Oct 27 (FT) SL’s export sector posted its highest-ever monthly performance in Sept 2026, with total earnings surpassing $ 1.69 billion and reflecting a 17.23% year-on-year (YoY) growth driven by strong merchandise shipments, despite the challenges faced by the tensions in Middle East and its direct impact on overall costs. Merchandise exports shipped in September were up 21.66% YoY to over $ 1.38 billion, though estimated more..

Oct 27 (AD) More than 10,000 individuals have been affected by the prevailing rainy weather conditions across the country. 10,545 people belonging to 2,736 families across 57 DS divisions in 12 districts have been affected. 182 affected individuals are currently being accommodated at four safety centers. “Considering the districts, 10,545 people have been reported affected by the rainy conditions that began on Oct 23 in Ampara, Colombo, Gampaha, Jaffna, Kalutara, Kandy, more..

Oct 27 (DN) Heavy rainfall between 100 mm and 150 mm is expected across most provinces today and tomorrow as Cyclonic Storm Arnab intensifies in the Bay of Bengal, Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekara stated yesterday. He said there is no direct impact on SL, but the public should remain vigilant without being unnecessarily alarmed. Intermittent rain or thundershowers may occur in the Northern, Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, North Western, Central & North Central Provinces more..

Oct 27 (TM) SL is bracing for several days of heavy rain, strong winds and possible flooding as Cyclone Arnab continues to intensify over the Bay of Bengal, even though the storm itself is not expected to directly affect the island, officials said yesterday. The cyclonic storm, which formed over the east-central and adjoining south-east Bay of Bengal yesterday, approximately 1,100 km north-east of Kankesanthurai, after moving more..

Oct 27 (DM) Indian Minister of Culture has shared a special message from Ven. Borelle Seeladassana of Sri Lanka’s Sihanada Int'l Meditation Community, praising PM Narendra Modi’s leadership and India’s efforts to preserve and promote Buddhism worldwide. In a post on X marking Abhidhamma Day, minister highlighted the monk’s message appreciating India’s initiatives to strengthen the global Buddhist community through spiritual diplomacy, sharing of sacred Buddha relics more..

Oct 27 (DN) Sri Lanka’s rising table tennis star, Taavi Samaraweera, has continued his superb form to secure yet another gold medal on the international stage, triumphing at the WTT Youth Contender tournament held in Lignano, Italy, from October 21 to 24. The 11-year-old S. Thomas Mt Lavinia paddler produced an outstanding performance in the Under-11 Boys’ Singles final, defeating his opponent Chang Shang from Hong Kong, China, in a convincing 3–0 victory to claim the gold medal. more..

Oct 27 (FT) A bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justices Mahinda Samayawardhena, Dr. Sobhitha Rajakaruna, and K.M.G.H. Kulatunga delivered judgement overturning an order of the Commercial High Court on 21 October, by which the Commercial High Court had dismissed an action at the pre-trial stage on the basis that there was insufficient evidence to establish the claim to satisfy the minimum monetary threshold of the Commercial High Court to hear a case. more..

Oct 27 (FT) The Organisation of Professional Associations of SL (OPA) presented its proposals and recommendations for the Budget 2027 to Treasury Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma at a meeting held on 6 Oct. Proposals represent the collective voice and professional expertise of the OPA’s 52 member associations, bringing together knowledge and perspectives from across SL’s professional community. Initiative was undertaken through National Issues Committee (NIC), more..

Oct 27 (Island) A special investigation has been ordered to identify officials allegedly responsible for deliberately delaying the submission of documents required to secure Japanese assistance to arrest and extradite alleged organised crime figure and drug trafficker Prashith Dinuka, alias Dippitigoda Lahiru (31). Lahiru, who operated from Dubai, moved to Japan, while SL drug trafficker Chaminda Dilruk, alias Parevi Suda, who allegedly more..

Oct 27 (NW) ACMC leader Rishad Bathiudeen has expressed disappointment over the recent political direction of the SJB, warning Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa against abandoning the principles on which their political alliance was built. “We are not slaves of the SJB. The SJB is a political party, and we are partners in that alliance,” Bathiudeen said. He said his party had worked tirelessly to support Premadasa during two prez elections, with supporters spending millions of rupees and more..

