Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Leader MP Rauff Hakeem has raised serious concerns over the government’s Rs. 4.26 billion deal to purchase surveillance drones from Israel, questioning the procurement process and alleging that the aircraft could be used to gather intelligence on behalf of the United States.

Speaking during the parliamentary budget debate, Hakeem questioned why the government was proceeding with the purchase without calling for competitive bids.

“A supplementary estimate of over Rs. 4 billion was brought to Parliament recently to purchase unmanned aerial vehicles. Who are we buying them from? Israel,” Hakeem said.

“Why the sudden urgency? Without calling for tenders, they are proceeding directly with the purchase. Why are we buying these aircraft from Israel?” he questioned.

Hakeem also raised suspicions about possible financial inducements connected to the purchase, although he did not present evidence to substantiate the allegation.

“Who knows how much commission may have been received from the Israeli government?” he questioned. The SLMC leader went further, alleging that the surveillance drones could be used to monitor Iranian vessels and provide intelligence to the United States.

“These aircraft are being purchased to spy on Iran, monitor the movements of Iranian ships and provide intelligence about them,” Hakeem alleged.

“Are we going to use our Navy and Air Force to spy for the Americans?” he questioned.

He warned the government against involving Sri Lanka’s security forces in activities that could have consequences for the country’s foreign relations.

“Don’t get yourselves into trouble by engaging in such activities. You have already created enough problems,” he said.

Hakeem also drew attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, questioning the government’s decision to purchase aircraft from Israel while Palestinians continue to suffer. “Look at the suffering of the people in Gaza during these heavy rains,” he said.

“Before deciding to purchase these aircraft from Israel without calling for tenders, think about the Palestinians,” Hakeem urged. He also criticised the government’s broader foreign policy, accusing it of failing to respond adequately to international developments involving Iran and Venezuela.

“Don’t lecture us about your foreign policy,” he told government MPs. Parliament approved a supplementary estimate of Rs. 4.261 billion on November 5 to establish an unmanned aerial vehicle system for the Sri Lanka Air Force.

Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekera previously told Parliament that the government intends to acquire four Israeli-made drones through a government-to-government arrangement involving BlueBird Aero Systems.

The Deputy Minister described the purchase as an emergency procurement and said the aircraft would be used for maritime surveillance, monitoring suspicious vessels, locating missing fishermen and assisting with disaster response operations.

The government has maintained that the funds would come from savings within the Air Force’s existing helicopter maintenance allocation and that the purchase would not require additional funding.

The All Ceylon Restaurant Owners’ Association has announced that restaurants and eateries operating with Laugfs Gas will increase the prices of popular food items including short eats, fried rice and kottu in response to the latest gas price hike.

Former Minister Kanchana Wijesekera has ruled out returning to politics, stating that he has moved on from political life and is satisfied with his career in the corporate sector.

LAUGFS Gas PLC and LAUGFS Engineering Chief Executive Officer Nalinda Kurukulasooriya has justified the Rs. 1,775 increase in the price of a 12.5kg domestic gas cylinder, citing the depreciation of the rupee, taxes, financing costs and rising international procurement costs.

The Central Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) has ordered the freezing of a property worth approximately Rs. 25 million in Boralesgamuwa, suspected to have been acquired using proceeds from drug trafficking.

A total of 23 major reservoirs and 15 medium-scale reservoirs managed by the Department of Irrigation are currently spilling, the Department has stated.Spill gates at 11 major reservoirs, including Rajanganaya, Yan Oya, Sorabora Wewa, Deduru Oya and Lunugamvehera, have been opened. Meanwhile, spill gates at two medium-scale reservoirs have also been opened.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday announced that the government is looking towards lifting the ban on flying large aircraft over the Parliamentary complex so that large planes could operate from the Ratmalana Airport.

Colombo High Court Judge Lal Bandara Ranasinghe today ordered that its decision on the revision petition filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, seeking to revoke the bail granted to MP Namal Rajapaksa by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court on November 3, 2026, in connection with the Krrish deal case and remand him again, would be delivered on November 18.

The Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) has accused the JVP-led government of betraying the socialist ideals of those who sacrificed their lives during the 1988–89 uprising, while pursuing neoliberal economic policies and introducing what it described as repressive legislation.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has announced plans to expand Sri Lanka’s existing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India, with a committee of officials already appointed by the Cabinet of Ministers to pursue the initiative.

SriLankan Airlines will operate three additional weekly flights to Melbourne from November 15, increasing its services to Australia to 14 flights a week amid rising travel demand between the two countries.

Some clauses of the Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill have been found to be inconsistent with the Constitution, Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne announced in Parliament today. The Bill was challenged before the Supreme Court under Article 121(1) of the Constitution.

Ven. Balangoda Kassapa Thero and two other monks who were staging a fast-unto-death protest near the historic Ruwanweli Maha Seya in Anuradhapura have been taken into police custody following a tense confrontation.

Family members of Anojan Sivarasa, who had been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia, have thanked President Anura Kumara Dissanayake for his intervention in securing his release and acquittal on all charges.

Colombo High Court Judge Udesh Ranatunga today fixed November 26 for the resumption of further evidence in the case filed against Yoshitha Rajapaksa under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act over allegations of acquiring assets through unlawful means.

A special application to reopen investigations into the 2012 Matale mass grave was heard at the Matale High Court yesterday (11 November). The petition was filed by attorneys Himali Kularatne and Lakmal Sooriyagoda, representing the Families of the Disappeared (FOD), an organisation comprised of family members of those who were forcibly disappeared during various time periods.

Minister K.D. Lal Kantha has advised public servants to reduce their rice consumption by two-thirds, saying excessive carbohydrate intake should be avoided.

The Trincomalee Magistrate’s Court has issued an arrest warrant against Ven. Balangoda Kassapa Thera for failing to appear before court in connection with a case involving the alleged unauthorised installation of a Buddha statue along the Trincomalee coastline.

Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa has been elected Chairman of the first BIMSTEC Health Ministers’ Meeting. The meeting, aimed at taking regional health cooperation to a new level, commenced this morning (11) at the Hilton Colombo.

Colombo Fort Acting Magistrate Kinsley Hettiarachchi today ordered that the case against former President Ranil Wickremesinghe and former Presidential Secretary Saman Ekanayake, who were produced before the court over allegations of misusing State funds, be postponed till December 9 to obtain the Attorney General’s advice on the legal action to be taken against them.