Army ambushes LTTE vehicle; LTTE's artillery expert killed -Wanni

Sri Lanka army elite units yesterday (November 13) killed LTTE's In Charge for heavy weapons in a surprise attack conducted in the North of Palampiddi area, said the defence sources.

The sources further said that the senior terrorist leader Pullawar Annan alias Thuiyyawan Master and four others were killed when the soldiers ambushed their vehicle movement around 4 last evening.

A senior defence official speaking to defence.lk said that the soldiers had acquired the target with precise intelligence obtained through very reliable sources . He further said that the loss of Tuiyywan Master would have severe impact on the terrorist outfit since he was known to be the most experienced person in heavy weapons such as heavy mortars and artillery guns.

Extract from,
http://defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20071114_05

More Crossovers in Sri Lankan Politic; Wijedasa Rajapaksa Goes to Opposition

National list MP of government, MP Wijedasa Rajapaksa crossed over to the opposition today (14) morning at the parliament.

He crossed over amid cheers of opposition MPs. after making a special statement.

Rajapaksa was the Chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), had earlier accused seniors of the government of blocking investigations into COPE findings.

Wijedasa Rajapaksa was also a senior member and a legal adviser of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).

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http://news.nidahasa.com/news.php?go=fullnews&newsid=386

LTTE chief’s days are numbered: air force chief

Sri Lankan Air Force chief, Air Marshal Roshan Goonatilleke has said the days of LTTE chief Velupillai Prabakaran are “numbered” and his force would “go all out to get rid” of him soon.

In an interview to the state run English weekly Sunday Observer, he said it was not a difficult task for the Air Force to get at Prabakaran as he was confined to a very limited area in Wanni.

“I do not think it is that difficult for us to get at him now. We will find him somehow soon. We need a great deal of patience,” he said. Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake told journalists days after the November 2 raid on Kilinochchi in which the LTTE political wing chief Thamilchelvam was killed, that the Air Force would hunt down senior leaders of the LTTE.

Read more,
http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/12/stories/2007111254151400.htm

Suspected LTTE men attack fishermen

Suspected LTTE rebels attacked Indian fishermen inside the country's territorial waters off Rameswaram coast and forcefully took away diesel from their boats early this morning, police officials said.

According to officials, the suspected militants carrying country-made weapons, approached around 20 fishermen fishing near Irana Thivu and Natchikuda in five boats, and demanded diesel.

Some of the fishermen who gave diesel stocked in their boats without showing any resistance, were paid by the armed men.

However, militants forcefully took away the diesel from fishermen who refused to give. In this attempt, they also injured one fisherman, Arokiam, by hitting him with a beer bottle.

Read more,
http://www.chennaionline.com/colnews/newsitem.asp?NEWSID

Marvan Atapattu gets his captain and coach's backing

Mahela Jayawardene joined Trevor Bayliss, Sri Lanka's coach, in support of Marvan Atapattu as the veteran opener faced an uncertain cricket future following an outburst in which he branded national selectors as 'a set up muppets headed by a joker'.

Atapattu's fate, whether he remains a member of the current Sri Lankan team in Australia, hinges on what action Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) takes over the remarks. The outburst came at the end of the third day's play of the first Test at Brisbane and has become the key topic of discussion in cricket circles ever since.

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http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/australia/content/story/319475.html

'Selectors are muppets headed by a joker' - Atapattu

Marvan Atapattu launched an astonishing attack on the Sri Lanka selectors, calling them a set of muppets headed by a joker and blaming them for the lack of bench strength in the side. His statements came at the end of the third day of the first Test against Australia at the Gabba, with Sri Lanka fighting to stave off a heavy defeat.

"Sri Lanka cricket at this moment of time is not going in the direction it should be going, especially with a set of muppets headed by a joker," Atapattu said at the end-of-day press conference. "I don't give credit to the way they have handled selections.

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http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/319220.html

The UNP and media freedom – Daily Mirror clarifies

The main opposition UNP yesterday issued a statement challenging the contents of the Daily Mirror page one comment titled “UNP and the Media Freedom” in which the Editor of the Daily Mirror said that UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe reprimanded Daily Mirror journalist Kelum Bandara.

The first statement sent by the UNP yesterday did not have a signature. However when contacted by the Daily Mirror Mr. Wickremesinghe’s Media Secretary Saman Athaudahetti confirmed that the statement was sent by the UNP. Later the UNP sent a second copy signed by UNP spokesman Gayantha Karunatilleka with similar contents.

Please find below the Daily Mirror response to the contents of the UNP statement.

UNP : In its comment titled “UNP and Media Freedom”, the Daily Mirror has failed to live up to the editorial practice that ‘facts are sacred”. It is a misrepresentation of facts.

DM : It is the UNP that has misrepresented facts. We will prove this point in our answers below.

