U.S. court denies request to immediately restore travel ban

Sun Feb 5, 2017

A U.S. appeal court late on Saturday denied a request from the U.S. Department of Justice to immediately restore a immigration order from President Donald Trump barring citizens from seven mainly Muslim countries and temporarily banning refugees.

The court ruling dealt a further setback to Trump, who has denounced the judge in the state of Washington who blocked his Jan. 27 order on Friday. In tweets and comments to reporters, the president has insisted he will get the ban reinstated.

Trump says the temporary immigration restrictions on citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, and on all refugees, are necessary to protect the United States from Islamist militants. Critics say they are unjustified and discriminatory.

The judge's order and the appeal ruling have created what may be a short-lived opportunity for travellers from the seven affected countries to get into the United States while the legal uncertainty continues.

In a brief order, the appeals court said the government's request for an immediate administrative stay on the Washington judge's decision had been denied. It was awaiting further submissions from Washington and Minnesota states on Sunday, and from the government on Monday.

The government's appeal says the decision by judge James Robart in Washington posed an immediate harm to the public, thwarted enforcement of an executive order and "second-guesses the president’s national security judgment about the quantum of risk posed by the admission of certain classes of (non-citizens) and the best means of minimizing that risk".

Trump denounced the "so-called" judge in a series of tweets on Saturday and told reporters: "We'll win. For the safety of the country, we'll win."

(Reporting by Chris Michaud, writing by Mark Trevelyan, editing by Philippa Fletcher)

How Trump Could Make a Deadly Flesh-Eating Bacteria Spread, Again (Video)

Vibrio vulnificus is like something out of a horror movie.

By Reynard Loki / AlterNet-January 28, 2017

By nominating fossil fuel-fanatics and climate deniers to his cabinet, signaling U.S. abandonment of the Paris climate accord, cutting NASA climate research, and planning to gut the EPA, President Trump has made it clear that federal action to fight climate change is a thing of the past—and that he's willing to erode any gains that have been made.

What could that mean? For starters, the goal to keep a global temperature rise this century well below 2° Celsius is now endangered, since the United States—the world's second biggest greenhouse gas emitter, behind China—is responsible for more than 15 percent of the world's emissions. Then there's the cascade of impacts resulting from the increased surface temperature, including species extinctions, ocean acidification, sea level rise, changes in precipitation patterns that impact farmers, increase in global warming refugees, and more droughts, wildfires and heatwaves.

While these impacts are frightening indeed, one has emerged that is particularly scary: the rise of a deadly, flesh-eating bacteria.

Last fall, Michael Funk was cleaning crab traps outside his home in Ocean City, Maryland. As he waded into the Atlantic, a deadly bacteria entered his body through a small cut in his leg. Four days later, he was dead.

"It’s like something out of a horror movie," said Marcia Funk, his wife of 46 years.

But it's frighteningly real—and thanks to climate change, the occurrence of the menacing microbe, Vibrio vulnificus, is expected to rise.

Ars Technica’s health reporter Beth Mole, a microbiologist, writes:

Within hours, Funk fell ill and went to a nearby hospital where a surgeon removed infected, rotting skin from his leg. But with the flesh-eating bacteria circulating in his bloodstream, his condition quickly worsened. He was flown to a trauma hospital in Baltimore where surgeons amputated his leg. Still, the lesions spread and, on September 15, he died.

As Mole notes, Funk's case, while extreme, wasn't even the worst recent case. She cited a case in July 2015 of a 59-year-old man who became infected with V. vulnificus in the Gulf of Mexico. He went to a hospital with a painful lesion on his ankle that expanded before the doctors' eyes. "Within hours, his whole body was covered in lesions," Mole writes. "A little more than 48 hours later, he was dead."

False color scanning electron micrograph of Vibrio vulnificus, a species of Gram-negative, motile, curved, rod-shaped, pathogenic bacteria of the genus Vibrio that lives in marine environments such as estuaries, brackish ponds, or coastal areas. (image: Wikipedia)

Climate change isn't the only culprit in the expected rise in cases of deadly bacterial infections. Raw oysters also play a role. The editorial board of the Salisbury, Maryland Daily Times (the newspaper that reported on the Funk case) offered readers a simple warning: "Avoid brackish, stagnant water and don't eat raw oysters."

There has been a surge in demand for raw oysters, particularly those raised in farms. "Along the East Coast, wild oysters have been disappearing," writes Bonny Wolf of WFSU, a public radio station serving Florida and Georgia, two Atlantic seaboard states that have the kind of warm saltwater the vibrio class of bacteria prefers. "But the number of farm-raised oysters is exploding.…raw oyster bars are all the rage."

