USD 7.9 mn spent on teaching Lankan journalists how to avoid “binary-gendered language”

USAID has spent $7.9 million to teach Sri Lankan journalists how to avoid “binary-gendered language”, Elon Musk who heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) said in a post on X on Thursday.

Musk called it a “Crazy waste of your tax money!”

Musk’s criticism came with a detailed breakdown of USAID’s spending across various countries, which he argued reflects misguided priorities. According to a document Musk shared, USAID has funded a range of projects globally, including $20 million for a new Sesame Street show in Iraq, $4.5 million to “combat disinformation” in Kazakhstan, and $6 million to transform digital spaces to reflect feminist democratic principles.

The list also included $1.5 million for art projects promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities and $2 million for sex changes and LGBT activism in Guatemala. $10 million worth of USAID-funded meals, allegedly ended up in the hands of an al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group, the document states.

Other USAID programmes include $25 million for Deloitte to promote green transportation in Georgia, $6 million for tourism development in Egypt, and $2.5 million to foster inclusion in Vietnam. The documents also pointed to $5 million awarded to EcoHealth Alliance, a group linked to bat virus research at the Wuhan lab, and $20 million for an organisation tied to what Musk described as a “key player” in the Russiagate impeachment inquiry.

Further funds were allocated for various LGBT-related initiatives worldwide, including $5.5 million for LGBT activism in Uganda, $6.3 million for men who have sex with men in South Africa, $3.9 million for LGBT causes in the western Balkans, and $6 million for advancing LGBT issues globally. Additionally, $2 million was allocated to promote LGBT equality through entrepreneurship in Latin America, while $1.5 million was designated for LGBT advocacy in Jamaica.

The data also highlighted spending closer to home, with $1.2 million going to help the African Methodist Episcopal Church Service and Development Agency in Washington, D.C., build a 440-seat auditorium. A further $1.3 million was provided to Arab and Jewish photographers, while $1.1 million supported an Armenian LGBT group.

Musk criticised other expenditures as well, including $3.9 million for artisanal gold mining in the Amazon and $500,000 aimed at solving sectarian violence in Israel just days before the October 7 Hamas attack.

Attention was also drawn to USAID’s $150 billion “whole-of-agency” climate strategy, which outlines efforts to build an “equitable world” while pursuing net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

By A.J.A Abeynayake

The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday (06) scheduled a hearing for 19 March 2025 regarding the Fundamental Rights (FR) petition filed by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s legal team, seeking the reinstatement of his withdrawn security detail.

The petition was taken up before a three-member Supreme Court bench consisting of Justices Preethi Padman Surasena, Janak de Silva, and Sampath Abeykoon.

Representing the respondents, Additional Solicitor General Varunika Hettige requested additional time to seek instructions from the respondents and to file objections to the petition. The court granted the request, allowing the respondents to submit objections and permitting the petitioning party to file counter-objections, if required.

President’s Counsel Ali Sabry, representing Mahinda Rajapaksa, presented evidence arguing that the decision to reduce his client’s security had been taken without a proper threat assessment.

He argued that any decision to either reduce or increase security should be based on a formal assessment. After considering the facts presented, the bench ordered that the petition be heard again on 19 March to confirm the relevant details.

The petition, filed on 24 January, alleges that Rajapaksa’s security detail has been reduced to 60 personnel without a proper evaluation of the risks. It also claims that no armed forces personnel have been deployed for his protection, with only police officers currently assigned.

Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and members of the Cabinet of Ministers have been named as respondents in the petition.

Rajapaksa’s legal team contends that the reduction in his security amounts to a violation of his fundamental rights, especially given his role in ending the nearly three-decade-long civil war. The petition highlights that he continues to face threats from terrorist groups and other risks to his life.

The petitioner is seeking a court ruling that the reduction of his security constitutes a breach of his fundamental human rights. He has also requested the court to order a thorough threat assessment and to direct the respondents to reinstate his full security detail.

Minister assures adequate funding to tackle the problem

By Saman Indrajith

About 3,477 wild elephants and 1,190 people have died in Sri Lanka between 2015 and 2024 due to the human-elephant conflict, says Minister of Environment Dammika Patabendi,

Minister Patabendi told Parliament yesterday that 1,466 wild elephants had died between 2015 and 2019, while 2,011 more jumbo fatalities had been recorded from 2020 to 2024. About 456 people died between 2015 and 2019, and 734 between 2020 and 2024 due to the human-elephant conflict.

Acknowledging that resolving the human-elephant conflict would take time, Dr. Patabendi assured Parliament that adequate funds would be allocated in the upcoming budget for resolving the conflict.

As part of the government’s plan, measures under consideration included constructing electric fences, reopening elephant corridors, and increasing the availability of food in the forests where elephants are, he said.