Oct 16 (AD) PM Harini Amarasuriya presented the revised National Curriculum Framework, issued by the National Institute of Education under the new education reforms, to the Chief Prelate of the Asgiri Chapter, Most Venerable Warakagoda Gnanarathana Thero, and the Anunayake of the Asgiri Chapter, Most Venerable Narampanawa Ananda Thero, at the Asgiri Maha Viharaya. PM also briefed the prelates on the revised framework, according to the PM’s Media Division. more..

Oct 16 (NW) Sri Lanka has sought European Union (EU) investments to strengthen its small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), startup ecosystem and export-oriented industries under the EU’s Global Gateway investment initiative. The proposal was discussed during a meeting held on Thursday (15) between Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Chathuranga Abeysinghe and visiting European Commission official Pēteris Ustubs, Director for more..

Oct 16 (DM) Fort Magistrate issued an order against 54 individuals, including Venerable Ulapane Sumangala Thera and 29 other Buddhist monks, former Minister Udaya Gammanpila and 10 other politicians, along with 18 civil society representatives, preventing them from remaining in the area surrounding the Presidential Secretariat. Colombo Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasena today issued an order prohibiting more..

Oct 16 (NW) The govt is prepared to allocate all necessary funds for the construction of high-quality elephant fences, regardless of the cost, Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Govt Prof. Chandana Abeyratne has stated. Minister said protecting the lives and property of people affected by the human-elephant conflict, while ensuring their ability to engage in farming activities and live without fear, remains a key responsibility of the govt. more..

Oct 16 (NW) The first cage fish farming project at the Yan Oya Reservoir has recorded a successful harvest, generating an income of nearly Rs. 700,000, according to the National Aquaculture Development Authority (NAQDA). The pilot project, implemented by NAQDA, recorded its first harvest on Thursday, producing a total of 1,202 kilograms of fish from 2,996 fish, with a reported income of Rs. 696,000. The fish were sold at a rate of Rs. 600 per kilogram, with Ceylon Fisheries Corp more..

Oct 16 (NW) A group of senior prison officials, including Commissioner of Prisons (Operations and Media) Senaka Palletenna, met with the Mahanayake Theras of the Asgiri and Malwathu Chapters in Kandy today. During the meeting at the Asgiri Maha Viharaya, Mahanayake of the Asgiri Chapter, Most Ven. Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Thera, called for the release of imprisoned Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara more..

Oct 16 (NW) Construction work on a new coastal recreational park in the Silavathurai–Arippu area of Mannar has commenced, with the project aimed at protecting the coastline, supporting the local fishing community and promoting tourism. The foundation stone for the project was laid yesterday (14) under the patronage of Deputy Minister Anton Jayakody. Project is being implemented as part of the Govt’s coastal conservation programme, which includes the development of recreational parks more..

Oct 16 (DM) Environmental degradation transcends national borders and requires effective international legal frameworks to ensure accountability for ecological destruction caused by multinational corporations, Attorney-at-Law Ravindranath Dabare has said. Speaking on behalf of the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ), Friends of the Earth International and the global campaign, Mr. Dabare stressed that environmental protection required stronger international mechanisms, more..

Oct 16 (NW) A group of Buddhist monks who were protesting outside the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo, demanding the release of Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, has arrived at the Ministry of Buddhasasana today. Ministry has provided an opportunity for discussions with the protesting monks, with four representatives participating in the meeting. The development comes after the monks removed temporary shelters erected near the Presidential Secretariat earlier today, more..

Oct 16 (DM) Sri Lankan businessman Dudley Sirisena has offered to cover all expenses involved in bringing specialist medical teams from Thailand and providing the necessary medicines to treat the ailing wild tusker Kavantissa. In a public appeal, Sirisena called on the authorities to take all possible measures to save the elephant, stressing that the Wildlife Department and veterinary teams currently attending to the animal might require additional specialist assistance. more..

Oct 16 (NW) Govt has launched a new official website to provide accurate information and address public inquiries regarding SL’s proposed education reforms. Reform Information & Enquiry Service (RIES) website, https://edureformfact.moe.gov.lk, was officially launched with the participation of PM Harini Amarasuriya. The launch took place during a programme held at Temple Trees yesterday more..

