News

Sri Lanka has launched a new agricultural development initiative aimed at accelerating digital transformation, improving productivity and expanding economic opportunities for farming communities.

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in the launch of the Sri Lanka AgriConnect Joint Implementation Plan in Colombo today, marking a step towards modernising the country's agrifood sector.

AgriConnect is a World Bank Group initiative being implemented through a partnership involving the Government of Sri Lanka, the World Bank Group and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

The programme aims to transform smallholder farming, generate employment opportunities and contribute to global food security. The launch was also attended by Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation K.D. Lalkantha, alongside representatives of the World Bank Group and IFAD.

Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Amarasuriya stressed that the development of agriculture is closely connected to the country's overall economic progress.

She highlighted the importance of supporting farmers, strengthening food systems and creating greater opportunities in rural communities to improve economic resilience and achieve sustainable development.

The Prime Minister described AgriConnect Sri Lanka as an important initiative to develop a more productive, resilient and competitive agrifood sector. She also emphasised the need for cooperation among the Government, development partners, the private sector and farming communities to achieve these goals.

Referring to the Government's Public Investment Programme for 2027–2031, she stated that approximately LKR 17.5 trillion had been allocated for public investment over five years, including around LKR 8.3 trillion to support the transition towards a production-based economy.

According to the Prime Minister, these investments are expected to support agriculture, industry, tourism, innovation and digital transformation while improving infrastructure to increase productivity, attract investment and create quality employment opportunities.

She further emphasised that adopting modern technology, encouraging innovation and strengthening strategic partnerships would be essential to developing Sri Lanka's agricultural sector and securing long-term economic growth, the Prime Minister's Office said.

The United Nations has issued a stern warning over Sri Lanka’s draft anti-terrorism legislation, saying that proposed restrictions on confidential information threaten press freedom and civil rights monitoring across the island.

The Geneva-based Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) expressed serious reservations regarding key speech-related provisions within the Prevention of State from Terrorism Bill published in Colombo.

UN officials pointed out that the government reintroduced controversial definitions in the latest draft despite previous international objections raised when the original text was presented in December 2025.

Under Section 74 of the proposed law, confidential information is defined to encompass details concerning the functions, movements, or locations of specified individuals, alongside codes, passwords, or encryption parameters tied to national security.

The rights body warned that extending the legal definition to cover any material likely to exert an adverse impact on national defence creates an overly broad and vague standard.

Human rights experts highlighted that routine reporting, social media updates on police raids, and field documentation of security operations could face criminal prosecution under these sweeping clauses.

Civil society advocates and media personnel monitoring militarised activities face heightened legal exposure under Sections 2, 8 through 11, 15, and 74 of the draft legislation.

The OHCHR stresses that maintaining such ambiguous statutory language risks criminalising legitimate journalistic work and fundamental human rights oversight throughout Sri Lanka.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested a 30-year-old man suspected of defrauding a private company of more than Rs. 59.65 million by allegedly manipulating its computerised data system.

According to the Police Media Division, the suspect was employed at a private institution and is accused of entering false information into the company's computer system to facilitate the fraudulent transfer of Rs. 59,656,496.84 into accounts.

The investigation was initiated by the CID's Financial Investigation Unit (4) following a complaint alleging breach of trust, fraud and criminal misappropriation of funds.

Officers attached to the CID's Katunayake Unit arrested the suspect yesterday, police said.

The suspect, who is a resident of Maligawatte, is 30 years old.

The CID is continuing investigations into the alleged financial fraud.

A government urban planning project in Sri Lanka's historic Sacred City of Anuradhapura has sparked intense political debate following public concerns over structural risks to ancient monuments and new zoning regulations.

The controversy centers on recent infrastructure developments and a official gazette notification issued by authorities managing the ancient Buddhist heritage site in the North Central Province.

Allegations

Former lawmaker Udaya Gammanpila publicly warned that subterranean engineering works carried out under the modernization drive might undermine the structural integrity of ancient stupa foundations across the area.

He further claimed that the revised municipal framework could inadvertently absorb places of worship belonging to other religious denominations into the protected heritage boundary.

Following these statements, activist Upali Ratnayake filed an official complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department, accusing the politician of circulating unfounded claims capable of inciting communal discord.

