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US Tamils are disappointed in Obama’s human rights record, but they (Tamils for Obama) cited President Obama sending Samantha Power and David Pressman, two of the administration’s senior foreign policy advisors, to Colombo to confer with Sri Lankans. The US Tamils see these as positive signs that the Obama administration is likely to pay closer attention to Sri Lankan affairs during his next two years in office. The Bush administration, the Tamils say, was never on their side and so they don’t expect the Republicans to be friendly or helpful to them in the future, which they think is another reason to vote for the Democrats. “US Tamils should vote for the Democrats this year,” a spokesman for Tamils for Obama said. “We have reasons to hope that the Obama administration will take actions that will help Tamils in Sri Lanka if they still have a cooperative Congress. We have no expectation that the Republicans will help us, so we hope they don’t get control of Congress. The spokesman

A national drug policy similar to the prof. Senaka Bibile's policy to be implimented from 2011 HELTH MINISTER, MAITHRIPALA SIRISENA said today..

The brutal murder of a 60 year old woman at wellawawaya was reported this afternoon. Police said that the suspect had attacked the woman, killing her and injuring two other women. Two injured women had been admitted to the wellawaya hospital and later transferred to the Monaragala base hospital since their condition was critical....

While Canadians aren’t thrilled to see boatloads of people — including both economic migrants and genuine refugees — turning up here seeking asylum, as 492 Tamils from Sri Lanka did this summer, does Ottawa need to slap them in jail for a year, deny them permanent residency and cut their health coverage to tell the world that we won’t be played for patsies? That’s the question Parliament must ask as it studies Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s tough new crackdown on human smuggling. The Preventing Human Smugglers from Abusing Canada’s Immigration System Act that Public Safety Minister Vic Toews unveiled Thursday warrants critical study before it is rushed into law. In effect, the bill would create a less worthy category of refugee — people whom Canada’s public safety minister deems to have arrived in a “human smuggling event.” They would pay a heavy price for it. The vast majority of refugee claimants arrive in Canada by air or by land. The few who arrive by sea, as did the Sun Sea mi

A sudden fire has broken out at the Norochchole Thermal Power Plant in Kalpitiya today morning. According to the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Chairman, Vidya Amarapala the fire has irrupted due to the clogging up of a chimney that emits waste from the combustion of coal. Mr. Amarapala added that there are no human casualties from the fire. While almost 90% of the fire has been extinguished, additionally Sri Lanka Air force and Navy personnel have also been deployed in order to assist with the task, Ada Derana correspondent stated.

Sri Lanka’s foreign minister Gamini Lakshman Peiris rejected “colonial” criticism Tuesday of a government-appointed civil war probe, after foreign rights groups snubbed an invitation to attend. New York-based Human Rights Watch, London-based Amnesty International and Brussels-based International Crisis Group last week accused the panel of a cover-up and refused an offer from Colombo to appear before it. Peiris said in a speech to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a leading think-tank based in London, that the rights groups had displayed a “most unattractive attitude.” “It smacks of an attitude that is almost colonial, patronising and condescending, the assumption being that other people must step in because Sri Lankans are unable to chart a course for their own future,” he said. Peiris, who is in London for talks with the British government, said the LLRC was based on similar reconciliation commissions in countries such as South Africa. He urged rights groups and

The state of emergency was passed for another month with 118 voting for and 19 against. The four United National Party (UNP) members who were present in parliament abstained from voting.

