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PG 4 Muslims in ‘No Man’s Land’ following contradictory statements over COVID 19 burials

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Pakistan Premier Imran Khan’s testing visit to touch on revoking Muslim cremations, trade and Kashmir issue

HISTORIC WORLD RECORD

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JAMMU AND KASHMIR

BLOODBATHS

India Green light!

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Dr. Zurfick’s appeals to President once again following Foreign Ministry silence

PG 14 The Best Street Style at the Spring 2021...

Former cricket captain

Imran Khan’s

revisit to Sri Lanka as

Pakistan Prime Minister

T

By Srian Obeyesekere

he revisit to Sri Lanka of Imran Khan, the famous Pakistan cricket captain, now Prime Minister of Pakistan after just over two decades carries a double edged historical significance, and is an unique world record. It will be the first cricketer to have risen to the highest pinnacle as the head of State of his country doing so.

Now 68, the former charismatic all-rounder roundly regarded as the greatest of cricketers produced by

Pakistan for his inspirational leadership qualities, is best remembered for leading Pakistan to a historic world cup success in 1992 beating England in the final. In perspective, the highly skilled fast bowling all-rounder who stood out for his cool and calculated approach to the game as a batsman who could adopt to any given situation, is to this day wooed as the king who put his country on its feet. If his fast bowling feats as one of the world greats in his time set him apart as a champion of champions, and as much his balanced

approach as a batsman, Imran Khan is also hailed for mentoring young players to world class. He is known to have discovered Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis and put muscle on them.

Khan’s trade mark suave, casual but firm approach to the game was one of the hallmarks of his greatness. His impeccable command to Wasim Akram in the decisive world cup final to ‘don’t worry about the extras, just get them’ was stand out captaincy attribute to touching gold.

Cont. 04

(This writer is the only Lankan journalist to interview Hon. Imran Khan in his Lahore Cancer Hospital some years ago.)

US Congress Member Jennifer Wexton writes to SL Ambassador

PG 12 What bugs Sri Lankan cricketers getting on par with top countries?

PG 16 Sri Lanka is now open to travelers

‘Imposition of cremation as the only option for disposing COVID-19 dead amounts to human rights violation’ Jennifer Wexton, Member of the US Congress has written to Sri Lanka’s ambassador to the US, Ravinath Aryasinha stating that the continued practice of mandatory cremation raises the issues of religious freedom and religious discrimination of religious minorities and human rights experts from the United Nations have warned that the imposition of cremation as the only option for handling the bodies confirmed or suspected of of COVID-19 amounts to human rights violation and that the UN is strongly urging the Government of Sri Lanka to stop forced cremation of COVID-19 bodies.

Following is the full text of Wexton communiqué to Aryasinha: “I write to you as a friend of the people of Sri Lanka and on behalf of my constituents, who have expressed concerns regarding Sri Lanka’s mandatory policy of cremating deceased COVID-19 victims.

As the act of cremating a dead body is forbidden in Islam, this policy has exacerbated the stress and grief in the Muslim community in Sri Lanka. It has denied COVID-19 victims and their families from practicing Islamic funeral rites.

The initial belief that the virus could contaminate soil and water if bodies were buried was given an early justification by Sri Lankan health authorities for government policy of mandatory cremation. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and other respected health organisations have since issued statements backed by strong scientific evidence that COVID-19 will not spread by burial of infected bodies, and permit both burials and cremations.

The continued practice of mandatory cremation raises the issues of religious freedom and religious discrimination of religious minorities.

Human rights experts from the United Nations (UN) warn that the imposition of cremation as the only option for handling the bodies confirmed or suspected of COVID-19 amounts to a human rights violation. The UN is strongly urging the Government of Sri Lanka to stop cremation of COVID-19 bodies.

There are four key components of Muslim burial practice ritual cleansing, covering with a burial shroud, congregational prayer over the body, and burial ceremony. The Muslim community has shown flexibility with exceptions and modifications to the process in compliance with COVID-19 safety. With the ability to respect both COVID-19 safety guidelines and religious freedom, it is of great importance to families of COVID-19 victims to be able to perform an Islamic burial.

The dignity of the dead, their cultural and religious traditions, and their families should be respected and protected throughout the memorial process. Therefore, I urge the Sri Lankan government to permit all citizens to choose how they may safely and honourably lay their dead ones to rest.

On this day: Imran Khan-led Pakistan overcomes England to seal World Cup Imran Khan-led Pakistan secured its first World Cup with a 22-run win over England at Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 25, 1992.

25 March, 2020 12:50 IST Pakistan captain Imran Khan collects the trophy from the then ICC president Colin Cowdrey - THE HINDU ARCHIVES They were on the ground, not down and out, but to kiss the soil in their hour of triumph, to thank Allah for his beneficence. The greatest moment in the lives of those11 men came at night, 18 minutes past the hour of ten and only a few past the scheduled close, under the bright, elevating lights of the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The MCG did not erupt in a frenzy of the type frequently seen in Sharjah. There was more of dignified delight. But then this was the MCG, the Mecca of Australian cricket. Pakistan had conquered the world there. And it deserved to because it dared. A team that was down and out had come backroaring. Imran Khan’s cornered tigers were close to extinction with only three of eight league matches left. Theonly team below them was Zimbabwe. And then they soared, the victory tasting that much sweeter because it rep-resented a huge peak of effort.

This was a triumph of spirit. The team did the right things, ranging from agonisingly passive defence to outright aggression. Not many may have kept faith with Pakistan when its senior pros were dawdling out there, in the middle of the concrete cauldron. The electronic scoreboard had gone on the blink.

Came the message ‘We will rectify it as soon as possible’. Perhaps, Imran took it literally.

There had been earlv malfunction in the Pakistan in-v25nings. He rectified it but he seemed in no hurry. Maybe, he was waiting for the scoreboard to settle so it could actually register his runs rather than display computer simulated rubbish.

The score inched up but there was no spurt to be seen. Were these batsmen using the right tactics? Were they not handing it over to England’s pro-seamers, so good when they are on top when given respect. The medium-paced seamers of this world rely so much on method they must have methodical batsmen to bowl to. They would be at a disadvantage if they come across the unconventional or batsmen so full of daring as to march on the attack without any inhibitions.

Imran was later to sav that he was not worried. He wished to bat out the first 15 or 20 overs and set up the slog for younger players more gifted with natural ability to hit the ball.

He did not want to give any more ground to the frightening efficiency of DerekPringle. He was preparing the stage for those who had despair in their hearts and who could convert that into quick runs. Who can argue with his methods when they were so successful? The credit must, however, go to the young men of the late order. Had they failed in the slog, the jackals would have pounced on Imran and Miandad.

The floodgates were opened, perhaps in the nick of time. But the wily old fox

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Miandad may have plotted it all. He hardly looked the batsman he was even a couple of years ago. But in the worst of form he could make another half century. Such is his mastery over tactical one-day batting. It mattered not that he was suffering from internal bleeding from an ulcer throughout the championship.

The cornered tiger cubs took over the stage as soon as the senior artists vacated it. It appeared there was a divine factor behind this good timing,even of the potentially disastrous departure of Miandad and Imran. For long it has been suspected that there is a tiger in Wasim Akram’s tank. This tiger is not always on the prowl. But when the big occasion demanded, that tiger came roaring into the open, first to bat and mock the scoring rate of those who had gone in front and then to bowl.

Throughout the World Cup he had been bowling all over the place, wides and no balls being an annoying part of his performance.

But he was not curbed. He was taking wickets and they are the best form of defence. “Don’t worry about the extras, just get them,” was Imran’s strategy for Akram and who better than this gifted leftarm seamer of awesome variety to bowl at any part of an innings against any batsman?

Akram returned with fire in his belly after being denied a wicket by some doubtful umpiring from the New Zealander Aldridge in his first spell. He had been replaced by the tiger cub.Mushtaq. The short and stocky leggie may not be a bundle of energy like Abdul Qadir.

