Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena plans to visit Jaffna on Thai Pongal Day and hand over the land deeds for 600 acres held by the security forces to the rightful owners, according to a report in The Hindu newspaper. In an interview to The Hindu on Sunday, President Sirisena said he would soon set up a task force to find solutions to problems of the displaced persons. The Army last month formally released 700 acres of land held by Armed Forces in Valikamam North area of Jaffna and handed them over to the Jaffna Government Agent Nagalingam Vedanayagam.

According to the Government Agent, since the boundary markers of the plots have been removed when the security forces occupied the land, the lands needed to be re-measured before handing over to the owners. The President, who recently visited a welfare camp for the displaced in Thelippanai, Jaffna, where a large number of displaced families and listened to the inmates' grievances vowed to resolve the resettlement problem soon.

He told The Hindu only after his unscheduled visit to the camp did he find that there were people living there for the last 25 years. "I blamed myself that I was not aware of the tragic situation of people," he was quoted as saying. On repealing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), a long-standing demand of human rights activists and Tamil groups, he said there existed a commonly held view that the Act had to be repealed. "When even powerful nations are grappling with problems my government has to consider all factors before taking a decision,he said.

For the first time in Sri Lanka, the government is to establish a mechanism to supervise and advice ministries in the implementation of policies, a source said.

A tense situation was reported at the UNP party headquarters in Sirikotha when a group of UNP supporters arrived to hand over a document on reviving the party.

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Harsha de Silva said today that an NPP MP has told him that the Parliament canteen will not be closed but the government will see that no one will abuse the facility.

Two fishermen were seriously injured and hospitalised after a parcel floating on the sea exploded while they were checking it off the coast of Mannar.

The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) and the Examinations Department have initiated a joint programme to mitigate potential disasters during the 2024 Advanced Level examinations.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake addressed the inaugural session of the 10th Parliament of Sri Lanka today. Following are 11 key points from the President’s Government Policy Statement;

Speaker Dr. Ashoka Sapumal Ranwala informed Parliament that nomination of Sajith Premadasa, leader of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), has been accepted as the Opposition Leader of the 10th Parliament of Sri Lanka.

Jaffna District Independent MP Archuuna Ramanathan refused to move away after he sat on the Opposition Leader's seat inside the chambers despite requests by Parliament staff to move.

National People's Power (NPP) Gampaha MP Dr. Ashoka Sapumal Ranwala was elected as the Speaker of the 10th Parliament of Sri Lanka a short while ago. Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya proposed his name, and the nomination was confirmed by Vijitha Herath.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake adjourned the Sri Lankan Parliament until 9:30 a.m. on December 3. The adjournment followed the President’s delivery of the government’s policy statement during the inaugural session of the 10th Parliament earlier today.