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The UNP and its trade union affiliates staged a major protest in Colombo today (Oct. 28th) to press for several demands on behalf of the public, including a Rs. 7,500 pay hike for all workers.

Muslim refugees in Sri Lanka have marked the 18 anniversary of the eviction by Tamil Tigers from the north. Majority of the people still live in refugee camps.

COLOMBO—The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on Sunday (26th) marked the completion of the new vocational training center in Tangalle, in the presence of His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa and U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Robert Blake.

The new dual rail track from Panadura to Kalutara South will be declared open today (28).

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has laid emphasis on the problems faced by the three wheeler industry and urged the implementation of a systematic programme on the three wheeler industry for the benefit of the public.

Any move by countries to cut their migrant worker numbers in response to the global financial crisis will not work, a senior U.N. official said Tuesday.

Two leading banks in Sri Lanka yesterday warned its credit card holders to be cautious when using their cards in nine countries due to an increase in credit card frauds

A TMVP office located near Chenkaladi Junction in Batticaloa has come under an attack in the early hours this morning (October 28th).

COLOMBO (AFP)–Four people were killed before dawn Tuesday when Tamil Tiger guerrillas attacked a breakaway rebel faction working closely with the government in eastern Sri Lanka east, a pro-Tiger Web site said.

Sri Lanka in Style offers tailor made travel solutions for film and art lovers to be a part of the International Galle Film and Art Trail Festival.

UN says it has discovered two pistols in Mannar IOM office hidden under an outdoor wood pile, Police now investigating-UN release-JNW

Source: Reuters (Adds quotes, details)

By Judith Evans

MALE, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Two old rivals squared off in a presidential runoff in the Maldives on Tuesday, with Asia’s longest-serving leader facing a unified …

High Court orders melamine tests for milk products & directs Health Ministry to inform tolerable levels. Edna appeal next court date Nov 4-lawyer-JNW

(Lanka-e-News, October 28, 2008, 10.00 AM) Maestro Premasiri Kemadasa bid farewell to the nation at the Independent Square amidst full state honors yesterday evening (27)…

Troops advance in Western half of Kilinochchi battle front, moves 5km north from Manniyakulam-Therumurikkandi road-Defence Ministry-JNW

Oct 28, Colombo: Sri Lanka Police have found the newly imported earth moving machines for ‘Maga Naguma’ project after being sold as old steel by the corrupt government officials.

Oct 28, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s National Sangha Confab (JSS) has scheduled a major Sangha Conference at the New Town Hall, Colombo on October 30 to urge the government to resist the pressures to stop the war against Tamil Tigers.

Oct 28, Colombo: Sources close to Sri Lanka Marxist People’s Liberation Front (JVP) say that the party is skeptic regarding the recent talks between India and Sri Lanka.

Oct 28, Colombo: Sri Lanka Railway will declare open the newly constructed dual track Southern coastal railway line between Panadura and Kalutara today.

Oct. 28, New Jersey, USA: The Annual Katina ceremony of the New Jersey Buddhist Vihara will be held on Sat. Nov. 01 and Sun. Nov.02, 2008 at the New Jersey Buddhist Vihara, 4299 Route 27, Princeton, NJ 08540.

COLOMBO - A senior advisor to Sri Lankan president, Basil Rajapaksa, MP, has accused the West of interfering in Sri Lankan affairs on his return to Sri Lanka from his two day visit to India.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has invited West Indies to replace Sri Lanka on a tour of England next April and May for a Test series and one-day internationals. The series would follow Eng

INDIA: Senior Presidential Advisor MP Basil Rajapaksa said yesterday after talks with Indian leaders..

The West Indies Cricket Board has confirmed its interest in touring England in May and June next year, as a replacement for Sri Lanka.

COLOMBO: The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party yesterday accused US ambassador Robert Blake of meddling in Sri Lanka’s affairs and warned that no country had the right to tell Colombo how to resolve its ethnic problem.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, a key UPA partner, has withdrawn a threat to stop supporting the coalition over the escalating conflict in Sri Lanka, external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee said.

Buddhists throughout the world respect Sri Lanka as the country which professes Theravada Buddhism. They should visit Sri Lanka which possesses highly respected Buddhist places of worship, said Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka.

The text of the Joint Statement issued at the end of Senior Presidential Advisor MP Basil Rajapaksa’s visit to India on Sunday: “Keeping in mind the close bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka, President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa sent as his Special Envoy Honourable Basil Rajapaksa, Member of Parliament and Senior Advisor to [...]