He has a greater heart for the job and the leggie’s task calls for much heart. It is cricket’s most hazardous occupation, even worse in one-day cricket where slogging hits across the spin can send the ball soaring out of the ground in lesser venues. At the MCG, the leggie is the ultimate weapon provided, of course, that he is as good as Mushtaq.

Pakistan players celebrate the 1992 World Cup win. - The Hindu Archives The Bank officer may not know the intricacies of the world’s labyrinthine financial markets. He certainly knows how to give the ball a tweak and dare the batsmen to get at him. He spun a web around the celebrated Graeme Hick who may take quite a while to learn to read spin when it is bowled with oriental wizardry from over the wrist.

The leggie had softened the Englishmen and foxed them with complex questions of flight and spin. The wizard of England fell.

Gooch who had swept the Indian spinners out of the last World Cup was not such a sweeping success here. His first full sweep square of the wicket went up in the air to deep square. There may have been no panic over the captain going thus but the signs were on the wall.

Fairbrother and Lamb did not think so. This was professionalism at its best.’Keep chipping away, run the singles and whittle down the gap and thensee.’ is the pros’ approach. The two were just about defying a rate that had climbed

beyond seven. Pakistan had the whip hand but this type of cricket waits for no one. Somebody had to get at the opponent’s throat if this was not to develop into a long and chancy contest that may hang in the balance till the very end.

In came Akram and the contest was over.

There could only be one winner of the ‘Man of the Match’ award after two great balls had shattered the wicket without threatening the stump camera. Akram chose the off stump as his target and Lamb and Lewis had no way of defending it. They must rank on par with the three great balls in succession in Test cricket that Kapil Dev bowled in Brisbane to get Border and Jones. Even better because they won a Cup final. There was none else in contention for the $5000 ‘Man of the Final’ award. The temptation until then may have been to give it to Mushtaq because of the bonny spirit with which he bowls leg spin. There is a more direct aggression to Akram’s pace that must often win matches, or turn them as it did on the night of the grand finale in front of a world audience.

The match was settled, though to the credit of the pros they kept it going into the 50th over. seemingly in with a chance to defy the astronomical odds. The odd hit would soar into the far distances of this huge ground and the batsmen would scamper for their twos and threes and the on-site crowd of 87.182, the highest ever for a World Cup final but just short of the record for all oneday internationals, would gasp. Some would wonder if another miracle would come about and turn this battle over to the other side. But there had been enough miracles for one day.

There would be no more in this World Cup. Victory went to those who sought it most. This is the law of life, if not of the jungle. Time and tide wait for no man.

Not even for Imran Khan whose mending shoulder permitted him to bowl, but only in a desperate sort of way to control the middle overs. And he came on at the end to seek greater glory. The realisation that it was already at hand may have driven him into those extra overs into the finish. But this man could not be accused of selfishness. He is the undisputed leader who made runs when his team needed them most.

Imran handled his men astutely, when they needed to be controlled. He intervened when they threatened to jump off the handle, restrained them, taught them self discipline.

He thoroughly deserved to lead a winning team in the World Cup final even if there were shades of self above team in his placing the cancer hospital programme over Pakistan at the closing speech.

This was one sporting triumph that was not marked by the free flow of champagne. The spirit may have triumphed but there is no place for spirits in Pakistan cricket. The chanting of supporters in front of the team hotel well into the night of Imran’s wonders came from the hearts of those who had passionately believed their team would turn around in time to make victory possible. Imran had always believed it, at the worst of times, too, when he kept telling his friends about his gut feeling. Listeners may have been sceptical but they dared not say it to the Khan of Pakistan cricket. For this is another Khan of the type who is used to conquering.

1992 World Cup final scorecard Pakistan: Aamir Sohail c Stewart b Pringle 4; Rameez Raja Ibw b Pringle 8; Imran Khan c Illingworth b Botham 72; Javed Miandad c Botham b Illingworth 58; Inzamam-ul-Haq b Pringle 42; Wasim Akram (not out)33; Salim Malik (run out) 0; Extras: (Ib 19, nb 7, w 6) 32; Total: (for six wkts in 50 overs) 249 Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-24. 5-163,4-197, 5-249, 6-249.England bowling: Pringle 10-2-223: Lewis 10-2-52-0; Botham 7-0-42-1; DeFreitas 10-1-42-0: Illingworth 10-0-50-1; Reeve 3-0-22-0 England: G. A. Gooch c Aaqib Javedb Mushtaq 29; I. Botham c Moin Khan b Akram 0; A. Stewart c Moin Khan b Aaqib Javed 7; G.

A. Hick Ibw b Mushtaq 17; N. H. Fairbrother c Moin Khan b Aaqib Javed 62; A. Iamb b Akram 51; C. C. Lewis b Akram 0; D. A. Reeve c Rameez Raja b Mushtaq1 5; D. R. Pringle (not out) 18; P. A. J. DeFreitas (run out) 10; R. K. Illingworth c Rameez Raja b Imran 14; Extras: (Ib 5, nb 6, w 13) 24; Total: (in 49.2 overs) 227 Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-21, 3-59,4-69, 5-141, 6-141, 7-180, 8-183,9-208.

Pakistan bowling: Wasim Akram10-0-49-3; Aaqib Javed 10-2-27-2; Mushtaq Ahmed 10-141-3; Ijaz Ahmed 3-0-13-0: Imran Khan 6.2-0-431; Aamir Sohail 10-0-49-0 Man of the Match: Wasim Akram.

(Courtesy SPORTSTAR)

Imran Khan – Pakistan’s finest cricketer, biggest heartthrob Few would dispute that Imran was the finest cricketer Pakistan has produced, or the biggest heartthrob. Suave, erudite and monstrously talented, he gave cricket in the subcontinent real sex appeal in the 1970s and 1980s. As such he and TV completed the popularisation of the game in his country which Hanif Mohammad and the radio had begun. Thousands, if not millions, who had never dreamt of bowling fast on heartless baked mud suddenly wanted to emulate Imran and his lithe bounding run, his leap and his reverseswinging yorker. He also made himself into an allrounder worth a place for his

batting alone, and captained Pakistan as well as anyone, rounding off his career with the 1992 World Cup. He played hardly any domestic cricket in Pakistan: instead he just flew in for home series from Worcestershire or Sussex, or rather from the more fashionable London salons.

His averages (37 with the bat, 22 with the ball) put him at the top of the quartet of allrounders (Ian Botham, Richard Hadlee and Kapil Dev being the others) who dominated Test cricket in the 1980s. And whereas Botham declined steadily, Imran just got better and better: in his last 10 years of international cricket he played

51 Tests, averaging a sensational 50 with the bat and 19 with the ball. He gave no quarter during some memorable battles with West Indies - Pakistan drew three series with them at a time when everybody else was being bounced out of sight - and he led Pakistan to their first series victory in England in 1987, taking 10 for 77 with an imperious display in the decisive victory at Headingley. After retirement he remained a high-profile figure, with his marriage - and subsequent split with - the socialite Jemima Goldsmith and a move into the labyrinthine world of Pakistan politics.

HON. IMRAN KHAN, PRIME MINISTER OF PAKISTAN

WITH BEST COMPLIMENTS ON YOUR VISIT TO OUR MOTHERLAND FROM THARIQUE JAMALDEEN

Srivajiragnana Mawatha, Colombo 9, Sri Lanka

Muslims in ‘No Man’s Land’ following contradictory statements over COVID - 19 burials The raging COVID 19 impasse in Sri Lanka that has claimed 390 lives from a total tally of 74,852 Corona patients that has with it sparked a raging controversy over the Muslim community stand for final rites burials as opposed to the government’s cremation policy that saw a sudden nose dive with Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa’s recent statement in Parliament that burials would be permitted that was greeted with joy and relief by Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Imran Khan by a twitter message, has now become as sick a matter as the epidemic with the Sri Lankan Premier finding vociferous resistance from within his own Podujana Peramuna party.

The Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa had given the assurance in response to a question from a lawmaker in Parliament.

