<ul><li>Sources claim crowd entered unauthorised area despite control efforts by approx. 15-man Police-Army personnel&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>SLAS to bear funeral expenses, compensate deceased &amp; injured, bear legal expenses of driver duo&nbsp;</li><li>Army appoints spl. probe comm. led by Maj. Gen.</li></ul> The Co-Organisers of the ill-fated Fox Hill Supercross 2024, the Sri Lanka Automobile Sports (SLAS), has initiated an investigation into the 21 April tragedy that claimed the lives of seven persons and injured over 20. The SLAS Council, which convened yesterday (23), has appointed a three-member independent inquiry panel, led by a retired High Court (HC) Judge, to conduct this investigation.In response to The Daily Morning’s questions about the security measures that had been taken during the race, highly placed SLAS sources said that around 600 Army personnel and around 200 Police personnel were on duty, adding that around 15 such personnel were present in the area where the accident took place. The sources added that even though attempts had been made by the said personnel to control the crowd, it was not possible to prevent the crowd from gathering closer to the track. “The crowd had come to the unauthorised, ‘no-man area’ for a few seconds, not even a few minutes. This happened within that small period, and it is unfortunate,” the sources said, adding that the SLAS takes the accident on 21 April very seriously and will take every possible measure in response to the incident.The sources added that in addition to the said investigation, the SLAS, together with the Army (Sri Lanka Military Academy in Diyatalawa being the other co-organisers of the race), will bear the expenses of the funerals of those who died in the accident. It will also take measures to provide compensation to both the deceased and the injured.With regard to the two drivers apprehended following the accident, adding that the SLAS Council has decided to bear their legal expenses, the sources said: “We have no idea under which offences they will be charged, because, this an incident that happened during a race. A charge sheet has not been issued. They have not been taken to the courts, and the Magistrate had come to the hospital and had remanded them. Because of that, lawyers could not appear (for the two drivers).” the senior SLAS Official told The Daily Morning.&nbsp;The SLAS has taken measures to appoint the aforementioned panel in a context where the Army Headquarters has also appointed a special seven-member committee, led by a Major General, to investigate and report to the Army Commander with regard to the accident. The committee is tasked with investigating the factors that led to the accident, those responsible for the accident, whether the safety of the spectators had been ensured, whether the persons and institutions responsible for ensuring the race track’s adherence to standards had properly fulfilled their duties, and what steps can be taken to prevent the recurrence of such accidents in the future.As many as seven people, including an eight-year-old girl, lost their lives and more than 20 were injured on 21 April after a car ran off the track during the race and ploughed into spectators. Among the deceased were four event officials who had been stationed as flag marshals, while the others were identified as spectators. Reportedly, the crash happened soon after another car had overturned on the track. As the vehicles were speeding past, one red car veered off course and crashed into spectators on the side of the unguarded track. Two drivers of the racing cars involved in the accident were subsequently arrested and remanded until 30 April on the orders of the Bandarawela Magistrate’s Court.The Fox Hill Supercross is participated by both local and international top ranking racing drivers and riders. The 28th edition of the event kicked off in Diyatalawa on 21 April following a five-year hiatus. It was suspended after the tragic accident.The Daily Morning’s attempts to contact the Sports Minister and Sports Ministry officials and the National Sports Council to discuss any actions being initiated from their end proved futile.

Fox Hill Supercross tragedy: SL Automobile Sports launches probe led by retd. judge

Following the arrest of several police and military officers for the possession of drugs and having links with individuals who engage in drug trafficking, the Department of Police said that strict action will be taken against such officers despite their rank or status if the respective allegations are proven.Recently, two police officers, including a Sub-Inspector and a Sergeant were arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department for allegedly maintaining dealings with drug traffickers. Meanwhile, the Hulftsdorp Magistrate’s Court on 19 April issued a detention order on four suspects, including the two Naval officers arrested while in possession of crystal methamphetamine (‘Ice’).Subsequently, when contacted by The Daily Morning yesterday (23), the Police Media Spokesperson and Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG-Crime Range), attorney Nihal Thalduwa stated that the law enforcement authorities, including the military forces, are currently taking actions against their officers who are accused of possessing drugs and having links with drug traffickers and organised criminals, which is not a new operation for these institutions. DIG Thalduwa also noted that such mechanisms have been strengthened in parallel with the ongoing ‘yukthiya (justice)’ operations, yet the actions should be taken very carefully and according to the existing framework. He further said that the Police is obtaining the assistance of the intelligence services to find out the information received by the Department first, and that those individuals will be arrested on the very first occasion where the information is verified. He said that the Police cannot arrest and suspend such officers at once since there are special systems and procedures to be followed. Claiming that the Police has been taking action against such officers since the very beginning, he said that no special operation is required to be launched to track such individuals.Several attempts made to contact the Spokesperson of the Navy proved futile.

