Gary Anandasangaree Elected Amid Liberal Landslide in Canada

20/10/2015 

Liberal candidate Gary Anandasangaree was elected Member of Parliament for Scarborough Rouge Park following a Liberal landslide in Canada.

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau will be the next Prime Minister of Canada, ending nearly a decade of rule by Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

In an epic 11 week campaign, the third placed Liberals who only secured 34 seats in the previous 2011 election, staged a dramatic political comeback securing well over the 170 seats required to form a majority in parliament.

Anandasangaree, a human rights lawyer who attended Osgoode Hall Law School, was called to the bar in 2006, and managed his own firm in Scarborough.

He has served as Chair of the Canadian Tamil Youth Development Centre, Legal Counsel to the Independent Mortgage Brokers and Agents, President of the Canadian Tamils’ Chamber of Commerce, board member of the Youth Challenge Fund, member of the Toronto Police Chief’s Advisory Board, and member of the United Way Newcomers Grant Program.

Anandasangaree was nominated as the Liberal candidate as for the newly created riding of  Scarborough Rouge Park, following a record-breaking turnout for the nomination meeting last year.

Lankareporter

The security forces too confirms the destruction to the Deduru Oya

 

Oct 20, 2015

The first Sri Lanka defense fleet during its research analysis has confirmed that the destruction to the Deduru Oya is due to the Jiffy Company’s coir foam factory. The members of the SL defense fleet have observed the destruction done to the Deduru Oya when the team went on a monitoring mission around Deduru Oya last month.

Te observation mission was conducted 27km for the west of the Jiffy Company. The monitoring mission conducted its research on the 22nd, 23rd and the 24th of September and the team was able to confirm the pollution of the water, the growth of algae plants in the Deduru Oya and met the people who got sick due to this.

The team was able to locate water pollution near the water pump which supplies water to the nearby farming community under a development scheme down the lower valley of Deduru Oya. The people who use the water is getting inflicted with several diseases was also observed.

This army platoon has able to take video clips of this destruction and the team is currently compiling a report to focus the attention of the responsible environmentalists.

However reports reaching us confirm efforts has been taken by few malicious organs in the CEA and the environment ministry to hide the destruction caused to the Deduru Oya from the environment minister president Maithripala Sirisena.

Serious allegations have been leveled against the management of the Jiffy Company for giving different bribes to the Kobeigane police,environmentalists, media reporters and the politicians to undermine this issue.

Meantime media reports are published by the surrendered sordid media coolies to clear the destruction caused by the Jiffy Company.

The Jiffy management did not allow the central environment authority members to enter their factory premises who went to inspect the company site in search of the use of calcium nitrate poisonous
chemical.

However during the scientific research analysis conducted by experts of the central environmental authority it was confirmed that the Deduru Oya water contains calcium nitrate 200% more than usual.

That is incredible.! Rapacious ghoul drooling at the mouth at the sight of money asks Rs.10 million as monthly salary.!

(Lanka-e-News -20.Oct.2015, 11.30PM) During the young age we have heard stories of ghouls and how they drool at the mouth when they see humans who are their prey..In like manner a chief of an Institution had started  drooling at the mouth when  money is gushing within the Institution which is well known for its huge cash flow. This is an Institution which earns about Rs. 6.7 billion per year!

So this chief on learning of  this huge earning is yearning for more filthy lucre. This ghoul of a chief has submitted a paper to the Institution’s board to raise his salary to Rs. 10 million per month ! 

Like how this ghoul is drooling at the mouth at the sight of money , our readers also must be eager to know who this ghoul incarnate is . This rapacious ghoul is none other than Kumarasinghe Sirisena, the chairman of Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT). 

At the outset , Lanka e news reported about how this ghoul forcibly became the chairman of SLT. The salary of this predecessor was Rs.200,000.00 only. Kumarasinghe Sirisena after he became chairman got his salary increased to Rs. 900,000.00 – that is four times more. Subsequently, he submitted a paper to the SLT board when it met last , to raise his salary to Rs. 3 million from Rs. 900,000.00 per month.

There are 7 other companies affiliated to the SLT. Sirisena is the chairman of three companies including Telcom and Mobitel. Therefore  Rs. 3 million from each company is Rs. 9 million . This plus other allowances his total salary exceeds Rs. 10 million! 

