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Foundation laid for Sri Lanka`s second international airport Monday, 20 November 2006 - 1:47 AM SL Time Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa today laid the foundation for the construction of the country`s second international airport in the deep south area of Weerawila. The President, addressing the ceremony, said his government has no plans 'to let the country be divided in fear of terrorism or any other force'. He said the government has not underestimated the efforts of the war heroes. The President also said the government would not let the Eastern Muslims be the victims of the LTTE. The Tigers have now been restricted to several villages in the Eastern Province, he said. Pointing out the need to clearly identify the distance between the Tamil people and the Tigers, the President said there were thousands of people to follow Tamil leaders such as Lakshman Kadirgamar, Amirthalingam, Anandasangaree and Douglas Devananda. 
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S.Lankan troops opened fire on students - monitors Sunday, 19 November 2006 - 9:58 PM SL Time Nordic truce monitors said on Sunday Sri Lankan troops opened fire on a group of agriculture students at close range in the island`s north on Saturday, killing five, after a deadly rebel ambush on government forces. A military spokesman said ground troops told him the civilians were killed in crossfire after a Tamil Tiger blast in the northern district of Vavuniya killed five soldiers on Saturday, and that police were investigating. `These soldiers fired indiscriminately at a group of students who had thrown themselves on the ground seeking safety after an LTTE (Tamil Tiger) Claymore mine blast nearby,` Helen Olafsdottir, spokeswoman for the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission that oversees the 2002 ceasefire, told Reuters.
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No lethal weapons for Sri Lanka, Manmohan reassures Vaiko Sunday, 19 November 2006 - 2:26 PM SL Time CHENNAI: India has taken `great care not to provide Sri Lanka with lethal offensive items of military hardware, specially of the kind that could be used against the Tamil population,` Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said. In a letter to Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Vaiko, he said: `We will reiterate to the Government of Sri Lanka that they must find a political solution through negotiations that will meet the genuine and legitimate rights of the Tamils, rather than adopting tactics that lead to death of innocent people.` Releasing copies of the Prime Minister`s letter at a press conference here, Mr. Vaiko said Dr. Singh wrote to him on November 12 in response to the MDMK`s plea, through a detailed memorandum on August 30 and a letter on November 6, for despatching humanitarian assistance to the Lankan Tamils.
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| Security
Security Forum
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Weekend violence kills 35 in Sri Lanka Monday, 20 November 2006 - 6:02 AM SL Time At least 35 people have died in weekend sea, air and land battles between Sri Lanka`s Tamil Tiger rebels and security forces, according to claims by both sides. The Sri Lankan navy said it killed at least 15 Tiger guerrillas after sinking three craft off the island`s northwest coast on Saturday. Helicopter gunships and supersonic jets also bombed rebel boats, the navy said. However, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said they sank at least two Sri Lankan patrol craft and that 10 sailors died. The sea battle came as Tiger rebels set off a powerful landmine in the northern district of Vavuniya that killed five soldiers and wounded two more, police officials said.
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Armed gang robs food lorries meant for Vakarai IDPs Monday, 20 November 2006 - 5:55 AM SL Time Five of the eight lorries carrying food relief to the people in the Vakarai area were looted by an armed gang while three returned when the convey could not proceed to its destination, military sources said. The lorry load of food were arranged by Batticaloa Govt. agent R. Punyamoorthy but they could proceed only up to Marnkerny, the last government � controlled area in the east. Military sources said a three hour period was given for the lorries to enter Vakarai and return, but due to the shelling by the LTTE in Chenkaladi the vehicles arrived at the security forces checkpoint at Marnkerny Later. `The ICRC will to have to make fresh arrangements today to send the suppliers` they said.
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3 SLA troopers, 4 students killed, many injured in Vavuniya Sunday, 19 November 2006 - 5:02 AM SL Time Four students of Vavuniya Farm school were killed and ten civilians were injured when Sri Lanka Army soldiers (SLA) manning a check post fired indiscrimatley, retaliating to a claymore mine attack on a SLA truck, killing three troopers, including a captain and injuring 5 others. The incidents occured at Thandikulam, north of Vavuniya town, around 9:45 a.m., Saturday, according to hospital and civilian sources in the northern town. Hospital sources said some of the injured are in critical condition. The 4 students who were killed by SLA fire were identified as Atchuthan of Batticaloa, Gopinath of Trincomalee, Riswan Mohamed of Batticaloa and Sinthujan of Vavuniya, the sources said. The troopers were travelling towards Omanthai when their was vehicle was attacked.
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| Politics
Political News Forum
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UNP `Reformists` speak to JVP; Karu J`s position shaky Sunday, 19 November 2006 - 4:56 AM SL Time The Opposition United National Party (UNP) holds its annual convention today despite a last minute attempt to have it cancelled as the re-appointment or sacking of its deputy leader Karu Jayasuriya becomes the major issue of the event. The decision hinges today on whether party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe will re-appoint Mr. Jayasuriya following the latter`s continued efforts to clip Mr. Wickremesinghe`s powers, which climaxed this week with an abortive effort to have the convention -- of which Mr. Jayasuriya is the chairman of the organising committee -- cancelled.
