Increasing National Proceeds

By Hema Senanayake –July 31, 2015

Hema Senanayake

The word “output” is an important word in economics because the wellbeing of people depends upon the output produced by any country. The popular measure of national output is known as GDP (Gross Domestic Product). The GDP is defined as the value of all products and services produced in a country. The products and services mentioned here are related only to the real economy. Why? It is because, certain services do not directly support to increase the wellbeing of people.

For example, Christina Wang, the Senior Economist in the Research Department, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, USA) says that, “earning interest is not … a productive activity that contributes to GDP.” Since, in relation to financial institution she further observes that, “…this is obviously sensible in the case of passive investors who buy market securities and then merely receive interest or dividends without producing new goods or services. It seems only logical that the same principle should apply to financial institutions as well. They should not be counted as generating value added and contributing to GDP simply because they earn asset returns.”

However, this does not mean that banks and financial institutions do nothing to contribute to GDP. Instead financial institutions do contribute to GDP when they pay their employees who in turn expend money on consumption and to pay taxes. Also, financial institutions do contribute to GDP when these institutions purchase products and services from the sectors in real economy. All these contributions capture in calculating GDP indirectly through the parameters known as “Consumption (C), Investments (I) and Government expenditure (G). You may all know that if we use the popular approach in calculating GDP, the GDP = C+I+G+NE, whereas C, I, G are referred to as above and NE is defined as net exports. The point I want to make here is that the expansion of financial sector is not same as the expansion of agriculture or industrial sector or education and health-care sectors. Why is this important?

It is because the country should be able to increase the output of real economy in order to increase the wellbeing of people. But for a practical sense I prefer to use a term known as national proceeds in regard to real economy, even though it is not calculated like GDP. According to John Maynard Keynes total national proceeds are the sum of all proceeds of income generating enterprises of the real economy. The concept of national proceeds is not a difficult concept to understand. Let me explain it briefly.Read More

Hurrah ! Chandrika on elections stage with trade unions ,civil organizations led by Ven. Sobitha Thera !

(Lanka-e-News -31.July.2015, 3.00PM)  Former SLFP leader and a former president of the country Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge who arrived urgently in Sri Lanka (SL) from London is to mount the stage with the civil organizations led by Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera conjointly with trade unions for and on behalf of  good governance , based on information reaching Lanka e news inside information division.

It is Chandrika who was responsible during  the rainbow revolution of 8 th January 2015 to make Maithripala Sirisena the common candidate at the last presidential election.When it was questioned by the opposition  at that time whether Maithripala who had never come forward on behalf of the people hitherto can be trusted , it was Chandrika who stood by Maithri and gave an assurance that Maithri can be relied upon. Moreover she made a huge contribution to build  an opposition common alliance to effect a change with a view to forming a government of good governance. In the circumstances , her sympathisers have urged her to come on the stage of the independent civil organizations and the trade unions and extend support to them in order that the victory that was won on 8 th January on behalf of the people can be sustained and once again repeated.  

It is learnt that Chandrika Kumaratunge has given her consent to it. Hence , in the not too distant future she will be mounting the elections platform with Ven . Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera , civil organizations and trade unions.Incidentally Chandrika has always been a symbol of success whenever  she appears on  common election platforms. 

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by     (2015-07-31 09:46:06)

BBS fresco on ISIS in Sri Lanka

Monks have got a great respect among all Sri Lankan communities. We all respect them and the majority of monks are very good people. They do not like to harm anyone even an insect. Yet, there are some monks who make trouble for peace and harmony. Gnanasara thero as a monk may be a good man and yet, he has been used by some politicians to make some gains. BBS has been manipulating and twisting news reports.

