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DIFFERENT PRIORITIES IN THE SINHALA AND TAMIL PRESS |
Tamil Headlines
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Virakesari: “The UNHRC follows double standards; it acts differently on Ukraine and Sri Lanka” – Former president Ranil Wickremesinghe accuses | “Mahinda Rs. 3,572 Mn., Maithri Rs. 384 Mn., Gota Rs. 126 Mn. and Ranil Rs. 533 Mn.” – PM reveals expenditure on foreign travels by former presidents Thinakaran: Discussion on UN cooperation for fisheries developments; Minister Chandrashekar urges UN representatives to protect marine resources | Discussions with Japan on plan to digitise port operations; ambassador officially invites the president to visit Japan | 33 foreign trips during Ranil’s two-year rule; Rs. 533 million spent; prime minister lists the expenses of former presidents |
Thinakkural: Fisherfolk in Jaffna carry out a massive protest against Indian fisherfolk’s trespassing | Talks between [Tamil Nadu] fisherfolk and the Tamil Nadu government failed; continuous hunger strike to commence | Where are the 2,136 weapons seized by the JVP from the state military in 1987 and 1989? Thamilan: “Geneva matter: New rulers with old policies” – Gajendrakumar accuses in parliament | “Withdraw cases” – Hakeem stresses | “There is no legal barrier regarding Arjuna [Mahendren]” – Udaya Gammanpila explains |
Sinhala Headlines
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Lankadeepa: “Rs. 530 million wasted: 14 of the presidential commissions are useless” – Nalinda Jayatissa | Prisoner with heart disease brought on foot: “Are the wheelchairs and ambulances only for VIPs?” – Divaina: The murder of Sanjeewa had been aided from the inside: CCD in pursuit of prison and security Ada: “Rs. 530 million spent on 14 presidential commissions” – Nalinda Jayatissa |
Mawbima: “Rs. 46.1 billion spent on four former presidents’ trips abroad” – PM states in parliament | Dinamina: “Mahinda-Maithripala-Gota-Ranil have spent Rs. 46.1 billion on trips abroad; President Anura’s expenditure for five months is Rs. 1.8 million” – Prime Minister Harini reveals in parliament Aruna: Expenses of presidents’ trips abroad: Mahinda – Rs. 3,572 million in five years; Maithripala – Rs. 384 million in four years; Gota – Rs. 126 million in two years; Ranil – Rs. 533 million in two years; Anura – Rs. 1.8 million in five months Anidda: Mahinda’s expenses for trips abroad Rs. 3,572 million; Rs. 1,144 million spent in 2013 alone | The police murdering two suspects in Crow Island: The government is silently justifying police murderers; cabinet spokesperson gives vague answers during government media briefing |
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TAMIL PRESS PRIORITIES |
Photo credits: N. Lohathayalan
Fisherfolk in Jaffna carry out a massive protest against Indian fisherfolk’s trespassing
Thinakkural, Thamilan, Thinakaran
Fisherfolk in Jaffna carried out a massive protest and demonstration in Jaffna yesterday (27th) against the trespassing of their Indian counterparts in Sri Lankan waters. They handed over petitions to officials of the Indian Consulate in Jaffna, Jaffna District Secretariat, office of the governor of the Northern Province and NPP’s MP K. Ilankumaran.
Thinkakkural: The talks between the fisherfolk in Tamil Nadu and the Government of Tamil Nadu on bringing home arrested fisherfolk along with the captured fishing vessels from Sri Lanka failed, and a continuous hunger strike is to commence.
Thinakaran: Former chief minister of the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) C.V. Wigneswaran has written a letter to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin expressing his concerns on the unresolved issues of the fisherfolk and how the Sri Lankan Northern fisherfolk have faced difficulties from their counterparts.
“Geneva matter: New rulers with old policies” – Gajendrakumar accuses in parliament
Thamilan, Thinakkural All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam told parliament yesterday (27th) that the government did not mention a single word about criminal justice in [United Nations Human Rights Council] Geneva. He added that criminal justice is very important in a war situation, but Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath had talked about everything apart from that in Geneva. He further added that it is clear from the foreign minister’s speech that the current government also has the same position as the previous government on the Geneva issue. |
Discussion on UN cooperation for fisheries developments; Minister Chandrashekar urges UN representatives to protect marine resourcesThinakaran Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources Ramalingam Chandrashekar held a discussion with United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka Marc André Franche. The minister expressed his gratitude for the cooperation provided by the UN and its subsidiary organisations to protect Sri Lanka’s fisheries sector and marine resources. Chandrashekar also requested the UN officials to provide assistance, including technical assistance, to further strengthen the sector. |
SINHALA PRESS PRIORITIES |
Photo credits: Daily Mirror
Rs. 245 million paid to victims of the Easter Sunday attacks as compensation
Lankadeepa, Divaina, Ada, Mawbima, Dinamina
The Attorney General (AG) informed the Supreme Court (SC) yesterday (27th) that Rs. 245 million in compensation has been paid to the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks as per the order issued with regard to their Fundamental Rights (FR) petitions filed over the failure to take action to prevent the attacks. According to the court verdict given regarding these petitions filed against the failure to prevent the Easter attacks despite receiving intelligence, Rs. 311 was collected from the respondents. The AG further informed that the amount of Rs. 65 million remaining from the compensation recovered in this way is expected to be used for the care of the victims and the elderly victims who need medical treatment.
