75 HC judges and families to enjoy super luxury tour –MaRa’s bonanza -Accused and forces to lecture to them !

(Lanka-e-News -25.Oct.2014, 5.30PM) The Rajapakse regime is to grant ‘bonuses’ to all the 75 judges of the high courts in Sri Lanka (SL) . They are to be given free three day pleasure tours from yeasterday(24) , and they are to be delivered lectures by the forces and accused, according to reports reaching Lanka e news courts inside information division.

These judges and their families are to be given board and lodging for three days at Amaya hotel ,Pasekuda in the north in this connection , and they are to be transported in 3 super luxury buses , from Colombo to Pasekuda. The entire cost of this tour is to be borne by the Central bank , and arrangements have been made to make the disbursements through a commercial bank, in order to conceal the government involvement .

At Amaya hotel , lectures are to be delivered by a number of judges , and the inaugural lecture is to be given by the chief (cheat) justice Mohan Peiris . The newly appointed judge to the supreme court (SC) Buwaneka Aluwihara is also to deliver a lecture. As part of ‘Asia’s miracle in the making’ of Rajapakse which is now dubbed as ‘Asia’s debacle in the making’ , an accused against whom there is a case in court , is to deliver a lecture to the judges, how wonderful ! and this accused is none other than the Central bank governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal. In addition ,the commander in chief of the east ,Major general Saal Perera is also scheduled to give a lecture.

It is significant to note that only in countries where there are military courts hearing civil cases , the judges of the judiciary are given lectures by the military officers . This never takes place in countries where there is an independent judiciary . Groups in all spheres that are involved in the Presidential elections are now being summoned and given lectures by the pro MaRa lackeys and lickspittles on MaRa ism the latest subject in worst despotism where the judges are summoned and lectures delivered to them by the forces and accused. This is clearly a most sordid and shameless effort to destroy the independence of the judiciary . It is to be noted with regret that never in the history of SL the judiciary had been disgraced and driven into this state of purposeful degradation. Certainly this is going to be an indelible stigma which the judiciary will never be able to clear itself of .

Justice Is Denied To Citizens Due To Exec’s Interferences With Judiciary: Senior Lawyer

October 25, 2014

Senior legal practitioner has written to the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), informing them of his decision to put a halt to his Appeal Courts practice while urging the organization to take effective measures to ensure the rule of law and the judicial powers that are being grossly abused by the Executive, is upheld.

Kodituwakku

Attorney-at-law and Solicitor Nagananda Kodituwakku in a letter has informed the BASL to ensure that people are delivered the justice they deserve and to ensure the rule of law in the country is not completely undermined, since those more concerned about their personal agendas have simply compromised with their integrity and have opted to live with the failed system.

Kodituwakku has pointed out that following the unlawful removal of former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake, several lawyers including himself, abandoned practice in the Supreme Court since they refused to compromised their integrity. He has gone on to state that the blatant interferences of the judiciary by the Executive has ridiculed people’s judicial power  – the case in point being the recent irregular appointments to the SC that have resulted in a loss of faith in the judiciary. The senor legal practitioner while expressing his disappointment in the current state of the judiciary has pointed out that they are the kind of malpractices that would never be allowed in other democracies such as the UK.

“Such unhealthy practices have effectively compelled the people who challenge the unlawful state actions before the Writ Court, to lose their confidence as no impartiality is ensured,” Kodituwawkku states in his letter furthermore.

He has cited a personal experience, noting that in a case that involves the unlawful seizure of a consignment of goods valued over Rs. 60 million where despite the Court issuing a notice on respondents no effective action was taken to dispense justice. Kodituwakku has noted that instead of bringing to notice of the Court that the Attorney General’s conduct was inappropriate, the judges had granted further time to file objections.

“This has denied a citizen of this country, justice,” he has written in the letter furthermore, while stating reasons behind the reasons for his withdrawal from Appeal Courts practice.

A way out from the constitutional impasse

By H.K. Seneviratne- October 22, 2014 
LL.B, Attorney-at-Law
Former Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva setting forth an argument that constitutional obstacles do exist for the incumbent President to contest for a third term notwithstanding the removal of two term limit of presidents made on 9 September 2010 by way of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution has gripped the political and legal circles in perplexity over the issue.
As opposing opinions have emerged over time, the Sri Lanka Bar Association in considering the importance of the matter has decided to seek an opinion from a legal expert of an international repute over the issue.

