Category: Local News

WE WERE ATTACKED JUST OFF JAELA, SAYS DR. WICKREMABAHU

December 08, 2010: We were attacked just off Jaela, says the Leader of the New Left Front Dr. Wickremabahu Karunaratne He was addressing a meeting convened to brief the media on the incident that he had to face at the Katunayake airport after returning from a tour in the United Kingdom. “I went to London […]



Luxury ride for MPs

The Parliamentary Affairs Ministry had issued 60 duty free permits for vehicles from January 1st to October 30th this year to parliamentarians worth US$ 3 million (Approximately Rs. 340 million) a ministry official said. Parliamentarians are now entitled to a duty free vehicle worth up to US$ 50,000, an increase of US$ 15,000 from the […]



Sri Lanka runs out of chicken as tourists flock to island

(AFP) – Sri Lanka is set to import chicken for the first time in over two decades as consumption zooms due to a tourist bonanza and rising incomes on the formerly war-ravaged island, a minister said Wednesday. Trade Minister Johnston Fernando said he had ordered the import of 2,500 tonnes of chicken and 50 million […]



POLICY OF APPOINTING BEST PERSON AS PRINCIPAL SEEMS TO BE WAVERING: REGINALD

The policy I adopted in appointing the most suitable persons to posts of principal seems to be wavering, says Reginald Cooray, Minister of Minor Export Crops Promotion yesterday. He was addressing a function held to launch the website of the Alutgama Sri Gnanissara Maha Vidyalaya. Students who had excelled both in academic and extra curricular […]





New power tariffs worry hospitality industrialists

A section of the hospitality industry is concerned over the proposed increase in the electricity tariffs targeting the industry from next month. President of the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka Anura Lokuhetty yesterday told The Island that the new electricity tariffs would cause an increase of 60-70 per cent. The official said it would […]



Chinese destroyer Lanzhou arrives in Sri Lanka

News Courtesy: China.org.cn Chinese missile destroyer Lanzhou arrived at Sri Lanka’s Colombo port on Tuesday for a five-day visit in the South Asian island country. The destroyer Lanzhou, just ending a five-month escort task in the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters, would attend the celebrations for the Sri Lankan navy’s 60th anniversary, which falls […]



THOSE INVOLVED IN THUGGERY CAN BRING NO GLORY, SAYS SARATH FONSEKA

The deliberations scheduled to be held by a panel of five Supreme Court judges on whether or not the court martial is a court established through the Constitution, which was scheduled for yesterday, has been postponed for the 9th of this month. Accordingly, former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka, arrived in court. […]



WAR HEROES BETRAYED BY IMPRISONING SARATH FONSEKA, SAYS RANIL

December 07, 2010: Confining former Army Commander to prison is a betrayal of war heroes, said Ranil Wickremasinghe, Leader of the Opposition in parliament today. He was speaking when the government members were levelling allegations against UNP deputy leader on his recent statement to the media. […]



MAGISTRATE DECIDES TO SELL SAKVITHI’S PRINTING EQUIPMENT

December 07, 2010: Twenty-one suspects, including Sakvithi Ranasinghe, the chief suspect in the financial scam amounting to more than a billion rupees, were produced before the Gangodawila magistrate’s court yet again yesterday. For the first time, a state counsel appeared on behalf of the prosecution yesterday. […]



‘No LTTE plot’ in UK parliament

Source of News: BBC Organisers of a meeting on Sri Lanka in the House of Commons deny charges that it was a conspiracy against the Sri Lankan government. ‘There was no plot hatched,’ convener of the meeting, former mayor of Medway Dai Liyanage told BBC Sandesaya. Mr. Liyanage was responding to allegations by Sri Lankan […]



President lauds Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith’s service to country

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday said Catholics as a peace loving fraternity in the country should extend their maximum support to protect and promote the peace won by the country. He added that the true state of affairs related to the country should always be disseminated to the world if peace is to prevail in the […]



Only the LTTE committed war crimes – Sajith

If war crimes had been committed in Sri Lanka they were only committed by the LTTE Sajith Premadasa said in Parliament today. He said this in response to a question posed by Wimal Weerawansa regarding an alleged statement given by Karu Jayasuriya to a newspaper. Wimal claims that in the statement Karu had proclaimed that […]



Sluice gates open as rains continue

Correspondent and Batticaloa Group The sluice gates of several reservoirs were opened yesterday as unrelenting rains continued to lash the catchment areas. Officials said sluice gates of the Victoria, Castlereagh, Laxapana, Rajanganaya and Wimalasurendra reservoirs were opened due to the heavy rains. They cautioned the public to remain alert. Meanwhile, the Met Department said that […]



Single authority to control cities; UDA axe to also fall on Dehiwala-Mt Lavinia, Kotte and Kolonnawa municipalities

The Nation – By Gagani Weerakoon Giving a new twist to the much speculated decision to convert the Colombo Municipal Council to an authority, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa signalled this week that such an authority is not only for Colombo but will include Dehiwala-Mt.Lavinia, Kotte and Kolonnawa. Delivering the seventh Sujata Jayawardana memorial oration in […]