Oct 22 (FT) Cargo volumes at Hambantota International Port (HIP) have surged by 151% year-on-year, with throughput reaching 6,028,493 metric tons by September 2025 compared to 2,397,971 metric tons in the same period last year. This was achieved despite operational challenges triggered by lifting the ban on local vehicle imports. With the lifting of import restrictions, we experienced elevated congestion and clearance delays—straining yard space, equipment, and workflow. more..

Oct 22 (DN) Prof. Priyanga Dunusinghe of the Dept of Economics at the Uni of Colombo stated that the changes currently being implemented at the CEB are a very timely and necessary reform for long-term economic development. Although the changes being made at the Electricity Board may be unpopular and boring in the short term, he said that such decisions should be taken with the expectation of future economic development. He further explained that such decisions should be taken more..

Oct 23 (TM) SL’s foreign direct investment inflows, including foreign commercial loans for investments to BOI-approved enterprises, have reached $ 827 million, between Jan to Sept this year, up by 138% compared to the corresponding period in the previous year. Accordingly, this Investment inflow came from four channels: equity capital, raking in $ 133 mil, reinvested retained earnings bringing in $ 132 mil, more..

Oct 23 (DN) All-rounder Lahiru Madushanka will lead the Sri Lankan team for Hong Kong sixes cricket tournament which will be worked off from November 7 to 9 at the Tin Keong Road Recreation Ground Hong Kong. Sri Lanka named seven member team for this Hong Kong sixes while six of the players are members of the last time champion Sri Lanka team. In 2024 Sri Lanka emerged champions of the Hong Kong sixes tournament and the team was led by Bloomfield cricketer Lahiru Madushanka. more..

Oct 22 (AD) Colombo Magistrate’s Court ordered the immediate arrest of large-scale drug traffickers Sehan Sathsara alias Dehi Bale Malli and his brother Thushan Nethsara alias Kalu Malli, who are said to be hiding overseas and operating drug rackets in the country. The magistrate ordered police to arrest and produce the suspects before the court. In addition, Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanka S. Bodaragama also ordered the imposition of travel bans on these suspects. more..

Oct 22 (DM) “As I sat here listening to these public questions, it occurred to me — are these questions being directed to Prez Sajith Premadasa?” Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa asked, highlighting what he described as the growing public frustration with the govt. Addressing a gathering, he said that even though there is a govt and a president in office, people continue to bring their grievances to the Opposition Leader, reflecting their loss of confidence in those holding power. more..

Oct 22 (TM) The UNP has decided to create a new senior position within the party with immediate effect. Accordingly, former Minister Harin Fernando has been appointed as the Deputy Secretary General of Political Mobilisation. His responsibilities in this new role include uniting all political parties in the country and engaging them in a common programme, UNP said in a statement. Additionally, Fernando will also be in charge of coordinating the numerous meetings organised by the UNP. more..

Oct 22 (DM) Deadly cough syrups recently linked to child deaths in India have set off alarm bells across the region, with SL authorities on alert to keep unsafe medicines out of local markets. Despite authorities keeping a close watch, there have been instances of substandard or poorly manufactured drugs entering the local market from India under emergency purchases, particularly during the tenure of former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella. more..

Oct 22 (DM) Vehicle Importers Association of Lanka (VIAL) has urged the govt to extend the current three-month vehicle registration period for regular importers to six months, while reducing the registration window for personal imports to one month. VIAL Prez said the association has formally requested the authorities to consider the passport delivery date on the customs clearance document, instead of the customs submission date, when calculating the registration period. more..

Oct 22 (DM) Ishara Sewwandi, arrested for her role in the murder of underworld figure Ganemulla Sanjeewa, told investigators that she assisted in the killing in the hope of being sent to a European country, police sources said. Sewwandi also told the police that she did not receive any payment from Kehelbaddara Padme for providing the revolver. She allegedly hid the firearm inside a law book before secretly handing it over to the gunman who carried out the attack. more..

Oct 22 (TT) Bangkok police officers successfully tracked down and returned the crown to Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2025, who is set to attend the final of the competition in Thailand in November. The manager of Miss Universe Sri Lanka, Eksith Seneviratne, filed a complaint with Pathumwan Police Station on Sunday (19), after the beauty queen, Lihasha Lindsay-White, lost her crown and green evening dress. more..

