யாழ் திரைகடலோடி

Douglas loses heavyweight Munza Mushtaq in Colombo, February 1, 2006, 10.51 p.m.. In what appeared to be one of the most surprising splits, K. Vigneswaran, a former parliamentarian and advisor to Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) Leader Douglas Devananda has resigned from the party owing to the 'authoritative and dictatorial attitude' adopted by the EPDP leader. Dr. Vigneswaran who was with the EPDP for more than ten years was also Devananda's chief advisor and main negotiator of the EPDP when the draft constitution was being drawn up, and obviously Vigneswaran's resignation is a huge blow 'resource' wise to the EPDP leader, sources pointed out. D…

Dr Suren Raghavan - Are some religions more violent ?

Driving gets more dangerous with age, but older adults may be more vulnerable while walking on the sidewalk than behind the wheel, says a new study. Researchers who reviewed data on road accident deaths in the UK found that pedestrians over 70 were five times more likely to die from being hit by a car each time they went out than those age 21 to 29. But elderly drivers were no more likely to die on the road than those in their twenties. "The focus is usually on older drivers as a danger to themselves and other drivers," said Jonathan Rolison, who led the study at the University of Plymouth in the UK. But, he added, "the real issue isn't really safeguar…

Arguing with loved one at wheel 'can affect' driving, experts warn The driver is weaving in his lane, his speed erratic, and he is clearly distracted. An-other case of texting behind the wheel? No, he's just got his wife with him. Confirming what many Canadians have long suspected, a study finds that having a romantic partner in the car is linked to poorer performance on the road. The effects are so powerful, in fact, that people actually drive better while quarrelling with their sweetheart remotely using a hands-free device than when having a neutral in-person conversation with them in the vehicle. "Emotional distractions are real and can affect your…

In fact, of the thousands who have been killed in CIA drone strikes in Pakistan, only 37 were leaders of al Qaeda or affiliated organizations, according to a tally by the New America Foundation. Read more.. http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/22/opinion/bergen-nine-myths-drones-gitmo/index.html?hpt=hp_c5

Ramaraj out on parole Tamil-speaking drugs baron V Ramaraj has been released on parole by a Swiss court after having served exactly one year of a three years prison sentence meted out to him for smuggling narcotics via the alpine nation. Ramaraj was arrested on 22 February 2006 outside the United Nations offices in Geneva, initially on charges of having entered Switzerland illegally. Latter, police investigations revealed that Ramaraj was also on the wanted list for narcotics smuggling. Police also found a number of 'cloned' credit cards in his travel bag. He was subsequently sent to prison for three years. Ramaraj, who originally hails from th…

Kalum Gunarathna drunkenly drove into oncoming traffic in February 2019 The lawyer had left work at S. Satha & Co Solicitors, where he was drinking He crashed into a telegraph post and nine cars before he attempted to flee He was sentenced to nine months in prison and has now been fined £10,000 A top lawyer drunkenly drove his car towards oncoming traffic and smashed into a telegraph pole and nine parked vehicles, a disciplinary hearing has heard. Kalum Gunarathna left work at S. Satha & Co Solicitors after drinking in February 2019 and got into his car, before driving into oncoming traffic and crashing into a telegraph post…

Earthquake and Tsunami Warning System (ETWS) introduces a means to deliver Warning Notification simultaneously to many mobile users who should evacuate from approaching Earthquake or Tsunami. Mobile user who received Warning Notification is able to know a threat is approaching or already happened nearby. Then the user is able to determine where and when to evacuate according to delivered Warning Notification. Mobile phone is a kind of the closest media for people. This system helps people to prevent from disaster situation or mitigate damage. The characteristic of this service is the need of quick and optimised information delivery. Currently, it is not possible…

