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Sunday November 23rd, 2008 |
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Jumbo
gathering, but nothing to trumpet
The much expected United National Party (UNP) Executive
Committee meeting yesterday proved to be a total flop with none
of the important decisions, including the appointments to its
two newly created posts of Deputy Leader and Assistant Leader,
being taken up. It, however...
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Navy takes law into
its hands
Morning walkers on the beach at
Wellawatte had a nasty surprise Friday morning when they were
ordered by Navy Personnel not to use the section of the beach
between the Kinross Club and the Wellawatte Railway Station
during the time...
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Central Bank raids
‘Pro Note’
A non Central Bank approved Financial Institution, allegedly run
by EAP Edirisinghe Group, was raided by the Central Bank last
week. Director Supervision Non-bank Financial Institutions
Central Bank Sepala Rathnayake told The Nation that a team
from...
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Temporary bridge set up over
Nayaru Lagoon
Army Engineers
Regiment busily putting up a 90-foot long temporary bridge over
a section of a bridge that was blasted by fleeing Tigers on the
Nayaru Lagoon on the outskirts of the Kumunamulai village in
Mullaithivu. The area was captured by the 59th Division last
week. The large crippled steel bridge had been built by donors
after the former bridge was swept away in the tsunami disaster
of December 2004
(Pic by Pushpakumara Matugama) |
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Tiger training camp overrun
An LTTE training camp was overrun yesterday by the Army’s 59
Division on the front lines north of Weli Oya deluged by
protracted monsoon rains since Thursday.
Heavy rains lashing the area ensured that the frontlines were
comparatively uneventful over the weekend. However, the army was
able to capture a training camp...
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Fitch affirms Seylan’s
Rating
Fitch Ratings Lanka affirmed Seylan Bank’s National Long Term
Rating of BBB+ (lka) and assigned a rating of BBB (lka) to its
proposed debenture issue and also affirmed the same existing
rating to the debentures already issued. Fitch also...
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Religious leaders to
usher in peace
World religious leaders will join
senior religious leaders from the north, east and south of Sri
Lanka in a conference to be hosted by the Religions for Peace
Inter-religious Council of Sri Lanka in Anuradhapura...
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NEWS |
FIRING LINE
Deadlier than the male
A raw attempt is apparently being made by a foreign agent who
has landed in Colombo to organise oppositions. She is said to be
busy organising minority parties to gang up against the
government on the ethnic issue. So far it is said that
her attempts have been a failure and she is under the
watchful eyes of our spooks. But, we wonder whether our
usually flat footed spooks are a match...
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Dilly Fashions settles case
with Polo
Dilly Fashions (Private) Ltd. of No. 20 Lake Road, Maharagama,
engaged in the business of selling clothes, foot wear and head
gear, settled a case filed against them by Polo/Lauren Company
of America.
Polo/Lauren Company filed this action against Dilly Fashions
Private Ltd. before Provincial High Court of Western Province.
The parties settled this case before High Court Judge...
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Police yet to arrest wealthy
businessman’s killer
The Welikada Police are yet to arrest suspect Pradeep Rajaratna
who is wanted over the murder of wealthy businessman Raja Ananda
Edirisinghe last Monday, at his home on Parliament Drive,
Rajagiriya
“We are a hundred percent sure that the accused is the murderer
and are making all efforts to take the suspect into custody,”
said police spokesman, SSP Ranjith Gunasekara.
Edirisinghe was knifed to death on November...
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Customs-Customs war over Prima
shipment
The Department of Customs is to take serious action against
custom officers who allegedly used delaying tactics with regard
to presenting their report on investigations on the
controversial seizure of a wheat consignment imported by the
Prima Company.
The vessel containing the wheat consignment was seized at the
Trincomalee Harbour after documentation revealed that Prima had
understated...
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“Prabhakaran may leave Lanka”
There is no threat to
the life of embattled LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran, but he
may leave Sri Lanka following the ongoing war. After this, a
settlement to the ethnic crisis, overseen by India, will be
found, according to K. K. Thevendra Rajh, Chennai-based
astrologer of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
“The astrological timing and planetary positions predict that
Velupillai Prabhakaran, whose sign is Kettai Nakshatra, could
leave the country of his birth...
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Police Fingerprint Div. to be
automated, but no funds
An automated finger
print system is to be introduced to the Criminal Record Division
(CRD) of the Police Department soon, to speed up its work in
order to provide a satisfactory service to the courts, Police,
three forces and the public, including job seekers, migrants
etc.
The Nation learns that, there is a backlog of nearly 20,000
finger print reports in the CRD and it is unable to issue
those...
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Kalmunai: Second most congested
place
Kalmunai/Sainthamaruthu with 10,000 people per square
kilometre within the Kalmunai Municipal Council area is
the most congested place in the Ampara district. It is
also the second most congested area in Sri Lanka, while
Kattankudy in the Batticaloa district is holding the
first place with 11,500 people per square kilometre,
according to K.A.D. Chandradasa of the Urban Development...
