The Associated Press

Colombo, Sri Lanka: Sri Lankan fighter planes bombed and destroyed two Tamil Tiger rebel bases in the volatile north on Monday, in the second straight day of government air strikes against the insurgents' de facto state, the military said.In the latest attack, jets hit two bases belonging to the Sea Tigers, the guerrilla naval wing, deep in the rebel stronghold of Mullaitivu, said air force spokesman Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara.He said the air strikes wrecked the bases, with one being engulfed in fire.The strikes came two days after a fierce sea battle killed 17 rebels and destroyed six rebel boats off the northern Jaffna peninsula.

“ON reaching the Jaffna’s Kilaly lagoon, about 7 km away from the troop positions as of now, the entire western part of Kilinochchi district would be sans terrorists, enabling the troops to re-open a main supply route to Jaffna shortly, said Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka at the Gajaba Regiment Silver Jubilee commemorations,” held at Saliyapura Regimental Headquarters Monday morning (3).     

The Silver Jubilee commemoration of the elite Gajaba Regiment (GR), one of the most prominent and reputed Regiments in the Sri Lanka Army got underway, giving pride of place to the military ceremonials and traditions.    The ceremonies of the day commenced at 8.30 a.m. when the Chief Guest Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka, Commander of the Army arrived at the premises of the Keterians who in turn was accorded a Guard of Honour plus the military Guard Turn-out. He was then received by senior officers of the GR who were awaiting their Chief’s arrival there.   

Obviously finding themselves with plenty of time on their hands, the boffins at Reporters Without Borders have seen fit to compile what they like to call a Press Freedom Index. In fact, they do it every year. Hours are spent trying to position as many countries as possible on a numerical scale, while monitoring the rise and fall of the various regimes is supposed to provide us with a meaningful insight into the availability of information and opinions to their citizens and the problems faced by journalists in supplying them.

Sri Lanka, it seems, has dropped a number of places in the last year. We are now ranked in the bottom ten in the world at 165 out of 173.

Most of us have enough of an idea about press freedom in other countries to realise that being described as practically the worst is tantamount to saying that there are no independent newspapers, radio stations or television networks, that any kind of criticism of the state administration is punishable by lengthy imprisonment, and that people are subject to an almost uninterrupted barrage of propaganda. But we all know that this isn’t the case here.

 “LTTE is indeed desperate to score some spectacular success in the maritime domain while it is facing defeat on many land fronts. Even the aerial attacks have had very limited success.” 

by Commodore RS Vasan IN(Retd)  

(November 01, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) Apropos report on the failed suicide attack by four suicide boats of the Sea Tiger wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) this morning (Nov. 01) the failed attacks appear to have fallen in to a pattern that would not be to the liking of the Black Tigers In the attack this morning the SLN claimed that their Special Boat Squadron and the Rapid Action Boat Squadron have neuatralised the attack and have killed about 17 sea tigers while five of their own were injured in the engagement. Their desperate and repeated attacks have been foiled almost routinely by the Sri Lankan Navy with marginal success by the suicide squad of the LTTE occasionally .It is obvious that the Sea tigers are losing their edge .

 

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. The World Heritage City of Galle will be hosting its first International Film Festival and premier Galle Art Trail from October 24th 2008 to November 2nd 2008. Aimed at raising awareness of the increasing depth and diversity of Sri Lankan cinema, the spotlight will be firmly on the historic town of Galle.

The fortified town of Galle, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a place where history and legends seep into your bones and an evocatively ideal setting to stage such a Film and Art Trail Festival. Miguel Cunat, the CEO of Sri Lanka in Style is excited by the forthcoming event, "Events such as this compliment Sri Lanka's rich cultural heritage and diversity.

Being so closely associated with the event, Sri Lanka In Style is on-hand to create an inspiring Sri Lanka travel for all attendees." Miguel Cunat adds, "Sri Lanka in Style can customize your holidays around the festival theme, highlighting the island's unique features such as the beaches, the historic Colonial Heritage, the Tea Country and the wide variety of activities available on the island, to mention a few."

Fifteen power sets of six carriages each will be added to the existing railway fleet from November 1st, bringing the total number of power sets deployed in the service up to 45, Ministry of Transport sources said. 

As a gesture of goodwill following the recent visit of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Government of China has provided these power sets at a backdated lower cost of Rs. 36.9 million.

As the Tamil Tigers of the LTTE begin to feel the heat from the largely successful operations against them by the Sri Lankan army, politicians in Tamil Nadu have rushed to assume the role of custodians of the battered Tamil-speaking population in the island nation. Their strategy of forcing the hands of the government of India to quickly initiate some kind of 'intervention' is flawed and fraught with dangerous consequences.

Some have already wondered why the Tamil politicians who are so touched by the plight of minorities and their human rights violations in Sri Lanka had remained silent through the unabated assaults on minorities in certain parts of India in recent weeks. Some others have asked if the Tamil MPs were elected to serve the interest of the people of Tamil Nadu or Sri Lanka.

by Amrit Dhillon, Correspondent

New Delhi: As Sri Lankan soldiers stumble and totter in trenches made muddy by heavy rain in a pitched battle to defeat the Tamil Tigers, India is resisting attempts to drag it into what is being called a "fight to the finish" in the 25 year old civil war.

UN relief agencies estimate that half a million Tamils have become refugees since the military offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) began in January.

Around half of these have been displaced in the past few months as the army has tightened the noose around the bastions of the Tamil Tigers in the north, with a fierce and prolonged battle underway to seize the LTTE's de facto "capital" of Kilinochchi.

Ethnic Tamils, caught between the two sides, have fled their homes. "Apart from the Red Cross, no relief agency can go to the area to provide help because the government has made it clear it can't guarantee anyone's safety," said James Elder, a UNICEF official in Colombo.