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   http://www.lankanewspapers.com/elephanthouse - Archive of Jan 2011




Sri Lanka government heads for mid-term test
Saturday, 1 January 2011 - 2:29 PM SL Time

mins ago

COLOMBO (AFP) Sri Lanka will hold its first nationwide local elections since the crushing of Tamil Tiger rebels, a minister said, with the mid-March vote seen as a key test for the ruling party.

Health minister Maithripala Sirisena said all local government bodies would be dissolved by mid-January, about two weeks before they complete their terms, and fresh elections would be called by mid-March.

`The local bodies will be dissolved by the middle of this month and we will have earlier elections,` said Sirisena, who is also the general secretary of the ruling party.

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Vienna New Year s Concert
Saturday, 1 January 2011 - 6:35 PM SL Time

Thanks to the perfect work of ORF, the Austrian National Television, this very exceptional concert is broadcasted every year over the Eurovision Network and there is just no way that I will ever miss this outstanding program.
From the location to the decoration, from the musicians to their instruments, the atmosphere etc. everything is so great that even me, being not an expert on classical music, I`m so attracted by this particular event, like millions across Europe and all over the world. In fact The Vienna Philharmonic New Year`s Concert is in terms of international coverage the largest classical music event in the world. In 2011 the concert is once again broadcasted on television and radio to over 70 countries worldwide. It is Franz Welser-M st that took up the baton to conduct this concert for the first time.

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2011 New Year`s Concert Vienna, Johann Strau , Donauwalzer (An der sch nen blauen Donau) op. 314
Sunday, 2 January 2011 - 2:07 AM SL Time

Just could not resist in posting a second part of this exceptional event.

Yes, the music lovers have identified this piece, it`s of course The blue Danube - Watch the dancer`s expertise and how they master the famous Walzer with full of grace.

The MusicElephant

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Outlook of Sri Lanka s economy positive for 2011 - Dr. Sirimal Abeyrathne
Sunday, 2 January 2011 - 6:20 AM SL Time

By Gamini WARUSHAMANA

Economic analysts say that the outlook of Sri Lanka`s economy this year is positive and the country will catch up on its three decades which were lost due to the conflict in the North and the East but long term sustainability of the growth is doubtful due to many reasons.

Dr. Srimal Abeyrathne of the Department of Economics, University of Colombo said that the post war economic revival will continue this year.

Agricultural and fisheries sector revival, improvement of economic activities, reconstruction and rehabilitation work, growth in tourism sector and increase of capacity utilisation are included in the post war economic revival.

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How to Keep Your New Year`s Resolutions: Advice from the Experts
Sunday, 2 January 2011 - 2:31 PM SL Time

About half of all American adults (48%, according to a Marist poll taken in December) say they are at least somewhat likely to make a New Year`s resolution this year. Their top vows: to lose weight (19%), quit smoking (12%) and exercise more (10%). Sound familiar?

The Marist poll also found that while 65% of people who made a resolution in 2008 kept their promise for at least part of the year, 35% never even made it out of the gate. Indeed, when you wake bleary-eyed on the first day of a new year or decade resolutions to `cut back` and `moderate` seem both an excellent idea and an impossibly hazy dream. (See TIME`s special report on health and happiness.)

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Friend`s death inspired Elton John`s bid to be a father
Sunday, 2 January 2011 - 8:38 PM SL Time

Elton John was inspired to become a father after the sudden death of his friend.

The `Rocket Man` singer - who, along with husband David Furnish, celebrated the birth of son Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John on Christmas Day via a surrogate mothers_day.jsp' class=black>mother - had previously resisted Furnish`s pleas for them to start a family together, but changed his mind after musician Guy Babylon died of a heart attack in September 2009.

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Sri Lanka expects more help from India to develop war-ravaged area: SL Minister H M Fowize says
Monday, 3 January 2011 - 8:08 AM SL Time

Sathyalaya Ramakrishnan reporting from Chennai
Chennai, 03 January, (Asiantribune.com): Minister Abdul Hameed Mohamed Fowzie, one of the ten Sri Lanka`s senior ministers, has said that his country expects more help from India to develop war-ravaged areas in the Northern Lanka dominated by minority Tamils.

`The island nation expects more help from India for developing the Tamil areas. A cordial atmosphere now prevails in relations between Tamil Nadu Chief Minister (M Karunanidhi), Indian Prime Minister (Dr Manmohan Singh) and Sri Lankan President (Mahinda Rajapakse). Tamils will once again develop and join the mainstream,` Minister A H M Fowzie said in Keelakkarai on Sunday.

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Ailing Greece Struggles with an Influx of Illegal Migrants
Monday, 3 January 2011 - 7:16 PM SL Time

By Joanna Kakissis

Rasha had a simple dream when she left Gaza`s al-Shati camp a month ago. `Job, food, house,` she says. `Or at least hope for this.` Europe, she had heard, was full of hope. So Rasha, 25, and her husband Ali, 31, sold their belongings and borrowed from friends and relatives to pay a smuggler nearly $2,000 to help them and their 4-month-old son Yusef get there. One November night, they crossed the Evros River that marks the land border between Greece and Turkey. At dawn, Greek police found them at a dilapidated train station and sent them to the Fylakio detention center near the northeastern Greek city of Orestiada.

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Sri Lanka President says challenges of development much greater than challenge of defeating terrorism
Tuesday, 4 January 2011 - 3:57 AM SL Time

Tue, 2011-01-04 04:19 editor
By Santhus Fernando in Colombo

Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing a gathering of public servants today (January 3, 2011) said that the challenges of developing the economy was much greater than the challenges faced when defeating terrorism.

He said so addressing the staff of the Presidential Secretariat marking the first working day for Sri Lanka`s public sector today at old Parliamentary Complex in front of the Galle Face Green.

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Rare Earth Race: A Japanese Scientist Produces an Artificial Alternative
Tuesday, 4 January 2011 - 1:08 PM SL Time

By Jenara Nerenberg
The world--and particularly the Japanese [1]--may be in a frenzy over China`s newly announced 35% cut in rare earth exports [2], those used to produce many high-tech devices, in the first half of this year. But a Japanese scientist has found one answer: Create the metals artificially [3].

Professor Hiroshi Kitagawa of Kyoto University has announced that he and his team of researchers have artificially produced a metal similar to palladium, a material commonly used in catalytic converters. In his lab, Kitagawa used a heating method to produce ultramicroscopic metal particles, ultimately mixing the usually resistant rhodium and silver to create the palladium-like metal.

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The Macroeconomic Stability That Sri Lanka Desperately Needs To Pursue
Wednesday, 5 January 2011 - 3:09 AM SL Time

Wed, 2011-01-05 01:21 editor
News Analysis
By Edward Theophilus
After twenty five years civil war, it is quite visible that Sri Lanka is highly enthusiastic achieving a rapid and sustainable economic growth with a view to providing economic comfort to the nation. There is no doubt that all who, were born in Sri Lanka, whether they are in the country or living in overseas do support to this enthusiastic ambition of Sri Lankan nation.

The provisional economic statistics demonstrates that the enthusiastic ambition of Sri Lanka is quite achievable subject to certain conditions and the major challenge to policy makers in the country is to focus on the macroeconomic stability, which is an essential condition for a sustainable economic growth and resolving tremendous economic problems faced by quite large number of people in the country.

