The National Transport Commission (NTC) announced that all long-distance passenger buses will soon be required to display their official quality certification, allowing passengers to verify service standards before boarding. NTC Chairman P.A. Chandrapala said passengers will have full rights to request and review these quality reports, which outline the vehicle’s condition and compliance with safety standards. He made the remarks during the launch of a pilot project today (09) at the Bastian Mawatha Bus Terminal in Colombo to inspect buses operating on routes exceeding 100 kilometres. The pilot initiative has been jointly launched by the Transport Ministry and the NTC…
The Sri Lankan Report
The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has called for applications from individuals who wish to contest under the party for the Provincial Council elections. Issuing a notice, the SJB said applications must include details of the relevant district’s voter registration, permanent residence in the area, as well as personal, educational, political, social and economic information. Applicants are advised to send a bio data form with the relevant information, under the headline Provincial Council Application, through registered post. The applications are to be sent to the General Secretary, Samagi Jana Balawegaya, No.592, Bangala Junction, Kotte Road, Pittakotte. Earlier today, the government announced…
Trade Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe has defended the participation of Sri Lankan government officials in the upcoming World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Policy Review in Geneva, following criticism over the composition of the delegation. The WTO’s Trade Policy Review of Sri Lanka is scheduled to take place from October 14 to 17 in Geneva. Representatives from multiple agencies—including the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Finance, Central Bank, Sri Lanka Customs, and the Board of Investment (BOI)—are expected to attend, the Minister said. “This is a discussion of trade policy, not a tour,” Samarasinghe told Parliament. According to the Minister, Sri Lanka…
The Sri Lankan Rupee has depreciated further against the US Dollar today (09 Oct), compared to Wednesday. According to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, the buying rate of the US Dollar has increased from Rs. 298.78 to Rs. 298.92, while the selling rate has also increased from Rs. 306.29 to Rs. 306.39. The Sri Lankan Rupee has also depreciated against a basket of foreign currencies, including Gulf currencies. (Newswire) The post Today’s CBSL official exchange rates appeared first on Newswire.
Indian police have arrested the owner of Sresan Pharmaceutical Manufacturer, the company whose cough syrup has been linked to the deaths of at least 17 children in Madhya Pradesh. A senior police officer told Reuters on Thursday that the arrest followed a probe into the deaths of children — all under five years old — who had consumed the company’s cough medicine over the past month. Preliminary tests revealed that the syrup contained dangerously high levels of diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical often used in industrial products such as antifreeze. Officials said the concentration was nearly 500 times the permissible…
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa told Parliament today that, at the current pace, Sri Lanka’s 2028 debt repayments will pose a massive economic challenge. He said that although the government’s policy statement (page 105) mentions a new debt restructuring arrangement under fresh IMF conditions, in practice the same agreement signed by the previous administration continues without change. Premadasa also noted that promises made to reduce electricity tariffs by 33%—including lowering a Rs. 9,000 bill to Rs. 6,000 and Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 2,000—had not been fulfilled, while tariffs are now set to rise again by 6.8%. He accused the government of…
Minor Hotels Expands ‘Dollar for Deeds’ Programme Partnering with Ayati Trust in Supporting Children with Disabilities Throughout Sri Lanka Ayati Centre located within the premises of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Ragama Minor Hotels, an international hotel owner, operator and investor with a portfolio of more than 560 properties across 59 countries, continues to deepen its commitment to supporting the destinations in which it operates. As part of this long-standing focus, the group’s global ‘Dollars for Deeds’ initiative has played an important role in connecting hospitality with meaningful community support. First introduced nearly a decade ago in Minor…
ECONOMYNEXT – The Colombo Stock Exchange closed up on Thursday after the International Monetary Fund announced it had reached a staff level agreement with the Sri Lanka government on its fifth review. “Once the review is approved by the IMF Executive Board, Sri Lanka will have access to about US$347 million in financing,” the IMF said. The All Share Price Index closed up 0.51 percent, or 111.84 points, at 22,209.83; while the S&P SL20 closed up 0.13 percent, 7.96 points, at 6,171.18 provisional data on its site showed. Turnover was 13.3 billion rupees. Most of this came from banks (6.4…
Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath accused previous governments of politicizing national issues and human rights for political gain, defending the government’s decision to not request for a vote when the latest Human Rights Council Resolution on Sri Lanka was adopted. Briefing Parliament on his recent visit to Geneva and engagements with the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Herath said calling for a vote at the Council, given Sri Lanka’s record and circumstances, would create an unnecessary problem. “Previous governments did this, fully aware that the vote will be defeated, wasting both public money and time. This is not our government’s policy,”…
The IGP Challenge Trophy National Cadet Camp – 2025, which began on October 4 with the participation of 42 Boys’ teams and 21 Girls’ teams from over 500 schools across the country, will conclude tomorrow (10) at the Sri Lanka Police College Aluvihare Sports Grounds. This year’s National Camp brings together 1,575 cadets — 1,050 boys and 525 girls — along with 40 Senior Non-Commissioned Officers from the Police Cadet Division, showcasing the strength and discipline of Sri Lanka’s youth training initiative. The closing ceremony will be held under the patronage of the Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs…
