Oct 9 (GV) The passing of the 18th Amendment in parliament has been greeted with alarm as a dangerous lurch towards increasing authoritarianism by the state. However the 18th Amendment received support from a wide range of the political spectrum, from the traditional left parties in the regime to the defected UNPers. The UNPers did so defying their party leadership. more..

Oct 9 (Island) UNP and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe's letter to President Mahinda Rajapaksa seeking Gen. Sarath Fonseka's release from prison is of great interest. He has said he is making that appeal in his capacity as the Opposition Leader because Gen. Fonseka is an Opposition MP. At the last presidential election, Gen. Fonseka became Ranil's saviour in that the latter managed to avoid a crushing defeat by hiding behind the former, who got routed. more..

Oct 9 (DM) As events are being created on a daily basis to maintain the momentum created by the imprisonment of Sarath Fonseka, the United National Party or rather its leadership stands to be the biggest beneficiary of the unfolding events. If not for the former Army Commander’s sentence the UNP leadership crisis would by now have reached dizzy heights. It is an entirely different matter that UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe prevailing over others under any circumstances but more..

Oct 9 (DBS) Chartering a pragmatic political course based on principle may appear to be a paradoxical venture to many. In the knitty-gritty world of practical politics being principled and pragmatic would sound like a contradiction in terms. Recent events however indicate that the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is attempting to adopt a pragmatic approach based on principle. more..

Oct 9 (Island) Galle District parliamentarian Sajin de Vass Gunawardena has written to the Speaker, Chamal Rajapaksa, requesting him to take action to expunge from the Hansard certain statements made in the House by Matara District parliamentarian Mangala Samaraweera on Thursday. Gunawardena has told the Speaker that the statement made by Samaraweera was an absolute fabrication and blatant lie with obvious malicious intent. more..

Oct 9 (Island) Considering the plight of the common man in transporting sand, the Environment Ministry has taken steps to give powers to Provincial Councils to authorize less than two cubes of sand for personal construction purposes, Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa said. He said when an individual was constructing a house, he faced numerous hardships to transport sand. He had to depend solely on the approval of the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau. more..

Oct 9 (SLN) The water sports festival organized by the Sri Lanka Navy to inaugurate reawaken inland water ways under the theme of Promotion and preservation of inland water ways through sports was held today along the Kirulapana canal between Baththaramulla and Navala. The Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa graced the occasion as the Chief Gust at the invitation of the Commander of the Navy. more..

Oct 9 (MoD) Amply displaying the cultural and ethnic unity, students of Mawanella Education Zone joint hand with Jaffna students performed at a grand scale cultural show held at the Kokuvil Hindu College hall on 05th October. The Hindu and Sabaragamuwa cultural show was organized by Jaffna zonal education director Mrs. Vethanayagam and Mawanella zonal education director Mr. G. Premarathne. Nearly 40 students representing schools of more..

Oct 9 (DM) The Street Drama “Dhahadiya Siththama” (Drawing in Sweat), which was scheduled to be staged at the yard of the Engineering Division of the Land Reclamation Board, situated in Narahenpita, was disrupted by Police, yesterday, Convenor of the National Trade Union Centre – Samantha Koraleaarchchi said. He stated that the police action showed the status of democracy in the country and the threat against the freedom of the trade unions. more..

Oct 9 (DM) Two magazines and six rounds of ammunition used for T56 assault rifles were found inside a house belonging to a well-known actress in Pannipitiya yesterday, police said. Mirihana police said that they had received a tip-off about weapons being hidden in the house and had come across several weapons along with a hand grenade hidden inside a toilet. more..

Oct 9 (DN) The Sri Lanka Customs is to re-establish their offices in the Jaffna peninsula after a lapse of 30 years. Assistant Customs Superintendent, Sagara Mahanama speaking from Jaffna yesterday said that the Customs operations would begin with the parcel post service initially, handled with the assistance of Sri Lanka Post. They plan to establish baggage clearing warehouses. The other services too are to resume on a gradual basis. more..

Oct 9 (DN) In a bid to protect local farmers, the Government yesterday started purchasing soya beans from farmers in the Anuradhapura district at Rs 85 per kilo on the directive of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. President Rajapaksa had instructed Cooperative and Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando to purchase soya beans from farmers in the Anuradhapura District through the Paddy Marketing Board. more..

Oct 9 (DN) The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) together with Samurdhi Bank is carrying out the Viduli Athwela, the financial assistance program to assist every family to get an electricity connection from the National Grid. Through the Viduli Athwela program, the Samurdhi Bank, will grant a soft loan up to Rs 30,000 maximum. The loan can be settled in 48 instalments after a six month grace period. more..

