Oct 28 (GV) SL’s military defeat of the LTTE in 2009 ended the armed insurgency but it did not provide a political settlement. The experience of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) offers an instructive, if imperfect, comparison. Both the KRI and Tamil Eelam emerged from prolonged conflict and developed institutions to govern territory. Their trajectories, however, were fundamentally different. KRI gradually acquired constitutional recognition and an administrative existence that could more..

Oct 28 (ST) It looks as if all the chickens the JVP hatched are coming home in a brood to roost sooner than expected. On each front – be it on the economic front or the medical, the educational, or the religious front – the nation lies besieged by a plethora of fire-snorting dragons that it finds itself unable to slay. And to make the unfolding siege far worse are five satanic verses, written in a satanic metre, set to a satanic rhythm, and sung in a compelling satanic style, invoking more..

Oct 28 (SO) As the global energy crisis continues to put pressure on fuel prices and supply chains, Sri Lanka faces the challenge of protecting consumers while strengthening its energy security. Minister of Ports, Civil Aviation and Energy Anura Karunathilaka discusses how the Govt is navigating these challenges, from managing fuel prices and expanding storage capacity to modernising the Sapugaskanda refinery and more..

Oct 28 (Island) Last week, a survey from New Zealand caught my attention. Nearly 190,000 people took part in an online poll run by the country’s national broadcaster. One question was simple: should wealthier people pay more tax? 62% said yes. 70% of the lowest earners agreed, which is no surprise. But even among those earning more than 100,000 New Zealand dollars a year, a small majority, 53%, agreed that people like them should pay more. more..

Oct 28 (DM) Both the ruling NPP and the Opposition parties -- especially the SJB, SLPP and the UNP -- are in a dilemma over the Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill (PSTB) that is presented in parliament. The NPP’s predicament is that it was a party that fought tooth and nail against the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) from the beginning of that law, arguing that the offences cited under it can be handled with existing laws, such as the Penal Code. more..

Oct 28 (SO) The proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill (PSTA) has come under mounting criticism, with activists, academics, trade unionists and lawyers warning that it could undermine fundamental rights while granting the State sweeping powers in the name of national security. Critics argue that replacing the PTA will do little to address concerns over the misuse of extraordinary counter-terrorism powers if more..

Oct 28 (Island) Sri Lanka takes disaster management for granted, paying it the attention it deserves only when the fear of disasters looms. Cyclone Arnab is intensifying over the Bay of Bengal and moving towards India’s eastern coast, causing heavy rainfall here. Irrigation Department has warned of floods in several parts of the country, and the National Building Research Organisation has issued warnings of landslides, covering eight districts, and red-level evacuation warnings more..

Oct 28 (CT) Since gaining independence, SL has struggled with persistent political stagnation, characterized by entrenched leadership, dynastic influence, and the concentration of political power within a relatively narrow circle of families and party elites. Political dynasties associated with the Bandaranaikes, Premadasas, Rajapaksas, and Wickremesinghes have played prominent roles in successive govts, often reinforcing a political culture in which retaining power takes more..

Oct 27 (NW) Cabinet has approved special compensation payments of up to Rs. 5 million for prison officers who were killed or injured during the clashes at Negombo Prison on July 5 and 6, 2026. Rs. 5 million will be paid for each officer who lost their life, while officers who sustained permanent disabilities will also receive Rs. 5 million each. Officers who suffered partial disabilities resulting in a 100% loss of earning capacity will receive Rs. 4 million, while those who sustained more..

Oct 27 (NW) A debate on the revised no-confidence motion against Speaker of Parliament Jagath Wickramaratne, to be submitted by the Opposition, has been scheduled for Nov 3. The debate was included in the parliamentary business scheduled for the first week of November. Parliament is scheduled to meet from Nov 3 to 6, with the agenda finalised at a meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Business held on October 23, chaired by Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne. more..

Oct 27 (NW) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has introduced stricter fitness and disciplinary measures for national players, including random alcohol and drug testing and closer monitoring of their diets, SLC Transformation Committee member Sidath Wettimuny has revealed. He said the board was implementing several new initiatives to improve players’ fitness, discipline and overall professionalism. more..

