Mar 16 (DM) Police Chief Mahinda Balasuriya yesterday said the police would not be able to remove election related propaganda material completely, but vowed to take every effort possible to ensure that most of them were removed. He said the removal of propaganda material at this general election involving more than 7600 candidates was an impossible goal to achieve considering the fact that more..

Mar 16 (DM) Strength of character and morality are two things that one develops in the process of socialization. Associates and circumstances matter a lot in the making of a mature person. There are people who never grow up. Many such persons go unnoticed because they opt to keep quiet knowing their limitations. Once in a while one hears of individuals who shoot their mouth off making a mockery of themselves as they fail to realize the limits of their mental capacity. more..

Mar 16 (DM) Corruption and politics in Sri Lanka seem to go hand in hand. For the past two months the biggest political scandal has been around the SF family. The authorities found a stash of money in the bank lockers, of the mother of SF�s son-in-law. We at Junction Talk have even lost track of the exact figures but newspaper reports claimed it to be anywhere from Rs.75 million. $ 350 million, to even Rs.500 million; the public do not know how much it really was. more..

Mar 16 (AD) The phrase �computer jilmaart� is not my original phrase. It was first stated by Mahinda Rajapaksa himself after the 2004 General Elections, says JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe. When Adaderana talk show host asked Mr. Amarasinghe about the phrase, he said that it was a phrase that Mahinda Rajapaksa said after several JVP members topped the preference vote list at the 2004 General Elections. more..

Mar 16 (IPS) Sri Lanka's dependence on its one million citizens who work abroad can be gauged from officials who count the dollars that come in to sustain the country's economy. "Last year, Sri Lankan workers remitted US$3.3 billion, up from $2.9 billion in 2008, and this was despite the global financial crisis," LK Ruhunuge, additional general manager at the state-owned Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), told IPS. more..

Mar 16 (LBO) Sri Lanka has decided to lift restrictions on private flying and open up her skies for recreational aviation to lure tourists after the end of a 30-year war. Director-general of civil aviation Parakrama Dissanayake said the decision was taken at a meeting between civil aviation authorities and the air force last week. He said the authorities had been getting inquiries from tourists keen on bringing their own equipment for use in the island. more..

Mar 16 (LT) �Sunday Leader� editor Frederica Janz had to offer an unconditional apology to the Judiciary regarding an incident in which she had insulted Supreme Court Judge Shirani Bandaranayake. Frederica Janz was accused of insulting Ms. Shirani Bandaranayake in an article she published in �Sunday Leader�. The counsel representing Frederica Janz said his client was willing to apologize unconditionally for the error she had made. more..

Mar 16 (DM) Kalutara District Democratic National Alliance candidate Arjuna Ranathunga said the government was seeking a two-thirds majority in parliament to form a dictatorship by amending the constitution for their own advantage. He pointed out the constitution could have been amended with the help of all other parties if the government really wanted to do so. more..

Mar 16 (Island) Trade and Co-operatives Minister Bandula Gunawardena yesterday said that Parliament had lost its dignity and decorum following the election of JVP MPs to the House. Minister Gunawardena, addressing a press conference at his Ministry office in Colombo, said that Parliament had maintained its dignity since the introduction of the Westminster system to this country. more..

Mar 16 (LT) It is reported that Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse has become an important speaker on UPFA election stages and is deeply engaged in the UPFA election campaign. Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse participated in 9 rallies of UPFA candidate Duminda Silva held in Colombo District on the 14th and in all these rallies he had asked the voters to vote Duminda Silva to more..

Mar 16 (Xinhua) It appears "unlikely" that United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will establish a panel of experts to look into human rights issues in Sri Lanka any time soon, UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky said on Monday. "He is still considering such a panel's terms of reference and is in contact with his advisers, including the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, on this," more..

Mar 16 (DN) The Disaster Management and Human Rights Ministry states that the US State Department�s 2009 Country Report on Human Rights Practices pertaining to Sri Lanka was a conflation of historical background, repetition of statements in earlier reports, unverified assertions and falls short of the high standards that the State Department professes to uphold. more..

