At least 3 killed, 37 injured in suicide blast

By Kurulu Kariyakarawana and Yohan Perera

At least three people including two airmen were killed and 37 injured in a suspected LTTE suicide blast outside the Air Force Headquarters at Sir Chittampalam A Gardiner Mawatha in Colombo last evening.

Fourteen Air Force Personnel were among those injured.

The female bomber who had appeared near the Inland Revenue Department had crossed the road and attempted to enter the Air Force headquarters but was stopped at the entrance where she blasted herself.

Air Force Spokesman Janaka Nanayakkara said the explosion occurred at a time people were rushing home after work around 5.15 pm. The explosion caused damages to a civilian bus plying from Moratuwa to Pettah and three motorcycles.

“The bomber who was witnessed by the airmen deployed at watch towers, was stopped at the entrance of the camp when she triggered the bomb,” Wing Commander Nanayakkara said.

Meanwhile the police arrested one person who attempted to flee the scene following the blast.

The injured were rushed to the National Hospital for treatment. According to hospital sources at least three of those injured were in a critical condition.

National Hospital Director Dr. Hector Weerasinghe who was supervising the Accident Ward confirmed that 37 were injured in the blast out of which 23 were civilians and 14 Air Force personnel.

There were three women among the injured including one air force member who was reported to be pregnant.

Almost all the injured were identified a short while later except for two who were in the Intensive Care Unit. Two more were subjected to an emergency surgery.

One of the injured military officers said they were lighting crackers in front of the Air Force camp when the blast occurred. He said he reached the gate of the camp when the blast occurred. “My eyes were darkened and I could not see what happened,” he said.

Another Air Force officer said he was about to take a vehicle out of the camp when the explosion occurred. “I saw several people lying on the ground,” he said.

He confirmed that a senior officer of the camp was slightly injured. This senior officer was also brought to the hospital with his hand bandaged.

M. S. A. Ahamed said he had passed the gate of the camp and was couple of meters away from it when the blast occurred.

“I ran out of control and knocked against another bike,” he said. Ahamed was rushed to the eye hospital.

Courtesy: Dailymirror

No food shortage in Vanni

Tigers using tents, tarpaulins for combat purposes - 74,618 metric tons of essentials sent

The Government yesterday re-assured that humanitarian assistance to civilians living in non-liberated areas of Vanni would continue un-interrupted, despite difficulties posed by vagaries of the weather, terrorist activities and bad road conditions.

Confirming there was no food shortage in the Vanni, Essentials Services Commissioner S.B. Divarathne said the Government was getting the fullest cooperation of all stakeholders including the WFP andICRC in the endeavor to provide supplies to the civilians.

Since August this year, the Government with the help of other stakeholders had sent 74,618 metric tons of essentials to the area. In addition, 90 per cent of the food parcels sent by India too had been delivered, he added.

According to Divaratne, there had been 8,528 lorry loads of food sent to Vanni during this period.

In addition, the Government was keeping a buffer stock of 3,000 metric tons in Vavuniya to meet any emergency.

Quoting independent figures, Divarathne said that nearly 250,000 people were living in the non-liberated areas mainly in Mullaveli, Dharmapuram, Kandaveli and Pudikudirippu. Out of this figure nearly 100,000-125,000 are believed to be displaced, he noted.

Furthermore, in addition to food, 99 per cent of medical supplies needed for hospitals in the area too had been dispatched, he said.

Commenting on the shortage of shelter material, Divarathne said that the Government had decided not to send tents and tarpaulins as they had received reliable information that the Tigers were using them for combat purposes.

As an alternative measure, the Government has decided to send thatched cadjan as shelter material. A total of 200,000 Cadjan sheets would be sent there shortly, he added. In addition the Government was planning to send kerosene, school books and other necessities soon, Divaratne said.

He also pointed out that despite Tiger claims, it was the Government that provided essential supplies to civilians and that the Government mechanism of utilising cooperatives, administration, hospitals etc is functioning as usual.

During October, the Government had spent Rs.117 million to repair dilapidated roads and streamline the delivery process as international organizations had refused to attend deliveries citing practical difficulties,, Divarathne added.

Commenting on the situation in Jaffna, Divarathne said despite having to face the most severe floods recorded in 50 years, the Government has brought the situation under control within a short period of time.

In Jaffna too there is no shortage of food or other essentials, he added.

Courtesy : Daily News

Toyota Expects to Post Operating Loss

TOKYO — Toyota Motor will lose money in its core automaking business for the first time in 70 years this fiscal year, the company said Monday, in a sign of how the global economic crisis is hurting even the mightiest carmakers.

The Japanese auto giant, which has been neck and neck with General Motors to be the world’s largest vehicle-maker, said it still expects to eke out a narrow group net profit for the year, which ends March 31, 2009.

But the company, which just a few months ago appeared to be riding above the ills that have crippled Detroit, said it has seen plunging sales not only in North America but even in emerging markets, which initially seemed to be immune to the United States malaise.

“The change in the world economy is of a magnitude that comes once every hundred years,” Toyota’s president, Katsuaki Watanabe, told a press conference in Nagoya, Japan, near the company’s Toyota City headquarters. Sales last month dropped “far faster, wider and deeper than expected.”

With some $18.5 billion in cash, and relatively little debt, Toyota is still in far better shape to weather the downturn than G.M. and Chrysler, which on Friday received a $17.4 billion emergency bailout from Washington.

Courtesy: Dailymirror

US provides $ 100,000 for flood relief

The United States Government will provide $ 100,000 for emergency relief to help the people affected by floods in the North and the East. This action comes in response to a request for assistance to USAID from the Natioanl Disaster Management Centre.

Defence budget passed with 105 vote majority

The vote on the Defence, Public Security, Law and Order Ministry was passed with a majority of 105 votes.

The motion to extend the Emergency Regulations by another one month was passed with a majority of 100 votes. The JVP and the NFF voted in favour.

The TNA asked for a division and voted against. The UNP and the SLMC members were absent.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka told Parliament yesterday that the Government will carry out its task until terrorism is wiped out from the country.

The Premier speaking at the vote on the Defence, Public Security and Law and Order Ministry said measures have been taken to eradicate terrorism for so many years.

Various Ceasefire Agreements were signed from time to time when the LTTE was militarily weakened. “However, the present Government is not ready to make the same mistakes committed by previous Governments.

The Government will continue with its military activities until LTTE terrorism is eradicated from this country,” he said. “We appeal to all political parties to extend their support towards the moves taken by the Government to put a complete end to terrorism.” The Prime Minister said the Government has a clear position to defeat terrorism. Terrorism has caused harm to the lives of the innocent people. All possible measures should be taken to eliminate terrorism.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa came to power with the sole intention of finding a lasting solution to this problem without shedding any blood.

But the LTTE attempted to kill our Security Forces personnel and close down the Mavilaru anicut as well. Therefore, the Government had to take a strong decision due to the Mavilaru issue.

The Government launched military operations against the LTTE.

“We were able to liberate the entire Eastern Province due to attempts made by our heroic Armed Forces. We have to capture a few areas in the Jaffna Peninsula. We should give our blessings to our valiant war heroes in their task to eradicate terrorism.”

He said defeating terrorism is the biggest problem faced by the country. The Defence Ministry is taking all possible measures to eliminate terrorism.

The budget has also allocated huge amounts of money to eradicate terrorism.

We all should be united irrespective of political differences to defeat terrorism.

Courtesy : Daily News