Why Britain is moving closer to war with Iran-Yahoo News

Why Britain is moving closer to war with Iran
By Adam Parris-Long

Yahoo! News – 6 hours agoEmailPrint
Tensions with Iran are still rising after an irreparably damaging fortnight in which the British embassy in Tehran was stormed and an American drone was captured by Iranian troops.

Barack Obama has been given short shrift after requesting the return of the downed US drone, with Tehran unrepentant over the affair. “The American espionage drone is now Iran's property, and our country will decide what steps to take regarding it,” said Iranian defence minister Ahmad Vahidi. “Instead of apologising to the Iranian nation, it [US] is brazenly asking for the drone back.”

Diplomatic ties between London and Tehran are also in tatters after British representatives were pulled from the embassy in the aftermath of a violent protest by Iranian students. The attack came after the Treasury took the decision to cut all links with Iranian banks over concerns that they were involved with Tehran’s nuclear programme. Foreign secretary William Hague has promised “serious consequences” for the attack, with retaliatory actions as yet unseen.

With a war of words on two fronts, is Iran on a collision course with the West?

Nuclear issues

At the heart of the dispute are ongoing concerns over Iran’s nuclear intentions. Ironically the origins of the Tehran nuclear programme lie in a scheme devised by the US in 1953, called ‘Atoms for Peace’. President Eisenhower announced the plan to proliferate atomic energy across the globe, intended to be a noble act after the decimation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki seven years previously.

The Iranian Revolution of 1979 caused outrage in Washington as American diplomats were taken hostage by students in Tehran – effectively killing off Western cooperation for the nuclear project. Since that stage Iran has developed the programme extensively, resulting in the nation’s first nuclear reactor, which was opened for business in September. The programme has been eyed with intense suspicion from Western states, despite assertions from president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that Iran is not seeking to create atomic weapons.

Mistrust between Ahmadinejad and the West is also key to the issue. The International Atomic Energy Agency said that there was “increasing concern” over the nuclear program in Tehran, with Washington calling Ahmadinejad’s peaceful claims “hollow”. The UK government is unequivocal over the programme, openly denouncing its potentially harmful impact.

George Osborne severed links to Iranian banks over links to "weaponised" nuclear programme.

When severing links to Iranian banks in November, Chancellor George Osborne said: "We're doing this because of international evidence that Iran's banks are involved in the development of Iran's weaponised military nuclear weapon programme. We're doing this to improve the security not just of the whole world, but the national security of the United Kingdom.”

Sparking a rampage on the British embassy, the mistrust has worsened already fractured UK-Iranian relations. In reality, although Hague has been urged to act on threats from Tehran, the potential for conflict lies with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

While attempting to discover whether the Iranian nuclear programme is “weaponised”, Western states have criticised Ahmadinejad without using direct action. The Iranian leader is now being looked at to re-open discussions over the nuclear issue and to quell any further internal provocation to the West in a bid to stop conflict that Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov called a “very serious mistake fraught with unpredictable consequences”.

ஈரானின் பிடியில் ஒபாமாவின் நாசகார ஆளில்லா தானியங்கி (Drone) விமானம்!

The Great cyber-attack

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-12-09/iran-claims-tv-broadcast-shows-us-drone/3722464


A US drone captured by Iran is now the property of the Islamic republic,

Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi said Tuesday, dismissing a request by US President Barack Obama for its return.

"The American espionage drone is now Iran's property, and our country will decide what steps to take regarding it," Vahidi was quoted as saying by ISNA news agency.

"Instead of apologising to the Iranian nation, it (the United States) is brazenly asking for the drone back," Vahidi also said, according to another news agency, Mehr.

Iran "will not back down from defending the nation or its interests," Vahidi declared.

Obama on Monday acknowledged that Iran was holding the reconnaissance drone -- a bat-winged RQ-170 Sentinel -- by saying: "We've asked for it back. We'll see how the Iranians respond."

Iran last week displayed on state television what it said was the drone. A lawmaker said the Islamic republic was unlocking the aircraft's software and was going to reverse-engineer the drone.

The foreign ministry in Tehran was similarly dismissive of Obama's request.

"It seems he (Obama) has forgotten that Iran's airspace was violated, spying operations were undertaken, international laws were violated and that Iran's internal affairs were interfered with," ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said told his regular media briefing, according to Fars news agency.

"Instead of an official apology and admitting to this violation, they are making this request," he said.

Iranian officials have said a Revolutionary Guards cyber-warfare unit had hacked the aircraft's controls and brought it down.

US officials have admitted anonymously that the drone was on a CIA spying mission over the Islamic republic when it was captured.

The head of Iran's parliamentary national security committee, Parviz Sorouri, said on Monday that Iran was in the "final stages" of decoding the drone's software and "our next action will be to reverse-engineer the aircraft."

Valihi added that Iran was "highly capable" of making drones and had already built some capable of reconnaissance and attack, according to ISNA.

Obama, who gave the first official US confirmation that the drone was in Iran's hands, shed no light on the plane's mission or why it failed to return to its base in Afghanistan.

