Birthrate slows among elephant population in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s wild elephant population has seen a 21 per cent birthrate decline according to the latest consensus, compared with the last one conducted 13 years ago.

Deputy Minister lives in an apartment valued Rs.500Mn, says opposition MP in Parliament

Audit flags Rs.134Mn loss in driving license printing

The audit of the Department of Motor Traffic for the year 2024 has revealed that the government incurred losses of over Rs.134 million (Rs.134,568,855) in the printing of driving license cards.

Budget passed with more than 2/3 after second reading

The second reading of the 2026 Budget was approved in Parliament with a majority of 118 votes, as 160 MPs voted in favour and 42 voted against.

No legal obstacle to use state funds to pay estate workers’ incentives: Vijitha

Claiming that no legal bearing of opposition claims on allocating state funds for the payment of estate workers’ attendance allowance, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said yesterday Rs. 5,000 million was allocated to the

Writ petition against alleged LGBTIQ tourism promotion fixed for February 10

A writ petition challenging the legality of an alleged endorsement by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) of projects aimed at promoting and developing

Diabetes crisis in Sri Lanka; cases up 73%, one in five adults affected, say health experts

Health experts have sounded the alarm over a growing diabetes crisis in Sri Lanka, revealing that one in five adults are now living with the disease, with cases rising by 73% in recent years.

Sri Lanka records birth of conjoined twin girls in 22 years

Sri Lanka has recorded its first birth of conjoined twin girls in 22 years at the Castle Street Hospital for Women in Colombo earlier this week (10). Hospital Director Dr. Ajith Danthanarayana told Daily Mirror that the twins were delivered via Caesarean section to a 29-year-old mother from Pannala.

Daily Mirror report on estate worker payments brought up in Parliament

Story published by Daily Mirror (November 13, 2025 ) under the title ‘SJB MP seeks Bribery, Audit inquiry into Rs. 5 billion allocation for estate workers” came to limelight when Deputy Minister Sugath Tilakaratne quoted it. The Deputy Minister who responded to SJB MP Rohini Kaviratne said seeking the intervention of the Bribery Commission and calling for an audit query is not done.

Il Maha Viru Commemoration ‘Regressive forces’ will not be allowed to act as they wish - President warns

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday declared that his government will not allow “regressive forces” to act against the will of the people, stressing that the coming year will see the rise of public power against such elements.

Security tightened for visiting SL cricket team in Pakistan

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has assured that all possible measures are being taken to ensure the safety of the Sri Lankan cricket team currently participating in the Tri-Nation T20 series in Pakistan, official sources said yesterdaty.

Some players express safety concerns

Uncertainty surrounds the ongoing cricket series in Pakistan as several Sri Lankan players have expressed safety concerns following a suicide attack in Islamabad.

Charges against Daisy Forrest cannot be maintained due to dementia - Defence tells court

Defence counsel representing Daisy Forrest, the grandmother of Yoshitha Rajapaksa informed the Colombo High Court that maintaining proceedings against her under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act is baseless, as she is suffering from dementia.

A wave of doctors’ strikes around the corner?

Sri Lanka’s public health sector is showing signs of deep unrest, with two major doctors’ unions warning that continued government inaction could soon lead to nationwide protests or even strikes.

Clarification

With reference to the Daily Mirror lead story dated 12th November 2025 titled “Rs.200 allowance for estate workers – President’s Budgetary Proposal deemed unlawful - CoPF” the Parliament Secretariat has sent the following clarification.

25 specialists leave annually, hospitals under strain: Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa

Sri Lanka’s healthcare system is grappling with a growing shortage of specialist doctors, as around 25 leave the country each year, severely impacting hospitals across the island, warns Specialist Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, Chairman of the Medical and Civil Rights Doctors’ Trade Union Alliance.

SJB MP Seeks Bribery, Audit Inquiry into Rs.5B allocation for Estate Workers

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP for the Matale district Rohini Kaviratne has sought the intervention of the Bribery Commission and the Auditor General to intervene to ensure whether the allocation of Rs. 5 billion in the budget for the payment of Rs.200 each to estate workers belonging to private plantation companies.

Govt. must take responsibility if any legal issue arises: Mano Ganesan

Claiming that the opposition is not against the government’s proposal to pay Rs. 200 daily allowance for estate workers, Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) leader and opposition MP Mano Ganesan said the government must take the responsibility if any legal issue arises due to allocation of state funds to make the payment.

World Bank funds misused, given to ex-ministers’ relatives : Minister

Funds provided by the World Bank for entrepreneur development have been misused and given to relatives of former Ministers, Minister Samantha Vidyaratne told Parliament yesterday .

Tamim Rahman ready to admit guilt in LPL match-fixing bid

The Attorney General today filed indictments against Tamim Rahman, the owner of the Dambulla Thunders cricket team, who is accused of attempting to influence a player participating in last year’s Lanka Premier League (LPL) to fix a match, before Colombo High Court Judge Udesh Ranatunga.

Street dog population in Sri Lanka rises to over 2 million: Animal Welfare Association

The Sri Lanka Animal Welfare Association has warned that the number of street dogs in the country had increased to between two and three million.

Daily Mirror shines at Presidential Media Awards

The Daily Mirror triumphed at this year’s Presidential Media Awards, securing accolades in three major categories - Best Cartoon, Best Feature Article and Best Investigative Press.

Court orders expeditious release of 625 BYD vehicles held by Sri Lanka Customs

The Court of Appeal yesterday directed the Sri Lanka Customs (SLC) to expeditiously release 625 BYD vehicles detained by Customs, subject to respective bank guarantees and corporate guarantees, as set out in a motion filed by

DM report on cost of living comes to limelight in Parliament

The story published under the headline “Sri Lanka is the second most expensive country in South Asia to live in” came to the limelight in Parliament yesterday when Opposition MP Rohitha Abeygunawardena referred to it.

Police urge public to avoid posting location-based selfies during festive season

The Police Media Spokesperson, Assistant Superintendent of Police F. U. Wootler, has urged the public to refrain from posting selfies on social media that reveal their location during excursions, pilgrimages, or trips throughout the

Facebook fraudster made thousands by selling pages with stolen photos

A suspect who had created Facebook pages using women’s photos and earned money through social media was produced before court yesterday after being arrested by the Computer Crimes Division of the Criminal Investigation

Sri Lanka chokes as transboundary pollution drives air quality down

Air quality in several parts of Sri Lanka has plunged to unhealthy levels, driven by a mix of local pollution and smoke drifting from neighbouring nations, including northern India, experts warn.

Sri Lankans rank third most unfit in South Asia

Sri Lanka has been ranked third in South Asia for insufficient physical activity, according to a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

42 per cent of women in Sri Lanka are overweight or obese

Nearly 1 in 3 women (29.6 per cent) are overweight, and 1 in 8 (12.6 per cent) aged 18–60 years are obese in Sri Lanka according to the National Nutrition and Micronutrient Survey, with highest overweight and obesity rates being among women aged 50–60 years.

RTI Commission failed to address 308 requests for information last year

The Right to Information Commission has failed to attend to 308 requests for information from January 1, 2025, to September 30, 2025, it was revealed yesterday.