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‘We knew protests of ‘red-shirt gang’ would be like the fizz and bubble of a soda water bottle’ – Weerawansa

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On Pompeo’s visit

By Saman Indrajith

The ‘red-shirt gang’ that did not breathe a word at the time John Kerry and Samantha Powell visited Sri Lanka has suddenly woken up to warn of a “grave danger to the country’s sovereignty” when US State Secretary Mike Pompeo came here as a part of his Asian tour, JNP leader, Industries Minister Wimal Weerawansa said.

Addressing a media conference at the JNP Headquarters in Pitakotte, the Minister said: “We knew all these protests and shouting would have only the fizz and bubble of a soda water bottle that would die soon with Pompeo leaving the country. So, we remained silent and observed the situation. Now, it’s all over without the three percent group achieving the expected results”.

Weerawansa said that the nation would have harbored fears of dangers to the country’s sovereignty if Ranil Wickremesinghe was in power as the government would have succumbed to any external pressure.

“President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has a backbone to drive home the point that he was not ready to betray the country’s sovereignty to maintain foreign relations. The President pledged when he took oath of the office at the Ruwanweliseya in Anuradhapura that Sri Lanka would not hesitate to leave the membership of any international body if the country’s security forces were being pressured by any such organization. With a leader of this stature at the helm, we are not afraid to welcome any foreign leader.”

“The Millennium Challenge Corporation compact issue was taken up at the last Cabinet meeting, where the President gave us an assurance that there would be no signing of MCC or a discussion to that effect with Pompeo. We assure the people of this country that our government will not sign the MCC. We will not be in such a government”, Weerawansa continued.

He further said: “You all know when the MCC issue was raised at the press conference with Pompeo, the reply he gave was that it was a matter for Sri Lanka to decide on. The Sajith group that has lost its bearings and the ‘three percent red-shirt group’ wished that Pompeo would say something in favour of the MCC during his visit. But their hopes were shattered like a glass bowl that hit a rock”.

JNP Propaganda Secretary MP Mohamed Muzammil also addressed the media.



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Landslide Early Warnings issued to the districts of Kalutara, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura

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The Landslide Early Warning Centre of the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) has issued early warnings to the Districts of Kalutara, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura from 1600hrs on 13th June 2026 till 1600hrs on 14th June 2026.

Accordingly,

LEVEL I (YELLOW) landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surounding areas of Palindanuwara and Agalawatta in the Kalutara district,  Ambagamuwa in the Nuwara Eliya and Ayagama, Pelmadulla,
Godakawela, Elapatha, Kalawana, Ratnapura and Nivithigala in the Ratnapura district.

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INS Sharda departs Colombo concluding replenishment visit

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The Indian Naval Ship (INS) ‘Sharda’ departed the island today (13 Jun 26), concluding her replenishment purposes.

On departure  the vessel was accorded a traditional naval farewell by the Sri Lanka Navy at the Port of Colombo.

The visit also paved the way for vibrant personnel interactions, fostering camaraderie and goodwill. The crew of INS Sharda and personnel from the Sri Lanka Navy participated in a
friendly volleyball match and a joint yoga session. A

dditionally, Sri Lanka Navy personnel had the opportunity to visit the Indian naval vessel, while the visiting crew took time to explore several culturally significant landmarks across the island.

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Special Dengue Prevention Week declared in Colombo District from June 15 to 21

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A decision has been taken to declare a Special Dengue Prevention Week from 15 to 21 of June by the Colombo District Dengue Control Committee to curb the spread of the disease in the Colombo District.

This decision was taken at the meeting of the Colombo District Dengue Control Committee held on Friday  (12) at the Colombo District Secretariat under the patronage of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.

Compared to last year, the number of dengue cases reported this year has increased significantly. According to the National Dengue Control Unit, approximately 39,100 dengue cases have been reported island wide to date, of which 25.8% have been recorded in the Colombo District. Following this situation, the Colombo District has been identified as a high-risk district.

Health authorities informed that the increasing spread of the disease has been influenced not only by the nature of circulating virus but also to the lack of sufficient immunity among the population. They further noted that the recent period of heavy rainfall has aggravated the spread of Dengue.

It was also identified that the current outbreak is being reported more frequently from public places such as government institutions, private establishments, schools, and religious venues rather than from residential premises. Observations have identified improperly managed solid waste and drainage systems in offices and other public locations as major breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Accordingly, during the Dengue Prevention Week from 15 to 21 June, a series of measures will be implemented, including, organising community clean-up campaigns in government and private institutions, schools, residential areas, and other public spaces; Conducting inspections of high-risk premises by Divisional Secretariats and taking legal action, where necessary, followed by awareness programmes; Distributing informational leaflets, displaying banners, and carrying out public awareness campaigns through the media. Health authorities also requested school administrations not to involve students below Grade 10 in school cleaning programmes and to immediately notify the relevant Medical Officer of Health (MOH) office if a student is diagnosed with dengue.

The programme is expected to receive the active support and participation of the district’s political leadership, religious leaders of all faiths, public officials, local government institutions, the tri-forces, the police, and the general public.

The event was attended by the Chairperson of the District Coordination Committee, Members of Parliament, representatives of local government authorities, government secretaries, police officers, and officials representing the education and health sectors, among others.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

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