Nov 3 (MoD) Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya visited Poonarin and Thunukkai areas in Wanni on Monday morning to inspect the progress on de-mining and other development activities being carried out by the Army in those areas under "Uthuru Wasanthaya" programme. Commander, Security Forces (Kilinochchi) Major General Athula Jayawardena received the Army Commander on his arrival at Task Force-VI in Poonarin. more..

Nov 3 (LG) Palitha Range Bandara, UNP MP, is engaged in a Satyagraha at the main entrance to the Parliamentary Complex. The move is in protest for not taking measures to arrest the perpetrators who set fire to his residence in Chilaw. Mr. Bandara's wife and three children have also joined the Satyagraha. According to source, the Leader of the Opposition and several UNP MPs have also arrived at the location. more..

Nov 3 (LP) The Government has taken measures to take the assistance of the Aborigines in Sri Lanka to remove the wasp nests in the Sigiriya fortress. The removing the nests will be done using the traditional methods of the Aborigines. The leader of the Aborigines has said that the younger generation was ready for it. A group of Aborigines who reached Sigiriya yesterday has examined on how to remove the wasp’s nests. more..

Nov 3 (GDI) The Department of Emigration and Immigration celebrated the 60th Anniversary at the office in today. The Deputy Minister of Postal and Telecommunication M S Sellasamy and the Chief Controller of Emigration and Immgration P B Abeykoon participated at the event as the Chief Guests. A first day cover was issued in order to commemorate the anniversary in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Stamps Bureau. more..

Nov 3 (LG) According to the statement of Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama now it is evident that the CDS General Sarath Fonseka who is at present in the United States, has received a letter from the US Department of Homeland Security , calling him for an interview at 3.00 p.m. on Wednesday 4 November in Oklahoma City, in the State of Oklahoma. Moreover, he has also received a telephone call on 28 October during which a DHS Attorney had stated that more..

Nov 3 (LG) Imagine waking up one day and finding that you cannot speak. No matter what you do, the words do not come; no sound passes your lips. Nor can you write. Your fingers are locked. You are utterly silent, and all your precious thoughts are imprisoned in your mind. You are no longer able to lead, or teach, or stir your people to action or still their fears. Imagine your people waking one day to find the same thing has happened to them. more..

Nov 3 (LT) Asking for a month to reply questions asked on crucial and important issues by ministers who are in charge of relevant portfolios and those responsible for answering such questions is a knotty issue says JVP Parliamentarian Ranaweera Pathirana. The Parliamentarian said this when the government party wanted a month to reply questions asked by the opposition in Parliament today. more..

Nov 3 (GV) J.S. Tissainayagam, who had been under detention since March 7- 2009, was convicted on all three charges under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) on August 31- 2009 by the High Court of Colombo, and given the maximum sentence of 20 years rigorous incarceration. In a symbolic and focal sense, what has been tried and imprisoned is the Tamil nation, and all those who stand for its right of self-determination. more..

Nov 3 (GDI) Education Minister Susil Premajayanth expressing views at a ceremony organised to handover letters of appointment to 199 Tamil medium teachers who passed out from National Colleges of Education said that the allowance paid to the diploma teacher trainees of NCE would be doubled next year. He has already had discussions with the Treasury over this issue,the minister said. more..

Nov 3 (LNP) UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday charged that the government which was claiming full credit for the success in the war had disregarded 5,000 soldiers who were killed in a single attack and 20,000 who were wounded. Addressing a meeting in Polonnaruwa, Mr. Wickremesinghe said the government did not want to give credit to any one else and just wanted to cling on to power at any cost. more..

Nov 3 (LP) The report on the inquiry into the manufacturers of the injection phials and saline bottles containing pieces of glass and plastic will be issued today (03). Inquires on drugs of 06 Indian Companies began on the 30th of October by the National Drug and Cosmetic Devices Authority (NDCDA). The inquiries were held by a panel of experts on explanations submitted by the companies and the report these would be handed over to more..

Nov 3 (LT) In the recent past the government stated that they would present a vote on account instead of a budget to allow a new government that would be elected after a general election to be held next year so that they could have an opportunity to present a budget of their own to the Parliament. However, the vote on account presented by the government is far from it and ahs been presented for the whole year more..

Nov 3 (LT) National Lotteries Board has incurred an investment loss of Rs. 98,25,89,334.00 as a result of an ‘online’ lottery carried out by a company affiliated to it. The National Lotteries Board had invested more than Rs.980 million in the company as long term investment (Rs.78,35,20,200.00) and long term loan (Rs.20,00,00,000.00). However by auctioning the company the Board has got less that Rs.1 million. more..