by A Special Correspondent

( July 31, 2015, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) It is not a secret Bodu Bala Sena ( BBS) is trying to cashing in from BBS fresco in Sri Lanka. Recent revelation of Muslim man being killed in Syria is an excuse for BBS to preach its false lies about Muslims in Sri Lanka. BSS is always trying to find faults in Muslim community without any logical and rational reason. Today, religious preaching of BBS is mixed up with its political agendas. Political bankruptcy of BBS is exposed once again. It is now claiming that ISIS has threated its members with death. It claims that some death threating phone calls came from Afghanistan.   Let BBS now release the phone numbers of people who called them from Afghanistan. Why cannot they find them out from Sri Lankan telecommunication to make sure from where it came from? BBS is trying to con entire Sri Lankan people. They are trying to con Sri Lankan politicians, bureaucratic, police officers, Intelligences services and all other professionals. Each and every isolated incident takes place in any part of Muslim world, BBS is trying is get some political gains from it. This is complete garbage and full lies. They accuses Muslim community of anything and everything. There is no credibility in what they say and they claim. BBS is in a lost and people no longer like to listen to them. They are really trouble makers in Sri Lanka today.

CEO of BBS Dr. Dilantha Withanage said “they were threatened with death over the phone several times and some of them were from Afghanistan”. What a makeup is this? If this is true that they should take it up with Sri Lankan and Afghanistan governments so that they could verify who made these calls rather than making a big fuss about it.

If a trouble maker brings you news, check it first in case, you wrong others unwittingly and later regret what you have done (49:6). How many times, BBS has made this mistakes. Reporting and spreading wrong News without any proper check and clarification. Why do they do this? It means they do not have any moral standard in life. They do not follow teaching of Buddha rather they are making up with their own desires and inclination.

BBS is morally bankrupt   political party and its philosophy is to divide and rule. Its mission is to spread hated among communities in Sri Lanka. It knows well that it cannot get grassroots support from Sinhalese community. Sinhalese people rejected. People know well its venomous agenda and its dirty tricks. BBS knows well that people no longer support them. It was in hype of Gota’s time that BBS got its political influence and support. Now, MR and co are in back seats. BBS does not have any support. They do try to get support from public but people do not care about them now at all.

All what it does now is making some media hype to get public attention. Yet, now public cannot be fooled as before. People know the truth from falsehood now. This Gnanasara Thero has brought shame to Buddhism as ISIS does to Islam. There is no difference in these two groups in ideology, principle and mission. Al-Qaeda, Taliban, IS, ISIS and BBS all are in one mission. All are identical groups. They all use religion to spread hatred, they all epitomise racism, discrimination, hatred, hate mongering, and aggression, they all make trouble for humanity. They all hate peace, harmony and communal amity. These groups are enemies of humanity.

Monks have got a great respect among all Sri Lankan communities. We all respect them and the majority of monks are very good people. They do not like to harm anyone even an insect. Yet, there are some monks who make trouble for peace and harmony. Gnanasara thero as a monk may be a good man and yet, he has been used by some politicians to make some gains. BBS has been manipulating and twisting news reports.

The entire world knows that it has been ransacking and burning down Muslim shops, mosques and shrine. Indeed, BBS thugs killed three people in down south in Sri Lanka. And yet, it is has been shamelessly blaming Muslims people. It has been twisting facts about Muslim people. It has been blaming Muslims for all what happened. Yet, it is very much clear for any discerning people that BBS is fabricating stories and telling lies against innocent Muslims in Sri Lanka. It has been trying to incite and provoke Muslim people so that it can get some justification to do more harm on false pretexts. It Muslim community today did not behave in any reactionary manners as any other groups rather Muslim community has been maintaining patience and tolerance. Muslims have indeed, left all these aggressions and atrocities in the hands of God. No one can protect Muslims in this condition except God. This BBS aggression elevated Muslim faith in God. BBS indeed, has done a great job in this sense.

Today, BBS is not accepted among their own people. It has been rejected by 90% of Singhalese people. It will meet its sudden death. Indeed, it has already met its waterloo with the last presidential election defeat. In Sri Lanka there will be no more racial hatred, bias and discrimination. People of all religions, faiths and culture will prosper. That is the foundation of this nation. To welcome and accommodate all faiths and all groups. Sri Lankan history testifies this in details. Read history and know the truth. Sinhalese kings and monks never and ever harm any other religions in this soil. History tell us Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam were protected by Sinhalese kings and Buddhist monks. There are so many historical accounts to support this argument. We do not need to recall them here.

