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In an inaugural press briefing that could only be termed ‘amusing’, the new Deputy Media Minister Mervyn Silva revealed that upon accepting the portfolio he and his wife had decided to sleep in separate rooms so that he will be available to serve the media at anytime of the day. Silva added that he was prepared to forego his wellbeing and protect the media who were patriotic and honourable. Regarding the incident where he sat at the feet of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Silva stated that without the D.A. Rajapaksa family he would have not entered politics. If not for D.A. Rajapaksa I would have today been a shopkeeper selling potatoes and onions at my father’s shop, Silva claimed.

Australian Tamils are to vote in a referendum this weekend on the creation of an independent Tamil homeland. The Tamil Congress of Australia said more than 10,000 Tamils had registered to vote in the referendum, which follows similar votes in Canada, Englandand Europe that backed the establishment of a Tamil homeland in Sri Lanka. A spokesman for the Tamil Referendum Council of Australia, Bobby Sundaralingam, said polling booths had been set up in Victoria, New South Walesand the ACT and there was provision for postal votes. Organisers hoped the results of the referendums would pressure the Sri Lankan government to allow a Tamil state. But not all Tamil organisations in Australiasupport the move. The Melbourne-based Justice and Freedom for Ceylon Tamils refuge and humanitarian action group has instead sent a petition to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Immigration Minister Chris Evans and Foreign Minister Stephen Smith calling for the 215 special humanitarian visa for Sri Lankans to

A considerably long part of footage from the film ‘Matha’ has been found missing from the studio at Nawala. A complaint regarding the loss has been lodged with the Mirihana Police, says producer Buddhi Keerthisena. ‘Matha’, the film by popular Sri Lankan batik outlet owner and film director Buddhi Keerthisena is based on the island’s 30-year separatist conflict. Though the wide-screen movie was scheduled to be released in January 2010, it had been reportedly delayed.

Continuing with its policy to train the Sri Lankan armed forces, Indiais currently training 80-100 of its rookie naval officers on board INS Magar. “Sri Lankan trainees are on amphibious warship, INS Magar, a medium landing ship tank, which will enter Trincomalee harbour on April 14. They are being trained in seamanship, bridgemanship, damage control, fire-fighting exercises and the like,” said an official. Over the last several years, Indiahas trained thousands of Sri Lankan armed force personnel at its military institutions ranging from the Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare Schoolat Vairengte (Mizoram) to the Schoolof Artillery at Devlali (Maharashtra), apart from providing specialized naval courses in gunnery, navigation, communication and anti-submarine warfare. The strategy to provide arms and military training, coupled with intelligence sharing and ‘coordinated’ naval patrolling. TOI

The victory of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s party in the Sri Lankan parliamentary elections is a good development for Indian national interest, Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy said. In a press statement, Dr. Swamy said it was a mandate necessary to enable the President to take “bold steps” to amend the Constitution and provide devolution of powers to Tamil areas of the north and the east. He called on the President not to “dissipate the national and international goodwill earned by defeating terrorism because of any undue delay in providing constitutional justice and equality to the Tamils of Sri Lanka.” The Hindu

The federal government’s prediction of an improving human rights situation in Afghanistanand Sri Lanka that underpins its decision to suspend refugee applications has been thrown into doubt by a major review released by the United States government. The US State Department’s 2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, released last month, has painted a bleak picture for both countries. It found that Afghanistan’s human rights record “remained poor”, while the security situation in the country had “deteriorated significantly”. It said social discrimination against Shiite Hazaras continued “along class, race, and religious lines”. The report said human rights problems included extrajudicial killings, torture, violence against women, abuses against minorities, abuse of children, abuse of worker rights, and child labour. While the situation in Sri Lanka appears more positive, the report detailed widespread human rights abuses. “The government’s respect for human rights declined

Hasrath Munasinghe, Head of Marketing – Dialog Mobile, receives the Award for the People’s Mobile Telecom Brand of the Year from Mr. Kumara Samarasinghe, Director - Singer Sri Lanka. Also in the picture are Chrishantha de Alwis (left) and Sanath Daluwatta, Brand Managers of Dialog Mobile. Dialog took home major honours at the 2010 SLIM-Nielsen People’s recently, becoming the only telecommunications service provider to win two Awards this year at this prestigious event. Dialog walked away with the Awards for the People’s Youth Brand of the Year, and then the coveted People’s Mobile Telecom Brand of the Year. The SLIM-Nielsen People’s Awards are based purely on the nominations of the public from all over the island, and are viewed as a true representation of the people’s choice and perspective of various brands. Dialog is Sri Lanka’s largest mobile telecommunication service provider, serving a customer base in excess of 6 million Sri Lankans. Offering the widest coverage in Sri Lanka and

Sanath Jayasuriya Sports Development Fund was launched by President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Matara Sanath Jayasuriya Ground yesterday. Pictured here Jayasuriya greeting the President at the event. Yesterday it was announced that Sanath Jayasuriya retained his position in the T20 squad named for the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup in the Caribbean. Pic by Sudath Silva

The Government will take the full responsibility in looking after General (retired) Sarath Fonseka’s health condition. It is his wife Anoma Fonseka who should take measures against any threats to her from those who are now supporting and are around her, said Transport Minister Dallas Alahapperuma. Minister Alahapperuma told the media this morning at the Mahaweli Centre that the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) which was clamouring for Gen. Fonseka’s health has shed the country’s blood not once but twice. “So Mrs. Fonseka should take precautions against any harm to her health from those who are claiming to support her and her husband,” added the Minister.