The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has announced the launch of a special mobile service to monitor human rights violations during the silent period and until the completion of the presidential vote count.

Commissioner General Attorney-at-Law Nimal Punchihewa has stated that this initiative will be regulated by regional human rights offices, ensuring comprehensive oversight throughout the election process.

(Source : News1st)

All campaigning activities of the candidates contesting for the 2024 Presidential Election ended at midnight yesterday (Sep. 18)

Accordingly, the silent period will remain enforced until the Presidential Election is held on Saturday (Sep. 21), the Election Commission announced.

During the silence period, any type of campaigning is strictly prohibited and the Police has been authorised to arrest any party who violates the election rules and regulations enforced by the law.

At least 20 people have been killed and more than 450 wounded by a second wave of explosions from wireless communication devices in Lebanon, the country’s health ministry says.
Walkie-talkies used by the armed group Hezbollah blew up in the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon – areas seen as its strongholds.

Some of the blasts took place during funerals for some of the 12 people who the ministry said were killed when Hezbollah members’ pagers exploded on Tuesday. Hezbollah blamed Israel for that attack. Israel has not commented.

The attacks came as Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant announced a “new phase in the war” and as an Israeli army division was redeployed to the north.

UN Secretary General António Guterres warned of the “serious risk of a dramatic escalation” and called on all parties to “exercise maximum restraint”.

“Obviously the logic of making all these devices explode is to do it as a pre-emptive strike before a major military operation,” he told reporters.

(BBC News)