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WORLD NEWS Saturday 15 January 2022

In southern Dutch town, cafes open in lockdown protest

By A. FURTULA/M.CORDER who opened the outdoor health institute recorded
Associated Press terrace of Brasserie Amer- an average of more than
VALKENBURG, Netherlands ica for the day. "After the 31,000 new cases a day
(AP) — Shops, bars and flooding, we want to open over the last week.
restaurants in a southern again very soon because Prime Minister Mark Rutte is
Dutch town opened Friday otherwise I'm afraid a lot holding a COVID-19 news
in a protest action that un- of businesses will not sur- conference Friday eve-
derscored growing anger vive," she added. "It can't ning and Dutch media cit-
at weeks of coronavirus go on like this." More towns ing unnamed government
lockdown measures, a day in the region were plan- sources report that he is
before some of the restric- ning similar protest open- likely to allow nonessential
tions are expected to be ings on Saturday if hospi- stores along with businesses
eased. Locals flocked to tality remains in lockdown. like hairdressers to reopen.
eat and drink at outdoor The country has been in an Universities also are expect-
tables of restaurants in tough lockdown since the ed to reopen for in-person
the main street of Valken- week before Christmas in a classes from Monday. Associated Press
burg in open defiance of move the government says "There will be a real differ-
a lockdown in the Neth- is aimed at "buying time" to ence between today and said he met with new Eco- ders with Germany and
erlands. Authorities in the ease pressure on overbur- tomorrow," Social Affairs nomic Affairs Minister Micky Belgium that are seeing
tourist town, which was dened hospitals and ramp Minister Karien van Gen- Adriaansens to press for people visiting those neigh-
devastated by flooding up the country's vaccine nip told reporters before a bars and restaurants to be boring nations to shop or
last year, didn't take ac- booster program. Cabinet meeting. allowed to reopen. dine out because they
tion to enforce corona- While infections have shot Bars, restaurants, museums "The Cabinet can't leave have fewer restrictions.
virus restrictions. "It's very to record numbers recently and theaters are, however, hospitality (& culture) as The booster drive was slow
difficult, it doesn't feel fair as the omicron variant be- expected to remain closed, the only sectors out in the to get started in the Neth-
at the moment. The first came the dominant coro- sparking anger from those cold," Beljaarts tweeted. erlands, but has gathered
few lockdowns were logi- navirus strain, hospital and sectors. The lockdown has led to pace in recent weeks. Just
cal, I agreed with them, intensive care unit admis- Dirk Beljaarts, general di- frustration particularly in over 86% of adults are fully
but it doesn't feel fair any sions have been falling for rector of the national hos- towns like Valkenburg that vaccinated and 45% have
more," said Didi Corten, weeks. The country's public pitality industry group, said are close to the Dutch bor- had a booster shot.q

Elephants dying from eating plastic waste in Sri Lankan dump

By ACHALA PUSSALLA Garbage collected from
Associated Press nine nearby villages is be-
PALLAKKADU, Sri Lanka ing dumped there but is not
(AP) — Conservationists being recycled.
and veterinarians are warn- In 2014, the electric fence
ing that plastic waste in an protecting the site was
open landfill in eastern Sri struck by lightning and au-
Lanka is killing elephants in thorities never repaired it,
the region, after two more allowing elephants to enter
were found dead over the and rummage through the
weekend. dump. Residents say ele-
Around 20 elephants have phants have moved closer
died over the last eight and settled near the waste
years after consuming plas- pit, sparking fear among
tic trash in the dump in Pal- nearby villagers.
lakkadu village in Ampara Many use firecrackers to
district, about 210 kilome- chase the animals away
ters (130 miles) east of the when they wander into the
capital, Colombo. village, and some have
Examinations of the dead erected electric fences
animals showed they had Associated Press around their homes.
swallowed large amounts But the villagers often don't
of nondegradable plastic 14,000 in the 19th century as well as sharp objects that suming plastic waste. It also know how to install the
that is found in the garbage to 6,000 in 2011, accord- damage their digestive sys- said electric fences would electric fences so they are
dump, wildlife veterinarian ing to the country's first el- tems, Pushpakumara said. be erected around the safe and "could endan-
Nihal Pushpakumara said. ephant census. "The elephants then stop sites to keep the animals ger their own lives as well
"Polythene, food wrappers, They are increasingly vul- eating and become too away. But neither has been as those of the elephants,"
plastic, other non-digest- nerable because of the weak to keep their heavy fully implemented. said Keerthi Ranasinghe, a
ibles and water were the loss and degradation of frames upright. When that There are 54 waste dumps local village councilor.
only things we could see in their natural habitat. Many happens, they can't con- in wildlife zones around the "Even though we call them
the post mortems. The nor- venture closer to human sume food or water, which country, with around 300 a menace, wild elephants
mal food that elephants settlements in search of quickens their death," he elephants roaming near are also a resource. Au-
eat and digest was not evi- food, and some are killed said. them, according to offi- thorities need to come up
dent," he said. by poachers or farmers an- In 2017, the government cials. with a way to protect both
Elephants are revered in gry over damage to their announced that it will recy- The waste management human lives and the el-
Sri Lanka but are also en- crops. Hungry elephants cle the garbage in dumps site in Pallakkadu village ephants that also allows us
dangered. Their numbers seek out the waste in the near wildlife zones to pre- was set up in 2008 with aid to continue our agricultural
have dwindled from about landfill, consuming plastic vent elephants from con- from the European Union. activities," he said.q