Category: Breaking News

72 health trade unions have launched a strike from 6.30 on Thursday (01) morning.

Co-convener of the Health Trade Union Alliance Ravi Kumudesh said the health unions joined the strike demanding that the Rs.35,000 allowance granted to doctors be given to them as well.

The government did not respond to their demands despite a strike being launched on a previous occasion as well.

The All Ceylon Nurses’ Union has reached a decision to refrain from supporting today’s strike action.

This was confirmed by its Chairman Ravindra Kahandawarachchi on Wednesday (31) afternoon, while speaking to media after visiting the Malwathu Maha Viharaya.

Sri Lanka dropped further in the latest corruption perceptions index (CPI) for the year 2023.

Sri Lanka dropped 2 places to 115 with a score of 34 in the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released by Transparency International.

The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is the most widely used global corruption ranking in the world. It measures how corrupt each country’s public sector is perceived to be, according to experts and businesspeople.

The index notes that in South Asia, both Pakistan(29) and Sri Lanka (34) grapple with their respective debt burdens and ensuing political instability. However, the two countries have strong judicial oversight, which is helping to keep the government in check.

The CPI global average remains unchanged at 43 for the twelfth year in a row, with more than two-thirds of countries scoring below 50. This indicates serious corruption problems.

Denmark (90) tops the index for the sixth consecutive year, with Finland and New Zealand following closely with scores of 87 and 85, respectively. Due to well-functioning justice systems, these countries are also among the top scorers in the Rule of Law Index.

Somalia (11), Venezuela (13), Syria (13), South Sudan (13) and Yemen (16) take the bottom spots in the index. They are all affected by protracted crises, mostly armed conflicts.

India’s MDMK general secretary and Rajya Sabha member Vaiko on Tuesday urged the Indian government to handle its relationship with Sri Lanka, considering the threat posed by China’s entry into the island nation.

Addressing an all-party meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi, Mr. Vaiko said China had constructed a port in Hambantota and the Indian government should realise that the threat to the country from China would emerge first from the south.

A statement from the party said that he also drew Mr. Rajnath Singh’s attention to the alleged attack on Tamil fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy, claiming that “over 800 fishermen had been killed so far” and there was no protection to their lives and belongings. He also used the occasion to launch an attack on Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi, accusing him of “blabbering on one issue or another.”

When Mr. Vaiko said Mr. Ravi had remarked that the country attained Independence because of Subhas Chandra Bose, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahalad Joshi said that the Governor had clarified his comments. “His comments have appeared in all newspapers and other media. Probably, the Minister has not read them,” Mr Vaiko said.

He further said that the Indian democracy was facing a major threat and would die if “Hindutva forces” succeeded in implementing one country, one election, one language and one religion.

Source: The Hindu

The Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF) said that it is against any kind of political meeting held within university premises with the participation of Presidential candidates of any party.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (30), IUSF Convenor Madushan Chandrajith said that the IUSF would not endorse any political meeting organised by Presidential candidates of any party and would not let the university premises be a platform where rallies of political parties are held ahead of the Presidential Election.

State Minister of Higher Education Dr. Suren Raghavan, alleged that some universities are planning to invite politicians and Presidential candidates to universities, opining that such moves should be stopped.

“I am informed that some State universities are making plans to invite politicians and Presidential candidates to universities. This should be stopped completely. Universities are solely for academic activities. Politics must be kept away from university premises,” Raghavan said.

Chandrajith stated that the recent protest that took place on Monday (29) at the University of Kelaniya was launched against the attendance of President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the University. He claimed that the Government is trying to use universities as a part of Wickremesinghe’s Presidential campaign, adding that the students’ protest was therefore a good example for those who are planning to do the same.

Moreover, Chandrajith noted that no politician has the moral right to come to universities at a time when the continuous grievances of the students are being neglected by the political elite. He said that the IUSF would not let any Presidential candidate hold meetings inside the universities, despite his or her political leanings.

He said that students as individuals have the right to hold any political view inside the universities and that student activism is always promoted by the IUSF. “But, politicians are not allowed to hold meetings. They don’t have a right to do so. They have not addressed any of the issues that we raised. Yesterday (29), several students were attacked during the protest. First, they have to be patient enough to tolerate our opinions,” he added.

The University Grants Commission Chairman Prof. Sampath Amaratunge and the Spokesperson of the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations, Senior Lecturer Charudaththa Illangasinghe were unavailable for comment.

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya kicks off its presidential election campaign with a protest rally in Colombo this afternoon (30).

‘A year for a change’ is the theme of the campaign that will be launched with the participation of supporters from across the country, said the SJB.

General secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara told the media the protest would demand easing the economic burden among other issues.