Mar 3 (CT) Today, a golden opportunity has opened up for us to build a new constitutional edifice, with the broad support of the people and various political parties. We take the first step towards that today. Why do I say so? Have we not made constitutions before with the support of the people and all political parties? The 1947-48 Constitution was not made by us. It was given to us by our colonial masters, the British. It is true that the Soulbury Commission heard the views of the people to some extent more..

Mar 3 (CT) President Maithripala Sirisena announced an era of Blue-Green Development on 6 January, to harness the best of the country's natural resource base towards sustainable development ensuring that the development is sustainable and resilient. Blue signifies enhanced innovative approaches for sustainable growth in oceanic economy comprised of coastal and marine resources; and green signifies a green economy which would ensure agricultural and more..

Mar 3 (DM) Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Mahinda Amaraweera today said he would be always standing to safeguard the Rajapaksa family just as he did in the past. Minister Amaraweera said he is personally against any harm done to the Rajapaksa family. Further he said he is making this statement excluding the allegations on the Rajapaksa family of financial frauds and other corrupt actions. more..

Mar 3 (Island) Following Navy intelligence reports that Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lankan waters were planning attacks on local fishermen Navy Commander Vice Admiral Ravi Wijegunaratne had warned Sri Lankan fishers not to enter the Indian waters. The Navy Commander said they had deployed Sagara, the off-shore Patrol Vessel 90 nautical miles off the sea of Point Pedro to detect the movement of any Indian vessels poaching in Sri Lankan seas. more..

Mar 3 (HP) Sri Lankan govt has instructed all websites to register with the Ministry of Parliamentary Reforms and Mass Media before March 31, 2016. The announcement is a significant one, says Sanjana Hattotuwa, a senior researcher at the Centre for Policy Alternatives, a Colombo-based think tank. Hattotuwa says the edict is illegal, just as it was when Mahinda Rajapaksa, the country's previous president, took similar action. What are the broader implications of all of this? more..

Mar 3 (PTI) Sri Lanka's main Marxist party today said it is not anti-Indian despite its opposition to the proposed economic and technical cooperation agreement with India. "We understand that times have changed and the country must move forward internationally. But any trade agreement must result in the transfer of investment capital and technology," Vijitha Herath, JVP's spokesman told a political gathering at Kurunegala. more..

Mar 3 (WI) Asia Cup 2016 might have got the perfect final, but the pointlessness of the last two round-robin stage matches has been a bit of a dampener, especially the final one, to be played between Pakistan and Sri Lanka on Friday. When the fixtures were planned, keeping in mind that India were the favourites, the Pakistan v SL match-up would have been thought of as a virtual knockout; the last match, the one to decide which of the two teams would face India in the final. more..

Mar 3 (Reuters) Shares fell for a fourth straight session on Thursday to a near 23-month low, led by conglomerate John Keells Holdings as concerns over rising interest rates and the country's rating downgrade dented sentiment, traders said. Sri Lanka's benchmark share index closed 0.29% lower, or 17.50 points, at 6,060.91, the lowest close since April 7, 2014. "There is no sign of resistance at these levels. We expect some kind of resistance at 5,800 points. more..

Mar 3 (EN) Sri Lanka's govt Thursday admitted it had no legal authority to call for the registration of news websites and rolled back an order which amounted to regulation and potential censorship of the Internet. Parliamentary Affairs and Media Ministry had taken the cover of two supreme court decisions on website regulation, but it was pointed out that the highest court had only asked the ministry to come up with guide lines. more..

Mar 3 (Island) Undergraduates of Sri J'pura University commenced protest opposite the university’s main gate demanding hostel accommodation. President of the Students Council Prabath Chathuranga said: "We have discussed the problem with the university administration during the last few years, but in vain." More than 10,000 undergraduates who came from distant places were without hostel facilities, he said. Chathuranga said only 3,000 students had been provided with more..

Mar 3 (CG) Joint opposition SLFP Central Committee (CC) members have written to the SLFP General Secretary Duminda Dissanayake and raised objections to the removal of several SLFP members from their district party organiser posts. Dullas Alahapperuma, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Kumara Welgama and C.B. Ratnayake have said in a letter to Dissanayake that the removal of some SLFP members from their organiser posts will further divide the party. more..

Mar 3 (DM) Minister Lakshman Kiriella questioned what was wrong with issuing a letter seeking a favour for a supporter of the UNP that had been in the Opposition for more than 20 years. He said that he would not deny that he issued a letter seeking employment to one of his supporters based on his qualifications and that it was not a violation of the policy of good governance. Minister said some media personnel attempted to draw a wrong more..

Mar 3 (CG) The Embilipitiya Magistrate today ordered the body of the youth killed following a clash with the police in the area to be exhumed on March 10. The youth had suffered from severe bleeding and shock, the report by judicial Medical Officer (JMO) had said. The youth died following an altercation with the police which took place when then police visited a house where a party was held. The police headquarters had later temporarily transferred 21 policemen over the incident. more..

