Month: July 2022

Amid the ongoing protest against the economic crisis, a ship containing 3,700 metric tonnes of LP gas has arrived in Sri Lanka.

The second ship carrying 3,740 metric tonnes of gas will arrive in the island nation tomorrow evening, Daily Mirror reported citing the Presidential Secretariat.
The statement added that the officers were instructed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to carry out the unloading and distribution of LP gas as soon as the ship arrives at Kerawalapitiya at 3 p.m.

The third ship with 3,200 metric tonnes of gas will arrive in the island nation on Friday and a total of 33,000 metric tonnes of gas is ordered for this month, local media reported.

Furthermore, the statement mentioned that Litro Gas company chairman Muditha Peiris had said that the distribution of the gas will be regular and systematic from Tuesday and the problem regarding domestic LP gas demand will be completely evaded by the end of this month.

Notably, Sri Lanka has been facing the worst economic crisis since independence in 1948, leading to an acute shortage of essential items like food, medicine, cooking gas, and fuel across the island nation.

The economic crisis has particularly impacted food security, agriculture, livelihoods, and access to health services.

Sri Lanka is one of the few nations named by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) which is expected to go without food due to the global food shortage expected this year.

The development comes after protesters stormed into President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s official home and later broke into Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s private residence and set it on fire on Saturday.

Both President Rajapaksa and PM Wickremesinghe have announced to step down from their posts amid the ongoing protests. (ANI)

All Ceylon Bakery Owners’ Association (ACBOA) on Sunday said that bakery products including bread will be emptied from the shelves in the next two or three days amid severe food shortage in the country.

ACBOA President NK Jayawardena said that bread may disappear from bakery shelves soon due to the prevalent fuel crisis and the shortage and price increase of all ingredients, reported Daily Mirror.
With the current crisis and precarious economic situation, currently, 50 per cent of the bakery’s production has stopped. The remainder too will grind to a halt very soon.

“As the responsible member, I mentioned earlier that the bakery industry is facing a serious threat and would collapse due to the prevalent fuel crisis,” said Jayawardena.

The ACBOA President further blamed the government for the fuel crisis, adding that he had informed the Power and Energy Minister about this fuel crisis, but no response from the minister came yet, reported Daily Mirror.

“Bakery production also falls under the essential service category. But nothing has been done to salvage the bakery industry so far,” he lamented.

Earlier on Saturday, Sri Lankan commoners stormed into President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s official home and later broke into Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s private residence and set it on fire.

Both President Rajapaksa and PM Wickremesinghe have announced to step down from their posts amid the ongoing protests. However, the protesters who have occupied the residences of the President and Prime Minister have cleared that they will continue to occupy their houses until they resign from their posts.

Sri Lanka is suffering its worst economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948, which comes on the heels of successive waves of COVID-19, threatening to undo years of development progress.

Some 6.26 million Sri Lankans, or three in 10 households, are unsure of where their next meal is coming from, according to the latest food insecurity assessment from the World Food Programme (WFP). (ANI)

Sri Lankan protesters who have occupied the residences of the President and Prime Minister have cleared that they will continue to occupy their houses until they resign from their posts.

Despite President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe agreeing to resign, protesters continue to protest outside the premises of the Sri Lankan Presidential Secretariat in Colombo as they don’t trust him.
The protesters held demonstrations and sloganeered against the economic crisis, outside the Presidential Secretariat, which was stormed by a sea of protestors on Saturday.

Speaking to ANI, one of the protesters, named Akushla Fernando said that the President had announced his resignation but they all are still waiting for the official confirmation. “We will be here till 13th July as we don’t trust President, he has already sold our country. We just entered the premises and showed that people have more power than politicians,” she added.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa agreed to step down from his post on Wednesday. Rajapaksa has informed that he will resign from the Presidency on July 13, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced in a press conference this evening, according to Sri Lanka’s news outlet Newswire.

Meanwhile, another protester said that they will continue the protest till July 13, the time President resigns. “For 6 months a group of people will stay here while others will move back. We want justice, we are protesting for our rights,” he added.

One of the protesters also said that they don’t have faith in the president. He further said that the president had informed them about his resignation but didn’t give the confirmation in writing.

“We will be here at the protest site at Galle’s face for more than six months after the president’s resignation…” protestors told ANI.

Meanwhile, the President’s house has become a new tourist spot in Colombo as enraged protestors after taking over the residence entirely are unwinding — strolling through the balconies, relaxing in bedrooms, dining in the kitchen and taking a dip in the swimming pool.

People inside the president’s house can be seen taking selfies with expensive cars as the backdrop.

Dramatic visuals from outside Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapakse’s residence on Saturday showed a sea of demonstrators storming into the compound, tearing down security cordons placed by police, taking a dip in the swimming pool and romping through his kitchen and home.

