Oct 9 (NW) The Judicial Service Commission has decided to dismiss Thilina Gamage, former Colombo Chief Magistrate and former Moratuwa District Judge, after finding him guilty of all charges levelled against him in a disciplinary inquiry. Gamage had been suspended from duties pending the outcome of the inquiry. The disciplinary proceedings relate to allegations of misconduct involving the possession of a baby elephant named Sakura under a permit allegedly obtained fraudulently. more..

Oct 9 (NW) CERT has warned the public about fraudulent social media advertisements offering admission to foreign universities, following complaints from parents and students who have lost hundreds of thousands of rupees. The scammers reportedly pose as representatives of leading foreign universities, promising admission, student visas, work permits and even eventual citizenship in exchange for registration fees and initial tuition payments. Victims are often persuaded through convincing videos, more..

Oct 9 (NF) Police stated that strict action will be taken against those who intentionally damage Metro buses. DIG in charge of Traffic and Road Safety stated that police have observed this happening in a conspiratorial manner. DIG in charge of Traffic and Road Safety, W.P.J. Senadheera stated that Police have observed that the recent series of acts of sabotage and damage targeting Metro buses is the result of an organized conspiracy, and strict legal action will be taken against those involved. more..

Oct 9 (TM) A software incompatibility affecting a newly installed CT simulator at the National Cancer Institute in Maharagama has disrupted cancer treatment, with nearly 1,500 patients waiting for essential CT simulation before they can begin radiation treatment, Govt Radiological Technologists Association (GRTA) said. GRTA President Chanaka Dharmawickrama yesterday said the new CT simulator, installed after the previous machine was removed in April more..

Oct 9 (AD) Former UN human rights chief and International Court of Justice judge Navanethem Navi Pillay has won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her contributions to international law, the Nobel jury announced on Friday in Oslo, Norway. She has won for her efforts to promote peace and international law, Jørgen Watne Frydnes says. Navi Pillay has significantly enlarged the scope and impact of international law, Jørgen Watne Frydnes says. more..

Oct 9 (NW) SL scientist Themiya Nanayakkara has been part of an international team of researchers that discovered the oldest fast radio burst ever recorded, originating from a galaxy approximately 10 billion years ago. The groundbreaking discovery, published in the scientific journal Science, could help astronomers better understand the evolution of the universe and the vast network of matter known as the cosmic web. The research team, led by Uni of Sydney astrophysicist Dr. Manisha Caleb, more..

Oct 9 (FT) SL politics has never lacked extravagant promises. Political folklore still remembers Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s 1970 campaign pledge to restore the second measure of the rice ration and the famous claim associated with that election that the rice would be found even if it had to be brought from the moon. Whether remembered today as rhetorical excess or an artefact of another political era, the story survived because it captured something more enduring about democratic politics: more..

Oct 9 (FT) Rabies remains one of the world’s deadliest yet most preventable diseases. As a zoonotic disease transmitted mainly through infected animals, preventing human deaths ultimately depends on controlling the disease at its source. While SL has made remarkable progress in reducing rabies over the years, achieving the goal of a rabies-free nation will require a renewed commitment to the One Health approach and greater recognition of the leadership role veterinarians can play in rabies prevention. more..

Oct 9 (DN) PM Harini Amarasuriya announced in Parliament that salaries of govt employees will be increased through the 2027 budget. She stated that while appropriate measures are being taken to resolve the salary anomalies of teachers through the Public Service Commission, government employees’ salaries would also be raised via the 2027 budget. She made these remarks yesterday during more..

Oct 9 (NW) Central Crime Investigation Bureau has issued freezing orders on properties valued at more than Rs. 100 million, suspected to have been purchased using proceeds from drug trafficking. Investigations revealed that a suspect from Boralesgamuwa, who was arrested in connection with drug trafficking involving narcotics brought into SL from UAE, had allegedly used illegally obtained funds to purchase properties under the names of his son, father & close associate. more..

Oct 9 (NW) Two elderly sisters, aged 86 and 81, have been found brutally murdered at their residence in the Pitiduwa area of Habaraduwa, according to police. The victims have been identified as two unmarried sisters who were retired schoolteachers. According to Habaraduwa Police, the two women had been living alone in a house situated on a large plot of land in the Pitiduwa area. Their bodies were discovered at two separate locations behind their residence. more..

