Bomb blast in Philippines kills 4, wounds 30

Muslim rebels opposed to a peace deal with the government have been blamed for similar bombings in the past.

Members of the communists' armed wing, the New People's Army, stand in formation as they mark the 46th anniversary of its founding in a remote village on the southern island of Mindanao. The Philippine government and communist rebels said formal negotiations to end a lengthy insurgency could restart shortly, though the rebels' armed wing announced it was beefing up its guerrilla campaign.

By: The Associated Press Published on Wed Dec 31 2014

MLANG, PHILIPPINES—A bomb exploded at the entrance of a town market packed with New Year’s Eve shoppers in the restive southern Philippines, killing four people and wounding at least 30 others, officials said.

Police said they have no immediate suspects in the second such attack in two months, but Muslim rebels opposed to a peace deal with the government have been blamed for similar bombings in the past.

Most of the victims were shoppers buying fruits and horns used for noise-making to greet the new year, said police chief Joan Resurreccion of Mlang township in North Cotabato province.

Last month, a bomb blast at a billiard hall in the same town killed three people.

“This is not a happy new year for us people in Mlang,” said Mayor Joselito Pinol.

One suspect has been arrested in the previous bombing, but no group has claimed responsibility for either blast.

Minority Muslims in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation’s south have been fighting for self-rule for decades. In March, the largest rebel group signed an autonomy deal with the government, but a breakaway faction called Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters was of several vowing to continue fighting.

Authorities accused the rebels of carrying out a bus bombing that killed at least 10 people early this month in a province farther north. The rebels have denied responsibility.

Five Guantanamo Bay inmates 'resettled' in Kazakhstan

The US has transferred 28 inmates from Guantanamo Bay this year

31 December 2014 

Five men held at the US prison in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba for more than a decade have been sent to Kazakhstan for resettlement, the Pentagon says.

The three Yemenis and two Tunisians had been captured in Pakistan as suspected militants with ties to al-Qaeda.

US officials say the men, who were never charged, no longer pose a threat.

Officials say 28 inmates have been released from the facility this year, the largest number since US President Barack Obama took office in 2009.

It comes as part of the president's push to close the controversial prison, which was opened in the wake of the 9/11 attacks on the US.

Earlier this month, four Afghan detainees were repatriated while another six prisoners were flown to Uruguay.

The latest release brings the Guantanamo prison population down to 127, the Pentagon said in a statement on Tuesday.

The five men were "unanimously approved for transfer" after a review of their cases by an inter-agency task force, it added.

It marks the first time Kazakhstan has taken in Guantanamo Bay prisoners, which senior US officials say followed extensive negotiations.

No reason was given for why the men were not sent to their home countries. However, many detainees cannot be repatriated because their countries of origin are considered unstable or unsafe.

Guantanamo Bay in numbers

• 127 detainees remaining
• 59 approved for transfer
• 15 believed to be classified as "high value"
• 15 freed in December - six sent to Uruguay (pictured), four to Afghanistan and five to Kazakhstan
• About half of the remaining 127 inmates at Guantanamo Bay have been cleared for transfer.
• Correspondents say President Obama's efforts to shut the facility have been slowed in part by resistance in Congress.
  The detention centre was opened in 2002 to hold "enemy combatants" in what the US termed its war on terror.

Yes, Russia’s Military Is Getting More Aggressive

But are Moscow's heavily armed fly-bys through European airspace a nuisance -- or a 

warning of things to come in 2015?

