Oct 18 (TM) The number of investment proposals submitted to Board of Investment (BOI) fell by 31% in 2025, ending 3 consecutive years of recovery, while more than half of all proposals received over the past decade have either been rejected or become inactive, according to data. BOI received 81 project applications in 2025, down from 117 in 2024. Last year’s figure is less than half the 169 proposals recorded in 2016, more..

Oct 18 (TM) The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday (15) urged Parliament to expedite legal amendments required to hold long-delayed Provincial Council Elections (PC), saying it is prepared to conduct the polls as soon as the necessary legislative framework is in place. The PC Elections have been stalled because Parliament has yet to complete the legislative work relating to amendments to the electoral system and the delimitation of constituencies. more..

Oct 18 (FT) The Colombo stock market extended the rebound into a second straight session to end the week on the up. During the week, the ASPI fell 0.65% and the S&P SL20 was down 0.86%. Yesterday, the ASPI ended up 1.07% or 213.9 points at 20,185.05 and the active S&P SL20 gained 0.7% or 39.81 points to 5,738.83.Winners outweighed losers 184 to 33 with top contributions to the ASPI gain from DIAL, DIST, CCS, HNB and COMB. Turnover was over Rs. 1.1 billion on more..

Oct 18 (FT) SL’s long-awaited global tourism promotion campaign remains stalled by shortcomings in the Govt’s procurement framework, with Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake acknowledging that existing procedures are ill-suited to purchasing creative ideas and marketing expertise. He said the SL Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) had been attempting to advance the promotional initiative for around 18 months, but the process had yet to move forward, more..

Oct 18 (Island) The long awaited overhaul of Sri Lanka Cricket has reached a decisive stage, with the Supreme Court set to play a pivotal role next week in determining the fate of the proposed new constitution. For months, legal experts have been burning the midnight oil, working on sweeping reforms aimed at dragging cricket administration into the modern era and bringing its governance structure into line with international standards. The draft constitution was presented to Parliament more..

Oct 18 (FT) Vehicle registrations rose 18% month-on-month to 54,214 units in Sept from 45,811 in August, driven mainly by a rebound in two-wheelers and three-wheelers. Registrations rose across most major categories, though volumes remained below levels recorded earlier in 2026. Two-wheelers accounted for the bulk of the increase, rising to 38,747 units from 33,498. Of these, 38,178 were brand-new. TVS led overall for more..

Oct 18 (FT) I have been following the recent grid connected rooftop solar PV conundrum posted on social media and feel compelled to respond. State technocrats have been slow to adapt to the rapid developments taking place in the business of rooftop harnessing of solar. Term disruptive technology is not new. However, the disruption today is supercharged, and national policy makers with conventional mindsets seem to be overwhelmed. They appear to lack vision, the ability to more..

Oct 18 (Island) Paris has exploded in protests barely two weeks after peacefully assembling nearly a million people on its streets to welcome and salute Pope Leo XIV on his first visit to France. The good Pope himself has since been diagnosed with lung cancer and is convalescing after surgery in the Vatican. The protest triggers in France are youth frustrations over the state of the country’s education system and the broken conditions of its schools. The scale and mode of more..

Oct 18 (Island) A group of Buddhist monks and laypersons were staging a sit-in near the Presidential Secretariat at the time of going to press. The police obtained a court order yesterday morning prohibiting the protest on the grounds that it was being held in a high-security zone. Speculation was rife that the police would be able to disperse the protesters. However, all indications are that the campaign for the release of Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera from prison is unlikely more..

Oct 18 (Island) There seems to be no end in sight to controversies the JVP-NPP govt creates. It has been reported that the ruling party parliamentary group has proposed that the no-confidence motion (NCM) submitted by the Opposition against Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne be referred to the Attorney General for his opinion and recommendations. Some Opposition politicians have claimed on social media that this move could be a bid to block the debate on the NCM. more..

Oct 18 (SO) Coal Commission is now beginning to shed light on a trail of transactions that could reveal how some of the country’s most consequential coal deals were handled. Appointed by the Prez on Apr 17, Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry is tasked with investigating irregularities in coal purchases and transactions. Commission is chaired by SC Justice Gihan Kulatunga, with Court of Appeal Judge more..

