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Harming animals: No action against both Minister father & son

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The Director General of Wildlife Conservation and the Head of Legal Department has failed to give a proper answer when the environmentalists had asked whether an investigation is being conducted over the death of a deer which was hit by the vehicle of Minister Mahinda Amaraweera at Udawalawe National Park a few months ago.

A group of environmentalists including Nayanaka Ranwella and Senior Advisor of the Centre For Environmental Justice Hemantha Vithanage met with Director General of Wildlife Conservation Chandana Sooriyabandara Yesterday (26) and held a discussion regarding the investigations being carried out in relation to the incident where animals in Yala National Park were harassed by a group of people arrived in jeeps.

Both the Director General and the Head of Legal Department have failed to give a proper answer about the progress of the investigation.

They have informed the environmentalists that an investigation is being conducted by the Southern Wildlife Zone over the incident. 

However, the environmentalists said the Wildlife Conservation Department cannot be expected to carry out a proper investigation on the Yala incident, since they have not been able to conduct a proper investigation into the Udawalawe incident.

The environmentalists also said that the Director General that the Wildlife Conservation Department’s actions seemed passive regarding the Yala incident.

When the environmentalists had asked the Director General if the son of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation Minister Mahinda Amaraweera was involved in the Yala incident, he had said it has not been determined yet.

Following the discussion, Environmentalist Ranwella said,”They told us that they are still investigating the Yala incident. When asked if Minister Mahinda Amaraweera’s son was involved in this incident, they said that they are investigating that too. They neither denied nor accepted the fact that there was a minister’s son involved.

“There should be a more formal investigation into this incident. It is clear that this group has behaved recklessly and violated the laws within Yala National Park. If the investigations are not conducted properly, we have to make a more formal objection in a scientific manner.

Also, a deer which was hit by the vehicle of Minister Amaraweera has died. We are disappointed to note the death of animals by the vehicle driven by the drivers of the Minister of Wildlife. Action in this regard is still in unsatisfactory,” Ranwella said.

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Showers expected part of the island

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Showers will occur at times in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Nuwara-Eliya, Kandy, Galle and Matara districts today (June 26), the Department of Meteorology said.

Fairly heavy rains of about 50 mm are likely at some places.

A few showers may occur in the Anuradhapura and Matale districts.

Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in the Uva and Eastern provinces during the afternoon or night.

Meanwhile, fairly strong winds of about 30-40 kmph can be expected at times over Western slopes of the central hills and in Northern, North-central and North-western provinces and in Trincomalee and Hambantota districts.

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

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NTC approves 2.5% reduction in bus fares (Update)

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The National Transport Commission (NTC) has approved a 2.5% reduction in bus fares effective from July 01 in line with the annual bus fare revision.

During a discussion between Transport Ministry officials and representatives of private bus associations, the government’s proposal to reduce bus fares by 2% was met by objections raised by bus operators.


(Previous News on 25th June 2025 at 4:51pm)

Bus associations oppose proposal of 2% fare reduction

The government’s proposal to reduce bus fares by a 2% effective from July 01 has led to the strong disapproval of bus associations, reports say.

It was also proposed not to revise the fares of the first two stages.

The announcement was made during a meeting between officials of the Transport Ministry and representatives of private bus associations to discuss the annual bus fare revision, scheduled for July 01.

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2025 A/L exam dates announced

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The Department of Examinations has confirmed that the 2025 G.C.E. Advanced Level (A/L) examination will be held from Nov. 10 – Dec. 05, 2025, 

Accordingly, applications for the 2025 G.C.E. A/L exam will be accepted online from June 26 to July 21, 2025.

It is further stated that students of government schools and government-approved private schools must submit their applications through their respective school principals, while private candidates are required to submit their applications themselves.

A statement by the Department of Examinations noted that private applicants must use their National Identity Card (NIC) number when applying for the examination.

Applicants are advised to visit the official website of the Department of Examinations of Sri Lanka, www.doenets.lk or www.onlineexams.gov.lk/eic, to carefully read the relevant instructions and submit their applications accordingly. After submitting the application, candidates are urged to keep a printed copy with them in case of an emergency.

The username and password required by school applicants to submit their applications have already been provided to the respective school principals.

Applications will not be accepted after 12.00 midnight on July 21, 2025. It is also emphasized that the closing date will not be extended under any circumstances, the statement added.

For further inquiries, applicants are advised to contact the Department of Examinations via the following telephone numbers or email : Tel: 011-2784208, 011-2784537, 011-2785922 / Hotline: 1911 / Email: [email protected]

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