In this whole wide world , this is the first time an ordinary degree qualified graduate is demanding a salary of over Rs. Ten million per month. 

Can this individual who said  there are no funds  to meet the cost of making permanent the Telcom manpower employees , but has no qualms about demanding Rs. 10 million as salary selfishly for himself  be called a human?  Isn’t this greed for money at the expense of public funds of  humans worse than the greed for human flesh and  blood of ghouls that survive on corpses ? in case this ghoulsinghe Sirisena was the chief of the general Treasury , what unreasonable  salary would he be shamelessly demanding?

Lanka e news on several occasions highlighted there are two  corrupt Directors in the SLT from the time of the Rajapakse  era who are destroying the Telecom . They are Ranjith Roobasinghe and Wegapitiya. The massive corruption charges against Roobasinghe is being investigated by the FCID currently. Yet Kumarasinghe Sirisena is absolutely against these two crooked corrupt scoundrels being expelled , for these are Sirisena’s accomplices in Sirisena’s illicit deals , and are hence indispensable from his point of view.

At the last Board meeting , there was  intense debating on the subject  which  aimed at sacking these two crooks. Even the Directors of the Malaysian Co. the main partner of the SLT , agreed with this proposal. Yet , Kumarasinghe Sirisena most brazenly and unashamedly fought on behalf of these crooks to defend and save them 

Finally , it was agreed that an investigation be instituted against Roobasinghe , but Sirisena opposed the  interdiction of Roobasinghe. In any Insititution in this country when an investigation is launched against an individual , his interdiction is mandatory . However to Ghoulsinghe Sirisena , that is of no significance or importance.

Although in the  reports of other media it was mentioned that Wegapitiya resigned , according to reports reaching Lanka e news , nothing of that sort has taken place. He still continues as a member of  the board of Directors

If one wishes to know how Kumarasinghe Sirisena along witth his two criminal accomplices , namely, Roobasinghe and Wegapitiya had been robbing in billions via the SLT ,a simple inspection of the records of the SLT’s  precipitous  drop in the revenue from international calls alone will bear ample testimony.  

By diverting the international calls of the Telecom to Call termination , Sirisena has pocketed huge sums of money fraudulently , it has come to light.

Prior to becoming the chairman of SLT , Sirisena was the general manager of Timber Corporation.The present position is  his maiden chairman  appointment. Lanka e news is fully aware of the corrupt activities he indulged in when he was at the Timber Corporation. Lanka e news is also well aware how he managed to extricate himself from  that criminal involvement. 

We are reluctantly compelled to reveal that Kumarasinghe Sirisena is the younger brother of incumbent president Maithripala Sirisena. 

Interestingly , the only qualification the  elder brother of this culprit had to be enthroned as president  was his steering clear of robbing people’s funds. If this culprit younger brother of the president has even a little grey matter he ought to have known that he should not smear or discredit his elder brother, who is now  the president  of the country.

Hence, it will be  well for  Maithripala Sirisena in his own political interest to bear in mind that previously too, it were the younger brothers of ex president Mahinda Rajapakse who put Mahinda to  rout , and they were responsible for his humiliating defeats, and that very often history has been repeated.

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by     (2015-10-20 18:58:57)

Keeping Northern Muslims In Refugee Camps

By Latheef Farook –October 19, 2015

Latheef Farook

Northern Muslims continue to rot in refugee camps; Ignored by successive governments, their own politicians and international community

The unfortunate plight of northern Muslims refugees, abandoned by Muslim politicians, the successive governments and even the international community speak volume for the bankrupt nature of the Island’s Muslim politics and even the community.

Muslims were part and parcel of northern soil and society. Over centuries this was their only place and their Tamil neighbors were the only people they knew. Most of them often felt alien when they visited the island’s south as they found it somewhat uncomfortable there due to the different social environment especially when it came to speaking in Sinhala.

Even around the late 1980s, the bulk of their concentration was in Jaffna city where they lived predominantly in three densely populated areas, namely Sonaka Theru, Ottumadam and Bommaively which were collectively known as Muslim ‘vattaaram’ -zones.

Their main activities were retail and wholesale hardware trade, lorry transport, jewellery and tailoring besides agriculture and fisheries. They owned houses and properties besides paddy lands and fishery boats. Muslims dominated the trade at one stage to such an extent that two-thirds of the blocks in the new market in Jaffna, built by the Mayor of Jaffna, Alfred Duraiappah, and was monopolized by them.

