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Presidential Elections: ITAK splits over supporting Sajith?

Presidential Elections: ITAK splits over supporting Sajith?

• Party members left in the dark: Senathirajah

• தமிழரசுக் கட்சியின் தீர்மானம் சாணக்கியம் நிறைந்தது- பா.உ இராதாகிருஸ்ணன்

 The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) yesterday appeared to be in two minds regarding a reported decision to extend its support to Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa  at the upcoming Election, it is learned.

The decision taken to announce  support for candidate Sajith Premadasa at a press conference held in Vavuniya yesterday (1 September),  is not a collective decision taken by the party, the former ITAK leader Mavai Senathirajah said.

Issuing a media statement a Senathirajah expressed his disapproval of the decision, stating that it does not represent the official stance of the party. Senathirajah clarified that he was unaware of any such meeting taking place within the party to deliberate on this matter.

Given this lack of awareness and participation from key party figures, he asserted that the decision to support Premadasa cannot be recognised as an official party decision. He emphasised that the endorsement was the result of a personal decision made by a small group of individuals, rather than a collective agreement by the party's leadership.

He also pointed out that several prominent members of ITAK, including the leader of ITAK S. Sritharan, Member of Parliament Charles Nirmalanathan, and former Member of Parliament S.C. Yogeswaran, did not attend the meeting where this decision was supposedly made.

The statement from Senathirajah comes after the statement made by Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP, M. A. Sumanthiran that the party has decided to support Premadasa, during the upcoming Presidential Election.

It is reported that MP Sumanthiran said that this decision was reached at the Central Committee meeting of the party. ITAK is considered as the main political party of the Tamil National Alliance. It was also reported that the ITAK has also agreed not to support the Tamil common candidate P. Ariyanenthiran.

Several attempts made to contact ITAK leader Sritharan and MP Selvam Adeikkalanathan proved futile.

சஜித் பிரேமதாசவை ஆதரிக்கும் தமிழரசு கட்சியின் தீர்மானம் சாணக்கியம் நிறைந்தது- பா.உ இராதாகிருஸ்ணன்

இந்த நாட்டையும் சிறுபான்மை மக்களையும் சிந்தித்து எடுக்கப்பட்ட தீர்மானமாகவே தமிழரசு கட்சின் தீர்மானமானது அமைந்துள்ளது இது எமது சிறுபான்மை சமூகத்தின் ஒற்றுமையை எடுத்துக் காட்டுகின்றது அதனை நான் பாராட்டுகின்றேன் வரவேற்கின்றேன் என நுவரெலியா மாவட்ட பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினரும் மலையக மக்கள் முன்னணியின் தலைவருமான வேலுசாமி இராதாகிருஸ்ணன் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

தமிழரசு கட்சியின் தீர்மானம் தொடர்பாக அவர் இன்று (03.09.2024) ஊடகங்களுக்கு கருத்து தெரிவிக்கையிலேயே இவ்வாறு குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார்.தொடர்ந'து கருத்து தெரிவிக்கையில்

இலங்கை நாட்டில் வாழுகின்ற சிங்களவர்கள் தமிழர்கள் முஸ்லிம்கள் கிறிஸ்தவர்கள் என அனைத்து சமூகத்தை சார்ந்தவர்களும் சஜித் பிரேமதாசவை ஆதரிப்பதற்கு முக்கிய காரணம் அவர் ஒருவர்தான் இந்த நாட்டின் அனைத்து சமூகங்களையும் இணைக்ககூடிய ஒரே ஜனாதிபதி என்பதை அனைவரும் புரிந்து கொண்டுள்ளார்கள்.

கடந்த காலங்களில் இந்த நாட்டை ஆட்சி செய்த ஆட்சியாளர்கள் அனைவரும் நாட்டு மக்களை இன ரீதியாகவும் மத ரீதியாகவும் பிரித்து ஆட்சி செய்வதையே விரும்பினார்கள்.இதனையே எம்மை அடிமைகளாக நடாத்திய ஆங்கிள ஆட்சியார்களும் செய்தார்கள்.இதனை பிரித்து ஆளுகின்ற கொள்கை எனவும் சொல்லப்பட்டது.

