Apr 26 (LBO) A new ministry has been created with about 20 mostly loss making state enterprises, in a bid to make them more profitable and less of a burden on the people, officials said. P Dayaratne, one of 37 ministers appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa this week, will head the ministry of state resources and entrepreneurial development which will oversee the former strategic enterprise management agency (SEMA). more..

Apr 26 (TN) Jaffna police will frame charges against the three suspects who had abducted two family men from Navaali in Jaffna for ransom claiming that they were from the Intelligence Wing of Sri Lanka Army (SLA). The charges are to be made in Mallaakam magistrate court under Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and Emergency Regulations (ER). Preliminary investigations reveal the suspects� involvement in earlier more..

Apr 26 (AFP) The untamed bleached blond locks have been dyed black as Sri Lanka's sling sensation Lasith Malinga tempers his looks and polishes his armoury for the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean. Short and squat, his unorthodox action, with a low point of release against the backdrop of the umpire's chest or head, makes it hard for even the world's finest batsmen to duck his yorkers or sight the ball. more..

Apr 26 (TC) Dr. Sudharshan Seneviratne�s article expressing his outrage of Jeremy Pages�s piece in the Times is an important contribution towards building a new Sri Lanka. Many with a similar mind set to Seneviratne have been silent for too long, because of the belligerence of fascists on both sides of Sri Lanka�s ethnic divide. Many have left the country in disgust, as nationalists on both sides have taken over the interpretation of history to more..

Apr 26 (LG) President Rajapakse�s choice of Prof GL Pieris as Foreign Minister is by far the best that anyone could have made, while the Deputy Minister has been excellently chosen too. This gives the lie to the punditry of those professional pessimists who think that improvement is impossible under this administration (as if it weren�t responsible for the biggest, most qualitative improvement of all, the defeat and destruction of the Tigers). more..

Apr 26 (TC) When the North Indian media and politicians were awash with IPL scandals and Deputy Minister Sashi Tharoor and his girl friend Sunanda Pushkar, in contrast Tamilnadu was after Prabhakaran's ailing mother Parvathi Ammal�s deportation from Chennai airport. Mrs. Parvathi Ammal was said to have collected her visa on Friday16th from the Indian High Commission in Malaysia and more..

Apr 26 (TN) Selvaratnam Roopan, sub-editor of Tamil daily �Yarl Thinakural� and a journalist who dedicated his entire life to his vocation and in creating political awareness and responsibility among the residents of Jaffna peninsula, passed away Sunday evening at Jaffna Teaching Hospital, due to undiagnosed illness. 32-year-old Roopan had been in the forefront in rescuing thousands of people caught in the clashes in more..

Apr 26 (LG) It must have been some relief for President Mahinda Rajapakse that the outgoing Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollogama was defeated in the general election. It was an easy exit without acrimonious politicking. The nation too deserves such an unexpected blessing for a peaceful booting. Bogollogama�s successor Prof. G L Pieris is an academic and in the recent times has proved him an unprincipled man. He is known to have contradicted his own statements many times and more..

Apr 26 (TC) �How long may we stay in another man�s land?� sang Kasi Ananthan, the Poet Laureate of Tamil Eelam, few years ago, in a Tamil poem that begins with the worlds, �The parrot and the woodpecker may return to their nests without hindrance, but we the Tamil refugees may not�. Kasi Ananthan was a devoted follower of Velupillai Prabhakaran and was passionately committed to the carving out more..

Apr 26 (NT) Results from last weekend's referendum by Australia's Sri Lankan Tamil population have given almost unanimous support for the proposal for an independent Tamil homeland in Sri Lanka. The vote by Australian Sri Lankan Tamils follows those in seven other countries, including Canada and Britain, each of which have produced a 99 per cent vote in favour of Tamil independence. The vote might seem redundant, following the defeat of the LTTE more..

Apr 26 (LBO) A crisis Sri Lanka state-run 'free' education system funded by people's taxes has worsened with 47 percent of students failing a key junior high school test leaving them stranded with no prospects, a report said. At Sri Lanka's general certificate of education - ordinary level, equal to a junior high school diploma the pass rate has fallen to 53 percent in 2009 from an already low 55 percent, The Sunday Times newspaper said. more..

Apr 26 (NF) The new cabinet of ministers could cause a lot of problems, said Tilvin Silva, General Secretary of the JVP. Addressing a media briefing this afternoon, Tilvin said the process of appointing ministers were continuing and there were several ministries still left without ministers. �For instance, there are no ministers for Mass Media and Information as well as for Livestock Development. more..

Apr 26 (NS) Ever since the crude annihilation of the Wilpattu National Park was disclosed in February, 2010, the largest national park of Sri Lanka has been under the media spotlight sporadically. Regardless of the significant media attention given to this destruction, the illegal construction activities have not come to a halt. Ample political support and the manpower provided by the Sri Lanka Navy bolster this ecological vandalism to audaciously continue. more..

