The Central Bank yesterday reported that the country had received a total of USD 6,865.4 million in workers’ remittances from January to September this year.

The CBSL said that it was an increase of USD 1,053.7 million compared with the corresponding period last year, when such remittances totalled USD 5,811.7 million.

The workers’ remittances received in September this year amounted to USD 734.4 million, up from USD 695.7 million recorded in September last year, reflecting a year-on-year increase in remittance inflows.

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has declared that the continued detention of some Tamil-language books by Sri Lanka Customs is a direct violation of the author’s fundamental rights. The case involves author B. Piratheepan from Kilinochchi, whose consignment of 288 imported books printed in Chennai, India, was seized by customs officials over claims that the publications could “damage national harmony”.

The disputed consignment comprised four titles: ‘Ippothum Inge Irandu Thesangalthaan’, ‘Elluttal Nan Yuttam Ceykiren’, ‘Bayangaravaathi’, and ‘Cyanide’. While ‘Bayangaravaathi’ and ‘Cyanide’ were eventually released after the Arts Council of Sri Lanka classified them as works of fiction, authorities maintained a strict detention order on 75 copies of ‘Ippothum Inge Irandu Thesangalthaan’ and 147 copies of ‘Elluttal Nan Yuttam Ceykiren’.

During the HRCSL inquiry chaired by retired Supreme Court Judge Justice L.T.B. Dehideniya, it was revealed that multiple state bodies—including Sri Lanka Customs, the Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs—passed responsibility back and forth without establishing clear jurisdiction. The Commission noted that the initial seizure was largely driven by a lack of Tamil language competence within state institutions and an institutional fear regarding a divided map of Sri Lanka depicted on a book cover.

The Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, Vice Admiral Damian Fernando attended the 15th edition of Trans-Regional Seapower Symposium, organised by the Italian Navy in Venice in Italy, on 6 and 7 October 2026.

The symposium was held at the Italian Navy‟s historic Arsenal in Venice under the theme “From Regional Waters to Global Influence: Generating Effects Across the Midland Seas of the World”.

Organised biennially by the Italian Navy since 1996, the symposium brings together heads of foreign navies, naval representatives, academics, industry representatives and scientific researchers to discuss maritime security and the role of regional maritime dynamics in shaping the global balance.

The sessions of the symposium aimed to present an analysis of the relevance and influence of regional dynamics on global balances and their relative implications within the maritime domain.

Thus, topics discussed included; ‘Geopolitical Background: Global and Regional Dynamics in Comparison,’ ‘Pivotal Role of Cooperation among Regional Alliances as Security Providers,’
‘Maritime Regional Security Complexes, Global Order and Sea-Based Flows – What Role for Navies?,’ ‘New Arctic Chessboard: Seapower, Resources and the Race for Connectivity,’ ‘Future-
Proof Capabilities: A Naval Force Designed to Operate Across Oceans, Act Within Regions and Deliver Effects on the Ground,’ ‘Future Seas: Industrial Scale, Decisive Mass and Innovation –
Securing the Maritime Domain’ and ‘Future-Proof Leadership: Preparing Maritime Commanders and Sailors for Complexity,’

Cooperation fostered through symposiums of this nature, which bring together a multitude of global maritime stakeholders, will enable the Sri Lanka Navy to respond collectively to maritime
challenges, in pursuit of maintaining a safe, secure, prosperous and a stable ocean region.