|
|
|
More Headline News
|
Eight Tamil Tiger rebels escape from Sri Lanka jail
Sunday, 4 June 2006 - 9:23 PM SL Time
Eight Tamil Tiger rebels escaped from a jail in Sri Lanka`s restive east early on Sunday in what authorities suspect was an inside job, police said.
`This is the third or fourth time prisoners have escaped from this jail. It was definitely an inside job,` said Nihal Karunaratna, Deputy Inspector of Police for the eastern districts of Batticaloa and Ampara.
`They escaped when they were taken for a wash in the morning. The prison staff said the prisoners showed a grenade,` he added. `If our inquiry reveals prison people aided and abetted, they will be dealt with very severely and will be prosecuted.`
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who run a de facto state in swathes of Sri Lanka`s north and east, were not immediately available for comment. Relatively few of their fighters, who carry cyanide capsules around their necks to commit suicide to escape capture, are in Sri Lanka`s prisons.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Read Replies ( 60 )
EU ban harsh and one-sided: Bala
Sunday, 4 June 2006 - 5:15 AM SL Time
The Sunday Times:
How does the LTTE view the EU ban imposed last Monday.
Mr. Anton Balasingham:
The LTTE is deeply disappointed. It has its implications for international recognition of our people`s legitimate struggle for self-determination.
I think the European Union ban is extremely harsh, unfair, untimely and one-sided, unlike the Donor Co-chairs declaration, which is a well-crafted, well balanced statement censoring both the parties for the escalation of violence.
In a conflict situation where both the principal parties or protagonists are equally blamed for misconduct and serious breaches of truce obligations, penalising one party harshly while condoning the other with gentle admonitions (EU Presidency calling on the GoSL to curb violence in government controlled areas) is unjustifiable and unacceptable. The ban is biased towards the state actor and therefore one-sided.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Read Replies ( 194 )
Navy convoys move sans SLMM
Sunday, 4 June 2006 - 5:00 AM SL Time
Despite the Nordic truce monitoring mission suspending naval monitoring consequent to the May 11 attack on a naval convoy off the Mullaitivu coast, the navy is moving men and material between Trincomalee and Kankasanthurai.
`We`ll not suspend our movements,` a navy officer told the `Sunday Island` last week during a visit to the Trincomalee navy base, the nerve centre of operations in the east. As forces based in the Jaffna peninsula depend largely on the navy, a suspension of convoys due to the absence of truce monitors would have had a catastrophic impact.
The `Sunday Island` learns that an Indian warship loaned to Sri Lanka, till the Indians refitted SLNS Sayura (formerly INS Saryui) acquired in October 2000 at a cost of US$ 19 million, is being used to facilitate the movement of off duty personnel to and from KKS.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Read Replies ( 40 )
|
More Headline News
|
|
|
|
|
Politics
|
To be or not to be - Your Worship where art thou?
Monday, 5 June 2006 - 4:17 AM SL Time
There are doubts over new Mayor Mohammed Imtiyaz assuming duties, with all Independent Group members expected to hand over their letters of resignations to the Elections Department today, according to Independent Group 3 dissident group leader George Sriyananda when contacted by the the Daily Mirror .
However, he said that the Deputy Mayoral Candidate U. Chandrasena has refused to resign his post. It is reported that he is afraid of losing his seat, if he resigns his post.
Independent Group 3 Leader S. Rajendran said no decision had been made on the new mayor assuming duties, saying that it is the UNP that should make the decision. On inquiring whether the elected members would resign, he said that that decision too should be made by the UNP.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Read Replies ( 3 )
JVP will not join Government: Wimal
Monday, 5 June 2006 - 4:16 AM SL Time
'There is no intention of joining the Government whatsoever,' said Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna Parliamentary Group Leader Wimal Weerawansa yesterday, although, there is speculation that the JVP may join the Government again, given the present circumstances.