Official clarification

Department of National Physical Planning Director General Ruchira Withana dismissed the political rhetoric, stating that the regulatory framework was a continuation of urban management strategies established in the nineteen-forties rather than a hasty administrative action.

He confirmed that social media reports regarding provisions for non-Buddhist altars or new kovils within the official boundaries were entirely false.

Officials also addressed public inquiries regarding a newly erected five-hundred-metre perimeter barrier around the Ruwanweli Stupa, explaining that the environmentally conscious structure was designed solely to keep out wandering wildlife without impeding worshipers.

Buddha Sasana Minister Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi and District Secretary K.G.R. Wimalasuriya reassured the public that state actions strictly balance pilgrim convenience with heritage preservation.

Officials stressed that every project phase remains under the direct oversight of the Director General of Archaeology alongside certified physical planning experts.
Sustainable Preservation Strategy

The state reiterates that transparent urban management remains essential to securing the architectural legacy of Anuradhapura while safely accommodating millions of visiting devotees annually.

Authorities have been instructed to take necessary action to prevent further environmental damage in Muthurajawela, Negombo Lagoon and other affected areas of the Gampaha District, following a discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat.

The meeting was chaired by Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake and focused on several environmental concerns, including damage to the Muthurajawela wetlands, environmental degradation along the Pamunugama coastline and industrial-related issues in Liyanagemulla, Seeduwa.

According to the President’s Media Division, the Secretary to the President directed the relevant officials to implement necessary measures to prevent further deterioration of the environment in these areas.

The meeting also decided to establish committees comprising public representatives and community organisations to identify sustainable solutions to the environmental problems.

The discussion was attended by His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, Bishop J. D. Anthony, Rev. Fr. Cyril Gamini and Rev. Fr. Nilantha Heshan.

Members of Parliament Lasith Bhashana Gamage and Stephanie Fernando also participated, along with Senior Additional Secretary to the President Roshan Gamage, Legal Adviser to the President J. M. Wijebandara and representatives of the Ministry of Environment.

Other participants included Dr. M. G. M. Prasanna, Programme Assistant at the Ministry of Environment; D. P. C. Udaya Kumara, Additional Secretary (Development); I. W. P. Senaratne, Director (Development); government officials, Catholic clergy and other invitees.

An anti-corruption watchdog in Sri Lanka has formally requested a state investigation into the multi-billion rupee sale of prime public land to a private hotel firm during the administration of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The Citizens’ Power Against Bribery, Corruption and Waste submitted a complaint to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) on Thursday, demanding the recovery of the property alongside legal action against those involved.

According to the civil society group, the executive powers granted under the State Lands Ordinance were misused to transfer state assets to favoured parties without obtaining required approval from the Cabinet of Ministers.

The organization highlighted serious procedural irregularities in the deal, noting that the prime land was handed over to the private entity without conducting a public auction or initiating a competitive bidding process.

Concerns were also raised regarding the accuracy and validity of the valuation reports utilised to fix the final selling prices for the prime government property.

The watchdog pointed to an extraordinarily rapid timeline for the primary transaction, where the land survey was prepared on 27 December 2010, the legal deed was drafted the following day, and full registration was finalised on 29 December.

Legal documentation reveals that former Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga signed the initial deed transferring a 2.4361-hectare plot to the hotel firm for 75 million US dollars, which equalled roughly 8,250 million rupees at the time.

Records further show that the purchasing company had been registered with the Registrar of Companies on 19 November 2010 under the directorship of Mohamed Sajad Mashoon, merely weeks before acquiring the state asset.

A secondary plot measuring 1.6108 hectares was subsequently sold to the same firm on 15 March 2011 for 5,499 million rupees under identical legal provisions.

In total, the two transactions encompassed approximately ten acres and eleven perches of public land sold for a combined value of 13,749 million rupees.

The formal petition was officially lodged and signed by Kamantha Thushara, the president of the anti-corruption organization.

A former member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who was deported to Sri Lanka after completing a 10-year prison sentence in India, has been released by the Mallakam Magistrate’s Court following his arrest at Bandaranaike International Airport, according to the Police Media Division.

The 50-year-old man, a resident of Masiyapitti in Sandilipay, Jaffna, was arrested by Indian security forces in 2015 over his involvement in efforts to reorganise the LTTE.

