| Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions |
Sri Lankan News & Discussions |
Laliths
Revy
Marklevins..
Kankun
Kural
Tigeress19
Groovygirl
Lankatilek..
Robins
>> More
|
|||||||||||
|
About this Sri Lankan News Forum
 Welcome to the largest news forum on Sri Lanka. This is a discussion table for millions of Sri Lankans living around the world to express their thoughts on the latest Sri Lankan news events. Lankanewspapers.com is a powerful tool for all Sri Lankan ethnic groups to share information, knowledge and wisdom. Join! today
|
Most Recent News Discussions
|
|||||||||
| More Headline News |
|
Air Force Chief confident Prabhakaran critically injured in air raid Saturday, 16 February 2008 - 10:14 AM SL Time Air Force Commander Air Marshal Roshan Goonetilleke on Thursday said he was confident that LTTE Leader Velupillai Prabhakaran had been critically injured in a series of air strikes on Nov. 26, 2007. The Air Force had, he revealed in an interview with ITN, dropped twenty bombs in the raid and all of them had hit the target. After that attack, he said, very little had been heard or seen of Prabhakaran, who didn t even turn up at the funeral of senior LTTE leader Charles . He said the war would be over very shortly but refrained from giving a timeframe. Goonetilleke said the jets involved in the attack had come under very heavy anti-aircraft gunfire, which he said was a sure sign of Prabhakaran being there at the time of the attack. In the run up to the Nov. 26 attack, he said, the Air Force had taken several targets in the Wanni but LTTE resistance had not been so heavy. He said Prabhakaran had a special mobile unit equipped with anti-aircraft guns. Judging by the intensity of the LTTE anti-aircraft fire on Nov. 26, he believed, it had come from that special unit. 
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Read Replies ( 182 )
JVP `had arms deals` with LTTE Friday, 15 February 2008 - 8:29 PM SL Time Sri Lanka President`s political ally, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), had secret arms deals with the separatist Tamil Tigers, a senior Sri Lanka Army (SLA) officer said.
Major General (retired) Vasantha Perera told Colombo district court that the JVP was angry that he conducted investigations on the alleged deals. Maj. Gen. Perera said he informed the then government and took measures to prevent further deals between the JVP and the LTTE during late 80s.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Read Replies ( 176 )
Priests deny Sri Lanka Army`s `Shramadana story` Thursday, 14 February 2008 - 8:48 PM SL Time Rev. Fr. S.K. Devarajah, the parish priest of St. Sebastian Cathedral in Mannaar in a statement issued Thursday, said that `[T]he Sri Lankan Army occupied this church premises on their own. Immediately after the withdrawal of the CFA,` and added that his visit to the St. Anthony s Shrine on the 11th of February 2008 was to ask the SLA permission to hold `Lenten pilgrimage` in the shrine, and not to request the SLA command to conduct Shramadana (voluntary work). Colombo media and SLA had earlier reported that the SLA troopers were in the Church compound cleaning the premises on the Priest`s request.
The statement said `the place was very clean and fit for the divine services,` when the priest visited the Shrine premises on the 11th February.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Read Replies ( 349 )
|
|
More Headline News
|
| Security
Security Forum
|
|
Why not the second in Colombo rank in scholarship not taken to Visakha Is it because she is Tamil Friday, 15 February 2008 - 11:20 AM SL Time Yogendra Nethmi, a Tamil student who passed the year five scholarship with 192 marks coming into the second place in ranks of Colombo district has not been admitted to Visakha College due to an order of the Ministry of Education. A journalist raised this issue at the cabinet press briefing today stating that the student is still without a school due to this injustice. The cut off mark for the admission of students for the Visakha College is 181. Media Minister Lakshman Yapa said he was not aware of this issue and promised to enquire from the Minister of Education about it.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Read Replies ( 43 )
Sri Lanka`s Court orders enhanced security for Ganeshan Friday, 15 February 2008 - 11:17 AM SL Time The Court of Appeal yesterday ordered the IGP to grant Parliamentarian Mano Ganeshan enhanced security of eight armed Police personnel and one back up security vehicle. Ganeshan had complained to the Court of curtailment of his security, since December 18 consequent to his voting against the Government at the Third Reading of the Budget. On December 18, 2007, his security had been reduced to only two personnel. Faiz Mustapha PC appeared for Ganeshan. Senior State Counsel Janaka de Silva appeared for the Attorney General. The Bench comprised Justice K. Sripavan (President) and Justice Rohini Perera.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Read Replies ( 2 )
Sri Lanka`s SC directs Police to take security measures without violating Tamils rights Thursday, 14 February 2008 - 3:29 AM SL Time The Supreme Court yesterday directed the Senior DIG Colombo Range to appoint a special committee to decide what security measures could be taken without violating the rights of the Tamils. This committee is to comprise the Secretary to the Ministry of Justice, a nominee of the Ceylon Workers Congress and a representative of the Attorney General. M. A. Sumanthiran, Counsel for the CWC told Court that recently the Modera Police requested the Tamils of the area to disclose their bank account details in forms supplied by the Police. Counsel said this was arbitrary. He further said that Tamils who were in Maradana with a view to go abroad were arrested by the Maradana Police. These Tamils had been in the area for more than four months.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Read Replies ( 12 )
|
|
|
| Politics
Political News Forum
|
|
