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President to make Special Statement on 13A next week

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President Ranil Wickremesinghe will present the Government proposals related to the implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution to Parliament next week, it was reported.

The President will do so while making a Special Statement where he will explain in detail, the proposals to Parliament except seperate police powers.

An All-Party Conference was held under the patronage of the President on July 26 to inform the party leaders representing Parliament about the programme of the Government in relation to national reconciliation.

It was said that President Wickremesinghe would also explain about introducing laws and regulations to strengthen the 13th Amendment.

The Party leaders during the discussion presented their views and suggestions. After the completion of the preliminary work on the devolution of powers, Bills are to be submitted to the Parliament regarding the conduct of affairs at the Provincial Councils.

Under the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, when transferring powers to the Provincial Councils, the power to make decisions regarding certain subjects is vested with the Central Government and these subjects must be legally announced.

Earlier, the President said that he will present the best proposals related to solving the problems of the people of the North and East and added that the leaders of the Tamil parties should decide whether to take them forward or not.

The President stressed that there were no plans to merge the Northern and Eastern Provinces and that the aim of this programme is not to seek political mileage but to solve the problems of the Tamil people in the North and East.

The President has decided to fully implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution only if all the party leaders representing Parliament agree to a full devolution of powers, the Daily News reported.

The President is of the opinion that the consent of all the party leaders representing Parliament is necessary for granting the Police Powers mentioned in the 13th Amendment to the Constitution and for that a two third majority in the Parliament is required.

The President during a recent discussion held with the members of Parliament representing North and East on July 18 said the draft of the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) has been referred to the Attorney General to determine whether it is compatible with the Constitution and will soon be presented to Parliament and the National Action Plan on Reconciliation drafted by the ONUR will also be presented to the Cabinet soon.

Source – Daily News

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Passengers jump from plane’s wing after fire alert on Spain flight, triggers panic

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Wildfires have broken out on an island and in towns near Athens in Greece, with blazes also being sparked in Turkey and Syria.

The Hellenic Fire Service and local authorities said that two villages – Tsakeoi and Limnionas – had been evacuated on the island of Evia after the blaze started late on Friday.

One fire service official said more than 160 firefighters, 46 trucks and five aircraft were deployed in southern Evia to put out the fire.

Southern Evia, to the east of Athens, was one of several regions in Greece placed on high alert for wildfires over gale-force winds forecast for today.

Images from Koropi, a town to the southwest of Athens, also show houses burnt down and helicopters dropping water on burning forests.

It marks the latest wildfires to break out in Greece – where blazes are common during the summer – as it tackles strong winds and dry conditions amid an early summer heatwave in southern Europe.

Officials have linked the conditions to at least nine deaths across the continent.

A wildfire broke out in Achlia on the island of Crete on Wednesday, forcing thousands of residents and tourists to evacuate – with some taken to a nearby basketball arena and hotels in safer parts of the island.

The fire service official told Reuters on Friday that the fire in Crete was largely contained.

Meanwhile, blazes have also broken out on Turkey’s west coast – the latest in a series of blazes which started in late June – as well as its southerly neighbour Syria.

At least five fires have been reported in Izmir after extreme heat, strong winds and low humidity. Two people have been killed by the blazes, while tens of thousands have been evacuated.

Fires also flared on both sides of the Turkish-Syrian border on Friday, with a new blaze reported near the town of Dortyol in Turkey’s border province of Hatay.

According to Syria’s Civil Defence, wildfires have spread across large parts of mountainous areas in the Latakia province.

The government department added that conditions have hampered efforts to bring the fire under control, and noted unexploded ordnance could be in some of the areas affected.

Source: SKY NEWS

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CBSL extends Perpetual Treasuries suspension for six months

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The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has decided to extend the suspension of Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL) from carrying on the business and activities of a Primary Dealer for a further period of six months.

The extension is with effect from 4.30 p.m. on 05th July 2025, in order to continue the investigations being conducted by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

The suspension has been extended by CBSL acting in terms of the Regulations made under the Registered Stock and Securities Ordinance and the Local Treasury Bills Ordinance.

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Kataragama Basnayake Nilame pressured over complaint against Kapuwas’ donation misuse

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It has been reported that Dishan Wickramaratne Gunasekara – the Basnayake Nilame of the historic Ruhunu Kataragama Maha Devalaya, is facing pressure including from several parties including political circles to withdraw his complaint lodged against the custodians (Kapu Mahattaya) of the devalaya.

The issue had arisen after it was discovered that some custodians were collecting money into their own tills instead of allowing them to be deposited in the official donation box.

Public discussion about the transparency of the temple’s donations intensified after the Basnayake Nilame had begun using a portion of the funds for community projects like hospital construction.

Traditionally, devotees often handed donations directly to the custodians, but the Basnayake Nilame had urged the public via media to place offerings only in the official donation box managed by the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs.

He subsequently arranged a proper audit of all such donations for the first time.

In response, some custodians had reportedly begun pressuring devotees near the official box to hand over donations to them instead.

Upon learning of this, the Basnayake Nilame had lodged a complaint with the Kataragama Police, arguing that diverting funds from the official box amounts to fraudulent misappropriation.

Acting on the complaint, police arrested 02 custodians who were collecting offerings near the official box.

However, other custodians then surrounded the police station and pressured the officers to release the arrested individuals, resulting in their release.

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