Feb 10 (MoD) Chairperson of Defence Ministry's Seva Vanitha unit Mrs. Ioma Rajapaksa declared open the new Montessori school at the "Ranajayapura" war hero's housing scheme in Ipalogama yesterday (8 Feb). The admission for the new academic year 2010 was also taken place under the patronage of chairperson Mrs. Rajapaksa and she made the 1st admission for the Montessori school. Later, discussion between more..

Feb 10 (MoD) The 62nd Anniversary of Independence was commemorated at the residence of the High Commissioner HE Ms. Chitranganee Wagiswara on 4th February 2010. The messages of HE the President, Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs were read by the High Commission staff followed by special religious observances by the Buddhist, Hindu, Islam and Christian clergy who invoked blessings for the peace and prosperity more..

Feb 10 (MoD) Gen. (retd) Sarath Fonseka's arrest came as no surprise, though he may have been confident that the government would fight shy of taking him in. His confidence may have prompted him to challenge President Mahinda Rajapaksa, a few hours before the military police descended on him, to arrest him. It is a supreme irony that on the eve of the recently concluded presidential election Fonseka threatened that, in the event of his victory, more..

Feb 10 (TN) Koappaay police recovered the bodies of a male and a female first year students of Management Faculty of Jaffna University which were found floating in Eriyaku’lam pond in Irupaalai by local residents, sources in Jaffna said. The two students had rejoined the university after being held in Vavuniyaa Sri Lanka Army (SLA) detention centre along with the Vannni IDPs. more..

Feb 10 (TN) Civil Society Organizations in Jaffna Peninsula requested Canadian Ambassador Mr. Pruce Levy to urge international countries to exert pressure on the Government of Sri Lanka to disclose immediately if it has any proposal to solve the ethnic issue, when the Ambassador met them at several places in the peninsula. President Mahinda Rajapakse who said that he will present the proposal after the presidential election now says that more..

Feb 10 (MoD) Retired General Sarath Fonseka is one of those tragic Shakesperean heroes who is doomed to dig his own grave through a fatal flaw in his character. In short, he was virtually asking for what he got last night. He was challenging the government to arrest him if they have any charges against him and when the Military Police went to arrest him he resisted. He had to be dragged out initially though he walked the last steps to the van more..

Feb 10 (GDI) Drinking water will be supplied to every household in the island, Minister of Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Dinesh Gunawardena said while participating in a function to inaugurate several drinking water projects. The drinking water projects were inaugurated at Pinnawala in Avissawella and Himbutanmulla in Homagama. They were constructed at the cost of 1.1 million rupees. more..

Feb 10 (GDI) A stock of machinery has been provided for the development of Sabaragamuwa and North Central provinces, under the directive of the President. These machines had been used in the projects that were concluded under the Uthuru Wasanthaya and Eastern Resurgence Programmes. The machines will be allocated for general development projects in the Kegalle, Medawachchiya and Horowpathana areas. more..

Feb 10 (TN) Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers arrested Tuesday morning supporters of TNA distributing handbills thanking the people of Jaffna peninsula for casting their votes in large numbers to Sarath Fonseka in the recent presidential election, rejecting President Mahinda Rajapakse, on TNA’s request, sources in Jaffna said. This arrest is seen as a continuation of the attacks on TNA supporters and their properties who openly campaigned for Sarath Fonseka, more..

Feb 10 (GDI) Deputy Director General of the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka, L.D.Dickman retired in January 2010. Dickman was one of the Board’s senior most officers with 30 years of service and was responsible for the management of the BOI’s entire infrastructure, notably its 12 Export Processing Zones. He also played an important role in the development and promotion of new export processing zones of the BOI. more..

Feb 10 (GDI) Leader of the National Freedom Front (NFF), Wimal Weerawansa has announced that NFF would contest through UPFA in 19 districts at the forthcoming General election and added that he would contest from the Colombo District. Weerawansa rejected claims that he was planning to enter parliament through the national list of the UPFA. "I will certainly contest from Colombo", he stressed. more..

Feb 10 (GDI) An open deck city tour of Colombo was launched recently from the Galle Face Hotel premises. A private public partnership between Ebert Silva Holidays and the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority: the ‘City Tour’ will take visitors both local and foreign on a tour of Colombo. The trip will begin from Galle Face Hotel at 0830hrs and en route collect passengers at boarding points from proximity to leading hotels in Slave Island and Colombo Fort. more..

