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Sarath Fonseka to visit India seeking military cooperation
Saturday, 1 March 2008 - 8:32 PM SL Time
Tamilnet
Sri Lanka`s Army commander, Maj. Gen. Sarath Fonseka is scheduled to pay a six-day visit to India Sunday to `deepen military cooperation between the two countries,` according to a news report by the Indo Asian News Agency (IANS), Saturday. `Fonseka is sure to discuss military cooperation with India, which has become a touchy issue in bilateral relations,` the IANS report said.

The IANS report cited Indian military officials as saying that they `did not want the Sri Lanka Army to slacken its drive against the LTTE.`

Meanwhile, informed diplomatic sources in Colombo said that the move comes after Colombo had `planted` a story in Colombo press suggesting that the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) have acquired fresh shipment of weapons in recent weeks.
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Sri Lanka only country that feeds enemy
Saturday, 1 March 2008 - 2:48 AM SL Time
Prime Minister

It could be said that Sri Lanka is the only country that feeds its enemies, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickreamanayake said, at a ceremony held to present air tickets to Singapore to students who scored best results in the GCE Ordinary Level Exam, at the Prime Minister s office on Thursday (28).

`Is there any other country in the world that supplies food free of charge to its enemy force? We continue to provide food to the uncleared areas in the North though we know that the LTTE would get hold of them and attack our soldiers in return,` the Premier asked.

`Sri Lankans know humanitarian values. That s why it has not curtailed the supplies to the uncleared areas though the LTTE could make use of them to strengthen themselves. We have been distressed for nearly 30 years by the terrorism. The terrorists are dying to destroy the economy and this country. Yet, we as a government would not let them to achieve that target. As a government we have not failed in carrying out our duties of providing for Tamil and Muslims living under the gun point of the LTTE. It is no secret that the LTTE rob them the food and medicine that we send for the civilians. The facilities and medicine that we send there are being used to treat the LTTE cadres injured in attacks against the security forces. Not only that the injured terrorists are also treated in our hospitals and by our doctors. Some get cured and escape to take weapons against the forces again. That s why I said that Sri Lanka is the only country in the world that take care of the welfare of its enemies,` the premier said.
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Sri Lanka upset Australia
Friday, 29 February 2008 - 8:36 PM SL Time

Australia`s Adam Gilchrist smashed a blistering 83 in his farewell appearance at the MCG but his teammates collapsed to hand Sri Lanka an unlikely 13-run win here on Friday.

The tourists, in their final match of the tri-series, made 221, and Australia looked well set when Gilchrist launched an extraordinary attack at the top of the order.

However, in a disappointing performance just two days away from their first tri-series final against India, the home side were dismissed for 208 from 48.1 overs to end a seven-match winning streak against the Sri Lankans.

Gilchrist smashed the Sri Lankan bowlers to all parts of the ground and Australia had already raced to 107 when opening partner James Hopes was controversially bowled for 28 by Muttiah Muralitharan (2-42) in the 15th over.
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Most Recent News Discussions
Sarath Fonseka to visit India seeking military cooperation (51)

Sri Lanka only country that feeds enemy (191)

LTTE op. claims he came to sue Govt. for destroying his ship (3)

11 SLA killed in Mannaar - LTTE (1)

A Guard of Honour for Murali (4)

Parents of Sri Lanka`s war heroes to receive 25% of pension (1)

Sri Lanka upset Australia (41)

Thugs visit Rupavahini chief photographer (1)

Suicide blast near Sri Lanka capital`s port (41)

Sri Lanka to extend English medium education to AL classes in public schools (5)

Kfir mishap averted (2256)

LTTE s frustration very clear - Sri Lanka`s Military (5)

Sr Lanka Tamils must ask for what is reasonable and accept their role in the conflict (128)

Sri Lanka sliding into humanitarian nightmare- Geneva Group (4)

Tigers blame army for civilian deaths (54)

More News Discussions

More Headline News

Suicide blast near Sri Lanka capital`s port
Friday, 29 February 2008 - 9:20 AM SL Time
A suicide bomb blast shook a building near the port in the Sri Lankan capital early on Friday, killing at least two people and wounding seven, a bomb squad official said.

`There was a suicide attack,` the bomb squad officer said, asking not to be named in line with policy. `We don`t have further details.`

The military confirmed the blast. (Reporting by Ranga Sirilal, Writing by Simon Gardner Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
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Tigers blame army for civilian deaths
Friday, 29 February 2008 - 4:07 AM SL Time
The Tamil Tigers say Sri Lanka`s military set off two roadside bombs in a rebel controlled area in Wednesday, killing eight civilians.
A spokesman for the military denied they`d carried out the attacks.

