Sri Lanka come very close to regaining the GSP plus facility

European Council President and former Polish Prime Minister Donal Tusk yesterday said that the European Union GSP+ concession is on the verge of being restored to Sri Lanka due to the political and social reforms in progress in the country.

He commended the outstanding efforts, commitment and sacrifices made by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in restoring democracy in a country which earlier was heading for authoritarism, corruption and horror.

He said his organisation was prepared to extend the fullest cooperation in restoring the GSP+ concessions to Sri Lanka considering the commitment of Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and the people of Sri Lanka towards strengthening democracy.

The European Union president made these remarks when the Prime Minister called on him at the European Council headquarters in Brussels yesterday. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said he would establish a Task Force aimed at curbing illegal migrants to Europe after European Council president Donal Tusk requested the Prime Minister to pay special focus on curbing illegal migrants to Europe.

“This Task Force would comprise officials of the Law and Order and Justice Ministry and the Immigration and Emigration Department,” he said.

The Prime Minister added that the European Council can also join in this process.

Tusk said Premier Wickremesinghe had been emphasising the importance of having a national government in Sri Lanka for years. “Sri Lanka has set an example to other nations in the region by establishing a consensus government,” he said. Tusk lauded the Premier for his untiring efforts to ensure political stability in the country under the guidance of President Maithripala Sirisena.

The EU Council president said the entire European Council commended his efforts to establish democracy and good governance in the country.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe while expressing his gratitude to the European Council for helping Sri Lanka to face challenges in the economic sphere extended an invitation to Tusk on behalf of President Sirisena, to visit Sri Lanka.

Premier Wickremesinghe said that the European Council chief would be able to receive first hand information about the democratic and political reforms being implemented in Sri Lanka, during an official visit to Sri Lanka.

Tusk while accepting the invitation said that he expects to visit Sri Lanka next year.

Chief of Prime Minister’s staff and Law and Order and Southern Development Minister Sagala Ratnayaka and Secretary to the Prime Minister Saman Ekanayake were present.

Convicted major pays Rs 2 mn to LTTE’er relatives

Convicted Major Wimal Wickramage, formerly attached to the Pt. Pedro Army camp yesterday paid Rs. 2,000,000 as compensation to the nearest relative of deceased LTTE suspect Robert Wellington. The money was given to the widow.

The court directed the widow to take Rs. 1,000,000 and the father of the deceased to take the balance Rs. 1,000,000. The convict also paid Rs. 10,000 as a fine.

Deceased Robert Wellington was shot on or about October 26, 1998, when he tried to escape from an army camp by climbing the wall of the camp.

The Major was indicted on a charge of shooting and killing the suspect. The Major was convicted on August 31, 2016. Two years rigorous imprisonment suspended for 10 years was imposed, with a fine of Rs. 10,000. The convict was also ordered to pay Rs. 2 million as compensation to the nearest relative of the deceased.

The High Court conviction and the consequent penalty was ordered by Judge Sarojini Kusala Weerawardene.

Counsel A. Gangaderan appeared with D. M. Siriwardene for the aggrieved party.

Senior State Counsel Lakmini Girihagama appeared with State Counsel Yasindu Seneviratne for the Attorney General.

Counsels Sanka Amarajith and Thushara Samerapala appeared for the accused.

Funds for the compensation and fine were raised by the public voluntarily.

Customs destroy seized bird nests destined for soup

Custom officers on Tuesday destroyed 45 kilos of rare bird nests considered a delicacy in China and have a street value of nearly half a million dollars.

The officers burnt the pile of swallow nests recovered from passengers at the BIA and parcels intended for overseas delivery over the past four years.

"We destroyed this stock to demonstrate our commitment to protect endangered species," customs spokesman Dharmasena Kahandawa told AFP.

"There may be a street value of up to $10,000 for a kilo of birds’ nests, but for us it has no value at all because this is an illegal trade."

Another 40 kilograms of feathers from exotic birds and other animal parts used in Chinese medicine were also destroyed on Tuesday, together with the edible nests, at a Colombo cemetery’s crematorium.

The nests are the main ingredient in bird’s nest soup, considered a delicacy in China and other Asian countries. But removing, owning or exporting birds is outlawed under Sri Lanka’s strict flora and fauna regulations.

