Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

Defence Secretary Des Browne has apologised to the families of 14 service personnel who died in an RAF Nimrod crash over Afganistan.
The 37-year-old reconnaisance aircraft,call sign XV230,suffered a catastrophic mid-air explosion on September 2 last year,after fuel ignited following air-to-air refuelling.
The tragedy represented the heaviest loss of life suffered by British forces in a single incident since the Falkland war.
Most probable cause for the crash was an escaped fuel during air-to-air refuelling either as a result of an overflow or a leakeage from the aircraft`s fuel system.
The fuel flowed back into dry bay near to the aircraft`s No7 fuel tank, and ignited after coming into contact with an exposed hot air pipe.
Other contributory factors to the crash were failure to identify the full implication of changes to the fuel system for air-to-air refueling.
The existing fleet of 15 planes had originally been due to leave sevice a decade ago,but a series of lengthy delays to their replacement-the Nimrod MR 4A-mean that they will have to carry on to around 2011.

NAtional LEader/ELLALAN