- President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has instructed the Treasury to provide a fertilizer subsidy of Rs. 25,000 per hectare to paddy farmers for the Maha season of 2024/25. According to this initiative, the fertilizer subsidy, which was previously set at Rs. 15,000 per hectare, will be increased to Rs. 25,000. This enhanced subsidy will take effect starting October 01.
- Minister of Public Security Vijitha Herath said that the government has taken steps in the past 24 hours to address the visa issuance issues that have arisen. Accordingly, effective midnight 26, people will once again be able to obtain visas using the previous system
- President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has directed relevant officials to allocate the luxury vehicles used by previous governments exclusively for essential services, according to the President’s Private Secretary, Ananda Wijepala. Wijepala expressed regret over the misuse of public funds and emphasized that a full review will be conducted, with the public being informed of future actions.
- The Attorney General has informed the Supreme Court that a series of guidelines have been prepared to eliminate incidents of ragging in state universities. A fundamental rights petition filed by a student affected by a ragging incident at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura in 2020 was taken up before a three-member Supreme Court bench consisting of Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, and Justices Shiran Gunaratne and Priyantha Fernando.
- U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued a statement regarding Sri Lanka’s 2024 presidential election, praising the peaceful exercise of democratic rights by millions of Sri Lankans. Senator Cardin stated millions of Sri Lankans peacefully exercised their democratic right in this weekend’s presidential election, demonstrating a deep and meaningful commitment to shaping their country’s path forward.
- Saliya Wickramasuriya has resigned from his position as the Chairman of Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and the Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Ltd. (CPSTL). He has tendered his resignation to the Secretary to the Ministry of Power and Energy.
- Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya has called for an immediate and fair resolution to the issues surrounding the recent scholarship exam paper leak, ensuring that no harm is done to the children affected. She strongly urged schools to immediately stop the practice of inviting politicians to school events, as it distracts from the educational focus and can politicize the school environment.
- Officials from the Ministry of Power and Energy have informed President Anura Kumara Dissanayake that the country currently has sufficient fuel reserves to meet consumption needs, the President’s Media Division (PMD) reported.
- Examination Commissioner General Amith Jayasundara has announced that the results of the 2023 GCE Ordinary Level Examination will be released before Monday. He stated that preparations for the release of the results are currently underway.
- In a remarkable achievement, Kamindu Mendis has become the first-ever player to slam fifty-plus scores in eight consecutive Test matches. The stylish southpaw attained the phenomenal batting feat during Sri Lanka’s ongoing Test match against New Zealand at Galle International Stadium.
