The Supreme Court yesterday (18) granted leave to proceed with two Fundamental Rights petitions, including one filed by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), in relation to the tragic ragging and subsequent suicide of 23-year-old Charith Dilshan Dayananda, a second-year student of the Faculty of Technology at the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka.
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A delegation from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Cell of India’s Department of Revenue visited Sri Lanka from 12–14 November 2025 to conduct the second phase of capacity-building and training programmes for officials of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) and other regulatory agencies. The Indian team included experts from the Financial Intelligence Unit, the FATF Cell, the Reserve Bank of India, the Securities and Exchange Board of India, and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India. The programme focused on strengthening cooperation in financial sector supervision, regulatory coordination, and emerging challenges in the financial system. Officials…
National Organizer of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Namal Rajapaksa today rejected claims circulating about his academic qualifications, asserting that all “slanders and insults” will be addressed at the SLPP rally in Nugegoda on the 21st.
A special raid conducted by the Wildlife Department in Viharapalugama, Anuradhapura, led to the seizure of a large stock of wild animal meat, live tortoises and 14 tortoise eggs and the arrest of a prominent multi-millionaire custodian.
Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC is making history as the first bank in the country to collaborate with Google and Visa, a global leader in digital payments, to enable Google Pay for its card holders as part of the Google Wallet launch.
Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala condemned a false news report by a private newspaper and television channel concerning the process of obtaining police clearance reports. The report claimed that certification by a Grama Niladhari alone was insufficient and that an additional report from a “Public Committee” was required, the Minister said in Parliament. “This is a false statement. No such circular has been issued by the Police or the Ministry of Public Security. The cited source identified as Grama Niladhari officials, is vague,” the Minister said. Wijepala added that he intends to raise the matter before the Parliamentary Privileges Committee…
President Donald Trump praised soccer great Cristiano Ronaldo during a White House dinner to welcome the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman.
A teacher from a school in Moratuwa, who was arrested for sexually abusing a 14-year-old student, has been remanded. The Moratuwa Magistrate today (18) ordered that the teacher be remanded until December 1. However, the school principal, who was arrested for allegedly concealing the incident, was released on two sureties of Rs. 100,000 each. The teacher and the principal are aged 58 and 59, are residents of Baduraliya and Piliyandala. According to the Police, several more complaints have also been filed against the teacher. (Newswire) The post Sexual abuse of student : Moratuwa school teacher remanded appeared first on Newswire.
A wild elephant was reported on the Southern Expressway close to an exit point recently. Video footage shows the elephant walking towards oncoming vehicles, halting traffic. Several vehicles were seen slowing down and being forced to drive away cautiously. (Newswire) The post Watch : Wild elephant on Southern Expressway appeared first on Newswire.
Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP D.V. Chanaka has alleged that President Anura Kumara Dissananayake has sued the Police Department to gather crowds for the public rally organized in Tangalle on November 20. Addressing the Parliament today, MP Chanaka read excerpts from a letter allegedly sent to the Police divisional heads on gathering crowds for the event. “They have no way of gathering crowds, as the public is against the government. The DIG in charge of the area has issued a letter to every division head, including Galle and Matara, on how to gather the public,” he said. MP Chanaka…
Sri Lankan researchers have, for the first time, documented the presence of two rare free-tailed bat species Wroughton’s free-tailed bat (Otomops wroughtoni) and the East Asian free-tailed bat (Tadarida insignis) using advanced acoustic monitoring in tea plantations across the island.
Naadha Gama, one of Sri Lanka’s leading contemporary music brands, will stage its largest international performance yet when it brings the Naadha Gama Orchestral Edition to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne on Oct. 31, 2026. The concert is expected to draw more than 6,000 people, making it the first Sri Lankan production of this scale to be held at the iconic outdoor venue. Naadha Gama was founded by a group of young musicians and has grown over seven years into a prominent concert and festival brand known for its innovative staging and immersive audience experiences. The Melbourne show…
A committee headed by Deputy Speaker Rizvie Salih and comprising MPs Upali Pannilage and Ranjith Madduma Bandara has been appointed to look into the conduct of MP Dayasiri Jayasekera, Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne announced in Parliament today.
A 24-year-old New Zealand woman whose video on sexual harassment in Sri Lanka went viral has stressed that the incident does not reflect the safety of the country or its people, praising Sri Lankans and law enforcement for their swift response. The solo traveller said she received overwhelming support from locals during her stay and described Sri Lanka as “an amazing country to travel”, adding that she would continue to recommend it to other women travelling alone. She noted that one individual’s behaviour should not define an entire destination. “One incident does not define a country, and it doesn’t define…
Daryl Mitchell has become the first player from New Zealand since Glenn Turner in 1979 to top the ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings after his match-winning century against the West Indies in their series opener in Christchurch. The 34-year-old’s 118-ball knock of 119 that won him the Player of the Match award, has helped him overtake Ibrahim Zadran of Afghanistan and edge past Rohit Sharma of India by just one rating point. Rohit’s first reign at the top lasted only 22 days. While Turner was the last New Zealand player at the top of the ODI batting rankings 46 years…
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has called on President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to initiate legal action against media institutions involved in the drug trade, instead of making statements in Parliament. “No need to make statements here. Arrest them. Initiate legal action. If a media institution is involved in drug peddling, initiate legal action,” MP Premadasa said in Parliament today. He further said that the public is expecting answers and solutions, and not opposition-style politics. “When they are unable to respond after giving false hopes and promises to the public, it is pointless to put on a show in Parliament. Don’t waste…
A new investigation by The Examiner has raised fresh questions over SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa’s admission to Sri Lanka Law College in 2009, alleging irregularities in the recognition and completeness of his academic qualifications. According to the report, Law College admitted Rajapaksa on the same day he submitted his application, despite City University of London — where Rajapaksa claimed to have completed his LLB — not being recognised by Law College at the time. An RTI response cited in the story shows the university was added to the approved list only on 15 October 2009, nearly three weeks after his…
The Department of Meteorology has issued an advisory for severe lightning in the Uva, Southern, Sabaragamuwa, Western provinces and the Nuwara Eliya district. Per the advisory, effective until 11.30 pm today, red alerts have been issued to 11 districts and amber alerts to 06 districts. Warning that there may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers, the department requested the public to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by lightning activity. (Newswire) The post Lightning advisory : Red alert issued to 11 districts appeared first on Newswire.
Three-wheel rental companies have rejected claims made by Police Media Spokesperson ASP F. U. Wootler, who stated at a media briefing that it is “totally illegal” for foreigners to drive trishaws in Sri Lanka. In a video statement issued last week, ASP Wootler said: “We have witnessed tourists using trishaws, which is totally illegal. We have also taken legal action against the owners of these trishaws.” Industry representatives said the Police statement was inaccurate and contradicted long-standing laws governing foreign visitors driving vehicles in the country. They noted that Sri Lanka has been a contracting party to the 1949 Geneva…
Train services on the Upcountry line have been limited to operate only between Colombo Fort and Nanu Oya after a landslide caused the night mail train from Badulla to derail at both Ohiya and Idalgashinna Railway Stations last evening.