Oct 9 (FT) Scrutiny of National Development Bank’s (NDB) Board and external auditors intensified as CoPF questioned why no Board member or senior official or auditor had been held responsible for the Rs. 13.6 billion fraud at the bank. Audit regulator’s findings on the auditors are due within two weeks. CoPF Chair Dr. Harsha de Silva said the forensic review by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP did not include more..

Oct 9 (TM) Representatives of Northern Province fishermen’s associations, Annalingam Annarasa and Nagarasa Varnakulasinham, have raised concerns over the activities of foreign fishing vessels in SL waters and the potential impact of sea cucumber farming projects linked to Chinese companies on Northern fishermen and marine ecosystems. Addressing the longstanding India-SL fisheries dispute in Jaffna yesterday, they welcomed recent observations by the Indian Central Govt more..

Oct 9 (TM) Environment Minister Dr Dammika Patabendi yesterday admitted that 17 of the 65 mangrove reserves identified in the Puttalam District are currently under threat due to various activities. He said that while 43 of the 65 mangrove forests in the District had already been declared protected reserves, 17 are facing threats from various activities. “A number of measures are being taken to protect mangrove ecosystems. The main measure is to declare these forests as protected areas,” more..

Oct 9 (Island) British High Commission in Colombo side-stepped The Island query regarding the recent displaying of LTTE flags in London by UK Tamils of SL origin protesting against the removal of Thileepan’s statue from Nallur temple premises on 27 of Sept. Responding to our request for a clarification in respect of displaying flags belonging to an organisation proscribed in the UK, BHC spokesperson said: “The LTTE remains a proscribed organisation in the United Kingdom.” more..

Oct 9 (Island) A USD 57.4 million investment package is set to reshape the economics of electricity for small and medium-sized businesses, while creating a stronger platform for private investment in rooftop solar and other distributed renewable-energy projects. The financing package—comprising a USD 35 million concessional loan from the ADB, a EUR 15.4 mil grant from the EU, equivalent to USD 16.94 million, and a USD 5.5 million grant from the Japan Fund more..

Oct 9 (TM) Electricity Generation Lanka (EGL) Pvt Limited and the National System Operator (NSO) Private Ltd have collectively incurred an estimated loss of Rs 15.765 billion due to substandard coal supplied during 2025 and 2026, while the Lanka Coal Company Pvt Ltd has recovered Rs 16.989 billion from the supplier through performance guarantees and penalties, Energy Minister Anura Karunathilaka said. more..

Oct 9 (PMD) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that the current Govt’s economic and social development path is not about bringing rural communities to cities, but about creating economic opportunities and providing facilities within villages. He added that the Govt’s objective is to establish a highly developed road network between villages and cities, a good communication system and an efficient and strong public service. Prez made these remarks while attending a ceremony more..

Oct 9 (NW) Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj announced that 2027 will mark a transformative milestone for the early childhood sector, featuring the introduction of national Sri Lanka Standards (SLS) for preschools and early childhood development centres. “2027 will be a transformative year for the early childhood sector,” Minister Paulraj stated while presiding over a ministry review meeting to evaluate 2026 progress and outline strategic targets for the upcoming year. more..

Oct 9 (DN) Opener Sanjana Kavindi produced the best innings of her career, smashing an unbeaten 90 off 59 balls as SL Women’s U-19s recorded a superb six-wicket win over Bangladesh with five balls to spare in their T20 Tri-Nation cricket fixture at Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad yesterday. It was SL’s second successive victory over Bangladesh, following their thrilling last-ball win in the previous game. Left-hander Kavindi was again at the forefront, earning the Player of the Match award more..

Oct 9 (ST) More than 100 investors, diplomats, business leaders, property professionals and other stakeholders gathered in London recently for the SL Real Estate Investment Forum: London 2026, convened by the Research Intelligence Unit (RIUNIT) in collaboration with the SL High Commission in London. Held under the theme Unlocking SL’s Real Estate Investment Potential in a Dynamic & Evolving Market, and with Int'l Construction Consortium (ICC) stepping more..