இதன் பிர்தாளுகின்ற கொள்கை காரணமாக நாம் அனைவரும் ஒற்றுமையாக செயற்பட முடியாத ஒரு நிலைமையை உருவாக்கினார்கள்.இந்த நாட்டில் இனவாதமும் மதவாதமும் அனைத்து விடயங்களிலும் செல்வாக்கு செலுத்தியது.சிங்கள பெரும்பான்மை சமூகத்தின் வாக்ககளில் மாத்திரமே தான் தெரிவு செய்யப்பட்டதாக பொது மேடைகளில் பேசினார்கள்.

இதன் காரணமாக சிறபான்மை சமூகத்தினர் பல இடங்களில் புறக்கணிக்கப்பட்டார்கள்.ஆனால் சஜித் பிரேமதாச அனைத்து சமூகத்தையும் இணைத்துக் கொண்டு முன்நோக்கி பயணிப்பதற்கு முயற்சி செய்கின்றார்.அதனையே இந்'த நாட்டு மக்களும் சர்வதேசமும் எதிர்பார்க்கின்றது.

தமிழரசு கட்சி கடந்த காலங்களில் அரசியல் சாணக்கித்துடன் செயற்பட்டதன் காரணமாக வடகிழக்கு மக்கள் சில நன்மைகளையும் பெற்றுக் கொண்டார்கள்.இன்று மீண்டும் தங்களுடைய அரசியல் சாணக்கியத்தின் மூலமாக செயற்பட்டு பல கேள்விகளுக்கு முற்றுப் புள்ளி வைத்திருக்கின்றார்கள்.

இந்த தீர்மானத்தின் மூலமாக சுமந்திரன் உட்பட்ட குழுவினர் ரணிலிடம் விலைபோகப்போகின்றார்கள் என்ற போலியாக உருவாக்கப்பட்ட மாயையை உடைத்தெறிந்திருக்கின்றார்கள்.எனவே இது ஒரு கல்வி கற்ற சமூகமாக சிந்தித்து எடுக்கப்பட்ட தீர்மானமாகவே மலையக மக்கள் முன்னணி பார்க்கின்றது.மிக விரைவில் வடகிழக்கின் ஏனைய சிறுபான்மை கட்சிகளும் சஜித் பிரேமதாசவிற்கு ஆதரவு வழங்க முன்வருவார்கள் என நாம் எதிர்பார்க்கின்றோம் எனவும் அவர் மேலும் குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார்.

நுவரெலியா நிருபர்

Source: தமிழன், The Morning 02-09-24

TNA decides to back Sajith

Senathiraja strikes discordant note

by Saman Indrajith 02-09-24 The Island

TNA Spokesman and Jaffna District MP MA Sumanthiran told The Island yesterday said the Illankai Thamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) Central Committee had unanimously endorsed a proposal to support SJB presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa in the forthcoming presidential election.

When asked how the Central Committee had decided to do so in the absence of ITAK leader MP S. Sritharan, who is currently in London, Sumanthiran said Sritharan had sent in his proposal that the party support former MP P. Ariyanethran, who is contesting as a common candidate. “Several members spoke in favour of his proposal, but in the end, the committee unanimously resolved to support Sajith,” Sumanthiran said.

Chief Government Whip and Kandy District SJB MP Lakshman Kiriella confirmed that ITAK had conveyed to the SJB its decision to back Premadasa.

Meanwhile, former ITAK Leader Mawei Senathiraja said the party had not made any official decision to support Premadasa’s candidacy. He said he was unaware of any meeting involving party members at a private hotel in Vavuniya and was also unaware that those present had made any decisions on behalf of ITAK.

Senathiraja further noted that key ITAK figures, including party leader S. Sritharan, MP Charles Nirmalanathan, and former MPs S.C. Yogeswaran and Gananmuthu Srinesan, had not been present at the aforementioned meeting. Therefore, any decision made at that gathering could not be considered as being representative of the ITAK’s official standpoint, he claimed.

