Feb 26 (GDI) Chemical raw materials have been continuously imported and trans-shipped through Airports and Harbours to multifaceted industries in Sri Lanka. Shipping Aviation Information and Research Institute has taken measures to educate the public and the stakeholders dealing with chemical materials to prevent the mishaps occurring due to lack of awareness. In this regard, a book titled "Handling with dangerous chemical materials", written by more..

Feb 26 (LT) The present govt has not been able to provide even material for school uniforms to school children states media spokesman for the ‘People’s Movement for the Protection of Schools’ Kasun Malinda. He said, “All govts that came to power earlier provided uniforms for school children at the correct time. However, the present govt has not been able to provide uniforms to school children despite two months have passed since the school year began. more..

Feb 26 (LT) Mahinda Rajapakse who sponsors ‘Bana’ preaching at Temple Trees every month but is maintaining a villainous economy based on intoxication, gambling and prostitution is a number one hoodlum says the Leader of the JVP Somawansa Amarasinghe. Speaking at an election rally he said despite masses looking forward to victories after victories since May, 2009, Rajapakse regime has given only a series of defeats for the people. more..

Feb 26 (Xinhua) A total of 86 people have been arrested in Sri Lanka for political violence in the run-up to the March 17 local elections, police said Friday. Police officials said that the arrests were in connection with 73 incidents which were dominated by physical assault, verbal abuse, election offices damaging and illegal display of propaganda material. People's Action for Free and Fair Elections, a leading Sri Lankan election watchdog said they have logged 87 cases of election related violence. more..

Feb 26 (AFP) Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara said dangerous fast bowler Lasith Malinga was likely to feature in the crucial World Cup clash against Pakistan on Saturday. The 27-year-old quick, whose slingy action has made him the spearhead of Sri Lanka's attack, bowled in the nets under close scrutiny from team physio Tommy Simsek. He missed Sri Lanka's comprehensive 210-run win against Canada on Sunday because of a back strain and had not bowled until Friday. more..

Feb 26 (BBC) The president of Sri Lanka has called for a new financial order to prevent future world financial crises. President Mahinda Rajapaksa said the industry had been mainly focusing on regulating institutions since the 2008 downturn. But he said the emphasis needed to move to managing economies that had a global impact. President Rajapaksa singled out the US as needing to act with more global responsibility. more..

Feb 26 (LG) The Tamil political scientist and son-in-law of the Federalist leader S.J. Chelvanayagam, A.J. Wilson once argued that Tamil nationalism was defensive and rose as a result of Sinhala chauvinism. However, a more thorough and inclusive reading of Sri Lanka’s political past will reveal that the undercurrents of extreme Tamil Nationalism, although claimed to be defensive and a reaction to Sinhala Nationalism, were there well before Sinhala Nationalism of more..

Feb 26 (LG) According to the information Mr. Egodawattege Ruwan Niroshana (18) of Uragoda Road, Ellekanda, Welipenna is an agrarian labourer by profession. Niroshana works in his parent's paddy fields as well as those of his relatives and other villagers. He is well trained in handling an agrarian tractor but does not have a valid driving license. Niroshana has been charged on four occasions which included offences of driving an agrarian tractor without driving more..

Feb 26 (LG) It is a pity that nobody did a real appraisal of the Chandrika Kumaratunge era. The only real executive president before her, J.R. Jayewardene had a grand tome released about his life and his politics authored by a scholarly duo, K.M. de Silva and Howard Wriggins. This work is authoritative and though it is the authorized biography, it paints a picture that accurately deconstructs the milieu in which the Old Fox came into politics and more..

Feb 26 (DM) The ideological industry in academia and NGOs in the post-Vadukoddai period – the biggest growth industry among public intellectuals -- was to legitimize this myth. It reached its peak under the fascist force of Prabhakaranism. But with the elimination of the Tamil Tigers from the political equation this theory has sunk to the bottom of Nandikadal Lagoon. The Sri Lankan crisis has been the graveyard in which the fashionable and futile theories, more..

