An Angunakolapelessa Prison inmate has tested positive for meningitis; seven other symptomatic inmates are under observation at Hambantota Hospital.
COPE Chairman Nishantha Samaraweera says a Carlton preschool has occupied part of the Maligawatte housing complex since 1999 at well below assessed value.
Two-judge bench overturns Seethawaka Soratha Thero's Avissawella High Court conviction, citing contradictions in the teenage complainant's testimony.
Engine of the daily Maradana–Hikkaduwa express train derailed near Maradana bridge on Sunday evening, blocking one track between Maradana and Colombo Fort.
NPP minister Sunil Kumara Gamage says no one can stop President Dissanayake's re-election in 2029, citing economic stabilisation and record remittances.
Deputy Minister Gunasena challenged SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa to bring his uncle Basil back to Sri Lanka as court pressure on the Rajapaksa family intensifies.
A 28-year-old Pannipitiya resident has been arrested in Homagama over chain snatching and motorcycle theft across multiple Colombo district divisions.
Police arrested a 41-year-old man over an alleged petrol attack on his wife in Angoda; victim remains critical in National Hospital ICU with severe burns.
Council member Ruwan Senaratne alleges signatures were bypassed for unauthorised withdrawals, citing breach of the 2012 Local Government Audit Provisions Act.
Activists allege a police delay over a missing colonial-era copper lightning conductor at the protected Nuwara Eliya Post Office; OIC rejects the claim.
IGP directs all stations to ease congestion at Buddhist sites, deploy day and night patrols, and act against behaviour undermining the sanctity of Vesak.
Opposition leader says reserves fall below the three-month import-cover threshold and warns of financial instability without a successor IMF programme.
Academic urges Sajith Premadasa and Ranil Wickremesinghe to expedite the alignment with a single platform announcement, warning against backroom deals.
The Colombo Crime Division has recovered a T-56 assault rifle buried beneath a tree inside the Somawathiya National Reserve, acting on an informant's tip.
JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva says Provincial Council elections may be held next year, citing Rs. 500bn redirected to Ditwah recovery and legal hurdles.
Sunday Times reports US authorities found the Delaware account empty and only USD 200 in a second state's account, leaving the bulk of stolen funds gone.
Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath will visit New Zealand and Australia from May 26 to June 3 and open Sri Lanka's High Commission in Wellington.
AKD instructed a special police committee for Eastern Province land grabs, urgent Gal Oya flood study and a resettlement plan at the Ampara DCC meeting.
Matara court ordered Basil Rajapaksa taken into custody and imposed a travel ban after the AG said booked return tickets were cancelled to evade hearings.
Balapitiya High Court Judge Ruchira Weliwatte sentenced five Bataduwa men to death over the 2007 pole-attack killing of Gusthinna Wadu Manjula in Batapola.
CCD said two wallets surfaced at Kapila Chandrasena's Barnes Place residence as the magistrate ordered officers to reconcile CCTV with witness accounts.
Walipenna Police have arrested a 56-year-old suspect after a 48-year-old Dharga Town resident was hacked to death during an argument on Friday evening.
Hatton Police have released CCTV footage of a suspect in the murder of an elderly couple at their Dikoya shop this week, seeking public help to locate him.
The suspect arrested over the Dikoya double murder has undergone a medical examination, the standard step before being produced before a magistrate.
Police have summoned ex-Minister Dilum Amunugama to record a statement over remarks the Women's Ministry says caused harm to a minor in the Hemarathana case.
Kudu Duminda and Mahawatte Chamara were among 21 Sri Lankans deported from Dubai; police say the duo carried Interpol red notices for drug trafficking.
EC told the Vijitha Herath parliamentary committee on Thursday it can hold Provincial Council polls under any electoral system parliament approves.
Mullaitivu Police arrested three suspects after a viral video showed a group of riders travelling dangerously without helmets; identification used CCTV.
PM Harini Amarasuriya returned to Colombo on Saturday after a UK visit that included Commonwealth education talks, ministerial meetings and diaspora outreach.
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa told Canadian HC Isabelle Martin the IMF should ease conditions on Sri Lanka and prioritise Cyclone Ditwah recovery.
Aluthgama Police are investigating after a severed male head washed ashore behind a popular tourist hotel at Moragalla on Saturday morning.
ITAK MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam urged government and opposition to set aside partisanship over rupee volatility, inflation and rising energy costs.
The 30-year-old Borella resident, subject of an international red notice, was detained at Bandaranaike International Airport on his return to Sri Lanka.
A Kuchchaveli man arrested May 19 over a Rs.4M fake Canada supermarket jobs racket; SLBFE says total fraud may exceed Rs.10M as more complaints emerge.
Magistrate Darshika Premaratne ordered Viranjith Thambugala's release from the Rs.70M helicopter fraud case after the AG advised no basis; travel ban lifted.
A landslide reactivated in Udakalagama, Gallella around 6:30am Friday, forcing 12 families to evacuate as NBRO Red-Level warnings remain in force in Ratnapura.
US Embassy in Colombo says no FBI team has deployed to Sri Lanka for the Treasury cyber theft probe, but its FBI Legal Attaché remains permanently at post.
CID arrested 21 Sri Lankans, including alleged underworld figures Mahawatta Chamara and Kudu Duminda, on arrival at Mattala after deportation from Dubai.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake dismissed fears of a 2022-style crash, contrasting today's ~$7bn in reserves with $50mn at the peak of the default.
President Dissanayake said the Government will allocate Rs. 2,000 billion for capital expenditure in 2027, citing a Treasury now in positive balance.
A 45-year-old inmate died after hospitalisation; eight others were transferred to Hambantota General Hospital with viral fever, the prisons department said.
Matara Magistrate Chathura Dissanayake rejected health-condition submissions from Basil Rajapaksa's lawyers and issued a warrant in the Brown Hill land case.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and bishops met government representatives on Thursday for the first time in nine years, agreeing on three meetings per year.
Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe said reserves stand at $6.3bn with $1bn more expected in 30 days, dismissing opposition claims of imminent collapse.
Complaint count rose from 16 on May 20 to 23 by Friday's closure; COPE chair Samaraweera confirms findings will go to CID and CIABOC for criminal probes.
Hatton Police launched an investigation after an elderly couple were found dead inside their shop with injuries consistent with a sharp-weapon attack.
Election Commission told the Vijitha Herath–chaired committee it can hold provincial polls under whichever system Parliament approves; AG flagged hurdles.
A Sub-Inspector, a Sergeant and three Constables have been arrested by the CID over the abduction of a businessman and theft of 2kg of gold in 2023.
PM Harini Amarasuriya met Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey at Marlborough House; climate finance and democratic governance led talks.
The Anuradhapura Chief Magistrate's Court released Ven. Pallegama Hemarathana Thera on Rs. 10mn sureties, Rs. 100,000 cash bail and a foreign travel ban.
An anti-drug youth conference will be held on June 26, the International Day Against Drug Abuse, as part of the government's Ratama Ekata national campaign.
President restarts Rs. 945mn Nindavur Cultural Centre and Rs. 1,744mn Ampara town hall, both stalled for years, with 2027 and 2028 completion targets.
Sajith Premadasa and party leaders asked Speaker Wickramaratne for an urgent rupee debate and pressed President Dissanayake to convene an All Party Conference.
FM Herath thanked Washington for 10 Bell helicopters and a fourth Coast Guard Cutter after meeting US State Department's Nicole Chulick in Colombo.
Finance Ministry says officers are visiting Aswesuma applicants' homes ahead of the May 31 deadline; false information carries up to a year in jail.
IAID freezes Athurugiriya house, six bank accounts and a luxury car under the PMLA after a probe into eZ Cash wallet deposits dating to 2017.
Wickramaratne calls in the Sergeant-at-Arms after the NDF MP walks into the Well of the House and refuses to drop his sub judice travel-ban grievance.
Rear Admiral (Retd) Jayarathna says India and China read Colombo's decisions through their rivalry lens and warns local strategic awareness has lagged.
Admiral Colombage said China ran bonded weapons warehouses at Colombo and Galle from 2006–2009 from which Sri Lanka drew arms on Defence Ministry letters.
Anil Jayantha Fernando says 380 LCs covering 1,782 vehicles valued at USD 23.71 million were opened on the day before the 50% surcharge gazette took effect.
Women and Child Affairs Ministry asked the IGP to investigate ex-Minister Dilum Amunugama over remarks about a minor involved in the Hemarathana case.
Six months after Cyclone Ditwah hit Kandy, 1,630 families remain without permanent housing and the government cannot give Parliament a resettlement date.
Frontline Socialist Party petitioned the Court of Appeal to block recovery of Rs.20bn+ in substandard coal losses through electricity tariffs or taxes.
SJB MP Mujibur Rahman told Parliament 1,782 new-vehicle LCs were opened a day before the surcharge gazette, alleging dealers close to the President benefited.
Stock-verification gap between 281 ledgered paintings and 239 physically at the Kalabhavana dates to a 2015 survey; CID Colombo South is now assessing.
First phase covering 5,000+ paddy farmers across 7 cultivation seasons from 2019 Yala to 2022 Yala begins under the President's patronage in Malimbada.
MP Bhagya Sri Herath will chair a panel set up by the parliament Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment to probe the coal plant's environmental impact.
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa says opposition parties have united and requested President Dissanayake convene an All Party Conference on the economy.
Public Administration Minister Chandana Abeyratne says 98% of Phase I pension revision payments are complete, with Phase II rollout scheduled for July.
About 1,000 Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim attendees turned out as the PM claimed an 'irreversible' shift in Sri Lanka's political culture during her UK trip.
Illegal Assets Investigation Division targets Rs. 30 million Athurugiriya property, six accounts and a luxury vehicle linked to instant-transfer drug ring.
RDA engineers begin indefinite strike from 21 May, withdrawing from district and divisional coordination committees over an unresolved salary anomaly.
Opposition leader says Sri Lanka cannot hit the IMF's $14.2bn March 2027 reserve target and must negotiate a successor programme from a position of strength.
A neighbour was arrested after the woman's body was found in a travelling bag at her Mookalangamuwa home, with CCTV removed and the phone line cut.
FM Vijitha Herath told SCO Secretary-General Yermekbayev that Colombo seeks deeper engagement in tourism, transport, logistics and agriculture.
Railway Track and Engineering Sub-Department assesses 200 feet of track, sleepers and components damaged; signalling and carriage assessments still pending.
Police summoned Wimal Weerawansa over the May 18 War Heroes Memorial confrontation, threatening Kaduwela court action if he fails to appear.
At the Batticaloa District Coordination Committee, AKD also commits to starting all planned road projects this year and developing Valaichchenai Harbour.
In Batticaloa, the President said historical influence will no longer shield anyone and mobilised crowds cannot obstruct CID, CCD or Narcotics Bureau work.
President tells Batticaloa audience institutional independence is intact; CID, CCD and Narcotics Bureau working without interference as arrests proceed.
Eastern Province monk says senior police and Presidential Security Division officials helped arrange a meeting with the President during his Batticaloa visit.
The Eastern Province monk said he would distance himself from the Rajapaksa-aligned clerical network after a meeting with the President in Batticaloa.
A stalled municipal project was completed Wednesday, with the President planting a sapling and former MP M.A. Sumanthiran formally inaugurating the building.
Customs intercepted three Shanghai passengers carrying 87 phones and 140 batteries worth Rs.5.14 million, hidden in clothing and confectionery packs.
Environment Minister Dhammika Patabendi said the rescinded decisions, in violation of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance, will go to the Supreme Court.
Speaker Wickramaratne and Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake refuse to allow debate on the court-ordered ban that kept the MP off a May 5-6 China programme.
Colombo court granted bail to all four suspects in the Chandrasena fake-sureties case, including the two fraudulent guarantors who enabled his remand release.
Kalutara South Police and transport medical inspectors detained nine bus and van workers aged 35–57 found on duty under the influence of drugs.
Election Commission to appear Wednesday before the Vijitha Herath Special Committee on Provincial Council elections, after AG submission on legal hurdles.
Mount Lavinia Divisional CID and the TRCSL seized Rs. 10 million of broadcasting equipment at Attidiya Road and arrested a 55-year-old Maldivian national.
Hewage challenged Sajith Premadasa to prove the claim that he said a Toyota Vitz could be imported for Rs. 1.2 million, offering to resign if proven.
Responding to ASG submissions, the SLPP MP said his 2018/19 prison visits to Pillayan were 'no secret' and questioned why the CID travelled to France.
On day two of her UK visit, the Prime Minister addressed Oxford's School of Global and Area Studies on women's participation, the care economy and reform.
PM Harini Amarasuriya is to meet UK Foreign Secretary and Education Secretary today, plus British Council experts, after addressing the Sussex IDS conference.
One suspect injured and admitted to Tangalle Hospital, a second arrested at the scene in Kattakaduwa, NewsFirst reports citing police.
Rajapaksas visited Pillayan at Batticaloa Prison after Easter attacks and promised bail within a week of Gotabaya winning, DSG told court.
ASG Dileepa Peiris filed a 14-page report identifying the former intelligence chief as the contractor, tracing the operation to 2017 Aliyar Junction events.
Hatton Division stations have run 336 raids and recovered heroin, ice, cannabis, hashish, kush and mawa around the Adam's Peak pilgrimage trail.
Kaduwela Magistrate ordered police to complete the May 18 war-memorial probe before naming suspects; Weerawansa's lawyer says he will appear voluntarily.
President AKD told the 17th National War Heroes' Commemoration in Battaramulla that Sri Lanka must honour sacrifices by building a just, developed nation.
Dissanayake meeting with UDA on Monday prioritised Kelani flood mitigation, Beira Lake restoration and low-income housing in Ratmalana and Moratuwa.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake met army personnel undergoing treatment at the Ragama rehabilitation centre on Tuesday morning before the Battaramulla commemoration.
Western Province (South) Crimes Division seeks the driver of the vehicle used in the February shooting that killed a lawyer and his wife in Talangama.
Charges filed at Trial-at-Bar against former CBSL Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal for failing to repay Rs. 1.84 billion ordered under his conditional release.
CCD told Colombo Magistrate's Court no cameras recorded footage at either residence; DVRs and two unidentified tablet types referred to Government Analyst.
NPP lawyers cite the Chilaw HC verdict linked to ex-Minister Sanath Nishantha's brother as proof that political interference in courts is over.
Bribery Commission warns of prosecution under Anti-Corruption Act; submissions moved exclusively online via the Commission's official portal.
Retired Rear Admiral D.K.P. Dassanayake alleged India is using provincial councils, Katchatheevu and fisheries to expand influence in Sri Lanka.
Anil Jayantha Fernando confirms QR rationing stays in place to manage consumption; CPC says May use is below recent months and is now ordering November fuel.
Joint statement says the May 22 hearing on abuse allegations against Anuradhapura Atamasthanadhipathi Hemarathana Thera is a test of equal justice.
SJB ex-MP says the Dec 2023 press conference used fabricated video from Adarsha Karadana to accuse Ashu Marasinghe; both sides reached a court settlement.
NFF Central Committee member Dr. Supun Abeysinghe lodged an HRCSL complaint over denial of access at the War Heroes' Monument involving Wimal Weerawansa.
Indian Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh paid tribute at Battaramulla's IPKF Memorial and met SLAF and Defence Ministry leaders during a three-day visit.
