MR not invited for Remembrance Day



2015-05-18
The Ministry of Defence has not invited former president Mahinda Rajapaksa to the main Remembrance Day ceremonies organised by the Defence Ministry, Ranaviru Seva Authority Chairperson Anoma Fonseka said today.

She told a news conference held at the Defence Ministry that as such Mr. Rajapaksa was not expected at tomorrow’s ceremony in Matara organised by the ministry and the one organised by the Ranaviru Seva Authority in Battaramulla on Wednesday (20).

Meanwhile, a number of special programmes coinciding with Remembrance Day will be launched by the Ranaviru Seva Authority to uplift the living standards of war heroes and their family members.

“Unlike in past few years, this year’s programme will give priority to war heroes and their family members. We should consider this as a priority. President Maithripala Sirisena will also meet them and talk to them,” Ms. Fonseka said.

She said the monthly allowance of Rs.750 now being paid to parents of war heroes would be increased up to Rs.1,500 and an Elders Protection Centre with all facilities will be set up at Padukka for the elderly among them.

“The Rs.12,000 scholarship allowance being paid to children of war heroes will be increased, cars instead of three-wheelers will be given to disabled war heroes and loans will be made available at low interest rates from state and non-state banks.

Meanwhile, Ranaviru Seva Authority Vice President Upulangani Malagamuwa said, on a proposal by State Minister of Defence, Ruwan Wijewardene, a special card would be issued to members of the three Armed Forces, the Police and Civil Defence Force so that they would be eligible for more relief services.

She said however, these steps would be further discussed by the various authorities and then submitted to parliament for approval.

“Remembrance Day is set apart to remember those who had died and were disabled during the 30-year armed conflict. So, let’s make this day an occasion to pay them a worthy tribute,” Ms. Malagamuwa said. (Piyumi Fonseka) - See more at: http://www.dailymirror.lk/72823/mr-not-invited-for-remembrance-day#sthash.RcvKfVIE.dpuf

Citizenship denied for the former JVP secretary

Monday, 18 May 2015

The government of Sri Lanka is in hesitant for the request made by the former JVP secretary Lional Bobage's dual citizenship application.

Currently Lional Bopage is an Australian resident holding his citizenship. Despite the present citizenship policies of the Sri Lankan government his application for citizenship has elapsed few months. It is reported out of two thousand applicants who have requested the dual citizenship the government has decided to grant only 400 applications.

If Lional Bopage's application is refused there is no reason given for the denial. Although he has written letters to the President, Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and the Finance Minister still there is no
favorable response received so far. Lional Bopage is a person who continuously struggled for the removal of the Rajapaksa regime.

Meantime the government has denied the dual citizenship request of Premakumar Gunarathnam another leader who separated from the JVP and decided that he should be exiled. However there are reports that he is living in Sri Lanka hiding. He too is a Australian citizen.

No Gaza, No Peace

A lasting settlement in the Holy Land is still possible. But Israel must end the siege on Gaza first.

BY JIMMY CARTER, GRO HARLEM BRUNDTLAND-MAY 14, 2015

Eight months after a devastating war, Israel’s continued and deliberate policy of besieging Gaza and enforcing its separation from the West Bank means conflict could break out again.

The formation of a new right-wing coalition government doesn’t look like it will help. The cabinet appears to be a devastating blow to hopes of any accord with the Palestinians. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a lot to do to convince domestic and foreign audiences that he has a credible desire and vision for peace.

Netanyahu is now trying to find common cause with neighboring Arab countries over the Islamic State and violent Salafi-jihadism, instead of working toward a regional peace agreement. But Israel should recognize that Gaza is not immune to these radicalizing trends as its population sinks further into poverty and despair.

The plight of Gaza and its people, and the security threat it poses to the whole region, was at the heart of our mission earlier this month to Israel and Palestine. We went as members of The Elders, the group of independent former leaders who campaign for peace and human rights across the globe.

One place we visited was Kibbutz Nir Am, just one kilometer from the border with Gaza. We heard directly from people on the front line of the conflict who wish to live in peace with their Palestinian neighbors. One mother’s words stood out: “If people have nothing to live for, then they will find something to die for.”

