President Mahinda Rajapaksa arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok for a fourday visit to Thailand yesterday. Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, Yongyoot Wichaidit welcomed President at the Airport. Sri Lankan Ambassador in Thailand Gen. Shantha Kottegoda and embassy staff were present at the airport to receive the President. Parliamentarian Sajin De Vass Gunawardane, Secretary to the President, Lalith Weeratunga accompanied the President. (Picture by Sudath Silva)

The Channa-Upuli Performing Arts Foundation brought pride to Sri Lanka by being placed first in a Carnival of Culture in Berlin. They competed with 99 international dance troupes, that is 5,000 dancers, for an audience of one million.

Lanka IDP-free by end July - Northern Gov.

The government will complete the demining process in all land areas required to resettle the remaining IDPs in the North, by the end of July, Northern Governor Major General G A Chandrasiri said yesterday. He also said that the challenge taken up by government officials, Security Forces and the public under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to resettle 295,873 IDPs liberated from the grip of the LTTE, amid doubts raised by the international community, had been met in record time of two and a half years .

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National policy to regulate private transport

A national policy is to be formulated to regulate private transport services, especially private buses, three wheelers and school vans. Passengers should immediately notify problems in connection with private buses to the National Transport Commission (NTC) Private Transport Services Minister C B Ratnayake told the Daily News . “I will not protect any offender using my political powers and will not give in to any pressure put on me by politicians,” he said.

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‘SL, a country where all could live in harmony’

Sri Lanka has become a country where all communities could live together in harmony and has entered the development path after ending a 30 year war, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa at a meeting with Sri Lankans residing in Thailand at St Regis Hotel in Bangkok.

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‘Defence Secy’s statement to BBC, a most honest truth’

Parliamentarian Ven Ellawala Medhananda Thera has highly appreciated the statement made by Defence and Urban Development Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to the BBC recently and said it is the most honest truth expressed in this century.

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‘SL’s counter terrorism experience, focus of world attention’

The role of Sri Lankan armed forces in eradicating terrorism from the country and establishing a suitable environment for development has engaged the attention of Sri Lanka’s friends overseas and won their acclaim, External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris said in Trincomalee on Monday.

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