Oct 24 (DN) SL Women’s cricket team will look to end their World Cup campaign on a high note when they face Pakistan in their final group-stage match, scheduled to be played today at the R. Premadasa Stadium, commencing at 3 p.m. However, once again, the weather could play a decisive role. This match holds significant importance for the SL side, who are still mathematically in contention for a semifinal berth, while Pakistan have already been eliminated following a disappointing run more..

Oct 24 (NW) Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation, Anura Karunathilake, will visit India from Oct 27 to 28, to take part in the Indian Maritime Week 2025 in Mumbai. The event, organized by India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, will be held at the Bombay Exhibition Center and is expected to bring together global maritime leaders, industry representatives, and policymakers to discuss advancements in port infrastructure, logistics, and sustainable maritime development. more..

Oct 24 (TM) Committee for Protecting the Rights of Prisoners (CPRP) organisation said that the Justice Ministry should initiate an inquiry into the recent statement made by Prisons Commissioner Jagath Weerasinghe, in which he called for the implementation of the death penalty against large-scale drug traffickers. CPRP President, attorney Senaka Perera said that a Prisons Commissioner is not in a position to express more..

Oct 24 (ST) Despite protests by residents of Ariyalai, Jaffna, against the setting up of a solid waste plant, the local government body, Nallur Pradeshiya Sabha, continues to dump garbage on the proposed site, residents allege. Located in the suburbs of Jaffna along the A9 road, the village is a fertile land with hundreds of acres of paddy and a protected environmental site where mangrove patches can be seen across the villages. Seasonal migratory birds also pass the location annually. more..

Oct 24 (ST) CID is trying to figure out the ownership of the two-storey building located within the Menik Ganga reservation in Monaragala. The building is reportedly in the name of a G. Rajapaksa–and former prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa has denied ownership. The investigation comes amid long-standing questions over how such a large structure was built in an environmentally sensitive zone. The construction, which began in 2007, drew the attention of multiple state agencies after more..

Oct 24 (FT) SL’s export sector continues to demonstrate resilience and steady growth during the period of January to Sept of 2025, recording total earnings of nearly $ 13 billion, up 7% from a year ago. In Sept 2025 alone, total exports, comprising both merchandise and services reached to $ 1.47 billion, a 12.33% growth from a year earlier. This performance highlights the strength of SL’s export sector and the effectiveness of more..

Oct 24 (AD) Eight suspects, including a woman, have been arrested for allegedly attempting to steal over Rs. 20 million belonging to a private institution in Pettah by staging a fake robbery while an employee was transporting the money to a bank. The suspects were apprehended during a raid carried out by the Kelaniya Divisional Crime Investigations Unit, police said. Officers from the Kelaniya Divisional Crime Prevention Bureau had inspected a suspicious three-wheeler in more..

Oct 24 (TM) The illegally acquired assets valued at around Rs. 50 million, allegedly belonging to the organised crime suspect Pindinu Perera, also known as Kehelbaddara Padme, who was recently arrested in Indonesia, have been seized by the Police Illegal Assets Investigation Division. Accordingly, investigations have revealed that Perera had purchased several properties using proceeds from organised crime and drug trafficking. In order to prevent the sale, transfer, or disposal of more..

Oct 24 (FT) Dutch Trails, a homegrown travel company redefining eco-conscious tourism in SL, has been recognised at the Presidential Environment Awards 2025, presented by the Environment Ministry and the Central Environmental Authority (CEA). The accolade acknowledges Dutch Trails’ exceptional contribution towards sustainable tourism, environmental conservation, and community development. The awards ceremony yesterday at the BMICH, was graced by Prez Anura more..

Oct 24 (FT) Virtusa Corporation, in partnership with CFC, a pioneer in insurance solutions for emerging risk and market leader in cyber, yesterday opened the doors to CFC’s 200-seat digital services hub in Colombo. The opening ceremony was attended by senior leadership from CFC and Virtusa including CFC Chief Operations Officer Matthew Glenville, Virtusa Corporation COO Venkatesan Vijayaraghavan, Managing Director – UK and Ireland Atul Gupta, and Senior Vice Presidents and more..

