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Inflation in Sri Lanka hits a new record of 20.5% in January Wednesday, 31 January 2007 - 11:24 PM SL Time Consumer inflation in Sri Lanka`s capital Colombo soared to a new record of 20.5 percent in the year to January, beating the 19.8 percent high reached in November, a report from the government`s statistics office showed Wednesday. In January alone prices went up by 1.5 percent, measured by the Colombo Consumer Price Index. In the year to December inflation was 19.3 percent. The 12-month moving average of the index moved up to 14.8 percent up from 13.7 percent in December 2006. This is the highest inflation seen in Sri Lanka for more than a decade. Sri Lanka`s inflation started to rise from last March after the government started to print money to finance worsening cash deficit. In late 2006, the Central Bank started tightening monetary policy. 
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JHU appoints militant leader as parliamentarian Wednesday, 31 January 2007 - 7:14 PM SL Time Sinhala Ultra Nationalist All Monks party, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), which is opposed to power-sharing and Norwegian facilitation, Wednesday replaced their National List parliamentarian monk Ven. Omalpe Sobhita Thero with a prominent militant leader of the National Movement Against Terrorism (NMAT), Patali Champika Ranawaka, paving way for him to assume a cabinet post this week, when the party with 9 parliamentary seats, is expected to join Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse`s UPFA alliance. Ranawaka, a former militant JVPer from 1980`s, who agitated against the Indo-Lanka accord, had split from the JVP contradicting with the militant Marxist founder of the JVP, Rohana Wijeweera.
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Immediate changes unlikely from crossover Wednesday, 31 January 2007 - 2:58 AM SL Time The entry into the government of a solid phalanx of the opposition did not come as a surprise. It had been anticipated for most of the past year. The reason it did not happen earlier was the resistance to the cross over from within both the government and the opposition. Government allies, such as the JVP, threatened that they would withdraw the support from outside that they had been giving the government. The UNP also threatened that they would cease to cooperate with the government, even concerning the ethnic conflict, if defectors from the party were entertained by the government. The difficulties that were encountered along the way might suggest that once the cross over was accomplished, as it has, there would be dramatic changes to be seen. But this is unlikely and it is also unlikely that there will be any significant changes in policy in the short term. There is no strong pressure on the government to change a successful strategy that has seen its opposition, both political and LTTE, humbled in the course of the year. The longer term, however, may see positive changes as the capacity of those who have crossed over from the opposition to government ranks is very high, and the problems facing the country are not short term ones by any means.
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Security Forum
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More than 50 arrested for blast in east Sri Lanka Thursday, 1 February 2007 - 8:20 PM SL Time The Sri Lankan police said Thursday that at least five students, two teachers and 51 others have been arrested in connection with the investigation on a roadside explosion which killed 11 people in eastern Sri Lanka on Wednesday. Maxi Procter, the police chief at Batticaloa, 329 km east of here said that all arrested are being detained for further questioning. Altogether some 600 people had been quizzed over the claymore mine explosion on a bus traveling from Batticaloa to north central town of Polonnaruwa at around 11:40 a.m. local time (0610 GMT) on Wednesday. The bus was carrying police and army personnel going on leave when it hit the claymore mine blamed on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels opposite the Eastern University.
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Telephone link to Vanni, most of peninsula, cut off Thursday, 1 February 2007 - 7:02 AM SL Time Telephone lines to Vanni and most of Jaffna have remained cut for more than four days since Saturday 10:55 p.m. Financial transactions in many branches of the banks have been paralyzed, fundamental services such as hospital ambulances, civil services and media, dependent on telephone communication have been severely affected. Vanni, without celluar link, remains completely cut off for communication. A group of Sri Lanka Army soldiers who visited Vavuniya Telecom Saturday evening had instructed the technicians to accompany them towards the communication exchange at Madukanda, 4 km southeast of Vavuniya town, and shut down the telephone link to Vanni. All the numbers with the +9421228 format (Kilinochchi lines) and in the range between +942122240000 and +94212229000 (Jaffna and Vanni), were not working.
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Death in operating theatre: Verdict of accidental death returned Thursday, 1 February 2007 - 4:22 AM SL Time A mother of three school going children who was recently admitted to the National Hospital for a stomach ailment died of surgical misadventure, additional City Coroner, Ashroff Rummy was told on Tuesday. Giving evidence at the inquest into the death of Kumudini Nanayakkara (44), a resident of Galagedara, Padukka, her husband Wanniarachi Kankanamalage Nandasena said that his wife had been suffering from a stomach ailment for about two years. She underwent surgery at the National Hospital. The witness said that when he inquired about the condition of his wife, he was told by the doctor that during the course of the surgery heavy bleeding had developed. However the doctor reassured him that that he would do his best to save the patient, but his wife died. A verdict of accidental death was returned.
