News
Gaza war: massacre of over 100 civilians must be condemned – former Lankan Ambassador
Sri Lanka’s former Ambassador to Iran and ex-lawmaker M.M. Zuhair said that Saturday’s Israeli massacre of over 100 Palestinian civilians in a school sheltering them and a Mosque with the displaced at prayers in the same compound, must stand condemned as an inhuman atrocity on the helpless, by an American backed regime in the Middle East. Israel gave no advanced warning of the attack!
The following is the text of statement issued by the former Senior State Counsel: “CNN reported that “all of these people killed were civilians, unarmed children, the elderly and women” quoting Fares Afana, Director of Emergency Services in Northern Gaza. Though the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claimed Hamas fighters were the target, CNN asked the IDF for evidence and the response was ‘intelligence reports’.
Israel had sufficient expertise- from the well -known July 1976 Entebbe airport rescue mission of 104 Israelis hijacked in a flight from Paris to the present July 2024 killing of Ismail Haniyah in Tehran- to target the Hamas fighters if they were in the school or the Mosque, without having to kill a hundred innocent displaced civilians!
‘The Island’ is one of the few national dailies that had been giving due coverage to the Israeli war on Gaza that had seen the killing of an average of 140 Palestinians every single day during the past ten months of the war and the near total destruction of Palestine as no longer a viable State for human existence.
On 6th November 2023, less than a month after the 7th October war, The Island carried my statement that “..Israel is destroying the two-State solution” in page one of its edition. The October 6th Hamas attack appeared as a welcome excuse for Israel to destroy Palestine and finish off any possible two State solution that was hitherto ‘dangled as a carrot’ before the Arabs.
On 18th July 2024, the Israeli parliament passed a resolution overwhelmingly rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian State with 68 votes rejecting Palestinian statehood and 9 voting for!
Clearly Israel is destabilising the Arab world in the Middle East by destroying not only the two State solution but by destroying Palestine and its helpless people. With the UN having created the problem engineered by Western powers in 1948, it has now and over the past 76 years demonstrated its helplessness to restore Palestine to the Palestinians or to achieve even the alternative offer of a two State solution which presently stands buried with the nearly 42,000 Palestinians killed during the past ten months alone.
With Israel reportedly armed with over 200 nuclear warheads, Iran or other ME countries are unlikely to go for a full- fledged war with Israel, though Iran will seek counter justice for the killing of Palestinian leader and Hamas peace negotiator Ismail Haniyah in Iran’s capital Tehran on 31st July!
Israel has left only one solution in the hands of Hamas as it knows Hamas can never be destroyed and that solution is to push Hamas to go for Super Nuclear War Heads as an excuse for Israel to nuke most of the Middle East. The West and the UN Security Council together will be responsible for the millions who will die.”
News
Colombo Metropolitan Region, Eastern Development Plan and the Greater Hambantota Project discussed in detail
A meeting between Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake and relevant ministry officials was held on Tuesday (08) at the Presidential Secretariat regarding the development plans to be implemented in Sri Lanka under three zones, in collaboration with the Surbana Jurong Institute of Singapore and 18 Ministries.
During the meeting it was discussed in detail regarding the plans for the Colombo Metropolitan Region, Eastern Development Plan and the Greater Hambantota Project. The officials from Singapore-based urban planning and infrastructure consultancy Surbana Jurong also joined the discussion virtually.
Progress reports on the three projects were reviewed in detail and Dr. Kumanayake instructed the officials to identify any deficiencies and finalize the necessary actions within the next two weeks.
The discussion also addressed delays in securing necessary approvals for investments under the existing regulatory framework, as well as the urgent need to revise certain legislative instruments to better facilitate national development.
The meeting was attended by Secretary to the Prime Minister G.P. Saputhanthri, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Russel Aponsu, Secretary to the Ministry of Urban Development, Construction and Housing U.G. Ranjith Ariyaratne, and several senior officials from the respective ministries.
News
Heat index at ‘Caution level’ in Northern, North-central, Eastern, North-western, Western provinces and Monaragala district today [09]
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology has issued a Warm Weather Advisory for 09 April 2025
The public are warned that the Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Northern, North-central, Eastern, North-western, and Western provinces and in Monaragala district.
The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.
Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned below is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.
ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated. Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.
Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.
Prof. Jayasumana raises possibility of Lanka ending up with “Quad’
Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa has said it is the responsibility of the NPP government to submit the MoUs/agreements that were recently signed with India to the respective Sectoral Oversight Committees (SOCs).
Premadasa said so when The Island raised the issue with him. He said that during his meeting with Premier Modi his focus had been on opening the Indian market for Sri Lankan garment exports.
The seven MoUs/agreements signed on 05 April included defence cooperation, energy, Eastern Province development and digitalisation.
Meanwhile, the Vice President of Sarvajana Balaya and former lawmaker Prof. Channa Jayasumana said that the government owed an explanation whether the recently signed MoU on defence cooperation directly or indirectly attached Sri Lanka to the Quad security alliance, consisting of the US, Australia, Japan and India.
The former SLPPer raised the issue at a meeting held at Boralesgamuwa on Monday (07) in support of Sarvajana Balaya candidates contesting the May 6 LG polls.
Prof. Jayasumana urged that the MoU on Defence Cooperation be placed before Parliament, and the people, without further delay. The academic who served as State Health Minister during President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s tenure said that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s foreign policy direction should be dealt with.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Colombo Metropolitan Region, Eastern Development Plan and the Greater Hambantota Project discussed in detail
IPL 2025: Sensational Priyansh Arya condemns Chennai Super Kings to another loss
Heat index at ‘Caution level’ in Northern, North-central, Eastern, North-western, Western provinces and Monaragala district today [09]
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