Oct 21 (Island) Prof. G.L. Peiris said he had not been concerned at all about being arrested when the CIABOC summoned him to record a statement regarding an ongoing investigation. Addressing the media outside the CIABOC, former Minister emphasised that his family had never taken anything from people but contributed to their welfare. Peiris said that he didn’t accept lucrative opportunities abroad but remained committed more..

Oct 21 (Island) On Oct 15, Chinese govt-owned China Merchants Port Holdings submitted a regulatory filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, formally implementing a mutual settlement agreement with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority and local partner, Access Engineering. With it, the process to wind down the US$ 392 million South Asia Commercial and Logistics Hub project began. The SL media and policy circles in general reacted with predictable alarm. more..

Oct 21 (Island) The death of Tusker Kavantissa is more than the loss of one of Sri Lanka’s most remarkable wild elephants. It exposes uncomfortable questions about how we protect our natural heritage, how conservation decisions are made, and why repeated warnings have failed to produce meaningful reforms. His death should compel us to examine not only what happened to one extraordinary animal, but also the deeper weaknesses in our wildlife conservation more..

Oct 21 (GV) SL’s inflation reached 8% in Sept 2026, above the Central Bank’s 3-7% target band for a third straight month and another push is coming from abroad. Brent crude settled near $107 a barrel on Oct 19, about 75% higher than a year earlier. The war that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 has widened: Houthi forces have struck Riyadh’s airport and Saudi oil infrastructure, tankers are under attack around Hormuz, and a Russia-Ukraine energy truce has collapsed. more..

Oct 21 (ST) About 10 years ago, International Trade Administration website of the US Dept of Commerce had the following introduction to trade with SL: “SL imposes a variety of import duties, which combined can result in high duty rates. US exporters should be aware that fees incurred when exporting to SL include the customs-import tariff, Export Development Board levy, Value Added Tax (VAT), Port and Airport tax, Nation Building Tax, Port Handling charges, and agent commissions, more..

Oct 21 (TM) Galgamuwa is a paradise for tuskers in SL, not only for its abundant water bodies, its rocky outcrops that elephants’ favour for breeding and its forests that shelter them by day, but also for the efforts of the Dept of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) officials who look after its elephants. Kawanthissa, Galgamuwa’s famous tusker, was described by photographers as one of the most majestic tuskers in the wild. more..

Oct 21 (TM) Suicide has been defined as an act with a fatal outcome that is deliberately initiated and carried out with the expectation or knowledge that it will result in death. For every suicide, it is estimated that there are many more episodes of non-fatal self-harm. Suicide remains a major global public health concern and is one of the leading causes of death among young people. According to data, SL's suicide rate in 2022 was approximately 15 per a population of 100,000, more..

Oct 21 (TM) At 11.43 on Saturday morning, a generating unit dropped off the national grid and, within 30 seconds, the whole country was plunged into darkness. Consequently, millions of households, shops and small workshops lost the better part of a working day. Although essential services returned by mid-afternoon, much of the island waited until around seven. Significantly, the National System Operator (NSO) has since said something worth reading twice. A generating unit tripping, more..

Oct 21 (DM) This year, SL marks 150 years since rubber was first planted on its soil, a milestone that goes back to 1876, when a shipment of young Hevea brasiliensis seedlings arrived at the Henarathgoda Botanical Gardens in Gampaha. Grown from seeds smuggled out of the Amazon by British botanist Henry Wickham and germinated at Kew Gardens in London, these saplings had travelled further than any crop had before more..

Oct 21 (DM) Sri Lanka stands at a familiar and dangerous juncture. A procedural controversy has once again been converted into a contest over identity, loyalty and political advantage. Social media has accelerated the distortion, political actors are calculating the returns, and ordinary citizens are left to absorb the tension. The question is no longer whether the country can afford another cycle of manufactured division. The present generation has already answered that it cannot. more..

Oct 21 (DM) Election Commission has expressed its grave concern over social media and artificial intelligence (AI) influence on voters, which the commission fears could reach a dangerous level in future. This is an undeniable fact given the politicisation of social media platforms, especially Facebook, where vulgar language used by content creators, especially when it comes to politics, results in grave misleading of viewers, and the nature of posts uploaded on those more..

