Sunday 27 September 2009

PFLP: Obama's statements and actions serve only U.S/Israeli interests


The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said, in response to U.S. President Barack Obama's statements at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, that the U.S. position serves only U.S/Israeli interests and the ongoing strategic alliance between the major imperialist power and its Zionist colonial project partner.
By demanding that Palestinians engage in futile negotiations with the occupation state while the fascist Netanyahu regime continues its settlement project without even a freeze, the PFLP said on September 24, 2009, Obama's position reveals the U.S. support for Netanyahu's position and his extremism, racism and colonization, as it serves U.S./Israeli strategic interests, as the U.S. and Israel prepare for joint military exercises meant to intimidate the people of the region, raise tensions and instability and demonstrate strategic/military superiority of the occupation state. (More)

பிலிப்பைன்ஸில் கடும் மழை வெள்ளம்

வீரகேசரி இணையம் 9/26/2009 11:43:54 PM -
பிலிப்பைன்ஸில் கடும் மழையால் ஏற்பட்ட வெள்ளத்தால் ஆயிரக்கணக்கான மக்கள் கடும் அவதிக்கு உள்ளாகியுள்ளனர், ஐந்து பேர் பலியாகியுள்ளனர். கடந்த நாற்பது ஆண்டு காலத்தில் இதுவே மிக அதிக அளவு பெய்த மழையாகும்.
பருவகால சூறாவளியால் ஒரு மாத காலத்தில் பெய்ய கூடிய மழை, ஆறே மணி நேரத்தில் தலைநகர் மணிலாவில் கொட்டியுள்ளது.
உள்ளூர் தொலைக்காட்சிகளில், கூரை மேல் நின்று கொண்டிருந்த மக்கள் நீரில் அடித்து செல்லப்படுவது காண்பிக்கப்படுகிறது.
தலைநகர் மணிலா மற்றும் இருபத்து நான்கு மாகாணங்களில் அரசாங்கம் பேரிடர் காலநிலையை அறிவித்துள்ளது.

துர்ப்பாக்கிய 8 வயது அகதிக்கைதிச் சிறுமி மீது வவுனியாவில் துப்பாக்கிச் சூடு!

வவுனியாவில் அகதிக்கைதிகள் அரசபடையினர் மோதல்வவுனியா அகதி முகாம் பகுதியில் படையினர் - அகதிகள் நேற்று மோதல்!
Yall Uthayan 2009-09-27 06:41:37
வவுனியா முகாம்களில் தங்கியுள்ள அகதிகளுக்கும் படையினருக்கும் இடையில் நேற்று மாலை 5.30 மணியளவில் மோதல்கள் நடைபெற்றன.
அதன் காரணமாக பொதுமக்கள் மூவர் காயமடைந்ததாகத் தகவல்கள் தெரிவிக்கின்றன. அகதி மக்கள் ஒரு முகாமிலிருந்து இன்னொரு முகாமுக்கு விறகு எடுக்கச் சென்றபோதே அவர்களுக்கும் படையினருக்கும் இடையில் மோதல்கள் உண்டாகின என்று சொல்லப்படுகின்றது. இந்த மோதல்களில் எட்டு வயதுச் சிறுமி ஒருத்தியும் மற்றும் இருவரும் படையினரின் துப்பாக்கிச் சூட்டுக்கு இலக்காகி காயமடைந்து செட்டிக்குளம் ஆஸ்பத்திரியில் அனுமதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளனர் என்று தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டது.
வவுனியா இராமநாதன் முகாமிலிருந்து சிலர் அடுத்துள்ள ஆனந்தகுமாரசாமி முகாமுக்குச் செல்ல முற்பட்ட போது அங்கு காவல் கடமையில் ஈடுபட்டிருந்த பாதுகாப்புப் படையினர் துப்பாக்கிச் சூடு நடத்தியதாகச் சில தகவல்கள் தெரிவித்தன. ஒரு முகாமிலிருந்து மற்றொரு முகாமுக்குச் செல்ல முயன்றவர்களை பாதுகாப்புப் படையினர் தடுத்த போது, முகாமிலிருந்தவர்கள் பாதுகாப்புப் படையினர் மீது கற்களை எறிந்ததாகவும், அதையடுத்து தற்பாதுகாப்புக்காகப் படையினர் துப்பாக்கிச் சூடு நடத்தியதாகவும் இராணுவப் பேச்சாளர் உதயநாணயக்கார தெரிவித்தார்.