With the demand for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation, they stormed into the President’s house, tore down security cordons placed by police, took a dip in the swimming pool and romped through his kitchen and home.

Wickremesinghe, who was appointed as Prime Minister in May, announced that he will resign from his post in order to ensure the continuation of the government and the safety of all the citizens but still the protesters broke into Wickremesinghe’s private residence and set it on fire. (ANI)

As many as nine people have lost their lives due to incessant rainfall and its related incidents in Maharashtra in the last 24 hours, the State Disaster Management Department informed on Sunday.

According to the Maharashtra SDMD, a total of 76 people have died since June 1 and as many as 838 houses were damaged due to the rain-related incidents in the state.
“At least 4,916 people have been shifted to safer locations, and 35 relief camps were set up by the disaster management department and rehabilitation department,” it said.

The SDMD said 125 animals have also lost their lives in rain/flood-related incidents in Maharashtra since June 1.

Several parts of Maharashtra have witnessed heavy rainfall over the past few days amidst the wet spell on the state since the onset of a torrential monsoon.

The capital city has been witnessing heavy rain since Monday following which areas are waterlogged and traffic movement has been affected.

On Tuesday, a landslide incident was reported in Ghatkopar’s Panchsheel Nagar in Mumbai amidst heavy rains, which demolished a house. And on Wednesday, another landslide was reported near Pratapgarh Fort in Maharashtra’s Satara district.

Several rivers in the state have reached the warning level. The Kundalika river has crossed the warning level and the water level of the Amba, Savitri, Patalganga, Ulhas and Garhi rivers are slightly below the warning level.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted a fresh spell of intense rainfall over Maharashtra from July 12.

“Fresh intense wet spell likely over Gujarat, Konkan and Goa, Madhya Maharashtra and coastal Karnataka from July 12, 2022,” it tweeted. (ANI)

Actor Ritiesh Deshmukh on Sunday announced that Bollywood star Salman Khan is going to be a part of his Marathi directorial debut ‘Ved’.

Taking to Instagram, the ‘Housefull’ actor announced the film wrap with some behind-the-lens pictures from the sets of his upcoming Marathi film, which features Riteish along with Salman, to which he captioned, “As we celebrate Ashadi Ekadashi, I wish you all a life filled with happiness, love and prosperity. On this auspicious day, it thrills me to say that with your kind blessings I have completed filming my first directorial Marathi movie ‘Ved’ (Madness, Crazy, Passion). This road had its own challenges but when you are surrounded with people that have your back, forward is the only way you can go.”

Along with the film wrap, the ‘Masti’ actor announced that after a special cameo in his Marathi debut film ‘Lai Bhaari’ the ‘Sultan’ actor will now be part of his debut directorial also.

“One such person is my dearest ‘Salman Bhau’ @beingsalmankhan, I have no words to express my gratitude for the grace and kindness he has shown towards Genelia and me. He was part of my debut Marathi film ‘Lai Bhaari’ and now he is a part of my debut directorial film Ved

Love you Bhau.” He added to his statement.

In the pictures, both the actors can be seen sharing a happy moment, as they shoot for a special dance number for the film.

‘Ved’ also marks the debut of the ‘Grand Masti’ actor’s wife Genelia D’souza in the Marathi film industry.

Meanwhile, Ritiesh will also be seen in Netflix film ‘Plan A Plan B’ with Tamanna Bhatia and the horror-comedy ‘Kakuda’ alongside Sonakshi Sinha and Saqib Saleem. (ANI)

Expelled Congress MLA from Haryana, Kuldeep Bishnoi on Sunday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda.

“It was a real honour and pleasure to meet Amit Shah ji. A true statesman, I felt his aura and charisma in my interactions with him. His vision for India is awe-inspiring,” Bishnoi said in a tweet.
“I am very proud to meet JP Nadda ji. His easy-going and humble nature sets him apart from others. Under his able chairmanship, BJP has seen unprecedented heights. I wish him good health and long life,” he added.

Bishnoi who cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha polls in Haryana was expelled from all party positions including his membership of the Congress Working Committee (Special Invitee).

After the Congress expelled Bishnoi, he had said that the rules of the party existed only for some leaders while there were exceptions for others.

“Congress also has rules for some leaders and exceptions for others. Rules are applied selectively. Indiscipline has been repeatedly ignored in the past. In my case, I listened to my soul and acted on my morals,” he had tweeted.

He also stressed on the party’s inaction on other critical opportunities.

“Had @incindia acted this swiftly & strongly in 2016 and on every other critical opportunity they’ve missed, they wouldn’t have been in such dire straits,” he added in another tweet.

The expulsion came after Congress candidate Ajay Maken lost the Rajya Sabha elections to media baron Kartikeya Sharma, the BJP-backed independent candidate, by a “narrow margin”, a huge shock for the grand old party which was confident of winning the seat.

