June 9 (GDI) The Ministry of Foreign affairs has taken effective measures to be vigilant over the current situation in Sultanate of Oman due to the cyclone. Ministry is in constant touch with the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Sultanate of Oman with a view to ensuring the safety and security of Sri Lankan nationals working and living in Sultanate of Oman, an embassy statement informs. more..

June 9 (FI) The federal idea is not a new concept to Sri Lanka. It is however a controversial theme in the Country and is viewed on both sides of the ethnic divide with great hostility.Sri Lankan “patriots” think the introduction of federalism will ultimately lead to division of the Country. Tamil Eelam “patriots” think federalism is a ruse to weaken nationalist aspirations for a separate state. more..

June 9 (TW) Sri Lanka’s national problem was created and intensified by impulsive shortsighted political leaders, who were more concerned about their political fortune than the future state of the nation. Their main interest did not go beyond their expected political life. They were also overconfident about their maneuvering abilities. They were anxious to support Buddhist-nationalist forces for their own political gain and did not have the inclination to reject their one-sided demands. more..

June 9 (TW) Large numbers of Tamil citizens of Sri Lanka of North/East origin and temporarily resident outside that region are being asked to explain why they are outside their ‘homeland’ and, if they cannot furnish explanations to the satisfaction of the authorities, are being ordered to return forthwith to that ‘home land’ or face arrest and detention. Any citizen, irrespective of ethnicity, may have a hundred legitimate reasons to be in Colombo or any other part of the island. more..

June 9 (LNP) Chief Government Whip Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle yesterday told Parliament that the UNP was attempting to divulge the identities of top security officials through Parliament thereby endangering their lives whilst dealing a blow to the morale of the soldiers fighting in the North-East. As the fist step of this UNP move, UNP Parliamentarian Lakshman Seneviratne during his speech on Wednesday`s Emergency debate made a serious allegation against Colombo DIG Rohan Abeygunawardane. more..

June 9 (LNP) The war for dismembering this country is not confined to the North and the East. It is being fought in many other places, both here and abroad, especially in Colombo, where the political leadership and the national economy are targeted. Ridding Colombo of LTTE cadres is therefore a sine qua non for defeating terrorism. All over the world, capital cities are the prime targets of terrorists and countries battling terrorism are compelled to adopt extraordinary measures to protect them. more..

June 9 (LNP) Today will resemble Derby Day in England, the fillies in the stands showing off better than the foals in the arena. This display will be the 148th match and the first leg of the 63rd Bradby Shield encounter between Trinity College and Royal College at Bogamabara stadium in Kandy. Bradby with its long history and the glamour that the event spawns has created great enthusiasm among all quarters of the public and today`s event is no exception. more..

June 9 (SAMN) Lorries and trucks carrying Cargo to Colombo from Batticaloa will not be permitted direct access to the city from today. All goods will be off-located and examined at the check point near the Navaladi Bridge. All produce will be loaded into a fleet of vehicles stationed at Navaladi and the Vehicle which brought the goods from Batticaloa will be sent back. This procedure follows a directive from Senior DIG, Range 3, Mahinda Balasuriya. more..

June 9 (SAMN) Sacked Minister Sripathi Sooriyarachchi Friday filed a fundamental rights petition against the sale of NTT-SLT shares to a Malaysian company. Sooriyaracchi is asking court to prevent the sale of 25.3% shares held by NTT to GTH NV of Malaysia and to make an order that the first option to buy these shares should be given to the government of Sri Lanka. He is also asking Court to order a probe of this deal by the Bribery Commission and the Police under the Public Property Act. more..

June 9 (SAMN) Warner Brothers Pictures- Worldwide Locations Executive Bill Bowling has informed Sri Lanka Consul General in Los Angeles, that four companies have indicated that they will be travelling to Sri Lanka, to select film locations, said a communique issued by the London Office of the Sri Lanka Tourist Board. "Tourism will gain important mileage, when proposed plans come through it will help Sri Lanka Tourism to deal with the issue of uncertainty that prevails in the minds of indecisive tourists," more..

June 9 (SAMN) Media personality Sri Ranga is likely to be appointed the First Secretary of the Sri Lankan embassy in Oslo. Reliable sources said that the proposed appointment has been brought to the notice of the Cabinet. The top political leadership has given the go ahead for Sri Ranga’s appointment. The senior Shakthi TV official’s move to Oslo takes place shortly after career diplomat Asela Weerakoon took over the mission. more..

June 9 (PISL) Colombo DIG Rohan Abeywardane yesterday said that police will continue to search the lodges scattered all over Colombo for suspected terrorists and warned the managers of the lodges to inform the police if they had suspicions about the people seeking lodgings. "Any person visiting Colombo from the North should be able to prove his or her bona fides," Abeywardane said. more..