Intel help to nab cops in cohorts with drugs 

<ul><li>CAA &amp; Trade, Commerce &amp; Food Security Min. to assess progress in 1-2 months&nbsp;</li></ul> The Ministry of Trade, Commerce, and Food Security stated that the recently introduced indicative price list is successfully operating and that the objectives of introducing it could be fulfilled in the weeks to come.The Ministry introduced an indicative price list earlier this month (April) following public criticism regarding its lack of intervention to regulate market misconduct. The indicative price list contains a specific price range for each good, according to which the goods must be sold. It does not contain specific prices but a price range for each good.&nbsp;When contacted by The Daily Morning yesterday (23), Minister of Trade, Commerce, and Food Security, Nalin Fernando said that the Ministry’s decision to introduce an indicative price list can be considered a successful move taken by any government to regulate market misconduct in a way that is favourable for both the consumers and the vendors. He said that according to public feedback, the indicative price list has been very helpful for consumers to be conversant with market prices and to prevent them from being misled by certain vendors.Stating that the Ministry is working together with the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) to make the public more aware of the particular indicative price list, Fernando noted that such measures will empower consumers further with regulations and awareness. He noted that while the price list primarily focused on the market misconducts that took place during the recent festival season (Sinhala and Tamil New Year Avurudu festival), it will be continued further as a practice. He said that the real progress of this measure is to be evaluated after one or two months, as it is too early to make comments on the progress of the entire programme due to a lack of proper information in this regard. However, he said that the Ministry can assure that the programme has been successful thus far and that the expected results could accordingly even be seen during the recent festival season.

Authorities optimistic over indicative price list 

Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera said that the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) incurred a loss to the tune of Rs. 9.8 billion per annum as a result of the delays in the construction and commissioning of the Uma Oya hydropower plant.“The delays in the construction and commissioning of the hydropower plant due to various politically-motivated protests are estimated to have caused a loss of Rs. 9.8 billion per annum to the CEB. The hydropower plant project was scheduled to be commissioned in December 2015,” the lawmaker said further in a post on the social media platform X.Wijesekera’s remarks came after a meeting with the Managing Director and Chairman of the Board and the officials of the Iran-based contractor, the FARAB Group, as well as Iranian Energy Ministry officials on Monday (22). FARAB is the construction and engineering partner of the Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project (UOMDP).&nbsp;With the commissioning of the Uma Oya hydropower plant today (24), a generation capacity of 120 megawatts (MW) will be added to the national grid while reducing the cost of energy. Wijesekera added that the project would also provide water requirements for drinking, agricultural, and irrigation requirements for beneficiaries in three districts.President Ranil Wickremesinghe and his Iranian counterpart Dr. Ebrahim Raisi are scheduled to jointly declare open the UOMDP today. The Government said that in addition to generating 120 MW of hydroelectric power, the UOMDP is also able to supply water to paddy fields during both the Yala and Maha seasons and to provide a sustainable solution to the drinking water needs of the Badulla, Monaragala, and Bandarawela areas. The UOMDP includes the components of the construction of two dams across Uma Oya and a tributary at Welimada, a trans-basin diversion tunnel, an underground hydropower plant of 120 MW installed capacity, and the diversion of 145 million cubic metres of water to irrigate agricultural land in the Hambantota and Monaragala districts and other downstream requirements. The expected annual energy production is 290 gigawatt hours. The power plant will be connected via a 22.7 kilometre length 132 kilowatt transmission line to the Badulla Grid Substation.

