June 28 (NS) The United Nations Organisation is a �paper tiger� and the only thing it can do is issue letters, the Iranian Minister of Housing and City Development, Ali Nikasad has alleged at a discussion held with the Minister of Housing, Construction and Public Utilities, Wimal Weerawansa. �The United Nations is a pet of the Western nations. The Organisation is a paper tiger that issues letters. That is all it can do,� Nikasad has said when the two ministers met at more..

June 28 (LP) Sri Lanka dispatched the 12th Army contingent on UN Peace Keeping Mission in Haiti yesterday (27). 749 strong contingent from Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment (SLSR) is to be commanded by Colonel A.M.R Darmasiri with Lieutenant Colonel Kithsiri Liyanage as his Second-in-Command. Lieutenant Colonel C.U Marasinghe is to join them as the logistic officer. more..

June 28 (DM) Amid talk of the government�s intention to engage Kumaran Pathmanathan (alias KP) along with certain sections of the Tamil Diaspora, in the post war development work, the TNA said yesterday that the government should deal instead with the elected representatives of the Tamil people. TNA MP Suresh Premachandran said that the government had branded KP a criminal even wanted by Interpol, and hounded him. more..

June 28 (DN) Sri Lanka aims to completely eradicate Malaria by 2015. The successful National Malaria Control Campaign will become a National Dengue Control Program in due course, Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena said. The Minister was addressing the National Malaria Control Campaign felicitation ceremony at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute recently. He said, �During the past decades thousands of Malaria patients have been reported from the island. more..

June 28 (DN) The Government will fill 271 engineer vacancies in the Government Service, Provincial Government Service and Local Government Service with effect from July 01. Public Administration Director K.M.G.M. Bandara said that the related letter of appointments have been already posted to respective candidates. Accordingly, the new appointments will be 233 Civil Engineers, 19 Mechanical Engineers and 19 Electrical Engineers filling vacancies in more..

June 28 (Island) Deputy Highways Minister Mervyn Silva yesterday warned Kelaniya undergraduates not to cause any trouble or face the consequences. Addressing an SLFP meeting at Kelaniya, Minister Silva said that he would intervene to restore peace in the event of undergraduates causing trouble. He said that he would join the people of the area to quell trouble on the campus. more..

June 28 (Island) TULF leader V. Anandas-angaree says the government is yet to release the house he had rented in Kilinochchi, though several requests had been made over the past several months. Responding to a query by The Island, the veteran politician said that he had taken up this issue with several senior politicians and officials but so far failed to convince them of his right to live in Kilinochchi. more..

June 28 (DN) Vegetable and fruit exports have recorded an eight percent growth compared to last year during the first five months in this year. National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka (NCE) president Sarath de Silva said Lanka�s vegetable and fruit industry has been earning Rs 3,000 million annually. The National Chamber of Exporters targets a revenue of Rs 10 billion by 2020. In 2010, there is eight percent growth in vegetable and fruit industry when compared to last year. more..

June 28 (LB) All citizens have the right to know the details of constitutional changes being proposed by the government, insists eminent lawyer Ruana Rajepakse, author of the book A Guide to Current Constitutional Issues in Sri Lanka. Q: How would you assess President Mahinda Rajapaksa�s approach towards constitutional change? A: The process is the problem. It has been the case where a lot of constitutional amendments are concerned. more..

June 28 (ST) Minister C.B. Ratnayake�s corruption charge fiasco keeps dragging. Before the embers of the explosive words could turn into ashes SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga put the whole cartwheel on the track again by trying to paint a pretty picture of the careless bray and other happenings at the SLC. Ranatunga last week made a public statement saying the minister had all the right to change the interim committee with the people of his choice. more..

June 28 (LNP) The Sri Lankan government maintains it will not formally respond to the EU letter sent last week with a set of conditions to obtain GSP plus, despite the deadline to respond looming and the EU saying it was awaiting an official reply. External Affairs Minister G.L Peiris told reporters last week that he will not respond to the EU letter and Ministry sources told Daily Mirror online the government remains firm on that stand and more..

June 28 (LBO) Sri Lanka�s capital Colombo is to be expanded out to sea on reclaimed land with material dredged to build a new port, providing opportunities for businesses and citizens alike. The Sri Lanka Ports Authority is in charge of the project to create a new �port city�, its chairman Priyath Wickrama said. The new city will be built by adding 450 acres on the city�s western sea front using dredged material from the new Colombo South Harbour being built more..

June 28 (DM) The Colombo Fort Magistrate today ordered the authorities to ensure General Sarath Fonseka is given special security and brought to Court in a special army vehicle and not the prison van as was done today. The lawyer appearing on behalf of General Sarath Fonseka told the Magistrate today that despite an earlier order for special security for Fonseka, the detained General was transported to Court today in a prison van and not the special army vehicle. more..

