Athirady

You are browsing the archives of 2010 July 02.

Extensive efforts have failed to reduce the wide differential, which can still be 10 years or more depending on socio-economic background, said the public spending watchdog.
London: The life expectancy gap between rich and poor people in England is widening, despite years of government and NHS action, a hard-hitting National Audit Office report revealed yesterday.
Extensive efforts [...]

Sri Lanka has secured the support of Russia and China in its opposition to the panel of experts appointed by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to advise him on humanitarian issues related to the war against the LTTE.
After Moscow, Beijing has come out in support of the Mahinda Rajapaksa government and has expressed the belief that [...]

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty is breaking his silence on passing a secret regulation that led to mass confusion about police powers during the G20 summit in Toronto last weekend.
In an interview, the premier said his government could have “done a better job” of informing the public about the new regulation.
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association and [...]

Sikh passengers at British airports will no longer be forced to remove their turbans for security checks, following protests from the community that the practice was “offensive.”
Under new security measures introduced in May, airport staff were given powers to remove turbans if they set off metal detector alarm. In future, however, Sikhs will have their [...]

A 90-year-old Australian has been arrested for allegedly luring the girls to his home with imported chocolates
Bangkok: A 90-year-old Australian was arrested and charged with raping four young sisters whom he allegedly lured to his home in Thailand with imported chocolates and English lessons, police said on Wednesday.
One girl was 5 when the alleged abuse [...]

More than 60 % of state expenses for 2010 have been allocated for ministries that are handled by the Rajapaksa family, UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said yesterday.
“The Government has borrowed 108 times the annual income of the country to maintain the daily functions.
This was done within the past year. How can the country develop [...]

AlJazeera Video:
Fault Lines presenter Avi Lewis sits down for a one-on-one interview with author and activist, Arundhati Roy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnTS9gHCZoI&feature=player_embedded

You’ve worked late and you’re hungry. You opted for dinner at the drive-through last week and know you should avoid another dose of fast-food fare. So you swing into your neighbourhood grocery store to pick up a quick meal from the deli counter.
The quarter-chicken dinner with potatoes and vegetables seems like a healthy choice. After [...]

Dear Readers,
We wish to share with you the following article from Mr. J.C. Weliamuna
————-
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AHRC-FAT-037-2010
JULY 02, 2010
An article from Mr. J.C. Weliamuna forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission
Sri Lanka: Authoritarian Regimes Vs. NGOs
Learning Bitter Lessons from Contemporary Persecutions
JC Weliamuna
This article is a continuation of the previous article Breaking the Backbone of the Sri [...]

I am frankly of the opinion that the opening of an Army Camp at Mullaithevu as a fore-runner and the decision of the Government to build permanent houses for the Army are ill-timed, counterproductive and will very soon prove disastrous.

I am not that foolish as to stir up a hornet’s nest by protesting against these [...]

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved an application by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to host the Twenty20 World Cup in 2012.
The decision was taken at the recently concluded ICC meeting in Singapore, the SLC said in a statement.
It is the first time that Sri Lanka has been selected as the host nation for the [...]

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday visited the Antonov aircraft manufacturing company in Ukraine and inspected how aircraft are being built.
President Rajapaksa focused special attention on Antonov 225 aircraft built in 1988. This cargo aircraft which can carry heavy cargo loads consisting six engines has been designed to carry space shuttles.
The Antonov 225 aircraft is the biggest [...]

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa today urged MPs to strictly follow Standing Orders and refrain from character assassination especially because of the presence of school children in the public gallery.
“We have allowed school children to follow proceedings from the public gallery. Therefore, I ask MPs to conduct themselves in keeping with the decorum of the House,” he [...]

“Members of the vanquished Tamil Tiger terrorist organization, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are posing as beggars in the cities throughout the country to gather information” –  Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AHRC-STM-136-2010
July 2, 2010
A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission

SRI LANKA: Killing beggars under the pretext of eliminating terrorists?
A news [...]

The government may tender an apology to the United Nations (UN) over comments made by government Minister Wimal Weerawansa urging the public to surround the UN office in Colombo and prevent the staff from leaving the premises in protest over the UN panel appointed by UN Secretary General Ban ki-moon, a UN spokesman said today.
Responding to a [...]