He was subsequently tried before an Indian court, found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in prison. After serving his sentence, he was deported to Sri Lanka.

According to police, officers of the Counterterrorism and Investigation Division took him into custody on the night of October 26, 2026, when he arrived at Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake.

A 72-hour detention order was obtained to allow investigators to conduct further inquiries into the matter.

The suspect was later presented before the Mallakam Magistrate’s Court on October 29, 2026, and was released by the court.

The case is scheduled to be taken up again on November 12, 2026.

Despite claims that the past two years have brought prosperity, the government has failed to resolve the human-elephant conflict or secure fair prices for farmers, says Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa.

He made these remarks during an inspection tour of the Wevagammana area in Lunugamwehera to evaluate the escalating human-elephant conflict.

He pointed out that the human-elephant conflict remains a severe crisis threatening both rural communities and forest resources, noting that farmers are forced to mortgage jewelry and property while borrowing at exorbitant interest rates to fund cultivation, only to face crop destruction, property damage, and loss of life.

Addressing the dual challenge of safeguarding human lives, agriculture, and elephant populations, he argued that achieving these goals simultaneously is entirely possible through community-based environmental conservation programmes that provide sustainable livelihoods for residents in affected regions.

The opposition leader stressed that electric fences must be properly maintained and national parks such as Lunugamwehera developed to attract local and international tourists, generating revenue that directly benefits local communities through people-centric wildlife development initiatives.

He asserted that the current administration must confront these challenges rather than evade them, ensuring that wildlife is protected while citizen livelihoods are simultaneously strengthened.

Broken Promises over the human-elephant conflict

Premadasa criticised the government for failing to deliver on electoral promises to resolve the crisis with the stroke of a pen, noting that governing party politicians and responsible officials are now evading the issue.

As a political party prioritising environmental conservation and human safety, he said the Samagi Jana Balawegaya advocates for a community-led environmental conservation model incorporating innovative solutions such as hanging electric fences.

Effective crop insurance scheme

He emphasised that an immediate solution to mitigate the animosity generated by the human-elephant conflict is the introduction of a formal, efficient, and productive crop insurance scheme.

Noting that the burden should not rest on farmers, he said that the government must sponsor a structured crop insurance program to provide financial relief when harvests are destroyed, criticising the current agricultural insurance framework as nominal rather than functional.

Pay attention to this crisis in 2027 Budget

Urging immediate action ahead of the upcoming 2027 budget proposals, he called for two urgent programs to protect wildlife, human lives, and agriculture.

He reiterated that despite claims of a prosperous two-year period, no tangible solutions have been delivered for the human-elephant conflict, and agricultural producers continue to struggle without fair prices for their yields.

More than 21,000 people have been affected by adverse weather conditions associated with Cyclone Arnab across 18 districts in Sri Lanka, with three deaths and six injuries reported, according to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC).

The latest situation report, covering the period from October 23 to 6.00 a.m. today (31), states that a total of 21,240 people from 5,768 families have been affected across 136 Divisional Secretariat Divisions.

The disaster has also caused extensive damage to residential properties. According to the DMC, eight houses have been completely destroyed, while another 737 have sustained partial damage.

Ratnapura District has recorded the highest number of people affected, with 10,051 individuals from 2,666 families impacted across 15 Divisional Secretariat Divisions. The district has reported one death, two injuries and 101 cases of house damage.

Puttalam District has recorded the second-highest number of affected people, with 6,900 individuals from 1,850 families affected across 11 Divisional Secretariat Divisions.

The district has reported one death and two injuries, while two people have also been reported missing.

Meanwhile, Matara District has recorded the highest number of houses damaged, with 113 houses affected by the adverse weather conditions. This figure includes one house that has been completely destroyed.

The DMC continues to monitor the situation as the impacts of Cyclone Arnab are reported across the affected districts.

The repeated visits of United States Navy warships to Colombo Port have intensified scrutiny over Sri Lanka’s strategic neutrality in the Indian Ocean.

The littoral combat ship USS Canberra docked in Colombo on October 26 for replenishment, marking its second call to the island state this year following an earlier visit in June.

This docking came just weeks after another American warship, the USS Tulsa, completed a two-day replenishment stop in Colombo earlier in October before continuing its Indo-Pacific deployment.

