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One person has died after a landmaster two wheeled tractor collided in the Kandana, Weligampitiya area. The driver of the tractor had been killed on the spot following the accident, which occoured around 4 pm today on the Colombo - Chilaw railway track..

Virender Sehwag unleashed a stunning display of strokeplay to smash a blistering 175 as India launched their cricket World Cup campaign with an emphatic 87-Run victory over Bangladesh today. h young Virat Kohli (100 not out) to propel India to an imposing 370 for four before the visitors restricted the minnows 283 for nine to avenge the shock defeat in the last edition. Although the Bangladeshi batsmen made a valiant effort, the target proved much too stiff and ultimately lost their way as the asking rate kept mounting. Tamim Iqbal (70) and and skipper Shakib Al Hasan (55) were the notable contributors for Bangladesh. For India Munaf Patel was the star performer with the ball with figures of four for 48 while Zaheer Khan also chipped in with two wickets for 41 runs. Put into bat, Sehwag virtually toyed with the hapless Bangladeshi bowlers to notch up his 14th ODI century with a breathtaking array of strokes while Kohli complete

The Opening Ceremony of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 kicked off a short while back at the Bangabandhu Stadium in Bangladesh.

A school teacher from the Aluvihara area was arrested in connection to sexually abusing two schoolboys from Matale while Police are carrying out investigations in order to apprehend a government official who is allegedly involved as well. Investigations revealed that the government official had taken the two boys in his official vehicle after convincing the children that they were being taken to participate in a cultural dance. The school teacher who was involved was assaulted by the villagers before being admitted to hospital. The teacher was apprehended by police upon trying to escape the hospital.

UNP Parliamentarian Upeksha Swarnamali has been admitted into the Sri Jayawardenapura Hospital due to an injury sustained to her face, Hospital authorities told Ada Derana. The actress, better known as ‘Paba’ was allegedly assaulted over a domestic dispute last night. When Derana contacted the MP’s personal phone, her husband who picked up claimed that the news reports concerning her hospitalization were false and that ‘Paba’ was attending a photo-shoot at Gangarama. However, Director of the Sri Jayawardenapura Hospital told a short while ago that the MP was admitted to the 18th ward in the hospital for a facial injury.

Daughter of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and Paliamentarian, K. Kanimozhi along with two other members of parliament and over a thousand other protesters were taken into custody by the Chennai Police today after staging a protest in front of the Sri Lankan Embassy. The protest was against the alleged attacks on Indian Fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy. The protest comes following the arrest of 112 Indian fishermen last night at Point Pedro after they allegedly violated the maritime boundaries. Parliamentarians, D.K.S. Illangaran and J. Anbalahan were also arrested in the incident.

One person was killed while 22 others were injured when a bus met with an accident in Pussellawa today (February 15) at around 11 p.m. The Police stated that the private bus toppled from a 50 foot precipice killing a sixty-year-old woman. Among the injured who were rushed to the Pussellawa Hospital were seven children.

United National Party (UNP) General Secretary, Tissa Attanayake says that he will meet with the Election Commissioner to discuss information regarding actions that can be taken in order to hold a free and fair election. He stated that currently the use of state property in election propaganda work has increased drastically and also the use of public property and election violence incidents have also begun to surface. Steps must be taken especially to verify the impartiality of the police and government officials and also to avoid government involvement, he pointed out. “Representatives of political parties have not been afforded the opportunity to attend postal vote casting centers” Attanayake expressed. “As complaints had been received on earlier occasions that the pressure of state officials had existed in certain postal vote casting centers, party representatives should be permitted to attend those centers in order to maintain transparency.” Another intention of this

The JVP request that an immediate meeting be called by the Election Commissioner in order to discuss various problems that have risen regarding the election. The secretaries of every political party and the leaders of the independent groups should be invited to participate in this, Vijitha Herath said. Speaking at a press conference today (February 13) he alleged that the District Secretaries have stated that election monitors will not be given an opportunity to observe during the postal voting this year. Not one political party has been informed so far regarding this matter, the Propaganda Secretary of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) stressed.

