Oct 15 (CI) Nilakshika Silva struck the fastest fifty at this World Cup to boost a flagging SL innings, after it looked like they were in danger of squandering their best start with the bat all tournament. It proved to be in vain, as rain washed out the game after the completion of the first innings. The result leaves them and New Zealand sharing one point apiece. Silva's knock perfectly complemented a half-century from Chamari Athapaththu and meant that, having opted to bat first in Colombo, more..

Oct 15 (ST) YouTuber Sudaththa Thilakasiri has been directed to appear in court on Oct 28 by Mount Lavinia Magistrate Pasan Amarasekara in relation to a claim of harassment of a woman by linking her name in a programme relating to the death of ruggerite Wasim Thajudeen. Court also directed that the YouTube channel and the TikTok account run by Mr Thilakasiri stop telecasting any material related to the case. Magistrate’s directive came after considering submissions made on behalf of more..

Oct 15 (TM) SJB MP, and Suwa Seriya ambulance service Founder Dr. Harsha de Silva opined that implementing the changes proposed by the Govt to the Suwa Seriya will set a bad precedent, and go against the original purpose of the service. He made these remarks with regard to the recent changes suggested by the Govt, which include changing the name, logo and colours of the logo of the Suwa Seriya service. more..

Oct 15 (Island) Hurdler Ayomal Akalanka of Ambagamuwa MMV delivered a truly markable performance on the final day of the All Island Schools Games at Diyagama on Tuesday bringing the curtain down on his memorable schools career as he became the first Sri Lankan in more than two decades to run the 400 metres hurdles under 50 seconds. ‎The athlete blazed the track with a feat of 49.90 seconds to win the Under 20 boys’ 400 metres hurdles in a new national junior record more..

Oct 15 (DM) SLBFE announced that 2,927 Sri Lankans have left for employment opportunities in South Korea so far this year. According to the Bureau, among this group are 100 young women. Of the total, 2,197 have found jobs in the manufacturing sector, 680 in the fisheries sector, 23 in the construction sector, and two in the agricultural sector. Meanwhile, SLBFE said arrangements are underway to send nearly 200 more Sri Lankans, who have already secured jobs in South Korea, more..

Oct 15 (ST) Melco Resorts & Entertainment, which opened the City of Dreams Sri Lanka casino in August, has invested Rs 30.2 billion in equity and loan capital in keeping with its undertaking of committing a minimum US$100 million, the company has reported in its financial filings. The casino developer, owner and operator describes City of Dreams Sri Lanka as a capital light project, lowering its risks. more..

Oct 15 (FT) Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) crossed a major milestone yesterday as total market capitalisation exceeded Rs. 8 trillion for the first time, marking a 40.48% gain so far this year. The stock market has delivered exceptional real returns over the past two years. The inflation-adjusted All Share Total Return Index (ASTRI) posted an average real gain of 65.1% up to August 2025, compared with 24.8% in 2024 and a negative 5.8% in 2023. Central Bank said the performance was driven by more..

Oct 15 (DN) Ayomal Akalanka of Ambagamuwa Central College and Jithma Wijethunga of Lyceum Int'l Wattala were adjudged Best boys’ and girls’ Athletes at the All Island Schools Athletic C'ships concluded at Diyagama yesterday. Ayomal Akalanka set up new record of boys’ under 20, 400m hurdles with a time of 49.90 seconds. The 19-year-old athlete Akalanka, coached by Anura Bandara became the first Sri Lankan in 23 years to run this event under 50 seconds. more..

Oct 15 (TM) Trade Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe is to attend the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) Trade Policy Review (TPR) of SL, as well as the 16th session of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD XVI). The sessions will be held from 15-23 Oct in Geneva, Switzerland, with the Minister accompanied by a SL delegation. This will be the first Trade Policy Review conducted since the new govt assumed office, and it forms part of the WTO’s regular process to evaluate and more..

Oct 15 (FT) eChannelling has launched eMindCare, a first-of-its-kind holistic mental wellbeing platform designed to make expert mental health and psychosocial wellbeing services more accessible, inclusive, and stigma-free. With psychosocial challenges and mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression on the rise in Sri Lanka, eMindCare addresses a critical gap by combining professional care with holistic practices and mental health education. more..

