News Archive for Dec 2011

Knowledge in Buddhism and Science
Prof.N.A.de S.Amaratunga
The quest for knowledge in India in the pre-Buddhist period had been quite intense and had continued with vigour during the Buddhist era. The methods that could be employed for gaining reliable knowledge had been the topic of discourse among the intelligentsia of that time. The Vedic writings had been the earliest to discuss several theories on means of knowledge. The Early Upanishads recognise three main methods of acquiring knowledge; scriptures, reason and perception. Middle and Late Upanishads have described yogi and meditation as a new way of gaining knowledge. The idea that knowledge must be based... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 30/12/11)

DILSHAN’S NEW YEAR GIFT TO SRI LANKAN CRICKET FANS!-DILSHAN IS NOT A TRADITIONAL SKIPPER BUT AN INNOVATIVE SKIPPER!
By M D P DISSANAYAKE
Tilekeratne Dilshan and the team had produced one of the best display of cricket in winning the second test in Kingsmead,  Durban.  Right from the outset the Sri Lankan team  was virtually written off by some local cricket commentators  as well as South African former cricketers , labeling them as  under-performing team that can be beaten by a team other than South African National Team.   Sri Lanka has replied them with the bat and the ball,   This was a splendid victory.  The South African team is now soul searching and appears to be in... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 30/12/11)

Editorial: OUR VIEWS Toward a foreign policy
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . Canada
30 December 2011 The Editor (Letters) THE OTTAWA CITIZEN Sir: I read your editorial; "Our Views Toward a Foreign Policy" with great interest.  Here's my views on Canada's Foreign policy which is driven by ethnic vote counts. Canada's Foreign Policy on Sri Lanka has much to be desired.  When the Tamil Tigers who perfected the art of suicide bombings and detonated 388 suicide bombs in Sri Lanka, and haemorrhaged that island nation for 27 bloody years was finally eliminated militarily on 19 May 2009, Canada had... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 30/12/11)

Making Sense of Social Business
By Nava Thakuria
 It was a dusky evening of November, 2010 when I met Bangladeshi Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus in his Grameen tower office. The date and time were fixed before I left Guwahati (a northeast Indian city) for Dhaka and it was my fourth meeting with the revolutionary banker to the poor. So our interaction started with no such preface. And we went into the content straight. It was Ramadan (Ramjan) month and Prof Yunus was fasting. He offered me a cup of tea and some biscuits. I carried a traditional Assamese towel (Gamocha), which is recognized... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 30/12/11)

The Lankans Answer Their Critics With Aplomb And Blow The South Africans Away At Durban.
Top Spin By Suni December 29th 2011
Contrary to their critics~ Kepler Wessels and Alan Donald in particular and those ' little chirpers' in some of the post write up comments in the Cricinfo columns, the Durban Test was as one-sided as it ever has been from a  Proteas' perspective in that they wereon the losing side and resoundingly thrashed by an underdog team which they probably grossly underestimated. The team which the critics said could not beat an 'A' team  from South Africa but which today wiped out all the negative comments from some corners of the cricketing world with aplomb and their fine... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 29/12/11)

Amnesty International tells Canada what to do in 2012
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1, Canada
December 27, 2011 The Editor (Letters) THE OTTAWA CITIZEN Sir:  You  have let Alex Neve, Secretary General of Amnesty  International of Canada  tell us through your columns that "Canada must lead on human rights in 2012." I would be cautious and let us not walk forward blindly just because the Nobel Peace  Prize winner tell us what to do.  This is the same Human Rights Organization according to Sri Lanka's Nation told the world on  Sunday, 18 December, 2011 that: "The... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 29/12/11)

Hoo-zany burying his head in sands of bombastic bluff
H. L. D. Mahindapala
Anyone reading Izeth Hoo-zany’s replies critically will agree with the saying that the more a baboon tries to climb higher the more he reveals his butt, not to mention the other oscillating parts of the lower anatomy. He is an unabashed exhibitionist flashing from roof tops his vulgar ego as he makes a desperate bid to recycle his perennial obsession of being “one of the five great diplomats of the world.” All of his replies can be summarized as advertisements written by Hoo-zany, for Hoo-zany emphasizing how great Hoo-zany was in the diplomatic world. His... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 29/12/11)

NCCT's Media Release of 20 December 2011
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1, Canada
Christmas Day, 2011 Krisna Saravanamuttu, spokesperson for the National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT),  5310 Finch Avenue East, Unit 10, Scarborough, Ontario, M1S 5E8. Dear Krisna: It is a moderate Tamil living in Toronto who brought your MEDIA RELEASE of December 20, 2011 – “ Tamil Canadians urges Canada to take immediate sanctions against the Sri Lankan Government”, to my attention. Not withstanding, the threat by NCCT, your organization, through your lawyers, to sue me for defamation early this year, I shall let my conscience... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 29/12/11)

Shake Hands with an Angel - Meeting With Lt. Gen Romeo Dallaire
Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge M.D.
Recently I had the honor and privilege of meeting one of the outstanding humanitarians and outspoken advocates for Human Rights of our time -Lieutenant- General Honourable Roméo A. Dallaire, (Ret'd)  Senator at the York University.   His reputation reaches to many distant lands. Many Sri Lankans know him as the commander of the UN Mission in Rwanda during the Rwandan genocide. Although he is a Canadian Icon he belongs to the entire world  that believe in peace and equality. Today he is serving as a Senator in his native Quebec and dedicated his life... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 29/12/11)

Is Aggression and Destruction Necessary to Solve Problems?
Article 11 Introduction: Globalization is important in opening-up global markets, culture, people and economic activity.  However, it also inherently influences minimizing inter-cultural contact, and increasing unhealthy competitions leading to intranational and international conflicts.  In general, the West as well as some large multinational companies also uses globalization platform with hidden agendas including trade advantages, spreading religions, and to strengthen political and military power bases in the region.  Such are known to cause conflicts like recent wars and disturbances, worldwide.  In fact, fighting wars should not be an option in any disagreement. [caption id="attachment_20079" align="alignright" width="140" caption="Anger & frustrations"][/caption]... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 28/12/11)

Ranil won: UNP lost
H.L.D Mahindapala
The following announcement is intended to clear all doubts and questions about the secret ballot held to elect a leader for the UNP: “ATTENTION PLEASE! “THIS IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT FOR ALL UNPers, WELL-WISHERS AND THE NATION. “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE COUNTING OF THE NOT-SO-SECRET BALLOT TO ELECT OUR LEADER IS OVER. ALL WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW NOW IS THE NAME OF THE WINNER. THE WINNER IS – LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, HOLD YOUR BREATH! – THE WINNER IS NOT WICKREMESINGHE. NOT SAJITH PREMADASA. NOT THE UNPERS.  THE WINNER OF THE UNP CONTEST -- BELIEVE IT OR NOT... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 24/12/11)

POLICE POSTS IN UNIVERSITIES
Sudath Gunasekara21.12. 2011
Apropos Gamini Gunawardhana’s article in the SundayIslandof 11th instant on the above subject I thought to add one of my own experiences in this regard in support of his practical approach. Gaminis note is an eye opener and food for thought for everybody. This is good stuff I think not only for our arrogant and conceited politicians who think that they know everything and only their will and sankalpaya should prevail but also to everyone dealing with higher education. It is how an educated, intelligent, cultured and matured person would naturally look at this issue. But... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 24/12/11)

Wither Sri Lanka?
By Garvin Karunaratne, Ph.D. former SLAS
 In 1956, .  Hon SWRD  Bandaranayake won the day and ushered in the day of the common man. Hon Philip Gunawardena  came up with his Paddy Lands Act, ushering the dawn of a new era for the peasants of Sri Lanka. At that time I was an Assistant Commissioner for Development of Agricultural Marketing. The Ministry was searching for young officers to be at the helm of implementing a new piece of legislation and they had to be dare devil, officers who worked from even under trees, knew no hours of work and... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 24/12/11)

Norway: Loss of civilian lives during military action not IHL violation
By Shamindra Ferdinando Courtesy The Island  24-12-2011
In the wake of a section of the international community seeing holes in Sri Lanka’s Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), NATO member Norway has acknowledged the impossibility in avoiding mistakes and civilian deaths during an intense military campaign. Norway joined several countries, including the UK and France, in carrying out air attacks targeting Libya. The Sri Lankan embassy in Oslo told The Island that a recent Norwegian language statement, attributed to Norwegian Defence Minister Espen Barth Eide, couldn’t have come at a better time for the government of Sri Lanka (GoSL)... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 24/12/11)

Sanghamitta Theri forged liberation of Lankan women
by Rajitha Weerakoon
 No other historical event impacted on the status of Lankan women as the establishment of the Bhikkuni Order by Sanghamitta Theri. Her arrival in Sri Lanka on a Unduwap full moon Poya day 2245 years ago gave new directions to Lankan women taking them out from cultural wilderness and bringing them into the socio-cultural mainstream as literate persons. This led them to play a role in matters of historical significance.  The Kuveni episode in early history reveals the acceptance of a woman as a political leader by the indigenous Lankan society. But there are no clues... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 23/12/11)

Buddhist Monk Dies at a Funeral
By Walter Jayawardhana in Los Angeles
A US born Buddhist monk, Venerable Siridhamma (85) died of a massive heart attack while attending the funeral of a Sri Lankan. Just few minutes before the last rites of the Late Mrs. Batugedara was performed at a funeral home in Lancaster in Southern California where the monk was about to participate with other monks he fell and died on the spot before attending doctors could resuscitate him. The monk's funeral will take place on January 24 in North Hollywood California. He was a resident monk at Sarthchandra Buddhist Meditation Center in North... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 23/12/11)

Traffic cop or traffic lights not both please!
By Dr. Mrs. Mareena Thaha Reffai, Dehiwela.
Yesterday while I was driving to Wellawathe from Dehiwela a traffic cop at the Ramakrishna road junction traffic lights asked us the motorists to drive on while the light was red, as there were no vehicles coming from Ramakrishna road. What he forgot was that the oncoming vehicles from Wellawathe towards Dehiwela still see the green light for them to proceed, and that includes the ones taking u turn too. When I drove on a small boy on a bicycle who was watching the lights took a u turn and a horrible... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 23/12/11)

Genocide tit-for-tat: Turkey says France slaughtered Algerians
RT
Turkey has hit back at France, accusing it of committing genocide against Algerians, after French lawmakers passed a bill which makes the denial of the Armenian "holocaust" a crime. The Turkish PM described the bill as racist and anti-Muslim. Turkey has gone far beyond conventional diplomatic and economic gestures in reacting to the move, insisting French actions during its colonial rule over Algeria and during the Algerian War amounted to genocide. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed that "around 15 percent of the population of Algeria was massacred by the French, starting in 1945." He added that Algerians... -Full Story- (rt.com - 23/12/11)

IMF විලේ ඉන්න යකා සහ උන්ගේ මරාගෙන මැරෙන ආර්ථික බෝම්බ ජැකට්ටුව
ගීතාංජන
 ඔන්න එක කාලයක් කොටිය එනෝ! කොටිය එනෝ! කියල ගෙයි තිවුණු බඩු මූට්ටු ටික හොරකන් කරන් ගියා; නැත්තං මංකොල්ල කෑවා, නැත්නම් ගිනි තියල විනාස කරා,එක්කෝ බෝම්බ තිව්ව.. දැන් වෙලා තියෙන්නෙ කොටිය හිටියටත් වඩා හපන් වැඩක්. දැන් තහනං සත්තු මාරුව කියල බොරු චෝදනාවක් දාල හිරබාරෙට ගන්නව, එල්ලුන් ගහේ යවනවා කිය කියා ගෙදර උන්නැහෙව බය කර කර, මහා දවල් දෙනෝ දාහක් බලා ඉන්දැද්දී ගෙදර තියෙන බදු මුට්ටු අරන් යනව. දැන් හොරෙන් අරන් යන්නෑ; පේන්ඩමයි අරන් යන්නේ.  කොටිය කරනං ගහන කාලෙ බොහොම අමාරුවෙන් ගමේ හිටිය විස්වාසවන්ත මිනිහෙක් කොළඹ ගෙනල්ල, ගරා වැටෙන්ඩ ඔන්න මෙන්න කියල තිබිච්ච ගෙට ගෙනල්ල පදිංචි කලා ගේ බේරගන්ඩ කියල... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 23/12/11)