Oct 9 (G&M) An alleged member of the Tamil Tigers, whom Canadian officials say travelled between Sri Lanka and Hong Kong on fraudulent passports, was ordered detained for the fourth time Friday as authorities attempt to verify his true identity. The man, who can not be identified because of a publication ban, came to Canada in August aboard the MV Sun Sea with 491 other Tamil migrants including his wife. more..

Oct 9 (IANS) Throwing their support behind their former tormentor and army chief Sarath Fonseka, who was sentenced to 30 months in jail last week, the Sri Lankan Tamil community in Canada Thursday condemned the Rajapaksa government for its treatment of the former military boss. 'We had problems with Fonseka as a military general, but we have no differences with him as a politician. He has been treated unjustly and jailed by a kangaroo court at more..

Oct 9 (Island) Parliament was adjourned around 2.40 pm yesterday as the minimum number of members required to conduct proceedings, were not present while the House was debating whether DNA MP Sarath Fonseka’s seat had fallen vacant or not. The sittings which commenced at 1.00 pm lasted for only one hour and forty minutes when Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa adjourned the sittings until October 19. more..

Oct 9 (DC) Sleuths from the CID on Thursday arrested a DMK councillor of Ariyankuppam commune panchayat and three others for allegedly trying to send some Sri Lankan Tamil refugees from Puducherry to a foreign country. Briefing reporters, SSP V.J. Chandran said that the CID police got a tip-off about the nefarious activity and the attempt to send them illegally to a foreign destination. more..

Oct 9 (Island) Iran which ranks as the second largest importer of Sri Lankan tea, plans to increase volumes substantially,its ambassador in Colombo, Mahmoud Rahimi Gorji, said yesterday. He told The Island that in the last few years Iran has imported over 32 million kilograms of tea from Sri Lanka, and was looking to double that figure in the shortest possible time. Although Iran itself is a tea producing country, it relies on substantive imports to supplement more..

Oct 9 (Island) The UNP has decided to launch a public campaign to demand a pay hike of Rs. 10,000 for the public sector workers. UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said his party would demand that the government immediately pay Rs.3,500 next month and balance subsequently in installments. Attanayake said that despite the steep rise in the cost of living in the recent past, more..

Oct 9 (TN) Following the skyrocketing price of a pound of bread, the consumption has dropped by more than a million pieces, the daily Sinhala daily, Lakbima newspaper said. Approximately 2.5 million pounds of bread are sold on a daily basis, however, with the recent increase in prices following the price hike in wheat flour, the consumption has dropped to a mere 1.5 million pieces. more..

Oct 9 (DM) Opposition UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday urged Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa to withdraw parliament Acting Secretary General’s letter to the Elections Department that with his imprisonment DNA Leader Sarath Fonseka was no longer a member of parliament. Mr. Wickremesinghe who raised a privilege issue in parliament said the letter sent on the advice of the Attorney General was wrong as parliament is supreme. more..

Oct 9 (Island) The Police Department has installed 108 Close circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in High Security areas and at vantage points in the Colombo city to strengthen national security; said Police Media Spokesman SSP Prashantha Jayakody. The visuals displayed by the CCTVs would be monitored round the clock by specially trained Police personnel at Police Headquarters. more..

Oct 9 (Island) External Affairs Minister Prof G.L. Peiris yesterday defended Acting Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dassanayake who had informed the Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake that DNA leader Sarath Fonseka’s parliamentary seat had fallen vacant due to his imprisonment. Minister Peiris told Parliament that it was constitutional to deem that DNA MP Sarath Fonseka had lost his seat. more..

Oct 9 (DM) Former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka is not in a position to ask for special facilities and the Prisons Chief is not in a position to afford him special treatment under the existing law, Prison Reforms and Rehabilitation Minister D.E.W. Gunasekara said. Commenting on media reports that Mr. Fonseka met Prisons Chief V.R. De Silva on Thursday, Minister Gunasekara said he had asked for recreational facilities. more..

Oct 9 (DM) One in four Sri Lankans suffer from various kinds of mental illnesses, the National Council for Mental Health (NCMH) said. NCMH -- Sahanaya -- Director Dr. Niroshan Mendis told a gathering at the Exhibition held to commemorate tomorrow’s World Mental Health Day, that mental illnesses like other illnesses were common among people. “About 90 per cent of Sri Lankans who commit suicide are mentally ill,” he said. more..

