ITN journalist critically injured in LTTE mortar attack

ITN’s News Editor Anura Dorakumbura and the Cameraman of the Newsroom Suranga Basnayake came under a mortar attack. Suranga Basnayake was critically injured. The gallant soldiers risking their lives on this occasion carried the two ITN journalists swiftly to a secure place.

ITN salutes the war heroes and senior officers providing them leadership for this noble task. Driver G.G.Gunasena’s dedication to promptly transport Suranga Basnayake to the Anuradhapura General Hospital is noteworthy. He drove the vehicle at a high speed on rugged roads in the Mullaitivu thick jungles with the intention of immediately transporting them to the Anuradhapura Hospital. The services discharged by the gallant soldiers on behalf of the ITN personnel deserve accolades.

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LTTE heading for its waterloo - TDNA

The current military operations by the security forces in the Wanni have weakened the LTTE terribly and reports from Kilinochchi indicate that the outfit is in complete dissaray as they are unable to face the advancing troops, the Tamil Democratic National Alliance (TDNA) delegation led by Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) Leader Veerasingam Anandasangari told the visiting European Union delegation.

PLOTE leader Dharmalingam Sitharthan who was associated with the TULF leader at the discussions with the EU delegation said that he insisted on the necessity of a constructive political solution to defeat the LTTE politically as well.

They also briefed the EU Parliamentarians on the human rights violations carried out by the LTTE by staging ruthless attacks on civilian targets in the North as well as in the South.

The TDNA confirmed that the Security Forces were gaining control in the LTTE’s last bastion Wanni and the outfit was heading towards its `Waterloo’, when the European Union Parliamentarians met the TDNA members in Colombo on Friday.

The TULF leader who headed the three party alliance, comprising the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) and the Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (Naba) told the Sunday Observer that his alliance briefed the European Union delegation on the present situation in the Wanni.

“During our discussion with the European Union Parliamentary delegation led by Robert Evans, we told them that the LTTE was now not in a position to continue with their armed struggle. Therefore, the outfit with its limited resources is heading for its `Waterloo’.

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http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2008/07/27/sec01.asp

Murali and Mendis maul India

In a match dominated by not one but two spin wizards, Sri Lanka completely destroyed the Indian batting line-up twice over to script their best win at home. India started the fourth day needing 242 runs to avoid the follow-on but, with 77 minutes to go to stumps, they had slumped to their third-worst Test defeat ever with an abject collapse against Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis.

Murali and Mendis, assisted by the ever-alert close-in cordon, did not loosen the vice-like grip they had had over the batsmen from the moment the ball was thrown to Mendis in the 10th over of India's first innings. With Mendis keeping the batsmen on a leash - his only two bad deliveries were the full tosses in his first two overs - and leaving the batsmen mesmerised, it was Murali who smiled his way to two five-fors and his 21st ten-wicket haul, which was also his fourth at the SSC.

There was no respite for the batsmen from either end as 19 wickets fell to the spin pair, who bowled 87.5 overs out of the 117.5 that India faced in the match. Murali was always likely to be a threat, but Mendis showed that his six-wicket haul against India in the Asia Cup final was not a one-off. His bowling action is almost as intriguing as the kind of deliveries he bowls: in his final stride, the index finger of his left hand points upwards, as if giving the batsman out. On the basis of this performance, that action is completely justified as one of the most anticipated debuts of recent times turned out to be the best for a Sri Lankan.

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http://content-sl.cricinfo.com/slvind/content/current/story/362550.html
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