Sep 30 (DM) A total of 39 children are currently living with their mothers in 10 prisons across SL. Prisons Commissioner Jagath Weerasinghe said that while the issue may seem minor, it is a serious concern at the national level. Of the 39 children, 17 are boys and 22 are girls. The children are housed in the following prisons: Welikada (16), Agunakolapelessa (4), Anuradhapura (1), Trincomalee (3), Kalutara (6), Batticaloa (2), Negombo (4), Badulla (1), Wariyapola (1) and Jaffna (1). more..

Sep 30 (Island) JVP’s erstwhile comrades in the FSP have accused the govt of manipulating procurement procedures to award a controversial coal import tender to a favoured company, raising fresh concerns about corruption in Sri Lanka’s energy sector. FSP Education Secretary Pubudu Jayagoda alleged that the coal tender, opened on 15 Sept for power generation purposes, had been improperly awarded to Trident Chemphar, under questionable circumstances. more..

Sep 30 (EN) SL's inflation rose 1.5% in the 12-months to August and only 2.3% over 36 months, since the CB’s deflationary policy started to show in the balance of payments. SL’s economy grew 4.9% in second quarter of 2025, above growth projections by the IMF, as the remarkably lower inflation and exchange rate stability. CB has missed its high 5% inflation target lifting the customary burden of inflation more..

Sep 30 (FT) Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Ltd, (CPSTL) last week said future decisions on recruitment, promotions, and transfers will be based solely on merit, free from political or personal influence. CPSTL Chairman D.J.A.S. De S. Rajakaruna, speaking at a media briefing marking, said the company had operated without a clear human resources framework for more than three decades. A new policy has now been introduced to address this gap, he noted. more..

Sep 30 (CT) Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga Bodaragama yesterday ordered to postpone the consideration of issuing summons to the respondents accused of defaming DIG Renuka Jayasundara and threatening national security through a YouTube channel. The case will be taken up on 3 Oct. The order was sought under the provisions of the Online Safety Act of 2024 following a submission made to Court by a legal counsel representing DIG Jayasundara, who heads more..

Sep 30 (AD) Ministry of Tourism today denied that the Govt has decided to run a specific tourism promotion campaign targeting LGBTQ+ foreign tourists while emphasizing that any future initiatives will be carefully evaluated within the framework of national tourism priorities and social harmony. Issuing a special statement, Ministry of Tourism addressed the recent public discourse surrounding SL Tourism Promotion Bureau’s (SLTPB) communication more..

Sep 30 (DM) Following Parliament’s High Posts Committee’s demonstration and its commitment to accountability by halting the nomination of Vijitha Bandara Herath to a diplomatic posting, citing grave allegations ranging from falsification of official records to the unlawful use of a government-issued passport. Committee, chaired by PM Harini Amarasuriya, has already requested a comprehensive investigation report from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasising the seriousness more..

Sep 30 (NW) Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa criticized the govt’s decision to abolish the Simplified Value Added Tax (SVAT) scheme for exporters, warning that the move would damage the country’s foreign exchange earnings and undermine competitiveness. Premadasa said that eliminating SVAT would tie up exporters’ capital, raise costs and make them less competitive in global markets. He urged the govt to renegotiate its program with the IMF rather than blindly accepting conditions more..

Sep 30 (FT) Ranil Wickremesinghe (RW), one of the fallen heroes at the 2024 Prez Election, has been reported to be planning to organise 1,000 rallies across the country and calling all Opposition leaders, their aficionados and apparatchiks to rally behind him in his war against what he described as a constitutional dictatorship. If one understood the logic behind that concoction, one would have gathered that if there is a dictatorship prevailing currently in the country then that dictatorship more..

Sep 30 (FT) Every year, the arrival of Sri Lanka’s national Budget brings with it familiar rituals: speeches in Parliament, presentations filled with charts, and days of debate about deficits, spending & taxation. Economists pore over fiscal strategies, politicians argue about allocations, and ordinary citizens ask the most important question of all: How will this affect my life? Traditionally, Budgets are viewed as accounting exercises, designed to raise revenue, control expenditure, and more..