House clears tax legislation aimed at simplifying the system and tightening enforcement on evaders, rejecting opposition push to extend the penalty window.
A 41-year-old Peliyagoda resident was arrested in Pahala Biyanwila with 1,568 grams of crystal methamphetamine, two phones, three bank cards and a car.
Namal Rajapaksa accuses the President and PM of failing to honour war heroes; NPP's Madarasinghe rejects the charge, citing the past exploitation of soldiers.
At the Institute of Development Studies 60th anniversary, PM Amarasuriya put paid and unpaid care work at the centre of her UK address on governance.
Supreme Court cleared the Terrorist Financing Amendment Bill as constitutional; the Financial Transaction Reporting Bill was approved with conditions.
SC finds Prof. Kapila Perera arbitrarily blocked W.S. Sathyananda from his Additional Secretary post, undermining the PSC's constitutional authority.
Police raided a secret TV and radio transmission centre near Ratmalana Airport, seizing Rs. 50 million in equipment and arresting two, including a Maldivian.
SJB's Niroshan Padukka says two businessmen opened LCs for 4,000 vehicles before the surcharge gazette, linking the rush to the rupee's slide from Rs.323.
Sujeewa Senasinghe warns Parliament the rupee could hit Rs.360 in five months and President AKD may be forced into a national government within four.
Aruna Jayasekara announces widow-and-orphan pension extensions for unmarried injured retirees and divorced veterans, plus a private security regulator soon.
Teldeniya Police arrested Amith Weerasinghe over alleged fraud over unbuilt cabanas in Pallekele and Ella; his company's MD was earlier detained in the case.
Amnesty said Sri Lanka's failure to deliver credible wartime investigations still undermines reconciliation as Tamil families gathered at Mullivaikkal.
A writ petition by licensed retailers argues using subsidised rice as a beer raw material breaches the Excise law and harms the national economy.
Transport Minister addressed the Kazan forum on international routes and foreign trade, emphasising connectivity gains for developing economies.
Central Province technical officers warn of provincial service shutdown over a recruitment dispute that could halt Rs. 4 billion Ditwah rehabilitation.
Colombo High Court lifted the overseas travel restriction on the MP, who faces corruption charges over a 2016 Uva Provincial Council cheque deposit.
Sri Lanka Railways imports 10,000 rail tracks for the Coastal Line corridor, with June delivery and 70% of speed restrictions to be cleared by December 2026.
Court of Appeal ordered officials to grant alternative land to a Swiss-Sri Lankan whose Batticaloa plot was seized in 2005 to house tsunami displaced.
NDRSC has rolled out an online compensation and community-inquiry platform for Ditwah survivors with Norway funding, UNICEF support and 34 UN Volunteers.
Power Minister Anura Karunathilaka says restructuring, renewables and hydropower efficiency will lower generation costs as 1,898 CEB retirees collect payouts.
Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka accused Wimal Weerawansa and others of opportunism, saying they portrayed themselves as saviours while soldiers carried the war.
Vijitha Herath launched a unified digital platform linking seven SL missions: New Delhi, Malé, Cairo, Bucharest, Brasília, Wellington and The Hague.
Prof. G.L. Peiris accused the bribery commission of fabricating cases and linked Kapila Chandrasena's suicide to alleged intervention by its director general.
Over 1,000 foreign nationals arrested for cybercrime in 2026, more than double the 2024 total, as syndicates pushed out of Cambodia and Myanmar shift base.
The HRCSL updated the President on eight GANHRI recommendations and proposed amendments to the HRCSL Act to fully implement them.
PM Harini Amarasuriya has agreed to transfer the disputed Malwana property to the UGC, prompting IUSF students to begin vacating after a four-day occupation.
Health Minister tells Geneva assembly Sri Lanka has 41 Arogya wellness centres with 300 targeted this year, and calls for lifelong childhood-cancer care.
Senior J'pura academics asked the HRCSL to probe alleged harassment, blocked recommendations and disrupted academic freedom in the political science dept.
Party says no Pelawatte clash took place over Wickramaratne's cricket role and reiterates the NPP opposes political crossovers from the opposition.
Two Sri Lankan passengers arriving from Bangkok were detained at BIA with 14kg of Kush concealed in two suitcases, with a street value of over Rs. 140 million.
Memorial events were held across the Northern and Eastern provinces on May 18; organisers said security forces and police tried to disrupt commemorations.
Attorney Manoj Gamage said the former President received no invitation to the May 19 Battaramulla event and disputed Minister Upali Pannilage's claim he had.
A Disaster Relief Services Officer in Monaragala has been dismissed and a Grama Niladhari transferred amid the inquiry into misused Ditwah relief funds.
Police say the concealed weapon, believed used in targeted hits, was found in Weligama after questioning of a repatriated organised crime figure.
PM Amarasuriya left for the UK Monday to attend the Commonwealth Education Forum and COL Board meeting, with bilateral talks with Phillipson and Cooper planned.
Environment and Defence Deputy Ministers initiate a joint mechanism to declare MPAs around Northern Province islands and crack down on IUU fishing.
FR petition seeking recovery of the Rs. 15.9 billion sugar-tax loss under the former president was called before Justices Gunaratne and Abeykoon.
TVK leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay pledged continued support for the global Tamil diaspora marking the 2009 civil war anniversary.
Promotions across the Tri Forces were granted on Service Commanders' recommendations ahead of the May 19 commemoration marking 17 years since Nandikadal.
Ranaviruseva Authority says May 19 Battaramulla ceremony will include 30 N&E fallen-soldier relatives for the first time under President AKD's patronage.
May 18 marks 17 years since Sri Lankan forces ended the LTTE insurgency at Nandikadal in 2009, with Prabhakaran's death closing a three-decade conflict.
Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court has adjourned the 2016 UN Office protest case against former minister Wimal Weerawansa and five others to July 13.
Footage cited by NewsFirst shows the NFF leader pushing past security and striking an officer; police say legal action will follow against him and ~35 others.
A 19-member delegation led by Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Indian women leaders during the May 10-16 study tour.
President Dissanayake to attend DCC meetings, launch the Ratama Ekata anti-drug programme and lay the Nindavur Cultural Centre foundation stone.
Jaffna District MP Archchuna says he expects 'compulsory arrest' on returning home after defending LTTE ideology in a speech at an event in India.
Colombo court orders GN phone records analysed after probe finds 17 bail certificates issued to two repeat guarantors in the Chandrasena case.
Govt gazettes draft Bill abolishing the Chief of Defence Staff post created in 2009; CDS holder reverts to parent service, assets vest in Defence Ministry.
CIABOC has opened an inquiry into the alleged Rs. 3.1 billion procurement of rapid antigen kits via an unregistered company, Secretary K.G. Lanerolle confirms.
Arun Hemachandra tells 'Whose Law?' conference that artefacts removed during colonial rule are living symbols of identity, not just museum objects.
The Public Security Ministry has picked Thales/JIT to personalise 3.15 million e-passports, but the bid leaves out post-contract software renewal pricing.
Kandy Police arrest two retired army personnel transporting a gold-plated Buddha statue weighing over 50 kg; archaeological assessment ordered.
Consular Affairs Division halts attestations at Battaramulla HQ and all five Regional Consular Offices until the e-DAS platform is restored.
United Farmers' Organization in Galenbindunuwewa says fertilizer at Rs.9,000–18,500 and paddy at Rs.100–105/kg risk pushing growers out of cultivation.
Hanif Yusoof has told President Anura Kumara Dissanayake he will step down as Western Province Governor, citing his FDI envoy role and family commitments.
Supreme Court Justice Yasantha Kodagoda told the BASL convocation that case backlogs reflect workload and capacity shortfalls, not lawyer-side delays.
Disaster Relief Services Officer suspended and Grama Niladhari transferred after Monaragala residents alleged officials skimmed commissions from Ditwah cheques.
Police investigate after a 54-year-old man living alone is found dead with a small cut to the neck inside a house in Badovita, Mount Lavinia.
Chief Magistrate Asanga Bodaragama directs additional arrests at National Development Bank as Rs.13.2bn fraud probe deepens beyond the four already remanded.
A cab carrying Galle District NPP MP T.K. Jayasundara collided with a three-wheeler at Dunghena, injuring a driver and his 8-year-old son.
Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya will host discussions with IUSF representatives on May 18 over the abandoned Malwana property they entered on May 14.
Wijepala says five-year backlog of promotions being cleared as recruitment of 10,000 new officers continues to address manpower shortage.
Port City is reviewing whether visas issued via its licensed companies were misused by arrested foreigners after court hearings flagged registered firms.
Drafting committee forwards revised Protection of the State from Terrorism Act to Legal Draftsman after February public consultations; handover due in May.
Foreign Minister invites Belavia to launch direct Colombo–Minsk flights; FM Ryzhenkov's reciprocal Sri Lanka visit accepted as next IGC round set for 2026.
Chairman Nishantha Samaraweera proposes internal auditors report to Ministry Secretaries instead of SOE heads, plus a digital monitoring tool.
DMC says 5,242 people in 14 districts affected by adverse weather; 192 houses partially damaged, 162 in shelters, two deaths reported.
MP Mano Ganesan has written to Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala demanding urgent convening of a multi-stakeholder conference on plantation violence.
SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa told an Asian cultural forum in Hong Kong that Asia must modernise without losing its civilizational identity or sustainability.
Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said one in five Sri Lankans now suffers from a non-communicable disease, citing a 2024 census-statistics report.
Interrogators say Ousmand Gunasekera ran Padme's local money laundering using his businesses, and that their public feud was fabricated to mislead police.
More than 1.13 million cases remain unresolved across Sri Lanka's 293 courts as of June 2025, with Magistrate's Courts carrying the bulk of the backlog.
MOP fertilizer produced in 2019 and recently distributed to farmers from a Thambuttegama warehouse has been sent to Colombo for urgent laboratory testing.
A South Kalutara-bound train derailed near Wanawasala on Saturday; 10 passengers were hospitalised and a special engineering team has been deployed.
Peliyagoda Police arrest a suspect over removal of metal plates from a switch point at the Wanawasala derailment site; Railway Department lodges complaint.
Sri Lanka Police arrested 17 foreign nationals — 12 Chinese, two Malaysians and three Indians — in hotel raids in Waskaduwa and Trincomalee on May 14.
Three Buddhist chapters formally asked the 23 monks held in remand over Thailand narcotics smuggling to leave their robes; four or five refused.
Science and Technology Minister Chrishantha Abeyasena said Provincial Council elections will be held within 2026, citing Cyclone Ditwah for the delay.
Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to ban bottom trawling and offered to travel to Chennai for talks.
A 60-year-old Indian geologist was arrested at BIA with 2,150 grams of cocaine valued at Rs. 108 million after arriving from Uganda via Doha on Qatar Airways.
IUSF activists remained at the disputed Malwana property for a third consecutive day after Education Ministry discussions ended without agreement.
The Consumer Affairs Authority has filed court cases against Marawila traders found selling Samba rice above the government-mandated Maximum Retail Price.
Former Uva and North Central Provinces Governor and veteran lawyer M.P. Jayasinghe has died. Funeral rites will be held in Kandy on Friday afternoon.
The National Police Commission's term ended May 15 but members will stay on until the Constitutional Council names successors, Public Security Ministry said.
NBRO has extended its Level 2 Amber landslide alerts to 26 divisions in six districts and Level 1 watch to 41 divisions in 13 districts as heavy rain continues.
NCPA says no pressure has been exerted on the Hemarathana case and warns that public agitation could interfere with the administration of justice.
Sri Lanka Railways Chief Engineer Deegala sets first specific post-Ditwah timelines: Kandy soon, Peradeniya bridge late 2026, Badulla full line mid-2027.
Then-DIG Galle K.N.G. Wedasinghe and two other senior officers apologised in court to two lawyers whose 2022 protest at Galle Fort was broken up by police.
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, addressing farmers in Buttala, said IMF officials no longer engage with him because he raises rural and SME grievances.
Chilaw High Court sentenced Jagath Samantha, brother of late SLPP State Minister Sanath Nishantha, to 5½ years over a 2008 assault on a Divisional Secretary.
The Centre for Environmental Justice wants Supreme Court orders routing supermarket shopping bag tax revenue to the statutory environmental conservation fund.
Environmentalists warn that releasing parts of the Thumbikulam Forest Reserve in NCP for private commercial use will deepen Sri Lanka's human-elephant conflict.
A quarter-acre cannabis cultivation in Udawalawe National Park's Ali Dutugala area was uncovered and destroyed by Panahaduwa wildlife officers; no arrests made.
Colpetty Police told the Colombo Magistrate the 74 Vietnamese arrested May 7 had earlier been deported from Cambodia for similar fraud; remand to May 21.
Weather death toll rose to two on May 15, with 88 houses damaged and 3,475 people affected. Met Department says the system will recede within 36 hours.
CCD told the Fort Magistrate's Court the CCTV system at Aravinda de Silva's home was operational but had no recorded data when Chandrasena was found dead.
Construction Minister Susil Ranasinghe says those alleging Rs. 5 crore commissions and a Russia meeting must take their evidence to the Kulatunga Commission.
Forty-nine Chinese and Malaysian nationals were remanded after a Colpetty CID raid for allegedly entering Sri Lanka on Cambodian tourist visas unlawfully.
Public Accounts Committee finds Rs. 167 m loss from a 2013 loan to Building Materials Corporation and Rs. 31 m unrecovered from 28 cooperative societies.
Police arrest Ousmand Gunasekera, alias 'Gampaha Ousmand', recovering a foreign-made repeater shotgun, two magazines and 10 rounds in the operation.
Sri Lanka's immigration IT controller was arrested by the CID for submitting a Rs. 9.8 million fraudulent claim for a software system that was never installed.
Inter University Students' Federation activists begin occupying the controversial Malwana property, calling on authorities to allocate the land to universities.
Kandy Special Crimes Investigation Division arrested nine bank employees at a Dalada Veediya branch for forged loan documents prepared between 2012 and 2019.
Kesbewa Magistrate's Court orders the former United People's Freedom Alliance MP into custody until May 27 in the T-56 ammunition and grenade case.
Police arrest a husband-and-wife pair linked to 10 daytime house break-ins in Kilinochchi, with much of the stolen gold pawned across multiple branches.
Negombo court remands Mahmoud Mohammed until May 26 over allegations he financed overseas travel for the 22 monks caught with kush and hash at BIA.
SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa says PFMA No.44 of 2024 makes the Finance Minister and Treasury Secretary jointly accountable for the $2.5M cyber-diverted payment.
Annual ceremony at the National War Heroes' Monument marks 17 years since the war ended, presided over by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
Ex-NIE Director I.G.S. Premathilaka has been sentenced to six years rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs. 3 million for Grade 5 Scholarship contempt.
Parliament will sit May 19-22 with the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Bill second reading on Monday and a CBSL 2025 Annual Review adjournment debate on Tuesday.
Deputy Labour Minister Mahinda Jayasinghe says the President's budget-announced commission will tackle decades-old salary and professionalism gaps.
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa says the proposed Section 185A clause risks criminalising small business owners over administrative tax mistakes.
The Supreme Court has reserved verdict on FR petitions filed by CID Director Shani Abeysekara and two others over their CCD arrest in the Siyam murder probe.
SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa says the regulator approved the latest 18% tariff hike on the NSO's request and is loading coal scam losses onto the public.
