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Monks Across The Divide Support CBK
Saturday, 18 June 2005 - 9:26 PM SL Time
Buddhist Monks expressed their support to President Kumaratunga on the Joint Mechanism with the Tigers to distribute aid to tsunami victims in the North-East during a conference held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall last night.
Prof.Ven. Kamburugamuwe Vajira Nayake Thero said he was very confident that the President would not betray the country. He stressed the importance of discussions in peace resolution adding that the JM was an opportunity to promote trust and understanding between conflicting parties. Venerable Baddegama Samitha Thero, the first Sri Lankan monk who entered Parliament from the South said that the people who oppose the JM did not even know its contents.
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President calls Buddhist conference
Saturday, 18 June 2005 - 9:17 PM SL Time
President Chandrika Kumaratunga intensified her campaign to win support for proposed joint mechanism (JM) for tsunami reconstruction by calling a conference of Buddhist monks in Colombo on Friday.
Nearly a thousand monks attended the conference in Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) on the invitation of the government.
The president told the monks she was surprised that the LTTE agreed for the JM, which she said 'does not even have the power of a Pradesheeya Sabha (Divisional Council).'
She questioned whether there was any other option than negotiating with the LTTE for a permanent solution to the national question.
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Monks should not take part in protests: Ven. Bellanwila Thera
Saturday, 18 June 2005 - 3:12 AM SL Time
Buddhsit monks should not participate in protests and agitations while remaining as Bhikkus because it can affect them negatively both locally and internationally, one of Sri Lanka's most eminent monks Ven. Bellanwila Vimalaratana Thera, said yesterday.
Addressing a Sangha conference at the BMICH on the proposed Post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS), the prelate said that Bhikkus had been portrayed as Sinhala Buddhist fundamentalists internationally because of such activities.
'We point a finger at some groups as fundamentalists for converting Buddhists to other religions. However, Bhikkhus have been described as fundamentalists in several books and articles compiled by some authors. Therefore, foreigners coming to Sri Lanka have that negative picture in their minds,' he said.
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Politics
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JVP to back no-faith against Cooray
Sunday, 19 June 2005 - 2:31 AM SL Time
A no-confidence motion against western province chief minister Reginald Cooray initiated by the UNP will be supported by the JVP on Monday, political sources said.
`That's correct,` Cooray admitted yesterday. `It's a case of strange bedfellows'the JVP is joining its arch enemy, the UNP, to push through this motion.`
`What can 36 PA provincial councillors do when the 26 JVP members have thrown their weight behind the 39 UNPers to bulldoze their way through'` he asked.
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JHU: P-TOMS must go to referendum
Sunday, 19 June 2005 - 2:15 AM SL Time
The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) yesterday said the proposed Joint mechanism or Post Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS) has to be approved at a referendum, and it should also be approved by the Maha Nayakas with the blessings of the Maha Sangha.
Ven. Dr Omalpe Sobhitha thera, deputy leader of the JHU warned that the party will take a tough stand if the UPFA with the patronage of the UNP goes ahead in introducing the proposed joint mechanism, while saying that within and outside the parliament all Buddhist forces should unite themselves irrespective of the political hues they represent.
He appealed to all patriotic elements in the JVP, UNP and SLFP to unite under one banner in defeating this proposal which, he said, will divide the country if implemented.
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UNP slams tin-pot dictators in JVP
Saturday, 18 June 2005 - 3:13 AM SL Time
Reacting to JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinhe's remark at Thursday's news conference in Colombo that the JVP would not allow the UNP to return to power, UNP assistant secretary said it was not for the JVP to decide who is to govern the country.
'Has the JVP leader got divine power to decide whether the UNP should be in power or not'' an angry , Tissa Attanayake asked
He said upstart politicians day-dreamed of becoming tin-pot dictators but they had no right to decide who should take office or go out of office.
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Editorial News
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Leave a worthy legacy
Saturday, 18 June 2005 - 3:16 AM SL Time
President Kumaratunga's decision to rule out snap parliamentary polls should be welcomed by all citizens at this juncture. We have had far too many political traumas recently, so to go through another needless general election, especially at a massive cost, in less than two years would be utter madness. The last General Election held in April 2004, cost the nation more than Rs.600 million and that too was held well ahead of time due to the premature dismissal of the then UNP regime, after being in office for little over two years.Besides, now nobody wants a General Election, not even the mighty UNP. The SLFPers would think twice before going to the polls at present since they have virtually broken all the promises given to its electorate at the last elections. More than anything else, without an efficient political machine like the JVP, the party might even be routed into third place, especially after its present internal debacle over the implementation of the Joint Mechanism which has left it without its winning partner and the country divided between those for it and those against it.