Today, Sri Lanka   needs cooperation of all communities to build this nation. It is reported that Sri Lankan economy is facing huge challenges these days. Mismanagement, unsustainable mega projects, frauds and corruptions of the previous government placed Sri Lankan economy in a very much precarious situation. To overcome all these, Sri Lankan people must be united and cooperate each other. Rather than making any communal division. Today, a communal unity among Sri Lankan people is a must. BBS is a great threat for this unity and it is working against national interest in this sense.

No one tries to harm Buddhism in Sri Lanka. It is BBS that harms Buddhism today in Sri Lanka. It is BBS who make trouble in Sri Lanka just in the name of Buddhism. It uses religion make all these troubles. May God protect this great nation?

Rajapaksa Says He Can Identify Parayās; Can The Voters Do The Same Please?

By Gamini Jayaweera –July 31, 2015 

Gamini Jayaweera

In recently held UPFA inaugural general election campaign meeting at Anuradhapura, former President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa very firmly stated that he could clearly identify the Thora (Seer fish) from Mora (Sharks), Mora from Balaya (Tuna), Balaya from Paraw (Trevallies), and Paraw from “Paraya” (?). As I have never heard of a fish called “Paraya”, I looked in the dictionary to find the real meaning of “Paraya”. The word was not in the normal dictionary but it was in the Examples of General Sinhala Slang Words in google. It is an offensive word for an “outsider” or for a person who is “not one of us”. “Paratti” is the female version which is usually prefixed to some other offensive word e.g. “Paratta Balli” literally translates as “outcast bitch”. In our school days these words were classified as swear words and we had been punished if we had used such words. It appears that Sri Lanka has advanced on cultural and religious values during the last decade, for some people it is perfectly all right to use these slang words in public debates. After all, the word has been used by our former President and therefore it must be an acceptable word to use in public places.

    Inimical Remarks about Rajapaksa

“Parayas and Parattis”

Having researched the true meaning of the words “Paraya” and “Paratti”, I have now realised that our former President was talking about two legged “Political Parayas and Parattis” (PP&Ps). I hope that the former President might not be offended as I have added the female version of the word “Paraya” thinking that he must have forgotten to mention it, as we have two legged Political “Parattis” too. The way the former President spoke at the rally, he gave the impression that he would punish these “Parayas” whether they were members of the UPFA or UNFGG if he became the next prime minister of Sri Lanka. It is obvious that former president is not referring to members of UNP, JVP, TNA, & DP as “Parayas” because he and the general public know that these parties are always represented different views to UPFA and opposed the way in which UPFA was governing the country during the last 10 years. So I have done a bit of investigation in to our political arena to identify some of these “PP&Ps” to educate and inform our voters about these people (Parayas) who should be rejected by the Sri Lankan voters in the forthcoming general election.

                      Read More

Champika challenges MR to debate on bribing Tigers

2015-07-31
Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka, who accused former President Mahinda Rajapaksa of bribing the LTTE at that time, challenged him to prove his innocence if possible. 

Addressing an election meeting, Mr. Ranawaka, who is contesting the upcoming election on the UNP ticket, said he would challenge Mr. Rajapaksa to make an announcement on the allegation regarding the bribing of the LTTE with money. 

He alleged the Rajapaksas used the ‘white van culture’ to achieve their personal gains and all would be be exposed before the people.

 he said the people would come to know who was responsible for the disappearance of journalist Pradeep Ekneligoda and the assassination of newspaper editor Lasantha Wickramatunga.

 “All will be revealed before the people’s court on August 17,” he said. 

The Minister said there were as many as 64,000 slums in the Colombo district and all would be provided with decent habitation. “We will convert Colombo into a commercial hub,” he said. 

Shooting at Ravi’s meeting: Hybrid car allegedly involved with T56 cartridge case discovered at Bloemendhal housing complex

(Lanka-e-News- 31.July.2015, 11.00PM) A vehicle suspected to have been used in the Bloemendhal road shooting was discovered this evening at the Bloemendhal housing complex . A T 56 cartridge case  was also found in the vehicle, according to police  media spokesman.