Oct 27 (EN) Cabinet has approved the long-term leasing of 15 state plantation properties to selected local investors, minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. The assets are owned by the SL State Plantations Corporation, Janatha Estates Development Board and Elkaduwa Plantations Company. Govt had earlier called for expressions of interest from investors for 1,514 hectares of land, 10 tourist bungalows and scenic locations, and 15 inactive factories managed by 3 plantation entities. more..

Oct 27 (NW) Newly elected Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has expressed hope of strengthening bilateral trade and technical cooperation between Brazil and SL, responding to a congratulatory message from President Anura Kumara Dissanayake following his election victory. In a post on ‘X’, Lula recalled his meeting with Prez Dissanayake in India in February this year and welcomed the opportunity to deepen relations between the two countries. more..

Oct 27 (Island) Customs in Jaffna has declined to release copies of Thoarai, a Tamil novel by the writer Piratheep Kunaradnam, aka Yatharthan, pending approval from Ministry of Defence and Dept of Govt Information, in the latest case of Tamil books being held by the state. Kunaradnam went to the customs division, at the Jaffna Post Office, last Thursday, to collect 32 copies of the novel, published by Kalachuvadu more..

Oct 27 (NW) Matara Magistrate’s Court has issued an open warrant for the arrest of former Minister Basil Rajapaksa in connection with an ongoing investigation into the purchase of a property at Brown’s Hill in Matara. The order was issued following a report submitted to the court by the FCID regarding the case. The investigation concerns the acquisition of an approximately one-and-a-half-acre property located along Eliyakanda Road in Brown’s Hill, Matara, which is allegedly linked to more..

Oct 27 (DM) Anuradhapura Additional Magistrate Dasuni Hapuarachchi yesterday ordered the Range Forest Officer of the Ritigala Wildlife Office to file charges in court against the chief custodian priest of the main terrace of the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in A'pura over the possession of protected wildlife and animal products. Wildlife Conservation Dept said the case relates to an incident in which the suspect was allegedly found in possession of sambar deer meat, pangolin meat, more..

Oct 27 (NW) Indictments have been filed against MP Namal Rajapaksa and three others before the Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar in Colombo over allegations of money laundering and accepting a Rs. 100 million bribe in connection with the Airbus transaction. Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara informed Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama of the development when the case was taken up today. Deputy Solicitor General informed the Court that the indictments more..

Oct 27 (NW) SL govt is set to enter into a US$ 100 million loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to support economic recovery and reforms, following the completion of formal loan negotiations. Cabinet has approved a proposal submitted by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake to proceed with the loan agreements. Financing will consist of US$ 50 million in policy-based lending and US$ 50 million in investment financing, provided through ADB’s Ordinary Capital Resources. more..

Oct 27 (NW) The Ministry of Women and Child Affairs is taking steps to introduce new laws and regulations to prevent parents and adults from exploiting children for social media popularity and financial gain. Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj said the move comes amid growing concerns over children being exposed to dangerous activities and inappropriate content by adults seeking online fame and income. According to the Ministry, more..

Oct 27 (DM) SJB and its allies in Parliament have urged Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne to resign or allow a debate on the no-confidence motion against him to proceed, accusing the Govt of undermining democratic principles. Opposition parties said the Speaker should step down if the Govt was committed to good governance or face the allegations levelled against him. They warned that the Govt's decision to reject the proposed debate posed a serious threat to democracy more..

Oct 27 (CI) Pathum Nissanka will miss out on the Test portion of Sri Lanka's tour of Pakistan, having already sat out the T20Is and ODIs with a left hamstring injury. He will be replaced in the squad by Lahiru Udara, who has played five Tests and seven T20Is for Sri Lanka. SL had given Nissanka every chance of recovering in time, naming him in both the ODI and Test squads subject to fitness, but now the hope is to get him back to full fitness in time for SL's tour of India in December. more..

