- Preliminary discussions for the 2025 Budget proposal have begun under President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s leadership: A key discussion focused on the Ministry of Education’s budget proposals took place yesterday (10) at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo: The meeting involved Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Education officials, and senior ministry representatives, as reported by the President’s Media Division.
- A video has emerged on social media showing Jaffna MP Archchuna Ramanathan allegedly demanding a hospital official address him as “sir”: In the video, the individual, whose face is not shown, tells the hospital official, “You have to call me ‘sir’ whether you like it or not. I am a member of Parliament”: The incident has sparked controversy online.
- The New Democratic Front (NDF) has informed the Election Commission that Faiszer Musthapha has been nominated for a National List MP seat: Musthapha, a former Minister of Sports and Provincial Councils, is a senior lawyer and politician: The NDF, formed by the UNP, SLFP, and Podujana Eksath Nidahas Peramuna, won three parliamentary seats and two National List seats in the 2024 General Election: The nomination of Ravi Karunanayake for one seat faced internal backlash, leading to a committee being formed to address the controversy.
- A controversy has arisen over Speaker Asoka Ranwala’s alleged doctorate, with opposition parties demanding clarification on whether he truly holds a PhD: The Speaker had used the title “Dr.” before his election and was listed as “Dr. Asoka Ranwala” on the Parliament’s official website: However, questions emerged on social media regarding the legitimacy of his doctorate, especially after the title was removed from the site: Ranwala has promised to address the issue at the appropriate time.
- Cabinet Spokesperson Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa revealed that liquor companies owe nearly Rs. 7 billion in taxes, with the government taking steps to recover the dues: His comments addressed ex President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s defence of his administration’s liquor licensing practices, emphasising the need for tax enforcement. Jayatissa criticised the previous government’s failure to collect taxes and highlighted ongoing efforts to recover the outstanding amounts.
- The Sri Lankan government has requested a loan from the OPEC Fund for International Development to finance its Comprehensive Reform Agenda, aligned with the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF): The OPEC Fund has agreed to provide a USD 50 million policy-based loan, which has been confirmed by the IMF as consistent with the EFF programme: The proposal has received Cabinet approval.
- Over 900 candidates from the General Elections failed to submit their income and expenditure reports to the Election Commission by the December 6 deadline: Of the 8,361 candidates, 949 did not comply, including 93 of the 527 national list members: Election Commission Chairman R. M. A. L. Rathnayake stated that violators would face legal action, with their names being forwarded to the police.
- UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka, Marc-André Franche, expressed hope that the new government’s commitment to human rights will be meaningful and not just for show: Speaking at the International Human Rights Day commemoration, he acknowledged the government’s pledges: The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka launched four publications, including reports on workers’ rights, human rights defenders, and disability-friendly employment.
- The Catholic Bishops Conference in Sri Lanka clarified that self-crowned prophet Pastor Jerome Fernando is not a Catholic Bishop, as he lacks official apostolic succession: A statement from the Conference, signed by Secretary General Rev. J. D. Anthony Jayakody, urged the faithful not to be misled: It explained that Catholic Bishops are direct successors of Jesus’ apostles, with the Pope as the successor of St. Peter.
- Sri Lanka’s hopes of reaching the ICC World Test Championship final were dashed following a 2-0 series defeat in South Africa: Despite valiant efforts from Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis, Sri Lanka fell short, losing by 109 runs in the second Test: Head coach Sanath Jayasuriya attributed the loss to missed opportunities, particularly failing to convert starts into big scores: Key moments, including South Africa’s tail adding crucial runs and Sri Lanka’s batting collapse, were identified as turning points: Jayasuriya also praised Kamindu Mendis’ positive approach, despite his underwhelming performance in the series.
