Sep 26 (ST) Although the state hospitals are supposed to provide free healthcare, with the prevailing shortage of medicine and medical equipment, it seems that free health is gradually in decline. Patients, caretakers and nurses claim that free healthcare is in name only. Most patients are often told to buy medicine from outside. Medical practitioners said that in emergency situations specific drugs are needed, while specific procedures are performed to save lives. more..

Sep 26 (Nw) Lanka Sathosa has decided to reduce the prices of six essential consumer goods across its island-wide outlet network with effect from today. State-owned supermarket chain implemented the price reductions to provide relief to consumers as part of its national mission to support poverty alleviation. Under the revised pricing, big onions have been reduced by Rs. 10 to a new price of Rs. 309 per kg, while bulk white sugar drops by Rs. 4 to Rs. 245 per kg. more..

Sep 26 (ST) Farmer organisations and villagers are opposing a govt plan to construct a large‑scale paddy mill complex in an area identified as an elephant corridor near Air Force camp in Ampara. An inspection visit is scheduled today for the proposed construction on an 80‑acre plot which, farmers say, forms part of an elephant corridor bordering wildlife parks and reservations. They said their protest stems from concerns over shrinking space for wildlife and the increasing danger posed to humans. more..

Sep 26 (ST) With increased rainfall in the coming months potentially creating more mosquito breeding sites, the govt should establish a rapid coordination mechanism enabling Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) to work closely with other state institutions and educational institutions, PHIs have stressed. SL Public Health Inspectors’ Association has said dengue control was not solely the responsibility of the govt, but a collective responsibility of the country. more..

Sep 26 (ST) Damayanthi Lee, who runs a moringa farm in Kanniya, Trincomalee, and hosts workshops on growing and using the plant, is campaigning to see a moringa tree in every SL household and its leaves incorporated into everyday meals. For Ms Lee, the familiar moringa tree is not merely something to be added to fish, crab or prawn curry. She is now focusing on cookery demonstrations to show people how its leaves can be used in a variety of familiar foods. Her interest in moringa began in 2016, more..

Sep 26 (FT) The Colombo stock market yesterday ended the week in red amid subdued investor sentiment ahead of next Wednesday’s Monetary Policy announcement of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. During the week, the ASPI declined 0.09% while the active S&P SL20 gained 0.2%. Yesterday, the ASPI was down 0.14% or 29.54 points at 21,037.35 with 106 counters ending in red against 95 in green and the active S&P SL20 edged marginally 0.03% lower, down 2.06 points at 5,940.72. more..

Sep 26 (DN) Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe has called for stronger regional economic and financial partnerships to convert SL’s recent macroeconomic stability into sustainable investment, higher productivity and long-term growth. Addressing the 49th Annual General Meeting of the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP) in Colombo on Wednesday, Dr. Weerasinghe said deeper economic integration, stronger investment links and more..

Sep 26 (ST) Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRC) will launch a new spectrum management and monitoring system next year to replace the 22-year-old system and tackle frequency issues, an official said. “This is an automatic system that will replace the legacy SpectraPLUS system, which we plan to implement with ADB assistance by next year,” TRC Director General Bandula Herath said. He said that 75 per cent of the spectrum management part of this system will be software. more..

Sep 26 (FT) Govt remains committed to raising the monthly personal income tax-free threshold to Rs. 200,000, Minister Nishantha Jayaweera told Parliament, reiterating its plan to lower tax rates while expanding the tax base. His remarks came as Prez and Finance Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake told a public rally that the Govt would provide tax relief in the 2027 Budget. Govt’s election manifesto had promised that income tax threshold would be increased to Rs. 200,000. more..

Sep 26 (Island) Commemorative events held at the newly installed bronze statue of the late Rasiah Parthipan, alias Lt. Colonel Thileepan at Nallur, Jaffna, caused controversy. A section of the Opposition accused the NPP govt of encouraging separatist movement by turning a blind eye to the growing hero worship of an LTTEer. The unveiling of the statue took place on 15 Sept, the day the Tiger launched his fast unto death, in 1987, to become a hero in the eyes of his equally misled community. more..

Sep 26 (Island) The outcome of yesterday’s parliamentary vote on the 22nd Amendment (22A) to the Constitution came as no surprise. The ayes had it with a two-thirds majority. Now, the Speaker will sign the 22A bill into law posthaste, increasing the mandatory retirement ages of the judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. However, even a special majority cannot make a bad law good. It was speculated in some quarters that some NPP MPs would break ranks and vote against 22A. more..

