Minister of Energy Kanchana Wijesekara says the QR Code based fuel rationing system has been suspended: fuel shed owners say this rationing system was only of academic interest after the fuel pump prices were more that doubled, as most customers purchased much lower quantities of fuel as against the quota.
Analysts express shock upon learning from Dr Wasantha Bandara of the National Patriotic Collective that China’s plan to rescue SL from economic crisis in 2022 had been shattered following the unilateral declaration of bankruptcy by CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe: also refer to the previous CB Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal’s affidavit to the Supreme Court wherein he has asserted that a USD 10.7 bn “pipe-line of inflows” was in place when the hasty debt default announcement was made on 12April’22.
Representatives of the Transport sector propose to the National Transport Commission to increase bus fares by 4% and to keep the minimum bus fare unchanged: Assn of Container Transporters say Container haulage charges will be increased by 5%.
Central Bank tweets that its Governor Dr Nandalal Weerasinghe has been rated “A-” by the “Global Finance Magazine” based “on inflation control, economic growth goals, currency stability, & interest rate management”: analysts question the credibility of this claim since Sri Lanka announced bankruptcy, experienced its highest inflation & interest rates, suffered quarterly economic contractions of over 10% per quarter, and the LKR displayed wide fluctuations, during Weerasinghe’s tenure: analysts also express amusement that the CB has tweeted this news as this “Global Finance Magazine” has only 9,693 followers on Twitter, 8,300 followers on Facebook & a worldwide “circulation” of just 50,000.
Disaster Management Center says 20 districts affected by the dry spell: Agriculture and Agrarian Insurance Board says more than 60,000 acres of paddy fields destroyed by the dry weather: overall, 279,892 people affected.
The US Govt asks a US Federal Court in New York to delay judgment in the case between the SL Govt and Hamilton Reserve Bank (which has sued for the recovery of USD 250mn in bonds that the SL Govt defaulted last year), as it may intervene in the case: previously, the SL Govt had filed a motion to stay the judgment for a period of 6 months until it carries out negotiations on debt restructuring with sovereign & commercial creditors.
Monetary Board cancels the Finance Business Licence of Bimputh Finance PLC with effect from 1September’23: says the financial condition of BFP has deteriorated due to deficient capital level, poor asset quality & continuous losses and no satisfactory progress has been made to revive the critical condition.
Diplomatic sources say Japanese PM Fumio Kishida is scheduled to visit SL next week, on his way to the G-20 Summit in New Delhi: PM Kishida is likely to meet President Ranil Wickremasinghe to discuss the SL’s debt restructuring and future investment opportunities.
UNDP Report reveals that “a lack of education, and the ability to adapt to disasters are factors that make most people feel vulnerable” in SL: also says several districts, including Puttalam, Batticaloa, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, Ampara, Vavuniya, & Nuwara Eliya, exhibit multi-dimensional vulnerability, “highlighting the need for focused interventions to address factors like disaster preparedness, debt relief, water source accessibility, & female education”.
England Womens Cricket team slumps to its 1st defeat by SL in T20 internationals: SL levels series with this historic win at Chelmsford: ENG-W 104 (18): SL-W 110/2 (13.2): Chamari Athapaththu 55 in 31 balls.
Colombo (LNW): President Ranil Wickremesinghe is set to attend the G77 summit in Havana, Cuba on September 15 and 16.
Formed with the membership of 134 states, the G77 was initiated under the non-aligned policy in 1964 aiming the promotion of collective economic interests and improvement of collective bargaining power.
This year’s summit will be held under the theme “Current Development Challenges: Role of Science, Technology, and Innovation.”
Following his visit to Havana, the Sri Lankan President is also on schedule to attend the United Nations’ General Assembly in New York, US.
Colombo (LNW): Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Central and North-western provinces, and heavy showers about 100mm are likely at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa and Southern provinces, the Department of Meteorology said in its daily weather forecast today (03).
Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in Eastern and Uva province during the evening or night, the statement added.
General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimise damages caused by temporary localised strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
Fairly strong winds about (40-45) kmph can be expected at times in western slopes of the central hills, Western, North-western and North-central provinces.
On the apparent southward relative motion of the sun, it is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka during 28th of August to 07th of September in this year. The nearest towns of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today are Bangadeniya (Puttalam District), Wariyapola (Kurunegala District), Madawala (Matale District), Kokkadichcholai (Batticaloa District) about 12.10 noon.
Marine Weather:
Condition of Rain:
Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in the sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Hambantota via Colombo, Galle and Matara.
Winds:
Winds will be south-westerly and speed will be (30-40) kmph. Wind speed may increase up to (50-60)kmph at times in the sea areas off the coast extending from Trincomalee to Pottuvil via Kankasanthurai, Puttalam, Colombo, Galle and Hambantota.
State of Sea:
The sea areas off the coast extending from Trincomalee to Pottuvil via Kankasanthurai, Puttalam, Colombo, Galle and Hambantota will be rough at times. Temporarily strong gusty winds and very rough seas can be expected during thundershowers.