Fighting is continuing between the rebels and government forces in the past few days. Clashes on the island has intensified since the government pulled out of a ceasefire with the rebels earlier this year.

The Tamil Tigers say the attacks on civilians took place seven hours apart in two locations in the area they control in northern Sri Lanka. According to a statement on the rebels website both the bombs targeted people travelling in trailers being pulled by tractors.

The Tigers said eight civilians were killed and they blamed the Sri Lankan army.
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Sri Lanka Army Captures Sluice Gates of Sinnaodaippu
Thursday, 28 February 2008 - 9:17 PM SL Time
Sri Lanka Army soldiers advancing into terror defences in Mannar today (February 28) achieved a tremendous success against LTTE terrorists by establishing the domination over the area of Sinnaodaippu in the North of Giant Tank today. According to the latest military reports received from Mannar battlefront troops have been able to capture an important sluice gate in the area along with a fortified bunker and a trench defence of the terrorists.

According to the defence sources in the area, Sri Lanka army infantrymen backed by artillery, launched the first assault at the terrorists` defence line around 10.a.m. and were able to beat off the terrorists by 11.45.a.m. The ground troops have reported that 20 terrorists were killed during the confrontation. However, the overheard radio transmissions of LTTE have revealed that only 14 cadres were killed during the first assault. During the subsequent search, troops have found six T-56 riffles.
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   More Headline News


Security Security Forum 

11 SLA killed in Mannaar - LTTE
Saturday, 1 March 2008 - 4:42 AM SL Time
Liberation Tigers Operations Command in Mannaar said Friday that 11 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and many wounded when Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) recaptured a position at Pa`ndivirichchaan Friday morning between 5:00 and 6:30 a.m. Meanwhlie, an SLA Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) was confronted by the Tigers at Mu`l`likku`lam around 2:00 p.m. 2 Claymore mines were seized, the Tigers said.

The SLA in Pa`ndivirichchaan captured an LTTE point. The Tigers within a few minutes launched a counter-attack and recaptured their point. The clash intensified as the SLA struggled to recover 3 of their dead soldiers, according to the Tigers.

On Thursday, LTTE and SLA clashed for 45 minutes at Mu`l`likku`lam where the SLA has to abandon its attempt to advance. Another attempt by the SLA to advance at Pa`ndivirichchaan was thwarted Thursday around 2:00 p.m., after a clash that lasted for an hour.
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LTTE op. claims he came to sue Govt. for destroying his ship
Friday, 29 February 2008 - 9:22 AM SL Time
Muttusamy Ilango alias Samy, one of the top undercover LTTE international operatives, arrested recently in a Colombo lodge, had confessed that he was responsible for several illegal operations such as abducting businessmen and extorting funds for the terrorist outfit besides running arms shipments and drug smuggling, a police special investigation team source told The Island.

Apart from the ship that was destroyed in an attack by the Sri Lankan armed forces, he owns a number of other ships he told investigators.

Explaining his presence in Colombo, Ilango, a Sri Lankan domiciled in Singapore, said he met the leader of the LTTE suicide bombing training group in Singapore and was convinced that he should help the LTTE. He had arrived in Sri Lanka with the intention of filing a lawsuit against the government to claim compensation for the destruction of one of his ships.
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LTTE s frustration very clear - Sri Lanka`s Military
Thursday, 28 February 2008 - 12:00 PM SL Time
Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkrara yesterday said the duplicity and frustration of the LTTE was now very much evident following the heavy defeats in the East and the on going offensives in the Mannar and Vavuniya theatres with the Tiger propaganda machine carrying out false propaganda to hoodwink the international community.

Nanayakkara said that a pro-Tiger website, www.tamileditors.com, on 30 January displayed the photograph of a youth it claimed was 25-year-old N. Kumara, whose mutilated body had been found on the outskirts of Mannar.

But, the Military spokesman said, the identical photograph was portrayed on a website, www.world.mht, two years ago claiming that the youth in the photograph was killed in the Iraqi war and belonged to the Haditha tribe.
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Politics Political News Forum 

Thugs visit Rupavahini chief photographer
Saturday, 1 March 2008 - 4:40 AM SL Time
Four suspicious characters had visited the Kotte residence of Piyal Ranjith, Chief Photographer of the Rupavahini Corporation News Room, on Thursday evening and begun interrogating him. When Piyal alerted his neighbours the four men had escaped in their three wheeler .