Oct 18 (DM) There is an uncomfortable question SL must confront as the Govt considers its economic future beyond the current IMF programme. If the country has restored macroeconomic stability after its worst economic crisis in decades, why does it still need to look to another programme to sustain its recovery? The question is not whether SL should continue working with the IMF. Given its debt obligations, limited room for fiscal manoeuvre and exposure to external shocks, more..

Oct 18 (FT) When I introduced the Mahaweli Doctrine in the Daily FT in July, I argued that SL’s foreign policy should behave like its greatest river: not divide but connect; not isolate but unite; and link villages to global markets, local enterprise to international opportunity, and ancient wisdom to modern statecraft. That proposition has become even more urgent, especially following the Washington summit between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping. more..

Oct 18 (TM) On Tuesday (13) afternoon, in the kind of rain that empties Colombo’s streets, a crowd of civil society activists, trade unionists, and human rights defenders gathered near the Presidential Secretariat. They had come to protest against the Govt’s proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill, and they wanted the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) of 1979 repealed along with it. When they tried to march towards building, more..

Oct 18 (SO) With no end in sight to the two major conflicts – the United States (US)-Iran War and the Russia-Ukraine War, the world is facing an unprecedented energy or rather a fossil fuel crisis. Although there is no direct link between the two wars, energy is the common thread that runs through both of them. The Iran War started on Feb 28 this year and Iran, outflanked by the US-Israel war machine, resorted to “asymmetrical warfare”, namely the closure of vital Strait of Hormuz, more..

Oct 18 (TM) Few would quarrel with the Govnt’s resolve to break the grip of organised crime. Daylight gang shootings, drug networks that reach into Police stations, and underworld figures running their operations from prison cells have badly shaken public confidence. Sri Lanka ratified the United Nations (UN) Convention against Transnational Organized Crime in 2006 but never passed the law needed to give it effect, so a dedicated statute is long overdue. more..

Oct 16 (AD) PM Harini Amarasuriya presented the revised National Curriculum Framework, issued by the National Institute of Education under the new education reforms, to the Chief Prelate of the Asgiri Chapter, Most Venerable Warakagoda Gnanarathana Thero, and the Anunayake of the Asgiri Chapter, Most Venerable Narampanawa Ananda Thero, at the Asgiri Maha Viharaya. PM also briefed the prelates on the revised framework, according to the PM’s Media Division. more..

Oct 16 (NW) Sri Lanka has sought European Union (EU) investments to strengthen its small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), startup ecosystem and export-oriented industries under the EU’s Global Gateway investment initiative. The proposal was discussed during a meeting held on Thursday (15) between Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Chathuranga Abeysinghe and visiting European Commission official Pēteris Ustubs, Director for more..

Oct 16 (DM) Fort Magistrate issued an order against 54 individuals, including Venerable Ulapane Sumangala Thera and 29 other Buddhist monks, former Minister Udaya Gammanpila and 10 other politicians, along with 18 civil society representatives, preventing them from remaining in the area surrounding the Presidential Secretariat. Colombo Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasena today issued an order prohibiting more..

Oct 16 (NW) The govt is prepared to allocate all necessary funds for the construction of high-quality elephant fences, regardless of the cost, Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Govt Prof. Chandana Abeyratne has stated. Minister said protecting the lives and property of people affected by the human-elephant conflict, while ensuring their ability to engage in farming activities and live without fear, remains a key responsibility of the govt. more..

Oct 16 (NW) The first cage fish farming project at the Yan Oya Reservoir has recorded a successful harvest, generating an income of nearly Rs. 700,000, according to the National Aquaculture Development Authority (NAQDA). The pilot project, implemented by NAQDA, recorded its first harvest on Thursday, producing a total of 1,202 kilograms of fish from 2,996 fish, with a reported income of Rs. 696,000. The fish were sold at a rate of Rs. 600 per kilogram, with Ceylon Fisheries Corp more..