A Way Out From the Constitutional Impasse by Thavam Ratna

Repression of Dissent in Sri Lanka – September 2014

INFORM HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTATION CENTRE

Summary:
September was a month that saw almost daily incidents of repression of dissent. A commemoration planned for a well-known woman human rights defender and academic, Dr. Rajani Thiranagama, was obstructed when two pre-booked venues were withdrawn and a protest march was banned by the Police. A prayer service for displaced Tamils in the district of Jaffna was banned, and Police in Batticaloa obtained court orders to ban commemorations for persons killed twice within two weeks.

In Colombo, two human rights lawyers received death threats and opposition trade unionists were assaulted. The Military obstructed journalists from trying to report on the situation in the Aluthgama area where anti-Muslim riots took place in June. Journalists covering the post-election situation in the Uva province were assaulted, one of the men was hospitalized for several weeks due to his serious injuries. A Northern Tamil journalist narrowly escaped death and a Tamil media activist in Jaffna was subjected to continuous questioning, intimidation and harassment. A Tamil Catholic Priest in Jaffna was questioned after he wrote a poetry book about his war time experiences and a number of school Principals were also questioned for receiving the book. Pressure by extremist groups led to the withdrawal of a literary award to a Sinhalese writer now living in exile due to death threats, due to his criticial political views of the government. The four (out of five) judges who chose him as the awardee were also discredited by an extremist writer supportive of the government.

A training workshop for web journalists was disrupted in Negombo. A civil society organized meeting in Trincomalee was also disrupted when venues were withdrawn twice and the meeting was subjected to surveillance. An Australian University admitted to un-inviting two prominent Sri Lankan human rights defenders after they were invited to participate in an international conference, due to pressure from the Ministry of Defence. Police unleashed water cannons and tear gas to supress a peaceful protest by Catholics over a statue. When a protest calling for the release of a prominent anti-disappearance campaigner whose son had disappeared was held in Colombo, a group that held a counter protest distributed leaflets portraying her as a terrorist supporter, despite there being no charges brought against her 200 days after being detained. A banner displayed at the counter-protest showcased photos of 8 human rights defenders depicting them as traitors.

Student activists also faced suppression. Protesting students were threatened and protest banners were destroyed by the Chairman of the Moneragela Pradeshiya Saba. Police surrounding the Buddhist and Pali University searched the premises and demanded the handover of 4 student leaders. Opposition parties were subjected to a series of attacks and intimidation in the lead up to the elections in the Uva Province and there was a call for lists of opposition party activists working as government officials, which was seen as an initial move to persecute them for their political affiliations. Secretary to the Ministry of Defence accused a leading Tamil political party of causing political turmoil and encouraging separatist sentiments. The Deputy British High Commissioner was watched when she visited the Eastern Province and some of the people she met were questioned afterwards. A family that was visited by the British High Commissioner in the North was also questioned.

There were no visible attempts by authorities to address the continuing incidents of suppression of dissent. As before, government politicians, government officials, police, military, state media and journalists sympathetic to the government appear to be responsible for most reported incidents in September, and relevant institutions, such as the Police, appear unwilling to take actions even when complaints are made.

For full reports with summary table of incidents, see:

English: Repression of Dissent in Sri Lanka – Sept 2014 -English (23Oct2014)

සිංහල: Repression of Dissent in Sri Lanka – Sept 2014 – Sinhala (24Oct2014)

தமிழ்: Repression of Dissent in Sri Lanka – Sept 2014 – Tamil (24Oct2014)

Repression of Dissent in Sri Lanka Sept 2014 English 23oct2014 by Thavam Ratna

Balasuriya before trying to wipe out the underworld must tell what happened to gold worth 1.5 million of anamalu Imtiaz underworld leader - STF officer

(Lanka-e-News -25.Oct.2014, 5.30PM) Former IGP Mahinda Balasuriya who resigned his post under a cloud following the alleged killing of an unarmed civilian Roshan Chanaka who took part in a peaceful protest ,being called back and appointed as a secretary to the Ministry of peace and order under which is the very police department , had now waxed eloquent he will take action to crush the underworld operations , based on media reports.

