Sri Lanka gives go-ahead for Pakistan tour

Sri Lanka gives go-ahead for Pakistan cricket tour

Sri Lanka has given the green light for the national cricket team to to ur Pakistan next month in place of India, who cancelled their five-week series over the Mumbai attacks.

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama announced the decision after talks with President Mahinda Rajapakse, who sanctioned the tour, which will run from January 20 to February 25, the foreign

ministry said.

"Minister Bogollagama is of the view that sport is an effective means of promoting connectivity between nations and thereby enhancing friendship and mutual goodwill between countries," the ministry said in a statement.

Last week, Sri Lanka's cricket board said it had agreed to take India's place,

and will play five one-day internationals and three Tests.

Sri Lanka are likely to play Test matches in Karachi, Lahore and Multan, while Karachi would also host the two proposed one-dayers. The remaining one-dayers would likely be played in Lahore.

Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik welcomed the announcement, saying: "It's great news. It will give us some much needed international cricket and we are determined to do well."

The director general of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Javed Miandad, told AFP: "Not only the cricket fraternity but the whole of Pakistan is thankful to the Sri Lankan president for clearing their tour to Pakistan." ( Pix:1996-Lahore)

"I hope more and more people come to watch Sri Lanka play in Pakistan because we want to prove to the world that Pakistan is safe and secure for cricket," he added.

Pakistan last played a Test match in December last year, against India in Bangalore.

India called off their tour of Pakistan after New Delhi refused to grant the team permission to travel across the border in the wake of last month's attacks on Mumbai, which India has blamed on Pakistan-based militants.

The PCB said it was set to lose at least 25 million dollars as a result of the cancellation but would recover some of the money by hosting Sri Lanka.

Australia refused to tour Pakistan in March over security fears.

Then in August, the International Cricket Council (ICC) was forced to put off the elite eight-nation Champions Trophy to be hosted by Pakistan after South Africa pulled out of the event over security fears.

The ICC rescheduled the event for September-October 2009 but will assess the security situation in Pakistan during the Sri Lanka series before taking a final decision.

Benazir Bhutto’s first dead anniversary,

Benazir Bhutto’s first dead anniversary,


Woman gather in front of a portrait of Pakistani former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto at a prayer ceremony in connection with Bhutto’s first dead anniversary, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2008 in Peshawar, Pakistan. Bhutto died in a gun and suicide bomb attack on Dec. 27 last year as she left an election rally in the city of Rawalpindi. (AP)

We shall overcome

We shall overcome

Religious observances were held today to commemorate the passengers who perished in the 2004 Tsunami.
The engine, along with two train compartments which were affected by the Tsunami, reached Peraliya today with the engine crew.Pics by Kithsiri de Mel

No housing still for 21,000 tsunami homeless families

With the Asian tsunami disaster marks its fourth anniversary today (Dec. 26th), an observation report by the United Nations says nearly 21,000 Sri Lankan families still remain without permanent housing,

It says only 99,414 houses, as against a requirement of 120,389 houses, have been built in the districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara.

According to this report, Hambantota - the political stronghold of President Mahinda Rajapaksa - is having 3,956 more houses built than the required number.

Kalutara, the seat of Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, has a surplus of 1,085 houses constructed, said the newspaper.

It also says 13,913 houses do not have proper sanitary and other basic facilities, while 15,561 are without an electricity supply.

Also, 21,296 houses lack an access road and 14,342 are not supplied with pipe borne water.

It has been estimated that Rs. 116,713 million is required to complete the remaining construction work of these houses.

When 'Ravaya' contacted Nation Building Ministry Secretary, he has said that the work could be finished by March next year.

Pope Benedict XVI has used his traditional Christmas Midnight Mass to call for an end to "hatred and violence" in the Middle East.

Pope Benedict XVI has used his traditional Christmas Midnight Mass to call for an end to "hatred and violence" in the Middle East.

Addressing a huge congregation at the Vatican's St Peter's Basilica, he appealed for a new understanding between Israelis and Palestinians.

Thousands of pilgrims celebrated the start of Christmas in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, amid tight security.

