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National People’s Power (NPP) win two-thirds majority in parliament, with 159 seats
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s National People’s Power (NPP) coaliton scored a two-thirds majority in parliament by winning 159 seats at Thursdays [14] parliamentary election.
Dissanayake, who was elected in September, needed a clear majority to deliver his promise to combat corruption and restore stability after the island’s worst-ever economic crisis.
The high cost of living was one of the key issues for many voters.
Analysts had expected the NPP to do well in the elections but what remained to be determined was the margin of victory, and whether it would get the two-thirds majority it wanted to be able to pass its ambitious reforms.
In the outgoing assembly, Dissanayake’s Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party, which now leads the NPP, had just three seats.
The 55-year-old earlier told reporters that he believed this was “a crucial election that will mark a turning point in Sri Lanka”.
Sajith Premadasa, the man Dissanayake defeated in the presidential elections, led the opposition alliance.
Dissanayake called for snap elections shortly after he became president to seek a fresh mandate to pursue his policies. There was “no point continuing with a parliament that is not in line with what the people want”, he had said.
Nearly two-thirds of former MPs had chosen not to run for re-election, including prominent members of the former ruling Rajapaksa dynasty.
Out of the 225 seats in the parliament, 196 MPs were directly elected. The rest were nominated by parties based on the percentage of votes they get in what is known as proportional representation.
High inflation, food and fuel shortages precipitated a political crisis in 2022 which led to the ousting of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. His successor Ranil Wickremesinghe managed to negotiate a bailout package worth $3bn with the International Monetary Fund – but many Sri Lankans continue to feel economic hardship.
“We are still stuck with the problems we faced before. We still don’t have financial help even to fulfill our daily needs,” 26-year-old garment factory worker Manjula Devi, who works in the Katunayake Free Trade Zone near Colombo, told the BBC.
The number of people living below the poverty line in Sri Lanka has risen to 25.9% in the past four years. The World Bank expects the economy to grow by only 2.2% in 2024.
Disenchantment with established political players greatly helped the left-leaning Dissanayake during September’s election. His party has traditionally backed strong state intervention and lower taxes, and campaigned for leftist economic policies.
Dissanayake made history as Sri Lanka’s first president to be elected with less than 50% of the vote. Many observers think his alliance will do better this time.
How his alliance fares will be partly due to a fragmented opposition – with many leaders and parties breaking away into either smaller groups, or contesting as independent candidates.
Observers say the JVP-led alliance ran a more vibrant campaign than the opposition.
The coalition will now be under massive pressure to perform and live up to their campaign promises. Dissanayake has promised to repay the country’s debt, reform its political culture, and punish members of past administrations for corruption.
Sri Lanka’s economic situation remains precarious – and the main focus is still on providing essential goods and services. How the country progresses from this point will be a real challenge for the new government.
[BBC]
African football’s governing body has stripped Senegal of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title they won in a chaotic final two months ago and declared Morocco the champions.
In a stunning decision, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said on Tuesday that its appeals board ruled that Senegal is “declared to have forfeited” the match, a 1-0 victory. The result, it said, was now “being officially recorded as 3-0” in favour of host nation Morocco.
At the January 18 final in Rabat, Senegal’s players walked off the pitch, led by coach Pape Thiaw, in protest against a penalty awarded late in regulation time to Morocco.
When play resumed after a delay of about 15 minutes, Morocco forward Brahim Diaz’s penalty was saved. In extra time, Pape Gueye scored the decisive goal that saw Senegal become champions of Africa for the second time.
The heated final also saw supporters trying to storm the field, players scuffling on the sidelines, reporters from the two countries fighting in media areas, and a bizarre sequence in which Moroccan ball boys tried to seize a towel being used by Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy – in an apparent bid to distract him and help their team win the continental title.
At a disciplinary hearing in January, CAF imposed fines of more than $1m as well as bans for Senegal and Morocco players and officials, but it had left the result untouched.
The case could go to a further appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
[Aljazeera]
Latest News
Heat Index at Caution Level at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and North-western provinces and in Monaragala, Mannar, Vavuniya and Anuradhapura districts
Warm Weather Advisory Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology at 3.30 p.m. on 17 March 2026, valid for 18 March 2026.
The general public are warned that 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 Monaragala, Mannar, Vavuniya and Anuradhapura 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
Israel has claimed two high profile assassinations of Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, according to Israel’s Defence Minister Katz, and the commander of the internal Basij militia, Gholamreza Soleimani, neither of which Iran has commented on or confirmed
Iranian state media published a handwritten note by Larijani, it is not clear whether it is intended as proof of life. Larijani’s note published on his social media outlets commemorates memory of Iranian sailors killed, hose funeral is expected to be held on Tuesday, in the US attack on their boat in international waters.
if confirmed, Larijani would be the highest level assassination in the war since United States-Israeli strikes killed the former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and several members of his family on the first day of the war they launched on February 28.
Larijani was last seen publicly on Friday, attending the al-Quds day rally in support of Palestinians in Tehran, along with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Larijani has been a political figure in the Iranian hierarchy for years, at one time leading the nation’s nuclear negotiations with the West. He was also previously the Iranian Speaker of the Parliament.
The Israeli military also claimed in a post on X Tuesday that it had killed Gholamreza Sileimani, the commander of the Basij unit, the internal security paramilitary militia of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
[Aljazeera]
CAF strips Senegal of AFCON title, Morocco declared African champions
Heat Index at Caution Level at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and North-western provinces and in Monaragala, Mannar, Vavuniya and Anuradhapura districts
Showers above 50 mm can be expected at some places in the Central, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and Uva provinces and in Anuradhapura district
CIABOC questions Ex-President GR on house for CJ’s maid
Post-Ditwah Indian recovery assistance to SL: health experts from here visited India
Professor G L Peiris addresses seminar at national university of singapore
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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