Oct 1 (NW) SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa has called for an unbiased investigation into the death of the late ruggerite Wasim Thajudeen. MP Namal Rajapaksa urged the authorities to find information on all related details. Commenting on the identification of an individual by his widow in connection with the case, MP Rajapaksa said the authorities must ascertain where he was residing and with whom, and those he had associated with. “Without attempting to create a buzz in their more..

Oct 1 (DM) The father of an eight-year-old boy has lodged a complaint against the Colombo Swimming Club, alleging negligence after his son fell into the pool and suffered brain damage. The father, Prasad Panagoda, told the Daily Mirror that the club had failed to provide any details regarding the incident. “The doctors asked us for information such as how long it took to provide oxygen to my son and when the ambulance arrived. more..

Oct 1 (NW) A new 3-storey medical ward complex built at a cost of Rs. 1 billion was declared open at the Darga Town District Hospital under the patronage of Minister Nalinda Jayatissa. The project was implemented under Chinese govt assistance to upgrade 13 selected hospitals. The new facility consists of a 96-bed maternal and pediatric ward, a four-bed intensive care unit, general wards, and an outpatient department. Health Ministry has also allocated Rs. 50 million to provide essential more..

Oct 1 (CT) Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga Bodaragama, yesterday, ordered that two suspects, who functioned as directors of Singha Finance and Nation Lanka Finance, be further remanded until 14 October in connection with a massive financial fraud involving over Rs 9 billion collected from more than 1,000 depositors. FCID, submitting a further report, revealed that Rs 8 billion belonging to depositors of Nation Lanka Finance had been transferred to Singha Capital without the consent of more..

Oct 1 (TM) Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage said that he has temporarily suspended 10 sports federations as those helming those associations had been unable to govern their institutions, in keeping with the provisions of their respective constitutions. Minister stated that there has been a welter of allegations levelled at 10 sports federations prompting his immediate intervention. “There have been a litany of allegations more..

Oct 1 (EN) Sri Lanka gross forex earnings from exports, remittances and services totalled US$ 1,521 million in August 2025, central bank data show, exceeding imports by US$ 824 million. Export earnings were US$ 1,282 million, remittances (labour exports) were US$ 680.3 million and gross services income was US$ 557 million. Of that US$ 258 million were estimated to have come from tourism, and US$ 71.8 million from computer and IT services. Travel abroad was US$ 75.3 million. more..

Oct 1 (AD) Supreme Court has been informed that a gazette notification is expected to be issued by Nov 1, making it mandatory to charge a fee for plastic shopping bags, so they can no longer be given free of charge by traders. Announcement by Minister of Environment and other respondents during the hearing of a fundamental rights petition filed by Centre for Environmental Justice, which requested a court order to implement a program to reduce the use of polythene due to the environmental more..

Oct 1 (DM) Crimes like the murder of Wasim Thajudeen were not committed by Siripala or Gnanaratnam in the village, but by rulers who governed the country, Minister Bimal Ratnayake said today. He said that the law will be implemented against those invloved in the crimes acccording to the investigations, whether they are political activists or not. Responding to a question whether action will be taken against the politicians who are said have been involved in the murder of Thajudeen, more..

Oct 1 (AD) A revised indictment was served before the Colombo High Court today against former Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, his wife, and six other defendants. The charges were filed in relation to the misuse of over Rs. 6.1 million in govt funds from the state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, allegedly spent illegally under the pretext of providing flood relief in Dec 2014. The revised indictment, filed by the Attorney General, was formally submitted before Colombo HC more..

Oct 1 (EN) Revenue collected by SL Customs jumped around 37% in September compared to the monthly target. SL Customs has set a revenue target of 2,115 billion rupees for this year, 36.2% higher than last year’s 1,553 million rupees. The monthly target for September this year was 185 billion rupees, but the govt has achieved 253.2 billion rupees. The Customs has achieved 1,724 billion in revenue during first 9 months more..

Oct 1 (CT) A programme to pay tribute to Punchage Kalu Menika of Rambewa, who is celebrating her 113th birthday and has become the second oldest person in the country, was held recently. Punchage Kalu Menika, who lives in the Sangili Kanadarawa area, 106 Grama Niladhari Division, Rambewa DS Division, Anuradhapura, was honoured as the second oldest person in a programme paying tribute to the oldest mother and father in the country. This coincides with the International Day of more..

Oct 1 (AD) A stock of weapons including 74 T-56 magazines, 35 LMG drums, 5 MPMG drum boxes, and several unidentified magazines has been discovered in the Kataragama Weheragala Reservoir. Additionally, two boxes suspected to contain explosives and two sacks suspected to contain weapons were also reportedly found at the location. The discovery was made following an investigation based on intelligence received by the military. The cache of military equipment more..

