Depositing of auspicious items for the Moragahakanda Dam

President Maithripala Sirisena, at the auspicious time 10. 59 this morning, enshrined traditional sacred relics in the Moragahakanda Dam.

The Moragahakanda – Kalu Ganga project was inaugurated by the President when he was Minister of Agriculture in 2007.

The project was implemented with an investment of USD 1,300 million and is expected to supply an additional 25Mw to the national grid.

At completion, the Moragahakanda – Kalu Ganga reservoir will supply water to 82,000 hectares of cultivation fields in Trincomalee, Polonnaruwa, Matale, and Anuradhapura districts. It is also expected to supply water to around 200, 000 families in Northern, North-Central, and Northwestern provinces and provide a durable solution to the Chronic Kidney Disease caused by the water in the dry zone.

 Seventy-five percent of the construction of the Moragahakanda Reservoir is now complete and the remaining 25% will be completed by the end of the year.

The Kalu Ganga project is expected to be complete by 2018.

Deputy Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment Anuradha Jayarathne said 3,162 families were displaced due to the development project, and were resettled at suitable alternative lands. He said they were compensated by the government through the Mahaweli Development and Environment scheme.

Colombo pays for Hambantota’s debts - Minister Arjuna

“A loan of $1.2 billion was taken from the banks for Hambantota Port. We definitely must pay this debt off. Therefore, Colombo uses this profit to pay debt for Hambantota. 

However, the loan which was taken for the Colombo is being paid with no trouble. We face many difficulties when we have to pay for Hambantota’s debt’s…” Hon. Minister of Ports and Shipping Mr. Arjuna Ranathunga stated. 

Minister said this at the Sri Lanka Ports Authority’s 37th anniversary celebrations press conference. This press conference took place at the Ministry of Ports and Shipping today (25). Ports and Shipping Ministry Secretary Mr. L. P. Jayampathy and Sri Lanka Ports Authority Chairman Mr. Dammika Ranathunga participated.

The 37th anniversary of Sri Lanka Ports Authority is on the 1st of August. The celebration week for the anniversary, was published today and this celebration week ends on the 10th of August. Unveiled by President Maithripala Sirisena a new warehouse is due to be open at the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. 

Hon. Minister of Ports and Shipping Mr. Arjuna Ranathunga said that like in the recent, without spending money unnecessarily, the aim for this years’ anniversary is to spend on Ports employees’ welfare and productivity. Minister further stated that for the development of the Colombo port’s Eastern terminal now a large amount of development proposals have been received.

Already 48% of the revenue is paid for the employees’ salaries, overtime and for welfare activities. As per my notice I think none of the companies in this country pays as such. From this remaining percentage of 52% or 53% we have to cover the other remaining activities of the port. However, with a guarantee I can say that we don’t let down employees. If it’s possible we will even give more. Today, some people raise mud campaigns against us. These mud campaigns are done by a group which is not part of the Trade Union. Such Trade union is no registered under the Ports Authority or at the Workers department. 

When they have no support from parent parties few people have got together and have made this group. They don’t talk about the employees. They only raise their voices for their private matters. These are people who advocated the privatization of the terminal in the recent past. We have already launched a program to start operations on our Eastern Terminal. East terminal is our best terminal. We currently have a large number of investors, who are willing to invest for development. It's a good trend. We have made discussions on the fact that we are not only planning to develop the Eastern Terminal, we are planning on developing the other terminals as well…” Hon. Minister Arjuna Ranathunga stated.

Contempt action against Namal Rajapaksa

The contempt action filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), against Hambantota district MP Namal Rajapaksa, is to be taken up at the Supreme Court today.

The Director General of the Commission filed contempt action against the MP on June 30 for allegedly disrespected the authority of the Commission by failing to appear before the Commission without reasonable cause, and failing to produce an affidavit over an investigation on the assets of the MP.

In her complaint, the CIABOC Director General Dilrukshi Dias Wickremasinghe requested the Supreme Court to initiate proceedings against Namal Rajapaksa for the offence of contempt, under Article 105(3) of the Constitution.

Johnston and Mahindananda to be arrested

Johnston Fernando and Mahindananda Aluthgamage are to be arrested within days over several incidents of corruption and fraud that had reportedly taken place during the period they were ministers in the previous Rajapaksa regime, police headquarters sources say.

Both the CID and the FCID are investigating the serious charges against the duo.

