யாழ் திரைகடலோடி

The Tamil-Canadian artist talks finding space in the international music scene and the controversy over his appearance on Rolling Stone India Gajan Balan Last summer, Toronto singer Witch Prophet and her producer Sun Sun pulled up to rapper Shan Vincent de Paul’s downtown studio out of the blue. They were there to hand him an award, just for being dope. “It meant a lot,” says Vincent de Paul, on a Zoom call from that same studio, describing the one-off gesture that Witch Prophet and Sun Sun bestowed on a handful of local artists. Vincent de Paul’s never been shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize or nominated for a Juno, never mind the bangers he’s be…

Evergrande: Chinese property giant 'misses another payment deadline' The hugely indebted Chinese property giant Evergrande has missed interest payments to overseas investors for the second time in a week, reports say. Evergrande was due to pay foreign bond holders $47.5m (£35m) by Wednesday. But bondholders told Reuters news agency and Bloomberg that they were yet to receive any payment. Evergrande has not commented publicly on the issue. Once China's top-selling developer, the company is now facing debts of more than $300bn. It has been prioritising its liabilities within China, amid concerns of social unrest. Last week, Evergrande missed an…

"The Eye of the Tiger" For the past 14 years Velupillai Pirabakaran has led an armed struggle to create a separate Tamil state in Sri Lanka's volatile north-eastern region. Pirabakaran, 32, commands the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the strongest of Sri Lanka's numerous Tamil separatist groups. It is generally acknowledged that peace negotiations with Colombo are unlikely to prove effective without the LTTE's involvement. Last week, shortly before his group rejected Colombo's latest proposal for peace talks, Pirabakaran spoke with NEWSWEEK'S Sudip Mazumdar in Madras. Excerpts: …

" It is the plight of the Tamil people that compelled me to take up arms. I felt outraged at the inhuman atrocities perpetrated against an innocent people." The ethnic conflict between the Tamils and the Sinhalese in Sri Lanka shows no sign of abating,. The Tamil militants, especially the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) seem determined to pursue their military tactics. Velupillai Prabhakaran, Military Commander of the LTTE who lives in the jungles of Jaffna, northern Sri Lanka, in a rare interview spoke to GENTLEMAN about the future of the strife- torn island. In a rare interview, the controve…

" The chances of attaining Eelam are bright because the people's determination is firm. We are prepared for a long-drawn struggle (to attain Eelam)." FRONTLINE: How were you attracted to the liberation movement? What were the factors that impelled you to take up this cause? Pirabakaran: It is a long story. When I was young. my parents used to talk a lot at home against the 1958 racial riots directed against the Tamils in which many people were affected. This affected me. I used to read a lot of books which came from Madras, including magazines like Ananda Vikatan, Kalki, Kumudam, etc. All magazines used to run stories on …

" We are Prepared to Pay for Freedom With Our Lives " Q: Why did you choose to go underground? A: I did not leave with the intention of going under ground. I had to attend to some work in my country. I had to discuss certain matters relating to the peace talks with my lieutenants. I also had to assess for myself the situation and reaction in the Tamil areas. While I was there certain incidents took place (referring to the deportation of A. S. Balasingham, official spokes man of the LTTE) so I continued to remain there. Q: What is the reaction of your lieutenants to the cease-fire? A: The cease-fire is a drama. Under its guise, the Sri Lankan armed f…

"If Jayewardene was a true Buddhist, I would not be carrying a gun" Velupillai Pirabakaran, leader of the Liberation Tigesr for Tamil Eelam, tells Anita Pratap. Q: What made you opt out of a conventional system and spearhead a liberation movement which you knew would be outlawed? A: The democratic parliamentary system, or what you refer to as the conventional political system in Sri Lanka, has always tried to impose the will of the majority on the minority. This system not only failed to solve the basic problems of our people but, in fact, aggravated our plight. For decades, the repression by the state has made the li…

இதை இங்கே இணைக்க காரணம், இறுதி 5 மாதங்களிலும் சிங்களத்தால் வெளியிடப்பட்ட வீரச்சாவடைந்த புலிவீரர்களின் எண்ணிக்கை பற்றிய 'எண்ணிக்கை விளையாட்டுகள்' பற்றி நீங்களும் அறிந்துகொள்ள வேண்டும் என்பதற்காகவே. இது எப்படிப் பட்டதென்பது பற்றி அந்தக் காலத்தில் சிங்களத்தின் அதிகாரநிறைவு வலைத்தளத்தினை எதிர்த்து கருத்துக்களும் கட்டுரையும் வெளியிட்டுக்கொண்டிருந்த ஒரு வலைப்பூவில் இருந்து ஒரு கட்டுரை. (http://puligal.blogspot.com/2009/03/defencelk-is-41-more-lethal-than-armylk.html) Sunday, March 29, 2009 Defence.lk is 41% more lethal than Army.lk; writers deserve promotion By Shankar Neelan We have taken the last two months worth of battle rep…

