Jun 3 (LG) The government has granted Rs.7 millions to develop the facilities of Catholic churches in the Kurunrgala and Kalutara districts under the programme to develop religious establishment. This grant was made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The grant specially focused on the development of churches in Kurunegala and Kalutara areas. Rs.3.4 million was given to build a hostel for priests at St. Anne�s church, Udubaddava, Kattimahana. more..

Jun 3 (LG) Undoubtedly Sri Lanka, under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has scored an unprecedented military victory in the Eelam War IV with the near total elimination of the entire leadership of the LTTE. After that the LTTE�s military struggle has been turned into an existential struggle. It will be a long haul for the LTTE to get back into some shape as the Sri Lanka war machine grinds on relentlessly in the name of taming the Tamil Tigers. more..

Jun 3 (LG) Sri Lanka is looking forward to a new boost for Tourism, which has for long been one of the major revenue earners for the country. The end of the thirty year long war, which saw many ups and downs in the tourism industry, and brought it to very low levels in the past few, has given considerable hope of an a new increase in tourist arrivals. Official and trade source say that inquiries by independent visitors and tour operators are reportedly on the rise, more..

Jun 3 (GV) There�s a lot more to being Sri Lankan than koththu and cricket. But I have to say, they are really high up on my list of all that�s great about us! These days, when emotions are high and discussions are plenty, I feel that I too should add my two cents worth of what it is to be Sri Lankan. And to do that, I�m going to hold up my favourite poster boys of national unity � our cricket team. more..

Jun 3 (CI) Sri Lanka threatened to squander what appeared an easy chase against a charged-up Bangladesh attack, but came through by four wickets with two balls to spare at Trent Bridge. Mahela Jayawardene, with a classy 43, kept his cool after Sri Lanka's openers failed to ignite but it was left to Chamara Silva and Angelo Mathews to steady the nerves before a wide sealed the match. more..

Jun 3 (LBO) A controversial core inflation index of selected items in Sri Lanka was at 13.5 percent in May 2009, the central bank said, while the country's headline index rose 3.3 percent, from 2.9 percent. Core inflation is claimed by central banks to better reflect their monetary policy actions, and drops food and energy. Critics of paper money central banking say when loose policy from reserve currency central banks like the Fed pushes up commodity prices, more..

Jun 3 (UN) The United Nations refugee agency and its partners are working to ensure that the hundreds of thousands of people who were uprooted by clashes between Sri Lankan Government forces and Tamil rebels are able to return to their homes. Last month, the Government declared that its military operation against the LTTE was over, ending more than two decades of fighting. Some 300,000 IDPs are living in 40 emergency shelter sites. more..

Jun 3 (AP) Sri Lanka's human rights minister claimed on Tuesday his country's Army took over two months longer to defeat the Tamil Tiger rebels because it avoided using heavy weapons and aerial bombardments. The Army suffered heavy casualties in the final phase of Sri Lanka's civil war because it was constrained to use light weapons, Mahinda Samarasinghe told the U.N. Human Rights Council. more..

Jun 3 (AT) "This was a humanitarian mission, a mission where our soldiers went forth with gun in one hand and the Human Rights Declaration in the other, carrying hostages on their shoulders and with the unbounded love for children in their hearts. They were armed with compassion, kindness, equanimity and the ability to rejoice in the happiness of others." There are time when people dig deep within to draw reserves of self-belief, more..

Jun 3 (ID) The Sri Lankan Cabinet has approved a plan submitted by Power and Energy Minister W.D.J. Seneviratne to launch rural electrification with financial assistance from Iran. Media and Information Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said Iran has provided $95.5 million for the promotion of rural electrification in Sri Lanka and this project would boost the rural community, more..

Jun 3 (UCAN) Five Tamil Catholic priests who were trapped in the war zone remain detained in refugee camps in northern Sri Lanka. Bishop Thomas Savundaranayagam of Jaffna confirms this. "They were rescued by the military from the war zone," he told UCA News. "They worked for the people. They should be sent to Jaffna." The bishop said he had written to the Ministry of Defense five days earlier asking for the release of the priests. more..

Jun 3 (Hindu) The police on Tuesday were yet to make any breakthrough in identifying the culprits behind the brutal attack on journalist and secretary of the Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) Poddala Jayantha. According to the police, Mr. Poddala was kidnapped by a gang that came in a vehicle around 7.10 p.m. on Monday. �He was admitted to the hospital after he was dumped on the road in the Mirihana Police Division,� said the police. more..

