Sustaining reforms critical for Sri Lanka: IMF

Business

October 4, 2024

File photo of the seal for the International Monetary in Washington, United States. PHOTO: AP

COLOMBO (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s painful austerity measures were “bearing fruit” and must be sustained, the International Monetary Fund said Friday as the country’s new president sought changes to its USD2.9 billion bailout.

Leftist leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake won last month’s presidential election promising to reverse steep tax hikes, raise public servant salaries and renegotiate an unpopular IMF bailout secured by Colombo last year.

The avowed Marxist held his first meeting with Fund representatives in Colombo this week, saying he wanted to reduce the tax burden on lower income households.

In response, the Washington-based lender of last resort stressed that it was important not to jeopardise Sri Lanka’s hard-won economic recovery.

“Reform efforts are bearing fruit in terms of reviving economic growth, lowering inflation, boosting reserves and improving revenue mobilisation,” spokesperson Julie Kozack said in Washington.

“Important vulnerabilities and uncertainties do remain, and this means that sustaining reform momentum is critical.”

Sri Lanka can draw down a fourth tranche of USD336 million in IMF funds only if it is satisfied that leaders are sticking to the revenue and spending targets of the rescue plan.

Dissanayake’s office said Thursday he reaffirmed “broad agreement” with the objectives of the IMF programme but “emphasised the importance of achieving these objectives through alternative means that relieves the burden off the people”.

The new president has said he also wants to conclude a deal to restructure USD12.5 billion in international sovereign bonds and secure more concessions for the cash-strapped nation.

Analysts say Dissanayake has little room to reshape the terms of the IMF deal.

“There are certain red lines that the IMF will not agree to negotiate,” Murtaza Jafferjee of the Colombo-based economic think tank Advocata told AFP soon after Dissanayake’s election.

The IMF was unlikely to budge on core components of the bailout, including a ban on printing money as well as revenue and spending targets agreed by the last administration, he said.

Sri Lanka defaulted on its USD46 billion foreign debt in 2022 after running out of foreign exchange during its worst-ever financial crisis.

The 2023 IMF bailout helped end crippling shortages of food, fuel and medicine and returned Sri Lanka’s economy to growth, but its austerity measures left millions struggling to make ends meet.

Dissanayake, a member of a once-marginal leftist party, was elected on the back of public resentment over perceived corruption and mismanagement that precipitated the economic bust.

Days after he was sworn into office, he called snap parliamentary elections for next month.

Any fresh deal with bondholders or the IMF will require approval by the next parliament, which is due to hold its first session on November 21.

Caring for the elderly: A call for compassion

National

October 4, 2024

During the Friday sermon, Imams emphasised the importance of patience and understanding when caring for elderly parents. They urged children to entertain their parents’ whims and fancies with love, advising against scolding, admonishing, or intimidating them, as such actions can deeply hurt their feelings.

As individuals age, they naturally seek attention and affection from their children. The Imams highlighted that senior citizens have the right to be loved and respected, and each person should embrace their role as a guardian to the elderly, particularly those suffering from illnesses that may affect their physical health or mental capacity.

For illustration purposes only. PHOTO: FREEPIK

The sermon pointed out that the responsibility of caring for the elderly should not rest solely on the government. Children are encouraged to take on greater responsibility for their aging parents, viewing them not as burdens but as valued family members whose welfare should never be neglected.

The Imams also reflected on the natural progression of life, which encompasses various phases, including the stages in a mother’s womb, childhood, adulthood, and eventually aging. They reminded the congregation that as we grow older, we inevitably experience a decline in physical strength and emotional resilience compared to our youth.

Ultimately, the message was clear: compassion and care for the elderly are not just duties but moral imperatives that reflect our respect and love for our parents. – AZLAN OTHMAN

International fiesta to fill New Mexico’s sky with colourful hot air balloons

Features

October 4, 2024

ALBUQUERQUE, NM (AP) – One of the most photographed events in the world is set to kick off Saturday with a mass ascension of color for the 52nd annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

The nine-day gathering draws hundreds of thousands of spectators and pilots to New Mexico each fall for the rare opportunity to be within arm’s reach as the giant balloons are unpacked and inflated. Propane burners roar and hundreds of the uniquely shaped balloons speckle the sky with vibrant colours.

