Mar 27 (SLW) Buddhika Edirisinghe, Sarasavi Youth Peramuna co ordinating Secretary, addressing the Media at the UNP media unit today (26 Mar) said, almost every day, at least one Govt. school in the rural area is closing down for lack of facilities and funds. Only 428 lakhs was allocated for education at the last budget while 157 lakhs was allocated for the President�s expenditure alone! He exclaimed. more..

Mar 27 (SLW) Ranjith Maddumabandara UNP M.P. speaking to the Media at the UNP media unit today, (26 Mar) , said, while the Govt. is ruining the education of the children due to its inefficiency and political opportunism , the JVP on the other hand is making a deliberate concerted effort to destroy their future and education. more..

Mar 27 (SLW) Leader of Opposition and UNP, Ranil Wicremesinghe, addressing the huge gathering of UNP local Govt. representatives in Colombo said that, as the main opposition and a Party that has always stood by the masses cannot but take action in the people�s interests against the Rajapakse Govt. which is unceasingly imposing unbearable burdens and hardships on the people. more..

Mar 27 (LG) The United States State Department�s 2007 Human Rights Report on Sri Lanka depicts a chilling level of state sponsored terrorism orchestrated by the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) far worse than some among the five countries officially listed by the United States as state sponsors of terrorism: Cuba, Sudan, North Korea, Syria, and Iran. The Congress of the United States should pass a joint resolution urging President more..

Mar 27 (LG) Today economic diplomacy has become a cogent and compelling driving force for the political development of any nation, be it developed or developing. Economic diplomacy has been broadly defined as promotion of trade and trade related activities, attraction of outward and inward investments i.e. FDIs, FIIs and International Joint Ventures (IJVs), enhancement of tourism, telecommunication and energy and transport networks, more..

Mar 27 (LG) It is more than two decades now, since the 13th amendment was passed in parliament. The agony of our country is that still we are discussing about implementing the 13th amendment. It is my fervent hope that had the Governments in the past implemented the 13th amendment wholeheartedly, and in its true spirit, today the political equation might have been different. Mr. Chairman, before I touch on the subject of implementing the 13th amendment, more..

Mar 27 (LD) Secretary of the Patriotic National Movement (PNM) Wimal Weerawansa says that it would be a grave crime to disarm the Pillayan Group that is fighting alongside the security forces against separatism, after splitting up from the LTTE. This comment by Weerawansa, who is also Propaganda Secretary and Parliamentary Group leader of the JVP at a media briefing in Colombo yesterday, is in stark contrast to party leader Somawansa Amarasinghe�s stance. more..

Mar 27 (LD) Susanthi Thambirasa, who had been arrested on the charge of being a LTTE suicide bomber nearly one-and-a-half year ago, was freed by the Colombo Magistrate�s Court today. Earlier on January 31st, the Attorney General informed the Court of Appeal that there was no objections to her release. On that day, Gowrie Shankar Thavarasa, the lawyer appearing on behalf of Susanthi, filed a habeas corpus, calling for the producing of her client before the court. more..

Mar 27 (LD) A gang had dug up a room in the bungalow of Rohana Wijeweera, the late leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, in Bandarawela and made away with a large box believed to be containing valuables, including jewellery. They had come in a van, tied up the watchers of the premises at Katugaha, dug up the floor of a room, and removed the box. The National Youth Services Council is presently using the bungalow. more..

Mar 27 (LD) Though it is essential that the 13th Amendment should be implemented in full, it is not the solution for the national issue of the country constitutional expert Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne says. He said that a set of proposals pertaining to extensive devolution of power was needed as a way out. The President�s Counsel made the remark at a seminar under more..

Mar 27 (GDI) "My first and last love is Radio Ceylon Hindi programmes", says Kumar Navathe of Mumbai, India. Kumar, a businessman, artist, musician and writer has visited Sri Lanka on six occasions earlier and the place he adores most, the then Radio Ceylon and the present Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, (SLBC) on two occasions, in August 2006 and now, March, 2008. more..

Mar 27 (GDI) With the intention of easing the burden of the people, the Government has decided to sanction the duty-free import of rice with effect midnight today (27th). This decision was taken after a special meeting that President Mahinda Rajapaksa held with Minister of Agriculture Maithripala Sirisena, Minister of Trade Bandula Gunawardena and Minister of Foreign Affair Rohitha Bogollagama, Secretary to the President and the Secretaries of the Ministries of Finance and Trade. more..

