January 04, Colombo (LNW): Public Administration Minister Chandana Abeyratne has voiced strong criticism of wildlife officials, accusing them of neglecting their duties as wild elephants continue to wander into villages, placing rural communities at risk.

Speaking at a special District Disaster Management Committee meeting in Puttalam, the Minister said there had been repeated complaints from residents about elephants entering residential areas, yet timely action to chase the animals away was often lacking.

He alleged that officers attached to the Department of Wildlife Conservation frequently failed to respond, even when villagers attempted to contact them directly by telephone.

The discussion, held yesterday (03) with the participation of local community members, focused on the growing human-elephant conflict in the district and the urgent need for more responsive and coordinated interventions.

Abeyratne stressed that the safety of villagers must be treated as a priority and called for greater accountability from relevant authorities in addressing the ongoing problem.

January 04, Colombo (LNW): Schools across the country are set to reopen tomorrow (04), marking the start of the first phase of the first term of the 2026 academic year, education authorities have confirmed.

The Ministry of Education said that all government schools, government-approved private institutions and pirivenas will resume classes in line with the new academic calendar. Teaching and related activities will recommence simultaneously, bringing students and staff back after the year-end recess.

Officials noted that the structure of the first school term for 2026 will follow the guidelines outlined in a circular issued on 9 December 2025, which sets out the timetable and key arrangements for the year ahead.

The Ministry also recalled that the previous academic year was formally concluded in late December, with Sinhala and Tamil medium schools closing on December 22 and Muslim schools ending their term on December 26.

January 04, Colombo (LNW): The Government has set aside Rs. 150 billion to restore roads damaged by recent natural disasters, Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake announced, underscoring the priority being placed on rebuilding essential infrastructure.

Speaking on the issue, the Minister said several planned central government programmes aimed at upgrading rural road networks have been temporarily suspended. He explained that resources and manpower are being redirected towards urgent repairs and relief work in areas worst affected by disasters, where transport links are critical for daily life and economic activity.

Rathnayake assured the public that the administration is focused on a swift and effective recovery, with repair work expected to commence in phases to ensure connectivity is restored as quickly as possible across the country.

He also appealed for unity during what he described as a national emergency, noting that while citizens are entitled to support any political party during election periods, the present situation calls for cooperation beyond political differences.

The Minister urged political groups, civil society and the wider public to work collectively and extend their support to recovery efforts, emphasising that rebuilding the country’s infrastructure will require a shared commitment and a sense of national solidarity.

January 04, Colombo (LNW): A preliminary report into the controversy surrounding the Grade 6 English learning module has been handed over to the Ministry of Education, as authorities intensify efforts to determine how an unsuitable website reference found its way into official teaching material.

According to Education Ministry Secretary Nalaka Kaluwewa, the initial inquiry examined the processes involved in preparing and approving the module, with particular attention paid to the source of the questionable content.

Alongside this, the National Institute of Education is conducting its own internal review to assess possible procedural lapses.

Kaluwewa said arrangements are underway to appoint an independent committee to pinpoint responsibility for the error and recommend corrective action. At the same time, subject specialists within the Ministry have been asked to propose urgent revisions to the module so that it can be safely issued to schools without further delay.

Officials indicated that the revised material will be released to students as soon as the recommended amendments are completed and approved, in order to minimise disruption to classroom teaching.

Separately, the Criminal Investigation Department has accelerated its own inquiry after a formal complaint was lodged by the Education Ministry. Investigators have already recorded statements from several individuals, including senior officers of the National Institute of Education. To ensure the investigation proceeds without interference, the Director General of the NIE has temporarily relinquished her duties, pending the outcome of the ongoing probes.

January 04, Colombo (LNW): The low-level atmospheric disturbance located to the east of Sri Lanka continues to influence the island’s weather, and therefore, showery condition is expected to enhance over the Northern, Eastern, and Uva Provinces during the coming days from January 5th, the Department of Meteorology said in its daily weather forecast today (04).

Showers will occur at times in Eastern and Uva provinces and in Polonnaruwa, Matale and Nuwara-Eliya districts.