She and her fellow kibbutz residents are understandably frightened and angry about the threats of rocket attacks and tunnel raids, but we were impressed by their insistence that only a just peace can bring security to their community.

We regret that we were unable to visit Gaza on this trip, to see the situation there for ourselves. What we heard from independent experts and United Nations officials confirmed our worst expectations regarding poverty, housing, health, and political deadlock. It only strengthened our determination to work for peace, a two-state solution, and the lifting of the blockade.

The situation in Gaza is intolerable. Eight months after the end of last summer’s war, not one destroyed house has been rebuilt. People cannot live with the respect and dignity they deserve.

A complete paradigm shift is essential. This demands the lifting of the siege and an end to Israel’s policy of separating the West Bank and Gaza: the two main components of what should, in our view, become an independent Palestinian state. Unfortunately, as we heard during our visit, without Gaza the two-state solution simply cannot be realized.

We have both spent decades working for peace in the Middle East and, notwithstanding the growing number of skeptics, believe the two-state solution remains the only viable outcome.

Gaza’s 1.8 million people are besieged, isolated, and desperate. They cannot enjoy any of the aspects of normal life, from trade and travel to health and education, that people in our countries — and, indeed, in Israel — take for granted.

The risk of another war is very real. This would be disastrous not just for the people of Gaza but for all Palestinians and all Israelis as well.

Everyone who lives in the Holy Land has suffered under the shadow of conflict for long enough.

To avoid further bloodshed and boost the currently slim chances of a peace agreement, Palestinian reconciliation and unity is a prerequisite. When we met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, we were encouraged by his commitment to convene the Interim Leadership Framework, a new caucus that would bring together the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and representatives of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the main factions in Gaza.

Abbas asked us, as Elders, to secure from Hamas a written request for the convening of elections, and he committed to hold fresh presidential and Palestinian Legislative Council elections upon receipt of this communication. This is now the focus of our ongoing work in the region.

We also believe it is essential that the Palestinian Government of National Consensus is fully established in Gaza, initially to control the border crossings and thus to allow many more goods to enter the territory for reconstruction and other essential purposes.

These steps might seem merely procedural but they are vital to reconnecting Gaza and the West Bank politically, economically, and socially.

Even if Palestinian factions can be reconciled, however, they will still need credible and sincere partners for peace on the Israeli side. Such forces do exist despite the dominant trends in the Knesset. We were encouraged by the sincere commitment of several proudly patriotic Israelis we met for the realization of the two-state solution.

The best guarantee of Israel’s future security and acceptance by its neighbors will be the two-state solution and an end to the occupation and settlement expansion. To help achieve this goal, we feel it is high time that the countries of Europe take a more proactive role, underpinned by a serious financial commitment to assist in Gaza’s reconstruction.

Although the United States will remain a key player, it cannot shoulder the burden of peacemaking alone. We will do all we can to support EU High Representative Federica Mogherini so an effective multilateral process can be set in motion.

This was the fourth Elders mission to Israel and Palestine since 2009. Our organization was founded by Nelson Mandela to work for peace and human rights around the world. Each time we visit this region, it is brought home to us how the former cannot be secured without the latter. The people of Israel and Palestine deserve nothing less.

ABBAS MOMANI/AFP/Getty Images

Aruna Shanbaug: Brain-damaged India nurse dies 42 years after rape

Aruna Shanbaug was 25 years old when she was brutally raped

18 May 2015

An Indian nurse who spent 42 years in a persistent vegetative state after being raped and strangled has died.

Aruna Shanbaug was left with severe brain damage and paralysed after the 1973 attack by a ward attendant in the Mumbai hospital where she worked.

She was fed through the nose to keep her alive but developed pneumonia six days ago, the hospital told the BBC.

Her case sparked a debate about India's euthanasia laws. The Supreme Court had rejected a plea to allow her to die.

"Ms Shanbaug died at 08:30am on Monday. She was admitted to the intensive care unit and put on ventilator support," a spokesman at Mumbai's KEM hospital said.

The nurse was 25 years old when she was sodomised by a KEM hospital cleaner who strangled her with metal chains and left her to die on 27 November 1973.

She survived, but spent the rest of her life in hospital, force fed twice a day.