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Mahinda dashing: Lanka protests to Oslo Sunday, 19 November 2006 - 4:53 AM SL Time The Government has lodged a strong protest with Norway over its reported inability to deal firmly with a visa applicant who had stormed the Sri Lanka Embassy in Oslo, removed a portrait of President Mahinda Rajapaksa that was on the wall and dashed it on the ground. The applicant, a former Sri Lankan Tamil, is now a citizen of Norway. He had made an application to obtain a visa to travel to Sri Lanka. He had allegedly turned abusive after officials said it would take time to process. Norway`s Ambassador Hans Brattskar, The Sunday Times learns, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry early this week by Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera. The Minister is learnt to have told Mr. Brattskar that despite formidable sections in Sri Lanka being opposed to Norway, and attempted on many occasions to storm the Norwegian Embassy, the Government had taken tight security measures. However, he had said, it was regrettable that no such protection had been accorded to the Sri Lankan Embassy in Oslo. He is also learnt to have demanded that strong action be taken against the individual concerned.
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President`s completion of one year in office Saturday, 18 November 2006 - 4:42 AM SL Time CEB organises pinkama COLOMBO: A special pinkama to mark President Mahinda Rajapksa`s completion of one year in office organised by the CEB under the direction of Power and Energy Minister W.D.J. Seneviratne will be held at the Sasara Rehabilitation Home for Disabled Children Gothatuwa at 10 a.m. today. Under this programme, the CEB has made arrangements to rehabilitate the home`s electricity supply scheme and provide it with a stock of utility items including furniture, curtains and other linens. The inmates will also be entertained to a tea party as a part of this pinkama. Health Ministry religious programmes COLOMBO: Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva instructed ministry officials to launch religious programmes to mark President Mahinda Rajapaksa`s completion of one year in office.
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| Business / Economy News
Business News Forum
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Apollo may pick majority stake in Lanka hospitals Monday, 20 November 2006 - 6:05 AM SL Time Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd (AHEL), which sold its entire stake of 33.22 per cent in Lanka Hospitals Corporation Ltd. (LHCL) to Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (SLIC), may pick up a sizeable stake in LHCL again. Unlike earlier, SLIC, which bought out Apollo in LHCL two months ago for Rs 63.80 crore, is now willing to offer substantial stake (even as a leading partner) at a negotiated price, said SLIC Chairman Harry Jayawardhane. As a prelude to this, Apollo Hospitals, recently entered into a fresh agreement with SLIC for providing continued management and operational support services for Lanka Hospitals Corporation. Jayawardhane said: `SLIC recognises Apollo`s expertise, quality and its international standards in providing quality healthcare to run our 250-bed hospital in Colombo. We are keen to have them back as an equity partner in the Lanka Hospitals.`
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Samurdhi deposits top Rs.17 billion Monday, 20 November 2006 - 5:54 AM SL Time The Samurdhi Bank Societies have made remarkable progress in alleviating poverty, recording total deposits amounting to Rs.17,419 million by end September this year. Samurdhi Bank societies under several loan schemes have already disbursed Rs.24,757 million worth credit facilities among Samurdhi beneficiary families from 1996 to September this year to overcome their socio-economic hardships, a Samurdhi and Poverty Alleviation Ministry spokesman told the Daily News. Of this Rs.24,757 million, Rs.15,119 million has been granted to Samurdhi beneficiary families as self employment loans. In addition, Rs.5248 million has been provided to Samurdhi recipient families through the Jana Pubudu loan scheme while Rs.3,442 million has been granted for various agriculture related industries, he said.
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Road accident kills 10 in Sri Lanka Sunday, 19 November 2006 - 5:04 AM SL Time Sri Lanka: Ten people were killed when a speeding passenger bus crashed into two cars traveling in the opposite direction in northwestern Sri Lanka on Saturday, police said. The bus was heading to the capital, Colombo, when it crashed into the two cars packed with about 20 people returning from a funeral, in Gokarella village, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) northeast of Colombo, police officer Jayatilakaratne Bulanawewa said. The remaining passengers in the cars were injured and have been admitted to hospital, he said.
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| Editorial News
Editorial News Forum
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When singing becomes a crime Monday, 20 November 2006 - 6:05 AM SL Time Many a person has blown a gasket over the appointment of popular singer Karunaratne Divulgane as the North Central Province Governor. They demand to know whether President Mahinda Rajapakse couldn`t find anyone else for that post. Most appointments that politicians make are questionable and the consternation of the public is understandable. But should the appointment of Divulgane be condemned on similar grounds' Divulgane`s disqualification, according to his detractors, is that he is a singer. In other words, they don`t consider singers fit enough to hold political/public office. We have had all sorts of artistes as politicians, mainly actors but there has been no such opposition to them on the grounds of their profession. The late Mr. Gamini Fonseka, actor turned politician, went on to become the Speaker and NE Governor and maintained the dignity of those posts, though not without theatrics.
