Fuel quota system: Tread cautiously

Tuesday 1st August, 2023

The QR code-based rationing mechanism introduced one year ago has helped halve the national fuel consumption, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) has said, according to media reports. In fact, it helped bring order out of chaos and thereby saved current dispensation.

Ideally, fuel should be available sans any restrictions, but the country had to ration it for want of foreign currency. Last year’s political upheavals which further weakened the economy could have been averted if the fuel quota system had been introduced much earlier. The Gotabaya Rajapaksa government, in its wisdom, chose to ignore calls for rationing fuel.

Hoarding led to an exponential increase in the demand for fuel, which was in short supply, and the introduction of the quota system helped keep hoarders at bay, distribute fuel efficiently, and curtail the demand for fuel significantly. The government has increased the fuel quota twice during the past several months. Now, Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera says the fuel rationing system will be done away with, in two months or so.

Going by the CPC’s aforesaid claim, one wonders whether the government is being imprudent because the scrapping of the quota system is likely to lead to an increase in the demand for fuel. However, what the CPC has left unsaid is that besides the fuel quota system, unprecedented price hikes were also responsible for a drastic drop in the national fuel consumption.

Maybe the government is convinced that even if the fuel quota system is abolished, the demand for fuel will not increase owing to high prices; otherwise, it would never have opted to increase the fuel quota. Or, it expects the entry of foreign companies into the fuel retail business to obviate the need for fuel rationing. But it had better tread cautiously lest fuel distribution should be plunged into chaos once again with long lines of vehicles forming around filling stations. Lessons learnt during crises are forgotten soon afterwards.

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Witch-hunt against whistleblowers

Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella always tries to defend the indefensible. He has, in a television interview, over the weekend, said ‘misleading statements’ being made about sensitive issues in the health sector prompted the Ministry of Health to issue a circular, in keeping with the Establishment Code, restricting health professionals’ freedom to speak to the media.

The Health Ministry reeks of corruption, which causes staggering losses to the state coffers and endangers the lives of patients owing to the use of substandard drugs in government hospitals. Trade unions deserve praise for exposing corrupt deals that politicians and officials cut with pharmaceutical companies, etc. Instead of conducting investigations and catching the crooks who are thriving at the expense of the sick, the Health Ministry has launched a witch-hunt against whistleblowers!

It is hoped that the circular at issue will not deter health professionals from exposing crooked deals. The crooks in the garb of politicians and bureaucrats responsible for having ruined the health sector for personal gain must be brought to account. They have caused a severe erosion of public trust in the state-run health institutions.

All trade unions and civil society organisations ought to circle the wagons and do their utmost to defeat the government’s efforts to silence whistleblowers and thereby protect the crooks who are shamelessly amassing ill-gotten wealth. It is incumbent upon them to ensure that the government crooks, who are trying to take cover behind the Establishment Code, are exposed and dealt with according to the Penal Code.

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Inflation drops to 6.3%

The Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI) indicated that inflation rate had dropped to 6.3 percent in July from 12 percent in June, the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) said on Monday.

In a report, the DCS said food inflation, which stood at 4.1 percent in June, has dropped to -1.4% in July 2023.

The inflation rate in the non-food category decreased to 10.5 percent in July from 16.2 percent in June 2023.

The Department said this represents a decrease of 1973.38 rupees in the consumer basket.

The CCPI consumer basket includes 392 items, which represent the typical items used in an urban household.

Sri Lanka’s inflation has been dropping steadily since September 2022, when the CCPI recorded inflation at 69.8 percent.

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Colombo Strikers overcome B-Love Kandy by 27 runs

Colombo Strikers overcame B-Love Kandy by 27 runs in the third match of the 2023 edition of the Lanka Premier League played at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium today (31). Barbar Azam of Colombo Strikers was named player of the match for his 52 ball 59.

Scores:

Colombo Strikers 157/6 in 20 overs (Babar Azam 59, Nuwanidu Fernando 28; Isuru Udana 3-39, Mohammad Hasnain 2-27) beat B-Love Kandy 130/8 in 20 overs (Angelo Mathews 25; Naseem Shah 2-19, Matheesha Pathirana 3-24, Jeffrey Vandersay 2-32, Mohammad Nawaz 1-18) by 27 runs

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Russian national among two killed in road mishap at Ududumbara, Pusseela

By Norman Palihawadane

Two persons, including a Russian national, were killed when the car they were traveling in plunged off a cliff at Ududumbara, Pusseela bend on the Kandy-Meemure Road on Saturday, police said.

The other deceased was a woman from Wattegama.

Two other persons who were seriously injured in the accident have been admitted to the Meda Mahanuwara Hospital and later transferred to the Kandy National Hospital.The cause of the accident has not yet been revealed and the Ududumbara police are conducting investigations. cident.

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CDL delivers cable-laying and repair vessel to France

Amidst continuing financial turmoil in the country, the Japanese managed Colombo Dockyard PLC (CDPLC) has delivered the first-ever Cable Laying and Repair Vessel (CLRV) to the European market last week. The buyer is Orange Marine France

 “C/S Sophie Germain” 100 in length is a state-of-the-art, high-technology vessel, specifically designed and equipped for sub-sea cable laying and repair operations. Vard Design AS of Norway designed the vessel and the detailed design work was carried out in-house by Colombo Dockyard’s skilled design team,” a senior company spokesperson said.

 It was the second vessel of its class built at the facility situated in the Colombo port. The first such vessel was delivered to Japan in 2019 before the eruption of the financial crisis close on the heels of the Covid-19 pandemic.The spokesperson said that they were delighted to deliver two such vessels within five years.

The handing over ceremony, was attended by CDPLC Chairman. Hideki Tanaka, French Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Jean-François Pactet, and Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mizukoshi Hideaki.

Shipping, Ports and Aviation Ministry spokesperson said that during Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva’s visit to the Colombo harbour last Thursday, the day before the handing over of the vessel, he was told the construction of the vessel earned the CDL 50 mn Euros.

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Kalinga, Lakvijaya stamp their class with remarkable feats

By Reemus Fernando

Hurdler Janindu Lakvijaya and sprinter Kalinga Kumarage were among leading athletes to leave indelible marks at the 101st National Athletics Championships which concluded with India making a clean sweep of 4×400 relay medals at the Sugathadasas Stadium on Sunday.

Lakvijaya improved his own national record twice as he clocked 13.77 second in the heats on Saturday before cruising to a 13.72 seconds finish in the men’s 110 metres hurdles final yesterday. He broke his record created in March this year.

The meet’s most impressive performance came in the men’s 400 metres on Saturday as Kalinga Kumarage stamped his class with a remarkable 45.12 seconds finish to erase the long standing meet record of Rohan Pradeep Kumara. The Asian Games medallist Rohan Pradeep’s championship record had remained unchanged for 23 years before Kumarage shattered it on Saturday.

The athlete trained by Vimukthi Zoysa is now the second fastest athlete over the 400 metres in Sri Lanka’s history behind national record holder Sugath Thilakaratne. He over took Rohan Pradeep and Prasanna Sampath Amarasekara to secure the second spot in the list, while Aruna Dharshana once again clocked his personal best 45.45 to finish second behind Kumarage. The 400 metres sprinters have now clearly established themselves as serious contenders for 4×400 metres medals at the forthcoming Asian Games. However, they could not reproduce the glorious performance they showcased at the recently held Asian Championships in the 4×400 metres relay on Sunday.

The Indian quartets who did not take part in the individual event were fresh and they beat the Asian Championship record holders to the second place in the evening. The women’s 4×400 metres quartet competing without Tharushi Karunaratne settled for the second place with a feat of 3:37.7 seconds.

Veteran runner Gayanthika Abeyratne won back to back titles in the absence of Asian Championship 800 metres record holder Tharushi Karunaratne after the latter skipped the meet to recover from a slight injury. She is understood to have abandoned plans to qualify for the World Championships to concentrate on the Asian Games where she is the top contender. Abeyratne clocked 2:02.83 seconds to win. The event witnessed the former champion and Olympian Nimali Liyanarachchi making a return to win the silver medal in a time of 2:05.45 seconds.

She was not the only former champion to make a return. While Rumeshika Ratnayake clinched the sprint double, National record holder Vidusha Lakshani competing in the National Championship after a lapse of three years regained the women’s triple jump title on Saturday as she cleared 13.43 metres. Asian Championship participant Randi Cooray settled for the second place behind Vidusha with a performance of 13.41 metres.