"My broken, battered baby bird finally flew away. And she gave India a passive euthanasia law before doing so," journalist and author Pinki Virani, who wrote Aruna's Story, a book on the nurse's plight, told the BBC.

In her book, Ms Virani described how Ms Shanbaug's condition deteriorated over the years

Twitter reaction: 'Her pain will always shame us'

There is an outpouring of sympathy for Aruna Shanbaug on Twitter. Many feel that she "should have been allowed to go much earlier". Most Twitter users also agree that the absence of the "right to die" in India's legal system compounded her misery.

One Twitter user says Shanbaug's case "represents everything that is wrong with India's society".

Others highlight that she was brutally raped and then had to live in a vegetative state for 42 years because several campaigns in support of euthanasia "just fell on deaf ears".

Some say that her ordeal "will always shame India", while others are hopeful that her story will once again reignite the debate on euthanasia.

"Have mostly been ambivalent about euthanasia. But Aruna Shanbaug's case makes me want to take a stand. Misery should not last four decades," this tweet very much sums up the impact her story is likely to have on India's thinking on "right to die".

Ms Virani filed the case which was rejected by the Supreme Court in 2011. She had argued that Ms Shanbaug was "virtually a dead person" and should be allowed to die.

Ms Shanbaug's parents died many years ago and other relatives had not maintained contact with her, Ms Virani said.

She wanted the court to issue instructions to the hospital to stop feeding Ms Shanbaug.

But hospital authorities told the court that Ms Shanbaug "accepts food... and responds by facial expressions" and responds to "commands intermittently by making sounds".

Although the Supreme Court rejected Ms Virani's plea, the case resulted in India easing some restrictions on euthanasia after the court's landmark ruling that life support could be legally removed for some terminally ill patients in exceptional circumstances, providing the request was from family and supervised by doctors and the courts.

Doctors say patients in a vegetative state are awake, not in a coma, but have no awareness because of severe brain damage.

Lawyer Shekhar Nafade, who represented Ms Virani in the Supreme Court, told the BBC that he felt "relieved for Aruna".

Ms Shanbaug's attacker, Sohanlal Bharta Walmiki, was not even charged for raping her since sodomy was not considered rape under Indian laws at the time.

He was freed after serving a seven-year-sentence for robbery and attempted murder.

Ms Virani told the BBC in 2013 that she had tried hard to track him down, but with no success.

"I was told that he had changed his name and was working as a ward boy in a Delhi hospital. The hospital where he had sodomised Aruna and left her in this permanent vegetative condition had never kept a photo of him on file. Neither did the court papers," she said.

India seeks to speed up foreign deals with "one-stop shop" - sources

A packet of five-dollar bill currency is inspected at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington March 26, 2015.-REUTERS/GARY CAMERON/FILES

BY MANOJ KUMAR- Mon May 18, 2015

The finance ministry, seeking to speed up deals with outside investors, is set to take full control of the oversight of more than $40 billion a year in foreign direct investments and share purchases, two government sources said.

Hitherto, both the government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had shared oversight of direct investment and indirect purchases through proxy instruments.

Earlier this month parliament approved the annual finance bill containing the amendments to the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

While restrictions on foreign investment are unchanged, the sources said, the "new one-stop shop" will simplify and accelerate approvals for deals that are not debt financed.

A provision in the FEMA that allowed the RBI to restrict or regulate cross-border transactions and acquisition or transfer of immovable property to foreigners has been deleted.

The RBI had no immediate comment on the change.

"We will soon notify rules to implement the new mechanism after consultation with the RBI," a senior finance ministry official, with direct knowledge of the matter, told Reuters.

The official said the central bank -- which will still be consulted before a decision is made -- would continue to regulate debt instruments.

Red tape and bureaucracy stand at the top of investor complaints about India, which was ranked 142 out of 189 in the World Bank's latest report on the ease of doing business.

But the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, elected on a business-friendly ticket, has vowed to tackle the issue and aims to get within the top 50 countries. It has promised, for example, to speed up regulatory clearances across the board.

"It is definitely a positive step for ease of doing business in India as the investors would have to deal with only one authority," said Pratibha Jain, a tax expert at Nishith Desai Associates, a tax consultancy, said of the change.

