MEXICO CITY — A shooting attack in north-central Mexico killed eight people at two homes including a baby boy, authorities said Wednesday.
They said the assailants apparently targeted four men who were at one home, killing them and a woman.
Local media said the house on the outskirts of the city of Silao may have been used by drug addicts.
Another man wounded in the attack on the home late Tuesday died of his wound Wednesday. Guanajuato state prosecutors said three other people were wounded and were in serious condition at local hospitals.
At a nearby house, police found a 16-year-old girl and a 16-month-old boy dead of gunshot wounds. It was unclear if they also were targeted or had simply been hit by stray bullets from the first shooting, officials said.
The killings shocked people in Guanajuato, the state with the highest number of homicides in Mexico.
“What happened today in Silao hurts us deeply and as the government of Guanajuato, we will continue to work together to give no quarter to those cowards who take other peoples’ lives,” Libia García, the state interior secretary, wrote in her Twitter account. “Justice will be done for the victims.”
The Minister of Justice Mohamed Ali Sabry has stated that the Prohibition of Obscene Publications Bill was published in a gazette notification due to an error and that the gazette notification will be removed with the utmost humility.
“We are dealing with the law and obscene expression. It had now been gazetted at by mistake. Some parts of that law are very serious. The punishments meted out are very high. In addition, the rights of some creators and publishers may be violated.
Civil society organizations, lawyers and various politicians have told me about it. We accepted them with the utmost humility. Accordingly, we hope to remove that gazette notification and present a law that suits the country by listening to civil society. Our Secretary issued a press release on this. Accordingly, we hope to do all that with the support of the people. ”
Minister Ali Sabry stated this addressing a function held in Gampaha yesterday (29).
Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara emphasizes that he, Wimal Weerawansa and Udaya Gammanpila have no intention of leaving the current government.
“Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has said that, it is our choice if we want to resign. He have said that he will not remove us. We have repeatedly told him that we have no intention of leaving him. The idea is that we go on this journey with him.
There is one thing called collective responsibility when you are in the cabinet. That is the policy of England. We have an even older policy. Our civility has shown us what is best. We are of the opinion that we should all stay in a common opinion that is friendly to the country. All three of us have no intention of leaving this government ”
Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara stated this in a statement issued to the media yesterday (29).
Government’s revenue proposals for 2022 appears to be more of a stop-gap move rather than one that sets out a framework on how revenues will continue to be mobilised and deficit financing requirements met over time. IPS economic expert Dr Dushni Weerakoon disclosed. ,
It seems that the government is hedging its bets on economic growth creating revenues, but with inflation set to rise in the coming months, and government fiscal financing from the banking sector set to be even higher at 2.7% of GDP compared to 2.2% of GDP in 2021, this is calling for monetary authorities to step in with higher interest rates.
It will threaten the forecasted growth, weaken tax revenue, and leave less room for investment. In the face of the fiscal stresses, it would have made sense to make structural changes to our tax system and ask for greater sacrifices from those with more ability to pay.
The government t focuses on rural development by allocating R s 19,894 million to 335 divisional secretariat divisions to commence rural livelihood development programmes,.Dr Nisha Arunatilake IPS resecher said.
It has also allocated other funds aimed at reviving the rural economy. For example, Rs 5,000 mn for developing small and medium-scale industries,Rs 5,000 mn for modernising agriculture, and Rs 5,000 mn for improving infrastructure in product investment zones.
Many other countries in the world are also making public investments to help the post-COVID-19 recovery process and create jobs. This could be a potentially good investment if money is spent according to well researched strategic plans to help revive the rural economy.
It has also proposed reforms to the Samurdhi programme – (1) to transform it as a rural development movement to ensure economic revival and food security without just confining it to a poor-relief programme and (2) to select Samurdhi beneficiaries using a rational and scientific mechanism.
The second proposal is necessary to minimise the prevailing exclusion and inclusion errors as well as to reduce the rising budget of the Samurdhi cash transfer programme.
