Colombo (LNW): The ‘Yukthiya’ (Justice) operation combatting the drug menace and organised criems in the country will resume starting today (27), Police said.
Police Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa cited the unavailability of personnel over the past three days (Dec. 24 – 26) for the temporary halt during the holidays.
Under the ongoing ‘Yukthiya’ operation, as of December 25, a total of 13,666 drug suspects have been arrested, with 1,097 being subject for rehabilitation.
The special raids initiated on December 17 have resulted in the seizure of large drug consignments, including heroin, methamphetamine (‘Ice’), and cannabis, along with the confiscation of ill-gotten assets worth millions of rupees owned by drug traffickers.
With profound sadness, the announcement is made about the demise of Mr. Parakrama Kuladasa Rajapaksha, a distinguished Senior Attorney-at-Law and a former Votanet member.
He was the beloved husband of Mrs. Shiraz Nazreen Rajapaksha, also an Attorney-at-Law.
The remains of Mr. Rajapaksha are currently placed at 700/120, Perera Mawatha, Thalawathugoda.
Funeral services to honour and bid farewell to this esteemed individual will be held today (Dec 27), at 6:00 PM, at the Thalawathugoda Cemetery.
Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki to visit SL on 9th Jan’24 to meet President Ranil Wickremesinghe to discuss debt restructuring: in Nov’23, SL & a group of bilateral creditors reached a “basic agreement” on “deferring debt repayments and cutting interest rates”: analysts point out that SL has been totally unsuccessful in negotiating a “hair-cut” of a single dollar out of it’s bi-lateral loans although the IMF Report of March’23 had assumed a “hair-cut” of 60% of the bi-lateral loans.
A CID team records a statement from former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella at his residence over the controversial sub-standard Immunoglobulin import issue: so far, several high profile arrests have been made in connection with this issue.
National Water Supply Board says 95,241 customers who have not paid their bills up to Oct’23, have had their water connections disconnected: the Board reportedly supplies water to 3,000,240 water consumers across the country daily.
SJB MP S M Marikkar says the Presidential election will be held between 16th Sept and 16th Oct in 2024: claims President Ranil Wickremesinghe will not contest the upcoming Presidential election.
Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera says SL is paying higher rates to renewable power developers than India: also says this is due to several reasons, including a risk premium after the “sovereign default”: asserts investors account for the country risk when looking at investing in any country.
Senior hotelier says SL’s hotel industry is currently coming out of the financial struggles as at least 70% of the hotels are paying off their loans: also says only about 30% are still struggling with the repayment of their loans that were granted a moratorium.
Authorities of the Réunion Island of France repatriate 14 SL nationals to SL by air on 22nd Dec: the group was reportedly apprehended as they were attempting to migrate to the Réunion Island illegally by sea.
Stock of loans in default of the Non-bank Financial Institutions at the end of the Quarter ending 30th Sept’23 stands at 19.99% compared to the all-time high of 20.36% in the Quarter ending 30th June’23.
Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainable Development Chairman Ajith Mannapperuma says SL’s ornamental fish exporters have claimed that many species of marine ornamental fish endemic to the SL sea areas have become extinct and many small fish species have become emaciated, after the X-Press Pearl ship tragedy.
World Athletics year-end overall rankings lists 3 SL sprinters led by Aruna Dharshana in the Men’s 400 metres category: this is the first time that three 400 metres sprinters are in such an year-end overall ranking.
Colombo (LNW): The appointment of members to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has encountered a nearly one-month delay due to a divergence of opinions between the Constitutional Council (CC) and the Executive, Daily Mirror reported.
The Executive has insisted on three specific names for appointment to the Commission, established under the newly enacted Anti-Corruption Act.
While the CC has endorsed the nomination of Neil Iddawela, a former Deputy Secretary General of Parliament, as the Chairman, it has not approved the two other nominees put forward by the Executive, according to Daily Mirror report.
Instead, the CC submitted the names of two alternative candidates around one month ago.
Despite this, the appointments have not been finalised, leading to a hindrance in fully operationalising the new Anti-Corruption Act.
