Latest news with #SJB
Free Malaysia Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Sri Lankan parliament sacks disgraced police chief
Deshabandu Tennakoon was appointed Sri Lanka's police chief in November 2023. (EPA Images pic) COLOMBO : Sri Lanka's parliament voted overwhelmingly today to dismiss police chief Deshabandu Tennakoon for misconduct and criminal behaviour, making him the island's first inspector-general to be impeached. Tennakoon, 54, was removed less than two years after his controversial appointment, with a disciplinary committee finding him unfit to lead its 85,000-strong law enforcement body. Tennakoon was appointed in November 2023 by then-president Ranil Wickremesinghe, despite the Supreme Court having previously ruled that he had tortured a suspect in custody by rubbing menthol balm on his genitals. Public security minister Ananda Wijepala told parliament today that Tennakoon should never have been put in the top job, given that he faced 40 court cases for abuse of power. 'He is the most disgraced police chief in the history of our country,' Wijepala said. Parliament backed a resolution by speaker Jagath Wickramaratne to impeach Tennakoon, following a disciplinary hearing led by a Supreme Court judge and two others. 'I am pleased to inform that the motion to impeach Deshabandu Tennakoon has been approved with 177 votes in favour, and none against,' Wickramaratne said. Members of the main opposition SJB party also voted to remove the police chief. Shortly after his appointment to head the force, Tennakoon was accused of authorising a botched raid in December 2023 that led to a gun battle between rival police units in the coastal resort town of Weligama, resulting in the death of an officer. A disciplinary inquiry found that Tennakoon had 'spearheaded the questionable, illegal act of shooting'. The Supreme Court suspended him in July 2024 pending the outcome of a separate case. In March, the state prosecutor told a court that Tennakoon was operating a paramilitary hit squad to carry out illegal activities and was unfit to serve, even at the lowest rank in the police force. Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa said his party had objected to Tennakoon's appointment from the outset, and today's vote vindicated their position. There has been no response from Tennakoon since the impeachment process was initiated last month.
The Advertiser
17-06-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
Why the country's top architect has regional Australia on his watch list
When Adam Haddow was selected as national president of the Australian Institute of Architects, he had a few things on his agenda; densification, regional living, and keeping the country stylish while doing it. While today he splits his time between Sydney and Newcastle as the director of architecture at leading firm SJB, his eyes are drawn to the details of our regional cities. It started when he was young, growing up just outside Ararat in regional Victoria. "Fabulously, none of the town was demolished as a result of modernism, because it was poor," he said. "A lot of wealthy cities demolished their cores because they replaced older buildings with new ones. In lots of regional cities, that didn't happen because the money wasn't there." A few decades on, regional areas are seeing greater housing density, about 20 years after their major city counterparts, Haddow says. "Fantastically, for those centres, we are more mature now about thinking about what density means, and what good density is. "Getting more people in one place is one thing, but getting more people in one place with a high level of amenity and good health and wellbeing is really important," he says. Canberra and Newcastle, for example, have been able to approach higher density living with the lessons learnt from earlier development in Sydney and Melbourne. He said some of the mistakes made around apartment or higher density living were over simple design elements. This included getting the placement and mechanics around rubbish collection areas correct. Then there were simple issues such as making sure "the sense of entry is grand and welcoming" and that there is "a level of security to homes" in a new development. There's an excitement in his voice as we talk about design while in a showroom for Haddow's Botanical apartments in the Canberra suburb of Turner. A woman interrupts us to complement the size of the spacious bathroom that leads directly to the walk-in wardrobe. It's an example of a thoughtful design process. "We don't want lazy design," Haddow tells me. "We say that when a design has wasted space." Under Haddow's leadership, increasing numbers of architects are making the move to regional Australia. "The nice thing about regional Australia is that ... the cities are all quite different," Haddow says. "You've got Ballarat, Newcastle, Canberra - the architectural spirit really comes from the place itself. "What you need to do is work out what to keep and what not to keep; what gives character and scale, and what is not that interesting. "We like to talk about beauty, delight and joy. They're the three words that aren't used enough in architecture." And as more Australians moved to town centres, apartment design was needed to accommodate living closer together. Haddow's team at architecture and design firm SJB has worked out the correct height for balconies, for