Oct 31 (NW) Govt of SL and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a loan agreement of USD 90 million for phase 5 of the Second Integrated Road Investment Program (iROAD 2). Loan agreement has been signed after the govt successfully concluded discussions with the ADB. The objective of this program is to enhance road transport efficiency by improving connectivity between selected rural communities and key socio-economic centres, while also strengthening more..

Oct 31 (AD) The overall rate of inflation, as measured by the Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI) on a Y-o-Y basis, increased to 2.1% in Oct 2025, compared to 1.5% in Sept 2025. The CCPI for all items for Oct 2025 was 193.8, recording an increase of 0.1 index points compared to 193.7 in Sept 2025. Y-o-Y inflation of the Food Group rose to 3.5% in Oct 2025, from 2.9% in Sept 2025, while the Y-o-Y inflation of the Non-Food Group increased to 1.4% from 0.7% in Sept 2025. more..

Oct 31 (EN) Population under 15 years of age has declined by 4.5% in Sri Lanka while the number of people aged more than 65 years has increased by 4.7% in the 15 years through last year, the island nation’s latest Population Census showed. It also shows, the people aged 15-64, which is considered as the working-age population, have declined marginally by 0.2%. The country is undergoing demographic aging alongside more..

Oct 31 (NW) The Chairman of the Kuchchaveli Pradeshiya Sabha, Ainiya Pillai Mubarak (50), and his private driver, M.M. Irshad (34), have been arrested by officers of the CIABOC for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs. 500,000 to issue a land permit. The arrests were made in the Iqbal Nagar area in Kuchchaveli following a complaint lodged by a woman resident of Mullaitivu. PS Chairman had earlier accepted Rs. 160,000 from the complainant for a permit covering 20 perches of land more..

Oct 31 (EN) SL women continue to face barriers to political participation because of the country’s electoral system and other social dynamics, an Institute of Policy Studies article said, quoting International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) research. “The research shows that women running for office face multiple obstacles because of voting systems, funding shortages, media restrictions and violence against women in elections (VAWE),” Thaviksha Bulathsinhala, more..

Oct 31 (AD) The Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) has revealed that there are currently around 100,000 patients in the country suffering from diabetic ulcers. Professor Rezni Cassim, a vascular surgeon at the Colombo National Hospital, stated that wounds in diabetic patients are more serious than cancer. He explained that even a minor wound on the foot of a diabetic patient can lead to serious complications, more..

Oct 31 (FT) Seylan Bank said it recorded a Profit Before Income Tax (PBT) of Rs. 12.8 billion in Q3 2025, up 20.75% from Rs. 10.6 billion in Q3 2024. For the 9 months ended 30 Sept 2025, Profit After Tax (PAT) recorded by Seylan Bank was Rs. 8.3 billion, up 26.30% from Rs. 6.6 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2024. Bank said that net interest income decreased from Rs. 27.2 billion to Rs. 27 billion, a marginal decrease of 0.75% over the previous year for the 9 months ended more..

Oct 31 (SHCUK) On 28 Oct, High Commissioner of SL to the UK, Nimal Senadheera, presented his Letter of Credence to His Majesty King Charles III at a ceremonial event held at Buckingham Palace. High Commissioner Senadheera, accompanied by his spouse and diplomatic officers, was escorted by Ms. Eleanor Mackewn, Assistant Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps, to the Palace in the traditional horse-drawn carriages of the Royal Mews, in keeping with the distinguished protocol more..

Oct 31 (FT) SL’s immediate tourism neighbour, Kerala, is setting a new benchmark in inclusive tourism by placing women at the heart of its tourism development strategy. Through its Responsible Tourism Mission (RT Mission) and the newly launched Gender-Inclusive Tourism Policy, the State has emerged as a national model for gender-responsive and women-friendly tourism. The initiative, which began under the Women-Friendly Tourism Project in 2022, has now expanded more..

Oct 31 (FT) Almost every day I make a mental note of some smidgen of armchair wisdom that promises peace if only one would let go, let it go or let it be. It may come from some platform on social media, where the world and its brother obtains their outlook on life. Or emanate from the warm, woozy worldview of some philosophically oriented friend. The imperative is often couched in semi-religious jargon: non-attachment, compassionate distancing or let go and let God! more..