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…

By Nicolás Rivero Tech Reporter Published June 30, 2021 Shipping containers are the lifeblood of world trade: Virtually every product and part that circulates through the global economy travels across the seas, railroads, and highways ensconced in their corrugated metal embrace. But lately, those all-important containers are in short supply in the places where they’re needed most. Indian exporters to North America and Europe are complaining that the wait times to find a shipping container can stretch as long as three weeks. British exporters say the shortage has delayed shipments to east Asia for up to two months. And…

SEPTEMBER 15, 2021 BY DINITHA RATHNAYAKE 0 COMMENTS Allegedly makes LTTE suspects kneel at gunpoint Beauty queen among earlier Welikada revellers BY Dinitha Rathnayake State Minister of Prison Management and Prisoners’ Rehabilitation Lohan Ratwatte who, as exclusively reported by The Morning on Monday (13) had allegedly forcibly entered the Welikada Prison premises with a group of his friends whilst under the influence of liquor, had allegedly similarly entered the Anuradhapura Prison on Sunday (12) evening. According to sources, the State Minister, who hails from an influential political family, had attempted to degrade and punish…

An ongoing National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the seizure of 300 kg heroin, five AK-47 rifles and 1,000 live rounds of 9mm ammunition off the coast of Vizhinjam near Thiruvananthapuram has led to speculation that an international drug running and weapon trading racket is aimed at reviving the Sri Lankan Tamil separatist group LTTE. The case relates to the March 18 interception of a boat with the contraband by the Coast Guard following an intelligence input. The mastermind behind the operation was Sri Lankan Tamil Suresh Rajan, a resident of Colombo who had been living at Kundrathur, a Chennai suburb, for some time, the Indian Express reported. Multip…

How Britain stole $45 trillion from India And lied about it. Jason Hickel There is a story that is commonly told in Britain that the colonisation of India – as horrible as it may have been – was not of any major economic benefit to Britain itself. If anything, the administration of India was a cost to Britain. So the fact that the empire was sustained for so long – the story goes – was a gesture of Britain’s benevolence. New research by the renowned economist Utsa Patnaik – just published by Columbia University Press – deals a crushing blow to this narrative. Drawing on nearly two ce…

15 Years Later, No Truth or Justice for Missing Priest and Aide Ruki Fernando on 08/20/2021 Photo courtesy of Ruki Fernando On August 20, 2006, Father Jim Brown, a Catholic Priest, and Wenceslaus Vimalathas, his associate, disappeared. They were last seen at a Navy check point in Allaipiddy in the Jaffna district while they were going to visit displaced civilians in the Navy controlled village. August was a tragic month for Allaipiddy. On the night August 12, the parish priest, Father Brown had welcomed civilians flocking to the local Catholic church seeking refuge from th…

Debacle in Afghanistan - TARIQ ALI The fall of Kabul to the Taliban on 15 August 2021 is a major political and ideological defeat for the American Empire. The crowded helicopters carrying US Embassy staff to Kabul airport were startlingly reminiscent of the scenes in Saigon – now Ho Chi Minh City – in April 1975. The speed with which Taliban forces stormed the country was astonishing; their strategic acumen remarkable. A week-long offensive ended triumphantly in Kabul. The 300,000-strong Afghan army crumbled. Many refused to fight. In fact, thousands of them went over to the Taliban, who immediately demanded the unconditional surrender of the puppet government. Presid…

COVID-19 vaccine mandates are coming — whether Canadians want them or not Canadian and American health officials suggest third doses for most vulnerable 1 day ago 2:03 As a fourth wave of COVID-19 nears, U.S. regulators are suggesting third vaccine shots for the immunocompromised, and Ontario is eyeing a plan for booster shots. 2:03 Like it or not, COVID-19 vaccine mandates are …

IMF or not: What other options are available for Sri Lanka? Strangely, the new Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa has been silent on this issue, perhaps keeping his options open losing the door to IMF Central Bank Governor Deshamanya Professor W.D. Lakshman, in an interview on Derana’s Hyde Park last week, reiterated the stand of the present Government that it will not seek any bailout from IMF (available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYynqRPGzX4). This was one day after Sri Lanka kept its unblemished record of meeting all foreign debt obligations on tim…

செய்திச் சுருக்கம்: ஜேர்மனியில் கடும் வெள்ளத்தில் 48 பேர் இதுவரை உயிரிழந்துள்ளதாக தெரிவிக்கப்படுகிறது. பெல்ஜியம், நெதர்லாந்திலும் பாதிப்பு. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-57853014 உறவுகள் நலமா?

