News
Mahinda sworn in as 13th Prime Minister
Leader of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was sworn in as the 13th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka before President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya yesterday.
Rajapaksa served two terms as the Executive President from 2005 to 2015.
Completing five decades in active politics, Rajapaksa entered Parliament in 1970 and played a pivotal role as a Cabinet Minister during 1994-2004 period.
First elected as the Prime Minister in 2004, Rajapaksa was sworn in as the Prime Minister for a second time on October 26, 2018. The third time he was sworn in as the Prime Minister was on November 21, 2019.
During his 10-year tenure as the Executive President, Rajapaksa was able to eradicate terrorism and launched a large number of development projects.
Contesting the recently-concluded general election from Kurunegala District, Rajapaksa received a record-breaking 527,364 preferential votes, the highest number of votes a candidate has ever received in the country.
Rajapaksa will go down in history as the first ever Sri Lankan to become a two-time President and four-time Prime Minister.
The Maha Sangha chanted Seth Pirith and invoked blessings on the new Prime Minister, the President, the newly elected MPs and the country.
Later, the President and Prime Minister engaged in religious observances at the historical temple
At the conclusion of the ceremony both the President and Prime Minister greeted the public gathered in the precincts of the temple.
The Maha Sangha and other religious leaders, Governors, Secretary to the President, members of the diplomatic corps, newly elected members of Parliament of SLPP and other parliamentarians who extend their support to the new government and family members were also present on the occasion.
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.
A meeting between representatives of UNICEF and Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya was held on the 10th of December at the Prime Minister’s Office.
During the discussion, an initial review of the new digitalization policy draft was conducted, and it was emphasized that the new digital policy must be formulated to align with the ongoing education reforms.
The Prime Minister highlighted that the digital policy should be developed in a way that supports all five core pillars of the current education reforms, including curriculum reform, infrastructure development, and administrative restructuring.
It was further noted that the current draft is primarily focused on curriculum-related matters, and the digital policy should be structured to influence the overall education reform process.
Extensive discussions were also held on the importance of digital literacy, NEMIS, the provision of digital infrastructure, and minimizing the existing digital divide.
Attention was also drawn to the gaps in the current teacher training mechanisms , and the Prime Minister stressed the need to reduce paper usage.
The meeting was attended by the UNICEF representatives Dr. Emma Brigham and Deborah Wyburn, Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri, Additional Secretary A.B.M. Ashraff, and several other officials.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
Pregnant Mothers to receive Rs 5000 Nutrition Allowance in December
640 deaths, 211 missing as at 6:00AM today (13)
New Digitalization Policy draft reviewed
The government is taking steps to streamline trade facilitation, customs processes, investment approvals, and improving export facilities – Prime Minister
Showers will occur in the Northern, North-Central, Eastern, Uva, Central and North-Western provinces.
Big fossil fuel companies are responsible for climate crisis but poor countries like Sri Lanka are battered by it – Greenpeace South Asia
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