Prices of imported milk powder will be reduced from January 16 following discussions with importers, Trade Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe stated. Accordingly, the price of a 400g pack will be reduced by Rs. 50, while a 1kg pack will be cut by Rs. 125.

Imported milk powder prices to be reduced

The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has decided not to increase electricity tariffs during the first quarter of 2026. Accordingly, existing electricity tariffs will remain unchanged from January to March 2026, the regulator announced. The decision provides relief to consumers amid ongoing economic pressures.

Electricity tariffs to remain unchanged

Ministry of Education sets 2026 curriculum plan

Four Buddhist monks, including Ven. Balangoda Kassapa Thero, along with five other individuals, have been remanded until January 19 by the Trincomalee Magistrate’s Court. They face allegations of violating coastal conservation laws after placing a Buddha statue at the Trincomalee Bodhiraja Vihara on November 16, 2025. Authorities had attempted to remove the statue, but faced opposition from the monks and local residents.&nbsp; The Coast Conservation Department had filed a complaint, citing that the construction of the statue was unauthorized. All parties involved were produced before the Trincomalee Magistrate’s Court, which issued the remand order.

Trincomalee Buddha statue incident: Ven. Balangoda Kassapa Thero and others remanded

The Colombo Stock Exchange’s benchmark All Share Price Index (ASPI) reached a record 23,708.70 points today(14), surpassing the previous high of 23,659.70 points set on 12 November 2025. The ASPI rose 100.90 points (0.43%) to close at 23,708.70 points. Meanwhile, the S&amp;P SL20 index gained 63.65 points (0.98%), ending the day at 6,558.41 points.

Colombo Stock Exchange ASPI hits new all-time high

Sri Lanka has recorded 82 fatalities in 77 road accidents during the first 13 days of 2026, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) W. P. J. Senadheera stated. Speaking to local media, DIG Senadheera said the majority of accidents were caused by drunk driving.&nbsp; He added that around 500 drunk drivers are arrested daily, with sufficient breathalyzers now available nationwide. He further noted that a pilot project in Colombo has introduced mobile drug-testing units to identify drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

82 killed in road accidents in first 13 days of 2026

A new and exciting tourism attraction, the “Dambulla Bustaurant,” is set to be introduced in Dambulla tomorrow (15), offering visitors a novel way to explore the region while enjoying a mobile dining experience.&nbsp; Designed to serve tourists traveling along the popular Dambulla–Sigiriya corridor, the specially outfitted bus will operate as a moving restaurant, allowing passengers to savor meals as they journey through key destinations. &nbsp;The circular route will begin in Pelwehera, pass through Digampatha, Kimbissa, Sigiriya, and Inamaluwa, and then return to the starting point.&nbsp; This concept, already successful in several countries, aims to enhance tourism by creating memorable and immersive travel experiences. Officials believe the Bustaurant will boost the region’s appeal by seamlessly combining sightseeing with hospitality.

Innovative “Dambulla Bustaurant” to launch tomorrow

The Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection reviewed the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Bill and the Judicature (Amendment) Bill, aimed at strengthening legal measures against the trafficking and production of dangerous drugs in high seas. During discussions on January 9, committee members proposed additional amendments and agreed to seek legal advice from the Attorney General’s Department before submitting the bills for Cabinet approval.&nbsp; The committee plans to reconvene for further review. Officials also discussed delays in Government Analyst reports and the use of eZ Cash and mCash in drug trafficking, exploring possible legal actions to address these issues. The meeting was chaired by MP Dr. Najith Indika and attended by several MPs, including Deputy Chairperson Hemali Weerasekara, and legal and retired military representatives.