German far right set for first major election win since World War II

German far right set for first major election win since World War II

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party was the projected winner in the Thuringia state election, dealing a blow to the country’s coalition government. 

 September 1, 2024, By James Angelos and Nette Nöstlinger, Politico

Germany’s far right claimed its biggest electoral success since World War II, winning a regional vote in the east of the country Sunday, according to projections.

The triumph of the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD), in a region that was under communist control during the Cold War, is a huge blow to Germany’s political center — especially for the three parties of the ruling coalition of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, which suffered significant losses.

The AfD came in first in the state of Thuringia with close to 33 percent of the vote, a result that will prompt much soul-searching as to how the center failed to stop the electoral re-emergence of the far right despite the AfD’s growing extremism.

“For us, it’s a historic success,” said Alice Weidel, one of the AfD’s national leaders.

In the more populous state of Saxony, the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) appears to have staved off the far right by finishing first with around 32 percent of the vote, with the AfD trailing close behind.

A new populist-left party, the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), which is led by a former member of East Germany’s old Communist Party, finished third in both states.

The surge of parties on the extremes of the political spectrum will likely be seen as another blow to Scholz’s already weak coalition government.

The three coalition parties — Scholz’s center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens and the fiscally conservative Free Democratic Party (FDP) — took significant losses in the Sunday ballots. In Thuringia, for example, the Greens and the FDP appear to have both crashed out of the state parliament after failing to meet the five-percent threshold necessary to gain seats.

While the SPD lost less ground in the elections, its result was still dismal. The party has already lost much of its relevance in Germany’s East, and is coming off its worst performance in a nationwide election for more than a century, in June’s European election. 

“For the SPD, this is not an evening to cheer,” said Kevin Kühnert, the party’s general secretary.

Despite the AfD’s strong performance, however, the party is unlikely to take power. All the other parties that appeared to win seats in the state parliaments have previously refused to govern in coalition with the AfD. In Thuringia, however, the party has more than one-third of seats, allowing it to block certain decisions such as the appointment of judges to the state constitutional court.

The populist BSW, which merges traditional right-wing stances on immigration and other social issues with customary left-wing economic and welfare policies, celebrated the election results. Given the fractured political landscape in both states, the BSW will likely play a kingmaker role in the formation of coalitions in both state parliaments.

That coalition-building process could take weeks or months, given the complicated electoral math — and could lead to strange political bedfellows, with centrist conservatives likely to find themselves ruling with a populist-left party led by a former communist.

The result could also prove a boon to Russian President Vladimir Putin who, during the Cold War, worked as a KGB spy in Dresden in then-East Germany. Both the AfD and BSW favor closer relations with the Kremlin — and want to halt German military aid for Ukraine.

“We want the war in Ukraine to end and we don’t see that happening with more and more arms deliveries,” BSW leader Wagenknecht told public broadcaster ARD after the vote.

Support for the AfD surged even after state-level domestic intelligence agencies in Thuringia and Saxony classified the local branches of the party as extremist organizations intending to undermine German democracy.

The fact that almost one in three voters in both states supported the AfD despite official warnings speaks to widespread public distrust in mainstream parties and institutions in Germany’s East. Polls show the AfD is also leading in the eastern state of Brandenburg, where voters go to the polls Sept. 22.

One issue troubling voters was migration, according to pre-election surveys, with respondents in Thuringia and Saxony citing it as among their top three concerns along with crime and “social protection.” According to one survey for German public television, 81-percent of voters agreed with the statement: “We need a fundamentally different asylum and refugee policy so that fewer people come to us.”

The Sunday voting followed a deadly knife attack several days earlier in the western German city of Solingen, which reanimated a charged national debate on immigration and crime. The suspect, a Syrian man suspected of being a member of the Islamic State, is accused of killing three people and injuring several more.

Scholz called the attack “terrorism,” while ministers in his government announced a tougher migration measures ahead of the Sunday elections, vowing to deport migrants who commit violent crimes and to cut benefits for asylum seekers in some cases.

