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..

Oct 9 (Island) Some crucial problems have remained intractable in the public sector because a chronic lack of inter-institutional cooperation has stood in the way of tackling them. COPE has recently addressed one such issue. While examining the affairs of the Coconut Development Authority (CDA), Coconut Research Institute, and Coconut Cultivation Board, COPE raised serious concerns over the food-safety risks posed by reprocessed and adulterated coconut oil entering the local food industry. more..

Oct 9 (CT) Former Cabinet Ministers. A former First Lady. Sons of a former President. Senior public officials. Men and women who once travelled with security escorts, occupied ministerial offices, commanded govt institutions and exercised influence unavailable to ordinary citizens have increasingly found themselves answering questions before investigators, standing before judges or entering remand custody. The allegations are numerous. Many are serious. more..

Oct 9 (DM) As Sri Lanka is steering to become one of the world’s leading tourist destinations and thereby attract foreign incomes to help the economy, the World Toursim Day on Sept 27, 2026 marked the deadline for the enforcement under the European Union’s Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (EmpCo), prohibiting unverified green and sustainability claims in the tourism and hotel industry. more..

Oct 9 (GV) A bill intended to strengthen SL’s anti-corruption efforts has instead raised a broader question about the limits of state power. As parliament considers the Bill on Oct 8, it will have to determine how to proceed with the provisions the Supreme Court has flagged on constitutional grounds. SL enacted the Anti-Corruption Act No. 9 of 2023 to strengthen the country’s institutional and legal framework for combating corruption and expand the role and powers of the CIABOC. more..

Oct 9 (TM) The warning issued in Parliament yesterday (7) by Minister Anura Karunathilaka was unambiguous. He cautioned that if private fuel supply companies continue to restrict fuel distribution to retail filling stations, Govt will seek legal advice to take action in accordance with the Petroleum Act and the powers vested in the Ministry. While the State’s frustration with private distributors is understandable, administrative threats alone will not keep filling stations open. more..

Oct 9 (SO) Scarcely any event haunts the collective memory of our motherland quite like the tragic morning of April 21, 2019. Just as communities gathered to celebrate hope and renewal, the sacred altars of St. Sebastian’s in Katuwapitiya, St. Anthony’s in Kochchikade, and Zion Church in Batticaloa paired with simultaneous blasts at premier hotels in Colombo, became sites of unimaginable carnage, taking nearly 270 lives more..

Oct 9 (DM) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake recently stated during a public meeting held in Kahatagasdigiliya that there are absolutely no boundaries or limits when it comes to arresting corrupt individuals. Prez made this statement while responding to a remark made by a former minister who had claimed that this govt has no limits in arresting politicians. Prez also emphasised that when making arrests in connection with corruption, statuses of individuals are irrelevant. more..

Oct 9 (DM) The dream to pursue higher education at a state university has been challenged due to the prevalence of the sadistic rag culture. What began as a practice for socialising purposes with mostly humour and pranks quickly worsened to severe forms of bullying, harassment, sexual and gender-based violence and torture. As a result, some students, or rather victims, became permanently crippled or took their own lives as they couldn’t bear the trauma and humiliation. more..

Oct 8 (DM) A fundamental rights petition has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking an order preventing prison authorities from producing BBS General Secretary Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera before courts in prison attire when he appears in connection with court cases. The petition was filed by retired Air Force officer Shantha Jayathilaka, naming the Commissioner General of Prisons, the Secretary to the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney General as respondents. more..

Oct 8 (NW) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake says the government aims to reduce Value Added Tax (VAT) rates over the next two to three years as part of efforts to provide financial relief to the public. Speaking at a ceremony to present appointment letters to 1,540 new Grama Niladhari officers at Temple Trees on Thursday (8), the President said the government was working towards reducing the tax burden on citizens while managing rising public expenditure. more..

Oct 8 (NW) Postal employees have raised serious concerns over alleged irregularities at the Central Mail Exchange, claiming that parcels and goods sent overseas through Express Mail Service (EMS) are not being subjected to Customs inspections, resulting in substantial revenue losses to the govt and the illegal export of valuable national resources. Postal employees alleged that large quantities of prohibited & restricted items more..

