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India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday, as the two countries look to bolster trade and explore potential collaborations in semiconductors, defence and other fields.

Modi is on a two-day visit to Malaysia, his first since the two countries elevated ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in August 2024.

His meeting with Anwar will take place at the Malaysian premier’s official residence in the administrative capital Putrajaya, where the pair will also witness the signing of several cooperation agreements in areas including health care, national security and labour, Malaysia’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday.

India’s foreign ministry said on Thursday the two countries were in the process of establishing a multi-layered arrangement to collaborate in the semiconductor sector.

India is also seeking to boost defence ties, and was in talks with Malaysia on a potential sale of Dornier aircraft as well as servicing and upgrades to Scorpene-class submarines and Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets, a ministry official said.

Malaysia’s total trade with India amounted to $18.6 billion last year, comprising exports of palm oil as well as electrical and electronic goods, while imports from India mainly consisted of agricultural, petroleum and chemical products, according to government data.

Source:adaderana.lk

The government has approved an allocation of Rs. 1,925,010,000 from the President’s Fund to grant a Rs. 10,000 allowance to schoolchildren in districts affected by Cyclone Ditwah.

In a statement, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said the required funds have been released and distributed to Divisional Secretariats through the respective District Secretariats to facilitate payments.

The assistance forms part of a broader relief initiative designed to help students continue their education following the disaster. Under the programme, each eligible student will receive a total of Rs. 25,000 in financial support. Of this amount, Rs. 15,000 will be provided by the General Treasury, while the remaining Rs. 10,000 will be disbursed from the President’s Fund.

According to the PMD, the Rs. 10,000 allowance has already been fully paid to schoolchildren in the districts of Ampara, Hambantota, Polonnaruwa, Monaragala, Mannar, and Vavuniya.

#newSteps are currently being taken to extend the same financial assistance to students in other cyclone-affected districts in the coming days.

The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) has confirmed that residents in selected areas of the Kandy District will experience a 22-hour interruption to the water supply today (February 8).

According to a notice issued by the Water Board, water services will be suspended from 6.00 a.m. today until 4.00 a.m. tomorrow (February 9). The temporary shutdown is necessary to carry out urgent maintenance work at the Polgolla Reservoir.

The NWSDB stated that the water supply will be affected in the following locations: Asgiriya (within the Municipal Council limits), Wegiriya, Pallemulla (both old and new areas), Yatihalagala, Kondadeniya, the Rajapihilla Service Reservoir area, the Medawala (Old) Service Reservoir area, Kahawatta, Kurugoda, Bulugohotenna, Girakaduwa, Kahalla, Thelambugahawatta, Nugawela, Balanagala, the Medawala (New) Service Reservoir area, Galagedara, and Mawathagama.

Consumers in these areas have been advised to make necessary arrangements in advance to minimize inconvenience during the period of the water cut.

The Colombo District Court on Tuesday (January 6) announced that it will delay the issuance of its order in the case filed by Member of Parliament Dayasiri Jayasekara until February 17.

Jayasekara has sought judicial intervention requesting the court to direct the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to allow him to perform his duties as the party’s General Secretary without obstruction. Although the court was scheduled to deliver its ruling today, it informed parties that the decision would instead be delivered next month.

In his petition, Jayasekara pointed out that the District Court had previously issued orders recognizing him as the General Secretary of the SLFP. He has now asked the court to issue further directives to ensure that he is able to carry out the responsibilities of the position in line with that earlier ruling and without any form of interference.

The Department of Meteorology has forecast a temporary reduction in the prevailing rainy conditions across the country from today (February 8) through February 11, 2026.

Despite the overall decrease in rainfall, isolated showers may still occur in the Uva Province and in the districts of Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Ampara, Batticaloa, and Polonnaruwa. In addition, the Met Department said that a few locations in the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces, as well as in Galle and Matara districts, could experience showers or thundershowers after 2.00 p.m.

Fairly strong winds, with speeds ranging between 30 and 40 kilometres per hour, are expected at times along the eastern slopes of the central hills and across the Northern, North-Central, and North-Western provinces. Similar wind conditions are also likely in the Matale, Trincomalee, and Hambantota districts.

Misty conditions are forecast during the early morning hours in parts of the Western, Sabaragamuwa, and Central provinces, along with Galle, Matara, and Badulla districts.

The public has been advised to remain cautious and take necessary safety measures to reduce potential damage from localized strong winds and lightning associated with thundershowers.

The Supreme Court has determined that the Parliamentary Pensions (Repeal) Bill does not conflict with any provisions of the Constitution and may be enacted by Parliament with a simple majority, Speaker of Parliament Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne announced.