Speakers’ doings revealed in parliament: “Some Speakers have put fake bills and taken food home” – Bimal Rathnayake
Lankadeepa, Divaina, Dinamina Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake stated yesterday (27th) in parliament that former speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana has used fuel worth Rs. 33 million within nine months from January 1, 2024 to September 24, 2024 which amounts to Rs. 4 million per month. Rathnayake added that the current Speaker has only spent Rs. 218,000 for fuel for the month of January this year. The minister further added that the former Speaker has used nine vehicles and his fuel cost for nine months amounts to Rs. 333 million while the deputy Speaker has used six vehicles and spent Rs. 13.5 million. He further informed that certain Speakers have submitted false bills and taken food from the parliament. |
Ranil to deliver a speech in New Delhi today
Divaina, Ada, Dinamina Former president Ranil Wickremesinghe is set to deliver a lecture on significant global events today (28th) at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, with the participation of diplomats. Prime Minister (PM) of India Narendra Modi, former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper and former Australian PM Tony Abbott are also scheduled to deliver speeches. Wickremesinghe will be specifically addressing topics related to South Asia. Papers state that Wickremesinghe is also expected to meet with Indian PM Narendra Modi during his visit this week. |
Prisoner with heart disease brought on foot: “Are the wheelchairs and ambulances only for VIPs?” – Magistrate questions prison officers
Lankadeepa, Ada, Aruna
Maligakanda Magistrate Lochani Abeywickrama questioned prison officers in open court yesterday (27th) whether the wheelchairs and ambulances in the prison hospital are only used for VIPs. The magistrate questioned the officers while expressing concern over a suspect who was made to walk to the court while being a heart patient with only 10% functionality of his heart.
COMMON PRIORITIES: SINHALA & TAMIL PRESS |
Photo credits: Newswire
“Rs. 46.1 billion spent on four former presidents’ trips abroad” – PM states in parliament
Lankadeepa, Divaina, Ada, Mawbima, Dinamina, Aruna, Anidda, Virakesari, Thinakaran, Thinakkural, Thamilan
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya revealed in parliament yesterday (27th) the total expenditure on trips abroad made by former presidents of Sri Lanka. The prime minister provided a breakdown of the expenses incurred by each president on foreign travels. Accordingly, Amarasuriya stated that former president Mahinda Rajapaksa had spent Rs. 3,572 million during the period from 2010 to 2014. Amarasuriya also stated that former president Maithripala Sirisena who was the president from 2015 to 2019 had spent Rs. 384 million within those four years. Amarasuriya added that Gotabaya Rajapaksa during his rule of two years from 2020 to 2022 had spent Rs. 126 million, while Ranil Wickremesinghe had spent Rs. 533 million during 2023 and 2024. The premier finally provided the details for current President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, stating that Dissanayake has spent Rs. 1.8 million between September 2024 and February 2025. The prime minister highlighted that the highest expenditure during the period from 2010 to 2025 was recorded in 2013, when former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s foreign trips cost the state a staggering Rs. 1,144 million.
“Rs. 530 million wasted: 14 of the presidential commissions are useless” – Nalinda Jayatissa
Lankadeepa, Ada, Dinamina, Thinakaran, Thinakkural, Thamilan
Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa revealed in parliament yesterday (27th) that 14 commissions had been appointed by former governments at a cost of Rs. 530.1 million. Jayatissa added that another sum of Rs. 1,221 has been spent on compensation, including payment to the infamous soothsayer “Gnana Akka”. Jayatissa further noted that the commissions’ reports only recommended that compensation be provided, without detailing the basis for payments. He further revealed that Rs. 1,221 million had been allocated as compensation, out of which Rs. 1,125 million had been distributed among MPs and ministers. The Tamil press highlights him as saying that though Rs. 144 lakhs have been spent, reports on missing persons have not been handed over, and they have also disappeared.
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Common priorities: Additional stories
1. “There’s no tension between the IGP and the police commission | Tri-forces deployed to tackle underworld activities” – Minister Ananda Wijepala – Aruna, Thinakaran, Thinakkural
2. “The JVP has not returned 2,000 weapons they used in 1988 and 1989” – Dayasiri Jayasekera – Mawbima, Aruna, Thinakkural
3. Japanese government agrees to project for the digitisation of the harbour – Dinamina, Thinakaran
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