The Muslim Left Front has sought registration with the Election Commission of Sri Lanka. Its General Secretary M.R.M. Faizal told The Island that the Muslim Left Front had been established to promote political rights of the Muslim community, social justice, equality, good governance and national unity.

Faizal said that they had sought EC’s recognition following engagement in public welfare activities, rights-based advocacy and social awareness initiatives. “We want to function as a legally recognised political party,” he said.

“This registration is considered a significant milestone in strengthening the voice of the Muslim community. The Front is prepared to operate with clear policy positions in areas such as youth political participation, educational advancement, economic development, women’s empowerment and social equality.

The Muslim Left Front is committed not only to safeguarding the rights of a particular community but also to working together with like-minded people of all ethnicities and religions to uphold democracy and human rights.

The party leadership has stated that its objective is to make a meaningful contribution toward building national unity and a peaceful political culture,” he added.

Nestlé Lanka was honoured as one of Sri Lanka’s Top 10 Best Employers at the National Best Employer Awards 2025, organized by the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC), reaffirming its leadership in people centric workplace practices. The company also emerged as the overall winner of the prestigious Franklyn Amarasinghe Memorial Award for Best Industrial Relations standing out amidst strong competition, cementing its position as a company that fosters progressive, fair, and collaborative industrial relations in Sri Lanka’s HR landscape.

Nestlé Lanka’s Chairman and Managing Director, Bernie Stefan commented “We are deeply honoured to be recognised at the EFC National Best Employer Awards 2025. Being named among Sri Lanka’s Top 10 Best Employers, and receiving the Franklyn Amerasinghe Industrial Relations Best Practices Award, is a meaningful acknowledgement of the peoplefocused culture we strive to build every day. At Nestlé, people remain at the heart of everything we do.

A coordinated search operation, conducted by the Sri Lanka Navy and the Police Special Task Force (STF), led to the seizure of about 9,000 foreign cigarettes and the arrest of a suspect in Wattala on 17 February.

Naval personnel from SLNS Gemunu, in the Western Naval Command, conducted the search operation, together with the Gonahena Police STF, in the Handala area of Wattala.

During the search, they inspected a suspicious three-wheeler, revealing a stock of approximately 9,000 foreign cigarettes being illegally transported in the vehicle. The suspect was identified as a 48-year-old resident of Wattala. The suspect, together with the stock of cigarettes, and the three-wheeler, was handed over to the Wattala Police for onward legal action.