News

A group of civil organization representatives today (27 Feb) lodged a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), requesting an investigation into the procurement process of substandard coal and the resulting financial loss caused to the country.

Speaking to the media, Convenor of the Samagi Joint Trade Union Alliance affiliated with the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, Ananda Palitha, expressed confidence that the current President would not interfere with investigations into substandard coal imports, just as the then President did not interfere with the legal action taken against former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella in the substandard medicine import case.

“The tenders are not called on time. Next, this company brought rice that was substandard. After the Attorney General’s Department blacklisted them and prevented that rice from being brought into the country, they are now awarding the coal tender to the same company that profited from that deal, giving them until July to get registered. The corruption is already confirmed. It is very clear with the emergency purchases,” Ananda Palitha said. 

(Source:Newswire)

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday his country’s armed forces can “crush” aggressors, following air strikes on neighbouring Afghanistan.

“Our forces have the full capability to crush any aggressive ambitions,” Sharif said, according to the Pakistani government’s X page.

“The entire nation stands shoulder to shoulder with the Pakistan armed forces,” he said.

Source:adaderana.lk

Netflix has backed away from its proposal to buy Warner Bros Discovery, clearing the way for Paramount Skydance to win a months-long battle for one of Hollywood’s most storied studios.

Warner Bros, which put itself up for sale last year, on Thursday said Paramount’s latest bid was “superior” to the one from Netflix, which in turn refused to raise its offer.

Netflix executives said they have declined to match Paramount Skydance’s bid as “the deal is no longer financially attractive” at that price.

The winner of the bidding war would gain control of the iconic studio along with its films and media networks - a takeover that could significantly reshape the media landscape.

Paramount had boosted its offer days ago, agreeing to increase its purchase proposal by $1 per share.

“The transaction we negotiated would have created shareholder value with a clear path to regulatory approval,” Netflix co-chief executives Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters said in a statement. “However, we’ve always been disciplined.”

“This transaction was always a ‘nice to have’ at the right price, not a ‘must have’ at any price,” the Netflix executives added.

The announcement came just hours after Sarandos had visited the White House on Thursday.

The announcement on Thursday caps off a dramatic months-long saga that - if approved by regulators - is likely to reshape Hollywood. It also could hold serious ramifications for the future of one of the US’s biggest news brands - CNN.

The news network has frequently clashed with Trump over its reporting of his policies, which has drawn ire from the president.

Trump said in December that he believed CNN should be sold as part of any Warner Bros deal. He called the people running CNN “corrupt or incompetent” and said they should not be entrusted to run the network.

CNN head Mark Thompson sent an email to employees as news spread of the all-but-assured deal, telling workers to not “jump to conclusions about the future until we know more”, US media reported.

Last December, Warner Bros agreed to a takeover offer from Netflix for some of its assets. But Paramount, which is backed by tech billionaire Larry Ellison and led by his son David, made a rival offer as it looks to transform itself into a Hollywood heavyweight.

Paramount previously found itself rebuffed by Warner Bros.

On Thursday, chief executive David Ellison welcomed the Warner Bros board’s decision in favour of Paramount’s sweetened offer. The proposal, he said in a statement, offers Warner Bros shareholders “superior value, certainty and speed to closing”.

If Paramount’s deal is approved by regulators, the company would fold Warner Bros’ HBO Max streaming customers into its portfolio. It would also take ownership of CNN, the Food Network and a range of sports offerings.

Paramount’s traditional networks already include brands such as Nickelodeon, CBS and Comedy Central.

Many in Hollywood have viewed the bidding war between Netflix and Paramount as a battle with no good winner.

Critics of a deal with Netflix voiced concern that the storied movie studio would be lost to the Silicon Valley streaming titan, paving the way for the depletion of cinema. But a merger with Paramount, which has touted itself among the last standing movie studios in Hollywood, also left critics unnerved over the company’s perceived political connections to the Trump administration - a concern that has also riled the media landscape over the future of CNN.

Across the board, the selling of Warner Bros will have massive ramification across Tinsel town, with all but assured cuts to staff in a city that has been marred by continued production cuts.

In December, the Warner Bros said it had agreed to sell its film and streaming divisions, including HBO, to Netflix in a deal worth $27.75 per share or roughly $82bn (£61bn), including debt.

Warner Bros said it would spin-off the remainder of its business, including traditional television networks and the news channel CNN, as an independent company.

But in a last-ditch push, Paramount this week agreed to pay more for a Warner Bros takeover. The company offered $31 per share in cash, up from $30 per share to take over the entire company.

It also agreed to pay $7bn should the deal fall through and cover the $2.8bn fee Warner Bros had agreed to pay Netflix in the event of a break-up of the merger plan.