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Baker Street` singer Gerry Rafferty dies, age 63
Wednesday, 5 January 2011 - 12:07 PM SL Time

LONDON (Reuters Life!) Scottish singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty, whose 1970s hits include `Baker Street` and `Stuck in the Middle With You,` has died at age 63, his agent said on Tuesday.

`I can confirm that Gerry very sadly passed away,` Paul Charles said in an email, giving no further details.

British media reported that Rafferty died peacefully at home with his daughter Martha by his side. He had battled a drinking problem and spent time in hospital at Bournemouth in the south of England, with liver failure, the BBC reported.

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Sri Lanka delays local polls for World Cup
Wednesday, 5 January 2011 - 5:22 PM SL Time

Colombo, Jan 5, (AFP):

Sri Lanka today postponed council elections near three cricket World Cup venues as the nation seeks to put on a flawless show as co-hosts of the prestigious event.


The Colombo Municipal Council will not go to the polls as scheduled in March while four other councils in the central and southern provinces will also be delayed to avoid clashing with the tournament.

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SRI LANKA: Refugees want to return, says UNHCR
Wednesday, 5 January 2011 - 9:33 PM SL Time

COLOMBO, 5 January 2011 (IRIN) - The number of Sri Lankan refugees wanting to return home since the end of the conflict in 2009 is increasing significantly, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says.

Thousands fled abroad because of the decades-long conflict between government forces and the now defeated Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which had been fighting for an independent Tamil homeland.

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Sri Lanka`s UNP ex-MPs request Ranil Wickremesinghe to step down
Thursday, 6 January 2011 - 8:44 AM SL Time

By Santhush Fernando in Colombo
Colombo, 06 January, (Asiantribune.com): Several former Members of Parliament representing Sri Lanka`s main opposition- United National Party (UNP) are to request incumbent Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to step down, from his post.

A group of ex-MPs lead by MD Premaratne, Gemunu Abeysundara, Vincent Dias, Anura Bastian, Reginald Perera, and D.M. Bandaranayake will hand over the letter this evening, local media reported.

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Boehner Takes Reins, Vows Change .
Thursday, 6 January 2011 - 1:31 PM SL Time

WASHINGTON The 112th Congress opened a new era of divided government Wednesday, and newly empowered Republicans immediately moved to advance their agenda of attacking government spending.


PM Report: A New Era on Capitol Hill
10:08

Ohio Republican John Boehner was elected speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday as the 112th Congress was sworn-in. Topping the agenda for House Republicans: cutting spending. Jerry Seib explains how they plan to do it.
.Rep. John Boehner (R., Ohio), within hours of becoming the nation`s 61st House speaker and swearing in the new Republican-controlled House, pushed through new rules designed to make it more difficult to raise taxes, increase spending and lift the federal debt ceiling.

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Surprise - surprise Why the Nano car is going nowhere
Thursday, 6 January 2011 - 7:38 PM SL Time


To much fanfare in 2009, India a hotbed of innovative products within reach of the poor like the $70 refrigerator and the $23 stove introduced the world to the Tata Nano, a car retailing for a mere $2,200. A year and a half or so later, the Nano is basically considered a flop, with only a few hundred sold each month. Why aren`t Indian drivers buying? One reason: The sticker price is too cheap.

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Sri Lanka: Yala National Park
Friday, 7 January 2011 - 7:23 AM SL Time

Once off-limits to visitors, Sri Lanka`s Yala National Park is today a place of natural wonders. Daniel Nielson reports
Every flick of the leopard`s tail and canine-flashing yawn is met with a flutter of camera shutters. Vying for the best view of the nonchalant feline are tourists packed into seven jeeps.

The leopard, seemingly fully aware that he`s at the top of the food chain, seems to be enjoying the attention. After 20 minutes, he stands up and, just like a domestic tabby, stretches, yawns and then wanders off into the thorny scrub jungle of Sri Lanka`s Yala National Park.

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Sri Lanka s UNP Government requested Norwegian help for Tiger radio equipment
Friday, 7 January 2011 - 1:21 PM SL Time

Fri, 2011-01-07 13:05 editor
Breaking News
By Santhush Fernando in Colombo
Colombo, 07 January, (Asiantribune.com): A top secret diplomatic cable obtained by Wikileaks and published by the Oslo-based newspaper- Aftenposten, makes a startling revelation that the then United National Party (UNP) government led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, had requested Norwegian assistance in the importation of radio equipment for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in a bid to give legal recognition to the Voice of the Tigers .

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CES: Who really needs a $3000 fridge that can tweet?
Friday, 7 January 2011 - 10:33 PM SL Time

12:52 7 January 2011
TechnologyPeter Nowak, contributor, Las Vegas

The last time I went into the kitchen to fetch a midnight snack, I couldn`t help but look at my refrigerator wistfully and think, `If only I could send tweets from you.`

Fortunately, Samsung has got me and the millions of other late-night snackers/Twitterers who are surely out there covered. At this week`s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the
South Korean company introduced a fridge equipped with speakers, a touch-screen and wi-fi, which means downloadable apps - including Twitter - are at the ready.

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Sri Lanka to consider the increase of tax on Mobile phone and Internet operators
Saturday, 8 January 2011 - 2:16 AM SL Time

Sat, 2011-01-08 01:41 editor
News
By Ashwin Hemmathagama Our Parliament Correspondent
Colombo, 08 January, (Asiantribune.com): Dinesh Gunawardena, Minister of Water Supply and Drainage and Chief Government Whip of Parliament assured the opposition that mobile telecommunication service providers and the Internet service providers in Sri Lanka will be further considered for the imposition of increased tax, unless they reduce the tariffs.

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Sri Lanka threatened with US sanctions during last stage of war- Wikileaks
Saturday, 8 January 2011 - 7:17 AM SL Time

Sat, 2011-01-08 05:05 editor
By Santhush Fernando in Colombo
Colombo, 08 January, (Asiantribune.com): Colombo, 08 January, (Asian Tribune): A mere twelve days before world`s most ruthless terrorist leader- Vellupillai Prabakaran met his waterloo at the Nandikadal (Ocean of Nandi) swamps of Velli Mulli Vaikkaal, the once all-powerful United States Government threatened to invoke sanctions on Sri Lanka, in an obvious bid to save Sri Lanka`s Osama Bin Laden , oblivious to the sufferings of hundreds of thousands of Tamils caught in the war.

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A Bonanza in TV Sales Fades Away
Saturday, 8 January 2011 - 12:04 PM SL Time

By SAM GROBART
LAS VEGAS By now, most Americans have taken the leap and tossed out their old boxy televisions in favor of sleek flat-panel displays.

Now manufacturers want to convince those people that their once-futuristic sets are already obsolete.

After a period of strong growth, sales of televisions are slowing. To counter this, TV makers are trying to persuade consumers to buy new sets by promoting new technologies. At this week`s Consumer Electronics Show, which opens Thursday, every TV maker will be crowing about things like 3-D and Internet connections features that have not generated much excitement so far.

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Sri Lanka Railway to provide Wi-Fi to first class passengers
Sunday, 9 January 2011 - 2:18 AM SL Time

Jan 08, Colombo: Sri Lanka Railway is to provide Wi-Fi services to the first class passengers, Planning Director of Sri Lanka Railway Wijaya Samarasinghe said.

The Wi-Fi facility will be provided to reserves First Class Observation Saloon as well.

