Sri Lanka goes to local polls after 7-year gap, first under Dissanayake govt

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Colombo, May 6 (IANS) Sri Lanka on Tuesday held the local government elections, following a seven-year hiatus and the first of its kind conducted after National People’s Power (NPP), led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, came to power last year.

Out of the total of 341 local bodies, the elections are being conducted for 339 bodies across the island nation, marking a significant milestone in the country’s democratic process, according to local media reports.

Sri Lanka’s ruling party, the NPP, the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya, the United National Party, and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna are contesting the election.

Over 65,000 Sri Lankan police officers have been deployed for election duties to maintain law and order.

Local media reports further suggest that a record of 75,589 candidates, representing 49 recognised political parties and 257 independent groups are contesting in this year’s elections.

Additionally, a total of 17,156,338 registered voters are eligible to cast their ballots at 13,759 polling centres established nationwide.

Dissanayake, as the NPP leader, actively campaigned for the elections, hoping to break the grip of traditional parties at the local levels by taking control of the local bodies, according to local media reports.

Last year, he achieved grand success in both parliamentary and presidential elections of the country, and therefore challenge for him in this local election would be whether he will be able to drive home the point that voters are still with him.

Meanwhile, the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) is under fierce pressure to deliver better at this election, as they suffered defeat at the last two national elections.

Another opposition party, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, led by Namal Rajapaksa, which was once the dominant political force in the country, also actively campaigned to bag as many votes as possible, Sri Lanka’s leading newspaper, Daily Mirror, reported.

The Election Commission of Sri Lanka and relevant authorities urged all eligible voters to resort to peaceful and democratic methods while exercising their rights and contributing to the advancement of local governance across the island nation.

–IANS

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Saif Ali Khan attack case: Mumbai Police find pictures of two suspects on Shehzad’s mobile phone

New Delhi, Jan 20 (IANS) The Bangladeshi national, Mohammad Shariful Islam Shehzad, arrested on charges of stabbing actor Saif Ali Khan after breaking into his house, was keeping a very close watch on the police investigation through news and had kept screenshots of the suspects, being shown by the media, in his mobile phone.

The Mumbai Police said the photographs of the suspects were seized from the mobile phone of Shehzad. The suspects were those men who were interrogated by the police while on the lookout for the main culprit.

The media was continuously giving updates on the case and showing the photographs of suspects being picked up by the police.

Shehzad had saved the photographs of the two suspects on his mobile phone. Screenshots of the suspects being shown on news channels were found in the phone’s memory.

The Mumbai Police had picked up two suspects earlier and had questioned them. Both these had a resemblance to the main accused.

The accused was keeping a very close watch on the activities of the police and was getting information about the activities of the police through the news, said officials.

Meanwhile, sources in the Mumbai Police said they will likely recreate the crime scene at the Bandra home of Saif Ali Khan, where the crime incident took place.

The accused, Shehzad, a 30-year-old Bangladeshi man, was arrested on Sunday morning from Thane city.

A court remanded the accused in police custody for five days. According to the official, police will likely take Shehzad to Khan’s home in the ‘Satguru Sharan’ building during these five days to recreate the crime scene as part of the investigation.

The accused has reportedly confessed to the crime, saying “haan, maine hi kiya hai (yes, I did it)”.

According to police sources, Shehzad was arrested near Hiranandani Estate in Kasarvadavali in Thane, about 35 km from Khan’s house in Mumbai’s Bandra area on Sunday. The breakthrough came after over 70 hours of an intense manhunt that was launched following the attack during a failed burglary bid in the early hours of Thursday.

The police traced Shehzad to a labour camp in a forested area in Thane. As soon as Shehzad got a whiff that policemen were looking for him in Thane, the accused hid himself in the bushes, a source said. “He was arrested after a search operation that lasted for seven hours in the city,” the source added.

On Sunday, DCP Dixit Gedam told the media that Shehzad is a Bangladeshi national. “He does not have any Indian documents. Some things found in his possession show that he is a Bangladeshi national,” Gedam said. Police also said the accused had been living in Mumbai for the past four months and had changed his name to Bijoy Das.

–IANS

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US: Kilauea volcano erupts again in Hawaii

Los Angeles, Dec 24 (IANS) Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, started erupting again in Hawaii’s Big Island, the US Geological Survey (USGS) Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said.

