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It is with wry amusement that we find the Sri Lankan Parliament has been told that the Government’s social media laws (the Online Safety Bill) will be reintroduced after softening some of its provisions, when at the same time in London, the British Prime Minister announced that he will review its own social media laws in a bid to strengthen them.

The Sri Lankan government came in for strong criticism from the West, including Britain, for its draft Online Safety Bill. It was asked by these Western ‘know what is best for all’ countries to follow best international practices. By international practices, they meant their examples. Now, following the ongoing anti-immigration and anti-Muslim riots in Britain and the Muslim Lord Mayor of London Sadiq Khan saying his own life is not safe and asking his own Labour Government to check if its Online Safety Laws are “fit for purpose,” Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he will be reviewing these laws in the wake of the riots blamed initially for fake news spread on social media.

His statement came as a young white British man was jailed after he freely admitted that he called on social media for the burning down of a hotel housing asylum seekers.

After visiting Scotland Yard, which was monitoring the riots, Sir Keir told reporters that social media is not a “law-free zone”.

Separately, Elon Musk, the billionaire who owns the X social media platform, was at odds with the British Government when he spoke up for those right-wing elements using social media against immigrants, saying open borders and migration had led to the protests in the UK. Controlling these platforms will make the UK like the “Soviet Union”. The British Government responded, saying, “Musk does not speak for Britain”.

The British Government was weighing the pros and cons of banning some social media platforms in the UK, having told the Sri Lankan Government to water down its Online Safety Bill, still believing that Whitehall must approve laws in its former colony.

So, was Sri Lanka ahead of the curve with its own Online Safety Bill, now withdrawn to be reintroduced? It is not so. The bill was badly drafted anyway, irrespective of what the West said. It was prepared without consulting stakeholders, borrowing chapters and verses from non-democratic countries like Singapore’s laws, and containing vague provisions left for judges to interpret. The irony is how often the holier-than-thou West gets hoist with its own petard.

Lankan-origin Yusuf appointed chair of far-right anti-Muslim party

Zia Yusuf, whose parents emigrated from Sri Lanka to Britain, has become the chairman of the ultra-right-wing Reform UK Party, which is in the midst of the anti-immigration, anti-Muslim flare-up in the United Kingdom now running into its third week.

Zia Yusuf with Nigel Farage at a Reform election rally in Birmingham in June. Reuters

Mr. Yusuf, a self-made millionaire, part-funded the Reform UK Party led by the controversial British politician Nigel Farage, who argues against immigration. The newly appointed Chairman Yusuf himself has been quoted as saying that he wants immigration into Britain controlled.

A product of the London School of Economics (LSE), Mr. Yusuf was educated in the UK on a 50 percent government scholarship and later went on to work for Merril Lynch and Goldman Sachs. Thereafter, he started a luxury concierge service, Velocity Black, with a school friend. The service allowed the rich to make restaurant bookings and pay by phone. It also went into offering luxury vacations and designer outfits for the super-rich. Then, the two partners sold the company for US$300 million.

Zia Yusuf poses for a photo at a Velocity Black party in July 2017. Photograph: Miloš Bičanski/Getty Images

The 37-year-old Mr. Yusuf defended Mr. Farage, who made some controversial statements recently on the Southport stabbing that triggered anti-Muslim rioting, including attacks on mosques. He is reported as telling the Guardian newspapers that Mr. Farage asked some “perfectly valid questions”. He says he wants to make Mr. Farage the Prime Minister of Britain. At the last elections, the Reform UK Party came third in the number of countrywide votes, but fourth in the number of seats won.

The election of the new chair is not without controversy within the Reform UK Party itself. One supporter posted on social media, “I voted for Reform UK to get Britain back to the British, not for it to be led by a Muslim. I will be resigning tomorrow.” Another said, “I don’t buy this ‘good Muslim’ line.” Mr. Yusuf is undeterred and says he believes in British values.

Anti-immigrant riots in Britain: Sri Lankan cricketers stuck in hotel 

The Sri Lanka men’s cricket team, part of whom are currently in Britain to play a Test series, would have never thought they would be stuck in their hotel rooms in one of the major cities of a Western country that—not so long ago—issued travel advisories on Sri Lanka due to domestic developments.

In view of recent anti-immigrant riots in the country, the Sri Lankan team raised security concerns with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) which reassured them that adequate security arrangements are in place.

“Most of the issues seem not to be close to where we are, but everyone is still a little concerned,” one player in England told ESPN Cricinfo. “We can’t really go out to dinner or do anything like that. Mostly, we stay in the hotel. No one wants to run into trouble and get beaten up”.

Other members of the team are scheduled to arrive in England today for a three-match Test series.

Several Islamic countries, such as Malaysia, Nigeria, and the UAE, have issued travel advisories against visiting the UK these days.

Meanwhile, the Indian High Commission in London on Tuesday issued a travel advisory, urging Indian citizens to be vigilant when travelling to the UK due to recent protests and incidents of violence in the area.

Back home, Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry, addressing a news conference, advised Sri Lankans to avoid non-essential travel to Lebanon over the next few days.

Lankan officer cadet passes out from Sandhurst

A Sri Lankan officer cadet, Mohammed Aneek, was among 209 who passed out after 44 weeks of intense training at Britain’s prestigious Sandhurst Military Academy this week.

The officers took part in an impressive passing-out parade called the Sovereign’s Parade, normally attended by the British Monarch. This year, as King Charles is undergoing medical treatment, the Chief of Military Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, represented him.

Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the UK, Rohitha Bogollagama, was present to congratulate Officer Cadet Aneek, who becomes a commissioned officer now as a second lieutenant.

Sri Lankan Officer Cadet Mohammed Aneek Commissioning from Royal Military Academy Sandhurst was greeted by High Commissioner Rohitha Bogollagama at the Sovereign's Parade on 9 August.

Ministers were at work when they lost their jobs

When the Supreme Court delivered its judgment on Friday upholding the decision by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) to sack both Ministers Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara for crossing over to the government, they were busy with official functions.

The SC decision resulted in the two ministers losing their parliamentary seats and cabinet portfolios.

Former Minister Nanayakara was addressing a group of migrant workers who were about to leave for jobs in Israel. He broke the news to the crowd that he had been just informed of the Supreme Court’s decision and would not be able to continue his work.

Another official who was accompanying the former minister recalled that so far the ministry, under the guidance of the outgoing minister, had secured foreign jobs for more than 10,000 people.

Meanwhile, former Minister Fernando was addressing senior officials of the Ministry of Tourism and had to share the news that he could no longer act in the capacity of a Minister.

Following his address, many of the attendees were seen wishing him good luck as he was leaving the meeting room.

Air India flies high with Fonseka bouquet

Ahead of announcing his candidacy for the upcoming presidential election, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka was quite busy meeting with influential diplomats and policymakers.

The one-time Army chief flew on an Air India flight to New Delhi and took to the social media platform X to share his experience of flying in a major Indian airliner with a photograph of the whole cabin crew. “A special mention for Cabin Supervisor Anand Mukherjee, who was brilliant in his service delivery and really did make me feel wonderful”.

Air India responded to the Field Marshal, saying, “Dear Mr. Fonseka, your appreciation means a lot to us. To convey the same to the crew, could you please help us with the flight number on which you travelled”?