Sep 19 (LP) The Mahapola Education and Trade Fair will be held from 14-18 October at Ruhunu Vijayaba Vidyalaya in Beliatta after a lapse of two years. The Trade fair was suspended for the past two years due to threats of LTTE terrorism. Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardene said this would be the 264th Mahapola exhibition. He said that government wishes to hold the Mahapola Education and Trade Fair once a month or twice a month covering all provinces shortly. more..

Sep 19 (LNP) The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) yesterday warned that a small group of LTTE terrorists remained active in the South though their fighting formations had been totally destroyed. Major General Mano Perera, the Overall Operations Commander, in charge of the Western Province, said that that terrorist group that was being hunted included suicide cadres and their handlers. He said that terrorists could be operating in the city and its suburbs. more..

Sep 19 (LNP) Though the required cadre of doctors is expected to be filled by 2010, the government will continue to recruit all MBBS graduates for the state service, Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said adding that Sri Lanka is the only country in the world that provides employment to every MBBS graduates when they pass out from the Medical College. more..

Sep 19 (LNP) Seylan Bank PLC which suffered a setback at the beginning of the current year with a loss of Rs. 18 million resulted in a 13 percent drop in the liquidity ratio when the required liquidity ratio was 20 percent. At present, the bank has recovered its liquidity ratio up to 22 percent and is looking forward to a public offering under the new management, Senior Manager, Seylan Card Centre, Rasika Dissanayake told Daily News Business. more..

Sep 19 (LNP) The problem with lying is that liars begin to believe in their own lies with the passage of time. This is a pathological condition which the enemies of Sri Lanka have developed. They go on repeating their diabolical lies in the hope that they may be taken for the truth one day as Goebbels said. The Channel 4 video is a case in point. That it is a fake has been established beyond doubt. more..

Sep 19 (DN) President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday said that some powerful countries expect small countries to do what they themselves cannot do. The powerful countries grill prominent figures on their entry to such countries for hours for the safety of these countries while demanding us to take out the people in welfare camps and resettle them in their original places soon, he said. more..

Sep 19 (DN) The Defence Ministry says that Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu’s alleged death threat is limited to an anonymous four line typed note. However, on President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s request (which was based on a newspaper advertisement published by a group of lesser known NGOs and signed by a section of the civil society, condemning the death threats against Dr. Saravanamuttu) the Defence Secretary instructed the CID to investigate into this matter with immediate effect. more..

Sep 19 (DN) Despite a sordid, dirty, wretched campaign and efforts by some western countries to tarnish the image of Sri Lanka with the help from some UN agencies, NGOs, INGOs and those who are supporting the former low life LTTE terrorist group, the true image of this beautiful land is still intact. Visitors from overseas and tourists are not gullible to believe and be affected by these malicious campaigns. more..

Sep 19 (DN) The US based LTTE leader has announced that the LTTE proposed Provisional Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (PTGTE) will function as an organization of the Tamil Diaspora. In the United States, UK and Canada where there are large communities of Sri Lankan Tamils and where the LTTE is banned as a terrorist organization, the so-called PTGTE will function as a front of the old LTTE carrying on activities aimed at separatism in Sri Lanka. more..

Sep 19 (LP) In keeping with “Uthuru Vasantaya” program, government is expected to spend Rs.2,050 million to rebuild the fisheries industry in the North which was badly affected due to LTTE terrorism in the country. Fishermen are also allowed to use 15 horse power outboard engines. Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Felix Perera stated that Rs.2,050 million would be utilized to develop fisheries activities in the North. more..

Sep 19 (DM) Opposition UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday said the country would not be under threat by any foreign force if the human rights and sovereignty of the people are preserved. “We can fearlessly face international forces if human rights are preserved,” he said speaking at the launch of the ten books written by UNP National Organizer S. B. Dissanayake last evening. more..

Sep 19 (Island) Student rights cannot be won by causing destruction to the Indigenous Ministry property. The JVP, leadership is not trying to win student rights but making an attempt to sacrifice the students, Minister Piyasiri Wijenayake said in Kandy on Thursday. It was not right to instigate students of higher education to violence, but allow them to obtain their degrees and serve the nation, Wijenayake said more..

Sep 19 (Island) Badulla Police on Thursday recovered the bodies of a young couple in a thick jungle about 350 feet above the Dunghinda waterfalls. They are suspected to have committed suicide by hanging on either end of a single nylon rope. A man who went into the jungle to cut a branch of a tree had first seen the bodies and notified the Police. Police said the deaths may have occurred at least a month ago. more..