Counsel for Valikamam North Pradeshiya Sabha says Mallakam court told reclaiming Bhavani Road inside Thaiyiddy Tissa Vihara would breach the peace.
Prosecution opens Yoshitha Rajapaksa money laundering case over five Rs.73 million land plots; grandmother Daisy Forrest released as not mentally fit for trial.
Colombo High Court rejects preliminary objection by Yoshitha Rajapaksa's defence and reads out indictment as the money laundering trial begins.
AKD reviewed Ditwah recovery in Badulla, set a June 15 relocation deadline and ordered all 21 damaged RDA roads completed this year for 3,434 affected families.
Seven of 148 public transport drivers and conductors randomly tested at Kadawatha bus stand on May 12 returned positive for dangerous narcotic substances.
Centre for Environmental Justice says proposed NEA amendments dilute Extended Producer Responsibility by drafting consumers into the compliance framework.
Prof. Prathibha Mahanamahewa says Colombo Magistrate's Court registry should never have accepted unrelated paid sureties for Kapila Chandrasena's May 5 bail.
Colombo Magistrate's Court remanded three suspects until May 20 in the paid-surety scheme used to bail Kapila Chandrasena out before his death.
Xin Chunying-led NPC delegation met Speaker Wickramaratne, Highways Minister Ratnayake and Justice Minister Nanayakkara on legislative and judicial ties.
CIABOC will hand statements from Mahinda Rajapaksa, Priyankara Jayaratne and Willy Gamage to court, says probe continues despite Chandrasena's death.
The Presidential Coal Commission has called in Auditor General's Department officials on Wednesday and the Energy Secretary on Thursday over past audit reports.
A Grade 12 science student arrested for attacking five A-Level technology classmates with a sharp weapon at an Eppawala school after a prior dispute escalated.
ACTC MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam wants the new Tamil Nadu Assembly to renew its 2013 unanimous resolution recognising a genocide of Sri Lankan Tamils.
Health Ministry to install 16 cardiac catheterization labs at 11 major hospitals in 2026 for Rs.3.1 billion, doubling the country's cath lab capacity.
Colombo Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasekara visited hospitalised Pallegama Hemarathana Thera, extended remand to May 22 and ordered National Hospital transfer.
Sri Lanka Customs arrest 29-year-old Indian national smuggling 4.389kg of Kush cannabis worth Rs. 43.8 million in two suitcases on a flight from Bangkok.
SJB MP Marikkar plays video of JVP Secretary Tilvin Silva forecasting the coal commission will clear the government, alleging pre-judgement.
Patali Champika Ranawaka and opposition MPs Marikkar, Perera and Chanaka say they will not testify before the Presidential Commission into coal imports.
PM Harini Amarasuriya says fewer Sri Lankan students are progressing from O/L into higher education, describing the trend as a serious national challenge.
A Polonnaruwa Revenue Office worker was held by CIABOC for taking Rs. 35,000 to undervalue land and cut stamp duty on a state-land deed transfer.
Madampe Police stopped a Kalpitiya–Colombo private bus and seized the driver's licence the same day footage of a dangerous overtake circulated on social media.
Administrative Appeals Tribunal rules former CID director Shani Abeysekara eligible for promotion to DIG with effect from August 2020.
Sri Lanka's UGC has removed Professor Sunil Shantha as Vice Chancellor of Sabaragamuwa University, without publicly disclosing the reasons for the dismissal.
UNP says President Dissanayake should not personally congratulate Tamil Nadu CM Vijay as Head of State, asks why other Indian CMs were not similarly addressed.
Police arrest 192 Indians and 29 Nepalese across Southern Province in coordinated cybercrime raids, seizing 93 computers and 230 mobile phones.
Twenty-three robed suspects back at Negombo Magistrate's Court; layperson Chandrakumara Dayarathna now produced before Kaduwela court in the trafficking case.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake directs officials to expedite resettlement of Kandy District families displaced by Cyclone Ditwah.
President AKD told a Matale coordination meeting on Tuesday to complete every project under the Rs. 500 billion Cyclone Ditwah allocation before year-end.
AKD says he is aware of attempts to intimidate public officials and warns that a culture portraying lawful procedures as persecution is being engineered.
Attackers stormed a Mamadala home on May 11 and killed the main suspect in a 2025 triple murder, severing his head and shooting his father-in-law.
Cabinet approved amending the Animals Act No. 29 of 1958 to expand the definition of 'animal' to include pigs, goats and sheep alongside cattle and buffaloes.
Sri Lanka cancelled Tuesday's post-cabinet briefing as both spokesmen were abroad — Jayatissa at the Asian Media Summit, Herath in Belarus.
CCIB arrested a 74-year-old broker who allegedly procured paid Rs.10m sureties to secure the May 5 bail of former SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena.
Eight witnesses including former Sri Lanka captain Aravinda de Silva testified at Tuesday's Fort Magistrate inquest into Kapila Chandrasena's death.
Colombo Magistrate's Court remanded two more suspects until May 13 over the alleged paid-surety scheme used to bail Kapila Chandrasena out before his death.
Mansil Mohamed, Indhika Sanjiva Liyanage and Sunanda Liyanapathirana break away from the Joint Opposition at CMC to function as independent members.
The National Environmental Act has been submitted to Parliament with load-based pollution charges, mandatory SEAs and a chemical lifecycle licensing regime.
Investigative platform Fair Comment lodges IGP/CID complaint alleging criminal intimidation and abetment of suicide, citing Chandrasena's March 18 affidavit.
A 43-year-old Ahangama moneylender was shot by gunmen in a red car in Dangedera, Galle on May 12; a 22-year-old aiding suspect was arrested on May 23.
Galle National Hospital says stenting and angiograms continue as normal with adequate balloon stocks, rejecting reports of a shortage.
SJB MP issues second denial in five days, sharpening his criticism by declaring the NPP has failed and operates on closed economic ideas not open to the world.
Anuradhapura Chief Magistrate found no legal basis to extend Pallegama Hemarathana Thera's remand without Colombo's written order; case refixed for May 15.
Work has begun on a four-storey Medical Ward Complex at Mullaitivu District General Hospital, fully funded by an Indian government grant of Rs. 600 million.
Police recover a T-56 assault rifle and ammunition at a Meetiyagoda cinnamon estate as ballistics tests proceed in the Balendra murder case.
Cabinet approved a trust to manage the 11-storey India-built Jaffna Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre after the Attorney General cleared the draft deed.
Former President appears before the Bribery Commission over the alleged US$2 million SriLankan Airbus bribe; Willy Gamage gave a statement on Monday.
A five-member panel has 3 months to recommend fixes for stalled NHDA projects, with only 386 of 2,562 villages completed and Rs. 11.26 bn needed.
Ranil, Sumanthiran, Sally, G.L. Peiris and Dolawatte tell CJ Surasena that AKD's May Day reference to a pending May 25 judgment seeks to pressure the bench.
Pakistan HC Major General (Rtd) Nayyar Naseer meets Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekara; defence training, maritime crime cooperation discussed.
Ex-Aviation Minister Piyankara Jayaratne spends nearly four hours at CIABOC recording a statement on the 2013 SriLankan Airlines Airbus probe.
Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala says the number of police stations has exceeded requirements and some may be shut as part of restructuring.
Three-judge bench rules Prof. W.M. Thilakaratne, found guilty of cyber stalking and unwanted touching, cannot hold any future post at a Sri Lankan university.
JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva says there is 'absolutely no basis' for posts alleging he was attacked by a member at the party head office in Pelawatte.
Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam's TNC writes to TVK invoking Prabhakaran legacy and asking Vijay to raise Sri Lankan Tamil rights internationally.
Government weighs criminal liability after probe finds two suspended Trincomalee doctors falsely claimed strike absence while performing private operation.
Cabinet subcommittee intervenes in long-running Uma Oya land disputes; Rs. 300 million allocated in first phase for 246 displaced residents.
Unawatuna Tourist Police arrested a massage centre employee after an Australian woman alleged she was sexually assaulted during an Ayurveda treatment session.
TN Chief Minister Vijay urges EAM Jaishankar to secure release of six Mandapam fishermen arrested by Sri Lanka Navy on May 10.
Herath will call on President Lukashenko on a four-day Minsk visit invited by FM Ryzhenkov; agreements are expected across education, health and trade.
Nine top underworld figures including Wele Suda and Dematagoda Chaminda now held at the Navy-base facility, with smuggled mobile phones reportedly stopped.
Housing Minister Susil Ranasinghe says 14-15 projects, including cancer and cardiac units, are underway before Anuradhapura is declared a National Hospital.
48-year-old Ja-Ela suspect linked to Ganemulla Sanjeewa, Kehelbaddara Padme and Commando Salinda networks brought back on May 10.
Drug trafficking suspect Manoj Suranga Liyanage, alias Batuwatte Chamara, has been detained for 72 hours of questioning after his repatriation from Azerbaijan.
Police seek a global red notice for the principal suspect behind the April airport seizure of 110kg of Kush and Hash from 22 robe-clad smugglers.
CCD has found the belt allegedly used in Kapila Chandrasena's death was brought from his residence by an employee. Statements taken from 15 people.
Magalla resident extradited from Dubai under Interpol Red Notice in Rs. 87 million scheme that allegedly defrauded 48 job seekers.
A prisoner convicted in the Aragalaya-era killing of former SLPP MP Amarakeerthi Athukorala died after falling from a Welikada Prison building on May 11.
A two-judge bench dismissed the Open University's bid to block release, holding that university by-laws cannot override the Right to Information Act.
Phase 1 of the Rs. 309 million restoration of the heritage Polonnaruwa anicut was launched Sunday by ministers Lal Kantha, Sunil Senevi and T.B. Sarath.
Former minister appeared before Terrorism Investigation Division at 11am on May 11 over claim certain Easter suspects had not been arrested.
Pivithuru Hela Urumaya leader Udaya Gammanpila summoned to the Terrorism Investigation Division on May 11 over remarks at his Easter attacks book launch.
Colombo Magistrate's Court remands suspect until May 12 and orders identification parade in fraud where businessman was promised five kilograms of gold.
Joint STF–Hikkaduwa Police operation at a Dodanduwa tourist hotel seized 200 mobile phones and 25 laptops from 35 Indians and 19 Nepalis.
HRCSL Director General Nimal Punchihewa has summoned officials over complaints that estate workers are not receiving the announced daily wage.
Former Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody has issued a Letter of Demand to SJB MP Prasad Siriwardena over alleged defamatory remarks made at a March 22 briefing.
Agriculture Minister KD Lalkantha quoted Lenin on socialising domestic labour at the Battaramulla daycare opening, calling for kitchen culture to be ended.
Former President's legal team to challenge Bribery Commission summons based on Kapila Chandrasena statement, citing affidavit alleging coercion.
Deputy Minister Upali Samarasinghe says fresh rules will be drafted under the District Secretary's supervision after operators flag price-control proposals.
UNP Vice President said any merger with the SJB must be formal, not based on personal assurances, and predicted PC elections under Indian and northern pressure.
Sri Lanka Police warned drivers of legal action over dangerous modifications and noisy exhausts, citing road-safety risks and bus-accident analyses.
Sri Lanka Police issued a public advisory urging landlords to verify tenant identity, citing a rise in foreign-run online fraud operations from rented premises.
President reviews flagship rural poverty programme: Rs. 23bn of Rs. 25bn 2026 Budget allocation approved and sent to district secretaries.
Department of Agriculture says private operators may now distribute urea, with farmers in Dehiattakandiya reporting substandard supply.
SJB leader Sajith Premadasa congratulated Tamil Nadu's new CM Vijay, praising his message of social justice, secularism, fairness and coexistence.
Colombo Magistrate's Court directs CID to clarify whether defence can inspect the computer system that generated electronic evidence in the passport case.
MP Dayasiri Jayasekera asked the IPU to intervene after Speaker Wickremaratne refused a privilege motion on the USD 2.5 million Treasury theft.
Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne sought continued access to Cuban medical technology and was invited to Havana, as Trump-era sanctions deepen the island's crisis.
Health Ministry suspends two Trincomalee District General Hospital doctors over an infant death on April 9, the day of the GMOA 48-hour token strike.
Statements have been recorded from 15 people including former cricketer Aravinda de Silva over the death of former SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena.
Drug trafficking suspect Batuwatte Chamara has been repatriated to Sri Lanka after arrest in Azerbaijan, with a CID team escorting him home via Dubai.
Airport Police Narcotics Bureau seized 15 chocolate-style packets of hashish from a passenger off a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok at 12:30 a.m. May 10.
Sri Lanka Police are investigating the death of an unidentified man whose body was found floating in the sea off the Port of Colombo on Sunday morning.
The Free Lawyers say COPF's eight-page report into the $2.5M Treasury cyber heist pins blame on junior staff and computers while sparing senior officials.
HC Santosh Jha and DFM Anil Jayantha Fernando agreed to fast-track the package — USD 350 million in concessional credit and USD 100 million in grants.
Mahinda Rajapaksa told media he would respond to the CIABOC summons in the Airbus probe. Chandrasena's final rites were held at Borella Cemetery on Sunday.
Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa says MPs will coordinate central and provincial health services in every district to close planning and oversight gaps.
A 15-member expert committee chaired by Colombo VC Prof. Indika Karunathilake has been appointed to draft Sri Lanka's national medical education policy.
Preliminary 2026 voters' register on display at District Election Offices, GN divisions and NEC website; claims and objections accepted until June 5.
A 60-year-old father of three died when a Colombo–Talawakele bus collided with a three-wheeler in Yatiyantota on Sunday morning. Two others were injured.
President Dissanayake instructed officials to fast-track drinking water projects across 14 districts and prioritise domestic funding over foreign loans.
A 47-year-old Balapitiya resident died after a sharp-weapon attack in Ambalangoda on May 8. The suspect has fled and police are searching for him.
Ven. Pallegama Hemarathana Thera, the Anuradhapura Atamasthanadhipathi, has been arrested over alleged sexual abuse of a 15-year-old girl.
Seven suspects, including an alleged key distributor, arrested in Velmilla raid that recovered Rs.1.5 million worth of heroin and crystal methamphetamine.
Customs at Bandaranaike International Airport arrested a 37-year-old man from Pita Kotte with 512g of Kush worth Rs. 5.1 mn concealed in food packages.
Kapila Chandrasena, central figure in the Airbus bribery case, was found dead at a Colpetty residence. The Colombo Crime Division has taken over the probe.
Opposition MP Dilith Jayaweera said Kapila Chandrasena's death reflects the dark side of business entanglement in politics, calling for a proper investigation.
Pivithuru Hela Urumaya leader Udaya Gammanpila reported to Kuliyapitiya Police on Friday to give a statement over claims about a Treasury official's death.
ACMC suspended Kurunegala Deputy Mayor M. Ashardeen Moinudeen's party membership a day after CIABOC arrested him in Battaramulla over a Rs. 3 mn solicitation.
Western Province South Crime Division recovered 1.058kg of heroin and 3.034kg of crystal methamphetamine from a Madiwela resident following a tip-off raid.
CIABOC summons for former President Rajapaksa in the Airbus probe delivered to Carlton residence — less than a day after Chandrasena's death.
Sri Lanka Police arrested 540 people and inspected 27,615 individuals in islandwide crime and narcotics operations conducted on May 8.
