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in +49 ... on December 27, 2005
Constantly shrinking purchasing power is giving the German
population a truly tough time by the end ofd 2005.
Already extremely profitable electricity providers have been
invited to further increase their pricing of around 4% although
they are cashing in the by far highest prices in the world.
Health insurance, the German Railroad and several other institutions
are also demanding higher prices whilst reducing quality and
services at the same time.
Meanwhile way over 6 million Germans have been registered
as poor by now not to mention those, who are living in the
streets without any rights to claim welfare or dole. In addition
several industries are trying to reduce salaries and staff
to further improve their profit situation.
With public debts at all-time record levels the new chancellor
Angela Merkel has now felt encouraged to invest some 3 million
Euro into print adverts that should convince citizens of her
policy.
As one of her first decisions she had also canceled regular
talks between IT industries and government institutions in
which previously requirements and experiences had been exchanged
and defined.
Another scam is, that German providers and telcos are now
forced to store all E-mails, faxes and connection data for
24 months in order to combat privacy.
Also discrete banking has become history in Germany since
ordinary government workers are now entitled to check any
bank account without requiring any further authorization.
So far no figures have been released that could give an idea
on how much capital has been shifted out of Germany.
Fact is, that already in 2004 more than 150.000 capable and
wealthier Germans have emigrated and most likely 2005 has
even seen a lot more making it a serious money and brain drain.
Happy new year ...
in +94 ... on December 27, 2005
... the Sri Lankan shoot out continues
Another 10+ Sinhalese soldiers where
killed by highly popular Claymore mines on Dec. 27 increasing
recent victims of pre-civil war activities to 40.
Over the weekend the elderly Tamil politician Joseph
Pararajasingham has been shot during
a Christmas service by a group of gun men. Also several
others were injured during a shoot out inside St Michael's
Church in Batticaloa between his bodyguards and the assassins.
Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe
has been requested to resign and to accept the responsibility
for the UNP defeat at the last election. Deputy Party leader
Karu Jayasuriya and snr p.m. Rukman Senanayaka had assembled
a meeting of influential members to organize internal changes.
Happy new year ...
in +94 ... on December 24, 2005
... a Christmas day in Sri Lanka
Around $3 billion have been raised for Tsunami victims in
Sri Lanka and many places look like nothing has happened.
Why are there no international investigations taking place,
looking at people living in tents even in the city of Galle
and much more in other areas. Providing victims with a small
house starts at $1.000 per unit and the island offers loads
of unoccupied land.
Of course, some places have recovered nicely, but too many
regions still look shambles.
Nevertheless, Sri Lankans have recently voted for Mahinda
Rajapaksa whose party has been in charge of all that aid money
and whose responsibility it was to look after his people.
Galle hospital had looked like hell a day after the waves
and yes, it looks fine again apart from the tents alongside
noisy and polluted Galle Road. Yes, that`s the South and not
a Tamil region where depressions and frustration have multiplied
since the Tsunami.
Today Tamil people may feel much more like driven to the
edge and Rajapaksa would benefit politically from a return
to civil war as it would strengthen his dubious coalition
with Nationalists, Marxists and Monks.
Tourists are getting discouraged with higher prices for less
services, volunteers, many investors and other expats receive
ugliest treatments at government offices.
Now the economy and everything else is going down faster
than ever with fewer jobs and increased taxes.
The future looks risky and certainly not as bright as it
easily could. Today Mahinda`s National Defense Council has
been assembled after 14 of his soldiers were reported to be
killed by Tamil Tigers.
Nevertheless, merry Christmas from Sri Lanka and may peace
shine bright!
in +94 in +49... on December 22, 2005
... once again almost Christmas
Just 4 days away from the first Tsunami adversary International
Media is again looking at Southern Asia where Sri Lanka has
partly recovered from damages and pain except for some regions,
where mainly the poorest live.
Some German "Focus" journalists wrote, that nothing
at all has changed in Northern Mullaitivu, a Tamil location
still suffering and now without hopes for any improvements.
Billions of Dollars had been donated some 11 months ago and
building a house my cost as little as $1.000 with plenty of
land unoccupied all over SL.
Tourism from Germany has gone down 50% for various reasons
and instead of 60.000 just 30.000 have found their way to
that "Indian Ocean Pearl" under pressure from every
possible angle with jobs and businesses shrinking and most
money invested into armament or getting shipped out of the
country since Mahinda has gotten elected instead of Ranil.
