Oct 1 (DM) Despite the lapse of nine months since the signing of the MoU, the govt is yet to finalise the proposed US $3.7 billion investment by China’s Sinopec for a refinery facility in Hambantota. Deal was inked during Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s visit to China earlier this year. However, the project’s implementation has stalled, with the company seeking amendments to the original tender terms, including more..

Oct 1 (AD) A stock of weapons including 74 T-56 magazines, 35 LMG drums, 5 MPMG drum boxes, and several unidentified magazines has been discovered in the Kataragama Weheragala Reservoir. Additionally, two boxes suspected to contain explosives and two sacks suspected to contain weapons were also reportedly found at the location. The discovery was made following an investigation based on intelligence received by the military. The cache of military equipment more..

Oct 1 (CT) A programme to pay tribute to Punchage Kalu Menika of Rambewa, who is celebrating her 113th birthday and has become the second oldest person in the country, was held recently. Punchage Kalu Menika, who lives in the Sangili Kanadarawa area, 106 Grama Niladhari Division, Rambewa DS Division, Anuradhapura, was honoured as the second oldest person in a programme paying tribute to the oldest mother and father in the country. This coincides with the International Day of more..

Oct 1 (EN) Revenue collected by SL Customs jumped around 37% in September compared to the monthly target. SL Customs has set a revenue target of 2,115 billion rupees for this year, 36.2% higher than last year’s 1,553 million rupees. The monthly target for September this year was 185 billion rupees, but the govt has achieved 253.2 billion rupees. The Customs has achieved 1,724 billion in revenue during first 9 months more..

Oct 1 (AD) A revised indictment was served before the Colombo High Court today against former Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, his wife, and six other defendants. The charges were filed in relation to the misuse of over Rs. 6.1 million in govt funds from the state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, allegedly spent illegally under the pretext of providing flood relief in Dec 2014. The revised indictment, filed by the Attorney General, was formally submitted before Colombo HC more..

Oct 1 (DM) Crimes like the murder of Wasim Thajudeen were not committed by Siripala or Gnanaratnam in the village, but by rulers who governed the country, Minister Bimal Ratnayake said today. He said that the law will be implemented against those invloved in the crimes acccording to the investigations, whether they are political activists or not. Responding to a question whether action will be taken against the politicians who are said have been involved in the murder of Thajudeen, more..

Oct 1 (AD) Supreme Court has been informed that a gazette notification is expected to be issued by Nov 1, making it mandatory to charge a fee for plastic shopping bags, so they can no longer be given free of charge by traders. Announcement by Minister of Environment and other respondents during the hearing of a fundamental rights petition filed by Centre for Environmental Justice, which requested a court order to implement a program to reduce the use of polythene due to the environmental more..

Oct 1 (EN) Sri Lanka gross forex earnings from exports, remittances and services totalled US$ 1,521 million in August 2025, central bank data show, exceeding imports by US$ 824 million. Export earnings were US$ 1,282 million, remittances (labour exports) were US$ 680.3 million and gross services income was US$ 557 million. Of that US$ 258 million were estimated to have come from tourism, and US$ 71.8 million from computer and IT services. Travel abroad was US$ 75.3 million. more..

Oct 1 (TM) Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage said that he has temporarily suspended 10 sports federations as those helming those associations had been unable to govern their institutions, in keeping with the provisions of their respective constitutions. Minister stated that there has been a welter of allegations levelled at 10 sports federations prompting his immediate intervention. “There have been a litany of allegations more..

Oct 1 (CT) Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga Bodaragama, yesterday, ordered that two suspects, who functioned as directors of Singha Finance and Nation Lanka Finance, be further remanded until 14 October in connection with a massive financial fraud involving over Rs 9 billion collected from more than 1,000 depositors. FCID, submitting a further report, revealed that Rs 8 billion belonging to depositors of Nation Lanka Finance had been transferred to Singha Capital without the consent of more..

Oct 1 (NW) A new 3-storey medical ward complex built at a cost of Rs. 1 billion was declared open at the Darga Town District Hospital under the patronage of Minister Nalinda Jayatissa. The project was implemented under Chinese govt assistance to upgrade 13 selected hospitals. The new facility consists of a 96-bed maternal and pediatric ward, a four-bed intensive care unit, general wards, and an outpatient department. Health Ministry has also allocated Rs. 50 million to provide essential more..

