Oct 10 (DN) Minister Ananda Wijepala told Parliament that the Govt will not tolerate any type of racist and sectarian conspiracies in the future and has defeated such attempts made by politicians to come into power and protect and maintain their power. Responding to a question raised in the House by SLMC Batticaloa District MP M.L.A.M. Hizbullah over instances of organized activities carried out by certain groups against the Muslim Community in the country by publishing more..

Oct 10 (DN) DTNA Vanni District MP Selvam Adaikalanathan moving a private member’s motion in Parliament, urged the govt to appoint a Presidential Commission of Inquiry to ascertain the truth regarding the ethnic violence that occurred during Black July in 1983, assess the resulting damage, and formulate recommendations to prevent the recurrence of such ethnic violence. MP Adaikalanathan emphasized the need for appropriate action to be taken in this regard. more..

Oct 10 (FT) Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam called on the Govt to disclose the revenue, tax liabilities and outstanding arrears of hotels in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. He told Parliament that local councils were being deprived of revenue legally due to them while large operators profited from land in the regions. Rasamanickam said comprehensive information on major hotels, their revenues, tax liabilities and more..

Oct 10 (NW) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has called on the govt to introduce a practical relief programme for Sri Lankans struggling with microfinance debt, claiming that more than two million people have fallen into debt traps. Premadasa said data from 2023 indicated that over two million people had been affected by exploitative microfinance lending practices, with women among the most vulnerable borrowers. He said the microfinance concept, originally introduced by more..

Oct 10 (NW) Former MP Wimal Weerawansa is facing possible contempt of court proceedings over remarks he made at a political rally in A'pura in September, police said. Police have decided to initiate legal steps to file a case against Weerawansa before the Court of Appeal over comments allegedly criticizing a Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court order issued on Sept 4. The remarks concerned a court decision to remand the fourth suspect in a case heard before Colombo Magistrate’s Court more..

Oct 10 (NF) Former CB Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal today personally withdrew the petition he had filed challenging the case brought against him by the Bribery Commission regarding the 2012 Greek bond incident. In the petition, the petitioner stated that a case had been filed against him before the Colombo High Court regarding a govt loss incurred by investing Rs. 1.8 billion in Greek bonds. The petitioner further stated that the CIABOC subsequently withdrew that indictment more..

Oct 10 (Island) Dialog Axiata joins the Institution of Engineers, SL (IESL) to launch the IESL National Startup Challenge, creating a national pathway for aspiring entrepreneurs to transform innovative ideas into commercially viable, investment-ready startups. The initiative reflects a shared commitment to strengthening SL’s entrepreneurship ecosystem through structured development, expert mentorship and practical support that enables promising ideas to progress towards market readiness & scale. more..

Oct 10 (FT) Colombo-centric condominium market is shrinking and getting pricier, with sales falling and buyers concentrating in higher-priced apartments. Most buyers financed their purchases with their own funds, with bank loans accounting for about a quarter, a pattern broadly unchanged from a year earlier. CBSL Price Index for New Condominiums in Colombo District rose 3.2% YoY to 280.6 in April-June quarter. more..

Oct 10 (ST) Environmental activists are calling on the Dept of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) as well as the Ministry of Environment to be proactive in ensuring the safety of elephants, especially tuskers. They called for improving the security of wild animals and action against those who harm elephants, following the shooting of the tusker Kavantissa. Wildlife veterinarians said the tusker’s front leg had sustained a gunshot injury. The wound was cleaned and treated with antibiotics. more..

Oct 10 (DM) Otherland Galle, a 66-key lifestyle hotel crowned by what its promoters describe as the largest rooftop club in the city, will open on Oct 12 as the first venture of Bengaluru-based Otherland Hotels, which is betting on music, food and surf culture to draw experience-seeking holidaymakers down south. Set on Matara Road, about 400 metres from Dewata Beach and 2.8 km from Galle Fort, the property blurs the line between hotel, poshtel and surf club, with 24 ocean-view rooms, more..