Elevated earthquake activity beneath the volcano’s summit began at approximately 2:00 a.m. local time on Monday. By 2:30 a.m. local time, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory observed eruptive activity in Kilauea summit webcam images, indicating that an eruption has commenced within Halemaumau crater and the summit caldera in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, according to a news release from the agency.

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said it is elevating Kilauea’s volcano alert level from advisory to warning and its aviation color code from yellow to red as this eruption and associated hazards are evaluated.

The opening phases of eruptions are dynamic, said the agency, adding that the activity is confined to the summit caldera and the hazards will be reassessed as the eruption progresses.

The USGS noted that high levels of volcanic gas — primarily water vapour (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) — are the primary hazard of concern, as this hazard can have far-reaching effects down-wind.

It’s the second time the volcano has erupted this year. The most recent Kilauea eruption was in September, Xinhua news agency reported.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park said in a Facebook post, “The new eruption at the summit of Kilauea volcano is drawing thousands of visitors to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park eager to see new erupting lava by day and the lava glow after dark.”

“This new eruption is viewable from almost all open areas around the caldera,” said the park, adding that the park remains open 24 hours a day.

The park also warned tourists that “while an eruption is an exciting experience, keep in mind you are observing a sacred event” and reminded the public to stay safe as “volcanic eruptions can be hazardous and change at any time.”

–IANS

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Telangana remains only agenda of BRS, says KTR

Hyderabad, April 27 (IANS) Telangana is the only agenda of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), said its working president K. T. Rama Rao on Sunday ahead of the party’s silver jubilee celebrations and public meeting.

He unfurled the BRS flag at party headquarters, Telangana Bhavan here, before setting out for the public meeting at Elkathurthy in Hanamkonda district.

“Telangana was the only agenda for our party when it started its journey 25 years ago, and it remains the only agenda,” he said.

KTR said, “After achieving Telangana state, BRS has been relentlessly working for its development.

KTR and other party leaders also paid tributes to Telangana’s martyrs at Gun Park, paid homage to Telangana Talli, Telangana ideologue Professor Jayashankar and freedom fighter Konda Lakshman Bapuji.

Speaking on the occasion, the BRS leader said Konda Laxman Bapuji and Professor Jayashankar were the inspiration for the Telangana movement and the party’s journey.

KTR stated that besides the inspiration of the two eminent personalities, the leadership of K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) played a key role in the party’s 25-year-long journey.

While paying tributes to Konda Laxman Bapuji’s statue at Tank Bund, KTR recalled that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) took birth at Jala Drushyam in the same area.

The TRS, floated by KCR in 2001 to revive the movement for statehood to Telangana, changed its name to BRS in 2022.

KTR said that the party began its journey with just one person, and with the support of lakhs of people, Telangana achieved the status of a state.

He hoped that with the blessings of the martyrs and elders, BRS would serve the Telangana society for another 25 years.

In his post on ‘X’, the BRS working president stated that as a party born out of a movement, BRS achieved Telangana state, as a ruling party, it unveiled a bright Telangana, and now as an opposition party, it is fighting on behalf of the people.

KTR said that BRS discharged every responsibility given by the Telangana society as a sacred duty with dedication and commitment.

He thanked all those who have been with BRS under KCR’s leadership all these years and vowed to keep the party’s flag high.

Former chief minister KCR will be addressing the mammoth public meeting scheduled on Sunday evening.

The party has made elaborate arrangements for the meeting, which will be the first massive show of strength since losing power to Congress in 2023 after ruling India’s youngest state for 10 years.

The public meeting is being held in the sprawling 1,213 acres, covering the main stage, parking and other facilities. The main stage, spread over 154 acres, has been constructed to accommodate 500 dignitaries.

Lakhs of people are being mobilised for the public meeting from various parts of the state.

The party has arranged 10 lakh water bottles and 16 lakh buttermilk packets, deployed six ambulances across different routes, and installed 1,200 temporary toilets for public convenience.

The meeting will start at 5 p.m. with flag hoisting, followed by tributes to Telangana Talli and martyrs, and KCR’s speech.

BRS leaders hoisted the party flags in respective villages across Telangana before starting for Hanamkonda.

–IANS

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