Sep 3 (DM) Independent trade unions and multi-society organisations staged a leaflet distribution campaign on Sept 2 at 5 p.m. to raise concerns over a proposal to remove the EPF and ETF from the control of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and place them under the management of a three-member committee. The organisers said the proposed committee would include a representative of employers, raising concerns about the involvement of employers in the management of funds that they described as more..

Sep 3 (Island) President of the Bar Association of SL (BASL) Rajeev Amarasuriya, at the farewell to Justice Rathanapriya Gurusinghe of the Court of Appeal, on 1 Sept, said that the BASL was aware that the former Chief Justice Murdu Fernando, had recommended Justice Gurusinghe for elevation to the Supreme Court. As far as the BASL was aware, that recommendation was still pending at the Office of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Amarasuriya said BASL had reminded the Prez, on two occasions, more..

Sep 3 (NW) SL batters Sonal Dinusha and Pasindu Sooriyabandara have made significant gains in the latest ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings following their impressive performances against India in Colombo. Dinusha’s twin centuries in the second Test of the ICC World Test Championship series have propelled him to a career-best 25th position in the Test batting rankings. The 25-year-old has made an impressive start to his Test career and currently averages 86.57 after his first five matches. more..

Sep 3 (NW) Ministry of Women and Child Affairs has warned that strict legal action will be taken against individuals who physically punish or psychologically abuse children based on their Grade 5 Scholarship Examination results. The warning follows the release of the 2026 Grade 5 Scholarship Examination results. The ministry urged parents and guardians to refrain from punishing children or subjecting them to psychological abuse because of their examination performance. more..

Sep 3 (TM) Lecturers at State universities staged silent protests during the lunch break yesterday (2), demanding permanent solutions to long-standing issues affecting the university system. Federation of Uni Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) said lecturers from all State universities participated in the protest and warned that further trade union (TU) action would be launched next week if the Govt failed to address their concerns. more..

Sep 3 (DN) Former Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) President Shammi Silva was summoned before the CID’s Illegal Assets Investigation Division yesterday. Former SLC Secretary Krishantha Kapuwatte was also summoned to appear before the Illegal Assets Investigation Division yesterday. Police Media stated that the two former SLC office-bearers were called upon to respond to a questionnaire consisting of 36 points relating to matters that are under investigation by the relevant Police Division. more..

Sep 3 (CI) A Chamari Athapaththu seven-wicket haul and Nilakshika Silva's 50 off 35 saw defending champions Sri Lanka withstand a valiant Indonesian side to register a resounding 75-run victory in their Asia Cup match in Dubai. Athapaththu was undoubtedly the pick of the bowlers, as she started and finished Indonesia's slide with career-best figures of 7 for 5, inclusive of a hat-trick - nearly two in fact. Chasing a target of 125, the opening pair of Maria Corazon and Rahmawati Pangestuti more..

Sep 3 (Island) The Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) has requested the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), in writing, not to allow the state-owned National System Operator (Pvt) Ltd. to increase electricity tariffs as the rising cost was due to the import of substandard coal. FSP spokesman Pubudu Jayagoda pointed out that a vast majority of people, struggling to make ends meet, shouldn’t be further burdened due to failures on the part of the NPP govt. more..

Sep 3 (FT) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has accused the Govt of destroying democracy and the rule of law through the proposed 22nd Amendment, while calling for broader constitutional reform to make economic and social rights legally enforceable. Speaking at a diploma awarding ceremony at the Rt. Hon. D.S. Senanayake Academy of Political Science, Premadasa said the amendment threatened checks and balances among the executive, legislature and judiciary and risked weakening the administration of justice. more..

Sep 3 (TM) Environmental activist Dr Ajantha Perera, one of the petitioners who secured the Supreme Court (SC) ruling on compensation for the MV X-Press Pearl disaster, has lodged a complaint with the CIABOC, seeking an investigation into the conduct of several State institutions and alleging that Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake met representatives of the insurer of the ill-fated vessel. Dr Perera said that she had lodged a complaint with CIABOC more..