Opinions were aired that the prime minister alone could not take a decision on it, but that it had to be collective decision by the health authorizes itself. It has left the Lankan Muslim community in a momentary ‘No Man’s Land’ following contradictory statements. On the heels of it all a statement has emerged from the State Minister Of Primary Health Care, Dr. Sudarshani Fernandopulle from a hitherto in the shadows figure on the subject announcing that a decision on burials will be made by Health Minister, Pavithra Wanniarachchi who herself has gone off the official mouth piece radar becoming a victim of the epidemic.

Conflicting statements have left the Muslim community at wits

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end as to what is exactly happening with another statement that only a committee had the authority to decide on whether to bury or cremate.

“She is still undergoing treatment for COVID-19 infection,” the State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and COVID Disease Control had reportedly stated.

Holding that the virus in human remains could contaminate

underground water, Sri Lanka made compulsory the cremation of the Covid 19 dead. Sri Lanka made compulsory the cremation of all people who die from COVID-19 The decision has been disputed by Muslims and non-Muslims alike labeling it unscientific and insensitive of Muslim religious beliefs.

The United Nations has also raised concerns with the government. The World Health Organization and Sri Lankan doctors’ groups have said COVID-19 victims can either be buried or cremated.

UN experts, in a latest statement held that cremations of the COVID 19 Muslim dead was a contravention of the religious beliefs of Muslims and other minority communities in Sri Lanka, and could “foment existing prejudices, intolerance and violence”.

“While we must be alert to the serious public health challenges posed by the pandemic, COVID-19 measures must respect and protect the dignity of the dead, their cultural and religious traditions or beliefs, and their families throughout,” the UN experts urged.

Meanwhile, as a hitherto tight lockdown blanket reigned, its relaxation by the government in an effort to revive a flagging economy that has taken a bad beating following the long drawn outbreak of the epidemic, has seen a recent surge in detections with an average 4 to 5 deaths reported daily.

Minister Weerasekara hopeful that UNHRC would not go for a vote Public Security Minister Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara yesterday kept hopes that the 46th UNHRC session scheduled to begin on Monday (22) in Geneva would not go for a vote to pass a resolution against Sri Lanka, amidst the global Covid-19 pandemic, as the UN body does not want a split among member nations at this critical hour.

However, Sri Lanka must be ready for any eventuality and ensure the support of a minimum of 24 out of 47 member countries of the UNHRC, he added.

He said that the UN resolutions

are not binding but Sri Lanka got into a trap when UNHRC resolution 30/1 which was jointly sponsored

by Sri Lanka and the US was passed in 2015 with a mandate to probe alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka.

“Most of the clauses contained in the 30/1 resolution compromises our Constitution, admit that our heroic soldiers committed human rights violations and therefore needs to be probed,” he said.

Minister Weerasekara pointed out that the western nations, former UN Secretary General

Ban ki Moon or the UNHRC did not utter a word when the LTTE recruited child soldiers and sent them to the war front as cannon fodder and prevented Tamil civilians from crossing over to the safety of government held areas during the war.

Britain’s foreign secretary David Miliband and France’s Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner wanted a ceasefire only when the LTTE was in trouble and requested President Mahinda Rajapaksa in April 2009 to create a safe passage for LTTE leaders to escape to a safe heaven.

UK travel restriction lifted: Foreign Ministry The temporary travel restriction introduced by the Government on travels originating from the United Kingdom to Sri Lanka due to the new Covid -19 Variant in the UK has been lifted with immediate effect.

“At a meeting presided by the President, it was decided to relax the restrictions on travels from

UK subject to 14 days of quarantine and PCR tests determined by the Health Authorities,” the Foreign Ministry announced.

The tourist arrivals from the UK too will resume under the guidelines introduced by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau.

We are willing to forgive those who staged the attacks - Cardinal Whilst highlighting that Catholics are willing to forgive those who staged the Easter Sunday attacks two years ago, archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Ranjith yesterday called for setting up of new laws to prevent such mayhem in the future.

Speaking at the Ash Wednesday Service at St Anthony’s Church Kochchikade Colombo, Cardinal Ranjith called for enacting new laws to prevent such mayhem in the future.

“We are willing to forgive those who staged the Easter Sunday attacks two years ago. There were killings inside this very church. We did not retaliate as Christians. There would have been a greater destruction if we

did. We cannot retaliate according to Christian teachings. Jesus taught us to forgive and love those who harm us. He himself forgave those who killed him by nailing him on a cross.

He prayed that those who killed him be forgiven,” the Cardinal said.

“However it is important to find out who really organised the April 21 attacks and to determine whether any international organisation is involved.

Also it is essential to avoid such mayhem in the future and to bring in new laws to prevent such acts once again. We are not sure whether we can be satisfied with the efforts made by the authorities in this regard.

Let us pray that the rulers of this country will fulfil their duty,” he added.

Also he said any international intervention should be avoided. He made this remark by highlighting that there are international forces which are determined to create disunity among the people of this country just to fulfil their interests.

Continued from page 01 If cricket was a passion to touching greatness, that it has been symbolic to transcending to political greatness projected by an equally astute political wisdom to winning the hearts of the majority Pakistan populace to mounting the highest pinnacle of leading his country as the 19th prime minister of Pakistan is as historic.

Following his retirement from cricket in 1992, he

changed his lifestyle for philanthropy and went on to establish the country’s first state-of-the-art cancer hospital -- named after his mother Shaukat Khanum who had died of cancer in Lahore. It was to earn him the love and esteem of the Pakistanis going on to forge the Tehreek-e-Insaf in 1996 on the way to a challenging uphill political career which he won over in a long test of patience and endurance.

Pakistan Premier Imran Khan’s testing visit to touch on revoking Muslim cremations, trade and Kashmir issue

By Our Special Correspondent

The visit of Pakistan Prime Minister, Imran Khan is very much bound to center on the burning question to Sri Lankan Muslims that is the taboo on COVID-19 related sensitive burials where forced cremations has been a long hurting and long running battle. This follows the announcement by Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa to permit Muslim burials running into stiff opposition from other quarters within the ruling Podujana Party with State Minister of Primary Health Care, Dr. Sudarshani Fernandopulle stating that the decision on Muslim burials had to be a joint decision by a heath committee addressing the issue.

Moreover, in the fermenting three-cornered activity encompassing India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, to what extent the charismatic and astute stature of Imran Khan, the famous cricketer turned politician now as Prime Minister of Pakistan will carry clout during his historic revisit, but maiden visit to o Sri Lanka as the Head of State of Pakistan is the cracking question. By

far it will be the most testing bout of the cricketer turned politician’s political career since assuming the high office of leading his long war torn country. While his world famous cricketing clout of having led Pakistan to the zenith of world cricket has largely endeared Imran Khan to the people of his country in getting elected to the highest pinnacle, how he wears the big crown as opposed to captaining his country in leading Pakistan in the political firmament is by large the biggest challenge he faces. It is to his credit that since assuming office as the 22nd prime minister of his country that Imran Khan has articulated his intellect derived from a sound English Oxford education to good effect in steering Pakistan out of a hitherto volatile inferno healing internal strife to a great extent. But growing tensions political between arch foes India that has for long split what were once excellent cricketing ties between the two countries due to the burning Kashmir issue is the most sensitive issue that he is confronted with. In that scenario, his Sri Lanka visit is significant in so much

as Imran Khan’s tactful approach of offering an olive branch to India having fallen on the wayside due to a brazen India attitude that has set him on a crusade of garnering world support through the United Nations against India’s blatant Kashmir hostilities. Kashmir has become an unceasing bloodbath of massacred innocent men, women and children by the Indian forces.

In that imbalance, Pakistan would be pressing to further cementing tripartite ties with Sri Lanka and China looking at China as the big player in the Indian Ocean in the current context of India wooing Sri Lanka in the Colombo Port project too. While Sri Lanka has largely benefitted from Pakistan military-wise by way of arms and training which stood out in Sri Lanka crushing its long ethnic war against the LTTE, Further strengthening economic ties will be an important agenda for both Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Diverse areas of investment are expected to be another top agenda economy related topic between the two countries with both Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Pakistan Premier Imran Khan prioritising FDIs with studies suggestive that then two countries should diversify their products through research, innovation and value addition adjusting to the demands of their respective markets.

