9 September 2010Young people in eastern Afghanistan have gone door-to-door to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS as part of a United Nations-backed campaign. Nearly 400 awareness-raising sessions have been carried out across six districts in the province of Nangarhar.In the Kampoona neighbourhood in the provincial capital, Jalalabad, youth educators met people in the streets, sharing information about HIV and AIDS, as well as handing out flyers and postering walls.“The message was conveyed, and people who were covered by the campaign are now aware of the danger of HIV and the safeguards needed to protect themselves from its infection,” said Nur Agha Zwak, director of Nangarhar’s Department of Youth, which trained the youth educators to carry out the community-based awareness training.The Afghan National AIDS Control Programme says that 504 people in the country have been documented as HIV-positive as of November 2008, but the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates that the number is significantly higher.Low levels of surveillance and testing, combined with the stigma attached to HIV, have made it almost impossible to document the reality of the epidemic in Afghanistan, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). read more
“The Quartet emphasized the need for the parties and others concerned to undertake urgently the efforts to expedite Israeli-Palestinian and comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace, which is imperative to avoiding outcomes detrimental to the region,” the group said in a statement issued following their high-level meeting in Munich, Germany.The negotiations stalled after Israel refused in late September to extend a 10-month freeze on settlement activity in occupied Palestinian territory, prompting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to withdraw from direct talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The United States, which championed the talks that had only resumed a few weeks earlier after a two-year hiatus, has now reverted to indirect shuttle diplomacy between the two sides. “The Quartet regrets the discontinuation of Israel’s 10-month moratorium on settlement activity and strongly reaffirms that unilateral actions by either party cannot prejudge the outcome of negotiations and will not be recognized by the international community,” stated the group, which is made up of the UN, European Union, Russia and the US. Strongly urging the parties to overcome current obstacles in the peace process, the Quartet reaffirmed that negotiations should lead to an outcome that ends the occupation that began in 1967 and resolves all permanent status issues, in order to end the conflict and achieve a two-State solution. The group reiterated its support for concluding these negotiations by September 2011, and agreed to meet again in mid-March on the way ahead. Participating in today’s meeting were Mr. Ban, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, US Special Envoy for Middle East Peace George Mitchell, and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union, Catherine Ashton. They were joined by Quartet Representative Tony Blair.While in Munich, Mr. Ban also met separately with Ms. Ashton, and the two discussed a number of issues, including the Middle East peace process and the situations in Iran, Sudan and Côte d’Ivoire. The Middle East peace process was also among the issues discussed in the Secretary-General’s meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. 5 February 2011Recent developments in Egypt and elsewhere in the region underscore the need for Israel and the Palestinians to immediately resume peace talks, the United Nations and its partners said on Saturday, adding that any further delay will be detrimental to regional peace and security. read more
“I urge the authorities to take all possible measures to improve the safety of journalists and bring those guilty of attacks against media workers to justice,” Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Irina Bokova said. “Impunity is posing a direct threat to freedom of expression and press freedom in Mexico.”According to Reporters without Borders, a total of 80 journalists have been killed in Mexico since 2000, making it one of the most dangerous countries to exercise freedom of expression. The majority of killings have been linked to organized crime and drug trafficking, adding to the overall number of casualties – estimated at 50,000 – since the start of the country’s federal offensive against drug trafficking in December 2006.UNESCO said in a news release that the beheaded body of María Elizabeth Macías, editor of Primera Hora newspaper from Nuevo Laredo in the state of Tamaulipas, was found on 24 September with a message linking the murder to her reporting on organized crime on social networks.“María Elizabeth Macías is one of all too many brave Mexican journalists, including several women, murdered because they maintained their integrity as journalists and wrote about the activities of organized crime. It is essential for democracy and for the restoration of rule of law, that journalists and editors be able to exercise their profession without fearing for their lives,” Ms. Bokova said.The killing of Ms. Macías, 39, follows the murders of María Yarce Viveros and Rocio González Trápaga, whose bodies were found strangled in a park in Mexico City on 1 September. Earlier this week UNESCO also spoke out against the slayings. 27 September 2011Condemning the murders of three women journalists in Mexico over the past month, the United Nations agency that defends press freedom today pressed for stronger measures to halt the frequent violence against reporters in the Latin American country. read more
