Sep 30 (DM) Archbishop of Colombo, His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, shocked the Catholic community in SL over the weekend with the revelation of an unusual and controversial incident involving a same-sex wedding conducted in a church. Cardinal Ranjith disclosed that two SL women had managed to get married in a Catholic Church by deceiving the officiating priest. According to the Cardinal, one of the women altered more..

Sep 30 (NF) The CID has recorded statements from several officials, including the Deputy Inspector General in charge of the Police Narcotics Bureau and its Director, in connection with the release of a containers reportedly containing the drug Ice discovered in the Middeniya area. Preliminary investigations have revealed that the containers in question had been cleared after inspections conducted by both the Police Narcotics Bureau and the Customs Department. more..

Sep 30 (NW) The haul of drugs, suspected to be narcotics and seized from Weligama recently, has been confirmed to be the narcotic Mephedrone. DIG of the Southern Province, Kithsiri Jayalath, said the drug was confirmed by the Govt Analyst. He further said that this is the first instance of this drug being found in Sri Lanka. DIG Kithsiri Jayalath also noted that the Govt Analyst’s report reveals that Mephedrone is more dangerous than other narcotic drugs such as ICE. more..

Sep 30 (FT) Japan and SL agreed to deepen cooperation across economic, investment, security and multilateral fronts, issuing a joint statement after Prez Anura Kumara Disanayake’s meeting with Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba in Tokyo. Ishiba commended SL’s recovery path under the IMF program and debt restructuring, pledging continued Japanese support. As co-chair of the Official Creditor Committee, Japan was the first to conclude more..

Sep 30 (FT) Every year, the arrival of Sri Lanka’s national Budget brings with it familiar rituals: speeches in Parliament, presentations filled with charts, and days of debate about deficits, spending & taxation. Economists pore over fiscal strategies, politicians argue about allocations, and ordinary citizens ask the most important question of all: How will this affect my life? Traditionally, Budgets are viewed as accounting exercises, designed to raise revenue, control expenditure, and more..

Sep 30 (FT) Ranil Wickremesinghe (RW), one of the fallen heroes at the 2024 Prez Election, has been reported to be planning to organise 1,000 rallies across the country and calling all Opposition leaders, their aficionados and apparatchiks to rally behind him in his war against what he described as a constitutional dictatorship. If one understood the logic behind that concoction, one would have gathered that if there is a dictatorship prevailing currently in the country then that dictatorship more..

Sep 30 (NW) Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa criticized the govt’s decision to abolish the Simplified Value Added Tax (SVAT) scheme for exporters, warning that the move would damage the country’s foreign exchange earnings and undermine competitiveness. Premadasa said that eliminating SVAT would tie up exporters’ capital, raise costs and make them less competitive in global markets. He urged the govt to renegotiate its program with the IMF rather than blindly accepting conditions more..

Sep 30 (DM) Following Parliament’s High Posts Committee’s demonstration and its commitment to accountability by halting the nomination of Vijitha Bandara Herath to a diplomatic posting, citing grave allegations ranging from falsification of official records to the unlawful use of a government-issued passport. Committee, chaired by PM Harini Amarasuriya, has already requested a comprehensive investigation report from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasising the seriousness more..

Sep 30 (AD) Ministry of Tourism today denied that the Govt has decided to run a specific tourism promotion campaign targeting LGBTQ+ foreign tourists while emphasizing that any future initiatives will be carefully evaluated within the framework of national tourism priorities and social harmony. Issuing a special statement, Ministry of Tourism addressed the recent public discourse surrounding SL Tourism Promotion Bureau’s (SLTPB) communication more..

Sep 30 (CT) Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga Bodaragama yesterday ordered to postpone the consideration of issuing summons to the respondents accused of defaming DIG Renuka Jayasundara and threatening national security through a YouTube channel. The case will be taken up on 3 Oct. The order was sought under the provisions of the Online Safety Act of 2024 following a submission made to Court by a legal counsel representing DIG Jayasundara, who heads more..

