The US Supreme Court has rejected President Donald Trump’s bid to allow the US Postal Service to enforce a rule targeting mail-in ballots.

On Monday, the conservative-majority court refused to lift an order by US District Judge Indira Talwani that blocked the measure, dealing a blow to Trump’s efforts to restrict voting by mail before the November midterm elections.

The postal agency adopted the rule after Trump signed an executive order in March seeking to tighten rules around mail-in voting. Under this measure, states were required to send the Postal Service a list of recipients and use ballot mail envelopes previously approved by the agency.

The Postal Service was allowed to deny ballots if they failed to comply with the new standards or were not associated with registered voters on the lists.

Talwani imposed an injunction blocking the rule, saying that it likely violated the US Constitution and would be impossible to apply given the nearing midterms.

Shortly after, the Trump administration issued an emergency request to the Supreme Court urging it to allow an “important federal policy to protect the mails from being used to commit voter fraud”.

In late August, the Supreme Court had temporarily allowed Trump to move ahead with his executive order on procedural grounds, but did not rule on the legality of the plan.

In the latest decision, the court said in an unsigned order that the administration was “unlikely to succeed on the merits” of its challenge. Justice Samuel Alito and Justice Clarence Thomas dissented, with Alito writing that some plaintiffs lacked standing while the rest were pursuing a claim the court had recently called a “Hail Mary pass”.

[Aljaeera]

The “Mehewara Pasasum” programme to recognise Divisional Secretariats in the Eastern Province that demonstrated the highest level of performance in 2025 was held recently at the Swami Vipulananda Institute of Aesthetic Studies of the Eastern University, under the patronage of Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya. The programme was held as part of the initiative to decentralise President’s Fund services to the Divisional Secretariat level, with the aim of providing the public with a more efficient and prompt service.

Of the Divisional Secretariats in the three districts of Ampara, Batticaloa and Trincomalee, nine Divisional Secretariats, three from each district, were selected for recognition based on their efficiency in receiving President’s Fund applications and responding to them promptly.

Accordingly, the Sammanthurai Divisional Secretariat secured first place in the Ampara District, while the Addalachchenai Divisional Secretariat secured second place and the Kalmunai Divisional Secretariat third place.

In the Batticaloa District, first place was secured by the Kattankudy Divisional Secretariat, second place by the Manmunai North Divisional Secretariat and third place by the Koralaipattu Central Divisional Secretariat.

In the Trincomalee District, first place was secured by the Trincomalee Town and Gravets Divisional Secretariat, second place by the Kinniya Divisional Secretariat and third place by the Muttur Divisional Secretariat.

The first “Mehewara Pasasum” programme was held in Colombo, the second in Batticaloa, and this was the third programme.

Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne, Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Sunil Handunnetti, Senior Additional Secretary to the President and Secretary to the President’s Fund Roshan Gamage, and a number of government officials and others were present at the occasion.

(PMD)

By Shamindra Ferdinando

The absence of Agriculture Minister Lal Kantha and his Deputy Namal Karunaratne at the NPP’s farmers’ rally at Polonnaruwa, on Saturday (12) revealed the government’s failure to address the problems faced by the farming community, the SLPP says.

Former Kalutara District SLPP MP Sanjeewa Edirimanna said that politburo member Lal Kantha, who represented the NPP’s highest decision-making body, and his Deputy, Karunaratne, couldn’t face the farmers, and hence their absence at Saturday’s rally. Their absence underscored the gravity of the situation, Edirimanna said, thanking the NPP for openly acknowledging the crisis in the agricultural sector.

Kandy District MP Lal Kantha was not immediately available for comment. When The Island sought an explanation from Deputy Minister Karunaratne regarding their absence, he said that there was no need for all of them to attend each and every NPP rally.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake addressed Saturday’s gathering on behalf of the party and there shouldn’t be any issue over their absence, MP Karunaratne said.

Karunaratne said so when The Island pointed out that their presence mattered as it was the inaugural farmers’ rally held almost two years after the last presidential election.

MP Karunaratne claimed that the Polonnaruwa rally was not on his schedule for 12 Sept.

Ex-MP Edirimanna pointed out that Minister Lal Kantha had addressed both the Bulathsinhala and Beruwala rallies, held on 6 Sept., which marked the commencement of the NPP propaganda campaign, launched amidst growing dissent over the way the government sought to enact the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution.

Edirimanna said that the NPP couldn’t justify both Ministers in charge of agriculture skipping the Polonnaruwa rally. Responding to another query, Edirimanna said that he wouldn’t attribute their absence to any internal conflict but the NPP’s overall failure to address the growing grievances of the farming community.

Edirimanna said that in spite of promises, the NPP had pathetically failed to ensure a reasonable pricing formula for paddy. The President again promised to implement an efficient paddy purchasing scheme at the next harvesting season, the ex-MP said, adding that the government should be ashamed and accept responsibility.

Edirimanna stressed that the government’s vow to implement a mandatory price for different varieties of paddy remained just a promise.