Doormen at the supermarkets
 By Dr. Mrs. Mareena Thaha Reffai, Dehiwela.
On the way home many of us go the supermarkets. But nowadays we find many of them do not have the traditional doormen. The supermarkets maybe saving a few pennies by not employing them but this is a real cause of dissatisfaction of the customers. When one buys a load of things and have both hands full, not to mention the handbag, the keys and other things, having to open the doors is really cumbersome. They may be saving a few pennies but are loosing many a pounds!... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 23/12/11)

South-Asian Political Chessboard : how Imperialists Old and New see promise in a Sri Lanka engulfed in disarray and violence.
R Chandrasoma
For imperialist powers the well-being of fellow-states and nations  is rarely a good thing. Their hegemony and global clout depends precariously on the subordinate status of potential rivals. It is no secret that the rise of China – the world’s most populous state – has caused great unease among strategists in the old imperialist camp as well as those of the fading global superpower – the USA. With the catastrophic decline of Soviet power, the threat from militant Islam became – until recently – the major concern of the Western hegemonists. The chaos unleashed recently in a... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 22/12/11)

Ms. Victoria Nuland, US State Department Spokesperson -Your statement on Sri Lanka's LLRC Report
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario, K1J 6G1 . Canada
21 December 2011 Ms. Victoria Nuland, US State Department Spokesperson     2201 C Street NW, Washington DC 20520, US Dear Victoria Nuland: I just read the Sri Lanka’s Daily Mirror report titled, “ LLRC doesn’t address all allegations: US.”  And it continued to say, “The United States Government said on Monday (19 December 2011) that the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission report does not address all allegations of human rights.” Well, Victoria, all that is a bit of Yankeeing around poking your American bully-fingers into another sovereign... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 22/12/11)

U.S. Response to Report from LLRC
Ira de Silva London, Ontario,Canada
The Editor The Island Colombo, Sri Lanka Dear Sir: I refer to the response of the U.S. as stated by Ms. Vctoria Nuland. If ever there needs to be an example of expecting others to follow concepts of transparency and accountability while violating and disregarding these concepts in their own conduct, this is the best. Ms. Victoria Nuland said the U.S. has concerns that the report prepared by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission does not fully address all the allegations of serious human rights violations that occurred in the final phase of the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 22/12/11)

THE Australian Press Council adjudication on Tamil Tiger report
THE Australian Press Council has considered a complaint about an article in The Sydney Morning Herald on May 14, 2011, headed ''Australian entangled in a final act of civil war''. It concerned events at the end of the long war between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE (Tamil Tigers). A reader, Harshula, complained about the article's treatment of an incident in which surrendering Tamil leaders, allegedly under a white flag, were reportedly killed by government troops. He said it should have mentioned that a United Nations report specifically categorised this allegation in a group about which it had been... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 22/12/11)

Ambassador Tamara Kunanayakam presents credentials
Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Geneva
Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Tamara Kunanayakam, who is concurrently accredited to the Holy See, presented her credentials to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI at a ceremony in the Vatican on 15th December 2011, in the presence of His Eminence Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of State of the Holy See, and other high officials of the Vatican.  Non-resident Ambassadors from the following 10 countries also presented their credentials at the ceremony:Pakistan,Thailand,Trinidad and Tobago, Guinea Bissau, Switzerland,Burundi,Thailand,Mozambique,Kyrgyzstan,Andorra, andBurkina Faso.  Presenting of credentials to Pope... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 22/12/11)

Ragging ! The Shameful Scourge Of Universities Needs To Be Confronted Head On And Outlawed!
Insight By Sunil Kumar
Dec.22nd 2011Something the Brits left behind as a disgusting vestige of a damning tradition regardless of how the pundits view it ! It may be popular in Britain at the highest seats of learning which nevertheless is nothing to be proud of, a total shame and in the case of Sri Lanka where the practise is distorted to the point of involving criminalities, obscenities and lack of respect for humanity at times which of course is not the case in Britain where the practise ir more subtle. But in Sri Lanka it needs an abrupt... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 22/12/11)

The Crusaders' Crimes
 Editorial - The Island News Paper Sri Lanka
"The United States urges the United Nations to end, once and for all, its actions in relation to the Goldstone Report … As we made clear when the Goldstone Report was first presented we did not see evidence that the Israeli government intentionally targeted civilians." This is what US Ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice told the apex world body in April, 2011, urging it not to be preoccupied with the Goldstone report which accused Israel of committing war crimes during the Gaza War. The US led a high pressure... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 22/12/11)

Conduct of Premadasa towards Party Senior Jayasuriya is Contemptible
Dilrook Kannangara
The war for UNP leadership is over; for now. Winners and losers emerged from the secret vote. However, what doesn’t come to the public attention is the conduct of over ambitious Premadasa in totally disregarding decorum and advice of the Mahanayakas in ousting senior party stalwart Karu Jayasuriya and further disrespecting him by requesting him to move out of his UNP deputy leader office in the parliamentary complex. There was no need to urge him to do so in a hurry as it was never the custom and there was absolutely no need to vacate the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 21/12/11)

Celebrate a Compassionate Christmas in Sri Lanka
Mrs. M. Weeraratna
Though in many traditional Christian Western countires, Animal Welfare Societies run by activists drawn mainly from Christian backgrounds and inspired by the pronouncements of Christian Theologians like Dr. Albert Schweitzer (Nobel Prize Winner) are taking up the cause of animal rights and proposing alternate ways of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ without slaughter of animals and birds, and shedding blood, why is there no such reform movement within Christian circles in Sri Lanka?   We have yet to hear a Christian voice rising in defence of the lives of innocent animals (destined for slaughter) in... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 21/12/11)

High Commissioner Dr. Chris Nonis presents the LLRC Report to British Parliamentarians
Media Release-High Commission of Sri Lanka, London
 High Commissioner Dr. Chris Nonis briefed British Parliamentarians from the House of Commons and the House of Lords, academics and Think Tanks, at an interactive dialogue on the LLRC Report held last afternoon in Portcullis House in the British Parliament.  Dr. Chris Nonis articulated that the holistic approach of the LLRC is entirely consistent with restorative justice embedded with accountability. He further stated that it is a comprehensive, objective and impartial report which demonstrates the integrity of the LLRC, and it is set in the context of International Humanitarian Law incorporating the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 21/12/11)

IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICES
PROFESSOR ALI SUKHANVER The writer is a Pakistan based analyst on defence and strategic affairs.
 In the second week of December 2011, theUScongress agreed on a defense bill that includes a provision to freeze some $700 million in assistance untilPakistancomes up with a strategy to deal with improvised explosive devices.  According to CBSNEWS, the fertilizer smuggled intoAfghanistanis being used in creating explosives and through this defense bill Congress is specifically trying to urgePakistanto take more action against this smuggling. Commenting on the billChairman,U.S.House Armed Services Committee Rep. Buck McKeon said, “The U.S. wants assurances that Pakistanis countering improvised explosive... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 21/12/11)

Russian navy in Syria: Thorn in US side
RT
The US-based intelligence-gathering firm Stratfor says most of the claims by the Syrian opposition about the seriousness of the country's crisis are untrue. The company insists protesters are exaggerating, to win support from powers like the US. ­Dr. Paul Craig Roberts, a former Reagan administration official, told RT he believes Washington is doing more than simply backing the rebels diplomatically.... -Full Story- (rt.com - 21/12/11)

In Libya, death and disappearance still stalk the land
RT
People are vanishing in broad daylight in Libya, as the country’s new rulers continue to settle accounts with their opponents. Widespread insecurity means the families of the kidnapped can do no more than hope that their loved ones are still alive. ­Libya’s conflict is over, and the man who stood in the way of Western-style democracy is dead. Yet atrocities against Muammar Gaddafi’s loyalists continue. The images emerging from Libya are disturbing. Against this distressing background, Russia is demanding a probe into civilian casualties in Libya caused by NATO bombings. That's Moscow’s reaction to a report by human rights... -Full Story- (rt.com - 21/12/11)

How Iran outsmarted the US on Iraq
By Gareth Porter
WASHINGTON - United States Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's suggestion that the end of the US troop presence in Iraq was part of a US military success story ignores the fact that the George W Bush administration and the US military had planned to maintain a semi-permanent military presence in Iraq. The real story behind the US withdrawal is how a clever strategy of deception and diplomacy adopted by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in cooperation with Iran outmaneuvered Bush and the US military leadership and got the US to sign the US-Iraq withdrawal agreement.... -Full Story- (atimes.com - 21/12/11)

Iran ends 2011 with a blaze of intelligence
By Mahan Abedin
The appearance on Iranian state TV on Sunday of alleged Central Intelligence Agency spy Amir Hekmati is yet another twist in a string of apparent Iranian counter-intelligence successes at the expense of US espionage. The 28-year old Arizona-born man of Iranian origin has been accused by Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) of trying to feed disinformation to the ministry with a view to gaining a foothold on the outer reaches of the MOIS. A former member of the United States Marines Corps, Hekmati was apparently detained in September. News of his detention was... -Full Story- (atimes.com - 21/12/11)

The False Equation: Religion Equals Morality
By Gwynne Dyer
In the United States, where it is almost impossible to get elected unless you profess a strong religious faith, it would have passed completely unnoticed. Not one of the hundred US senators ticks the "No Religion/Atheist/Agnostic" box, for example, although 16 percent of the American population do. But it was quite remarkable in Britain. Last Friday, in Oxford, Prime Minister David Cameron declared that the United Kingdom is a Christian country "and we should not be afraid to say so." He was speaking on the 400th anniversary of the King James translation of the Bible, so he... -Full Story- (The Island - 21/12/11)

What to do With the Students?
MahamahaRaja
Sri Lanka’s university student population is a disgrace. Through the Languages Act and affirmative action in university admissions through standardization, post-colonial governments sought to democratize the state apparatus by creating an educated class of ordinary folk (of all ethnicities) who could replace the entrenched hordes of imperial stooges. This would uplift society, protect the nation from those sympathetic to outside influences, and win votes. Though successful in removing a usurping class of rulers from the halls of power, and in widening access to higher education, an unwanted side-effect of the policy has produced a calamity. It turns out... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 20/12/11)

Sirikotha Attack: Protesters funded by German NGO, UNP leader tells Parliament
by Saman Indrajith Courtesy The Island 
UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday told Parliament that a German NGOfunded the protesters who attacked the UNPheadquarters, Sirikotha on Monday. He said he had sought the help of German Ambassador in Colombo to put an end to financial assistance to troublemakers. He urged the government to conduct a probe to find out whether the German funds had been utilised for Monday’s attack. The UNPleader apologized to his party members and countrymen for his failure to protect Sirikotha on Monday in the aftermath of his re-election as Party leader. Making a special statement... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 20/12/11)

Italian study claims Turin Shroud is Christ's authentic burial robe
By Nick Squires, Rome
Just days before Christmas, a new study has emerged that suggests that one of Christianity's most prized but mysterious relics – the Turin Shroud – is not a medieval forgery but could be the authentic burial robe of Christ.... -Full Story- (telegraph.co.uk - 20/12/11)

Something is wrong Somewhere among the Successful
By Gomin Dayasri
A man of repute inquired from his nephew, a CEO of one of the most prestigious international companies, to name a few successful people of his generation for a project with a charitable disposition where there will be no worthwhile return except the feel of satisfaction.  Few days later the enterprising young man in his forties returned without a name in mind. His comments were more disturbing -“Mama, you may still find a few from your generation but not from mine. They may not seek it in ready cash but its got to be forthcoming in... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/12/11)

Appealing to Foreign Countries to intervene in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka.
 By Charles.S.Perera
 Having failed to win the hearts of their kinsmen in the South the JVP is now trying to win the hearts of the Tamils in the North. We would wish them better luck there . But success of a political come back with the aid of the Tamils voters in the North is a lost cause from the beginning.  Firstly the Tamils in the North having already gone through difficult times under a more ruthless terrorists will not want to fall into the hands of another group of small time terrorists, who are known to have killed... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/12/11)

The appalling endemic poverty of the Indian masses and its little-explored religious roots.
R Chandrasoma
Throughout history, some societies have lived at the edge in terms of human survival and have been plagued by misfortunes arising out of the natural chaotic order of things. Until recently, aboriginal populations of Africa and Asia lived a perilous life beholden to fancied gods for a plain and threadbare existence. This model does not apply to a country like India where great wealth and opulent living were seen from the earliest times. While the masses wallowed in a seemingly irremediable and endemic wretchedness, the privileged few lived well and enjoyed the good life. They.found a rationale... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/12/11)

