Dec 23 (LG) The overseas supporters of the LTTE have been in disarray ever since the founder leader Prabhakaran and the entire insurgent leadership were eliminated in May 2009. The expatriates who had unquestioningly followed Prabhakaran's orders are now trying to come to terms with the reality of decision making on their own. They appear to have a major dilemma in deciding the future course of action, more..

Dec 23 (BL) The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL), is considering �Expression of Interest� by two Malaysian companies to partner Sri Lanka�s space communication programme. A high ranking TRCSL official said that Dialog Telekom�s parent company, along with Maxis Group, which bought a stake in Sri Lanka Telecom have expressed their intention in investing in the Rs 17 billion communication satellite project. more..

Dec 23 (BL) Celebrate the season of goodwill and cheer in Grand style at the Cinnamon Grand! Our unique Cinnamon Grand experience will be prevalent in all events, making the Cinnamon Grand the place to be this yuletide season! Whether you�re looking for a magical workshop for your kids, the Cinnamon Grand�s first ever Christmas Carnival or a family dinner with loved ones, we have everything you need to make this holiday season an unforgettable one. more..

Dec 23 (LeN) The �Media Meeting� organized by the SLFP- Mahajana Wing headed by Mr. Mangala Samaraweera was held on Today (22). This is a short summary of some of the key points that were discussed. In the face of certain electoral defeat the government is stepping up Mugabe-style tactics to disrupt the common candidate�s campaign. The tactics that have been used have been deplorable and sad, while the police have done nothing to curb such actions. more..

Dec 23 (LeN) UNP M.P. Range Bandara said, the Govt.'s claim that a LTTE ship �Princess Cresinta� has been seized and brought to SL is a fabrication by the Govt. to get political mileage at the Forthcoming Presidential elections. The communiqu� also says it is questionable whether this vessel belongs to the LTTE or to another Co. He alleged that this ship has been bought by cash payment from Djakarata, Indonesia by the intervention of a Sri Lanka Naval Officer. more..

Dec 23 (AN) The high court in Dawadmi that is considering the case of a Sri Lankan maid who allegedly murdered a Saudi baby in 2005 rejected on Monday a police interpreter brought to translate the maid�s statement. Chief Justice Abdullah Al-Rosaimi ordered police to bring another interpreter when the court holds its next hearing on Jan. 19. The hearing was attended by the maid, Rizana Nafeek, her lawyer, more..

Dec 23 (TC) As you know, Kanchana Abhayapala Memorial lecture is held in honour of a distinguished young colleague who was senselessly assassinated during one of the darkest periods of our recent history. Now, at a time when civil liberties are curtailed once again, in the name of patriotism, we are reminded of Kanchana�s quiet life, his courage and commitment to protect and realize human rights and dignity, even in the gloomy periods of our history. more..

Dec 23 (LG) In countries where there is law, constructive dismissal is illegal and can be contested at a court of law or an industrial tribunal. Even if a person resigns a post he/she can still sue the employers on constructive dismissal if he/she believes that the resignation was unavoidable under undue pressure, harassment, discrimination or subtle construction of it. In this light, let us see whether Sangakkara is constructing Sanath Jayasuriya�s dismissal. more..

Dec 23 (LG) Never in the annals of military warfare has an army commander led his forces successfully against the enemy and then turned around and fired indiscriminately on his own forces. But Sarath Fonseka, whose chest is overloaded with medals earned by the blood and sweat of his foot soldiers, will be remembered forever for doing just that. By accusing the forces of committing crimes they had never done, as stated by him, he has brought dishonour to himself, more..

Dec 23 (LG) �The Island�, reported on December 15: �Fonseka said, he had told a weekend newspaper that a journalist had told him that Gotabaya Rajapaksa had ordered Maj. Gen Shavindra Silva (then Brigadier) to kill the LTTE leaders who offered to surrender but, what he said had been misreported. Certain opposition politicians were trying to gain political mileage by making use of that erroneous report, he said. more..

Dec 23 (LBO) Sri Lanka is seeking a 150 million dollar emergency assistance loan from the Asian Development Bank that could help start urgent projects, especially in the former war zone, officials said. Richard Vokes, ADB country director in Sri Lanka, said the bank was ready to consider the loan as it shifts its focus to reviving the northern and eastern areas of post-war Sri Lanka. more..