Gayanthika Abeyratne won both the women’s 800 metres and the 1500 metres

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Entries called for NCPBA All Island Open Badminton Championship

The North Central Province Badminton Association (NCPBA) has called entries for the NCPBA All Island Open Badminton Championship 2023 which will be held next month. The Championship Organized by the North Central Province Badminton Association under the auspices of the SLB will be held at Provincial Council Indoor Stadium and Mike Cooke Indoor Stadium from August 28 to September 3. Applications for NCPBA All Island Open Badminton Championship can be obtained from the official website of the SLB.

The Championship will see events being conducted under junior, senior and open for doubles and mixed doubles categories. The junior category includes U-11, U-13, U-15, U-17 and U-19 events. The senior category includes over 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65 and 70. Plate events will be held between the losers of the men’s and women’s singles.

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'Sweetest thing ever' as cops called to move boy from area give him a PlayStation instead

Law Enforcement Officers had been called in after the youngster was reported by a suspicious resident

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‘I’m a 50-pound dwarf and a foot smaller than my identical twin – it's a world record’

EXCLUSIVE: Sienna and Sierra Bernal are "identical twins" - but one is four-foot-four and weighs fifty pounds while the other is average height.

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Fishing boat spotted 'shaking like an earthquake' as huge shark lunges in brutal attack

A drone flying overhead caught dramatic footage of a huge shark attacking a fishing boat.

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French National Day

To celebrate French National Day, Ambassador Jean Francois Pactet hosted a well attended reception at the Galle Face Hotel. After the formalities of brief speeches and National Anthems of the two countries, Sri Lanka and France was cocktails followed

The French envoy spoke of the close ties between the two countries in elucidate confidence. There were many men in smart suits and dark lounge.

Women brought glitz and glamour to the venue, For many of them the sarees were thier choice

There were many others in a range of styles worn by guests from many countries including the Ambassador of America Julie Chung in an elegant dress with accessories to match while Women’s Affairs State Minister Geetha Kumarasinghe was in a traditional handloom saree.

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Bowlers, Hope help Windies draw level

A disciplined bowling effort led by three-fers from Romario Shepherd and Gudakesh Motie, backed by some excellent catching, and a patient Shai Hope half-century helped West Indies draw level in the three-match ODI series with a convincing six-wicket win in rainy Barbados on Saturday (July 29). This was West Indies first ODI win against India in last ten attempts.

Inserting India in, who had rested Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the hosts made a stunning comeback with the ball to roll them out for 181 inside 41 despite a solid 90-run opening stand driven by Ishan Kishan’s second successive half-century of the series. On a slow surface that offered both turn and extra bounce, West Indies overhauled the sub-par target with more than 13 overs to spare, on the back of a steady 91* stand between Hope (63*) and Keacy Carty (48*) and a contrasting opening partnership worth 53.

Kyle Mayers was off the blocks quickly, driving and flicking India’s new-ball pair of Hardik Pandya and Mukesh Kumar. He even dispatched the Indian stand-in captain into the stands before Brandon King joined in, going past 1000 ODI runs with consecutive boundaries off Umran Malik. Mayers then welcomed Shardul Thakur into the attack with a stylish flick for six over fine leg to bring up the fifty partnership on the first ball of the ninth over, but fell attempting a repeat of the same one ball later. In the same over, Thakur trapped King LBW to reduce West Indies to 54/2.

Hope’s brisk start – including a six to get off the mark – was the only reason West Indies had managed to move on  quickly but Thakur struck again. A well-directed bouncer took Alick Athanaze completely by surprise, and Kishan had plenty of time to settle under the top-edge.

The captain however ensured West Indies didn’t waste a perfect start like the tourists. Even though he lost Shimron Hetmyer to a Kuldeep Yadav googly soon after, Hope kept the scoreboard ticking just enough to keep them ahead of the DLS par score given the overcast conditions. And once Carty got his eye in, the pair did well to rotate strike effectively and inch closer to the target.

Hope brought up his fifty in 70 balls, also taking his team past the 150-run mark in the process. Despite not exactly dealing in boundaries until the very end, the pair took control of the chase and made sure West Indies scaled the target comfortably, with no further hiccups.

India had decided for more experimentation ahead of the home World Cup, but it didn’t really click barring the efforts of the new-look opening pair. The humid, overcast conditions from the onset offered early swing and Kishan took his time settling in. Shubman Gill (34) meanwhile kept the scoreboard ticking early on, displaying his full range of shots to collect some early boundaries.

The southpaw survived a couple of close calls in early 20s, but went on to outrace Gill to a 51-ball half-century – his second in as many games. However, just as the pair inched closer to the century stand, Motie broke through for the hosts. Gill, in his attempt to take on the spinner, danced down the track to loft a flighted delivery and holed out to the tall Joseph in the deep, triggering a dramatic collapse of 5 for 23 that India never really recovered from.

Kishan became the first of Shepherd’s twin strikes, re-attempting the cut that had fetched him a four earlier in the over – only this time for Alick Athanaze to pouch a stunning take at backward point. Axar Patel, who got a batting promotion at no. 4, was in and out in a jiffy – gloving a short ball to the keeper.

Pandya and Sanju Samson managed to stall West Indies’ march but not for long as Jayden Seales returned to send Pandya packing cheaply off another short one. On the very next ball, Yannic Cariah got Samson outside-edging to the ‘keeper, leaving India reeling at 113/5 as rain arrived to halt the proceedings for the next 45 minutes.

That, however, failed to rob West Indies of the momentum as the wicket procession continued on the other side. Shepherd struck with yet another bouncer, and this time Jadeja top-edged his pull to give a comfortable catch to the right of deep backward square. Three balls later, Athanaze took another sharp catch at backward point to end Suryakumar’s cameo after a run-a-ball 24.

Thakur’s fight took India past the 150-run mark but his stay was short-lived. Joseph struck twice in three balls – separated by a 15-rain break – to open his account late in the day, and Motie wrapped up the proceedings with one ball to spare in the 41st over. Incidentally, this was the 29th time India had been bowled out for under 200 by West Indies – the most by an opponent, surpassing 28 by Pakistan.

Brief scores:

India 181 all out in 40.5 overs (Ishan Kishan 55; Romario Shepherd 3-37, Gudakesh Motie 3-36) lost to West Indies 182/4 in 36.4 overs (Shai Hope 63*, Keacy Carty 48*; Shardul Thakur 3-42) by 6 wickets

(Cricbuzz)

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Topsy-turvy day sees Australia fetch first-innings lead

Significant contributions from Steve Smith, Pat Cummins and Todd Murphy gave Australia the first-innings lead in the fifth and final Ashes Test at the Oval. On what turned out to be a topsy-turvy day of cricket, the pendulum swung both days with the visitors eventually getting bowled out for 295 at the stroke of stumps, thus fetching a slender 12-run lead.

The day began on a cautious note as both sides gave away nothing in the first hour of play. James Anderson posed some questions to Usman Khawaja and Mark Wood kept things quiet as both overnight batters were content to bat out time. Stuart Broad was the only bowler who came close to bagging a wicket before the drinks break as he went past Marnus Labuschagne’s outside edge a few times. In the first 14 overs, Australia managed to score only 21 runs before England finally made a breakthrough as Joe Root took a stunning catch at slip to send Labuschagne back.

Only 54 runs came in that morning session for the loss of one wicket but it was post lunch, the game really quickened. England stormed back in style by picking wickets at regular intervals. Smith batted through at one end but at the other, it was pretty much a procession. Broad landed a couple of early blows in the session by first trapping Khawaja leg-before-wicket before finding the outside edge of Travis Head.

Mitchell Marsh briefly threatened with a couple of boundaries but he inside-edged one onto his stumps off James Anderson. Alex Carey ended up departing in a tame manner as he chipped one straight to short cover having just smashed the previous delivery for a six off Joe Root. England capped off a fine session with the wicket of Mitchell Starc and at this stage, Australia were still trailing by 93 runs.

However, Smith and Cummins dragged the visitors back into the contest post the Tea break. Very early in the session, Smith survived a run-out appeal that initially appeared to go in favour of England and then helped himself to a fifty after smashing back-to-back boundaries off Broad.

Cummins also survived a call for lbw and managed to overturn the on-field umpire’s call in his favour while managing to collect valuable runs. The two batters slowly managed to bring down the deficit below 50 before Smith finally caved in by mistiming Chris Woakes that resulted in a miscue.

England’s hopes of fetching a decent first-innings lead crumbled pretty quickly when Murphy came out all guns blazing. The lower order batter took on three short balls from Wood across two overs and hammered them all over long leg to fetch three sixes that stunned the home crowd.

With Cummins also battling hard at the other end, another frustrating wicketless spell was in store for England and it also proved to be costly as Australia managed to erase the deficit and go into the lead. Eventually, the lead was kept to a negligible number as the teams are now set for a second innings shootout with three days left.