SOC reviews bills to tackle high-seas drug trafficking

The planet experienced its third-warmest year on record in 2025, and average temperatures have exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming over three years, the longest period since records began, EU scientists said on Wednesday. The data from the European Union's European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) found that the last three years were the planet's three hottest since records began - with 2025 marginally cooler than 2023, by just 0.01 C. Britain's national weather service, the UK Met Office, confirmed its own data ranked 2025 as the third-warmest in records going back to 1850. The World Meteorological Organization will publish its temperature figures later on Wednesday. The hottest year on record was 2024. EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS ECMWF said the planet also just had its first three-year period in which the average global temperature was 1.5 C above the pre-industrial era - the limit beyond which scientists expect global warming will unleash severe impacts, some of them irreversible. "1.5 C is not a cliff edge. However, we know that every fraction of a degree matters, particularly for worsening extreme weather events," said Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at ECMWF. Governments pledged under the 2015 Paris Agreement to try to avoid exceeding 1.5 C of global warming, measured as a decades-long average temperature compared with the pre-industrial era. But their failure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions means that level could now be breached before 2030 - a decade earlier than had been predicted when the Paris accord was signed in 2015, ECMWF said. "We are bound to pass it," said Carlo Buontempo, director of the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service. "The choice we now have is how to best manage the inevitable overshoot and its consequences on societies and natural systems." POLITICAL PUSHBACK Currently, the world's long-term warming level is about 1.4 C above the pre-industrial era, ECMWF said. Measured on a short-term basis, the world already breached 1.5 C in 2024. Exceeding the long-term 1.5 C limit - even if only temporarily - would lead to more extreme and widespread impacts, including hotter and longer heatwaves, and more powerful storms and floods. In 2025, wildfires in Europe produced the highest total emissions on record, while scientific studies confirmed specific weather events were made worse by climate change - including Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean and monsoon rains in Pakistan which killed more than 1,000 people in floods. Despite these worsening impacts, climate science is facing increased political pushback. U.S. President Donald Trump, who has called climate change "the greatest con job", last week withdrew from dozens of U.N. entities including the scientific Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The long-established consensus among the world's scientists is that climate change is real, mostly caused by humans, and getting worse. Its main cause is greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, which trap heat in the atmosphere. Source : Reuters

Imported milk powder prices to be reduced

Electricity tariffs to remain unchanged

Electricity tariffs to remain ...

Ministry of Education sets 2026 curriculum plan

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Trincomalee Buddha statue incident: Ven. Balangoda Kassapa Thero and o ...

Trincomalee Buddha statue inci ...

Colombo Stock Exchange ASPI hits new all-time high

Colombo Stock Exchange ASPI hi ...

82 killed in road accidents in first 13 days of 2026

82 killed in road accidents in ...

Innovative “Dambulla Bustaurant” to launch tomorrow

Innovative “Dambulla Bustauran ...

SOC reviews bills to tackle high-seas drug trafficking

SOC reviews bills to tackle hi ...

2025 was the world's third-warmest year on record, EU scientists say

2025 was the world's third-war ...

Electricity tariffs to remain unchanged

Electricity tariffs to remain ...

Ministry of Education sets 2026 curriculum plan

Ministry of Education sets 202 ...

Trincomalee Buddha statue incident: Ven. Balangoda Kassapa Thero and o ...

Trincomalee Buddha statue inci ...

Colombo Stock Exchange ASPI hits new all-time high

Colombo Stock Exchange ASPI hi ...

82 killed in road accidents in first 13 days of 2026

82 killed in road accidents in ...

Innovative “Dambulla Bustaurant” to launch tomorrow

Innovative “Dambulla Bustauran ...

SOC reviews bills to tackle high-seas drug trafficking

SOC reviews bills to tackle hi ...

2025 was the world's third-warmest year on record, EU scientists say

2025 was the world's third-war ...

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Electricity tariffs to remain unchanged

Electricity tariffs to remain ...

Ministry of Education sets 2026 curriculum plan

Ministry of Education sets 202 ...

Bringing the news paper to your fingertips

Trincomalee Buddha statue incident: Ven. Balangoda Kassapa Thero and o ...

Trincomalee Buddha statue inci ...

Colombo Stock Exchange ASPI hits new all-time high

Colombo Stock Exchange ASPI hi ...

82 killed in road accidents in first 13 days of 2026

82 killed in road accidents in ...

Innovative “Dambulla Bustaurant” to launch tomorrow

Innovative “Dambulla Bustauran ...