News

Environmental watchdogs have warned that over 5,000 metric tonnes of highly toxic sulphuric acid could be leaking into Sri Lanka’s ecosystems annually due to unregulated battery recycling practices.

The Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) issued the urgent warning following reports that more than 2,000 lead-smelting plants are operating nationwide without proper environmental safeguards or licensing oversight.

Experts highlighted that hazardous waste from battery recycling contains lead, cadmium, and arsenic, which pose severe health risks to workers and nearby populations.

Medical evidence indicates that no level of lead exposure is safe, with children facing permanent cognitive damage while adults risk cardiovascular and renal diseases.

The warning was delivered during events held between 18 and 24 October as part of global lead poisoning prevention awareness week.

Organisers conducted outreach sessions for schoolchildren and municipal waste workers in Kolonnawa, while experts held online panel discussions on national battery waste management.

Environmentalists warned that current licensing procedures fail to address toxic runoff, allowing hazardous chemicals to contaminate surrounding soil and water sources.

In addition to battery recycling, improper electronic waste disposal and unmonitored industrial discharges continue to spread heavy metals across the country.

Advocates urged authorities to establish a formal collection framework, enforce strict regulatory oversight, and align national policies with global chemical trade conventions.

The Irrigation Department has issued an Amber flood warning for low-lying areas near the Mahaweli River within the Pasbage Korale Divisional Secretariat Division following heavy rainfall in the river’s upper catchment areas.

According to the department, the heavy rainfall recorded over the past few hours has increased the risk of minor flooding in areas adjacent to the river.

The department has urged residents in the affected areas and motorists travelling along roads that pass through these locations to exercise extreme caution.

People living close to the Mahaweli River have also been advised to remain vigilant and take the necessary precautions to protect themselves in the event of flooding.

Meanwhile, disaster management authorities have been requested to implement appropriate precautionary measures in response to the potential flood threat.

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has accused Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne of eroding parliamentary democracy by blocking a no-confidence motion submitted against him.

SJB MP Mujibur Rahman made these remarks in Colombo on Tuesday, criticising the Speaker for refusing to schedule a debate on his conduct.

Parliamentary proceedings have faced growing criticism from opposition lawmakers over the handling of motions against the chair.

Rahman pointed out that official justifications regarding a pending court case should not prevent the debate from moving forward.

He noted that former Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena previously permitted a debate on a no-confidence motion against himself in 2023 despite ongoing legal proceedings concerning the appointment of the Inspector General of Police.

The opposition MP alleged that the current Speaker is displaying political bias and systematically preventing minority parties from raising critical questions on the house floor.

Wholesale prices for key produce across Sri Lanka have surged dramatically following continuous heavy rainfall, threatening further financial strain on consumers ahead of the upcoming festive period.

Trade figures from major distribution hubs, including the Manning Market in Colombo, reveal significant price hikes affecting both upcountry and low-country crops over recent days.

Tomatoes registered the steepest increase, climbing from a previous wholesale range of Rs. 350 to Rs. 400 per kilogram to a peak of Rs. 600 to Rs. 650 per kilogram.

Capsicum prices rose sharply from Rs. 250 to between Rs. 400 and Rs. 450 per kilogram, while cabbage more than doubled in cost to reach Rs. 350 per kilogram.

Former Manning Market Traders Union Chief Organiser Anil Indrajith said that adverse weather patterns had severely disrupted supplies across key farming regions, making tomatoes the most expensive staple in the market.

Current market data indicates that beans are trading between Rs. 400 and Rs. 500 per kilogram, with green chillies fetching between Rs. 350 and Rs. 400 per kilogram.

Meanwhile, carrots are selling at between Rs. 200 and Rs. 250 per kilogram, and leeks are holding steady at approximately Rs. 200 per kilogram.

Indrajith cautioned that wholesale rates are likely to escalate further across the island as household demand intensifies in the coming weeks.

A 41-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly possessing a foreign-manufactured revolver-type firearm during a police raid in Orugodawatta, within the Grandpass Police area.

The arrest was made by a team of officers from the Colombo District Crimes Division during an operation conducted in the area.

According to police, the suspect is a resident of Kirulapone.

Further investigations into the incident are being carried out by the Colombo District Crimes Division.

Severe structural and management failures at the Port of Colombo have left Sri Lanka’s flagship East Container Terminal largely non-operational more than a decade after its first phase was completed, delaying critical returns on a USD 755 million national project.

