Oct 3 (CT) Galle’s historic Richmond College, founded in 1876 as Galle High School by Methodist missionaries, proudly celebrated its 150th anniversary with a series of vibrant events at the Sneath Grounds on 26 September 2025. The milestone celebration was highlighted by the unveiling of the official anniversary logo, a commemorative t-shirt, a raffle draw ticket aimed at supporting college fundraising, and the launch of the official anniversary website. more..

Oct 3 (TM) In the backdrop of the ongoing Colombo International Book Fair organised by the SL Book Publishers Association (SLBPA), SL Tamil Book Publishers and Sellers Association (SLTBPSA) has called for equality for and full inclusion of the Tamil publishing field within the context of the same. SLTBPSA claimed that Tamil language creators, Tamil publishers, and Tamil readers have been subjected to great discrimination (bias/prejudice) at the said Fair for many years. more..

Oct 3 (AM) Former North Central Province Governor Maheepala Herath has been accused of abusing his authority to illegally operate a hotel under his wife’s name within the Peramiankulama reservation, officials confirmed. North Central Province District Secretary Sudarshana Dissanayake said that unauthorised buildings constructed on 60 perches of land within reservation had recently been demolished. more..

Oct 3 (NF) Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa dismissed allegations that ongoing law enforcement actions against certain politicians amount to political vendettas, stating that such claims are an attempt to preempt accountability. The Minister emphasized that current investigations target organized crime and narcotics networks, not political opponents. “We are dismantling major drug rackets involving heroin and crystal meth, and cracking down on underworld gangs,” Jayatissa said. more..

Oct 3 (NF) SLPP MP Namala Rajapaksa has warned that legal action will be taken against for making false statements to the media, particularly if such remarks undermine judicial proceedings. Speaking on Oct 1, Rajapaksa said that while the Police Media Spokesperson is authorized to brief the media, no individual should misuse media platforms to spread misinformation. “If anyone attempts to make false statements to the media in a way that prejudices judicial processes, we will take legal action,” more..

Oct 3 (AD) A special awareness workshop was held in Parliament for the heads of 457 state institutions that fall under the oversight of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE). Around 700 individuals, including chairpersons, director generals, chief executive officers, or other senior officials from these institutions, were invited in three groups to participate in the workshop, the Parliament Secretariat said. This program was held on more..

Oct 3 (DM) A cunning attempt by a SL syndicate to use the identity of a child to obtain a Malaysian passport was foiled by the Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department at UTC Pudu Immigration Office, Kuala Lumpur this morning, foreign media reported. Kuala Lumpur Immigration director Wan Mohammed Saupee Wan Yusoff said in the 10.15 am incident, a SL man came with a local woman claiming to be his mother to apply for a first-time child passport under 10-year-old category, more..

Oct 3 (AD) Colombo Magistrate’s Court has ordered that the anticipatory bail application filed by former Minister Manusha Nanayakkara, seeking his release on anticipatory bail before he is arrested by the Bribery Commission, be taken up for consideration on Oct 8. The application was called before Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanka Bodaragama today. Assistant Director General of the Bribery Commission Anusha Sammandapperuma submitted written objections to the appeal, more..

Oct 3 (CI) If there were even the faintest doubt about who the favourites for the 2025 Women's World Cup were, they were put to bed as swiftly as an Ashleigh Gardner blade swing after Australia's dominant win over NZ in their tournament opener. In Indore, Australia started fast and stumbled, but like an unrelenting force, they just kept coming. In the end, their victory was less about outplaying NZ and more about brute-forcing the result. As far as early tournament markers go, it was an impressive more..

Oct 3 (DM) A month-old baby girl abandoned by her mother was found in a bag yesterday in the Konwewa area, Ipalogama. The infant had been left on a chair in front of the house of retired family health officer Indrani Anula. She said she discovered the bag around 6 a.m. when she opened her front door and noticed it moving. On unzipping it, she found the child inside, along with a clinic chart showing the baby had been born about a month ago. The baby was rushed to Nikaweratiya more..

Oct 3 (FT) In celebration of World Children’s Day on 1 Oct, SriLankan Airlines facilitated the flight experience for a special program for children selected through a creative competition from every province across SL. Through this unique initiative, 250 youngsters aged 12 to 15 were gifted the opportunity to enjoy a nearly two-hour flight aboard a SriLankan Airlines Airbus A330-300, with breath-taking views of SL’s stunning more..

