Jan 9 (EN) As Julie Chung, U.S. Ambassador to SL, prepares to depart SL on next week after nearly four years, her tenure stands out as one of the most active and influential in recent diplomatic history. Arriving in Feb 2022, just as SL plunged into its worst economic crisis since independence, Chung navigated a landscape of protests, political upheaval, and recovery efforts. Her approach blended high-level engagements, more..

Jan 9 (AD) Colombo Magistrate’s Court today ordered an amendment to a bail condition previously imposed on the former Mayor of the Moratuwa Municipal Council, Saman Lal Fernando, who is appearing in court as a suspect in a corruption case. The case was taken up before Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga Bodaragama. During the proceedings, the attorney representing the suspect informed the court that his client had been requested to visit the Moratuwa Municipal Council to more..

Jan 9 (DM) A rising number of injuries to the fingertips of dominant hands have been reported among men while attempting to clean their brand-new motorcycles, Colombo National Hospital’s Plastic and Surgery Department has warned. Dr. Ganidu Madhava said most victims are young men aged 20 to 30. He noted a recurring pattern of injuries linked to unsafe chain-cleaning practices. “Motorcycle manufacturers advise cleaning chains after a certain number of kilometers. more..

Jan 9 (Island) SJB MP spokesman Mujibur Rahuman wants the Catholic Church to exert pressure on the NPP govt to have an arrest warrant issued for Pulasthini Mahendran aka Sara Jasmine, wife of Katuwapitiya suicide bomber Atchchi Muhammadu Hastun. He said that the Catholic Church should throw its weight behind the SJB’s call for an open warrant and pressure the govt to ask for Interpol assistance to track down the fugitive. more..

Jan 9 (NW) Opposition MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam has slammed the slander campaign against Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Harini Amarasuriya. In a statement on social media, MP Ponnambalam acknowledged that he and his party, the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF), have some very serious policy differences with Harini Amarasuriya not only in her capacity as PM and a leading member of her party but also as the education minister. more..

Jan 9 (DM) Contracts have been given to set up seven power plants across the country without calling for tenders, an opposition MP revealed in Parliament yesterday. MP Mujibur Rahman said one contract had been given to two famous SL cricketers while another had been given to a company which was formerly owned by the Minister of Power & Energy Kumara Jayakody. “Where is transparency pledged by the govt?” he questioned. He said the contracts for a 100mw plant in Ottamavdai, more..

Jan 9 (AD) Former Minister Douglas Devananda, who was arrested and remanded, has been granted bail by the Gampaha Magistrate’s Court. After being produced before Gampaha Magistrate Shilani Perera, Devananda was granted bail under two personal bonds of Rs. 2 million each. The court ordered that the guarantors must be two close relatives of the defendant and imposed an overseas travel ban on the former minister. The case is scheduled for further hearing on 27 March. more..

Jan 9 (DM) Police have launched a special investigation following a complaint alleging that a Divisional Secretary currently serving at a Divisional Secretariat in the Ratnapura District had prepared fraudulent documents in connection with her marriage. The complaint was lodged by Ratnapura District Secretary K.G.M. Nishantha, prompting authorities to initiate detailed inquiries into the matter, police said. According to information revealed during preliminary investigations, more..

Jan 9 (FT) India aims to move decisively from announcements to execution in its economic engagement with SL in 2026, with a sharper focus on investments, connectivity, digital collaboration, and concessional financing, while awaiting Colombo’s formal position on upgrading the bilateral trade framework, Indian High Commissioner to SL Santosh Jha said. Addressing a press conference, Jha underscored that SL holds more..

Jan 9 (NW) Director General of the CAASL, Captain Daminda Rabukwella, said that investigators remain at Gregory Lake examining the Cinnamon Air seaplane crash, while recovery efforts are being hampered by difficult underwater conditions. He said the recovery of the seaplane is proving extremely challenging as the front section has sunk into mud at the bottom of the lake. “At the moment, retrieving the seaplane from the water is extremely difficult because front section is embedded in mud,” more..

