Oct 18 (SO) Senior Counsel Dr. Ravindranath Dabare, a prominent public interest litigator, has filed a Fundamental Rights petition before the Supreme Court against IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya and several others, citing police failure to investigate and act on a recent threat against him and his family. The respondents named in the petition include the IGP, OIC of Maradana Police Station, Secretaries to ministries of defence more..

Oct 18 (DM) Unlike leaders of other political parties in the country, the NPP leaders have been lodging complaints with the CID on defamation against them, especially in social media, for over a year. They began to do so even before the last Prez election as the mudslinging against the party was being intensified by the other major parties, particularly when the possibility of their party’s victory was becoming more and more evident. Minister Sunil Handunnetti, had on Aug 30 last year made more..

Oct 18 (DM) Recent revelation that the construction of the Port Access Elevated Highway (PAEH) -- much needed 5.3 km road connection built on posts expected to connect the Harbour to New Kelani Bridge, entrance and thence to the country’s expressway -- might get delayed for another two years is a clear reflection on Sri Lanka’s snail-speed development. The access road initially started with the aim of getting container loads from the port in 5 minutes avoiding Colombo’s busy traffic, more..

Oct 18 (DM) October 1990 was the month in which the Tamil-speaking Muslims of the Northern province were forcibly expelled en masse by the LTTE, 35 years ago. This two-part article revisits the horrible happenings of Black October 1990 on this thirty-fifth anniversary year. The first part of this article, published last week, focused on the mass expulsion of Muslims from the northern districts in the mainland like more..

Oct 18 (ST) Why is SL still dragging its feet on implementing FTAs with Thailand and Singapore?” Curious about the delay, I assumed there must be solid reasons behind it—so I did some digging. What I found was amazing. One response stood out: “If we implement the FTA with Thailand, motor cars manufactured there will enter SL duty-free.” “Wow… That sounds great! Sri Lankans could finally buy cars at more affordable prices” I said. Thailand has rapidly evolved into a major automobile more..

Oct 18 (CT) We have come a long way as a nation. Once, the person accredited as the father of the nation Hon DS Senanayake in 1944 stated that, one critical measure of development must be, the larder of the poorest of our households. Today, the measure has changed, now it is the buffet tables of the grand hotels, that signify, our state of development. The time of transition from social wealth passed onto capital wealth as a national goal, was rapid, it was brought about by changing more..

Oct 17 (DM) Nearly 25,000 people suffer severe, long-term injuries each year as a result of road accidents, health officials have pointed out. This was revealed ahead of the National Trauma Conference 2025. According to the National Trauma Secretariat, six to eight people die every day in road accidents across the country, while nearly one million people receive treatment annually for accident-related injuries at state hospitals. “In line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), more..

Oct 17 (DM) In recognition of PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya’s academic and public achievements, Hindu College, University of Delhi, has inaugurated a new research facility named the Harini Amarasuriya Social & Ethnographic Research Lab. PM Amarasuriya, who earned her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Hindu College, visited her alma mater during her ongoing official visit to India. She was warmly welcomed by the college administration, faculty members, and students. more..

Oct 17 (TM) Sri Lanka’s 5-star average room rate remains 20% above regional peers due to high cost bases and limited supply of rooms, constraining competitiveness in the mid to upper-tier segment. Five-star average room rate is estimated at $ 160-240 in SL, while peers such as Thailand has much broader range, and Hanoi, Vietnam has the lowest rate supported by lower cost base, an abundance of room supply and more..

Oct 17 (NW) A group of Chinese traders visited former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa at his private residence in Tangalle yesterday. The group presented gifts to the former prez and inquired about his well-being during the visit. It is reported that this is the first group of Chinese traders to visit the former president after he vacated his official residence in Colombo and moved to Tangalle. The group, involved in tea exporting, had visited Mahinda Rajapaksa while en route to Weligama and more..

Oct 17 (DM) A SL Army officer and Paralympic gold medalist, Warnakulasuriya Amila Prashan, has died after being hit by a train in the Madurankuliya area. The 34-year-old, a father of two from Kirthisinghegama, Madurankuliya, had won gold medals in the 100m and 200m events at the 2018 Paralympic Games in Indonesia, representing the SL Army. He was a disabled officer serving at the Boossa Camp. The officer was struck by the Bangadeniya train traveling from Colombo more..