Sep 3 (TM) Sri Lanka Cricket’s Transformation Committee Secretary Prakash Schaffter says that there could be some concerns with regard to the quality of accommodation that is provided by Japan for cricket teams set to feature at the upcoming 20th Asian Games 2026 in Aich-Nagoya. “We discussed this matter in some degree of detail at the recent Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Ex-Co meeting,” Schaffter told reporters at the SLC’s monthly media briefing in Colombo on Monday (31). more..

Sep 3 (FT) Net foreign outflows from the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) more than doubled year-on-year (YoY) to Rs. 55.7 billion during the first eight months of 2026, as foreign selling increased while purchases declined. The cumulative outflow compared with Rs. 22.34 billion during the corresponding period of 2025, representing an increase of Rs. 33.36 billion. Foreign sales rose 44.6% to Rs. 85.3 billion during the eight months to end-August from Rs. 59 billion a year earlier, more..

Sep 3 (FT) Supreme Court yesterday concluded the oral hearing of petitions challenging the proposed 22nd Amendment, with its determination on the constitutionality of the Bill to be communicated confidentially to the Speaker of Parliament. Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena announced at the conclusion of submissions that the Court’s determination would be sent to the Speaker in due course, while directing petitioners to file their reply submissions in writing more..

Sep 3 (FT) Vidullanka PLC announced that construction of its 10 MW Ranna Solar Power Project has been completed, with the plant now awaiting energisation of its grid interconnection line before commercial generation can begin. Vidullanka said the project was owned and developed by DPV Solar Energy Ltd, a joint venture entity in which it holds a 50% equity interest, in partnership with the David Pieris Group. The company said Rs. 1.8 billion had been invested in developing the project. more..

Sep 3 (DN) A special bilateral meeting was successfully held yesterday between the New Zealand High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, David Pine and the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sunil Kumara Gamage. The historic first cricket match between SL (then Ceylon) and NZ was held on October 17, 1937. Discussions were held to organise a special commemorative cricket tournament to be held in NZ in Jan, 2027 to mark the 100th anniversary of cricket ties between the two countries. more..

Sep 3 (FT) The World Bank is backing the creation of a Tourism Entrepreneurship Fund to channel investment into the businesses, events and creative experiences needed to turn Colombo into a higher-value tourism destination and persuade visitors to stay longer and spend more. The proposed fund will target the software of Colombo’s tourism ecosystem, complementing investments in physical infrastructure by supporting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), more..

Sep 3 (ST) Heavy rainfall and adverse weather conditions in the upcountry have severely hindered reconstruction work on the railway tracks damaged by Cyclone Ditwah. Work on the Yaka Bridge in Peradeniya has also come to a halt, with sections of it inundated by water, according to Senior Railway Engineer Danushka Dissanayake. Repair on the bridge, estimated at Rs. 2 million, is a collaborative effort between the SL Railways Department and the Faculty of Engineering at the Uni of Peradeniya. more..

Sep 3 (FT) Deputy Minister Anil Jayantha Fernando rejected claims that Govt debt had increased by over Rs. 190 billion, insisting official data instead showed a continued decline in the debt stock. In a video statement released by the Finance Ministry, he criticised recent media reports which, citing CB data, claimed a significant increase in Govt debt, arguing that the reports neither clearly explained the basis of the calculation nor accurately reflected the official figures. more..

Sep 3 (FT) National Biotechnology Industry Association (NBIA) successfully conducted its first Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 20 August 2026 at the SL Institute of Biotechnology (SLIBTEC), marking an important milestone in the establishment and development of SL’s biotechnology industry association. AGM brought together members and key stakeholders from SL’s biotechnology and related sectors to review the Association’s activities and progress since its establishment and more..

Sep 3 (FT) 23rd edition of ProFood ProPack and AgBiz 2026, SL’s leading exhibition for the food processing, packaging and agriculture sectors, concluded successfully at the BMICH, attracting nearly 30,000 visitors and bringing together industry stakeholders from across Sri Lanka and overseas. Held from 21 Aug, the three day exhibition provided a comprehensive platform for businesses, entrepreneurs, industry professionals and consumers to discover new products and technologies, more..

Sep 3 (FT) World Bank is supporting to transform Colombo into a destination in its own right and attract higher-spending visitors who currently spend only a fraction of their trip in the capital. World Bank Lead Private Sector Specialist – South Asia Region, Finance, Competitiveness and Innovation Global Practice Natasha Kapil said the Bank’s analysis had identified a significant untapped opportunity in Colombo, despite the city having the country’s more..