Increased violence had triggered warnings in German media
calling Sri Lanka "unstable" and considering only
some parts stable and safe. At the same time prices had been
increased asking for "quality tourists" regardless
pollution, increased crime, poverty and other obstacles that
made tourists prefer Thailand, India and other competitors.
In addition the German LTU Airline has also almost doubled
their rates so that a multitude of basic reasons have kept
occupancy rates at rock bottom despite the long awaited "high
season".
Nevertheless life and regular craze go on in Sri Lanka with
higher taxes, more government and hardly any substantial improvements.
Of course, some parts have done great in terms of Tsunami
recovery and actually apart from much higher prices there
aren`t any reasons that should discourage from visits.
But somehow German`s are different and flying MartinAir from
Amsterdam is now a good deal compared to pricey LTU where
the management had given orders to "make more money"
from long distance flights.
At the same time Germany wonders about high unemployment,
shrinking domestic consumption and why all others are doing
much better.
In fact the +49 and the +94 are now much more two nations
with superb chances but keep on struggling without concept
what will make the future much tougher for everyone living
there.
in +94 ... on December 6, 2005
... dying in SL
The first 17 Sri Lankan soldiers have died in the North after
blasts for which the Tamil Tigers have denied any responsibility.
Meanwhile many Sri Lankans are expecting a fast return back
to grim civil war by which leaders at both sides may expect
to strengthen their own personal positions as it will allow
them to demand more solidarity from their followers.
Tamil Tiger leaders will intensify their demands for more
donations from their followers that are scattered all over
the world whilst President Mahinda Rajapaksa will receive
a tighter support from his various coalition partners that
include extreme Nationalists, Marxists and the Monk Party.
In addition the leaders of the Tamil Tigers will be able
to channel the strong anger and rage about the fact, that
their Northern regions had not received sufficient support
from the vast tsunami donations that had flooded into Sri
Lanka earlier this year.
The overall living conditions for most Tamils have remained
utterly dismal though overall also most Sri Lankans suffer
from the severe economic crisis caused by the previous Kumaratunga
government.
The state that Sri Lankan Tamil schools are in can be observed
on this real video |256k
though one has to quote, that also some Sinhalese look almost
as sad as this one in Digana which is only equipped with two
small bathroom shacks for 1500 pupils for whom also only 2
rusty old typewriters and hardly any books have been made
available.
Meanwhile Sri Lanka`s upper class has stopped any investment
as well as huge amounts of cash are getting shifted into foreign
countries. Also the stock market has lost dramatically which
is another indicator for the rapidly rising danger.
Apparently the Tamil Tigers seem to be ready for massive
strikes with loads of military gear and a well structured
organization so that the intensity of warfare may exceed previous
levels by far.
Also the U.S. Government has raised it`s concern about the
situation but putting traditionally the blame primarily on
the rebel Tigers.
With 100 million Tamils in the Tamil Nadu state the also
the Indian government feels trapped inside the conflict in
particular since the Rajapaksa administration has forwarded
a request to replace the Norwegian mediators that are supervising
the current truce.
in +94 ... on November 27, 2005
Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran
has addressed an ultimatum to President Mahinda Rajapaksa
saying that his Tamil people have lost their patience and
hope so that without any improvements a return to war might
happen in 2006.
"Our people have lost patience, hope and reached the
brink of utter frustration."
in +94 + 49... on November 25, 2005
... post election activities
The new German chancellor Angela Merkel went to visit leaders
in France and the UK whilst in Sri Lanka the new cabinet of
Mahinda Rajapaksa will not contain any members from the Monks
and Marxist parties.
Also PR activities were launched that aim at creating a non-hardliner
image whilst many Sri Lankans fear, that another round of
war could start soon.
in +94 ... on November 21, 2005
... the aftermath ...
Depressions among the Sri Lankan business
people are huge about the result of the presidential election
last week as well as the enforced Tamil voters boycott of
the poll by the LTTE is receiving vast criticism in Europe
and the U.S.
With now Marxist elements inside the new Rajapaksa government
any further financial support for Sri Lanka will get reviewed
very closely and certainly also no further International investment
will become available that could help to improve the critical
situation of the Island`s shrinking economy.
Overall only the LTTE leaders seem to benefit from the result
with a return to civil war becoming much more likely what
could indeed justify their existence and strengthen their
revenue streams from Tamils in the foreign.
