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India and Sri Lanka today reaffirmed their shared commitment to uplift the Indian-origin Tamil community, as the two countries launched Stage II of Phase IV of the Indian Housing Project in Bandarawela, with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in attendance.

Speaking at the event, Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha to Sri Lanka said the project stands as a symbol of the “deep, abiding and special friendship” between the two nations and their peoples.

“This is not just about building houses, but about building futures,” he said, noting that India’s housing assistance now covers 65,000 houses across all 25 districts of Sri Lanka — a grant commitment exceeding Rs. 64 billion.

Under Phase IV of the project, India has pledged 10,000 houses, of which 1,100 are currently under construction, while 4,000 homes under Phase III have already been completed.

He also praised the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure for supporting the latest stage of construction, which aims to improve living conditions for thousands of estate families.

Highlighting India’s broader development assistance, the High Commissioner cited projects in education, healthcare, skill development and social infrastructure — including the multi-specialty hospital in Dickoya, the Mahatma Gandhi International Centre in Matale, and the ongoing installation of smart classrooms in plantation schools.

He recalled that, in 2023, India had announced a Rs. 2.5 billion special development package to mark 200 years of the arrival of the Indian-origin Tamil community in Sri Lanka, with several initiatives already underway such as a STEM teacher-training program benefiting more than 2,000 teachers.

The envoy further referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent state visit, during which he announced support for developing the Seetha Amman Temple, expected to boost tourism and economic activity in the plantation regions.

“India’s development assistance to Sri Lanka is extended with a sense of family responsibility,” he said. “Our support for the Indian-origin Tamil community is part of our overall commitment to Sri Lanka’s progress.”

Quoting the Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar, the High Commissioner concluded that “a relative’s unchanging love is a source of unlimited growth,” adding that the Indian Housing Project embodies this enduring bond between the two nations.

Following today’s Cabinet reshuffle, the government has announced revised portfolios for three Cabinet Ministers and ten Deputy Ministers.

Cabinet Ministers -

The following Cabinet Ministers have been sworn in:

• Bimal Niroshan Rathnayake– Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development
• Anura Karunathilaka – Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation
• Dr. H.M. Susil Ranasinghe – Minister of Housing, Construction and Water Supply

Deputy Ministers -

The following Deputy Ministers have been sworn in:

• Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando – Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning
• T.B. Sarath – Deputy Minister of Housing, Construction and Water Supply
• M. Muneer – Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs
• Eranga Gunasekara – Deputy Minister of Urban Development
• Dr. Muditha Hansaka Wijemuni– Deputy Minister of Health
• Aravinda Senarath Vitharana – Deputy Minister of Lands and Irrigation
• H.M. Dinindu Saman Kumara – Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs
• U.D. Nishantha Jayaweera – Deputy Minister of Economic Development
• Dr. Kaushalya Ariyarathne– Deputy Minister of Mass Media
• M. Arkam – Deputy Minister of Energy

The Ministry of Health (MOH) reports that 15 women in Sri Lanka are diagnosed with breast cancer every day, while three die from the disease.

Health officials stress that early detection can lead to a complete cure.

Breast cancer remains the most common cancer among Sri Lankan women, and October is observed as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Women over 20 are advised to perform monthly self-examinations, those aged 20–40 to undergo a clinical exam every three years, and women over 40 to have annual checkups.

The Ministry urges anyone noticing lumps, pain, or skin changes to seek medical advice at Suwanari, Suwadivi, or early cancer detection clinics

(themorning.lk)

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister has confirmed her participation in the upcoming NDTV World Summit, expressing enthusiasm about addressing the event next week. This marks her first official visit to India since becoming the prime minister.

"Ayubowan,Wanakkam,Namaste... I am Very Pleased to share a few words with you as I prepare for my upcoming visit to India. This will be my first official visit to India as the prime minister of sri lanka. India and sri lanka as you kniw are bound together by history, culture & shared values. And I look forward to using this opportunity to strengthen our cooperation in every sphere such as trade, Investment , Education , Development & Beyond. Together I know we can create a future of prosperity and stability for both our nations. I am also looking forward to pariticipating in the NDTV World Summit where I will have the opportunity to engage with global leaders and thinkers. I hope to share Sri Lanka's perspectives on International Cooperation and to contribute to a meaningful converstation on the pressing challenges of our religion and the world."

