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Attack on Sri Lankan police bus kills 10 people, government calls for sincere talks Wednesday, 31 January 2007 - 11:27 PM SL Time Sri Lanka: A bomb attack on a bus carrying off-duty Sri Lankan police and soldiers killed 10 people on Wednesday, as the government called on Tamil rebels to engage in sincere peace talks to end the escalating bloodshed. The roadside bomb hit the bus as it carried police and soldiers to their homes in eastern Batticaloa district, killing nine officers and one civilian and wounding 13 other people, according to military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe. He blamed Tamil Tiger rebels for the attack. Chief government spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said the government was ready for peace talks with the rebels. `We want the talks to be sincere,` he said. Sri Lanka`s main international backers ? India, the United States and Japan ? have asked the government to give priority to a negotiated settlement of the rebels` demands instead of opting for military action. 
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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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Security Forum
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Jaffna MPCS President assassinated Friday, 2 February 2007 - 5:06 AM SL Time President of the Jaffna Multi Pupose Co-Operative Society (MPCS) and an active social worker in the Jaffna Peninsula, S. T. Gananathan, 64, was shot dead near Mampalam junction Sri Lanka Army camp in Ariyalai, a suburb of Jaffna, around 6:30 a.m., Thursday. Mr. Gananathan went to fetch water from a well close to his house in Punkankulam, along A-9 highway, when he was assasinated by two unidentified armed men, sources in Jaffna said. The incident occured about 200 metres from Mampalam junction SLA camp. Gananathan is an retired engineer. He assumed duties as the president of the MPCS, Jaffna when former president of the Jaffna MPCS, Solomen Sri left Jaffna in Desember 2005 after receiving death threats. In August 2006, Thellipalai MPCS president, Sivamagaraja was shot dead by unidentified persons.
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MP monks `refused` portfolios Friday, 2 February 2007 - 5:04 AM SL Time The latest member of President Mahinda Rajapaksa`s cabinet of ministers says that Buddhist monks were reluctant to accept portfolios. National Organiser of the Buddhist-monk led Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), Patali Champika Ranawaka, says the monks felt their position in the society may be jeopardised had they accepted ministerial portfolios. `It is not that monks are not suitable: They themselves did not like it,` he told BBC Sandeshaya. MPs but not ministers Speaking after the ceremony, he said monks can act as parliamentarians but it may be difficult for them to play there dual role as prelates and members of the executive. Ranawaka sworn in as the minister in-charge of Environment and Natural Resources before President Rajapaksa on Thursday.
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`Sex on wheels` racket uncovered Friday, 2 February 2007 - 4:55 AM SL Time A sex on wheels racket was uncovered by Bambalapitiya Police, when they arrested a man and a woman in a Rs. 2 million vehicle last week. The modus operandi of the sex ring was to deliver call girls on client`s orders, police told The Island. Acting on information, a Police decoy placed an order resulting in the arrests. The suspects were yesterday produced at Mt. Lavinia Courts and remanded till February 14.
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Political News Forum
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Australian Parliamentarians to visit Sri Lanka Friday, 2 February 2007 - 5:02 AM SL Time Australian Parliamentarians Don Randal and Senator Steve Hutchins are due to to visit Sri Lanka on a fact finding mission. They have been invited by the High Commissioner K.Balapatabandi. Don Randall a Liberal MP is the Chair of the Australia - Sri Lanka Friendship Group in the Federal Parliament . Steve Hutchins, a Labor Senator is the Deputy Chair of the same group. It is generally accepted that both these parliamentarians have made significant contribution to the peace process between Government of Sri Lanka and Tamil Tigers by revealing the true facts to the Australian public by addressing the federal parliament on the conflict of Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka. Addressing the federal parliament in last year, Ron Randall blasted the LTTE saying ` `What I am telling the House today is that I intend, as an addition to my speech last week, to write to both the Foreign Minister and the Attorney-General to ask Australia consider proscribing the LTTE as a terrorist group.`
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Jumbo Cabinet disgraceful: Sripathi Friday, 2 February 2007 - 4:59 AM SL Time Joining Minister Maithripala Sirisena in criticizing the oversized Cabinet, Minister Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi said he loathed the very thought of being a member of a government with such a big Cabinet. `I am reeling with disgrace because of the size of our Cabinet. It is nothing but callousness, to appoint such a big Cabinet at a time ordinary people are going through innumerable hardships due to the unbearable cost of living` Mr. Sooriyaarachchi said. The Minister made these comments at a ceremony on Wednesday to welcome the new Minister Dayasritha Tissera held at the Ministry of Skills Development. Mr. Sooriyaarachchi said those who took the decision to expand the Cabinet should be blamed for the pathetic state of affairs. The time has come to honour the mandate given by the people at the 2005 Presidential election he said.