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa called the 18% electricity tariff hike for consumers above 180 units 'extortion' targeting businessmen and industrialists.
Defence Secretary Sampath Thuyacontha and Vietnam Defence Minister Phan Van Giang discussed defence cooperation on the sidelines of President Tô Lâm's visit.
President directs Cabinet-level amendments, a dedicated narcotics court and faster rehabilitation as anti-drug operation crosses 168,000 arrests.
Police Narcotics Bureau officers seized 2.3 kg of ice and 700g of heroin in an Angoda raid, arresting two suspects transporting the drugs in a vehicle.
Bribery Commission says ex-Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha chairman Daya Pushpa Kumara Battage faces four corruption-related allegations causing over Rs. 40 mn loss.
Chemmani-Siththupaththi mass grave excavation has uncovered skeletal remains linked to 260 bodies; 256 sets fully exhumed as the dig enters its 11th day.
Police officers attached to the Presidential Coal Commission have begun preliminary inquiries into 17 years of coal imports and electricity generation.
High-level meeting at Parliament Complex begins formulating a coordinated multi-sector framework for water safety, with school curriculum and youth proposals.
Illegal Assets Investigation Division freezes buses allegedly bought with drug proceeds; Embilipitiya owner arrested under Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Opposition MP cites Treasury cyber heist and NDB fraud in Parliament call for stronger oversight across state financial institutions.
Opposition MP Namal Rajapaksa says former SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena was pressured by investigators to implicate Mahinda Rajapaksa.
MPs cleared regulations under the Immigration and Emigration Act after months of delay, paving the way for fee-free visas as Sri Lanka chases visitor numbers.
A 60-year-old man stabbed in Horangalla after a personal dispute and an 88-year-old woman found dead at her Gamunupura home, police say.
PM Harini Amarasuriya hosted Vietnamese President Tô Lâm at Hilton Colombo for talks on diversifying economic, cultural and social ties.
Police asked residents to alert the nearest station if Chinese, Vietnamese or Myanmar nationals are seen living suspiciously, citing recent cybercrime raids.
CCID arrests Buddhist monk over alleged social media insults aimed at Public Security Minister Wijepala, the IGP and a Senior DIG.
Mount Lavinia Magistrate fixes June 26 for sentencing after Seneviratne's lawyers accept a Section 181 charge; reckless driving and DUI charges to be withdrawn.
Three-judge bench rules in fundamental rights petition that EC must hold polls for two Eastern Province local bodies left out of 2020 gazette.
SC tells petitioner to take fresh steps to serve notice on the former president after the original January order failed to reach him.
Joint To Lam-AKD summit elevates ties to 'Comprehensive Partnership', sets US$1bn 2030 trade target, launches direct flights and inks five MoUs.
Sagara Kariyawasam says affidavit cited CIABOC DG threats and pressure to implicate Mahinda and Namal Rajapaksa; questions how remand sureties were arranged.
Transparency International Sri Lanka calls for full investigation into former SriLankan CEO's death, warning the Airbus probe must continue without obstruction.
Vietnamese President Tô Lâm addressed Parliament on Friday, the first foreign head of state to do so since Indian PM Modi in 2015.
Colombo High Court will deliver its order on Yoshitha Rajapaksa's preliminary objections in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act case on May 14.
Welfare Benefits Board says a payment slip file was uploaded twice in error; Rs. 248.7 million will be recovered from May Aswesuma installments.
Bribery Commission filed new indictments against former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal over Rs. 1.84 billion he failed to pay under bail conditions.
The SJB MP told the $2.5m Treasury debate that picking a former Deputy Minister to run Finance mirrors the politicisation NPP once condemned in 2021.
Colombo Chief Magistrate ordered Chandrasena re-arrested after CIABOC said two sureties had been paid Rs. 15,000 each and had no income or knowledge of him.
Public Security Minister tells Parliament 11 security officers, an estate manager and a deputy manager arrested over April-May assaults on plantation workers.
M. F. Mohamed Fawzer formally took office at the Representative Office in Ramallah on Tuesday, after his appointment as Colombo's first envoy to Palestine.
Matara Crimes unit detained five men and one woman aged 25–40 at a Talalla hotel for visa violations and running fraud operations on tourist visas.
Party rebuts SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam's claim of an imminent crossover; CoPF chairman tells SJB there is no basis for the speculation.
A man collecting firewood in Karuwalagaswewa's Weerakodithola Reserve alerted police, who obtained a court order to safely dispose of the device.
Maldives President Muizzu will sign seven agreements covering defence, education and health during his May 3 state visit to Sri Lanka.
NDF MP cites conflict of interest in CBSL's Deloitte audit; flags 2,700 undetected CEFT transfers and FIU alerts ignored for 16 months.
B.W. Premachandra cites failure to curb irregular governance, illegal trading and unauthorised constructions in his resignation letter to the Mayor.
Colombo Crimes Division detained the 41-year-old after 21 victims accused him of pocketing money on the promise of foreign travel visas.
MPs voted 145 to 6 to extend the emergency framework first declared after Cyclone Ditwah and renewed through the Middle East fuel crisis.
Sri Lanka Police say CCIB proceedings against bird park owner Ajith Gallage continue, contradicting reports the Hambantota Magistrate's Court had acquitted him.
Sri Lanka Police say drones could be misused to gather sensitive information, with all stations directed to monitor imports, sales and unauthorised flights.
Sajith Premadasa raised Standing Order 27(2) questions on CPC supplier registration, emergency vs term contracts and Murban-vs-Iranian crude switching.
Mujibur Rahuman tells Parliament conflicting statements have eroded trust in the suicide ruling on Ranga Rajapaksa; questions debate time being cut.
The two foreign ministries reviewed cooperation across trade, defence, maritime affairs and education at talks co-chaired by senior diplomats on Tuesday.
Court of Appeal heard the first round of submissions on the writ petition challenging Suresh Sallay's PTA detention; further hearing fixed for June 4.
Parliament debates $2.5m heist on May 6: CoPF chair Harsha de Silva says department heads lack expertise; Deputy Minister Anil Jayantha lists payment dates.
First Vietnamese head of state visit to Sri Lanka in 15 years, with parliament address, MoU signings and bilateral talks scheduled for Friday.
Public Security Minister tells Parliament no e-passport tender has been awarded and the procurement process remains ongoing under the Procurement Commission.
Sri Lanka Police have arrested 628 foreigners since January for cybercrimes and immigration offences, Police Spokesman ASP F.U. Wootler said.
Jaffna MP Archchuna Ramanathan now says his Parliament call to hand Jaffna to Tamil Nadu was ironic criticism of the AKD-Modi agreements, not a real proposal.
Two men who stood as sureties for former SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena remanded after police said they were paid Rs. 15,000 each.
A serving public servant submitted the bid despite rules barring officials from official tenders; bidders also allege delays in vehicle handovers.
Sarvajana Balaya leader Dilith Jayaweera says a Polish-linked company submitted the best e-passport tender bid but was overlooked, prompting a complaint.
Civil society watchdog says some Aswesuma beneficiaries received double or excess April payments and demands Parliament invoke Article 148 financial powers.
Former MP Udaya Gammanpila says his statement on Ranga Rajapaksa's death was based on a May 1 Director General of Health Services letter.
Police dismissed Gammanpila's claims on the Treasury official's death as false; he is summoned to appear before Kuliyapitiya Magistrate's Court.
The Hambantota Magistrate's Court has acquitted Ajith Gallage and two employees of all charges over alleged illegal importation of 21 motorcycles.
UNP Deputy Secretary says the two opposition parties could move together with both Premadasa and Wickremesinghe leading, opening space for new figures.
Cabinet Spokesman names 14 politicians, including Weerawansa, Senaratne and Namal Rajapaksa, as accused awaiting verdicts in pending corruption trials.
Colombo High Court will hear CIABOC charges over a 2016 carpet contract at Lanka Fertilizer Company that allegedly cost the government Rs. 8.86mn.
Chief Opposition Whip Karunathilaka files motion with Speaker Wickramaratne calling for a debate condemning Executive encroachments on the Judiciary.
The CID's Illegal Assets Investigation Division wins a Magistrate's order freezing land and houses in Mahawila and Madupitiya tied to a Panadura drug network.
Three DIGs, eight SSPs and one SP have been transferred subject to Police Commission approval, with the head of child and women abuse prevention reassigned.
Constable attached to the payments division is accused of misappropriating reward fund cash; CCIB investigation ordered by IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya.
Speaker announces select committee chaired by Minister Abayarathna; Ravi Karunanayake among cross-party members tasked with strengthening electoral integrity.
NDF MP says seven of ten fraudulent transactions occurred under CBSL's Public Debt Department before the January transition to the new Treasury PDMO.
Opposition Leader meets activist Ashan Kottewatta in custody, calls arrest a rights violation and accuses NPP of partisan capture of Divisional Secretariats.
Speaker tells Parliament the Bill can still pass with a simple majority once the offending clause is amended at committee stage; tax reform package proceeds.
Sri Lanka's MFA voiced grave concern over recent West Asia hostilities and attacks on energy infrastructure, urging restraint and constructive dialogue.
Crime Investigation Bureau seized over 2g of Ice from a conductor at the SLTB Teldeniya Depot; supplier also taken into custody.
SJB MP Dayasiri Jayasekara questions Speaker's housing; PM Harini confirms a second government apartment is held alongside the official residence.
Pakistan High Commissioner Major Gen. Nayyar Naseer met Defence Secretary Sampath Thuyacontha at the Ministry of Defence to discuss bilateral cooperation.
Five-judge bench led by Chief Justice Surasena confirms death penalty against Swiss Kumar and three others for the 2015 Punkuduthivu schoolgirl killing.
G.L. Peiris and Namal Rajapaksa say AKD's May Day verdict remarks attacked judicial independence; Justice Minister and Cabinet Spokesman reject the criticism.
Former Auditor General Gamini Wijesinghe leads four new members sworn in before Speaker Wickramaratne under Section 9 of the National Audit Act.
BASL says President Dissanayake's reference at the May Day rally to a forthcoming court ruling risks eroding public confidence in judicial independence.
Cabinet Spokesperson Jayatissa rejects pressure on Suriyapperuma, saying he initiated CID and CERT referrals himself and holds no dual citizenship.
Colombo Magistrate orders Chandrasena's release on Rs. 500,000 cash bail and three Rs. 10 million sureties despite Bribery Commission opposition.
CIABOC arrests two constables accused of soliciting Rs. 200,000 to drop charges against an April 19 crystal methamphetamine suspect; both remanded to May 12.
STF, wildlife and Air Force units seize a six-foot leopard skin, deer skin and live rounds at an Attawilluwa property leased from a former DIG.
Jayatissa says the Treasury cyber theft complaint was filed by the External Resources DG, not late MP Ranga Rajapaksha, and warns of legal action.
Revised Grade 6 modules go to print this month, teacher training begins June; PM and Education Minister Harini Amarasuriya confirms the timeline.
India confirms batik centres, neonatal unit and specialist health facilities will launch under the Rs. 2.37bn Eastern Province MoU framework.
Canadian envoy Isabelle Martin met ITAK MPs from Batticaloa and Ampara on livelihoods, education and human rights in Sri Lanka's Eastern Province.
Judge Mohamed Mihal orders the arrest of a witness who failed to appear in the corruption case against former Trade Minister Johnston Fernando and two others.
Joint Opposition meeting at G.L. Peiris's residence finalised a May 10 Matara rally; Dilan Perera urged Sajith to lead the whole opposition, not just the SJB.
Mullaitivu villagers staged a May Day protest demanding the release of 171 acres seized by the military in 2009, including 59.5 acres of residential land.
Mahinda Deshapriya urges workplace ballots for local workers, fresh expatriate voting legislation, and laws to bar unqualified candidates from public office.
Both presidents addressed the May 4 state banquet at President's House, citing climate justice, the 1965 Maldives independence signing and centuries-old ties.
Cross-party group of opposition MPs say President Dissanayake's May Day comments suggest prior knowledge of a pending judgment and threaten judicial autonomy.
Illegal Assets Investigation Division targets a Dubai-based associate's properties in Madupitiya and Alubomulla West, including a Rs. 25M house.
Anil Jayantha tells Parliament Australia and Paris Club unlikely to treat the $2.5M diversion as a default; Speaker clears 3.30pm urgent debate.
Borella Police arrest three Welikada Prison guards after a 40-year-old inmate died on May 4 following his apprehension during an escape attempt.
Receiving the Kamban Award, President Dissanayake said reconciliation has reached "a point of no return" and pledged new laws if needed to defeat racism.
Free Lawyers ask the Chief Justice to probe Anura Kumara Dissanayake's May Day comments on a pending verdict; Sarvajana Balaya joins NFF condemnation.
Former minister Udaya Gammanpila says the suicide finding on Finance Ministry Assistant Director Ranga Nishantha was reached without complete forensic tests.
SJB MP submits Order Book motion calling for halt to clearance and Wildlife Conservation jurisdiction over the closest urban rainforest to Colombo.
Police screened 26,346 people in 24 hours and detained 548 suspects, 212 outstanding-warrant subjects and 135 drink-drivers in the latest island-wide sweep.
Sri Lanka Navy operations between April 17 and 30 netted 77 suspects, 17 dinghies, sea cucumbers, explosives and prohibited fishing gear.
Human rights scholar Deepika Udagama and former SAARC chief Esala Weerakoon join the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies board, effective April 30.
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa says the July 1 VAT changes will suffocate SMEs and warned 'you cannot tax an economy into growth.'
Former President Sirisena says PNB officers he awarded for drug seizures were weeks later linked to traffickers and the underworld.
Channa Galappatti and Padmalal de Alwis appointed to UNP Yatinuwara and Harispattuwa seats by General Secretary Thalatha Atukorale.
SLADA warns the President's Secretariat that placing Clean Sri Lanka coordinators inside divisional offices threatens public service neutrality.
SLBFE arrests a former SLPP Haguranketha Pradeshiya Sabha member and his wife over a foreign-employment scam covering 16 complaints worth Rs. 21.3 million.
Apex court dismisses without hearing a petition by Rauf Hakeem and Nizam Kariapper seeking NEC recognition as Sri Lanka Muslim Congress members in Parliament.
Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath has appointed M. Fauser as Sri Lanka's first representative to Palestine, in a posting equivalent to ambassador rank.
Dinana Dakuna submits five questions to Finance Secretary Harshana Suriyapperuma on his Australian citizenship history and dates of renunciation.
Chief Justice names a permanent three-judge High Court bench to try the ex-CBSL Governor after he missed a Rs. 1.84 billion repayment deadline.
Sri Lanka's anti-corruption commission has arrested an army lance corporal accused of taking Rs. 129,600 from a retired officer to settle a loan.
Norochcholai keeps unloading coal even as Trident's shipment 16 is flagged substandard, taking the off-spec count confirmed by Cotecna to five consignments.
Activist Oshala Herath has released alleged WhatsApp messages between the SIS Director and Defence Secretary warning of an attack before Easter Sunday 2019.
Chief Justice Surasena names a three-judge High Court Trial-at-Bar to hear the Prageeth Ekneligoda case, 16 years after the journalist was abducted.
CID has reached out to the FBI and a US cybersecurity firm as the probe into the Treasury's USD 2.5 million email-fraud loss widens, the Sunday Times reports.