Everyone usually bundles up in layers to protect against a morning chill that helps pilots stay in the air longer, but this year’s fiesta could be the warmest on record, organisers say.
Morning lows and afternoon highs are expected to be above average for days in a city that on Monday recorded its hottest temperature this late in the year, at 33.8 Celsius, according to the National Weather Service.

Nearly 500 balloons begin to take off during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. PHOTO: AP

Globally, things have been trending hotter too. It’s likely this year will end up as the warmest humanity has measured, the European climate service Copernicus reported in early September.

While past fiestas have had a warm day here or there, spokesman Tom Garrity said the prediction for prolonged heat is rare.

For pilots, it could mean less time aloft or carrying less weight in their baskets.
Typically, when the mornings are cool, less fuel is needed to get the balloons to rise. Fiesta veterans explain it’s all about generating lift by heating the air inside the envelope to temperatures greater than what’s on the outside.

“With cooler weather, pilots are able to fly for longer duration,” Garrity said. “But when you have warmer temperatures, it just means that you pop up, you go up a little bit and you come back down. So just some shorter flights.”

Still, ballooning happens year-round in many places, including in the Phoenix area, which has seen its share of record-breaking temperatures over recent months.

“These are really non-issues from a spectator’s standpoint,” said Troy Bradley, an accomplished balloon pilot who has been flying for decades. “I don’t see any difference other than they won’t be freezing in the pre-dawn hours.”

Even the fiesta’s official meteorologist has joked about the possibility of wearing shorts this year. This year’s fiesta also features 106 balloons in special shapes, 16 of which will be making their fiesta debut.

North Korea’s Kim threatens to use nukes if attacked

World

October 4, 2024

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits a special operation forces unit at a western district in North Korea. PHOTO: AP

SEOUL (AFP) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country would use nuclear weapons “without hesitation” if attacked by the South and ally the United States, state media reported on Friday.

Relations between the two Koreas are at one of their lowest points in decades, with Seoul this week staging a military parade where it showcased its bunker-busting “monster” missile and President Yoon Suk Yeol warned Kim that using nukes would mean the end of his regime.

Pyongyang has also been bombarding the South with balloons carrying bags of trash, and a fresh flurry was seen floating over Seoul early Friday by AFP reporters. Seoul’s military confirmed it had detected the balloon launches overnight.

If an enemy’s forces were “encroaching upon the sovereignty” of the North, Pyongyang would “use without hesitation all the offensive forces it has possessed, including nuclear weapons,” Kim said, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.

Images in state media showed Kim, clad in his customary leather jacket, speaking at a training event for special operations forces.

There, he slammed Yoon for his “end of regime” comments and “clamoring” about his country’s alliance with the United States.

Seoul, which does not have nuclear weapons of its own, is covered by the US nuclear umbrella, and Washington has stationed tens of thousands of troops in the country since the Korean war ended in 1953 without a peace treaty.

Kim said it was Seoul and Washington who were “destroying regional security and peace”, KCNA reported, while branding South Korea’s leader “an abnormal man”.

– Military parade –
On Tuesday, fighter jets flew over downtown Seoul and tanks rolled through the streets, as South Korea displayed for the first time its largest ballistic missile, the Hyunmoo-5, which is capable of destroying underground bunkers.

An American B-1B heavy bomber also staged a flyover of the ceremony early Tuesday, flanked by F-15K jets.

Washington periodically deploys nuclear assets to the Korean peninsula, underscoring its protection of the South from Pyongyang’s growing threats.

At the event marking South Korea’s Armed Forces Day, Yoon said that if the North “attempts to use nuclear weapons, it will face the resolute and overwhelming response of our military and the US and Republic of Korea alliance.”

“That day will be the end of the North Korean regime,” he added.

North Korea is expected to to scrap a landmark inter-Korean agreement signed in 1991 at a parliamentary meeting next week, Seoul’s unification ministry said Wednesday, as part of Kim’s drive to officially define the South as an enemy state.

