Sri Lanka has signed an agreement with Sinopec, the Chinese international petroleum corporation, to construct a US$3.7 billion oil refinery in Hambantota, as Anura Kumara Dissanayake continued his visit to Beijing today.

The facility, with a processing capacity of 200,000 barrels per day, will primarily serve export markets, enhancing the country’s foreign exchange earnings, according to Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation Bimal Rathnayake.

The Sri Lankan government, led by the National People's Power (NPP), has decided to continue its joint venture with India to develop the Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm.

Unemployed Tamil graduates from the Northern Province took to the streets in protest today, drawing attention to their ongoing struggle for employment. Dressed in their graduation cloaks, the protesters carried broomsticks and swept the streets as a symbolic gesture of their plight—qualified graduates forced into menial tasks due to a lack of job opportunities.

A memorial was held in Mullaitivu today to honour the sacrifice of Col. Kittu and nine others, who died on this day 32 years ago.

A sudden power disconnection at the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) Office in Vavuniya has sparked concerns over the safety of essential vaccines stored at the facility. The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) cut power to the office on Wednesday morning, allegedly due to unpaid electricity bills, potentially compromising critical immunization supplies for the region's mothers and children.

In a significant departure from their previous stance, Sri Lanka's National People's Power (NPP) government, led by Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has signaled willingness to revive discussions on the controversial Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) with India.

Thai Pongal, the secular Tamil festival that gives thanks to the sun and for the harvest, was celebrated in Batticaloa and Jaffna.

The festival dates back in its current form to at least as far back as the Medieval Chola empire. The occasion is marked by boiling milk and rice - the 'pongal' - in a clay pot, often accompanied by various other treats and seasonal fruit. The overflow of the milk symbolises abundance and prosperity for the year to come.