- President Anura Kumara Dissanayake reaffirmed his commitment to fully exercising his authority to combat fraud and corruption, stressing that laws are meaningless if those in power fail to fulfill their responsibilities effectively. Under the theme “Let us be exemplary pioneers of a proud nation,” the event brought together stakeholders to address the pressing issue of corruption. Addressing the event, the Head of the State highlighted the inefficiency of existing mechanisms.
- Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s office has issued a statement, claiming that the former President did not issue any liquor licenses in violation of the rules and regulations of the Excise Department. The statement further highlighted that the government has received a revenue of over Rs. 3.1 billion during the first nine months of this year through the new liquor licenses issued during Wickremesinghe’s tenure as the President.
- Medical experts have emphasized that the unnecessary and incorrect use of antibiotics poses significant harm to human body by fostering resistance in the body, which reduces the effectiveness of these drugs.
- The United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Julie Chung has emphasized commitment to assist Sri Lanka’ s energy future as well as the collaboration for climate adaptation, energy transition, and agricultural sustainability in the country.
- The Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) has called on the government to ensure proper payment of allowances for principals and teachers assigned to the 2024 G.C.E. Advanced Level (A/L) examination duties. Speaking at a press conference, CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin highlighted confusion caused by recent circulars issued by the Commissioner General of Examinations regarding transportation allowances for examination staff.
- The latest statistics of Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) revealed a total of 1,804,873 tourist arrivals so far this year, bringing the count much closer to the target of 2.3 million tourist arrivals set for 2024. The recent report revealed 184,158 tourist arrivals in the country between November 01 and 30. During the third week of last month, 42,376 tourist arrivals were recorded as the highest number of arrivals.
- The former Director of the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD), ASP Nevil Silva has been arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID)
- The United States has imposed sanctions and visa restrictions on two former Sri Lankan officials for their involvement in significant corruption. Kapila Chandrasena, former CEO of SriLankan Airlines, is accused of accepting bribes to ensure the airline purchased overpriced Airbus aircraft. Udayanga Weeratunga, Sri Lanka’s former ambassador to Russia, allegedly orchestrated a corrupt scheme involving the procurement of MiG aircraft for the Sri Lankan Air Force.
- The Freedom People’s Congress (Nidahasa Janatha Sabhawa) alleges that former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s action to postpone the election without any justifiable reason is a “political abortion committed after a mass corruption as well as an economic murder committed financially”.
- The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has decided to seek public opinion regarding a proposal by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to maintain current electricity tariffs for the first six months of next year. PUCSL Chairman Prof. K.P.L. Chandralal said that public consultations will begin in two weeks. The Commission has also initiated a special study on the CEB’s proposal.