Sri Lanka will seek to promote its world famous tea to Pakistan whose tea market has been dominated by Kenyan tea. Only 10 per centof Lankan tea is CTC (cut, tear and cut) teas that catch the market in Pakistan where only 10 per cent of Sri Lanka tea is CTC and its market share only 2 to 3 per cent which pattern Sri Lanka by all means needs to change by wooing Pakistan as its friendliest neighbor.

Good tidings, for Sri Lanka have been spelt out by Pakistan High Commissioner, Muhammad Saad Khattak who has reportedly stated there is room for growing Pakistan-Sri Lanka economic relations.

“Pakistani companies have invested in agriculture, Information Technology, textiles and construction / real estate development in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan Construction and Real Estate industry is rapidly growing and the country has an import requirement of 600 million USD worth of cement annually from various countries. Pakistan supplies 10% – 20% of Sri Lanka’s cement requirements and has the capacity to increase its exports due to competitive pricing and good quality.

This sector has a larger potential due to increased consumer spending on construction and real estate,” he has commented.

Possible restriction of public travel with COVID ‘UK Variant’ threat With the COVID-19 pandemic becoming even more threatening following its escalation to deeper proportions by way of the UK Vriant’ that has hit Sri Lanka and the entire Gampaha District brought under total lockdown, the Sri Lankan authorities are contemplating restricting public movement in areas exposed to the UK Variant of the virus.

Currently, the casualty rate has touched the 75,000 mark with nearly 4000 deaths following the outbreak in March last year, in a progressive escalation with a much as seven deaths reported on a single day by February 14.

Announcing the likely move on Monday February 15, State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and COVID Disease Control, Dr. Sudarshini

Fernandopulle said, “The UK Variant of the virus could be highly transmissible. Therefore the risk of the virus spreading among the community is high.”

Dr. Fernandopulle has emphasised that movement in the identified areas be restricted in order to contain the further spread of the virus to other areas. But this would be done only after closely monitoring the situation which was still in its early stages.

In the current situation, the general public has been warned to take maximum protective measures against the highly transmissible UK Variant. The minister particularly singled out the elderly population and those with complications to be extra cautious and if not the situation could become critical.

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New coronavirus ‘UK Variant’:

What do we know?

The rapid spread of a new variant of coronavirus has been blamed for the introduction of strict tier four mixing rules for millions of people, harsher restrictions on mixing at Christmas in England, Scotland and Wales, and other countries placing the UK on a travel ban.

So how has it gone from being nonexistent to the most common form of the virus in parts of England in a matter of months?

The government’s advisers on new infections now say they have “high” confidence that it is more able to transmit than other variants.

All the work is at an early stage, contains huge uncertainties and a long list of unanswered questions.

As I’ve written before, viruses mutate all the time and it’s vital to keep a laser focus on whether the virus’ behaviour is changing.

Why is this variant causing concern?

Three things are coming together that mean it is attracting attention: • It is rapidly replacing other versions of the virus • It has mutations that affect part of the virus likely to be important • Some of those mutations have already been shown in the lab to increase the ability of the virus to infect cells All of these come together to build a case for a virus that can spread more easily.

However, we do not have absolute certainty. New strains can become more common simply by being in the right place at the right time - such as London, which had only tier two restrictions until recently.

But already the justification for tier four restrictions is in part to reduce the spread of the variant.

“Laboratory experiments are required, but do you want to wait weeks or months [to see the results and take action to limit the spread]? Probably not in these circumstances,” Prof Nick Loman, from the Covid-19 Genomics UK Consortium, told me.

How much faster is it spreading?

It was first detected in September. In November around a quarter of cases in London were the new variant. This reached

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nearly two-thirds of cases in mid-December.

You can see how the variant has come to dominate the results of testing in some centres such as the Milton Keynes Lighthouse Laboratory.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter Mathematicians have been running the numbers on the spread of different variants in an attempt to calculate how much of an edge this one might have.

But teasing apart what is due to people’s behaviour and what is due to the virus is hard.

The figure mentioned by Prime Minister Boris Johnson was that the variant may be up to 70% more transmissible. He said this may be increasing the R number - which indicates if an epidemic is growing or shrinking - by 0.4.

That 70% number appeared in a presentation by Dr Erik Volz, from Imperial College London, on Friday.

During the talk he said: “It is really too early to tell… but from what we see so far it is growing very quickly, it is growing faster than [a previous variant] ever grew, but it is important to keep an eye on this.”

There is no “nailed on” figure for how much more infectious the variant may be.

Scientists, whose work is not yet public, have told me figures both much higher and much lower than 70%.

But there remain questions about whether it is any more infectious at all.

“The amount of evidence in the public domain is woefully inadequate to draw strong or firm opinions on whether the virus has truly increased transmission,” said Prof Jonathan Ball, a virologist at the University of Nottingham.

How far has it spread?

It is thought the variant either emerged in a patient in the UK or has been imported from a country with a lower ability to monitor coronavirus mutations.

The variant can be found across the UK, except Northern Ireland, but it is heavily concentrated in London, the South East and eastern England. Cases elsewhere in the country do not seem to have taken off.

Data from Nextstrain, which has been monitoring the genetic codes of the viral samples around the world, suggest cases

in Denmark and Australia have come from the UK. The Netherlands has also reported cases.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter A similar variant that has emerged in South Africa shares some of the same mutations, but appears to be unrelated to this one.

Has this happened before?

Yes. The virus that was first detected in Wuhan, China, is not the same one you will find in most corners of the world.

The D614G mutation emerged in Europe in February and became the globally dominant form of the virus.

Another, called A222V, spread across Europe and was linked to people’s summer holidays in Spain.

What do we know about the new mutations?

An initial analysis of the new variant has been published and identifies 17 potentially important alterations.

There have been changes to the spike protein - this is the key the virus uses to unlock the doorway to our body’s cells.

One mutation called N501Y alters the most important part of the spike, known as the “receptor-binding domain”.

This is where the spike makes first contact with the surface of our body’s cells. Any changes that make it easier for the virus to get inside are likely to give it an edge.

“It looks and smells like an important adaptation,” said Prof Loman.

The other mutation - a H69/V70 deletion, in which a small part of the spike is removed - has emerged several times before, including famously in infected mink.

Work by Prof Ravi Gupta at the University of Cambridge has suggested this mutation increases infectivity two-fold in lab experiments.

Studies by the same group suggest the deletion makes antibodies from the blood of survivors less effective at attacking the virus.

Prof Gupta told me: “It is rapidly increasing, that’s what’s worried government, we are worried, most scientists are worried.”

Where has it come from?

The variant is unusually highly mutated.

The most likely explanation is the variant has emerged in a patient with a weakened immune system that was unable to beat the virus.

Instead their body became a breeding ground for the virus to mutate.

Does it make the infection more deadly?

There is no evidence to suggest that it does, although this will need to be monitored.

However, just increasing transmission would be enough to cause problems for hospitals.

If the new variant means more people are infected more quickly, that would in turn lead to more people needing hospital treatment.

Will the vaccines work against the new variant?

Almost certainly yes, or at least for now.

All three leading vaccines develop an immune response against the existing spike, which is why the question comes up.

Vaccines train the immune system to attack several different parts of the virus, so even though part of the spike has mutated, the vaccines should still work.

“But if we let it add more mutations, then you start worrying,” said Prof Gupta.

“This virus is potentially on a pathway for vaccine escape, it has taken the first couple of steps towards that.”

Vaccine escape happens when the virus changes so it dodges the full effect of the vaccine and continues to infect people.

This may be the most concerning element of what is happening with the virus.

This variant is just the latest to show the virus is continuing to adapt as it infects more and more of us.

A presentation by Prof David Robertson, from the University of Glasgow on Friday, concluded: “The virus will probably be able to generate vaccine escape mutants.”