Feb 10 (GDI) With the Foreign Ministry’s discontinuation of the negative travel advisory on Sri Lanka, Sweden’s leading charter tour operators-Apollo, Fritidsresor and Ving will fly in twice a week to Sri Lanka during the winter season. More than 7000 Swedish Charter Tourists have confirmed bookings in the wake of the nation overcoming over three decades of civil strife and terrorism. more..

Feb 10 (LP) The United States Ambassador to Colombo, Ms. Patricia Butenis recently visited the students at Sammanthurai Vocational Training Center (VTC) in Ampara District, an Embassy press release said. The Sammanthurai VTC is the last of the nice such centers built by the USAID in the South and the East following the tsunami. It was opened on November 13, 2008. more..

Feb 10 (TC) Sarath Fonseka was arrested yesterday and reports say he will be court marshaled for divulging military secrets. I would like the readers to detach themselves and look at the situation Sarath Fonseka put himself in to, purely because of his own hatred and anger. Yes. Sarath has a colorful history. It is well known and most of it came out after he entered public life. It so happens to all politicians. Sarath became one unfortunately. more..

Feb 10 (PSM) Several Muslim civil organizations in a joint appeal are demanding to expedite the resettlement process of the Northern Muslims who were expelled almost two decades ago by the LTTE. Concerns have been raised by these organizations as to the delay in resettling the expelled Muslims despite the conclusion of the war in the North. The 35 Muslim civil organizations that have issued the joint appeal demand that more..

Feb 10 (LT) IGP Mahinda Balasuriya, making use of emergency regulations, has declared eight new detention camps. Accordingly, the IGP has issued three gazette notifications on the 3rd and 8th of February. According to these gazette notifications Army Headquarters in Colombo, Army camp at Panagoda, Saliyapura Army camp at Anuradhapura, Military Police Regiment Headquarters, Technical College camps at Nelukkulama, more..

Feb 10 (LT) Mahinda Rajapakse government has displayed its fascist nature by the illegal and the most deplorable manner Gen. Sarath Fonseka was abducted and being detained said the Leader of SLMC Rauff Hakeem. He said, “We see this deplorable incident as the beginning of the shifting of the already dictatorial Rajapakse government towards fascism. Hence, we need to rally all democratic and progressive forces for a mass protest more..

Feb 10 (LT) A national hero, a hero who was revered by the masses in the South a few months ago, was treated by this government using the law of the jungle, he and the Tamil masses he represents vehemently oppose the illegal and deplorable act of Mahinda Rajapakse government said Leader of the Democratic People’s Front Mano Ganeshan. “I participate at this press conference as an eye witness to the incident. Now I give evidence to the whole country. more..

Feb 10 (LT) Thousands of people joined a massive demonstration held opposite the Court Complex at Hultsdorf in Colombo today protesting against the inhuman abduction of Gen. Sarath Fonseka by Mahinda Rajapakse regime. The demonstration was organized by the political parties that supported Gen. Fonseka. At the commencement of the protest campaign thugs of the government tried to sabotage it by more..

Feb 10 (GDI) The Ministry of Environment has taken steps to educate the public on the need to keep home gardens clean to ensure a healthy environment. This programme is initiated with the help of all local bodies, they added. Under this programme, the local bodies will assist in clearing all garbage piles stacked by the roadways. Ministry sources said that if the environment was kept clean, epidemics like Malaria, Dengue and other diseases could be avoided. more..

Feb 10 (LNP) The spending on information technology continues to grow and personal computer consumption will also have a steady growth over the next three years. The new tools for connection in 2009 which recorded a 150 million units is expected to be over 200 million units by 2013. The year 2009 has been a ground-breaking year for Intel and 2010 will be a key year in terms of development. more..

Feb 10 (LNP) Sri Lanka finished fourth with a total of 16 Gold, 35 Silver and 54 Bronze in the medals tally on completion of the 11th edition of the South Asian Games in Dhaka, Bangladesh yesterday. The 12-day Games included 23 disciplines with Sri Lanka athletes grabbing eight Golds - swimmers collected three Golds, weightlifters two Golds and one Gold each in Karate, Cycling, Taekwondo - a total of 16 Gold Medals. more..

Feb 10 (LNP) JHU leader Ven Ellawala Medhananda Nayaka Threa said the JHU would nominate more laymen as candidates for the general election though it will not contest all the electorates but only Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kandy and Kurunegala. He further said not only the Bhikkus but there are capable laymen who could serve the country coming forward to contest in the forthcoming general elections. more..

Feb 10 (DN) President Mahinda Rajapaksa returned to the island yesterday after a successful working visit to Russia at the invitation of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. During the first foreign visit which followed the landslide victory at the Presidential Election, President Rajapaksa was able to reap several dividends beneficial to Sri Lanka. more..

