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Wedding of the year!
The People's Alliance hierarchy are whispering to each other about reports of wedding bells for a most eligible bachelor of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), young and smart Gajan Ponnambalam.

The story has assumed great significance only for one reason. The reports speak of the bride being Dwarka, the 18 year- old daughter of Velupillai Prabhakaran, leader of the LTTE.

Whether the story is just speculation or not is unclear. But PA top rungers insist they have heard it from reliable channels. Efforts by The Sunday Times to reach Mr. Ponnambalam to verify the reports proved unsuccessful in the past two days.

Mr. Ponnambalam, a lawyer by profession, followed his father and grand father's footsteps to politics. He is a member of parliament from the Jaffna district.

LTTE leader, Mr. Prabhakaran honoured his late father,
Kumar Ponnambalam, as "Maa Manithan" (or Great Man), said to be the highest honour conferred on a civilian. The ceremony was attended both by Gajan and his mother.

Not sea sick but sick over cream
There was panic at peak levels at Sri Lanka Navy's Uttara Base in Kankesanthurai on January 6.

Hours after lunch was served at the mess hall, men began to fall sick. At first some 20 sailors complained of severe stomach pain and diahorrea. As the clock ticked away, the number rose to 80 and more. Seven had to be warded in the hospital for treatment.

The men had taken a meal of fish and vegetable. Senior Navy officials first suspected the fish to be contaminated. Samples were immediately taken for checks.

It later turned out that some harmful chemical in the custard that was served with the cream and plums was the cause. A probe is now under way.

It's all for Tyronne
It came after President Kumaratunga took over Defence, Interior and Mass communication portfolios.

The old website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has now disappeared. All previous content including policy statements and speeches by former Foreign Ministers as well as the President are out. Even the MFA statements before the UN Human Rights Commission are no longer there.

It is now devoted entirely to present Foreign Minister, Tyronne Fernando. Take a look at http://www.formin.gov.lk/

Shape of things to come?
Has a senior Army officer in the North begun a private survey of his own or is he giving an indication of the shape of things to come? The man told junior officers during a luncheon meeting to come up with their own thoughts on what they felt about the Army withdrawing altogether from Jaffna.

"This is only a wild thought. Don't you think we are better off if we serve from the East. Let me know what you think of this," he declared. The juniors are still to respond.

But the news has already reached the headquarters in Colombo and raised many an eye brow.

No head change
Retired DIG Merril Gunaratne will continue as head of all state intelligence agencies thus ending speculation, at least for the time being, about a new head.

Insiders say he won an extended term. In the wake of that, more changes in some of the key agencies including new faces in positions are not ruled out.

One stays back
Gazetted officers welcomed the new Police Chief, Indra de Silva, and bid good-bye to his predecessor at a formal farewell at the Banquet Hall of the Bandaranaike International Conference Hall (BMICH) last night.

One important feature of the arrangements for this farewell ceremony was the instructions sent out to Police gazetted officers in all division. At least one of them should stay behind in each division to make sure someone in authority is available in the event of a contingency.

The man responsible for the instructions was none other than Police Chief de Silva.

Words of wisdom
The People's Alliance hierarchy is now considering a proposal by an influential section to appoint a Presidential Commission of Inquiry to probe violence during the 2001 Parliamentary General Elections.

But some are strongly opposed to the move. As one politico pointed out, "they will sit for many long months at great public expense. A report will be brought out. Nothing will happen thereafter, not for a long long time. By then, next elections will be due."

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