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Ranil says peace deal in two years
Friday, 4 November 2005 - 2:42 AM SL Time
Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe visited the main military garrison in the Tamil heartland of Jaffna Thursday and vowed peace within `two to three years` if he is elected president this month.
He made a rare visit to this sprawling military complex at the northern tip of the arid Jaffna peninsula to address troops who are observing a shaky truce with Tamil rebels.
`We cannot have peace in a day or two,` Wickremesinghe told the security forces. `A permanent peace will take two to three years. Yes, I can promise you peace. The ceasefire was the first step.
`In the meantime we need to strengthen the security forces. We need to modernise the armed forces to meet the new challenges.
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Chilaw bishop slams CBK over Norochcholai
Friday, 4 November 2005 - 2:25 AM SL Time
In what is described in political circles as a possible showdown between the government and those who oppose the Norochcholai Coal Fired Power Plant, the bishop of Chilaw, who has been the staunchest opponent of the project, yesterday expressed his strong opposition to the signing of the project agreement with China and criticised President Chandrika Kumaratunga`s proposal to lay the foundation stone within a few days.
`The president of a country is quite free to lay a foundation stone where and when she chooses to do so,` Rev Dr F Marcus Fernando says in a strongly worded statement.
`As far as we are concerned, our position regarding this project remains unchanged.`
`We are totally against the erection of a coal power plant at Norochcholai,` he added. `We have clearly stated our reasons right from the start.`
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I`ll invite LTTE into government: Hettigoda
Thursday, 3 November 2005 - 3:45 AM SL Time
Presidential candidate Victor Hettigoda also known as Siddhalepa Vedamahathya said yesterday he would not dissolve the Parliament if elected, but would govern through a coalition government.
Addressing a news conference he said public funds were wasted on elections. Under his presidency he would appoint ministers and continue with the present parliament for at least four and half years.
Mr. Hettigoda said he would include LTTE members in his government as a means of solving the ethnic crisis and added he had invited the LTTE to hold talks with him before the election.
Corruption and misappropriation were rampant in government and local government circles he said. Infrastructure facilities like the road and rail system, the drainage system were in a mess.
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Politics
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Mangala shoots down Ranil`s foreign aid claims
Saturday, 5 November 2005 - 2:06 AM SL Time
Donors and international lending organisations give aid to governments and not to persons, Minister Mangala Samaraweera said yesterday (4).
Samaraweera, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse`s chief presidential campaign organizer, said the Opposition leader and UNP presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe had said at a number of campaign meeting that The present government has not been able to obtain foreign aid and such aid would be given to the country only if he comes to power. This he said was an attempt by Wickremesinghe to mislead the people.
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Extremists and moderates cannot nest together: UNP
Saturday, 5 November 2005 - 1:50 AM SL Time
The UNP yesterday strongly condemned the alleged attack on a Swarnavahini team by the supporters of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse at Hiniduma in Galle on Thursday.
The Swarnavahini crew members were assaulted while they were returning to Colombo after covering a Prime Minister`s Presidential Election rally.
Speaking to the media yesterday Bandaragama UNP organiser and founder of Jatika Hela Urumaya Tilak Karunaratne said that the UPFA failed to preserve media freedom.
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Ranil pledges to unite country under one flag
Saturday, 5 November 2005 - 1:49 AM SL Time
UNP Presidential Candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday reiterated his pledge to unite all people of this country under one flag by reaching consensus with the SLFP on the peace process , once he is elected the President.
Addressing a series of election rallies in Homagama and Maharagama electorates, Mr. Wickremesinghe recalled how the late Prime Minister D. S. Senanayake was able to unite the Sinhala community after reaching consensus between the Lanka Jathika Sangamaya and the Sinhala Maha Sabha.
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Editorial News
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Nip this violence in the bud
Saturday, 5 November 2005 - 1:53 AM SL Time
Despite all the unethical and undemocratic acts, the political parties are resorting to, in their bid to bring victory to their respective candidates, the people were relieved to some extent to observe that the scale of election-related violence and crime had been kept low.
However, the violence and damage to state property in a demonic spell, reported from Dankotuwa jolted the people out of their complacency. In the spree of violence unleashed the vandals have burned tyres on the roads in the area and damaged a telephone connection distribution cabinet at Katukenda Junction causing an estimated Rs.1 million loss to Sri Lanka Telecom and disrupting over 600 phone lines.
