Oct 19 (DM) SL is preparing to launch what it says will be South Asia’s first passenger-carrying drone service, with the first aircraft already arriving at the BIA, CAASL Director General Daminda Rambukwella siad. The first flight is expected to take place on Oct 30 or 31, or during the first week of November, with Colombo Port City identified as the launch point. The destination would be decided following discussions with more..

Oct 19 (NW) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has effectively ruled out granting a presidential pardon to Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, stressing that his government will respect Supreme Court decisions and will not interfere with the judicial process. Addressing the National People’s Power (NPP) women’s rally in Badulla on Sunday, the Prez said the govt would accept the final decisions of the judiciary and warned that no one should expect the executive to overturn them. more..

Oct 19 (NW) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has accused two television channels of contributing to what he described as artificial unrest against the govt’s crackdown on corruption, drug trafficking and organised crime, while referring to a past drug-related allegation involving a relative of the owner of one channel. Prez alleged that individuals who had previously benefited from corruption, drug trafficking and organised criminal networks were becoming increasingly concerned about more..

Oct 19 (TM) CPC has made daily stock reporting through its designated software mandatory for fuel dealers to qualify for revised commission adjustments and sales and quality incentives, while providing for deductions from incentives where dealers are found responsible for fuel shortages or dispensing less fuel than indicated by station meters. The requirement is set out in Marketing Bureau Circular No. 1126, dated 8 May 2026, more..

Oct 19 (Island) The Norochcholai coal power plant will remain disconnected from the national grid for several days following Saturday’s countrywide power failure, as authorities continue to follow safety procedures after the incident. The National System Operator (NSO) said the 810-megawatt plant had been shut down as a precaution after the sudden power outage on Oct 17 and would not be reconnected to the grid until the necessary safety measures were completed. more..

Oct 19 (Island) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday said a businessman, arrested with a caches of firearms, ammunition and hand grenades, had links to a politician, as authorities continued investigations into the seizure. Addressing a public gathering in Badulla, the President said the suspect was among those being investigated in connection with operations targeting organised crime and that authorities were aware of his political connections. more..

Oct 19 (NW) The Ministry of Environment has formally requested the IGP to launch an immediate and comprehensive investigation into the death of iconic Sri Lankan tusker Kawanthissa and suspected organized operations targeting wild elephants. In a statement issued on Sunday, the Ministry said it had lodged a formal complaint with police and the CID, seeking an investigation into whether a coordinated conspiracy was behind the killing of wild elephants across the country. more..

Oct 19 (NW) A special military team has been deployed to locate Agbo, one of SL’s best-known wild tuskers, following discussions between the Minister of Environment and the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence. Secretary ordered the immediate deployment of the military team to accelerate efforts to trace the elephant and ensure his safety. The decision was taken following discussions between the Environment Minister and the Defence Secretary on strengthening more..

Oct 19 (FT) Bank of China Colombo branch became SL’s first renminbi (RMB) clearing bank, formally launching operations that allow trade and investment with China to be settled directly in the Chinese currency, rather than through the US dollar. Branch was authorised as a clearing bank by People’s Bank of China (PBOC), China’s central bank. CB Deputy Governor K.G.P. Sirikumara said the move would strengthen the connection more..

Oct 19 (DM) Medical Professionals’ Alliance for Medical and Civil Rights President and medical specialist Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa has urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to launch an immediate investigation into an alleged move to procure a 17-year-old linear accelerator (LINAC) for the Apeksha Cancer Hospital in Maharagama instead of a modern model. He has raised concerns over the proposed purchase of the machine, which is used to deliver radiation treatment to cancer patients. more..

Oct 19 (FT) The Court of Appeal has permitted a writ application filed by the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society of SL (WNPS) to proceed, and has directed that notices be issued on the Respondents. The application challenges the approvals granted for the Phase 1 Extension of the Thambapavani Wind Power Project on Mannar Island. The order was made on 31 August, after the application was supported before the Court on 9, 16, and 27 July and 3 and 4 August. more..

