Colombo, November 14 — The Second Reading of the 2026 Government Budget was passed in Parliament today with a majority of 118 votes. A total of 160 MPs voted in favor, while 42 voted against the budget proposal. Another 8 members abstained from voting. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake presented the 2026 Budget to Parliament on […]
Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya has emphasized the importance of creating professional journalists who understand their responsibility and accountability in sharing accurate and reliable information, as the influence of digital and social media continues to grow. Speaking at the certificate awarding ceremony of the ITN Multi Media Campus (MMC) held at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, […]
Former Minister Prasanna Ranatunga was released on bail today (12) after being arrested by officials of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) in connection with a major financial irregularity probe. Ranatunga’s arrest follows an investigation into allegations that, during his tenure as Minister of Tourism in 2021, he unlawfully appointed a […]
At least 12 people were killed and 21 others injured in a suicide bombing near the Islamabad Kacheri (District Judicial Complex) earlier today. According to police, a vehicle caught fire immediately after the blast, with flames rapidly spreading and damaging several nearby cars and motorcycles. A large number of security personnel were deployed to the […]
A 17-year-old school student has died and 47 others were injured in a bus accident at the Jayaganga Junction in Thalawa, according to the Director of the Anuradhapura Hospital. The accident occurred this afternoon when a private bus veered off the road. Hospital authorities confirmed that 47 injured individuals were admitted, with 46 currently receiving […]
Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala says seven Sri Lankan drug traffickers currently hiding in the Middle East have informed authorities of their willingness to surrender. The minister made the disclosure on Saturday during the Colombo District phase of the national anti-drug initiative, “A Nation United,” held at the Colombo District Secretariat. According to Minister Wijepala, […]
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake presented the Appropriation Bill for the 2026 financial year in Parliament today. The total estimated government expenditure for the period from January 1 to December 31, 2026, is Rs. 4,434 billion. Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya tabled the Appropriation Bill, outlining the government’s proposed expenditure for the upcoming year. In his budget […]
Sri Lanka’s Saman Weerasinghe Receives Russia’s Top Civilian Honor Russian President Vladimir Putin has conferred the Order of Friendship, one of Russia’s highest civilian honors, on Dr. Saman Weerasinghe, Secretary General of the Sri Lanka–Russia Friendship Society and Head of the Russian Geographical Society in Sri Lanka. Dr. Weerasinghe, a former Sri Lankan Ambassador to […]
The Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court today (Nov. 3) granted permission for the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) to detain and question six suspects in connection with the seizure of 251.18 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine (‘Ice’) and 85 kilograms of heroin from a multi-day fishing vessel off Sri Lanka’s western coast. The suspects, arrested by the PNB, […]
The Maldives has introduced a generational smoking ban, prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to anyone born after 2007. The new law aims to create a smoke-free generation and reduce long-term health risks caused by tobacco use. Under the new regulation, retailers will be required to verify the age of buyers before selling cigarettes or […]