NEW DELHI: Despite a probe by its defence authorities, Sri Lanka has found no evidence to suggest that the island nation’s territory is being used by terror group LeT to train terrorists. Sri Lankan foreign minister G L Peiris, who is on a four-day visit to India, said on Saturday there is no merit in such claims. Earlier, one of the accused in the Pune bakery blast case had said LeT operatives were being trained in Lanka. “The matter was brought to our notice. It was examined by our defence authorities but we have not found anything to establish it,” Peiris told TOI, adding that the two countries were involved in an intelligence sharing mechanism to prevent any such activity. Indian security agencies had taken up with their Lankan counterparts about the disclosure made by the Pune bakery blast accused. Though the training was said to have taken place in an area close to Colombo, Lankan authorities denied this citing heavy presence of security personnel in the area. Over the issue o

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickramasingh is scheduled to leave for Europe today on an official visit. He will meet with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in Geneva, Switzerland during his visit. The UNP leader who will be staying in Europe till the 27thOctober is planned to travel to several countries including England. He is scheduled to hold talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron and other heads of state. Ranil Wickramasingh will also tour Norway and hold discussions with its Minister for International Development and Environment, Erik Solheim.

Over 4,000 former Tamil rebels in Sri Lanka have been rehabilitated and reintegrated in the society, officials said on Saturday. “We have rehabilitated over 4,000 former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels and sent them back to their families. Six thousand more are to be rehabilitated,” Xinhua quoted commissioner general of Rehabilitation Brigadier Sudantha Ranasinghe as saying. Sri Lanka detained thousands of ex-rebels from the former LTTE territory during the last days of the government troops’ military operation in May last year. The government has put them through rehabilitation since then. The latest batch of 498, more than a half of them women, were released in the northern town of Vavuniya on Friday. The released former rebels have gone through vocational and English language training. The private sector firms have shown interest to recruit them -- mostly in the apparel export sector. (IANS)

The police have begun investigations into the alleged involvement of another group of university students regarding the incident where students had allegedly entered into the Ministry of Higher Education premises by force and damaged state property. The Cinnamon Gardens police had informed court that the students currently under arrest are being questioned regarding the matter. The police stated that they intend to arrest the other parties involved in the incident through the information they have uncovered by inquiring the arrested suspects and viewing footage of the protest that led to the unpleasant incident. The total cost of the damage property amounts to over Rs. 200 000, the police had earlier informed the court.

Protesting university students have been dispersed and are no longer at the University Grants Commission premises. There have been no arrests, Colombo DIG H.M.D. Herath told Adaderana a short while ago. Viewer Comments

The stock market went up significantly after the initial fall this morning, said Colombo Stock Exchange sources. By day’s end stocks which fell as much as 5.7% in intra-day trade closed up at 1.4 per cent. ASI 6,628.83+94.81. Milanka 7,166.88+47.13 (+0.5%). Turn over Rs. 4.3 billion.

Students of the Kelaniya University are agitating for a written assurance from the Vice Chancellor that the male hostel within the university premises will not be moved out. Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake had earlier directed the University authorities to move the male hostel away from the university and provide alternate hostels from outside the premises. The existing male hostel was to accommodate female students instead. However, the students have opposed this move and insist that the authorities let the male hostel remain as it is at present.

Kotte Municipal Council Deputy Mayor Janaka Ranawaka along with several others had entered the TV Derana studio complex at Delkanda and assaulted an employee this afternoon (October 11). A complaint over the incident has been lodged with the Mirihana Police.

An albino snake belonging to the species Sri Lanka Keelbacked Water Snakes, biological name Xenochrophis asperrimus has been discovered at Kottawa this evening. According to Indrajith Perera who had found the water snake in a ditch after some children had informed him, this albino may probably be the first of the species recorded in the world. After detecting the snake, Mr. Perera, who himself is a nature lover, had contacted Mendis Wickremesinghe, another environmentalist and together had identified the snake to be a Sri Lankan Keelbacked. Normally frequenting the fresh waters, the normal Sri Lankan Keelbacked is mainly found in the upcountry and wet regions. Measuring around three and a half feet when fully grown, the female lays around 30 to 40 eggs at a time, which takes 72 days to hatch, said Indrajith Perera. A newborn measures around 20 centimetres, he added.

Sri Lanka the world’s no 1 tea exporter created the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest tea cup (1000 gallons) a short while ago.

