News

UNP Deputy Leader blames govt. bungling for youth reluctance to take jab

Published

4 years ago

2021/09/30

The Sri Lankan youth were reluctant to get vaccinated against COVID-19 because the government had bungled the process of administering them, says UNP Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene.

Speaking to UNP youth activists via zoom on Tuesday (28), former State Defence Minister Wijewardene said that less than 40 percent of youth between 20 and 29 years of age had obtained at least a single dose of the anti-Covid vaccine.

“They delay getting the vaccines because the government has not provided them with the vaccines that they prefer. For example, university students have been asked to visit the Army Hospital in Colombo to receive Moderna vaccine. When they went there they found that instead of Moderna the troops were ready to administer a Chinese vaccine. So they turned back rejecting the Chinese vaccine,” Wijewardene said.

Instead of blaming the youth, the government should understand their concerns. “Some youth are under the impression that the vaccine and its effects are for life time. So, they prefer Moderna and Pfizer saying that the European countries would give visas only to those who have obtained those brands of vaccine. A large number of youth are planning to go abroad and their concerns are reasonable. They think that obtaining another brand, including those produced in China, would deprive them of their chance to leave the country for higher education or job opportunities. The problem is becoming worse because a large number of youth are refusing to get the vaccine. Their demand is that they should receive the vaccine of their choice,” Wijewardene said.

The UNP Deputy Leader said that there was no other government in the entire history that had let the youth down so much. “Youth have become so frustrated. They are frustrated because they cannot see any progressive future for them in this country. The government is in a forex crisis and has started selling off national assets to collect dollars. There are shortages of milk-powder, gas, rice and sugar. Rice millers are planning to give up their trade. Schools and universities are shut down. In the face of this crisis, could anyone expect youth to decide to stay in this country for the rest of their lives? Hundreds of thousands of youth are planning to leave the country after the government reopens it. Many would go through legal routes while others will chose any method feasible for them,” Wijewardene said.

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CEYPETCO Fuel prices increased from midnight today (21)

Published

3 hours ago

2026/03/21

Priyan

The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (Ceypetco) has announced a revision of fuel prices, effective from midnight today (21).

Accordingly,

Auto Diesel – Rs. 382 (increased by Rs. 79)

Super Diesel – Rs. 443 (increased by Rs. 90)

Petrol 92 Octane – Rs. 398 (increased by Rs. 81)

Kerosene – Rs. 255. (increased by Rs. 60)

Petrol 95 Octane – Rs. 455 (increased by Rs. 90)

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Advisory for Severe Lightning issued for Galle, Matara, Kaluthara and Rathnapura districts

Published

10 hours ago

2026/03/21

Priyan

Advisory for Severe Lightning Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre Issued at 12.30 p.m. 21 March 2026, valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 21 March 2026

Thundershowers accompanied with severe lightning are likely to occur at some places in the Galle, Matara, Kaluthara and Rathnapura districts after 1.00 p.m.

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.

News

Sri Lanka says it denied US request to land two aircraft at Mattala airport

Published

14 hours ago

2026/03/21

Priyan

Sri Lanka’s president says his government turned down a request from the United States to land two US combat aircraft at a civilian airport earlier this month.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake told Sri Lanka’s parliament on Friday that Washington had requested permission for the aircraft to land at Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport in southern Sri Lanka from March 4 to 8.

The request was made on February 26, two days before the US and Israel launched their military offensive against Iran.

“They wanted to bring two warplanes armed with eight antiship missiles from a base in Djibouti”, Dissanayake told lawmakers. “We turned down the request to maintain Sri Lanka’s neutrality”, he added to applause.

The US-Israeli war on Iran has sparked widespread concern globally, as Iranian missile and drone attacks across the wider Middle East have sent energy prices soaring and fuelled fears of a widening conflict.

US President Donald Trump has also been pressuring Washington’s allies to show more support for the war, slamming NATO countries as “cowards” for refusing to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has essentially shuttered the critical Gulf waterway amid the war, forcing leaders around the world to scramble to try to offset the effects on their economies and energy supplies.

Amid the turmoil, many countries have refused to get directly involved in the war while calling for urgent de-escalation.

On Friday, Switzerland announced that it would halt any weapons exports to the US that could be used in military operations against Iran, citing its longstanding policy of neutrality.

“The export of war materiel to countries involved ⁠in the international armed conflict with Iran cannot be authorised for the duration of the conflict”, the Swiss government said.

Sri Lanka’s president also cited his country’s neutrality in the decision to deny the US request to land the two aircraft at Matalla airport earlier this month.

Dissanayake said he had received another request that same day, on February 26, from Iran to seek permission for three naval vessels to make a goodwill visit to Sri Lanka.

“With two requests before us, the decision was clear,” he said, noting that the government denied both to avoid taking sides as signs of escalating conflict emerged.

“Had we said ‘yes’ to Iran, we would have had to say ‘yes’ to the US, as well”, Dissanayake added.

In early March, Sri Lanka’s navy rescued 32 Iranian crew off IRIS Dena after it was torpedoed by a US submarine off the country’s coast, killing at least 84 people.

Days later, Sri Lanka evacuated more than 200 crew members from a second Iranian vessel, IRIS Bushehr, after the ship requested assistance from Colombo.

[Aljazeera]