Oct 27 (CT) Lady Margaret Thatcher famously made the above statement when she was the first ever female PM of Great Britain in the 1980s. My opinion is that she was right on the money. The business of a govt should never be doing business. Why because such a business cannot continue to flourish without the greed of private ownership the motive of which will be to maximize profits. All over the world, generally speaking, govt have never proved to be good business owners. more..

Oct 27 (Island) Govt is on a campaign to vilify slain Weligama PS Chairman Lasantha Wickremesekera as an underworld figure in a bid to extenuate its failure to ensure his safety inside the PS premises last week. Its propaganda offensive has sparked a media discussion on the politics-crime nexus. Executive Director of PAFFREL Rohana Hettiarachchi has said it is incumbent upon all political parties to conduct thorough background checks on their candidates, and more..

Oct 27 (TM) Education reform is never an easy task. It has an impact not only on the structures and systems of learning but also the daily lives of millions of students, teachers, and parents. Yet, despite the sensitivity and far-reaching impacts of such reforms, SL’s latest announcement of sweeping education reforms has been met with confusion and opposition. Govt’s stated aim of improving education through a new module-based and credit-based learning system & extending school day by 30 minutes more..

Oct 27 (TM) The recent crash of the Lanka Govt Cloud (LGC) has reignited debate about SL’s readiness to embrace the digital economy, as touted by the incumbent Govt. The incident, which crippled several key e-Govt services for nearly a week, has raised pressing questions about the country’s digital infrastructure, technical expertise, and long-delayed cybersecurity framework. The system failure, more..

Oct 27 (ST) A deeply pervasive argument is being trotted out by some Opposition parliamentarians that the coming together of political parties opposed to the NPP Govt is akin to the Soviet Union, UK, China and US and other nations of the free world uniting to stop the advances of Nazi Germany. This is as laughable as it is a woefully mistaken reading of history. The Allied powers leveraged their combined forces during World War II, despite clear ideological and strategic differences, more..

Oct 27 (CT) The National Food Promotion Board (NFPB) was established under the Freedom from Hunger Act (Act No. 15 of 1973) as Sri Lanka’s response to malnutrition, rural poverty, and agricultural vulnerability. Its mandate was clear and ambitious: to strengthen food self-sufficiency, support rural livelihoods, and safeguard the country against the perennial threat of hunger. For decades, it was expected to function as a linchpin in the national food-security framework. more..

Oct 27 (CT) Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB), operating under the Ministry of Environment and entrusted with the task of regulating excavation, transportation and utilisation of mineral sand for industrial purposes, plans to introduce new regulations aimed at eliminating irregularities and preventing the exploitation of this valuable resource. GSMB Chairman Saman Jayasinghe highlighted the current state of more..

Oct 27 (DM) In the quiet hours before dawn, when communities should be at rest, SL’s residential neighbourhoods are jolted awake by amplified loudspeakers from religious institutions. This relentless noise, presented as devotion, has become a serious public health concern that contradicts the fundamental principles of every tradition it claims to represent. Living in a hamlet surrounded by five Buddhist temples, a Catholic church, and a mosque creates an inescapable soundscape. more..

Oct 27 (DM) The global order established in the aftermath of World War II, characterised for decades by the unipolar dominance of the United States, is exhibiting pronounced signs of stress and transition. Multiple forces—economic, geopolitical, and monetary—are converging to suggest that the world is moving toward a multipolar framework. This shift is not merely academic; it promises to redefine int'l relations, global finance, and security dynamics. While US retains formidable power, more..

Oct 26 (ST) For the assassin, it was all too easy. Wednesday, October 22, was the Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha’s public day—the day on which people can freely enter the premises to meet the council’s chairman for official matters. The assassin, a tall man in a white shirt, spectacles and a black facemask, posed as a member of the public waiting to meet Weligama PS Chairman Lasantha Wickramasekara. He waited for his moment. more..

Oct 26 (SO) Adverse weather has already affected 18,376 people of 546 families across 18 districts, according to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), as the island braces for a possible cyclonic storm forming off its Northeastern coast. A low-pressure area about 850 km Northeast of Batticaloa is expected to intensify into a deep depression by today and further strengthen into a cyclonic storm by tomorrow. Four deaths have been reported so far, while 628 houses have sustained damage. more..

