News

Leader of the House Minister Bimal Rathnayake commended Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa in Parliament yesterday (10) for his early warnings regarding the severe impacts of the El Niño and La Niña climate phenomena on Sri Lanka.

Rathnayake acknowledged that Premadasa had raised critical concerns regarding potential water, food, and energy crises nearly six months before the United Nations Climate Organisation issued its official global confirmation on June 2.

The government expressed its respect for the opposition leader's proactive stance, noting that continuous legislative debate on impending climate threats remains essential for national preparedness.

Demanding full government transparency under Standing Order 27(2), Premadasa called for the immediate public release of official forecasts produced by the Meteorology Department and submitted to the cabinet.

He noted that while internal estimates point to a 63 percent likelihood of severe impact, global data from the World Meteorological Organization indicates the probability could reach 80 percent.

Highlighting the creation of a special ministerial subcommittee and an officials committee on June 22, 2026, Premadasa urged the government to publish district-wise data from the Disaster Management Centre detailing drought-affected populations.

He raised specific concerns over whether the approaching October and November monsoon would trigger compound disasters including floods and landslides, demanding early warning systems for high-risk zones such as the Northern, Eastern, Badulla, Monaragala, Ampara, Hambantota, and Batticaloa districts.

The opposition leader also questioned the economic fallout on public utilities and agriculture.

Premadasa requested detailed disclosures regarding Mahaweli reservoir levels, the financial burden of generating expensive thermal power to cover depleted hydropower reserves, and the resulting pressure on monthly household electricity bills.

Turning to the agricultural sector, he pressed the government to reveal the exact extent of crop damage across paddy fields, demanding confirmation on whether affected farmers had received adequate compensation, insurance payouts, seed paddy, and fertilizer subsidies ahead of the upcoming Maha cultivation season.

Ranjith Kumara, also known as “Konda Ranji,” has been handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) after being deported to Sri Lanka from Dubai.

Kumara, who is alleged to have links to an underworld gang, arrived at Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake before being taken to the CID.

Investigators are expected to question him as part of ongoing inquiries into matters linked to his alleged criminal activities.

He remains at the CID for further questioning and investigations following his return to the country.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa held discussions with Members of Parliament representing the North, East and Malaiyaham communities on Thursday (10) to address the mounting economic and social difficulties confronting these regions.

The talks took place at the Opposition Leader's Office in Parliament and brought together MPs concerned with the welfare of these communities, focusing on issues ranging from household incomes to public services.

The discussion gave considerable attention to healthcare provision, with participants examining the state of access to quality medical services in these regions alongside broader concerns about school education and child nutrition among vulnerable families.

Infrastructure shortcomings, which continue to hamper development in these areas, also featured prominently in the deliberations.

Rising living costs and persistent inflation formed another major strand of the conversation, with the MPs weighing how these pressures have eroded household incomes across the North, East and Malaiyaham regions.

Premadasa told the gathered legislators that sustained political intervention remained essential to resolving the long-standing social and economic challenges affecting these communities and to lifting their living standards.

He also said that closer coordination among opposition MPs would be necessary going forward, so that problems could be identified at the grassroots level and addressed through practical, workable solutions.

Member of Parliament Faiszer Musthapha has called on Parliament to urgently restrict social media access for children under 16, warning that unregulated use is exposing the nation's youth to sexual exploitation, cyberbullying and rising suicide rates.

Musthapha raised the issue through an adjournment motion in the House, citing severe risks to the mental health, safety, education and overall well-being of Sri Lankan children.

He revealed a series of statistics to illustrate the scale of the crisis, telling Parliament that Sri Lanka ranked 20th globally for cyberspace-related threats, with 9.1 million distinct threats detected in a single year.

He said 52.8 percent of young people in the country accessed the internet, with the average age of first access standing at just 13, and that 46.3 percent of children had communicated with strangers online, of whom 27.9 percent had gone on to meet those strangers in person.

