Miss Srilanka to act with Big B

Legendary actor Amitabh Bhachan will be acting with Miss Srilanka in the film “Alladin”. Miss Srilanka Jacqueline Fernandez would play the character of Jasmine the Princess in the film “Alladin”. And Amitabh will be the Jeannie in this film.

Jacqueline is said to be a big fan of Hindi cinema. She is known to watch all the hit film in Hindi which release in Srilanka . She is also well preparing to brush up her Hindi language and also is said to learn some words with their expression. She is very much interested in learning Hindi grammar, as she does not like her dialogues to be dubbed for the film.

Jacqueline is working for a newspaper as a columnist and is also known to host a business programme in Srilanka.

This film also stars Ritesh Deshmukh in the title role and also stars Sanjay Dutt in a prominent role. Vishal and Shekhar are composing the music for this film.

The animation series of “Alladin” was a hit in the past. Now let us see how the audience will receive this film.

Photo and News Extracted from,
http://bollywoodpoint.com/Bollywood/Bollywood-News/

‘LTTE responsible for 30,000 Tamil deaths’

V Anandasangaree, President of the moderate Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) and one of the most senior Tamil leaders of Sri Lanka, has appealed to the political parties in Tamil Nadu to stop supporting the LTTE and protesting against the killing of the group's political commissar, SP Tamilselvan.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the veteran politician said that the people and the political parties in Tamil Nadu were not aware that the LTTE's unrealistic bid to secure an independent "Tamil Eelam" had already resulted in the sacrifice of 30,000 Tamil boys and girls generally hailing from poor families.

Overall, more than 70, 000 Tamils, Sinhalese and Muslims had died and more than 30,000 widowed and orphaned, he noted. Muslims who were driven out from the North by the LTTE and robbed of all their belongings, were languishing in about 160 refugee camps for the past 17 years, seeing no light at the end of the tunnel, Anandasangaree pointed out.

Pointing an accusing finger at the LTTE's Supremo, Velupillai Prabhakaran, the moderate leader said: "I believe he has already sacrificed more than 20 thousand Tamil boys and girls, most of whom had been recruited forcibly against the protests of the parents. Every day, a good number of boys and girls are sent to the battlefront not to return alive. Apart from this, more than 10 thousand Tamils of other Tamil groups also had been killed by them (the LTTE)."

Read full article here,
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=

Opposition press set on fire in Sri Lanka

Unidentified gunmen stormed a pro-opposition newspaper office in Sri Lanka on Wednesday and set fire to the printing presses, police said.

More than a dozen armed men started the blaze after breaking into the Sunday Leader newspaper building -- which is within a high-security air force complex on the edge of the capital Colombo -- and forced the staff out, police said.

The paper's chief editor, Lasantha Wickrematunga, accused the government of carrying out the attack. His newspaper has been highly critical of the administration of President Mahinda Rajapakse.

"It is a cowardly attack within a high-security zone by a regime that is acting like a terrorist organisation," Wickrematunga said. "What can you expect from a regime that is involved in human smuggling? We will prevail."

Read more,
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hcW58Rz9MKu7gEmsyy4NYrYVq4sg

Sri Lanka opposition targets to defeat the budget at third reading

Sri Lanka major opposition United National Party (UNP) sources say that the party will attempt to defeat the budget at the vote of the third reading which is scheduled to be held on December 14.

UNP MP Lakshman Kiriella issuing a statement accused the government of spending a massive amount of money and threatening some MPs to win the budget at the second reading.

The government won the budget with a majority of 16 votes yesterday. All the government coalition parties voted in support of the budget while UNP, People’s Liberation Front (JVP), Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and Western People’s Front (WPF) voted against it. MPs Wijedasa Rajapakse, Nandana Gunathilaka and two TNA MPs abstained from voting.

Extracted from,
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_07/November20114525SL.html

TNCC demands stern action against LTTE supporters

Taking a cue from the critical remarks by the AICC over a poem by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi eulogising slain senior LTTE leader S P Tamil Selvan, the TNCC on Monday demanded stern action by the state government against the supporters of the banned outfit.

TNCC president M Krishnaswamy, attending office for the first time after he was attacked by unidentified persons near Mathukalathur in Ramanathapuram district on October 29, told reporters today that the activities of LTTE supporters should not be tolerated.

He said the "elements", praising the slain LTTE political wing secretary Tamilselvan, should be dealt with firmly.

The AICC in a resolution had said that sentiments were bound to get hurt by such eulogies.

Read more,
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200711191542.htm

Presidential Commission to probe Athukorale's death

Chief Government whip Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle told Parliament yesterday that President Mahinda Rajapaksa has decided to appoint a special Presidential Commission to investigate the sudden death of former UNP General Secretary and Ratnapura District MP Gamini Athukorale.

President Rajapaksa has made this decision paying special attention towards the statement made by Ratnapura District UNP MP Thalatha Athukorale regarding the pledges made on Presidential Commission to probe the sudden death of Gamini Athukorale.

Minister Fernandopulle told Parliament that President has conveyed his decision to the Government Parliament Group Meeting.

Read more,
http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/11/20/pol04.asp

Lankan banks to track pornography payments

Worried over the spread of Internet child pornography through paid websites, leading banks in Sri Lanka have decided to track down payments made for viewing such sites.

The programme, launched today to coincide with Universal Children's Day is aimed at eradicating the menace of child pornography, an official said.

Speaking at the gathering, the central bank governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal expressed concern over the menace.

"The Internet has done a lot of good things for the banking sector and it will continue to provide us with greater opportunities in the future but, we also find that the Internet provides us with bad features as well," the Daily Mirror reported quoting Cabraal.