"With respect to the drone inside of Iran, I'm not going to comment on intelligence matters that are classified," he said.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had expressed doubt that Iran would agree to give back the drone.

"Given Iran's behavior to date, we do not expect them to comply," Clinton told reporters at a Monday press conference with British Foreign Secretary William Hague, with whom she discussed Iran.

Although the drone incident has handed Iran a propaganda coup, US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta voiced scepticism that Tehran would gain much of a technological advantage from the aircraft.

"It's a little difficult to know just frankly how much they're going to be able to get from having obtained those parts," Panetta told reporters aboard a US military aircraft.

"I don't know the conditions of those parts. I don't know what state they're in."

Asked if Iran may have forced the plane down in a cyber-attack, Panetta said: "I don't know."

பாலசிங்கம் தேசத்தின் குரல் அல்ல துரோகத்தின் நிழலே!

அகசுயநிர்ணய உரிமை என்கிற அதிகாரப் பரவலாக்கத் திட்டத்தில் விடுதலைப் புலிகள் அமைப்புக்குள் சீர்குலைவுகளை ஏற்படுத்தி எரிக் சொல்ஹெயுமுடன் இணைந்து கருணாவை உடைத்து, கேபியை விலைக்கு வாங்கி தேசியத் தளபதி பிரபாகரனை யுத்தப் பிரபு என மாசுபடுத்தி விடுதலைப் புலிகள் இயக்கத்தின் அழிவுக்கும் முள்ளிவாய்க்கால் பிரளயத்துக்கும் காரணமான அன்ரன் பாலசிங்கம் தேசத்துரோகியே ஆகும்.

பிரபாகரன் அவர்கள் மரியாதையின் நிமித்தமும் அரசியல் சந்தர்ப்பவாதம் காரணமாகவும் பாலசிங்கத்துக்கு வழங்கிய ”தேசத்தின் குரல்” என்ற பட்டத்துக்கு அவர் தகுதியோ பொறுப்போ உடையவர் என்று நிரூபிக்கவில்லை. நோர்வே பேச்சுவார்த்தை ஆரம்பித்த காலம் முதலே நாம் பாலசிங்கத்தின் வழி நாசத்துக்கு இட்டுச் செல்லும் என சுட்டிக் காட்டி விமர்சித்து வந்தோம்.ஆனால் இன்று நோர்வே ஆய்வறிக்கை வெளிவந்த பின்னர் அன்று நாம் அனுமானித்த பல்வேறு உண்மைகளை இவ்வறிக்கை ஆதாரப்படுத்திய பின்னரும் அன்ரன் பாலசிங்கத்துக்கு ஐந்தாம் ஆண்டு நினைவு விழா எடுப்பவர்கள் மாண்ட நம் மக்களையும் மாவீரத் தோழர்களையும் தேசியத் தளபதி மேதகு பிரபாகரன் அவர்களையும் இழிவுபடுத்துபவரே ஆவர். அது மட்டுமல்ல பாலசிங்கத்தின் துரோகத்தை மூடிமறைப்பவர்கள் அத்துரோகத்துக்குத் துணைபோவதுடன் தாமும் தொடர்ந்து தமிழீழத்திற்கு துரோகம் இழைக்கின்றனர்.

படியுங்கள்!                                 பரப்புங்கள்!

”யுத்தப்பிரபு” பிரபாகரனும் அரசியல் சாணக்கியன் அன்ரன் பாலசிங்கமும்

வன்னி விவசாயிகள் பிரச்சனை குறித்து சிறீதரன் பா.உ முறையீடு

கிளிநொச்சி மாவட்டத்தில் அமைந்துள்ள பன்னங்கட்டி கிராமத்தில் தனியார் ஒருவருக்கு சொந்தமான 100 ஏக்கர் காணி உள்ளது. இங்கு குடியிருந்த மக்கள் விவசாயம் செய்து வாழ்க்கை நடத்தி வந்தனர். ஆனால், இக் காணியில் 60 வீத மானவற்றை தற்போது இராணுவத்தினரும் அரச கட்சியொன்றைச் சேர்ந்தவர்களும் ஆக்கிரமித்துள்ளனர். அத்துடன் இக் காணியை வெளியாட்களுக்கு விற்கும் முயற்சிகளும் இடம்பெறுகின்றன.

எனவே இக் காணியை இராணுவத்தினரின் ஆக்கிரமிப்பிலிருந்து விடுவித்து விவசாய செய்கைக்காக அங்கு குடியிருந்த மக்களிடம் வழங்க வேண்டும்.


வன்னி மாவட்டத்தைப் பொறுத்த வரையில் குளங்களை நம்பியே விவசாய செய்கைகள் இடம்பெறுகின்றன. ஆனால், இக் குளங்களில் பல நீண்டகாலமாக அபிவிருத்தியோ புனரமைப்போ செய்யப்படாமல் உள்ளன.


எனவே இக் குளங்களை அபிவிருத்தி செய்து விவசாய செய்கையை ஊக்குவிக்க நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும்.

