The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) has launched all client payments through the GovPay digital system, effective from yesterday, the Environment Ministry announced.

With this move, CEA clients will be able to make payments more efficiently and transparently via the online platform.

The initiative is part of the Government’s digital state policy, which seeks to expand the use of information technology across state institutions. Introduced earlier this year, the GovPay system now includes 138 government entities, with the CEA becoming the latest addition.

Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India, Mahishini Colonne, said on Friday that bilateral ties have reached a point of “unprecedented excellence” following recent high-level visits between the two countries.

Speaking to PTI Videos in New Delhi, Colonne highlighted that the relationship has grown stronger since President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s visit to India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka a few months later.

“At this point, Sri Lanka has stabilised its economy and is well on the path of recovery and transformation. Opportunities to explore partnerships are at an optimal level,” she noted.

The envoy emphasized the unique historic ties binding the two neighbours, citing shared culture, geography, and trade links spanning millennia. “We see India not just as our closest neighbour, but also our most natural business partner,” Colonne said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a defiant address to the U.N. General Assembly on Friday, vowing that Israel “must finish the job” against Hamas in Gaza, even as his government faces unprecedented international isolation and mounting war crimes accusations.

Dozens of delegates walked out of the hall before his speech, while others shouted protests. The U.S. delegationremained in place, though it was represented only by lower-level diplomats rather than senior officials or the ambassador.

Wearing a special pin symbolizing the October 7 hostage crisis, Netanyahu held up a large map titled “THE CURSE” and praised former U.S. President Donald Trump, calling him his chief ally. He also announced an “unprecedented operation” in which the Israeli army would broadcast his speech directly onto the mobile phones of Gaza residents, as well as via loudspeakers placed on the Israeli border.

Netanyahu’s remarks came as Australia, Canada, France, the U.K. and other nations formally recognized a Palestinian state, while the EU considers sanctions and tariffs against Israel. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant against Netanyahu on charges of crimes against humanity, while the International Court of Justice is weighing South Africa’s allegation of genocide in Gaza—both of which Israel rejects.

The conflict, triggered by Hamas’ October 2023 attack that killed about 1,200 Israelis and saw 251 taken hostage, has since killed over 65,000 Palestinians and displaced 90% of Gaza’s population, according to U.N. figures.

On Thursday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the Assembly via video, urging stronger international action to deliver Palestinian statehood. “The time has come for the international community to do right by the Palestinian people,” Abbas said.

Netanyahu, however, dismissed a two-state solution, calling it a reward for Hamas. “This will not happen,” he declared before leaving Israel for New York.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) informed the Colombo Magistrate’s Court that indictments will be filed before the High Court against former Fisheries Minister Rajitha Senaratne and two others over alleged irregularities in awarding a sand mining project at the Kirinda Fishery Harbour.

The case was taken up yesterday (26) before Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanka S. Bodaragama, court reporters said.

According to CIABOC officials, investigations revealed that the government suffered a loss of over Rs. 26 million after the project was awarded to a Korean company in violation of legal procedures.

Along with Senaratne, former Ceylon Fishery Harbour Corporation Chairman Upali Liyanage has also been named as a defendant. Both suspects have already been released on bail.

The case will be taken up again on January 30, 2026.

The Meteorology Department states that showers will occur at times in Western, Sabaragamuwa, North-western, and Southern provinces, and in Kandy and Nuwara Eliya districts.

Fairly heavy rainfall of above 50 mm is likely at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa, and North-western provinces, and in Galle, Matara, Kandy, and Nuwara Eliya districts.

Light showers may occur in the North-central Province, and in Matale, Mannar, and Jaffna districts, the Department said.

Strong winds of about 40–50 kmph can be expected at times over the western slopes of the central hills, and in Central, Northern, North-central, and North-western provinces, as well as in Trincomalee and Hambantota districts.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by strong winds.