June 9 (DN) The Government Peace Secretariat yesterday appealed to the media for responsible coverage of events surrounding steps taken to secure the Colombo city urging against resorting to emotive generalisations and sensationalistic headlines. Issuing a media release the SCOPP says "phrases such as ethnic cleansing and comparisons with well known international problem points are misguided and ignore the ground situations which require thorough security measures." more..

June 9 (DN) A total of 4,700 of volunteer teachers are to be absorbed as Assistant Teachers to the Sri Lanka Teachers' Service. The recruitment process will be completed by July, said the Director of DSD schools R. Pathirana. Interviews are been carried out at present to recruit volunteer teachers for Provincial schools. Interviews have also been scheduled to recruit volunteer teachers for National Schools. more..

June 9 (DM) UNP dissident turned-government Minister Gamini Lokuge said in Parliament yesterday it is a common phenomenon that the cost of living soars whenever there is a war in the country. The Minister said it is their duty as public representatives to educate the masses on this matter. “People should bear certain hardships as a result,” he said. Mr.Lokuge who is the Sports and Public Recreation Minister, said the government had to resolve the national question either by negotiation or war. more..

June 9 (DM) The Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau (SLFEB) urged all Sri Lankans staying in the United Arab Emirates to return to the country during the three-month amnesty period announced by UAE government on Thursday (7). Ministry of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare said foreigners living in UAE illegally can leave the country without being charged during the period of amnesty. more..

June 9 (AFP) Sri Lanka's cricket chief Jayantha Dharmadasa was granted 100,000 rupees (910 dollars) bail by the commercial court of Colombo over his alleged role in manipulating share prices. Dharmadasa, who heads Sri Lanka Cricket, the governing body of the sport, his son and seven others are charged with illegally boosting the share price of Nawaloka Hospitals, in which they hold a majority stake. more..

June 9 (HT) Yasushi Akashi, Japan's Representative for Peace Building, Rehabilitation and Development in Sri Lanka said here on Saturday, that human rights violations by the Sri Lankan government would not prevent Japan from continuing to give humanitarian and development aid to the people of Sri Lanka. "The help is for the victims of war and tsunami. The people should not be punished for the omissions and commissions of their leaders. So, Japan will continue to help Sri Lanka," more..

June 9 (Hindu) Tamils in Sri Lanka are facing the threat of starvation death and, to avert such a situation, the Government of India should rush humanitarian aid such as food and medicines, said Pattali Makkal Katchi founder S. Ramadoss on Thursday. In the reckoning of the United Nations if remedial measures were not taken immediately, it would lead to starvations deaths, Dr. Ramadoss told presspersons at Thailapuram near here. more..

June 9 (HTL) POLICE have dismissed internet rumours that a Sri Lankan-born man who died in a freak accident last month was murdered. Kandiah Thangarajah, an ethnic Tamil of Hamilton Crescent, Harrow, died after a collision with a cyclist on Saturday, May 26. The 60-year-old was on his morning walk along Eastcote Lane, in South Harrow, when the accident occurred at about 8.55am. more..

June 9 (AFP) Sri Lankan media Saturday condemned the government over the eviction of hundreds of minority Tamils from the capital at gunpoint, and praised the Supreme Court for halting the move. "While extraordinary measures are certainly called for to meet the growing threat of terrorism, the eviction of Tamils from any part of the country on any ground cannot be countenanced," said The Island, a privately-run, English-language newspaper. more..

June 9 (AP) Sri Lankan troops captured four separatist Tamil rebel camps in the country's volatile east after two days of fierce fighting that left at least 30 insurgents and one soldier dead, the military said Saturday. The clashes took place near a major rebel base in Thoppigala, one of the guerrillas' last redoubts in Batticaloa district, said military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe. more..

June 9 (Reuters) Sri Lankan troops killed 30 rebels in a fierce jungle battle in the restive east and three insurgents killed themselves with cyanide capsules, the military said, as Japan's peace envoy voiced concern at rights abuses. The military said one soldier had been killed and 17 injured in the battle in an area of eastern jungle called Thoppigala, where the two sides have fought artillery and mortar bomb duels for weeks amid a new chapter in a two-decade civil war. more..

June 10 (DE) THE teardrop-shaped island of Sri Lanka has had its share of recent troubles but the timeless appeal of its ancient Buddhist sites, tea plantations and palm-fringed white sand beaches continues to attract sun-starved Brits. Add to that a new batch of characterful, boutique-style hotels and it looks set for a bumper season. Here are six of the most desirable places to stay: more..

June 10 (AP) Nearly 200 ethnic minority Tamils expelled from Sri Lanka's capital two-days ago because of terrorism concerns returned to the city on government buses Saturday, police said. Authorities provided transportation to Colombo for 186 of 376 Tamil people who were forcibly removed from the capital Thursday, said Rohan Abeywardana, a senior police official. more..