Oct 16 (NW) A group of senior prison officials, including Commissioner of Prisons (Operations and Media) Senaka Palletenna, met with the Mahanayake Theras of the Asgiri and Malwathu Chapters in Kandy today. During the meeting at the Asgiri Maha Viharaya, Mahanayake of the Asgiri Chapter, Most Ven. Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Thera, called for the release of imprisoned Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara more..

Oct 16 (NW) Construction work on a new coastal recreational park in the Silavathurai–Arippu area of Mannar has commenced, with the project aimed at protecting the coastline, supporting the local fishing community and promoting tourism. The foundation stone for the project was laid yesterday (14) under the patronage of Deputy Minister Anton Jayakody. Project is being implemented as part of the Govt’s coastal conservation programme, which includes the development of recreational parks more..

Oct 16 (DM) Environmental degradation transcends national borders and requires effective international legal frameworks to ensure accountability for ecological destruction caused by multinational corporations, Attorney-at-Law Ravindranath Dabare has said. Speaking on behalf of the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ), Friends of the Earth International and the global campaign, Mr. Dabare stressed that environmental protection required stronger international mechanisms, more..

Oct 16 (NW) A group of Buddhist monks who were protesting outside the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo, demanding the release of Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, has arrived at the Ministry of Buddhasasana today. Ministry has provided an opportunity for discussions with the protesting monks, with four representatives participating in the meeting. The development comes after the monks removed temporary shelters erected near the Presidential Secretariat earlier today, more..

Oct 16 (DM) Sri Lankan businessman Dudley Sirisena has offered to cover all expenses involved in bringing specialist medical teams from Thailand and providing the necessary medicines to treat the ailing wild tusker Kavantissa. In a public appeal, Sirisena called on the authorities to take all possible measures to save the elephant, stressing that the Wildlife Department and veterinary teams currently attending to the animal might require additional specialist assistance. more..

Oct 16 (NW) Govt has launched a new official website to provide accurate information and address public inquiries regarding SL’s proposed education reforms. Reform Information & Enquiry Service (RIES) website, https://edureformfact.moe.gov.lk, was officially launched with the participation of PM Harini Amarasuriya. The launch took place during a programme held at Temple Trees yesterday more..

Oct 16 (EN) A delegation from Kurdistan Iraq visiting SL have discussed expanding trade beyond tea to other sectors. Team, who were in the country to participate in the SL Economic & Investment Summit 2026, expressed interest in exploring further business and investment opportunities, chamber said. “Discussions covered expanding trade beyond tea, SL’s traditional export to Iraq, with potential in food and beverages, agriculture, food manufacturing for export, higher education and tourism.” more..

Oct 16 (AD) US has announced a US$17 million grant to improve SL’s Maritime Single Window and Port Community System, aimed at strengthening digital infrastructure for maritime documentation, regulatory procedures and information exchange among port stakeholders. The announcement was made by U.S. Ambassador to SL Eric Stern Meyer during a visit to the Port of Colombo this morning, where he met with senior management of the SLPA, including Chair Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake. more..

Oct 16 (AD) Colombo Magistrate’s Court has granted bail to former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa, who was in remand custody over allegations of misappropriating funds from the Siriliya Saviya account. Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama issued the order after considering submissions made by Additional Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris, who appeared on behalf of the Bribery Commission, and the attorneys more..

Oct 16 (NW) A free eye clinic and spectacles distribution programme for visually impaired persons from low-income families was held at the Kelaniya Divisional Secretariat premises today, under the patronage of Minister of Rural Development, Social Security Upali Pannila. The programme forms part of a nationwide initiative to provide free eye examinations and spectacles to 22,500 visually impaired persons aged over 40 from low-income families during 2026. more..

Oct 16 (NW) TV Derana has strongly defended its 360 programme presenter Kalindu Karunaratne over allegations raised by Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe’s Office concerning an allegedly AI-generated photograph displayed by former Minister Wimal Weerawansa, maintaining that the presenter had appropriately questioned the claims during the live broadcast. In a letter dated Oct 15, Derana TV News director Yuwaraj Athukorala rejected the allegations and said more..