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British Prime Minister Theresa May announced Sunday that New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Ghana have joined Britain in an alliance to fight against plastic pollution.

The three countries have joined Britain in the Vanuatu-led Commonwealth Clean Oceans Alliance which has pledged to ban microbeads in rinse-off cosmetics and personal care products, and cut plastic bag use by 2021.

To drive the aims of the alliance forward, May has also announced an 88 million U.S. dollars package of funding to boost global research, and help Commonwealth countries stop plastic waste from entering the oceans in the first place.

British Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: “The challenge is global so the answer must be too. Through this ambitious alliance we will build on the UK’s world-leading microbeads ban and 5 pence (0.07 U.S. dollar) plastic bag charge to harness the full power of the Commonwealth in pushing for global change and safeguarding our marine environment for future generations.”

Later this year the British Department for International Development will also match dollar-for-dollar public donations to tackle the issue of plastic waste in the world’s oceans and rivers.

Britain’s International Development (DfID) Secretary Penny Mordaunt said: “The scourge of plastics is a global environmental challenge, and one that overwhelmingly impacts the livelihoods and health of the world’s poorest people.

“We are bringing together global expertise to stop plastics waste from entering oceans - and by matching pound-for-pound the UK public’s passionate response to the issue, we can make our shared ambition for clean oceans a reality.”

DfID says it is to support research into solutions to reduce manufacturing pollution, and carry out waste management pilot programs to help tackle the waste from cities that often end up in the world’s oceans and rivers.

The alliance has announced it is to work in partnership with businesses and NGOs, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as well as companies such as Coca-Cola, to share expertise and experience and push for global change.

Source: Xinhua

The national oil anointing ceremony will take place tomorrow (16th April) at 10.16 am at Attanagalla Purana Raja Maha Viharaya, under the patronage of Speaker Karu Jayasuriya and Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne.

The ceremony is jointly organized by the Health Ministry, Indigenous Medicine Ministry and the Department of Ayurveda.

Oil anointing is one of the key traditions of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year.

 Source : Ada Derana

Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe was seen cutting a potato cake with a sword during his recent visit to Nuwara Eliya at a tourist hotel in the town. The Potato cake was made by a group of Chefs with an attempt to set a record for the world’s longest Potato cake made.

The cake 111 meters long and weighing 380 Kilograms was cut by the PM who was invited by the hotel to the event during his tour to Nuwara Eliya.

The picture shows the Prime Minister who accepted the invitation cutting the cake with a sword presented to him.

Five spill gates of the Udawalawa reservoir were opened today due to rising water levels.

Meanwhile, the entrance of heavy vehicles to the Udawalawa resorvioir has been temporarily barred due to the opening of spill gates. Drivers have been asked to use alternative routes.

Mahaweli Authority urges the general public in low lying areas to also exercise caution.

Iranian lawmakers approved an extradition treaty between Iran and Sri Lanka on Sunday (15).

A total of 203 lawmakers were present in today’s parliament session, and the bill was ratified by 153 Yes votes, 11 No votes, and 7 abstentions.

The treaty which includes an introduction and 21 articles will allow the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to exchange convicts and the related documents.

According to the MPs in the session, there are dozens of Iranians and Sri Lankan nationals kept in the two countries' prisons.

The MPs also said that the Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani’s visit to Sri Lanka was on the agenda of the parliament session.

Government sources claim that a complete cabinet reshuffle will be made on April 23 while Secretary to the President, Austin Fernando and Secretary to the Prime Minister Saman Ekanayake is said to be making the necessary arrangements for it.

Sources say the new reshuffle will see some new faces enter the cabinet while several main cabinet ministerial posts along with subjects of a large number of Ministers are set to change.

The government is attempting to form the new cabinet according to a scientific method while discussions are now said to be on going with Ministers regarding this.

Former Minister of Sports, Mahindananda Aluthgamage has been arrested by the FCID (Financial Crimes Investigation Division) of the Police. He arrived before the FCID today to make a statement regarding misappropriation of state funds during his tenure as the country’s Sports Minister.

He is alleged to have misappropriated state funds worth Rs. 53.1 million while importing carrom boards during the last Presidential Election.

The prorogation of Parliament has no negative impact on the functioning and operation of the Government, the Government Information Department said issuing a communique yesterday.

By Gazette notification (Gazette Extraordinary 2066/43 of April 12, 2018), with effect from Thursday April 12 2018, the Parliament was prorogued by the President.

