November 13, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka has introduced a new initiative aimed at modernising civil registration services by delivering national birth certificates directly to citizens through the Postal Courier Service.

The pilot programme, launched yesterday (12) at the Gampaha District Secretariat, was inaugurated under the patronage of Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils, and Local Government Chandana Abeyratne.

The scheme represents a joint effort between the Department of Registrar General and the Department of Posts to make the distribution of official documents more secure, efficient, and convenient.

As part of the e-Civil Registration Programme, the pilot phase currently applies to birth certificates issued for children born on or after January 01, 2021. Officials said the collaboration will not only speed up document delivery but also reduce the need for in-person visits to government offices, saving time for both citizens and administrators.

In a further step towards digitisation, the system will integrate the birth certificate and national identity card numbering process, ensuring that a child’s ID number corresponds with their birth registration number when they reach 15 years of age. Authorities also plan to simplify certificate formats by removing redundant information to enhance record accuracy and consistency.

The pilot project is being rolled out this month across ten divisional secretariats, including Gampaha, Attanagalla, Dehiwala, Kaduwela, Kalutara, Horana, Panadura, Kurunegala, Ratnapura, and Wellawaya. If successful, the initiative is expected to be expanded island-wide, marking another milestone in Sri Lanka’s digital governance efforts.

November 13, Colombo (LNW): Estate workers in Badulla have publicly welcomed the government’s decision to raise plantation wages, expressing both relief and gratitude for what they describe as a long-overdue improvement to their livelihoods.

At the same time, they voiced frustration at opposition parliamentarians, accusing them of making grand promises in the past without delivering meaningful results.

Several residents remarked that while some MPs had previously vowed to push for a daily wage of Rs. 1,700, those same politicians are now locked in parliamentary squabbles over who deserves credit for the pay rise.

“We can’t feed our families with speeches or slogans. We survive on what we earn, not on political talk,” one worker commented, echoing the sentiment of many in the community.

The workers also pointed out that their hard work, along with the taxes paid by ordinary citizens, supports the nation’s progress. They expressed appreciation to the National People’s Power (NPP) government and the President for taking concrete action to improve living conditions for estate employees, rather than merely discussing reform.

To mark the occasion, several estate families gathered at a local temple to offer coconuts and prayers, symbolically seeking blessings for continued prosperity and for what they described as “the silencing of hollow political claims.”

The event, filled with gratitude and optimism, reflected both the pride and perseverance of a community that has long been at the heart of Sri Lanka’s plantation industry.

November 13, Colombo (LNW): A special committee appointed to review Sri Lanka’s long-debated Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) has formally presented its recommendations to the Minister of Justice, Harshana Nanayakkara.

The submission marks a key step towards repealing the decades-old legislation, which has drawn widespread criticism from human rights groups for enabling prolonged detentions and restricting civil liberties.

The proposed reforms aim to introduce a more balanced framework that safeguards national security while ensuring greater protection of individual rights.

The report, prepared under the leadership of President’s Counsel Rienzi Arsakularatne, outlines a draft bill designed to replace the existing PTA with a new and more transparent legal structure.

The draft legislation, according to the Ministry of Justice, seeks to bring Sri Lanka’s counterterrorism measures in line with international standards and democratic principles.

November 13, Colombo (LNW): The Animal Welfare Coalition (AWC) has voiced alarm over a growing public health and safety issue linked to Sri Lanka’s increasing population of stray dogs. According to the organisation, dog bite incidents have reached worrying levels, with estimates suggesting that more than a quarter of a million people are affected each year.

Speaking at a press briefing in Kandy, AWC Executive Committee Member Champa Fernando stressed that the country urgently needs a structured, nationwide sterilisation initiative to bring the situation under control. She noted that the problem has been brewing for years due to inconsistent policies and fragmented local programmes.

Her colleague, Gihan Dinushka, added that Sri Lanka’s stray dog population is believed to range between two and three million, although no official census has ever been conducted. “Based on our calculations, there is roughly one dog for every eight people. This ratio helps us plan community-based sterilisation and vaccination drives,” he explained.

The coalition also warned that the proliferation of street dogs has created wider social and environmental consequences. In addition to the rise in dog bite cases, road accidents—particularly those involving motorcyclists and three-wheel drivers—have become more common. Concerns about the spread of rabies are also mounting, especially in rural areas where veterinary services are limited.

While some have proposed the establishment of large-scale shelters as a quick solution, the AWC cautioned that such facilities often prove unsustainable and fail to address the root causes of the problem. Instead, the group urged the government to adopt a coordinated, humane, and scientifically guided approach, combining sterilisation, vaccination, and community awareness campaigns.

The AWC reaffirmed its willingness to provide technical expertise and collaborate with local authorities, emphasising that the situation requires immediate and decisive action to protect both animal welfare and public safety.

November 13, Colombo (LNW): A Maldivian court on Wednesday (12) ordered that five Sri Lankan nationals be held in custody until the conclusion of their trial, following the discovery of an enormous consignment of narcotics on a Sri Lankan fishing vessel intercepted within Maldivian waters last week.

