Coast Guard personnel in coordination with the officers of the Kotawila Divisional Crime Detective Bureau arrested a person in possession of 07.540g of Crystal Methamphetamine (ICE) while transporting the drug for sale during a search operation carried out in Kuruduwatte Road, Hikkaduwa on 18th May 2026.

The suspect along with the Crystal Methamphetamine were handed over to the Kotawila DCDB for legal action.

A 58-year-old man died and his wife sustained injuries when they fell off an earth embankment while returning home after a wedding. The tragic accident occurred on the night of May 18 in the Panithudumulla area, in the Nawalapitiya police division.

According to preliminary police investigations, the deceased and his wife, residents of Panithudumulla, were walking back home after attending a wedding. While traveling along their usual route in the dark, the couple had suddenly lost their footing and plunged down a steep embankment by the roadside.

The injured woman was rushed to the Nawalapitiya Base Hospital, where she is currently undergoing treatment for her injuries. Following the incident, the local authorities conducted an initial on-site examination, and the body of the deceased was moved for a post-mortem examination.

Further investigations are being conducted by a team of officers, under the direct guidance and supervision of the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Nawalapitiya Police Station.

By S.K. Samaranayake

The new Public Library Building of the Batticaloa Municipal Council was ceremonially vested in the public  on Wednesday (20)  morning in the presence of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, with former Member of Parliament M.A. Sumanthiran officially declaring the building open.

In parallel with the opening ceremony, the official website of the library was launched by the President.

Addressing the gathering, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that he was pleased to witness the successful completion of the library project, which had previously remained stalled midway.

A notable feature of the newly opened library building is the establishment of a separate unit dedicated to providing children with scientific and technological knowledge.

The President further stated that, at a time when the culture of reading is gradually declining in the country, the continued enthusiasm shown by the Tamil community towards reading should be appreciated. He remarked that opening a library is akin to eliminating the need for a prison and expressed confidence that the opening of the new Batticaloa Public Library Building would help sustain and encourage the reading culture among the people.

The President also joined an inspection tour of the new library building and engaged in a cordial discussion with the staff of the Municipal Council. During the occasion, the Mayor of the Batticaloa Municipal Council, K. Sivam Packiyanathan, presented a commemorative memento to the President.

Marking the occasion, the President also planted a sapling within the library premises.

Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Sunil Handunnetti, Eastern Province Governor Professor Jayantha Lal Ratnasekera, Kandasamy Prabhu, G. Srineshan, S. Rasamanickam and M.L.A.M. Hizbullah, along with government and opposition Members of Parliament, members of the Batticaloa Municipal Council and several state officials, were present at the event.

(PMD)