Mar 16 (DM) The first Court Martial, appointed to try General Sarath Fonseka on charges against his participation in political work while in active service commenced its sittings as scheduled at 9.30 a.m. today at Navy Headquarters. The Court Martial, presided by Major General H.L Weerathunga took up three charges separately under the above category in accordance with provisions in the Army Act during hearings. more..

Mar 16 (Reuters) Former Sri Lankan army chief Sarath Fonseka appeared before a military court on Tuesday on charges of engaging in politics while in uniform, officials said, as hundreds of his supporters protested near the capital. The court martial held at the navy headquarters in Colombo was adjourned until next month after lawyers for the army commander challenged the legitimacy of the court and opposed the choice of the members of the military tribunal. more..

Mar 17 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's shares fell on Tuesday to a near two-week low, led by the hotel sector after rights in John Keells Hotels KHL.CM were sold at a low rate and on profit taking, amid a trial against an opposition leader. The All-Share Price Index .CSE of the Colombo Stock Exchange fell 60.71 points or 1.6 percent to 3782.84. It had hit a record high of 3,865.17 points on Monday. more..

Mar 17 (AN) Many Sri Lankans who fled to India during their country's protracted civil war want to go home now the conflict is over, but many hurdles lie ahead as preparations begin for their return, aid workers said on Tuesday. Over 100,000 Sri Lankans are estimated to have sought refuge in southern India during the conflict between separatist rebels and the Sri Lankan army, which lasted a quarter of a century. more..

Mar 17 (CSM) The retired general who ended Sri Lanka's civil war appeared before a military court Tuesday as a prisoner, a fall from grace widely seen as an effort by a freshly reelected government to marginalize its opposition. Former military chief Sarath Fonseka lost January's presidential elections to incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa by an 18-point margin. The military arrested him soon after, and more..

Mar 17 (AN) "I want to go home," Nisha tells me. She is one of the 100,000 Sri Lankan refugees who fled the 26-year-long civil war and are scattered across India's vast Tamil Nadu state. Nisha's journey as a refugee began in 2008 when she left Vavuniya. She had already been uprooted twice, taking refuge in areas within Sri Lanka. "There was war. I was afraid for my child, my husband, I was afraid," more..

Mar 17 (LBO) Sri Lanka's Tea Board is investigating complaints by an exporter that certain teas sold in Europe as pure Ceylon tea are actually blended with teas from other origins, officials said. M C M Zarook, a tea exporter, said he had complained to the regulator about alleged unfair competition in the German market to which he exports. He alleged that competitors in Germany were undercutting him on price by more..

Mar 17 (NPC) The ethnic divide in the country is not only manifested politically but also socially in the lack of positive integration in which members of the different ethnic communities keep to themselves. As a result there is a government attempt not to permit pockets of ethnic segregation to develop. One such arena is the university system. The problem that has arisen in Southeastern University, Oluvil in the Ampara district has more..

Mar 17 (C4) Former army commander General Sarath Fonseka tells Channel 4 News from his Sri Lanka prison cell that he is being set up, and claims the charges he faces in a military court are bogus. Sri Lanka's former army commander, who is facing two separate courts martial in Colombo, has told Channel 4 News that he has been set up and that the charges he is facing are bogus. more..

Mar 17 (PTI) Shot into the limelight with his aggressive batting in recent India-Sri Lanka cricket series, all-rounder Thisara Perera said it was a dream-come-true for him to play under Mahendra Singh Dhoni in Indian Premier League side Chennai Super Kings. "It's really a great opportunity for me. To play among the stars in the Indian Premier League which is a big thing for me. I hope to get an opportunity soon," Perera said. more..

Mar 17 (BL) Sri Lanka is, essentially, still rural, with 90% of the population living in rural areas. To develop Sri Lanka, we must facilitate the livelihoods and small businesses of those living in rural areas, and financial institutions have a critical role to play in this task by providing crucial credit facilities to rural business owners and smallholders. We must understand that developing the rural economy is vital for the prosperity of a developing nation such as ours. more..

Mar 17 (BL) The start of negotiations between the Sri Lankan delegation in Brussels and representatives from the European Commission on the reintroduction of the GSP+ has been promising, according to Minister G.L. Peiris. He said, �The position of the Commission is that they would like to work with Sri Lanka to identify the measures that need to be taken to ensure that the GSP+ benefits are not withdrawn at the end of more..