Ranil re-elected UNP leader -UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday denied having received a letter from Mahanayake Theras
Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was re-elected leader of the United National Party at its first election, with a majority of 42 votes. The election was held at the UNP party headquarters - Sirikotha-under the patronage of UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake and senior party officials. UNP Gampaha district Parliamentarian Karu Jayasuriya who contested the post of party leader could garner only 26 votes. UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday denied having received a letter from the Mahanayake Theras, of the four Buddhist Chapters, asking him to quit the leadership while continuing as Opposition Leader. Sources told The Island that Wickremesinghe had... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/12/11)

Sri Lanka Army 'ordered' to kill Tamils
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1. Canada
 19 December 2011 The Editor (Letters)THE OTTAWA CITIZEN  Sir:  Your news item "Sri Lanka army 'ordered' to kill Tamils" brings many questions on the accuser to play.  Before we jump to any conclusions it would be interesting to find out why this former Major General of the Army is making these allegations after seeking asylum in the United States.  Why did he sought asylum in the United States and not in India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Australia,, England, Germany, France or even Canada? Did he always wanted to end... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/12/11)

What Britain Sees In Clear Vision Re-Tamil Refugee Claims Should Be Picked Up By Other Western Countries !
Insight By Sunil Kumar
December 19th. 2011  The recent trend of deporting so called refugees or Asylum Seekers on the part of Britain attests to many transparencies on the part of these individuals presently being viewed as not being legit or kosher enough to substantiate and uphold their claims and that their sob stories about oppression in their Motherland do not tug at the British Administration's heartstrings anymore! It is indeed an encouraging response from the Brits and one perhaps which others should emulate.  While it has now become  very apparent that the concerted and widespread propaganda campaigns targeting the Sri Lankan government over... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/12/11)

Why is it snowing at our TV station?
 By Dr. Mrs. Mareena Thaha Reffai, Dehiwala
It is amusing, nay irritating to see a TV station has taken to show continuous snowing when the news is read. Hello, This is Srilanka, remember? It does not snow here. We are blessed with gorgeous sunshine and rainbows right throughout the year. We have lovely showers, plentiful vegetation from January to and including December, birds signing, people on the roads laughing and merry making.  We are blessed with the best of the weather in the whole world. Being a small island we have the monsoons bringing rain right throughout the year... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/12/11)

ළඟ එන නත්තල වෙනුවෙන් ටර්කි කෑමට අලුත් සෝස් එකක් සමග 'සුන්දර-කබර' ආර්ථික ප්රතිපත්තියක්
Geethanjana
මං මේ ලිපිය ලියන්ඩ පටන් ගන්න කොට මට මතක් උනා බොබ් මාලි ගේ සින්දුවක්. ඒ  සින්දුවේ කොටසක අදහස මෙන්න මේ වගේ. පුපුරුවා හරින සෙයකදැ මා දෙව් මැදුරක් … එහෙත්... ඔබ දැන් දනී බොරු දෙසන බැව් දෙව් ගැති…   'Cause I feel like bombing' a church – Now that you know… that the preacher is lying'.  Talking' blues (talking' blues); They say your feet is just too big for your shoes. //  අපි බක්තිමත්ව විශ්වාසකළ රජයේ ආර්ථික ප්‍රතිපත්ති ගැන අවංකව කතා කරන එකත් අර කිව් දෙව් මැදුරට බෝම්බ ගහනවා වගේ වැඩක් තමයි. නමුත් අපේ යුතුකම බොරුවට වර්ණනා කරන... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/12/11)

Ahmadis travel to India for the annual convention
Ehsan Ahmad
Thousands of Ahmadis from Pakistan are making their way to India to take part in the 120th annual convention of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Qadian (Punjab, India). The three day convention which will take place from 26th to 28th December 2011 will be attended by tens of thousands of Ahmadi delegates from India as well as from neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. To make the journey easy for the delegates a major transport operation is underway. Over the course of next few days the delegates will be taken to Wagah Border via coaches and... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/12/11)

Destitute parents
By Dr. Mrs. Mareena Thaha Reffai, Dehiwala
It has become a common occurrence that the elderly parents are often left destitute while the children who had been doing well die. When a son or daughter dies, the property, house and income - all are taken over by the children or the spouse and the parents are sometimes left in the lurch.  Actually Islam has a fool proof method to prevent this happening. The Quran prescribes that when a person dies  be it  a man or a woman, 1/6th of his / her property should go to each of the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/12/11)

Christmas - time to illumine hearts with love
Dr.Tilak Fenando
At the end of another year we are back again to celebrate Christmas, the day when Jesus was born as an ordinary man and who led a simple life. He was a traveller; during his travels his motive was never to amass wealth but to educate the masses by instilling the purpose of life on earth mainly by cultivating tolerance, forbearance, love and compassion. He was fully aware of the fact that ‘out of the heart of man surface evil thought of murder, adultery, fornication, wickedness, deceit, recklessness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. “All evil things... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/12/11)

Countering the Proteas, Bragging Rights Included ~ The Lankans Need To Perform !
Howzat! By Doosra Sammy
December 20th 2011   The Sri Lankans were bashed at Centurion on a wicket well doctored to suit  the likes of Steyn and Philander, the bragging rights of the likes of Kepler Wessels and Alan Donald who has now joined the party  will prevail at the top rung if not countered with a resoinding next performance!   Sadly  the animosity some of the players show  against Sri Lanka also seemed to surface  watching Jacques Kallis with his bandy legged run up  and a Flintstones type chuck at Dilhara Fernando  in a pathetic attempt at dislodging his helmet... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/12/11)

Responding to ‘Welcome to the Islamic Republic of Sri Lanka’
Hameed Abdul Karim
So now we know. Women’s equality comes when they are allowed to buy a bottle of liquor at any public store according to Ms. Ameena Hussein (DM 15 Dec. 2011) and if that does not happen, along with other things less important we might degenerate into an Islamic state. What inspiring logic!  Actually I am not surprised with what the writer has to say. What surprises me is the fact that the Daily Mirror thought it fit to carry this article with the provocative title ‘Welcome to the Islamic Republic of Sri Lanka’ along with a... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 19/12/11)

Cyber war leads to capture of CIA spy in Iran
RT
The budding cyber war between America and Iran could be quickly transcending off of computer networks and into the real world, with the US allegedly putting boots on the ground. Iranian state television is reporting that they’ve captured a CIA spy. Overseas media reported over the weekend that Amir Mirza Hekmati, a 20-something American man of Iranian heritage, was abducted by Iranian forces, to whom he confessed that he has been in cahoots with the Central Intelligence Agency. According to a taped confession offered up by Hekmati, the spy was apprehended by Iranian intelligence after being dispatched into the... -Full Story- (rt.com - 19/12/11)

Egypt’s richest library goes up in smoke
RT
Egypt has lost an important part of its cultural after important manuscripts and up to 200,000 books were destroyed by fire in the building of the Egyptian Scientific Institute in Cairo. A piece of Egypt’s "national treasure" and "rare history" is gone, the country’s prime minister said in his statement. State television reported that the fire damaged the whole building and all its collections. The total damage is yet to be determined. The fire started on Saturday after protesters threw Molotov cocktails into the neighboring Shura Council building. The fire spread to the museum and although the flames were... -Full Story- (rt.com - 19/12/11)

Are we gradually giving into separatist demands?
S. Akurugoda
From what is appearing in media regarding the ongoing Government-TNA talks, it is evident that TNA politicians have not moved an inch backward of their Thimpu declaration made on July 1985. The Tamil separatist group made the following demands during the Thimpu talks.  1.  Recognition of the Tamils of Sri Lanka as a nation. 2.  Recognition of the existence of an identified homeland for the Tamils in Sri Lanka. 3.  Recognition of the right of self determination of the Tamil nation. 4.  Recognition of the right to citizenship and the fundamental rights of all Tamils who look... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 18/12/11)

Jaffna revisited: Quintessential devolution at grass root levels
By Philip Fernando in Los Angeles
Devolution in its most acclaimed version provided everyone the capacity to pursue life, liberty and happiness within meaningful levels. The impression I took away from Jaffna recently was that the average man and woman seemed better equipped for that task after an epoch of lethal militarism that traumatised many. I believed that quintessential devolution seemed taking shape in the smallest cell of activity and may eventually reach the composite of villages, cities and larger areas.  For starters, the cohesive ambiance prevalent in many Sri Lankan cities like Colombo, Galle and Kandy provided an... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 18/12/11)

තක්සලාවක් වු ශ්‍රී ලංකා ගුවන් විදුලි සංස්ථාව
වෛද්‍යරුවන්එම්ජයතුංග  යෝර්ක්   විශ්වවිද්‍යාලය  කැනඩාව 
ඒ 1985 සැප්තැම්බර් මාසයයි. අපොස උසස් පෙළ විභාගය ලිවීමෙන් පසු ලැබෙන දිග නිවාඩුව මම ගත කරමින් සිටියෙමි. මා සමග කොළඹ නාලන්දා මහා විද්‍යාලයේ උසස්පෙළ හැදෑරු සිසුන් බොහෝ දෙනෙකු පරිගණක , විදේශීය භාෂා අධ්‍යයනය වැනි කාර්යන් වල නිරත වී සිටියහ. නිකරුනේ ගෙදර කාලය ගත කිරීම නුසුදුසු බව සැලකු මගේ පියා තාවකාලික පදනම මත ශ්‍රී ලංකා ගුවන් විදුලි සංස්ථාවේ ඉංග්‍රීසි අංශයේ බාහිර නිෂ්පාදකයෙකු ලෙස වැඩ කොට අත්දැකීම් ලබා ගන්නා ලෙසට මා උනන්දු කළේය. එම නිසා ඒ සඳහා ඉල්ලුම්පත්‍රයක් මම යැව්වෙමි. මා විසින් යවන ලද ඉල්ලුම්පත්‍රය ශ්‍රී ලංකා ගුවන් විදුලි සංස්ථාවේ සභාපති ලිවී විජේමාන්න මහතා අනුමත කළේය.... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 18/12/11)

දෙවියන් සමග ගිවිසගත් බලගතු සම්මුතිය
එඩ්වඩ් ගුණසේකර විසිනි.
 ධීවරයා මුහුදු ගියේ බලාපොරොත්තු කන්දරාවක් සිත තුල දරාගෙනය. විශාල මුදලක් වියදම් කර තනා ගත් බෝට්ටුවෙන් මුහුදු ගිය ඔහුට සිදුවූයේ කිසිදා මුහුණ නොදුන්, අළුත්ම ආකාරයේ අත්දැකීමකට මුහුණ දීමටය. පැය ගනනාවක් බිලී බෑම කලද එකද මසෙකුද බිලිබා ගැනීමට අපහසුවූ පසුව ඔහුගේ සිහියට ආවේ දෙවියන්වය. ඔහුගේ මනසට දේවාලය, හා දෙවියන්ද දිස්වන්නට විය. දේවාලයේ අබලන් තත්වය ඔහුව ගිනිකර අළු බවට පත් කරන සිදුවීමක් සේ හැගින. අනේ අපේ දේවාලය! අපේ පරම්පරාවේ ආරම්භය තරම්ම පැරණි මේ දේවාලය පුරාණ තත්වය රැකෙන ආකාරයට වර්තමානයේ ඉහලම තත්වයෙන් මට ගොඩනංවන්නට පුළුවන් නම් ධිවරයාට සිතිණ. කෝ මට ඒකටවත් සල්ලි නැහැනේ. හොදට මාළු ටිකක් හම්භ වෙනවා නම් හැමදාම... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 18/12/11)

How Iran hacked super-secret CIA stealth drone
RT
More damage is being dished out to the US intelligence community as sources in Iran admit to hacking the CIA’s lost drone and bringing it down with not much more than computer navigating know-how. Engineers with the Iranian military are admitting to the Christian Science Monitor that the dramatic disappearance of a multi-million dollar stealth drone aircraft suffered by the United States two weeks ago was indeed a result of their own doing, claiming now that they managed to hijack the system inside the craft with ease and bring it to a safe landing without incident. The United States... -Full Story- (rt.com - 18/12/11)

Debka: Whoever hacked the drone, hacked the CIA
RT
New reports investigating Iran’s interception of a top-secret drone craft belonging to the CIA allege that the hijacking of the stealth airship could have roots not just overseas but in Washington as well. Ongoing reports from RT have revealed that Iranian intelligence officer claimed in recent days that the recovery of America’s RQ-170 Sentinel stealth drone on December 4 was not due to an equipment malfunction, as US authorities say happened with another craft last days later, but rather the handiwork of Iranian engineers. As RT reported yesterday, overseas officials speaking on condition of anonymity say that they were... -Full Story- (rt.com - 18/12/11)