Uma Oya hydropower plant: Delays caused annual loss: Kanchana

<ul><li>Claims debate date &amp; venue must be discussed in prior&nbsp;</li><li>SJB MP Jayamaha also notes the need for debate between parties’ econ. councils</li></ul> The main Parliamentary Opposition Party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), rejected the dates proposed by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) led National People’s Power (NPP) also of the Opposition,, claiming that the dates must be decided after discussing with both the Parties.The NPP officially informed the SJB on Monday (22) that they are prepared to hold the proposed debate between the Leaders of the two Parties — SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and JVP and NPP Leader and Opposition Parliamentarian Anura Kumara Dissanayake — on one of the following days: 7 May, 9 May, 13 May or 14 May. In a letter sent by its Executive member, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa to SJB General Secretary, Opposition MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara, the NPP said that certain misunderstandings and speculations might be raised among the public regarding the debate if setting out a date is further delayed. The letter further said that a venue, a television channel, and the duration of the debate can be decided after setting out a specific date.Against this backdrop, SJB MP Nalin Bandara Jayamaha told the media yesterday (23) that the SJB is not ready to hold the debate on any date proposed by the NPP as the dates have been decided without consulting the SJB. Claiming that Premadasa is ready for the debate at any time, he said that the debate must be organised by the two Parties after reaching a consensus regarding the date and the venue. He said that deciding on a date without consulting others is not ethical. MP Jayamaha further claimed that while they had initially proposed a debate between the economic councils of the two Parties, the NPP is seemingly not ready for such a debate as the NPP is making attempts to depend on Dissanayake, since the NPP does not have experts for every sector, However, he noted that the SJB is to discuss the matter with Jayatissa in the days to come and take measures to fix dates for both the debates between the two Leaders and the respective economic councils.

 SJB rejects JVP-NPP’s debate dates

A delegation that included the Deputy Minister of the Department of International Affairs of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) met a group of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and National People’s Power (NPP) representatives led JVP and NPP Leader and Opposition Parliamentarian Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the JVP head office yesterday (23).The Chinese delegation consisted of the Deputy Minister of the Department of International Affairs of the CCP and Member of the Central Committee of the Party Sun Haiyan, the Deputy Director General of the same Department of the CCP Lin Tao, the Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka Chen Xiangyuan, the Director of the same Department of the CCP Li Jinyan, the Deputy Director Jin Yan, the Secretary to the Deputy Minister, Wen Jun, the Third Secretary of the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka Jin Enze, and the translator Zhang Guyu. The JVP led NPP was represented by Opposition MPs Dissanayake, Vijitha Herath and Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, and elsewhere the NPP’s Chief Economic Advisor Prof. Anil Jayantha Fernando, and JVP and NPP member Sunil Handunnetti.At the meeting, the current political situation, upcoming elections and possible political developments were discussed between the two sides. The NPP pointed out the importance of creating political stability in the country to get the country out of the crisis. The attention of the Chinese delegation was focused on the measures and organisational structures adopted by the NPP in the political field. The NPP emphasised the relations with various people, groups, social strata and Sri Lankans abroad, the policies of the NPP in building the country, and the dialogue between the Party structures and the public. Also, further developing mutual trust, and socio-cultural and diplomatic relations with the CCP under a NPP administration and how these relations can be used in the development of the economy were discussed.Before this meeting, the Chinese delegation held a special discussion with the local leaders of the NPP regarding the Party's District- and Divisional-level political activities at the NPP Colombo District Office in Maharagama.

CCP delegation met JVP-NPP  

In alignment with the public statements issued by representatives from both the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) and the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), both of the Parliamentary Opposition, President of the Law Students' Union Navod Rathnasekara has proposed to facilitate the debate between the two parties.&nbsp;This forum will be designed to delve into the challenges faced by Sri Lanka and to scrutinise the economic policies proposed by each Party in response to these.The letters of invitation have been handed over, addressing the officials of both parties, namely, the Leader of the SJB and the Opposition Sajith Premadasa, the&nbsp; General Secretary of the SJB and MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara, the JVP and NPP Leader and MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the NPP National Executive Committee Member Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa.

