SRI LANKA NEWS (AUGUST 2020) – Compiled by Victor Melder A study on the abnormalities and polymorphisms of amphibians found within and outside the Horton Plains National Park has identified a distinct frog species that does not belong to its generic “hourglass frog” classification. The study was conducted by graduate research assistant Praneeth Silva of Sri Jayewardenepura University’s Department of Zoology under the supervision of Prof. W. A. D. Mahaulpatha, senior lecturer and head, Department of Zoology. “Our study on amphibian abnormalities and causes found that Taruga eques species is faced with bigger threats in both localities in comparison to other amphibian species”, Silva said. Within and outside regions of the Sri Lankan Plains, habitat modifications due to human activities were the main threat on Taruga eques. The study revealed a novel pattern polymorphism of Taruga eques in that a variety of the species without the hourglass was identified within ...
Victor Melder
SRI LANKA CRICKET NEWS (JULY 2020) – Compiled by Victor Melder Former Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage has come in for criticism from all corners after the International Cricket Council denied claims that he had lodged a complaint with the game’s governing body in 2011 that the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 was fixed. The ICC issued a statement hours after the Police department announced that they are dropping an ongoing investigations due to lack of evidence. Aluthgamage, who has a history of shooting from the hip, had claimed that he had evidence to prove that the closely contested 2011 final between India and Sri Lanka was fixed. Despite interrogating key members of the national cricket team and officials, the Police dropped the investigations as they did not suspect any foul play. The ICC meanwhile turned up the heat saying that they had nothing to feel suspect about the ...
SRI LANKA NEWS (JULY 2020) – Compiled by Victor Melder The Civil Security Department (CSD) has launched a project to mitigate the human-elephant conflict; it has distributed over 100,000 citrus saplings among the staff members living in Handapanagala to be planted along elephant corridors. The project was initiated under the directives of the CSD Director General Rear Admiral (Retd) Ananda Peiris. “The CSD is now nurturing citrus nurseries as a long term solution for the long existing issue and the planting process would commence on a large scale with the onset of the rainy season,” said Rear Admiral Peiris. Rear Admiral Peiris, launching the pilot project said, citrus trees prevented elephants from entering villages as they consciously avoid citrus bushes full of sharp thorns. Lt. Col. Kumara Jagoda, CSD Commanding Officer of Moneragala who is steering the project in Handapanagala, one of the most vulnerable human habitations ...
SRI LANKA NEWS (JUNE 2020) Compiled by Victor Melder Two endangered leopards — including a rare black one — have been killed by snares in Sri Lanka in less than a week, sparking calls for authorities to crack down harder on the cruel traps. A third was found alive in a snare and released back to the wild after being tranquilised. In the latest case, the bloated carcass of a leopard was discovered Tuesday strangled by a wire snare on a cashew plantation on the edge of a forest reserve in Neluwa, some 145 kilometres (90 ...
SRI LANKA NEWS (MAY 2020) – Compiled by Victor Melder Sri Lanka’s merchandize export earnings fell by 41.9 percent, in March 2020, as the spread of COVID-19, in the country, disrupted the production of merchandise, the Export Development Board said. According to the monthly exports statistics, the year-on-year export earnings fell to US$ 646 million from US$ 1.112 billion, recorded in March 2019. The apparel sector, being the largest contributor, has shown a 41 percent decline during the month of March 2020, compared to the same month, in the previous year. Some of the other sectors that have recorded a significant decline, during the same period, include Tea (-22%), Rubber Products (-15.7%), Coconut products (-14.2%), Spices (-36.5%), fruits and vegetable products (-17.4%), fish and fisheries products (-29%), etc. However, analysis at disaggregate level on Coconut Milk Powder, Defatted Coconut, certain Coconut Kernel Products, Coconut Shell Charcoal, Essential Oils, Oleoresins, Ginger, Lemon, Melon and ...
SRI LANKA NEWS (APRIL 2020) by Victor Melder Between March 17 to April 4, 2020, 2,961 prison inmates have been released, on bail, on the recommendations of the special committee, appointed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, as part of efforts to combat the spread of Covid-19. A government communiqué said: The committee was appointed to make recommendations on the possibility of providing legal redress for the prisoners, following a request made by the inmates, during an inspection tour of the Prison premises, by the President, on an earlier occasion. Inmates who are unable to pay fines, or pay for bail money, or to produce personal bail, imprisoned for minor offences and those who had completed the better part of their prison term, or inmates suffering from illnesses and those who have not been granted bail, have been considered under this relief scheme, Director General, Legal Affairs of the Presidential Secretariat, Attorney-at-Law Harigupta ...
OBITUARIES (E & O.E.) (APRIL 2020) – By Victor Melder ARMITAGE – PETER HAROLD, husband of Jennifer, father, grandfather and Brother of Andrew (Andy), Anthony (Tony), Melanie Huysmans and Janis Thiedeman. Son-in-law of Roy Hermon (dec), in Brisbane on February 13, 2020, aged 79 years. (Contributed) CRAMER – FLORENCE, wife of Roy (dec), mother and mother-in-law of Leilanie & Nihal, Spencer & Eileen, Cassandra & Bill de Kretser. Grandmother of Sean, Darren, Ian and Tamara, in Brisbane, on April 3, 2020, aged 97 years. (Contributed) ...
LEST WE FORGET – by Victor Melder On Saturday, April 25, 2020, we commemorate ‘Anzac Day’, when we recall and commemorate the heroic acts of the military servicemen and women, who gave ‘their yesterday’s, that we may have our today’s’. Due to the Corona Virus Pandemic and the ‘Social Distancing’ enforced to halt it’s spread, there will by no ‘Dawn Service’ or Anzac Marches, Australia wide. Instead, the few surviving service personnel, their family and friends will gather at dawn silently with a lighted candle in their drive ways. We are now also remembering the heroic act of four Victorian Police officers, who were senselessly and tragically mowed down by a speeding truck, whilst in the line of duty, on the evening of Wednesday, April 22. The officers had intercepted a motor vehicle for traffic offences on the Chandler Highway and investigations were continuing in the emergency lane. At this ...
SRI LANKA NEWS (MARCH 2020) – Compiled by Victor Melder. Sri Lanka’s national carrier SriLankan Airlines is expected to lose 130 million US dollars (about 26 billion rupees) in the year to March 2020, officials said, taking total losses under full state ownership and management to 232 billion rupees. The airline would also need a 300 million dollar capital injection to reduce a spiral of debt, officials said. “We estimate that by this March we will lose about 130 million US dollars,” newly appointed SriLankan Airlines Chairman Ashok Pathirage told the parliament’s Committee on Public Enterprises. The Easter Sunday bombings had hurt the airline and it the ongoing Coronavirus epidemic was also negative with flight to China being cut. However in 2021, the Airline was expecting to cut losses to about 30 million dollars, he said. The Airlines started to lose money under state management, from 2008. ...
SRI LANKA NEWS (FEBRUARY 2020) Compiled by Victor Melder. A proposal to provide increased pension benefits for those who retired after 2017 has been abandoned as the plan would cost the government a staggering Rs 130 billion annually. A senior Treasury official said that instead of increasing the pensions, the Government would come up with a revised scheme where the pensions of those who retired after December 31, 2017 would be calculated on the salary scales as at the end of 2017. Under a proposal of the former Government, the pensions were to be calculated on the basis that they had served until 2020. Accordingly, those retiring were to receive ...