Pyongyang poser: Nix nukes for fast food?
RT
A tentative agreement between Washington and Pyongyang is in the works, under which the US will supply food aid to North Korea in exchange for a ban on its controversial nuclear program, according to news reports. “Broad outlines” of the deal were given to Associated Press news agency by officials close to negotiations. Talks have been going on for months, according to the news agency, in New York, Geneva and Beijing. According to the sources – who remained anonymous due to the sensitivity of the talks – there has already been substantial progress. North Korea allegedly agreed to suspend... -Full Story- (rt.com - 18/12/11)

Ranil admitted inability to lead the UNP
H. L. D. Mahindapala
The timing of the bombshell of the four Mahanayakes urging Ranil Wickremesinghe to quit the party leadership, was deadly. It couldn’t have come at a time worse than this when he is fighting for survival. It also comes at a time when Wickremesinghe has abandoned the Buddhist wing of the party and aligned himself openly with the Catholic wing. His handing over the leadership to John Ameratunga, a devoted Catholic, is a vindictive act aimed at publicly downgrading Karu Jayasuirya, the acknowledged Buddhist leader who is also his deputy. But this demotion has boomeranged on... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 17/12/11)

2012: Which Turn will it Take?
By Gomin Dayasri
 Those two little friends of mine, Channa and Anura, have ears glued to the ground. Intelligent and perceptive they are my reliable weathermen. Both are basically apolitical and boldly patriotic. They worked relentlessly to ensure the victory of Mahinda Rajapakse passionately in 2005 and gratefully in 2009. The message they delivered is often heard. Mahinda Rajapakse (MR) is in the early days of developing pains. It shows signs of becoming acutely chronic in urban areas but could be infectious.  Heard the rumblings and took little notice knowing the soundings originated from the middle class crust carrying Colombo... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 17/12/11)

An Outsider’s View—11-Transformation of Republicans from do-gooders to troglodytes
By Shelton A. Gunaratne Professor of mass communications emeritus, Minnesota State University Moorhead
 The Republican Party leadership should take a good look at the party history to understand that the social and political ideology of early Republicans—a composite of anti-slavery expansion activists, modernizers, ex-Whigs and ex-Free-Soilers who founded the Grand Old Party (GOP) in 1854, a few years after the the era of Jacksonian democracy (1830-1850)—was far more superior to their current stance. As an outsider who wanted to understand the troglodytic political behavior of the current batch of political actors seeking the Republican nomination for the presidency, I... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 17/12/11)

A Geopolitical Analysis: America's failure in Iraq and the Middle East
 By Wick Gankanda Los Angeles, California, USA
December 16, Friday 2011  The TIME article 'Iraq: Ten Grim Lessons Learned From the Iraq War' is a mild discussion of the massive failure of the United States in Iraq and the greater Middle East. It also shows how the worldwide credibility of the U.S. was undermined by the actions of the Americans.  A few points from the Time story, corrected with facts on the ground:  * Iraq's President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki did not show up at departure ceremony to publicly thank the Americans for "Operation Iraqi Freedom".... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 17/12/11)

Sarath Fonseka’s appeal against the sentence of the court martial in the Hycorp case
Extract from Political Watch Column Courtesy The Island News Paper 18th December 2011
 Let us look at this unedifying and highly tragic spectacle of a war hero tying himself up in knots with every utterance he makes! Last Friday, a three member panel of the Court of Appeal rejected his petition  to have the sentence of the court martial in the Hycorp case quashed (This relates to the first jail sentence that he is still serving. The other sentence in the white flag case will begin only when the current sentence ends.) When reading the judgement delivered last Friday, one... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 17/12/11)

North and East Were Garrisoned with High Security Zones in Ancient Times
Dilrook Kannangara
There is a big hue and cry for HSZs (High Security Zones) in the north. However, little those who protest against it realize HSZs were permanent historical features of the north and parts of the east. Those who are surprised at the large number of military bases in the north are ignorant of history may be because contrary to their claims, their ancestors were not living in this area. There is indisputable evidence to indicate that the north was heavily garrisoned in ancient times. It is further proof that the current military strategy is perfectly acceptable as... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 17/12/11)

Plastic Containers & the Farmer!!!
Vajiragnana Warnakulasuriya
The controversy around this argument led me to pen this unique article, rather cynical and confused in presentation!!!  Let’s analyze the character farmer. I thought he is a calm and collected very humble human being making an effort to help the society and him by producing the nourishment that it essential for the existence of the very species. In the Asian culture I believe he worship the land that is used to cultivate his produce. A small dais is erected at the corner of the offerings to various deities were placed and the chanting of the stanzas... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 17/12/11)

Beware of FNGOs attempting to stage a comeback
Ranjith Soysa
The story of Norway’s failed bid to legitimize the LTTE’s grab of the North and the East clearly demonstrates the treacherous role played by the F’NGOs. The F’NGOs were funded by a number of Western Governments and also the multi-national private sector companies as well as the private trusts etc which invariably had their own political agenda. In Sri Lanka their main focus was to exploit the non-existing ‘ethnic problem’ to divide the country on racial basis. F’NGOs funding pattern and the programms launched when Sri Lanka was at war with the LTTE have received the critical... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 17/12/11)

Does humanitarian aid prolong wars?
Ravindra Wickremasinghe
Linda Polman believes the business of international aid - from Ethiopia to Rwanda to Afghanistan – is only helping gangsters and fighters, while innocent victims suffer on  ... All too frequently, according to Polman, the result is not what it says in the charity brochures. She cites a damning catalogue of examples from Biafra to Darfur, and including the Ethiopian famine, in which humanitarian aid has helped prolong wars, or rewarded the perpetrators of ethnic cleansing and genocide rather than the victims. Perhaps the most striking case in the book deals with the aftermath of the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 16/12/11)

The Panacea For Sri Lanka's Cricket Woes Is A Through Cleanup Of The System
Howzat! By Doosra Sammy
December 18thth 2011 While it is sometimes distressing to watch Sri Lanka's cricketers toil against almost every opposition they face in recent times where the ongoing Test in South Africa is no exception it is becoming painfully obvious that the panacea to their woes must surely lie in a thorough cleanup of the entire cricketing system where crooks, panhandlers and opportunists thrive with little help from an equally worthless Sports Ministry which probably needs to be scrapped so that there will be no interference into the smooth functioning of any new setup that will eventually naintain the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 16/12/11)

Thousands abused in Dutch Catholic institutions
MIKE CORDER
Associated Press= THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Thousands of children suffered sexual abuse in Dutch Catholic institutions over the past 65 years, and church officials knew about the abuse but failed to adequately address it or help the victims, a long-awaited report said Friday. The release of the report was followed by an apology to victims by the archbishop of Utrecht, who said the revelation "fills us with shame and sorrow." The Dutch investigation uncovered some of the most widespread abuse yet from a slew of inquiries around the world into sex abuse in the Catholic church. It... -Full Story- (guardian.co.uk - 16/12/11)

Putin dubs McCain 'nuts', says US drones, commandos killed Gaddafi
RT
Vladimir Putin has lashed out at John McCain over his threats that the PM may face same fate as the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. The Russian premier speculated that the US senator has been traumatized by his POW experience. Putin presented his version of how Gaddafi was killed, and it allocates a dubious place for NATO in the scenario. “All the world saw him being killed, all bloodied. Is that democracy? And who did it? Drones, including American ones, delivered a strike on his motorcade. Then commandos, who were not supposed to be there, brought in so-called opposition... -Full Story- (rt.com - 16/12/11)

Engineered virus which hacks & controls brain: Do you mind?
RT
Today, an average computer user cannot even keep the machine secured. So what will the world look like when hacking your mind becomes as easy as infecting your machine with a computer virus? ­Human knowledge on DNA nanotechnology and bio-molecular computing increases exponentially with every passing year. Thus, protecting your own brain from security breaches could become the highest priority challenge of the 21st century. Synthetic biology is becoming one of the most powerful forms of technology in the world. But many people fear that scientists’ games with the genetics of life forms could spin out of control and... -Full Story- (rt.com - 16/12/11)

9/11 verdict is 'US propaganda for waging war on Iran'
RT
Director of the Center for Research on Globalization Michel Chossudovsky has told RT that calling Iran’s officials - including the supreme leader - guilty of helping the 9/11 attackers is nothing but “a ploy.” On Thursday, families of victims of the September 11th 2001 attacks won a default judgment against Iran, the Taliban, Al-Qaeda and Lebanon-based Hezbollah. According to the lawsuit, people in Iran – including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei- provided support to the terrorists who went on to attack civilians on US soil.But Mr. Chossudovsky told RT he believes it’s nothing but a cover-up, with Iran as a convenient... -Full Story- (rt.com - 16/12/11)

Gaddafi’s death ‘a war crime’: ICC searching for scapegoats
RT
Some two months after the torturous death of Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi, the ICC finally “suspects” it was a war crime. A group of enthusiastic freedom fighters may end up convicted, but not those who made the killing possible, and actually benefited. ­The international court’s chief prosecutor says there were strong indications Muammar Gaddafi was killed in custody. The ICC says the great number of witness accounts and video taken at the moment when he was captured by rebel fighters show that he was beaten and abused by his captors.... -Full Story- (rt.com - 16/12/11)

Tamil Heritage Days in the City of Markham -OPEN LETTER TO Councilor Logan Kanapathi , Ward 7, City of Markham, Ontario.
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1. Canada
15 December 2011 OPEN LETTER TO Councilor Logan Kanapathi , Ward 7, City of Markham, Ontario.  Dear Councilor Logan Kanapathi: Congratulations on arriving at the second milestone in Sri Lankan-Tamils taking over the City of Markham.  The first was when you got elected as the Councilor for Ward 7. Getting the Markham Town Council to proclaim January 13, 14 and 15 as “Tamil Heritage Days” is remarkable.  As your tribesman back in Sri Lanka, politician, Chelvanayakam said, “Little now more later”, I see that one day... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 15/12/11)

False reporting by the Guardian newspaper-UK
by Mano Vithana,  Maryland, USA.
The Guardian newspaper published on Thursday 15th December, a news item claiming that Tamils deported to Sri Lanka face torture. The article was written by Shiv Malik and Ian Cobain. In particular, these journalists, or possibly the copy editor dealing with the article included a file photo from Getty Images credited to Joe Kalamar. This image shows people behind barbed wire. What is  implied, not too subtly,  by the article is that Tamils in Sri Lanka are held under barbed wire, and that the  reported Tamils would face such conditions. The actual situation is... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 15/12/11)

Reminiscences of the First Sri Lankan Buddhist Mission to Germany by Ven. Kheminda Thera
Senaka Weeraratna
“When Mr. Egon Vietta, a pupil of the well-known Existentialist German philosopher, Prof. Martin Heidegger, who was ill and unable to travel,  put questions to the Ven. Soma Maha Thera, his answers were prompt and so convincing that Mr. Vietta said that these same questions had been put by him to European scholars, individually and in groups, but he had not received such satisfying answers as had been given by Ven.Soma Maha Thera” Ven. Kheminda Thera(Member of the First Sri Lankan Buddhist Mission to Germany)  The above quotation is an extract from a moving appreciation written from... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 15/12/11)

We should not give in to TNA - the Slaves of Terrorism.
 By Charles.S.Perera
 Every means for a reconciliations of the Communities in Sri Lanka with a view to build a true Sri Lankan Nation should be investigate, leaving no stones unturned. But discussions for reconciliation should be with parties, groups or individuals who love Sri Lanka, patriots of it and would like to see it not broken up into different areas and territories to please Parties, groups or individuals who have no such love to Sri Lanka.  The persons who go to make up TNA are not Sri Lankans who accept Sri Lanka as their motherland, but they are promoting... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 14/12/11)

D.B.S.JEYARAJ finds some fatal slips in Niromi De Soyza’s narrative And quietly ignores them hoping they will just go away
Darshanie Ratnawalli MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011
From 2009 to 2011 consistently, faithfully and in a variety of digital media which can be easily retrieved Niromi de Soyza has been making the same fundamental and monumental slip, which doesn’t bode at all well for the authenticity of her memoir ‘Tamil Tigress’. Duped either by his willingness to be duped or through inadequate attention to what has been written on the subject, D. B. S Jeyaraj wrote this delectably provoking passage in his From Shenuka to Niromi: True tale of a ‘Tamil Tigress’, “Moreover the charges themselves do not seem to be grounded... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 14/12/11)