A recognized peacekeeper like Ranil could have made their
military ambitions more or less redundant whilst Mahinda Rajapaksa
projects himself as a perfect enemy, who is even partly responsible
for the absence of tsunami aid funds in badly hit northern
Tamil regions.
in +49 +94 ... on November 19, 2005
... the decline speeds up ...
Sri Lanka has a new government and
just like in Germany an unusual coalition is more than unlikely
to bring any improvements for the pressured societies.
A destructive boycott of the Tamil
voters enforced by the Tigers had given Mahinda Rajapaksa
a thin lead of only 200.000 votes out of a 9,7 million voters
bringing his controversial coalition of Marxists, Buddhists
and military hardliners to the nation`s top position.
Domestic and in particular foreign investors feel now widely
discouraged and the stock market had instantly dropped 7%.
In particular the badly needed tourism can now expected to
go down even faster as well as the threat of a return to civil
war has become much more imminent with the announced hardline
policy towards the Tamil minority, which had already been
cut off from tsunami aid at some large extent.
Mahinda Rajapaksa`s Freedom Party party had been ruling for
a long time and the Island`s economy has been driven to shambles
with high inflation, huge unemployment and zero concepts for
improvements.
Furthermore the Marxist members of the new administration
are strong enemies of privatization what will lead to severe
conflicts with the World Bank, which is still one of the main
income sources for Sri Lanka, where meanwhile "please
help!" has grown to one of the most popular phrases.
Pollution and damages to the environment are growing at full
speed as a result of no exhaust controls for the countless
smelly busses, which are the No.1 in public transports due
to a fully outdated and run down railroad system.
Now the overall income situation is bound to become worse
with the expected reduction of tourism and western influences
whilst already most of the national budget is spend on armament
and the rapidly growing petrol bill.
Also Germany is seeing further damages
to growth and the economy caused by an unusual coalition which
had agreed upon higher taxes and a further reduction of income
and general purchasing power at all levels.
In particular a new tax for "rich people"
will drive more capital and investors out of the country as
well as highly qualified experts are leaving the country at
growing figures just like in Sri Lanka, where the average
income has remained way below $100 per month and where modern
key industries like for example IT and computers have a tough
standing caused by high monopoly pricing.
Now both countries had their chance for changes, but both
have decided to continue with their old devastating concepts.
in +49 +94 ... on November 13, 2005
Germany has a new government, whose
first initiatives had been dedicated to the creation of higher
taxation, such as 3% more VAT taking it as high as 19%. At
the same time prices for railroad, public Television, electricity,
gas and so on are climbing as fast as jobs are getting exported
to other countries.
Lined up next are shrinking pensions with a later entry date
and more monthly working hours to make more regular jobs redundant.
Overall, the mood and atmosphere in Germany have gone down
much further and the criticism on the new coalition deal is
absolutely huge, in particular another massive attack on the
general purchasing power.
Sri Lanka is in it`s final week before
election day and tourism has come to almost a complete standstill
since violent outbreaks are feared by tourists and authorities,
who have imposed a curfew for the final two days alongside
a total ban of soft and hard liquor for the final 4 days.
The race between "Mahinda" and "Ranil"
is still widely open and here`s an exclusive new story with
many pictures from a big election meeting in Kandy.
All inside the Sri
Lanka Channel
in +49 ... on September 25, 2005
... another government
Elections in Germany are over and
the two largest parties have received almost equal results
at around 35% each.
Angela Merkel and the conservative CDU claim leadership as
well as current Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder since both are
not able to create a new government on their own, so that
everything points at a so called "big coalition"
which might bring Germany to a complete standstill.
Only one time such a coalition had taken place for a short
period and the results had been extremely poor with both parties
servicing much different clienteles based on their opposite
party programs and heritage.
Angela Merkel as a person had only convinced as little as
31% of the voters whilst a large German majority would prefer
Gerhard Schroeder as the future Chancellor for various personal
and intellectual reasons since the CDU leader does not come
across as any bright or convincing.
Her first plan is to increase the VAT what will instantly
reduce the general purchasing power despite the overall shrinking
income situation which has been doing serious damage to the
economy already. Highest unemployment in recent decades, huge
deficits and a weak domestic market are unlikely to recover
now and Germany can be expected to fall even further and faster.
Election heating up
In Germany Chancellor Schroeder has
gained some ground for his party by his more professional
and intelligent presentation during the Television debate
with runner-up Angela Merkel which was seen by 22 million
viewer.