Oct 1 (DM) The father of an eight-year-old boy has lodged a complaint against the Colombo Swimming Club, alleging negligence after his son fell into the pool and suffered brain damage. The father, Prasad Panagoda, told the Daily Mirror that the club had failed to provide any details regarding the incident. “The doctors asked us for information such as how long it took to provide oxygen to my son and when the ambulance arrived. more..

Oct 1 (NW) SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa has called for an unbiased investigation into the death of the late ruggerite Wasim Thajudeen. MP Namal Rajapaksa urged the authorities to find information on all related details. Commenting on the identification of an individual by his widow in connection with the case, MP Rajapaksa said the authorities must ascertain where he was residing and with whom, and those he had associated with. “Without attempting to create a buzz in their more..

Oct 1 (PMD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake returned to Sri Lanka this morning after successfully completing a three-day official visit to Japan, undertaken at the invitation of the Japanese Govt. Prez commenced his visit on Sept 27 and served as the Chief Guest at the Sri Lanka Day celebrations held at the Expo 2025 exhibition in Osaka. During the visit, Prez Dissanayake engaged in a series of high-level bilateral discussions aimed at further strengthening the longstanding friendship more..

Oct 1 (FT) The varied public response to recent incidents ranging from the arrest of Ranil Wickremesinghe, former president and prominent politician of Sri Lanka to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, American right-wing political activist, evidence that our assessment of, and response to, events are primarily based on our like or dislike of the individual, or individuals, involved rather than on an objective and unemotional interpretation of the underlying facts. When we base our opinions more..

Oct 1 (FT) Gotabaya Rajapaksa, former President of SL, son of D.A. Rajapaksa, was born in June 1949, Palatuwa in Matara district as the fifth of nine siblings. He was brought up in Weeraketiya in Hambantota district. Hailing from a well-known political family, his father a prominent politician, MP and Cabinet Minister of Agriculture and Land in Wijayananda Dahanayake govt and Mahinda Rajapaksa his elder brother. He was educated at Ananda College, Colombo & joined SL Army. more..

Oct 1 (TM) Court of Appeal (CA) yesterday ordered the Customs to investigate and report to Court by 10 October as to whether the vehicles currently being detained by the Customs can be released on a corporate or personal bond. This directive was issued during the hearing of approximately 15 writ petitions filed by vehicle importers seeking an order to release vehicles currently held by the Customs. more..

Oct 1 (DM) Jaffna District MP Ramanathan Archuna caused a stir today, saying, “You can call me an idiot, but at least I am not gay.” He alleged that “lesbians, gays and bisexuals are within the govt. Should I spell it out? They are the ones promoting lesbians. Should I name those who are encouraging the lesbian business after visiting the US?” Referring to the release of controversial containers, he added, “Those involved may have feelings toward the men sitting next to them, but I don’t. more..

Oct 1 (TM) The issuance of travel tickets to private bus passengers will be mandatory from today, the Road Passenger Transport Authority of the Western Province (WP) has announced. The authority noted that starting from today, passengers travelling in buses without a valid ticket will be fined. The Operations Manager of the authority Jeevinda Keerthirathna emphasised that conductors who fail to issue tickets will also be fined. Accordingly, Keerthirathna stated that from today, more..

Oct 1 (AD) Chief Prelates of all three Buddhist Chapters emphasized that proposed amendments to the Penal Code introducing an offence for corporal punishment, as well as govt initiatives to promote tourism through LGBTQ-related activities, could undermine cultural values and give rise to serious social catastrophes. These observations have been made in a joint letter to the Prez, issued with the signatures of the Most Venerable more..

Oct 1 (AD) PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya says that the govt is committed to creating a safe, supportive, and child-friendly environment while protecting children from abuse, labour, and stress, and ensuring their growth with dignity and knowledge. “Children are the lifeline of a nation. It is our responsibility to build a fostering childhood for them,” she said in a message on World Children’s Day, under the theme Nurture with Love – to lead the World. In her message she also highlighted the govt’s dedication more..