Certainly, the increased interest in raw oysters can't be pegged to Donald Trump, but the president's anti-climate policies will help to maintain the perfect breeding ground for certain deadly viruses and bacteria like V. vilnificus. The close relationship between climate and infections on an epidemic-scale has been well established, and history shows it. Jonathan Patz, an environmental health expert at Johns Hopkins University, explains:

For centuries humans have known that climatic conditions affect epidemic infections—since well before the basic notion of infectious agents was under- stood late in the nineteenth century. The Roman aristocracy took refuge in their hill resorts each summer to avoid malaria. South Asians learnt early that in high summer, strongly curried foods were less prone to induce diarrhoeal diseases. In the southern United States one of the most severe summertime outbreaks of yellow fever (viral disease transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito) occurred in 1878, during one of the strongest El Niño episodes on record. The economic and human cost was enormous, with an estimated death toll of around 20 000 people. In developed countries today it is well known that recurrent influenza epidemics occur in mid-winter.

More recently, scientists at the World Health Organization suggest that climate change aided the spread of the Zika virus.

"Zika is the kind of thing we’ve been ranting about for 20 years," Daniel Brooks, a biologist at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, told the Guardian. "We should've anticipated it. Whenever the planet has faced a major climate change event, man-made or not, species have moved around and their pathogens have come into contact with species with no resistance."

With Trump and his fellow climate deniers in power, there will be little in terms of climate action to stop the rise of the deadly, flesh-eating Vibrio vulnificus. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to protect yourself. Carina Blackmore, a Florida epidemiologist, explains how in this video:

 

Reynard Loki is AlterNet's environment and food editor. Follow him on Twitter @reynardloki. Email him at reynard@alternet.org.

RIGHT TO INFORMATION BECOMES A REALITY IN SRI LANKA.

Image: If they suspect of whereabouts of missing children parents can now request relevant information.

04/02/2017

Sri Lanka’s Right to Information (RTI) Act came  into effect from 3 February 2017. Right to Information has been a decades long struggle spearheaded by press freedom organisations in the country.

Public Authorities have a lot of information that is held in trust for the citizens of the country. People have a fundamental right to access this information. The Right to Information Act of Sri Lank No. 12 of 2016, passed on 4th August 2016. It’s is a simple process of lodging a request at the relevant Public Authority. According to the act any one  should get the information within a maximum of 28 days (if the information is a lot, or has to be obtained from a different location, it can take upto 21 days more).

people can ask for any other public information like asserts declarations by the members of the parliament.

Mahinda Gammanpila (chair) , Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena, S. G Punchihewa, Judge A. W. A. Salam and Dr. Selvy Thiruchandran  are the members of the RTI Commission. They were appointed by the constitutional council.

According to the  gazette notification, citixens of Sri Lanka  can request information related to the  following public authorities.

(a) a Ministry of the Government;
(b) any body or office created or established by or under the Constitution, any written law, other than the Companies Act, No. 7 of 2007, except to the extent specified in paragraph (e), or a statute of a Provincial Council;
(c) a Government Department;
(d) a public corporation;
(e) a company incorporated under the Companies Act, No. 7 of 2007, in which the State, or a public corporation or the State and a public corporation together hold twenty five per centum or more of the shares or otherwise has a controlling interest;

(f) a local authority;

(g) a private entity or organisation which is carrying out a statutory or public function or service, under a contract, a partnership, an agreement or a license from the government or its agencies or from a local body, but only to the extent of activities covered by that statutory or public function or service;
(h) any department or other authority or institution established or created by a Provincial Council;
(i) non-governmental organisations that are substantially funded by the government or any department or other authority established or created by a Provincial Council or by a foreign government or international organisation, rendering a service to the public in so far as the information sought relates to the service that is rendered to the public;

(j) higher educational institutions including private universities and professional institutions which are established, recognised or licensed under any written law or funded, wholly or partly, by the State or a public corporation or any statutory body established or created by a statute of a Provincial Council;
(k) private educational institutions including institutions offering vocational or technical education which are established, recognised or licensed under any written law or funded, wholly or partly, by the State or a public corporation or any statutory body established or created by a statute of a Provincial Council;

(l) all courts, tribunals and institutions created and established for the administration of justice;

RTI Law: The vision is to end culture of secrecy

Feb 04, 2017

On the eve of our 69th Independence Day, Sri Lanka’s potentially historic Right to Information Act (RTI) will be activated for the benefit of all people across the country. Any and all citizens are now empowered to file information requests from public authorities – and demand answers. Unlike earlier, their requests cannot be met with silence as silence itself is not permitted by this law.