Sep 30 (FT) Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Ltd, (CPSTL) last week said future decisions on recruitment, promotions, and transfers will be based solely on merit, free from political or personal influence. CPSTL Chairman D.J.A.S. De S. Rajakaruna, speaking at a media briefing marking, said the company had operated without a clear human resources framework for more than three decades. A new policy has now been introduced to address this gap, he noted. more..

Sep 30 (EN) SL's inflation rose 1.5% in the 12-months to August and only 2.3% over 36 months, since the CB’s deflationary policy started to show in the balance of payments. SL’s economy grew 4.9% in second quarter of 2025, above growth projections by the IMF, as the remarkably lower inflation and exchange rate stability. CB has missed its high 5% inflation target lifting the customary burden of inflation more..

Sep 30 (Island) JVP’s erstwhile comrades in the FSP have accused the govt of manipulating procurement procedures to award a controversial coal import tender to a favoured company, raising fresh concerns about corruption in Sri Lanka’s energy sector. FSP Education Secretary Pubudu Jayagoda alleged that the coal tender, opened on 15 Sept for power generation purposes, had been improperly awarded to Trident Chemphar, under questionable circumstances. more..

Sep 30 (DM) A total of 39 children are currently living with their mothers in 10 prisons across SL. Prisons Commissioner Jagath Weerasinghe said that while the issue may seem minor, it is a serious concern at the national level. Of the 39 children, 17 are boys and 22 are girls. The children are housed in the following prisons: Welikada (16), Agunakolapelessa (4), Anuradhapura (1), Trincomalee (3), Kalutara (6), Batticaloa (2), Negombo (4), Badulla (1), Wariyapola (1) and Jaffna (1). more..

Sep 30 (EN) SL’s Minister of Trade Wasantha Samarasinghe has met India’s Minister of Food Processing Industries Shri Chirag Paswan and Minister of State for Cooperation Shri Murlidhar Moholvisited, a govt statement said. Discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation in the areas of food security, cooperative development, and capacity building, while also reviewing avenues for enhanced collaboration across other sectors of mutual interest. more..

Sep 30 (AD) Former State Minister Prasanna Ranaweera, who was in remand custody over allegations of preparing forged documents to sell state-owned land, has been granted bail by the Gampaha High Court. The order was issued by Gampaha High Court Judge Nayana Seneviratne. During the hearing today, counsels representing former State Minister Ranaweera made submissions in support of granting him bail. After considering the submissions presented, more..

Sep 30 (ST) The govt is speeding ahead with carving up the CEB into separate companies, having this week circulated a draft preliminary transfer plan (PTP) which details how the utility’s various activities, assets and liabilities will be distributed among successor entities. A draft corporate governance structure, recruitment and selection policy and employee handbook for those joining the successor companies are also in circulation. more..

Sep 30 (DM) Claiming that it was a mistake to have mentioned the Nobel Prize instead of the Guinness record, Minister Sunil Hadunnetti today expressed his regret if his statment had caused any inconvenice to any party. In a video posted on his facebook account, he said he mistakenly mentioned the Nobel Prize instead of the Guinness record. "It was a mistake. I did not do it intentioanlly. If any party was inconvenienced due to my statement, I express my regrets to them," he said. more..

Sep 30 (NW) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who is on an official visit to Japan at the invitation of the Japanese Govt, met with Mr. Yohei Sasakawa, Founding Chairman of the Nippon Foundation, at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo this morning. The discussion focused on further strengthening the long-standing friendship between Japan and Sri Lanka. Mr. Sasakawa reiterated his commitment to enhancing the livelihoods of every community in SL and and outlined future plans for the renovation and more..

Sep 30 (AD) The Court of Appeal today ordered SL Customs to investigate and report to court by Oct 10, whether the vehicles currently being detained by Customs can be released on a corporate or personal bond. This directive was issued during the hearing of approximately 15 writ petitions filed by vehicle importers seeking an order to release vehicles currently held by SL Customs. The petitions were heard before a bench more..