Law students invite Sajith-AKD for debate

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s latest effort to send some migrants to Rwanda finally won approval from the Parliament early yesterday (23), hours after he pledged that deportation flights would begin in July.The Parliamentary logjam that had stalled the Legislation for two months was finally broken just after midnight when the unelected House of Lords ‘recognised the primacy’ of the elected House of Commons and dropped the last of its proposed amendments, clearing the way for the Bill to become law.Earlier in the day, Sunak held a press conference to demand that the Lords stop blocking his key proposal for ending the tide of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats, promising that both Houses of Parliament would remain in session until it was approved.The Legislative stalemate was just the latest hurdle to delay the implementation of a plan that has been repeatedly blocked by a series of Court rulings and opposition from human rights activists who say that it is illegal and inhumane. Migrant advocates have vowed to continue the fight against it.“For almost two years, our opponents have used every trick in the book to block fights and keep the boats coming,” Sunak told reporters on Monday (22) in London. “But, enough is enough. No more prevarication, no more delay.”The Government plans to deport to Rwanda some of those who enter the United Kingdom (UK) illegally as a deterrent to migrants who risk their lives in leaky, inflatable boats in hopes that they will be able to claim asylum once they reach Britain.Sunak has staked his political future on the deportation flights, making a pledge to “stop the boats” a key part of his pitch to voters as opinion polls show that his Conservative Party trails far behind the Labour Party ahead of a General Election later this year. Next week’s Local Elections are seen as a barometer for how the Parties will fare in the General Election.The debate in Britain comes as countries throughout Western Europe and North America look for ways to slow the rising number of migrants as war, climate change and political oppression force people from their homes.Small boat crossings are a potent political issue in Britain, where they are seen as evidence of the Government’s failure to control immigration.The number of migrants arriving in Britain on small boats soared to 45,774 in 2022 from just 299 four years earlier as people seeking refuge pay criminal gangs thousands of Pounds (Dollars) to ferry them across the Channel.Last year (2023), small boat arrivals dropped to 29,437 as the Government cracked down on people smugglers and reached an agreement to return Albanians to their home country.While Sunak acknowledged that he would not meet his original deadline of getting the first deportation flights in the air this spring, he blamed the delays on continued resistance from the Opposition Labour Party.On Monday, Sunak said that the first flights would take off in 10-12 weeks but refused to provide details about how many people would be deported or exactly when the flights would occur because he said that such information could help opponents continue to try to frustrate the policy.In preparation for the Bill’s approval, the Government has already chartered planes for the deportation flights, increased detention space, hired more immigration caseworkers and freed up Court space to handle appeals, Sunak said. He also suggested that the Government was prepared to ignore the European Court of Human Rights if it sought to block the deportations. “We are ready, plans are in place, and these flights will go, come what may,” Sunak said. “No foreign Court will stop us from getting flights off.”The current Legislation, known as the Safety of Rwanda Bill, is a response to a UK Supreme Court decision that blocked the deportation flights because the Government could not guarantee the safety of migrants sent to Rwanda. After signing a new treaty with Rwanda to beef up protections for migrants, the Government proposed the new Legislation declaring Rwanda to be a safe country.The Bill has been stalled in the idiosyncrasies of the British legislative system. The House of Lords is charged with scrutinising and offering amendments to measures approved by the House of Commons, but it does not have the power to block Legislation outright.As a result, the Rwanda Bill bounced back and forth between the two Houses of Parliament, with the Lords repeatedly offering amendments only for them to be rejected by the Commons, which then sent the Legislation back to the Upper House.Critics of the Government’s policy refused to be drawn on their next move.&nbsp;(Associated Press)

UK P’ment approves Rwanda deportation Bill  

Two individuals have died after the Police opened fire at a three-wheeler that failed to comply with orders to pull over.The incident took place near the tyre factory in Moragahahena.Another individual who was inside the vehicle at the time has meanwhile escaped.

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Intel help to nab cops in cohorts with drugs

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Authorities optimistic over in ...

Uma Oya hydropower plant: Delays caused annual loss: Kanchana

Uma Oya hydropower plant: Dela ...

SJB rejects JVP-NPP’s debate dates

SJB rejects JVP-NPP’s debate ...

CCP delegation met JVP-NPP

CCP delegation met JVP-NPP

Law students invite Sajith-AKD for debate

Law students invite Sajith-AKD ...

UK P’ment approves Rwanda deportation Bill

UK P’ment approves Rwanda depo ...

Two die in police gunfire

Two die in police gunfire

Intel help to nab cops in cohorts with drugs

Intel help to nab cops in coho ...

Authorities optimistic over indicative price list

Authorities optimistic over in ...

Uma Oya hydropower plant: Delays caused annual loss: Kanchana

Uma Oya hydropower plant: Dela ...

SJB rejects JVP-NPP’s debate dates

SJB rejects JVP-NPP’s debate ...

CCP delegation met JVP-NPP

CCP delegation met JVP-NPP

Law students invite Sajith-AKD for debate

Law students invite Sajith-AKD ...

UK P’ment approves Rwanda deportation Bill

UK P’ment approves Rwanda depo ...

Two die in police gunfire

Two die in police gunfire

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Uma Oya hydropower plant: Delays caused annual loss: Kanchana

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SJB rejects JVP-NPP’s debate dates

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CCP delegation met JVP-NPP

CCP delegation met JVP-NPP

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