Oct 30 (NW) SL lost the equivalent of over 120,000 full-time jobs due to rising workplace heat stress in 2023, compared to the average year during the historical period from 1985 to 2014, according to a report by International Labour Organization (ILO). The report, titled Impacts of heat stress on jobs and productivity in SL, revealed that rising temperatures also resulted in an estimated additional economic loss of US$ 6.5 billion in 2023, more..

Oct 30 (AD) A man has been sentenced to a total of 54 years of rigorous imprisonment after being found guilty of raping his own underage daughter, following a case heard before the Gampaha High Court on Oct 2, Police Media Division said. The accused, who is the victim’s father, was found guilty on all three charges brought against him. The presiding High Court Judge imposed a sentence of 18 years of rigorous imprisonment on each charge, amounting to a total of 54 years. more..

Oct 30 (Island) Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that good citizens are essential to building a developed nation and that quality education plays a vital role in shaping responsible citizens. The Prime Minister made these remarks while participating in the ceremony to hand over the newly constructed building at Ihala Puliyankulama Vidya Chakrawarthi Maha Vidyalaya in Puttalam to the students on 29 October, under the Primary School Modernisation Project. more..

Oct 30 (DM) In another major salvo against the govt over the new counter terrorism legislation, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said in its report that the Protection of the State from Terrorism Act (PSTA) reproduces or expands a number of shortcomings in the Protection of Terrorism Act which is in force and earlier proposed counter-terrorism legislation. The report was circulated to the SL media by more..

Oct 30 (DM) A total of 1,664 murders were reported in Sri Lanka over the past three years, including 48 children among the victims, according to SL Police. A total of 573 murders were reported in 2023, followed by 555 in 2024 and 536 in 2025. The report states that the police have been able to solve approximately 93% of the total murder cases reported during the three-year period. A total of 317 women were among those killed during the same period. more..

Oct 30 (DM) Ryanair has responded to SL cricket legend Kumar Sangakkara, who accused the airline, following an incident involving the airline’s gate staff at Dublin Airport. According to the Daily Mail, Ryanair said Sangakkara had refused to provide the required visa documentation when requested by a gate agent conducting mandatory immigration checks. In a statement to Daily Mail Sport, the airline said the passenger had declined to provide the necessary documentation when requested. more..

Oct 30 (NW) Industrial Development Board (IDB), operating under the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, has opened applications for the i5 | FIVE Industry Excellence Journey & Awards 2026 to recognize and promote excellence in SL’s manufacturing sector. The initiative aims to boost productivity, innovation, competitiveness, and sustainability among local manufacturers, helping enterprises prepare for the Industry 5.0 era by combining technological more..

Oct 30 (DM) The Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities has proposed introducing a separate budget line for persons with disabilities in the estimates of every ministry to ensure that their needs and concerns receive adequate attention. The proposal was discussed at a special meeting of the Caucus held recently at Parliament under the chairmanship of MP Sugath Wasantha de Silva. Australian High Commissioner Matthew John Duckworth and a group of officials, more..

Oct 30 (NW) Western Province SDIG Sajeewa Medawatte says police believe the suspect who died in Homagama Police custody died from assault-related injuries, while acknowledging that officers failed to follow proper procedures when handling the suspect. OIC of the Homagama Police Crimes Division has also been arrested in connection with the custodial death, while several other officers have faced disciplinary action. more..

Oct 30 (NW) Minister Upali Pannilage has dismissed media reports claiming that Aswesuma benefits provided to nearly 1.4 million people have been suspended. The Minister clarified that only 1,206,000 individuals currently receive Aswesuma benefits, making claims that benefits provided to 1.4 million people have been discontinued factually incorrect. Speaking at an awareness programme for Samurdhi officers in Anuradhapura yesterday, Minister Pannilage said the ongoing review of more..

Oct 30 (NW) Air quality levels in several parts of Sri Lanka have reached unhealthy levels for sensitive groups, according to real-time air quality data published by IQAir as of 10.30 a.m. today (30). Jaffna recorded the highest air pollution level in the country, with a US Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 142, followed by Puttalam at 119 and Anuradhapura at 115. Meanwhile, Colombo recorded an AQI reading of 102, placing it fourth among the most polluted cities in Sri Lanka. more..