Denying newspaper reports that the JVP has given a `strong and fresh` condition to rejoin the Government, Mr. Weerawansa said: `Those are fabricated stories. We have made it clear that there is no intention to join the Government at all and the topic was not even taken up for discussion within the Party.'
Meanwhile, several party members said that although President Mahinda Rajapaksa`s invitation to join the Government was not taken up within the Party, members were keen on forming a probationary government for a limited period, to strengthen the present government to face the national problem.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Read Replies ( 6 )
Public sector plans crippling strike
Monday, 5 June 2006 - 4:02 AM SL Time
Public sector employees have threatened to cripple all government activity on June 28 and 29 if meaningful steps are not taken immediately to resolve salary anomalies.
Convener of the Public Sector Salary Review Trade Union P. Sampath Rajitha yesterday said thousands of public sector employees, in the lower grades, had planned to cripple all government activity by resorting to token strikes on June 28 and 29, If President Mahinda Rajapaksa failed to take immediate and meaningful steps to resolve their salary anomalies.
He said President Rajapakse seemed to have forgotten the poor workers who voted him into power.
K. S. Weerasekera, the General Secretary of the union said the central committee of the Public Sector Salary Review Trade Union Committee would meet in Colombo next Friday to decide on further trade union action.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
|
|
|
|
|
Editorial News
|
UNP appeal should be heeded
Monday, 5 June 2006 - 4:21 AM SL Time
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has to pay serious attention to the UNP`s appeal to him to act constitutionally and to be fair by the opposition parties as he tries to find a solution to the national problem with the cooperation of all parties.
One of UNP`s main complaints is against the President`s moves to lure UNPers into joining his government. We have already seen many a cross-over in the campaign of conversion. If these switching of parties occur as a result of honest political convictions and love for the country as the defectors proclaim, then there cannot be any objections. In fact, these converts should be hailed as true patriots if that be the case. But allegations abound about extraneous and selfish reasons prompting their crossovers. Most of these summersaults, according to observers are akin to unethical religious conversions against which there is universal antipathy.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Going beyond the EU ban
Sunday, 4 June 2006 - 5:20 AM SL Time
The ban by the European Union (EU) of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has been hailed in many quarters as a major victory against the separatist group in the two decades-long festering conflict that has brought such suffering on this nation. For a war-weary population on both sides of the divide, the move signalled some faint hope that all was not lost even though the country seemed poised perilously on the brink of another outbreak of hostilities.
With the EU ban, following on the heels of the ban by Canada -- it seems the writing is on the wall for the LTTE that these are major reversals in its quest for global recognition as a freedom-fighter organization.
Soon after the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar in August last year, the Ministry that he headed was spurred on by its officials -- from the secretary to the ambassadors, to argue their case before the courts of Europe and at least win what in legal parlance could be equated to a Leave to Proceed - by way of a travel ban imposed on the rebel group, showing there was prima facie evidence to ban the LTTE.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Read Replies ( 5 )
A new constitution - finally?
Saturday, 3 June 2006 - 9:41 AM SL Time
President Mahinda Rajapaksa`s decision as announced at the meeting with editors of print and electronic media on Thursday to form an advisory council comprising members of all political parties in parliament to draft a new constitutional framework for the country is most welcome. His decision was conveyed to yesterday`s all-party conference .This task of preparing a draft for a new political system has to be taken up not merely as a way of finding a solution to the national problem but as a required exercise to steer the country clear of its many and varied problems. This indeed has been a long-felt need. All political parties have throughout emphasised the importance of changing the existing political system either through amendments to the present constitution or by replacing it with a new one.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Read Replies ( 19 )
|
|
|
|
|
| Security |
Near miss on Thai Airways flight
Monday, 5 June 2006 - 4:24 AM SL Time
A loud explosion aboard a passenger aircraft, an engine on fire, flight attendants running up and down the aisle, passengers wearing life jackets and a descending plane, with the pilot trying to maintain level flight.