Oct 3 (CT) Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanka Bodaragama, yesterday, directed the Director of the Illegal Assets Investigations Division of the CID to submit a full report on the failure to arrest the other suspects connected to a large-scale financial fraud carried out through an unregistered pyramid scheme named Era Miracle in Kurunegala. The company is accused of defrauding over 3,000 depositors of more than Rs 10 billion. Dhammika Ranasinghe (55), a director of the company more..

Oct 3 (II) Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that international law was at risk of being undermined by the US, he wrote in letters to his counterparts in SL and the Maldives, Iran’s ambassador in Colombo said on Friday. Ambassador Alireza Delkhosh quoted Araghchi as saying, “We must support international law. This is not only about Iran, it is about the dignity of international law.” He said the minister warned, “Today Iran is the target, tomorrow it may be South Asian countries more..

Oct 3 (NW) SL will make it mandatory for all reusable plastic bottles and polymer-based feeding bottles to carry Sri Lanka Standards (SLS) certification from April 1, 2026, under a new directive issued by the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA). According to the Extraordinary Gazette published on Oct 1, the directive prohibits manufacturers, importers, distributors, and traders from producing, importing, transporting, storing, or selling more..

Oct 3 (TM) A joint study by the Dept of Wildlife Conservation and animal health authorities has detected a syphilis-like bacterial infection spreading among monkeys and macaques in Polonnaruwa and Giritale. Wildlife Veterinary Surgeon Dr. Nihal Pushpakumara said blood and PCR tests confirmed the infection, which affects the genital organs, skin, and anus of the animals. He warned that the bacteria could spread to humans if they come into contact with contaminated areas, more..

Oct 3 (Island) Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in the official launching ceremony of the RMIT-UGC joint research program held today (Oct 02) at the Taj Samudra Hotel, Colombo. This official launching ceremony is a collaborative value designing between RMIT University of Australia and University Grants Commission (UGC) for Doctoral Training aiming to training young academics of SL by more..

Oct 3 (AD) The Police Unit for the Prevention of Sports-Related Offences Unit informed the Colombo Magistrate’s Court today that the Attorney General has decided to file indictments against Tamim Rahman, owner of the Dambulla Thunders team, who was previously arrested and released on bail in connection with a match-fixing incident during last year’s LPL cricket tournament. The case was taken up before Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanka S. Bodaragama today, more..

Oct 3 (NF) SL marks World Temperance Day today, focusing on the health and social impacts of alcohol consumption. The observance aims to raise public awareness about the dangers of alcohol use and promote healthier lifestyles. A series of nationwide programs have been launched to educate communities on the risks associated with alcohol. According to Dr. Ananda Ratnayake, Chairman of the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol, 21% of Sri Lankans consume alcohol, more..

Oct 3 (TM) Farmers’ groups urged the Govt to take immediate measures to reduce the production cost of key crops, adding that unbearable costs have prompted an exodus of farmers from the agriculture sector. National Agrarian Unity organisation pointed out that concerns have been raised about paddy, potato, green gram, black-eyed pea, corn and big onion farmers leaving the agriculture sector. more..

Oct 3 (EN) Sri Lanka’s state-run National Savings Bank has given a 6 billion rupee dividend to the Treasury, a Finance Ministry statement said. National Savings Bank has reported a profit before tax of 28.5 billion rupees for 2024, and a profit before tax of 25.5 billion rupees for the first half of 2025, according to the statement. “This significant contribution has been made possible due to its operational excellence and good governance practices.” more..

Oct 3 (CT) The representative of the New Vithanakande Tea Factory, which won a Guinness World Record for the highest-priced tea sold at an auction in Osaka, Japan, on 26 Sept, arrived in Sri Lanka on Wednesday morning. Pubudu Gunasekara, the CEO of the New Vithanakande Tea Factory, which presented the FF Extra Special Black Tea that won the Guinness World Record for the most valuable and expensive tea product in the world, arrived at Katunayake Airport more..

