General is now with 'LTTE camp'

President Rajapaksa has launched his campaign by paying his respects to Sri Maha Bodhi amd Ruwanweliseya on Monday

The former military commander is currently with the Tamil Tigers camp, a senior Sri Lankan government minster has accused.

Transport Minister Dullas Alahapperuma said there could be a threat to Gen Sarath Fonseka's life "from his own camp".

The minister was responding to claims by former chief of defence staff (CDS) that his life is in danger as result of government reducing his security.

Gen Fonseka who formally announced his candidacy against incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa at the forthcoming presidential elections, has complained that the security provided to him by the government is inadequate.

President Rajapaksa's allies say that there could be a threat to Gen Sarath Fonseka's life "from his own camp", not from the government

Speaking to journalists in Colombo on Monday, Minister Alahapperuma said "friends of the LTTE" and "those who spent all of their life for the LTTE" are in Gen Fonseka's camp....

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India nuclear leak 'inside job'

The Kaiga plant is highly protected (Photo: K Venkatesh)

A "disgruntled" worker could be behind the leak of a radioactive substance into drinking water at an atomic power plant in southern India, police say.

Preliminary investigations suggested it was an "inside job", a senior police officer told the BBC.

Police have moved into the Kaiga plant on the west coast of India, 450km (280 miles) from the city of Bangalore.

Fifty-five workers needed medical help for exposure to radiation after tritium contaminated a water cooler.

The Kaiga plant is highly protected and outsiders have little access to it.

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World Elders appeal to Mahinda

	The Archbishop says The Elders are deeply worried about the IDPs' plight

A group of world leaders have directly appealed to the president of Sri Lanka to protect the rights of the civilians displaced by the recently ended civil war.

The Elders, a group of eminent global leaders, have said that they are “deeply worried” about the humanitarian situation faced by the largely Tamil civilian population who fled their homes during the decades of civil war.

Archbishop reverend Desmond Tutu who has signed the letter on behalf of the elders, in an exclusive interview with the BBC Tamil Service said that displaced Tamil persons be allowed to return as quickly as possible to their homes.

The letter also says that the Sri Lankan government “must ensure” that the rights of the refugees are respected.

Concerned about reconciliation

Aid organisations should be allowed to participate in the return of the refugees said Rev Desmond Tutu.

Rev Desmond Tutu also says that The Elders group are particularly concerned about what is going to happen with regard to reconciliation in Sri Lanka.

	Nelson Mandela is the founder of The Elders group

“The government has obviously won a military victory, but that is just a beginning” observed Rev Tutu and said that he hoped that the president and his government will take bold actions and be magnanimous.

He also says that they had written to the president expressing their concerns during the conflict urging restraint calling on the government to ensure that the atrocities that they heard about should not be allowed to continue.

Rev Tutu says that the Sri Lankan government generally ignored and violated human rights issues during the war.

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Former refugees call for facilities

--BBC--

Resettled villagers say they even lack basic facilities such as water and toilet facilities

War affected Sinhalese resettled in Vavuniya have called on the authorities to provide them with adequate facilities or allow them back into camps.

The government has initiated a program to resettle internally displaced people (IDPs) in 48 villages.

Journalist Dinasena Rathugamage who visited Kudakachchakodiya village where some former IDPs are resettled says that many lack even basic facilities.

Mudalihamige Chandrasekara, 80, says his family was only given 16 corrugated iron sheets to build a temporary house in the village.

LTTE attack

"It is not enough to build a house. We hope the government will help us to rebuild our houses," he said...................

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India nuclear plant leak

--BBC--

Indian officials are investigating the leak of a radioactive substance into drinking water at an atomic power plant in the south of the country. Fifty-five workers at the Kaiga plant needed medical treatment for excessive exposure to radiation after tritium contaminated a water cooler. Officials said the leak might have been deliberate. "Mischief is not ruled out. Investigations are on," plant director J P Gupta told Reuters news agency. The 55 workers had returned to their duties at the plant, Mr Gupta added. "This incident has in no way affected the public, safety, health and environment." The highly protected Kaiga plant is on the west coast of India, 450km (280 miles) from Bangalore. Tritium, also known as Hydrogen-3, is used in research, fusion reactors and neutron generators.

Al-Qaeda head Osama Bin Laden was 'within grasp' of US

--BBC--

Osama Bin Laden is believed to be hiding in Pakistan's tribal areas US forces had Osama Bin Laden "within their grasp" in Afghanistan in late 2001, a US Senate report says. It says calls for US reinforcements were rejected, allowing the al-Qaeda leader to "walk unmolested" into Pakistan's unregulated tribal areas. The report was prepared by the Foreign Relations Committee Democratic staff. It says the failure to kill or capture Bin Laden had far-reaching consequences and laid the foundation for the protracted Afghan insurgency. The report comes as President Barack Obama prepares to announce a long-awaited decision on sending troop reinforcements to Afghanistan. It is highly critical of officials in former President George W Bush's administration and military commanders at the time.

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Sri Lankan General to contest election

--BBC--

Former Army Commander General, Sarath Fonseka, has said he will run for the country's presidency in elections set for January.

General Fonseka addressing National Lawyers Association in Colombo said that he will contest the upcoming Presidential election as a common opposition candidate and will work towards abolishing the Executive Presidency.

"I would definitely defeat the incumbent President Rajapaske", responding to a question he said.

His announcement sets the scene for a stand-off with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who's called the election two years ahead of schedule.

General Fonseka is reported to be at odds with the government over who should take credit for Sri Lanka's final victory over a decades-long Tamil Tiger insurgency.

Two main opposition parties have said they will support the former military chief.

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