Oct 30 (NW) Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court yesterday heard extensive arguments regarding the health condition of former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and the ongoing investigation into the alleged misuse of over Rs. 16 million in public funds during a visit to UK. Deputy Solicitor General Dilip Peiris told court that six doctors had produced a medical report stating that Wickremesinghe suffered from a blocked artery and was treated more..

Oct 30 (FT) In May 2009, as the guns fell silent over Nandikadal, SL claimed victory not only on the battlefield but also in Geneva. When the UNHRC adopted Resolution S-11/1, Colombo hailed it as a diplomatic triumph — an endorsement of sovereignty, a recognition of humanitarian relief efforts, and a rejection of external interference. Yet 16 years later, the same Council continues to debate SL’s human-rights record, fund an evidence-preservation mechanism, and call for more..

Oct 30 (FT) Just like evergreen songs – Sinhala Buddhist nationalism and racism are live topics anytime in this land of compassion. These sentiments are characterised by blind impulsive reactions driven by emotions and prejudice, rather than by caution, rationality and objectivity. Additionally, serve as a convenient whip in the hands of politicians, racists and other several types of opportunists. Circumstances may be aggravated when the saffron clad elite who share more..

Oct 30 (EN) 25 SL export SMEs were given a training on branding, quality compliance and export documentation, in a session organized by the export development board, International Finance Corporation and European Union. The ExpoScaleUp Knowledge Sharing Session for Batch 2 SMEs was organized by the EDB with the IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the EU under its regional initiative Accelerating Climate Smart and Inclusive Infrastructure in South Asia (ACSIIS). more..

Oct 30 (NW) Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of SL (TRCSL) has introduced a 24-hour hotline in support of the government’s new initiative to eradicate the threat of narcotics, titled United as a Nation – National Drive (රටම එකට – ජාතික මෙහෙයුම). The TRCSL has introduced the hotline ’1818’ for this purpose, based on a request from the United as a Nation National Operations Committee. The hotline enables the public to report accurate information related to more..

Oct 30 (AD) The drug menace must be defeated to ensure social stability in the country and that the steps taken by himself and the govt in this regard will undoubtedly lead to victory, according to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Prez stated that narcotics have turned into a deep deceptive trade that has gripped the nation and that he is taking action to defeat it. Prez further noted that children, the general public and the entire more..

Oct 30 (AD) Seven suspects, including the gunman arrested in connection with the shooting and killing of Lasantha Wickramasekara, the Chairman of the Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha have been remanded until November 13. Of the nine suspects arrested in connection, seven of them were produced before the Matara Magistrate’s Court today (30). Accordingly, Chief Magistrate of Matara Chathura Dissanayake ordered that the seven suspects be held in remand custody until November 13. more..

Oct 30 (DM) Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanaga S. Bodaragama today commenced the examination of evidence in the case filed by the CID against former State Minister Diana Gamage, who is accused of submitting false information to the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration in order to obtain a passport and remaining in Sri Lanka without a valid visa. When the case was called, the charges were read out to the accused, Diana Gamage, who pleaded not guilty. more..

Oct 30 (ABC) A senior Buddhist monk has been found guilty of historical sex offences against six girls at a Melbourne temple. A County Court jury on Thursday ruled Naotunne Vijitha, the head monk at the Dhamma Sarana temple in Keysborough, committed the offences between 1994 and 2002. The 70-year-old monk was found guilty of eight charges of sexual penetration of a child under 16 and nine charges of committing more..

Oct 30 (SLN) Amidst unfavourable weather conditions, the multiday fishing trawler Keshan Putha I capsized approximately 354 nautical miles (about 655km) off the coast of Hambantota. Responding promptly, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Colombo coordinated the rescue of 04 fishermen from the distressed trawler. Acting on the directives, the Sri Lanka Navy promptly deployed SLNS Sindurala on 30 Oct 25 for the onward rescue mission. more..

Oct 30 (DM) The foundation stone for Sri Lanka’s first Human Repeat Insult Patch Test (HRIPT) laboratory, dedicated to cosmetic product testing, was laid today under the patronage of Minister Sunil Handunneththi. The project is a joint initiative between the Ministry of Industries and Enterprise Development, the Industrial Development Board (IDB), and the Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IBMBB) of the University of Colombo. more..

Oct 30 (DM) NPP MP Nilanthi Kottahachchi has clarified that she is not the person seen with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa in a photo circulating on social media. In a statement posted on her Facebook account, the MP also confirmed that she did not attend the wedding mentioned on the former President’s official Facebook page, and was not a guest at the ceremony. She warned that legal action will be taken if the photo is edited or misrepresented in any way. more..

