Dec 4 (LeN) In SL , presently, the patriots are Mhainda Rajapkse, Basil rajapkse, Chamal rajapkse , Gotabaya rajapkse , Sahshindra Rajapakse and K.P Rajapakse. The richest in the Asian region is Rajapakse family Co. Next they are striving to enter among the clan of the richest families in the World. After plundering the wealth of the nation and collecting ten % commission on every project, more..

Dec 4 (LNW) President, Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) and investigative journalist Poddala Jayantha had reportedly left the country with his wife and daughter following continuous telephone threats received by him. Poddala Jayantha was abducted, brutally attacked and then dumped in a drain unconscious on June 1, 2009. He was the Secretary of the SLWJA at the time. No proper investigation has yet been conducted into the attack. more..

Dec 4 (LNW) A media communiqué released by Media Watch states, “The UNF has called on Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake to appoint a Competent Authority to overlook the functions of the state media and ensure the unbiased nature in news reporting during the Presidential election period. UNF Media Spokesperson, parliamentarian Mangala Samaraweera in a letter to the Elections Commissioner has noted that the state owned Rupavahini and more..

Dec 4 (LG) After 26 years of full-scale civil war, the island nation is returning to the state of normalcy. On May 20, 2009, the Army, having entered the garrison town of Paranthan and captured Kilinochchi, the LTTE political and administrative headquarters, on the New Year’s Day, officially ended the Eelam War IV. This followed an official announcement made in the afternoon of May 18, over Rupavahini, the main Government-controlled TV channel, more..

Dec 4 (GV) It would be fair to say that the vast majority of the people aspire for a life with peace, dignity, security, democratic freedom and prosperity. They aspire for an open, honest, efficient system of governance which is accountable to them. They wish for a political culture which nurtures unity and solidarity among the various nations, nationalities and communities. They dream of a world free of all forms of domination, exploitation, oppression and WAR! more..

Dec 4 (DBS) Sarath Fonseka is yet to apologise for the racist comments he made in the past. Can the Minority politicos supporting him get SF to do that? Democratic Peoples Front led by ManoGanesan will support Sarath Fonseka at presidential elections provided there is no common Tamil candidate. Rauff Hakeem says SriLanka MuslimCongress will support Sarath Fonseka in presidential elections&seek full implementation of 13th amendment. more..

Dec 4 (BBC) Outlook attends a production of the ballet Swan Lake in Colombo, starring dancers who've lost limbs in accidents or landmine explosions. It was organised by the Sunera Foundation, Sri Lanka's only charity for the physically and mentally disabled. Listen to the programme below.

Dec 4 (GDI) The ‘Negombo Beach Festival 2009’ is a power packed event to keep visitors on their toes, with Percussion Sessions, Beach Soirees, Street Parades, Paint Balling and 4 x 4 driving. An expanded childrens area will cater to the interests of the little ones keeping them actively engaged. It’s the coastal town to the north of Colombo, which beckons visitors this December when the weekend of 11th to 13th brings fun and excitement to the beach in Negombo, more..

Dec 4 (TN) 9,95,612 registered voters in the eastern province are eligible to cast their votes at the presidential election that is scheduled to be held on January 26. District-wise breakdown was provided by the Election Department as 2,41,133 persons in Trincomalee district, 4,20,835 in Ampaa'rai district and 3,33,644 from Batticaloa district. The breakdown of the voters according to electoral-districts follows: more..

Dec 4 (GDI) With the view to expedite the process of resettlement of IDPs and other administrative work in the Northern Province, the Government has removed the imposed security clearance of state employees and state owned vehicle reaching Jaffna and other parts of the Northern Province to enable uninterrupted traveling for Government employees for official duties. Accordingly the Government employees and vehicles entering the region will not need to obtain the consent or more..

Dec 4 (MoD) IGP Mahinda Balasuriya has extended the duration of time for meeting the public every Friday (Public Day) at the Police Headquarters. Senior DIG Nimal Mediwake said considering the extent of the public grievances the IGP has extended the meeting time by a further. One hour on Public Day accordingly, the duration of the meeting which was 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. will now be extended to 3 p.m. This is considering the steady increase in the members with complaints and grievances. more..