Jun 3 (AT) Shantha Mae Rae Yaame the song resonating at the apex of its popularity among young and old in every household, musical function and school excursion reminds the immortal name of the world acclaimed Sri Lanakn music maestro Amaradeva the national treasure of Sri Lanka. Pandith Dr W.D. Amaradeva is regarded as the legendary musical genius of the era. more..

Jun 3 (MN) History is a funny animal. Like a pet dog it can be loved, rubbed, groomed, fed, made to obey, ignored, forgotten, punished, or locked up � depending on the owner�s proclivities and prevailing mood. As long as the animal is fed, it is usually cooperative. In a rare moment, however, it can bite back if provoked or mistreated. I think this might be just one of those moments when the dog takes a nip out of his owner�s hide. Let me explain. more..

Jun 3 (Times) Sri Lanka is hampering international relief efforts by forcing dozens of British and other foreign aid workers to leave the country because it considers them sympathetic to the defeated Tamil Tigers, The Times has learnt. Aid organisations say that the policy is costing them tens of thousands of pounds of donors� money as they struggle to help 280,000 Tamil civilians in internment camps. more..

Jun 3 (AT) Career Diplomat E. Rodney M. Perera, the new Sri Lanka Ambassador to Norway, presented his credentials to King Harald V, at the Royal Palace in Oslo. At the simple ceremony, the new Sri Lankan Ambassador explained to the Norwegian Head of State the aim of the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government to the timely and effective action of the security forces to launch the largest hostage rescue mission in history, more..

Jun 3 (AT) "The brutal war which suffocated our country for the last three decades is over and now is the opportunity to be reconciled and to be united under a one flag. Let us learn from the past mistakes and mishaps. We have to take the extremists in both sides to the middle path if we are really and truly interested in building a new Sri Lanka. There will be terrible and unprecedented repercussions if we do not make use of this golden opportunity to join hands". more..

Jun 3 (AT) The LTTE gave the world not only the suicide vest but also the art of perpetuating a lie until it becomes accepted as the truth. Now the "Times" has taken it to new heights. On 29 May the Times reported that evidence gathered by it has revealed that at least 20,000 Tamils were killed mostly by army shelling on the beach as the army closed in on the Tigers. The paper blamed the UN for underestimating the death toll. more..

Jun 3 (Reuters) A Sri Lankan rights group said on Tuesday it had received a threat accusing it of treason, the day after a media activist was beaten up in the latest episode in the country's long history of politically tinged violence. Press rights groups have warned that journalists seen as sympathetic to the defeated separatist LTTE were at risk, and on Monday, media activist and journalist Poddala Jayantha was abducted and beaten. more..

Jun 3 (Reuters) Sri Lanka is keeping a close eye for signs of separatism among the hundreds of thousands of people made homeless by its civil war, a senior government official said on Tuesday. Sri Lanka's minister of disaster management and human rights stressed that work is under way to root out remaining insurgents who may jeopardise the Indian Ocean island's fragile peace. more..

Jun 3 (BL) On the eve of Victory Day celebrations, the government has extended an invitation to the UNP, to join in developing the country, assuring that an opening still remained for their support. Insisting that the government�s top priority remained the resettlement of IDPs and the establishment of democracy in the North, Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene reiterated the importance of a national effort, and urged for unity from Opposition ranks. more..

Jun 3 (BL) I wish to broaden the scope of this column to include discussion about issues concerning the Sri Lankan Tamil problem raised by the readers. Till now I took note of the comments the readers mailed and dealt with them in the column. From now, I will interact directly/ Vipulanda Sivakumaran, a journalist from Bharain who called last week�s column excellent and timely hoped that decision makers would take note of it and build up the unity of the country, more..

Jun 3 (LG) The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted the interim order cited in the fundamental rights petition on the oil hedging contracts filed by accountant and former PERC Chairman Nihal Sri Ameresekere. The oil hedging deals were entered into by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and five banks, those being Standard Chartered, Citibank, Deutsche Bank, Commercial Bank and People�s Bank. more..

Jun 3 (BL) While police yesterday questioned two senior journalists over the attack on Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association Secretary, Poddala Jayantha the government refrained from making any comments regarding it, and instead said that they would make their stance known once the journalists allegedly in the pay of the LTTE were revealed. Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene noted they would await the conclusion of Police investigations on Jayantha�s attack, more..

