On this day in ...... 2003 (5 years ago today), in Colombo, Sri Lanka, President Chandrika Kumaratunga declared a state of emergency, thus "giving herself sweeping powers to ban assemblies, detain people without cause and censor news reports" for a period of 10 days. The move came a day after she "suspended the country's Parliament, took control of the powerful Defense, Interior and Media ministries and deployed a small number of troops at key government buildings." Kumaratunga (right) had been President -- the 1st woman to hold that post -- since 1994. She would leave office in 2005, after failing 
to persuade the Sri Lankan Supreme Court she should be permitted to stay an additional year.
to persuade the Sri Lankan Supreme Court she should be permitted to stay an additional year.... 1838 (170 years ago today), a 15-year-old alliance known as the United Provinces of Central America began to dissolve when 1 of its members, Honduras (left), withdrew and became an independent republic. (map credit)