Sep 19 (Island) UPFA candidate from the Galle District for the Southern Provincial Council elections Sajin Vaas Gunawardane said that although his critics claimed that he was an outsider to the area, his birth place was Ambalangoda and there were many of his kith and kin residing there as well as in the Galle district. He said that as he had associated closely with President Mahinda Rajapaksa for nearly a decade, more..

Sep 19 (Island) Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva warned that he would take action against trade unions attempting to disrupt the government health sector. Except for Chief of the Public Service Nurses Union (PSNU), Ven. Muruttettuwe Ananda, the others were concerned only about themselves, he said. De Silva, addressing the gathering at the Welisara Chest Hospital during the inauguration of a high tech digital x-ray machine and more..

Sep 19 (DM) In a new political development, the TNA has invited the SLMC and other Muslim parties to join hands with it to form a broad alliance to push for their rights. TNA leader R.Sampanthan mooted the idea for a grand political alliance of the Tamil and Muslim parties based in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. Mr. Sampanthan had reportedly said that there was a pressing need for all the Tamil parties to get together. more..

Sep 19 (DM) Pakistan thrashed a sorry Sri Lanka team by 108 runs in a Champions Trophy warm up match at Willowmoore Park in Benoni, South Africa. In two other matches, hosts South Africa routed an under strength West Indies without mercy by 188 runs while New Zealand suffered a morale-sapping defeat to a South African local side. In a match featuring 14 players for each side with only eleven allowed to bat eleven allowed to field, more..

Sep 19 (DM) The Ministry of Industrial Development together with the co-operation of the ministries of education is implementing a rice flour production promotion programme with the objective of the upliftment of locally produced rice consumption and to use rice flour in the production of foods such as bakery foods, and other food items such as biscuits including bread. During the past few years a rapid increase in the local rice production could be seen. more..

Sep 19 (PTI) A huge banner, showing slain LTTE chief Velupillai Prabakharan’s photograph allegedly erected by activists of pro-Ealam outfits near the Periyar EVR’s statue here, surprised some Congress leaders who raised objection and demanded its removal on Thursday. Former Union Minister EVKS Elangovan, a relative of Periyar along with Vidiyal S Sekar, MLA, Kangeyam and other Congress members today visited the spot to garland the statue of Periyar on his 130th birth anniversary. more..

Sep 19 (MoD) Wheel-chairs, crutches, elbows, tricycles, commode wheel-chairs, plastic chairs, white canes, Braille slates have been distributed among displaced persons with disabilities in welfare camps in Vavuniya under the instructions of Minister Douglas Devananda. The Ministry has also trained 10 social officers on the use of the assistive devices in collaboration with the handicap international, consequent to a need assessment carried out by social workers in IDP camps. more..

Sep 19 (PTI) After successfully defeating the LTTE, the Sri Lankan army is ready to play a significant role in the development of the country, Sri Lankan Army Chief of Staff Major General Mendaka Samarasinghe has said. “Apart from its primary role it (the Sri Lankan army) will also play a big role in the development drive of the country in the future,” Samarasinghe said yesterday more..

Sep 19 (LBO) Sri Lanka was ready to change intermediate targets or vary its policy tools dynamically to keep inflation low, a senior central banker said, though the final inflation target is as yet somewhat loosely defined. Sri Lanka's central bank has a loosely defined inflation target of "single digit". In 2007 and 2008 Sri Lanka had 20 percent plus inflation when other dollar pegged countries managed with inflation around or just higher than reported US inflation figures. more..

Sep 19 (MoD) The people and the Maha Sangha of North Western(Wayamba) Province arrived in their thousands to the Panduwasnuwara Rajamaha Viharaya Friday, to felicitate Commander -in- Chief President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Secretary Defence Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa and other leaders in the defence heirachy who showed their unwavering commitment during the humanitarian mission to liberate the country from terrorism. more..

Sep 19 (PTI) A good leader should have conviction in his vision. He cannot compromise on that vision, said Chandrika Kumaratunga, former President of Sri Lanka. She was delivering the keynote address at the first plenary session of the Rotary Institute, the conference of Rotary governors, incoming governors and past governors from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Malaysia and Singapore. more..

Sep 19 (AFP) excesses by security forces during the crushing of Tamil rebels as he ended a visit to Sri Lanka, a UN statement said on Saturday. "We feel that ideally the Sri Lankans should carry out a national process of truth-seeking and accountability," the UN's political chief Lynn Pascoe said a statement issued in Colombo after his departure late on Friday. Pascoe asked President Mahinda Rajapakse to set up a process to ensure accountability for alleged war crimes, more..