NEW DELHI: Describing Sunday’s agreement between India and Sri Lanka on fishing as highly significant, a senior Indian official said this was the first time the two countries had come up with a way of dealing with what happens when fisherfolk cross the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).

CHINA: The Governor of the Yunnan Province of China Qin Guangrong has accepted the invitation of Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka to lead a business delegation from the Yunnan Province to Sri Lanka next year to promote trade and other business relations between Sri Lanka and his province.

COLOMBO – Sri Lanka Minister of Mass Media and Information Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, in an extraordinary gazette notification dated October 10th, has introduced new curbs on private television channels.

Senior advisor to the president, Basil Rajapaksa, accuses the West of interfering in Sri Lankan affairs.

Oct 27, Colombo: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) opened a new vocational training center in Tangalle yesterday with the participation of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Robert Blake.

Oct 27, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s Sinhala monk party, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) today expressed their deep concern over the United States Ambassador for Sri Lanka, Robert Blake’s recent speech made at the University of Madras.

Oct 27, Colombo: Sri Lanka main opposition, United National Party (UNP) today sought government clarification on the proposed visit of Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram to Sri Lanka.

(Lanka-e-News, October 27, 2008, 9.30 PM) LTTE leader Velupillai Prabakran has thanked Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidi for his actions to get Indian government to intervene the situation arisen due to the military…

(Lanka-e-News, October 27, 2008, 9.20 PM) The masses detained by the LTTE to be used as a human shield should be allowed to cross to the government territory…

Oct 27, Colombo: Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) Leader, V. Anandasangaree has requested Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidi to help the government of Sri Lanka instead of making things worse.

Oct 27, Badulla: Sri Lankan Tea industry is having more problems as the workers in the hill country are facing bumble bee attacks.

Muslim refugees in Sri Lanka mark the 18 anniversary of their eviction by Tamil Tigers from the north.

Premasiri Khemadasa

Condemning a statement made by the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Robert O. Blake in a speech at Univer..

People in Batticaloa and Ampara were tensed and confused as they were forced into buses early mornin..

Troops of Army 57 division operating in the western half of the Kilinochchi battle frontage continue..

Professor P Radhakrishnan, a sociologist from the Madras Institute of Development Studies is an auth..

COLOMBO - The Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party in Sri Lanka on Monday warns the US and India not to meddle in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka.

THE England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has invited West Indies to replace Sri Lanka in a tour of England next April and May for a Test series and one-day internationals.

Chennai, Oct 27 : India will provide 800 tonnes of relief material to the civilian population in conflict-hit Sri Lanka to areas where Indian origin Tamil population is predominant, this was disclosed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Oct 27, Tangalle: Protests against the Sri Lankan government on fuel crisis are widening with the demonstrations which take place in various parts of the country.

Oct 27, Colombo: A special Indian team of experts is scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka within the next few days to begin an undersea electricity cable project between India and Sri Lanka.

Oct 27, Colombo: Two Sri Lankan police officers on duty in Mundirippukulam area in Vavuniya have died this morning in an unfortunate incident.

Oct 27, Colombo: Indian authorities have released a group of Sri Lankan fishermen who were in the custody for the past few months for entering their waters illegally.

India - Sri Lanka - Relief India is sending about 800 tons of relief materials to Sri Lanka for the affected ethnic civilians in the north of the island.

Oct 27, Colombo: Condemning a statement made by the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Robert O. Blake in a speech at University of Madras in Chennai on 24th October, Sri Lanka Marxist People’s Liberation Front (JVP) says that the US Ambassador has made a serious statement regarding the national question in Sri Lanka.

Oct 27, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s Pensions Department has incurred continuous losses as dual pension payments have been paid unnoticed to retirees due to negligence.

(Lanka-e-News, October 26, 2008, 3.40 PM) Today, we celebrate Deepavali. This day is exceptionally special for Lanka-e-News since we could fulfill a long waited dream of ours after three years…

By P. Karunakharan, Colombo, Oct 27 : The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party Monday accused US ambassador Robert Blake of meddling in Sri Lanka’s affairs and warned that no country had the right to tell Colombo how to resolve its ethnic problem.

New Delhi - Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's adviser said Monday after talks with Indian leaders that New Delhi and Colombo were genuine friends and that his country would keep civilian casualties in the war against the Tamil Tigers to the very minimum .

COLOMBO: President Mahinda Rajapaksa extending his Deepavali greetings to all Sri Lankan Hindus on the occasion of Deepavali, said the festival, a significant event in the Hindu religious calendar celebrates prosperity and spreads light of wisdom.

The Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BOI) has conducted a successful investment promotion mission to Germany, targeting key business leaders in three cities.