Mar 11 (Island) SLFP Kesbewa organiser, Minister Gamini Lokuge claimed the officials of the Elections Department unnecessarily removed legal propaganda offices in his electorate and candidates of the WPC election were in a very difficult situating as they could not inform the voters of their preferential vote numbers. He said that several offices set up with approval from the Elections Department as well as the Police had been more..

Mar 11 (Island) Govt warned all Sri Lankan owned fishing craft boat skippers and crew that they would face fines not exceeding Rupees 1.5 million and prison sentences not above two years with immediate effect if they were caught hereafter fishing in territorial waters of other countries, Media Secretary to the Ministry of Fisheries Narendra Rajapaksa said. These laws came into operation from yesterday under the provisions of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act of 2013. more..

Mar 11 (Island) Leader of the Democratic People’s Front (DPF) Mano Ganeshan said that he was looking forward to an Opposition-run administration in the Western Provincial Council (WPC) after the elections on March 29. Addressing election meetings over the weekend in the Colombo and Gampaha Districts for which the DPF is fielding candidates, Ganeshan said that he hoped for a post election alliance among all the Opposition parties to teach a good lesson to the UPFA govt. more..

Mar 11 (LT) The programme to deploy the Army and police to suppress people’s agitations would not be effective now. The Army and the police will have to take the side of the people soon says the leader of the group of JVP candidates from Gampaha District for the Western Provincial election Mahinda Jayasinghe. He said, “Today a change is necessary not only for the Western Province but to the whole country. more..

Mar 11 (Island) The country was being targeted by the West at the UNHRC all because the Rajapaksa govt had defeated LTTE terrorism in 2009, Minister Susil Premajayantha said. He said that Sri Lankan security forces had not committed any human rights violations contrary to claims by the US. They had only rescued civilians from the LTTE, he added. "If they probe human rights violations the UN must take action against the then UNP govt for its acts during the 1987 – 89 period," minister said, more..

Mar 11 (DM) UNP will launch its manifesto for the provincial council election at its headquarters Sirikotha tomorrow. The manifesto named ‘Bala Peraliyata Kola Eliya’ (Green light for a change of regime) and is in line with the party’s policy of firing the first shot towards defeating the present regime. To achieve this party’s national leader and some members of the leadership council had already requested all UNP voters to go and cast their votes without refraining. more..

Mar 11 (Reuters) Sri Lanka is searching for a new hangman after the latest recruit got upset on seeing the gallows for the first time and quit. Prisons Department appointed the new hangman, the third most qualified from 176 applicants, last week, months after two hangmen chosen late last year failed to show up for work. "We gave him one week's training, but he resigned after seeing the gallows, saying that he didn't want the job," more..

Mar 11 (Island) The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) has once again cut off supplies of diesel to the West Coast Power Plant, forcing the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to pay an additional 10 million rupees a day to obtain fuel for plants like AES Kelanitissa and the very expensive gas turbine plant in Kelanitissa. Desite requests from the management of West Coast Power Pvt. Ltd., the CPC has failed to provide fresh stocks of fuel to its 300MW Kerawalapitiya plant. more..

Mar 11 (AD) Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) today requested the public to refrain from going for employment in the Middle East or elsewhere using tourist visa, as the bureau will not take any responsibility for those who do so. SLBFE says that information has been uncovered regarding an illegal racket which deploys women for employment in countries such as Saudi Arabia, through Dubai and India using tourist visas. These profiteers have sent Sri Lankans more..

Mar 11 (MoD) The newly constructed public fair at Delkanda, Nugegoda was vested in the people by President Rajapaksa at a function held on 9th March. President made an inspection tour of the new public facility after unveiling a commemorative plaque to mark the occasion. Rs. 132 million Fair Complex consists of 208 shopping stalls and other facilities specially designed to accommodate large number of more..

Mar 11 (Hindu) Trial has commenced in the case relating to alleged possession of explosive substances illegally by three Sri Lankan Tamils in Tiruchi for supply to the outlawed LTTE at the District and Sessions Court. Inspector General of Police, (Training) K. Vanniaperumal, who was the Tiruchi Commissioner of Police in 2010 when the Lankan Tamils were arrested with the explosive substances, deposed before the court for over an hour on Tuesday in connection with the case. more..

Mar 11 (Island) Mayoress of Jaffna Yogeswari Patkunarajah yesterday warned those who were running brothels and massage parlours under the guise of health centres and hotels that she would put an end to their illegal operations. She said that irrespective of who they were all culprits would be brought to justice. "It is my responsibility as the Mayoress of Jaffna to disclose that some members of the fairer sex had come from the Southern parts of the country to set up massage clinics more..