Dec 23 (AFP) Billions of dollars were pledged after the 2004 Asian tsunami to help people like Pradeepa Niroshani who waited in vain for money to rebuild her destroyed home. Five years after the disaster, the government in Sri Lanka is under pressure from a leading anti-corruption group to account for nearly half of the 2.2 billion dollars pledged to the country by official foreign donors. more..

Dec 23 (PB) The Indian government will soon approach the Sri Lankan government to register a formal protest against the discrimination being shown by the Sri Lankan drug authorities towards Indian pharma companies vis-a-vis other countries. While taking action against alleged export of substandard drugs, the Sri Lankan drug authorities had last month initiated action against six companies-- Virus Bio Products Ltd, more..

Dec 23 (LBO) Sri Lanka's foreign reserves were steady at 5.2 billion US dollars by December 18, boosted by foreign inflows into debt markets, IMF loans the Central Bank said. By end November gross official reserves, which includes fiscal balances were 5,228 million US dollars, up from 4,822 million US by end October. Reserves with balances at the Asian Clearing Union, a regional settlement arrangement, were 5,308 million US dollars by end-November. more..

Dec 23 (TN) More than half the number of IDPs resettled in Jaffna peninsula have not been paid the first stage payment of 5,000 rupees yet, according to information which came to light in a conference held by Jaffna Government Agent in Jaffna Secretariat Tuesday. Only 44% of the total 71,186 persons of 23,882 families resettled IDPs have been paid 5,000 rupees as initial payment in the first stage. more..

Dec 23 (MoD) The "OLI VIZHA" (The Christmas seasonal programme) was held on 17th December 2009 at 2.00 pm at the Northern Provincial Council. The Ministry of Education, Cultural affairs and Sports had organized the programme under the chairmanship of Secretary Ministry of Education Mr.L.Illangovan. Hon.Governor, Northern Province Major General GA Chandrasiri was the Chief Guest of the event. more..

Dec 23 (Hindu) Government on Tuesday informed a court that it has no objection if bail is given to Editor and veteran Tamil journalist J. S. Tissainayagam who has been jailed for 20 years rigorous imprisonment by the High Court of Colombo. Local media reports said that the Attorney General has informed the Court of Appeal that he has J. S. Tissainayagam was convicted on three counts including more..

Dec 23 (LG) The challenges facing the Tamil and Muslim peoples in Sri Lanka, particularly in the North-East, are numerous, varied and complex. The reality includes up to a million internally displaced persons, including nearly 300,000 from the Vanni who still do not benefit from freedom of movement, and most of whom are still dispersed and confined to military controlled camps away from their original places of inhabitation. more..

Dec 23 (MoD) The European Commission will commence a program to build social infrastructure in North and East targeting all conflict affected persons including IDPs by next year. Under this project they will mainly build the social infrastructure including hospitals, schools, water supply projects, community centres and many more schemes to uplift the living standards of those people who had suffered for several decades due to the ethnic war, more..

Dec 23 (GDI) President Mahinda Rajapaksa has referred to the regular coordination with professionals in the implementation of important plans being aware of their value. He told them that they should place the motherland before self interest. The President said his Government looked forward to work with the professionals over the next few years as he had already done in the past. more..

Dec 23 (GDI) Media Minister, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene today pointed out that it was not the Government which insulted retired General Sarath Fonseka but the very opposition that Fonseka has now embraced with trust. He said that it was Mangala Samaraweera who insulted Gen.Fonseka through an interview in the "Lakbima" newspaper in November 2008." In that interview, Samaraweera had said that Fonseka was not even fit to be the Commander of the Salavation Army", he added. more..

Dec 23 (GDI) The Ruhunu Rata Bikku Front has extendedits fullest support to President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the upcoming presidential poll. The General Secretary of the Front, Venerable Omare Kassapa Thera said the retired General, Sarath Fonseka was engaged in fulfilling the aspirations of international conspirators. Meanwhile, the Ceylon Estate Workers Union has also come forward to support the President. more..

Dec 23 (GDI) The Ministry of Child Development and Women�s Empowerment, the main national center of child care, protection, welfare and development has taken effective measures to carry out several services for the child and women, the Minister of Child Development and Women's Empowerment Sumedha G. Jayasena told a media briefing held at the Government Information Department today (23). more..

