1. Census and Statistics Department data shows the electricity bill of a household in Colombo increased by Rs.10,192 YoY and living expenses rose by Rs.46,169 YOY in April’23: food increased by a further Rs.12,929 YOY, with milk powder increasing by Rs.1,887, fresh fruit by Rs.1,371, sea fish by Rs.1,367, chicken by Rs.1,058, bread by Rs.569, and rice by Rs.552.
   
2. President Ranil Wickremesinghe says he would work to create the political and economic changes called for by the youth in the country: also says 5 youth would be appointed to the Parliament Select Committees and the Sectoral Oversight Committees in May: asserts he expects to reach an agreement this year to solve the country’s long-drawn ethnic issue.
   
3. Investigators who are probing the claim of Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe that a bribe of USD 250mn had been deposited at a UK bank over the MV X-Press Pearl disaster, directed to the conclusion that the so-called account holder is a fake and the whole drama is a distractor: Investigators also suspect that this was a tactic used by those who allegedly acted to deny the damages for Sri Lanka.
   
4. Two of the foreign companies that are planning to enter SL’s retail fuel market, China’s state-owned Sinopec & US-based RM Parks-Shell propose to set up all-purpose fuel stations complete with car wash, service areas, shops and motels: also to be entitled to provide fuel without QR code systems.
   
5. Former Consumer Affairs Authority Executive Director Thushan Gunawardena alleges that the Ministry of Trade has informed the Lanka Sathosa to sell canned fish unfit for human consumption through its outlets in 2021.
   
6. Chairman of China Merchants Group, China’s largest diversified conglomerate, Miao Jianmin says the Group intends to increase its accumulated investments in Sri Lanka to nearly USD 2 bn: participates at signing ceremony held at the Hambantota International Port for 15 projects, including an investment of USD 400mn to build a modern logistics centre.
   
7. SriLankan Airlines says it has recorded a net profit of USD 3 mn for the financial year 2022-23, the first time the airline has made a net profit after Emirates left the management in 2008: admits however that the airline recorded a loss in Rupee terms of Rs.69bn, mainly due to exchange losses.
   
8. Police arrest 3 youth between ages 18 & 20, who allegedly released a Tiktok video showing them stealing pigeons kept in a cage as pets at a house in Aluthgama and killing and eating the meat after barbequing them.
   
9. President Ranil Wickremesinghe suggests the blocking of share transfers of privatized plantations companies, without the consent of the Govt as they have been given land by the Govt: critics say the move may undermine private property rights and curtail the benefits of private ownership.
   
10. Mass Media Ministry and ITN initiate formal inquiries into allegations by a popular woman news caster of ITN Ishara Devendra who claimed via social media that she was subjected to sexual harassment by a senior (journalist) official.

A delegation of Tamil MPs comprising Mr. Selvam Adaikalanathan, MP, President of Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO), Mr. G Karunakaran, MP, Member of TELO, Mr. D. Sithardthan, MP, President of People’s Liberation Organisation of  Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), Mr. Suresh Premachandran, President of  Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF), Mr. G. Surenthiran, Spokesperson of TELO and Mr. Venthan, President of Democratic  Crusader’s Party (DCP) called on the High Commissioner to convey the New Year greetings and held discussions on the current situation in Sri Lanka.

2.     The delegation apprised the High Commissioner on the aspirations of Tamil people in Sri Lanka and progress on the related matters.

3.     High Commissioner reciprocated the New Year greetings and reiterated India’s commitment towards the full implementation of the 13^th Amendment and early conduct of Provincial Council Elections in Sri Lanka.

***

Colombo

28 April 2023

1.     On the milestone occasion of the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat, High Commission of India, Colombo hosted the live broadcast of the radio programme as it was aired worldwide on 30 April  2023 at the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Center in Colombo.

