- President Ranil Wickremesinghe under the 2 million freehold deeds programme symbolically distributes freehold deeds to 192 individuals from 13 divisional secretariat divisions in the Batticaloa District out of the qualified 27,595 families: Also, 252 English diploma holders of the Higher National Engineering Institute were awarded teaching appointments by the President.
- State Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, leader of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP), declares his party’s support for President Ranil Wickremesinghe in the upcoming presidential election: emphasises the TMVP’s dedication to Wickremesinghe’s development plans for the Eastern Province, which aim to boost economic opportunities and self-sufficiency, especially in agriculture.
- JVP Chief Secretary Tylvin Silva accuses the government and powers against the NPP of spreading ‘immoral’ and ‘factually inaccurate’ information about their party: denies allegations of having ‘deals’ with President Ranil Wickremesinghe: asserts the ‘actual dealers’ are those of the SLPP, the same faction which publicly acknowledged allegiance to Wickremesinghe in upcoming polls, whilst levelling baseless allegations against the NPP.
- The All Ceylon Agrarian Federation declares no major decisions about national assets should be made before the Presidential Poll: Namal Karunaratne, the Federation’s National Organiser, highlights the impending election date announcement and voices concerns over plans to privatise key assets, including Milco and NLDB farms: stresses the government’s lack of mandate for such privatisation.
- The UK Proscribed Organisations Appeals Commission denies the Transitional Government of Tamil Eelam’s request to delist the LTTE as a terrorist organisation: Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry confirms on ‘X’ that the LTTE remains proscribed, noting the TGTE’s appeal for an independent Tamil state was rejected, while the TGTE itself remains non-banned for its non-violent approach.
- The Lawyers’ Collective condemns remarks by President Ranil Wickremesinghe and other ministers dismissing Supreme Court rulings, including labelling a decision on the Gender Equality Bill as “judicial cannibalism”: argue these comments undermine judicial independence and the rule of law, viewing them as attempts to intimidate the judiciary.
- Sri Lankan expressway cashiers are reportedly embezzling 10-20% of toll revenue despite the introduction of an electronic toll collection (ETC) system, which aims to reduce congestion and emissions: The Road Development Authority (RDA) acknowledges the issue, identifying 19 culprits but hesitating on interdiction due to staff shortages.
- The Ministry of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment announces the allowance for preschool teachers will increase from Rs. 2,500 to Rs. 5,000, effective this month: Secretary Yamuna Perera confirmed that Divisional Secretariats have been notified, as communicated through an extraordinary gazette notification.
- The Public Utilities Commission (PUCSL) withholds approval for awarding the 484 MW wind power plant project in Mannar and Pooneryn to Adani Green Energy SL Ltd: The decision cites insufficient information from the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) regarding costs, technical details, and environmental impacts: requests comprehensive documentation and study results before reconsidering approval.
- For the first time, Sri Lanka’s national women’s cricket team enters the top five in the ICC Women’s ODI Team Rankings: This historic achievement follows a 3-0 series sweep against the West Indies: Key victories and standout performances, particularly under veteran Chamaru Athapaththu’s leadership, were crucial: Several players have also risen in individual ODI batting and bowling rankings.
