News
Fire sweeps engine room of container ship in Indian ocean
No danger to SL due to the distance – MEPA
By Ifham Nizam
A fire had broken out in the engine room of a container ship MSC MESSINA in the Indian ocean halfway between Sri Lanka and Malacca Strait around 1930 UTC on Thursday, foreign media reports said.
The ship was disabled and remained disabled, adrift by Friday, they indicated.
The Liberian flagged vessel was en route from Colombo to Singapore.
The ship was 500 nautical miles away from the Great Basses Reef Lighthouse and there’s no danger to Sri Lanka due to the distance, the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) said.
Meanwhile, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa stressed the importance of ramping up maritime facilities to handle any emergency situation in the future.
President Rajapaksa told the Cabinet that stakeholders should be able to act swiftly with modern technology and resources to handle any disasters in Lankan waters, Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said.
“We have also underlined the importance of tackling major disasters and the constraints faced when it comes to availability of modern technology”, a senior MEPA official said
As a maritime hub with more than 4,000 ships docking annually, measures should be taken to handle at least the basics without turning to neighboring countries for assistance, he said.
On the instructions of the President, MEPA, armed forces and other relevant government agencies launched a comprehensive operation to mitigate the damage to the marine environment and coastline by the ill-fated MV X-Press Pearl.
Earlier, the President directed officials to pay special attention to the threat of an oil spill from the stricken feeder vessel. He asked them to study the steps taken by other countries when managing similar disasters.
The High Court has convicted 14 of the 24 men accused of being directly involved in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which killed 279 people.
The three-judge bench read out its decision on Tuesday after a five-year trial and said sentencing would take place later, the AFP news agency reported.
The charges included murder and conspiracy to commit terrorism.
Nine others were acquitted, while another defendant was found guilty of only some of the charges, the court said.
[Aljazeera]
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The ruling NPP yesterday (21) dismissed claims of a widening rift, within the government, over the proposed 22nd Amendment. Asked whether the NPP was concerned over a section of the Opposition alleging Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and two dozen MPs taking a view contrary to that of the party in this regard, authoritative party sources said some persons were propagating speculation for their own interest.
Declaring that there was absolutely no issue regarding the controversial Amendment, sources emphasised once it was tabled in Parliament, it would be passed with 2/3 majority.
Sources dismissed claims that out of its 159-member parliamentary group a section of NPPers was opposed to the government move. According to an influential Opposition activist, there are 57 JVPers and 66 NPPers in the government group and the rest contested the last parliamentary polls, having aligned with the JVP.
Ministerial sources told The Island that the government was confident of going ahead with the 22nd Amendment and Judicature (Amendment) Bills. Sources said that the NPP was not bothered about the Opposition protests in and outside Parliament.
Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickremaratne is expected to disclose the confidential ruling that he received from the Supreme Court in respect of more than 65 petitions for and against the 22nd Amendment and Judicial Amendment Bills. The enactment of the 22nd Amendment would pave the way for extending the retirement age of Supreme Court judges, from 65 to 67 years, and Court of Appeal judges, from 63 to 65 years.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed Court of Appeal Judge Mayadunna Sri Mevan Anthony Edirimannasuriya Corea as the Acting President of the Court of Appeal.
The appointment has been made as President’s Counsel Nalin Rohantha Abeysuriya, who currently serves as President of the Court of Appeal, will be overseas until the 24th.
Accordingly Justice Mayadunna Corea was sworn in as Acting President of the Court of Appeal before President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential secretariat last morning (21).
Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake was also present at the occasion.
High Court convicts 14 over deadly Easter bombings
Mandhana, Shafali and Ghosh lead dominant India to Asian Games gold
Fatima Sana and Umm-e-Hani secure bronze for Pakistan in Asian Games
India bat first in Asian games womens cricket final
Showers about 100mm will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and North-western provinces and in Galle and Matara Districts
Govt. confident of 2/3 majority despite NPP split speculation
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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