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...
News Room : SL Olympians conduct tree planting programme
Sri Lanka Olympians, together with the Department of Forest Cotnservation, conducted a tree planting programme at the premises of D. S. Senanayake National School, Dambulla. Sri Lanka Olympians conduct a tree planting programme every year at a selected school in one province. Accordingly, this year’s event was successfully held with the participation of Olympians, students and a large number of enthusiasts...
News Room : Cabinet Spokesperson Disputes Deputy Minister Hewage’s Claim on Treasury Reserves
Cabinet Spokesman Minister Nalinda Jayatissa addressed the controversy surrounding Deputy Minister of Vocational Education Nalin Hewage’s statement about Sri Lanka’s Treasury reserves, revealing official figures during the Cabinet’s weekly media briefing on Monday. Jayatissa presented verified data from the Central Bank, outlining Sri Lanka’s official reserves from September 2024 to March 2025: September 2024: $5.99 billion October 2024: $6.47 billion November 2024: $6.45...
News Room : MP Archchuna’s Parliamentary Speech Blocked From Live Broadcast Following Suspension
Jaffna District MP Archchuna Ramanathan’s speech was blocked from Parliament’s live broadcast today, following a prior order by Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne. As Archchuna began speaking, viewers saw a notice on screen stating, “The live streaming is suspended by order made by the Hon. Speaker on March 19, 2025, against the Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna, M.P.” The Speaker announced that the MP’s...