The second day of the Walk for Peace campaign commenced in Matale today (23). 

The programme, held to promote world peace, commenced this morning from the Aluvihare Temple in Matale.

The Walk for Peace officially commenced yesterday from Dambulla, led by Ven. Pannakara Thero, and ‘Aloka the peace dog’, a certified service canine.

The programme, which continues until April 28, will conclude with a national ceremony at the Independence Square in Colombo, which will be held under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. 

At the ceremony, the Bodhi sapling carried during the walk will be officially handed over to the United States of America. (Newswire)

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The principal of a school in the Matale area was arrested today (31) in connection with an incident of allegedly sexually abusing a student, it was reported.

According to the Lankadeepa newspaper, a complaint was received yesterday (30) by the Mahawela Police alleging that the principal had sexually abused a 14‑year‑old male student studying at the same national school.

Several police teams were deployed to arrest the principal, but he had fled the area.

Later, residents had informed the Police that he was hiding in several places, after which police teams commenced conducting searches in the said locations. 

However, the wanted principal had surrendered to the Mahawela Police this morning (31), leading to his arrest. (Newswire)

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A 19-year-old youth has died after falling off the Nalagana Ella Falls in Kandenuwara, Matale, last evening.

According to the Police, two others had sustained injuries and had been admitted to the Matale Hospital.

The incident had occurred when four youths from Wattegama had visited the waterfall on Sunday. 

The Kandenuwara Police is conducting further investigations into the incident. (Newswire)

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The National People’s Power (NPP) has established power in the Matale and Kalutara Municipal Councils during elections held today.

NPP’s Ashoka Kottahachchi was elected Mayor of the Matale Municipal Council after securing 12 votes. 

Meanwhile, NPP’s Danoj Somaratne was elected Mayor of the Kalutara Municipal Council after securing 17 votes.

During the election, the opposition SJB’s candidate had obtained 13 votes, while one vote had been rejected.  

However, the opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has established power in the Hambantota Municipal Council.

SJB candidate D.A. Gamini was elected Mayor of the Hambantota Municipal Council during elections held today. 

The SJB had won a majority of seats at the local council following the 2025 Local Government Elections. 

The SJB has also established power in the Buttala Pradeshiya Sabha during elections held today.

During the inaugural session of the local council today, SJB candidate Rajika Chathuranga was elected as Chairman of the council by securing a majority of votes. (Newswire)

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The nominations of a German woman with Sri Lankan citizenship contesting from the Galewala area in the upcoming Local Council Elections have been rejected. 

According to reports, the woman was contesting for the Galewala Pradeshiya Sabha in Matale, the first time a person of foreign descent would have contested in Sri Lanka’s Local Council Elections.

After submitting her nominations to contest as a candidate from an independent group, the woman, identified as ‘Sudu Nona’, said she was contesting to bring changes from the grassroots level. 

She told the media that she was representing the working people and her intention was to bridge the gap between the higher-ups and the bottom level in the Galewala Pradeshiya Sabha. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka Police busted an illegal vehicle assembling business with a suspect being arrested in the Matale area on Tuesday (Dec 31).

According to the Police, an individual was arrested in Kadawatha for the possession of three luxury jeeps with fake number plates and without valid documents in 2023.

The Police said the suspect was produced before the Mahara Magistrate’s court and the investigation was handed over to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). 

The CID probe found the involvement of another suspect from the Matale area, who was arrested with 08 luxury vehicles parked in his residence. 

The Police said the suspect did not possess any valid documents for the eight vehicles and was taken into custody this week along with the vehicles.

Further investigations found that the man had been involved in illegally assembling and selling vehicles using false documents, defrauding the government of taxes. (Newswire)

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The National Peoples’ Power (NPP) has won four (04) seats in the Matale District under the Preferential voting system.

The preferential votes for the Matale District are as follows;

• NPP – 04 seats

Gamagedara Dissanayake – 100,618 votes

Sunil Biyanvila – 56,932 votes

Deepthi Wasalage  – 47,482 votes

Dinesh Hemantha Perera – 43,455 votes.

• SJB – 01 seat 

Rohini Kavirathne – 27,945. (Newswire)

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Three persons were reported dead and 39 others were injured in a bus accident reported in the Wilgamuwa area in Matale. 

According to the Police, a bus had fallen into a precipice in the Elawakanda area in Matale on the Dambulla – Mahiyanganaya Road at around 7.30 this evening.

