President Maithripala Sirisena met with the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) led by General Secretary, Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera and Chief Executive Officer of the BBS, Dr. Dilantha Withanage at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (18).The appointment to meet Sirisena had been granted as per a letter sent to him requesting a discussion and meeting by Dr. Withanage on 09, December 2015. The BBS Media Unit informed that the discussion was to be with regards to a multitude of matters regarding the country including the Wilpattu resettlement and deforestation controversy, regarding which they had previously on many an occasion written to President Sirisena requesting an audience, and also the recent Theravadi Bhikkhu Kathikavath Act Draft Bill presented to Parliament, amongst others.

President Sirisena agreed that with regards to the aforementioned Bill there had been a lapse on the part of the government of not consulting the Mahanayakes of the Chapters and Sects in prior and added that steps would taken to remedy this situation, Dr. Withanage said. "We informed Sirisena that he along with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and ministers had on various occasions in locations island-wide stated that we throw stones and cause trouble. We informed him that though this charge has plagued us since the time of his predecessor in office, Mahinda Rajapaksa, we have not behaved in such a manner. We talk about issues faced by Sinhalese Buddhists. These should be discussed. We asked him to intervene to organize a discussion and meeting for a debate and discourse with those who criticize us including Muslim Ministers. He wanted us to give all the details in writing to him. We informed him that if things proceed without a dialogue, debate and discourse, things would head towards a bad place. We informed him that there was deforestation still taking place in Wilpattu. We informed him about Muslim extremism and Christian fundamentalism. We informed him that we criticize him and the government not out of personal malice but out of patriotism," he added.

National Organizer of the BBS, Ven. Witharandeniye Nanda Thera along with Organizer of the BBS in the Kandy District, Dr. Jeewa, were also present at the meeting cum discussion.

While refuting claims by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe that his government had allocated funds required to increase public sector salaries, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that no such funds had been allocated.

A Fundamental Rights petition has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking an order preventing Ranjan Ramanayake from contesting the parliamentary election scheduled for November 14.

Claiming that Sri Lanka has come a long way in terms of undertaking reforms which have led to some hard won gains, the International Monetary Fund (IMF)said they could move fast towards the third review which will come up soon.

The Election Commission has decided to mark the voters' index fingers for this year's general elections, Commissioner General Saman Ratnayake announced. He said the elections are scheduled for November 14, 2024.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is set to hold a series of meetings with the High Commissioners of South Africa and New Zealand, along with the Ambassadors of Iran and Myanmar, as well as a delegation from the European Union today (25) at the Presidential Secretariat.

Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the security threats to Israeli nationals in the Arugam Bay area, Public Security Minister Vijitha Herath said.

Sri Lanka should get its foreign policy right in the wake of the escalating Middle East crisis, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Mujibur Rahman said today.

The Canadian government has issued a travel advisory urging travellers to exercise a high degree of caution in Sri Lanka due to demonstrations, the threat of terrorist attacks and crime, particularly in the Arugam Bay area.

Sri Lankan security forces have been alerted to a potential attack on Israelis in the Arugam Bay area by Indian intelligence agencies. According to intelligence information, the threat is believed to be targeted at foreign nationals.

Former Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara asked why the government did not take action to beef up security for foreign tourists in advance if it had received information on a possible threat on October 7, according to the statement made by Acting Chief of Police.