After reading these reports I thought I should send in this article:

I who am writing this was associated with the Police STF whose tasks were to wipe out the underworld members. It is a pertinent question why is Balasuriya seeking to eliminate the underworld as soon as he assumed office ? People being naive may think he is trying to do a great deal of good , but that is not the case. I wish to write something about Balasuriya’s supposed efforts at eradication of the ‘underworld’ based on my personal experience pertaining to his so called determinationin that direction.

In 2008, Nimal Lewke was the STF Commandant . He was an STF officer whose integrity and rectitude were unquestionable. Just after him, it was K.M.L. Sarathchandra who replaced him. Sarathchandra on the other hand was the very antithesis of Lewke and was a personification of all the evils. He received instructions from Balasuriya who was the senior DIG at that time

It was ‘Anamalu Imtiaz’ (banana Imtiaz) the underworld leader who was wielding all the powers as an underworld leader for Slave Island , Maradana , Malwatte and Applewatte . The target for us was to apprehend ‘anamalu Imtiaz’ After trailing him for some time our team was able to apprehend him at Dummalasuriya , Chilaw. As soon as he was arrested we took into custody gold worth about Rs. 1.5 million . Subsequently , on the orders we received , Imtiaz was liquidated . But the gold taken into custody disappeared under Balasuriya and Sarathchandra . Until today nobody knows what happened to that gold

If Balasuriya reads this letter , he should at least now reveal what happened to that large quantity of gold that was taken into custody along with anamalu Imtiaz. This incident is most striking when seen vis a vis the tea sweepings export of heroin peddler and underworld member Ameen. The latter who was carrying on underworld operations with ‘McDonell Fairoze’ was in the central provincial council for some time.

In 2006 , when we arrested ‘thekudu’(tea dust) Ameen in 2006 , one kilo of gold that was in his possession was taken into custody. Lewke however being an honest officer duly dealt with the gold taken into custody: he distributed its sale proceeds among those who arrested the underworld member , and those who assisted by giving the tip off.

In these circumstances when Balasuriya announced he is going to eradicate the underworld menace it only makes us laugh at him because his statement only makes us to justifiably conclude , he has need now to accumulate more gold . His announcement is therefore most ridiculous and ludicrous, for he is impliedly telling he wants more gold now going by his antecedence.

If Balasuriya before trying to crush the underworld can tell us first , (of the STF) what he did to the gold of Anamalu Imtiaz, that will be infinitely better in the interests of all.

(Surely , he cannot say he swallowed the gold with Imtiaz’s anamalu).

The Politics Of Pusswedilla: A Review Of The Antire Solooshen Summit

By Hafeel Farisz -October 25, 2014

Hafeel Farisz

Sri Lankans know how to laugh. They also know how to laugh at themselves. They can even laugh with others who laugh at them. They know how to make political jokes and to use humor to critique people, things and political positions. ‘Puswedilla’ is a hit and has been one for a long time now.

Pusswedilla, as the ‘stage play’ or rather series of plays is referred to, in fact does what political satire is supposed to do, which in the most crudest of terms is ridicule dedicated to exposing the difference between reality and appearance in public life,although with many a caveat.

The inverted commas used when describing the ‘play’ is intentional because if there ever was something that was a cross between a street show/ political carnival and a play it has to be this. The audience got a kind of a preview even before the show began. They were made to be part of a long queue walking towards a ‘ Poling boother’ to get their tickets sealed , for no apparent reason except to indicate what it might feel to be at a polling booth. That’s what the audience was welcomed with. Walking out of the theatre three hours later and realizing that the polling booth had no connection to the play or its theme, was reflective of the play as a whole- It was something that seemed to have been put there simply because it was funny.

The cast was impressive with the likes of Pasan Ranaweera, Dominic Kellar and Gehan Block who have over the years proved to be versatile actors, but the play was little more than slapstick comedy. It possessed little imagination, taste and sarcasm. Perhaps the lack of all that was intentional given the fact that the audience the writer was catering to did not enter the Lionel Wendt to watch a tasteful play, but sarcasm or else the producers imagined they were so.