June 10 (CI) A spirited bowling performance from Dilhara Fernando in conditions that tested fast bowlers complemented a wholesome batting display from his teammates as Asia sealed the second edition of the Afro-Asia cup with a degree of comfort. It was another tall scoring match but Asia were always in control. As in the first ODI at Bangalore, Asia won the toss, elected to bat on a flat pitch and batted the opposition out of the game, only this time the victory was more comprehensive. more..

June 10 (CI) Today was one of Chennai's less cruel summer days. Although the humidity levels remained high enough to drain the moisture out of you, the sun played hide and seek behind cloudy skies. That said, playing cricket in such weather is tough. Fast bowling in such conditions is tougher and if you're a big and burly quick with a long run-up and heavy landing, you're really in for a tough time. But Dilhara Fernando shrugged it all off saying: "It was really hot and was sweaty but we are used to such conditions back home in Sri Lanka." more..

June 10 (TN) Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians condemned the eviction of Tamils from Colombo as "one more reprehensible act of discrimination against Tamils by the State of Sri Lanka," and called upon the International Community to "take cognizance of this grave situation facing the Tamil people," in a press release issued Friday from Colombo. more..

June 10 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday expressed concern over the eviction of minority Sri Lankan Tamils from the capital Colombo and hoped 'better sense will prevail' in the troubled nation. 'On attempt to expel Tamils from Colombo, Sri Lanka, we shared our anxiety with important world leaders,' the prime minister said while returning from Germany where he attended the G8 Outreach Summit. more..

June 10 (AT) Asian Tribune Editor has received death threat from V.Muralitharan alias l Karuna Amman through his alleged crony I. Iniyabarathi yesterday morning. Iniyabarathi, the man involved in the fratricidal killings telephoned K.T.Rajasingham, Editor Asian Tribune and threatened to kill the Editor. In his abusive harangue he revealed that his leader Colonel Karuna will not tolerate at cost , any "Yarlapani "(Man from Jaffna) - a regional slur -- reporting anything adversely either about him or about his cadres. more..

June 10 (AT) The story is not yet over. The outrage of Thursday can be repeated, albeit behind a veneer of civility. As the official statement by the President indicates, what has been condemned is not the decision to evict Tamil lodgers but its manner of implementation: “The IGP has been asked to submit an immediate report to the President on the manner in which the exercise to transport Tamil persons living in lodges in Colombo and its suburbs to their places of permanent residence in the North and East was carried out on Thursday and more..

June 10 (Hindu) In yet another twist to the eviction of "jobless" Tamils from lodges of the national capital, 186 of the 376 evacuees returned to Colombo from Vavuniya in the north on Saturday as they could not proceed to Jaffna peninsula as all links are cut off. Colombo Range DIG Rohan Abeywardene told The Hindu, "Since road links to Jaffna peninsula are cut off and those who had earlier agreed to voluntarily leave Colombo expressed reservations in crossing into the peninsula via the sea route, the authorities have facilitated their return to Colombo. more..

June 10 (TP) The Sri Lankan Community Benevolent Fund (SLCBF) set up hardly a year ago is seeking support from the financially capable sections of the Sri Lankan community to address a shortage of funds. The Fund aims to provide humanitarian assistance to Sri Lankan expatriates in distress, especially those getting stranded here following disputes with the employers. more..

June 10 (TW) TNA MP, K. Thangeswary speaking from the floor of the house of parliament has stated “Tamils have gone to India due to the conflict.” What the learned MP has said is the reality in conflict areas all over the world. Recently on TV we saw people fleeing from their homes due to the conflict in Lebanon. However the moot point is; what is the government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) doing to help these Tamils of Sri Lanka? more..

June 10 (TW) Over 100 Tamil civilians who were evicted from Colombo on June 7 returned to the city yesterday after traveling 360 km within 60 hours following Friday’s Supreme Court order. Even after arriving in the capital their ordeal was not over as they had to wait for hours at the Wellawatte and Bambalapitiya police stations for formal registration. Around 180 persons arrived in Colombo yesterday in five buses from Vavuniya. more..

June 10 (LBO) Sri Lanka is on the brink of the dangerous path of petrol and diesel rationing, which will give set amount of subsidized fuel to users, reports said. The weekly Nation newspaper said the government has already appointed a committee to come up with a rationing system, which is due to meet on Monday. "A special committee to examine the possibility of implementing this new scheme has already been appointed more..

June 10 (LBO) A popular folk story talks of a villager and a chance meeting of a demon in the forest and using his craftiness to get the demon to work for him. Understandably, the demon being an untiring person proves to be a marvellous worker. His contribution to the villager far exceeds that of even a thousand workers. According to the story, everything is well and good as long as the villager is able to keep the demon under his control. more..