They had first asked Piyal whether he undertakes video photographing and when he replied in the negative they examined his car parked in the premises and noted down the registration number. Later, one of them had put his hand in to his trouser pocket and attempted to enter the house, when Piyal alerted the neighbours

He has lodged a complaint with the Mirihana Police who commenced investigations.

According to some employees of the Rupavahini Corporation, it was Piyal who issued the camera to video the incidents when Labour Minister Mervyn Silva entered the Rupavahini Corporation and created a big problem by assaulting the Director News. Later, the Minister was assaulted by the employees and had to be escorted out by Police and admitted to Hospital.
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Parents of Sri Lanka`s war heroes to receive 25% of pension
Saturday, 1 March 2008 - 2:50 AM SL Time
Additional Defence Secretary Sunil S. Sirisena last week said that parents of security forces personnel who have laid down their lives for country s defence will receive 25% of the pension and other allowances will be paid to their widows.

This will be effective from 21 November 2007 Sirisena said. Parents of bachelors who died in action received the full pensions and other allowances.

The parents hitherto receive only a part of the compensation that the wives of the forces personnel were entitled to (Rs. 50,000) and that only if their monthly income was less than Rs. 2,000 he said. `If the widows of forces personnel killed in the war wish to re-marry they are entitled to 10 years pension as a lump sum`, he said.

These decisions were taken on the recommendations made by Committee comprising the Tri Services Chiefs, representatives from the Public Administration and Home Affairs Ministry and the Finance and Policy Planning Ministry he said.
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Sri Lanka hands over rebel bodies
Wednesday, 27 February 2008 - 10:17 AM SL Time
Hospital officials in the northern Sri Lankan town of Anuradhapura say they have handed over the bodies of 14 Tamil Tigers to the Red Cross.
They say the rebels were killed in recent fighting in the Welioya area east of the town.

Hospital officials say the Tigers have handed over the bodies of three Sri Lankan soldiers so far this month.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) passes on the corpses to both sides so that they can be buried.

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Business / Economy News Business News Forum 

Sri Lanka to extend English medium education to AL classes in public schools
Friday, 29 February 2008 - 4:09 AM SL Time
Students of government schools in Sri Lanka are to be given the opportunity to follow their advanced level studies in English medium.

The Cabinet of ministers today approved a proposal submitted by the Minister of Education, Susil Premjayanth, to extend the opportunities for advanced level students in arts and commerce streams to pursue studies in the English medium in schools where teachers and other facilities are available.

The bilingual programme, started in 2002 for Grade 6 classes upwards had continued to the A/L classes in the science and mathematics streams. The first batch under this programme took the A/L examination in English in 2007. So far approximately 4,000 students from 115 schools have benefited from this scheme.

Education Ministry plans to train 500 school teachers in collaboration with universities in the form of weekend courses to facilitate English medium education.
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Oil hits new peak
Thursday, 28 February 2008 - 12:01 PM SL Time
Oil prices set a new record high above 102 US dollars a barrel yesterday.

Light, sweet crude for April delivery reached 102.08 dollars on the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) for the first time as investors turned to energy investments to combat a weakening dollar.

Oil is closing in on its inflation-adjusted peak, as a slumping dollar on lacklustre U.S. economic data triggered a surge across commodities markets. An inflation-adjusted peak of $102.53 was seen in 1980.

Dealers said it is also attributed to strong heating fuel demand in Europe and the United States. The cold spell and signals from OPEC that the group will not raise production at its meeting next week also added support to crude s gains.
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Big overseas demand for Sri Lanka`s Yellow fin tuna
Tuesday, 26 February 2008 - 7:46 AM SL Time
Sri Lanka has reaped profits from the migratory yellow fin tuna fish exports during the past three years and an increase in the domestic price can be experienced in the coming months, as there was a high demand for it in the export market, Minster of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Felix Perera told The Island yesterday (25).

`We are exporting this special variety to Japan and the European markets but we still do not have the proper mechanism to get the maximum catch out of this resource. Only around 20 to 24 Board of Investment approved firms export this variety of tuna fish,`the minister said.

He said though there were around 2,600 fishing vessels, only 300 have the capability to catch yellow fin tuna. The Fisheries Ministry s two long line vessels too had helped to increase the fish harvest.
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Editorial News Editorial News Forum 

Throwing the baby out
Saturday, 1 March 2008 - 2:50 AM SL Time
Our national trait for throwing the baby out with the bath-water is truly remarkable. At times, we even throw out the baby and retain the bath-water. Then, we throw up our hands in horror and desperately look for the baby down the drain.