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Enough of brinkmanship
Saturday, 18 June 2005 - 2:40 AM SL Time
The President's bravado to go ahead with the Tsunami Relief Council (TRC), come what may, has now proved to be a damp squib. As to why she dragged this country and her government through all this misery is anybody's guess.
So now she has blinked in the eleventh hour and has agreed to take this chameleon to Parliament. This certainly is a chameleon for it has undergone changes, now no less than on three occasions, from Joint Mechanism to Post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure and now to TRC. We wonder how long this country will have to put up with her new role of playing brinkmanship. Hopefully it won't be for long. But in the remaining short period that she will remain as the President, all political parties of whatever hue need to act with extreme responsibility for the sake of this country, for if they too act like her we wonder what would become of this country'
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Do not let the government fall into the destructive hands of the UNP
Saturday, 18 June 2005 - 2:39 AM SL Time
The UNP said yeterday it would not support the government's move to bring the P-TOMS proposal to Parliament but assured it would not topple the government on that issue as the party was not opportunistic.
Addressing a news conference in Colombo in the aftermath of the JVP's pullout, UNP spokesman G.L Peiris said President Chandrika Kumaratunga should be firm in her actions and could not palm off her responsibilities.
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| Security |
Hand grenade in lunch packet of prisoner
Saturday, 18 June 2005 - 3:14 AM SL Time
A hand grenade was found in the lunch packet of a prisoner who was being brought back to Bogambara prison after being produced before the Kurunegala High Courts.
The grenade was detected when the prisoner was checked before being taken into the prison.
The prisoner had taken the grenade to his hand and had threatened the security officers that he would explode it.
However, the prison officers had brought him under control and had thrown the grenade to the prison premises. The safety pin had gone off but it did not explode.
A number of prisoners and prison officers would have been in danger if it exploded.
This prisoner was due to be produced before the Anuradhapura Courts today (18) and the prison officers suspect that he had plans to explode it there.
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Patient sues hospital for loss of kidney
Saturday, 18 June 2005 - 3:10 AM SL Time
An Indian doctor attached to the Apollo hospital was yesterday asked to file answers on a complaint made by a patient whose kidney was removed when he had gone for a stone in the bladder operation.
The victim S. G. V. Nimal Gunasekara of Ihalagoda, Imbulgoda complained that due to the negligence of the Apollo hospital's Genitourologist who conducted the operation the nerves and blood vessels of his kidney were damaged and this resulted in the removal of his left kidney. Citing Apollo Hospital Colombo and its Indian Genitourologist surgeon Dr. Sanjey Honoi who had claimed that he could conduct an operation to remove the stones with the newest technology that was not available in Sri Lanka, as defendants. The patient claimed Rs 15, 500,000 (Fifteen million five hundred thousand) as damages.
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LTTE's continued terrorism stalling peace process: Rocca
Saturday, 18 June 2005 - 2:42 AM SL Time
US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Christina Rocca, testifying before the United States House of Representatives International Relations Subcommittee for Asia and the Pacific on Tuesday June 14, said the division within the Sri Lankan government and the absence of trust between the government and the LTTE, which continues to use assassinations and suicide bombers, were the main reasons for the breakdown of the peace process.
However, Rocca said the United States' primary goal in Sri Lanka was to help the country end more than a decade of bloody conflict between the government and the LTTE and that the U.S. continued to support Norway's facilitation of a peace settlement.
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Business / Economy News
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Private partner washes hands off Sathosa
Sunday, 19 June 2005 - 2:16 AM SL Time
International Grocers Alliance Private Ltd. (IGA) which bought a minority stake and management control off Sathosa Retail Limited (SRL) in December 2003 have washed their hands of the agreement invoking its `force majeure' provisions saying that `insurmountable obstacles'' have been placed in the way of their attempts to streamline the management of the company and offer consumers a service on par with the competitors.
Among the obstacles identified were repeated public statements by the minister in charge of the CWE (Jeyaraj Fernandopulle), saying that the government intended to re-acquire the shares of SRL held by the private sector partners to the transaction.