Sep 30 (AD) The one-day strike launched by the FUTA is currently underway at all state universities across the country. As a result, lectures and all academic activities at universities have been suspended for the day. The strike has been launched based on several key concerns, including, the shortage of academic staff due to the brain drain and failure to recruit qualified personnel, salary-related issues, the lack of improvements in university infrastructure and insufficient allocation more..

Sep 30 (DM) A schoolboy, under the age of 18, who had merged a schoolgirl’s photo with a nude image and had circulated it online, was produced before Galle Additional Magistrate Maheshika Wijetunga and released on personal bail of Rs. 200,000. He was handed over to his father. The magistrate issued a stern warning, instructing him not to harass or influence the victim. Police said the incident came to light when the schoolgirl’s friend informed her elder brother that her image more..

Sep 30 (DM) Police clearance certificates are issued for both domestic and overseas purposes. For domestic purposes, applicants can obtain certificates from local police stations by submitting an application letter along with a copy of their National Identity Card, a valid driver’s license, or a valid passport. Police stations provide a sample application form to assist applicants. Govt-approved fees for domestic certificates are as follows: certificates issued by local police stations more..

Sep 30 (NW) Construction of the second rest area along the Southern Expressway has commenced in the Udukawa area of Matara, aimed at providing rest and amenities to drivers and passengers travelling between Kottawa and Mattala. The project was officially launched on Monday (29) under the aegis of Secretary to the Ministry of Transport and Highways, Professor Kapila Perera. Located near the 119th kilometre mark between Matara Godagama and Kokmaduwa, the rest area is being built with more..

Sep 30 (DM) Institutional corruption persists, particularly within sectors protected by entrenched vested interests, even under the current govt, though high-level political bribery solicitation appears to have diminished, according to the U.S. statement on SL’s investment climate. The report, released recently, said endemic corruption and a lack of transparency in public procurement have historically inflicted significant economic losses on SL, more..

Sep 30 (CT) A case filed by environmentalists to compel the Govt to formulate and implement solutions to the Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) was recalled before the Court of Appeal yesterday, and the hearing was adjourned after the Dept of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) failed to make its scheduled submissions on the matter. The case was originally filed by the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) and its directors following elephant deaths in Habarana in recent times, citing more..

Sep 30 (AD) SL Police says that it has been confirmed that Anura Vidanagamage, also known as Kajja, who was recently shot dead along with his two children in Middeniya, was in the vehicle that had followed slain former Sri Lankan rugby player Wasim Thajudeen’s vehicle moments before the latter was murdered. ASP Minura Senarath stated that this information was uncovered following the interrogation of underworld figure Backhoe Saman, who was recently arrested in Indonesia and more..

Sep 30 (NW) Minister Harshana Nanayakkara, has reiterated SL’s commitment to safeguarding and protecting the human rights of all citizens. He further reiterated commitment to the steadfast ongoing work of the Office on Missing Persons (OMP), Office for Reparations (OR), and Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR), and the robust actions being taken by the national authorities in this regard. more..

Sep 30 (DM) Sri Lanka informed the International Atomic Energy Authority at its General Conference in Vienna that the country is currently exploring nuclear power as a reliable, low-carbon energy source to diversify its energy mix and address the dual challenges of climate change and energy security, according to a statement from the Foreign Affairs Ministry. Delivering the national statement of Sri Lanka at this key event of the IAEA calendar, Permanent Representative of SL more..

Sep 30 (CT) More than 800 dengue cases have been recorded across SL within the first 11 days of September, according to data from the National Dengue Control Unit’s (NDCU) NaDSys surveillance system. The NDCU reported yesterday, that by midnight on 27 September, the total number of cases recorded this month had risen to 2,148. From January to 27 Sept 2025, 38,764 dengue cases have been reported nationwide, with 21 dengue-related deaths during the same period. more..