Everyone knows who shot Maheswaran, declared Mrs. Wijekala Maheswaran in parliament.
She made this statement during a heated debate which took place at the second reading of the Budget yesterday.
“Do not be afraid if you are not at fault. Please be silent. Wait for a while. You are the person who shot Maheswaran. You should prove [...]

Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the European Union (EU) Ravinatha Aryasingha says the European Commission had been “rather clumsy” in dealing with the GSP plus issue on Sri Lanka.
In comments to the ‘European Voice’ newspaper the Ambassador said that it was “disappointing and unfortunate” as there was a vibrant process of engagement between the EU and [...]

FOR PUBLICATION
AHRC-ART-066-2010
July 02, 2010
An Article Series on Human Rights and Culture by the Asian Human Rights Commission
Poems, stories and reports. In this issue we have the poem, The Burning Bride, by Airyn R. Lentija. This is followed by a related article, India – Fruit Trees Village Project Saves Girls’ Lives, By Amarnath Tewary. This article [...]

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/fifaworldcup/live/match58.html
To watch the match highlights:
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/fifaworldcup/watch/highlights/?ID=1536131129
 To watch the full game:
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/fifaworldcup/watch/match58.html
2 Jul 2:30pm (ET)/ 6.30pm (GMT)/1:30pm (CT)
That’s it from me. As always, I have had lots and lots of fun bringing in updates. Do join us again. Until then.. good night, good morning or good afternoon depending upon your locations.
Uruguay will now take on the Netherlands on [...]

Twelve people, including three policemen, were on Friday injured in fresh clashes in Kashmir valley as authorities brought entire Srinagar district under curfew ahead of a proposed march by separatists tomorrow.
Police lobbed teargas shells to disperse stone-pelting protesters in several areas in curfew-bound Srinagar, Baramulla, Budgam, Kupwara and Pulwama, leaving 12 people, including three policemen [...]

The Sri Lankan government has obtained reports from its embassies over the operations of ‘Buddha Bars’ in the respective countries including its headquarters in Paris and is now contemplating appropriate action, External Affairs Ministry sources told Daily Mirror online
The External Affairs Ministry had received several reports this past week from Sri Lankan Missions overseas where [...]

Price tag is $194,000 with additional charges for options like a radio, transponder, GPS – or parachute.
WASHINGTON—If cars had wings, they could fly — and that just might happen, beginning next year.
The company Terrafugia says it plans to deliver its car-plane, the Transition, to customers by the end of 2011. It recently cleared a major [...]

More than US$3-billion in cash has been openly flown out of Kabul airport since 2007, raising fears yesterday that large sums of international aid are being stolen by corrupt Afghan officials.
The large amount leaving one of the poorest countries in the world has led to concerns the money is from plundered Western aid projects and [...]

A Tamil National Alliance (TNA) delegation is heading for India on Sunday to discuss the IDP situation as well as a political solution for the Tamil issue and is likely to meet Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the tour, TNA MP Mavai Senathirajah told Daily Mirror online.
 
The TNA delegation comprising party leader R Sampanthan, [...]

Wesley Sneijder’s header in the 68th minute sent the Netherlands to a 2-1 victory over five-time champions Brazil and a berth in the FIFA World Cup semifinals.
To watch the match highlights:
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/fifaworldcup/watch/highlights/?ID=1535919999
To watch the full game:
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/fifaworldcup/watch/match57.html
Main storyline
Two titans of soccer. Two teams with very similar tactics, formations and styles of play, which begs the question, how [...]

Most of the 11 people accused by the US of spying for Russia appear to have led middle-class, all-American lives, pursuing businesses, setting up home in leafy suburbs, raising families.
Donald Heathfield (all names here are as given in the indictment) had convinced a business contact in the UK he was an “aggressive American entrepreneur”.
Anna Chapman [...]

The unprovoked and murderous Israeli commando attack on the peace flotilla is the Selma of the Arab-Jewish struggle for the land of Palestine.
Selma, a small town in Alabama, was where Martin Luther King based his campaign to win voting rights for disenfranchised blacks. Attempting to march to the state capital, Montgomery, the marchers were set [...]

Day 23, Match 2
Uruguay vs. Ghana, quarter-finals
Date and location
Friday, July 2, Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
What’s at stake
A spot in the semifinals in a match against the winner of Netherlands vs. Brazil.
Player to watch for Uruguay
Luis Suarez — The hero for Uruguay in the Round of 16 match against Mexico. The striker scored both [...]

