The plane on which Prime Minister Tirupati went was given by a friend .. name will not be revealed
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family members recently paid a private visit to the Tirupati Devalaya in India. Mr. Yoshitha Rajapaksa said that the aircraft was given to him by a business friend of India and he did not want to be named. He added that the delivery of the aircraft was a sign of goodwill. The average fare on that flight is around $ 6700 per hour.
Sri Lanka’s dollar reserves rise
Sri Lanka’s foreign exchange reserves have risen to US $ 3.1 billion, Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal said. He said in a Twitter message that he expects the reserves to remain at that level until the end of this year.
The train strike is over
The Railway Station Masters’ Association has decided to end its strike after successful talks with the Minister of State for Transport. The president of the association, Sumedha Somaratne, said that 10 out of 25 requests were answered positively. Accordingly, the train will start issuing train tickets from today (29) but all trains will not run from today, he said. He further said that the number of trains will be deployed within two days.
The shortage of standardized gas continues
Gas dealers say they have not yet received standardized gas cylinders with a new seal that will be released to the market. Gas companies instructed to recall old gas cylinders available in the market and issue standardized gas cylinders with a new seal. But the delay in the release of standardized new gas cylinders to the market has caused great inconvenience to consumers. Meanwhile, gas stove related accidents were reported in the Rajamawatha area in Kataragama and the Urapola area in Nittambuwa today as well.
Super footballer Maradona’s brother dies
Hugo Maradona, the younger brother of world-renowned Argentine footballer Maradona, has died. He also played for a while as a footballer. The local media reported that he had died of a heart attack. Footballer Hugo Maradona later became a coach. He was 52 years old at the time of his death. World-famous Maradona died of a heart attack in November 2020, about 13 months ago. He was 60 years old at the time of his death.
Recommendation to abolish Kathi courts
Former High Court Registrar Mohamed Zubair has called on the Presidential Task Force on One Country One Law to recommend the abolition of Kathi courts. Zubair said he was requesting because he saw the long-standing injustice to Muslim women. Mr Zubair made this request when the Presidential Task Force for One Country One Law met at the Kandy District Secretariat for public consultation. Mr Zubair said he had come to comment voluntarily, adding that he was recalling his tragic 40 years of experience in the judiciary. Various NGOs, various ethnic groups, professional organizations as well as the general public represented the committee. Mr Zubair told the task force that Muslim marriage and divorce law and polygamy, as well as religious divisions, should be banned. In most cases, the trial in Kathi courts is conducted by a Kathi who is not a lawyer. There are times when a Kathi will not be able to correctly identify legal documents and non-legal documents. Therefore, there have been many instances where the correct judgment has not been imparted with due diligence and impartiality, as well as instances where the judgments rendered by the court have not been enforced. Mr Mohammed said the abolition of the court system would allow the girl as well as her parents to seek justice in maintenance cases.
France tightens restrictions
Due to the prevalence of the Omicron Covid variety, strict restrictions have been imposed in France. Foreign media reported that these restrictions have been imposed with effect from January 03. Accordingly, remote work has been made mandatory and steps have been taken to impose restrictions on public meetings as well. Last Saturday, the number of daily covid infections in France crossed the 100 mark, the highest number of infections per day in the country.
Permission to hold outdoor concerts
The IGP has instructed police stations to allow outdoor musical performances. However, such outdoor concerts must be conducted in accordance with health guidelines. Accordingly, outdoor concerts will be held on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays until 10 pm, on Fridays and Saturdays until 1 am and on Sundays until 12.30 pm.
Trincomalee District General Hospital relocated
The Ministry of Health says that due to the heavy congestion at the Trincomalee District General Hospital, the hospital is being relocated. The Ministry of Health said in a statement that this was due to a lack of space on the hospital grounds as well as a number of issues such as being at sea. Meanwhile, this was discussed at a meeting chaired by Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella yesterday (27). It is the premier hospital in the Trincomalee district and has several buildings that are over 100 years old and there is not enough space for further construction. The hospital project has also received Rs. 2.2 billion under the JICA project. Accordingly, more attention is being paid to move the new hospital to the Saddhapura area in Trincomalee.
Discussion between the Station Masters Association and the Minister
A special discussion between the Station Masters’ Association and State Minister of Transport Dilum Amunugama is scheduled to be held today. Chairman of the Station Masters’ Association Sumedha Somaratne stated that if their problems are not resolved through the relevant discussions, they will go on a continuous strike. Station Masters have launched a trade union action based on several demands They have decided to withdraw from the transportation of fuel, cement and wheat flour from today (28). However, Secretary of the Railway Engine Drivers’ Association Indika Dodangoda stated that if the authorities take action to resolve the demands of the station masters in a manner that is detrimental to their profession, they too will engage in a trade union action.