News

The Welfare Benefits Board has taken steps to remove 1,391,830 beneficiaries from the Aswesuma welfare benefits programme following a revised selection process.

According to Government Gazette No. 2497/03, issued on December 15, 2025, financial assistance under the programme will now be limited to individuals classified under the “Extremely Poor” and “Poor” categories.

Following an update of beneficiary information, a total of 991,800 individuals have qualified under the first list. Of these, 363,142 beneficiaries have been classified as “Extremely Poor” and are eligible to receive a monthly allowance of Rs. 17,500 each.

Another 628,658 beneficiaries have qualified under the “Poor” category and will receive a monthly allowance of Rs. 10,000 each.

Meanwhile, the Welfare Benefits Board expects approximately 740,127 families to be selected for the second list of beneficiaries, which is scheduled to be published in December.

The current list of eligible beneficiaries has been displayed on notice boards at all Divisional Secretariat offices and Grama Niladhari offices.

Members of the public who wish to appeal or raise objections regarding the published list can do so from October 29 to November 11.

The Board is expected to release the second list of newly eligible beneficiaries in December, following the completion of the information-updating process.

75 per cent of Sri Lankan households are currently earning insufficient income to meet basic living costs as national inflation rises past 8 per cent, a study has found.

A newly released World Bank study details a widespread economic squeeze across the island, revealing that real earnings fell by over 40 per cent between 2019 and 2023 without recovering fully.

The findings confirm that 40 per cent of the population remains trapped in poverty or stands at immediate risk of falling below the poverty line in 2026.

According to the report, the ongoing financial pressure has forced families to reduce meal intake and prompted workers to abandon the labor market entirely.

Female labor force participation has dropped from 34.4 per cent in 2019 to 32.4 per cent in 2024, keeping Sri Lanka among the lowest performers in the region.

Disparities remain severe across regions, with poverty rates outside the Western Province measuring two to three times higher than inside it, while poverty in the estate sector stands at triple the national average.

The shortfall between available household resources and basic daily needs doubled nationally between 2019 and 2024, with the gap in the Northern Province expanding to four times that of the Western Province.

High consumption taxes accounting for 12 per cent of gross domestic product further inflate consumer prices, threatening to fuel stagflation and diminish export competitiveness if maintained over an extended period.

Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha has met Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) General Secretary Tilvin Silva to discuss bilateral relations and current developments.

Announcing the meeting in a post on X, Jha said the discussions covered India-Sri Lanka relations and contemporary developments.

The meeting comes as the two countries continue to engage on matters of mutual interest, including bilateral cooperation and regional developments.

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has expressed grave concern following the death of a 29-year-old father of two while in police custody in Homagama.

The legal body called for an immediate and transparent investigation after Ishara Harshakumara died shortly after his arrest on 25 October.

Police officials claimed that the suspect suffered a sudden illness during an operation and died after being admitted to hospital.

However, family members who visited the police station reported seeing physical injuries on his body, alleging that he had suffered a severe assault.

The Bar Association emphasised that the state maintains a strict legal duty to protect the life and bodily integrity of every person held in custody.

It noted that the Sri Lankan constitution prohibits the deprivation of life without an order from a competent court.

Local magistrate proceedings have commenced, with an assistant superintendent of police directing a preliminary inquiry and ordering a full post-mortem examination.

The legal organisation urged the Inspector General of Police to preserve all relevant evidence and ensure that the investigation proceeds without any official interference.

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has declared 27 companies, applications and organisations to be prohibited schemes following investigations conducted under Section 83(C) of the Banking Act, No. 30 of 1988, as amended.

According to the CSBL, investigations found that Max App Media Ltd., together with its affiliated companies Max LK (Pvt) Ltd. and Max Media Lanka (Pvt) Ltd., had engaged in, conducted and promoted a prohibited scheme.

The following companies, applications and organisations have also been identified and declared prohibited schemes under the relevant provisions of the Banking Act.

