Oct 30 (Island) Dimalsha Chathuranga and Jithma Wijethunga won the 400 metres titles at the 61st SL Army Athletics Championship at Diyagama on Thursday. ‎In two of the most anticipated finals of the meet, both sprinters asserted their authority over the one-lap race. Chathuranga, who has been in outstanding form this season, carried his dominance in the 400m hurdles over to the flat event, winning in 46.77 seconds. He had earlier won the hurdles at this meet in 50.43 seconds, more..

Oct 30 (FT) The Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) has instructed authorities to decide urgently whether the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) Hospital should operate as a Govt hospital or a private hospital. The directive was issued at a recent meeting chaired by COPE Chairman MP Dr. Nishantha Samaraweera, where KDU management was summoned to examine the Auditor General’s reports for 2023 and 2024 and the institution’s current performance, Parliament said. more..

Oct 30 (DM) In a landmark achievement for the nation’s academic landscape, Sri Lanka secured its first-ever Silver Medal at the 67th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) held in Shanghai, China. This historic victory, achieved after 31 years of participation in the prestigious global competition, was spearheaded by Lasitha Jayasinghe of Royal International School, Kurunegala. Following their return, the team was received by PM Harini Amarasuriya more..

Oct 30 (Island) In an unvarnished and deeply practical address delivered at the Breast Cancer Symposium at Hemas Hospital Wattala on Oct. 28, Senior Lecturer and Consultant Specialist Dr. Kanchana Wijesinghe confronted a familiar societal paradox: the effortless willingness of individuals to finance luxury food orders, designer attire, and cosmetics, contrasted against sudden hesitation when asked to invest modest resources into routine health screenings. more..

Oct 30 (EN) Distilleries Company of SL (DCSL) said that its wholly owned subsidiary, DCSL Breweries Lanka Ltd, has transferred its brewing, packaging and distribution activities to DCSL with effect from October 28. “Accordingly, DCSL PLC will undertake the brewing, packaging and distribution of beer in addition to its existing activities of distilling, bottling and distributing hard liquor,” the company said in a market filing. The company said it had obtained the approval of more..

Oct 30 (FT) Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Senior Prof. Hareendra Dissabandara has called on the Government to make capital market development part of its growth strategy in the forthcoming Budget. He warned that Sri Lanka cannot reach higher growth by leaning excessively on Govt borrowing and bank credit. He was speaking on Tuesday at an institutional investors forum organised jointly by the SEC and the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), more..

Oct 30 (FT) Alliance Finance Company (AFC) said its Board of Directors had approved raising up to Rs. 1 billion through an Orange Bond issue, set to be the first Orange Bond listed in SL. Board resolved on 27 Oct, to issue up to 10 million listed, rated, unsecured, redeemable three-year Bonds at a par value of Rs. 100 each, the company said. The pricing of the Bonds will be announced later. Proceeds are intended for eligible social project categories, including MSME Value Chain Financing, more..

Oct 30 (FT) SL’s corporate Bond market, at about 1% of GDP, is too shallow to finance the private sector-led growth the country needs to sustain about 7% annual expansion to 2030, according to new research by the Impact Investment Exchange (IIX). Presenting the report, Financing SL’s Inclusive Growth, at the Orange Economy Summit 2026 in Colombo, IIX Senior Director Priyank Tiwari said the 7% target was almost double the current growth rate, alongside an ambition to double exports. more..

Oct 30 (FT) This Christmas, Sri Lankans have an opportunity to be enthralled by a world class performance in Colombo by a first ever Australian production. That is the promise of Once Upon a Christmas – The Greatest Xmas Show, an ambitious new production set to bring an international dimension to SL’s Christmas celebrations from 10-12 Dec at The Podium, Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams, Colombo. Brought to SL by Ceilao Enterprises, the event represents the company’s continued commitment more..

Oct 30 (FT) Officers of the Narcotics Control Unit (NCU) of SL Customs carried out the largest-ever pill seizure in SL at Katunayake, arresting a 46-year-old Indian national at BIA on Wednesday (28), after finding cocaine and ecstasy with an estimated street value of Rs. 454 million in his luggage. The suspect, an engineer by profession, had arrived in Sri Lanka from Paris via Doha on Qatar Airways flight QR 654. NCU officers stopped him at the airport for further examination. more..