Government revenue has improved marginally in the first nine months despite the effects of the pandemic on the economy.
As per latest Central Bank data, Government revenue amounted to Rs. 1.05 trillion between January and September 2021 as against Rs. 1.02 trillion in the corresponding period of last year.
During the first nine months total expenditure and net lending increased to Rs. 2.38 trillion up from Rs. 2.18 trillion a year ago.
The overall budget deficit rose to Rs. 1.32 trillion from Rs. 1.15 trillion.
Central Bank data also showed that domestic financing rose to Rs. 1.45 trillion from Rs. 1.32 trillion. Foreign financing recorded a net repayment of Rs. 124.7 billion as against Rs. 172 billion.
Outstanding central Government debt increased to Rs. 17 trillion by end September 2021 from Rs. 15.1 trillion as at end September last year. By the end August, the central Government debt was Rs. 17.22 trillion.
Total outstanding domestic debt increased by 16.9% to Rs. 10.6 trillion. By the end of August it was Rs. 10.46 trillion. The rupee value of total outstanding foreign debt increased by 6.6% to Rs. 6.4 trillion by end September 2021. At end August the latter was Rs. 6 trillion.
Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Sultanate of Oman Ameer Ajwad felicitated Namiq Azhar Mohideen one of the most senior members of the Sri Lankan community in Oman who is leaving Oman for Sri Lanka after serving in the Sultanate for almost four decades at a farewell event organized by the Sri Lankan community members living in Muscat at Centara Muscat Hotel in Ghala to recognize Namiq Mohideen’s long service to the Sri Lankan community in Oman. Ambassador Ajwad presented a certificate of appreciation to recognize the long service rendered by Namiq Mohideen to both the home and host countries during the past forty years. Ambassador Ajwad also presented the logo badge issued by the Sri Lanka Embassy in Oman to mark the 40th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and the Sultanate of Oman which falls this year.
Speaking at the event Ambassador Ameer Ajwad hailed the contributions made by Sri Lankan migrant workers in Oman to the economic development of both the home and host countries and informed that the Embassy had already initiated a tradition from this commemorative 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations to honor the long-served Sri Lankan migrant workers in the Sultanate. The Ambassador also stressed the importance of renewed engagement by Sri Lankan community members in promoting economic, cultural, social and people-to-people connectivity between Sri Lanka and the Sultanate of Oman in the years ahead in order to achieve another milestone in the history of relations between the two friendly nations.
First Secretary of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Muscat Dilini Abeysekera, President of Sri Lankan Community Social Club Roy Lasantha, Member of Ethera Api Organization Ruwan Chanaka, Sri Lankan School Muscat Board Members Sanath Hemachandra, Ziyad Niyaz and organizers of the event Hafeez Marikkar, Mohamed Iyas, M. Kamal Abdullah, Mohamed Rizan, Mohamed Farween participated in the event.
In what is seen as the latest move to extend relief to the pandemic-affected borrowers, the Central Bank has asked the banks to extend the pause on the recovery actions on loans and leases till March 31, 2022.
In a fresh circular issued last week, the Central Bank requested the banks “to suspend all types of recovery actions, including parate execution and forced repossessions of leased assets”.The moratorium was set to expire on December 31, 2021.
The tourism sector borrowers have already received an extension to their debt freeze till June 30, 2022.
The Central Bank in its six-month road map on October 01 announced that it had no intention to extend the moratoria beyond the already stipulated time frames, considering the undue pressure that could inflict on the health and stability of the financial system of the country.
The broader businesses and individuals are under payment holiday now for 21 months while the tourism sector has been under the relief scheme from as way back as in April 2019.
In the road map, the Central Bank said it would replace the moratoria with a liquidity support scheme worth of Rs.15 billion to facilitate financing of the interest accrued in loans that have been under moratoria to enable financial institutions to deal with the effect of the moratoria in a sustainable manner.
