Dec 14 (DM) Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama yesterday imposed a compensation order of Rs. 50,000 and a fine of Rs. 5,000 on a young girl, after she pleaded guilty to digitally altering several photographs of a young woman from the Colombo area into obscene images and circulating them on the internet. Magistrate ordered the accused to pay a fine of Rs. 2,500 and compensation of Rs. 25,000 for each of the two separate charges, extracting the victim’s images from Facebook and more..

Dec 14 (TM) An inquiry had been initiated into the conduct of a Sapugaskanda Police officer for not administering a breathalyser test or producing the suspect – NPP MP Asoka Ranwala – before a Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) in accordance with standard protocol, Police Media Spokesperson ASP F.U. Wootler confirmed yesterday. He said disciplinary action would be taken against the officer concerned for failing to perform his duties properly. more..

Dec 14 (NW) 26 suspects, including four women, were arrested with narcotics after police raided a social media-organised party, Teldaniya Police said. The raid was carried out in the early hours of today (13) at a hotel near the Victoria Reservoir, within the Teldaniya Police area, where the party was being held. Police recovered 4,134 milligrams of ice (crystal meth), 1,875 milligrams of hashish, 2,769 milligrams of kush, 390 milligrams of cocaine, 804 milligrams of mushrooms, more..

Dec 14 (DM) The previous govt completed the concept paper for the establishment of an international climate change university in Sri Lanka, and a Cabinet paper was presented at that time to seek approval for land demarcation for the project, an official attached to the then Climate Change secretariat said. He said several rounds of discussions were held with foreign experts in the field. Minister of Environment Dammika Patabedi said he had no clear idea of the proposal, adding that more..

Dec 14 (AD) Ministry of Industry & Enterprise Development has reported that the Industry Disaster Support Center (IDSC) has received data on 13,698 businesses affected by the recent adverse weather conditions in SL. Ministry provided a breakdown of the affected businesses reported to the Disaster Support Centre: Micro-scale businesses: 5,639; Small-scale businesses: 4,636; Medium-scale businesses: 2,986; Large-scale businesses: 437. Ministry has introduced the telephone number more..

Dec 14 (DM) US Prez Donald Trump’s nominee for ambassador to SL has told lawmakers that Washington will focus on maritime security, economic reforms and countering China’s expanding influence in the Indian Ocean, as SL continues its recovery from the 2022 economic crisis and a deadly cyclone this year. Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, nominee Eric Meyer said SL’s strategic position along key global shipping routes makes it central to US efforts to promote more..

Dec 14 (TM) The Govt is urgently pursuing official information regarding the reported detention of crew members, including SL nationals, aboard a foreign-flagged oil tanker seized by Iranian authorities in the Gulf of Oman, according to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Arun Hemachandra. “Our embassies in Tehran and Muscat have reached out to the respective authorities seeking official information. We are awaiting further feedback, and appropriate steps will be taken in accordance with more..

Dec 14 (AD) Treasury Secretary, Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, says that the Treasury has so far disbursed more than Rs. 13 billion to provide relief to the people affected by the disaster situation. “Our objective is to further strengthen the mechanism to share this information as early as possible as to what are the amount of funding that we are receiving,” he said. He detailed that all the financial aid received by the country at this moment is collected to the Treasury and through the Treasury more..

Dec 14 (NW) Minister Bimal Rathnayake on Saturday inspected the Yaka Palama bridge in Peradeniya, Kandy District, which was damaged due to the recent extreme weather conditions caused by Cyclone Ditwah. During the visit, the minister stressed the need for an urgent damage assessment of the bridge, noting that debris and waste accumulated around the structure must be removed promptly to facilitate a proper technical evaluation. Rathnayake held discussions with more..

Dec 14 (Island) Star shuttlers Viren Nettasinghe and Ranithma Liyanage will be in action among over 1500 competitors lined up for the 73rd National Badminton Championship 2025 set to take place from Dec 17th to 23rd at the S. Thomas’ College Indoor Sports Complex in Mount Lavinia. Organised and conducted by Sri Lanka Badminton (SLB), the country’s main domestic badminton event will take place at Mount Lavinia for seven consecutive days, with an expected high participation of top ranked and more..

Dec 14 (ST) Chandika Hathurusinghe has filed fresh legal action against SLC in the Swiss based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over the termination of his contract as Head Coach of the men’s national team in 2019. The latest move revives a long running dispute that began when the Board removed him citing disciplinary concerns and poor on field results. After he was shown the door, Hathurusinghe invoked the arbitration clause in his contract more..

