CIABOC obstruction case: Doctor’s daughter pleads not guilty

The daughter of specialist neurosurgeon Dr. Maheshi Wijerathne of the Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital, who is charged with verbally abusing and threatening officers of the Bribery Commission and obstructing them in the discharge of their duties, pleaded not guilty before Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama today.

Market gains on blue-chip strength

The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) posted a strong session on Tuesday, with both key indices closing firmly in green amid elevated turnover and share volumes, signaling a solid base for continued momentum. The S&P SL20 outperformed the ASPI in percentage terms, rising nearly 1.8 times the ASPI’s gain, highlighting strong investor confidence in blue-chip counters.

Emergency will have to be imposed for two more months: Minister

Emergency laws will have to be enforced for at least two more months, Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala told Parliament today.

Nilaveli police officer remanded

A police officer attached to the Nilaveli area, alleged to have accepted a bribe of Rs. 10,000 from an individual in order to issue a police report, was remanded till January 20 by Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama today.

Heavy rain, strong winds forecast as Bay of Bengal system intensifies

A low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal, located southeast of Sri Lanka, is likely to intensify into a depression within the next 24 hours and move west-northwestwards towards the island’s east coast, the Department of Meteorology said.

U.S. strikes on Venezuela may affect local fuel prices: Cabinet Spokesman

Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Nalinda Jayatissa today said that following recent U.S. strikes on Venezuela, fuel prices on the world market are expected to change, which could in turn cause fluctuations in local fuel prices.

Johnston, son face charges over providing Sathosa driver to family company

Former Minister Johnston Fernando and his son, Jerome Kenneth Fernando, face charges of abetting the criminal misuse of government property and misappropriation of government funds. The case, reported yesterday (05), involves allegations that they provided a Sathosa lorry and driver to transport ethanol to a private company of which the sons were directors. They were remanded in custody until January 9 by Wattala Magistrate Kanchana Silva.

Not ethical to force Minister to resign based on single word in modular: Nalinda

It is not ethical for Subject Minister of Education Harini Amarasuriya to be forced to resign based on a defect in a single word of a module, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Nalinda Jayatisa said today.

Police housing project gets cabinet nod

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the purchase of 350 housing units at the ‘Harbour View Residencies’ project in Colombo 13 for officers serving in the Sri Lanka Police.

Former envoy Kananathan congratulates Central African Republic President

Former Ambassador Kananathan has extended his warm congratulations to President Faustin-Archange Touadéra following his election victory as President of the Central African Republic (CAR) in which he he won for the third term securing 76.15% of the votes as per the results released yesterday.

Rosenior agrees to become Chelsea manager

Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior says he has ’’agreed verbally’’ to take over at Chelsea.

Cabinet approves PPP to improve healthcare services in government hospitals

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved proposals to expand advanced diagnostic services and hemodialysis facilities in government hospitals through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mechanisms, subject to performance-based payment schemes, the Government said.

Sri Lanka name squad for T20I series against Pakistan

Sri Lanka Cricket has announced an 18-member men’s squad for the upcoming T20 International series against Pakistan as part of the Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka 2026.

Global backlash over sexualised images by Elon Musk’s Grok AI

Elon Musk’s AI tool Grok faced growing international backlash on Monday (Jan 5) for generating sexualised deepfakes of women and minors, with the European Union joining the condemnation and Britain warning of an investigation.

Record drug haul worth Rs. 50 mn seized at Katunayake airport

Officers of the Customs Narcotics Control Division seized the largest-ever drug consignment detected at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Katunayake, on the morning of June 1, Customs said.

Cabinet approves finalization of updated National Lotteries Board bill

The Cabinet has approved a resolution submitted by the President to promptly finalize the draft bill for the National Lotteries Board, incorporating proposed amendments.

Temporary driving licence fees revised under Motor Traffic Act

The government has approved a proposal to revise the fees charged for issuing temporary driving licences under the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licence Levy) Regulations No. 3 of 2022, which were prepared under the Motor Traffic Act.

Cabinet approves contract for vehicle number plates

Bids have been invited under the National Competitive Procurement Procedure for the printing and supply of vehicle number plates for the Department of Motor Traffic.

Which countries could be in Trump’s sights after Venezuela?

US President Donald Trump’s second term is being shaped by his foreign policy ambitions.

DM online story comes to limelight in Parliament

One of the recent stories highlighted on the Daily Mirror Online, titled ‘Sri Lanka yet to come to an agreement with US over para tariff’, came to the limelight in Parliament today, with Opposition MP Ravi Karunanayake basing his question on the report.

Central African Republic president wins third term by landslide

Central African Republic (CAR) President Faustin-Archange Touadéra has won a third term after securing an outright majority in last month’s presidential election, provisional results show.

Government achieving target of reducing power tariff by one-third within three years: Minister

The government is reaching towards the target of reducing the electricity tariff by one-third within three years as promised, where the average unit cost has reduced from Rs. 37 in 2024 to Rs. 29 by now, Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody said today.

Adequate water available for Maha Season cultivation

The Water Management Branch of the Irrigation Department has assured that sufficient water is available in reservoirs to support agricultural activities during the Maha cultivation season, with major reservoirs currently holding around 81 per cent of their total capacity.

Trump administration sets meetings with oil companies on Venezuela: Report

The administration of United States President Donald Trump is planning to meet with executives from US oil companies later this week to discuss boosting Venezuelan oil production after US forces abducted its leader, Nicolas Maduro, the Reuters news agency has reported, citing unnamed sources.

Five dead after consuming suspected toxic alcohol in Wennappuwa

Five people have died in the Wennappuwa Marawila area after consuming a liquid suspected to be illegal alcohol.

Harsha says President telephoned him over AG’s issue

Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) MP Harsha De Silva said today that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had telephoned him regarding the appointment of the Auditor General and had sought his intervention to inform the Constitutional Council (CC) about approving the names sent by the President to the CC.

Corrupt police officers aiding crime will face consequences: IGP

Sri Lanka Police have taken disciplinary action against hundreds of officers as part of ongoing efforts to address corruption and drug-related crimes within the force, Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasooriya said.

Opposition chorus grows demanding Prime Minister’s resignation over English module mishap

The joint opposition yesterday called on Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya to resign from her portfolio as Minister of Education, alleging responsibility for what they described as a serious error in the Grade Six curriculum.

Opposition to question government on Venezuela issue in Parliament

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa is to raise a question with regard to development in Venezuela in Parliament this week, the opposition leader’s office said yesterday.

Motorcycle registrations dominate as vehicle numbers surge in 2025

A total of 312,177 motor vehicles were registered during the past year, with the majority being motorcycles, which accounted for 223,228 of the total, JB Securities (Pvt) Ltd reported.