News Fort Magistrate orders arrest of MP Archchuna Published 9 mins agoon 2026/07/25 Archchuna The Fort Magistrate’s Court yesterday issued a warrant for the arrest of Jaffna District MP Ramanathan Archchuna after he failed to appear before court in connection with a pending cas…

News Fort Magistrate orders arrest of MP Archchuna

Published 9 mins agoon 2026/07/25

Archchuna The Fort Magistrate’s Court yesterday issued a warrant for the arrest of Jaffna District MP Ramanathan Archchuna after he failed to appear before court in connection with a pending case. Court officials said the MP and his bail sureties were absent when the matter was taken up, prompting the Magistrate to issue the warrant. The case relates to an alleged incident in which Archchuna is accused of obstructing the duties of Fort Police officers while they were performing their duties. The matter was listed before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court yesterday as well, when the MP failed to appear before court and his bail guarantor was also absent. Following this, the Magistrate ordered that a warrant be issued against him. The case is to proceed with further legal action against the MP.

News Dengue rages with average of 2,391 new cases detected daily

Published 10 mins agoon 2026/07/25

Sri Lanka’s dengue outbreak has continued to worsen, with the number of infections reported this year surpassing 80,000, according to official surveillance data. The country recorded 80,114 dengue cases as of midnight on July 23, while health authorities reported 59 dengue-related deaths, resulting in a case fatality rate of 0.07%. The National Dengue Control Unit said that by Week 29, a total of 175 Medical Officer of Health (MOH) areas had been identified as high-risk zones, with an average of 2,391 new cases being reported daily. July has emerged as the worst month of the year so far, with 24,739 cases recorded, while June also saw a significant surge with 21,534 infections. The Western Province continues to account for more than half of the country’s dengue burden, with Gampaha recording 16,950 cases and Colombo 16,091 cases. Together, the two districts account for more than 40% of total infections reported nationwide. Other districts recording high numbers include Matara with 5,534 cases, Kandy with 4,827, Kalutara with 4,545, and Ratnapura with 4,428 cases. The Colombo Municipal Council area alone has reported over 3,200 dengue infections. At provincial level, the Southern Province has recorded 12,143 cases, followed by the Central Province with 6,686 and Sabaragamuwa with 6,607. Meanwhile, the North Western, Eastern, Uva, North Central and Northern provinces have reported 3,844, 3,148, 2,154, 1,264 and 1,173 cases respectively. Health authorities have urged residents, particularly those living in high-risk areas, to intensify mosquito-control measures and seek immediate medical attention when dengue symptoms appear, warning that the situation could deteriorate further without sustained preventive action.

News Lanka produces only 43% of daily milk requirement, says Deputy Minister

Published 13 mins agoon 2026/07/25

Sri Lanka produces only about 43% of its daily milk requirement locally, according to data from the Department of Census and Statistics, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Namal Karunaratne told Parliament yesterday (24). He said the Government had allocated Rs. 1 billion in this year’s Budget to increase annual milk production, from the current 410 million litres to 1.2 billion litres, as part of efforts to reduce dependence on imported milk products. The Deputy Minister said a further Rs. 1 billion had been allocated for the development of the Nikaweratiya Farm, which is expected to be transformed into a nucleus breeding farm to produce high-quality dairy cattle and buffaloes needed for future expansion of the sector. He said several initiatives were already being implemented, under the Nikaweratiya Breeder Farm Development Project, to strengthen domestic dairy production.Karunaratne also highlighted measures taken by the Government to improve the livelihoods of dairy farmers and encourage greater participation in the industry. Among the initiatives are the nationwide implementation of the National Dairy Production Programme, modernisation of animal breeding farms through advanced technology, and the provision of necessary facilities to farmers to enhance local milk production, he said. The Deputy Minister stressed that increasing domestic milk production remained a key priority in strengthening the country’s dairy sector and improving self-sufficiency in meeting national demand.