Mar 3 (DM) From Palugaswewa, Elapathwewa in Horowpothana comes a report of an elephant calf who had stayed with its mother for a number of days until Wildlife officers arrived to attend to her after it was injured as a result of coming into contact with an Improvised Explosive Devise (IED), more commonly known locally as a Hakkapatas trap. Veterinary Surgeon Chandana Jayasinghe had led a team that had arrived at the scene after being alerted about the condition in which more..

Mar 3 (DM) A child who had been admitted to Peradeniya Teaching Hospital for treatment of a swelling on her right knee, had had her left knee operated on instead, it was reported yesterday. Sources revealed that the child, a resident of D.B. Wijetunga Mawatha, Pilimatalawa, had been admitted to hospital on Feb 20 on account of a swollen knee. A doctor had examined her and decided to operate on her on March 1. more..

Mar 3 (PTI) Sri Lankan Navy personnel on Sunday arrested eight Tamil Nadu fishermen when they were fishing near Neduntheevu, almost near the Lankan coast, a fisheries department official said. They have been taken to Kangesanthurai along with their two boats, Assistant Director of Fisheries Gopinath said. The fishermen were almost near the Lankan coast when they were arrested, he said. While four fishermen hail from Rameswaram, four others are from Pudukottai, the official said. more..

Mar 3 (CG) The Indian Govt on Thursday said it was examining the Tamil Nadu Govt’s letter regarding the release of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s assassins which includes former LTTE members. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said in the Lok Sabha that the Supreme Court had already given its decision on the matter, and now it is the constitutional and moral responsibility of the government to abide by the decision of the apex court, ANI news service reported. more..

Mar 3 (LBO) Sri Lanka with the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) has come forward to build a sustainable whale and dolphin watching tourism in the Indian Ocean region. Indian Ocean Rim Association has 20 members including Sri Lanka, Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Seychelles, Iran, Malaysia, Mauritius, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand and UAE. Association recently held a workshop in Colombo more..

Mar 3 (DM) Police today released video footage and sought public assistance to identify a car which had allegedly been used by the suspects who had opened fire on a prisons bus in Maligawatta on Wednesday. The video shows a black car passing by the prisons bus shortly before the shootout. Dematagoda Chaminda, a suspect in the killing of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra, was shot at in the incident. Police said two unidentified men had opened fire at the prisons bus when more..

Mar 3 (AD) Former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa today said that the present rulers of the country may also be in hot water in future, as it happened to them. The observation was made while responding to the media personnel after arriving at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) this afternoon. “I’m not disappointed. It is the nature here, after serving the country we have to face allegations as well,” he added. He went on to say the present leaders may have to face more..

Mar 3 (LT) "The farmers have to take to the streets to doo their cultivations and also to sell their produce. Maithri - Ranil govt must listen to the demands of the farmer community. If the govt is not prepared to listen to the farmer community we would take steps to guide All Ceylon Farmers' Federation lead by Comrade Namal Karunaratna to carry out agitations with the participation of farmers in all cultivating areas. more..

Mar 3 (DN) Law Commission Department has submitted the amended Prevention of Terrorism Draft Bill with human rights safeguards to the three relevant Ministers, said its Chairman Senior Attorney Romesh de Silva. The three Ministers are Dr Wijayadasa Rajapakshe, Mangala Samaraweera and Minister Malik Samarawickrema. He said the amended Draft Bill safeguarding human rights was formulated at the request of the three Ministers. He said amendments have been made without more..

Mar 3 (AD) An alleged underworld figure Harsha C. Yasas, who was shot this morning in Welikada, succumbed to injuries a short while ago at the Colombo National hospital. The victim has been identified as a resident of Obesekarapura, Welikada who recently granted bail by a court in Matara, according to police. A gunman, who was the pillion rider of a motorcycle, had fled the area soon after shooting Yasas at around 10 a.m. The remains of the deceased are kept at the same hospital more..

Mar 3 (PSL) President Maithripala Sirisena said it is people in North and East that suffered and the reconciliation should also originate from people in the South. “It is those people that have to cultivate reconciliation to live peacefully with the victims of the war. It is the mindset of the people that require to be transformed to acquire reconciliation and healing the wounds inflicted by the conflict,” he said. more..

Mar 4 (GV) This submission is with special reference to the problems faced by the minorities under the present Constitution. 1) We support the formulation of a new or revised Constitution that abolishes the Executive Presidency at a specified date in the future, restores a Westminster form of Parliamentary Governance, and provides for genuine and substantial devolution of powers to the Provinces inhabited by the minority communities, as well as to all other Provinces. more..

Mar 4 (GV) SL Constitution should provide the basis for a strong constitutional commitment to plural democracy, multiculturalism, gender equality and justice, secularism, the rule of law and the devolution of political power to the Provinces. The state should be inclusive of all the communities and their cultures in the country and without such an inclusiveness they do not feel that they belong to this country. The state should protect and foster the values of plural democracy as more..