தமிழ்க் கட்சிகளிடையேயான இன்றைய சந்திப்பு தொடர்பில் புளொட் தலைவர் த.சித்தார்த்தன் கருத்து..!
 தமிழ் மக்களுடைய பிரச்சினைகள் தொடர்பில் ஆராயும் வகையில் தமிழ் கட்சிகள் இன்றுகாலை இரண்டாவது தடவையாக கொழும்பில் சந்தித்துக் கலந்துரையாடியுள்ளன. அத்துடன் மீண்டும் எதிர்வரும் ஏழாம் திகதி கூடுவதென்றும் அக்கட்சிகள் முடிவெடுத்துள்ளன. ஈழ மக்கள் ஜனநாயக கட்சி, தமிழ்த் தேசிய விடுதலைக் கூட்டமைப்பு, தமிழ் மக்கள் விடுதலைப் புலிகள், தமிழீழ மக்கள் விடுதலைக் கழகம், ஜனநாயக மக்கள் முன்னணி, ஈழ மக்கள் புரட்சிகர விடுதலை முன்னணி (பத்மநாபா), [...]

கிளிநொச்சி, சுன்னாகம், வவுனியா பிரதேசங்களை இலக்காகக் கொண்ட மின்சாரத் திட்டங்கள் ஆரம்பம்..!
கிளிநொச்சி, சுன்னாகம், வவுனியா பிரதேசங்களை இலக்காகக் கொண்ட மின்சாரத் திட்டங்கள் ஆரம்பிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளதுடன் இதற்கென 6,376 மில்லியன் ரூபா நிதி செலவிடப்படவுள்ளதாக மின்வலு, எரிசக்தி அமைச்சர் சம்பிக்க ரணவக்க பாராளுமன்றத்தில் நேற்றுத் தெரிவித்துள்ளார். கிளிநொச்சி, சுன்னாகம் வரையிலான முதலாவது மின் இணைப்புத் திட்டத்துக்கு 3276 ரூபா செலவிடப்படவுள்ளது. இரண்டாவது திட்டமான வவுனியா – கிளிநொச்சி வரையிலான திட்டத்துக்கு 3,100 மில்லியன் நிதி செலவிடப்படவுள்ளது.

காலி மாத்தறை ரயில் சேவைகள் இடைநிறுத்தம்..!
காலி மாத்தறை இடையிலான ரயில்பாதை அதிவேக ரயில்பாதையாக மறுசீரமைக்கப்படுவதை முன்னிட்டு ஓகஸ்ட் முதலாம் திகதிமுதல் காலி மாத்தறை இடையிலான ரயில்சேவைகள் இடைநிறுத்தப்படவுள்ளதாக ரயில்வே திணைக்களம் நேற்று அறிவித்துள்ளது. இதன்படி 4 மாதங்களுக்கு ரயில் சேவைகள் இடம்பெறாது என ரயில்வே திணைக்கள போக்குவரத்து அத்தியட்சகர் விஜய சமரசிங்க கூறியுள்ளார். கொழும்பிலிருந்து மாத்தறை வரையிலான கரையோர ரயில்பாதையை மணிக்கு 100 கிலோமீட்டர் வேகத்தில் பயணம்செய்யும் வகையில் அபிவிருத்தி செய்வதற்கான ஆரம்பகட்ட நடவடிக்கைகள் ஆரம்பிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. முதற்கட்டமாக [...]

கடந்த மூன்று வருடங்களில் 72,643 வாகன விபத்துக்கள், 1568பேர் பலி..!
நாடளாவிய ரீதியில் கடந்த மூன்று வருடங்களில் 72,643 வாகன விபத்துக்கள் இடம்பெற்றுள்ளதுடன் 1568பேர் இதனால் உயிரிழந்துள்ளனரென சபை முதல்வர் அமைச்சர் நிமல் சிறிபால டி சில்வா நேற்றுப் பாராளுமன்றத்தில் தெரிவித்துள்ளார். இம்மூன்று வருடங்களிலும் இடம்பெற்றுள்ள வாகன விபத்துக்களில் 3744பேர் காயமடைந்துள்ளதாகவும் அவர் தெரிவித்துள்ளார். பாராளுமன்றத்தில் நேற்று வாய்மூல விடைக்கான வினாக்கள் வேளையில் ஐ.தே.க. எம்.பி. பிரதமரிடம் முன்வைத்த கேள்விக்கு அமைச்சர் நிமல் சிறிபால டி சில்வா பிரதமரின் [...]

