Jan 8 (CI) Pakistan flexed their muscle in the first T20I in Dambulla, beating SL by six wickets with 20 balls to spare. The win was set up by their bowling unit. On a two-paced pitch, Salman Mirza and Abrar Ahmed picked up three wickets each and a returning Shadab Khan two. SL's innings never got going. Sent in, they found themselves on 38 for 4 in the seventh over. They recovered to reach 127 for 6 in the 18th but lost the last 4 wickets more..

Jan 8 (Island) Research and Development (R&D) constitutes the intellectual and technological foundation upon which modern economies are built. Nations that invest strategically in R&D consistently outperform those that rely primarily on resource extraction, low-wage labour, or import-driven consumption. For SL, a country with limited natural resources, a small domestic market, and high vulnerability to external shocks, knowledge-driven development is not merely desirable but more..

Jan 8 (Island) JVP/NPP leaders seem to have forgotten that serving justice for the Easter Sunday terror victims was a central plank of their election platform in 2024. They delivered thunderous speeches replete with theatrics at election rallies, condemning the previous govts for their failure to trace the masterminds behind the Easter Sunday carnage. They garnered favour with the families of the Easter Sunday carnage victims and other seekers of justice to win elections. more..

Jan 8 (SO) In the shadow of Cyclone Ditwah’s catastrophic wake, SL potentially faces a food scarcity that should be addressed soon. As SL grapples with the aftermath of Nov 2025’s devastating storm, there is a possibility of a food crisis fuelled by disrupted agriculture, soaring prices, and fragile supply chains. Yet, amid this gloom, a bold path emerges: aggressive pursuit of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with nations far and wide. This is not just an economic strategy, but also a more..

Jan 8 (CT) The deaths reported from Thambarawila in Waikkala last morning were not merely another tragic headline; they were a stark reminder of a long-festering national failure. Lives were lost not to a sudden epidemic or natural disaster, but to a toxic brew circulating freely among the most vulnerable. Illicit liquor, often dismissed as a marginal or rural problem, once again revealed its deadly reach, devastating families, workplaces and communities within hours. more..

Jan 8 (CT) SL’s already fragile system of public financial accountability has been pushed deeper into crisis following the Constitutional Council’s rejection of yet another nominee put forward by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake to assume duties as Auditor General. The decision, taken in mid-Dec 2025, marks the fourth rejection of a presidential nominee within an 8-month period and leaves the country without either a permanent more..

Jan 8 (CT) The Sri Lankan public is navigating a period of profound fiscal contraction. Under the stringent IMF Extended Fund Facility (EFF), the govt has been compelled to pursue aggressive revenue mobilization. Tax brackets have widened, and the annual turnover threshold for VAT has been slashed from Rs. 60 million to Rs. 36 million. For the average person, these are not just numbers; they are daily battles with the cost of living. However, there is a social contract at play. more..

Jan 8 (GV) SL did not enter 2026 through celebration. It crossed the threshold quietly, carrying grief. The final days of 2025 did not offer closure but catastrophe. Cyclone Ditwah, the most devastating climate disaster since the 2004 tsunami, swept across the island with a force that felt sudden yet deeply foretold. Floodwaters swallowed towns in the lowlands. In the Central Highlands, long abused in the name of development, the earth itself gave way. More than 1,500 major landslides were more..

Jan 8 (TM) Under the Govt’s newly-introduced education reforms, curriculum changes for Grades 1 and 6 are set to be implemented from tomorrow (5). According to the proposed framework, these reforms will be gradually introduced into SL’s general education system from this year onwards. The revised curricula will initially apply to Grade 1 in the primary education sector and Grade 6 in the junior secondary sector. more..

Jan 8 (DM) US Prez Donald Trump has thrown a wrecking ball at the rule-based international order and brags about it. However, unlike his previous action, the cost of the latest misadventures is hard to undo, and it has set the template for the other great powers to follow suit at their own volition. The international order that would emerge from the smouldering of American action in Venezuela would mimic the int'l system harking back to 19th-century great-power politics, when each great power more..

