Mar 4 (NS) Ever since the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was introduced in 1988, there have been problems. The principal cause for the creation of the 13th Amendment was to set up provincial councils and devolve powers from the centre to these councils for better governance. However, to date, the 13th Amendment has not been fully implemented, despite promises by successive governments and evidently, the Provincial Council (PC) system today remains a more..

Mar 4 (DM) Late last week, on 23rd February 2011 a Sri Lankan Government delegation led by Attorney General Mohan Peiris and comprising Foreign Secretary Romesh Jayasinghe, Ambassador Palitha Kohona and Major General Shavendra Silva, now our deputy Ambassador to the UN, met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and a team of his senior officials. The Government of Sri Lanka, through Deputy Foreign Minister Neomal Perera first denied the meeting, more..

Mar 4 (LG) What were the reasons for the unpopularity and the failure of the 13th Amendment? What are the basic demographic and socio-economic ground realities? Sri Lanka is one of the most densely populated countries in the world with a highly uneven population distribution. The population is highly concentrated in the south especially the Western Province while the Northern and Eastern Provinces remain relatively under-populated. more..

Mar 4 (DM) The Sri Lanka Air Force celebrates six decades of serving the nation; over two decades of that in fighting and successfully defeating one of the most ruthless terror groups in the world. However on the eve of the celebrations of the Air Force’s 60th Anniversary they experienced what is possibly their worst setback since the war ended. Two Israeli built Kfir fighter jets the Sri Lanka Air Force’s pride involved in a more..

Mar 4 (LG) The Sri Lanka Ambassador to The Netherlands and Permanent Representatives to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague Mrs. Grace A Asirwatham has been appointed as the Deputy Director General of the OPCW. An official announcement to this effect was made by Mr. Ahmet Uzumcu, Director General of the OPCW on 15th February, 2011, during the 63rd Session of the Executive Council. Ambassador Asirwatham’s appointment was more..

Mar 4 (LG) The truth, it is said, is out there. Chickens, for example, cross the road. How many chickens do you have to see crossing the road before you accept the fact that chicken cross the road? And speaking of roads, how many pots do you have to find in Sri Lankan roads before you realise that the minister responsible for roads is not doing his job. And who, exactly, is responsible for roads in Sri Lanka; let's see, (quick check on Sri Lankan Ministers website) oops, more..

Mar 4 (NS) The UPFA government that has earned the wrath of the UN has again come under a scathing attack – this time for not prosecuting those who have recruited children during the Eelam War IV. In particular, the UN has taken Deputy Minister Vinayagamoorthy Muralidaran alias Karuna and the TMVP to task for their alleged involvement in using children during the war. The bona fide of the government, therefore, has come under question with more..

Mar 4 (Island) More witnesses would have come forward to place before the LLRC vital information, if there had been a witness protection Act in force, the UNP has said. Such a legal mechanism to protect witnesses would also have helped the LLRC proceedings to gain credibility, UNP Spokesman and MP Lakshman Kiriella has asserted, as we reported yesterday. One cannot but agree with the UNP that a legal mechanism to protect witnesses is conspicuous by its absence and more..

Mar 4 (DM) Since we as human beings have not taken care of our environment as we should have and have tinkered with Mother Earth, our Global Village has had to face many natural disasters in recent years. It is in this context that Sri Lankans need to understand the recent floods and earth slips in our country. Amid these natural disasters those in the Wanni were subject to waters getting into their camps and tents. Some weeks ago President Mahinda Rajapaksa more..

Mar 4 (LB) The postponing of elections in Jaffna and Kilinochchi and transport issues which will rob thousands of their franchise in Mullaitivu have dealt a blow to the people’s faith in the Elections Commissioner and the law courts, claim election monitors. This may lead to a very low voter turnout in the coming local government elections. CaFFE Executive Director Keerthi Tennakoon who visited Jaffna and Kilinochchi last week said that more..

Mar 4 (CI) A day after Ireland's heroics in Bangalore gave the Associates a major fillip, normal service resumed in Mohali where AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla reeled off contrasting hundreds to set up a hammering of Netherlands. Peter Borren elected to field under overcast skies, but things unraveled at an alarming rate after a disciplined show in the first quarter of the match. Amla overcame a sluggish start and focused on accumulation, more..

Mar 4 (CI) Where Ireland went, Canada could not follow as their dreams of a World Cup fairytale were blown away by Shahid Afridi. For three-quarters of the game Canada had hustled Pakistan into a corner, only for Afridi to lash out with five wickets to seal Pakistan's qualification to the quarter finals. While Afridi's speculative batting may long since have gone bust, his bowling has grown into a model of menacing consistency which has placed him well in front more..

Mar 4 (BBC) Directives of the election commissioner are not put into action due to double standard of police, says deputy leader of the UNP, Karu Jayasuriya. Expressing concerns and doubts that there will be a free and fair local government elections, he told reporters that police is disregarding election commissioner’s orders to remove posters and banners. “However, only blue banners can stay not red and green which is a pity” UNP deputy leader said. more..

