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Aid Freeze - Canada, Netherlands and Germany stop all development aid to Sri Lanka Sunday, 11 November 2007 - 6:59 AM SL Time Three donor countries ? Canada, Netherlands and Germany ? have decided to freeze all development aid to Sri Lanka with effect from January next year, highly placed sources said.
These countries have informed some of the local Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) that they would not be diverting their monetary allocation to Sri Lanka as there was a severe lack of development projects aimed at building peace and harmony in Sri Lanka at present. Local NGO officials believe the just presented war budget was one of the main reasons for the donors to take this drastic decision. However, they said the donors had also decided to freeze aid because the per capita income in Sri Lanka has shown a slight upward trend. 
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President defies West, will go to Iran Sunday, 11 November 2007 - 6:58 AM SL Time President Mahinda Rajapaksa will go ahead with his visit to Iran later this month amidst denials by the US that it had requested him not to travel to the country. The United States, increasingly agitated by defiant Teheran proceeding with its controversial Uranium enrichment programme, which many in the west see as heading in the direction of building atomic weapons, recently intensified its sanctions against that country along with its war of words, claiming that it has not removed the military option from the table.
There were earlier reports that the US had requested President Rajapaksa not to travel to Iran. Sources said the President would first attend the Commonwealth Heads of State and Government summit in Kampala, Uganda from November 23 to 25 and most likely proceed to Teheran thereafter. The actual dates are being kept a secret for security reasons.
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International community is letting war decide Tamils` fate Saturday, 10 November 2007 - 3:30 AM SL Time By allowing the Sri Lankan state free rein and supporting it to wage war, the international community has made any rights the Tamils secure depend entirely on the battlefield outcome, the Tamil Guardian newspaper said this week. `The military has for two years blasted villages, driven hundreds of thousands from their homes and continues to abduct, torture and murder?For all the noise about human rights (and much of that has dissipated now), the state actually wants for nothing. Ironically, the more the international community is convinced the LTTE can be defeated, the freer the hand it will have.`
The full text of the editorial, titled `No Choice` follows: The targeted killing last Friday of Mr. S. P. Tamilselvan, the LTTE`s Chief Negotiator and the head of its Political Wing, along with five other LTTE officials, by the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) shocked the Tamil community. Across Diaspora centres and in the homeland, there is palpable grief and anger. The specificities of the attack - whether the SLAF knew Mr. Tamilselvan was at the location, for example - are irrelevant: the military has been trying repeatedly to kill him for years, frequently bombing his offices, residences and convoys. The assassination is a quintessential reflection of the Sinhala mindset. President Mahinda Rakapakse, along with the vast majority of Sinhalese, see the island`s ethnic problem purely as a Tamil terrorist challenge. For all the lip-service (and there`s not much of that about now) about power sharing, the south is single-mindedly focused on a military victory. The abandon with which the military has for two years blasted Tamil villages, driven hundreds of thousands of Tamils from their homes and continues to abduct, torture and murder Tamils is underwritten by the confidence the international community, despite its distaste, is nonetheless solidly behind Colombo`s war.
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| Security
Security Forum
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Security alert in deep South of Sri Lanka over information on suspicious speed boats Monday, 12 November 2007 - 11:23 AM SL Time Sri Lanka Navy with the support of the police strengthened security on the coastal belt in deep south Hambanthota district following information on the presence of suspicious speed boats in the sea off the southern coast. Police received information on the boats suspected to be belonging to the LTTE Sea Tigers Wing off the sea between Rekawa and Tangalla around 3 PM yesterday. Special security has been provided to Tangalla and Kudawella fishing harbors. Tangalla Navy camp was waiting for the arrival of gun boats from Galle Navy Base to conduct search operations.
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SLAF goes all out for Prabhakaran - Commander Sunday, 11 November 2007 - 7:06 AM SL Time The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) will go all out to get rid of the LTTE leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran soon. SLAF Commander Air Marshal Roshan Goonatilleke told the `Sunday Observer` that it was not a difficult task for the SLAF to get at Prabhakaran as he was confined to a very limited area of land in the Wanni. `I do not think it is that difficult for us to get at him now. We will find him somehow soon. We need a great deal of patience`, he said. According to the SLAF Commander, the days of the LTTE leadership is numbered and they would find the whereabouts of Prabhakaran soon. Air Marshal Goonatilleke said since Prabhakaran?s movements are restricted to a very limited area in the Wanni, the SLAF also seeks the support of the civilians to make its target more accurate. When people in the area provide information we will be ready to target him?, he said.
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Crew Cab Comes Under Suspected Ltte.. Sunday, 11 November 2007 - 7:05 AM SL Time Crew cab carrying project workers in one of the rare ends of the Yala sanctuary came under a claymore attack suspected to have been triggered by Tiger terrorists while the vehicle was proceeding on an administrative assignment in Katagamuwa area Saturday (10) at about 6:45 p.m. Preliminary reports spoke one of the crew members died in the explosion and another had reportedly managed to creep into the jungles in the aftermath of the explosion. Police and Army troops rushed to the scene and are combing the area in order to apprehend LTTE criminals who might have infiltrated Yala sanctuary.
