Christa Pike's botched execution 'saves other deathrow killer weeks before injection'

Christa Pike's survival of a lethal injection has sparked a "comprehensive review" into the failed execution attempt.

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Kaduwela land grab and statist spectres

A private company has complained to the police, alleging that Kaduwela Mayor Ranjan Jayalal and NPP MP Asitha Niroshana forcibly took over a block of land belonging to it in Athurugiriya for a Metro bus stand. Lawyers representing the company have told the media that the police have not acted on their complaint due to political pressure. The NPP politicians remain defiant, insisting that the new bus stand will not be shifted under any circumstances.

Sri Lanka politicians take leave of their senses when power goes to their heads. During previous governments, there were widespread allegations that some politicians got their supporters to encroach on privately owned estates in the Colombo suburbs and then demanded money from hapless owners to remove the squatters, while others openly grabbed houses and land with impunity. These allegations have gone uninvestigated. The 2024 regime change was expected to bring such illegal practices to an end. But in 2025, a group of JVP activists, led by a deputy minister, stormed a party office belonging to their rival faction, the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), in Yakkala, and forcibly occupied it after assaulting and driving away a group of FSP members. They even showed the police a document, claiming that it was a court order vesting the ownership of the building in the JVP, and the police promptly cordoned off the area and set up a checkpoint to ensure the safety of the JVPers. But in April 2026, the Gampaha District Court ordered the JVP to return the office to the FSP.

The alleged land grab in Athurugiriya is different from the previous ones in that it is not intended to benefit any political party or any private individual as such, but it cannot be countenanced on any grounds. There should certainly be a place for the Metro buses to be parked in Kaduwela, but the government must not bulldoze its way through to acquire private property. It should negotiate with the company concerned and explore the possibility of purchasing the land at the prevailing commercial rate or taking it on lease. If the owner is unwilling to sell or lease the property, the government will have to look for an alternative location. There is no other way out. That is the way such disputes should be settled in the civilised world. The police must be made to explain why they have not instituted legal action against the Kaduwela Mayor and the NPP MP.

The government’s efforts to develop the Metro service deserve praise, encouragement and public support. The state-owned bus service has to be revitalised. However, the development of the Metro bus service cannot be cited in extenuation of high-handed actions, such as the alleged land grab.

It is high time the JVP/NPP politicians and their supporters realised that a popular mandate is not tantamount to a carte blanche and they cannot act according to their whims and fancies. The alleged land grab is bound to have an unsettling effect on investors, particularly foreign investors, given the JVP’s original ideological programme, which bore the imprimatur of its founder-leader Rohana Wijeweera, and the continuing influence of the party’s old guard over the present government. The JVP’s early programme called for far-reaching socialist economic measures, including the abolition of private ownership in several sectors and revolutionary land reform. The forcible land takeover in Athurugiriya not only smacks of statism but also conjures up the failed communist spectres of the past.

The government should take cognisance of what the US says, in its 2026 Investment Climate Statements: Sri Lanka, about land tenure here. Noting that Sri Lanka has made important progress since the 2022 economic crisis, the report says the investment environment remains difficult and unpredictable. It is not simply a negative report: it acknowledges political stability under the NPP government, commitment to the IMF programme. However, it makes specific mention of “tenure insecurity” in the context of weaknesses in Sri Lanka’s land sector. The report lists it alongside land scarcity, fragmented land administration, land degradation, encroachment and land disputes. Tenure insecurity generally means that a person or business does not have sufficiently certain, legally enforceable and transferable rights over the land they occupy or use. But it also means vulnerability to illegal occupation, land grabbing, encroachment or other involuntary loss of land. The World Bank’s definition of ‘tenure insecurity’ is noteworthy. It says tenure security involves protection against the involuntary loss of land, and notes that insecurity can arise from disputes within families or communities, or from the actions of governments or private claimants.

The US investment report provides an important reference to the foreign investors assessing Sri Lanka’s investment climate. The JVP-NPP government therefore should not send the wrong message to investors. In this day and age, news travels almost at subatomic speed, reaching millions of people across the globe within seconds. The government would do well to be mindful of the repercussions of its actions.

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Siyapatha Finance extends Colombo footprint with new Thalawathugoda branch

Homegrown finance company Siyapatha Finance PLC successfully unveiled its 68th branch in Thalawathugoda, Colombo District, further expanding the Company’s presence in the Western Province. Located in one of the capital’s fastest-growing residential suburbs, close to the administrative hub at Battaramulla, the latest branch offers convenient and wider access to tailored, customer-centric financial solutions.

