News

A businessman has been taken into police custody on suspicion of selling imported cigarettes to school students in the Thanamalwila area.

It has been revealed that the businessman allegedly provided school students with cigarettes of various flavors for the purpose of resale.

One cigarette was reportedly given to a student at a price of Rs. 100, and the student is said to have sold it within the school premises for Rs. 200.

Following a report made by a student to the school principal, the student who was selling the cigarettes was questioned, during which two foreign-brand cigarettes were recovered from the student’s possession.

Subsequently, upon notification to the Thanamalwila Police Inspector, the business premises were searched, and the businessman handed over 690 cigarettes along with Rs. 360,000 obtained from the sale of the cigarettes to the police.

The suspect is scheduled to be produced before the Hambantota Magistrate’s Court.

The Kerawalapitiya Sobadhanavi LNG Power Plant has officially been connected to the national electricity grid.

This development took place under the leadership of Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and Minister of Power, Engineer Kumara Jayakody.

The Sobadhanavi power plant, located in Kerawalapitiya, has a total generation capacity of 350 megawatts, making it a significant addition to the country’s energy infrastructure.

The Ministry of Justice and National Integration and the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, with support from the European Union through UNICEF, yesterday launched a groundbreaking initiative to support children who have experienced violence.

The new model service will ensure fast, child-sensitive support to child victims of violence; from the point when the case is reported to police, helplines or others, until the child is linked with sustained care and protection mechanisms.

The model service, launched in Kandy, includes six flagship initiatives of local and national scale to introduce transformative changes in the child protection and justice system. These improvements include enhancing the 1929 Helpline, introducing integrated case management, enhancing support services for children, improving efficiency of justice processes, enhancing practices for taking evidence from children, and introducing child-friendly courts with child witness rooms. The operationalisation of the model service for child victims of violence is supported by the European Union under the Support to Justice Sector Project (JURE).

The launch is an important step towards realizing national and international policy commitments as enshrined in the National Policy Framework of Sri Lanka and as part of the commitments made by Sri Lanka’s at the 2024 Bogotá Conference on Ending Violence Against Children.

Such an approach to service delivery for child victims ensures that all institutions and professionals working with children reform their services to protect children’s rights, dignity and wellbeing and to ensure speedy and quality support. The model service for child victims of violence introduces a set of changes, including digital innovations, that are guided by international best practices and are responsive to the well-known issues of efficiency and quality of services for children in Sri Lanka.

One of the first digital innovations was introduced in the Kandy High Court. New child-friendly court facilities, refurbished in an age-appropriate way and equipped with modern audio-visual technology, enable children to testify from a separate room within the court premises, operationalizing the recent amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure (June 2025). This protects a child witness from direct confrontation with perpetrators, minimizing trauma.

Minister of Justice and National Integration, Harshana Nanayakkara speaking on this milestone moment said, “This is a turning point for Sri Lanka’s justice system. These services will ensure that children will have a voice in court without fear, protected by law, supported by technology, and treated with dignity. This is an important step towards specializing high courts for children”

“By launching this new continuum of services, we are marking the beginning of a new way of protecting child victims of violence in Sri Lanka. By taking a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach, we aim to ensure that children receive quality justice and at the same time are able to access protection and welfare services – all delivered in a child-sensitive manner,” said Hon. Minister of Women and Children’s Affairs, Saroja Paulraj, emphasizing the importance of putting children at the heart of reforms.

While acknowledging Sri Lanka’s progress, H.E. Carmen Moreno, EU Ambassador to Sri Lanka, highlights the role of the JURE project: “Violence against children remains a serious concern and demands immediate action. The European Union and UNICEF partnership, through the JURE project has been instrumental in translating the Government of Sri Lanka’s commitment to end violence against children into actions. Today sets in motion a model of child-friendly services that will assist and support children victims of violence and bring them justice”.

Reinforcing this collective achievement, UNICEF Representative in Sri Lanka, Emma Brigham said, “Today, Sri Lanka is turning its global commitments into a tangible change for children. A holistic, coordinated, and child-centered system - one that integrates both protection and justice, ensures that children are safeguarded and supported to restore their lives. We welcome this transformative approach and look forward to seeing the roll-out of such services across the country.”