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| Politics
Political News Forum
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UNP likens Budget to ghost without body Monday, 12 November 2007 - 11:23 AM SL Time Opening the budget debate in Parliament on Friday UNP Kegalle District member Kabir Hashim said the budget was like a ghost. It had brought no relief to the people. The government had been juggling with figures without addressing the real problems of the people, he said. He said the government had disappointed the people as it was going to expend 572 billion rupees as debt repayment out of a revenue of 750 billion, the remaining Rs 168 billion wouldn`t be sufficient to pay the salaries of the public servants. Sri Lanka had the highest interest rates in South Asia. Although the government promised to help small and medium scale industries, the SME bank had been replaced with Lankaputra.
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Thousands pay homage to Major Selvam in Vanni Monday, 12 November 2007 - 11:19 AM SL Time Thousands of Ki`linochchi residents, LTTE officials, and LTTE cadres gathered at Ki`linochchi Cultural Hall Saturday morning 10:00a.m.to pay last respects and homage to Major Selvam who succumbed to his wounds Friday after being critically injured along with five political cadres and Brigadier S. P. Tamilchelvan, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Political Head, in the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) aerial bombing on Ki`linochchi on the 2nd of this month. LTTE Deputy Political Head S. Thangan lit the Common Flame, and Major Selvam`s father lit the Flame of Sacrifice and garlanded his remains. Major Selvam`s brothers, following after their father, garlanded their brother`s remains.
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No tears for Brig. Tamilselvan or bouquets for Ranil Sunday, 11 November 2007 - 7:03 AM SL Time The reaction of the world to the death of Brigadier S. P. Tamilselvan, the barber who rose from the bottom to become the bodyguard of Velupillai Prabhakaran, the Tiger Supremo, and then his `peace dove with a beautiful smile` signifies the plight of the Tamil Tigers. The Tigers were expecting sympathy from the whole world. Instead they got the works. It was like the experience of the man who had fallen from the tree being gored by a raging bull. Their feeling of disappointment and despondency was expressed by the new Political Head, S. Nadesan, the former cop at Kirulapone Police Station. He told Lars Johan Solvberg, the head of the Peace Monitors that `the official silence of the peace facilitator Norway regarding the killing of Tamilselvan, is viewed with serious concern and is regretted by the Tamil population and the Tigers.`
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| Business / Economy News
Business News Forum
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13 new conditions for private buses from next year Monday, 12 November 2007 - 11:21 AM SL Time The National Transport Commission has taken a decision to include 13 new conditions for the operation of inter-provincial private buses beginning next year. With the new conditions the number of conditions on the issuance of route permits will go up to 42. Chairman of the National Transport Commission Dr. Amal Kumarage said that this step was taken to build a better service by the private buses. A separate unit has been set up to address the grievances and complaints of the commuters regarding the buses that do not adhere to the new regulations. Mr. Kumarage expressed this view at a discussion organized to educate the representatives of the bus operators regarding the new conditions which is a part of a programme to provide the people with a quality transport system, under the direction of Transport Minister Dallas Alahapperuma.
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SLA steps up surveillance in A`pura Tamil suburb Friday, 9 November 2007 - 4:50 AM SL Time The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Police have been frequently conducting cordon and search operation at Neeraaviyadi, a Tamil suburb located 6 km away from Anuradhapura military air base. The surveillance has been stepped up since the assumption of Major General Sarath Karunaratne as the Overall Commander of Anuradhapura district following the recent aerial and land attack on the Anuradhapura military air base by the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE). On the dawn of November 5 Sri Lankan troops surrounded Neeraviyadi and took fifteen Tamil residents including employees of municipal council and government departments and children under 16 into custody and detained them in the Anuradhapura police station.
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Bankrupt Budget - UNP Thursday, 8 November 2007 - 8:56 AM SL Time UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said the bankrupt Government had presented a bankrupt budget yesterday. `It is nothing but showing carrots to the people,` Attanayake told The Island yesterday. He said yesterday`s budget was mainly about taxes and the Government had shifted the burden of economy onto the shoulders of common man through taxes. The President`s expenditure has been increased by 3,000 million rupees, but the budget has not given any concessions to people. `The common man, even henchmen of the government had been overlooked by this budget. None had been given anything by this budget,` he said. The increment granted to the public servant is not enough even to cover his expenses on milk powder.