I was appalled to read a recent piece by Rohana Wasala (The Island, 3/9/2025), that begins by misrepresenting the context of a video about a single “Israeli” prisoner in Gaza, runs through a drum-roll of euphoria for all the ways the “Israelis” have brought Nazis to justice, celebrates the devastating losses suffered by Arabs, and concludes by quoting the Butcher of Israel himself, Netanyahu, saying on August 25th, 2025 that he vows to “finish Hamas,” a pledge that Wasala is praying will be kept.

The most important statement that the prisoner makes is this: “they give me what they can get.” His video is an account of the lack of food for anybody, including himself. That he can eat at all is a miracle inside Gaza, where the United Nations has declared a famine. Far from being an indictment, it is a testament to those who are responsible for keeping his body and soul together. Somebody cares for him. On the other hand, remember the three “Isreali” prisoners who walked toward “Israeli” soldiers with their hands in the air asking for help on December 15th 2023? They were gunned down by their own. Remember the April 2025 BBC report on the torture of Palestinians swept up into “Israeli” prisons? Wasala must be too ignorant to be qualified to comment.

By the end of December 2024, the Zionists were holding 9,619 Palestinians in detention or in prison on what it defined “security” grounds, including 2,216 from the Gaza Strip. A report from B’tselem gives us the testimony of just 55 of those who were tortured and kept in inhuman conditions. Out of the mouths of Zionists like Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, have come statements defending the right to Israelis (soldiers, reservists, who cares who they are), to rape Palestinian men.

As of today, the 707th day of the genocide, the death toll in Gaza is 680,000 people. Of those, 380,000 are infants under five years of age, 99,000 children are above five. These numbers take into account not only those killed by bombs and drones and snipers but those who have succumbed due to lack of medication, injuries, and deprivation of food and water.

By now the mythologies that have been spun by Zionists have been taken apart under the tsunami of information about what is really happening inside Palestine, and who the real thugs are. Note to the Wasalas of the world: they are not the Palestinians. But given the recent events in Sri Lanka, particularly on its formerly salubrious costs, it seems a large number of Sri Lankans aren’t quite aware of what it means to allow this kind of narrative to stand, and how it is exactly this kind of story that accumulates in the general consciousness of the body politic such that ethnic cleansing seems like a fine solution until you become the victims of that extermination.

Nor, it seems, do Sri Lankans like Wasala (about whom nothing is known except that he has some background in academia) appear to understand that the influx of Zionists into Sri Lanka, who are acting with impunity on our coasts, beating women, running businesses while on tourist visas, violating their stay by hiding out on islands, and terrorizing our Sri Lankan population, are quite possibly, given their history, here for a reconnaissance. In other words, they don’t plan to leave. And you only need to take a look at Palestine, specifically Gaza, to see where Sri Lanka is heading. One only needs to remember that Sri Lanka has had no Jewish population, has no ties to Judaism in any of its multi-faith cultures, but that overnight wikipedia is now claiming a vibrant jewish presence on the island. Like I said, remember Palestine. Remember that misinformation is the first line of attack.

So I find myself compelled to provide some basic illumination on so-called Israeli stories, and how the road to genocide is paved with good people who have chosen to stay silent or deliberately ignorant instead of confronting the excrement being offered to them as though it were manna from heaven.

Here’s some history that Sri Lankans should have. Because, before the Zionists started to occupy our land, they occupied Palestine. This is the basic story of what came before October 7th, 2023.

The people of Palestine have lived under 77 years of a brutal occupation, and at no time were they asked if they wanted to trade the kindness they had shown to the white rejects, those fleeing Nazi Europe, for whole sale relinquishing of all their land.

Nobody asked for permission when Theodor Hertzl advocated for a Jewish State with his publication, The Jewish State, and nobody asked them to weigh in when the World Zionist Organization was set up in Switzerland in 1897 or the Jewish National Fund was set up in 1901 to finance the creation of Israel upon Palestinian soil.

They were not in the room when the Sykes-Picot agreement was signed in 1916, dividing the Arab countries between Britain and France. The Balfour Declaration was made without in-put from the Palestinians.When Lord Peel released his report in 1937, the silenced Palestinians were expected to go along with his recommendation that 33 percent of the best land available should go toward the Jewish State and the rest for Palestinian Arabs and that the latter should also be "forcibly transferred" from what were euphemistically termed "the Jewish sections."

In that same year when the Arab Higher Committee rejected these recommendation and called for an independent Palestine with protection for the rights of all, Britain dismantled the Committee and all Palestinian political organizations thereby rendering them mute. In 1942, the Biltmore Conference for Zionist leaders convened in New York calling for making Palestine a Jewish Homeland but Palestinians were not part of the discussion. Indeed, as far back as 1947, the UN only calls for 43 percent of their own land for Palestine and 56.5 percent of Palestine for a Jewish (i.e. religious) state. Today, Palestinians do not occupy even a quarter of their own country. And even that small area is mutilated by checkpoints and violent incursions not to mention outright bombardment.

