DIFFERENT PRIORITIES IN THE SINHALA AND TAMIL PRESS |
Tamil Headlines
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Virakesari: Mastermind behind Easter Sunday attack identified – Heated debate in Parliament over remarks made by the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security during the Committee on High Posts (meeting) | Winning the Geneva vote is a challenge – Minister Vijitha explains that the government did not request a vote to avoid unnecessary expense | Was India behind the Easter Sunday attack? Ravi Seneviratne never made such a statement, clarifies Minister Vijitha in Parliament Thinakaran: Progress in talks with Sri Lankan representatives; IMF approves fifth tranche of financial assistance| An end to the culture of politics that divides communities – Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya | Indian fishermen arrested | Navaratri celebration held in Parliament (Pictorial) |
Thinakkural: Geneva is neither our god nor our demon – Voting is meaningless. The goal is to gain everyone’s support to resolve our own people’s issues, says Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, clarifying Sri Lanka’s stance on the UN resolution | Government betrayed the country in Geneva – MP Dilith Jayaweera’s outrage | Why didn’t Sri Lanka gain the support of 43 countries in Geneva? – Question raised by Sajith Premadasa | Government complicit in the illegal acts of the military – laments MP Gajendrakumar Thamilan: Provincial elections next year – Government firm on decision, announced in Parliament by Minister Vijitha | Tissa Vihara dispute to be resolved soon says Minister Bimal | Easter Sunday attack: India allegedly behind it – controversy in Parliament over remarks attributed to Ravi Seneviratne | Easter Sunday attack: Government clarifies remarks attributed to Ravi Seneviratne alleging India’s involvement |
Sinhala Headlines
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Lankadeepa: IMF lays down conditions for the upcoming budget: no sixth tranche if conditions are not adhered to; CEB has to be restructured in four parts; increasing electricity bill is a must; government expenditure to be watched; a payment system for the price of fuel; “Sri Lanka has shown more economic growth than expected” – IMF Mission Chief for Sri Lanka Papageorgiou Divaina: ‘Backhoe Saman’s’ wife’s transactions worth Rs. 90 million revealed: court also requests report on allegation of abetting heroin trafficking |
Mawbima: Transactions worth Rs. 100 million made via ‘Backhoe Saman’s’ wife’s, sister’s and father’s accounts: revelations made in court | Strict rules on bus conductors who do not issue tickets: law making bus tickets compulsory is being implemented; no leniency Dinamina: “IMF agrees to fifth tranche” – IMF Mission Chief Papageorgiou says Aruna: This newspaper was unavailable at the time of publishing FrontPage Anidda: The IGP has not been given the power to transfer OICs: opposition makes allegations about the transfer of 32 OICs |
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TAMIL PRESS PRIORITIES |
Photo credits: Ada Derana
DNA testing machine for Jaffna University stranded at Customs; Rs. 13 million tax required for release
Thinakkural
The Vice-Chancellor of Jaffna University has revealed that a DNA testing machine procured for the Faculty of Medicine is stranded at Customs because the government has not granted a tax concession.
The university needs to pay Rs. 13 million in VAT to release the equipment, funds which cannot be obtained from the Treasury.
The inability to install the machine prevents the university from conducting DNA analysis on human skeletons recovered from the Chemmani mass grave locally, forcing reliance on international facilities.
The Vice-Chancellor is appealing for the tax exemption so the university can perform these crucial tests domestically.
Thaiyiddy issue cannot be resolved the way MP Gajendrakumar suggests – says Minister Bimal
Thinakkural, Thamilan Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Civil Aviation, Bimal Rathnayake, stated in Parliament that the Thaiyiddy Tissa Vihara dispute cannot be solved by following the methods advocated by MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, warning that such an approach risks causing religious conflicts. The Minister announced that a suitable, negotiated solution for the issue would be presented within one or two weeks. He stressed that all such problems must be solved through internal dialogue and negotiation, confirming that the Ministry of Justice has already taken steps and prepared a report on the matter. |
Kurukkalmadam mass grave case hearing on October 27Thinakaran
The hearing of the Kurukkalmadam mass grave case has been postponed again, to Monday, October 27 of this month. The case pertains to the abduction and murder of Hajj pilgrims in 1990 at Kurukkalmadam while they were traveling to Kattankudy via Kalmunai after completing their Hajj pilgrimage. Their remains (Janaaza) were interred in the Kurukkalmadam mass grave. The case was taken up on Thursday (9) at the Kaluwanchikudy Magistrate’s Court. The proceedings, held before Magistrate T. Pratheepan, were subsequently adjourned to the 27th of this month. It is noted that the exhumation report and its further details, which were submitted by the Chief Judicial Medical Officer of Colombo, were accepted by the court and forwarded to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Justice via the Batticaloa High Court. |
SINHALA PRESS PRIORITIES |
Photo credits: AsianMirror
13 bank accounts owned by Backhoe Saman’s wife and relatives cancelled – AG informs court
Lankadeepa, Divaina, Mawbima, Dinamina
The Attorney General’s (AG) Department, yesterday (9th), informed Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama that 13 bank accounts belonging to Shadhika Lakshani, the wife of the currently remanded drug trafficker ‘Backhoe Saman’, and their close associates, have been cancelled.