Oct 30 (CI) A week after the run-fest in Rawalpindi, England and SL played out another high-scorer, in Lahore. This time England's 386 for 5 prevailed, as SL were dismissed for 331 in the 45th over. Ben Duckett scorched his way to a career-best 167 off 132 balls to lead England to their second successive mammoth total against SL. Pavan Rathnayake then marshalled the chase, hitting 118 off 77, having also struck a match-winning 130 in the last match against England. more..

Oct 30 (Island) Buddhism was first introduced to SL in Anuradhapura in 3rd century BCE by Arahant Mahinda, son of the Indian Emperor Asoka. For nearly 1500 years, Anuradhapura remained the capital of SL and the intellectual and spiritual centre of Theravada Buddhism in Asia. The A'pura civilisation achieved unmatched advances in architecture, engineering and urban planning, still evident in its monumental stupas, monasteries, palaces and sophisticated hydraulic and agricultural systems. more..

Oct 30 (Island) Brazilian President Lula da Silva’s re-election is widely considered a political miracle. He trailed former President Jair Bolsonaro’s son Flavio Bolsonaro in the recent prez election, but both of them could not obtain more than 50% of the total number of valid votes and the contest went to a runoff. Some critics hastened to write off Lula politically, but he proved them wrong by making a stunning comeback. He overturned Flávio Bolsonaro’s first-round lead more..

Oct 30 (DM) SL’s diplomatic presence across the world is insufficient. Budgetary constraints triggered by the 2022 economic crisis have been a prominent reason for this. In addition, abrupt policy alterations with changes of govt have led to differences in foreign policy focus from time to time. SL was a leader in advocating the rights of the Global South, or developing countries, particularly in the 1950s, 1960s and the 1970s. Since then, the country has gradually lost its ability to more..

Oct 30 (TM) Ten prison officers who entered the wards of Negombo Prison on 6 July did not die because they lacked courage or discipline. They died because they were sent in unarmed, unprotected and without anyone considering what awaited them inside the prison. That is the most damning finding in the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) inquiry report on the violence of 5 and 6 July, which left 32 people dead, including 22 inmates, and more than 100 injured. more..

Oct 30 (DN) Supreme Court’s verdict and a newspaper apology former Minister A.H.M. Fowzie over a Netherlands-donated disaster-management vehicle offer a powerful reminder that public office is a responsibility, not a personal privilege. Publication of a court-ordered public apology by Fowzie has brought an important issue of political accountability back into the public spotlight as to what could happen when those entrusted with public resources treat them as their personal property. more..

Oct 30 (GV) SL faces an extraordinary economic contradiction. Its sunshine is abundant, its entrepreneurs are resourceful and the technology needed to generate reliable electricity independently of the national grid is readily available. Yet people and businesses that want to produce their own electricity through standalone solar panels and batteries can find themselves confronting a regulatory framework designed for commercial power suppliers rather than ordinary consumers. more..

Oct 30 (CT) MP Namal Rajapaksa was arrested by the CIABOC on 4 Sept over alleged bribes linked to SriLankan Airlines’ 2013 Airbus purchase. On 27 Oct the Attorney General indicted him on 24 charges, listing 59 witnesses, before the Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar, which has fixed the case for 19 November. He also remains remanded in the separate Krrish case, where a bail order is due on 3 Nov. This article does not assess the evidence; that is for the court alone. more..

Oct 30 (TM) With Colombo’s container volumes rising and regional competition intensifying, the unfinished operational transition at the Colombo East Container Terminal (CECT) raises questions about procurement delays, management decisions, and the port’s ability to retain future shipping business. Sri Lanka Ports Authority’s (SLPA) CECT Operational Plan & Transformation Progress Update Report of August 2026 warns that Colombo risks losing cargo to regional hubs more..

Oct 30 (DM) An ageing parent has a fall. A hospital visit must be arranged, medicines collected, and someone found to help at home. The daughter is at work, the son lives overseas, and the other parent is elderly too. Who steps in? For many Sri Lankan families, the issue is rarely a lack of love or willingness. It is a shortage of time, money, energy and sometimes the skills needed to provide care. For generations, care for children, the elderly, those with disabilities, and more..

Oct 30 (DM) The week-long protest organised by Buddhist monks demanding the release of Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara — who is serving a prison sentence for contempt of court — concluded last Sunday without their demands being met. The protesters announced they were suspending their struggle following the advice of the Mahanayaka Theras of the three main Nikayas (Buddhist chapters), who have stated they would hold talks with the govt regarding Gnanasara Thera’s release. The agitation originally began in Kandy more..