This may all sound like a script from a Hollywood movie but in fact, it is exactly what took place on Thai Airways flight TG 308, with more than 200 passengers on board, which nearly crashed early Saturday morning, just minutes after takeoff from Bandaranaiake International airport.Thai Airways officials say the Aircraft experienced technical problems, resulting in a fire in the right engine of the aircraft.
Among the passengers who were aboard that flight was UNP MP Kabir Hashim who was on his way to Laos via Bangkok, for a meeting of parliamentarians from various countries.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Read Replies ( 10 )
Visiting British navy chief takes Dvora- ride, sees Tiger-held Sampoor
Monday, 5 June 2006 - 4:04 AM SL Time
The visiting Chief of Naval Staff of Great Britain Admiral Sir Jonathan Band Saturday evening met President Mahinda Rajapakse, at Temple Trees, after an unprecedented visit to the Trincomalee Navy base, where he boarded an Israeli-built Dvora Fast Atack Craft (P 474) to tour the inner and outer harbour. The British Navy chief had a glimpse of LTTE held Sampoor coast, the scene of on and off confrontations between the navy and the Sea Tigers, a military official said.
Sir Band, on a high profile four-day visit, is believed to have commended the young commanding officers of fighting vessels for their exceptional performances under difficult conditions during his visit to the base, the nerve centre of naval operations in the northern and eastern waters.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Read Replies ( 11 )
KKS harbour under threat
Monday, 5 June 2006 - 4:01 AM SL Time
Controversy surrounds the undue delay in restoring the strategic Kankesanthurai harbour, particularly its dilapidated breakwater.
The military is concerned about the hold-up, believed to be the result of the neglectful attitude of some officials and the reluctance on the part of a section of workers to work at KKS. An authoritative official Sunday emphasised the urgent need to launch the Indian-led project ahead of the monsoon in December.
Although the Sri Lanka Ports Authority and the Navy jointly carried out emergency repairs after the tsunami battered the breakwater, the military wants to fully re-establish it ahead of the December monsoon. `There is a threat to the harbour,` the official said, pointing out the danger in not giving the urgently required shelter to the harbour.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Read Replies ( 3 )
|
|
|
|
|
Business / Economy News
|
How to trim the fat in state enterprises?
Monday, 5 June 2006 - 4:20 AM SL Time
Today, virtually every enterprise whether public or private faces massive change. Unfortunately, change is extraordinarily difficult in the Public Sector Enterprises and all attempts to initiate and implement changes have failed and thus some of the large states owned enterprises have become more of a burden to the tax payer and the consumer than a benefit. Successful strategic change for the organisation is all about changing individuals first, because they are the organisation.
In many State Owned Institutions (SOE) the senior management staff had been with the organization for many numbers of years and are inclined to use the same traditional methods to get the job done. When a group of such seniors may successfully work together in particular ways to address recurrent tasks again and again, they come simply to assume that this is the way they should do things. When this happens- when people begin adopting ways of working by assumption, rather than by explicit debate and decision ' they become blind to see the change realities and thus eventually organizations suffer when widely shared maps the managers have unconsciously used to predict what events and actions will produce the needed results may no longer hold true. Top heavy organizations without any specific key performance indicators to measure the performances of senior managers and associated huge unproductive personnel costs is the main reason for the SOEs to become a burden on the state. When the going is good, organisations accumulate lot of fat. Most of the SOEs have accumulated lot of fat in the recent years.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Read Replies ( 1 )
Sri Lanka to aim for high end special interest travellers from US
Monday, 5 June 2006 - 4:07 AM SL Time
Over 25,000 U.S. travellers visited Sri Lanka last year despite hardly any promotion. It was time to focus attention on marketing Sri Lanka to the American traveller, particularly the American high-end category, who had special interests such as diving, surfing, bird watching, trekking, hot air ballooning, white water rafting and eco-tourism, said Bernard Goonetillele, ambassador for Sri Lanka in the United States recently.