TORONTO — Shares of Research In Motion Ltd. were under pressure again Tuesday, giving up 2% of their value just days before the troubled BlackBerry maker provides a business update to investors.On the Toronto Stock Exchange, RIM closed down 19 cents at $9.17 after having gone as low $9.09 after the open — levels not seen since 2003 after adjusting for stock splits.The losses, however, were not as dramatic as Monday when shares plunged 76 cents, or 7.5%, to close at $9.36 following a downgrade by investment firm Morgan Stanley, which called the company “essentially broken.”The Waterloo, Ont., smartphone pioneer was briefly the most valuable company on the Toronto exchange in 2008 when its stock was trading at more than $148.[np-related]The drop in share value this week also comes after RIM dismissed a Sunday Times newspaper report that suggested the company was considering selling its handset manufacturing unit or a stake in the whole company.Speculation that RIM may be sold or broken up increased earlier this year after the company hired JPMorgan Chase & Co. and RBC Capital Markets to help evaluate its strategic options.RIM is scheduled to report its latest quarterly earnings results after markets close on Thursday and provide a business update to investors.The average analyst estimate is for a profit of a penny per share and $3.13-billion in revenue, according to those surveyed by Thomson Reuters.On Monday, Morgan Stanley said that while the troubles at RIM are well known, the investment firm believes estimates for the company need to come down even further over the next six months.RIM began cutting jobs last week as part of a plan to find $1-billion in savings by the end of its 2013 financial year.The company has been working to turn around operations after watching its market share eroded by Apple’s iPhone and smartphones running Google’s Android operating system.It hopes the debut of its BlackBerry 10 operating system and a new line of BlackBerry smartphones later this year will help keep its subscribers from defecting to other devices, particularly in the United States.RIM also launched its BlackBerry Jam tour earlier this year in an attempt to woo software developers into making applications for the company’s devices.However, speculation has been growing that RIM’s efforts are too little too late, and that the BlackBerry maker could ultimately be sold off. read more
The Toronto stock market maintained a modest gain late Tuesday morning amid hopes that the Chinese government and U.S. central bank will move to launch stimulus measures to boost their slowing economies.The S&P/TSX composite index advanced 26.39 points to 12,241.82 after China’s premier Wen Jiabao promised more tax cuts and measures to boost consumer spending during a speech to the World Economic Forum on Tuesday. The TSX Venture Exchange rose 3.44 points to 1,274.15.The Canadian dollar was up 0.58 of a cent to a 13-month high of 102.88 cents US as the greenback weakened ahead of the Federal Reserve’s two-day meeting on interest rates. The U.S. central bank could announce another round of quantitative easing, which would see the Fed print more money to buy up bonds in order to keep interest rates low and encourage lending.U.S. markets were higher as the Dow Jones industrials gained 87.13 points to 13,341.42. The Nasdaq composite index was up 10.85 points to 3,114.87 and the S&P 500 index was ahead 6.83 points to 1,435.91.There were increased expectations that the Fed would provide another jolt for the economy after jobs data released Friday failed to meet modest expectations of 125,000 new jobs. Instead, the U.S. economy cranked out 97,000 jobs and employment numbers for June and July were revised downward.However, there is a degree of uncertainty as to whether the Fed will act now, especially as it may not want to become a key point of debate in the upcoming U.S. presidential election.