Read more,
http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp

Atapattu announces his retirement

Marvan Atapattu, one of Sri Lanka's finest batsmen, has finished his eventful tour of Australia by ending his international career. Atapattu announced his retirement in a letter to Duleep Mendis, the Sri Lanka Cricket chief executive, before lunch on the final day of the second Test in Hobart.

He was due to face a hearing on his return to Sri Lanka for his outburst during the opening match in Brisbane when he said the Sri Lankan selectors were "muppets headed by a joker". Despite the complaints about the administration, he retained the support of his team-mates and signed off with a satisfying 80 as he gave Sri Lanka a chance of saving the second Test.

The decision is not a surprise as there have been reports he will lead Delhi Jets in the Indian Cricket League and he is also considering playing for the St George club in Sydney grade cricket.

Read more,
http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ausvsl/content/current/story/321194.html

Sethu’s right hand man arrested in Colombo

LTTE’s websites nitharsanam.com and neruppu.org run by Nadarajah Sethurupan alias Dirty Sethu has come to a halt for the past few days. Sources say the LTTE web up-loader for both sites have been arrested in Colombo in a cordon off and search operation.

Following his arrest, it has become clear Dirty Sethu had used the arrested person in Colombo to upload the article for him from Colombo. Whilst nitharsanam.com has come to a standstill, its sister neruppu.org has lost all humiliating news items from the website.

Read more,
http://lankaguardian.blogspot.com/2007/11/sethus-right-hand-man-arrested-in.html

Sri Lanka Gov. Wins 2008 Budget by 16 Votes

Sri Lanka government has won the second reading of its 2008 budget today (19) evening, by 16 votes.

118 voted in favor while 102 opposed. JVP decided to vote against budget at the last moment. UNP and TNA also voted against the budget.

Former JVP MP Nandana Gunatillake, now acting as an independent MP, was abstained from voting. Wijedasa Rajapakse and two TNA members were also abstained from voting.

JVP MP, Anura Kumara said two hours earlier, that their decision will depend on the situation in parliament within following two hours. A political analysis told NIDAHASA News, that JVP might be decided to vote against the budget after clarifying that government could win without their support.

Extracted from,
http://news.nidahasa.com/news.php?go=fullnews&newsid=393

Sri Lanka still fighting in Hobart

Australia still need seven wickets to defeat Sri Lanka and complete a series whitewash in the second Test at Bellerive Oval in Hobart.

Chasing a victory target of 507, the tourists reached 3 for 247 at stumps on day four, the total so far highlighted by an unbeaten century to Kumar Sangakkara.

Sangakkara was on 109 at the close of play while Sanath Jayasuriya was on 33, the pair having put on 89 runs for the fourth wicket with Sri Lanka now needing a further 260 runs for an unlikely victory.

The world record fourth innings run chase for victory was 7 for 418 by the West Indies against Australia in Antigua in May 2003.

Read more,
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/19/2095137.htm

Foreign employment opportunities in Libya

Employment Promotion and Welfare Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said, Sri Lankans could enter the Libyan labour market in the fields of tourism, construction, trade, ports and aviation.

Minister Rambukwella made this assertion after holding discussions with Libyan Ambassador in Sri Lanka Essa Ahmed Emhemed Gssa at his Ministry premises recently.

Libyan Ambassador Essa Ahmed Emhemed Gssa said employers in Libya are keen in absorbing Sri Lankan employees for the country’s development work.

Minister Rambukwella assured the Ambassador that all possible steps would be taken to provide Sri Lankan labour for the development of Libya.

Read more,
http://www.libyaonline.com/news/details.php?id=1246

'LTTE trying to engineer govt's fall'

In a bid to bring down the Sri Lankan government, Tamil Tigers have asked a pro-rebel political alliance to be present in full strength on Monday in Parliament to defeat the budget proposals for 2008 as a key aide to President Mahinda Rajapakse said the option to ban the LTTE was still open.

"We have got information that the LTTE representatives have called on the TNA (Tamil National Alliance) to return from wherever they are and be present in Parliament tomorrow to defeat the budget with the aim of bringing down the government," a top government official said seeking anonymity.

When contacted, senior TNA member Suresh Premachandran said it was not true and in fact the group, which has 22 MPs, had taken a decision to vote against the budget one month ago.

Premachandran made it clear that the TNA will vote against the Sri Lankan budget proposals for 2008 that will come up for clearance tomorrow.

"No sensible Tamil person will support the budget which has increased the defence allocation to 166.4 billion Sri Lankan Rupees, up almost 20 per cent as against last year," he said, adding "this was only to fight the LTTE."

Meanwhile, some senior political leaders said the TNA may after all not get all its MPs for a showdown and may restrict its members to vote against the budgetary proposals in Parliament.

Read more,
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200711181541.htm

Rajapaksa to face toughest political test on Monday

The Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa rode to power in December 2005 on a surging wave of Sinhala majoritarian nationalism. He went on to prove his credentials as a tough cookie when he took the Tamil Tigers head-on and drove them out of the Eastern province in 2006-7.

But by year end, on the eve of the voting on the annual budget, he finds himself on a shaky political wicket in his own turf, the Sinhala-dominiated South Sri Lanka.

The budget for the year 2008 is to come up for voting on Monday, and Rajapaksa is not at all certain if it will get even the simple majority which is required.

This is because of internal dissensions, opposition from those who had been supporting the government from outside, and lack of a firm
commitment from alliance partners themselves.

As per the Sri Lankan constitution, defeat of the budget need not necessarily mean the exit of the government or the dissolution of parliament, because the budget can be presented again by the same government or any other government which the President may cobble together.

Read more,
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=