Apr 26 (LeN) Today, we will be celebrating 4 years of survival. On April 25 of 2006, our father was attacked by a suicide bomber at the army headquarters. This was one of the most terrifying days of our lives, for several days we were not sure he would make it through. No one should awake with the news that their father has been attacked in this manner, but that was how me and my sister awoke that night. more..

Apr 26 (IANS) Hundreds of Tamils on Sunday protested outside the bungalow of Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, shouting slogans against his decision to visit Sri Lanka as chief guest for the India International Films Awards (IIFA) function in July. "We urge him not to attend the function in Colombo as a symbol of solidarity for the Tamilian cause in Sri Lanka. more..

Apr 26 (CI) MS Dhoni has added another feather to his captaincy hat. It was he who started the turnaround against a formidable Mumbai Indians attack, his deputy Suresh Raina capitalised on two dropped catches to score a crucial fifty, and Chennai Super Kings defended with aggression, smartness and flair to win the third IPL. Chennai were struggling at 68 for 3 after 12 overs when Dhoni got into the act: 100 runs were added in the last eight, more..

Apr 26 (TS) It took police nearly three days to arrest 75 Sri Lankan asylum seekers from a trawler anchored near the marine police base jetty in Batu Uban here as negotiations for them to surrender broke down. The police finally moved to detain the Sri Lankans at 11.30am yesterday after the 57-hour stand-off. The operation went smoothly as none of the immigrants were hurt, Penang police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Wira Ayub Yaakob said, more..

Apr 26 (Hindu) President Mahinda Rajapaksa will hold bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the SAARC summit scheduled in Bhutan on April 28 and 29. This would be the first meeting between Mr. Rajapaksa and Dr. Singh after the re-election of the former in the January 26 Presidential polls. The Sri Lankan President is also scheduled to make an official visit to India sometime in May. more..

Apr 26 (LP) The "Boat Show Sri Lanka 2010", which commenced on Saturday, at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Exhibition Centre attracted several leading International manufacturers� buyers and industry experts. The show is aimed at creating new opportunities for Sri Lankan Boat Industry to further develop its facilities and improve its standards. It attracts leading international manufacturers, buyers and industry experts. more..

Apr 26 (LP) Sri Lanka Navy brought 24 Sri Lankan fishermen safely home after their release from Indian custody on 23rd April 2010. The fishermen and 05 fishing trawlers were handed over to SLN officials by the Indian Coast Guard Ship "Ranijindan" at the Indo-Sri Lanka International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) in the seas north of Kankasanthurei. They were brought to the KKS Harbour and more..

Apr 26 (LP) The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) will be turned into a viable institution, says the new minister of Power and Energy, Patali Champika Ranawaka. Addressing a function at the Shri Sudarmaramaya in Rajagiriya yesterday, the new Power and Energy minister stressed that the CEB would be converted into an institute that does not incur losses. The function was held to establish a herbal garden under a programme being carried out by more..

Apr 26 (ST) Negombo hotels are filling fast with stranded tourists waiting for the first Europe-bound flight out of Katunayake, but most of them have exhausted their holiday budgets and have no money to pay for hotel rooms and meals. Hotels are being forced to accommodate them at discount rates and under special offers. Hotels and guesthouses in and around Negombo have been receiving a steady flow of guests after flights to Europe were cancelled last week. more..

Apr 26 (ST) Sri Lanka has made another bid to persuade United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to re-consider his decision to appoint a panel to advise him on accountability issues during the final phase of the military offensive against Tiger guerrillas. The latest appeal was made by Attorney General Mohan Peiris during talks with the UN chief in New York. more..

Apr 26 (MoD) President Mahinda Rajapaksa left for Thimpu, Bhutan early morning today (26 April) with the Sri Lankan delegation to attend the 16th SAARC Summit held on 28 - 29 April. Heads of eight nations will be attending the Summit. Three agreements of regional importance are due to be signed at the Summit. It would discuss rural prosperity as a key issue. more..

Apr 26 (MoD) Sri Lanka will take over the chairmanship of the Group of 15 from Iran next month at a two-day G 15 summit in Teheran beginning May 17. A high-level delegation led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa will attend the summit, where he is scheduled to meet Iranian President Ahamadinejad on the sidelines of the meeting for bilateral talks aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries. more..

Apr 26 (LNP) Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga in her inimitable sardonic way used to call her b te noire the then Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa the `reporter` in her Cabinet, as she thought he was responsible for leaking out information about her bungling government to the media because of his rapport with the journalistic fraternity. She was not completely wrong! He was easily accessible and outspoken and therefore became one of the most sought after politicians in those days. more..