June 10 (CI) Sri Lanka will not rush to appoint a successor to Tom Moody as coach despite having identified the Australian pair of Terry Oliver and Trevor Bayliss as their top targets for the post. Jayantha Dharmadasa, the interim committee president, said that although Oliver had already been interviewed by the board, and Bayliss would be on June 14, they wouldn't rush the decision. more..

June 10 (ANN) It will be useful for readers to juxtapose in their minds two separate pieces we run in today's newspaper - one by our much-admired columnist, Tisaranee Gunasekera, on the evictions from Colombo lodges of hundreds of Tamils and the other a speech that Martin Luther King made many years ago powerfully advocating US disengagement from the Vietnam war. The connection between these two articles is that they both deal with the plight of the poor. more..

June 10 (PISL) Japan’s peace envoy Yasushi Akashi yesterday told a Colombo news conference that the LTTE had no significant presence in Japan where close to 10,000 Sri Lankans lived. "We have not identified any LTTE supporters and assets held by them," Akashi said. Asked whether Japan was considering a ban on the Tigers and whether he was due to convey such a message to them on a previous occasion, more..

June 10 (AT) French Police has planned to collect information regarding those leaving from France to Switzerland to participate in the protest march organized by the LTTE to be held tomorrow. The protest march timed to be held on 11 June, the opening day of the 5th session of the Human Rights Commission (June 11 to 18.) Tigers are making arrangements to bring their supporters in hundreds from all the European Union countries to Geneva to participate in the protest march. more..

June 10 (AT) Addressing the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Dr Palitha Kohona, Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, argued that there should not be any difference between "corrigible and incorrigible terrorists". Dismissing the semantics of terrorism he said:”The incorrigible terrorists are dealt with militarily with no space for negotiations and the others with the carrot and stick approach, mostly with carrots. more..

June 10 (GDI) The high oil price, security conditions and vagaries of weather continue to remain major shocks to the economy. Structurally infrastructure contracts, human resources and managerial problems in the public sector as well as low productivity in agriculture remain priority concerns, states the 2006 annual report of the Ministry of Finance and Planning. more..

June 10 (GDI) The Ministry of Education will appoint 3,076 new teachers to remote schools in the Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura Districts, Minister of Education Susil Premajayantha said. Among the new appointees are 1,200 graduate teachers, 386 science teachers and 1,490 Assistant Teachers. Of the science teachers 175 teachers have been posted to schools in the Polonnaruwa district and 211 teachers to schools in the Anuradhapura district. more..

June 10 (GDI) The LTTE's covert activities such as collecting funds and smuggling arms will not be tolerated in Japan and prompt action will be taken by the Japanese Government to stop any form of LTTE activities, the Japanese Special Envoy Yasushi Akashi said. Akashi who was on a five-day visit to Sri Lanka held a press conference at the Hotel Galadari yesterday. Elaborating on his findings in Sri Lanka Akashi said that he was aware that President Mahinda Rajapaksa was determined to safeguard human rights." more..

June 10 (Hindu) Intelligence agencies, particularly Intelligence Bureau (IB) and `Q' branch CID, have stepped up vigil at the Mandapam refugee camp and other camps in the State following reports of alleged recruitment for LTTE there through its agents. According to a report posted in the www.defence.lk, the LTTE had asked its operatives to approach Tamil refugees, particularly youth, who recently fled the country and took asylum in Tamil Nadu, to return to the Island nation in order to join LTTE in their fight against Sri Lankan forces. more..

June 10 (AN) Lured by the promise of a better life for herself and her family, a Sri Lankan woman came to the Kingdom to find herself trapped and obliged to work in inhuman conditions for only half the salary specified in her contract. “I was hired to work here as a cleaning supervisor for SR800, but when I arrived I was compelled to work for half the salary, which included my food expenses too,” Padma Mallawarachi told Arab News. more..

June 10 (Hindu) The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday condemned the Sri Lankan Government's move to evacuate Tamils from Colombo. Terming the move "human rights violation," BJP national vice-president S. Thirunavukkarasar said India should join other countries in condemning the "evacuation." The party, he said, also opposed sale of any type of arms to Sri Lanka as these would be used against Tamils. more..

June 10 (LNP) The LTTE has remained silent over the death of Nagulan, the special leader of its Charles Anthony Regiment who was hurriedly dispatched to the Tharavai area by Velupillai Prabhakaran on May 23 to help Jeyam and his men dodge attacks by the security forces, the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said. Nagulan was killed along with six other senior LTTE cadres in an Army assault. Among the killed was Mala, a female LTTE leader of the Sodiya regiment, it said. more..

June 10 (LNP) Dialog will increase its aggressive focus in expanding its services to reach every Sri Lankan citizen. It will offer a combination of services including GSM, State-of-the-Art 3G, CDMA fixed line and Wi Max broadband internet services, said Chief Executive of Dialog Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya in an exclusive interview with The Island on Friday. more..