example, to let sun in while keeping peepers out. "We talk about the nude factor. Can you be nude in your apartment?" he says. Large outside spaces were also becoming a coveted asset. That included bigger balconies, good ground-level communal spaces and established trees. "The days of concreted courtyards are over," Haddow says. "People want good green space in cities where they can walk to the biggest pantry they've ever had in their lives - the shops down the road." The key to delivering that is good zoning, he says. "You don't want pancakes," Haddow says, referring to towns where all buildings were the same height, giving a flat appearance. "When you get pancakes, there's nothing interesting to look at in the skyline." He's slowly tracing an imaginary skyline with his hands, undulating roofs and walkways appearing in my mind as he speaks. Ultimately, Haddow told me, he hopes to see design in regional Australia thought of on a macro level, allowing town centres and streetscapes to land in new eras while keeping the charm of the places we all call home. When Adam Haddow was selected as national president of the Australian Institute of Architects, he had a few things on his agenda; densification, regional living, and keeping the country stylish while doing it. While today he splits his time between Sydney and Newcastle as the director of architecture at leading firm SJB, his eyes are drawn to the details of our regional cities. It started when he was young, growing up just outside Ararat in regional Victoria. "Fabulously, none of the town was demolished as a result of modernism, because it was poor," he said. "A lot of wealthy cities demolished their cores because they replaced older buildings with new ones. In lots of regional cities, that didn't happen because the money wasn't there." A few decades on, regional areas are seeing greater housing density, about 20 years after their major city counterparts, Haddow says. "Fantastically, for those centres, we are more mature now about thinking about what density means, and what good density is. "Getting more people in one place is one thing, but getting more people in one place with a high level of amenity and good health and wellbeing is really important," he says. Canberra and Newcastle, for example, have been able to approach higher density living with the lessons learnt from earlier development in Sydney and Melbourne. He said some of the mistakes made around apartment or higher density living were over simple design elements. This included getting the placement and mechanics around rubbish collection areas correct. Then there were simple issues such as making sure "the sense of entry is grand and welcoming" and that there is "a level of security to homes" in a new development. There's an excitement in his voice as we talk about design while in a showroom for Haddow's Botanical apartments in the Canberra suburb of Turner. A woman interrupts us to complement the size of the spacious bathroom that leads directly to the walk-in wardrobe. It's an example of a thoughtful design process. "We don't want lazy design," Haddow tells me. "We say that when a design has wasted space." Under Haddow's leadership, increasing numbers of architects are making the move to regional Australia. "The nice thing about regional Australia is that ... the cities are all quite different," Haddow says. "You've got Ballarat, Newcastle, Canberra - the architectural spirit really comes from the place itself. "What you need to do is work out what to keep and what not to keep; what gives character and scale, and what is not that interesting. "We like to talk about beauty, delight and joy. They're the three words that aren't used enough in architecture." And as more Australians moved to town centres, apartment design was needed to accommodate living closer together. Haddow's team at architecture and design firm SJB has worked out the correct height for balconies, for example, to let sun in while keeping peepers out. "We talk about the nude factor. Can you be nude in your apartment?" he says. Large outside spaces were also becoming a coveted asset. That included bigger balconies, good ground-level communal spaces and established trees. "The days of concreted courtyards are over," Haddow says. "People want good green space in cities where they can walk to the biggest pantry they've ever had in their lives - the shops down the road." The key to delivering that is good zoning, he says. "You don't want pancakes," Haddow says, referring to towns where all buildings were the same height, giving a flat appearance. "When you get pancakes, there's nothing interesting to look at in the skyline." He's slowly tracing an imaginary skyline with his hands, undulating roofs and walkways appearing in my mind as he speaks. Ultimately, Haddow told me, he hopes to see design in regional Australia thought of on a macro level, allowing town centres and streetscapes to land in new eras while keeping the charm of the places we all call home. When Adam Haddow was selected as national president of the Australian Institute of Architects, he had a few things on his agenda; densification, regional living, and keeping the country stylish while doing it. While today he splits his time between Sydney and Newcastle as the director of architecture at leading firm SJB, his eyes are drawn to the details of our regional cities. It started when he was