Oct 9 (Island) UNP MP Joseph Michael Perera said that the first Court Martial which charged Fonseka with being involved in politics while serving in the forces, had recommended that Fonseka be cashiered. The ruling of the First Court Martial had been ratified by President Mahinda Rajapaksa as Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces. Fonseka was stripped off his ranks and this pension and this judgment had made him a civil person. more..

Oct 9 (E24/7) Saudi Arabia is expected to announce a decision on Sunday halting the recruitment of Sri Lankan housemaids following a rift on costs with the government of the south Asian nation, a Saudi daily reported on Saturday. A Saudi government committee is scheduled to meet on Sunday to announce the boycott after Sri Lanka’s government rejected Riyadh’s demand for cutting the recruitment costs to SR5,500 per housemaid from SR7,500, more..

Oct 9 (DM) Former army commander Sarath Fonseka has asked his wife and children not to appeal for a pardon on his behalf, as he had done nothing wrong, Anoma Fonseka said. “I visited my husband today after a special request was made and he told me not to apologize as he had done nothing wrong. If we did something wrong it was compulsory to apologize and if we didn’t we need not do so,” Ms. Fonseka said. more..

Oct 9 (DM) Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne yesterday called on the opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to convince jailed DNA Leader Sarath Fonseka’s wife Anoma to ask for a pardon from President Mahinda Rajapaksa and end the issue once and for all. Speaking in Parliament, Mr. Jayaratne said the former Army Commander could tender an apology even if he had done nothing wrong. more..

Oct 9 (BBC) Canadian officials are investigating whether a another ship is attempting to ferry Tamil migrants from Sri Lanka to Canada. Authorities are using satellites to determine the location of the ship, the Toronto Sun newspaper reported. In August, officials detained 492 Tamil migrants who arrived on board the MV Sun Sea from Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has announced Canada will unveil a new law to deter illegal migrants. more..

Oct 10 (SLN) Four Indian Naval ships INS “Tir” , INS “Shardul”, INS Tarangini and ICGS “Varuna” of Indian Naval 1st Training Squadron arrived Sri Lanka in the morning today. INS “Tir” , INS “Shardul” and ICGS “Varuna” arrived at port of Trincomalee while INS Tarangini arrived at Port of Colombo. The ships were ceremonially welcomed in accordance with Naval traditions by the Sri Lanka Navy and are scheduled to stay in Sri Lanka till 15th October. more..

Oct 10 (Hindu) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Saturday requested UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to “use her good offices” to impress upon the Centre to urge Sri Lanka to bring an end to the “untold misery” of Tamils in camps in the island nation. The sooner they are rehabilitated and allowed to return to their places, the better it would be to enable them pursue their normal life, Mr. Karunanidhi said in a memorandum submitted to Ms. Gandhi more..

Oct 10 (PTI) The government has introduced a liberal loan scheme to faciltate the rehabilitation of the former combatants of the LTTE as they embark on a new life after the end of the 30-year-old ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. Brig. Sudantha Ranasinghe, the Commissioner of Rehabilitation, said the Ministry of Rehabilitation has set up a centre for the purpose at the Northern Vavuniya government Agent Office. more..

Oct 10 (GN) A bus driver at the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) claimed in court that he was calming a weeping passenger when he touched her shoulder and denied molesting her. Prosecutors accused the 31-year-old Sri Lankan bus driver of sexual molestation for touching the Filipina saleswoman in Al Khawaneej. "I did not molest her. What happened is that she took the wrong RTA bus… and when I saw her crying, I patted on her shoulder. more..

Oct 10 (Yahoo) Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has injured his left hamstring and is fighting for fitness ahead of the tour of Australia which starts later this month. Sri Lanka team physio Tommy Simsek said that Sangakkara suffered the injury while training on a muddy track on Tuesday, but was confident he would be fit for the Australian tour. "It is a mild grade-one hamstring injury," Simsek said. more..

Oct 10 (DN) The SLTB in an effort to further improve the quality of service provided to city commuters yesterday launched a special bus service around Colombo charging a standard fare from passengers to any destination. The new Standard Bus Fair Service will start from Colombo Fort and take a circuitous route covering all urban centres passing towns in Colombo, Pettah, Maradana, Borella, Narahenpita, more..

Oct 10 (BBC) United National Party Parliamentarian Dr.Jayalath Jayawardena has accused the government of carrying out false propaganda on the discussions on Sri Lanka in the Inter Parliamentary Union, (IPU) Geneva. He says that IPU has accepted a proposal he put forward with regard to human rights violations, intimidation and hate - politics of the Sri Lankan government. “It was not rejected by the IPU. IPU has accepted it to investigate,” he said. more..

