News

Debt-restructuring talks, two MoUs during Jaishankar’s visit

Published

5 months ago

January 15, 2023

editor

The government is to hold debt restructuring talks with India, one of the key creditors, during a scheduled visit by India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar who is due here next Thursday, President Ranil Wickremesinghe told trade union leaders yesterday.

“We discussed China’s Exim Bank earlier this week and by now we have started exchanging views on it. India’s External Affairs Minister is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka on January 19 to discuss the debt restructuring process. We are proceeding with these activities gradually,” President Wickremesinghe said.

During Mr Jaishankar’s visits, two memorandums of understanding are likely to be signed.

One of the MoUs is for the Trincomalee development project and the other for a power grid connectivity project with India, the Sunday Times learns.

Meanwhile, a high-level Chinese delegation led by Chen Zhou, Vice Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party, arrived here yesterday for bilateral talks.

Mr. Chen met President Wickremesinghe last evening and delivered a letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The Chinese Embassy in a twitter message said, “They had friendly and fruitful dialogue on how to enhance bilateral pragmatic cooperation and party-to-party exchanges”.

Earlier this week, China’s Exim Bank Chairman Wu Fulin held a virtual meeting with President Wickremesinghe on the debt restructuring process and cooperation between the two countries.

Commenting on the status of the ongoing debt restructuring programme, President Wickremesinghe said the government had completed talks with Japan — one of the three main creditors to Sri Lanka, besides China and India.

Following these talks, the President stressed that the country would be able to secure USD 2.7 billion Extended Fund Facility from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in three or four instalments.

“In addition, we have the capacity to get USD 5 billion from the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and others. By the end of the year, a number of different programmes are scheduled to resume with Japan,” the President said, explaining the path to recovery from the economic crisis the country currently undergoes.

(sundaytimes)

News

Family of pickpockets arrested!

Published

37 mins ago

June 8, 2023

editor

A man who got into buses with wife and three children and then stole mobile phones and wallets of passengers was arrested along with 5,200 milligrams of heroin, the Piliyandala Police said.

During the interrogation of the suspect, police found nearly 20 stolen mobile phones worth over Rs.1 million.

Piliyandala Crimes OIC IP Dinesh Hettiarachchi, who has been paying attention to several complaints received from youths and school children regarding the loss of mobile phones in buses, has arrested the suspect in Miriswatta based on CCTV footage.

A police officer said that the wife and three children were with the suspect at the time of his arrest, and the three children had started crying requesting not to take their father away.

The 33-year-old suspect, a resident of Pothupitiya in Wadduwa, failed to give a valid reason as to why he was in Piliyandala with his wife and children.

Investigations revealed that the mobile phones of school children and women in buses were stolen meticulously by the suspect along Route No. 138 Homagama-Pettah and Route No. 296 Piliyandala-Maharagama.

Police said that they were able to find the stolen mobile phones which had been sold at a very low price in Badowita, Mt.Lavinia and Pettah.

The suspect will be produced in the Kesbewa Magistrate’s Court.

News

‘Murawatte Kabaraya’ hospitalized!

Published

58 mins ago

June 8, 2023

editor

A suspect, who was recaptured after escaping from the custody of the Kalutara Prison officers, was hospitalized due to injuries sustained after he banged his head against the iron door of the police cell, Panadura North Police said.

The suspect was identified as 32-year-old ‘Murawatte Kabaraya’, a resident of Koralawella, Moratuwa.

Police sources said that the suspect was arrested yesterday (07) by a group of officers of the crimes division.

He was admitted to the Panadura Base Hospital in a ‘Suwa Seriya’ ambulance.

News

Restraining order against Anura over today’s protest!

Published

2 hours ago

June 8, 2023

editor

The Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court issued a restraining order against 26 individuals including Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake in relation to a protest to be organized by the National People’s Power outside the Election Commission in Rajagiriya today (08) against the postponement of the local government elections.

According to Section 106 (01) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the Court issued the order against the 26 people including Mr. Dissanayake, Vijitha Herath, Lal Kantha, Tilvin Silva, Sunil Handunnetti and Wasantha Samarasinghe.

This Court issued this order preventing them from protesting along the Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Road, Cotta Road, Nawala Road, Sarana Road and access roads towards the Election Commission.

The Welikada Police requested the restraining order from the Court stating that the protest to be carried out by the parties named as respondents could inconvenience the public and cause disturbance to the students who are facing the GCE O/L exam.