யாழ் திரைகடலோடி

Internet failure hits two continents 1/31/2008 8:22:07 PM DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- - One major telecommunications provider blamed the outage, which started Wednesday, on a major undersea cable failure in the Mediterranean. India's Internet bandwidth has been sliced in half, The Associated Press reported, leaving its lucrative outsourcing industry trying to reroute traffic to satellites and other cables through Asia. Reports say that Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain are also experiencing severe problems. Nations that have been spared the chaos include Israel -- whose traffic uses a d…

SLA dumps dead soldiers in the stretches of Arippu [TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 January 2008, 17:34 GMT] Sri Lanka Army in Mannaar, while under-reporting their casualties in the fighting, has been dumping tractor-loads of dead soldiers in the delta of Aruvi Aa'ru (Malwattu Oya), the area emptied of people after capturing it from the LTTE last year. Two Sri Lanka Army soldiers, escaping from the battlefield with the help of local residents have said that their fellow troopers killed in the battle were being dumped near a coconut palm grove at Ooral, a locality 1 km south of Aruvi Aa'ru and few kilometers east of the coastline between Arippu and Chilaavatturai. Hun…

Applying the "self-evident" truths celebrated in the Declaration of Independence, the United States should recognize the right of Sri Lanka's long oppressed Tamil people to independent statehood from the racial supremacist Sinhalese. To deny the statehood right — sought by the Tamil people since 1976 — would mark one of the United States' most ill-conceived hours. Double standards beget enmity or contempt, a steep price even for a superpower. To borrow from the Declaration, let facts be submitted to a candid world. In 1948, Sri Lanka achieved nationhood from British colonial rule with a population of about 10 million. The commanding majori…

Where have all the assassins gone? Gamini Dissanayake, R. Premadasa, D.M. Dassanayake, N. Raviraj and T. Maheswaran By Dilrukshi Handunnetti and Arthur Wamanan In the history of assassination politics in Sri Lanka, it is not just the frequency of the gory murders alone that had helped create an appalling record but also the absence of credible investigations leading to the apprehension of criminals. The criminality in the country has experienced a steep increase since the war broke out in 1983 which by now has paved the way for a culture of impunity to take root, with offenders of all levels going unpunished. Furthermore, if the law enforcem…

France, India to fire up military cooperation, nuclear energy ties India and France said Friday they would push their military ties beyond weapons sales and open up nuclear power cooperation as soon as New Delhi is able to enter the global atomic energy market. India’s prime minister Manmohan Singh said he had agreed with visiting French President Nicolas Sarkozy to go beyond a “buyer-seller relationship” with France viewed merely as one of several international arms suppliers. Sarkozy also said negotiations had been finalised on a planned bilateral accord on nuclear power plants, a key area of French expertise and seen as crucial to India’s effort to…

Lanka nets Rs. 930m on tea exports to Japan Sri Lanka earned Rs. 930 million by exporting tea to Japan up to November last year and the target is to increase the export earnings from Japan to one million this year. During a recent visit to Japan Minister of Plantation Industries D. M. Jayaratne presented gold, silver and bronze medals to Sri Lankan tea importers in Japan. In addition the trade representatives of Japan had a discussion on the import of Sri Lankan Tea with the minister. The Minister said that the percentage of black tea exported to Japan from Sri Lanka increased from 45% to 67% at the end of 2006 and it increases annually by 8-9 million kgs. …

With the intention of marching towards Elephant Pass to seize control of the areas under the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam, Sri Lank Army has adopted a new operation tactics and strategically approach successfully in their latest war experiment. Sri Lanka Army is said to be now determined to mobilize and enter into major onslaughts initially in the vulnerable Tiger controlled areas in Vanni in the Northern Province and according to set- plans, armed forces are engaging the LTTE fighters almost in all fronts http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/9252

அனைத்து கட்சி குழுவினரின் தீர்வு திட்டம் இது தானாம் ! APRC Proposals to President The following are the proposals handed over to President Mahinda Rajapaksa by the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) yesterday, on fully implementing relevant provisions in the present Constitution, in order to achieve maximum and effective devolution of powers to the provinces in the short term ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY THE PRESIDENT TO FULLY IMPLEMENT RELEVANT PROVISIONS OF THE PRESENT CONSTITUTION AS A PRELUDE TO THE APRC PROPOSALS 1. Introduction 1.1 The APRC was mandated by the President to prepare a set of proposals that would be the basis for a so…

