Litro Gas Lanka has announced that it is expediting gas distribution across the island, with a new shipment of 3,900 metric tonnes currently being unloaded. The vessel FRANCOIS arrived in Sri Lanka on 18 October, while the CORINTHIAN is scheduled to arrive on 22 October carrying a further 3,900 metric tonnes. The company stated that the shipments are expected to stabilise supplies and maintain regular market distribution without shortages. <p style="--tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-pan-x: ; --tw-pan-y: ; --tw-pinch-zoom: ; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-gradient-from-position: ; --tw-gradient-via-position: ; --tw-gradient-to-position: ; --tw-ordinal: ; --tw-slashed-zero: ; --tw-numeric-figure: ; --tw-numeric-spacing: ; --tw-numeric-fraction: ; --tw-ring-inset: ; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-blur: ; --tw-brightness: ; --tw-contrast: ; --tw-grayscale: ; --tw-hue-rotate: ; --tw-invert: ; --tw-saturate: ; --tw-sepia: ; --tw-drop-shadow: ; --tw-backdrop-blur: ; --tw-backdrop-brightness: ; --tw-backdrop-contrast: ; --tw-backdrop-grayscale: ; --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: ; --tw-backdrop-invert: ; --tw-backdrop-opacity: ; --tw-backdrop-saturate: ; --tw-backdrop-sepia: ; --tw-contain-size: ; --tw-contain-layout: ; --tw-contain-paint: ; --tw-contain-style: ; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0;">

Litro accelerates islandwide gas distribution as new shipments arrive

President Donald ‌Trump's approval rating fell to a record low as Americans worried about high gasoline prices and appeared ready to punish his Republican Party in the November 3 congressional elections, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Monday. Some 31% of Americans approve of Trump's ​performance in office, down a percentage point from two weeks earlier and the lowest level in ​either of his presidential terms, the four-day poll showed. Asked which party they would vote ⁠for if the congressional elections were held today in what is known as a "generic ballot" question, some ​47% of registered voters in the nationwide poll picked Democrats and 35% chose Republicans.&nbsp; The 12-point Democratic advantage ​was the widest over the current election cycle and could bolster Democratic hopes of seizing control of the US House of Representatives and the US Senate. For Republicans, losing control of either chamber could complicate Trump's agenda in the last two years ​of his term. Generic ballot polls are national polls that provide an overall view of which party poll respondents ​want to see in charge in Congress.&nbsp; While these polls provide a view of national public sentiment, they do not ‌capture ⁠all the nuances of the state-by-state and district-by-district contests that determine control of the Senate and House, contests in which Republicans hold some structural advantages. A Reuters/Ipsos poll two weeks earlier showed Democrats leading Republicans by 7 points, 44% to 37%. Much of the drop in support for Republican congressional candidates was due to a larger ​share of women saying they ​would pick Democrats. Some ⁠50% of female voters said they would vote Democratic, compared to 32% eyeing Republican candidates. Men also favored Democrats, but by a smaller margin. Trump's popularity has suffered ​since he ordered military strikes on Iran in February alongside US ally Israel. ​The war ⁠triggered a surge in gasoline prices, hitting household finances. Some 68% of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy, including 37% of self-identified Republicans. Voters in the poll picked Democrats over Republicans as the better stewards of the ⁠economy, by ​40% to 33%. The survey, which was conducted online, gathered responses ​from 1,679 US adults, including 1,279 registered voters. The poll's results had a margin of error of 2 percentage points for all respondents ​and 3 points for registered voters. Source: Reuters

Trump's approval falls to record low of 31% as midterms near 

Oil prices fell on Tuesday as markets weighed an executive order from US President Donald Trump that waived some sanctions and tariffs tied to Russian energy exports, while attacks on Saudi Arabia and Yemen kept fears of Middle East supply disruptions in view. Brent crude futures fell 49 cents, or 0.45 per cent, to $109.06 a barrel by 0010 GMT. The US West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) contract for November delivery, set to expire on Tuesday, eased 0.33 per cent to $103.32. The more-active December contract was down 46 cents, or 0.47 per cent, at $98.08. Brent rose as high as $110.70 per barrel in the previous session, its highest since May 20. An executive order issued by Trump on Friday night waived key Russia-related US sanctions and tariffs, including duties on the country's goods and penalties for buying its oil and gas. However, Trump said on Saturday he has yet to announce a final decision on the matter, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio said officials want more time to evaluate the situation. Russia's crude oil production increased by 65,000 barrels per day in September to 8.43 million bpd, but remained some 870,000 bpd below a year ago, the International Energy Agency said last week.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"While the prospect of additional Russian diesel supply offers some theoretical relief, traders appear far more focused on the ongoing risk of further damage to energy infrastructure across the Gulf region," Tim Waterer, KCM Trade chief analyst, said. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Monday they carried out several attacks against Saudi energy, airport and military targets, including an Aramco site in Yanbu, the Shaybah oilfield, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha airport. Saudi authorities did not immediately confirm the claims and Reuters could not independently verify them. Meanwhile, 58 people were killed and more than 200 were injured after an attack on Monday by the Houthis on a government security forces training camp in Yemen's Shabwa province. The renewed attacks heightened fears about regional stability and underscored continuing risks to energy supply from the region, keeping oil prices above $100 a barrel. In the US, crude oil stockpiles were expected to have fallen last week along with product inventories, a preliminary Reuters poll showed on Monday. Source: Reuters