Oct 30 (AM) National Audit Office has revealed that more than Rs. 1,277 million is owed to the govt by medical officers who have left the public service for various reasons, including foreign employment and postgraduate studies. According to the audit report, as of 31 Oct 2024, the total amount due from these medical officers — including unpaid bonds, fines, and loan advances — stands at Rs. 1,277 million. The findings were disclosed in a special audit report examining arrears owed by more..

Oct 30 (DM) Sri Lanka were carried out by hired gunmen, many of whom had no connection to the victims. According to investigators, these contract killers are often individuals addicted to drugs who agree to commit shootings for payment, primarily to fund their drug habits. Police sources said many killings are being commissioned for as little as Rs. 400,000-500,000, and in some instances, shooters were paid with narcotics instead of cash. more..

Oct 30 (DM) Fundamental Rights petition filed by Minister Sunil Handunnetti, while he was in the opposition, seeking an order to recover Rs. 15.9 billion from those responsible for the alleged sugar fraud that occurred during sugar imports in 2020, was today fixed for support by the Supreme Court. A 3-judge bench of the SC, comprising Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, Justice Kumudini Wickremasinghe and Justice Mahinda Samayawardhena, fixed the petition to be more..

Oct 30 (AD) GMOA has decided to launch an island-wide strike starting at 8 a.m. tomorrow. Speaking in this regard, the association’s media spokesperson, Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe, said that doctors at all govt hospitals will participate in this trade union action. Accordingly, he said that all daily medical treatment services will be disrupted tomorrow. However, he added that the association is ready to reconsider the strike if the health authorities provide a reasonable solution. more..

Oct 30 (DM) UGC’s failure to abide by the instructions given by PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, in her capacity as the Minister of Higher Education, on the process followed to establish the Faculty of Dental Sciences, Uni of Sri J'pura, has irked Govt Dental Surgeons’ Association. Govt Dental Surgeons’ Association (GDSA) claims that the Faculty of Dental Sciences, Uni of Sri J'pura, had been established without a feasibility study more..

Oct 30 (AD) All visa, passport and consular related services will be handled directly by the High Commission of India in Colombo, Assistant High Commission in Kandy and the Consulate General in Jaffna with effect from Nov 3, 2025. Indian High Commission stated that the existing service provider handling visa-related matters will operate only until Oct 31, 2025. Accordingly, all visa, passport and consular related services will be handled directly by the High Commission from next Monday. more..

Oct 30 (DM) Filing a Fundamental Rights petition before the Supreme Court, a group of environmental activists has sought an order calling for disciplinary and legal action against a 67-year-old engine driver who has allegedly been involved in seven separate elephant fatalities on the Batticaloa–Colombo railway line. Five environmental activists filed this application seeking urgent judicial intervention to address the growing number of wild elephant deaths caused by train collisions. more..

Oct 30 (AD) Steps are being taken to gradually reform the education system in a way that reduces unnecessary burdens on students while nurturing citizens capable of contributing to a better world, PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya has stated. The inaugural session of the Student Parliament of Mahamaya Girls’ College, Kandy, was held under the patronage of PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and Deputy Speaker Dr. Rizvie Salih, at the Old Parliament Chamber of the Presidential Secretariat. more..

Oct 30 (EN) Investors who want to build hotels in Sri Lanka are discouraged by high construction costs as well as energy prices, which is reducing yields, Board of Investment Chairman Arjuna Herath said. “One of the problems that the investors are facing at this moment on, on the hospitality side, is the yields,” Herath said. “The investments may not be very lucrative, given that the cost of construction is high. Energy cost is high and that is a limiting factor. “Despite that, there are fair amounts more..

Oct 30 (AN) As revealed in Parliament on 24 Oct, Sri Lanka's gem and jewellery industry is characterised by a black market of unaccounted exports and illegal trafficking worth over 300 billion rupees (more than one billion dollars). However, according to data from Sri Lanka's Central Bank (CBSL), declared exports of precious stones in 2024 would have been less than 2 million (115.895 billion rupees). more..

Oct 30 (CT) Galoya Plantations (Pvt) Ltd, known as the Hingurana Sugar Company, is facing a severe crisis with massive stockpiles of unsold brown sugar, as govt institutions have allegedly failed to purchase any of its output, a company representative has warned. H.A. Dharmasena, a provincial representative for the Save Galoya Plantations Organisation, stated that not a single grain of sugar” has been bought by any State-run entity. This has led to a critical situation where more..