Sri Lanka Railway is improving facilities in trains in view of attracting local and foreign tourists, executives and business community, railway sources say.

It has introduced a number of new services including online seat booking.

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India Calling - Homeland Revisited
Sunday, 9 January 2011 - 1:20 PM SL Time

Homeland RevisitedBy GAIUTRA BAHADUR
INDIA CALLING

An Intimate Portrait of a Nation`s Remaking

By Anand Giridharadas

.In the middle of his accomplished book, India Calling, Anand Giridharadas tells of meeting a Maoist revolutionary in Hyderabad. The city, nicknamed Cyberabad, serves as a base for both the globalized Indian economy and an armed insurgency at war against the country`s inequalities, rooted and new. India`s Maoist or Naxalite movement began as a rural struggle against exploitative landlords in a caste-conscious, socialist nation but has now arrayed itself against the forces of global capitalism reshaping India. When Giridharadas pushes the Naxalite What does one fight have to do with the other? the man answers with a striking notion: globalization is reducing people to their specific economic task, stripping them of their humanity, just as caste had done. And software engineers in gated communities have become the new Brahmins. Giridharadas follows the curve of this argument, allowing it to seduce us. Then, he reveals that this rebel, although waging revolution by night, reports by day for a newspaper he himself describes as a shill for the multinational transformation of India. I have to earn my lunch, the man explains. I`m not a whole-timer for revolution.

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Sri Lanka floods kill two, 600,000 homeless
Sunday, 9 January 2011 - 4:01 PM SL Time

COLOMBO Two children were buried alive in mudslides on Sunday in Sri Lanka where more than 600,000 people have been driven out of their homes by floods, officials said.

A six-year-old boy and a nine-year-old girl were killed in separate incidents in the district of Badulla.

Heavy rains have caused flooding in the island`s central and eastern regions where more than 600,000 people were estimated to have moved to temporary shelters after their homes were flooded.

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Would this work in Colombo?
Sunday, 9 January 2011 - 6:52 PM SL Time

Spanish shoppers bare all for free clothes
The `come in your underwear and get a free outfit` offer certainly drew in the crowds
09 January 2011

Hundreds of shoppers in Spain braved chilly weather to queue outside shops in their underwear on the first day of the winter sales to take advantage of an offer of free clothes.

`Come in your underwear and get a free outfit`, so declared an offer by Spanish-based clothing retailer Desigual for the first 100 people to enter each of their stores in cities around the country - Barcelona in the northeast, San Sebastian in the north and Marbella in the south.

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Manilal - You have done Sri Lanka proud
Monday, 10 January 2011 - 2:23 AM SL Time

The election of Manilal Fernando as a member of the FIFA Executive Committee is indeed a singular honour for Sri Lanka and football fraternity of this country. Manilal having held various prestigious positions in the Asian Football Confederation, presently he is a Vice President of the Confederation.

Recognition
To be elected to this prestigious position from representatives of nearly fifty countries is a rare achievement. The election unmistakably indicates the high esteem in which Manilal is held by all the member countries of the Confederation and FIFA.

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LTTE left peace talks in 2003 to win concessions
Monday, 10 January 2011 - 7:15 AM SL Time

Mon, 2011-01-10 06:00 editor
By Santhush Fernando in Colombo
Colombo, 10 January, (Asiantribune.com): A top secret diplomatic cable made public by Wikileaks reveals that Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) left peace talks with Sri Lankan government in a tactical move to get more concessions .

Although the then United National Party (UNP) government led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, had given more than enough concessions to the world`s most ruthless terror outfit, the Tigers had confessed to Japan that the terror group suspended peace talks with the motive of getting more concessions.

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Staying Afloat Down Under
Monday, 10 January 2011 - 12:26 PM SL Time

January 9, 2011
Staying Afloat Down UnderBy NICK EARLS
Brisbane, Australia

THERE was cricket in Sydney last week. The crowd wore pink fluorescent wigs and hats cut from watermelons. Shirts were optional. Australians are fun-loving when there is fun to be had. It`s part of our national character. So is our disregard for authority, which we celebrate, while at the same time being one of the most law-abiding nations on earth.

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Chinese film industry races close to Bollywood
Monday, 10 January 2011 - 8:58 PM SL Time


Saibal Dasgupta, TNN, Jan 10, 2011, 07.51pm IST
BEIJING: Box office earnings of the Chinese film industry have jumped a massive 64% in 2010, which is being regarded as a bad year for Bollywood. In fact, China`s media regulators have predicted the local industry, regarded as a backward territory until recently, will surpass India and Japan by 2015.

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Lionel Messi wins World Player of the Year award
Tuesday, 11 January 2011 - 1:37 AM SL Time

Breaking news from Zurich

Argentina forward Lionel Messi was named World Player of the Year .

Messi won the trophy ahead of Barcelona teammates Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta. It was voted on by the coaches and captains of national teams plus invited journalists.

The 23-year-old forward helped an exciting Barcelona team retain its Spanish league title and lead the standings again this season.

Messi also won the award last year.


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Whither Sri Lanka s Wonder Of Asia Ambition?
Tuesday, 11 January 2011 - 8:24 AM SL Time

Tue, 2011-01-11 03:07 editor
News Comments
By Edward Theophilus
There are no arguments among Sri Lankan expatriates or Sri Lankans, who are living in the country that the defeat of Prabhakaran and his terrorist war strategy in the country under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapakse has economically boosted the opportunity to achieve economic independence.

Obviously, the current peaceful conditions in the country could save massive volume of military spending and use such spending for economic investment purposes as the war infrastructure development is not an urgent aim of the country at this moment though Sri Lanka is quite vigilant on the possibility of re-emerging of LTTE and hidden activities of them. It does not mean that Sri Lanka should abandon military spending and concentrate only on recurrent spending that will create a healthy infrastructure network in the country supporting to all investments. Military spending are essential to maintain long term stability and peace in the country as well as entire region while encouraging development expenses.

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Returning Tamils are safe in Sri Lanka says Canadian authorities
Tuesday, 11 January 2011 - 4:20 PM SL Time

Sri Lanka is peaceful Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board
Your life is not in danger just because you`re a Tamil who has been sent back to Sri Lanka , says a new policy introduced by Canada`s Immigration and Refugee Board.

The persuasive decision, a note aimed at maintaining consistency in IRB rulings, said meaningful changes in Sri Lanka suggest Tamils particularly young males won`t be persecuted because of their social group or political opinions.

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Catherine Zeta-Jones` tears over Michael`s cancer progress
Tuesday, 11 January 2011 - 11:09 PM SL Time

Catherine Zeta-Jones burst into tears she found out Michael Douglas`cancer treatment had worked and his tumour has disappeared.

Catherine Zeta-Jones burst into tears when she heard Michael Douglas` tumour had disappeared.

The `Wall Street` actor endured a gruelling chemothers_day.jsp' class=black>motherapy and radiotherapy treatment after he was diagnosed with throat cancer six months ago and his wife failed to control her emotions after the 66-year-old star was given the news his treatment had worked.

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Climate Summit for Financing of Sustainable Infrastructure in 40 Global Megacities
Wednesday, 12 January 2011 - 1:04 PM SL Time

A very important meeting is taking place at the Congress Centre Basel, Switzerland.