There are two choices. Information must be given or refused. If refused, reasons must be given. Even so, this refusal can be taken before the independent RTI Commission which began operating at the end of last year. Reportedly the Commission has sent its Rules and Regulations under the Act to be gazetted by the Government so that these regulations could be enforced.

If the earlier freedom of information draft law in 2004 had not been thrown into the dustbin by politicians, Sri Lanka would have had RTI even before India. Probably politicians may not have then got away with such a brazen plunder of public funds. Despite all those setbacks, we have the law now. This is an achievement that the Sri Lankan media is particularly proud of since it was represented by senior editors and lawyers who pioneered the Cabinet-approved 2004 draft and then actively collaborated in the RTI Bill that was enacted last year. Much hard work has gone into this effort. It is not something to be treated lightly. 
The duty to give information extends to private bodies which collaborate with government, courts and non-governmental organizations. Even where exceptions to information requests are specified in the RTI law itself, information must be given if the public interest demands disclosure. Drafts of an RTI law proposed years ago by the Law Commission of Sri Lanka for example, were not so broad. A more enlightened approach was adopted in the draft that was passed into law last year.

What exactly is public interest and how that balance will be achieved depends a lot on the way in which the Commission interprets its mandate – and how the court will ultimately respond as the final appeal lies there. At all levels, support must be extended to make sure that the RTI law does not become just another law and to strengthen the RTI Commission.

In the early days of RTI in India, it was the RTI Commission which led the way, laid down standards and pro-actively interpreted the Indian law. It was supported by the media and the people. The Indian bureaucracy and the politicians, even reluctantly, had to comply. RTI activists died in pursuit of their struggles. Even now, that commitment survives though the fierce spirit of those first RTI Commissioners has lessened in their successors. In Sri Lanka, we are off to a good start. The RTI law has been welcomed internationally and ranked high in the global index. But that will mean little or nothing if the Government fails to provide the Commission with sufficient financial resources or seeks to restrict the Commission in its financial independence.

Recent news reports have stated that the Office of the President has brought expenditure for the Commission under its head. If at all, this must be strictly a temporary measure. The Act states that the Commission must be financed from its own fund set up from money voted for it by Parliament. That legal condition must be strictly complied with. The country is watching as to whether the Commission will be allowed to function independently. The RTI Act is operationalised a day before we celebrate our independence tomorrow. This is no coincidence. Instead of a monotonous annual recital of things that mean little to the ordinary man or woman, there is something different this time around. A culture of pro-actively disclosing information must replace a culture of secrecy. There are difficult struggles ahead, no doubt as the whole country, the media, politicians and citizens get used to that idea.

http://www.dailymirror.lk

GMOA Padeniyas opposing SAITM court order, hold patients to ransom and strike allowing them to die..! (Video)

Rajitha’s statement (Audio)

(Lanka-e-News -04.Feb.2017, 7.30PM) Doctors are there to save patients , and if they are  civilized professionals they would never ever shirk that duty under any circumstances. Specially government doctors in Sri Lanka are bound by this duty because their medical education expenses are met out of public funds.

Unfortunately  however , these government doctors turned into murderers yesterday  ignoring even their  sacred professional oath of Hippocrates and their inescapable duties towards the patients by staging  an Island-wide  lightning strike thereby putting  the precious lives of patients in hospitals in jeopardy. To achieve their bestial and barbaric agendas ,they ruthlessly held the patients to ransom.
 
The fascist GMOA (Government medical officers association ) struck work 2nd night which went on until 12.00 noon 3rd against the  decision delivered by the appeal court  pertaining to the SAITM Medical College .Though the strike was to end at noon it went on until later  in some hospitals..  These doctors despite their education and inescapable professional  responsibilities conducted themselves worse than villains and murderers in a manner most uncaring for the lives of the patients , when they had the option to legally file an appeal maintaining  their professional dignity,   in the Supreme Court challenging the appeal court verdict. 

Though the GMOA was not a party to the case in the court verdict , and while  engaging  in the most deplorable and reprehensible strike  against the court verdict , the bogus reason cited by them for this villainous strike was , the arrest of medical students of the Inter University students federation by the police during their protests staged in Colombo. It is to be noted the court had issued an order ahead that yesterday’s protests shall be staged  peacefully and without hindering the public .

Yet the protestors overturned the police barriers and turned violent. Consequently the students had to be dispersed by using tear gas and water cannons, and a  group of students who behaved violently had to be arrested.