Oct 1 (DM) Despite the lapse of nine months since the signing of the MoU, the govt is yet to finalise the proposed US $3.7 billion investment by China’s Sinopec for a refinery facility in Hambantota. Deal was inked during Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s visit to China earlier this year. However, the project’s implementation has stalled, with the company seeking amendments to the original tender terms, including more..

Oct 1 (WHO) SL is strengthening its influenza response by focusing on rapid testing, timely treatment, and maternal health integration. With WHO support, the country is developing the evidence base on the burden of influenza and the value of vaccination —advancing a holistic approach to protect vulnerable populations and improve pandemic preparedness. SL is taking a proactive approach to reduce hospitalizations and deaths from seasonal influenza by focusing on more..

Oct 1 (Island) PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in the inaugural meeting of the SAARC Heritage Forum 2025 for promoting Regional Art, Culture, Heritage Sites, Museums, and Archives organized by the Cultural Center (SCC) with the support of the Govt of SL on Tuesday (Sep 30) at the National Museum, Colombo. The forum which commenced on 30th of Sept will conclude on 2nd Oct. SAARC Heritage Forum 2025 aims to bring together experts, professionals, and scholars more..

Oct 1 (Island) The Collective of Organisations for the Protection of War Heroes and the SL Unitary State yesterday handed over a letter to the Switzerland Embassy in Colombo seeking an explanation as to why the LTTE rump and Tamil Diaspora are continuously allowed to promote and encourage separatism by organising LTTE activities in Geneva. The group lodged a strong protest against the public display of LTTE insignia and effigies of its leaders in Geneva, in proximity to the UN premises, more..

Oct 1 (NW) The son of Anura Vidanagamage, alias Middeniya Kajja, has denied reports claiming that his father was the individual identified in a vehicle that pursued rugby player Wasim Thajudeen before he died in 2012. Police told the media yesterday that Middeniya Kajja was recognized by his widow in connection with the case. However, addressing the media, the underworld figure’s son revealed that during initial interrogations by the CID, his mother had denied that more..

Oct 1 (DM) Since 1991, Int'l Day of Older People has been observed on Oct 1 each year, worldwide. 2025 UN International Day of Older Persons is observed under the theme Older Persons Driving Local and Global Action: Our Aspirations, Our Well-Being and Our Rights. Therefore, the retirement age is an ideal topic to discuss in this context. By the introduction of the Minimum Retirement Age of Workers Act No. 28 of 2021, more..

Oct 1 (AD) A teacher at a prominent school in Monaragala has been injured and hospitalised following an assault by a student. The incident occurred this morning (October 1), and it has been reported that the injured teacher is currently receiving inpatient treatment at the Monaragala District General Hospital. According to reports, the Grade 11 student allegedly assaulted the teacher after being questioned about bringing a mobile phone to school. more..

Oct 1 (TM) Sri Lanka will soon develop a national quality infrastructure system that meets high int'l recognition standards, according to Minister of Science and Technology Dr. Chrishantha Abeysena. He made this announcement while attending the inaugural session of a two-day workshop on Regulatory Impact Assessment and the Strengthening and Development of National Quality Infrastructure Systems, organised by Ministry of Science & Technology in collaboration more..

Oct 1 (MB) In 2012, SL’s National Red List delivered a grim verdict on endemic Pini- Beraliya, the towering dipterocarp Doona ovalifolia (syn. Shorea ovalifolia) tree by categorizing it as extinct in the wild. For decades, the species was known mainly from a single cultivated specimen in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Peradeniya in central SL. That solitary tree, rising above the landscaped grounds, became a living relic of more..

Oct 1 (Island) Attempts are being made in some quarters to revive racism, and everything possible must be done to defeat them, Minister Ramalingam Chandrasegar has said. Chandrasegar was speaking yesterday morning at a ceremony to mark the reopening of Jaffna Special Economic Centre, in Mattuvil. Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe, Northern Province Governor N. Vethanayahan, and Members of Parliament K. Ilangkumar, S. Sri Bavanandarajah, and J. Rajeevan also attended the event. more..

Oct 1 (NW) The Australian Dept of Home Affairs has announced the revised Evidence Level update for countries and Education Providers concerning the Simplified Student Visa Framework (SSVF). Accordingly, the September 2025 Evidence Level update is based on Student visa outcome data from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025. Australian Dept of Home Affairs announced that the revised Evidence Level update has taken place, effective for applications lodged on or after 30 Sept 2025. more..

Oct 2 (TM) There may be light at the end of the tunnel for those who have been calling for regulation into single-use plastics in Sri Lanka, with the Supreme Court being informed of a gazette notification expected next month, making it mandatory to charge a fee for plastic shopping bags, so they can no longer be given free of charge by traders. While this move will not be the end of Sri Lanka’s single-use plastics crisis, it certainly is a step in the right direction. more..