Source: adaderana.lk

The progress review meeting of the 16th session of the National Council for Disaster Management was held this morning (26) at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of the Secretary to the President, Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.

During the meeting, the Secretary to the President observed that the various institutions responsible for providing relief to those affected by Cyclone Ditwah each have distinct roles and implementation plans, according to the President’s Media Division (PMD). 

The Secretary to the President highlighted that greater coordination and collaboration among these institutions at this stage would enable disaster management and relief operations to be carried out more efficiently and effectively.

Dr Kumanayake further stated that by working together as a single mechanism towards a common objective and by ensuring the accurate exchange of information, relief measures for affected communities could be expedited. He also stressed the importance of obtaining accurate and reliable data for this purpose.

Discussions were also held on identifying suitable lands for the construction of new houses for those affected by the disaster and those residing in high-risk areas. 

It was noted that construction should proceed promptly in accordance with the recommendations and guidelines of the National Building Research Organisation, following site inspections.

It was decided to hold a special discussion with the Commissioner General of Essential Services to expedite the completion of the housing programme, the statement said.

The Secretary to the President further instructed officials to ensure the prompt payment of compensation and other allowances to affected persons and to give special attention to appeals submitted by those who have not yet received benefits.

Among those present were the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd.), Secretary to the Ministry of Housing Construction and Water Supply, Kumudulal Bogahawatta, Senior Additional Secretary to the President, Kapila Janaka Bandara, Additional Secretary of Disaster Management Division K.G. Dharmathilaka, Director General of the Department of Meteorology, Athula Karunanayake, Senior Assistant Secretary of the National Disaster Relief Services Centre Namal Liyanage, Director General of the National Building Research Organisation, Asiri Karunanayake, Director General of the Disaster Management Centre Major General Sampath Kotuwegoda(Retd.) and representatives from the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, the Urban Development Authority, the Central Environmental Authority and several other institutions.

Source:Adaderana.lk

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that as Sri Lanka moves towards sustainable growth, the country welcomes investors and tourists who contribute to strengthening economic and cultural ties.

She made these remarks while addressing a special celebration and dinner reception organized by the Sri Lanka India Society to commemorate the 77th Republic Day of India and the 78th Independence Day of Sri Lanka, held on February 26 at the Taj Samudra in Colombo.

During the event, the official magazine of the Sri Lanka India Society was launched, and the book Port of Call was presented to the Prime Minister and the Indian High Commissioner, according to the Prime Minister’s Media Division.

Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya noted that the Sri Lanka India Society, since its establishment in 1949, has contributed for over seven decades to strengthening relations between the two nations. Through cultural engagement, dialogue, and sustained interaction, the Society has supported ties not only between the two governments but also between the peoples of both countries.

She further stated:

“Over the past year, the strength of India–Sri Lanka bilateral relations has once again been evident. I express gratitude for the support extended by the Indian government in facilitating the exposition of the sacred Devnimori relics in Sri Lanka.

When Cyclone Dithva affected Sri Lanka, India responded promptly as the first responder through ‘Operation Sagar Bandhu,’ providing exceptional assistance in rescue and relief efforts.

I appreciated the announcement of a long-term relief package amounting to USD 454 million in support of Sri Lanka’s recovery efforts. India continues to work closely with Sri Lanka in its journey towards sustainable development.

The Sri Lanka–India partnership spans multiple sectors, including economic development, energy, connectivity, trade and investment, digital transformation, health, education, maritime security, and people-to-people ties.

As Sri Lanka progresses towards sustainable growth, we welcome increased investments from Indian businesses and greater tourist arrivals from India, while further strengthening our economic and cultural ties.”

She reaffirmed that India remains Sri Lanka’s closest neighbour and an important partner, and that Sri Lanka is committed to advancing cooperation for the benefit of the people of both countries and the wider region.

Speaking at the event, Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha stated that the relationship between the two countries goes beyond formal diplomacy and represents a strong and special partnership. He noted that the introduction of the first international degree offered outside India in Sri Lanka marked a new chapter in educational cooperation.

He also highlighted the continued expansion of collaboration in connectivity and people-to-people relations, adding that India–Sri Lanka relations are experiencing significant growth in the current period.

The event was attended by ambassadors, diplomats, officials of the Indian High Commission, and government representatives.

(Source:adaderana.lk)

The president and CEO of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Borge Brende, has resigned after a review into his links to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The forum ordered an independent review into Brende over his ties to the disgraced financier following the release of Epstein files by the US Department of Justice.