They avoided getting involved in the ethnic crisis. Yet the ethnic crisis had its devastating impact on the Northern Muslims as their traditional life was disturbed. Every time fierce fighting broke out between the security forces and the LTTE, there was intense shelling and mass scale bombing, compelling residents, both Tamil and Muslim, to flee their residences and business houses. They would suffer great losses and would only return when the fighting subsided to rebuild their lives and their businesses.Read More

A Buddhist country which pillage commission also from dana pinkama 

Oct 20, 2015

A high ranking officer working in the prime minister’s office attached to the government information department is reported taken a bribe from a reputed catering company (Opulent caters) .The latter is one Dhrmadasa Wanninayake working as a director to The PM office who alleged taking a bribe during the annual dana pinkama (alms giving) organized by the prime Minister’s office.

As soon as knew this information was leaked secretary to the prime minister has sent him to the information department without an inquiry. All these things were caught by chief incumbent of Walukarama Viharaya Kollupitiya when a complaint was lodged on this regard to the nearby police station close to the temple.

This corrupt officer was working as an information officer in the Department of Government Information. Secretary to the prime minister brought him to the prime minister’s office and appointed the latter as a director without proper approval of the public service commission or
the cabinet which is illegal.

Dharamada Wanninayake is a corrupted character not only at present but in the past too. There are many pending inquiries against him for indulging in fraudulent activities when the latter was working in the health ministry. When this government came to power all pending inquiries against him was swept under the carpet. Now secretary to the Prime Minister tries to stop these facts spreading outside.

Video: Lawyers to file FR case against CID

2015-10-20
Attorney-at-law Udul Premaratne today appeared at the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (SLHRC), to forward a petition on behalf of Dunesh Priyashantha, alias ‘Kondaya’ against alleged abuse and the recording of a false statement by the Criminal Investigation Division (CID).

Mr. Premaratne said by virtue of the fact that the Minuwangoda Magistrate decided to release Dunesh Priyashantha on Monday in connection with the murder of the four and a half year old girl in Kotadeniyawa, it meant that the statement that had been obtained by the CID on the 23rd of September, after the arrest on the 13th of September, was coerced.

The statement that had been recorded by the CID was a detailed and illustrated version of the events that had unfolded on the night of the 12th of September 2015, Premaratne stated. "However if he had been released in connection with the rape and murder since his DNA did not match the samples obtained from the crime scene then the authenticity of the confession he had purportedly given is questionable."

Mr. Premaratne raised the question as to how the suspect could have said such a descriptive lie, including the detailed events before the crime was committed. “such details could only be known by the CID themselves”.

“The CID should be responsible for the statement allegedly given by Dunesh” Mr. Premaratne said.

He also stated that Dunesh Priyashantha had been assaulted for three days, after which he had been asked to sign the confession and upon refusing to do so he had been assaulted again.

Premaratne further cautioned that this could happen to anyone and there was no protection of the law could have given to Dunesh Priyashantha since throughout the proceedings he had been with the CID.

“Such a man like Dunesh who had his education only up to Grade 5 wouldn’t have the knowledge to demand his rights after being threatened with death”.

He concluded that Dunesh Priyashantha had agreed to appear before the Commission at a later date and his team of lawyers were going to proceed with all available legal remedies including filing a fundamental rights case against the CID before the Supreme Court against the assault and the obtaining of false statements. (Rashmin Tirimanne De Silva)

Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana - See more at: http://www.dailymirror.lk/92053/video-lawyers-to-file-fr-case-against-cid#sthash.oDTveWLP.dpuf

No credible evidence to prove sexual 

favours: SLRCS 

2015-10-20
The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society today said that no credible evidence to support the claims that Sri Lanka Red Cross technical officer requested sexual favours for awarding Indian built houses in the north. 

The SLRCS issuing its report on the incident said the panel did find that the allegations had an internal dimension which would be addressed in accordance with the constitution of the SLRCS. 

“The Red Cross believes that it is vitally important to ensure transparency in responding to such a complaint. Despite the fact that no evidence was found from the inquiry to support the allegation that was leveled, under the instructions of the President of SLRCS, the report and documents from the inquiry was handed over to the Ministry of Law and Order and Prison Reforms on 20th October 2015, in the event that they decide to take the matter further,” it said. 