Oct 10 (LG) When Sri Lanka obtained independence from colonial rule, we were far ahead of almost all countries of Asia in all areas of the indices that measure the quality of life. We were a participatory democracy where the citizens had had the benefit of universal suffrage for nearly two decades – something that had not been enjoyed by most countries of the world, including the western democracies. more..

Oct 10 (TC) D.S. Senanayake College named after the first Prime Minister, renowned as what best of public edcuation and ethnic harmony could bring to post independent Sri Lanka. The school newly founded in 1967 with students of all ethnicity attending, became a 'crown jewel' and as the model destiny for Sri Lanka's public education during the tenure of the founder Principal R.I.T. Alles. more..

Oct 10 (TC) In an article published in a Sunday newspaper, and in a recycled version published on a popular website, Dr Dayan Jayatilaka continues his defence of the indefensible Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution. That piece of secret legislation not only did immense damage to the personal credibility and integrity of those who participated in its unseemly swift passage through the law-making process, but more..

Oct 10 (LG) Administrative agencies determine who gets what from government—and how well government works. Obviously what is required is good governance and not bad governance. We have no difficulty in identifying good from bad governance. If one goes to any government department today, one sees bad governance and if there is to be development we must change this situation. How we do it is a professional issue best tackled by practitioners of more..

Oct 10 (TC) We will be appealing to the courts in the legal manner. We do not plan to appeal for a pardon without knowing exactly what we are supposed to appeal for. If the President wants my father to apologise, we first need to know what we are supposed to apologise for since we do not see a reason for that. My father is not like other people who will apologise just to get his neck saved. more..

Oct 10 (LG) Colombo residents know the city’s Municipal Council’s street dog hunters catch straying dogs in large numbers and put them to death in a gas chamber managed by the Council. Dogs are taken away in vans and kept in the municipal dog compound for three days. This gives the due owners of the dogs chance to reclaim their pets before they are put to death in the gas chamber. During the three days of captivity, the five sensed dogs will not be served even a more..

Oct 10 (LG) I was against this war conducted to crush the Tamil insurrection. We are told no widows in the north, as war victims. That is the bottom line. Devastation has consumed thousands of people. That is why it comes under the category of a genocidal war. I firmly believe it was a war without heroes. So, Sarath Fonseka is not my war hero. Nor do I agree with his politics which I then classified as more right wing than that of Mahinda. more..

Oct 10 (TC) The LTTE opposed the 13th amendment. However, the LTTE could not stop the formation of provincial councils...The provincial council was formed and Varatharaja Perumal was appointed chief minister. Everything changed when he declared the North and East as an independent state in November 1989... This declaration paved the way for the then government to abolish the provincial council.” more..

Oct 10 (LG) The west invented the myth that the LTTE could not be defeated. The army took a different view. "We could have defeated them long before. We had a well trained, well motivated armed force and our leadership and soldier fighting skills were superior,’’ said Gotabhaya Rajapakse . In 2006, for the first time ever, the government decided that it was going to win the war. The military seized the opportunity and developed a ‘workable plan’. more..

Oct 10 (TC) The incarceration of Sarath Fonseka should concern not only those who admired Army Commander Fonseka or voted for Candidate Fonseka, but also those who did not. The incarceration of Sarath Fonseka matters not because he was the war-winning army commander or he is an opposition leader, but because he is the victim of an act of political persecution and personal vengeance. The incarceration of Sarath Fonseka is the business of all of us, because more..

Oct 10 (LG) The world over, music, ‘the food of love’ – in Shakespeare’s classic phrase – comes in three forms: folk music, popular music and art music. Particularly is this so in regard to the musical genre known as Song. Exponents of the art say that singers are of two kinds. No one who is tone-deaf, of course, can sing tunefully; and those who are not ‘moved with concord of sweet sounds’ can aspire to be singers. more..

Oct 10 (LG) The perception of many in Sri Lanka that despite all its problems, (of course, still others even deny that the country faces any problems at all), we are better off than other countries in the South Asian region where Rule of Law priorities are concerned. This is however a most seductive myth. The truth is that this is far from the case and there are lessons to be learnt in saying so. For example and ironically, there are many who would be quick to more..

Oct 10 (LG) Now that the budget date – November 22 – has been announced, Sri Lanka’s business community is waiting with bated breath for what is in store for them. The onus without a doubt appears to be on the new tax regime that the government has been planning – through the proposals of the Presidential Tax Commission – for many months now. The new tax structure was due to have been presented in the mid-2010 budget but that mini-budget didn’t have any input and more..