People like Wasala would like to bring up terrorism. In fact, by the time that the Palestinian political movement got under way in 1935, Haganah, billed as a Jewish neighborhood watch but in actuality a group of militants who supported illegal immigration and the building of settlements on more Palestinian lands, had already been operating for fourteen years! And Britain’s White Paper on terrorism in 1946 made no mention of any Palestinian terrorist organizations yet names the two extremist Jewish organizations, Haganah and Irgun. In July 22, of 1946, it is Irgun that blew up the King David Hotel, killing 91 people including British, Palestinian and Jewish employees. How easy it has been to forget the origins of terrorism in that part of the world.

By 1948, America had joined forces with the Zionists, with Truman’s pledging to Chaim Weizman that he would support the declaration of the Jewish State. By April the U.S. had begun its unceasing and unconditional shipments of arms to Jewish organizations. By May there were almost 200,000 Palestinian refugees, the battles that will involve Jordanians, Lebanese, Syrians and Egyptians commenced, and over the next several years we were treated to the Israeli massacres in Gaza, Qalqilya, Kafr Qaasim, Khan Yunis, As-Sammu', arson attacks on the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem and the diversion of the Jordan river. In 1967 the work of the Zionists was beribboned with the complete occupation of the rest of Palestine.

In more recent history, the Oslo accords of 1993 were supposed to promise some form of self-governance. In fact, what the Zionist leadership did was to “withdraw” from certain parts of Palestine and then encircle it with walls and checkpoints, militarized outposts and absolute control of every border. Restrictions in Gaza intensified such that there was no entrance or exit from Gaza by land, sea, or air. The Zionists bombed Gaza’s airport in 2001. Gaza’s port is controlled by the Zionists. Gaza’s fishermen were only allowed to fish between 3-6 nautical miles beyond shore, it depended on what the Zionists decided was permitted, and now not at all. Here is an abbreviated list of things that were either severely restricted or not allowed at all into Gaza for 16 years before October 7th, 2023: medical supplies and equipment, electricity and fuel, building materials, technology, educational supplies including books, tools for livelihoods including agricultural and fishing equipment, telecommunications and internet access, basic household items and food. By 2018, nearly 30% of Gaza’s population had no access to running water.

And I have not yet mentioned the rest of Palestine. In the West Bank including East Jerusalem, for instance, Palestinians have to stand by while water is pumped out from beneath their own feet, then sold back to them by the Zionists, delivered at their whim and fancy, where people have to collect these deliveries in large black barrels set on top of their previously beautiful homes, and which barrels are routinely shot at and perforated by the Zionist army. Where the Zionist government holds that rain water is owned by them, and is not available to the bedouin communities, unleashes violence upon the native population, tears down their homes, and brutalizes families, and terrorizes children. Where Palestinian women are forced to give birth at checkpoints because they are not allowed to reach a hospital and where many of those result in stillbirths. Where Palestinian men have to stand around looking as harmless as they can be, as armed settlers, all White, a large number of them from America, stalk the streets armed like robot cops with machine guns that could take out an entire street full of people. If that’s hard to imagine, try harder. It’s coming to a town near you.

The Zionist modus operandi in the West Bank has been to set up a small innocuous looking shack, maybe a trailer, could be a Chabad house. Then they say this outpost is threatened by the Palestinians already living there. So they surround it with military. Then it sets up another similar shack some distance away. Then they say there must be a road between these two. They build that road. It is prohibited for Palestinians to use that road. In fact, they say they road it threatened by Palestinians. They then surround the road with battlements.Voila. Another day, another Zionist land-grab.

It has been 50 years since the UN adopted General Assembly Resolution 3379 condemning Zionism as a form of racism. This September we remember the nearly 3,500 Palestinians murdered by the zionists in the refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila outside Beirut 43 years ago. But we are, also, today, on the 101st week of a genocide being telecast live to us all.

And yet, in Sri Lanka, we have the likes of Wasala bellying up to the podium to spout his alt-facts and his hate, to incite sympathy for murderers and dehumanize those who, in our country, actually have a history: our Muslim brothers and sisters. Palestinians have a right and a responsibility to fight for their lives and for their land. As we have a right and responsibility to fight for ours. Our land, and our people.