Feb 26 (DM) Much development has been seen in Sri Lanka with regard to the recognition of labour rights commencing from the 19th Century. Legislation has been enacted from time to time encompassing the core labour standards. In fact there is a wide range of legislative instruments which deal with different aspects of worker’s rights. Freedom of Association and the right to form Trade Unions is recognized by the Constitution and also by the Trade Unions Ordinance No.14 of 1935. more..

Feb 26 (DM) More than 60 per cent of women across Sri Lanka are victims of domestic violence while 44 per cent of pregnant women are also subject to harassment, according to a 2006 survey by the Ministry of Child Development and Women's Empowerment. While The Prevention of Domestic Violence Act 2005 gave legislative recognition to the problem and put into place some welcome reforms, it lacked a comprehensive response to the problem. more..

Feb 26 (DM) The JVP has decided not to forge coalitions with other political parties in future, according to some reports which the party so far has not denied. This is the second important decision that the party has taken or announced within a week. The first one was on supporting federalism that is meant for unifying the country. The party that had twice revolted against the state has reportedly attributed the decision against political coalitions to more..

Feb 26 (N360) SriLankan Airlines has included the “paintings” drawn by an elephant to its list of “Serendib Treasures” which are been sold On-Board. The Airline says the 42 X 30 centimeters painting is a masterpiece by elephant Sindu of the Dalada Maligawa. Sindu is been trained to wield a paintbrush in his trunk. Dalada Maligawa, which is the home to Elephant Sindu is one of Sri Lanka’s most famous attractions and holds the sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha. more..

Feb 26 (Cimic) Promoting educational facilities for Jaffna children and expanding opportunities of vocational training for school leavers, two new two-storied buildings constructed by the government under the Uthuru Wasanthaya development programme for the North were declared open by Hon. Minister of Economic Development Mr. Basil Rajapaksa Friday morning at Vembady Girls’ High School and Jaffna Advanced Technical College. more..

Feb 26 (Island) It is no exaggeration that the rule of law in this country is conspicuous by its absence. Anyone with the right political connections or the right amount of money to oil palms can get away with anything––even murder. The law has been reduced to a lame ass. The police are being selectively efficient; they have apparently mastered the art of fabricating cock-and-bull stories (of fairly tale genre) to cover up their lapses and to more..

Feb 26 (DM) Though party politicians often get or obtain excessive publicity when they enact their stage plays largely for personal gain or glory, the more important dimensions in the lives of the people are health and education, the economy and the environment and related factors. All these areas are important but the most important is healthcare for all because often it is a matter of life or death. Therefore immediate steps need to be taken for the restoration of more..

Feb 26 (LB) The latest statement made at the recent JVP convention by JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe has raised a hornet’s nest in political circles. It is said that JVP leader Somawansa Amerasinghe had stated that federalism was acceptable to the JVP as long as it did not divide countries but unite them. However, this statement has caused a furor in political circles with it being charged that the JVP leader was saying that federalism was the only way to more..

Feb 26 (SL) Jobs of some 90,000 employed in the Cosmetics and Nutraceutical trade are at stake due to the Government increasing the cess of such imports from Rs. 200 to Rs. 350 from last month as per a budget proposal, Sri Lanka Cosmetics and Nutraceutical Traders Association (SLCNTA) Chairman Ahamed Rheyas at a meeting on Sunday said. That means if five tubes, each weighing 200 grams of such a genre are imported, then the new cess liable is Rs. 350, he said. more..

Feb 26 (LG) In the run-up to the 63rd Independence Day celebrations held Feb. 5 at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach, Consul General Jeff Goonewardena had been promising a ‘surprise.’ People familiar with Goonewardena’s ‘surprises ‘ – such as hiring scantily-clad Brazilian dancers to perform at the fundraiser he organized in Los Angeles in 1999 for UNP leader Ranil Wickremasinghe -- braced themselves. This time, he staged a ‘Hollywood’ version of more..