Oct 30 (Island) North Western Provincial Council (NWPC) has failed to recover as much as Rs 85 mn in tax arrears due to ongoing supervisory issues, parliament said. This has transpired when NWPC officials appeared before Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) recently. COPA has emphasized that officials must take action without hesitation to recover monies due to the govt and assured that the Committee will extend all necessary support to ensure this. more..

Oct 30 (NW) 2024 Census of Population and Housing reports that SL’s population is 21.7 million, with 51.7% females and 48.3% males. The census conducted in 2024 was the 15th Census of Population and Housing in the national census series, and was carried out from 7th Oct 2024 to the second week of Feb 2025. In this census, the total population of was reported as 21,781,800, of which 51.7% were females, 48.3% were males. more..

Oct 30 (AD) Steps are being taken at present to regulate three-wheelers, school transport services and other taxi services, Chairman of the National Transport Commission (NTC), P.A. Chandrapala stated. He stated that the initiative will commence with a data collection phase in relation to these transportation services, starting from Nov 1. “This program was initiated by the NTC with the aim of regulating three-wheelers, schools and office transport services, taxis, tour services” more..

Oct 30 (DM) A female lawyer residing in Kadawatha was arrested yesterday by the CID for allegedly aiding and abetting those involved in the murder of Ganemulla Sanjeewa, who was shot dead in February 2025 at the Colombo Magistrate’s Court premises. Investigations have revealed that the firearm used in the murder had been handed over to the perpetrators by the suspect lawyer after keeping it inside a copy of the Code of Criminal Procedure book. It has further been uncovered that more..

Oct 31 (DM) Public transport is, in a way, a yardstick that measures the level of a country’s socio-economic development. In the developed world, people rely heavily on well-structured systems that include monorails, light rails, low-floor buses, high-capacity electric trains, and trams- all designed for efficient urban mass transportation. Unfortunately, Sri Lanka’s public transport sector today stands as one of the most visible symbols of the country’s decaying public systems. more..

Oct 31 (ST) The margosa tree conversations have become an integral part of this column. Adding some spice and flavour has been Aldoris, the choon-paan karaya, whose music-blaring tuk-tuk of breakfast food wakes up the neighbourhood, with the young man getting involved in a lively conversation with the trio. Very often a topic, subject or view by the trio forms the discussion of this column. That was the case on Thursday morning, when Aldoris came calling, stopping at the gate where the trio more..

Oct 31 (MB) In a landmark ruling hailed as a major victory for SL’s wildlife conservation, Colombo High Court in September convicted a person for the illegal possession of a wild-caught elephant and sentenced him to 15 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of 20.6 million rupees (nearly US$ 70,000). A 3-member bench after a trial at bar, a specialized court proceeding where a case is heard by three judges more..

Oct 31 (DM) National security in the twenty-first century can no longer be confined to the traditional domains of political sovereignty, territorial integrity, and regime stability. For nations like Sri Lanka, emerging from decades of internal conflict and adapting to global transformations, the concept of security must evolve into one that safeguards people, ecosystems, and institutions from multifaceted threats — both man-made and environmental. more..

Oct 31 (CT) Just over a year has passed since the establishment of the current Govt, and realistically speaking, the progression thus far is one that not just the Govt but the whole country could be reasonably content with. Although the bigger picture is satisfactory, zooming in on minor details could produce arguments both in support of and critical of the Govt’s performance, and this is exactly what the Opposition is doing. Focusing on trivial matters, or stubbornly dwelling on a minuscule mishap more..

Oct 31 (TM) For the first time in several years, life in Sri Lanka feels less unpredictable. The morning bus fare is the same as last week. The supermarket shelves are full, although not everything fits the budget. The rupee holds steady and salaries, though still stretched, seem to last a little longer. That quiet relief is what the Central Bank of SL (CBSL) describes in its Financial Stability Review (FSR) 2025. more..

Oct 31 (TM) Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development has reportedly called for bids to purchase 1,775 four-wheel-drive diesel-powered double cabs, a massive, multi-billion-rupee tender, with a mere 12 days given for submissions. Tender closes on 4 Nov and according to media reports, the vehicles are to assist in work progress of the Govt’s development programmes. At first glance, such a purchase might appear as a logistical necessity for development work, particularly more..

Oct 31 (Island) The govt yesterday launched a campaign, Nation United – National Drive, to rid the country of the drug menace. There is no doubt a pressing need to neutralise the netherworld of crime and drugs. This task is best carried out without big shows, which might give the wrong impression to the rest of the world that SL finds itself in the same predicament as countries like Colombia and is not safe for investors. Nevertheless, the public must fully cooperate with the law enforcement more..