News
Udaya urges govt., US embassy to come clean
CIA Chief’s cloak-and-dagger visit:
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Pivuthuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader, Udaya Gammanpila, MP, yesterday (06) said that the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government and the US embassy in Colombo should come clean on CIA Director William Joseph Burns’ Colombo visit.
The former Power and Energy Minister said so in response to The Island query whether the government had challenged his claim on the CIA chief’s visit.
“I’m 100 percent sure Burns was here on February 14,” MP Gammanpila said, challenging the government and the US Embassy here to contradict him, if they could.
Pointing out that Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, PC, in response to Jathika Nidahas Peramuna (JNP) leader Wimal Weerawansa’s disclosures in Parliament about the alleged CIA intervention in the State Intelligence Service (SIS) had denied any knowledge of the secret visit of the top CIA spook.
Responding to another query, the former minister said that there was absolutely no doubt that Burns accompanied US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs (PDASD), Jedidiah P Royal. He emphasised that there were altogether 29 persons including the crew of two C-17 Globe Masters and the delegation.
The Defence Ministry released pictures of Jedidiah meeting with State Defence Minister Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon and Defence Secretary Gen. (ret) Kamal Guneratne, separately, the
MP pointed out, asking who Burns had met in Colombo during the whistle stop visit.
Referring to media reports that Nepal had not permitted the CIA Director’s visit, MP Gammanpila said that Burns was to fly from Colombo to Kathmandu, in the third week of February, but had been compelled to fly home.
Gammanpila said that the government should set the record straight if it truly felt JNP leader Wimal Weerawansa, General Secretary of the Communist Party Dr. G. Weerasinghe and he had misconstrued facts regarding the recent controversial US visit.
Declaring that the US was seeking enhanced access to Sri Lanka, MP Gammanpila claimed that among the issues raised by the US was the signing of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), also known as the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).
Pointing out that Sri Lanka had entered into another military agreement, Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement (ACSA) in August 2017, MP Gammanpila said that in spite of extremely close Indo-US relations in line with American Indo-Pacific strategy, New Delhi would still be uncomfortable against the backdrop of much-expanded US role here.
Regardless of their differences India and China skipped the vote at the UN General Assembly to pressure Russia to withdraw forces from Ukraine. Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Vietnam were among those countries that abstained.
MP Gammanpila urged the government to come clean on the CIA Director’s visit as Sri Lanka couldn’t afford to become a member of any alliance. The PHU leader pointed out how Quad countries, namely the US, Japan, Australia and India, pursued an agenda that may not help peaceful resolution of disputes.
Gammanpila said the economic-political-social crisis had weakened the country and opened the way for external powers to enhance their influence through various means. The MP cited as example the recent joint statement issued by the US Embassy and Sir John Kotelawela Defence University at the launch of what they called a shared vision for the Indo-Pacific.
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Landslide RED warnings issued to the districts of Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matale and Nuwara Eliya extended up to 1600 hrs today [07]
The Landslide Early Warning Center of the National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has issued landslide early warnings to the districts of Badulla, Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matale, Matara, Monaragala, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura effective from 16:00 hrs on 06.12.2025 to 16:00 hrs on 07.12.2025.
Accordingly,
LEVEL III RED warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Pathadumbara, Kundasale, Pathahewaheta, Panvila, Medadumbara, Doluwa, Thumpane, Udunuwara, Deltota, Ganga Ihala Korale, Pasbage Korale, Yatinuwara, Hatharaliyadda, Ududumbara, Minipe, Udapalatha, Gangawata Korale, Akurana, Poojapitiya and Harispattuwa in the Kandy district, Thumpane, Udunuwara, Deltota, Ganga Ihala Korale, Pasbage Korale, Yatinuwara, Hatharaliyadda, Ududumbara, Minipe, Udapalatha, Gangawata Korale, Akurana, Poojapitiya and Harispattuwa in the Kegalle district, Alawwa, Rideegama, Polgahawela, Mallawapitiya and Mawathagama inthe Kurunegala district, Ukuwela, Naula, Yatawatta, Laggala Pallegama, Pallepola, Matale, Rattota, Ambanganga Korale and Wilgamuwa in the Matale district, and Hanguranketha, Mathurata, Nildandahinna and Walapane in the Nuwara Eliya district
LEVEL II AMBER warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Uva Paranagama, Badulla, Kandeketiya, Bandarawela, Soranathota, Hali_Ela, Meegahakivula, Ella, Welimada, Haputhale, Lunugala, Haldummulla and Passara in the Badulla district, Narammala in the Kurunegala district, Kothmale West, Norwood, Ambagamuwa Korale, Thalawakele, Kothmale East and Nuwara Eliya in the Nuwara Eliya district and Godakawela, Kahawaththa and Kolonna in the Ratnapura district.
LEVEL I YELLOW warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Seethawaka and Padukka in the Colonbo district, Elpitiya and Yakkalamulla in the Galle district, Mirigama, Divulapitiya and Attanagalla in the Gampaha district, Ingiriya, Bulathsinhala and Horana in the Kalutara district, Pasgoda and Athuraliya in the Matara district, Bibile and Medagama in the Monaragala district, and Kuruwita, Balangoda, Eheliyagoda, Pelmadulla, Kaltota, Kalawana, Openayake, Ayagama, Nivithigala, Imbulpe, Elapatha, Ratnapura and Kiriella in the Ratnapura district.
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618 dead, 209 missing as at 2000hrs on Saturday [06]
The Situation Report issued by the Disaster Management Center [DMC] at 2000hrs on Saturday [06] confirms that 607 persons have died due to the recent flooding and landslides while another 209 persons were missing.
The death toll in the Kandy district which one of the most affected districts has risen to 232, and 1800 houses have been fully damaged.The number of missing persons reported is 81
100,124 persons belonging to 29,874 families were being housed at 990 safety centers established by the government.

News
Opposition blames govt. inaction for severity of disaster impact
The government’s failure to act on expert warnings, including advance forecasts on Cyclone Ditwah, had led to the worsening of disaster impact, Udaya Gammanpila, leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya, said at a press conference in Colombo yesterday.
Gammanpila accused the NPP government of ignoring 14 key preventive measures, despite alerts from the Meteorology Department, foreign experts, and the media.
Gammanpila said the government had failed to lower the water levels in reservoirs, dredge estuaries, and deploy the armed forces for canal maintenance. Local government bodies were reportedly sidelined, and that led to a delay in cleaning of drains. He said the government had also failed to evacuate people in a timely manner from seven districts identified by the National Building Research Organisation as landslide-prone. It had delayed declaring emergencies or curfews and the deployment of tri-forces to evacuate people in such areas.
Gammanpila said an experienced public official should have been appointed as Secretary to the President to mobilise the state machinery swiftly during the disaster. He said the government had not convened the National Disaster Council.
“These failures worsened the disaster, causing immense hardship, disruption, and loss of life and property to the people,” Gammanpila said.
The government has denied the Opposition’s claims.
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