The Pope will deliver his Christmas Day message from St Peter's later.

Appealing for new efforts to end the cycle of violence in the Middle East, Pope Benedict urged people to pray that "hearts will be opened, so borders will be opened".

The 81-year-old pontiff plans to visit Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories next May, although final details of his trip have yet to be worked out.

Also in his homily, Pope Benedict appealed for an end to child abuse.

"Let us think of those street children who do not have the blessing of a family home, of those children who are brutally exploited as soldiers and made instruments of violence, instead of messengers of reconciliation and peace," he said.

"Let us think of those children who are victims of the industry of pornography and every other appalling form of abuse, and thus are traumatised to the depths of their soul.

As Midnight Mass began, Pope Benedict, dressed in white and gold-coloured vestments, walked up the main aisle of the flood-lit St Peter's Basilica, smiling and stopping several times to shake outstretched hands and bless children.

For those unable to enter, giant screens were set up in St Peter's Square.

Most of the world's 2.1 billion Christians mark Christmas this week.

LTTE plans an attack in Colombo in a fire cracker night

LTTE plans an attack in Colombo in a fire cracker night

Acording to www.lankaenews.com news web Foreign intelligence services have informed the government that LTTE has planned an assassination of a VIP on tonight or 31st night as people are firing crackers.

The intelligence services have informed that the LTTE’s plan is to launch an aerial attack in a high security zone where VIPs live. Then they may abduct some ambulances and use them to enter into the high security zone to target the VIP, the foreign intelligence services have warned.

Karuna forms a new party; Tiger name dropped

Karuna forms a new party; Tiger name dropped

The simmering crisis between Karuna and Pillaiyan loyalists of the Tamil People’s Liberation Tigers (TMVP) has pave

d way to the formation of a new party by Karuna Amman in the Tamil Makkal Liberation Alliance (Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Koddani alias TMVK). The significance of the new party is the shedding of Tiger name.

Pillaiyan registered the TMVP while Karuna was in custody in UK. Although Karuna was named as the leader of the party, he had no official power in TMVP. TMVP chairman was Raghu who was recently assassinated at Athurugiriya. After that Karuna and his loyalists wanted him to be appointed as t

he Chairman of the party, but the Pillaiyan group opposed the move.

Heavy Bomb Blast in Lahore

Heavy Bomb Blast in Lahore

Blast rocked GOR area in Shadman locality of Lahore on Wednesday morning wounding four persons.One woman was died.

According to preliminary reports the blasts occurred near a water tank in the area wounding three persons.

when an explosive-laden car parked under a water tank in GOR-II area exploded. The injured have been shifted to Services Hospital.Rescues teams and ambulances have reached the scene and rescue operation is underway at blasts scene. Police have cordoned off the area.

Police, bomb disposal experts and rescue and relief teams have reached to the area and the injured were being transferred to hospitals.

A power transformer was also exploded after the blast.

According to reports it was a bomb blast and the device was planted in a vehicle.

Growth propelling parts of SL into middle-income status - World Bank

Growth propelling parts of SL into middle-income status - World Bank

According to the World Bank Annual report 2008 it projects an emerging new reality that South Asia can no longer be characterised as a uniformly low-income region. Growth is propelling several Indian states, along with Bhutan, Maldives, and parts of Sri Lanka, into middle-income status. At the same time, per capita incomes and human development indicators in Bangladesh, Nepal, most of Pakistan, and the lagging regions of India and Sri Lanka are those of low-income countries.

Bangladesh on high alert ahead of polls

Bangladesh on high alert ahead of polls
Bangladesh has imposed the tightest security clampdown ever seen in the country as it prepares for polls on Monday that will restore democracy after two years of emergency government.

Some 50,000 military personnel and 6,000 of the elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) force have been deployed nationwide to prevent pre-election violence and combat the threat of attacks by Islamic militants.

"We are fully prepared to make the polls the most peaceful ever," RAB director general Hasan Mahmud Khandaker said. "The campaigns have largely been violence-free and we hope the voting will be peaceful."