Oil eases as markets assess potential waiver on Russian energy, Middle East supply risks 

&nbsp;Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath has concluded a two-day official visit to Baku, Azerbaijan, where he led Sri Lanka’s delegation to the seventh summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA). During the visit, Herath met Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and held bilateral discussions with representatives from Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Tajikistan, Türkiye and Palestine. Discussions focused on cooperation in trade, tourism, agriculture and energy security. He also attended a high-level meeting with Azerbaijani energy company SOCAR to explore opportunities for energy cooperation.

FM Vijitha Herath concludes official visit to Azerbaijan

Norway's planned social media ban for children will include provisions targeting "harmful platforms", the government said on Monday, naming messaging and gaming services Roblox, Snapchat and TikTok among those affected. The Nordic country said in April it would present a bill in parliament by the end of the year to ban children from using social media until they turn 16, making technology companies responsible for age verification. It did not name any platforms at the time. Several European nations are seeking to rein in children's social media use after Australia took the lead with the world's first ban on under-16s last December, which included apps such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube. Norway's government said in a statement on Monday that its bill was intended to address the full range of risks children face on social media and that it would affect "many platforms". "This includes everything from exposure to harmful content and addictive features to illegal marketing and unwanted contact from strangers," Children and Families Minister Lene Vaagslid said in the statement. The planned legislation provides tech companies with an incentive to remove harmful content and addictive features, she said. The ministry went on to define what it called harmful platforms as "social media that, through its design, features or content, poses a risk to children's emotional, cognitive or physical development or safety." "The government believes that platforms such as TikTok, Roblox, and Snapchat will be covered by the law," it said. It did not immediately respond to a question about which other apps could be affected. Snap Inc, Roblox Corporation and TikTok owner ByteDance did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Children and young people will still have access to messaging services and games that are deemed harmless, the ministry said. Source: Reuters

Norway targets 'harmful' social media, games with under-16 ban

<ul><li>Says 2025 PUCSL recommendations ignored</li><li>1 hour power cuts across four groups till tomorrow</li><li>Lakvijaya offline, 200 MW shortfall at peak</li></ul> The National System Operator (NSO) Private Limited’s probe into Saturday’s (17) island-wide blackout is unlikely to produce meaningful results, as the Company failed to implement Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) recommendations made after a similar outage in February 2025, the Electricity Consumers’ Association (ECA) claimed.Speaking to The Daily Morning, ECA General Secretary Sanjeewa Dhammika said the PUCSL had held a public consultation in August 2025 after the February outage and prepared a report with recommendations to prevent a recurrence, none of which, he alleged, the NSO had implemented. “If they had implemented those recommendations, this kind of incident wouldn’t have happened again,” he claimed.He also alleged that the cost of improving the system was factored into tariff revision proposals, but the changes were never made. “They include all these matters in their calculations and increase the tariffs. But, in the end, they don’t make the changes that need to be made.”Dhammika said the NSO, as the Company operating the national electricity system, should face an independent inquiry rather than investigate itself. “It’s the party responsible for this. Does it make sense for them to investigate themselves?”He said the PUCSL should investigate, though he doubted a Commission inquiry would deliver a satisfactory outcome. “We can’t be sure that there’ll be justice even after a PUCSL-led investigation,” he said.NSO Chairperson Pradeep Priyadarshana has said the Company’s internal investigation will establish the sequence of events and the causes. A report including recommendations is due to the PUCSL and the Energy Ministry within one month.Saturday’s blackout began at around 11.45 a.m., with supply restored to most areas by around 7.50 p.m. The NSO attributed it to severe instability in the transmission network. Energy Minister Anura Karunatilaka said a technical issue detected earlier at a hydropower plant in Kotmale may have contributed.Attempts to contact the PUCSL and NSO Chief Executive Officer Buddhika Samarasekara proved futile.Meanwhile, consumers face a second evening of one-hour power cuts today (20), after the PUCSL approved an NSO request for rotating interruptions across four groups from yesterday (19) until tomorrow (21).Each group will lose power for one hour between 4.30 p.m. and 9 p.m., with the order rotating daily.The authorities said times may vary by up to 30 minutes depending on demand, available generation and weather conditions.The cuts will be imposed only if demand management becomes necessary due to insufficient generation following the unavailability of the Lakvijaya Power Station. The NSO has said the plant will remain off the grid for several days after being shut down as a precaution on Saturday. The NSO projects peak evening demand at 2,800 MW against available capacity of 2,600 MW.&nbsp;

