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Udayanga challenges Wijeyadasa for a verbal duel in public

Published

4 years ago

2021/08/16

By Prabhath Withana

Former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Russia Udayanga Weeratunga has challenged MP Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe to come for a TV debate on the latter’s allegation that Ukrainian tourists had brought COVID-19 to the country.

Weeratunga said that MP Rajapakshe had made that allegation in an open letter to President Gotabaya Rajapakshe.

“The Ukrainian and Kazakhstan tourists who came here as a tourist bubble underwent PCR tests. As per the test results 99.6 percent of those tourists were free from the virus. Therefore it is unjust for MP Rajapakshe to make such wild allegations and call them COVID-19 bubbles. He is not only insulting those tourists but also our people numbering around three million engaged in the tourism industry. He does not understand this because he still could not secure a ministerial post,” Weeratunga said.

“We must learn from the Maldives. As at July 31, this year the Maldives received 617,791 tourists and of them 32 percent were from Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. During the same period, the total number of tourists that arrived in this country was 19,337. It shows that the Maldives had received 32 times more tourists than we. Therefore I am ready for public debate on this issue and challenge MP Rajapakshe for a live debate on any television channel of his choice.?

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“Sri Lanka’s Economic Revival – Reflection on the Journey from Crisis to Recovery” by Mahinda Siriwardana presented to the President

Published

4 hours ago

2025/04/8

Priyan

The book “Sri Lanka’s Economic Revival – Reflection on the Journey from Crisis to Recovery” ,authored by Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Mahinda Siriwardana, was officially launched this morning (08) at the Galle Face Hotel, Colombo, with the participation of President Anura Kumara Disanayake.

The first copy of the publication was formally presented to President Disanayake by Mr. Siriwardana during the event.

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Former state minister arrested by CID

Published

4 hours ago

2025/04/8

Priyan

It has been reported that former State Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias ‘Pilleyan’ has been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

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President meets with senior officials of SriLankan Airlines

Published

5 hours ago

2025/04/8

Priyan

A meeting between President Anura Kumara Disanayake and senior officials of SriLankan Airlines was held this afternoon (April 8) at the Presidential Secretariat.

The discussions mainly focused on proposals to transform SriLankan Airlines into a more profitable state-owned enterprise. Special attention was also given to possible short-term and long-term solutions for the airline’s debt management.

The talks further explored new investment opportunities for the airline. The President instructed the officials to take all necessary steps to transform SriLankan Airlines into a profit-making entity.

Although the airline has recorded operational profits, due to past mismanagement and poor decision-making, it remains one of the leading loss-making state enterprises. The current government has decided to reverse the previous administration’s decision to privatize the airline. Instead, it plans to continue operating it as the national carrier while introducing a new management structure to ensure its profitability moving forward.

Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, President’s Senior Advisor Duminda Hulangamuwa, Chairman of SriLankan Airlines Sarath Ganegoda along with several senior officials of SriLankan Airlines, were present at the meeting.