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TODAY'S
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Govt. undecided on banning LTTE
Although the government decided to abrogate the
Ceasefire Agreement entered into with the Tigers in February
2002, it has not taken a decision on banning the outfit, Foreign
Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said yesterday. "Dealing militarily with the LTTE does not in
any way mean that the Government had abandoned a search for a
political solution", he said.
Full
story |
Soldiers
check a manhole for explosives in Colombo. The
Government on Wednesday decided to formally withdraw
from a cease-fire with the LTTE amid escalating violence
that has rendered the deal redundant.
(AP
Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) |
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| NEWS |
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Ganeshan leaving country, blames Govt. for inaction
 Colombo
District Western People’s Front Parliamentarian Mano Ganeshan
yesterday said he was leaving the country temporarily as his
life was in danger.He said there were death threats
against him and blamed the government for not taking action
on disappearances and abductions. He had questioned the Prime
Minister in Parliament about the issue but has not had any
reply, though the matter had been referred by the Premier to the
Inspector General of Police, he said.
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Probe on Mervyn will take time - Nimal
 Chairman
of the three-member committee, Nimal Siripala de Silva,
appointed by the SLFP to probe into the recent activities of
Minister Mervyn Silva, said that a thorough investigation would
be conducted and it would take some time since many people had
to be questioned and the statements made by some to the Police
had to be studied.
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| FEATURES |
- NOTEBOOK OF
A NOBODY
Annus Horribilis
A journalist has referred to the year
that has just past as an annus horribilis meaning a horrible
year. She was using a Latin phrase that came into popular usage
after Queen Elizabeth II used it fifteen years ago to define the
year in England that had then just ended. If 2007 in Sri Lanka
was an annus horribilis, 2008 has begun on a note that promises
to be an annus terribilis or a more dreadful year.
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President’s Iran tour in retrospect – I
President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s official visit to Iran in
November 2007 was undertaken amidst caution expressed by a
wide circle of commentators here. A good section of the media
even warned him of the possible repercussions on U.S.-Sri
Lanka relations resulting from the visit. The issue raised by
these circles, as Sri Lanka’s former senior diplomat, who was
the country’s first resident Ambassador to Iran, explained
through these columns, was not one between Sri Lanka and Iran
but one between Iran and the United States.
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| BUSINESS |
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Financial System Stability Advisory Council to be
set up
The Central Bank is to set up a ‘Financial
System Stability Advisory Council’ to receive inputs from a
wider range of stakeholders in relation to issues dealing with
financial system stability."This council would consist of eminent persons,
drawn primarily from the private sector, which would have wide
experience in financial sector issues and would function in an
advisory capacity to the Central Bank," said Central Bank
Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal.
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Laugfs Gas predicts price
reduction amidst LPG price hike
Laugfs Holdings Ltd. predicts
consumers will be able to enjoy reduced domestic cylinder prices
from March or April this year.The company announced a price hike of
Rs.212 last week bringing the price of Laugfs’ 12.5 kg domestic
LPG cylinder to Rs.1460. This price revision was possible after
a lengthy legal tussle with the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA)
ended with both parties recognizing a pricing formula which will
enable the company to adjust its domestic prices according to
world crude oil prices.
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| SPORTS |
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Davis
Cup preparation row ends
The Sri Lanka Tennis Association last
Sunday (Dec. 30) reappointed Vasantha Wijesekara and Dominik
Utzinger as Sri Lanka Manager and Coach respectively for next
April’s Teheran event.The controversy began when the first
round of trials began in mid-December triggering a rift in the
National Selection Committee headed by P. S. Kumara.
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SLC
Inter-Provincial L/O cricket
Unbeaten Basnahira North take
on Sanga’s Kandurata
Unbeaten Basnahira North, led
by Chaminda Vaas, will take on Kumar Sangakkara’s Kandurata
today at R. Premadasa Stadium under lights.The two-out-of-two record of
Basnahira North, propelled mainly by Vaas who has got five
wickets recording the best average of the Tournament so far
(6.60), has placed the side on top (with 10 points and the
highest net run rate) of the five-team event comprising ten
matches before next Sunday’s final.
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Sports
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