Dec 14 (ST) Minagi Rupesinghe of Killer Whale Aquatics (KWA) shattered the 11-year-old Women’s 100m Backstroke Senior National record on Day 3 of the 5-day HNB National and Junior National Short Course Swimming Championship, held at the Isipathana College Swimming Pool Complex in Colombo yesterday. 20-year-old Rupesinghe clocked 1:03.17 to claim the gold, erasing the previous mark of 1:03.28 set by Olympian Kimiko Raheem in 2014. This is Rupesinghe’s second individual national record in the meet, more..

Dec 14 (TM) Indian Cultural Association (ICA) recently unveiled the official race route for the Janashakthi Life-ICA Int'l Half-Marathon 2025, scheduled to be held today in Colombo. Endorsed by the Indian High Commission and SL’s Ministry of Sports, along with other statutory bodies, the event will commence at the Galle Face Green, bringing together athletes and communities in a celebration of endurance, unity, and philanthropy. Following the overwhelming success of its inaugural edition, more..

Dec 14 (ST) SL Under-19s opened their Asia Cup campaign in emphatic fashion with a commanding 8-wicket victory over Nepal Under-19s in their Group B encounter in Dubai on Saturday. After opting to field first, SL’s bowlers set the tone early and never allowed Nepal to settle. The standout performance came from paceman Sethmika Seneviratne, who delivered a superb spell to dismantle the Nepal batting line up, finishing with a five wicket haul (5/25) that effectively decided the contest more..

Dec 14 (ST) Former SL Chairman of cricket Selectors Pramodya Wickremasinghe is likely to return to the post, with the Minister of Sports set to appoint a new five-member national selection committee in the coming days. Wickremasinghe, who first assumed office in April 2021, was removed in the aftermath of SL’s disappointing campaign at the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. However, with SL entering another crucial phase in international cricket, his name has once again emerged as more..

Dec 14 (CT) Stories of unexplained disappearances at the Dehiwala National Zoo have been doing the rounds for a while now. The latest concerned a young yellow anaconda that had vanished from the reptile enclosure. It was said to be the only one of its kind in Sri Lanka. The matter came to light after the zoo administration lodged a complaint with the Dehiwala Police. The yellow anaconda was not a long-term resident of the zoo. It was a court exhibit. more..

Dec 14 (Island) Cyclone Ditwah has come and gone, leaving a trail of extensive damage to the country’s infrastructure, including buildings, roads, bridges, and 70% of the railway network. Thousands of hectares of farming land have been destroyed. Last but not least, nearly 1,000 people have lost their lives, and more than two million people have been displaced. The visuals uploaded to social media platforms graphically convey the widespread destruction Cyclone Ditwah has caused in our country. more..

Dec 14 (Island) The govt has announced a sweeping compensation package for the Ditwah disaster victims, and the disbursement of money for cleaning the flood-affected houses, is already underway. It is spending funds that belong to the people and not the JVP or the NPP. It must therefore not only disburse state funds responsibly but also be seen to be doing so. Transparency is the most potent antidote to all forms of financial malpractice. Worryingly, complaints abound that govt politicians more..

Dec 14 (CT) The latest international analysis on the November storms should shake Sri Lankan authorities to their core. The findings are not simply another reminder of the climate crisis. They are a direct warning that the island’s outdated monitoring systems, slow disaster preparedness and preventable human errors are placing lives at unacceptable risk. Sri Lanka cannot afford to wait for another Cyclone Ditwah to prove once again how vulnerable the country has become. more..

Dec 14 (ST) My dear Anura sahodaraya, I am writing to you as you criss-cross the country, visiting landslide affected areas, meeting with officials, asking them questions, and urging them to come up with urgent solutions. Much has been said about what happened – and the response afterwards. That is what I wanted to write to you about. As you must surely be aware, there is a big debate about whether the damage from this disaster, the worst ever the country has faced in terms of extent and property destruction, more..

Dec 14 (ST) Not many in Jaffna are aware that there used to be a bird sanctuary along with a park in the heart of the city until someone went to court and tried to secure an order against the proposed construction of an indoor stadium by removing decades-old, if not centuries-old, trees at the site. A Jaffna-based environmentalist said one of the trees is believed to be around 100-120 years old. Last Friday, Jaffna Magistrate issued an interim order against the govt’s initiative more..