Jan 9 (DM) Those who killed Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickramatunga governed the nation some years ago, Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake told Parliament today. He made this remark when MP Ravi Karunanayake asked why the Parliament Secretariat rejected a question he was to ask on the Wickramatunga killing. "Lasantha's killers and those who pledged to find them governed the nation years ago. They have failed but we will find and penalise all who harassed journalists in the past," more..

Jan 9 (AD) PM Harini Amarasuriya stated that the Govt does not act to protect any individual based on their status, noting that this is clearly evident through the judicial processes currently underway. She made these remarks in Parliament in response to a question raised by SJB MP Ajith P. Perera. PM stated that a system governed by the rule of law and an independent judiciary mentioned under the policy framework more..

Jan 9 (AD) Five suspects including former Minister Johnston Fernando and his two sons, who were arrested by the FCID, have been further remanded until Jan 23 by the Wattala Magistrate’s Court. Former Minister Johnston Fernando, his son Johan Fernando, youngest son Jerome Kenneth Fernando and two others were arrested in connection with the alleged misuse of a Sathosa vehicle during Fernando’s tenure as Minister. Previously, police had warned that an arrest warrant would be more..

Jan 9 (FT) PM and Minister of Education Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, addressing the public, have been speaking of the need for education reforms. PM, former student of St. Bishop’s College, followed by an Indian Govt scholarship to Uni of Delhi. She also obtained a PhD from the Uni of Edinburgh. She has failed to be specific, but wished to increase the school closing time by half an hour. Currently, schools close at 1.30 pm; closing at 2 pm will delay children’s lunch by half an hour, more..

Jan 9 (FT) In May 2025, at the 8th Meeting of the EU Working Group on Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights, Govt confirmed the commitment to repeal the PTA and briefed the Working Group on the timeline to replace it with new counter-terrorism legislation in compliance with international norms and standards. The recommendations of this group carry weight when the EU decides whether to allow SL continued access to the European market through GSP+ trade preferences. more..

Jan 9 (NW) A Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) member elected from the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) is facing the risk of losing her council seat after the party terminated her membership for voting in favour of the municipal budget alongside the NPP. In a letter dated Jan 9, the SLMC informed CMC councillor Zohara Buhary that her party membership had been terminated with immediate effect for what it described as a gross violation of party discipline. more..

Jan 9 (EN) A deep depression over the Bay of Bengal could intensify and will move towards Trincomalee, Met Dept said a 530 am weather forcast, while a land area forecast warned of the possibility of the system intensifying into a cyclone. “The deep depression in the Bay of Bengal to the southeast of Sri Lanka (At 4:00 a.m. on Jan 9th, 2026 located about 200 km South east of Batticaloa) is very likely to intensify further and more..

Jan 9 (DM) Authorities have urged the public to take action as a developing weather system in the Bay of Bengal is expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds to several parts of the country. The deep depression, located about 200 kilometres southeast of Batticaloa as at 4.00 a.m. on Jan 9, is forecast to intensify further and move northwestwards towards the SL coast between Pottuvil and Trincomalee by this evening. Meteorological forecasts indicate that the system is likely to strengthen more..

Jan 9 (AD) The US has announced it will provide ten TH-57 (Bell 206 Sea Ranger) helicopters to the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) at no cost for the equipment itself with delivery expected early this year. In a post on X, the outgoing U.S. Ambassador to SL Julie Chung stated that these helicopters will be transferred under the Excess Defense Articles Program (EDA). Manufactured in Texas and known for their reliability, the helicopters are expected to arrive in SL in early 2026 more..

Jan 9 (NW) PM Harini Amarasuriya said Thursday that the govt is formulating a national policy to ensure child protection in the use of technology, amid controversy surrounding a Grade 6 English language textbook. Speaking in Kandy, the prime minister briefed the chief Buddhist prelates of the Malwathu and Asgiriya chapters on an error identified in the first print run of the Grade 6 English module. more..

Jan 9 (AD) A total of 500 tablet devices have been issued to traffic police officers in the Western Province, enabling efficient access to the enhanced SL Police Road Accident Data Management System and facilitating the verification of the new digital insurance e-card (e-card). The annual plastic insurance card currently issued by insurance companies to vehicle owners will be phased out in the near future, SL Police have announced, Accordingly, steps have been taken to more..

