Oct 6 (Island) The air is crisp and thin atop Horton Plains, the morning mist curling like breath over the rolling patanas. Then, as the rising sun pierces the haze, the landscape begins to shimmer—waves of mauve and violet unfurl across the slopes, as though the earth itself has exhaled after a dozen years of silence. Bees hum in the stillness. A sambar deer lifts its head, framed by the purple blaze. After 12 long years, the Nilu has returned. This is 2025, and SL’s highlands are once again transformed more..

Oct 6 (DM) Shifana* from Puttalam and Kavya* from Batticaloa have spent years navigating SL’s family law system, facing domestic violence, slow courts, and unequal legal protections. Their struggles highlight the urgent need for reform and underscore the call for the Women’s Declaration on Family Law & Practice in SL—push for a justice system that protects women and children, listens to survivors and delivers timely fair outcomes. more..

Oct 6 (DN) The October full moon, Vap Poya, holds extraordinary significance. This day marks the end of the rainy retreat when monks have spent months in meditation and study. Throughout history, this full moon has witnessed remarkable events. Ancient kings offered robes to monks and then began the planting season, linking spiritual practice to community sustenance. The Buddha visited the heavenly realms to teach his deceased mother, helping her achieve awakening. more..

Oct 6 (DN) Two Kenyan athletes Elias Nyaga Muthoni and Caroline Cherono won men’s and women’s full marathon at the 19th LSR Colombo Marathon yesterday. The event was organised by Lanka Sportrizen after lapse of six years. Last time this event was held in 2018 and this time it was more successful with more than 1200 athletes from 135 countries taking part including 1011 atheletes from SL. Elias Muthoni finished the men’s marathon in a time of 2 hours 25.35 seconds while more..

Oct 6 (DN) SL para athlete Pradeep Somasiri shattered Asian Record to claim SL’s second medal at the World Para Athletics Championship in New Delhi. Pradeep secured the bronze medal in the Men’s 1500m (T46) event with a time of 3:53.77 which was a great performance by the Lankan who created new Asian Record. The gold medal was won by Independent para athlete Aleksander Laremchuk with a time of 3.53.26 while Antoine Proud of France took silver in 3.53.62 minutes. more..

Oct 6 (Island) Nations Trust Bank (NTB) has successfully facilitated a landmark foreign investment in SL’s apparel industry, reinforcing its position as a trusted financial partner for complex cross-border transactions and structured finance solutions. The transaction, valued at LKR 2.7Bn, saw Q Collection, a Singapore-headquartered apparel firm with operational roots in Bangladesh, acquire two subsidiaries of a local apparel group. This strategic move not only injects new capital more..

Oct 6 (ST) SL’s recent decision to lift the 4-year ban on vehicle imports has ignited a surge in demand, swelling govt coffers while simultaneously heightening pressure on the country’s fragile foreign exchange reserves. Vehicle imports reached US$ 918 million during the first eight months of 2025, accounting for nearly 7% of total merchandise imports, which stood at $ 13.34 billion. LCs opened for vehicles have exceeded $ 1.2 bil by more..

Oct 6 (DN) Raigam Group Chairman Dr. Ravi Liyanage said that several new salt manufacturing sites should be established to meet the local salt requirement and to achieve self-sufficiency in salt. He stated that both the private sector and the public sector can intervene to build these new salterns with novel technology. He made these remarks while addressing the media regarding the recent scarcity of salt, at the Banking Institute of Central Bank of SL (CBSL), Rajagiriya. more..

Oct 6 (ST) Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody has sought permission from the CIABOC to make a representation regarding the allegations against him over the misappropriation of funds while he was serving at the Fertiliser Corporation in 2015, a senior official said. The request had been made through a President’s Counsel. However, Commission has informed Mr Jayakody that if required, he could make his representations in writing. The process of filing action against the minister will likely be more..

Oct 6 (Island) NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa reiterated that Sanath Weerasinghe, aka Puwakkdandawe Sana, who had been arrested recently in connection with the ongoing investigations into the narcotics network, is affiliated with the NPP, an accusation strongly denied by the govt. The former Minister emphasised that regardless of denials, he stood by his original claim that Sanath had been so close to the ruling more..

Oct 6 (PTI) A 22-year-old merchant navy cadet from India has gone missing off the coast of Sri Lanka while serving aboard an oil tanker, his family confirmed on Saturday. Karandeep Singh Rana disappeared on September 20 during the vessel’s voyage from Iraq to China, with a planned stop near Sri Lanka, according to his father, Narendra Singh Rana. Karandeep had left Dehradun on August 18 and travelled to Singapore, where he boarded the tanker bound for Iraq. more..

Oct 6 (EN) Sri Lanka has earned 26 billion rupees from an embarkation levy on those travelling abroad up to June 2025, up from 19 billion rupees last year, as local and foreign int'l travel increased. Sri Lankans travelling abroad has increased as incomes recovered gradually from the collapse of the rupee from rate cuts and inflationary open market operations by macroeconomists to boost potential output. The currency collapse delayed a recovery from a Coronavirus pandemic. more..

