‘Fertiliser ban creates brand new problems’
“Our tea is globally recognised, but when our Government makes such a claim, and imposes a fertiliser ban, they are essentially saying our tea is not healthy. Governments should not do business,” he said, adding: “When Governments try to do business, disaster strikes. He further stated that many countries have fallen because governments try to take control of the business. The tea industry feeds the rural economy driven by 500,000 smallholders, estate workers, 550-600 operating factories and many more involved up until the point of export. As a result, the CTTA highlights that this ban will impact the livelihoods of 3 million people.
Source:The Nation
July 15, 2021 19:18 UTC
China’s post-pandemic economic rebound loses steam
The Chinese economy’s sharp rebound from the corona virus pandemic has now slowed, official figures show. Gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 7.9% in the second quarter of 2021 compared to the same time last year. Official figures for June also showed better-than-expected growth for retail sales and industrial production. “China’s economy sustained a steady recovery with the production and demand picking up,” the NBS said in a statement. In April, official figures showed that China’s economy grew a record 18.3% in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the same quarter last year.
Source:The Nation
July 15, 2021 19:18 UTC
World TUs’ Federation calls for protestors’ release
BY Buddhika SamaraweeraThe World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), while condemning the arrest and subsequent forcible direction to quarantine the protestors including trade unionists during the recent protests in Sri Lanka, has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all the arrested protestors. “We denounce the illegal arrests of trade unionists and activists who struggle for the rights and interests of workers, peasants, and students. The international class-oriented trade union movements support the demands of the trade union movements in Sri Lanka,” it added. The Inter-University Students Federation (IUSF), the Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) and the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) had organised the demonstration against the proposed KNDU Bill. The first World Trade Union Congress (held in Paris from 3 to 8 October 1945), which voted to establish the WFTU, was attended by delegates representing 67 million workers from 56 national organisations from 55 countries and 20 international organisations.
Source:The Nation
July 15, 2021 19:06 UTC
Global recovery is bypassing the poorest countries
Even as the wealthiest nations begin to enjoy a return to prosperity and a semblance of normality, the pandemic continues to ravage the poorest countries. Maternal and child mortality is on the upswing in IDA countries because of reduced access to health services and food. In 2020, the pandemic all but halted economic growth in IDA countries and caused per capita income to shrink by 2.3%. Under the circumstances, IDA countries increasingly will need support in the form of grants or zero-interest loans. IDA countries are eager to do both.
Source:The Nation
July 15, 2021 18:56 UTC
Delta goes viral in community
National total 43 so farBY Buddhika Samaraweera and Pamodi WaravitaAnother 19 patients have been found to be infected with the B.1.617.2 Delta Indian variant of Covid-19, according to the Health Ministry. When contacted by The Morning, Sri Jayewardenepura University Allergy, Immunology, and Cell Biology Unit Director Dr. Chandima Jeewandara confirmed the identification of another 19 patients infected with the Delta variant. Dr. Herath on 13 June confirmed that 24 patients infected with the Delta variant of Covid-19 had been detected in Sri Lanka thus far. Accordingly, the detection of 19 more patients has brought the total of Delta variant infections to 43. According to Dr. Jeewandara, the variant had first been detected among five community samples obtained from the Dematagoda area in Colombo.
Source:The Nation
July 15, 2021 18:56 UTC
Vote against KNDU Bill, SLFP Youths urge SLFP MPs
“We studied the entire Bill and this is an issue for all students in the country. Noting that the SLFP is a major stakeholder in the current Government, Weerawardhana called on the Government not to go ahead with the KNDU Bill in Parliament. If not, he said, all possible steps would be taken to prevent the Bill from being passed in the Parliament. The KNDU Bill was presented to the Parliament on 8 July and is to be taken up for vote in August. The Federation of University Teachers Associations (FUTA) too has expressed reservations concerning the Bill.
Source:The Nation
July 15, 2021 18:56 UTC
Activists en route to Mullaitivu denied entry
“I was accompanied by other activists from Anuradhapura and Vavuniya, and we all had permission from our respective local government authorities to travel to Mullaitivu. Over 31 arrests of activists, trade unionists, and students were made last week at the protests condemning the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence National University (KDNU) Bill. Although bail was later granted to these arrestees, approximately 16 of them, including Stalin, were then forcibly sent to quarantine centres for 14 days. “Public Security Minister Dr. Sarath Weerasekera has claimed that the Health Ministry is responsible for the detention of trade union activists. Multiple habeas corpus petitions have been filed about the detention of trade unionists and activists.
Source:The Nation
July 15, 2021 18:56 UTC
Amnesty Int’l names Hizbullah ‘prisoner of conscience’
BY Pamodi WaravitaAmnesty International South Asia yesterday (15) named detained lawyer Hejaaz Hizbullah as being a “prisoner of conscience” and called for his immediate release. Hizbullah, a human rights lawyer and activist, was arrested on 14 April 2020 under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act, No. 48 of 1979 (PTA) for allegedly being involved in the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks, although he was only charged a year later in March. A fundamental rights (FR) petition was filed by Attorney-at-Law Erick Balasooriya against the alleged coercion of two moulavis to frame Hizbullah last month. The Chevening Alumni Association of Sri Lanka (CAASL) also condemned the arbitrary detention of Hizbullah last month and called for his immediate release, requesting Chevening Alumni around the world to write to Inspector General of Police (IGP) C.D.