Mar 27 (GDI) Another group of civilians fleeing LTTE held areas in Kilinochchi, Vedithalathivu, Pudukudirippu and Champiyanpattu reached the naval detachment at Mannar, Kayts last Tuesday (25). According to the escapees, comprising 26 Tamil civilians, they had decided to flee the terrorists held areas due to LTTE intimidation. This has led them to risk their own lives in finding a way towards the liberated areas. more..

Mar 27 (GDI) The Government has taken steps to build Sri Lanka's largest fishery harbour in Chilaw at a cost of Rs 122 m, the Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Felix Perera said. The project is being funded by under the Coastal Resources Management project which comes under the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and it is expected to be launched by the end of this year. more..

Mar 27 (GDI) Ministry of Power and Energy has revealed that the construction work of the Sampoor coal power plant will begin in three months time. The Plant is a joint venture with India. The Ministry in a media release said that the coal power plant in Sampoor is expected to provide 1000 MegaWatts (MW) to the national grid and that the first stage of the project will provide 500MW to the national grid by 2012. more..

Mar 27 (GDI) The executive body of the Sri Lanka Teacher Trade Union and the Ministry of Education following a lengthy series of discussions reached agreement on several issues on Tuesday (25th). Accordingly, the following decisions were taken: To grant a 10% portion for the teaching and non-teaching staff of the schools in the 2009 National Policy for Grade One student enrolment. more..

Mar 27 (GDI) The agreement on initiating and enforcing the Kotte Town Development Plan was signed today (26th) at the Kotte Urban Council. The Plan has been designed to cater to changing needs including expected population increase over the 20 years. Accordingly, Kotte, Nugegoda, Rajagiriya will be developed as commercial hubs. Other measures in the Plan includes the Green Town Development Plan, securing places with historical value and more..

Mar 27 (GDI) The first phase of the Urban Beautification project will be inaugurated on March 27, 2008 at 9.00 am. The project will be implemented by the Road Development Authority (RDA) under the guidance of the Minister of Highways and Road Development, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and under the first phase, steps would be taken to clean the roadway from the round-about near Kotte Parliament to Devi Balika Vidyalaya in Colombo 08. more..

Mar 27 (PISL) I had not intended to produce a paper for my presentation today, but I was struck last week by an article entitled �War of Words on the ethnic front� by one of our more distinguished former diplomats. It raised questions that deserve detailed consideration, and I thought then that it might be useful to frame my presentation today around the issues he raised. more..

Mar 27 (LNP) Accusing the Sri Lankan Consulate in Chennai of false propaganda, unlawful intelligence gathering and tipping off exercises, Agni Subramaniam, the Executive Director of Chennai based Manitham Human Rights Organization is requesting the authorities to close down this Consulate. He has made several accusations against this Consulate in an interview to Kumudam Reporter, the well known Tamil weekly magazine from Tamilnadu. more..

Mar 27 (LNP) Contradicting last week s reported JVP call for the Pillaiyan Group to be disarmed, JVP Parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa, representing the PNM, said that disarming the group would make it vulnerable to the LTTE. He urged that it be absorbed into the democratic process. He told a media conference that the Opposition leader had compared Pillaiyan to Varadharaja Perumal, but the crucial difference was that the Pillaiyan Group after deserting the LTTE had worked with the government s security forces. more..

Mar 27 (LNP) This is an era of activism. Radicalisation of institutions is the order of the day! The judiciary is leading the way by taking on the legislature and the executive and its campaign has had a bandwagon effect. Several other institutions are apparently following suit with the noble goal of turning this little country into a five star democracy. Now, we hear that the Organisation of Professional Associations (OPA) is planning to move a resolution calling upon all political parties to impeach President Mahinda Rajapaksa. more..

Mar 27 (SAMN) Visiting British Parliamentarian Liam Fox yesterday met Science and Technology Minister Tissa Vitharana and held extensive talks on the current situation in Sri Lanka and the Government's endeavour to solve the ethnic issue through the APRC process. The Minister briefed Fox on how the APRC is striving to workout a final settlement to the issue through consensus of various political idealogies and dogmas. more..

Mar 27 (SAMN) The Government has embarked on a campaign to seek international support for its seat at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), which comes up for review in May, and has already sent a team to New York headed by Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe for meetings with UN member states. Minister Samarasinghe is scheduled to hold talks with at least 30 ambassadors from various countries more..

Mar 27 (SAMN) The Catholic Church has complained to President Mahinda Rajapaksa that two bishops had been allegedly harassed at the Habarana checkpoint recently when they were returning from Trincomalee after a function, last week. According to church sources, the police officers at the checkpoint had requested them to get down from the vehicle and had addressed them as �Mahaththaya� despite their attire. more..