June 28 (AD) The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) this morning (June 28) went on a protest march from the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress premises to the United Nations (UN) office at Bauddhaloka Mawatha in Colombo. The march was against the appoint of a team to probe alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka and to advise UN Secretary general Ban Ki Moon on the happenings during the final stages of the conflict in Sri Lanka. more..

June 28 (AFP) Sri Lanka's president vowed to resist international calls to investigate war crimes allegedly committed during the country's civil war in an interview published Monday. President Mahinda Rajapakse told the Times of India he did not care about damage to the country's image as a result of resisting pressure from the United Nations and Western countries to submit to an enquiry. "Why should I worry about others?" the president said more..

June 28 (Island) One year after the conclusion of war, President Mahinda Rajapaksa�s government and the LTTE rump have reached an agreement, thereby giving the SLFP-led ruling coalition an unprecedented political advantage. Well informed sources said this would boost on-going rehabilitation efforts and pave the way for the Tamil Diaspora to invest in Sri Lanka, particularly in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. more..

June 29 (IRIN) As residents of northern Sri Lanka piece together their lives a year after the end of a decades-long civil war, a communication gap between Tamil-speaking locals and a predominantly Sinhala-speaking police force threatens to hinder recovery in the region. While three-quarters of Sri Lanka's population speaks the official language of Sinhala, in the Northern Province the overwhelming majority of people speak Tamil, the language taught in the region's schools. more..

June 29 (Hindu) Nalini, serving life term in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, has been shifted from Vellore prison to Puzhal jail in the suburbs of Chennai after she complained of harassment by jail officials. Official sources said 44-year-old Nalini was transferred from high security Vellore prison to Puzhal amid tight security. Nalini had earlier this month complained of harassment by jail officials. She had later alleged her life was under threat and more..

June 29 (F2F) Trade union leaders have urged the government to ensure that, garment sector workers don�t get affected by the fall out of the GSP+ policy. According to them, factory owners might take advantage of the situation by reducing the incentives and other employee-related benefits, so as to maintain their income margins. As of now, the European Union (EU) has extended the GSP+ trade discounts to Sri Lanka, by additional six months. more..

June 29 (UNHCR) The UN refugee agency is starting to scale back its operations to help internally displaced people in eastern Sri Lanka and is closing its office in Batticaloa this week. "As the majority of internally displaced people in Batticaloa District over the last eight years have now returned to their places of origin and have been receiving protection and assistance from UNHCR, we are now able to start phasing down our operations," more..

June 29 (IANS) The Bihar government will approach Sri Lanka for another sapling of the Bodhi tree after the first one planted by Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama in Patna wilted due to negligence, triggering anger in the Buddhist community. Bihar Art and Culture Minister Renu Devi said on Monday over telephone that the state government will approach the Sri Lankan government for another sapling of the Bodhi tree. more..

June 29 (UCAN) More than 2,000 youths swore not to get caught up in a growing drug problem and to fight for a drug-free Sri Lanka, at a special ceremony on June 26 marking World Anti-Drugs Day. The Colombo Plan, a development agency working in 26 Asia-Pacific countries and the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB) organized the oath-taking ceremony at a public rally, in Colombo. The oath called for young people to renounce drugs and help others to quit their addiction. more..

June 29 (NF) Police have begun questioning an officer of the CID and the owner of a restaurant over the alleged dumping of a body of an Indian national in the sea off the Palliwasalpaduwa area at Mukkuthuduwawa in Mundalam. Four police teams have been deployed for investigations under the supervision of DIG Nandana Munasinghe on the orders of Senior DIG Nimal Lewke in charge of the Puttalam area. more..

June 29 (IANS) Former Indian skipper Rahul Dravid, who will return to Test cricket after an injury break, says he is well prepared for a gruelling international schedule. Dravid will comeback with the Sri Lanka series after being knocked down by a Shahadat Hossain bouncer in Bangladesh in January. The veteran batsman scored an unbeaten century against Bangladesh in the second Test before injury ruled him out of more..

June 29 (NF) The decision by the Asian Shippers' Council to locate its permanent secretariat in Colombo is indeed a prestigious position for Sri Lanka, says Rohan Masakorale, Secretary General of the Asian Shippers' Council. At the 5th Annual meeting of the Asian Shippers� Council (ASC) held in Colombo in August 2009, it was decided that the Permanent Secretariat of the world�s largest shippers� body would be re located to Sri Lanka from Singapore as more..

June 29 (LG) These developments were perhaps not wholly unexpected, but when the European Union issued a list of conditions last week for the grant of GSP, nobody expected this intensity of detail. For example, the EU has called for legislative steps necessary to allow individual citizens to submit complaints to the UN human rights committee, under the first optional protocol to the ICCPR, and to the UN committee against torture, under article 22. more..

