Sri Lanka on Tuesday announced a landmark law to recognise as dead an estimated 65,000 people still missing seven years after the end of a bitter civil war, allowing relatives to claim inheritances.

There is no need to remove the Army commander by blaming him for the destruction caused to the Salawa Army camp in Kosgama in the explosion and fire, said defence secretary Karunasena Hettiarachchi.

China's Xinhua news agency is willing to expand cooperation with Sri Lankan media, Vice President of Xinhua Long Xinnan said.

It has now been revealed how during the Rajapaksa regime an unsolicited contract to supply high quality radiotherapy with high energy radiation for cancer patients had been given to a local agent of a Swedish company for a higher price which has cost the country nearly Rs. 7.7 billion.

Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga says that she will distance herself from the government if the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) intends to bring former Defence Secretary - Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to power.