Fernando stands accused over the setting fire to important documents of the CWE and giving state vehicles plus fuel worth more than Rs. 100,000 a month to his friends.

A leading UNP minister has requested prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to show some leniency towards Fernando.

The PM has refused to intervene, noting the law should be enforced to the letter against all those responsible for corruption.

President to meet SLFP MPs

Meanwhile, president Maithripala Sirisena has summoned all SLFP MPs to his official residence for a meeting at 5.00 pm today (25).

Most MPs had received the summons by yesterday, and they would attend the meeting, said joint opposition MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage.

When asked if the president would request them to halt the planned ‘Pada Yatra’ protest march from Kandy, Aluthgamage said he did not think the president would make such a request.

The march is being organized not with the aim of overthrowing the government, but against its traitorous acts towards the country and the UNP’s dictatorial journey, said the opposition MP.

The president has given the joint opposition the freedom to voice its opposition to acts against the people, he said.

If the government does not correct itself even thereafter, people will be made better organized to form a SLFP government, he added.

Florida nightclub shooting: Two dead and 16 injured

Two people have been shot dead and at least 16 others hurt in a mass shooting at an event for teenagers at a nightclub in Florida.

The shooting is reported to have broken out at Club Blu Bar and Grill in Fort Myers, Florida, during a 'teen night' event in the early hours of this morning.

Early reports suggest one of the dead victims is a 14-year-old boy.

Children as young as 13 are believed to have been caught up in the horror after shooting broke out at around 1am local time (6am UK time).

Police said one person has been detained and another suspect is still on the run.

There are reportedly three different shooting scenes, but it is not known if they are linked.

HIV infected man takes girls' virginity as part of rituals in Malawi

A HIV-infected man in his 40s has told how he makes a living by being paid to have sex with children.

Eric Aniva, who would not reveal his exact age, lives in the Nsanje district of southern Malawi where he works a sex worker.

His work - known as a "hyena" - is embedded into the sacred traditions of his village.

There, young women are regularly "cleansed" by having sex with a hyena, sometimes as punishment for an offence such as having an abortion.

But for locals a hyena's main duty is overseeing a coming-of-age ritual, where girls take part in sex over a three-day period after their first menstruation.

 

Mr Aniva, speaking to the BBC, said: "Most of those I have slept with are girls, school-going girls.

"Some girls are just 12 or 13 years old, but I prefer them older. All these girls find pleasure in having me as their hyena.

"They actually are proud and tell other people that this man is a real man, he knows how to please a woman."

But with one in 10 Malawians having HIV, the work of hyenas is riddled with the risk of spreading serious disease.

And Mr Aniva himself has HIV, but continues his work regardless.

He is paid £3 to £5 by locals to perform the sex rituals.

And village elders, who are responsible for organising the "cleansing", insist that they are necessary to "avoid infection with their parents or the rest of the community".

Government officials do not endorse the traditions, but they do not actively campaign against them either.

Dr May Shaba, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Gender and Welfare, said: "We are not going to condemn these people. But we are going to give them information that they need to change their rituals."

Muttiah Muralitharan’s father says he now supports Australia

SINNASAMY Muthiah is a household name in Kandy as managing partner of Luckyland Biscuit Manufacturers, Sri Lanka’s third-largest biscuit factory which employs about 200 people.

The benevolent biscuit baron and Kandy king says he’ll be too busy to attend the first Test between Australia and Sri Lanka which starts on Tuesday.

But the 73-year-old will be watching on TV and cheering for Australia.His face, diminutive build and leisurely gait look familiar.

That’s because one of his four sons is Test cricket’s leading wicket-taker Muttiah Muralitharan, the Sri Lankan spin wizard who has been working with Australia’s slow bowlers Steve O’Keefe and Nathan Lyon for the upcoming three-Test series.

Muttiah Muralitharan’s father Sinnasamy at his biscuit factory in Kandy, Sri Lanka.

That means Murali’s dad has a clash of loyalties.

“I’ll be watching on TV,” Sinnasamy told the Herald Sun through an interpreter.

“My support was with Sri Lanka. Now I am supporting Australia,” he said as he burst into laughter. “I will be encouraging my son.”

Sinnasamy proudly pulls out a newspaper and points to a back-page story about the success of O’Keefe, who claimed 10 wickets in Australia’s tour match against a Sri Lankan XI in Colombo.

