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President Anura Kumara Dissanayake met India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bilateral talks on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi. The two leaders discussed progress–or the lack of it — on Indian projects in Sri Lanka and AI-related cooperation, among other matters.
Modi reviews Indian projects in talks with AKD
Indian premier offers more help; AI cooperation also discussed By Damith Wickremasekara Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the progress and delays of ongoing Indian projects in Sri Lanka when he held a meeting on Friday with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on the sidelines of the AI Impact Expo 2026 held in New Delhi. Foreign [...]
President seeks Macron’s help to retain GSP+
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, during talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in India, has sought his assistance to retain the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) trade concession after the facility lapses at the end of the year. The two leaders met on the sidelines of the AI summit in New Delhi and held bilateral [...]
National Energy Policy draft completed with narrow window for public views
The Energy Ministry on February 12, 2026, published a 31-page draft National Energy Policy (NEP) on its website, inviting public views but providing less than five working days for submissions to be made. The notice says that the formulation of the draft NEP has been completed in accordance with the provisions of the Sri Lanka [...]
Power crisis looms over low-quality coal; govt. seeks AG’s advice
The government is to seek the advice of the Attorney General on legal options after coal stocks purchased from South Africa failed quality tests, threatening a major power crisis in the months ahead. Amid allegations that the entire coal tender was mired in corruption, the AG’s advice will also be sought on measures to ensure [...]
Amid Trump’s plan for attack on Iran, US Pacific Fleet chief visits Lanka
The Commander of the US Pacific Fleet, Admiral Steve Koehler, wound up a two-and-a-half-day visit to Colombo yesterday amidst warnings by US President Donald Trump of staging a possible military strike on Iran from the US-UK military base at Diego Garcia, some 1,000 miles south of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean. Admiral Koehler, who [...]
Suspected Akuregoda gunman arrested
One of the two gunmen involved in the killing of a lawyer and his wife at Akuregoda last week was arrested yesterday, police said, announcing a major breakthrough. The suspect was handed over to the Crime Division of the Western Province Southern Range last night. He is believed to be a former army soldier and [...]
Pera Uni computer lab reopened with philanthropist’s support
By L.B. Senaratne Peradeniya University Vice Chancellor Terrance Mudajith yesteday reopened the Management Faculty’s newly refurbished computer lab after extensive damage caused by Cyclone Ditwah in November last year. The cyclone disrupted academic activities. The refurbished lab has been equipped with 100 computers and 85-inch smart boards donated by philanthropist Sujeewa Wickramanayake, proprietor of EW [...]
Seven new high courts to be set up in Colombo to expedite cases
By Ranjith Padmasiri Seven new high courts are to be set up in the Colombo region, with the majority being tasked with hearing criminal and corruption cases, a senior official said. One of the high courts will be hearing civil appellate cases, while another will hear commercial cases. The Judicial Service Commission (JSC), chaired by [...]
Earthslips and rockfalls force road closure in Kandy area
By Shane Seneviratne The Gannoruwa-Yatihalagala Road stretch from the Getambe Bridge to the Haloluwa Bridge at Dodanwala was closed to traffic last evening following earthslips and rockfalls amid heavy rains in the Kandy district, police said. Meanwhile, reports from Kadugannawa indicated that several roads were inundated with muddy water after heavy rains yesterday. Motorists have [...]
Await downpours and lightning, says Met Department
The Meteorology Department issued an advisory for severe rains today. According to the advisory, heavy falls above 100 mm are likely at some places in Central, Uva and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in the Ampara, Batticaloa and Polonnaruwa districts. The Meteorology Department explained that rains will be due to low-level atmospheric disturbance in the vicinity of [...]
Take measures to protect Buddhism: Maha Sangha
A “Maha Sangha Convention” was held in Colombo at the All-Ceylon Buddhist Congress on Friday, where they resolved to call on the government to take measures to protect Buddhism in the country. A 10-point joint declaration was made at the event attended by a large number of Buddhist monks. The declaration will be formally presented [...]
