Oct 22 (TM) Fishermen’s Associations in Jaffna have threatened to launch large-scale protests in collaboration with fishing communities and representatives from the South, accusing the Govt of failing to address their longstanding grievances and protect the country’s marine resources. The warning was issued at a media briefing held in Jaffna yesterday by the Federation of Fishermen’s Associations and more..

Oct 22 (DM) Foreign specialist doctors are performing free, complex heart surgeries on 15 SL children at the National Hospital in Karapitiya, Galle, under a programme organised by the Take Heart Mercy Mission. The surgeries, which are difficult to perform in SL due to their complexity, are being carried out at the hospital’s Cardiothoracic Surgery Unit in collaboration with local medical professionals. Deputy Minister Hansaka Wijemuni visited the hospital today more..

Oct 22 (AD) Dept of Motor Traffic (DMT) has warned that motorcycles with an engine capacity of 48cc must be registered before being used on public roads, despite claims by some sellers that registration is not required. Director General of DMT said that riders using unregistered motorcycles on public roads could face fines if apprehended by police. Warning comes amid observations that some motorcycle sellers are informing customers that 48cc motorcycles are exempt from more..

Oct 22 (FT) Most people associate me with tourism or my interest in wildlife. But before hotels and elephants took over much of my working life, I studied and trained as an electrical power engineer. With several people asking me why we are having power cuts again, I thought I would dust off that old engineering hat and attempt a simple explanation. I will leave the detailed diagnosis to those who operate the system today. But the basic principles have not changed. more..

Oct 22 (FT) Sri Lanka’s economic reform program, supported by the IMF, is bringing significant changes to the country’s tax policy, revenue administration, statutory compliance and digital infrastructure. While these reforms aim to strengthen public revenue, improve transparency and support economic stability, they also require businesses to reconsider how they organise, manage and protect their operations. Changes in direct taxation and indirect taxation, amendments to tax laws, more..

Oct 22 (TM) The Lakvijaya coal Power Plant in Norochcholai is expected to resume electricity generation today, potentially eliminating the need for scheduled power cuts across the country, the National System Operator (NSO) has stated. A nationwide power outage occurred on 17 October following an imbalance in the national electricity system. Subsequently, the suspension of operations at the Plant more..

Oct 22 (TM) None of the liquor licences issued in 2024, which the current Govt alleged had been granted as political bribes during former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s tenure, has been revoked to date, Deputy Minister Nishantha Jayaweera admitted in Parliament. This is despite Section 28A(1) of the Excise Ordinance empowering the subject Minister to direct the licence-granting authority to grant, renew or cancel licences without assigning reasons, with the authority required to comply. more..

Oct 22 (DM) Opposition MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake alleged that the criteria for a tender to print stickers affixed to liquor bottles had been changed to favour an official attached to the Presidential Secretariat. “This is a serious issue, as the tender for these stickers is worth millions of rupees,” he said. MP claimed that one of the tender criteria appeared to favour companies facing investigations by CIABOC, alleging that changes had been made to serve vested interests. more..

Oct 22 (TM) The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday (20) commenced hearing 25 petitions challenging the Government’s proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill, with petitioners raising concerns over judicial independence, Executive powers and potential violations of Fundamental Rights (FR). The petitions were taken up before a three-Judge bench comprising Chief Justice (CJ) Preethi Padman Surasena and more..

Oct 22 (DM) Incumbent Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake seeks advice from Duminda Hulangamuwa who was also the economic advisor of Former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, MP Harsha de Silva said. "Ranil Wickremesinghe's economic osthar was Duminda Hulangamuwa and he is also the economic osthar of Prez Dissanayake" Harsha De Silva told Parliament today. He said the irony with regard to this situation is that those in the govt criticize the economic policies of more..

Oct 22 (Island) Navy Headquarters said that support operations provided for Onboard Security Team (OBST), in line with foreign private maritime security companies, since October last year, generated approximately USD 3.32 million in foreign exchange earnings. The declaration was made in the wake of Deputy Minister of Defence, Aruna Jayasekara, accompanied by Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Damian Fernando, visiting the Pettigalawatta Armoury Complex, in Galle, more..