Delivering the Court’s determination to Parliament, the Speaker said the Bill was examined under Article 121(1) of the Constitution and found to be fully in line with constitutional requirements. The ruling was finalized on January 22, following the conclusion of hearings on petitions challenging the proposed legislation.

The petitions were filed by a group of former Members of Parliament who argued that several clauses of the Bill were unconstitutional and infringed upon fundamental rights. They sought a ruling that the Bill would require a special parliamentary majority and approval through a public referendum if it were to be passed.

However, the Supreme Court rejected these claims, paving the way for the Bill to proceed under the standard legislative process. The proposed law, which aims to abolish pension benefits for Members of Parliament, was presented to the House on January 7 by Minister of Justice and National Integration Dr. Harshana Nanayakkara. A 14-day window was provided from that date for the submission of legal challenges.

The Second Reading debate on the Bill is expected to take place toward the end of this month. Once enacted, the legislation will terminate pension entitlements currently held by 512 former Members of Parliament.

The White House said on Thursday that diplomacy is President Donald Trump’s first choice for dealing with Iran and he will wait to see whether a deal can be struck at high-stakes talks, but also warned that he has military options at his disposal.

Final preparations were under way for Friday’s meeting in Oman amid heightened tensions as the U.S. builds up forces in the Middle East, which Trump has called a massive “armada,” and regional players seek to avert what many fear could escalate into a wider war.

The talks were set to go ahead even though the two sides have had differences over the agenda, and that has increased doubts about the prospects for a deal. Trump has threatened to carry out strikes on Iran if an agreement cannot be reached.

The U.S. previously said it wanted the discussions to include Iran’s missile arsenal and other issues, while Tehran has insisted on focusing exclusively on its disputed nuclear program. It was unclear whether that disagreement had been resolved.

“The president’s diplomacy is always his first option when it comes to dealing with countries all around the world, whether it’s our allies or our adversaries,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters when asked about the coming talks.

She reiterated Trump’s position that “zero nuclear capability is something he’s been very explicit about” in his demands for Iran.

“He wants to see if a deal can be struck,” Leavitt said. “And while these negotiations are taking place, I would remind the Iranian regime that the president has many options at his disposal, aside from diplomacy, as the commander in chief of the most powerful military in the history of the world.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi departed for Oman on Thursday. His spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Tehran would engage “with authority and with the aim of reaching a fair, mutually acceptable and dignified understanding on the nuclear issue.”

“We hope the American side will also participate in this process with responsibility, realism and seriousness,” Baghaei added.

Araqchi is expected to meet in Muscat with Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and adviser.

On the eve of the talks, Iran’s state-run Press TV said “one of the country’s most advanced long-range ballistic missile(s),” the Khorramshahr 4, has been deployed at one of the Revolutionary Guards underground missile sites. The missile has a range of 2,000 km (1,240 miles) and is capable of carrying 1,500-kg (3,300-pound) warhead, it added.

The U.S. has pressed Iran to accept a much more limited range for its missiles.

MUTUAL THREATS

Trump’s blunt warnings and Iran’s vows of counter-strikes have spurred regional governments’ efforts to calm the situation.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said his government was working hard to prevent U.S.-Iran tensions from tipping the Middle East into a new conflict. He has spent years cultivating a close relationship with Trump while expanding Ankara’s diplomatic influence across the region.

Speaking to reporters on a return flight from a visit to Egypt, Erdogan added that talks at the level of the U.S. and Iranian leadership would be helpful after lower-level nuclear negotiations due in Oman on Friday, according to a transcript of his comments shared by his office on Thursday.

Tensions ratcheted up this week amid uncertainty over the location and format for the talks, which will follow Tehran’s bloody crackdown on street protests last month.

Asked on Wednesday whether Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei should be worried, Trump told NBC News: “I would say he should be very worried. Yeah, he should be.”

After Trump spoke, U.S. and Iranian officials said the two sides had agreed to shift the talks’ location to Muscat after initially accepting Istanbul.

At a press conference in Doha, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday that “great concern” had been expressed about potential escalation in the conflict with Iran during his meetings with officials in a visit to the Gulf region. He urged Iran to end what he called aggression and help bring stability to the region.

Gulf Arab states fear that Iran will carry out its threat to target U.S. bases on their territory if the United States attacks the Islamic Republic.

China, meanwhile, said it supported Iran’s legitimate right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy and opposed the “threat of force and sanction pressure.”

TRUMP WARNED OF ‘BAD THINGS’ IF NO IRAN DEAL AGREED

Iran has said the talks must be confined to its long-running nuclear dispute with Western powers.

