Connect with us

News

Kimbulawala street food vendors ordered to vacate by tomorrow

Published

on

The Road Development Authority has ordered street food traders at the Kimbulawela junction to vacate the area by tomorrow (Dec. 08),  Street Food Shop Owners Association President Sisira Dissanayake says.

Speaking to ‘Sri Lanka Mirror’, he said that the RDA has notified them of this via a letter signed by the RDA’s Executive engineer of the Western Province.

Noting that the letter mentions no reason for the measure, Mr. Dissanayake says that they refuse to move, since that would result in losing their livelihood.

He further said : “We have been informed to vacate the area by Dec. 08.  MPs Namal and Madhura asked us to do this properly. However much we try to do this in a hygienic manner, they are still trying to remove us… This is the third time the RDA has informed us in writing to vacate. They are not giving a reason but just saying that they received orders from the top. We will not vacate… We urge the government to let us continue while charging a fee from us. The President always emphasises on nightlife.  Open your eyes Mr. President… There are around 27 stalls here and even tourists come here… All this trouble is being created over the want of some individual.”

Related News :

RDA again orders to Kimbulawala Street Food vendors to evict

Removal of street food vendors suspended!

Is Bandula behind attempts to remove Kimbulawala street food vendors?

Bandula & Madhura against Kimbulawala vendors since they are outsiders?

News

UAE – SL reaches agreement to strengthen economic & investment relations

Published

on

By

 
Coinciding with the President’s three-day official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to attend the World Governments Summit 2025, Sri Lanka and the UAE reached an agreement on Reciprocal Promotion and Protection of Investments to strengthen economic and investment relations between the two countries.

The agreement was signed by Mohamed Bin Hadi Al Hussaini, UAE’s Minister of State for Financial Affairs, and Vijitha Herath, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.  

This bilateral agreement establishes a secure legal framework to expand investment opportunities in global markets while ensuring the protection of foreign investments.  

The purpose of this agreement is to facilitate and strengthen foreign investments between the two nations by ensuring investor rights protection, promoting economic cooperation, and establishing comprehensive investment protection mechanisms, dispute resolution frameworks, and policy structures. This agreement will also contribute to strengthening global economic partnerships and creating opportunities for exploring new investment prospects in Sri Lanka.

This agreement underscores the importance of bilateral economic development and financial stability while demonstrating the commitment of both the United Arab Emirates and Sri Lanka to strengthening economic cooperation. It aims to foster trade and business expansion in Sri Lanka while promoting a transparent and stable investment environment.

Furthermore, this agreement also highlights Sri Lanka’s commitment to enhancing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and fostering a more attractive investment landscape. By enhancing investor confidence, it is expected to generate new business opportunities and contribute to economic progress.  

Ultimately, this agreement will reinforce the long-term partnership between the UAE and Sri Lanka, facilitating sustainable investments and advancing trade and financial collaborations between the two countries.  

(President’s Media Division)

Continue Reading

News

Ridiyagama lion cubs named

Published

on

By


The naming of the six newborn lion cubs at the Ridiyagama Safari Park in Ambalantota took place under the patronage of the Zoological Gardens Department Director General R.C.Rajapaksa yesterday (Feb. 12).

These six three-month-old lion cubs were named so that they could be put on public display.The Safari Park had previously asked the public to suggest names for the cubs and six names were selected from around 4,000 suggestions.

Accordingly, the male lion cub was named Megha and the five female lion cubs were named Tara, Aghra, Bhumi, Akira and Elsa.

Three of those who had submitted the names were also present on the occasion and they were presented with gifts.The male lion cub born to lionesses Lara and Yula was named Megha by a student named Uthum Induwara, a student from Badagalle, Galle.

Ahimsa Rukshanee Deraniyagala had suggested the name Tara for the female lion cub born to the same parents.

Nishina Egodagedara had suggested the name Bhumi for the female lion cub born to lion parents Dora  and Wally. The name Aghra had been proposed by Temandi Dehasna and the name Akira had been proposed by Dulisha Paranamana from Panadura and the name Elsa had been proposed by Dilipa Nirmal of Bingiriya.

Ridiyagama Safari Park Warden Hemantha Samarasekera and Veterinarian Nadun Kaluarachchi were also present.

(Pic & news : dailynews.lk)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by News1st has not been edited by SLM staff)

Continue Reading

News

50 countries affected by USAID freeze, says WHO

Published

on

By


Programmes to tackle HIV, polio, mpox and bird flu have been affected by the freeze on tens of billions of dollars of overseas aid from the US, says the head of the World Health Organization (WHO).

US President Donald Trump has taken steps to close the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), arguing that its spending is “totally unexplainable”.

However, WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has urged the Trump administration to consider resuming aid funding until other solutions can be found.

HIV treatments and other services have been disrupted in 50 countries, he said at a briefing on Wednesday.

Speaking publicly for the first time about the freeze on US aid funding, at a virtual press conference in Geneva, Dr Tedros said: “There are actions that the US government is taking… which we’re concerned are having a serious impact on global health.”

In particular he pointed to the suspension of PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief, which he said had halted HIV treatment, testing and prevention services in 50 countries.

He added that a reprieve for life-saving services had not stopped the disruption.

“Clinics are shuttered and health workers have been put on leave,” Dr Tedros said.

Experts in global health have warned of the spread of disease, as well as delays to the development of vaccines and new treatments as a result of the cuts.

Trump has argued that USAID is “incompetent and corrupt”.

He recently announced huge cuts to the agency’s 10,000-strong workforce and the immediate suspension of almost all of its aid programmes.

The agency spends about $40bn (£32bn) – about 0.6% of total US yearly government spending – on humanitarian aid, much of which goes towards health programmes.

The vast majority of USAID money is spent in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Europe, where it is primarily used for humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.

Elon Musk, the tech billionaire who is working on the White House’s effort to shrink the size of the federal government, has previously claimed that the aid agency is “a criminal organisation”.

Neither Trump nor Musk have provided clear evidence to support their claims.

As well as the freeze on USAID, President Trump has taken steps to withdraw the United States from the WHO.

Under the Biden administration the US was the largest funder of the UN’s health agency and in 2023 it contributed almost one-fifth of the agency’s budget.

Dr Tedros said Trump’s decision was affecting collaboration between countries on global health threats. He also said the US had reduced its reporting of bird flu cases in humans.

The WHO says it has employed emergency measures similar to those used during the Covid pandemic to fill the gaps where there are shortages – in life-saving antiretroviral medication, for example, which is used to treat people living with HIV.

Meg Doherty, director of global HIV, hepatitis and sexually-transmitted infection (STI) programmes at the WHO, said efforts were being made to co-ordinate the sharing of vital supplies of medicines between countries.

However, she said a better, long-term solution was needed: “We have been seeking support from country to country for sharing, but this is a short-term approach.”

(BBC News)

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2024 Sri Lanka Mirror. All Rights Reserved