Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the opposition were engaged in an argument in Parliament yesterday over an Indian ambulance service which is to be begun shortly in the Southern and Western Provinces. The argument was triggered when opposition MP Bandula Gunawardena asked why the government had allowed an Indian NGO to start an ambulance service in Sri Lanka without informing anyone or even Parliament. The MP charged that this had been done without even advertising for local organisations to submit applications to provide such a service.

Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera and the US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power had talks on issues related to Sri Lanka. During the talks the top US official and Samaraweera had also discussed the possibility of expanding Sri Lanka

Plans are a foot to set up a US base in Trincomalee, former Minister Prof. Tissa Vitharana alleged yesterday. Addressing a press conference organised by the Samajawadi Janatha Peramuna (Socialist People's Front) at the Rajagiriya Dr. N.M. Perera Memorial Hall, Prof. Vitharana said his allegation was based on a report submitted by US Ambassador Atul Keshap to the US State Department detailing his plans before he was posted to Sri Lanka.

Residents of Vadamarachchi East are planning a protest at Maruthankerny in Jaffna against proposed water purification project which, the fear, will pollute groundwater in the area. President of the Vadamarachchi East Undergraduates

The vote on the proposed Constitutional Assembly which was to be taken on Parliament tomorrow after a two day debate, has been postponed. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the Sri Lanka Freedom Party is to meet this week to have more talks on the proposals and the cabinet will then meet next week to decide on the proposed draft of the Constitutional Assembly. The initial draft which was presented to Parliament last month has been amended based on proposals submitted to the Government.

Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has admitted that Australian border protection authorities recently turned an asylum seeker boat back to Sri Lanka, 9news Australia reported on Tuesday. Mr. Dutton had given few details beyond saying this occurred in the last couple of weeks. "We determined that those people aren't refugees and then they go back to their country of origin. We have a good relationship with Sri Lanka as we do with Indonesia," he told Brisbane radio 4BC.

No Prime Minister in the history of Sri Lanka has suppressed the media like current Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) General Secretary and MP Udaya Gammanpila said today. He told a media briefing held in Colombo, that there was no one strong enough to object to Mr. Wickremesinghe

President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Chairperson of ADB

Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera was released on bail by the Homagama Magistrate this evening. Ven. Gnanasara Thera was released on a surety bail of Rs. 200, 000. The thera had been remanded for allegedly threatening Pradeep Eknaligoda

Malaysian authorities have nabbed 971 foreigners including Sri Lankans in a nationwide crackdown that began on Friday midnight. A total of 2,182 foreign nationals were screened in the 12-hour operation, the agency quoted an official at Malaysian Immigration Department. Migrant workers from Nepal, Indonesia, Burma, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and China were arrested during the raid.The move comes hours after the Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced suspension of recruitment of foreigners and deportation of illegal workers, the Kathmandu Post reported.

Minister of Transport - Nimal Siripaia de Silva has said that President Maithripala Sirisena had become party leader in a legal manner. Speaking yesterday (21) at a Badulia district SLFPA Youth front meeting, the minister had said, "the then Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa was also present when Mahinda handed over the party leadership to Maithri. As far as we are concerned, no one took over the leadership with threats."

Asserting its sovereignty over Katchatheevu, Deputy Minister Vijayakala Maheswaran on Sunday has said it was not possible for Sri Lanka to return the islet to India. "Katchatheevu is part of Sri Lanka according to an agreement and hence it was not possible to give it back to India," Minister Maheswaran told reporters at Katchatheevu, Indian Express news reported yesterday. As per the 1974 and 1976 agreements, India had ceded Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka. On the fishing rights of Indian fishermen in Katchatheevu, she said both the nations must work together to resolve the issue.

Muslims cannot give up their demand for a separate Muslim Province, SLMC Chairman Basheer Segu Dawood said at a discussion held in Kathankudy on Saturday in the context of submitting their proposals to the new constitution to be enacted. He said that it was not prudent to step down from the demand of a separate province for Muslims. "The Tamils had demanded self-determination. They have neither stepped down nor had given up their demand. They have also not stepped down from their demand for a merged North-East.

The Opposition and sections of professional organisations in Sri Lanka have kicked up a storm over the proposed Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement between India and the island nation.Calling the pact a fresh variant of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which was aborted earlier, the Joint Opposition, a coalition of seven parties and groups owing allegiance to former President Mahinda Rajapakasa, said the deal had to be abandoned due to

The government was deliberately delaying the implementation of the development projects proposed by the UPFA government so that it could later claim that the projects were its own, alleged former president Mahinda Rajapaksa today. Addressing a group of journalists at Weerawila, he said the government was attempting to claim the ownership of such development projects but that the people knew who was really responsible for them.