The group says no response has come from the Speaker, and that COPF under Harsha de Silva has produced no meaningful progress on the USD 2.5mn theft.
Sri Lanka Police arrested 593 suspects and checked 27,042 people in a 24-hour phase of the IGP-directed island-wide anti-crime and anti-drug sweep.
Attorney Manoj Gamage says no written summons has been issued to the former President and accuses CIABOC of pursuing a political witch-hunt.
Deputy Minister Namal Sudarshana says reviews of the 1998 NCPA Act and 2005 Prevention of Domestic Violence Act have already begun.
Wimal Weerawansa says May Day remarks by President Dissanayake and ministers about upcoming court rulings raise serious questions about judicial independence.
House to take up Port City Commission Act and Insolvency Bill, with Tô Lâm addressing the House on May 8 amid a full Parliamentary security inspection.
Sri Lanka Police warned landlords renting to visa overstayers will face legal action, after raids netted nearly 157 foreigners in Colombo cyber scam busts.
Police arrested around 120 foreign nationals from seven countries at a Meda Welikada Road premises in Rajagiriya over alleged illegal financial operations.
AG's Department asks CID to formally request University of Wolverhampton records on Ranil under the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act.
Police seized 35 desktops, 37 tablets and 147 mobile phones from a rented Thalangama house, with 37 Chinese nationals on tourist visas remanded until May 7.
Department of Samurdhi Development says around 77% of Aswesuma beneficiaries have been included in empowerment programmes run with World Bank and ADB pilots.
PCOI on coal procurement will start recording statements from Lanka Coal Company and Energy Ministry officials May 5, opening a new phase of the inquiry.
Land and a three-storey building leased to ex-minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage's foundation in Nawalapitiya have been handed back to the Railways Department.
Attorney Shiral Lakthilake invokes the Thajudeen case in calling for a psychological autopsy on Treasury official Ranga Rajapaksa, challenging the JMO ruling.
President Dissanayake disclosed at the NPP May Day rally that a CID officer is currently overseas as part of the ongoing Easter Sunday attacks investigation.
Dissanayake pledged sweeping anti-corruption action; PM Harini's parallel May Day message focused on a fair working environment and unpaid labour.
President Dissanayake said 10 corruption cases are set for court in May and a verdict has been ordered in one, addressing the Nuwara Eliya May Day rally.
Sarvajana Balaya leader called the NPP one of the most corrupt governments and tied the Treasury official's suspicious death to the cyber heist whistleblower.
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa led floral tributes at his father's Aluthkade statue, marking 33 years since the May Day 1993 assassination.
At the SJB May Day rally, Premadasa said the two opposition parties had already come together and that no committee was needed to facilitate cooperation.
Sections of P.D. Sirisena Stadium emptied as Sajith Premadasa took the stage, while photographers staged their own walkout after being chased to the back.
PM Amarasuriya thanked Pakistan for cyclone assistance and discussed deeper cooperation in education, tourism and sports with Major General Nayyar Naseer.
President directs construction to be completed for 500 families still in 20 camps across three districts five months after Cyclone Ditwah.
The Urban Development Authority told the Kandy DCC it needs over Rs. 1 billion to remove 222 unauthorised structures in Akurana town.
Anil Jayantha will deliver a special statement on the alleged misplacement of $2.5 million as the Treasury Secretary appears before COPF on Thursday.
Harsha de Silva says ten payments to an Australian counterparty between October and January went missing; AKD expected to address Parliament next week.
Cabinet clears 1,000 interim housing units and a separate restoration programme for damaged places of worship in cyclone-hit districts.
The three-year 'Together We Rise' programme will support 50 CSOs and reach 701,100 people across 9 districts.
Association says COPF Chair Harsha de Silva can invoke parliamentary mechanisms if Treasury Secretary Suriyapperuma refuses to appear over the cyber theft.
Colombo High Court released the BBS general secretary on bail after indictments were served over remarks said to insult Islam.
Former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando told a Trial-at-Bar that ex-President Sirisena knew of intelligence warnings before the 2019 Easter attacks.
Israeli Ambassador Reuven Azar and Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath met on Thursday to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors.
Sri Lanka Police announce traffic diversions for Friday's May Day rallies, with NPP gathering at Maharagama and parties marching across Colombo.
Met DG Athula Karunanayake appeared before the Parliamentary Select Committee probing why authorities failed to issue public warnings before Cyclone Ditwah.
Government enforces rules requiring monks to get Mahanayaka recommendations before travelling abroad, with Sections 41–42 of the Ordinance under review.
A Navy patrol off Chilaw on April 28 intercepted an Indian dhow transferring 54 sacks of beedi-wrap leaves to three local dinghies, Newswire reported.
NPF says new Energy Minister Anura Karunatilleke has met the British envoy but not the Russian ambassador, despite two Russian delegations to Colombo.
President Dissanayake tells the NPP Nuwara Eliya rally a new form of governance has been established as the party holds 21 simultaneous events islandwide.
Puttalam CIB officers arrested a 34-year-old Norochcholai resident in Palavi over 994 kg of smuggled turmeric on which no customs duties had been paid.
Colombo High Court Judge Mohamed Mihail defers judgment in CIABOC cases over alleged National Lotteries Board vehicle-rental losses dating back to 2006.
Rahima Sahabdeen, last known residence Bambalapitiya, is unable to confirm her identity; Ministry names her parents and three daughters in renewed appeal.
The court found a Gampaha Sub-Inspector's fundamental rights were violated in a 2022 assault and that his subsequent suspension was unlawful.
Sri Lanka rose from 139th to 134th of 180 countries in the 2026 RSF World Press Freedom Index, scoring 40.77 — but RSF says journalism remains in danger.
NDF MP says five payments on a $22.9M Australian loan instalment were missed before Canberra raised the alarm; Central Bank also bears responsibility.
A four-JMC panel ruled all injuries on Ranga Rajapaksa's body were self-inflicted, confirming the interdicted Finance Ministry official's death a suicide.
Suriyapperuma will testify on the USD 2.5 million cyber theft after a one-day standoff with the Committee on Public Finance.
Embassy inaugurates new outdoor engagement space at Nallur facility ahead of US 250th independence year; 400 programmes hosted in 2025.
Vijitha Herath meets Israeli Ambassador Reuven Javier Azar and pledges 'continued engagement' even as Israel's southern Lebanon ground campaign continues.
President Dissanayake reviewed legal provisions for a new authority to protect upper watershed areas after Cyclone Ditwah landslides exposed the risk.
Finance Ministry meeting weighs revised eligibility, Grama Niladhari involvement and digitalisation to speed up Aswesuma welfare beneficiary selection.
Jingjing Liao, deported with 125 others on a March 29 special flight, says lawyers were locked out of Welisara camp; AG's office to defend arrest as lawful.
CIABOC orders Mahinda Rajapaksa to resubmit a full assets affidavit and suspends transfer of Shiranthi's Colombo home pending a Siriliya account inquiry.
Marshad Barry, Amana Bank senior official and SL-Malaysia Business Council Chair, has been named to head the 27th Waqf Board for Muslim charitable trusts.
The Mallakam Magistrate ordered MP Archchuna Ramanathan released on bail on April 29, four days after his arrest over a Periyavilaan land dispute.
The Mallakam Magistrate's Court has remanded a Periyavilan woman, mother of a one-year-old, until April 29 over Jaffna MP Archchuna Ramanathan's complaint.
Fort Magistrate Neththikumara directs the AG to file indictments without delay, citing sufficient evidence and a Wolverhampton University email of the trip.
Case against former President Ranil Wickremesinghe alleging misappropriation of Rs. 16.6mn for a London trip is scheduled at Colombo Fort Magistrate's Court.
Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko leads three-day visit May 3–5 with talks on pharmaceuticals, medical training, Ayurveda and health tourism.
CID has revealed Sarah Jasmine fled to India after the Sainthamaruthu blast, contradicting a 2022 DNA report obtained under pressure from Salley.
President's Secretary issued an extraordinary Gazette extending the state of public emergency by another month, with 15 essential services re-designated.
Activist Nagananda Kodituwakku has sought Treasury Secretary Harshana Suriyapperuma's citizenship details under Australia's Freedom of Information Act.
Suriyapperuma cites a planned presidential statement in Parliament; Deputy Minister Kaushalya Ariyarathne says it is a rescheduling request, not a refusal.
President discusses BIA monk arrests with the Maha Sangha of three Nikayas; agenda includes Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance amendments and anti-drug effort.
Police arrested another suspect in the BIA monks drug ring after a raid in Athurugiriya. Investigators are probing his role in sending monks abroad.
JMO finds 19 of 22 monks held in the BIA narcotics bust used drugs; police say a second group of 40 monks was being prepared for Thailand.
The Public Administration Ministry has issued Circular 11/2026 implementing Cabinet's April 28 approval of permanent posts for 9,800 casual state employees.
Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala said senior officers will lease 400 EVs while constables to inspectors get duty-free electric motorbikes via loans.
Colombo Magistrate extends remand of ex-SriLankan Airlines CEO in Airbus bribery case to May 5; bail rejected at the previous April 17 hearing.
Harsha de Silva says Tuesday's COPF meeting will decide on summoning the Finance Secretary; Deputy Minister Abeysinghe pledges full government support.
Bribery commission says number plates were issued for a vehicle without a valid initial registration; suspect now serves at Probation and Child Care.
Udaya Gammanpila says reports he was barred from representing retired SIS Chief Suresh Sallay are baseless, citing constitutional rights to counsel.
Total arrests rise to five over the inmate death at Colombo Magazine Prison; three already remanded by court, two more taken into custody Tuesday.
SLPP's Namal Rajapaksa and Fisheries Minister Chandrasekhar both condemn the Tamil Nadu assault on a Sri Lankan fisherman as a human rights violation.
Pelawatta residents confronted a New Democratic Front protest by Gotabaya's ex-secretary outside the Finance Secretary's home, hurling cow dung at the group.
Councillor Jude Madegama says street lamps worth Rs. 9.73 million were procured without Finance Committee approval and demands an inquiry.
A committee has recommended a framework to allow more than 1.5 million Sri Lankans living abroad to vote in domestic elections.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka have launched a two-week joint counter-terrorism exercise, Shake Hands-II, at Tarbela, involving Pakistan's SSG and SL Special Forces.
PM Harini Amarasuriya tells SAPP youth showcase that food security rooted in agriculture is critical to national stability, sovereignty and national security.
Investigators believe the 22 monks arrested at BIA brought narcotics from Bangkok on earlier occasions; mobile phones seized, Interpol assistance sought.
Police arrested three suspects in Ataveeragollawa, Wattala and Weeraketiya, recovering a hand grenade, T-56 and 9mm rounds, a shotgun and a T-katas firearm.
Ex-President Maithripala Sirisena arrived at CIABOC on Tuesday to record a statement. The reason for his appearance has not been publicly disclosed.
A court has ordered SL-CERT to inspect Sri Lanka Post over USD 626,555 misrouted to a third party, with the CID citing email channels outside the UPU framework.
Colombo Fort Magistrate locks case file in court safe, approves CID request for foreign travel bans, expert technical committee and bank account inspection.
Treasury Secretary Harshana Suriyapperuma will appear before COPF on Thursday alongside the CBSL Governor and senior Finance Ministry officials.
UNP General Secretary Atukorale declined SJB's May 1 rally invitation, citing the party's standing decision against political activity on a Poya Day.
UNP Chairman Vajira Abeywardena alleges policy confusion has undermined Sri Lanka internationally and questions Australian debt repayment disclosures.
AFP has joined the $2.5M Treasury heist probe under a financial-crimes arrangement; opposition PC Faiszer Musthapha calls for a Presidential committee.
SC Justice Nawaz withdrew Monday from Bathiudeen's appeal against the Wilpattu forest-clearing ruling, with a new bench set for September 9.
PNB says three monks orchestrated the smuggling operation, recruiting young bhikkhus from rural temples for a Bangkok trip used to bring in 111kg of drugs.
Negombo court orders 7-day detention until May 2 for Ven. Agunukolaye Amitananda Thero, named as the alleged main suspect behind the 22 monks' drug bust.
Authorities believe a businessman is the alleged kingpin behind the trafficking ring that sent 22 monks through BIA with Rs. 1.1 billion of narcotics.
The Presidential Commission probing all past coal transactions opened hearings at Hulftsdorp Monday under SC Justice Kulatunga, with public notices coming.
Three suspects remanded over the alleged sale of a child in Kilinochchi; mother says money was needed for elder daughter's thalassemia treatment.
Defence Ministry directs Sri Lanka Army to construct interim shelters in Kegalle, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Badulla from first week of May.
CID told court the 2022 DNA confirming Sarah Jasmine's death is suspicious; STF testified a motorcycle was heard leaving Sainthamaruthu post-blast.
The Free Lawyers Organisation has put 22 open questions to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake over the alleged $2.5M Treasury cyberattack and a stalled probe.
SJB MP Gayantha Karunathilaka says party leaders' meeting denied opposition's request for a one-day debate on the $2.5M Treasury cyber heist.
SJB MP Harsha de Silva says Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund has no legal existence as no Act of Parliament has been passed, contradicting Deputy Minister.
Eravur Court granted a 72-hour detention order Monday for two close associates of former EPC member Iniya Bharathi, arrested over 2007-2008 Ampara abductions.
JOA names Trafigura in CIABOC complaint, alleging diesel premium jumped from $4 to $45 a barrel after a lower $38 offer from Terrington was bypassed.
Senior DIG Ranmal Kodituwakku says Raju's arrest prevented further killings; revolver and 15 rounds tied to murders recovered from his Midigama house.
Minister K.D. Lalkantha distributed Hanthana land plots to 44 households whose homes were destroyed in a recent disaster in the Gangawata Korale division.
Colombo Magistrate ordered Thamara Kumari Abeyratne, a lawyer suspect in the Ganemulla Sanjeewa murder case detained under the PTA, remanded until May 7.
Mallakam Magistrate's Court remanded Jaffna MP Archchuna Ramanathan until April 29 after his arrest over a land-dispute firearm threat in Periyavilaan.
Namal Rajapaksa posted what he says is a BOC fund recall notice for Rs. 263M, contradicting Deputy Minister Gunasena's denial of RDA double-payments.
Western Province retirees' alliance says 154,000 public servants who retired between 2020 and 2024 were hit by 2025 Budget pension anomalies.
PET scan services at Apeksha and Colombo National Hospital halted since March 27 are set to resume after NMRA approved the importer's registration.
Police Narcotics Bureau began destroying 302kg of seized drugs at the Lactowatta incinerator in Vanathavilluwa, Puttalam, after court cases concluded.
IGP Priyantha Weerasuriya unveils the new Police Scout Division at headquarters, with Senior DIG Sampath Kumara Liyanage appointed to lead it.
Deputy Finance Minister Anil Jayantha Fernando said the Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund holds Rs. 9.58bn from 49-country donations and remains fully protected.
Department of Railways restored Sagarika service from Monday after the April 24 Wadduwa derailment; four crew members suspended pending probe.
Sarvajana Balaya, SLPP and Aragalaye Purawesiyo staged Monday protests over the diverted USD 2.5M loan repayment — first street pressure on the Treasury hack.
Kotapitiye Rahula Thero alleges Vesak Poya was shifted to May 30 for political reasons tied to May Day, urging Buddhists to observe both dates.
