Sri Lanka Rugby has secured the hosting rights for the Asia Rugby Under-19 Top 4 tournament, bringing the elite junior competition back to the island after a gap of 26 years, officials confirmed on Friday. Sri Lanka last hosted the tournament in 2000, when the home side finished third and qualified for the Junior Rugby World Cup in Chile the following year. The upcoming edition will mark a first for Kandy, which is set to host the Asia Rugby Under-19 Top 4 XV-a-side tournament for the first time. Widely regarded as Sri Lanka’s rugby capital, Kandy is known for its…
The Sri Lankan Report
A police officer was injured in an accidental shooting at the Ambalangoda Police Station Wednesday afternoon. According to Ada Derana, the constable, who was reporting for duty, was checking his firearm when it discharged, striking him in the leg, police said. He was taken to Balapitiya Base Hospital for treatment and was in stable condition. The incident is under investigation. (Newswire) The post Officer Shot in Leg at Police Station in Mistaken Discharge appeared first on Newswire.
Masashi ’Jumbo’ Ozaki, one of only two Japanese golfers to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, died at 78 after a battle with colon cancer, the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) said on Wednesday.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi broke multiple records en route his 190 off 84 balls as Bihar set a new team ‘world record’ for the highest total in a single List A match, with 574/6. India’s 14-year-old batting prodigy, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, smashed a stunning 190 off 84 balls as Bihar broke the ‘world record’ for the highest team total in a single List A match. Bihar, up against Arunachal Pradesh on Wednesday, went past Tamil Nadu’s total of 506/2, registered against Arunachal in 2022, to claim the No. 1 spot in the list with a ‘world record’ innings score of 574/6. While Suryavanshi…
A public health specialist on Wednesday urged the public to exercise caution when using water sources during the festive season, warning that recent disaster conditions have altered the safety of many natural water bodies across the country. Speaking at a media briefing organised by the Health Promotion Bureau, community medicine specialist Dr. Samitha Sirithunga said floods and other disaster-related impacts have changed water levels, depths and conditions in rivers, streams and bathing areas. Dr. Sirithunga said locations previously considered safe may now pose serious risks due to increased depth or unstable terrain, and advised the public to seek local guidance…
Sri Lanka Railways has announced special train services to accommodate increased passenger travel during the Christmas season, school holidays and the final weekend of the year. Accordingly, a special express train will operate from Maradana to Matara on Dec. 24, departing at 3:00 p.m. The return service is scheduled to leave Matara on Dec. 29 at 5:00 a.m., arriving at Colombo Fort at 8:30 a.m. In addition, the Colombo Fort–Kankesanthurai intercity train service will operate on Dec. 25 and Dec. 28, departing Colombo Fort at 5:45 a.m. and arriving in Kankesanthurai at 12:15 p.m. The return journey on the same…
Suzuki has warned owners of its new Suzuki Fronx to stop carrying passengers in the rear seats after a seatbelt failure was discovered during independent crash testing in Australia. The issue was identified by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), which said the rear seatbelt retractor failed during testing, causing the belt to release and leaving the crash-test dummy unrestrained. ANCAP Chief Executive Carla Hoorweg said adults and children should not travel in the back seats of the vehicle until the cause of the failure is determined and repairs are completed, calling the defect “rare and serious.” Suzuki has…
ECONOMYNEXT – Head of Sri Lanka’s Parliament Committee of Public Finance (CoPF) has raised serious concerns over delay in the appointment of an Auditor General and said such delay is undermining Parliament’s financial oversight. Opposition legislator and the chairman of CoPF Harsha De Silva in a letter to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the delay has serious implications. The island nation’s Office of the Auditor General has been functioning without a head since December 7 after the president stopped extending the appointment of Acting Auditor General. President Dissanayake’s recommendation for Auditor General has been rejected by the country’s Constitutional Council…
Hiru Media Network has rejected allegations made by the Sri Lanka Police Media Division, saying recent actions taken against the broadcaster pose a serious threat to media freedom and the public’s right to information. In a letter sent to the Police Media Division, Hiru TV said the conduct of the police media unit undermines democratic principles and restricts the public’s right to be informed, particularly when journalists report on matters of public interest. The response follows a letter sent by police to Hiru TV over its coverage of a cannabis plantation raid in Embilipitiya and an alleged assault on a…
India and China’s cooperation will strengthen the voice of the voiceless in the Global South: Sajith
India and China should cooperate to strengthen the voice of the voiceless in the Global South, Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa said today.