Oct 31 (DM) Auditor General has called for urgent action to recover bonds, fines, overpaid salaries, allowances, and loan balances amounting to over Rs. 1.2 billion from medical officers who had breached their agreements and left govt service as of Oct 31, 2024. There has been a significant increase in the number of doctors quitting govt service and vacating their posts, often without settling the required security deposits, fines, more..

Oct 31 (DN) Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga Boderagama ordered the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Central Bank of SL (CBSL) to provide the CID with the account reports that have not yet been provided to the department in connection with the investigations into the Central Bank bond scam. The magistrate issued this order based on a notification made to the Court by the CID, stating that although the Court had previously issued an order to the CBSL to provide several account reports more..

Oct 31 (AD) The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has temporarily called off the island-wide strike that was scheduled to commence at 8.00 a.m. today (31). Issuing a statement, the GMOA said that the decision to temporarily call off the strike was taken based on the agreements reached during a special discussion held last night (30) between the Minister of Health, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, the Director General of Health Services, and the GMOA. more..

Oct 31 (TM) In the wake of recent discussions regarding the attire of Muslim nurses, Ministry of Public Adm, PCs & LG stated that no official change has been made to the nurses’ uniform as of now. Minister Prof. A.H.M.H. Abayarathna said ministry has not received any formal recommendation from the relevant ministries regarding a revision of the existing dress code for Muslim nurses (at present, it is the standard more..

Oct 31 (FT) Launched in Feb 2025 by Prez and Digital Economy Minister Anura Kumara Disanayake, Govt’s national digital payment platform, GovPay, has surpassed Rs. 568 million in transactions as of 30 October, marking a milestone in SL’s shift toward digital governance and cashless payments. As of end-Oct, 37,715 transactions have been processed and 184 Govt institutions are connected to the platform. The system is operated by LankaPay Ltd. under the supervision of more..

Oct 31 (TM) SL’s Budget 2026 is unlikely to introduce new major taxes or rate hikes but could bring in marginal tax relief, such as the removal of Social Security Contribution Levy (SSCL) on financial services or adjustments to Value Added Tax (VAT) thresholds, Capital Alliance Limited (CAL) Head of Research Trisha Peries said. In a statement on the upcoming budget, she said that even without new taxes, the Govt’s revenue should stay strong to keep the primary surplus at 2.3% of GDP. more..

Oct 31 (DM) Dept of Immigration and Emigration has announced that the previously mandated Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) for all short-stay visitors (tourism and business) to SL, which was to take effect from 15 Oct 2025, has been temporarily revoked until further notice. All ETA services and visa procedures will continue as they were before 15 October 2025. The department reminded travelers to follow immigration rules to avoid penalties, imprisonment, or legal issues, including more..

Oct 31 (Island) Korea’s National Forensic Service (NFS) has concluded a four-year initiative aimed at enhancing Sri Lanka’s forensic drug analysis capacity, under the project titled Strengthen Capacity Building of Forensic Drug Analysis in the Criminal Justice System in Sri Lanka (2021–2025). A closing ceremony marking the successful completion of the project is scheduled to be held today at 10 am in Colombo, co-hosted by the NFS and Govt Analyst’s Department (GAD). more..

Oct 31 (FT) Prez Anura Kumara Disanayake yesterday launched a sweeping national campaign against drug trafficking and organised crime, declaring that SL must dismantle the black State that has taken root within the official State. He said the narcotics trade has corrupted State institutions, destroyed families, and crippled the economy, and warned that the coming months would mark a decisive battle against more..

Oct 31 (DM) Management Club (TMC) announced the launch of Northern Investment Summit 2026 (NIS26), a major initiative to promote investment, entrepreneurship and regional growth in SL’s Northern province. The summit will be held on Jan 21-22, 2026, at the Thiruvalluvar Cultural Centre in Jaffna, under the theme Empowering Growth, Driving Innovations. NIS26 aims to position the Northern province as a new hub for trade and investment by connecting both local and more..

Oct 31 (ST) Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) is set to move a resolution to retain revenue collected from Value Added Tax (VAT) to meet its revenue target and partially finance its own expenses. The move comes after the govt introduced revenue targets for local councils to encourage them to manage their own expenditure without relying on central govt funds. In terms of the govt directive, municipal councils are required to generate 40% of the total expenditure on their own. more..