That would put us in a position similar to flu, where the vaccines need to be regularly updated. Fortunately the vaccines we have are very easy to tweak.

(Courtesy BBC)

Saudi woman handed death sentence for killing Bangladeshi maid

Bangladeshi women workers have faced torture, sexual abuse and other forms of exploitation in Saudi Arabia [File: Munir Uz Zaman/AFP] Saudi court sentences Ayesha al-Jizani to death for killing Bangladeshi maid Abiron Begum in March 2019, says Bangladeshi official.

A criminal court in Saudi Arabia has handed the death sentence to a Saudi woman for killing her Bangladeshi maid in a ruling rights groups say was a rare example of an employer being found guilty of abusing a migrant worker in the Middle East country.

Ayesha al-Jizani was sentenced on Sunday to death by the court for killing Abiron Begum in March 2019, some two years after Begum went to the Gulf state in search of better paid work, a Bangladeshi government official said.

KEEP READING Bangladeshi women recount stories of abuse in Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia says Yemen Houthi drone intercepted after Abha hitWhite House says no call planned to Saudi Arabia Begum’s relatives urged the Bangladeshi

government to take action against the brokers who “tricked” Begum, 40, into taking the job in Saudi Arabia four years ago. “(She) wanted to go abroad to earn more money so that she could pay for her aged parents,” Ayub Ali, Begum’s brother-in-law, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

“They started torturing her two weeks after she left. She would call us and cry … we begged the brokers here to bring her back, but no one listened to us. “ I praise Saudi government for giving out this rare yet exemplary punishment.

BANGLADESH FOREIGN MINISTER AK ABDUL MOMEN Jizani’s husband was jailed for three years for failing to help Begum access medical treatment and making her work outside the family home illegally, confirmed Ahmed Munirus Saleheen, a senior official at Bangladesh’s expatriate ministry.

Jizani’s son was sent to a juvenile facility for seven months, Saleheen added.

Campaigners said the Saudi court’s verdict against an employer was unusual.

“I have been working in the migration field for several years and I have never heard of such a verdict,” said Shakirul Islam, the head of the Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Program, which deals with migrant rights in Bangladesh.

‘Exemplary punishment’ Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen welcomed the verdict. “I praise Saudi government for giving out this rare yet exemplary punishment.”

The minister also urged the Saudi government to investigate other cases of abuses and torture carried out on domestic workers from Bangladesh.

More than 300,000 Bangladeshi female workers have travelled to Saudi Arabia since 1991 but many of them return with stories of abuse and exploitation.

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW) employers confiscate passports, withhold wages and force migrants to

work against their will. Workers who leave their employer without their consent can be charged with “absconding” and face imprisonment and deportation, HRW said.

In the last five years, nearly 70 Bangladeshi female workers died in Saudi Arabia, more than 50 of them committing suicide.

Bangladesh is one of the world’s top exporters of labour and depends heavily on the remittances they send home to relatives.

Prior to the pandemic, about 700,000 Bangladeshis used to travel abroad for jobs annually, with Saudi Arabia being the top destination despite having one of the highest recruitment fees for migrant jobseekers from the South Asian nation.

Labour rights activists say the fee, which is often paid through a network of unofficial brokers, opens the door to exploitation and trafficking.

(Courtey Al Jazeera)

time,” when sufficient supplies arrive.

The PA is expecting some two million doses ordered from various manufacturers, in addition to vaccines from the UN-backed Covax program, set up to help less wealthy nations procure vaccines.

It began vaccinating frontline health care workers earlier this month with an initial procurement of 10,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine, as well as several thousand doses of the Moderna product via Israel.

The Jewish state, which is carrying out one of the world’s fastest vaccination campaigns per capita, has faced international calls to share its stocks with Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank and Israeli-blockaded Gaza.

The PA has registered nearly 115,000 coronavirus cases in the West Bank, including nearly 1,400 deaths, while Hamas has recorded nearly 53,600 cases in Gaza, including 537 deaths.

Palestinians accuse Israel of blocking COVID-19 vaccines to Gaza RAMALLAH: The Palestinian Authority on Monday accused Israel of refusing to allow some 2,000 coronavirus vaccine doses destined for Gaza health workers into the blockaded coastal strip.

The health ministry of the PA, based in the occupied West Bank, had planned to send the Russian Sputnik V doses to Gaza, a separate territory run by Hamas.

But on Monday evening, the ministry said Israel had blocked the transfer.

Israel carries “the full responsibility of this arbitrary move” said minister Mai Al-Kaila in a statement, saying her ministry was coordinating with international organizations to organize the delivery as soon as possible.

COGAT, the Israeli authority that runs civilian affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories, said the PA had requested to transfer 1,000 vaccine doses to Gaza but that “this request is waiting for a political decision.”

Israeli sources had told AFP in recent days

that the transfer was not a simple administrative measure under the purview of COGAT, but rather a political decision possibly linked to talks between Hamas and Israel.

The two sides have fought three wars since 2008, and Israel has demanded the liberation of two Israeli hostages reportedly still in Gaza as well as the remains of two soldiers killed in the last war, in 2014.

Earlier Monday, the PA said it had pushed back the rollout of its vaccination campaign in the West Bank due to a delay in deliveries.

It had said it was anticipating a shipment by the middle of this month, enabling it to start vaccinating the general public in the occupied West Bank while sharing stock with Hamas.

“There has been a delay in the arrival of the vaccine,” Palestinian prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said ahead of a weekly cabinet meeting, without providing further details.

He said the launch of vaccinations for the general public would be announced “at a later

7

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KA

BLO

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Can t its eye

T

he bloodbath pictures tell the story as accusing fingers point directly at the Indian government and Modi and company at the mass destruction of human life – innocent men, women and children. stand Human rights atrocities by the Indian Army and Police in Jammu and Kashmir union has become a terrifying common place thing. That these mass killings of men, women and children takes place under the very eyes of the Indian government beats it all. For a country that prides itself to be a truly democratic State, it is nothing but a mockery and these atrocities must serve as a stark eye opener to the rest of the world as to the mentality of the

8

Indian government for end of the day it’s the Indian rulers courtesy Modi and company that stand docked for blue murder, mass disappearances and endless rape.

The big question is can decent minded thinking give the license to wanton destruction of human life? It is an ongoing issue in northern parts of India. The abuses range from mass killings, enforced disappearances, torture, rape and sexual abuse, political repression and suppression of freedom of speech. The Indian Army, Central Reserve Police Police Force, Border Security Personnel (BSF) and various separatist militant groups stand accused and held accountable for committing severe human rights abuses

ited Nations Sleeping?

AMMU AND

ASHMIR

OODBATHS

Y INDIAN

ORCES

the Indian Govt. Close yes to Massacre of the Innocent?

d

s

against innocent Kashmiri civilians.

Some rights groups say more than 100,000 people have died since 1989] while the official figures from Indian sources state the estimates of number of civilians killed due to the insurgency as above 50,000. According to scholar Seema Kazi, the crimes by militants are incomparable to the larger scale abuse

by Indian state forces. Diplomatic cables obtained by Wiki Leaks revealed that the Red Cross had briefed US officials in Delhi in 2005 about the use of torture from 2002–2004 by security forces against hundreds of detainees suspected of being connected to or having information about militants.

In a 1993 report Rights Watch Dog stated that Indian security forces

“assaulted civilians during search operations, tortured and summarily executed detainees in custody and murdered civilians in reprisal attacks”; according to the report, militants had also targeted civilians, but to a lesser extent than security forces. Rape was regularly used as a means to “punish and humiliate” communities.

Scholar Seema Kazi says it is used as a weapon of war by the state against the population.[ A 2010 US state department report stated that the Indian army in Jammu and Kashmir had carried out extrajudicials killings of civilians and suspected insurgents.

The report also described killings and abuse being carried out by insurgents and separatists.