Following information provided by an informant that a group of ‘big made’ men from  the suspicious vehicle went into a house within the complex , the police had been able to detect this vehicle. This is a hybrid Dark Ash colored car. While the police did not confirm that anybody who arrived in the car was arrested , eye witnesses say  some youths had been arrested

Eye witnesses who saw the firing at Ravi Karunanayake’s supporters during noon said , the assassins came in two black hybrid cars. Four individuals who alighted from one of the cars carried out the shooting ,and they were not wearing masks , the onlookers revealed. 

The supporters were lighting crackers when these assassins began firing. Because the sound of crackers and the shooting could not be distinguished , the attackers after firing had got on the vehicles and sped away, by the time people learnt of the shooting.The empty cartridge that was found at the scene of the crime belongs to a T 56 weapon .

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by     (2015-07-31 18:12:53)

Mahinda Rajapaksa cannot become Prime Minister

Photo courtesy WSJ

by Reeza Hameed 

- on 07/31/2015 

The question whether ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa is eligible to be appointed to the Prime Minister’s post if he has the support of a majority of members in Parliament following the August 17 poll is the subject of current debate.

Mahinda Rajapaksa Cannot Become Prime Minister by Thavam Ratna

Ravi condemns shooting at Kotahena

Friday, 31 July 2015

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake today condemned the shooting incident, which claimed the life of a woman and left more than 10 of his supporters wounded near Bloemendhal Road in Kotahena.

Armed men opened fire at a group of supporters of the UNP candidate while they had been engaged in election-related campaigning in the Kotahena area.

Karunanayake says that the gunmen had arrived in a black hybrid car.

Speaking to the media, the minister said he condemns this “organised” attack which was carried out while the government was giving precedence to the implementation of election laws.

Karunanayake had visited the Colombo National Hospital following the incident to look into the condition of his supporters.

Siththy Nasima, 42, a resident of Madampapitiya in Kotahena, succumbed to injuries after being rushed to hospital following the incident which had occurred at around 11.45 am today.

Twelve other including 10 men are still receiving treatment for injuries as the Colombo National Hospital while two of them are said to be in critical condition.

Firing at Ravi’s meeting is first phase of MR’s plot to earn people’s sympathy after exploding bomb at MR’s rally -intelligence chief reveals

(Lanka-e-news- 31.July.2015, 10.30PM)  The indiscriminate shooting at supporters of Ravi Karunanayake at his recent meeting is a preliminary part of the conspiracy of Mahinda Rajapakse  to earn the sympathy of the people by exploding a bomb through his own supporters subsequently  at Mahinda Rajapakse’s meeting , a chief of the State intelligence service revealed to the inside information division of Lanka e news.

After this explosion the aim is to fasten the blame on Ravi Karunanayake by claiming that the bomb attack was Ravi’s retaliatory attack to  avenge the shooting at his meeting, the security chief warned. 

The secret discussion in this connection was held at Gotabaya Rajapakse’s residence on the 29 th , with the participation of Dallas Alahaperuma and Wimal Weerawansa. At that discussion it was also planned  that between August 5th and 10 th , sabotage activities shall be commenced across the country by inciting  strikes in the postal, hospital and transport sectors . This treacherous responsibility had been undertaken by Dallas.

It was also decided that as a second step to create racial tension and conflicts across the country , and towards this the Ravan balaya is to be enlisted.It has also been planned to disribute handbills using Ravana Balaya on 12 th night and paste anonymous posters.

These posters are to instill fear among the people by alleging  Ranil is going to divide the country. Printing of posters has been entrusted to an ex  media coordinator of Dallas. At the same time the plan is to stoke racial hatred against the Sinhalese in Jaffna, Chavakachcheri and Kilinochchi , and simultaneously in the south provoke the sinhalese by kindling   their racial feelings  by falsely citing the  racial animosity  in the north.All  these .were planned and plotted at the discussion.

The intelligence division chief revealed this information to Lanka e news on  the hope  that by the media exposing these conspiracies ahead , the damage aimed at by these diabolic ruthless plans and the dangers packed in these plots  may be averted .