BY JAMES T. QUINLIVAN-DECEMBER 30, 2014

 On Dec. 12, a Russian military jet came dangerously close to a Scandinavian Airlines passenger plane in international airspace near southern Sweden. Reportedly, the Russian aircraft was flying without its transponder active when the Swedish military detected it. The Swedes notified civilian air traffic control, which then diverted the civilian jet. A collision was avoided.
Yes, Russia’s Military is Getting More Aggressive by Thavam Ratna

A nuclear deal with Iran would mean a less volatile world

Never mind Cuba, this is the big one for the west. Failure to reach an agreement could trigger a wave of nuclear proliferation

The Bushehr nuclear power plant, south of Tehran. Photograph: Mehr News Agency/Majid Asgaripour/Reuters

Julian Borger-Wednesday 31 December 2014

There will be no greater diplomatic prize in 2015 than a comprehensive nuclear deal with Iran. In its global significance, it would dwarf the US detente with Cuba, and not just because there are seven times more Iranians than Cubans. This deal will not be about cash machines in the Caribbean, but about nuclear proliferation in the most volatile region on Earth.

An agreement was supposed to have been reached by 24 November, but Iran and the west were too far apart to make the final leap. After nine months of bargaining, the intricate, multidimensional negotiation boiled down to two main obstacles: Iran’s long-term capacity to enrich uranium, and the speed and scale of sanctions relief.

Iran wants international recognition of its right not just to enrich, but to do so on an industrial scale. It wants to maintain its existing infrastructure of 10,000 centrifuges in operation and another 9,000 on standby, and it wants to be able to scale that capacity up many times.

The US and its allies say Tehran has no need for so much enriched uranium. Its one existing reactor is Russian-built, as are its planned reactors, so all of them come with Russian-supplied fuel as part of the contract. The fear is that industrial enrichment capacity would allow Iran to make a bomb’s-worth of weapons-grade uranium very quickly, if it decided it needed one – faster than the international community could react.

However, the west is currently not offering large-scale, immediate sanctions relief in return for such curbs on Iran’s activity. President Barack Obama can only temporarily suspend US congressional sanctions, and western states are prepared to reverse only some elements of UN security council sanctions. The best the west can offer upfront is a lifting of the EU oil embargo.

These gaps remain substantial, but none of the parties involved can walk away from the table. A collapse of talks would lead to a slide back to the edge of conflict between Iran and Israel; the latter has vowed to launch military strikes rather than allow the former to build a bomb. It could also trigger a wave of proliferation across the region and beyond as other countries hedge their bets.

So the parties to the talks have given themselves more time – until 1 March 2015 – to agree a framework deal for bridging them and until 1 July to work out all of the details. They have resumed meetings in Geneva, with an emphasis on sessions between the two most important countries, the US and Iran. The trouble is that, while the diplomats inside the chamber sense that they are still making progress in closing the gaps, the sceptics back home just see deceit and playing for time by the other side.

This is particularly true of the US Congress. A new Republican-controlled Senate will convene on 6 January. From that date, the White House can no longer rely on a Democratic majority leader to keep new sanctions legislation off the Senate floor. The legislation now under discussion could take the form of triggered sanctions, which would come into effect if there was no deal by a target date. That would add urgency to the negotiations, undoubtedly a good thing, but it would also provoke counter-measures from Iran’s parliament, the Majlis, and a very volatile environment.

It is possible that the Republican leadership in the Senate will choose other battles to fight with the president before trying to build a veto-proof majority on sanctions, but the pressure will build exponentially if there is no deal on the table on 1 March. It could be the most important diplomatic date of the year.

Palestinians look to expand international voice after failed U.N. bid on peace process

JBy Ruth Eglash and Carol Morello December 31 at 9:57 AM

ERUSALEM — Palestinian leaders regrouped Wednesday over proposals to expand their international voice after falling just one vote short in a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding Israel step up peace efforts and withdraw from occupied lands.

The U.N. measure sought to increase pressure on the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and mark another step toward possible Palestinian statehood.

But Tuesday’s vote was strongly opposed by the Obama administration, which favors a negotiated agreement rather than a forced pact or unilateral action by the Palestinians frustrated by the stalled peace process.

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said top officials in the West Bank planned talks that could include setting a timetable to join more groups with global reach such as the International Criminal Court, where the Palestinians could pursue charges against Israel for alleged war crimes.

“There will be no more waiting, no more hesitation, no more slowdown,” Erekat said. “We are going to meet and make decisions.”

