Azusa Kubota, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative, reaffirmed the agency’s support for Sri Lanka’s efforts to build a more efficient and accountable public service. Meeting with Presidential Secretary Nandika Sanath Kumanayake on 13 July, she discussed UNDP's role in establishing Internal Affairs Units across Government institutions to combat corruption and promote transparency. The proposed units will work in coordination with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC)to uphold ethical governance and reinforce compliance in the public sector. UNDP experts, including Drago Kos and Dhammika Dassanayake, joined the discussion, emphasizing global best practices and continued cooperation with Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption drive.

UNDP pledges support for Sri Lanka's public sector reforms

The European Union said on Sunday it would extend its suspension of countermeasures to U.S. tariffs until early August and continue to press for a negotiated settlement as U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration demanded more concessions from trading partners. Trump said on Saturday he would impose a 30% tariff on most imports from the EU and Mexico from August 1, adding to similar warnings for other countries and leaving them less than three weeks to hammer out framework deals that could lower the threatened tariff rate. White House Economic Adviser Kevin Hassett said on Sunday that countries’ trade deal offers so far have not satisfied Trump and “the tariffs are real” without improvements. “The president thinks that deals need to be better,” Hassett told ABC’s This Week program. “And to basically put a line in the sand, he sent these letters out to folks, and we’ll see how it works out.” Ursula von der Leyen, head of the EU’s executive Commission which handles trade policy for the 27 member states, said the bloc would maintain its two-track approach: keep talking and prepare retaliatory measures. “We have always been very clear that we prefer a negotiated solution. This remains the case, and we will use the time that we have now,” von der Leyen told a press conference, adding that the bloc would extend its halt on countermeasures until August. White House Economic Adviser Kevin Hassett said on Sunday that countries’ trade deal offers so far have not satisfied Trump and “the tariffs are real” without improvements. “The president thinks that deals need to be better,” Hassett told ABC’s This Week program. “And to basically put a line in the sand, he sent these letters out to folks, and we’ll see how it works out.” Ursula von der Leyen, head of the EU’s executive Commission which handles trade policy for the 27 member states, said the bloc would maintain its two-track approach: keep talking and prepare retaliatory measures. “We have always been very clear that we prefer a negotiated solution. This remains the case, and we will use the time that we have now,” von der Leyen told a press conference, adding that the bloc would extend its halt on countermeasures until August. Macron said the Commission needed more than ever to “assert the Union’s determination to defend European interests resolutely”, and that retaliation might need to include so-called anti-coercion instruments. German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said on Sunday the EU should be ready to take firm action if talks failed. “If a fair negotiated solution does not succeed, then we must take decisive countermeasures to protect jobs and companies in Europe,” Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, also vice chancellor in the ruling coalition, told Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. While the EU has held back from retaliating against the U.S. in the months since Trump hit the bloc with tariffs, it has readied two packages that could hit a combined 93 billion euros of U.S. goods. A first package, in response to U.S. levies of 50% on imported steel and aluminium that would hit 21 billion euros in U.S. goods, was suspended in April for 90 days to allow time for negotiations. The suspension had been due to expire on Monday before the extension was announced. A second package in retaliation against Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs has been in the works since May and was set to target 72 billion euros of U.S. goods. These measures have not been made public and the final list requires approval by member states. Anti-Coercion Instrument Von der Leyen said on Sunday that the use of the EU’s Anti-Coercion Instrument was not yet on the table. The instrument allows the bloc to retaliate against third countries that put economic pressure on EU members to change their policies. “The (anti-coercion) instrument is created for extraordinary situations, we are not there yet,” she said. Possible retaliatory steps could include restricting EU market access to goods and services, and other economic measures related to areas including foreign direct investment, financial markets and export controls. In a sign of the EU’s desire to strike deals with more trading partners at a time of deepening uncertainty in trans-Atlantic relations, von der Leyen said a political agreement had been reached to advance an EU-Indonesia trade deal. France’s cheese producers warned of the damaging consequences of a 30% tariff for the local dairy industry, which exports nearly half its produce, including to the United States. “It’s a new environment we will have to get used to - I don’t think this is temporary,” Francois Xavier Huard, CEO of dairy association FNIL, told Reuters. Source: Reuters

