Colombo (LNW): In the early hours of this morning (28), a fire incident occurred in a building located in Jaffna.

Sri Lanka Police reported that the fire affected three shops within the building.

The Fire Brigade of the Jaffna Municipal Council promptly responded and successfully extinguished the fire.

Fortunately, there were no reported injuries resulting from the incident; however, several adjacent shops sustained damage.

At present, the cause of the fire remains undisclosed, and investigations are underway to determine the origin of the incident.

Colombo (LNW): The Department of Prisons has announced the transfer of prisoners from Matara Prison to Angunakolapelessa Prison as a preventive measure against the potential spread of brain fever.

In response to the identified risk, a decision has been made to administer antibiotics for brain fever to inmates in other prisons suspected to be at risk.

Dr. Hemantha Ranasinghe, Director of Prison Health Services, asserted that the implementation of this programme is imminent.

He further noted that the administration of antibiotics for brain fever has been initiated for both inmates and officials at Matara Prison.

Brain fever is predominantly affecting individuals with a history of drug addiction. Biosamples collected from several sick inmates at Matara Prison revealed one confirmed case of brain fever.

This proactive measure aims to contain the spread of the disease within the prison system.

Colombo (LNW): The Sri Lanka State Trading (General) Corporation has announced the dispatch of an additional 8 million imported eggs to SATHOSA outlets.

The Department of Animal Production and Health has granted approval for the stock of eggs, Chairman Asiri Walisundara asserted.

As a result of this approval, the eggs will be made accessible to customers through SATHOSA outlets starting today (28).

Walisundara acknowledged the heightened demand for eggs during the festive season, noting that numerous stores have depleted their egg inventory, prompting the daily importation of 1 million eggs to meet market requirements.

Colombo (LNW): The All-Ceylon General Ports Employees Union has announced the cancellation of the work-to-rule campaign initially scheduled to commence on December 28.

The union had intended to initiate a token strike on this day to advocate for salary increases.

Chief Secretary Niroshan Gorakana stated that union members are now planning to engage in a trade union action after January 09.

On December 27, the Colombo District Court issued an enjoining order against the trade unions affiliated with the Ports Authority.

This legal measure restrains them from conducting a token strike that could disrupt the operations of the Colombo Port.

Colombo (LNW): During the centenary celebration of Badulla Guruthalawa Muslim Central College on the morning of the 27th, President Ranil Wickremesinghe addressed two significant challenges facing the nation—building a stable economy and addressing the ethnic problem.

The President extended an open invitation to all political parties, urging them to collaborate on these goals, regardless of their party affiliations.

President Wickremesinghe expressed his commitment to safeguarding the rights of all citizens and a desire to promptly resolve lingering issues related to reconciliation. He disclosed plans to make a special statement on these matters in March.

During his visit to Guruthalawa Muslim Central College, the only Muslim National School in the Uva Province, the President received a warm welcome from the students.

As part of the centenary celebrations, he inaugurated the college’s new website. The Principal, Mr. A. Sammun, presented the commemorative issue to the President, marking the centenary of the College.

The President took the opportunity to award medals to students who excelled in the GCE Ordinary Level and GCE Advanced Level exams. Congratulating the college on its centenary, he left a note in the commemorative book and posed for a group photo with the teaching staff.

Full Statement:

To secure a prosperous future for the children of our nation, it is imperative that the government’s initiatives are robustly advanced. We have garnered support from nations around the world to ensure the success of these programmes, which, if implemented effectively, will undoubtedly contribute to the establishment of a stable economy and the resolution of various challenges facing our country.

In pursuit of these goals, I earnestly appealed to all, irrespective of political affiliations, to rally behind us in our efforts to fortify the nation’s economy. Regrettably, the response fell short of our expectations. There are two paramount issues that demand immediate attention in our country. Regardless of political allegiance, I once again implore all to collaborate in addressing these challenges.

Firstly, the imperative is to build a stable and resilient economy. Secondly, we must seek solutions to the ethnic issues plaguing the nation. A thriving country necessitates both a robust economy and a unified community, with a confirmed Sri Lankan identity.