Oct 22 (FT) Kautilya, chief advisor to Chandragupta Maurya in the 3rd century BC, wrote in his treatise The Arthashastra that taxes should be collected just as a bee collects honey from a flower without disturbing its petals. Many centuries later, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, the First Minister of State under King Louis XIV of France in the 17th century, famously observed that the art of taxation consists in plucking the goose so as to obtain the maximum number of feathers with least amount of more..

Oct 22 (FT) After the historic downturn in SL’s economy, multiple stakeholders have emphasised the urgent need for reforms across various sectors. Some reforms have already been implemented successfully, while others remain in the design or early implementation stages. Among these, economic reforms often receive greater attention because their financial outcomes are more visible and measurable. However, administrative reforms are equally critical, even though their benefits more..

Oct 22 (DM) The Supreme Court today ordered three police officers attached to the Alawwa Police Station to pay Rs. 75,000 in compensation to a media professional who was subjected to torture and degrading treatment in 2021. The three officers were ordered to pay the said amount from their personal funds. Meanwhile, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, Priyantha Fernando and Sampath Abayakoon, ordered the AG to more..

Oct 22 (NW) The Colombo High Court today (22) scheduled the trial of a case filed by the Bribery Commission against former Minister Wimal Weerawansa, who is accused of unlawfully acquiring assets and funds amounting to approximately Rs. 75 million while serving as a govt minister. The case was called before Colombo High Court Judge Mohamed Mihal, who set December 18 and January 20 as the dates for the trial. During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General AZad Navavi, more..

Oct 22 (AD) The Chairman of the Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha, Lasantha Wickramasekara, also known as Midigama Lasa, who was critically injured in a shooting incident this morning, has succumbed to his injuries while being admitted to the hospital. The shooting had occurred while he was seated in his office at the Pradeshiya Sabha, when two unidentified gunmen who arrived on a motorcycle opened fire at him. more..

Oct 22 (EN) Sri Lanka is bringing a competitive and rules based, tax framework for investors after discussing with the IMF, for projects over US$ 50 million, BOI Chairman Arjuna Herath said. SL suspended tax holidays running up to 20 years or more given under Strategic Development Project Act, amid concerns over arbitrary negotiated taxes as part of an IMF program. “In that context, we have worked actively with IMF to get the STP project concessions in place,” Herath said. more..

Oct 22 (DM) An audit report has called for an urgent overhaul of SL’s private healthcare system recommending a fair and affordable charge structure and the grading of all private medical institutions across the country. According to the report, a formal methodology should be developed to set, monitor, and evaluate standards for all registered private hospitals and clinics. It has also stressed the need to ensure minimum qualifications for staff recruitment, maintain proper training standards, more..

Oct 22 (DM) A special surgery, the endoscopic Eustachian tube surgery, was performed for the first time in SL yesterday at Negombo General Hospital by a medical team led by ENT Surgeon Vidya Nidhi Dr. Rizny Sakkaff. Dr. Sakkaff explained that problems in the middle ear, often caused by blockages in the Eustachian tube, can lead to fluid accumulation and pressure differences. Traditionally in SL, such cases are treated by making more..

Oct 22 (FT) Feminist Collective for Economic Justice (FCEJ), expressing its deep concerns over the economic degeneration and rising household indebtedness in Sri Lanka, has accused the Govt of failing to enact effective regulation against predatory lending practices and moving forward with a new Microfinance Bill without adequate public consultation. The FCEJ, a network of economists, academics, activists, university students and lawyers, issuing a statement on 17 Oct more..

Oct 22 (NW) SL player Malki Madara has been reprimanded for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup league match against Bangladesh on Monday. Madara was found to have breached Article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an Int'l Match. more..

Oct 22 (Island) Health authorities have warned of an increased risk of dengue outbreaks across Sri Lanka as persistent rains continue to create ideal conditions for mosquito breeding. According to the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU), 40,633 dengue cases, and 22 related deaths, have been reported from January to 20 October this year. The highest numbers have been recorded in Colombo, Gampaha, Kandy, and Ratnapura Districts— the latter reporting the most fatalities. more..

Oct 22 (TM) Members of Parliament and staff attended today’s session dressed in pink to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month, globally recognized each October. PM Harini Amarasuriya and Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne were symbolically presented with awareness badges and wristbands at the event organized by the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus. All MPs were given the opportunity to wear the symbolic items, while Parliament has also scheduled a special more..

Oct 22 (NW) SLC wishes to announce that the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2025 will not be held this year as originally planned. The decision was taken after careful consideration of the broader requirement of preparing well in advance for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by SL and India during Feb–Mar 2026. As per the guidelines of the ICC, all host venues for the upcoming 20-team event must be in more..