I made Presidents. But I can do nothing if they fail Sunday, 17 February 2008 - 12:22 PM SL Time Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumarathunga says that she who brought Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to power in 1994 made Presidents and Prime Ministers but can do nothing if they fail to proceed. The former President made these comments addressing a ceremony held to declare open a bus stand built by the Western Provincial Council in Nittambuwa. I am ready to support anyone who works towards the development of the country. I support not with an aim to come to politics again. I am not afraid to die. Death comes to a person only once, she said amidst applause of the people gathered.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Premadasa backed Vijaya in cash and kind says confidante Sunday, 17 February 2008 - 12:03 PM SL Time Former MP and one-time Premadasa loyalist Hudson Samarasinghe yesterday claimed that the then Prime Minister Ranasinghe Premadasa provided actor turned politician Vijaya Kumaratunga both financial assistance and material support to run his party. The outspoken former politician who now anchors live radio talks show on Isura said that Premadasa revealed this at the Ward Place residence of President J.R. Jayewardene shortly after a lone gunman assassinated Kumaratunga during the height of the JVP led insurgency. The revelation was made as Vijaya Kumaratunga Memorial Foundation prepared to mark his 20th death anniversary under the patronage of former President Chandrika Kumaratunga at the BMICH today.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Those who supported Rajapaksa now ignore burdened masses - UNP Friday, 15 February 2008 - 11:21 AM SL Time Commencing the UNP s anti-government poster campaign in Kandy, UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, MP, said that Government and those political groups that campaigned for the victory of President Mahinda Rajapaksa were now ignoring the grievances of the masses, caused by the blunders of the government. The campaign commenced in Digana, Kundasale. Attanayake said only the UNP shouldered the responsibility on behalf of the poor masses. He said it had now been proved that the Government was incapable of controlling the spiraling cost of living.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Read Replies ( 5 )
|
|
|
| Business / Economy News
Business News Forum
|
|
Work on US$ 300m Matara-Kataragama railway line to begin April Saturday, 16 February 2008 - 10:18 AM SL Time The Government has decided to commence the construction of the US$ 300 million Matara-Kataragama railway line by April this year, making the railway a vibrant transport service contributing to the socio economic development of the country. A Transport Ministry spokesman told the Daily News it is anticipated to extend the existing rail network by another 113 kilo metres when completing the Kataragama railway line. He said the project is being implemented in three stages and the first phase is in progress from Matara to Beliatta. Under the first phase, 27 Km is expected to be completed by 2010. The railway line will be extended from Beliatta to Weerawila by 2012 under the second stage.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Read Replies ( 5 )
Sri Lanka plans to build new official residence in UK for HC Thursday, 14 February 2008 - 3:29 AM SL Time The government is planning to build a new official residence for Sri Lanka s High Commissioner at 35 Avenue Road, London. `We are in the process of finalizing the project,` an authoritative government source told The Island. The new building would come up at the same location where the now abandoned official residence of Sri Lanka s High Commissioner to the UK was, the official said. Due to the dilapidated state of the residence, the former High Commissioner, with the approval of the Foreign Ministry and the Treasury, had rented a house at a monthly rent of 8,000 Sterling Pounds. According to the High Commission, the Ministry, with the concurrence of the Treasury, had increased the rent ceiling to 10,000 Sterling Pounds a month but it managed to find an appropriate house for a lesser amount. The High Commissioner had moved into the new residence last April.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
National Centre for Migration Statistics opens in Sri Lanka Wednesday, 13 February 2008 - 10:55 AM SL Time IOM and the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) recently opened a National Centre for Migration Statistics in Colombo. The centre, which is housed at the DCS, is funded by the European Commission and Australia, and is the first of its kind in Sri Lanka. It will serve as a central body where statistical data related to migration will be collected, stored, analyzed and made available to the public through the departmental website. `This centre will enhance the capacity of the Sri Lankan government to collect reliable, comprehensive and sustainable data on migration, which at present is scattered among various government departments and international organizations,` said DCS Director General Ms S. Vidyaratne.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
|
|
|
| Editorial News
Editorial News Forum
|
|
Good and bad news on the economic front Sunday, 17 February 2008 - 12:05 PM SL Time There was good news and bad news on the economic front last week. On the plus side was the signing of an agreement between the International Finance Corporation, a World Bank affiliate, and John Keells Holdings of a standby loan agreement for US $ 75 million at an interest rate that currently runs at LIBOR (the London Inter Bank Offer Rate) plus 2.75 percent, which as we report in our business pages today is lower than the rate at which the government borrowed recently on commercial debt markets overseas. But there was also a negative with Standard and Poor s lowering the country s rating outlook to ``negative with the internationally reputed agency also warning that the B+ rating could also be downgraded if the budget worsened. It was only last year that S&P lifted the rating outlook on Sri Lanka from ``negative to ``stable about which many trumpets were blown in the Central Bank and elsewhere.