The researchers noted that the two groups intermingled in the past for several hundred years, which resulted in genetic affinity.
New Delhi: Sri Lanka’s two largest ethnic groups, the Sinhalese and the Sri Lankan Tamils, who were engaged in a longstanding civil war, are genetically more similar to each other than any other South Asian population group, according to a study.
The research, published on Friday in the journal iScience and conducted jointly by Indian and Sri Lankan DNA scientists, sheds light on the historical origins of the ethnic groups in Sri Lanka as well as their social interactions.
The researchers noted that despite significant cultural and linguistic differences, the two groups intermingled in the past for several hundred years, which resulted in genetic affinity.
“Though the majority Sinhalese and the minority Sri Lankan Tamils entered into a bloody conflict during the colonial era, which continued till 2009 with the end of the civil war, mutual distrust and enmity still exist between them. However, our findings are truly intriguing,” Professor Gyaneshwer Chaubey from the Department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, said.
Besides BHU, the team includes researchers from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow, Mangalore University, Mangalore, and the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The researchers noted that Sri Lanka’s major ethnic group is Sinhalese, which is 74.9 percent. Sri Lankan Tamils and Muslims (locally known as Moors) are 11.1 percent and 9.3 percent, respectively. Indian Tamils are the fourth population group with 4.1 percent, and a very small percentage constitute Burgher, Malay, Vedda (Adivasi), etc.
The study found that both ethnic communities-the Sinhalese and the Sri Lankan Tamils-migrated to Sri Lanka from India around 500 BC, i.e., 2,500 years ago.
“While the Sinhalese migrated to Sri Lanka from the western part of India, Sri Lankan Tamils relocated from southern India, both around the same time. There seems to be a flow of genes from both sides for hundreds of years, resulting in this genetic affinity,” said R. Ranasinghe, a senior scientist at the University of Colombo.
The researchers noted that previous studies on the subject lacked depth in terms of gene mapping, and hence their findings were inconclusive.
“This is the first study that has been done on half a million genetic mutations in an individual. Due to its vast and intensive scope of work, we believe that the outcome is robust and conclusive,” Chaubey said.
The team noted that normally, it has been observed that an individual’s genetic profile has some commonality with his or her surroundings.
“For instance, a person who belongs to the northern part of the country shares a great deal of genetic similarity with other people from other cities in North India, but in the Sri Lankan study, we found a higher West Indian genetic component than in South India, with traces of common roots of Sinhala and Maratha,” Ranasinghe said.
“Another startling aspect is the strong gene flow between Sri Lankan Tamils and Sinhalese beyond the boundary of ethnicity and language, which is unusual in a South Asian context,” he added.
The team of scientists also observed that the legends say that Sinhala came from Sinhapura, which is located in India; however, scholars have disputed the correct location.
“There are two schools of thought; one says it is North-West India, whereas the other says West Bengal. This study confirmed North-West India as their homeland,” Niraj Rai, another DNA scientist from the Ancient DNA Lab at the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, said.
The study took five years and involved, besides an extensive study and analysis, the collection of 834 DNA samples from Sri Lankan Tamils (88), Sinhalese (129), Indian Tamils from Sri Lanka (56), and Indian Tamils from India (562).
Colombo (LNW): Marc-Andre Franche the newly appointed United Nations Resident Envoy during a meeting with Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena at Temple Trees yesterday (01) commended Sri Lanka’s economic recovery from an unprecedented crisis and assured continuous support for the development process.
Franche pointed out that Sri Lanka is heading back in the right direction, but the next couple of years may be very difficult for not only the island nation, but also most of the countries due to the global economic downturn.
Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena in response noted that the government of Sri Lanka has taken a number of initiatives to boost food production in the island nation and guarantee food security. Along the way, Sri Lanka expects not only being self sufficient in food, but also growth in foreign exchange through exports, he emphasised.
He added that measures undertaken to address the issues of individuals affected by thirty years of war are already in motion, adding that there is a significant progress, such as the return of over 95 per cent of land in the North and East parts of the country that was confiscated during the conflict.
Further, land mines have been removed from the so that farming will no longer become a problem, and LTTE detainees have been released, whilst the fisheries sector has regained normalcy, Gunawardena told Franche.
Meanwhile, the two parties also discussed Sri Lanka’s development initiatives related to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), green economy, social cohesion and social protection.
Colombo (LNW): Four hundred types of medicines have been brought to Sri Lanka under emergency purchases and distributed to hospitals, said the Health Ministry.
In the meantime, 378 types of medicines received under the Indian credit line have also been distributed to hospitals, but a shortage of 77 types of medicines is still being experienced by hospitals, said Ministry’s Additional Secretary Dr. Saman Rathnayake.
Colombo (LNW): Due to the active south west monsoon conditions over the island, there is a possibility of enhancing the prevailing showery condition in the south-western part of Sri Lanka, said the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology in a statement today (02).
In the backdrop, heavy showers above 100 mm are likely to occur at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa and Southern provinces.
