Oct 8 (NW) Mahanayake Theras of SL’s main Buddhist chapters have expressed serious concern over the decision by prison authorities to produce Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera before court in civilian clothing instead of his robes. In a letter addressed to the Commissioner General of Prisons, Mahanayake Theras said that while they fully respect the Constitution and judicial process, the removal of a Buddhist monk’s robes or more..

Oct 8 (FT) Govt is seeking Rs. 4.99 trillion to meet its expenditure in 2027, under the Appropriation Bill presented to Parliament yesterday for its First Reading. Deputy Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando tabled the Bill. Besides allocating funds for Govt spending, the Bill also authorises the Govt to borrow, among other provisions. Under the Appropriation Bill, the largest allocation this year goes to Finance, Planning and Economic Development Ministry at Rs. 856.853 billion. more..

Oct 8 (FT) Board of Investment (BOI) is moving to fast-track the proposed Export Processing Zones (EPZs) at Paranthan and Kankasanthurai (KKS), with internal infrastructure development at both sites scheduled to begin by early Jan 2027. With Paranthan and KKS now assigned early-2027 infrastructure milestones, the BOI’s focus is increasingly shifting towards converting the Northern Province’s investment potential into operational projects through faster approvals, more..

Oct 8 (DM) Any individual serving a prison sentence of more than 3 years, regardless of their position or status, including the Prez of the country, is required to wear the prison-issued uniform when appearing before a court, Prisons Commissioner Senaka Pallathtenna said. Commenting on the imprisonment of Ven. Gnanasara Thera, Pallathtenna said the Prisons Dept had acted strictly according to more..

Oct 8 (AD) A discussion between Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake and a group of Buddhist monks representing the Chief Prelates of the 3 Buddhist Nikayas, is scheduled to be held today at the Presidential Secretariat to discuss the issues outlined in the letter that the Chief Prelates had sent yesterday to the Commissioner General of Prisons regarding the decision to produce Ven. Gnanasara Thero, who is currently serving a prison sentence, before the court in prison attire. more..

Oct 8 (DN) India yesterday donated a consignment of essential anti-tuberculosis (TB) medicines for SL’s public health requirements. The donation, at the Health Ministry in Colombo, was in response to a request from the SL Govt to the Indian Govt to ensure availability of essential anti-TB medicines in Sri Lanka. The medicines were sourced with the support of India’s Health and Family Welfare Ministry. The consignment comprising about three tonnes of medicines, more..

Oct 8 (FT) SL’s record recovery in consumption has come alongside a downward shift in household incomes, with a new study showing that about 0.4 million households have slipped out of the middle class since 2020 even as average incomes rose in nominal terms. According to The Changing Path to Purchase in SL: How Consumers Discover, Select and Transact Today, released by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the number of households rose to 6.7 mil from 5.7 mil between 2020 and 2026. more..

Oct 8 (Island) Sri Lanka will begin their three match T20I series against Pakistan in Rawalpindi on Friday with an opportunity for several youngsters to stake their claims, although the absence of Pathum Nissanka leaves a sizeable hole at the top of the order. Nissanka, Sri Lanka’s highest-ranked batter in the ICC T20I rankings, has been one of the side’s most consistent performers in recent years and his absence deprives the tourists of a proven match-winner against a Pakistan attack more..

Oct 8 (FT) Govt and the Petroleum Development Authority of SL (PDASL) took the country’s offshore oil and gas acreage to global investors, presenting the SL Licensing Round 2026 (SL2026-01) at the World Energies Summit in London on 29-30 Sept, the opening leg of an int'l roadshow ahead of a 2 Feb 2027 bid deadline. The Round offers four exploration blocks covering approximately 33,964 km² in Mannar Basin, more..

Oct 8 (FT) SL Export Development Board (EDB) yesterday presented appointment letters to members of its 24 Advisory Committees for 2026-2029 and launched the Export Performance Indicators 2025 at a ceremony at The Grand Maitland, Maitland Place, Colombo 7. Chief Guest Minister Sunil Handunnetti said: “Building on the growth achieved by all export sectors over the past two years, we must move towards new targets that surpass our own past records. By amending outdated laws and more..