Trump demands more concessions as EU holds off on US tariff countermeasures

Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who led the country twice as a military head of state and a democratic president, has died aged 82, his press secretary said Sunday. Buhari died Sunday in London, where he had been receiving medical treatment. He first took power in Africa’s most populous nation in 1983, after a military coup, running an authoritarian regime until fellow soldiers ousted him less than 20 months later. When he was elected in 2015 on his fourth attempt, he became the first opposition candidate to win a presidential election there. Buhari rode into power in that election on a wave of goodwill after promising to rid Nigeria of chronic corruption and a deadly security crisis. He led until 2023, during a period marked by Boko Haram’s extremist violence in the northeast and a plunging economy. Current President Bola Tinubu in a statement described Buhari as “a patriot, a soldier, a statesman ... to the very core.” Tinubu dispatched the vice president to bring Buhari’s body home from London. Others across Nigeria remembered Buhari as a president who left the country of more than 200 million people — divided between a largely Muslim north and Christian south — more at odds than before. For many, Buhari will be linked with memories of the 2020 youth protests against a police unit accused by rights groups and others of extrajudicial killings, torture and extortion — and the deadly shootings of demonstrators by soldiers. “The uneven response to Buhari’s death, with muted disillusionment in some quarters and sadness in others, is a reflection of how difficult it is to unite a country and his inability to do so after decades in the public eye,” said Afolabi Adekaiyaoja, an Abuja-based political scientist. Coming from Nigeria’s north, the lanky, austere Buhari had vowed to end extremist killings and clean up rampant corruption in one of Africa’s largest economies and oil producers. By the end of his eight-year tenure, however, goodwill toward him had faded into discontent. Insecurity had only grown, and corruption was more widespread. Nigeria also fell into a recession amid slumping global oil prices and attacks by militants in the sprawling oil-rich Niger Delta region. The currency faltered as Buhari pursued unorthodox monetary policies to defend its fixed price to the dollar, and a massive foreign currency shortage worsened. Inflation was in the double digits. Civil society accused him of authoritarian tendencies after protesters were killed during a protest against police brutality and over his decision to restrict access to social media, as young people vented their frustrations against economic and security problems. Buhari’s attempts at managing the problems were complicated by prolonged medical stays abroad. His absences, with few details, created anxiety among Nigerians and some calls for him to be replaced. There also was anger over his seeking taxpayer-funded health care abroad while millions suffered from poor health facilities at home. “I need a longer time to rest,” the president once said in a rare comment during his time away. His presidency saw a rare bright moment in Nigeria’s fight against Boko Haram — the safe return of dozens of Chibok schoolgirls seized in a mass abduction in 2014 that drew global attention. But others among the thousands of people abducted by Boko Haram over the years remain missing — a powerful symbol of the government’s failure to protect civilians. At the end of 2016, Buhari announced that the extremist group had been crushed, driven by the military from its remote strongholds. “The terrorists are on the run, and no longer have a place to hide,” he boasted. But suicide bombings and other attacks remained a threat, and the military’s fight against Boko Haram continued to be hurt by allegations of abuses by troops against civilians. In early 2017, the accidental military bombing of a displaced persons camp in the northeast killed more than 100 people, including aid workers. The U.N. refugee chief called the killings “truly catastrophic.” As Nigeria’s military reclaimed more area from Boko Haram’s control, a vast humanitarian crisis was revealed. Aid groups began alerting the world to people dying from malnutrition, even as government officials denied the crisis and accused aid groups of exaggerating the situation to attract donations. The extremist threat and humanitarian crisis in the northeast — now exacerbated by Trump administration aid cuts — continues today. Years earlier, as Nigeria’s military ruler, Buhari oversaw a regime that executed drug dealers, returned looted state assets and sent soldiers to the streets with whips to enforce traffic laws. With oil prices slumping and Nigerians saying foreigners were depriving them of work, the regime also ordered an estimated 700,000 illegal immigrants to leave the country. Meanwhile, government workers arriving late to their offices were forced to perform squats in a “war against indiscipline” that won many followers. Buhari’s administration, however, was also criticized by rights groups and others for detaining journalists critical of the government and for passing laws that allowed indefinite detention without trial. As he pursued the presidency decades later, Buhari said he had undergone radical changes and that he now championed democracy. But some of his past stances haunted him, including statements in the 1980s that he would introduce Islamic law across Nigeria. Source: AP