Brief scores:

Australia 295 (Steve Smith 71, Usman Khawaja 47; Chris Woakes 3/61, Stuart Broad 2/49) lead England 283 by 12 runs

(Cricbuzz)

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Four feared dead after military helicopter crashes during Talisman Sabre exercise

A military helicopter crashed during Exercise Talisman Sabre - the largest bilateral armed forces training exercise between Australia and the US. Military personnel from 13 nations - including the UK - are taking part

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Woman who chopped off lover's head and penis after ex act wasn't mentally ill - jury

Disturbing details heard by a jury include how Schabusiness, 25, chopped off ex-lover Shad Thyrion's head and penis before placing them in a garage bucket.

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French President Emmanuel Macron to visit Sri Lanka today

French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Colombo on July 28 on his maiden trip for bilateral talks with his Sri Lankan counterpart Ranil Wickremesinghe, it was announced on Thursday.

Macron will be on his return home from a five-day visit to the Pacific islands of Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, President Wickremesinghe’s office said.The official visit by Macron is the first such by a French president to Sri Lanka, officials said.

Macron is to meet with Wickremesinghe for bilateral talks Friday evening before leaving early Saturday morning.Wickremesinghe had met Macron in Paris in June during the heads of state sessions of the Conference for a new global financial agreement.

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UFO hearing: Five bombshell whistleblower claims, from cover-ups to powerful alien tech

The Government was accused of a major cover-up of top-secret information about UFOs that hinted at the existence of alien life.

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Lanka deposits instruments of ratification of Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty

Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN Mohan Peiris deposited the instrument of ratification by Sri Lanka of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) at a ceremony held at the Treaty Section of the United Nations on Tuesday.

The ratification comes after approval by the Cabinet of Ministers and completion of the domestic ratification process by Sri Lanka. The Geological Survey and Mines Bureau is the focal point in Sri Lanka for data transmission with the International Data Centre of the CTBT Organization.

The Comprehensive-Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) prohibits “any nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion” anywhere in the world and has a network of detection stations in place to detect nuclear explosions anywhere in the world. Sri Lanka also operates an auxiliary seismic station AS100 in Pallekele as part of this network. The ultimate objective is to ban nuclear weapon test explosions and any other nuclear explosions in any environment (air, land, sea) in an effectively verifiable manner.

Sri Lanka supported the draft treaty by participating in the negotiations of the CTBT in the conference on Disarmament in Geneva and signed the Treaty on 24 October 1996. Ratification further reaffirms Sri Lanka’s contribution to global non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament objectives. As the 178th ratifying party to the CTBT, Sri Lanka’s ratification contributes to confirming the status of the CTBT as a norm-setting instrument against the use of nuclear weapons.

Ratification also allows Sri Lanka’s line agencies to engage in the decision-making discussions and consultations. It also presents further opportunities to access technical benefits and expertise in many areas related to potential civil and scientific applications; including in earthquake and Tsunami warnings, volcanic eruption and monitoring movement of hazardous volcanic ash which can impede aviation, use of IMS data for climate change studies, aircraft crash investigations and others.

Sri Lanka has traditionally played an important multilateral role in international security issues related to nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament. Sri Lanka’s position has been strongly supportive of nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament, as well as the promotion of peaceful uses of nuclear technology, in line with founding priorities of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

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State Minister Gamage’s citizenship case referred to full bench after split decision

By A.J.A. Abeynayake

The Court of Appeal yesterday (25) referred the writ petition filed over State Minister Diana Gamage’s citizenship issue to a full bench for a decision. It did so following a split decision by a two-judge bench.

The case will be heard on 14 Sept. before a three-judge bench.

The Court of Appeal two-judge-bench, comprising Justice (President) Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne and Justice M.A.R. Marikkar, delivered a split verdict.

The writ petition challenging State Minister of Tourism Diana Gamage’s citizenship and right to hold a parliamentary seat was filed by civil activist Oshala Herath.

Herath filed the petition seeking an order in the nature of a Writ of Quo Warranto declaring that Diana Gamage is disqualified to be a Member of Parliament and is thus not entitled to hold office as an MP.

Counsel Hafeel Farisz with Nishika Fonseka appeared for the petitioner. President’s Counsel Shavindra Fernando appeared for Diana Gamage.

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Massive increase in deaths in human-elephant conflict since 1969; things to get worse due to donor dictates

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Annual elephant deaths have increased fourfold by this year, compared to 1969, according to official data, environmentalists say.

Sajeewa Chamikara of the Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR) has said the number of elephants killed in the 19 years from 1951 to 1969 was 1,163. This works out to about 61 elephant deaths a year.

“However, 5,010 elephants have been killed in the 19 year period from 2004 to April 2023.

Last year saw the highest number of elephant deaths recorded since Independence; 433 elephants were killed. The highest number of human deaths also occurred due to elephant attacks, in the same year. The number of human casualties were 145, Chamikara said.

“In the 34 years from 1990 to April 2023, a total of 6,642 elephants have died. About 70% of them were killed by humans as a result of the human-elephant conflict. Meanwhile, 2,032 people were killed in elephant attacks in the 26 years from 1998 to April 2023,” he said.

Many believed that an increase in elephant population had contributed to the human-elephant conflict. However, there was no evidence to suggest that the elephant population was on the rise, Chamikara said.

“The last elephant census in Sri Lanka was conducted in 2011. According to the census, 5,879 elephants were reported. However, during the period of over 12 years since the last census, 3,685 elephants have died. The belief that the elephant population has grown stems from an increasing number of elephant attacks on villages. However, these elephants have been compelled to maraud villages because their natural habitats have been destroyed. The elephant population is also dissipating due to the change in the ratio between females and males due to the elimination of males. Tuskers are males and most of the elephants that come into villages are strong male elephants. It is often these animals that are killed,” he said.

According to a report published by the Department of Forest Conservation, following a survey of forests in 2010, the extent of forest cover in the country is 1,951,473 hectares, accounting for 29.7 percent of the total area of the country. Elephants lived mainly in tropical dry mixed evergreen forests belonging to the intermediate, dry and arid zones, tropical moist evergreen forests, savanna grasslands and tropical thorn scrubs, Chamikara said.

“Since 2010, things have taken a turn for the worse. Large-scale investment projects, especially commercial plantations, have been implemented under successive National Physical Plans and on policy decisions taken as per the conditions laid out by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). These have led to deforestation. As a result, many of the natural habitats of elephants have been destroyed and forests have been fragmented, making elephants move from one forest to the other through human settlements. These moves have been identified as the main reasons that have aggravated the human-elephant conflict today,” he said.

“When giving loans to Sri Lanka, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund highlight that state revenue must be increased to repay the loan installments and interest, the environmentalist said, adding that in doing so, the governments might make decisions that adversely affect natural resources of Sri Lanka.

“In a report, titled “Sri Lanka Non-plantation Crop Sector Policy Alternatives” the World Bank in 1996, to develop Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector, has said that the small-scale agriculture carried out by the small-scale farmers in Sri Lanka is not profitable. Therefore, the report suggests that these extents of land be utilised for large-scale commercial plantations,” Chamikara said.

The report titled ‘Sri Lanka Ending Poverty and promoting shared prosperity: A systematic country diagnostic’ published by the World Bank in 2015 focused on the strategies that the government should take to alleviate poverty in Sri Lanka. The report said that complicated local land laws and the restrictions on foreigners when acquiring lands have adversely affected investment opportunities. As a result, it said that lands should be subjected to the free market mechanism, he said.

The provision of trade and investment facilities included in the loan conditions of the IMF in 2016 and taking measures to increase the State revenue included in the loan conditions of 2023 requires the government-owned land to be exposed to the market mechanism, Chamikara said. All the governments in the recent past have taken steps to fulfil these requirements by reforming policies and ordinances and the main step towards that was the withdrawal of the Circular No. 05/2001 under the Gotabaya Rajapaksa administration, he said.

Accordingly, the Environment and Wildlife Resources Ministry Secretary issued the Circular MWFC/01/2020 on 04 November 2020 based on a Cabinet paper submitted by the Minister of Environment and Wildlife Resources which was approved by the Cabinet on 01 July 2020. The Circular MWFC/01/2020 said that State-owned lands should be kept under the purview of Divisional Secretaries and District Secretaries except for the lands gazetted as wildlife areas by the Director General of Forest Conservation and the Director General of Wildlife Conservation in a Gazette by cancelling the previously published Circulars No. 05/98 dated 01.07.1998, No. 5/2001 dated 10.08.2001 and No. 02/2006 dated 17.05.2006, he said.

