News Room : VFS Visa Deal: Ilukpitiya Sentences to Two Years in Prison for Contempt
The Supreme Court today (23) sentenced former Controller General of Immigration and Emigration Harsha Ilukpitiya to two years of rigorous imprisonment over contempt of court charges. The case was filed against Ilukpitiya in connection with a controversial visa deal. On 1 July, he pleaded guilty to the charges before the Supreme Court. The matter was then fixed for 23 September...
News Room : Sandhu bags six to give Pakistan consolation win
Nashra Sandhu returned the second best figures for Pakistan in women’s ODIs, helping the hosts earn a consolation six-wicket win in the third ODI against South Africa in Lahore. The left-arm spinner ripped through the South Africa top-order, bagging 6 for 26 in nine overs to skittle them for just 115. In reply, Sidr Amin followed up her twin centuries...
News Room : Speaker endorses certificate on National Audit (Amendment) Bill – The Island
In a landmark step towards strengthening the resilience of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) against climate-induced disasters, Chrysalis, with the support of CARE Germany, officially launched Sri Lanka’s first Climate Resilience Revolving Fund for MSMEs in Colombo recently. The initiative, co-funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the European Union, and Co-Impact, and implemented...
News Room : NDB Bank partners with Ideal Motors to drive affordable leasing solutions – The Island
NDB Bank recently entered into a strategic partnership with Ideal Motors (Pvt) Ltd., the official distributor for Mahindra vehicles in Sri Lanka, through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding. This collaboration marks a significant step in providing affordable and accessible financing solutions for both individual customers and SMEs Through this partnership, customers will now have the opportunity to lease...
News Room : Money Laundering: Jacqueline Fernandez’s Plea Rejected
The Supreme Court of India on Monday (22) refused to interfere with a Delhi High Court order dismissing actor Jacqueline Fernandez’s plea to quash ECIR (equivalent to FIR) in a Rs 200 crore money laundering case involving alleged conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar. “We will not interfere at this stage,” a bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih told senior...
News Room : UPDATE: Third Lorry Seized With ‘Ice’ in Tangalle
Another lorry with a large consignment of suspected ‘ice’ drug and heroin has ben seized in Tangalle today (22), the Police said. According to the Police, around 634kg of ‘ICE’ and Heroin were found from the three lorries taken into custody today (22) from Tangalle.
News Room : Sri Lanka’s Overall Inflation Rises to 1.5% in August
Sri Lanka’s overall inflation, measured by the National Consumer Price Index (NCPI), rose to 1.5% in August 2025, up from 0.7% recorded in July, according to the latest data released by the Department of Census and Statistics. Food inflation climbed to 2.9% in August compared to 2.2% in July, while year-on-year inflation in the non-food category moved up to 0.4%...
News Room : Bodies of Three with ‘ICE’ Found in Tangalle House
Police have discovered two bodies inside a house under renovation in Seenimodara, Tangalle. During investigations, officers also found 10 packets of crystal meth (Ice) hidden in a lorry parked near the house. Another individual who was inside the house at the time was rushed to the Tangalle General Hospital due to sudden illness, where he later passed away. It is suspected that...
News Room : First treaty to protect marine life in high seas to take effect in January
The first-ever treaty to protect marine diversity in international waters will come into force early next year, after it was ratified by the 60th nation, Morocco. Morocco’s formal adoption of the Marine Biodiversity Treaty on Friday means the agreement will now enter into force on January 17, 2026, offering new protections to an area covering two-thirds of the world’s oceans...
News Room : Govt. yet to reveal its stance on Provincial Councils – CaFFE
Executive Director of the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) Manas Makeen has once again urged the government to reveal whether it will conduct the long overdue Provincial Council (PC) elections or abolish the PC system. Speaking to the media following a workshop titled ‘Janani’ at Matale recently to empower female local government councillors on skills relating to digital safety, Makeen said that CaFFE had...