Meanwhile inside information divison  of Lanka e news Kurunegala correspondent disclosed that a number of suspicious jeeps of Johnston Fernando and a group of Jayaratne Herath are seen at various places in Kurunegala. It is apparent their designs are most deadly and vicious , being hell bent  to create untoward incidents. The police are not taking action to arrest those drunk groups inside those vehicles who look threatening while  all the time consuming arrack. 

Our inside information division reports have issued warnings that ,  this is  the group that may have  fired at the house of Lakshman Wendaruwage , and that a killing in Kurunegala is close at hand .

It is learnt that Mahinda has taken a house through Asliya printers , and its rent has been paid. Arrack  is being distributed here reports say..

As reported earlier by Lanka e news, Mahinda has taken a building  at Wilgoda road belonging to Herath who earlier on gave it on  rent to the Inland revenue department . This Wilgoda road house is being used as MR’s main election office  and this has been taken on lease for two months after paying two months rent at  Rs. 250,000.00 per month.

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by     (2015-07-31 17:14:38)

Shots fired at Ravi’s supporters; 1 dead and 11 injured

 
July 31, 2015
(UPDATE) One person has been confirmed dead while at least 13 supporters of UNP Colombo District candidate Ravi Karunanayake have been hospitalised with injuries following a shooting incident at Bloemendhal Road, Colombo.

The group of UNP supporters were reportedly engaged in election-related campaigning in the Kotahena area when several unidentified individuals in two vehicles had opened fire at them and fled. 

Twelve persons have been admitted to the Colombo National Hospital following the shooting incident, the Police Spokesman’s Office said.

Meanwhile the Director of the Colombo National Hospital Dr Anil Jasinghe says that one woman succumbed to injuries and that two others are in critical condition.

Police said the attackers sprayed bullets into the crowd just after Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake left the venue, marking the first major violence ahead of the August 17 parliamentary elections.

Kotahen Police is conducting an investigation into the incident. 

Army responsible for deaths at Rathupaswela: SLHRC

2015-07-31
Investigations conducted by the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission had revealed that the Sri Lanka Army was responsible for the shooting and assaults that took place while dispersing the crowd at Rathupaswela. 

The incidents occurred on August 1, 2013. Three persons including two students were shot and killed by the army, and more than 37 were injured in the melee.

 There had been contradictory evidence regarding the person responsible for summoning the army, the commission said. Tear gas and water cannon had been used by the army to disperse the crowd. It had been established that the protestors did not carry firearms. 

After a lengthy investigation, the Human Rights Commission said that the army should conduct proper inquiries against the senior officers and commanding officers who participated in dispersing the protestors in Weliveriya and Belummahara. (Tharindu Jayawardene and Deepa Adikari)   

Palestinian child dead in suspected Jewish extremist arson attack on home

Officials say 18-month-old killed and his father, mother and brother injured after West Bank house set on fire and ‘price tag’ slogan daubed on walls

Kate Shuttleworth in Duma and Mairav Zonszein
Friday 31 July 2015
A Palestinian child was killed and three family members critically wounded in a suspected arson attack by Jewish extremists on two homes in the West Bank village of Duma early on Friday.

Eighteen-month-old Ali Saad Dawabsha burned to death, while his father and mother, Saad and Reham Dawabsha, and another son, Ahmad, 4, were taken to a hospital in critical condition.

Graffiti saying “revenge” and “long live the messiah” and “price tag” was found on the home.

Police described it as a “suspected attack with nationalist motives”. Such attacks by Jewish extremists have become known as “price tag” attacks.

The Palestinian chief negotiator, Saeb Erekat, said it held the Israeli government fully responsible.

“This is a direct consequence of decades of impunity given by the Israeli government to settler terrorism,” he said in a statement. “We cannot separate the barbaric attack that took place in Duma last night from the recent settlement approvals by the Israeli government.”

The Israeli prime minster, Binyamin Netanyahu, said: “I am shocked over this reprehensible and horrific act. This is an act of terrorism in every respect. The state of Israel takes a strong line against terrorism regardless of who the perpetrators are.”

A search was under way to find the assailants. The Israel Defence Forces set up road blocks and increased its presence. Spokesman Peter Lerner said the “attack against Palestinian civilians is a barbaric act of terrorism”.