In Israel, the government released a statement Wednesday that called the unsuccessful resolution “completely one-sided” and said it lacked “the components that would advance a future agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.”

“The failure of the Palestinian resolution must teach the Palestinians that provocation and attempts to impose unilateral measures on Israel will not achieve anything — to the contrary,” said Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

The resolution called for Israelis and Palestinians to strike a peace deal within a year and for Israel to withdraw within three years to its borders before the 1967 war — in which Israel won control of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

It also declared that East Jerusalem would be the capital of a Palestinian state, a more hard-line stance than an earlier version that described Jerusalem as a shared capital. It also demanded an end to Israeli settlement building.

The resolution fell one vote short of the nine necessary for passage, sparing the United States the need to wield its veto power as one of the council’s five permanent members.

In the days before the vote, Secretary of State John F. Kerry made a flurry of calls to 13 foreign ministers and leaders to express concern that a resolution would only deepen the conflict, U.S. officials said.

Still, the resolution won the backing of several U.S. allies including France and Jordan, which agreed to introduce the measure at the council after it was endorsed by 22 Arab nations.

Five of the 15 countries on the Security Council abstained from the vote, including Britain. Australia was the only country that joined the United States in voting against the resolution.

It remained unclear why the Palestinians wanted to have a vote before Thursday, when the council’s rotating membership changes to include at least two countries sympathetic to Palestinian statehood.

Foreign Minister Lieberman said Tuesday he believed that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas insisted on it for political reasons, including trying to upstage Palestinian rival Hamas. The militant group, which controls Gaza, opposed the resolution as not going far enough.

Morello reported from Washington.

Ruth Eglash is a reporter for The Washington Post based in Jerusalem. She was formerly a reporter and senior editor at the Jerusalem Post and freelanced for international media.

Carol Morello is the diplomatic correspondent for The Washington Post, covering the State Department.

Fiscal deficit hits 99 pct of full-year target in November

An employee poses with the bundles of rupee notes inside a bank in Agartala, August 22, 2013.

NEW DELHI Wed Dec 31, 2014

(Reuters) - India's fiscal deficit was 5.25 trillion rupees ($83.08 billion) during April-November, or 98.9 percent of the full-year target, government data showed on Wednesday.

The deficit was 93.9 percent during the same period a year ago.

Net tax receipts were at 4.13 trillion rupees ($65.35 billion) in the first eight months of the current fiscal year that ends in March 2015.

($1 = 63.1950 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh; editing by Malini Menon)

What You Need to Know About Peripheral Artery Disease

By Karla Silva, Jun 13, 2013

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) affects nearly 12 million people in the U.S., but it is people with diabetes who are at higher risk of developing this condition.

PAD is a condition similar to coronary artery disease. In coronary artery disease, the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle close, while in PAD, it is the arteries that lead to areas outside the brain and heart, most commonly the legs and feet, that become clogged.

This occurs when fatty deposits build up in the inner linings of the artery walls of the legs and obstruct blood flow. PAD can lead to pain, specifically when walking, and in extreme cases could lead to limb amputation.

Symptoms of PAD

The most common symptom of peripheral arterial disease is intermittent pain, cramping or aching in the calves, thighs or buttocks, which can arise while walking or doing exercise. The more extreme symptoms of PAD are collectively called critical limb ischemia and can include rest pain, tissue loss and gangrene.

Rest pain is described as a continuous burning pain that begins or is aggravated by reclining and is relieved by sitting or standing. Signs of tissue loss and gangrene are things like open sores, skin infections or ulcers that will not heal, and dry gangrene, which is dry, black skin on the legs or feet.

However, PAD in people with diabetes will often go unnoticed or undiagnosed because many patients do not have any symptoms, do not report their symptoms, or the perception of pain is hampered by the presence of peripheral neuropathy. Another problem for diagnosing PAD is that there is no generalized method that has been agreed upon yet by physicians and researchers in the field.

