News

Baby born in rubble of Syria earthquake named Aya and has new guardian

Published

3 years ago

2023/02/11

A Syrian baby girl, whose mother died after giving birth to her under the rubble of their home, during this week’s earthquake, now has a name: Aya – Arabic for “a sign from God”.

With her parents, and all her siblings killed, her great uncle, Salah al-Badran, will take her in once she is released from hospital. However, his own house, in the north-west Syrian town of Jenderis, was destroyed, too. He and his family managed to escape the one-storey building, but now he and his household, of 11 people, are living in a tent, he told the Associated Press.

“After the earthquake, there’s no one able to live in his house or building. Only 10% of the buildings here are safe to live in and the rest are unliveable,” he said, communicating via voice messages.

Rescue workers in Jenderis discovered Aya on Monday afternoon, more than 10 hours after the quake hit, as they were digging through the wreckage of the five-storey apartment building where her parents lived. Buried under the concrete, the baby still was connected by umbilical cord to her mother, Afraa Abu Hadiya, who was dead along with her husband and four other children. The baby was rushed to a hospital in the nearby town of Afrin.

Abu Hadiya probably gave birth to the girl and then died a few hours before they were discovered, said Dr Hani Maarouf at Cihan hospital in Afrin. “We named her Aya, so we could stop calling her a new-born baby,” said Maarouf. Her condition is improving by the day and there was no damage to her spine, as initially feared, he said.

Aya is one of untold numbers of orphans left by Monday’s 7.8-magnitude quake, which killed more than 21,000 people in northern Syria and south-eastern Turkey. The pre-dawn quake brought apartment buildings in their thousands down as residents were roused from sleep.

But despite days passing since tens of thousands of people, or more, were trapped in rubble, rescues are still being made. In Turkey, over 80 hours after the quake hit, 16-year-old Melda Adtas was pulled out alive, leaving her overjoyed father in tears and the grieving nation cheering a rare piece of good news after Monday’s 7.8-magnitude tremor.

“My dear, my dear!” the father called out as rescuers pulled the teen out of the rubble of a house in Antakya, a city in one of the most affected provinces, Hatay.

It took rescue workers five hours to save her life after neighbours who had heard sounds from the splintered walls raised the alarm.

When rescuers discovered Melda, she was stuck under a wall that had collapsed.

The man leading her rescue effort was named as Suleyman, one of a group of Black Sea miners who headed south to help. Without him, said his co-workers, the operation could not have been carried out. He knows his way around dark, narrow spaces.

Working in silence to maintain contact with Melda, the rescuers removed one obstacle after another, as onlookers watched anxiously.

Then, all of a sudden, they reached the cold, bruised, young girl, but very much alive, and gently brought her to a waiting ambulance.

Once Melda was safely in the ambulance, many hugged, kissed and congratulated the rescuers. Several could not hold back tears.

“We haven’t worked for nothing, we have pulled a girl from the rubble,” one said.-The Guardian

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News

Showers about 100 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva, Southern, North-western, Northern and North-central provinces and in Trincomalee district.

Published

16 hours ago

2026/05/11

Priyan

WEATHER FORECAST FOR 11 MAY 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 11 May 2026 by the Department of Meteorology

The low-level atmospheric disturbance in the vicinity of Sri Lanka is likely to develop into a low-pressure area around the next 36 hours. Therefore, the prevailing showery conditions over the island are expected to continue during the next few days.

Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in most parts of the island and Cloudy skies are expected, under the influence of the aforementioned system. Heavy showers about 100 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva, Southern, North-western, Northern and North-central provinces and in Trincomalee district.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

News

Treasury theft: Speaker’s conduct brought to IPU’s attention: SJB

Published

18 hours ago

2026/05/11

Thilina Walpola

Dayasiri

SJB MP Dayasiri Jayasekera has sought the intervention of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) to pressure the JVP-NPP government to respect the rights of the Opposition.

MP Jayasekera told The Island that they wouldn’t allow the NPP to suppress the truth regarding the theft of Treasury funds amounting to USD 2.5 million. He accused Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickremaratne of depriving the Opposition of its legitimate rights, at the behest of the government.

Jayasekera said that the Speaker’s conduct regarding the action taken against Deputy Secretary General of Parliament Chaminda Kularatne, too, had been brought to the notice of IPU and other international associations.

