Oct 13 (DM) A Fundamental Rights petition has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the proposed heavy mineral sand extraction project on Mannar Island. The petition, filed by the Centre for Environmental Justice and Rev. Fr. Santhiyogu Marcus along with three others, seeks an order suspending the operation of the Terms of Reference (TOR) and the license issued for mining activities in the Mannar area. When the matter was taken up before a two-judge bench comprising more..

Oct 13 (AD) The Police Headquarters Inspector (HQI) of Mount Lavinia, H.T.M. Thushara, has been transferred with immediate effect. Accordingly, he has been transferred to the Medical Services Division for general duties. The transfer has been made in connection with a special investigation into the arrest of the police officer following the incident that occurred between the officer and a lawyer near the Mount Lavinia Court premises recently, police said. more..

Oct 13 (TM) High-level discussions regarding a proposed oil pipeline between SL and India have lost momentum, with no substantive talks held since the Indian PM’s recent visit and no draft agreement prepared yet, CPC Managing Director Mayura Neththikumarage revealed. He said that while diplomatic negotiations for the pipeline had lost momentum, physical development of the project’s core infrastructure, historic Trinco more..

Oct 13 (EN) SL’s Laugfs Gas said it was halting operations of a unit in Dubai pending a compliance review, and it did not knowingly trade in sanctioned products, after it was listed by the US for trading in Iran petrochemicals. US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control, designated Slogal Energy DMCC, for allegedly buying and selling Iranian origin gas to SL and Bangladesh. “SLOGAL Energy DMCC has never knowingly engaged in, or facilitated, any trade involving sanctioned entities or more..

Oct 13 (DN) Former President Maithripala Sirisena arrived at the CIABOC this morning (13) to provide a statement regarding a fraud case linked to an institution affiliated with the SLFP around 15 years ago. He recorded his statement for approximately five hours and left the Commission at around 2 p.m. The SLFP headquarters had previously been asked to provide information about the alleged fraud, which led the Commission to summon Sirisena for further clarification. more..

Oct 13 (TM) National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) has come under scrutiny after a recent audit revealed major delays and deficiencies in its handling of child abuse complaints across SL. The audit report states that the NCPA received 123,732 complaints regarding child abuse from 2011 to the date of the report, of which 52,922 complaints, or 43%, remain under investigation. The auditors noted that the authority had failed more..

Oct 13 (TM) With the onset of the Maha season, health authorities have launched a critical public awareness campaign against the potentially fatal bacterial infection leptospirosis. Commonly known as rat fever, SL has recorded over 8,000 cases of leptospirosis so far this year. The country typically records over 10,000 cases annually, resulting in an estimated 100-200 deaths. Ministry of Health Epidemiology Unit Consultant Community Physician Dr. Thushani Dabrera confirmed more..

Oct 13 (Island) The official Gazette notification announcing the revised ministerial and deputy ministerial portfolios, following the NPP gov’s first Cabinet reshuffle, has been issued. On 10 Oct, the govt announced the new portfolios of three Cabinet Ministers and 10 Deputy Ministers subsequent to the reshuffle. The newly appointed Ministers and Deputy Ministers were sworn in before the President at the Presidential Secretariat on the same day. The Gazette confirms that the reshuffle was more..

Oct 13 (AD) A Development Officer attached to the Niyagama DS has been arrested today by the CIABOC, on suspicion of aiding and abetting the acceptance of a bribe. The arrest was made following a complaint submitted to CIABOC, which alleged that the officer had assisted in soliciting a bribe linked to a housing grant. According to the complaint, the complainant had received the first installment of a Rs. 1,000,000 housing assistance grant approved by the NHDA. more..

Oct 13 (DM) England Women’s Cricket Team joined over 40 girls representing 12 districts for a training session at the Singhalese Sports Club ground, according to a statement from the British High Commission. The outreach programme organised by the British High Commission and Child Action Lanka showcased the transformative power of sport to empower girls and strengthen communities whilst highlighting the enduring ties between the UK and SL, the High Commission said. more..

Oct 13 (ST) With the technical evaluation of the two bids received for the expansion of BIA still incomplete, Airport and Aviation Authority Limited (AASL) is to set up additional check-in counters under a marquee to deal with an anticipated seasonal rush of visitors. The marquee will be provided by the SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), AASL Chairman Harsha Abeywickrema said. A garden area in more..