Mar 17 (BL) Lectures at the Management Faculty of the Colombo University were indefinitely suspended following a clash between two student bodies. According to Police spokesperson SP Prishantha Jayakody the situation was controlled by the administrative staff and the students were sent away. He added that the students from the Management Faculty and students from the University hostel were involved in the fight. more..

Mar 17 (BL) The Health Ministry had started a programme to successfully eradicate Malaria by 2014. According to Dr. Gauri Galappatti, the World Health Organisation has recommended that Sri Lanka should eradicate Malaria by 2016. However, Dr. Galappatti said that the government believes that this target will be achievable two years prior to the said target. She said, �The Malaria eradication programme is functioning well in all parts of the country including the North and East. more..

Mar 17 (BL) Three-day talks between Sri Lanka Ports Authority and tender-hopeful Aitken Spence-China Merchant consortium on the construction of Colombo South Port, are speculated to have bourne little results as the government is doubtful of the feasibility of the financial bid. �The feasibility of the consortium�s financial bid is in serious question. The government is of the view that it must finish the repayment of more..

Mar 17 (KT) The Dubai Police recently arrested a Sri Lankan housemaid who allegedly stole jewellery worth Dh247,000 from a Jumeirah villa where she worked. Her compatriot friend was also arrested for allegedly keeping the stolen jewellery. The maid who allegedly stole the jewellery was not under the sponsorship of the European man who lives in the villa with his wife. more..

Mar 17 (LBO) Sri Lanka�s Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings said the largest chunk of 2.5 billion rupees it plans to raise through a rights issue will go for new hotels in the island's former war zone. No funds have been earmarked for investments in the Maldives, where the group is one of the biggest resort operators, according to a company note to shareholders. The company is making a rights issue of more..

Mar 17 (GN) Sri Lanka's hard hitting batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan, known for his scoop shot popularly called �Dil-scoop,' is writing a film script. He had been writing this script for the last two years and revealed that it will be different from the conventional scripts, maybe like the shots he plays in cricket. Though his script is meant for a Sri Lankan film, he wants to release it in India. more..

Mar 17 (GV) Online journalism sites have immense potential, not just for their speed but also for increasing our comprehension and enjoyment. Journalism will only continue to innovate and flourish online. The Internet is the only route for journalism in the future. It is on the web that journalism will develop new opportunities and strengths. But very few Sri Lankan media companies think so. more..

Mar 17 (LP) While Sri Lanka government is boasting about the increase of per capita income over US $ 2000 per annum, a 30-year-old mother that says she was frustrated with her failure to feed her five children, threw the youngest to a river. The magistrate court of Kaluthara yesterday directed the children of a suspected mother that attempted to drown her two years and eight month old son to more..

Mar 17 (Hindu) Chaminda Vaas is back from the dead. Only months back, there had been a clamour for his retirement from all forms of cricket; even in Sri Lanka where this lion-heart is a role model and an icon. Vaas' pace had dropped alarmingly and this meant his slower ball was not really a variation. His swing was being picked up by the batsmen and his confidence seemed to be in his boots. more..

Mar 17 (IL) A Korean trade delegation representing Silver Bird International Ltd has pledged their support to President Mahinda Rajapaksa to bring solid investments to rebuild Sri Lanka. The Chairman of the Silver Bird International and the Honorary Consul of Sri Lanka- Chairman of Busan Chamber Mr shin.Jung-taek donated a a certificate of contribution of $20,000 to the President Rajapaksa for more..

Mar 17 (LG) The two scholars who wrote on the comparisons between Marxism and Buddhism were Dr. Ambedkar and Dr Victor Gunasekara of Queensland University Australia. Dr. Ambedkar saw a very few similarities between Marxism and Buddhism. Dr Victor Gunasekara in his scientific article Marxism in a Buddhist Perspective states that Marx wrote extensively on religion but not on Buddhism which he did not really encounter. more..

Mar 17 (TC) The sin of the TNA in the post-war period and the current electoral context is that of omission rather than commission. It has failed to qualify and de-limit its use of the concept of �self determination� and thereby signal its full separation from separatism. It would be unfair not to acknowledge the TNA�s significant shift and more..