Sep 3 (Island) Sri Lanka has reached an important constitutional moment. The proposed 22nd Amendment has moved beyond political debate and into the constitutional process through which its validity will be examined. That development should change the character of the national discussion. That is understandable in a politically contested environment. But Sri Lanka should now resist reducing a question of constitutional design to a contest over political positions. The deeper issue concerns more..

Sep 3 (Island) The price of a kilo of wheat flour has recently been increased by Rs. 17, and All Ceylon Bakery Owners’ Association has lost no time in jacking up the price of a 450g loaf of bread by Rs. 10. Loaves of bread weighing 450g are as rare as hen’s teeth in this country. But supposing the average weight of a loaf of bread is 450g, as claimed by bakers, and an equal amount of wheat flour is used to produce it, the actual cost increase resulting from the wheat flour price hike would be more..

Sep 3 (FT) The Daily FT article of August 2026, Sri Lanka economy ‘a racket’: Economists, laid out a stark picture. Advocata Institute Chairman Murtaza Jafferjee described an economy shaped for roughly one thousand people. Moreover, Verite Research Executive Director Dr. Nishan de Mel goes on to note how a few individuals benefit enormously while the majority see little return. This echoed my own writing in Dec 2025 to Daily FT called, Big business must reform now, more..

Sep 3 (TM) For years, SL has recorded among the highest rates of human-elephant conflict mortality in the world. Each year, over 300 wild elephants and upwards of a hundred human lives are lost to this relentless war of attrition. Beyond the immediate human anguish and the economic destruction of homesteads and crops, the conflict represents a failure of governance. Nowhere is this crisis more starkly visible than along the country's railway tracks in the North Central, Eastern, and Northern provinces, more..

Sep 3 (TM) The community-based corrections system is helping keep thousands of people convicted of minor offences out of prison, easing pressure on an overcrowded prison system and allowing offenders to continue living with their families, and to engage in their day-to-day functions such as education and employment. Commissioner of the Community Based Corrections Dept, Dilan Gunarathne spoke about how the system works, the types of offenders more..

Sep 3 (ST) On Aug 26, a catastrophic glacier collapse and subsequent landslide triggered unprecedented flash floods and mud slides along the Nepal-China (Tibet) border, killing hundreds of people and leaving hundreds missing. Climate catastrophes as such are becoming frequent now. Every monsoon season in Nepal, the fragile slopes of the Himalayas remind us how precarious life can be when nature turns violent. Torrential rains loosen the soil, triggering landslides that bury villages in minutes, more..

Sep 3 (GV) A recent panel discussion on Investment Law and Environmental Protection: Some Lessons for Sri Lanka at took me back to a question that has remained central to my research over the past few years: what happens when law attempts to protect nature while continuing to conceptualise nature as an object of human use? With the advent of the new SL’s National Mineral Policy 2026 and the broader discussions on mineral mining, this question has acquired renewed relevance. more..

Sep 3 (TM) Sri Lanka’s cities and suburbs are becoming densely populated, with concrete structures, paved surfaces, and shrinking green spaces altering not only the appearance of urban areas but also their resistance to heat. As temperatures rise and extreme weather becomes a growing concern, questions remain as to whether the way modern Sri Lanka designs and constructs homes and cities is equipped to keep people cool and comfortable. more..

Sep 3 (FT) 92% of formal private sector employees in SL earn less than 100,000 rupees a month, according to EPF data. This startling revelation, made at a recent SL Korea Business Council panel discussion, should have caused a furore, with the Govt and the Opposition racing against each other to use this proof of extreme wage inequality as a politico-propaganda weapon. Should have, but didn’t; because for the Govt and for the Opposition, political life begins and ends with 22. more..

Sep 3 (DM) On 19 August, PM Harini Amarasuriya tabled in Parliament a proposed amendment to the Anti-Corruption Act No. 9 of 2023. Among its most serious changes is a restriction on how asset declarations may be used once accessed by the public. The proposed amendment criminalises speech, unravels a hard-won anti-corruption reform, and asks citizens to place almost complete trust in the authorities rather than in democratic scrutiny to curtail illicit enrichment. more..