The most ludicrous side of the strike staged by  the jokers Padeniyas and Soysas is their claim that , the quality of the medical students who pass out from SAITM Medical College is inferior , and therefore patients could die. In order to halt that, what these hooligan clowns , the so called superior quality doctors are doing is much  worse – they are striking work and killing the patients without treating them ! These clowns  only are in fact killer doctors . A genuine doctor who respects life of patients and the professional  oath he has taken only can show true concern in the national interest , but these are actually killers but  masquerading as doctors putting the lives of patients in peril at the first opportunity they get .  How can they be therefore truly  concerned and decide on the  quality of the doctors, and the patients whose lives that  would  be endangered? 

These spurious doctors like Padeniyas and Soysas with selfish self fattening  personal agendas masquerading as national interests are only  seeking to make the SAITM issue their weapon to topple the government , minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne exposed. 

Statement of Dr. Rajitha can be heard by clicking here .

The government of good governance has become a thorn in the side of Padeniyas and Soysas obviously because, they cannot indulge in  the perfidies and villainies under this government , which  they can freely under the chieftain of the crooked den (Rajapakse alias Alibaba ,and countless thieves)

Hereunder is the video footage depicting the desperate patients at Matara hospital being turned back sans medical treatment and medicines.  Reported by Indunil Kelum Jayaweera 

---------------------------
by     (2017-02-04 14:08:47)

Safeguard The Independence Of Auditor General, Chandra Appeals

February 4, 2017

Good Governance activist, Chandra Jayaratne has urged the president and the Council Members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka to safeguard the independence, integrity and professional position of the Auditor General.

Chandra Jayaratne

In a letter addressed to the president and the Council Members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka, Jayaratne said; “I write this appeal to you, this day our nation celebrates its 69th Anniversary of Independence, under the governance of a regime committed to Yahapalanaya (Good Governance). My appeal arises from the public criticism, by some leaders in governance, of the Auditor General, challenging the integrity, independence, professionalism, and unbiased judgment of the holder of the office of the Auditor General. Such public criticism and associated pressure, challenges and may even have the effect of attempting to influence the independence and professionalism of the holder of the office of the Auditor General.”

We publish below the letter in full:

4th February 2017

President and Members of the Council,
Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka,
30 A Malalaserere Mawatha,
Colombo 7.

Dear Sirs,

An Appeal to Safeguard the Independence, Integrity and Professional Position of the Auditor General

I write this appeal to you, this day our nation celebrates its 69th Anniversary of Independence, under the governance of a regime committed to Yahapalanaya (Good Governance). My appeal arises from the public criticism, by some leaders in governance, of the Auditor General, challenging the integrity, independence, professionalism, and unbiased judgment of the holder of the office of the Auditor General. Such public criticism and associated pressure, challenges and may even have the effect of attempting to influence the independence and professionalism of the holder of the office of the Auditor General.

The position Auditor General is a high post appointment made in terms article 153 of the Constitution by the President, with the concurrence of the Constitutional Council. Article 153 D (1) reads as follows:

“A person who otherwise than in the course of his duty, directly or indirectly, by himself or through any other person, in any manner whatsoever, influences or attempts to influence any decision of the Commission, any member thereof or any officer of the Sri Lanka State Audit Service, shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding one hundred thousand rupees or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both such fine and imprisonment.”

I am sure you realize that the position of the Auditor General, is the most prestigious and responsible office a member of the Institute can hold, being empowered for such appointment by the qualification as a professionally qualified member of the Institute.

The present holder of the office is a member of the Institute and in addition highly qualified in several other areas, including economics.

The website of the Office of the Auditor General notes the following in relation to the Role, Responsibility and Independence of the Auditor General;

“The Auditor General through the Auditor General’s Department provides an independent review of the performance and accountability of the public sector institutions and reports to Parliament. The Auditor General’s Department aims to meet the needs and expectations of the Parliament, the executive and its clients and to add value to public sector performance and accountability. This independent review is thus performed to ensure the propriety, regularity and compliance with all the statutory and other regulatory requirements and the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of the operations.

The independence of the Auditor General is preserved to a great extent by the Constitution itself and the Article 153 of which states that”

I am sure you recognize that as a part of the accountability of the Institute, you are duty bound to uphold and protect the integrity, independence, and professionalism of the Institute and its members; and in an extended and stretched accountability, you are duty bound in the interest of the nation and its people, to protect the integrity, independence, professionalism, and unbiased judgment of the holder of the office of the Auditor General. This accountability must be discharged from an apolitical professional stand point, in the same manner as the advocacy and challenge the Institute recently had to adopt, to safeguard the professionalism, capability (knowledge/skills/attitudes and values), integrity and independence of professionals empowered by statute to undertake public audits in Sri Lanka.

