News
Stalin et al strike defiant note from quarantine centre at Mullaitivu
Those who were detained last week for holding a demonstration against the proposed Kotelawala Defence University and sent to quarantine centre in Mullaitivu, held another demonstration on Wednesday there.
Among them (centre) is the General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) Joseph Stalin. Addressing the media after the protest at the quarantine centre in Mullaitivu, Stalin said that if they were not released immediately, they would intensify the demonstrations inside the SLAF camp where they were undergoing quarantine.
“We will continue to oppose this bill. There will be demonstrations everyday across the country against this,” he said.
Stalin and 31 others were arrested for violating health regulations in place to contain the spread of the pandemic by gathering in public. Although the Magistrate refused to send the protesters for quarantine, the police packed them off to Mullaitivu.
Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) Secretary, Dr. Senal Fernando told The Island that the quarantine laws had been used to harass various parties that opposed the Kotelawala Defence University Bill.
Director General of Health Services (DGHS), Dr. Asela Gunawardene needed to ensure that the police enforced quarantine laws in a just and impartial manner, Dr. Fernando said.
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
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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