Discussions have been held focused on resolving operational and administrative hurdles, particularly reviewing the military’s phased withdrawal to expedite the handover of remaining private lands within the Jaffna-Palali area to their rightful owners. A high-level meeting was convened yesterday (28) at the office of the Deputy Minister of Defence in Colombo to review progress and address ongoing challenges related to the release of private lands in the said area to their rightful owners. The meeting was chaired by Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd) and attended by Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd), along with…
The Sri Lankan Report
An office assistant of the Colombo District Court was arrested today by officials of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC). According to a CIABOC statement, the suspect was taken into custody on charges of soliciting a bribe of Rs. 10,000 in exchange for providing a certified copy of a case file. The arrest took place near the Keselwatte Police Station this morning. The suspect is scheduled to be produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate. (Newswire) The post Colombo court employee arrested for soliciting Rs. 10,000 bribe appeared first on Newswire.
Rohit becomes No.1 in ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings for the first time India opener Rohit Sharma has attained No. 1 position in the ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings for the first time in his career after some fine performances in the three-match series in Australia. Rohit, who followed up his knock of 73 in the second ODI in Adelaide with a match-winning unbeaten 121 in Sydney to be named the Player of the Series, has moved ahead of captain Shubman Gill and Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran to reach 781 rating points, 17 more than second-placed Zadran with Gill third at…
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka ex-President Ranil Wickremesinghe was ordered to be present in court on January 28, 2025 by court, at a hearing on Wednesday. President Wickremesinghe is on bail as police investigate allegation of mis-appropriation of state property over visit to a UK university on his way back from attending a UN meeting. Wickremesinghe arrived in court for Wednesday’s hearing accompanied by his wife, Maithree, a professor. Wickremesinghe’s was invited to attend a function at the university where his wife was awarded an honorary professorship. The case relates to money spent by Wickremesinghe, his staff and security to attend…
The Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court today (Oct. 29) ordered that the corruption case filed against former President Ranil Wickremesinghe to be called again on January 28, 2026. The case, which marks the first time a Sri Lankan Executive President has been arrested and remanded over corruption allegations, was taken up before the Magistrate this afternoon. Wickremesinghe appeared in court as per summons issued in connection with the case filed by the Bribery Commission. After submissions, the court ordered that the case be taken up again on January 28 next year for further proceedings. (Newswire) The post Court schedules next hearing…
Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath says measures have been taken to re-export the consignment of the Holy Qur’an (Tamil translation) that remains detained by Sri Lanka Customs. Addressing the post-Cabinet media briefing held on Tuesday, Minister Herath revealed that the consignment had been imported in violation of customs regulations. He further said that, as such, the importer had agreed to re-export the consignment of the Holy Qur’an (Tamil translation) to India. “There was no issue about the content of the Holy Qur’an. But the issue was with the manner in which it had been imported. There was a fault…
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s Windforce Plc said it was the lowest bidder for one 50 Megawatt wind plants in Mullikulam in the Mannar district which was offered for private developers by state-run Ceylon Electricity Board. “WindForce PLC is pleased to announce that it has emerged as the Lowest Cost Bidder for Lot 1 of the 50MW Mullikulam Wind Power Project according to our preference for the Lot 1,” the publicly listed company said in a stock exchange filing. “This marks a significant step toward securing the contract for this major renewable energy development. The transaction is subject to “final awarding…
ECONOMYNEXT – Profits at Sri Lanka’s Seylan Bank grew 39.8 percent from a year ago to 2.89 billion rupees in the September 2025 quarter, amid lower provisions for bad loans, its interim accounts showed. Seylan Bank group reported earnings of 4.54 rupees per share for the quarter. In the nine months to end-September, Seylan reported earnings of 13.11 rupees on total profits of 8.33 billion rupees, which grew 26.2 percent. Fee income grew 17.8 percent to 2.56 billion rupees in the quarter. Seylan’s interest income edged up 4.5 percent to 20.66 billion rupees, interest expenses also gained 2.4 percent to…
The Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) destroyer AKEBONO (DD 108) arrived in Sri Lanka on Tuesday, making an official visit. Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd), along with the Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd), visited the Japanese naval ship at the Colombo harbour. The dignitaries visiting the ship were warmly received by the Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Akio ISOMATA and the Commanding Officer of the ship, Commander ARAI Katsutomo. Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, Anil Jayantha, attended as the Chief Guest of the ceremony held last evening. Gracing…
Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong says China’s upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan will mark a critical stage in achieving socialist modernization by 2035, emphasizing innovation, openness, and shared development. Speaking at the Global Dialogue on “Innovation·Openness·Shared Development” held in Colombo, Ambassador Qi noted that China’s GDP is projected to reach 140 trillion yuan this year and that the next five-year period will focus on technological breakthroughs in fields such as AI, hydrogen energy, 6G, and quantum computing. He said China will further open its economy to the world, remove restrictions on foreign investment in manufacturing, and strengthen global trade…
