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Posts published in “Sri Lanka”

Sajith tells Parliament about ‘undeniable evidence linking Zahran group to Army intelligence’

By Saman Indrajith in The Island, Sept 23, 2023Opposition and SJB leader Sajith Premadasa told Parliament yesterday that irrefutable evidence had emerged, linking the Zahran group, which carried out the Easter Sunday terror attacks, to the Army intelligence. Participating in the debate on the Channel 4 exposure on the Easter Sunday terror attacks, Premadasa said that there were instances that pointed to links between the Army intelligence and the Zahran group. Firstly, there was an…

Lawyers urge Govt. to withdraw new anti-terror and online safety laws

report in Daily FT,, 23 September 2023The Lawyers’ Collective, a civil society group consisting of legal practitioners in Sri Lanka issued a statement yesterday condemning the recently proposed Anti-Terrorism and Online Safety Bills which were published through gazette announcements this year. The collective said the Government has failed to respond to the serious and fundamental concerns raised about the Anti-Terrorist Bill and adopt any transparent and accountable process through which the bills were explained, justified…

Sajith tells Parliament about ‘undeniable evidence linking Zahran group to Army intelligence’

By Saman Indrajith in The Island, Sept 23, 2023Opposition and SJB leader Sajith Premadasa told Parliament yesterday that irrefutable evidence had emerged, linking the Zahran group, which carried out the Easter Sunday terror attacks, to the Army intelligence. Participating in the debate on the Channel 4 exposure on the Easter Sunday terror attacks, Premadasa said that there were instances that pointed to links between the Army intelligence and the Zahran group. Firstly, there was an…

No police personnel have been charged over Easter bombings yet – Minister

report in adaderana.lk, Sept 21, 2023Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles has stated that no police personnel have been charged in connection with the Easter Sunday bombings of 2019 thus far. Speaking in Parliament today (20 Sep.), he stated that as per the reports submitted by the relevant Presidential Commission of Inquiry, no police personnel have been charged in this regard, and have only been under observation thus far. The Minister asserted this in response…

President firm on no further Cabinet expansion

by Kelum Bandara in Daily Mirror, Sept 21, 2023 is reported to have stood his ground, refusing to allocate any more Cabinet portfolios despite persistent requests from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), Daily Mirror learns. The president has continuously resisted requests to increase the size of the Cabinet even despite some MPs such as S.B. Dissanayake warning to explore ways to topple the government. The position has been taken over concerns that such a…

Sri Lanka’s higher education ministry cracks down on ragging

report in economynext.com, Sept 18, 2023 at 5:12 pmSri Lanka’s Higher Education Ministry is to introduce new regulations and a hotline for tips against bullying, or ragging, in universities, an official said. “Minister for Higher Education Suren Raghavan has introduced an advisory committee consisting of main institutions, the Ministry, Sri Lanka Police, Ministry of Defense, Presidential Secretariat and the Human Rights Commission,” Secretary to the Minister of Higher Education, Dilshan Jayakody told EconomyNext today (18).…

GL: Ranil can’t extend GR’s five-year term

By Shamindra Ferdinando in The Island, Sept 19, 2023Rebel SLPP MP Prof. G. L. Peiris yesterday (18) asked President Ranil Wickremesinghe whether the latter intended to postpone the next presidential election indefinitely by claiming the government lacked sufficient funds for conducting elections. The former External Affairs Minister raised the issue in the wake of UNP MP Vajira Abeywardena’s recent declaration that the government wouldn’t be able to meet the basic requirements of the people if…

On sidelines of UN General Assembly, Sri Lankan president calls Aukus ‘a mistake’ and rejects fears over China

by Khushboo Razdan in SCMP, Sept 19, 2023New York: Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday declared the Aukus security pact between Australia, Britain and the US “a mistake” while rejecting any concerns over Beijing’s perceived influence on his debt-ridden island nation. “It is a military alliance moved against one country – China,” he said at an event hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in New York on the sidelines of the United…

Lack of accountability costs SL more than corruption – PAFFREL

by Rathindra Kuruwita in The Island, Sept 18, 2023An artificial shortage of medicinal drugs had been created in government hospitals to enable emergency drug purchases, Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) President Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne said recently, testifying before the parliamentary Sectoral Oversight Committee on an Open and Accountable Government. Dr. Ariyaratne also said that carcinogenic foods had flooded the market without any regulations, and action had to be taken to protect the public. “We must…

Social media banned for Northern Province health workers

By Sheain Fernandopulle in Daily Mirror, Sept 18, 2023The Provincial Department of Health Services, Northern Province has implemented a ban on the use of social media for health workers including doctors during duty hours. Speaking to Daily Mirror, Provincial Director of Health Services Northern Province, Dr T. Sathyamoorthy said, “The decision comes after numerous complaints were received, alleging that some health workers were using their mobile phones to browse social media platforms instead of attending…

Retired Justice Imam to head Channel 4 probe, ex-SLAF chief member of committee

report in The Island, Sept 17, 2023President Ranil Wickremesinghe has appointed a committee led by a retired Supreme Court judge to investigate allegations by Britain’s “Channel-4” related to the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. The committee will be chaired by retired Supreme Court Justice S.I. Imam, the President’s Media Division said on Friday. The other members are Retired Air Force Commander ACM, Jayalath Weerakkody and Harsha A.J. Soza PC. Releasing the video earlier this month, ‘Channel…