Colombo (LNW): Chairman of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainable Development, MP Ajith Mannapperuma stressed the imperative to annually assess the damage inflicted on the marine environment following the X-Press Pearl ship tragedy.
He advocates for the establishment of an expert research committee within the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) to systematically evaluate the environmental impact.
Regrettably, for the year 2023, no expert team has been appointed to calculate the damage to the marine environment.
Consequently, there is an absence of a report to facilitate discussions on compensation agreements.
In response to this situation, the Director General of MEPA has conveyed that a second interim request has been submitted to the Justice Ministry and the Attorney General’s Department.
Despite seeking guidance on how to proceed with the expert committee’s work and its future requirements, MEPA has not received a comprehensive response.
However, the Justice Ministry has reportedly informed MEPA that the necessary cabinet approval for appointing an international, independent expert committee to continue assessing the destruction is in progress.
As of now, there is no appointment for the academic committee in 2023, and the Attorney General’s Department has not provided a satisfactory response to MEPA’s inquiries.
The MEPA Director General emphasised that all case reports are handled by the Attorney General’s Department, with MEPA offering necessary support as required.
Colombo (LNW): Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki announced on Tuesday (26) his upcoming four-day visit to Sri Lanka and Cambodia, scheduled from January 9, aimed at bolstering Japan’s relations with these two Asian nations.
During his visit to Sri Lanka, Suzuki is set to hold discussions with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, focusing on the vital topic of debt restructuring for the country.
In November, Sri Lanka, in collaboration with a creditor group led by Japan and others, reached a preliminary agreement on deferring debt repayments and reducing interest rates.
Suzuki emphasised the significance of maintaining steady progress in the debt-restructuring process during a press conference.
Additionally, in Cambodia, the finance minister will actively contribute to enhancing bilateral ties, particularly as both nations commemorate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations this year.
Colombo (LNW): Showers will occur at times in Northern, North-central, Eastern and Uva provinces and Hambantota district, with several spells of showers being expected in Matale and Nuwara Eliya districts, the Department of Meteorology said in its daily weather forecast today (27).
Fairly heavy showers above 75 mm are likely at some places in Uva province and in Ampara and Batticaloa districts, and showers or thundershowers may occur at several places in other areas of the island after 2.00 p.m, the statement added.
Fairly strong winds about (30-40) kmph can be expected at times in eastern slopes of the central hills and in Northern, North-Central, Eastern and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district.
Misty conditions can be expected at some places in Sabaragamuwa, Central and Western provinces and in Galle and Matara districts during the morning.
The public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimise damages caused by temporary localised strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
Marine Weather:
Condition of Rain:
Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in the sea areas off the coast extending from Kankasanthurai to Hambantota via Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Pottuvil. Showers or thundershowers may occur at several places in other sea areas around the island during the afternoon or night.
Winds:
Winds will be north-easterly and wind speed will be (25-35) kmph. Wind speed may increase up to (50-60) kmph at times in the sea areas off the coast extending from Colombo to Kankasanthurai via Puttalam and Mannar. Wind speed may increase up to (40-50) kmph in the sea areas off the coast extending from Kankasanthurai to Hambantota via Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Pottuvil.
State of Sea:
The sea areas off the coast extending from Colombo to Kankasanthurai via Puttalam and Mannar will be rough at times. The sea areas off the coast extending Kankasanthurai to Hambantota via Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Pottuvil will be fairly rough at times. Temporarily strong gusty winds and very rough seas can be expected during thundershowers.
Colombo (LNW): After the tragic X-Press Pearl maritime disaster, Sri Lanka’s ornamental fish exporters asserted that numerous endemic marine ornamental fish species have become extinct, and small fish varieties are emaciated.
The above information was disclosed by MP Ajith Mannapperuma, Chairman of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainable Development.
The emaciation effect is still apparent in the sea, making the identification and procurement of small fish species challenging, Daily Mirror reported citing Mannapperuma.
Additionally, forage fish varieties like sprats have suffered emaciation, and carcasses of large fish species and turtles have washed ashore.
The sea’s condition has not returned to normal, and the colour diversity of ornamental fish is severely damaged due to toxic waste from the ship.
Despite Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) claims of fuel removal, persistent fuel patches on the sea surface are reported in the area where the ship sank.