Oct 20 (DM) Sri Lanka's high wild elephant population, combined with its limited land area and growing human settlements, presents a major challenge to elephant conservation, Dept of Wildlife Conservation Director General Ranjan Marasinghe said. Addressing a television programme Marasinghe said the country had an estimated wild elephant population of more than 7,000, making the management of elephant habitats and human-elephant conflict increasingly important. more..

Oct 20 (AD) An individual and his wife have been arrested by officers of the Special Investigation Unit of SL Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) over allegations of defrauding the general public by promising overseas employment. The couple was arrested during a raid conducted in Welimada following information received by the Bureau. Suspects had previously operated their agency at an address in Dalugama, Kiribathgoda. However, the agency’s licence had expired on Sept 30 more..

Oct 20 (Island) The repatriation of two SL underworld figures, arrested in the UAE, has been delayed after SL police authorities allegedly failed to submit the documents required by Dubai authorities, with investigators blaming interference by senior officials. The two suspects are Avishka Abeygunawardena, alias Wanathe Chathu, and Shehan Sathsara, alias Dehi Bale Malli, both wanted in connection with serious organised more..

Oct 20 (TM) SL’s total govt expenditure for 2027 is set to expand by 12.6% year-on-year to Rs 4.993 trillion, up from Rs 4.434 trillion in 2026. The fiscal framework is characterised by a significant surge in capital investment alongside strict containment of the annual borrowing ceiling. An analysis of the Appropriation Bill 2027 published by tax consultancy Ernst & Young (EY) SL highlights that the planned expenditure growth is primarily anchored by development outlays rather than routine more..

Oct 20 (NW) Opposition MP Dayasiri Jayasekara has alleged that hackers who compromised SriLankan Airlines’ computer systems demanded a ransom of USD 50,000 in cryptocurrency, warning that the national carrier remains vulnerable to further cyberattacks. Addressing Parliament on Tuesday (20), Jayasekara claimed that SriLankan Airlines’ systems were compromised in June 2026, with hackers subsequently claiming responsibility for the attack on the dark web. more..

Oct 20 (AD) The Maha Sangha has endorsed the recommendations of a committee appointed by the President to amend laws concerning the treatment of Buddhist monks who are imprisoned, while proposing further discussions among the 31 factions of the three main Buddhist chapters to establish a common framework for implementing the proposed legal changes. The agreement was reached at a meeting of more..

Oct 20 (AD) More than 303,000 suspects have been arrested during the year-long A Nation United (Ratama Ekata) national operation, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said today. He said a total of 303,017 suspects had been arrested between Oct 30, 2025, and Oct 18, 2026, as part of the nationwide operation targeting narcotics and related offences. According to the Minister, authorities conducted 97,074 raids targeting heroin during the period, seizing 2,485.1 kg of the narcotics. more..

Oct 20 (PMD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake today paid his last respects to the remains of Most Venerable Kappetiyagoda Siri Wimala Thera, Anunayake of the Ramanna Maha Nikaya and Chief Incumbent of the Rajopawanaramaya Temple in Gatambe, Kandy, who passed away. President visited the Rajopawanaramaya Temple in Gatambe, Kandy, where the remains of the Thera are lying, and paid his last respects. He subsequently expressed his deepest condolences to more..

Oct 20 (NW) Cabinet has approved a proposal by Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports to establish a National High Performance Centre estimated at Rs. 3,980 million in Diyagama to enhance SL’s athletic competitiveness at future global sporting events, including the 2028, 2032, and 2036 Olympic Games. Ahead of the permanent facility launch, an interim high-performance center will be established at the Torrington Sports Complex in Colombo, utilizing current spectator stand infrastructure more..

Oct 20 (Island) PM Harini Amarasuriya stated that the Govt was deeply saddened by the unfortunate death of the Tusker Kavanthissa, a national treasure who sustained severe injuries from gunshot wounds. She emphasised that environmental laws would be strictly enforced against those responsible for environmental crimes, without discrimination or favouritism. PM made these remarks while addressing the Presidential Environmental Awards 2026, organised for the 11th time by more..