Easter Sunday bombs had not been a factor which had determined the results of the presidential election in predominantly Catholic areas as there may have been other issues which led the people in the areas concerned to vote as they did, Catholic politicians in the area said today. Veteran Catholic politician, former Speaker Joseph Michael Perera told the Daily Mirror that there may have been other issues which led New Democratic Front (NDF) Candidate Sajith Premadasa to win Negombo and Wattala electorates at Saturday’s presidential election. “We cannot say that Catholics voted the way they did, defying the propaganda carried out by the SL…

23 April 2019 12:10 am - 0 - 266 Pix by Pradeep Pathirana Multiple explosions on Easter Sunday (April 21) left an island nation devastated and the Government has declared today a national day of mourning. Explosions took place at three churches, namely St. Sebastian’s in Katuwapitiya, St Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade, Colombo and Zion Church in Batticaloa, in the Eastern Province; and three hotels namely Shangri-La, Kingsbury and Cinnamon Grand. There were other explosions too. The Government Analyst confirmed that the attacks on the three churches and 3 hotels in Colombo were carried out …

What the European Court of Justice (ECJ) proves implicitly is that under European Law, you do not need evidence to classify a group as a ‘terrorist’ organisation, commented US-based Eezham Tamil legal activist, Mr Rajeev Sreetharan, who was one of the initiators of the LTTE vs EU case adjudged by the ECJ on Thursday. However, he added that the ECJ ruling, although tainted by questionable post 9/11 interpretations of international humanitarian law, in essence vindicates assumptions in deciding to challenge the EU ban of the LTTE in a court of law, rather than the halls of government. Rajeev was hopeful that the lifting of the ‘terrorism’ ban helps to begin reshape the Euro…

Economic growth is the key to recovery | Raj Rajaratnam speech at Jaffna University

Ecuador’s president ready to allow Julian Assange to be extradited to US By Mike Head 31 July 2018 Ecuador’s President Lenín Moreno yesterday made his most explicit statement yet of his government’s willingness to hand over WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange to the British authorities to be imprisoned and then extradited to the United States. Moreno’s comments indicate that negotiations with Britain’s Conservative Party government are at an advanced stage, with the intent of forcing Assange to leave Ecuador’s London embassy on the terms being demanded by the British and US administrations. Ecuador granted Assange political asylum six years ago to protect …

The antics of Tamil Diaspora including its latest trump card, the controversial British TV Channel 4 seem to have succeeded in precipitating a chain reaction in fostering hatred in Tamil Nadu against Sri Lanka, shortly after the photographs of alleged killing of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran’s son were telecast on a TV programme a few weeks ago. The Tamil cause was taken up by students in Tamil Nadu who first started actively protesting in rallies which their police tried to settle amicably, but when some students were locked up and assaulted, the situation escalated and has resulted in the locking out of some of our cricketers from 10 IPL matches to be p…

In 1996 they were preschoolers living in Mankulam. Today Jinoshan and Rushanthini are learning Year-11 at Mankulam Maha Vidhyalayam. Their lives in the intervening decade are by no means typical for 15 year olds anywhere in the world. As four year olds they displaced with their families in 1997 as the Sri Lankan military launched an attack on Mankulam. Their families moved to Mallavi and the two started their schooling at Yohapuram Maha Vidhyalayam in Mallavi. One year later in 1998 they displaced again this time from Mallavi to Akkarayan because Mallavi came within Sri Lankan military artillery shell range. They were studying Year-3. In early 1999 they displaced a…

EELAM TAMILS: Highlighting crimes against peace [by Admin , Nov 23,2006] When the Co-chairs [u.S; E.U; Norway and Japan] met in Washington, D.C., there hardly was any policy change as far as the Tamils are concerned. With alarming unanimity the Quartet announced that “…the LTTE is a terrorist group responsible for massive bloodshed, we hold the Tamil Tigers responsible… we are not neutral in this respect.” One must be grateful for the crudeness of meting out such lop-sided spaghetti western justice — At least we must be thankful for the openness of attitude on part of the diplomats, in which admittance to non-neutrality is claimed. There was sadly, no con…