Cyber war on US drones? Another spy craft crash, now in Seychelles
RT
With America still scrambling to explain why and how they lost a drone aircraft over Iran last week, the Pentagon is trying to make sense of how another high-tech unmanned spy craft crashed Tuesday morning in the Seychelles. For the second time in two weeks, American authorities lost contact with a drone aircraft, this time resulting in a fiery crash in the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. The United States has operated an Air Force base there since 2009 to dispatch drones for use in anti-piracy missions and to patrol the skies over Somalia and elsewhere.... -Full Story- (rt.com - 14/12/11)

Downed US drone in Iran
RT
After the CIA lost control of a surveillance drone over Iran, US officials decided against sending a team to retrieve or destroy its remains. However that was before Tehran announced its military was behind the downing of the spy device.... -Full Story- (rt.com - 14/12/11)

Iran ready to clone US drone
RT
Iran is set to produce its own drones modeled on a US spy craft intercepted over its territory. Experts are at the final stages of decoding the US RQ-170 Sentinel drone and are to copy it using reverse engineering technology. Iranian lawmaker Parviz Sorouri, a member of parliament's national security and foreign policy committee, said the country has the capability to reproduce the drone, Iranian TV reports. If Iran successfully reverse-engineers the drone it will get access to high-tech secrets such as the chemical composition of the device’s radar-deflecting paint or its sophisticated optics.... -Full Story- (rt.com - 14/12/11)

Unprofessionalism revisited:Channel 4 News, Sri Lanka and "Fernando"
 Engage Sri Lanka Publication Release- 12 December 2011
On 27 July 2011, Channel 4 News screened a programme in which they claimed to have testimony from an eyewitness, "Fernando", who said he had seen systematic war crimes committed by Sri Lankan soldiers in the final stages of the 26 year-long civil war between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE, also known as the "Tamil Tigers"). (1) Channel 4 claimed that "Fernando", who as usual for Channel 4 allegations about Sri Lanka was unidentified and disguised, was operating with Sri Lanka’s 58th Division during... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 13/12/11)

Canada Has Shown Good Faith Towards the Realities That Fuel Tamil Tiger Sympathies Through Fronts In Canada And Next On The Agenda Should Be To Desist Accusing The Government Of War Crimes!
LankaWeb Weekly Editorial
Decemcer 13rd 2011 In a manner indicative of sense and sensibility prevailing Canada has revoked yet another so called Tamil Charity in addition to the ones previously disbanded and outlawed and this augurs well for Canada's awareness of the ongoing attempts of Tamil Tiger sympathisers to revive former terrorist activities under the guise of benevolence and charity The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has officially set in place the motion of revoking the charitable registration of the Canadian Foundation for Tamil Refugee Rehabilitation (the Foundation), a Toronto-area charity which is really another name for a front for... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 13/12/11)

All worries about Pakistan
PROFESSOR ALI SUKHANVER
A leading Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has said that .Pakistan’s nukes are at risk of being seized by extremists. He was talking to CNN in the second week of this December in Washington. He said, “My guess is Pakistan has well over 100 nuclear weapons. And that the Pakistani military is so penetrated by extremist elements you have no idea if one morning they're going to lose three or four of them.” He referred to the Abotabad episode in support of his apprehension regarding the presence of extremist element in Pakistan military. He said, “Pakistani... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 13/12/11)

Pakistani Ahmadi Muslim Girl Breaks World Record!
By A. Abdul Aziz,Press Secretary,Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, Sri Lanka.
 According to the Jang Newspaper, Pakistan, an eleven (11) year old Ahmadi prodigy girl `Sitara` completing her O level exams; it is interesting to note that Jang Newspaper related described her place of residence 'Rabwah' as Chanab Nagar near Chinaot city.  (Why? perhaps to downplay that Sitara is an Ahmadi Muslim girl.)  Newspaper also notes that little Sitara passed 'O' level Chemistry when she was only nine (9) years old, setting a country wide record. Then she went on and did her 'O' level Biology next year and in the age of... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 13/12/11)

Customer service
Dr.Tilak Fernando 
Customer service is the provision of service to clients, during and after a purchase, to enhance the level of consumer satisfaction; it indeed acts as a gateway to a product or an establishment; it is a service that is included as a part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. As a general consensus the quality and level of customer service has plummeted worldwide in recent times, which some point a finger at the lackadaisical attitude, lack of support or the need to fully understand at executive and middle management levels of a corporate or customer service... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 13/12/11)

Who is Deva, and Who is an Outcast?
Article  10 Introduction: “Limitless endeavours to seek sensual pleasures in a transitory, impermanent world leads to frustrations, misery, and suffering.”  On the contrary, virtuous conducts such as behaviour guided by Buddhist Five-Precepts leading to guarding of senses will enable a person to stay aloof from misery.  Such positive behaviour would cause a person to become like a Deva in this world itself.  Metta sutta shows that pure states can be achieved through positive behaviour, brahma viahara,which contributes to happiness of self and those who are around him or her. Buddha and the five deciples Among humans, we see different types... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 13/12/11)

Canada should be humble for the sake of the First Nation Reserves
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1.Canada
 12 December 2011  The Editor THE OTTAWA CITIZEN  Sir:  Canada better get her act together and stop being so down right smug when telling the developing countries how to run their business.  With Attawapiskat First Nation's living conditions being such a national disaster, we better turn to Sri Lanka and ask them how thay managed to rehabilitate and resettle 294,000 Tamil refugees in the north in their own homes within two years after a 27 year long war with the Tamil Tiger terrorists ended in May 2009,... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 12/12/11)

ගුණාත්මක බවින් තවත් පහළට වැටෙන ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ විශ්ව විද්‍යාල
සුපුන් පෙරේරා
වර්තමානයේ මතු වී ඇති සරසවි අර්බුදය සමග ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ විශ්ව විද්‍යාල ගුණාත්මක බවින් තවත් පහළට ඇද වැටී ඇති බව පෙනී යයි. අධ්‍යාපනික තත්ත්වය, විශ්ව විද්‍යාල ආචාර්ය මණ්ඩලයේ අධ්‍යාපන සුදුසුකම්, සිදු කරන ලද පර්යේෂණ සහ විද්‍යාත්මක ලිපි හා ග්‍රන්ථ පළකිරීම වැනි කරුණු සමාලෝචනයෙන් සෑම වසරකම ලෝකයේ විශ්ව විද්‍යාල වල ගුණාත්මකභාවය පිළිබඳව ඇගයීමක් සිදු කරන කරන අතර සෑම විශ්ව විද්‍යාලයකටම නිශ්චිත ඇගයුම් අංකයක් ලැබේ. එය World University Ranking නමින් හැඳින්වෙන අතර පසුගිය වසර 30 ඇතුලත ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ විශ්ව විද්‍යාල ඉතා අඩු ලකුණු ලබාගනිමින් ක්‍රම ක්‍රමයෙන් පහතට ම වැටී තිබේ. 2010 වසරේ ලෝකයේ හොඳම විශ්ව විද්‍යාලය ලෙස තේරී ඇත්තේ ඇමරිකාවේ... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 12/12/11)

පනස්හයේ දරුවෙකු විසින් ආණ්ඩුව ගැන කියන දුකහිතෙන කතාවක්
Geethanjana
බණ්ඩාරනායක ඝාතනයට පස්සෙ උපන් පරම්පරාවට තමයි මාව අයිති වෙන්නෙ. බුදුන්ගෙ පින්තූරයයි සැරියුත් මුගලන් සහ සීවලී හාමුදුරුවරුන්ග පින්තූරයි  අතරට අර බණ්ඩාරනායක මහත්තය ආයුබෝවන් කියාගෙන ලස්සන හිනාවකින් මුව සරසාගෙන ඉදිරියට එන පින්තූරයයි, පිලිප් ගුණවර්ධන මහත්තයාගේ පින්තූරයයි එකම මට්ටමේ එල්ලලා ගරු බුහුමන් කරනව පුංච් කාලේ ඉඳන් නිතර දෙවේලේ දකින සංස්කෘතියක තමයි මගේ ළමා කාලය ගෙවුනේ. ඒ නිසා, දේසපාලනයයි සංස්කෘතියයි කියන්නෙ දෙකක් නෙවෙයි එකක් කියල හිතාගෙන හිටපු පවුල් සංස්ථාවක  වැඩිහිටියන්ගේ දේසපාලන සංස්කෘතියක  පුන්චිකාලෙ ඉඳන් හැදුනු වැඩුණු කෙනෙක් හැටියටයි  මං මේ කතා කරන්නෙ.  ඒ වගේම හැම බණ්ඩාරනායක සමරු දිනයකදීම, නොවරදවාම බස් එකක් කුලියට අරගෙන, වට පිට හිතවත්තුත් දා ගෙන හොරගොල්ලට ගිය පව්ලක හැදුනු ... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 12/12/11)

The fire and brimstone religion of the monks of Sri Lanka.
R Chandrasoma Dehiwala, Sri Lanka.
In the Abrahamic Faiths the notion of an Alt-Mighty God inflicting fearful punishment on those who defy his writ is well-known and widely accepted. Thus we have in Revelation 21:8, KJV "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death" . For Buddhists, a most important question is whether this fire and brimstone punishment of wrongdoers by a vengeful and hot-headed ‘authority’ is the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 12/12/11)

Bonhomie Born-again Bull-shitters.
Sasanka De Silva, Makumbura,  Pannipitiya,
There is a new craze or fashion engulfing the world at large and Sri Lanka is no different is to jump in to Born-again cults. The resurgence of such activities especially in Sri Lanka is worrisome. Because those who have engaged in many nefarious activities in the past just to earn some dirty money have now become Patriots, Do-gooders and Religious preachers by simply taking on Born-again cloak. It is said that the most accurate way to predict someone’s future behaviour is his or her past behaviours. Action this time will be no... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 12/12/11)

SEARCHING FOR OBAMA
PROFESSOR ALI SUKHANVER
 Shifting the portrait of President Obama from his room to the adjoining store-room, my elder son said to me, “The Americans are the misguided missiles. We will have to lead them to the right path. We will have to put them in the right place”. I still remember the day when President Obama was elected President of theUSAand my son was celebrating his success in such a joyous manner as I had never ever noticed before.  I had asked him, “Why are you so happy on the success of this black man?” I could very easily... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 12/12/11)

US outed, and far from drawn down
By M K Bhadrakumar
The United States-Pakistan relationship has reached a turning point reminiscent of the run-up to October 1958, when Washington encouraged General Ayub Khan's coup, apprehending the coming into power of an elected government in Pakistan that might have refused to collaborate as the US's Cold War ally against the Soviet Union. An innocuous-looking thing happened on Sunday - Pakistan regained possession of the Shamsi air base in Balochistan near the border with Iran after evicting the US military presence... -Full Story- (atimes.com - 12/12/11)

Catholic Church is linked to baby trafficking in Spain as well as Sri Lanka
Herold Leelawardena
Spain is reeling from an avalanche of allegations of baby theft and baby trafficking says BBC.  According to a BBC report, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15335899  by Katya Adler, date line 18th October 2011, people are queuing up across Spain to take a DNA test and thousands of Spaniards are asking 'Who am I?' Exhumations of the supposed graves of babies and positive DNA tests are proof that as many as 300,000 or about 15 percent of the total adoptions that took place in Spain between 1960 and 1990 were scandals centres on baby-trafficking by Nuns, priests and doctors over several decades.... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 12/12/11)

A revolution gone awry
Author(s): Aditya Batra
Easy access to agro-chemicals in Sri Lanka blamed for public health scare.In the early 1990s, hospitals in Sri Lanka’s North Central Province, the main agricultural region of the country, started reporting an unusually high incidence of chronic renal failure. About 5,000 persons reported ill in 1993. By 2009, the disease assumed epidemic proportions. That year over 9,000 patients from North Central and its neighbouring Uva and North Western provinces were under treatment in Anuradhapura Hospital alone. The disease, which often requires kidney transplant in its last stage, has since been a leading cause of deaths in... -Full Story- (downtoearth.org.in - 12/12/11)

MORE SUPPORTIVE APPROACH TO SRI LANKA NEEDED SAYS MEP Mr Geoffrey Van Orden MBE MEP
Press release from the Chairman of the Friends of Sri Lanka Group in the European Parliament, Mr Geoffrey Van Orden MBE MEP
Following a recent visit to Sri Lanka, the Chairman of the European Parliament's informal 'Friends of Sri Lanka' Group has called for supportive engagement with Sri Lanka as it recovers from 30 years of conflict.  Conservative MEP and Defence Spokesman Geoffrey Van Orden has just returned from Sri Lanka where he met the President and senior Ministers, as well as MPs from a range of government and opposition political parties including the Tamil National Alliance. He met... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 12/12/11)

