Oct 28 (SAMN) The government Thursday condemned the repeated violations of the cease-fire agreement by the LTTE and reiterated the government would act in a humane manner. Government Spokesman Nimal Siripala de Silva told a news conference that despite the government facilitating transportation for the LTTE during its times of need, the LTTE were continuing to treat us differently. more..

Oct 28 (LNP) The Colombo University Arts Faculty was closed indefinitely yesterday due to some undergraduates forcibly occupying the Students` Counsellor`s office in protest against the decision by the Administration to remove them from the De Saram building which they had been occupying forcibly for a few years. more..

Oct 28 (LNP) The government yesterday said the UNP had no right to ask for a postponement of the November 8, budget. Government spokesman Nimal Siripala de Silva told yesterday`s cabinet press briefing that the government had decided to present the budget as scheduled on November 8, more..

Oct 28 (LNP) Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) Central Committee member Ven. Rajavatte Vappa Thera on Wednesday said Ven. Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera earlier betrayed the Sinhala Buddhists by getting their votes representing the JHU and now planning to betray the country. more..

Oct 28 (DN) It was a star-studded night at the BMICH as the Sarasaviya held the 30th edition of its Film Awards yesterday. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse was the chief guest. Jamuna Rani, the renowned Indian singer, added more glamour to the scintillating event. more..

Oct 28 (AP) Sri Lanka will field 50,000 police nationwide and deploy military troops in the volatile northeast during the Nov. 17 presidential election. A 2002 cease-fire between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels has been increasingly strained by violence, especially in the northeast, parts of which have long been under rebel control. more..

Oct 28 (AP) Sri Lanka has suspended all imports of poultry, pet birds and feathers amid fears that bird flu could enter the island, the country's health minister said Friday. "It's an indefinite suspension," Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva told The Associated Press. "We are monitoring the situation on a daily basis." more..

Oct 28 (Reuters) Tamil Tiger rebels -- who already have a national flower and flag for their self-proclaimed state in the parts of the island they control -- are now on a quest for a catchy national anthem. The Tigers fought for two decades against the Sri Lankan government in a war that left over 64,000 dead more..

Oct 28 (Xinhua) The Tamil Tiger leader would make an announcement on the peace process with the Sri Lankan government during his annual "hero's day" speech next month, a Tamil legislator has said. more..

Oct 28 (AP) Three civilians and a soldier were injured Friday during a protest over a soldier's alleged attempt to rape an ethnic Tamil teenager in northern Sri Lanka, witnesses and the army said. Hundreds of protesters surrounded a military camp in Puttur East village, 15 kilometers (nine miles) from the northern city of Jaffna, more..

Oct 28 (Reuters) Sri Lanka ignored previous recommendations of European Union election monitors and if it does so again after a November presidential vote they may never return, the EU warned on Friday. The EU had recommended an independent electoral commission be set up and better systems be put in place for checking police abuses. more..

Oct 28 (HT) Indicating a widening of the rift within the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) in the run up to the Presidential election, Foreign Minister Anura Bandaranaike has said that he will address only those election rallies presided over by President Chandrika Kumaratunga. more..

Oct 28 (CI) It took India just 56 overs to follow up the resounding 152-run victory at Nagpur with an even more emphatic demolition job in Mohali. Having skittled out Sri Lanka for 122, Sachin Tendulkar - who made the bowlers bleed with a thrilling 68-ball 70 - and Virender Sehwag then made mincemeat of the bowling to give India a two-match cushion in the seven-game series. more..

Oct 29 (LBO) In a rural village in the North Western Province, there is no rain for four months of the year and incomes are low. But families are making some life-changing economic decisions. Where incomes are a fraction of the rich Western province, one family made an investment of Rs. 17,500 for a rain water harvesting tank and another, Rs. 65,000 for a solar home kit, more..

Oct 29 (AT) It is 15 years today since the entire Muslims in the Northern Province were “ethnically cleansed” by the LTTE from their historical habitat. The systematic ethnic cleansing of about 75,000 Muslims form the Northern provinces in Sri Lanka was part of the LTTE’s mono ethnic Eelam project. more..

Oct 29 (AT) The Council for Agricultural Research Policy (CARP) in Sri Lanka, under its “competitive research grant programme” has decided to fund the Wayamba University of Sri Lanka to assess the current status of food security of rural subsistence farmers in the country. more..

Oct 29 (TN) More than fifteen hundred men and women from Kilinochchi and surrounding areas convened in Karunai Nilayam in Kilinochchi town Thursday at 3.00 to discuss issues related to "Violence Against Women," and to make a declaration to eradicate violence in all forms against women. District offices of OXFAM helped organize the convention, sources said. more..