Mar 11 (CG) Govt says the issue of accountability is being looked into and so resolutions, such as the one currently before the UNHRC, was unwarranted. Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, who is currently attending the 25th Sessions of the UNHRC, briefed the Asia-Pacific Regional Group of Member and Observer States at the Palais de Nations in Geneva. He informed the Group about the progress achieved in Sri Lanka, not only more..

Mar 11 (DM) Notorious underworld gangster ‘Palankada Heen malli’, alleged to have been responsible for several killings including that of a Ratnapura gem businessman, last month was shot dead in a police shootout today. Ratnapura Police said Sugath Chaminda alias Palankada Heen malli was arrested in connection with the killing of gem merchant Sumith Gunasekara of Malangama and the robbery of cash, gems and jewellery from his house on Feb 13. more..

Mar 11 (Island) Attorney General informed the Supreme Court that the assets owned by directors of Golden Key Company has been identified, by the Task force empowered to do so. Deputy Solicitor General Viraj Dayaratne, appeared for the AG. The progress report was also submitted to the court regarding the repayment of depositors, done up to February, and those that will be done in March/April and May/June 2014. An inquiry to be conducted in respect of the repayment of depositors, more..

Mar 11 (CG) Minister G L Peiris held discussions with the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Kamalesh Sharma at Marlborough House in London today. Peiris is representing President Rajapaksa, Chair-in-Office of the Commonwealth, at the Commonwealth Day celebrations in London, including the Multi-Faith Observance at Westminster Abbey. Minister Peiris discussed with Secretary-General Sharma more..

Mar 11 (Reuters) Rupee ended steady for a third day running on Tuesday as the currency surrendered early gains on high importer dollar demand in late trading while there was no intervention from the central bank. The spot rupee ended flat at 130.55/57 per dollar, retreating from 130.50/55, its highest intraday level since Nov. 7, touched in early trade due to remittances and banks dollar sales. Currency has gained 0.38% in the last nine sessions through Tuesday, more..

Mar 11 (Island) Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena said that the National Drug Policy Draft Bill whetted by the Attorney-General had been submitted to President Rajapaksa. The National Drug Policy draft Bill delayed for nearly 40 years would be submitted to the Cabinet and subsequently to Parliament, the Health Minister said, expressing confidence that it would be implemented either in April or May 2114. He was speaking at a function on Public hospital Relation Day held at Homagama hospital more..

Mar 11 (LBO) Wetland's in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo will be preserved and a educational wetland park is also being built, under a World Bank funded program to improve the city, an official said. Rohan Seneviratne additional secretary of urban development ministry told a recent LBR-LBO Forum in Colombo, that Mathew Simpson, an international expert on wetland management is advising Sri Lankan authorities. more..

Mar 11 (LBO) Sri Lanka's stocks close 0.22% lower Tuesday with index heavy John Keells Holdings losing ground and the rupee was allowed to appreciate slightly by authorities, brokers and dealers said. All Share Price Index closed 13.04 points lower at 5,944.57 down 0.22%. The S&P SL20 closed 12.17 points lower at 3,240.12, down 0.37%. Turnover was 804.56 million rupees, up from 304.30 million rupees a day earlier with 42 stocks close positive against 122 negative. more..

Mar 11 (Island) Minister Basil Rajapaksa, addressing a meeting at the Ratnapura New Town, recently stressed the need for people from all walks of life to work towards the development of the country. The minister spoke of budgetary allocations for various programmes like Divineguma, Gamaneguma and the development of roads and the health and education sectors. The minister recalled how in days gone by budgets had been treated as a closely guarded secret. more..

Mar 11 (CT) The Royal tweet from the Presidential scion about Anarkali Akarsha is nothing less than sexual harassment. A young woman is sexualized as an object and reduced to her body parts; the arrogant young man in question shrugs off shocked comments by claiming it was all a joke. But is the joker laughing alone? Apparently not, since the objectified lady has joined the joker in assuring those concerned about her that she too, is laughing. Since both the joker and the object of more..

Mar 11 (CT) Leader of the SLMC, Minister Rauff Hakeem, is in an unenviable position. He has been told by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in no uncertain terms, that he should play by the rules of the ruling alliance, or quit. The President, thanks to the 18th Amendment which provides him with near absolute power, has now found little use of the SLMC. However, the bitter truth is that the SLMC had voted for the controversial 18th Amendment, which action has now boomeranged on them. more..