Brende has acknowledged he dined with Epstein three times between 2018 and 2019 and communicated with him by email and text, but said he was “completely unaware” of his past criminal activity.

The WEF said a review into his links to Epstein found “there were no additional concerns beyond what has been previously disclosed”.

Brende, a former Norwegian foreign minister, has also said he regretted not having investigated Epstein more thoroughly.

The WEF holds an annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, which attracts political and business leaders from across the world.

In a statement on Thursday, Brende said he had decided to step down after more than eight years in the role following “careful consideration”.

“I believe now is the right moment for the Forum to continue its important work without distractions,” he said.

Epstein was convicted for soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008, for which he was registered as a sex offender.

Being named in the Epstein files does not indicate criminality and Brende has not been accused of wrongdoing.

WEF co-chairs Andre Hoffmann and Larry Fink thanked Brende for his “significant contributions” and said they respected his decision.

Alois Zwinggi will serve as interim president and CEO while the organisation’s board of trustees oversees a process to identify a permanent successor, the WEF said.

Zwinggi had been a managing director on the WEF’s executive body.

A number of politicians, celebrities, business leaders and royals from across the world have faced scrutiny over their links to Epstein following the release of the latest tranche of files linked to US investigations into Epstein.

The files contain millions of private emails, images and FBI reports into Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking.

Brende’s home country of Norway has seen several public figures drawn into the controversy, including Crown Princess Mette-Marit and diplomats Mona Juul and Terje Rød-Larsen.

Former Norwegian Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland was charged with “gross corruption” earlier this month over his ties with Epstein, police said.

Source:adaderana.lk

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi defended Israel’s devastating war on Gaza, saying it stands by the country “with full conviction” – despite accusations of genocideagainst the Palestinian people.

Modi gave a speech to the Knesset, or parliament, on Wednesday, the first day of his two-day visit, and received a standing ovation as he stressed India’s enduring support for Israel.

It was the first time an Indian leader addressed the Knesset.

“India stands with Israel firmly, with full conviction, in this moment and beyond,” said Modi, condemning the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas-led fighters as “barbaric”, adding “no cause can justify the murder of civilians”.

India’s leader was earlier greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion airport, where a welcoming ceremony was held.

Addressing the Knesset, Netanyahu thanked India for “standing by” Israel in the wake of October 7, and said the two nations shared “common interests”. He described Modi as “more than a friend, a brother”.

Modi said New Delhi expressed “strong support” for the Gaza peace initiative approved by the United Nations Security Council in November. It “offers a pathway”, he said, adding India believes “it holds the promise of a just and durable peace for all the people of the region”.

(Source;adaderana.lk)

The Department of Meteorology says that stable and mainly fair weather will prevail over much of the country in the coming hours.

Despite the generally clear conditions, the department has forecast isolated showers or thundershowers in the Southern Province, as well as in the Ratnapura District and Monaragala District, particularly after 2.00 p.m.

In addition, misty conditions are likely to develop in several parts of the island during the early morning hours, potentially affecting visibility in some areas. Authorities advise the public to remain attentive to changing weather conditions, especially in regions where showers are expected later in the day.

Pakistan bombed major cities in Afghanistan including the capital Kabul on Friday, with Islamabad’s defence minister declaring the neighbours at “open war” following months of tit-for-tat clashes.

Afghan forces attacked Pakistani border troops on Thursday night in what the Taliban government said was retaliation for earlier deadly air strikes, while AFP journalists in Kabul and Kandahar heard blasts and jets overhead.

Relations between the neighbours have plunged in recent months, with land border crossings largely shut since deadly fighting in October that killed more than 70 people on both sides.

Islamabad accuses Afghanistan of failing to act against militant groups that carry out attacks in Pakistan, which the Taliban government denies. 

Several rounds of negotiations followed an initial ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Turkey, but the efforts have failed to produce a lasting agreement.

Both militaries said they killed dozens of soldiers in the latest round of border violence, which followed multiple Pakistani strikes on Afghanistan and clashes along the frontier in recent months.

“Afghan Taliban defence targets were targeted in Kabul, Paktia (province) and Kandahar,” Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar posted on X, while defence minister Khawaja Asif declared an “all-out confrontation” with the Taliban government.

“Our patience has reached its limit. Now it is open war between us and you,” he posted on the social media platform. 

Jets overhead 

In the Afghan capital AFP journalists heard jets and multiple loud blasts, followed by gunfire, over a period of more than two hours.

An AFP reporter in Afghanistan’s southern city of Kandahar, where Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada is based, said he heard jets overhead. 

The Taliban government confirmed the Pakistani air strikes, with spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid saying there were no casualties. 