Jan 9 (AD) A discussion has been held focusing on several key proposals, including the establishment of a technology research and development institution in SL aimed at strengthening int'l academic collaboration and innovation-driven research. The discussion was held at the Parliamentary Complex between representatives of the Uni of Oulu in Finland, and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, together with PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne. more..

Jan 9 (DM) A minor tremor with a magnitude of 2.2 was recorded in the Ududumbara area this evening (8), Seismic Data and Tsunami Center confirmed. Authorities from the Geological Survey & Mines Bureau clarified that the tremor was not related to recent floods or landslides. They noted that minor tremors, typically below magnitude 3.0, are common in the central hills, particularly near reservoirs. The tremor was reported at 5:05 pm at a shallow depth in the Ududumbara area. more..

Jan 9 (FT) CB Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe yesterday said SL’s Gross Official Reserves (GOR) climbed to over $ 6.8 billion by end-2025, marking the highest reserve level registered since the country’s economic crisis, despite continued external pressures. He noted that reserves hovered between $ 6 billion and $ 6.3 billion for most of the year, even as SL faced challenging conditions including the need to service external Govt debt without matching inflows & sharp increase in foreign exchange more..

Jan 9 (FT) Central Bank of SL (CBSL) yesterday outlined an ambitious and wide-ranging policy agenda for 2026 and beyond, placing price stability, financial system resilience, climate risk management & institutional modernisation at the centre of the country’s transition from post-crisis recovery to durable, inclusive growth. Delivering annual policy address, CBSL Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe said more..

Jan 9 (FT) SL exports to Saudi Arabia recorded a 19% increase from Jan to Sept 2025, compared to the corresponding period in 2024. Ambassador of SL to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ameer Ajwad, stated that this double-digit growth represents an outstanding accomplishment in 2025, achieved through sustained and well-coordinated efforts undertaken by the Embassy of SL in Riyadh in close collaboration with the Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Ministry, more..

Jan 9 (FT) Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake, a distinguished maritime, logistics, and corporate leader, has been appointed Adviser to the President on Maritime, Ports and Logistics with immediate effect. Dr. Dissanayake is currently Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of Aitken Spence and holds several senior leadership roles within the Group. He previously served as Secretary to Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Southern Development and has twice held the position of Chairman of the SLPA. more..

Jan 9 (NW) A proposal has been made to appoint an expert committee under the leadership of the Minister of Environment to investigate issues related to the Ambuluwawa Environmental Zone, following concerns raised over recent landslides in the area. A group of young journalists and social activists, including journalist Tharindu Jayawardene, who has been reporting on the landslides, met the Minister of Environment on Wednesday morning (8) to discuss the situation. more..

Jan 9 (EN) India will disburse around 350 million dollar equivalent of 450 million dollars of aid committed for cyclone recovery to Sri Lanka in Indian rupees, High Commissioner Satosh Jha said. India is giving 100 million dollars of the of the reconstruction aid in grants. “The assistance will be multi-pronged, assisting SL in sectors that are the worst hit,” he said. “The five categories of support are rehabilitation and restoration of road, railway and bridge connectivity, more..

Jan 9 (FT) SL garment manufacturers have now gained unprecedented access to UK markets under liberalised trade rules. The changes allow manufacturers to source up to 100% of inputs for garments from any country worldwide whilst maintaining tariff-free access to the UK market. Fewer processing requirements now apply, removing the previous rule that two significant manufacturing processes must take place more..

Jan 9 (FT) CB Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe yesterday said its efforts to build a more resilient and stable financial sector will continue under the Master Plan for the consolidation of banks and finance companies, with a strong focus on long-term sustainability and systemic stability. Delivering the annual policy address, he said the CB has commenced enhanced monitoring of finance companies based on scores achieved under the revised Phase II assessment framework. more..

Jan 9 (FT) Overseas School of Colombo (OSC) turned sport into service, raising Rs. 1.1 million for the Colombo Friend-in-Need Society (CFINS) at SAISA Swimming Meet - 2025. Over the three - day tournament, OSC’s Gecko Gear Service Group ran a merchandise stall, channelling student energy into community support. Founded in 1831, CFINS is SL’s oldest charitable organisation, providing free prosthetic limbs to those affected by landmines, accidents, or illnesses such as cancer, more..