Oct 1 (NW) Sri Lanka has entered the Guinness World Records after the New Vithanakande Tea Factory achieved recognition for producing the world’s most expensive tea. The factory secured the record with its premium Ceylon Black Tea (FFExSp), which was sold in Japan for Rs. 252,500 per kilogram (approximately ¥125,000). Industry officials said the achievement highlights the global demand for high-quality Ceylon tea and strengthens SL’s position in the luxury tea market. more..

Oct 1 (Island) Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanka S. Bodaragama yesterday (30) refrained from issuing an order in respect of a request by the Cinnamon Gardens police to prevent a protest march by the Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) from the Colombo University to the University Grants Commission (UGC) in support of the one-day strike launched by the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) demanding the government to solve their grievances urgently. more..

Oct 1 (AD) The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (Ceypetco) has announced a revision of fuel prices effective from midnight today (30). According to the announcement, the price of Auto Diesel will be reduced by Rs. 6 to Rs. 277 per litre, and Petrol 95 Octane will be reduced by Rs. 6 to Rs. 335 per litre. Kerosene will be reduced by Rs. 5 to Rs. 180 per litre. Meanwhile, there will be no change in the prices of Petrol 92 Octane and Super Diesel. The revised rates are as follows: more..

Oct 1 (CT) Amidst the ongoing tussle between the CEB Trade Unions and the Ministry of Power and Energy over the new reforms that led to the sick note campaign and work-to-rule protests, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has stepped in to facilitate discussions between the CEB and trade unions over concerns related to ongoing reform measures. ILO Country Director for SL, Joni Simpson, wrote to the Secretary to more..

Oct 1 (Island) Thrower Rumesh Tharanga continued the great form he showcased at the recent World Championship to win more accolades as he excelled with another record-breaking performance at the Defence Services Athletic Championship concluded on Tuesday. Tharanga’s record breaking throw of 85.52 metres on day one of the meet made him the sole contender for the best athlete title of the two-day meet and it remained the same by the end of the individual events on the final day yesterday. more..

Oct 1 (DN) SL women’s Under -19 team led by Manudi Nanayakkara finished off a memorable series with a resounding 5-0 clean sweep over Australia Under-19 women, following a comfortable six-wicket win with 15 balls to spare in the fifth and final T-20 at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium yesterday. SL Youth team chasing a target of 115 lost their inform opener Sanjana Kavindi for a duck in first over to a spectacular catch by Emily Powell off the bowling of Shiloh Julion but more..

Oct 1 (FT) Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has announced a major overhaul of SL’s VAT refund system, replacing the Simplified Value Added Tax (SVAT) scheme with a risk-based refund mechanism effective today. The IRD stated that the new mechanism aims to facilitate faster and more efficient VAT refunds for eligible exporters and projects while reducing opportunities for fraud and errors. Under the new system, refunds will generally be issued within 45 days of submitting more..

Oct 1 (FT) At the landmark 50th AGM of the Travel Agents Association of SL (TAASL), held on 9 September aboard the Genting Dream Cruise, history was made when Delair Travels of Delmege Group Chief Operating Officer Sonali Ranasinghe, was appointed as the first female President of TAASL. This milestone is a moment of immense pride for the Delmege Group, which is celebrating 175 years of business excellence in 2025. It reflects Group’s ongoing commitment to investing more..

Oct 1 (ST) Opposition politicians are renewing their demand for the release of the forensic report on the e-visa contracts. This follows Supreme Court ruling that sentenced former Controller General of Immigration and Emigration Harsha Ilukpitiya to two years in prison for contempt of court after he failed to arry out the court’s order to restore the old system until the court ruled on the petitions filed against the new system. more..

Oct 1 (FT) John Keells CG Auto (JKCG) issued a further update to its customers and stakeholders on the ongoing proceedings before the Court of Appeal regarding certain consignments of BYD vehicles detained by SL Customs and other related developments. Full statement: While we have sought interim relief from the Courts to obtain the release of our electric vehicles (EV), we continue to engage with the SL Customs to clear shipments of the remaining vehicles which continue to be more..

Oct 1 (DM) The construction sector appears to have gotten a new life line from the resumption of the stalled projects and the availability of new ones as industry stakeholders expressed confidence for the sector in the period ahead. Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for the sector recorded an index value of 61.1 for August, slightly higher than the 60.0 in July, signalling expansion in the activity at a slightly faster level. This was the highest from over a year as the last time the sector had a higher index value more..