Oct 24 (FT) With SL grappling with an alarming rise in drug-related crimes and the growing influence of organised underworld networks, legal expert & former Human Rights Commissioner Prof. Prathiba Mahanamahewa has urged the Govt to consider reintroducing the death penalty on a temporary basis especially for notorious drug traffickers. He emphasised that if the Govt intended to control existing scale of drug menace, more..

Oct 24 (Island) A deceptive lull in underworld killings prompted the govt to brag that the ongoing crime-busting ops had yielded the desired results, and the Opposition, which kept a daily tab on shootings across the country, had been left red-faced. But it was shattered by a high-profile killing on Wednesday. Chairman of the Weligama PS Lasantha Wickremesekera (SJB) was shot dead inside his office in the PS building itself. The unidentified killer and his accomplice more..

Oct 24 (SO) Sri Lankans are not strangers to medical misinformation. Over the years, a number of shamans, indigenous doctors and Western physicians have come up with various products and therapies for diseases ranging from Covid-19 to cancer. A common feature of such individuals is that their product is plant based and for many Sri Lankans plant based is equivalent to safety and less harmful side effects. In recent weeks, wide publicity has been given to a nutraceutical product more..

Oct 24 (Island) We have come a long way as a nation. Once, the person regarded as the Father of the Nation D.S. Senanayake in 1944, stated that one critical measure of development must be the larder of the poorest of our households. Today, the measure has changed, now it is the buffet tables of the grand hotels that signify our state of development. Time of transition from social wealth passed onto capital wealth as a national goal, was rapid, it was brought about by changing more..

Oct 24 (CT) Cabinet has given the nod to the proposal to hold a Sri Lankan Day in December. Accordingly, a three-day programme will be held to promote unity and harmony among communities and the celebrations will see the participation and inclusion of all ethnicities, religions and regions of the country. Although the celebrations ring a bell of ethnicities and religions, supported further by the selection of the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious & Cultural Affairs to organise the event, more..

Oct 24 (CT) As Sri Lanka prepares for the next round of the European Union’s GSP+ review, key developments in trade, human rights, and governance are coming into sharp focus. Since 2017, GSP+ framework has been crucial in granting SL preferential access to the European market, particularly for textiles, rubber, spices, tea, and shrimp. This access, which reduces tariffs and enhances competitiveness, has supported more..

Oct 24 (CT) Democracy is not a spectator sport. It is hard work: Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya said as much, addressing students at her alma mater, Hindu College, New Delhi, during her maiden visit to India after assuming office two years back. In a way, it was an acknowledgement of the democratisation of her ruling NPP’s main JVP partner’s wholesale transformation from being a much-feared militant / terror group before her time. It was also Amarasuriya’s possible attestation of the more..

Oct 24 (DM) The divide between the rich and the poor has always been there in the United States, but it has become pronounced in recent months, say Ben Casselman and Colby Smith in a recent piece in The New York Times. “Wealthier Americans, buoyed by a stock market that keeps setting records, have continued to spend freely. Lower-income households — stung by persistent inflation and navigating a labour market that is losing momentum — are pulling back,” they say. more..

Oct 24 (TM) “If we embrace digitalisation and make it a practical reality, we can progress alongside developed nations. If not, we will be pushed further down,” President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said in September, emphasising this Govt’s intentions of a digitised Sri Lanka. However, less than a month later, a host of key Govt websites and portals abruptly went offline, leaving thousands stranded unable to obtain critical e-services. more..

Oct 24 (TM) The fatal shooting of Weligama PS Chairperson Lasantha Wickramasekara inside his own office by two unidentified gunmen is far more than just another underworld-style killing. It is a reminder that violence and institutional complacency continue to affect Sri Lanka’s governance structure. Many feel the Govt’s response to the killing was questionable. Minister Ananda Wijepala stated in Parliament that the murder was the result of a conflict among criminals. more..

Oct 24 (DM) The daylight murder of the Welgama PS Chairman sent shockwaves across the country, not merely because a local politician was slain, but because it revealed — once again — the frightening extent to which the rule of law has eroded in SL. It was not just a criminal act; it was a public execution that symbolised the growing collapse of order in our society. The Chairman, despite facing various allegations and being the subject of sustained social media criticism, more..

