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Paddy cultivation to resume in Thoppigala Saturday, 20 October 2007 - 11:18 AM SL Time Sri Lanka Army (SLA) announced granting permission for paddy cultivation to be resumed in 4000 acres of land abutting the Kudumpimalai area in Batticaloa Districtafter an interval of 17 years. The decision was taken at a special meeting held at Koran District Secretariat presided by V.Thavarasa, District Secretary (DS).
Many high ranking officials including Major.R.W.M.Jayakody, military co-coordinator for civilian affairs, M.Kanthasamy, Agricultural Development Officer from the Department of Agriculture attended the meeting. Further to Thursday decision SLA issued a number of special instructions to the farmers in the area. The first stage of agricultural activities will be restricted to Thikiliveddai, Koolaakaadu, Pulipaaynthakal, Paddiyadive`li, Koolavady, Kakku`laaseanai, Koaraave`li, according to local sources. 
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IT park in Sri Lanka, to generate 10,000 jobs Friday, 19 October 2007 - 7:43 PM SL Time Under a special invitation extended by the Sri Lankan government, Indian automaker Mahindra and Mahindra has decided to set up a multi-million dollar IT park in the country that will generate 10,000 jobs in the sector.
The IT park is to be set up in Katunayake (near Colombo) in the next six months under a special invitation extended by Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion Ministry, a senior minister said. Investments and other formalities of the project, that is to be developed under a joint venture with the Board of Investment of Sri lanka, will be finalised by the end of this month, the Investment Promotion Minister Navin Dissanayake told reporters on Thursday. This project is expected to provide employment to 10,000 IT professionals, Dissanayake said, adding Mahindra and Mahindra group is also discussing the possibility of exclusively developing the Trincomalee Trade Zone for which 1,635 acres have been earmarked.
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Lanka a success story in battle against terror Friday, 19 October 2007 - 11:39 AM SL Time Sri Lanka in its battle against terrorism has set examples and its successes has given other democracies hope that terrorism can be fought and overcome, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said yesterday.
Delivering the inaugural address at the International Conference on Countering Terrorism, at the BMICH, Bogollagama said in the long and arduous struggle against terrorism, not withstanding some impediments and setbacks, Sri Lanka can in several aspects count itself having been a success story in the battle against terrorism. Addressing the inaugural meeting of the International Conference on Countering Terrorism, the Minister said Sri Lanka has never compromised on or condoned terrorism despite constantly upholding the idea that the present conflict in Sri Lanka must be resolved through political means. The Minister said Sri Lanka is engaged in building a consensus through the All Party Representatives Committee.
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| Security
Security Forum
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Choose military leaders on merit says Rohan Gunaratna Monday, 22 October 2007 - 7:11 AM SL Time While stressing the necessity for recruiting qualified intelligence officers to the country`s military intelligence service, a top intelligence expert noted that Sri Lanka should not change or remove intelligence officers engaged in counter terrorism when the government changes. `It is vital to recruit qualified intelligence officers to the service and ensure continuity of service of intelligence officers. Once the Government changes we shouldn`t change or remove the intelligence officers engaged in counter terrorism,` said Dr. Rohan Gunaratna, head of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research. Addressing the three-day International Conference on Countering Terrorism, held at the BMICH, Dr. Gunaratna said that Sri Lanka should set up a highly qualified and technologically developed military intelligence unit to pose a threat to the LTTE and that civil intelligence should be developed and combined with military intelligence to carry out this function successfully.
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More LTTE bodies returned through ICRC as army steps up pressure Monday, 22 October 2007 - 7:10 AM SL Time Fighting continued in the Vanni mainland where both the army and the LTTE sustained losses over the weekend but the army is slowly but steadily taking the upper hand in the ongoing battle in the area west of Omanthai. Despite stiff resistance spearheaded by accurate artillery and mortar fire, the army has inflicted sizeable damages on the enemy. Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said that their objective was not to take over territory but inflict maximum possible losses on the enemy. The army has committed a sizeable force to achieve what a senior Defence Ministry official called a critical `battle-field` breakthrough in the Vanni.
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Omanthai reopens after temporary shutdown Friday, 19 October 2007 - 12:03 PM SL Time The military and the LTTE yesterday gave an assurance to the ICRC that there would be no further fighting near the Omanthai crossing point. Earlier, fighting had erupted leading to the closure of the crossing point -- completely cutting off the Vanni from the rest of the country. Following security guarantees from the two sides, the ICRC said it would resume its normal duties at Omanthai this morning, thus enabling normal civilian and humanitarian operations to proceed after being suspended yesterday. `Following a meeting with the LTTE and the army, the ICRC received security guarantees to resume its duties at Omanthai,` ICRC spokesman Davide Vignatti told the Daily Mirror. LTTE controlled areas in the Vanni were in danger of being completely shut off from the rest of the country, indefinitely, after the ICRC announced it had withdrawn from the Omanthai entry/exit point as a result of a security related incident which occurred in the area on Wednesday evening.