Oct 8 (NW) SL students have won 13 medals, including three silver and ten bronze medals, at the International Mathematics and Science Olympiad held in Indonesia. The students, who represented Sri Lanka at the international competition, returned to the island on Wednesday, arriving at the BIA in Katunayake. According to the Ministry of Education, the competition was held in West Java, Indonesia, from Oct 2 to 6, with the participation of representatives from 23 countries. more..

Oct 8 (AI) Saudi Arabia’s authorities must urgently overturn the death sentence issued against a migrant worker on charges of blasphemy, said Amnesty International today. The organization is calling on Saudi authorities to release him immediately and unconditionally given his charges stem entirely from his exercise of his right to freedom of expression. Anojan Sivarasa, a 24-year-old SL national, was arrested on 1 July 2026 after posting a comment on Facebook deemed more..

Oct 8 (ABC) A Buddhist monk who sexually abused six young girls at his Melbourne temple has been jailed for 13 years and two months, with a judge calling his crimes a betrayal of trust. Monk's victims looked on with disgust as the man who violated them smiled and waved at supporters in court shortly after the sentence was handed down. Naotunne Vijitha, 71, was the chief monk at the Dhamma Sarana temple in Melbourne's more..

Oct 8 (NW) Sri Lanka and Lithuania have signed a MoU to establish a formal mechanism for regular political consultations, marking a significant step in strengthening bilateral relations as the two countries celebrate 30 years of diplomatic ties. The agreement was signed during the official visit of Lithuania’s Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vidmantas Verbickas, to Sri Lanka from Oct 4 to 6, at the invitation of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment Arun Hemachandra. more..

Oct 8 (CI) Like tandoori prawns at a Japanese dinner, this T20I series is a curious appetiser to the kind of home season that follows for Pakistan. These three T20Is between Pakistan and SL in Rawalpindi are the only confirmed matches in the format this season, to be followed by ODIs and Test matches. Barring the recent Asian Games, these are Pakistan's first meaningful T20Is with a full squad since their lacklustre World Cup campaign in Feb, and set to be their only ones in a while. more..

Oct 8 (TM) Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Bill was passed in Parliament today with amendments and without a vote. Accordingly, the amendments seek to address legal, interpretational, administrative and technical issues identified in the implementation of the Anti-Corruption Act, No. 9 of 2023, discrepancies between the Sinhala and English texts of the Act, issues relating to the investigation and prosecution of corruption offences, administrative matters of the CIABOC, and more..

Oct 8 (AD) A shortage of psychiatrists is currently prevailing in the country, Consultant Psychiatrist, Professor Chathurie Suraweera, said. She said psychiatrists are in high demand in foreign countries, particularly in Australia and the UK. Professor Suraweera said the migration of psychiatrists overseas has become a major reason for the shortage in SL. “There is a certain shortage of psychiatrists. SL psychiatrists have job opportunities in Australia and UK at any given time, more..

Oct 8 (CI) Kusal Mendis has been appointed the new SL Test captain, replacing Dhananjaya de Silva, who stepped down from the position on Thursday morning. The two-Test series in Pakistan in November will be Mendis' first assignment in his new job. De Silva, who led SL in 18 Tests between Feb 2024 & Aug 2026, left the job citing a desire to hand over leadership to the next generation. He, however, remains available for selection. more..

Oct 8 (NW) Bandarawela Rest House, operated by Cluster Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, has been fined Rs. 1 million for selling a bottle of drinking water above the legally prescribed maximum retail price (MRP). Bandarawela Magistrate’s Court imposed the fine on Oct 7 after the company pleaded guilty to charges filed by the CAA. According to the CAA, its officers conducted a raid on Sept 23, and discovered that the establishment had sold a one-liter bottle of drinking water for Rs. 200, despite more..

Oct 8 (NW) The Opposition has signed a no-confidence motion against Speaker of Parliament Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne today. The signing took place at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, under the leadership of Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa. Several MPs representing Opposition parties participated in the signing of the motion. The move marks an effort by the Opposition to challenge the Speaker’s position through a parliamentary no-confidence motion. more..