young, growing up just outside Ararat in regional Victoria. "Fabulously, none of the town was demolished as a result of modernism, because it was poor," he said. "A lot of wealthy cities demolished their cores because they replaced older buildings with new ones. In lots of regional cities, that didn't happen because the money wasn't there." A few decades on, regional areas are seeing greater housing density, about 20 years after their major city counterparts, Haddow says. "Fantastically, for those centres, we are more mature now about thinking about what density means, and what good density is. "Getting more people in one place is one thing, but getting more people in one place with a high level of amenity and good health and wellbeing is really important," he says. Canberra and Newcastle, for example, have been able to approach higher density living with the lessons learnt from earlier development in Sydney and Melbourne. He said some of the mistakes made around apartment or higher density living were over simple design elements. This included getting the placement and mechanics around rubbish collection areas correct. Then there were simple issues such as making sure "the sense of entry is grand and welcoming" and that there is "a level of security to homes" in a new development. There's an excitement in his voice as we talk about design while in a showroom for Haddow's Botanical apartments in the Canberra suburb of Turner. A woman interrupts us to complement the size of the spacious bathroom that leads directly to the walk-in wardrobe. It's an example of a thoughtful design process. "We don't want lazy design," Haddow tells me. "We say that when a design has wasted space." Under Haddow's leadership, increasing numbers of architects are making the move to regional Australia. "The nice thing about regional Australia is that ... the cities are all quite different," Haddow says. "You've got Ballarat, Newcastle, Canberra - the architectural spirit really comes from the place itself. "What you need to do is work out what to keep and what not to keep; what gives character and scale, and what is not that interesting. "We like to talk about beauty, delight and joy. They're the three words that aren't used enough in architecture." And as more Australians moved to town centres, apartment design was needed to accommodate living closer together. Haddow's team at architecture and design firm SJB has worked out the correct height for balconies, for example, to let sun in while keeping peepers out. "We talk about the nude factor. Can you be nude in your apartment?" he says. Large outside spaces were also becoming a coveted asset. That included bigger balconies, good ground-level communal spaces and established trees. "The days of concreted courtyards are over," Haddow says. "People want good green space in cities where they can walk to the biggest pantry they've ever had in their lives - the shops down the road." The key to delivering that is good zoning, he says. "You don't want pancakes," Haddow says, referring to towns where all buildings were the same height, giving a flat appearance. "When you get pancakes, there's nothing interesting to look at in the skyline." He's slowly tracing an imaginary skyline with his hands, undulating roofs and walkways appearing in my mind as he speaks. Ultimately, Haddow told me, he hopes to see design in regional Australia thought of on a macro level, allowing town centres and streetscapes to land in new eras while keeping the charm of the places we all call home. When Adam Haddow was selected as national president of the Australian Institute of Architects, he had a few things on his agenda; densification, regional living, and keeping the country stylish while doing it. While today he splits his time between Sydney and Newcastle as the director of architecture at leading firm SJB, his eyes are drawn to the details of our regional cities. It started when he was young, growing up just outside Ararat in regional Victoria. "Fabulously, none of the town was demolished as a result of modernism, because it was poor," he said. "A lot of wealthy cities demolished their cores because they replaced older buildings with new ones. In lots of regional cities, that didn't happen because the money wasn't there." A few decades on, regional areas are seeing greater housing density, about 20 years after their major city counterparts, Haddow says. "Fantastically, for those centres, we are more mature now about thinking about what density means, and what good density is. "Getting more people in one place is one thing, but getting more people in one place with a high level of amenity and good health and wellbeing is really important," he says. Canberra and Newcastle, for example, have been able to approach higher density living with the lessons learnt from earlier development in Sydney and Melbourne. He said some of the mistakes made around apartment or higher density living were over simple design elements. This included getting the placement and mechanics around rubbish collection areas correct. Then there were simple issues such as making sure "the sense of entry is grand and welcoming" and that there is "a level of security to homes" in a new development. There's an excitement in his voice as we talk about design while in a showroom for Haddow's Botanical apartments in the Canberra suburb of Turner. A woman interrupts us to