Sep 30 (FT) Japan and SL agreed to deepen cooperation across economic, investment, security and multilateral fronts, issuing a joint statement after Prez Anura Kumara Disanayake’s meeting with Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo. Ishiba commended SL’s recovery path under the IMF program and debt restructuring, pledging continued Japanese support. As co-chair of the Official Creditor Committee, Japan was the first to conclude more..

Sep 30 (NW) The haul of drugs, suspected to be narcotics and seized from Weligama recently, has been confirmed to be the narcotic Mephedrone. DIG of the Southern Province, Kithsiri Jayalath, said the drug was confirmed by the Govt Analyst. He further said that this is the first instance of this drug being found in Sri Lanka. DIG Kithsiri Jayalath also noted that the Govt Analyst’s report reveals that Mephedrone is more dangerous than other narcotic drugs such as ICE. more..

Sep 30 (NF) The CID has recorded statements from several officials, including the Deputy Inspector General in charge of the Police Narcotics Bureau and its Director, in connection with the release of a containers reportedly containing the drug Ice discovered in the Middeniya area. Preliminary investigations have revealed that the containers in question had been cleared after inspections conducted by both the Police Narcotics Bureau and the Customs Department. more..

Sep 30 (DM) Archbishop of Colombo, His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, shocked the Catholic community in SL over the weekend with the revelation of an unusual and controversial incident involving a same-sex wedding conducted in a church. Cardinal Ranjith disclosed that two SL women had managed to get married in a Catholic Church by deceiving the officiating priest. According to the Cardinal, one of the women altered more..

Sep 30 (AD) The FUTA has announced that university lecturers will engage in strike action today (30) due to the govt’s continued failure to resolve the pressing issues within the university system. FUTA Secretary Senior Lecturer Charudaththe Ilangasinghe made this statement during a media conference held in Colombo. He stated that although it has been a year since the current govt came into power, there has still been no resolution to the ongoing crises affecting state universities. more..

Sep 30 (DM) Central Crime Branch (CCB) arrested three SL men who were allegedly staying illegally in an apartment near Devanahalli. Police suspect they were involved in crimes in SL and had been hiding in the city for several months. The accused are from Colombo — Iresh Jayardhane, 31, of Ratnamalana, Sugath Sameendu, 46, of Kotahena, Dilip Harishan, 29, of Dondra. They were found living in a rented flat in Ozone Urbana apartments. Probe revealed the trio entered India illegally from Jaffna more..

Sep 30 (CT) SJB General Secretary Ranjith Maddumabandara appeared before the Nuwara Eliya Magistrate’s Court yesterday in response to a warrant over the alleged failure to submit the party’s expenditure for the Nuwara Eliya District for the last Local Govt election in the relevant time period. Maddumabandara represented by his lawyers, addressed the media after his court appearance. He claimed the entire issue stemmed from a communication breakdown at the EC, more..

Sep 30 (SO) Sri Lanka’s pharmaceutical industry is dominated by imported products meeting over 80% of market demand while local manufacturers are struggling to penetrate the private market. The Buy Back Agreement signed between the local manufacturers and the Ministry of Health has helped them immensely to develop the local industry. The current Buy Back Agreement has come to an end and extension up to 2030 will pay dividends to the country in the years ahead. more..

Sep 30 (ST) In accordance with the IMF's guidelines, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his capacity as Finance Minister, has issued a gazette reducing the duration and scope of tax exemptions and incentives granted to businesses investing in the Colombo Port City. The revision applies to both primary businesses of strategic importance (PBSIs) and secondary businesses of strategic importance (SBSIs), representing a reduction more..

Sep 30 (CT) A 110-year-old farmer from Karandeniya has been officially recognized as the oldest living man in SL. National Secretariat for Elders confirmed the status of Bolanda Hakuru Meniel after verifying his birthdate of 4 June 1915, as recorded on his national identity card. Meniel, a resident of the 95A Agulugalla Grama Niladhari Division, has become a subject of national interest due to his remarkable longevity and enduring health. Leading a very healthy life, Meniel has dedicated his entire more..

Sep 30 (AD) Local residents and business owners have claimed today’s hartal in Mannar was a massive success. Today marks the 58th day of a protest launched by residents of Mannar, demanding the suspension of a proposed wind power plant project in the area. As part of the protest, local residents shut down their businesses today and engaged in a hartal. For nearly two months, Mannar residents have been continuously protesting, demanding an end to both the proposed more..

