Illicit gem miners arrested in Maha Eliya reserve

A group of illicit gem miners in Maha Eliya Forest Reserve in Bogawantalawa was arrested and their tools and equipment seized by Meepilimana STF in Nuwara Eliya last morning.

Pathfinder Foundation Hosts Dialogue on “Great Power Competition in the Indo-Pacific”

Pathfinder Foundation hosted its fifth Dialogue with Diplomats, focused on “The Great Power Competition in the Indo-Pacific and its impact on Small States in South Asia, with a special reference to Sri Lanka” held at Cinnamon Grand Colombo recently. The Dialogue provided a platform for Colombo-based diplomats and subject experts to explore the complex geopolitical dynamics of the Indo-Pacific region and their implications for small states such as

Sri Padastana faces environmental threats from off-season visitors

Off-season visitors often entered the forest away from the pilgrims’ route and collected plants to be taken away

Ministers to be monitored - new mechanism in the offing

For the first time in Sri Lanka, the government is to establish a mechanism to supervise and advice ministries in the implementation of policies, a source said.

Govt. to initiate drive for stolen asset recovery

The government is to initiate action for the establishment of a mechanism for stolen asset recovery in keeping with the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative (StAR Initiative) and fresh measures for probing into corruption and frauds as promised in the election manifesto, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala said yesterday.

Bitterness brews over morality in Ravi K’s nomination on National List

The nomination of Mr. Ravi Karunanayake as an MP on the National List came under fire from the leaders of political parties that contested the General Election under the gas cylinder symbol.

No more state ministers, 26-28 deputy ministers to be appointed soon

In a departure from the practice of the previous rules, the new government has decided to scrap the concept of state ministers but will proceed with the appointment of 26-28 deputy ministers instead within a day or two, a minister said yesterday.

Twenty four member cabinet to be sworn in today

The board of Cabinet ministers and their deputies of the new government is slated to be representative of women MPs and all three main ethnicities, a source said.

A clean sweep for NPP

In what appeared to be an election outcome with numerous firsts, the ruling National People’s Power (NPP) swept the polls securing more than two-thirds majority, an achievement considered impossible under the current electoral system of proportional representation so far.

Lowest voter turnout for General Election in 14 years: Lack of strong campaign by the opposition leads to low turnout

The voter turnout at yesterday’s General Election, estimated at only 60-65 percent, marked the lowest in 15 years according to the Commission of Elections and observers, attributed to multiple factors leading to voter apathy, both political and apolitical.

Who are our lawmakers for next five years?

Sri Lankans will vote for the election of MPs to the country’s tenth Parliament today, the first to be constituted after President Anura Kumara Dissanayake took office. The last parliamentary election was conducted in August, 2020 when the country was hit by the pandemic.

Large number of candidates costs state coffers dearly

The presence of a large number of candidates has cost the election authorities dearly in terms of additional expenses for extra counting centres, documentation work, and ballot paper printing, an official said yesterday.

Sri Lanka requests U.S. to remove security alert on Arugam Bay

The Foreign Affairs Ministry has requested the U.S. Embassy to remove the security alert issued earlier asking its nationals to avoid the Arugam Bay area until further notice, a spokesperson said yesterday.

NPP READY FOR NATIONAL UNITY GOVT. WITH MPs REPRESENTING TAMIL, MUSLIM COMMUNITIES

The National People’s Power (NPP) is confident of winning a majority seats in Thursday’s Parliamentary Election but will look at forming a national unity government with Parliamentarians representing the Tamil and Muslim communities, in order to achieve national unity, Minister Vijitha Herath told Daily Mirror last evening.

Will inter-monsoon rain hamper voting? EC, DMC brace for any disaster on polling day

With heavy inter-monsoonal rain beating the country, the election authorities have decided to work out extra plans along with the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) to conduct polling of the General Election next Wednesday without any impact from a possible disaster situation, an official said.

