Oct 19 (NW) Asia Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management SL (A-PAD SL) has launched its first activity under the Clean Waterways Initiative Programme, aimed at supporting the restoration of Colombo’s Beira Lake. The programme, held on Oct 8 at the Sri Uttarananda Mawatha Pier, brought together more than 120 participants, including volunteers, govt agencies and representatives of partner organisations. Organised as part of an initiative of Beira Lake restoration task force, more..

Oct 19 (AD) The Speaker of House Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne today endorsed the certificate on the Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Bill, officially enacting it as the Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Act, No. 25 of 2026. The Bill was presented to Parliament for its First Reading on August 19, 2026, by the PM and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education. Second Reading debate was held on October 8, following which the Bill was passed with amendments without a division. more..

Oct 19 (Island) Govt’s ambitious plans to overhaul SL’s school education system and introduce new curricula could face serious implementation difficulties, with teacher unions warning that a longstanding and severe shortage of teachers remains unresolved. The warning came as PM Harini Amarasuriya announced yesterday that new curricula would be introduced for Grades 2 and 6 next year, while also stating that more..

Oct 19 (FT) Two 10-member business delegations from India, representing the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), visited Colombo to participate in the SL Economic and Investment Summit 2026, on 12-13 October. The visits provided an opportunity to explore trade and investment opportunities in SL, strengthen business-to-business (B2B) linkages, and promote greater economic engagement between India and SL. more..

Oct 19 (NW) Dept of Meteorology has issued a Caution level heat advisory for 14 districts across Sri Lanka, valid for tomorrow (20). According to the advisory issued today, the heat index, which indicates the temperature felt on the human body, is expected to rise to Caution level in some areas of the Northern, North-Central, Eastern and North-Western provinces, as well as the Monaragala and Hambantota districts. Met Dept stated that a Caution level heat index, more..

Oct 19 (NW) Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) has granted approval to implement one-hour power cuts across the country for three consecutive days, from today until Wednesday. Accordingly, the country has been divided into four groups, with each group scheduled to experience a one-hour power interruption daily between 4.30 p.m. and 9 p.m. The approved demand management schedules more..

Oct 19 (DM) SL think tank Verité Research has taken part in high-level discussions on global debt, inequality and governance at the 2026 Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group in Bangkok. The meetings, held from Oct 12 to 18, brought together policymakers, investors and other stakeholders to discuss economic and development issues. Verité Research delegation included Executive Director Dr. Nishan de Mel, Executive Vice President Inoshini Perera and more..

Oct 19 (AD) The govt is deeply saddened by the death of the Tusker Kavanthissa, a national treasure who sustained severe injuries from gunshot wounds, PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated. PM 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 the Central Environmental Authority more..

Oct 19 (FT) It appears that some in our Govt have become acolytes of Steve Bannon, Prez Trump’s Rasputin. Bannon famously said: "The real opposition is the media. And the way to deal with them is to flood the zone with shit.” The idea is to overwhelm your critics (not limited to media in the SL context) with multiple initiatives at the same time so that they are compelled to let some pass. First, it was the 22nd Amendment. Then it was the Protection of PSTA. more..

Oct 19 (FT) Ajantha Dharmasiri, a senior professor at the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM) and a regular columnist for the Daily FT, has released his newest book titled Management Musings. It contains 30 newspaper articles he had penned from 2021 to 2023 on numerous management issues. This is his 17th publication overall. Dharmasiri has long been an active writer, public lecturer, and human resource expert. Having served as the Director of PIM for more..

Oct 19 (DM) SL is preparing to launch what it says will be South Asia’s first passenger-carrying drone service, with the first aircraft already arriving at the BIA, CAASL Director General Daminda Rambukwella siad. The first flight is expected to take place on Oct 30 or 31, or during the first week of November, with Colombo Port City identified as the launch point. The destination would be decided following discussions with more..

Oct 19 (NW) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has effectively ruled out granting a presidential pardon to Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, stressing that his government will respect Supreme Court decisions and will not interfere with the judicial process. Addressing the National People’s Power (NPP) women’s rally in Badulla on Sunday, the Prez said the govt would accept the final decisions of the judiciary and warned that no one should expect the executive to overturn them. more..

Oct 19 (NW) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has accused two television channels of contributing to what he described as artificial unrest against the govt’s crackdown on corruption, drug trafficking and organised crime, while referring to a past drug-related allegation involving a relative of the owner of one channel. Prez alleged that individuals who had previously benefited from corruption, drug trafficking and organised criminal networks were becoming increasingly concerned about more..

Oct 19 (TM) CPC has made daily stock reporting through its designated software mandatory for fuel dealers to qualify for revised commission adjustments and sales and quality incentives, while providing for deductions from incentives where dealers are found responsible for fuel shortages or dispensing less fuel than indicated by station meters. The requirement is set out in Marketing Bureau Circular No. 1126, dated 8 May 2026, more..

Oct 19 (Island) The Norochcholai coal power plant will remain disconnected from the national grid for several days following Saturday’s countrywide power failure, as authorities continue to follow safety procedures after the incident. The National System Operator (NSO) said the 810-megawatt plant had been shut down as a precaution after the sudden power outage on Oct 17 and would not be reconnected to the grid until the necessary safety measures were completed. more..

Oct 19 (Island) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday said a businessman, arrested with a caches of firearms, ammunition and hand grenades, had links to a politician, as authorities continued investigations into the seizure. Addressing a public gathering in Badulla, the President said the suspect was among those being investigated in connection with operations targeting organised crime and that authorities were aware of his political connections. more..