The cup-shaped collections of twigs are held together by dried swiftlet saliva, which is made into a gelatinous soup credited in China with everything from alleviating asthma to arresting the ageing process.

In January Sri Lankan customs officers publicly destroyed the country’s biggest ever illegal ivory haul — more than 350 tusks weighing about 1.5 tons — in what officials said was an attempt to show poachers that the island would not tolerate the illegal trade.(AFP)

Fatal accident in Polgahawela claims one life

One person was killed after a vehicle collided with a train near the Puhuriya junction in Polgahawela. The accident took place at around 4:45 on Tuesday morning. 

The victim, is a resident of Polgahawela. Meanwhile, Superintendent of Railways Vijaya Samarasinghe stated that the accident caused a delay in the the train plying from Ganewatte to Colombo.

Police SIU search Welgama’s house

A group of officers from the Police Special Investigations Unit (SIU) today searched UPFA MP Kumara Welgama’s residence at Horawala, Mathugama for bulletproof state vehicles. 

The SIU had launched an investigation based on a complaint that the parliamentarian was illegally keeping bulletproof vehicles at his home. However, Welgama’s media secretary said that vehicles belonging to the state were not found by the SIU officers during their inspection.

SriLankan applies Samsung Galaxy Note 7 ban to Mihin

The ban on the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has been extended to Mihin Airways, SriLankan announced today.

SriLankan Airlines has completely banned the use or charging of Samsung's latest Galaxy Note7 smartphone on board all its flights with immediate effect until further notice, following Samsung suspending its sales in the wake of several incidents of phone batteries catching fire.

The ban applies to turning on or charging any Samsung Galaxy Note7 on board,or shipping it in checked-in luggage and cargo. Passengers are also being advised of the ban through on-board announcements and notices at airport check-in counters.

Several other airlines and aviation authorities have also announced similar bans. The international Air Transport Association (IATA) of which SriLankan Airlines is a member and United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have also issued directives banning the use and charging of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones on flights.

The FAA in a statement said: “In light of recent incidents and concerns raised by Samsung about its Galaxy Note7 devices, the Federal Aviation Administration strongly advises passengers not to turn on or charge these devices on board aircraft and not to stow them in any checked baggage.”

Samsung has postponed the launch of the Galaxy Note7 in India and a statement on its website said: “In response to recently reported cases of the new Galaxy Note7, we conducted a thorough investigation and found a battery cell issue. To date there have been 35 cases that have been reported globally and we are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market. However, because our customers’ safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have delayed sales of Galaxy Note7 in India.”

Sajith Premadasa responds to leaked video

Providing a clarification with regard to a video of him recently leaked online, Minister of Housing and Construction Sajith Premadasa says that there is an unemployment issue in Hambantota and that he was merely addressing the problem and providing solutions.

The leaked video shows the minister ordering his staff to write letters of recommendations to other ministries, while also instructing his staff to give labour and security jobs for people based on their height.

The video instantly went viral, especially on social media websites such as Facebook, while it has also been the inspiration for many memes and posts on social media.

“To all those who are assassinating my character and attempting to malign my name all I can say is I love you all from the bottom of my heart...keep on insulting,” Premadasa wrote on Facebook, in response to certain comments criticizing him over the video.

The minister said he was “speaking facts not fiction” and that there is a “huge unemployment issue” in Hambantota in spite of the port and airport projects which have “failed to generate jobs.”

“I got a few job opportunities in the private sector and those employers insist that security personnel have to possess a reasonable height but the labour grade do not specify such a stipulation,” he clarified.

Premadasa said that this is what he was explaining and that this is the truth and as usual many want to “make a mountain out of a mole hill”.

“As such I was merely addressing the problem and providing solutions without wasting everyone’s time,” he wrote.

Port City Project will go ahead

Minister of Megapolis and Western Development Patali Champika Ranawaka, addressing media yesterday at the Department of Government Information, said the government had no special reason to halt the Colombo Port City Project and would go ahead with it. 

He was referring to protest by fishermen in Negombo yesterday, alleging that dredging and sand mining from the seas around in their areas for the Colombo Port City Project was depriving them of a livelihood. 

Minister Ranawaka said that if the fishing communities were being adversely affected by the sand mining they would be compensated. He said required monies had been allocated already towards that purpose. The Minister also said that any decision on the project would be made taking scientific fact into consideration, not slogans. The fishermen are continuing their protest today.