Polling was held on June 10 to elect two members to the Upper House of Parliament from Haryana. BJP’s Krishan Lal Panwar scored a comfortable victory with 31 votes, leaving the battle for the second seat between Maken and Sharma. (ANI)

The Punjab government has suspended four officers of the Public Works Department (PWD) for carrying out road construction in Hoshiarpur district amid heavy rainfall.

Four officers, namely Tarsem Singh (Sub-Divisional Engineer), Vipan Kumar (Junior Engineer), Parveen Kumar (Junior Engineer), and Jasbir Singh (Junior Engineer) were placed under suspension on Saturday with immediate effect.
The road was being built in the Sherpur Dako village of Hoshiarpur during the downpour.

The department took action after a video went viral on social media, showing the workers engaged in the laborious task amidst heavy rains.

The video was recorded by villagers protesting against the construction.

The India Meteorological Department had predicted heavy showers for several cities in Punjab, including Hoshiarpur.

For the next five days, IMD has predicted scattered/fairly widespread rainfall activity with isolated thunderstorms and lightning in the state. (ANI)

Heavy rains lashed the cities of Ambala and Chandigarh on Sunday.

Several areas of Ambala recorded waterlogging. The Municipal Corporation began extraction of water via motor pumps from Nadi Mohalla of Ambala.
In the visuals, the roads could be seen jammed due to the inundation.

Chandigarh also witnessed a heavy downpour for the second day in the city.

The India Meteorological Department had predicted isolated heavy rainfalls (64.5 to 114.5 mm) over Punjab and Haryana-Chandigarh for July 10, along with thunderstorms and lightning.

“Isolated heavy rainfall likely over Punjab & Haryana-Chandigarh on 10th; north Uttar Pradesh on 10th; West Rajasthan during 09th-11th and over East Rajasthan during 11th-13th July, 2022,” the IMD tweet read.

Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr, Ropar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and several other cities of Punjab are likely to witness heavy showers on July 10. Many cities in Haryana are also likely to witness a torrential downpour.

For the next five days, IMD has predicted scattered/fairly widespread rainfall activity with isolated thunderstorms and lightning in Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh.

“Scattered/fairly rainfall activity with isolated thunderstorm/lightning very likely Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Rajasthan and isolated/scattered over Uttar Pradesh during next 5 days,” the IMD statement read.

Farmers are being advised to undertake measures to drain the excess water and not allow it to stagnate in the fields in order to avoid damage to paddy cultivation due to over-hydration and strong winds. (ANI)

Border Security Force (BSF) and Pakistan Rangers exchanged sweets at the Attari-Wagah border on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha on Sunday.

Speaking to ANI, BSF Commandant Jasbir Singh said, “On the occasion of Eid Al-Adha, BSF has offered sweets to Pakistan Rangers at Joint Check Post (JCP) Attari Border. This is a traditional gesture between two border guarding forces. This also symbolises our tradition, goodwill and peace.”

Eid Al-Adha or Bakra Eid, which is being observed on July 10 this year, is a holy occasion also called the ‘festival of sacrifice’ and is celebrated on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic or lunar calendar. It marks the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

Every year, the date changes as it’s based on the Islamic lunar calendar, which is about 11 days shorter than the Western 365-day Gregorian calendar.

Eid Al-Adha is an occasion of joy and peace, where people celebrate with their families, let go of past grudges and make meaningful connections with one another. It is celebrated as a commemoration of Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice everything for God.

The history of this occasion traces back to 4,000 years ago when Allah appeared in Prophet Abraham’s dream asking him to sacrifice what he loved the most.

As per the legends, the Prophet was about to sacrifice his son Isaac when an angel appeared and stopped him from doing so. He was told that God was convinced of his love for him and hence was allowed to make something else as a ‘great sacrifice’.

The same story appears in the Bible and is familiar to Jews and Christians. One key difference is that Muslims believe the son was Ishmael rather than Isaac as told in the Old Testament. In Islam, Ishmael is regarded as a prophet and an ancestor of Muhammad.

To mark this occasion, Muslims re-enact Ibrahim’s obedience with the symbolic sacrifice of a lamb, goat, cow, camel, or another animal that is then divided into threes to be shared equally among family, friends and the needy.

Around the world, Eid traditions and festivities vary and different countries have unique cultural approaches to this important festival. In India, Muslims wear new clothes and attend open-air prayer meetings. They may sacrifice a sheep or goat and share the meat with family members, neighbours, and the poor.

Several dishes like mutton biryani, Ghosht Haleem, Shami Kebab and mutton korma, along with desserts such as kheer and Sheer Khurma are eaten on this day. Offering charity to the underprivileged is also considered an important part of Eid al-Adha. (ANI)