Sept 20 (PTI) Former Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga today skipped a transit visit to the city following security concerns and had to spend about two hours at the airport here before flying to Colombo. Airport sources said that Kumaratunga, who was on a private visit to Kerala, arrived at Chennai by a flight at around 10.40 AM en route to the Sri Lankan capital. more..

Sept 20 (LBO) Theft of spices from Sri Lankan gardens is a serious problem that could kill the trade, the new head of the island's spice traders association has said. Christopher Fernando, chairman of the SAPPTA called for government intervention to curb thefts of spices, which is a key export from the island. He said the trade was trying to encourage increased cultivation of spices especially among plantations companies with more..

Sept 20 (BBC) Air-fares have to come down to increase the number of tourists visiting Sri Lanka from the UK, says Sanjika Perera, Director - UK & Ireland, Sri Lanka Tourism. He added that there are constrains in reducing air- fares compared to neighbouring India. "India has the advantage of a heavy traffic flow and flights to India could be competitively low", he said. In this background, the Sri Lankan airline has been helpful in offering promotional offers to boost tourism, more..

Sept 20 (AT) For quite some time, Philip Alston supposed to be a professor (subject undisclosed) who has been appointed as the UN Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial summary or arbitrary executions has with arrogance maintained that Sri Lanka is guilty of crimes against humanity and has demanded from our government an official invitation so that he could investigate what he has already concluded to be a fact. more..

Sept 20 (Hindu) India on Saturday announced that New Delhi would carefully and urgently consider the report of the six-member Indian agricultural experts who toured Sri Lanka to look at the role India can play in revival of agriculture in the war-ravaged north. A press statement from the Indian mission here said that the expert team would propose areas for short, medium and long-term cooperation to Sri Lanka government. more..

Sep 20 (AT) Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickramanayake will be leading the Sri Lanka delegation to the 64th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, commencing 22 September 2009. He will address the General Assembly on 26 September and his topic would be “Strengthening of Multilateralism and Dialogue among Civilizations for International Peace, Security and Development” and more..

Sep 20 (AT) President Mahinda Rajapaksa has paid special attention to upgrade quality of education of the Northern Province under the Northern Spring (Uthuru Wasanthaya) program, says Northern Province Governor Major General (retired) G A Chandrasiri. The Northern Province Governor made these observations at a function held at the Hindu College in Jaffna yesterday to lay down the foundation stone for a three storied building for the school. more..

Sep 20 (SLW) It was the year 1950 and my mother was expecting my entry into the world, and had to come over to Colombo for her confinement and delivery which was arranged to be at Durden’s Hospital in Kollupitiya. My parents were resident at Inginiyagala during this time as my father, an Engineer with the Department of Irrigation, was involved in the Gal Oya development project. more..

Sep 20 (AT) A number of Sri Lankan-born Australians are expressing concern over wide spread violations of visa regulations conditions on which Sri Lankans are allowed overseas travel. This practice by some self-seeking individuals would have far-reaching implication here as well as abroad, the expatriates warn. The recent humiliating incident where a monk - who joined Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake's entourage visiting Japan - was prevented by more..

Sep 20 (AT) President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his Id-Ul-Fitr festival message called for lasting partnership of the Muslims of Sri Lanka to forge a new Sri Lankan nation of unity, tolerance and harmony. The President’s message is as follows: “The Muslim community of Sri Lanka joins its brothers in faith the world over on this occasion to mark the completion of the period of fasting and religious practice which is the most significant tradition of the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. more..

Sep 20 (LP) “We cannot achieve anything through disunity and violence. There is a pressing need for us to unite under one umbrella. This is essential. In such a situation, the SLMC and other Muslim parties should also be accommodated,” said R. Sampanthan, the leader of the Sri Lanka’s major Tamil constituency in parliament, TNA. more..

Sep 20 (TN) Calling for the creation of independent and sovereign Tamil Eelam, based on Vaddukkoadai Resolution (VR) was the last spontaneous and definite mandate by Eezham Tamils in a totally free and democratic atmosphere. As the need for democratic political organisation unfolds afresh, Tamils have to take up the thread directly from the VR. The Thimphu principles and all the other formulas put forward subsequently under the duress of powers, and more..

Sep 20 (LP) European Union is likely to discontinue the GSP Plus tariff concessions that had been granted to Sri Lanka to recover from the damage of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami. The trade sanctions, as some identify it despite it is retraction of preferences, is aimed at roping in a nation led by an arrogant regime that is rapidly drifting away from its traditional allies like Europe and US to the hands of the anti-Western block led by China. more..