நாம் சபைக்குள் வரும் போது நீர் வழங்கல் வடிகாலமைப்பு அமைச்சு சார்பாக எமக்கு அவர்களின் தயாரிப்பான தண்ணீர் போத்தல்கள் வழங்கப்பட்டன. இது வரவேற்கத்தக்க விடயம் .
ஆனால், அடுத்த தடவை வரவுசெலவுத் திட்டம் சமர்ப்பிக்கப்பட்டு நீர் வழங்கல், வடிகாலமைப்பு அமைச்சின் விவாதம் நடக்கும் போது எமக்கு தமிழ்க் கலாசார முறைப்படி பித்தளைச் செம்புகளில் தண்ணீர் வழங்க அமைச்சர் தினேஷ் குணவர்தன நடிவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும்.

இன்று இரணைமடுக் குளத்திலிருந்து பாரிய குடிநீர் விநியோகத்திட்டம் ஆரம்பிக்கப்படவுள்ளது.

அதேவேளை இந்த இரணைமடுக் குளத்திற்கருகில் இலங்கை விமானப் படையின் விமானத்தளம் அமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இந்த விமானத் தளத்தில் "மிக்ரு' போர் விமானங்கள் வந்திறங்கிச் செல்கின்றன. இந்த "மிக்' விமானங்கள் வந்திறங்கிச் செல்வதால் ஏற்படும் அதிர்வுகளினால் இரணைமடுக் குளத்தின் அணைக்கட்டுகளில் வெடிப்புகள் ஏற்படும் ஆபத்துள்ளது. இதனால் இரணைமடுக் குளம் உடைப்பெடுக்குமாக விருந்தால் பேராபத்து ஏற்படும்.

எனவே இரணைமடுக் குளத்திற்கருகில் அமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ள விமானத் தளத்தை அகற்றுமாறு கோருகின்றோம்.
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சிங்களமே சிறீதரன் பா.உ.வின் `தொகுதி வாரி` விவசாயக் கோரிக்கையை நிறைவேற்று!`

பக்ச பாசிஸ்டுக்கள் தேசபக்தர்கள் அல்ல! ஏகாதிபத்திய தாசர்களே!

www.investsrilanka.com

New BOI website for timely information

December 11, 2011, 6:52 pm 

The Board of Investment of Sri Lanka has re-launched its website to highlight the country’s post-war emergence as the most dynamic investment destination in the region. The website, www.investsrilanka.com, has been completely redesigned both in visual presentation and in content to maximize Sri Lanka’s positioning as a stable and profitable investment choice in Asia.

"With the end of the 30-year civil conflict, stable government and the launch of an ambitious infrastructure development plan by the government, there has been a tremendous upsurge in interest from high potential investors, both local and foreign. We are keen to provide them with the most updated and comprehensive information to help make them realize their investments as soon as possible," Mr. M.M.C. Ferdinando, Chairman and Director General of the BOI said."With the implementation of the restructuring process at BOI, key sectors have been identified, and direct contact points at BOI are being provided for potential investors to interact seamlessly through the entire investment process," Mr Ferdinando said.

The BOI, being the apex body responsible for promotion, co-ordination and facilitation of foreign direct and local investment, a comprehensive and informative website initiative was carried out by benchmarking against leading Investment Promotion Agency (IPA) websites.

"The objective of the exercise was to provide the most relevant information regarding investing in Sri Lanka in an intuitive and user-friendly manner," Duminda Ariyasinghe, Executive Director (Investment Promotion & Media), who led the initiative said. The key questions being answered are – Why Sri Lanka/Where do I set up/How do I set up/What incentives do I get – so that an investor can immediately see the ease and advantages of investing in the island, Mr Ariyasinghe said.

To convey the relevant information from the perspective of a potential investor, the website structure/site map has been re-organized, while significantly expanding the amount of information available. The comprehensive information has been complemented with a more visual depiction of the country’s appeal, including ground-breaking projects in key sectors, emphasizing the country’s positioning as the emerging wonder of Asia.

Under the section, "Why Sri Lanka," the website provides an economic overview with key facts and figures, on 10 main reasons why a discerning investor can benefit from Sri Lanka. Under "Setting up in Sri Lanka," detailed information is given on the choices available, including detailed site maps, key information, photographs and "live" Google Maps of the 12 export processing zones being operated by the BOI. There are also separate sections for Local Investors, Services provided by the BOI and BOI Publications. The website also provides direct links to relevant agencies and institutions where additional information can be obtained accurately.

The last major overhaul carried out by the BOI website when it launched the Invest Sri Lanka initiative was recognized by the Global Investment Promotion Benchmarking 2009 study. The report carried out by the World Bank and International Finance Corporation (IFC) awarded 29 additional points to the BOI "mainly due an improved website that offers detailed, reliable and current data," the report said.

Under the website, the BOI also operates a job bank, which aims to link potential employers, both BOI and non-BOI companies with prospective employees.