Oct 15 (FT) Central Bank remained a net purchaser of foreign exchange from the domestic forex market during the first eight months of 2025, continuing the positive trend seen in 2023 and 2024, according to the Financial Stability Review 2025. From Jan to Aug 2025, Central Bank absorbed $ 1.3 billion from the domestic forex market and injected $ 63.3 million, resulting in a net absorption of $ 1.24 billion. more..

Oct 15 (Island) SL stands at a critical juncture. After decades of ambitious infrastructure projects, expanding public sector employment, and rising debt burdens, SL’s 2022 economic crisis exposed fundamental weaknesses in how public resources are managed. As SL implements IMF-supported reforms, a crucial question emerges: Can SL achieve robust growth not by spending more, but by spending smarter? Recent IMF research analysing 174 economies offers compelling insights. more..

Oct 15 (GV) More than a year has passed since the NPP govt came into office yet many of Sri Lanka’s long standing political and constitutional issues remain unresolved. Election Commissioner recently stated that there is currently no legal framework to conduct the long overdue Provincial Council elections. If this is accurate, it raises serious concerns that the NPP govt is using the situation to deliberately delay the elections possibly due to falling popularity, declining public confidence more..

Oct 15 (Island) Former Navy Commander Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenna was granted bail by the Kurunegala High Court (HC) yesterday. He had been held on remand for more than two months over the disappearance of a man from Pothuhera and denied bail several times. The Kurunegala HC was reportedly critical of the manner in which the CID had arrested the former Navy Chief. The Opposition has said the CID arrested Ulugetenna solely on the basis of a statement made by a former LTTE more..

Oct 15 (TM) The label artificial implies something fake or detached, but, artificial intelligence (AI) is anything but detached from human reality. From Siri on smartphones to ChatGenerative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) in classrooms, AI is embedded in daily life. It is not an alien intelligence operating in isolation but a direct extension of human design, logic, and culture. Consider Google Translate: while it appears to know dozens of languages, its outputs depend entirely on millions of human more..

Oct 15 (CT) The death penalty handed down by the Tangalle High Court to Geeganagamage Amarasiri, also known as Julampitiye Amare, who was involved in underworld activities while enjoying political patronage/protection, was also affirmed by the Supreme Court last week. Tangalle High Court had sentenced him to death in the case related to the incident where, on the afternoon of 15 June 2012, an armed gang stormed a regional more..

Oct 15 (ST) Well, it must get something balanced, shouldn’t it? After all, if everything is ship-shape, as our comrades seem to think and say now and then at the end of a first year at the helm, there could still be a thing or two that must have escaped their eagle eyes. It is not that one is casting aspersions at the one-time Marx for missing some marks here and there in his enthusiasm to stand everything on its head amidst his busy travels, circling the globe and shaking paws with the aspiring leader more..

Oct 15 (DM) Women in rural areas make a huge contribution to the economy, but their contributions often go unnoticed. Hence, since today (15) is Int'l Day of Rural Women, let’s focus on rural women and their work. If we take the world at large, European women, both in the cities and rural areas, are recognised for their efforts. But it is not the case in Asian countries. Women in Asian need more opportunities to work. Do they get equal work opportunities compared to Asian men? more..

Oct 15 (SO) A glimmer of change has arrived on SL’s congested roads. The Lanka Metro Transit Company (Pvt) Ltd officially commenced its administrative work this week, signalling the start of a pilot project that aims to redefine urban public transportation, beginning with the Western Province. Established as a private company operating under the umbrella of the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB), this venture is set to introduce a fleet of high-tech, more..

Oct 15 (DM) Another session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), which concerned Sri Lanka, concluded last week, this time thankfully without making a spectacle at home. Those who remember the not-so-distant past, when each session in Geneva coincided with an overpouring of pseudo-patriotism and paranoia in Colombo, and when State media unleashed venomous character assassinations of journalists and civil rights activists, this should come as a relief. more..