Oct 23 (LBO) The High Commission of Canada in SL, in collaboration with The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, is pleased to announce the visit of a Canadian Agricultural Mission to SL from Oct 27–31. The five-day mission aims to deepen bilateral cooperation in agriculture, agri-food, and agri-tech. Focusing on agricultural policy, productivity, smart agriculture, and climate resilience, the mission will bring together industry representatives, policymakers, academics & govt officials. more..

Oct 23 (EN) SL’s widening credit gap in the private sector signals potential systemic risks that require close monitoring, Central Bank said in its 2025 Financial Stability Review. The private sector credit has grown significantly amid a strong economic recovery after the 2022 unprecedented debt crisis with sovereign debt default. CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said there is no concern over the private sector credit growth, given the decline in public sector credit has led to increase more..

Oct 23 (DM) Commissioner of Prisons and Media Spokesman Jagath Weerasinghe stressed that drug traffickers sentenced to death should be hanged. During the 435th lecture in a programme implemented by him to create public awareness in Nawalapitiya he said that the prisons in the country have accommodation for only 10500 detainees but the number of detainees already in prisons had increased to more than 36000. more..

Oct 23 (Island) President’s Counsel Ali Sabry has told the Court of Appeal that two respondents in a petition filed by Col. Kelum Maddumage to prevent his arrest in connection with the ongoing 2019 Easter Sunday carnage investigation––namely, Public Security Ministry Secretary Ravi Seneviratne (retired SDIG) and retired CID Director Shani Abeysekara–– had previously filed fundamental rights petitions in the Supreme Court to prevent their own arrests over the same attacks. more..

Oct 23 (DM) India’s next Chief Justice of India (CJI), Justice Surya Kant, has called for strengthened collaboration between India and Sri Lanka to safeguard the Indian Ocean, emphasising that environmental cooperation is not a matter of charity or diplomacy but a necessity for survival. Addressing an event at the University of Colombo during his three-day visit to Sri Lanka, Justice Kant highlighted the historical significance of the seas between India and Sri Lanka, noting that more..

Oct 23 (NF) The investigation into the assassination of Weligama PS Chairman Lasantha Wickramasekara is uncovering significant links to organized criminal networks. Police have launched a large-scale operation to identify and apprehend the suspects, with CCTV footage currently under analysis to trace their movements. The gunman fled the scene on a motorcycle accompanied by another individual. more..

Oct 23 (DN) “Road accidents claim more lives each day than the country lost during the war. Through vigilance, many of these tragedies can be prevented,” said Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways, Dr. Prasanna Gunasena. Speaking at a ceremony held today at the Highways Ministry Auditorium in Koswatta, Battaramulla, Dr. Gunasena highlighted the rising number of accidents in the mountainous areas of the Central, Sabaragamuwa, and Uva provinces. more..

Oct 23 (CT) While trade unions in the State health sector recently accused the Govt of conspiring to sell the Thriposha Company, Medical and Civil Rights Professional Association of Doctors (MCPA) said the Govt should clarify on what basis the Company, previously under the Ministry of Health, had been removed from its control and placed under Ministry of Trade. MCPA President, Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, lamented that the Thriposha Company, which had until recently operated under min. of health more..

Oct 23 (AD) A total of 826 individuals are on death row at present, Commissioner of Prisons Jagath Weerasinghe stated. Addressing a ceremony held in Nawalapitiya, he noted that among the 805, there are five school students who have been sentenced to death while 21 women are also on death row, at present. Prison Media Spokesman stated that large-scale drug traffickers should be sentenced to death. He pointed out that drugs are destroying the future generations of the country. more..

Oct 23 (NF) Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne declared that no data was compromised during the unexpected collapse of the Lanka Govt Cloud (LGC) on October 14, 2025. “All sensitive citizen and govt data remains fully intact and uncompromised,” Minister stated. “National Cyber Security Operations Centre (NCSOC) monitored the incident in real-time, and no unauthorized access or breach attempts were detected.” Statement came in response to a series of probing questions from MP more..