Risk Factors for PAD

In people with diabetes, the risk of PAD is higher due to age, duration of diabetes and the presence of peripheral neuropathy. PAD and diabetes share in common other risk factors such as:

• - Irregular blood sugar levels
• - Smoking
• - Obesity/weight problems
• - Physical inactivity
• - High blood pressure
• - High LDL cholesterol, or “bad” cholesterol
• - Family history of cardiovascular disease, stroke or PAD
• - Previous history of coronary artery disease, heart attack, angina, bypass surgery or stroke

Prevention

Many of the risk factors mentioned can be controlled by minimizing the likelihood of developing PAD and slowing its progression. One of the most effective treatments for PAD is regular physical activity. It is suggested to start with a simple walking routine and leg exercises. Making changes in your diet can also help to prevent and control PAD.

Many patients with PAD have high cholesterol levels. Changing your diet to one that is low in saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol can help to lower your cholesterol levels. Furthermore, it is strongly recommended that you not smoke as smoking can greatly increase your risk of PAD, heart attack and stroke.

It is also important to remember that all patients with diabetes and PAD should maintain regular foot care in order to minimize the risks of developing complications and limb loss.

Treatments

If you are diagnosed with PAD, your doctor will approach you about different treatment options available to you. It is possible that your doctor may recommended a program of supervised exercise training. This program could consist of at least three months of intermittent treadmill walking, three times per week.

The program usually takes into account the fact that walking can cause pain and consists of alternating activity and rest. This kind of therapy is usually carried out in a monitored environment in a rehabilitation center.

Additionally, you may also be prescribed high blood pressure and cholesterol-lowering medications as well as antiplatelet medication, which helps prevent blood clots.

Sources: American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association

Urgent Appeal To Leaders Of The Commonwealth Of Nations To Ensure A Free And Fair Presidential Election In Sri Lanka

The following article is based on an open letter to Mr. Kamalesh Sharma, the Commonwealth Secretary-General on the forthcoming presidential election in Sri Lanka

| by Lionel Bopage

( December 30, 2014, Sidney, Sri Lanka Guardian) I am writing as President of Australian Advocacy for Good Governance in Sri Lanka (AAGGSL), an organisation committed to positively subscribing to the establishment of practicing democracy and rule of law in Sri Lanka while respecting the rights and will of all its peoples.

A deep-rooted fear psychosis has been induced in the society as a whole through physical violence, intimidation and destruction of property. Supporters and officials of the ‘common opposition candidate’ are subjected to harassment, arbitrary arrests and ill-treatment by the authorities.

The erosion of democratic and human rights of the people in Sri Lanka accelerated since the introduction of a new constitution in 1978 that led to the establishment of an executive presidency with executive and legislative power concentrated in the hands of a President, who is immune from prosecution and accountability. This has led to the current pervasive culture of impunity in the island and the overarching presence of nepotism, graft, corruption, dynastic rule and the endless amassing of state assets by members of, and cronies loyal to, the first family.

The end of the civil war in May 2009 provided the opportunity for Sri Lanka to address the issues that led to such a cataclysmic situation by implementing much needed political, constitutional, administrative and socio-economic reforms. Five years on, the country is still reeling under an authoritarian autocratic governance.

The Presidential Election in Sri Lanka is to be held on 8 January 2015. Matters relating to democracy, independence of judiciary and good governance have gained prominence in the current campaign discourse, and Constitutional reforms including abolition of executive presidency and establishment of independent Commissions have become priority issues. We believe that this presidential election could pave the way for carrying out the required reforms for the restoration of democracy, the rule of law and good governance.

However, the current election campaign is closely contested with serious and well-founded concerns about its legitimacy, calling into question whether it will ever be a free, fair and an inclusive election.

The emergence of a viable ‘common opposition’ has led to an increase in major election-related violence and other malpractices. The incumbent President, Mr Mahinda Rajapakse has deployed the full resources of the state: large sums of money; material benefits, state-owned vehicles and media networks; public services and the security and intelligence apparatus for his campaign.