Oct 19 (TM) An inability to expose national players to high-level overseas domestic competitions has been a primary reason for the decline in sports in Sri Lanka, according to National Sports Council (NSC) Chair Priyantha Ekanayake. He said that compared with other nations, all sports had failed to move forward in SL in the aspects of technology and science, noting that standards had deteriorated markedly after the early 2000s as a result. Ekanayake, a double international for more..

Oct 19 (DN) SL-Japan Minerals Summit was held in Tokyo on October 14, with the objective of expanding economic relations and industrial cooperation between the two nations—further strengthening a decades-long friendship rooted in mutual trust and respect. The summit, presided over by Minister Sunil Handunnetti, was attended by representatives from the Japanese govt, organizations such as JETRO, JOGMEC & JICA, as well as a large number of prominent more..

Oct 19 (ST) The govt has ruled out a presidential pardon for the jailed BBS General Secretary, Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera, with senior officials saying the Prez would not take any step to circumvent the law or be arm-twisted into taking decisions by what they referred to as any group of persons. “The legal issues have to be resolved in court and not outside it,” a highly placed govt source said. more..

Oct 19 (FT) SL’s plan to attract around Rs. 400 billion in renewable energy and battery storage investment over the next three years could fall short, unless the Govt addresses weak power purchase agreements, rupee tariffs, lengthy approval processes and delays in project execution, WindForce Managing Director Manjula Perera warned. He said National System Operator’s (NSO) interim plan for 2027–2029 envisaged adding around 1,400 MW of solar power and 1,000 MW of more..

Oct 19 (FT) Sri Lanka’s tourism earnings recorded a second consecutive month of year-on-year (YoY) growth in September, rising 1.5% to $ 185.6 million despite a marginal decline in arrivals, but cumulative revenue remained under pressure amid weaker visitor numbers and continuing external headwinds. The latest Central Bank of SL (CBSL) data showed that September’s earnings improvement followed a 2.1% increase in August to $ 264.4 million, ending a 10-month run of YoY declines. more..

Oct 19 (ST) Govt promises to provide space for plantation owners to carry out oil palm cultivation is facing an election hurdle. Plantation industry sources state that at the time when the govt agreed to increasing the wages of plantation workers there had been an understanding that the Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs) will be given the space to carry out their oil palm cultivation. This was the basis of the two parties, more..

Oct 19 (FT) SL must earn free trade agreements (FTAs) through deep domestic reforms rather than expect them to follow from negotiation alone, Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe said. Govt is now moving to dismantle import levies left untouched for two decades and is seeking entry into Asia’s largest trade bloc. “We only talk about FTAs, but FTAs don’t come automatically. You have to earn them, and to earn them, you have to carry out a significant level of reforms in your country,” more..

Oct 19 (Island) USA–SL Chamber of Commerce is exploring an innovative promotional initiative to showcase SL’s tourism, cultural heritage, and commercial opportunities in the heart of New York City during the upcoming Christmas and holiday season. The proposed campaign aims to bring SL’s unique identity to one of the world’s most internationally recognized cities through a mobile digital billboard featuring high-quality photographs and videos highlighting the island’s more..

Oct 19 (FT) Central Bank of SL (CBSL) has ruled out a lower inflation target for now. It concluded that a goal below 5% would force a prolonged period of tight monetary policy on an economy still recovering from crisis and exposed to repeated external shocks. CBSL Senior Deputy Governor Dr. Chandranath Amarasekara set out the reasoning behind the new Monetary Policy Framework Agreement in the most detail yet. He said the CBSL had examined whether a target of 2%, 3%, or 4% would suit more..

Oct 19 (FT) China Merchants Port Holdings Company Ltd, Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), and Access Engineering have agreed to abandon the South Asia Commercial and Logistics Hub (SACLH) project in Port of Colombo. Under the settlement, the three partners will get back about $ 29.8 million of the $ 37.1 million they had invested. The Hong Kong-listed port operator said last week that the parties had signed a settlement agreement. The agreement ends Shareholders Agreement, more..

Oct 19 (CI) Pakistan withstood a middle-order counterattack from Pavan Rathnayake and Janith Liyanage to see off SL by 37 runs. In the first match of a tri-series that also includes England, the pair appeared to have put SL on course with a 119-run fifth wicket partnership, with the visitors well in front and requiring just 55 from the last seven overs. Liyanage's wicket, however, saw the bottom fall out of the side, more..