In a first concrete effort to fulfil the resolutions of the Climate Summit held in Canc n
(Mexico) one month ago, delegations from 40 megacities (with a combined population of
over 400 million) will meet on 11 and 12 January in Basel, Switzerland. The Canc n
agreement calls for a 2 C limit on global warming. To meet this minimum target, cities
will have to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%. The conference,

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It does not work for everyone
Wednesday, 12 January 2011 - 2:09 PM SL Time

What is good for one can be bad for another one.
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Floods ground Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa
Wednesday, 12 January 2011 - 5:08 PM SL Time

12 January 2011 Last updated at 09:30 GMT

Weather conditions have forced Sri Lanka`s president to abandon a visit to areas affected by severe flooding which has displaced nearly 200,000 people and killed 18 others.

Mahinida Rajapaksa had to cancel his helicopter trip from Polonnaruwa in the east to the badly affected coastal city of Batticaloa 120km (75 miles) away.

The downpour is continuing after two weeks of rain in the centre and east.

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Falmouth Coastguard coordinates Sri Lanka yacht rescue
Thursday, 13 January 2011 - 6:48 AM SL Time

Three people, including a couple from Kent, have been rescued from a sinking yacht off Sri Lanka after contacting coastguards in Cornwall.

Falmouth Coastguard received a call asking for medical advice on Tuesday evening when the skipper of the 14m (46ft) `Baccus` injured his arm.

Less than an hour later, in `horrendous` storms, the yacht started to sink.

The Broadstairs couple and a Belgian man were rescued by a nearby ship.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said what had first appeared to be a routine request soon became a major rescue.

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Sri Lanka govt. begins high-level talks with Tamil National Alliance - Will discuss day-today problems of the Tamil people during forthcoming meetings- TNA
Thursday, 13 January 2011 - 11:52 AM SL Time

Thu, 2011-01-13 07:33 editor
News
By Santhush Fernando
Colombo, 13 January, (Asiantribune.com): Sri Lankan government this week began high-level talks with the country`s largest Tamil political party- Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in a bid to find a political solution to the ethnic conflict that led to three decades of bloody civil war.

There will be a structured dialogue meeting every fortnight. During talks it was agreed to discuss various issues faced by the Tamil people and to find a amicable settlement, a TNA representative told the Asian Tribune.

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Battle to reach thousands of Sri Lanka flood victims
Thursday, 13 January 2011 - 4:48 PM SL Time

13 January 2011 Last updated at 09:42 GMT

More than 30,000 army, navy, police and air force personnel have been deployed across Sri Lanka to provide urgent aid to people hit by heavy flooding.

A government spokesman told the BBC that more than 325,000 people had been displaced by the floods, which have killed at least 21 people.

The priority since the rains abated on Thursday is to deliver emergency food and medical supplies.

In the centre and east farmland has been flooded and rice fields destroyed.

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Sri Lanka prepares to face flood-borne epidemics
Thursday, 13 January 2011 - 9:49 PM SL Time

01/13/2011 15:24


COLOMBO, Sri Lanka Sri Lanka hospitalized pregnant women and young children to shield them from waterborne diseases in districts where floods have brought sewage into the streets, a health official said Thursday.

Days of heavy rain have triggered widespread floods and mudslides, mainly in the island`s Eastern Province. Five more deaths were reported Thursday, bringing the toll to 23, Pradeep Kodippili of the Disaster Management Center said. One person is reported missing and 36 others wounded.

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Buddha s tooth, waterfalls and temples of Sri Lanka
Friday, 14 January 2011 - 7:35 AM SL Time


Sri Lankan women weed vegetable fields. During the dry season from December through June, they wear long clothes to cover themselves against the tropical sun. Although the temperature may drop to 10 C at night, the sun emerges hot in the morning near the equator. Vadym Voityk
Buddha`s tooth, waterfalls and temples of Sri Lanka
Today at 01:08 | Svitlana Tuchynska Editor`s Note: If Egypt has lost its exotic appeal during sluggish Ukrainian winters, take a trip through Asia with the help of our four-part series. After hiking and swimming in waterfalls in Sri Lanka, we`ll take you on a journey to Malaysia, Laos and the Yunnan province in South China.

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Sri Lanka offers to share power with Tamils
Friday, 14 January 2011 - 8:40 PM SL Time

14 January 2011 COLOMBO - Sri Lanka`s president offered to share power with minority Tamils Friday, nearly two years after his troops put down a separatist war by ethnic Tamil Tiger rebels.

President Mahinda Rajapakse told foreign correspondents at his tightly guarded Temple Trees residence in Colombo that he was open to devolving power to address the long-standing grievances of ethnic Tamils.

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Some reflections on reading Dayan Jayatilleka and Dharmeratnam Sivaram (Taraki)
Saturday, 15 January 2011 - 12:12 AM SL Time

14 Jan, 2011
The discourse on Sri Lankan ethnic crisis has always been distracted by sideshows of political antics from both sides of the ethnic divide. The recent Oxford Union `fiasco` is one among them. People use the narratives The triumphalist Tamil diaspora, the defeated Mahinda Rajapaksa and the West`s conspiracy against Sri Lanka appropriate for their `ideological` positions being confined to an intellectual and cognitive comfort zone is preferred than confronting the reality which is full of cacophony.

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Electronic Waste: Where Does It Go and What Happens To It?
Saturday, 15 January 2011 - 11:44 AM SL Time


By Michelle Castillo on January 14, 2011
Many people are aware of the disastrous effects that tossing old electronics in the garbage can have on the environment and take special care to dispose of these products properly. While most recycling centers will make sure that your devices are dismantled and reused, a recent NPR story shows us that companies might not be as honest about what they are doing with your old electronics. More often than not these items are shipped outside the US, moving the toxic waste dump from our shores to developing countries, according to Basel Action Network executive director Jim Puckett. The non-profit organization focuses on protecting the environment from dangerous waste.

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Plundering, unrest as Tunisia ponders life after Ben Ali
Saturday, 15 January 2011 - 4:37 PM SL Time

Tunis/Paris - Looting and unrest continued to plague Tunisia Saturday as the first steps toward a new government were taken a day after President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali fled the country in the wake of ever escalating protests.

Witness said the central train station in the capital Tunis was on fire overnight despite a nationwide curfew. Supermarkets and residential buildings had also been set ablaze or looted and one hospital attacked, reports said.

Several of the targeted buildings were owned by relatives of Ben Ali.

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Teeming Delhi, where the traffic is murder
Sunday, 16 January 2011 - 12:10 AM SL Time

Indian capital has seen 78 people die in past year in apparent road rage incidents
Jason Burke in Delhi

Traffic moves along a busy road in New Delhi, where 382 murders were committed in five years by `people who let their anger explode`. Photograph: B Mathur/Reuters An apparent road-rage incident in which a restaurant manager was crushed and killed after accidentally scraping a car in a crowded carpark at an upmarket shopping centre in the centre of Delhi has provoked unusual introspection among the city`s 15 million inhabitants.

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Sri Lanka s Tamil test
Sunday, 16 January 2011 - 10:22 AM SL Time

Sharing sentiments are on the rise in Sri Lanka. President Mahinda Rajapakse has once again reiterated his policy to share power with the minority, and has rightly urged the Tamil politicians to come up with a united negotiating position.

This is incredibly a new leaf in the checkered history of the island-nation state that has seen three decades of bloodshed and violence. It is imperative for the government to encourage the Tamils to come out of the Liberation of Tamil Tigers Ealam (LTTE) psyche and start envisioning of a future that is shared and secure. The stigma of associating the enterprising minority with secessionist trends should come to an end, and Rajapakse`s resolve and sincerity will be up for test as he lays down the blueprint for reconciliation in weeks and months to come.

