July 14 (LT) A light air craft belonging to tiger organization flew over the northern coastal area in Trincomalee say reports. This has been confirmed by radar and the S.L. Navy too has observed the air craft say these reports. Several civilians too have reported seeing the air craft. The aircraft had flown to northern coastal area in Trincomalee and then had flown towards Pulmude. more..

July 14 (LBO) SriLankan Engineering, the technical arm of SriLankan Airlines, is actively marketing aircraft maintenance services armed with a new certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the airline said. The EASA 154 certification will "significantly strengthen" its profile among prospective customers who include airlines throughout Asia and Europe, SriLankan said. more..

July 14 (LBO) The open source middleware technology company WSO2 says its products generated wide interest at the SOA World software conference in the United States. The SOA World Conference and Expo held in New York City, USA is the largest independent Service Oriented Architecture and Web Services event in the world, WSO2 said. more..

July 14 (AT) Reports emerging from Sri Lanka’s Eastern front reveals that Thambirajah Ramesh, who was the Special Commander of the Batticaloa Amparai District of the LTTE, has managed to reach Vanni safely with nearly 320 cadres. He took with him Kuveni, the woman leader responsible for the political section of the LTTE in Batticaloa and 30 other women cadres. Also according to information Santhan and others too have managed to reach Vanni. more..

July 14 (AT) UNP’s Laxman Kiriella who lost his cool at a party press conference insultingly told a lady reporter of the Colombo press that by holding a piece of paper and a pen one could not become a journalist. He became seemingly upset when the young reporter of the fair sex asked him a question about his leader’s contentious statement on the Army victory at Thoppigala that has created a hornet’s nest even among his own party supporters. more..

July 14 (AT) Muslims of the east are perturbed by the new trend of the Karuna group emerging as the armed persecutors of the Muslims. Community leaders have pointed out that the liberated east has to be free of gunmen and others who try to thrive by terrorizing, intimidating and abducting the innocent Tamils and Muslims at gun point. more..

July 14 (AT) The prosecutor in the case in which Arun Vinayaga Moorthy, a supporter of the proscribed entity of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is charged for terrorism said that the accused being a man without a job deposited in his bank account Australian Dollars 525,000 Australian dollars between 2001 and 2005. more..

July 14 (AT) Four LTTE cadres who are currently in a Maldivian jail, caught while smuggling weapons to Sri Lanka in a hijacked Indian trawler will be sent to Sri Lanka to stand trial as terrorists soon. Maldivian Foreign Minister Dr. Shaheed has announced that he would not stand in the way of transferring the LTTE cadres jailed for smuggling guns through Maldivian waters, also to stand trial in Colombo on additional charges of terrorism under Sri Lanka law. more..

July 14 (FI) Decades ago as a school boy I remember seeing a movie at the Majestic called “How the West was Won”. There was a lot of media hype then about that classic western which narrated the story of how the American pioneers settled in the West. Nowadays also there is much media frenzy. It’s on “How the East was won”. It’s all about how our security forces wrested back the Eastern province from the deadly grasp of that organization known as the LTTE. more..

July 14 (FI) It is a rocky mountain with a stony peak and a kind of mini - peak on top! Such an appearance from afar lends itself to differently imagined perceptions. To the English authorities it looked like aristocratic head gear. So it was Baron’s cap; to the Tamils it was like a tuft of bound hair on one’s head. So it was Kudumbimalai; to the Muslims it was like a hat on one’s head. So they called it Thoppikkal; the Sinhalese also perceived it like the Muslims. So they called it Thoppigala. more..

July 14 (GDI) Secretary of Defence, Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that the Tamil people in East are praising the Government for defeating the LTTE terrorists at Thoppigala as the terrorist carders had been harassing and extorting funds and agricultural products from them. "I really admire the bravery, commitment and motivation showed by our soldiers during this long battle. Unless for their tireless effort and self sacrifice this victory would not be possible." more..

July 14 (GDI) Today, 14th of July the people of France celebrate their National Day. "France celebrates that day in 1789 when the storming of the Bastille by the people of Paris put an end to absolute monarchy and opened the way to democracy. But the date of the French National Day commemorates another, much less known event which took place a year later in 1790 and was called "Fête de la Fédération". more..

July 14 (GDI) Five sugar factories will be set up immediately to accomplish the total demand for sugar in Sri Lanka. Under the direction of the President Mahinda Rajapaksa the Ministry of Supplementary Plantation Crops Development will implement this mega development project. The misleading campaigns carried out by a political party highlighting that the Government is planning to sell 60,000 acres of land from Wellassa are baseless are done to take petty politically advantages. more..

