These Sabhas will come under the purview of Basil Rajapaksa, Minister of Economic Development.“They will have powers to draw up their own budgets, development plans and seek financial allocations from the Central Government,” Petroleum Resources Minister and UPFA General Secretary Susil Premajayantha told the Sunday Times.

A French warplane opened fire on a vehicle in Libya at 1645 GMT, the first shot in an operation to enforce a UN resolution calling for a no-fly zone and protection of Libyans from Kadhafi's forces, the French military said.