Oct 2 (CT) When SL passed the Right to Information Act, No. 12 of 2016, it was hailed as a historic victory for citizens. For decades, journalists, activists and citizens had pressed for a legal tool that would allow them to hold power to account. Act was not merely another piece of legislation, but it rather symbolised a profound shift where the people, not the State, become the ultimate custodians of information, and that public institutions exist to serve, not to conceal. Nine years on, however, more..

Oct 2 (CT) A notebook and a cell phone is all that remained in a blood-stained car on Attidiya Road, Ratmalana on 8 Jan 2009. The critically injured person driving the vehicle was a high-profile SL journalist, politician, broadcaster, and human rights activist, Lasantha Manilal Wickrematunge. The late Editor-in-Chief of the Sunday Leader newspaper was attacked in broad daylight by assassins on motorcycles who forced Wickrematunge’s more..

Oct 2 (DM) One year since the election of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the NPP is still on a political honeymoon. The disunited opposition offers little challenge, and whenever Sajith Premadasa opens his mouth, Sri Lankans are reminded of why the NPP is in power. It is probably still premature to assess the foreign policy acumen or lack thereof of the NPP govt. However, if you look back over the past 15 years or so, each of its predecessors had done much to damage, rather than manage, more..

Oct 2 (DM) Recent revelations regarding the murder of former Havelocks Sports Club rugby captain Wasim Thajudeen are both shocking and disturbing. With missing information and various attempts to hide evidence, people were forced to believe that it was a mere accident caused as a result of drunk driving, until former Prez Maithripala Sirisena assumed power by reminding voters that he would do justice to the murders of Sunday Leader Editor-in-Chief Lasantha Wickrematunga, more..

Oct 2 (TM) SL’s long-delayed e-passport programme, a project intended to modernise the country’s travel documentation and strengthen border security, has once again been pushed back, with authorities now setting their sights on early 2026 for the official rollout. However, they are doing it without a targeted timeline. Dept of Immigration & Emigration says the delay stems primarily from procurement complexities & legal challenges, more..

Oct 2 (DM) Unwanted strife over Katchatheevu has come back to the forefront after many years. I will begin my brief outline of the history of Katchatheevu in the Palk Strait and the present-day situation. This strait connects the Bay of Bengal between the northern coast of SL and the southeastern coast of India. The Palk Strait was referred to by the Tamils as the Pakku Neeranai. The Palk Strait is named after Robert Palk, the Governor of the Madras Presidency (1755–1763) more..

Oct 2 (ST) Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the buzzword nowadays. So it was not surprising that at a recently-held conference in Colombo with mostly foreign participants from India and Indonesia, dealing with the challenges of AI on the green economy, food and cybersecurity, the word ‘AI’ was used once in every five words. Is this tool – which does many things that a mind does – a benefit, an asset or a danger to mankind? Here are two sides of the same coin that is AI. more..

Oct 2 (Island) The Galle Dialogue, initiated in 2010, the year after SL brought what many pundits called an unwinnable war to a successful end, is the Navy’s annual flagship event, albeit entirely on land. The event, held over two days, is meant to underscore the importance of the role played by then Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda’s Navy in eradicating a formidable and growing challenge that may have posed a threat to maritime security. This year’s conference was held on 24-25 Sept more..

Oct 2 (Island) Simmering discontent in universities erupted in a token strike on Tuesday. The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) staged protests in state universities across the country to pressure the government to redress their grievances and solve a host of longstanding problems plaguing the higher education sector. They have warned that they will be compelled to ratchet up their trade union action unless the govt agrees to grant their demands. more..

Oct 2 (ST) Recent drug busts and arrests have uncovered not only the dealers but also unearthed details on underworld operations, links with security forces figures and police leading to the detection of large caches of weapons. The recent arrest of organised crime suspect Mandinu Padmasiri, also known as Kehelbaddara Padme, in Indonesia is yielding significant results for investigators. more..

Oct 2 (ST) Asia Cup didn’t reveal anything new. One day, SL are thrilling. The next, they are fragile. Against India in the last game, with no pressure and nothing at stake, they played with freedom, only to fall short again. The batting is brittle, the middle order unreliable, selections unsettled. It has been the same story over the years. The real question is not how they lost in Dubai, but how they plan to stop repeating the same mistakes at next year’s T20 World Cup. more..

Oct 2 (ST) The Nations Trust Bank (NTB) on Wednesday acquired the retail banking business of HSBC Sri Lanka, the biggest-ever merger and acquisition in the local financial sector, in a deal worth Rs. 18 billion but HSBC branches will continue as usual under the transaction is completed in the next six months. “The status quo will remain at all seven branches of HSBC but when the transaction is completed, an HSBC branch on a Friday will be rebranded as a NTB branch on Monday. more..