In the context of the above accountability, I suggest that you take steps to advocate by writing to;

1. The President, in his capacity as the Head of State and Head of Cabinet and required to uphold the Constitution and also the appointer of the Auditor General, to publicly caution those who are culpable of attempting to criticize and pressure/influence the Auditor General in violation of the Constitution, to immediately cease such unacceptable actions; and if they have any formal complaints, grievances or instances of unprofessional conduct to make formal complaints, in terms of the applicable laws and regulations;

• to the Constitutional Council, for inquiry and advise to the President
• to the Institute of Chartered Accountants, for inquiry in terms of the Code Professional Conduct and Ethics, if there are any issues of purported due professional misconduct by the Auditor General, a member of the Institute

2. The Prime Minister, in his capacity as the leader of the political party whose members appear, as reported in the media, to possibly be associated with the pressure, criticism and influence exerted on the Auditor General, requesting him to advise such members, to immediately refrain from such deplorable conduct not in keeping with upholding the rule of law and good governance commitments.

3. The Speaker of Parliament, as the Head of the legislature to whom the Auditor General reports to, and accountable for public finance, to caution members of the Parliament, to refrain from any actions that denigrate the Office of the Auditor General, being a key official supporting the Parliament in the discharge of its accountability for Public Finance Commissioners of the Right to

4. Information Commission, to express an opinion whether the Auditor General, by purportedly, uploading on a website, at the time of release of any audit and other reports, would be inconsistent with the commitments expected from the Auditor General in terms of the entrenched provisions of the Constitution relating to Right to Information and also in the wider context of the Objectives of the Right to Information Law applicable with effect from today.

I trust that this appeal will receive your immediate attention and affirmative action.

Read More

‘Gunning’ for Sumanthiran

By Manekshaw-2017-02-04

Plans to assassinate Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian Mathiaparanam Abraham Sumanthiran, who is a confidant of TNA Leader and Leader of the Opposition

R. Sampanthan, have been unearthed by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) with the arrest of five suspects.

The preliminary investigation carried out by the TID has brought to light that the assassination plot was hatched with the involvement of certain pro-LTTE activists abroad.

In a vacuum state, where only a handful of intellectually sound politicians remain in the present Tamil political scene following the assassinations of several refined politicians, Sumanthiran's entry into Tamil political scene was much appreciated with his prominent role played in bringing out the UNHRC resolutions in Geneva against the Lankan Government on alleged war crimes, from 2012 onwards.

Despite being closely in touch with the LTTE, under the banner of the Tamil National Alliance, almost all the Tamil politicians lived in fear for their lives prior to the end of civil war in 2009.

The manner TNA Parliamentarians Joseph Pararajasingam and N. Raviraj were assassinated had clearly indicated that the Tamil politicians who had been courageous in expressing their views were the 'sitting ducks' for anybody who were opposed to their stances.

When the civil war was in progress, under the guise of the LTTE, killings, abductions and extortions were carried out extensively and several incidents still remain a mystery such as the assassinations of TNA Parliamentarian Raviraj and the UNP Parliamentarian T. Maheswaran.

The reports have emerged in recent days on the plot to kill TNA Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran. However, TNA Leader R. Sampanthan and M.A. Sumanthiran were targeted at the end of Parliamentary polls in 2015 by certain members of constituent parties in the TNA as well as the members of the Tamil National People's Front led by Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam.

Protests in Jaffna

There were even instances when the effigies of Sampanthan and Sumanthiran were set on fire in Jaffna and abroad, over the issues of Tamil political prisoners and the disappeared persons.

The animosity against

R. Sampanthan and M.A. Sumanthiran led even to the formation of the Tamil People's Council (TPC) with the inclusion of Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran.

The rift in the TNA came to the surface when Sumanthiran and Mavai Senathiraja were on their foreign tours last year. One of the meetings attended by Sumanthiran in Australia last year was interrupted by a group of people who didn't allow him to speak and they had even threatened the organizers of the event.

Another meeting which was held with the participation of TNA Parliamentarian Mavai S. Senathiraja was also interrupted last year in Paris when a group of youngsters shouting anti-TNA slogans had even sprayed chemical substances to disrupt the meeting.

The preliminary investigation into the alleged plot to assassinate Sumanthiran, which revealed the attempt was hatched abroad, makes it clear that certain diaspora outfits are all out to create a miserable condition in the North and East for their own survival.

Late Mayor Alfred Duraiyappah was the first to be branded openly by the Tamil moderates and it was the hard hitting propaganda carried out against Duraiyappah that led to his assassination with anarchy gradually beginning to reign in the North and East.