*A version of this article appears in print on Daily MIrror lifestyle section Read More

Canada's York Uni introduces landmark Tamil studies award

24 October 2014

Canada's York University has established the country's first ever scholarship graduate award in Tamil studies last month. 

The N. Sivalingam Award in Tamil Studies was founded by the university's alumni couple, Harini Sivalingam and Gary Anandasangaree, in memory of Ms Sivalingam's father.

The Sivalingam award is intended to encourage and promote research on Tamil language, history, culture, society or the Tamil diaspora, the university said.

N Sivalingam (Photo: York University)

“When my sister and I were growing up in Toronto, my father encouraged us to take Tamil language classes, classical dance and music classes, and we always talked about what was going on back home,” said Ms Sivalingam. 

“He wanted to make sure that we had a strong sense of identity and that we knew where we came from. That was infused in our everyday life during our childhood.”

According to the university, the award was matched by York’s Faculty of Graduate Studies through the Graduate Support Matching Program.

Philip Kelly, director of the York Centre for Asian Research, said the scholarship was a generous gift to support future students, and an important milestone in the development of Tamil studies at the university.

Mr Kelly expressed hope that the annual award, which will provide approximately Ca$5,000 to assist a graduate student undertaking such research, will eventually lead to a wide range of other initiatives such as courses, research projects, a lecture series and an endowed chair.

“We hope it will mark York as an institution that takes Tamil studies seriously. The award encourages students to consider research topics in the field of Tamil studies. It also highlights the diversity of our community and the depth of Asia-focused research and teaching at York,” he said.

Mr Sivalingam came to Toronto in 1966 and dedicated his life to promoting Tamil culture and language in Canada, the article said.

He co-founded the Tamil Eelam Society of Canada to bring the Tamil community together, and to provide opportunities and services to newcomers and immigrants from the Tamil community and other cultures.

Taiwan to join submarine race

Pic: AP.

Newest plans greeted with cautious optimism writes Jens Kastner for Asia Sentinel.

By Asia Sentinel Oct 25, 2014 

Thirteen years after the Bush Administration promised Taiwan eight diesel-electric submarines, and 11 years after the Taiwanese walked away from an opportunity to obtain used but top-notch Italian boats, cautious optimism is emerging that the island’s navy will in the coming decade command a submarine fleet that can deter both Chinese aggression and Vietnam from coming too close for comfort in the Taiwan-controlled parts of the South China Sea.

Military officials here recently said Taiwan will build its four of its own 1,500-tonne displacement diesel-electric attack submarines by 2025, with a budget of about NT$150 billion (US$4.9 billion). The design blueprint is expected to be completed by year’s end. Thus Taiwan appears eager to join the littoral nations of the South China Sea in an undersea competition for primacy. Malaysia has bought French subs, Indonesia subs from South Korea, Vietnam submarines from Russia.  Defense spending as a whole across the region has skyrocketed as smaller countries seek to counter the growing hegemonism of China over the sea.

Although the design and construction of modern submarines counts among the trickiest of tasks for the defense industry, and countries that build diesel-electric boats generally do not sell arms to Taiwan, observers with a close eye on Taiwan military matters told Asia Sentinel that the story does have plausible elements.

“It doesn’t sound terribly realistic to have the blueprints ready in two months, but it is not impossible to come up with the local design of a submarine,” said Siemon Wezeman, Senior Researcher with the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s Arms and Military Expenditure Program.

“Taiwan has a well-established and quite high-tech shipbuilding industry, and using experience of their two Dutch subs acquired in the 1980s they could probably come up with a design, as the general design of the two subs is still valid and could just be copied.”

He added that the US, which in the late 1950s stopped producing diesel-electric boats and now builds only nuclear ones, could help Taiwan with the design and supply most of the parts Taiwan doesn’t produce, such as sonar and combat systems; and help Taiwan with the integration, so that “in the end, after a decade or so, Taiwan may have new submarines that will probably work quite well.”

US Naval War College strategy professor James Holmes said it’s possible Taipei could make it happen “if it settles for something very basic and resists the urge to pile on every gadget shipwrights can conceive of.”

Recurring reports that Taiwan wants to build its own subs have emerged ever since it became doubtful that the sale of eight diesel-electric submarines the Bush Administration agreed to in April 2001 would materialize. Although Washington has basically promised them, it hasn’t agreed to any specifics partly because Taiwan didn’t make up its mind on submarines and the high price of them, and partly because the US did not have an actual design of conventional subs available for sale.

