Welikada OIC arrested over Chinese passport bribery case
The Officer-in-Charge of the Welikada Police has been arrested over the alleged illegal possession of passports of 19 Chinese nationals, police said. Police said the officer had allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs. 300,000 from each individual in exchange for…
SLYCAN Trust highlights need for stronger climate risk finance mechanisms in Sri Lanka
Colombo, Sri Lanka, 27 May 2026 — With disasters and other climate change impacts looming large, Sri Lanka needs strong social and financial protection mechanisms to help communities, businesses, and public institutions prepare and recover, according to discussions at the…
Restrictions announced for state Vesak week celebrations
A special set of restrictions will be in effect during this period, according to an official circular issued under the signature of S. Alokabandara, Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government. Accordingly, slaughterhouses, meat shops,…
FM Vijitha Herath receives traditional Māori welcome in New Zealand
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath was accorded a traditional Māori “Pōwhiri” welcome at New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Tuesday, becoming the first Sri Lankan Foreign Minister to receive the honour during an official visit the…
Sri Lanka surpasses one million tourist arrivals before end of May 2026
Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has surpassed the one million mark in international tourist arrivals before the end of May 2026 for the second consecutive year, according to Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tourism and Foreign Employment Vijitha Herath. Herath said the…
Ugandan woman quarantined in India tests negative for Ebola
A Ugandan woman has tested negative for Ebola infection, India’s health ministry said on Wednesday, after she was quarantined in the tech hub of Bengaluru on suspicion of having the virus, but it did not say if she would be…
Govt weighs legal, technical options over controversial coal shipment
Energy Minister Anura Karunathilake says the Government is exploring legal and technical options over the controversial third coal shipment procured through an emergency procurement process, amid concerns raised over the quality of the coal cargo. Addressing the media, the Minister…
State Vesak Festival to take place today
Vesak Week has been declared from today (27 May) until 2 June in line with the 2026 State Vesak Festival, held to mark the Sambuddhatva Jayanthi. Authorities said Vesak celebrations will be conducted islandwide with the support of government and…
Sajith urges fresh IMF deal to protect public
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has urged the government to take immediate steps to negotiate a fresh agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to protect the wellbeing of the public. In a post on X, Premadasa noted that Bangladesh is…
People’s Bank Achieves PBT of LKR 16.6 Billion in Q1-2026 Amidst Global Uncertainty; Group Assets Rise to LKR 4.2 Trillion
People’s Bank posted a standalone PBT of LKR 16.6 billion for Q1 2026, reflecting resilience amid global uncertainty. Asset quality improved, with Stage 3 ratio down to 7.2% and Stage 3 provision coverage up to 50.0%. Capital and liquidity strengthened…