Oct 22 (NW) A tense situation arose in Parliament when the death of SJB member and Chairman of the Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha, Lasantha Wickramasekara, was raised in Parliament today. Addressing the house, Opposition MP Sajith Premadasa informed the Parliament that the Chairman of the Weligama PS had been shot while engaging in the local council’s public day event. “He was shot while carrying out his official duties while inside local council. He is seriously injured. more..

Oct 22 (DM) Indian Diaspora and SL friends came together from October 17–20 to celebrate the Festival of Lights with vibrant events across the city. Highlights included Diwali Balls at Water’s Edge and Taj Samudra, featuring Bollywood music, dance, Indian cuisine, fireworks, and performances by local artists. Dignitaries, diplomats, and business leaders joined the festivities, while High Commissioner Santosh Jha and Madam Tanuja Jha hosted a warm celebration at the Indian High Commission. more..

Oct 22 (TM) A surge of cargo has congested Colombo Port and spurred some container lines to skip the transshipment gateway, S&P Global said. It said that on Friday morning, the port had about 15 container ships waiting at anchor for berths, but the queue had fallen to 10 by Monday. Eight ships were being worked at the marine terminals. “Terminal operations have been adversely affected due to high yard congestion, more..

Oct 22 (FT) The final session of the 11th Annual Daily FT–CICRA Cyber Security Summit 2025 concluded on a forward-looking note, exploring the intersection of AI governance, open innovation, and cybersecurity resilience. Delivering the keynote under the session theme of AI Governance Models and Frameworks: What is Best for Asia?, Meta Director of Public Policy for South and Central Asia Sarim Aziz, urged govts, regulators, and enterprises across the region to embrace more..

Oct 22 (NW) A delegation from S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, led by Acting Warden Asanka Perera, met with renowned philanthropist and Old Trinitian Eng. Nahil Wijesuriya to convey the College community’s deep appreciation for his extraordinary contribution of Rs. 600 million towards the Fourth Phase of the Senior Quadrangular Project. The delegation included Imran Hassan, Honorary Secretary of S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia Old Boys’ Association, Raajiv Wanigasekera, more..

Oct 22 (DM) The govt has approved a proposal to conduct a feasibility study and prepare a detailed plan to extend the Kelani Valley (Kalaniweli) railway line from Awissawella to Ratnapura, in a move aimed at improving public transport and strengthening railway connectivity. A sum of Rs. 250 million has been allocated under the 2025 Budget to commence initial work on the project, which seeks to enhance the efficiency of rail services and ease congestion in the public transport network. more..

Oct 22 (DM) Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has instructed all magistrates to take immediate steps to remove drug samples weighing less than one kilogramme that have been stored at the Govt Analyst’s Department since 1981. The directive was issued by JSC Secretary Prasanna Alvis, after consideration of the Ministry’s request dated July 7, 2025. In a letter addressed to the Judicial Service Commission, Ministry of Justice and National Integration Secretary more..

Oct 22 (AD) Cabinet of Ministers has approved holding the Sri Lankan Day from Dec 12 to 14, 2025 at the Colombo Town Hall grounds, Vihara Maha Devi Park, and adjoining roads. Event will feature cultural shows, food fairs, and exhibitions representing all religions and ethnicities to promote national reconciliation and understanding among communities, minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. He said that it has been proposed in more..

Oct 22 (Island) Sixteen previously non-operational tea factories have been revived across the country this year, Plantation and Community Infrastructure Minister Samantha Vidyarathna told Parliament yesterday. Responding to a question raised by Badulla District NDF MP Chamara Sampath Dasanayake, Minister said six factories had closed this year, but 16 that had been idle were brought back into production. “I’m happy to announce that when six closed, sixteen reopened,” more..

Oct 22 (AD) The Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval to the proposal to provide vouchers to purchase a pair of shoes to selected schoolchildren, Piriven students and Seela Mathas for the year 2026. The proposal has been presented under the welfare programme of the Ministry of Education. Accordingly, the vouchers will be prepared by the Ministry of Education to be securely printed with a QR code number that can be scanned through a mobile phone software. more..

Oct 22 (MB) In SL waters, there’s a growing problem of ghost nets that are entangling sea turtles, fish, dolphins and seabirds. Ghost nets are fishing gear that have either been abandoned, lost or discarded into the sea. As these drift with the ocean currents, they continue to trap marine animals — or ghost fish. “These lost fishing gear kill scores of marine species and remains a specific problem for marine turtles,” said Thushan Kapurusinghe, more..