Two settlers wearing black balaclavas allegedly entered Duma through a nearby gate, smashed a window and threw a molotov cocktail into Reham and Saad’s bedroom while they were asleep just after 2am on Friday morning.

Ibrahim Dawabsheh, a Palestinian construction worker in the nearby Jewish settlement of Shilo was talking to his fiancee on the phone on an upstairs balcony early on Friday morning when he heard his neighbours screams.

“I heard Saad shouting, ‘help, they have slaughtered me’ and I dropped the phone,” he said. Ibrahim was first on the scene and said he found two men standing over the burning bodies of Reham and Saad. Saad.

“There were two masked men, one of them was standing by Reham looking at her and the second was standing next to Saad checking if they were alive or not”

Ibrahim said he didn’t see any weapons on the men but they followed him and he ran back to his property to safety. “The settlers tried to follow me back to my house, but they left after Bashar, my brother came,” he said.

After the two men left, Reham and her husband were carried into the neighbour’s courtyard. The couple had tried to protect themselves from the fire by covering themselves with synthetic bedclothes but they had stuck to their bodies. The neighbours showed the Guardian a pile of melted bedclothes and a woman’s bra lying on the ground surrounded by blood.

Ibrahim was in tears when he told the Guardian he was able to rescue four-year-old Ahmad but not 18-month-old Ali. “I went to find Ahmad, I used my cellphone as a light at the doorway to the bedroom, I could hear him but I couldn’t see him. I eventually pulled him out,” said Ibrahim. He said later when the fire brigade arrived they retrieved Ali’s body, which was burned beyond recognition.

The attack appeared to be an act of revenge for the recent demolition of two buildings in the nearby settlement Beit El, where settlers and Israeli police clashed on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, Nickolay Mladenov, said he was “outraged” by the attack.

“This heinous murder was carried out for a political objective. We must not permit such acts to allow hate and violence to bring more personal tragedies and to bury any prospect of peace. This reinforces the need for an immediate resolution of the conflict and an end to the occupation.”

The EU on Friday called on Israel to show “zero tolerance” for settler violence, while Jordan, the only Arab state apart from Egypt to have signed peace with Israel, strongly condemned the arson attack and said it held Israel responsible for the death of 18-month-old Ali and for all attacks on the Palestinian people.

“This ugly crime could have been avoided if the Israeli government had not ignored the rights of the Palestinian people and turned its back on peace... in the region,” government spokesman Mohammed Momani said.

It is the worst attack by suspected Israeli extremists since a Palestinian teenager was burned to death in a retribution killing for three Israelis killed by abductors a year ago.

The “Price Tag” group has been blamed for a string of mosque torchings in the West Bank in the past few years, often in retribution for Israeli actions against illegally built settlements.

Brigadier General Moti Elmoz told Israeli media: “I don’t remember such a grave incident in recent years. It is a crime, and there is a reason why we are calling it an act of terror.”

The education minister and Jewish Home chairman, Naftali Bennett, tweeted on the attack: “It’s not a hate crime or price tag, it’s murder. Terror is terror is terror.” He called for the terrorists to be tracked down immediately.

