News

Editors’ Guild expresses profound sorrow at Victor’s death

Published

2 years ago

2025/01/21

Victor Ivan

The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka has said it expresses its profound sorrow at the passing away last Sunday of one of its erstwhile members, Victor Ivan.

“Ivan was at the time a frontline member of the Free Media Movement.

“He joined The Guild as the Editor of the Ravaya at the height of a ‘Media Law Reforms’ campaign launched by the collective media associations which included the repeal of the draconian criminal defamation laws prevailing at the time, seeking amendments, inter-alia to the laws on Parliamentary Privileges, Contempt of Court, etc.,

“Ivan was indicted on several criminal defamation cases by Chandrika Kumaratunga’s government. He took these cases right up to the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) where he won a major victory when the Committee ordered the Sri Lanka Government to pay him compensation for violating his human rights by repeatedly harassing him with serial indictments.

“He was one of the key figures in organising an international symposium in Colombo, in April 1998, that led to the signing of the Colombo Declaration on Media Freedom and Social Responsibility. The suggestion for a Colombo Declaration came from a fearless Indian publisher-editor, Cushrow Irani. It was Ivan, who added the words, ‘on Media Freedom and Social Responsibility’. Several world bodies, such as the London-based Commonwealth Press Union, Frankfurt-based World Association of Newspapers (WAN), the South African-based Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Vienna-based International Press Institute (IPI) and the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) participated at the historic event which formally brought together The Editors Guild, the Newspaper Society, Free Media Movement and later, the Working Journalists Association, together with many media-related partner unions, to form the Sri Lanka Press Institute.

“Ivan authored a book later on the Kumaratunga Presidency titled; ‘Choura Rajini’ (The Bandit Queen) and took an active role in socio-political activities.

“He was presented with the Sepala Gunasena Award for Defending Press Freedom by the Editors’ Guild.”

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Latest News

Sun directly overhead Moratuwa, Kesbewa, Handapangoda, Idalgashinna, Yudhaganawa, Kotiyagala and Panama about 12.08 noon today (05)

Published

3 hours ago

2026/09/5

Priyan

The sun is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka from 28th of August to 07th of September due to its apparent southward relative motion.

The nearest places of Sri Lanka over which the sun is
overhead today (05) are Moratuwa, Kesbewa, Handapangoda, Idalgashinna, Yudhaganawa, Kotiyagala and Panama about 12.08 noon

News

Namal remanded until Sept. 18 over Airbus deal investigation

Published

4 hours ago

2026/09/5

Thilina Walpola

Namal Rajapaksa being brought to the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) National Organiser and Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa was yesterday remanded until September 18 by the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court following his arrest by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) in connection with an investigation into the controversial SriLankan Airlines Airbus aircraft transaction.

Rajapaksa appeared before the CIABOC at around 9.15 am yesterday to record a statement after being summoned over the transaction. He was taken into custody following several hours of questioning and subsequently produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate.

The investigation centres on allegations surrounding the acquisition of six Airbus A330 and eight A350 aircraft by SriLankan Airlines in 2013, in connection with an alleged USD 2 million bribe.

Former SriLankan Airlines Chief Executive Officer Kapila Chandrasena and his wife, Priyanka Niyomali Wijenayake, had previously been named in connection with the alleged bribery.

Chandrasena was arrested on March 12 as part of an investigation launched by the CIABOC under the Anti-Corruption Act and was subsequently released on bail. He was later found dead on May 8 while on bail, with police suspecting that his death was a suicide.

Open warrants have been issued for the arrest of Wijenayake, who is named as the second suspect, and Shamindra Rajapaksa, named as the third suspect, in the case pending before the Fort Magistrate’s Court in connection with the Airbus transaction.

The investigation has also received assistance from Airbus, with a delegation from the company’s parent group in France visiting Sri Lanka during the first week of August. The delegation provided statements and other assistance to the CIABOC as part of the ongoing inquiry.

Rajapaksa’s arrest and remand yesterday mark a further development in the widening investigation into the controversial aircraft deal.

News

Dengue cases surpass 96,000 this year

Published

4 hours ago

2026/09/5

Thilina Walpola

The number of dengue cases reported in Sri Lanka this year has risen to 96,040, with 72 deaths recorded so far, according to the National Dengue Control Unit.

The Unit said 10,155 cases were reported in August alone, highlighting the continuing spread of the disease across several parts of the country.

The Western Province has recorded the highest number of cases at 50,760, followed by the Southern Province with 13,931, the Central Province with 8,788 and the Sabaragamuwa Province with 7,910.

At district level, Gampaha has reported the highest number of cases at 20,444, followed by Colombo with 19,008.

Kandy has recorded 7,043 cases, while Kalutara and Matara have reported 6,181 and 6,154 cases,a respectively.

The National Dengue Control Unit said 50 Medical Officer of Health (MOH) areas across the country have been identified as high-risk areas for dengue.

Health authorities have continued to urge the public to take measures to prevent mosquito breeding, particularly in areas where a high incidence of dengue has been reported.