COMPLAINT AGAINST EX-AMBASSADOR CHARLIE MAHENDRAN

Dr. Zurfick’s appeals to President once again following Foreign Ministry silence

When President Gotabaya Rajapaksa ordered his Presidential Ombudsman to investigate a complaint by Dr. M.G.M.S. Zurfick against former ambassador to Japan, Charlie Mahendran in connection with his kidnapping and robbery of gem stones and cash worth millions of rupees, Zurfick was moved to tears with relief that justice would be served at long last.

In his appeal to the President he had also complained against red tape by foreign affairs ministry bureaucrats whom he accused of sweeping his complaint under the carpet ever since he had raised the matter against Mahendran.

Consequent to the President’s directive, the Ombudsman Commissioner, Mr. S.K. Wickramasinghe had written to the former ministry secretary, Ravinath Aryasinha asking him to submit a report on Zurfick’s complaint against the former ambassador.

However, Aryasinha had remained tight lipped in a continued sience on Zurfick’s complaint that dated back to the tenure of former President, Maithripala Sirisena.

Aryasinha had conspicuously failed to respond to to directives from the former president’s office as well on Zurfick’s complaints.

Meanwhile, the Ombudsman Commissioner proceeded to inquire from

the incumbent secretary, ministry of foreign affairs, Jayanath Colombage as to the file details pertaining to Zurfick’s complaint against Charlie Mahendran. Charlie Mahendran is none other than the father of the prime mover in the Treasury Bond Swindling, Arjuna Mahendran, the former Governor of the Central Bank who is now a fugitive on the run after he left the country while the case was pending against him without even the CID stopping him. While his get away in this big lapse has caused a big headache to first the Maithripala government and now Podujana Peramuna government in getting the fugitive traced and brought back to Sri Lanka to stand trial, Zurfick’s complaint against Arjuna’s father Charlie Mahendran looks destined to a similar fate like the son giving Sri Lanka the big slip.

A hapless Zurfick, who lost all his wealth including his house and property in prime Colombo-06 he was forced to sell to settle his debtors following his nightmare experience which landed him in a Japan hospital with permanent body dislocations, has discovered that the elder Mahendran too has like his son succeeded in getting away from having caused the nightmare experience on him.

He has once again appealed to the President in the hope that the no nonsense Head of State will intervene and ensure that the wrong is put right in his case where he believes that a powerful unseen hand continues to block action being taken against Charlie Mahendran.

Following is Zurfick’s most recent letter to the President seeking justice: TO HE, THE PRESIDENT Yahoo/Sent Dr Zurfick <zurfickdr@yahoo.com> To:ps@presidentsoffice.lk Mon, Feb 1 at 3:28 PM ATTN: Mr. Maduranga, President’s Bureau VERY URGENT E-MAIL 01.02.2021 HIS EXCELLENCY President Gotabaya Rajapaksa President’ Office

Presidentil Secretariat Colombo-01.

You’re Excellency RE: MY COMPLAINT TO YOU & FAILURE OF FOREIGN MINISTRY TO ACT ON YOUR DIRECTIVE I am enclosing a copy of my letter to your Ombudsman, Mr. S.K. Wickremesinghe regarding the negativity of the Foreign Affairs Ministry to respond to his request for a report pertaining to my case consequent to your directive to investigate my complaint against Mr. Charlie Mahendran, former SL ambassador to Japan. My complaint to you was regarding Mr. Mahendran having been involved in my kidnapping, torture and robbery of my precious stones and money worth millions of rupees where he was a very close associate of the prime accused, M. Rudwan who used to be in a and out of his embassy office.

Furthermore, I have also mentioned so many foreign ministry officials who had gone all out to tarnish my good name in order to sweep my complaint against Charlie Mahendran under the carpet.

Once again I’m appealing to You’re Excellency to ensure that justice and fair play prevails in respect of the injustice done to me, and thank you for taking this matter up and directing your Ombudsman to investigate my complaint and wish to reiterate that you are the only Head of State

who has taken notice of my plight and moved in the matter.

I also wish to stress the fact that the foreign affair ministry has taken cover under a false letter issued to me by former deputy minister Mr. Hussein Bhaila that the matter was closed which he did without ever summoning me for an inquiry on my complaint which was a basic requirement, and never summoning Charlie Mahendran.

In doing so he upheld a false report by Mahendran to the ministry that I was a cheat who sold glass pieces which was well contradicted by the then ministry State Secretary, Mr. Gamini Seneviratne.

Mr. Seneviratne filed an affidavit that Mahendran had failed to comply with his directive to substantiate his claim by submitting a report from the Japan Police that I was a cheat who sold glass pieces and that they were suspicious of me.

It was a revenge act against me by Mr. Bhaila because I worked for your Rajapaksa family canvassing all the Muslim votes in Hambantota District which caused him to lose his election in the district some years ago. As such, I was a victim of political victimization as well and it is pertinent to draw your kind attention to today’s ‘Daily News’ lead story captioned, ‘Three judges recommend remedial action against political victimization.’

With Kind Regards!

Thanking you Yours faithfully Dr. M.G.M.S. Zurfick Tel. 0716813161

‘Gamini Seneviratne was the only transparent official at Foreign ministry, but couldn’t bring Mahendran to book due to vested interests of officials like Bernard Tillekeratne’ Dr. M.G.M.S. Zurfick contends that of all the corrupt officials at the ministry of foreign affairs, the exception was a former State Secretary, Mr. Gamini Seneviratne who tried to do justice by dealing with Charlie Mahndran, the former ambassador to Japan whom he clearly discovered acted with a personal vendetta against Zurfick.

“Mr. Gamini Seneviratne was the one and only straight and transparent official at the time when I ran into trouble with this corrupt so called ambassador Charlie Mahendran. Seneviratne tried his best to expose Mahendran’s shady actions against me, but he was stopped by interested parties when he was the ministry State secretary. I was to soon discover that Mahendran had influenced the then ministry secretary, Bernard Tillekeratne, the two being close friends, not to move in the matter

10

and that Tillkeratne went to the limit to sweep my complaint under the carpet.

I raise my hat to Mr. Seneviratne who is no more even though he could not bring Charlie Mahendran to book due to sinister bigger powers who would not let him so

as to safeguard Mahendran. He tested Mahndran by calling his bluff when he asked Mahendran to file a report from the Japan Police to substantiate his claim that was a false report to the then deputy minister of foreign affairs, Mr. John Amaratunga that

the Japanese Police suspected me to be a cheat who sold glass pieces for gems. To this day Mahendran has not responded to Seneviratne’s directive by which his big lie was found out.

Furthermore, Mr. Seneviratne had issued an affidavit critical of Charlie Mahendran that he had reason to suspect his bona fides in respect of his actions against Zurfick and that he was convinced that Mahendran had intentionally failed to inform the Sri Lankan authorities of the attack on Zurfick by an armed gang and that he had acted with a personal vendetta in concealing facts and that he had gone to the extent of shielding the prime accused, M. Rudwan, a close ambassador of the former ambassador who was subsequently convicted of the attack on Zurfick by a Japanese court of law and jailed along with three other accomplices.

HON. IMRAN KHAN,

PRIME MINISTER OF PAKISTAN & WORLD CUP WINNING CAPTAIN YOU’VE REWRITTEN HISTORY

A WARM WELCOME TO SRI LANKA FROM YUSUF

JEFF GARMENTS INTERNATIONAL, 196 LAYARDS BROADWAY, COLOMBO 14

WELCOME TO SRI LANKA HON. IMRAN KHAN, PRIME MINISTER OF PAKISTAN THE CRICKET LEGEND WORLD CUP WINNING CAPTAIN FROM FAYAZ ZURFICK IN MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

SPORTS

What bugs Sri Lankan cricketers getting on par with top countries?

New ‘2 KM Run Fitness Test’ the answer?

In a continued precipitation of cricketing fortunes, the most recent 2-nil whitewash by England rubbing dirt in the nostrils, the big question bugging Sri Lankan cricket is as to the failure of players to live up to expectations in a progressive world scenario where established countries are in contrast way ahead. This disparity is certainly a major decimating worrying factor where the big question posed by the cricket loving public is why aren’t our players on par with the top playing countries despite being availed of all the luxuries possible that Sri Lanka has made available to them.