(lankaleader.lk)

Two organized crime suspects, known as Backhoe Saman and Thambili Lahiru, who are currently in detention, were presented before the Walasmulla Magistrate’s Court today (17).

The suspects are being held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and are currently in the custody of the Western Province North Crimes Investigation Division.

According to police, the court appearance was related to a red notice issued for their arrest, with authorities required to present details regarding the warrant.

Both individuals were among a group of five organized crime suspects, including Kehelbaddara Padme, who were recently apprehended in Indonesia and brought back to Sri Lanka.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday (17) stated that Sri Lanka will not experience another crisis like the recent fuel and gas shortage, which forced citizens to queue for long hours and, in some instances, led to fatalities.

He made the remarks at the commencement of construction work on six new storage tanks at the Kolonnawa Petroleum Storage Complex, with capacities of 15,000, 7,000, and 5,000 cubic metres.

M/S Indo East Engineering and Ceylex Engineering JV have been granted a Rs. 3.7 billion contract to build the petroleum storages in Kolonnawa. The 24-month contract is expected to be completed by September 2027.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said his government is working to secure energy independence and strengthen the economy, and called on the public to support these efforts.

He warned that the government will take action if any trade union tries to disrupt its plans.

The president also noted the importance of using modern technology and assured that any effects on workers will be handled with care.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake urged everyone to support the country’s progressive changes rather than view them through a narrow political lens.

Referring to the electricity tariffs, the president said Sri Lanka had the highest rates in the region, which are now being rectified.

The president also announced that 24 petroleum storage tanks in Trincomalee will be renovated, and added that the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) earned Rs. 18.2 billion in profits during the first eight months of this year.

The planned 9-hour water cut in several areas of Colombo tomorrow (18th) has been cancelled.

The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) announced this in a statement.

Earlier, the board had said that water supply from the Ambatale Water Treatment Plant would be disrupted due to a power cut at the main pump station supplying the plant.

However, the latest announcement confirms that the water cut will no longer take place in the following areas:

Colombo 01 to 15

Battaramulla, Pelawatta, Hokandara, Koswatta, Talawatugoda, Kotte, Rajagiriya, Mirihana, Madivela, Nugegoda, Nawala, Kolonnawa, IDH, Kotikawatta, Angoda, Wellampitiya, Orugodawatta, Mulleriyawa, Maharagama, Boralesgamuwa, Dehiwala, Ratmalana, Moratuwa

For more information, contact the call center at 1939.

The Colombo Magistrate’s Court has ordered the release of Thusitha Halloluwa, who had been held in remand custody, on bail.

Accordingly, Colombo Additional Magistrate Lahiru Silva directed that the suspect be released on two surety bails of Rs. 5 million each.

Furthermore, the court imposed a travel ban on the suspect and ordered that his passport be surrendered to the court.

Thusitha Halloluwa, a former Director of the National Lotteries Board, had been taken into custody and remanded in connection with a shooting incident that occurred in the Narahenpita area involving the vehicle he was travelling in.

He was apprehended on August 19 by the Colombo Crimes Division during a raid carried out in the Kollupitiya area.

The next session of Parliament is scheduled to be held from September 23 to 26, 2025.

Accordingly, on Tuesday, September 23, from 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., the second reading debate of the National Building Research Institute Bill will take place.

Subsequently, from 5:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., the House is scheduled to consider the motion to adjourn brought forward by the Opposition.

    https://parliament.lk/en/news-en/view/4790?category=6

A dead body has been recovered from a canal in the Sandungama, Pragathi Mawatha area, within the Tissamaharama Police Division.

Investigations were launched yesterday (17) evening following information received by the Tissamaharama Police.

The deceased has been identified as a 45-year-old resident of the Tissamaharama area.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the incident occurred following a personal dispute between the deceased and one of his friends, during which the suspect allegedly struck him with a bottle and drowned him in the canal , resulting in his death.

A 24-year-old friend of the victim has been taken into custody in connection with the incident, while further investigations are being conducted by the Tissamaharama Police.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that the 2022–2023 economic crisis and the resulting social hardships were not random events, emphasizing that multiple major factors contributed to the situation.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony for the resumption of construction of the Kadawatha–Mirigama section of the Central Expressway Project today (17), the President assured the public that the country will be developed in a manner that prevents the recurrence of such a crisis in Sri Lanka.