All individuals, irrespective of their ethnicity be it Sinhalese, Tamil or Muslim, are Sri Lankans. While the Sinhalese constitute the majority, our commitment is to progress while safeguarding the Sinhala identity, religion, and culture. It is crucial to avoid any form of discrimination against other races or religions, ensuring the protection of the rights of all citizens. The path to a prosperous nation lies in collective progress as Sri Lankans.

We have addressed various challenges faced by the Sinhalese people and are actively working on solutions for other issues. Additionally, the government is addressing concerns of other segments of the population. Despite the conclusion of the war, unresolved matters persist before the Human Rights Commission in Geneva and we have taken necessary steps to address these issues.

Efforts are underway to rectify the displacement of some individuals by allowing settlement based on the 1985 map. Land rights are being granted to those affected in the northern and eastern provinces, comprising Tamil, Muslim, and Sinhalese communities. The government is also focusing on addressing missing persons, providing compensation and resolving outstanding issues.

Furthermore, we are committed to developing the economies of the northern and eastern provinces. A robust economy is essential to prevent the recurrence of underlying issues even after their resolution.

Special attention is being given to the concerns of Hill Country Tamil people, with dedicated programmes focusing on their rights, including land and education development. Additionally, efforts are ongoing to address the issues faced by the Muslim community, including a thorough review of burial practices and the removal of Post – Easter Sunday attack restrictions.

We are actively working on these matters, including the preparation of a draft law to regulate Madrasa schools. Expression of opinions, not related to terrorism or attempts to incite revolution, should be protected under the law and steps are being taken to ensure this. Reports are being sought from relevant ministries and officials and I expect to make a comprehensive statement by February or March. Prior to that, consultations with religious and political leaders will take place and I trust that we will receive collective support in addressing these challenges.

1. Gas Station Owners’ Assn President Shelton Fernando says although stocks in fuel stations are sufficient, sales have decreased: also says due to the decrease in fuel sales & increase in electricity bills, many fuel stations are now closed by 10pm: previously, fuel stations were kept open until 2am during the festive season.
   
2. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa praises the operation launched to net drug traffickers: claims it’s a progressive move by the Govt: says drugs have ruined the young generation.
   
3. President Ranil Wickremesinghe has reportedly said that he is not saying he is coming or not coming forward at the Presidential election 2024.
   
4. Robocash, a leading “online lender” says there has been a substantial increase in the user base for online loan applications from 10,600 in Aug’21 to 1,300,000 by Nov’23: an exponential 125-fold surge in just over 2 years, at an average monthly growth rate of 19.5%.
   
5. Senior officer at Kalutara prison says the CCTV system at the prison had been disabled for a year due to financial issues: investigations into the recent death of a prison inmate reveals that due to this shortcoming, efforts to determine the cause of the assault have been hindered.
   
6. Pastor Jerome Fernando who was previously arrested in connection with a controversial sermon on 30th April’23, further remanded till 3rd Jan’24 by the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court: investigations against Pastor Jerome Fernando are based on complaints that he has insulted other religions during his sermons.
   
7. Chief custodian of the Kataragama Devalaya Somipala T Ratnayake who was arrested by the Colombo Crimes Division, released on bail by Tissamaharama Magistrate: Ratnayake is the main suspect in the disappearance of a gold tray consisting of 38 gold sovereigns donated to the Kataragama Devalaya by a devotee.
   
8. “Smartwings” from Budapest, Hungary commences direct charter flights to SL: first charter flight arrives at BIA with 183 passengers: the charter to operate every Wednesday from 27th Dec’23 to 3rd Apr’24.
   
9. Emergency ambulance service 1990 Suwa Seriya partners with health technology provider Mediwave from Singapore to integrate its emergency response solutions: Mediwave’s Emergency Response Suite digitises emergency service processes, including the creation of Patients’ electronic health records using an AI-powered speech-to-text transcriber.
   
10. Public Security Minister Tiran Alles says a special operation has been launched to arrest and repatriate 30 criminals engaged in drug trafficking and underworld activities from overseas: also says the Govt has received intelligence reports on 29 underworld members operating in Dubai and 1 in France.