`In fact, the minister had gone on record saying that `he was ready to re-purchase Sathosa as it would be best for the government to run the institution''' the IGA partners'Ceylon Biscuits, Richard Pieris and Carsons'have said in a tough letter they sent off on June 3.
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Young inventors show their magic
Saturday, 18 June 2005 - 3:15 AM SL Time
Sri Lanka inventors who participated at a few international exhibitions recently were awarded recognition by the Minister of Advanced Technology and National Enterprise Development Rohitha Bogollagama, promising that his ministry would be open for assistance in developing their inventions into commercial products.
A group of young 15 inventors, who comes under the age group 20 exhibited their award winning inventions to the Minister at an awards ceremony organized by the Sri Lanka Inventors Commission (SLIC).
An SLIC representative said that there is an island wide programme to spot these young talents through district and provincial level invention exhibitions. 'We have noticed very potential inventions are coming up for these exhibitions, but they seem to die down without a proper assistance programme to convert them into commercial products' remarked the representative.
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Rupee strengthens sharply
Saturday, 18 June 2005 - 3:15 AM SL Time
The Lankan rupee ended sharply higher Friday on banks and exporters converting dollars, a Dow Jones report said yesterday.
The dollar closed at LKR100.10 down from LKR100.35, amid dollar selling by a state bank.
The pair fell to a low of LKR100, but subsequently rose on importer demand and dollar purchases by a state bank.
The pair rose Thursday on political uncertainty after the Marxist party quit the ruling coalition, reducing the government to a minority in parliament.
Traders said the pair recovered Friday amid signs that the opposition would not topple the government, and President Chandrika Kumaratunga would push through a mechanism to deliver tsunami aid to rebel-held areas that could boost aid flows to the island.
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| Sports News
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Boteju and Aslam battle for the crown
Sunday, 19 June 2005 - 2:36 AM SL Time
Reigning champion Susantha Boteju of the YMCA and S. H. M. Aslam of Moors SC will meet in the National Snooker Championship final, for the U. W. Sumathipala Memorial Challenge Trophy at the Billiards and Snooker Association (BSASL) headquarters.
In the semi finals on Thursday, last year's runner-up Aslam beat M. K. M. Nazeer by six frames to one while Boteju beat Naresh Samarawickrama of Galle YMCA by the same margin. The winner and runner-up will represent Sri Lanka at the forthcoming Asian Snooker Championship in Pune, India.
Boteju has the honour of recording the highest break of 72 at this year`s Nationals, beside having three other half century breaks in the round robin matches.
The winner will receive Rs. 25,000 and the U.W. Sumathipala Challenge Trophy, while the runner-up will receive Rs. 15, 000/ In addition, for the highest break there will be Rs. 2, 500 and for each break of 75 or more, Rs. 1000.
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Boteju, Aslam in snooker final
Saturday, 18 June 2005 - 3:17 AM SL Time
THE defending National Snooker Champion Susantha Boteju had an easy passage to the final of the National Snooker Championship now in progress at the Billiard and Snooker Association tables on Thursday.
He defeated last year`s runner-up Naresh Samarawickrama with a classy show - six frames to one to make his way to the final.
In the semi-final Boteju got off to a fine lead winning the first three sets comfortably Naresh came back strongly in the next frame to clinch the fourth set and to reduce the lead. Boteju once again fought back to take the following three sets to take the match in his favour - six frames to one.
S. H. M. Aslam is the other cueist to reach the final when he ousted M. K. M. Nazeer six frames to one.
Here too it was Aslam who got to the lead with winning the first three frames. After a close fight Nazeer took the fourth frame to make it 3 frames to one (65-52).
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Chandrika de Silva wins triple-crown in Nepal
Saturday, 18 June 2005 - 2:41 AM SL Time
Chandrika de Silva brought honour and glory to Sri Lanka by winning a triple crown at the Nepal Asian Satellite Badminton Championship that concluded at the Dasarath Stadium Kathmandu, Nepal last week.
This is the first time in the history of Sri Lanka's badminton that a Sri Lankan won a triple crown at an international tournament. Chandrika de Silva won the women's singles, doubles and the mixed doubles events at this championship.
The seven times national champion de Silva defeated Thilini Jayasinghe, also of Sri Lanka, in straight sets in the singles final. She then partnered Thushara Edirisinghe in the mixed doubles event to beat another Sri Lanka pair of Duminda Jayakody and Thilini Jayasinghe in straight sets.
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