பக்ச பாசிஸ்டுக்கள் தேசபக்தர்கள் அல்ல! ஏகாதிபத்திய தாசர்களே!

Abducted JVP organiser in Jaffna feared killed - Tamil Net

Abducted JVP organiser in Jaffna feared killed

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 December 2011, 18:02 GMT]

Lalith Veeraraj, the Jaffna district organiser of the Movement for People’s Struggle, a JVP dissident group and his friend Kugan Murugananthan, who were reported missing in Achchuveali on Friday are feared killed, according to the MPS faction of the JVP which staged a press conference in Jaffna on Saturday.

Lalith Veeraraj has been involved in bringing out the news regarding the missing persons, political prisoners and abductions in Jaffna, Ki'linochchi, Mullaiththeevu, Mannaar and Vavuniyaa during the past months and had been warned several times by the SL intelligence operatives not to get involved in the missing persons issue.

Mr. Veeraraj and Mr. Muruganathan, left the house from Aavarangkaal Sivan temple area around 5:00 p.m. in a motorbike with registration number NPGT-7852.

Now, his party officials say they were receiving phone calls from within the SLA establishment saying that Veeraraj has been assassinated, according to Chamira Koswatte, the convenor of the Movement for People’s Struggle.

Mr. Veeraraj was working on staging a press conference for the JVP dissidents group. But, the press conference itself on Saturday turned out to be a meeting on his disappearance.

Regardless of his party affiliation with the JVP or now the dissident group, both of which fail in recognising the Tamil national question, Mr. Veeraraj and his friends were voicing for the rights of the missing persons and was maintaining good contacts with Tamil parliamentarians on the missing persons issue.

Some time back, when he went to discuss with Mrs. Pathmini Sithamparanathan, he was attacked by a gang believed to be an squad operated by the SL military intelligence.

Mr. Veeraraj is born to a Tamil father and a Sinhala mother.

மாதகல் மண்மீட்பு மக்கள் போராட்டம் வெற்றிபெற அணிதிரள்வோம்!

கடற்படையை எதிர்த்த மாதகல் மக்கள் போராட்டம் வெல்க!

"மீன்பிடியையும் விவசாயத்தையுமே நாம் வாழ்வாதாரமாகக் கொண்டவர்கள். எனவே எமது காணிகளை நாம் விட்டுத்தர மாட்டோம். அவை எமக்கு வேண்டும்''

மாதகல் மக்கள்

கடற்படையை எதிர்த்து மக்கள் போர்க்கொடி; மாதகலில் பறிக்கப்படும் தங்கள் வாழ்விடங்களுக்காக உரத்துக் குரல்கொடுக்க சர்வதேசத்திடம் முறையீடு
(யாழ் உதயன் 06 12 2011)

கடற்படையினருக்கு எதிராக மாதகல் மக்கள் நேற்று ஆர்ப்பாட்டத்தில் ஈடுபட்டனர். தமது காணிகளைச் சுவீகரிப்ப தற்குக் கடற்படை திட்டமிட்டிருப்பதைக் கண்டித்த மக்கள் தமது காணிகளைத் தம்மிடம் ஒப்படைக்கும்படி வலியுறுத்தினர்.

மாதகல் மேற்கைச் சேர்ந்த நூற்றுக்கணக்கான மக்கள் கைகளில் சுலோக அட்டைகளைத் தாங்கியபடி இந்த ஆர்ப்பாட்டத்தில் கலந்துகொண்டனர். வலி.தென்மேற்குப் பிரதேச சபைக்கு சற்றுத் தூரத்தில் திரண்ட மக்கள் அங்கிருந்து பேரணியாகப் பிரதேச சபைக்குச் சென்று மனுவைக் கையளித்தனர். பின்னர் சண்டிலிப்பாய் பிரதேச செயலகத்திற்கும் சென்று மனுவைக் கையளித்தனர்.

* "மக்கள் குடியிருப்புகளை இராணுவ முகாமாக்காதே'',

* மஹிந்த அரசே! மாதகல் மக்களின் நிலங்களை மக்களுக்கே வழங்கு'',

* "உலக மக்களே! பறிக்கப்படும் எமது வாழ்விடங்களுக்காகக் குரல் கொடுங்கள்''

என்று பேரணியில் சென்றவர்கள் முழக்கமிட்டனர். வயது வேறுபாடு இன்றி ஆண்களும் பெண்களும் சிறுவர்களும் உரத்துக் கோஷமிட்டவாறே பேரணியில் சென்றனர்.

ஆர்ப்பாட்டம் குறித்து முன்கூட்டியே அறிந்திருந்த பொலிஸார், அதிகாலை தொடக்கம் பிரதேச சபை, பிரதேச செயலகம் என்பவற்றில் காவலைப் பலப்படுத்தி இருந்தனர். அந்தப் பகுதி எங்கும் பொலிஸார் குவிக்கப்பட்டும் இருந்தனர். இதனால் காலை முதல் அங்கு பதற்றம் நீடித்தது. எனினும் குழப்பங்கள் எதுவும் நிகழவில்லை. 

