India agrees to play on in Test series

India's troubled cricket tour of Australia is back on track after a day of tense negotiations resulted in the tourists last night agreeing to fulfil their commitments.
But the backdown came only after India pressured International Cricket Council chief executive Malcolm Speed into axing umpire Steve Bucknor for next week's third Test.

The ICC also agreed to India's request to appeal against the three-match suspension handed to Harbhajan Singh for calling Australian Andrew Symonds a monkey during the Sydney Test.

Speed revealed yesterday a senior judge from one of 16 cricketing countries would be appointed to hear Harbhajan's appeal against a racism conviction as soon as possible.

Speed said he had summoned a peacemaker – chief referee Ranjan Madugalle of Sri Lanka – to counsel the captains of the two warring teams, Ricky Ponting and Anil Kumble.

Read more,
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/

Sri Lanka slams Nordic claim that truce saved 10,000 lives

Sri Lanka has slammed a claim by the Nordic countries that the now abrogated Ceasefire Agreement with the Tamil Tigers had saved 10,000 Sri Lankan lives.

The Sri Lankan government peace secretariat Monday described as 'dubious' the claim by foreign ministers of five Nordic countries late last week that the truce pact with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had saved as many as 10,000 Sri Lankan lives in the first three years of its existence.

The Norway-brokered pact was signed in February 2002, and five Nordic countries jointly monitored its working. But last week, the Sri Lankan government unilaterally abrogated it, saying that it was a 'non-functioning' agreement, which facilitated violence rather than peace.

The government statement said that the Nordic ministers showed signs of ignorance of the rulings of the fully Nordic Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) as well as the concerted attacks conducted by the LTTE.

Read more,
http://www.indiaenews.com/srilanka/20080107/90226.htm

LTTE threats cause Indian PM cancelling visit to Sri Lanka -Claims Dr Subramanian Swamy.

Dr. Subramanian Swamy claims cancellation of Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s visit to Sri Lanka to attend the Sri Lanka’s 60th independence ceremony in Colombo was due to security concerns for his safety.

Dr. Subramanian Swamy in his exclusive interview to Nilatha Ilangamuwa of the Sri Lanka Guardian, gave his insight into the current political and military developments in Sri Lanka.

“I think Indian Prime Minster is in the hit list of the LTTE. The LTTE does not agree with India’s regional role. India is totally opposed to the LTTE and wanting its elimination”, Dr. Swamy said.

Dr. Swamy expressed serious concerns about the Government of Sri Lanka on its policy towards the Tamil and Tamil speaking people.

‘Sri Lanka Government must step up its accommodative approach towards the Tamil people’ and said he ‘wants its attitude change from its present negative stance. Current political climate is very bad development and is curtailing the country. What we are seeing is the government policy is taking the racist path like in the past’ he claimed.

Read more,
http://lankaguardian.blogspot.com/2008/01/

SriLankan Airlines brings international media to the country to boost tourism

National carrier, SriLankan Airlines, has arranged for travel journalists from international widespread magazines and newspapers to visit the country during 2007 in order to boost the appeal of the nation as a major tourist destination.

Invited media guests are taken around the island nation to familiarize them with popular areas such as the cities Dambulla and Colombo as well as beach resorts in the south.

“They are invited and brought to Sri Lanka at the airline’s expense, not only to write about the airline, but to provide valuable publicity for the country,” said SriLankan Airlines’ Head of Corporate Communications, Chandana De Silva.

Read more,
http://www.etravelblackboardasia.com/article.asp?id=50709&nav=2

Dubai's Emirates Airline ends contract with Sri Lankan Airlines

The Dubai-based Emirates Airline will not renew a 10-year contract to manage Sri Lankan Airlines which expires on March 31, local newspaper Gulf News reported on Monday.

Emirates will pass Sri Lankan Airlines' management control to the government of Sri Lanka, which owns 51 percent of the carrier, in April.

The end of partnership between Emirates and the Sri Lankan government came after a controversy last month when the latter cancelled the work permit of Sri Lankan Airline's CEO Peter Hill after the carrier denied seats to an entourage led by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

"Emirates has notified the government of Sri Lanka that it will not be renewing the shareholder's agreement which expires on March 31," said Tim Clark, president of Emirates and managing director of Sri Lankan Airlines.

Read more,
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90778/90858/90863/6333719.html

Anura to re-join ‘Carnival of Clowns’, gets enhanced security

As widely expected in political circles, Anura Bandaranaike, MP, over the weekend reached an understanding with President Mahinda Rajapaksa to re-join the Cabinet, which he once dubbed as a ‘Carnival of Clowns’.

President Rajapaksa amidst tight security visited Visumpaya, where Bandaranaike had, since his latest crossover (from the ruling coalition to the Opposition), just before the December 14 final vote on the Budget, stayed despite a vacation order. The government slashed his security contingent from 72 to two, withdrew his kitchen staff provided by the Ceylon Hotels Corporation and his vehicles immediately after he joined the Opposition.

Altogether, he had over 100 workers provided by the government, sources said. Had Bandaranaike rejected the President’s overtures, he would have been removed from Visumpaya shortly, sources said.

Read more,
http://www.island.lk/2008/01/07/news2.html

M'lore police nab suspected LTTE stooges

The Dakshina Kannada police today nabbed two suspected LTTE stooges who were involved in Money laundering and other works for the LTTE network.

The Police gave the names of the arrested persons as Bala Reuben alias Reuben aged 22 of Vavuniya district in Northern Srilanka and Nallathambi Jayasheelan alias Sheelan aged 25 belonging to Sangana district of North Jaffna.

