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President returns after three day official visit to Japan
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake returned to Sri Lanka this morning (01) after successfully completing a three-day official visit to Japan, undertaken at the invitation of the Japanese Government.
The President commenced his visit on September 27 and served as the Chief Guest at the Sri Lanka Day celebrations held at the “Expo 2025” exhibition in Osaka.
During the visit, President Dissanayake engaged in a series of high-level bilateral discussions aimed at further strengthening the longstanding friendship and cooperation between Japan and Sri Lanka, while also expanding trade, investment and economic relations. He held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Finance Minister KATO Katsunobu, Defence Minister DM Nakatani, as well as senior representatives including Yohei Sasakawa, Founding Chairman of the Nippon Foundation and Dr. TANAKA Akihiko, President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The President also had a cordial discussion with Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace.
In addition, he participated in a roundtable discussion with leading Japanese business leaders and addressed the Japan-Sri Lanka Business Forum at the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) headquarters, where he outlined Sri Lanka’s new investment opportunities and the investment-friendly environment created in the country.
A key highlight of the visit was the signing of the Grant Agreement for the Project for the Enhancement of Productivity in the Dairy Sector, marking a new milestone in Japan–Sri Lanka development cooperation.
President Dissanayake was accompanied on this visit by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- (PMD)
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Pregnant Mothers to receive Rs 5000 Nutrition Allowance in December
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.
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640 deaths, 211 missing as at 6:00AM today (13)
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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Vaibhav Suryavanshi slams 95-ball 171 in Under-19 Asia Cup opener
Vaibhav Suryavanshi slammed a blistering 95 ball 171 in the Under 19 Asia Cup opener against UAE on Friday. He fell just six short of Ambati Rayudu’s long-standing India record in youth one-dayers – the 177 against England in Taunton back in 2002.
Suryavanshi, yet to turn 15, hit nine fours and 14 sixes during his innings, before being bowled attempting a paddle in the 33rd over of India’s innings. They eventually finished with 433 for 6 after being put in to bat.
Last month, Suryavanshi had smashed a 42-ball 144 – the joint third fastest century by an Indian in men’s T20s – against UAE at the Rising Stars Asia Cup in Doha. He had got to his century off 32 deliveries that day, in the process recording the joint-sixth-fastest century in all men’s T20s.
Suryavanshi – a certainty to feature in next month’s Under19 World Cup in Namibia and Zimbabwe – also recently slammed an unbeaten 61 ball 108 at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy to become the youngest century-maker in the tournament’s history.
He had a breakthrough year in 2025, when he became the youngest to slam an IPL century, for Rajasthan Royals [101 off 38 balls] against Gujarat Titans. Having made history just a few months earlier – by becoming the youngest pick in an IPL auction at 13 – Suryavanshi featured in seven games in the 2025 edition, all as an opener. He made 252 runs at a strike rate of 206.55.
After IPL 2025, he was part of the India Under-19 squads that toured England and Australia. He smashed a 78 ball century in the first four-day fixture in Brisbane, and finished as the second-highest run-getter of the multi-day series against Australia Under-19s, scoring 133 runs in three innings as India won 2-0.
Prior to that, he had amassed 335runs at a strike rate of 174.01 in the one-dayers against England Under-19s.
[Cricinfo]
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