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UNICEF statement on LTTE child recruits `pretty lame`
Wednesday, 15 February 2006 - 3:20 AM SL Time
UNICEF, which sporadically releases statements on child conscription, also pointed out that the average age of recruitment has increased from 14 to 16.
`While recruitment of children has been reduced, and the average age of recruitment has increased from 14 to 16 years, recruitment of even one child is unacceptable according to the Convention of the Rights of the Child,` says the statement attributed to JoAnna VanGerpen, UNICEF representative in Sri Lanka.
She is also quoted as saying: `While recruitment of children in the last six months declined to an average of 43 a month, only 79 children were released and reunited with their families during the same period.` VanGerpen does not specify whether those who had been released and reunited with their families were the same children who had been newly recruited or whether they had been conscripted earlier.
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No homeland for Tigers - S.Lanka President
Monday, 13 February 2006 - 11:49 PM SL Time
COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse on Monday ruled out Tamil Tiger demands for a separate homeland in the island`s north and east, but said he would rein in armed groups -- a central rebel demand ahead of crunch talks.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have threatened to resume an armed struggle that led to two decades of civil war which killed more than 64,000 people up until a 2002 truce unless the government gives them a separate homeland for ethnic Tamils.
`There`s only one country, we can share power. Not a separate state. That idea must be taken off ... it is completely out,` Rajapakse told Reuters in an interview ahead of upcoming talks with the rebels in Switzerland to avoid a slide back to war.
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Batticaloa Buddhist priest on fast to death campaign
Monday, 13 February 2006 - 10:03 PM SL Time
Ven. Ampitiya Sumanarathna Thero, the chief priest of the Batticaloa Sri Mangalaramaya Buddhist Vihara, has begun a fast unto death campaign Monday at 9.30 am, protesting against lack of interest by authorities in resolving hardships faced by Batticaloa residents and for not providing adequate security to his temple, sources in Batticaloa said.
`People of this region, affected by tsunami and war, face innumerable hardships. I have helped them as much as I could. But their problems have to be addressed by the Sri Lanka government. Though I had referred this matter many times to the key government officials, nothing has been done to improve the situation,` the priest said.
`The funds allocated to the restoration of war affected religious places have not been disbursed due to the negligence of the officials` complained the fasting priest.
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Politics
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JHU submits LG nominations in 14 districts
Thursday, 16 February 2006 - 2:39 AM SL Time
The Jatika Hela Urumaya (JHU) is to submit nominations for 13 districts for the Local Government Elections. The party`s Colombo group is headed by JHU stalwart and Jatika Sanga Sammelanaya Financial Secretary Ven. Rajawatte Vappa Thera.
Two other party strongmen will lead the groups contesting for Dehiwala Mount Lavinia and Maharagama Municipal Councils.
JHU is contesting in 14 districts including Ampara and Vavuniya. Nominations for Kandy district would be submitted only on February 16, party spokesman Nishantha Warnasinghe added.
However keeping to the earlier pledge to involve more lay members in upcoming elections the JHU candidate groups for Kotte Municipality and Kesbewa Pradeshiya Sabha are led by laymen.
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Cooray for mayor`s post
Thursday, 16 February 2006 - 2:35 AM SL Time
Former Mayor Sirisena Cooray will today hand over his nomination as UNP`s Colombo Municipal Council mayoral candidate.
Mr. Cooray told the Daily Mirror he was nominated by the party Nomination Board despite objections raised by some UNP members.
Mr. Cooray came into the political limelight when he won the Suduwella Ward at the CMC elections in 1971.
The party has also appointed present Deputy Mayor Azad Sally as the Deputy mayoral candidate though he had earlier vowed not to contest the election unless appointed as the mayoral candidate.
When contacted, Mr. Sally said he had accepted the party`s nomination.
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JVP insists on Mahinda Chinthanaya at Geneva
Wednesday, 15 February 2006 - 3:33 AM SL Time
The JVP yesterday called for a new approach to the peace process based on the policies of the Mahinda Chinthanaya.
The party in a three-page statement issued at a news conference said the government delegations at the talks with the LTTE in Geneva next week should talk only on the basis of the Mahinda Chinthanaya policies.
The party said:
'The JVP welcomes the breakthrough achieved by President Rajapaksa to bring the LTTE to the negotiating table.
'We propose to the government to pay its highest attention to the following points in its discussions with the LTTE in Geneva.
= The agreements made at previous talks have been broken in both spirit and action and the armed conflict has continued.
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Editorial News
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Carrot-and-stick approach
Thursday, 16 February 2006 - 2:42 AM SL Time
President Mahinda Rajapaksa, addressing a seminar on public enterprises and their future, on Tuesday, reaffirmed his antipathy towards privatization of weak State institutions and explained how the Government proposes to get public sector enterprises to operate without being a burden on the Treasury.
