News
Home » NewsA sacrifice etched in our collective memory
To Bravehearts! In memory of all those who made the supreme sacrifice in the 30-year war against separatists so that Sri Lanka remains a unitary state with the re-establishment of freedom, elections and representative democracy in the North and East. A naval rating is seen standing guard at the war memorial at the Parliamentary grounds [...]
NMRA chief resigns, citing threats to life
Saveen Semage, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), resigned with immediate effect yesterday, citing threats to his life. On May 9, CCTV in his home captured two men breaking in and walking around the residence for around half an hour from 11.30pm to midnight. They were observed peeping into [...]
Drug money in local polls: President orders probe
By Ranjith Padmasiri President Anura Kumara Dissanayake this week said he had information that drug traffickers funded local government councillors who have been elected at this month’s polls and asked Police to investigate the infiltration of organised criminal gangs into the political process. Addressing a meeting of senior officials from institutions, including the Police Department [...]
Dual citizenship backlog: 1000 to be issued soon
By Damith Wickremasekera The Department of Immigration and Emigration is struggling with a backlog of more than 3,000 dual citizenship applications piled up over the past few months, with some papers submitted more than seven months ago remaining unattended. At least 1,000 of these applications have got the all clear from the relevant authorities, including [...]
New electricity tariff hike proposed, CPC to back CEB to avert losses
By Niranjala Ariyawansha The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has sought approval from the Public Utility Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) to increase electricity tariffs by 18.3 percent, with an assurance from the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) that it would provide fuel at a lower cost than the market price to the CEB for electricity generation. [...]
National Defence College team visits Islamabad
A delegation from the National Defence College (NDC), Sri Lanka, conducted its International Collaboration Visit to Pakistan from April 26 to May 6. The visit was facilitated by the Sri Lanka High Commission in Islamabad, in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence and the armed forces of both countries. The delegation was headed by Senior [...]
All nine university students involved in protest outside Health Ministry get bail
All nine university students including the Inter University student Federation (IUSF) convener Madushan Chandarajith who were arrested on Friday while protesting outside the Health Ministry were given bail without condition yesterday, police said. They were produced in the Maligakanda Magistrate courts. The protest was carried out by the Allied Health Science Graduates’ Union against the [...]
Deshabandu faces 22 charges, will appear before inquiry committee tomorrow
By Ranjith Padmasiri Suspended Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon is to be served a chargesheet containing 22 charges when he appears tomorrow before the committee appointed to inquire into allegations of misconduct and gross abuse of power of his office. Mr. Tennakoon has been summoned to appear before the committee at 2 pm [...]
The National War Heroes Commemoration tomorrow at Kotte Cenotaph
The 16th National War Heroes Commemoration Ceremony will be held on Monday (19 May) at the National War Hero Cenotaph in Sri Jayawardenepura, Kotte, from 4.00pm to 6.00pm. A series of island-wide community welfare programmes will also be carried out by armed forces, Police and Civil Security Department in view of the War Hero Commemorations. [...]
Ranil raises concern over submissions levelled against him in court by Bribery Commission
Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe has raised concern regarding the submissions levelled against him in court by counsel of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption on Friday. “Submissions made in respect of me is a willful misleading of the Court,” he said. In a statement issued on Friday, the former President said that [...]
No Moscow-Colombo direct flights from tomorrow; SL embassy seeks talks with Russian govt. agencies
Direct flights from Moscow to Colombo will temporarily stop operating tomorrow (19) due to a fall in demand for Sri Lanka as a destination during the summer. The Sri Lankan embassy in Moscow has requested meetings with Russian government agencies over the cessation of flights to Sri Lanka between May and September this year. “The [...]
Gunmen fire at ex-Lotteries Board director, seize file
Two unidentified gunmen opened fire at a vehicle in which former National Lotteries Board Director Thusitha Halloluwa was travelling with his lawyer in Narahenpita last night and grabbed a file of documents, Police Media Spokesman SSP Buddika Manathunga said. However, no injuries were reported, but the vehicle’s windscreen was damaged. Two gunmen had blocked the [...]