Oct 16 (EN) A delegation from Kurdistan Iraq visiting SL have discussed expanding trade beyond tea to other sectors. Team, who were in the country to participate in the SL Economic & Investment Summit 2026, expressed interest in exploring further business and investment opportunities, chamber said. “Discussions covered expanding trade beyond tea, SL’s traditional export to Iraq, with potential in food and beverages, agriculture, food manufacturing for export, higher education and tourism.” more..

Oct 16 (AD) US has announced a US$17 million grant to improve SL’s Maritime Single Window and Port Community System, aimed at strengthening digital infrastructure for maritime documentation, regulatory procedures and information exchange among port stakeholders. The announcement was made by U.S. Ambassador to SL Eric Stern Meyer during a visit to the Port of Colombo this morning, where he met with senior management of the SLPA, including Chair Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake. more..

Oct 16 (AD) Colombo Magistrate’s Court has granted bail to former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa, who was in remand custody over allegations of misappropriating funds from the Siriliya Saviya account. Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama issued the order after considering submissions made by Additional Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris, who appeared on behalf of the Bribery Commission, and the attorneys more..

Oct 16 (NW) A free eye clinic and spectacles distribution programme for visually impaired persons from low-income families was held at the Kelaniya Divisional Secretariat premises today, under the patronage of Minister of Rural Development, Social Security Upali Pannila. The programme forms part of a nationwide initiative to provide free eye examinations and spectacles to 22,500 visually impaired persons aged over 40 from low-income families during 2026. more..

Oct 16 (NW) TV Derana has strongly defended its 360 programme presenter Kalindu Karunaratne over allegations raised by Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe’s Office concerning an allegedly AI-generated photograph displayed by former Minister Wimal Weerawansa, maintaining that the presenter had appropriately questioned the claims during the live broadcast. In a letter dated Oct 15, Derana TV News director Yuwaraj Athukorala rejected the allegations and said more..

Oct 16 (FT) Ceylon Chamber of Commerce last week launched the SL–Vietnam Business Council, seeking to give fresh institutional momentum to bilateral trade, investment and tourism ties at a time when political and diplomatic relations between the two countries are gaining strength, though the commercial exchanges remain below their potential. The new council, the 22nd bilateral business council established under the Ceylon Chamber, has attracted 30 inaugural members, more..

Oct 16 (DM) Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) senior politician Lakshman Kiriella, who has come under fire over remarks he made during a meeting with the Mahanayake Thera of the Malwathu Chapter, said today that his criticism was directed at the Govt and not at minority communities. Kiriella was reported to have said that the Govt was attempting to win the support of minority communities through its handling of the case involving Venerable Galabodaatte Gnanasara Thera. more..

Oct 16 (TM) The shortage of nursing officers in 32 divisional hospitals in Jaffna District is affecting the provision of healthcare services, with a call being made to recruit more nurses from Northern Province to address the issue. Informed source in the Provincial health services said that some hospitals have very few nursing officers, with patients admitted following accidents or snake bites sometimes facing a situation where more..

Oct 16 (NW) Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe said that Lanka Sathosa accumulated a total loss of Rs. 22,000 million by the end of 2024. “When we took over in 2024, at the end of 2024, the loss of Lanka Sathosa was Rs. 22,000 million,” Minister stated, detailing the govt’s intervention to address short term debt obligations. “Our govt came and zeroed the Rs. 5,300 million overdraft that existed. Lanka Sathosa was paying Rs.30 to 40 million a month in interest Rs. 480 million a year. more..

Oct 16 (NW) Minister of Environment Dr. Dammika Patabedige conducted an emergency inspection visit to review the current health condition of the ailing elephant Kavantissa and formalize ongoing medical treatment protocols. During the visit, Minister focused on the elephant’s health status and the treatment plan jointly formulated by experts from the Dept of Wildlife Conservation, Dept of National Zoological Gardens and professors from Peradeniya Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. more..