Yakkala Police arrested a 60-year-old Gampaha resident wanted under Marawila court warrants for multiple foreign employment scams, with forged ID papers.
Police Narcotics Bureau seized over 110kg of Kush and hashish worth Rs. 1.1 billion from 22 monks returning from Bangkok at BIA.
Police Media Spokesperson ASP Fredrick Wootler departed for Lyon on April 26 to deliver Sri Lanka's first address at the INTERPOL Global Communications forum.
COPF chair rejects the government's hacker narrative on the US$2.5M debt diversion; says Treasury Secretary will be summoned at the April 28 sitting.
The Health Ministry has signed MoUs with all nine Provincial Councils to deploy Rs. 3.6 billion under the Primary Health Care System Strengthening Project.
Chief Prelates of the Siyam, Amarapura and Ramanna Nikayas denounced the use of saffron robes by suspects in the Rs. 1.1 billion BIA narcotics bust.
Special Task Force says five suspects aged 23-36 strangled and drowned a victim in Mattakkuliya on April 22; group to face Aluthkade court today.
Police arrested the alleged facilitator of the 22-strong Buddhist robe-clad smuggling group in Meegahawatta, Gampaha. He is also identified as a monk.
Jaffna MP Archchuna allegedly produced a firearm during a land dispute in Periyavillan, Jaffna District. A magistrate's court case is under way.
The Road Development Authority rejected Opposition MP Nalin Bandara's Rs. 380M double-payment allegation as baseless and threatened action over the claims.
Police arrested seven suspects in two separate raids on April 25 over counterfeit Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 2,000 notes; the Mount Lavinia operation also seized Ice.
Sunday Times reports CID investigators believe same hackers behind $2.5M Treasury breach removed records of an upcoming French loan repayment.
27-year-old Colombo businessman arrested with 229,800 foreign cigarette sticks and 113 e-cigarettes; accomplices fled abandoning their luggage.
Customs Narcotics Control Unit seized 2,505g of kush from a Sri Lankan passenger arriving from Bangkok on flight FD 140.
Magistrate warns refusal by Sri Lanka Army to share information for the Easter probe could constitute a criminal offense after a three-hour AG meeting.
GL Peiris said the coal procurement scandal is three times the size of the Yahapalana bond scam and the entire NPP Cabinet must be held accountable.
Western Province North Crimes Division detained the suspect on April 24, linking him to the organised crime figure known as Homagama Gagana.
Human Rights Commission accepted a complaint from Rukshan Priyanath after Sri Lanka Police blocked him for posting critical comments online.
Two machines worth Rs. 600 million were installed at Kandy National Hospital, including a DSA unit replacing one inactive for more than three years.
Police recovered a 9mm Russian-made pistol and 15 rounds of ammunition buried at Karandeniye Raju's residence during a specialised search operation.
Colombo High Court has sentenced a labour officer to six years' imprisonment after finding him guilty of soliciting Rs. 15,000 from a poultry farm owner.
Oslo to provide AIS-based monitoring under its Blue Justice initiative plus training, after talks with Fisheries Minister Chandrasekar.
Police report 157,423 raids and major narcotics seizures since the NPP government's flagship anti-drug operation began on October 30, 2025.
Sri Lanka Railways' Sagarika express derailed for a second time at Kompannavidiya on Friday evening, hours after being re-railed at Wadduwa.
Opposition Leader demands a PSC chaired by the opposition to probe the Treasury cyber fraud, calling the internal departmental inquiry biased.
Transport Minister Bimal Rathnayake says the government is aiming to significantly reduce annual road deaths, which currently exceed 2,700, by 2029.
Eranga Weeraratne says fabricated emails impersonated the foreign creditor; investigation expected to conclude within a week before legal action.
Maligawatta Police sergeant succumbed to stab injuries from an April 16 altercation at a Bowala festival; two suspects remanded until April 30.
Archdiocese of Colombo denies media reports that Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith will step down as Archbishop in late 2026, saying no Vatican decision has been made.
Specialist doctor steps down citing personal reasons but retains SJB Working Committee seat and municipal councillor role.
CID's Fort Magistrate report names military intelligence units and Batticaloa police officers allegedly threatening Easter Sunday attacks witnesses.
Defence Secretary Sampath Thuyacontha met senior UN officials in New York on April 22 on Sri Lanka's proposed Gang Suppression Force deployment to Haiti.
Sarvajana Balaya leader calls on the Treasury Secretary and subject Minister to step aside to allow an impartial investigation.
Motor Traffic officials told Parliament's finance committee that police never had equipment to read the RFID chips, rendering the wartime scheme useless.
Tangalle Police arrested a 57-year-old at the Kasagala entrance to the Southern Expressway with 240 gelatin sticks, 490 detonators and 14kg of gunpowder.
Free Lawyers says Treasury Secretary Harshana Suriyapperuma failed to act on a September 2025 root-access breach; 16 officials now implicated in the theft.
Wattala Magistrate's Court releases ex-minister on four Rs. 500,000 sureties in the Lanka Sathosa lorry misuse case; next hearing July 10.
Criminal Investigation Department officers visit former President's Colombo residence to record a statement from Prof. Maithree Wickremesinghe.
The Illegal Assets Investigation Division has suspended use of Sampath Manamperi's luxury vehicle for seven days pending a probe into its funding source.
All March 2026 sand mining permits in Mannar suspended after large-scale irregularities; state minister alleges a 'planned sand mafia' in the district.
PM Harini Amarasuriya confirms legal action over the Treasury cyber theft and challenges the opposition to file a no-confidence motion if they dare.
Colombo High Court trial-at-bar rules former IGP cannot supplement his dock statement in the Easter Sunday criminal negligence case; next hearing May 22.
Sagarika express from Beliatta derailed near Wadduwa Thursday morning; coastal line services expected back within two days, Railways says.
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa says Treasury and Deputy Finance Minister offered conflicting accounts and Parliament was kept in the dark for months.
Sri Lanka Working Journalists' Association writes to President Dissanayake condemning Chandana Suriyabandara over obstruction of two Lake House reporters.
UNP Chairman Wajira Abeywardena says CID's visit to Ranil's residence ignored the former President's post-surgery recovery and his wife's ill health.
Colombo High Court postponed the money laundering case against Yoshitha Rajapaksa and Daisy Forrest to June 10 pending amended indictments.
Peiris told Fort Magistrate that Army intelligence officers threatened a witness at home and planned to plant weapons and arrest them through another unit.
CID tells Fort Magistrate Prof. Rohan Gunaratne met Pillayan three times in Batticaloa Prison; one of two women with him later joined Army as Major.
PCOI Secretary Bandulasena invites anyone with information on coal transactions to submit details to the Hulftsdorp commission office starting next week.
COPF chair says five debt payments were reportedly missed, queries whether the diversion amounts to a technical default as investigators pursue the breach.
Frontline Socialist Party restarts work at Gampaha office after a Magistrate's Court ruled its eviction by a JVP-linked group in September 2025 was unlawful.
Fourth India-Sri Lanka joint Navy Diving Exercise features mixed-gas drills off Colombo to strengthen underwater search and salvage capability.
SJB MP says PUCSL calculated Rs. 8.5bn loss on 9 substandard coal ships; warns entire cabinet bears collective responsibility if minister alone is blamed.
Police say murdered youth found near Nadee Viharaya was a 19-year-old allegedly involved in organised crime; no suspects named, investigations ongoing.
Colombo High Court orders Namal Rajapaksa's criminal breach of trust case over Rs.70mn Krrish payment be recalled on May 29 before Justice Suwandurugoda.
Defence and Ports deputy ministers review certification gaps blocking retiring Navy personnel from foreign maritime jobs at April 22 inter-ministry meeting.
Sri Lanka Navy recovered about 1,038kg of smuggled dried turmeric in 26 sacks during a coastal search at Thillayadi beach, Kalpitiya, on Wednesday.
Former SIS Director Suresh Sallay produced before Colombo Fort Magistrate under tight security; remand continues under 90-day PTA order from February arrest.
Colombo Fort Magistrate demands CID explain delay on existing warrant and issues fresh warrant on Priyanka Nayomali Wijenayake; case called for May 20.
Marikkar says SJB will hold 'biggest' May Day rally on May 1 at Maligawatta; cites World Bank finding that a third of Sri Lankans are below poverty line.
Regulator will decide after Mass Media Ministry conclusions; minister alleges the channel breached frequency licence conditions on a continuous basis.
President's Counsel Maithri Gunaratne says both the President and Finance Secretary should be held responsible; five officials already interdicted.
Parliamentary committee's government-side majority rejects opposition request to summon President AKD and former Ports Minister Bimal Rathnayake as witnesses.
Hiru TV operator says the minister 'does not possess a reputation capable of being tarnished' and alleges his own asset declaration violated the law.
ASG Dileepa Peiris tells Colombo Fort Magistrate former SIS chief Suresh Salley was the key force behind the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.
Balapitiya High Court sentences 'Kalutara Chuti' to death for the 2008 Baddegama police constable murder, acquitting three co-accused after 18 years.
Cabinet approves counter-terrorism expert committee under Presidential Secretariat to monitor implementation of 2021 PCOI Easter Sunday recommendations.
Cabinet approves revised NTC framework for inter-provincial passenger transport permits under 2025 amendment act.
Cabinet approves revision of 2019 National Housing Policy and appoints expert committee to examine stalled NHDA construction projects.
Public Security Minister's proposal clears Cabinet; new NDDCB facilities will target narcotic and psychotropic substance dependence.
Former Chief Legal Officer Ahmad Riyasa Ahmad accused of demanding Rs. 4.1 million to prepare Ministry of Health lease extensions; remanded until May 5.
CIABOC asks Parliament's Secretary General to delay transferring a key witness in its probe of suspended Deputy Secy General Chaminda Kularatne.
Prof. GL Peiris says only the Chief Justice can convene a Trial-at-Bar, challenging the government's move on Ranil Wickremesinghe's Rs. 16.2 million case.
Cabinet approves permanent appointment of SLAS Special Grade officer Iraj Chaminda Pathiraja as Controller General of Immigration and Emigration.
A Trincomalee–Mutur private bus crashed into a tree near the Upparu-aru Bridge; four passengers are in intensive care and three in ICU transfers.
Borella resident, convicted twice before, created fake Facebook accounts claiming his wife was the Prime Minister's Personal Secretary.
Cabinet Spokesperson confirms Ministry Secretary will probe licence conditions after complaints from Lal Kantha and CPC; TRCSL running parallel review.
Cabinet Spokesperson Nalinda Jayatissa says he will examine which MP salary components are APIT-exempt after a disparity with private-sector employees.
Opposition MPs want the parliamentary committee probing 323 uninspected Colombo containers to summon President AKD and former Ports Minister Bimal Rathnayake.
The Presidential Commission investigating coal transactions has opened its Hulftsdorp office under SC Justice Kulatunga, covering imports to April 16.
Police officers contribute Rs. 9.68 million from a one-day salary to the Rebuilding Sri Lanka Fund, taking total police donations past Rs. 74 million.
Books by Tamil writer Pradeepan Deepachelvan held at Customs for weeks; Forum says unread works treated as national security threat.
The former State Minister was granted bail by the Nuwara Eliya Magistrate's Court on Tuesday after his arrest over an alleged firearm threat.
Dissanayake directs officials to ensure Rs. 500,000 payments for partially damaged homes reach all beneficiaries by end-May, except in exceptional cases.
The Embassy will open on the last Friday of each month from 2pm to 5pm for expatriates unable to visit during the revised weekday hours.
Defence Ministry says Sri Lanka has strengthened Targeted Financial Sanctions under UN Resolution 1373 and FATF standards, with a new public Gazette website.
Colombo Fort Magistrate's Court orders ex-SIS chief's detention extended and directs CID to report back on investigation progress on May 20.
Cabinet confirms probe into diversion of part of a $22.9M debt instalment via fraudulent email; Treasury IT head among officials facing suspension.
47 Chinese, two Malaysian and one Indian national detained at Negombo safehouse; Welisara detention centre holding arrests, deportation being arranged.
Welfare Benefits Board confirms Rs. 3.447 billion April disbursement for elderly Aswesuma recipients: Rs. 3.087 billion Phase 1, Rs. 362.6 million Phase 2.
Addressing the seventh-anniversary mass, Cardinal Ranjith said the Easter probe is progressing but certain factions are trying to obstruct it.
Buses imported for the 2013 CHOGM summit and left idle for years will be fully refurbished and back in service by year-end, the Transport Ministry says.
Chief Magistrate Asanga Bodaragama directed that further evidence in the CID case against former State Minister Diana Gamage be recorded on May 12.
Some 50 houses in the Fordyce Estate, Dickoya, submerged after heavy rain caused the Dickoya stream to overflow; the Hatton-Dayagama road is cut off.
VP Radhakrishnan announced OCI eligibility for 5th/6th generation Indian-origin Tamils in Sri Lanka, expanding from the previous 4th generation cap.
Three candidates, including incumbent VC Pathmalal Manage, have been shortlisted for the Sri Jayewardenepura University Vice Chancellor post.
Kandy Christian Council leads a protest march from Good Shepherd Convent to George E. de Silva Park demanding justice for 2019 Easter Sunday attack victims.
CTID officers have arrested a 38-year-old Colombo 15 resident identified as an associate of overseas organised crime boss 'Kanjipani Imran,' police said.
Police will detain organised crime suspect 'Karandeniye Raju' for 90 days under the Prevention of Terrorism Act after his 72-hour detention order expires.
The minister has lodged a formal Ministry of Mass Media complaint over Hiru TV's asset declaration coverage, on top of a Rs. 10 billion damages demand.
LPBOA chairman Gemunu Wijeratne says the SLTB–Metro low-floor bus project may have bypassed tender laws and questions permits, standing-passenger design.
The Department of Fisheries says Sri Lankan multi-day vessels must apply 96 hours before entering Maldivian waters or face detention and heavy fines.
Cabinet moves to expedite Rs. 1.2 billion in compensation for Matara paddy farmers damaged by the Nilwala salinity barrier from 2019 to 2022.
SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa says the Easter investigation is being pursued selectively, citing the arrest of Pillayan and former intelligence chief Suresh Sallay.
NAO found the Energy Ministry and Lanka Coal Company awarded the 2025/26 coal contract to Trident Champhar before the firm completed registration, SJB says.
Police Walana Anti-Corruption Striking Force arrested suspects 'Pettha' and 'Kaviya' in Payagala with a combined 90,520 mg of crystal methamphetamine.
Harini Amarasuriya orders all reconstruction work completed before end of 2026; Rs. 500 billion allocated, 99% of Rs. 25,000 initial payments done.
Sri Lanka Police reject social media reports that controversial firm Avant Garde is giving the STF 50 motorcycles with 450cc engines and 15-year maintenance.
ASP F. U. Wootler said reports that a Kanjipani Imran associate arrested in Ja Ela was preparing a string of bomb attacks in Colombo are baseless.
Former State Minister and Ports and Aviation Minister Premalal Jayasekara was arrested by Nuwara Eliya Police on Tuesday over alleged firearm threats.
Two Teldeniya constables arrested after allegedly assaulting two Gomagoda residents; one victim is in critical condition at Kandy National Hospital.
UN envoy Marc-Andre Franche calls for concrete results after seven years, as Sri Lanka marks the April 21, 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed 279.