Reports said that the police had deployed special teams to arrest the miscreants. The question that arises here is why the police were not able to nab the culprits in the act. Such a disturbance in the area could not have occurred, in our view, without the knowledge of the police in the area. It is all the more surprising that such incidents have taken place at a time when the police are said to be kept on high alert. Special measures should have been taken, as it is generally done in other places, to offer security to the UNP meetings scheduled to be held in the area.
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A tale of many cities
Friday, 4 November 2005 - 2:46 AM SL Time
Paris is in the throes of a crisis. The riots which erupted, when two immigrant boys who attempted to escape an identity check by scaling a wall of an electricity relay station`s wall and were electrocuted in the process, are a manifestation of tension in the poor quarters in and around the city. The violent clashes are said to have rattled the French government; President Jacques Chirac has vowed to probe the boys` deaths.
The riots, according to observers, have laid bare France`s failure to address the problems of poverty and immigration. This is perhaps the best reading of the situation. In cities where affluence and poverty exist, cheek by jowl, such tensions as have manifested themselves in riots in Paris are something to be expected. The hardline law and order policies being given full cry by Sarkozy et al are said to have aggravated the grievances of the immigrant population. The firing of a tear gas canister at a mosque has reportedly irked the Muslims, who are resentful over the ban on headscarf in public schools.
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Clean elections: A question of will
Thursday, 3 November 2005 - 3:39 AM SL Time
When will Sri Lanka cease to be the White Man`s burden' Fifty seven years have elapsed since Independence but we are still dependent on the West to run our own affairs. It is not only the national economy that we cannot manage without foreign help. We cannot even handle our solid waste disposal on our own.
Yesterday, we reported that foreign governments would shower over Rs. 7.5 million on local polls observers for the forthcoming presidential election. Polls observers have been there over the past so many years and issued several reports, the last being the EU polls observers` report on the 2004 general election. But most recommendations they made are still far from being implemented. Their disillusionment and consternation are such that they have vowed not to come back.
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| Security |
Angry man hacks wife, paramour
Saturday, 5 November 2005 - 2:06 AM SL Time
A 43-year-old married woman and her paramour were hacked with a kitchen knife by an angry husband who found the two together in a compromising position at a house in the neighbourhood.
The woman and her paramour, who had both sustained critical injuries, were admitted to the Colombo North Teaching Hospital Ragama, Thursday (3).
The woman`s husband, who is an employee of the Medical Research Institute, Colombo had come home at dawn after night duty to find the wife missing. When he had searched for her he had found her with her paramour and attacked both of them with a `manna` knife. The condition of the paramour is serious, hospital sources said.
The husband has disappeared from the area after the incident, Ragama police said.
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School in shock after double killing
Saturday, 5 November 2005 - 1:49 AM SL Time
The village of Kebithigollawa was in shock and anguish yesterday after a teacher apparently suffering from some mental imbalance allegedly killed his teacher-wife and their two-year-old daughter on Thursday, police said.
The victims Moderage Chandani (29) a teacher of the same school and the daughter Dinusha Wijesuriya were found dead in the school teachers` quarters.
Headquarters Inspector M.K. Samarasena said the suspect showed signs of mental imbalance and was arrested while he was in the teachers` quarters. He had apparently got into a frenzy on Thursday.The wife had earlier told relatives of the situation and asked them to take her husband for treatment but it was too late. Both were trained and experienced teachers. They came to the Kebithigollawa school together.
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Anandasangaree fears rigging in NE
Saturday, 5 November 2005 - 1:48 AM SL Time
TULF President V. Anandasanagaree yesterday expressed fears that the LTTE may rig the upcoming election in the North East unless adequate measures are taken to prevent such a possibility.
Mr, Sangaree told the Daily Mirror that during a meeting with European Union Election Observing Mission head John Cushnahan, he had insisted on the need to have Sinhala officers along with Tamil officers manning polling stations.
Accusing the TNA of tolerating vast scale impersonation during previous elections in the North East, Mr. Sangaree said he requested Mr. Cushnahan to esure that 'history did not repeat itself'.
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Business / Economy News
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Standard Chartered offers free shopping at Keels
Saturday, 5 November 2005 - 2:07 AM SL Time
Standard Chartered announced the launch of another new loyalty programme for their creditcard holders in collaboration with Keells Super and Super K outlet. Each day Standard Chartered card holders will walk through the check out at each Keels` counter, with out having to pay for the purchases made. Seventeen winners will be picked daily resulting in over 500 winners during the 30 day promotion.
