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Tea
industry to get Rs. 7 b. lifeline
The Sri Lankan tea industry which is in dire straits due to lack
of demand, falling tea prices and unsold teas piling up, is
expected to receive a timely shot in the arm in...
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Inside)
Karuna denies ouster
UPFA Parliamentarian Vinayagamurthi
Muralidaran alias Karuna has denied reports that he is no more
in charge of the TMVP political...
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Inside)
JVP rejects MR’s
invitation
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) yesterday declined the
President’s invitation to discuss the present socio political
situation in the country. JVP General Secretary, Tilvin Silva
claimed that...
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Leaving nothing to chance
Navy Commander Vice Admiral
Wasantha Karannagoda inspecting the cargo unloading process of
MV Nimalawa and MV Ruhunu and the harbour operations in the
North on Friday in the aftermath of the successful repulsion of
the attempted LTTE suicide attacks on the two merchant vessels
on Wednesday at about 5:00 a.m. |
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Articulate political solution now-US
The United States is encouraging all parties in Sri Lanka to
accept a political solution to the conflict without waiting for
a military defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eeelam. In
an interactive session at the University...
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Inside)
SB lashes out at jealous
rivals
National Organiser of United National Party S.B.Dissanayake
lashed out at certain top ranking members of the party this
week...
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Inside)
FIRING LINE
Secretariat not above suspicion
The noble sounding NGO National Secretariat set up to rein in
unruly local and international do-gooders, some of whom...
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Inside)
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NEWS |
Khemadasa’s last journey
tomorrow
The last rites of internationally renowned music composer
Premasiri Khemadasa, who died on Friday night, will be held
tomorrow at 4.00 p.m. at Independence Square, Torrington Avenue
under state patronage.
The remains of the music maestro will be kept at his residence
No. 51, Ragagiriya Road, Ragagiriya till 2 p.m. on Monday, for
the public to pay their respects.
Cortege leaves residence on Monday at 2.00 p.m. to Independence
Square. The ‘Pansakula’ will be given at 4.00 p.m. and the
cremation will take place thereafter.
(See Inside)
Pakistan without a HC in Colombo
In an unusual development, the top post in the Pakistan High
Commission in Sri Lanka remains vacant, as a successor to the
previous High Commissioner Shahzad A. Chaudry, who finished his
duties here in early September, has not been sent to Colombo by
Islamabad.
As a result, Deputy High Commissioner, Dr. Fazal-ur-Rahman Kazi
is functioning as Acting HC. It is believed that turmoil
engulfing Pakistan has prevented the new civilian government
from attending to such urgent needs.
(See Inside)
UNP saves UPFA led Southern PC
The UNP Opposition of
the Southern Provincial Council (SPC) has refrained from voting
against the Council Budget for 2009, while the JVP members had
opposed it, thus ensuring the passage of the finance bill by
seven votes.
On Thursday, when the budget was taken up, all 21 UPFA members,
19 UNPers and 14 JVPers had been present in the Council. At the
time of voting the 19 UNP Councillors had walked out
The UNP had claimed that they refrained from voting in protest,
as the Central...
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JP who certified suicide cadre
in Police custody
A Justice of Peace has been arrested on suspicion for issuing a
letter of certification for the alleged suicide cadre who
unsuccessfully targeted Minister Maithripala Sirisena at
Boralesgamuwa early this month, to obtain a passport, Police
spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekera said.
SSP Anura Senanayake, Director, Colombo Crime Division told The
Nation, that the Justice of Peace (JP) who is a resident of
Ragama area had been...
(See Inside)
GMOA on the warpath
The Government Medical Officer’s
Association (GMOA) has threatened an indefinite strike if the
Ministry of Health fails to appoint a senior administrative
officer to the Anuradhapura General Hospital.
The GMOA will decide on the continuous strike action after
meeting the Health Ministry Secretary on Tuesday (28).
GMOA spokesman Dr. Upul Gunasekara told The Nation that although
they have already launched two token...
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Indian doctorate for President
The University Senate of the Benares
Hindu University, India has decided to confer a Doctorate to
President Mahinda Rajapaksa during its next convocation. This
decision has been conveyed to President Rajapaksa through the
Indian Foreign Ministry.
The doctorate, which has been approved by the University
Grants Commission...
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Cuba questions US humanitarian
credentials
Cuba will once again submit a draft resolution to the United
Nations General Assembly on October 29 challenging the economic,
commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of
America against it.
Entitled “necessity of ending the economic, commercial
and financial embargo” imposed since 1962, Havana has
been submitting this resolution from 1992. Since the
inception Cuba has been able to get an overwhelming
majority...
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POLITICS |
Return of the rebels:
A million dollar question for the UNP
 After a lull of several weeks, the Opposition United National Party (UNP)
is awash with speculation once again, now over reports that at least
some of the seventeen ‘rebels’ who joined the Government were seeking a
re-entry to the party having been disgruntled at the treatment meted out
to them by the ruling United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA).