MILITANTS IN INDIA

ALI SUKHANVER-Date: 30 Jul 2015

On 27th July 2015, The Washington Post published a report regarding the gun-battle between the Indian security forces and the so-called militants in Gurdaspur, a border town in Indian Punjab. The report was prepared by Ashok Sharma, an Indian journalist. According to the details the militants first attacked a moving bus and then stormed into a police station. The incident took lives of more than ten innocent people including four policemen. This fight between the security forces and the ‘militants’ lasted for about 12 hours and ultimately the three alleged militants were shot dead. In this operation against the militants, the troops of the Indian Army also provided help and support to the police. The Press Trust of India also reported the same incident but with a slight variation, ‘The attackers hijacked a car and then fired at the bus and a roadside eatery before entering a police station near. Eight injured people were hospitalized, seven of them in serious condition. Police are investigating whether the militants came from the Indian portion of Kashmir which borders Punjab or from Pakistan. Rebels routinely stage attacks in Indian-held Kashmir, where they’ve been fighting since 1989 for an independent Kashmir or its merger with Pakistan.’ State-run All India Radio said, ‘ The police had discovered five bombs on a railway track in the area, causing train service to be suspended, though it was unclear whether it was related to the Gurdaspur attack.’. Indian Intelligence Bureau (IB) fulfilled its official responsibility very honestly by bluntly blaming Pakistan for the terrorist attack on Indian police station on Monday. UK based news Agency the News Tribe reported the claim of an officer from the Indian Intelligence Bureau with reference to the sources from the Indian media. The officer said, ‘The militants who attacked Indian police station had come from Pakistan.’ In short almost everyone from India directly or indirectly blamed Pakistan for the Gurdaspur Terror Attack. It seems they all are trying to paint this incident as another Mumbai Attack Episode. In spite of this hurricane of blames and allegations, Pakistan following its old tradition, expressed deep grief over the sad incident. Pakistan’s foreign ministry in its official statement condemned the attack by saying, ‘Pakistan reiterates its condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.’

But there is another side of ‘midnight’ too. Earlier in July, Pakistani Troops shot down an Indian Quad-copter, commonly known as spy-drone, inside the Pakistani side of LOC. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations Pakistan, the drone intruded from Jaurian Sector of the Indian Occupied Kashmir and was flying over Banchirian Sector near Bhimber in Pakistani area when it was shot down by Pakistani troops. The ISPR stressed that the spy-drone was sent for reconnaissance and secret surveillance and Pakistan has irrefutable evidence that it was flown by the Indian Army. There is a very clear connection between these two incidents; Pakistan’s shooting down of the Indian drone on 15th July and ‘militants’ attack on Gurdaspur police station on 27th July. Whatever happened there in Gurdaspur seems a desperate effort of face saving by the Indian authorities. They were facing no doubt very bitter criticism from their own nation and from the International forces on sending a spy-drone to Pakistan and just to pacify and cool-down the critics and to give the world an impression that India is in a serious trouble at the hands of Pakistan-supported ‘Militants’.

Let us cast a look at a report on the working and professional status of world’s one of the most proficient intelligence agency, the ISI. According to that report Pakistan’s spy agency ISI sought to intercept all communications passing through the country in 2013, the most significant expansion of its capacity to conduct mass surveillance till date and rivaling that of the US and UK. The report was prepared by Privacy International. The report revealed that in June 2013, the Inter-Services Intelligence, Pakistan’s intelligence agency, sought to develop a mass surveillance system by directly tapping the main fiber optic cables entering Pakistan that carried most of the nation’s network communication data. The Guardian commented upon the report that through this surveillance program ISI would rival some of the world’s most powerful intelligence agencies including those of the US and Britain. This report by the Privacy International added a lot of salt to the already injured Indian strategy of destabilizing Pakistan. It was very difficult for the Indian Authorities to ‘swallow’ ISI’s professional supremacy admitted by the International forces. So to give the world an impression that Pakistan is a supporter of the militants and ISI is not a strong and competent intelligence agency, the Indian conspirators planned to stage the Gurdaspur Attacks and earlier the Drone Drama. India must not behave in such a non-sense criminal way. This world has realized that nothing more is important than peace and friendship; conspiracies based on blame, accusations and allegations are no more welcomed and admired here. India would get nothing by going against this positively cool and comfortably calm wind of peace and tranquility. 

Searchers scour Reunion beaches in hope of finding MH370 clues

Air safety investigators, one of them a Boeing investigator, have identified the component as a “flaperon” from the trailing edge of a Boeing 777 wing. Pic: AP.

By Asian Correspondent Staff Jul 31, 2015

Searchers were scouring the Reunion coastline Friday in hopes of finding more debris that officials hope will unlock the mystery of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.

Philippe Sidam, head of an association that maintains the Bois Rouge beach near where the aircraft wing was found Wednesday, said the ocean currents bring all kinds of debris. He displayed a laundry bottle from Indonesia, 6,700 kilometers (4,100 miles) away, as an example.