Foreigners require approval not only to invest in India but also to sell out, a process that has often been slow under the dual scrutiny of the government and RBI.

(Reporting by Manoj Kumar; Editing by Clara Ferreira Marques and Douglas Busvine)

El Salvador is on pace to become the hemisphere’s most deadly nation

As gang violence surges, the tiny Central American country is on pace to have the highest homicide rate in the hemisphere.

By Joshua Partlow-May 17

SAN SALVADOR — Most nights now, men in black masks are sweeping through this city, house to house, rousting shirtless boys from their mattresses, shining flashlights across their torsos, looking for tattoos.

The police officers rummage for drugs and guns but will settle for Nike Cortez sneakers — a gang favorite — or any symbol of affiliation, like a little grim reaper scribbled on a bedroom wall. Then it’s into zip-cuffs and down to the station, with maybe a shove or a twist of the cuffs on the way. Because for the 500 members of El Salvador’s anti-gang police force, this has become personal.

El Salvador is on Pace to Become the Hemisphere’s Most Deadly Nation by Thavam Ratna

Chechen teenager 'forced' to marry police chief amid growing row in Russia

Ceremony goes ahead despite claims 17-year-old was coerced into becoming second wife of man three times her age. Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber reports

 Kheda Goylabiyeva ahead of the ceremony to marry Chechen police officer Nazhud Guchigov. Photograph: AP

Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber for The Moscow Times, part of the New East Network

Monday 18 May 2015 

A Chechen police chief married a 17-year-old at the weekend despite a growing outcry over claims that the teenager had been forced to wed the man, who has another wife and is thought to be three times her age.

The bride, named locally as Kheda (Luiza) Goylabiyeva, was married to Nazhud Guchigov, in Grozny on Saturday in a ceremony attended by the leader of the Chechen republic, Ramzan Kadyrov.

Guchigov, the groom, was initially said to be 57 but later claimed he was 46. Neither forced, nor under-age nor polygamous marriages are permitted under Russian law.

The marriage has caused a stir in the Russian press, prompting Kadyrov to call on journalists to stop meddling in the couple’s private lives.

The scandal emerged late last month after investigative newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported that Guchigov had launched an intimidation campaign against Goylabiyeva’s parents, giving them an ultimatum to surrender their daughter to avoid “unfortunate consequences”. The journalist who reported the story has since fled Chechnya, fearing for her safety.

Guchigov initially denied the claims, insisting that he was not planning to take a second wife.

Kadyrov said earlier this month he was upset that the story had been picked up by national media outlets, dismissing the republic’s media and information minister for mismanaging the scandal.

“I am sure those who unceremoniously interfered for a long time in the private lives of Nazhud and Luiza will answer [for their actions] in court,” Kadyrov wrote on Instagram on Friday. “The appropriate actions are already being prepared.”

Kadyrov posted a video of himself dancing at the wedding on Saturday. The Chechen leader wrote that he had seen the stamps placed in the newlyweds’ passports, a formality for married Russian couples. Yet under Russian federal law, second marriages — which are permissible in traditional practice for Chechen men — cannot be registered as official partnerships.

The head of Kadyrov’s administration, former Chechen militant Magomed Daurov, was seen escorting the bride to the ceremony and was present during proceedings.

 Goylabiyeva being escorted by head of the Chechen leader’s administration, Magomed Daudov, to the wedding registry office. Photograph: AP

Kadyrov, who had taken to Instagram to invite his one million followers on the popular photo-sharing site to attend the wedding, insisted that all legal norms, religious practices and local traditions had been respected.

The Russian Civil Code states that 18 is the minimum age for marriage but contains clauses that allow for marriage at 16 in certain cases.

Russia’s children’s rights ombudsman Pavel Astakhov caused a scandal last week by coming out in favour of the right of older men to marry teen brides.

“Emancipation and sexual maturity come earlier in the Caucasus, let’s not be hypocritical,” he told Russian News Service radio on Thursday, adding: “There are places where women are already shriveled by the age of 27, and look about 50 to us.”

He later apologised in an Instagram post, saying that women of any age were “wonderful and delightful.”