The AfD’s gains were especially massive among young voters in both states, according to initial survey data. In Thuringia the party finished first with 37 percent support among 18- to 24-year-olds, an increase of almost 20 percentage points compared to its result in the previous state election in 2019. In Saxony, meanwhile, the AfD won 31 percent of voters in that age group, an increase of 14 percentage points compared to 2019.

The outcome delighted Björn Höcke, the leader of the AfD in Thuringia who is considered one of the most extreme politicians in the party, having twice been convicted by a German court of intentionally using Nazi rhetoric.

“I am more than happy,” Höcke said of the result on public television. The outcome, he added, “fills me with great pride and satisfaction.⍐”

Renegotiating with IMF is complex..... Ali Sabry

 

France continues without a government

 

Macron rules out left-wing government for France, political deadlock continues

French President Emmanuel Macron has ruled out naming a left-wing government and said he will start yet another round of consultations with parties, prolonging the political deadlock following this summer’s snap elections.

Macron rules out left-wing government for France, political deadlock continues

French President Emmanuel Macron has ruled out naming a left-wing government and said he will start yet another round of consultations with parties, prolonging the political deadlock following this summer’s snap elections.

After receiving the far-right National Rally Monday, concluding another round of talks with political parties, Macron rejected left-wing claims to govern.

The leftist New popular front (NFP) has said it should run the government with prime minister nominee, Lucie Castets, after winning the most seats in parliament, but falling short of a majority.

Macron had until now ignored Castets’ nomination.

In a statement from his office, Macron said an NFP government would threaten “institutional stability”, as it would not survive a confidence vote from centrist and right wing parties, because the alliance includes the hard-left France unbowed (LFI), founded by Jean-Luc Melenchon, which has been branded as extreme.

A left-wing government "would be immediately censored by all the other groups represented in the National Assembly" and "the institutional stability of our country therefore requires us not to choose this option", Macron said in the statement.

"My responsibility is that the country is not blocked nor weakened," he added.

The President said he would launch a new round of talks on Tuesday and called for parties to cooperate, notably the Socialists, communists and greens in the NFP, and not the LFI.

LFI coordinator Manuel Bompard called Macron's comments an "unacceptable anti-democratic coup".

Macron has left Gabriel Attal to run a caretaker government since the election. The pressure is on to appoint a new government as the deadline to present a draft 2025 budget to address a growing debt is just over a month away⍐.

(RFI with newswires 27/08/2024)

Grief and shock in Melbourne after Tamil asylum seeker dies by self-immolation

 Grief and shock in Melbourne after Tamil asylum seeker dies by self-immolation

Refugee advocates have gathered to protest the death of a 23-year-old Tamil asylum seeker who died after setting himself on fire in Melbourne's south-east.

Friends of Mano Yogalingam told the ABC he had arrived in Australia from Sri Lanka in 2013 and had been on a bridging visa for roughly 11 years.

A Victoria Police spokesperson said emergency services were called to a skate park in Noble Park on Tuesday night.

A man with life-threatening injuries was taken to hospital, where he died on Wednesday, they said.

The Tamil Refugee Council said it believed the time Mr Yogalingham had spent on a bridging visa had been a contributing factor to his death.

A council spokesperson told the ABC Mr Yogalingham's claim for refugee status was previously rejected under the controversial "fast-track" system introduced in 2014, an outcome he had been seeking to appeal.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has been contacted for comment and his department has been asked about the status of Mr Yogalingham's visa application.

In a brief statement, a Home Affairs spokesperson said the department's condolences were with family members and other people affected "at this difficult time".

"For privacy reasons, the department cannot comment on individual cases," they said.

The Tamil community is a minority group in Sri Lanka and its members are largely Hindu or Christian.

In recent years, Australian authorities have found Tamils in Sri Lanka "face a low risk of official or societal discrimination" and "a low risk of torture overall" — an assessment at odds with some international bodies and the United States.

Community in 'shock' at young father's sudden death

Friend Rathy Barthlote said Mr Yogalingham was a "strong person, very energetic, very lovely".

