Lanka News – Lanka Gazette – Sri Lanka News Portal

The subject of the article is part of a quote from the Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Sergei Ivanov. Attending a seminar in Singapore on regional security, he confided that his government was rendering useful help to the ISAF and the US in Afghanistan, including intelligence input. During the question-answer session with the delegates in the Shangri-La Dialogue, it was insinuated if such help could include committing Russian forces to join other allies against the Taliban. The Russian Deputy PM promptly retorted: "Never again would a Russian soldier enter Afghanistan."

I think you understand why. It’s like asking the US whether they would send troops in Vietnam. Emphasising his point he followed it up by stating: "It is something like that. It is totally impossible." In between he also conceded that he could not disclose the scope and pace of cooperation between his country and the US on Afghanistan to the media. However, he had had serious discussions with his counterparts at this forum like the others.

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Prof Kapila DahanayakeSenior Professor of Geology,University of Peradeniya

Q. What is an earthquake?

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A photograph of Winston Churchill giving his victory salute has been airbrushed to remove his signature cigar.

By Nick CollinsIn the well-known original image, Churchill makes a "V" shaped symbol with his fingers

WASHINGTON (AP) – D.J. Soviero wanted the least treatment that would beat back her small, early-stage breast cancer, but her first doctor insisted she had only one option: tumor removal followed by radiation and chemotherapy.

Then she found a novel program at the University of California, San Francisco, that gave her an unbiased evaluation of the pros and cons of all treatment options.

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MADISON, Wisconsin (AP) – Famed comic book writer Nail Gaiman testified Monday that he sees no difference between Dark Ages Spawn and Medieval Spawn, a character he co-created nearly two decades ago.

The battle over Spawn, as well as two scantily clad female angel characters, was being waged not in the pages of a comic book but in a Wisconsin federal court.

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Eye doctors? Pah! Who needs them? Now you can do your OWN laser surgery. A mail order kit is available for do-it-yourself enthusiasts, I hear from reader Sri Ram. For US$ 100, you get a tool for calculating how much of your eyeball needs reshaping, plus a laser-gun you can use to hack away at it.

Having said that, I do NOT recommend you shine lasers into your own eyes. Get your kids to do it. They have steadier hands, from all the video games.

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India’s education sector is the world’s third largest in terms of students, next to China and the United States. Unlike China, however, India has the advantage of English being the primary language of higher education and research. Yet this decisive edge also has its shortcomings. In the 2009 Times Higher Education-Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University rankings, no Indian university features among the first 100. But universities in East Asia have been included in the first hundred. Hong Kong has three, ranked at 24, 35 and 46; Singapore two ranked at 30 and 73; South Korea two ranked at 47 and 69 and Taiwan one in the 95th position. Notably, China’s Tsinghua University and Peking University are ranked at 49 and 52 respectively. There is no Indian university in the rankings from 100 to 200. It is only when one moves on to the next 100 that we find the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur at 237; IIT Madras at 284 and the University of Delhi at 291.

Gross enrolment ratio

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New bus fares for both private and SLTB buses, introduced by the Southern Province Transport Authority, would be effective from June 19. Anomalies which existed on all routes have been rectified. On some routes, fares would be lower than the present rate while on some other routes fares would be increased, Southern Province Chief Minister Shan Wijayalal Silva said.

Fares would be reduced on 221 routes, while it would be increased on 54 routes. The fares will remain unchanged on 113 routes, he said.

The Minister of Local Government and Provincial Councils, with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank will provide loans to Local Authorities for infrastructure development at regional level.

The Local Authority infrastructure development programme was operated under the guidance of the Ministry.

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Akmeemana Police on Thursday arrested a solider for allegedly breaking into a shop in Bataduwa and robbing two computers and other accessories.

Investigations revealed the suspect had come to Akmeemana on leave and committed the offense last Sunday.