The Canada Revenue Agency Revokes the Charitable Status of the Canadian Foundation for Tamil Refugee Rehabilitation
MARKETWIRE via COMTEX
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will revoke the charitable registration of the Canadian Foundation for Tamil Refugee Rehabilitation (the Foundation), a Toronto-area charity. The notice of revocation will be published in the Canada Gazette with an effective date of December 10, 2011. On November 7, 2011, the CRA issued a notice of intention to revoke the charitable registration of the Canadian Foundation for Tamil Refugee Rehabilitation, in accordance with subsection 168(1) of the Income Tax Act (the Act). The letter stated, in part, that: On the basis of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) audit, we have... -Full Story- (marketwatch.com - 12/12/11)

Iran looks to its allies
By Brian M Downing
Iran is facing ominous rhetoric and deadly explosions as the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia step up efforts to open Iran's nuclear facilities to inspection. Tehran is gauging its support from abroad. Syria, a longstanding ally, is in turmoil and Hezbollah in Lebanon would be of only limited help. Russia and China are far more powerful and potentially more helpful. Both have important trade and defense ties with Iran and both need to show their reliability and efficacy to allies after recent reversals in world affairs. Supporting Iran against attack from the... -Full Story- (atimes.com - 12/12/11)

Tehran prods and pokes CIA drones
By Heather Maher
Iranian television has broadcast a video of a United States drone that Tehran claims to have brought down on its territory, and it's probably safe to say that the images are the stuff of US intelligence officials' nightmares. In the video, two men dressed in Iranian military uniforms poke and prod at the small, bat-winged aircraft. One gestures to a wing and appears to be explaining something to a decorated superior. But what? Possibly what until now were highly guarded US advances in covert intelligence gathering. A banner at the foot of the aircraft... -Full Story- (atimes.com - 12/12/11)

Jalath Jayawardana Tabled a Document In the Sri Lanka Parliament On December 1st 2011, Which is An Arrest Warrant Issued For KP by a Chennai Tamil Nadu Court. Is this legal? Can Jayalath Jayawardena be charged for High Treason?
Kithsiri Athulathmudali, Florida, USA
Search Warrant for Interpol Against KP? As reported on Daily Mirror on December 3ed 2011,  “A court in Chennai has issued a search warrant to Interpol against LTTE’s Chief arms procurer Kumar Pathmanathan, alias KP in connection with offences such as crimes involving the use of weapons, explosives, criminal conspiracy and terrorism, a document tabled in parliament revels”. UNP MP, Jayalath Jayawardana tabled a copy of this search warrant in the parliament on Thursday the December 1st during the BUDGET DEBATE. Following is the act that Jalath Jayawardana carried out in Chennai that can be... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 11/12/11)

Islam Ahmadiyyat - The Truth Prevails
By A. Abdul Aziz, Press Secretary,Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, Sri Lanka.
 (Given below is an excerpt the Friday Sermon of Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Supreme Head of the world-wide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Islam, delivered on 9th December 2011 at ‘Baithul Futhuh’, London, U.K., gave a discourse on Islam  Ahmadiyyat - the truth prevails based on the prevailing condition of the world.  From the time of the claim of the founder of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community  Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad - Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) till today, detractors of Ahmadiyyat have denied his claim. This is not borne out... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 11/12/11)

US clampdown worse than the great firewall
Sunil Abraham
If you thought China’s Internet censorship was evil, think again. American moves to clean up the Web could hurt global surfers.TWO PARTICULARLY terrible pieces of legislation — the PROTECT-IP Act and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) — have been introduced in the US Senate and House of Representatives. If passed, the US administration will be empowered to shut down specific websites using the same four measures it employed in its failed attempt to shut down WikiLeaks — domain name system (DNS) filtering, blocking financial transfers via financial intermediaries, revoking hosting and sanitising search engine results. SOPA... -Full Story- (tehelka.com - 10/12/11)

අදිසි ඇස දිසි මෙලක රණබිම..
චන්ද්‍රසේන පණ්ඩිතගේ විසිනි.
"අද අපිට කථා කරන්නට සිදුව ඇත්තේ ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ මේ වනවිට ඇති තත්වය සම්බන්ධවයි. මතුපිට යුද්ධය මේ වනවිට නිම කරල හමාරයි. සීතල යුද්ධයක් රටතුල හා ජාත්‍යන්තරය පුරා මේ රටට එරෙහිව දියත්වෙලා තිබෙනවා. මේ යුද්ධය නිම කරලන්නට අපිට සමූහයකගේ සහය ලබා ගන්නට සිදුවුනා. ඒ සදහා අවශ්‍ය කරන සහය පුද කල සියළු දෙනාටම ගෞරවය පුද  කරන්නටත්, ඒ යුද්ධය සම්බන්ධව සමාලෝචණයක් කරන්නටත් අපි මෙය අවස්ථාවක් කර ගනිමු" "මේ රට අපට විශේෂිතම රටක්. ඒ නිසාම, මෙය රැක ගැනීම, අපිට පැවරී තිබෙන විශේෂිතම කටයුත්තක් බව හැමෝම දන්නවා. ඒ වෙනුවෙන්ම විශේෂිතවූ ආරක්ෂක මණ්ඩලයක්ද අප විසින් පත්කර තිබීමට හේතුව මේ රටේ ඇති වටිනාකමයි. මේ... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 10/12/11)

ප්‍රංශ සමාජවාදී ජනපති අපේක්ෂක වැනසූ ආකාරය
මණ්ඩාවල පඤ්ඤාවංස හිමි
මෙම කෙටි ලිපිය මා ලියන්නට අදහස් කළේ පසුගිය කාලයේ මහත් ආන්දෝලනයක් ඇතිකළ දොමිනික් ස්ත්‍රෝස් කාන් ට එරෙහිව නැගුණු දූෂණ චෝදනාවට අදාල වීඩියෝ පටයක් ප්‍රංශ රූපවාහිනියෙන් ප්‍රසිද්ධ කර තිබෙන බැවිණි. මෙම සිද්ධියේ කුමන්ත්‍රණකාරී ස්වභාවය මුල පටන්ම පෙනෙන්නට තිබුණි. දොමිනික් ස්ත්‍රෝස් කාන් ප්‍රංශ ජනපති වරණයට ඉදිරිපත් වන්නට සිටි අතර මතවිචාරණවල දී ඉදිරියෙන් ම සිටි පුද්ගලයා වීම. ජාත්‍යන්තර මූල්‍ය අරමුදලේ ප්‍රතිපත්ති අමෙරිකාවට අහිතකරයැයි අමෙරිකානු ඉහළ නිලධාරියකු ප්‍රසිද්ධියේ ප්‍රකාශකර තිබීම. ඔහු සැබවින් ම තුන්වන ලොකයේ හිතවතෙකු වශයෙන් ප්‍රකටව තිබීම. (යුද්ධය අවසානයේ දී ලංකාව බෙහෙවින් අසීරු තත්වයකට පත්ව සිටියදී, ප්‍රංශය, එංගලන්තය, අමෙරිකාව සහ ජර්මනිය එළිපිට ම ලංකාවට ණය නො දෙන්නැයි... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 10/12/11)

Maintenance of Ward No: 05 of Colombo North Teaching Hospital, Ragama by Masjidul Ayesha Jummah Mosque at Enderamulla Wattala
M I M Rezwie President Masjidul Ayesha Jummah Mosque
At the request of the Hospital Committee - Colombo North Teaching Hospital at Ragama, Masjidul Ayesha Jummah Mosque at Enderamulla Wattala  has undertaken to maintain Ward No: 05. This is the first social oriented project that has been undertaken by the Muslim community  particularly by a Jummah Mosque in the Gampaha District to maintain a Ward in a Government Hospital. Ven Thuruvila Wimaladhamma Nahimi President Hospital CommitteeVen Kondaramulla Ganatissa Nahimi Chief incumben Negombo, Mr Sulaiman Mohamed Yoonus Masjidul Ayesha Jummah Mosque The inauguration ceremony was held on Friday 25th... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 11/12/11)

Election-meddling fiasco hits US-Russia relations
RT
Revelations about email transactions between the US State Department and the Russian election watchdog Golos prior to Russia's parliamentary elections threaten to bring the reset to a grinding halt. Before a single vote was cast in the parliamentary elections, a string of incidents indicated that foreign governments were already exerting influence over the election process. Golos, an independent watchdog that has been monitoring elections in Russia for 10 years, was fined 30,000 rubles ($1,000) last week by a Moscow court for publishing “election-related opinion polls and research” after a deadline for publishing such material had passed (it is illegal... -Full Story- (rt.com - 10/12/11)

WESTERNISATION IS NOT MODERNITY-ANALYSIS FROM A BUDDHIST PERSPECTIVE
DR JANAKA GOONETILLEKE
     ‘Abandoning the lessons of a 5000year old Asian Civilization and accepting a 500 year old Western Civilization is illogical’  In the wake of the disastrous impact that westernization is having on humanity in terms of the environment, social instability and Human suffering it is time to reflect. Asian civilizations have been built on a value system be it  Confucianism, Hinduism, Buddhism etc  which emphasizes Harmony as against a western civilization which emphasized Might was Right  geared to the transfer of resources in the Proxy of money. In a world where wealth is a constant creation... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 09/12/11)

Rising calls for a Compassionate Christmas - Stop the Animal Bloodshed
“Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things – man himself will not find peace”  - Albert Schweitzer Nobel Prize Winner 
Christmas is meant to be a season of peace and goodwill, yet for hundreds of thousands of innocent animals it is a time of extreme suffering, exploitation, and death. Millions of turkeys are slaughtered for Christmas dinner, along with ducks, geese, pigs, lambs and chickens. In western countries, puppies and kittens are given away as presents, then often neglected or discarded by new owners when the novelty has worn off.  Rabbits and foxes have their... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 09/12/11)

The Language Act and Tamil services.
Bodhi Dhanapala, Quebec, Canada.
   Anne Abesekera (AnnA) has written an article entitled  the "language Issue" on 29 November in the Island newspaper. She is  amazed that the Government hadn't had the grace to acknowledge its failure - and ... of previous governments - to implement the Official Languages Act for so long.   Cold comfort to the Tamils who have waited in vain  for several decades to receive official communications in Tamil and to have the right to use their mother-tongue when dealing orally or in writing, with Govt. departments. Then she quotes  Prof. Sasanka Perera: " The vast... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 08/12/11)

Kyoto row at Durban climate talks
SBS
Sharpening the sense of division in Durban, Canada declared that, for it, Kyoto was now history. It confirmed it would not renew pledges after the landmark pact's first roster of carbon curbs expires at the end of 2012. "We have long said we will not take on a second commitment under the Kyoto Protocol. We will not obstruct or discourage those that do, but Kyoto for Canada is in the past," Canadian Environment Minister Peter Kent said.... -Full Story- (sbs.com.au - 08/12/11)

Fox News is going bananas
08.12.2011 It is generally believed that many Americans have poor knowledge of geography. This theory has found another proof the other day. Fox News TV channel showed the footage of the "revolution in Moscow." The footage, which the channel aired, showed typical revolutionary events with angered protesters, armed police officers, tear gas and Molotov cocktails. The producers of the US-based channel probably hoped that TV viewers would not understand what the report was actually about. The Western media could not leave the events in the Russian capital out of their attention, of course. It is easy to understand, of course:... -Full Story- (english.pravda.ru - 08/12/11)

Open Letter to the EU Heads of State and Government
Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey
As the Old Boys' Club which has become the Merkozy space gets set to meet again on Friday and as the Dynamic Duo get ready to lecture the obedient schoolboys and girls sitting in nice straight rows, DWD Cameron flexes his muscles, paces and coughs in the wings. Don't hold out too many hopes - the spineless jellyfish will fold like a house of cards. Dear Heads of State and Government of the European Union, Ladies and Gentlemen,... -Full Story- (english.pravda.ru - 08/12/11)

Hillary "War Zone" Clinton: A Burger short of the Barbie
Pravda
The Russian Federation does not need lessons on how to conduct its elections, much less does it need lessons from the United States of America and far less still from a female who waltzes off an aircraft to the sound of a band and claims she was entering a war zone. Suppose Hillary "War Zone" Clinton stuck her nose into her own affairs? As predicted in this column a week ago before the Russian Parliamentary elections, the ruling party, Edinaya Rossiya, or United Russia, won the election by far, being the most voted party, having won the most seats... -Full Story- (english.pravda.ru - 08/12/11)