Families fear that their loved ones who went to Russia as mercenaries will become a forgotten chapter
By Namini Wijedasa At least 120 Sri Lankan ex-military who left for Russia as mercenaries in 2024 have not communicated with their families for many months, while 60 are now “missing” for well over one year. Having borrowed heavily to send their menfolk to Russia, their households are heavily indebted. Their wives no longer receive [...]
Night mail trains cancelled due to station masters’ strike
By Tharushi Weerasinghe All night mail train services scheduled for last night (17) were cancelled due to the ongoing strike by the Sri Lanka Railway Station Masters’ Union, the Railway Department announced yesterday. Eight night mail journeys, including the Colombo–Badulla, Batticaloa–Colombo, Trincomalee–Colombo, and Jaffna–Colombo routes, have been affected. The token strike, which began at midnight [...]
Indian High Commissioner pays respects to the Mahanayakes
By L. B. Senaratne The Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha paid respects to Most Venerable Tibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatte Chapter and Most Venerable Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Mahanayake Thera of the Asgiriya Chapter in Kandy during a recent visit to Kandy. He gifted a range of essential items [...]
HRCSL warns police against misusing law to stop commemorative events in NE
By Mimi Alphonsus The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has written to the Police Chief, cautioning against the misuse of the ICCPR (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights) Act to arrest people participating in events in the North and East to commemorate those who died in the 30-year civil war. Referring to [...]
Human rights guidelines to put the cap on custodial deaths in police
Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has issued 119 guidelines to the police on preventing custodial deaths. The guidelines include details on how police should conduct arrests, transfer and detain suspects, communicate with family, use force, conduct interrogations and keep records in such a way as to prevent custodial and encounter deaths. Recent months [...]
‘Clean Sri Lanka’ to expand public sanitary facilities
By Damith Wickremasekara The Government under “Clean Sri Lanka” is planning to expand the availability of public sanitary facilities with the participation of the private sector. Under the programme more than 2000 toilets would be made available to the public in main towns and other public places. Senior Additional Secretary to the President as well [...]
Keith Noyahr abduction and torture: 12 former armed forces personnel to be indicted
By Ranjith Padmasiri The Attorney General is to indict 12 former armed forces personnel in the Colombo High Court next week on charges of the abduction and torture of journalist Keith Noyahr. The indictments are being filed 17 years after Mr. Noyahr was abducted from near his home in Dehiwala and tortured in May, 2008. [...]
No foreign research vessels until Govt. finalises new SOP
Permission for foreign research vessels entering Sri Lanka’s territorial waters will be stalled till the Government finalises new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), for the purpose of which a committee headed by Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath has been set up. Mr. .Herath told the Sunday Times that while the inter-ministerial committee has begun sittings; it is [...]
London Buddhist Vihara launches centenary celebrations for next year with week-long Vesak commemorations
London Buddhist Vihara launched their centenary celebrations for next year (2026) with a week-long commemoration of Vesak last weekend attended by all the leading Buddhist monasteries in the United Kingdom, diplomats, past pupils associations and over 200 observing ‘sil’ on Vesak Day. Most Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala Thera, Head Monk of the London Buddhist Vihara welcomed [...]
Bus passengers awaken to a nightmare, families mourn the dead
Sri Lanka does not currently have an emergency preparedness plan for accidents in mountainous regions By Tharushi Weerasinghe in Kotmale Commuter Sajith Dissanayake boarded the night bus from Kataragama, settling into the seat just in front of the back door. Once a month, he takes leave from the hotel where he works — and [...]
Driver fatigue could impair reactions on the road
By Kasun Warakapitiya Driving under fatigue or stress, or after medication are some of the conditions that need to be avoided as it leads to slow reactions, experts say. A delay of seconds could make the difference between life and death, as fast decision making and quick reactions are needed to avoid situations which could [...]
