Oct 8 (DM) As Sri Lankans live longer, country faces a question that goes far beyond healthcare and pensions: How can we ensure that the additional years of life are lived with health, security, independence and dignity? The Age of Longevity: Rethinking Systems for Longer Lives is the int'l theme of the 2026 International Day of Older Persons. For SL, the theme comes at a significant moment. According to the 2024 Census, people aged 60 and above account for 18% more..

Oct 8 (ST) Come November and the Commonwealth has a good gimmick on its agenda. When Heads of Govvt of the Commonwealth countries meet for CHOGM 2026 in Antigua and Barbuda, the Caribbean flavour would be unmistakably present. For, alongside the inevitable political discussions on today’s global changes and their impact on national and regional economies (thanks to the deities, Donald Trump will not be there), this CHOGM 2026 will present a new sideshow, more..

Oct 8 (SO) My mother was a teacher. Thus long before I entered Grade One, I had encountered the perfect teacher – kind but stern. When I stepped into a classroom for the first time exactly 50 years ago, I already had an idea of what to expect. For 13 long years, teachers helped me to become what I am today. Notwithstanding the debate on corporal punishment, this included a healthy dose of the cane. But in a way, even the cane had more..

Oct 8 (TM) SL’s economy has reached a significant milestone. Real GDP has returned to pre-crisis levels, and the World Bank Group's latest SL Development Update confirms what the national accounts have been hinting at for some time. Twelve consecutive quarters of expansion, a 4.7% rise in output in the first half of this year, and a primary budget surplus that has grown sharply are achievements that deserve to be acknowledged. Those who lived through empty fuel queues, more..

Oct 8 (DM) After 25 years of war, Islamist terrorist attacks on Easter Sunday and a fallen regime, Sri Lankans should be wary of two kinds of statues. The first type is the statues of radicalisation, and the other is statues of dynastism. Both would cloak themselves in innocuous jargon such as remembrance, reconciliation or patriotism. But they all unmistakably foster separatism, radicalisation, extremism and dynastism. Let’s begin with the statues of radicalisation, not least due to more..

Oct 8 (TM) What does it really mean to have a home? At first glance, the answer seems straightforward. A home is a place with walls, a roof, a door and a space where a family can live. But, in today's rapidly changing world, that definition is no longer sufficient. A house may provide shelter, but is it really an adequate home if the family cannot afford to maintain it? Can we call a house adequate if it is located in a flood-prone area, more..

Oct 8 (DM) There is something cruel about asking a cancer patient to come back tomorrow when the medicine needed to keep that person alive is not available today. For many Sri Lankans battling cancer, the journey to a govt hospital begins long before sunrise. Patients and their families travel from distant areas, often after spending money they can barely afford on bus or train fares. Then comes the wait. They stand in queues. They sit on hospital floors. They wait outside pharmacies & more..

Oct 8 (SO) The shadow of the 2022 economic collapse still hangs over SL’s dusty thoroughfares, where kilometres-long fuel queues once stood as a visceral monument to total fiscal failure. Today, those physical queues have disappeared, replaced by the orderliness of market-based pricing and automated pump mechanisms. Yet, beneath this veneer of restored normal lies a fragile, precarious stability. As volatile Middle Eastern geopolitics and supply disruptions threaten to send more..

Oct 7 (NW) Global macroeconomic risks have emerged as the most prominent threat to SL’s financial system, according to the CB’s latest Systemic Risk Survey (SRS), amid heightened geopolitical tensions and uncertainty over the global economic outlook. Central Bank said global macroeconomic risks accounted for 26% of perceived risks in the second half of 2026, up sharply from 14% in the first half of the year. The increase was largely attributed to concerns more..

Oct 7 (EN) State-run retail chain Lanka Sathosa plans to adopt a franchise model to sell goods under its brand name as part of a wider restructuring drive, Trade Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe said. Speaking in parliament, Samarasinghe said Sathosa had accumulated 24 billion rupees in losses and owed 14 billion rupees to suppliers, with over 200 of its retail outlets operating at a loss. To turn the network around, the govt is closing non-viable branches, upgrading 100 shops, more..

