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Vanni base hit twice Friday, 27 July 2007 - 5:11 AM SL Time The SLAF yesterday bombed an LTTE training facility situated north-west of Oddusudan as the government stepped-up pressure on enemy-held territory in the Vanni.
Jets launched from Katunayake airbase targeted the facility twice in the morning, SLAF spokesperson Group Captain Ajantha Silva said. `We carried out the first strike at 9. 10 am and the second, around noon,` he said, asserting that the assault was successful. Both Israeli-built Kfirs and Ukrainian MiG 27s had been deployed in what the official called one of the biggest strikes since the government brought the entire Eastern Province under its control. The SLA secured the last LTTE bastion in the East on July 11. 
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Colombo University Lecturer takes up JHU challenge Thursday, 26 July 2007 - 8:30 PM SL Time Colombo University History Lecturer Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri has taken up the JHU challenge to prove the Tamil homeland theory and a Tamils` right to self determination.
Dr. Devasiri said he is willing to prove the Tamil homeland theory and the rights of Tamils for self determination if the JHU is willing to come for a debate with him on this issue. Dr. Devasiri said this at a seminar on the JHU`s APC proposals held at the Colombo National Library Auditorium recently, referring to the JHU proposal that it would accept these two theories if they were proved with historical and legal facts. Dr. Devasiri said the Sinhala Society has been built on four mythologies viz. Buddha`s visit to Sri Lanka, Advent of Prince Vijaya, advent of Arahat Mahinda Thera and King Dutugemunu`s war to vanquish king Elara.
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Two million mines buried in the North and East Thursday, 26 July 2007 - 4:37 AM SL Time Though there was an ambitious plan to make Sri Lanka landmine free by 2008, it may take decades to clear more than two million mines and other explosive devices buried in the North and East during over two decades of confrontation due to the dearth of competent de-miners and lack of funding.
It transpired in a recent workshop for the media personal organized by the Landmine Advocacy Forum and the Sri Lanka Press Institute that only 161,415 landmines and other explosive devices had been cleared by various de mining groups operating in the North and the East during the past five years, that included 97,952 anti personal mines, about 46,000 unexploded shells, mortars and grenades, 16,700 explosive devices and 112 anti tank mines. `To clear all these mines and other explosive devices, there are only 1,600 competent de-miners available,` Monty Ranatunge, the Director National De-mining Steering Committee said.
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| Security
Security Forum
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Bhaila seeks Riyadh`s help to save teenager Friday, 27 July 2007 - 5:34 AM SL Time Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein Bhaila said he was seeking Riyadh`s help in obtaining clemency for a teenage maid condemned to death but he did not expect an immediate outcome to efforts to save her life. `We got a very good and patient hearing` from Saudi Foreign Ministry officials during the meeting in Riyadh, Bhaila told AFP by telephone on Tuesday. Bhaila said he handed the officials a letter from Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama to his Saudi counterpart, and another from himself to the Governor of Riyadh, asking for their intervention to secure a pardon from the family of the baby the maid was convicted of killing. Bhaila arrived in Saudi Arabia on Friday with the parents of 19-year-old Rizana Nafeek, who was convicted of strangling her employer`s baby in 2005.
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Illegal roads across railway lines pose threat to life and limb Friday, 27 July 2007 - 5:29 AM SL Time Construction of illegal approach roads to business centres and residents across the railway lines in Negombo is posing a threat to life and limb by way of train accidents, say residents of the area. The area most prone to accidents is Archbishop Nicholas Marcus Fernando Mawatha. `There are many illegal approach roads constructed to shops and residents across the railway lines along this road,` say residents. They ignore the legally constructed approach roads to these places and construct roads at will because the Railway Department does not take any action against them, the residents said. The Negombo Mayor, Nimal Lansa has written to the Railway Authority, requesting them to take legal action against the offenders to curb the problem.
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Hindu monks turn away bull slaughter official Friday, 27 July 2007 - 5:27 AM SL Time Hindu monks this morning turned away a Government vet who had come to take their `sacred` bull for slaughter. Worshippers and protesters said the veterinary inspector could not enter their temple to remove Shambo because he did not have a court warrant. The inspector, who was accompanied by two police officers, then left to seek a warrant from magistrates. The Skanda Vale temple in Llanpumsaint, west Wales, lost a legal battle to save the six-year-old Friesian earlier this week. They were told he must be destroyed, almost three months after testing positive for exposure to bovine tuberculosis. A Welsh Assembly Government spokeswoman said officials had to be turned away before they could apply for a warrant, and appealed for co-operation from the community.
