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Norway to hold talks with Govt. and LTTE for new framework
Monday, 2 January 2006 - 2:40 AM SL Time
Norwegian Minister for International Development and former special peace envoy Erik Solheim, will himself appoint a new peace envoy after consulting the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE when he visits the country later this month.
Mr. Solheim who came under severe criticism from both the JVP and the JHU as being biased towards the LTTE also vowed to play a key role in the country`s peace process.
In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mirror Mr. Solheim said Norway had assigned him to take charge of the peace process in Sri Lanka and as minister in charge, he would assign a new envoy after consulting both parties to the ceasefire agreement while continuing to play an active role himself.
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SriLankan Airlines wins coveted Galileo Indian Express award
Monday, 2 January 2006 - 2:33 AM SL Time
SriLankan Airlines, the largest foreign carrier in India, won the coveted Galileo Indian Express Award for the Best Eastbound International Airline for the years 2004-05.
SriLankan was selected ahead of Singapore Airlines, Malaysian Airlines, Air India, and Indian Airlines, who were the other finalists in the category of Eastbound International Airline.
`This award is a considerable boost to SriLankan Airlines` efforts in the Indian market, where we have increased our operations consistently over the years. Our strength is the ideal geographical location of Colombo, from where we offer a wide range of destinations Eastbound and Westbound from nine cities in India,` said N. Prabaharan, Regional Manager for Sri Lanka & Indian Subcontinent, who received the award on behalf of SriLankan at a ceremony in Mumbai recently. `We are also in the ideal position to connect with the booming domestic air travel in India since we can turn India`s new domestic air travelers to international ones by bringing them to Sri Lanka.`
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New Year messages - President Mahinda Rajapakse
Sunday, 1 January 2006 - 2:09 AM SL Time
`Throughout our long history, the important truth that has become clear to us beyond any doubt is that every time we acted as untied people and a nation we became victorious. Similarly, it has become clear to us that every time victory eluded us and our enemies became victorious when we failed to do so. Therefore, my greatest hope is to see the year 2006 to turn out to be the year that mobilizes the unity and strength of our nation to the maximum extent possible. I, therefore fervently hope and believe that all my fellow citizens will public spiritedly and patriotically come forward, join hands with me and act with commitment together with me to achieve that objectives,` President Mahinda Rajapakse said in a New Year message:-
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Politics
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S.B. eligible for parole: Marzook
Tuesday, 3 January 2006 - 11:05 AM SL Time
Former PA heavyweight and present UNP National Organiser S.B. Dissanayake who is serving a two-year sentence for contempt of court could obtain a parole similar to the privileges enjoyed by other prisoners.
Commissioner General of Prisons Rumy Marzook said yesterday that Mr. Dissanayake would be released as soon as he received the decision of the Prisons Board to that effect.
Mr. Marzook said that Mr. Dissanayake`s appeal had been already referred to the Prisons Review Board.
He said according to provision in Section 14 of the Prevention of Crimes Act, any prisoner serving a sentence of two years and whose behaviour was good, could obtain a parole after serving part of the time in prison and could spend the balance period under the supervision of the Board.
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LTTE urges Govt. to stop `delaying tactics`
Tuesday, 3 January 2006 - 11:03 AM SL Time
The LTTE has warned that time was fast running out with the patience of the rebel leadership dwindling and urged the Government to give up its 'delaying tactics' and show more urgency to hold immediate talks on strengthening the ceasefire agreement.
The rebels also claimed that the Government was not showing consistency in its faith in Norway by welcoming Oslo as peace facilitator but rejecting the same country as a venue for talks on the ceasefire agreement.
The LTTE`s Trincomalee district political head S. Elilan, told the Daily Mirror that the grace period given by the LTTE leadership to the new government of President Mahinda Rajapakse was being misused by the State as a delaying tactic and would only force the rebels to find a solution to their demands on their own.
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A/L results scandal - Mahinda calls for probe
Tuesday, 3 January 2006 - 2:38 AM SL Time
President Mahinda Rajapakse has called for an immediate re-scrutinising of all MCQ answer scripts including the controversial Chemistry I paper. He has also ordered a probe into how the system went wrong, a press release issued from the President`s Office said on Sunday.
President Rajapakse has instructed President`s Secretary Lalith Weeratunga to suspend the university admissions until the crisis is solved, the release said.
Distressed students and their parents had met with President Rajapakse at Tangalle on Saturday and in Kandy yesterday to forward their grievances. Members of the JVP had also requested President`s intervention in the issue. Subsequently, the President had directed education authorities to probe and inform him of the officials responsible for the crisis.
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Editorial News
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Let no child pay for sins of Exam. Dept. nincompoops!
Tuesday, 3 January 2006 - 2:37 AM SL Time
The mega GCE (A/L) results scandal has triggered widespread public protests. The aggrieved students and their parents are up in arms against the Examinations Department, which had been using a faulty computer for marking the MCQ answer scripts, mainly in Chemistry. The magnitude of the scandal is such that it has prompted the intervention of President Rajapakse.