Oct 7 (TM) The insurers' legal team representing parties involved in the MV X-Press Pearl compensation dispute arrived in Sri Lanka on 29 September and held discussions with several senior Govt officials, including representatives of Treasury and Attorney General’s (AG) Dept. Neither the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) nor the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) confirmed the arrival of legal team in SL. more..

Oct 7 (NW) Opposition MP Namal Rajapaksa, addressing Parliament after being brought from remand custody, criticised the govt over the treatment of BBS General Secretary Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero and called on Prez Anura Kumara to consider granting him a presidential pardon. Rajapaksa questioned why the govt was seeking clemency from Saudi Arabia for SL national Sivarasa Anojan, who faces a death sentence in the Kingdom, while not taking similar action in more..

Oct 7 (DM) The Colombo High Court has upheld the nine-month prison sentence imposed by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court on Bodu Bala Sena Secretary Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera after finding him guilty of making statements insulting Islam during a media briefing, Colombo Additional Magistrate Lahiru Silva observed in court today. On Jan 1, 2025, Colombo MC sentenced Ven. Gnanasara Thera to nine months’ imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs. 1,500. more..

Oct 7 (DM) It would be better to shoot BBS General Secretary Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera dead, as was done to Venerable Kudapola Thera, a prominent Buddhist monk and national patriot, Pitiduwe Siridhamma Thera, also known as Siri Samanthabhadra Thera, said today. Thera said the imprisonment of Ven. Gnanasara Thera was not a new sentence but an extension of an earlier court order. more..

Oct 7 (DM) Supreme Court on Tuesday, while hearing a batch of petitions challenging the unconstitutional ceding of Katchatheevu island to SL, orally observed that Indian Tamil fishermen need to be sensitised against entering SL waters for fishing in Katchatheevu. A bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Sanjeev Sachdeva adjourned the hearing to Feb 2027, after Attorney General R Venkataramani said the govt is fully aware of the issues and would take necessary measures. more..

Oct 7 (NW) Indictments were served today before the Matara High Court on former IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon and eight other police officers in connection with the shooting incident at a hotel in Weligama in December 2023. The indictments filed by the Attorney General were read out to the nine accused when the case was taken up before Matara High Court Judge Nandana Amarasinghe. Following the serving of indictments, the High Court ordered that all nine accused be released on bail. more..

Oct 7 (TM) Bitumen stocks required for the Road Development Authority (RDA) have reached zero after supplies from Iran stopped in February, seriously affecting road construction work, particularly the Central Expressway’s Third Section from Pothuhera to Rambukkana, RDA Director General H H N A Hettiarachchi said. Hettiarachchi said that the RDA had previously used 100 per cent Iranian bitumen and had used the remaining stocks in the market after the supplies stopped. more..

Oct 7 (NF) US Navy's USS Tulsa (LCS 16) arrived at the Port of Colombo on Oct 7, marking its second visit to SL in just over a year. The visit of the Independence-variant littoral combat ship comes as both nations continue efforts to strengthen cooperation in maintaining peace, security and stability across the strategically important Indian Ocean region. Welcoming the vessel's arrival, US Ambassador to SL Eric Meyer said every visit by a U.S. naval vessel presents an opportunity to more..

Oct 7 (FT) Govt yesterday defended its gradual opening of the capital account and refused to disclose its plans for SL’s international Bonds, arguing that any such signal would be market-sensitive. Responding in Parliament during the debate on new regulations governing foreign exchange outflows, Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe said the measures would boost investor confidence by easing restrictions more..

Oct 7 (AD) A discussion between Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake and the heads of state and private sector institutions sponsoring the SL National Scout Jamboree was held at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo. The discussion focused on the contributions being made by state institutions supporting the Jamboree, as well as by state and private sector institutions providing financial sponsorship to ensure the successful organisation of the event, more..

Oct 7 (NW) Former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa was arrested by the CIABOC over allegations involving Rs. 10 million obtained for the purchase of a CT scanner for the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children. According to CIABOC, the money had been obtained from the National Savings Bank through the Siriliya Saviya organisation, stating that it would be used to provide a computerized tomography (CT) scanner to the hospital. Bribery Commission alleges that the CT scanner more..

