Concluding his four day visit to Sri Lanka, India's foreign affairs minister, SM Krishna reiterated the need to "devolve powers" in a "very visible manner" and expressed confidence in the ruling regime's commitment towards this.

Speaking to reporters on his way home to New Delhi, Krishna said,

"On the whole I have a sense of satisfaction that all the programmes that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced are being pursued vigorously in Sri Lanka."

India's foreign affairs minister, SM Krishna, formally handed over 1000 houses built for IDPs by India, 49,000 are yet to be built.

In a statement Krishna said,

Meeting Sri Lanka's president at Temple Trees on Tuesday, India's visiting foreign affairs minister, SM Krishna, felt assured by the president's commitment on finding a political solution based on the implementation of the 13th Amendment and the "meaningful devolution of powers".

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Krishna said,

There has been "no progress" achieved during TNA-government talks, TNA delegates told India's foreign affairs minister, S.M. Krishna, during his current visit to Sri Lanka.

Calling the government's attitude, "lethargic", the TNA reportedly urged India to take an "active role" in the process of arriving at a political solution.

Speaking after the meeting, one of the TNA delegates, S Premachandran, said,

Responding to US sancions on Iranian oil, Sri Lanka's petroleum resources minister, Susil Premajayantha, reiterated Sri Lanka's dependency on Iranian oil.

Speaking to the Reuters news agency Premajayantha said,

"We don't have any other alternative than getting oil from Iran,"

“The festival was in full swing. All the great writers from around the world were present, topping up their tan by the pool. Sorry I mean all the great white writers. The UK-returned natives were keen to stay out of the sun. Listen, you must understand, on this island paradise, the darker you were the harder it was to find a spouse and the more likely you were to be killed. It’s true.”

“The Festival sponsors strutted about and got lots of exposure. The organisers played at blind-man’s bluff. And the tan-toppers drank a lot. I’m telling you, all was as it should be.”

 “One or two people were a bit worried about security.

            ‘Did you hear a Russian girl was raped?’

            ‘No, no,’ SS told them, waggling his head. ‘That didn’t really happen! It was a play put on for the purpose of the Festival. It wasn’t the real thing!’

            ‘What about that Red Cross guy who was killed?’

            ‘That was in the play, too. Remember your Hamlet? The play’s the thing and all that…’

            ‘Oh okay,’ said the foreigners and off they went for a swim thinking, gosh, these people are incredibly friendly. They just smile and smile…. wasn’t there something like that in Hamlet, too?”