Prison authorities have seized 29 mobile phones during a special operation carried out at the Boossa High-Security Prison today, officials said. According to the Prison Spokesperson, the devices were recovered from several inmates, including leading underworld figures ‘Dematagoda Chaminda’, ‘Wele Suda’, and ‘Midigama Ruwan.’ In addition to the mobile phones, prison officials also discovered 30 SIM cards and 35 chargers hidden inside cells during the search. Authorities have launched an internal investigation to determine how the contraband items were smuggled into the high-security facility. The raid was conducted as part of ongoing efforts to curb organized crime operations allegedly being…
Sri Lanka Police have refuted reports claiming that Public Security Ministry Secretary, retired SDIG Ravi Seneviratne, had disclosed that India was behind the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. Issuing a statement, the Sri Lanka Police said that the news circulating claiming that Ravi Seneviratne had disclosed the information before the Parliamentary Committee on High Posts recently was untrue. The Police revealed that Ravi Seneviratne had only responded to queries raised during the meeting of the Committee on High Posts yesterday (08), and had not, in any instance, revealed that India was involved in the attacks. Refuting the reports in this regard,…
Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath says the provincial council elections will be held next year. Addressing the Parliament today, Minister Herath said a decision on the election will be taken following the conclusion of the delimitation process. “Parliament has a duty regarding the delimitation process. Once it is processed, it will be concluded. There will be a provincial council election next year. Following a discussion on the delimitation process and what system should be followed. Whether, can we go to the previous system or the new system? The Parliament can decide this,” the minister said. Minister Vijitha Herath made…
Sun Siyam Pasikudah, part of Sun Siyam Resorts’ Privé Collection, has won the coveted Best Global Hotel Design award at the Homes & Gardens Design Awards 2025. The accolade recognises Studio Sixty7, led by founders Lee McNichol and Jose Rivero, for a transformative redesign that blended artisanal craftsmanship, cultural authenticity, and sustainability to set a new benchmark for luxury hospitality in Sri Lanka. The Homes & Gardens Design Awards celebrate the best in design and decorating, spotlighting inspiring projects and innovations shaping the way we live now and into the future. Within the Best Global Hotel Design category, the judges…
Kaspersky has announced its participation as Gold Sponsor of the 43rd National IT Conference (NITC 2025), Sri Lanka’s premier ICT event hosted by the Computer Society of Sri Lanka (CSSL). The conference will take place from 14–16 October 2025 at the Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo. With the theme “Fostering a Human-Centric Nation: Towards Society 5.0,” NITC 2025 will bring together more than 30 local and international thought leaders across seven tracks including FinTech, EduTech, TravelTech, InfoSec & E-Governance, AgriTech, eHealth, and eGov. Kaspersky’s sponsorship underscores its strategic focus on advancing cybersecurity awareness, innovation, and resilience in Sri Lanka, engaging with an…
The Ministry of Education has announced that Grade 1 classes for the 2026 academic year will officially commence on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, in all Sinhala, Tamil, and Muslim medium schools across Sri Lanka. The directive applies to all government schools as well as private schools that are either state-assisted or non-assisted. According to the Education Ministry, schools have been instructed to complete the admission of students selected for Grade 1 before the official commencement date. The ministry circular states that the official welcome ceremony for new Grade 1 students should include the following activities: * A welcome by Grade…
The Department of Meteorology has issued an advisory for severe lightning in the North-Central, Eastern, and Uva provinces and Mullaitivu, Vavuniya, Matale districts. According to the advisory, effective until 11.00 pm today, red alerts have been issued to 10 districts and amber alerts to 15 districts. The public is requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by lightning activity. (Newswire) The post Lightning advisory : Red alert issued to 10 districts appeared first on Newswire.
The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) says the final decision regarding the electricity tariff revision is expected to be announced during the second week of October. According to the PUCSL, the decision will be announced after reviewing all opinions and proposals submitted during public consultation sessions held in relation to the electricity tariff revision. Approximately 500 individuals submitted opinions and suggestions during public consultation sessions held on the third electricity tariff revision proposed by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) for this year. The public consultation process, which began on September 18 and covered all provinces, held its final…
Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure Samantha Vidyaratna appeared before the Cyber Crimes Division of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) today in connection with online attacks against his child. It is reported that Minister Samantha Vidyaratna had filed a complaint regarding a recent statement made by MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake in Parliament, linked to his child. Following MP Dassanayake’s statement, it is reported that social media posts had been circulated regarding Minister Samantha Vidyaratna’s child. As such, Minister Samantha Vidyaratna appeared before the Cyber Crimes Division of the CID to file a complaint in this regard. (Newswire) The post Minister…
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka did not ask for a vote at the United Nations Human Rights Council because it didn’t want to spend public funds on a vote it would lose anyway, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told parliament. On previous occasions, Sri Lanka’s governments had spent public funds to travel to member countries and attempt to woo them to vote in favour of Sri Lanka, but this had failed, he said. “Past governments using public funds and time, knowing that they will lose a vote, performed media circuses. That is not our policy,” Herath told parliament making a statement on…