Sep 6 (LG) Keheliya Rambukwella is amongst the most prominent and powerful of the country’s overabundance of ministers. As Defence Spokesman he is the face of the military establishment and was throughout the final days of the war the liaison between a media eager for information and an army determined to prevent any journalistic intrusion into the business of war. more..

Sep 6 (ST) On the opposite page we detail some of the happenings in the camps housing the IDPs. In recent decades, Sri Lanka has had a chronic refugee problem. There was a time when a million people were in refugee camps some for years on end, like the Muslims driven out of Jaffna and staying in Puttalam. There were refugees of every community in the camps. A million meant that one in 20 Lankans was in a camp -a damning statistic by any standard. more..

Sep 6 (SO) The professional expertise of the Sri Lankan diaspora in over 400 associations around the world will be sought by the `Mother Sri Lanka' program for the country's future economic development activities. Accordingly, the Presidential Secretariat launched `Mother Sri Lanka' program has spread a massive global network and called upon over 1.2 million Sri Lankan expatriates to be a part of the country's development programs. more..

Sep 6 (SO) Hambantota was once considered an area frequented by elephants, robbers under developed to such an extent that there wasn't even a decent tea kiosk to quench your thirst. There was no drinking water available, let alone sanitation. "Many people passed Hambantota on their way to Kataragama, but no one wanted to stop over at Hambantota as it did not have anything to offer," said Ports, Aviation and Water Resources Minister Chamal Rajapaksa. more..

Sep 6 (SO) In the North it appears that the farmers are the happiest lot. Their smiles with gleaming eyes were signs of a prosperous future. The farmers of the legendary Northern Province will be bringing back the rich harvest that nourished the people of this country for centuries. Selliah (45) is the proud owner of a luscious grape cultivation and a red onion cultivation in Uralu, Jaffna. more..

Sep 6 (SO) The TNA delegation led by its leader and Trincomalee district Parliamentarian Rajavarothayam Sampanthan will meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa at 4.30 p.m. tomorrow at Temple Trees, said the General Secretary of the party Mavai Senathiraja MP. The meeting between the TNA and President Rajapaksa tomorrow is significant, as this is the first time the TNA, more..

Sep 6 (SO) Sunshine camp true to its name brings sunshine to the differently abled children. Held every year in August this residential camp fills the hearts of these children with happiness. In addition to the food and drink they are given an opportunity to show their talents while the organizers the members of Dehiwala YMCA take all pains to ensure that they have two days of fun and dance. more..

Sep 6 (NS) The Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) leading the current go-slow campaign demanding a reasonable daily wage, yesterday said they will not compromise for anything less than Rs.500, and threatened to launch a strike, if the planned discussions with the Employers’ Federation (EFC) fail tomorrow. The CWC spokesman said the EFC has invited the 22 trade unions, who are now engaged in a go-slow campaign, to another round of discussions on Monday (7) and more..

Sep 6 (NS) Though India made a request to the Sri Lankan Government soon after the military crushing of the LTTE in the Wanni in May, for the death certificates of Tiger Leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and his intelligence head Pottu Amman, to wrap up the case into the assassination of former Indian Premier Rajiv Gandhi, Colombo has so far failed to act on the request. Sources at the Foreign Ministry, through which the formal request was made by the Indians, more..

Sep 6 (NS) Although the Ministry of Highways had publicly stated 27 metal arch bridges located on the Southern Expressway would be replaced, a fresh detailed study is now underway to finalise a broad-based solution to the issue. “Although the earlier Committee was mandated to probe all 72 metal arch bridges, they were unable to do so due to lack of adequate time. A fresh comprehensive report is to be formulated by the Moratuwa University. more..

Sep 6 (NS) Unheralded by most, this week will see a significant political development: the TNA, a coalition of Tamil political parties, will meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa for talks and the prospect arouses more than passing interest, for several reasons. During the latter stages of the final ‘Eelam War’, the President and the government made several attempts to woo the TNA. At that stage, the TNA did not respond favourably to the President’s overtures. more..

Sep 6 (NS) President Mahinda Rajapaksa who was due to attend the sessions of the United Nations General Assembly to be held on September 21 and 22, has in an unexpected move decided to cancel his visit and instead send Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake to the UN in his place. This has become the moot point of discussion in the diplomatic and political circles today. President Rajapaksa, after assuming office, has attended successive UN general sessions held in 2006, 2007 and 2008. more..

Sep 6 (Island) Foreign Affairs Minister Rohitha Bogollagama yesterday directed the Sri Lankan Embassy in Japan to probe an incident where Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake had been held up for about half an hour until immigration clearance was given, on arrival at the Narita International Airport. The Minister has called for a detailed report from our mission on this "procedural delay", which had kept the Prime Minister and his entourage waiting, more..

