Oct 10 (LBO) Ceylon Electricity Board, Sri Lanka's state-run power utility, will sign a firm deal with India's National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) to build a 500MegaWatt coal plant in November, an official said. The plant is a 50/50 joint venture between CEB and NTPC with each partner putting 75 million US dollars of equity and 350 million US dollars in debt, additional general manager - transmission, Ranjith Gunawardana said. more..

Oct 10 (LG) The Sinhalese insistence on holding on to the chauvinist scheme of domination has consistently obstructed the emergence of a new Sri Lanka based on common identity of her people as Sri Lankans that could be shared by all. Since independence peace and stability became an impossible dream that could not be realised within the frame work of united Sri Lanka. more..

Oct 10 (LeN) Sri Lanka Railway service sevaka sangamaya gen. secretary Sumathipala Mnawadu alleged that the railway tracks which were rebuilt by the voluntary efforts of the railway workers after the Tsunami have been given over to an Indian Company without any consultation or advice by Transport Minister Dallas Alahaperuma. Sumathipala disclosed this yesterday (8), when more..

Oct 10 (MoD) 'Matha' a film by the Sri Lankan renowned film Director Buddi Keerthisena based on the island's 30 year conflict is on the making. The film is scheduled to hit the Sri Lankan wide-screen in January, 2010. The introduction ceremony of film 'Matha' was held today (Oct 09), at the Sri Lankan Rupavahini Corporation auditorium. Secretary Defence Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa was the Chief Guest at the occasion. more..

Oct 10 (LeN) UNP National Organizer S.B.Dissaanayake said, on the 60th anniversary Army celebrations, General Sarath Fonseka is the war hero after the war victory, while others also contributed to the victory in the war operations. Dissanayake stated this when the Lanka e news inquired from Dissanayake about his allusion that the Govt. had driven Sarath Fonseka into the drain. more..

Oct 10 (DBS) After the tryst with destiny on August 15th 1947 Independent India embarked on it�s historic journey. In what was then the Southern state of Madras the �double-barreled� Dravidian movement comprising the Dravida Kazhagham (DK) and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (DMK) commenced it�s own march towards the goal of Dravida Naadu. Initially both the DK and DMK focused more on social reform rather than political emancipation from New Delhi. more..

Oct 10 (LBO) Sri Lanka's Cargills supermarket chain said its ice cream products crossed a million liters in sales in the month of September 2009 as its distribution and marketing efforts helped improve demand. The company said in a statement that total sales of its Cargills Magic ice cream brand in the first half of the current financial year to September 2009 has now exceeded five million litres. more..

Oct 10 (PTI) A Sri Lankan secretly ate McDonald's burgers while on a hunger-strike outside the British Parliament to highlight the plight of Tamils during war with the LTTE, it was revealed. According to The Daily Mail, Parameswaran Subramaniyan, 28, had eased his ordeal by eating burgers. The Scotland Yard surveillance teams using specialist monitoring equipment had watched in disbelief as he tucked into the clandestine deliveries. more..

Oct 10 (Xinhua) A Sri Lankan court Friday extended the detention of a doctor accused of treating members of the LTTE, officials said. The doctor had allegedly treated wounded rebels while serving in a hospital at Kilinochchi, the former administrative capital of the LTTE. Colombo additional magistrate Aisha Abdeen was told by the police CID that the doctor had also served in the government hospital in Jaffna town. more..

Oct 10 (AT) President Mahinda Rajapakse who fulfilled his promise to the nation by eradicating 30 years� war, proceeded further and made the entire world surprised by taking KP into custody, said Gotabaya Rajapakse, the Defense Secretary appearing for a live television programme. "He never pushed the war away, but boldly affirmed that he would pursue the terrorists and counter act if they attack the forces." more..

Oct 10 (IL) Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama who was on a visit to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, on September 27, 2009 met with the Sri Lankan expatriate communities in Boston at the Colonnade Hotel in Boston. Minister Rohitha Bogollagama was warmly welcomed by a cross section of the people in Boston with traditional Sri Lankan cultural parade. more..