Oct 6 (TM) A total of 731 individuals have been selected for appointment to the post of Postal Assistant Grade III under the Primary Non-Skilled Service Category of the Department of Posts. The permanent appointment letters for the selected group are scheduled to be issued today (6) at the Temple Trees premises under the patronage of Minister Nalinda Jayatissa. Dept of Posts has not made any permanent recruitment for Postal Assistants since 2021, resulting in 1,982 more..

Oct 6 (EN) SL’s state-run CEB, had tendered for 100MW/100MWh battery energy systems (BESS), to upgrade its grid to accommodate more intermittent renewables. The BESS facilities will be paid for by an Asian Development Bank credit. ADB had previously given a 150 million dollar credit to augment the grid to accommodate more renewable power. The battery systems will be set up at the Kolonnawa grid substation. The CEB floated tenders of 100MW/100MW with grid augmentation. more..

Oct 6 (DM) Sri Lanka could see the launch of a scheduled domestic airline service using 50-70-seater aircraft within the next six months, a move that could solve a long-standing barrier to tourism growth, according to aviation veteran and former SriLankan Airlines CEO Peter Hill. Hill made these remarks during a panel discussion at International Tourism Leaders Summit 2025, held on Thursday, at the BMICH. more..

Oct 6 (CT) A recent report by the National Audit Office (NAO) has revealed that salaries, overtime, leave payments, and allowances amounting to Rs 3,395,867,121 were paid in 2024 to 2,335 officers of Sri Lanka Customs without the use of fingerprint machines to verify attendance. According to the audit, all public sector employees are required to record their arrival and departure using fingerprint scanners. However, Customs officials had received salary and overtime payments more..

Oct 6 (CT) Former Minister Wimal Weerawansa has been summoned to appear at the Tangalle Police today over remarks he made regarding Puwakdandawa Sanaa, also known as Beliatta Sanaa, who was recently arrested on drug-related charges. The summons was issued following statements Weerawansa made during a press conference held last Thursday. During the briefing, Weerawansa alleged that Puwakdandawa Sanaa was a member of the JVP and more..

Oct 6 (AD) At least three individuals have died and three others have sustained injuries following a collision involving a lorry and a bus near Narammala town on the Narammala-Kurunegala main road, police stated. According to police, the accident occurred earlier this morning (05). The driver of the lorry, who was travelling from Kurunegala towards Narammala, had lost control of the vehicle causing it to veer off the right side of the road, colliding with a SLTB bus travelling from more..

Oct 6 (DN) The SL Navy entered into an agreement with a local representative of two foreign Private Maritime Security Companies (PMSCs), at the Navy Headquarters in Colombo on Oct 3. The agreement enables the storage and transportation of firearms, ammunition and related equipment under Navy supervision and protection, with logistical support provided by the respective local representatives. Recognising the imperative of safeguarding national interests, the President, more..

Oct 6 (ST) Between January and June 2025, CBSL Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has sent four requests for intelligence to the UAE, three to Singapore, and two each to India, US, Hong Kong, UK and Thailand. The FIU has also sent one request each to France, Belgium, Finland, Canada, Spain, Indonesia, and Madagascar. Similarly, the FIU has received two requests for intelligence from Bangladesh and one each from NZ, India, more..

Oct 6 (DM) Chairman of the CoPF Harsha De Silva raised concerns on the new contract for the construction of the Central Expressway, claiming that negotiations with neither the contractor (MCC) on their claims nor with China EXIM Bank on terms and conditions on the reduced USD 500 million facility have been completed. He said the CoPF reviewed the Rs. 226 billion Central Expressway project driven by delays and mounting interests. He said that "Even though Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake more..

Oct 6 (DM) Large-scale rice supplier Dudley Sirisena said he is not responsible for the current shortage of Keeri Samba rice in the market. Addressing the media, Sirisena said that the price of Nadu rice has fallen from Rs. 270 per kilo to Rs. 170 per kilo. However, Keeri Samba rice is not available at Rs. 260 per kilo, indicating that the shortage stems from production rather than distribution. "Farmers have cultivated more Nadu rice and less Keeri Samba. Due to the shortage, they are unwilling to more..

Oct 6 (NW) The national ceremony to mark World Habitat Day was held today (05) at the Temple Tress under the patronage of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Coinciding with the United Nations’ World Habitat Day, the national commemoration was held under the theme A Place to Belong – A Beautiful Life. In line with this, the period from 1st to 5th October was declared Habitat Week, during which a series of related programmes more..

Oct 7 (DM) Post Master General (PMG) Ruwan Sathkumara said on Friday that postal workers have fraudulently obtained overtime payments worth millions of rupees and that he is deeply embarrassed by the fraudulent and inefficient actions of some postal service officials. Participating in a ceremony held at the Haputale Post Office to coincide with Postal Day, he said not adhering to new regulations to mark attendance through fingerprint machines has aggravated the issue. more..