Oct 31 (CT) While Safiya Yamick stole the spotlight at the South Asian Athletics Championship with her sprinting dominance, another rising star quietly made history in the shadows — a young jumper who claimed double Gold and showcased immense potential at just 20 years of age. Nethmi Madushani Herath, from Bibile in Uva Province, marked her debut senior season in athletics with remarkable success — winning Gold Medals at both int'l meets she competed in this year. more..

Oct 31 (CI) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has clarified that the appointments of Julian Wood and Rene Ferdinands as national batting and bowling coaches will not impact the continued roles of Thilina Kandamby and Piyal Wijetunge within SLC's coaching structure, and that each coach will link up with the men's national side on a rotational basis. "All these coaches, they are not being specified to say that they would be working with the national team," SLC CEO Ashley de Silva said. more..

Oct 31 (FT) The COPE has raised serious concerns over ownership changes, conflicts of interest, and lack of Govt audit at LTL Holdings, a key company partly owned by the CEB, following a detailed inquiry held on 24 Oct under the Chairmanship of MP Dr. Nishantha Samaraweera. As an extension of its ongoing probe into the CEB, COPE summoned LTL Holdings and its subsidiaries to clarify issues surrounding the company’s more..

Oct 31 (DM) The long-awaited lighting project at the Demodara Nine-Arch Bridge, one of SL’s most iconic tourist attractions, has been delayed due to objections from private landowners, the Central Cultural Fund (CCF) said. CCF Director General Dr. Nilan Cooray said the delay arose after landowners refused permission for the installation of power lines needed to operate the transformer that will illuminate the bridge and its surroundings. Alternative arrangements are now being made to more..

Oct 31 (Island) Australia’s High Commissioner to SL, Matthew Duckworth, highlighted the economic and strategic significance of education as a driver of bilateral relations between Australia and SL, highlighting the Monash–UCL partnership as a model of transnational collaboration that continues to power SL’s human capital development. Speaking at the 10th Anniversary and Alumni Reunion of Monash College and the Uni College of Lanka (UCL) on Wednesday at City of Dreams in Colombo, more..

Oct 31 (DM) Strict legal action will be taken against the wife of MP Hesha Withanage and sister-in-law of former Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, National Lotteries Board (NLB) Chairman M.D.C.A. Perera said. They are accused of misappropriating over Rs. 120 million by selling more than 500,000 lottery tickets as NLB district representatives. Several other individuals, recommended by former ministers more..

Oct 31 (ST) Emirates, world’s largest and most profitable int'l airline, is scouting for top-tier aircraft engineering and technical talent worldwide. The airline’s next official stop is SL, where it is hosting information sessions in Colombo on Nov 4 and 5. The role aircraft technicians is based at the airline’s hub – vibrant & dynamic city of Dubai. Roadshows come on the back of Emirates Group’s global recruitment drive to onboard 17,300 professionals across 350 roles this financial year. more..

Oct 31 (NW) Five officers attached to the Narcotics Control Unit of the Department of Excise have been arrested by the CID over the theft of Rs. 102 million from two gold jewelry shops in Colombo. Police said the suspects — an inspector and four corporals — had arrived at the shops on Sea Street, claiming to be conducting an official raid. They allegedly seized the money and later filed a case in court, accusing the shop owners of possessing illegal cigarettes. Investigators said more..

Oct 31 (DM) The demutualisation of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) is awaiting a final policy decision from the new government regarding its share allocation, according to Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Senior Professor Hareendra Dissabandara. He revealed that beyond the original ownership structure, a role for a strategic investor is now being considered. This move comes as the SEC prepares to capitalise on a surge in foreign investor interest and more..

Oct 31 (DN) “David Pieris Automobiles (DPA) and global automative leader GWM by building a landmark partnership introduce a new era of hybrid and new energy vehicles (NEV) to SL. We are on a quest to provide Sri Lankans with freedom to experience hybrid performance backed by the trust and service excellence of DPA. GWM delivers the global innovation while DPA provides the bedrock of local assurance, which means every GWM owner is backed by DPA’s four-decade legacy of more..