News Room : Police Launch Pilot Project for Online Traffic Fine Payments
Sri Lanka Police has launched a pilot project enabling motorists to pay traffic fines online, marking a step forward in streamlining public services and promoting digital governance. The initiative allows drivers to settle traffic fines through the government’s ‘GovPay’ mobile application, which was introduced to facilitate digital payments for various public services. According to Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) for...
News Room : Jaffna – Palali Road Fully Reopens After 35 Years, But Under Tight Military Restrictions
After more than three decades, the road connecting Vasavilan Junction to Palali in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province has been officially reopened—but under heavy military restrictions that continue to limit civilian access to the surrounding areas. Despite the road’s reopening, original landowners remain barred from entering or resettling on their land. According to Jaffna-based journalist Kumanan who posted on X, formerly Twitter...
News Room : Kevili Table Costs Soar: Sweetmeats for Avurudu Now Over Twice as Expensive as in 2019
The cost of preparing a traditional kevili table for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year has risen by 7% in 2025 compared to 2024, making it more than double what it was in 2019, according to a report by Verité Research. The analysis revealed that ingredient prices increased by 7% between March 2024 and March 2025, largely due to sharp...
News Room : Daily Accidents Claim 30–35 Lives, Health Ministry Warns of Alarming Trend
Around 30 to 35 deaths linked to accidents are being reported daily, according to the Ministry of Health. Speaking at a media briefing held at the Health Promotion Bureau today, Dr Samitha Siritunga, a specialist from the Non-Communicable Diseases Unit, revealed that between 10,000 to 12,000 fatalities occur annually in Sri Lanka due to various types of accidents — a...
News Room : Sri Lanka’s Foreign Policy amid Geopolitical Transformations: 1990-2024 – Part IV
Sri Lankan Foreign Policy since the End of the Cold War By the end of the Cold War, Sri Lanka’s foreign policy priorities were predominantly shaped by its armed conflict with the LTTE, despite pivotal shifts in its regional and global geopolitical spaces. The significance of the country’s foreign relations was largely viewed through the lens of its strategic needs...
News Room : “One Call from RW to Elon Musk Could Have Saved Us” – Rajitha Claims on U.S. Tariffs
Former minister Rajitha Senaratne said the country may have avoided steep U.S. tariffs on its exports if Ranil Wickremesinghe had remained president. In a recent interview with a YouTube channel, Senaratne claimed the 44% tariff, reportedly imposed during the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump, was introduced on the advice of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. He said Wickremesinghe, who...
News Room : President AKD to Meet Party Leaders Over US Tariff Impact on Exports
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is scheduled to meet all political party leaders on 10 April at the Presidential Secretariat to discuss the growing concerns over the impact of recently imposed tariffs by the United States on Sri Lankan exports. This was posted by Leader of the House Minister Bimal Rathnayake on ‘X’. The meeting was prompted by a request made earlier...
News Room : 13 Local Government Election Candidates Arrested for Violating Election Laws
Since 3 March, a total of 13 candidates contesting the upcoming Local Government Election have been arrested for flouting election laws, according to Police. In addition, 42 political party supporters and 11 vehicles have also been taken into custody. Between 6 a.m. yesterday (8 April) and 6 a.m. this morning (9 April), Police received a complaint regarding a violent incident and...
News Room : Tense Standoff at Weligama Apparel Factory as Workers Protest Withheld New Year Bonus
A tense situation unfolded at a privately-owned apparel factory in Udukawa, Weligama last night (8 April), as workers launched a protest against the management’s decision to withhold the Sinhala and Tamil New Year bonus. The unrest escalated when the factory manager was held hostage in his office by angry employees, shortly after he announced that the company would not be...
News Room : Govt. won’t extend suspension of ‘parate executions’ – The Island
The government would not extend the suspension of ‘parate executions’ that was now effective, Deputy Minister of Finance Harshana Suriyapperuma told Parliament yesterday. Suriyapperuma said so in response to a question raised by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, who asked about the government’s plans regarding a relief package to assist small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) struggling to repay loans. Pointing out that...