Palestinians celebrated on Monday as Israel began releasing nearly 2,000 Palestinians from prison in exchange for Hamas’s freeing of Israeli hostages under a breakthrough ceasefire deal in Gaza. Hundreds cheered as two buses carrying dozens of released prisoners arrived in Beitunia in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The freed men, with their heads’ shaved, descended from the bus, flashing V-for-victory signs; some were lifted up onto the shoulders of the crowd, while others sunk into chairs nearby exhausted. “It was an indescribable journey of suffering — hunger, unfair treatment, oppression, torture and curses — more than anything you could imagine,” said…
The Sri Lankan Report
Forty-five (45) individuals involved in various illegal fishing activities have been apprehended along with 11 dinghies, 02 canoes and 01 cab in multiple locations across Sri Lanka from 29th September to 07th October 2025, according to the Sri Lanka Navy. The arrests have been made during separate operations conducted by the Navy with the assistance of the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the Police Special Task Force (STF). The 45 individuals were arrested in the coastal areas of Maleimunthal, Kokkuthuduwai, Boulder Point, Kokilai, Kadiraweli Point, Poduwakattu, Foul Point, Ottamawadi, Plantain Point, Kalkuda and Kallarawa in Trincomalee and in…
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s rupee closed at 302.59/62 to the US dollar on Monday, slightly stronger from 302.60/68 the previous day, while bond yields were broadly steady, dealers said. A bond maturing on 15.12.2026 closed at 8.30/42 percent. A bond maturing on 15.09.2027 closed at 8.70/85 percent. A bond maturing on 15.03.2028 closed at 9.10/17 percent, from 9.10/20 percent. A bond maturing on 15.10.2029 closed at 9.77/81 percent. A bond maturing on 15.12.2029 closed at 9.67/71 percent. A bond maturing on 01.07.2030 closed at 9.78/82 percent. A bond maturing on 15.12.2032 closed at 10.53/62 percent, from 10.50/60 percent. Related Sri…
Mario Perera – Country Head, Coca-Cola Sri Lanka and the Maldives The Coca-Cola Company today announced the appointment of Mario Perera as Country Head for Sri Lanka and the Maldives. With over 14 years of experience in the food and beverage (F&B) industry, Mario brings extensive regional and global leadership experience, having managed global brands across multiple countries. Mario succeeds Kaushali Kusumapala, who assumed the role in 2024. In his new capacity, Mario will work closely with bottling partners and external stakeholders across Sri Lanka and the Maldives to accelerate growth, innovation and community impact. In his new role, Mario…
The Supreme Court has ruled that six officers of the Kottawa Police violated the fundamental rights of a private bus operator by unlawfully arresting, assaulting, and falsely accusing him of possessing heroin. The ruling, delivered on Monday (13) by Justice Menaka Wijesundara with the concurrence of Justices Yasantha Kodagoda and Janak de Silva, ordered the officers to personally pay Rs. 1 million in compensation to the petitioner. The petitioner, Vithanage Sunil, told the court that he is a private bus owner operating two buses on the Kottawa–Pettah route. He stated that on the night of July 9, 2016, while returning…
Former President Maithripala Sirisena appeared before the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) on Monday (13) to provide a statement related to an alleged financial fraud. Sirisena remained at the Commission for approximately five hours, recording the statement. He was summoned in connection with a financial irregularity reported to have occurred about 15 years ago at an institution affiliated with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. (Newswire) The post Maithripala records statement for 5 hours at Bribery Commission appeared first on Newswire.
The England Women’s Cricket Team joined young girls from 12 districts on Sunday (12) for an outreach event at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo. According to the British High Commission, the England Women’s team spent time with the girls while they were in Sri Lanka for their fixtures in the Women’s Cricket World Cup, currently being held in India and Sri Lanka. The programme organised by Child Action Lanka and the British High Commission showcased the transformative power of sport to empower girls and strengthen communities whilst highlighting the enduring ties between the UK and Sri Lanka. During…
A Gazette Notification has been issued by the Reserve Bank of India regarding the amendment to the Foreign Exchange Management (Borrowing and Lending) Regulations, 2018. Per the amendment, Indian Banks (as well as their overseas branches) are now permitted to lend in Indian Rupees to a bank or individual resident in Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Nepal. According to the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka, this development will make credit more accessible for businesses in Sri Lanka. The Indian High Commission added that the provision allowing such loans to be denominated in Indian Rupees will be particularly beneficial for…
Engineer L. Kumudu Lal Bogahawatta has been appointed as the Secretary to the Ministry of Housing, Construction, and Water Supply. The official appointment letter was handed over to him this morning (13) at the Presidential Secretariat by Presidential Secretary Nandika Sanath Kumaranayake. At the time of this new appointment, Bogahawatta was serving as the Chairman of the Urban Development Authority. This appointment follows the recent Cabinet reshuffle by the President, under which Susil Ranasinghe was appointed as the Minister of Housing, Construction, and Water Supply. (Newswire) The post New Secretary appointed to Ministry of Housing & Construction appeared first on…
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka has sold 162.1 billion rupees in 2030, 2032 and 2035 bonds, of an offered 181 billion, data from the state debt office showed. 76.1 billion rupees of 01 July 2030 (LKB00530G018) bonds were sold at an average yield of 9.80 percent, of an offered 95 billion. All 45 billion rupees offered of 01 November 2033 (LKB02033K013) bonds were sold at an average yield of 10.72 percent. All 41 billion rupees offered of 01 July 2037 (LKB01237G019) bonds were sold at an average yield of 11.01 percent. The 2037 bill is available on tap. The date of…