Except for the episode in 2003 when Taiwan turned down Italy’s decommissioned Sauro-Class boats, ideas to use European subs or designs sold via the US came to nothing, which is hardly surprising given that the European countries possessing conventional sub technology as well as Russia and Japan did not choose to profoundly mess up their lucrative business relations with China.

Ukraine elections highlight nation’s split between east and west

A young girl looks at a list of candidates at a polling station in Kyiv on Oct. 25, 2014, on the eve of the country's parliamentary elections.

By Michael Birnbaum October 25 at 3:30 AM

KIEV, Ukraine — Marina Demko wants to build a stronger Ukraine if she wins a seat in her nation’s landmark Sunday parliamentary elections.
Ukraine Elections Highlight Nation’s Split Between East and West by Thavam Ratna

India, 20 others set up Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

China and 21 other Asian nations signed on Friday to a new Beijing-backed international bank for Asia (Reuters)

PTI | Beijing | Updated: Oct 24 2014

India along with 20 other countries today signed an agreement to become founding members of the China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to aid the infrastructure development in the Asian region and reduce the dependence on Western-dominated World Bank and IMF.

Usha Titus, Joint Secretary, Economic Affairs division of the Ministry of Finance, signed the MoU on behalf of India at a special ceremony here at the Great Hall of the People.

China's Vice Finance Minister Jin Liqun, who was also the former Vice-President of the Asian Development Bank, has been appointed as the Secretary General of AIIB.

The Bank, to be headquartered in Beijing, is expected to be operational by next year.

The MoU specifies that the authorised capital of AIIB is USD 100 billion and the initial subscribed capital is expected to be around USD 50 billion.

The paid-in ratio will be 20 per cent.

Voting rights are to be decided after consultations among the members over fixing the bench marks which were expected to be combination of GDP and Purchasing Power Parity (PPP).

Based on this formula, India will be second largest share holder of the bank after China.

Elaborating on decision to participate in AIIB, Titus said India's view is that the new bank provides rich resource capital base for infrastructure financing, which is good for the regional development.

It will help to bridge the infrastructure deficit by playing a complimentary role along with other financial institutions like ADP and IMF and work for good governance, she told PTI.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chua Chunying yesterday welcomed India's participation in new bank.

China regards India's support as a major boost to the bank's formation which was largely seen as an effort to enlarge funding for the Asian countries reducing the dependence on ADB and other Western-dominated global financial institutions like World Bank and IMF.

China was keen about India's participation and an invitation in this regard was extended by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his first meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of BRICS summit in Brazil in July.

The AIIB is in addition to the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Development Bank formed this year, which will be based in Shanghai. It is set to commence its operations with an Indian as its President.

Besides India and China, other AIIB members are Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Singapore,

Keep Calm and Carry On, Stephen Harper

Doubling down on counterterrorism at home and abroad won’t make Canada a safer place.

• BY STEPHEN M. WALT-OCTOBER 24, 2014

The attack on the Canadian Parliament building on Wednesday raises familiar questions about how democratic leaders should respond to such events. The death of a Canadian soldier demands a respectful mourning, but the broader issue is how this event should be understood and how Canada's government and society should react. Will the attack be met with calm resolution -- as one might expect after a damaging flood, a destructive tornado, or a tragic fire -- or will the fact that the attack is an act of "terror" reinforce the paranoia and "clash of civilizations" worldview that has warped the West's response ever since 9/11?
Keep Calm and Carry on, Stephen Harper by Thavam Ratna

Iran hangs woman for murder of her alleged attempted rapist

SATURDAY 25 OCTOBER 2014

Iran executes a woman convicted for killing a man whom she said tried to sexually abuse her - despite an international campaign urging a reprieve.

Reyhaneh Jabbari was hanged in a Tehran prison at dawn on Saturday, the official IRNA news agency quoted the Tehran prosecutor's office as saying.

The 26-year-old was sentenced to death for stabbing dead a man seven years ago who she says tried to rape her.

A message posted on the Facebook campaign Save Reyhaneh Jabbari appeared to confirm the report.