The branch was declared open by Siyapatha Finance PLC Directors Jayanath Gunawardhana and Ms. Shriyani Ranathunga, together with Siyapatha Finance PLC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mathisha Hewavitharana, in the presence of Chief Operating Officer (COO) Rajeev De Silva, and Methuka Malhiru of Pannipitiya Dharmapala Vidyalaya, (Recipient of the company’s “Siyapatha Shilpaloka” recognition) along with Senior Management and staff members. Also present were Grama Niladhari Gamage Ruwanmini, Trade Association President Samptha Gurusinghe, representatives of the government and private banks and insurance companies, and well-wishers.

Speaking at the ceremony, Siyapatha Finance PLC CEO Mr. Mathisha Hewavitharana remarked: “We are pleased to bring Siyapatha Finance closer to the people of Thalawathugoda. This is a suburb that has grown quickly over the past decade, with a rising number of salaried households, professionals and small businesses whose financial needs are becoming more sophisticated. As always, our goal is to make a real difference in the standard of living of every community we serve, and we look forward to building lasting relationships with our customers here.”

With a comprehensive product portfolio catering to the ever-evolving financial needs of entrepreneurs, small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) and ambitious individuals, the Thalawathugoda branch offers a range of services including leasing, fixed deposits, savings, gold financing, business loans, personal loans, fast draft, factoring, and Smart Pay, the Company’s automated bill payment facility.

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Impressive banking and financial counters fail to halt stock market’s slide

By Hiran H. Senewiratne

The CSE did not perform well yesterday owing to a host of external and internal environmental factors that did not support stock trading, market analysts said.

The All Share Price Index went down by 41.53 points, while the S and P SL20 declined by 14.92 points. Turnover stood at Rs 873 million with four crossings.

Those crossings were: Standard Chartered Capital crossed 3.9 million shares to the tune of Rs 150 million; its shares traded at Rs 40, Sampath Bank 688,000 shares crossed for Rs 96 million and its shares sold at Rs 139.50, Lanka IOC 488,000 shares crossed for Rs 63 million; its shares sold at Rs 128.50 and NDB 500,000 shares crossed for Rs 55 million; its shares sold at Rs 110.

In the retail market companies

that mainly contributed to the turnover were; Digital Mobility Solutions Rs 36 million (237,000 shares traded), Ambeon Capital Rs 34 million (1.1 million shares traded), LB Finance Rs 34 million (227,000 shares traded), Commercial Bank Rs 27 million (133,000 shares traded), JKH Rs 23 million (1.2 million shares traded), Sampath Bank Rs 22 million (126,000 shares traded) and HNB Rs 20 million (52000 shares traded). During the day 30 million share volumes changed hands in 10403 transactions.

Banking sector counters, especially Sampath Bank and Commercial Bank, performed well while among financial sector counters LB Finance performed well. JKH was also active at the floor.

Fitch Ratings has upgraded state-run Bank of Ceylon’s Long-Term Foreign- and Local-Currency Issuer Default Ratings to ‘B-’ from ‘CCC+’ with a Stable Outlook, following the recent sovereign rating upgrade. The rating agency also upgraded the lender’s Viability Rating to ‘b-’ from ‘ccc+’ and raised its Short-Term Issuer Default Rating to ‘B’ from ‘C’.

Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings PLC’s rated, unsecured, senior redeemable debentures were listed on the CSE yesterday across five-year and seven-year tenors. The listing follows the hospitality group’s debenture issuance launched in September, which was oversubscribed on its opening day to raise up to Rs 5 billion.

Yesterday the rupee was quoted at Rs 330.65/70 to the US dollar in the spot market from Rs 330.60/70 the previous day, while bond yields were broadly steady, dealers said.

A bond maturing on 15.10.2028 was quoted at 10.51/54 percent, up from 11.48/53 percent.

A bond maturing on 15.10.2029 was quoted flat at 10.80/90 percent.

A bond maturing on 01.08.2030 was quoted at 11.10/15 percent, down from 11.10/18 percent.

A bond maturing on 15.10.2030 was quoted at 11.15/20 percent, down from 11.20/25 percent.

A bond maturing on 15.12.2032 was quoted at 11.65/70 percent, down from 11.65/75 percent.

A bond maturing on 15.10.2034 was quoted flat at 11.95/12.00 percent.