Feb 26 (LB) The Ministry of Economic Development’s decision to lease 500 acres in the eastern Kuchchaveli to hotel developers will adversely affect thousands of fishermen in the area. Around 5000 fishermen live in the area while another group of seasonal fishermen from Kalmunai and Puttalam conduct traditional fishing activities from April to October; these fishermen are worried about their livelihoods. more..

Feb 26 (SL) Seventeen Senior Prefects including the Head Prefect of S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia were asked to leave, with immediate effect by the Warden Rev. John Charles Puddefoot, after having assaulted a fellow student, which took place in the second week of this month. The student, a spin bowler for the S. Thomas’ Cricket team Neomal Wickremasekera had been repeatedly slapped in his face (as many as twenty five times according to an old boy of the school) and more..

Feb 26 (Island) The four kilometer long Kumbaduwa Gangabada - Polgampala road which joins Walallawita and Agalawatte has become impassable as it has been badly maintained over the years and the road has not been built according to the stipulated standards. Since there are no drains on either side of the road the rain water flows along the road. There have been a number of instances where vehicles have been stuck in the mud and people had to make a great effort to get them moving. more..

Feb 26 (CI) Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka's captain and vice-captain respectively, have both warned that Pakistan are a dangerous side that other teams will be wary of in the World Cup. Not too many people have tipped Pakistan to win the tournament, after a tumultuous year for them in which they have been plagued by off-field issues, but Jayawardene said he was surprised by the lack of hype around them. more..

Feb 26 (CI) If indications from Waqar Younis are anything to go by, Pakistan are unlikely to pick a fourth specialist bowler for Saturday's crunch game against co-hosts Sri Lanka at the R Premadasa. Pakistan comprehensively beat Kenya in their tournament opener on Wednesday, but played, in Umar Gul, Shoaib Akhtar and Abdur Rehman, with just three specialist bowlers. Shahid Afridi is as good as a specialist bowler but the caution to fill the line-up with batsmen and more..

Feb 26 (DM) The Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF) yesterday said that the students of the Rajarata University (RU) medical faculty should not be made to suffer due to the mistakes of the authorities. IUSF Convener, Sanjeewa Bandara, speaking at a media briefing yesterday, said that the authorities who are responsible for solving the problems faced by medical students of RU, have claimed that the initiation of the medical faculty was a mistake. more..

Feb 26 (BBC) A Tamil political party in Sri Lanka has submitted a petition to the Supreme Court against forcibly registering Tamil residents in Jaffna allegedly by the security forces. TNA MP MA Sumandiran told BBC Sandeshaya that the measure is a violation of a previous Supreme Court order. “This is completely illegal. You cannot selectively register a community,” he said. He further said that it is an illegal act under international law. more..

Feb 26 (TN) The parents and relatives of abducted and ‘missing’ youth in Jaffna were thoroughly disappointed, as the visiting European Union team could not find time to meet their representatives or receive petitions from them. They were further frustrated by the act of the team choosing to meet on Thursday the SL colonial governor in Jaffna Maj. Gen. Chandrasri, who is accused of many abductions and disappearances when he was commanding the SL military in Jaffna. more..

Feb 26 (Island) Medical equipment to the value of Rs. 120 million was donated by the United Nations Population Fund Agency (UNFPA) to the Health Ministry. The donation was made to uplift community health facilities in the North and East. The Health Ministry spokesman said that other than the Jaffna Teaching Hospital, the Ministry had been unable to develop facilities in hospitals of Kilinochchi, Mulaithivu, and Mannar during the war as none of their officials or more..

Feb 26 (National) "If you see Percy Abeysekara, please tell him I said hello," Paul Farbrace said, with a sincere stress on the "please". "Him and his friend brought me a ham sandwich, wrapped in a banana leaf, and a bottle of water. They won't have thought any more of it, but it meant everything to me." Confined to a hospital bed in Colombo, flanked by armed security guards as he recuperated from surgery to remove shrapnel from his arm, more..