Oct 7 (DM) Stampedes, in which scores of men, women and children are killed and many more grievously injured, are all too frequent in India. There were eight major stampedes so far this year. The massive stampede in Tamil actor and fledgling politico Vijay’s rally at Karur on Sept 27, in which 41 were killed, was the latest. These tragic events are generally attributed to India’s massive population and the tendency among its people to extravagantly demonstrate their religious devotion or more..

Oct 7 (TM) Colombo Int'l Book Fair (CIBF) is currently taking place at the BMICH premises, with a spotlight on 18% VAT applied to books. With the participation of over 180 publishers and sellers spread across 13 halls, at each entrance is a desk collecting signatures of the public. This is the SL Book Publishers’ Association (SLBPA) campaign to sign a public petition demanding the exemption of books from the 18% VAT. more..

Oct 7 (TM) Not a week passes in SL without news of multiple drowning deaths reported. Yesterday, three holidaymakers were swept away due to strong currents while bathing in seas near the Blue Beach Island in Dikwella, and one of them drowned. According to authorities, drowning is considered the 2nd-highest cause of accidental deaths in SL. In 2021, drowning was attributed as the second leading cause of death in SL in terms of accidental deaths, said an official of the Health Ministry. more..

Oct 7 (DM) Sri Lanka’s Parliament has taken a historic step. The Penal Code Amendment of July 2025 bans all forms of corporal punishment of children — not only physical violence but also psychological humiliation, however slight. For the first time, a teacher scolding a student, a prefect striking a classmate, or a principal shaming a child in public can lead to fines and/or imprisonment. This is a landmark for child protection. No child should suffer cruelty in the name of discipline. more..

Oct 7 (CT) There has been an ongoing discussion about the new draft Penal Code (Amd) Act and its provisions to protect children from corporal punishment and establish the age of consent. The mendment is a much-needed development in SL, as the existing Penal Code was enacted in 1883, with minor amendments made later. As mentioned, the new Act aims to establish & strengthen laws to protect children. more..

Oct 7 (ST) Who the hell does he think he is, whoever it might be? Asking our first Marxist-Leninist president, who struggled to achieve some national status and now presumably international too, how much he, his chums and his hand-picked intellectuals spent on kottu roti at some place near to his childhood home is nobody’s business. It is a disgraceful bag of information that has been sought, as though every citizen of this lovely country has the right to belittle our national leader, more..

Oct 7 (Island) Budget 2026 is around the corner, and speculation is rife in political circles that the Provincial Council elections will be held early next year. Chances are that the government will present an election-oriented budget and play Santa to garner favour with the electorate in a bid to recover lost ground. At the time of writing, it was reported that an alliance of Opposition parties had won the Udunuwara Cooperative Society election, securing all slots on the board of directors, more..

Oct 7 (Island) Ranil’s strength, according to the Constitution, came from his supremacy in Parliament. With great managerial skill he managed to keep at all times a sizable majority in place. UNF never lost a vote in Parliament during those two years (Ranil was PM). The UNF itself was a coalition bringing together five parties which contested the election together. It must have brought much credit to his political acumen and management skills that in spite of severe stresses and strains, more..

Oct 7 (FT) With the abolition of the Simplified VAT (SVAT) scheme expected to tighten liquidity and trigger short-term cash pressures for exporters and project suppliers, KPMG SL is urging firms to begin compliance preparations immediately. Firm advises businesses to verify their eligibility under the new Risk-Based VAT Refund Scheme, which took effect on 1 Oct, and ensure operational readiness in the Revenue Admin Management Information System (RAMIS) for electronic refund processing. more..

Oct 7 (FT) Economists at the ADB have welcomed Sri Lanka’s strong and resilient recovery so far this year amidst persistent global uncertainty. They said that domestic demand supported growth, thus far completing eight quarters of upturn in the economy. It was pointed out that the economic recovery is projected to continue on a strong footing, but growth is expected to slow next year due to global headwinds. more..

Oct 7 (CT) A recent report by National Audit Office (NAO) has exposed yet another uncomfortable truth about the public sector’s casual relationship with accountability. Salaries, overtime, leave payments and allowances amounting to more than Rs 3.3 billion were paid in 2024 to over 2,000 officers of SL Customs without the use of fingerprint machines to verify attendance. According to the audit, every public sector employee is required to record their arrival & departure using biometric systems. more..

Oct 7 (DN) SL shuttler Dumindu Abeywickrama continued his form when he clinched men’s single gold medal in the Guatemala International Challenge 2025 badminton tournament concluded at Parque Erick Barrondo, Guatemala yesterday. This is Dumindu’s back to back fourth medal of the Latin America circuit tour and he started with a bronze medal at Guatemala Future Series followed by two silver medals at Costa Rica Int'l & Colombia Int'l tournaments prior to this tournament. more..