Dec 23 (GDI) The National Protection Day celebration parallel to the Tsunami Commemoration Day which falls on December 26 will take place at Kurunegala on Saturday, Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said. The Chief Guest on the occassion will be Prime Minister, Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, the minister announced. A guard of honor will be given by the tri-services, twenty five school bands and five student battalions and rehearsals are now being conducted. more..

Dec 23 (GDI) The Policy manifesto of President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the presidential candidate, formulated with the aim of developing the country, will be out in the next two weeks, Minister of Media Lakshman Yapa Abewardena told a media briefing. He said arrangements have been made to release the policy statement in next two weeks. more..

Dec 23 (MoD) The Government imported another fleet of heavy vehicles to be used in the development of the Northern Province under its Uthuru Wasanthaya programme. They were imported under the guidance of Mr Basil Rajapaksa MP, the Senior Advisor to the President. The official handing over of those 83 heavy machinery and vehicles to the respective Government Institutions took place on Wednesday morning at Galle Face, Colombo more..

Dec 23 (DN) Badulla is a district in Uva Province in Sri Lanka. The entire land area of the Badulla district is 2,861km� and total population is 837,000. The district is bounded by the districts of Moneragala and Ratnapura on the East and South, by Ampara and Kandy districts on the North and by Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura on the West. There are nine electorates in this district. more..

Dec 23 (LP) The Diyawanna Oya Christmas Carols 2009 will take place at the Residence of Honourable Speaker of Parliament this evening (23). The carol programme is organized by the Parliament of Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Media and Information and the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Moral Upliftment. The event is under the Patronage of Archibishop of Colombo Rev Dr Malcom Ranjith at 06.00pm. more..

Dec 23 (LT) The history the government is now trying to write would be torched and the JVP would write the correct history with due place to Gen. Sarath Fonseka says Leader of the JVP Somawansa Amarasinghe. Speaking at a mammoth rally held at Anuradhapura on the 21st Mr. Amarasinghe said, �We have received information that there are arrangements to write the history of our country. more..

Dec 23 (Island) The JVP has lashed out at India and the US. Once in a way, it looks for some pegs to hang its 'patriotic campaign' on and it may have thought of using India and the US for that purpose. But, why is it doing so at this particular juncture? During a Norwegian-crafted CFA which enabled the LTTE to inch towards its goal, the JVP grovelled before India seeking its intervention to defeat terrorism. more..

Dec 23 (TN) More than a hundred Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers are engaged in building a Buddhist Vihara in Madaththadi Chanthi (Water Tank Junction) next to Jaffna holy Family Convent along A9 road, sources in Jaffna said. When the matter was brought to the notice of Minister Douglas Devananda he said that it was the SLA who is constructing the Buddhist Vihara and not the government. more..

Dec 23 (SLW) Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan says Sarath Fonseka cannot make a successful political figure due to his lack of exposure in politics and extensive military trainings. The chief minister says the reasoning of some of Tamil political parties supporting Sarath Fonseka, claiming his capacity to make a difference to the country is a far fetched and near impossible ideal. more..

Dec 23 (wsws) The vast majority of students in Sri Lanka who passed their advanced level (A/L) examinations this year will not obtain a university place. Of the 199,000 young people who sat the exams, 126,000 are eligible to enter a university, but only around 20,000 will have the chance to do so. Of those who miss out, several thousand may enter costly private institutions, but most will join the unemployment queues. more..

Dec 23 (LG) A group of security forces personnel searched the house of a supporter of presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka in Ambalangoda area in the wee hours of yesterday. The owner of the house, K. M. Chandrasiri said that around 21 persons clad in uniforms scaled his walls and entered the premises around 3am. They had searched the house for about 1 1/2 hours. �About 21 persons of security forces personnel, more..

Dec 23 (LG) Forty years of shameless politics from 60 years of the terrible political history of this country should disqualify any future politician. What have these 40 years of participation in local politics have done to the country? They have messed up the entire country and destroyed the possibility of a decent life within the country. The country today is a lawless place; a terrible place to live in. more..

Dec 23 (LNW) Namal Rajapaksa it is reliably learnt has received Rs. 500 million to extend the contract between Orient Lanka Company, which holds the monopoly in selling liquor, perfumes and chocolates at the Katunayake International Airport, and the government by a further five year period. The monies have been allocated to the Tharunyata Hetak Organization to fund the Presidential election campaign. more..