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| Politics
Political News Forum
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UN slams Govt. on human rights Monday, 22 October 2007 - 7:26 AM SL Time NEW YORK - The United Nations has issued a scathing political indictment of the government and warned that the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka continues to deteriorate with possible devastating consequences.`Any offensive against the LTTE in northern Sri Lanka would have major humanitarian consequences, including displacement of up to 400,000 civilians,` says a confidential note prepared by senior UN officials to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. `The space for UN and NGO humanitarian operations in Sri Lanka is also under continued pressure from the government which seeks to control relief activities through imposition of bureaucratic obstacles.` The government is also accused of `helping create a climate of fear among UN and humanitarian staff in Sri Lanka.`
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JVP support No-Confidence Monday, 22 October 2007 - 7:24 AM SL Time Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) says it will support the no-confidence motion against the Minister Milinda Moragoda. JVP MP, Anura Kumara Dissanayaka told Sandesaya that they have decided to support the no-confidence motion as there are serious allegations levelled against the Minister Moragoda. The Parliamentary COPE committee has revealed that a company belonging to the Minister Milinda Moragoda has defaulted to pay back a loan. Minister Moragoda is also accused of transactions that had taken place when the privatisation of the Insurance Corporation was done.
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MR meets Mahanayakes Monday, 22 October 2007 - 7:14 AM SL Time President Mahinda Rajapaksa made a surprise visit to Kandy yesterday and held talks with the Mahanayakes of the Malwatta and Asgiriya Chapters on several matters, an informed source revealed. The meeting was held in Kandy,where the President and the Mahanayake of the Malwatta Chapter, the Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Sumangala Thera and the Mahanayake of the Asgiriya Chapter, the Most Venerable Udugama Sri Buddharakkhita Thera discussed several key issues in the country for over two hours, sources said. The Diyawadana Nilame, Nilanga Dela Bandara and Central Province Governor Tikiri Kobbekaduwa were also present.
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| Business / Economy News
Business News Forum
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UNP organiser`s brother owns Aston Martin Monday, 22 October 2007 - 7:09 AM SL Time The controversy over President Mahinda Rajapaksa`s eldest son, Namal buying an Aston Martin has come to an end with Namal Senasinghe, a UK-based gynaecologist claiming ownership. Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said that Namal, the elder brother of Sujeewa Senasinghe, the incumbent chief organiser of the Kaduwela electorate earlier nursed by Dr. Karunasena Kodituwakku recently wrote to President Rajapaksa. Senaratne claimed that Namal regretted that an attempt had been made to sling mud on the President. The plot to character assassinate Namal had been made in London, Senaratne said, emphasising that Senasinghe, too, had been aware of this plot. The UNP challenged the government to reveal the identity of the owner. Namal Rajapaksa was accused of driving the car powered by a 5938 CC engine escorted by members of the Presidential Security Division. Senaratne criticised the government media gurus for failing to counter the propaganda campaign.
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Over 6,000 unregistered pharmacies Friday, 19 October 2007 - 12:00 PM SL Time Of 9,000 private pharmacies only 3,000 have been registered with the Health Ministry. Many of those that are unregistered have been found to be employing unqualified personnel, Health Ministry sources said. Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva told The Island that the Drug and Cosmetic Control Authority (DCCA) in its island-wide survey had found that nearly 6,000 private pharmacies unregistered and had employed unsuitable personnel as pharmacists. He added that the government had initiated pharmacology training programmes to train personnel for the private sector free of charge. The government had already trained around 1,000 pharmacists for the private sector. The government had also advised pharmacies to stop employing unqualified pharmacists and had warned them that the government would be forced to institute legal proceedings against such pharmacies.
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Waters Edge Golf Course Case Friday, 19 October 2007 - 11:59 AM SL Time The Supreme Court yesterday said that the Attorney General should either be present or be represented in Court, when the petition filed by Sugathapala Mendis, against the former President Chandrika Kumaratunga in respect of the Waters Edge Golf Course is supported in Court. The date of support was fixed for November 12, 2007, with notice to the Attorney General. Sugathapala Mendis had alleged that President Kumaratunga misdirected the Cabinet, when state land at Battaramulla was alienated to a private entrepreneur, to construct the Waters Edge Golf Course. The land which had been earlier acquired by the Urban Development Authority for a public utility purpose had been allocated for the construction a golf course for the elites, the petition said. The petition requested the Court to confiscate the money involved in this mala-fide contract.
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| Editorial News
Editorial News Forum
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Taming a president, survival of the biggest and other matters Monday, 22 October 2007 - 7:22 AM SL Time Opposition and UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has vehemently protested against an alleged move by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to appoint an elections commission on his own. Such action, the Opposition Leader has pointed out, amounts to a violation of the Constitution. The UNP`s consternation is understandable and its fears justifiable in that the appointment of any `independent` commission, elections or otherwise, is too serious a task to be left to a single politician. That`s why Parliament unanimously ratified the 17th Amendment to the Constitution to set up independent commissions through a Constitutional Council (CC). But, a political tug of war has put paid to the reappointment of the CC, without which no independent commissions could be appointed. The legal snag the CC has run into stems mainly from the JVP`s claim that it has a right to appoint a CC member , as it is no longer in the government. This position has been contested on the ground that the JVP is technically a part of the ruling UPFA coalition, though it has broke ranks with the government. The non-appointment of the CC has enabled President Rajapaksa to try to expand his political authority, which the 17th Amendment curtailed to some extent, by encroaching upon the CC territory.