Oct 27 (CI) Dilshan Madushanka's career-best ODI figures of 5 for 34 set up a dominant eight-wicket win in Lahore, as Sri Lanka snapped a five-game losing streak against Pakistan, and with it, secure a final clash with the same opponents. The result left England mathematically eliminated from final contention, rendering their match against SL on Thursday a dead rubber. Having skittled Pakistan out for just 110, SL knocked off the target more..

Oct 27 (EN) Cabinet of Ministers has approved a new performance- and sustainability-based framework for collective agreements in State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), which will take effect from Jan 1, 2027, minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. The decision follows an earlier cabinet decision when the govt decided to extend existing collective agreements in state enterprises under their current terms and conditions until Dec 31, 2026, while preparing a revised structure for 2027. more..

Oct 27 (NW) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is set to introduce stricter regulations limiting national players to a maximum of three franchise cricket leagues per year, including the Lanka Premier League (LPL). Sri Lanka Cricket Transformation Committee member Sidath Wettimuny said the new regulations would be strictly enforced to ensure players prioritise their national commitments. SLC had previously introduced similar restrictions on franchise league participation. more..

Oct 27 (DM) The Chief Prelates of the Buddhist chapters have not so far made a request to the Government seeking the release of Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said today. He said the Govt would act in accordance with the existing law even if such a request were made, stressing that it had no intention of overriding a judicial decision. He said the Govt had amended the Prisons Dept’s Standing Orders following a letter sent by 4 Chief Prelates more..

Oct 27 (NW) Cabinet has approved the establishment of a National Wildlife Hazard Management Committee for Aviation Safety to minimise the risk of collisions between aircraft and wildlife in SL. The committee will serve as a national coordination mechanism for managing wildlife-related hazards in civil aviation, with representation from all relevant stakeholder institutions. The proposal was submitted by the Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation in line with SL’s obligations more..

Oct 27 (NW) Nearly 40% of SL’s annual fish production is lost due to post-harvest wastage, it was revealed during a discussion chaired by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Prez Secretariat today. SL’s annual fish production stands at approximately 400,000 metric tonnes, with a significant proportion lost after harvesting. The issue was highlighted during discussions on the 2027 Budget proposals of Ministry of Fisheries, more..

Oct 27 (NW) The impact of Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Arnab on weather conditions across SL is expected to gradually decrease from tomorrow, according to the Met Dept. In its latest weather forecast, the Dept said the cyclone was located approximately 800 kilometres northeast of Kankasanthurai at 11.30 a.m. today, over the west-central Bay of Bengal. The system, centred near latitude 16.2°N and longitude 83.7°E, is expected to cross Indian coast through Andhra Pradesh more..

Oct 27 (NW) Bar Association of SL (BASL) has expressed grave concern over the death of a 29-year-old suspect while in the custody of the Homagama Police, calling for an immediate, impartial and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. In a statement, the BASL identified the deceased as Ishara Harshakumara, a father of two from Kiriwaththuduwa, who had been arrested in connection with a drug-related investigation. more..

Oct 27 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake visited the Anuradhapura Sacred City this afternoon (23) to inspect the progress of the proposed Sacred Area Development Project, which aims to improve infrastructure and visitor facilities while preserving the historic and religious significance of the ancient city. The project includes the renovation of access roads, improvements to facilities for devotees and more..

Oct 27 (AD) Litro Gas has increased its daily distribution to between 90,000 and 100,000 cylinders to address the ongoing gas shortage in SL, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. He said Litro Gas normally releases approximately 74,000 cylinders per day. However, the company has increased supplies by around 25% to meet rising demand amid supply issues affecting Laugfs Gas. He said the shortage of Laugfs Gas had affected the market since Sept, resulting in an increase in daily demand more..

Oct 27 (EN) Cabinet has approved a proposal to enter into an agreement with the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) to secure a US$ 60 million loan facility for Phase 2 of the Mahaweli Water Security Investment Program (MWSIP). The total estimated cost for Phase 2 of the program is US$ 536.5 million, which the govt plans to finance through co-financing arrangements with multiple development partners. ADB has already agreed to provide US$ 200 million toward the program. more..