Following the recent setback the national squad for the tour of West Indies has been brought under the hammer of a rigid ‘2 KM Run Fitness Test’ by the new Physical Performance Manager of SLC Grant Luden, and it has already served in optimising player fitness.

The 2-kilometre fitness test conducted

by Luden at the Sugathadasa Stadium running track last week to ascertain the eligibility of players for the rescheduled tour of the West Indies is indeed a payoff move..

While 32 players shortlisted for the tour went through a two kilometer run only 28 players passed the test running within the required eight minutes and 35 seconds timing.

Two players namely Danushka Gunathilake (8 mnts & 41 seconds) and Bhanuka Rajapaksha (8 mnts & 45

seconds) failed the test by a whisker.

But Kusal Janith Perera (9 mnts & 50 seconds) and Dilruwan Perera (11 mnts & 45 seconds) failed the test by a big margin, Daily News reliably learns.

But there is a grace period of 40 days for these players who did not make it to stand the test again for eligibility as well as Kusal Mendis, Avishka Fernando , Lahiru Thirimanne and Dhananjaya De Silva who did not stand the test to also take the acid test . ‘’Going forward, we will adjust the scores as we get better and becoming

world-class. The Bowlers, Batsmen, and the Wicket Keepers will be given different time targets,’ are an optimistic reign in

by Grant Luden who further stresses that ‘If a player fails, he can do another test within 40 days, and our idea is to achieve the minimum fitness standards before the T20 World Cup, which will be played later this year.’’ added Luden.

Four players did not take part in the fitness test, due to different reasons.

Dhananjaya de Silva and Avishka Fernando did not take part in the fitness test as they are under rehabilitation for

the injury suffered during the Tour of South Africa. Kusal Mendis was on leave due to his wedding today while Lahiru Thirimanne, who was infected with COVID, is in quarantine.

The new test, a standard method of determining the ‘Fitness and Endurance’ levels of athletes, replaced the Yo-Yo method adopted before by Sri Lanka Cricket.

According to the new test, players were given a target of running the 2 Kilometer distance within a time frame of 8 minutes and 35 seconds.

Dushmantha Chameera has surpassed that level of refinement. Except for two or three players, all the other players have passed that level of fitness.

Dilruwan Perera, Kusal Janith Perera, Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Danushka Goonetilleke have reportedly failed the fitness test.

“Going forward, we will adjust the scores as we get better and become world-class. The Bowlers, Batsmen, and the Wicket Keepers will be given different time targets,” said Grant Luden, Physical Performance Manager of Sri Lanka Cricket.

“If a player fails, he can do another test within 40 days, and our idea is to achieve the minimum fitness standards before the T20 world cup, which will be played later this year,” added Luden.

Results of the ‘Fitness Test’ will be notified to the Cricket Selection Committee.

HON. IMRAN KHAN, PRIME MINISTER OF PAKISTAN - THE CRICKETING LEGEND & PAKISTAN’S WORLD CUP WINNING CAPTAIN WELCOME TO SRI LANKA & WISHING YOU A VERY ENJOYABLE STAY FROM ABDUL BASID ZURFICK IN TORONTO, CANADA 12

SPORTS

Cricketing Legends batting For Road Safety In an attempt to address a pressing problem in India, the Road Safety World Series was launched last year, bringing some of the game’s legends back to the field, hoping to use cricket’s popularity in the country as a vehicle to create awareness on road safety there will be notable absentees, with Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup winners, Muralitharan, Vaas, Kaluwitharana and Chandana not taking part From the multiple Tsunami Appeal Matches in 2005, to the Big Appeal for the Bush fires in Australia last year and the annual Breast Cancer Awareness internationals in Australia and South Africa, cricket has rarely shied away from rallying some of the sport’s biggest names, of the past and present, for charitable causes.

In an attempt to address a pressing problem in India, the Road Safety World Series was launched last year, bringing some of the game’s legends back to the field, hoping to use cricket’s popularity in the country as a vehicle to create awareness on road safety and here is everything you need to know about the Road Safety World Series:

What is the Road Safety World Series?

Founded by Ravi Gaikwad, the Chief of the Regional Transport Office of Thane in the State of Maharashtra and a senior member of the Road Safety Cell of the State, the Road Safety World Series feature retired cricketers

competing in a multi-nation T20 tournament while creating road safety awareness in India.

The tournament is organised by the Road Safety Cell of Maharashtra in association with the Professional Management Group, a sports management company co-founded by former Indian cricketing great Sunil Gavaskar, who is also the Commissioner of the series while Sachin Tendulkar, the greatest cricketer India has produced, is a brand ambassador for the initiative.

The series kicked off last March with cricketing legends representing five countries – India, Sri Lanka, Australia, South Africa and West Indies – taking part. But after just four of the 11 matches, the tournament was halted in the interest of public safety and security, following the outbreak of COVID-19 in India.

The tournament will resume on March 2 and conclude on March 21, with all the matches scheduled to take place behind closed doors at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium in Raipur.

Gaikwad, a cricketer in his youth, is somewhat of a pioneer at using sports to create road safety awareness, having two entries in the Guinness Book of World Records – one for organising the largest road safety bike rally in January 2016 and the other for putting together the largest handball lesson in Solapur in 2016, for the cause of road safety in Maharashtra in February 2016.

Who plays in the Road Safety World Series?

It may lack the Fab Four or any of the game’s current star power for that matter, but for cricket fans of the previous generations, the opportunity to see some of the greats who made them fall in love with the sport is enticing enough.

Among the players who represented the Sri Lanka Legends last year were Tillakaratne Dilshan, Marvan Atapattu, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Rangana Herath, Upul Chandana, Ajantha Mendis and Romesh Kaluwitharana.

Other legends who took part in the first edition of the tournament were Indians Virendar Sehwag, Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh, South Africans Jonty Rhodes, Herschelle Gibbs and Lance Klusener, West Indians Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Carl Hooper, and Australian Brett Lee. The tournament will be continued from where it left off, but there will be notable absentees, with Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup winners, Muralitharan, Vaas, Kaluwitharana and Chandana not taking part.

Former Sri Lankan opener Atapattu has also supposedly opted out.

Replacing them, it was reported, will be cricketer turned commentator Russell Arnold, Dhammika Prasad and Nuwan Kulasekera.

COVID-19 restrictions mean that the Australian legends have also opted out of returning, but there will be two new teams entering the tournament, with

a team of legends from Bangladesh and England slated to join, though the composition of the six teams is yet to be finalized.

Why road safety?

The concern with road safety is not a problem endemic to India, but in one of the populous countries in the world, the figures are more telling.

Between 150,000 and 200,000 lives are lost in India every year because of road accidents, Gaikwad said, emphasizing the need for this awareness programme.

The World Bank, in a 2020 report, estimated that there were up to 38,000 road accidents in Sri Lanka annually, with around 3,000 of those cases resulting in death.

It is not uncommon to see videos of violent accidents in Sri Lanka on social media and, more often than not, they are accidents that could have been avoided if more caution had been exercised by those involved.

In the lead up to last year’s inaugural edition, Gaveskar shared an anecdote from his own life that highlighted that road safety not only related to how motorists drove on the road, but also how licenses are issued to would-be drivers.

“Many years ago, in my own case after returning from the West Indies, I got a car and was struggling to reverse properly.

But the driving instructor said — it does not matter, you drive straight and I will give you the license,” he said.

It is a situation that we may have some familiarity with.

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The Best Street Style at the Spring 2021 Couture Shows in Paris Couture week may be happening virtually, but Style du Monde’s Acielle is having no trouble finding people to photograph in the City of Light. She’s snapped models leaving their socially-distanced shoots, editors strolling between appointments, and stylish locals bundled up for a walk or errands. Fashion Week or not, the photos are a lesson in smart layering and braving the chill, with XXL puffers, statement shearlings, and faux-fur scarves. Oh, and for what it’s worth, we almost didn’t notice the masks; a year in, they’re practically invisible in their normalcy. Scroll through Acielle’s latest photos below, and come back all week for her daily updates.