Further, the Central Bank said it would put in place an ‘Emergency Lending Facility Framework’.
The decision to extend the suspension on the recovery efforts may have been prompted by the hardships still being faced by the borrowers and particularly those in the travel and tourism sector.
The pause on recovery efforts would also allow more time for banks and borrowers to come into arrangements agreeable for both parties in servicing the loan facilities.
As per the Central Bank estimates the ongoing debt moratoria by banks and non-bank financial institutions amounts to Rs.780 billion.
This is in addition to Rs.165.5 billion by way of concessionary working capital under the COVID-19 Saubagya Refinance Scheme.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu who passed away this week will be counted among the great human beings who have contributed on the one hand for the great political transformation of his own country, and a person who has revolutionized the idea of achieving equality even under the most difficult circumstances. His great achievement together with his colleagues is linked to his ability to revive the moral universe as against the prevailing materialistic world outlook. He revived the idea of universality among human beings irrespective of color, creed or gender. Born and bred in one of the most repressive countries of his time, South Africa under the most brutal and dehumanized system of apartheid, he was among those who gave leadership to a great struggle to end such a discriminatory regime which ruled with the use of enormous violence. However, in that struggle and after the victory against apartheid, Desmond Tutu showed the capacity for embracing the enemy forces, developing the spaces for reconciliation, while at the same time restoring the dignity of the much humiliated people who were his own. The breadth of his vision was shown in the many roles he played during this time in his involvement in dealing with one of the most difficult problems which if not for interventions by him and his colleagues, would have led to one of the worst bloodbaths in the world. He and his colleagues managed such an enormous crisis with the depth of wisdom and courage, at the same time, with compassion and forgiveness.
Desmond Tutu is not just a South African figure. He brought his message to the global stage. A man gifted with enormous humor and oratorical skills, he brought the message of the universal values of humanity, transcending the limitations of color, creed, gender and all other forms of distinctions. His contribution to a practical understanding of the way to struggle for equality, liberty and fraternity within the modern global context will remain an example worthy of emulation of all those who resist the great deviance that besets the world at the moment. Desmond Tutu is not a mere figure reminding about the past. He is a man for the present and also for the future. Truly, he is a man for all times.
Desmond Tutu, by his own example, showed that human dignity does not belong to any particular race or color. By his own example, he showed that he could stand with any company, asserting his dignity and showing the capacity of his people to be no less than anyone else.
Among his many contributions, one of the greatest is the conceptualizing and the practice of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa. While the righteous were justly demanding vengeance against the vanquished white minority for their unimaginable cruelties, he, supported by his colleagues, was able to demonstrate enormous wisdom in dealing with the vanquished enemy. To bring the vanquished also into the community of the nation and to ensure that they play their role within the nation while they express genuine regret for their despicable behavior in the past was an achievement that is quite unique to the world. Making that South African experience possible, Desmond Tutu played a great role.
In the last years of his life, he devoted his time to pursuing the cause of equality and the furtherance of understanding among people by way of him being seriously involved in promoting human rights throughout the world. He was the elder among the community of elders who constantly made interventions by expressing their views on world affairs.
The total impact of his life can be summed up through his intervention to revive the moral universe which is under threat everywhere. He brought his religious vision to the world not in a sectarian way but in a way that embraces all humanity and transcends all human weaknesses and limitations. As the world is today searching for solutions to problems that are normally perceived as beyond the human capacity, the example given by Desmond Tutu in resorting to the revival of the moral universe could be a guiding principle for everyone who pursues peace and a better future for humanity as a whole.
The bus fares are set to soar from January 05, 2022. Accordingly, the fare revision will be effective to both the Private Bus and SLTB services.
The current minimum fare of Rs. 14 has been soared to Rs. 17, while other bus fares by 17.4 per cent.
The decision comes in following the discussion held between State Minister of Transport Services Dilum Amunugama and Bus Owners Associations today (29).