July 14 (GDI) Two days after capturing LTTE’s last stronghold in the east – Thoppigala, Chief of Defence Staff Air Marshal Donald Perera and Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka visited the liberated area to express gratitude to the valiant troops and all other service personnel. Brigadier C. Gallage, Commander of Commando Brigade that captured the centre of Thoppigala received the delegates. more..

July 14 (Hindu) Amid incidents of sporadic violence in the north, the LTTE has claimed that “Tamil people are disillusioned” with the Donor Co-Chairs for not exerting pressure on Colombo to address the fundamental humanitarian issues that are critically affecting their day-to-day lives. According to TamilNet, the LTTE conveyed this message to Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar during a meeting at the LTTE Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi. more..

July 14 (LNP) The government is gung-ho and the Tigers are licking their wounds in the aftermath of the fiercely fought battle for Thoppigala. It is, however, a matter for happiness that the government has, as we reported yesterday quoting sources close to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, said its crucial military victory will not stand in the way of the on-going efforts to evolve a political solution. more..

July 14 (SAMN) A special committee to develop the island's historic Vihara Devalas is to be set up under the directives of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, President's media sources said. Following a lengthy discussion at President's House in Kandy Friday, pertaining to the long neglected and deteriorating sacred historical sites in the country, the Committee comprising a representative from the Department of Archives, Physical Planning Department, more..

July 14 (SAMN) Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told a group of Ambassadors of Islamic countries that the UNP would launch an exercise to re instate democracy in the country. Wickremesinghe made this point when he met ambassadors of several Islamic countries at Cambridge Terrace Friday. The Opposition Leader said the UNP would seek support of other parties to make this program a success. more..

July 14 (SAMN) Western Province Governor Alawi Mowlana and the Chief Minister Reginold Cooray who met Colombo Municipal Council Opposition Leader Vasudeva Nananayakara Friday to discuss the future of the CMC, following the defeat of Mayor and the Deputy Mayor had decided to meet again to discuss further the new situation. Mowlana said no hasty decisions will be taken on the Council and every aspect will be taken into consideration. more..

July 14 (SAMN) The situation in Ampara remains tense with an “armed group” reported to be interfering with humanitarian operations, the Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC) said in its latest situation report. The IASC is an umbrella grouping of humanitarian agencies, including UN affiliated organisations, operating in the country. The IASC report did not directly mention the name of the “armed group” said to be disrupting the humanitarian operations, but more..

July 14 (DN) President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Government since April 2006 have taken a number of initiatives to facilitate the realisation of a negotiated settlement to resolve the national problem, the Peace Secretariat said. Significant among them is the endeavour to develop constitutional proposals with broad support. The main aim has been to find an indigenous solution to end decades of internal strife, and enable all people to give in dignity and peace in Sri Lanka, the Secretariat said. more..

July 14 (DN) There is a world of difference between Parliamentary membership and thuggery. Being a Parliamentarian should not be considered as an open licence to engage in thuggery, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said. The President who made this observation at the Kandy District Development Committee meeting at President’s House, Kandy on Thursday, said he had directed law enforcement authorities to implement the law to the letter against anyone who tried to obstruct common development work disregarding his or her powers or position. more..

July 14 (DM) A magistrate yesterday directed that charges be filed against film star cum minister Jeevan Kumaratunga if there was any evidence of his involvement in the case where five youth who had been promised jobs in Australia were cheated of Rs. 1.4 million. Gangodawila Chief Magistrate Padmini Ranawaka Gunathilake ordered the police to record a statement from Mr. Kumaratunga and amend the charge sheet if he was involved. more..

July 14 (DM) CMC is to spend Rs 995,871 for colour washing of the dome of Town Hall building. According to a report presented to CMC sessions on Thursday colour washing of the dome has just begun. The report had also revealed that many construction projects that have been started in the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 are partly completed while some have not been started. Some projects have been terminated according to the report. more..

July 14 (IC) A FORMER deputy mayoress has denied a claim published on a Sri Lankan government website that she has been under investigation for being involved in propoganda work for the outlawed organisation known as the LTTE. The claim about Councillor Eliza Mann, last year's deputy mayor of Southwark, is made in an article attributed to an online Sri Lankan newspaper,The Island, and posted on the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence website. more..

