Mar 9 (ST) The Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) which has the legal power to enforce code of ethics for medical practitioners has decided to intervene in what is widely seen as a crisis in the unethical promotion of medicinal drugs and the influence that pharmaceutical companies have on medical consultants and general practitioners. Recently the SLMC appointed a committee to advise it on revising the guidelines and code of ethics for medical and dental practitioners at a time when more..

Mar 9 (AFP) At least 56 Tamil Tiger rebels and four government troops have been killed in heavy fighting across Sri Lanka's embattled north over the weekend, the defence ministry said Sunday. Helicopter gunships were deployed against suspected LTTE strongholds in the coastal district of Mannar on Saturday, the defence ministry said. It said a total of 56 rebels were killed in clashes on Friday and Saturday when the military made a new push into rebel-held territory in the northwestern coastal area. more..

Mar 9 (AFP) Sri Lanka's restive east will hold local elections on Monday against a backdrop of fear, even though Tamil Tiger rebels were pushed out of the area months ago. The government has poured nearly 6,500 security personnel into the coastal district of Batticaloa, 300 kilometres from Colombo, hoping the vote will go off smoothly. But locals say even though the LTTE were pushed out of the east last year after months of fighting, more..

Mar 9 (AP) Lawless, contested, notorious for a string of abductions and unsolved killings, this region has long been known as Sri Lanka's Wild East. For years, the guerrilla army known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam had the run of the region, only to be driven out last summer by the military, with help from a breakaway Tamil rebel faction. The houses here are still pummeled from the fighting. Its people are still rattled from having to run. more..

Mar 9 (IANS) A significant part of the forthcoming summit of South Asian heads of government would be shifted from Kandy in central Sri Lanka, to the capital city of Colombo, for 'logistic and other reasons', an official said. 'A significant section of the summit will be held in Colombo for logistic and other reasons. A formal statement to this effect will be made later,' Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona told IANS Sunday. more..

Mar 9 (IANS) India is planning to plant agents of its intelligence agency in the provincial councils to be set up in the Tamil-speaking northeast of Sri Lanka, the JVP, an ultra nationalist political party, has alleged. Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, a JVP parliament member, told the weekly Lakbimanews Sunday that by forcing the Mahinda Rajapaksa government to fully implement the devolution package, contained in the controversial 13th amendment of Sri Lanka's constitution, more..

Mar 9 (Reuters) Standing by the bullet-strafed ruin of her home in east Sri Lanka, housewife Jegan Devika prays the first poll in over a decade in an area recaptured from the Tamil Tigers will mark the end of her civil war. Devika and thousands like her yearn for long-elusive, and lasting, peace after 25 years of war. She was forced to flee her home in this former rebel-held town in the eastern district of Batticaloa yet again in 2007 as artillery-backed troops regained the rebels' eastern strongholds. more..

Mar 10 (CI) The Sri Lankan board has banned Ruchira Perera, a left-arm fast bowler, for a suspect bowling action. He will not be allowed to bowl until further notice. Sri Lanka Cricket have received several umpires' reports on Perera's bowling action during the on-going first-class season, a source in the board said. Perera, 30, who has played eight Tests and 19 ODIs for Sri Lanka, turns out for Colombo Colts in the Premier League competition. more..

Mar 10 (CI) Sri Lankan umpire Ranmor Martinesz has been banned from officiating at any matches sanctioned by Sri Lanka Cricket, after he joined the unofficial Indian Cricket League. Martinesz had requested for leave from officiating at matches conducted by SLC, sources in the board said. However the SLC refused to grant him a break. Martinesz, 40, was a fast bowling allrounder who represented St Peter's College. more..

Mar 10 (CI) Mahela Jayawardene has said Sri Lanka's poor starts and inconsistent middle order were the reasons his side were beaten in two successive one-day series. "When things like that happen the negativity creeps in, you are not sure whether it is going to happen or not," Jayawardene said. "These guys have been pretty good for us in the last couple of years but all of a sudden when three or four guys don't get the runs which they usually get that created a bit of an issue." more..

Mar 10 (CI) Chris Gayle has warned his West Indies team to be on their guard against Sri Lanka when the two-Test and five-match ODI tour starts later this month. Both sides are coming off a run of indifferent form - West Indies struggled on tour in South Africa and Sri Lanka won just two matches in the CB Series - and Gayle says the visitors boast a strong core of senior players. He picked out the batting of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara alongside more..

Mar 10 (PTI) Sri Lanka's leading conglomerate Aitken Spence has acquired management control of four Indian hotels and four resorts, some of them under construction, taking advantage of the surge in demand in the hospitality sector in the country. "We are on track to control around 1,400 rooms in India within two years, making them overtake domestic (Sri Lankan) operations unless new hotels are built in the island, an official said. more..