At the end of September, the rupee had depreciated by 6.3 percent against the US dollar on a year-to-date basis, the Central Bank said.

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CDB Launches Private Wealth Proposition with World Mastercard Metal Credit Card

Citizens Development Business Finance PLC (CDB), officially launched its CDB Private Wealth proposition at the CDB September Monthly Medal 2026, held on 11 and 12 September at the Royal Colombo Golf Club (RCGC). The launch marked an important milestone in CDB’s journey to deliver an elevated financial and lifestyle experience for affluent and high-net-worth customers.

Taking centre stage was the exclusive CDB Private Wealth World Mastercard White Metal Credit Card, designed specifically for CDB Private Wealth customers. Combining global acceptance with a range of carefully curated travel and lifestyle privileges, the card reflects the premium positioning of the new proposition.

In a landmark moment, the first card was presented to RCGC Captain and former Sri Lanka cricket captain Mahela Jayawardene by CDB Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Mahesh Nanayakkara.

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Sri Lanka and Australia continue strategic maritime dialogue

The Sixth Round of the Senior Officials Talks and the Fourth Round of the Strategic Maritime Dialogue between Sri Lanka and Australia concluded in Colombo on 21st September 2026, the Foreign Ministry said.

The text of the statement: “The meetings were co-chaired by First Assistant Secretary of South and Central Asia of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia, Sarah Storey and Additional Secretary of the Europe & North America, East Asia & Oceania, Southeast Asia & Central Asia, South Asia, Middle East and Legal Divisions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, M.R.K. Lenagala.

The two sides explored new avenues for collaboration in areas such as bilateral political affairs, agriculture, trade, defence and education and agreed to strengthen cooperation on regional, multilateral and maritime affairs.”

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Navy and police given seats on new fisheries committees across North and East

The government has established special district-level committees to curb illegal fishing in 15 districts, seven of them along the North-East coast, bringing the defence ministry, the navy, the coast guard and the police into the administration of fisheries in a region where fishermen have long accused the navy of selective enforcement, Tamil Guardian reported.

The committees cover Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Mannar and Ampara, alongside Negombo, Chilaw, Colombo, Puttalam, Kalutara, Galle, Matara and Tangalle. These are the fisheries department’s own districts rather than administrative ones, and several — Negombo, Chilaw and Tangalle among them — are coastal centres that sit inside larger administrative districts.

A progress review on the committees was held at the parliament complex on 25 September, chaired by the fisheries minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar, deputy defence minister Major General Aruna Jayasekara and the deputy fisheries minister Rathna Gamage.

The defence secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha attended, with the commander of the navy, the director general of the coast guard, the deputy inspector general of police for the nautical and tourist division, and senior officials from the fisheries department, the National Aquaculture Development Authority and local government bodies.

The committees are intended as coordination points on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, which the government says threatens marine ecosystems, the livelihoods of licensed fishermen and national food security, and on the use of fishing vessels for smuggling and human trafficking. Neither the defence ministry nor the fisheries ministry has set out what powers the committees hold, who chairs them at district level, or whether fishermen’s organisations are represented on them.

The structure follows a high-level meeting in parliament in November last year, co-chaired by minister Chandrasekar, justice minister Harshana Nanayakkara and deputy minister Jayasekara, which addressed poaching by local and foreign vessels, boats disabling their vessel monitoring systems, the use of unauthorised radio frequencies, drug trafficking and smuggling conducted under the guise of fishing, and delays in court cases involving seized vessels.

Fishermen in the North-East have accused the navy of selective enforcement, saying it moves against local Tamil fishermen while Indian bottom trawlers operate in northern waters largely unimpeded.

The navy has meanwhile arrested Tamil fishermen for illegal fishing in the same waters, including 13 detained at Kattaikadu in Jaffna. It has also been accused of covertly surveying fishing lands at Chundikkulam without notice to the owners.

That is alongside the occupation itself. Fishing settlements at Myliddy have been held inside the Valikamam North High Security Zone since 1990, and landowners there have now held weekly protests outside the military commander’s bungalow for 23 consecutive weeks without a government response. In July, Jayasekara told parliament that 1,661 acres inside that zone would be permanently acquired.

Jayasekara is also the minister who told parliament that cultivation inside military camps was solely for the army’s own consumption, a claim contradicted by footage showing military personnel selling vegetables grown on occupied land to a Keells collection centre in Jaffna.

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