A 27 million rupee fraud committed at the state engineering corporation asphalt plant 

Oct 20, 2015

State engineering corporation workers union said a 27 million rupee fraud has been committed during the Rajapaksa regime during the procurement of raw materials for the Asphalt production plant Horana owned by the State Engineering Corporation. The union has urged the subject minister Sajith Premadasa to conduct an investigation into the matter.

This 27 million fraud have been occurred during the procurement of Diesel, Bitumen, metal and stone powder needed for production. The State Engineering workers union said they have a doubt that the suppliers had any links with the former political authority of this fraud. This fraud has been committed during the time when Wimal Weerawansa was serving as the minister for the state engineering services owned by the State Engineering Corporation.

Regular state procurement process has been breached and quotations have been chosen from selected suppliers. Meantime diesel supplies have been called from companies with no accepted standards. The same process has been followed when selecting the suppliers for the purchase of Bitumen. While there are recognized suppliers available to procure Bitumen, suppliers personally known to the authorities has been chosen.

The state engineering workers said these purchases are made for a higher price from different companies committing large financial frauds when these raw materials are available to buy for minimal prices from Ceylon Petroleum Corporation. These irregularities have been occurred for the requirement of the former general manager and the deputy general manger.

Purchasing in contrary to the public procurement guidelines, calling quotations without transparency, giving the orders to selected suppliers, giving more orders and payments to suppliers who has defaulted supplies, Purchasing for higher prices more than the market
rate, adding VAT and issuing payments for products which there are no VAT has been committed against the corporation for more than 27 million. The Engineering corporation workers urge the minister to provide these information to the police financial crime unit or any other law enforcement agency and take legal action against whoever responsible for this financial fraud.

Split Of Mahinda Group From SLFP Imminent

October 20, 2015 

The UPFA rebels supporting former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, after a secret meeting at MP Gamini Lokuge’s house last night, have decided to sever their ties with SLFP and contest under a separate party at the upcoming Local Government elections.

The meeting at Lokuge’s residence in Kesbewa was attended by parliamentarians Dinesh Gunawardena, Udaya Gammanpila, Prasanna Ranatunga, Bandula Gunawardane, Wimal Weerawansa and several others.

The new alliance is to be led by Kalutara district parliamentarian Kumara Welgama. Rajapaksa is expected to support from the sidelines without entering the fray directly.

The new front will include all affiliated parties in the UPFA other than the SLFP. Also a large group of SLFP MP’s loyal to Rajapaksa are set to support the new alliance, according to one of the rebel group members.

The rebel group had reportedly met at Lokuge’s residence last night after President and SLFP leader Maithripala Sirisena decided to vest the responsibility of reorganizing the party machinery with MP S.B. Dissanayake.

Dissanayake earlier made a back door entry to the parliament through the UPFA national list after he was defeated at the last general election by the voters of the Kandy district.

According to the rebel group member Rajapaksa still holds sway among the grassroots members of the SLFP and the new alliance with the blessings of the former President is confident of winning a majority of councils defeating both Sirisena led SLFP and Wickremesinghe led UNP.

The new alliance is to be led by Kalutara district parliamentarian Kumara Welgama. Rajapaksa is expected to support from the sidelines without entering the fray directly.

The UPFA rebels also have decided to use the recent UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka as their main slogan.

Read More

Weerawansa proves what a great patriotic rat he is via Rs. 25 million fraud !

(Lanka-e-News -20.Oct.2015, 11.20AM) Wimal Weerawansa the so called Sri Lanka ‘s super (duper) patriot who paraded as a paragon of virtue and crowed from roof tops about his (cardboard) patriotism , has during his tenure of office as Minister of housing committed a fraud of over Rs. 27 million when making purchases of raw materials for Asphalt factory at Galapatha , Horana belonging to the State engineering corporation (SEC) under Weerawansa’s ministry of housing as alleged by the SEC ‘s sevaka sangamaya ( employees’ association). Incidentally , his wife too was arrested and remanded recently over a passport forgery fraud-  what  ‘Weerawansa patriotism’ teaches.

The SEC sevaka sangamaya has addressed a letter signed by Nishantha Fernando , the president of the Sevaka sangamaya to the present minister of housing  Sajith Premadasa requesting him to institute a probe into this massive fraud and take legal action against those involved in it.