Sep 6 (Island) Talks will begin in Colombo tomorrow between the plantation unions and the Employers Federation of Ceylon over wage revision demands that have already triggered a go-slow on the plantations and the blockage of made tea being transported to the Colombo auctions. The trade union action entered its fourth day yesterday with the unions claiming that five rounds of previous talks had not yielded any result. more..

Sep 6 (Island) The promoters of Sri Lanka’s first closed ended Unit Trust to be listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange last week expressed confidence that clearance for foreign investors to buy into the billion rupee fund will soon be granted. Although the closed ended structure of the fund which will be liquidated in 10 years does not allow redemption of units once purchased, its listing on the CSE allow investors to buy and sell units more..

Sep 6 (Island) ‘Four hundred babies are born every month in IDP tents at Menik Farm, Vavuniya, and they are in need of considerable assistance and care’, Sarvodaya leader Dr A.T. Ariyaratne said yesterday while making a commemorative address in honour of Mother Theresa of Calcutta, at the SEDEC centre, Colombo. Ariyaratne said that at the request of the health authorities at the Farm, Sarvodaya was able to put together and more..

Sep 6 (Island) Commissioner General of Rehabilitation Maj. Gen. Daya Ratnayake said that he had been entrusted the major task of rehabilitating 10,000 or more members of the LTTE to become useful citizens that the country could be proud of. "As this is a matter of national concern, we are looking forward to the support of every community, Sinhalese, Tamils -- especially members of the Diaspora and Muslims", he said. more..

Sep 6 (ST) Members of paramilitary groups are carrying on a lucrative trade smuggling out IDPs from camps for large sums of money, an investigation by the Sunday Times revealed. The rate for release of a person in Vavuniya stands at Rs 100,000 whilst those “delivered” to Colombo or the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) is Rs 500,000 now, our Insight Team found. This is because the demand had tapered off. Earlier, charges stood at Rs 200,000 and Rs 700,000. more..

Sep 6 (ST) An Immigration Officer has been transferred from the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) as a top-level inquiry got under way on how a Sri Lankan passport holder was helped by a British High Commission official to travel to London without a valid visa. “Our officer on duty has made a mistake by allowing the passenger to pass through,” Immigration Controller P. Abeykoon told The Sunday Times. The inquiry follows a directive from President Mahinda Rajapaksa. more..

Sep 6 (ST) A Chinese envoy once described a restaurant in Colombo as among a handful that served authentic food of his country. Yet, last Sunday afternoon, there were only a few at the restaurant. Past noon, a white clad VIP politico turned up. Escorting him was his bodyguard. If the guard's holster with a loaded pistol bulged out from his tight white shirt, the well-built man had another distinguishing symbol. more..

Sep 6 (ST) The southern town of Hambantota has turned into a mini-battle zone with pre-election violence on a steady increase while the police and officialdom opt to remain silent and independent observers fear that the worse is yet to come. The bulk of the violence and intimidation has been allegedly targeted at the JVP with the party holding pro-government goons as being responsible for the ongoing attacks, while the police claim that all sides are to blame for the present situation. more..

Sep 6 (LBO) Some of Sri Lanka's roads will remain closed despite the end of a 30-year civil war to prevent a post-Soviet style collapse of the economy, the island's prime minister told Thai investors. "It is true the ongoing battle is over but we are still unearthing and finding various things that have been planted in various parts of the country such as Colombo and suburbs," prime minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake told a business forum in Colombo Tuesday. more..

Sep 6 (BBC) Sri Lankan authorities have ordereda senior United Nations official to leave the country over comments he made during the war with Tamil Tiger rebels. James Elder's visa has been cancelled over his "propaganda in support of the Tigers", a spokesman told the BBC. Mr Elder, a spokesman for the UN children's agency, Unicef, regularly spoke to the media on the plight of children caught up in the conflict. more..

Sep 7 (CI) A Sri Lanka A side fielding eight players with international experience outclassed the New Zealanders in a low-scoring practice game on a lazy Sunday in front of a handful of spectators at the SSC. The New Zealanders went in without Daniel Vettori, Ross Taylor and Shane Bond and though it was the bowling that should have been weakened by the absentees, it was up to the mark. A limp batting performance, however, led to a 61-run defeat. more..

Sep 7 (LNW) Jaffna District parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran says the Mahinda Rajapakse government after claiming the displaced people in the north and east could not be resettled in their hometown due to landmine threats is in the process of destroying all constructions with Tamil cultural value in the Kilinochchi District and replacing them with Buddhist temples, statues and monuments for dead soldiers. more..