Island-wide blackout fallout: NSO probe a ‘damp squib’: ECA

<ul><li>Agbo found safe in Nachchaduwa</li></ul> Five more suspects allegedly involved in the shooting of the Kavantissa tusker and related illegal activities have been arrested during a joint operation by the Wildlife Conservation Department, the Panadura Walana Central Anti-Vice Strike Force and the Police, the Environment Ministry said. They are being questioned by Wildlife Conservation officers and the Galgamuwa Police.Meanwhile, the two main suspects arrested in connection with the shooting were remanded until 28 October by Maho Magistrate Anuradha Senavirathna when they were produced before Court yesterday (19).One of them, a Skills Development Officer attached to the Ehetuwewa Divisional Secretariat, was arrested on 18 October by officers of the Strike Force and the Department. Investigations have revealed that he was directly involved in the shooting. A 12-bore firearm, a muzzle-loading ‘cap gun’ and 24 rounds of ammunition were seized from his residence. There were also reports that he had previously shot an elephant called Diana.Investigations have been expanded to locate the firearms used in the shooting and to determine whether an organised syndicate targeting wild animals was operating in the area.Kavantissa, regarded as Sri Lanka’s largest and tallest living tusker, died on 16 October in a paddy field in Galgamuwa while receiving treatment for a gunshot wound to its right foreleg.The tusker Agbo, missing for several days, was found yesterday morning roaming in the Nachchaduwa Reservoir Forest Reserve in Thirappane following a joint search by the Army and Wildlife Conservation officers, the Defence Ministry Spokesperson said.Thirappane Wildlife Conservation Range Assistant Buddhika Athukorala, who is in charge of the area, confirmed that the tusker was in good health.The search, in its second day, involved 50 Army personnel and three drones, after information that Agbo had travelled from Eruwewa along the A-9 road towards the reservoir on 18 October.North-Western Wildlife Zone Veterinary Surgeon Dr Isuru Hewakottage has reportedly resigned from his post, citing severe allegations and criticism on social media over his treatment of Kavantissa. He has not yet formally resigned from the Department.Former Wildlife Veterinary Unit Director Dr Tharaka Prasad said the treatment followed standard procedures and recommended dosages.Deputy Environment Minister Anton Jayakody told The Daily Morning that the Ministry would probe firearms in public possession with the support of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), citing a series of elephant shootings, including one involving a Type-56 rifle.He said an independent investigation into Kavantissa's death would include external experts in environmental law, criminal law and veterinary surgery, while post-mortem samples had been sent to the Peradeniya pathology department and several private institutions.Meanwhile, the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) plans to take legal action, with environmental lawyer Dr Ravindranath Dabare claiming that body parts needed for a complete post-mortem were being buried rather than preserved. The CEJ will also seek a formal and organised system for treating harmed or injured elephants in the wild.Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya, addressing the Presidential Environmental Awards in Colombo yesterday, said environmental laws would be enforced strictly without discrimination or favouritism.