"That kind of strong person, it's happened to him, it's a shock for everyone," she said.

Rathy Barthlote has urged the federal government to reconsider its approach to asylum seekers
on bridging visas. (ABC News)

Friends of Mr Yogalingham gathered outside the Home Affairs department's Docklands office on Wednesday to protest the young father's death.

Ms Barthlote said many of those present had also spent years on bridging visas like Mr Yogalingham.

She urged the federal government to change its policies so that people who had lived in Australia for years on bridging visas could have certainty.

"Please, stop this limbo for all of our life, we don't want to lose anyone else anymore," Ms Barthlote said.

"Give us a permanent residency because we are living this life for more than a decade.

"We are contributing to this community as much as we can. We are the hard-working people, we are the carers and aged-care workers, we are doing business, everything we are doing our best for the government."⍐

Source:

ABC News

Mosquito-Borne Virus Concerning U.S. Towns

What to Know About the Rare But Deadly Mosquito-Borne Virus Concerning U.S. Towns

By Rebecca SchneidAugust 25, 2024 The Time

A coastal town in Massachusetts is shutting its parks, playgrounds, and fields from dusk to dawn due to concerns about the mosquito-borne virus Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). 

Plymouth put the early closures in place on Aug. 23, and advised the public to remain cautious and follow the tips found on the Massachusetts Department of Health’s (DPH) website. The news comes after state health officials revealed on Aug. 16 that a man in his 80s had been infected with EEE after being exposed in Worcester County—reportedly the first human case in Massachusetts since 2020.

“As Mass DPH has now elevated Plymouth’s EEE risk status to high, it is important to take extra precautions when outdoors and follow state and local health guidelines to avoid unnecessary risk of exposure to EEE,” said Plymouth’s Commissioner of Health and Human Services, Michelle Bratti, in a press release. “The health and safety of our community, residents, and visitors remain our priority.”

Worcester County in Massachusetts is also concerned about the mosquito-borne virus. On Saturday, Aug. 24, state officials announced that they plan to spray for mosquitoes in sections of Worcester and Plymouth counties due to EEE.

Here is what you need to know.

What is Eastern equine encephalitis?

Per the Massachusetts DPH, EEE is very rare, but incredibly serious. Since the virus—that is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito—was first identified in Massachusetts in 1938, just over 115 cases have occurred. Furthermore, outbreaks of EEE usually occur in Massachusetts every 10-20 years.

The press release sent out by the town of Plymouth stated that, per the Massachusetts DPH, the “EEE fatality rate in humans varies from 33% to 70%, with most deaths occurring 2–10 days after the onset of symptoms.”

Symptoms can include fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, behavioral changes, and drowsiness. According to the Massachusetts DPH, inflammation and swelling of the brain, called encephalitis, is the most dangerous and frequent serious complication of EEE.

EEE can exacerbate quickly and some patients may go into a coma within a week.

Humans and some mammals are what’s known as “dead-end hosts,” meaning they do not spread the virus, even though they get sick, to mosquitoes that bite them.

How is Eastern equine encephalitis tested and treated? 

EEE is diagnosed through symptoms and through testing spinal fluid or blood, which can show if the virus or viral antibodies are present in the body.

There are currently no vaccines for humans or targeted treatments for EEE. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), clinical management of the virus is advised. Patients with EEE require close monitoring by their health care provider, who may prescribe pain control or other treatments to deal with the specific symptoms of EEE.

Overall, prevention is key. In Plymouth’s Aug. 23 notice, the city recommended certain strategies for citizens to avoid mosquito bites, including draining standing water, wearing long sleeves and pants during peak mosquito hours, and installing screens in your home. They also recommended utilizing bug repellant, specifically a repellent with an EPA-registered ingredient.

Animal owners should reduce potential mosquito breeding sites on their property by eliminating standing water from containers such as buckets, tires, and wading pools—especially after heavy rains.

What U.S. towns have raised their EEE risk level to "critical" or "high"?