1. Tiens Lanka Health Care (Pvt) Ltd

2. Best Life International (Pvt) Ltd

3. Mark-Wo International (Pvt) Ltd

4. VML International (Pvt) Ltd

5. Global Lifestyle Lanka (Pvt) Ltd

6. Fast3Cycle International (Pvt) Ltd

7. Sport Chain App and Sport Chain ZS Society Sri Lanka

8. OnmaxDT

9. MTFE App, MTFE SL Group, MTFE Success Lanka and MTFE DSCC Group

10. Fastwin (Pvt) Ltd

11. Fruugo Online App / Fruugo Online (Pvt) Ltd

12. Ride to Three Freedom (Pvt) Ltd

13. QNet / Questnet

14. Era Miracle (Pvt) Ltd and Genesis Business School

15. Ledger Block

16. Isimaga International (Pvt) Ltd

17. Beecoin App and Sunbird Foundation

18. Windex Trading

19. The Enrich Life (Pvt) Ltd

20. Smart Win Entrepreneur (Pvt) Ltd

21. Net Fore International (Pvt) Ltd / Netrrix

22. Pro Care (Pvt) Ltd and Shade of Procare (Pvt) Ltd

23. SGO / sgomine.com

24. I.C.A.N. Advertising (Pvt) Ltd and its affiliated websites: icanonlineadvertising.com, bannercuts.com, bannercuts.lk, bannercusts.net and bannercuts.org

25. Infinity Rover (Pvt) Ltd

26. TM App

27. Max App Media Ltd and its affiliated companies, Max LK (Pvt) Ltd and Max Media Lanka (Pvt) Ltd.

Human rights group Amnesty International has urged the Sri Lankan government to immediately withdraw proposed legislation aimed at tackling organised crime, saying that the bill confers sweeping powers that severely erode fundamental rights and fair trial guarantees.

The global watchdog voiced its objections following the tabling of the Prevention of Organised Crimes Bill in Parliament in Colombo on 6 October.

Under the proposed legal framework, individuals suspected of belonging to an organised criminal group could face up to one year of detention before charges are filed, alongside a further year in pre-trial detention.

Law enforcement officers would receive expanded authority to conduct searches without securing judicial warrants, while also gaining access to personal data from telecommunications and digital providers without court oversight.

The draft law further permits police officers to admit certain confessions as trial evidence and places restrictions on media coverage of legal proceedings.

Amnesty International South Asia Director Smriti Singh said that the legislation incorporates several of the most restrictive elements of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, threatening to entrench official impunity and revive conditions that enable arbitrary detention and torture.

She urged the government to scrap the proposed measure entirely and engage in public consultations to establish anti-crime strategies that adhere to international human rights standards.

The rights organisation also highlighted subjective provisions that allow courts to judge group membership based on visual identifiers such as clothing, tattoos, hand signals, language, past behavior, and personal associations.

It warned that using such broad criteria creates significant risks of discriminatory profiling while replacing objective evidence with mere suspicion in judicial proceedings.

Within the text of the bill, an organised criminal group is defined as a structured entity of three or more individuals acting together over a period to secure financial or material advantages.

The decision on the bail application filed by SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa, who is currently in remand custody over the controversial Krish transaction, will be delivered on 03 November, the Colombo Magistrate’s Court announced today (28).

Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama issued the order after considering submissions made by the Bribery Commission and the lawyers appearing on behalf of Rajapaksa.

Rajapaksa has been remanded over allegations of accepting a bribe of Rs. 100 million in connection with the transfer of land at Transworks Square in Colombo Fort to the Krrish company for a mix development project.

State prosecutors allege that the money was accepted in exchange for facilitating the transfer of the public land to the private firm.

Sri Lanka’s government is facing internal divisions over a no-confidence motion against Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, according to claims made by the parliamentary opposition today.

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP S. M. Marikkar told reporters that a faction of lawmakers within the governing National People’s Power alliance is actively refusing to support the Speaker in the legislature.

He said that the government is attempting to delay a parliamentary debate on the motion while pressuring the opposition to soften its terms, a demand he confirmed the opposition will firmly reject.

The internal dispute comes as opposition parties step up pressure on the government over legislative procedures and parliamentary oversight.

By attempting to avoid a direct vote on the floor of the House, the government is seeking to buy time and maintain unity within its parliamentary ranks.

However, opposition figures insist they will not alter or dilute the text of the motion, setting up a sharp confrontation in Parliament when the matter is formally taken up for debate.

Sri Lanka and Türkiye have signed a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding on Agricultural Cooperation to advance modern farming technologies and strengthen national food security.

The accord was formally signed in Ankara on 27 October during a bilateral summit between Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment Arun Hemachandra and Türkiye’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Dr. Ahmet Bağcı.

