The first Bailey Bridge built under India’s Assistance Package for post-Ditwah reconstruction was opened for traffic on Sunday, restoring a vital road connection between Sri Lanka’s Central Province and Uva Province. The 100-foot Bailey Bridge on the B-492 highway along the Kandy–Ragala Road was inaugurated by Santosh Jha, India’s top diplomatic representative in Sri Lanka, together with Deputy Minister of Transport Dr. Prasanna Gunasena and Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education Madhura Senevirathne. Officials said the bridge reinstates a key transport link that was damaged following Cyclone Ditwah, improving connectivity for residents, commuters and businesses while facilitating the movement…
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Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Public Security has launched investigations after its official website was found to be temporarily inaccessible, with media reports drawing attention to a distorted image of the national emblem that is suspected to have been generated using artificial intelligence. The ministry said technical examinations are being carried out with the assistance of the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SL CERT) and the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), with the inquiry focusing on how the altered image appeared on the official website. Officials are examining whether the image was created or uploaded using AI tools and…
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s private credit volumes from commercial banks have surged to a new high of 262 billion rupees in November 2025, up from 246 billion rupees a month earlier, pushing 12-month growth to 26 percent, official data show. Private credit topped 10 trillion rupees, to 10,029 billion rupees in November. Net credit to the government from banks fell by 103 billion rupees to 6,262 billion rupees in November 2025. Sri Lanka has raised taxes on the people, after the last currency crisis from central bank rate cuts in 2020 ended in default improving budgets. Credit to state enterprises…
Jana Balawegaya MP Prasad Siriwardena has been summoned by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to give a statement over a comment he made on a television programme. Siriwardena said he has been asked to appear at the CID at 10:00 a.m. on Monday (12) to provide a statement regarding remarks he made on Hiru TV’s Salakuna programme about new education reforms. “I like to tell the people about the state of the government they elected. This has become a puppet government,” he said. (NewsWire) Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Prasad Siriwardena has been summoned by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to…
Sri Lanka’s Examinations Commissioner has announced the schedule for national examinations to be held in 2026, with seven major exams planned throughout the year. According to the Department of Examinations Sri Lanka, the first examination of the year will be the General Information Technology (GIT) Examination for 2025, scheduled for Jan. 11, 2026. The remaining subjects of the 2025 General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (GCE A/L) examination, which were postponed due to adverse weather conditions, will be conducted from Jan. 12 to Jan. 20, 2026. The GCE Ordinary Level (O/L) examination for the 2025 academic year will be held…
WEATHER FORECAST FOR 11 JANUARY 2026 Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 11 January 2026 The low pressure area over the Gulf of Mannar is weakening further. Therefore, the influence of this system on the island’s weather is further gradually reducing. Several spells of showers will occur in Northern, North-central, Uva, and Eastern provinces. A few showers may occur in the North-western and Central provinces. Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places elsewhere during evening or night. Misty conditions can be expected at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa and Central provinces and in Galle and Matara districts during the early hours…
Two separate protests were held today (10) in Matugama, drawing significant public attention as opposing groups demonstrated on different issues.
The Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government has directed all state institutions to introduce flexible work shifts for Muslim public servants to facilitate the observance of religious practices during the holy month of Ramadan.
An activist group announced plans to launch an indefinite protest outside Sri Lanka’s Education Ministry on Monday, demanding the withdrawal of new education reforms and calling for the resignation of the education minister. The protest, organized by the group “Adults Standing for Children,” is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Jan. 12, according to the group’s convener, former minister and National Freedom Front leader Wimal Weerawansa. Speaking at a news conference in Colombo on Saturday, Weerawansa said parents from across the country are invited to join the continuous sit-in, regardless of political affiliation. He alleged that the proposed education…
The government will take all necessary steps to resume train services to Kandy within a year, Deputy Minister of Transport Prasanna Gunasena said on Saturday (10). Responding to questions from journalists, Gunasena said the railway track stretch from Rambukkana to Peradeniya has suffered the most damage due to the Ditwah disaster, and repairs are estimated to cost around US$74 million. “To restore the Peradeniya bridge, commonly known as the ‘Yaka Palama’, alone will cost about US$18 million. Therefore, restoring this track involves a huge cost. However, we are doing our best to at least run trains to Kandy within a…
The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) announced that the country received a record-high amount of emigrant remittances in 2025, the highest in the 40-year history of foreign employment.
A collective of more than 2,200 employees of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) who applied for the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) has urged the Energy Minister to intervene immediately, citing severe hardship caused by delays in gazetting the “Appointed Date” for CEB restructuring.
The depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal is likely to cross the Mullaittivu coast around this evening, the Department of Meteorology said.
The Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) has made it mandatory to enter the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) when registering vehicles and transferring vehicle ownership, with effect from January 5.
A foreign tourist child was rescued today after falling from a steep cliff at Little Adam’s Peak, officials said.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said that spectators who purchased tickets for the abandoned 2nd T20I will be issued a free ticket for the 3rd T20I, scheduled to be played on Sunday.
United States President Donald Trump says Iran is in “big trouble” and again warned he could order military strikes as videos showed antigovernment protests raging across the country, and authorities blacked out the internet to restrain growing unrest.
The “Safe Childhood- Creative Future” Clean Sri Lanka: STEP UP national early childhood development programme was officially launched this morning (10) at the Temple Trees under the leadership of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Training Dr. Harini Amarasuriya. The program is implemented with the goal of introducing formal quality standards for early childhood development centres in the future and organizing national-level training programmes to enhance the professional skills of early childhood educators. In line with the government’s vision of “A Thriving Nation – A Beautiful Life,” this national initiative is carried out in…
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has released a revised schedule for the 2025 G.C.E. Advanced Level (A/L) examinations following disruptions caused by adverse weather conditions.
Two protests were held today (10) in Matugama, turning the town into a focal point for opposing demonstrations. A protest organized by women government supporters condemned the atrocities targeted at women by the opposition. The protest was attended mainly by women, with several female Members of Parliament from the National People’s Power government also participating. Meanwhile, another protest was organized by the combined opposition, opposing the harm caused to children through challenges to free education and new educational reforms. Several opposition MPs attended, including opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, SJB MPs Jagath Vithana and Ajith P. Perera, Sarvajana Balaya leader Dilith…