இந்தக்கட்டுரை அவுஸ்ரேலிய ஆண்கள் எதிர்நோக்கும் உடல், உளம் மற்றும் பாலியல் ரீதியான வன்முறைகளைப்பற்றி கூறுகிறது.. அவர்கள் ஓரளவிற்கேனும் வெளியிலே வந்து தங்களது பிரச்சனைகளை கூறி உதவி கேட்கிறார்கள். அத்துடன் ஆண்களின் இந்தப்பிரச்சனைகள் அரசியல், சமூக காரணிகளால் எவ்வாறு நோக்கப்படுகிறது என்பதையும் கூறுகிறது. ஆனால் எங்களது சமூகத்தில் இப்படியான பிரச்சனைகளை எதிர்நோக்கும் ஆண்கள் எப்படி இந்தப் பிரச்சனைகளை கையாளுகிறார்கள்? அவர்களைப்பற்றி எங்களது சமூகம் என்ன கூறுகிறது? இணையத்தில் பலவருடங்களிற்கு முன் ஒரு ஆண் தனது பிரச்சனைகளை கூறிய எழுதிய கடிதம் ஒன்றும் அதற்கு வந்த விமர்சனங்களும் என்னையறியாமல் நினைவிற்கு வந்து போகிறது.. Male victims of domestic violence have few…

In numbers: Life in Afghanistan after America leaves By The Visual Journalism Team BBC News Getty Images A market trader in Kandahar, the last major Taliban stronghold to fall to the US in 2001 US and Nato troops are finally withdrawing from Afghanistan after 20 years of war. The Taliban, who they came to defeat, are rapidly retaking territory across the country. How has the war changed Afghanistan, and what comes next? Are the Taliban back? The Taliban - a fundamentalist Islamist militia - were forced from power when US-led forces invaded in 2001. Democratic presidential elections and a new constitution were established…

Killing Free Education with the Kotelawala National Defence University Bill Kaushalya Ariyarathne on 07/16/2021 Photo courtesy of Ada Derana The debate over the Kotelawala National Defence University (KNDU) Bill has become a scorching issue in the past few weeks. It has been heated not only due to the resistance from civil society and other political parties – mainly the Left – and the intense parliamentary debate on it but also because the government has taken steps to illegally arrest and detain protesters using the quarantine laws and thereby attempted to suppress the voices…

False Promises: The Myth of Security and the Prevention of Terrorism Act Ambika Satkunanathan on 07/14/2021 Photo courtesy of Maatram For decades human rights activists have highlighted the draconian nature of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), which promises safety and security, yet in practice makes each citizen vulnerable to being arbitrarily arrested, detained, tortured and even convicted of an offence the person did not commit. Despite the fact it contravenes Sri Lanka’s international obligations and constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights, successive government…

Sri Lanka economy in crisis as debt mounts, reserves dwindle.. (Sri Lankan daily waged laborers transport a cart load of imported garlic during restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus at a wholesale market place in Colombo) Sri Lanka has cut back on imports of farm chemicals, cars and even its staple spice turmeric as its foreign exchange reserves dwindle, hindering its ability to repay a mountain of debt as the South Asian island nation struggles to recover from the pandemic. Toothbrush handles, venetian blinds, strawberries, vinegar, wet wipes and sugar are among the hundreds of foreign-made goods that were banned or made subject to…

NAIDOC(National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee) அல்லது ‘National Aboriginal Day', ஒவ்வொரு வருடமும் ஆடி முதலாம் கிழமை ஆரம்பமாகி ஒரு வாரம் அவர்களுடைய நிகழ்வுகள் நடைபெறும். இந்த வருடம் கடந்த 4ம் திகதி தொடங்கி வரும் 11ந்திகதி வரை நிகழ்வுகள் நடைபெறும். இந்த வருடத்திற்கான கருப்பொருள் “Heal Country – calls for stronger measures to recognise, protect, and maintain all aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and heritage.” இவர்களுடைய இந்த NAIDOC வார ஆரம்பநிகழ்வில் இலங்கையில் பிறந்த, சிட்னியில் வாழ்ந்துவரும் ஓவியர், சிற்பகலைஞரான ரமேஷ் மாரியோ நித்தியேந்திரன் அவர்களின் ஒரு படைப்பும் கண்காட்சிக்கு வைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.. அவரது சிற்பங்கள் மிக மிக …

Stand-up Comedian! அதுவும் ஒரு தமிழர்.. எங்களில் மிகவும் அரிதாகவே இந்தமாதிரி விடயங்களில் பிரகாசிக்கிறார்கள்!! Weakest Link to return with Romesh Ranganathan and celebrities 2 minutes ago Image caption, Ranganathan said it was "an anxiety-inducing privilege" to host the show Comedian Romesh Ranganathan is to host a new celebrity version of The Weakest Link, the long-running BBC quiz show previously hosted by Anne Robinson. Ranganathan said it was an "honour" to bring back "a TV institution". Robinson hosted more than 1,690 editions of the show between 2000 and 2012, earnin…