மாதகல் மற்றும் அதனை அண்டிய பகுதிகளில் இருந்து 1992ஆம் ஆண்டு மக்கள் வெளியேறி இருந்தனர். படையினர் முன்னேறியதை அடுத்து அவர்கள்தமது இருப்பிடங்களை இழக்க வேண்டியதாயிற்று. அதன் பின்னர் கடந்த இரு தசாப்த காலமாக அந்தப் பகுதி உயர் பாதுகாப்பு வலயம் என்ற அறிவிப்புடன் படையினரின் கட்டுப்பாட்டில் இருந்தது.

சுற்றியுள்ள பல இடங்களில் மீள்குடியமர்வுக்கு அனுமதி வழங்கப்பட்டபோதும் மாதகல் மேற்குப் பகுதியில் மட்டும் மீள்குடியமர்வுக்கு அனுமதி வழங்கப்படவில்லை. இப்போது இவர்களின் காணிகளை முகாமுக்காகச் சுவீகரிக்க கடற்படையினர் முயற்சிக்கின்றனர். இதனை எதிர்த்தே நேற்றைய போராட்டம் நடைபெற்றது. "மீன்பிடியையும் விவசாயத்தையுமே நாம் வாழ்வாதாரமாகக் கொண்டவர்கள். எனவே எமது காணிகளை நாம் விட்டுத்தர மாட்டோம். அவை எமக்கு வேண்டும்'' என்று மக்களால் கையளிக்கப்பட்ட மனுக்களில் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டிருந்தது.

இலங்கையை ஏலம் போடுகின்றது சிங்களம், இதற்குத்தான் ஆடியது வெண்களம்!

* Sri Lanka to set up 35 five star hotels island wide,leading international hotels are to be invited
* Sheraton to get five-acre land in Sri Lankan capital for US$ 73.5 million to build hotel complex
* National Geographic Traveler picks Sri Lanka as one of the best places to visit in 2012
* Chinese company yet to decide on land offered by the Sri Lankan government for hotel project
* Newly opened Sri Lanka Expressway has earned Rs. 6.7 million in less than a week
* Old Colombo Dutch hospital renovated and converted to a modern trade complex
* Another Indian company to explore possibility of drilling for oil in Sri Lanka's Mannar Basin
* Pakistani company to set up cement processing plant at Sri Lanka's Hambantota Port
* US$ 100 million World Bank assistance to transform Sri Lanka's educational system
* Japan grants 60 million rupees to renovate pre-schools in Eastern Sri Lanka
* Estate officers in Sri Lanka threaten to launch strike against estate owners

இலங்கையை ஏலம் போடுகின்றது சிங்களம், இதற்குத்தான் ஆடியது வெண்களம்!


பக்ச பாசிஸ்டுக்கள் தேசபக்தர்கள் அல்ல ஏகாதிபத்திய தாசர்களே!

ராஜ பக்ச ஒடுக்கும் சிங்கள தேசத்தை மட்டுமே `அபிவிருத்தி` செய்கின்றார் என்று கூறுபவர்கள் குறுமினவாதிகளே!

விடுதலைப் புலிகள் வீழ்த்தப்பட்ட சூழ்நிலையைப் பயன்படுத்தி முழு நாட்டையும் அந்நியருக்கு தாரைவார்த்து விற்றுப்பிழைக்க துணிந்து விட்டார்கள் பக்ச பாசிஸ்டுக்கள்.உலக மறுபங்கீட்டுப் போட்டியில் இலங்கையில் களமிறங்கியுள்ள ஐ.ஆர்.சி( Iran Russia China), மற்றும் ஆமெயின் (America India) அணிகளுக்கு பங்கிட்டு விற்றுப் பிழைகின்றார்கள் பக்ச பாசிஸ்டுக்கள்.வெட்கம் மானம் சூடு சொரணை அற்று ஒரு புறம யுத்தக்குற்றவாளிகள் என மிரட்டிக்கொண்டு மறுபுறம் அமெரிக்க முதலீடுகளை ஊக்குவிக்கின்றான் ஒபாமா!இந்திய விரிவாதிக்க அரசு இதற்கு இடைத் தரகனாக இருக்கின்றது.

உல்லாசபுரியாக இலங்கையை மாற்றுவது, உலகமயமாக்கல் வர்த்தகத்துக்கு அந்நியச் செலாவணி திரட்டும் திட்டமே ஆகும்.இதற்காக விளை நிலங்கள் அபகரிக்கப்படுகிறது. உழைக்கும் மக்கள் தங்கள் நிலங்களில் இருந்து தூக்கி வீசப்படுகிறார்கள்.இரந்துண்ணும் மானுடர் இரவோடு இரவாக படுகொலை செய்யப் படுகின்றார்கள்.இந்தப்போக்கில் வக்கிர வன்முறைப் பாலியல் வதை என்கிற இழி தொழில் வளம் பெறும்! கற்பனைக்கு எட்டாத கலாச்சார சீரழிவால் நாடு நாசமுறும்! யாழ்ப்பாணத்தில் இது ஏற்கெனவே அதிகாரபூர்வமாக ஆரம்பித்துவிட்டது,2009 இற்கு முன்னமே சிங்களம் சிறுவர் வக்கிர வன்முறைப்  பாலியல் வதையில் கொடிகட்டிப் பறந்தது. இப்போது மாணவர்களைக் குறிவைத்துப் பாய்கின்றது!