So far, the local election monitors such as Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) and People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) and The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) have received reports of about 50 violent incidents, and 600 breaches of election laws including the offer of inducements of money and employment.

Further, on 26 December 2014, supporters of the government had attacked former President Ms Chandrika Bandaranaike and Provincial Councilor Ms. Hirunika Premachandra. Opposition supporters are subjected to violent acts, including burning down of and attacks on party offices; destroying property of the opposition supporters, whilst no action is taken by the law enforcement agencies etc. Furthermore, local election monitors have warned the Elections Commissioner of covert moves to impersonate Sri Lankans working overseas.

A deep-rooted fear psychosis has been induced in the society as a whole through physical violence, intimidation and destruction of property. Supporters and officials of the ‘common opposition candidate’ are subjected to harassment, arbitrary arrests and ill-treatment by the authorities.

Therefore, we consider it appropriate that the Commonwealth of Nations send a strong and clear signal to President Rajapaksa, who is also its Chairperson-in-Office, to take all necessary steps to ensure that the Sri Lankan authorities live up to their responsibilities in accordance with the core principles and values set out in the Harare Commonwealth Declaration.

We, AAGGSL, respectfully appeal to the leaders of the Commonwealth of Nations to urgently call upon the Sri Lankan authorities to put an immediate end to the violations of election laws in the lead up to and during the presidential election and ensure a free and fair election without intimidation, violence, electoral malpractices or manipulations.

As Sri Lanka heads to polls, UN chief calls for ‘peaceful and credible’ election

A polling area in the the north of Sri Lanka when local elections were held in July 2010. Photo: IRIN

29 December 2014 – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has conveyed his “strong expectation” that the Government of Sri Lanka will ensure “the peaceful and credible conduct” of its upcoming Presidential election, scheduled for the beginning of the New Year.

In a phone call last week with G.L. Peiris, Sri Lanka’s Minister of External Affairs, Mr. Banreaffirmed the UN’s continuous support for reconciliation, political dialogue and accountability as the country heads towards the election on 8 January 2015.

Sri Lanka has experienced a spate of ethnic and sectarian attacks since its 26-year civil conflict, which pitted the Government against Tamil insurgents, ended in 2009.

Most recently, a tide of violence and recrimination against Sri Lanka’s Muslim and Christian communities by Buddhist groups with extremist views has threatened to divide the country once again.

According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), more than 350 violent attacks against Muslims and over 150 attacks against Christians have been reported in Sri Lanka in the last two years. Muslim and Christian communities are reportedly subjected to hate speech, discrimination, attacks and acts of violence throughout Sri Lanka frequently.

On 15 June, a local group promoting extremist Sinhalese nationalist views, Bodu Bala Sena (The Buddhist Power Force, or “BBS”), staged a large protest rally in Aluthgama that resulted in inter-communal violence, during which four people died and about 80 were injured. Homes and shops owned by Muslims, as well as mosques, were vandalized and some set ablaze.

In his conversation with Mr. Peiris, the Secretary-General noted the importance of inclusive participation of all Sri Lankan voters, including minority communities, in the election process without any fear.

TNA decides to support Maithri

(Lanka-e-News-30.Dec.2014, 8.45PM)  The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which extended its support to common opposition candidate Maitripala Sirisena, said today the election of a new president would be a positive step towards the evolution of a political solution to the national question.

TNA Decides to Support Maithri by Thavam Ratna

8th Jan: Eelam Tamils Make A Choice Take A Stand

By C P Thiagarajah -December 30, 2014

Dr C P Thiagarajah

Uthayan newspaper reported that Mannar Catholic Bishop Rev Rayappu Joseph in his Christmas night mass had stated that what the country needed was a President who would be sympathetic or supportive of the political aspirations of the Tamils. We could infer from this sermon that a Tamil cannot be a president in the near future and that Tamils have to depend on the good sympathies of a Sinhala president. With all my 30 years government service in Sinhala areas I have my serious doubts that such a Sinhala president will ever be found for another fifty years. The two main contestants in the forth-coming election in Jan 2015 are unsympathetic to Tamil problems and any solutions. Their manifesto simply exposes this fact. The manifesto are Sinhala/Buddhist centric. They are fighting for family dominations and wealth creation for the Sinhalese only.