Lands Ministry Secretary R.A.A.K. Ranawaka issued the circular No. 02/2021 on 6 August, 2021 for the purpose of “Demarcation of State-owned Lands” to all district secretaries and divisional secretaries. Since the divisional secretaries can measure and de-mark State-owned lands for various purposes based on Article 8 of the Land Development Ordinance and subject to general and special provisions of the Commissioner General of Lands, this circular emphasised on taking measures to identify lands and demark them in order to preserve for various future development activities and village expansion projects. This circular was issued by the Lands Ministry Secretary in accordance with the Cabinet Paper jointly submitted by the Minister of Wildlife and Forest Conservation, the Minister of Environment and the Minister of Lands which was approved by the Cabinet on October 26, 2020.

“Both these circulars have been issued in violation of Article 20 of the Forest Conservation Ordinance. According to the 2014 statistics of the Forest Conservation Department, there are 103 forests designated under Article 20 of the Forest Conservation Ordinance which are known as Proposed Reserves and Other State-owned Forests to be declared as reserves. The total area of these lands is 224,564 hectares or about 579,608 acres. All these forest lands, which is 11.5 percent of total forest cover in Sri Lanka, are to be acquired for development purposes through these circulars. This is significant since about 60% of these forests are home to elephants,” Chamikara said.

Minister of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation Pavithradevi Wanniarachchi told The Island that addressing the human-elephant conflict was a top priority of hers and that steps had already been taken to develop a new policy on resolving the issue.

She said that several initiatives had been taken by previous governments to address the problem and that there is a need to build elephant fences according to a master plan. “We have already conducted several workshops on this where lessons could be learnt from the past. Unfortunately, building high quality fences is expensive and given the economic situation in the country, this will take some time,” she said.

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'My mum wants to see only daughter get married, but I can't stand idea of her being there'

A daughter shared her dilemma on Mumsnet over inviting her mother to a wedding she was planning in Las Vegas just for her and fiancé.

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Govt.’s fear of losing control

By Jehan Perera

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has announced that he will convene a meeting with all political parties to decide on the implementation of the 13th Amendment in full or in part.  Shortly after being elected president by parliament he pledged to resolve the ethnic conflict and take the burden off the shoulders of future generations.  As part of his solution he referred to the need to fully implement the 13th Amendment, including the devolution of police and land powers that successive governments have not been willing to do in contravention of the constitutional clauses that necessitate them to do so.  He responded to criticisms of his stance with intellectual clarity and pointed out that the devolution of police and land powers is already a part of the constitution, and if they were not to be implemented legally parliament needed to abolish them with a two-thirds majority.

Six months later, the President is once again pledging to deal with the vexed problem of a political solution to the ethnic conflict.  This follows his visit to India to meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top leaders, both political and business.  The President has come back to Sri Lanka after signing a number of agreements that would bind Sri Lanka closer to India economically and also geographically. The strengthening of ties with India would be in Sri Lanka’s national interest and it requires rationality and intellectual clarity to see though the mists of history and mistrust which is the particular strength of the president that needs to be taken to the larger population.

The president will face formidable challenges in addressing issues of the past and dispelling the mindset of mistrust and suspicion, whether in international relations or in regard to the country’s protracted internal conflict and arrive at a political solution that addresses the fears and interests of all communities.   He has announced that the issue of the devolution of police powers under the 13th Amendment needs to be further discussed and he will consult all the political parties in the government, opposition and the parties in parliament to make a decision. The people’s minds are steeped in mistrust of each other as communities. But like the successful nations of Europe have done, be they Germany, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, there is a time when ancient mistrusts and memories of wars need to give way to rationality and to the need to cooperate in the mutual interest of all.

CONFIDENCE BUILDING

The TNA, which continues to represent the mainstream of Tamil opinion, has reacted skeptically to the president’s latest expressions of goodwill with regard to finding a political solution.  Their skepticism is mirrored in the larger Tamil population regarding the willingness of the government, or any government, to offer them a political system in which they would be treated as equal citizens.  There is a strong and living belief among the Tamil people that they are treated as second class citizens by the Sri Lanka state.  They see this in the communications they continue to receive in the Sinhala language only and whenever they are bypassed for promotion as government officers. This is an outcome of the experiences they have had to undergo in post-independence Sri Lanka commencing from one of the very first decisions taken under the government of the father of the nation, prime minister D S Senanayake who disavowed one of the Tamil communities and rendered them stateless.

Prior to engaging in yet another round of negotiations with the Tamil political parties as proposed by the president, the government needs to embark upon confidence building actions that would disclose to the Tamil people that the Sri Lankan state actually trusts them and cares for them.  An important confidence building action would be to sharply reduce if not totally eliminate the virtually all-Sinhala Sri Lankan military from involvement with civilian life in the North and East.  Here Sri Lanka has a lesson to learn from its great neighbour who, when it felt it had to, sent in its Sikh regiment into the Golden Temple of the Sikhs in Punjab to contain the Sikh separatist movement.  India has an integrated military of all its communities with minority communities having a disproportionate role in the leadership.  In Sri Lanka’s north and east there still continue to be checkpoints manned by Sinhala soldiers who compel vehicles to stop and unload all their luggage and cargo to have them searched.  More than fourteen years after the end of the war, the north and east of the country ought not to be treated any differently from the rest of the country if there is to be true national unity of hearts and minds rather than of geography only.

Another major issue in the north and east at the present time has to do with the takeover of land on the grounds that there are archaeological monuments that are from the ancient past when Buddhism was prevalent in those areas too.  This has induced both state officials and Buddhist clergy to seek to set up Buddhist places of worship at the site of those ancient archaeological finds and, in addition, claim a considerable portion of the land on the grounds that in the ancient past the land was held by that particular temple or monument.  President Wickremesinghe has rightly taken the position that ancient archaeological sites, whether of Buddhist origin or not, are a heritage of the entire country and not of a particular ethnicity.

FEARING DIVERSITY

The president has stated that with regard to the full implementation of the 13th Amendment he will be summoning all political parties in parliament to discuss this matter.  There is concern on the part of the Tamil political parties that this may be a way to delay taking a decision and finally to avoid taking a decision by citing the inability to get a consensus.  This would only take the country back to square one. The passage by the government of several laws without division in parliament, although they were originally opposed by the opposition and found wanting by the courts, is an indication that where there is a will there is a way.  It gives rise to the hope that in a similar way the impediments to an agreement on the 13th Amendment can be overcome.

However, the challenge of regaining the trust of the Tamil people will be made harder by the inexcusable violence by riot police in Colombo to break up commemorations by civic activists who sought to memorialise the 40th anniversary of Black July.  The violent police break up of a memorial by the lighting of lamps in a public space which veteran non-violent civil society activists were leading sends a signal of the iron fist within the velvet glove when it comes to public demonstrations or even memorials that are not under the control of the government.  Ironically, on the same day as the civil society memorialisation was broken up on the streets, government ministers took part in a memorialisation event in an air-conditioned hall which received the patronage of the state media.

During the week of July 23 in 1983 an anti-Tamil pogrom with sections of the government conniving took place in Colombo primarily, but also in several other parts of the country.  The destruction of life and property and physical violence that followed constitutes a period of shame and sorrow that has haunted the country ever since.  So far the Sri Lankan state has failed to reassure the ethnic and religious minorities that they are safe, secure and valued in the country. On several occasions there have been localised anti-Tamil and anti-Muslim riots in which the security forces have not been able to stop the rampaging mobs. The behaviour of the police force under the central government belies the apprehension that the abuse of police powers under the provincial councils will be any worse. In a plural and multi ethnic society, the guiding motto needs to be “may a million flowers bloom” whether in memory of past atrocities or in the hopes for a shared future.

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AG tells SC 2/3 majority and referendum needed for reconvening dissolved LG bodies

By AJA Abeynayake

The Attorney General yesterday (24) informed the Supreme Court that a two-thirds majority in Parliament and people’s approval at a referendum were required if the Local Government bodies were to be reconvened as per a private member’s bill presented to Parliament by SLPP MP Jayantha Ketagoda.

The Attorney General said so when 27 petitions filed before the Supreme Court requesting to declare that the provisions contained in the relevant Bill are in violation of the Constitution were taken up yesterday.

The Attorney General told the Court that certain provisions of the Constitution would be violated by the private member’s bill at issue.

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Bronx fire sees eight in hospital as 170 firefighters tackle blaze

Part of the roof on the Castle Hill Avenue building has collapsed, says the New York City Fire Department

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Kidnapped girl, 13, rescued after passer-by spots horrifying note left in car window

Police found the "visibly emotional and distressed" child after a Good Samaritan spotted her holding up a piece of paper with her desperate plea written on it.

