Speed up rehabilitation of Sri Lankan Tamils: Karunanidhi

The rehabilitation of Tamils displaced by fighting in Sri Lanka should be speeded up, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi said Monday.

Speaking to reporters, he said: “The rehabilitation process has started and it should be speeded up. We will inform the central government if we have any doubts on the rehabilitation process.”

He said the state government had despatched four consignments of relief material to Sri Lanka, apart from what the Indian government sends on its own. The value of the last consignment sent by Tamil Nadu was Rs.15 crore, he said. Source by : ada derana

Anarkalli to take Bentara-Elpitiya by storm?

Popular actress and TV presenter Anarkalli Akarsha has been given the Presidential nod to contest the Bentara-Elpitiya polling division at the upcoming Southern Provincial Council polls, reveal sources close to her.

Though many were under the impression that she would be supportive of Mangala Samaraweera’s Ape Jathika Peramuna, the sources say that the President has agreed to let her contest under the UPFA banner.

Anarkalli Akarsha was Mr. Samaraweera´s Coordinating Secretary during his days as Minister in the UPFA government. Source by: ada derana

President appoints Tax Commission

The President had appointed Dr.R.H.S Samaratunga, Sarath Jayatilleke, Rajan Asirwathan, Nihal Fonseka, B.R.L Fernando, Dr.Saman Kelegama, Samantha Kumarasinghe, R.P.L Weerasinghe and K.J Weerasinghe as members of the Commission while Prof.W.D Lakshman takes on the position of Chairman of the Commission and P.D.K. Fernando, Secretary.

The Commission has been entrusted to study the country's tax system, make assesments and proposals in relation to GDP and study various taxes operational at different levels of the government, making proposals to rationalise taxes and maximise revenue objectives at each level.

It will also study and make recommendations in relation to the implementation of Value Added Tax,propose reform initiatives to bring about more transparency in the tax system and bring about a greater coordination amongst revenue administration institutions, investment promotion institutions, and other related institutions. Source by: daily mirror

Polls results: Victory of policies to stabilize democracy -President

(Lanka-e-News 09.Aug.2009 9.00PM) This is the statement by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the results of the polls in Uva, Jaffna and Vavuniya.

The outstanding victory achieved by the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) in the elections held yesterday to the Uva Provincial Council and the Jaffna Municipal Council is seen by me as a victory for all who love our motherland.

In a situation where democratic expression had been denied for three decades by the forces of terror, the ability to hold elections no sooner terrorism was defeated and thus providing the opportunity for democratic expression to the people of Vavuniya andJaffna, is also seen as a victory of our policies to stabilize democracy.

Wanted: LTTE Suicide bomber

The Sri Lanka Terrorist Investigation Division(TID) urgently calls on the public to provide any information to help arrest the a female suicide bomber who according to information frequents the area of Old Moor Street, Colombo 12.

The particulars are given below.

Name : Abdul Shalam Fatima Yasmin

Address : Old Moor Street , Colombo12

ID No: 857835641 V

Date of Birth : 09.10.1985

Contact :

Police Headquarters : 011-2421111

Terrorist Investigations Division : 011 - 2321839 011- 2451636 011- 2384401

Crimes Investigation Department: 011-2320141

Colombo Police Emergency Operations Room : 011- 2243333

defence.lk

University students arrested for anti-President propaganda

Two university students were arrested this morning on the charges of carrying out propaganda against President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The Cinnamon Gardens police made the arrest while the students were in the process of pasting posters against the president. Source by: Daily mirror

Five Lankan fishermen still stranded in India

Andhra Pradesh’s Krishna District Collector says that the clearance of the Indian Union Home Ministry was still being awaited for the deportation of five Sri Lankan fishermen who had accidentally reached the Indian shores last month.

The five Sri Lankan fishermen, who had accidentally reached the Indian shores at Sangameswaram in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh last month when their mechanised fishing trawler developed a technical snag, are biding their time to get back to their homes.

Three of them – captain Rohan Chaminda, 34, Loku Greeganage Padmalal, 37 and Kodikara Saman Priyantha, 29 – are from Mirissa village of Matara district located at the southern tip of the island nation, while D.P. Wikramanayaka, 43, and Dehivalege Nimesh Chanaka, 20 joined them at Trincomalee Port as last minute substitutes for two other fishermen who fell sick on their way from Mirissa.

All the five set out from Trincomalee on July 11 in the international waters in search of the lucrative tuna fish, but lost direction after the boat’s engine failed and developed a huge cavity at the bottom. They reached the Indian coast near here in the early hours of July 20 and voluntarily reported before the Nagayalanka police. The police did not arrest them after they were convinced that it was a genuine case of distress on the high seas.

They have since then been staying put in a makeshift tent on the premises of the Nagayalanka Tahsildar’s office, waiting to hear the good news of deportation. A local voluntary organisation is lending a helping hand to the revenue officials in providing food to the beleaguered foreigners. (Hindu)

UPDATE 2: Lankan expat from UAE may have spread H1N1 virus

The death of Sri Lankan national Mohammed Mafaz Mohammed Saleem in a hotel room in Saudi Arabia on Monday, confirmed as resulting from swine flu by the Ministry of Health, has raised concerns over whether he could have spread the infection in Riyadh during his week-long attempts to find treatment in at least four medical centers. Source by: ada derana