More than 600,000 police and paramilitary officers will patrol polling booths to guard against intimidation or rigging -- problems that have dogged previous elections and led to the state of emergency.

China calls on India, Pakistan to solve concerned issues through dialogue

World news

China calls on India, Pakistan to solve concerned issues through dialogue

China on Tuesday expressed the hope that India and Pakistan would resolve bilateral concerned issues through dialogue and consultations.

"We hope to see the improvement of Indian-Pakistani relations," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a regular press conference in responding to questions on the south Asia situation.

He said the improvement and development of the relationship between India and Pakistan, both as important nations in south Asia, would help regional peace and stability.

China would, as always, support efforts by both countries to improve bilateral relations and safeguard regional peace, Qin said.

As to last month's Mumbai terror attacks, which killed more than 170 people, Qin said China had strongly denounced the attacks.

"We agree that the international community should cooperate to fight terrorism," Qin said. He said that the identity of the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks awaited further investigation by concerned countries.

He called on India and Pakistan to work together through peaceful consultations to investigate the cause of the attacks and combat terrorism.

"We hope the region will maintain its peace and stability," Qinsaid.

Free innocent Tamils or face ban - President to LTTE

Free innocent Tamils or face ban - President to LTTE

President Mahinda Rajapaksa today(Dec 22) called on the LTTE that to release all innocent Tamils it is holding hostage, in bondage and using them as human shields, with the dawn of 2009, and allow them to come to the safe areas provided for them by the Government and the Security Forces.

Failure to do this would lead the Government to proscribing the LTTE with all its consequences for the terrorist organization and will ensure that 2009 is the true Year of Heroism for the troops and also see the wiping out of LTTE terrorism from the pages of history.

He said the only enemy faced by the people is the terrorism of LTTE, and that he will not agree to any ceasefire that will strengthen the LTTE in any form.

President Rajapaksa was addressing religious dignitaries, ministers, senior administrators and leading members of the private sector to thank them for the cooperation extended to the government in this year and to inform them of the progress of the military operations against the terrorism of the LTTE and state of the economy of the country. The meeting was held at the Presidential Secretariat, Colombo.

There is only one enemy in the country, and that is terrorism. The Sinhala people are not the enemies of the Tamils, as the Tamils are not the enemy of the Sinhalese. Separatism and terror is the enemy of all, be they Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims or Buddhists; Hindus, Christians and followers of Islam. All people should come together in unity to fight the savagery of terrorism.

Read Full Story:

http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20081222_07

Security forces rescue 26 Tamil civilians - Pooneryn

Security forces rescue 26 Tamil civilians - Pooneryn
Security forces personnel have rescued a group of Tamil civilians comprising twenty-six including two infants and two children while crossing Kilaly lagoon to arrive at security forces controlled area seeking safety for their lives last Sunday, 21 December.

According to the defence.lk correspondent in Task Force 1, the civilians of Elephant Pass were able to escape LTTE's grip on board a boat flying white flag for their safety. The boat, heading towards Pooneryn carrying 26 civilians, was out of order while crossing Kilaly lagoon putting the lives of innocent Tamil civilians on jeopardy.

Troops of Task Force 1 has immediately reacted once observed a boat flying white flag floating in Kilaly lagoon area and make safe the lives of Tamil civilians who were able to escape LTTE's trapping as a human shield.

capturing a terror strongpoint, 'Sinna-Paranthan'

capturing a terror strongpoint, 'Sinna-Paranthan'

Troops of the Task Force -1 now engaged in counter terrorist offensives West of Paranthan, consolidated 300m further southwards along the LTTE built earth bund cum ditch, reportedly capturing a terror strongpoint, 'Sinna-Paranthan' this morning(Dec 23).

According to Army media, troops faced stiff resistance from LTTE in the battle for Sinna-Paranthan, which is located along the A-35 main road, 6km West of Paranthan Township. Farmers inhabited the village before terrorists dominated the area, the sources said adding that LTTE bunkers and trenches were now seen built in perimeters of the government buildings including a school and the Divisional Secretariat.