Oct 10 (TC) I am still trying to figure out why the Nobel Committee gave Barack Obama its annual peace prize. As far as it appears, the award was based on the fact that the U.S. President is a good-natured fellow who people seem to like � and who isn�t George W. Bush. In fact, committee chairman Thorbjoen Jagland didn�t really try to pretend otherwise. Consider the committee�s stated reasons, along with Mr. Jagland�s comments when more..

Oct 10 (Hindu) On the eve of the visit of a ten-member ruling combine parliamentarians from Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said that the focus of his government has shifted from towns to village development. The Tamil Nadu MPs led by Minister T.R. Baalu is arriving in Sri Lanka Saturday afternoon on a four-day visit to get a first hand assessment of the State of displaced Tamil civilians housed in the temporary camps in the North and more..

Oct 10 (TS) Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, situated in the town of Kegalla,halfway between Colombo and Kandy, is a refuge for many elephants that have been orphaned or abandoned in the wild. It is said to have the biggest herd of captive elephants in the world. The orphanage was established in 1975 by the Sri Lanka Department of Wildlife at the Wilpattu National Park to provide care and protection for the many baby elephants whose more..

Oct 10 (AFP) The United States on Friday called on the Sri Lankan government to allow Tamil refugees displaced by recent fighting to move freely around the country. Assistant US Secretary of State Robert Blake, who is focussed on US relations with central and southern Asia, "emphasized the importance of the government allowing freedom of movement for IDPs," or internally displaced people, read a State Department statement. more..

Oct 10 (BBC) A Tamil protester in London who claimed to have fasted for 24 days against the Sri Lankan war has threatened legal action against UK newspapers. Parameswaran Subramaniyan, 28, has denied reports that he secretly ate McDonald's burgers while supposedly holding a prolonged hunger strike. He has also denied being indirectly responsible for the huge bill clocked up by police monitoring the protest. more..

Oct 10 (TN) �Today, India stands more marginalized than ever in Sri Lanka. Its natural constituency�the Tamils�feels not only betrayed, but also looks at India as a colluder in the bloodbath. India already had alienated the Sinhalese majority in the 1980s,� writes Professor Brahma Chellaney of the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi, in a forthright article appeared in Forbes, Friday. more..

Oct 10 (TN) �There are many who had addressed �Pongu Thamizh� events held in various places in Sri Lanka then, now functioning as government ministers, deputy ministers and leaders of political parties. But cases are filed only on four TNA MPs accusing they had addressed �Pongu Thamizh� rallies in countries like Germany and Australia in 2006 with the intention of partitioning Sri Lanka. Therefore this is a case of calculated and partial act,� more..

Oct 10 (GDI) Member of Parliament and Senior Advisor to the President, Basil Rajapaksa is a man to be reckoned with. Trusted by the President not only because they are brothers but also because of his sharp acumen and people skills, Basil Rajapaksa is breaking boundaries that none would have thought possible. The President knows that once a task is assigned to him, it will be completed. more..

Oct 10 (IL) A 13-member group of Journalists representing both print and electronic media will be in Sri Lanka from 28th Sept. to 05th Oct. on a familiarization cum goodwill tour organized by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Kuwait in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau and the Sri Lankan Airlines. The Journalists group which is led by Mr.Adnan Khalifa Rashed Ibrahim Al Rashed, Vice President of the Kuwait Journalist Association more..

Oct 10 (wsws) The JVP, has recently made the abolition of the country�s executive presidency the chief political plank of its various campaigns, including today�s election for the Southern Provincial Council. If one were to believe the demagogues of the JVP, the party has now become a champion of democratic rights in opposition to the autocratic methods of President Mahinda Rajapakse. more..

Oct 10 (TN) In the name of archaeology the Dutch fort of Jaffna is going to be renovated by the Department of Archaeology of Sri Lanka as an abode for visiting Colombo�s dignitaries and Sinhala Buddhist �pilgrims,� news reports say. The fort of Jaffna, originally built by the Portuguese and made into its present form by the Dutch in the 17th century, never ceased to be a symbol of oppression to the people of Jaffna. more..

Oct 10 (TN) Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers have been distributing forms in Sinhalese language only to Tamil traders in the city of Colombo since Thursday calling for particulars for the purpose of special registration, according to an urgent letter sent by Deputy Minister, P. Rathakrishnan to Prime Minister, R. Wickremanayake, requesting him to instruct SLA to explain as to why such details are being collected from Tamil traders only, more..