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La Ni a as Black Swan Energy, Food Prices, and Chinese Economy Among Likely Casualites
Sunday, 16 January 2011 - 2:49 PM SL Time

Reader Crocodile Chuck highlighted an important post at Houses and Holes, an economics-oriented Australian blog. While Australia is reeling from the immediate impact, the broader impact of 2010-11 weather patterns may have much bigger ramifications for food and energy prices in Australia and abroad.

The post focuses on the possibility, increasingly endorsed by top meteorologists, that the heavy Australian rains are the result of a super La Ni a, the last of which was seen in 1973-4,the time of the last severe flooding in Queensland. Super La Ni as are hugely disruptive to agricultural production and can have other nasty knock-on effects (some contend the 1917 La Ni a helped spawn the 1918 influenza pandemic).

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Boozylicious, and able to carry their liquor
Sunday, 16 January 2011 - 4:11 PM SL Time

Comment on this story

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Thanks to their new-found economic wealth and girlpower , South African women are drinking like never before.

According to staff members at several nightclubs and restaurants, women now form a bigger part of their booze clientele, unafraid to splurge on cocktails, shooters, mojitos, tequilas, bubbly and vodka.

And usually that`s before getting behind the wheel and driving.

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Sri Lanka President opens Sangupiddy Bridge connecting Jaffna and mainland for public
Sunday, 16 January 2011 - 10:33 PM SL Time

Sun, Jan 16, 2011, 09:26 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.


Jan 16, Jaffna: Realizing the dream of traveling to Jaffna through one of the most scenic land routes, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa today opened the Sangupiddy Bridge, that connects Jaffna peninsula in Northern Province to the mainland in the shortest distance at Pooneryn.
The 288-meters long bridge with two lanes was constructed under the Uthura Wasanthaya programme at a cost of 1.037 billion rupees. The British government provided the financial assistance for the project.

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Israeli Test on Worm Called Crucial in Iran Nuclear Delay
Monday, 17 January 2011 - 1:02 PM SL Time

This article is by William J. Broad, John Markoff and David E. Sanger.

The Dimona complex in the Negev desert is famous as the heavily guarded heart of Israel`s never-acknowledged nuclear arms program, where neat rows of factories make atomic fuel for the arsenal.

Over the past two years, according to intelligence and military experts familiar with its operations, Dimona has taken on a new, equally secret role as a critical testing ground in a joint American and Israeli effort to undermine Iran`s efforts to make a bomb of its own.

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e-Sri Lanka to `change the face of government`- Secretary Lalith Weeratunga
Monday, 17 January 2011 - 7:12 PM SL Time

One also has to possess a positive attitude towards bringing about change. That is why we started breeding a new set of leaders who would act as change agents - Lalith Weeratunga

Government to place `Chief Innovation Officer` instead of Chief Information Officers

Sri Lanka`s IT-savy Presidential Secretary and distinguished civil servant Lalith Weeratunga is hopeful that the emerging Indian Ocean economy, which is poised to become the `Wonder of Asia`, will accomplish its ambitious target 75 per cent e-literacy by 2016 by reengineering the country`s public sector, through government`s e-Sri Lanka programme.

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Sri Lanka alcohol healthcare restrictions criticised
Tuesday, 18 January 2011 - 2:45 AM SL Time

A union representing doctors in Sri Lanka has protested against government plans to stop free healthcare for those addicted to alcohol.

The health ministry is planning to stop free health care to `alcohol-addicts` from next month.

The union says the new measure jeopardises doctor-patient relations because medics are required to provide a health report for each patient.

The poor that will be twice punished by the measure, the union says.


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Sri Lanka-bound vessel- Samho Jewellry seized by Somali pirates
Tuesday, 18 January 2011 - 9:15 AM SL Time

Tue, 2011-01-18 04:56 editor
By Santhush Fernando
Colombo, 18 January, (Asiantribune.com): Suspected Somali pirates hijacked a Norwegian-owned cargo ship `Samho Jewellry` with 21 crew on board in the Indian Ocean, on its way to Sri Lanka from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The chemical tanker along with eight South Koreans, two Indonesians, and 11 Burmese were seized last Saturday, in the waters between Oman and India, officials said.

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Researchers aim to resurrect mammoth in five years
Tuesday, 18 January 2011 - 4:09 PM SL Time

TOKYO (AFP) Japanese researchers will launch a project this year to resurrect the long-extinct mammoth by using cloning technology to bring the ancient pachyderm back to life in around five years time.

The researchers will try to revive the species by obtaining tissue this summer from the carcass of a mammoth preserved in a Russian research laboratory, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported.

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Where is Prageeth?
Wednesday, 19 January 2011 - 2:06 AM SL Time

Prageeth Eknaligoda, a journalist, cartoonist and political analyst, went missing nearly one year ago. He disappeared in Colombo on 24 January 2010.

With the help of famous cartoonists all over the world, Reporters Without Borders and Cartooning for Peace are launching a campaign that appeals to the Sri Lankan authorities to do everything possible to find Prageeth.

A new cartoon will be published every day until the anniversary of his disappearance.

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Hundreds of devotees and onlookers gather for elephant pageant in Sri Lanka
Wednesday, 19 January 2011 - 12:36 PM SL Time


Annual event commemorates the visit of Lord Buddha to the temple
January 18, 2011 7:01 PM


An elephant and its mahout offer prayers at the annual pageant of the historic Kelaniya Buddhist Temple in Kelaniya on January 18, 2011. Hundreds of devotees and onlookers gathered for the annual elephant pageant, held on the night before the full moon day in January, to commemorate the visit of Lord Buddha to the temple. Dozens of colourful traditional dancers, drummers, whip crackers, fire eaters, musicians and devotees take part in the pageant that parades through the main streets of Kelaniya.

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Royal wedding sparks debate on UK succession
Wednesday, 19 January 2011 - 4:03 PM SL Time

LONDON Lawmakers say it would be the perfect wedding gift changing Britain`s rules of succession so any daughter born to Prince William and wife-to-be Kate Middleton would enjoy an equal right to the throne.

Lawmaker Keith Vaz led a brief House of Commons debate Tuesday calling for an overhaul of the 300-year-old procedures, which many call antiquated and sexist.

`Sex discrimination has been illegal in the UK since 1975 and those who break the law are rightly punished,` he told Parliament. `This rule attempts to bring gender equality into our succession rules.` He said a series of newspaper polls shows strong support for this change to the rules.

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SRI LANKA: Health workers head north
Wednesday, 19 January 2011 - 8:12 PM SL Time

COLOMBO, 19 January 2011 (IRIN) - Healthcare workers are slowly returning to the conflict-affected north of Sri Lanka, where only six doctors covered 1,279 sqkm and an estimated population of at least 300,000 during the height of fighting in 2009 in a region known as the Vanni.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least one doctor - 23 health workers in total - for every 10,000 residents to provide the minimum level of care in the Vanni, each doctor covered at least 50,000 people.