VANCOUVER - A Tamil migrant who arrived on the MV Sun Sea says he worked for a Tamil Tiger-owned garage, but was never a member of the organization or even got paid. The man is the first to testify at what will be at least 15 inadmissibility hearings for people accused of terrorism, human smuggling or war crimes that arrived on B.C.’s coast last August and made refugee claims. The man, who cannot be identified under a publication ban, told the Vancouver Immigration and Refugee Board hearing he worked at the garage for about six months in 1996 after he was forced to flee home because the army was advancing. He says he believed the group was “trying to help” the Tamil population, but he never joined when asked and didn’t want to “encourage” their activities. Federal government lawyers are fighting the release of several would-be refugees over allegations they are members of the banned Sri Lankan terrorist group. Of 492 people who arrived on the freighter, 107 people

CHENNAI: Former US envoy to Sri Lanka Teresita Schaffer ruled out American backing for Tamil Eelam and said that the concern about war crimes in Sri Lanka was not frivolous. There was evidence that the end of the civil war between the island troops and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) was brutal. At a forum on ‘US perspective on security in South Asian region with special emphasis on Nepal and Sri Lanka’ Schaffer stressed on Monday the need for genuine reconciliation by the Rajapaksa government. “If the reconciliation process is allowed to slide, then some new internal conflict may spring up,” said Schaffer, who is also the director of the South Asia Programme at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “I don’t have any clear sense on how one can persuade the Sri Lankan leader on reconciliation,” she said. Schaffer also welcomed reconciliation efforts but said the focus should also be on war crimes. The former US envoy also said that the American t

The entire staff of the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital including the doctors are presently carrying out a token strike in protest of the actions of the hospital’s directress. Currently only essential services of the hospital are being attended to, GMOA Secretary Dr. Bimantha Gunasekara said. However the Health Secretary has granted a discussion tomorrow in order to resolve the prevailing crisis, he expressed. Dr. Gunasekara, the Secretary of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) stated that it will be decided following tomorrow’s meeting as to what trade union action will be taken in the future.

The National Freedom Front (NFF) has requested the Election Commissioner to postpone the Local Government election in areas occupied by a majority of flood affected people. The request had been made through a letter by the party’s leader Wimal Weerawansa. He points out that a large number of people in several provinces have been affected due to the disaster situation that occurred after the election date was announced. Therefore holding the election in those respective areas on March 17 is not suitable, the Minister of Construction and Housing further states in the letter.

Sinhala Post The Navy has deployed 20 lifeguard teams to rescue flood victims in Media Spokesman for the Navy Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya stated. The teams will be deployed in Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Thoppur, Mahakanadarawa, Medawachchiya, Pulmudai and Kebithigollewa. The lifeguard teams are also ready to be deployed in any area if the need arises.

Sri Lanka won the second one day international against West Indies at the SSC today after reaching their target of 197 runs with 8 wickets in hand. Opener Upul Tharanga scored an unbeaten century while Mahela Jayawardena remained at 48 not out. A rain delay meant that the second innings was only 47 overs long while West Indies total of 203 runs off their allotted 50 overs was brought down to a target of 197 runs. Sri Lanka got there comfortably with 27 balls remaining and with 8 wickets in hand.

Landslide warnings have been issued by the National Building Research Organization (NBRO) for the four Districts Matale, Kandy, Badulla and Nuwara-Eliya. A disaster situation has been identified in these areas where people in vulnerable areas have been advised to be cautious

Chennai, Feb 1 (PTI) More than 300 Sri Lankan fishermen, who had strayed into Indian waters, were apprehended along with over 60 boats last year, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) stated today. “All-out efforts have been made to curb the menace of illegal poaching by foreign fishing vessels. During the last year, 65 Sri Lankan boats with 337 crewmembers have been apprehended,” an ICG statement detailing their highlights last year, released on the occasion of its Raising Day, said. The Coast Guard had also repatriated 88 boats and 455 fishermen to Sri Lanka last year, including those apprehended earlier.

The government will provide a laptop each for all University intakes for 2010/2011 for online English learning as a prelude to introducing English Medium education, the Government Information Centre announced.