Local DJ of the fairer sex speaks to Mirror of her unique role with the disc

By Tahnee Hopman, Pic by Saman Kariyawasam

In ten years time, hopefully, Shanaki Perera will have released an album of her own music in addition to being a dedicated and successful career woman with a Masters and PhD under her belt. By day, Shanaki juggles many roles. Hard at work as a Marketing Consultant, she is also a part of the Roteract, in fact, she is a former president of the association. By night, she is Missy Flame – a name any club hopper at the Bistro or The Zetter would be quite familiar with.

Hon. Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights and his delegation met the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms. Navanethem Pillay on Friday 5 September 2008, her fourth day in office, at the Palais Wilson in Geneva.  

The Hon. Minister’s delegation included H.E Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka, Ambassador/ Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva, Professor Rajiva Wijesinha, Secretary to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights and   Mr. Mohan Peiris, P.C., Legal Consultant to the Ministry of Defence.

The Core Group Meeting of the Business for Peace Initiative (BPI) of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL), chaired by Samantha Abeywickrama, Secretary General, FCCISL, which was held recently in Colombo, devoted its entire session to discuss the intricate issues in expanding the regional economic development and rehabilitation with emphasis to North and East.

The discussions centered on such vitally important issues like the establishment of the Eastern Development Bank, the shortage of building materials in Jaffna, expediting the opening of Puttalam-Mannar road, the price escalations due to security measures in government contracts, to increase personnel for security checking at Medawachchiya railway station and to increase the number of lorries transporting goods to Colombo, according to a FCCISL statement.

Member States of the United Nations have taken the lead in the fight against terrorism, forging ahead with implementing the first global and common strategy to tackle the scourge, General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim said today. The President convened a meeting which kicked off yesterday to review the landmark 2006 Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, with over 100 Member States taking part. The meeting concluded today with the Assembly’s adoption of a resolution reaffirming support for the Strategy; reiterating Member States’ strong condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations; and confirming that Member States have the primary responsibility to implement the document. The Assembly also decided to review the implementation of the Strategy again in two years time and “to consider updating it to respond to changes,” according to the resolution.

by Amal Jayasinghe COLOMBO (AFP) -

Sri Lankan troops have moved closer to dismantling the Tamil Tigers' de facto state after months of heavy clashes, but the battles ahead could be even bloodier, officials and analysts say. Monsoon rains expected to intensify in the coming weeks could bog down tanks and make artillery less effective in soggy terrain, forcing both sides to engage in close combat, according to military experts.Sri Lanka has poured a record 1.5 billion dollars this year into battling the rebels, who are fighting for a separate homeland for ethnic minority Tamils, with the aim of crushing the insurgency by the middle of next year.

Many a pair of shoes is worn out, it is said, between saying and doing. Nothing exemplifies this adage better than the unspeakable way the self-appointed champions of global democracy and human rights act, when their security or economic interests are threatened.This country, embroiled in a protracted war on terror, has never been short of big brothers proffering unsolicited advice and issuing dire warnings. Some of them have chosen to pillory it for human rights violations––quite rightly so. Its human rights record has to improve. Let there be no argument about that. Civilians must be protected at all cost.

The Government of Sri Lanka wishes to refute certain assertions made by Amnesty International (AI) on 04 September 2008, in a statement to the Human Rights Council, as to the supposed “severe problems of protection and assistance for displaced persons triggered by the intensification of hostilities”. The Government appreciates Amnesty’s recognition that the situation of the civilians caught up in the conflict is exacerbated by the unwillingness of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to allow these people to move to areas of relative safety and security. The denial of freedom of movement and the right to physical and human security is a serious violation of international humanitarian and human rights law and the Government calls upon AI and other concerned organizations to continue to pressurize the LTTE to comply with these fundamental norms.

The Sri Lankan delegation to the 9th Session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) led by Hon. Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights, and accompanied by Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha, Secretary, Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights and Mr. P. M. Mohan Peiris, P.C., Legal Consultant to the Ministry of Defence arrived in Geneva yesterday (Wednesday, 03rd September), ahead of the Session, which is to be held from 8th to 26th of September 2008. Mr. Yasantha Kodagoda, Deputy Solicitor General, is also expected to join the delegation later.

4 September 2008 – The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced plans today to boost rice production in districts of Sri Lanka hit hard by recent floods or conflict and by the soaring cost of many basic foods. Under the $500,000 project, families in four districts of north-central and eastern Sri Lanka – Batticaloa, Ampara, Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura – will receive certified seed paddy and small implements so they can increase their rice production.

By Ishara M Gamage  

Sept 08, 2008 (LBO) - Sri Lanka is planning an optical fibre backbone to take broadband internet access to rural areas of the island, with the infrastructure to be built as a public private partnership, an official said.

Dharmasiri de Alwis, network chief of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission says Sri Lanka Railways and the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) would be partners in the project which is backed by the island's ICT Agency. A 15 million dollar funding package from World Bank is also in the offing he said.