Apr 28 (UNCHR) We welcome last week's resumption of Government-led return movements in northern Sri Lanka, following a three week temporary pause due to parliamentary elections and Tamil New Year. Following this, some 7,000 IDPs have returned to the districts of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu. Some 207,000 IDPs have left camps in the north and east of the country since the organized return process began in August last year. more..

Apr 28 (PTI) To commemorate 2,600 years of Buddha Jayanthi, Sri Lanka will present India a sapling of the Maha Bodhi tree under which Gautama Buddha believed to have attained enlightenment. The tree will be planted in the new Buddha Udyanaya being created in Patna, to commemorate 2,600 years of the Sambuddha Jayanthi. An Indian government backed 10-members delegation has arrived in the Buddhist city of Anuradhapura in North Central Sri Lanka for the purpose. more..

Apr 28 (BBC) The Court of Appeal in Sri Lanka has decided to conduct an inquiry whether to order the police to find a missing journalist. Sandhya Eknaligoda, the wife of the disappeared journalist Prageeth, has filed a petition seeking a court order to produce him before courts and release him. KS Udayakumar reporting from Colombo said that Justice Ranjith Silva questioned how the court could order police to release Mr. Eknaligoda as there is no clue as to who is responsible for his disappearance. more..

Apr 28 (TA) Australia's "lenient" asylum policy, easy access to citizenship and generous welfare benefits are the main pull factors attracting Sri Lankan asylum-seekers, says the head of Colombo's anti-human-trafficking operation. Prabath Aluthge, chief of Sri Lanka's National Counter Human Trafficking Resource Centre, told The Australian the recent wave of boat arrivals was driven by success stories spread by Sri Lankans who had travelled to Australia. more..

Apr 28 (LT) According to a very reliable source UNP Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe met the Central Committee of the SLFP (M) group of Mr. Mangala Samaraweera at Rajagiriya today (27th). The meeting held at the main office of SLFP (M) faction continued for a considerable period of time and was attended by Mangala Samaraweera and other leaders of SLFP (M) faction. Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe has apprised the Central Committee of the ‘M’ faction regarding reasons for not more..

Apr 28 (NF) A group of Wildlife officials, on a raid to stop an illegal plantation that was being carried out within the sanctuary in the Somawathiya Sanctuary, has been attacked. The perpetrators had dug a waterway using a backhoe in order to obtain water from the Mahaweli River for their crops. He said the raid had been carried out yesterday with the assistance of the police, based on information received. more..

Apr 28 (LT) The CID has carried out a four hour search at Mihinthala Rajamaha Veiharaya today stating they had received information that Danuna Tillekeratne, son-in-law of Gen. Sarath Fonseka, was hiding in the temple. The CID has conducted the search stating they were in possession of a search warrant issued from Fort Magistrates Court. The CID has spent four hours extensively searching the whole area of more..

Apr 28 (NF) A group of teachers attached to the President's College in Embilipitiya staged a demonstration yesterday protesting against the alleged assault of the principal by some parents. Several parents had assaulted the principal of the school last Friday over the admission of students to Grade One. The teachers refrained from working today in protest over the incident. “He was assaulted over an issue linked to Grade One admissions. more..

Apr 28 (GDI) The newly appointed Minister of External Affairs of Sri Lanka Prof. G.L. Peiris held his first bilateral meeting with Lyonpo Ugyen Tshering, Foreign Minister of Bhutan, on the sidelines of the 16th SAARC Summit in Thimphu. Welcoming the Minister of External Affairs, the Bhutan Foreign Minister thanked Sri Lanka for supporting Bhutan’s request to host the 16th SAARC Summit, the first ever in Thimphu. more..

Apr 28 (LBO) Sri Lanka's Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) has called for consultancy services to suggest ways to introduce mobile phone number portability that will allow subscribers to switch networks while using the same number. The TRC published a note on its website inviting expressions of interest from companies by May 20, 2010. more..

Apr 28 (LBO) Six Sri Lankan stock brokers have opened offices in the former war zone of northern Jaffna with the setting up of a branch of the Colombo Stock Exchange there, a statement said. The stock brokers will offer clients access to online trading, real-time market information, research reports and investment advice, the CSE statement said. The six stock brokers are Bartleet Mallory Stockbrokers, Asha Phillip Securities, more..

Apr 28 (CI) Basnahira North, led by Thilina Kandamby, came up with another powerful batting performance to qualify for a place in the final of the Inter-provincial four-day tournament which resumed after a break of two weeks due to the country's general elections followed by the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. Although their final league match against Wayamba ended in a draw due to interruption to bad weather in Moratuwa, more..

