ECONOMYNEXT – New active credit cards in Sri Lanka increased by 14,468 in August this year, the central bank data showed, amid the country’s economic recovery and lower interest rates. The number of total active credit cards recorded 2,102,537 by end August, compared to 2,088,069 by end July, showing an increase of 0.69 percent in the month. The active credit cards have risen by 4.7 percent or 94,081 in the first eight months of this year, the data showed. Active credit cards in Sri Lanka rose by 4.8 percent or 91,371 in 2024, the Central Bank data showed, with the…
The Sri Lankan Report
A special gazette issued by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on October 18, 2025, has redefined the functions and institutions under several ministries following the recent Cabinet reshuffle. Key changes listed in the gazette are as follows: 1. Ministry of Defence • Civil Security Department (CSD) removed and assigned to the Ministry of Public Security. • National Hydrology Council and Sri Lanka National Hydrology Office added. 2. Ministry of Public Security • Civil Security Department added. • Sri Lanka International Arbitration Centre (Guarantee) Ltd and the Office of the Commissioner General of Rehabilitation brought under this ministry. 3. Ministry of Finance,…
Sri Lanka cricket legend Kumar Sangakkara has urged the public not to be misled by a series of AI-generated videos and advertisements circulating online that falsely feature him endorsing financial schemes. Speaking to NewsWire, Sangakkara said that his name and image are being used with doctored AI videos created from his old cricket interviews to promote fraudulent investment platforms. “My name and image are being used with doctored AI videos,” he said, urging the public to remain vigilant. The public is advised to verify the authenticity of any video or advertisement claiming to feature celebrities by: * Checking if it…
Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara said the government has not established a timeline to amend laws which target the LGBTQI community, despite the inclusion of such reforms in the National People’s Power (NPP) manifesto. Sections 365 and 365A of the Penal Code titled “unnatural offences” and “acts of gross indecency between persons,” respectively have historically been used to target and harass the LGBTQI community. The NPP manifesto includes a commitment to repeal Section 365A, which penalizes consensual same-sex conduct. It also pledges to revise other discriminatory laws, including Sections 365 and 365A, which activists say oppress women, children, and marginalized groups.…
The Ministry of Education has clarified that the printing of textbooks for schools has not been halted, but changes have been made to certain grades under the government’s proposed education reforms. Education Ministry Secretary Nalaka Kaluwewa states that textbooks for grades 2–5 and 7–11 will be provided as they do not fall under the education reforms, which come into effect in January next year. He further said that, however, textbooks will not be provided for Grades 01 and 06 per the education reforms, and that instead, they will be provided with simplified module materials. Nalaka Kaluwewa also clarified that the…
Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara said he does not believe recent remarks made by National People’s Power (NPP) MP Lakmali Hemachandra amount to contempt of court, following criticism of her comments during a public meeting. At a Provincial Coordination Committee meeting in Colombo, Hemachandra appeared to urge officials not to enforce a court order to evict squatters from state land in Narahenpita. “We spoke about this earlier. I told you not to implement the court order, because those people have nowhere to go. Didn’t we agree on that?” she said during the meeting. In a televised interview with Kalindu Karunaratne of…
The name and 1990 hotline of the Suwa Seriya free ambulance service have not been changed, Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa confirmed in Parliament today. Addressing the house, Minister Jayatissa said no decision has been made on changing the existing colour of the ambulance service. “The ambulance service was introduced in the 2015-2020 period when Ranil Wickremesinghe was Prime Minister, and with the intervention of MP Harsha de Silva. We will continue the ambulance service with the green colour introduced by your government. Do not make this an issue,” Minister Jayatissa further said. However, the Health Minister pointed out that the…
The post “Citizens must be humane too” – Justice Minister appeared first on Newswire.
Opposition MP Namal Rajapaksa is currently in South Korea to attend several religious and cultural events aimed at promoting interfaith and cultural harmony. During the visit, Rajapaksa called on the Chief Monk of Bucheon Seok Won Sa Temple, Most Venerable Yong-Daem Lim — who also serves as the President of the Korea-China Cultural Exchange Buddhist Association — and received blessings. He also met with Ju Ho-young, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, and held cordial discussions on strengthening people-to-people and cultural ties between Sri Lanka and Korea. (Newswire) The post Namal Rajapaksa in Korea to…
The United National Party (UNP) has created a new senior position titled Deputy Secretary General of Political Mobilization, effective immediately. Former Minister Harin Fernando has been appointed to the post. His main responsibility will be to unite political parties across Sri Lanka and coordinate a common program of action, according to party sources. In addition, Fernando will oversee the organization of more than 1,000 meetings and rallies planned by the UNP as part of its new political mobilization drive. (Newswire) The post UNP appoints Harin Fernando to new key post for political mobilization appeared first on Newswire.
