Ex-Dy Secretary General of Parliament files writ petition seeking to nullify interdiction
Former Deputy Secretary General of Parliament, Chaminda Kularatne, has filed a writ petition before the Court of Appeal, seeking to nullify the decision to interdict him from duty without a fair inquiry, a reporter said. MORE..
- Two brothers arrested over Akuregoda double murder remanded
- Indian university kicked out of AI summit for claiming Chinese robot dog as its own invention
- Ex-Dy Secretary General of Parliament files writ petition seeking to nullify interdiction
- Advisory for low-pressure area to the south-east of Sri Lanka
- Fishing licenses of local vessels deliberately disabling VMS to be suspended?
- Sri Lankan Muslims to begin Ramadan fasting tomorrow
- Twelve killed in China’s Hubei as firecracker store explosion triggers blaze
- Five arrested for posting video insulting the President on social media
- Chairperson of Lanka Sugar Company resigns citing friction with provincial politicians
- Inaugural Sri Lanka-Belgium Political Consultations emphasise strengthening bilateral relations
Hot News
Inaugural Sri Lanka-Belgium Political Consultations emphasise strengthening bilateral relations
The inaugural round of Sri Lanka-Belgium Political Consultations was successfully held in Brussels, marking an important milestone in the longstanding relationship between the two countries. MORE..
Chairperson of Lanka Sugar Company resigns citing friction with provincial politicians
The Chairperson of Lanka Sugar Company (Pvt) Ltd, Sandamali Chandrasekera, has resigned from her post with immediate effect citing pressure from certain local politicians. MORE..
Five arrested for posting video insulting the President on social media
Five individuals have been arrested by Katana Police for allegedly directing verbal abuse towards President Anura Kumara Dissanayake near the Southern Expressway entry point in Mattala and subsequently posting the video on social media. MORE..
Twelve killed in China’s Hubei as firecracker store explosion triggers blaze
Twelve people were killed on Wednesday when a store selling firecrackers exploded and caught fire in China’s Hubei province, burning 50 square metres of the premises, state broadcaster CCTV reported. MORE..
Sri Lankan Muslims to begin Ramadan fasting tomorrow
Muslims in Sri Lanka will begin their Ramadan fasting at dawn on Thursday (19), after the crescent for the month of Ramadan was sighted in the country, this evening (18), the Colombo Grand Mosque confirmed.
Fishing licenses of local vessels deliberately disabling VMS to be suspended?
A high-level meeting on combating illegal fishing activities was convened at the Parliament Complex, according to the Ministry of Defence. MORE..
Advisory for low-pressure area to the south-east of Sri Lanka
The Department of Meteorology has issued an ‘Amber‘advisory for multi-day boats fishermen and naval community regarding the low-pressure area in the Southwest Bay of Bengal to the south-east of Sri Lanka. MORE..
Two brothers arrested over Akuregoda double murder remanded
The two brothers arrested in connection with the shooting and killing of a lawyer and his wife in Akuregoda have been remanded until March 04 by the Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court today (18). MORE..
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February 18, 2026 3:34 pm
Takaichi reelected as Japan’s prime minister with a goal of pushing to the right
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was reappointed Wednesday by Parliament to form her second Cabinet, following last week’s landslide election win that she hopes will allow a hard-right move to the country’s policies. All previous ministers are expected to be retained. MORE..
Maithree Wickremesinghe notified to appear before FCID on Feb. 20
Maithree Wickremesinghe, the wife of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, has been notified to appear before the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) on February 20. MORE..
Saman Ekanayake granted bail
Former Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake has been granted bail by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court, said Ada Derana reporter. MORE..
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February 18, 2026 2:30 pm
Weather advisory issued for heavy rainfall in several areas
An ‘Amber’ advisory has been issued by the Department of Meteorology for heavy rain in the Uva Province and Polonnaruwa, Batticaloa, Ampara, Matale and Nuwara-Eliya districts. MORE..
Quasi judge arrested over Rs. 5,000 bribery allegation
A Quasi Judge attached to the Koralaipattu (Central) Quasi Court in Valaichchenai has been arrested on allegations of accepting a bribe of Rs. 5,000. MORE..
Akuregoda murder suspects deleted phone data after shooting – Police
The suspects arrested in connection with the Akuregoda double murder had deleted data from their mobile phones following the crime, police stated. MORE..
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February 18, 2026 1:05 pm
US says it ‘supports’ UK Chagos Islands deal
The US government has given its official backing to the UK’s plan to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and lease back an important military base. MORE..
Chairperson of Lanka Sugar Company resigns citing friction with provincial politicians
The Chairperson of Lanka Sugar Company (Pvt) Ltd, Sandamali Chandrasekera, has resigned from her post with immediate effect citing pressure from certain local politicians. MORE..
Five arrested for posting video insulting the President on social media
Five individuals have been arrested by Katana Police for allegedly directing verbal abuse towards President Anura Kumara Dissanayake near the Southern Expressway entry point in Mattala and subsequently posting the video on social media. MORE..
Twelve killed in China’s Hubei as firecracker store explosion triggers blaze
Twelve people were killed on Wednesday when a store selling firecrackers exploded and caught fire in China’s Hubei province, burning 50 square metres of the premises, state broadcaster CCTV reported. MORE..
Sri Lankan Muslims to begin Ramadan fasting tomorrow
Muslims in Sri Lanka will begin their Ramadan fasting at dawn on Thursday (19), after the crescent for the month of Ramadan was sighted in the country, this evening (18), the Colombo Grand Mosque confirmed.