Sep 28 (TM) The much-awaited verdict delivered this week in the marathon Easter Sunday attacks case marked an important moment for Sri Lanka's criminal justice system. After more than seven years of uncertainty, investigation and political controversy, a 3-Judge High Court Trial-at-Bar convicted 15 of the 24 accused in the principal case, while nine were acquitted. The case involved 23,270 charges and more than 2,300 prosecution witnesses. This perhaps is the most eagerly awaited case more..

Sep 28 (ST) SL is growing old — and it is happening faster than many of us realise. For decades, when we spoke about the country’s population, our attention was naturally directed towards children, schools, maternal health, employment for young people and the needs of a growing workforce. Today, however, SL is entering a very different demographic era. According to Census of Population & Housing 2024 around 18% of Sri Lankans are now aged 60 years or older, compared with 12.4% in 2012. more..

Sep 28 (TM) SL’s expanding reliance on digital payments for Govt services highlights the importance of platforms like GovPay, which were launched to make public sector payments more convenient, transparent, and efficient. As more Govt agencies and services adopt the platform, the volume and significance of transactions and services processed by the system are also growing. GovPay was officially launched on 7 Feb 2025, and the platform has since expanded further. more..

Sep 28 (FT) First, the good news. The second iteration of the Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill (PSTB2), law to replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), has addressed certain shortcomings in the previous version (PSTB1). But there’s bad news. The current Govt, like past Govts, seems determined to cling to repressive provisions that do not adhere to human rights standards. Why would a Govt that won the election on a mandate of system change refuse to ensure that proposed more..

Sep 28 (FT) Two years after the NPP swept into power, Sri Lanka is still neither the nation its then-opposition promised, nor the country that the present regime inherited. That may be both its achievement and its dilemma. Two years ago, Sri Lanka gave Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the National People’s Power an extraordinary mandate to change the system. First, with the Presidency in September 2024; and then, two months later, with a mammoth 159 of 225 parliamentary seats. more..

Sep 28 (DM) Rainwater harvesting is the practice of collecting the rain that falls on your roof, storing it in a covered tank or drum, and using it later. In SL, it can cut water bills, help households through dry spells, and ease pressure on drains. A single 100 m˛ roof collects about 2,000 litres from one heavy shower. The timing matters this year. As of Sept 19, drought has affected 169,071 people from 51,959 families across 10 districts, according to the DMC. more..

Sep 28 (GV) As the NPP govt completes two years in office, the question before SL is not merely whether it has governed differently from previous regimes but whether it has changed the deeper political culture of the country. A successful democracy is not measured only by elections, parliamentary numbers or popular slogans. It is measured by whether the state protects the equal rights, dignity, land, language and political voice of minorities even when the majority may not consider those issues urgent. more..

Sep 28 (CT) The inauguration of SL’s National Business Facilitation Center (NBFC)—known locally as ViYASA—Visionary insight of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake marks a profound turning point in the nation’s economic history. For decades, the island nation has grappled with structural trade and fiscal imbalances, chronically spending more than its income and relying heavily on foreign debt to survive. Moving past the conceptual phase, this institution translates visionary reforms into ground-level execution, more..

Sep 25 (DM) A surge in Influenza A H1N1 infections is currently being detected in SL, with an increase in positive samples identified by the National Influenza Centre at the MRI, Consultant Virologist Dr. Chrishan Jude Jayamaha said. He said laboratory surveillance at the National Influenza Centre had detected the recent increase in Influenza A H1N1 cases. He said people should seek medical advice before taking medication for fever, body aches or other symptoms associated with influenza. more..

Sep 25 (DM) Electronic filing of Court cases has been introduced at the Colombo District Court as part of the island-wide e-Courts Project implemented under the Judicial Service Commission. Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena inspected the new system at the Small Claims Court of the Colombo District Court in Colombo 7 on Wednesday. Facility has been introduced for Small Claims cases for the first time and is expected to be expanded gradually to other types of cases and Courts across the country. more..

Sep 25 (AD) Second Reading of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution Bill has been passed in the Parliament, with a special majority. A total of 158 MPs voted in favor, while 63 voted against, with no abstentions. The vote was concluded a short while ago, following a two-day debate on the proposed constitutional amendment. Accordingly, the Bill was passed with a majority of 95 votes. Two Bills were presented to Parliament on Aug 18 by Minister Harshana Nanayakkara. more..