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| Editorial News
Editorial News Forum
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Sri Lanka - Is it reasonable to divide this small house? Monday, 12 November 2007 - 11:24 AM SL Time What do I do if my brother`s heart burns with an implacable hatred of me? What do I do if he does not want to share the same house with me? What do I do if he demands a separate part of the house exclusively for himself and his? What if the house is our joint birthright? What if I let him have the area he is asking even if it`s far more than the size of his family warrants? What if he later demands more? Will I and my family be safe or will we face what faced the goodhearted camel driver who let the cunning animal rest just his head in his tent, only to find himself eventually pushed right out of his dwelling? Can I force my brother to share this small house peacefully with me or do I evict him, kill him? What if he tries to evict or kill me first? What do I do if my brother`s smoldering hatred of me leaves no space for reconciliation? These are the hard questions that face Sri Lanka ? a house bitterly divided.
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Mahinda sitting pretty on budget vote Sunday, 11 November 2007 - 7:07 AM SL Time Now that the budget debate has begun and the second reading vote has been fixed for November 19, the big question looming ahead is ``how will the JVP vote?`` The rathu sahodarayas or red brothers are very coy about the answer to that question which they have assured will be given at ``the right time.`` There has already been a report in a Sunday newspaper which makes no secret about its view of the present administration that the JVP will vote against the budget. The fact that there has been no denial can be interpreted by those waiting with bated breath for the fall of the government as a signal that the JVP is going to vote the way the newspaper said it would. But that need not necessarily be the case. There are situations where `yes` and `no` answers are not possible such as in that celebrated instance where a witness in a court room countered a lawyer`s demand for such a response by retorting, ``Have you stopped beating your wife?``
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Kiribath, arrack and journalistic karapincha Friday, 9 November 2007 - 4:51 AM SL Time UNP MP Lakshman Seneviratne has said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa invites newspaper editors to Temple Trees, treats them to kiribath and then threatens them not to write anything against his government. Therefore, according to him, the truth doesn`t get reported and the people are now turning to websites to ascertain credible information. We, in fact, wanted to respond to this remark yesterday but the budget distracted us. If one is to go by Mr. Seneviratne`s contention, then newspaper editors have their mouths stuffed with kiribath and therefore cannot utter a word against either the President or the government. That may be true of the kept press, which has mastered the art of bootlicking. But, to say that all others are doing so is far from the truth. Whether the President is threatening journalists on the sly, we don`t know but he doesn`t do so at editors` meetings. And Mr. Seneviratne can rest assured that if any such threat is issued at such a gathering, kiribath or no kiribath, at least the humble editor of this newspaper will get up and tell the President with due respect to go to hell and keep his kiribath for his own consumption on the way. For, it is our considered opinion as journalists that we are neither above nor below anyone else, be it a mendicant or the President of the Republic and therefore mustn`t prostrate ourselves before any potentate.
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| Sports News
Sports News Forum
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Lankans battle to save Test Monday, 12 November 2007 - 11:22 AM SL Time Rain, bad light and stubborn batting by the Sri Lankans stalled Australia`s push for a victory on the fourth day of the first Test at the Gabba, here yesterday. When the days` play was finally called off, Sri Lanka were 218 for 5 still requiring 122 runs to make the home team bat again and stave off an innings defeat. But with the cream of batting gone, with only Chamara Silva and Prasanna Jayawardena, the only surviving batsmen of repute at the wicket, it will be an herculean task for the Lankans to save the game. The weather here is fickle, and if the present poor conditions continue today, like it did on Sunday, then the Lankans may not drown in this Test. The Aussies will make use of whatever time the weather allows for play and pressure the remaining batsmen and lure them to their demise.
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SL heading for an embarrassing defeat Sunday, 11 November 2007 - 7:08 AM SL Time Sri Lanka`s hopes of a maiden Test win on Australian soil only remained a dream as the first Test Match at the Gabba here in Brisbane headed for a one-sided conclusion at the end of day three. Having amassed a massive 551 for four declared, Australia`s bowlers had little trouble in cleaning up Sri Lanka`s first innings as they were shot out for 211. Ricky Ponting only for the second time of his captaincy run inserted the follow on as the tourists hardly looked to challenge the Australians. And they had more success with the new ball second time around. After Marvan Atapattu (16) and Sanath Jayasuriya (39) added 53 runs for the first wicket, the hosts removed both the veterans and captain Mahela Jayawardene had a narrow escape when an edge fell just short of a diving Adam Gilchrist.
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Ponting fires Sri Lanka fear barb Friday, 9 November 2007 - 4:51 AM SL Time Ricky Ponting claims Sri Lanka still fears Australia, just as it did when it lost the World Cup final this year. The national captain believes the fear factor will give his side a significant advantage in the first Test, which began at the Gabba yesterday, with a new-generation team for the post-Shane Warne-Glenn McGrath-Justin Langer era. `I think all those fears are definitely still there and it`s a matter of us starting well early on and reinvigorating some of those fears,` Ponting said. `We`ve got no doubt that they`re still there.` It was a claim that Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene understandably disputed, even though Sri Lanka has never won a Test in this country and Australia has not lost one at the Gabba for almost 20 years.
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