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s Panasian Power said its 5MW ground-mounted solar project at Deegawapiya, Ampara was connected to Ampara Grid Substation last week. “This project operates through the subsidiary of PAP and starts revenue generation from today,” Panasian Power said in a stock exchange filing. The commissioning adds another 5MWac/ 6.76MWp to the national grid. This is the fifth 5MW ground-mounted solar power plant connected to the national grid of the 7 projects which the company entered into power purchase agreements with the Ceylon Electricity Board in the third quarter of 2024. Related Panasian Power subsidiary signs PPA with Sri…
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s central bank and National Gem & Jewellery Authority have urged gem dealers to appoint a compliance officer for their business to prevent money laundering. “As per Anti-Money Laundering (AML) laws and regulations, all gem and jewellery dealers are legally required to appoint a Compliance Officer for their business,” the central bank said in a social media post. “Proper customer identification during transactions helps prevent money laundering and terrorist financing.” Failure to comply may result in penalties imposed by the central bank’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). The compliance officer declaration form is available at https://storage2.me-qr.com/…/bb517870-6a0a-4721-87ac… and via…
The Information Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) has announced that the technical issues which caused the recent disruption to the Lanka Government Cloud (LGC) services have been fully resolved. Issuing a statement, the ICTA said all affected online government services are now fully operational and accessible to the public. The ICTA further assured the public and government institutions that at no stage during the incident was the security or integrity of data compromised. Throughout the restoration process, the highest data protection and security standards were upheld, and no data loss has been reported, and the associated assurance processes…
An awkward moment unfolded at the White House when U.S. President Donald Trump confronted Australian Ambassador Kevin Rudd during recent talks with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Asked about Rudd’s past remarks, calling him “the most destructive president in history”, Trump initially denied knowing him but turned hostile when Albanese pointed Rudd out across the table. During a sit-down with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, in the middle of a high-stakes meeting with one of America’s closest allies, Trump was questioned whether he was concerned about Rudd’s past criticism. “Did an ambassador say something bad of me? Don’t tell me. Where…
Veteran Indian actor Govardhan Asrani, fondly known as Asrani, died on Monday at the age of 84 after a prolonged illness. He had been hospitalised for five days due to age-related ailments. Asrani was born on January 1, 1940, in Jaipur, into a middle-class Sindhi family. His father ran a carpet shop, but Asrani showed no interest in the family business. He completed his early education at St. Xavier’s School and later graduated from Rajasthan College, Jaipur. To support his studies, he worked as a voice artist at All India Radio in Jaipur. From 1960 to 1962, Asrani learnt acting…
LB Finance PLC proudly celebrated the 15th anniversary of LB Al-Salamah Alternate Financial Services Unit at a grand ceremony held at Shangri-La Colombo, marking a significant milestone in its journey of providing Shari’ah-compliant financial solutions in Sri Lanka. The event brought together valued customers, members of the Shari’ah Supervisory Board, and senior management of LB Finance to commemorate 15 years of integrity, innovation, and service excellence. The evening served as a tribute to the unwavering trust and support of customers, as well as the invaluable guidance of the Shari’ah Supervisory Board in ensuring full compliance with Alternate Finance principles. Since…
Funding for resilient health systems in Asia and the Pacific remains far below what is needed. Practical financing strategies to close the gap, support adaptation, and strengthen health outcomes are needed. In 2025, Asia and the Pacific experienced a series of weather and health crises that took a heavy toll on human lives. Devastating monsoon floods in Pakistan and India, record rains in the People’s Republic of China, and Typhoon Kajiki’s destruction in Southeast Asia, displaced millions and disrupted healthcare services. South Asia faced one of its hottest early heatwaves, with temperatures nearing 50°C, leading to hundreds of deaths. Earthquakes…
The Sri Lankan Rupee has changed slightly against the US Dollar at commercial banks in Sri Lanka today (21), compared to last Friday. At Seylan Bank, the buying rate of the US Dollar has reduced from Rs. 299.80 to Rs. 299.75, while the selling rate has also dropped from Rs. 305.30 to Rs. 305.25. According to NDB Bank, the buying and selling rates of the US Dollar have increased from Rs. 299.75 to Rs. 299.80 and from Rs. 306.25 to Rs. 306.30, respectively. People’s Bank reports that the buying rate of the US Dollar has increased from Rs. 299.36 to…
The Department of Meteorology has issued an advisory for heavy rains in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, North-western, Southern and Northern provinces and the Anuradhapura district, effective until 08.30 am tomorrow (22). According to the Met Department, a low-level atmospheric disturbance located to the east of Sri Lanka has intensified into a low-pressure area, and this system is developing further, likely to move west-northeastwards near Sri Lanka. Due to the influence of this system, very heavy falls above 150 mm are likely in some places. Red alerts have been issued to 19 districts and amber alerts to 06 districts. (Newswire) The…
Japan’s parliament elected ultraconservative Sanae Takaichi as the country’s first female prime minister Tuesday, a day after her struggling party struck a coalition deal with a new partner expected to pull her governing bloc further to the right. Takaichi replaces Shigeru Ishiba, ending a three-month political vacuum and wrangling since the Liberal Democratic Party’s disastrous election loss in July. Ishiba, who lasted only one year as prime minister, resigned with his Cabinet earlier in the day, paving the way for his successor. Takaichi won 237 votes — four more than a majority — compared to 149 won by Yoshikoko Noda,…