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Home » NewsHear no evil: World marks Yoga Day
As India leads international events marking World Yoga Day as part of its soft-power diplomacy, its High Commission in Colombo held a yoga session—like in previous years—at Independence Square. Among those invited were government politicians, sports personalities, and several celebrities. Here, Labour Minister and Deputy Finance Minister Anil Jayanatha is seen in a meditative yoga [...]
Largest IPO ever: Govt. bid to control LTL thru’ CPC worries investors
The largest initial public offering in the history of Sri Lanka’s stock exchange—the LTL Holdings IPO—is likely to be scuppered after private investors were spooked by government plans to retain control of the company by getting the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) to dump Rs. 8bn on 597,267,000 shares. “Private investors, institutional as well as high-net-worth [...]
UNHRC chief given unrestricted access to Chemmani mass gravesite
By Damith Wickremesekera The Government will facilitate a visit to the Chemmani mass gravesite in Jaffna for United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Türk, who will arrive in the country tomorrow on a four-day tour. The gravesite, which is under excavation, has drawn international attention, as it is believed to contain the remains of [...]
Court calls for statements from Minister Jayasinghe and Mayor Jayalal for ruling on Samarasinghe
By Ranjith Padmasiri Mount Lavinia Magistrate A.D. Chathurika De Silva has ordered the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau (FIB) to record statements from Deputy Labour Minister Mahinda Jayasinghe and newly elected Kaduwela Mayor Ranjan Jayalal over a fraud case. The case referred to allegations where a building belonging to the trade union National Workers’ Institute had [...]
AG seeks CID probe into social media smear campaign against his staff
By Ranjith Padmasiri The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has opened a probe following a complaint by Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe that his staff have been unduly targeted by false allegations on social media. The AG’s instruction to the CID came after several of his staff complained to him over the allegation on social media. Particularly [...]
Iran-Israel war: Govt. ready with plan to evacuate Lankans
By Damith Wickremasekara The Government has put in place an emergency evacuation plan for Sri Lankans resident in Israel if the need arises to evacuate them, Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath told the Sunday Times. Several SriLankan Airlines flights have been put on standby for any such eventuality, he said. Under the plans, Sri Lankans [...]
Immunoglobulin scandal: German lab backs MRI findings
By Namini Wijedasa Germany’s largest official medicines control laboratory, InphA GmbH, has confirmed what the Medical Research Institute (MRI) in Sri Lanka found in late 2023: there was barely any human immunoglobulin in the stock purchased by the Health Ministry that year and that it contained bacteria. The foreign lab analysed six sample solutions from [...]
Lanka to receive Japan’s defence aid
Sri Lanka is among eight countries expected to receive defence aid from Japan under its Official Security Assistance (OSA) programme in fiscal year 2025, media reports from Japan said. The aid, aimed at enhancing maritime surveillance and disaster response capabilities, is expected to include Japanese-made drones. Other nations listed as potential beneficiaries include Thailand, Tonga, [...]
UN research vessel’s visit cancelled; Lanka loses US$ 1mn in FAO assistance
The Foreign Affairs Ministry has not responded to a request by the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s office to consider allowing the deployment of a research vessel into Sri Lanka’s waters under the UN flag, thus leading to the cancellation of the visit. On June 12, the UN Resident Coordinator’s office wrote to the Foreign Affairs [...]
Right to Information in crisis: SLPI and media groups urge President to address critical issues
The Sri Lanka Press Institute and its constituents and affiliated organisations have sent an urgent letter to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, calling for immediate action to address critical issues impacting the institutional integrity of the Right to Information (RTI) Commission. The signatories include the SLPI’s constituents—the Newspaper Society of Sri Lanka, the Editors’ Guild of [...]
Three dead and 31 injured as bus goes down precipice
Three people were killed and 31 injured when a bus carrying pilgrims went down a precipice after crashing into an electric pole along the Badulla–Mahiyanganaya main road near Thibirigaspitiya yesterday, police said. The victims, residents of Pahalagama area in Thambuttegama, Anuradhapura, were returning home after a pilgrimage to the Mahamewuna Asapuwa in Ella Kumbalwela and [...]
Gross abuse of power of his office: Deshabandu to testify tomorrow
By Ranjith Padmasiri Suspended Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon is to testify before the committee appointed to inquire into allegations of misconduct and gross abuse of power of his office tomorrow. Sixteen witnesses including former as well as serving police officers have been listed to give evidence. Mr Tennakoon’s lawyer S.Weerawickrema had sought [...]
Lanka Jayaratne appointed Colombo High Court Judge
Former Ratnapura High Court Judge Lanka Jayaratne has been appointed as a Judge of the Colombo High Court. She entered service as a judge in 2004 and has served as the magistrate in Kurunegala, Kuliyapitiya, Fort, Kaduwela, Wattala, Maligakanda, and as the chief magistrate of Colombo for some time. She was promoted as a High [...]
Senior Additional Solicitor General sworn in as new President of Appeal Court
Senior Additional Solicitor General Nalin Rohantha Abeysuriya, President’s Counsel was sworn in on Thursday (19) as the new President of the Court of Appeal before President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat. (see pic below). Justice Abeysuriya joined the Attorney General’s Department in 1993 and was also in charge of the Criminal division . [...]
NPP consolidates power through councils dominance
By Ishu Bandara The National People’s Power (NPP) has taken control of 192 local government Councils across the country as of 4 p.m. on. Friday, June 20. The party secured direct majorities in 151 councils, while forming administrations in 40 others through coalitions or post-election agreements. Additionally, the Kalpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha was brought under NPP [...]
