8:52 AM

Visiting EU Official plans to help Sri Lanka

Visiting EU-China Friendship Group Secretary General Lin Gai said he will promote Sri Lanka as a destination in China and speaking to media in Colombo Mr.Gai said the friendship group wants to promote relationship in various sectors.

Replying to the media he said the Government of Sri Lanka must educate overseas people on Sri Lanka to obtain more tourist arrivals, investments and other opportunities. Mr.Lin Gai said he made his first visit to Sri Lanka and explained his Sri Lankan experience and said Sri Lanka has ideal investment opportunities.

"Most of Chinese have funds to invest in various projects. They like to invest in traditional and modern areas, he explained."Actually I want to help Sri Lanka in various ways .When I am in Brussels I will advise Chinese Embassy to look into these opportunities, he said. Speaking further he said the EU-China Friendship group promotes relationship with China. Recently EU Parliamentarian Nirj Deva had asked EU's support to help earthquake victims in Sichuan province,. China.

The EU agreed to provide 6000 tents for them. Nirj also discussed with the Ex-President of the USA Bill Clinton to support China, he said. Speaking on Sri Lanka's conflict he proposed the government must improve social and economic sectors of the un-cleared areas and it would be easy to defeat separatism from Sri Lanka.

Mr.Gai said Sri Lanka would become a rich nation within next 10 years.

7:50 AM

Obama Looking for a Democratic State Governor as His Running Mate

With party nomination a near certainty, Senator Barrack Obama was reportedly looking for a Vice Presidential candidate from among the 28 Democratic governors in the country. He has scheduled a meeting with the governors in Chicago on June 16th according to several news sources. State governors targeted were those where a shift in allegiance from Republican to Democratic was considered highly likely in November this year. Some governors mentioned were: Tom Vilsack of Iowa, Edward Rendell of Pennsylvania, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Mike Easley of North Carolina. Meanwhile, at least 15 to 25 additional super delegates were expected to endorse Senator Barrack Obama today as the primary season ended in S. Dakota and Montana. Obama was getting closer to the requisite 2,118 delegate number to clinch the nomination, as I write.

It looks like the end of the road for Clinton, a 30 year-veteran who has been a political stalwart of stature by her own right. Even though she just missed the nomination she so eagerly craved, people would remember her for the gritty manner she fought. It is a dilemma to confront the endgame; her supporters divide between those who would cede gracefully to Barrack Obama and those who would take the fight to the party convention in August.

Most observers believe that she would cede for the sake of the party and its prospects against the Republican candidate John McCain in November. Hers was a feisty campaign; showing resilience and strength of character beyond all doubt. Some believe that in clinging on, she risks bringing what has been a thrilling duel to a scrappy and raucous end in which all the good things about this campaign are forgotten. Both she and Obama deserve to be remembered for a hard fought fight.

In retrospect, both candidates made serious errors. While Obama handled the enigmatic race question with sophistication and assurance, he tripped over his turbulent priest Jeremiah Wright. His decision to break not only with the pastor, but also with the church whose congregation he belonged to for 20 years, was probably a necessary step towards electability. But the price paid may take a toll sooner or later.