Nigeria’s ex-president Buhari, twice leader of Africa’s most populous nation, dies at 82

An aircraft has crashed at London Southend Airport, police have confirmed. Essex Police said it was alerted to a 12-metre plane on fire at the site in Southend-on-Sea shortly before 16:00 BST on Sunday. Emergency services are at the scene and officers have evacuated the Rochford Hundred Golf Club and Westcliff Rugby Club due to its proximity to the incident. The Labour MP for Southend West and Leigh, David Burton-Sampson, said on X: “My thoughts are with everyone involved.” A spokesperson for Essex Police said: “We are working with all emergency services at the scene now and that work will be ongoing for several hours. “We would please ask the public to avoid this area where possible while this work continues.” Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said it was called to the incident at 15:58. The service has asked people to avoid the area if possible. A spokesperson said: “Crews from Southend (two), Rayleigh Weir and Basildon (two), along with off-road vehicles from Billericay and Chelmsford attended. “We are continuing to work at the scene with our emergency services and aviation partners." Source: BBC

Plane crashes at London Southend Airport

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he will send Patriot air defense missiles to Ukraine, saying they are necessary to defend the country because Russian President Vladimir Putin “talks nice but then he bombs everybody in the evening.” Trump did not give a number of Patriots he plans to send to Ukraine, but he said the United States would be reimbursed for their cost by the European Union. The U.S. president has grown increasingly disenchanted with Putin because the Russian leader has resisted Trump’s attempts to negotiate a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has asked for more defensive capabilities to fend off a daily barrage of missile and drone attacks from Russia. “We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need, because Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then bombs everybody in the evening. But there’s a little bit of a problem there. I don’t like it,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews outside of Washington. “We basically are going to send them various pieces of very sophisticated military equipment. They are going to pay us 100% for that, and that’s the way we want it,” Trump said. He plans to meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to discuss Ukraine and other issues this week. Source: Reuters

Trump says US will send Patriot missiles to Ukraine

Bitcoin crossed the $120,000 level for the first time on Monday, marking a major milestone for the world’s largest cryptocurrency as investors bet on long-sought policy wins for the industry this week. Starting on Monday, the U.S. House of Representatives will debate a series of bills to provide the digital asset industry with the nation’s regulatory framework it has long demanded. Those demands have resonated with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has called himself the “crypto president” and urged policymakers to revamp rules in favor of the industry. Expectations of further tailwinds for the industry helped propel bitcoin to yet another record high of $121,207.55 in the Asian session on Monday. It last traded 1.5% higher at $120,856.34. The surge in bitcoin, which is up 29% for the year thus far, has sparked a broader rally across other cryptocurrencies over the past few weeks even in the face of Trump’s chaotic tariffs. Ether, the second-largest token, scaled an over five-month top of $3,048.23 on Monday and last stood at $3,036.24. The sector’s total market value has swelled to about $3.78 trillion, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Source: Reuters