“They can’t be seen to be doing too much in the way of massive stimulus,” said Gavin Graham, president of Graham Investment Strategy. “For example, in the days when the Fed could still cut interest rates, by the time you got to July, August, that was about as late as you could go in terms of changing rates because after that it would be attempting to influence the election.”Meanwhile, Wen’s commitment to stimulative measures came a day after data showed that China’s economic slump is worsening.China’s imports declined 2.6 per cent from a year earlier during August, below analysts’ expectations of growth in low single digits. That came on top of August’s decline in factory output to a three-year low and other signs growth is still decelerating despite repeated stimulus efforts.A slowing Chinese economy is particularly bad news for commodity prices and stocks on the resource-intensive Toronto stock market.Resource stocks led TSX gainers while commodities moved higher.The energy sector was ahead 0.54 per cent as the October crude contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange moved up 58 cents to US$97.12 a barrel. Canadian Natural Resources (TSX:CNQ) was up 28 cents to $31.91 while Cenovus Energy (TSX:CVE) advanced 18 cents to $34.13.The mining sector was up 1.17 per cent while December copper on the Nymex was up two cents to US$3.71 a pound, adding to a 17-cent jump over the past two sessions. Teck Resources climbed 78 cents to $30.01 while HudBay Minerals (TSX:HBM) was up 17 cents to $9.26.December bullion gained $8.40 to US$1,740.20 an ounce, pushing the gold sector up about 0.8 per cent. Goldcorp Inc. (TSX:G) improved by 36 cents to $41.57 while Kinross Gold Corp. (TSX:K) ran ahead eight cents to $9.30.Industrials also provided lift as Canadian National Railways (TSX:CNR) advanced 80 cents to $91.15.Traders also took in a sobering warning from Moody’s Investors Service. The ratings agency says it would likely cut its “Aaa” rating on U.S. government debt, probably by one notch, if key budget negotiations fail.If Congress does not reach a budget deal, more than US$600 billion in spending cuts and tax increases will kick in next year, a scenario that’s been dubbed the “fiscal cliff” because it is likely to send the economy back into recession and drive unemployment up.Traders also looked ahead to an important court decision being handed down on Wednesday. A German court is expected to rule on a request to block the country’s approval of the eurozone’s permanent bailout fund, the European Stability Mechanism, or ESM.The Germany Federal Constitutional Court on Tuesday rejected a last-minute plea to postpone its ruling. The postponement plea was brought by Peter Gauweiler, a backbench lawmaker with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative bloc and other plaintiffs.They had argued the European Central Bank’s decision last week to buy up government bonds “created a completely new situation” regarding whether the €500 billion fund was constitutional. The court’s decision on the injunction is widely anticipated as a harbinger of how it might rule on the constitutionality of the ESM overall.European bourses were mixed with London’s FTSE 100 index down 0.07 per cent, Frankfurt’s DAX rose 1.14 per cent and the Paris CAC 40 added 0.08 per cent.In corporate news, U.S. mall owner General Growth Properties, Inc., whose major shareholder is Toronto-based Brookfield Asset Management (TSX:BAM.A), has rejected an activist investor’s push for a sale of the company to a rival American mall owner.The board of directors at GGP filed a letter Monday to Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square Capital saying that it has decided to continue its current path for growth. Brookfield shares dipped 38 cents to $33.87. read more
TORONTO — A new report says the arrival of U.S. retailer Target in Canada next year will take a bite out of the sales of several key rivals.But Barclays Capital says other retailers that don’t overlap in their offerings may benefit from the increased traffic generated by the new stores.In a report assessing the impact of Target’s arrival, the investment firm says Wal-Mart, Sears Canada, Old Navy, Loblaw’s Joe Fresh brand and Canadian Tire are the retailers most at risk.Barclays says Sears is the most at risk of the general retailers with significant overlap in its offerings and 37% of its locations less than a kilometre away from a Target location.[np-related]The report calls discount retailer Dollarama Inc. a special case among retailers as they offer something different from Target.Barclays says it believes Dollarama will “benefit when a Target opens nearby.”Canadian Tire is expected to take a hit, but Barclays analyst Jim Durran notes that when Wal-Mart first launched in Canada, Canadian Tire was able to recover by the following year.“There is not doubt that Canadian Tire will suffer some sales erosion to Target, particularly in Target’s perceived ’go to’ categories such as housewares, apparel and seasonal merchandise,” the report said.However Barclays noted that Canadian Tire’s most loyal customers generate a majority of its sales and just 30% of the Canadian retailer’s stores will be within five kilometres of a Target.Clothing retailer Old Navy, however, will have 42% of its stores within one kilometre of a Target location and also compete in an area of strength for the chain. read more