When the UNP opened up the economy in 1977, it threw caution to the winds. Instead of discarding the outdated economic policies selectively and adopting new ones to keep pace with the changing world, it debilitated the state enterprises post-haste and drove most of them to an economic mass grave. Then, in 1994, the SLFP the very party, responsible for running a closed economy from 1970 to 1977, began from where the UNP had stopped to make sure that the existing state ventures were done away with.
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Gender equality
Tuesday, 26 February 2008 - 7:49 AM SL Time
A UN study shows there is presently a drastic drop in development funding particularly towards the Asia Pacific region due chiefly to gender related discrimination in the many spheres of activities in these nations.

Among other things the study calls for an increase in the sphere of development assistance specially targeting gender equality and women`s empowerment.

According to an inside page article we carried yesterday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has also complained that global commitments on gender equality and empowerment of women in various international fora focusing on the role women have yet to be implemented.

The study reveals that the Asia Pacific region alone is losing between 42 billion and 47 dollars annually because of women`s limited access to employment opportunities and another 16 billion to 20 billion dollars annually as a result of gender gaps in education.
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Believe it or not!
Sunday, 24 February 2008 - 9:19 AM SL Time
Last week s revelation in parliament that a news conference organized in connection with Livestock Awards Ceremony has cost all of a million rupees will surely merit inclusion in Bob Ripley s ``Believe it or Not. Given the way that inflation is galloping with a cup of tea in a boutique costing Rs. 20, a million bucks may be worth less than it seems to be and millionaires today maybe dime a dozen in a country where a laksapathiya merited wide esteem not so long ago. But is it possible for a government institution to spend that kind of money on a mere news conference? Readers may well wonder whether it was a champagne and caviar affaire with hundreds of invitees and gifts for participants with special sound and lighting effects thrown in for the television cameras.

According to what Chief Government Whip Jeyaraj Fernandopulle had told the House, the Livestock Awards extravaganza, it was obviously much more than a mere tamasha favoured by our politicians and political patronage seeking officialdom, had cost Rs. 24 million. No doubt Fernandopulle, who nowadays has to pull out most of the government s chestnuts out of the fire, was right when he said that livestock was an important subject and productivity in that sphere had to be incentivised and rewarded. But spending Rs. 24 million on an awards ceremony takes not just the cake but the whole bakery.
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Sports News Sports News Forum 

A Guard of Honour for Murali
Saturday, 1 March 2008 - 4:43 AM SL Time
Very rarely do you see a guard of honour for a sportsman, especially in cricket, where the run of play has denied even the best of batsmen and bowlers one. But on Friday, at the MCG, there were three guards of honour for some of the all time greats of cricket.

First, the Australians did it as Sanath Jayasuriya walked into bat and a rush of wickets towards the end of Sri Lanka s innings allowed them to stage another for Muttiah Muralitharan, and later, the Sri Lankans paid back the complement when they applauded Adam Gilchrist all the way to the crease.

But the one that was most heart-warming was the one that was accorded to Muralitharan, who was booed, jeered and no-balled at this massive ground some 13 years ago.
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Pathirana fails to save Lanka
Thursday, 28 February 2008 - 12:04 PM SL Time
A brilliant unbeaten 97 from all rounder Sachith Pathirana could not save Sri Lanka as they bowed out of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Under 19 World Cup following a close eight run defeat against England on the Duckworth and Lewis scoring method in their Play Off semifinal fixture worked off at the Royal Selangor Club in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Pathirana produced his best innings of the tournament to help Sri Lanka pile up a competitive 241 runs from their 50 overs after being put into bat.

However England produced an equally good batting display to reach a formidable 204 for 3 before heavy rain halted the game in the 45th over.

The dashing left hander who is also in contention for the Player of the Series award hoisted two sixes and struck five boundaries while collecting his runs from just 91 deliveries. Pathirana also put on 92 runs for the fifth wicket with skipper Ashan Subasinghe from 18 overs.
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Sri Lanka`s Tour of shame
Wednesday, 27 February 2008 - 10:14 AM SL Time
Sri Lanka s cricketers completed what will go down in history as the worst ever tour of Australia in the context of the players who made up the team as the curtain virtually came down on them with defeat against India at the Bellerieve Oval in Hobart yesterday.

When the tour party returns in shame in a few days, the Sri Lankans will still be in the spotlight making headlines for the wrong reasons as they gear to play for something else in neighbouring India where making money will be far easier than winning matches. First it was a case of playing for the country and now it s also money which means the focus will be on another venture. How the current Sri Lanka cricket board president Arjuna Ranatunga will handle issues from now on will be the million dollar question.
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