Oct 30 (EN) SL’s overall rate of inflation, as measured by the Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI), rose to more than 3-year high of 8.3% in Oct 2026, up from the previous month’s 8% and breached the CB’s upper inflation target rate of 7% for the fourth month, data showed. CCPI for all items in October rose to 209.9, recording an increase of 0.8 index points or 0.4% compared to 209.1 in September. more..

Oct 30 (DM) PAFFREL has urged the Govt to ensure that national security measures do not undermine fundamental human rights, raising concerns over two proposed laws intended to replace the PTA and address organised crime. In a letter addressed to Prez Dissanayake, PAFFREL Executive Director Rohana Hettiarchchi called for a thorough review of the proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill and the Prevention of Organised Crime Bill before they are enacted. more..

Oct 30 (NW) A Buddhist monk attending the final rites of the Homagama youth who died while in police custody, has alleged that concerns about misconduct at the Homagama Police Station had been raised with authorities approximately a month before the incident. Addressing mourners at the funeral, the monk said he had attended an event held under the A Nation United Programme at the Homagama Divisional Secretariat, where he had brought concerns regarding the conduct of more..

Oct 30 (FT) For over 30 years, much of my work has involved helping people make sense of where they are in their careers and where they might go next. I have worked with people of different ages, in very different sectors and in different parts of the world. But there is something particularly troubling about what I am seeing amongst young graduates in Sri Lanka today. These are not young people who have failed to try. Many have done exactly what was expected of them. more..

Oct 30 (FT) On 31 Oct, World Cities Day 2026 will focus on Regenerating the City: Adequate Housing for All. For Colombo, the theme raises a central question: has the city merely grown and modernised—or is it actually regenerating? Colombo has more homes, improved services, comparatively stronger infrastructure and increasingly valuable land. Yet these achievements do not automatically make the city more affordable, inclusive, accessible or resilient. more..

Oct 30 (NW) The COPE has instructed authorities to urgently decide whether the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) Hospital should operate under a govt hospital model or a private hospital model. The directive was issued during a recent COPE meeting chaired by MP Dr. Nishantha Samaraweera, where the management of KDU was summoned to examine Auditor General’s reports for 2023 & 2024, more..

Oct 30 (NF) As nations around the world race to secure cleaner and more reliable sources of energy, SL is taking a closer look at a technology that could fundamentally reshape its electricity future: nuclear power. Speaking on the country's long-term energy strategy in South Korea, Minister of Science and Technology Prof. Chrishantha Abeysena said SL is carefully evaluating whether nuclear energy could play a role in meeting future electricity demand while supporting climate commitments and more..

Oct 30 (Island) A loss of Rs. 8,442,091 has been incurred due to the theft of 2,199 metres of copper strips from the lightning protection system of the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence Uni (KDU) Hospital, the COPE has been told. The Committee, chaired by the Dr. Nishantha Samaraweera, Member of Parliament, met at Parliament recently (21) and summoned the management of the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University to examine the Auditor General’s Reports for 2023 and 2024, more..

Oct 30 (Island) Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners (CPRP) said that families of remand prisoners killed in Negombo prison riot hadn’t been paid compensation. Speaking on behalf of the committee attorney-at-law Senaka Perera said that none of the dead inmates were covicts. 21 remand prisoners and ten prison officers were killed in clashes between remand prisoners and convicts. Perera said that HRCSL more..

Oct 30 (DM) Printing of National Identity Cards (NICs) has been disrupted due to a shortage of plastic cards, with around one million identity cards reportedly awaiting issuance. The plastic identity card was introduced in 2017 to replace the traditional national identity card used in SL for decades. It features a 12-digit national identity number, with reducing production costs being one of the key objectives of its introduction. However, the shortage of plastic cards has disrupted more..

Oct 30 (NW) Former SL cricket captain Kumar Sangakkara has provided further details about an alleged incident of discrimination involving Ryanair gate staff at Dublin Airport while travelling with his family. Sangakkara alleged that he was told passengers holding passports like his should expect such treatment. According to Sangakkara, when they questioned the treatment, they were warned that arguing with airline personnel could result in them being considered a threat more..

