Sri Lanka's newly appointed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who lost two motions of no confidence last week, may lose his government's budget even as he clings to power.
Lawmakers opposed to Mr Rajapaksa said they intend to remove funding for staff salaries and other costs in a vote on November 29. The opposition, which regards his administration as illegitimate, will also seek approval to slash the government's overall budget, they said.
It was the latest of several new twists on Monday in the political chaos that has embroiled Sri Lanka for the past few weeks.
Leaders of political parties backing Mr Rajapaksa and President Maithripala Sirisena refused to allow a third motion of no confidence to be held through name call or electronic voting on Monday. The previous two motions passed through a voice vote but Sirisena said they hadn't followed the proper procedures. Mr Sirisena appointed Mr Rajapaksa last month after firing Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister, setting off the political turmoil on the island off India's southeast coast.
Mr Rajapaksa is seen as a close ally of China, though Beijing has denied accusations that it was instrumental in getting him appointed.
Dinesh Gunawardene, a Rajapaksa loyalist, said Mr Wickremesinghe's coalition had handed a motion "to suspend all government expenses" to the speaker and the parliament secretary.
"According to the previous no confidence motions, both Rajapaksa and his government are out. There is no government, but there are MPs," M.A. Sumanthiran, a lawmaker who had voted for the no confidence motion, told Reuters.
"The finance of the country is under the control of the parliament. Now we have proposed a motion to stop government finances for the prime minister's office," he said.
Ananda Kumarasiri, the deputy speaker of the parliament, established a select committee to carry on parliamentary business before adjourning the house to November 23.
Unlike last Thursday and Friday there were no physical altercations on the floor of parliament on Monday. On Friday, lawmakers supporting Mr Rajapaksa threw books, chili paste and water bottles at the speaker to try to disrupt the second vote.
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Read more:
Sri Lanka’s new foreign minister: crisis was a case of who reached for the gun first
Tamils fear bloody return of 'Lord of the Rings' Mahinda Rajapaksa
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Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya said in a statement that investigations have begun into Friday's events, including damage that was done to public property in the melee.
The political crisis has hit the economy. On Monday, the rupee fell to a record low of 177.20 per dollar. Foreign investors have pulled out more than 30 billion rupees ($169.5 million) since the crisis unfolded on Oct. 26.
Mr Wickremesinghe loyalists allege that Mr Rajapaksa's party is trying to buy lawmakers for as much as $3 million each. Mr Rajapaksa loyalists have rejected the allegation.
Both Mr Sirisena and many Mr Rajapaksa loyalists have said they have the majority in parliament. However, the no confidence motion against Mr Rajapaksa and his government was passed twice by 122 votes in the 225-member parliament.
Most foreign countries, including Western nations, have yet to recognise Mr Rajapaksa as the prime minister.
Last week, eight Western countries stayed away from a meeting with the government to register their protest against Sirisena's decision to dissolve parliament.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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Teaching in coronavirus times
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Company%20Profile
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It's up to you to go green
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”
Scoreline
Bournemouth 2
Wilson 70', Ibe 74'
Arsenal 1
Bellerin 52'
INDIA SQUADS
India squad for third Test against Sri Lanka
Virat Kohli (capt), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Vijay Shankar
India squad for ODI series against Sri Lanka
Rohit Sharma (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul
Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2015%20PRO%20MAX
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Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