End detentions and aid restrictions - HRW

End detentions and aid restrictions - HRW

The Sri Lankan government should stop arbitrarily detaining civilians fleeing fighting in the northern Vanni region and urgently allow humanitarian agencies to return to provide desperately needed aid, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today.

“Hundreds of thousands of civilians are trapped in a war zone with limited aid because the government ordered the UN and other aid workers out,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “To add insult to injury, people who manage to flee the fighting end up being held indefinitely in army-run prison camps.

(Sourse:Daily Mirror)

Sri Lanka Cricket dissolved - Minister

Sri Lanka Cricket dissolved - Minister
Sri Lanka Cricket was dissolved by the Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge with immediate effect. He said that the Ministry Secretary will oversee the affairs of the SLC until the new administration is appointed.

Queen of the Sinhala cinema

Queen of the Sinhala cinema
Queen of the Sinhala cinema and recipient of the Golden Peacock Award at the 99th International Film Festival of India, Malini Fonseka was among artistes felicitated yesterday at a reception hosted by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka at the Prime Minister’s office. Here the Premier expresses delight holding the glittering award shown to him by the screen legend. Picture by Ranjith Jayaweera

India pulls out of tour, Pakistan invites Sri Lanka

India pulls out of tour, Pakistan invites Sri Lanka
The Board of Control for Cricket (in) India (BCCI) has sent a letter to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) informing them that due to current circumstances of relations between the two countries they will pull out of the scheduled tour. With India canceling their tour the PCB had made an official request to Sri Lanka to visit in India’s place. India’s decision has been called ‘disappointing’ but PCB chairman Ijaz Butt said that he hoped Sri Lanka would agree to a replacement series.

No proof of Pakistan link to Mumbai attacks: Zardari

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari insisted in an interview with the BBC on Wednesday that there was no firm proof linking his country to last month's attacks on India's financial centre, Mumbai.

Speaking to the British broadcaster from Islamabad, he said the investigations into the attacks were ongoing and he would "not jump to a conclusion" on who was responsible until they were complete.

New Delhi has fingered "elements" in Pakistan for the attacks that left 172 people dead, and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said militants from Pakistan-based group Laskhar-e-Taiba were responsible.

"What we are saying is that we are willing to cooperate -- and you know like anybody else does, that investigation is an evolving process, it hasn't been long enough" to come to any conclusions, Zardari said.

He added: "I think we will hold our judgement till the proper investigation and conclusive evidence is shared between Pakistan and India, and we're hoping that that would happen because we've asked for a joint investigation."

Put to him that the sole surviving gunman has been identified as a Pakistan national, the president said: "No, we don't know that, we haven't investigated that, we are investigating that position.

"There have been disputed positions in the press... I would say the investigation is ongoing and I would not jump to a conclusion."

However, he said his country was prepared to act if links to Pakistan emerged.

"If that stage comes, and when it comes, I assure you that our parliament, our democracy, shall take the action properly deemed in our constitution and in our law," he said.

Heavy casualties -BBC

Heavy casualties -BBC

The latest air attacks on Tami Tiger positions in the north came a day after both sides claimed that they had killed dozens of fighters.

The Sri Lankan army has mounted a big offensive aimed at capturing the town of Kilinochchi, where the rebels have their administrative headquarters.

Despite the military's sustained onslaught the rebels seem to be offering stiff resistance.

Pro-rebel website, Tamilnet said the rebels had repulsed the army's advance and recovered more than thirty bodies of Sri Lankan troops killed in the recent fighting.

The army said more than a hundred rebels were killed in the fighting and that they had captured sections of trenches that the rebels had built encircling the town of Kilinochchi.

Meanwhile, medical officer Prasad Brighton of the Dharmapuram hospital said that a five month s old infant and another person died while fifteen others were injured from the air attacks carried out in the Wattakachi area in Kilinochchi.

There are no independent accounts of the fighting. Anbarasan Ethirajan from the BBC South Asia desk says that the nature of the battle is fast changing - there are reports of increasing hand-to-hand combat causing heavy casualties on both sides.

Some experts believe that the war has reached a decisive stage and the coming weeks will be crucial.