Oct 17 (DM) Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga Bodaragama today issued a travel ban against ten athletes who had travelled to the 2022 Commonwealth Games but failed to return to SL, allegedly causing a financial loss to the govt. Investigations are being carried out into the ten athletes who had travelled to the UK to participate in the 2022 Commonwealth Games but failed to return to SL after the event and did not participate more..

Oct 17 (NW) PM Harini Amarasuriya has engaged in discussions with Indian PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi today. Commenting on the meeting, Indian PM Narendra Modi said the discussions covered a broad range of areas, including education, women’s empowerment, innovation, development cooperation and welfare of Indian fishermen. “As close neighbours, our cooperation holds immense importance for the prosperity of our two peoples as well as the shared region,” he added in a post more..

Oct 17 (AD) The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has dismissed without hearing two fundamental rights petitions filed by former Minister Wimal Weerawansa and two other parties, who sought to invalidate the MoU signed between the Sri Lankan govt and India for the implementation of a digital identity card project for Sri Lankan citizens. The petitions were taken up before a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court today, headed by Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, more..

Oct 17 (AD) The Parliament is scheduled to adopt amendments to the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) on Oct 21, 2025, during the Committee Stage, along with the Committee Stage Amendments. According to the Ministry of Digital Economy, the PDPA (Amendment) Bill received approval from the Cabinet of Ministers and was passed at its Second Reading on June 3, 2025. Subsequently, at the request of the Ministry of Digital Economy, Legal Draftsman’s Dept, more..

Oct 17 (NW) Starting from 12 noon on 17th Oct, passengers departing from BIA will be permitted to check in up to four hours before their scheduled flight time, the airport management announced. The new measure aims to enhance passenger convenience and ensure smoother airport operations, especially during peak travel hours. According to the AASL, the initiative is expected to help manage crowd flow, reduce congestion, and improve the overall travel experience at more..

Oct 17 (DM) Delays to the completion of the Port Access Elevated Highway (PAEH) which would link Colombo City Centre and Katunayake Expressway (CKE) via the port has faced further delays with the Engineer Representative abandoning the project. The elevated highway that was to connect Galle Face to New Kelani Bridge allowing a faster exit from the city limits, has now come to a standstill, more..

Oct 17 (DM) Wildlife officers arrested a woman in Wathurugama, Gampaha, after discovering a replica made using leopard skin during a sudden raid conducted on Oct 16, following a tip-off received by the Department of Wildlife Conservation. The officers inspected a house in the area where the item was found. The suspect was subsequently produced before the Gampaha Magistrate’s Court the same day, along with seized replica. Court released the woman on a cash bail of Rs. 500,000 more..

Oct 17 (DM) Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has instructed all High Court judges and judicial officers that pending court production items must be cleared by Dec 31, 2025, as per Circular No. 422 A. In a recent Circular, the JSC stated that to ensure timely clearance, court staff may work on weekends and public holidays, from October 18 to December 31, 2025, without seeking additional permission from the Commission. The circular further said that access to case production item rooms or more..

Oct 17 (AN) SL is facing a silent but no less worrying genetic problem linked to the fact that about seven out of every 100 married couples are blood relatives (primarily cousins) or close relatives. Among the Sinhalese & Muslims, the percentage is about 4%. But among the Tamils, the figure is significantly higher, affecting almost one in four couples. Many families have children with beta thalassaemia (β-thalassaemia) and, among these, more..

Oct 17 (CT) Farmers in Hurulunikawewa, located within the Galenbindunuwewa Divisional Secretariat Division, said they are facing serious difficulties due to the lack of a fair price for their big onion harvest. These farmers pointed out that it is disheartening that 1 kg of big onions is being bought at wholesale markets for as little as Rs 80 to Rs 100. Farmers in the Galenbindunuwewa DS Division, in the Anuradhapura District, stated that they had cultivated big onions across a large area of more..

Oct 17 (EN) The 1953 British motorcycle was more than just a reliable workhorse. It was a symbol of my father, Lenin Lindberg’s, identity. To him, it was his most treasured possession, one he hoped would be passed down to the next generation. The throaty growl of the single-cylinder 350cc machine had the gravitas of a military parade commander. The entire neighbourhood would know when he left for, or returned home from, work. The beat of the bike was also the warning for my brother and me to more..