Mar 4 (DN) Minister Kumara Welgama said that legal action would be taken against tenants of railway properties for defaulting their payments, regardless of their stature or affiliations. The Railway statistics reveal that a considerable number of people misuse properties belonging to the Railway Department for a long time. "The offenders defaulting dues for using railway property have increased," the Minister said. "That is why we decided to take stern action more..

Mar 4 (Island) A police Sergeant and a constable attached to the Katugastota police station, have been suspended for failing to produce 16 grams of heroin seized from two suspects. Sources said that the police had produced the two suspects in Court without the heroin. The suspects were remanded. When the irregularity was brought to the attention of Senior DIG Gamini Navaratne, the two police personnel were suspended. more..

Mar 4 (Island) Budgetary allocations for the upgrading of schools that lacked libraries, laboratory facilities and even common facilities like water and sanitation, were insufficient, revealed Minister Bandula Gunawardena. He said that his Ministry was in the process of improving the standards of 1,000 schools in the country. He said funds were being provided through the UNICEF but refused to divulge the budgetary allocation for education to the media. more..

Mar 4 (SL) President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Minister Basil Rajapaksa have lost their cool with Industries Minister Rishard Bathiudeen at the UPFA party leaders’ meeting held a few weeks back. Although details about the clash were not immediately available to the media, the incident and details related to it have now come out in the open. During the meeting, the President had addressed Bathiudeen and had asked him not to violate agreements arrived at by the governing party seniors. more..

Mar 4 (SL) About this time last year hectic preparations were being made to host the Indian Film Academy Awards in Colombo. It was made out, at least to the Sri Lankan public, that this would be the show of all shows and a special gift to cinema in Sri Lanka in particular and tourism in Sri Lanka in general. With this message successfully sent across, the government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa spared no expense to pull out all stops to ensure the Colombo edition of the more..

Mar 4 (TOI) One always talks about the grace of David Gower, the silken-touch of Sourav Ganguly and the elegance of VVS Laxman. If there was one batsman who combined all that, it was Sri Lankan stylist Roy Dias. Dias scored a duck on debut, but played a memorable part in the side's first Test match and series win over India in 1985. After coaching Nepal for almost 10 years, the legend is back in the land that made him. more..

Mar 4 (Island) The inter-school under-19 badminton championships held a few days ago turned out to be a nightmare for the participants and their coaches, with the Sri Lanka Schools Badminton Association conducting the tournament, paying scant respect to international rules and regulations. To begin with, participation at the tournament had been greatly restricted with the organiser of the tournament accommodating only players born between 1993 and 1995. more..

Mar 4 (TN) Tamil Divisional Secretaries in the eastern province are facing transfer threats due to the non-co-operation to implement Mahinda Chinthanaya in the Eastern Province in allowing encroachment by Sinhalese in Tamil villages. Already, Divisional Secretaries of the two DS divisions Koa'ra'laip-pattu South and Koa'ra'laip-pattu North in Batticaloa district are said to be informed of their transfer, sources in Eastern province said. more..

Mar 4 (TOI) Muttiah Muralitharan and Australia go back a long way. It's a relationship that started off on a terribly acrimonious note 16 years ago, when the legendary off-spinner was called for chucking for the first time Down Under. Over the years, it kept getting worse, with even the Australian Prime Minister openly questioning the world's highest Test and ODI wicket taker's action. Of late, though, it has only got better. more..

Mar 4 (TN) The Sri Lankan Attorney General’s Department has been inordinately delaying to process the requests made by Tamil political detainees being held in prisons in the South to transfer them to prisons in Jaffna as they fear attacks on them following the recent ethnic attacks in Anuradhapura. The political prisoners, detained for long periods of time without being released for want of evidence or not being indicted in courts, have expressed their dismay at more..

Mar 4 (NN) In a tragedy almost similar to the Romeo and Juliet story a young man killed himself in Chilaw this afternoon after he heard that his girlfriend had committed suicide. According to the police the girl had hung herself yesterday over a dispute with her boyfriend who had wanted to follow the horoscope to set the date for marriage despite her objections. The young boy, who was serving the air force in Ratmalana, was away from home on duty when the girl committed suicide. more..

Mar 4 (PTI) The Madras High Court on Thursday told Sri Lankan Minister Douglas Devananda, who filed an anticipatory bail petition in connection with a 1986 murder case, to approach the trial court here to recall the non-bailable warrant against him. In his petition, Douglas claimed that he was covered by immunity offered as part of 1987 Indo-Sri Lankan accord. After being enlarged on bail that year, he was 'expatriated' to Sri Lanka and more..

Mar 4 (TC) We recently traveled to Jaffna with Ambassador Patricia Butenis, USAID Director Jim Bednar, and other Embassy staff for the opening of our new American Corner on January 24. We flew up in a 17-seat turbo-prop plane at a low altitude, giving us an aerial view of the island and of the recent flooding. Jaffna, the historical and cultural heart of northern Sri Lanka, was one of the cities most affected by Sri Lanka's 26-year civil conflict. more..