complement the size of the spacious bathroom that leads directly to the walk-in wardrobe. It's an example of a thoughtful design process. "We don't want lazy design," Haddow tells me. "We say that when a design has wasted space." Under Haddow's leadership, increasing numbers of architects are making the move to regional Australia. "The nice thing about regional Australia is that ... the cities are all quite different," Haddow says. "You've got Ballarat, Newcastle, Canberra - the architectural spirit really comes from the place itself. "What you need to do is work out what to keep and what not to keep; what gives character and scale, and what is not that interesting. "We like to talk about beauty, delight and joy. They're the three words that aren't used enough in architecture." And as more Australians moved to town centres, apartment design was needed to accommodate living closer together. Haddow's team at architecture and design firm SJB has worked out the correct height for balconies, for example, to let sun in while keeping peepers out. "We talk about the nude factor. Can you be nude in your apartment?" he says. Large outside spaces were also becoming a coveted asset. That included bigger balconies, good ground-level communal spaces and established trees. "The days of concreted courtyards are over," Haddow says. "People want good green space in cities where they can walk to the biggest pantry they've ever had in their lives - the shops down the road." The key to delivering that is good zoning, he says. "You don't want pancakes," Haddow says, referring to towns where all buildings were the same height, giving a flat appearance. "When you get pancakes, there's nothing interesting to look at in the skyline." He's slowly tracing an imaginary skyline with his hands, undulating roofs and walkways appearing in my mind as he speaks. Ultimately, Haddow told me, he hopes to see design in regional Australia thought of on a macro level, allowing town centres and streetscapes to land in new eras while keeping the charm of the places we all call home.
News.com.au
04-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
St Kilda penthouse boasting views of Luna Park sparks overseas interest
One of St Kilda's most breathtaking penthouses has hit the market, with a $4m-$4.4m price guide. Occupying the entire top floor of 30 The Esplanade, the four-bedroom, four-bathroom residence captures sweeping views of Port Phillip Bay, the Palais Theatre, Luna Park and the city skyline. Kay & Burton Stonnington director Darren Lewenberg said the penthouse had interest from both downsizers and buyers across Melbourne, interstate and overseas. 'It's interesting, we've had a lot of inquiry from the mature market, people coming out of large family homes who still want space to entertain and host the family, but in a more manageable setting,' Mr Lewenberg said. 'But it's not just your typical downsizer. 'This home has a presence — it's commanding attention from all over because people recognise how rare it really is.' Designed by award-winning architects SJB, the penthouse was originally conceived as two separate apartments before a visionary former owner amalgamated the third floor and rooftop to create a one-of-a-kind full-floor sky-home. The swanky pad boasts its own rooftop retreat complete with a spa, sauna, outdoor kitchen, daybed, three bar fridges and two alfresco bathrooms. Wide European oak floorboards, Calacatta marble finishes and full-height glazing set a luxurious tone throughout, while the home's scale and flow feel more like a freestanding house than an apartment. The Smeg-appointed kitchen includes a 90cm gas cooktop and integrated Liebherr fridge, anchored by a showstopping marble island and a separate marble breakfast bar. The internal layout includes multiple living and entertaining zones, with a dedicated dining space framed by views of Luna Park and the bay, and a lounge featuring curved custom bookshelves and gallery lighting. The main suite includes walk-in and built-in robes plus a marble-clad ensuite, while two further bedrooms have private ensuites and the fourth is serviced by a central bathroom. Mr Lewenberg said the double-glazed windows and acoustic insulation deliver surprising serenity to buyers despite the home's buzzing Esplanade position. 'You can be standing inside, looking out over the city skyline or watching queues form at the Palais, and yet it's absolutely calm,' he said. 'That combination of visual immersion and acoustic privacy is incredibly rare.' But, the Kay & Burton Stonnington director said it's the rooftop that leaves buyers speechless. 'The lift opens into the private lobby, and straight away you're hit with uninterrupted views across St Kilda and the bay,' Mr Lewenberg said. 'People light up, there's a physical reaction. And then they head upstairs and it all elevates again. 'It's almost spellbinding.' The rooftop zone is fully self-contained, with bathrooms, entertaining infrastructure, lush planters and ambient lighting, and all just steps from the sand. 'This home offers the ultimate balance, you're in the thick of it, but you're also completely cocooned,' he said. 'It's irreplaceable.' Other highlights include zoned heating and cooling, Liebherr wine fridge, powder room, full laundry, video intercom, direct lift access and basement parking for four cars with storage. Expressions of interest close June 11 at 1pm.