Dec 23 (LeN) It was Palitha Kohona, when he was the Foreign Ministry secretary who instructed the LTTTE Police chief B. Nadesan and chief of the Peace secretariat of the LTTE, S. Pullidevan to surrender to the Army carrying white flags with them. Although the Govt. made a big din about a statement allegedly made by the Opposition common Presidential candidate Gen, Fonseka as reported by more..

Dec 23 (LT) The sudden cancellation of the permission to hold the JVP rally that was to be held at Ananda Samarakone Memorial Arena at Nugegoda on November 30th is a malicious hostile act said Gandodawila Magistrate yesterday. The Magistrate said the Commissioner had cancelled the permission obtained earlier basing on fabrications and such an act was a violation of human rights. more..

Dec 23 (LP) Measures are underway to build a future generation who can meet the challenges of the world said President Mahinda Rajapaksa. President also said that accordingly the steps are being taken to implement Modern Technology and Information Communication Technology based on the past four years of work. President said that Vocational Training for youth is also necessary and steps taken to provide them with the training. more..

Dec 23 (HA) Thiruvempaavai � a ten day worship for Lord Siva begins today, Dec 23rd. Devotees gather at dawn in temples to sing melodious Thiruvempaavai. This is a penance observed by unmarried girls to get good husbands. They wake up early,go to the streams to have a bath&sing at temples. Thiruvempaavai is a part of Thiruvaasagam which was composed in the temple town of Thiruvannaamalai during the Tamil month of Margazhi. more..

Dec 23 (LT) The second reading of the budget proposals of the Maharagama MC administered by the UPFA was defeated for the second time yesterday. On the 18th the budget proposals presented by UPFA Mayoress Kanthi Kodikara and was defeated. 12 Members had voted against the budget while only 8 had voted for it. The UNP Member Sunil Koditowakku had voted for eh budget while UNP Member Lucky Dharmawardene had not been presented at the time of voting. more..

Dec 23 (DN) The people are aware about the person with 40 years political experience and a person with only 40 days political experience. I am aware the people have decided to give me majority in proportion to that experience at the forthcoming presidential election, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said in Kandy yesterday. President Rajapaksa was addressing a gathering of SLFP activists who met him at President�s House, Kandy. more..

Dec 23 (LNP) Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama expressed surprise that the UN had sought an explanation on an unsubstantiated statement attributed to former Army Chief turned Opposition presidential candidate General (Retd) Sarath Fonseka relating to an alleged `do not take prisoners` directive given by the Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa during the last days of the Eelam War. more..

Dec 23 (LNP) A report from the Sri Lanka Tea Board said that the total reported production of tea in Sri Lanka during November 2009 amounted to 28,290,976 kg as against 24,830,727 kg produced during the corresponding month in 2008. This shows an increase of a 13 percent amounting to 3,460,249 kg. The Medium grown tea production including green tea in November this year was 4,379,060 kg as against 3,708,866 kg. more..

Dec 23 (LT) The government, which has been petrified by the candidature of apolitical Common Candidate Gen. Sarath Fonseka, is using the UNO in an attempt to brand him as a traitor says Information Secretary of the JVP Vijithe Herath adding that this attempt of the government reveals the true conspiracy against the state. Speaking to �Lankatruth� regarding the letter sent by the UNO regarding more..

Dec 23 (DN) Some of the media guidelines out of the 21 issued by the Commissioner General of Elections to all print and electronic media are impractical, said Attorney-at-Law Laksitha Jayawardene. �It infringes the right to vote,� he told a media conference organised by the National Polls Observation Centre (NPOC) in Colombo. Jayawardena said the guidelines regarding the President and the Prime Minister needed comprehensive analysis. more..

Dec 23 (LP) The Government of Japan has provided a sum of Rs. 20.4 million for three livelihood projects in Trincomalee, Anuradhapura, and Hambantota Districts to improve lives of resettled and rural communities. The first project is �the Project for Conflict Affected Community Uplift in Trincomalee District,� which will be implemented by the Association of Social Activities Development Sri Lanka (ASAD). more..

Dec 23 (DM) A tussle for prime time TV slots on the last day of the Presidential election campaign between President Mahinda Rajapaksa and General Sarath Fonseka went in favour of General Fonseka after the Elections Commissioner drew coupons to decide on the slots yesterday. The meeting was attended by two representatives of the two main candidates. more..