Oct 26 (AD) The Minister of Energy, Kumara Jayakody, has directed the immediate withdrawal of a recent letter concerning the appointment of the Director General of the Power Sector Reforms Secretariat (PSRS). The directive follows a letter dated 15 Oct 2025, which claimed that the Minister had approved the appointment. In a statement, Jayakody clarified that no such approval had been granted, emphasizing that any contrary claim constitutes a serious misrepresentation. more..

Oct 26 (TM) In a new report, the National Audit Office (NAO) has exposed staggering financial mismanagement, bureaucratic negligence, and a collapse of internal control at the Ministry of Health that has cost the State over Rs. 1.27 billion. The NAO’s latest audit has revealed that hundreds of medical officers have quit the public service – many for foreign employment or postgraduate study – leaving behind a trail of more..

Oct 26 (ST) A special audit report on the online visa issuance programme, where the work of the Department of Immigration and Emigration was outsourced to a private company last year, did not bring any revenue to the govt, while tourists who qualified under the visa-fee waiver category ended up paying processing fees, thus not benefiting from the free service. The report compiled by the Auditor General’s Department said that during its short period of operations handling more..

Oct 26 (AD) A Gazette notification has been issued stipulating regulations for the release of vehicles held by SL Customs. Gazette Extraordinary has been issued with the signature of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake as the Minister of Finance, effective from yesterday (24). Although permission was granted for the import of vehicles since February this year, more than a thousand vehicles imported on Cross Border LCs allegedly in violation of Import Export Regulations Gazette of 2013 more..

Oct 26 (AD) Director General of the Disaster Management Center (DMC), Sampath Kotuwegoda, announced that preparations are underway for a tsunami mock exercise covering the entire island on Nov 5. He noted that several minor earthquakes have occurred in the vicinity of Sumatra Trench over the past month. He made these remarks while participating in a discussion on tsunami preparedness with officials from the Tri-Forces, Police, govt agencies & non-NGOs. more..

Oct 26 (CT) Prominent lawyers have warned that SL’s Identification (ID) parade system, a cornerstone of criminal investigations, is at risk of collapse due to severe logistical challenges, insecure infrastructure, and growing threats from social media exposure. Speaking during the 47th session of the BASL's webinar series, the attorneys highlighted systemic weaknesses in how ID parades are conducted, calling for urgent procedural reforms to preserve their credibility and fairness. more..

Oct 26 (TM) GovTech Ltd., the successor to the Information and Communication Technology Agency of SL (ICTA), is expected to become fully operational within 3–6 months, the Ministry of Digital Economy reveals. Ministry of Digital Economy Acting Secretary Waruna Sri Dhanapala revealed that the Govt had formally incorporated GovTech as a legal entity and had already appointed Hans Wijayasuriya as its Chair, along with board of directors. more..

Oct 26 (Island) The reduction in electricity tariffs this quarter is insufficient, and the CEB must immediately distribute Rs. 10,975 million profits it earned over the past three quarters but has yet to return to consumers, the Electricity Consumers’ Association said on Friday (24). Speaking at a press briefing, Association Secretary Sanjeewa Dhammika said the amount should be shared among the country’s 4.7 million electricity consumers, with each one receiving Rs. 2,357. more..

Oct 26 (EN) SL workers leaving for jobs in foreign countries like the Middle East have eased from Feb 2025, amid a recovery in economic activities and wages. In Jan 2025, 25,873 persons officially left for foreign jobs, up from 25,149 in 2024. But in Feb 2025 departures fell to 22,271 from 25,737. In March 2025 departures were 21,552, down from 24,158. In April 2025, departures were 22,011 against 22,220 last year. In May 2025 departures picked up to 27,142 against 28,201 last year. more..

Oct 26 (AD) SL dominated the relays at the 4th South Asian Senior Athletics C'ships 2025 in Ranchi, India winning gold in both the Men’s and Women’s 4x100m relay events. SL Men’s 4x100m relay team blazed to victory, sealing the gold medal with a superb time of 39.99 second. And just moments later, SL Women’s 4x100m relay quartet stormed to victory, also sealing the gold medal with a superb time of 44.70 seconds. Meanwhile, SL’s Kalinga Kumarage claimed the gold medal in more..