Even though Sri Lanka tourism suffered a set back due to the Tsunami, following the tourism revival programme `Bounce Back Sri Lanka`, which also received assistance from the Asian Development Bank, total arrivals in 2005 were marginally less than the previous year. While 549,308 tourist arrivals were recorded in 2005, the expectation is that arrivals in 2006 would exceed 600,000, he said.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Read Replies ( 9 )
`Sri Lankan economy has shown remarkable resilience`
Sunday, 4 June 2006 - 5:11 AM SL Time
Chairman of John Keells Holdings Ltd. Susantha Ratnayake says, in the Anuual Report of the company, which recently announced a revenue increase by 27 per cent (to Rs. 29.93 billion) as well as a Group Pre Tax Profits increase by 37 per cent (to 4.31. billion) that his organisation is on the eve of an exciting era. He is of the view that Sri Lankan economy has shown remarkable resilience. He summarises the performance of the company as follows:
Let me, firstly, summarise for you the key financial highlights of 2005/2006;
* Group Revenue increased by 27 per cent to Rs. 29.93 billion
* Group Pre Tax Profits increased by 37 per cent to Rs. 4.31 billion
* Profit Attributable to the Group increased by 34 percent to Rs. 3.05 billion
* Pre Tax Return on Capital Employed increased by 2.2 percentage points from 13.7 per cent to 15.9 per cent
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Read Replies ( 7 )
|
|
|
|
| Sports News
|
Four picked for one day series against England
Monday, 5 June 2006 - 4:19 AM SL Time
Russel Arnold, Kaushal Lokuarachchie, Ruchira Perera and Dilhara Fernando have been picked to represent Sri Lanka in the five match one-day series against England starting on June 17.
A fifth player will be decided between Dilhara Lokuhettige and Gayan Wijekoon.
They will replace Thilan Samaraweera Michael Vandort, Nuwan Kulasekera, Jehan Mubarak and Prasanna Jayawardena who will be sent back after the test series.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Read Replies ( 1 )
Sri Lanka fight back
Monday, 5 June 2006 - 4:11 AM SL Time
Sri Lanka kept their chances alive in the third and final Test match against England here at Trent Bridge, Nottingham when a spirited team effort with the ball helped them to restrict England to 229 and gain a first innings lead of two runs. At stumps on day two, Sri Lanka were 45 for one with Upul Tharanga on 17 and Kumar Sangakkara on 22 with an overall lead of 47 with nine wickets in hand.
After being bowled out for a disappointing 231 in their first innings, Sri Lanka had got rid of England openers the same day and when England resumed at 53 for two they would have expected a substantial first innings total in order to secure the series, 2-0.
But all four of Sri Lanka`s bowlers showed a lot of character and backed up by the smart captaincy of Mahela Jayawardene, who did all the right fielding and bowling changes at the right time, to hang in the game as the bowlers compensated for the top order`s pathetic display on the first day.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
Read Replies ( 20 )
It`s world cup repay time now!
Sunday, 4 June 2006 - 5:23 AM SL Time
Are Sri Lanka and India now paying back for the 2011 World Cup vote for the Indian sub-continent application which they were successful at. Now it seems that Sri Lanka Cricket have had to reschedule their South African home series and do away with their scheduled Test matches to accommodate India in the seven match ODI series.
Now Sri Lanka will play only two Tests against South Africa with both matches to be played in Colombo and the Kandy Test match being struck off the list.
Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh will be the co-hosts of the 2011 World Cup which will be played in the Indian sub-continent. Australia and New Zealand were the other contenders for the 2011 World Cup. It is also understood that the West Indies voted along with the Indian sub-continent for the 2011 WC with the understanding that India would agree to this unscheduled series in the United States.
Full Story
Post Reply To This
|
|