Earlier this year, Kim called to remove unification-related clauses from the constitution, while abolishing agencies dedicated to improving ties with the South.

Last month, the North also disclosed images of a uranium enrichment facility for the first time, showing leader Kim touring the site as he called for more centrifuges to boost the country’s nuclear arsenal.

South Korea’s spy agency later said the unprecedented disclosure was “directed at the US” and that North Korea was believed capable of producing a double-digit number of nuclear weapons.

Last week, a lawmaker told reporters that the National Intelligence Service had warned the North might carry out another nuclear test — its seventh — after the US elections in November.

bur-ceb/cwl

UNIFIL continuing mission, preparing for different scenarios: Official

World

October 4, 2024

Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike targeting an area in Beirut’s southern suburb. PHOTO: AFP

BERNAMA-ANADOLU – The UN official for peace operations confirmed on Thursday that the peacekeeping force in Lebanon continues to carry out its mission.

“UNIFIL (UN Interim Force in Lebanon) peacekeepers feel duty bound to continue,” Anadolu Agency reported Jean-Pierre Lacroix, under-secretary-general for peace operations, told reporters during a news conference at UN headquarters in New York.

Sharing that there are 10,058 peacekeepers in Lebanon, Lacroix said UNIFIL forces “feel duty born to the mandate given to them by the Security Council. But they obviously also feel duty born to the population of southern Lebanon.”

Despite the challenges, he said the peacekeeping mission is continuing its tasks, confirming that “contingency plans all-ready, and they’re constantly updated.”

“Obviously, we’ve been preparing several second scenario in case of deterioration, all the way to the worst possible scenario, which would lead, hopefully not to partial total evacuation,” he added.

Lacroix stressed that due to the ongoing hostilities “it is very difficult to assess exactly how things will evolve.”

Asked about how UNIFIL intends to protect the civilian population in Lebanon, Lacroix said “the peacekeepers would do everything in their power to protect the population,” without giving further details.

While cross-border warfare between Hezbollah and Israel began after the Gaza conflict last October, Israel launched heavy airstrikes on September 23 on what it called Hezbollah targets across Lebanon.

UK returns Chagos Islands sovereignty to Mauritius

World

October 4, 2024

LONDON (AFP) – Britain on Thursday said it would give up sovereignty of a remote Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius but will maintain there a strategic military base that it shares with the United States, in what US President Joe Biden described as a “historic agreement”.

The British government has been under pressure for decades to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, a former colony, but has resisted because of the military base on Diego Garcia island that plays a key role for US operations in the Indian Ocean and Gulf.

“For the first time in more than 50 years, the status of the base will be undisputed and legally secure,” the UK foreign ministry said. A joint British-Mauritian statement said the base would remain open on an “initial” 99-year lease.

Biden hailed the continuation of the base on Diego Garcia — the largest island in the chain — which was notably used during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The base is used by US long range bombers and ships.

(FILES) Demonstrators from the Chagos Islands protest at a British defiance of a United Nations deadline to end their “illegal occupation” of the Indian Ocean archipelago in Port Louis on November 22, 2019. PHOTO: AFP

“I applaud the historic agreement and conclusion of the negotiations,” Biden said, adding that the site “plays a vital role in national, regional, and global security”.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he spoke to his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth, who later said that the deal showed how a small country can “win justice against major powers”.

“Today, 56 years after our independence, our decolonisation is complete. Now our national anthem can sound out even louder across our territory,” he added.

African Union chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat also welcomed the “historic” agreement, saying in a statement on X it “marks a major victory for the cause of Decolonialization, International Law, and the rightful self-determination of the people of Mauritius”.

Turnaround

The deal comes after nearly two years of negotiations and marks a significant turnaround after decades of British dismissals of Mauritian sovereignty claims.

At the start of talks in 2023, the two sides agreed that the Diego Garcia military base would continue to operate whatever the outcome.

In 2016, the UK extended the US lease of the military base until 2036.

The joint statement said that Britain and Mauritius would work on a treaty finalising the accord that would ensure Diego Garcia’s operation “well into the next century”.

The treaty could also pave the way for the return of Chagos islanders, who were expelled by the UK in the 1970s as the military base was developed.