Rotary Pink Pledge Affair Month-long Breast Cancer awareness campaign launched

Hilton Colombo hosted Rotary Pink Pledge Affair on October 29 —the culminating event of Rotary District 3220’s month-long Rotary Pink Pledge campaign – Rotary’s fight against breast cancer, led by the Women in Rotary initiative. This evening brought together over 150 participants, including Rotary members and supporters, all united in a shared mission to champion breast cancer awareness, resilience, and empowerment.

NMRA clarifies misinformation on pharmacy licence rejections

In response to recent reports suggesting a potential wave of pharmacy closures across Sri Lanka due to alleged rejections of licence renewal applications, the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) clarified that these reports are inaccurate.

Indian High Commissioner distributes aid, reviews Housing Project in Uva Province

High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha recently visited one of the sites of the Indian Housing Project (IHP) Phase - III at Narangala Division in Uva Province in a bid to extend multi-sectorial assistance.

Investigations reveal defective brakes caused fatal bus crash in Badulla

Witnesses report the driver warned of brake failure moments before the crash

India- Russia joint venture bid to manage China-built Mattala airport goes awry

The move initiated by the previous government to hand over the management of the Mattala International Airport to an India-Russia joint venture is poised to be abandoned since Sri Lankan authorities are not ready to grant the licence for it over legal barriers, a top source said.

Govt. goes strict on Galle Face

The government has decided to be strict on the reservation of Galle Face Green not only for religious activities but also for all festivals, musical shows, and celebrations subject to the appropriate criteria.

SL rated ‘medium risk’ for money laundering, terrorist financing

With Sri Lanka being identified as a country with medium risk for money laundering and terrorist financing even with the involvement of NGOs, the National NGO Secretariat signed a MoU with the Finance Intelligence Unit of Central Bank yesterday to step up national efforts in curbing such unlawful activities, an official said yesterday.

No coalition, national Govt. after General Election: Tilvin Silva

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the core ally of the ruling National People’s Power (NPP), ruled out any coalition, or national government after the General Election.

Unclear law on food and drinks leaves: candidates hungry for engagement

The ambiguous rules surrounding food and drink during elections have placed considerable challenges on candidates, preventing them from offering even simple items like bottled water and refreshments to voters, the Daily Mirror learns.

Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya appointed President’s chief advisor on digital economy

Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya has been appointed as the Chief Advisor to the President on Digital Economy, the Presidential Media Division (PMD) announced yesterday (1). Dr. Wijayasuriya, a veteran in telecommunications and digital solutions, is expected to drive initiatives that will strengthen digital frameworks across various sectors, enhance connectivity, and support economic modernization.

The inaugural flight of Edelweiss Airlines lands at BIA

The inaugural flight of a new airline carrying 238 tourists from Switzerland arrived at Katunayake last morning. The airbus of the Edelweiss Airline landed in Katunayake airport at 9.20am yesterday. The airport officials had made arrangements to accord a warm welcome with water salute.

Immigration probes local scam issuing forged European visas to Bangladeshi nationals  

The Department of Immigration and Emigration is investigating a major racket to provide forged European visas to Bangladeshis for hundreds of thousands of rupees, when four such travellers were intercepted at the airport with fake visas yesterday, the Daily Mirror learns.

Sri Lankan Workers’ Jobs in South Korea Remain Safe, says SLBFE

Currently, a total of Sri 35,216 Sri Lankans work in South Korea and 28,583 are listed under the EPS system

Govt clarifies Arugam Bay incident as organized crime, not extremism

The government in a meeting with US embassy officials in Colombo on Wednesday has reportedly ruled out any links between the recent incident in Arugam Bay and ‘extremism’, categorizing it instead as an incident of ‘organized crime’.

Govt will decide on PTA or new Anti-Terrorism Bill in its place after new Parliament convenes

Despite pressure being mounted from the opposition, the new government will consider any decision on the current Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) or the Anti-Terrorism Bill introduced by the previous government only after the next Parliament convenes, a top source said.