But U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that talks would have to include the range of Iran’s ballistic missiles, its support for armed proxy groups around the Middle East and its treatment of its own people, besides nuclear issues. Iranian sources say the U.S. is demanding Tehran limit the range of Iran’s missiles to 500 km (310 miles).

Tehran’s regional sway has been weakened by Israel’s attacks on its proxies - from Hamas in Gaza to Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and militias in Iraq - and by the ousting of Iran’s close ally, former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Iran says its nuclear activities are meant for peaceful, not military purposes, while the U.S. and Israel have accused it of past efforts to develop nuclear weapons.

The U.S. has sent thousands of troops to the Middle East, as well as an aircraft carrier, other warships, fighter jets, spy planes and air-refueling tankers.

Trump has warned that “bad things” would probably happen if a deal could not be reached.

Source:adaderana.lk

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism has reaffirmed that Sri Lanka’s foreign policy is increasingly driven by economic objectives, with a strong emphasis on expanding trade, attracting investment, promoting tourism, and fostering innovation.

Addressing the COYLE Diplomats’ Evening 2026 on Thursday (January 5), the Minister said Sri Lanka’s overseas diplomatic missions are playing an active role in boosting exports, drawing foreign direct investment, supporting tourism growth, and enabling the transfer of technology and expertise.

He stressed that closer collaboration between diplomacy and the business sector is essential to opening new economic pathways and securing greater access to international markets.

The Minister also highlighted Sri Lanka’s strategic geographical position along key global maritime routes, noting that it provides the country with a natural advantage as a regional hub for trade, logistics, and connectivity within the Indian Ocean.

In addition, he pointed to the country’s skilled human capital, improving infrastructure, and growing digital capacity as key strengths that offer opportunities for cooperation across sectors including manufacturing, renewable energy, information and communication technology, agriculture, tourism, and logistics.

Reiterating the Government’s policy direction, the Minister said reforms are being pursued to strengthen transparency, improve the ease of doing business, and build investor trust. He added that Sri Lanka continues to engage closely with international partners and multilateral organizations to maintain macroeconomic stability and ensure sustainable long-term growth.

Police in Norway have opened a corruption investigation into the country’s former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland over his alleged links to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

A special Norwegian police unit which is analysing newly released Epstein files in the US said the 75-year-old was suspected of “aggravated corruption”.

Police said they had already asked the country’s foreign ministry to lift his immunity, which he enjoys because of his past role as a senior foreign diplomat.

Jagland is also a former head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee and spent 10 years as secretary general of the Council of Europe.

His lawyer said they would fully co-operate with the investigation.

Pål K. Lønseth, head of Økokrim - the economic crime unit investigating Jagland - said: “We consider there are reasonable grounds for investigation, given that he held the positions of chair of the Nobel Committee and Secretary General of the Council of Europe during the period covered by the released documents.

“Among other things, Økokrim will investigate whether gifts, travel and loans were received in connection with his position.”

The police added that further details would be given “at a later stage”.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said it was “important that the facts of this case are brought to light”.

He added that Oslo would ask the Council of Europe for Jagland’s immunity to be revoked.

Jagland’s lawyer Anders Brosveet welcomed the opening of the investigation.

“Based on what we have found so far, we are confident of the outcome,” he told Reuters news agency.

Separately, Brosveet told Norway’s VG news site that he and his client would submit “the key findings and documentation we have to Økokrim as soon as practically possible”.

Jagland was Norway’s prime minister in 1996-97, and the secretary general of the Council of Europe in 2009-19.

He also chaired the Norwegian Nobel Committee in 2009-15.

Source:adaderana.lk

The Department of Meteorology has forecast intermittent rainfall across the Eastern, Uva, and Central provinces, as well as in the Polonnaruwa and Hambantota districts over the coming period.

According to the Met Department, some locations in the Uva and Eastern provinces, along with Hambantota, Matale, and Nuwara Eliya districts, may experience fairly heavy rainfall exceeding 50 millimeters. Similar rainfall levels are also expected in parts of Ratnapura, Kalutara, Galle, and Matara.

The Northern Province and the Anuradhapura district are likely to see several rounds of showers throughout the day. Meanwhile, other areas of the island may experience showers or thundershowers after 2.00 p.m.

Fairly strong winds, reaching speeds of around 30 to 40 kilometers per hour, are expected at times in the Northern and North-Western provinces and in the districts of Matale, Trincomalee, and Anuradhapura.

In addition, misty conditions are anticipated during the early morning hours in parts of the Western, Sabaragamuwa, and Central provinces, as well as in Galle, Matara, and Badulla districts.

The general public has been advised to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to reduce potential damage from temporary strong winds and lightning associated with thundershowers