Apr 28 (Gulf) Sri Lankan beauty queen and Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez urged her countrymen to maintain a united front so that the 11th edition of the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) can run smoothly in Colombo. Last week, IIFA brand ambassador Amitabh Bachchan and host Fernandez were in Colombo to announce the dates of IIFA weekend, which in turn sparked protests from Tamil groups. more..

Apr 28 (SLN) Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy Vice Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe inspected the Canal Boat Service launched for the convenience of the General Public by the Navy on 25th April 2010. He was accompanied by Commander Western Naval Area Rear Admiral Damayantha Dharmasiriwardene and Director General Naval Operations Rear Admiral Jayantha Perera. Commander of the Navy reviewed the boat service from Wellawatte to Nawala along the Kirulapona Canal up to more..

Apr 28 (DM) A meeting of the United National Front (UNF) alliance members headed by UNP leader Ranil Wickramasingha, held this evening to discuss the national list issue as well as the future of the alliance, ended in deadlock and is set to continue tomorrow. Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader Rauff Hakeem, SLFP (M) wing leader Mangala Samaraweera and Democratic Peoples Front (DPF) national organizer Prabha Ganeshan also attended the meeting. more..

Apr 28 (PRIU) The latest journalists to "flee" the country confirms my belief that the number of journalists who have fled the country based on false threats to them using the special situation prevailing the country, far exceeds those who have left due to actual threats, says senior journalist, political analyst and former editor of the "Ravaya" Mr. Victor Ivan. more..

Apr 28 (AD) United National Party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe recently had invited two persons said to be lawyers to his residence at Cambridge Terrace, said National Lawyers’ Association (NLA) chairman Attorney-at-Law Upul Jayasuriya. But what transpired at the meeting was not revealed by him. However, Upul Jayasuriya claimed that the two persons said to be lawyers are not from the National Lawyers’ Association and had no authority to represent same. more..

Apr 28 (AD) Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa who was on a visit to the National Zoological Gardens at Dehiwala this morning had a somewhat different encounter with an ‘opponent’. Mr. Rajapaksa was shown a chimpanzee by one of the handlers. An apparent animal lover, Basil Rajapaksa attempted to shake hands with the chimp which was clinging on to its handler. The animal suddenly reached out and tried to paw at the Minister’s face. more..

Apr 28 (AD) While speculation is mounting the UPFA new Cabinet of Ministers and Deputies may increase by another four Ministers and a Deputy, the Government is to set up a special unit to coordinate the ministries. President’s secretary Lalith Weeratunga has stated that the unit would coordinate the functions among the Ministries to avoid the overlapping of responsibilities. more..

Apr 28 (BL) The External Affairs Ministry says that despite almost two months having passed by there is still a deadlock in negotiations to free the 36 Sri Lankan sailors who are being held captive in Somalia. The spokesperson for the Ministry said, “Unfortunately, there hasn’t been much progress made on the matter. The shipping companies are the ones who are doing the negotiations with the pirates. more..

Apr 28 (BL) The country is almost out of the woods. The road ahead to real paradise is long and dreary though. The challenge, is a paradise that is devoid of paralytics, parasites and paradox. Flippant apart, we mean business. Born in paradise, you and I have a birth right, and a passion to make this journey to paradise a reality. As much as for us, it is for a booming industry called ‘tourism’, both from local and global perspectives. more..

Apr 28 (BL) Occupancy at one of Sri Lanka’s tallest buildings situated in the heart of Colombo, World Trade Centre (WTC) had declined by 19% to 68% in 2009 due to the global economic crisis being felt by the tenants.The company’s profit after tax in 2009, including fair value adjustment had declined to Rs.1.4 billion from Rs.1.8 billion achieved in 2008 while profit after tax excluding fair value gain in 2009 was Rs.365.47 million, more..

Apr 28 (BL) Toyota Japan is reported to have won the bid for Sri Lanka’s first strategic semiconductor-related industry project to exploit a super-quality vein quartz deposit in Mahagama, Moneragala. It is believed that Toyota Japan had placed a proposal for a total investment of Rs.18.4bn (US$ 160) in securing this bid. A fully-fledged semiconductor fabrication plant would accelerate Sri Lanka’s growth prospects into a global hub. more..

Apr 28 (BL) The Government Nursing Officers’ Association (GNOA) warned of a possible trade union action on May 12, the day that marks the International Nurses’ Day. They will resort to this action to protest against the University Grants Commission’s decision to cut the study period for the nursing degree from four years to three years. According to Saman Rathnapriya, President of the GNOA, his association will push for discussions with the UGC, but more..

Apr 28 (DM) The government may bring amendments to the Constitution within the next month to allow three terms for an executive President, a senior government source claimed today. The Constitutional reforms the UPFA government expects to introduce on priority basis in the next few weeks will include the change of term of office a President is permitted to hold under the present Constitution, the senior Minister said. more..

