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JVP calls for referendum on Colombo Port City Bill
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa did not receive a mandate to ink agreements with foreign nations that could have long-term negative impacts on the country, JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake says.
The Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill would drag Sri Lanka further into a tussle between great powers, Dissanayake said, yesterday.
“If we look at our immediate neighbourhood, India and China are in different camps. If Sri Lanka allies itself with one country, we will have to be ready to deal with the ire of the other.”
Dissanayake said the people had to decide whether they wanted to forge closer ties with China and approve the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill. This is why the JVP had filed an application, seeking a Supreme Court order for a referendum on the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill, MP Dissanayake said.
“Things are so bad that President Rajapaksa is threatening his own MPs who are against the Bill. Earlier on Friday MP Wijeyadasa Rajapakse claimed that the President had phoned him and threatened him because the latter publicly opposed the Port City Bill. It’s obvious that the government is not united. The SLPP constituents don’t see eye-to-eye on anything. Given this internal conflict, I don’t think we can expect an acceptable decision on the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill from the government.”
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Advisory for severe lightning issued to the Districts of Kaluthara, Rathnapura, Galle and Matara
Advisory for Severe Lightning
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
at 12.30 p.m. 13 December 2025 valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 13 December 2025 for Kaluthara, Rathnapura, Galle and Matara Districts
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied with severe lightning are likely to occur at some places in the Kaluthara, Rathnapura, Galle and Matara Districts.
There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers.
General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
Based on the prevailing disaster situation and the upcoming festive season, arrangements have been made to provide a nutrition allowance worth Rs. 5,000 to pregnant mothers.
This allowance, which will be provided only once, will be given to pregnant mothers who were registered at maternal clinics on or before 30 November 2025.
The distribution will take place through the Divisional Secretariat offices from 16 December, as a program of the National Secretariat for Early Childhood Development, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs.
The Situation Report released by the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) at 6:00 AM today (13th December 2025) confirms that 640 persons have died and another 211 persons are missing due to flooding and landslides that took place in Sri Lanka within the past two weeks.
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Advisory for severe lightning issued to the Districts of Kaluthara, Rathnapura, Galle and Matara
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