The National People's Power (NPP) government now has a struggle with state officials to safeguard the NPP's policies, whereas the NPP had to struggle on the streets for the rights of the people before taking over power, Minister of Industries Sunil Handunnetti said today.

At an event to present the ‘Shilpabhimani’ presidential awards, he said that some officials do not realise the mandate of the government and still stand by their old decisions, agreements, Cabinet decisions and gazette notifications.

"Before we took over power, we had struggles on the streets for the rights of the people, against wastage, looting, fraud and corruption and also to criticise government's wrong doings. Now, we have to struggle with state officials who worked and took decisions according to the policies of former governments by working against the people, not providing them relief and violating their rights. Now, they have an issue of getting rid of old practices. They do not realise the magnitude and the nature of the mandate. They find it difficult to realise that President Anura Kumara was given a mandate against the policies they had adopted during former governments,” he said.

The Minister said they also find it hard to convince the officials of this situation and added that the officials still stand by their old decisions, agreements, Cabinet decisions and gazette notifications.

"They have not taken decisions to cater to the needs of the people, strengthen the national economy, local industries etc. but only to strengthen foreign forces, importers and multi-national companies. They have taken tax policies accordingly. The officials still argue with us, fight with us for the decisions they have taken. Today, we have to fight with the Finance Ministry, the tax policy etc.," he added.

The Ilankai Thamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) appointed former MP Mavai Senathirajah as the head of the party’s Central Committee. According to reports, C. V. K. Sivagnanam was also appointed as the Acting Leader of ITAK.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has summoned Yoshitha Rajapaksa, the second son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, to record a statement regarding the ownership of a government-owned land in Kataragama.

Sulochana Gamage, a former member of the Western Provincial Council, who was arrested while allegedly accepting a bribe, has been ordered to be remanded in custody along with another individual until January 6, 2025. The Hulftsdorp Additional Magistrate issued the remand order following their arrest on bribery charges.

SLPP Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa, paid his last respects to Dr. Manmohan Singh, the former Prime Minister of India, at the Congress Party headquarters in New Delhi today.

A jet-powered drone, believed to be a target drone used for military training, was discovered floating in Sri Lanka’s eastern waters near Trincomalee.

Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe paid his last respects to former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi today. He also met Indian Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi at Singh's residence.

A Sri Lankan woman with health issues caused a plane to make an emergency landing at the Erbil International Airport on Wednesday. She died in the Kurdish capital hours later, according to Sri Lanka’s honorary consul.

Sri Lankan President Anura Dissanayake expressed interest in joining BRICS in a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the republic's ambassador to Moscow Pakir Amza told RIA Novosti.

While the Government has pledged to initiate a fresh investigation into the murder of rugby player Wasim Thajudeen, it has yet to reach out to the Thajudeen family or their lawyer regarding the ongoing cases and the promised new probe, The Daily Morning learnt.

The Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board revealed that floods in November damaged approximately 80,000 acres of farmland. According to the Board, crop damage assessments were completed in Polonnaruwa, Vavuniya, Mullaitivu, and Mannar, with compensation pending final reports.