Oct 10 (TN) Batticaloa district TNA, P. Ariyanenthiran who was able to visit his constituency after three years Friday said that Sinhalese families from the South have been colonized in Choaliyaamadu village in Paddiruppu Regional Secretariat division in Batticaloa district. He told media that the Chief Minister of Eastern Province, though a Tamil, cannot stop traditional home lands of Tamils being colonized with Sinhalese families. more..

Oct 10 (GDI) On 10 October 2009, World Day Against the Death Penalty, the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty wishes to teach abolition to all citizens around the world, especially to teenagers aged 14 to 18. Today, 139 countries from all regions of the world have abolished the death penalty in law or in practice and �only� 25 countries carried out executions in 2008. more..

Oct 10 (TC) Today marks the ninth death anniversary of Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike - thrice Prime Minister and twice Opposition Leader. This article is not so much about her illustrious political career but based on a senior police officer�s experiences since the time her husband S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike won the General Election of 1956. more..

Oct 10 (TC) Speaking at the Asia Society headquarters in New York on 24 September 2009, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake said: �Rebuilding Sri Lanka after 25 years of civil war will require resettling thousands, encouraging foreign investment and preventing a resurgence of the LTTE�. No one can dispute the veracity of the statement. But the paradox lies in the Government�s approach to realize these objectives. more..

Oct 10 (LG) The government of Sri Lanka is inconspicuously and gradually loosing its popularity that peaked when it decisively won the war. Instead of consolidating its popularity the government is hell bent on mafia style governance. Dismissing international opinion and friendly advice from loyal intellectuals and making enemies out of friends seem the trend of the government. more..

Oct 10 (TC) On September 27, addressing the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wikramanayake said, "the solution we will offer to all communities must be a home-grown product". President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been talking about �home grown� solution since early 2006, soon after assuming the duties and responsibilities of the Executive President having powers similar to those wielded by monarchs. more..

Oct 10 (LG) The government of Sri Lanka is very successful in suppressing its brutal war efforts to vanquish the LTTE and also the inhuman sufferings of the war victims. By suppressing the avenues that monitor and control abuses and reporting the facts, it is extending the impunity for the security forces. Following publication of series of articles on rape, I had some important contacts from reliable sources. more..

Oct 10 (MoD) Sri Lanka had fallen victim to dangerous forms of maritime terrorism. Following the recent defeat of a terrorist group [LTTE], it had been discovered that their networks were being transferred to arms smuggling and drug trafficking on the international arena, said Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations, Dr. Palitha Kohona. more..

Oct 10 (MoD) Paddy lands in the Mannar district are being asweddumized and developed after 19 years under the Uthuru Vasanthaya 180-day development program in the North. Sri Lanka Army Engineering Brigade is fully assisting this program and the cultivation of fallow paddy lands in Musali and Mantai North in Mannar district is now in progress. The rehabilitation of paddy lands in Musali, Yoda Wewa, Silavathura, Nochchikulam, more..

Oct 10 (LT) 42 election violations have been reported by 12.00 noon today at the Southern PC election being held today states �Network for Election Monitoring of Intellectuals for Human Rights (NEM IHR). According to NEM IHR there had been complaints from the JVP that their polling agents were not allowed to enter polling stations at Hakmana and Kottegoda areas in Matara District. more..

Oct 10 (LT) A permanent office of the IMF would be established in Colombo today on the agreement the government of Sri Lanka reached with the IMF when obtaining the loan of US$2.6 billion. Speaking to �Lankatruth� regarding the opening of IMF office in Colombo, JVP MP Vijithe Herath said allowing IMF to open an office in Colombo is an opportunity given to IMF to intervene in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka. more..

Oct 10 (LNP) The government presented a supplementary estimate in Parliament yesterday seeking nearly Rs 11 billion for the development of roads in the country. It was claimed that an additional Rs 400 million is needed for one section of the Southern Highway project. According to the supplementary report this amount will be spent as capital expenditure for the section from Kottawa to Kurundugahahatekma. more..

Oct 10 (LNP) An Indo-Sri Lanka joint Naval training exercise concluded successfully yesterday, the Sri Lanka Navy said. It identified the effort as one which strengthened bilateral ties and consolidated naval cooperation between the two neighboring countries. Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy Vice Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe in close cooperation with his Indian counterpart more..