Trade Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe says certain findings in the Auditor General's coal import report cannot be accepted, the NPP's first public pushback.
Sri Lanka Police arrested 608 suspects in the latest 24-hour phase of the island-wide post-Avurudu anti-crime and narcotics operation, checking 26,600 people.
President Dissanayake appointed Anura Karunathilake as Energy Minister on April 20, succeeding Kumara Jayakody who resigned over the coal procurement probe.
Airport customs officers seized 229,800 cigarettes in 1,149 cartons from a 35-year-old traveller who arrived at BIA on a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok.
Police Narcotics Bureau officers intercepted two Indonesian nationals with over 5kg of Kush at Bandaranaike International Airport on Monday morning.
Police recovered a body from a well near the home of Weligama PS Chairman Lasantha Wickramasekara, who was shot dead in October 2025.
Catholic Church to petition President Dissanayake on April 21 for Deputy Defence Minister Jayasekera's removal over Easter attacks conflict of interest.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the Colombo Security Conclave will become a formal international body with an Indian national as Secretary General.
Ceylon Petroleum Corporation has asked the Ministry of Mass Media to investigate Hiru TV over what it calls a false, damaging report on crude oil pricing.
Dinouk Colombage says Colombo Security Conclave elevation exposes Sri Lanka's institutional shortfall — Defence Secretary still doubling as de facto NSA.
Police arrested nine suspects over the April 16 assault of a woman on a public road in Medalanda, Gokarella, after a video went viral.
Asia Broadcasting Corp says a 'strong' reply to Minister Lal Kantha's Rs. 10 billion notice is due within 24 hours, and calls a viral police-letter a forgery.
Former president declares change is coming as SLPP skips May Day rally this year, citing clash with Vesak festival; opts for religious observance instead.
Police report 53 road-accident deaths and 27 drownings between April 10 and 18, up on previous Sinhala-Tamil New Year periods.
Sri Lanka Police confirmed eight prominent organised crime figures are in foreign custody, with legal procedures underway to extradite them back home.
Patali Champika Ranawaka will release the Auditor General's coal-import audit covering 2009-2016, along with Cabinet papers and CEB directives.
Colombo Magistrate's Court granted bail to former Minister Piyasena Gamage over alleged political recruitment of 134 staff to a state technical college.
Kamal Amarasinghe released on Rs. 25,000 cash bail and two sureties of Rs. 200,000 after 24 days in CID custody; travel ban imposed, next hearing May 11.
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa met Indian Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan in Colombo, with talks focused on expanding bilateral trade and economy.
President Dissanayake received credentials from six new envoys including Pakistan's High Commissioner Nayyar Naseer and the Vatican's Apostolic Nuncio.
SJB's Lakshman Kiriella urged the government to hold long-delayed Provincial Council polls and predicted an opposition alliance under Sajith Premadasa.
The UNP has denied social media posts advertising a May Day rally, saying no Labour Day event will be held in 2026 as May 1 coincides with Vesak Poya.
A WHO delegation will spend the week reviewing Sri Lanka's 1,000 Arogya Health and Wellness Centres programme and its primary-care digitalisation push.
Police have arrested a 54-year-old Saliyawewa man after three women lost consciousness and were robbed of cash and jewellery on an Anuradhapura–Colombo bus.
All procurement files are in CID custody, every custodian has given a statement, and digital forensics on coal import data is now underway.
CID has seized all coal procurement files, recorded custodian statements and begun a forensic computer-data review as the criminal probe deepens.
Indian VP C.P. Radhakrishnan arrived at BIA with a 49-member delegation for two-day talks with President Dissanayake and PM Amarasuriya.
Indian Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan met President Dissanayake, PM Amarasuriya and Opposition Leader Premadasa during his Colombo visit.
Visiting Vice President Radhakrishnan met North and East Tamil party leaders and Indian-origin Tamil political groups in Colombo on Sunday.
The Joint Opposition alleges the coal contract was awarded to an unregistered company and demands collective Cabinet responsibility.
NWSDB Chairman Chandana Bandara says Kandy and Kundasale water distribution has resumed after a 10-day Ditwah-linked disruption at Balagolla treatment plant.
Colombo Crimes Division seeks extended custody of former MP Chandana Kathriarachchi after 72-hour interrogation in a grenade and ammunition case.
A partially rusted live grenade was discovered in the Nabadawewa reservoir in Andagala, Eppawala. Police believe it was thrown from an adjacent bridge.
A third person has died after the Pamunuwa house fire, raising the toll to three. Police now allege the house owner himself set the blaze.
Two gunmen on a motorcycle fired a T-56 rifle and torched a car outside a businessman's home in Midigama. No injuries reported.
CIABOC has arrested a Mullaitivu hospital accountant and assistant over a Rs. 30,000 bribe demanded to release a linen contractor's March cheque.
The National Transport Commission inspected 680 buses from April 8 to 18 and fined 80 operators for overcharging passengers during the New Year period.
NTC has added expressway buses from Uva and Central Province; Railways runs extra trains from Anuradhapura, KKS, Matara and Beliatta for the holiday return.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake received blessings from the Supreme Mahanayake of the Sri Lanka Amarapura Maha Nikaya in Wellawatte on Sunday.
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre warns of severe lightning and thundershowers across six provinces plus Ampara district this afternoon and evening.
SJB's Lakshman Kiriella says the Auditor General's coal report must go to the AG via Parliament, accusing the government of using commissions to delay action.
Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath says Sri Lanka will complete its standard operating procedure for foreign research vessels within two months.
Asia Broadcasting Corporation has corrected figures it aired on Minister K.D. Lal Kantha's assets, hours after his Rs. 10 billion damages notice.
STF arrests 45-year-old linked to T-56 rifle shooting attempt, seizes 13.7 grams of ICE at Kosgoda hideout.
A Sri Lanka Army soldier died on April 17 when a wall of an aging building collapsed at the training facility in the Eastern Province.
Customs officials at Bandaranaike Airport arrested a Sri Lankan passenger with foreign cigarettes and e-cigarettes.
Bribery commission investigating cross-complaints between Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne and interdicted Deputy Secretary General Chaminda Kularatne.
Centre for Society and Religion releases 'Memory, Pain and the Hope' report ahead of the 7th anniversary, warning key questions remain unanswered.
The Centre for Society and Religion calls on the government to remove Aruna Jayasekera to ensure impartial Easter investigations.
Association of Former Members of Parliament writes to IPU citing AG's withdrawal from Speaker's case, pension cuts, and staff harassment.
Sri Lanka's FMM slams CID after journalist receives notice that her energy crisis article was flagged to X/Twitter.
Ex-Galle District MP Sampath Athukorala hospitalised after a sharp-weapon attack in Bambrawana, Pitigala; one suspect arrested.
Opposition MP says HSBC CEO referred to refined oil door-to-door price, not crude, calling government's legal threats 'utterly shameful.'
Investigations reveal the 161kg heroin shipment seized off Matara was transported under a Rs. 50M smuggling contract; the organiser has fled.
IGP Weerasuriya says 32 suspects brought back including Karandeniye Raju, with more extraditions planned.
Vice President Radhakrishnan will visit Indian-origin Tamil settlements in Nuwara Eliya and address the diaspora on day two of his visit.
Organised crime suspect 'Karandeniye Raju,' wanted for over 15 offences including murder, detained for further investigation after India handover.
K.D. Lal Kantha has issued a Rs. 10 billion legal notice to ABC broadcaster for allegedly misrepresenting his CIABOC asset declaration.
Sri Lanka Navy intercepted a fishing vessel in deep waters on April 17, recovering heroin valued in the billions and arresting four suspects.
Sri Lanka Navy, Coast Guard and Fisheries Department arrest 41 suspects and seize dinghies, explosives and banned gear across three provinces.
Sri Lanka's coal inquiry commission is setting up its Colombo office and will commence formal proceedings next week under three senior judges.
Police arrest six suspects in two unrelated post-Avurudu incidents caught on video — a forced hair-cutting in Ragama and a stick attack in Horana.
Sobanahandi Sanath de Silva, brother of crime boss 'Karandeniya Sudda', repatriated from India after arrest in New Delhi.
Investigators found deleted WhatsApp exchanges on a co-suspect's device linking to Ranawaka's phone in an ongoing High Court case.
Sri Lanka becomes a State Party to ILO Convention No. 190, committing to amend domestic labour laws accordingly.
Minister Bimal Rathnayake extends Sri Lanka's transport engagement to Belarus and Kazakhstan, signing a capacity MoU and pursuing air service agreements.
ITAK's Sumanthiran lauds the Energy Minister's exit but criticises government MPs for voting to retain him despite conceding coal was substandard.
Incidents in Moragahahena, Gokarella, and Ragama prompt police action amid post-Avurudu gender violence concerns.
Gunmen target a three-wheeler near Lokaswatta cemetery; suspect linked to organised crime survives uninjured.
Colombo Magistrate rejects bail for ex-SriLankan CEO Kapila Chandrasena in Airbus bribery case, extends remand to April 28.
Colombo court grants bail to Kongahage and Abeysinghe with Rs. 1M surety each, rejects PS Chairman Yogaraj's application.
All eight victims of the post-Avurudu Deduru Oya drowning in Kobeygane have been recovered after a two-day search operation.
Power and Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody and Secretary Prof. Hemapala resign to ensure the presidential coal inquiry proceeds independently.
Former COPE chairman Charitha Herath says the legislature, not the executive, should lead the coal procurement investigation.
Foreign Affairs Minister Herath says Auditor General and COPE cleared former Energy Minister Jayakody of coal corruption allegations.
Transport Minister Rathnayake says Rs. 9.15bn retained from coal supplier exceeds estimated Rs. 8bn loss from substandard shipments.
Indian VP C.P. Radhakrishnan will visit Sri Lanka April 19-20 — the first bilateral visit by an Indian Vice President.
NPP MP Hiruni Wijesinghe calls for urgent action against invasive water hyacinth disrupting irrigation, hydropower and public health.
MCPA president Chamal Sanjeewa files CIABOC complaint citing discrepancies in Minister Lal Kantha's Rs. 6.7 crore assets declaration.
SLPP leader Namal Rajapaksa says Energy Minister Jayakody's resignation is welcome but insufficient, demands criminal accountability through the PCOI.
Sri Lanka Navy seized 10 multi-day fishing trawlers and over 1,800kg of drugs worth Rs. 44 billion in the first three months of 2026.
Police arrest the owner of a fishing vessel carrying 161kg of heroin worth Rs. 4 billion; Rs. 50bn in drugs seized in 2026 so far.
Senior SLPS officer Aponsu replaces Prof. Hemapala as Energy Secretary following Jayakody-era resignations over coal probe.
Water shortage disrupts Pallekelle households and export zone factories as FSP alleges excessive reservoir drawdown for power generation.
President Dissanayake gazettes PCOI to investigate all coal imports since inception of coal power, chaired by SC Judge Gihan Kulatunga.
Sri Lanka Police report 158,821 drug arrests and massive narcotics hauls since October 2025 in nationwide enforcement drive.
Dissanayake stresses community-based approach for Clean Sri Lanka programme at Presidential Secretariat review meeting.
Colombo Magistrate releases ex-SLRC chief Kongahage and deputy Abeysinghe on Rs. 1 million bail each with travel ban; case recalled September 8.
Ambassador Dassanayake briefs UN High Commissioner Türk on recent developments and reaffirms engagement with the UNHRC.
Airport customs seized 75,900 China-made cigarettes from six Chinese nationals who arrived on three separate flights on Thursday morning.
Colombo Crimes Division recovered a hand grenade, T-56 magazines and over 350 rounds during a court-warranted search of the ex-MP's Piliyandala residence.
Health and Mass Media Minister Nalinda Jayatissa says Treasury will absorb a significant share of any fuel price rise caused by Middle East market volatility.
A patient accused of sexually assaulting a female doctor at Nagoda Teaching Hospital has been remanded until April 27 by the Kalutara Magistrate's Court.
The Sri Lanka Navy seized a multi-day fishing vessel carrying suspected narcotics and arrested four suspects during a deep-sea operation south of the island.
Polonnaruwa CID recovered a cache of live T-56 assault rifle ammunition along the bund of the ancient reservoir during a special search operation.
Police will impound vehicles emitting excessive black smoke and opened WhatsApp hotline 070 3500525 for the public to report offenders with plate or video.
DIG Senadheera orders strict action against non-standard plates as DMT registration delays fuel illegal modifications.
Sri Lanka Army completed pre-deployment training at IPSOTSL for troops joining the 5,550-strong UN-authorised Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti.
Welfare Benefits Board says Aswesuma first-round payments restart in July once nationwide beneficiary surveys are completed.
Frontline Socialist Party claims irregular water releases from Victoria Reservoir for electricity generation amid ongoing energy crisis.
Opposition MP compares police emergency response to Suwa Seriya ambulance service after minister admits daily complaints.
Police relief days on April 16 and 17 cancelled to ensure full security coverage during Avurudu festivities.
Former STF and Army Special Forces operative 'Raju' arrested in India for carrying out assassinations linked to Southern Province crime ring.
SLPP National Organiser calls for unity and youth empowerment in New Year message, acknowledging past errors.
Sri Lanka Navy seizes a boat and arrests four Indian fishermen for poaching on the first day of the annual fishing ban.
A court-ordered excavation in Kattankudy dug 20 feet deep over seven hours but recovered no buried weapons.
The President joined New Year celebrations at a home rebuilt in five months under the government's Ditwah compensation programme.
Sri Lanka Navy arrested four Indian fishermen from Rameswaram for poaching in Lankan waters just before the annual fishing ban began.
Customs officers seize Rs. 2.87 million worth of cannabis concealed in cardboard box from Malaysia Airlines flight.
A 24-hour operation netted 520 suspects and seized heroin and ICE, while a Dubai trafficker's associate was nabbed in Wennappuwa.
Opposition Leader calls for cultural respect and sustainable economic empowerment in his Sinhala and Tamil New Year address.
Police seize Rs. 7.5 million worth of narcotics from a suspected associate of a Dubai-based drug network in Dummaladeniya.
Police seized Rs. 7.5 million in narcotics from a suspected associate of a major drug trafficker in Dummaladeniya, Wennappuwa.
Joint forces uncover three-acre illegal cannabis cultivation in Udawalawe with estimated Rs. 4.5 million street value.
Cardinal Ranjith calls on all Catholic churches to hold prayer sessions marking the 7th anniversary of Easter Sunday bombings.
Indian authorities arrest a Gampaha man linked to the late underworld figure and drug trafficking; repatriation expected.
Human Rights Commission finds CID and Justice Ministry breached constitutional protections in arrest of Prisons Commissioner General.
Lanka Coal Company Chairman Jayantha Rathnayake claims viral recording was a routine call about a performance bond, not evidence of wrongdoing.
CID to collect files before Lanka Coal resumes operations; PUCSL unanimously rejects coal-related tariff surcharge, shielding consumers.
Minister Wijepala calls 118 helpline after public reports of three-hour waits on the 119 police emergency line.
Affected areas classified into risk zones with compensation disbursed in priority order through Divisional Secretariats.
Level-1 alerts issued for Kandy, Kegalle, Ratnapura and Nuwara Eliya districts from 4 PM April 13 to 4 PM April 14.
Piliyandala Police raid a garage assembling five high-capacity motorcycles not eligible for Sri Lankan registration.