Jan 8 (DM) Adverse weather conditions are likely to prevail in SL with another depression forming over the Bay of Bengal. This Depression is likely to intensify over the next 24 hours. Red alerts have been issued in several districts including Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Badulla and Matale. Many of these areas are now like an active volcano, erupting frequently, posing threats to people living in these rather isolated locations. More than a month has elapsed since Cyclone Ditwah struck SL. more..

Jan 8 (DM) US Prez Donald Trump has thrown a wrecking ball at the rule-based international order and brags about it. However, unlike his previous action, th26/01/07/tenders-called-for-central-expressways-rambukkana-galagedara-stretch/more..

Jan 7 (AD) Minister of Justice and National Integration, Harshana Nanayakkara, has stated that once the Parliamentary Pensions (Repeal) Bill, which seeks to repeal the Parliamentary Pensions Law, is enacted, no Member of Parliament will be entitled to receive a pension. The First Reading of the Bill seeking to repeal parliamentary pensions was held in Parliament today. Minister commented further: “Following the Second and Third Readings, this Bill will be passed into law, more..

Jan 7 (DM) The programme to provide compensation for fully damaged houses and to construct new homes for families affected by the disaster will commence on January 9 in A'pura and Kurunegala, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake said. Prez made these remarks while participating in the second meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Finance, Planning & Economic Development of the 10th Parliament, more..

Jan 7 (Island) SJB MP Gayantha Karunathilaka yesterday urged Parliament to assign the chairmanship of the proposed Special Committee to investigate the lack of preparedness for Cyclone Ditwah to an Opposition MP. Raising the matter in the House, Karunathilaka also called for a revision of the committee’s composition, stressing the need for greater Opposition representation. He noted that a formal written request, signed by several MPs, had already been submitted to the Speaker more..

Jan 7 (AD) Opposition MPs have commenced signing a no-confidence motion against Minister of Education Dr. Harini Amarasuriya. A discussion in this regard commenced this morning under the auspices of Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa at the opposition leader’s office in Parliament. According to members of the opposition, no-confidence motion is being planned due to several shortcomings in the current govt’s education reforms, including content deemed more..

Jan 7 (DM) The printing of vehicle number plates, delayed for over eight months, is expected to delay a further three months, with the backlog now approaching 200,000 vehicles since March last year. The delay has created a crisis on the roads, with industry sources estimating that over 200,000 vehicles are currently operating without govt-issued number plates, raising concerns over safety and security especially at a time more..

Jan 7 (AD) The Govt of SL has signed a grant agreement valued at EUR 8 million with the European Union to launch a new initiative under the AgriGreen Initiative – Green Economic Growth through Sustainable Agriculture Practices project. The grant, provided by the European Union, will support a project jointly developed by the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure as lead-Ministry, Rubber Development Department and Rubber Research Institute of SL, more..

Jan 7 (AD) Steps have been taken to prepare a code of guidelines on cyber security for officials involved in curriculum development, as well as the preparation and review of school textbooks. A discussion in this regard was held yesterday at Temple Trees under the patronage of PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, with the participation of the working group on online safety, digital wellbeing, and cyber security operating under the Task Force for the Digitalization of Education for Grades 6 to 13. more..

Jan 7 (CT) The Cabinet of Ministers approved a National Strategic Action Plan to Combat and Prevent Trafficking in Human Beings for the period 2026–2030, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said yesterday (6). He said that Sri Lanka is a signatory to and has ratified the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and the Palermo Protocol on Trafficking in Persons, particularly targeting protection of women & children. more..

Jan 7 (CT) Ministerial Consultative Committee on Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources has approved, on 6 Jan, a set of new regulations under the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act and the Fishermen’s Pension and Social Security Benefit Scheme Act, paving the way for their presentation to Parliament. The decision was taken at a committee meeting held at Parliament on 5 Jan, chaired by Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar, with the participation of Dy Minister Ratna Gamage. more..

Jan 7 (EN) SL Customs has set a revenue target of 2,207 billion rupees for this year, 13.5% less than last year as it expects a significant decline in car imports. The Customs collected 2,551 billion rupees in revenues in 2025, higher than its revised target of 2,241 billion rupees for the year. However, the target for this year has been around 344 billion rupees lower than last year. Customs revenue jumped 64% last year compared to more..