A Malaysian team is on its way Friday to Toulouse, France, where the wing fragment will be taken for investigation. It will be analyzed in special defense facilities used for airplane testing and analysis, according to the Defense Ministry.

The sea-crusted wing part that washed up on the island in the western Indian Ocean may be the first trace of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 since it vanished nearly a year and a half ago.

(READ MORE: Flight MH370 passenger’s sister skeptical over debris find)

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak promised to make any new information public quickly.

“We have had many false alarms before, but for the sake of the families who have lost loved ones, and suffered such heartbreaking uncertainty, I pray that we will find out the truth so that they may have closure and peace,” the statement said.

“I promise the families of those lost that whatever happens, we will not give up.

Air safety investigators — one of them a Boeing investigator — have identified the component found on the French island of Reunion as a “flaperon” from the trailing edge of a Boeing 777 wing, a U.S. official said.

The wing component may be brought to mainland France on Saturday morning for full investigation, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office.

Image via Twitter.

Spokeswoman Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre says the flight may leave the French island of Reunion on Friday night for an expected arrival Saturday in the city of Toulouse, hub to Europe’s aviation industry.

French investigators will analyze the wing part because it was found on French territory, and will cooperate with international investigators, she said.

French investigators have been carrying out their own probe into the disappearance last year of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 because there were French citizens among the missing.

A Reunion police official said the wing was found Wednesday in the Bois Rouge neighborhood of the small town of Saint Andre, and was transferred Thursday to the civil aviation authority’s offices at the airport in the island’s capital, Saint-Denis. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

France’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Thursday that the origin of the wing part remains unclear, and that the French justice system currently has responsibility for it and will cooperate with international authorities investigating last year’s disappearance of MH370.

A French law enforcement helicopter scoured the waters around Reunion Thursday in hopes of spotting more debris like the piece of aircraft wing found on the island in the western Indian Ocean.

A French law enforcement helicopter flies over the beach in Saint-Andre, Reunion Island, in the hope of finding more plane debris, Thursday. Pic: AP.

A police official who was not authorized to speak about the search on the record said the goal is to “check if there are other pieces of the plane that would have been stranded on the shore.”

David Ferreira, an oceanographer at the University of Reading, said the strong currents of the Indian Ocean could conceivably have pushed debris from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 several thousand kilometers from the area where it was believed to have gone down.

“On its own, this piece of debris will not do much to narrow down the search area by very much,” Ferreira said.

You can watch footage of the debris find here:

David Cameron warns migrant crisis will last all summer

Britain to send sniffer dogs and more fencing to Calais as the prime minister says disruption could last throughout the summer

FRIDAY 31 JULY 2015

The prime minister has said that the fallout from the growing migrant crisis in Calais will last throughout the summer as he pledges MoD land to ease traffic chaos in Kent.

David Cameron said that that the current situation of "people trying to illegally enter our country" is "absolutely not acceptable".

Britain, he said, was going to send France more fences, resources and sniffer dog teams to stop migrants from getting access to the Channel Tunnel.

MoD land will also be used to ease pressure on the motorways caused by lorries which have been unable to cross into France being "stacked" on the M20

The migrants would have eluded French security measures and managed to get on to the top of the lorry undetected - and can now claim asylum in Britain

He added that Britain was going to work "hand in glove" with the French police to stop migrants getting access to the tunnel terminals.

The prime minister has been criticised for his language surrounding the crisis, describing the desperate migrants attempting to enter Britain as a "storm".

His comments come as Eurotunnel officials met with security experts at the French interior ministry and confirmed confirmed new high security fencing around platforms in Calais.

The company, which has criticised the response of the French and British governments, said that its own high security fencing around platforms has become operational today.

Security fencing, previously used at the 2012 Olympics and the Nato summit, will be "completed in the coming days".

Meanwhile french ferry workers have restarted their protests at the port of Calais.

The striking French workers have been filmed throwing tyres onto a burning barricade on the motorway outside the port, causing more travel problems for holiday makers and lorry drivers attempting to make the crossing to Britain.

The employees at the Eurotunnel owned, MyFerryLink, are protesting looming job cuts.