UN’s Sri Lanka envoy reiterates support for safer- road initiatives
The UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka Marc-André Franche has called for urgent, collective action to make the country’s roads safer for all. In a statement posted on ‘X’ to mark the 8th UN Global Road Safety Week he said: “Every year, road traffic accidents claim the lives of nearly 1.2 million people globally [...]
Multiple inquiry lines to help unravel deadly crash
By Dilushi Wijesinghe The investigation into the crash of a Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) long-distance bus in Kotmale is ongoing, with multiple government entities involved in piecing together the circumstances of the incident. Minister of Transport and Highways Bimal Rathnayake said that the bus was fully insured and that a comprehensive inquiry is underway. [...]
Unsafe bathing spots claim a spate of holidaymakers over Vesak
By Jayanie Madawala Failure to follow advice of villagers and lifesavers as well as bathing in unknown locations have been the main causes for the increase in drowning cases in the Vesak season, police said. On Tuesday alone 10 cases of drowning were reported. In most the victims had bathed in unknown locations or in [...]
Govt. and opposition unite to support Palestine, condemn humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza
Political leaders across the divide came together on Thursday to call for an immediate end to what they called a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, along with a ceasefire and the lifting of the blockade, with the Prime Minister and the Opposition leader expressing Sri Lanka’s fullest support for the Palestinian freedom cause. They reaffirmed their [...]
Wonder of Vesak
While the State Vesak Festival was held at Nuwara Eliya this year, on a grand scale, Vesak festivities across the country attracted thousands of people. Colombo was lit up to mark the Vesak month while several pandals depicting the Jathaka tales were seen in the suburbs. There were also record numbers of dansal in major [...]
Multimillion rupee tab to fix leaking roof and wet floor of transport hub
By Ishu Bandara A leaking roof and wet floor caused by winds on rainy days are causing great difficulty to people using the Makumbara Multimodal Centre (MMC). The transport hub built to international standards with an investment of Rs. 2 billon from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Government of Sri Lanka opened for [...]
Epidemic due to vulnerable population and outbreak in India & region
J’pura University’s Institute of Allergology and Immunology has sequenced the Chikungunya virus By Kumudini Hettiarachchi Debilitating Chikungunya along with Dengue is ravaging certain areas of Sri Lanka, leaving people severely ill and reeling with prolonged disease. Caused by the CHIKV virus, the vector for both Chikungunya and Dengue are the tiny Aedes mosquito – [...]
Bank of Ceylon debenture draws Rs 15b plus; writes off Rs 2.9b loans in first quarter
By Kapila Bandara State-owned Bank of Ceylon announced Thursday that its Rs 10 billion 5-year debenture issue is oversubscribed with subscriptions surpassing Rs 15b. The issue closed Thursday, the day it opened. The official closing date was to be 3 June. The domestic systemically important bank (as in too big to fail), also announced this [...]
Puttalam’s coconut husk industry in peril as big-timers bypass domestic producers
By Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe The rise in coconut husk prices due to big companies buying them in bulk is threatening to put hundreds of home-based husk-chip producers out of business along with thousands of others who directly or indirectly benefitted from the trade in the Puttalam District. These small-time industrialists, many of whom have been [...]
Sabaragamuwa University suicide: 10 suspects further remanded
By Tharushi Weerasinghe Ten students arrested in connection with the ragging incident at the University of Sabaragamuwa which allegedly led to the suicide of a fellow student, have been further remanded until May 29. The suspects were produced before the Balangoda Magistrate’s Court on May 16. The deceased, Charith Dilshan, a 23-year-old second-year student from [...]
Vast majority has not filed election spend details
By Ishu Bandara Only about 250 out of 75,589 candidates have submitted their election expenditure reports to the Election Commission so far, even though the deadline May 27 is just nine days away, Election Commissioner General Saman Sri Ratnayake told the Sunday Times. The Campaign Finance Act, No. 3 of 2023, is legally in force [...]