sri lanka | DD News

September 23, 2026 10:25 AM

2019 Easter bombings: Sri Lankan court sentences 15 accused to over 200 years in prison each

A Sri Lankan court on Tuesday found 15 of the 24 accused guilty of involvement in the 2019 Easter Sunday suicide attacks and sentenced them each to over 200 years in prison. Nine suicide bombers belonging to the local Islamist extremist group National Thawheed Jamaat, linked to ISIS, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three Catholic churches and as many luxury hotels on April 21, 2019, killing nearly 270 people, including 11 Indians, and injuring over 500. The fifteen...

September 17, 2026 7:02 PM

WHO chief sends birthday wishes to PM Modi, thanks him for putting health high on agenda

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), on Thursday extended wishes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 76th birthday. “Happy birthday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I wish you many happy returns. Thank you for hosting a successful BRICS Leaders Summit, for putting health high on the agenda, and for securing strong commitments by BRICS Leaders to Health For All and global health security,” the WHO Chief stated on X. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, for...

September 9, 2026 11:59 PM

Rajnath Singh meets Sri Lankan PM Harini Amarasuriya, discusses development cooperation

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday met Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya in Colombo and discussed a range of issues, with development cooperation emerging as a key focus of the talks. The two leaders reviewed progress in several areas of mutual interest, including education, information technology, infrastructure, innovation and research, while also discussing ways to further strengthen the longstanding relationship between India and Sri Lanka. During the meeting, Singh hig...

September 9, 2026 8:20 PM

Secure sea lanes, freedom of navigation vital for Indian Ocean security and prosperity: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has called for stronger maritime cooperation between India and Sri Lanka, stressing that secure sea lanes, freedom of navigation, respect for international law and unhindered maritime trade are essential for the collective security and economic prosperity of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Addressing a gathering at Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence in Colombo on Wednesday, Singh said India and Sri Lanka, as close maritime partners, were well positioned to work toge...

September 9, 2026 2:40 PM

India and Sri Lanka are civilized twins, close neighbours, maritime partners: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on a three-day visit to Sri Lanka, met President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Colombo and reaffirmed India's commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation for the development and well-being of the people of both countries. Sharing details of the meeting on social media, Rajnath Singh said he conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's greetings to the Sri Lankan President and congratulated him on the completion of two years of his government. The Defence Minister...

September 8, 2026 11:07 PM

India will always stand firmly with Sri Lanka in times of crisis: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday reaffirmed India's unwavering support for Sri Lanka, saying New Delhi would “always stand firmly” with the island nation whenever it faces a crisis. Singh made the remarks while interacting with the Indian diaspora in Colombo at the beginning of his maiden visit to Sri Lanka. He underlined the close cultural and civilisational ties between the two countries, describing them as a strong foundation for further strengthening bilateral relations. India...

September 8, 2026 5:58 PM

Rajnath Singh receives warm welcome from Indian diaspora in Colombo

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was warmly received by members of the Indian diaspora on Tuesday upon his arrival at a hotel in Colombo. Singh had earlier arrived in the Sri Lankan capital to begin a three-day official visit focused on strengthening bilateral maritime and security cooperation between India and Sri Lanka. During his visit, Singh is scheduled to hold consultations with Sri Lankan leaders on a range of issues of mutual interest aimed at further consolidating bilateral relations, w...

September 6, 2026 5:30 PM

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to visit Sri Lanka from September 8 to 10

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will undertake a three-day official visit to Sri Lanka from September 8 to 10 to hold discussions with the country's leadership on a wide range of issues. Singh will lead a high-level delegation comprising senior officials from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) during the visit. He will also interact with members of the Indian diaspora in Colombo. India and Sri Lanka share deep civilisational ties and a multifaceted partners...

August 18, 2026 4:41 PM

India set Sri Lanka 372 to win Galle Test

India were all out for 193 in their second innings, setting Sri Lanka a victory target of 372 on day four of the opening test in Galle on Tuesday. India claimed a first-innings lead of 178 after bowling out Sri Lanka for 284. Rishabh Pant made a quickfire 66 in India's second innings. Devdutt Padikkal (44) and KL Rahul (35) chipped in with cameos to stretch their lead. Seamer Asitha Fernando was the pick of the Sri Lanka bowlers with figures of 4-31. Left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya took th...

August 7, 2026 9:19 PM

India, Sri Lanka review power sector cooperation, discuss cross-border energy projects

India and Sri Lanka on Friday reviewed progress on key bilateral energy projects and explored ways to deepen cooperation in the power sector, with a focus on cross-border electricity trade, renewable energy and transmission infrastructure. The discussions took place during a bilateral meeting in New Delhi between Union Minister for Power and Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal and Sri Lanka's Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation and Minister of Energy, Anura Karunathilake. The two ministers ...