The Worst

Minister Rauf Hakeem was almost prevented from attending an event in Akkaraipattu today when certain elements tried to create a roadblock with burning tyres on the roads. Police were deployed as the situation was becoming serious. Rauf Hakeem is the leader of the SLMC and a Minister of Parliament. As a Muslim leader, he has been instrumental in securing many rights for Muslims in the past years. His active participation in Sri Lankan politics has ensured that the minority Muslim population are not denied their rights in a otherwise very volatile environment. Unfortunately, riots have had a home in Akkaraipattu in the recent past; and certain elements have developed an animosity towards Rauf Hakeem due to his success in securing the rights of the Muslims. It was prudent to control the situation before any large scale demonstrations or protests took place which could have easily become out of hand.

The Best

The European Union is coming under pressure from retailers in the UK to not take away the GSP plus scheme for Sri Lanka. The EU has been debating whether to remove the GSP plus privileges for Sri Lanka due to the recent alleged human rights violations by the government over the minority Tamils during the last stages of the LTTE war. UK shops are now warning that relegation of the GSP privilege to Sri Lanka will increase consumer prices in the UK making sales even more difficult in a market that is already in deep recession. This is good news for Sri Lanka as the GSP plus scheme has been instrumental to key developments in the country. The continuation of the scheme will ensure that Sri Lanka will continue to see growth which will be even more marked due to the end of the war.