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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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Business News Forum
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Historic MIcrosoft Windows 2007 to be launched in Sri Lanka Friday, 2 February 2007 - 5:04 AM SL Time Sri Lanka will usher in Windows Vista, Microsoft 2007 Office System and Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 at BMICH in Colombo on the 15th February 2007 .This would be seen as the Software Industry`s biggest launch in recent history. The industry experts` would be seen ushering in Microsoft`s latest version of its flagship operating system, opening windows to hitherto untapped vistas of opportunity and productivity, ease of use, security, stability and connectedness. This launch would virtually be meaningful to all 500 million personal computer users across the world. It would also be much meaningful to average Sri Lankan personal computer users who struggle with the English language barrier as Microsoft incorporates Sinhala into the computer system. . Partnering the launch with Microsoft on the 15th February is Hawlett-Packard and Dialog Telecom as platinum sponsors.
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Insurance cover launched for hand phones Friday, 2 February 2007 - 5:01 AM SL Time For the first time in the insurance history of Sri Lanka, Dialog Telekom together with six leading insurance companies recently launched `Phone Safe`, an insurance cover for handsets. The Union Assurance, Sri Lanka Insurance, Janashakthi Insurance, Eagle Insurance, Asian Alliance Insurance, and Amana Takaful Insurance joined hands with Dialog to present this innovative service for their customers. Addressing the media, Chief Executive of Dialog Telekom Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya said this insurance scheme will be the same policy but each insurance company may offer different value additions for the scheme. Dialog will inform their customers and encourage them on this new scheme, he said. General Manager - Sales and Marketing of Dialog Telekom Nushad Perera said this will cover accident damage, accidental loss, water damage and theft together with an international cover for roaming customers.
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Tamil businessman kidnapped Friday, 2 February 2007 - 4:56 AM SL Time Unidentified armed men kidnapped a Tamil businessman, Kanapathipillai Ravindran in Wellawatte on Saturday (27)Wellawatte Police OIC Deeptha Wijewickrema said yesterday. Ravindran (30) who was married for only a month was a native of Vavuniya, who arrived in Colombo about two years ago. He was operating a business venture called Friends Communication Centre opposite the Wellawatte Mosque. On the day of the incident, he had arrived at his residence at Charlemont Road after closing the communication centre for the day. Armed persons in a van had arrived at his residence in the night and kidnapped him, Police said.
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Editorial News Forum
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Of the Sri Lankan Animal Farm Friday, 2 February 2007 - 4:57 AM SL Time The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused, by a majority decision, leave to proceed with a fundamental rights violation application filed by the Public Sector Salary Review Trade Unions Committee (PSSRTUC), as regards a parliamentary resolution to grant MPs, Ministers and the President pay hikes. The Chairperson of the Bench, Justice Shirani Tilakawardene, dissented. Today, we report that the PSSRTUC, not deterred by the Supreme Court ruling, is planning to move the Judicial Committee of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) against the parliamentary decision. Whether they will succeed in their endeavour remains to be seen but their courage and determination need to be appreciated. The learned judges of the Supreme Court know the law and how to interpret it best and we don`t seek to dispute the basis of their decision. But, the fact remains that parliamentarians have no moral right to grant themselves pay hikes, as we pointed out in a previous editorial. Their action is tantamount to a judge hearing his or her own case! (Lawmakers become judges when they sit on the privileges committee only to make a mockery of democracy.)
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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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National cricket team leaves for India today Friday, 2 February 2007 - 5:00 AM SL Time Sri Lanka has got less than ten days to submit their World Cup squad to the International Cricket Council and when the cut off day for submission of the squad comes on February 12, only two of the four One-Day Internationals would have ended between India and Sri Lanka. Captain Mahela Jayawardene, however, insisted that it was not an issue to be alarmed about as Sri Lanka were pretty much certain of their World Cup 15, with two middle order places and one or two places in the seam bowling department left to be decided on. Sri Lanka leave for India today for a four match ODI series, their last assignment ahead of the high profile World Cup competition in the Caribbean. The first match is on February 8, with Eden Gardens at Calcutta hosting the day-nighter.
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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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