MONTREAL — The world-renowned Cirque du Soleil will be meeting with staff on Wednesday amid reports that up to 600 people could be laid off.Renee-Claude Menard, the Cirque’s senior director of public relations, said Tuesday she would not comment about layoff speculation until the staff meeting.However, she confirmed the famed organization is conducting a major review of its operations in light of “our recent production adjustments.”“It is a completely normal adjustment for any type of company,” she said.The Cirque still has 19 productions being presented worldwide and is currently working on a new show that will open in May in Las Vegas, Menard added. She said another touring production that will open in the spring of 2014 in Montreal is also in the works.Four shows besides the 19 still on stage have closed recently. The organization’s website also lists a slate of international premieres in January.Menard described the gathering on Wednesday as an annual meeting with employees “where we will update them and keep them abreast of where we are at in our review,” she said.The Cirque employs about 5,000 people worldwide, including 2,000 at its head office in Montreal. read more
OTTAWA — A monthly measure of Canadian consumer confidence has hit its highest since 2010, although it remains below a level that could be described as “optimistic.”[np_storybar title=”A tale of ‘one’ economy, two monetary policies” link=”https://business.financialpost.com/2013/09/28/a-tale-of-one-economy-two-monetary-policies/”%5Dnstead of following the Fed, the Bank of Canada is more likely to lead the way with rate hikes — as long as the elephant below us is on firm footing and making deep tracks. Read more [/np_storybar]The Conference Board of Canada says its index, based on interviews early in September, rose 6.2 points to 91.The Ottawa-based group says British Columbia was a driving force but all regions across Canada showed improved overall consumer confidence since August.Among other things, there was more optimism about current and future finances among those surveyed nationally between Sept. 5 and 17.There was overall pessimism about the future job situation, although negative responses declined by 4.9 points to 18.8% and positive responses increased by 1.8 points to 15.9%.There were also fewer people who said it was a good time to make a major purchase, with only 43.6% of respondents saying yes — a decline of 2.7 percentage points. read more
SAINT JOHN, N.B. — The National Energy Board has approved a Spanish energy company’s request for a 25-year licence to export up to eight billion cubic metres of liquefied natural gas annually from a proposed terminal in Saint John, N.B.The regulator said in the Sept. 3 decision it has also granted Saint John LNG Development Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Repsol S.A., a licence to import an equal amount of gas from the United States.The regulator says advances in drilling and hydraulic fracturing have greatly increased estimates of recoverable resources in North America and the gas exports would be surplus to Canadian needs.Petronas, the Malaysian energy giant with big plans in B.C., faced ‘catastrophic’ safety issuesNew Marcellus pipelines from northeastern U.S. squeezing out Canadian natural gasHeritage Gas, the distributor of natural gas in Nova Scotia, submitted a letter in May to the regulator seeking assurances the company would have adequate access to the sole pipeline into Atlantic Canada if export licences are approved.The decision says Repsol told the regulator it wouldn’t use the Canadian portion of the Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline, and it also notes Repsol’s commenting the pipeline capacity would be a matter for a separate hearing.The board concluded Heritage Gas’s concerns on pipeline capacity was outside the board’s jurisdiction when it is considering a gas export application. read more
TORONTO — Dozens of Sears stores slated for closure begin liquidation sales Friday, but bargain hunters would be wise to temper their expectations, say industry experts.Eager to avoid bankruptcy, the one-time retail giant is counting on hordes of shoppers to scoop up discounted merchandise, fixtures and equipment as soon as possible.But despite the everything-must-go sales at dozens of outlets, Sears still has to survive as a company once restructuring is complete, says marketing Prof. David Soberman from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.“They have an obligation to their shareholders,” says Soberman. “They’re not trying to squeeze every last penny (but) just like any company they’re trying to make themselves as profitable as they can.”Typically, liquidation sales follow a tried-and-true process: start with a modest discount and whatever products are left will gradually get dropped in price until they’re gone.Sears has until Oct. 12 to vacate premises slated for closure, most of them in small-town Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan.A shorter liquidation schedule could mean steeper discounts sooner. Soberman says it’s a balancing act for Sears, which has turned to external liquidators to handle downsizing — some of whom were involved in similar sales for Target and Eaton’s.