Authorities revealed that the vessel, identified as Avishka Putha, had illegally entered the Maldives’ Exclusive Economic Zone before being searched under a court warrant. The operation led to the recovery of more than 350 kilograms of illegal drugs — the largest such haul reported in the Maldives in recent years.

The five crew members, who appeared before the Criminal Court, pleaded not guilty to the trafficking charges. However, the court ruled that the scale of the operation and the suspected involvement of a wider criminal network warranted their continued detention until the end of legal proceedings.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan authorities have dispatched a specialist team to the Maldives to assist in the ongoing cross-border investigation. The probe is being jointly carried out by the Maldives Police Service, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), the Sri Lankan Police, and the Sri Lankan Navy.

Officials from both nations have pledged close cooperation to uncover the full extent of the smuggling network, which is believed to span multiple countries across the Indian Ocean.

November 13, Colombo (LNW): Gold prices in Sri Lanka have recorded a sharp rise, mirroring the surge in international markets where the price of the precious metal climbed past US$ 4,212 per ounce today (13), marking one of the highest levels seen this year.

Traders in Colombo’s Pettah gold market reported that the value of gold had jumped by approximately Rs. 10,000 within a single day, as investors worldwide flocked to the safe-haven asset amid ongoing global economic uncertainty.

As of this afternoon, the price of a 22-carat gold sovereign reached Rs. 310,800, up from Rs. 301,500 the previous day. Meanwhile, a 24-carat gold sovereign rose to Rs. 336,000 from yesterday’s Rs. 326,000.

Local jewellers attributed the surge to a combination of factors, including fluctuations in the US dollar, geopolitical tensions, and strong investor demand driving up global prices.

Market analysts suggest that if the international trend continues, local gold rates could see further increases in the coming days, with heightened activity expected ahead of the festive season.

November 13, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, has conveyed his deep sympathies to the Government and people of Türkiye following the fatal crash of a Turkish military aircraft in Georgia earlier this week.

Posting on X, Minister Herath wrote:
“Heartfelt condolences to the Government and people of Türkiye on the tragic loss of military personnel in Georgia. Sri Lanka stands with Türkiye in this time of sorrow.”

The Turkish government confirmed that 20 service members were killed when a C-130 transport aircraft went down while travelling from Azerbaijan to Türkiye on Tuesday. It is the country’s deadliest military aviation disaster since 2020.

Georgian rescue teams, working alongside Turkish officials, have since recovered nearly all the victims’ remains from the crash site, located on a remote hillside.

Heartfelt condolences to the Government and people of Türkiye on the tragic loss of military personnel in Georgia. Sri Lanka stands with Türkiye in this time of sorrow. 🇱🇰🤝🇹🇷

— Vijitha Herath (@HMVijithaHerath) November 12, 2025

November 13, Colombo (LNW): Plantation and Community Infrastructure Minister Samantha Vidyarathna revealed in Parliament yesterday that significant sums allocated under a World Bank–backed agricultural modernisation initiative had been misappropriated by associates and relatives of former ministers, rather than being used for genuine development within the plantation sector.

According to the Minister, the Agriculture Sector Modernisation Project (ASMP), designed to revitalise Sri Lanka’s plantation industry, was exploited to channel funds to politically connected individuals. Among the beneficiaries, he claimed, were family members and aides of several ex-ministers, including payments of Rs. 14 million to a company owned by former Minister Daya Gamage’s wife, Rs. 8 million to the son of Gamage’s secretary, Rs. 18 million to former Minister Roshan Ranasinghe’s spouse, Rs. 18 million to former Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda, Rs. 37 million to the son of ex-Minister Lakshman Seneviratne, and Rs. 48 million to the brother of former Minister Mahinda Amaraweera.

Vidyarathna noted that a subsequent World Bank audit found no trace of the promised estate improvement projects, confirming that the funds had been misused. In response, the international lender has demanded the Sri Lankan government reimburse the amount immediately, warning that failure to do so could jeopardise future development assistance.

“We appealed for time to pursue legal action and recover the money through proper channels,” Vidyarathna said, “but the World Bank declined, insisting on immediate repayment.”

Consequently, the government was compelled to seek Cabinet approval to release US$ 508,863 to settle the outstanding debt. The Attorney General’s Department, he added, has now initiated legal proceedings to reclaim the misappropriated funds from the individuals concerned.

November 13, Colombo (LNW): The Tissamaharama Magistrate’s Court has authorised the continued detention of several individuals arrested in relation to a major narcotics operation uncovered in Kirinda, allowing police to question the suspects for a further seven days.

The ruling came after the accused were presented before the court yesterday afternoon, law enforcement sources confirmed. The Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) will now intensify its probe into the origins and wider network connected to the case.

According to investigators, officers from the Western Province North Crimes Division apprehended eight individuals during a meticulously planned raid on Andagalawella Beach in Kirinda. The operation led to the discovery of approximately 345 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, locally known as “Ice”, being transported by land.

Early findings suggest that the illicit consignment is tied to a prominent underworld operator identified as ‘Ran Malli’ from Dickwella, who is believed to be orchestrating his criminal activities from Dubai.

Police officials noted that further arrests are likely as investigators continue to untangle the extensive web of local and international links behind one of the largest drug seizures recorded in the region this year.