Feb 10 (DN) The second phase of the Kerawalapitiya multi-fuel combined cycle thermal power plant would be ceremonially commissioned by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on February 25, adding another 100 MW to the National Grid. With the commencement of the second phase, the price per unit of electricity paid by the CEB would be reduced to Rs 14-16. Earlier it was around Rs 20. more..

Feb 10 (DN) Students who gain admission to the university system must enter into an agreement with the University Grants Commission (UGC) from this year pledging that they will never involve themselves in ragging until the completion of their academic activities. The Higher Education Ministry and the UGC have jointly taken this initiative aimed at wiping out ragging from the university system. Accordingly, no one who refuses to sign this agreement will be admitted to the university system as the agreement is mandatory, more..

Feb 10 (DN) The Daily News interviewed Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe on the recent Presidential Elections and the international support gained by Sri Lanka in the UN, despite certain parties attempting to tarnish the country’s image. Q: Attempts are being made by Western countries and sections of the Tamil Diaspora to bring war crime charges against Sri Lanka and its Security Forces. more..

Feb 10 (UNP) UNP gen. Secretary Tissa Attanayake addressing a media briefing today at the UNP media unit said, the Govt. arrested Gen. Sarath Fonseka in order to avert the election petition which the opposition parties were jointly going to file against the recent Presidential election results in the Supreme Court. This petition has to be signed by the Presidential candidate Gen. Fonseka. more..

Feb 10 (UNP) Malwatte Chapter Chief incumbent Ven. Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thero made a very candid, frank, fearless and forthright announcement yesterday (09), which should open the eyes of rulers who are duping the people and engaging in dramatics for achieving their selfish power greedy and personal agendas. more..

Feb 10 (Island) The government was duty bound to reveal on whose complaint General (retd) Sarath Fonseka had been taken into custody by the army on Monday night, UNP MP Lakshman Kiriella said yesterday. Addressing a news conference in Colombo, he said that the government could not be the complainant and judge both. "The Commander in Chief of the Army is President Mahinda Rajapaksa, so he cannot be the judge as well." more..

Feb 10 (Island) Minister Keheliya Rambukwella yesterday said that the Directorate of Military Intelligence was investigating allegations that defeated Opposition presidential candidate Gen (retd) Sarath Fonseka had leaked discussions at the National Security Council to outsiders and his relationship with politicians supportive of the LTTE’s cause. The Minister accused the former Chief of Defence Staff of revealing sensitive information to the enemies of the State. more..

Feb 10 (Island) Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa says the recently concluded presidential polls caused a sharp division among the armed forces and the people, though President Mahinda Rajapaksa secured a second term with an overwhelming majority. He says the damage is irreparable and punitive action needs to be taken against serving as well as retired officers regardless of their rank. more..

Feb 10 (Island) Chairman and Managing Director of Ceylon Petroleum Corporation Major General (retd) Ashoka Thoradeniya yesterday denied reports that he and several other retired army officers had been involved in a conspiracy to topple the government. In a statement issued to the media, he said: "I wish to inform you that a foreign magazine, a website and a local newspaper recently reported that, I have been involved in a conspiracy along with several other retired Army officers. more..

Feb 10 (DM) An overwhelming majority of people who voted for Mahinda Rajapaksa at the January 26 polls did not want General Sarath Fonseka to be arrested. The thinking was ‘Ok he has been acting stupid during the last two months but here is the man who led the Sri Lanka Army in the security forces’ epic victory over the LTTE’. Since the General was not seen as presidential material they decided to side with the incumbent President. more..

Feb 10 (DM) UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday vowed to free General Sarath Fonseka who was arrested on Monday, and accused the government of attempting to do away with elections and the multi party system in Sri Lanka. He told the Indian media he was cutting short his visit and rushing back to Sri Lanka to deal with the situation that had arisen after General Fonseka’s arrest. more..

Feb 10 (DM) A large number of Provincial Council members are to contest the forthcoming General Election from various parties. More than 20 members from the Western Provincial Council are to contest the election. The members who are expected to contest from the WPC are Reginold Cooray, Duminda Silva, Thilanga Sumathipala and Vidura Wickramanayake of the UPFA. Opposition Leader Rosy Senanayake, Ruwan Wijewardene, Jayantha De Silva, more..

Feb 10 (DM) Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama reiterated, Sri Lanka would not be complying with various interests that were divergent from her national interest in order to gain the GSP+, tax concession. He said that relations between Brussels and Colombo were based on mutual engagement. “We will not embrace everything they present, but engage in bilateral relations, which are in the domestic interests of Sri Lanka,” more..