Gunman in car opens fire, kills businessman in three-wheeler
An unidentified gunman shot dead a fish businessman in Devinuwara last afternoon, Police said . The gunman travelling in a car had opened fire at the businessman who was travelling in a three-wheeler. The car used by the gunman to escape was found abandoned later. The incident was the 10th shooting reported this year, and [...]
Gas shortages again; Govt. expects normal supplies to resume soon
Gas shortages were reported in several parts of the country, but the government yesterday said they were confident in resolving the issue in the coming week. During the past weeks there was a shortage of Litro Gas and Laugfs Gas cylinders, and people were once more forced to remain in queues to obtain the limited [...]
US SC voids tariffs; Govt. examining implications from decision
The government is examining a decision by the US Supreme Court to cancel President Donald Trump’s controversial 2025 tariffs, a senior official said on Saturday, adding: “It’s too early to say what the impact would be on Sri Lanka.” On Friday, the US Supreme Court ruled in a majority decision that President Trump violated federal [...]
Government quarters in Ampara in sad state of neglect
Pix and text by D Gnanasiri Three housing units used as government quarters situated in the Samapura Grama Niladhari area in the Ampara Divisional Secretariat remain abandoned and claimed by trees and creepers. The residents say that the housing units, situated within the Gurupura Paddy Marketing Board store complex, were maintained by the Food Commissioner’s [...]
SC dismisses FR petitions from relatives of Easter Sunday attackers
By Ranjith Padmasiri The Supreme Court has clarified who can file fundamental rights petitions through its ruling to dismiss three petitions filed by relatives of the two Ibrahim brothers, who carried out the suicide bombings at the Shangri-La and Cinnamon Grand hotels during the Easter Sunday attacks. When the petitions were taken up, Deputy Solicitor [...]
CID sends documents in Saman Ekanayake case for analysis
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID), investigating the case on the visit of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe to the UK to attend a graduation ceremony at the University of Wolverhampton, has sent 9 documents used by former President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake to the Government Examiner of Questioned Documents for analysis. With the permission of the court, [...]
Abinawa Niwahal Peramuna office bearers not accepted by Election Commission
The Election Commission has refused to accept the new office bearers of the ‘Abinawa Niwahal Peramuna’ which is a registered political party. The Commission has informed the secretary of the party that the new office bearers have been selected without conducting the annual general meeting under the party constitution. The Commission has sought clarification whether [...]
Traffic accident case against DIG Ravi Seneviratne transferred to Mt Lavinia magistrate’s court
The Court of Appeal has ordered that the case against Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security and retired Senior DIG Ravi Seneviratne involving a traffic accident be transferred from the Mount Lavinia Additional Magistrate’s Court to the Mount Lavinia Chief Magistrate’s Court. The Court of Appeal’s two-judge bench comprised Justices Mayadunne Corea and Mahen [...]
Suspects in the Grade 6 English module case ordered to be arrested
Nugegoda Magistrate Ruwandika Marasinghe on Friday ordered that the suspects in the incident where the name of an adult website was included in the Grade 6 English module published under the new education reforms be arrested and produced in court. When the case was taken up again, the Magistrate considered the investigation report submitted by [...]
Coalgate: Substandard coal delivers more shocks than power
Lakvijaya performance report confirms majority of shipments from South Africa do not meet plant criteria Questions raised over load-port tests and omissions; independent third-party tests required by contract not yet done CEB’s report to sectoral oversight committee raises serious concerns; loss amounts to billions of rupees By Namini Wijedasa Operational information released by the Lakvijaya [...]
13.56 per cent power tariff proposal raises living costs fears
By Kasun Warakapitiya Electricity consumers, including industrialists, bakers, merchants, and homes, have expressed concern over the possible increase of electricity tariffs. The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) made a proposal to the Public Utilities Commission (PUCSL) to increase tariffs on Monday, seeking a 13.56% increase in electricity tariffs for the second quarter from April 1 to [...]
World Press Photo Exhibition comes to Colombo and Kandy
The Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands, in collaboration with Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI), has announced the arrival of the prestigious World Press Photo Exhibition (WPPE) 2025 in Sri Lanka. The WPPE is being brought for the second consecutive year due to the popular demand and the uniqueness of the powerful stories told by [...]
