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President: People will decide whether he contests next presidential election or not

Published

2 years ago

2021/03/22

People of the country would decide whether he would contest the next presidential election, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said, on Saturday, addressing a Gama Samaga Pilisandara programme at Walapone, Nuwara-Eliya.

“Before thinking of the next term, I must think about what I have to do now. There is still a long way to go.”

The people had appointed him for 60 months and only 14 months had elapsed, the President said. He was planning to develop rural areas during the rest of his tenure, he added. “We can’t only think about developing the urban centres. I have never destroyed the environment. When I was the Defence Secretary I established parks, built tanks, protected the wetlands; this is how I protected the environment.”

President Rajapaksa said that under him Vihara Maha Devi Park had been given a facelift and recently, a group of youth had tried to place a large billboard there and damage the environment.

“I stopped posters and billboards being put up in Colombo, he said.

The President added that a number of media institutions had been attacking the government unfairly. While he had not taken any action against such institutions, he had the capacity and laws to do so, he said.

“Media freedom is not what media owners want to do. We can’t let media owners rule the country. I haven’t done anything so far but if push comes to shove, I know what to do. Between 2015 and 2019 also around 1,000 acres of forests were destroyed but no one said anything abouy the forest destruction.”

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South Korean airline bans emergency seats after plane door opens

Published

12 hours ago

2023/05/28

Priyan

South Korea’s Asiana Airlines has stopped selling some emergency exit row seats following an accident in which a passenger opened an emergency exit door midair causing panic on board.

The incident took place on an A321-200 plane, which was carrying nearly 200 passengers, as it approached the runway at Daegu International Airport, about 240km (150 miles) southeast of Seoul. The plane landed safely but several passengers were hospitalised. There were no serious injuries or damage.

The airline told the AFP news agency on Sunday the emergency exit seats – 31A and 26A – on its 14 A321-200 jets would no longer be offered for sale. “As a safety precaution, this measure will apply even if the flights are full,” it added. It is however unclear how the move might stop passengers seated elsewhere on the plane from attempting to open the emergency door.

The man, in his 30s, was arrested by authorities in Daegu for allegedly breaking aviation security laws. He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. He told Daegu police that he had been under a lot of stress after losing his job recently and that he opened the door because he wanted to get off quickly after feeling suffocated, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported on Saturday.

Video footage apparently taken by a person on board and posted on social media showed passengers’ hair being whipped about by air rushing into the cabin when the emergency door opened.

It is still unclear how Lee was able to open the emergency exit door mid-flight.

Jin Seong-hyun, a former Korean Air cabin safety official, said as far as he knew, this case was unprecedented, although passengers have opened emergency exits without authorisation while planes were on the ground.

A South Korean transport ministry official said it was possible to open emergency exits at or near ground level because the pressures inside and outside the cabin were similar.

(Aljazeera)

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Heat Index at Caution level in Northern, North-Central, North-western and Eastern provinces and Monaragala and Hambanthota districts

Published

15 hours ago

2023/05/28

Priyan

Heat index Advisory Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre At 07.30 a.m. 28 May 2023, valid for 28 May 2023

Heat index, the temperature felt on the human body is expected to increase up to ‘Caution’ level at some places in Northern, North-Central, North-western and Eastern provinces and Monaragala and Hambanthota districts.