News
Removal of PUCSL Chairman will be ominous turning point in SL politics, says Charitha Herath
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The resolution to remove the Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), presented in Parliament yesterday, marked another ominous turning point in Sri Lankan politics, Freedom People’s Congress (FPC) MP Prof. Charitha Herath said yesterday.
“What MPs are trying to do is to remove the Chairman of an independent commission because he has a disagreement with the line minister. MPs are trying to remove PUCSL Chairman Janaka Rathnayaka to please the Minister of Power and Energy. This will set another bad example,” he said.
Herath said a similar incident took place when former CJ Shirani Bandaranayake was impeached by Parliament and then removed from office by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in January 2013.
“I think it’s a very unparliamentary step. The PUCSL was established in 2002 to act like an ombudsman in a way. A minister can’t remove members of the PUCSL, except with permission from the legislature,” he said.
MP Herath said that on the one hand the government talked about making the Central Bank independent but on the other hand it tried to remove the chairman of an independent commission because he disagrees with the minister.
“The problem with the PUCSL Chairman started when he objected to the government making ad hoc decisions on the electricity tariffs and his demand for continuous power, during the GCE AL exam. The Chairman insisted that the government adhere to the established process. We are now in a political conjunction. The local and Provincial Councils have been dissolved. The President was appointed by MPs and has no people’s mandate. So, only the Parliament remains as somewhat of a legitimate institution. The role of the President and the Cabinet now is to ensure that we go through this interim period, without disaster, and then hold elections,” he said.
Prof. Herath said that one of the main reasons why the 2010-2015 Mahinda Rajapaksa administration had lost public support was the impeachment of Shirani Bandaranayake.
“She was impeached legally but it left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. It is the same with the PUCSL Chairman now,” he said.
Three Sri Lankan leopard cubs that were born at the Singapore Zoo on Jan 1 have now made their public debut at the facility.
The two males and one female, born to mother Yala and father Asanka, are the first of their species yo be born at the Singapore Zoo. The last successful birth in Singapore was recorded at the Night Safari three decades ago.
The triplets, which are the pair’s first litter, are among around 80 Sri Lankan leopards in zoos worldwide.
The species is listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, with fewer than 800 individuals estimated to remain in the wild.
Visitors can now see the triplets at the Wild Africa exhibit, said the Mandai Wildlife Group in a statement on April 16.
The cubs can be found in the exhibit with their mother daily until mid-May and, subsequently, every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.
Yala with her cubs in their nest box, a month after their birth on Jan 1. (Straits Times)
A leopard cub investigating a piece of meat suspended from a tree – one of the several enrichment items in the Wild Africa exhibit designed to keep the cats mentally and physically stimulated. (Straits Times)
Mandai Wildlife Group curator Anand Kumar said it took nearly three years and close collaboration across continents to bring together a compatible pair of Sri Lankan leopards.
(Straits Times)
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-zoos-first-sri-lankan-leopard-cubs-make-their-public-debut?ref=top-stories
The Sri Lanka Navy has seized a local multi- day fishing trawler, it’s four man crew together with a consignment suspected to be narcotics off the Southern Coast of the island.
The vessel is presently being escorted to the Dikowita fisheries harbour for further investigations and legal proceedings.
Latest News
Heat Index at Caution Level in the Northern, North-central, North-western, Western, Sabaragamuwa, Eastern and Southern provinces and in Monaragala district
Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
Issued at 3.30 p.m. on 15 April 2026, valid for 16 April 2026.
The Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Northern, North-central, North-western, Western, Sabaragamuwa, Eastern
and Southern provinces and in Monaragala district.
The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.
Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.
ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.
Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491
Singapore Zoo’s first Sri Lankan leopard cubs make their public debut
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