Hours earlier, Mujahid announced “large-scale offensive operations” at the border “in response to repeated violations by the Pakistani military”.

The Afghan defence ministry reported eight of its soldiers had been killed in the land offensive.

An Afghan official reported multiple civilians wounded near the Torkham border crossing, at a camp for people returning from Pakistan. 

“A mortar shell has hit the camp and unfortunately seven of our refugees have been wounded, and the condition of one woman is serious,” said Qureshi Badlun, the information chief in Nangarhar province.

While the border has largely been closed since October, Afghan returnees have been allowed to cross. 

Months of border violence 

Mujahid, the Taliban government spokesman, told AFP that several Pakistani soldiers had been “caught alive”, a claim denied by the prime minister’s office in Islamabad.

The military operation follows Pakistani strikes on Nangarhar and Paktika provinces overnight into Sunday, which the UN mission in Afghanistan said killed at least 13 civilians. 

The Taliban government said at least 18 people were killed and denied Pakistan’s announcement that the military operation left more than 80 militants dead. 

Both sides also reported cross-border fire on Tuesday, but without casualties. 

After repeated breaches of the initial ceasefire, Saudi Arabia intervened this month, mediating the release of three Pakistani soldiers captured by Afghanistan in October.

 (Sourcenewswire.lk)

Four people who entered Cuban waters on a US-registered speedboat have been shot dead by border guards, Cuba’s government said.

In a statement, Cuba’s interior ministry said that the speedboat’s passengers opened fire on a coast guard vessel that approached them.

Six additional passengers were wounded in the incident, which took place near an island on Cuba’s northern coast.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the nationalities of those on board is unclear, and that the US will “make determinations based on the facts. Right now we’re still gathering facts.”

He said the boat was not carrying US government personnel.

Cuba’s government said it did not know the identities of those on board the vessel, nor what it was doing in the area, and that an investigation has been launched to “clarify” the event.

In statement posted on X, the ministry said the Florida-registered vessel - with the registration number FL7726SH - was detected near Cayo Falcones, in the country’s central Villa Clara province on Wednesday morning.

When a Cuban boat carrying five members of the ministry’s border guard approached the vessel for identification, “the crew of the violating speedboat opened fire” and wounded the Cuban commander, the statement said.

“As a consequence of the confrontation, as of the time of this report, four aggressors on the foreign vessel were killed and six injured.”

Those injured were evacuated and given medical assistance.

Rubio, spoke from Saint Kitts and Nevis, where he had travelled to meet with Caribbean leaders amid the Trump administration’s push to ramp up pressure on Cuba’s government, as well as other regional issues.

“It is highly unusual to see shootouts on the open sea like that. It’s not something that happens everyday,” Rubio told reporters.

“We’re going to find out exactly what happened, who was involved, and we’ll make a determination on the basis of what we find out,” he continued.

He vowed that US investigators would move “quickly” to gather the key facts, and that the US Coast Guard has travelled to the “vicinity” of the attack.

“I don’t know who has possession of the vessel. This is the first thing we want to have,” he said.

“We obviously want to have access to these people, if they are American citizens or US residents.”

But he added that the US would not rely on information provided by the Cuban government, and that Washington would independently verify the facts of the case.

The incident comes amid increased tensions between the US and Cuba, which is facing a deepening fuel crisis that has been worsened by the US blocking oil shipments from Venezuela, a long-standing ally in the region, to the island.

Lawmakers call for investigation

The Cuban statement alluded to these tensions, saying that “in the face of current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its determination to protect it territorial waters” and safeguard its sovereignty.

On Wednesday, the US Treasury said it would ease some small private sector transactions, including oil sales, to “support the Cuban people, for commercial and humanitarian use”.

It also happened one day after Cuban-American groups in Miami commemorated the 30th anniversary of the Brothers to the Rescue shootdown, which killed four people.

Wednesday’s incident sparked several Florida lawmakers to call for an investigation and to criticise the Cuban government.

Florida Congressman Carlos Gimenez, a Cuban-American former mayor of Miami, said he would demand an investigation into what he called a “massacre”.

He added that US authorities “must determine whether any of the victims were US citizens or legal residents”.

Florida Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar said on social media she was following the situation and “awaiting further details from US authorities”.

James Uthmeier, Florida’s attorney general, said he would direct local law enforcement to investigate the incident.

“The Cuban government cannot be trusted, and we will do everything in our power to hold these communists accountable,” he said.

In the US Senate, Florida Republican Rick Scott, demanded “a full investigation into this deeply concerning situation and to determine what happened.”

“The Communist Cuban regime must be held accountable!” he added.

US Vice-President JD Vance said the White House was “monitoring” the situation.

