President and independent presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe criticized Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa’s political strategy, asserting that Premadasa is no longer aligned with the United National Party (UNP) and is incapable of defeating Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
Wickremesinghe highlighted the historical context of political competition in Sri Lanka, emphasizing the importance of maintaining distinctiveness and control within political parties.
He cited examples of past leaders such as J.R. Jayewardene, former President Bandaranaike, and Mahinda Rajapaksa, who each maintained firm control over their parties while in opposition, eventually leading their parties to government.
“Sajith Premadasa’s approach has been to speak in Parliament daily, which inadvertently boosted Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s profile,” Wickremesinghe stated. “Now, Anura Kumara poses a significant threat to Sajith Premadasa, who is unlikely to win. Every vote cast for Sajith effectively supports Anura Kumara.”
Wickremesinghe urged UNP members to reconsider their support for Premadasa and instead vote for the “Gas Cylinder” symbol on September 21st.\
Kotmale Police have stated that luggage, mobile phones and other belongings of the passengers on the bus that met with a tragic accident at Gerandi Ella are safe with them/
Kotmale Police OIC Chief Inspector Vajira Ratnayake stated that the villagers who assisted authorities at the time of the accident handed over the passengers’ belongings to the Police.
The OIC also stated that 35 mobile phones, luggage and other valuables have been kept safe at the police station and can be obtained after the identities of the claimants are verified.
Meanwhile, it is reported that the bus conductor’s ticket book and the money he had collected could not be found.
The OIC had also stated that the exact number of passengers on the bus could not be ascertained due to the death of the driver and the fact that the conductor was receiving treatment in hospital.
PSL 2025 will resume on May 17, with the final on May 25. The announcement confirms the league will end a week after it was originally scheduled to conclude.
The four remaining group games will take place at the Rawalpindi Cricket Ground, with the playoffs and final in Lahore. Aside from one afternoon game in Rawalpindi – between Multan Sultans and Quetta Gladiators on 18 May, all fixtures take place at night, with evening games starting at 7:30pm local time.
“HBL PSL X picks up from where it left off,” he wrote in the post,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced on X (formerly Twitter). “6 teams, 0 fear. Get ready for 8 thrilling matches starting 17th May, leading up to the Grand Final on 25th May. Best of luck to all the teams!”
The league, which was postponed due to increasing cross-border tensions with India, has eight games left.