Oct 10 (FT) The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) says only one of its 18 policy proposals included in the National Budget 2026 has been completed. None of the 17 proposals adopted in Budget 2025 has yet been completed. The figures come from the Chamber’s latest Progress Tracker, compiled by CCC Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU). The tracker is current as at 8 Sept, and arrives weeks before Govt presents Budget 2027. more..

Oct 10 (DM) Sri Lanka could see electric buses joining its public transport fleet sooner if tax concessions already available to electric cars are extended to electric commercial vehicles, with Indra Traders (Pvt) Ltd hopeful the next budget will address the matter. Speaking to Mirror Business on the sidelines of the opening of the company’s new Foton service centre, Indra Traders (Pvt) Ltd Managing Director Rushanka Silva noted that operators were keen to make the switch, more..

Oct 10 (ST) From beaches and fishing harbours to underwater habitats and inland waterways, SL last week marked International Coastal Cleanup Day with a week-long series of activities aimed at tackling the growing problem of marine debris. International Coastal Cleanup, observed annually on the third Saturday of September, began in Texas in 1986 as an initiative of Ocean Conservancy. What started as a volunteer effort to remove rubbish from the coast has developed into a global movement more..

Oct 10 (DN) Sri Lanka Women’s Under-19 team continued their winning run with a commanding nine-wicket victory over Pakistan in the sixth match of the Tri-Nation series at Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad yesterday. It was Sri Lanka’s third consecutive victory, with opener Sanjana Kavindi once again leading from the front. The 17-year-old left-hander struck a brisk 61 off 46 balls as Sri Lanka chased down Pakistan’s total of 110 for eight, reaching 111 for one in just 15.2 overs. more..

Oct 10 (FT) The Colombo stock market yesterday ended a bearish week on the up. During the week, ASPI fell 2.38% and the active S&P SL20 declined 1.61%. Yesterday, ASPI ended up 0.41% or 82.57 points at 20,316.91 and the S&P SL20 gained 0.45% or 26.19 points to 5,788.75. Market turnover was over Rs. Rs. 1 billion on over 70 million shares traded. Foreign investors were net sellers on a net outflow of Rs. 157.5 million. First Capital Research said bourse rebounded into positive territory more..

Oct 10 (CI) Sahibzada Farhan celebrated his ascension to the captaincy in grand style, smashing a 53-ball 89 that blazed his side to a comprehensive win in the first T20I against Sri Lanka. After Sri Lanka won the toss in Rawalpindi and somewhat curiously opted to set a target, the 182 they put up was made to look inadequate by a bellicose Pakistan's showing up top that put up 70 in the powerplay & scarcely slowed down after. more..

Oct 10 (Island) It will soon be showtime in Parliament. The Opposition has submitted a motion of no confidence against Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne to Secretary General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadheera. Debates on no-confidence motions invariably descend into slanging matches, with members of both sides of the House trading insults and dragging one another’s reputations through the mud. The motion of no confidence reportedly contains about 50 allegations, more..

Oct 10 (Island) One of the busiest Indian politicians, Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, recently received JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva, in New Delhi. It was Jaishankar’s second meeting with Silva, in New Delhi, this year. They first met in February. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) invited the JVP General Secretary as it sought to enhance direct relations with the once morbidly anti-Indian so-called Marxist party in line with the overall Indian strategy. more..

Oct 10 (DN) Deputy Minister T.B. Sarath discusses the Govt’s housing initiatives for low-income and vulnerable communities, including people in the North and East, the Upcountry community, the parents of Buddhist monks and young people leaving children’s homes. He also outlines measures being taken to prepare farmers for the coming cultivation season, restore infrastructure damaged by disasters and strengthen the rural economy through the Praja Shakthi programme. more..

Oct 10 (TM) SL has suddenly found itself confronting a question that goes far beyond the fate of one controversial Buddhist monk. When the BBS General Secretary Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera appeared before court in white civilian clothing rather than his saffron robe, the country witnessed an extraordinary collision between the Judiciary, the Prison administration and the Buddhist clergy. Govt says the Prison regulations require inmates serving rigourous imprisonment (RI), more..

Oct 10 (DN) Former Minister Dilan Perera takes a critical look at the Govt’s first two years, the Opposition’s conduct and the politicisation of disaster relief after the Ditwah disaster. He also speaks about constitutional reform, the national question, religious extremism and the increasingly toxic nature of political discourse. Q: People are saying, “We have never been hit like this before after marking a cross [voting].” Do you agree? more..