President Dissanayake emphasized that economic stability cannot be achieved through construction alone, and it is being pursued through multiple avenues.

He further stated that he aims to end the economic crisis through the 2026 budget, despite the widespread collapse of the economy and hardships faced by the people.

“During my visit to China last January, I requested the Chinese President to assist in restarting projects initiated with Chinese loan assistance. He gave special attention and agreed to provide the necessary support for resuming these stalled projects. I am very grateful for that,” the President said.

He added, “We also requested a special concessional loan scheme for this expressway section. The Chinese side informed us that no special loan schemes in dollars are available, but payments can be made in Yuan. Accordingly, the Chinese EXIM Bank has expressed willingness to provide this loan at an interest rate of 2.5%–3.5%.”

The President also highlighted his commitment to the rule of law, stating, “We have created the concept of equality before the law and are determined to build a stable state where every citizen is subject to it.”

He condemned organized crime, noting, “Certain groups have created an underground state that mirrors the official state, with access to weapons, police protection, and illegal support from political authorities. This underground state is involved in major social crimes such as shootings and drug trafficking. We will put an end to this.”

Acknowledging the efforts of law enforcement, he said, “Organized crime has caused significant societal damage. The police have accepted the challenge to suppress these groups, and I thank them for their commitment.”

On governance, the President stressed the importance of integrity in public service: “A political authority has been established that does not misappropriate public funds. We have identified individuals within the state machinery addicted to outdated practices. They have an opportunity to adapt to the new politics; otherwise, they will be removed. Public servants must respect every rupee of public money as if it were a corporate asset.”

He announced that Rs. 110 billion has been allocated for public sector salary increases in 2026, with Rs. 330 billion planned for 2027, emphasizing that public servants must provide services commensurate with these allocations.

Further initiatives include the import of 2,000 vehicles for government institutions this year and the complete digitalization of public service operations by next year.

Highlighting economic progress, the President stated, “Significant growth has been achieved in every sector, and this year’s revenue targets will be met. We expect an economic growth rate close to 5% by the end of the year, with foreign reserves increasing to $7 billion. We have already attracted $1 billion in direct investment, and many more projects are scheduled for completion.”

He underscored the country’s progress, saying, “A collapsed state is being transformed into a stable economy. This year marks a significant turning point in Sri Lanka’s history in terms of economy, social life, politics, and the rule of law.”

President Dissanayake also highlighted the importance of citizen development alongside political progress: “We need developed politicians and responsible citizens—not citizens who worship authority but those who fulfill their responsibilities. A nation cannot progress with citizens who fear politicians; it progresses through informed, engaged, and empathetic citizens. Our education reforms are designed to cultivate such citizens.”

Finally, he stressed accountability in public projects, noting, “Failure to complete projects on time causes great economic losses. Officials are responsible for ensuring the Central Expressway is completed on schedule, and the government will provide all necessary support.”

(adaderana.lk)

The Department of Meteorology has announced that intermittent showers or thundershowers may occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Northern, and North-Western Provinces, as well as in the Galle and Matara Districts. It further stated that certain areas are likely to experience heavy rainfall of approximately 75 mm.

In other regions, showers or thundershowers may develop in scattered places, particularly after around 1.00 p.m.

The Department of Meteorology has also urged the public to take necessary precautions to minimize the risks posed by temporary strong winds and lightning that may accompany thundershowers.

Sri Lanka has officially ratified the United Nations agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) by depositing its instrument of ratification with the UN, becoming a State Party to the treaty.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this step is another important milestone in Sri Lanka’s long history of leadership in ocean governance. Sri Lanka has already made a major contribution in this field through its role in drafting the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and has been actively involved in the BBNJ negotiations from the very beginning.

As a developing country, Sri Lanka views this agreement as a way to ensure fair access to and protection of ocean resources for the benefit of all humanity. Ratifying the treaty will allow Sri Lanka to share in the benefits of resources found in areas beyond national borders, such as marine genetic resources (MGRs) and digital sequence information (DSI).

The agreement also emphasizes capacity building and technology transfer, which will help countries like Sri Lanka strengthen their ability to conserve and sustainably use marine biodiversity. In addition, it will give Sri Lanka the opportunity to work closely with other nations to protect ocean biodiversity, improve climate resilience, and support global Sustainable Development Goals.