News
Balanced media coverage prerequisite for free and fair elections – Dinesh
Leader of the House, Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, who is also the Chairman of the Parliament Select Committee for electoral reforms, has pointed out to the committee that there are many concerns raised by people and political parties on issues pertaining to unfair media coverage during the times of elections.
The ministers has said so while attending a recent meeting of the PSC to Identify Appropriate Reforms of the Election Laws and the Electoral System and to Recommend Necessary Amendments.
During the election period, the electronic media charged very high prices for election advertisements, Minister Gunawardena pointed out, saying that it was a serious injustice to certain political parties and politicians.
Several heads at both state and private television channels testified before the committee on the day and expressed their concerns about the matter of election reporting.
They pledged to work towards providing equal air time to all candidates during the election period.
Addressing the meeting, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said the Attorney General’s Department should be consulted with regard to the practical implementation of the media guidelines issued by the Election Commission.
Representatives of the Election Commission stated at the Committee that the media guidelines issued by the Election Commission were applicable only to the state media.
It was discussed at the Committee meeting the importance of seeking information from the Ministry of Mass Media and Information regarding the implementation of the media criteria.
State Ministers Jeevan Thondaman, MPs Rauff Hakeem and Sagara Kariyawasam were present at the meeting.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
INS Sahyadri sets sail from Colombo
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Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
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