Oct 10 (LNP) The South goes to the polls today. All the parties in the fray claim they are confident of victory! But, the winning party is already known even to a mediocre political observer. Suffice it to say that the JVP may consider it an achievement, if it could secure at least one seat in the 53-member Southern Provincial Council (SPC). And the UNP will have a good reason to be happy if it could fare a wee bit better than it did in Uva. more..

Oct 10 (LNP) Human Rights and Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Samarasingha yesterday said Sri Lanka s Foreign Policy should target principled interaction and constructive engagement with expatriates, other national governments and international organizations in a manner that served Sri Lanka s interests and, at the same time, preserve and protect national sovereignty. more..

Oct 10 (DN) The people of South will vote today to elect 55 members (including two bonus seats) to their Provincial Council. Authorities said polling will take place from 7 am to 4 pm at 1,485 stations, spanning Galle, Matara and Hambantota districts. A total of 1,761,859 voters are eligible to vote with 1,091 candidates from 52 political parties and Independent groups seeking their consent to get elected to the PC. more..

Oct 10 (DN) When implementing our development plans we had faith that the village community would be able to give us the facts about what the needs of the community were and what resources were available and how the expenditure could be managed without spending unnecessarily, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said. He was addressing representatives of community based organizations of the Southern Province at Madamulana on Thursday. more..

Oct 10 (Island) President Mahinda Rajapaksa has, The Island learns, told a group of his confidants that he intends to hold, after bagging the Southern Provincial Council at today�s polls, a general election, where he will seek a two-third majority to change the Constitution. "I have two more years left in office and I can either complete the full term or cut it short and return to Parliament," more..

Oct 10 (DN) Minister Dinesh Gunawardene told Parliament yesterday that the Government has granted 11,354 property loans amounting to Rs. 10,277 million to public servants in the country under the special loan scheme implemented by the Bank of Ceylon. The number of loans granted to public servants in the Northern and Eastern Provinces are 1,245 amounting to Rs. 1,052 million. "We have granted 430 property loans amounting to Rs. 369.4 million to more..

Oct 10 (Island) Sri Lanka has challenged Sweden to substantiate allegations the Scandinavian country levelled against Sri Lankan forces at the Human Rights Council in Geneva on September 29. Ambassador Hans Dahigren, of the Swedish Permanent Mission to the United Nations accused Sri Lankan forces of ill-treatment of women and children in government-run camps for the displaced. more..

Oct 10 (DN) Authorities ruled out sabotage and quoted technical causes as the reason behind the power failure which plunged the country in darkness for several hours since early morning yesterday. However, a special investigation has been launched to probe the cause of the blackout, CEB Chairman E.A.S.K Edirisinghe said. He said the blackout could have been the result of a technical failure or even a breakdown of an aging power transmission line more..

Oct 10 (Island) Sri Lanka is very likely not pursue a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) with Pakistan because a similar agreement with India was put in cold storage last year as Sri Lanka decided not to sign the agreement with India amidst mounting domestic pressure. "The government is not pursuing a CEPA with Pakistan because the one that was negotiated with India was never concluded," more..

Oct 10 (DM) �You must live with the spirit of Trinity and die with it, as this great institution has great traditions and a legacy which is over 130 years of existence. These traditions mast be maintained and continued by the younger generation who will take over from the present generation� said Sri Lanka�s national cricket captain Kumar Sangakkara. more..

Oct 10 (DM) Government presented a supplementary estimate seeking Rs 4.9 million for the proposed Press Council in Parliament yesterday. The amount was sought for recurrent expenditure which included purchasing of equipment. It was stated the estimate was presented following the approval of the COPE. Opposition MPs protested saying there was no common agreement on the Press Council in the Committee. more..

Oct 10 (DM) The UNP charged in parliament yesterday that there was a plan to fraudulently switch ballot boxes at today�s Southern Provincial Council elections. Dayasiri Jayasekera MP (UNP) raised the issue in the House, and said this was to be done by barring the polling agents of opposition parties from accompanying the buses transporting the ballot boxes. �UNP polling agents have not been given permission to accompany the ballot boxes� he said. more..