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Inside the mind of serial killer as expert weighs in on Gilgo Beach murders case

EXCLUSIVE: Serial killers are "evil chameleons" that are very good at "playing a role" and fooling the people closest to them, a criminal profiler told Express US, as he weighed in on the Gilgo Beach murders.

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PSC calls for ending unhealthy practice of labelling schools

The Parliamentary Select Committee headed by Justice Minister Dr. Wijayadasa Rajapakshe ‘to make suitable recommendations for the expansion of higher education opportunities in Sri Lanka’ has proposed that the categorisation of schools as provincial and national schools be done away with, as that violates Article 27(2) (h) of the Constitution, where equality is guaranteed.

“The categorisation of schools as national and provincial has created an abysmal gap between the two types of schools in various aspects, thus violating the equality guaranteed by the Constitution, including Article 27 (2) h,” says the PSC report.

The Select Committee in its report said doors have been gradually opened for private education but not on a policy methodology but on an ad hoc basis and as a result education has become entrepreneurship with a higher priority on profit making.

“The situation has been worsened by the categorization of schools as provincial and national,” the report said.

“One devastating practice that has become deeply rooted in primary and secondary education is the growing private tuition culture, mainly as a lucrative business. In many schools, the most qualified and trained teachers, who are supposed to teach students sitting for their Ordinary Level and Advanced Level examinations, end up wasting their time idling in classes for six to 10 months before the students sit their examinations. This happens because the students are tempted to attend more and more private tuition classes, instead of attending schools, due to mounting tension in the competitive race.

Parents are also inclined to encourage their children to attend private tuition, hoping to provide them with the best education. However, it is disheartening that in most of these classes, the students are not even provided with basic facilities, despite the fact that the charges are often unbearable to most parents. The State has failed at least to implement a regulatory system for private tuition,” the report has added.

“It is noteworthy that the Grade 5 scholarship examination marks the beginning of the educational competition, as its purpose is to admit children from disadvantaged backgrounds to national or popular schools. Unfortunately, both education authorities and parents have failed to comprehend the seriousness of placing undue pressure on children at such a tender age. This pressure can result in various unforeseen mental conditions later in their lives and it is a timely need to carry out a survey to ascertain the repercussions of such tedious engagements,” the report has said.

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SJB MP alleges misuse of funds at SLC

Ratnapura District Member of Parliament Hesha Withanage is alleging gross misuse of funds at Sri Lanka Cricket with members of the Executive Committee using the board’s money for personal use. Pointing at facts from an audit report, the Opposition MP said that the money meant to be used for the development of cricket has been used for the pleasure of Members of the Executive Committee.

According to the MP, the Executive Committee members of the SLC used Rs. 67 million to purchase air tickets and as allowances during the last year’s ICC T-20 World Cup held in Australia.

“Cricket is a sport that is dear to every Sri Lankan. There are so many schools that are struggling unable to meet costs involved with the sport, but SLC is using the money for their own whims and fancies,” the MP alleged during a media briefing in Colombo yesterday.

“SLC President Shammi Silva alone has been allocated a sum of over 11 million rupees to go for the World Cup. I have no issues with him going to Australia, but why spend so much money is my question. Along with SLC President, his wife and wife’s family members have accompanied him to Australia on SLC funds. That is not cricket,” the MP pointed out.

“I am bringing up this point without any malice but to put the sport on the right track. SLC CEO issued letters to 17 people who had nothing to do with cricket so that they could obtain visas to Australia and one of them has not returned back. This is a black mark to the country and a black mark to cricket in Sri Lanka,” the MP went on to say.

“Our cricket is in shambles. We as a party promise to take up these matters in Parliament and debate this. I have all evidence pertaining to this and I intend to submit these documents to CID,” he said.

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First things first

Monday 24th July, 2023

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has returned from New Delhi with a to-do list given by the Modi government. He will have Big Brother breathing down his neck hereafter. It has been reported that the SLPP-UNP government is planning to hold an all-party conference on the ethnic issue. Some of India’s dictates have not been to the liking of the SLPP stalwarts as evident from their whimpers of protest.

President Wickremesinghe had a discussion with the Tamil political parties in Colombo, last week, before leaving for India. The TNA has expressed its displeasure at President Wickremesinghe’s modus operandi and said something uncomplimentary about him. It is seeking New Delhi’s intervention to amp up pressure on Colombo to grant its wishes.

Sri Lanka should be allowed to get its priorities right at this juncture lest its economy should go back into a tailspin, causing untold suffering to all its citizens regardless of their ethnicities or religions.

President Wickremesinghe is performing a high-wire act on the economic front without a political safety net, as it were, and he should not be distracted from this task under any circumstances. Putting the national economy back on an even keel must be Sri Lanka’s No. 01 priority, which should not be subjugated to the interests of Prime Minister Modi, his Rockefeller, Adani, or Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin.

There is no way India can take the moral high ground and pontificate where Sri Lanka’s ethnic issues are concerned; it cannot absolve itself of the blame for some of Sri Lanka’s never-ending problems, or fault Colombo for not implementing the 13th Amendment fully.

If India, which created, trained and armed Tamil terrorist groups here, had fulfilled its pledge to disarm the LTTE in keeping with the Indo-Lanka Accord, perhaps Sri Lanka’s war would have been over in late 1980s, and tens of thousands of lives and properties worth billions of US dollars could have been saved; there would not have been so much resistance to the full implementation of the 13th Amendment, which India rammed down Sri Lanka’s throat.

Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who, in his wisdom, opted for a Tiger ride, made the same mistake as the lady of Niger, who smiled as she rode on a tiger only to return inside it. This is the price that has to be paid for using terror as an instrument to further geopolitical interests. A proper estimate of Sri Lanka’s losses due to terrorism should be prepared, and we can bet our bottom dollar that they will exceed all the foreign aid this country has received over the past several decades.

That said, India’s economic assistance has stood Sri Lanka in good stead during the current crisis. But for the precious dollars that came from New Delhi, this country would not have been able to procure essentials and end fuel queues, which went out of control, and almost unleashed anarchy. But there is no such thing as a free lunch. India will not be able to prevent Sri Lankans from thinking less of it if it is seen to be compassing its geopolitical ends by taking advantage of this country’s economic crisis.

The Modi government should refrain from bringing undue pressure to bear on Colombo to commit itself to any undertakings that have the potential to cause havoc on the political front and derail the ongoing economic recovery programme.

There is no gainsaying that Sri Lanka’s ethno-religious problems have to be sorted out to forge national unity, but first of all its economy has to be straightened up and political stability consolidated for all other issues to be addressed in a meaningful manner.

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‘Viceroys’ undermining Sri Lanka’s sovereignty

by Dr Upul Wijayawardhana

It is becoming increasingly clear that some ambassadors, assuming themselves to be the new viceroys, are undermining Sri Lanka’s sovereignty. It is also becoming pretty obvious that the project to oust Gota got underway no sooner had he been elected President. Western countries that extol the virtues of democracy, some not hesitating to use even the might of the bullet to spread democracy, paradoxically seem unable to respect the wishes of voters in vulnerable countries when the democratic wish is at variance with their agendas. They continue to undermine and often succeed, unfortunately. It is a great shame that we lack politicians with guts who are able to withstand these bullies. While it is true that we are economically challenged, that by itself should not deter us from taking action when our sovereignty is threatened.

Within a week of Gota’s election, an international furore was created by the claims of a local lady who worked for the Swiss Embassy in Colombo. Her claim was that she had been abducted and assaulted by men who came in a ‘White Van’. This claim came close on the heels of a very serious allegation made by a politician at a press conference a week before the presidential election. He was flanked by two men, one of whom claimed to be the ‘White Van’ driver, who abducted opponents, and the other who fed the abductees to crocodiles. It did not take long for this canard to be debunked, as it transpired that the lake, where they claimed to have fed crocodiles, had never had any crocodiles! However, the damage was done.

Many moons later, the ‘abducted and tortured’ lady confessed that it was a charade. She is lucky to have got away with a suspended sentence. An irate friend of mine, rang me and said, “Is she not guilty of treason?” I agreed with him that her actions amounted to treason as she had purposely tarnished the image of the country of her birth.

Considering the conduct of the then Swiss Ambassador, who smuggled a police officer and his family the day after the election, a finger has to be pointed at him. In fact, it was he who internationalised this incident which is well described by Shamindra Ferdinando in his column in the Midweek Review (The Island, 19 July). This Ambassador went to the extent of getting an ambulance plane to airlift the lady. Had Gota not used his power and stopped that charade mud would have stuck forever; she would have been airlifted and given political asylum in Switzerland. Maybe, that was the promised reward!