Issuing a statement, Director General of Government Information Sudarshana Gunawardana said the next Parliament session will commence on May 8.

“The prorogation is the period between the end of a Parliament session and the opening of the next Parliament session.”

Under Article 70(4) of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka “All matters which, having being brought before Parliament, have not been disposed of at the prorogation of Parliament, may be proceeded with during the next session”

”Therefore, the prorogation of Parliament has no negative impact on the functioning and operation of the Government.” Sudarshana Gunawardana said.

A senior minister of the UNP claims that there is information that a special social media operation is being carried out at the President's office, against the Prime Minister and several of his close associates.

According to him, a Senior Technology & Development Officer of the President’s office is misusing several websites to carry out this mudslinging campaign.

He says the President has already been informed about this officer who is on a mission to create discord between the President and the Prime Minister.

The Minister said they are keeping an eye on what action the President will take in this regard at a time where he has urged other media organizations to act according to ethics set out.

In line with the government's policy of releasing civilians' land used by Jaffna Security Forces, the Sri Lanka Army without compromising national security interests released a record 683 acres of land in Jaffna to the original owners.

The Army handed over 683 acres of land in Tellippalai Divisional Secretariat area to 964 legal owners during a ceremony, held on Friday under the auspices of the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake, District Secretary for Jaffna, Nagalingam Vedanayagam and Jaffna Security Forces Commander Major General Darshana Hettiarachchi.

According to the Army, the release of those lands continuing for the last couple of months, following an initiative taken by the Army itself, has however not necessitated either the removal or shifting of any security formation operating in the said portion of the land in Tellippalai, Palaly.

Friday's release of 683 more acres of the Palali Army camp area, the biggest chunk of land released to the Jaffna public on a single day, adds a historic chapter to the government's ongoing projects of reconciliation and ethnic harmony, the Army said.

The event was organized jointly by Ministry of National Integration and Reconciliation, Ministry of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs, District Secretariat for Jaffna and the SFHQ-J as a New Year gift on the eve of the Sinhala & Tamil New Year- 2018.

Commander of the Army formally gave away documents pertaining to the release of lands symbolically to the District Secretary who was present there.

Source : Colombo Page

President Maithripala Sirisena left for United Kingdom today(15) to participate at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2018 which is being held in London.

President Maithripala Sirisena will join the Heads of Government of the 53-member Commonwealth at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) that is to convene in London from 16-20 April 2018.

The Commonwealth is a diverse community of nations that work together to promote prosperity, democracy and peace. The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings are occasions where the leaders of the Commonwealth member states come together to reaffirm common values, address the shared global challenges faced and agree on how to work to create a better future for all citizens, particularly young people.

The theme of the Summit in London – “Towards a Common Future” – is focused on building on the strengths of the Commonwealth to ensure that the organisation is responsive to global challenges and delivers a more prosperous, secure, sustainable and fair future for all the citizens of the Commonwealth, particularly the young.

President Sirisena’s participation at the CHOGM will be focused on reaffirming Sri Lanka’s firm commitment to the Commonwealth and deepening Sri Lanka’s partnership with the Organisation as well as with each individual member nation.

The President’s engagements will include the Heads of Government meeting on 19 April, the leaders retreat on 20 April, and addressing the Commonwealth Business Forum as the keynote speaker on 18 April on the theme “Delivering the SDGs: Aligning Business, Society and the Governments”.

Source : Ada Derana

Kenyan elephant conservationist Daphne Sheldrick has died of cancer aged 83.

She helped save the lives of more than 230 elephants - many of which had lost their mothers to poachers or drought - by developing a milk formula and successfully rearing them. Her Kenyan charity is world-renowned for its care of orphaned elephants.

Born and raised in Kenya, Dame Daphne spent the first half of her career working alongside her British husband David, who founded Kenya's biggest national park, Tsavo East.

After his death in 1977, she founded the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT), which is best known for rescuing and reintegrating orphaned elephants into the wild. It took her 28 years to develop the special milk formula to bottle-feed baby elephants.

She warned in 2016 that if the rate of ivory poaching continued, African forest elephants - the smallest of the three elephant species - could be extinct as early as 2025.

Dame Daphne published several books and was featured in many television programmes and films, including the 2011 documentary Born to be Wild. In 2006, Queen Elizabeth made her a dame.

Source : BBC