Senior Professor Prasanna Perera, former Vice Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority and Head of the Economics Department at the University of Peradeniya, disclosed the systemic lapses surrounding the asset during a detailed technical assessment.

Despite USD 550 million having been spent by early 2026, the facility remains unable to conduct full semi-automated operations due to fragmented procurement, incomplete integrated designs, and missing critical software interfaces.

Equipment sequencing failures have left all 40 Automated Rail-Mounted Gantry cranes and four Ship-to-Shore cranes standing idle, risking the expiry of warranties and software licences before commercial deployment.

The terminal civil works face ongoing delays under a fourth extension request through July 2026, compounded by pending legal claims, five cancelled straddle carrier tenders, and unresolved staffing approvals.

Revenue losses for 2026 alone are estimated between USD 28.2 million and USD 105.6 million, excluding loan interest, maintenance costs, and potential long-term cargo diversion to regional competitors such as Hambantota.

Governance conflict

Critical oversight deficiencies and frequent leadership turnover have further undermined project execution and financial accountability.

Professor Perera highlighted a fundamental conflict of interest in having internal authority engineers supervise construction and assess contractual claims resulting from the institution's own operational decisions.

Frequent management changes, featuring at least four chairpersons and multiple project directors since 2021, have continually disrupted continuity and institutional memory.

To resolve the impasse, the economist outlined a series of mandatory operational and administrative interventions.

- Appointment of an independent third-party engineer to supervise remaining civil works and objectively assess contractor claims.

- Formalisation of a final, unextendable completion deadline that fully accounts for seasonal monsoon risks.

- Immediate procurement of the Equipment Control Interface Database alongside parallel resolution of legal disputes.

- Resolution of the straddle carrier procurement based on an independent price evaluation to support interim operations.

- Approval of 467 pending operational posts by the Department of Management Services to ensure adequate staffing.

Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa was brought to the Hulftsdorp Courts Complex in Aluthkade a short while ago today (October 27) in connection with a court case.

Further details regarding the proceedings have not yet been reported.

Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has commended Brazilian voters following the return of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to the presidency, describing the election outcome as a victory for democratic principles over political corruption and national division.

In a message posted on social media platform "X", President Dissanayake said that the electorate had decisively rejected political forces that attempted to fracture the nation.

He remarked that the Brazilian people had achieved more than an electoral win by defeating corruption, division, and political deception.

Furthermore, Dissanayake noted that Lula’s return demonstrated that voters could not be misled by bankrupt political dynasties or established interests attempting to assert authority over democratic rights.

Extending personal congratulations to the newly elected leader, the Sri Lankan president applauded him for securing public confidence once again to lead one of the world's largest democracies and guiding what he termed a march of progress.

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP S. M. Marikkar has accused President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s government of imposing unprecedented authoritarian measures across Sri Lanka to conceal economic failure and public discontent.

He made these allegation during a media briefing in Colomb.

Marikkar asserted that the current executive was erecting a regime more repressive than that of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa while actively preparing legislative mechanisms to curtail civil liberties.

He said state authorities are attempting to dismantle freedom of speech and restrict journalists from reporting on growing social hardship.

He attributed these measures to the government's inability to reduce the prices of fuel, electricity, essential foodstuffs, and vital pharmaceuticals.

Marikkar observed that severe economic pressure had forced many families to reduce daily meals from three to two, driving record numbers of citizens to pawn personal jewellery to survive.

Anticipating widespread public demonstrations, he claimed the government was resorting to intimidation and media censorship to stifle dissent.

He said that the NPP government's political mandate had expired, asserting that voters were increasingly shifting allegiance to the SJB.

He also promised that an alternative SJB government would attract USD 10 billion in foreign direct investment during its first year to deliver economic relief.

A foundation stone has been laid for a new monastic residence at the historic Yataththawala Rajamaha Vihara in Kurunegala.

Venerable Rambukwelle Nandaloka Thero, a member of the Karaka Sangha Sabha of the Siam Nikaya's Malwathu Chapter, presided over the religious proceedings.

The chief lay custodian of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Pradeep Nilanga Dela, and Jalani Premadasa attended the event as special guests.

Dating back to the 13th-century Dambadeniya Kingdom, the ancient temple holds significant ecclesiastical status as one of the traditional electoral institutions empowered to vote in the appointment of the Diyawadana Nilame.

Organised under the patronage of Chief Incumbent Venerable Mawatagama Seewali Thero and resident monk Venerable Alabadagama Seelakkhandha Thero, the ceremony also drew former parliamentarians Prof. Charitha Herath and Thushara Indunil.

