Two officers of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) have been dispatched to London to conduct further inquiries into former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s visit to the United Kingdom, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala said.

On 29 October, Colombo Fort Magistrate Isuru Neththikumara ordered that the case filed against the former President be taken up for hearing on 28 January.

Issuing directions to investigators, Magistrate Neththikumara noted:
“It must be clarified whether the invitation for this event was an official invitation from the UK Government. The entire case depends on that. Also, this is not a complex investigation. Therefore, I order the CID to conclude the investigation by the next hearing.”

The case concerns allegations that Wickremesinghe misused state funds in 2023 to travel to the UK to attend a ceremony held to honour his wife, Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe, at a British university, during his tenure as Head of State.

Sri Lanka Police have issued a statement regarding video footage showing unrest connected to the removal of a Buddha statue from the premises of the Sri Sambuddha Jayanthi Bodhiraja Viharaya in Trincomalee.

According to the statement issued by Police, following the incident, fabricated stories are being circulated widely on various media platforms. The media statement was issued to clarify the accurate account of the incident.

The statement also notes that Sri Lanka Police observed a potential for tensions between communities arising from this incident.

Since the area concern represents all communities, if any individual had intentionally damaged the Buddha statue, it could have seriously threatened peace and coexistence in the region, police noted. Therefore, the statue was safely removed from the site and handed over to the Trincomalee Harbour Police for safekeeping, according to the statement.

Yesterday (16), during efforts by the Department of Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management to stop unauthorized constructions—based on a complaint submitted to the Harbour Police—a group that gathered at the site behaved aggressively. Police then took action to manage the situation and at no point, did they assault clergy or the public, the statement emphasized.

Sri Lanka Police noted that at present, the area is peaceful and the relevant parties have agreed on the next steps. Accordingly, the Buddha statue, which had been under police protection, has been returned to the respected clergy and the contributing committee for proper placement.

The matter is scheduled to be reported to the Trincomalee Magistrate’s Court today, police noted.

In a significant step toward enhancing bilateral defence cooperation, the United States and Sri Lanka signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the Ministry of Defence, marking a new era in Defence Partnership.

US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung and Brigadier General Trenton Gibson, Adjutant General of the Montana National Guard, signed on behalf of the U.S. Government, while Secretary of Defence, Retired Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha signed on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka.

With this MOU, Sri Lanka has formally joined the global network of 115 nations partnered with U.S. state National Guards under the State Partnership Program.

The partnership will enhance interoperability through joint training, maritime cooperation to counter trafficking and illicit migration, crisis response and humanitarian assistance, aviation operations, and strengthened military – civilian disaster preparedness.

U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung underscored the importance of the US–Sri Lanka defence cooperation in her remarks and emphasized the deep and enduring friendship between the two nations, highlighting the significance of continued defence cooperation and mutual understanding.

She acknowledged the longstanding partnership built on shared values, expressing confidence that the renewed commitments would allow shared training and learning opportunities.

Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka says he is pleased with the direction of the current government, citing its stance against corruption despite limited economic improvement.

Speaking to the media, Fonseka said that while the economy has not seen major change, he appreciates the government’s policies and actions to curb corruption and its refusal to protect individuals accused of wrongdoing.

He also said he will not participate in the opposition rally scheduled for the 21st, noting that he spent 15 years working closely with parties now in the opposition and understands them well. According to Fonseka, none of those parties contributed positively to the country.

He added that the groups organising the November 21 rally are the same factions responsible for holding the nation back for 75 years. “If the people are misled again by what they are saying now, I do not believe the country will benefit,” he said.

Fonseka further claimed that those political actors pursued power only for personal gain—including wealth, assets and privileges—and argued that the present government does not operate in that manner.

He reiterated that he will never join the current administration, but said he supports the direction in which it is moving.

Sri Lanka’s inability to fully integrate global payment gateways like PayPal stems directly from a failing within the country’s own regulatory framework, according to prominent economist Dr. Weerakoon R. Wijewardena.

Speaking on a recent podcast with Sanjaya Elvitigala, Dr. Wijewardena argued that the fault for PayPal’s limited operation rests squarely with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) and its Monetary Board.

The core issue, he explained, is that while the CBSL has approved the receipt of funds (inflows) via PayPal, it continues to block outgoing payments (outflows). PayPal has reportedly indicated it is unwilling to operate a one-way system and will only launch full services in Sri Lanka if both inflows and outflows are permitted.

Dr. Wijewardena attributed the Central Bank’s reluctance to its critical concerns over the nation’s low foreign exchange reserves.

“The Central Bank’s fear is that fully opening PayPal could lead to a sudden high outflow of foreign currency, similar to the issues created when vehicle imports were permitted,” he noted.

Sri Lanka’s current Net Foreign Assets (NFA) stand at approximately USD 1.9 billion. According to the analysis presented, Sri Lanka would ideally require reserves of at least USD 20 billion, based on IMF criteria, to ensure economic robustness and allow for free transactions without risking instability.

This regulatory impasse creates a significant hurdle for local freelancers and small businesses, who are often the primary users of such gateways.

Dr. Wijewardena highlighted that even with inflows technically approved, PayPal itself often blocks transactions with Sri Lankan banks because it cannot conduct “free transactions.”

He contrasted PayPal’s high efficiency and low-commission model with current alternatives, such as using credit cards for foreign payments, which typically incur high fees of around 3%.

The economist also pointed to a policy inconsistency, noting that Sri Lankans already use other online platforms, such as AliExpress and Daraz, to make payments abroad.

Dr. Wijewardena dismissed any notion that the integration is technically complex. He clarified that PayPal acts merely as a facilitator or “payment gateway” and does not require registration as a separate financial institution in Sri Lanka or bespoke agreements with local banks.

Citing PayPal’s successful deployment in other developing nations like the Philippines, he insisted integration is entirely feasible.

The authority to resolve the issue, he stressed, lies exclusively with the Central Bank and its Monetary Board and does not require approval from Parliament.

The discussion concluded with a strong recommendation for citizens and industry stakeholders seeking change: “The public should lobby directly to the independent Central Bank, specifically the Monetary Board, rather than appealing to politicians, to push for this policy change.”