He proposes to adopt a carrot-and-stick approach in dealing with these institutions. He said the Government would monitor the performance of these institutions and, at the end of one year, review its progress. The chairmen, boards of directors and employees of institutions that had done well, would be commended, while the authorities would name those that have failed to perform as expected.
At the same seminar, Finance Ministry Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera gave listeners some idea of the state of some of these State institutions. He said that institutions that continue to be burden on the Treasury are, the Postal services, the CGR and the CEB among others. He did not mention the CWE and the CPC. Perhaps, they are now doing well. These are the same institutions that former Finance Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama described as monsters that gobble up State funds, without providing a satisfactory service to the people.
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Too many pills, too many ills
Wednesday, 15 February 2006 - 3:38 AM SL Time
With Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva leading the government delegation to the talks in Geneva next month and the focus very much on the peace process, it is likely that the Minister may not give much priority to the vitally important National Medicinal Drugs Policy.
Last month, the Minister in the presence of President Mahinda Rajapaksa repeated an often given assurance that legislation for the National Medicinal Drugs Policy would be introduced in parliament this month and that the new policy would be effectively implemented. The Health Minister also revealed that he had appointed a former WHO expert Dr. Palitha Abeykoon to streamline the process of drawing up legislation for the NMDP and for its implementation. With the Health Minister likely to be in the frontlines of the ceasefire and peace talks, the responsibility will now rest largely with Dr. Abeykoon to ensure that the NMDP, which would bring healthy and life-giving benefits to millions of people, is not undermined or sabotaged by vested interests, including multi-national pharmaceutical giants.
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When strange bedfellows become estranged...
Tuesday, 14 February 2006 - 1:44 AM SL Time
In politics, as is said, there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies; there are only permanent interests. Nothing exemplifies this truism more than the government`s boast that the CWC and the UPF''political call girls who keep changing hands''have extended their support to it at the upcoming mini polls. It was only a few moons ago that the CWC and the UPF went all out to trip Mahinda in the presidential race. Together, they almost snatched victory from him by delivering to Ranil a block vote, which deprived Mahinda of several percentage points. What really made him President was the overwhelming support he got from the South mainly due to an all out JVP effort, which compensated for the lack of an aggressive SLFP campaign.
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| Security |
Police Department to be restructured
Thursday, 16 February 2006 - 2:38 AM SL Time
In a bid to increase the efficiency of the police service as well as to minimize corrupt practices in the police force, IGP Chandra Fernando has decided to establish four special committees to cover the four main police ranges of the country.
The committees will be established under the four Senior Deputy Inspectors General of the respective ranges.
IGP Fernando decided to establish these units to oversee police operations and functioning of the system divisional-wise.
The new committees will enable the public to inform the department of corrupt practices of officers whatever their rank.
The first committee will function under the Senior DIG Range I ' H M S Herath who is tasked with monitoring the North Western Range, North Central Range and Central Range West.
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Commandos detained
Thursday, 16 February 2006 - 2:36 AM SL Time
The weapons used by the 11 STF commandos and two policemen, allegedly involved in the killing of five students at Trincomalee on January 2, have been sent to the Government Analyst for examination, police detectives said.
They said the suspects were being held in custody under detention orders But they have reportedly denied allegations of having opened fire at the students
The CID had also collected spent bullets and fragments of a hand grenade found in the vicinity of the incident.
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Private hospitals to be regulated: New laws soon
Wednesday, 15 February 2006 - 3:35 AM SL Time
After a prolong delay, controversy and protests, a bill to monitor and control private medical institutions was presented in parliament yesterday.
The proposed legislation titled `Private Medical Institutions (Registration) Bill` was presented by Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, and will be taken up for debate later.
The bill had been in the making for several years amidst protests and claims by various parties.
The bill provides for the registration, regulation, monitoring and inspection of private medical institutions.
It also provides for the necessary infrastructure to foster the development of private medical institutions.
The new laws will prevent anyone from establishing, maintaining or operating a private medical institution without a certificate of registration from the Private Health Services Regulatory Council. Applications for a certificate of registration must be made through the Provincial Director of Health Services.
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Business / Economy News
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Investors get positive ahead of Govt-LTTE meeting
Thursday, 16 February 2006 - 2:48 AM SL Time
Stock market investors remained positive ahead of next week`s peace talks in Geneva propelling the Colombo bourse.
The ASPI and MPI were up by 20 and 33 points respectively while turnover was a healthv Rs. 422 million.
`Sound buying interest across the board saw both indices register significant gains with large trades on DFCC and CINS contributing to healthy turnover levels,` John Keells Stock Brokers said.
