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Technical and human errors could have caused Suez blockage – top official

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CAIRO: Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority chief said on Saturday that officials could not lay out a set timetable for when Panamanian container ship, The Ever Given, will be dislodged, according to the Arab News.

Lt. Gen. Osama Rabei has been quoted by Arab News as sayinng that the ship broke the canal’s bank and can only be moved using excavators.

The ill-fated ship has been wedged diagonally across the canal since Tuesday, blocking one of the world’s most vital waterways in both directions.

In a press conference on Saturday in Suez, Rabei said strong winds “were not the main reason” for the grounding of the ship, but that technical or human errors could have led to the incident.

A dredging operation could free the ship without having to resort to removing its cargo, he added.

Outlining Egyptian efforts with tugboats and excavators to free the bow and propellers of the ship, he said that more than 300 vessels are now waiting at either end of the canal. Rabei said that the dredging process is important in removing the trapped vessel.

He added that two operations are being conducted to end the crisis.

He said it was possible that the ship could be moved “today or tomorrow, depending on its responsiveness to the tides.”

The results of the first day’s work were “not good” and the ship “could not move because of its huge size,” Rabei warned.

He said that only 12 ships were waiting to cross the canal the day of the incident, but an alternative plan was put in place to stop them in Timsah Lake and Bitter Lake.

Rabei said that the authority has received many proposals to solve the problem that are being examined.

“We are working with soil, with rocks and there are tidal waves. We are also dealing with the size of the ship, its great height and the number of containers on board,” he said.

“Investigations will take place after the flotation process is complete. Our concern now is to move the ship,” he added.

Rabei said that the ship had previously crossed through the canal without issue.

Figures from last year show that the canal handles a daily income of $12 to $13 million. The grounded vessel is blocking about $9.6 billion worth of cargo business each day between Asia and Europe, according to Lloyd’s List data.

Rabei said that the canal “will not lose customers” and that the authority will provide incentives to those who have been affected by the incident.

He said that the incident has not resulted in any injuries, deaths or oil pollution.



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Candidates who campaign during cooling-off period will face legal action: EC

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Saman Sri Ratnayake

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The period of silence prior to the 14 November general election commences from midnight on 11 November, Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake has said, warning that any candidate who violates it will have to face legal action.

“I urge all candidates and their supporters not to campaign during the silent period. We have observed during recent elections that some candidates and their family members continued campaigning during the period of silence. Such candidates run the risk of losing their seats in case of being prosecuted for election law violations.

The Election Commission has also teamed up with social media platforms, which will remove election propaganda material during the cooling-off period, Ratnayake said.

“This was successfully implemented during the previous presidential election,” he added.

Police spokesman DIG Nihal Thalduwa said that they had arrested 11 candidates for illegal distribution of handbills and posters and unruly behaviour inside police stations.

“The police have arrested 353 people for violating election laws,” he added.

Executive Director – Institute of Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES), Manjula Gajanayake said that serious cases of election law violations and election related violence had decreased drastically this year.

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Schools closed on 13 and 14 Nov.

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The Ministry of Education (MoE) announced that all schools across the country will remain closed on 13 and 14 November in view of next week’s general election

Schools will reopen on 18 November.The parliamentary election is scheduled for 14 November.

Schools designated as polling stations must be handed over to the relevant Grama Niladhari Officers after school hours on 12 November.

All Zonal Education Directors and school principals have been instructed to provide the necessary tables, chairs, and hall facilities for polling station operations.

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Sri Lanka resumes pork sales as African Swine Fever subsides

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By Rathindra Kuruwita

Officials managing animal health in Sri Lanka were cautiously resuming pork sales after successfully containing the spread of African Swine Fever, Dr. G.A.D. Nandasiri, Deputy Provincial Director at the Department of Animal Production and Health for the Western Province, informed The Island on Friday (08).

In late October, the government issued a gazette notice prohibiting the transport, slaughter, and sale of pigs, infected with African Swine Fever, to curb the outbreak.

Dr. Nandasiri said: “African Swine Fever poses no risk to humans, and thoroughly cooked meat is safe to consume. As an initial measure, we are inspecting the existing pork stocks and allowing these to be sold. This process is underway across the country,” he said.

Authorities are also inspecting abattoirs to ensure that pigs there are free of the disease. After disposal, these facilities must remain pig-free.

“We have identified and monitored breeding farms unaffected by African Swine Fever and will soon begin distributing piglets from these farms to others. I believe

we can revitalise the industry in about two months,” he said.Dr. Nandasiri reassured the public that African Swine Fever is not a threat to human health and that the government has strengthened measures to prevent the entry of such foreign diseases.

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