Opposition SJB files CID complaint alleging coal tender awarded to presidential associate based on leaked recording; Lanka Coal chairman rejects claims.
Customs officers at Bandaranaike Airport intercept Ugandan woman with cocaine concealed in garments.
UVP leader Uvindu Wijeweera criticised the opposition for lacking long-term strategy, speaking at Kelaniya temple on Avurudu day.
Mahaoya STF OIC arrested on charges of aiding illegal excavation in Ampara district, one of several active accountability cases.
Foreign woman arrested at Bandaranaike International Airport with cocaine concealed within her body.
Transport Ministry probes bus ticket fraud during Avurudu travel rush, warns operators of legal action.
Two amendments allow Sri Lanka's public accounts committees to report fraud directly to CIABOC or police, bypassing previous intermediary steps.
SJB's Lakshman Kiriella says judiciary should determine the mastermind behind the 2019 Easter bombings using a 25-page report now before court.
IGP orders investigation into a senior Piliyandala-based officer accused of running an extortion racket targeting massage centres.
Sri Lanka Navy seized a fishing boat and arrested 12 Indian nationals for illegal fishing off Kovilam in Kareinagar, Jaffna.
Sri Lanka Navy seizes 939 sea cucumbers and two dinghies in Nagar Kovil beach operation targeting prohibited night diving.
PNS Taimur and PNS Aslat dock in Colombo for LION STAR V exercise as Pakistan mediates US-Iran talks.
Police arrest Kelaniya man for damaging newly renovated Pettah Central Bus Stand; remanded until April 17.
UNP Chairman Vajira Abeywardena says Ranil went to Singapore because seven National Hospital doctors who treated him were harassed by the CID.
Opposition Leader demands price reductions on fuel, gas, medicines, food and fertiliser during Avurudu temple visit in Hambantota.
Two people died when two lorries collided near the 54.9 km post on the Southern Expressway on Avurudu day.
Superintendent of Police Lakshman Cooray has been reinstated after 14 years in detention linked to the 2008 assassination of Minister Fernandopulle.
Sri Lanka's iconic hill country train service remains curtailed six months after Cyclone Ditwah damaged 223 sites.
Organised crime figures moved from Boossa High-Security Prison to the newly operational facility at Welisara Navy Camp.
Customs officers intercept Rs. 775,000 worth of plants concealed in luggage on Bangalore flight.
CID investigates claims of a plot against convicted killer Dematagoda Chaminda; investigators suspect a fabricated story.
CID officers seal Lanka Coal Company headquarters after launching probe into coal imports since 2009.
Excise raids four Colombo outlets, seizing fake-labelled foreign liquor worth Rs. 20 million targeting the New Year season.
GMOA's 48-hour token strike formally ends as union confirms matter has been taken to court; future action after Avurudu.
Public Administration Ministry reverses work-from-home plan, requiring all government offices to open during Avurudu week.
Opposition MP raises alarm over Sri Lanka's missing representation at a regional Indian Ocean leaders' forum.
Health Minister tells The Island that 462 coal shipments since 2010 were procured without proper procedures under successive governments.
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa appoints veteran MP Kabir Hashim as SJB Chairman for 2026 as party restructures after NCM defeat.
Police deployed to Lanka Coal Company office as President's Secretary seeks CID probe into 465 coal shipments since 2009.
Staff injured as NPP-affiliated group attempts to seize control of Matara Cooperative Hospital without elections.
President Mohamed Muizzu is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka next month, signalling warming bilateral ties.
Nandika Sanath Kumanayake lodges formal CID complaint over coal import irregularities spanning 465 shipments since 2009.
Parliamentary Select Committee seeks Attorney General's guidance on legal hurdles blocking long-delayed Provincial Council elections.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs describes the temporary ceasefire as a significant step toward regional de-escalation.
Special Task Force raids target drug trafficking ring connected to organised crime figure Batuwatte Chamara.
Appeal court sets May 8 for order on petitions challenging controversial doctor posting process.
The FSP says it will file court cases to invalidate both the Trident Chemphar long-term and Tarangot emergency coal tenders for Lakvijaya Power Plant.
GMOA's 48-hour token strike concludes after disrupting outpatient services at government hospitals nationwide.
A 19-year-old private university student was killed in a clash at a Homagama hotel following an Avurudu celebration.
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa complies with CIABOC deadline, filing an assets and income declaration affidavit on April 10.
Parliament defeats NCM against Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody by 104-vote margin; government announces coal procurement commission.
Nearly 29,000 people inspected across Sri Lanka on April 9 as police step up pre-Avurudu crackdown.
Supreme Court judges to lead presidential commission investigating coal procurement spanning four administrations since 2009.
Motor Traffic Commissioner Kamal Amarasinghe remanded until April 20 for aiding fraudulent vehicle registration.
Opposition Leader frames 49 NCM votes as reflecting public concern over coal fraud and electricity costs despite government's 153-vote majority.
SJB stages protest on parliament access road as NCM against Energy Minister Jayakody is formally presented over coal procurement scandal.
National Audit Department report quantifies Lakvijaya efficiency losses and flags recoverable supplier penalties a day before the no-confidence debate.
Civil society group says amendment bills rushed through before Avurudu lack consultation and could restrict free expression under FATF compliance drive.
Dissanayake calls tank rehabilitation a necessity for water security, says powerful interests have damaged reservations and silted ancient reservoirs.
UN humanitarian agency warns external shocks and land-clearance bottlenecks are slowing the post-cyclone rebuild; only $23.4m of $35.3m required secured.
Two suspects arrested after undercover Rs. 10,000 sting at the Department of Motor Traffic; DMT security officer found with nine official licence stickers.
Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala said investigators have established that the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings were not isolated but part of a longer plot.
The Ministry of Education has directed all school principals to minimise spending on Sinhala and Tamil New Year events, Newswire reported on Thursday.
New ministerial panel will monitor surface and groundwater protection and support the overhaul of the 62-year-old Water Resources Board Act.
Former foreign minister leads SLPP opposition bloc demanding Kumara Jayakody step down over Lakvijaya coal, citing CIABOC evidence.
Doctors' union says Ministry breached agreement by publishing post-intern placement list while Health Minister was abroad.
Health Minister Jayatissa cancels scheduled meeting after GMOA walks out, says 96% of newly-qualified doctors rejected the union directive.
IGP Priyantha Weerasuriya has banned gifts and external sponsorship for police Avurudu events, allocating just Rs. 250 per officer from state funds.
Ampara CIB officers arrested a suspect in Kalmunai who ran a drug delivery ring under cover of a courier service, hiding crystal meth inside toys.
Sri Lanka Navy detained ten Indian fishermen and a fishing vessel for illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters during a night patrol on April 8–9.
Parliament debates NCM against Energy Minister Jayakody over coal procurement; first NCM under NPP government, outcome expected later today.
Train services on the Northern Line between Colombo Fort and Kankesanturai resumed on April 9, months after Cyclone Ditwah disrupted the route.
Oversight committee chaired by SJB MP S.M. Marikkar flags absent Secretary and regional port losses even as SLPA posts Rs. 56bn profit.
MPs voted 137 to 27 to approve the extension of emergency regulations under the Public Security Ordinance, renewed in March over the Middle East conflict.
PM Harini Amarasuriya told the Rebuilding Sri Lanka Task Force to expedite Cyclone Ditwah compensation payouts and housing reconstruction.
Power outages hit several parts of the island on April 8, contradicting Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody's denial of power cuts in Parliament the previous day.
Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe arrived at Katunayake on April 9 after surgery at Mount Elizabeth Hospital; UNP says recovery will take several weeks.
SJB leader tells Parliament the government has conceded substandard coal was imported, calls the Rs. 100 billion relief package inadequate.
IMF Mission Chief Papageorgiou said invitations for the parliamentary session went to every party via the Speaker, after the SJB complained of exclusion.
Transport Minister Bimal Rathnayake says entire SLTB administration destroyed by leakage, promises sweeping reform without privatisation.
China's Ministry of Public Security escorted 125 suspects from Sri Lanka to Hubei on March 29 as part of a joint crackdown on cross-border telecom fraud.
Four Colombo residents arrested at BIA after eight suitcases of undeclared medicines from Bangalore were intercepted in the green channel.
COPE-requested audit reveals unregistered suppliers won tenders, lab accreditation lapsed, and 47 days of zero coal imports.
President Dissanayake hosted the Council of Arab Ambassadors on April 8, pledging support for Middle East peace as the US-Iran ceasefire holds.
Ex-Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo called on Ranil Wickremesinghe during the former Sri Lankan president's recovery from surgery in Singapore.
Doctors' union launches islandwide 48-hour action from April 9 over post-graduate internships, three days after suspending a nine-day strike.
Retired Rear Admiral Y. N. Jayarathna says regional security cannot be outsourced and that Sri Lanka must guide its Indian Ocean policy by national interest.
SLBFE investigators arrest the operator of an unlicensed Maharagama consultancy accused of defrauding victims with fake job offers in Albania and Canada.
Former Singapore FM George Yeo visited Ranil Wickremesinghe in Singapore on April 8, where the former Sri Lankan president is recuperating after surgery.
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa told Parliament the government should cut fuel prices by midnight, citing Brent crude's fall to USD 95 after the ceasefire.
Opposition Leader rejects Rs. 100bn relief package as inadequate, alleges fertilizer shortages and 2.5 million people excluded.
Coalition of families, religious leaders and rights groups submits 18,000-signature petition asking president to release prisoners held up to 30 years.
Admiral Steve Koehler met Sri Lanka Navy leadership aboard P628, the former USCGC Decisive, at Coast Guard Base Honolulu on April 3.
CIABOC arrests former SLRC Chairman Sarath Kongahage, ex-DG Devapriya Abeysinghe and the Nuwara Eliya PS Chairman in two separate corruption cases on April 7.
Activist Chirantha Amerasinghe says he is being prosecuted for 2020 posts arguing COVID burials were safe — a position the Cabinet endorsed in 2024.
Sri Lanka Customs uncovered Rs. 507 million worth of foreign cigarettes falsely declared as bedsheets in a Dubai shipment, with Rs. 460 million in lost taxes.
Cabinet-approved relief package for households affected by the Middle East energy crisis is due in Parliament, Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake says.
President says government will absorb Rs. 5 billion a month for three months to shield low-consumption households when the next tariff revision lands.
Kumara Jayakody denies scheduled power cuts in Parliament; SJB MP Ajith Perera cites a system report logging manual load shedding the previous evening.
GMOA says specialist units have been abolished at five major hospitals while Sri Lanka faces a 900-doctor shortfall against the 3,000 needed nationwide.
President pledges Rs. 6.5 billion for fertiliser support plus Rs. 600 million in subsidies, with paddy payments raised to Rs. 30,000 a farmer.
Deputy Health Minister Hansaka Wijemuni told Parliament the Colombo children's hospital has a heavy surgical backlog, led by 1,025 cardiothoracic cases.
Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala permits cross-division raids when local OICs fail to act on intelligence, widening enforcement powers.
President Dissanayake confirms a Rs. 100 per litre diesel subsidy delivered via QR-based digital payments amid Hormuz-driven fuel price pressures.
SJB trade unionist alleges Litro and LAUGFS are selling old gas stocks at new inflated prices, calling for accountability over Avurudu LP gas price hikes.
Sri Lanka Navy's Eastern Command ran a multi-agency CBRN drill at Trincomalee on March 31, practising hazardous chemical response and evacuation.
Environment Minister wins approval to expand Water Resources Board's mandate over groundwater misuse and excessive extraction amid dry-season stress.
Customs Narcotics officers seized 11.34kg of Kush from a passenger arriving from New Delhi on April 6, the second BIA narcotics arrest this week.
Sri Lanka's Deputy High Commissioner to Chennai denies his Puducherry fishermen meeting was political after an Indian MP raised Vienna Convention concerns.
A suspect arrested at BIA opened bank accounts under Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa's name to solicit charity funds for a monk's wheelchair.
Freedom House score rises from 54 to 58 as credible elections and anti-corruption efforts drive recognition.
Minister Herath says QR system, odd-even plates, and Wednesday holiday could be withdrawn as nine April fuel shipments ease supply pressure.
Former minister claims Terrorism Investigation Division found Rahman tied to an IS-linked figure during Easter probe; Rahman rejects unverified charge.
Doctors end island-wide token strike after Health Minister agrees to discuss transfer and appointment grievances on April 10.
Planning meeting held at Presidential Secretariat on April 6; VP to meet President Dissanayake and PM Amarasuriya, with India-funded projects on agenda.
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa says Treasury surplus and IMF revenue gains should fund a relief package for households squeezed by April price hikes.
Opposition leader Kiriella calls on Energy Minister to step down ahead of April 10 no-confidence debate.
Bimal Rathnayake and Andrey Nikitin signed cooperation agreement; Russian firms may modernize 60km Colombo–Avissawella rail corridor.
Commissioner General of Essential Services orders schools, universities and government offices to resume normal Wednesday operations from April 8.
Six crew members of SLFV Sudu Duwa-4 arrived at BIA after diplomatic efforts secured their release from Bangladesh custody.
Cabinet committee weighs work-from-home on April 16-17 as Health Ministry reports a 42% diesel cut, with schools and universities shifting online.
Sri Lanka marks the seventh anniversary of the 2019 Easter bombings as political leaders clash over accountability.
GMOA strike enters Day 3 as Health Minister brands the walkout 'baseless' and cites Rs. 6 million per doctor in state training costs.
GMOA claims newly qualified doctors were threatened with dismissal and salary cuts, calls for presidential intervention.
Doctors maintain islandwide strike action on April 5 as GMOA executive committee meets to decide future course.
The GMOA says 96% of new doctors applied for posts under duress as the strike continues until April 6 morning.
GMOA extends token strike until 8am Monday after claiming 96% intern compliance rate reflects coercion, not voluntary participation.
GMOA scales back to a 24-hour token strike on Day 4, signalling a de-escalation from the full walkout that disrupted hospitals across Sri Lanka.
CIABOC directs former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to declare assets by April 10, linked to an Airbus bribery probe alleging Rs. 60 million in payments.
Major General Manada Yahampath of the Sri Lanka Light Infantry takes over as the 68th Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army, effective April 2.
A three-day excavation at a suspected mass grave in Kurukkalmadam yielded no human remains, but the OMP says the search continues.
Pillayan confesses to magistrate that Professor Ravindranath was murdered in a torture chamber in 2006, closing 18 years of uncertainty.
Prasanna Ranatunga pays Rs. 25 million to settle a corruption case over alleged Rs. 64 million solicited from a businessman for land approvals.
FM Vijitha Herath secures a Russian commitment to supply oil to Sri Lanka as the island battles its energy crisis linked to the Middle East war.
Colombo Magistrate orders open warrants for two suspects in USD 2 million Airbus aircraft procurement scandal.
Sri Lanka's NCPA logged 11,409 corporal punishment complaints in January and February 2026 — already exceeding the entire 2025 total.
Health Minister Jayatissa rejects GMOA demands, challenges the union to seek legal remedies as 435 of 453 junior doctors comply before deadline.
SLPP MP alleges Energy Minister Jayakody is blocking a PUCSL report exposing the Lakvijaya coal quality scandal behind Sri Lanka's power crisis.
Sri Lanka weighs shifting public sector work online around the Sinhala and Tamil New Year to cut fuel use amid the energy crisis.