Oct 28 (NW) PM Harini Amarasuriya and US Ambassador to SL Eric Meyer have held discussions on strengthening bilateral cooperation in trade, tourism, maritime security and education. The discussions took place at Temple Trees on Tuesday, during a meeting between the PM and the US Ambassador, accompanied by a delegation. Both sides explored opportunities to expand bilateral trade and economic relations, more..

Oct 28 (NW) Minister of Health Nalinda Jayatissa, has been elected a Vice-Chair of the Fifth Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference (MC-5), which commenced in Bangkok, Thailand, on Wednesday. The conference, held at the UN Conference Centre (UNCC), is jointly organised by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the Royal Thai Govt. Representing SL, Minister Jayatissa addressed the conference, highlighting the slowdown in global progress more..

Oct 28 (AD) Former Chairman of the National Youth Services Council (NYSC), Lalith Piyum Perera, has been granted bail by the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court. He was arrested by the CIABOC over financial malpractice allegations. He is accused of preparing sublease agreements by misrepresenting a land and the buildings located on it in the Samapura area of Ampara as state property, and subsequently obtaining the property on lease from the National Youth Services Council. more..

Oct 28 (FT) The World Bank has said what many SL taxpayers have long felt. In a recent interview, World Bank Senior Economist Jakob Engel said Sri Lanka’s tax system should be progressive and simple, and focused primarily on taxing those who can most afford to pay. He also called for broadening the base, widening the tax net, and moving from indirect taxes towards direct taxes. The timing matters. As Budget 2027 approaches, the question is no longer whether SL needs more revenue. more..

Oct 28 (FT) On 21 October, the developers of PHP – the engine behind around 70% of the world’s websites – disclosed 2 severe flaws, since nicknamed PHP2Shell, that could let a stranger with no password take control of the computer behind a website. The US National Security Agency then told organisations unable to fix their systems to take them offline, and the South African Presidency, the Finnish Govt and the UK Govt did exactly that within hours, if not days. more..

Oct 28 (Island) SL’s electricity supply security has come under renewed scrutiny after a generating unit at Norochcholai Lakvijaya coal power plant complex was taken offline for maintenance, just two days after all three units were reported to have returned to the national grid, following the Oct 17 countrywide blackout. Latest shutdown of Unit 2, reported on Oct 26, has raised questions about maintenance planning, the reliability of more..

Oct 28 (AD) A total of 21,218 people belonging to 5,696 families have been affected by prevailing adverse weather conditions across the country, according to the DMC. The latest situation report issued by the DMC stated that residents in 109 Divisional Secretariat divisions across 17 districts have been affected by heavy rains and gusty winds. The adverse weather conditions have claimed one life and left five people injured, while three others remain missing, the DMC noted. more..

Oct 28 (EN) Central Bank is building foreign currency reserves without exerting any pressure on the rupee, Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said. SL’s Reserves have been growing at a slow pace and it has to build around US$8 billion by end of this year, as committed to the IMF. The latest number shows reserves have been stagnant around US$ 6.9 billion as of the end of September. “We build reserves without creating volatility in the market,” Weerasinghe said. more..

Oct 28 (NW) Five player managers have signed MOUs with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) under a newly introduced policy aimed at regulating player management and preventing outside interference in cricket affairs, according to information received by Newswire. However, despite the introduction of the new accreditation system, only existing player managers have qualified so far, according to SLC Cricket Transformation more..

Oct 28 (NW) SL has stepped up efforts to attract British investment and expand export opportunities through a series of recent business engagements in London and Dover ahead of SL EXPO 2027, scheduled to take place in Colombo from Jan 14 to 17. SL High Commission in London organised the programme recently, bringing together British investors, business leaders and representatives of key trade organisations. The main event, UK–SL Trade and Investment Forum, was held at more..

Oct 28 (DN) The Parliamentary Select Committee of Parliament to look into and report to Parliament on the matter of selecting the Electoral System under which the Provincial Council Elections should be held and submit its proposals and recommendations in that regard, obtained the views and proposals of several political parties. This took place when the Select Committee met in Parliament under the chairmanship of Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath recently. more..