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Iran and Qatar discuss region, nuclear deal in high-level talks

Gulf neighbours discuss Qatar taking a mediator role between Iran and Arab rivals in the region.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif congratulated his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani for the end of the Gulf blockade against Qatar [Handout: Iranian Foreign Ministry via AFP]

By Maziar Motamedi 15 Feb 2021 Tehran, Iran – Iran and Qatar have discussed Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers and laid the groundwork for Doha to act as a mediator between Iran and Arab rivals in the region during the first high-level talks in Tehran.

Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani led a Qatari delegation on Monday that met President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

KEEP READING Tehran calls US seizure of Iranian oil an ‘act of piracy’Qatar working for a return to Iran nuclear accord: MinisterIran vows to limit nuclear inspections if partners fail to act Rouhani said ties between the two countries should continue to strengthen and discussed Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, which former United States President Donald Trump unilaterally abandoned in 2018, imposing harsh sanctions on Iran.

He said the “maximum pressure” campaign of economic sanctions has failed, and the Biden administration – which has so far insisted that Iran returns to its commitments under the deal first for sanctions to be lifted – will have no recourse but to restore the deal.

Rouhani said ties between Qatar and Iran have been improving in the past few years and must go even deeper [Handout: Iranian Foreign Ministry via AFP]“As soon as the US lifts its illegal sanctions and returns to law, Iran will immediately return to all its commitments under the deal,” he said.

Iran gradually scaled back its commitments a year after Trump left the deal, and has said it will limit international nuclear inspections from February 21 as per a parliamentary law if it deems other parties still do not abide by their commitments.

‘Qatar will spare no efforts’ The Qatari foreign minister continued to advocate for a speedy return of the US to the nuclear deal.

“We hope that with the return of the US to the nuclear deal

as soon as possible, challenges and sanctions can be alleviated within the framework of the deal and Qatar will not spare any efforts to make that happen,” Al Thani said.

Qatar has been working to de-escalate tensions in the region by advocating for a return to the nuclear deal for more than a year, something Iran has welcomed.

After several Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, including Iran’s archrival Saudi Arabia, lifted a land, sea and air blockade on Qatar in early January, Qatar said the development will not affect its ties with Iran.

Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani led a Qatari delegation on Monday that met his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif [Handout: Iranian Foreign Ministry via AFP]The relationship with Iran was one of the reasons cited for the blockade on Qatar, and one of the initial conditions for the lifting of the blockade was cutting ties with

Tehran.

In meeting with his Iranian counterpart on Monday, Al Thani reportedly thanked Iran for its support during the blockade.

He also said Qatar is ready to play a “key and effective role” in establishing regional dialogue, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Zarif congratulated Al Thani for the end of the blockade, saying Iran looks forward to stronger ties with Qatar and the region.

After the meeting, the Iranian foreign minister pointed out in a tweet that he has met the United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hossein, and Al Thani while Astana talks will continue with Russia and Turkey on Tuesday.

“Our region is our priority,” he wrote.

(Courtesy Al Jazeera)

WITH ALL BEST WISHES TO THE PRIME MINISTER AND PEOPLE OF PAKISTAN FROM BRIDGES WORLDWIDE (PVT) LIMITED

15

Publish by Zeilan International Pvt. Ltd Volume 04 - July, 2020

Sri Lanka is now open to travelers No quarantine, but no mingling with locals too quarantine or not to quarantine — that is the question.

Or at least it has been for countries deliberating how to handle incoming international travelers. But that changed last month when Sri Lanka reopened its borders with a requirement unlike any country that

had opened before it — one that neither grants travelers free rein of the island nor boxes them into a hotel room for two weeks.

Sri Lanka Tourism Chairperson Kimarli Fernando referred to it as a “new concept” developed by the tourism authority — which allows

tourists to travel the country in “bio bubbles,” or roving semi-isolated groups that let travelers sightsee without mixing with the local population. The rules apply for the first two weeks of their stay.

Rules of the ‘bio bubble’

When Sri Lanka reopened its

borders on Jan. 21, it became one of very few Asian countries — including the Maldives — to allow international travelers to enter without being subject to strict quarantines.

But tourists aren’t exactly free to go where they choose. Sri Lanka’s “bio bubbles” allow holidaymakers to move around the island provided they: · Stay in approved hotels · Visit approved sites at specific times · Travel via independent transportation · Undergo frequent Covid-19 testing, and · Refrain from intermingling with the local population These rules must be followed for the first two weeks upon entering Sri Lanka. Thereafter, guests are free to “interact with the local community” and move “to an accommodation of their choice,” according to a safety booklet produced by the country’s Ministry of Tourism.

The plan was first tested in a pilot project with Ukrainian tourists in late December of 2020.

Where travelers can stay

With best compliments from

As of Feb. 17, there are 98 certified “Level 1” hotels where travelers can stay during the first two weeks of a trip. The list includes hotels and villas in tourist hotspots such as Bentota, Galle, Kandy and Sri Lanka’s capital city of Colombo.

The hotels cover a range of budgets, from guest houses in the surfing paradise of Hikkaduwa, to tented lodges near Yala National Park and the ultra-luxurious Ani Villas in Dickwella.

The country’s two Aman hotels — Amangalla and Amanwella — are on the list, as are several of the restored British bungalows that comprise the Ceylon Tea Trails in the beautiful tea estate region.

Unlike strict quarantines, travelers are not confined to their hotel rooms during the first two weeks of a trip.

Guests are “permitted to use all facilities in the hotel including the beach,” Fernando told CNBC Global Traveler.

Hotels are to operate at 75% of capacity, leaving the remaining rooms open to isolate any guests who test positive for Covid-19. This option is only available to those without symptoms; infected travelers who display Covid-19 symptoms must isolate in a private hospital.

“All certified hotels have a medical doctor,” said Fernando. These doctors are to monitor hotel staff and guests for Covid-19 symptoms and send daily reports to government authorities, according to Sri Lanka’s safety booklet.

Hotel staff who are in direct contact with guests are not allowed to leave the hotel during a guests’ stay and for 14 days thereafter. And, unless they are outfitted in full personal protective equipment (PPE), Sri Lankans who come into contact with tourists — such as tour guides and drivers — must quarantine for 14 days after a tour ends.

Frequent Covid testing

Travelers into Sri Lanka must undergo at least two Covid tests, and possibly more, depending on the length of their stay.

Covid tests are first required within 96 hours of departure, and again upon landing in Sri Lanka. Those staying longer than five days must take a third test, and anyone staying more than two weeks must take a fourth test.

Children under 12 years old are exempt from testing, unless they become symptomatic or are a close contact of an infected traveler.

Travelers must also apply for a visa prior to departure. Before doing so, tourists must make hotel bookings, purchase a Covid-19 insurance policy ($12) and prepay for Covid-19 tests ($40 each).

Currently, visas are not being issued to people who have been in the United Kingdom two weeks before entering Sri Lanka.

Are ‘bio bubbles’ attracting tourists?

On Feb.15, Fernando from Sri Lanka Tourism told CNBC that 3,820 people had arrived since the country reopened on Jan. 21.

“In comparison to the first two to three weeks of arrivals to Maldives in July 2020, our arrivals are slightly higher,” she said.

Fernando said the travelers have come from Germany, Russia, Ukraine and expatriates living in “GCC countries,” referencing the Gulf Cooperation Council member countries of Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

She added that Sri Lanka is awaiting a “bubble agreement” to start flights with India, too.

Covid-19 rates in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka had low Covid-19 infection rates until October last year.

Since then, cases have steadily risen, with the number of infections peaking earlier this month.

The country of 21.5 million people has confirmed more than 77,000 cases to date, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Nearly 11,500 cases occurred in the past two weeks.

Sri Lanka started a vaccination campaign in late January. Fernando told CNBC that health officials will start vaccinating all employees in the tourism industry “within the next few weeks.” (cnbc)

Published by Zeilan International Pvt. Ltd