Oct 29 (ST) State institutions will have to wait a while longer for their new pickup trucks in view of the multi-trillion rupee cost of fuel imports, crude oil soaring above US$ 116 a barrel in global energy markets, and modest external buffers. Underlining the need to achieve greater economic resilience to external shocks, Prez, said this week the Govt will put on hold the buying of 1,750 pick-up trucks for the moment. more..

Oct 29 (Island) One of the Iranian vessels that had been stranded in SL’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) with a considerable number of Indian crew members had moved away, sources familiar with the issue said. That had been made possible by SL allowing that particular vessel to receive fuel and whatever other requirements following consultations with the relevant stakeholders. There are altogether about 20 Iranian ships stranded outside SL’s territorial waters for a couple of months more..

Oct 29 (FT) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has questioned whether the death of a young man in the custody of the Homagama Police marks another step towards Sri Lanka becoming a police State. In a special statement, Premadasa called for an independent and transparent investigation into the death of Ishara Harshana. He said relatives who visited the police station on 25 October to inquire about Harshana had reportedly observed injuries on his body. more..

Oct 29 (HRW) SL govt’s Prevention of Organised Crimes Bill, submitted to parliament on Oct 20, risks enabling arbitrary detention, torture, and other rights violations, Human Rights Watch said. The proposed law, alongside the Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill submitted on Oct 6, reproduces abusive provisions in existing counterterrorism laws that would allow continuing abuses that the govt had pledged to end. more..

Oct 29 (Island) Prasakthi Energy has launched its 3.5 MW biomass dendro power project in Wilachchiya, Anuradhapura, adding to SL’s efforts to diversify electricity generation and strengthen the role of locally sourced renewable energy in the national power supply. The project uses woody biomass to generate electricity and marks a further development in a sector that has long been promoted as a means of reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels while creating more..

Oct 29 (Island) Communist Party of SL (CPSL) warned that Israel and other foreign powers were planning to establish a spaceport on SL’s East Coast and the NPP govt was getting involved in US space domain activities. The text of the CPSL statement issued by its General Secretary Dr. G. Weerasinghe: “CPSL expresses its deep perturbation at the further expansion of SL’s military co-operation with the US and its allies, and especially at the emerging involvement of SL armed forces in more..

Oct 29 (PMD) A discussion on preparing plans to attract strong investors to Sri Lanka’s mineral industry was held at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (28), under the leadership of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The progress made in identifying lands suitable for the mineral industry and locating mineral deposits was reviewed. President emphasised the need to promptly identify the potential of the country’s mineral resources and take steps to attract strong investors to the sector. more..

Oct 29 (NW) A businessman from Nugegoda has been remanded until Nov 5 over allegations of assisting in the fraudulent sale of a valuable land plot in Barnes Place, Colombo 7, using forged deeds. The suspect was arrested by the CID and produced before Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama. The businessman is accused of receiving seven luxury vehicles and Rs. 56.5 million from the main suspect in exchange for allegedly facilitating the fraudulent sale of the property more..

Oct 29 (NW) SL Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM) inaugurated its first ever degree programme, Bachelor of Hotel and Resort Management (Hons), on Oct 27, at Cinnamon Lakeside, Colombo, directly targeting an estimated 600,000 vacancies across the growing tourism sector. The milestone launch was attended by PM Harini Amarasuriya, Vijitha Herath and leading figures from govet, academia and more..

Oct 29 (DN) The Most Venerable Hantane Dhammagavesi Thera, Rajakiya Pandith and Shashtrapathi, has been conferred the title of Anunayaka of the Amarapura Sri Sambuddha Sasanodaya Sangha Sabha of the Maha Vihara. Ven. Thera is the founder of the Arathi Spiritual Hermitage in Morawaka, and Chief Incumbent of the three temples and Buddhist institutions, namely the Dhamma Vihara Centre in Biyagama, the Dhammanikethana Buddhist Centre in more..

Oct 29 (DN) SL’s number one amateur golfer and reigning national champion Chanaka Perera will lead a 3-man SL challenge at the 17th Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, to be played from Oct 29 to Nov 1 at the South Course of Te Arai Links in Tomarata, north of Auckland, NZ. Perera will be joined by Dhanushan Kumar and rising junior Reshan Algama as SL takes on a powerful field representing 43 countries and territories in one of the most prestigious amateur golf more..