Tailoring treatment for each cancer patient with a ‘code’
Major achievement by Medical Physicist Dr. Yuni Dewaraja of Sri Lankan origin By Kumudini Hettiarachchi Tomorrow (June 23), Medical Physicist Dr. Yuni Dewaraja, who was born in Sri Lanka, lived and worked here till 1986, stands before her peers in America to deliver the prestigious 2025 Hal Anger Lectureship titled ‘Molecular Vision, Targeted Precision’ at [...]
Election Commission to present third strategic plan
By Ishu Bandara The Election Commission of Sri Lanka is preparing a third consecutive strategic plan. The first such plan was submitted for 2017-2020, followed by a second for 2022-2025. Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake said, as with previous plans, they expect to gather suggestions from political parties, election observer groups, retired and [...]
Recovering a mined patch of land to breathe free once more
By Tharushi Weerasinghe reporting from Muhamalai, Kilinochchi In Muhamalai, once one of the world’s densest minefields, decades of clearance are allowing people, once displaced by the war, to finally come back home. Last week, the HALO Trust, a key demining agency in Sri Lanka, celebrated the complete clearance of northern Muhamalai from landmines. During the [...]
Driver fatigue cause of bus accident: SLTB violates Motor Traffic Act
By Rukman Ratnayake in Tissamaharama Kelum Chandana, (41) , the driver of the ill-fated bus that went off the road at Gerandi Ella, Kotmale, in which 23 people including the driver were killed and many others injured, had joined the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) as a driver in 2009 and had a good safety [...]
Human-elephant conflict: President calls for swift action with public support
President Anura Kumara Disanayake instructed officials to swiftly implement a formal mechanism to resolve the human-elephant conflict, which significantly impacts both the rural economy and people’s lives. The presidential instructions were issued on Friday during a discussion held at the President’s Office with the aim of finding a solution to the human-elephant conflict. During the [...]
Economically driven, drug-related crimes dominate crime statistics
By Minaza Hassan The majority of grave crimes committed in Sri Lanka are economically driven or drug-related, according to 2025 statistics. About 10,000 incidents of crime committed during the first six months of the year are economically motivated, and over 3000 offences came under the Poisons, Opium & Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, the statistics show. They [...]
Forgotten birth home of the pioneer of the Buddhist revivalist movement
By L.B.Senaratne As the 327th birth anniversary of Weliwita Asarana Sarana Sri Saranankara Sangharaja Thera, considered the pioneer of the Buddhist revivalist movement in Sri Lanka, was marked on June 19 there are renewed calls to restore his birth home that is in a derelict state. The venerable thera was born in a remote area [...]
Two more trails to open up scenic sights on World’s End trek
By Lasantha Niroshana Perera Two more trails are being considered to trek to the misty World’s End where the enchanting Horton Plains plateau ends with a nearly 900-metre drop. These trails would open up more stunning natural sights to visitors. The Imbulpe Divisional Secretariat last week discussed one route via the Nonpareil Estate, a well-known [...]
Cabinet nod for bills to scrap special benefits of ex-presidents and ex-MPs’ pensions
But Justice Minister’s clarification leaves several unanswered questions over deletions pointed out by the Sunday Times story last week By Namini Wijedasa The Cabinet this week approved a proposal to instruct the Legal Draftsman to produce two bills—one to remove (“repeal”) the special benefits of former presidents and their families and the other to [...]
Three new CA justices highlight need to serve litigants, address law’s delays
By Ranjith Padmasiri The ceremonial sittings to welcome three new judges to the Court of Appeal were held last week. They were Justice Dr. Sumudu Premachandra, Justice K. Priyatha Fernando and Justice Annalingam Premashanker. The three new judges, Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe and Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) President Rajeeva Amarasuriya, addressed the event. [...]
Every urban dweller adds 28 kilos to Sri Lanka’s plastic waste pile every year
By Malaka Rodrigo Following World Environment Day on June 5, with its focus on “Putting an End to Plastic Pollution,” World Ocean’s Day recently highlighted the need to address plastic contamination, particularly its impact on marine environments. At the official Ocean’s Day Ceremony in Port City, Emeritus Professor of Ecology, Prof. Sarath Kotagama, underscored the [...]
MEPA steps up cleaning operations of washed up nurdles in northern coastal areas
By S. Rubatheesan With high deposits of nurdles, a source material for plastic production, being washed onto the northern coastal region following a container ship sinking in the Indian Ocean, local authorities stepped up beach cleaning activities to remove them this week. “As of now we are clearing the beaches in the northern coastal areas, [...]
Day case surgeries begun at Matale Hospital
Novel initiative to ease burden on patients In a major move to ease the burden, both inconvenience and financial, on patients and their families, the Matale District General Hospital (DGH) has launched the ‘Day Case Surgery Programme’ this month. Selected patients will enter hospital on a particular day, undergo their surgical procedures and return home [...]
Man arrested for allegedly printing counterfeit currency
By Shane Seneviratne A suspect has been arrested at Hatharaliyadda in the Kandy District for allegedly printing counterfeit currency, police said. The arrest came after a hotel cashier grew suspicious of a Rs. 5,000 note he received from the suspect and alerted the police. Police located the suspect in Hatharaliyadda town and found two forged [...]
School yard hazards threaten lives during downpours
By Jayanie Madawala Following the death of a student and injuries to others at Rajawaka Maha Vidyalaya in Balangoda when a tree branch fell during the monsoon rains, the Ceylon Teachers’ Union is asking the government to monitor trees and school buildings. Speaking to the Sunday Times, CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin said the safety [...]
Three injured,traffic blocked by tree collapse
By Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe Three individuals were injured when a large tree collapsed onto two parked three-wheelers along the Chilaw-Colombo main road near St Jude’s Shrine, Deduru Oya, on Friday (20) afternoon, causing a vehicle congestion in both directions for nearly two hours, the Chilaw Police said. The tree, estimated to be over 50 years [...]