Oct 9 (TM) The availability of hostel facilities remains limited across State universities, with accommodation currently available for only 63,318 of the 150,815 students studying at 22 universities under the UGC, PM Harini Amarasuriya told Parliament. Responding to a question raised by Opposition MP Chamindranee Kiriella on hostel facilities at State universities, PM said only 42% of students at UGC universities could more..

Oct 9 (ST) Sri Lanka’s fuel subsidy, which unfairly favours the wealthy who use the biggest volume of diesel, will be regularised in the next three months, when the present support ends, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake said, while reiterating the Govt’s firm commitment to pricing that reflects costs. “There is no mechanism to target the fuel subsidy for select groups such as the low-income bracket," he said. A review will begin in a week and will last about three months. more..

Oct 9 (MoD) As part of the island wide programme to allocate State land to meet the housing needs of Ranaviru beneficiaries, tDeputy Minister of Defence undertook a special inspection visit to the Diyabeduma Parakumgama Ranaviru Village in June. Follow up action was subsequently taken based on the matters discussed during the visit. Accordingly, the pilot project of the programme was successfully launched at the Diyabeduma Parakumgama Ranaviru Village in Elahera more..

Oct 9 (Island) Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) accused the govt of seeking to use the proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Act (PSTA) to suppress popular political activity, claiming that some of its provisions were more repressive than those of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). FSP Education Secretary Pubudu Jayagoda said that the definition of terrorism in the Bill was so broad that it could be used to more..

Oct 9 (Island) Sri Lanka’s Test captain Dhananjaya de Silva has done an Ian Botham. No, not by pulling off a miraculous victory against Australia at Headingley, but by resigning a minute before he was sacked. The writing had been on the wall for DDS after he got his sums horribly wrong during the recent home Test series against India. His defensive approach from day one left Sri Lanka chasing the game rather than dictating terms and the hosts eventually surrendered the series. more..

Oct 9 (EN) Foreign investors bought Sri Lankan rupee bonds for the first time in three weeks in the week ended on Oct 1, amid a stable rupee. With the latest inflows, the island nation has witnessed net foreign buying in 14 weeks in the last 16. Offshore investors bought a net 1,821 million rupees (US$5.5 million) worth of SL rupee bonds. They sold a net Rs.16.5 billion worth of rupee bonds in the last two weeks. The inflows helped boost foreign holdings in govt securities to 196.8 billion rupees. more..

Oct 9 (DM) The global economic threats have moved to the forefront of SL’s financial sector concerns, even as confidence in the country’s financial system has strengthened, according to a Central Bank survey. Second-half 2026 Systemic Risk Survey showed that the global macroeconomic risks accounted for 26% of the identified risks, up sharply from 14% in the previous round, emerging as the largest risk category. CB said the increase largely reflected the heightened concerns more..

Oct 9 (FT) Delmege Building Products, a pivotal cluster of Delmege & Forsyth Co. Ltd, has expanded its portfolio with the launch of Delmege Air Conditioners and a new range of switches and sockets at a ceremony held at The Kingsbury. Latest additions reinforce Delmege Building Products’ ambition to build a comprehensive portfolio of quality products and solutions, strengthening its proposition as a trusted one-stop destination for evolving building and lifestyle needs. more..

Oct 9 (FT) Encouraged by the resilience and rebound, as well as the growing acceptance of its expertise, global giant Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is keen to help businesses grow, thereby contributing to nation-building in SL. This vision was shared by BCG Asia Pacific Chairman Yasushi Sasaki and India Head, Managing Director Rahul Jain, who are in SL along with around 600 Managing Directors and Partners for more..

Oct 9 (Island) Thank you, Professor Peiris, for inviting me to speak this evening at an event to announce the endowment that is being made to the University of Colombo and the Sri Lanka Law College as the G. L. Peiris Trust for Legal Education and Research. You and I have walked the corridors of this beautiful building as Vice Chancellors of this university. The walls of the Senate Room carry our portraits, but do not reflect the experiences that we have had in that capacity. more..

Oct 9 (TM) There are places in SL where the story of the land and its industry cannot be separated. Gal Oya, in the Eastern Province, is one of them. Here, a 108-kilometre river that begins in the Central Hills and winds its way to the East coast has shaped everything around it, the largest man-made reservoir in the country, some of our most untouched forest reserves, a community whose livelihoods depend on the land, and an industrial history now entering an important new chapter. more..