Live NewsNews Just In

Sri Lanka has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at securing technical expertise and investment cooperation from Russia to modernise the railway service.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the 17th International Economic Forum held in Kazan, Russia.

Sri Lanka was represented at the forum by Leader of the House and Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake.

The MoU was signed between the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation and Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, with the objective of enhancing technical cooperation and investment support for the development of the country’s railway transport sector.

State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Serebryakov, also attended the signing ceremony.

The Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval to maintain the current water tariff structure during the first six months of 2026 without any revision.

The decision was taken in line with a proposal submitted by the Minister of Housing, Construction and Water Supply.

According to the water tariff formula approved by the Cabinet on July 15, 2024, the unit cost of water sales is required to be reviewed every six months, taking into account changes in key cost factors.

However, an analysis conducted based on the financial statements of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board for 2025 has revealed that the existing water tariffs are sufficient to cover the institution’s total operational costs.

Accordingly, the Board of Directors of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board has decided to continue the current water tariff without an increase during the first half of 2026.

Children who survive cancer must be given the opportunity to lead healthy, dignified and productive lives, Minister of Health and Mass Media Nalinda Jayatissa said.

The Minister made these remarks during a special session held alongside the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva.

The session, titled “Measuring survival, driving change – Advancing equity through the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer,” focused on improving childhood cancer survival rates and reducing inequalities in care.

During the event, the World Health Organization launched its latest global report, “Measuring survival, driving change,” which for the first time estimates country-level five-year survival rates for lymphoid leukaemia among children and adolescents. The report also highlighted disparities in healthcare systems and gaps in health data collection among countries.

Minister Nalinda Jayatissa noted that advances in early detection, treatment and supportive care had significantly increased childhood cancer survival rates globally. However, he stressed that survival alone should not be considered the sole measure of success.

“The true measure of success in childhood cancer is not only how many children survive, but how they live,” he said.

The Minister said Sri Lanka remains committed to strengthening lifelong care for childhood cancer survivors in partnership with the World Health Organization, international partners, healthcare professionals, civil society groups and survivor communities.

He added that Sri Lanka’s free public healthcare system provides equitable access to cancer diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, follow-up care and psychosocial support.

Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa further stated that support for childhood cancer survivors should extend beyond hospitals and continue through primary healthcare services, schools, families and communities.

He warned that survivors may experience long-term complications, including heart disease, endocrine disorders, learning difficulties, mental health challenges and social and economic hardships, requiring a lifelong and patient-centred approach to care.

Sri Lanka is currently strengthening organised follow-up services through paediatric cancer treatment centres and hospitals to ensure continuous care from childhood into adulthood, he said.

The Minister also highlighted the role of community health services, including Medical Officer of Health services, public health nursing programmes, maternal and child health services and newly introduced Arogya Suwatha centres, in supporting survivors.

The World Health Organization Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer, launched in 2018, is now active in 87 countries, with 50 countries incorporating childhood cancer control into their national health strategies.

The 79th World Health Assembly was held under the theme “One World for Health,” with representatives from 194 member states participating in the event.

The selling price of the US dollar has exceeded 338 Sri Lankan rupees today.

According to the daily exchange rates announced by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) today (19), the buying rate of one US dollar was recorded at Rs. 328.2351, while the selling rate was recorded at Rs. 338.0729.

Yesterday (18), the buying rate of one US dollar was recorded at Rs. 326.74, while the selling rate was recorded at Rs. 334.26.

Sri Lanka is likely to spend more foreign exchange on vehicle imports in 2026 than initially anticipated, according to the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe.

Speaking at a media briefing today (18), Governor Dr. Weerasinghe stated that nearly US$2 billion had been spent on vehicle imports last year, exceeding the earlier projection of between US$1.5 billion and US$1.7 billion.

He noted that the higher import volume had also resulted in increased revenue for the Treasury through taxes and duties collected on vehicle imports.

According to the Governor, close to US$600 million has already been spent on vehicle imports during the first three months of 2026.

He warned that if the current trend continues for the remainder of the year, total vehicle import expenditure could reach approximately US$2.4 billion by year-end, surpassing last year’s figures.

Dr. Weerasinghe further said that the Ministry of Finance had projected lower vehicle imports in 2026 compared to the previous year, but current data indicates that imports may exceed those expectations.

However, he stressed that there is currently no indication that the increase in vehicle imports would negatively affect the government’s revenue targets.