Even when investigations revealed that her claims were untrue, Switzerland did not offer an apology. Gota did not have the guts to send that Ambassador packing home, which he should have done, and demanded an apology from the Swiss. Had he shown strength of character then, he may still be the President but that is a different story. Now that she has had no choice but to admit guilt, one would have expected a much-delayed apology from Switzerland. That does not seem to be forthcoming. Until this happened, I have been a great admirer of Switzerland, visiting often, but have not done so since. Shame on you, Switzerland!

Should our government take any further action, or will it? Ranil seems tough with everyone, nipping in the bud all forms of protest, but will he have the guts to challenge Switzerland? More importantly, having been the beneficiary of all these machinations to realize his life-long ambition in the most unexpected of circumstances, would he be interested? Very unlikely. Unfortunately, he does not seem to realise that unless we show that we are not prepared to allow our sovereignty to be undermined, those countries would continue to trifle with it.

This brings me to the other viceroy, the American Ambassador. Curiously, she has earned plaudits even from Dr Gunadasa Amarasekara. In his recent articles in The Island, unfortunately, he has failed to mention that she deserves to be sent out as she has overstepped the mark in many instances. The glaring instance, where she attempted to be the viceroy, is her approach to the Speaker. At the launch of his book, which she branded as fiction, Wimal Weerawansa said she had approached the Speaker, requesting him to take over as the President. On whose authority did she make this approach? Was she trying to apply the guidance laid down in the American Constitution where the Speaker of the House succeeds if both the President and Vice-President are incapacitated? Does she consider Sri Lanka to be a colony of the USA and she the Viceroy?

It is to the credit of the Speaker that he refused her request, pointing out that such a move would be against the Sri Lankan Constitution. One may have reservations about how Ranil became the President, but the fact remains that his appointment was constitutional. However, what is remarkable is that, though the Ambassador branded Wimal Weerawansa’s book a work of fiction, the Speaker has not denied the story. She is ubiquitous; even visiting the JVP office to meet the leader when the tide was turning in their favour. Now that it has become obvious that the JVP has not renounced violence, hijacked Aragalaya and attempted to storm Parliament, one wonders what the US Ambassador thinks of them now.

Should we allow ambassadors to act as viceroys and interfere in our governance? Definitely not! It is a great shame that we do not have leaders with a backbone who have the guts to take on the new viceroys and show them the way home!

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Spa raided, six arrested

By Norman Palihawadane

Police on Saturday night raided a spa in Kollupitiya and nabbed six persons including four Thai women for allegedly engaging in prostitution.

Police said that two men, the manager of the spa, a resident of Colombo and another man who was the owner of the spa from Payagala were taken into custody. The four Thai women aged between 37 and 40 were arrested during the raid. They had arrived in Sri Lanka on tourist visas, police said, adding that the suspects would be produced before the Fort Magistrate’s court.

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Donald Trump says Europe 'getting away with murder' by not sending Ukraine more aid

The former United States President said he would "get the war settled" if he were in charge of negotiating with Russia

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Gilgo Beach suspect Rex Heuermann may have killed victims in soundproof room in basement

A neighbour of "wacko" suspected serial killer Rex Heuermann claimed he had an eerie soundproof room in his basement, which police think is where he took his victims to kill them.

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Family fight to save dog from being euthanised after it bit sleeping toddler

His owners surrendered him to the Denver Animal Shelter following an attack on their sleeping toddler.

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Dynamic street food culture- Rooftop restaurant, bar and lounge

By Zanita Careem

Headquarters by W15 is known for its vibrant ambiance and delectable cuisine If you wish to indulge in a lavish drinking and dining experience, this is the place to, offering a splendid rooftop dining delight. Some of the mouth watering dishes served at the opening captured the essence of street food but with a contemporary twist adding a touch of culinary innovation. From fiery kottu roti to aromatic biriyani served at the opening was expertly crafted to tantalise our taste buds and left us craving for more

• = A place to be
• = Colombo night life
• = Street food culture

The unique rooftop restaurant bar and lounge Headquarters by W15 opened its doors last week at Darley Road.Located on the 9th floor of the iconic HQ Colombo building, this sophisticated one of a kind restaurant transcends the traditional rooftop bar experience.

Headquarters by W15 captures the dynamic spirit of Colombo with its breathtaking news of the city scape including the iconic Lotus tower in its full glory and the bustling Colombo Port.

W15 collection Chairman Hardy Jamaldeen said “This is all bustling place Headquarters by W15 offers an unforgettable culinary journey. That pays homage to Sri Lanka’s vibrant street food scene our carefully curated menu takes inspiration from the colourfully busy streets of Colombo, particularly the lively Pettah area. Each dish is of unique and have authentic flavours that transport you to the heart of the city’s food culture, the venue provides both indoor and outdoor options says Chairman Hardy Jamaldeen.

He said the latest addition to the W15 collection was inspired by the lively narrow alleys of Pettah, the kaleidoscope of colours and everything that makes Colombo unique. Once inside Headquarters by W15 one gets the feeling of being transported to the heart of Colombo’s bustling streets and vibrant landscapes.

“Our aim is to give our guest the best of the best. Every meticulous details is thoroughly crafted to recreate the captivating vibe from the subtle sounds of street vendors enticing you with their mouthwatering delicacies to the animated chatter of locals enjoying their culinary adventures “said Hardy Headquarters by W15 offers an unforgettable journey that pays homage to Sri Lanka’s vibrant street food scene. At W15 Headquarters our carefully curated menu takes inspiration from the colourfully busy streets of Colombo, particular the lively Pettah area.

Each dish is a harmonious blend of bold and authentic flavours that transports you to the heart of the city’s food culture explains Hardy Jamaldeen. Guests can indulge in mouth watering delights that captive the essence of street food, but with a contemporary twist that adds a touch of culinary innovation. From fiery kottu roti to aromatic biriyani each each dish has a character of its own.

The expert bartenders, masters of creating signature cocktails perfectly complemented the culinary experience. Hardy pointed out that these friendly bartenders skillfully blended local ingredients with local and international sprits to craft unique and refreshing concoctions.

Drawing inspiration from Sri Lanka’s lush tropical landscape, the expert and friendly team of bartenders skillfully blend local ingredients with local and international spirits to craft unique and refreshing cococtions.

The experiences created at W15 stay true to both Colombo’s urban culture and the social of Sri Lanka. All in all the dedicated team at Headquarters by W15 ensured exceptional service to make the guests enjoy their food and take home unforgettable memories. Hardly said “It’s a journey that truly embraces the vibrant urban lifestyle, culture and spirit of Colombo. Conveniently located, this place provides a strategic time out for the city’s workolics to relax, mingle appreciate good music and relish delicate cuisine.

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Plugging many leaks in SLTB: 35 bus conductors suspended a day

By Akitha Perera and Ranil Dharmasena

About 35 conductors attached to the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) were suspended a day due to various corrupt activities, Minister of Transport Bandula Gunawardena told Parliament on Thursday (20).

Gunawardena said that for a brief period, SLTB buses on the Southern Expressway had operated without a conductor. During this period, the daily income of a highway bus had increased by 580,000 rupees.

The minister said that it was imperative that the government introduce an e-ticketing mechanism to prevent irregularities involving bus tickets.

Gunawardena added that the SLTB had contracted a different supplier for tyres this year. Now, the SLTB purchases a tyre 9,000 rupees less than earlier and they were of superior quality. Other areas of the SLTB must also be streamlined to reduce waste, he said.

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Commercially valuable state owned land will be given to investors -State Minister of Urban Development and Housing

During a press conference themed ‘Collective Path to a Stable Country’ held at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC)  on Friday (21), State Minister of Urban Development and Housing Arundika Fernando said that  steps will be taken to provide commercially valuable land located in major cities in the country to investors so as to contribute to the economy,.

The Minister also pointed out that the final notice has been given to investors to complete projects being carried out on state owned lands in Colombo or else the lands will be taken over by the government and given to new investors.

 

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'I built a 6ft privacy fence following my neighbour's revelation - sorry not sorry'

A woman has stirred a debate on privacy fences after sharing the reason she built a 6ft wooden barrier to separate her garden from her neighbour's.

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Horror as 92 dogs rescued in one of the 'most abusive cases' animal charity has ever seen

At least 92 dogs have been rescued from one of the "most abusive cases" a rehoming charity has ever seen.

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England in pole position after Crawley-Root onslaught

It’s the third day of a Test match that’s generally called the moving day but with the weather forecast grim for the last two days of the game, England made their move on day two. And in some style. James Anderson set the tone by striking off the very first ball of the day to remove Pat Cummins while Chris Woakes registered his maiden Ashes fifer to soon wrap the innings up. Australia only managed to muster 18 more to their overnight score and ended with a middling total of 317.

