Category: Featured Headlines

During the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Parliamentary Group Meeting, held yesterday, a proposal had been unanimously ratified extending the party’s unstinted support and loyalty to its leader MP Sajith Premadasa, thus dealing a massive blow to a plot hatched by MP Patali Champika Ranawaka to derail the Party.

It is alleged that Ranawaka had taken the lead and conspired to spread fabrications and spurious charges against the Opposition Leader through the creation of fake news items and videos concerning Premadasa and those close to him.

Interestingly, Ranawaka himself had become party to the proposal brought to support Premadasa’s leadership, once it had dawned on him that not a single MP of the party had thrown in their lot with him to destabilise the party leader. It has been alleged that Ranawaka had used various interviews to criticise the Opposition Leader who is still recuperating in hospital after testing positive to COVID-19.

Besides Ranawaka, the other SJB MPs who had been instrumental in tabling the proposal to support Premadasa’s leadership, are Chief Opposition Whip MP Lakshman Kiriella, MPs Mano Ganesan and Rauff Hakeem. The proposal had been seconded by Party General Secretary Ranjith Maddumabandara, Rajitha Senaratne, Sarath Fonseka and Ashok Abeysinghe.

Switzerland has dispatched medical supplies worth CHF 3.5 million to Colombo, including half a million antigen tests, 50 ventilators, 150 oxygen concentrators and testing materials.

In response to the serious public health situation in Sri Lanka and calls for assistance from the Sri Lankan authorities, Swiss Humanitarian Aid immediately set up a crisis unit to provide aid supplies as quickly as possible to help Sri Lanka’s efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Based on the requirements issued by the Sri Lankan authorities, a list of supplies Switzerland was able to provide was drawn up in close cooperation with the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport and the Federal Department of Home Affairs.

An aircraft left Zurich today with 16 tonnes of supplies on board. In addition to the 50 ventilators provided by the Armed Forces Pharmacy, the supplies included 150 oxygen concentrators and other medical equipment (such as devices for measuring oxygen levels).

The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) also added half a million antigen tests to the consignment. Before assembling the supplies, it was clarified that they would not be needed for the Swiss population.

The consignment will be received in Colombo by representatives of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Health and then distributed to the different locations. The Swiss Embassy in Sri Lanka is in close contact with the local authorities to ensure that the supplies are distributed fairly and in line with humanitarian principles.

Last year, Switzerland also contributed CHF 1 million to Sri Lanka’s efforts to combat COVID-19. In October 2020, it funded a device for PCR testing in Colombo airport and provided 39,000 test kits – with the aim of helping Sri Lankan migrant workers who had lost their jobs abroad because of COVID-19 to return home. The Swiss Embassy has also given CHF 100,000 to local partners providing emergency COVID-19 aid to the neediest people, especially low-income families.

Today’s consignment to Sri Lanka is the third Swiss Humanitarian Aid supply mission to South Asia within a month. Swiss Humanitarian Aid, which is part of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, sent 13 tonnes of supplies to India and 30 tonnes to Nepal in recent weeks. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Swiss Humanitarian Aid has been continuously monitoring public health developments around the world and is ready to provide as much support as it can upon request.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has issued a gazette notice naming the Counter Terrorism Investigation Unit as a place of detention.

The gazette had been issued on Friday 4th June as a notification under Section 9 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

“I , Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President do hereby notify that the premises specified in the Schedule hereto, shall be a place of detention for the purposes under Section 9 of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act , No. 48 of 1979,” the gazette notice said.

The schedule lists the Counter Terrorism Investigation Unit in Colombo as a place of detention.

Section 9 refers to the detention of suspects arrested under the PTA.

Accordingly, the facility will be used to detain suspects arrested under the PTA.

The Director-General of Health Services confirmed that Sri Lanka has reported 47 more deaths related to the COVID-19 pandemic on Monday (June 07).

As per the Department of Government Information, the reported deaths had occurred between May 17 and June 07.

They are identified as residents of Elpitiya, Wathugahamulla, Dankotuwa, Marawila, Walapane, Dedigamuwa, Waththala, Matara, Hatton, Galagedara, Wellampitiya, Uragaha, Horana, Gonapola – North, Paragasthota, Gonapola, Dehiwala, Colombo 09, Thlawakele, Nuwara Eliya, Trincomalee, Alawwa, Negombo, Galle, Kalutara, Darga Town, Angoda, Naththandiya, Walahapitiya, Haburugala, Moronthuduwa –Panadura, Maho, Polgahawela, Ibbagamuwa, Kandy, Bulathsinghala, Akurana, Dehiaththakandiya, Poogoda, Dompe and Veyangoda.

Accordingly, the total number of deaths due to Covid-19 infection in Sri Lanka has risen to 1,789.

The Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka called on Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees on Monday (07)

“High Commissioner called on Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa today and discussed a wide range of bilateral topics including in the areas of economic, investment, and financial cooperation,” the Indian High Commissioner posted on its Facebook Page.

No decision has been taken as of yet to extend the existing travel restrictions, Head of National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) General Shavendra Silva said.

The Commander of the Army mentioned this joining the TV Derana breakfast show ‘Derana Aruna’ this morning (June 07).

GeneralSilva further said, “We have not received any recommendation to extend the travel restrictions as of this morning. We have not received any such recommendation from the President or the Task Force. Usually, if such is the case, it would have been informed by now.

There is another week until June 14. Such a decision will be taken if needed after analyzing the situation in the country. However, that is not the case at the present.”