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| Politics
Political News Forum
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Bogollagama meets Indian leaders Thursday, 1 February 2007 - 7:03 AM SL Time Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama who is in India on a two day official trip met Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee yesterday. Briefing the Indian leaders of the current political situation, the Minister said that the strengthening of the Government in the Legislature, would facilitate the political process. Bogollagama made his first official trip overseas after assuming office in his new ministry, to India, a tradition kept unbroken by consecutive Sri lankan leaders. Minister Bogollagama briefed the Indian leadership on the political process for a negotiated solution to the national issue and the consensus in this regard that was now emerging.
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Ministerial portfolio for JHU Thursday, 1 February 2007 - 4:23 AM SL Time The Jathika Hela Urumaya`s decision to accept the Ministerial portfolio offered by President Mahinda Rajapakse was to be announced yesterday, party sources said. The central committee and the Supreme board of the party met on Tuesday night at the JHU headquarters presided by JHU leader Ven. Ellawala Medhananda Thera to reach a decision. The government has offered the Environment Ministry to the JHU `This is not the first time we have been offered a ministry. But, in the past we have turned down such offers. We will make a final decision in that regard on Tuesday when our central committee meets,` JHU Spokesman Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe told The Island.
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`It`s a shame to be a Minister of this Cabinet`- Maithripala Tuesday, 30 January 2007 - 11:32 PM SL Time Assuming duties as the Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Services Development Minister Maithripala Sirisena this morning said that it is a shame to be a Minister of the existing Government. He said the JVP is also to be blamed for the increase in the number of ministerial portfolios, because if the JVP was with the government the number of ministries would have minimized. And he also said certain portfolios have been broken down and that it is a shame to call him self a Minister of the existing Government. Maithripala sirisena is the SLFP�s General Secretary and also used his powers to strip former president Chandrika Kumaratunga from her party Chairman post. The latest Cabinet re-shuffle cost the `Mahaweli` portfolio of his earlier held minister which was ultimately granted to president`s brother Chamal Rajapakse. The Moragahakanda project which was initiated just a couple of days before the cabinet reshuffle was also held under Sirisena�s guidance and sources close to him say that the SLFP General Secretary is greatly upset about striping off his `Mahaweli` portfolio.
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| Business / Economy News
Business News Forum
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Massive development planned Thursday, 1 February 2007 - 4:21 AM SL Time A massive development programme has been initiated by the government under the Mahinda Chinthana. Apart from other projects construction work on seventy (70) bridges alone, has been launched from 2006, observed Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapakse, addressing a workshop on the Gama Neguma programme under the Jathika Saviya concept. The workshop was one of series of such meetings to educate public sector officials on the Gama Neguma programme. The meeting was held at the Kandy Postal Complex Seminar Auditorium on Tuesday 30. In addition to the many irrigation schemes developed in many parts of the country steps have been taken to complete the construction of ten major reservoirs in the country. Under the programme, the President laid the foundation stone for the Moragahakanda Reservoir recently. The reservoir which is one of the largest reservoirs will be constructed with local resources, Basil Rajapakse noted.
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Talks on privatizing mail delivery crash Tuesday, 30 January 2007 - 5:08 AM SL Time The preliminary discussions to hand over the delivery of mail to the private sector failed due to being financially unviable, official sources at the department of posts said. Recruitment of staff for the distribution of mail had also not been implemented due to the probability of delivery of mail being handed over to the private sector, he added. As a result of a large number of vacancies in the Department for postmen, the delivery of letters is being done in a haphazard manner, with the postman calling over for delivery around once every week or even less frequently, the source said. The Kotahena Post office, which is responsible for the delivery network in the Colombo 13 and Colombo 15 areas, is presently operating its distribution with a depleted staff, of as much as ten less than its approved cadre, he added. He was also unaware of action being taken to fill in the vacancies for postmen, he said.
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Taxmen strike today Tuesday, 30 January 2007 - 5:07 AM SL Time The Inland Revenue Service Union said that its members would resort to a one-day token strike on February 2. Citing various salary anomalies following the 06/2006 circular, the Union, in a statement issued yesterday, said inland revenue officers including, labour officers, social service officers, provincial tax officers, development officers, statistical officers and assistant customs officers would resort to strike action on February 2 The Union said that peaceful demonstrations and other forms of defiance in the past were of no avail, thus the strike action.
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| Editorial News
Editorial News Forum
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Masses aren`t asses, Mr. Sirisena! Thursday, 1 February 2007 - 4:23 AM SL Time Sri Lankans are a peculiar lot. They are adept at embracing something that they pretend to dislike, trotting out excuses. This could be succinctly put as the average clergyman`s attitude towards sex?he condemns it in public but relishes it in private. Today is Poya day and meat stalls and liquor bars are closed?quite rightly so, practising Buddhist will say?but at every home where liquor and meat are consumed, adequate stocks of meat, fish and liquor are maintained. Some people`s gorges rise at the mention of beef but the same worthies gobble up fish, mutton and chicken and fall over one another to help themselves to val uru mas (wild boar) wherever that rare commodity is available! Some are against killing animals but consume fish and meat by the ton insisting that the poor animals, to which those carcasses, belong have not been killed for them! Some proclaim their aversion to liquor in public but gulp a glass or two on the sly claiming that the stuff that cheers helps reduce the cholesterol level! However unpalatable it may sound to some of us, we ought to come to terms with the fact that most of us are hypocrites.