Feb 26 (DN) Sri Lankan rubber recorded a highest price of Rs 730 per kilo for RSS grade 3 rubber. This was the highest price reached in this grade in the history of Sri Lankan rubber. “This was the highest ever price recorded for rubber at the Colombo auctions held last week,” a Plantation Industries Ministry spokesman said. Year 2011 so far has been the best year for traders with rubber being auctioned at high prices from January. ”Sheet rubber of both high and lower grades more..

Feb 26 (Island) The Sri Lanka Railways has decided to sue several organisations, including State institutions, to recover its dues. The organisations listed for legal action are Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, CWE, Tripoli Market, Local Authorities and fuel stations. Together they owe the CGR Rs. 800 mn by way of rent. All defaulters had been given time till March 3, 2011 to settle payments, the Transport Ministry said. more..

Feb 26 (DN) Air Vice Marshal Harsha Duminda Abeywickrama RWP, RSP, USP has been appointed the new Air Force Commander. He will assume duties from February 28. He is the 13th Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force. Air Vice Marshal Abeywickrama completed his education at Royal College, Colombo and enlisted to the Sri Lanka Air Force as an Officer Cadet in the General Duties Pilot branch on April 19, 1980. On successful completion of training he more..

Feb 26 (CI) Considering that Sri Lanka and Pakistan play each other much more often than most other sides, it might come as a surprise to everyone that the two teams last faced off in a World Cup game in the 1992 edition. On that occasion, Pakistan won a tightly contested game by four wickets. Pakistan have won on eight of the nine occasions that the teams have met in a global tournament including six times in World Cups and two of the three meetings in the Champions Trophy. more..

Feb 26 (DT) Desperate to revive international cricket in Pakistan, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has written to its Sri Lankan counterpart requesting it to tour the country this year for a full series. A senior official of the board said Friday that the PCB had already started a process to convince the Sri Lankan board to undertake the tour in October. “We have written to them a few months back highlighting the fact that it would be a big boost for Pakistan more..

Feb 26 (IL) President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday emphasized the need to build a new financial order and a model that would better equip world nations to face future economic crises. In his inaugural address to the 46th South East Asian Central Bank (SEACEN) Governors’ Conference in Colombo yesterday the President said: “The global economic crisis taught us many lessons that varied across nations. “All countries learnt both common more..

Feb 26 (DN) Republic of Korea Presidential Envoy and Trade, Energy and Resources, Knowledge Economy Ministry Vice Minister Park Young June and his delegation called on External Affairs Minister Prof G L Peiris on February 23. While extending a cordial welcome to the Vice Minister and his business delegation, Minister Peiris said that Sri Lanka and Korea had been enjoying a strong relationship in every sphere such as economic, cultural and social fields and highlighted that more..

Feb 26 (DN) The five Sri Lankan fishermen released by Somali sea pirates arrived at the Beruwala Fisheries harbour in their vessel Ocean 04 after a gruelling voyage lasting 33 days around 3.30 am yesterday. They fell into the clutches of the pirates after setting off on a fishing expedition from the Beruwala harbour on January 22. The five fishermen who had a miraculous escape are Chandra Pushpakumara Ranaweera, 53, of Mullapitiya, K L D Samantha, 36, more..

Feb 26 (DM) The Court of Appeal yesterday rejected objections raised by the Attorney General to dismiss the writ application filed by former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka against his alleged expulsion from parliament and decided to continue to hear the petition. The three-judge Bench comprising Justices R.L. Ranjith Silva, A.W.A. Salam and Upali Abeyratne ruled that Fonseka could maintain the main case despite the Supreme Court determination on the Court Martial. more..

Feb 26 (DM) The Colombo Chief Magistrate has released productions that were recovered from former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka’s election office at Reid Avenue Colombo, to the owners since the suspect in the case Capt. Haripriya de Silva (the personal assistant of Fonseka) was cleared of charges against him. Chief Magistrate Rashmi Singappuli ordered the release of the computers, motor bikes and other equipment seized by the CID during the Presidential election period. more..