Sep 7 (TC) It was a lazy evening ebbing into a wet Saturday night, after a Friday poya holiday. This was a Sri Lankan evening, down what was better known as “Flower Road” during a “long weekend”. The acoustically elegant but not so modern hall of the Colombo Ladies College, was quietly but hurriedly accommodating the culturally affluent in urban Colombo. This year the crowd was somewhat different though, to that in previous years. more..

Sep 7 (TOI) On a day when Pakistan PM Yousuf Gilani blamed LTTE for the attack on Sri Lankan cricketers on March 3, former Pakistan national security advisor Mahmud Durrani chose to point fingers at India. Speaking to TOI, Durrani said, "There is an impression in Pakistan that what happened in Lahore with the Sri Lankan team was the work of RAW, India is responsible. There is a strong feeling but we haven’t gone wild about it." more..

Sep 7 (AT) Plantation Industries Ministry of Sri Lanka plans to receive Chinese assistance to boost the country’s coconut industry and a Chinese company had already begun preliminary discussions with the Plantation Industries Minister and the Ministry officials. An official from the Plantation Industries Ministry said that Ureshiyan Suppliers Company in Shanghai, China, had discussions in Colombo recently more..

Sep 7 (LT) Chief Editor of ‘Lanka Irida’ Chandana Sirimalwatta has been ordered to come to Colombo crimes division today (6th) states ‘Lanka’ media institution. Three journalists who had visited Deniyaya to get information regarding a building and a road being constructed on a land belonging to a relative of the President using ‘Maga Neguma’ resources were arrested recently and are being detained under emergency regulations. more..

Sep 7 (CI) The New Zealanders slid to a 61-run defeat but stand-in captain Brendon McCullum has picked out positive signs ahead of the first match of the tri-series, starting Tuesday, and the Champions Trophy. McCullum identified the absence of Virender Sehwag from India's squad as a potential way to kick at a shaky middle order and knock India out of what he called "a funny series". Daryl Tuffey's performance, a five-for in his only playing opportunity before more..

Sep 7 (LNW) Ports and Aviation Minister Chamal Rajapakse’s second son Shamindra Rajapakse has been appointed to the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) Board with immediate effect and is to be appointed as Vice Chairman of the Authority in the next few days, Ports and Aviation Ministry sources said. Shamindra currently functions as the private secretary to the Ports and Aviation Minister. more..

Sep 7 (LG) Sybil Wettasinghe is remembered by most of us as the author and illustrator of ‘Kuda Hora’, a legendary Sri Lankan children’s story which has been read and cherished by many generations of kids. A pioneer in the field of juvenile story writing and illustrating in Sri Lanka, Wettasinghe’s stories for children and her delightful rendering of images innovatively brought into life the essence of the tales narrated. more..

Sep 7 (HA) Peacebuilding and Development Institute in Sri Lanka (PDISL) successfully conducted its second year training session on Integrating Conflict, Gender and Development and another parallel course Frameworks and Skills in Peace building. The core courses were held at Blue Oceanic Hotel in Negombo from 24th of August 2009- 28th of August 2009. Both courses comprised participants from Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Nepal and United States of America. more..

Sep 7 (LNW) Former President J.R. Jayewardene’s residence at No. 66 Ward Place, Colombo 7, for which he had made legal provision to be handed over to the government following the death of the two senior Jayewardenes, is yet to be handed over to the government. The former President’s grandson Amrik Jayewardene is currently residing in the house. It is learnt that Amrik’s decision to live in his grandfather’s house against his last wishes while more..

Sep 7 (LNW) Police Spokesperson DIG Nimal Mediwaka in a statement said the three Lanka journalists were arrested for videoing a bungalow in Deniyaya frequented by the President and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse, but refrained from mentioning the relationship between the President and the owner of the bungalow and estate the journalists have allegedly entered into. more..

Sep 7 (LNW) The Power and Energy Ministry has been shifted into Minister Arumugam Thondaman’s Saumyabhavan building to prevent it from being taken over by the bank for non payment of loan dues. The Ministry was shifted into the building on September 1. The Power and Energy Ministry was earlier housed at a building belonging to the Mahaweli Authority. The office in the building is now being used by the non cabinet Power and Energy Minister. more..

Sep 7 (LG) That Channel 4 video. As somebody said, it’s a topic that should be squarely flung in the garbage. However, people such as Kumar David insist that the issue needs some sort of airing. He shall get his wish. If somebody says “Kumar David is a fool’’, I don’t see any reason why we should consult an IQ expert to ascertain the veracity of the claim. (Unless of course he insists.) more..

Sep 7 (LG) The responsibility of supervising a police station and ensuring orderly behavior of officers and discipline is the responsibility of the Assistant Superintendant of Police in charge of the police station. Normally, under the control of each ASP there are several police stations within a specific area. If there is breakdown of law and discipline within a police station, as was the case at the Angulana police post, more..