FOX, lies & the wrong videotape: What’s NOT happening in Moscow
RT
With so much going on in the world today, one can see how easy it would be to get confused. Are those pictures of the war in Iraq or Afghanistan? Poverty in Somalia or Congo? And what’s a news program to do if there aren’t any good pictures? So producers all over the world search, and talk to their own crews or news agencies who provide feeds for everyone, and find the best shots to grace their air time. Or – in some cases – ANY shots that look more or less similar to the covered topic. Case in... -Full Story- (rt.com - 08/12/11)

The CIA's most secret prison revealed
RT
In the historic city of Bucharest, the CIA tortured and interrogated high-risk terrorists for years in a basement prison, under the nose of roughly two million Romanians. An investigation carried out by reporters for the Associated Press led to the news organization revealing on Thursday that in the years after the September 11 terror attacks, the Central Intelligence Agency operated an underground holding center for some of the most sought after alleged terrorists. There in a small six-cell jail, prisoners such as al-Qaeda operative Khalid Sheikh Mohammed were beaten and detained, all unbeknownst to the citizens of Romania... -Full Story- (rt.com - 08/12/11)

Iran shows intercepted CIA drone unscathed (VIDEO)
RT
Days after the Pentagon first denied and then admitted that it lost touch with a high-tech drone aircraft, authorities in Iran are now saying that they have the plane — and its condition is pristine. The unmanned, robotic aircraft — a RQ170 Sentinel drone plane — disappeared last week. American authorities quickly dismissed claims that they lost the plane over Iran, only to later admit that the CIA was flying a reconnaissance mission over Afghanistan when they lost touch with the top-secret stealth drone. Soon after it was believed that communication was cut once the plane waded through the... -Full Story- (rt.com - 08/12/11)

Russian election watchdog emails to US State Dept. go online
RT
Russian news website Life News has published emails it claims show correspondences between the US State Dept. and the major Russian election-watchdog Golos, discussing financing to help discredit the results of Russia’s parliamentary vote. ­Life News says it has come into the possession of 60 megabytes of Golos' private online correspondences. According to Life News, they are letters sent and received by Golos Executive Chief Lilya Shibanova and her deputy Grigory Melkonyants. Judging by the documents published on the site, the group which claimed to be independent was actually funded in order to defend the interests of US State... -Full Story- (rt.com - 08/12/11)

The Grameen Bank: No More the Silver Bullet for Poverty Alleviation?
By Garvin Karunaratne, Ph,.D.(Michigan State University)
Though it was once thought that the Grameen Bank was the silver bullet for poverty alleviation, grave doubts have emerged in recent years. Initially the Grameen Bank was accepted as an acclaimed success. From very small beginnings in 1976 in a village in Bangladesh, began this micro credit system of giving credit to the poor- mainly womenfolk. Today there are over 6.5 million borrowers, 96% of whom are women. The Peer Lending Programme as it is called has 2,226 branches in 71,371 villages. In addition the Programme has spread to many countries... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 07/12/11)

Appalling Journalism: Jon Snow and Channel 4 on Sri Lanka
Mahinda Gunasekera Agincourt, Ontario Canada
Honourable Members of the House of Commons,  This is addressed especially to the members of the House of Commons Sub-Committee on Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development who are currently reviewing the human rights situation prevailing in Sri Lanka, both during the military action taken by the Sri Lankan authorities against the armed forces of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) aka Tamil Tigers designated a terrorist organization by 32 countries including Canada, which was concluded in May 2009 and the period thereafter.  Various allegations were... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 07/12/11)

Your Latest Statement on Sri Lanka (Baird Talks Tough on Sri Lanka)
Ira de Silva London, Ontario Canada
Hon. John Baird Foreign Minister House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario   Dear Sir:   I have written to you in the past regarding your statements on Sri Lanka. Regarding your latest comments, I am forwarding to you an editorial from a newspaper in Sri Lanka so that you realize that  people in Sri Lanka too are aware of your views and convey to you their opinion, in case it is not been accurately conveyed to you by the Canadian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka.  Please be assured that they are fully cognizant... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 07/12/11)

Arrest of a Nun
B. A. Aryatilake
The Island", Upali Newspapers Ltd., 223, Bloemendhal Road, Colombo 13. The Editor, Sir, We must congratulate the National Child Protection Authority for arresting a foreign nun for running a home for supposedly mothers seeking abortions and “unwanted children”. Matters such as these have to be regulated by law and religious bodies are the least qualified to do so. They have their own agendas. Sri Lanka is a secular state and the best method to regularize these problems is to make abortions freely available under strict medical supervision with optimum interest for... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 07/12/11)

The Return of the Buddha – A Reality.
By A. Abdul Aziz.
 In response to the above article (LW – 7 December 2011) some of the comments say that the Buddha did not foretold anything about a leader after his demise to guide Buddhist religion. It is not true when we see the Buddhist Scriptures.  But Buddha has prophesized the advent of a ‘Maitreya’. And the prophecy is so famous that most of the Christian missionaries, Hindu Pandits and theosophist propagandists have tried to apply it to their own reformers. This leads to authencity of the prophecy.  Although Christians do not believe in the prophethood of Buddha,... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 07/12/11)

Federal Fun of Tamils: A Very Good Lesson for Federalists in Sri Lanka
Dilrook Kannangara
Mullaperiyar damn is making news in South India as Tamil Nadu and Kerala states fight over its uses and control. Tamil Nadu has deployed a strike force near the border to prevent violence spilling out over the issue.  http://www.ndtv.com/article/tamil-nadu/mullaperiyar-issue-tamil-nadu-deploys-strike-force-on-border-155567?slider  Clashes have already erupted at the border resulting in attacks on vehicles, places of business and houses. Kerala Chief Minister has pleaded for calm among his citizenry while the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has called upon the Indian government to look into the building of a new dam to replace the 115 years old aging dam.  http://www.ndtv.com/article/kerala/mullaperiyar-dam-row-clashes-at-kerala-tamil-nadu-border-post-155641  This... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 06/12/11)

The Return of the Buddha
by Shobhan Saxena, Times of India, Dec 4, 2011
Are Buddhist nations coming together to form a bloc that is as much religious as it is political? And is India ready to assume leadership of the group? If it is, China is clearly unhappy about it. But a churning has begun. Sunday Times reports from the first Global Buddhist Congregation  New Delhi, India -- With the smell of incense floating above their shaven heads, the Thai monks in grey robes walked in a single file, eyes to the ground and their hands softly beating the prayer drums. Following them... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 06/12/11)

AN INSIGHT INTO LTTE-ADMINISTERED SCHOOLS IN EUROPE - THE RADICALIZATION OF TAMIL YOUTH
The Concept and Beginning of the "Thamilcholai" School System
Examining the beginnings of the 'Thamilcholai' school system, it is clear that it was designed and created by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorist movement, initially within Sri Lanka. The beginnings of this school system can be seen as beginning as an orphanage in and around the year 1990 in accordance with the wishes of the LTTE leader, Velupillai Prabakaran. This orphanage was established with 90 children aged between 2-12 years. In the years 1991 and 1993 the LTTE established two orphanages namely 'Sencholai' for female orphans... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 06/12/11)

The Lion Of God, the Almighty.
By A. Abdul Aziz.
 The proclamation of the Holy Founder, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad to be the long awaited and foretold Promised Messiah was an event that caused a stir throughout India and led to a concerted campaign by opponents of every hue and cry from across the religious divide. It was an announcement that no normal person could have made without having the confidence and assurance that Allah was beside him, and would shield him from the storm and machinations of his opponents.  Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Lion of God, peace be on him,... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 06/12/11)

Small Arab country slaps Russia in the face
Pravda
06.12.2011 Russia's Foreign Ministry has lowered the level of diplomatic relations with Qatar. This became Moscow's response to the attack committed against Russia's Ambassador to Qatar, Vladimir Titorenko. The head of the Russian diplomatic mission was returning from his business trip to Jordan when he was attacked at Doha's International Airport. The official was attacked by the officers of customs and security services. The officers tried to withdraw diplomatic mail from the ambassador. Two other Russian diplomats, who were meeting Titorenko at the airport, also suffered in the incident. On November 30, Russia's Foreign Ministry sent a note... -Full Story- (english.pravda.ru - 06/12/11)

‘US pins labels:’ Russia slams Clinton over election criticism
RT
The Russian Foreign Ministry shot back at US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for her criticism that Russia’s elections were neither free nor fair. But as the US attempts to take the moral high ground, their political games seem as dirty as ever. ­In a strongly-worded statement, Moscow expressed its regret that “Washington is sticking to long-outdated stereotypes and continuing to pin labels, without even trying to look into what is actually happening on our electoral field," Interfax reports. Pointing out that the US electoral system is “far from perfect,” the foreign ministry continued that only the Russian people... -Full Story- (rt.com - 06/12/11)

Earth's sibling located...Six hundred light-years away
RT
The search for Earth-like planets has finally borne fruit. Or at least that is what NASA claims, raising hopes among inhabitants of an exhausted Earth of a back-up planet for humanity. ­Space and extra-terrestrial life have always been a source of wild flights of imagination and inspiration for humanity. Now there is a fresh reason to be excited. NASA says it has discovered a planet that is similar to ours. The exoplanet – or a planet lying outside our Solar system – is about 2.4 times bigger than Earth and is spinning around a star not unlike the Sun.... -Full Story- (rt.com - 06/12/11)

Were the Buddhists in Pre-Christian Lanka pure catikkaran "Tamils" whose mother tongue was Sinhala ?
by Gam Vaesiya, Ontario, Canada.
Mr. J. L. Devananda (JLD), writing to the electronic "Blog" maintained by D. B. S. Jeyaraj  (http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/3031) on the 27 of November provides a very provocative discussion of Tamil Buddhists in Ancient Lanka. Readers may recall that JLD had published two  articles on the “Mahavamsa mentality” in Jeyraj's blog sometime ago, to which Bandu de Silva wrote a detailed reply (http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/1922). JLD's  Mahavamsa article is essentially  a re-affirmation of the 'Tamil homeland concept' (THC), and a renewal of some aspects of the 1930s politics of G. G. Ponnambalam. This includes the claim that the... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 05/12/11)

Baird talks tough on Sri Lanka
Asoka Weerasinghe (Mr.) Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1.Canada
3 December 2011 Hon. John Baird, PC., MP Minister of Foreign Affairs, House of Commons, Ottawa, Canada Dear John: Yesterday was a bad day for me, a sort of double-whammy day.  Not that you would care but I thought that I should tell you anyway,  since we are residents of neighbourly ridings, and since you were indirectly involved in my bad day, and it is therapeutic that I address you, whether you like it or not. I recall my first meeting, I believe with you, around... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 05/12/11)

Southern Expressway
Aloysius Hettiarachchi, Brunei 
I have been a keen follower of the progress of the only expressway in our country so far. When some pictures of it were being circulated around the world by some of my batch mates of Peradeniya university, I was happy to see that they looked very impressive and the highway could be  comparable to the best in the world. However I noticed something which appeared to be a  technical snag in the alignment of the road in one of the pictures and tried to get it verified. This was in July this year. So... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 05/12/11)

Travels of a Journalist—71-Fountains of Bellagio draw many to Paradise
By Shelton A. Gunaratne Professor of mass communications emeritus, Minnesota State University Moorhead
 During a four-day visit to Las Vegas, Nevada, mid-November, 2011, we—my spouse and I—literally visited Paradise in its magnificent splendor to enjoy the sight and sound of the Fountains of Bellagio dancing to the tunes of the soothing songs of Frank Sinatra (“Luck be a lady”), Johnny Mathis (“We need a little Christmas”), Madonna (“Santa Baby”), Gene Kelly (“Singing in the rain”), Luciano Pavarotti (“Rondine al Nido”) and many others. The Fountains of Bellagio—a vast, choreographed water feature with performances set to light and music—enchanted us.... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 04/12/11)

Amid widespread pessimism, denial rules in minority America
Nimal Fernando
 With little less than a year to go for the next presidential election, a large part of Americais in a singularly pessimistic mood. A cocktail of macro issues -- the lingering recession; a stubbornly high unemployment figure (8.6 percent); dysfunctional government; loss of international clout – is fuelling an  ever-rising chorus of criticism from an increasing section of the citizenry, that the nation has lost its moral compass. Some of these concerns have been raised by individuals with a track record that still gets them media attention ... such as Mike Gravel, ex-senator and former presidential... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 04/12/11)

Baird Talks Tough on Sri Lanka - December 2,2010
Ira de Silva London, Ontario Canada 
The Editor Owen Sound Times Owen Sound, Ontario   Dear Sir:   I have just read this news report. Incidentally it is carried in a newspaper in Sri Lanka - the Daily Mirror.   Mr. Baird in keeping with the current government's policy formulated this year is "talking tough". What struck me is the statement "Other countries have taken 10 years for reconciliation" yet  Canada expects Sri Lanka to do it immediately after  twenty-seven years of terrorism by the Tamil terrorists who were designated the most ruthless terrorist group in the world (FBI),... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/11)