Sep 30 (FT) Sri Lanka and Japan yesterday exchanged notes for two projects under Japan’s Official Security Assistance (OSA) Program and the Project for the Enhancement of Productivity in the Dairy Sector. The agreements were signed by Japan’s Ambassador to SL Akio Isomata and Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath in the presence of Japan’s PM Shigeru Ishiba, and Prez Anura Kumara during the latter’s official visit to Japan. more..

Sep 30 (FT) DFCC Bank has launched SL’s first-ever Blue Bond, a Rs. 3 billion issuance dedicated to financing projects that protect and sustain the country’s ocean resources. The Blue Bond, carrying an expected rating of A(EXP)(lka) from Fitch Ratings, will support projects in clean drinking water infrastructure, sustainable marine fisheries and aquaculture, marine renewable energy, eco-friendly coastal tourism, wastewater management, climate adaptation for coastal communities, more..

Sep 30 (DN) The 13th edition of the ICC women’s cricket World Cup will commence in Guwahathi today with co-hosts India facing Sri Lanka. This women’s global event comprising eight countries will continue until November 2. A total of 28 matches will be played across the group stage, with all matches to commence at 3pm local time apart from the contest between England and NZ on Oct 26 which will start at an earlier time of 11am (local). more..

Sep 30 (FT) Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne yesterday unveiled SL’s ambitious AI vision at the first-ever National AI Expo and Conference 2025, urging private sector investors to partner with local innovators to build a globally competitive digital economy. Speaking at the two-day conference spearheaded by the Digital Economy Ministry in collaboration with SLT-Mobitel, he said the event is being positioned not merely as a showcase, but as a launchpad, ushering in what the Govt hopes more..

Sep 30 (EN) Japan has begun military grant aid to Sri Lanka, taking a step beyond its usual support to the Indian Ocean island, through Official Development Assistance (ODA), the Japanese embassy said. The exchange of notes for the Official Security Assistance (OSA) took place between Akio ISOMATA, Ambassador of Japan to SL, and Vijitha Herath, Minister of Foreign Affairs of SL in Tokyo in the presence of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and President Anura Dissanayake. more..

Sep 30 (EN) Sri Lanka’s budget deficit fell to 411 billion rupees in August 2025, down 55% from a year earlier, amid a 30.7% rise in taxes and slower capital expenditure. Tax revenues grew to 3,068.5 billion rupees, from 2,348.5 billion rupees and current spending also grew by a double-digit 11.2% to 3,381 billion rupees. SL has public sector bloated by unemployed graduates and salaries eat up a large volume of taxes, more..

Sep 30 (FT) Sri Lanka scored a major breakthrough in digital education yesterday with the announcement of a landmark partnership with Google, which will provide free access to advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools for students across the country. Digital Economy Deputy Minister Eng. Eranga Weeraratne revealed the news at the inaugural National AI Expo and Conference 2025, calling it a monumental achievement for the country and AI capacity building development. more..

Sep 30 (Island) SL took a significant step forward in advancing the conversation on responsible business practices with the convening of the High-Level Roundtable on Living Wage, held on 24 Sept at Galle Face Hotel, Colombo. Organized by the UN Global Compact Network SL (Network SL) in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO SL), the event was hosted as A. Baur & Co’s Nationally Significant Event in its role as Patron of the Business & Human Rights more..

Sep 30 (FT) Ceylon Chamber of Commerce yesterday said that while it commends the Govt’s effort to introduce a legislative framework for PPPs through the Draft Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Bill, it noted several concerns that warrant further attention. These include ensuring the independence of the proposed National Agency for PPPs, strengthening competitive safeguards around unsolicited proposals, enhancing fiscal transparency through clearer reporting requirements, more..

Sep 30 (Island) There is a renewed energy visible in the North. Govt officials from the North affirm there is reason for cautious optimism. Development activity is more visible now than at any point since the end of the war. A govt officer remarked that Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake obtained around 27,000 votes in the Jaffna district during the last presidential election, but if he were to contest again today, he might receive 200,000. This may be one person’s opinion but if he were to contest more..