The first shot fired by LTTE Leader V. Prabhakaran at Alfred Duraiyappah, when he was coming out of Varatharajaperumal temple in Ponnalai in 1976, led to three decades of deaths and destruction with the annihilation of those who first branded Duraiyappah as traitor, criticizing his non- confrontational stance in politics.

So, as history repeats itself, the moderate approach of the TNA leadership has also now been criticized by the elements based both locally as well as abroad, which looks forward to thriving in a messy situation.

The Tamil National Alliance while focusing on the issue of alleged assassination attempt on Sumanthiran should also take into consideration the political aspects with regard to the Sumanthiran issue in the South.

Already former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and several members, including Parliamentarian Dinesh Gunawardena, have started making comments condemning the National Unity Government and the TNA over the Sumanthiran issue.

Concerns expressed by former President Rajapaksa and the Joint Opposition members with regard to Sumanthiran issue appear to be like 'a wolf crying on seeing the goat getting wet in rain'.

The political elements opposed to the National Unity Government could utilize the Sumanthiran issue for their political gain like the manner the political rivals of the TNA in the North attempting to create a problematic situation for their survival.

The investigation carried out so far on the alleged attempt on Sumanthiran's life with the arrest of five suspects has revealed that the assassination was planned meticulously to hit the target by detonating a claymore mine.

Since demining is still being carried out in several areas in the North, the assassins would have even planned to create an impression that the target was hit accidently by a stray mine which would have been either buried or placed on an elevation during the turbulent period.

As the UNHRC session in Geneva is expected to take up on the developments made with regard to the resolution co-sponsored by Sri Lanka in October 2015, the issue of alleged attempt on Sumanthiran's life highlights the rugged nature of the Lankan political scene which continues to be in doldrums.

Metamorphosing Galle Face to an iconic landmark

Public space development such as Galle Face is certainly not the exclusive domain of politicians or municipalities

Saturday, 4 February 2017

Many are the beautiful and most recognisable places of the world. Some of them breathtaking, awe-inspiring, spine-tingling, hair-raising, heart-stopping, the list goes on.

These sentiments and expressions not exaggerations but genuine and often spontaneous responses of people upon sighting a supreme natural wonder or seminal piece of living art constructed and erected for the viewing pleasure of the world’s public in major cities.

Whether it’s the Eifel tower in Paris, Opera House in Sydney or the Taj Mahal in India, man’s genius is at play, bringing into fruition monumentally iconic symbols recognisable, recallable and permanently entrenched in the global psyche of humanity.

In most cases landmarks are skyscrapers, bridges, rivers, waterfalls of great historical and cultural value. Niagara Falls – a city in Ontario, Canada blessed with the most breath-taking waterfall in the world. One of the world’s major tourist attractions. A spectacular site that attracts millions of tourists every year. The Golden Gate Bridge – a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate strait. The structure links the American city of San Francisco. The bridge is one of the most internationally recognised symbols.

The Galle Face is a five hectare ocean-side urban park, which stretches for a half kilometre along the coast, in the heart of the financial and business district of Colombo, Sri Lanka. The promenade was initially laid out in 1859 by Governor Sir Henry George Ward. The original Galle Face Green extended over a much larger area than is seen today. It was initially used for horse racing and as a golf course. We are told that it was also used for cricket, polo, football, tennis and rugby. Very interesting indeed.

A popular destination for children, adults, vendors, teenagers, lovers, kite flyers and merrymakers, indulging in their favourite pastime next to the soothing sea under the open sky. On weekends the land is busy with numerous activities. Day trippers, picnickers and food vendors. The quaint Galle Face Hotel, Sri Lanka›s oldest, well patronised and popular hotel, stands tall. Recent refurbishments with a distinctive façade have given the hotel a lot of character.

Public space development

Sri Lanka is at the crossroads. She is getting ready for a major economic take off. The feeling is palpable, barring some political insanity. The emerging city skyline bears ample testimony to this phenomenon. The most important point in developing a concept for any public space agenda should be to identify and harness the talents and resources of the country. This is indeed key.

Public space development such as the Galle Face is certainly not the exclusive domain of politicians or municipalities. It’s the discerning members of the general public who could meaningfully collaborate and contribute to transform a given public space to something truly quintessential and futuristic.

A gigantic yet non-religious permanent structure reflecting the pristine culture of this blessed land would be something appropriate to explore. A piece of architectural marvel that would eventually become poignantly synonymous with Colombo. This is not something that can be accomplished overnight. It’s a time-consuming process but near immortality in the end.