The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has quashed a presidential pardon granted under former President Ranil Wickremesinghe to a man serving a 29-month prison sentence for defaulting on maintenance payments, declaring the release unlawful and unconstitutional.

A three-judge bench comprising Justice Janak De Silva, Justice Dr. Sobhitha Rajakaruna, and Justice Sampath K. B. Wijeratne delivered the verdict following a Fundamental Rights application filed by the convict’s former wife, Ahamend Jaleel Farmilla Begum.

The petitioner challenged the early September 2024 release of Mohamed Ameen Mohamed Naseem, who had served less than two months of his term following imprisonment by the Quazi Court for failing to pay Rs. 1.74 million in maintenance arrears.

The court ruled that former President Wickremesinghe, alongside the Ministry of Justice Secretary and the Commissioner General of Prisons, violated Article 12(1) constitutional guarantees of equality and equal law protection by granting the presidential remission.

The justices noted that prison authorities gave preferential treatment to the convict by recording his commitment as non-payment of a fine, whereas another inmate held under identical maintenance arrears received only a one-week sentence reduction.

Holding that clerical differences on commitment warrants could not justify unequal treatment, the bench invalidated the remission and reinstated the original prison term issued by the Negombo Magistrate’s Court.

The court designated the released convict a fugitive from justice and advised his immediate surrender to law enforcement, confirming that local magistrates retain existing statutory power to enforce the arrest warrant without requiring additional directives.

The bench clarified that the executive branch retains constitutional power to issue a fresh remission provided all procedures strictly adhere to legal standards.

The World International Press Club has urged the Sri Lankan Government to overhaul proposed anti-terrorism legislation and institute firm legal guarantees to safeguard media freedom and independent journalism.

The global media body issued the appeal in support of Sri Lankan journalists who have raised severe concerns regarding draft counter-terrorism measures.

The organization warned that national security laws must not serve as a pretext to undermine investigative reporting or compromise source confidentiality.

Addressing the state's responsibilities, WIPC President Aurangzeb Kamal stated that defending journalists' rights remains a collective international duty and called on the authorities in Colombo to address local media grievances constructively.

In addition, WIPC Central Executive Committee Secretary-General Mian Ishtiaq Ali emphasized that responsible governments must actively protect journalists from intimidation and maintain an environment conducive to reporting without fear of official retaliation.
Key Policy Recommendations For Media Protection

To ensure the protection of constitutional rights and journalistic integrity, the press club submitted five specific demands to the Sri Lankan Government.

Guarantees ensuring the right of media professionals to gather and publish news independently.

An independent legal review of anti-terrorism draft clauses threatening source confidentiality and investigative reporting.

Comprehensive safeguards to prevent state harassment, intimidation, and arbitrary restrictions against working journalists.

Institutional consultations involving media bodies, civil rights advocates, and legal experts prior to enacting security legislation.

Strict adherence to international human rights standards, constitutional guarantees, and fair trial principles in all security laws.

Signatories To The Appeal

The declaration calling for state guarantees and media protections was issued by the leadership and international representatives of the World International Press Club.

Aurangzeb Kamal, President (Bangladesh)

Osman Baykus, Senior Vice President (Turkey)

Ranga Bandaranayake, Vice President (Sri Lanka)

Mian Ishtiaq Ali, Secretary-General of the Central Executive Committee (Pakistan)

Syed Yasin Matin, Joint Secretary (Afghanistan)

Samaresh Roy, Central Organizing Secretary (India)

Alhaj Sohag, Office Secretary (Saudi Arabia)

Shampa Das, Secretary for Women and Children’s Affairs (India)

Md Anis Pradhan, Executive Committee Member

Dr Syed Khalid Qayes, Executive Committee Member (India)

Mir Mohammad Ali, Permanent Member (India)

Lakshman Muthuthanthirige, Executive Member (Sri Lanka)

K K Dhammika, Executive Member (Sri Lanka)

Shiromi Ratnayake, Executive Member (Sri Lanka)

Lasantha Ruhunage, Executive Member (Sri Lanka)

Mithun Jayawardhana, Executive Member (Sri Lanka)

Sushil Aryal, Representative (Nepal)

Zeynep Tilkici, Member (Turkey)

Fong Tze Hong, International Member (Malaysia)

Kim Bolan, International Member (Canada)

Paul Veyre, International Member (Canada)

Marin Gugu, International Member