Oct 7 (NW) SL govt is stepping up legal efforts to assist SL national Anojan Sivarasa, who is facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia, with a legal team currently in the Kingdom preparing an appeal to its Supreme Court, Minister Vijitha Herath told Parliament. Herath said the deadline to submit the appeal is Oct 17 and that the govt expects the legal team to complete and file it shortly following consultations with a Saudi law firm. more..

Oct 7 (DM) Most Ven. Medagama Dhammananda Thera, Secretary of the Asgiri Chapter of the Shyamopali Maha Nikaya, has raised serious legal concerns over the decision to remove the robe of Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera and present him before court in lay attire after his imprisonment. Asgiri Chapter said it respected the court verdict against the Thera but questioned whether the procedure followed by prison authorities was consistent with the relevant provisions of more..

Oct 7 (AD) The SL Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) states that 211,666 SL migrant workers have departed for foreign employment during the first nine months of this year. Of them, 141,916 individuals departed through their own means, while 69,750 travelled abroad through foreign employment agencies. The Bureau further stated that the migrant workers comprised 134,761 males and 76,905 females. Notably, 108,343 of those who departed were skilled professionals. more..

Oct 7 (FT) SL’s delivery landscape is about to take a different direction. Ting, a homegrown innovation-first platform, built for SL ordering habits, will officially launch on 30 Oct in the Colombo district, introducing a new approach to food delivery designed around how people actually order together rather than how traditional delivery apps have operated. Ting is part of Edine Services Ltd, a fully Sri Lankan-owned platform services company. Launching under the brand promise more..

Oct 7 (NW) Former NSB Chairman Pradeep Kariyawasam has been arrested by CIABOC in connection with the investigation into the Siriliya Saviya account linked to former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa. Kariyawasam, who is also the husband of former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake, was arrested as part of the ongoing investigation into allegations concerning the account. Investigation relates to the Siriliya Saviya initiative associated with Shiranthi Rajapaksa, more..

Oct 7 (AD) Former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa has been produced before the Hulftsdorp court, a short while ago. Shiranthi Rajapaksa was arrested by officers of the CIABOC this morning. Shiranthi Rajapaksa was arrested at her residence on Poorwarama Road in Kirulapone. According to the Bribery Commission, Rajapaksa was arrested after officers recorded a statement from her for nearly two hours. more..

Oct 7 (NW) Govt is considering introducing an insurance scheme or suitable compensation mechanism for damage to coconut cultivation, Minister Samantha Vidyaratne has said. He said discussions are currently underway with relevant stakeholders on establishing such a mechanism, as no formal crop compensation scheme is presently in place for damage to coconut cultivation. He made the remarks during the third meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on more..

Oct 7 (NW) A contempt of court complaint against six individuals, including former MPs Wimal Weerawansa and Udaya Gammanpila and MP Dilith Jayaweera, was taken up before the Court of Appeal today. Complaint had been referred by the Colombo Fort Magistrate, alleging contempt of court by the six individuals. The matter was taken up before a 3-judge Court of Appeal bench comprising President of the Court of Appeal Justice Rohantha Abeysuriya and Justices Chamath Morais and more..

Oct 7 (TM) Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekara said that less than 1,000 weapons belonging to former paramilitary groups that operated in the Northern and Eastern Provinces during the armed conflict have been handed over to the Govt, with the Security Forces, Police and Intelligence agencies continuing to monitor whether the groups pose any threat to national security. He made the statement in response to a question more..

Oct 7 (FT) More than two decades ago, I wrote about the importance of conserving Sri Lanka’s remarkable biological diversity and the need to protect not only individual species but also their habitats, genetic variation and ecological relationships. The urgency was already apparent then. Today, it has increased considerably. Habitat destruction, fragmentation, invasive alien species, pollution and climate change have intensified the pressures on our native plants and animals. more..

Oct 7 (AD) Former Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, who was arrested by the CIABOC and produced before court, has been remanded by the Colombo High Court. He was ordered to be remanded in custody until the conclusion of the trial. High Court Judge Rashantha Godawela issued the order. The order was made following submissions presented by the Bribery Commission (BC) regarding the matter. Bogollagama was arrested by officers of BC this morning based on an open warrant issued by more..