Sep 7 (LG) On my instructions, due to the priority given to the policy of zero civilian casualties the security forces are limiting themselves to rescue operations of the entrapped civilians held hostage as a human shield by the LTTE. — Address by President Mahinda Rajapakse to the diplomatic community, May 7, 2009. “Firing should stop,” Mr. Anandasangaree, a former MP and the leader of the TULF, said in an interview. more..

Sep 7 (TC) The prison sentence of 20 years with hard labour passed on a senior journalist and editor of the North Eastern Monthly, J S Tissainayagam has come as a great disappointment to all who cherish the freedom of media and the right to free expression of political ideas. This is a case that attracted a great deal of publicity, both nationally and internationally, on account of the issues at stake. more..

Sep 7 (UCAN) A bishop has asked a military commander to allow religious services to be conducted for former Tamil Tiger soldiers being held in rehabilitation camps in the north. Bishop Rayappu Joseph of Mannar on Aug. 30 held talks with security forces commander, Major General Kamal Gunarate, who is in charge of the Vavuniya area. The bishop asked him to allow religious services for all faiths to be held on Sundays for those placed in rehabilitation camps here. more..

Sep 7 (CI) "Today's wicketkeepers dive too much. It shows a lack of foot movement and speed. There's too much of it. I hardly dived, and neither did my wicketkeeping peers. It makes your clothes dirty." The voice on the line is soft yet commanding. It still cares for Sri Lanka cricket, despite a bitter history with its authorities. Mahes Goonatilleke is regarded by many in the country as the finest Test wicketkeeper produced by Sri Lanka. more..

Sep 7 (MoD) President Mahinda Rajapaksa was conferred with the honorary degree (honoris causa) "Doctor of Law" and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa with the honorary degree "Doctor of Letters" by the University of Colombo yesterday. The Senate of the University of Colombo with the approval of the Council of the University resolved that these Degrees of Doctorates be conferred on President Rajapaksa and on Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, more..

Sep 7 (AT) As the President of Sri Lanka clearly recognized in his victory speech upon the defeat of the LTTE, there can be only two groups in our motherland: those who are patriotic and their opposite – the two sides of the same coin. It is true that if a nation is to be strong, it needs more patriotic people than the unpatriotic. The question is as to how you define each league. more..

Sep 7 (LG) The idea of a plural unitary Sri Lanka promoted as Ceylonese nation during the time of independence is not new. It was the concept that preoccupied the British rulers as well as politicians of the time both Sinhalese and Tamils for over half a century of engagement that led to the enactment of the first independent constitution of Sri Lanka and its independence in 1948. more..

Sep 7 (LG) The United National Party was formed 63 years ago today, on the September 06, 1946 with 205 members, eleven years and three years after the formation of Lanka Samasamaja Party and Communist Party respectively and five years before the formation of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, by the merger of the Ceylon National Congress and the Sinhala Maha Sabha, and the adhesion of other political elements willing to support its ‘policy’. more..

Sep 7 (LG) Insurgency has its causes and reasons but not terrorism. In the early stages of the conflict there were many insurgent groups and all of them except one chose democracy to serve its people. That one is the LTTE which transformed itself from insurgency into terrorism. According to David Rapport, an expert on terrorism, man has experienced four waves of terrorism to date. The first being the start of Terrorism in the early 19th Century by way of more..

Sep 7 (PSM) The Foundation for Co-existence (FCE) in its daily security report of 27th August, 2009 reported that the Muslims living in Upparu for generations and evicted by the LTTE more than 24 years ago do not possess deeds/permits for their lands, National Identity Cards/Army Identity Cards and/or Certificate of Displacement, which according to MIC – Sri Lanka is totally wrong. more..

Sep 7 (GDI) First Lady Ms. Shiranthi Rajapaksa today left for China on a six day official visit at the official invitation of Chinese Peoples Congress Vice President and Chinese Womens Association President, Ms.Chen Zili. The first lady left on a special flight with her delegation to attend several official conferences and meetings in China. The Sri Lankan delegation was greeted on arrival by the Vice President of the Chinese Womens Association, Ms.Zuo Zio Zio. more..

Sep 7 (GDI) The Kilinochchi Hospital bombed by the LTTE several times will be reconstructed shortly on a directive by Senior Presidential Adviser and MP,Basil Rajapaksa,official sources said. Sources said that Rajapaksa who is also the Head of the Northern Task Force had been instructed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa who closely monitors reconstruction and development activities under the 'Uthuru Wasanthaya' concept,to speedily reconstruct the Kilinochchi hospital more..