Eelam war IV rages on several fronts- Situation Report *** Tigers use long-range artillery to attack Palaly base *** Tigers occupy Army bunkers in Muhamalai but troops fight back Plans by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to lay siege on the Jaffna peninsula began to unravel on Friday evening as Eelam War IV raged for a second successive week. The most disturbing development came when guerrillas directed artillery fire at the Security Forces Headquarters (SFHQ) in Jaffna. It fell on many places including the runway at the Palaly Air Force base located in the same complex. A Bell 212 helicopter was damaged. Military officials said the guerrilla…

Election 2020 – An Analysis and Trends HARIM PEIRIS on 08/07/2020 Photo courtesy of srilankamirror.com The general election to parliament is concluded and the official results are out. The anticipated landslide victory to the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has materialised with the SLPP winning a grand total of 145 seats through garnering a total of approximately 6.8 million votes or 59% of the valid votes cast. Through its stated allies, the SLFP (1 seat), the EPDP (2 seats), the TMVP (1 seat) and others in the pro-government political space, it has effectively reached the two-thirds majority it craved, or 150 seats, in the 225-member l…

Electricity, telephone service to Muttur cut off [TamilNet, August 03, 2006 17:44 GMT] The Sri Lankan government has cut off the supply of electricity to Muttur town and other villages in the Muttur division since the fighting broke out between the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). From Thursday noon telephone service to Muttur town has also been cut off, Muttur civilians arrived in Trincomalee Thursday evening with injured civilians said. Telephone service has been cut off after the artillery attack on Muttur Arabic College and Thoppur Al-Noor Mahavidiyalayam which resulted in the deaths of twenty two Muslim civilians sought refuge…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 13, 2013 CONTACT: Adam Sharon Adam.Sharon@mail.house.gov 202.226.8467 Eliot Engel Calls for an Independent International Investigation into Allegations of War Crimes in Sri Lanka Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, wrote Secretary Kerry on Tuesday expressing serious concern regarding the deterioration of democracy and the lack of progress on reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka. Citing indications that the Government of Sri Lanka appears unwilling to implement the recommendations of Sri Lanka’s own Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, Ranking M…

Financing fiscal deficit The government will finance its fiscal deficit estimated at Rp 75 trillion (US$8 billion) in fiscal 2008 mostly with rupiah bonds because its official capital accounts will end up with a net resource outflow of the equivalent of Rp 16.67 trillion. The government plans to issue Rp 91.6 trillion worth of new bonds next year, up markedly from Rp 62.28 trillion, budgeted for this year. This is a consequence of the government's decision to accelerate the amortization of its foreign debts, notably those with high interest rates, and to disband its foreign creditor consortium, the consultative group on Indonesia (CGI), starting this year…

While condemning Sri Lanka violence, EU still sells arms to government http://euobserver.com/13/28155

End killings of innocent Tamils, India tells Lanka Rants + Raves Print Email Thursday, June 22nd, 2006 New Delhi - India Thursday politely but firmly made it clear to Sri Lanka that its security forces must stop killing innocent Tamils in the name of combating the Tamil Tigers. Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samraweera was conveyed the message by India’s political leadership which while being firmly committed to the island’s unity is bothered by increasing reports of attacks on innocent Tamils. An informed source told IANS: ‘The minister was told that civilian casualties should be avoided… and we hope that Sri Lankan security forces will not r…

English proficiency vital for success in global world: LTTE Political Head [TamilNet, Monday, 17 December 2007, 20:52 GMT] "Eelam Tamils have excelled in military science and geo-political affairs at an International level. For our people to acquire skills and knowlege to succeed at the global level, opportunity and facilities to attain high levels of proficiency in English is critical," said B. Nadesan, the political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in his commencement address at the English Language College (ELC) in Ki'linochchi, on Saturday. The ELC, a Tamils' Rehabilitation Organization (TRO)-funded college, was established on September 13, …