“Longer time means the discounts don’t have to be as deep, but then you have to pay the staff longer and it’s more difficult to rent the store, so all of these things are trade-offs.”Sears has been operating under court protection from creditors since June 22, when it announced plans to shutter 59 stores and cut approximately 2,900 jobs.The liquidation process involves 54 of those stores, starting on or shortly after Friday.Whether significant crowds show up is a question.Some observers expressed disgust that thousands of longtime employees are not getting severance payments while executives are slated to receive $9.2 million in retention bonuses.“So “Close your doors @SearsCA! I will not spend another dime there, this is disgusting!”But retail expert Maureen Atkinson was skeptical that bad press would keep bargain hunters away.“People will do whatever is in their own best interest,” says Atkinson, senior partner at the Toronto-based J.C. Williams Group.Still, Atkinson questioned whether the deals will be that great anyway. She advises shoppers to be prepared to accept whatever brand is being liquidated, and cautions against hoping to score that fridge or range you might have had your eye on.“The reality is that you may get what would be the equivalent of a scratch-and-dent kind of situation,” says Atkinson. “They are floor models. In the stores they don’t carry inventory of major appliances.”The manufacturer will likely still offer a standard warranty, but she doubted Sears would sell extended coverage.“And even if they did, I’m not sure I would want to be buying an extended warranty from a company that is in bankruptcy protection,” says Atkinson.Appliances, though, are traditionally one of Sears’ stronger sellers so it’s unclear if they will even be included in the deals. A Sears spokesman declined to comment.Soberman expected discounts will vary widely between locations.“The things that are selling well in other locations will be moved. Things that aren’t selling well are where you’re going to get the strongest discounts. It’s also going to be highly local specific — what’s on special in Truro (N.S.) may be quite different from what’s on special in a Sears location that’s closing in Ontario.”Atkinson expects clothing deals might be a disappointment.“Obviously, if they’re closing these stores, people really haven’t jumped at it already,” Atkinson notes wryly.“I would expect that you will only see spring and summer merchandise — you won’t see any fall merchandise, unless it’s last year’s, which could mean that it’s pretty beat up.”And overall, she expects far fewer opportunities to find deep discounts in the small towns.“It’s not like they can bring in inventory to clear from other stores, that’s not how it works, or from their warehouse. It would only be when they go into full liquidation that they would do that kind of thing.”Sears no doubt hopes the crowds will show up, but Soberman wondered whether photos of eager shoppers picking over discounted goods would help or hinder efforts to rebrand “a pretty stuffy older image.”“It’s like vultures circling over prey,” he says.“When people are only going there because the prices are so low, you’re also conditioning people (to think), ‘The only reason I go to Sears is because I’m paying 50 per cent.”‘ read more
WINNIPEG — Prices were mostly lower in mid-morning trading at ICE Futures Canada on Thursday:Canola: Nov. ’17 $0.90 lower $492.60; Jan. ’18 $0.70 lower $498.80; March ’18 $0.40 lower $504.00; May ’18 $0.40 lower $506.50; July ’18 $0.40 higher $508.50; Nov. ’18 unchanged $484.50; Jan. ’19 unchanged $486.20; March ’19 unchanged $488.90; May ’19 unchanged $488.90; July ’19 unchanged $488.90; Nov. ’19 unchanged $488.90.Barley (Western): Oct. ’17 unchanged $145.00; Dec. ’17 unchanged $148.00; March ’18 unchanged $151.00; May ’18 unchanged $151.00; July ’18 unchanged $151.00; Oct. ’18 unchanged $151.00; Dec. ’18 unchanged $151.00; March ’19 unchanged $151.00; May ’19 unchanged $151.00; July ’19 unchanged $151.00; Oct. ’19 unchanged $151.00. read more
Some of the most active companies traded Monday on the Toronto Stock Exchange:Toronto Stock Exchange (15,802.70, down 4.47 points):Bombardier Inc. (TSX:BBD.B). Aerospace, rail equipment. Up three cents, or 1.29 per cent, to $2.36 on 5.3 million shares. The Quebec government is ruling out any further aid for Bombardier Inc. amid reports the company is looking for investors and considering selling aerospace assets. Economy Minister Dominique Anglade says the province has already done more than its fair share in terms of investing in the aerospace sector. The government invested US$1 billion in 2016 for a 49.5 per cent stake in Bombardier’s CSeries commercial jet program.B2Gold Corp. (TSX:BTO). Miner. Down 11 cents, or 3.20 per cent, to $3.33 on 4.3 million shares.HudBay Minerals Inc. (TSX:HBM). Miner. Up 52 cents, or 5.25 per cent, to $10.43 on 4.1 million shares.Capstone Mining Corp. (TSX:CS). Miner. Up 11 cents, or 7.64 per cent, to $1.55 on 4.1 million shares.Aurora Cannabis