Apr 26 (LT) The government�s crowing that they are the best champions of human rights has been proved another election gimmick only. Without stopping at violating human rights in the country which was the main reason for the denial of GSP+ by the European Union, the government has not allocated any portfolio for human rights in its new cabinet as well. more..

Apr 26 (LT) A serious conflict has developed between NFF Leader Wimal Weerawansa and the Minister of Tourism of the former government Achala Jagoda, a member of the NFF say reports. According to reports the main reason for the conflict is the attempt by Mr. Jagoda to join the SLFP. During the recently concluded general election NFF carried out a major role in the campaign of the UPFA as a main partner of the alliance and more..

Apr 26 (DN) Out of the 500 malaria patients detected last year, the majority were Armed Forces personnel in North and East, a Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry spokesman said. The spokesman said Sri Lanka will totally eradicate malaria by 2014 citing that in 2009 only around 500 malaria patients were found here while this number was half a million in 1994. According to the spokesman, within 15 years, Sri Lanka has brought down the number of malaria patients by 98 percent. more..

Apr 26 (DN) Elections are tense events, more so for those seeking political office than for those who elect them. First of all there are the anxieties suffered by individual political parties, especially those that are not frontrunners and indeed face the real threat of being wiped out. Then we have the individuals, both among the favourites and the probable losers. They spend scandalous amounts of money and wonder if they will get elected. more..

Apr 26 (DN) The blight that affected coconut crop in the South has resulted in a 40 percent drop in coconut production in the region. The blight (Yellowish rotting of coconut leaves) which commenced from Weligama in the Matara district resulted in 332,152 coconut trees being completely destroyed affecting an area of around 16,000 acres. The loss resulting from the blight so far has been estimated at Rs. 152 million while more..

Apr 26 (DN) The parents of a housemaid who died after allegedly falling from a two-story building in Makkah have complained of foul play to the Foreign Ministry in Colombo. The maid, Habibullah Arifa, allegedly slipped through the window of a second-floor apartment in Makkah on April 11 and died on the spot, Sri Lanka Consulate in Jeddah, Consul General Sabaraullah Khan said Saturday. she was being harassed all the time by the mistress of the house. more..

Apr 26 (AD) A former Deputy Minister, Myown Mustapha has been indicted by the Colombo High Court in connection with the alleged offering of a bribe with a view to secure a win for retired General Sarath Fonseka during the Presidential Election. The indictment was filed by the Attorney General this morning with the Colombo High Court and 21 witnesses have been named. Mr. Mustapha has been accused of offering a bribe of Rupees 4.3 million as a more..

Apr 26 (Island) Minster Nimal Siripala de Silva says the government intends to amend the Constitution before President Mahinda Rajapaksa begins his second term. President Rajapaksa will take oaths in the third week of November 2010 in keeping with a Supreme Court directive. He says the draft legislation required to do away with the Proportional Representation system is ready for implementation within the next few months. more..

Apr 26 (Island) A health sector union representing the Gampaha District has requested President Mahinda Rajapaksa to appoint Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle, wife of slain Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, as at least a Deputy Minister. A spokesman for the union told The Island that they felt that Mrs. Fernandopulle, who polled over 186,000 preferential votes from Gampaha at the April 8 general election, deserved an opportunity to serve the people. more..

Apr 26 (Island) A Parliamentary Select Committee would be appointed to introduce education reforms aimed at solving problems in education sector, Education Minister Bandula Gunawardana told the Mahanayake Theros of Malwatte and Asgiriya. The Minister called on the prelates on Saturday 24. The Select Committee would study the existing system and its shortcomings and issues such as school admissions. more..

Apr 26 (Island) Youth Affairs Minister Dullas Alahapperuma made certain interesting revelations regarding the April 8 parliamentary elections, which resulted in a resounding victory for the UPFA who won 144 seats in the 225-seat House. He also said that the UPFA fell short of only six seats to obtain a 2/3 majority in Parliament, but more than 60 per cent had voted for the alliance, more..

Apr 26 (DM) From the time of Plato and the Buddha mankind has been dabbling with the concept of education. What is education anyway, and what is its status in Sri Lanka per se? Since independence �that is for about 60 years- we have been tinkering with our education system, but unfortunately we have not-definitely not-come up with anything that�s laudable, though Sri Lanka leads in the education sector in the region. (Leaving aside India anyway). more..

Apr 26 (IPS) Two cyclists from the minority Tamil community are shooed away by government soldiers as they approach this northern Sri Lankan city�s only Buddhist temple while President Mahinda Rajapaksa is paying a visit. But when a family from the majority Sinhalese family ambles toward the guards, they are treated more amiably. These twin incidents during Rajapaksa�s rare visit to Jaffna on Apr. 1 illustrate the contrasting ways in which more..