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Amnesty International Calls on the United States to investigate Sri Lankan President
Thursday, 20 January 2011 - 2:48 AM SL Time

Amnesty International Calls on the United States to
Investigate Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapksa
During his Surprise Visit to the United States

Contact: AIUSA media relations office, 202-509-8194

(Washington, D.C.) The United States should investigate Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapksa, who arrives on a surprise visit to the United States today, for his alleged role in perpetrating torture and war crimes, Amnesty International said today.

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JPMorgan Closes Foreign Accounts, Squeezes Diplomats Cash Flow
Thursday, 20 January 2011 - 12:05 PM SL Time

By Bill Varner
(Bloomberg) -- The decision of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and several other banks to close accounts of foreign embassies and United Nations missions is creating a cash-flow pinch for diplomats in the U.S. with bills to pay and payrolls to meet.

It is a problem, South Africa`s Ambassador Baso Sangqu said yesterday. We cannot get banking services. We are shopping around.

New York-based JPMorgan, the second biggest U.S. bank by assets, notified foreign governments in a Sept. 30 letter that their accounts would be closed on March 31. The letter didn`t give a reason for the decision and JPMorgan Chase spokesman Tom Kelly declined to comment.

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Skyscanner sees searches to Tunisia, Australia and Sri Lanka plummet
Thursday, 20 January 2011 - 4:53 PM SL Time

Gareth Williams commented: The beginning of this year has seen flooding and civil unrest negatively impact short term confidence in tourism to Tunisia, Australia and Sri Lanka. Tunisia has been worst affected with searches plunging 50% following the declaration of a state of emergency.

Brisbane and Cairns searches are 15-20% below where we would expect for this time of year. More surprisingly, Perth and Sydney figures dropped by about 10% showing consumer confidence has been dented across the whole country and not just in the affected areas. Popular long haul holiday destination, Sri Lanka, has also seen a 20% decline in travel enquiries due to the recent flooding.

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Tentacled tipster Paul the Octopus gets memorial
Thursday, 20 January 2011 - 8:43 PM SL Time

Jan 20, 9:28 AM EST

BERLIN (AP) -- Paul the celebrated octopus has finally got his tentacles wrapped around a soccer ball.

The Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen on Thursday unveiled an outsized memorial to the World Cup`s most unlikely star: A 6 1/2-foot (2-meter) tall plastic replica of Paul clutching a ball in his eight arms.

Aquarium spokeswoman Tanja Munzig says Paul`s cremated ashes were placed in a gold-leaf-covered urn inside the ball. Paul died three months ago and Munzig says fans around the world had asked for a memorial.

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Sri Lanka to expedite cases against ex-rebels
Friday, 21 January 2011 - 8:05 AM SL Time

Fri, 2011-01-21 03:29 editor
News
Colombo, 21 January, (Asiantribune.com): Sri Lanka is to expedite the prosecution of hardcore Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) detainees, with the special presidential committee commencing its work on Wednesday.

The special committee appointed to study the cases of detained LTTE suspects and expedite legal actions where necessary, began its work by visiting the Boossa detention camp close to Southern port city of Galle, and interviewed 182 detainees on January 19, 2011, President`s Media said.

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Biggest Mafia bust nets 119 in U.S.
Friday, 21 January 2011 - 1:46 PM SL Time

Biggest Mafia bust nets 119 in U.S.
Friday, January 21 06:12 am

Bernd Debusmann Jr.
Buzz Up! ShareretweetEmail Story Print Story Authorities arrested 119 organised crime suspects on Thursday in what the FBI called the largest single-day operation against the Mafia in history. Skip related content
Related photos / videos FBI agents arrest more than 100 organized crime suspects in New York Enlarge photo The roundup, conducted with the help of former mobsters turned informants, shows the Mafia remains a threat despite decades of crackdowns that have sent its hierarchies to prison but also that the famed `omerta` code of silence is largely a myth, officials said.

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Sri Lanka Nov trade deficit narrows 13.2 pct yr/yr
Friday, 21 January 2011 - 4:30 PM SL Time

4:50am EST
COLOMBO, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka`s trade deficit narrowed 13.2 percent to $279.4 million in November from $321.7 million in the same month last year, the central bank said on Friday.

November imports rose 19.1 percent to $1.11 billion compared with $934.7 million a year earlier. Exports jumped 36 percent to $833.6 million, compared with $613 million a year ago.

Exports earnings in November hits highest since Oct 2004. (Reporting by Ranga Sirilal and Shihar Anee Editing by Bryson Hull)

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Sri Lanka s economic progress significant- US ex-Ambassador Robert O Blake
Saturday, 22 January 2011 - 6:32 AM SL Time

Sat, 2011-01-22 06:03 editor
News Comments
Colombo, 22 January, (Asiantribune.com):
Robert O. Blake, JrWhile post-war Sri Lanka has made significant progress in the economic front, its reconciliation process has not proceeded sufficiently, a former controversial Ambassador of United States to Sri Lanka had said at a recent forum.

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Robert Blake and Sri Lanka president Rajapaksa didn t meet in Texas, Says US State Department spokesman
Saturday, 22 January 2011 - 3:06 PM SL Time

Sat, 2011-01-22 12:58 editor
Breaking News
Daya Gamage US National Correspondent Asian Tribune
Washington, D.C. 22 January (Asiantribune.com):
Sri Lanka President Mahinda RajapaksaAdmitting that Sri Lanka president Mahinda Rajapaksa is in fact on U.S. soil but on a private visit, the US State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told the daily media briefing in Washington Friday, 21 January that the State Department made no arrangements for him to meet any US official and that he was positive that assistant secretary for South Asia Robert Blake did not meet the Sri Lanka president.

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Politics this week
Sunday, 23 January 2011 - 12:38 AM SL Time

As protests persisted across Tunisia, its president for the past 23 years, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, fled to Saudi Arabia, leaving his prime minister to try to cobble together a unity government including several former members of the opposition. It was unclear whether this would help restore calm. Several nominees refused to join the new government unless Mr Ben Ali`s party was completely swept from power. Officials said 78 people had been killed in street violence in the past few weeks the opposition said the true figure was several times higher. See article

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Positive news regarding Sri Lanka
Sunday, 23 January 2011 - 1:21 PM SL Time

It`s a pleasure to see that the positive news on my global radar seems to be accelerating. Here a few examples picked up this morning:

In the last 6 hours
Sri Lanka tea output record Gulf Daily News 01:56
The growth of football in Sri Lanka... Lakehouse Sunday Observer, Sri Lanka 01:07
Tremendous potential in Northern Province: Jaffna, the future gateway to Sri Lanka Lakehouse Sunday Observer, Sri Lanka 01:07

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China s Army of Graduates Struggles for Jobs
Monday, 24 January 2011 - 1:15 AM SL Time

By ANDREW JACOBS
BEIJING Liu Yang, a coal miner`s daughter, arrived in the capital this past summer with a freshly printed diploma from Datong University, $140 in her wallet and an air of invincibility.

Her first taste of reality came later the same day, as she lugged her bags through a ramshackle neighborhood, not far from the Olympic Village, where tens of thousands of other young strivers cram four to a room.

Unable to find a bed and unimpressed by the rabbit warren of slapdash buildings, Ms. Liu scowled as the smell of trash wafted up around her. Beijing isn`t like this in the movies, she said.