The Attorney General’s Department further informed the court that investigations have revealed that she was involved in drug-related activities, and that a sum of Rs. 97.5 million had been circulated in the bank accounts of her father and sister between 2024 and 2025.
Tangalle Police records statement from Wimal Weerawansa
Lankadeepa, Mawbima, Dinamina
The Tangalle Divisional Crime Investigation Office, yesterday (9th), questioned and recorded a statement from former Minister and Leader of the National Freedom Front (NFF) Wimal Weerawansa regarding a public statement he made concerning a suspect arrested in connection with the drug haul of 705 kg of narcotics, valued at approximately Rs. 1 billion, which was discovered recently in Seenimodara.
He arrived at the Tangalle Divisional Crime Investigation Unit around 9:30 a.m. in response to a police summons, accompanied by his attorney.
COMMON PRIORITIES: SINHALA & TAMIL PRESS |
Photo credits: Newsfirst.lk
“Social media reports stating that India is behind the Easter Sunday attack are untrue” – Police Media Division | Mastermind of the Easter Sunday attack: “MP that posted sensitive material on Twitter [X] must be removed from the working committee” – Wasantha Samarasinghe
Lankadeepa, Divaina, Anidda, Virakesari, Thinakaran, Thinakkural, Thamilan
The Police Media Division has issued a statement declaring that a false news report is being circulated on social media claiming that retired Senior Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Ravi Seneviratne, the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security, told the Parliamentary High Posts Committee that the mastermind behind the Easter Sunday attacks has been identified and that India is behind it.
In the statement, the Police Media Division categorically rejected these reports.
Seneviratne clarified that he appeared before the Parliamentary High Posts Committee on October 8, 2025, and provided answers related to the matters raised during the meeting.
He added that, however, at no point during that session did he state that India was behind the Easter Sunday attacks.
Therefore, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has been instructed to conduct an investigation into those spreading this false news.
Additionally, Ravi Seneviratne has directed his lawyers to take legal action regarding this matter, the statement further added.
Kurunegala SJB MP Dayasiri Jayasekara, commenting on the incident in parliament yesterday (9th), stated that the government must provide a statement regarding the statement made by Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security Ravi Seneviratne, at the Parliamentary High Posts Committee, stating that the claim is a very serious one.
Responding to Jayasekara’s statement, Minister of Justice and National Integration Harshana Nanayakkara stated that Seneviratne merely responded to the questions that were asked during the meeting and that he did not voluntarily make the statement.
He further added that these matters cannot be discussed outside of such committees, as they contain sensitive information.
Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe, also commenting on the same issue, stated that it was SLMC MP Nizam Kariapper who posted on social media that Seneviratne had confirmed the main conspirator behind the attacks had been identified, which should not have been done.
He further added that the information discussed in a sensitive committee must not be revealed and that Kariapper must be advised on the move and removed from the working committee.
“IMF agrees to fifth tranche” – IMF Mission Chief Papageorgiou says | IMF lays down conditions for the upcoming budget: no sixth tranche if conditions are not adhered to
Lankadeepa, Divaina, Dinamina, Virakesari, Thinakaran, Thinakkural
The International Monetary Fund (IMF), yesterday (9th), announced a staff-level agreement to disburse the fifth tranche of the USD 3 billion Extended Fund Facility agreed upon for Sri Lanka.
IMF Mission Chief for Sri Lanka Evan Papageorgiou made the statement while addressing a media briefing held yesterday (9th) in Colombo, following discussions between IMF officials currently visiting the country and Sri Lankan authorities.
Papageorgiou stated that the economic reforms implemented by the Sri Lankan authorities have continued to support the economy’s recovery.
He also stated that performance under this program has strengthened, and that the reforms have continued to support reaching the inflation target, building reserves, and surpassing the expected growth in real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and revenue generation.
Papers also reported that the IMF has laid down several conditions that are to be adhered to, adding that the 2026 Budget of Sri Lanka must be made in accordance with these conditions.
Reportedly, these conditions include restructuring the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) into four parts, increasing the electricity bill, a payment system for fuel and to also reduce government expenditure.
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Common priorities: Additional stories
1. Provincial election to be held next year – Lankadeepa, Divaina, Anidda, Virakesari, Thinakaran, Thinakkural, Thamilan
2. “Requesting a vote is problematic, it is futile: the goal of the government is not to create a demon in Geneva and get closer to achieving our political goals by doing so” – Vijitha Herath – Divaina, Mawbima, Virakesari, Thinakkural
3. “There are now 10 commissions: the one that was most recently established was the National Women’s Commission” – PM Amarasuriya – Divaina, Dinamina, Virakesari
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