But with no permanent population — and with Diego Garcia possibly the only habitable island but remaining off-limits as part of the deal — resettlement looks unlikely.

Britain decided in 1965 to separate the Chagos islands from Mauritius and set up a military base there, which it leased to the United States.

In doing so, it evicted thousands of Chagos islanders who have since mounted a series of legal claims for compensation in the British courts.

The joint statement claims the agreement will “address wrongs of the past” and “support the welfare of the Chagossians”, who were forced to live in exile, including in the UK.

In Mauritius, chair of the Chagos Refugees Group Olivier Bancoult called it a “historic day” but Chagossian Voices, another group representing exiled islanders, said it was excluded from the talks.

“The views of Chagossians, the indigenous inhabitants of the islands, have been consistently and deliberately ignored and we demand full inclusion in the drafting of the treaty,” Chagossian Voices added.

In Britain, politician James Cleverly, who is bidding to become the new leader of the opposition Conservatives party, called the deal “weak, weak, weak”, even though he initiated the sovereignty talks when he was foreign secretary.

His Tory party leadership rival Robert Jenrick called it a “surrender”.

Mounting pressure

Mauritius has claimed the archipelago — renamed the British Indian Ocean Territory — since its independence in 1968 and has garnered increased international support.

In 2019 the International Court of Justice advised Britain to hand over the remote islands. During the hearings, the UK apologised for the “shameful” eviction of islanders, but ignored the ICJ ruling at the time.

The same year, the UN General Assembly also passed a resolution calling on Britain to “withdraw its colonial administration”.

Without the agreement, “the long-term, secure operation” of the military base would be under threat, including through legal challenges posed by international courts, Britain’s foreign ministry said.

“Today’s agreement secures this vital military base for the future,” Foreign Secretary David Lammy said, adding that the deal would also shut down the potential for the islands to be used as a “dangerous illegal migration route to the UK”.

In addition, the UK announced a “package of financial support” to Mauritius including an annual payment and an infrastructure partnership.

The statement claimed that the agreement resolves “all outstanding issues between the United Kingdom and Mauritius”.

It said the two countries would also cooperate on environmental and irregular migration.

Tawau food processing plants shut after rat droppings found

Southeast Asia

October 4, 2024

ANN/THE STAR – Four food processing factories in Sabah’s east coast Tawau district have been ordered to cease operations immediately after they were found to have breached health codes.

During inspections under the Food Safety Assurance Programme by Tawau Health Department personnel on Thursday, the factories were found to be not only unhygienic but had rat droppings on the premises.

They were found to be in breach of Section 32B of the Food Act 1983.

“We decided that the four factories be closed immediately for 14 days because of the poor level of cleanliness as well as over the discovery of rat droppings,” Tawau Health officer Dr Shameer Khan Sulaiman said after the inspections.

“Besides that, the factories also did not have Makanan Selamat Tanggungjawab Industri (MeSTI) certification although they have been operating for some time,” he added.

He said the team also confiscated almost three tonnes of processed food that did not meet health requirements.

“We will monitor the factories to see that they comply with the order.

“The owners can apply to the Tawau Health Office for permission to operate again.

“These owners must obtain the MeSTI certification first to be guided on the necessary health procedures,” he said.

A total of 16 premises were checked over three days, with 15 compound notices issued, he added.

The operation was aimed at ensuring food cleanliness and safety in Tawau, and to ensure full compliance with the Food Act.

“I urge all suppliers and factories to follow procedures so that the food they process will be safe for people to consume,” Dr Shameer Khan added.

Eminem is going to be a grandfather

Entertainment

October 4, 2024

(AP) Eminem killed off his alter ego Slim Shady with his latest album, but he’s making way for a new nickname: Grandpa.

The rapper announced his daughter Hailie Jade is pregnant through a touching music video that is a tribute to their relationship. Home videos dating back to 1999 and photos of the father-daughter duo, along with videos from her May wedding, are underscored by the emotional song “Temporary” in the video released Thursday.

In one clip of a recent home video, his daughter hands Eminem a jersey with the name “Grandpa” emblazoned on the back with the number 1. She also hands him ultrasound photos, and he looks shocked.

