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Namal: Allegations of corruption against Rajapaksas baseless

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2 years ago

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Namal Rajapaksa addressing Naula rally (pic courtesy SLPP Media)

By Shamindra Ferdinando

SLPP presidential candidate Namal Rajapaksa, MP, recently accused incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe of squandering public funds on politically motivated investigations targeting the Rajapaksas during his tenure as the yahapalana Premier.

Referring to high profile investigations that had been carried out during 2015-2019 period, the Hambanthota District parliamentarian declared that the government couldn’t find an iota of evidence to support their accusations.

Attorney-at-law Rajapaksa said so addressing a public rally organized at Naula in support of the SLPP presidential polls campaign. Lawmaker Rajapaksa questioned what he called wasting of public funds on spate of useless investigations and related judicial processes. The SLPPer ridiculed the yahapalana actions that achieved nothing while pointing out Wickremasinghe who spearheaded that dirty campaign was at the helm today.

Lawmaker Rajapaksa recalled the declaration made by the then Premier Wickremesinghe in parliament told how his government investigated accountants maintained by the Rajapaksas the world over.

The SLPP candidate said that the government looked for his Lamborghinis while investigating his mother Shiranthi for having a discarded helicopter at one of her pre-schools.

Law enforcement authorities had nothing else to do as the yahapalana leaders were hell-bent on going after the Rajapaksas, MP Rajapaksa said. Acknowledging that he had appeared before court during the 2024 presidential election campaign, MP Rajapaksa declared that they had been cleared by courts.

Pointing out that he too had an opportunity to switch sides the way many ministers did, MP Rajapaksa emphasised his determination to engage in what he called principled politics. “We’ll work with a view to rebuilding the country,” the former minister said.

Reiterating his commitment to create a clean political environment, lawmaker Rajapaksa promised that he would take tangible measures to ensure fraud and corruption, two issues that dominated the election platform were effectively dealt with. The presidential hopeful vowed to implement a transparent tender and procurement process at all levels while launching a special project to create two million jobs.The SLPP candidate also promised to protect the country’s unitary status while guaranteeing equal rights for all communities.


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Heat Index at ‘Caution level’ in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and North-western provinces and in Anuradhapura, Mannar, Vavuniya and Monaragala districts

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5 hours ago

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2026/03/26

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Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of  Meteorology
at 3.30 p.m. on 25 March 2026, valid for 26 March 2026.

The Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and North-western provinces and in
Anuradhapura, Mannar, Vavuniya and Monaragala districts.

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry
of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.

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US dodges question on AKD’s claim SL denied permission for military aircraft to land

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5 hours ago

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2026/03/26

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President

By Shamindra Ferdinando

A spokesperson for the US Embassy in Colombo declared that the United States and Sri Lanka maintain a long-standing defence partnership, grounded in transparency, mutual respect, and shared interests.

The official said so in response to The Island query regarding President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s recent bombshell disclosure, in Parliament, that his government declined to allow the US Air Force to use the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, following the eruption of the latest West Asia war.

We sought views of the US on President Dissanayake’s claim against the backdrop of Sri Lanka being a party to the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) since 2007. Sri Lanka extended the ACSA in 2017, for another 10-year period, and its extension comes up next year.

The President revealed that the US had requested permission to use Mattala, between 04 and 08 March.

Claiming that the request had been made on 26 February, two days before the war began, President Dissanayake said that the US had sought to land two aircraft, carrying eight anti-ship missiles, but that the request had been turned down to maintain Sri Lanka’s neutrality. The President revealed that the aircraft were to come from a US base in Djibouti.

The US embassy pokesperson explained that questions related to operational movements, including ‘Operation Epic Fury’, should be directed to the Department of War (DOW) in Washington.

Camp Lemonnier is the primary base of operations for US Africa Command in the Horn of Africa. China, too, has its only overseas military base in Djibouti in the vicinity.

Military sources said whatever various interested parties said about US-Sri Lanka relations, the former provided significant intelligence support during last phase of the conflict that enabled the Navy to hunt down floating LTTE arsenals in international waters. Of the eight LTTE vessels sunk, the US backed four hits with specific intelligence, sources said.

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No decrease in remittances from workers due to Gulf conflict, but significant drop in tourist arrivals – CB Governor

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5 hours ago

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2026/03/26

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CBSL Governor

Sri Lanka’s worker remittances had not seen a decrease despite the ongoing conflict in West Asia, Central Bank (CBSL) Governor, Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe said yesterday.

“Based on currently available data, they have not seen a decline in remittances. In fact, according to that we have observed, is a slight increase in remittances in the past few days, ” the Governor said at a media conference held at the Central Bank head office in Colombo.

Governor Weerasinghe also mentioned that he had not seen any reports about Sri Lankans returning to the country from the Middle East due to the ongoing conflict.

The Central Bank Governor, however, acknowledged that there had been a decrease in tourist arrivals. He confirmed that tourist arrivals had decreased by around 17 percent due to the current volatile situation in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka has decided to maintain the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) at the current level of 7.75%, following its latest Monetary Policy Board meeting.

By Hiran H Senewiratne

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