Apr 18 (LG) The campaign against the Proposed Pension Bill that was launched on the 11th (last Monday) opposite the fort Railway Station, was a success. Workers agitated against this effort of the government to do away with a social security benefits that they have won by sweat and blood of generations of workers movement. Provident fund was kept sacred and it was not possible to interfere with it without the consent of the workers movement, employers or the state could not more..

Apr 18 (Cimic) The mega musical show staged at the Hartley College grounds Point Pedro (PPD) on Saturday (17) drew a massive crowd of young and old people in Point Pedro and surrounding areas. The event followed the New Year celebrations organized by the Security Forces Headquarters - Jaffna (SF-J) for the people in point Pedro, Valvettithurai and surrounding areas remote of the main city. Younger crowds were seen singing chorus and more..

Apr 18 (LG) ‘President Mahinda Rajapakse said in an address to officials of his Sri Lanka Freedom Party that this year's May Day rally should be turned into a "show of our strength" against international calls for war crimes investigations’ – AFP April 17, 2011. The world has seen such scenarios of mass protests and demonstrations of the terrorists and Polpot type regimes in a big scale in the recent past. World is no longer the same and more..

Apr 18 (LG) By now most Sri Lankans are aware that president Mahinda Rajapakse is among the top 100 of nominees for the most influential people in the world. Here, influence is defined in various ways. Some have influenced through rock music - the top of the list - for instance, some through mass murder like Burma's dictator, and of course some through scientific innovation, promoting peace, etc. The description of how president Mahinda Rajapakse has influenced the lives of more..

Apr 18 (LG) In a country where leaking of information is damaging to the ruling class and is considered anti-national activity , leaking of the UN expert panel report handed over to the government for its comments has not come under critical comments from the state so far. The response for leaking of any serious news in Sri Lanka is systematic attack on the media outlets but this time ‘The Island’ is enjoying a heroic stand for publishing the report. more..

Apr 18 (LB) World wide, the March 11 Japanese nuclear power catastrophe triggered by a tsunami has forced a rethink. Right now there are about 65 new nuclear plants under construction in different parts of the world; though none has yet been cancelled it is most unlikely that any new nuclear projects will commence anytime soon. Some countries, Germany for example, have made a policy decision to gradually retire existing nuclear plant and not build any in future. more..

Apr 18 (LB) Kishali Pinto Jayawardene, in her Sunday Times column has made some very interesting and even intriguing observations (‘Aberrations of a few and the credibility of many’). She begins by indulging in a lengthy, largely pedantic and finally trivial tirade of what is ‘news’ and what is ‘comment’ and her opinions of elegance, amicability, rationality, propaganda, what is and what is not good editorial control, and what she believes is the difference between more..

Apr 18 (ST) Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has written to Sri Lanka Cricket on Friday requesting the Lankan cricket authorities to reconsider their decision to recall its players from the ongoing Indian Premier League T-20 tournament. The Sri Lanka Cricket Interim Committee secretary Nishantha Ranatunga speaking to the Sunday Times said “The BCCI has written to us making a request to reconsider our decision to recall our cricketers by May 5. more..

Apr 18 (ST) “Thaaththa,” Bindu Udagedera asked, “who do you think is the least fortunate politician in our country?” “I don’t think anyone who is a politician in our country is unfortunate, Bindu…” Bindu’s father Percy said. “But some are not as lucky as others, thaaththa,” Bindu argued. “Why do you say that, Bindu?” Percy wanted to know. “Why, thaaththa,” Bindu said, “see what has happened to Uncle Mervyn…” “Well,” Percy said, “nothing has happened to him and some think that is part of the problem…” more..

Apr 18 (TC) They had to stand in a sweltering-queue, in the baking-hot April sun, for hours, they who, ensconced in their public-funded air-conditioned offices and mansions, rarely experience the gruelling tropical heat. They were body-searched, they who zoom through traffic and life, pausing not for laws or norms. And they had no choice but to submit to these humiliations, they who humiliate their fellow citizens as a matter of course. more..

