Indian Army Chief of Staff General Vijay Kumar Singh yesterday stated that the Government of Sri Lanka has performed a commendable task in bringing back the livelihoods of the war affected people in North and East to normalcy.

Sri Lankan troops of 61 Division engaging clearing operations in general area Maruthamadu recovered 40 AP mines and one 60mm mortar bomb (HE) yesterday (6 Sep 2010).

For the first time ever, the government is to have 'Job - Fair' for the youth of the Northern Region especially ex-LTTE combatants who are being integrated back into society following their rehabilitation, said Commissioner General of Rehabilitation Brig Sudantha Ranasinghe yesterday.

Over the past few years, the Sri Lankan Government has endeavoured to increase public awareness about human trafficking, to improve law enforcement efforts, and to increase budget allocations for anti-trafficking activities, stated the U.S. Ambassador, Patricia Butenis.

The Criminal Investigation Department has arrested a group of 26 suspects accused of running a large scale people smuggling racket. According to Police sources, the suspects are reported to have illegally transported individuals including LTTE terrorists to Australia onboard ships.

Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya concluded a highly successful 2010 inaugural Ambassadors' Signature Tour of Sri Lanka with 25 American professionals and business people recently.

Another 27 houses constructed at Thorayaya in Kurunegala under the Second Phase of Api Wenuwen Api programme by the Ministry of Defence has completed and to be handed over to war heroes on 5th September.

Demining groups operating in the North and East have achieved tremendous success by removing over 300,000 landmines laid by LTTE terrorists during war time, said Military Spokesman Major General UAB Medawela.

The visiting Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao emphasized that peace was necessary for development and that the need of the hour was to look forward and benefit from the tremendous potential that Sri Lanka had as a country to grow and prosper.

The number of asylum seekers arriving from Sri Lanka has slowed dramatically in the five months since the Australian government said it would stop processing claims from that country, the Sydney Morning Herald reported yesterday (1 Sep).

Secretary of Defence Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, accepting the invitation of the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy Vice Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe, declared open the new North-Western Naval Command Headquarters in Mullikulum today, (02 Sep).

A major road rehabilitation and development project in the Northern Province is to be undertaken by the Government with Chinese financial assistance.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide financial assistance of US $ 154.4 million (Rs 17.8 billion) to implement the Northern Road Connectivity Project.

Components of light Aircraft or a Glider were found in a partially destroyed container in the Kareimulliwaikkal area by SLAF intelligence personnel from SLAF Trikonamadu.

Sri Lankan troops of 56 Division recovered 21 AP mines (RANGAN 99) and 16 AP mines (P4 MK 1) during the clearing operations done in general area Navatkulam and Mahilankulam yesterday (31 August) 2010.

The passing out parade of 500 probationary officers of Intake 30 was held at the Rantambe training centre, recently.

Resettlements in Vadamarachchi east begun recently facilitating Tamil civilians to back their native places after completely removing LTTE laid land mines, unexploded ordnance and trappings in the area.

Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao visited North yesterday, pledged more assistance to construct 50,000 permanent housing units for the war displaced in the North and the East.

The Police Special Task Force will hold its 26th war heroes commemoration ceremony on September 1.

The Government would not pressurize any INGOs or NGOs functioning in Sri Lanka but only monitor them, National Secretariat for Non Governmental Organization Director General and Media Center for National Security Director General Lakshman Hulugalla said yesterday.

The Indian Government has consented to construct an Agriculture and Engineering faculty equipped with hi-tech laboratories for the Jaffna University on a 300-acre site in Ariviyal, in the...

Another batch of 500 ex- combatants who had been rehabilitated and retrained as skilled labours are getting ready to return to their native places. Commissioner General of Rehabilitation Brig. Sudantha Ranasinghe said.

A production of 130,000 liters of cow milk has been recorded during the past seven months of this year in the Mullaittivu District, said Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa on Monday (Aug 30).

The government has initiated a "North-South Business Bridge Program as part of the Gampaha Integrated Accelerated Program, bridging North and South towards sustainable development.

Five leading schools in the Jaffna peninsula are to be rehabilitated under the ISURU project, Jaffna zonal education official said.

First ever war heroes monument in Eastern Security Force Command area to honour the valiant soldiers who have laid down their lives fighting the separatist terrorist in the 30 year prolonged war was declared open by the Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya on 28th August in Minneriya amidst a gathering of many distinguished guests and family members of war heroes.