In the West, it’s communities with its perceptive and insightful members that get involved and deliberate based on a strategic vision. It’s the community that can engender a historical perspective and acumen into how the area could function.

Transforming communities by collaborating with residents and other stakeholders to create high-impact built environments that improve daily lives is something perpetually conceptual and systemic in the West.

This writer was involved in the strategic planning process of a Public Space Project in Toronto, Ontario. The Regent Park Community revitalisation program was to create a vibrant neighbourhood. An ambitious project with public and private sector collaboration. It did achieve a lot. It was deliberated upon the following key values:

• Extensive planning and community engagement
• Multi-stakeholder process
• Resident associations to play lead role
• Focus on economic development and youth  
• Growing interest in culture and arts 
• Respond to existing and future needs of residents

Sound planning practices are of paramount importance for city planning. Such a process ensures that a city is enriched with vitality and becomes a thriving urban centre. The Galle Face Green has tremendous potential to be converted to a stunning urban renewal program provided right brains go into it, understanding well strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the site. In the backdrop of the mammoth Port City and colossal skyscrapers racing to the heavens it behoves that city planners are in control, concurring with right people to shape the city to something magnificent.

Urban planning 

Urban planning guides orderly development in urban, suburban areas. Public spaces obviously are complex, organic matters usually with a veneer of ambiguity and perplexity. The best spaces evolve by experimenting with short-term improvements that can be tested and refined over a specific period of time.

Places to sit, places to run and invigorate, a sidewalk café, a community event, a national event, an international event, a garden, a row of bustling boutiques, a row of super-clean eateries whose collective aroma piercing one’s nostrils to the point of a mild inebriation. These are examples of  changes that capitalise on the creative energy of the community to efficiently generate new uses, experiences and revenue for places in transition.

Cities need to find ways to modernise and adapt to the growing world. Change taking place though slowly and organically. Cities also take a more proactive approach by doing anything and everything from eliminating cars to exploring underwater options. Even these kinds of activities are rapidly changing collective landscapes of cities. Creating colonies to ease over-population is something explored in the West. Underwater habitation is not a bad idea. Unique ways nations are trying to position themselves.

Culprits responsible for illegal admissions to Royal interdicted - Dharmaloka principal , SPM Milagiriya Dep. principal among them !

(Lanka-e-News -04.Feb.2017, 7.30PM)  Following the investigations conducted into the admission of children for the year 2017 to grade one of Royal College, Colombo , by the special investigation committee appointed by the minister of education Akila Viraj Kariyawasam ,the duties of three officers of the main interview Board and four officers of the appeals board are to be suspended , based on a decision taken by the education ministry.

Among those culprits are : a Deputy principal of Royal College ,Colombo , its  Assistant principal and a teacher who were members  of the interview board ; and Kelaniya Dharmaloka Vidyala principal , Deputy  principal of St. Paul’s Balika Milagiriya , a deputy principal and a teacher  of Royal College , Colombo who were members of the  appeals board.  Investigations in this connection are continuing.

In addition, the ministry of education has taken steps to interdict an employee of Royal College, Colombo who forwarded  fake documents to get his child admitted to Royal.

The investigations were a sequel to the initiative taken by the minister of education Akila Viraj  following numerous complaints received that there had been irregularities raging among popular schools when admitting children to grade one .
  
Investigations have been commenced against 15 popular schools apart from Royal College , Colombo , and the minister has given instructions to the officers to enforce the law against the wrongdoers irrespective of their rank or status .

This is perhaps the first time in the history of SL as far as one can remember , the laws are being enforced against the super schools  without fear or favor. Under the previous regime of ‘Ali baba and countless thieves’  because all the buddies were of the same feather and robbed together , and all were crooks and culprits , no action could be taken .

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by     (2017-02-04 14:11:03)

Sri Lanka arrests seven over conch theft

R UTHAYAKUMAR BBCImage captionThe right-handed conch could have fetched thousands of dollars

By P Sivaramakrishnan-3 February 2017

Police in eastern Sri Lanka have seized a rare right-handed conch shell which they suspect was going to be sold illegally.

Seven people are in custody after appearing in court, charged with trying to sell the 18-inch shell.

Police say the conch might have fetched $70,000 (£60,000). Its sale is banned under an international convention.

It is feared that Sri Lanka is emerging as a hub for the illegal export of rare seashells.

The conch is in the custody of Sri Lanka's wildlife department.

Dr AK Kumaraguru, an expert on marine and coastal studies, told BBC Tamil that "right-twisted conches are extremely rare and could be one in 10 million".

The shells are fished for their commercial value, but are also of huge significance in the Hindu religion, he says.