UNP : The Leadership of the UNP did not contact Daily Mirror journalist Kelum Bandara yesterday.

DM : UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe did speak to Kelum Bandara and he used the mobile number 0777 448224 to call the journalist and reprimand him.

Read the full article here,
http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/11/10/front/2.asp

Kenya pips Sri Lanka, China in tea exports

Kenya has emerged as the world’s largest exporter of tea in the seven months of this year, surpassing Sri Lanka and China.

Recovery in production this year is said to have helped Kenya to become a top exporter of tea. Kenya, which suffered a production loss of 18 million kg in 2006 due to prolonged frost, has reported an increase of 63.6 million kg in the first seven months of 2007 to reach an output of 221.5.

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http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/International__Business/

LTTE suffers heavy beating; Troops neutralize offensive advance- Muhamalai

At least 52 LTTE terrorists were killed while scores of terrorist casualties were on the rise following counter attacks from troops at an LTTE offensive advance at Muhamalai this morning, security sources said.

Troops effectively neutralized the LTTE offensive taking over few LTTE bunkers inflicting heavy losses to the outfit, retaliating the terrorist offensive today(07) at 5.30a.m. Scattered LTTE elements were pushed backed assisted with long range artillery barrages, ground sources said. Security forces had full control over the LTTE bunkers till 7.a.m and later consolidated positions along the defences, the sources said.

Eleven soldiers sacrificed their lives and another fourty-one sustained injuries in defending the Muhamalai forward defences, MCNS said. LTTE vehicles were observed ahead of the defences rushing with heaps of slain terrorists and casualties, ground sources confirm.

Extracted from,
http://defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20071107_07

400 LTTE militants killed since Oct: Lanka govt

As many as 400 LTTE militants have been killed in encounters with government forces since last month, largely due to information provided by civilian inhabitants in embattled northern Sri Lanka, an official said here today.

While 349 tiger rebels were gunned down during October, as many as 51 LTTE militants have been killed this month, Defence Spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara told PTI.

"Besides the success of the security forces during confrontations with the tiger rebels, the common people in northern region are also informing about the presence of the LTTE rebels who are forcing people to join the outfit to carry out attacks," he said.

"During the month of October itself, we received 29 pieces of information from the common people in the northern region on the whereabouts of the LTTE rebels that also helped us in dealing with the militants," Nanayakkara said.

Read more,
http://news.indiainfo.com/2007/11/05/0711051900_lanka-ltte.html

Congress slams Karunanidhi for praising slain LTTE leader

The Congress Monday slammed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi for 'mourning' slain LTTE leader S.P. Thamilchelvan and reminded him that LTTE was an organisation banned in the country.

'The Congress disapproves Chief Minister Karunanidhi's mourning the death of the LTTE leader Thamilchelvan,' party spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan told reporters Monday.

Karunanidhi has also invited criticism from arch rival AIADMK leader J. Jayalalitha for penning a poem on the slain Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader, praising his courage and mental strength.

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http://www.indiaenews.com/politics/20071105/79141.htm

LTTE breakaway chief may be deported to Sri Lanka

LTTE's breakaway faction leader Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan, better known as Karuna, is likely to be deported to Sri Lanka following his arrest in London for allegedly travelling on a forged passport.

"Karuna, who was booked by the London police for travelling under a forged passport could be deported to Sri Lanka," Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry sources said on Saturday.

Ahead of Karuna's arrest on Friday, uncertainty about his whereabouts persisted for long, though it was widely believed that he was in the UK.

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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/LTTE_breaka

Indian IT co to invest $ 1 million in Lanka

India-based data services provider ValueFirst will invest $ 1 million in the next 18 months to expand its presence in Sri Lanka, which it sees as a potential destination.

"We propose to invest one million dollars in the next 18 months in the Island country as we see major potential to expand in this growing market, ValueFirst CEO Srinand Sridharan told reporters on Tuesday at the launch of its services in Emerald Nation.

ValueFirst, a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), would tap the 7 million mobile phone users in Sri Lanka to expand its services in areas like stock market and banking after tying up with cell phone companies, he said.

The company's co-founder Vijay Shukla ValueFirst said the mobile revolution in Sri Lanka has raced ahead of the internet revolution.

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http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/006200711061622.htm

Sri Lanka major opposition national organizer to join the ruling party

Speculations are spreading in media circles that the United National Party (UNP) National Organizer S.B. Dissanayake would join the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) soon.

Sources say that discussions are underway to redress the UNP leader’s civil and political rights under a special pardon by the President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

S.B. Dissanayake was a former right hand of the ex-President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. He later defected, joined the UNP and held a senior portfolio under Ranil Wickremasinghe’s premiership.

Read more,
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_07/November640300SL.html