உல்லாசத்துறை தரகு வணிகர்கள், அந்நிய வங்கிகள், இழிதொழில் கங்காணிகள், அந்நிய வக்கிர வன்முறைப் பாலியல் வதைப் பயங்கரவாதிகள், போன்றோரே இதனால் நன்மையடைவர்.

இது அபிவிருத்தி அல்ல அந்நியத் தீ!

இந்த அந்நியத்தீயைத் துப்பாக்கி முனையில் மூட்டி வருகிறது சிங்களம்!

புதிய ஈழப்புரட்சியாளர்கள்

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Sri Lanka to set up 35 five star hotels island wide

Sun, Dec 4, 2011, 12:18 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Dec 04, Colombo: The Sri Lankan government has approved setting up of 11 five star hotels in the capital Colombo and 24 in areas outside of Colombo to attract and accommodate tourists.Sri Lanka's Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa has said the government has received the approval to set up two
five-star hotels in Gampaha, one in Negombo, four in Beruwala, two in Jaffna, seven each in Batticaloa and Trincomalee, and one in Nuwara Eliya.

He has told the media that the government was also looking at creating a tourist zone linking Katunayake, Gampaha and Negombo in the Western Province.According to Rajapaksa, leading international hotels are to be invited to invest and build hotels in Sri Lanka to provide a wide range of choices for the discerning tourist.

He has emphasized that Sri Lanka has to attract the investors before they go to other countries.
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Sheraton to get five-acre land in Sri Lankan capital for US$ 73.5 million to build hotel complex
Thu, Dec 1, 2011, 09:50 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Dec 01, Colombo: The Sri Lankan government has received the approval from its cabinet to lease prime land in the capital Colombo to the Sheraton Hotel group for a US$ 73.5 million to build a luxury hotel complex.
At the regular meeting held Wednesday, the cabinet approved the proposal for the hotel complex forwarded by the Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa.The government will provide the M/s ITC limited of India, Franchise of Sheraton Group of USA, a block of land in extent of five acre near Army headquarters in Colombo on a 99 year lease for a sum of US$ 73.5 million as indicated by the Chief Government Valuer.

The Sheraton Group plans to invest US$ 300 million in the luxury hotel and mixed development project in Colombo.The government is planning to convert Colombo as a Middle Income City in terms of the long term development framework of the Government.

The project plan includes housing for shanty dwellers presently living within the city to ensure better living conditions for the residents and provide them opportunities for urban employment and livelihood activities.
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National Geographic Traveler picks Sri Lanka as one of the best places to visit in 2012
Fri, Dec 2, 2011, 01:39 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Dec 02, Colombo: The award-winning National Geographic Traveler magazine's November/December issue has picked Sri Lanka as one of the 20 best places to visit in 2012.

As one of the "Best of the World 2012", the expose on Sri Lanka features the luscious green tea plantations in the hill country, ancient Buddhist temples of Dambulla and Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, wildlife in Yala, and the UNESCO's world heritage site of Central Highlands that cradles the Adam's Peak.

One piece 'Jolly Good Times in Hill Country' describes Nuwara Eliya as a "colonial-era resort town in Sri Lanka's stunning hill country.""The first thing that strikes you is the climate. Damp and bracingly cool, this place doesn't fit your image of Sri Lanka, the lush island nation-formerly known as Ceylon-that hangs like
a teardrop off the tip of southern India," the review describes the climate of the highlands.

"This mountainous, mist-draped realm has long been popular with backpackers and other adventurers for its tea plantations (above) and rain forest preserves, known as the Central Highlands, which recently were added to UNESCO's World Heritage list."
Since the end of the war in May 2009 Sri Lanka has been a popular destination for tourists. A series of favorable travel articles in The New York Times, National Geographic Traveler, and the websites Daily Candy and Lonely Planet has given Sri Lanka top travel rankings.

Last year, the National Geographic ranked Sri Lanka at second place out of 25 countries for 'Best New Trips for 2010'.The New York Times named Sri Lanka the No. 1 travel destination in 2010, noting that the long conflict against the LTTE terrorism is over and that there is no better time to travel to Sri Lanka's unspoiled beaches, mountainous terrain and wildlife parks.

With the arrival of the 750,000th tourist in the country last month Sri Lanka has already exceeded its tourism goal for the year 2011.Under a new five-year plan to boost tourism in the country, Sri Lanka expects to raise the number of arrivals to 2.5 million and to earn annual revenue of US$ 2.75 billion by 2016.
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Chinese company yet to decide on land offered by the Sri Lankan government for hotel project
Sun, Dec 4, 2011, 01:27 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Dec 04, Colombo: Deputy Economic Development Minister of Sri Lanka Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena says that China National Aero Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC) is yet to decide on a plot of land out of several offered by the government.

