The Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court issued a travel ban on Thusitha Halloluwa, who had previously served as a Director of the National Lotteries Board (NLB).

Magistrate Nilupuli Lankapura issued the ban following a request from the Colombo Fort Police made over an ongoing investigation into allegations of misappropriation involving NLB assets.

Halloluwa, who served from 2017 – 2019, is accused of the fraudulent use of an iPhone, iPad, charger, and an Apple MacBook computer valued at 478,307.03 rupees.

The investigation was initiated based on a complaint filed by the Assistant General Manager of the National Lotteries Board on October 21, 2024. 

Colombo Fort Police presented these details to the court, leading to the issuance of the travel ban.

A new species of snake, endemic to Sri Lanka, has been discovered in the biologically rich Maragala mountain range near Monaragala. 

The species belongs to the genus Dendrelaphis, which is part of the colubridae family. With this discovery, the number of Dendrelaphis species found in Sri Lanka rises to eight—six of which are endemic.
The newly identified snake, named Dendrelaphis thasuni (locally referred to as Thasunge Haldanda), honors Dr. Thasun Amarasinghe, a leading expert in reptile and amphibian research, for his two decades of contribution to the field.

These snakes are diurnal by classification but have adapted to a completely nocturnal lifestyle. Their coloration closely matches the foliage of their habitat, and they are known for their remarkable speed and agility.

The discovery was made by a team of Sri Lankan and international researchers, including Anusha Attanagoda, Dr. Anselm de Silva, Dr. Gernot Vogel (Germany), Sitar Udayanga, Champika Bandara, Majintha Madawala, Dr. L. Lee Grismer (USA), and Suranjan Karunaratne.

The Maragala mountain range is recognized as a biodiversity hotspot, home to an impressive range of endemic flora and fauna. Of the 67 reptile species identified in the area, 30 are endemic, as are five of the 18 recorded amphibian species. Eighteen species of reptiles and amphibians in the region are currently listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List.

Researchers believe the region harbors many more undiscovered species, underscoring its ecological importance and the need for continued conservation efforts.

(Excerpts : dailynews.lk)

Journalists and civil society members gathered in Jaffna on April 28 to mark 20 years since the assassination of renowned Tamil journalist and editor Dharmeratnam “Taraki” Sivaram.
The commemoration, jointly organised by the Jaffna Press Club, the Eastern Province Journalists Association, and the Professional Online Journalists Association, took place at the memorial for murdered journalists on Main Street, Jaffna.

Candles were lit and floral tributes were laid before portraits of Sivaram and fellow journalist Selvarajah Rajivarman, who was also murdered on the same date two years later.

Sivaram, a former senior editor at TamilNet, was abducted in Colombo on April 28, 2005 and was later found murdered near Parliament. Despite international condemnation and demands for accountability, his killers have never been brought to justice.

Ahead of the commemoration, a media briefing was also held at the Jaffna Press Club.