Nov 3 (LT) The Minister of Transport has given the contract of developing the rail track from Matara to Galle to ‘Rites,’ a Government of India Enterprise, amidst strong opposition from employees of Ceylon Railways Department (CGR) and its subcontract has been obtained by an official of the Railways trade union of the LSSP. This subcontract is for unloading rails which ‘Rites’ attempted to do without the experienced employees of the Railways Department and more..

Nov 3 (DM) Plantation Minister and Senior SLFPer D.M. Jayaratne, who strongly believes he should be Sri Lanka’s next Prime Minister, said he had already tailored a dress for the important occasion. “I keep looking at the dress that hangs in my wardrobe and visualize myself as Prime Minister. The kit was sown by a Buddhist monk who also blesses me,” the minister said. more..

Nov 3 (LT) A month has passed since setting fire to residence of UNP MP Range Bandara and destroying it completely. But so far no steps have been taken regarding this crime says UNP Parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekera. Mr. Jayasekera making a special statement in Parliament today said, “No proper investigation has been carried out regarding this incident yet. The crime was committed a month ago. more..

Nov 3 (LNP) The Sri Lanka Navy had refuted Indian media reports, which quoted Indian fishermen as claiming that Chinese nationals were patrolling the seas along with the Sri Lankan Navy. Navy Spokesperson Commander D.K.P Dassanayake, speaking to Daily Mirror, stressed that there were no Chinese nationals aboard Sri Lankan Navy ships and insisted that there was no need for any Chinese to be among the Sri Lankan Navy either. more..

Nov 3 (DN) We face a number of important challenges in the present era. Having overcome the threat of terrorism and achieving military mastery over a ruthless organization which has blighted our national life for nearly three decades, we have a unique opportunity to forge a new Sri Lanka in which all citizens’ human dignity is fully safeguarded, where all are treated equally and share a common cohesive identity. more..

Nov 3 (LNP) Sri Lanka faces the challenge of making its enterprises more productive, dynamic and globally competitive. This is necessary to promote and sustain a more rapid and better distribution process of development. Therefore, policy initiatives are vital to remove constraints to develop national enterprises for economic gains, a Senior Banking official who works closely with the SME sector told Daily News Business. more..

Nov 3 (DN) Whatever information General Fonseka may have acquired in the exercise of his official duties is privileged by nature. Therefore, it cannot legally be shared with third parties without the prior approval and consent of the Sri Lanka authorities, said Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama yesterday. "The matter under reference has serious implications for the security and welfare of the people of Sri Lanka and more..

Nov 3 (DN) In Wennappuwa lived a rich person named Pious Fernando, who owned coconut estates and fibre mills. At 26, he married one Josephine from Negombo and at the child birth she died leaving a girl named Carmel. Pious, who was now fond of the child, did not remarry and brought up Carmel up in the lap of luxury. When she was six, she was admitted to the Negombo convent and chauffeured by car up and down daily. more..

Nov 3 (UNP) Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva who is the President of the World Health Organization (WHO), is soon going to achieve another milestone as the Health Minister who had hit headline news most, not for developing the Health sector under him , but for making it the worst ever in SL’s history. Day in and day out, the GMOA, the people and patients are screaming about the health sector grave lapses, more..

Nov 3 (Island) Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said the government would do everything possible to thwart US moves to use Chief of Defence General Sarath Fonseka as a ‘source’ against the Sri Lankan political and military leaders. The government had acted swiftly and decisively after Gen. Fonseka had brought the planned US action to his notice, the Defence Secretary said. more..

Nov 3 (AT) The invitation by the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Unit of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement attached to the United States Department of Homeland Security for a ‘voluntary interview’ to Sri Lanka’s Chief of Defense Staff General Fonseka is directly connected to his legal status in the U.S. and the federal laws that governs resident aliens and naturalized citizens, the Asian Tribune understands following several inquiries. more..

Nov 3 (UNP) The UNP deputy leader Karu Jayasooriya issuing a statement yesterday, roundly condemned the brutality and ruthless killings by the Police ,and the Govt.’s abysmal incapacity to curb or bring to an end these tyrannical trends in the country. Referring to the latest in the long line of cases of police killings and violence committed with impunity, where a Tamil youth (26), of unsound mind was mercilessly attacked more..

Nov 3 (DM) President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday said there was no need for international courts to make any attempt at solving issues in Sri Lanka as the domestic law was capable of dealing with those issues. “Sri Lanka does not want international tribunals, courts or committees to solve our problems. No body is privileged before the court system, even a legal counsel. Hence, no country has a right to put pressure on Sri Lanka. more..

Nov 3 (Island) The JVP has earned notoriety for using human shields and holding people to ransom just like its northern counterpart now resting in peace. In the late 1980s, JVP killer squads forced innocent people to take part in violent protest marches at gunpoint and provoked the police and the armed forces to open fire on them so as to trigger a backlash against the then UNP government. Thousands of people perished as a result at the hands of the police, more..