Oct 10 (FT) The statute in the middle will not police itself. I am the son and the grandson of two police officers who rose from the lowest rank, and I was brought up inside a police training school. What I watched, from the first parade to the last entry in the book, was a duty with a name on it. It was a grand family environment, and it is the reason I could render whatever service I have rendered. Prevention of Organised Crimes Bill, gazetted on 6 Oct, the Protection of the State more..

Oct 10 (TM) In SL, the infiltration of quacks who practice medicine illegally without proper medical education or recognition from the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) has now become a serious danger. These unqualified people, operating widely across the country, pose a huge threat to innocent lives. Many die without proper treatment, while many others suffer long-term physical complications. The key points raised are on the reasons behind this problem, the damage to the health services, more..

Oct 10 (DM) As Sri Lankans live longer, the 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 Int'l Day of Older Persons. For SL, the theme comes at a significant moment. According to the 2024 Census, more..

Oct 10 (CT) Two years after its electoral breakthrough, JVP-led NPP continues to keep SL guessing. Is this the dawn of one-party dominance, as some claim, or merely another twist in the island’s turbulent politics? As JVP Politburo member and Cabinet Minister Lal Kantha once declared, “We have the govt’s power, but we must continue our struggle to capture state power. Only then will our struggle be complete.” If that is the case, as Tilvin Silva has pointed out, more..

Oct 10 (GV) Reverse emigration is not a topic often discussed in Sri Lanka as people are currently more concerned about the loss of so many professionals in the mass emigration from the island in recent years. Not many seem to return or describe their impressions of the country they come back to. It is a fluid, ongoing experience, recalibrating our cultural identity. When people ask a returnee, So which country is better? Have you decided?, the answers do not come easily. more..

Oct 9 (NW) A 120-member contingent of Indian military personnel arrived in SL on Oct 8 to participate in the India–SL Tri-Forces Cultural Tour 2026, aimed at strengthening military cooperation and cultural ties between the two countries. Contingent, comprising officers and other ranks from India’s three armed services, arrived at MRIA and will remain in SL until Oct 11. Meanwhile, a 120-member contingent from SL armed forces departed for India on Oct 8 as part of a reciprocal more..

Oct 9 (NW) Depat of Motor Traffic (DMT) has announced that strict enforcement of vehicle transfer regulations will begin on Dec 1. Clarifying whether the laws governing vehicle transfers using open papers were being changed, DMT Commissioner General Thushara Fernando said the law remains unchanged and that the requirement is already in place. He explained that, under the existing provisions, anyone transferring a vehicle registered in their name to another person more..

Oct 9 (AD) Minister of Fisheries, Ramalingam Chandrasekar has welcomed the observations made by Indian Supreme Court regarding the issue of the Katchatheevu Island. Minister made these remarks in a statement. The hearing on petitions seeking the retrieval of Katchatheevu Island, ceded to SL by India under the Indo-SL Maritime Agreement signed in 1974 by then Indian PM Indira Gandhi & SL PM Sirimavo more..

Oct 9 (NW) A couple in Wennappuwa has been awarded Rs. 100,000 by SL Police for helping apprehend a suspected gold chain snatcher and recover a necklace worth approximately Rs. 250,000. The incident occurred on March 8, 2026, along St. Anthony’s Mawatha in Wennappuwa. The couple rushed outside their home after hearing screams and found a young woman trapped beneath a fallen scooter. They also noticed a man fleeing the scene while pushing a motorcycle. more..

Oct 9 (NW) Construction of 124 new houses for families whose homes were completely destroyed by Cyclone Ditwah has begun in three DS divisions in Badulla District. Foundation stones were laid on Oct 8 under a govt housing programme, with Minister Samantha Vidyarathna leading the ceremonies. Project will provide 62 houses in Hali-Ela, 27 in Badulla and 35 in Passara. Construction sites include Kothmallanda in Hali-Ela, Thelbedda in Badulla and Blanewatta in Pallegolla GN more..