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Needed: A strong Opposition Tuesday, 30 January 2007 - 5:09 AM SL Time The root cause of most political ills afflicting this country since 1970 has been the absence of a strong Opposition. A weak UNP-led Opposition was no match for the strong United Front government (1970-77) guided by a discarded shibboleth. During that period, the country witnessed the first JVP insurrection and the government extending its term arbitrarily by one year. The 1977 general election saw the decimation of the SLFP and the emergence of a monolithic UNP regime, which railroaded anyone on its way into submission and ensured that it would be free from resistance in all spheres of its activity. In 1982, the UNP made a mockery of parliamentary democracy by replacing a general election with a referendum, which was rigged to the core to extend its term by six years. The democratic Opposition never recovered and the executive presidency dwarfed all democratic institutions including the judiciary. Houses of Supreme Court judges came to be attacked, as judgments they delivered were not in favour of the ruling party!
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Jumbos have jumped! Monday, 29 January 2007 - 4:52 AM SL Time President Mahinda Rajapakse has managed to consolidate his power in Parliament by cobbling together a grand alliance with the help of UNP crossovers. Although the JVP has decided to go it alone, the SLFP-led coalition, now, has as partners, a section of the UNP (including UNPers who crossed over previously), the SLMC, the NUA, the CWC, the UPF (Upcountry People`s Front led by P. Chandrasekeran), the CP and the LSSP with the JHU supporting it.
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| Sports News
Sports News Forum
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Tendulkar silences critics in grand style Thursday, 1 February 2007 - 4:46 AM SL Time Sachin Tendulkar returned to his match-winning ways on Wednesday with a warning that he was desperate to see India lift the World Cup in April. Tendulkar, the most successful batsman in one-day history, struck his 41st century to steer India to a resounding 160-run win over the West Indies in the fourth and final match here. `It is always great to contribute to an Indian win,` said the 33-year-old after the hosts piled up 341-3 from their 50 overs and then bowled the West Indies out for 181 in 41.4 overs. Tendulkar was nominated both man of the match and the series, which began with critics gunning for his head after he had managed just 248 runs in his previous 10 matches at 24.80. `This was much needed,` he said. `I was not converting decent scores into big ones, so to do it in a decisive match like this was very satisfying.
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Thurstan record fifth outright win Thursday, 1 February 2007 - 4:26 AM SL Time All rounder Umesh Karunaratne went past the 50 wicket barrier (52 in 10 matches), when he took a match bag of 8 wickets and helped Thurstan rout Maliyadeva College by innings and 8 runs in their Inter-School Elephant Lemonade Trophy Under-20 cricket match at Thurstan Grounds on Tuesday. Incidentally, it was the fifth outright victory for Thurstan College this season. Thurstan 168 Maliyadeva 67 and 12 for 2 overnight 93 (S Bulathwala 23; Umesh Karunaratne 4/49, Shalaka Rangajeewa 4/19) Easy victory for Cambrians Prince of Wales scored an easy 10 wicket victory over Revata College in their match concluded at Moratuwa, on Tuesday. Having scored 266 runs in the first innings, the Cambrians restricted Revata College for 163 runs with Rajitha Mendis and Isuru Gunasena sharing 6 wickets between them. Then the Prince of Wales openers achieved the target without much fuss.
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Susanthika`s prophesy and cricket selections Tuesday, 30 January 2007 - 5:09 AM SL Time `While the rest of the world and Asia are going forward Sri Lanka is going backwards,` famous words of Susanthika Jayasinghe after the recent Asian Games. Susanthika uttered these words for all of us to see and hear over the TV in the context of athletics in Sri Lanka. How prophetic these words are as they are equally applicable to Sri Lanka cricket. When the selectors named the tour party to India this was quite evident. Why on earth did they select aging Nuwan Zoysa for the tour of India? He did not have the opportunity to even warm up in England and was dropped for the tour of New Zealand. Now we find that he is back in the team. How many more years has a fast bowler aged 30 years or more got to contribute to the game where as a young fast bowler in early twenties will have at least 10 years of good cricket in him. So why bring an aging war horse when we have young stallions who are just waiting to be given a chance to prove themselves. For example why didn`t the selectors think of another youngster to give him experience and also prove himself for the World Cup? For instance the highest wicket taker in the Premier League tournament, Chanaka Komasaru, could have been rewarded for his performance. If these youngsters who do well in domestic tournaments are not given recognition at National level why do we have these tournaments.
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