Dec 4 (LNP) TMVP will extend unconditional support to President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Presidential Election, TMVP leader and Chief Minister Eastern Provincial Council Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan said. Speaking at a press conference held at the Mahaweli Centre, he said his party would assure that President Mahinda Rajapaksa gets the majority of votes in the province. more..

Dec 4 (LP) All arrangements have been finalised for the G.C.E. Ordinary Level Examination which will be held from December 11 to 22 at 3,215 Examination centres throughout the country. According to the Department of Examinations 545,132 candidates are qualified to sit the examination and out of this 405,257 are school candidates while 139,875 are private candidates. The examination will be held under the new curriculum and the old in 3,215 examination centres. more..

Dec 4 (LP) An additional air conditioned observation coach would be attached to the “Podi Menike” express train plying between Colombo Fort and Badulla, from December 6, for the convenience of Sri Pada pilgrims and to coincide with the school holidays. The Podi Menike leaves Colombo Fort at 5.55 a.m. and reaches Badulla at 3.55 p.m. and on her return journey leaves Badulla at 8.50 a.m. and reaches Colombo Fort at 7.28 p.m. more..

Dec 4 (LP) The contribution made by women to the national economy amounts to over US$ 7.2 billion, Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister and Minister Deputy Finance Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama revealed. Speaking at the ceremony organized to launch the Institute of Leadership and Management in Sri Lanka, the Minister added that the country's economy is driven by the women population. more..

Dec 4 (LP) Cabinet granted approval to a memorandum submitted by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, to sign the Letter of Understanding with the World Food Programme (WFP) for the provision of grant assistance of US$ 134,907,780 to implement WFP food aid programme in Sri Lanka. The objective of this programme is to support the Government in its effort of relief and rehabilitation activities for the internally displace and economically affected people by the conflict. more..

Dec 4 (LG) Amid the election fever in Sri Lanka, some leaders of Tamils met in Switzerland, and the communiqué put out by the Tamil Information Centre London on their behalf read nothing of substance. This can only raise the level of intrigue of the purpose and those who organised it. At first sight, seeing many Tamils calling themselves leaders of dead militant groups, some with members less than the attendees, can be an encouraging sign. more..

Dec 4 (AT) The now defunct LTTE was designated a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) in the United States way back in 1998. Following protracted and serious investigations the FBI successfully cracked arms procurement racket of wide proportion of the Tiger agents in the U.S. to bring them before justice. The State Department followed the federal laws to the letter in refraining from opening or maintaining any rapport with LTTE operatives here and overseas. more..

Dec 4 (LNW) The Sri Lankan voter is given an early opportunity to chose the next Executive President on 26 January, 2010, almost two years ahead of the scheduled presidential election that should otherwise be held in 2011 November. This presidential election, even before nominations are accepted on 17 December, has provoked a social discussion on corruption, nepotism and democracy. more..

Dec 4 (AT) The General Secretary of the ruling UPFA, Minister Susil Premjayantha has invited the TNA MPs for talks. Asian Tribune learns that the invitation for the talks has been sent to R.Sampanthan, leader of the TNA Parliamentary Group with copies to all the TNA MPs. TNA MP N. Srikantha confirmed that they received yesterday the invitation for talks. more..

Dec 4 (CT) The Special Crimes Investigations Unit of Kandy Police say that a man said to be a member of the armed forces was arrested this morning (Dec. 04) after arms and ammunition were found from his home. The arrest was made following information received by the police. Four T-56 weapons with magazines, a pistol with a magazine and seven bullets were found from his home. more..

Dec 4 (LT) Sri Lankans domiciled in foreign countries are rallying against the corrupt Rajapakse administration that is dragging Sri Lanka towards anarchism by denying democracy to masses and developing nepotism. The first stage of this was held opposite Sri Lankan Embassy in Paris on 2nd December. A large number of Sri Lankans engaged in an agitation for nearly two hours under the theme “President Rajapakse, stop violating democratic rights of Sri Lankan people” more..

Dec 4 (LT) The German-owned cargo ship Charelle, hijacked by Somali pirates near Oman in June, has been released, the sources said on Thursday. The crew of 10 aboard the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged ship, including seven Sri Lankans and three Filipinos, were also freed, maritime sources said. They had been set free after a breakthrough in negotiations between the shipping company and the Somali pirates. more..