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An empty shell? Sunday, 19 November 2006 - 4:52 AM SL Time UNP MP Bandula Gunawardane, who served as Deputy Finance Minister during Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe`s last tenure as prime minister, used a home-spun idiom to describe the 2007 budget presented on Thursday to parliament by President Mahinda Rajapakse wearing his finance minister`s hat. Gunawardene, a politician with a firm grasp of economics, has the gift of making insightful comments in easy-to-understand Sinhala. He called the budget a `wood apple swallowed by an elephant`. Rural people as well as urbanites who delight in visiting the national parks and other jungles know that when jumbo, who relishes the divul fruit swallows it whole as he is wont to do, the inside of the fruit is digested in the stomach and the intact shell is ejected with the dung, round and whole as it was hanging on the wood apple tree.
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Are women in Sri Lanka`s N&E `Child Factories` and girls `Future Child Factories`? Saturday, 18 November 2006 - 5:36 AM SL Time By Ms S. Vijayalaxmy- Sooriya Women`s Development Organisation, Batticaloa Everyone in the world wants to lead a happy, free and a peaceful life. Most of us have great aspirations. Having a happy, free and peaceful life is put into question, and simply being `alive` becomes a challenge. This challenge and struggle for survival is confronted due to conflict. This struggle and conflict destroys the aspiration for a normal life. The ongoing conflict and the damages caused by the Tsunami affects the women, and more so the young girls, than men. No one really wants to talk about the difficult and inhumane situation women and young girls go through when a political, or a natural disaster such as the Tsunami, strikes them. The majority of the people in Sri Lanka who are affected by this situation are women, yet their fears and psychological traumas are being completely ignored.
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| Sports News
Sports News Forum
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Trinity-Kingswood ends in no result Monday, 20 November 2006 - 6:04 AM SL Time Captain Sachith Pathirana and Romesh Perera came up with fine all-round performances for Trinity College in their rain interrupted inter-school match against Kingswood College Kandy that ended in a draw on Saturday at the Asgiriya International Stadium. Batting first, Trinity reached 157 for 7 decl. with Pathirana hitting a quick-fire 97 off 92 balls. In reply, Kingswood were bowled out for 91 with the spin combination of Pathirana and Perera sharing eight wickets between them. Trinity in their second innings decaled at 96 for 4 as Perera top scored with 34. Off-spinner Chalitha Dharmnaprema picked up 3 for 28. Kingswood were 67 for one at close with Prasad Senaratne on 34* and K. Perera 25 *. Trinity 157 for 7 declared in 48 overs and 96 for 4 declared (Romesh Perera 34, Dilan Gangoda 19, Rajitha Bandara 17 n.o. Chalitha Dharmaprema 3 for 28)
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Darsha, Sugath pull out Monday, 20 November 2006 - 6:03 AM SL Time The Sri Lanka athletic squad bound for the Asian Games suffered a major setback on Saturday when veteran sprinters Sugath Tillekeratne and Damayanthi Darsha pulled out from the 45-nation event due to injury. The Asian Games will be held in Doha, Qatar, from December 1-15. Both Tillekeratne and Darsha, who dominated the Asian track in men`s and women`s 400m during the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games, were due to team up with the national squad later this month. However, they did not turn up for the final relay selection trial Saturday morning at the Sugathadasa Stadium. `Sugath informed us through his coach while Darsha personally informed us of her decision to pull out,` said athletic chief Dervin Perera. Darsha`s exit will leave Sri Lanka`s women`s shorter sprint relay, 4x100m, in deep trouble. Darsha and Jani Chathurangi (suspended over doping allegations) are being replaced with D.P.P. Priyadarshani and N.C.D. Priyadarshani.
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Light brigade versus ageing warhorses Sunday, 19 November 2006 - 4:51 AM SL Time The greatest contest in cricket is just four days away. When Australia`s campaign to regain the Ashes begins on Thursday, the attention of cricket fans all over the world will be on Gabba, Brisbane. England hasn`t won a series in Australia in 20 years, what could disturb this state of inertia over the next couple of months' Notwithstanding England`s great win last year ' its first since 1986 ' on current form, the Ashes shouldn`t even be a contest, never mind a close one. The English have showed definite symptoms of decline. Meanwhile, the Australians, defying the stereotype of the collapsing Roman Empire, have gone on to win nearly every Test they played. What is to prevent this injury-hit England team from getting steamrolled by a side bent on revenge' The answer appears to be a bit of an anti-climax, really ' very little. Not even the English press sounds convinced about its team`s prospects; and if there is hope, it is to be found not so much in England`s strengths as in Australia`s weaknesses.
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