Fishermen have expressed difficulties finding fish in the affected sea areas, prompting calls for an annual assessment of fish harvests post-tragedy and ongoing monitoring to address reductions in fish populations.
Colombo (LNW): Tragedy struck in the Jaffna district as an eleven-month-old infant and a student from Jaffna University succumbed to dengue fever while receiving treatment at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital.
The infant, a resident of Thanvadi in Jaffna, passed away yesterday, while the university student had succumbed to the illness two days ago.
Health authorities in the region have raised alarms about the rapid spread of dengue fever in the Jaffna district.
In a recent meeting held at the secretariat with Northern Province Governor P.S.M. Charles, health officials disclosed that the number of Dengue-positive cases in the Northern Province has exceeded 2,200, resulting in the unfortunate demise of five individuals.
The concerning rise in dengue cases has prompted heightened attention from local health authorities, who are actively working to address and mitigate the impact of the outbreak.
The loss of a young infant and a university student underscores the urgency of the situation, and efforts are underway to implement measures to curb the further spread of dengue fever in the Jaffna district.
Colombo (LNW): Feminism with time have become an abstract concept although it does have a proper definition. That had happened because with time any concept evolves for the better or for worse. Nonetheless in simpler terms Feminism means equal rights opportunities and status for women regardless of their race religion faith or sexuality.
What is quite unfortunate when speaking of feminism is that this battle particularly had been fought for a long time. With its first wave been in 1848. But still if you look at the society today there had not been much of a difference. Japan recovered faster after two atomic bombs than the progress Feminism had achieved over the years.
This topic is something that has been put to question very recently in popular media. With the increasing cases of physical assault and sexual battery. So why not give a fresh perspective on a timely matter.
Feminism in its core is a cry of frustration of an oppressed group of individuals who had been stripped from their rights and choices. It is a cry of freedom of liberalism. It had never been intended to surpass as a superior gender.
Although many popular media has adapted to have a female lead especially in period dramas where she strives for what is right and what should be hers ironically the real world is far behind fiction. No matter how great the movies are or how great the actors are the society is still quite primitive.
We still live in a society where the victim is mostly blamed for the sexual assault and unfortunately the majority of the victims are women. The common excuses that the other party would give is that it is the woman who lured them, it is the woman who seduced them, it is the woman who invited them with their clothing, it is the woman who needed them, asked them, begged them without actual verbal consent. And particularly after marriage people assume that rape doesn’t exist especially in the developing countries just because they are bound by a legal contract.
But it still does. No matter how many ‘no’s are repeated or shouted or yelled the majority goes unheard. The women are still seen as tools of pleasure, something to relieve stress.
What could be given as the best example is public transport. There’s hardly any woman out there who uses public transport can admit to not being subject to an uncomfortable sexual assault. It is rather pathetic how primal the society is but it is the truth.
Because of these extreme scenarios that is largely normalized it is still the woman who is stripped of her freedom. She has to dress appropriately even in the blazing sun to always be cautious no matter how tired she was, always be aware, be accompanied with someone at night and never be alone with strangers. Everything is a no-go.
Adults too in their idealistic mind to protect the female child tend to always blame her of anything happening to her, putting unnecessary load of restrictions on her. At the end of the day, one way or the other she will always be the one to be blamed.
Due to that the most basic help females get also is over exaggerated. The fact that men could be attentive to her moods on a particular hard day or asking for consent before invoking anything is glorified to the extent that it made them perfect. Women too unused to being treated equally or respectfully or attentively soak it up and further praise the actions. It’s almost as if common human courtesy is appreciated.
This further expounds on the true state of a woman in society. Although considered a part of it being the ultimate vessel of a new generation, she had not been considered quite human that even basic decency moves her to tears. Therefore, it is time to see a woman and see a person without just seeing her as a woman.
There are still lot of issues prevailing in the world for women specifically. Glass ceiling Pregnancy discrimination and Education etc. It is time for society to take a stand against such obvious oppression and treat them as fellow individuals. And for that to change the perspectives should be altered; in both men and women. To create a better world educating a one party has never been sufficient. That has been where the issue was. Let’s alter it and create a less problematic world.