2.     The 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat saw the Prime Minister recollecting the journey of the radio broadcast in its celebration of people’s participation and positivity. Prime Minister shared the transformative impact the programme has had by inspiring mass movements aimed at societal changes. The milestone episode revisited some of the popular stories on the themes of women empowerment, promotion of local handicrafts and nature preservation. It also featured a conversation between DG UNESCO and Prime Minister on the ways in which India is attempting to put culture and education at the top of the international agenda, especially in the context of holding the Presidency of G20.

3.     The live broadcast was followed by a Special Panel Discussion on the theme of ‘Mann Ki Baat: A Leader’s Connect, A Nation’s Voice’. The distinguished panelists comprised High Commissioner of India, H.E. Gopal Baglay; Chairman, Liberty Publishers (Pvt) Ltd & Derana Macro Entertainment (Pvt) Ltd, Mr. Dilith Jayaweera; Director of International Affairs at the Presidential Secretariat, Mr. Dinouk Colombage and Chairman of FCBkl.lk, Mr. Santosh Menon.

4.     The panelists discussed the platform’s ability to integrate the power of the individual for collective good. They underscored the value of emotional connect for effective communication. High Commissioner emphasised that the participatory approach of Mann Ki Baat brings people at the centre of India’s growth story. It provides a platform for sharing, learning and creating people’s movements to achieve national goals.

5.     The programme was attended by members of the Indian community, local dignitaries and friends of India in Sri Lanka.

6.     Mann Ki Baat is a monthly radio programme hosted by the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, where he interacts with citizens of India on various contemporary themes and issues. These include government policies and reforms, India’s cultural legacy and diversity, extraordinary achievements of citizens as well as global events of relevance, among others.

***

Colombo

30 April 2023

By: Staff Writer

Colombo (LNW): The Sri Lankan government is filing a lawsuit in Singapore for compensation nearly two years since the worst maritime disaster in the country’s history. But activists say it waited too long and would have stood a better chance of adequate compensation had the lawsuit been filed in Sri Lanka.

“The decision to lodge the lawsuit in Singapore courts was done in consultation with a group of independent local and international lawyers as Singapore’s legal system is better equipped to handle this type of complex maritime legal battles,” Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapakshe said.

The sinking of the fire-gutted ship, carrying tons of plastic pellets and toxic chemicals, is considered Sri Lanka’s worst maritime disaster to date.

The plastic pellets, known as nurdles, fouled an extensive arc of Sri Lanka’s southwestern shore, with volunteer crews hard at work cleaning up the billions of grain-sized pellets for months on end.

A 40-member expert committee convened by the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) to assess the environmental damage issued its second interim report in January this year, in which it put a price on the disaster: US$6.4 billion.

Maritime rules require a claim for compensation to be filed within two years of the occurrence of the accident.

The Singapore-flagged X-Press Pearl caught fire in Sri Lankan waters on May 20, 2021, and sank several days later. But the long wait without filing action has caused anxiety among activists, who have criticized the government for not moving fast enough.

Part of the delay was due to the complexity of the environmental assessment. There was very little baseline data for the expert committee to compare against, especially in the maritime context, which required them to assess damage scenarios over the short, mid- and long terms, said Dharshanie Lahandapura, former chair of the MEPA.

The group of experts continues to monitor the impacts of pollution caused by the disaster. The National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) is also monitoring impacts to the marine environment, while the Department of Wildlife Conservation is assessing the fallout on marine life, Lahandapura told Mongabay.

Based on the future findings, there could be more claims, given that the nurdles and other chemicals are likely to have long-lasting effects, Lahandapura said.

But waiting until just weeks before the two-year deadline “is unacceptable as the strategy should be to file it first without waiting for the outcome of the expert committee evaluation,” said Ravindranath Dabare, a lawyer and chair of the Centre for Environmental Justice, a Colombo-based NGO.

“Within the first week of the X-Press Pearl disaster, CEJ filed the first case in local courts to push the authorities to take necessary actions, and subsequently two more cases to expedite the proceedings as the work was lagging,” Dabare said.