Oct 13 (FT) Medical and Civil Rights Doctors’ Trade Union Alliance Chairman Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa yesterday said that while the Health Ministry and the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) continue to assure that the ongoing medicine shortage will be fully resolved by early 2026, hospitals across the country are now facing an oversupply of nearly 100 drug varieties alongside acute shortages of essential medicines and surgical items. He said the simultaneous surplus and more..

Oct 13 (AD) Sri Lanka remains committed to working closely with the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) to harness the potential of science, technology and innovation for regional prosperity and resilience, Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath has stated. He made this remark during a meeting with the Secretary General of BIMSTEC, Indra Mani Pandey held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs premises. more..

Oct 13 (EN) Reserve Bank of India has allowed Indian banks to given loans to customers in SL. Bhutan and Nepal denominated in Indian rupees. Branches of Indian banks in SL would also be allowed to give Indian rupee loans to banks in the island or to individuals. “This development will make credit more accessible for businesses in SL,” Indian embassy in Colombo said. “The provision allowing such loans to be denominated in Indian more..

Oct 13 (NW) PM Harini Amarasuriya says Sri Lanka reaffirms its commitment to advancing the rights and well-being of women and girls, and to translating principles into practical action for equality and dignity. “Nearly thirty years after the 1995 World Conference on Women in Beijing and the Beijing Platform for Action, we still draw on that comprehensive framework for gender equality. We have made real progress: female literacy has risen, maternal mortality has nearly halved, and more..

Oct 13 (NW) Several govt online services hosted on the Lanka Government Cloud (LGC) have been temporarily disrupted due to a technical issue, the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) said Monday. The affected systems include the Birth, Marriage and Death (BMD) Certificate System of the Registrar General’s Dept, the e-Revenue License System (eRL 2.0) of the Provincial Departments of Motor Traffic (except the Western Province), the Police Clearance System, more..

Oct 14 (CT) Democracy stands on three central pillars – the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary – but supporting these pillars are the media and free press, informing the public and holding those in office accountable to their constituents. History has proven that the state of the media is indicative of the quality of health in a nation’s democracy, its weakening often being the first sign of future instability and a weakening of democratic values. more..

Oct 14 (TM) US President Donald Trump arrived in Israel yesterday to an enthusiastic welcome. The former reality TV icon-turned Politician seemed to enjoy his victory lap, after ‘mediating’ another conflict to a ceasefire. Whatever the rest of the world thinks about the road to the events of yesterday in Israel, and the human suffering which is to reach thus far, many Israelis welcomed the arrival of Trump with flag waving and banners. Trump in his own way, flawed as it may have been had, more..

Oct 14 (TM) In a significant push to modernise public sector workforce management and enhance transparency, the Govt has rolled out biometric fingerprint attendance systems across numerous State institutions since August. This initiative, aimed at curbing absenteeism, facilitating accurate attendance monitoring, and embedding greater workforce discipline, has ignited intense opposition from various trade unions more..

Oct 14 (GV) The need to tackle current and past abuses against Sri Lankans was highlighted in a UNHRC resolution adopted on Oct 6, 2025. In promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka, although noting some promising govt measures and commitments, the HRC agreed to continue to fund the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to keep gathering evidence and promoting action to tackle rights violations. It was asked to present more..

Oct 14 (DM) In our history we have innumerable instances of politicians making pre-election promises which they have never kept after coming into power. Perhaps they never intended to keep those promises or were forced into the realisation that implementation of the same would be detrimental to the good of the country. In the run-up to the 1956 general election, Bandaranaike, the leader of SLFP, promised to make Sinhala the national language of SL within 24 hours of coming into power. more..

Oct 14 (SO) For decades, SL’s promise of justice has lived in the shadow of impunity. From the murders of journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge and cartoonist Prageeth Eknaligoda to the suspicious death of rugby player Wasim Thajudeen; from the unresolved accountability over the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings to the communal violence of Aluthgama (2014) and Digana (2018), the pattern has remained chillingly consistent: more..

Oct 14 (ST) A year into Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s term, opposition parties sought to highlight matters in his manifesto that had not yet been fulfilled, with the govt countering that it has had to prioritise matters due to the country’s situation. In moving the adjournment motion titled Matters highlighted in the Govt Policy Statement which have not yet been fulfilled on Thursday, the opposition tried to contrast what the ruling NPP stated on the campaign trail with what it is saying now. more..

Oct 14 (SO) Aprimary and highly formidable challenge the NPP Govt confronted upon assuming power was putting the country on the right path by freeing it from economic hardships, rampant corruption, and the evil deeds of certain elements who were thriving under the country’s lawlessness. As a first step, in addition to launching a campaign to eradicate these widespread evils, NPP Govt has initiated several schemes that provide new opportunities & incentives for people to start more..

