News in brief

EU move to send HR monitors dropped

A move by the European Union to send a human rights monitoring mission to Sri Lanka was dropped when the other three co-chairs - The US, Japan and Norway - declined to support it, a top diplomat said. The co-chairs also decided to continue to provide aid to Sri Lanka. The proposal was made by the EU representative, the German Ambassador, at Thursday's working committee meeting of the co-chairs in Oslo.

Bank accounts of A. C. Shanthan frozen

The Westminster Magistrate's Court has ordered the officers to freeze all bank accounts of A.C. Shanthan, President of the British Tamil Association which is a pro- LTTE organisation and his wife yesterday. The court also rejected the appeal which sought bail for the suspect. The Metropolitan Police conducting a special operation to counter terrorism command arrested Shanthan under Section 12 (3) of the UK Terrorism Act which prohibits "support for a terrorist organisation."

UK ranks LTTE-second intensified terror group

The United Kingdom has ranked the LTTE as the second intensified terror group.

The LTTE has been ranked immediately after the dreaded Al Qaeda. The LTTE has gained many advantages on UK soil for strengthening their terror movement which is responsible for killing innocent civilians and local and international political leaders.

US commitment to Lanka's peace process

Robert Blake, US Ambassador for Sri Lanka, in his speech to commemorate US Independence on July 4, expressed the US commitment to Sri Lanka's peace process and its quest to reach a negotiated settlement to the conflict as a member of the Co-Chairs of the Tokyo Donor Conference.

"As a member of the Co-Chairs of the Tokyo Donor Conference the United States is a committed partner in Sri Lanka's quest to reach a negotiated settlement", said the Ambassador. "America was proud to be a partner in helping Sri Lanka during its early years with more than a billion and a half dollars in development assistance," he said.

Security Forces capture satellite camps

Military spokesperson Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said the security forces were engaged in capturing satellite camps in the Narakamulla and Tharavi areas.

His office said the fall of the last stronghold of the LTTE in the eastern province was imminent as the security forces had already reached the outer boundaries of the LTTE's main base at Narakamulla.

New chairman

N.M. Shaheid Attorney-at-Law; has been appointed as the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment. A subsidiary of Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment under the Ministry of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare.

Confab at Bible Society on July 20, 21

Eternal life Ministries team is back again from Australia to hold their third annual conference at the Bible Society auditorium on July 20, 21 from 9 am to 4.30 pm on both days. The confab will be on 'Harvest 2007'. The speakers will be: Pastor Priya Antony and Maneesha Antony with a preceding healing rally on July 19 at 6 pm at the Holy Trinity Church, Wellawatte.

Interpol alerted on mastermind behind abduction

The CID alerted the Interpol headquarters on the suspect who master-minded the abduction and extortion racket in Colombo and in the suburbs where several businessmen who were the victims had to pay large sums as ransom to save their lives, CID sources told the 'Sunday Observer'.

The suspect who is a resident of Mawanella has fled to a Middle East country while several other suspects involved in the racket, viz Police Special Task Force Officers, Police Officers and Air Force Officers were being arrested by the CID in connection with abductions.

Altogether 16 persons arrested in this connection are being interrogated in relation to several abductions and ransom cases.

ACHC Golden Jubilee book release

The Golden Jubilee book of the All Ceylon Hindu Congress (ACHC) will be released under the patronage of the Chief Incumbent of the Nallur Atheenam Srilasri Somasunthara Thesika Paramacharya Swamigal at the Saraswathy Hall Bambalapitiya at 9.30 a.m. today.

The Golden Jubilee book of the All Ceylon Hindu Congress contains research articles on various aspects of Hinduism in Sri Lanka in Tamil and English.The book also contains rare pictures of the institution's activities in the past fifty years, according to the General Secretary of the ACHC Kandiah Neelagandan. The President of the All Ceylon Hindu Congress V. Kailasapillai will preside.