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s All Share Price Index closed flat, while the S&P SL20 dropped 0.30 percent ending a volatile session, data on its site showed. The broader ASPI rose 2.36 points to end at 22,321.08; while the more liquid S&P SL20 declined 18.66 points, at 6,207.37. Market turnover was 5.68 billion rupees. The share volume fell to 507,456,277 from 439,489,878 on Friday. Top contributors to the ASPI were Dialog Axiata (up 1.10 rupees at 28.60), CT Holdings (up 19.00 rupees at 670.00), Mercantile Investments and Finance (up 1.10 rupees at 12.10), Ambeon Holdings (up 11.00 rupees at 149.50) and Harischandra Mills…
Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs, Muneer Mulaffer, officially assumed duties at the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs premises on T.B. Jayah Mawatha this morning (13). The Deputy Minister commenced his official responsibilities following the observance of multi-religious rites. Speaking at the occasion, Minister of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Hiniduma Sunil Senevi, emphasized that the appointment of Muneer Mulaffer as Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs would enable the public to receive more effective services. Rejecting the allegations directed at the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, the minister stated that such…
Israel says all 20 living hostages have been released by Hamas to the Red Cross. According to Israel, the last 13 surviving hostages have been released by Hamas and are on their way to Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip. Of the 48 hostages remaining in Gaza, 20 were believed to still be alive. A first group of seven was released earlier today and is back in Israeli territory, while the remains of the 28 others are expected to be transferred later today. Live video showed a convoy of five Red Cross vehicles carrying the remaining hostages leaving Khan Younis…
The Sri Lankan Rupee has appreciated slightly against the US Dollar today (13 Oct), compared to last Friday. According to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, the buying rate of the US Dollar has reduced from Rs. 298.98 to Rs. 298.88, while the selling rate has also dropped from Rs. 306.45 to Rs. 306.37. However, the Sri Lankan Rupee has depreciated slightly against a basket of foreign currencies, while it has appreciated against Gulf currencies. (Newswire) The post Today’s CBSL official exchange rates appeared first on Newswire.
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka energy firm WindForce PLC said it has acquired a 51 percent equity stake in Safe Power International (Pvt) Ltd for 535.5 million rupees to develop a 10 MW Wind Power Project in Alankuda, Puttalam. The estimated total project cost is 4.2 billion, WindForce said in a stock exchange filing. This will be financed through a debt-to-equity ratio of 75:25. WindForce PLC’s equity contribution amounts to LKR 535.5 million. “Of this, a sum of LKR 231 million was disbursed at the time of signing the shareholder agreement.” Related Sri Lanka’s WindForce to develop 10 MW wind power…
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s state-owned National Salt Limited is in the process of doubling its production capacity by boosting the land area of Northern Saltern in Elephant Pass via a Public Private Partnership (PPP) project, a top official said. The move comes after sudden scarcity in the local salt production forced the government to import salt and the public had to pay a higher price. National Salt Limited (NSL) has its major production facilities at Mannar and Elephant Pass in the Northern Province at present In terms of production, the Mannar saltern produces about 5,500 metric tons (MT) of raw…
The Police constable accused of allegedly assaulting attorney Gunaratne Wanninayake at the Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court premises on October 10 was granted bail today, while the case was referred to a settlement board for further proceedings. Magistrate Pasan Amarasekara ordered the release of Police Constable Tharinda Dilhara on two surety bonds of Rs. 100,000 each. The court also directed that the matter be referred to the Mediation Board for possible reconciliation between the parties. Representing the attorney who got assaulted, President’s Counsel Shanaka Ranasinghe informed the court that the defence agreed to a settlement process. Police Inspector H. T. M.…
A Sri Lankan delegation led by Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Savithri Paulraj, engaged in a discussion with the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore, Christopher de Souza, focused on expanding cooperation between Sri Lanka and Singapore in the field of tourism. Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj and the Sri Lankan delegation held a bilateral meeting with Christopher de Souza, focused on expanding cooperation between Sri Lanka and Singapore in the field of tourism, with particular emphasis on developing the homestay tourism sector in Sri Lanka. Both parties agreed on the importance of enhancing parliamentary and people-to-people engagement…
Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya says Sri Lanka reaffirms its commitment to advancing the rights and well-being of women and girls, and to translating principles into practical action for equality and dignity. “Nearly thirty years after the 1995 World Conference on Women in Beijing and the Beijing Platform for Action, we still draw on that comprehensive framework for gender equality. We have made real progress: female literacy has risen, maternal mortality has nearly halved, and global life expectancy has increased from 69 years in 1995 to 76 years in 2023. Yet serious gaps remain: women’s labour-force participation stands at just 48.7%…
ECONOMYNEXT – Anil Jayantha Fernando, took up duties as Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning and U D Nishantha Jayaweera, as Deputy Minister of Economic Development on Monday. Fernando is also cabinet minister for Labour. Though some view ministerial appointments as a privilege and changes in portfolios are viewed negatively, they are made to give responsibilities to individuals to carry to duties, Minister Fernando said. The two were welcomed by Treasury Secretary Harshana Suriyapperuma, who was former Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake did a mini-cabinet re-shuffle last week, appointing a new minister for Port and…