Oct 29 (AD) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has instructed officials of the Ministry of Sports to prepare plans to promote sports with the aim of producing athletes capable of achieving international success, fostering a sporting culture in the country and building a healthier population. President gave these instructions while participating in a discussion on the 2027 Budget proposals for the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, held at the Presidential Secretariat this morning more..

Oct 29 (DM) Film Exhibitors Association has raised concerns over the growing number of private movie rooms operating in cities across the country, warning that they pose a threat to legitimate cinema halls and raise concerns over regulatory compliance and public morality. Association President Anuradha B. Rekawa said these establishments rent out rooms by the hour to couples and groups under the pretext of watching films, allegedly operating without proper regulatory oversight. more..

Oct 29 (DM) SL's indirect taxes are super high and the tax structure needs to change, but the govt has not taken a decision to implement a property tax and will not make any surprise tax moves, Deputy Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando said on Tuesday. He explained that the property tax had initially been proposed under the economic recovery programme. The govt, however, had faced obstacles in implementing it and more..

Oct 29 (DM) Govt has planned a series of projects to clean up the Beira Lake, with Rs. 2,500 million allocated to the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), the Urban Development Authority (UDA) and the SL Land Reclamation and Development Corporation (SLLRDC). Additional Secretary to the President (Clean SL) S.P.C. Sugeeshwara told a news conference that funds would be released shortly to remove sewage discharge points, solid waste and silt from the lake. more..

Oct 29 (TM) Sri Lankans seeking employment in Israel will be recruited exclusively through govt-to-govt agreements from 2027, according to a new Israeli govt policy. SLBFE stated that the existing recruitment programme through licensed foreign employment agencies will end on 31 Dec 2026. The policy will cover construction, industrial, commercial and service sectors. However, details of the new recruitment process, available jobs and selection procedures have not yet been announced. more..

Oct 29 (Island) Renewable Energy Development Front has claimed that a govt circular issued on Sept 11 to protect large-scale businessmen who supported the incumbent govt during past elections has created serious problems in the solar energy sector. Speaking to the Mahanayake Theras of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters in Kandy, a delegation from the Front said nearly 100,000 people directly or indirectly employed in more..

Oct 29 (NW) The CIABOC has questioned remarks made by President’s Counsel Ali Sabry, who represents remanded MP Namal Rajapaksa, that those acting as oppressors today could become victims tomorrow. According to court reports, the issue was raised during Wednesday’s hearing of Rajapaksa’s bail application in connection with the Krrish transaction investigation. Appearing for the Bribery Commission, Senior Assistant Director Thanuja Bandara questioned whether more..

Oct 29 (DN) A complaint has been lodged with the CID alleging that PHU leader and former MP Udaya Gammanpila made statements intended to create religious tensions over the Anuradhapura Sacred City Development Project. The complaint was filed by Upali Rathnayake, a former national cycling coach and Anuradhapura district activist for the National Intellectual Organisation, and Deepal Thilakarathne, a retired accountant and active member of Rajarata Uni Handa organisation. more..

Oct 29 (DM) Cigarettes valued at over Rs. 677 million, seized by SL Customs officers at BIA between April 22 and July 27, 2026, were destroyed at the Western Power Plant in Kerawalapitiya. The consignment comprised 2,802,960 cigarette sticks, with an estimated commercial value of Rs. 677,069,105. The estimated tax revenue loss associated with the cigarettes amounted to Rs. 439,701,206. The cigarettes were seized by Customs officers at BIA during the specified more..

Oct 29 (AD) Former Minister Johnston Fernando has stated that several media reports concerning the case against him, which was taken up at the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court today (28), are entirely false and misleading. He made these remarks while issuing a special clarification regarding the media reports. Fernando said that only three charges had been filed against him under the Motor Traffic Act in the relevant case. He emphasized that he had not been charged more..

Oct 29 (NW) Sri Lanka and Japan have signed the Exchange of Notes and Grant Agreement for a Japanese grant assistance package worth approximately Rs. 4.56 billion (JPY 2.179 bil) to implement the Project for the Improvement of the Pump Station in Kelani River. According to the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, agreements were signed on Wednesday at the Ministry, more..