News

Throwing dust in the eyes of government authorities, vehicle assembly from imported used/second hand parts has raised its ugly head once again taking advantage of the motor car shortage in the country.

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB)  MP Nalin Bandara and his wife tested COVID-19 positive today.

The MP was a close contact of Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa who tested positive with the virus few days ago.

He has undergone PCR test while undergoing self quarantine at home.

Sri Lanka is now looking at China for anything and everything as the government is compelled to import organic fertiliser to tackle the Maha season manure shortage faced by paddy cultivators.

The Bangladesh Bank board has approved in principle a draft US$ 200 million currency swap deal with Sri Lanka. The currency swap agreement would be finalised after getting a legal vetting approved by the Government, BB officials told New Age after the meeting.

BB governor Fazle Kabir chaired the meeting at its headquarters in Dhaka.

Under the draft currency swap proposal, the BB would provide up to US$ 200 million in foreign currency to meet Sri Lanka’s foreign currency expenditures, the officials said.

Against the fund, Sri Lankan would keep a same amount of its local currency, Rupee, with the Bangladesh Bank along with a Government guarantee. The BB would get around 1-2 per cent plus LIBOR from Sri Lanka as interest.

The currency swap agreement also contains a rollover condition, allowing Sri Lanka to extend the period of repayment of the loan, the BB officials said.

The currency swap initiative was taken after Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s visit to Bangladesh to join the celebrations of the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh’s Independence.

The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination will commence from the Ratnapura and Jaffna districts, the Ministry of Health said.

Accordingly, the COVID-19 vaccine will be administered in the Ratnapura District from Sunday (30).

The first dose of Chinese Sinopharm vaccine is currently being administered to people in the Kurunegala, Galle and Matara districts.

A special 24-hour hotline dedicated for public inquiries regarding essential services has been introduced and will be operational from today (24).

The public is requested to call the hotline number 1965 for any inquiries regarding essential services during the travel restriction period.

This is being implemented under the Presidential Task Force for Economic Revival and Poverty Alleviation.

The call center has been established at Temple Trees with over 20 officials ready to answer calls regarding essential services while they will also provide contacts for the various relevant institutions as requested.

Launching the service this morning (24), Minister Namal Rajapaksa stated that the general public as well as those engaged in essential services have various issues regarding these services and they can call the hotline 1965 to report them.

Moratuwa Mayor Samanlal Fernando hd been arrested after he surrendered to the Mount Lavinia Police this morning in connection with allegedly threatening a female doctor and obstructing duties of officials.

Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana said that  investigation has been launched into a incident of threatening the female doctor who had gone to administer Sinopharm vaccines to the people in Moratuwa and Moratumulla Grama Niladhari Divisions.

It is reported that a heated exchange of words has taken place between the Mayor and the doctor as the doctor who refused to give the vaccine according to the number given by the Mayor.

DIG Rohana said that investigations have been launched into a complaint lodged by the doctor with the Mount Lavinia Police.

The arrested Mayor would be produced before the Moratuwa Magistrate's court.

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The government has decided to extend the islandwide travel restriction till June 7.

Further the travel restrictions will be relaxed for three days (May 25, May 31 and June 4) in between for people to purchase essentials.

However, the public will not be allowed to travel by vehicle to purchase essential goods as they will only be allowed to walk to nearest shop or pharmacy.

This was announced during a special press briefing at the Government Information Department attended by Ministers Johnston Fernando, Prasanna Ranatunga, Army Commander General Shavendra Silva and Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana.

The press conference was held to brief the public on the current Covid-19 situation in the country and the operations of essential services. 

President’s Counsel Sanjay Rajaratnam was sworn in as the new Attorney General in the presence of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat on Wednesday (26).

Rajaratnam has served in the Attorney General’s Department for 34 years and served as Senior State Counsel, Deputy Solicitor General, Additional Solicitor General, Senior Additional Solicitor General, and Acting Solicitor General, during his career.

Educated at St. Peter’s College, Colombo, and Royal College, he holds a Masters in Laws from Queen Mary University, London.

Rajaratnam is a Solicitor in England and Wales.

He was sworn in as President’s Counsel in November 2014 and also served as an advisor to several government agencies, including the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa and his wife have tested positive for COVID-19 infection. Premadasa confirmed this posting on his social media a short while ago.

Reportedly, his wife had been hospitalized on May 19 over COVID-19 symptoms and had subsequently tested positive for the virus.

Sajith Premadasa tweeted that his wife had tested positive with the virus yesterday.

He said following the health guidelines, he had undergone a PCR test and he himself tested positive with the virus.

The second consignment of China’s Sinopharm (BBIBP-CorV) vaccine arrived in Sri Lanka today.

The Sinopharm vaccine was developed by Sinopharm’s Beijing Institute of Biological Products and the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products in China.

Sri Lanka have received 500,000 doses of the vaccine as a donation from China.

In March, Sri Lanka received 600,000 Sinopharm vaccines as a part of a donation by the Chinese government to Sri Lanka.

MP Rishad Bathiudeen’s All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) has suspended the party membership of two of its parliamentarians.

Thereby, Anuradhapura District MP Ishak Rahuman and Puttalam District MP Ali Sabri Raheem have been ousted from the party, Senior Deputy Leader of ACMC N.M. Shaheed stated.

The duo had supported the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill vote held in parliament on Thursday (May 20).