Oct 29 (TN) Tension between Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers manning the Thandikulam checkpoint and civilian escalated Friday as SLA soldiers blocked attendees to the Vavuniay Resurgence Convention to travel north into Vanni and youths who were prevented from attending the convention setup blockade across A9 north of SLA checkpoint, more..

Oct 29 (TN) A center for training unemployed women and youths in handicrafts from Palmyrah produce was opened in Maazar village in Pallai administrative district last week for a cost of Rs 460,000 funded by International Labor Organization (ILO) and local Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), co-ordinated by Palmyrah Development Board and the Economic Consultancy House (TECH), more..

Oct 29 (UNP) The Daily FT reported on October 27 that the fertilizer importers have warned of a serious crisis due to the failure of the government in settling subsidy payments of over four billion rupees, of which Rs two billion is long overdue. more..

Oct 29 (TN) Two unidentified gunman riding in a motorbike shot and killed Mr. H.G.M Abeyaratna, 38, a rice mil worker at Kolavil, 2 km south of Akkaraipattu town, Saturday at 9:30 a.m. The rice mill worker, a Sinhalese from Akurana in Kandy, married to a Tamil woman and a father of a child, was residing at Kannakipuram Refugee Camp wheh he was shot, more..

Oct 29 (UNP) UNP Presidential Candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday warned that the division of the country would be inevitable if all parties did not join hands and work towards achieving peace. more..

Oct 29 (CT) The government along with the Ministry of Science on Friday felicitated Science fiction writer, Vidyajothi, Sir, Dr. Arthur C. Clerk who has been serving for Sri Lankan science field since 1956. “I will kill to get a Coca Cola,” said oldest local scientist and ex-British Airman, Dr. Clerk after the felicitation ceremony drinking a bottle of Coca-Cola to quench his thirsty. more..

Oct 29 (CT) Sri Lankan expatriates in Hong Kong said that Sri Lankan job seekers must be aware on immigration laws of Hong Kong before leaving for employment in Hong Kong. Most of job agents promise to give heaven but the workers have to face law barriers when they try to obtain work permits. more..

Oct 29 (LM) UNP Presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe said he welcomes criticism since it strengthens him. Addressing a public rally in Hanwalle, Wickremesinghe said "Although my rivals criticize me at every step, I am strengthened by it, for if they ever cease to criticize, it might weaken me." more..

Oct 29 (LM) Former JHU leader the Venerable Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera responding to threats by his party to strip him of his parliamentary seat said yesterday that without him the JHU had no vote bank. Speaking with confidence that nearly 80% of the votes polled by the JHU were in support of him, more..

Oct 29 (SN) Premier Mahinda Rajapakse addressing a presidential election propaganda rally in Nugegoda Open theater near the Nugegoda Supermarket yesterday said: "The forthcoming presidential election on Nov. 17 would be a historic one as 24 political parties in this country are backing me as their common candidate more..

Oct 29 (LT) Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse addressing a rally held at Kanthankudy area in Batticaloa said he had the dedication and will to take steps to bring prosperity to the Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims in the country. The rally had been organized by Mr. Rawfik Majeed. more..

Oct 29 (AFP) Private investors plan to build a $795 million oil refinery that could triple Sri Lankan capacity, but first they want a government pledge to buy half of its output, according to a source at state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation. more..

Oct 29 (CI) Sri Lanka have slipped to a new level of incompetence and India are on the rise. For me, the disturbing signals are from seniors who have to provide leadership to a touring party. Sanath Jayasuriya, Marvan Atapattu, Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan are our favourite sons. more..

Oct 29 (CI) Angelo Mathews, an allrounder from St. Joseph's in Colombo, has been retained as captain of the Sri Lankan under-19 team for next month's Afro-Asia under-19 tournament in India. The national selectors named a 14-member team for the tournament, which takes place at Visakhapatnam from November 17-25. more..

Oct 29 (FL) THERE were 13 candidates for Sri Lanka's fifth presidential election when the filing of nominations closed on October 7. The main contest, however, in the November 17 election will be between Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse of the SLFP and Leader of the Opposition and Ranil Wickremesinghe of the UNP. more..

Oct 29 (TP) The visiting speaker of Sri Lanka’s parliament has called on his countrymen based in Qatar to help their poor compatriots at home. W J M Lokubandara is here on a brief visit during a stopover. He was the chief guest at an iftaar hosted by his country’s embassy yesterday in conjunction with Sri Lankan Majlis, a community organisation. more..

Oct 29 (LeN) Whoever wins the upcoming presidential election, it will have no bearing on the Tamil community, Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian Kishor Sivanadan said yesterday at Vavuniya addressing 'Pongu Thamil' ceremony. more..