Mar 10 (BBC) People in Batticaloa are voting in the first polls since the government drove the Tamil Tigers from eastern Sri Lanka. The elections are for a municipal council and smaller local authorities in outlying areas. But the party that is expected to win - the TMVP is made up of former Tamil Tiger rebels, and they have not laid down their arms. Pradeep Master is a leading candidate for political office, standing in Batticaloa's local polls for the TMVP. more..

Mar 10 (LG) The much hyped mini poll to elect 9 local government bodies in the Batticaloa district are to be held tomorrow (March 10). Batticaloa district Assistant Election Commissioner T. Krishnananthalingam said all arrangements were in place for the elections and expressed hope that the elections would be peaceful. But others differ hugely and say the election is a farce due to "military oppression" and paramilitary groups. more..

Mar 10 (LG) 'Karuvala Gedara' (House of Shadows), the well loved novel by Martin Wickremasinghe that looks into the life-style of a village in the south of Sri Lanka a few decades ago is now being telecast over ITN every Sunday at 8 pm starting from March 9. The 30 episode series, telecast would take viewers back to the time of Mathara Hamine, Nanda and Piyal, to the tradition-rich social fabric of the southern part of the island, to the changing patterns of life and more..

Mar 10 (LG) Western science is supposed to be making attempts to understand the objective reality, and the truths or whatever that is taught by the westerners is said to be objectively valid. The entire European modernism that began in the fifteenth century with renaissance, is based on objectivity, reality, and absolute truth. Rationality, a concept that has been created and developed in the west, "rationalises" these three concepts that are interdependent. more..

Mar 10 (LG) Human rights violations in Sri Lanka continue to occupy the International Human Rights Council in Geneva and many international human rights groups have for many years expressed their concern over the continuation of violence and human rights abuses that occur with impunity in Sri Lanka. Since the Tamil vote for a separate home land, the �Tamil Ealam' in 1977, the state machinery has unleashed unbearable hardship on the Tamil minority community. more..

Mar 10 (AT) The 17th Amendment is the ideal issue, a goal both desirable and achievable. The 17th Amendment is not something alien and inimical imposed on us by a �perfidious� international community. It is the outcome of a Sri Lankan impulse towards the greater democratisation of the state. Its aim is to introduce some necessary balance into a system dangerously lopsided in favour of the executive. more..

Mar 10 (AT) The events leading to the murder of Tamil National Alliance Member of Parliament Kiddnar Sivanesan, now seemed like a mystery novel. Details emerging show intrigue and ruthless disregard for human life. Culled from the crucial conversation Sivanesan had with two other TNA MPs and a freelance reporter of the Tamilnet provide the backdrop to the turn of events ending the life of Sivanesan. more..

Mar 10 (IL) Who could have seen this coming? Former U.S. Associate Attorney General Bruce Fein has called upon an eminent Sri Lankan diplomat and present ambassador to the U.S. to an open debate at the National Press Club on American soil. Does the call challenge the intellectuality of our Sri Lankan generations? Will Sri Lankan Ambassador to the US Bernard Goonetilleke accept this call to show that Sri Lankans are prepared for any challenge? more..

Mar 10 (SLW) The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) launched several small scale counterattacks against the advancing forces of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in the Parappakandal region yesterday. Although pro rebel media claimed high casualties for SLA in these incidents, our sources indicate that the attacks were neutralized with minimal casualties with the help of Air Force gunships and armored units. more..

Mar 10 (LG) Mohhamed Alim Mohamed Hisbullah has been re-active in politics after a brief relapse. He is now vocal about election violence in the East and is trying to boost his tarnished image in his own town Kattankudy whilst re-cultivating his support base in Eravur and Oddamavdi. He has been in serious confrontations with Ameer Ali; Minister of Disaster. Ameer Ali was their party MP some three years ago when he secured a seat under the SLMC, and later crossed over to the UPFA. more..

Mar 10 (LG) "The world is fast changing, but Sri Lanka is rapidly decaying. The changing world is accepting and accommodating the minorities as part of their nation's society and embracing them as people in an accommodative way. Sri Lanka which is a tiny drop in the world map is still talking about prejudicial politics to alienate and marginalize the minorities" This is how the Sri Lanka Guardian begins it editorial of the 6 March,2008. more..

Mar 10 (LG) It is easy to dismiss the upcoming 10 March local government elections in Batticaloa district as farcical, intended on imposing a twisted and truncated political will of the Colombo Government on the Eastern population, particularly the Tamils and the Tail-speaking Muslims. By extension, the argument can be made that these polls, as also the promised provincial elections in the East subsequently, are not aimed at re-instilling the confidence of the larger Tamil community, or more..