Oct 28 (TM) Cabinet has approved submitting amended regulations governing the licensing of tea brokers to Parliament for approval. Amendments were published in Extraordinary Gazette No. 2501/68 dated 12 Aug, following Cabinet approval granted on 22 June. They amend the 1979 regulations governing the licensing of produce brokers dealing in tea, issued under Licensing of Produce Brokers Act, No. 9 of 1979. Latest decision authorises submission of amended more..

Oct 28 (PTI) Indian Navy's First Training Squadron, comprising two warships and a Coast Guard vessel, arrived in SL on Monday for a three-day goodwill visit aimed at boosting bilateral maritime cooperation, according to the Indian High Commission. The visit is part of a long-range training deployment that also includes calls at Port Victoria in Seychelles and Male in the Maldives before the squadron returns to its base port in Kochi. The squadron provides initial sea training to more..

Oct 28 (DN) SJB and Opposition MPs state that the refusal to debate a No-Confidence Motion (NCM) brought by the Opposition against Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne constitutes a severe blow to the rights of the Opposition within a democracy. SJB says that it will not be a party to any govt scheme to amend or withdraw the serious allegations against the Speaker to suit the govt’s own agenda and maintains that Speaker should either resign more..

Oct 28 (TM) The shortage of about 250,000-300,000 domestic liquified petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders caused by the three and a half-day delay in the arrival and unloading of a gas shipment is expected to be resolved within seven to eight days, Deputy Minister R M Jayawardena said, adding that the CAA would be asked to investigate reports of cylinders disappearing from the market soon after being released. He said that an LPG shipment had arrived around two days later than expected, more..

Oct 28 (TM) Twenty-five SL multi-day fishing vessels stranded in waters near India due to adverse weather conditions were granted permission yesterday to enter Indian waters for safety reasons. The permission was granted following a special request made by the SL Govt to the Indian Govt through the Indian High Commission in Colombo. Fisheries, Aquatic & Ocean Resources Ministry has taken this step to ensure the safety of the fishing vessels remaining in waters near India more..

Oct 28 (DN) SL bodybuilder Madhavan Rajkumar, professionally known as R.K. Rajakumaran, has achieved a significant milestone by winning the prestigious IFBB Pro Card at the LYFT Oman Pro 2026, bringing pride to SL. Hailing from Labukale in the Nuwara Eliya District, Rajakumaran began his bodybuilding journey at the age of 16. Despite facing numerous defeats, hardships and humiliating experiences, he remained committed to his ambition. His latest success is the result of nearly a more..

Oct 28 (NW) Navy Lt Commander Piyumi Kathriarachchi has earned a master’s degree with honors from US Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in California, achieving an outstanding GPA of 3.98 out of 4.0. US Ambassador to SL Eric Meyer presented her degree at a ceremony held at the American Center Colombo on Oct 26, recognising her academic achievements and contribution to military education. Kathriarachchi completed the Defense Logistics Management programme more..

Oct 28 (FT) The Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS), Sri Lanka’s oldest and leading conservation organisation, had initiated legal action in the Court of Appeal to halt the State-issuance of firearms to civilians, which is driving an unprecedented surge in the slaughter of the country’s wild elephants. The writ application seeks urgent judicial intervention to stop the escalating killing of elephants both within more..

Oct 28 (ST) Attorney General has notified the Colombo Fraud Bureau (CFB) that for the time being, no suspects can be named in the case involving the fraudulent lease of a building in Dehiwala belonging to the trade union National Workers’ Congress (NWC). CFB informed Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court on Friday that the AG had notified them that the persons whose names were uncovered during the investigation involving the forged land deed cannot be named as more..

Oct 28 (ST) Two lawyers appearing on behalf of former State Minister Premalal Jayasekara, alias Chokka Malli, who has left the country while having a notice to appear in courts, have been ordered by the Supreme Court to show cause as to why action should not be taken against them. The court, while reprimanding lawyers Asanka Sandaruwan and Vajira Ranasinghe, issued a warrant for the arrest of the former state minister. The Supreme Court also ordered that more..