Sep 20 (LNW) It has been revealed that records of funds allocated to parliament by the Treasury to make payments to foreign parliamentary associations and other expenditure between 1983 and 2006 have not been presented to the Auditor General’s Department. The Auditor General has revealed this fact in parliamentary audit report for 2007. It has also been stated that details related to payments made to parliamentary associations in 2007 have been made available to the Auditor General and more..

Sep 20 (SLW) Having electricity for domestic requirements is a basic need of the modern human. It is the duty of the government to provide the infrastructural facilities to provide access to electricity. The successive governments during the last 20 years with the financial assistance of multi lateral agencies and foreign governments took steps to increase the electrification rate of Sri Lanka from 30 per cent to 85 per cent; a great achievement. more..

Sep 20 (SL) The Rs. 7.9 billion Dikovita Fisheries Harbour project has stumbled upon some ‘fishy’ business with charges of ‘fraud’ being made by the Minister of Fisheries, Felix Perera and ‘avarice’ by the companies involved in the construction. The state-of-the-art Fisheries Harbour in Dikovita, near Peliyagoda, some 10 km. outside Colombo was mooted by then Minister of Fisheries and incumbent President, Mahinda Rajapakse. more..

Sep 20 (SL) The UNP, having started its Southern Provincial campaign with a lot of energy and hope, and visiting all 576 grama sevaka divisions, has now realised the full extent of the fight that they face in the south. The Grand Alliance is due to be signed this week, with last minute discussions taking place with the leader of the Grand Alliance, Ranil Wickremesinghe, after which he will discuss it with his party members. more..

Sep 20 (LeN) An action has been filed in the Tangalle Courts against all the Hambantota JVP provincial council candidates for using the main roads for their advertisements and damaging State assets, according to a news item in today’s (19) Lakbima newspaper. This action has been filed against the JVP by the Executive Engineer of the High ways. When the case was taken up before the Hambantota District Judge and Magistrate Bandula Hirimburegama, more..

Sep 20 (SL) The Power and Energy Ministry has spent Rs. 36 million to move into a new office premises when the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) under its purview records a monthly loss close to Rs. 1 billion. The Ministry, which was housed in a state owned building, has moved into the building belonging to the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) in Colombo 3 at a monthly rental of Rs. 1.5 million. more..

Sep 20 (SL) The financial crisis at the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) has further deepened due to the allegedly inappropriate actions of its Chairman. The losses incurred by the SLTB have seen a steady increase and workers allege that a continuity of the present system of administration would push the institution further into an abyss. The Board recorded a loss of Rs. 1.2 billion in 2008. more..

Sep 20 (SL) There was once a time when you were who you said you were. A time when you could move freely about the country of your birth on the strength that it was the land of your ancestors, your family, your home etc. The heroes of old certainly didn’t travel throughout various lands carrying government issued laminated pieces of card attesting to their identity. Sadly the days of honour, trust and individual responsibility are long gone, more..

Sep 20 (LB) People in Vavuniya reportedly staged a protest at the divisional secretariat on Friday opposing the decision of the Vavuniya GA to suspend accepting applications from IDPs relatives, to remove IDPs held in the Menik farm IDP camp - apparently while President Rajapaksa told UN Under Secretary General Lynn Pascoe on the same day, that there were only 2000 applications received by the government in this regard, suggesting a lack of response from relatives, more..

Sep 20 (LB) No surprisingly the draft national selection policy for cricket has been lying idle at the ministry of sports during the last three months, with Sports Minister Gamini Lockage taking little or no interest in approving the blue-print which will have avoided a number of selection discrepancies when implemented. The draft was sent for ministry ratification in early July, and more..

Sep 20 (LB) PAFFREL, the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections, floated a quaint idea last week when it urged the government to actually - get this - prescribe minimum qualifications for candidates to contest elections. What kind of outlandish, ludicrous assertion is that? This is why the government hates NGOs. They make silly, redundant proposals and act like they were the first to come up with them. more..

Sep 20 (LB) Is there a real conspiracy for regime change? Well, part of what’s visible now is election rhetoric. With the southern PC election campaign reaching its final stages - - there is a natural ratcheting up of rhetoric, for instance, with Ranil Wickremesinghe saying that the government is selling off the country’s gold reserves. But the government is aware that there is a conspiracy to paint the regime as one led by human rights violators more..