News in brief

Terrorists out by 2008

Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayaka asserted that the country can anticipate to dedicate and celebrate 2008 as the year in which terrorists will be comprehensively defeated and totally eliminated. The PM said that terrorists who are now confined only to a limited area are destined to be totally wiped out in the coming year.

Emergency relief from Japan

The Government of Japan has swiftly responded to the emergency needs of the flood affected people in Sri Lanka, donating emergency relief items worth Japanese Yen 14.3 million (approximately Rs. 13.6 million) through Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Third coal power plant from China

China has expressed her willingness to fund the construction of the third coal power plant in Sri Lanka. It will be the second coal power plant to be built under monetary and technical aid from the Chinese government. The new 1,000 MW power plant will be located in Trincomalee.

31 Tigers killed in North

Security Forces killed 31 LTTE Tigers during separate confrontations within the past 24 hours in the North while the Air Force pounded a LTTE gathering place in the Kilinochchi area. Two Tigers were reported killed and three were injured in Welioya while four terrorists were killed at Muhamalai.

Congress reprimands TN Govt.

Troops engaged in separate battles killed 25 in Vavuniya. The Indian Congress demanded that the Tamil Nadu government should take stern action against the supporters of the outlawed LTTE and ban the meetings held in support of the terrorist outfit. "The LTTE continues to be a banned organisation and the supporters of the outfit should be dealt firmly by the government," senior party leader and former Union Ministe r S. R. Balasubramaniam told reporters in Chennai. He also wanted the political parties to refrain from supporting the LTTE.

Prof. Shunmugalingam new VC Jaffna University

Prof N. Shunmugalingam assumed duties as the new Vice Chancellor (VC) of the University of Jaffna on December 26. Prof. Shunmugalingam, who headed the Department of Sociology is the sixth VC of the University of Jaffna, since its inception in 1974.Prof K. Kumarvadivel and K. Kanthaswamy also contested for the post of VC Jaffna. However, Prof. Shunmugalingam was elected as the new VC of the University. He succeeds Prof. S. Mohanadas who retired as the VC Jaffna 18 months ago. Following the retirement of Prof. Mohanadas, Prof. Ratnajeevan Hoole was elected as the Vice Chancellor of the Jaffna University.