Oct 29 (Island) Tertiary education is vital for sustainable growth and for producing skilled workers with critical thinking, problem-solving and advanced tech skills, central to boosting productivity , competitiveness and innovation in the economy, said Dr. Nisha Arunatilake- Director of Research, Institute of Policy Studies (IPS). ‘STEM fields including science, technology, engineering and maths are key to fostering ongoing innovation- led growth, expanding economic activity and more..

Oct 29 (DN) SL fast bowling coach Ryan van Niekerk praised his pace attack for showing character and bouncing back after conceding over 400 runs in their previous match, as SL bowled Pakistan out for just 110 to record an 8-wicket victory in the ODI tri-series at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Tuesday. With this victory, SL have qualified for the final alongside Pakistan, which will be played at the same venue on Saturday (31). SL will meet England today in their final more..

Oct 29 (DM) Capital raised through Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) could touch Rs.200 billion this year, setting a fresh high for the bourse, as it readies an ESG index, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), a derivatives market and eventual demutualisation, CSE CEO Rajeeva Bandaranaike said yesterday. Bourse has so far mobilised Rs.160 billion this year through debt, equity and rights issues, which is already about 30% higher more..

Oct 29 (ST) Having successfully ventured into India, the Maliban Group is setting its sights on Thailand early next year. “The initial breakthrough in Thailand partnership came from the the Embassy,” Ravi Jayawardena, CEO of Maliban, said, noting that last year, Embassy of SL in Thailand played a pivotal role in organising a significant business meeting between Maliban Biscuit Manufactories & Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company (CPF), a key subsidiary of CP Group in Bangkok. more..

Oct 29 (DN) Sri Lanka, led by Sangeeth Cooray, left yesterday to compete in the Hong Kong Sixes, which will be held from Oct 30 to Nov 1 at Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The team plans to train in Hong Kong to adjust to the conditions before the tournament. Colts CC left-handed opener Cooray, a prolific run-scorer in domestic cricket, will lead Sri Lanka for the first time. Sachitha Jayatilake, Movin Subasinghe, Ravindu Fernando, Vishen Halambage, Muditha more..

Oct 29 (FT) SL’s transition from economic stabilisation to sustainable growth, opportunities for Indian investment and the potential to build stronger partnerships in industry, technology and entrepreneurship were the key themes of the visit of Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe to New Delhi from 22 to 23 Oct. The visit brought together high-profile int'l media engagement, discussions with Indian industry representatives, more..

Oct 29 (NW) Former SL women’s cricket captain Shashikala Siriwardene has embarked on a new chapter in her cricketing career, taking up a full-time coaching role with Plenty Valley Cricket Club in Victoria, Australia. Siriwardene is coaching the club’s women’s teams during the 2026-27 season, having previously served as a captain-coach before deciding to focus exclusively on coaching. She said she was enjoying the opportunity to help young players develop their skills while building more..

Oct 29 (FT) The FinTech Forum SL, in collaboration with the Digital Economy Ministry, will host the SL FinTech Festival 2026 powered by Visa, the country’s first-ever FinTech festival, scheduled to take place from 2-3 November 2026, at the Shangri-La Colombo. Held under the theme Building Capacity, Creating Opportunities and Scaling SL’s Digital Future, the flagship event is a landmark step toward positioning SL as an emerging FinTech and digital economy hub within Asia. more..

Oct 29 (Island) The govt seems to be using every trick in the book to abort or emasculate the Opposition’s no-confidence motion (NCM) against Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne, claiming that some of its allegations are sub judice and must be amended. The Opposition, however, has refused to yield and is demanding the Speaker’s immediate resignation. The NCM contains 50 allegations, some of which are really embarrassing for the Speaker and the JVP-led NPP. Previously, more..

Oct 29 (FT) The 28th Presidential Export Awards 2026, organised by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), will be held on Tuesday, 08 Dec 2026 at the BMICH, under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. This year’s awards ceremony is held to recognise Sri Lanka’s best exporters for the financial year 2025/2026. A total of 117 awards will be presented under two main categories, comprising 15 overall awards and 102 product and service sectoral awards. more..