Oct 19 (NW) The Ministry of Environment has formally requested the IGP to launch an immediate and comprehensive investigation into the death of iconic Sri Lankan tusker Kawanthissa and suspected organized operations targeting wild elephants. In a statement issued on Sunday, the Ministry said it had lodged a formal complaint with police and the CID, seeking an investigation into whether a coordinated conspiracy was behind the killing of wild elephants across the country. more..

Oct 19 (NW) A special military team has been deployed to locate Agbo, one of SL’s best-known wild tuskers, following discussions between the Minister of Environment and the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence. Secretary ordered the immediate deployment of the military team to accelerate efforts to trace the elephant and ensure his safety. The decision was taken following discussions between the Environment Minister and the Defence Secretary on strengthening more..

Oct 19 (FT) Bank of China Colombo branch became SL’s first renminbi (RMB) clearing bank, formally launching operations that allow trade and investment with China to be settled directly in the Chinese currency, rather than through the US dollar. Branch was authorised as a clearing bank by People’s Bank of China (PBOC), China’s central bank. CB Deputy Governor K.G.P. Sirikumara said the move would strengthen the connection more..

Oct 19 (DM) Medical Professionals’ Alliance for Medical and Civil Rights President and medical specialist Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa has urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to launch an immediate investigation into an alleged move to procure a 17-year-old linear accelerator (LINAC) for the Apeksha Cancer Hospital in Maharagama instead of a modern model. He has raised concerns over the proposed purchase of the machine, which is used to deliver radiation treatment to cancer patients. more..

Oct 19 (FT) The Court of Appeal has permitted a writ application filed by the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society of SL (WNPS) to proceed, and has directed that notices be issued on the Respondents. The application challenges the approvals granted for the Phase 1 Extension of the Thambapavani Wind Power Project on Mannar Island. The order was made on 31 August, after the application was supported before the Court on 9, 16, and 27 July and 3 and 4 August. more..

Oct 19 (TM) An inability to expose national players to high-level overseas domestic competitions has been a primary reason for the decline in sports in Sri Lanka, according to National Sports Council (NSC) Chair Priyantha Ekanayake. He said that compared with other nations, all sports had failed to move forward in SL in the aspects of technology and science, noting that standards had deteriorated markedly after the early 2000s as a result. Ekanayake, a double international for more..

Oct 19 (DN) SL-Japan Minerals Summit was held in Tokyo on October 14, with the objective of expanding economic relations and industrial cooperation between the two nations—further strengthening a decades-long friendship rooted in mutual trust and respect. The summit, presided over by Minister Sunil Handunnetti, was attended by representatives from the Japanese govt, organizations such as JETRO, JOGMEC & JICA, as well as a large number of prominent more..

Oct 19 (ST) The govt has ruled out a presidential pardon for the jailed BBS General Secretary, Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera, with senior officials saying the Prez would not take any step to circumvent the law or be arm-twisted into taking decisions by what they referred to as any group of persons. “The legal issues have to be resolved in court and not outside it,” a highly placed govt source said. more..

Oct 19 (FT) SL’s plan to attract around Rs. 400 billion in renewable energy and battery storage investment over the next three years could fall short, unless the Govt addresses weak power purchase agreements, rupee tariffs, lengthy approval processes and delays in project execution, WindForce Managing Director Manjula Perera warned. He said National System Operator’s (NSO) interim plan for 2027–2029 envisaged adding around 1,400 MW of solar power and 1,000 MW of more..

Oct 19 (FT) Sri Lanka’s tourism earnings recorded a second consecutive month of year-on-year (YoY) growth in September, rising 1.5% to $ 185.6 million despite a marginal decline in arrivals, but cumulative revenue remained under pressure amid weaker visitor numbers and continuing external headwinds. The latest Central Bank of SL (CBSL) data showed that September’s earnings improvement followed a 2.1% increase in August to $ 264.4 million, ending a 10-month run of YoY declines. more..

Oct 19 (ST) Govt promises to provide space for plantation owners to carry out oil palm cultivation is facing an election hurdle. Plantation industry sources state that at the time when the govt agreed to increasing the wages of plantation workers there had been an understanding that the Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs) will be given the space to carry out their oil palm cultivation. This was the basis of the two parties, more..

Oct 19 (FT) SL must earn free trade agreements (FTAs) through deep domestic reforms rather than expect them to follow from negotiation alone, Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe said. Govt is now moving to dismantle import levies left untouched for two decades and is seeking entry into Asia’s largest trade bloc. “We only talk about FTAs, but FTAs don’t come automatically. You have to earn them, and to earn them, you have to carry out a significant level of reforms in your country,” more..

Oct 19 (Island) USA–SL Chamber of Commerce is exploring an innovative promotional initiative to showcase SL’s tourism, cultural heritage, and commercial opportunities in the heart of New York City during the upcoming Christmas and holiday season. The proposed campaign aims to bring SL’s unique identity to one of the world’s most internationally recognized cities through a mobile digital billboard featuring high-quality photographs and videos highlighting the island’s more..

Oct 19 (FT) Central Bank of SL (CBSL) has ruled out a lower inflation target for now. It concluded that a goal below 5% would force a prolonged period of tight monetary policy on an economy still recovering from crisis and exposed to repeated external shocks. CBSL Senior Deputy Governor Dr. Chandranath Amarasekara set out the reasoning behind the new Monetary Policy Framework Agreement in the most detail yet. He said the CBSL had examined whether a target of 2%, 3%, or 4% would suit more..

Oct 19 (FT) China Merchants Port Holdings Company Ltd, Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), and Access Engineering have agreed to abandon the South Asia Commercial and Logistics Hub (SACLH) project in Port of Colombo. Under the settlement, the three partners will get back about $ 29.8 million of the $ 37.1 million they had invested. The Hong Kong-listed port operator said last week that the parties had signed a settlement agreement. The agreement ends Shareholders Agreement, more..