Oct 21 (DM) Bar Association of SL (BASL) has called on the govt to withdraw the proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill and the Prevention of Organised Crimes Bill in their present forms, warning that the legislation could undermine fundamental rights and weaken judicial oversight over arrests and detentions. In a statement, BASL President Rajeev Amarasuriya and Secretary Nalin De Silva said the two bills, more..

Oct 21 (EN) SL’s nation-wide inflation index, as measured by National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) on a year-on-year basis, was 8.1% in Sept 2026, steady from a month ago, data from the state statistics office showed. It stood at its highest since June 2023. NCPI, an alternative to the widely watched Colombo Consumer Price Index, rose 0.1%, in Sept 2026, registering 224.2 compared to 223.9 in Aug 2026. The year-on-year inflation of the food group increased to 6.9% more..

Oct 21 (NW) Minister Bimal Rathnayake has held discussions with ministers from Sweden, Finland and Norway to explore opportunities for strengthening cooperation in SL’s transport, highways and urban development sectors. According to the SL Embassy in Stockholm, Minister met Swedish Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Andreas Carlson, Finnish Minister of Transport and Communications Lulu Rane and Norwegian Minister of Transport Kamzy Gunaratnam during more..

Oct 21 (NW) Sri Lanka is hosting the 69th World Congress of the International Police Association (IPA), marking the first time the int'l event is being held in an Asian country. The Congress officially commenced in Colombo today, with Minister Vijitha Herath attending as the Chief Guest. IGP Priyantha Weerasuriya, who also serves as President of the IPA SL Section, was also present at the event. The Congress, held from Oct 20 to 25, brings together more than 400 delegates more..

Oct 21 (FT) Access Engineering PLC expects to recover about Rs. 1.45 billion of the Rs. 1.76 billion it invested in the South Asia Commercial and Logistics Hub, after the venture’s shareholders agreed not to proceed with the project, leaving the company to recognise a loss of about Rs. 310 million in its own financial statements. The shareholders of South Asia Commercial and Logistics Hub Ltd. mutually agreed to abandon the project in view of changes in external circumstances, more..

Oct 21 (DM) Counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioners in the Special Determination petitions challenging the constitutionality of the Bill titled the Protection of the State from Terrorism yesterday informed the Supreme Court that the proposed legislation would significantly curtail people’s liberty, making it far more dangerous than the PTA. They made these remarks when 25 Special Determination petitions challenging the constitutionality more..

Oct 21 (NW) Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe has expressed support for the intentions behind recent demonstrations involving black magic rituals and curses in Colombo targeting individuals accused of harming the country. “Those who performed rituals and curses asked for harm to come to those who harmed the country. So far, 60 politicians and their relatives who caused such harm have been imprisoned and faced court cases,” the Deputy Minister said, commenting on more..

Oct 21 (DM) SriLankan Airlines has denied media reports and public statements claiming that its information technology (IT) systems had been hacked or compromised, insisting that its systems were not under the control of hackers. The airline said the allegations stemmed from a cyber-related claim published externally on June 29, 2026. Upon becoming aware of the claim, the airline immediately conducted investigations, technical assessments and precautionary measures. more..

Oct 21 (NW) Minister of Ports Bimal Rathnayake has revealed that concerns over the agreement to allocate 10 acres of land at the Colombo Port were among the reasons behind the govt’s opposition to the proposed USD 280 million logistics project involving a Chinese company. Minister said the agreement involved allocating 10 acres of land located between the East and West Container Terminals at the Colombo Port to more..

Oct 21 (EN) SL’s Inland Revenue Department (IRD) and the Excise Department (entered into an agreement to share intelligence information aimed at preventing tax evasion and money laundering, the Finance Ministry said. MoU will see a joint mechanism and conducting parallel investigations over the information they share. “In parallel with SL’s third mutual evaluation against money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing, offenses relating to tax evasion more..

Oct 21 (NW) SL Police have recorded statements from 14 individuals, including politicians, in connection with the installation of a statue of former LTTE member Rasaiah Parthipan, also known as Thileepan, in Nallur, Jaffna. Minister Ananda Wijepala, speaking in Parliament, said the statements were recorded from individuals allegedly involved in funding, constructing, promoting and organising the ceremony related to the statue. Minister said Police had launched more..

