News

The Ministry of Women and Child Affairs has called on parents, guardians and caregivers to exercise greater caution when sharing photographs and videos of children on social media.

The warning comes amid a growing trend of children’s images and videos being posted online, with the expansion of monetisation features on platforms such as Facebook reportedly encouraging individuals and organisations to use such content for commercial purposes.

According to the Ministry, photographs and videos featuring children may be shared to highlight their talents, activities or daily lives, sometimes without the knowledge or consent of their parents or guardians.

Authorities have cautioned that repeatedly posting details of a child’s daily routine, home, school and activities could create risks to the child’s privacy and personal safety.

The Ministry has also highlighted concerns over the misuse of children’s images through artificial intelligence technology. Photographs uploaded to social media can potentially be altered or repurposed to produce explicit or other harmful material.

In light of these concerns, the Ministry has urged parents, guardians and others responsible for children to exercise extreme care before posting any content involving minors online.

Colombo Additional Magistrate Kasun Kanchana Dasanayake has issued an arrest warrant for cricketer Chamika Karunaratne after he failed to appear before court.

The order was made today when a complaint filed by a female pilot seeking maintenance payments for her child was taken up for inquiry.

As Karunaratne was absent from the proceedings, the Magistrate ordered that he be arrested and produced before the court.

The case relates to the female pilot’s request for maintenance payments for her child.

Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa arrived at the Colombo Magistrate’s Court a short while ago to provide evidence remotely in an ongoing case before the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court.

The case concerns the disappearance of activists Lalith Kumar Weeraraj and Kugan Muruganandan.

Rajapaksa appeared at the Colombo court in connection with arrangements to provide his evidence online as the proceedings in the case continue before the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court.

Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa has been named as a suspect in an investigation being conducted by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) over the Krrish deal.

The case is being heard before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court and relates to allegations of financial irregularities and bribery involving Indian property development company Krrish.

According to the investigation, an allegation has been made that Rs. 70 million was paid to Rajapaksa on three separate occasions in connection with efforts to secure Urban Development Authority-owned land at Transworks Square in Colombo Fort for Krrish Transworks Colombo (Pvt) Ltd.

The payments are also alleged to have been made in return for assistance in expediting the approvals required for the project.

Following an order issued by the court on September 24, CIABOC officers recorded a statement from Rajapaksa. He is currently in remand custody in connection with a separate case.

The investigation and related court proceedings are continuing.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa called for an immediate reversal of recent policy changes to the rooftop solar sector, saying that new restrictions threaten green energy investments and burden electricity consumers across Sri Lanka.

Speaking during a visit to the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) in Colombo on Monday (28), Premadasa met with PUCSL chairman Professor K. P. L. Chandralal and senior officials to lodge his objections regarding the government's energy policy direction.

Disruption to renewable energy expansion

The Opposition Leader said the government's decision to discontinue the Net Metering and Net Accounting schemes for new rooftop connections in favour of the Net Plus model severely discourages small and medium entrepreneurs from investing in solar technology.

He pointed out that flat tariffs for rooftop solar systems up to 500 kilowatts were cut from Rs. 37 per unit to Rs. 27.06 in July 2024, with subsequent revisions further eroding investor confidence.

The Opposition Leader noted that developing 2,500 megawatts of solar capacity could save the national economy approximately Rs. 25 billion annually.

He also accused the government of arbitrarily freezing project approvals and creating artificial barriers for young professionals entering the renewable energy market.

Fuel reliance and systemic reforms

The Opposition Leader claimed that current policies directly benefit fossil fuel interests, describing the continued reliance on thermal energy generation as a setback for national green targets.

He highlighted the ongoing operation of power plants such as Yugadanavi, Sobadhanavi, and Sahasdanavi, arguing that delays in securing liquefied natural gas have forced a continued dependence on expensive diesel fuel.

The Opposition Leader noted that while the government publicly champions renewable energy, its regulatory decisions actively weaken the financial viability of private solar developers.