Oct 29 (LeN) A semi literate Muslim shop keeper in Arugambay said, if not for the Indian Army that put up a steel temporary bridge within 02 weeks, they would be still be marooned in Arugambay, with no connections with Pottuvil and other parts of Ampara district. more..

Oct 29 (LeN) Uduwe Dhammaloka Mahattaya, that man, Mr.Dhammaloka were the terms used by Minister Mangala Samaraweera at a press briefing today (28) at the Foundation Insttute to refer to Uduwe Dhammaloka thera when he replied to a question about the thera's decision to support UNP candidate Ranil Wikremesinghe at this presidential election. more..

Oct 29 (LeN) Minister Mangala Samaraweera, presidential candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa's Media spokesman said at a media briefing today that the Bribery Act will be amended within three months after November 18 to empower the Bribery or Corruption Commission to investigate acts of corruption that have been committed 25 to 30 years ago. more..

Oct 29 (TW) Fifteen years ago on this day (Oct 30th ) around 28, 000 men, women and children were expelled from Jaffna by the LTTE organization. They were all Tamil - speaking Muslims living in the Muslim "vattaaram" or zone of Jaffna town. About 500 plus Muslims living in Chavakachcheri had been expelled about a week earlier. more..

Oct 29 (TW) The battle in which an ambitious and aggrieved young Sinhala Prince ‘Dutu’ Gemunu defeated the ageing Tamil King Ellalan (Elara-in Sinhalese) to become King in ancient Sri Lanka, has underscored Sri Lankan ethnic politics in the past sixty years. more..

Oct 29 (TW) The Muslims of the North - East are Tamil speaking. The North - East is their homeland. They have lived there for generations. They have every right to live in their traditional homelands as in the case of the Tamils. The Tamil nationalist project perceived the North - Eastern Muslims as an integral component. more..

Oct 29 (TW) As the days draw nearer and nearer to 17 November, we can diagnose the fever becoming frenzy. The candidates, or to be more exact their supporters from the two major political combinations, are frantically attacking each other and making declarations about how they or their leaders would deal with matters more..

Oct 29 (TW) Who was it that said, “Aesop’s Fables and Grimm’s Fairy tales are not on the same street as the Manifestos of our aspiring Presidents”? The two leading candidates are indeed ‘promising men’, they claim that they would transform this country into a Utopia or a Shangri-La; more..

Oct 29 (TW) The two main presidential candidates and their supporters must be congratulated for desisting from violence during the three weeks of campaigning since the October 7 Nominations. There is exactly three more weeks to go for the crucial election and the same restraint is expected from the two sides. more..

Oct 29 (TW) The votes of the eastern Muslims are significant in deciding the victory of the presidential candidate in the country. The two leading candidates, Ranil Wickremesinghe from the UNP and Mahinda Rajapaksa from UPFA are involved in alluring the votes of thee Muslims in their favour when the Muslims in the east are nowadays politically divided into many factions. more..

Oct 29 (TW) Mahinda Rajapakse and Ranil Wickremesinghe are, true to the tradition of their breed, very promising candidates. They have both promised heaven and earth and much else besides, both to the parties and organisations that have pledged them support and to the general public. more..

Oct 29 (PIS) SLMM Chief Hagrup Haukland had discussions with the LTTE's political wing leader S.P. Thamilselvan on upholding the ceasefire during the November polls and strengthening it further in the future. Haukland met Thamilselvan at the LTTE's Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi yesterday. more..

Oct 29 (SAMN) Group of Five Left Parties (Lanka Sama Samaja Party, Sri Lanka Mahajana Party, Desha Vimukthi Janatha Party and Democratic Left Front) consider that the Manifesto of Presidential Candidate - Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse titled "Mahinda Chinthana" a pro-people manifesto, although these parties have certain reservations in regard to some of its contents, the parties said more..

Oct 29 (SAMN) Health Ministry drivers joined health workers’ strike reacting strongly to an allegation by Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, that the drivers were corrupt. Health Service Trade Union Alliance began its strike in protest against the government’s failure to rectify their salary anomalies. more..

Oct 29 (LNP) Lawyers for Human Rights and Development urged the Chairman of the Human Rights Commission Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy to take immediate steps against the police officers who had abused their powers and brutally attacked members of the public who were engaged in a peaceful picket opposite the Fort Railway Station on October 26. more..

Oct 29 (LNP) Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Chairman Hudson Samarasinghe yesterday (29) said he will resign his post and find employment abroad after the forthcoming Presidential Election. He also said he was prepared to accept any decision President Chandrika Kumaratunga makes regarding his position. more..