Status of UNICEF database on underage LTTE members First of the monthly statement by the Child Protection Authority (CPA), Kilinochchi, January 2008 The UNICEF database of under-18 persons in the LTTE has remained static for several months now and continues to hold around 240 names. The database has remained static because of the inability of UNICEF to clear these cases due to the prevailing security situation. In December 2007, CPA circulated, among the concerned groups, a snapshot of this UNICEF database as seven categories in a table as shown. The purpose of this snapshot is to elucidate the reality behind the number, 240. UNICEF mandate compels it to maintai…

Life in Vanni; Then & Now By: K.Mylvaganam Courtesy: TamilCanadian - January 22, 2008 Life in Vanni is both a bed of Roses and Thorns. It all depends to a great extent as to how one perceives things. For example if one were to miss watching the TV and other related facilities due to the lack of electricity and if one were to get terrified at the thundering noise of the KFir bombers and the frequent fall of artillery shells, then life becomes a Bed of Thorns. But on the other hand if we were to pat our backs and say that we are safe from all the ill effects of the TV; particularly the brain washing by the south Indian films and soap operas that ruins our…

Interview With Sri Lanka Peace Negotiator By: Interview conducted by Padma Rao Courtesy: SPIEGEL - January 21, 2008 'Civilians Are the Ones Who Will Suffer' The cease-fire in Sri Lanka officially came to an end last week, but violence has been flaring for months. SPIEGEL spoke with Norwegian peace negotiator Jon Hanssen-Bauer about monitoring the country's collapse and Sri Lanka's bleak future. SPIEGEL: Sri Lanka has withdrawn from the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) negotiated with the help of Oslo in 2002 between Colombo and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE ). The bloody, 25-year-long civil war that has already killed more than 8…

The son of the most-wanted man in the world spoke Sunday to CNN in a quiet, middle-class suburb about an hour outside Cairo, Egypt. Omar bin Laden, who works as a contractor, said he is talking publicly because he wants an end to the violence his father has inspired -- violence that has killed innocent civilians in a spate of attacks around the world, including those of September 11, 2001. மேலதிக விபரங்களுக்கு http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/01/21/....son/index.html http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/01/21/...tml#cnnSTCVideo

A red alert has been sounded over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in India, particularly Tamil Nadu, following a warning from the Interpol, days after US intelligence agency FBI listed the Tigers as the most “dangerous outfit and deadly extremist group in the world”. “This is not just because of the FBI statement. We have realised that the LTTE infiltration has increased, at least by three times, in the region. They also seem to be developing networks for communication besides discretely raising money and support for their plans,” a senior intelligence officer said. மேலதிக செய்தி http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/01/21/sec01.asp

TMVP to contest under ‘boat’ symbol The Thamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) has been accepted and registered as a political party by the Elections Commissioner and will contest the upcoming polls in the East under the ‘boat’ symbol, sources told the Daily Mirror yesterday. A meeting was held between TMVP officials and the Elections Commissioner at the office of the Elections Commissioner in Colombo yesterday where the outfit headed by Karuna Amman and Pillayan were told that their documents seeking registration as a political party had been accepted. Earlier the organisation had sought to register either under the name ‘TMVP’ or ‘National Par…

Devolution panel’s mandate curtailedPublished: Monday, 21 January, 2008, 06:39 AM Doha Time COLOMBO: An all-party panel in Sri Lanka is set to reject the Tamil minority’s demand for a federal constitution while suggesting improvements in the present unitary system to make it more democratic. This follows pressure from President Mahinda Rajapakse on the All-Party Representative Committee (APRC) not to go beyond the devolution granted by the 13th amendment to the Sri Lankan constitution that followed the 1987 India-Sri Lanka peace accord, an informed source told IANS. The APRC, headed by Science Minister Tissa Vitharana, is to give its recommendations January 23. …

States Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Robert F. Willard today (January 17) met Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Ministry of Defence, Colombo. He was accompanied by Commander of the Navy Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda, US ambassador Robert Blake and a high-level U.S. Navy delegation. The discussion between Defence Secretary Rajapaksa and Admiral Willard focused on strengthening the bilateral relations between defence establishments of the two countries. Admiral Robert F. Willard is the commander of the world`s larges naval command encompassing 100 million square miles and approximately 178 ships, 1500 aircraft and 160,000 sailors, Marines and civ…

Ban Ki-moon urges dialogue to halt violence in Sri Lanka following latest attacks UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon 16 January 2008 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned the attacks which occurred in Sri Lanka today, killing and injuring dozens – including children – and coinciding with the formal end of a truce between the Government and Tamil rebels. “The only way to stop further violence in Sri Lanka is through dialogue,” Mr. Ban said in a statement issued by his spokesperson. He also urged the parties concerned “to undertake genuine efforts to achieve a peaceful negotiated solution.” Earlier this month, Mr. Ban had expressed his c…