Bitcoin tops $120,000 for the first time

Three locations used by Cambodia’s brutal Khmer Rouge regime as torture and execution sites 50 years ago have been added by UNESCO to its World Heritage List. The three locations were inscribed to the list by the United Nations cultural agency Friday during the 47th Session of the World Heritage Committee in Paris. The inscription coincided with the 50th anniversary of the rise to power by the communist Khmer Rouge government, which caused the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million Cambodians through starvation, torture and mass executions during a four-year reign from 1975 to 1979. UNESCO’s World Heritage List lists sites considered important to humanity and includes the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, the Taj Mahal in India and Cambodia’s Angkor archaeological complex. The three sites listed Friday include two notorious prisons and an execution site immortalized in a Hollywood film. Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, located in the capital Phnom Penh, is the site of a former high school used by the Khmer Rouge as a notorious prison. Better known as S-21, about 15,000 people were imprisoned and tortured there. The M-13 prison, located in rural Kampong Chhnang province in central Cambodia, also was regarded as one of the main prisons of the early Khmer Rouge. Choeung Ek, located about 15 kilometers (10 miles) south of the capital, was used as an execution site and mass grave. The story of the atrocities committed there are the focus of the 1984 film “The Killing Fields,” based on the experiences of New York Times photojournalist Dith Pran and correspondent Sydney Schanberg. The Khmer Rouge captured Phnom Penh on April 17, 1975, and immediately herded almost all the city’s residents into the countryside, where they were forced to toil in harsh conditions until 1979, when the regime was driven from power by an invasion from neighboring Vietnam. In September 2022, the UN-backed Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, better known as the Khmer Rouge tribunal, concluded its work compiling cases against Khmer Rouge leaders. The tribunal cost $337 million over 16 years but convicted just three men. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet issued a message Friday directing people to beat drums simultaneously across the country Sunday morning to mark the UNESCO listing. “May this inscription serve as a lasting reminder that peace must always be defended,” Hun Manet said in a video message posted online. “From the darkest chapters of history, we can draw strength to build a better future for humanity.” Youk Chhang, executive director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia in Phnom Penh, said the country is “still grappling with the painful legacies of genocide, torture, and mass atrocity.” But naming the three sites to the UNESCO list will play a role in educating younger generations of Cambodians and others worldwide. “Though they were the landscape of violence, they too will and can contribute to heal the wounds inflicted during that era that have yet to heal,” he said. The UNESCO inscription was Cambodia’s first nomination for a modern and non-classical archaeological site and is among the first in the world to be submitted as a site associated with recent conflict, Cambodia’s Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts said in a statement Friday. Four Cambodian archaeological sites were previously inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites including Angkor, Preah Vihear, Sambo Prei Kuk and Koh Ker, the ministry said. Source: CNN

Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge torture sites added to UNESCO heritage list

The Department of Meteorology has warned naval and fishing communities of rough seas and strong winds up to 60 kmph from Chilaw to Mannar and Galle to Pottuvil via Hambantota, effective until 9:00 AM tomorrow (14). Wave heights may reach 2.5–3.0 meters, with possible coastal surges from Puttalam to Pottuvil.

Met. dept warns of rough seas and strong winds along coastal areas

The Ministry of Education (MOE)&nbsp;announced that re-scrutiny applications for the 2024 G.C.E. O/L exam results will be accepted from 14 to 28 July.&nbsp; Commissioner General of Examinations A.K.S. Indika Kumari stated that 73.45% of students qualified for A/L, with 237,026 candidates meeting the criteria.

UNDP pledges support for Sri Lanka's public sector reforms

Trump demands more concessions as EU holds off on US tariff countermea ...

Trump demands more concessions ...

Nigeria’s ex-president Buhari, twice leader of Africa’s most populous ...

Nigeria’s ex-president Buhari, ...

Plane crashes at London Southend Airport

Plane crashes at London Southe ...

Trump says US will send Patriot missiles to Ukraine

Trump says US will send Patrio ...

Bitcoin tops $120,000 for the first time

Bitcoin tops $120,000 for the ...

Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge torture sites added to UNESCO heritage list

Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge torture ...

Met. dept warns of rough seas and strong winds along coastal areas

Met. dept warns of rough seas ...

Applications called for re-scrutiny of 2024 O/L results

Applications called for re-scr ...

Trump demands more concessions as EU holds off on US tariff countermea ...

Trump demands more concessions ...

Nigeria’s ex-president Buhari, twice leader of Africa’s most populous ...

Nigeria’s ex-president Buhari, ...

Plane crashes at London Southend Airport

Plane crashes at London Southe ...

Trump says US will send Patriot missiles to Ukraine

Trump says US will send Patrio ...

Bitcoin tops $120,000 for the first time

Bitcoin tops $120,000 for the ...

Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge torture sites added to UNESCO heritage list

Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge torture ...

Met. dept warns of rough seas and strong winds along coastal areas

Met. dept warns of rough seas ...

Applications called for re-scrutiny of 2024 O/L results

Applications called for re-scr ...

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Plane crashes at London Southend Airport

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Trump says US will send Patriot missiles to Ukraine

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Bitcoin tops $120,000 for the first time

Bitcoin tops $120,000 for the ...

Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge torture sites added to UNESCO heritage list

Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge torture ...