Inc. (TSX:ACB). Health care. Down three cents, or 1.03 per cent, to $2.88 on 3.5 million shares.New Gold Inc. (TSX:NGD). Miner. Up four cents, or 0.87 per cent, to $4.65 on 3.5 million shares.Companies reporting major news:Home Capital Group Inc. (TSX:HCG). Financial Services. Down 26 cents, or 1.87 per cent, to $13.67 on 384,857 shares. The company says it has reached an agreement to sell its payment processing and prepaid card business as it looks to further streamline operations. The Toronto-based alternative mortgage lender says the sale of the business will save about $20 million in annual salary and other operating costs, while giving up the $18 million in fees and other income it brought in.Loblaw Companies Ltd. (TSX:L). Grocer. Down 25 cents, or 0.36 per cent, to $68.90 on 243,366 shares. Loblaw is laying off 500 of its office workers, but the company says it still expects to create more jobs than it eliminates this year. President Sarah Davis said some of the laid-off employees were told Monday and many of the positions will be eliminated immediately. The 500 jobs come from all levels of store-support offices, including various executives.TMX Group Ltd. (TSX:X). Brokers and Exchanges. Up 12 cents, or 0.18 per cent, to $68.10 on 83,770 shares. TMX Group has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with the Shenzhen Stock Exchange aimed at improving economic co-operation. The companies say they want to connect investors and companies in the technology and innovation sectors in the two countries. read more
The London Stock Exchange index closed on Wednesday at 7,447.21, down 79.33 points.
“All such lobbying of extremist fundamentalism by the terror proxies are shades of a protracted programme at isolating the Sri Lankan reconciliation process and distancing away the radars of international media, rights groups and foreign government agencies from the ground realities of rapid progress of resettlement, demining and rehabilitation in the North and East,” the Defence Ministry said.Cabinet has approved a Prescription (special provisions) Act providing absentee land and property owners in the once war ravaged north and east to reclaim ownership. However the Defence Ministry said that the government has so far not given in to any outside pressure and continues to maintain peace. The Defence Ministry also denied claims of ‘Nazi type’ military occupation, land grab, forced demographic changes and occupation of coastal villages for strategic purposes. Any person who has become displaced or disadvantaged at any time during the period starting May 01, 1983 and ending December 31, 2012 shall be deemed, for the purpose of the new law, to be a displaced or disadvantaged person, the Defence Ministry added.It also said that the security forces and the government are continuing with its demining efforts in the North and the military presence in Jaffna remains in only a portion which has been turned into cantonments. (Colombo Gazette) The government says the reconciliation process is facing serious challenges partly due to external intervention by countries that have perused a diplomatic crusade to whim individual interests upon the island nation.A statement by the Defence Ministry said that a few hard-line elements are also hell bent in a belief of the reincarnation of a mono-ethnic, separatist spree of violence. read more
The Kilinochchi office of the Uthayan Tamil newspaper came under attack on April 3. The UN was not in a position to comment on the recent attack on the Uthayan newspaper distribution office in Killinochchi.When asked for a comment during the daily press briefing at the UN Headquarters in New York yesterday (Monday), UN spokesman Martin Nesirsky said that he did not have a comment on the particular attack. They then assaulted the staff and went inside the Uthayan office and attacked office property.Two employees of the newspaper were admitted to hospital while the other person had sustained minor injuries.A complaint had been lodged over the incident with the Kilinochchi police. The Tamil newspaper had been the target of several attacks in recent times while distributors and journalists of the newspaper have also faced threats and intimidation. (Colombo Gazette) However he noted that the UN Secretary-General’s position is quite clear on media freedom which is that all journalists must be allowed to carry out their work free of violence and free of intimidation. At least three people were injured during the attack while the building and a vehicle parked outside was also damaged.Staff at the newspaper said that when the newspapers to be distributed were about to be unloaded at the Kilinochchi office from a mini lorry, an unidentified gang approached the vehicle and attacked it with poles. read more
