Oct 31 (NW) PM Harini Amarasuriya will lead SL’s delegation to the 28th Commonwealth Heads of Govt Meeting (CHOGM 2026), scheduled to take place in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, from Nov 1 to 4. PM will join leaders from the Commonwealth’s 56 member countries at the summit, held under the theme Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth. During the summit, Amarasuriya will participate in executive sessions and the Leaders’ Retreat, more..

Oct 31 (NW) Dept of the Registrar of Companies has issued a final warning to companies that have failed to submit their Beneficial Ownership information, cautioning that continued non-compliance could result in legal action, including fines of up to Rs. 1 million or imprisonment for up to 10 years. In a notice issued on Oct 28, Registrar General of Companies said the extended deadline of Oct 21, 2026, had expired, urging all companies that have not complied to submit their outstanding more..

Oct 31 (ST) An announcement by the wheat flour importers association last week on a price increase has stirred up a hornets’ nest among consumers burdened by the high cost of living. Leading wheat flour importers Serendib Flour Mills Ltd and Prima Ceylon Ltd announced that a kilogram of wheat flour will be raised by Rs13 starting at midnight. Following which Bakery Owners Association & All Island Canteen Owners more..

Oct 31 (NW) The Supreme Court has ruled that three police officers attached to the Negombo Divisional Criminal Investigation Department violated the fundamental rights of a jewellery businessman from Kuliyapitiya by subjecting him to physical assault, harassment and unlawful detention during a police investigation. The court ordered the three officers to personally pay Rs. 100,000 each, amounting to Rs. 300,000, as compensation to the businessman. The ruling was delivered by more..

Oct 31 (Island) Two main Tamil parliamentary blocs have agreed to mount a joint public protest against the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), after meeting at the home of the EPRLF leader, Suresh Premachandran, early this week. The meeting between the ITAK and the DTNA took place at Premachandran’s house in Kattapiray, with the ITAK General Secretary M.A. Sumanthiran among those taking part. The two sides agreed to take forward a protest against PTA with public participation, more..

Oct 31 (Island) The Budget estimates, relating to the Appropriation Bill for 2027, the management of public revenue and expenditure, and priority development projects, were discussed and approved recently at the Committee on Public Finance in Parliament. These matters were discussed with officials of Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development at a recent meeting of the Committee, held in Parliament, on the 22nd, under the Chairmanship of MP Harsha de Silva. more..

Oct 31 (NW) Sri Lanka recorded its highest-ever monthly merchandise export earnings in Sept 2026, reaching US$ 1.37 billion. Central Bank said merchandise exports increased by 21% compared to Sept 2025, surpassing the previous record of US$ 1.30 billion recorded in July 2025. Total merchandise export earnings during the first nine months of 2026 reached US$ 10.75 billion, reflecting a 5.3% increase compared to the corresponding period last year. more..

Oct 31 (FT) The Govt in partnership with the World Bank Group and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), yesterday announced the launch of the SL AgriConnect Joint Implementation Plan, a coordinated effort to transform the country’s agrifood sector, create jobs, and strengthen food security. Aligned with the Govt’s national development agenda and Public Investment Programme 2026–2030, as well as more..

Oct 31 (Island) Political and legal sources said that the NPP owed an explanation as to why the govt disregarded the recommendations made by a Committee, headed by Senior President’s Counsel Rienzie Arsekularatne, pertaining to the proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Act (PSTA). The 17-member Committee included officials and representatives from the Attorney General’s Department, Ministry of Justice, Police and Armed Forces and Bar Association of SL (BASL). more..

Oct 31 (Island) Deputy Minister Sundaralingam Pradeep, declared in Jaffna that domestic mechanisms are sufficient for the Chemmani mass grave investigation as Tamil families, Tamil parliamentarians and international legislators press for an independent international inquiry. “As far as the Chemmani matter is concerned, work that no previous govt has done is being carried out now,” he said. “So although many people say many things, we are not exerting any interference or more..

Oct 31 (NW) Sri Lanka’s tourism earnings declined by 9.2% during the first nine months of 2026, despite the country welcoming nearly 1.7 million international visitors, according to the Central Bank. Tourism earnings fell to US$ 2.25 billion during Jan–Sept 2026, compared to US$ 2.47 billion during the corresponding period last year. Tourist arrivals also declined by 1.8% during the nine-month period, with Sri Lanka recording 1,693,679 arrivals. more..