Oct 22 (TM) Dairy farmers in the Mayilathamadu–Mathavanai pasturelands of Batticaloa urged the Govt to immediately enforce court orders concerning alleged illegal settlements and protect their lives and livelihoods, following reports that cattle were shot at and farmers were threatened. The appeal comes as the Court of Appeal (CA) resumed proceedings in a case filed by Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam over alleged illegal settlements on the traditional grazing lands. more..

Oct 22 (DN) The Embassy of Nepal in Colombo held the Durga pooja to pay homage to Goddess Durga, symbolising triumph of good over evil. The religious ceremony which was held at the embassy premises was organised as part of the Dashain Festival. Nepal’s most significant and widely celebrated festival, Dashain commemorates the victory of Goddess Durga over evil and is marked by prayers, religious rituals, offerings, and family gatherings. The festival continues for 15 days. more..

Oct 22 (TM) Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara revealed that 1,454 convicted prisoners are unable to secure their release due to unpaid court-imposed fines, adding that Govt and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), as well as public and private institutions, can pay the fines to facilitate their release. He said a programme was already in place under which various organisations and institutions paid fines on behalf of more..

Oct 22 (Island) SLPP will launch its Gamin Gamata (Village to Village) rallies, starting next week, the party’s National Organiser and MP Namal Rajapaksa announced. He made the announcement while addressing the media following a discussion held at the Parliament complex with the party’s National Convener D.V. Chanaka and MP Chanaka Madugoda. MP Rajapaksa said that strong public resentment is mounting against the current govt, accusing it of attempting to rule the country more..

Oct 22 (Island) A 3-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and comprising Justices Achala Wengappuli and Gihan Kulatunga, yesterday issued an open warrant for the arrest of former State Minister Premalal Jayasekara, who failed to appear in court. Two other defendants, who appeared before the court, were ordered to be remanded. The case involves a shooting incident at Kahawatta during the 2015 presidential election campaign. more..

Oct 22 (TG) CID has searched the Jaffna headquarters of the EPDP, the state-backed paramilitary accused of abductions, killings and disappearances of Tamils, and the party’s camp in Kayts. The search of the headquarters on Stanley Road, in the former Sridhar theatre, was carried out on Monday under a warrant issued by the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court on information gathered by the CID. Officers searched the building for several hours and recorded statements in the presence more..

Oct 22 (Island) British Examination Centre (BEC), an independent examination and assessment administration body established under CEG Education Holdings, was officially launched at Cinnamon Lakeside, Colombo recently. The establishment of the centre marks a significant milestone in expanding access to internationally recognized qualifications, teacher development, and examination administration across SL. A key highlight of the launch was BEC’s more..

Oct 22 (Island) Supreme Court yesterday began hearing objections to the proposed new constitution for Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), with former cricket administrators leading the resistance to reforms that threaten to loosen their grip on the game. Chief among their grievances is the proposed removal of voting rights enjoyed by District Cricket Associations at SLC’s AGM. Reformists, however, received a significant shot in the arm more..

Oct 22 (NW) SriLankan Airlines is exploring opportunities to expand its network to Perth, China and Africa, with CEO Vipula Gunatilleka Mishra saying the national carrier must take the lead in developing new routes to support SL’s tourism industry. Mishra said there was strong potential for flights to Perth following a recent tourism roadshow conducted in collaboration with the Tourism Ministry. “We see there is a strong demand in Perth. We do see that China needs to restart anyhow. more..

Oct 22 (NW) Colombo Mayor Vraie Cally Balthazaar says repairs to a major drainage pipeline on Dudley Senanayake Mawatha in Borella have been completed in less than 24 hours, allowing the road to reopen to traffic. Mayor said the disruption on Tuesday was caused by a failure in a pressurised drainage main that is more than 50 years old. She said the CMC’s Drainage Division responded promptly and worked to restore the pipeline despite the age of the infrastructure and more..