A few showers will occur in Anuradhapura and Hambantota districts.

Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Kaluthara, Galle and Matara districts after 2.00 p.m.

Strong winds up to 50 kmph can be expected at times over Eastern slopes of the central hills, Northern, North-central, North-western and Eastern provinces and in Hambantota, Gampaha Colombo and Monaragala districts.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimise damages caused by temporary localised strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.


Marine Weather:

Condition of Rain:
Showers will occur at several places in the sea areas off the coast extending from Kankasanthurai to Pottuvil via Trincomalee and Batticaloa.

Winds:
Winds will be north-easterly and wind speed will be (30-40) kmph. Wind speed can increase up to (50-55) kmph at times in the sea areas off the coast extending from Galle to Hambantota via Colombo, Puttalam, Kankasanthurai, Trincomalee and Batticaloa.

State of Sea:
The sea areas off the coast extending from Galle to Hambantota via Colombo, Puttalam, Kankasanthurai, Trincomalee and Batticaloa will be rough at times.

The other sea areas around the island may be fairly rough.

January 04, Colombo (LNW): Motorists across Sri Lanka will soon be able to settle traffic spot fines online, with the GovPay digital payment system set to be rolled out islandwide by January 15, police officials have announced.

Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Traffic Control and Road Safety, W. P. J. Senadheera, said the groundwork for the initiative has already been completed. Speaking to the media in Colombo, he noted that police officers have been equipped with the necessary technology and training to ensure the system is fully operational by the target date.

The move is aimed at reducing delays and inconvenience for road users, allowing drivers to pay fines quickly and securely without the need for lengthy roadside procedures. Officials believe the new arrangement will also streamline traffic enforcement and improve overall efficiency.

DIG Senadheera stressed that under the revised process, motorists are not required to hand over cash to police officers under any circumstances. He reminded the public that both offering and accepting bribes are criminal offences and will be dealt with accordingly.

He further explained that strict adherence to the law would be maintained and that the digital payment system is expected to enhance transparency, while protecting police officers from allegations of financial impropriety in the course of their duties.

January 04, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s Navy has reported a sweeping series of anti-narcotics operations this year, uncovering illicit drugs and contraband worth more than Rs. 75 billion and detaining hundreds of suspects as part of an expanded national effort to curb organised crime at sea and on shore.

Operating under the government’s “A Nation United” drive to protect younger generations from the dangers of drugs, naval units stepped up patrols and intelligence-led raids across the island and its surrounding waters.

The campaign has relied heavily on cooperation with other law enforcement bodies and maritime partners, both domestic and international, reflecting what officials describe as a more coordinated and aggressive strategy.

Since the beginning of 2025, these operations have resulted in the interception of large consignments of heroin, crystal methamphetamine, hashish, cannabis sourced locally and overseas, as well as prescription medicines, foreign cigarettes and Kendu leaves. In total, 376 Sri Lankan nationals have been taken into custody in connection with these detections.

Among the most significant seizures were more than 1,050 kilogrammes of heroin, valued at over Rs. 25 billion, and close to 3,000 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine with an estimated street value exceeding Rs. 47 billion. These discoveries alone led to the arrest of 169 suspects and the seizure of 11 local fishing boats allegedly used for trafficking.

Naval teams also confiscated over 5,700 kilogrammes of foreign cannabis, detaining 73 suspects and impounding 19 vessels, while a separate series of raids resulted in the arrest of 11 individuals found with locally grown cannabis. Smaller but high-impact operations uncovered tens of kilogrammes of hashish and more than 1.6 million prescription tablets believed to have been diverted into illegal markets.

In addition to narcotics, the Navy intercepted large quantities of smuggled goods, including hundreds of thousands of foreign cigarettes and more than 67,000 kilogrammes of Kendu leaves, a commodity often linked to illicit trade networks. Dozens of suspects and vessels were detained in connection with these seizures.

Authorities say all suspects, boats and confiscated items have been handed over to the relevant agencies for further investigation and prosecution. Naval officials insist the intensified operations will continue throughout the year, signalling a sustained push to disrupt drug trafficking routes and weaken the criminal networks behind them.