The seven-acre plot of land in Galle Face initially offered to CATIC has now been allocated to build a Hotel for the Sheraton Group by an Indian Company following Cabinet approval last week.

Abeywardena told ColomboPage that CATIC was shown three plots of land around the Beira Lake as an alternate to the Galle Face land.

The Deputy Minister said CATIC was yet to decide on the plot of land, which would be given on a 99 year lease.The government is currently making arrangements to sign an agreement with India's ITC, Franchise of Sheraton Group of USA, to build the Sheraton Hotel within a period of four years.
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Newly opened Sri Lanka Expressway has earned Rs. 6.7 million in less than a week
Sat, Dec 3, 2011, 10:45 am SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Dec 03, Colombo: The Sri Lankan government says that authorities have collected Rs. 6.7 million from the vehicles that have traveled on the Southern Expressway from Kottawa to Galle since its opening on November 27th.

Deputy Highways Minister Nirmala Kothalawala has told the parliament that the highway has managed to earn millions within a week of its opening.The Deputy Minister has said that there have been about 25,000
vehicles that have used the expressway to travel to the South since its opening.

The government earlier said the expressway earned a million rupees within the first day after its opening.
The 95-km four-lane highway from Kottawa in Colombo district to Galle was constructed at a cost of around Rs.70 billion. The maximum speed on the highway is set at 100 Km per hour enabling the motorists to reach Galle in an hour.
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Another Indian company to explore possibility of drilling for oil in Sri Lanka's Mannar Basin
Sun, Dec 4, 2011, 01:19 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Dec 04, Colombo: India's Oil and Natural Gas Company (ONGC) has expressed interest in exploring for oil in the Mannar Basin off the Sri Lanka's northwest coast.Petroleum Minister Susil Premajayantha said ONGC officials are expected to visit the country shortly for discussions and assess the already available data.

The Minister told ColomboPage the Indian officials were scheduled to visit the country last week, but had postponed the visit.

The officials from the Indian company are to assess the possibility of drilling for oil and natural gas in the Mannar Basin according to current data.Meanwhile, officials from Russia's Gazprom who were visiting
the country had met with officials from Cairns India to discuss the data about natural gas deposits found by them in the Mannar Basin.

Gazprom has expressed interest in exploring for oil and natural gas in Sri Lanka.Cairn Lanka, a subsidiary of Cairn India Ltd., exploring for oil since August, found gas deposits with some hydrocarbon liquid in two exploratory wells in Mannar basin last month.

Premajayantha said the Russian company would make a final decision after studying the data collected by the company's technical officials who visited the country.

Mannar basin has eight oil and gas exploration blocks and two of them have been granted to China and India.
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Old Colombo Dutch hospital renovated and converted to a modern trade complex
Thu, Dec 1, 2011, 12:10 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Dec 01, Colombo: The old Colombo Dutch Hospital in Colombo Fort that was built by Dutch colonial rulers in 18th century has been renovated as a modern trade complex.Sri Lanka's Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa will declare open the new trade complex tomorrow evening.

Urban Development Authority, which carried out the renovation, has taken steps to conserve the historic value of the dilapidated structure during its conversion to a modern trade complex under the 'Developing the Colombo City' project.

The colonial building had suffered heavy damage in the LTTE bombing attack on the adjacent Central Bank building in 1996.Sri Lanka government has spent around Rs. 100 million for the renovation that was conducted under the supervision of the Archaeological Department.

The new trade complex is expected to be a tourist attraction in Colombo city.
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Pakistani company to set up cement processing plant at Sri Lanka's Hambantota Port
Thu, Dec 1, 2011, 09:50 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Dec 01, Colombo: the Sri Lankan government has received the approval from the cabinet to award a contract to a Pakistani company to set up a cement processing plant at the Hambantota port.

Accordingly, on a proposal submitted by the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Minister of Ports and Highways, M/s. Thatta Cement Co. of Pakistan will set up the cement grinding plant at the Southern port.

The Cabinet has already approved three other companies to set up plants at the port.Shree Renuka Sugar Ltd of India will set up a Sugar RefineryPlant, Peak Energy (Pvt.) Ltd of Singapore will open a Petro
Chemical Plant (pET Resin Plant). The Haleys Advantis Ltd will establish a Fertilizer Storage, Processing and Bagging Plant.
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US$ 100 million World Bank assistance to transform Sri Lanka's educational system
Wed, Nov 30, 2011, 09:57 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Nov 30, Colombo: The World Bank said on Tuesday that it has approved a US$100 million concessional credit to Sri Lanka to enhance access and quality of primary and secondary education to provide a foundation for the knowledge-based economic and social development of the country.

The Ministry of Education with the assistance will implement a project for 'Transforming the School Education System' (TSEP) at the national level, according to a World Bank statement released yesterday.