As part of its expansion strategy, Dinemore recently acquired International Restaurant Services (Pvt) Ltd., which previously held an international franchise for a global brand. This acquisition secures 12 prime restaurant locations across Sri Lanka, strengthening Dinemore’s presence in high-visibility hubs and enhancing its ability to serve millions of Sri Lankans with the same trusted quality it has upheld for nearly 30 years.

Mr. M.S.M. Rishard, Founder of Dinemore, commenting on the launch, said:

“We are proud to unveil DinemoreGo, which marks an exciting new phase of our journey. These new outlets will deliver our fresh and exquisite dining experience with greater convenience, while carrying forward Dinemore’s heritage of quality and service.”

With this milestone, Dinemore reinforces its position as one of Sri Lanka’s leading QSR brands. By evolving to meet modern lifestyles, the company continues to shape the island’s dining landscape while staying true to its legacy of innovation and customer trust.

Sri Lanka finds itself confronting a silent crisis in its microfinance sector, an industry once heralded as a vehicle for inclusion is now accused of functioning as an informal loan shark network. In response, the government has moved to regulate what many civil society observers call a predatory, largely unregulated system that disproportionately targets the poorest.

On 11 August, the Cabinet formally approved the draft Micro Finance and Credit Regulation Authority Bill, forwarding it for publication in the Government Gazette before parliamentary debate.

The shift reflects mounting evidence that the existing Micro Finance Act No. 6 of 2016 is insufficient to curb abusive practices. The new legislation aims to create a standalone authority empowered to supervise microfinance and credit operations a move long demanded by activists and victim groups.

In recent years, microfinance in Sri Lanka has ballooned outside formal channels. A UNDP-commissioned brief estimates that around 15,000 microfinance institutions operate unlawfully nationwide, well beyond the regulatory reach of current law.

Only a small fraction of providers are licensed: as of May 2025, the Central Bank lists entities such as Berendina Micro Investments, Lak Jaya Micro Finance, Dumbara Micro Credit and Sejaya Micro Credit among the few authorized ones.

Despite the proliferation of lenders, official research and media investigations point to widespread abuse. According to The Morning, “hundreds of thousands” of Sri Lankans — particularly women in rural communities — are caught in spirals of debt, sometimes pushed toward desperation, eviction and even thoughts of suicide.

GroundViews reports similar patterns across impoverished districts including Polonnaruwa, Batticaloa and Nuwara Eliya, where microfinance borrowers regularly lose assets and dignity under aggressive recovery tactics.

Women’s advocacy groups have sounded alarms over the government’s regulatory proposal. Some argue that it privileges for-profit microfinance companies while imposing stricter controls on community-based and female-oriented self-help groups. Critics say these protections, which once shielded grassroots lenders, are now being dismantled despite their relatively benign role.

When grassroots borrowers fall behind, reports indicate that some lenders resort to psychological intimidation, forced repayments, and public shaming practices that can amount to human rights violations.

Proponents of regulation argue that a strong supervisory authority is essential. Without oversight, microfinance companies can levy exorbitant interest rates, hidden fees, and unsecured debt traps without recourse for victims.

The draft bill’s structure reflects lessons drawn from prior legal challenges: seven petitions were filed in the Supreme Court to block earlier drafts, prompting revision and influence from the parliamentary Sector Supervision Committee.

Yet passage and enforcement remain uncertain. The bill’s provisions on licensing, audit power, consumer protection, interest caps, transparency, and dispute resolution will determine whether it merely formalizes exploiters or protects vulnerable borrowers. Civil society insists that the regulatory body must include meaningful representation of borrowers and NGOs, not be dominated by industry interests.

Sri Lanka’s poor are already burdened by inflation, rising food costs and limited state safety nets. A microfinance regime unchecked has magnified their plight. If regulation is weak or captured, the reform could amount to a façade. Conversely, a well-crafted law, backed by vigilance and civil society participation, might begin to heal one of the country’s most persistent economic injustices. Only then could microfinance return to being a tool of support, not oppression