Oct 21 (NW) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa questioned Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage in Parliament over the delay in paying Rs. 50 million to Sri Lankan javelin thrower Rumesha Tharanga in recognition of his international achievements. Premadasa said the athlete had brought significant recognition to Sri Lanka through his performances at international competitions and questioned why the promised financial reward had not been paid. He also claimed that a road leading to more..

Oct 21 (NW) A special commemorative postage stamp has been issued in honour of renowned SL athlete Ranatunge Karunananda, who gained international recognition for his determination and perseverance at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The stamp was officially issued yesterday at the Ministry of Mass Media, under the patronage of Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, with the aim of preserving SL’s sporting heritage and inspiring future generations. Karunananda gained worldwide recognition more..

Oct 21 (Island) The proposed Prevention of Organised Crime legislation could be used to suppress dissent rather than combat organised crime, Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) Education Secretary Pubudu Jayagoda says. Addressing a media briefing at the FSP office in Nugegoda, Jayagoda said the Bill, gazetted on Oct 6, had been presented to Parliament along with other legislation which, he claimed, more..

Oct 21 (DM) SL Police have warned the public about the growing threat of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered deepfake scams, cautioning that criminals are increasingly using sophisticated technology to deceive people, steal money and obtain sensitive personal information. According to the police, INTERPOL has highlighted the growing use of AI technology in fraud schemes, in which criminals create convincing fake videos and voice recordings to impersonate real individuals. more..

Oct 21 (AD) England Women have confirmed a white-ball tour of SL with a T20I and ODI series set to take place in Feb and March 2027. The tour takes place on either side of the ICC Women's Champions Trophy in India, with a three-match T20I series scheduled for early February, followed by an ODI series in early March, after the tournament conclude. A red-ball training camp for England Women will also take place in India in January, with players set to be selected in the coming weeks. more..

Oct 21 (EN) The decision by China Merchants Port Holdings (CMPort) to officially pull out of the $392 million Colombo Port logistics hub joint venture marks a major turning point for SL’s post-crisis economic landscape. Originally hailed as a flagship foreign direct investment (FDI) milestone following the 2022 default, unravelling of this 50-year build-operate-transfer (BOT) agreement sends complex signals to global investors, more..

Oct 21 (NW) A 49-year-old woman believed to be Sri Lankan has been stranded in the Cook Islands for nearly three years after NZ and Australia refused to grant her transit visas, preventing her from returning to her home country. Woman arrived in the Cook Islands on Nov 8, 2023, and has been unable to leave despite repeated attempts to secure permission to travel through either country. RNZ Pacific journalist Johnny Blades identified the woman as reportedly being from SL during more..

Oct 21 (AD) The expert committee appointed to investigate the death of tusker Kawanthissa and recommend a National Elephant Conservation Programme held its inaugural meeting at the Presidential Secretariat this morning, under the chairmanship of Presidential Chief of Staff Prabath Chandrakeerthi. Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake appointed the committee to investigate all aspects of the death of Kawanthissa, who died in the Siyambalangamuwa area of Galgamuwa more..

Oct 21 (FT) At about 11:45 on Saturday morning, SL’s electricity grid stopped. The National System Operator called it a total system failure; all three generators at the Norochcholai coal plant were reported to have shut down, water plants went offline and mobile and internet services faltered. Power returned in stages, and the operator said supply was fully restored later the same day. What caused it is not yet known. Energy Minister, Anura Karunathilaka, said a breakdown at more..

Oct 21 (FT) If I were asked whether economic science, as it stands today, could play a positive role in an era of global uncertainty and structural crisis, my answer would be that it is unlikely to do so in its present form. Why do I say this? Let me begin with an anecdote. In 2008, at the height of the global financial crisis, Queen Elizabeth II visited the London School of Economics (LSE), an institution widely regarded as one of the leading centres of modern economic thought. more..

Oct 21 (Island) The use of low quality coal, over a period of time, had led to the developing crisis at the Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant at Norochcholai that compelled the boastful NPP govt to implement power cuts, former LECO Chairman Bandula Chandrasekera said. Govt imposed one-hour countrywide power cuts on 19 Oct. Chandrasekera, now a consumer rights activist, warned that though the govt declared power cuts would be more..