Bureaucrats labour over birth certificate copy validity
Registrar General’s directive debunking six-month rule go unheeded at Immigration Dept and Registration of Persons Dept By Kasun Warakapitiya Although the Registrar General’s Department issues clear directives to state offices stating that birth, marriage and death registrations certified and issued by them do not become invalid after six months, some public authorities insist on [...]
Dambulla agricultural warehouse non-operational for 7 years
Seven years after the 5,000-metric-tonne-capacity Indian-funded temperature-controlled agricultural warehouse in Dambulla was inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the facility still remains non-operational with several private facilities now being put up around the warehouse illegally. Only two security guards have been deployed at the warehouse while the electricity supply [...]
Teacher WhatsApp groups a headache for parents, children
By Nidarshani Wickramasinghe WhatsApp groups created by teachers to inform parents about student progress and co-curricular activities should be banned, teacher unions and parents say. Parents told the Sunday Times that messages getting through these WhatsApp groups often happen without proper time management, causing them significant mental stress. Through talks with some parents and the [...]
D.R. Wijewardene: The man and the mission
Impressions of a 15-year association Tomorrow marks the 140th birth anniversary of D.R. Wijewardene, the much respected press baron who founded the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited and played a key role in Sri Lanka’s independence movement. To commemorate the occasion, we are reproducing the following article. By E.E.C. Abayasekara My first encounter with D.R. [...]
Sri Lanka’s home for allergy and immunology
One-stop-centre for education, research and clinical care By Kumudini Hettiarachchi Humble have been the beginnings, though it is a matter of life and death for numerous men, women and children – first this critical work on allergies and immunity took place within a small house in Gangodawila, Nugegoda, and then in space shared with the [...]
Strainers in canals block plastic waste from polluting sea
By Sajeniya Sathanandan The Ocean Strainer™ project, a national initiative to combat marine plastic pollution through upstream intervention, was launched on February 18 with the installation of the 100th unit at the Wellawatte Canal near Havelock City. Beyond just catching waste, the initiative aims to change human behaviour. The goal is to make people understand [...]
GMOA warns of fresh action as tussle with Govt drags on
The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has warned that it will continue intensifying its trade union action until it receives a favourable response from the government to its demands. The GMOA will convene a crisis meeting on Wednesday to decide on fresh trade union action, Secretary Dr Prabath Sugathadasa said. He dismissed allegations by government [...]
Pera bags bronze in university category at Best Annual Reports and Accounts Awards
By L B Senaratne The University of Peradeniya has been awarded the Bronze Award in the University Category at the Best Annual Reports and Accounts (BARA) Awards – 2025, organised by the Association of Public Finance Accountants of Sri Lanka (APFASL), the public sector wing of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CASL). [...]
Pidurangala’s pachyderm problem needs “sustainable solution”
By Wasantha Ramanayake The death of a foreign tourist due to a wild elephant attack at Pidurangala in Sigiriya last week points to the lack of personnel and resources within the Wildlife Department as well as a lack of tourist awareness of possible wild elephant encounters after dark in the area, experts said. In the [...]
Planned Anuradhapura stadium on elephant turf may worsen lives of villagers
By Tharushi Weerasinghe Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe and Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage recently visited land earmarked for a new sports stadium at Lolugasweva in Anuradhapura, with officials moving to formally demarcate the site even as wildlife authorities and environmentalists raised concerns over potential impacts on elephant habitat. Officials [...]
Pinnawala opens musth enclosure to mark anniversary
By Kasun Warakapitiya The 51st anniversary of the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage of the Department of National Zoological Gardens was marked on Monday with the launch of the musth elephant enclosure. National Zoological Gardens Director General Dr Chanadana Rajapaksa said the orphanage, which was established on February 16, 1975, initially housed five orphaned calves, named Kumari, [...]
‘Ali Pancha’ to provide orphaned elephants imported Australian milk powder
By Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe A special programme was held at the Hambantota Port premises to symbolise the provision of milk powder imported from Australia to orphaned elephant calves for the first time in Sri Lanka under a project titled ‘Ali Pancha’. The project aims to protect and nourish the lives of elephant calves that have [...]