Apr 18 (ST) The issue regarding the National Flower is gaining concern. As correctly pointed out by Prof. Deepthi Yakandawala of the University of Peradeniya, the picture used popularly to depict the National Flower is wrong, while its scientific name is correct. The National Flower of Sri Lanka is ‘Manel’ (not ‘Nil-manel’), scientifically named as Nymphaea nouchali which is also referred to as Nymphaea stellata in some texts (synonym). more..

Apr 18 (DM) The death of a one-year old baby in Wellawaya as a result of drinking a 'soft drink' comes as a shock. Two more had been admitted to hospital after the consumption of the drink. Similar deaths have occurred just a month ago; soft drink poisoning. As usual in this country no one had been pulled up. The authorities have placed the blame on hapless wayside vendors for keeping the soft drinks in the "hot sun." Here we come to the pertinent question. Who is responsible? more..

Apr 18 (Island) Speech made on the occasion of the launch of Tissa Devendra’s Memoirs of a Penpusher: Kachcheries and Commissions. I thank my colleague and good friend Tissa for inviting me to speak a few words on the occasion of the launching of his book "Memoirs of a Penpusher: Kachcheries and Commissions". It contains a few of his pleasant, most memorable and productive experiences in the Kachcheries and I believe the not so pleasant somewhat dispappointing and more..

Apr 18 (LB) The state initiatives against corruption have deteriorated in the recent past claim anti-corruption activists. People have lost their faith in the long defunct Bribery Commission which might be filled with the president’s appointees in the coming months while public sector wrong-doers have become more brazen, in view of the lukewarm approach by the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) and Public Accounts Commission (PAC) - more..

Apr 18 (Island) The was an overwhelming response from the public, students and professionals to the programs organized in connection with the 25th anniversary celebrations of the University of Colombo School of Computing (UCSC), Professor Gihan Wikramanayake said. Prof. Wikramanayake made these observations after reviewing UCSC’s activities in 2010 and the programs carried out for its 25th anniversary. Speaking further, he said: more..

Apr 18 (Island) In a note to UN correspondents sent out on Friday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s office said that the S-G was reviewing the report of the Independent Panel of Experts in Sri Lanka presented to him earlier last week. The advisory said that a copy of the report had been furnished to the Sri Lankan Government so that it can respond to the report; (and) that response "could be published at the same time as the report is made public." more..

Apr 18 (ST) The government is likely to call it quits in a state-funded 450 million-rupee hotel project in Jaffna that continues to draw opposition from residents. This comes in the wake of a recent unrest staged in the area against the construction of the hotel in a very sensitive location in close proximity to the historic Nallur Kovil, Merchant Bank of Sri Lanka (MBSL) Chairman M.R. Shah told the Business Times. The land was held previously by more..

Apr 18 (DN) The increasing monkey and big squirrel populations in the Anuradhapura Sacred City area and surrounding areas are causing a great inconvenience to devotees, tourists and residents. Farmers complain about their crops being destroyed by these invading animals. Coconut and mango trees are the main targets of monkeys and big squirrels. Farmer organizations have urged the Anuradhapura District Agriculture Committee for quick remedial action. more..

Apr 18 (NS) Losses of Sri Lanka’s flagship carrier, SriLankan Airlines (SLA) has reduced during the year 2010 compared to the previous year while the other government owned low-cost airline, Mihin Lanka has made a positive turnaround in 2010 reporting profits, the 2010 Central Bank Annual Report released last week stated. Accordingly, SLA has made an operating loss of Rs. 6.2 billion during the year 2010, although down by 49 per cent compared to the year 2009 more..

Apr 18 (DN) PM D M Jayaratne said that 16 countries will be celebrating the 2,600th Sri Sambuddhathwa Jayanthi. The celebrations, which mark the 2600th anniversary of the Enlightenment of The Buddha, have been scheduled in these countries due to the Prime Minister’s request through the Sambuddhatva Jayanthi Committee and the Foreign Ministry. Eight countries including Norway, Iceland, Russia and Indonesia have agreed to build temples in their lands. more..