Oct 8 (Island) Two individuals, who pleaded guilty to charges relating to the illegal storage of firearms, ammunition and explosives at the Lactowatta estate in Wanathawilluwa, Puttalam, were sentenced to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment each by Colombo HC yesterday. The sentences were imposed by a 3-member Trial-at-Bar comprising HC Judges Lal Bandara, Rashmi Singappuli & Nayomi Wickramasekara. Two accused, Abu Musif and Ameer Hamas, pleaded guilty. more..

Oct 8 (AD) Judicial Services Commission (JSC) has exonerated interdicted Colombo Fort Magistrate Kosala Senadheera of all charges against him and ordered his reinstatement to his former position, along with the payment of back wages. Following the decision, steps have been taken to assign Senadheera to the Colombo Magistrate’s Court, with his back wages to be paid accordingly. Senadheera had been interdicted from service with effect from July 10, 2024, following allegations that more..

Oct 8 (FT) SL’s banks are leaving a large pool of consumer demand untapped, with a new study finding credit concentrated among higher-income urban households and penetration low enough to leave substantial room for credit-led consumption growth. According to The Changing Path to Purchase in SL, released by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) 19% of consumers hold credit cards, 18% gold loans, 13% personal loans, 10% auto loans & 9% home loans. more..

Oct 8 (TM) Energy Ministry will seek legal advice and take action against private fuel suppliers in accordance with their agreements with the Govt and the powers vested in the Ministry if they continue to restrict fuel supplies to filling stations, Minister Anura Karunathilaka said. He said the Ministry was already in discussions with private fuel suppliers and would consider action if they continued to withhold fuel from the market. more..

Oct 8 (NW) A 25-year-old man has been arrested in SL over allegations that US$25 million was transferred to overseas accounts without any goods being imported into the country. FCID arrested the suspect, a resident of Wellampitiya, as part of an investigation into the movement of funds through commercial banks using Telegraphic Transfers (TT). Investigators allege that six companies in SL were used to make the transfers, with transactions presented as payments to foreign companies more..

Oct 8 (NW) Social activist Piyath Nikeshala, former MP J. Sri Ranga and four others were released today (7) following instructions from the Attorney General in connection with the arson attack on former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s private residence. The case relates to the May 9, 2022 incident, during the Aragalaya protest movement, when the residence was set on fire and the suspects were named in connection with the incident. Several suspects had previously been discharged more..

Oct 8 (TM) The accumulated loss of Lanka Sathosa Ltd had reached Rs 22 billion by Dec 2025, with 212 of its 423 outlets currently operating at a loss, Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe told Parliament yesterday. Samarasinghe said Sathosa had been facing serious financial difficulties, with Rs 14 billion owed to suppliers as of December last year, while the value of stocks held by the Company stood at only Rs 5.8 billion. more..

Oct 8 (DN) SL’s Methuli Naotunne and Kiara Jayamanne created major upsets by knocking out the top two Indian seeds in the girls’ singles quarter-finals of the ATF 16 & Under Colombo 2026 Week 1 Tennis Tournament at the SL Tennis Association courts in Colombo yesterday. Naotunne fought back from a set down to defeat Indian top seed Yashmitha Santhosh 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 in a gripping three-set battle. After narrowly losing the opening set, the Sri Lankan stayed composed under pressure and more..

Oct 8 (Island) The govt is yet to address fully the needs of the Cyclone Ditwah affected populace though one year has elapsed. The devastation cost the country more than US $ 4.1 billion, an Australia-based Chartered Engineer of SL origin said. ‘Cyclone Ditwah affected more than 2.2 million people in 25 districts, which is considered to be one tenth of the population. However, only 39% of the allocated funds have been spent to date, speaker, a one-time General Secretary of the JVP, more..

Oct 8 (DN) SL women’s Under-19 team, led by skipper Chamudi Praboda, will look to carry their winning momentum when they meet Bangladesh Under-19 today in their T20 Tri-Series fixture at Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. The two sides will meet for the fifth match of the tournament, with Bangladesh currently leading the table with two wins, while SL and Pakistan have recorded one victory each. With the league still wide open, all three teams remain in the race for a place in the final. more..

Oct 8 (FT) iPay Business, powered by LOLC Finance, has launched its new business proposition, Wyapara Balaganwayi, bringing together accessible, technology-driven payment acceptance solutions designed to help Sri Lankan businesses of all sizes accept payments, manage transactions and build for the future. Going beyond conventional payment acceptance, iPay Business is creating a comprehensive digital ecosystem for entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs and established businesses, more..