Nov 3 (Island) Some Southern Provincial Councillors who were appointed as Ministers by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, were unhappy with their portfolios. One councillor who was a minister in the previous council, did not receive any portfolio or a post and former leader of the House also did not receive any post this time. The newly appointed Minister V. K. Indika said that he has topped the preferential votes, but the government did not offer him the Chief Ministership. more..

Nov 3 (Island) Sri Lanka’s breastfeeding campaign initiated in 1979 when the rate of breastfeeding was a meagre 10 per cent had increased to 76 per cent during 30 years, Chief of the Health and Nutrition Section of UNICEF Sri Lanka Dr. Moazzem Hossain said. A baby could survive for six months on mother’s milk alone even without single drop of water," Dr. Hossain said at a press conference in Colombo. more..

Nov 3 (DN) A Government delegation led by Minister Bandula Gunawardena reached Myanmar yesterday morning on a directive of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to negotiate purchase of rice and other food grains from that country, official sources said. The decision to take steps to prevent a price hike or a shortage of rice was made at a special meeting of Ministers presided over by more..

Nov 3 (DM) Leaders of the Tamil National Alliance -- an amalgam of four Tamil parties -- will meet this week to discuss plans to register the TNA as a recognized political party and also to invite other Tamil parties to join it. At present the TNA consists of the TELO, the EPRLF, the ACTC and a section of the TULF. This meeting had been convened at the request of TELO General Secretary Prasanna Indrakumar. more..

Nov 3 (LBO) Sri Lanka should consider importing people with proven track records to run government as native leaders have consistently failed to deliver and develop the country after independence from Britain, a senior private sector executive has said. "When a company fails and has continuous losses, what do you do? The management just won't shrug it off," Rienzie T Wijetilleke, chairman of Hatton National Bank told more..

Nov 3 (DM) On the surface it appears quite a straight forward story. The US, which is bent on fixing the Rajapaksa administration for alleged War Crimes is making use of its citizen General Sarath Fonseka to testify against Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. The question is, whether it is simple as that. Theories are galore. Almost all are woven around the alleged political ambitions of General Fonseka. more..

Nov 3 (LT) Medicine that has become an acute issue became the topic of discussion in Parliament today. The leader of the group of Parliamentarians of the JVP Anura Dissanayake making a special statement in Parliament pointed out that authorities wash their hands off the issue by putting the responsibility on doctors. The statement made by Mr. Dissanayake in Parliament: more..

Nov 3 (NP) The arrival of 76 Sri Lankan Tamils aboard a vessel that some experts believe may be owned by the Tamil Tigers has raised a number of troubling questions. Unlike the 599 Chinese who appeared off the coast of British Columbia 10 years ago, there is every indication the latest arrivals intend to try to stay in Canada permanently. The Chinese boat people had quite different objectives. more..

Nov 3 (AFP) Sri Lanka's main opposition on Tuesday formed an alliance with minority Tamil and Muslim parties and a breakaway faction of the ruling coalition to contest possible snap elections. Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said his United National Party had set up the United National Front (UNF) to press for the scrapping of the executive presidential system and for a return to parliamentary democracy. more..

Nov 3 (Time) To many Sri Lankans, Lieut. General Sarath Fonseka is a bit of a hero. Now the equivalent of the U.S. military's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Fonseka was the former army commander who helped strategize and lead the campaign that put a decisive end to the quarter-century-long separatist war of the Tamil Tigers. The intensity of the onslaught raised criticism around the world, more..

Nov 4 (wsws) Two public sector industrial disputes have erupted in Sri Lanka over pay and conditions fuelled by widespread discontent among workers about the government’s austerity measures that have led to a sharp deterioration in living standards. The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Joint Trade Union Front held a meeting of members on Sunday to press for a 5,000-rupee ($US44) interim monthly allowance as part of a wider wage claim that the government has rejected. more..

Nov 4 (APP) Pakistan-Sri Lanka FTA needs revision to enhance export quota of Pakistan agro-based products. A seminar will be held on the second of next month wherein trade experts, KCCI members and High Commissioner of Sri Lanka will discuss modalities to increase the bilateral trade. This was agreed in a meeting between President KCCI Abdul Majid Haji Muhammad and Consul General of Sri Lanka , V.S. Sidath Kumar here at Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, more..

Nov 4 (TA) AS a dual Australian Sri Lankan national, what has struck me most about the ongoing debate in Australia about Sri Lankan boat people is the abysmal ignorance about Sri Lanka's geography and distribution of peoples. This has led to the inability of Australians to put Tamil migration in its historical context and instead to uncritically accept tales of Tamil persecution and even genocide that are patently untrue. more..