He also reveleade that 28 percent of young internet users had experienced online violence, with an equal proportion having received indecent messages, while 27 percent had fallen victim to cyberbullying and extortion.

Musthapha said nearly one in five children had had indecent images of themselves shared online, often after private photographs were betrayed by online contacts, and that the availability rate of child sexual abuse material stood at 27.8 per 1,000.

He said 92 percent of victimised children did not report such incidents, largely out of fear of social stigma.

Referring to international precedent, Musthapha pointed to the United Kingdom's proposed restrictions under its Children's Well-being and Schools Bill and Online Safety Act, as well as Australia's Social Media Minimum Age Act, noting that Sri Lanka's proposed restrictions would similarly apply to platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, Facebook and Twitter, while exempting essential services such as WhatsApp.

He said he had already submitted a private member's bill on the matter, which the Justice Minister had confirmed was under legal drafting, and he urged the Government to expedite the legislation without seeking personal credit for the initiative.

Musthapha stressed that the proposal was not intended as an anti-technology measure, acknowledging the genuine value of digital tools while insisting that children required legal protection from serious online harms.

He said many parents had told him they were no longer able to control their children's device use and would welcome a legal restriction that gave them a firm basis to enforce boundaries.

He also lamented that children who once played outdoors now regarded their phones as their closest companions, warning that psychologists had flagged growing social isolation and addiction among young people as a result.

Musthapha appealed to Parliament to act collectively and without delay to introduce effective age verification systems and hold social media platforms accountable, warning that every day of delay exposed more children to abuse and exploitation.

A suspect accused of transferring approximately US$80 million, equivalent to around Rs. 23 billion, to overseas accounts has been arrested in Maradana by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) of the Sri Lanka Police.

According to police, the suspect allegedly carried out the transfers through telegraphic transactions between 2023 and 2025.

The arrest was made as part of an ongoing FCID investigation into the alleged movement of a substantial amount of money from Sri Lanka to foreign accounts.

Investigators are now examining the source of the funds, the purpose behind the transactions and the individuals or entities connected to the overseas accounts.

Further investigations are being conducted to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged transfers.

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held talks with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat today (09), as his three-day visit to Sri Lanka places renewed attention on defence and security cooperation between the two neighbouring countries.

The discussions centred on strengthening existing defence ties and maintaining close security engagement between Colombo and New Delhi. Both sides stressed the importance of continued cooperation and strong bilateral relations.

Singh arrived in Sri Lanka yesterday afternoon, beginning a visit that will continue until September 10. He was welcomed at Bandaranaike International Airport by Deputy Minister of Defence Maj. Gen. Aruna Jayasekara (Retd.) and Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha.

The Indian Defence Minister is also expected to meet Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Defence Ministry Secretary Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Sampath Thuyacontha and other senior government officials during his stay.

Indian media reports have indicated that the implementation of the India-Sri Lanka defence cooperation agreement signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka last year is likely to feature in discussions during the visit.

Singh’s trip is also significant as it is the first visit by an Indian Defence Minister to Sri Lanka in 38 years.

Traffic Restrictions Announced in Colombo

Authorities have introduced special traffic arrangements in Colombo in connection with the visiting minister.

The Colombo Traffic Division said restrictions will be imposed on several major roads at different times as Singh travels to various locations during his visit.

India Pledges Support During Times of Crisis

The defence minister also used a community reception in Colombo yesterday to underline India’s commitment to Sri Lanka, assuring that New Delhi would extend its full support whenever the country faces a crisis.

Singh described Sri Lanka as a “very close friend” of India and pointed to the longstanding and civilisational connections between the two nations.

He stressed that maintaining close relations with neighbouring countries remains particularly important, noting that while friendships may change, geographical neighbours remain constant.

Singh further said India’s traditional approach has been to regard neighbouring countries as family members. He also expressed his appreciation at meeting members of the Indian diaspora living in Sri Lanka.

The visit comes as the two countries seek to maintain and further develop their longstanding defence, security and bilateral relationship.

