Chinese embassy sri lanka

Sri Lanka’s new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in his first address to the nation on Monday said the country has run out of petrol, adding the economy is extremely precarious. “We have run out of petrol… At the moment, we only have petrol stocks for a single day,” the 73-year-old United National Party (UNP) leader said, explaining the island nation is unable to find dollars to finance essential imports. A diesel shipment using an Indian credit line arrived in the country on Sunday, but is yet to be distributed across the island. “Due to the diesel shipment that arrived yesterday, the lack of diesel will be resolved to some extent. Under the Indian credit line, two more diesel shipments are due to arrive on the 18th May and 1st June. In addition, two petrol shipments are expected on 18th and 29th May,” PM Wickremesinghe said. “For over 40 days 3 ships with crude oil and furnace oil have been anchored within the maritime zone of Sri Lanka. We are working to obtain dollars in the … [Read more...] about Sri Lanka PM Says Country Has Run Out of Petrol, Economy ‘Extremely Precarious’

Many Sri Lankans thronged buses in the main city Colombo on Thursday to return to their hometowns during a brief relaxation in curfew, imposed after the prime minister quit and went into hiding and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa warned of anarchy. The island nation off India's southern tip, which overlooks shipping routes between Europe and Asia, is battling its worst economic crisis since independence. Violence erupted on Monday after supporters of former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the president's elder brother, attacked an anti-government protest camp in Colombo. Days of violent reprisals against government figures aligned to the powerful Rajapaksa clan followed. The army was called out to patrol the streets and police said 9 people were killed and more than 300 injured in the clashes. Security forces have been ordered to shoot to prevent violence and looting. Hundreds of people thronged the main bus station in Colombo after authorities lifted an indefinite curfew at 7 … [Read more...] about Sri Lanka: Hundreds Flee Colombo as Crisis Persists

Sri Lanka's new prime minister will address the crisis-hit nation later on Monday, as the country's power minister told citizens not to join the lengthy fuel queues that have galvanized weeks of anti-government protests. Ranil Wickremesinghe, appointed prime minister on Thursday, said he would give a "full explanation" of the financial crisis that has devastated the strategic Indian Ocean island nation, where China and India are battling for influence. "There is a lot to be done and undone. We are prioritising matters, rest assured they shall be addressed as early as possible," he said in a series of tweets on Sunday. The crisis led to widespread protests against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his family, culminating in the resignation of his elder brother Mahinda as prime minister last week after fighting between government supporters and protesters killed 9 people and wounded 300. The president then replaced him with Wickremesinghe, an opposition parliamentarian who has … [Read more...] about Sri Lanka PM to Address Crisis-hit Nation as Fuel Runs Short

The adage ‘every crisis contains the seeds of an opportunity’ could not have been truer for anyone than for Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe . The severe economic crisis, which set off indefinite protests against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his brother, (now former) Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, has pitchforked Mr. Wickremesinghe to an office that he had no chance of occupying until last week. Given the turmoil, Sri Lanka needed a government that would work towards stability and economic recovery. With Mahinda Rajapaksa resigning in the face of determined protests, and the Opposition leader unwilling to work under President Gotabaya, a rare opportunity opened up for Mr. Wickremesinghe. The former premier’s political prospects had almost ended with the 2020 parliamentary election, when his United National Party won no seats, and he himself made it as its lone member in Parliament on the principle of representation in proportion to the total votes it had … [Read more...] about Crisis and opportunity: On Sri Lanka political crisis

Sri Lanka is going through one of the worst crises of its history. Food has become scarce, prices have shot through the roof, and long power cuts have turned the lives of ordinary Sri Lankans upside down. The economic meltdown has also catapulted the country into a political crisis as the people demand answers and accountability from the government. After the recent attacks on protestors in the nation’s capital by supporters of the ruling party, the President has imposed a new state of emergency, giving security forces sweeping powers. The ferocity of the protests has already forced Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to resign, and protestors are demanding that his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, step down as well. Also Read: Time’s Up For the Rajapaksas: Will the Family Fiefdom Outlast Sri Lanka’s Economic Mayhem? The present economic crisis can be traced back to a series of bad government policies. When the Rajapaksas came to power in 2019, they made a series of tax cuts … [Read more...] about Inside Sri Lankan People’s Protest, a Political Awakening is Underway

Sri Lanka’s new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that the 21st Amendment to the Constitution to curb the presidential powers will be discussed with the Attorney General’s Department on Monday so that it can be submitted to the Cabinet for approval. The 21st Amendment is expected to annul the 20A which gave unfettered powers to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa after abolishing the 19th Amendment which had made Parliament powerful over the president. The first Cabinet meeting was held on Sunday. Special attention was paid to fuel imports at the meeting. ”21st Amendment: This will be taken up for discussion with the Attorney General’s Department tomorrow (Monday) and then be presented to Cabinet for approval,” Wickremesinghe tweeted. The powerful Rajapaksa family tightened their grip on power after their massive victory in the general elections in August 2020, which allowed them to amend the Constitution to restore presidential powers and install close family members in key … [Read more...] about Sri Lankan PM to Discuss with Attorney General’s Office Constitutional Amendment to Curb Presidential Powers

LAGUNA WOODS, Calif. — A gunman motivated by hatred against Taiwan chained shut the doors of a California church and hid firebombs before shooting at a gathering of mostly elderly Taiwanese parishioners, killing a man who tackled him, authorities said. David Chou, 68, of Las Vegas — a U.S. citizen whom authorities say grew up in Taiwan — drove to Orange County on Saturday and the next day attended a lunch held by Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church, which worships at Geneva Presbyterian Church in the community of Laguna Woods. Though he knew no one there, he spent about an hour mingling with about 40 attendees and then executed his plot, authorities said at a news conference. He chained the doors and put super glue in the keyholes. He had two 9 mm handguns — legally purchased years ago in Las Vegas — and three bags, containing among other things four Molotov-cocktail-type incendiary devices and extra ammunition. He opened fire and in the ensuing chaos Dr. John Cheng, 52, tackled … [Read more...] about Dr. John Cheng, man killed in California church shooting, called a hero