Former Sri Lanka head coach Mickey Arthur has rejected claims by Chief Selector Pramodya Wickramasinghe that he was reluctant to include opener Pathum Nissanka in the national squad during the 2021 tour of the Caribbean. Speaking to Telecom Asia Sport, Arthur said he was “very disappointed” by Wickramasinghe’s remarks, calling them inaccurate. “The right people know exactly how I felt about Pathum. There was never any doubt that he was our future,” Arthur said, flatly denying the selector’s assertion. Wickramasinghe, who was recently reappointed as chief selector, said earlier that he had to push for Nissanka’s inclusion, claiming the then…
Deputy Minister of Public Security Sunil Watagala, has filed a defamation lawsuit in the Kaduwela District Court against Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) activist Mahinda Pathirana, seeking compensation of Rs. 10 billion. The case alleges that false and defamatory statements made by Pathirana caused serious harm to Watagala’s reputation. According to the plaint, the Deputy Minister claims that the statements were made deliberately with the intention of discrediting him personally and damaging his political career. Watagala states that Pathirana published a Facebook post in September 2025 containing false and malicious claims alleging that the Deputy Minister owned a luxury apartment…
Colombo Fort Police arrested MP Ramanathan Archchuna today following a warrant issued by the Fort Magistrate’s Court.
Ragama Police recovered a T-56 assault rifle along with ammunition from an abandoned vehicle in the Pahalawatta area last night.
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s rupee closed flat at 309.65/75 to the US dollar in the spot market Wednesday, having depreciated in recent weeks, dealers said, while bond yields closed up. A bond maturing on 15.03.2028 closed at 9.10/18 percent. A bond maturing on 15.09.2029 closed at 9.70/80 percent. A bond maturing on 15.05.2031 closed at 9.95/10.10 percent. A bond maturing on 01.10.2032 closed at 10.30/40 percent. A bond maturing on 01.11.2033 closed at 10.54/60 percent, up from 10.44/58 percent. (Colombo/Dec24/2025)
The US State Department said it would deny visas to five people, including a former EU commissioner, for seeking to ’’coerce’’ American social media platforms into suppressing viewpoints they oppose.
A tourist family visiting Sri Lanka has spoken out about difficulties they faced while trying to extend their visa, calling the process “the most painful experience ever.”
ECONOMYNEXT – Tge Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) ended the session 0.15 percent higher led by selected banking stocks, data on its site showed. Ahead of the Christmas holiday, the broader All Share Price Index (ASPI) closed 32.05 points up at 21,959.05 while the S&P SL20 marginally rose 0.07 percent, or 4.17 points from Tuesday to close at 6,015.48. Investor interest in banks and retail shares were seen in the market. Senkadagala Finance (up 71.50 rupees at 1,201.50 rupees), Atiken Spence (up 4 rupees at 152 rupees), Sampath Bank (up 1 rupee at 142.75 rupees), Bukit Darah (up 23.50 at 1,046.25…
ECONOMYNEXT – Each year R M Jayatilleke, his son and group of other villagers haul several truck loads Christmas trees from Bandarawela, in the Badulla district to Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo. This year however hist district was among the worst hit by Cyclone Ditwah. “The road were cleared we had no problem coming to Colombo from Bandarawela,” he said. “But some other areas were badly hit.” Christmas trees which are erected in Christian and other homes and decorate during season are species of cypress growing in the Badulla and Nuwara Eliya districts. Jayatilleke buys the Christmas tree from farmers who…
Amid renewed concerns over the country’s lack of a WHO-accredited laboratory, Sri Lanka has begun upgrading its drug testing facilities to meet World Health Organization (WHO) accreditation standards.