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| Politics
Political News Forum
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CID perusing bank accounts of Minister Friday, 27 July 2007 - 5:37 AM SL Time The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probing the massive fraud at the Agrarian Insurance Board and Agrarian Service yesterday told the Colombo Chief Magistrate and Additional District Judge Kusala Sarojini Weerawardena that they are perusing the bank accounts of Nation Building Minister S. M. Chandrasena, whose name had transpired during the investigations into the fraud at the Agrarian Insurance Services. CID officials told the Judge that Minister Chandrasena had made a statement to the CID and mentioned about all his and his wife`s bank account numbers. The CID is conducting investigations into those bank accounts. At this stage, Judge Weerawardena said that the court had received a petition stating that the money had been deposited in Minister Chandrasena`s wife`s account.
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Blair leaves behind Lanka`s tea set Friday, 27 July 2007 - 5:31 AM SL Time A tea set gifted by President Mahinda Rajapaksa was among the items left behind by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair when he resigned last month, the Associated Press reported yesterday.According to the report British government records released on Wednesday show that an iPod gifted by popular Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger, coins from the Emir of Kuwait and a tea set from the president of Sri Lanka were among the gifts left behind by Mr. Blair. Mr. Blair received the presents between April 2006 and March 2007. Other gifts include rugs from Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, glassware from Austria and wine from Saudi Arabia, where alcohol is banned. Government ministers in Britain must declare any gift valued at more than 140 pounds and either buy them or hand them over to the department for display or storage before leaving office.
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Union threatens to take Dallas to court Friday, 27 July 2007 - 5:14 AM SL Time All Ceylon Transport Workers Union (ACTWU) is contemplating legal action against Transport Minister Dallas Allahaperuma for violating the Sri Lanka Transport Board Act (SLTB). Addressing a press conference in Colombo yesterday, ACTWU General Secretary Sepala Liyanage said: `We have nothing personal against the Transport Minister but if he continues to go by the Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundara`s policies, we would resort to legal action followed by a massive agitation campaign`. Liyanage charged that it was Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundara through the Public Enterprises Reforms Commission (PERC) who destroyed the SLTB and continue to do so with Strategic Enterprises Management Agency (SEMA)
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| Business / Economy News
Business News Forum
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Leather and footwear village in Anuradhapura Friday, 27 July 2007 - 5:35 AM SL Time The Industrial Development Board (IDB), identifying the importance of spreading the leather and foot wear industry throughout the country, anticipates opening its second leather and footwear manufacturing village in Anuradapura by the end of this week. `Although Anuradhapura is synonymous with agricultural activity, we see people are keen on conducting self- employment ventures such as footwear manufacturing to earn an additional income. Twenty young people have enrolled in our initial training programme in footwear manufacturing,` said IDB Centre for the Development of Leather Products and Footwear L. P .S. Karunadasa. The leather and footwear village in Anuradhapura will be handed over to the Public by Rural Industry Development and Self-Employment Promotion Minister S. B. Navinne, who will be partnered by Anuradhapura Chief Minister Berty Premalal Dissanayake on July 27, 2007.
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Cambodia denies it was a source of weapons for Sri Lanka`s Tigers Thursday, 26 July 2007 - 5:01 AM SL Time Cambodia today denied a media report that Cambodia was a source of weapons for Sri Lanka`s LTTE. Cambodian Minister of Defense Tea Banh had said to the Cambodian media that the report is entirely groundless, and there is no authentic evidence to prove it. `The weapons which belong to the Cambodian government are all in the country and nobody will export them to foreign countries,` a news report said quoting the Minister. The Jane`s Intelligence Review said that `Cambodia is one of the most significant single source of weapons for the insurgent group`.
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`Worried` EU offers more aid Thursday, 26 July 2007 - 5:00 AM SL Time The European Union says it will provide twenty-one million dollars in humanitarian aid to victims of the conflict between government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka. The EU aid commissioner, Louis Michel, said the EU was extremely worried by the increase in violence in Sri Lanka. In a statement he said that the brutality of the conflict was appalling and violations of international humanitarian law were being perpetrated in a climate of impunity.
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| Editorial News
Editorial News Forum
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When the wild pigs crack kekuna nuts ? Thursday, 26 July 2007 - 5:00 AM SL Time The ruling Blues and the opposing Greens are poised to stage a mega muscle-flexing today. The UNP will hold its Jana Rela protest in Colombo, while the SLFP is scheduled to demonstrate in most parts of the country in support of the government. What the public will be treated to is predictable. Both parties will disport themselves in their favourite sport?mud slinging and a show of bravado to impress the voting public. We are reminded of something that the animal rights activist of international repute Maneka Gandhi says in her column in this newspaper today about the breeding habits of hippopotamuses. What have hippos and their private life got to do with politicians?