Sri Lanka’s fiscal performance showed a sharp turnaround in 2025, with the budget deficit more than halving by September as stronger tax revenues and import duties boosted government income, according to the Finance Ministry’s latest Fiscal Review Report. 1. Budget Deficit: The deficit dropped 54.5% year-on-year to Rs. 441.4 billion in January–September 2025, from Rs. 970 billion during the same period last year. 2. Primary Account Surplus: The surplus more than doubled to Rs. 1.4 trillion reflecting improved fiscal balance excluding interest payments. 3. Revenue Growth: Total revenue rose 31% year-on-year to Rs. 3.83 trillion, driven mainly by higher VAT…
Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government Prof. Chandana Abeyratne has been conferred the honorary title of Emeritus Professor by the University of Kelaniya. Prof. Abeyratne previously served at the university as Head of the Department of History and Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences. According to a statement issued by the ministry, the appointment took effect on Oct. 14 with the endorsement of Vice Chancellor Nilanthi de Silva. The title was awarded in recognition of Prof. Abeyratne’s contributions to academia and public administration. He is an alumnus of the university, holding a bachelor’s degree in history…
ECONOMYNEXT – VFS Global, a partner in a consortium that carried out online visa service for Sri Lanka’s Department of Immigration has issued a statement after the island’s National Audit Office released a special report on the deal. The report said the VFS-IVS-GBS group that charged fees from tourists had not remitted at least 1.245 million dollars of value added tax and 127,970 social security levy charged from visa applicants. Visa and extra fees had been charged from tourists who were supposed to be exempt. Hundreds of SAARC region travellers who were supposed to get reduced priced visas had been…
The Sri Lankan Rupee has appreciated slightly against the US Dollar today (29), compared to Tuesday, during which it touched the Rs. 300 mark for the first time since September 2024. According to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, the buying rate of the US Dollar has reduced from Rs. 300.48 to Rs. 300.45 today. Meanwhile, the selling rate of the Sri Lankan Rupee has also reduced from Rs. 308 to Rs. 307.94. The Sri Lankan Rupee has changed slightly against a basket of foreign currencies, while it has depreciated against Gulf currencies. (Newswire) The post CBSL rates : Dollar…
An investigation has been launched by three units of the Police Commercial Crime Investigation Division regarding the alleged preparation of forged documents related to a plot of land valued at Rs. 150 million. According to the Police, a female suspect involved in the incident had created fake deeds and documents while staying at a rented residence. She is currently evading the Police and remains in hiding, while the authorities have not yet been able to confirm the location of the residence she was staying in. As such, the Police are requesting the public to share any information or leads regarding…
According to media reports, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Priyantha Weerasooriya has lodged a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the National Police Commission against a Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG). Reports said the IGP has requested disciplinary action and a transfer for the senior officer, who is alleged to have leaked confidential internal documents and false information about top police officials to social media. An audio clip said to involve the SDIG and a social media activist from Kurunegala has reportedly been submitted to the Police Commission as evidence. The CID has recorded statements from…
Colombo Fort Magistrate Isuru Neththikumara today (29) issued a warrant ordering the arrest and court presentation of Member of Parliament Jagath Manuwarna, who failed to appear in court for two related cases. These cases pertain to allegations against MP Jagath Manuwarna dating back to the year 2008. When the cases were called before the court today (29), the accused MP did not appear. His attorney informed the magistrate that his client was participating in the National Land Distribution Program and was therefore unable to attend court on this date. Taking into consideration the submissions, the court issued a warrant for…
Police have launched an investigation into the suspicious death of a 27-year-old man whose body was discovered on Tuesday night (28) in the Kikiliyamana Reserve within the Nuwara Eliya Police Division. The deceased, a resident of Shanthipura, Nuwara Eliya, had been reported missing since October 8. Following a tip-off, police located the body at the reserve, which is currently secured pending the magistrate’s examination. Authorities are probing whether the death was due to natural causes or foul play. Nuwara Eliya Police are conducting further investigations. (Newswire) The post Body of 27-year-old found in Nuwara Eliya forest reserv appeared first on…
A special team from the Mount Lavinia Divisional Crime Investigation Unit raided two brothels operating under the guise of massage centres in the Ratmalana and Mount Lavinia junction areas on Tuesday night (28). During the raids, police arrested six suspects — a 46-year-old male manager from Mount Lavinia, a female manager, and four women aged between 30 and 51 from Ampara, Valaichchenai, Medirigiriya, and Ratmalana. The suspects were handed over to the Mount Lavinia Police Station for further investigation. The post Brothel operations disguised as massage centres raided in Mt. Lavinia appeared first on Newswire.
Three army personnel have been hospitalized following an accident caused by the explosion of a hand grenade during a military training exercise. The incident reportedly occurred this morning (29) at the Maduru Oya Army Training Camp. According to hospital sources, the injured soldiers have been admitted to the Polonnaruwa Hospital and their condition is not critical. It is reported that they had sustained injuries to their legs. The accident took place during a joint military exercise currently being conducted between the Sri Lanka Army and the Russian Army. (Newswire) The post 03 soldiers injured in an explosion during military training…