The police inspector of Kankanady rural station Jayanth Shetty and Mangalore North Police Inspector Umesh Shet apprehended them in a city lodge on a tip off operation carried out today. Police Sub Inspector Narayan Byndoor was also involved in the operations. Speaking to Mangalorean.Com Jayanth V Shetty preferred to call the duo as 'Associates of LTTE'. The tip off came from the internal sources of the police and the suspicion came stronger when they were speaking in Tamil on the phone.

Read more,
http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=broadcast&broadcastid=62906
Photo,
http://mangalorean.com/images/newstemp15/20080105ltte3.jpg

Indian filmstars in adverts for alleged LTTE fundraiser:report

Colourful posters featuring South Indian filmstars have come up in a few stores in London advertising a fundraising event allegedly for the LTTE, state media claimed here today.
The posters invite people to a show on Thai-Pongal day next week sponsored by an organisation allegedly close to Tamil Tigers, the government-owned Daily News said.

White Pigeon, the newly formed "charity" allegedly linked to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) that replaced the activities of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation after it was banned in the United Kingdom "is vigorously promoting the event unobstructed in the United Kingdom", the newspaper claimed.

"Alexandra Palace in London, the venue where thousands of LTTE supporters converged to pay their last respects to the remains of Britain-based leader Anton Balasingham and collect funds will be once again used on the coming Thai - Pongal day to raise one million pounds to procure arms for terrorism," the daily said.

Read more,
http://www.ptinews.com/pti%5Cptisite.nsf/0/

CFA abrogation unmasks LTTE - TULF leader

The Tamil United Liberation Front leader Veerasingam Anandasangaree welcoming the decision to abrogate the Ceasefire Agreement said that the agreement only helped the LTTE to expand its terrorist activities and to blindfold the international community.

Anandasangaree commenting on the abrogation of the CFA told the 'Sunday Observer' that the CFA should have been scrapped when the LTTE went beyond its limits. "The CFA was introduced to streamline the peace process.

Not only Sri Lankans even the international community expected the CFA to work effectively. But the LTTE had committed the bulk of the CFA violations. The CFA allowed the organisation to carry out the political activities in the cleared areas. But instead of concentrating on political matters, the outfit was planning its war strategies within the cleared areas to launch its attacks against the Security Forces," Sangaree said.

Read more,
http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2008/01/06/sec01.asp

Man from TN held on charges of smuggling fuel for LTTE

A suspected agent of separatist outfit LTTE was arrested after a fight with a Tamil Nadu police when he was attempting to smuggle diesel for the banned Sri Lankan group at Mandapam.

Mahendran, a native of Sivaganga District, was walking along the seashore with two cans of diesel when Sub-Inspector Ravi followed him on suspicion on Friday night, police sources said.

Sensing trouble, Mahendran pulled out a sword and tried to attack the SI, who however, escaped unhurt, overpowered him and seized the sword and the diesel cans, they said.

Investigation showed Mahendran was an LTTE agent smuggling essential commodities for the Sri Lankan militant group, said the sources.

Read more,
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/

1,000 Lankan nurses for California

The Californian Government and the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry have signed an agreement to recruit 1,000 Sri Lankan nurses to Californian hospitals by the end of this year, Ministry sources said.

Director General Health Services Dr. Ajith Mendis and Deputy Director General Nursing Service Bietrice Samaranayake participated as Sri Lankan representatives to sign an agreement with California Government officials last month.

Meanwhile, many European countries have requested Sri Lankan nurses to their hospitals.

Officials in USA, Australia, Canada, UK and Italy have requested the Health Ministry to send Sri Lankan nurses to their hospitals.

Read more,
http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/01/07/news03.asp

PM not visiting Lanka in Feb, alternative dates to be fixed

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will not be able to make it to the diamond jubilee celebrations of Sri Lanka's Independence Day on February 4 and alternative dates for his visit to the island nation are being worked out, a senior government official said here on Sunday.

"The Indian Prime Minister is not coming to Sri Lanka next month due to scheduling problems expressed by the Indian authorities. Alternative dates are being worked out," said the Foreign Ministry official, who did not wish to be named.

Singh had been extended an invitation to visit Sri Lanka for the Independence Day celebrations next month as the Chief Guest.

When contacted, an Indian High Commission official said "dates for the Indian Prime Minister Mamohan Singh's visit to Sri Lanka will be worked out through the diplomatic channels."

Major newspapers here also reported that Singh is not attending the Sri Lankan Independence Day celebrations.

Read more,
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200801061521.htm

Lankan film surprise award winner at Dubai

Director Salinda Perera’s film Dheevari (Fisherman’s Daughter) set among the needy fishing community was a surprise award winner, having collected the most votes from viewers attending the Dubai Film Festival.

This is the only non-Arab film to win an award at the recently concluded Dubai International Film Festival. This is because Dubai’s Muhr Awards are open only to Arab filmmakers.

This year, Dubai instituted the People’s Choice Award for which the public votes for their favourite film. Perera was told on the last day to attend the evening event, which gave him his first inkling that he would be on stage as an award winner.

Read more,
http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/01/07/news36.asp

LTTE's 'military' intelligence head killed in ambush - Mannar

Head of LTTE's 'military' intelligence wing Shanmuganathan Ravishankar, alias Charles is reported killed along with three other terrorists following an ambush by SL elite forces, at general area North of Mannar, yesterday (January05) evening, reported pro-LTTE news sources.

This time it was Charles, a self styled "Colonel" and head of LTTE's 'military' intelligence wing and, deputy of Pottu Amman. Wanni sources, say he was killed caught in a military ambush while traveling on a van.

The attack is believed to have reverberated into the Wanni heartland causing fear and anxiety among the senior LTTE profiles, at a time where the security forcing were knocking the doors to Kilinochchi.

Read more,
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080106_04
and
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=24197