“Hopefully it’s not as bad as we fear it could be,” he said at an unrelated event in Washington.

“But I can’t say more because I just don’t know more.”

Source:adaderana.lk

The Ministry of Environment has taken steps to call for a comprehensive report to investigate the fire that broke out at the Kerawalapitiya garbage dumping yard and its subsequent environmental impact.

It has been observed that the fire, which erupted on February 25 at the waste disposal yard situated on reclaimed wetlands in the Kerawalapitiya area, has severely affected the local ecosystem and the lives of residents.

Special attention is required regarding the accumulation of combustible gases, such as methane, caused by natural pressure and biological processes inherent in wetland waste disposal. 

Consequently, the Deputy Minister of Environment, Anton Jayakody, acting in his capacity as the Acting Minister, has directed a letter to the Secretary of the Ministry of Environment requesting a report focusing on several key areas:

1. Methane Emission and Control: To consult the National Ozone Unit and the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) regarding their technical expertise on the continued spread of the fire due to trapped methane gas within the wetlands, and its specific impact on the ozone layer and the atmosphere.

2. Recycling Program Review: While the new government is currently implementing a scientific waste recycling program, the investigation aims to identify the root causes of this disaster and determine whether any administrative or technical lapses contributed to the incident.

3. Environmental Restoration: To obtain a detailed assessment of the measures required to restore the wetland ecosystem that was damaged or destroyed by the fire.

The Deputy Minister has further instructed the Secretary of the Ministry of Environment to provide this report expeditiously and to ensure that the public is kept informed of the findings and subsequent actions.

Source:adaderana.lk

Pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai’s fraud conviction and prison sentence were overturned by a Hong Kong court on Thursday, in a surprise legal decision that comes soon after Lai was jailed for 20 years on a separate national security charge.

Judges Jeremy Poon, Anthea Pang, and Derek Pang said in the judgement that they allowed the appeal from Lai, and another defendant in the case, to proceed, as a lower court judge had “erred”.

“The Court of Appeal gave them leave to appeal against their conviction, allowed their appeals, quashed the convictions and set aside the sentences,” the judges wrote in a press summary of their judgement.

Even with the quashing of the fraud conviction and sentence, Lai will still remain imprisoned for 20 years in a separate national security case over two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one for publishing seditious materials.

That case has drawn global criticism from rights groups and countries including the U.S. and Britain and served as one of the most high-profile events in a years-long crackdown under a national security law imposed by Beijing after mass pro-democracy protests in 2019.

Thursday’s legal victory was a rare one for the prominent China critic who has faced multiple prosecutions in recent years, and described himself in court as a “political prisoner”.

Also on Thursday, a court sentenced the father of a wanted pro-democracy activist to eight months in prison under a homegrown national security law after he attempted to terminate her insurance policy and withdraw funds.

‘THE JUDGE ERRED’

Lai was sentenced in December 2022 to five years and nine months in jail after being found guilty of breaching the lease terms of Apple Daily’s headquarters by concealing the operation of a private company, Dico Consultants Ltd, in the building.

Another Next Digital executive, Wong Wai-keung, 61, was found guilty of fraud and jailed for 21 months.

“In conclusion, we hold that Apple Daily Printing did not owe a duty to the Corporation to disclose its breach of the user restrictions or the non-alienation clauses occasioned by Dico’s occupation and use of the said Premises. With respect, the Judge erred,” the judgement read.

“His reasoning in concluding that the applicants were liable for the concealment as the prosecution contended is unsupportable. He erred in making those findings.”

In the earlier ruling, Judge Stanley Chan wrote that Lai was aware of the need to apply for a license from the Hong Kong Industrial Estates Corporation for Dico to operate at the headquarters and had “acted under the protective umbrella of a media organization”.

During the appeal hearing, Lai’s lawyer Derek Chan said that Dico, a company owned by Lai, supported the publishing and printing of the newspapers apart from handling the tycoon’s private affairs.

He noted that at the start of the charge period on April 1, 1998, Dico held a 49% stake in Apple Daily and was linked to Next Animation, the studio that produced animations for the newspaper’s online news reports.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the prosecution would appeal.

DETERIORATING HEALTH

Lai’s son and daughter have warned their 78-year-old father might die in prison given his deteriorating health from over five years in solitary confinement. Lai has suffered from retinal vein occlusion in his right eye, high blood pressure, heart palpitations and progressive hearing loss.

Rights groups and numerous democratic countries have called for Lai’s release. U.S. President Donald Trump raised the matter with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, and is expected to follow up again in a closely anticipated visit to Beijingat the end of March.

Source:adaderana.lk