Apr 28 (ABC) More than a year after Sri Lanka launched its final offensive against Tamil Tiger rebels, pressure continues to mount for an international tribunal into alleged war crimes. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon plans to appoint a panel of experts to look into a tribunal, something the Sri Lankan government says is unwarranted and uncalled for. Now Australian lawyers are joining forces with more..

Apr 28 (Hindu) External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna met his Sri Lankan counterpart G.L. Peiris here on Tuesday and discussed issues relating to a political settlement which ensures a “sense of participation and equality” among the ethnic groups, said senior Indian officials. This is Peiris' first foreign assignment after becoming the Foreign Affairs Minister in the second Mahinda Rajapaksa government. more..

Apr 28 (LP) Many TV stations of Sri Lanka run various kinds of Super Star programmes. Tens of thousands of ambitious youth take part in them and many of them toil for the TV channels without any kind of payment for around a year. However, the finalists get a good training and an experience in entertainment industry while one or two Super Stars become instant millionaires. more..

Apr 28 (UPI) Sri Lanka's government is attempting to lower its fuel import bill by negotiating long-term agreements with producers and eliminating intermediaries. Petroleum Industries Minister Susil Premajayantha said that Sri Lanka's efforts to purchase petroleum products at favorable prices was already under way, The Daily News reported Tuesday. He said President Malinda Rajapaksa initiated the process during three-day state visit in February to Russia, more..

Apr 28 (LG) Race riot is a form of collective violence caused by hatred for one another of members of different races in the same community. In the 20th Centaury alone there had been over 300 racial riots reported from most parts of the World. Among these Denver Riots 1901, Toronto riots against Greeks in 1918, Brisbane riots 1942, Singapore riots in 1950, Dutschke Easter Riots in Germany 1968, more..

Apr 28 (MoD) Over 600 acres of lands liberated from the LTTE north of Vavuniya will be used for cultivation purposes. Northern Province Governor Major General G.A Chandrasiri said the Government will use more than 600 acres in the north of Vavuniya for cultivation and farming. This 600 acres of mangrove lands were used by the LTTE. "These lands are well suited for cultivation. more..

Apr 28 (TN) An Indian engineering corporate L&T Infrastructure Development Projects is keen in road projects, high-rise buildings, apartments and hotels and power generation in Jaffna, and is looking for trade partners according to Vishal Mathur, its Chief Operating Officer. The high-rise buildings and apartments are for whom, wonder the people of Jaffna. According to Mathur, tourism would boom in Jaffna and there would be a demand for them. more..

Apr 28 (TN) The `Dengue Control Week' is to be launched in the country from May 3 to 9 to warn the public of possible outbreak with the onset of monsoonal rains, according to Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry press release. The number of dengue deaths reported this year from January to April is seventy-five and over twelve thousand dengue cases reported island wide, more..

Apr 28 (TN) Private and government banks rushing to Jaffna peninsula to open their branches and the opening of the fifth branch of Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) in Jaffna town Tuesday, in the name of development are but schemes aimed at exploiting the funds of peninsula residents, civil organizations in Jaffna said. They further accused the above financial institutions of employing only Sinhalese persons from South at all levels while more..

Apr 28 (TN) Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Sri Lanka government are accused of prioritizing Sinhalese language in the name and information boards in the predominantly Tamil areas in the North, by public organizations in Jaffna peninsula. Tamil language which had occupied the first place in the name boards and government information boards in the North has been brought down to second place by SLA and government, the organizations said. more..

Apr 28 (GDI) Prof. G.L. Peiris held a bilateral discussion on the sidelines of the SAARC Summit with his Pakistan counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi. While congratulating the Sri Lankan External Affairs Minister on his appointment, the Pakistan Foreign Minister recalled the warm and friendly ties that have always prevailed between both countries. more..

Apr 28 (DN) The Matara Magistrate yesterday ordered the remand of Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Dikkumburage Kulaweera (55) until May 10. He was arrested in connection with a shooting incident in Walgama. Magistrate Udesh Ranatunga also ordered that an identification parade be held on May 10. Matara Police arrested Kulaweera based on statements made by main suspect of the shooting incident at Walgama, Matara on April 24. more..

Apr 28 (MoD) All arrangements have been finalized for the first postwar May Day which is also expected to be the biggest ever post independence May Day to be held at the Colombo Town Hall. The May Day will commence at 2.00 pm with the participation of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. This year the May Day ceremony will be held under the theme "Power to workplace, Power to the factory, Peace to the motherland" as this is the first postwar May Day ceremony. more..