Merkel wins, Germans opt for center-right coalition

Merkel wins, Germans opt for center-right coalition
By Noah Barkin and Madeline ChambersBERLIN (Reuters) - German voters gave Chancellor Angela Merkel a second term in an election on Sunday and a mandate to form a new government with the business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP) that is expected to cut taxes to boost growth.
The conservative Merkel has ruled for the past four years in an awkward "grand coalition" with her main rivals, the center-left Social Democrats (SPD).
The election result frees her from the shackles of that partnership and allows her to form the center-right coalition she has argued is best placed to nurture Europe's largest economy back to health following its worst post-war recession.
The next government faces major economic challenges. It will have to get a surging budget deficit under control, cope with rising unemployment and ward off a credit crunch as fragile banks rein in lending.
Together with the FDP, Merkel is expected to pare back the role of the state in the economy and extend the lifespan of German nuclear plants that are scheduled to be phased out over the next decade.
The parties, which last ruled Germany between 1982 and 1998 when Helmut Kohl was chancellor, will have to overcome differences on the size and timing of tax cuts in coalition talks over the coming weeks. Some analysts say, given budget constraints, such cuts will likely have to wait at least a year.
"We can really celebrate tonight, but afterwards we have a hard job ahead of us," Merkel, wearing a bright red suit, told cheering supporters.
Projections from ARD and ZDF public television showed Merkel's conservative bloc -- the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) -- on 33.6 percent, down from their score of 35.2 percent in 2005, and their second-worst result in the post-war era.
But the FDP, a party which saw its support rise in the wake of the financial crisis, compensated for those losses, surging to a record high of 14.6 percent and putting the center-right over the top.(More)

Carson’s Group negotiates $ 109 mn. in Singapore to expand plantations

Refinances existing term loan, gets revolving credit
Carson’s Group negotiates $ 109 mn. in Singapore to expand plantationsThe Sri Lanka incorporated plantation companies of the Carson’s Group with oil palm interests in Malaysia said in a Stock Exchange filing last week that they have negotiated a term loan facility of USD 109 million from Standard Chartered Bank (SCB), Singapore, ``for further expansion of current plantation projects.’’
Carson’s has in recent years been expanding its oil palm holdings in Indonesia and the majority holdings of the group’s oil palm companies were acquired earlier this year by a fully owned subsidiary, Goodhope Asia Holdings Ltd. (GAHL) incorporated in Singapore.
In addition to the USD 109 million term loan, refinancing an existing USD 81 million term loan facility outstanding and a revolving credit facility of USD 10 million has also been negotiated with SCB Singapore by GAHL set up to smoothen the group’s credit-raising ability among others.
Carson’s Chairman Tilak de Zoysa said in the company’s annual report for 2008/09 that ``the consolidation of plantation assets within the holding company would enable the business to command a more competitive position in this industry.’’
Carson’s shareholders have been told that it is important for the group to continue to expanding plantation extent when the industry is profitable. It would then be possible maximize profitability when palm oil prices peak in the next cycle.
The group also owns an undeveloped land bank available for expansion ``when resources for expansion gets priced higher.’’
``As rich nations rush to secure valuable developing country land banks for ensuring food security for their nations, investing in agriculture appears to be a healthy long term opportunity,’’ Carson’s said.
The group’s Malaysian interests, Shalimar Malay, Indo Malay, Selinsing and Good Hope all have investments in the two big plantation projects in Indonesia – PT Agro Indomas and PT Agro Bukit.

10,000 Tiger suspects: Govt. seeks US help

10,000 Tiger suspects: Govt. seeks US help
AG in Washington for talks
By Our Diplomatic Editor The Sunday Times lk Sunday September 27, 2009
Special tribunal likely
By Chandani Kirinde
The government is exploring the possibility of setting up a special tribunal to try LTTE suspects who have been involved in grave crimes such as murder and abductions.

The tribunal is likely to be set up on the lines of a Special Presidential Commission or the Criminal Justice Commission which tried the JVP suspects after the 1971 insurrection.
Government sources said the suspects would be put into three categories – those to be indicted for grave crimes, those who could be released on supervisory bail and those who could be rehabilitated.

The Sunday Times learns that Justice Minister Milinda Moragoda is studying the options before presenting his proposals to the government.

Sri Lanka is seeking help from the United States in its efforts to formulate procedures to cope with more than 10,000 Tiger guerrilla suspects now in custody. The aim is to study how the US handled terrorist suspects, particularly thousands from the outlawed al-Qaeda, after the 9/11 attacks in New York.

Attorney General Mohan Peiris will arrive in Washington tomorrow for talks in this regard with officials in the US Attorney General’s Department. According to diplomatic sources, the visit has been arranged in consultation with the United States embassy in Colombo.

At present there are more than 10,000 suspected members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Government custody. There has been a slight increase in the numbers as more guerrilla suspects are being rounded up.

This is both through interrogations in IDP camps as well as search operations in other areas. While a sizeable number against whom there is evidence will face prosecution, the Government is yet to finalise the legal procedures they are to be put through. Those against whom there is no evidence are to be sent for rehabilitation.

Key suspects involved in acts of terrorism have been interrogated. In some instances, revelations made by them have led to arrests of others. The profiling of the suspects is now under way.

NYT TELLS JOURNALISTS TO AVOID WORDS “GENOCIDE,” “ETHNIC CLEANSING,” AND “OCCUPIED TERRITORY''

LEAKED NYT GAZA MEMO TELLS JOURNALISTS TO AVOID WORDS “GENOCIDE,” “ETHNIC CLEANSING,” AND “OCCUPIED TERRITORY” Amid the internal battle over...