Dec 4 (LT) Five patients infected with A/H1N1 influenza have been identified from Gampaha District Hospital by now. Four of the patients are children under the age of 12 and the other patient is the lady doctor in charge of the children’s ward. One of the patients after being cured had left the hospital while four others have been transferred to Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) at Angoda. more..

Dec 4 (DN) Sri Lanka believes that it is imperative to fully implement the Security Council resolutions and the resolutions adopted by the UN General Assembly to achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive solution to the Middle East and Palestinian question, Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dr. Palitha Kohona said addressing the more..

Dec 4 (LT) A protest campaign was held in Kalutara town yesterday (3rd) against the removal of cutouts with Gen. Sarath Fonseka’s photograph by an organized gang the previous night. The protest campaign organized by UNP Parliamentarian for Kalutara District was attended by a large crowd including electoral organizers of the district. The protestors carrying photographs of Gen. Fonseka and placards demonstrated along more..

Dec 4 (LT) The government has distributed money among UPFA members of provincial councils, municipality councils and other local bodies to get their support for the presidential election say reports. However, a tense situation had erupted when money was to be distributed among such council members in Kurunegala District. Names of several members were not included in the list of those who were to receive money and more..

Dec 4 (LT) The government has decided to launch their election campaign with a mudslinging exercise as surveys carried out secretly have indicated that the government was at a disadvantage at the presidential election with the entry of Gen. Sarath Fonseka as a competitor states ‘Lanka Irida.’ Despite warnings from publicity advisors that launching of the election campaign of the President should look clean, more..

Dec 4 (LNP) Police have deployed a special team to trace millionaire tea trader Nishantha Ratnayake of Wattala believed to have been abducted along with three others, including a Sub Inspector of Police. The four were abducted on Wednesday night and the vehicle they were travelling in was found yesterday morning at Castle Street, Borella. Initial investigations have revealed that Nishantha Ratnayake left his residence in Wattala telling his wife that more..

Dec 4 (GDI) The government owned Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation Limited (SLIC) declared an unprecedented Rs. 3 Billion as an Interim bonus for its participating policyholders for 2009. Industry analysts are of the view that the quantum of the bonus firmly establishes it as the single largest bonus declared in the history of the Sri Lankan Insurance industry. more..

Dec 4 (Island) Deshamanya Ken Balendra, former Chairman of Sri Lankan conglomerate John Keells Holdings PLC, who was also one time Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, says he is in favour of a whistle-blowing culture in the country’s corporate sector. "Yes! I am personally in favour of whistle blowing," Balendra said in response to a question raised by the The Island at a press conference more..

Dec 4 (LNP) Today a major shift from the single bottom line shareholder value creating mindset to the triple bottom line stakeholder engagement based sustainable value creation mindset is needed at board level in companies. This evolution of business refers to organizations embracing the need for both economic, social and environmental value creation focused on the triple bottom, Sri Lanka Institute of Nanotechnology, CEO Ravi Fernando told more..

Dec 4 (LNP) What is wrong with most politicians is that they rarely or never practise what they preach. We are treated to their tub-thumping, philosophising and self-righteous moralising ad nauseam but they remain a bunch of hypocrites to all intents and purposes. The JVP, which is crusading for media freedom, has slapped a ban on the State media. Rupavahini and ITN will not be permitted to cover JVP events because they distort news, JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake has said. more..

Dec 4 (UNP) Temple Trees, once the place where discussions were held inspiring hopes to the workers who are aggrieved has now become the hoodoo to the working class. Yesterday, a group of protestors of the All Ceylon Assistant Teachers’ Association who staged a Demonstration to get redress to their grievances and headed towards the Temple Trees were tear gassed and driven away by the Police. Besides, six protestors were arrested by the Police. more..

Dec 4 (DN) IDPs given free movement from December 1 have 15 buses provided by the International Organisation for Migration to travel daily from Chettikulam to Vavuniya. Each of the 15 buses ply three trips up and down daily from yesterday. IDPs are not charged for their trips, a senior official of the District Secretariat said. He said the IDPs were very happy to leave the camps but most come back to welfare villages. more..