United National Party and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe visited Democratic National Alliance (DNA) leader Sarath Fonseka at the Welikada Prisons a short while ago, party sources told Adaderana. Mr. Wickremesinghe had inquired from the prisons authorities regarding the facilities provided to former Sri Lanka Army chief Sarath Fonseka, the sources said. He had informed Sarath Fonseka regarding the letter he had submitted to President Mahinda Rajapaksa requesting his release, the sources added. Ranil Wickremesinghe had assured Mr. Fonseka that as the Opposition Leader in Parliament, he would do his utmost to assist him as an elected Member of Parliament.

Sudesh Peiris won the first medal for Sri Lanka at the Delhi Commonwealth Games 2010 today when he clinched the Bronze medal for the 62kg weightlifting event. Sudesh lifted a total weight of 272kg breaking the current Sri Lankan record for the category.

Further investigations carried out by police on the female body found in the Pallaru Lake yesterday has led to the arrest of two suspects. The suspects, when questioned had revealed information regarding a dual murder, said Police Spokesman SP Prishantha Jayakody. In addition to the female body recovered from the Pallaru Lake in Sammanthurai, police have uncovered information regarding a possible second body in the same lake belonging to the daughter of the female found yesterday. Preliminary inquiries have revealed that the two suspects had committed the murders due to a personal dispute and had discarded of the bodies in the Pallaru Lake.

The price of a 450g loaf of bread has been increased by Rs. 3 with effect from midnight tonight, the Bakery owners association President, M.K. Jayawardena said a short while ago. The last bread price hike was on September 10, 2010 which saw an increase of Rs. 3.

While respecting Ven. Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera, he would like to ask the Venerable monk why he has not spoken or protested on the other Courts Martial which are so frequent in the military establishment, said Gampaha District Parliamentarian Mervin Silva. Addressing a gathering at Kelaniya to commemorate World Elders’ Day in the Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha Division, Mr. Silva said that there were so many, specially from the villages who had been Court Martialled earlier and no one had raised any cries on their behalf. “If Sarath Fonseka is innocent, the courts will consider the evidence if an appeal is made and release him. I too was put in jail but as I was proved innocent I was set free by the courts,” Mervin Silva added. If at all anyone is to fight for the release of former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka, they have to do it legally and constitutionally and not by engaging in protests and marches, added Mr. Silva. He also said that Ven. Sobitha Thera is a person he holds in hi

The JVP says that they do not accept the sentence imposed on Sarath Fonseka by a court martial appointed by the president and ratified by the president as well. JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe said that the verdict was politically motivated and that even the people who voted for the government are against it. Addressing a media gathering at the party headquarters in Battaramulla today he said that prison is not a new place for the JVP and that they are willing to go to jail in order to protect the people’s rights. Somawansa added that the verdict of the people is much stronger than any other verdict. “I want to question all the Sri Lankans whether they accept the sentence given down to the former Army Chief Sarath Fonseka?” he spoke. JVP general secretary Tilvin Silva who was also present at the event said that island wide protests will take place tomorrow (02 October) along with a demonstration in France against the sentence imposed on Sarath Fonseka. It will be followed by a Protest

UPFA MP A.H.M. Aswar has been nominated by the Prime Minister to the Parliamentary Council, Parliament sources told Ada Derana. Meanwhile yesterday Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe nominated D.M. Swaminathan as his nominee for the Council.

A second annual conference to attract US investment to Sri Lanka will be held in Colombo Oct 12-14, giving business executives a chance to expand businesses in the island. The conference is organised by the Sri Lankan embassy in the US and the Office of the US Trade Representative, the US Department of Commerce, the US embassy in Colombo and the Sri Lanka Trade Ministry. “Our first conference last year gave people a good look at Sri Lanka, and the potential for businesses there,” said Jaliya Wickramasuriya, Sri Lanka’s ambassador to the US. “Now some of those businesses are planning to begin operations in Sri Lanka. We want to make sure that business people know the advantages of investing here,” he said. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa met US investors during a business development luncheon last week. He explained to them the benefits of doing business with Sri Lanka. Those benefits include Sri Lanka’s free trade agreements with India and Pakistan that gives US businesses