The social media influencer confirmed the news of her pregnancy hours after the video was released Thursday, with an Instagram post. “Mom & dad est. 2025,” she captioned the post.

FILE – Eminem performs during “Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central,” June 6, 2024. PHOTO: AP

Representatives for Eminem, 51, did not immediately return requests for comment.
“Temporary,” from Eminem’s latest album, “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce),” is written as a comforting message to his daughter after he dies. “I’m watchin’ you right now, baby girl, I vow/I will protect you, your guardian angel,” he sings on the track, which was released in July.

The “Lose Yourself” artist has always had a soft spot for his daughter, frequently mentioning her in his songs and even writing full tributes to her like “Hailie’s Song” and “Mockingbird.”

In “Mockingbird,” a fan favorite, Eminem sings, “What Daddy always tell you? Straighten up, little soldier,” a lyric he calls back to in “Temporary.”

Jade is Eminem’s sole biological daughter, whom he had with his ex-wife Kim Scott. He also adopted two of Scott’s daughters from previous relationships.

Crude stable after Israel-Iran surge, Hong Kong stocks resume gains

Business

October 4, 2024

Barrels for storing oil — A file photo of barrels for storing oil. - FREEPIK

HONG KONG (AFP) – Oil prices stabilised Friday after soaring on fears about the Middle East crisis as investors await Israel’s response to Iran’s missile attack, while shares in Hong Kong resumed their rally on a mixed day for equity markets.

Speculation about Israel’s response to the scores of missiles fired at it on Tuesday has stoked concern that the region could erupt into a wider conflict that incorporates Iran.

Crude has risen around 10 percent since that launch owing to fears of a hit to supplies, while China’s recent drive to reignite its vast economy has the potential to cause a surge in demand.

Both main contracts rocketed around five percent Thursday when US President Joe Biden said he was “discussing” possible Israeli strikes on Iranian oil sites in retaliation for Tehran’s missile barrage on Israel.

They later settled back and were slightly higher in early Asian trade.

As Israel continues to carry out air and ground attacks in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah, Iran, which arms and funds the militant group, said it would step up its response in the event of a retaliation.

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is expected to elaborate on Iran’s thinking in a sermon at the main weekly Muslim prayers in Tehran on Friday, his first in nearly five years.

Still, IG market analyst Tony Sycamore said it was unlikely Iran’s oil would be targeted owing to the fact it could rekindle inflation just as global central banks fight to bring it down.

“Instead, Israel is more likely to target critical weapons factories and military installations, similar to actions taken in April,” he wrote.

“In the aftermath, there is hope for a return to the shadow conflict that has been ongoing between Israel and Iran’s regional proxies since the 7 October Hamas attack.”

He added that if the crisis did escalate into a direct confrontation, “there’s a risk that Iranian oil (four percent of global supply) could be cut off by embargos or military actions”.

“The potential loss of Iranian supply might be offset by the return of Libyan oil and increased Saudi production, as voluntary supply cuts are set to expire on 1 December,” he said.

On equity markets, Hong Kong was back on the front foot after retreating for the first time Thursday since China last week unveiled a raft of economy-boosting measures that has seen investors flooding back to the market.

The stimulus – mainly targeting the property sector – has seen stocks in the city and mainland China enjoy a blistering run of more than 20 per cent on hopes that Beijing can finally reignite growth.

There were also gains in Tokyo at the end of a rollercoaster week dictated by a volatile yen after the election of Shigeru Ishiba as prime minister.

The yen initially surged to less than 142 per dollar on the news owing to Ishiba’s previous support for Bank of Japan interest rate hikes, but it sank later in the week to more than 147 after he said the country was not yet ready for a third increase this year.

It was around 146.50 on Friday.

Singapore, Seoul and Manila rose, though Sydney, Wellington, Taipei and Jakarta edged down.

Investors are now awaiting the release of key US jobs data later in the day, which they hope could provide an idea about the Federal Reserve’s thinking on whether or not to cut rates again this month, and if so by how much.