Jun 3 (TN) Students, faculty deans and lectures gathered in Kailasapathy Auditorium in Jaffna University Tuesday noon to pay their last respects to the remains of Prof. Somasuntharam Krishnarajah in an event presided by Prof. N. Shanmugalingan, Vice-chancellor of Jaffna University. Prof. Krishnarajah died Friday in a private hospital in Colombo Friday and his remains were interred in Jaffna Tuesday, more..

Jun 3 (HT) Buddhist and Tamil children will perform on the same stage at a Queensbury festival this weekend. Organisers of the Queensbury Eco-Cultural Festival have brought together children from the Sri Saddhatissa International Buddhist Temple and the Tamil Cultural Arts Centre, based in Kingsbury High School, to perform on the same stage. They are hoping the move will bring cohesion between the two communities, more..

Jun 3 (BL) Perhaps the most lucrative positions in Sri Lanka today, are those of politicians. Any person who rides a wave of popularity will, no doubt, turn that popularity to advantage, and not hesitate to enter politics. But, we found a person, an officer and a gentleman, who refuses to take the massive wave of popularity he currently rides, to entertain any political ambitions. more..

Jun 3 (DBS) Hello Friends, Mohan Sekaram�s private e-mail to some of his friends that I posted on this blog with his permission has evoked a tremendous response. I am extremely happy about posting it because of the very positive vibes from people of Sri Lanka and of Sri Lankan origin. For too long we the silent majority have kept quiet while extremists on either side of the ethnic divide have hogged the megaphone. more..

Jun 3 (NB) "It is true that at one point in life every woman wants to get married, set up a home, become a mother. But until that moment comes along, my life revolves around these refugees from my country," says V. Thenmozhi, 38. Thenmozhi is not exaggerating when she says that her life is dedicated to working for Sri Lankan refugees in Tamil Nadu. This activist and counsellor has spent nearly two decades working with Sri Lankan Tamils who have fled by more..

Jun 3 (LG) Some in the British Government seem to believe that the sun has not set over the empire. How does one otherwise view British Foreign Secretary David Miliband�s officious attempt to meddle in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka, an erstwhile colony? Possibly in the same way that his lapse on Kashmir was condemned by Indian foreign office sources after he proclaimed that the Kashmir �issue� needed to be resolved in order to curb Islamist terrorism. more..

Jun 3 (LT) The All Party Representative Committee (APRC) has recommended that the 13th amendment should be totally implemented and provincial councils given more powers say political sources. According to these sources the provincial council is accepted as the unit of devolution and the present concurrent list would be abolished. Provincial councils would be given police, land and monetary powers. more..

Jun 3 (LT) At a time security forces have completely defeated tiger terrorism the government, instead of taking measures to re-establish law and order in the country, allowing media to be attacked time and time again has drastically endangered democracy in the country states the JVP. Issuing an announcement deploring the attack on the General Secretary of Sri Lanka Working Journalists� Association Poddala Jayanthe the Political Bureau of the JVP states more..

Jun 3 (LT) The UNP has begun discussions with its allies in the Parliament to jointly contest Uva PC election. The discussions are being held with the participation of UNP leader Ranil Wickremasinghe. UNP Secretary General Tissa Attanayake said already official level discussions have been held with SLMC, Democratic People�s Front and United Lanka Democratic Front. more..

Jun 3 (GDI) Driving comes down to paying attention and do away with roade side distractions, and there should be no reason why the deaf cannot drive, said Transport Minister Dullas Allahapperuma. �And, most importantly, research shows that deaf drivers do not meet more accidents or fines than drivers with perfection,� the Minister said. more..

Jun 3 (AT) Despite allegations food scarcity among the Internally Displaced Peoples in the north, the Government of Sri Lanka is working together with local and international NGOs to provide cooked food for the IDPs. A number of local NGOs, like Sewalanka Foundation and Sarvodaya, and international NGOs, like ZOA, Forut, Norwegian Refugee Council, DRC, and others are feeding the IDPs daily. more..

Jun 3 (LT) The government has decided to hand over the lands in the North to their genuine owners once the ownership of the lands is established says Minister of Land and Land Development Jeewan Kumaratunga. He said the decision was taken at a discussion held at Menik Farm to resettle the people in the North in their villages and find a solution for land issues in the North.

Jun 3 (GDI) After an interval of 19 years, residents of Konarpannai in Mannar returned home yesterday (02). In 1990, LTTE separatists ordered them to leave their ancestral homes within 24 hours, and they fled. �Konarpannai village population numbers 155 persons from 55 households. And, dry rations are given for a period of two weeks, which gives them time to get back on their own feet,� more..

