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Home » NewsLanka’s coast hit by Kochi ship disaster
Two months after a cargo ship sank off the coast of Kochi, Kerala (see inset), its impact is being felt along Sri Lanka’s western coastline. The vessel’s spilt plastic pellets and nurdles were first seen floating off Sri Lanka’s northern coast and have now reached the shores of Dehiwala and Wellawatta. Yet local authorities have [...]
Mega projects: Local firms told to find foreign loans
No more loans from state banks; China’s MCC returns to complete Central Expressway Kadawatha-Mirigama stretch By Damith Wickremasekara President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has informed his Cabinet that in considering mega development projects such as expressways, local parties expecting to bid for them would have to bring funding or loans from overseas, instead of obtaining loans from [...]
AG sets up committee to study X-Press Pearl ruling
By Ranjith Padmasiri Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe has appointed a committee comprising two senior officers to study the Supreme Court’s X-Press Pearl disaster judgment that has set out follow-up action for his department to take. The committee will take note of the 361-page judgment, where it had also determined that the then-Attorney General had violated [...]
Bouncing cheques will land you in jail
A person who issues a cheque without sufficient funds in the bank would be liable to a fine and a jail term not exceeding two years under a proposed amendment to be passed in Parliament shortly. The provisions to impose a fine and a jail term will be applicable if the cheque has been presented [...]
Lanka posts 4.8% Q1 growth, but IMF warns of downside risks
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has stated that Sri Lanka’s growth rate has been at 4.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2025, “outperforming expectations,” and with inflation at -1.1 per cent it is “gradually returning to target.” The IMF has said that the country’s reserves stood at six billion US dollars at the [...]
Two police sergeants and two civilians remanded for killing pregnant deer
Text and pic by Kanchana Kumara Ariyadasa Two Police Sergeants and two civilians involved in slaughtering a pregnant deer in Galkiriyagama were remanded until August 1, after they were produced before Dambulla Magistrate Court yesterday. Acting Magistrate Dulanjali Sithumini ordered the police to remand the suspects. However, police said that as one suspect was unwell, [...]
Chemmani grave site: 90 skeletons discovered so far as excavation picks up to beat the monsoon
By S. Rubatheesan The total number of skeletons identified at the Chemmani mass grave site has now reached 90, with 25 more discovered this week, as excavation activities pick up pace ahead of the upcoming monsoon season On Friday, at least two fresh full skeleton sets were identified by the team led by Prof Raj [...]
SC Justice Samayawardhena appointed as JSC member
By Ranjith Padmasiri Supreme Court Justice Mahinda Samayawardhena has been appointed as a member of the Judicial Service Commission. The appointment was made by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake with the approval of the Constitutional Council. Justice Samayawardhena has served on the Bench for 37 years so far after joining the judiciary in 1988. He rose [...]
Court orders Fraud Bureau to record statements from minister, deputy minister
By Ranjith Padmasiri Mount Lavinia Magistrate A.D. Chathurika De Silva has ordered the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau (CFIB) to obtain statements from Deputy Minister Mahinda Jayasinghe and Kaduwela Mayor Ranjan Jayalal over an incident where the pair are alleged to have obtained a Dehiwala property belonging to trade union National Workers’ Institute on lease basis, [...]
Landmark ‘twin’ congress in August in Colombo
The value of research in ‘resource poor settings’ in low- and middle-income countries and how mutually beneficial and respectful partnerships can add to international collaborative research, will be the highlights of a landmark joint congress to be hosted in Sri Lanka next month. This event – the 20th Congress of the International Society of Twin [...]
49th Chief Justice of Sri Lanka takes oath today
By Ranjith Padmasiri Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, the most senior judge of the Supreme Court (SC), will take oaths today as the 49th Chief Justice of Sri Lanka before President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. A ceremonial sitting to mark the occasion will be held on Thursday (July 31) morning at the SC. Justice Surasena obtained a [...]
An end to a tenure of ‘strength and courage’ as Chief Justice Murdhu Fernando retires
By Ranjith Padmasiri The outgoing Chief Justice Murdhu Fernando on Friday said that through major decisions, the court has significantly strengthened our democratic underpinnings and adherence to the rule of law. Speaking at the ceremonial sitting conducted to bid farewell to the Chief Justice she said “I re-iterate that this Court is responsible for protecting [...]
6,700 diagnosed with cancer in first six months
By Minaza Hassan A total of 6,700 new cancer patients have been registered at Apeksha Hospital in Maharagama during the first half of 2025, contributing to an estimated 60,000 total admissions including follow-ups and readmissions. However, there has been no significant increase in new cancer cases compared to the same period last year, said Deputy [...]
200 million Rupees worth of Tramadol destroyed
By Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe The largest haul of narcotics detected by the Sri Lanka Customs and the Police Narcotics Bureau- 200-million-Rupees-worth of illegally smuggled Tramadol pills- was destroyed at the high intensity furnace at the Cement Factory in Palaviya, Puttalam, early this week. The haul of drugs was incinerated before Colombo Additional Magistrate Kasun Kanchana [...]
Lanka’s worst-ever marine pollution: X-Press Pearl ordered to pay US$ 1bn in initial compensation
SC slams state minister and top official responsible for marine environment for dereliction of duty SC holds Harbour Master and Port Authority acted according to law and industry practices The Supreme Court this week held the Singapore-registered MV X-Press Pearl Group—owner, operator and local agent—jointly and severally responsible for the maritime disaster of May-June 2021 [...]
SC majority decision nullifies 2022 state of emergency, but dissenting judge strongly defends its validity
CJ Fernando and Justice Kodagoda say normal laws such as CCPA and Police Ordinance were sufficient to bring the situation under control Justice Obeysekera, however, insists then President Wickremesinghe’s decision was “not unreasonable or irrational” A majority decision of the Supreme Court this week determined that the State of Emergency invoked by then Acting President [...]
New organisation to take up cause of retired war heroes and families of fallen personnel
By Dilushi Wijesinghe A newly formed organis-ation,‘Dividena Ranaviru Padanama’ (DRP), was launched on Wednesday, to bring together retired war heroes and the families of fallen service personnel under one banner. Calling on retired personnel from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Police and Civil Defence Force, and families of fallen personnel also to join them, the [...]
More resources provided to deal with uptick in elephant deaths, but questions remain
By Kasun Warakapitiya President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s intervention in resolving the human-elephant conflict has been commended, but experts, conservationists and environmentalists question the mechanisms being adopted. The President on Thursday evening held a meeting with officials and the Minister of Environment Dammika Patabendi at the Presidential Secretariat. Civil Defence Force officers, police and officials of [...]
SLMA pledges suitable and sustainable programmes for all
Dr. Surantha Perera assures to strive for accessiblehealthcare, resilient systems and empowerment of individuals at every stage of life By Kumudini Hettiarachchi Suitable and sustainable programmes for people to thrive from infancy to old age in Sri Lanka as health is a fundamental right, is the strong pledge of the oldest academic medical association in [...]