This fraud has been committed when purchasing the necessary diesel, Bitumen, metal and crushed stones during the period under minister Weerawansa .Several henchmen and stooges of Weerawansa were granted the concession and privilege to supply these materials of high value in violation of formal  procedures . The most reprehensible part of this racket is , three diesel supplying centers involved were not even  authorised sales points.

Even the Bitumen tar supplying center chosen by Weerawansa the so called loud mouthed vacuous patriot (cardboard) are not authorized sales centers .Others chosen too were similar. 

While there were reputed authorized sales establishments , Weerawansa has  selected unknown ,unauthorized ,unscrupulous wayside  suppliers who are his henchmen after making exorbitant payments for the supplies.

 The worst part of this nassive  fraud is , while there exists a main Institution - the Ceylon petroleum Corporation to supply Bitumen tar at minimum price, it has   6 bowzers to supply the commodity ,  and its agents are there in those areas for those supplies, the cardboard patriot Weerawansa has entrusted the supplies of bitumen to his most unsuitable unscrupulous henchmen and stooges. These henchmen have been interrupting the supplies every now and then. Yet they have been given orders to continue with the supplies unduly and without regularity, and payments made to them even on the occasions they have not made  the supplies, and neglected them .

 The Sevaka sangamaya has therefore requested the present minister Sajith  Premadasa to conduct a through investigation into this colossal fraud with a view to net in some more culprits involved who are in service. They have also urged that while punishing them internally , to lodge a complaint with the FCID too in order that Wimal Weerawnsa, and his crooked and corrupt stooges are brought before the law.

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by     (2015-10-20 05:54:05)

From Yahapalnaya to Yalupalanaya (Crony Capitalism)

Oct 20, 2015

Much was expected from the Maithri- Ranil administration. The 100 day government other than the passing a watered down 19th Amendment there was nothing much to crow about.

All the Hype about the Rajapakse’s Robbing left right and center ended up with nothing. The so-called rogues of the previous government were appointed back to the cabinet. The President to add to all this gave nominations to Mahinda Rajapakse.  

Ranil did one better than Maithri by covering up one of the biggest Financial frauds in the history of Sri Lanka, now the same man is accused of even introducing the Rajapakses to a Dubai bank that he worked before he returned to Sri Lanka.

None of the so call high profile financial frauds of the previous administration has so far got exposed. Harsha De Silva who was screaming that the EPF was robbed has been pushed to do economic diplomacy.

Because the government does not want to hang the Governor’s son in law, as a result Nivard Cabral and his cronies are getting away scot-free. The Colombo Stock Exchange is losing ground daily due to a lack of confidence.

Maithri like his predecessor began his presidency on a high note by appointing his Brother as the Chairman of SLT, he is paid a hefty salary and he is accused of doing deals with Wegapitiya, his son in law works in the defense ministry and son roams the world with him and Maithri’s classmates from Polunaruwa, one is Defense Secretary and many others are holding other jobs in the administration.  

On the other hand, Ranil Wickramasinghe has admirably left his family out, but has done better than the President, he has brought back all the old cronies of the past and his friends and contemporaries into the administration and either given them top jobs or advising him how to run the country.

Charitha Ratwatte his key advisor was directly responsible for the downfall of the UNP (SB Dissanyake has said this many times) runs the government, now he has put his brother in as CEO of Sri Lankan Airlines and has put his incompetent cronies to run the ministries).

Mr. Paskaralingam who was found guilty for abuse of power and corruption by a Presidential Commission in the 90s is deciding on tenders as an Advisor, he is having a great run like in the past.

Malik Samarawickrama who was accused of doing business with the Rajapakse’s as recent as January 2015 and could not even negotiate effectively with the Chandrika Government save the UNP in 2004 has been made a Cabinet Minister and given the big responsibility of attracting FDI and Trade.

Ranil has appointed his buddy and former defense secretary’s hand picked agent Sagala Rathnayake as a Cabinet Minister and Director General of the Secretariat. His brother is ANCL Director and NDB Director.

Ranil’s typist secretary Sandra Perera has emerged as a key confidant for the Prime Minister and his wife.

His other friends running the government are Thilak Marapana who appeared for Avangaurd Chairman and milked the Chairman of Avangaurd is Police Minister, Minister Swaminathan who was accused of mismanagement as a treasure of a well-known temple and NSB was put back and made a cabinet minister.

