Category: News

A group of Ministers along with the Speaker of House, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne have undertaken a visit to the UK on an invitation extended by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy.

Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Savithri Paulraj and Minister of Justice Harsha Nanayakkara are part of the group visiting the UK, the Ministry of Health in Sri Lanka said in a statement.

Upon arriving in London, their first official engagement was a meeting with members of the Sri Lankan community at the London Alperton School Auditorium.

The event, organized by the UK branch of the National People’s Power (NPP), drew a large and diverse Sri Lankan crowd—Sinhalese, Tamil, and Muslim—representing all political affiliations.

Ministers and government representatives were openly questioned by attendees throughout the program.

Members of the community posed direct questions to the ministers regarding the government’s progress, economic policies, the national question and issues faced by the Tamil and Muslim communities, the statement said.

The ministers responded comprehensively, explaining the political reforms carried out by the government to date, the economic relief provided to the people, and the ongoing efforts to address the specific concerns of the Northern and Eastern communities.

They also elaborated on the long-term development programs being implemented to build a prosperous nation and improve the standard of living, noting that the foundation for such progress had already been laid across various sectors.

The Sri Lankan expatriates, appreciating the government’s initiatives, expressed their support for the current administration, transcending political and ethnic divisions, the Health Ministry stated.

During their stay in the UK, the ministers are also scheduled to meet with Sri Lankan scholars, professionals, and business leaders residing there for further discussions.

Deputy Defence Minister Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Aruna Jayasekera has ruled out the possibility of the re-opening of the Moondrumurippu–Thatchankulam main road and the release of the surrounding land.

Maj. Gen. Jayasekera said so responding to Vanni District ITAK MP Dr P. Sathiyalingam during the parliamentary session last week. The lawmaker questioned the government over the continued military control of civilian land in Vavuniya, including the site of an LTTE cemetery.

Maj. Gen. Jayasekera said that “due to prevailing security considerations,” it was not possible, at present, to release the land or reopen the road. The Deputy MInister said that “alternative

routes are available for public use.”

Dr Sathiyalingam, however, pointed out that these alternate routes were only suitable for two-wheelers and urged the government to consider a special budgetary allocation in 2026 to repair and upgrade these roads.

The Minister replied that the matter would be taken up at the Vavuniya District Development Committee meeting and that efforts would be made to secure special funding for the rehabilitation of the roads.

The ITAK MP also raised concern that several key sites in Vavuniya continue to remain under

military control, including:

• the land belonging to the Vavuniya Municipal Council, where the Vavuniya Police Station is located;

• the private land at Eechankulam, where a Thuyilumillam (cemetery for LTTE cadres) stands; and

• the property of the Chettikulam cooperative society, currently occupied by a Special Task Force (STF).

Dr Sathiyalingam noted that despite more than 16 years having passed since the end of the armed conflict, these lands have yet to be released to their rightful civilian owners.

Kuwait Airways on Monday launched direct flights to Colombo after two years of codeshare operations.

The first flight arrived at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake this morning and was greeted with a celebratory water cannon salute organized by Airport and Aviation Services Sri Lanka (AASL), followed by a traditional Kandyan dance performance organized by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB).

Passengers were also presented with Ceylon Tea gift packs sponsored by the Sri Lanka Tea Board, a statement said.

Kuwait Airways now offers four weekly flights between Kuwait and Colombo.

In a bid to deepen ideological and political engagement with Beijing, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) — a key constituent of the ruling National People’s Power (NPP) — has stepped up its interaction with the Communist Party of China (CPC), seeking to learn from China’s experience in achieving economic growth, political stability, and public trust, while moving ahead with the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two parties.

Transport, Highways and Urban Development Minister Bimal Rathnayake who is a politburo member recently made a tour of China and had wide ranging engagements with the CPC which is the sole authority of one-party rule in that country.

In a Facebook post, Minister Rathnayake said that during his visit, he held talks with Liu Haixing, Head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC). He said the discussion focused on the CPC’s commitment to rebuilding China, sustaining stability while winning public trust, driving development through progressive reforms, implementing strong anti-corruption measures, and maintaining party discipline.

“They (CPC) emphasized the importance of environmental conservation, social welfare and protection,” he said in the post.

Besides, he said the two sides discussed the implementation of matters envisaged in the MoU between the two parties.

Mr. Liu took charge in the new position replacing Liu Jianchao, 61, as head of the party’s international department recently. Mr. Liu Haixing previously served as a senior director of a powerful party commission overseeing national security. He had studied in Paris in the 1980s. He is an expert on European affairs.

The CPC maintains relations with all the key political parties in Sri Lanka including the United National Party (UNP), Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake visited Beijing at the beginning of this year. During Mr. Rathnayake’s visit, attention was also drawn to the areas discussed at that time. Before Mr. Rathnayake, JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva toured China and had engagements with the CPC leaders.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath announced that steps are being taken to grant voting rights to Sri Lankans working abroad.

The initiative aims to ensure that the country’s large overseas workforce can actively participate in the democratic process.

Speaking at an event marking the 40th anniversary of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) on Monday (27), Minister Herath revealed that the Ministry of Public Administration is collaborating closely with his ministry to implement the proposal.