Mar 27 (SAMN) Construction work on the sub-dam and the alternative routes of the Moragahakanda reservoir have been started according to the Chief Residential Engineer D. B. Wijeratne. Giving details of the work schedule to be completed within this year Wijeratne said the extent of the sub-dam is 45 metres and it is 20 metres in height. The alternative road is a distance of 10 kilometres from Kongahawela to the Moragahakanda reservoir. more..

Mar 27 (DN) The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has agreed to provide a soft loan in a sum of Saudi Riyal 75 million (approximately Rs. 2175 million) for the construction of a Epilepsy Hospital and a supplementary loan in a sum of Saudi Riyal 11 million (approximately Rs. 320 million) for the construction of a Neuro-Trauma Centre at the Colombo General Hospital. The two loans will be provided through the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), more..

Mar 27 (DN) The traditional harvest festival and milk boiling ceremony sponsored by the Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services Ministry will take place on April 5 and 6 at the Udamaluwa in the Anuradhapura city. The Commissioner of Agrarian Services, Anuradhapura has requested the farmer organisations to hand over the newly harvested paddy to Agrarian Services Centres, a spokesman for the Ministry said. more..

Mar 27 (Island) While it was being reported that the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress was holding talks with the United National Party about a no-contest pact for the forthcoming Eastern Provincial Council election, the All Ceylon Muslim Congress was making attempts to unite all Muslim political parties together with Tamil and Sinhalese parties to contest the election to secure a strong position so that they could have their own Chief Minister elected. more..

Mar 27 (Island) Controversy surrounds the transfer of DIG Nimal Lewke, Commandant of the elite STF, by the National Police Commission on the recommendation of IGP Victor Perera. The transfer of the veteran counter-insurgency expert came hot on the heels of a decision taken by the government to withdraw a section of the STF deployed in the Ampara District for redeployment in the North Central region to enhance security in the area vulnerable to LTTE attacks. more..

Mar 27 (DM) Four persons have died last week at the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital due to an unidentified disease, doctors said. Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) of the Anuradhapura hospital Dr. Ajith Jayasena told the Daily Mirror that investigations are underway by the hospital authorities to ascertain whether this was an infectious viral disease. Three males and a female from Welioya, Maradankadawala and Galnewa have died on three successive days last week at more..

Mar 27 (DM) While the Civil Monitoring Commission against extra-judicial killings and abductions charged that there had been 40 cases of abductions in and around Colombo during the first three months of this year, Government ally Upcountry People�s Front (UPF) said the number is much lower. UPF front liner Minister P Radhakrishnan told the Daily Mirror the situation is exaggerated by some elements as many who have been abducted have returned except, for around 10 persons who had not been traced. more..

Mar 27 (IFJ) The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has today sent a joint letter to the President of Sri Lanka voicing the concerns from over 30 journalists� associations and press freedom and human rights organisations across the globe for the safety of journalists from the island nation. Addressed to Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka, the letter demands an immediate change in the escalating culture of violence against journalists by government officials and more..

Mar 27 (AT) India's hosting of Sri Lankan Army chief Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka in Delhi this month has evoked an angry growl from the LTTE. Castigating India for giving the Lankan army chief a "state welcome", the LTTE has warned India against committing "the historic blunder" of propping up "the Sinhala war machine". India would be responsible for "the ethnic genocide of the Tamils [in Sri Lanka]" that a Lankan army, "re-invigorated" by Indian support, would carry out, an LTTE statement said. more..

Mar 27 (AP) Sri Lankan fighter jets bombed a Tamil rebel camp Thursday while scattered battles across the country's war-torn north killed 23 rebels and six soldiers, the military said. The violence was part of a heavy increase in fighting along the front lines of the Tamil Tigers' de facto state in the north in recent months. The government has vowed to crush the group by the end of the year, but diplomats and other observers say the army has faced more resistance than it expected. more..

Mar 27 (AP) Nearly 18 months after Sri Lanka launched an independent investigation into a wave of civilian killings during its renewed civil war, not a single case has been resolved, and some human rights groups and lawyers fear no one will ever be held accountable. A credible probe into the incidents, including the slaying of 17 aid workers blamed on security forces, will test the government's will to pursue potentially embarrassing cases and more..

Mar 27 (IANS) Sri Lankan film director Thushara Peiries, who was allegedly attacked by a mob in Chennai for making an allegedly 'anti-Tamil' film, is on a 'fast-unto-death' demanding that the two governments help him get back prints of his film. 'I have stopped having food, water and medicines. I want the Sri Lankan and Indian governments to get involved and help me get the prints of my film back from the mob which seized them after beating me badly,' more..