Oct 29 (FT) SL yesterday formally joined the global Orange Movement as the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and the Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) signed an MoU to bring Orange Bonds into the local capital market. Orange Bonds channel capital to gender equality and climate resilience. The CSE also announced completion of the framework for the country’s first two Orange Bonds, with issuance targeted by Dec 2026. more..

Oct 29 (Island) Diplomacy is as much about what is left unsaid as what is explicitly declared. A diplomat of an independent nation need not advocate a powerful neighbour’s regional hegemony in so many words to help legitimise it. The process can be more subtle: presenting that neighbour’s strategic ambitions as inherently beneficial, treating alternatives as outdated, and describing the expansion of its regional influence as a natural condition of stability and prosperity. more..

Oct 29 (FT) In a proud celebration of industrial excellence, innovation and national achievement, Flexiprint Ltd, secured two prestigious accolades at the CNCI Achiever Awards 2026, held at Cinnamon Life, Colombo, on the evening of 15 Oct 2026. The company received the Silver Award in the National Level Manufacturing Sector – Extra Large Category and was recognised with a Top Ten Award, reinforcing its position as a leading force in Sri Lanka’s printing and packaging industry. more..

Oct 29 (TM) In the year 2000, the world’s eye-health community came together around one simple message: prevent avoidable blindness and protect the gift of sight. That message has not changed in more than two decades. The World Sight Day is observed on the second Thursday of October, and this year (2026) it fell on 8 Oct. It reminds the public, decision-makers and health-service providers that eyesight is a foundation of a good life. Sight is how a child learns, how a farmer reads the sky, more..

Oct 29 (DN) A small faction of the Buddhist clergy continues to be preoccupied with the revoking of a Presidential pardon granted to Venerable Galabodaaththe Gnanasara Thera last week while the govt responded with a commitment to uphold the rule of law and order and the concept of equality before the law for all. Venerable Gnanasara Thera was found guilty of contempt of court following an incident at the Homagama Magistrate’s court when he disrupted proceedings in a case related to more..

Oct 29 (AI) A new bill before Sri Lanka’s parliament that grants the authorities sweeping arbitrary powers to tackle organized crime and deny suspects’ human rights should be immediately withdrawn, Amnesty International said today. The Prevention of Organised Crimes bill, tabled in SL’s parliament on 6 Oct, contains provisions that would make confessions extracted under duress admissible in court, more..

Oct 29 (DM) Every crisis changes who holds the advantage. It favours those who see early, act with purpose and keep their nerve. The Iran War 2026 is such a moment. It began on 28th February, when the United States and Israel struck Iran’s nuclear and military sites and killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the opening attack. Iran answered with thousands of drones and missiles. By 10th May, the UAE’s Ministry of Defence said its air defence had intercepted nearly 2,850 of them. more..

Oct 29 (ST) As the current IMF programme is approaching its conclusion in March 2027, Sri Lanka must confront a difficult question, which is being one of the hot topics of the day: Should the govt seek yet another IMF programme – of course, the 18th programme? Or should the policy makers take a decisive step to bring this vicious cycle of repeated bailouts to an end? The answer is not, however, a political decision, although we have not hesitated to make such decisions in the past. more..

Oct 29 (SO) Good news for SL all around as our island nation has received a major boost in int'l tourism after Arugam Bay was named Asia’s best beach in the Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards 2026, with three other SL beaches also securing places among the region’s top 20. Arugam Bay, the celebrated surfing destination on Sri Lanka's Eastern Coast, topped the Asian rankings with an impressive score of 98.84, more..

Oct 29 (TM) With the first anniversary of Cyclone Ditwah approaching fast, the risk of landslides in the hill country remains a matter of serious concern. NBRI has warned repeatedly this year that slopes weakened during the cyclone could fail even under moderate rainfall. The scale of the problem is not in doubt. During Cyclone Ditwah, some mountainous areas received over 500 mm of rain within 24 hours, against the 150 mm threshold at which landslides are considered likely. more..

Oct 29 (TM) No discussion about foreign policy is complete without acknowledging geopolitical realities. The world is entering an era often described as the great fragmentation, creating growing uncertainty and instability in international affairs. Recently, at the Bay of Bengal Conversation in Bangladesh, several geopolitical experts discussed the major crises shaping global politics today. The event was organised by the Centre for Governance Studies. more..