Oct 15 (DM) Committee of Inquiry appointed in terms of Section 6 of the Removal of Officers (Procedure) Act No: 5 of 2002 to investigate and inquire into the allegations levelled against Deshabandu Tennakoon and to remove him from the office of the IGP, has observed that Tennakoon has committed one or more acts of misconduct and gross abuse of power in his capacity as the IGP, bringing SL Police into disrepute. more..

Oct 15 (NW) Former minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara says a false social media post claiming he had died had been circulating today, prompting several phone calls inquiring about the rumour. “They even included my birth year and the current year. At first, I just laughed,” Nanayakkara said. He said further review suggested the post may have been politically motivated. “When I looked into it, I saw the name National People’s Power above the post. That led me to believe it was created by more..

Oct 15 (DM) Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) has taken Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) to task for its failure to take action against an unauthorized funeral parlour on the land allocated for the construction of quarters for the administrator of Borella Kanatte. As per the statement released from COPA, the committee has instructed CMC to conduct a probe and submit a report. COPA has then blamed the representatives who had been present during the recent committee meeting. more..

Oct 15 (EN) SL’s first tender for battery energy storage system (BESS) on a BOT basis had received strong interest from investors, with a large number of vendors using Chinese batteries, sources with knowledge of he matter said. Bids ranged from slightly below 2 million rupees to 3 million rupees per MegaWatt per month. CEB called expressions of interest for 160MW of battery energy systems at multiple locations as build operate own (BOO) projects to stabilize the grid and absorb more..

Oct 15 (TN) A delegation of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), led by its president Sardar Tahir Mehmood along with Zafar Bakhtawari, Secretary General United Business Group, Tahir Ayub, Senior Vice President ICCI, and Mohammad Irfan Chaudhry, Vice President, met High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Pakistan Fred Senevirathne to extend congratulations on his appointment and discuss avenues for enhancing bilateral economic and trade relations. more..

Oct 15 (HRW) SL’s tax policies played a driving role in SL’s devastating 2022 economic crisis and have contributed to the chronic underfunding of education and other public services, Human Rights Watch said in a report. The govt of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake should urgently adopt measures to uphold its human rights obligations and enact reforms to a system that presently favors companies and wealthy people more..

Oct 15 (ANI) Persistent rain in Colombo on Tuesday led to the abandonment of Sri Lanka's match against New Zealand in the ongoing ICC Women's Cricket World Cup, leaving the island nation with just two points from their first four encounters at the tournament, according to the ICC. Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu knows her team must win all three of their remaining matches at the World Cup to have any chance of reaching the knockout stages. However, rather than dwelling on more..

Oct 15 (CT) Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga Bodaragama ordered the Bribery Commission to submit its findings to Court after concluding the preliminary investigations into the case filed against former SriLankan Airlines Chairman, Nishantha Wickramasinghe. The case involves three charges, including causing a financial loss of USD 4,515 to the Govt by diverting a scheduled flight, and a further loss of USD 19,160 by offloading 75 passengers who were due to travel to more..

Oct 15 (EN) SL is witnessing the positive outcomes of a steady and predictable policy environment with a stronger-than-forecast recovery in economic output with GDP growth continuing apace at 4.9% in the first half of 2025. While improved macroeconomic fundamentals are underpinning this cyclical recovery, the momentum on growth and its sustainability will rely increasingly on underlying productivity and efficiency gains in economy. more..

Oct 15 (NW) The Court of Appeal today dismissed the writ application filed in 2018 concerning the resettlement of Muslims in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province. The writ petition had been filed by Public interest litigation activist, Nagananda Kodituwakku and senior journalist Malinda Seneviratne. According to MP Rishad Bathiudeen’s Media Office, the matter, which had been pending for nearly seven years, saw repeated delays in conclusion despite several directives from the court. more..

Oct 15 (IPS) In 2024, an estimated 31.9% of the global population struggled to afford a healthy diet, including 28.1% in Asia and a concerning 42.9% in SL. Moreover, unhealthy diets around the world are believed to be behind more than a quarter of all deaths caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs), with 11 million NCD deaths per year due to poor eating habits. These alarming numbers underscore the urgency of reshaping our food environments and improving access to more..