Apr 18 (ST) A mother of two received some Rs. 17 million as compensation earlier this week, after her seafarer husband was reported lost at sea and later confirmed dead, an official with the International Transport workers Federation (ITF) said yesterday. Ordinary Seaman Benedict Perera went missing while sailing on a Malta-flagged commercial vessel on the South American shipping lane on September 19 last year. The compensation was made possible with the more..

Apr 18 (ST) Another newly constructed road, built at an estimated cost of Rs. 40 million is breaking up, the Sunday Times learns. The road in question is a stretch of 1.7 kilometres of the Hettipola – Chilaw road in the Panduwasnuwara Pradeshiya Sabha area of the Kurunegala district. The issue of the high cost had been raised in Parliament and strong objections were raised by the UPFA-controlled local council, as the road conditions continued to deteriorate with more..

Apr 18 (DN) President Mahinda Rajapaksa has moved up two places in the on going Time magazine survey to select the world's most charismatic leader placing him in fourth position among a galaxy of world leaders, Hollywood celebrities and sporting icons in the latest round of voting among the Magazine's readers. The Lankan leader came sixth in the initial stage of the poll way ahead of US President Barak Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, more..

Apr 18 (DM) South Asian meteorologists have said this year’s monsoon rainfall over South Asia would be within the normal range. The meteorologists expressed these views in a statement issued at the conclusion of the three-day South Asian Climate Outlook Forum (SASCOF), in Pune on Friday. The statement, published on the Indian meteorology department (IMD) website is based on various global climatic conditions and forecasts and taking into account different more..

Apr 18 (LB) Lanka Sathosa Ltd. (Sathosa) the government's consumer trade arm last week issued orders to its 200 trade outlets to destroy all remaining stocks of imported Indian eggs. The 3-month shelf life, (imprinted on these eggs) expired on April 11. Prior to the March Local Government elections, leading government ministers boasted on political platforms that they had imported 10 million eggs from India to teach local egg producers and distributors a lesson, more..

Apr 18 (NST) When Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers were militarily defeated and its leadership decimated almost two years ago, Tamils abroad were shocked into disbelief. Thousands of Tamils, especially the huge expatriate community, had been fed on the myth of Tiger military invincibility, much of it propagated by Western governments, scholars and military men who claimed Sri Lanka was engaged in an unwinnable war against a dedicated and well-prepared enemy. more..

Apr 18 (Island) Economist and UNP MP Dr Harsha de Silva this week met with Dr Robert Dohner, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia at the US Treasury in Washington DC as a part of his Eisenhower Fellowship. The Deputy Assistant Secretary and the economic spokesperson for the UNP discussed matters related to the economy of Sri Lanka as well as possible impacts on the South Asia region of any fallout from the current tussle on the deficits and debt in the US capital. more..

Apr 18 (TT) Allegations of war crimes and human rights violations have been a thorn on the side of the Mahinda Rajapaksa government in Sri Lanka ever since its much-celebrated victory over the Tamil rebels in 2009. The allegations surfaced almost immediately after the war. Since then, successive reports by international bodies have claimed that the government had grossly violated the human rights of captives, combatants and the civilian population caught in the crossfire. more..

Apr 18 (AT) To furnish the building of the proposed Port City next to the Colombo Harbour, Sri Lanka will begin filling the sea for the first time in country’s history on May 2011. Accordingly, the sea is to be filled is from the breakwater of the Colombo South Harbor to the Galle Face in front of the Presidential Secretariat. Under a directive of the President, the state is to reclaim over 400 acres of land from the sea to build the Port City, more..

Apr 18 (PTI) Ten Sri Lankan fishermen have been arrested for allegedly fishing in Indian waters off the Andhra Pradesh coast, officials said today. The Lankans, travelling in two motor-boats, were fishing in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off Narasapur coast (West Godavari district) on Friday evening, a senior Coast Guard official told PTI adding that the men were handed over to the marine police in Kakinada yesterday. more..