Oct 17 (AD) A new ticket counter offering air tickets at subsidised prices has been launched at the SL Foreign Employment Agency (SLFEA) in Narahenpita, in accordance with the govt’s new program for migrant workers leaving for foreign employment. It was declared open yesterday (16) under the patronage of the Deputy Minister Arun Hemachandra. At the new counter, air tickets will be issued to overseas job seekers at lower prices than those available in the open market, and more..

Oct 17 (TDN) Sri Lanka Tourism concluded a series of promotional roadshows in Madurai, Coimbatore and Chennai on 6, 8 and 10 Oct 2025, reinforcing India’s position as SL’s largest tourism source market. The events attracted strong participation from the travel trade and aimed to boost arrivals from South India through enhanced B2B engagement and destination awareness. Organised by SL Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) and the SL Convention Bureau (SLCB), more..

Oct 17 (DM) Commenting on the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to ban corporal punishment, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake said today the govt will not enact in Parlaiment any Act which the people do not agreed to. Addressing the 28th convention of the Ceylon Teachers' Union, he said the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill was only debated in Parliament and pointed out that if people reject that Bill, it will not be enacted. more..

Oct 17 (AD) The exact contents of the boat apprehended in the Southern seas by the SL Navy, and escorted to the Galle Fisheries Harbour this morning (17), have been revealed by the navy. Accordingly, the boat was transporting a total of 53 kilograms of Heroin, SL Navy Spokesman said. The trawler, its crew and the drug haul were escorted to the Galle Fisheries Harbour today. A boat carrying a stock of suspected narcotics was intercepted by SL Navy in Southern seas a few days ago, more..

Oct 17 (CT) Ministry of Health and Mass Media has abruptly transferred a large number of senior administrative officers to different internal posts, raising questions as to whether these experiments, carried out under the guise of boosting efficiency and without the knowledge of Minister of Health, have further disrupted the Ministry’s operations. Under this shake-up, six Directors, one Assistant Secretary, one Senior Assistant Secretary, and three Deputy Director-Generals have been reassigned, more..

Oct 17 (NF) Port City Colombo (PCC) has been crowned the Best Knowledge Zone in Asia-Pacific in the prestigious FDI Intelligence Global Free Zones of the Year 2025 awards, marking a major milestone for Sri Lanka’s flagship smart city project. Built on 269 hectares of reclaimed land off the coast of Colombo and granted special economic zone status in 2021, PCC has emerged as a magnet for service-sector investment more..

Oct 17 (EN) Sri Lanka has signed an agreement to borrow 100 million US dollars form the Asian Development Bank to develop the health sector, the island’s Finance Ministry said. The loan is given from ADB’s Ordinary Capital Resources window. The loan will “support national strategic framework for the development of health services for improved efficiency and quality of secondary health services as first referral care for ensuring universal health coverage,” the statement said. more..

Oct 17 (NW) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa met with a delegation from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) at his office, where he once again raised the challenges faced by Sri Lanka’s small, medium, and micro-scale entrepreneurs. ADB team included Country Director Takafumi Kadono, Senior Country Economist Lilia Aleksanyan, and Finance Sector Specialist Uresha Walpitagama. During the meeting, both sides held detailed discussions on the current state of the SL economy. more..

Oct 17 (FT) The full resumption of construction on Section I of the Central Expressway, linking Kadawatha to Mirigama on 17 Sept 2025, is far more than an infrastructure update; it is a powerful symbol of SL’s economic renewal and a testament to the enduring friendship and strategic cooperation between SL and China under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This project, long-awaited by citizens and crucial for national connectivity, stands as a beacon of progress emerging from more..

Oct 17 (FT) Twenty-five years have passed since the world’s first woman PM Sirimavo Bandaranaike passed away on 10 Oct 2000. Parliamentary elections were being held on that day and the grand old lady of SL politics was returning to Colombo from Gampaha district after casting her vote in Horagolla. Sirimavo suffered a heart attack when her vehicle was in Kadawatta enroute to Colombo. Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s remains were laid to rest alongside her husband Solomon West Ridgeway Dias more..