A Dow Jones report said that shares ended higher Wednesday on expectations of a positive outcome at peace talks between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels next week.
`There was some buying in the run up to the peace talks and on hopes of a positive outcome,` one trader said. Tamil Tiger rebels and the government and due to meet Feb. 22-23 in Switzerland to discuss ways to strengthen the ceasefire agreement.
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Trains back on track today
Thursday, 16 February 2006 - 1:44 AM SL Time
The 24 hour lightning strike staged by train controllers and other staff over the suspended salary circular, was called off at midnight yesterday. Thousands of commuters were inconvenienced by the 24-hour strike.
`The train services will continue as usual from today,` the president of Railway Stationmasters` Union, P.A.S. Warnasuriya said.
General Manager of Railways (GMR), K.A. Premasiri said that 20 trains were operated yesterday despite the strike.
`The services will be back to normal today,` the GMR said. `The strike was not against the Government. We do not want to inconvenience commuters or the Government,` Warnasuriya said. The strike was launched to urge the Government to implement the salary circular it has suspended depriving railway workers of salary increases, he said.
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70-billion-rupee burden on the people
Wednesday, 15 February 2006 - 3:32 AM SL Time
State owned enterprises, most of them dens for bad governance, are costing more than Rs. 70 billion to the public or to the Treasury annually either by way of losses or contingent liabilities, a top official disclosed yesterday.
This shocking disclosure was made by Treasury Secretary P.B. Jayasundera to none other than the very custodians of state enterprises at a forum in the presence of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
According to Dr. Jayasundera, the loss incurred by four state enterprises ' the Ceylon Electricity Board, the Railways, the Transport Board and the Postal Department -- is Rs. 19 billion while the loss of a few others is more than Rs. 1.5 billion. There are 17 other state-owned enterprises which are non-functioning and their continuing liabilities are Rs. 3.5 billion.
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| Sports News
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Atapattu, Vaas and Arnold out from Sri Lanka squad
Thursday, 16 February 2006 - 2:43 AM SL Time
Marvan Atapattu, Chaminda Vaas, Jehan Mubarak and Russel Arnold have been excluded from the Sri Lanka squad to tour Bangladesh this month, the Daily Mirror learns.
Mahela Jayawardena has been appointed captain for both the test and one-day games in the absence of Atapattu while Sanath Jayasuriya has also been excluded from the test squad and named only in the one-day team.
Muttiah Muralitheran will not be played in the three one-day games but has been selected for the two test matches against Bangladesh.
Kumar Sangakkara has been named as vice captain to Jayawardena for both the test and one-day games. A new face in both squads in fast bowler Dhammika Prasad, of whom very little is known apart from the fact that he plays for the Sinhalese Sports Club.
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Aussies clinch VB Series victory
Wednesday, 15 February 2006 - 3:30 AM SL Time
Openers Adam Gilchrist and Simon Katich shared a stand of 196 to set Australia up for a nine-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the deciding VB Series final in Brisbane yesterday.
Gilchrist hit 122 from 91 balls, while Katich (107) completed a maiden one-day ton as Australia reached a target of 267 with 27 balls left in Brisbane.
Gilchrist survived a drop on 23 when Sanath Jayasuriya fumbled at long off.
Sri Lanka had stumbled to 28-2 before Mahela Jayawardene (86) joined Kumar Sangakkara (59) in a century stand.
However, the tourists were held to 61 runs for the loss of five wickets in the last 10 overs on a good pitch.
Nathan Bracken added the wicket of Russel Arnold (76) to his early double strike for figures of 3-44.
All-rounder Andrew Symonds took three catches, two days after making 151 in the second final.
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Dick in quail soup
Wednesday, 15 February 2006 - 3:29 AM SL Time
US Vice President Dick Cheney, who landed Supreme Court Judge Antonin Scalia in a duck soup by taking him on a hunting trip in Louisiana two years ago, has got into a quail soup. Scalia drew fire from many quarters as Cheney was involved in a case being heard before him. His duck hunt in the exalted company of Cheney led to a public debate on judicial ethics. Scalia argued in a letter to a newspaper: `Social contacts with high-level executive officials (including Cabinet members) have never been thought improper for judges who may have before them cases in which those people are involved in their official capacity, as opposed to their personal capacity.` A good argument but it is doubtful whether there were many takers.
Cheney has accidentally shot an attorney with a shotgun loaded with birdshot this time around. Harry has been treated for wounds in the face, neck and the upper torso and is said to be in good condition. (Today, he is a world famous lawyer, thanks to Cheney!) Although the incident had occurred on Saturday, the news of it had not been released until Sunday. And Cheney is reported to be without a valid licence for hunting purposes in that state.
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