But for the relentless efforts of a handful of school principals of the South, who took up the cudgels for their students` rights and confronted the Examinations Commissioner, the scandal would have been hushed up and the culprits would have gone Scot free. Every mother and father and sister and brother must congratulate those caring teachers who stood in the line of duty.
The malfunctioning mach-ine had been brought in six years ago and it couldn`t be that those who were handling it were oblivious to its faults. When a large number of applications were sent in for re-scrutiny and the results changed drastically, the Examinations Department should have ordered a prompt inquiry and asked the UGC to delay the issuance of the cut off marks. The students whose names appeared high on the district lists, on the other hand, did not care to apply for re-scrutiny as they were confident of university entrance. But, lo and behold! when the UGC issued the cut off marks, based on the revised marks, students who had been at the bottom of the district lists but applied for recorrections qualified for university entrance.
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With them, we need no enemies
Monday, 2 January 2006 - 2:35 AM SL Time
The news that a former Navy Commander had placed an order for old cannon instead of brand new guns and settled part of the massive bill in advance is shocking. The controversial deal initiated during the UNF regime, as we reported a few years ago, ran into stiff resistance initially. Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, who was a UNF minister, opposed the deal tooth and nail and locked horns with the then Defence Minister Tilak Marapane, prompting the Prime Minister at that time Ranil Wickremesinghe to appoint a three member committed to probe the allegations. The probe came to an end when the UNF government was dislodged and the deal was clinched in 2004 under the UPFA government.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. But for corruption within the defence establishment, the war would have been a thing of the past many years ago. All defence bigwigs, save a few, have lined their pockets at the expense of the national security interests. Nothing from aircraft to flak jackets or even food is free from corrupt deals. It was only a few weeks ago that we reported a large number of flak jackets imported for the army could not stop bullets! What is the difference between flak jackets that bullets can pierce and windbreakers'
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A lesson for our times
Sunday, 1 January 2006 - 2:15 AM SL Time
Mr. Vivendra Lintotawela who relinquished office as chairman and chief executive of the John Keells Holdings group of companies has in a farewell letter he wrote to all JKH employees offered a snapshot of the development of the group which has grown massively in recent years. This should be a matter of pride not only to JKH stakeholders including employees, shareholders and, indeed, the government to which taxes are paid, but also the country at large. In effect, what Lintotawela has presented is a microcosm of achievement that should be possible and attainable by Sri Lanka as a whole if only we can all get our act together and in the celebrated words of Rev. W. S. Senior, Vice Principal of Trinity College, find that brave new world where we could all `leap to a single bugle, march to a single drum.`
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| Security |
Tigers targeting top politicians
Tuesday, 3 January 2006 - 11:04 AM SL Time
The recent series of massive cordon and search operations in Colombo were carried out following intelligence reports that the LTTE was targeting the assassination of several political leaders including President Mahinda Rajapakse, a senior police officer said yesterday.
Colombo DIG Pujith Jayasundara said among the prime targets of the LTTE were EPDP leader Douglas Devananda, SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem, TULF leader V. Anandasangaree and several others including senior ministers, JVP leaders and senior politicians.
He said the recent joint cordon and search operations were intensified to ensure the protection of political leaders and the security situation in Jaffna.
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Police Department to be modernized
Tuesday, 3 January 2006 - 2:43 AM SL Time
A central automated finger printing system with Swedish assistance is to be set up connecting island-wide police stations to expedite investigations on criminals and terrorists, the Inspector General of Police said.
IGP Chandra Fernando told Daily Mirror yesterday that the system will be introduced within this year and is expected to cost Rs.700,000,000 million. The system will expedite police investigations and will minimize criminal activities in the country he said.
Under this system all police stations will be provided with computers and other facilities to carry out DNA tests and finger print matching instantly..
According to the Police Chief, the new system will help the police to identify any suspect, who had been listed as an accused in earlier cases. He expected the system to be introduced soon.
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Two remanded over Kadir killing
Tuesday, 3 January 2006 - 2:36 AM SL Time
Two suspects, produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate yesterday, in connection with the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamer, were remanded till January 16.
The suspects S. Sivaranjan and K. Thirukumaran were produced before Court by the CCD. Counsel K.V. Thavarasa and K.S. Rathnavel appearing for the suspects pleaded the Court grant bail. Magistrate Kusala Sarojinie Weerawardene refused stating that the Magistrate`s Court had no jurisdiction to grant bail to suspects who were charged with murder. The magistrate further ordered the CCD to continue investigation and submit a report on January 04.
The suspects were ordered to be kept in remand till January 16.
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Business / Economy News
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Expat Sri Lankan woman donates Rs. 4.6 m for tsunami victims
Tuesday, 3 January 2006 - 2:41 AM SL Time
A Sri Lankan woman P. H. Kumari living in England has sent a donation amounting to Rs. 4.6 million for constructing houses for the tsunami displaced people at Magalle in the Galle district.
Kumari was born in Ambalanwatte and migrated later to England for employment. She was deeply sorrowed on hearing the damage caused by the tsunami to the people in the south.
She was planning to help the victims and one of her British friend Lord Mallow Fardore had given her 25,000 sterling pounds (Rs. 4.6 million) as a donation.