More than 7,000 devotees from India and Sri Lanka had gathered in Kachchativu by last night to attend the annual St. Anthony

The first case under the Victim and Witness Protection Act in Sr Lanka is to be heard against the General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) the Venerable Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero. The case was filed against the Gnanasara Thero for threatening Sandya Eknaligoda, the wife of missing journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda when the case was heard at the Homagama Magistrate

The government has begun negotiations with a few European Union nations in an effort to seek their support to arrest and repatriate to Sri Lanka the notorious and still active Norway-based LTTE Leader Perimpanayagam Sivaparan alias Nediyawan, who is believed to be flitting from one European country to another to dodge detection. Nediyawan was even last year responsible for launching an LTTE Tamil Television channel named Deepam to reach and indoctrinate Tamil youth in European nations, in Sri Lanka and targeting a huge South Indian Tamil audience too. Nediyawan coordinated LTTE activities overseas on behalf of the LTTE International Secretariat.

A top ranking official of the Army told Ceylon Today that Captain L.M.T. Wimalasena, alias Captain Tissa, was summoned twice by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for questioning in connection with the murder of popular ruggerite Wasim Thajudeen. He said the Army was awaiting information from the CID in order to commence a Military Investigation into Captain Tissa's alleged connections to the murder.

Atop defence official of the former regime is facing imminent arrest as the investigations into the disappearance of journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda enters its final stage. Several top military officers and soldiers have already been arrested in relation to the case and with the investigations in the final stages, top defence officials of the former regime, who gave orders to detain Eknaligoda, are the only remaining suspects to be arrested.

The condition of Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne has shown a marked improvement, reports indicated. The minister was flown to the Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore after he complained of chest pains and was initially treated at Lanka Hospital in Colombo. "The situation is under control", sources said.

Regions with the highest rate of poverty in Sri Lanka are areas inhabited by Tamils, according to a study of the World Bank. The regions come under the districts of Mannar, Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi in the Northern Province; Batticaloa in the East and plantations in Badulla district (Uva Province) and Nuwara Eliya (Central Province). One Sinhala-dominated region the study has identified as having a high rate of poverty is the Monaragala district.

Two persons were killed and another injured after a motorcycle veered off the road and crashed into a tree on the Jaffna-Mannar road. Police said that the motorcycle rider, who was traveling towards Mannar, had lost control of the bike resulting in the accident. Three persons were admitted to the Mannar Hospital in critical condition following the incident, however the motorcyclist and another individual succumbed to injuries. The deceased have been identified as a 30-year-old and 23-year-old from Uppukulam and Anthonypuram respectively in Mannar. The injured persons is still receiving treatment at the Mannar Hospital.

Power and Renewable Energy Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya instructed the authorities to commence the construction work of the Sampur Coal Power Plant within next few months. He instructed that work on the first and the second phases of the Sampur project, which is designed to contribute another 500 MW to the National Grid commence soon. The minister gave these instructions to the relevant authorities during an inspection tour of the Sampur Coal Power Plant site on Thursday. The site extends to an area of 500 acres and the construction cost is estimated at US dollars 600 million.

The Supreme Court yesterday ordered written submissions from petitioners and respondents of a petition requesting the Court to issue a declaration that Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) is a political party, which has as one of the objectives, the establishment of a separate State in Sri Lanka. H.K. Don Chandrasoma of Polhena, Kelaniya Housing Scheme has filed this petition under Article 157A (4) of the Constitution. Mawai Senathirajah

Austrian President Heinz Fischer and President Maithripala Sirisena agreed to increase the cooperation in the economic development between the two countries as friendly nations. The two leaders came into this agreement when they held an official discussion at the President's Office of Austria yesterday. President Sirisena who arrived at the President's Office of Austria was welcomed by President Fischer. A Guard of Honour was held to welcome President Sirisena, who is on a two day state visit to Austria. After the Guard of Honour, two national anthems were played.

The Government says it wants to maintain its strong partnership with China while also having economic agreements with other countries. Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said that there has been a general perception that Sri Lanka is extremely sensitive to investments from China. He said that China has been an aggressive partner and Sri Lanka wants to continue with that partnership.

Valikamam North land owners have threatened to invade High Security Zones (HSZ) in the area if the land is not released before the April Sinhala and Tamil New Year. People who own land in the HSZ have said that they are prepared to take bullets from the military in the attempt to get back what is rightfully theirs. This message was conveyed to Minister Vijayakala Maheswaran and the Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran at a meeting held in Jaffna. The discussion focused on the families displaced from Valikamam North and plans to expand the Palaly airport.

Former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake has been acquitted in a case filed against her by the bribery commission. She was acquitted after the bribery commission withdrew the case. The case was filed wen former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was in power.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday, condemned the government's decision to sign an economic and technology cooperation pact with India. He said that the country would become another state of India, if the present situation continues. Rajapaksa was responding to the media personnel after arriving at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry yesterday morning. "All development projects have come to an abrupt end after the new Government came to power," Rajapaksa charged. He said that the government is gradually suppressing the media freedom while media institutions praising the government are not criticized by government leaders, he said.