Oct 15 (CT) Supreme Court’s recent ruling stands as one of those rare moments when the Constitution truly breathes life into the promise it holds. Six Police officers were ordered to pay compensation from their personal funds for violating the Fundamental Rights of a bus operator, reminding us that the law, at its best, is meant to protect the powerless from the powerful. It is a ruling that affirms the spirit of our Constitution, proving that human rights are not ornamental clauses in a book, more..

Oct 14 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake emphasized that state officials have a vital responsibility as the key intermediary mechanism in ensuring that the benefits of govt development projects reach the people. Prez made these remarks while presiding over the Special District Coordination Committee (DCC) meeting held today at the main auditorium of the Ratnapura District Secretariat. During the meeting, detailed discussions were held on progress of development more..

Oct 14 (NW) Cabinet has approved the establishment of a National Operations Council to implement an urgent program titled Ratama Ekata – National Operation, aimed at eliminating the drug menace and rehabilitating those addicted to drugs through broad public participation. This proposal was presented to the Cabinet by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake and has received official approval. Govt states that the spread of dangerous drugs in the country has become a national crisis, more..

Oct 14 (CT) MP Dr Harsha de Silva has clarified that he holds no objection to changing the colour, name, or number of the 1990 Suwaseriya ambulance service, stating that his sole concern is the continued development and strengthening of the life-saving initiative. His comments follow recent remarks made by Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe, who stated that Suwaseriya is not Harsha de Silva’s more..

Oct 14 (NW) Cabinet has approved the temporary import of up to 520 metric tonnes of Ponni Samba rice per importer without permits, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. The decision comes amid a shortage of Keeri Samba rice in the local market, with vendors reportedly selling it above the govt’s control price. Ponni Samba GR 11, considered a close substitute, will be allowed for import to stabilize supply, Minister said. SL consumes approximately 2.46 million metric tonnes of rice annually, more..

Oct 14 (EN) Cabinet has approved the sale of foreign currency denominated bonds to local market. A survey had found that there was an appetite for around 100 million US dollars of bonds of less than 1 year to 3 years, he said. SL should structure longer term syndicated loans after appointing lead managers who will negotiate with other to structure a long term instrument to help settle some of the maturing debt, and make use to dollar savings in banks, analysts have said. more..

Oct 14 (AD) PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, who is in Beijing for the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women, met with Chinese Prez Xi Jinping on Tuesday. The meeting was held at the Great Hall in Beijing. Discussions between the two leaders focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation, advancing development partnerships under the Belt and Road Initiative, and deepening collaboration across multiple sectors. more..

Oct 14 (AD) The Colombo Magistrate’s Court has dismissed the anticipatory bail application filed by former Minister Manusha Nanayakkara, seeking release prior to a possible arrest by the Bribery Commission. Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama delivered the order, said Ada Derana reporter. Counsel appearing for Nanayakkara informed the court that the former minister will appear before the Bribery Commission tomorrow (15) to record a statement. more..

Oct 14 (NW) A total of 5.7 million persons have been inspected from 1st January to 13th Oct 2025, SL Police said. ASP F.U. Wootler said that inspections, including body checks and interrogations, were conducted during this period. He further said that 4802 wanted suspects were arrested during raids and special operations conducted daily, and that steps are being taken to initiate legal action against them. Police Spokesman further revealed that assets worth Rs. 730 million more..

Oct 14 (PTI) Indian High Commissioner to SL Santosh Jha met the ruling JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva to discuss recent developments in bilateral partnership and the potential of closer economic ties. High Commissioner Santosh Jha met JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva and discussed the recent developments in #IndiaSriLanka partnership, the Indian High Commission in Colombo posted on social media on Monday. The duo exchanged views on the limitless potential of more..

Oct 14 (ABC) A senior SL Buddhist monk has denied sexually assaulting six girls at a Melbourne temple and has pleaded not guilty at his County Court trial. The complainants, who are now in their 30s, allege Naotunne Vijitha targeted them when they attended the Dhamma Sarana temple in Melbourne's south-east between 1994 and 2002. Reverend Vijitha, who was the head monk at the temple, has pleaded not guilty to 9 charges of more..