Ajith Dias (businessman with no experience in Airlines made Chairman Sri Lankan and Mihin Airlines) 
Ananda Athukorala who was sent on early retirement from Grindlays for incompetence is DFCC Deputy Chairman, Dinesh Weerakkody former Commercial Bank Chairman supposedly Maithri’s choice for Central Bank Governor is a Human Resource Advisor. Chairman in Sri Lankan Airlines Ajith Dias made Lalith Vithana as cheif financial officer of Sri Lankan Airlines. Now both can run Sri Lankan Airlines like Brandix garment factory.

Ajitha de Costa Envirionment Chief, has so far messed up the Port City, the biggest FDI into Sri Lanka, well known Dealmaker Neranjan Deva a close associate of the Rajapaksas’ as Foreign Affairs Advisor to Sri Lankan government.

Paddy Vithana a cook by training was given the all-important Tourist Board Chairman, Dammika Dissanayake who knows nothing about diplomacy as Ambassador to Japan.

Deepal Wickramsinghe another friend, his wife Dilrukshi Wickramasinghe as Director General of the Bribery Commission, can u expect independence?

Arjuna Mahendran who mismanaged the BOI, as Central Bank Governor, he has certainly become a major source of embarrassment for the government.

Chanaka de Silva, Rakitha Jayawardana, Lawyer Haridasa Sri Lankan Directors, Crysantha Perera who has no qualifications other than O/L as a member of the Monetary Board of Sri Lanka.  

This list in the next few days is bound to expand and Ranil and Maithri will surely and steadily turn the promised Yahapalanaya to Yalupalanaya and may do better than the Rajapkses by the end of their two years and political analysts say this government will certainly have a crash landing after the Provincial elections if the two leaders don't take control of the situation and provide leadership with out gallivanting all over the world shaking hands with foreign dignitaries for the cameras.
 
Movement for Better Governance

The Definitive Explanation for Why You Voted in Justin Trudeau

 Say hello to your new prime minister. Photo via Facebook/Justin Trudeau

Turns out you can pet all the babies you want and still not get elected. Sad. Photo via Facebook/Stephen Harper

by Drew Brown-October 20, 2015

Smoke 'em if you got 'em, b'ys, because Justin Trudeau is our new prime minister. Soon you'll be able to pick up a pack of joints on your way down to the local brothel/assisted suicide emporium.

The Definitive Explanation for Why You Voted in Justin Trudeau by Thavam Ratna

Gary Anandasangaree wins Scarborough-Rouge Park for Liberals in landslide victory

Toronto lawyer Gary Anandasangaree speaks during a news conference in Vancouver, B.C., on Tuesday October 20, 2009.

By Veronica Tang-October 20, 2015

Gary Anandasangaree has won the new riding of Scarborough-Rouge Park for the Liberal party, beating the Conservatives after the party dropped candidate Jerry Bance late in the campaign.

Anandasangaree surged ahead of the the other candidates with an overwhelming majority of the vote. Conservative Leslyn Lewis came in a distant second, followed by NDP candidate Rev. Kantharatnam Shanthikumar.

The riding was thought to be a close three-way race, but Bance was dropped in September after he was reportedly caught on camera urinating in a coffee cup in 2012 in a highly publicized scandal.

The departure of Bance left the party scrambling to find a new candidate late in the race, opting for Lewis as a fill-in candidate.

The riding is brand new in this election and was created by combing pieces of three others: the eastern portion of what used to be Scarborough-Rouge River, the Scarborough portion of the former Pickering-Scarborough East and part of Scarborough-Guildwood.

Scarborough-Rouge Park stretches from York region south to Lake Ontario.

If the boundaries were the same in the 2011 federal election, voters would have voted 34.8 per cent Liberal, 31.6 per cent Conservative, and 31 per cent NDP.

See full results for this riding here.

Live real-time results of the 2015 federal election

Justin Trudeau's turn to face the weight of expectations

Like Obama, Trudeau has been promising the kind of ineffable change that is so hard to deliver

By Neil Macdonald, CBC News Posted: Oct 20, 2015

Stephen Harper is a goner, and humiliated, too, to the near-erotic ecstasy of Canada's chattering classes, who loathed him with such intensity it's hard to think of a comparison in modern politics.

Well, maybe Dick Cheney, George W. Bush's Darth Vader.

