Saudi Arabia's new labour policy will affect only illegal immigrants and not genuine workers employed in the Kingdom, India's External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has said.

"Genuine workers don't need to worry. It will impact only those who don't have proper work permit," Khurshid told IANS in the course of a brief chat in Berlin where this correspondent who had travelled with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last week.

Khurshid said Indian workers play an important role in Saudi Arabia

Sri Lankan Navy today denied the arrest of nine Indian fishermen hailing from Pudukottai district in Tamil Nadu, as reported in the Indian media.

"We have not arrested any Indian fishermen anywhere", Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya, the naval spokesman said.

Indian media had reported that nine fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy when they were fishing mid-sea.

The incident comes two days after Sri Lanka freed month, following a court order.

The Management Committee of the Anaheim temple would like to issue the following statement regarding the visit of the Bodu Bala Sena:

We are deeply disturbed and disappointed by the actions taken by Ven. Sumana in allowing the “Bodu Bala Sena” representatives to stay at the Anaheim temple, organizing a ‘Buddhanussathi Pooja’ and a get-together.

This was organized with the consent of the Ven. Sumana by two individuals without consulting the Management Committee of the temple and we had no prio

Sri Lankan domestic workers will soon be benefited by a proposed new law in the West Asia which provides for a compulsory weekly off day, keeping their passport and the option of returning home within three months of taking a new job if there are problems in the workplace.

It also contains a compulsory requirement for employers to send the salary of the worker to the bank, and end of service benefits.
The proposed law which provides for a common labour contract for all foreign domestic workers is close to being finalised

The United States expressed concern over Saturday's arson attack on the office of the Tamil newspaper Uthayan in Jaffna and called for a credible investigation.

In a Twitter message, the head of public affairs for the US Embassy in Colombo Christopher Teals said the US is concerned about series of attacks on Uthayan.

The Embassy called on Sri Lankan authorities to protect freedom of the media and conduct a credible investigation into the attacks.

“Last year, there had been 19 killings in Jaffna, but, police were keen about only one murder (of a suspected military informant),” recalls V. Premanath, Editor of Uthayan.

When it came to that particular case, police really meant business; they arrested four men and obtained a court order for their prolonged detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act – though the case was remotely related to terrorism.

Statements have been recorded from about thirty persons so far, regarding the disappearance of Thilina Jayasinghe, an automobile engineering student from the German Technical Institute in Katubedda.

While the student had left his place of residence on Thursday night, he has not been seen or heard from since.

A group of sixty six asylum seekers who reached Geraldton on Tuesday asked authorities if they could give them fuel and supplies so they could continue to New Zealand.

According to Australian media reports, immigration officials refused, taking the Sri Lankans into custody because they had come to Australia without a visa.

Nine fishermen from Pudukottai district in Tamil Nadu have been taken into custody by the Sri Lankan navy when they were fishing in mid-sea today, Indian media reported.

It was not known where exactly the fishermen were fishing when they were arrested and taken by the Lankan Navalmen along with their two boats, officials and local fishermen association president Ramakrishnan were quoted as saying by PTI.

After the arrest, tension prevailed in Jagadapattinam in the district, from where the fishermen ventured into the s

In successive incidents of attacks against Indian fishermen in the state, seven fishermen from Karaikal returned ashore with serious injuries allegedly caused by Sri Lankan Navy. This was the second such incident in the past week.

Seven fishermen from Karaikalmedu and Kilinjalmedu hamlets had set off for fishing on Friday and were fishing South East of Kodiakkarai, when they were intercepted by three Sri Lankan fishing boats past midnight on Friday.

According to their accounts, their boat was encircled by the three f