“A special committee has already been appointed by the Ministry of Public Administration to provide the necessary facilities for granting voting rights to Sri Lankans abroad and to establish the required legal framework,” he said.

He further disclosed that the government is also working to introduce a contributory pension system for Sri Lankans living overseas, noting that legal procedures are currently being formulated to make the scheme operational.

Modern Ghana – The Accra Circuit Court Eight has granted bail to eleven persons accused of defrauding a Sri Lankan Member of Parliament of USD2 million under the pretext of supplying gold.

Each accused was granted bail in the sum of GH¢500,000.00 with two sureties, one of whom must justify with a landed property and submit the original title certificate to the Court’s Registry.

The accused—Abdul Rauf Adam, Alhmamoudi Saleh, Yaw Attah Antwi, Osman Suleman, Nhyiraba Dwamena Ra-III, Benzcarl Dwamena, Sanfo Mubassir, Sallah Mammoudi, Ahmed Issah, Umaru Pafadenam, and Salifu Suleman—are facing charges of conspiracy to commit crime, defrauding by false pretence, and attempted fraud.

Their charges were read in court, but pleas were not taken pending further investigations. They are expected to reappear on November 20, 2025.

Presenting the facts, Police Chief Inspector Jacob Kuubal said the complainants were officers of the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS).

He said the accused persons operated in and around Weija SCC and were part of a syndicate defrauding individuals under the guise of selling gold.

Investigations revealed that in 2023, Saleh and his accomplices defrauded Dr Muhammed Hizbullah, a Sri Lankan MP, of USD2 million under the pretext of supplying gold. After receiving the money, they failed to deliver the gold and cut contact with the victim.

Chief Inspector Kuubal said the accused later re-established contact with Dr Hizbullah, offering to sell him 50kg of gold and signing a Memorandum of Understanding to give the transaction a semblance of legitimacy.

Following an official complaint, a National Security team arrested the suspects at Weija SCC on October 16, 2025. Two yellowish metals suspected to be gold were retrieved during the arrest.

He said tests were being conducted to determine the authenticity of the metals.

Source:Dailymirror.lk

India and China resume direct flights on Sunday (Oct 26) after a five-year suspension, a move important both for trade and a symbolic step as Asia’s giants cautiously rebuild relations.

The neighbours – the world’s two most populous nations – remain strategic rivals competing for regional influence, but ties have eased gradually since a deadly Himalayan border clash in 2020.

India’s government said the resumption of flights will boost “people-to-people contact” and aid the “gradual normalisation of bilateral exchanges”.

Warming relations with Beijing come as India’s ties with key trade partner Washington struggle, following US President Donald Trump’s order of punishing 50 per cent tariffs.

Trump’s aides have accused India of fuelling Russia’s war in Ukraine by buying Moscow’s oil.

India’s largest commercial carrier, IndiGo, is set to operate the first daily flight to mainland China, departing Kolkata at 10pm on Sunday for Guangzhou.

There are already regular flights between India and Hong Kong, while additional services from the capital New Delhi to Shanghai and Guangzhou will begin in November.

“The direct air link will reduce logistics and transit time,” said Rajeev Singh, head of the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Kolkata, telling AFP it would benefit businesses.

India’s eastern port city of Kolkata has centuries-old ties with China dating back to British rule, when Chinese migrants arrived as traders.

Indo-Chinese fusion food remains a beloved staple of the city’s culinary identity.

“It’s great news for people like us, who have relatives in China,” said Chen Khoi Kui, a civil society leader in Kolkata’s Chinatown district of Tangra. “Air connectivity will boost trade, tourism and business travel.”

“LONG TERM CHALLENGE”

India runs a significant trade deficit with Beijing, relying heavily on Chinese raw materials for industrial and export growth.

The thaw between New Delhi and Beijing followed meetings between their leaders in Russia last year and in China in August.

India’s imports from China surged to more than US$11 billion last month, up more than 16 per cent compared with September 2024, according to New Delhi’s commerce ministry.

Exports from India to China were US$1.47 billion, modest by comparison, but up around 34 per cent year-on-year.

Direct flights between the two countries were suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic, halting roughly 500 monthly services.

Relations then plummeted after the 2020 border skirmish between the nuclear-armed nations, when at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed.

New Delhi responded by tightening restrictions on Chinese investments and banning hundreds of apps, including TikTok.

India then deepened ties with the US-led Quad alliance – also including Japan and Australia – aimed at countering China’s influence in the Asia-Pacific.

Both sides have troops posted along their contested 3,500-kilometre high-altitude frontier.

But this month, soldiers on each side exchanged gifts of sweets on the Hindu festival of Diwali, “marking a gesture of goodwill”, said Yu Jing, the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India.

The Indian Express, in an editorial after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China’s President Xi Jinping met in August, said improving ties with Beijing “sends an appropriate signal” to Washington.

But relations still have far to go.

“Managing an increasingly assertive China remains India’s long-term challenge,” the newspaper added.

“These fundamental realities remain unchanged, regardless of Trump’s whimsical diplomatic actions.”

Source: AFP