Suddenly, in Justin Trudeau we have a prime minister-designate who's banging on about hope and trust and inclusiveness and believing in yourself and being better and listening to everyone and diversity and all sorts of other happy thoughts. He even threw in tolerance for hijabs.

Justin Trudeau's Turn to Face the Weight of Expectations by Thavam Ratna

Palestinian woman dies after tear gas inhalation as settlers seize homes

Israeli Border Police stop Palestinians leaving the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya on 15 October.

Palestinian students walk between cement blocks at a newly erected Israeli checkpoint in Jerusalem’s Jabal al-Mukabir neighborhood on 19 October.

Mahfouz Abu TurkAPA images

Charlotte Silver-20 October 2015

Israeli settlers assisted by occupation forces evicted Palestinians from two homes in the Baten al-Hawa area ofSilwan in East Jerusalem on Monday.

Separately, an elderly Palestinian woman died the same day after suffering from the effects of Israeli tear gas, her family said.

Palestinian Woman Dies After Tear Gas Inhalation as Settlers Seize Homes by Thavam Ratna

At least 35,000 displaced from Aleppo as Russian bombing continues 

Local medical staff put the figure even higher and say that up to 70,000 have been displaced 

A rebel fighter looks at smoke billowing in the background during clashes with pro-government forces south of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on 19 October 2015 (AFP) 

Tuesday 20 October 2015

Tens of thousands of people have been displaced from southwestern Aleppo since last week, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. The organisation said that it could confirm that 35,000 people had been displaced so far. 

Half of those were forced to move from their homes in the Hader and Zerbeh towns on the outskirts of Syria's second city and many are now living with host families or in informal settlements nearby, said Vanessa Huguenin, a spokeswoman from OCHA.

“People urgently need food and basic household and shelter items," Huguenin said. "In addition, aid agencies are growing more concerned for families living outdoors as the weather is getting colder especially overnight.”

However, medical staff from local organisations working in the area said that at least 70,000 people are thought to be on the move in the southern Aleppo countryside. 

In addition to fleeing residents, the only two hospitals in southern Aleppo were targeted by Russian air strikes, forcing all patients, including several newborn babies, to evacuate, according to the Syrian American Medical Society on its website.

The hospital in the al-Hader neighbourhood - the largest in the area - sustained a direct hit, while the second facility was damaged, but no one was injured. They have been shut down indefinitely.

Around 350,000 civilians are dependent on the hospitals, SAMS said, and the damage sustained “severely hinders their access to basic and life-saving medical care".

Dr Zaidoun al-Zoabi, head of the Union of Syrian Medical Relief Organisations, said the Syrians whom his organisation found in the Aleppan countryside had "no medical support". 

"We saw only people who do not have even tents, any shelter, whatever. People were asking for some food, sandwiches even," he said. 

"The shelling is so fierce. The sky was filled with jet fighters, with helicopters, and people are terribly scared. They are scared to death."

Aleppo, Syria’s former economic hub, has been divided in half since 2012 with government troops controlling the western half, and the opposition groups controlling the east.

The push for Aleppo

On 17 October, the Syrian government, with the reported support of fighters from Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia and Russian air strikes, launched a military campaign against the opposition groups in Aleppo, pursuing the southern and western areas.

The joint command for the operation addressed residents and said that the military action was necessary “to liberate you from the armed terrorist groups”.

The operation is the fourth since Russia joined the Syrian fray on 30 September, with government forces seeking to re-establish full control over Homs, Latakia and Hama. At least 100,000 Syrians are thought to have been displaced since these attacks began, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The UK-based monitor said that at least 370 people had been killed, including more than 120 civilians, as a result of more than 500 air raids that Russia has carried out in support of Assad.

During the attacks, the 400-kilometre stretch from Latakia to Aleppo has been targeted repeatedly. Syrian government forces are also keen on controlling the Aleppo-Damascus highway, which has been the scene of fighting between the Russian-backed Syrian army and opposition groups.

Correspondents from the Anadolu Agency on the ground have reported that these opposition groups have tried to fend off Syrian government forces along a 5 to 15 kilometre stretch of the Latakia-Aleppo highway with limited logistics. In addition, the rebel groups are fighting the Islamic State militant group north of Aleppo.

Russia insists that it is aiding Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s troops in the fight against IS, but the US and its allies accuse Russia of targeting opposition groups, some of which are backed by Washington and Ankara.

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