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Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake today said that he expects to release the final result of the upcoming Presidential Election in the early hours on January 27.

A letter of demand has been sent to SLFP(M) leader Mangala Samaraweera by Upul Ilangamage through his lawyers over allegations made by Samaraweera regarding him. The letter states that Samaraweera has made two false allegations that were defamatory to Ilangamage.

Though the Government proclaims that there is freedom of movement in and out of the IDP camps in the North, it is not true situation, UNP MP Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena told Ada Derana. He added that especially the media were not given free access to the IDP camps. JVP MP Ramalingam Chandrasekar, DPF leader Mano Ganesan and Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena today visited the IDP camps to garner support for their Presidential Candidate Rtd. Gen. Sarath Fonseka. According to Jayawardena the reporters who were accompanying them to the camps were not allowed to go inside. He claimed that this was an attempt by the Government to shroud the real conditions that prevail within them.

All wine stores and liquor outlets will be closed on January 26 and 27 in view of the Presidential election, the Department of Excise Department announced, the Govt. Information Dept said. Public liquor bars too will remain closed on these two days and the Police will be vigilant to raid anyone violating the law.

Military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara speaking to Ada Derana denied that senior military officers were being dragged into the election battle ahead of the Prez polls. He said this in relation to the allegation made by JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanyaka that military leaders were making political statements on electronic media that are favourable to the government.

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has stayed the operation of an order dated November 27, 2009 of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs directing a Sri Lankan Tamil residing in Bhavani Sagar in Erode district, to leave Indiaimmediately. Justice K. Venkataraman granted the injunction while passing interim orders on a writ petition from Jeganathan Prathapan challenging the deportation order. According to the petitioner, he reached India on March 18, 2007 with a valid Sri Lankan passport and a tourist visa. He registered his name as a non-camp Sri Lankanrefugee in Indiain the Sri Lankan Refugees Register on March 23, 2007, maintained by the Valasarawakkam police, where he was residing. He shifted his residence to Bhavani Sagar on September 9, 2007 and got a certificate from the Valasarawakkam police inspector about the change of residence. At the time of change of residence, the Erode district police superintendent registered his name in the foreigner category and not as a Sri Lankan refugee

A ceremony to bless Presidential candidate General (Retired) Sarath Fonseka towards his election victory was held at the Viharamahadevi Parkopen air theatre this morning. A large number of Buddhist clergy as well as members of the coalition supporting Gen. Fonseka were in attendance. Addressing the gathering at the ‘Rana Hansa Abhisheka Poojawa’, the opposition’s consensus candidate Gen. Fonseka said that this was the final step towards the liberation of the motherland. He added that he would cleanse the country and rebuild it further. Venerable Dambare Amila Thera, who was released on bail yesterday, said that he was prepared to even sacrifice his life on behalf of the motherland. “We cannot be stopped by being imprisoned. Even thousand prisons will not deter us on our mission,” the Thera said.

A sizeable number of Americans believe that the next Bill Gates would come from India or China as the two Asian giants are fast marching ahead on the global platform, a new US survey has revealed. “When asked where the ‘next Bill Gates will come from,’ 40 per cent of Americans predicted either Indiaor China,” said a national survey released by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) on the sidelines of the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow at Las Vegas. The vast majority of them, about 96 per cent, believe that innovation was critical to the future success of the US as a world economic leader but they were concerned that the rising federal deficit would jeopardize prosperity of future generations, the survey said. The economic survey, conducted by Zogby International, found that 68 per cent of Americans think innovation was key to the future success of their place of employment, with 50 per cent maintaining that innovation was important for their job remaining in the

The United Nations said it is unable to meet a request by Sri Lankato send observers for the Jan. 26 presidential election because of time constraints. “In the light of the limited lead time available, and since, as per practice, the United Nations election observation requires a mandate from the General Assembly” the UN won’t provide observers, Martin Nesirky, a spokesman for Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon said in New York. President Mahinda Rajapaksa called the election two years before his mandate expires as he bids to capitalize on his government defeating the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in May, ending a 26-year fight for a separate Tamil homeland. The U.K.last month said Sri Lankamust ensure the ballot covers all communities, including Tamils in the north and east. The leading challenger to 64-year-old Rajapaksa is opposition candidate General Sarath Fonseka, the former army chief who led the battle against the Tigers. Fonseka, 59, this week won backing from the Tamil Nati

Shanthi Chandrasekaran has been appointed the new leader of the Upcountry People’s Front after the demise of her husband the previous leader. P. Chandrasekaran passed away at a private hospital this morning.