While the Commonwealth Secretariat insists that no foreign government has formally requested that the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka this year be shifted out over human rights concerns, a last minute push is now underway with parties urging their governments to make that move ahead of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) meeting to be held later this month.

Wow! How effectively this nursery rhyme sums up the disaster awaiting this Paradise Isle in the not too distant future. We are living at the most challenging time in recent history, where the forces of extremism such as BBS and Sinhala Ravaya , have unfortunately got the upper hand over the voices of moderation and reason. It is a matter of regret that the Police have virtually delegated or abdicated their law enforcement powers to these vicious elements , extremist forces – BBS, and Sihala Ravaya, supported by the JHU , to do what

The government has given priority to launch sanitation projects apart from community water supply projects in the Northern Province,Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardane said.

He was addressing a meeting at the District Secretarial, Kilinochchi on April 5. The meeting was held to find solutions to the drinking water and sanitation problems of the people in the Jaffna and Kilinochchi districts.

“I do not want my child to be born and raised as a refugee,” says Padma, resting her palm on her five-month pregnant stomach. She arrived in India as a little girl in 1990. The only transition since then is that she had moved out of a refugee camp to live outside in a house as a “veli pathivu” (non-camp refugee). She is one of the two pregnant women Tamil refugees, who were ‘rescued’ from the stranded boat off Velankanni coast on Saturday evening.

Bhanu, who is in the eighth month of pregnan

The reconciliation process in Sri Lanka remains unfinished and hugely controversial, a high-ranking German official concluding a three-day visit to Colombo said yesterday, after wide-ranging discussions with the Government, the Opposition and civil society representatives.


Vice President of the German Parliament and MP Wolfgang Thierse said he had heard completely different views on Sri Lanka’s post-conflict reconciliation process from the Opposition, Tamil parties and human rights activists. “They feel the T

An LTTE fighter who lived with a bullet lodged in his head for more than 10 years, died as a result of the injury, an inquest held in Britain was told.

Father of one, Ramachandaran Sivakumar, 41, fell in his bathroom at his home in Melrose Avenue in Cricklewood on December 21, following a seizure, Kilburn Times reported.

He was taken to the Royal Free Hospital in Pond Street where he died two days later.

Police have recovered a Sri Lanka fishing vessel suspected to have capsized at the deep-sea and drifted to Pate Island in Lamu East. Lamu East police boss Samson Obara said the boat was spotted floating at the deep sea by fishermen who alerted the police last week.

"We are investigating several options. Either the boat capsized or it was swept away by strong winds and drifted into Kenya territorial waters," said Obara. He said police have informed the Interpol unit, who will assist to contact the Sri Lanka authoritie

 Following the spread of a mysterious kidney disease among the Rajarata farmers the Agriculture Ministry has banned, with immediate effect, the import of three agro-chemicals, considered harmful to humans.

The banned agro-chemicals are, Chlopyrifos, Propanil and Carbaryl.

Agriculture Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardane said that the decision had been taken on the advice of experts who had studied the situation .

Former member of the Jaffna UPFA Municipal Council Suveeharan Nishanthan said that he was allegedly attacked by SLFP's Jaffna District Chief Organiser Angajan and his father in Colombo recently.

However, SLFP's Jaffna District Chief Organiser Angajan denies the allegations.

Former member of the Jaffna UPFA Municipal Council, Suveeharan Nishanthan said that he was abducted an attacked when he arrived at Wellawatte recently to be engaged in some personal work.

A local de-miner was killed following a mine explosion in Jaffna today, police sources in Jaffna said.

The de-miner, who works for the HALO Trust non-governmental organization, was clearing mines in Muhamalai when the explosion took place.

The victim was identified as K. Muragesu, a resident of Kilinochchi.

Between 2002 and October 2012, HALO Sri Lanka has cleared over 650 hectares (1,607 acres) of minefields and systematic Battle Area Clearance of over 1,640 hectares (4,052 acres) whilst destroying over 14