Oct 27 (FT) Nepalese business leader and investor Binod Chaudhary is looking to further expand his investment footprint in Sri Lanka, building on his group’s existing interests in the country, including its investment in Union Bank and its presence in the hospitality sector. Chaudhary, Chairman of the Chaudhary Group, has indicated continued confidence in Sri Lanka’s long-term economic potential and is exploring opportunities to increase investments across key sectors, with more..

Oct 27 (DM) Jetstar has captured nearly a fifth of Australia’s tourist traffic to Sri Lanka in its first full month on the Melbourne-Colombo route, absorbing the bulk of the market’s growth while SriLankan Airlines, despite adding flights, carried roughly the same number of Australian tourists, as per SLTDA data. Airlines outside SLTDA’s list of named carriers accounted for 18.78% of the 10,951 Australian tourists who arrived in September, up from just 0.92% in July. more..

Oct 27 (FT) Japan has pledged over Rs. 600 million for a five-year project to monitor and improve water quality in the Kelani River basin, with the first consignment of water testing equipment handed over to Environment Minister Dr. Dammika Patabendi yesterday. Implemented through the JICA and JST under the SATREPS program, the 2026-2030 project will set up a basin-wide monitoring network and an aquatic environment data platform to collect and analyse water quality information, more..

Oct 27 (ST) More than 85 govt websites and applications in Sri Lanka are running PHP versions affected by the PHP2Shell vulnerabilities, with GovTech saying 40 had been patched by yesterday (24). PHP is a computer language used to create websites and applications. The security flaws affect PHP versions released over more than 10 years. Security researchers at Wiz and Calif used artificial intelligence tools to help more..

Oct 27 (Island) Sri Lanka must turn its strategic position in the Indian Ocean into economic freedom, investment opportunities and greater diplomatic influence while safeguarding its sovereignty, Professor Patrick Mendis said following a conference in Stockholm. SL-born American scholar-diplomat said the Mahaweli Doctrine offered a framework for navigating intensifying major-power competition while ensuring international partnerships strengthened SL’s ability to determine more..

Oct 27 (TM) Govt is adopting a three-month-ahead forecasting approach to respond to ongoing global uncertainty and energy price shocks, with the aim of maintaining its growth trajectory and export orientation, Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe said. “Basically we will have to keep a watch. So now as a Govt what we are doing is forecasting three months ahead and trying to ensure that we won’t drop our ball on growth trajectory that we are in and also our export orientation” more..

Oct 27 (ST) At least two investigations are ongoing into a possible serious cybersecurity breach at SriLankan Airlines earlier this year and why the incident wasn’t immediately reported to Civil Aviation Authority (CAASL), Deputy Minister Janith Kodituwakku said. MP Dayasiri Jayasekera claimed that the airline’s software and email systems had been compromised and that the hackers had posted a responsibility claim more..

Oct 27 (FT) Bank of Ceylon (BOC), SL’s leading state-owned commercial bank, is set to create another milestone in the country’s capital market with the launch of SL’s largest-ever listed debenture issue, with a maximum issue size of Rs. 30 billion. The bank proposes to initially raise Rs. 10 billion, with an option to increase the issue to Rs. 20 billion in the event of an oversubscription of the initial tranche and a further option to increase the total issue size up to Rs. 30 billion, more..

Oct 27 (CI) Tuesday's face-off between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Lahore is a rare occurrence: it is not often that two sides so defined by chaos and inconsistency peak simultaneously - at least not in a positive direction - and yet, following their respective fate-defying triumphs over England, a genuinely intriguing encounter packed with subplots is upon us. SL arrive in Lahore - home to their finest night ever - hoping to perhaps summon the spirit that evening in 1996 to build on Thursday's more..

Oct 27 (DN) Pakistan U-17 cricket team continued their all-round performance when they recorded a 27-run win in the fifth One-Day match against Sri Lanka U-17 to take the five-match 50-over series 4-1 at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Saturday. Pakistan’s Mohammad Yousaf continued his batting form in the series with his second century which propelled the hosts to 283-7 in 50 overs. In reply, SL U-17 finished with 256-7 in their 50 overs after struggling at 141- for 6 wickets. more..

Oct 27 (FT) Sumathi Holdings marked its 70th anniversary on 9 October, with a celebration at the Sangam Ballroom of ITC Ratnadipa, Colombo, attended by over 500 guests from Sri Lanka’s business, govt, financial and media communities. Held under the theme 70 Years of Sumathi Legacy, the evening looked back to 1956, when founder Mr. U.W. Sumathipala opened Sporting Star’s first betting shop on Maliban Street, Pettah – the business from which the Group grew. more..