Oct 22 (FT) Banks added Rs. 550 billion in Personal Loans and Advances in the first eight months of 2026, the most of any main sector. Credit to Industry grew by Rs. 347 billion and to Construction by Rs. 131 billion, and growth in both slowed sharply in May to August compared with a year earlier. Figures come from the CB’s Monthly Survey of loans and advances by licensed commercial banks to key sectors. more..

Oct 22 (FT) National Development Bank (NDB) said it posted a Profit After Tax (PAT) of Rs. 2.9 billion during the third quarter. Releasing its financial results for the nine months ended 30 Sept, the bank said it delivered a strong performance during the period, underpinned by the resilience of its core banking franchise, disciplined execution of its strategic priorities, and the strength of its business model, despite the challenges arising from the fraud incident identified in April 2026. more..

Oct 22 (CI) It is barely a month since these teams duked it out to bring down the curtain on the English season. On Thursday, Sri Lanka and England reunite in Rawalpindi in this novel tri-series. After starting their respective schedules with defeats to Pakistan - who effectively now have one foot in next Saturday's final - they have the honour of closing out the Rawalpindi leg of this exhibition. With plenty of manouvering of positions to be done, jeopardy is minimal. more..

Oct 22 (TM) SL can expect to see a further sovereign ratings upgrade to B+ in 2027, under a bull case scenario – which would require a permanent ceasefire in the Middle East conflict and SL sustaining GDP growth above 5% for the next 2-3 years, First Capital Vice President – Research Ranjan Ranatunga said, speaking on a webinar recently. “This will take place in an event where we will possibly see a permanent ceasefire coming in. We will [need] see GDP growth of SL to be more..

Oct 22 (DM) Nearly half of the Rs.57 billion in insurance claims lodged after Cyclone Ditwah remained unsettled seven months after the storm, with non-motor policyholders accounting for almost the entire backlog, as per data compiled by Insurance Regulatory Commission of SL (IRCSL) and published by the Central Bank. Claims arising from the cyclone, which struck in Nov 2025 and was described in March by IRCSL Chairman Ajith De Mel as the largest insurance claim event in more..

Oct 22 (ST) While countries clamour to adopt AI, a development that promises a utopian era of abundance and prosperity, experts warn of a turbulent time in human history, waiting to happen. They said adopting AI can result in job losses, creating social upheaval in developing countries and hitting the working class the hardest. This will result in the world’s economy being held by a few, the corporate bosses and those with more..

Oct 22 (Island) Power cuts have returned, much to the resentment of the public. They however did not come as a surprise. Given the generation shortfall at Lakvijaya power plant due to the use of low-quality coal, power cuts were expected much earlier, but the govt stepped up diesel power generation to avert them. Having groped in the dark and resorted to obfuscation, following Saturday’s nationwide power outage, which lasted for nearly 6 hours, govt now says power supply will return to normal soon. more..

Oct 22 (Island) Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur in West Bengal State has set an uplifting example. It has taken technology to the streets by developing a solar-powered food vending cart complete with digital payment facilities, allowing street vendors to move from one location to another easily without having to occupy public spaces permanently, according to a news item published in this newspaper today. Mounted on a three-wheeler, the vending machine was unveiled more..

Oct 22 (ST) So the conversations have begun over another programme with the IMF with Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake joining this discussion in comments he made on Monday, speaking at the annual economic summit of the CCC. In our Kussi Amma Sera column on Sept 20, we alluded to this possibility after comments by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and CCC Chairman Krishan Balendra who went on record saying there is a need to go for another programme after more..

Oct 22 (TM) The latest island wide power breakdown was a weary confirmation of a pattern that has run for years. Each time, explanations arrive quickly, and each time the public is left with more questions than answers. One comment keeps returning: substandard coal. Many engineers and commentators argue that the repeated failures at our coal-fired plants cannot be separated from the quality of the fuel fed into them. Poor coal, they say, damages boilers, lowers efficiency and more..