A pattern is now being played out in coastal cities from Portugal to Sri Lanka. The fact, for instance, that, in a country that has no recorded history, ever, of any jewish presence, a group of the most virulent Zionists, set up a Chabad House in Arugambay is a case in point. Thanks are due to the Pottuvil Divisional Development Committee (DDC) which has recently ordered its closure. Let others follow.

We should draw hope from the regular protests organized by, mostly, former Aragalaya activists, who have defied this government’s complicity with the Zionists and have taken to the streets. It is a terrifying truth that this is a government that those very activists fought to bring into office. If this government is under the impression that the fire that burns in the hearts and minds of those young people has been suitably put out, they are gravely mistaken. That fire is burning strong in their hands. And I have no doubt that they will be able and willing to take down a government that continues to sell them out. #Nepal.

Yes, I’ll say it: the foreign exchange this government earns from the Sri Lankans so willingly shipped to occupied Palestine is blood money. The government that has turned a blind eye to the violation of visa regulations, and the establishment of places of worship by tourists on our sovereign soil have been bought by blood money. The government that sets up the police to crackdown on pro-Palestinian protesters, and sells intelligence to the American embassies to terrify the Sri Lankan citizenry into submission is not simply handling blood money, they are bathed in blood.

But, they do not act alone. The ordinary people who have allowed their edifices and storefronts to be plastered with Zionist propaganda for cash, you are complicit in genocide. The ones who stand by and say nothing while they stare at signs in a language not associated with our country and which express exclusive use of cafés and hotels for zionists, your hands stained in the blood of Palestinians. Stop. While there is still time. Unless you, too, wish to see your beloveds torn to pieces, your men turned into impotent shells, your women humiliated, your children dead, your businesses shuttered, and your homes reduced to rubble. Stop. Protest. Prevent. While there is still time. Stop. Reflect. Then protest and prevent. While there is still time.

Gothami Peiris

Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, Dr. Chandana Abayaratne, announced that a significant number of retired public servants whose salaries were not increased in the 2025 Budget will receive due benefits in the 2026 Budget.

He made these remarks while participating in the ‘National Pensioners’ Day 2025’ celebration organized by the Department of Pensions under the theme “A Life Filled with Strength, Good Health, and Courage.”

Addressing the gathering, Minister Abayaratne said:

“We are aware that there are many issues affecting the over 700,000-strong retired community. We regularly meet with retiree organizations and hold discussions with the Deputy Minister, Secretary, and Director General to address their concerns. There may still be some issues we have not yet identified; however, the government remains committed to fulfilling its responsibility to resolve your problems.”

The celebration featured a variety of activities, including local and Western medical clinics, health awareness lectures, entertainment programs, and aesthetic performances by veteran artists, along with special gift distributions.

The event was attended by the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, S. Aloka Bandara; the Director General of the Department of Pensions, Chaminda Hettiarachchi; as well as veteran artists, medical specialists, of

Seven individuals, including the assistant principal of Nugegoda Kibul Pre-School, have been taken into custody by Mirihana Police following the tragic death of a 5-year-old child at the swimming pool of the ‘Sanhinda’ Hotel in Nugegoda.

The incident occurred on the morning of October 8, when a group of children, under the supervision of teachers and a swimming instructor, was attending a swimming session at the hotel pool. During the activity, the young child drowned and was subsequently taken to Kalubowila Hospital, where authorities confirmed that the child had passed away.

A post-mortem examination, conducted yesterday (9) by the Judicial Medical Officer at Kalubowila Hospital, issued an open verdict regarding the cause of death.

In connection with the incident, seven individuals have been detained for questioning, including the assistant principal of the pre-school, the school’s sports coordinator, two teachers responsible for the children, a pre-school staff member, and two swimming instructors.

Leader of the National Freedom Front, Wimal Weerawansa, appeared before the Tangalle Crimes Investigation Division today to provide a statement regarding a recent drug trafficking case involving a suspect known as Beliatta Sana.

Weerawansa had previously been summoned to appear on October 6, in connection with a public statement he made concerning the arrest of the suspect.

However, citing personal reasons, he was unable to attend on the scheduled date.

Complying with the summons, the MP arrived at the Tangalle Crimes Investigation Divisionoffice today to record his statement.

The investigation relates to a drug seizure operation in the Tangalle area, during which Beliatta Sana was arrested along with a vessel allegedly used in the trafficking operation.

Today marks 25 years since the passing of Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike, the world’s first woman to hold the office of Prime Minister. Commemorating her mother’s legacy, former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga shared a deeply emotional message on her official Facebook page.

Here is an excerpt from her post:

“I still remember a day in the mid-1980s when my sister and I visited our mother at her residence. She was quietly gazing at a few silver heirlooms that had been passed down through generations. As she spoke of their worth, I realized she was preparing to part with them.

