WEATHER FORECAST FOR 18 OCTOBER 2025 Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 18 October 2025 Showers or thundershowers will occur at most parts of the island after 1.00 p.m. Heavy falls about 100 mm are likely at some places in Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva, North-central and North-western provinces. Showers may occur in Western and Southern coastal areas in the morning too. The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers. The post Weather today: Heavy falls about 100 mm appeared first on Newswire.
The Sri Lankan Report
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced its withdrawal from the upcoming Tri-Nation T20I Series involving Sri Lanka and Pakistan, following the killing of several Afghan cricketers in what it described as a “cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime.” In a statement, the ACB said it “expresses deepest sorrow and grief” over the tragic death of three players — Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon — along with five other civilians from the Urgun District in Paktika Province, who were targeted on Friday evening. The board said the players had travelled to Sharana, the capital of Paktika, for a friendly…
South Africa’s juggernaut rolled on in the Women’s World Cup as they crushed Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in a rain-marred contest in Colombo on Friday.
ECONOMYNEXT – Foreign investors bought a net 9,428 million rupee (31.4 million dollars) worth of government securities in the week ended on October 16, continuing the buying trend in the last eight week, the Central Bank data showed. The island nation witnessed inflows to a net 23,777 million rupee (79.3.million dollars) in the last eight weeks. Foreign holdings in Sri Lanka’s rupee bonds were at 130.3 billion rupees as of October 16, around their highest since December 2023, official data showed. Sri Lanka suffered an outflow of 10.1 billion rupees ($32 million) in the two weeks soon after Donald Trump’s…
Former President of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has conveyed his heartfelt condolences to His Excellency Dr. William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, on the passing of former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga.
A fire has erupted at a row of shops in Ratmalana, the Colombo Fire Brigade confirmed.
Agriculture, Livestock, Lands, Irrigation and Mahaweli Development Minister K.D. Lal Kantha has revealed that he does not possess any formal educational qualifications, stating that the only documents he holds are his birth certificate, national identity card, passport, and driving licence.
The “Nation United -National Drive”, Steering Council convened for the first time today (17) at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The Council was established to implement a national programme aimed at eradicating the drug menace, which is a significant national crisis presently facing the country. The Cabinet Paper presented by the President on October 13, proposing the “Nation United -National Drive”, Programme to combat drug menace, was approved and it was decided to establish a National Steering Council to oversee its implementation. During its first meeting, the Council primarily focused on dismantling the drug…
A fire has broken out at a row of shops in Ratmalana, according to the Colombo Fire Brigade. Three fire trucks have been dispatched to the scene to douse the flames. No injuries have been reported so far, and firefighters are currently engaged in efforts to bring the blaze under control. A fire has broken out at a row of shops in Ratmalana pic.twitter.com/OFwh7tlmd3 — NewsWire (@NewsWireLK) October 17, 2025 The post Fire breaks out at row of shops in Ratmalana (Video) appeared first on Newswire.