Digambaram said that during talks held earlier with President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, minor parties had submitted proposals on electoral reforms seeking a Parliament with more than 225 members.However cabinet had yesterday approved a proposal by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to have a 225 member parliament with 125 members elected via the first past the post system, 75 via the proportional representation system and 25 from the National list. Divisions have arisen over the electoral reforms proposed and approved by the cabinet last night with some minor parties raising concerns.Leader of the National Workers Union and Government Minister P Digambaram said that the estate community does not agree with the proposals approved by cabinet yesterday. “Even at the cabinet meeting I had raised my objections to the proposals,” he said. Digambaram said that the 20th Amendment to the constitution, approved by cabinet yesterday, does not ensure fair representation for the estate community. Digambaram said that under the system approved by cabinet, political parties representing the estate community will have 5 seats in Parliament.However Digambaram said that 5 seats is not enough and that political parties representing the estate community need 10 seats.The Minister said that the political parties representing the estate community are not asking for a separate state but just 10 seats in Parliament. (Colombo Gazette) read more
“Journalists do not need to think of a white van anymore,” he said.He also said that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and President Maithripala Sirisena have introduced a new political culture to the country. Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera says the media is now free to write anything without being concerned of reprisals.Speaking at an election meeting in Matara today, Samaraweera said that the media has been using that freedom to expose some of the activities of the former Government. read more
Tamil political prisoners at key prisons around the country began a fast unto death on Monday, demanding their release. Northern Provincial Council (NPC) members staged a fast in Jaffna today backing the Tamil political prisoners who had launched a hunger strike yesterday.NPC Chairman CVK Sivagnanam as well as Tamil National Alliance and EPDP members of the NPC took part in the fast. The Prisons Department said that Tamil political prisoners at the Welikada prison were among those who were taking part in the fast. The prisoners are calling for a Presidential pardon and have refused to suspend the fast till they get an acceptable solution. (Colombo Gazette) read more
The Presidential commission investigating large scale fraud questioned popular dancers and choreographers Channa and Upali Wijewardana today over the entertainment provided at the opening of the Hambantota harbor.
The United Nations (UN) has told the families of those missing in Sri Lanka not to speak to the media regarding their meetings with the visiting United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances held today.When journalists asked Sandhya Eknaligoda, the wife of missing journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda regarding a meeting she had late this evening with the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances at the UN office in Colombo, Eknaligoda said that she could not comment. “I told them about by concerns. The meeting went well. They will announce their response next week,” she said. She said that the the UN told her not to speak to the media and that the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances would brief the media next week. The Working Group will travel to Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Batticaloa, Matale, Trincomalee, Ampara and Galle. They will meet government officials from the Ministry of Law and Order, the Attorney General Department , Ministry of Justice, Defence , Resettlement, Health including Judicial medical officers and they will also meet the Commanders of the Sri Lanka Army and Navy and IGP and the Police officers . They will also meet with members of Parliament and local authorities, the Governors of the Northern, Eastern and Southern Provinces as well as the Chief Ministers of the Northern and Eastern Provinces. (Colombo Gazette)Audio Playerhttp://colombogazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/New-Recording.m4a00:0000:0000:00Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume. When asked by journalists who took part in the meeting, Eknaligoda refused to comment nor did she wish to state who in the UN told her not to speak to the media.“They have come here to carry out a duty and that will be done at the highest levels so we need to listen to what they say,” she said. The United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances began meetings in Colombo this week as part of its official visit to Sri Lanka which will conclude on 18 November.During its mission, the UN experts will study the measures adopted by the State to prevent and eradicate enforced disappearances, including issues related to truth, justice and reparation for the victims of enforced disappearances.They will also gather information on cases of enforced disappearances, including those pending before the Working Group. read more