South Korea adoptees’ emotional searches for birth families

Features

October 4, 2024

Photos of adoptees participating at the Overseas Korean Adoptees Gathering are displayed on a large screen during the conference in Seoul, South Korea. PHOTO: AP

SEOUL (AP) – They began a pilgrimage that thousands before them have done. They boarded long flights to their motherland, South Korea, to undertake an emotional, often frustrating, sometimes devastating search for their birth families.

These adoptees are among the 200,000 sent from South Korea to Western nations as children. Many have grown up, searched for their origin story and discovered that their adoption paperwork was inaccurate or fabricated. They have only breadcrumbs to go on: grainy baby photos, names of orphanages and adoption agencies, the towns where they were said to have been abandoned. They don’t speak the language. They’re unfamiliar with the culture. Some never learn their truth.

“I want my mother to know I’m okay and that her sacrifice was not in vain,” says Kenneth Barthel, adopted in 1979 at six years old to Hawaii.

A flyer of Kenneth Barthel, who was abandoned in the area as a child and later adopted to Hawaii at six years old. PHOTO: AP

He hung flyers all over Busan, where his mother abandoned him at a restaurant. She ordered him soup, went to the bathroom and never returned. Police found him wandering the streets and took him to an orphanage. He didn’t think much about finding his birth family until he had his own son, imagined himself as a boy and yearned to understand where he came from.

He has visited South Korea four times, without any luck. He says he’ll keep coming back, and tears rolled down his cheeks.

Some who make this trip learn things about themselves they’d thought were lost forever.
In a small office at the Stars of the Sea orphanage in Incheon, South Korea, Maja Andersen sat holding Sister Christina Ahn’s hands. Her eyes grew moist as the sister translated the few details available about her early life at the orphanage.

She had loved being hugged, the orphanage documents said, and had sparkling eyes.
“Thank you so much, thank you so much,” Andersen repeated in a trembling voice. There was comfort in that – she had been hugged, she had smiled.
She’d come here searching for her family.

“I just want to tell them I had a good life and I’m doing well,” Andersen said to Sister Ahn.
Andersen had been admitted to the facility as a malnourished baby and was adopted at 7 months old to a family in Denmark, according to the documents. She says she’s grateful for the love her adoptive family gave her, but has developed an unshakable need to know where she came from. She visited this orphanage, city hall and a police station, but found no new clues about her birth family.

Maja Andersen, an adoptee visiting from Denmark to search for her birth family. PHOTO: AP

Still she remains hopeful, and plans to return to South Korea to keep trying. She posted a flyer on the wall of a police station not far from the orphanage, just above another left by an adoptee also searching for his roots.

Korean adoptees have organized, and now they help those coming along behind them. Non-profit groups conduct DNA testing. Sympathetic residents, police officers and city workers of the towns where they once lived often try to assist them. Sometimes adoption agencies are able to track down birth families.

Nearly four decades after her adoption to the US, Nicole Motta in May sat across the table from a 70-year-old man her adoption agency had identified as her birth father. She typed “thanks for meeting me today” into a translation program on her phone to show him. A social worker placed hair samples into plastic bags for DNA testing.

But the moment they hugged, Motta, adopted to the United States in 1985, didn’t need the results – she knew she’d come from this man.

Jang Dae-chang hugs his daughter, Nicole Motta, and her family at the Eastern Social Welfare Society in Seoul. PHOTO: AP

“I am a sinner for not finding you,” he said.

Motta’s adoption documents say her father was away for work for long stretches and his wife struggled to raise three children alone. He told her she was gone when he came back from one trip, and claimed his brother gave her away. He hasn’t spoken to the brother since, he said, and never knew she was adopted abroad.

Motta’s adoption file leaves it unclear whether the brother had a role in her adoption. It says she was under the care of unspecified neighbors before being sent to an orphanage that referred her to an adoption agency, which sent her abroad in 1985.

She studied his face. She wondered if she looks like her siblings or her mother, who has since died.

“I think I have your nose,” Motta said softly.

They both sobbed.

Borneo Bulletin OnlineThe Independent Newspaper in Brunei Darussalam, Sabah and Sarawak

Social Media

Category

Site Links