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Why only teachers? Saturday, 16 February 2008 - 10:17 AM SL Time This country doesn t seem to believe in productivity. A song and dance is made in some quarters from time to time about the need to enhance productivity but nothing gets done on the ground to achieve that lofty goal. If one looks at the mad rush in the morning in the city and other urban areas where people board buses on the move, drivers sit on their horns and try to shove other road users off the road, pedestrians dart across roads without giving two hoots about their safety as if to avoid a tsunami, motor cyclists scurry about frenziedly, one might wonder how on earth Sri Lanka is far from developed with such an active workforce. Why are Sri Lankans in a mighty hurry every morning? They rush to work places to relax! Teachers sprint to schools as if they were pursued by monsters. Having signed on, they begin to enjoy life. Some take out their unfinished knitting and others tongues begin to wag. If they have nothing else to do, then they go to classrooms. They don t have to worry about their performance as children take private tuition. This is the situation in most schools. Doctors rush to hospitals from their PP (private practice) kades to unwind and charge their batteries for the second innings in the evening. They score heavily outside hospitals. Traffic police relax indoors during the rush hour and then come out leisurely to cause congestion at otherwise smoothly functioning roundabouts. Office workers shuttle between the canteen and desk, try to drink all the tea in the world within a few hours, discuss politics, watch cricket and then scoot away. This reminds us of a popular yarn. Three kids were boasting of their dads speed. One said his father was a pilot whose speed others couldn t dream of matching. The second one said his father could drive so fast that others couldn t see him. (He must be a private bus driver!) The third one, a proud son of an office worker won the debate. He silenced his opponents thus: `My father s office closes at 5.00 pm but he is so fast that he is home by 3.00 pm the same day!`
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Those whom God wishes to destroy... Thursday, 14 February 2008 - 3:31 AM SL Time The civilised world is horrified at the dastardly shell attack the LTTE launched on a much venerated Catholic church in Mannar on Tuesday. The beleaguered Tigers trained their big guns on St. Sebastian s Church, Thallady, where soldiers were engaged in repairs on a request from a group of Catholic priests, killing six of them and injuring ten. That horrendous act of desecration is proof of the Tigers callous disregard for religions as well as places of worship and the fact that they won t baulk at anything in trying to achieve their macabre objectives. Nothing can the Tigers claim in extenuation of that unspeakable act. They made no mistake. They deliberately targeted the church to kill as many soldiers as possible. Priests were lucky that they were not harmed.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Read Replies ( 18 )
|
|
|
| Sports News
Sports News Forum
|
|
A win in Perth will put Sri Lanka on top Friday, 15 February 2008 - 11:27 AM SL Time Sri Lanka, who are placed third currently in the points table of the Commonwealth Bank Series behind India (8) and Australia (7), need to win today s day-night encounter against Australia here at the WACA ground in Perth, to go ahead of their two rivals, at the halfway mark of the tournament. Perth is the most difficult place for Sri Lanka to beat Australia due to the extra bounce the pitch provides here. But after India s Test win against the hosts here last month is an indication that it has lost some of its traditional extra bounce, and Sri Lanka s captain Mahela Jayawardene promised, despite his team s dismal record here (two wins in 14 games) that they would give the hosts a good fight.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Read Replies ( 6 )
Sri Lanka back in contention Thursday, 14 February 2008 - 3:32 AM SL Time The Sri Lankan cricket team arrived in Perth yesterday afternoon from Canberra after a long and boring four and half hour flight and will conduct training tomorrow at the famous WACA ground that has given them both sweet and sour memories over the years (more of it in tomorrow s The Island). The victory in Canberra did the tourists a lot of good and they are still in contention to enter the tri-nation final. If Sri Lanka hadn t been able to get the four points in Canberra, things would have been extremely tough for them in the seamer friendly WACA ground on Friday against the hosts. `I said before the Canberra game that it was a crucial game and that we needed to show a lot of character. I thought the boys did well to fight back. We managed to keep them to a decent total and we managed to hang in there and knock off the target. All three teams have been consistent so far in One-Day cricket over the last 12 months and it s a great time to be here and play this tournament,` Mahela Jayawardene told journalists after the game in Canberra.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Read Replies ( 6 )
Opener Dilshan stars as SL win by eight wickets Wednesday, 13 February 2008 - 10:58 AM SL Time Once again, the tried and tested formula for Sri Lanka over the last 13 years paid rich dividends. Sanath Jayasuriya got off to a flier making 27 in 13 balls and added 45 runs for the first wicket in just 23 balls, which set the tone for the Sri Lankans as the top order cruised through the middle overs chasing the revised target of 154 in their Commonwealth Bank Series tri-nation game against India here at the Manuka Oval on Tuesday. Promoted to open the batting, Tillekeratne Dilshan fired an unbeaten 62 in 59 balls sharing an unbroken 85 run stand for the third wicket and the Sri Lankans got home with eight wickets and 12 balls to spare, to record their first win in the competition in Australia s capital city.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Read Replies ( 8 )
|
|
|
(C) 2000-2008 www.lankanewspapers.com - Sri Lankan News & Discussions - Contact Us - RSS Feed - News Archives - src - FAQ |
Search All News and Discussions 