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India at the crossroads Friday, 19 October 2007 - 12:02 PM SL Time Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has gone on record as saying that the Maoist movement is the biggest single internal security threat India has ever faced. Compounding the fears of the Indian defence establishment further is the emergence of the so-called Red Corridor, an area of Maoist activity from the Nepalese border south through India to the sea. Atop the Red Corridor, India now has to grapple with a new problem?the emergence of a `Tiger passage`, a vast swathe of LTTE activity in Tamil Nadu, especially its procurement related operations. The Times of India recently reported that India had `quietly stepped up arms aid to Sri Lanka` despite pronouncements by some allies of the Congress-led government to the contrary. India does what is good for her and if she has softened her stand on Sri Lanka and increased military aid, then it must be having compelling reasons for such action.
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Why fear knights pursuing Komodo dragons? Wednesday, 17 October 2007 - 6:51 AM SL Time Whenever a foreign dignitary lands here, the party that happens to be in the Opposition, NGOs and the servile press behave just like the mendicants near the Town Hall. The whole caboodle of them could be seen running behind foreigners beseeching political succour. Time was when Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa, too, used to prostrate himself before foreigners begging for their help to oust the late President Ranasinghe Premadasa. He even smuggled pictures of victims of human rights violations out of the country during that regime and produced them in Geneva. Now he has his rivals doing the same. The traits of our ancestors who blundered by getting the help of the Dutch to get rid of the Portuguese by way of a shortcut and `swapped ginger for chillies` in the process, and then finally sided with the British to destroy the last king of Sri Lanka, seem to have got into our genes. However, the modern-day politicians have so far failed to topple governments with the help of foreigners either overtly or covertly. But, the outcome of their subservience has been the undue internationalisation of the country`s internal problems and the attendant foreign interference.
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| Sports News
Sports News Forum
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Trinity strikes it rich at hockey Monday, 22 October 2007 - 7:23 AM SL Time Trinity celebrated 60 years of hockey in a fitting manner when they clinched the Trinity 6`s All Island Inter Schools Invitational Hockey Tournament with a 1-0 win over Joseph Vaz, Wennappuwa in the boy`s final at Asgiriya International Stadium. The girl`s title was bagged by Seetha Devi BMV, Matale who beat St. Anthony`s GC, Kandy 1-0 in the final. The boys `Plate` final was won by Vijaya College, Matale who beat St. Thomas` College, Matale 1-0. Vijaya College beat Gothami BMV, Kandy 1-0 to annexe the girls `Plate.` In the `Bowls` final, St. Thomas`, Matara beat Sri Rahula, Katugatota 6-0, while Sangamitta BMV, Matale beat President`s College, Maharagama 2-1 in the girls final.
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Sri Lankan Idol Friday, 19 October 2007 - 12:01 PM SL Time The grand finale of Qatar Gee Tharu Dahana, a talent search for singers conducted amongst the Sri Lankan community in Qatar by the Sri Lankan Coordinating Committee (SLCC) and Sri Lankan Embassy, was held last week at the Shantiniketan School grounds during Eid Al Fitr. Sri Lankan Ambassador S B Atugoda and wife Ramya were the chief guests. The panel of judges were led by Sangeeth Nipun Dr Sanath Nandasiri, Malkanthi Nandasiri, Jagath Wickremasinghe, Kolitha Lelwela and Tilan Seneviratna and picked W Nihal Perera as the Lankan Idol 2007` with the first runner up being Lional Gunawardena and the second runner-up Rohan Senarath. The finalists entertained the large gathering by singing famous songs of their favourite artistes. Jagath Wickremasinghe, the head of the panel of judges for Sri Lankan Idol competition in Lanka, lauded the finalists for their commitment and dedication shown in their talent and praised the organising committee for giving the opportunity to the singers to showcase their hidden talent in the field of music.
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Royal hit oil after eight years Monday, 15 October 2007 - 10:48 AM SL Time `Failures are the pillars of success.` So the saying goes. And it was proved in no uncertain terms at the Astro turf on Tuesday when the Royal stickers laid the Thomian `bogey` with an emphatic 4-0 win to take the `Orville Abeynaike Memorial Challenge Hockey Trophy to Reid Avenue for the first time after eight years. At the short blast, Royal were sitting on a 1-0 lead. When the game began, Royal took the turf as the favourites as they had a better track record this season and as expected, dominated the game from the very first whistle with some superb understanding and meaningful passing movements that completely rattled the Thomians. In the 11th minute of play Royal drew blood when centre forward Marlon Senanayake dribbled through a wall of Thomian defenders to bang in a direct hit and put his side one up. From that moment, the Thomians resigned themselves to `also rans` and were never in the hunt.
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