"In return of my trust, I want the LTTE to trust us"

PRESIDENT Mahinda Rajapakse, on Sunday called for immediate talks with the Tamil Tiger rebels to halt spiraling violence threatening Sri Lanka's four-year-old ceasefire and taking this tropical island again toward the brink of war.

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Sri Lanka firmly behind Dhanapala for top UN post

SRI LANKA firmly supports Dr. Jayantha Dhanapala's candidature for the United Nations Secretary General post, President Mahinda Rajapakse assured. President Rajapakse said Sri Lanka would do everything possible to ensure Dhanapala's victory.

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Solheim arrives today

NORWAY'S Minister of International Development and Special envoy for Sri Lanka Erik Solheim will arrive in Colombo with Deputy Director of Norway's Foreign Affairs Nausdal and the country's Foreign Affairs Advisor Bgovsed today.

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Trade and Commerce Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and Bangladeshi Commerce Minister Air Vice Marshal Chaudary and Bangladesh High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Yakub Ali at the exhibition.

BUSINESS

Lanka BPO industry has tremendous growth - British Minister

SRI LANKA is yet to unearth its maximum economic potential, said the visiting British Trade Minister Ian Pearson. He said Sri Lanka's economy is very resilient. The British Minister was speaking at a breakfast meeting last Friday.

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Malinga Bandara of Sri Lanka (L) and team mates Marvan Atapattu (C) and Kumar Sangakkara (R) celebrate after they beat Australia by 51 runs in a VB series one-day international cricket match in Sydney January 22, 2006. (Reuters)

SPORTS

Jayasuriya stars as Lanka win

A dream century from the elder statesman Sanath Jayasuriya who was involved in a match-winning second wicket partnership of 163 with the ever reliable Kumar Sangakkara paved the way for Sri Lanka to beat the high riding Australians by 51 runs in their second meeting at the SCG under lights, here today.

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Bolivia’s President - elect Evo Morales dressed in traditional clothes is given the traditional indigenous ‘Unko’ (a four points hat) from an Amauta-Aymara wise man during an ancient ritual in the Akapana site of the sacred place of Tiwanaku on January 21. Morales symbolically took on - in an indigenous ancestral style - one day before his swearing - in as the first indigenous President of Bolivia.
AFP

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