Mar 28 (GV) For those familiar with the fairytales of the Grimm Brothers, the story of the young girl who equals her love for her father to her love for salt is no doubt a resounding one. Banished from her home by a wounded father who assumes her love for him to be trivial, she later gains grace when he realises the true depth of her love for him. However, for the Muslim refugees of Puttalam, life is no fairytale. more..

Mar 28 (LG) The innocent civilians who escaped the terror reign in Kilinochi on 25th March and seeking refuge were rescued by the Navy off Delft Island, have now revealed the stark naked truth prevailing in the un-liberated areas controlled by terror outfit- LTTE, according to Sri Lanka Navy sources. The startling revelation they make bear testimony to the effect how innocent people are being incarcerated. more..

Mar 28 (LBO) Sri Lanka's tourism industry has the capacity to bounce back, officials who returned from a travel fair in Germany after spreading the message that island is safe for foreign visitors, said. "Right now we are going through a bit of a slow down," Hiran Cooray, the Managing Director of Jetwing Hotels said after a visit to ITB Berlin 2008, the world's largest travel trade show. more..

Mar 28 (LBO) The SAARC Payments Initiative (SPI), enabling a more efficient payment mechanism among south Asian countries, is to be launched in Colombo tomorrow, the Sri Lanka Central Bank said Thursday. The initiative will upgrade the region�s payment systems to international standards and help promote trade and investment in south Asia, a Central Bank statement said. more..

Mar 28 (LD) A Sri Lankan housemaid serving in Oman has committed suicide by hanging, sources at the Bureau of Foreign Employment said. The woman has been identified as a 35-year-old resident of Borella. The Sri Lankan embassy in Muscat has been asked to furnish further details, General Manger of the Bureau Lasantha Ruhunage said. The woman�s body is expected to be brought home and handed over to her next of kin. more..

Mar 28 (BBC) Dubbed version (in Tamil) of the controversial film Prabakaran was screened in Chennai to the agitating Tamil activists. Around 30 Tamil activists from various Tamil groups and political parties viewed the film at a preview theatre in Chennai. Police protection was provided to the film rolls through out it transportation and screening. After seeing the film, Tamil activists have alleged that the entire film demeans Tamils in general and their �freedom struggle� in particular. more..

Mar 28 (LeN) Foreign employment agents say that the Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare and the Chairman of Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau (SLFEB) have made a business out of the tours to foreign countries in the guise of signing contracts. They point out that when the agencies put forward the employment vacancy lists for the approval of the SLFEB, 50% of them are slashed. more..

Mar 28 (WB) In support of the Government of Sri Lanka�s efforts to ensure the safety of the public from risks of ageing dams and to manage its water resources, the World Bank today approved a US$65.33 million credit for the Sri Lanka Dam Safety and Water Resources Planning Project. The project aims to improve the operational efficiency of 80 dams and to establish sustainable institutional arrangements for safety management and operations and maintenance of major dams in the country. more..

Mar 28 (Reuters) Sri Lanka has launched a mystery poster campaign inviting would-be Tamil Tiger suicide bombers to phone a government helpline in exchange for 10 million rupees ($92,000) and a new life overseas. "Why should you die with a scattered body?" the red-and-yellow posters, placed in Tamil-dominated areas of the capital, Colombo, asked readers contemplating becoming members of what the rebels call elite "Black Tiger" suicide squads. more..

Mar 28 (JD) A dissident columnist is hauled away on a meaningless �detention order.� His frantic wife says he has been beaten � and is, in all likelihood, being beaten at this moment. She begs a family friend with international ties to get word out; the friend fires off an email to an influential American acquaintance, begging him to use his pull with Washington and the media to put unrelenting pressure on the embassy. more..

Mar 28 (LG) The innocent civilians who escaped the terror reign in Kilinochi on 25th March and seeking refuge were rescued by the Navy off Delft Island, have now revealed the stark naked truth prevailing in the un-liberated areas controlled by terror outfit- LTTE, according to Sri Lanka Navy sources. The startling revelation they make bear testimony to the effect how innocent people are being incarcerated. more..

Mar 28 (LG) Thirty-one years ago, a 20-year old Valvettiturai smuggler apprentice executed Mayor Alfred Duryappah on the grounds of the historic Varatharajah Perumal Temple, Ponnalai on the western seaboard of the Jaffna peninsula. He was a peoples-friendly, down to earth man who had helped to modernize the City of Jaffna and improve its amenities as never ever before. more..

Mar 28 (LG) The conflict in Sri Lanka over the last two and half decades has seen many waves of large scale displacement. It is estimated that 3 million of Sri Lanka�s population (whose total is approximately 20 million) have been displaced. About a third of this population has fled the country and sought refuge in foreign countries; the rest have remained as Internally Displaced Persons. more..