`This means card holders who shop at Keells Super and Super K outlets can walk off without paying their bill. A key aspect is that the promotion is hassle free - no refunds, no having to go back and shop again - the winner merely gets all the goods in his shopping cart free.` explained Sabry Ghouse Head of Consumer Banking in Sri Lanka. All Keells Super and K outlets located at Crescat, Liberty Plaza, Borella, Nugegoda, Mt. Lavinia, Moratuwa, Panadura, Nawala, Pepiliyana, Pellawatte, Wattala, Kiribathgoda, Kadawatha, Malabe, Kottawa, Piliyandala and Negombo will have one winner picked daily.
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Dutch light Lanka`s dim railway
Saturday, 5 November 2005 - 1:51 AM SL Time
The Netherlands government has agreed to donate Euro 11 million to the Ministry of Railways to re-install the coastal line signal lights system.
The system was completely damaged last year due to the tsunami.
Meanwhile, Minister of Railways Felix Perera yesterday declared open a signal light system installed to control the railway lines from Kalutara North to Wadduwa. This system was installed by a Netherlands company.
The Minister declared that his intention is to increase rail passengers from the present 6% to 10%.
Rail cargo service also will be improved to bring more revenue to the Railway Department.
The installation of new signal lights will expedite the railway transport system in the coastal line, railway sources said.
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UPFA leaders to claim 300 mn for starring in UNP ads
Friday, 4 November 2005 - 2:51 AM SL Time
UPFA Mahinda Rajapakse`s campaign team yesterday said they would take legal action against the UNP demanding Rs. 300 million each for starring in its political advertisements.
Minister Mangala Samaraweera said the UNP was using parts of statements made by him and his colleagues for political mileage and taking them out of context.
'These ads are being run on television stations which were known to be linked to the UNP,' the Minister charged.
He said unlike the children used in UNP commercials, the government members would demand millions for starring in main roles in these commercials.
However, a Colombo Court recently turned down an appeal by JVP Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe who requested that advertisements telecast using a statement made by him be stopped.
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| Sports News
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Why is Sri Lanka losing?
Saturday, 5 November 2005 - 1:51 AM SL Time
Who will win in a match between 11 and 12' No need to ask.
Then what type of a match is it' A one day international between Sri Lanka and India. seems to be quite a puzzle. Have a look at the two scorecards at Pune and it will tell you the story. This happens with the new ICC rule of the `super sub` and the team that`s not going to make the full use of their 12th player, generally called as the super sub, is bound to hit the rock. This is exactly what happened to Sri Lanka during the 4th ODI against India at Pune last Thursday.
Sri Lanka`s super sub, Thilan Samaraweera, was totally wasted. He neither batted nor bowled. He watched the match at players` enclosure without being told what to do.
In contrast to this, Suresh Raina, the Indian super sub, scored an unbeaten 39 to put a match winning partnership of 82 runs with Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Raina replaced medium pacer Sree Santh, who bowled eight overs to claim a wicket for 49 runs.
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SL-Kazakh kicks off early, live on TV
Friday, 4 November 2005 - 2:46 AM SL Time
The Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) has made arrangements to grant concessionary tickets to school children to view the upcoming Rugby World Cup (RWC) 2007 Asian Round Qualifier between Sri Lanka and Kazakhstan, at Longden Place on Saturday (Nov 12).
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), SLRFU Dilroy Fernando said that tickets ranging from Rs. 250 for the main pavilion, Rs. 100 for uncovered terraces and Rs. 50 for the opposite section (standing), will be available at the Union office.
Schoolboys drawn from the Western Province will be given tickets at a concessionary rate, Fernando added.
The November 12 Asian Round Qualifier between Sri Lanka and Kazakhstan will be televised on Sirasa TV from 3.30 p.m. according to the SLRFU CEO.
The game will kick off as early as 3.30 p.m., as heavy thundershowers and atmospheric disturbances have been predicted by the Metrological Department on the match day.
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Skipper Atapattu leads Sri Lanka`s revival in must-win game
Friday, 4 November 2005 - 2:44 AM SL Time
Captain Marvan Atapattu struck timely form with 87 as Sri Lanka recovered from a poor start to post 261 all out in a key one-day international against India here on Thursday.
The tourists, who lost the first three games, need a win at the Nehru stadium here to prevent India from taking a decisive 4-0 lead in the seven-match series.
The Indians, electing to field on a hard wicket assisting seam movement and bounce, reduced Sri Lanka to 51-3 by the 11th over before Atapattu led the fightback.
The skipper, who had scored just 22 runs in the first three matches, dropped himself down the order to number five and returned with his 54th one-day half-century studded with seven boundaries.
Atapattu put on 97 for the fourth wicket with Tillakaratne Dilshan (52) and 83 for the fifth with Russel Arnold (32).
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