Sri Lanka ranks 87th in Hunger Index

Sri Lanka ranked 87th among developing countries in the Global Hunger index indicating the country had some levels of poverty and malnutrition to combat.

The Index which took into account 118 developing countries, ranked three of Sri Lanka’s neighbours in lower ranks. Among the South Asian countries India ranked 97 with Afghanistan and Pakistan bringing in the rear.

The GHI is calculated by taking into account four key parameters: shares of undernourished population, wasted and stunted children aged under 5, and infant mortality rate of the same age group.

Of the 131 countries studied, data was available for 118 countries. This year, for the first time, two measures of child hunger -wasting and stunting -have been used to give a more complete picture. Wasting refers to low weight in relation to a child's height, reflecting acute under nutrition. Stunting refers to the deficiency in height in relation to age, reflecting chronic under nutrition.

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) makes the annual calculations of GHI. Basing its readings on the most recent data, the 2016 GHI for India was derived from the fact that an estimated 15% population is undernourished -lacking in adequate food intake, both in quantity and quality.

Overall, global hunger levels are down by about 29% compared to 2000.Twenty countries, including Rwanda, Cambodia, and Myanmar, have reduced their GHI scores by over 50% each since 2000. And, for the second year in a row, no developing country for which data was available featured in the "extremely alarming" category.

Three killed, 16 injured in bus-tipper collision

Three people were killed and 16 others were injured in an accident between a passenger bus and a tipper truck in Udawalawa yesterday. Sevenagala Police said four of the injured were in a critical condition. 

The passenger bus had been travelling from Colombo to Moneragala. It had collided head-on with the tipper truck from the opposite side. Two men and a woman in the bus had been killed.

Woman holds protest on mara tree

A 56-year-old mother of three, Wathukanda Gamage Premalatha, who ran a wayside temporary shop made of planks at Thawaluwila, Ambantota on the Hambantota - Tangalle main road, climbed a nearby mara tree and launched a demonstration protesting against an official order to dismantle her shop.

She said she had maintained this shop since 2011 as a means of livelihood and alleged that authorities acting under pressure of a powerful individual had directed her to dismantle her shop to enable him to erect an access road to a line of shops he had erected for leasing.

Premalatha alleged that there were temporary shops galore put along the road renovation in the Ambalantota town but only she had been ordered to move out.

This was a grave injustice, she alleged. Executive engineer of the Road Development Authrority in Tangalle, C. Kodituwakku when contacted said they had encountered many problems in trying to dismantle unauthorised buildings on the road reservation.

He said if an owner of an unauthorised building erected on the reservation was requested to remove the building to give way to a permanent building, he or she had to abide by that request.

Kusal Perera returns for crucial ‘test’

Sri Lanka ‘A’ opener Kusal Perera who missed the second unofficial test due to a hamstring injury returns to the side for the crucial third and final ‘test’ against West Indies ‘A’ commencing at the Rangiri Dambulla Stadium today.

Perera replaces Dimuth Karunaratne who has been rested by the national selectors after he returned to form with a century and a half-century in the first two ‘tests’

Lahiru Thirimanne takes over the captaincy from Karunaratne for the decisive match of the three-match series which stands level at one-all.

Sri Lanka A won the first match by seven wickets and West Indies A the second by 333 runs.

SRI LANKA A SQUAD: Lahiru Thirimanne (captain). Kusal Perera (vice captain),. Roshen Silva, Charith Asalanka, Asela Gunaratne, Avishka Fernando, Anuk Fernando, Lakshan Sandakan, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Gamage, Kasun Madushanka, Dasun Shanaka, Sandun Weerakkody, Jeffery Vandersay, Amila Aponsu.

Putin assures fullest support to Sri Lanka

Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressing his appreciation over the transformation taking place in Sri Lanka, assured that he will provide every support to Sri Lanka.

He made these remarks when he met President Maithripala Sirisena on the sidelines of the BRICS Outreach Summit on Sunday in Goa, India.

President Putin warmly welcomed President Sirisena and expressed his best wishes. President Sirisena thanked the Russian President for the unconditional support extended to Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council. He assured that the government is fully committed to further enhance the friendship between the two countries.

Meanwhile, the President also met with the Chinese President Xi Jinping in India on Sunday . During the meeting, both leaders discussed ways and means to further strengthen the existing close relationship between the two countries as well as regarding the preparatory works of the ceremony to be held in Sri Lanka to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Sri Lanka-China friendship.

The President also appreciated the assistance given by the Chinese government in preventing kidney disease in Sri Lanka and further discussed the programmes to be implemented on the prevention of kidney disease in parallel to the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Sri Lanka-China friendship.

He also appreciated the assistance given by the Chinese government for the Moragahakanda Development Project and added that the development projects being implemented in Sri Lanka by China is a more support for the strategic development of Sri Lanka.

Expansion of import and export activities between the two countries was discussed in detail.

SLFP denies claim of rift between Maithri and Ranil

The SLFP yesterday denied any rift between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, in an attempt to quell rumours after the President’s public outburst against the CID, FCID and CIABOC.

Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Colombo, SLFP Treasurer and Minister of Social Empowerment and Welfare S. B. Dissanayake said a section of parliamentarians including the members of the Joint Opposition was dreaming of forming a government by next April, but nobody could topple the present regime.

"There is no problem between the President and Prime Minister though the Joine Opposition was jubilant," he said, adding that the government would continue.

Dissanayake said that President had issued a statement regarding the functioning of the CID, FCID and CIABOC to clear the misunderstanding that the President was involved in a witch hunt against his opponents and responsible for having them summoned by the CID, FCID and the CIABOC.

He said President Sirisena did not interfere in the functions of those independent bodies.

Dissanayake said they joined the government after former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had handed over the SLFP leadership to President Sirisena and it would not fall until its term was completed.

SLFP Spokesman and State Minister of Highways Dilan Perera said a faction of the UNP dreaming of UNP government without the SLFP and the JO were extremely happy.

Perera said that although MP Kumara Welgama opposed the forming of a national unity government, no one in the Central Committee, Executive Committee or the All Island Committee of the SLFP had protested against handing over SLFP leadership to President Sirisena.

"But now SLFP members in the Joint Opposition say they cannot accept President Sirisena as the party leader," the state minister added.

Minister of Disaster Management Anura Priyadarshana Yapa also addressed the media.

Maximum prices of 48 drugs to be gazetted

Director General Health Services Dr Palitha Mahipala yesterday announced that the Health Ministry would issue a gazette notification announcing the maximus retail prices of (MRP) of 48 drugs under the first phase of implementing Prof. Senaka Bibile’s Drug Policy on Friday (21).

Addressing the media at the Health Ministry Dr Mahipala said that having prepared the list according to a special price formula, the Ministry had already submitted it to the Legal Draftsman hoping to receive the document by Thursday (20) the latest. Steps would be taken to issue the gazette the following day, he said.

The Health Ministry had also taken steps to ensure that the new prices listed in the gazette would be enforced by the

Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA). Dr. Maheepala said, noting that regular checks would be conducted to nab errant traders.

Steps had also been taken to prevent a drug shortage in government hospitals and the Chairman of the State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) had been instructed to make sure that drug stocks were made available at all Osu Sala outlets.

Bribery DG Dilrukshi Dias resigns

The Director General of Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption Dilrukshi Dias Wickramasinghe had tendered her resignation letter to President Maithripala Sirisena today. 

It was reported a few days ago that a high-ranking official of an independent institution is expected to resign soon after some recently gave wrong interpretation about the institution when it was performing a difficult job with regard to eradicating corruption.