Mar 11 (Island) The UNP yesterday urged the govt to state if it intended to use the services of China Communication and Construction Company (CCCC) allegedly blacklisted by the World Bank for the Colombo Port City Project (CPCP). UNP MP Harsha de Silva said that he did not wish to reply to vague statements issued by state agencies. "All we want to know is whether Rajapaksa govt would continue to deal with CCCC censured more..

Mar 11 (Island) Leader of the SLMC, Minister Rauff Hakeem told party candidates, contesting the WPC election on Sunday that his party was not prepared to leave the govt as demanded by certain political parties. Hakeem said that various remarks made by vested interests should not be taken seriously and that the SLMC would not leave the govt. They should realise that the SLMC had helped obtain a two-thirds majority for more..

Mar 11 (Xinhua) Former Sri Lankan president Chandrika Kumaratunga said she has commenced dialogue between political parties and other groups in the country to promote interfaith coexistence. Speaking to reporters after meeting opposition leader Ranil Wickremasinghe, former President said she had taken part in the initiative following an invitation extended by South Asia Policy and Research Institute (SAPRI), a NGO. more..

Mar 11 (Guardian) The Australian federal police declined the opportunity to interview a Sri Lankan asylum seeker sent back from Christmas Island who alleged he had been “severely tortured” by local police on his return, a cable obtained under freedom of information laws has revealed. The cable, sent to Canberra from the Australian high commission in Colombo in August 2010, states that the AFP did not interview more..

Mar 11 (CT) Sri Lanka's fifth leading heroin kingpin, who was wanted by the law enforcing authorities for engaging in large-scale smuggling of narcotics into Sri Lanka, was arrested in the wee hours of Saturday morning at the BIA, Katunayake, police sources said. The 44-year-old suspect, Thamal Ajith Kumara, alias Devundara Chamith, is reportedly the owner of eight trawlers, 11 plots of land, several vehicles, and a cold room, more..

Mar 11 (Island) Following what the CEB terms successful talks on the country’s proposed second coal-fired power plant at Sampur, Trincomalee, to be built as a joint venture with India, CEB Chairman W. B. Ganegala, General Manager Shavindranath Fernando and Additional General Manager M C Wickramasekara are scheduled to return today from New Delhi. The hurried visit of the trio to India came in the wake of more..

Mar 11 (ST) When Muhundan got a call from Raju* inquiring about his ‘migration services’ he readily gave details. The next boat to New Zealand will leave soon, and if Raju wants a place in the boat he should pay the advance immediately. Raju agreed to do so and arranged to meet him in Trincomalee with Rs. 50,000 as advance money. Muhundan was raising money to leave the country and give the authorities the slip. more..

Mar 11 (PTI) Resolving to demonstrate the strength of DMK in the Lok Sabha polls, party chief M Karunanidhi expressed confidence of putting up a good show without taking on board a national outfit as an ally and showcased Tamils cause to win support of the electorate. The 90-year-old DMK patriarch, who stood a firm ground in spurning revival of ties attempted by its former ally Congress and also overtures by BJP and more..

Mar 11 (CG) The UN says it is unaware of the new controversial video on the war in Sri Lanka aired by Channel 4 which alleges war crimes were committed during the conflict. When asked about the video at the daily press briefing at the UN headquarters in New York, Stéphane Dujarric, the new Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that the position of the UN Chief more..

Mar 11 (SL) A battle over the price of drugs has intensified with Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena claiming some influential elements are preventing him from implementing a pricing formula which had received Cabinet approval. Following Minister Sirisena’s claim that the drug mafia in the country has sabotaged all his attempts to introduce a price control mechanism for pharmaceuticals, questions have been raised more..

Mar 11 (DM) Postal voting for the Western and Southern Provinces will start in a few days. The election field is tensed and the rush is escalating day by day. Gampaha District which has a historical background for political families and strong political personalities. It is one of the districts which draws a lot of attention. The Team Leaders from UPFA and UNP for the Gampaha district said that they will bow down for their respective party’s decision with regard to the post of Chief Minister. more..

Mar 11 (DM) President Rajapaksa has rejected the US-sponsored draft resolution on Sri Lanka submitted to the UNHRC and said the vote on the resolution later this month would be of no significance. Responding to a question raised on a live television broadcast on several channels recently, the President said the Govt was not concerned about the resolution or the vote outcome. The Govt has also rejected the call by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights more..