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DIFFERENT PRIORITIES IN THE SINHALA AND TAMIL PRESS |
Tamil Headlines
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Virakesari: Disclose the agreement: The main opposition party urges after the president’s meeting with the Sri Lankan diaspora | Who is going to become the mayor of Colombo? The vote to take place today; both parties in a serious attempt to form the administration | Gita Gopinath arrives in Sri Lanka; arrangements have been made to hold discussions with various stakeholders Thinakaran: The contest for the governance of the Colombo Municipal Council, the country’s largest local government body, is today! The party that wins the vote for the mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council will form the administration | A high-ranking officer of the IMF, Gita Gopinath, arrives in Sri Lanka |
Thinakkural: The majority to be decided today: Who will win the Colombo Municipal Council? The alliance of the opposition preparing for a tough contest with the NPP Thamilan: Special security for Israeli religious places [including the Israeli Embassy]! Sri Lanka takes steps following the attack on Iran |
Sinhala Headlines
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Lankadeepa: Red label containers cannot be simply cleared [without inspection], a report released; recommendations from the investigative committee: Several new recommendations and investigations by the CID as well | The Colombo mayor’s chair: To the NPP’s Balthazaar or to the SJB’s Riza Zarook? The decision today Divaina: The Iran-Israel conflict escalates, portending a major war; Iran fires 100 missiles at Israel; two fuel depots in Tehran, attacked; global oil prices rise by 14% after the attacks; Israel bombs the world’s largest gas field in Iran; a Sri Lankan woman wounded in Israel | The Colombo mayorship to whom? The decision today; the meeting hall ready to welcome the new mayor; all 117 members summoned; the vote at 9.30 am Ada: The fight for power over the Colombo Municipal Council, today | Tests of power underway in several LG bodies today, including the Ratnapura Municipal Council | Damages to both sides from the Israel-Iran conflict; over 128 killed in Iran; Israel’s death toll rises to 13; crude oil prices rise in the world market; two Sri Lankan women in Israel injured in the Iranian attacks |
Mawbima: Assets worth 3.78 billion of criminals have been frozen, including the assets of 30 individuals, such as Kavuma, Ladiya, Ganemulle Sanjeewa and Karandeniye Sudda Dinamina: Assets worth Rs. 4 billion belonging to drug traffickers confiscated, the CID informs Aruna: Principals to work only during official hours to oppose the dengue circular Anidda: This paper is published on Fridays only |
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TAMIL PRESS PRIORITIES |
Photo credits: The Island
“The Colombo Municipal Council vote: Some may switch parties at the last minute” – S.M. Marikkar
Virakesari, Thinakkural
SJB MP S.M. Marikkar claimed that his party has held discussions with various parties in terms of forming the administration of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC). Marikkar noted that while the new mayor will be elected from the SJB if the talks are successful, it cannot be guaranteed until the last minute. Addressing a media conference in Colombo yesterday (15th), Marikkar added that it remains to be decided whether an open or secret ballot would be held.
Consensus among Tamil parties to form administrations in four councils in Vavuniya
Thinakkural A consensus has been reached among the leaders of the Tamil political parties to form administrations in four local government bodies in the Vavuniya District, namely, the Vavuniya Municipal Council, Vavuniya North Pradeshiya Sabha, Vavuniya South (Tamil) Pradeshiya Sabha and the Vengalacheddikulam Pradeshiya Sabha. ITAK, the Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA), the SJB, Democratic National Alliance (DNA), the All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) headed by Rishad Bathudeen and an independent group participated in the discussion and agreed to form the administrations. |
Disclose the agreement: The main opposition party urges after the president’s meeting with the Sri Lankan diaspora
Virakesari Addressing the media in Colombo yesterday (15th), SJB MP Ajith P. Perera claimed that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s visit to Germany was a special occasion. Perera added that while there is nothing wrong with him meeting the Sri Lankan diaspora there, any agreement reached with them should be disclosed to the country. |
“A conspiracy to detain me without bail, claiming that I have instigated violence” – Gammanpila
Thinakkural
Addressing the media, Leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) Udaya Gummanpila claimed that senior officials of the president have been attempting to arrest him under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act for inciting hatred, and stressed that no one can stop him from speaking out even if they threaten him with imprisonment. Gammanpila added that a discussion had been held to arrest him under the ICCPR Act so that he could be held for a long time without bail. Gammanpila noted that customs officials themselves had raised suspicions that the containers released without inspection might contain weapons.