                                         Read More

Strike While The Regime Is Weak

By TU Senan –December 30, 2014

TU Senan

If Sri Lanka’s next president were to be decided purely on the basis of electoral arithmetic, then Mahinda is a goner – as the excellent article byKusal Perera (How will the SL electorate behave?) outlined. But events cannot always be relied upon to follow an expected route. Among many other factors, the organisational strength of the masses can be a vital factor in determining an outcome that will be in service to the masses. Unfortunately in Sri Lanka no mass organisation has participated in the process. It is for this reason that we argued against all the would-be illusionists who wanted to paint a picture of a common opposition crushing the monster with one blow to the executive presidency.

Now that the shine is coming off the so-called opposition, we must credit the father of the common candidate proposal himself, Kumar David, who was first in line to call Maithri a ‘renegade’ and all that. Can he and others make use of this belated wisdom to argue the case for something new – a proposal for the building of a new mass alternative? Maithri never even pretended to be in the camp of those who want real change. So it’s pointless to call him names now. He lives up to what he is – a loyal servant of Sinhala nationalism and a brutal face for capitalism. This is in fact one of the main faults of the proposal itself. None of these candidates can be trusted to deliver on our behalf which we pointed out time and time again.

The regime is weak – we must strike while the iron is hot                            Read More  

மைத்திரிபாலவுடன் ஒப்பந்தம் எதுவும் கிடையாது: சம்பந்தன் திட்டவட்டமாக அறிவிப்பு

Submitted by Priyatharshan on Tue, 12/30/2014

பொது எதிரணியின் ஜனாதிபதி வேட்பாளர் மைத்திரிபால சிறிசேனவுடன் தமிழ்த் தேசியக் கூட்டமைப்பு எந்தவொரு ஒப்பந்தத்தையும் செய்துகொள்ளவில்லை என கூட்டமைப்பின் தலைவரும் பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினருமான இரா.சம்பந்தன் தெரிவித்தார்.

இராணுவ முகாம்களை அகற்றிக்கொள்ளல், காணி, பொலிஸ் அதிகாரங்கள் குறித்து மைத்திரிபால சிறிசேனவுடன் எந்தவித பேச்சுவார்த்தையும் நடத்தப்படவில்லை என்பதை சுட்டிக்காட்டிய இரா.சம்பந்தன், பொது வேட்பாளருக்கு பரிபூரண ஆதரவை வழங்குவதாக குறிப்பிட்டார்.

த.தே.கூ. உடன் எந்தவொரு ஒப்பந்தமும் இல்லை : மைத்திரி யாழில் தெரிவிப்பு

DEC 30, 2014 

தமிழ்த்தேசியக் கூட்டமைப்புடன் எந்தவொரு ஒப்பந்தத்தையும் நான் செய்துகொள்ளவில்லை என்று பொது எதிரணியின் ஜனாதிபதி வேட்பாளரான மைத்திரிபால சிறிசேன யாழில் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

மைத்திரிபாலவுடன் ஒப்பந்தம் எதுவும் கிடையாது சம்பந்தன் திட்டவட்டமாக அறிவிப்பு.odt by Thavam Ratna

Name, date and place of birth altered many times fraudulently- Minister Weerawansa and wife guilty

(Lanka-e-News- 29.Dec.2014, 11.30PM) There is one thing common among to all living beings who trod this planet earth. That is every one of them have a date of birth or birthday. That should not and cannot be changed by anyone. Hence, to ensure this, civilized human societies have introduced laws that make such changes as heinous crimes . In Sri Lanka (SL) too this is true.

Name, Date and Place of Birth Altered Many Times Fraudulently- Minister Weerawansa and Wife Guilty by Thavam Ratna