A version of this article first appeared on The Moscow Times

£1.3bn wind farm to be built off Sussex next year

18 MAY 2015

Work on the Rampion wind farm, which should produce enough energy for 300,000 homes will start early next year off the coast of Sussex.

Offshore construction of the first offshore wind farm off the south coast of England is due to begin next year, energy firm E.ON said.

The £1.3bn project will consist of 116 turbines producing enough electricity to power 300,000 households. The farm is expected to create up to 450 jobs between now and then and could cut C02 emissions by up to 600,000 tonnes a year. Energy and Climate Change Secretary Amber Rudd said:

"This huge investment is a vote of confidence in the UK, creating local jobs, bringing business opportunities and providing clean, home-grown energy."

Completed by 2018

In a statement announcing its plans, energy firm E.ON said onshore construction of the substation at Twineham, near Haywards Heath, will start next month, followed by preparations for the onshore cable route. Work on the Rampion farm will begin early 2016 and should be completed by 2018.

UK chief executive Tony Cocker said today marked an "an important milestone for what is a strategically-important project for the UK."

Shaun Kingsbury, chief executive of E.ON's project partner, the UK Green Investment Bank, said:

"Our investment gives the developer the confidence to begin construction on this important wind project, boosting UK energy supply and generating enough power annually for around 300,000 homes."

With The Help Of This Recipe Your Hair Will Grow 2 Times Faster

Top Healthy Life

April 16, 2015

Do you desire to have long, dense and shiny hair? We have the right recipe for you. Did you know that a juice from the ordinary red onions certainly can help to reduce hair loss, stop the growth of gray hair and at the same time to speed up hair growth and improve its quality?

The speed of the hair growth definitely depends on the genes, but due to various external and internal factors, our hair does not grow with its maximum speed.

In this situations some homemade remedies, whose recipes have been passed down from generation to generation, can be very useful.

The method with red onions is apparently very effective, and is even used by many celebrities from Hollywood.

In a number of separate studies it is proven that red onions prevent hair loss in 87% of cases. And you will also be surprised from the looks of your hair within just a month.

Dermatologists say that there are no bad consequences for the scalp or hair.

Red onions is exceptional because it is rich with sulfur, which stimulates the production of collagen, which is very important for hair growth.

The juice from red onions is good for improving the blood circulation to the scalp. Also, reduces any possible inflammation of the skin, because it has antibacterial properties.

This juice makes your hair stronger, opens the hair follicles and prevents infection on the scalp.

Those who have applied this method say that it shows results after only one month!

Recipe

Clean and slice two to four onions and squeeze their juice. You can also use a blender to squeeze their juice. Or even the best and the easiest is to use a juicer. Add 1 tablespoon of honey in this juice and mix it well.

Massage your scalp with the juice for a while and then leave it for about 15-30 minutes. The smell is strong but worth the effort. You can keep it up to an hour, if you do not rush. After this treatment, wash your hair as you normally would. It is necessary to apply this treatment two to three times a month.

Try it and see for yourself!

How To Strengthen Your Knees?

by CureJoy Answers - May 16, 2015

A study from Gallup-Healthways found that 26% of the adult population in the US suffers from knee pain. There can be various reasons behind your knee pain. Try adding these exercises and stretches to your daily warm-up routine to strengthen your knees:

Exercises to strengthen your knees:

1, Ankle Band Distractions: Stiff and rigid ankles can create injury and be bad for health. The main function of the ankle is to hinge, enabling the knee and hip to synergistically work together in creating movement. To perform, first loop one end of the band to your ankle and one to a sturdy base. Place the banded leg in front of the non banded leg. Next, inch out until you feel tension. Keep the banded foot firmly onto the ground and move the knee forward till your comfortable. Rotate the ankle side to side as you drive the knee back and forth. Repeat on both sides for 45 seconds.

2. Roll out your Shins: Fitness enthusiasts recommend foam rolling as an excellent tool for soft tissue work. Your shins are probably getting attacked in your daily workout or activities, and could be another reason behind your knee pain. Generally, people who suffer from some degree of anterior knee pain feel a great deal of discomfort while trying this movement. Get into a pushup position with a roller at the base of your ankles. Turn your toe in towards the midline of your body in order to expose the muscles of the shin and address them.  As you firmly press your shins on the roller, gradually inch up towards your knee. You would all the control over pressure in this exercise.  For more intensity really lay your body weight into the foam, for less ease back on the throttle. I like trying to move my foot up and down during the rolling and search for hot spots. 45 seconds to a minute on each leg should suffice and free up those important lower leg muscles.