The visitors did get the perfect start with the ball as Mitchell Starc removed Ben Duckett early but little did they know that it would be among the very few moments of joy that they would experience in the day. England’s faith in Moeen Ali for the number three role got vindicated as the left-hander stitched up a fifty, while also sharing a century stand with Zak Crawley, although both batters looked a bit shaky in the first session.

However, come the second session, the script changed dramatically. Whether it was the surface easing up a bit with all the sun beating down or Australia’s lack of clarity with the ball, both batters appeared in top gear. Particularly Crawley who was at his fluent best with those imperious drives, cuts and pulls, taking the Aussie bowlers to the sword. Moeen also laced some typically elegant drives before perishing to an ambitious shot that was taken stunningly by Usman Khawaja at mid-wicket.

Moeen’s dismissal, though, brought us to what was the center-stage phase of the day. A double-century stand at more than run-a-ball is treasured even in ODI cricket, and here Joe Root combined with Crawley to add 206 off just 178 balls in a red-ball game. The second session run rate went above seven runs-per-over while the pattern remained the same for a major part of the final session until Crawley’s dismissal. The opener, who registered his maiden Ashes ton, looked set for a double hundred before chopping one onto the stumps.

Root continued to up the tempo although things were relatively comforting for Australia since Crawley’s exit. England’s no.4 soon fell to an unplayable delivery from Josh Hazlewood – a hard length ball that shot through low after pitching to knock Root over. It was the kind of dismissal that would have ironically pleased England more than Australia, given the state of the game as it was evidence of the surface showing some variable bounce.

Skipper Ben Stokes and Harry Brook preferred to water down their aggression to prevent further damage today, with the plan clearly to go hell for leather on day three. There were a few instances again of variable bounce with Stokes being the frequent sufferer and all this adds to England’s advantage with the lead already 67 and six wickets still left in the shed. Australia, missing the presence of a specialist spinner, was largely made to look clueless with the ball adding to questionable tactics.

Brief scores:

Australia 317 (Mitchell Marsh 51, Marnus Labuschagne 51; Chris Woakes 5-62) trail England 384/4 (Zak Crawley 189, Joe Root 84; Mitchell Starc 2-74) by 67 runs

(Cricbuzz)

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Horror as 27 corpses found hacked to pieces in makeshift burial pits

The corpses - some chopped into several pieces - were found in Reynosa, Mexico just four miles from the US border.

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Wheat flour importers exploit public, look after interests of ruling party politicians – JVP

“Benefit of drops in world market wheat prices not passed on to consumers; pledge to grant import permits to other businesses reneged on

By Saman Indrajith

JVP-led NPP leader MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake told Parliament yesterday that a former government had permitted monopoly in the sale of wheat flour that exists in the country and it was exploiting consumers.

“It is a known fact that Prima Company has been funding election campaigns of successive governments’. This government has allowed it to earn undue profit without passing the benefits to the consumers in the hope of receiving election campaign money,” MP Dissanayake said.

The JVP leader said the local wheat flour prices were much higher than those in the international market. He demanded to know why the government had failed to pass the benefit of drops in the global wheat flour prices on to the local consumers.

MP Dissanayake said the two companies were making unconscionable profits at the expense of the general public.

Currently, a kilo of wheat flour was being sold at Rs. 210 in the country, whereas it could be sold at a significantly lower price of Rs. 160 even with a tax of Rs. 35, Dissanayake said.

Dissanayake said that the cost of importing wheat flour from Turkey was Rs. 110. Despite the reduction of the Rs. 35 tax on each kilo of wheat flour, its benefit had not accrued to consumers.

MP Dissanayake accused the government of reneging on its promise to provide import permits to other businessmen. That, he claimed, had led to the continuation of a monopolistic situation favouring two multinational companies.

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Brothers flee house of horrors, covered in blood, feces, after being imprisoned for years

Neighbors saw the two young boys escape the house through a shattered window and called the police.

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Multiple passengers pass out on plane with no air conditioning despite 44 degree heat

Multiple passengers passed out while waiting for a Delta flight to take off amid scorching temperatures on the tarmac in Las Vegas.

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JKH hoping to see recovery across all segments aided by pickup in economy

Targeted opening of Cinnamon Life Hotel and Mall expected to bode well for JKH Leisure business

By Sanath Nanayakkare

John Keells PLC is expected to recover from some of of its downbeat numbers with the overall pickup in the economy, according to a Review issued by First Capital Research, based on information in the public domain.

While saying that, FC Research added that JKH 4QFY23 earnings declined by 69.7%YoY to LKR 3.3Bn, affected by the higher base in 4QFY22 due to recognition of LKR 18.6Bn (LKR 9.5Bn in 4QFY23) in exchange gains.

It also said that recurring EBITDA, excluding Cinnamon Life for 4QFY23, also declined by 20.5%YoY to LKR 11.6Bn caused by decline in profitability in Transportation (-39.0%YoY), Consumer Foods -65.5%YoY), Retail (-8.7%YoY) and Property (-91.3%YoY) segments.

The Review further said: “However, on the flip-side Leisure and Financial Services businesses continued to perform well during 4QFY23 on the back of strong tourist arrivals and high interest rates, respectively.

“Going forward, we expect a recovery across all segments of the company (excluding Property) aided by the overall pick up in the economy.

“Furthermore, Group’s Leisure business is expected to benefit from increased arrivals to Maldives and Sri Lanka (expected to reach 2.5Mn arrivals in 2025E), downward revision of electricity tariffs (revised down by 26.3%) and re-introduction of the minimum room rates for Colombo hotels (ARR for 5-star category revised up to USD 130.0/night from USD 60/night).

“Moreover, the targeted opening of the Cinnamon Life Hotel and Mall in 1QFY25E is also expected to bode well for the JKH Leisure business in the coming years.

“Furthermore, notable growth in profits is expected from Consumer and Retail segments as disposable incomes and favorable global commodity prices are expected to aid margin improvement in the coming quarters.

“Therefore, taking into consideration the bright outlook for JKH together with the improved investor sentiment upon the completion of DDR, we believe the current PER multiple of 8.3x FY25E earnings is deeply undervalued for JKH, thus we believe the share should reiterate and trade at its 5-yr average PER multiple of 14.0x.

“Moreover, assigning an equal weightage as PER (value of stocks), we have valued JKH on a SOTP method (sum of the parts valuation method) and arrived at a target price of LKR 210.0 for FY25E, the Review said.

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Bridget Jones star Renee Zellweger quietly gets engaged to Brit TV presenter Ant Anstead

The celebrity couple are said to be keeping their plans incredibly private

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Brave dog saves the day and wins $2,000 after helping catch inmate on the run

Tucker, a chocolate Labrador, will also get to enjoy a special steak dinner for helping police catch the man.

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EU hosts the first ever “Team Europe BIOthlon” in Kalpitiya

The European Union (EU) Delegation to Sri Lanka and the Maldives held its first Team Europe “BIOthlon” on 24-25th June in Kalpitiya. The event was organised to highlight Kalpitiya as a top destination for sports tourism while celebrating it as one of Sri Lanka’s biodiversity hubs. The two-day event brought in over 35 participants including renowned Sri Lankan sports personalities, diplomats, youth from the local communities and tourists. Participants were given the opportunity to engage in five sports: running, swimming, cycling, kayaking and kitesurfing. The event was funded by the European Union and organized by G360 and Kitesurfing Lanka.

The five sports activities were located in biodiversity hotspots around Kalpitya and included volunteers, participants and spectators from the local community. “The Team Europe BIOthlon is the EU’s way of celebrating Sri Lanka’s rich biodiversity and also encouraging local and foreign tourists to visit Kalpitya to experience its beauty, hospitality and unique activities like kitesurfing,” said Denis Chaibi, EU Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, who also participated in the sports activities.

Nine renowned Lankan athletes and Olympians participated in the event, including Sriyani Kulawansa, Sugath Thilakaratne, Nimmi de Zoysa, Julian Bolling, Haris Omar, Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala, Praneeth Udumalagala, Jehan Mubarak and Dilsiri Welikala. “This experience has been very unique and enlightening”, said former Olympic Swimmer Julian Bolling. “Not only did we enjoy participating in the sports in a friendly, non-competitive atmosphere, we also saw the potential of sports tourism in Sri Lanka.”

Kalpitiya is also one of the sites supported by the EU-funded ‘Community Livelihood & Biodiversity Recovery’ (COLIBRI) project, which aimed to preserve and restore biodiversity clusters in Sri Lanka while supporting the livelihoods of surrounding communities. The project was implemented by ACTED Sri Lanka.In-between activities, participants were also given the opportunity to see the Wilpattu National Park and the impact of the GIZ’s support in that area.