New Zealand Expresses Regret over Sri Lanka’s unilateral Ending of CFA Jan 17, 2008, 00:15 Digg this story! Wellington - New Zealand’s Duty Minister Rick Barker, expressed regret over the Sri Lanka’s decision of unilateral abrogation of the internationally supported, Norway inspired, February, 2002 Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the government of Sri Lanka (GoSL). He said through a Media Statement that, New Zealand is concerned about the deterioration of the security situation in Sri Lanka and the very serious implications for the civilian population. "New Zealand is concerned about the…

Indian filmstars in ads for LTTE fundraiser: report Colourful posters featuring South Indian filmstars have come up in a few stores in London advertising a fundraising event allegedly for the LTTE, state media claimed in Colombo on Monday. The posters invite people to a show on Thai-Pongal day next week sponsored by an organisation allegedly close to Tamil Tigers, the government-owned Daily News said. White Pigeon, the newly formed "charity" allegedly linked to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) that replaced the activities of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation after it was banned in the United Kingdom "is vigorously promoting the event unobstru…

(By Dinesh D. Dodamgoda) (The author of this article started his career as a journalist at LANKADEEPA newspaper and subsequently was appointed as a Member of Parliament when he was 21. He is a lawyer in profession and has obtained an MSc on Defence Management and Global Security from the British Royal Military College of Science (Cranfield University) Shrivenham, United Kingdom. He is reading for a PhD on Terrorism at the Centre for Study of Terrorism and Political Violence (CSTPV) in the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. In this article he expresses his views on today's strategic issues and the views of this article are solely those of the author.) The Sri L…

Iran's Finance Minister visits Sri Lanka [TamilNet, Monday, 14 January 2008, 15:14 GMT] Iran's Finance Minister Davoud Danesh-Jafari arrived in Colombo Monday on a formal three-day visit to discuss bilateral economic cooperation between the countries before visiting New Delhi on Wednesday, ministry officials at the Iranian embassy in Colombo told the Iranian news agency, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). The visit by the Iranian finance minister was in response to the recent visit by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajpaksa to Iran, according to a news report by the IRNA. Mr. Danesh-Jafari is scheduled to meet the Sri Lankan President during his stay in Colombo…

With the ceasefire dead, what now for Sri Lanka? Violence in Sri Lanka has escalated over the past two years, but there are widespread predictions of even greater bloodshed when a moribund ceasefire officially ends later this month. The 2002 ceasefire halted two decades of conflict between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels, but it began to unravel in 2005. "The last two years have been the most violent in a 25-year-long war which has taken over 70,000 lives," the Wall Street Journal says. The paper asks whether President Mahinda Rajapaksa's "war of attrition" against the Tamil Tigers will work or simply plunge the country into more violence. …

Sir Edmund Hillary dies aged 88. Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb the world's highest mountain, Mount Everest, has died aged 88. New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark described the explorer as a heroic figure and said all New Zealanders would deeply mourn his passing. Sir Edmund's health had reportedly been in decline since April, when he suffered a fall while visiting Nepal. He was the first man to climb the 8,850m (29,035ft) peak with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay on 29 May 1953. Since his ascent, Sir Edmund has devoted his life to helping the Sherpas of Nepal's Khumbu region. He was made an honorary Nepalese citizen in 2003. Announcin…

Majority of pilots leave Sri Lankan Airline (Lanka-e-News-2008 Jan 08, 4.30 PM) The majority of the Sri Lankan airline pilots have come to a decision to leave the national carrier since February with the Emirates' decision not to renew the agreement with the Sri Lanka state after March 31. Sri Lankan has 14 aircrafts and around 200 pilots are employed. The majority of the pilots are Sri Lankans. An official of the airline said to Lanka-e-News that 98% of the Sri Lankan's 600 staff are locals. Emirates is one of the major stakeholders of Sri Lankan. However it employed only three from Emirates and one of them is the CEO Peter Hill whose work permit was rev…

SINCE 1976, more than 70,000 people have been killed in what has been one of the world's most intractable conflicts, that of the separatist rebellion by Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers. In 2002, a ceasefire agreement was reached in the hope of moving towards a peace deal, but last week the Government of Sri Lanka unilaterally withdrew from the ceasefire, marking a likely return to full-scale war. The tragedies of Sri Lanka are manifold. Until the 1970s, Sri Lanka was a leader among the most advanced developing countries, democratic and with high education and life expectancy and low infant and maternal mortality rates. Today it is a country of conflict, going backwards, its…