Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry is set to make an official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from January 23 to 27 on an invitation of his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

Sabry will be meeting the Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister and discussing further enhancement of the cordial bilateral relations between the two nations.

In Addition, the Minister will also meet with the senior officials of the Islamic Development Bank, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Governors of Mecca and Medina.

MIAP

The Marine Exercise (MAREX) of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) 2023, commenced in Mullikulam on 21st January 2023 and it was augmented by personnel from the U.S. Marine Corps, Sri Lanka Navy Marines, Special Boat Squadron, Rapid Action Boat Squadron, and Naval Infantrymen. Accordingly, the Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief (HADR) exercises of MAREX were held at the beach area of Mullikulam in the Northwestern Naval Command today (22nd January).

The exercise saw two (02) Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) of the U.S. Navy transferring troops, Logistics and vehicles ashore for HADR drills. The training exercise also helped both partners to coordinate and communicate with one another in a simulated environment and improve each other’s skills.

Commander Northeastern Naval Area, Rear Admiral Nishantha Peiris and a group of senior officers from the command were present on this occasion to inspect the proceedings.

The GCE Advanced Level Examination of 2022 commences from today (23) at 08 am, at 2,200 centres across the island.

331,709 candidates, both school and private applicants, will be sitting for the exams.

The Department of Examinations has approved 1o minutes of additional time for the essay papers of the exams.

MIAP

1. CoPF Chief MP (Dr.) Harsha De Silva praises the CPCEC for the immediate implementation of recommendations on adopting online methods and submitting audited accounts – Commission asserts these are established under a completely legitimate purview of the government in compliance with the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Act.
   
2. French court convicts 14 Sri Lankans of migrant smuggling across Europe – Main suspect accused of overseeing the operation from a grocery store in Serifontaine handed a four-year prison term, with one year suspended – Another based in Britain but fighting extradition requests given a five-year sentence, while others given lesser sentences.
   
3. Operations at Kelanitissa Combined Cycle Power Plant stalled incurring a drop of 165 megawatts from the national grid, hours after the operations at the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant stalled due to maintenance restored – absence of sufficient stocks of naphtha owned by CEB said to be the reason.
   
4. President Ranil Wickremesinghe says the contribution of the University Community is very important in the development process – instructs to implement a youth-led development project covering the entire island to make Sri Lanka a developed nation by the 100th Independence Celebration in 2048 through youth ideas, skills and interventions.
   
5. GCE Advanced Level Examination commences from today at 8 am – Exams held at 2,200 centres across the island with 331,709 applicants, both school and private applicants, sitting – Dept of Examinations approves additional 10 minutes for essay papers.
   
6. The maximum distance which school field trips can be taken up to restricted to 100 km per day – Students taken on field trips must be returned before 6 pm – Move comes in following the fatal accident in Nanuoya where a bus carrying students of Thurstan College, Colombo collided with a van and a three-wheeler killing seven people – Bus driver accused of negligent driving remanded.
   
7. Thushara Sanjeewa, a close associate and a disciple of ex Minister Johnston Fernando, ousted from his position as the Mayor in Kurunegala through gazette issued by the North-Western Provincial Governor due to failure of passing the Budget of Kurunegala Urban Council.
   
8. UAE Human Resources Minister Dr. Abdulrahman Abdulmannan Al Awar assures Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara his country will take stern action against those facilitating illegal immigration to UAE – Dr. Al Awar positively responds to Nanayakkara’s request to provide more job opportunities in UAE for skilled workers from Sri Lanka.
   
9. Hindustan Times reports China’s position on Sri Lanka to be informed to the IMF in writing on Jan 22, 2023 – Treasury Deputy Secretary Priyantha Ratnayake says the negotiations with China regarding debt restructuring have reached its final stage and an agreement will be made in the next few days; denies revealing details citing ‘confidentiality’ – China and India being the two main creditors to Sri Lanka are the variable to receiving IMF bailout.
   
10. Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry scheduled to make an official visit to Saudi Arabia from 22 – 27 January, 2023 on an invitation by his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud – Further enhancement of bilateral relations between the two nations expected during the visit.

The driver of the bus which collided with a van and a three wheeler in a fatal accident killing seven two days ago has been remanded till February 02, as ordered by the Nuwara Eliya Magistrate Court.

Nuwara Eliya Magistrate Nalaka Sanjeewa Edirisinghe visited the District Hospital of Nuwara Eliya where the bus driver is being treated and produced the order thereafter.

MIAP

The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA, has long remained the conscience of this nation in relation to the education and higher education sectors, while taking a broad leadership role in fearlessly campaigning for equity and social justice throughout. Hence, it is with fear and frustration that we note the even greater depths this country is being plunged into by the waste and mismanagement that is only succeeding in exacerbating the current economic and political crisis.

To be specific, in a context where government spending on education will reach an all-time low in relation to GDP in 2023, making Sri Lanka the worst-affected country in South Asia by a wide margin, the proposed arbitrary and unfair income tax increases have caused apprehension and disgust among all those engaged in the education sector. For FUTA, an organisation that has been agitating for over a decade to increase government funding of education, health and other basic rights, this portends catastrophic consequences for all citizens alike.

While the other battles need to be fought in the medium and longer term, the major current aspect of the crisis is the ill-thought and unconscionable new Income Tax Act which imposes drastic changes to personal income tax through a mandatory Advance Personal Income Tax (APIT) payment, over and above huge increases levied on the public in the form of indirect taxes. Our concern here goes beyond the gross injustice to university academic staff and covers the broader negative repercussions to all sectors of society as well as the economy in general. Hence, this government has compelled us to consider trade union action of a kind we would never have decided upon in normal circumstances, but for the need to prevent this grossly unfair and arbitrary taxes on income and expenditure, again, as in the case of the education budget, without precedent in the region.

Therefore, it is with deep regret that the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations has instructed its members to withdraw their participation in the GCE (A/L) 2023 Evaluation Process.  While we are aware that this choice may raise serious concerns in the public, we are confident that the Government will be forced to see the light as a result of our awareness-raising and public agitation on the iniquitous and catastrophic tax law, revoking its worst provisions and revising on the basis of enlightened principles, so that we may take part in the examination and evaluation process without interruption. Moreover, even if the evaluation process were to be delayed, we are aware that no new students will be admitted to the state university system at present due to an acute lack of funding. Consequently, at this crucial juncture it is crucial that we keep up the fight for fair living standards for the populace and sufficient funding for our educational system. 

Our decision to boycott the GCE (AL) evaluation was not made lightly, but it shows how far we are willing to go to defend our rights and ensure that the country is on the right path to recovery. In doing so, we are not only safeguarding our economic rights and livelihoods, but also protecting the future of our students, who stand to be adversely affected by a sudden change in the evaluation process.

Please be informed that university academics will not participate in the GCE (A/L) Examination evaluation process this year, which was a difficult decision that was overwhelmingly supported by all academic members of the state university system, as there was no alternative to convey a clear and unequivocal message to the Government to stop its destruction of this country through this proposed pernicious taxation. We were forced to make this decision because the regime is unwilling to negotiate with us or address our demands; this means that the Government should bear full responsibility for any repercussions that may arise, as a legitimate trade union response to an illegitimate government’s refusal to listen to carefully reasoned clearly-expressed academics’ objections to these unreasonable and discriminatory tax hikes, which actually amount to salary reductions of university academic staff.

FUTA