 5 more arrested over Kavantissa shooting

<ul><li>Claims same unprecedented in P’ment history&nbsp;</li></ul> The Parliamentary Opposition has claimed that seeking the Attorney General’s (AG) advice on the no-confidence motion (NCM) against Speaker of Parliament Dr Jagath Wickramaratne is unprecedented in Parliament’s history and insisted that the motion be taken up for debate without undue delay.Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (19), Chief Opposition Whip Gayantha Karunathilleka said that the Government had not refused to debate the motion but had said it needed to obtain the AG’s advice before fixing a date.“As far as I know, advice has never been sought from the AG on an NCM in the history of Parliament. When we asked the Parliamentary Secretary-General (SG) about it, she (Attorney Kushani Rohanadheera) also said that there had never been such a procedure. But, since the Ruling Party has now stated that it is necessary, a date will be fixed as soon as the AG’s advice is received,” he said.He also questioned the Government’s explanation that the motion contained technical defects, pointing out that Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake had initially told Parliament that the Government was ready to debate it on the earliest possible date.“Initially, the House Leader said in Parliament that they were ready to debate this NCM on the earliest possible date. It is only now that they are talking about technical issues. The Ruling Party initially offered a one-day debate, which we said would not provide sufficient time. It was when we said that we needed two or three days that they said there were technical issues with the motion. If we had agreed to their proposal, would these technical issues have arisen?” he queried.Karunathilleka also said that obtaining the AG’s advice should not become a reason for keeping the motion pending for an extended period.“They cannot take a very long time just to get the AG’s advice,” he said.The NCM against the Speaker was submitted to the SG on 9 October by 44 Opposition MPs representing the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, the New Democratic Front and independent groups.The motion alleges violations of the Constitution, the Anti-Corruption Act, the Offences Against Public Property Act, the Penal Code, the Right to Information Act, the Code of Conduct for MPs and the Standing Orders of Parliament.

Anti-Speaker NCM: Opposition slams Govt seeking AG’s advice 

The Prisons Department expects to implement proposed changes to regulations governing Buddhist monks serving prison sentences during this month (October), as soon as the agreement of the Buddhist Affairs Commissioner General (CG) is received, Prisons Commissioner and Spokesperson, Senaka Pallethenna said.Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (19), he said: “We have forwarded the regulations to the said CG. When we receive his agreement, we’ll implement them. We are hopeful that they’ll be able to be implemented during the course of this month.”The proposed changes include provisions on the removal of a monk’s robes upon admission to prison and the wearing of robes when monks are taken outside prison. The Government is also considering extending similar arrangements, with appropriate changes, to members of other religious clergy serving prison sentences.Justice and National Integration Minister, attorney Harshana Nanayakkara announced the proposed amendments on 14 October following the submission of an interim report by a committee appointed to review prison rules and procedures. One of the key recommendations is to amend Prison Standing Order 356 by introducing a new provision, 356(A). Under the proposed provision, prison authorities would be required to consult the Buddhist Affairs Department regarding the removal of a monk’s robes upon admission to prison. The Prisons Commissioner would have 10 days to notify the Department and take the necessary steps. A separate amendment to Departmental Order 550 would allow Buddhist monks to wear their robes whenever they are taken outside prison, unless their respective Sect formally requests that the privilege be withdrawn.The proposed changes follow concerns over the treatment of the Bodu Bala Sena organisation’s General Secretary Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera after he was taken into custody. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake subsequently held discussions with representatives of the three main Buddhist Sects and appointed a committee to examine the existing legal framework.

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Trump's approval falls to record low of 31% as midterms near

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FM Vijitha Herath concludes official visit to Azerbaijan

FM Vijitha Herath concludes of ...

Norway targets 'harmful' social media, games with under-16 ban

Norway targets 'harmful' socia ...

Island-wide blackout fallout: NSO probe a ‘damp squib’: ECA

Island-wide blackout fallout: ...

5 more arrested over Kavantissa shooting

5 more arrested over Kavantis ...

Anti-Speaker NCM: Opposition slams Govt seeking AG’s advice

Anti-Speaker NCM: Opposition s ...

Regulating imprisoned monks: Prisons await Buddhist Affairs CG’s appr ...

Regulating imprisoned monks: ...

Trump's approval falls to record low of 31% as midterms near

Trump's approval falls to reco ...

Oil eases as markets assess potential waiver on Russian energy, Middle ...

Oil eases as markets assess po ...

FM Vijitha Herath concludes official visit to Azerbaijan

FM Vijitha Herath concludes of ...

Norway targets 'harmful' social media, games with under-16 ban

Norway targets 'harmful' socia ...

Island-wide blackout fallout: NSO probe a ‘damp squib’: ECA

Island-wide blackout fallout: ...

5 more arrested over Kavantissa shooting

5 more arrested over Kavantis ...

Anti-Speaker NCM: Opposition slams Govt seeking AG’s advice

Anti-Speaker NCM: Opposition s ...

Regulating imprisoned monks: Prisons await Buddhist Affairs CG’s appr ...

Regulating imprisoned monks: ...

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Trump's approval falls to record low of 31% as midterms near

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FM Vijitha Herath concludes official visit to Azerbaijan

FM Vijitha Herath concludes of ...

Norway targets 'harmful' social media, games with under-16 ban

Norway targets 'harmful' socia ...

Island-wide blackout fallout: NSO probe a ‘damp squib’: ECA

Island-wide blackout fallout: ...

5 more arrested over Kavantissa shooting

5 more arrested over Kavantis ...