Then he leaps from his desk, grabs a drinking glass and balances a coin on top. With arms waving in excitement, he tells the tale of how Murali demonstrated to the Aussies in the nets that at 44 he still has unsurpassed accuracy.

“When Murali bowls, they keep this coin on top of a glass and only the coin will drop down,” Sinnasamy said.

A spokesperson for the Australian team said attempts to confirm the coin story were met with blank looks, although few would doubt Murali’s ability to perform the feat.

Sinnasamy didn’t come across as a lover of cricket stats, although he was happy to point out Murali took 800 Test wickets.

The success of Luckyland was a lucky break for Murali. It allowed Murali’s family to fund his education at St Anthony’s College, where the medium-pacer evolved into a spinner and became the most-successful bowler in Test history.

Sinnasamy frowns briefly when asked about Sri Lanka’s slide to seventh on the current Test rankings. He says “politics” has been a factor.

The retirements of Murali and batting superstars Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene haven’t helped either.

“Sri Lanka has gone down because of its politics. And Mahela and Sangakkara, the best players are out,” Sinnasamy said.

“After Murali has left the team, a lot of people have gone down and the team has also gone down.”

Murali says his decision to work as a consultant for Australia is part of his desire to avoid fulltime touring after an international career that spanned two decades.

He says Sri Lanka already has a spin coach anyway.

It’s family time for Murali, which means short-term gigs are on his agenda.

Would seeing Murali help the Aussies retain the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy really “take the biscuit” for Sri Lanka’s fans?

It’s hard to say.

Leading Sri Lanka cricket scribe Rex Clementine, writing in The Island newspaper in Colombo, says Murali’s decision to work with Australia against his home country has caused “much murmur within the Sri Lankan cricket team and in cricket circles”.

Clementine said in Sunday’s edition that it’s up to Sri Lanka’s cricket officials to find a better way to make use of its former champions.

“The bigger issue here is that Sri Lanka and Australia are playing for a trophy named after two of the greatest spinners to play the game — Muralitharan and Warne,” Clementine wrote.

“So when a trophy is being dedicated to your name, joining the rival camp obviously upset people.”

Clementine says Murali has been available to Sri Lanka Cricket to share his knowledge “without charging a penny”.

“On that aspect, he has been quite magnanimous,” Clementine said.

“SLC in the meanwhile should look at ways and means to hire experts like Murali or if possible stalwarts like Shane Warne on similar short term stints to help our cricketers improve and develop. Our administrators obviously have other priorities.”

Clementine said the manner in which Australia had prepared for the Test series was admirable.

“We have a lot to learn from Australia,” he said.

Syrian refugee hacks pregnant woman to death in Germany

Less than a week after a Muslim teen from Afghanistan used an ax to slash passengers aboard a train in Germany, a Syrian refugee in Germany used to a machete to hack to death a pregnant woman Sunday before he was run over by a man driving a BMW.

The attack took place in the southwestern city of Reutlingen at a kebab shop in a bus station at Listplatz Square.

News media in Germany have been reporting the motive for the attack remains unclear, adding, the incident “did not bear the hallmarks of a terrorist attack.”

Images on social media show the assailant with a bloody forehead but alive on the ground after police arrived on the scene.

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Local media report that the man argued with the woman before attacking her.

Published reports indicate a man driving a BMW was passing the incident and struck him with his car, knocking him to the ground, before police arrived to detain him.

An eyewitness told the German newspaper Bild: “The perpetrator was completely out of his mind. He ran with his machete even behind a patrol car.”

Bjoern Reusch, a spokesman for Reutlingen police, issued a statement indicating the 21-year-old alleged attacker is known to local authorities and was having an argument with the woman who is thought to have been working at the food stand.

“According to the information available, the perpetrator acted alone, the people of Reutlingen and its surroundings are very probably not in danger,” the statement added.

Police say the asylum-seeking Syrian had been involved in previous incidents causing injuries to other people, though they had no immediate information on when those previous incidents occurred.

Germans are suffering from a spree of recent violence. On Friday night, a rampage at a Munich mall left nine people dead.

Last Monday, five people were seriously wounded aboard a train when a Muslim teenager shouting “Allahu Akbar” used an ax and knife to hack passengers aboard a train near Wuerzburg, Germany.

The teen was shot dead by police, and the Islamic terrorist group ISIS has since claimed responsibility for the train attack.