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Mahinda s Bad Omens And Mixed Signals
Monday, 24 January 2011 - 8:28 AM SL Time

Monday, January 24, 2011

It is widely known that Mahinda Rajapaksa took a sudden trip to America just after winning the presidential election in January 2010. Since then there have been no official or unofficial visits to the US by him, except to attend the UN annual General Assembly sessions and that, too, for the very first time.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing the gathering at the Thai Pongal festival in Jaffna on January 15

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Tennis : Nadal Beats Cilic to Reach Australian Open Quarterfinals Soderling Ousted
Monday, 24 January 2011 - 7:25 PM SL Time

By Dan Baynes and Danielle Rossingh - Jan 24, 2011 Rafael Nadal extended his win streak in majors to 25 matches by beating Marin Cilic in the fourth round of the Australian Open.

Nadal defeated the Croat, 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. The top-seeded Spaniard`s win streak ties him with Pete Sampras and Jimmy Connors.

Before the match I was a little bit nervous, Nadal said in a court-side interview after Cilic, 22, produced a double- fault on match point. I tried to play with very high intensity and played my best match here at the Australian Open this year.

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Sri Lanka guards open fire to quell prison riot
Tuesday, 25 January 2011 - 5:05 AM SL Time

Tuesday, 25 January 2011 01:50


Share
COLOMBO: Sri Lankan prison guards opened fire yesterday to halt a riot by prisoners protesting against poor conditions, killing at least one inmate and wounding another 20, an official said.

Rounds of ammunition were fired as prisoners lit fires at the prison in the town of Anuradhapura, a prison official in the area said by telephone.

Hospital sources said 21 prisoners were admitted with gunshot injuries and one of them died of his wounds. The prisoners were protesting against conditions in the overcrowded facility. AFP

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Australia: 3 Charged For Human Smuggling
Tuesday, 25 January 2011 - 12:44 PM SL Time

CANBERRA, Australia) Australian authorities charged three Indonesian men with people smuggling after their rickety boat smashed into cliffs along a remote Australian island in December, killing an estimated 48 people aboard, police said Tuesday.

The men are accused of trying to smuggle the Iraqi, Iranian and Kurdish asylum seekers on board the wooden boat into Australia. If convicted, they could face up to 20 years in prison and a 220,000 Australian dollar ($220,000) fine. (Read about another human smuggling attempt.)

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Sri Lanka main opposition calls on government to reveal the truth behind President`s US visit
Tuesday, 25 January 2011 - 8:51 PM SL Time

Tue, Jan 25, 2011, 08:02 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.


Jan 25, Colombo: Sri Lanka`s main opposition United National Party (UNP) has asked the government today to issue an official statement on President Mahinda Rajapaksa`s visit to the United States.

UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake told a press conference that the President`s visit to the US was not a private visit as stated by the government.

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Attack aimed at sabotaging India-Sri Lanka relations`
Wednesday, 26 January 2011 - 3:33 AM SL Time

The High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India, Prasad Kariyawasam, on Tuesday described the attack on the Maha Bodhi Society office in Chennai as an attempt to sabotage relations between India and Sri Lanka.

Stating that the island nation always treated Indians, particularly Tamils, as friends, he said that some extremist elements with sinister motives had launched the attack, in which four persons, including Vajira Thero, Chancellor of Sabaragamuwa University in Sri Lanka, suffered injuries.

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Ambassador Amunugama - the new Secretary to Sri Lanka s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Wednesday, 26 January 2011 - 2:03 PM SL Time

Wed, 2011-01-26 05:39 editor
News
By K.T.Rajasingham
Colombo, 26 January, (Asiantribune.com): Sri Lanka`s Ambassador in - China Karunatilaka Amunugama will be the next Secretary to Sri Lanka`s External Affairs Ministry, highly informed sources in the Presidential Secretariat confirmed this to Asian Tribune.

Ambassador Amunugama, hailed as Peoples` Ambassador and the one Sri Lankan Career diplomat who brought China and Sri Lanka closer and responsible in many ways to establish a sound and a deep-rooted Sino-Lanka friendship.

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Australian Open 2011 - Very Big Sensation
Wednesday, 26 January 2011 - 7:44 PM SL Time

Rafael Nadal`s bid to win four straight Grand Slam tournaments is over.
The injured Nadal lost his quarterfinal 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 Wednesday to fellow Spaniard David Ferrer at the Australian Open.

Nadal, who appeared to have tears in his eyes during a changeover while trailing 3-0 in the third set, took a medical timeout for an apparent leg injury after three games and was clearly out of sorts, failing to chase down balls that he would ordinarily return easily. A terrible situation for Nadal who looked like the only player being able to prevent Federer from breaking the winner`s record in Melbourne with 5 titles.

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The 2011 World Economic Forum in Davos / Switzerland
Thursday, 27 January 2011 - 12:39 AM SL Time

I guess I no longer have to explain what this famous forum is all about. Just to give you an idea about today`s size and importance of this event, please refer to the information below. This is one way of looking at it, but I plan to post some of the key points that have been discussed in the next few days.

The gathering at Davos may represent the greatest concentration of wealth in one locale. Forbes estimates that 69 billionaires with a total net worth of $460-billion are attending the forum. Here are the ten wealthiest attendees at Davos / Switzerland.

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Australian Open Tennis: China s Li Na Reaches Historic Grand Slam Final
Thursday, 27 January 2011 - 12:03 PM SL Time

Melbourne. China`s Li Na beat world number one Caroline Wozniacki 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the Australian Open semifinals on Thursday to become the first Asian woman to reach a Grand Slam final.

Li courageously saved a match point before clawing her way back into the match, her second straight Australian Open semifinal, and dashing Wozniacki`s hopes of winning a maiden major title.

The Chinese number one fought back from a poor start where she made error after error to give Wozniacki easy points, to gradually overhaul her younger opponent in hot conditions on the Rod Laver Arena.

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Emerging market companies buy up the world
Thursday, 27 January 2011 - 6:45 PM SL Time

5:14pm IST
By Ben Hirschler

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - There`s a new swagger among the bosses of emerging market companies as they sign checks for a growing list of acquisitions in both the developed and developing world. And this is just the start.

After suffering less in the downturn and rebounding faster than their U.S. and European counterparts, corporations from China to Mexico are taking advantage of their strength to go shopping for an ambitious range of businesses.

Emerging markets are, more than ever, a key topic at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. Traditionally, most focus has been on Western firms buying assets in fast-growing developing economies, to hedge against sluggish growth at home.

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Man seeks police protection from sex-mad wife
Thursday, 27 January 2011 - 8:59 PM SL Time


A Turkish man has turned to police in a desperate plea for shelter from his sex-obsessed wife of 18 years.


The man is seeking help after being unable to meet his wife`s insatiable appetite and constant demands for sex, authorities said on Wednesday.

He arrived at his local police station in south-western Germany complaining that he had been sleeping on the sofa for the past four years in order to escape the clutches of his sex-crazed wife.

The couple have been together for 18 years and have two children.

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Mandela `very sick` but life not in danger
Friday, 28 January 2011 - 1:24 PM SL Time

by Tabelo Timse Tabelo Timse
26 mins ago

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) South Africa`s revered former president Nelson Mandela was described as `very sick` but his condition was `not life threatening`, a source close to the anti-apartheid icon told AFP.

The news that Madiba -- the clan name by which the 92-year-old Nobel peace prize winner and country`s first elected black leader is affectionately known -- was to spend a second night in hospital gripped the nation.

The public has grown increasingly concerned for Mandela`s health but he could be released as early as Friday, the source said on condition of anonymity.