Fishing licenses of local vessels deliberately disabling VMS to be suspended?
A high-level meeting on combating illegal fishing activities was convened at the Parliament Complex, according to the Ministry of Defence. MORE..
Advisory for low-pressure area to the south-east of Sri Lanka
The Department of Meteorology has issued an ‘Amber‘advisory for multi-day boats fishermen and naval community regarding the low-pressure area in the Southwest Bay of Bengal to the south-east of Sri Lanka. MORE..
Two brothers arrested over Akuregoda double murder remanded
The two brothers arrested in connection with the shooting and killing of a lawyer and his wife in Akuregoda have been remanded until March 04 by the Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court today (18). MORE..
Takaichi reelected as Japan’s prime minister with a goal of pushing to the right
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was reappointed Wednesday by Parliament to form her second Cabinet, following last week’s landslide election win that she hopes will allow a hard-right move to the country’s policies. All previous ministers are expected to be retained. MORE..
Maithree Wickremesinghe notified to appear before FCID on Feb. 20
Maithree Wickremesinghe, the wife of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, has been notified to appear before the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) on February 20. MORE..
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IMF chief meets PM Harini; Commends efforts to stabilise economy (English)
Technology
Indian university kicked out of AI summit for claiming Chinese robot dog as its own invention
An Indian university has been asked to vacate its stall at the country’s flagship AI summit after a staff member was caught presenting a commercially available robotic dog made in China as its own creation, two government sources said. MORE..
Adani Group to invest $100 billion in renewable-powered AI data centres by 2035
Adani Group to invest $100 billion in renewable-powered AI data centres by 2035
India’s Adani Group said on Monday it will invest $100 billion by 2035 to build renewable-energy-powered data centres designed for Artificial Intelligence (AI) workloads, marking one of the country’s largest private commitments to digital infrastructure. MORE..
French President praises India’s growing global influence in innovation
French President praises India’s growing global influence in innovation
French President Emmanuel Macron praised India’s growing global influence in innovation, highlighting Indian-origin CEOs leading major multinational companies from IBM to Microsoft at the India–France Innovation Forum in Mumbai. MORE..
YouTube restored after suffering outage for two hours
YouTube restored after suffering outage for two hours
YouTube experienced an access outage starting at around 6:30 a.m. today, with all functions restored by around 08:30 a.m. MORE..
Entertainment
Bad Bunny makes history with new career milestone
Bad Bunny continues to leap to new heights. MORE..
Man charged with terrorism offences over Taylor Swift concert attack plot
Man charged with terrorism offences over Taylor Swift concert attack plot
A man has been charged with terrorism-related offences over a plot to carry out an attack at a Taylor Swift concert in 2024. MORE..
Robert Duvall, Oscar-winning actor and ‘Godfather’ mainstay, dead at 95
Robert Duvall, Oscar-winning actor and ‘Godfather’ mainstay, dead at 95
Robert Duvall, the Oscar-winning actor of matchless versatility and dedication whose classic roles included the intrepid consigliere of the first two “Godfather” movies and the over-the-hill country music singer in “Tender Mercies,” has died at age 95. MORE..
‘Wuthering Heights’ dominates global box office with $82 million, ‘GOAT’ scores $47.6 million worldwide
‘Wuthering Heights’ dominates global box office with $82 million, ‘GOAT’ scores $47.6 million worldwide
“Wuthering Heights” was No. 1 at the global box office with $82 million, ranking as the top worldwide debut of the year. MORE..
Exchange Rates
Country |
Buying |
Selling |
|---|---|---|
USA
U.S.Dollar |
305.6761 | 313.2117 |
UK
Sterling Pound |
413.1096 | 425.9180 |
Europe
Euro |
360.7322 | 372.4105 |
Switzerland
Swiss Franc |
393.8572 | 409.6241 |
Canada
Canadian Dollar |
222.6947 | 230.7373 |
Australia
Australian Dollar |
214.0338 | 223.5039 |
Singapore
Singapore Dollar |
240.3388 | 249.6820 |
Japan
Japanese Yen |
1.9836 | 2.0504 |
Country |
Currency |
Rate |
|---|---|---|
Bahrain
|
Dinar | 820.4889 |
Kuwait
|
Dinar | 1,009.6821 |
Oman
|
Rial | 803.4602 |
Qatar
|
Riyal | 84.8534 |
Saudi Arabia
|
Riyal | 82.4777 |
UAE
|
Dirham | 84.2135 |
Sports
India beat Netherlands by 17 runs in T20 World Cup
A blazing half-century by Shivam Dube and a triple strike from Varun Chakravarthy powered India to a 17-run victory over the Netherlands in the T20 World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday. MORE..
2026 T20 World Cup: Full Super 8 schedule confirmed
The wait is over. The full schedule of the Super 8 matches of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026 was released on February 18. MORE..
T20 WC 2026: Pakistan crush Namibia to seal Super 8 spot
Pakistan sealed the final Super 8 spot of the T20 World Cup 2026 with a commanding 102-run victory over Namibia in Colombo. MORE..
Dilshan Madushanka approved as replacement for Matheesha Pathirana
The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 has approved Dilshan Madushanka as a replacement for Matheesha Pathirana in the Sri Lanka squad. MORE..
Pathum Nissanka climbs to third in latest T20I rankings
Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka climbed three places to third in the ICC Men’s T20I rankings following a flamboyant century against Australia in a group B encounter of the T20 World Cup in Kandy on Monday (16). MORE..