Oct 3 (DM) The Notice of Assignment (NoA) for the long-awaited 2025 5G spectrum auction was officially announced today at a special media briefing held at the ICTA. The announcement marks a decisive step toward the launch of 5G services in Sri Lanka, a move expected to transform connectivity, strengthen the digital economy, and support the country’s growth in key industries. more..

Oct 3 (DM) The Court of Appeal today fixed Oct 23 for the delivery of the judgment regarding two writ petitions challenging the legality of the Returning Officers of the Kekirawa and Galnewa Pradeshiya Sabhas in implementing their letters requesting the nomination of women members for the seats obtained by the SJB under the proportional representation system at the Kekirawa and Galnewa Pradeshiya Sabha elections. Meanwhile, Court of Appeal further extended its interim orders more..

Oct 3 (PMD) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake called on the Chief Prelates of the Malwathu and Asgiri Chapters today and received their blessings. Upon arriving at the Malwathu Vihara, the President paid his respects to the Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Sumangala Thero, the Mahanayake of the Malwathu Chapter and engaged in a brief discussion and received blessings. Subsequently, Prez visited the Asgiri Vihara and called on the Most Venerable Warakagoda more..

Oct 3 (FT) The recent flash floods in Uttarakhand, India where over 100 people went missing, are just one among thousands of climate-related disasters in recent years. For banks, the impact is direct washed-out assets, loan defaults, and rising credit risk. This is not tomorrow’s threat; climate risk is already reshaping financial stability today. In the end, banks become the ultimate receivers of climate shocks, bearing the financial fallout of environmental catastrophes. more..

Oct 3 (FT) For Sri Lanka, the United States is more than just a trading partner. It is the single most important destination for Sri Lankan exports, particularly apparel, and a market that sustains hundreds of thousands of jobs and contributes significantly to national GDP. Yet, beneath this success story lies a structural imbalance. While Sri Lanka exports billions of dollars’ worth of goods to the United States each year, its imports from America remain comparatively small. more..

Oct 3 (DM) Sri Lanka’s revenues jumped 27% in the first seven months of 2025, pushing the island nation into a primary surplus and helping foreign reserves recover to US$ 6.2 billion. However, Fitch Ratings warned that debt and interest burdens will remain far above peer levels despite reforms. The rating agency projects average primary surpluses of 2.7% of GDP between 2025 and 2027, after a sharp turnaround from a deficit of 5.7% in 2021 to more..

Oct 3 (AD) Another individual connected to the large haul of narcotics uncovered from three lorries in Seenimodara, Tangalle has been arrested by the Tangalle Divisional Crime Investigation Unit. The suspect, known as Beliatta Sanaa, was arrested yesterday (1), according to police. Recently, police seized over 700 kg of heroin and crystal methamphetamine (Ice) hidden in three lorries in Seenimodara. The haul of drugs had been smuggled into the country from abroad more..

Oct 3 (FT) The CIABOC yesterday expressed deep concern over what it described as baseless and misleading statements made by certain individuals and organisations, warning that legal action would be taken against attempts to discredit its work. Speaking at a media briefing, CIABOC Director-General Ranga Dissanayake said the Commission has observed that some parties, acting with hidden agendas, are spreading false narratives through electronic, print and social media. more..

Oct 3 (DM) SL’s tourism industry yesterday unveiled the Ruhunu Ring, a landmark private sector-led initiative designed to transform the southern tourism landscape by promoting experiential travel and aiming to boost the average daily tourist expenditure. The novel tourism product was officially launched at the Int'l Tourism Leaders Summit 2025, held at the BMICH. The initiative, branded with the tagline Culturally Wild, more..

Oct 3 (TM) A gazette notification has been issued by the Minister of Transport and Highways, making it mandatory for drivers and all passengers of vehicles traveling along expressways to wear seatbelts. According to the gazette notification, driver of a motor vehicle driven or used on an expressway and every passenger and individual occupying any seat and travelling in the motor vehicle are required to wear an individual safety seatbelt while such motor vehicle is being driven or used on the hiway. more..

Oct 3 (Island) Fourteen DIGs, including two female DIGs, have been transferred with immediate effect. The transfers were made on the request of IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya and with the approval of the National Police Commission. Police sources said the changes followed the recent promotions of several senior police officers to the rank of DIG. The DIGs transferred are as follows: DIG G. N. de Soysa – from Police Welfare Division to Colombo Division DIG; more..