While diplomatic representatives including US Ambassador Eric Meyer and Sri Lankan defence authorities frame these calls as routine engagements to foster bilateral naval ties, the frequency of American naval visits highlights the growing geopolitical significance of Colombo along vital international shipping routes.

Questions are now mounting over how the administration intends to maintain its non-aligned stance while managing expanding security ties with Washington alongside its formal bid to join the BRICS bloc.

Russian Ambassador Levan Dzhagaryan previously urged Colombo to take concrete steps towards BRICS accession, pointing out that broad consensus among member states remains essential alongside support from Beijing and Moscow.

Though foreign policy experts note that pursuing economic ties with BRICS while granting port access to the United States is not inherently contradictory, critics argue that the government must clearly articulate a transparent framework governing foreign military access to protect national sovereignty.

Defence cooperation yields tangible benefits in maritime security and humanitarian response, yet uncoordinated military engagements risk entangling the island nation in escalating major-power rivalries across the region.

To mark the 250th anniversary of American independence, the Pathfinder Foundation, in collaboration with the Embassy of the United States of America in Sri Lanka, continued its series of lectures exploring the legacy of America’s Founding Fathers with a lecture on Benjamin Franklin, held, at The Blue, Hilton Colombo.

Titled “Founding Father and Renaissance Man,” the lecture explored the life, achievements and enduring legacy of Benjamin Franklin, one of the most influential figures in the founding of the United States. The second lecture in the series commemorating the semi-quincentennial anniversary of American independence, the event examined Franklin’s contributions to the establishment of the American republic, as well as his wider influence on science, education, and inventiveness. A statesman, diplomat, writer, publisher, inventor, and scientist, Franklin was renowned for his intellectual curiosity, practical ingenuity and commitment to public service. He was one of the five members of the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and later played a crucial role in securing French support for the American cause during the Revolutionary War. His contributions to science, civic institutions and public discourse also established him as one of the most distinguished and versatile figures of the eighteenth century.

Dr. Terence W. Cavanaugh, Emeritus Professor at the University of North Florida and U.S. Fulbright Specialist, delivered the lecture, examining Franklin’s multifaceted legacy as a statesman, intellectual, and public figure. The presentation explored the breadth of Franklin’s contribution to science, enterprise, and institutions.

The presentation was followed by an open-floor question-and-answer session, during which participants engaged with Dr. Cavanaugh on Franklin’s achievements and continuing relevance. The discussion provided an opportunity to explore the historical significance of Franklin’s ideas and their application to contemporary challenges, including the role of education, scientific advancement, public institutions, and diplomacy in shaping societies.

The event commenced with welcome remarks by Ms. Menaka Nayyar, Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka, and Amb. (Retd.) Bernard Goonetilleke, Chairman of the Pathfinder Foundation. The lecture and discussion were followed by a networking session, providing participants with an opportunity to exchange perspectives and continue conversations on the themes explored during the event. Representatives from diplomatic missions, think tanks, academia, and other professional fields were invited to participate in the programme.

The Founding Fathers Lecture series forms part of broader initiatives by the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka and the Pathfinder Foundation to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence and promote dialogue on the historical, institutional, and intellectual foundations of the United States. The final lecture in December will focus on the legacy of Alexander Hamilton, a leading American Founding Father, co-author of The Federalist Papers, and the nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury, who helped secure support for the U.S. Constitution and laid the foundations of America’s financial system.

Pic 01- Dr. Terence W. Cavanaugh, Emeritus Professor at the University of North Florida and U.S. Fulbright Specialist, delivered the lecture

02- Dr. Terence W. Cavanaugh, Emeritus Professor at the University of North Florida and U.S. Fulbright Specialist, discussed with undergraduate students of Kelaniya and Colombo studding foreign relations

The price of a 450-gram loaf of bread and other bakery products will increase by Rs. 5 from midnight today (30), the All Ceylon Bakery Owners’ Association (ACBOA) has announced.

ACBOA President M.K. Jayawardena confirmed that the Association had decided to increase the prices of bakery products by Rs. 5, with the revised prices taking effect from midnight.

The price revision will apply to the standard 450-gram loaf of bread as well as other bakery products, according to the Association.