Dec 4 (Island) In what is described in political circles as a counter to the crossover of UPFA National List MP Wijedasa Rajapakshe to the UNP on Wednesday, Nandimithra Ekanayake, the Matale District UNP Parliamentarian officially joined the SLFP yesterday. He was appointed an organiser of the Matale District with immediate effect. Ekanayake entered politics representing the SLFP and became a minister of the PA government. more..

Dec 4 (Reuters) Most Sri Lankan refugees resettled from large military-run camps since the end of a 25-year civil war in May are still in transit facilities while de-mining work is finished, the government said on Friday. Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said 70 percent of the more than 280,000 refugees who fled the final phase of the government's war against the Tamil Tigers had been relocated from the main camps, which drew widespread criticism. more..

Dec 4 (DN) All these remarkable changes that we envisage in the schools system must go hand in hand with quality teacher education and world class education administrators. A futuristic outlook in our system of education will undoubtedly require sea changes in the whole system. Schools and classrooms naturally will assume huge importance and as Mahinda Chintana envisages there will have to be at least one quality school per Divisional Secretariat Division. more..

Dec 4 (LP) The Government today opened three large scale Trading Complexes for vegetables, textile Garments and plastics items at the Narahenpita economic centre. The complex was established in order to offer consumer items at concessionary rates to the public. All goods will be sold at retail prices to provide maximum relief to consumers for the festive season. The consumers will have the opportunity to purchase fresh vegetables and more..

Dec 4 (LT) All Ceylon Health Services Union (ACHSU) has asked the government to declare a state of emergency as the number of patients infected with Swine Flu (Novel Influenza, H1N1) has drastically increased, already 25 deaths due to the disease have been recorded and the spreading of the disease has reached epidemic state. Issuing a communiqué ACHSU states the government should take measures to identify areas with high prevalence, more..

Dec 4 (Island) The government yesterday received accolades from a section of the business community for going ahead with the challenging task of rehabilitating captured LTTE cadres in the immediate aftermath of the final battlefield victory over the LTTE in May. Contrary to fears expressed in some quarters, including the Tamil Diaspora, a major rehabilitation effort is now underway with the support of the international community, Sri Lankan business leaders and the Ceylon Hindu Congress. more..

Dec 4 (LNP) The Lanka Samasamaja Party (LSSP) pledged its total support to President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the upcoming presidential elections. Science and Technology, Minister Prof. Tissa Vitharana said their party s allegiance to President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been sealed as they have faith in the strength of President Rajapaksa s leadership, which is confirmed by the country s victory against terrorism. more..

Dec 4 (DN) Colombo Fort Magistrate and Additional District Judge Gihan Pilapitiya yesterday directed Sirasa and TNL to telecast the unedited videos of the incident near the Bambalapitiya sea where a man was assaulted in their news bulletins. Senior Counsel for TNL Upul Jayasuriya and Senior Counsel for Sirasa Udaya Rohan de Silva informed court that they will abide by the court order and will telecast the incident four times in their news bulletins. more..

Dec 4 (Island) The DPF leader Mano Ganeshan, yesterday said that his party was negotiating with the TNA to vote for the common Opposition candidate Gen. Sarath Fonseka at the forthcoming Presidential election in the North and would arrive at a decision before the nominations were handed over, but in the South the party has already taken a decision to support the candidature of the retired General. more..

Dec 4 (DM) The Government is not doing enough to curb the diseases Swine Flu and Dengue that were rapidly spreading in the island, Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) said yesterday. The Association’s General Secretary, Dr. Dhammika Pathirana told the Daily Mirror that infectious diseases like dengue and the Swine Flu were fast spreading and would create a greater threat if the issues were not attended to immediately. more..

Dec 4 (DM) Unheard voices: the case for supporting marginal farmers” is a recent report by the non-governmental organization Concern Worldwide. The report urges “a new comprehensive approach to combat poverty and hunger which includes subsistence agriculture”. This is very relevant to Sri Lanka where the poorest of the poor are rural farmers, producing food on small plots of land, mainly for their own Families. more..

Dec 4 (DM) India on Friday said it would work with the Sri Lankan government to ensure the resettlement of 3,00,000 people displaced in the northern region freed from the LTTE, and was keen to see revival of the political process in the island nation. “We continue to work with the Sri Lankan government to ensure the resettlement of all IDPs,” External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna said in a statement in the Rajya Sabha. more..