Oct 15 (Island) Uni of Colombo is taking a bold step towards advancing regional collaboration on sustainability through the Indo-Lanka Environmental Law Week, scheduled to begin today. Spearheaded by Vice Chancellor Professor Indika Karunathilake, the week-long initiative underscores the University’s growing leadership in environmental governance, education, and policy innovation across South Asia. The event will bring together 35 Indian law students from Amity Law School and more..

Oct 15 (NW) PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya will undertake her first official visit to India from Oct 16 to 18, marking a significant diplomatic engagement since assuming office. The visit underscores the deep and multi-faceted ties between the two nations and aligns with India’s Neighbourhood First policy and MAHASAGAR Vision, said Indian Ministry of External Affairs. During her 3-day stay, PM is scheduled to meet Indian political leaders to discuss key bilateral issues of mutual interest. more..

Oct 15 (DM) Amid the govt’s push to promote electric vehicles (EVs) as a key step toward reducing air pollution and advancing renewable energy, public interest in EVs is reportedly declining, the Electric Vehicle Owners Association (EVOA) has warned. The association blamed recent actions by SL Customs, which has detained over 1,000 BYD vehicles, for creating uncertainty in the market and disrupting consumers who have already more..

Oct 15 (NW) The govt has launched several initiatives aimed at improving facilities and services for tourists ahead of the upcoming tourist season. Special Task Force appointed by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake to take urgent measures for the promotion of the tourism industry met for the second time at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday. Accordingly, the meeting focused on facilitating visa issuance and streamlining the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) process for tourists. more..

Oct 15 (DM) Turkmenistan secured a 2–1 victory over Sri Lanka in the second leg of the AFC Asia Cup 2027 Qualifying Third Round (Group ‘D’) match held yesterday at the Arkadag Stadium in Turkmenistan. With this win, Turkmenistan have now triumphed in three of their four matches and currently lead the Group ‘D’ points table. Thailand too, with three wins from four games, remain level with Turkmenistan at the top. The first half of the SL–Turkmenistan encounter saw an evenly more..

Oct 15 (NW) The Bribery Commission says former Minister Manusha Nanayakkara has been arrested in connection with the abuse of power pertaining to the agreement signed in November 2023 between Sri Lanka and Israel for supplying workers for the Israeli agricultural sector. According to the Bribery Commission, Manusha Nanayakkara is accused of abusing the power of his position as the Minister of more..

Oct 15 (DM) Colombo Additional Magistrate Nuwan Kaushalya today directed the CID to obtain a report from the Government Analyst regarding the quality standards of cosmetic creams distributed islandwide by Loliya Skin Company, owned by popular actress and model Piumi Hansamali. The order was issued after the CID’s Illegal Assets Investigation Division of the Organised Crimes Unit submitted a motion to court, seeking permission to produce the creams marketed by Piumi Hansamali in order to more..

Oct 15 (AD) Attorney-at-Law Gunaratne Wanninayake has been granted bail by the Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court. He has been released on two surety bails amounting to Rs. 500,000 each. Wanninayake appeared before the Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court earlier today. He was accompanied by the President of the Bar Association of SL, Rajeev Amarasuriya. Earlier today, the legal counsel for Wanninayake informed the Court of Appeal that his client is prepared to appear more..

Oct 15 (FT) Walk into your living room and pick up your smartphone. Hidden inside are powerful but invisible minerals called rare earth elements. Step outside and look at a passing electric car, or a towering wind turbine on the coast—again, the same minerals are there. From missiles and medical devices to the batteries in our laptops, these resources are everywhere, even though most of us hardly know they exist. This is the global rare earth race. It is a race SL has so far watched more..

Oct 15 (FT) One year on, the moral march of Anura Kumara Disanayake (AKD)’s Govt echoes Jonathan Chait’s warning: movements that mistake conviction for wisdom risk becoming moral parades rather than governing forces. “The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah… The little one stops to tie his shoe…” Adapted from an old folk rhyme, the song endures because its rhythm carries a warning: unity preserves survival, but unthinking motion breeds futility. When AKD and NPP took office, more..