ஏனைய நாட்டுப் படைகள் உள்நாட்டு பிரச்சினைகளுக்குத் தீர்வாக அமையாது-ஜனாதிபதி..!
நாட்டின் உள்ளக பிரச்சினைகளுக்கு தீர்வுகாண்பதில் நாட்டு மக்களின் ஒத்துழைப்பு மிகவும் அவசியமானது. எனினும், ஏனைய நாட்டுப் படைகள் நாடொன்றின் உள்நாட்டுப் பிரச்சினைகளுக்கு தீர்வாக முடியாதென ஜனாதிபதி மஹிந்த ராஜபக்ஷ தெரிவித்துள்ளார். இலங்கை இதற்கு முன்னுதாரணமாக திகழ்கிறதெனவும் ஜனாதிபதி குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார். உக்ரேன் சென்றிருக்கும் ஜனாதிபதி நேற்று மாலை அந்நாட்டின் தேசிய பாதுகாப்பு பல்கலைக்கழகத்தில் பாதுகாப்பு தொடர்பான சிரேஷ்ட அதிகாரிகள் மத்தியில் உரையாற்றும்போதே இவ்வாறு கூறியுள்ளார். பயங்கரவாதிகளை தோற்கடிப்பதில் இலங்கைக்கு கிடைத்துள்ள [...]

தமிழீழ மக்கள் விடுதலைக் கழகம் (புளொட்) அனுஷ்டித்துவரும் வீரமக்கள் தினம் வருடாவருடம் ஜூலை மாதம் 13ம் திகதிமுதல் 16ம் திகதிவரையிலுமான நான்கு நாட்கள் அனுஸ்டிக்கப்பட்டு வருகின்றது. தமிழர் விடுதலைக் கூட்டணியின் தலைவர் அப்பாப்பிள்ளை அமிர்தலிங்கம் அவர்கள் கொல்லப்பட்ட தினமான ஜூலை 13ம் திகதிமுதல் புளொட் செயலதிபர் கதிர்காமர் உமாமகேஸ்வரன் அவர்கள் படுகொலை செய்யப்பட்ட தினமான ஜூலை 16ம்திகதி வரையிலான காலப்பகுதியை வீரமக்கள் தினமாக புளொட் அமைப்பினர் பிரகடனப்படுத்தி ஆண்டுதோறும் அனுஷ்டித்து வருகின்றனர். இந்தவகையில் சுவிஸ்லாந்தின் சூரிச் மாநிலத்தில் [...]

Swiss ‘PLOTE’ inviting you all in 21st Remembering Day!
Swiss branch of People’s Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) invite all in the 21st remembering day of the fallen comrades, civilians those who scarified their lives in the Eelam struggle.
They invite all Democratic… Peace loving people… those who seek nothing more than a true justice, equality [...]

Lost treasures
M. SRINATH

The bronze idols of Nataraja and Sivakami in the Rajarajesvaram temple.
BE it in the art of making bronze figures, painting frescoes or sculpting intricate “karanas”, the fundamental dance movements of bharatanatyam, the Tamil country had reached the acme of art and architecture during the rule of Rajaraja Chola.
The Rajarajesvaram temple [...]

Healthy eating is not about avoiding certain kinds of food. Here is how it can be done.

You are what you eat! What you make of yourself will be determined by what you eat, quite simply because life cannot be sustained without food. Paradoxically, we indulge more in excessively processed foods. Deep-fried oily snacks are our [...]

Sensing trouble ahead of a proposed march by separatists, authorities today brought the entire Srinagar district under curfew even as they gave no relaxation in curfew-hit areas of south Kashmir.
With overnight protests in the city and an abortive attempt by activists of a woman separatist outfit to take out a march to Pather Masjid in [...]

Chennai:  Loyalty to the leader of a political party knows no bounds, going by what a DMK activist has done — he is building a temple in honour of party president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, a self-proclaimed atheist.
“The temple is almost in the finishing stages in five cents of land I own [...]

Tamils groups from the US and Britain have met with the US Ambassador-at-large for War Crimes Issues, Stephen Rapp, and his staff at the Washington offices of the State Department this week, reports said.
According to reports US and UK representatives of Tamils Against Genocide (TAG) and Tamil Political Action Council (USTPAC) met with the US [...]