The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimise damages caused by temporary localised strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
Tharman Shanmugaratnam, former Singapore deputy prime minister, has been elected to the ceremonial post of president, according to official results, in an election seen as a barometer of public sentiment towards the ruling party amid economic challenges.
The Elections Department on Friday declared the 66-year-old economist as the winner over two rival candidates after securing 70.4 percent of votes.
“I declare Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam as the candidate duly elected as the president of Singapore,” said election returning officer Tan Meng Dui.
Shanmugaratnam, who is of Sri Lankan descent and a longtime leader of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), resigned from the government and the party ahead of the first contested presidential election in more than a decade.
“I believe that it’s a vote of confidence in Singapore. It’s a vote of optimism for a future in which we can progress together,” Shanmugaratnam said in a speech before the results were announced.
While the presidency is a largely ceremonial, nonpartisan post under the constitution, political lines were already drawn ahead of Friday’s election to replace incumbent Halimah Yacob, who ran unopposed for her six-year term in 2017.
The city-state’s government is run by the prime minister, currently Lee Hsien Loong of the PAP, a party that has ruled Singapore continuously since 1959.
Analysts said the landslide victory for the candidate seen as closest to the establishment is a sign that Singaporeans generally still trust the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP).
“It shows that the PAP is still a trusted brand, as long as the candidate that is put forth is credible. Tharman is as credible as it gets,” said political scientist Walid Jumblatt Abdullah of Nanyang Technological University.
The soft launch of “Singapore and Sri Lanka at 50: Perspectives from Sri Lanka” a joint research publication by the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) of the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Sri Lanka High Commission, Singapore took place on 29 August 2023 at NUSS Guild House, National University of Singapore. The project was initiated to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Sri Lanka and Singapore.
The edited volume represents a culmination of years of dedicated research, collaboration, and scholarly endeavour. It is a comprehensive exploration of the diplomatic relations between the two nations and delves into a multitude of dimensions including historical, social, economic, security, diplomatic, and environmental aspects and the potential that lies ahead for this important relationship. The chapters in the book, predominantly offering a Sri Lankan perspective, shed light on diverse aspects of the bilateral relationship with a rich tapestry of analysis, presenting both successes and challenges encountered along the way.
Welcoming those present at the book launch, Director of ISAS Associate Professor Iqbal Singh Sevea highlighted that Sri Lanka was considered an inspiration for Singapore’s founding father late Mr. Lee Kuan Yew. He added that Singapore and Sri Lanka have negotiated challenges, explored opportunities in their own unique ways, and enjoyed strong bilateral relations underpinned by economic and people-to-people ties.
Addressing the gathering High Commissioner Sashikala Premawardhane spoke of the strong cultural and historical foundation that nurtured the bilateral relationship dating back to a time when both countries were pivotal points along the ancient maritime trade routes. She added that frequent high-level political interactions that have taken place over the years including the recently concluded successful working visit of HE Ranil Wickremesinghe, President of Sri Lanka to Singapore strengthened cooperation and collaboration between the two countries. She added that Sri Lanka looks towards deepening cooperation with Singapore in the future.
Speaking about the edited volume High Commissioner Premawardhane said that the research volume is more than a mere collection of academic essays; and stands as a testament to the depth and complexity of the bilateral relations. She expressed her appreciation to the editors, Dr. Chulanee Attanayake, Dr. George Cooke, and Ms. Ramitha Iyer for curating the insightful collection of chapters and thanked the contributors whose collective expertise and dedication have resulted in a comprehensive and enlightening exploration of this significant diplomatic relationship. She added that the scholarly contributions contained in the volume offer a wealth of knowledge and understanding that will undoubtedly enrich the discourse surrounding international diplomacy.
The book launch was followed by a panel discussion featuring Postdoctoral Fellow, National University of Singapore Dr. Rajini Gamage, journalist Nithya Subramanian, Head of Public Policy at Meta Senura Abeywardena and was moderated by Dr. Udan Fernando, Consultant, Association for Asian Civil Studies (AAS), USA & Head, Colombo Charter, Asian Civil Society Research Network, University of Melbourne.
Representatives of the diplomatic corps in Singapore, academics and researchers, and the Sri Lankan expatriate community members attended the event.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) ‘Delhi’ arrived at the port of Colombo on a formal visit yesterday (01) morning. The visiting ship was welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy in compliance with naval tradition.
INS ‘Delhi’ is a 163.2m long Destroyer manned by a crew of 450 and the ship is commanded by Captain Abhishek Kumar. Meanwhile, the Commanding Officer of the ship called on Commander Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral Suresh De Silva at the Western Naval Command Headquarters this morning.
During the ship’s stay, the crew will take part in several programmes organised by the Sri Lanka Navy, with a view to promoting cooperation and goodwill between two navies. They are also expected to visit some of the tourist attractions in the country.
In addition, INS ‘Delhi’ has made arrangements to open the ship for the visit of school children. Further, training exchanges are scheduled to be held aboard, involving naval personnel from both navies. The ship is expected to depart the island on 03rd September and she will conduct a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with a ship of Sri Lanka Navy, off Colombo.