Oct 8 (FT) SL brands face a tougher fight for customers both from local rivals and from abroad, with a new study showing that brand loyalty is eroding across key categories as digital channels widen consumer choice, even as household spending reaches a record. The Changing Path to Purchase in SL: How Consumers Discover, Select and Transact Today, released by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) with CCC as collaborative more..

Oct 8 (Island) My life has been closely connected with SL’s state university system for more than four decades. Its doors opened to me first as a student and later as an academic. The system gave me knowledge, opportunities and a life. Therefore, when I speak about its future, I do so not as an outsider, but as someone who owes much to it and genuinely wishes to see it become better. Over the years, our university system has expanded significantly. New institutions, faculties, degree programmes more..

Oct 8 (Island) Hardly a day passes in this country without a torrent of news about politicians whose actions evoke memories of famous poets, thinkers, historians and jurists of yore, such as Juvenal, Edward Coke, Lord Acton and Niccolò Machiavelli. This has been particularly so during the past several weeks. Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne has dismissed a privilege issue raised by SJB MP Ajith P. Perera. He has ruled that as the Presiding Authority and guardian of Parliament’s powers, rights more..

Oct 8 (DM) As Sri Lankans live longer, country faces a question that goes far beyond healthcare and pensions: How can we ensure that the additional years of life are lived with health, security, independence and dignity? The Age of Longevity: Rethinking Systems for Longer Lives is the int'l theme of the 2026 International Day of Older Persons. For SL, the theme comes at a significant moment. According to the 2024 Census, people aged 60 and above account for 18% more..

Oct 8 (ST) Come November and the Commonwealth has a good gimmick on its agenda. When Heads of Govvt of the Commonwealth countries meet for CHOGM 2026 in Antigua and Barbuda, the Caribbean flavour would be unmistakably present. For, alongside the inevitable political discussions on today’s global changes and their impact on national and regional economies (thanks to the deities, Donald Trump will not be there), this CHOGM 2026 will present a new sideshow, more..

Oct 8 (SO) My mother was a teacher. Thus long before I entered Grade One, I had encountered the perfect teacher – kind but stern. When I stepped into a classroom for the first time exactly 50 years ago, I already had an idea of what to expect. For 13 long years, teachers helped me to become what I am today. Notwithstanding the debate on corporal punishment, this included a healthy dose of the cane. But in a way, even the cane had more..

Oct 8 (TM) SL’s economy has reached a significant milestone. Real GDP has returned to pre-crisis levels, and the World Bank Group's latest SL Development Update confirms what the national accounts have been hinting at for some time. Twelve consecutive quarters of expansion, a 4.7% rise in output in the first half of this year, and a primary budget surplus that has grown sharply are achievements that deserve to be acknowledged. Those who lived through empty fuel queues, more..

Oct 8 (DM) After 25 years of war, Islamist terrorist attacks on Easter Sunday and a fallen regime, Sri Lankans should be wary of two kinds of statues. The first type is the statues of radicalisation, and the other is statues of dynastism. Both would cloak themselves in innocuous jargon such as remembrance, reconciliation or patriotism. But they all unmistakably foster separatism, radicalisation, extremism and dynastism. Let’s begin with the statues of radicalisation, not least due to more..

Oct 8 (TM) What does it really mean to have a home? At first glance, the answer seems straightforward. A home is a place with walls, a roof, a door and a space where a family can live. But, in today's rapidly changing world, that definition is no longer sufficient. A house may provide shelter, but is it really an adequate home if the family cannot afford to maintain it? Can we call a house adequate if it is located in a flood-prone area, more..

Oct 8 (DM) There is something cruel about asking a cancer patient to come back tomorrow when the medicine needed to keep that person alive is not available today. For many Sri Lankans battling cancer, the journey to a govt hospital begins long before sunrise. Patients and their families travel from distant areas, often after spending money they can barely afford on bus or train fares. Then comes the wait. They stand in queues. They sit on hospital floors. They wait outside pharmacies & more..

Oct 8 (SO) The shadow of the 2022 economic collapse still hangs over SL’s dusty thoroughfares, where kilometres-long fuel queues once stood as a visceral monument to total fiscal failure. Today, those physical queues have disappeared, replaced by the orderliness of market-based pricing and automated pump mechanisms. Yet, beneath this veneer of restored normal lies a fragile, precarious stability. As volatile Middle Eastern geopolitics and supply disruptions threaten to send more..