Oct 30 (Island) In an unvarnished and deeply practical address delivered at the Breast Cancer Symposium at Hemas Hospital Wattala on Oct. 28, Senior Lecturer and Consultant Specialist Dr. Kanchana Wijesinghe confronted a familiar societal paradox: the effortless willingness of individuals to finance luxury food orders, designer attire, and cosmetics, contrasted against sudden hesitation when asked to invest modest resources into routine health screenings. more..

Oct 30 (ST) Thousands of households affected by Cyclone Ditwah are still waiting for compensation,including more than 53,000 households with partially damaged homes yet to receive the second instalment, Parliament was told. Deputy Minister of Defence Aruna Jayasekara made these remarks on Thursday (22), responding to a question raised by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa on Sept 23. Accordingly, 98,463 partially damaged households were covered by more..

Oct 30 (ST) There are serious regulatory gaps in the response, particularly in Sri Lanka, which has emerged as a hub for Chinese online gambling operators since 2023, and is at risk of becoming a new hub for large-scale cyber scam operations, a new report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC) warns. “SL is at serious risk of becoming a hub for industrial-scale cyber scams, and more..

Oct 30 (FT) President’s Special Envoy for Foreign Direct Investment and Western Province Governor Hanif Yusoof has said Sri Lanka has for far too long failed to connect its talent and ambition with the opportunities they deserve. He set out what the country needs to build an inclusive economy that draws local and international capital. Outlining the Govt’s commitment to inclusive finance and to creating an environment for capital to grow, Yusoof told the Orange Economy Summit more..

Oct 30 (TM) Ex-head of Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) Rizly Illyas in a registered post letter dated 23 Oct and sent to current SLR President Pavithra Fernando and his Ex-Co, has urged them to pay a balance sum of Rs 4.7 million which is owed by the game’s governing body to him and within a two-week period. According to the letter-a copy of which has been obtained by The Daily Morning Sports, Illyas who headed the institution from 2020-23 before resigning, had forked out Rs 9 million to more..

Oct 30 (Island) Dimalsha Chathuranga and Jithma Wijethunga won the 400 metres titles at the 61st SL Army Athletics Championship at Diyagama on Thursday. ‎In two of the most anticipated finals of the meet, both sprinters asserted their authority over the one-lap race. Chathuranga, who has been in outstanding form this season, carried his dominance in the 400m hurdles over to the flat event, winning in 46.77 seconds. He had earlier won the hurdles at this meet in 50.43 seconds, more..

Oct 30 (FT) The Sri Lanka India Media Friendship Association (SLIMFA) held its Third Annual General Meeting on 28 Oct in Colombo, with the participation of the Patron of SLIMFA and High Commissioner of India to SL, Santosh Jha and the members of SLIMFA. The meeting saw the election of the new Executive Committee for the coming year. Nisthar Cassim was re-elected as President, while Shehan Baranage, Kalani Kumarasinghe, Rifthi Ali, Santosh Menon, Dinesh De Alwis, Arosha Fernando, more..

Oct 30 (DM) In a landmark achievement for the nation’s academic landscape, Sri Lanka secured its first-ever Silver Medal at the 67th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) held in Shanghai, China. This historic victory, achieved after 31 years of participation in the prestigious global competition, was spearheaded by Lasitha Jayasinghe of Royal International School, Kurunegala. Following their return, the team was received by PM Harini more..

Oct 30 (DN) Several bank accounts belonging to Rakitha Rajapakshe, the son of former Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, have been suspended by the CIABOC. The action has been taken under the provisions of the law relating to proceeds derived from criminal activity of the Proceeds of Crime Act, No. 5 of 2025, in connection with an ongoing probe that is being conducted by the CIABOC. These assets have been frozen as part of that investigation into more..

Oct 30 (EN) Distilleries Company of SL (DCSL) said that its wholly owned subsidiary, DCSL Breweries Lanka Ltd, has transferred its brewing, packaging and distribution activities to DCSL with effect from October 28. “Accordingly, DCSL PLC will undertake the brewing, packaging and distribution of beer in addition to its existing activities of distilling, bottling and distributing hard liquor,” the company said in a market filing. The company said it had obtained the approval of Excise Department for more..