Mar 4 (Island) Sri Lanka’s shippers eagerly await new laws that would prevent anti-competitive trade practices which President Mahinda Rajapaksa promised would be introduced within the first 100 days of this year, when he presented the 2011 Budget in parliament last year. Freight rates have been on the rise during the past eight months but shippers (exporters and importers) believe these increases, though significant, are not the biggest issue. more..

Mar 4 (Island) Recently taken Radar pictures prove large scale Indian fishing operations very close to Sri Lanka’s coast line and islands using destructive ‘bottom trawling’ which is illegal in Sri Lanka as well as in India, causing immense damage to the sea bed, officials say. They allege the Tamil Nadu fishing fleet is causing massive damage to the marine environment in the Palk Bay and Palk Strait. Irreparable damage had been caused to Sri Lanka’s oceanic resources due more..

Mar 4 (Island) Nearly 115 incidents of election related incidents had been reported since the closing of nominations for the forthcoming LGpolls, People’s Action For Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi told the media yesterday. Most of the incidents reported were from Hambanthota, he said. Hettiarachchi said that incidents of violence had been reported from Kalutara, Galle, Matara and Hambantota. more..

Mar 4 (Island) While accusing Minister Dallas Allahapperuma of secretly negotiating to join the UNP during the 2005 Presidential Election campaign, UNP MP Mangala Samaraweera yesterday rejected allegations that he owes Rupavahini Corporation Rs.18 million for air time used by him. Samaraweera said that there was no basis for Allahaperuma’s allegation against him (Samaraweera), who was then in the SLFP, being indebted to Rupavahini Corporation. more..

Mar 4 (DM) Mount Lavinia Police had discovered the bodies of two youths that had been washed up on the Mount Lavinia Beach yesterday (3). They suspect that the two youths had gone for a swim and had drowned. The deceased had been identified as Jude Ajith Kumara (25), a resident of Benthotawaththa, Elpitiya and Thangamuththu Siridaran (20), a resident of Udaviharagalawatte, Haputhale. Police who had launched investigations into the incident discovered that the two youths had more..

Mar 4 (NN) The State run Independent Television Network (ITN) says the views expressed about the Sri Lankan cricket team on one of its programs has been “distorted” by some media. A statement by ITN said that there is an attempt to put the Sri Lankan cricket heroes into difficulty by distorting the contents of the “Vimasuma” Programme telecast by the channel. ITN claims that several electronic media institutions and some websites had been engaged in a “foolish” attempt more..

Mar 4 (DM) The Attorney General yesterday gave an undertaking to the Supreme Court to suspend immediately the alleged forced registration of residents of Jaffna and Kilinochchi districts by the Security Forces. Deputy Solicitor General Buwaneka Aluvihare appearing for the Attorney General gave this undertaking sequent to the rights violation petition filed by TNA MPs. In the circumstances, the Petitioners did not wish to proceed with the petition and more..

Mar 4 (Island) Director General of Sri Lanka Coast Guard (SLCG) Rear Admiral Daya Dharmapriya (retd) says the SLCG will have an important role to play in the post-war era. One of the vital tasks for the SLCG will be the development of a capability to join the SLN in the northern waters to thwart poaching by Indian fishing fleet. Rear Admiral Dharmapriya said that deployment of SLCG units would help the country counter unsubstantiated allegations levelled against the SLN more..

Mar 4 (CI) New Zealand wrapped up a thumping 10-wicket win over Zimbabwe in Ahmedabad, surpassing the Zimbabweans in every department to set up a victory that will reinvigorate their World Cup campaign. They started by making light work of a timid batting line-up, Tim Southee picking up 3 for 29 as four of the top seven failed to reach double figures and Zimbabwe limped to 162. Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum then sealed the result with the highest opening stand of more..

Mar 4 (IL) Representatives of the Mullaitivu District Citizen Front met President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees on 03 March to discuss the major concerns and grievances of the people in the Mullaitivu district. This meeting was arranged by former journalist turned politician J. Sri Ranga MP. Sri Lankan government is now looking at introducing new democratic political leaders to the Tamils and J.Sri Ranga MP, who was elected to more..

Mar 4 (Island) The Department of Elections itself manipulates election laws, alleges the CAFFE. "While the laws prohibit putting up banners and posters, the Commissioner of Elections has given permission to carry out poster campaigns," Executive Director of CAFFE Keerthi Tennakoon said. He said that even the Police Department had so far not taken measures to remove illegal banners and cutouts while more..

Mar 4 (DM) The President’s office yesterday denied any plans to relocate the S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike statue that stands opposite the Galle Face Green, despite speculation this was being done following the leasing of the Galle Face Green to two multinational companies to build a hotel and a shopping mall. The response comes in the wake of a news item that appeared in Tuesday’s Daily Mirror quoting more..

Mar 4 (DN) President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday told farmers that the Government’s intention is to make every farmer a king rather than selecting a single Govi Raja from among them. The President was addressing the farmers’ conference, Maha Govi Samuluwa yesterday at Temple Trees. The conference was held in line with the setting up of one million domestic economic units islandwide. more..