Ambassador of Sri Lanka in Turkey M.R. Hassen hosted an event to promote Batiks of Sri Lanka, “Discover the Beauty of Sri Lankan Batiks” on 7 July 2022 at the Ambassador’s residence. The guests were treated to a fashion show and a virtual presentation on Sri Lankan batik and fashion industry.

Turkish models did three rounds in the show dressed in Sri Lankan Batiks sarees, dresses, beach wears, wrap arounds, shawls and headscarves. The colourful evening received much praise from the invited guests which included Turkish media representatives.

This is the first time the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Ankara organized a fashion show which provided a glimpse of Sri Lankan Batik and the strength of the batik industry to Turkish media and other invitees.

After watching the mesmerizing show, enthusiastic guests requested the Mission staff to dress them in the sarees to experience the uniqueness of Sri Lankan batik for themselves.

The event concluded with the guests served Sri Lankan delicacies and Ceylon tea.

Embassy of Sri Lanka

Ankara

11 July, 2022

Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena in a U turn of opinions clarified that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is still in the country.

Responding to queries on the President’s current whereabouts, Abeywardena told ANI that he made a mistake in the BBC interview and that the President has not left the country.

“President of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa is still in the country, I made a mistake in the BBC interview,” he said.

In a BBC interview, Abeywardena stated that the President has left for another country.

MIAP

The Parliament group of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) today (11) has unanimously concluded that Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa must be nominated as the successor President.

The proposal was brought by Party Secretary General MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara and seconded by Party Chairman Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka.

The proposal thereafter was unanimously approved by the SJB Parliament Group.

The MP group meeting of the SJB and the Samagi Jana Sandhanaya is currently being held at the Opposition Leader’s Office in Colombo.

MIAP

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa are reportedly in India under diplomatic protection.

The two have left for the neighbour country to meet with a group of high profile government figures of India, according to sources.

Milinda Moragoda, the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India, too has joined the conversation.

Stay tuned for more information.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has delivered a special statement a short while ago.

In his statement, he made a special disclosure regarding the recent arson attack on his private residence and the recent media claims about his resignation.

MIAP

All announcements made by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will be issued by the Speaker after informing him, and therefore, only the announcements issued by the Speaker should be considered as the official announcements made by the President, a statement just dropped in by the President’s Office said, indicating what it appears to be a complete disregard for the announcement made by the Prime Minister’s Office earlier this morning.

Earlier this morning, the Prime Minister’s Office stated that President Rajapaksa will be announcing his resignation on July 13.

Had it not been a disregard for the statement by the PM’s Office this morning, there is no basis for a Head of State who is going to resign anyway to issue such an announcement of this nature out of nowhere. Further complicating the situation, a Presidential Secretariat is no more to confirm the claim, nor the attempts made to contact the President’s Secretary or any other top official for corroboration were successful.

In the backdrop, the emergence of the speculation that this would be the first sign of reversal of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s so called decision to resign would be inevitable.

MIAP

The one-day passport issuance service by the regional office of the Department of Immigration and Emigration at Kurunegala commences from today (11).

Earlier, the one-day service commenced in Matara, Kandy and Vavuniya districts on July 04, 2022.

These services function based on the instructions by Dhammika Perera in his capacity as the former Investment Promotion Minister.

Perera told LNW that he worked in the Ministry of Investment Promotion for only 80 hours and was able to accomplish what any other minister in Sri Lanka would have done in 800 hours.

MIAP