Who is the Real Mahinda?
Written by Malinda Seneviratne
[This article first appeared in the 'Sunday Lakbima News' of November 7, 2010] Mahinda Rajapaksa is a dictator. The Rajapaksas are running the country as a family business. They are a clan. They are into dynasty-building. They are robbing the treasury. They are ruining the economy. They’ve turned Sri Lanka into a ‘failed state’. The Rajapaksas, led by Mahinda, are the worst news that Sri Lanka has heard post-Independence. He is a disaster when it comes to foreign relations and has angered the big players in the international community, the USA, Britain and the rest... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/11)

UK based Sri Lanka Media Watch lodges complaint against ABC
Sri Lanka Media Watch
- Says it believes that the "7.30 p.m. programme on Sri Lanka" has breached the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Code of Practice in several significant areas. Official Complaint about an ABC Programme: 18 October 2011 7.30pm programme on Sri Lanka Complaint made by Sri Lanka Media Watch (Coordinator: Peter Walker) On 18 October 2011, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's 7.30pm news broadcasted a programme entitled "Sri Lankan President Under Investigation". This programme has made number of very serious allegations against three Sri Lankan officials, Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Australia, Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe; Dr... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/11)

U.S. Major Apologizes for Mistreatment & Murder of A Million German Soldiers AFTER the End of WW II
PRESS RELEASE by THE GERMANY-UNITED STATES-CANADA RECONCILIATION COMMITTEE
Press Release and Reports from the Washington Event Assembled by Ernst Friedel, November 05, 2011  On the occasion of the presentation of a formal letter of apology from a former US Army officer to the German people for the mistreatment of German prisoners after World War II AND on the occasion of the publication of a new edition of “Other Losses” by James Bacque about those prisoners of war, a public meeting was held at 2:00 pm Monday October 31, 2011 in the Congressional and Monument Rooms of The Courtyard US... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/11)

Celebrity of Sinhala Music ,Pride of the nation , Pundit,Maestro W.D. Amaradewa marks his 84th Birthday on December 05th.
Claude Fernando,Brampton,Canada
If I mention the name about  Wannakuwatta Mitiwaduge Don Albert Perera of Moratuwa, Most of the readers  may be getting little confused to know the unfamiliar name they never heard.  But If I say W.D.Amaradewa, no doubt, from child to adult loudly say in respectfully and proudly articulate, he is the giant, famous talented , master vocalist , great music composer  of Sri Lanka who has a  golden voice and soothing and unforgettable  creations  which approached and deposited in the hearts and minds of them as truly Sri lankan sound. The name of ”Amaradewa” which translates as... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/11)

Sri Kali and Sri Lanka
By Romesh Jayaratnam Kandy, Sri Lanka
History:  If one were to look at the map of Sri Lanka, one would see shrines dedicated to the Goddess Kali in all four directions. The veneration of the deity goes back more than a thousand years in the island's history.    The famed British archeologist of the late 1800s CE, H.C.P. Bell, had excavated 16 small Hindu shrines between the Jetavanaramaya and Vijayaramaya Buddhist monastic institutions in the northern enclave of Anuradhapura. He termed these the 'Tamil ruins'. One was dedicated to the Goddess Kali. These shrines could be tentatively dated to the 9th century... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/11)

Rajiv Malhotra's 'Breaking India', listing conspiracies to split the country, released by Dr. Swamy
Courtesy:  India - Behind The Lens 
Noted Indian-American thinker Rajiv Malhotra's book that details the nefarious design of Western powers to split India, was released last week at Bangalore. The book throws ample light on the conspiracies being hatched by the west funded Church-funded powers for instilling a false sense of victimhood and identity separatism among India's underprivileged classes. Dr. Subramanian Swamy, currently the most successful anti-corruption warrior in India, and a published scholar on Hindu nationalism himself, released the book in a simple ceremony. Well known educationalist Prof P V Krishna Bhat, who's the National Convenor of Prajna... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 03/12/11)

‘West’s policy on Syria could ignite WWIII’
RT
The situation in Syria is just a warm-up before a real confrontation, which will draw Russia and China into action, believes Lawrence Freeman from the Executive Intelligence Review magazine. ­Russia and China are rightly worried about what is behind the policy of the US and its allies in Syria and Iran, Freeman told RT. “President Obama is acting on a British geopolitical plan to force a confrontation with Russia and China, a military confrontation of which Syrian and Iran would nearly be the ignition point,” Freeman explained. “But the real goal is a war to stop the progress that... -Full Story- (rt.com - 03/12/11)

Who controls our Indian media
Welcome to Media filter If you are a little pragmatic person and you are a regular newspaper reader and watch news in TV channels, it will not take long for you to realise that something dispropotional when it comes to something concerned with Hindutva related happenings. Be it recent pub attacks or attack on churches, you cannot miss the a week long mayhem reported in the media. You can easily make out that media are sitting hawks that prey out and demonize anything concerning the right wing Hindutva groups. After you read this you will know why. Don’t miss the... -Full Story- (iskcondesiretree.net - 03/12/11)

Canadian Foreign Minister's Insistence About Sri Lanka's Alleged War Crimes Baseless With Leanings Towards Tamil Sympathy Forgetting The Root Cause Of The Conflict ~ Terrorism.
LankaWeb Weekly Editorial
Decemcer 3rd 2011 While it sounds like a legitimate call to investigate alleged "War Crimes" from Canada;s Foreign Ministry and the Hon. Mr. Baird obviously echoing similar sentiments to those of his head honcho the Prime Minister Harper, there still remains the question of where is the proof based on tangible evidence thus far? It might also be asked "does Canada have a right to this call and is it not interference?" Why is it that Canada going back in time continues to harp on ( no deliberate pun intended towards Mr. Harper's direction ) this... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 02/12/11)

"Outrageous and indefensible" was Britain's massacre in Libya
Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey
Interesting it is that the Iranian government at least had the decency to apologise after a few hundred enraged students stormed the British Embassy after London upped the stakes in what is turning into an unnecessarily tense situation, making it quite clear that London under Cameron and Hague is very much a player in the Grand Plan (hegemony over the world's energy resources using NATO to implement the whims and caprices of the lobbies which control Washington's foreign policy and that of her allies).... -Full Story- (english.pravda.ru - 02/12/11)

Lies on SKY: The British Media Circus comes to Russia
Pravda
Right on cue two days before Russia's Parliamentary elections, comes SKY News. Are they following terrorists, interviewing rapists, glorifying murderers and taking sides? Are they asking Americans in Iraq if they are looking for revenge for 9/11? Why no, they are muck-raking in Russia's vast interior, painting a negative image of Vladimir Putin. In the sewer where the British media resides, pride of place in this festering cesspit, alongside the British Bullshit Corporation, must be reserved for SKY News, where lies on SKY abound, where stories are turned around or upside down, where gross manipulation rules the day and... -Full Story- (english.pravda.ru - 02/12/11)

Done deal: Russia supplies cruise missiles to Syria
RT
Fulfilling a contract signed in 2007, Russia has supplied Bastion coastal missile systems with Yakhont cruise missiles to Syria under a contract signed in 2007, a diplomatic source in Moscow has told Russian media. Objecting to Western fears that the defensive weapons system will fall into the hands of terrorist groups, a diplomatic source says that Moscow has fulfilled its obligations as laid out in the five-year-old contract. "The Yakhont supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles have been supplied as part of Bastion mobile coastal missile systems," the source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Interfax.... -Full Story- (rt.com - 02/12/11)

Egypt: Between Sharia law and anarchy
RT
Thousands of people have gathered on Tahrir Square to await the announcement of the results of the first stage of Egypt’s parliamentary elections. Exit polls suggest that the Muslim Brotherhood have secured some 40 per cent of the votes. ­Voter turnout was 62 per cent as announced by the head of the election committee. Abdel-Mooaez Ibrahim did not announce the full results but welcomed the turnout as “the highest since the time of pharaohs.” More than 8 million voters of some 14 million have cast their ballots in the first round of parliamentary elections.... -Full Story- (rt.com - 02/12/11)

Libyan in(ter)vention: False facts fatal for Gaddafi
RT
Sanctions against Syria and looming prospects of an intervention into the country are drawing ever more parallels with the war in Libya. But as it turned out, the “facts” used to wage a “humanitarian war” on Tripoli, underwent almost no verification. ­“There’s no evidence to justify the humanitarian war in Libya,” is the conclusion of filmmaker and independent journalist Julien Teil. “In the beginning of this story, we got some allegations which have been looked at and said to the UN Human Rights Council and those allegations had never been verified or checked,” he told RT's Tesa Arcilla.” And... -Full Story- (rt.com - 02/12/11)

Mark Steyn: Arab Spring turning chilly for U.S.
By MARK STEYN
I've been alarmed by the latest polls. No, not from Iowa and New Hampshire, although they're unnerving enough. It's the polls from Egypt. Foreign policy has not played a part in the U.S. presidential campaign, mainly because we're so broke that the electorate seems minded to take the view that if government is going to throw trillions of dollars down the toilet they'd rather it was an Al Gore-compliant Kohler model in Des Moines or Poughkeepsie than an outhouse in Waziristan. Alas, reality does not arrange its affairs quite so neatly, and the world that is... -Full Story- (ocregister.com - 02/12/11)

The Collapsed House of Norwegian Cards
Dr. Susantha Goonatilake
 The over 200 page statement of failure on the Norwegian attack on Sri Lankan sovereignty in its faulty "Pawns of Peace: Evaluation of Norwegian peace efforts in Sri Lanka, 1997-2009" is a document on lessons we should learn. It was but a culmination of the 500-year attempt by the West to dominate us in cahoots with their local lackeys. It was the failure of a “spiritual and temporal conquest of Sri Lanka" as the Portuguese historian Queyroz termed the Portuguese intrusion.  After the Portuguese had brutalized the country, Queyroz said that the Sinhalese were "pride itself";... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/12/11)

League of Buddhist Nations - An idea whose time has come
By Senaka Weeraratna
Today, Buddhism has a greater appeal in the West due to an increasing number of people in these countries showing a preference for a philosophy and ethical system that places a high emphasis on peace, non – violence and compassion towards all sentient beings. This is the way forward in the dissemination and practice of Buddhism throughout the world.  In Asia, it is feasible for countries with pre-dominant Buddhist populations to consider developing closer ties with each other in the spheres of economic, cultural, and trade and investment. Further we see at the international level a large... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/12/11)

Statement by A.L.A. Azeez, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka, Vienna at the 14th Session of the General Conference of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
A.L.A. Azeez, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka, Vienna
Madam President, Honourable Ministers, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, First of all, let me congratulate you, Madam Verónica Sión, Minister of Industry and Productivity of Ecuador, on your election as the President of the Fourteenth Session of the UNIDO General Conference. I am confident that with your rich experience and exposure, you would be able to steer the deliberations of the General Conference towards successful conclusion. Our congratulations also go to the Vice Presidents and elected members of the Bureau. Ambassador Soltanieh deserves our sincere appreciation for his leadership at... -Full Story- (LankaWeb - 01/12/11)

USA intentionally killed Russia's Phobos-Ground?
Pravda
The failure with the launch of Phobos-Ground (also spelled Phobos-Grunt) space probe, especially against the background of the successful launch of the US Martian mission, gave rise to a wave of rumors and versions. Even if the fact of foreign interference is determined, no one will ever hear the official confirmation to that. Such a conclusion will not meet the interests of either the United States or Russia. Russia is forced to resort to competitors to be able to conduct its own space program. Exploring space would be impossible for Russia otherwise. Pravda.Ru interviewed Vyacheslav Serbin, who used to... -Full Story- (english.pravda.ru - 01/12/11)

The Spy Files: WikiLeaks releases surveillance docs
RT
WikiLeaks has released the first portion of sensitive data revealing a new global surveillance and interception industry spanning 25 countries. Site founder Julian Assange has held a press conference, revealing the secrets of the industry.­ The whistleblowing site has published some 287 documents from its huge database, collected from 160 international intelligence contractors. The database includes internal documents of such companies like Gamma corporation in the UK, Ipoque of Germany, Amesys and Vupen in France, VASTech in South Africa, ZTE Corp in China, Phoenexia in the Czech Republic, SS8 and Blue Coat in the US, among others. And this... -Full Story- (rt.com - 01/12/11)

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