Apr 18 (DM) Asgiriya Chapter Mahanayaka the Ven. Udugama Sri Buddharakkitha Thera said yesterday unlike countries, waging wars to protect interests of their leaders, the Sri Lankan govt launched a humanitarian operation to save the people and as such claims of human rights violations were unacceptable.“When a terrorist organization is massacring people of the country a responsible government cannot stay inactive. The Sri Lankan govt took steps more..

Apr 18 (TN) Four Tamil medium schools have been brought under the administration of newly carved out Sinhalese dominated Trincomalee North Education Zone which has its office at Gomarankadawela. Four Tamil medium schools are located in Morawewa (Muthalik-ku'lam) DS division and had been under the Trincomalee education zone till the end of March this year till the creation of a new Sinhala education zone. more..

Apr 18 (MoD) The Immigration and Emigration office at Anuradhapura will be shifted to Vavuniya shortly. The Controller General Chulananda Perera said Cabinet approval was obtained by the Defence Ministry, under whose purview the Immigration office is operated. He said the Anuradhapura branch will be re-located since a few people visit the branch. People from the North East areas have to travel to Colombo since the Anuradhapura office lack facilities. more..

Apr 18 (DM) Elaborate arrangements have been made by the Bangladeshi government to receive Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who arrives today at the Bangladesh capital with first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa, on an official visit. President Rajapaksa will be received by his counterpart in Bangladesh Zillur Rahman at the Hazrat Shahjala International Airport and will be accorded a 21 gun salute and a Guard of Honour before being taken to the Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon, more..

Apr 18 (PTI) Senior Sri Lankan cricketer Mahela Jayawardene on Sunday said that his country's cricket board and the BCCI are likely to meet on Monday for a "dialogue" over the return of the players taking part in the IPL midway in the Twenty20 league for a tour of England. Jayawardene said in the end the Sri Lankan players will have to abide by the decision of their Board. "We are supposed to return to Sri Lanka by May 5. more..

Apr 18 (CI) The Netherlands and Ireland Women's teams have departed on a two-week tour to Sri Lanka as part of their preparations in the build-up to the Women's World Cup Qualifier later this year. A five-day coaching programme from April 18 to 22 will be followed by an eight-day quadrangular series also involving Sri Lanka and Pakistan from April 23 to 29. All four teams will be based in Colombo during the tour. The training programme, in partnership with the ICC more..

Apr 18 (Island) The Meteorological Department yesterday warned of a lightning threat and advised the general public to adopt precautionary measures to minimize the lightning related hazards. Meteorologist–in–charge D. A. Jayasingharachchi told The Island that the lightning threat would increase within the next three days due to an increase in the atmospheric temperature. "The threat will prevail until the end of this month," he said. more..

Apr 18 (DM) An increase in the price of bread is likely with the price of wheat flour going up by Rs. 3 per kilo, the All Ceylon Bakers Association president N. K. Jayawardene said yesterday. He said that one of the main suppliers of wheat flour, Serendib Limited, had decided to increase the prices of wheat flour with effect from April 15. However he assured that the price of bread would not be changed immediately despite the wheat flour price hike. more..

Apr 18 (DM) The Mahanayaka of the Malwatte Chapter Venerable Thibbotuwawe Sri Sumangala Thera said most of the members of the UNP Working Committee were over the age of sixty and held outdated views on various issues. The Mahanayake made these comments when he met Moneragala District UNP MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara in Kandy. The Thera said the UNP which was known to be a party of the wealthy was changed during former President R. Premadasa’s era but more..

Apr 18 (DM) UNP Co-Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday called for a national agenda with the participation of all parties to avoid the possibility of Sri Lankan security forces being taken to an international war tribunal by the UN. “The possibility of such action had arisen after the advisory panel appointed by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon handed over its report on Sri Lanka recently,” more..