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TODAY'S TOP STORY |
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Exclusive
Australian investigators build
cast iron case against arms procurers
Sri Lanka has been able to produce irrefutable
evidence to prove a direct link between the LTTE and three
Australian Tamils under investigation for providing critical
support to carry out high profile attacks including the sinking
of a Fast Attack Craft (FAC P 418) off Vettilaikerni in May last
year. The FAC, a part of the force deployed to protect
a ship carrying 700 off duty personnel to their bases in the
Jaffna peninsula went down after an explosive-laden stealth
craft powered by four 250 horsepower outboard motors (OBMs)
rammed it.
Full story |
Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva walks past cars displayed
for sale within the Supreme Court Complex on his way to
attend the launch of the computerization of court cases in
the Lankan administration of justice system at the Colombo
District Court, on December 7.
(Pix by
Kamal Bogoda).
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NEWS |
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President will see his son passing out of
Dartmouth
 President
Mahinda Rajapakse will be in London at the conclusion of his
official visit to Japan from December 9 to 11 to be present at
the passing out parade of his son, Yoshitha, who has concluded a
year’s training at the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
and be back in Colombo for the third reading vote on the budget
on Dec. 14.The passing out parade, which will be
also attended by the navy commander, Vice Admiral Wasantha
Karannagoda, is scheduled for Thursday, December 13.
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Increasing pressure as
crucial Geneva meet begins
Govt. rejects greater UN
involvement in HR
 Accusing
both the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE of having failed to
abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law
to protect civilians from harm, human rights Watch (HRW) and
Amnesty International (AI) are pushing the UN Human Rights
Council to press the government to agree to the immediate
establishment of an UN Human Rights field operation here with a
strong monitoring mandate.
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More News
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| POLITICS |
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Waiting for a
‘Green Christmas’
 The
Saturday before last, UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had been
in the Deniyaya electorate collecting signatures for the
‘people’s impeachment’ against the government. He had personally
visited around seventy houses in the village of Keerthigama. The
UNP leader has put his best foot forward during the past one
year and has been personally involved in grassroots work. During
the UNP’s recently concluded weekly pola campaign,
Wickremesinghe visited at least half a dozen village fairs to
lead the campaign himself. It was the same in Deniyaya, where he
personally led the house to house signature collection campaign.
Matara district leader Justin Galappatthy had also been involved
in this campaign.
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| FEATURES |
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Lalith Athulathmudali Memorial Oration
Reforming Education in SriLanka: Attempts and Failures
 Lalith Athulathmudali was a visionary. He
thought far ahead and had a mature worldview on education. He
understood that education was the key to economic progress and
he referred to it as ‘the vehicle that carries the antidote to
poverty’. He also stressed that; at the core of education
development should be pluralism, which embraced a multi-ethnic,
multi-religious and multi-cultural character. This, he said was
essential, to a country like ours.
- Can the
LTTE make a shift of political strategy?
Decoding Prabaharan’s message
 On
several previous occasions the LTTE has shown the sheer tenacity
and ingenuity needed to overcome military adversity and claw its
way back to a position of strength. Hence, I concur with the
majority of international and many local commentators who insist
there can be no military solution; the pendulum today swings the
way of the government’s forces, in the coming months it may
swing the other way. Arguably, a decisive factor is, if despite
its logistical setbacks and supply chain disruptions, the LTTE
manages to acquire surface to air missiles; denied total command
of the air, the army may be immobilized.
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| BUSINESS |
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"Look at
India’s beer policy,’’ Sri Lanka’s major brewer tells government
Ceylon Brewery PLC, a major player
in Sri Lanka’s beer industry, and its subsidiary, Lion Brewery
(Ceylon) PLC, have made pointed reference to India’s approach
towards soft alcohol which is opposite what prevails in Sri
Lanka."Whilst the policy environment and
market conditions remain unfavourable to soft alcohol in Sri
Lanka, the opposite is true in India; the beer industry is
savouring significant growth and is attracting large investments
from brewing giants from across the world," Carsons Management
Services (Pvt) Limited, managers for both companies said in a
review of operations for the half year ended September 30, 2007.
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Three interim
dividends of Rs. 5.50 per ten-rupee share paid
Ceylon Tobacco profits grow
despite less smoking
Despite the decline in the number
of smokers in the country as well as a drop in the average daily
cigarette consumption levels, the Ceylon Tobacco Company (CTC)
has posted an after-tax profit of Rs.1.08 billion, up 13.5% from
a year earlier, in the nine months to Sept. 30, 2007.The company has already paid its
shareholders three interim dividends totaling Rs.5.50 per
ten-rupee share for the period under review and the directors
have told shareholders that they are ``confident of delivering a
satisfactory return for the year ending December 30, 2007.’’
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| LEISURE |
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Feminine Touch
And Kick
 A
growing number of women, especially those in their 30s or older,
are increasingly enjoying full-contact martial arts. Are they
seeking effective self-defence techniques due to deteriorating
public safety? Not necessarily. Many appear to believe they can acquire better
mental stability as a result of tough martial arts training.
With loud kiai yells, a fusillade of powerful punches and kicks
released by two dozen advanced karate students cut rapidly
through the air at a dojo in Shinjuku, Tokyo, one Saturday
evening.
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My Island
in the Sun
What a week!
I
have been reflecting this weekend on what a wonderful feast of
cricket we have been privileged to witness in our island this
past week.The first test match between Sri Lanka and
England provided us with some wonderful memories. It began with
the fact that Chaminda Vaas – the only cricketer I know of with
six initials (WPUJCV) and probably the longest set of names in
international cricket – was playing his hundredth test
match for Sri Lanka.
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| SPORTS |
- SL begins a new era after
Jayasuriya’s retirement
 Ever since selectors tried out Marvan Atapattu
and Sanath Jayasuriya as the team’s openers in 1997 against
India, the ploy brought the Sri Lankans rich dividends as the
pair turned out to be one of the most successful opening
combinations in the world. Atapattu and Jayasuriya were what
Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes were for the West Indies and
they formed several match winning partnerships.
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Ranjan
completes a century of Tests
Ranjan Madugalle made history in the
third and final cricket Test between India and Pakistan in
Bangalore on Saturday when he became ICC's first Match Referee
to complete a century of Tests. With this, the 48-year-old
becomes the first Match Referee to reach three figures. He has
also officiated in 209 ODIs thus completing a rare double.
Madugalle now leads West Indies' Clive Lloyd by a distance.
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More
Sports
 Muttiah
Muralitharan, World Record holder for the highest
number of wickets in Test Cricket, was felicitated
by President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees on
Friday. Here the President hands over a replica of
the key for the Peugeot that Sri Lanka Cricket
gifted the player after he achieved the milestone.
Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake and Sports
Minister Gamini Lokuge are by the side of the
President. Retired Test batsman Sanath Jayasuriya
and Kumar Sangakkara, who was named the Best Batsman
of the world by the International Cricket Council
were also felicitated alongside ace paceman Chaminda
Vaas, who became the third Sri Lankan to play 100
Test Matches. Parliamentarians, Members of
Muralitharan’s family, members of the Sri Lankan and
English cricket teams, cricket officials, members of
the cricket wing of St. Anthony’s College,
Katugastota were present at the function.
Picture by Dimuthu Premaratne.
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