He stated that the opposition will pursue legal and political avenues both locally and internationally to protect the domestic solar industry and ensure affordable clean energy access for the public.

The Colombo Magistrate’s Court has fixed October 12 for the next hearing of the case involving Shashi Weerawansa, the wife of former Minister Wimal Weerawansa, who was convicted over the possession of a forged diplomatic passport.

The matter was taken up today (September 28) before Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama.

Shashi Weerawansa, who had been sentenced to imprisonment and is currently released on bail, appeared before the court for the proceedings.

During the hearing, the court was informed that the sentence imposed on Weerawansa had been upheld by the Colombo High Court. It was also stated that an appeal against the judgment has been filed before the Supreme Court.

However, the relevant journal entries relating to the Supreme Court appeal had not yet been submitted to the Magistrate’s Court.

Considering the circumstances, the Magistrate granted additional time for the required documents to be produced and ordered that the case be called again on October 12.

Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa, who is currently being held in remand custody, was produced before the Fort Magistrate’s Court today (29) in connection with ongoing judicial proceedings related to the controversial ‘Krrish’ transaction.

Rajapaksa has been identified as the fourth suspect in a case instituted by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court.

The case concerns the ‘Krrish’ transaction, with Rajapaksa appearing before court today as part of the proceedings connected to the case.

He was brought to the Fort Magistrate’s Court from remand custody for the hearing, according to an Ada Derana reporter present at the proceedings.

A 26-year-old man has been taken into custody after police allegedly found more than 31 grams of ‘Ice’ (crystal methamphetamine) in his possession during a raid in Grandpass.

The arrest was carried out near the Muwadhora Uyana housing complex by officers attached to the Colombo District Crime Division.

Police said the suspect, who is a resident of Colombo 14, was found carrying 31 grams and 350 milligrams of the suspected drug.

The Colombo District Crime Division has launched further investigations into the incident.

An audit examination has uncovered widespread theft of electrical infrastructure and other equipment along the Colombo-Katunayake Expressway, with 100 incidents recorded between 2021 and 2023.

The findings are contained in the 2024 audit report, which states that the stolen items included electrical cables, copper wires, streetlight poles and other equipment installed along the expressway.

Of the 100 reported incidents, the value of 11 thefts was estimated at approximately Rs. 580 million. The financial value of the remaining 89 incidents had not been established, according to the report.

The audit also identified weaknesses in the design and protection of the expressway's electrical cable system. Cables installed along the median had been partly covered using Hume pipes with a semi-circular diameter of around three feet, instead of being completely enclosed in concrete.

A field inspection found that the method of installation had left the cables vulnerable, allowing them to be relatively easily cut and removed.

According to the audit findings, theft incidents continued to increase after the first case was reported in 2021, with no adequate security mechanism introduced to prevent further incidents. The report also noted that responsible supervisory officers had failed to take the necessary measures.

The financial impact could be significantly higher when the cost of repairing damage across the entire expressway is considered. Based on a comparison with the estimate prepared for the first 10 kilometres, the audit estimated that repairs throughout the expressway could cost more than Rs. 1.77 billion.

The audit further highlighted shortcomings in efforts to identify those responsible for the thefts and resulting damage, noting that adequate action had not been taken in this regard.

The Colombo High Court has scheduled November 3, 2026, for a pre-trial conference in the money laundering case filed against Yoshitha Rajapaksa, the son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and his grandmother Daisy Forrest.

The case was taken up before the Colombo High Court today (September 28), with Yoshitha Rajapaksa appearing before the court.

Daisy Forrest, who is named as the second accused, did not attend the proceedings. President’s Counsel Anil Silva appeared on her behalf and submitted a medical report to the court.

Following consideration of the submissions made during the hearing, the judge directed that the case be called again on November 3 for the pre-trial conference.

The case was instituted by the Attorney General under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The allegations concern the deposit of nearly Rs. 57 million into three bank accounts, with the prosecution alleging that the money had been acquired through unlawful means.

The proceedings will continue with the pre-trial conference scheduled for November 3, 2026.