June 29 (DM) The Expert Panel appointed by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to advise him on issues relating to Sri Lanka will be meeting soon to discuss their mandate before they commence work, Chairman of the Panel, Marsuki Darusman said. The former Indonesian Attorney General speaking to Daily Mirror online from New York, said that the Panel is expected to meet with UN officials soon to discuss what exactly is expected of them and more..

June 29 (ST) A Qatari human rights official made a welcome call in Colombo this week on the protection of migrant workers: �Come to us (affected workers); you�ll get more relief than by going to the Sri Lankan Embassy,� he said. Fahad Ahmad Almohammadi, Deputy Head of the Legal Department and Head of the Labour Rights Unit at the Qatar National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) said 90 per cent of the cases taken up by the NHRC have been won by the workers against employers. more..

June 29 (SL) The electors in Sri Lanka operate on a very simple principle � they vote for those who work for them or at least pretend to work � and many do just that. The term �work� in the Sri Lankan context, especially where elections are concerned is where those that seek office are seen as having in some way or the other contributed to the welfare of those from whom he/she seeks votes. The operative word is keleguna � where loosely translated into English would mean, you help me, I help you � in other words gratitude. more..

June 29 (DM) The decisions taken on Sri Lanka by the European Union (EU) are not influenced by anyone nor is the 27 member block influencing any party in the country, the European Commission head of delegation to Sri Lanka and the Maldives Ambassador Bernard Savage told Daily Mirror online. Ambassador Savage said this in response to a question posed by Daily Mirror online regarding comments made by the government, more..

June 29 (TC) Ban Ki Moon has appointed his panel to invesitgate the last stages of the conflict in Sri Lanka or the end of terrorism as many Sri Lankans would put it. But, to the Western word and the UN it is an end of war. Some western news agencies describe it as the panel to invesitgate war crimes committed by the government. The Indonesian panelist who already has put his foot in the mouth says it is also to invesitgate the LTTE. more..

June 29 (Gulf) It's been 14 months since the Colombo government defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ending Sri Lanka's bloody 37-year civil war on the island, but the fight with the Tamil separatists is far from over. "We are taking the fight for our rightful Tamil homeland to Toronto, London and Australia," said one former LTTE fighter now back working and living in Jaffna. more..

June 29 (IL) A large gathering of Sri Lankans converged on the Embassy premises on 25th June on the occasion of Poson celebrations organized by the Embassy in collaboration with "We are the Sri Lankans" Association in Kuwait. A notable feature of the occasion was the presence of a large number of Sri Lankans belonging to other religious denominations. more..

June 29 (NS) Following the 50 percent vehicle tariff reduction by the government a few weeks back, the insurance industry is considering a substantial reduction in motor insurance premiums for both new as well as existing policies, a top official representing the country�s insurance industry body said. �As a result of the value of vehicles going down following the tariff revision, the industry is currently discussing a reduction in vehicle insurance premiums,� more..

June 29 (Gulf) Major Ravana is a small lean man, energetic and friendly. "So you're going to Jaffna," he says. "That's quite a journey. It is safe to travel there but you will need permission from the Ministry of Defence." The major has just returned from a joint officer's training course with the Bangladesh military. His battalion is also stationed in the Jaffna Peninsula, and will be heading up there after several days' leave in his Colombo-area home. more..

June 29 (LB) TULF leader V. Anandasangaree, a much respected politician, in a hard-hitting interview criticized the government for allowing LTTE �leaders� of the calibre of Kumaran Pathmanathan (KP) to take part in the rehabilitation and reconstruction process in the Northern and the Eastern Provinces and warned the government that this step would lead to a regrouping of the LTTE in Sri Lanka again. more..

June 29 (LB) Over 1350 pavement hawkers who were evicted from Pettah pavements to relocate them in Bodiraja Mawatha are agitating to obtain a trade stall as a leading person in the self-employees federation has given stalls to his relatives and friends. 1350 hawkers in Pettah lost their stalls as someone in the self- employees federation had distributed the stalls given by the government, among his relations and friends. more..

June 29 (Island) Sri Lanka�s rollercoaster ride in the arena of international relations in the recent past has slowed down noticeably, and is now entering the phase of calm after the storm. In the aftermath of a long drawn out conflict, the nation is at crossroads in its relationship with the rest of the world. Some longstanding relationships were bruised in the nerve-racking final days of the war. more..

June 29 (IE) Sri Lanka and Madhya Pradesh have found common ground in religion. More precisely, each other�s predominant religion. Both are trying to develop religion tourism and hope to attract tourists from each other�s territory because Sri Lanka has sites associated with Ramayana, and MP is home to Buddhism�s revered sites like Sanchi. Incidentally, MP is itself tracing Rampath, a route Lord Rama took through the central Indian state on his way to exile. more..