The government has spent Rs. 144 billion on welfare benefits last year and as per the agreements with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, Sri Lanka had agreed to spend a minimum of Rs. 187 billion annually on welfare benefits, State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe said.

SJB lawmaker Eran Wickramaratne said that the public and the private sector workforce who are contributors to the EPF and ETF funds are badly affected by the government’s Domestic Debt Restructuring (DDR) programme, whilst the affluent and their cronies are allowed to get windfall gains within a short period.

A girl, aged 21, has died after being given two vaccines for a stomach ailment at Peradeniya Hospital.

One-third of the cases pending before high courts are on child abuse and rape of women, said justice minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe.

Plantation workers who are fighting for their rights are now in danger of losing their estate houses as well.

Fishermen of the north urge their political leaders to encourage president Ranil Wickremesinghe to take up Indian poaching and find a solution during his upcoming visit to India.

A Tamil MP has claimed in parliament that a mass grave of youths killed by the military exists in Mandativu Island off Jaffna.