Oct 15 (DM) Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) has decided not to increase electricity tariffs, rejecting a proposal by the CEB to raise rates by 6.8% to cover a revenue deficit of Rs. 7.7 billion in the final quarter of 2025. PUCSL Chairman Prof. K.P.L. Chandralal said the CEB had later revised its proposal, seeking an increase of Rs. 20.8 billion. However, following staff analysis and extensive public consultations more..

Oct 15 (DM) Three police teams have been deployed to arrest attorney-at-law Gunaratne Wanninayake, who was involved in a confrontation with a police constable at the Mount Lavinia Court premises, ASP F.U. Wootler said. He said that further investigations have been launched into the incident and said that the police made submissions to the court under special provisions of the penal code. He said legal action will be taken against the this lawyer soon. more..

Oct 15 (CT) Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga Bodaragama reaffirmed that courts will never hesitate to enforce the law against anyone, regardless of their position or status. He emphasised that the law applies equally to all — whether a judicial officer or an Attorney-at-Law. The case was taken up yesterday (14) before the Colombo Chief Magistrate. Court observed that the actions of the accused lawyer, identified as Kingsly Sanjeewa, were unbecoming of the legal profession. more..

Oct 15 (AD) The exact contents of the 51 packages found floating on seas off the southern coast, which were recovered by the SL Navy and brought to the Tangalle fisheries harbour last evening, have been revealed by the navy. The packages contain a total of 670 kg of ICE, 156 kg of heroin and 12 kg of Hashis. Over 50 floating parcels suspected to contain drugs were found drifting in the sea off southern coast and were brought more..

Oct 15 (FT) The United States has updated its travel advisory for Sri Lanka, urging citizens to exercise increased caution due to the risk of civil unrest, potential terrorist activity, and the presence of landmines in parts of the country. The US Department of State said protests linked to Sri Lanka’s political and economic situation may occur without warning and could turn violent. It noted that police have previously used tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds. more..

Oct 15 (FT) Parliament Secretariat said that around 60-70% of SL’s casino-related activity now occurs through online platforms, while the State earns no tax revenue from these operations, according to findings presented to Committee on Public Finance (CoPF). At a meeting chaired by SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva, committee found that that only 30-40% of casino activity takes place in licenced physical establishments, highlighting a growing gap in regulation & revenue collection. more..

Oct 15 (FT) Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said the Cabinet has approved the implementation of the National Minimum Wage of Workers (Amd) Act, No. 11 of 2025, which raises the monthly minimum wage for private sector employees from Rs. 17,500 to Rs. 27,000 with effect from 1 April 2025. Under the new law, the minimum wage will rise further to Rs. 30,000 from 1 Jan 2026, aligning with the 2025 Budget proposal to increase private sector pay in parallel with public sector salary adjustments. more..

Oct 15 (DN) PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, who is on an official visit to China, paid a courtesy call on Chinese PM Li Qiang, in Beijing. During the meeting, PM conveyed SL Govt’s appreciation to China for the invitation to participate in the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women 2025 and for the hospitality extended to the SL delegation. She extended good wishes on the 76th anniversary of the founding of China and noted that her first visit to China as PM provides an opportunity to further strengthen more..

Oct 15 (DM) Govt has taken steps to promote the use of locally produced brown sugar among the general public, aiming to strengthen and sustain the country’s domestic sugar industry. Cabinet approval has been granted to make it mandatory for all state institutions to use brown sugar in food production. The decision is expected to boost demand for the product and support the livelihoods of factory workers, sugarcane more..

Oct 15 (DM) Plantation companies pushed back against Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s bid to raise estate worker wages, warning the move has no firm economic logic and would saddle the sector with an additional Rs. 13 billion burden per year. Prez said the govt would ensure plantation workers receive a minimum daily wage of Rs. 1,750 within this year. He made these remarks on Sunday while participating in the eventto distribute house ownership deeds to Malayagam community. more..

Oct 15 (TM) Hayleys Fentons Limited announced the launch of Hayleys Mobility, a new venture delivering cutting-edge new-energy vehicle solutions and infrastructure, supporting the country’s transition towards sustainable mobility. This initiative comes in response to the growing demand for cleaner, smarter, and more energy efficient transportation options among Sri Lankan consumers and businesses. Through exclusive partnerships with world-renowned automotive brands, more..