The bus had fallen into the precipice after colliding with a van travelling in the opposite direction. 

Thirty-seven persons (37) in the private bus and five (05) persons in the van had been injured in the accident.

The injured were admitted to the Wilgamuwa Hospital after which two passengers of the bus and one passenger of the van had succumbed to injuries. (Newswire/ Image – Accident1st)

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A 34-year-old woman has died due to burn injuries sustained in a cooking accident reported in Matale last morning.

The Police said the woman had sustained burn injuries after her kerosene stove had tipped over while cooking breakfast.

The woman had been admitted to the Matale Hospital and had succumbed to injuries while receiving treatment last night. 

The Matale Police is conducting investigations into the incident. (Newswire)

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A tense situation was reported in Matale today due to a protest seeking justice for a 17-year-old boy who was recently murdered in the area.

It is reported that the victim along with a friend had accompanied another friend to meet the latter’s girlfriend.

However, the three boys had been assaulted by a group of persons, including the girl’s father, resulting in the death of the 17-year-old boy.

Three persons, including the girl’s father, have been arrested as of now in connection to the murder. 

A protest seeking justice for the victim was staged in North Matale today, resulting in blocking traffic along the Kandy- Jaffna, A9 Road. (Newswire)

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Minister of Estate Infrastructure Development Jeevan Thondaman has issued a clarification over video footage circulating on social media showing him using abusive language and threatening an official at an estate in Matale.

The incident occurred when Minister Thondaman visited the Ratwatte Estate in the Elkaduwa Plantation in the Matale District to inquire about the mistreatment of an impoverished family by the estate assistant manager.

The matter was earlier highlighted by Opposition MP Mano Ganesan who had shared video footage of the assistant manager of the government-owned estate mistreating the impoverished family by forcibly tearing down their house. 

Sharing the video, MP Mano Ganesan stated that he had informed Minister of Plantations Ramesh Pathirana in this regard and had called for the estate assistant manager to be sacked over the incident.

#Modern_Slavery act of Estate Manager at #Lka government owned Matale district Elkaduwa Plantations, Ratwatta Estate lower division. Short-while ago, I called Plantation minister #RameshPathirana, yelled at him; " Sack the Fellow, We are at the end of our patience". #ManoGanesan… pic.twitter.com/mGOrYDkNqK

— Mano Ganesan (@ManoGanesan) August 19, 2023

While inquiring about the incident during his visit to the estate yesterday, Minister Jeevan Thondaman and an estate official engaged in a heated exchange of words, the video of which was circulated on social media platforms.

Providing clarification on the matter, Minister Thondaman said he had visited the Ratwatte Estate in the Elkaduwa Plantation in the Matale district yesterday after a distressing video revealed an impoverished family being mistreated by an assistant manager. 

“As Minister, I demanded action from the Chairman and General Manager of the Estate against this behaviour. Immediate steps were taken, and the Assistant Manager has been removed and dismissed.

“The Chairman, General Manager, and the responsible Assistant Manager also personally apologised to the affected family. Moreover, the Estate has committed to constructing a permanent home for them within its premises. But this is just the beginning,” he said.

Minister Thondaman further said, under the Plantation Human Development Trust (PHDT) in his Ministry, they are initiating a project to build 11 additional permanent homes for families on the Estate. 

“It is time to uplift the lives of those who have endured substandard conditions for far too long. These actions are particularly significant as we commemorate 200 years since the arrival of our plantation community of Indian-origin Tamils.

“Our resolve is clear: We are committed to addressing historical injustices. To achieve this, I have established seven policy formulation committees, focusing on land and housing, education, child development, labour and employment, health, gender and women’s empowerment, and economic upliftment of the plantation community.

“These committees will develop recommendations that will shape the future of plantation communities. From this November onward, we anticipate commencing the implementation of these recommendations,” he said.

Stressing that no one should be denied dignity or a home, the Minister said, “No one should be indentured to a company through birth. No one should have to endure the humiliation that this family was subjected to.”

“Our policies will ensure that everyone has the opportunity to thrive and live with the respect they deserve. This era of indignity for my people will end with me,” he added. (NewsWire)

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Train services from Kandy to Matale will be temporarily suspended next week, the Department of Railways stated. 

The Department stated that the train services will be suspended from midnight on August 18 until 04.00 am on August 21. 

The train services are being temporarily suspended due to maintenance work on the railway tracks between Kandy and Katugastota, the Railway Department added. (NewsWire) 

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