Oct 26 (ST) businessman Dhammika Perera has been making waves in the Colombo stock market, actively collecting stakes in diversified, manufacturing, real estate, and finance sectors, while announcing ambitious plans to step into modern trade. Never before has the CSE seen such a blitzkrieg of acquisitions by a high-net-worth investor in a span of six months. Early this month, Harischandra Mills saw a significant investment as Mr. Perera acquired 40% stake for Rs 2.57 b. more..

Oct 26 (ST) SLC has called for nominations to join the National Team Selection Committee, signalling potential changes into the selection panel headed by Upul Tharanga. In a letter dated Oct 23, board secretary Bandula Dissanayake urged SLC members to submit their nominees by Nov 5, emphasising that late submissions would not be considered. The move comes amid growing scrutiny of the current selection panel, more..

Oct 26 (TP) Second-day proceedings of the athletic competition of the 3rd Asian Youth Games concluded by lifting SL’s medal tally with another couple of bronze medals. Throwing athlete Chathura Dhananjaya, who featured in the javelin throw event, and sprinter Shanuka Costa, who competed in the finals of the 400 m race, managed to have those podium finishes. Championship is taking place at Bahrain National Stadium, in Riffa, Bahrain. The first bronze medal of the day for SL came more..

Oct 26 (Island) Dialog Television, SL’s #1 Pay-TV provider, is bringing the globally renowned streaming platform Sony LIV to SL, giving customers access to one of the region’s largest streaming libraries with over 50,000 hours of premium content. This milestone reinforces Dialog’s commitment to enriching digital lifestyles by making world-class entertainment more affordable and accessible, with seamless integration across Dialog ViU+ enabled devices, including ViU Hub, ViU Mini, ViU+ more..

Oct 26 (TM) Govt has announced plans to draft new legislation specifically targeting organised crime, a critical step authorities say is long overdue in the fight against sophisticated criminal networks. IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya recently highlighted the intentions behind this new law, emphasising its timely need amid emerging challenges in criminal activities. “We are bringing in a new law to combat organised crime, more..

Oct 26 (SO) The next Inter-Schools rugby season may be still far away but the authorities and the coaches of the schools have already begun their preparations in what could be another gruelling period for the players and officials. The focus and the cynosure of all eyes, no doubt, will be on the elite U-19 League and the Knock-Out Tournament, which has always seen the cream of SL’s schoolboy ruggerites in action. Contribution of the old boys of these respective schools have added more..

Oct 26 (TM) Former President of the SL Boxing Association (SLBA) Dian Gomes says that the sport’s local governing body has theoretically resigned from the International Boxing Association (IBA) and notes that the decision is to be officially conveyed to the Lausanne-based institution. He made this remark when asked for his response on the risk faced by SL boxers in the event of the SLBA failing to resign from the IBA and linking up with the World Boxing Association (WBA) instead. more..

Oct 26 (Island) Women’s cricket has come of age and the ongoing Women’s World Cup has been nothing short of a blockbuster. This edition has hit the sweet spot with wall-to-wall television coverage, leaving fans glued to their screens. From last ball thrillers to great escapes, from back-to-the-wall hundreds to four wickets in four balls, this tournament had it all. The clash between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Bombay is a case in point with the game going down to the last ball. more..

Oct 26 (Island) JVP-led NPP govt signals left and turns right. It claims to have a Marxist agenda, but it is following the same neoliberal policies as its predecessors. It was only the other day that Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared at a Ratnapura District Development Committee meeting that the govt should not engage in business activities, which had to be left to the private sector. Now, one of the NPP’s erstwhile comrades, Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) has accused the govt more..

Oct 26 (ST) A tiara stolen during the daring robbery at the Louvre Museum in Paris this week contained 1,083 diamonds and 24 Ceylon sapphires. The sapphire diadem was once worn by Napoleon Bonaparte’s brother Louis Bonaparte’s wife, Queen Hortense, and Queen Marie-Amélie. SL’s blue sapphires, long celebrated in royal crowns, engagement rings & museum showcases, have once again captured global attention after more..

Oct 26 (ST) My dear Lakmali, I thought of writing to you because it appears to be hard to keep you out of the news, even though you are only a backbencher in the maalimaawa camp. You seem to operate on the principle that any publicity is good publicity. This time, however, what you said may even cost you your job. To be honest, when the tide that swept the maalimaawa into power last year brought you to the House by the Diyawanna Oya, many had high expectations from you. more..