Mar 10 (LG) LTTE political wing leader B. Nadesan has written to the UN general secretary requesting UN to recognize the sovereignty of the Tamil nation. This is a result of the barbaric war mongering policy of the GOSL , Vickramabahu Karunarathne (�Bahu�)is the general secretary of the Nava Saja Samana Party (NSSP - New Socialist Party), the Sri Lanka section of the Fourth International, said in a statement. more..

Mar 10 (LeN) Sri Lanka is emerging as a new hub for trans-national Islamic extremism in South Asia. Thirty years of civil war, faltering economy and third world politics are playing their part in the emergence Sri Lanka as a hub of trans-national Islamic extremism. Sri Lanka has been at civil war for most part of the past three decades. The main protagonists are the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) dominated by 'Sinhala' speaking Buddhists -identified as ethnic Sinhalese- and more..

Mar 10 (AFP) The Asian Development Bank said Monday it would double its loan commitment for a major highway project in Sri Lanka to 140 million dollars. A 90 million-dollar loan approved in 1999 would be supplemented by a second loan to ensure the completion of the Colombo-Matara-Galle highway and widen it to four lanes instead of two, the Manila-based lender said in a statement. The bank also committed a 300,000-dollar grant to prepare a long-term land use and development plan along the 128-kilometre (79.4-mile) highway. more..

Mar 10 (LBO) Sri Lankan poultry firm Bairaha Farms has said its chicken sales will not be affected by a court order that suspended production at its slaughter house as it has enough stocks. "We do not expect the court's decision to have an impact on our sales since we already have large stocks of frozen chicken to meet a temporary situation of this nature," the company said in a statement to the Colombo stock exchange. more..

Mar 10 (LBO) The sale of an equity stake in Sri Lanka Telecom held by Japan's NTT to Malaysia's Usaha Tegas group could go ahead, the island's supreme court has ruled, a reporter at the court said. Court has said the sale is between two private parties but if a fresh management agreement is signed by the new shareholder with the government it has to be done by a transparent process through a public notice. more..

Mar 10 (AT) The polling for the nine local government bodies is taking place today in the Batticaloa district. Polling will commence at 7AM and will close at 4 PM. Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, speaking to Asian Tribune, said that everybody should come forward to vote in the mini polls taking place today in the Batticaloa district. He added that nearly 270,471 voters are eligible to cast their votes to elect 101 Members to more..

Mar 10 (GDI) Delivering the key-note speech at the seminar 'Maritime Security and Law" Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rohitha Bogollagama said that the relevance of Maritime Security to an island state is paramount in securing one's country from the internal shocks that can get generated, and to safeguard stability, security and territorial integrity. The seminar was organized to educate Sri Lankan naval personnel of the steps adopted by UK to strengthen more..

Mar 10 (GDI) The Government, along with the UNESCO, has taken steps to construct the Seruwila Raja Maha Viharya's Museum, following the announcement that Seruwila has been named a World Heritage Site. Bank of Ceylon has stepped for to provide financial assistance for the project, while the Government along with UNESCO has allocated funds over Rs.100 million to develop the site. An official ceremony was held at the Seruwila Temple on Saturday (08) to more..

Mar 10 (GDI) Minister of Transport Dulles Alahappruma said that steps have been taken to absorb 1500 casual, substitute and contract employees into the permanent cadre of the Railway Service. The minister has stated that these employees had been recruited before he took over as Minister of Transport and that he had held discussions with the Salaries and Cadres Commission, the State Management Services Department and the Treasury more..

Mar 10 (wsws) Anniversaries of �national independence� in former colonial countries are usually occasions for the ruling elites to indulge in grandiose self-praise of past achievements and glories. However, last month�s commentary in Colombo on 60 years of Sri Lankan independence, commemorated amid renewed civil war and deepening social and political tensions, was full of pessimism and self-doubt. more..

Mar 10 (NYT) For years, the guerrilla army known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam had the run of the place, only to be driven out last summer by the military, with help from a breakaway Tamil rebel faction. The houses here are still battered from the fighting. Its people are still rattled from having to run. On Monday, voters here and across the region will go to the polls in the first local elections in a dozen years. more..

Mar 10 (SAMN) Alcohol is a major reason for domestic violence in rural and urban areas and the government has taken action in reducing alcoholism under the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Act, Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said. He said the high domestic violence rate in Sri Lanka is a concern for the policy makers of the government as it contributes to weaken the productivity in the country. more..

Mar 10 (SAMN) The Standing Committee on Resource Management and Eradication of Waste of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) has revealed that the council has spent millions worth of funds on various projects in the areas which do not come under its control. CMC Opposition Leader Vasudeva Nanayakkara said the funds have been spent violating the Municipal Ordinance as the councillors have not approved spending for these while no approval had been obtained from the Finance Committee. more..

Mar 10 (SAMN) After a lapse of many years, the 33rd Royal -Thomian 50 over limited over cricket fixture for the �Mustangs Trophy� will return to the P. Saravanamuttu Stadium to be played on March 29. For the first time in the series, a white ball will be used and both teams will play in coloured clothing supplied by MAS Active. Both the three day and 50 over game continues to be sponsored by Dialog GSM. more..

