The wrecked vehicle of assassinated Minister D. M. Dasanayake after it was caught in the claymore mine attack on the Negombo Road at Tudella, Ja-Ela yesterday.
(Photo-Nihal Chandrakumara)

• JVP thanks Govt. for abrogating CFA
  JVP Parliamentary Group Leader Wimal Weerawansa yesterday thanked the Government for abrogating the cease fire agreement. The UNF Government had entered into the agreement with the LTTE without showing a copy of the agreement to the Cabinet of ministers, the Executive President or other stakeholders, he said.
  
  
• UNPers protest in Parliament
  UNP Parliamentarians yesterday morning disrupted the normal business of the House by displaying a large green banner: "Is VIP security only for bosses of the Government?" and large posters bearing the photograph of assassinated UNP Parliamentarian T. Maheswaran which said: "Murderers who silenced Maheswaran cannot still his voice." "Mahinda Chintana murders parliamentarians."
   
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• Protecting the poor
  Give something to the poor and they might well sell it.  It is obvious, but this simple problem often wrongfoots those attempting to address social issues, because they usually end up in the illiberal position of deciding what needs to be done to protect the poor from themselves.  It sounds like a bad idea. Ferial Ashraff, Minister of Housing, confronted this dilemma the other day as she handed over some 800 new houses to slum dwellers in Borella.
   
• Between the Lines
  Giving up too much
  OUR history will be what we make it. If we go on as we are, history will take revenge. This is as much truer of India as of other countries. Fear has got hold of us and we have compromised with the harshest laws and the blatant human rights violations. Our focus on security concerns actually generates repression.
   
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• Market prices driven by cartels, monopolies
  Senior statisticians of the Department of Census and Statistics said that market prices, to a great extent, do not depend on demand and supply, but that certain individuals were controlling the markets and manipulating prices.Oil prices, world food prices, bad weather, political instability affect price changes, but it is the demand and supply mechanism which determine prices on a daily basis.
   
• NLDB to bring Ridiyagama fresh curd to Colombo
  National Livestock Development Board (NLDB) has embarked on upgrading the Ridiyagama Farm in order to provide fresh buffalo curd to residents in Colombo.Until 1990, the Ridiyagama Farm was managed by the state, and then handed over to the NLDB. "The NLDB, at first, could not manage the buffalo curd project efficiently due to a number of factors such as various policy matters etc.
   
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• Indian team heads to Bondi beach, still confident on Harbhajan's appeal
  SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - India's cricketers played volleyball with Bondi Beach lifeguards Tuesday, injecting some calm into the delicate situation that has developed over Harbhajan Singh's three-match ban on a racism charge.Harbhajan was suspended for three test matches for allegedly calling Australian fielder Andrew Symonds a monkey on day three of a controversial second test in Sydney.
   

• Highs and lows of rugby in 2007
  Rugby, the second most popular sport in the country, arguably, had an outstanding 2007. Unlike in other sports, rugby matches held during weekends draw a considerable amount of spectators, both male and female, and they are ardent supporters of their respective clubs. The vociferous crowds were one of the highlights of the last season.
   
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