Four towns in Massachusetts have raised the EEE risk level to “critical”—Douglas, Oxford, Sutton, and Webster.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the towns of Carver, Dudley, Middleborough, Northbridge, and Uxbridge also raised their EEE risk levels to “high,” joining Plymouth.

Concern is also mounting over the West Nile virus, which is primarily spread by mosquitoes. In July, multiple local health departments warned citizens after officials detected mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus in states across the U.S. As of Aug. 20, the CDC had recorded 216 cases in 33 states in 2024.

On Aug. 24, it was confirmed that Dr. Anthony Fauci, who served as the chief medical advisor to the President from 2021 to 2022, had been hospitalized after being infected with West Nile virus. He is now recovering at home⍐.

Nearly 1 in 3 UK Residents Miss Mortgage Payments

Nearly 1 in 3 UK Residents Miss Payments as Mortgage Arrears Soar by 50% Amidst Rising Interest Rates

UK government's Mortgage Charter has helped over 1.1 million mortgage holders in recent months

By Niloy Chakrabarti Niloy Chakrabarti Published 08/27/24 IBT

The UK Department for Work and Pensions-backed Money and Pensions Services (MaPS) October 2023 survey of UK residents revealed that 30% had missed at least one payment during the year, with many experiencing the setback for the first time. The research showed missed payments were led by credit card and utility defaults, but more people are also beginning to miss rent and mortgage payments.

Elevated interest rates and the end of fixed-rate mortgage deals for almost 1.6 million UK homeowners this year could increase mortgage payments by an average of £1,800 annually as they transition to higher rates. The situation puts nearly a quarter of UK mortgage holders at heightened risk of missing payments as thousands remain worried about losing their homes.

Massive Surge In Repossession Claims Cases

UK Ministry of Justice data shows that mortgage repossession claims in England and Wales reached 5,182 for Q1 2024, a 40% jump in 18 months. Meanwhile, recent Bank of England (BoE) data revealed mortgage balances with arrears jumped over 50% in Q4 2023 compared to 2022 to reach £20.3 billion. Furthermore, Hargreaves Lansdown analysts estimated that mortgage payments will grow to account for a quarter of annual income for millions of homeowners when fixed-rate deals end by 2024-end. A total of 2.1 million mortgage holder could witness mortgage payments surpass 25% of their disposable income, which amplifies default risks. The experts further calculated that close to 400,000 households with insufficient savings and inadequate spending habits could be a "critical risk" of slipping into arrears.

UK Ministry of Justice data shows that mortgage repossession claims in England and Wales reached 5,182 for Q1 2024, a 40% jump in 18 months

Government Ramps Up Measures To Help Mortgage Holders

The UK government recently rolled out the Mortgage Charter to stop banks from proceeding in repossession cases after initial non-payment. It clearly states that borrowers won't face eviction without consent within a year of their first mortgage default. The charter pushes lenders to help borrowers navigate rising living costs. Homebuyers can seek help from lenders without impacting their credit scores, and they have the option to temporarily defer payments or switch to interest-only payments to reduce the load on monthly household budgets. The Financial Conduct Authority estimated that over 1 million mortgage holders have benefitted from the charter, which has the backing of 90% of the mortgage market.

Pleas For Assistance From Charities Have Tripled

Charities think the number of people asking them for financial assistance has tripled since interest rates started climbing in 2022. Money Advice Trust's Jane Tully described the current landscape of elevated living costs as challenging times for mortgage holders. The trust runs the free debt advice service through National Debtline. Tully also highlighted the financial risks homeowners face when their fixed-rate deals end to significantly increase monthly repayments, adding that more mortgage holders are contacting National Debt.

MaPS urges financially vulnerable people, especially those about to miss payments, to act by contacting charities or negotiating better rates or flexible payment options with their creditors. MaPS head of guidance Charlotte Jackson shared a surprising estimate that one in seven people wouldn't take action if they were struggling financially, which increases their risks to financial stability by many folds over the long term. Meanwhile, defaulters can seek free debt advice to have some control over the situation⍐.