Provincial Ministries and Departments of Education, with the support of the Ministry of Local Government and Provincial Councils will implement it at the provincial level.

Under its theme, the programme will support initiatives to increase opportunities for children in the age group of 6-10 years to complete primary education and for children in the age group of 11-16 to complete secondary education up to grade 11.

The World Bank says the programme will also support several innovative initiatives to enhance learning outcomes and improve the orientation of the education system to the economic development and social needs of the country.

It would also help assist the country to empower schools with greater managerial authority and responsibility and to develop the planning, administration and monitoring capacity of the provincial, zonal and divisional levels of the education system.

"The program will help the country develop a foundation for the skills needed for the global economy of the future, and the ethics and values required for good citizenship in a modern democracy," Dr Harsha Aturupane, Lead Education Specialist and Task Team Leader of the operation has said.

"This country programme will not only assist the government to improve the school curriculum to better reflect modern international trends in curriculum practice. It will also enhance soft skills needed for better jobs in the future and support the renewal of key core values for future generations,"

World Bank Country Director for Sri Lanka Diarietou Gaye has said.About 4 million school children, around 215,000 school teachers, 15,000 principals and 3,500 education managers and administrators will directly benefit from the TSEP programme.

According to the global funding agency, there are approximately 1.6 million primary school students and 2.4 million secondary school students among the 4 million students in Sri Lanka.

The TSEP will indirectly benefit school communities of about 10,000 schools, the households of 4 million school children, the contractors of school infrastructure and suppliers of educational equipment, and the academics and researchers who will receive support for research and evaluation activities.

The development initiatives supported by this project are a high priority within the general education sector in Sri Lanka.
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Japan grants 60 million rupees to renovate pre-schools in Eastern Sri Lanka

Fri, Dec 2, 2011, 02:46 am SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Dec 01, Colombo: The Government of Japan has provided US$ 541,620 (approximately Rs. 60 million) in assistance for an early childhood care and development project in Trincomalee district of Eastern Sri Lanka.
a Japanese NGO, Save the Children Japan (SCJ) will implement the project titled "Early Childhood Care and Development Project in Trincomalee District, Phase 3", a follow up project from two previous projects to construct and renovate preschools and provide training for pre-school teachers in the district.

Ambassador of Japan Nobuhito Hobo and Katsuya Yoshida, a representative of SCJ signed the grant contract Thursday (01) at the Embassy of Japan in Colombo.According to the Embassy, the phase 3 project aims to develop sustainable system to offer early childcare by improving networks within communities and with local authorities, providing trainings for pre-school teachers and community members, and constructing preschools for the children of recently resettled communities.

The project is expected to benefit more than 1,000 families and their community members.The SCJ representative has said that their mission is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the children are treated.
"This project aims that all stakeholders including local authorities, communities, teachers, and children themselves become aware that they are the very agent that can bring lasting changes in children's lives," the official has said.

The project is realized by the Japan-NGO Cooperation Grant Scheme, which supports economic and social developments and emergency humanitarian reliefs through Japanese NGOs.
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Estate officers in Sri Lanka threaten to launch strike

Fri, Dec 2, 2011, 09:45 am SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Dec 02, Colombo: Estate officers in Sri Lanka say they would commence a strike action that would severely affect the estate sector if the estate owners fail to provide solutions to the existing salary anomalies.

Head of the Lanka Estate Services Association, Dhammika Jayawardena says that about 500 workers from 22 estates would join the strike action.He has pointed out that the EPF and ETF monies due to the estate workers have not been properly deposited by the estate owners since 2001.
He has observed that there were many issues in the estate sector that needed to be looked into by the authorities.

However, Jayawardena has noted that the estate officers played a key role in the estate sector from the planting of a crop till the harvesting of the yield and a strike action would therefore cripple the entire sector.

Iran military shoots down U.S. drone: state TV

TEHRAN | Sun Dec 4, 2011 9:53am EST
(Reuters) - Iran's military said on Sunday it had shot down a U.S. reconnaissance drone aircraft in eastern Iran, a military source told state television.

"Iran's military has downed an intruding RQ-170 American drone in eastern Iran," Iran's Arabic-language Al Alam state television network quoted the unnamed source as saying.

"The spy drone, which has been downed with little damage, was seized by the Iranian armed forces."

Iran shot down the drone at a time when it is trying to contain foreign reaction to the storming of the British embassy in Tehran on Tuesday, shortly after London announced that it would impose sanctions on Iran's central bank in connection with Iran's controversial nuclear enrichment program.

Britain evacuated its diplomatic staff from Iran and expelled Iranian diplomats in London in retaliation, and several other EU members recalled their ambassadors from Tehran.

The attack dragged Iran's relations with Europe to a long-time low.

Washington and EU countries have been discussing measures to restrict Iran's oil exports since the United Nations nuclear watchdog issued a report in November with what it said was evidence that Tehran had worked on designing an atom bomb.

Iran says its nuclear program is entirely peaceful.

(Created by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Tim Pearce)