Mar 10 (SAMN) The world�s biggest arms dealer who was captured by Thai police last week had a heart for Sri Lanka during the devastating 2004 tsunami, the Guardian newspaper reported. Viktor Bout, nicknamed the Merchant of Death and Lord of War had reportedly flown aid to Sri Lanka after the tsunami although there were no reports of what sort of assistance he had given, be it food, medicine or any other kind of supplies. more..

Mar 10 (DN) Social Services and Social Welfare Minister Lionel Premasiri said a large number of social service programmes have been organised throughout the country to empower women and recognise them as an integral part of society. These programmes will be carried out with private sector participation. Through such programmes the recognition of women in society will increase thus giving due recognition to their contribution to the country�s wellbeing. more..

Mar 10 (Reuters) The Sri Lankan rupee rose to a 14-month high on Monday despite intervention by a state bank, as banks and exporters expected the currency to appreciate after the central bank confirmed it was arranging a dollar loan last week. The rupee rose to 107.42/52 at 0750 GMT from Friday's close of 107.60/70, its highest since Jan. 1, 2007. The central bank said on Wednesday it had decided to raise up to $300 million in a syndicated loan from more..

Mar 10 (DN) Annual maternal deaths have decreased to 200 to 300 which was around 1,000 earlier. This is due to free education and the Government�s commitment towards maternal health, Family Health Bureau Director Dr. Vineetha Karunarathne said. Addressing a seminar on �Health Implication of Leave and Other Entitlements of Working Women� at the Health Education Bureau Auditorium last Friday, Dr. Karunarathne said Sri Lanka maintains a strong network of Ante-natal Intra-natal and post-natal services. more..

Mar 10 (Island) Although trade unions, particularly Lanka Viduli Sevaka Sangamaya, affiliated to the JVP has been severely critical of the mismanagement and negligence on the part of the Rajapaksa administration, it has conveniently forgotten the illegitimate practice which has contributed to the current financial chaos in the CEB. The JVP union with a membership of 8,000 and the 400-member strong Engineers Union are the two most influential in the power sector. more..

Mar 10 (Island) Media Minster Anura Priyadharshana Yapa said on Friday that the relevant Minister would respond to The International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) decision to terminate its operations in Sri Lanka by the end of this month and leave the country in April. Asked if the government was concerned about IIGEP ending its operations in Sri Lanka, Yapa said "I got to know about it, only after reading Friday�s newspapers. I will ask the relevant Minister to answer your query." more..

Mar 10 (DM) The government is considering inviting a group of eminent persons from SAARC countries to fill the gap which would be created by the withdrawal of the existing Independent International Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) at the end of this month, highly placed sources said. However the source maintained such an appointment would depend on the feedback the government gets from the Co-chairs to the Tokyo Donor Conference on Sri Lanka, more..

Mar 10 (DM) The UNP yesterday refuted the claim made by Minister Mahinda Samarasingha that the government has agreed to the setting up of of Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights stating the Minister had not discussed the matter with the Opposition or anybody else. �The fact of the matter however is, that neither the Government nor the Minister of Human Rights (Samarasingha) has recently discussed any proposal to establish a Human Rights Committee with the Opposition nor more..

Mar 10 (Reuters) A suspected rebel bomb exploded in a mostly Tamil residential area of the Sri Lankan capital on Monday, killing one and wounding five, including children, military sources said. The parcel bomb exploded near a cinema in the Colombo neighbourhood of Wellawatta, the sources said, adding that they suspected Tamil Tiger rebels who want to create an independent state in the north and east of the country. more..

Mar 10 (AFP) Security forces armed with loud hailers were deployed in eastern Sri Lanka Monday to drive away wild elephants blocking access to polling booths, police said. Villagers in Wellaveli told the authorities that they were unable to vote at the first local elections in 14 years because a herd of elephants had blocked their polling booth, a police official in the area said. more..

Mar 10 (Reuters) Residents in swathes of Sri Lanka's war-ravaged east voted for the first time in more than a decade on Monday, but with armed former Tamil Tiger rebels seen as the likely poll winners, peace remains precarious. The local elections are seen as a dry run for a wider provincial vote in the north and east -- the government's blueprint for devolution in minority Tamil areas it hopes will go hand-in-hand with its push to win a 25-year civil war. more..

Mar 10 (NYT) FOR 25 years, the dirty little war on this island in the Indian Ocean has stretched its octopus arms across the world. The ethnic Tamil diaspora has provided vital funding for separatist rebels; remittances from Sri Lankan workers abroad have propped up the economy; the government has relied on foreign assistance to battle the insurgency. Today, a shifting world order is bearing new fruits for Sri Lanka. more..