Mar 17 (TC) Having lived through so many years of conflict, you�d have thought everybody in Sri Lanka would be extra careful about suggesting policies Tamils might consider discriminatory. After all, that�s how it started. Even the few individuals who persist in justifying measures like the standardisation of university admissions as having been necessary to correct the imbalances that more..

Mar 17 (TN) Election campaign activities by contesting political parties and independent groups have gained momentum in Jaffna peninsula and leaders of political parties including President Mahinda Rajapakse of UPFA, R. Sampanthan of TNA, Ranil Wickremasinghe of UNP and Somaratne Amarasinghe of JVP are expected to come to the peninsula to engage in electioneering, sources in Jaffna said. more..

Mar 17 (TC) Even today, the names of Pottu Amman and two others linked with him have been posted under red notice in the �wanted list� of Interpol website. If Pottu Amman is dead, there is no reason for his name being published in the �wanted list� in the Interpol website. His name has been included in the Interpol �red notice� list last December. more..

Mar 17 (MoD) The Alla-Kantalai irrigation scheme will be renovated after 50 years with an allocation of Rs 385 million under a special project Yali Pibidemu, its Project Director P.H. Sugathadasa told the Daily News. The LTTE terrorists closed the Mavil Aru irrigation canal causing damage to the sluice gate and other places along the waterway. Mavil Aru embankments and spillway has been repaired up to 1,000 feet under this project, he said. more..

Mar 17 (LNW) The Left Liberation Front has nominated three Tamil prisoners accused of taking part in the Tamil national liberation struggle for their national list in the 2010 General election. The LLF national list is led by Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne. Although these political prisoners held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) have expressed their wish to contest in the elections from the respective districts they hail from, more..

Mar 17 (LBO) Gold now makes up 10 percent of Sri Lanka's foreign reserve assets after the country tripled its gold holdings with a purchase from the International Monetary Fund in 2009, industry data showed. The World Gold Council, an industry advocacy body said, gold made up 10 percent of the country's foreign reserve assets after Sri Lanka bought 10 tonnes of gold from the IMF pushing its total stock to 15.3 tonnes. more..

Mar 17 (IANS) Sri Lanka's opposition alliance United National Front (UNF) has said it will raise the salaries of government employees if it comes to power in the April 8 parliamentary election, Xinhua reported. The UNF is led by Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP). In its poll manifesto, released Tuesday, the UNF pledged a hike of rupees 10,000 (about $87) in the salaries of government employees. more..

Mar 17 (UN) The panel of experts being set up by the United Nations as part of an accountability process following the end of the civil war in Sri Lanka will not infringe on the country�s sovereignty, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today. Mr. Ban told journalists that the establishment of the panel is in line with a joint statement he issued with President Mahinda Rajapaksa during his visit to the country last May more..

Mar 17 (DN) A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of taking my children to a concert put together by the students and instructors of the Ranwala Foundation. For those who may be unfamiliar with the name, the Foundation functions as the main institute that celebrates and promotes the thinking of the late Lionel Ranwala, a man who dedicated his life and work to searching out music-root and rhythm-root elements of our heritage. more..

Mar 17 (TN) The suspended educational activities of the students of all the faculties of Eastern University will commence from 22 March, Acting Vice-chancellor of Eastern University, Professor Premkumar said to media. The decision to resume educational activities was taken by the University Senate as normalcy is restored, he added. The educational activities had been suspended on 10 March due to clashes between more..

Mar 17 (LP) Stern action will be taken on United People�s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) representatives who violate party discipline irrespective of their rank or position said General Secretary of SLFP and Minister of Agriculture. Accordingly those who violate the party disciplines will not be given any post at the victory of the General Election said Minister Sirisena addressing a media briefing more..

Mar 17 (TN) IDPs from Pachchilaippa�l�li Divisional Secretariat area in Ki�linochchi district who had been to their places accused occupying Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers of plundering their properties and taking the spoils in their vehicles to South during night time. Parts of houses like doors, door frames, windows and felled valuable timber are being taken away to the South by the soldiers, they said. more..