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A tale of three cities Wednesday, 25 July 2007 - 5:53 AM SL Time Terrorists have to be lucky only once, it is said, and others have to be lucky all the time. Time was when it was thought powerful nations by virtue of their military might were immune to terrorism, which was considered a phenomenon only the politico-economic leper colonies (read the developing countries) were afflicted with. Havoc that terrorists wreaked on those countries became a form of entertainment to the affluent world. The western media were attracted to bloody conflicts destroying lives and economies in far away regions, like vultures to rotting carcasses. They shamelessly sided with the so-called guerrillas so that they could get `exclusive stuff`?like the BBC documentary glorifying Black Tigers?and their personnel were safe in conflict zones. Little did they care for the damage they caused to gasping democracies by helping sanitise terrorism.
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The East is calling Monday, 23 July 2007 - 9:52 AM SL Time The re-establishment of the government`s writ in the entire Eastern Province has not only demolished many a myth about the LTTE?its invincibility etc.?but also ripped the international community`s mask of humanitarian concerns. A few moons ago, some foreign envoys in Colombo let rip, so to speak, about the humanitarian situation in the East. They were so concerned about the civilian plight that they even went there in defiance of government warnings to see for themselves how humanitarian work was being done. They had a close shave when the LTTE shelled the chopper carrying them and some of them suffered minor injuries. But, today, we learn that international help for rebuilding the East is not forthcoming as some members of the international community remain noncommittal on assistance. Only a few of them have reportedly expressed their willingness to make a contribution to that worthy cause, but they, too, don`t seem to be so enthusiastic.
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| Sports News
Sports News Forum
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Humiliated by Bangladesh, SL under-19 bowled out for 87 by India Friday, 27 July 2007 - 5:41 AM SL Time Sri Lanka made a humiliating exit from the tri-nation cricket series involving Bangladesh and India after they were bowled out for 87 runs to suffer a disappointing 161 run defeat at the hands of India under-19 at the NCC grounds on Wednesday. Sri Lanka failed to win a single game in the tournament and a couple of days back suffered another embarrassing defeat against the Bangladeshis. The result was a warning signal for the hosts about the state of their youth cricket and if the trend continues, the day Bangladesh`s senior side handing the Sri Lankans embarrassing defeats is not too far away. The irresponsible decision making with overnight policy amendments has bungled the smooth operations of a century old school cricket structure and its` terrible consequences were there to be seen as Sri Lanka suffered crushing defeat after defeat.
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SL crash out of tri-nation cricket series Thursday, 26 July 2007 - 4:57 AM SL Time The irresponsible decision making with overnight policy amendments that has bungled the smooth operations of a century old school cricket structure saw one of its terrible consequences produced yesterday when Sri Lanka Under-19 were routed by India Under-19 in the Tri Nation Limited over match played at NCC Ground. Having being beaten by both visiting teams in previous outings, Sri Lanka`s last hopes of finding a final berth evaporated under overcast conditions when India restricted the hosts to a paltry 87 runs to earn a massive 161 runs victory. Having only two recognised batsmen, namely Lahiru Thirimanne and Ashan Priyanjana to hold batting together with all-rounder Umesh Karunaratne, out of form according to the team management and injured Roshane Silva being reduced to the bench, Sri Lanka`s chances of earning some respect in the decisive encounter looked rather remote when they started to chase a doggedly made 248 by the Indians.
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Sri Lanka remains in Zone III Monday, 23 July 2007 - 9:56 AM SL Time It was a delayed start yesterday due to rain on the fifth and final day of the Asia/Oceania Zone III of the Davis Cup tennis tournament at Green Path. The front runners for the first and second teams to be promoted from Zone III to Zone II were Lebanon, Oman, Sri Lanka and UAE. Lebanon were way ahead and made themselves eligible for promotion by having won 4 ties. In contention for the second position and thereby for promotion, were Oman with having won 3 ties, Sri Lanka 3 and UAE 2. There was an air of expectancy when Sri Lanka took on Lebanon and Oman was pitted against UAE. For Sri Lanka to gain promotion they had to beat Lebanon and to make their case even stronger UAE had to beat Oman. The matches that had no bearing and were of no consequence, were the ties between Singapore versus Malaysia and, Saudi Arabia against Vietnam.
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