July 14 (CI) Muttiah Muralitharan became just the second bowler in history to reach 700 Test wickets as Sri Lanka rounded off a clean sweep of Bangladesh at Kandy, their 50th win in Tests. Bangladesh had to make 369 runs in order to get Sri Lanka to bat a second time but Murali picked up 6 for 54, his second consecutive five-for, as the hosts won the third Test by an innings and 193 runs. more..

July 14 (OC) Ottawa's first Hindu temple for Tamils opens this weekend on Roger Stevens Drive near North Gower, with celebrations and rituals sanctifying the former Pentecostal church. The public is invited to the final ceremonies at 2104 Roger Stevens Dr. tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. Dancing and entertainments are planned and sweets, rice, curries, and fruits are to be served free of charge. more..

July 14 (AP) Muttiah Muralitharan's 700th test wicket was more than a cricket milestone, it was a rare opportunity for the divided people of the teardrop isle to celebrate as one. In a society bitterly divided along ethnic and religious lines and bruised by a two-decade-long separatist war, Muralitharan — the only ethnic Tamil in the Sri Lanka national team — stands out as a unifying factor. more..

July 14 (AP) Rizana Nafeek, a 19-year housemaid from Sri Lanka, is on death row because the baby in her care died while she was bottle-feeding him. If her appeal is turned down, she will taken to a town square to be publicly beheaded. The Sri Lankan government says it is working for a reprieve, and has until Monday to file the plea. A last-minute pardon by the infant's parents could also spare her. more..

July 14 (AP) Government troops clashed with separatist Tamil Tigers in northern Sri Lanka, leaving one soldier dead and 12 others wounded, while warplanes pounded a rebel camp with airstrikes Saturday, the military said. The fighting erupted when soldiers attacked and neutralized a rebel mortar position from where they were firing at government troops, in the Vavuniya district, more..

July 14 (AFP) The government has won a major battle this week, but the fighting is far from over in one of the world's longest, bloodiest civil wars. Analysts say that the Sri Lankan military's capture of the last Tamil Tiger rebel stronghold in eastern Sri Lanka is a major boost for the government, but one that could snare thousands of soldiers in a war of attrition. more..

July 15 (CI) Breaking records seems to be hardly news where Murali's career is concerned. But the man himself never fails to surprise. On the occasion of becoming just the second bowler in Test history to take 700 wickets, former players and peers talk of the great spinner's infectious energy and his perennial hunger to excel. Chaminda Vaas: Murali is one of the best bowlers in cricket arena. After 500 he aimed to reach 600 and once he was there he eyed the 700-mark. more..

July 15 (CI) Muttiah Muralitharan, who became only the second bowler in Test history to take 700 wickets, said that his main focus was not on breaking Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne's world record but for Sri Lanka to win the two-Test series in Australia later this year. Sri Lanka's next Test assignment is against Australia in November and Murali who took 12 wickets in the third and final Test against Bangladesh at Kandy on Saturday said: "It's a big achievement taking 700 wickets. more..

July 15 (CI) The ball was tossed up, Syed Rasel carved out a typical tailender's slog to mid-off, and Muttiah Muralitharan became only the second bowler - after Shane Warne - to enter the extremely exclusive 700-wickets club in Test cricket. Before the Kandy Test, he needed 12 wickets, and there were doubts as to whether he could get them all in one game, but knowing Murali's sense of timing - he was playing on home turf - it was hardly surprisingly that he raised his game for the occasion. more..

July 15 (CI) When Muttiah Muralitharan has previously passed important milestones there have been firecrackers and presentations, even parades. Here, though, in his home town and in front of his adoring mother, Lakshmi, his greatest fan, scalping his 700th wicket was greeted with congratulatory backslaps and high fives from team-mates, a standing ovation from the small grandstand and a brief press conference in a makeshift media centre doubling up as a tea room for dignitaries. more..

July 15 (LBO) Sri Lanka's Labour Ministry has sought the help of the International Labour Organization to do a survey to find out if the country's agriculture sector uses child labour. Although the practice is not as widespread as in other poor South Asian and African countries, a survey eight years ago found nearly 600,000 children working in agriculture and industries in the island of 20 million people. more..

July 15 (ISL) Very little is said about the contribution of the break-way Karuna faction which is now known as TMVP, towards government extending its authority in the Eastern province. Kurana’s breakaway from the LTTE in 2004 with more than 5,000 LTTE cadres and change of attitude of Tamil people towards the LTTE had contributed immensely towards government bringing the east under its control. more..