Oct 14 (Island) It has been reported that SLMC MP Nizam Kariapper is likely to find himself in hot water over his social media post that Secretary to the Public Security Ministry and former Senior DIG of CID Ravi Seneviratne revealed before the High Posts Committee that the mastermind behind the Easter Sunday terror attacks had been identified. Seneviratne promptly denied Kariapper’s claim, and the police went into overdrive to ensure that his denial received maximum possible publicity. more..

Oct 14 (Island) In contrast to intolerance in governance and towards others who are deemed to be outsiders that is increasingly being manifested in the world, Sri Lanka is taking a different path. It is adopting an inclusive approach to all communities that is in the national interest and is winning international support. The country’s recent conduct at the UNHRC is a case in point. Rather than forcing a vote that would have been divisive and that would have pitted SL against Western countries more..

Oct 14 (FT) Germany’s multinational financial services giant Deutsche Bank last week said with macroeconomic indicators improving SL is at a turning point and it will step up being a conduit for global capital, enabling trade and investment. “Following the debt restructuring and the implementation of key reforms, there is a renewed sense of stability. Macroeconomic indicators have improved and the country is at a turning point. more..

Oct 14 (FT) Bairaha Farms, one of SL’s poultry producers, celebrates 50 years of excellence and leadership in reshaping the nation’s nutritional landscape. When Bairaha commenced operations in 1975, chicken was considered a luxury on the SL dining table. Five decades on, Bairaha has been instrumental in making chicken the country’s most accessible and affordable source of protein—a transformation that reflects both the company’s enduring commitment to quality and more..

Oct 14 (FT) Demonstrating commitment to a legacy of implementing productivity concepts in operational processes, Vidullanka PLC shined in the small category at the Taiki Akimoto 5S Awards, sweeping the main prizes as well as a merit for CSR. The event, organised by the Japan Sri Lanka Technical and Cultural Association (JASTECA), was held on 11 October at the Galadari Hotel, recognising organisations that exemplify Japanese productivity and the 5S methodology. more..

Oct 14 (FT) Moody’s Ratings said SL’s macroeconomic recovery remains broadly on track, supported by fiscal reforms, a rebound in tourism and stronger remittance inflows, but cautioned that high debt levels, limited fiscal space and continued dependence on external financing still pose significant risks. In its latest periodic review released on last Friday, Moody’s reaffirmed SL’s Caa1 sovereign rating with a stable outlook, noting that while Govt liquidity pressures have eased more..

Oct 14 (ST) Sri Lanka will solely focus on their successful attacking style and objectives when they take on Turkmenistan in the return game of the AFC Asian Games Qualifiers on Tuesday (14), in Ashgabat, as the home team seeks revenge after Thursday’s outcome at the Racecourse in Colombo. Having played seven international games so far in 2025, SL rose from their previous position of 204 in the FIFA Men’s Rankings to reach 196, but a shocking 0-3 defeat against the Maldives, more..

Oct 14 (TM) Sri Lanka’s banking and finance companies may face challenges in attracting funding through deposits to sustain credit expansion in the low-interest-rate regime going forward, as private credit expansion remains below the pre-crisis level. In its Financial Stability Review for 2025, CB stated that the performance of both banks and financial companies is expected to improve with the anticipated increase in more..

Oct 14 (DN) Tharushi Abhisheka and Omel Shashintha once again came to the highlight yesterday at the All Island Schools Athletic C'ship at Diyagama when they set up new records and also ensured the places at World Junior Athletic Championship next year in USA. Tharushi of Wickramabahu National School Gampola continued her record breaking streak in middle distance running this time set up girls’ under 18, 800m record with an impressive time of 2.07:90 min more..

Oct 14 (Island) Ayesha Sewwandi from Namadagaswewa MV, Hambantota made her presence felt to a great extent at the on going All Island Schools Games Athletics Championships at Diyagama with performances that resonated her cry for help from this year’s Asian Youth Athletics Championship. Ayesha met disapointment in Dammam, Saudi Arabia early this year, when she could not compete at the Asian Youth C'ships despite being a clear medal prospect. more..

Oct 14 (ST) Ministry of Finance has published detailed statistics about high-value procurements of over Rs. 200mn for 2022-24, showing that the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) recorded the highest failure rate and the highest percentage of cancelled procurements across the monitored entities during the period. The statistics were released on the website of the Ministry’s Public Finance Dept in keeping with more..