The Star
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Sri Lanka ruling party wins local elections
Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (C) waves as he leaves a polling station after casting his ballot during voting in Sri Lanka's local government election in Colombo on May 6, 2025. (Photo by Ishara S. KODIKARA / AFP) The leftist government won local council elections but with significantly lower margins, in its first test since sweeping national polls last year, official results showed. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's coalition received the most votes in 265 out of the 339 councils, but fell short of an outright majority in about half of them. The main opposition SJB won just 14 councils, while the country's main minority Tamil party, the Tamil National Alliance, performed better, winning 35. The parties of former presidents Ranil Wickremesinghe and Mahinda Rajapaksa failed to win control of a single council, but between them secured 1,123 of the 8,299 council seats. The leftist NPP will need the support of other parties to control about 130 councils where it fell short of an absolute majority, but has ruled out any coalition with traditional parties. Dissanayake's NPP vote share fell to 43.3%, down from the 61.6% it secured at the November parliamentary election. The main opposition SJB made a marginal gain, reaching 21.7%. Dissanayake, who upset the more established parties to win the September presidential election, built on his popularity to secure the parliamentary vote held two months later. The 56-year-old has made a U-turn since coming to power on his pledge to renegotiate the terms of an unpopular IMF bailout agreed by his predecessor, and has maintained high tariffs. He had turned the local elections into a referendum on his six-month-old administration, saying it was essential for his party to secure local councils so that all layers of government were 'free of corruption and endemic waste'. About 60% of the 17.14 million electorate turned out to vote on Tuesday, down from nearly 70% in November and 80% in the September presidential vote. The campaign was lacklustre, with no high-profile figures in the running. — AFP
Time of India
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Sri Lanka ruling party wins local elections
Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (Photo: AP) Colombo, May 07, 2025 -Sri Lanka's leftist government won local council elections but with significantly lower margins, in its first test since sweeping national polls last year, official results showed on Anura Kumara Dissanayake 's coalition received the most votes in 265 out of the 339 councils, but fell short of an outright majority in about half of main opposition SJB won just 14 councils, while the country's main minority Tamil party, the Tamil National Alliance , performed better, winning parties of former presidents Ranil Wickremesinghe and Mahinda Rajapaksa failed to win control of a single council, but between them secured 1,123 of the 8,299 council leftist NPP will need the support of other parties to control about 130 councils where it fell short of an absolute majority, but has ruled out any coalition with traditional NPP vote share fell to 43.3 percent, down from the 61.6 percent it secured at the November parliamentary main opposition SJB made a marginal gain, reaching 21.7 percent, up from 17.70 who upset the more established parties to win the September presidential election, built on his popularity to secure the parliamentary vote held two months 56-year-old has made a U-turn since coming to power on his pledge to renegotiate the terms of an unpopular IMF bailout agreed by his predecessor, and has maintained high had turned the local elections into a referendum on his six-month-old administration, saying it was essential for his party to secure local councils so that all layers of government were "free of corruption and endemic waste".About 60 percent of the 17.14 million electorate turned out to vote on Tuesday, down from nearly 70 percent in November and 80 percent in the September presidential campaign was lacklustre, with no high-profile figures in the running.