Kumari, contacted the `Ekamuthu Mutual Benefit Society` at Mahawatte, which took immediate action to provide urgent relief for three weeks as a initiative. They also constructed houses for the displaced families.
The patrons of the `Ekamuthu Mutual Benefit Society` Ven. Pallathara Sumanajothi Thera, President of the Society Lal Hewage, Vice President Ranjan Abeysinghe, Dhanapala Jayawardena and P. H. Indrapala launched a housing project consisting fourteen (14) houses and a montessori for kids. Construction of each house costs Rs. 400,000 it was estimated. Construction of three (03) houses and the montessori have already been completed and the balance houses of the project are nearing completion.
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Colombo bourse shares end higher; United Motors dominate
Tuesday, 3 January 2006 - 2:36 AM SL Time
Sri Lankan shares ended higher Monday, helped by a one-off trade in United Motors Lanka that also boosted volume.
Otherwise, traders said, activity was low as most investors continued to track developments on efforts to try and revive peace talks between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or LTTE, rebel group which stalled in 2003.
The benchmark All Share Index climbed 32.41 points, or 1.7%, to close at 1954.61.
Fears of a return to war amid increased violence in the north triggered a heavy sell off on the market in recent weeks, but bargain buying last week has offered some support to the main index.
Total volume was a heavy LKR1.1 billion compared with Friday`s light LKR164 million.
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E-Shopping for Dankotuwa products
Monday, 2 January 2006 - 2:35 AM SL Time
Dankotuwa Porcelain Limited (DPL) has tied up with Kapruka Dot Com (Private) Limited to sell its porcelain products online. Sri Lankans living abroad could now send gifts of porcelain tea and dinner sets from any where in the world to their family, friends and relations living in Sri Lanka by logging on to the kapruka web portal http://www.kapruka.com. Dankotuwa tea, coffee and dinner sets are greatly appreciated as wedding, anniversary, Christmas, birthday and New Year gifts said Sunil G Wijesinha DPL`s Chairman/Managing Director.
A selection of designs manufactured by Dankotuwa Porcelain Limited is now available on the kapruka web portal, while more designs would be available soon. Dankotuwa commissions world famous designers from UK and Continental Europe to design its new shapes. Dankotuwa exports 80% of its output to the US and several European countries. The Company was awarded the prestigious `Most Outstanding Exporter of the Year` award for 2004 at the recent awards ceremony organized by the National Chamber of Exporters.
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| Sports News
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Sri Lanka in `must win situation`
Tuesday, 3 January 2006 - 2:38 AM SL Time
In a desperate attempt to sort out the crisis the Sri Lankan top and middle order batsmen are facing, the tourists will continue to play seven specialist batsmen and will name Jehan Mubarak as the super sub in the third One Day International against New Zealand to be played here at the Jade Stadium in Christchurch today.
The Sri Lankans will be desperately hoping their captain`s miserable record with the toss will end today. If the losing trend with the toss continues, the tourists will be put in again and either Mubarak will be made to bat if there is an early collapse forcing one of the bowlers to be left out or if things go right he will not need to take any part of the game making the super sub ineffective.
`It`s a matter of the top seven doing the job and if needed us making use of the super sub to put the icing on the cake. But that`s not been the case and it`s more like the top order failing and we getting the super sub to do the job,` captain Marvan Atapattu who has been made to answer some tough questions at press conferences recently told reporters in Christchurch.
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`Super` snub for Susie and Sugath
Tuesday, 3 January 2006 - 2:37 AM SL Time
Sri Lanka has left senior athletes Susanthika Jayasinghe and Sugath Tilekaratne out from the `Super athletic pool`, which was constituted in view of a heavy international schedule this year.
`They were out of the reckoning for the super pool as they have not competed for well over a year,` said athletic boss Derwin Perera.
However, both Jayasinghe and Tilekaratne have been included in the national pool.
Sri Lanka is to compete at Commonwealth Games, Melbourne, South Asian Games, Colombo and Asian Games, Qatar in the 2006 athletic calendar.
`We have been very fair in the selection process and we haven`t left any room for criticism,` stressed Perera.
`They can certainly get into the super pool provided they reach the qualifying standards or win medals at Asian level and beyond,` he further explained.
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We are under pressure, admits Atapattu
Monday, 2 January 2006 - 2:34 AM SL Time
Sri Lanka`s cricket captain Marvan Atapattu admitted that he and his team are under pressure after a string of poor performances both in Test and ODI cricket in recent months. Sri Lanka has won just one of its last eight one-day internationals, and Atapattu showed concern at the way the Sri Lankan side has played over the last few months.
`We all are under pressure when we don`t perform,` Atapattu told a news conference after Saturday`s seven wicket beating in Queenstown.
`No individual can say that his place is secure and when the team loses you are a loser,` he added.
The Sri Lankan captain, who demoted himself to the middle order during the Indian series due to his own poor performances and a struggling middle order, also indicated that he might start batting up the order with the moving ball in seaming New Zealand conditions requiring sound technique for survival.
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