The government is taking steps to rehabilitate the education sector in Northern Province by providing infrastructure facilities for the children who had to abandon their schooling due to LTTE terrorist activities.

Sri Lanka Navy is conducting further investigations into a major human smuggling racket after they found that the five men arrested in the Marawila area in mid-August were involved in a part of a major racket which had been going on for many years.

Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa undertook his first visit to India, since his election and assumption of the current portfolio, from 24th - 26th August 2010. During the visit he called on Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Minister of External Affairs S.M. Krishna, Minister of Finance Pranab Mukherjee, Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Tourism Kumari Selja, and National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon.

Pro-LTTE asylum seekers in Australia cannot be enjoying the indecisive result of the Australian national poll paving the way to the first hung Parliament in the country since World War II.

Bureau of the Commissioner General of Rehabilitation together with Alliance Development Trust, conducted a short term course on beauty culture and bridal dressing for the trainees at Pempemadu and Puntottam women rehabilitation centers, recently

Sri Lanka is becoming one of the most popular long-haul destinations from the UK, according to The Times of London newspaper.

The likelihood of terrorists with naval capabilities, resorting to piracy becomes a distinct possibility, stated Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Dr. Palitha Kohona, speaking at the Security Council Debate on "The Situation in Somalia - Piracy" on 25th August.

There has been substantial progress over the last months and since late 2009, approximately 200,000 people have returned to their villages in the North, stated the United Nations Resident/ Humanitarian Coordinator (RC/HC) Neil Buhne.

Sixty more ex-LTTE combatants as the 5th batch of the vocational training project (The Cheer Project) which is a specially designed industrial based training to produce skilled labour, commenced their training at vocational training center in Payagala, Kalutara last Wednesday, (25th August).

India will rush 500 tractors and several tons of groundnut and black gram seeds to help kick-start agriculture in the civil war-ravaged northern and eastern provinces after a gap of 30 years during the maha season, beginning next month.

The Government last week commenced a programme in Kilinochchi to restore to their rightful owners a large number of motor vehicles abandoned in Mullaitivu and the adjoining areas when civilians fled the heavy fighting between security forces and the LTTE in May last year.

The Indian Coast Guard yesterday handed over to the Sri Lankan Navy , Sri Lankan fishermen and two boats that were in the custody of Tamil Nadu State Authorities.

The Government plans to launch a major paddy cultivation project in the Northern Province during the Maha season engaging 70,000 acres of land.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) believe they're getting closer to nabbing the organizers of the smuggling ring who used the rickety MV Sun Sea to bring 492 Tamil migrants to the coast of B.C. this month.

The resettlement program has come to its last phase and still the Government is trying to assist the resettled in the North and East, Resettlement Ministry Secretary M.B. Disanayaka told the Daily News yesterday.

Sri Lankan asylum seekers in developed countries enter other countries from foreign shores with the help of overseas' human smugglers, Navy spokesman captain Athula Senarath said.

A central hospital at Tinnavely in Jaffna with all modern medical facilities, equipments and wards with 50 beds will be set up.

Enhancing the government's program to develop infrastructure facilities in the Jaffna peninsula, the foundation stone for a new central hospital was laid in the Jaffna Central Nursing Home premises recently.

'Real Time' Officially Handed over to SLAF by USA Strengthening military ties between the two countries, the sophisticated Real Time Data Link system facility was officially handed over to the Sri Lanka Air Force by...

The 5th Randooli Perehera (procession) - final pageant of the Esala Perehera is scheduled to commence Tuesday (Aug 25) night.

Washington, Aug. 19, 2010 -- On Aug. 9, 2010 the Washington Post published a letter from James McDonald of Amnesty International suggesting that a shipload of Sri Lankans arriving illegally in Canada should be given asylum because they faced persecution if they returned to Sri Lanka.

Traders' Association in Piliyandala made their contribution for the "Api Wenuwen Api" housing project in gratitude for the security forces personnel, who sacrificed lives and limbs for defending the motherland while serving in the battlefront against world's most ruthless terrorist organization.

Troops conducting search operations and de-mining operations in northern areas recovered more warlike items on 21 August 2010.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference commended President Rajapaksa and government officials for the speedy resettlement of over 250,000 civilian hostages rescued during the 2009 humanitarian operations.

The People's Republic of China (PRC) has signed a MOU with Sri Lanka to grant Rs 7,410 million to the Government to develop all State hospitals in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.