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President approves establishment of Anti-Corruption Investigation Units in Provincial Councils and LG Institutions
President Anura Kumara Disanayake has approved the establishment of dedicated anti-corruption investigation units within provincial councils and local government institutions, aiming to combat corruption and administrative inefficiencies. The decision follows a request by provincial governors during a high-level discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat today (15).
During the meeting, President Disanayake emphasised that provincial governors bear the primary responsibility for driving development initiatives and ensuring accountability within their respective provinces. He noted, “Strengthening governance mechanisms is critical to addressing systemic challenges and achieving equitable progress.”
Among the key decisions taken was the creation of anti-corruption investigation units modelled after similar bodies operating at the ministerial level. These units will be tasked with monitoring financial transactions, investigating irregularities and enforcing transparency in development projects. The initiative aligns with the government’s broader agenda to eliminate malpractice in public institutions.
The discussion also highlighted that provincial councils have received three times the financial allocations compared to the previous fiscal year. However, governors raised concerns regarding delays and bureaucratic hurdles in utilising these funds effectively. In response, President Disanayake directed officials to streamline procedures and adopt results-oriented mechanisms to accelerate infrastructure development.
Persistent obstacles in upgrading provincial infrastructure such as road networks, healthcare facilities and utility services, were also discussed. The President pledged to implement practical solutions to address these challenges and urged governors to prioritise projects that deliver tangible benefits to citizens.
The Governors further stressed the need for improved coordination between provincial councils and central ministries to avoid duplication of efforts. Acknowledging these concerns, President Disanayake underlined the importance of collaborative governance to ensure efficient resource allocation.
“While increased funding is a positive step, its prudent management is non-negotiable. Provincial authorities must ensure every rupee is accounted for and spent efficiently,” he asserted.
The meeting was attended by several senior officials, including Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the President, Kapila Janaka Bandara, Senior Additional Secretary to the President, Provincial Governors: Hanif Yusuf (Western Province), Sarath Bandara Samarasinghe Abayakon (Central Province), Bandula Harischandra (Southern Province), Tissa Kumarasiri Warnasuriya (North Western Province), Wasantha Kumara Wimalasiri (North Central Province), Nagalingam Vedanayagam (Northern Province), Prof. Jayantha Lal Ratnasekera (Eastern Province), Champa Janaki Rajaratne (Sabaragamuwa Province) and Kapila Jayasekara (Uva Province).
Iran has named Mojtaba Khamenei as its new supreme leader, just over a week after the assassination of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , in joint United States-Israeli strikes that have.plunged the entire region into a sprawling war.
The 56-year-old, who will now be charged with leading the Islamic Republic through the biggest crisis in its 47-year history, was named by clerics as his father’s successor on Sunday.
Key leaders, Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the armed forces were quick to pledge their backing to the new leader.
Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, who has been tasked with steering Iran’s security strategy since the US and Israel launched their all-out offensive, called for unity around the new supreme leader.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf welcomed the choice, saying that following the new supreme leader was a “religious and national duty”.
Mojtaba Khamenei has never run for office or been subjected to a public vote, but has for decades been a highly influential figure in the inner circle of the supreme leader, cultivating deep ties to the IRGC.
In recent years, Khamenei has increasingly been touted as a top potential replacement for his father. His selection could be a sign that more hardline factions in Iran’s establishment retain power, and could indicate that the government has little desire to agree to a deal or negotiations in the short term as the war enters its second week.
Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem described Khamenei as his “father’s gatekeeper”.
“He adopts the positions of his father with respect to the United States, with respect to Israel. So we are expecting a confrontational leader. We’re not expecting any moderation,” he said.
“However, if this war comes to an end and he is still alive, and he is able to continue running the country, there is going to be big potential… to find new routes for Iran,” Hashem said.
(Aljazeera)
Global oil prices have jumped above $100 (£75.11) a barrel for the first time since 2022 as the escalating US-Israeli war with Iran has fuelled fears of prolonged disruption to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran on Sunday named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as Supreme Leader, signalling that a week into the conflict hardliners remain in charge of the country.
The US and Israel launched fresh waves of airstrikes across Iran over the weekend, hitting multiple targets including oil depots.
Major disruption to energy supplies from the region threatens to push up prices for consumers and businesses around the world.
Early on Monday in Asia, Brent crude was around 15.5% higher at $107.16, while Nymex light sweet was up by more than 17% at $106.77.
Stock markets in the Asia-Pacific region fell sharply in early trading on Monday, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 index down by more than 5% and the ASX 200 in Australia more than 3.5% lower.
Many in the markets predicted that oil would hit the $100 a barrel mark this week.
In the event it took about a minute to jump 10%, and then another 15 minutes to rise a further 10% in early Asian trading.
Last week the markets had been relatively relaxed about the seeming nightmare scenario for millions of barrels of crude and liquefied natural gas trapped in the Gulf, unable or unwilling to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
But the escalations over the weekend, alongside scenes of destruction of energy infrastructure both in Iran and across the Gulf, saw the markets take rapid fright.
The question now is where does this go? Some analysts argue that if the shutdown in the strait lasts until the end of March, we could see record oil prices above $150 a barrel.
The existing rise is likely to further increase petrol prices, and those of important derivative products such as jet fuel and vital precursors for fertilisers.
The physical supplies from the Gulf are mainly consumed in Asia.
Already however there are signs that Asian consumers are bidding up prices for US gas, with some tankers originally heading for Europe turning around in the mid-Atlantic.
US President Donald Trump responded to the jump in prices by saying that short term rises were a “small price to pay” for removing Iran’s nuclear threat.
His energy secretary told US broadcasters on Sunday that Israel, not the US, was targeting Iran’s energy infrastructure, amid some concern about rising domestic pump prices caused by the war.
(BBC)
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