Oct 21 (FT) Cabinet of Ministers has approved revising the existing agreement between the Education Ministry and SL Insurance Corporation for continued implementation of the Suraksha Student Insurance Program for the period from 1 Sept 2026 to 31 Aug 2027, with several new benefits added. The program aims to create the environment necessary for students facing obstacles due to health issues to overcome barriers and continue their education without interruption. more..

Oct 21 (TM) SriLankan Airlines expects a fleet replacement between 2031 and 2032, according to SriLankan Airlines CEO Vipul Misra, as global carriers such as Qatar Airways have retired the last of its A330 passenger jets ahead of schedule, due to rising fuel costs and reduced flight demand amidst the Middle East conflict. “The fleet needs to be renewed. These aircrafts are not manufactured anymore, unfortunately. So you have to switch into newer aircrafts, going into the next decade more..

Oct 21 (FT) Inferior-quality coal has led to losses amounting to Rs. 18.3 billion, Parliament’s Sectoral Oversight Committee Chairman, SJB MP S.M. Marikkar said yesterday, tabling an expert committee report on the losses. The report, dated 7 Oct, 2026, puts the additional cost and financial loss from the use of substandard coal at Rs. 15.7 billion between 1 Jan and 15 Sept. It separately calculates a Rs. 2.3 bil premium more..

Oct 21 (Island) Heshara Jayasinghe, Shashen Rajapaksha and Dilini Rajapaksha were among the athletes who excelled creating meet records during the morning session of the final day of the All Island Schools Games Athletics Championship at Diyagama on Tuesday. ‎Shashen Rajapaksha of Ratnayake Central Walala set the tone on the track, clocking an impressive 8:58.50 to win the Under 18 boys’ 3000 metres. Time established a new meet record and made the school’s presence felt more..

Oct 21 (TM) Hambantota High Court is set to announce its stance on 4 Dec, on ex-SL cricketer Sachithra Senanayake’s preliminary objections to his indictment over alleged match-fixing. HC Judge Duminda Mudunkotuwa scheduled the date for the pronouncement, with the pre-trial conference also fixed on the same day. Appearing for Senanayake, Defence Counsel Haritha Hettiarachchi raised preliminary objections, noting that the charges had been improperly framed and more..

Oct 21 (DM) Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera will be taken to court in his monk’s robes on Oct 23, following changes to the relevant Standing Orders, a spokesperson for the Department of Buddhist Affairs said. The Commissioner General of Buddhist Affairs has informed the Most Venerable Maha Nayaka Thera of the Nikaya to which Gnanasara Thera belongs about the arrangements. Commissioner General has also sought guidance from the Maha Nayaka Thera on the proper more..

Oct 21 (EN) Cabinet approved adopting a new credit risk assessment methodology for financial institutions in line with the Public Debt Management Act, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. This move involves assessing the risk associated with providing govt guarantees or sub-loans to state-owned enterprises according to the provisions of the Public Debt Management Act passed under the previous govt. Cabinet Spokesman said neither the Central Bank nor financial institutions that more..

Oct 21 (TM) Chemmani mass grave located in Jaffna may have resulted from an infectious disease outbreak or a natural disaster, and the site also contains some significant evidence suggesting that formal burial rites may have been observed, according to an interim report by an archaeologist involved in the Chemmani excavation, Professor Raj Somadeva. Archaeological expert overseeing the excavation & exhumation of human remains more..

Oct 21 (DN) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa questioned in Parliament whether the govt acknowledges the death of the elephant Kavantissa as a killing and requested an update on the progress of the investigation into the shooting of Kavantissa. Noting that there had been previous incidents involving threatening gunfire which environmentalists had reported months ago he demanded to know what security measures, if any, the govt had implemented in response. more..

Oct 21 (DN) SL Para sprinter Janani Dhananjana came up with a fine performances as she clinched the silver medal in women’s T -47 200m final at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Nagoya Japan yesterday. This is Janani’s debut 200m international medal and it was more significant as she clocked her personal best of 25.80 seconds to grab the silver medal. The top three athletes of the final had a close fight and Thailand’s Sasirawan Inthachot claimed the gold medal, finishing in 25.23 seconds more..