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Sri Lanka’s petrol stocks about to run dry: Minister

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Sri Lankan Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera has issued a stark warning over the country’s fuel stocks as it faces its worst economic crisis in more than 70 years.

On Sunday, Wijesekera told reporters that the country had 12,774 tonnes of diesel and 4,061 tonnes of petrol left in its reserves, reports the BBC.

“The next petrol shipment is expected between the 22nd and 23rd (of July),” he added.

A shipment of diesel is expected to arrive at the weekend, however Wijesekera warned that the country does not have enough money to pay for planned fuel and crude oil imports.

He said Sri Lanka’s central bank could only supply $125 million for fuel purchases, far less than the $587 million needed for its scheduled shipments.

Wijesekera added that the country owed $800 million to seven suppliers for purchases it made earlier this year.

The latest warning comes after Sri Lanka suspended sales of petrol and diesel for non-essential vehicles last week as it struggles to pay for imports like fuel, food and medicines, the BBC reported.

Experts believe it is the first country to take the drastic step of halting sales of petrol to ordinary people since the 1970s oil crisis, when fuel was rationed in the US and Europe.

The island nation of 22 million people is facing its worst economic crisis since gaining independence from the UK in 1948 as it lacks enough foreign currency to pay for imports of essential goods.

Acute shortages of fuel, food and medicines have helped to push up the cost of living to record highs in the country, where many people rely on motor vehicles for their livelihoods.

Also last week, an International Monetary Fund team concluded a fresh round of talks with Sri Lanka over a $3 billion bailout deal.

While no agreement has been reached yet, the team said in a statement that it had made “significant progress on defining a macroeconomic and structural policy package”.

The cash-strapped country has also sent officials to the major energy producers Russia and Qatar in an attempt to secure cheap oil supplies.

International News

PM Modi And UAE President Mohammed Bin Zayed Reaffirm Commitment To Deepen Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan reaffirmed their commitment to deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the official statement by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.

According to the release, PM Modi spoke yesterday with the President of the UAE over the telephone, and the two leaders reaffirmed their mutual commitment to further strengthening the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and the UAE.

“They positively assessed the remarkable progress made across various sectors of bilateral cooperation and laid emphasis on further developing and deepening collaboration for the shared benefit of the peoples of both countries,” the release said.

Moreover, the UAE President also extended congratulations to PM Modi on becoming the second longest-serving Prime Minister in India’s history and wished him continued success in his service to the nation, the press release added.

Similarly, PM Modi also thanked the UAE President for his gracious wishes and the affection he expressed for the people of India.

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International News

Thailand, Cambodia Clash With Jets, Rockets, Artillery In Deadly Border Row

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Thailand launched air strikes on Cambodian military targets on Thursday as Cambodia fired rockets and artillery, killing a civilian, in a dramatic escalation of a long-running border row between the two neighbours.

The neighbours are locked in a bitter spat over an area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of both countries and Laos meet, and which is home to several ancient temples.

The squabble has dragged on for decades, flaring into bloody military clashes more than 15 years ago and again in May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a firefight.

The conflict blazed up on Thursday, with Cambodia firing rockets and artillery shells into Thailand and the Thai military scrambling F-16 jets to carry out air strikes.

Six jets were deployed from Ubon Ratchathani province, hitting two “Cambodian military targets on the ground”, according to Thai military deputy spokesperson Ritcha Suksuwanon. 

The Thai prime minister’s office said a Cambodian artillery shell hit a house over the border, killing one civilian and wounding three others, including a five-year-old child.

Both sides blamed the other for starting the fighting, which erupted near two temples on the border between the Thai province of Surin and Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey.

“The Thai military violated the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Cambodia by launching an armed assault on Cambodian forces stationed to defend the nation’s sovereign territory,” defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata said in a statement.

“In response, the Cambodian armed forces exercised their legitimate right to self-defence, in full accordance with international law, to repel the Thai incursion and protect Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

The Thai military blamed Cambodian soldiers for firing first, and later accused them of a “targeted attack on civilians”, saying two BM-21 rockets had hit a community in Surin’s Kap Choeng district, wounding three people.

According to the Thai military, the clashes began around 7:35 am (0035 GMT) when a unit guarding Ta Muen temple heard a Cambodian drone overhead.

Later, six armed Cambodian soldiers, including one carrying a rocket-propelled grenade, approached a barbed-wired fence in front of the Thai post, the army said.

Thai soldiers shouted to warn them, the army said, but around 8:20 am, Cambodian forces opened fire toward the eastern side of the temple, about 200 metres from the Thai base. 

Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said “the situation requires careful handling, and we must act in accordance with international law”.

“We will do our best to protect our sovereignty,” he said.

Thailand’s embassy in Phnom Penh urged its nationals to leave Cambodia “as soon as possible” unless they had urgent reasons to remain, in a Facebook post.

Long-Running Row 

The violence came hours after Thailand expelled the Cambodian ambassador and recalled its own envoy in protest after five members of a Thai military patrol were wounded by a landmine. 

Wechayachai said an investigation by the Thai military found evidence that Cambodia had laid new landmines in the disputed border area — a claim denied by Phnom Penh.

On Thursday morning, Cambodia announced it was downgrading ties to “the lowest level”, pulling out all but one of its diplomats and expelling their Thai equivalents from Phnom Penh.

Recent weeks have seen a series of tit-for-tat swipes by both sides, with Thailand restricting border crossings and Cambodia halting certain imports.

The border row also kicked off a domestic political crisis in Thailand, where prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended from office pending an ethics probe over her conduct.

A diplomatic call between Paetongtarn and Hun Sen, Cambodia’s former longtime ruler and father of Prime Minister Hun Manet, was leaked from the Cambodian side, sparking a judicial investigation.

Last week, Hun Manet announced that Cambodia would start conscripting civilians next year, activating a long-dormant mandatory draft law.

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International News

Mumbai Police Reach Kapil Sharma’s House After Kap’s Cafe Firing In Canada

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Hours after shots were fired at comedian Kapil Sharma’s eatery, Kap’s Cafe, in Canada, the Mumbai Police on Friday reached his house in Mumbai to question him about the incident. Around 1 am on July 9 (Canada time), several rounds were fired at the cafe, located in Surrey.

Khalistani terrorist Harjeet Singh Laddi claimed the responsibility for the attack, and demanded an apology from Kapil for his alleged objectionable remarks.

the attackers felt that Nihang Sikhs were insulted on Kapil’s show. The report also mentioned that the attackers said the comedian ignored their calls seeking an apology, and that shots were fired at his eatery to warn him.

Kap’s Cafe team issues statement

Kapil is yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

The management of the eatery, however, took to their social media handles and wrote, “We opened Kap’s Cafe with hopes of bringing warmth, community, and joy through delicious coffee and friendly conversation. To have violence intersect with that dream is heartbreaking. We are processing this shock but we are not giving up (sic).”

It further stated, “Your kind words, prayers, and memories shared via DM mean more than you know. This cafe exists because of your belief in what we’re building together. Let’s stand firm against violence and ensure Kap’s Cafe remains a place of warmth and community. From all of us at Kap’s Cafe, thank you and see you soon, under better skies (sic).”

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