New Chief of Staff Major General Samarasinghe Takes Office
SRI LANKA Army’s new Chief of Staff (CoS) Major General M.C. Mendaka. P. Samarasinghe RWP RSP USP ndc psc assumed his duties this morning (27) at his office in the Army Headquarters after a brief religious ceremony. Major General Samarasinghe has been serving as Commander, Security Forces, Jaffna until he was appointed the new CoS after the new Army Commander took office a week ago. Major General Samarasinghe observed religious rites before the members of the Maha Sangha invoked blessings on the new office.
THE NEWLY appointed Security Forces Commander, Jaffna Major General G.P.R. de Silva assumed his duties on Sunday (26) morning at his office inside the Security Forces Headquarters in Jaffna (SFHQ-J). The new Commander was accorded a Guard Turn out and a Guard of Honour by soldiers in the 11th Vijayaba Infantry Regiment on his arrival at the premises. He lit the traditional oil lamp and attended to religious rituals of all four major denominations before he initialed the first document as symbolic commencement of his duties. .jpg)
THE assassination of Alfred Duraiappa, Mayor of Jaffna was the first victim of LTTE terrorism, exactly 34 years ago on 27th July 1975 while he was entering for prayers at the Vishnu temple premises in Jaffna. It had been customary for Duraiappa to visit the temple every Sunday. His whereabouts had been monitored and followed by the assassins who had arrived at the scene on bicycles. On that fateful day, Duraiappa visited the temple on his white Peugeot and was about to enter the Vishnu temple when he was shot at pointblank range killing him instantly. 
THE resettlement of civilians in the Welioya area will be completed by the end of next month and the resettlement will be undertaken in the Kalyanipura, Morawewa and Gajabapura areas within the Welioya Divisional Secretariat Division, Senior Presidential Advisor and Parliamentarian Basil Rajapaksa said at the Welioya development and “Uthuru Wasanthaya” progress review meeting held at Mahaweli Community Training Centre in Welioya. He pointed out that the Government has been able to resettle the civilians and adopt measures to improve their livelihood due to the supreme sacrifices made by the gallant soldiers.
THE 10th death anniversary of LTTE slain Dr Neelan Tiruchelvam, the prominent intellectual and eminent lawyer falls on Wednesday (July 29th). Dr. Tiruchelvam, a Tamil by birth firmly believed that peace and harmony could be brought about to the motherland only through a negotiated settlement for which he spent whole of his valuable time. He who founded the International Centre for Ethnic Studies and the Law and Society Trust, two of Sri Lanka's leading research and policy organizations, earned international recognition due to his expertise in the fields of academics, law and politics.However, his ill-fate did not allow him to continue with his non-violent political effort to usher peace in Sri Lanka and was gunned down on July 29th, 1999 by Tiger (LTTE) gunmen who waylaid along Kynsey Road, Colombo 8 while he was traveling in his car. 
A CO-ORDINATING conference in connection with the government’s development programme, “Uthuru Wasanthaya”, (northern spring) was held recently at the Jaffna library auditorium. The meeting, chaired by Senior Presidential Advisor and Parliamentarian Basil Rajapaksa was attended by senior administrative officials and administrators involved in projects. Fifty Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) buses of three northern depots, which remained non-operational due to technical failures and shortage of spare parts, had been brought back on track after repairs, the meeting was told. 
DEVOTEES in their thousands gathered at the historic Nallur Kanthaswami Kovil in Jaffna on Monday (27) as the annual festival of the venerated Hindu temple began. Organizers with assistance of local government authorities, Security Forces and Police have already made arrangements to beef up security and other facilities, including transport to devotees who would arrive there from Jaffna and elsewhere. Information confirmed that some expatriates have already reached the peninsula to attend the festival.
PRESIDENT Mahinda Rajapaksa has instructed all Government officials involved in the Uthuru Wasanthaya (Vadakku Vasantham) Development Programme to take immediate steps to bring down the cost of living in Jaffna, the Governor of the Northern Province, Major General G.A. Chandrasiri said at a special meeting held in Colombo Monday (27). Governor Chandrasiri emphasized that the Chief of the Presidential Task Force for Resettlement, Development and Security in the Northern Province and Senior Advisor to the President; Basil Rajapaksa (MP) has called for the utmost dedication of every official and the security forces in bringing this endeavor to success.
THE annual Inter Regiment sports meet of the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force (SLAVF) was ceremoniously inaugurated this morning (28) at the Sugathadasa Stadium. Over 1000 male and female Army sports men and women representing 104 volunteer battalions participate in almost all track and field events while vying for the Championship during this annual sports event, generally held continuously for three days. 