The Parliamentary Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) has called for the establishment of an independent regulatory body to oversee fuel pricing and guarantee fair market competition across the energy sector.
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Sri Lanka is slipping towards authoritarian governance as the administration relies on oppressive laws and economic mismanagement, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) parliamentarian Harshana Rajakaruna said.
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) parliamentarian S. M. Marikkar has rejected accusations from a private television network regarding his track record, citing his past development projects across the capital to defend his performance.
The Colombo Magistrate's Court has ordered the release on bail of former National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) Chairman Nishantha Ranatunga.
He was produced before the court following his arrest by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption over alleged financial misappropriation during his tenure as NWSDB Chairman.
The Government of India has agreed to provide a financial grant to Sri Lanka to procure 100 new ambulances for the 1990 Suwa Seriya Ambulance Service.
The government has presented key Committee Stage amendments to the proposed Prevention of Organised Crimes Bill following 26 petitions filed in the Supreme Court, though critics warn that extensive executive detention powers remain largely intact.
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has urged Sri Lankan authorities to mobilize youth activists, environmentalists, and local scientific experts into a unified national movement for ecosystem and wildlife protection.
The National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) has taken steps to introduce a national set of guidelines aimed at strengthening child protection and minimising various forms of abuse in Sri Lanka.
A media briefing to raise awareness about the proposed guidelines was held at the Department of Government Information yesterday (09).
Speaking at the event, NCPA Director, Attorney-at-Law and Sociologist Shanika Malalgoda said the Authority receives nearly 10,000 complaints related to child abuse each year.
She explained that the need for a national framework had grown amid increasing challenges to children's safety, including sexual abuse, cruelty, online threats, teenage pregnancies and drug use.
Malalgoda stressed that protecting children should be the responsibility of every citizen, adding that a lack of awareness could also lead to actions that place children's safety at risk.
Meanwhile, Senior Information Security Engineer at the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (Sri Lanka CERT), Charuka Damunupola, reported a significant rise in complaints involving online abuse of children.
He said 53 highly sensitive incidents involving children in online and digital media environments were reported in 2025, while the number had increased to 180 by November this year.
Damunupola pointed to social media exposure and the use of children's content to generate income through monetisation features as factors contributing to the growing risks.
He also noted that some parents share content featuring their children without fully understanding the potential consequences, warning that such practices could expose children to harm.
A 16-year-old boy from Devinuwara has died after being attacked with a sharp weapon following a dispute between two groups in the Akkara 18 area within the Gandara Police Division last night (09), police said.
The victim sustained cut injuries in the assault and was admitted to Thalalla Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
According to police, preliminary investigations have revealed that the killing followed the escalation of an earlier dispute between the deceased and another group of individuals.
Gandara Police are conducting further investigations to identify and arrest the suspects.
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB ) MP Nalin Bandara has defended his family business following the confiscation of 39 commercial camera drones by Sri Lanka Customs at Bandaranaike International Airport.
Speaking to reporters in Colombo, he said that the equipment was imported from Singapore by a venture directed by his wife and son for local sales and rentals.
The consignment included both drones and audio microphones intended for commercial video production.
Bandara clarified that the items were small photography devices rather than military grade equipment used in active combat zones such as Ukraine or the Middle East.
He rejected allegations of illegal smuggling, saying that the company had successfully secured initial clearances from both the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka.
He admitted that defense ministry authorization was missing, but noted that notification of this oversight arrived only after customs officers had initially processed the shipment.
A group of demonstrators, including Buddhist monks, has defied a court order to leave Anuradhapura’s sacred area and continued a protest there for a third consecutive day on Sunday.
The Satyagraha, held near the Ruwanweli Maha Seya and the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, began on the morning of 7 November at the dansal grounds and is led by the Venerable Balangoda Kassapa Thero, with monks and laypersons opposing the Anuradhapura Sacred City Development Plan.
Tensions flared at the site when the protesters tried to put up a temporary hut.
The Anuradhapura Headquarters Police Inspector then submitted a report to the Anuradhapura Magistrate’s Court.
The court ordered those taking part in the protest to vacate the sacred area, including the grounds surrounding the Ruwanweli Maha Seya and the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi.
The monks and other demonstrators have nevertheless stayed at the site.
Officers from the Anuradhapura Division Crimes Investigation Bureau arrived at the location on the night of 8 November to record a statement from the Venerable Balangoda Kassapa Thero.
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP S. M. Marikar has demanded the immediate resignation or dismissal of Colombo Mayor Vraie Cally Balthazar following severe urban flooding across the capital.
Speaking in his capacity as a member of the Disaster Management Council on Sunday (08), the opposition lawmaker asserted that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake must step in to remove the civic leader if she refuses to step down voluntarily.
He highlighted that the Department of Meteorology had issued advance warnings regarding heavy El Nino rainfall expected during October and November.
Marikkar said that timely maintenance of city drains and culverts would have entirely prevented Friday’s widespread inundation.
He pointed out that major public institutions, including the Colombo National Hospital, remained unaffected during historical weather events such as the record 400mm rainfall in 1992.
He noted that even the Mayor's own electoral ward of Jawatte had suffered flooding during the recent deluge.
Marikkar also said that the Colombo Municipal Council had failed to protect local business communities, drawing a contrast with the administration of former mayor Muhammed Uvais Emitiyas.
He further claimed that opposition members of the municipal council were completely excluded from recent post-disaster administrative meetings.
