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India halts Pakistan bid for SL naval drills, off Trincomalee

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Pakistan’s naval drill with Sri Lanka near Trincomalee was scrapped after India raised concerns, amid a fresh India-Sri Lanka defense pact.

Pakistan’s effort to conduct a joint naval exercise this year with Sri Lanka in the waters off Trincomalee, a port city where an energy hub is being developed with Indian involvement, was shut down after New Delhi conveyed its concerns to Colombo, people familiar with the matter said.

The joint exercise was planned in the weeks ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka this month, when New Delhi and Colombo signed a defence cooperation agreement (File)(PIB India/X)

The joint exercise was planned in the weeks ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka this month, when New Delhi and Colombo signed a defence cooperation agreement, the first of its kind, and another tripartite agreement involving the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the energy hub at Trincomalee, including a multi-product pipeline.

The move by Pakistan, especially the proposal that the exercise be conducted in the waters around Trincomalee, was seen as a deliberate attempt to needle India, the people said on condition of anonymity. It came after Sri Lanka last year imposed a one-year moratorium on visits by foreign research vessels, a measure put in place by Colombo largely because of the activities of surveillance vessels from China, Pakistan’s long-standing ally.

Once the Indian side learnt of the planned joint naval exercise, it was taken up with Sri Lankan authorities by the Indian high commission in Colombo, which strongly conveyed New Delhi’s concerns about such activities in a region where the Indian side has important stakes, the people said.

The joint exercise was quietly scrapped by Sri Lankan authorities despite protests from the Pakistani side, the people said.

There was no word on the development from Indian officials. The officials cited above did not elaborate on the scale of the planned exercise, nor the exact dates.

In February and early March, a Pakistan Navy frigate, PNS Aslat, visited Colombo port. In the March visit, it conducted a “passex”, or passing exercise, with a Sri Lanka Navy warship in the waters off the capital before departing from Sri Lankan waters. This passex focused on communication and tactical maneuvering, according to a readout from the Sri Lankan Navy.

The Indian government has traditionally bristled at port visits to Sri Lanka by Chinese or Pakistani warships. Port visits by Chinese vessels have been more frequent, especially since Beijing controls Hambantota port under a 99-year lease.

In recent years, India has been increasingly concerned by visits to Sri Lanka by sophisticated Chinese surveillance vessels that are capable of monitoring coastal defences and tracking satellite and missile launches.The moratorium imposed by Sri Lanka on visits by such vessels last December, and the people said the Sri Lankan side is yet to take a call on dealing with visits by such vessels.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation signed by New Delhi and Colombo on April 5, during Modi’s visit for talks with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, marked the first refresh of ties in this important sector since India’s troubled intervention in Sri Lanka’s civil war in the late 1980s, and came at a time when India has been concerned about China’s increasing presence in its strategic backyard.

The MoU will make existing initiatives for defence cooperation more structured and lead to more joint exercises and potential defence industry collaboration.

The tripartite MoU involving India, Sri Lanka and the UAE, signed the same day, will focus on developing an energy hub at Trincomalee, including a multi-product pipeline and further development of a World War 2 oil tank farm partly held by the Sri Lankan subsidiary of Indian Oil Corporation.

In 2022, the Sri Lankan government, Lanka IOC, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and a joint venture between the two oil firms signed lease agreements for refurbishing and developing the 850-acre oil storage facility in Trincomalee, a strategic natural harbour on Sri Lanka’s eastern coast.

The new tripartite agreement is expected to boost India’s position after Chinese state energy firm Sinopec signed a deal to build a $3.2-billion oil refinery in the southern port city of Hambantota.

(hindustantimes.com)

(This story, originally published by hindustantimes.com has not been edited by SLM staff)

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3 dead in Dunhinda bus accident 

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Three persons have died from the bus accident at Dunhinda in Badulla today (June 21), according to hospital sources.

A total of 34 individuals were injured when the bus toppled down a precipice this evening (June 21) at the 4th Mile Post area, near the Dunhinda bends on the Badulla–Mahiyanganaya road.

According to reports, the passengers were a group of pilgrims travelling from Badulla to Anuradhapura.

The injured persons have been admitted to the Badulla General Hospital. 

Police are conducting further investigations.

(Pic : Accident1st)

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11th International Day of Yoga celebrated in Colombo (Pics)

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The 11th International Day of Yoga (IDY) was celebrated with great enthusiasm by the High Commission of India in Colombo and its cultural arm, the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Sri Lanka at the historic Independence Square in Colombo today (June 21).

This year’s theme, “Yoga for One Earth, One Health”, highlighted the universal relevance of yoga in fostering harmony between humans and nature.

The High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, H.E. Santosh Jha, joined the celebrations along with distinguished guests including Minister of Science and Technology – Dr. Chrishantha Abeysena, Minister of Labour and the Deputy Minister of Economic Development – Prof. Anil Jayantha Fernando, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka – Dr. Rizvie Salih, Deputy Minister of Defence – Major General K. P. Aruna Jayasekara, Deputy Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs – Gamagedara Dissanayake Deputy Minister of Sports – Sugath Thilakaratna, and other senior dignitaries.
The event began with a spiritual invocation through prayers by Most Ven. Dr. Maitipe Wimalasara Nayaka Thera and the Maha Sangha, who offered blessings for peace and well-being. A dynamic and refreshing yoga and meditation session followed, conducted by experts from renowned yoga institutions in India and Sri Lanka. The event brought together hundreds of yoga enthusiasts, dignitaries, and students in a shared spirit of wellness and unity. As part of the celebrations, a specially curated Yoga Pendrive and a Sinhala translation of the Hatha Yoga Pradeepika were launched, aiming to make authentic yoga knowledge more accessible. Complementing the main event in Colombo, the Consulates in Hambantota and Jaffna, along with the Assistant High Commission in Kandy, also organized special events – reflecting the enthusiastic and widespread participation in the 11th International Day of Yoga across Sri Lanka.

In a significant prelude to the main event, the Department of Ayurveda, Ministry of Health, Government of Sri Lanka and Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre jointly organized a landmark, island-wide celebration of the International Day of Yoga on 19 June 2025, with simultaneous yoga sessions held in 113 Ayurveda hospitals and four universities across all nine provinces – marking the first time such a nationwide initiative has been undertaken in Sri Lanka in a unified fashion.
It may be recalled that the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution piloted by India in 2014, proclaiming June 21 each year as the International Day of Yoga. The resolution was supported by more than 170 countries, with Sri Lanka being one of its proud co-sponsors.

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Mathews bows out of Test cricket

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Angelo Mathews ended his final Test innings today (June 21) after being dismissed during the Test match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at Galle International Stadium.

Mathews was dismissed after scoring just 8 runs off 45 balls after being caught by Mominul Haque. The match also ended as a draw.

Mathews retires from the longest format of the game as he made 8,214 runs from 119 Tests at an average of 44.4, with 16 centuries and 49 half-centuries to his name. 

In 2013, Angelo Mathews was handed the leadership of the Test side for the first time in his career. He also became historic as the youngest Sri Lanka player to become Test captain. 

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