Oct 16 (TM) NMRA is awaiting a post-vaccination monitoring plan from the company responsible for importing the dengue vaccine before the next steps can be taken towards its use in SL, NMRA Chairperson Dr Ananda Wijewickrama said. He said the NMRA had decided to grant registration to the vaccine on a one-to-one basis, following which the commercial interest surrounding the matter had subsided. more..

Oct 16 (TM) National Building Research Institute (NBRI) has launched an investigation into the collapse of part of an earth embankment near the Kadigamuwa area for the second time of this month, which sent soil onto the railway track and disrupted train services. NBRI warned that slopes destabilised by Cyclone Ditwah could become active again during rainfall, potentially leading to similar incidents in the future. The investigation will focus on identifying possible long-term solutions to more..

Oct 16 (NW) CID has informed the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court of a large-scale financial scam involving a fraudulent mobile application designed to resemble the official SriLankan Airlines app. The CID told Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama that fraudsters had used the airline’s branding and logo to promote a fake application offering a 50% return on airline ticket purchases. According to investigators, users were initially charged Rs. 250 to register on application. more..

Oct 16 (FT) The streets of Colombo are echoing with the cries of the working class agitating for fairer taxes. The Jana Aragala Movement and the Frontline Socialist Party staged a protest march in Colombo on 3 October, demanding the removal of unfair tax policies and relief from the rising cost of living. The National Power (NPP) Govt must not treat this as just a minor political disturbance. It must treat it as the desperate gasp of ordinary people for economic survival. more..

Oct 16 (FT) After reading my previous article, “What Produces Economic Growth — and What Does Economic Growth Produce?”, my friend Pali sent me this message: “Chandre. In your next article, can you outline what we should do about these paradoxes of ‘growth’?” I agreed. But only after starting this piece did, I realise what Pali meant by his diplomatic language: “Buddy, being constructive is not as easy as being critical.” In my previous article, I presented six numbers: more..

Oct 16 (TM) Justice for the Robe, National Pledge Offering and Freedom March, organised under the leadership of the Buddhist clergy calling for the release of Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera, reached the vicinity of the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo yesterday, where representatives of the clergy met the Presidential Secretary to discuss the matter. Presidential Secretary Dr Nandika Sanath more..

Oct 16 (TM) When extreme weather destroys crops, damages infrastructure and disrupts supply chains, the consequences travel far beyond the farm. They reach food prices, family nutrition, rural incomes and public finances. Cyclone Ditwah exposed this vulnerability with painful clarity. With El Niño expected to bring further climatic pressures, Sri Lanka faces a critical choice: continue paying heavily after disasters, or invest in protecting livelihoods and production before hazard more..

Oct 16 (DM) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism has sought public assistance to identify a deceased woman believed to be a SL national who reportedly lived in Lebanon for more than 42 years. According to a public notice issued by the Ministry, the woman was reportedly known by the name Rani Sri Lanki. The Ministry has urged anyone with information that could help establish her identity or trace her family members and known contacts to come forward. more..

Oct 16 (FT) IMF yesterday urged SL to stay focused on completing the ongoing EFF program, which has two reviews still to run. The comments come amid persistent debate over Sri Lanka’s IMF engagement beyond March 2027, when the EFF program ends. Fund said Sri Lanka’s fiscal performance had outshone that of its peers, and left the decision on any follow-on arrangement to the Govt. “Let me step back for a second more..

Oct 16 (TG) A Batticaloa civil society group has accused Sri Lankan police at Kokkuvil station of complicity in the illicit liquor trade in Thiraimadu, after a separate police unit carried out raids in the area that the local station had failed to make. Anthony Sil Rajkumar, media spokesperson for the Batticaloa Organisation Against Corruption, Fraud and Drugs, told a press conference in Palaimeenmadu on Sunday that the sale of illicit liquor, known locally as kasippu, had continued in Thiraimadu for more..

Oct 16 (NW) Protesters demanding the release of Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera have moved to the opposite side of the road outside the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo following a request by police. The protesters, including Buddhist monks who marched from Kandy to Colombo, have vacated the area directly outside the Presidential Secretariat and are now occupying the pavement on the opposite side of Galle Road. The road has been reopened to traffic, while protest continues more..