Oct 28 (ST) Authorities in SL have failed to successfully prosecute a single transnational cyber scam case, police have said, despite more than a thousand arrests so far this year of suspected members of Asian fraud syndicates who have surged into the South Asian country. Admission comes as experts warn the island nation is becoming a destination of choice for thousands of scam workers fleeing Southeast Asian more..

Oct 28 (ST) Former CB Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal is to give evidence before the Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar tomorrow (26) in the case where he is accused of causing a Rs 1.8 billion loss to the govt by investing in Greek bonds. This follows an order by the 3-judge High Court Trial-at-Bar to the defence to submit testimony in the case. This is the third time that Cabraal has been charged with Greek bonds issue. His evidence tomorrow will be led by Dilan Rathnayake, PC, appearing as counsel more..

Oct 28 (FT) Sri Lanka’s apparel exports returned to growth in September 2026, an encouraging sign for the sector. Although the nine-month total is still behind last year, Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) sees the latest result as a positive step. Apparel exports for the month came to $ 416.99 million, up 3.47% from $ 403.01 million in Sept 2025. The United States and European Union, the sector’s two largest markets, led the gain. Exports to the US grew 7.17% to $ 172.03 million, and more..

Oct 28 (DM) Sri Lanka has won praise from the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) technology chief for building the digital foundations to leapfrog into the artificial intelligence (AI) era, with a call to match the technological ambition with investment in people, sound judgment and accountability. “I think you are closer to this future than you think,” visiting IMF Chief Information Officer Shirin Hamid told the Central Bank of Sri Lanka’s (CBSL) 76th anniversary oration. more..

Oct 28 (FT) Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) yesterday held the inaugural meeting of SL’s Third Mutual Evaluation on Anti-Money Laundering, Countering the Financing of Terrorism and Countering Proliferation Financing (AML/CFT/CPF), with PM Harini Amarasuriya stressing that the credibility of the country’s financial system would be judged on how its safeguards work in practice. A mutual evaluation is a peer review of how effectively a country prevents its more..

Oct 28 (FT) Deputy Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando yesterday said the Govt’s capital market policies would be far more visible in the 2027 Budget, conceding that steps taken over the past two years had not been widely seen, leading some to conclude it had done little for the market. “You will see that visibility in a bigger way in this (2027) Budget,” Dr. Fernando told the Institutional Investor Forum, more..

Oct 28 (Island) Sri Lanka’s disaster management crisis is not simply a matter of limited funding, technology or human resources. It is a long-standing failure in policymaking, policy implementation and institutional accountability. This criticism is not directed at any single govt. It concerns weaknesses that have continued under different administrations for decades. SL has laws, institutions, experts and disaster management plans. Yet every major disaster raises the same question. more..

Oct 28 (DM) In every tea shop, in every office, and on every street during the last election, one sentence was heard again and again: 76 years of national curse. It was shouted in anger, and it was not without reason. Corruption, incompetence, lawbreaking, and callous disregard for human dignity had brought public trust to its lowest point. But in that anger, are we throwing away the good with the bad? Because society, deep down, is not asking for revolution alone. more..

Oct 28 (GV) SL’s military defeat of the LTTE in 2009 ended the armed insurgency but it did not provide a political settlement. The experience of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) offers an instructive, if imperfect, comparison. Both the KRI and Tamil Eelam emerged from prolonged conflict and developed institutions to govern territory. Their trajectories, however, were fundamentally different. KRI gradually acquired constitutional recognition and an administrative existence that could more..

Oct 28 (ST) It looks as if all the chickens the JVP hatched are coming home in a brood to roost sooner than expected. On each front – be it on the economic front or the medical, the educational, or the religious front – the nation lies besieged by a plethora of fire-snorting dragons that it finds itself unable to slay. And to make the unfolding siege far worse are five satanic verses, written in a satanic metre, set to a satanic rhythm, and sung in a compelling satanic style, invoking more..