Curious and concerned, I asked her why she wanted to sell those family treasures. She gently explained that she needed money to undergo a hip surgery overseas.

This was a woman who had once served as the Prime Minister of our country for twelve long years. Seeing her in such financial difficulty filled me with deep sorrow — yet at the same time, it filled me with immense pride.

That was my mother — a leader of unmatched integrity, who served her people selflessly and left behind nothing but her honour.

Twenty-five years have passed since such a remarkable woman bid farewell to this world.

May you rest in peace, Amma.”

The news circulating on social media claiming that Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security, Ravi Seneviratne, has stated before the Parliamentary Committee on High Posts that the mastermind behind the Easter Sunday attacks has been identified and that India is behind the incident, is completely false, the Police announced in an official statement.

The Police further emphasized that they strongly deny the accuracy of such reports.

The full statement issued by the Police is as follows:

Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP and President's Counsel M. Nisam Kariapper claims that Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security, Ravi Seneviratne, has confirmed that the mastermind behind the Easter attacks has been identified.

The MP stated on his X account that during a session of the High Posts Committee, Seneviratne provided this information in response to a question he had submitted.

The brother-in-law of ‘Mahesh Bandara’, an organized criminal who is currently residing overseas, has been arrested by the Police Special Task Force (STF) officers.

The suspect has been arrested along with several firearms, ammunition and sharp weapons in his possession, police said.

The suspect was arrested in an operation conducted under the guidance and supervision of the Director (Intelligence/Special Operations) Superintendent of Police D.P.U. Kodituwakku, on the orders and instructions of the STF Commanding Officer, Deputy Inspector General of Police Samantha De Silva.

The relevant operation was carried out yesterday (09) in the Makandura, Gonavila area of the Pannala Police Division.

The 46-year-old resident of Makandura, Gonavila area was arrested with the following weapons and handed over to the Pannala Police Station for further investigation:

1) 01 foreign-manufactured repeater-type firearm

2) 01 foreign-manufactured micro-type pistol

3) 01 cartridge used for pistols

4) 07 9mm bullets

5) 09 12-bore bullets

6) 01 sword

7) Rs. 1,100 in cash

8) 01 wallet with National Identity Card (NIC)

(adaderana.lk)

People’s Bank unveils its new ‘People’s Tower’ headquarters – a landmark in Sri Lanka’s banking and economic history

People’s Bank marked a historic milestone on October 7, 2025, with the grand opening of its new state-of-the-art headquarters, ‘People’s Tower,’ located at No. 374, Dr. Colvin R. de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 02. The opening ceremony was held under the patronage of Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, and Dr. Harsha Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the Treasury and the Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilization, and National Policies.

For over 64 years, People’s Bank has played a defining role in empowering communities, supporting national development, and driving economic progress across Sri Lanka. The inauguration of this new headquarters symbolizes the bank’s continued commitment to innovation, sustainability, and service excellence—serving as a proud reflection of both the institution’s legacy and the nation’s growth journey.

Standing tall with 22 floors above ground and three basement levels, the building is designed in alignment with global green building standards, underscoring the bank’s pledge toward environmental sustainability. The Tower houses a fully equipped auditorium, record management unit, modern cafeteria, medical center, conference halls, and a range of other advanced facilities.

The building also accommodates the People’s Bank Staff Training College and the Union Place Branch, offering customers access to the latest digital banking technologies. To commemorate this historic occasion, the Department of Posts issued a special commemorative cover and stamp.

The bank’s previous headquarters, established in 1977 at Sir Chittampalam A. Gardiner Mawatha, now gives way to this modern landmark that captures the essence of stability, innovation, efficiency, and pride—qualities that define People’s Bank as a national financial powerhouse.

The ceremony was graced by Chairman Prof. Narada Fernando, CEO/General Manager Clive Fonseka, members of the Board of Directors, senior management, customers, and distinguished invitees.

Founded on July 1, 1961, People’s Bank stands today as Sri Lanka’s premier financial institution, with assets exceeding Rs. 3.7 trillion, a network of over 750 branches, and a dedicated team of 8,000 employees. With more than 15.2 million customers, it boasts the largest client base among Sri Lankan commercial banks.

As the country’s digital banking pioneer, People’s Bank serves over 3.5 million digital customers, continuing to champion inclusive financial growth and national economic upliftment. Beyond banking, it remains a cornerstone in financing Sri Lanka’s key sectors—from exports and education to health, highways, tourism, and infrastructure—cementing its legacy as a true partner in national progress.