Oct 20 (NW) Former Bar Association of SL (BASL) President Saliya Pieris has challenged Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara’s explanation of the proposed Prevention of Organised Crimes Bill, warning that its broad provisions and lack of safeguards could expose ordinary citizens to arbitrary arrests and prolonged detention. Responding to the minister’s statement in Parliament on Tuesday, Pieris questioned who would more..

Oct 20 (EN) Cabinet has approved the transfer of the SAARC Cultural Centre premises in Nawimana, Matara, to the Ministry of Education for the establishment of the Ocean University of SL. Property comprises an 11-acre plot of land with 200,000 square feet of partially completed building space. The premises will be repurposed to resolve accommodation challenges for the university, which currently lacks a single permanent campus. “Ocean Uni of SL currently operates out of several more..

Oct 20 (AD) The peace march organised by Buddhist monks in support of Venerable Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero was not intended to topple the govt, Professor Venerable Kotapitiye Rahula Anunayake Thero said today. Speaking at a media briefing, Anunayake Thero said Gnanasara Thero was not engaged in racism or politics, adding that attempts were being made to portray religious and racial divisions as existing in the country when, according to him, they did not. more..

Oct 20 (NW) The govt is treating the death of Kavanthissa, the tusker fatally injured in a shooting, with due concern, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. Responding to questions from journalists about the handling of the elephant’s treatment by the Dept of Wildlife Conservation, Jayatissa said investigations were underway to determine whether there had been delays, lapses or negligence in its treatment, as well as to identify those more..

Oct 20 (DM) Cabinet has approved a proposal to submit the Imports and Exports (Control) Regulations No. 08 of 2026 to Parliament for approval, introducing new standards for specified imported products used in motor vehicles and three-wheelers. Regulations aim to ensure fair competition for local manufacturers, protect consumer safety and establish inspection procedures for the relevant imported products, based on recommendations from the Ministry of Industry & more..

Oct 20 (NW) Cabinet has approved a revised three-year plan valued at Rs. 15,077.82 million (Rs. 15.07Bn) to resume and complete the remaining work on the Kolonnawa Stormwater Drainage and Environment Improvement Project. Originally launched in 2019, project experienced severe delays due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent economic recession. To address these setbacks, Minister of Transport, Highways & Urban Development submitted a newly more..

Oct 20 (DM) Govt has dismissed opposition allegations that substandard coal was responsible for the technical failure at the Norochcholai Lakvijaya Power Plant, following the nationwide blackout on Oct 17, minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. Speaking to journalists, Jayatissa said Generator Unit 1 remained out of service due to the technical failure but rejected claims linking the incident to the quality of coal used at the power plant. He said the unit had been shut down for maintenance for 62 days, more..

Oct 20 (NW) Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe is leading an official SL delegation in London for a two day promotional programme on October 21 and 22, 2026, aimed at showcasing the upcoming SL Expo 2027 and attracting British business leaders. Organized by the SL EDB in collaboration with the High Commission of SL in the UK, the initiative features a business and investment forum and networking session on Oct 21, followed by bilateral business to business meetings on Oct 22. more..

Oct 20 (TM) The National System Operator (NSO) Private Limited’s probe into Saturday’s island-wide blackout is unlikely to produce meaningful results, as the Company failed to implement Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) recommendations made after a similar outage in February 2025, Electricity Consumers’ Association (ECA) claimed. ECA General Secretary Sanjeewa Dhammika said the PUCSL had more..

Oct 20 (NW) Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval for the SL Police to purchase 200 imported single-cab vehicles from the local market to support and enhance official police operations across the island. The approval follows a decision made during the Cabinet meeting held on February 23, 2026. To execute the procurement, tenders were called under the national competitive bidding procedure, attracting a total of seven bids from local suppliers, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. more..

Oct 20 (FT) HDDES Extracts Ltd, an exporter of value-added, export-oriented spices, oleoresins, essential oils, and related products, and Board of Investment (BOI), last week signed a supplementary agreement with coordination facilitated by the National Initiative for Research and Development Commercialisation (NIRDC). Through the active intervention of the NIRDC unit established at the Presidential Secretariat, and in collaboration with the BOI, the company was able to resolve more..