Opposition MP Kavinda Jayawardena has called for an inquiry into a statement made by Government MP Lakmali Hemachandra, who was captured on video telling officials not to implement a court order. The video, which went viral this week, shows National People’s Power (NPP) MP Lakmali Hemachandra saying, “We told you not to follow the court order,” during a District Coordination Committee meeting held to discuss housing and land disputes in Colombo. Jayawardena said he was awaiting the government’s response and urged immediate action against the MP, noting that her remarks represented a direct challenge to judicial independence. The incident…
Senior journalist Uvindu Kurukulasuriya has released a recent photograph of former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran, who remains wanted in connection with the Central Bank bond scam in Sri Lanka. Kurukulasuriya, who shared the photo on social media, said Mahendran had contacted him after nearly three years. In a post written in Sinhala, he claimed that Mahendran spoke to him about several matters and had asked him to convey advice to President Anura Dissanayake. Kurukulasuriya said he refused, adding that the conversation included “many stories” and that he has known Mahendran for nearly three decades. Mahendran, who lives in…
Press release : Sri Lanka PM’s office Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya met the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, today (Friday 17 October 2025) in New Delhi during her official visit to India. The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation, with particular attention to education reforms and development priorities. Prime Minister Modi extended a warm welcome to Dr. Amarasuriya and appreciated her visit which adds fresh momentum to bilateral relations and the multi-faceted partnership that prevails between the two countries. Prime Minister Amarasuriya shared with Prime Minister Modi, details of her poignant and inspiring visit to Hindu College,…
Sri Lanka has climbed to 193rd place in the latest FIFA World Rankings, marking a steady improvement in the national football team’s performance over the past year. According to FIFA’s updated list for October 2025, Sri Lanka now has 862.17 points, up from 205th a year ago — one of the team’s best standings in recent years. The rise follows a series of stronger performances in international competitions, including wins and competitive draws during recent qualification fixtures. Sri Lanka’s victory against Turkmenistan in the Asian Cup qualifiers earlier this month was seen as a key moment contributing to the points…
Sri Lanka has signed an agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to borrow 100 million US dollars to develop the health sector. According to the Ministry of Finance, the agreement was signed by Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Harshana Suriyapperuma, for Sri Lanka and the Country Director for the Asian Development Bank, Takafumi Kadono. The loan is given from ADB’s Ordinary Capital Resources window and will support the national strategic framework for the development of health services for improved efficiency and quality of secondary health services as first referral care for ensuring universal health coverage. The Ministry further…
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s rupee closed at 302.90/95 to the US dollar Friday, stronger from 303.00/10 the previous day, after some interventions, dealers said. The rupee had been weakened despite record current account deficits iwth the central bank buying from private parties but not selling when excess liquidity turned into imports. Only interventions in recent weeks were for the government to repay debt. On Friday there was intervention at around 303.18 to the US dollar after deals were done at 303.20, market participants siad. A bond maturing on 15.12.2026 closed flat at 8.30/35 percent. A bond maturing on 15.09.2027 closed…
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s prime minister Harini Amarasuriya and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi have discussed a wide range of areas, the latter said on social media. “Our discussions covered a broad range of areas, including education, women’s empowerment, innovation, development cooperation and welfare of our fishermen,” Modi said on X. “As close neighbours, our cooperation holds immense importance for the prosperity of our two peoples as well as the shared region.” Amarasuriya is in India following her visit to China earlier this week. (Colombo/Oct17/2025)
The Colombo Chief Magistrate, Asanga S. Bodaragama, today (17) issued an overseas travel ban on ten Sri Lankan athletes who reportedly failed to return to the country after participating in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, United Kingdom. According to the Special Investigation Unit for the Prevention of Sports-Related Offences, the absconding athletes caused a financial loss of nearly Rs. 50 million to the government. The Unit informed the court that steps are also being taken to issue red notices against the ten individuals. Investigations are being carried out based on a complaint lodged by the Director General of Sports.…
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka has signed an agreement to borrow 100 million US dollars form the Asian Development Bank to develop the health sector, the island’s Finance Ministry said. The loan is given from ADB’s Ordinary Capital Resources window. The loan will “support national strategic framework for the development of health services for improved efficiency and quality of secondary health services as first referral care for ensuring universal health coverage,” the statement said. The program will focus on (i) enhancing first referral care services, (ii) enhancing pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response and (iii) improving health sector technical capacity and pharmaceutical…
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s Hayleys paid 2.57 billion rupees to buy a 40 percent stake in Harischandra Mills, the company said in stock exchange filing. The company paid 3,300 rupees a share for 779,946 shares. Senthilverl Holdings was the seller. Asia Securities handled the transaction. In retail trade Harishchandra closed up 2,475 rupees at 7,424 rupees. (Colombo/Oct17/2025)
Chinese automaker BYD will recall more than 115,000 Tang and Yuan Pro electric vehicles because of design defects and potential battery safety risks, China’s market regulator said Friday. According to the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), the recall covers 44,535 Tang series SUVs produced between March 2015 and July 2017 and 71,248 Yuan Pro EVs manufactured from February 2021 to August 2022. The regulator said design flaws in certain Tang models could cause abnormal functioning of key electrical components, while manufacturing issues in the Yuan Pro models could affect battery installation and sealing, increasing the risk of overheating or…