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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended Wednesday (May 20) a contentious move to ease sanctions on imports of Russian jet fuel and diesel as the Middle East war causes prices to spiral.

But opposition parties heavily criticised the trade licence, which allows the UK to import Russian crude oil refined in third countries such as India.

Starmer in a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday (May 20) evening assured him that "as a result of the UK's actions to date, there will be less Russian oil on the market, with Russia weaker as a result," a Downing Street spokesperson said.

The licence is of "indefinite duration", according to the Department of Business and Trade website, and will be periodically reviewed.

The Labour government also issued a temporary licence loosening sanctions on liquefied natural gas originating from certain Russian plants.

The UK had announced in October it would ban imports derived from Russian crude, part of a push to cut off revenues funding Russia's war in Ukraine.

But Starmer said the government was issuing "two targeted short-term licences to phase the new sanctions in and to protect UK consumers".

"This is not a question of lifting existing sanctions in any way whatsoever, and we will continue to work with our allies on further sanction packages," he said.

Starmer told Zelenskyy that Britain is "ramping up measures to crack down on Russia's economy including through the new package of sanctions".

The British prime minister said this was part of an "ongoing commitment to do everything possible to debilitate and degrade (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's war machine", Downing Street said.

But Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused the prime minister of "choosing to buy dirty Russian oil. That money will be used to fund the killing of Ukrainian soldiers".

Britain imposed a stringent sanctions regime on Russia following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, targeting oil exports as well as more than 3,000 individuals and companies.

The decision follows a US sanctions waiver for Russian oil cargoes already at sea, which was extended Monday for the second time as its war against Iran squeezes global oil supplies and sends energy prices soaring.

“TIME-LIMITED CHANGE”

The European Union criticised the US waiver extension at a meeting of G7 finance ministers on Tuesday that the UK was part of.

EU economics commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said it was not a time to "ease pressure on Russia".

But UK Treasury minister Dan Tomlinson said the sanctions easing was "protecting the UK national interest".

"The government has announced yesterday this time-limited change to the rules around oil and refining given the extremes of the impacts of the conflict in Iran, and the impact of it washing up on our shores," Tomlinson told Sky News.

Later, trade minister Chris Bryant apologised to MPs for the government's "clumsy" handling of the issue and said he wanted the licences to be as "temporary as possible".

In retaliation to US-Israeli strikes launched in February, Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane for global gas and oil, though traffic has slowly edged higher during a ceasefire.

On Wednesday, the international benchmark Brent North Sea crude remained close to $110 a barrel, far above pre-war levels.

Source: AFP

– Agencies 

Police have launched investigations into two separate murder incidents reported in Seeduwa and Grandpass, in which two individuals have died.

In the Seeduwa Police Division, officers launched investigations after receiving information about a foul smell emanating from a house in Mukalangamuwa. During a search of the premises, police discovered the body of a woman inside a travel bag placed in a bedroom.

The deceased has been identified as a 79-year-old woman residing alone in Mukalangamuwa, Seeduwa. Police said CCTV cameras installed in the house had been removed and telephone lines had been cut, raising suspicion of foul play.

A magisterial inquiry and post-mortem examination are scheduled to be conducted today (21), while Seeduwa Police continue investigations to apprehend the suspects.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident reported in the Grandpass Police Division, a 31-year-old man was killed following an attack with a sharp weapon in the Ferguson Road area.

Police said the victim was a resident of the Modara Uyana housing complex.

Grandpass Police are conducting further investigations to identify and arrest those responsible for the killing.

The Engineers’ Association of the Road Development Authority (RDA) has announced that it has launched an indefinite trade union action from today (21), citing two key demands including a salary anomaly issue.

The association stated that despite several rounds of discussions previously held with authorities regarding their demands, the promises made during those talks have yet to be fulfilled, prompting the union action.

Speaking to Ada Derana, the President of the RDA Engineers’ Association. Umesh Aluthapala said RDA engineers would withdraw from participating in external committees such as District Coordination Committees and Divisional Coordination Committees.

He further stated that engineers had also decided to refrain from activities not formally assigned under the RDA Act, even if such duties were being carried out in consideration of national requirements and were not directly linked to the RDA.

Aluthapala warned that the decision could lead to difficulties in project coordination activities and said the union would intensify its trade union action if authorities failed to provide a solution.

Special attention will be given in the forthcoming Budget towards the development of rural roads, the provision of drinking water and resolving waste management issues, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has stated.

The President made these remarks while attending the Special District Coordination Committee Meeting held at the Batticaloa District Secretariat. 

During the meeting, President Dissanayake instructed public representatives and community members to jointly discuss and submit a report on the water supply projects required to meet the drinking, irrigation and industrial water needs of the Batticaloa District, according to a statement issued by the President’s Media Division. He further stated that officials, including the Chairman of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, would be sent to the area to hold discussions on the matter. 

The President also instructed officials to implement immediate temporary measures to address the drinking water issue faced by the public until the proposed large-scale projects are completed.

In addition, President Dissanayake stated that the Government would allocate the necessary funds for all projects planned thus far by the National Water Supply and Drainage Board. Special attention was also drawn to the progress of road and bridge construction projects in the district and the challenges encountered in their implementation, the PMD noted. 

The President instructed officials to commence construction work on all planned roads within this year. Extensive discussions were held regarding land-related issues in the district, problems arising in relation to cultivated lands located within wildlife zones and possible solutions to those matters. 

Attention was also drawn to the long-standing request of dairy farmers concerning the Mailaththamadu–Madhavanai grazing lands. The meeting also discussed measures being taken to fully develop the Valaichchenai Harbour, which serves as a key centre for the fishing industry in the Eastern Province, including the need for a lighthouse facility. 

The preparedness measures for flood control in the district, the progress and challenges related to projects aimed at mitigating human-elephant conflict, and the progress of projects to improve healthcare facilities in the district were also reviewed during the meeting, according to the PMD. 

The President further inquired into the progress of the compensation programme for cultivated lands damaged by cyclone Ditwah, compensation payments for damaged houses, and the programme for the construction of new houses, while instructing officials to expedite those activities. 

Extensive discussions were also held regarding the implementation and progress of the “Prajashakthi” programme within the Batticaloa District, as well as the challenges encountered in its implementation. 

Among those present at the occasion were Minister of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development Sunil Handunneththi, Eastern Province Governor Dr. Jayantha Lal Ratnasekara, Members of Parliament Kanthasamy Prabu, S. Rasamanickam, M.L.A.M. Hizbullah, G. Srineshan and Elayathamby Srinath, along with public representatives from both the Government and Opposition, Chief of Presidential Staff and Commissioner General of Essential Services Prabath Chandrakeerthi, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Sampath Thuyacontha, Batticaloa District Secretary Arul Raj, government officials and representatives of the security forces.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath held productive discussions with the Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Nurlan Yermekbayev at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism.

The meeting took place with the Secretary General during his official visit to Sri Lanka, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. 
This visit, which is the first visit by a Secretary General of the SCO to Sri Lanka, will contribute towards elevating Sri Lanka's engagement with the SCO. 

The discussions focused on further strengthening and deepening cooperation between SCO and its partner countries across several sectors, particularly tourism, transport and logistics, and agriculture. 

Meanwhile, Minister Herath conveyed Sri Lanka's strong interest in joining SCO initiatives and sought the Secretary-General's support in promoting Sri Lanka as a dynamic investment and tourist destination. 

The Secretary General also had constructive discussions with the Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Anura Karunathilaka, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation K.D. Lal Kantha and Deputy Minister of Tourism Prof. Ruwan Ranasingha during the visit.