Oct 19 (Island) Buddhist monks’ Satyagraha at Viharamahadevi Park, seeking the release of Ven. Galaboda Atte Gnanasara Thera from prison, took a dramatic turn on Saturday evening with a confrontation between protesters and the police. Ven. Balangoda Kassapa Thera, one of the monks leading the protest, was rushed to the Colombo National Hospital. Subsequently, he had himself moved to a private hospital, claiming that he feared for his life. He has been in govt’s crosshairs more..

Oct 19 (Island) Sri Lanka’s official crude divorce rate is among the lowest in the world, sitting at roughly 0.15 divorces per 1,000 people per year, which translates to about nine legally finalised divorces, daily, nationwide. However, legal scholars and sociologists emphasise that this figure does not reflect a lack of marital distress or separation. Instead, the low official number is primarily a result of the country’s stringent legal framework, complex judicial procedures, and more..

Oct 19 (DM) Katchatheevu is a small, uninhabited island of about 285 acres (1.15 square km) in the Palk Strait, between Rameswaram on India’s coast and Delft (Neduntheevu) in SL. It lies within SL’s sovereign jurisdiction and is administered as part of the Northern Province. It has no permanent residents, yet every year thousands of Catholic pilgrims from both countries cross to the island for the annual feast of St. Anthony’s Church, a multi-day festival held usually in March, more..

Oct 19 (SO) Diplomacy is fundamentally working with people, bringing people together to deal with difficult issues. This quote by John Roos, a former US Ambassador to Japan sums up what diplomacy is all about. Last week, we saw how diplomacy can solve even complex issues that arise between countries and regions. The decision by the Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court to set aside the death sentence imposed on SL national Anojan Sivarasa is a moment of profound relief more..

Oct 19 (ST) The rains beat down heavily as the Nidahase Paada Yaathrawa (March for Freedom), demanding an unconditional presidential pardon for convicted BBS General Secretary Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, wound its way to Colombo on Thursday afternoon. The march had begun last Saturday with an Adishtana Pooja at the Mahamaluwa of the Dalada Maligawa. The marchers then made their way more..

Oct 19 (FT) The cascading collapse of SL’s national electricity grid on Saturday (17), was more than a technical failure. For several hours the island was without grid power after instability in the transmission network around midday. The National System Operator began restoration using available hydro resources, with partial supplies returning to several districts by afternoon and fuller recovery targeted for the evening. Rooftop solar owners were asked to disconnect, and more..

Oct 19 (CT) The optics were as breathtaking as they were damning. On a Saturday, an opulent parade of luxury, chauffeured chariots rolled directly into the Kotte headquarters of the Kotte Sri Kalyani Samagri Dharma Maha Sangha Sabha of the Siam Nikaya. Out stepped saffron-clad potentates, oozing obesity and some limping with diabetic neuropathy, the telltale evidence of indolence masquerading as piety. These Japanese, Korean & German SUVs—capsules of wealth representing more..

Oct 19 (ST) The ruling party seems keen to keep its supporters among the SL expatriate community happy. Toward this end, several senior NPP members including ministers have been travelling overseas, mainly to countries in Europe to meet with groups supporting them. While some of these meetings are held on the sidelines of official tours, some are arranged exclusively for propaganda work. The latest visit was undertaken to Finland more..

Oct 19 (ST) Awasarai, Mahanayake hamuduruwaney, I thought I must write to you, just a few weeks after writing to Gnanasara hamuduruwo. This time, there appears to be great consternation not only about that hamuduruwo’s prison sentence but even more about him being asked to dress in layman’s clothes when he made another appearance in court. I understand you wrote to prison officials voicing your concern that a monk has been disrobed. You said this can be done only by more..

Oct 19 (ST) With the annual Budget for next year negotiating the bend, all sectors have almost begun getting ready with their demands and wish lists to be submitted to the Prez in his capacity as Finance Minister. How much remains of the number of unfulfilled budget proposals from last year remains in question, and similarly, reasons attributed for it. There appears to be a clear performance gap between monies voted to ministers and nothing to show for much of it at the end of the year. more..