LANKA BUSINESS ONLINE: Sri Lanka DFCC Bank stake sold by Galleon
Posted: November 30, 2009 | Leave a CommentSri Lankan shares ended higher Monday with trading boosted by the sale of shares in DFCC by the Galleon hedge fund of billionaire Raj Rajaratnam, facing insider dealing charges in the US, brokers said.
The All Share Price Index closed at 2,913.39, up 1.20 percent (34.43 points) while the Milanka Price Index of more liquid stocks closed at 3,326.08, up 1.31 percent (43.12 points). Full Story
BIG POND NEWS: Rudd talks on refugees at CHOGM
Posted: November 30, 2009 | Leave a CommentAustralian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has raised the issue of refugees and people smuggling with his Sri Lankan counterpart.
Rudd met with Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Trinidad and Tobago. Full Story
THE ISLAND: JVP supporters assaulted and arrested
Posted: November 30, 2009 | Leave a CommentTwo JVP supporters, who were engaged in pasting posters in support of Presidential poll candidate General Sarath Fonseka, were assaulted at Mahiyangana in the early hours of yesterday, according to a party press release.
It said the assault was allegedly carried out by the Moneragala Pradeshya Sabha chairman and his loyalists. Full Story
DAILY NEWS: TMVP fully supports President Rajapaksa
Posted: November 30, 2009 | Leave a CommentThe Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) has taken a unanimous decision to campaign and secure victory of President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the upcoming Presidential Election, TMVP leader and Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan told the Daily News yesterday.
Chandrakanthan totally rejecting the misleading news report that the TMVP would withhold support for President Rajapaksa, said the TMVP will launch its full effort for the victory of the President due to many reasons. Full Story
THE ISLAND: Higher education sector gets a boost
Posted: November 30, 2009 | Leave a CommentThe cabinet had given approval for five higher education development projects worth Rs. 5435 million, Higher Education Minister Professor Wiswa Warnapala told The Island.
“The first Cabinet paper allocated Rs. 673 millions for the six storeyed building to house the clinical facilities of the Medical and Allied Science Faculties of the Rajarata University. Fourth year students of the faculty would benefit from the project. We also allocated Rs. 6 million for a new art gallery of the Peradeniya University. Conservation of work done by former librarian of the university Ian and Roslin Gunathilake is the main objective of this art gallery,” Prof. Warnapala said. Full Story
Sritharan of EPRLF-P Wary of Fonseka’s Military Background
Posted: November 30, 2009 | 4 Comments
Presidential candidate and former army commander Sarath Fonseka is losing support from some Tamil political parties because of his military background. The latest to join the team of supporters for President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the upcoming presidential election is the Eelam Peoples’ Revolutionary Liberation Front – Pathmanabha (EPRLF-P). Read more
DAILY NEWS: Australia welcomes IDP resettlement
Posted: November 30, 2009 | Leave a CommentAustralian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith agreed to consider providing more assistance to Sri Lanka for the ongoing resettlement and reconstruction programs when he met Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
He welcomed the early resettlement of the IDPs from the welfare villages and recent announcement regarding the freedom of movement of those remaining IDPs in the welfare villages. Full Story
DAILY MIRROR: “There’s an international conspiracy to oust the President”- Gotabhaya
Posted: November 30, 2009 | Leave a CommentDefence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa speaks to Hard Talk about the threat of an international conspiracy at work against the country in the form of seeking a regime change, as former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka enters the Presidential fray. He attributes this to the ‘disappointment’ that certain countries and their political elements may have experienced with the country’s victory over the LTTE and the decision by the President to not give in to international pressures he alleges were moved by elements who sought to safeguard the LTTE during the last stages of the war. Full Story
THE ISLAND: The Fonseka magic and logic
Posted: November 30, 2009 | Leave a CommentSo, Gen. (retd) Sarath Fonseka has finally shown his hand. He wants to contest the next presidential election as the UNF-JVP combine’s candidate. That he would do so was only too well known and his announcement, therefore, lacked an element of surprise. However, the press conference he gave yesterday was of some interest as the country saw the retired general trying to metamorphose into a politician. Full Story
DAILY MIRROR: ‘Yes, I’m coming’
Posted: November 30, 2009 | Leave a CommentFormer Army Commander and Chief of Defence Staff Sarath Fonseka announcing his candidacy for the forthcoming presidential election under the ‘Swan’ symbol said yesterday his main aim was to abolish the Executive Presidency and also elaborated on the lessons to be learnt from the 13th Amendment.
He told a well-attended news conference at the JAIC Towers in Colombo that he would do everything possible to weed out corruption, to re-establish democracy and restore law and order in Sri Lanka soon after he was sworn in as President.
General Fonseka said that no sooner he assumes office he would take steps to implement the 17th Amendment and do a thorough study of the 13th Amendment. Full Story