Former Minister Duminda Dissanayake has been released on bail by the Colombo High Court in a case involving the alleged possession of a gold-plated firearm without a valid licence.

The case was taken up today (10) before Colombo High Court Judge Udesh Ranatunga, where Dissanayake and a Kazakhstani national were formally served indictments filed by the Attorney General.

Both accused appeared in court following notices previously issued by the High Court. The indictments were subsequently handed over to them in open court.

Following the filing of the indictments, the court ordered the release of both accused on cash bail of Rs. 50,000 each. They were also required to provide two sureties valued at Rs. 2 million each.

The court further directed authorities to obtain the biometric data of both accused and submit a report to court.

The case has been fixed for a pre-trial conference on October 2.

According to the charges filed by the Attorney General, Dissanayake is accused of possessing a gold-plated firearm without a valid licence, while the second accused faces allegations of aiding and abetting the offence.

The firearm at the centre of the case was allegedly discovered at an apartment complex in Wellawatte on May 20, 2025.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday (08) joined protesting job seekers near Parliament, demanding an immediate overhaul of state foreign employment schemes.

He addressed members of the Israel Infrastructure Lottery Applicants Collective gathered at the Polduwa junction in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

He condemned the government policy on overseas employment as fundamentally weak and ineffective.

He stated that the current state mechanism has allowed an exploitative employment mafia to shatter the aspirations of thousands of Sri Lankans seeking work abroad.

Disparity in recruitment systems

Applicants in the infrastructure sector have been denied job placements for two years despite successfully passing eligibility tests and obtaining police clearances.

Currently, 560 qualified individuals remain on waiting lists, while a further 1,200 applicants are trapped in a lottery selection process.

This slow pace of state-run programs contrasts sharply with the rapid processing of private recruitment agencies.

A severe cost disparity exists across these channels, as applicants going through state channels spend approximately Rs. 1 million compared to the Rs. 3.5 million charged by private agencies.

This price difference fosters widespread corruption, financial exploitation, and cheating within the recruitment sector.

Similar systemic obstacles previously affected more than 3,500 construction sector workers who faced extended delays under state schemes.

Demands for legislative intervention

The Opposition Leader pledged to raise the grievances of the stranded job seekers directly on the floor of Parliament.

He urged the government to honour its promises of systemic change by dismantling corrupt recruitment networks.

Calling for the implementation of a transparent selection framework that guarantees overseas placements at the official Rs 1 million rate, he demanded an immediate end to deceptive political practices in foreign employment management.

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa in Colombo yesterday (09).

The Opposition Leader underscored the vital need for a close, constructive, and continuous relationship between Sri Lanka and India during discussions with Minister Rajnath Singh, citing the deep-rooted historical, cultural, and people-to-people ties between the two neighbours.

The two leaders also engaged in wide-ranging discussions on key regional developments and bilateral issues of mutual concern, particularly expanding cooperation to foster peace, security, stability, and prosperity across the Indian Ocean region.

The visit carries particular significance as the first official trip to Sri Lanka by an Indian Defence Minister in 38 years, coming at a time when both countries are seeking to deepen cooperation on defence, maritime security and broader strategic matters.

They also exchanged gifts as a gesture of goodwill.

Vipul Misra has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SriLankan Airlines, effective today (09).

Misra previously served as the airline’s Head of Engineering and Accountable Manager.

Around 31 Lanka Sathosa outlets across the island were closed between January 2024 and October 2025, Deputy Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development R. M. Jayawardena told Parliament today (08).

He made the remarks in response to a question raised by Member of Parliament Chanaka Madugoda.

The Deputy Minister stated that, as of August 17 this year, 424 Lanka Sathosa outlets were operating across the country.

Jayawardena also highlighted the financial difficulties faced by Lanka Sathosa when the current government assumed office.

According to him, the state-owned retail network was incurring losses of approximately Rs. 24 billion at the time.

He further said Lanka Sathosa had accumulated debt amounting to Rs. 11 billion and maintained a bank overdraft of Rs. 5 billion.