It read: "With Sad News Reyhaneh Jabbari was executed early hours of morning."

'Deeply flawed'

Jabbari was sentenced to death in 2008 after what Amnesty International called a "deeply flawed investigation and trial".

She had admitted to stabbing the man, but said she acted in self-defence after he tried to sexually abuse her.

"This is another bloody stain on Iran’s human rights record," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, the deputy director of Amnesty’s Middle East and North Africa Programme.

Jabbari’s execution has been deferred a number of times, including last month.

'Confessions made under threat'

Following the execution, Foreign Office Minister, Tobias Ellwood MP, called on Iran to end the use of the death penalty.

Tobias Ellwood, Foreign Office Minister for the Middle East, said: "The UK strongly opposes the use of the death penalty. I am very concerned and saddened that it has been used in the case of Reyhaneh Jabbari where there have been questions around due process.

"The UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Iran, Dr Ahmed Shaheed, noted that her conviction was allegedly based on confessions made while under threat, and the court failed to take into account all evidence into its judgement.

"Actions like these do not help Iran build confidence or trust with the international community. I urge Iran to put a moratorium on all executions."

PHILIPPINES: Children suffer inhuman treatment, severe malnutrition due to government neglect

October 22, 2014
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) strongly condemns the Manila City government for its apparent outright neglect to improve conditions at the Reception and Action Center (RAC), a public child care institutions.

The AHRC has obtained a copy of a photo, taken on October 12, showing a naked and severely malnourished boy lying on the floor. He is one of about 270 persons, most of them children, are held at the RAC supposedly for “protective custody”.  The condition of other children who are still detained them are yet to be ascertained.

This type neglect has led to further deterioration of abysmal conditions – including torture, inhuman treatment, and food deprivation resulting in severe malnutrition – the children are forced to suffer while held there on dubious grounds.

The RAC, a public child care centre under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), is where street or homeless children are detained after the police and social workers take them off the streets of Manila and deposit them at the RAC.

Once a child is taken into RAC custody, they are continuously detained without charges. Neither these children nor their parents would know the reasons why they are held, and when they would be released. They are effectively deprived of their liberty; however, the local police and the social workers try to justify the arrest and detention as a form of “protective custody.”

In practice these children are neglected. They are being tortured, abused, deprived of adequate food, and not given basic needs. The police, social workers, and the RAC are neither rescuing nor protecting these children. The unwritten goal is to keep them away from public, notably tourists.

The city government of Manila is fully aware of the condition at the RAC; there have been numerous appeals, request, and concrete recommendations relayed to the city government, to immediately resolve this issue.

In February this year, Bahay Tuluyan, a local NGO and partner of the AHRC, working on the problems street children face, informed and expressed their concern to Joseph Estrada, mayor of Manila, urging him to take action. In their letter, they noted concern over the practices of torture and inhumane treatment by RAC officials.

In March, the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC), sister organisation of the AHRC, also informed the Human Rights Council (UNHRC) during its 25^th session in Geneva, Switzerland, asking them to take immediate action regarding the torture and violence against children in child care centres.

Regrettably, despite repeated appeals, it is now obvious that neither the national nor the city government had taken concrete action.

The AHRC, once again, urges the city and the national government to address this matter without delay. The continued failure and outright neglect by the government to act promptly on this is unlawful, and is unacceptable.

Obama stresses 'facts, not fear' over Ebola as rift emerges over quarantine

• ACLU concerned by tough rules brought in over NY case
• Woman in New Jersey tests negative but remains in isolation

• WHO: Ebola cases pass 10,000 mark
• NY and NJ introduce tough new quarantine
• measures-
• At the sharp end of Sierra Leone's Ebola battle - video

President Barack Obama meets Nina Pham of Dallas, Texas, the first nurse in the United States diagnosed with Ebola, in the Oval Office of the White House.Photograph: Olivier Douliery/dpa/Corbis

Lauren Gambino in New York-Saturday 25 October 2014 

Barack Obama urged Americans to base their response to domestic Ebola cases on “facts, not fear” on Saturday, as signs of a rift emerged between city and state officials over the handling of the diagnosis of the virus in a doctor from New York.
Obama stresses 'facts, not fear' over Ebola as rift emerges over quarantine.odt by Thavam Ratna