Dec 14 (ST) In what seems a quirk of fate, the Govt’s Sri Lanka Day planned for this weekend and intended to celebrate national reconciliation did indeed turn out to be a time when the nation stood together—but for a different reason; the entire country is still counting the dead, searching for the missing, and mopping up the debris from Cyclone Ditwah. Up next is a massive exercise in relocation of people, reconstruction of destroyed property and infrastructure, and more..

Dec 14 (TM) Cyclone Ditwah effectively tested Sri Lanka’s governing capacity in an age of climate risk – a test the State appears to have miserably failed. What unfolded in late November was not simply the fury of nature overwhelming human systems, but also the exposure of institutional paralysis, delayed decision-making, and a troubling attempt to displace responsibility after the fact. In the days following the disaster, the Government found itself facing mounting criticism. more..

Dec 14 (TM) Two weeks since Cyclone Ditwah wreaked havoc in many parts of the country, those affected in many ways are trying to pick up the pieces while Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) is driving the Govt’s push for foreign assistance to rebuild SK stronger and better. It is not an easy task to carry out a rebuilding programme amidst an economic recovery programme and it is yet more challenging for Prez AKD, who must also cover up for the shortcomings of members of his JVP-led NPP Govt. more..

Dec 14 (CT) Before writing this, I came across a viral TikTok video allegedly exposing a member of the present government attempting to influence the police regarding an investigation into unauthorized tree felling. Shortly after, news emerged that former Speaker and MP Asoka Ranwala, involved in a Sapugaskanda accident last night, was requested to undergo alcohol testing. What does this signal for the NPP Govt? Simply put: a deterioration of credibility. more..

Dec 14 (SO) On Nov 27-28, Cyclonic Storm Ditwah struck SL with strong winds and very heavy rainfall, causing the worst flooding and landslides since the early 2000s. Ditwah became the deadliest weather-related disaster since the 2004 tsunami. Indonesia, Malaysia & Southern Thailand were experiencing persistent heavy rainfall, intensified by Cyclonic Storm Senyar that made landfall on Indonesia and Malaysia on Nov 26 and 27. Some other parts of Asia were hit by Cyclone Koto around the same time. more..

Dec 13 (FT) PM Harini Amarasuriya said Govt was committed to rolling out a slew of reforms to help the export sector bridge the competitiveness gap between local producers and global markets. She reiterated that Govt is taking steps to strengthen local exporters by making trade facilitation, Customs procedures, and investment approvals more efficient, and by improving export services. PM made these remarks more..

Dec 13 (CT) Deputy Solicitor General (DSG) Janaka Bandara, on Friday, informed Colombo HC Judge Muhammed Mihal that the prosecution is prepared to prove the charges filed by CIABOC against former Finance Minister and MP Ravi Karunanayake and Perpetual Treasuries Director Arjun Joseph Aloysius beyond a reasonable doubt. Opening the prosecution’s submissions at the commencement of the trial, DSG said the first accused, Karunanayake, had resided with his wife and daughters more..

Dec 13 (DM) People in landslide prone areas have been reluctant to move out as they have been given only Rs. 400,000 as compensation to build a house and another Rs. one million to purchase a land. Claiming that people in landslide prone areas have been reluctant to move out as the compensation was not sufficient, Environment Minister Dhammika Patabedi said the govt was expecting that the people will now move out as a sufficient compensation package was proposed by the govt. more..

Dec 13 (FT) Sri Lanka yesterday marked a major step toward modernising its disaster management capabilities with the launch of the GeoAI for Disaster Resilience initiative at the Taj Samudra Hotel, Colombo. The program brings together Artificial Intelligence and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to strengthen early warning systems, improve emergency response and enhance long-term planning. more..

Dec 13 (NF) The Attorney General informed the Supreme Court that the Cabinet has decided to allow women to be recruited for all positions in the Sri Lanka Railway Service. This announcement was made by the Senior State counsel, appearing on behalf of the Attorney General, during the hearing of a fundamental rights petition filed by two women challenging a Gazette notification that previously restricted women from applying for Station Master positions. more..

Dec 13 (FT) Int'l Finance Corporation (IFC) says SL must reposition itself globally as a sustainable, export-driven, and outward-looking investment destination, while fixing long-standing issues around policy predictability and the business environment to unlock its full potential. Speaking at the SL Economic Summit, IFC’s South Asia Regional Director Imad Fakhoury outlined why the institution continues to maintain a strong and diversified presence in the country despite recent economic shocks. more..