News courtesy: Ada Derana

UNP Galle District MP Manusha Nanayakkara has stated that he will support the upcoming Constitutional Amendment of the Government. He added that he will vote in favour of the amendment at parliament next week.

Full Story | Local News | No Comments »  |  [Read More..]

Daily News – By Rasika SOMARATHNA

President Mahinda Rajapaksa told the 59th anniversary meeting of the SLFP yesterday that accelerated development, a stable Government, strengthening democracy, peace and prosperity in line with people’s expectations were the aims of the envisaged constitutional amendments and not the extension of his term in office.

Addressing over 15,000, including party cadres from top to the grass-roots level at Temple Trees, the President said that if he chose to go for a third term first the party had to sanction his candidacy and next the people had to decide whether or not to retain him.

Full Story | Local News | 1 Comment »  |  [Read More..]

(Colombo Lankapuvath) Dengue is something we hear every day. This deadly menace has not yet been eradicated. According to a concept of First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa an islandwide Dengue Eradication Campaign under the “Carlton Suwa Udana” healthcare program aimed at enhancing the Standards of Health, nourishment and life skills of people was started in Colombo suburbs yesterday (01).

The First Lady Shiranthi Rajapakse herself sterilized Dengue Breeding grounds in Maligawatte area in Colombo yesterday (01) in the eradication campaign organized by the Carlton Suwa Udana Programme. This Campaign included cleaning of school premises, nearby lands and houses. It also covered the Modera Ananda Vidyalaya, Bambalapitiya Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya, Isipathana College, Borella Sangamitta and Seevalie Colleges. Education, Health, Defence Ministry Officials and Prison Officers attended this campaign.

Full Story | Local News | No Comments »  |  [Read More..]

Daily News – By Ishara JAYAWARDENA

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday said the Government has performed an outstanding service to uplift the status of the farmer community in Sri Lanka. He stated that the people should be prepared to make the best use of country’s lands to foster future development.

He added that the service carried out by the Government for the development of agriculture sector will ever be remembered by the farmers in the country though short lived in the minds of politicians.

Full Story | Local News | 1 Comment »  |  [Read More..]

Daily News – By Sarath MALALASEKERA

The Supreme Court will communicate its decision regarding the Constitutional changes to the President and Speaker today, September 1, 2010.

The Bench comprising Justice Dr. Shirani A. Bandaranayake (President), Justice K. Sripavan, Justice P. A. Ratnayake PC, Justice S. I. Imam and Justice Suresh Chandra directed Attorney General President’s Counsel Mohan Pieris and the other Counsel who appeared for several other parties to submit their written submissions before 10 a.m. today, September 1, 2010.

Full Story | Local News | 1 Comment »  |  [Read More..]

News Courtesy: Ada Derana

A notorious underworld gangster known as Olcott has been shot dead during a scuffle with the police while being escorted from Kurunegala to Colombo, says Police media spokesman SP Prishantha Jayakody.

Olcott, a person from Maligawatte said to be involved in criminal activities was arrested by the Police Special Task Force (STF) at Kurunegala today. At the time of arrest he reportedly had a pistol in his possession. However, when he was being escorted to Colombo, he had attempted to grab the gun of a police personnel in the vehicle and had attempted to jump out of the vehicle at Japalawatte in Minuwangoda.

Full Story | Local News | 1 Comment »  |  [Read More..]

News Courtesy: Ada Derana

The disciplinary committee appointed by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to probe the incident of a Samurdhi officer being tied to a tree at Kelaniya, has decided that former Deputy Minister Mervin Silva is not guilty.

The three-member committee which handed over its report to President Mahinda Rajapaksa has stated that there was no evidence against former Deputy Highways Minister Mervin Silva to prove that he was responsible for punishing the Samurdhi official to a tree for failing to be present during an anti-dengue campaign.

Full Story | Local News | 6 Comments »  |  [Read More..]

HAIL MURALI:S. Venkatraghavan and CSK team owner Gurunath Meiyappan during the function to felicitate the off-spinner

Chennai: Muttiah Muralitharan’s impish grin ran out of room, the lean contours of his face allowing it only so much space to spread into, as the accolades for his record-breaking feats poured in from all corners. The Sri Lankan off-spinner, who recently exited Test cricket after setting the bar for future record aspirants at a stratospheric 800 wickets, was in the city for a felicitation by Chennai Super Kings, the team he represents in the IPL.

“Just as India will never have another Sachin Tendulkar, Sri Lanka will never have another Muralitharan,” said former India skipper and Test umpire Srinivas Venkatraghavan, after handing Murali a T-shirt with his name and the number 800 on its back.

Full Story | Sports News | No Comments »  |  [Read More..]

The Island – By Franklin R. Satyapalan (Pix – Reuters)

The Cabinet yesterday unanimously approved constitutional amendments proposed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Among them is an amendment aimed at doing away with the 10-member Constitutional Council and replacing it with a five-member Constitutional Advisory Committee (CAC). The government intends to retain all independent commissions established under the 17th Amendment except the Independent Police Commission.

The government seeks to scrap Article 31 (2), which restricts the number of terms an elected executive president could serve to two. According to the proposed amendment, an elected president can contest and get elected any number of times.

Full Story | Local News | 1 Comment »  |  [Read More..]

Foreign secretary Nirupama Rao will undertake a three-day visit to Sri Lanka from Monday as a special emissary of the Indian government to assess the rehabilitation of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) of Sri Lanka.

Prime minister Manmohan Singh had conceded the demand of DMK president and Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi, who wanted the Centre to intervene in the Sri Lankan rehabilitation issue.

Full Story | Local News | No Comments »  |  [Read More..]

Onlanka News – By Janaka Alahapperuma (Pix by: Sudath Silva)

Sri Lankan Expatriates of United Arab Emirates (UAE) donated Rs.3.9 million for ‘Api Wenuwen Api Fund’- (We for Ourselves) which is maintained by Ministry of Defence, at a ceremony with the presence of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. On behalf of the Sri Lankan Expatriates in UAE, Venerable Bengamuwe Nalaka thero handed over the cheque to President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees on 27th August. This donation was collected by the patriots in UAE by organizing the ‘Ranawiru Gee Sendewa’ concert with the assistance of Sri Lanka Embassy and Council General Office in UAE recently.

Full Story | Local News | No Comments »  |  [Read More..]

Onlanka News – By Janaka Alahapperuma (Pix by: Sudath Silva)

Chairman and Managing Director of Epic Lanka Group, Nayana Dehigama was proclaimed winner of the 3rd Asia Pacific Young Entrepreneur award recently at Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo. The event was organized by the Confederation of Asia Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) as a part of its 24th Conference and Sri Lanka Economic Summit-2010. Ambassador Benedicto V Yujuico, the President of CACCI handed over the Asia Pacific Young Entrepreneur award to Nayana Dehigama at the ceremony.

Full Story | Local News | No Comments »  |  [Read More..]