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Man `tries to steal condom machine`
Friday, 28 January 2011 - 7:04 PM SL Time

Friday, January 28 2011, 10:50 GMT
By Mayer Nissim, Senior Entertainment

A man has been banned from a bar in Hungary after reportedly trying to steal its condom machine.

According to Metro, Miklos Antal was caught trying to hide the machine under his jacket on his way out of the Nyiregyhaza venue.

Antal reportedly told the police that he had `met a hot girl at the bar and needed condoms for later` but claimed that he was low on money.

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With net unplugged, Egypt cracks down on journos
Saturday, 29 January 2011 - 1:42 AM SL Time

BBC man beaten by police in Cairo

By Dan Goodin in San Francisco

Posted in Crime, 28th January 2011 19:27 GMT

Free whitepaper The Legal Risks of Uncontrolled Web Use and Email Content

On Friday, with Egypt`s internet and cell phone blackout showing no signs of lifting, authorities took a new tack in their attempts to quell protests engulfing the nation: cracking down on journalists reporting on the uprising.

A CNN crew covering Friday`s clashes between security forces and protesters in Cairo reported having their camera seized [1] after police cracked its viewfinder. Senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman said officers threatened to beat him and a photojournalist who accompanied him as they shot dramatic footage of police in riot gear, clouds of tear gas and masses of people on the street.

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Men distracted from news by sexy newsreaders
Saturday, 29 January 2011 - 6:36 AM SL Time

Male viewers can get so distracted by watching attractive newsreaders they can`t even remember what the headlines were, researchers have claimed.

Academics from Indiana University say that while watching a hot female newsreader makes women remember more, it has the opposite effect on men.

In fact blokes were said to remember `significantly` less information when watching a sexy newsreader.

The boffins claim it`s because men`s brains are overwhelmed when presented with sexual imagery and are therefore unable to process any more information.

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Men more likely to forgive cheating partner`s lesbian fling, study finds
Saturday, 29 January 2011 - 9:56 PM SL Time

Men are more likely to forgive their cheating partners if they have a lesbian fling rather than an affair with another man, according to scientists.

By Andrew Hough 8:00AM GMT 29 Jan 2011
Researchers found men are more than twice as likely to continue dating a girlfriend who has cheated on them with another woman than one who has cheated with another man.

But University of Texas study found women show the opposite pattern. Ladies are more likely to continue dating a man who has had a heterosexual affair than one who has had a homosexual fling.

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Everything you ever wanted to know about wild sex...
Sunday, 30 January 2011 - 6:37 AM SL Time

But, be warned, a new exhibition shows what a beastly business animal reproduction can be

By Simon Tait

Sunday, 30 January 2011

The Natural History Museum is to harness public curiosity about the almost infinite variety of carnal knowledge with an exhibition that lays out toe-curling truths about wild sex.

Mostly, testosterone rules, and at this point the squeamish may want to look away. Not only is a male snake`s tongue forked, so is his penis in case a reluctant female tries to evade him and he misses his aim first time, he can have another go.

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Antidepressants and sex: A doomed romance?
Sunday, 30 January 2011 - 11:54 AM SL Time

As a libido-friendly `happy pill` gets FDA approval, we talk to people who`ve endured other drugs` bad side effects

It sounds like an absurd deal with the devil, the sort fairy tales are built around: You can get back your zest for life -- all you have to do is surrender your desire for sex. Feeling depressed, isolated and lonely? Just take these pills that will make you lose interest in one of the most powerful ways that humans achieve connection and intimacy!

Extreme, perhaps, but that`s a common trade-off made by going on antidepressants, especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Of course there are other potential side effects, but dry mouth and insomnia are bearable insults compared to sacrificing your libido, erections and orgasms and these sexual snags are a significant reason people discontinue treatment, according to experts. So when news broke this week that the FDA had approved Viibryd, a so-called sexy-friendly antidepressant, it caused quite a stir. Far too often, people are forced to choose between their mental and sexual health -- as though these were entirely separate categories.

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NEWS SUMMARIES
Sunday, 30 January 2011 - 6:45 PM SL Time

A suicide bombing at Moscow`s Domodedovo airport killed 35 people and injured more than 100. There were no claims of responsibility but suspicion inevitably fell on Islamists from Russia`s restive north Caucasus, who have been responsible for previous terrorist attacks. President Dmitry Medvedev sacked several police and security officials for failing to prevent the attack. See article

A week of political drama in Ireland saw Brian Cowen, the prime minister, step down as leader of his party the Greens withdraw from the coalition government and the accelerated passage of financial legislation. An election is now likely to be held on February 25th, two weeks earlier than planned. See article

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Bruce Fein to Sri Lanka: I m Back
Monday, 31 January 2011 - 12:10 AM SL Time

Sun, 2011-01-30 05:14 editor
News Analysis
By Dr. Stephen Long, Los Angeles, California
As former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced in Terminator 2, our old friend Bruce Fein announced to Sri Lanka that he was back in full-swing when he filed a lawsuit against President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Texas this past week while the President was on a private visit to see his family.

Bruce Fein, the former Assistant U.S. Attorney and Washington D. C. lobbyist, of course, never really went away.

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When you get a baby .don t get excited and hug the doctor
Monday, 31 January 2011 - 6:33 AM SL Time

Saudi man delighted by birth hugged female doctor

A Saudi man who was delighted by the birth of his first son nearly went to court after he hugged and kissed the female doctor who delivered his wife, newspapers reported on Sunday.

The man, with five daughters, waited impatiently at the hospital in the western port of Jubail after his wife went into labour and was admitted to the gynecology section, they said.

When he was told that he got a boy, he happily rushed towards the female doctor, hugged and kissed her, the papers said.

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News website offices torched in Sri Lanka
Monday, 31 January 2011 - 2:05 PM SL Time

54 mins ago

COLOMBO (AFP) Unidentified attackers in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo set ablaze the offices of an anti-establishment news website on Monday.

The lankaenews.com premises were torched in a pre-dawn attack but there were no reports of casualties, a police officer at the scene told AFP.

Monday`s attack appeared similar to the July burning of a private television station, Siyatha, in Colombo.

In January 2009, another independent television station, Maharaja Television, was bombed by an unidentified group of people.

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Kangaroos on the track delay horse race event
Monday, 31 January 2011 - 8:05 PM SL Time

A horse racing event in Australia had to be postponed last week, after the track was invaded by a group of kangaroos.

Due to be held on Australia Day, thousands of racing fans had turned up to watch the action at Hanging Rock Cup raceday

But just before the first event was due to take place, jockeys noticed a couple of kangaroos near to the track and officials were dispatched to shoo them off.

Despite initially leaving the track, about six kangaroos soon reappeared, jumped over a five-foot fence and began bounding around the track.

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Davos 2011: The India story is losing its plot
Tuesday, 1 February 2011 - 4:54 AM SL Time

Tue, Feb 01, 2011 | Updated 04.05AM IST

Over the past few days, many have remarked on the curious spectacle of TV anchors in colourful woollies talking to Indian notables in their cashmere overcoats about Indian issues, amid idyllic snow-covered surroundings.

Don`t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong in interrogating Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Kamal Nath or, for that matter, Rahul Bajaj and Uday Kotak on the Indian economy and the governance deficit . But why not do it in Delhi and Mumbai? Must we literally reduce the annual World Economic Forum jamboree in Davos to an ` India adda`?

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