Convened under the spirit of “Team Europe”, the “BIOthlon” was an important part of the EU’s ongoing efforts to promote regenerative, sustainable tourism in Sri Lanka and bring visibility to rich biodiversity and tourism hotspots in the country.

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Lucky Lankan ministers

Tuesday 18th July, 2023

Much is being talked about the need to eliminate bribery and corruption in Sri Lanka, where these twin evils have become institutionalised. The government and the Opposition are vowing to get tough with the corrupt as if their own members were paragons of virtue! They are making some anti-corruption laws on the anvil out to be a cure-all, but nothing will help usher in good governance unless the rule of law is restored and the existing culture of impunity done away with.

The success of any anti-corruption campaign hinges on the ability of a country to ensure that everyone is equal before the law. The news of the arrest of Singapore’s Transport Minister S. Iswaran in connection with a top-level corruption probe could not have come at a better time where Sri Lanka is concerned.

It has been reported that Singapore’s national anti-graft body, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), obtained Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s permission to arrest Minister Iswaran and question him. PM Loong has reportedly asked Iswaran, who has been released on bail, to take leave of absence. He has emulated his late father Lee Kuan Yew (LKY), who would not have been able to achieve his dream of developing Singapore to the present level but for his successful war on bribery and corruption.

One is reminded of what LKY said about ministers and officials in this part of the world. In his widely read book, From Third World to First, LKY has said: “The higher they are, the bigger their homes and more numerous their wives, concubines, or mistresses, all bedecked in jewelry appropriate to the power and position of their men. Singaporeans who do business in these countries have to take care not to bring home such practices.” When one sees Sri Lankan politicians and bureaucrats enriching themselves and living the life of Riley, one remembers LKY’s memorable words.

All Singaporean politicians who did not heed LKY’s aforesaid warning were severely dealt with. The fate that befell Teh Cheang Wan, the Minister for National Development, is a case in point. When the CPIB launched a probe into an allegation of bribery against him in the mid-1980s, he sought to meet LKY, who refused to see him until the investigation was over.

Wan took his life, and his suicide note said, inter alia, “As an honourable oriental gentleman I feel it is only right that I should pay the highest penalty for my mistake.” If the Sri Lankan ministers had received from their leaders the same treatment as Wan, most of them would have been pushing up the daisies by now, and the vital sectors such as health, education, finance, agriculture and trade and commerce would have been free from corruption, and most of all, substandard drugs and equipment would not have snuffed out so many lives in the state-run hospitals.

The ongoing anti-graft probe against the Transport Minister of Singapore and the exemplary manner in which PM Loong has handled the situation remind us of how Sri Lankan leaders act when allegations of corruption are made against their Ministers. They promptly appoint committees, which invariably clear the ruling party politicians of all charges.

As a result, many men and women of humble origins who did not own even bicycles when they entered politics are living in clover; obviously, they have amassed huge amounts of ill-gotten wealth at the expense of the public, and their corrupt deals are one of the main causes of the country’s bankruptcy. Sri Lankans elect such political dregs and keep wondering why their country is still poor and Singapore has achieved progress! Not for nothing is it said that the people get the government they deserve.

Now that Singapore has set an example to other countries by allowing its anti-graft body to probe one of its ministers and even cause him to be arrested, will it facilitate the extradition of Arjuna Mahendran, one of its citizens, to Sri Lanka, and thereby ensure that he stands trial for his involvement in a mega Treasury bond scam, in 2015, when he was the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka?

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Plane crash at Chrcynno hangar kills five and injures seven

A small plane that crashed into a hangar at an airfield near Warsaw, Poland, has killed five people, officials say.

At least seven people were also injured in the crash on Monday evening, Health Minister Adam Niedzielski said. People had been sheltering from bad weather in the hangar, Polish media reported, quoting the fire brigade.

Four helicopters and 10 ambulances were dispatched to the scene of the incident in the village of Chrcynno, 47 kilometres (29 miles) from Warsaw. Polish media identified the plane that crashed as a Cessna 208.

The local fire department confirmed the incident happened at an airfield in Chrcynno and posted a photo on Facebook showing the tail of the plane sticking out of a hangar.

(BBC)

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Spine-chilling Google Maps images show Gilgo Beach suspect chatting to young women in NYC

Internet sleuths have been scouring the web since Rex Heuermann was arrested on suspicion of the Gilgo Beach murders.

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Govt. planning to introduce 12-hour workday: JVP

by Saman Indrajith

The JVP-led NPP says the government is planning to introduce a 12-hour workday.

JVP propaganda secretary and NPP MP Vijitha Herath, addressing the media at the party headquarters in Pelawatte, yesterday, said that the government was trying to deprive the workers of their legitimate rights by abolishing labour laws at the behest of the IMF.

MP Herath said the government was planning to abolish 13 Acts including the Shop and Office Employees Act and the Wages Boards Ordinance.

“The Shop and Office Employees Act ensured the rights of working women. The employer is required to provide transport to women if they work after 8 pm and their consent is necessary for them to be rostered for night duty,” he said.

The JVP would fight for the rights of the working class and mobilise workers and trade unions to achieve that end if the government did not abandon its sinister plans to extend the workday, Herath said.

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Govt still lukewarm in allowing vehicle imports wary of balance of trade

By Sanath Nanayakkare

The government has decided to allow the importation of all goods except for motor vehicles from the first week of September, and it is going to consider how it would gradually ease the ban on vehicle imports according to a ‘strategic plan’. It is said that as a start, the government’s focus is on removing the import ban on electric vehicles before allowing the importation of conventional gasoline cars.

The new policy on importation will come into effect in the first week of September, allowing a broader range of goods to enter the country. The government reached this decision during a discussion held last week between Sagala Ratnayake, Chief of Presidential Staff, and Presidential Adviser on National Security, officials of the Ministry of Finance and officials of the International Monetary Fund.

However, certain categories of vehicles such as tractors are permitted to be imported depending on the farmers’ requirements.

It has also been decided to conduct a weekly review regarding the proposals of the International Monetary Fund.

Import restrictions have been lifted on 286 goods, allowing their importation into the country. However, the import ban on another 930 goods, including vehicles, will remain in effect, maintaining the previous restrictions on these items.

Steps have been taken to remove the import ban on 250 of the 500 items including essential food items that were in the prohibited import category.

Accordingly, it has been decided in this discussion to gradually remove the import restrictions of the banned items. The process will be conducted in two stages and is due to be completed by the first week of September.

Importation of vehicles is still receiving a lukewarm response from the government obviously because of the fact that a widened balance of trade would influence currency exchange rate through its effect on foreign exchange supply and demand, analysts said.

Sri Lanka banned imports of most automobiles including three wheelers and motorcycles which give large revenues to the state as money printing ratcheted up from February 2021 creating foreign exchange shortages.

However, 2,384 SUVs in 2021 and 176 in January 2022 had been registered in the Vehicle Registry of Sri Lanka, according to a Colombo-based equities brokerage firm.

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Girl, 12, charged after acid attack on 11-year-old in school playground

Deaira Summers, 11, spent three days in hospital and is 'lucky to be alive', says her grandmother

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'I played dead to survive after being shot by the I-70 serial killer'

The I-70 serial killer has never been caught. Vicki Webb is the only one of his victims to have survived. This is her incredible story.

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Playtrix celebrates nine years

Playtrix Sports Bar and Grill recently celebrated its ninth anniversary at the Colombo City Centre Mall. The event to mark the anniversary consisted of a number of entertainment features performed by artists who regularly perform at Playtrix on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Notable among the performances was a special combination of ‘Kani Trio’ (Mondays-Open Mic Hosts) and ‘Sam Day with Amani’ (Acoustic Wednesday). At 9:00 p.m., Playtrix was opened for the public, and the regular Friday night performance ‘Slipping Chairs’ was featured.

Having been inaugurated at the Ceylonese Rugby and Football Club (CR&FC) in 2014, Playtrix secured a name for being the premier location for viewing sports. Throughout the past nine years, it has become the undisputed leader in its category, and has well attended entertainment lined up every day of the week. Located at the level one of the Colombo City Centre Mall, Playtrix Sports Bar and Grill is open 365 days a year, from 11:00 a.m. to 03.30 a.m. “Playtrix is currently in possession of the largest permanent bar screen in Sri Lanka, measuring 18 feet. We have invested in the highest quality available laser projector for the viewing pleasure of audiences. For any popular sport like Formula One, bookings need to be made weeks in advance as the reservation slots quickly fill up.” said Roshan Perera, Director of Playtrix.

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