Oct 27 (DN) Diplomatic Corps accredited to SL commemorated International Diplomat Day 2026 at the Indonesia’s Embassy in Colombo on Saturday (24). The event brought together more than 150 participants representing over 21 diplomatic missions, UN, and SL’s Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Ministry, along with family members and other guests. The gathering reflected diplomatic community’s more..

Oct 27 (Island) Chemmani mass grave site has today become a focus of public concern in the North and a challenge to the govt’s credibility among the Tamil people. After months of excavation and the recovery of more than 580 human skeletons, a report by SL’s leading forensic archaeologist, Prof Raj Somadeva, has concluded that the site bears greater similarities to a formal burial ground than to clandestine burial sites with signs of criminal activity and non-conventional burial. more..

Oct 27 (ST) Two key bills to amend the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance were passed in Parliament on Thursday. The main purpose of the two bills, according to the Govt, is to enable authorities to more efficiently combat drug trafficking while also protecting the human rights of suspects arrested on charges of drug possession. They were passed with amendments and without a vote. Opposition MPs, though, questioned whether the govt had a coherent strategy to control more..

Oct 27 (SO) The controversy surrounding Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera emerged as one of the most contentious political issues in SL last week. In an unusual turn of events, figures from across the political spectrum rallied around what they described as the right to the robe. From Ven. Balangoda Kassapa Thera to Wimal Weerawansa, from Rajitha Senaratne to Lakshman Kiriella, and from Ven. Samantabhadra Thera to Sajith Premadasa, an array of voices converged on more..

Oct 27 (Island) Former Minister A.H.M. Fowzie has published an apology in a govt-controlled newspaper for having misused a state vehicle while in power. He has done so in compliance with a Supreme Court (SC) order. The case concerned an SUV donated by the Netherlands for disaster-management activities. Fowzie used the vehicle for personal purposes, and state funds were spent on its maintenance while he was Minister of Disaster Management. SC also ordered him to pay Rs. 6.6 million to more..

Oct 27 (SO) Sri Lanka’s economic difficulties are pushing more people towards investment schemes promising attractive returns, but the desire to make money quickly could leave unsuspecting investors facing financial ruin, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Siri Hettige said. “Due to the economic problems currently facing the country, more people are turning to such activities,” Prof. Hettige said, highlighting more..

Oct 27 (TM) When the US ordered its own diplomats and their families out of a country, it was acting on intelligence the rest of the world did not see. Last week, Washington ordered non-emergency govt staff & their families to leave Saudi Arabia, citing Houthi attacks on civilian airports and critical infrastructure. Meanwhile, India is working to bring home some 3,000 Umrah pilgrims. SL’s response, however, as we reported on Sunday, is simply that no Sri Lankan has been reported affected. more..

Oct 27 (DM) Sri Lanka has won many battles throughout its history, but one of its biggest challenges remains defeating the racism that has divided its people. Education Ministry’s proposed introduction of Social Harmony as a subject for senior students in state schools, with the subject becoming compulsory for A/L students, offers an opportunity to address this problem at its roots. Under the leadership of PM Harini Amarasuriya, this is a welcome initiative that could help shape more..

Oct 27 (SO) For 421 people in SL prisons, an unpaid fine of between Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 15,000 stands between them and freedom. They are among 1,454 prisoners currently behind bars because they cannot settle court-imposed fines, according to Minister Harshana Nanayakkara. The figures bring into focus the link between poverty and imprisonment, raising questions about the consequences of financial hardship in more..

Oct 27 (GV) Prevention of Organised Crimes Bill gazetted on October 6 proposes a new legal framework to combat organised criminal groups by implementing the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime and strengthening law enforcement powers in investigation, detention and prosecution. Bill contains several positive safeguards that we were not seen in some earlier security legislation, including requirements to notify relatives of detained persons, access to more..

Oct 27 (DM) On 10th Aug 1950, a young wild bull at Panamure broke through one-inch wire ropes, and when the gate of the kraal was finally opened for him, he ran out towards the forest, stopped, and turned back to rejoin his herd. He could have escaped alone. He chose not to. Within hours he was dead, shot in front of several hundred people. Few Sri Lankans today know his story. Yet in his time that single rifle shot echoed around the world. Seventy-five years later, shooting of Tusker more..