apr 19 (Island) A mega cash injection is needed to upgrade the quality of services at the overcrowded Jaffna Teaching Hospital and other state medical institutions in the northern peninsula, say residents and parliamentarians. The residents are urging Colombo-based policy-makers to focus on developing hospitals in Jaffna to support post-war reconstruction efforts and tourism promotion. more..

Apr 19 (DM) The Tamil National Alliance yesterday said it was ready to co-operate with the government if the government was ready to provide an acceptable political solution within an undivided Sri Lanka and Tamil civilians resettled and their problems were solved. TNA leader R. Sampathan made these comments at a press conference at his house in Trincomalee last night. more..

Apr 19 (IL) President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressed the newly elected parliamentarians from the ruling party UPFA at the Presidential Secretariat on 18th April and said that in the future journey of the motherland pledged by the ‘Mahinda Chinthana Idiri Dekma- A Brighter Future’ their only aim should be the development of the country. He further stated “Sri Lankan people did their duty by the country now the time has come for them to repay that duty by the people”. more..

Apr 19 (DM) Controversial UPFA candidate and government Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage has charged that three government ministers were among those responsible for the polls in the Nawalapitiya electorate being annulled and a re-poll being called tomorrow. He noted that these three government Ministers together with the opposition UNP and JVP gave false information resulting in the Elections Commissioner calling for a re-poll in Nawalapitiya. more..