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POLITICS |
Polls in 2009 and
possible pitfalls
 If the Budget for 2009 began ominously for the Government with the
Supreme Court ruling that some of its provisions were inconsistent with
the Constitution, its second reading sailed through Parliament last week
with a majority of 42 votes.
This was in stark contrast to the high drama witnessed last year when
the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) kept everyone guessing until the
eleventh hour, and there was speculation-and indeed quite a
possibility-that the Government would fall after losing the Budget vote.
In fact, during this year’s budget debate, some Opposition
Parliamentarians chastised the operation to liberate Pooneryn claiming
it was an operation to swing the Budget vote. But,
if the collective Opposition...
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Family dynasties must not rule
nominations - MR
 In view of the Budget debate, Parliament convenes every day
from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on public holidays and Sundays.
In view of securing the road for MPs travelling to Parliament,
the road between Kollupitiya and Parliament is closed for half
an hour every day, creating massive traffic congestion on roads
all over the capital of Colombo.
Last week, the debate on the Budget allocation for three key
ministries were debated, namely the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Ministry of Foreign Employment and the Ministry of Labour
Relations and Human...
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NEWS FEATURES |
Doctors protest colleague’s death
 Tension in the east continues to escalate, as Sinhalese medical
doctors who have returned to Colombo following the killing of
their colleague Dr. Palitha Pathmakumara, refuse to report back.
This has caused the health sector in the east to come to a
virtual standstill.
The latest information reaching Colombo is that all Sinhalese
doctors attached to Batticaloa, Vavuniya and Mannar General
Hospitals have returned to Colombo, refusing to remain there.
According to the information, some Sinhalese...
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INSIDEDulling the minds of the intelligent
 Armed with an excellent literacy rate and a remarkable school
enrolment rate, Sri Lanka battles harder than its less exemplary
neighbours in the region, to sustain a fast crumbling education
system.
One of the main reasons, as repeatedly pointed out by analysts
and policy makers, is the lack of a proper vision and planning
on the part of the authorities to educate the country’s youth.
The dire consequences of not treating the maladies of the
education system on time have now started raising their ugly
heads in enormous proportions.
From Grade One admission to entering a university, the entire
process is tainted with political...
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Katich ton puts Australia on top
 Simon Katich and Brett
Lee wrote their names into the record books as Australia finally
wriggled out of a first Test bind and flexed their muscles in a
day of domination over New Zealand at the Gabba on Saturday.
The pair had days to remember while Stuart Clark bowled Grant
Elliott (0) on the last ball of day three with a superb
off-cutter for Australia to eye their first victory in five
Tests.
The wicket saw NZ limp into stumps at 6-143, still requiring
another 184 to complete a record final-innings run-chase with
their almost non-existent hopes resting on the shoulders of Ross
Taylor (67 not out).
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Point Blank
Unfair evolution of cricket
 The
evolution of cricket has seen this wonderful game followed by
millions around the world keep changing in its format, rules and
equipment. The changes have become rapid since the advent of
television and the vast technology it offers for the viewers.
Test cricket still reigns supreme despite the many threats it
faces from shorter versions of the game like limited overs and
now Twenty20 which has in the past two years or so taken the
cricket world by storm offering the players riches which they
could never dream of even if they had played a life time of
cricket.
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INTERVIEWS |
“We have focussed on minimum of 6%
sustainable GDP growth” - Amunugama
 Minister of Enterprise Development and Investment promotion
Dr. Sarath Amunugama justifying the latest war budget says the
present government is keen to end the war without passing it
down to the next generation. The Minister further points out
that the country was losing at least 2 % of GDP growth due to
instability in the north and east and adds that an early end to
the conflict is better to the future of the island nation. In an
interview to The Nation Dr. Amunugama also said the budget has
paved the way for promotion of local and domestic industries
Following are excerpts;
Q: Though the budget is claimed by the government to be
people friendly, the middle class businessmen are complaining
that the cess imposed on imports has hit them badly. How do you
look at their complaints?
A: If the Budget is taken at a superficial level, there should
be no complaints, because...
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INSIDEUPFA Budget unrealistic -
Ravi
 Q: The alternative Budget proposed by the main opposition UNP
has been scoffed upon by the Government. What was the motive
behind the UNP to propose such a Budget?
A: Government scoffing is nothing unusual. But what is
forgotten by the Government is that for the last four years the
Rata Perata Mahinda Chinthana Budget has been off target,
inhuman and immoral. Budgets have been mere statements for the
sake of presenting a Budget. This is why the UNP, instead of
making proposals or counter proposals after the Budget decided
to present before the public an alternate Budget. We want to
show the country the innovative strength of the UNP at a time
when the nation is fractured due to lack of political will to
take proper decisions.
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