Source:The Nation
July 15, 2021 18:33 UTC
Oddamavadi Covid burials pass 1,000
Over 940 Muslims buriedBy Dinitha RathnayakeA total of 1,001 burials of deceased Covid-19 patients have been completed in Oddamavadi, according to the former Batticaloa District Parliamentarian Seyed Ali Zahir Moulana. In March, the Government approved the burial of Covid-19 victims in the Soodupaththinachenai area in Oddamavadi, Batticaloa, and the Irakkamam area in the Ampara District. The guidelines for the burial of Covid-19 victims were subsequently issued by the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) on 3 March. The drafting of the guidelines was completed after the committee of experts appointed to examine methods for the disposal of Covid-19 victims met in February. On 5 March, Sri Lanka began the burial of deceased Covid-19 victims at Oddamavadi in the Eastern Province.
Source:The Nation
July 15, 2021 18:11 UTC
New Emigration Hall declared opened at BIA
The newly constructed ‘Emigration Hall’ at the departure passenger terminal of Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) was declared open today by the Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga. Under the BIA Terminal 1 expansion project, 23 new emigration counters have been added at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) and this expansion project was completely funded by the Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited at a cost Rs. “This improved and expanded design offers a new experience to our valued passengers on their happy journey through BIA,” AASL said in a statement said. In addition, new office areas for Emigration and SIS have been constructed with the full facility to uplift the services to the passengers. The passenger handling capacity has been a major issue at BIA as the existing passenger terminal building has been built to handle only 6 million passengers per annum.
Source:The Nation
July 15, 2021 18:00 UTC
The falling Rupee and the economy
So what has happened to date is that the Rupee has depreciated about 6.5%, which, relative to historic norms, is not a large amount. Movements in current account debits and credits create supply and demand for foreign exchange – it does not necessarily have to be in US Dollars. However, the issue of the Rupee’s depreciation is unique to the Sri Lankan economy, and thus the solutions to this issue will depend on the context of Sri Lanka, according to Prof. Bandara. He also opined that the prevailing pandemic has created a political and financial crisis that Sri Lanka has had to deal with. He is of the opinion that Sri Lanka should employ the talents of those who are capable of actually changing this situation.
Source:The Nation
July 15, 2021 18:00 UTC
TNA raises concerns with US Envoy
By Pamodi WaravitaTamil National Alliance (TNA) Leader and Parliamentarian R. Sampanthan had yesterday (15) met the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alaina B. Teplitz to discuss the assurances given by the Sri Lankan Government to solve the national ethnic question. The TNA media office stated yesterday that Sampanthan and a few other delegates, including TNA Spokesperson and MP President’s Counsel M.A. Sumanthiran, had discussed a number of issues with Teplitz yesterday. It was adopted on 23 March at the UNHRC with 22 votes in favour of it and 11 votes in opposition while 14 Member States abstained from voting. Further, a recent meeting to be held between the TNA and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was called off and postponed by the latter.
Source:The Nation
July 15, 2021 17:48 UTC
16 attractions to be opened up for tourists
16 attractions to be opened up for touristsBY Dinitha RathnayakeTourists who are within the 15 day travel biological bubble are now permitted to visit 16 tourist attractions whilst adhering to the health and safety protocols issued by the Health Ministry. The Temple of the Tooth Relic or the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy, the Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya, Popham’s Arboretum in Dambulla, the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, the Ridiyagama Safari Park, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa, the Yala National Park safari, the Minneriya National Park, the Udawalawe National Park safari, the Horton Plains National Park, Mirissa, Sinharaja, the Hurulu Eco Park, and the Udawattakele Sanctuary are among the 16 attractions recommend for the tourists. Sri Lanka has decided to open all tourist attractions to overseas visitors who enter Sri Lanka via the travel bio bubble concept, according to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA). Upon a negative on arrival (day one) PCR test report, vaccinated travellers can leave the travel bio bubble. The respective Level One hotel doctor will issue a “discharge document” upon verifying the status of the vaccination and the PCR test results.
Source:The Nation
July 15, 2021 17:48 UTC
Haiti president's injured wife Martine Moïse is pictured in hospital
The injured wife of Haiti's assassinated President Jovenel Moïse has shared photos of herself in her hospital bed, saying she is still in disbelief that her husband was killed right in front of her. Martine Moïse tweeted two photos of herself in her Miami hospital bed on Thursday after she was evacuated from Haiti for further treatment following the July 7 assassination of her husband. The photos emerged after Martine released an audio statement from her hospital bed at the weekend accusing 'mercenaries' of pelting her husband with bullets. Corvington owns a private security company called Corvington Courier & Security Service, which he established in 1982, according to its website, which provides tips on how to survive a kidnapping. Normally, a security company would seek all the details of an operation, to determine how many people to use and what level of insurance they would need.
Source:The Nation
July 15, 2021 17:37 UTC
Headline: Ayurveda: A system that has stood the test of time
While Ayurveda accepts the efficacy of Western treatments, Western medicine prohibits the use of other systems. The Society began to focus on indigenous medicine after Donald Obeysekere, a member of the Ceylon Legislative Council became president. It argued that most general ailments were treated by Ayurveda, while people still accepted Western medicine for diseases like malaria. Interestingly, the desire to develop indigenous medicine as a separate practice from Western medicine, resulted in it being regulated and formalised into modern institutions very similar to those of Western medicine. Despite the formalisation and regulation of indigenous medicine along western lines, it remains a subordinate system in practice.
Source:The Nation
July 15, 2021 17:15 UTC