Under the framework of the new agreement, both nations will establish joint mechanisms for knowledge sharing, institutional capacity building, and collaborative agricultural research.

The bilateral talks prioritized practical measures to improve crop productivity, support smallholder farmers, and promote sustainable cultivation practices.

Institutional ties between Sri Lankan and Turkish agricultural bodies will be deepened to operationalise technical exchanges and modernize local farming infrastructure.

Speaking after the signing ceremony, Deputy Minister Hemachandra commended the Turkish government for its commitment to broadening bilateral relations and facilitating technical knowledge transfers to Sri Lanka.

The Joint Opposition has accused the government of attempting to militarise civilian law enforcement by granting police powers to the armed forces under new counter-terrorism legislation.

Speaking at a press briefing in Colombo yesterday (27), former Justice Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris warned that the proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill places excessive authority in the hands of the Defence Secretary while stripping away fundamental civil liberties.

He said that the draft law threatened to silence democratic political opponents and restrict press freedoms across the country.

Critical analysis of the proposed bill reveals that the military could be authorised to exercise standard police functions even without the declaration of a formal state of emergency.

Under the drafted provisions, the Defence Secretary holds the power to issue initial two-month detention orders without immediate judicial oversight, with scope to extend those detentions further.

Opponents of the legislation argue that the vague definitions within the draft could easily turn regular political campaigning into criminal acts, potentially leaving citizens who distribute political leaflets or protest state projects open to terrorism charges.

Although opposition parties agree that the country’s existing Prevention of Terrorism Act of 1979 requires replacement, critics contend that the new framework merely replaces old abuses with broader administrative powers.

The move comes as part of a legislative push by the National People's Power government, which has already drawn sharp condemnation from human rights monitor Amnesty International over a companion bill targeting organised crime.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has questioned whether the death of a young man in Homagama police custody signals a dangerous shift towards a police state in Sri Lanka.

Reflecting on the recent arrest of Ishara Harshana by the Homagama Police, the Opposition Leader noted that relatives visiting the suspect on 25 October observed clear physical injuries indicating mistreatment.

The Opposition Leader recalled that Article 13(4) of the Constitution mandates state authorities to guarantee the life, health, and physical protection of every individual held in custody.

He emphasised that the failure of law enforcement to protect the suspect represented a direct violation of the supreme law of the land alongside a grave loss of fundamental rights.

The Opposition Leader called for an immediate, independent, and fully transparent investigation to establish accountability for the custodial death.

Mohamed Shareef Adam Lebbe, alias ‘Gafoor Mama’, the third accused in the case involving the discovery of explosives and other prohibited materials at a property in Lactowatta, Wanathawilluwa, has been sentenced to 12 years of rigorous imprisonment.

The sentence was delivered today (October 28) by a three-judge bench of the Colombo Special High Court after the accused pleaded guilty to five charges brought against him.

The bench, comprising Justices Lal Ranasinghe Bandara, Rashmi Singappuli and Nayomi Wickramasinghe, imposed a 12-year prison term for each charge. However, the sentences are to run concurrently, resulting in a total imprisonment term of 12 years, according to an Ada Derana reporter.

The court also directed that the seven-and-a-half years the accused has already spent in remand custody and under detention orders be deducted from his sentence. Accordingly, he has approximately four-and-a-half years left to serve.

In determining the sentence, the judges considered several factors, including the accused's decision to admit the charges without prolonging the trial, his age of 63 and other special circumstances.

Meanwhile, the sixth accused in the case, Mohamed Rameez Mohamed Sajith, also known as ‘Sajith Moulavi’, has requested additional time to inform the court of his position regarding the charges against him.

The court ordered that the case be taken up again at 8.00 a.m. tomorrow (October 29) to determine his position. The prison superintendent was directed to produce him before the court by 7.45 a.m.

The bench also ordered that special security arrangements be made for ‘Gafoor Mama’ when he is produced before the High Courts in Kegalle and Batticaloa, where two other cases against him are pending.

The Attorney General had filed charges against six accused under 13 counts in connection with the case. According to submissions made before the court, five of the accused have now pleaded guilty to the relevant charges and received sentences.

The sixth accused is expected to appear before the court tomorrow to inform the bench whether he intends to plead guilty, potentially allowing the proceedings against him to be concluded through an expedited process.