The text of MP Jayasekera’s letter to the Secretary general of IPU: “I respectfully submit this petition seeking the attention and intervention of the Inter-Parliamentary Union concerning a matter affecting parliamentary accountability, the rights of elected representatives, and the proper functioning of constitutional oversight within the Parliament of Sri Lanka.

On 06 May 2026, I Dayasiri Jayasekara MP submitted a formal request to the Hon. Speaker of Parliament seeking permission, under the Parliament (Powers and Privileges) Act No. 21 of 1953 and Standing Order 29(1), to raise a question of privilege regarding alleged constitutional and parliamentary violations by Mr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the Treasury of Sri Lanka.

The proposed privilege motion raised matters including:

1. Alleged violations of Articles 148, 149, and 150 of the Constitution of Sri Lanka concerning parliamentary control over public finance;

2. Alleged failure to report to Parliament concerning a controversial and unlawful transfer of approximately USD 2.5 million from the Treasury;

3. Alleged non-compliance with parliamentary committee procedures under the Standing Orders of Parliament;

4. Questions relating to constitutional eligibility under Article 91(1)(d)(xiii) of the Constitution concerning dual citizenship and qualification to sit and vote in Parliament;

5. A request that the matter be referred to the Parliamentary Ethics and Privileges Committee established under Standing Order 118.

Despite the seriousness of the constitutional and parliamentary issues raised, the Hon. Speaker declined permission for the privilege issue to be raised in Parliament.

It is respectfully submitted that this refusal has the effect of:

• Preventing an elected Member of Parliament from exercising his parliamentary oversight function;

• Restricting parliamentary scrutiny over matters involving public finance and constitutional accountability;

• Undermining the privileges of Members of Parliament to raise matters of urgent public importance;

• Limiting institutional transparency concerning allegations involving senior state officials.

The right of parliamentarians to raise questions of privilege and matters relating to constitutional governance is an essential component of parliamentary democracy and legislative independence. The refusal to permit even the presentation or preliminary consideration of such a matter raises serious concerns regarding parliamentary accountability mechanisms in Sri Lanka.

Accordingly, I respectfully request that the Inter-Parliamentary Union:

1.Take cognizance of this matter as one affecting the rights and functions of Members of Parliament;

2.Seek clarification from the relevant parliamentary authorities in Sri Lanka regarding the grounds upon which the privilege motion was disallowed;

3.Consider whether the refusal is compatible with internationally recognised principles of parliamentary democracy, accountability, and freedom of parliamentary speech;

4. Encourage the Parliament of Sri Lanka to ensure fair and transparent procedures governing parliamentary privilege motions and constitutional oversight.

I further request that this communication be placed before the appropriate committee or mechanism within the IPU dealing with the rights and duties of parliamentarians.”

News

Navin calls for formal alliance between UNP and SJB

Published

18 hours ago

2026/05/11

Thilina Walpola

UNP Vice President and Kandy District Leader, Navin Dissanayake, on Saturday, stressed that any proposed merger between the UNP and the SJB must be carried out formally rather than in an ad hoc manner.

Addressing a media briefing in Kandy, Dissanayake said a structured framework was essential to ensure the successful reunification of the two parties ahead of future elections.

“A formal mechanism must be established for the unification of the UNP and the SJB. This process cannot be confined to personal verbal assurances given to suit individual interests. We must build a strong framework to contest future elections as a united force,” he said.

He added that the UNP could only regain political strength by reuniting with factions that had broken away from the party.

Dissanayake also claimed that the Government would be compelled to hold Provincial Council elections amid mounting international and domestic pressure.

“India is exerting pressure to conduct these elections, while the people in the North are also demanding governance under the Provincial Council system. They are awaiting the polls,” he said.

Announcing his own political intentions, Dissanayake said he hoped to contest as the Chief Ministerial candidate for the Central Province at the next Provincial Council election.

“I intend to contest as the Chief Ministerial candidate for the Central Province. Having served as a Governor, I understand the extent of service that can be delivered to the people through a Provincial Council,” he said.

Recalling the history of constitutional devolution, Dissanayake said his late father, Gamini Dissanayake, had played a significant role in the introduction of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka.

by SK Samaranayake