Tyronne Fernando passes away

Tyronne Fernando, an advisor to the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and a former Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka under the United National Party (UNP) government earlier, passed away in a private hospital in Colombo Tuesday morning, according to Sri Lankan presidential secretariat officials. Mr. Tyronne Fernando served as the governor of North-East Province Council (NEPC) from December 2004 till January 2006.

Tyronne Fernando who aspired to contest for the post of Secretary General of the United Nations Organization (UNO), while holding the post of Foreign Minister left the United National Party (UNP) when it was ousted from power in 2004 April general election. He did not get enough preferential votes to win a parliament seat and also was not considered by the UNP hierarchy for a national MP post thereafter.

He was appointed by former SL president Chandrika Kumaratunga as the fifth governor of the NEPC.

Later, he served as advisor to the Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Source: Tamilnet

Sri Lankan gov't hands over bodies of rebels

At least 14 dead bodies of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have been handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Sri Lanka's north central town of Anuradhapura, officials said Tuesday.

Sarath Weerabandara, the director of the General Hospital in Anuradhapura told the media that the bodies were handed over to the ICRC officials who called over at the hospital in the morning.

"We handed over the bodies after the post-mortems were conducted by Dr. Ajith Mendis the Judicial Medical Officer for Anuradhapura)," Weerabandara said.

The bodies were of the LTTE members killed in fierce battles in the north and east border of Welioya over the last weekend, according to military sources.

Some 47 rebels had been killed in confrontations with the troops during Saturday and Monday in the northern and northeastern regions, the military sources said.

Sri Lankan troops are currently engaged in limited military offensives to re-capture key areas from the rebels in the country's Northern Province.

The government claimed that rebels who controlled most parts of the Northern and Eastern provinces have now been restricted to just two districts in the north.

Source: Xinhua