The UNP hierarchy has not been averse to keeping the channels of
communication open, with the dissident UNPers serving in the Cabinet for
some time now. But what really fuelled the rumours was the meeting
Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had with the leader of the UNP
‘rebels,’ Karu Jayasuriya while the latter was recuperating...
(See Inside)Karuna at odds with TMVP
 The entry of former LTTE eastern commander and renegade
Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan alias ‘Karuna Amman’, into the Sri
Lankan Parliament has continued to create waves in political and
media circles. Last week, when President Mahinda Rajapaksa
summoned heads of media organisations and newspaper editors to
Temple Trees, Karuna was also present, and was invited to speak
soon after the President. Presidential Secretariat translator,
M.K. Rahumath translated Karuna’s speech for those present.
(See Inside)
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NEWS FEATURES |
JHU should stop beating drums of
communal discord
Our beautiful island Sri Lanka continues to bleed owing to the
ethnic conflict created by politicians, who have used racism to
win elections without thinking of the consequences.
As a result we continue to lose precious lives. The island’s
limited resources, with this year’s earmarked defense budget
exceeding Rs 177 billion, which otherwise could have been
utilised for economic and social development, are instead being
wasted for the benefit of politicians, their side kicks and the
merchants of death who thrive...
(See Inside)Milestone in one’s Samsara
It is the wish of every Buddhist to end his/her samsara journey
by attaining nibbana. Yet, they also wish to appraise a living
Buddha, before ending their painful and sorrowful journey
through life.
A group of Sri Lankan pilgrims to sacred Dambadiva (India), the
land of Lord Buddha’s birth, had the rarest opportunity, not
only to see the corporeal relics of the Lord but also, take part
in a special chanting session of the first sermon that the
Buddha delivered...
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Stranded in the middle of nowhere
The recent monsoon rains have not only left the people wet,
miserable and sick, the rains have also adversely affected the
badly maintained road systems, drainage system and even train
schedules. Although flooded roads that become unusable during
the rain is a common sight occurrence, heavy rain affecting the
rail travel is relatively unheard of.
The six hour train ride
But last Monday, five trains which were travelling in the main
line were immobile for hours at Ragama with nearly 1000
passengers in each. This was because the train cables and
circuits of the Ragama railway...
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IPL not to blame for Test clashes, says Modi
Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi said his
organisation could not be held responsible if Sri Lanka
cancelled their tour of England in April and May next year.
Sri Lanka, themselves a substitute side for Zimbabwe, could pull
out of the scheduled two Tests and three one-day internationals,
which precede the Ashes, because stars such as Kumar Sangakkara
and Muttiah Muralitharan are contracted to the IPL.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan board, who are in no position to offer
their players anything like the money they might earn in the
Twenty20 jamboree, are concluding a 40-million dollars deal with
the IPL.
That would lead to the full participation of Sri Lankan players
in the IPL and the Twenty20 Champions League for the next...
(See Inside)
Point Blank
Lankan rugby’s day of shame
 After
cricket, rugby is the most widely followed sport in the country.
Thus it was sad to note that for the past seven weeks rugby has
been riddled by a captaincy controversy that it could have
easily done without. Everyone knows that the standard of Sri
Lankan rugby at international level or for that matter Asian
level is not something one can boast about. The levels have sunk
to such a low that the powers that be should start concentrating
on trying to raise the sport’s standard and bringing it to the
level of at least Asia rather than indulge in petty politics
that has affected the game like the appointment of a national
rugby captain.
The choice of Dushanth Lewke, son of Sri Lanka Rugby Football
Union (SLRFU) president Nimal Lewke as captain of the Sri Lanka
team for the Asian first division tournament in Chinese
Taipei next month certainly raised...
(See Inside)
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INTERVIEWS |
Last stand of the Old Left
 The golden age of leftist politics might be long gone. Yet a
few of its last believers still fight along, as passionately as
they did in their fiery youth for the betterment of the common
man. Vasudeva Nanayakkara and his brand of politics may not be
of the election winning kind, but he has certainly managed to
deliver more for the greater common good than many popularly
elected politicians of the day.
With some of the country’s most corrupt deals in recent history,
through which corporates have been enriched while public coffers
suffered, now being challenged in the highest court of the land,
some of the mightiest players in Sri Lanka’s corporate sector
are feeling the heat. The Nation spoke to ‘Vasu’ the veteran
leftist, now leading the charge against...
(See
Inside)“This war is futile, neither party can
win it”
Members
of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) who were in Tamil Nadu,
India, during the past few weeks, trying to meet the Indian
Prime Minister
Dr. Manmohan Singh, have returned to the country without meeting
him. The TNA delegation was led by its leader and
parliamentarian R. Sampanthan, a seasoned politician, in an
interview with The Nation yesterday, said that, though the party
could not meet with the Indian Premier, during their stay there,
they will meet him sooner or later at his convenience. He
explained that India has shown a keen interest in the ongoing
conflict in Sri Lanka and further added that, he hoped India
would play a significant role in the Sri Lankan conflict in the
future
Following are excerpts:
Q: How does the TNA view the present conflict in the north?
A: Our view, very definitely, is that, the war is an
exercise in futility. The war cannot bring...
(See
Inside) |
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