Eventually this success might win his Social Democratic Party
at least a junior role within the forthcoming new government,
which most likely will be led by the clumsy and inexperienced
Angela Merkel.
In Sri Lanka the race between "Mahinda
& Ranil" has been opened by a massive poster campaign
for the current prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is currently
under fire caused by his secretive private Tsunami fund worth
$80 million taken from the International aid donations, which
had totaled at over $3 billion which have not even helped
those thousands of Tsunami victims, who are still living in
tents.
in +94 ... on August 26, 2005
Election Time in Sri Lanka
As predicted, President Chandrika Kumaratunga will have to
make way for new
elections in Sri Lanka after the latest Supreme Court decision.
With having completed her third period she can no longer
be the candidate
and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa
is now the contestant for the Sri Lankan Freedom Party against
the United National Party's Ranil Wickramasinghe, who is widely
supported by Sri Lanka`s business world. Mahinda Rajapaksa
Real Video 56k|256k
A few days ago President Kumaratunga had appointed her brother
Anura Bandaranaike as the new foreign
minister in addition to his job as minister for tourism, which
he had even further ruined after tsunami with a most miserable
presentation in Europe, where potential visitors still believe,
that the entire Island is devastated. Anura Bandaraneike suffers
heavily from diabetes in a late state.
in +94 ... +49 on August 19, 2005
... Peace & Welfare
In Sri Lanka the Tamil Tigers have
declared to be ready for resuming the peace talks whilst Germany
reports now 6 million people depending on social welfare.
in +94 ... on August 18, 2005
... a nice kill ...
In Sri Lanka influential Tamils have
unofficially praised the assassination of Foreign Minister
Lakshman Kadirgamar as a "nice and precise kill"
of an "early target" whilst BBC experts point at
the large disgrace for the Sinhal security forces, who had
invited the snipers to an undisturbed set up within the immediate
neighborhood of the previous No.2 inside the Sri Lankan government.
Lakshman Kadirgamar had been widely
criticized by many Tamils for being nothing but a puppet on
a Kumaratunga government string because only a tiny part of
the tsunami aid billions had reached the heavily destroyed
northern regions around Trincomale.
Most likely unaware of BBC reported aid manipulations through
corruption and also the vast poverty gap between Sinhal and
Tamil regions UN General Secretary Kofe Annan and U.S. Foreign
Secretary Condoleezza Rice had praised the so-called hard-liner
Lakshman Kadirgamar and condemned his assassination as an
act of terror.
In fact Lakshman Kadirgamar had done a lot to weaken and
discredit the Tamil Tigers internationally. For example the
German Foreign Minister Fischer and also Kofe Annan had been
refused visits to the most heavily tsunami hit regions as
well as direct Italian aid delivery had been prohibited by
the Kumaratunga administration.
Even the Sri Lankan Buddhist monks had been forcefully demonstrating
for a more just aid distribution until they had gotten beaten
up by Sinhal security forces only some weeks ago.
in +94 and +49 ... on August 13, 2005
... bankruptcy
In Germany various opposition leaders
are demolishing their own previously strong position during
their election campaign with controversial statements such
as insulting voters in Eastern parts and claiming a higher
level of intelligence in Bavaria.
Meanwhile Germany has piled up debts worth 870 billion Euro
leading to more than 10.000 Euro per head and no promising
concept for reversing the trend of rapidly increasing deficits
has been introduced.
In Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Lakshman
Kadirgamar was shot dead by trained snipers as well as other
killings have been conducted in Colombo under the eyes of
Sinhal security forces.
The well educated Tamil Lakshman Kadirgamar had been fairly
unpopular among the Tamil Tigers because of his close relationship
to President Chandrika Kumaratunga and
several threats had been forwarded to him.
Overall political motivations behind the killing are obvious
and range from Sinhal military, to Tamil Tigers and even the
opposition party, who once had worked out the truce between
the two fighting ethnic groups.
Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe
will certainly benefit during his election campaign from the
assault as he stands for the people`s main desire called peace,
which he had helped to achieve.
Tamil Tigers would also prefer him as the new leader, so
that primarily the position of the Kumaratunga government
had been weakened once again, though they might benefit from
the fact, that the disappearance tsunami aid billions will
no longer remain in the limelight.
... Civil War prospects & background
Tamil Tiger troops are currently equipped to the max with
money, weapons and tight logistics all over the Island whilst
the Sinhalese troops and other security forces look weaker
than ever with not even been able to protect ministers.