July 15 (ISL) Conflicting news are being filed in the web media about the killing of two Muslims in the Eastern Sri Lanka. The Asian Tribune operating from Sweden claimed the killing of one of them Meera Sahib Mohammed Nazrudin (26) was by gunman belonging to the Karuna group. Quoting Minister of Disaster Relief Services Ameer Ali Sahabdeen the web media blamed the Karuna group for unnecessarily involving in the Muslim affairs in the east. more..

July 15 (ISL) The troops behaved in a responsible manner during the clearing operation in Thoppigala so that the civilians were not affected. Not a single civilian was affected, said Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe, spokesman for the Army, during a press briefing. There were allegations during military operation in Vakarai that shells were directed on the hospital and innocent civilians were killed. more..

July 15 (AT) Capturing Thoppigala is an achievement to be proud of. Still, even as this victory is celebrated, it is important to remember that the harder part of the road lies ahead. Defeating the LTTE in the East was made easy by the Karuna rebellion. The Northern war will take more time, more resources and more lives (the ongoing recruitment drive is probably due to a realisation of this vital difference). more..

July 15 (AT) The UN Security Council’s Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict has put the LTTE on notice if it does not put an end to recruitment of child soldiers. “Strongly condemning the continuous recruitment and use of child soldiers and all other violations and abuses committed against children by LTTE” the UN Security Council has warned that “further steps may be taken” if the LTTE “does not respond positively to the (UN) message in the coming months. more..

July 15 (AT) The Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCIS) and Small and Medium Enterprise Developers (SMED) SME arm of the FCCISL jointly organized the Fifth Key Person's Forum at Ceylon Contnental Hotel and it was D K Hettiarachchi, Registrar General of Companies was the Key Person to speak and he spoke on Amendments to the Companies Act and its impact on the Business Community. more..

July 15 (AT) At a press conference Sri Lanka government’s senior cabinet minister and the Chief Government Whip in parliament Jeyaraj Fernandopulle alleged that the Ambassador for the German Federal Republic of Sri Lanka had discussions in Colombo with the island nation’s main opposition party leader about stopping European Aid to Sri Lanka as a measure of taming the government. more..

July 15 (AT) Millennium Villa (Ceylinco) Housing Development Ltd opened its first Model Villa to residents, stakeholders, the public and real estate enthusiasts island-wide at Millennium City, Ekala, Ja-Ela. The Model Villa is designed and targeted to give a better understanding of the countless benefits and features of their state of the art villas, to experience its authenticity and brilliance. more..

July 15 (AT) When Ranil Wickremesinghe belittles the Thoppigala victory, achieved by the blood, sweat and lives of the disciplined security forces, he descends to the level of an ungrateful political pariah scoffing at the very forces that protect him and the nation. He survives because the forces he ridicules are risking their lives to protect him every minute of the day. more..

July 15 (AT) One lorry transporting explosives hidden under a load of metal was arrested by the Galewela Police on Saturday (14) around 8. 00 a.m., in the morning at the Police roadblock near the Police station. Police found 784 gelignite sticks and 1100 detonator caps packed inside sacks and boxes and hidden under the metal. The lorry was traveling from Polghawela to Nilaveli located north of Trincomalee, when it was taken into custody. more..

July 15 (LBO) Thirty years after Sri Lanka started to liberalize her economy, a poll by an influential weekly has shown overwhelming approval for the process, with some respondents saying it was not deep enough. Meanwhile, a surprising number of respondents to a poll by The Sunday Times newspaper's Financial Times supplement have said an accompanying civil war was not the cause for the island lagging behind more progressive nations. more..

July 15 (CI) At last a cricket match takes place in Worcester. But that was as much as Worcestershire had to celebrate as they sank easily against the might of Sri Lanka A, who eased to a seven-wicket win with 88 balls to spare. This is the second win in two since Sri Lanka A's tour began earlier this week with victory against MCC. It was similarly comfortable this time, at Worcester Royal Grammar School, after the home side limped to 176. more..

July 15 (CI) What makes Muttiah Muralitharan such a great bowler? The answer to that question was found at the Asgiriya International Cricket Stadium where the third and final Test was played between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Though Shane Warne's world record of 708 wickets is one good Test match away, Muralistill believes in spot bowling and going back to his school coach Sunil Fernando for advice. more..

July 15 (LNP) People have been asked to express `patriotic joy` when the President receives the Sannas Paper (scroll) from the Service Commanders at an Independence Square ceremony on Thursday to celebrate the recapture of Toppigala and the East from the LTTE. This is among the guidelines set out by the Government to State Institutions and Schools for the Thursday ceremonies which will be similar to Independence Day celebrations with a 21-gun salute and military parade. more..