3. Hamstring Flossing: Any issues in the muscles of the hamstring group that cross the knee joint could be directly causing knee pain in the posterior region of the knee and leg. Get a tennis ball and a sturdy box about mid thigh height. Sit on the box and place the ball underneath the leg, firmly on the hamstrings. Next, extend the knee and bend it applying pressure to the muscle. Let the ball go up and down the back of the leg while you continue flexing and straightening the leg. You could do bout one minute on each leg.

Valalai (Jaffna): Re-militarisation of released villages with façade of resettlement

• by Ruki - on 05/17/2015 
• 
  

Valalai[1] is a Tamil village of about 233 acres[2] that was occupied by the military for nearly 25 years and before it was handed back to villagers in March 2015 by President Sirisena. Yet, more than 50 days after that handover, villagers don’t see hope for resettlement as almost nothing has been provided for them to resettle into. I met a few villagers who had already decided to stay there in makeshift tents and huts and few others who had visited for the day. I was told that only about 10 out of 155 families[3] are staying there and that a few others visit for the day.

Valalai (Jaffna) Re-militarisation of Released Villages With Façade of Resettlement by Thavam Ratna

Rape & Murder Of Another School Girl In Jaffna

By Kamani Jinadasa –May 17, 2015

Kamani Jinadasa

Lifting The Veil Of Silence Around Sexual Violence Against Women & Girls In Sri Lanka

Three months ago in Vanni a 16 year old Tamil girl, Saranya Selvarasa passed away in the Kilinochchi Base hospital. Saranya was orphaned after the death of her parents. Her father died during the war in 2006 and after the war her mother passed away in an accident. Saranya and her two younger brothers were adopted by their grandmother, who had been doing the best she could to care for them under very difficult conditions. When Saranya’s grandmother tried to seek answers for her granddaughter’s death she was informed by the doctor who handled her case that she had been gang raped by at least three men. The police visited the grandmother’s home after Saranya’s death had been reported in the local media. They tried to pressure Saranya’s grandmother to conceal the gang rape and say instead that Saranya had died due to a mental disorder. The police then threatened to have the grandmother imprisoned on charges of “damaging Saranya’s character” if she failed to comply with their demands[1]. Her grandmother refused to comply with their threats.

As I write this article the news of another brutal rape and murder of another school girl in Jaffna, Vidhiya has surfaced[2].

The reality:

Saranya’s story and now Vidhiya’s, are not new to post war Sri Lanka. Horrific stories of sexual violence perpetrated against Tamil women and girls by the military have been seeping into our news feeds sporadically, mainly via international news agencies[3]. What makes it even more disturbing is that these stories are being brushed off, conveniently ignored and even discredited, claiming that they are nothing more than attempts to damage the government’s reputation. While rates of sexual violence against Tamil women, children and men have not been measured, there is substantial anecdotal and plausible evidence to indicate that this is happening on a regular basis with little or no accountability on the part of the perpetrators in the North. The manner in which the lives of victims change after such experiences cannot be truly captured. Who can a survivor turn to when the perpetrators are more likely to be the military or law enforcement officials?

At a wider level, a report which sought to capture prevalence rates of violence against women and girls (VAWG) reflected that 14% of men in the sample from four districts in Sri Lanka had admitted to perpetrating rape[4]. Among men who did admit to perpetrating sexual violence including rape, over half of the men stated they were motivated by feelings of sexual entitlement[5]. More alarmingly 28% of the men that had perpetrated acts of sexual violence including rape against women said that they had been in the 15-19 year age group at the time they committed their first rape. The same report calls attention to very high levels of impunity experienced by these men who admitted to perpetrating rape. Accordingly 97% of the men in these four districts had faced no legal consequences for their actions[6].

Given the conditions surrounding the lives of women and girls in the North, where there are an estimated 90,000 women headed households[7] one can only imagine how these similar statistics surrounding their vulnerabilities are exacerbated.Read More