Jan 7 (TM) Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala told Parliament today that investigations have uncovered information suggesting that Pulasthini Mahendran, also known as Sarah Jasmine and connected to the 2019 Easter attacks, is still alive. Minister stated that there is currently no evidence to indicate that Sarah Jasmine is in India. He also emphasized that the Govt is prepared to seek a warrant for her arrest if necessary. Minister confirmed that investigations into more..

Jan 7 (DM) My dear PM and Opposition Members, To the Opposition - It is with a certain sense of humour that I have been patiently watching your remarks before the media in recent days, as well as in Parliament, where collectively you have been calling for the resignation of PM Harini Amarasuriya over the mess up in the Grade Six English Language module. This is indeed a grave issue, especially since PM Amarasuriya is an educated scholar who was entrusted with the Education Ministry. more..

~Jan 7 (Island) Chairman of the CoPF, MP Dr. Harsha de Silva, told Parliament yesterday that Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake had personally telephoned him in response to a letter highlighting the prolonged delay in appointing an Auditor General, a vacancy that has remained unfilled since 07 Dec. Dr. de Silva said the Prez had contacted him following the letter he sent, in his capacity as CoPF Chairman, more..

Jan 7 (FT) A new study by Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) has revealed the extent and nature of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) experienced by SL female migrant domestic workers in the Middle East. The research underscores the urgent need for stronger protection frameworks to safeguard this vulnerable group and reduce their exposure to exploitation and abuse. Study, titled: Empirical evidence on sexual and gender based violence faced by migrant female domestic workers, more..

Jan 7 (ST) Thisuri Wanniarachchi won the State Literary Award for Best English Novel at just 16 with her first book Colombo Streets. Her new book The Department of Chosen Ones is an eye-opening insider’s account of how power truly operates inside the SL state set against SL’s recent political upheavals. Published by Vijitha Yapa Publications, the book traces Thisuri’s journey from a childhood shaped by war and ambition to the centre of govt, where she served in more..

Jan 7 (NW) A SL passenger carrying a consignment of Kush‑type narcotics valued at around Rs. 700 million was arrested at BIA. The arrest was made this morning by officials of the Customs Narcotics Control Unit while the suspect attempted to take the drugs out through the airport’s Green Channel. The suspect is a 24‑year‑old businessman from Ja‑Ela, who operates a tourist hotel in Kudapaduwa, Negombo. He had brought the narcotics from Bangkok, Thailand, to New Delhi, India, more..

Jan 7 (DM) The newly established sperm bank at the Castle Street Hospital for Women in Colombo has received an adequate supply of sperm donations to meet current demand and therefore, prospective donors are requested to be patient until further notice, hospital authorities said. Hospital Director Dr. Ajith Kumara Danthanarayana said that the facility has already received sufficient donations and will call for additional donors only if and when the need arises. more..

Jan 7 (AD) U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung will depart Colombo on January 16 after almost four years of dedicated service, marking the conclusion of her tenure as the United States’ top diplomat in the country, according to the U.S. Embassy in SL. Ambassador Julie Chung commenced her tenure in Colombo in Feb 2022. “I have loved every moment of my time in Sri Lanka,” said Ambassador Chung. more..

Jan 7 (AD) A seaplane that was preparing to land plunged into Gregory Lake in Nuwara Eliya at around 12:30 p.m. today. The two pilots on board were injured in the crash and were admitted to the Nuwara Eliya District Hospital. Police stated that the aircraft met with the accident while it had arrived to transport a group of tourists visiting Nuwara Eliya. The two pilots were rescued from the reservoir by individuals engaged in boat rides on the lake. Cinnamon Air said it is working closely with more..

Jan 7 (AD) Sri Lanka and Germany have entered into a bilateral agreement in relation to the external debt restructuring process, Ministry of Finance said. The agreement marks a significant milestone and reflects SL govt’s continued commitment to conclude the debt restructuring process successfully in order to restore debt sustainability and revamp the economy, the Ministry added. Following bilateral discussions after the conclusion of the MoU with the Official Creditor Committee (OCC), more..