Jun 3 (GDI) The Education Ministry will hold a school based Dengue Eradication Week from June 8 to 15 to combat the dengue menace. Under this program, mosquito breeding places will be identified and steps will be taken to destroy them. In addition to the Dengue prevention activities, the Principals are advised to conduct a 'School environment cleaning program' on every Friday from 7.30 a.m. to 8.00 a.m. considering it as a National task. more..

Jun 3 (DN) China firmly believes that the Sri Lankan Government and its people should be allowed to tackle its internal affairs and the international community can make concrete efforts to improve the humanitarian condition of the country, Assistant Foreign Minister of China Hu Zhengyue said. However, China will continue to support Sri Lanka in bringing in stability, peace and development, he said. more..

Jun 3 (GDI) World Environment Day which falls on June 5 will be commemorated under the theme �Your Planet Needs You - Unite to Combat Climate Change�. The Ministry of Environment has arranged to celebrate the World Environment Day (WED) at the Vihara Maha Devi Park, Colombo under the patronage of Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickramanayaka. The celebrations begin on June 5 at 10 am, more..

Jun 3 (GDI) On the request of the Police and the Poson Steering Committee the Provincial Education Ministry has consented to reserve 25 schools in Anuradhapura and Mihintale for accommodation of nearly 7,000 police and civil security sleuths being detailed for the protection of devotees flocking in Anuradhapura and Mihintale during Poson celebrations. The schools being closed from June 4 to June 9 in more..

Jun 3 (LNP) There was outstanding growth in the Telecommunication sector during the past few years, according to the Central Bank report. Extraordinary growth was recorded in technological development, capacity and coverage. The growth in the telecommunication sector was due to the increased competitiveness among new service providers, while expanding their coverage and reducing the initial cost more..

Jun 3 (CT) 'Divaina' says there had been a conspiracy by Britain and other countries of the European Union to rescue LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran through a special session of the UN Human Rights Council on May 14. The June 03 issue of the newspaper, in an article by defence correspondent Keerthi Warnakulasuriya, says Sri Lanka's permanent representative at the UN Dayan Jayatileke had confirmed that such an attempt had been made by the EU nations. more..

Jun 3 (LNP) The dastardly attack on Secretary of the Working Journalists' Association Poddala Jayantha must be condemned unreservedly by one and all. He was waylaid on Monday in full view of the public at the Embuldeniya junction and bundled into a white van according to eyewitnesses. Tonsured and injured at the hands of his assailants, he is now receiving treatment at the National Hospital. more..

Jun 3 (DN) In a bid revive the education of over 60,000 children of displaced families in the North, the Education Ministry yesterday started the Nenasa Sathkaraya program under which a consignment of school textbooks, additional reading material, uniforms, stationery, desks and chairs for teachers and children worth over Rs. 137 million were dispatched to Vavuniya in 20 lorries. more..

Jun 3 (Island) The UNP while ungrudgingly giving credit to all who contributed to defeating the LTTE, said yesterday that the country cannot afford to go on having unending celebrations at enormous costs to the taxpayer. UNP MP S. B. Dissanayake said that the Treasury coffers were virtually empty and the government which was heavily in debt, both locally and internationally, is spending huge sums on victory parades and rallies. more..

Jun 3 (GDI) A master plan to revive two partly abandoned major irrigation tanks in the North is under discussion at the Irrigation Department. And, irrigation engineers are already in the process of drafting the plan. These tanks, in the heart of the Northern Province, will be rehabilitated at a cost of Rs. 635 million on the instructions of Ports, Aviation and Irrigation Minister Chamal Rajapaksa. more..

Jun 3 (WSJ) Trade minister Gamini Lakshman Peiris said Wednesday that the government expects the International Monetary Fund to soon approve its application for an emergency loan. "We have every expectation that the first tranche will be delivered in the near future," Peiris said at a press conference in Tokyo during a trip to Japan. Peiris' comments come as the government holds talks with the IMF for a $1.9 billion loan to more..

Jun 3 (MSF) Over the last few weeks, while tens of thousands of people have emerged from the Vanni, the former conflict zone in northern Sri Lanka, MSF teams have been working alongside Sri Lankan Ministry of Health staff providing surgical and medical care to people who were caught up in the fighting. The situation remains extremely worrying inside the hospitals and among the 269,000 displaced people in Vavuniya District. more..