'Little data'

R UTHAYAKUMAR BBCImage caption---Shells are getting rarer on Sri Lankan beaches

Genetic mutations are cited as an important reason for right-handed shells. Variations in their colour and pattern occur naturally.

Pure white right-handed conches are considered very sacred by Hindus and are highly sought after in the Indian Ocean, particularly off south India and Sri Lanka.

The illegal trade in sea shells is said to be worth millions of dollars.

"There is little data on trade levels both legal and illegal; most available information is based on casual observations, incomplete figures, reports from shell collectors or fishermen and brief studies carried out by scientists," the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) secretariat in Geneva told the BBC.

Seashells are protected by law in Sri Lanka, but marine life experts say that lack of strict implementation has allowed the illegal export trade to thrive.

Marine life activists say finding seashells on Sri Lanka's beaches is becoming increasingly difficult.

Sixty Nine Years After, Are We One Nation, One People?

By Mass L. Usuf –February 4, 2017

Mass Usuf

The calendar of any new year is highlighted with certain dates in different colours indicating important events, festivals and birthdays. These dates are marked in order to remind us to commemorate, observe or celebrate such dates. Each of these dates appeal to the collective consciousness of a people to come together. They may belong to a religious group, cultural affiliation or, the people as a whole if it is a national event. The fourth of February, marked as the Independence Day is no exception to this.

The celebration of a national event awakens in the hearts and minds of every citizen as Sociologist Emile Durkheim states, “the set of shared beliefs, ideas and moral attitudes which operate as a unifying force within society.” So, fourth February for Sri Lankans is a day of pride and achievement with which each looks at the other with a feeling of solidarity as co-citizens of this nation.

This Day of Independence is an opportunity for us to put aside the gloom and doom perception and look towards a bright and hopeful future. There are a lot of positives that is out there and every one of us must look at tomorrow with optimism.

One Nation, One People

Chroniclers record the independence day as an important milestone in the history of our country. This importance cannot be permitted to remain confined only to words. It is certainly much larger than that. It provides us with a chance to reflect on mutual relationship between ourselves, to appreciate unity in diversity, to renew within us the good qualities of tolerance and understanding, to celebrate pluralism in its different hues and to come together to mark this joyous event as one nation, one people.

For a moment look back at 1948 and look at ourselves now. Take stock of what has shaped us over the years to make us what we are as a nation today. Remembering the past as lessons for the future will inculcate in us a better understanding as to who we are. Like, the New Year, this independence day is also an excuse for us to resolve and set goals for ourselves as citizens of Sri Lanka.

Symbolism

A careful observation of our national behavioural pattern does grossly point towards symbolism. We seem to be a nation rife with symbolic expressions. One can test case this thought in several spheres. Nothing much permeates beyond the borders of mere symbolism. Symbolism is hardly transformed into a form of inspiration and action.

Day in day out we sing the National anthem. For a moment reflect on these beautiful words:

“එක මවකගෙ දරු කැල බැවිනා
යමු යමු වී නොපමා
ප්‍රේම වඩා සැම හේද දුරැර දා නමෝ නමෝ මාතා”

“Ill-will, hatred, strife all ended,
In love enfolded, a mighty nation
Marching onward, all as one,
Lead us, Mother, to fullest freedom”

The collective consciousness arising from commemorating a national event should form the foundation of collective responsibility on the part of all the citizens. This collective responsibility need to be focussed to contribute to the development, stability and prosperity of our country.

Come fourth February each year, the street vendors are out in full force making hay while the sun shines. For them it is another seasonal trade opportunity to capitalise on in contrast to nationalistic enthusiasm. The national flag is ubiquitously seen and heard fluttering all over. Another one, in a long list of symbolism we as a nation indulge in. To fly the national flag is a good thing but is that all? As citizens, we must learn to think beyond this. When raising the national flag do it with respect and commitment and make a pledge, “I will serve my country with loyalty, faithfully and honestly.” Is this all? I do not think. We must also take the further step of putting our good intentions into practise. Away from symbolism.

Values Of A Nation

On this day, we speak much about the freedom we gained from our colonial masters. Sadly, however, from 1948 we are stagnated only with this thought of independence. For example, the Day of Independence in the United States of America includes celebrating the values that the country was founded upon. The Declaration of Independence reads: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Harry Rubenstein, a curator of American politics at the Smithsonian Institution, says that Independence Day celebrates those very ideals of democracy, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and is for anyone who finds faith in the words “all men are created equal.” He says that it is also important to remember that as Americans, we should continue to embody the values our country was built on. “These are principles that you achieve and not just state,” he says. “[Our country] is a work in progress.”

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