Mar 4 (FT) Q: What is the latest with regard to forming a new political party? A: Before I answer your question, let me clarify something; the idea of forming a new political party did not come from Wimal Weerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila or Dinesh Gunawardena. This is not something we want. Look at the sad fate of the SLFP today. SLFP is under the control of the UNP. SLFP has become a puppet that dances to the tune of the UNP. more..

Mar 4 (CT) So, you are fairly well to do. You commute daily to your great job or your profitable business. You return each day to a stable family. You take a vacation every few months. You own a few acres and couple of houses and a car or three. You go often to the bank to make a deposit to an already fairly fat nest egg. It’s a great, solid, decent, socially mandated routine and you are probably thinking you do well in terms of the societal norms by which you live. more..

Mar 4 (CT) As proposed, the ruling party has taken steps to reform the constitution. The govt presented a proposal in Parliament to transform the national legislature into a constitutional assembly. In addition, the govt has appointed a group called the Public Representation Committee, which is going around the country collecting proposals and ideas. These steps, despite the problems the govt might encounter in garnering a two-thirds majority necessary for meaningful reform, more..

Mar 4 (CT) UNP MP Harshana Rajakaruna expressed his views on graduate unemployment; new Constitution; and the new electoral system. MP Rajakaruna is a young MP who represented the Western Provincial Council for two terms; previous to getting elected to the 8th Parliament of SL, in August 2015. Q: What is your experience so far, as a young MP, as this is the first time you are in Parliament? more..

Mar 4 (NS) In the past decade, the highest number of motor accidents and deaths resulting from them had been recorded in 2015. Statistics of the National Council for Road Safety (NCRS) reveal this national dilemma to be more alarming than that of 2010. “Although there was a drop in these accidents and fatalities from 2011 to 2014, last year once again saw a dramatic increase in the road accidents with 2,796 deaths being recorded,” Chairman, NCRS, Dr. Sisira Kodagoda explained. more..

Mar 4 (NS) Confusion is worst confounded over the tug-of-war on re-opening the A-26 Road in Kandy adjacent to the Dalada Maligawa with the Temple. Kandy has only three entrances and exit gateways – William Gopallawa Mawatha and Peradeniya Road for Colombo bound traffic, Trincolmalee Street for North bound traffic and Thennekumbura-Ampitiya gateway for Mahiyanganaya, Ampara, Batticaloa, Hanguranketha traffic. All three gateways bring a massive influx of migrant population to more..

Mar 4 (Island) Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga having moved to Wariyapola in Kurunegala district is managing a successful coconut business. She is exporting King Coconuts to Europe. She also has made peace with former President Rajapaksa who has become Anagarika Rajapaksa. He had given up politics and was living on top of the Elephant Rock in Kurunegala. Chandrika occasionally offers dhana to Mahinda and at times they speak freely about their more..

Mar 4 (Island) Lacille de Silva, the ardent campaigner for good governance, did not know what really hit him. On Tuesday he was unceremoniously removed as the secretary to the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and Inquire into Serious Acts of Fraud, Corruption and Abuse of Power, State Resources and Privileges. He has chosen to remain tight-lipped about his termination for obvious reasons. Lacille is not alone in this predicament. more..

Mar 4 (SO) The dengue carrying vector is apparently having a busy agenda flying to every nook and cranny in Sri Lanka infecting thousands of unsuspecting persons with its deadly bite. By Feb 25, latest official statistics revealed 8506 suspected cases of dengue in just one month (January), while the number of cases for Jan and Feb amounted to 9036- more than 55% reported from the Western Province (WP). more..

Mar 4 (CI) India versus UAE was a no contest. There was precious little intent from the UAE batsmen and all India had to do was go through the motions to gain a nine-wicket victory. It was India's biggest win in T20Is in terms of balls remaining. There was nothing riding on this game, except perhaps the opportunity for UAE's batsmen to salvage some pride - putting up 81 for 9 suggests they didn't accomplish that - and a chance for India to test their bench ahead of the final more..

Mar 4 (FT) Giving a big boost to Sri Lanka, the visiting CEO of the world’s largest integrated tourism group, TUI, Fritz Joussen paid a courtesy call on PM Ranil Wickremesinghe. He was accompanied by TUI AG MD Mainstream Product and Purchasing Garry Wilson and TUI’s Sri Lankan partner Aitken Spence Chairman Harry Jayawardena. Aitken Spence Plc Director and Aitken Spence Hotels Chairperson Stasshani Jayawardena and Aitken Spence Travels Managing Director Nalin Jayasundera more..

Mar 4 (DM) A mother, resident of Kuliyapitiya filed a fundamental rights violation petition complaining that her child’s school admission to grade one had callously been denied to all the schools in Kuliyapitiya zone due to falsely circulated rumour that her child was HIV positive. Petitioners, the mother and her child (names are withheld on the ground of ethics) cited Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Provincial Director of more..