President Ranil Wickremesinghe has called on NPP Presidential candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake, to apologize to the Tamil people of the North following controversial remarks made during his recent visit to Jaffna. Speaking at a rally in Udupitti, Jaffna, President Wickremesinghe criticized Dissanayake’s comments, accusing him of using coercion to pressure the Northern population.

"My friend Anura Kumara made a troubling statement, implying that the people of Jaffna could be seen as opposing change if they do not align with the South," Wickremesinghe said. "This is a clear threat, a tactic often employed by the JVP, and I guarantee that the people of the North will be fully protected by the law."

The President further urged Dissanayake to apologize not only to the Tamil people of the North but also to the people of the South, stating that the JVP leader had inappropriately used them in his rhetoric.

Wickremesinghe also outlined several development initiatives for the North, including programs to modernize agriculture, boost tourism, and transform Jaffna into a digital economic hub.

The Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) has announced a trade union action tomorrow (18), targeting hospitals across the country, GMOA spokesman Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe said.

Six teachers, including a school principal in an examination centre in Anuradhapura, who had allegedly shared the first question paper of the Grade Five scholarship examination using a mobile phone, were taken into custody by the officials of the Examinations Department.

Over the past 76 years, politics in the country has turned into a massive business, causing widespread hardships, Presidential candidate Janaka Rathnayaka said.

SJB presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa, addressing a rally, pledged to provide targeted fuel subsidies to essential workers, including farmers, fishermen, three-wheeler drivers and school van/bus operators.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the presidential candidate of the National People’s Power (NPP), has pledged to completely remove VAT on essential sectors such as food, education, and healthcare.

PAFFREL has received reports from the Nuwara Eliya area over a group distributing boxes of matches featuring a Presidential candidate's picture and election symbol on either side. Executive Director of PAFFREL, Rohana Hettiarachchi, said he has informed the Assistant Commissioner of Elections for the Nuwara Eliya district about this issue.

The Public Security Ministry said that there are currently no plans to impose a curfew on election day and that all security measures are in place, with the armed forces on standby if necessary.

NPP MP Vijitha Herath hinted that the Prime Minister could be a female in a National People's Power (NPP) government. Speaking at a meeting in Minuwangoda, he said after the victory on September 21, a new Cabinet will be appointed with the powers vested with the President under Article 47.3 of the Constitution and parliament will be dissolved.

MP Patali Champika Ranawaka, leader of the United Republic Front, urged voters planning to support Ranil Wickremesinghe or the SLPP not to waste their votes.

Claiming that Sri Lanka has not established any new consulates nor made additional honorary consul appointments in Israel, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry said Sri Lanka continues to maintain its official embassy in Tel Aviv, which has been the sole diplomatic mission in Israel since 2000.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has pledged to bring in a legislation to ban corporal punishment soon.

The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) has officially reached a final decision to endorse Sajith Premadasa, the presidential candidate of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), at the upcoming presidential election. The announcement came after a party meeting held this morning (Sep. 16) in Vavuniya, where the party’s central committee made the final decision.

An investigation has been launched after a back-up helicopter escorting President Ranil Wickremesinghe made an emergency landing on Saturday. The Sri Lanka Air Force Bell 412 (SUH 522) made an unplanned landing in a paddy field in Eppawala yesterday due to a technical issue.

National People’s Power (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that his government would cancel Indian conglomerate Adani’s 450 MW wind power project in Sri Lanka if elected. He claimed the agreement was corrupt and skewed against Sri Lanka’s interests.

Opposition leader and SJB presidential candidate, Sajith Premadasa, has reiterated his commitment to implementing the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.

The Constitution has provisions for the new President to rule the country if Parliament is dissolved by President Ranil Wickremesinghe soon after the Presidential election on September 21 as speculated, president's counsel Upul Kumarapperuma said while claiming that it could create detrimental repercussions to the people and the country.

US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Julie Chung, expressed her eagerness to work closely with the president elected by the Sri Lankan people. In a post on X, she highlighted the importance of ensuring a free and fair election, calling it a critical step for democracy in Sri Lanka.

The Election Commission (EC) has disallowed diplomats of European Union (EU) missions in Colombo to be part of its monitoring team during next week’s presidential election.

Presidential candidate Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has revealed that political parties are taking the services of manpower agencies to supply people to attend their election rallies.

A luxury house worth Rs. 100 million, located in Bambalapitiya, was forcibly seized by Galaboda Aththe Gnanasara Thero, the Colombo Magistrate’s Court heard on Thursday.