An outbreak of another chapter in civil war would also have
an unpleasant impact on next-door neighbor India where millions
of Tamils would certainly not go along with Indian troops
getting shipped over to Sri Lanka in order to assist the Sinhalese
troops and government.
On the other side an independent Tamil State could easily
trigger a similar civil war in India by simply inspiring the
Tamil population to also launch a fight for their own state.
in +94 ... July 12 , 2005
Colombo Green
Long before the tsunami disaster things had looked miserable
in Sri Lanka under the Chandrika Kumaratunga
government, which has not only missed out on the Internet
and the giant Software boom in Southern Asia.
She also had not even been able to organize even simple
matters like public transports, so that highly toxic traffic
exhaust fumes turn all main roads into apocalyptic experiences
and a disastrous hit on Sri Lanka`s health care system and
economy in days, when petrol becomes unaffordable.
Her complete failure on tsunami aid distribution, repairs
and security after the waves has also made the opposition
and it`s leader Ranil Wickremesinghe
extremely strong so that way over 100.000 people had streamed
on July 12 into the capital Colombo demanding new elections.
Democracy in Sri Lanka
Although President Chandrika Kumaratunga had tried to keep
the amount of protesters low by stopping all public transports,
huge amounts of privately chartered busses had flooded the
city by midday.
In particular the business people in Sri Lanka are very dissatisfied
with her ruling government, what had made them come up with
an impressive fleet of busses which had brought the masses
into Colombo.
Constantly rising living costs, vast unemployment and no
improvements anywhere are strong facts, on which the opposition
in Sri Lanka can rely on as soon as new elections will take
place.
However, Chandrika Kumaratunga is trying every possible move
to remain on top of the country and despite her fragile majority
in Parliament and very little consent among the population
including also the badly beaten Buddhist monks, who had demanded
more support for the Tamil region.
Nevertheless, Sri Lanka's election commissioner seems to
be hiding for whatever reasons although he will have to decide
about the urgently needed elections sooner or later anyhow.
Tamil Tigers
Not long ago President Kumaratunga had not allowed any aid
distribution to the poorest Northern Tamil regions as well
as she had prevented foreign government ministers from visiting
the Tigers, who had rejected her idea of having Sinhal soldiers
bringing in some tsunami aid goods.
Currently the tensions are rising again and more hope is
now with Ranil Wickremesinghe, who
had established the truce in 2002.
Germany +49 on July 12, 2005
... the decline continues ...
In June 2005 new elections had been initiated by Chancellor
Gerhard Schroeder even though he still had a fairly comfortable
majority in Parliament.
Apart from that his party had lost all recent county elections
what has given the opposition party a close control over the
legislation at federal level.
Instead of remaining in power for another appointed two years
Gerhard Schroeder seemed to have given up in general when
all polls had forecasted an avalanche victory for opposition
leader and runner up Angela Merkel.
She and her party pride close links to the more conservative
business circles though her first announcement did include
a VAT raise of 2%, what has caused some serious eyebrows everywhere.
In particular during a period of sharply rising living costs,
shrinking income and high unemployment a further reduction
of purchasing power is expected to do more damage than good
as also explained by Porsche chief Wedekind, who had expressed
his worries clearly already some time ago.
For many years now in particular government connected services
and organizations have become utterly expensive with for example
public German TV, railroads and others charging the highest
prices in the world even in conjunction with more or less
poorest quality at most levels.
German people have to pay even church tax whilst overall
extremely high living costs have also led to record figures
in bankruptcies.
Classic mismanagement at for example the German Railroad
System DB had been another huge factor besides a high level
of corruption at leading companies like VW, Daimler and also
the public TV.
All this has become unaffordable and the now the still third
largest economy in the world has a very dismal outlook into
the future with sky high deficits and huge credits required
to fill the annual gaps and record level.
Meanwhile the interests rates swallow the biggest part of
the GDP what leaves hardly any hope for a recovery as this
regular trend will continue.
Another hard to believe fact are 5 million unemployed, who
are organized by a 100.000 public servants at the federal
job office. A figure that leaves way more than 3 working hours
per month at each jobless, though most of them only show up
for some few minutes every third month just to verify and
renewal their current status.
In addition the overall costs for the public job office have
also grown exponentially what makes it just another classic
example for the decline of the German economy, where filth,
corruption and incompetence have a vast meaning and meanwhile
also tradition.
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