News
SJB accuses PM of not doing anything other than safeguarding Rajapaksas
By Akitha Perera
By accepting the post of Prime Minister, UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had prevented the Rajapaksa clan from being banished from politics, SJB MP Mujibur Rahman, said.The MP said that Wickremesinghe continued to protect the Rajapaksa family at the expense of the country..
Addressing the media in Colombo, Rahman said that Wickremesinghe had not offered any solutions to the problems faced by Sri Lanka.
“Prices of all essential items have gone through the roof. People can’t even buy fuel or gas even if they have money. People are becoming dependent on the black market. It has been two months since Wickremesinghe came to power. A few days ago, he made a second statement on the state of the economy. He says that we need to continue our discussions with the IMF; that we need to restructure our debt and that we need to convene a conference seeking further loans,” Rahman said.
The SJB MP said that those proposals had already been made by a number of politicians and individuals since 2020. He added that when SJB leader, Sajith Premadasa made those proposals in early 2021, the government ignored them.
“They said they have enough reserves to pay loans and that there was no need to panic. If the government had listened to experts, we wouldn’t have been in this mess. Now, Wickremesinghe is repeating what the Opposition law makers have been saying for years,” he said.
Rahman said Sri Lanka should have a fallback position in case talks with the IMF failing to yield expected results.The Prime Minister was trying to ensure that Gotabaya Rajapaksa kept enjoying the powers of the executive and strip the next president of powers, Rahman added.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
INS Sahyadri sets sail from Colombo
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Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
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