News
SJB insists there is no rift
The SJB yesterday insisted that there was no rift among its members. Addressing the media at the Opposition Leader’s Office, in Colombo, SJB Chairman, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka said the SJB was united.
Asked by journalists to comment on recent reports of a rift in the SJB, especially between party leader Sajith Premadasa and MP Champika Ranawaka, Fonseka said that the government was attempting to give the impression that there was a rift in the SJB just to divert attention from the real issues in the country.
Field Marshal Fonseka, however, added that he had met Ranawaka two days before and had extensive discussions.
He said that there was no indication of any dispute during his meeting with Ranawaka.
There has been speculation that Ranawaka was seeking to lead the alliance and be the next Presidential candidate.
Field Marshal Fonseka said that Ranawaka had resigned from his own party and extended support to the SJB.
BBC reported that thousands of people are being evacuated downstream of a major dam which has been blown up in Russian-held Ukraine.
President Zelensky said 80 towns and villages were at risk of flooding after the destruction of the dam at Nova Kakhovka, which he blamed on Russia. Water is surging down the Dnipro river and is said to pose a catastrophic flooding risk to the city of Kherson.
Russia has denied destroying the dam – which it controls – instead blaming Ukrainian shelling. Neither Ukraine or Russia’s claim has been verified by the BBC.
The Kakhovka dam is crucial in the region. It contains a reservoir, which provides water to farmers and residents, as well as to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. It is also is a vital channel carrying water south to Russian-occupied Crimea.
Video footage shows a torrent of floodwater gushing through a breach in the dam. Several towns are already flooded, while people in areas further downstream were forced to flee by bus and train.
Around 40,000 people need to be evacuated, Deputy Prosecutor-General Viktoriya Lytvynova said on Ukrainian television – 17,000 people in Ukraine-controlled territory west of the Dnipro River and 25,000 on the Russian-controlled east.
Chief of Staff to the President and National Security Advisor (NSA) Sagala Ratnayaka led the Sri Lanka delegation to the 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier Security Summit held in Singapore from 2 – 4 June 2023.
The highly anticipated summit commenced on 2 June with a powerful Keynote address delivered by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Throughout the event, a series of plenary sessions delved into various crucial geo-political issues, encompassing the establishment of a stable and balanced Asia Pacific, the resolution of regional tensions, the evolution of maritime security in Asia, US leadership in the Indo-Pacific, and China’s latest security initiatives, among other topics.
During the Special Session focusing on ‘Defence Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region,’ Ratnayaka delivered an impactful statement, participating alongside representatives from India, Oman, France, and the United States. He emphasized the significance of keeping big power rivalries and external conflicts out of the Indian Ocean, highlighting Sri Lanka’s efforts in the United Nations to declare the region as a zone of peace. Furthermore, he underscored the country’s contributions to preserving freedom of navigation and over flight, stressing the crucial need for constructive dialogue among all stakeholders in the Indian Ocean region to pursue shared interests.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal raised by the Minister of Health to reduce the maximum retail price of 60 medicines by 16% with effect from 15.06.2023 and review the price of medicines every three months
Thousands flee floods after dam collapse near Nova Kakhovka
Sagala Ratnayaka leads Sri Lanka delegation to 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue
Prices of sixty essential drugs to be reduced from 15th June
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