SINHALA PRESS PRIORITIES |
Photo credits: Newswire
Over Rs. 4 billion in assets seized from individuals suspected of crimes and drug-related offences
Dinamina, Mawbima
The Sri Lanka Police has announced that properties valued at over Rs. 3.78 billion belonging to individuals suspected of crimes and drug-related offences have been confiscated by the authorities. This includes assets from more than 90 individuals, 30 of whom are alleged to be involved in drug smuggling. The total value of the properties confiscated from the suspects is reported to be over Rs. 1,45 billion. Additionally, assets worth more than Rs. 2.3 billion, suspected to be derived from other crimes, have also been confiscated.
The EC yet to receive the names of 223 local government members elected from the opposition | Investigations against 2,700 who failed to submit expenditure reports
Divaina, Mawbima The Election Commission (EC) stated that the names of 223 members elected to local government bodies are yet to be submitted. Meanwhile, Election Commission Chairperson R.M.A.L. Rathnayake confirmed that the names of 107 council members already received by the EC had been sent to the Government Printer for gazetting. Rathnayake added that as of last Friday (13th), approximately 2,700 candidates who contested the election had not submitted their income and expenditure declarations to the EC, and that legal action has been inititated against them by the relevant police stations. |
FactCheck.lk explains that Sri Lanka’s foreign reserves were overstated by USD 1.4 billion, bypassing internationally accepted standards in reporting reserves
Divaina, Mawbima A recent revelation by Verité Research indicates that the Central Bank of Sri Lanka has officially reported Sri Lanka’s official foreign reserves at a value that is USD 1.4 billion higher than the actual amount. Verité Research further explained that if the reserves were reported under international standards, the figure would have been USD 4.9 billion. However, Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Anil Jayantha announced at a press conference on April 30 that the country’s official foreign reserves have exceeded USD 6.5 billion. Jayantha also noted that the reserves are expected to exceed USD 7 billion next year. This information on reserves has been revealed by Verité Research in a clarification titled “FactCheck.lk, an affiliate of Verité Research, finds problems with how Sri Lanka reports its foreign reserves”. |
COMMON PRIORITIES: SINHALA & TAMIL PRESS |
Photo credits: Lanka Leader.lk
The Colombo Municipal Council’s decisive inaugural meeting today. The vote to elect the mayor at 9.30 am
Lankadeepa, Divaina, Aruna, Dinamina, Ada, Mawbima, Virakesari, Thinakaran, Thamilan, Thinakkural
The newly elected Colombo Municipal Council is scheduled to convene for its inaugural sitting this morning (16th). During the meeting scheduled to be held at the Town Hall, the election of the new mayor and the deputy mayor will take place as the first order of business. No party obtained an outright majority in the Colombo Municipal Council at the local government election held on May 6 and therefore, both the NPP and the SJB have announced in recent days that they have secured the backing of other political factions to elect a mayor. Accordingly, the leading contenders for the mayorship were noted to be NPP’s Vraie Balthazaar and SJB’s Riza Zarook.
The Iran-Israel conflict escalates, portending a major war | Iran fires 100 missiles at Israel | Two fuel depots in Tehran attacked | Global oil prices set to rise by 14% after the attacks | Israel bombs the world’s largest gas field in Iran | Two Sri Lankan women wounded in Israel from the attacks
Aruna, Lankadeepa, Mawbima, Ada, Divaina, Thamilan, Thinakaran, Virakesari
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Common priorities: Additional stories
1. First Deputy Managing Director (FDMD) of the IMF Dr. Gita Gopinath arrives in Sri Lanka to present at the conference held today (16th) on “Sri Lanka’s Road to Recovery: Debt and Governance” – Divaina, Mawbima, Thamilan, Thinakaran, Virakesari
2. The government’s decision to abolish the privileges of former presidents (pensions) reversed – Lankadeepa, Thinakkural
3. “Concerns over the quality of degrees have emerged when recruiting teachers who hold educationist degrees from private universities” – Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya – Ada, Thamilan, Thinakaran
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