Sep 25 (NW) Wildlife veterinarians and officers are continuing treatment today for Kawanthissa, the elephant of Siyambalangamuwa, as efforts remain underway to save the animal’s life, Ministry of Environment said. A wildlife team led by Dr. Isuru visited the location today and commenced administering the necessary treatment while continuing to monitor the elephant’s condition. A veterinary team led by Dr. Pubudu had treated Kawanthissa yesterday, administering antibiotics and more..

Sep 25 (USE) The U.S. Embassy in SL, through the U.S. Dept of State’s Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction and in partnership with the Atlantic Council, conducted a 3-day training Sept 9–11 in Colombo to strengthen SL’s ability to detect and respond to maritime sanctions evasion that threatens U.S. security interests and legitimate global commerce. More than 40 officials from SL Atomic Energy Regulatory Council, Central Bank of SL, SL Coast Guard, Merchant Shipping Secretariat, more..

Sep 25 (TM) Five people, including a 70-year-old man from Jaffna and operators of communication centres in Nuwara Eliya, Hatton & Kotagala, have been arrested for allegedly collecting money from residents by promising Govt jobs, housing and loans using forged Nuwara Eliya DS documents. The arrests were made by the Nuwara Eliya Divisional Crime Investigation Unit, which also seized several forged seals, official letterheads and computers allegedly used to produce more..

Sep 25 (NW) PM Harini Amarasuriya says the govt is making every effort to introduce a change to the VAT currently imposed on books. Speaking at the opening of the 27th Colombo Int'l Book Fair, PM said Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake had personally spoken to her and asked her to convey the govt’s position on the issue. “Prez called me today specifically and asked me to say this. He said we are making every possible effort, and we hope we will be able to make a change to the VAT currently imposed on books,” more..

Sep 25 (AD) PM Harini Amarasuriya met with a high-level delegation from the UAE at Parliament to discuss the possibility of collaboration to strengthen the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector of SL with a view to gradually increase the number of skilled workers demanded by various traditional and emerging industries. During the meeting held yesterday, PM outlined the govt’s ongoing education reforms, including the introduction of vocational education pathways, more..

Sep 25 (CI) It was a tale of two hamstrings. SL have looked like a far stronger side since the return of Kusal Mendis, who missed last week's T20Is with a strain, and his brilliant century and brave captaincy helped them level the series in Leeds. But this gripping ODI really turned on Jos Buttler's twinge during England's run chase. England were cruising towards a target of 322 when Buttler scurried back for two, raising a 50-run fourth-wicket partnership with Will Jacks in the process. more..

Sep 25 (DM) SL Navy has seized illicit drugs estimated to be worth more than Rs. 55 billion through maritime and coastal anti-narcotics operations conducted so far this year. Around 300 suspects and 50 vessels allegedly linked to local and int'l drug trafficking networks have been taken into custody during the operations. Detailing the massive hauls recovered during these operations, the forces have intercepted over 1,080 kg of heroin, 590 kg of crystal methamphetamine (Ice), and 256 kg of cocaine. more..

Sep 25 (Island) Frontline Socialist party accused the govt of seeking to introduce a new anti-terror law containing provisions that could restrict fundamental rights and suppress dissent. Janatha Aragala Sandhanaya National Executive Council member Duminda Nagamuwa said the govt had gazetted the Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill, despite the NPP’s previous pledge to repeal repressive laws, including the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act (PTA). more..

Sep 25 (DM) The CIABOC today arrested former Secretary to the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Kamal Bandara Dissanayake, over an alleged corruption case involving government book-printing contracts. According to CIABOC, the suspect allegedly bypassed established govt procurement procedures on three occasions to award contracts for the printing of a book titled Dahami Niwahanai Apekama Radhi Heta Dinayai to a preferred entity. The total value of the three contracts was Rs. 4.79 million. more..

Sep 25 (Island) Marking the completion of two years of the Vision Programme, students from Pinnawala Central College and Matale Siri Seevali College were given an opportunity on Thursday to visit the Presidential Secretariat. The Vision Programme was launched for schoolchildren jointly by the Presidential Secretariat, Ministry of Education and the Dept of Communication of the Parliament of SL. Following a visit to the former Parliament building at the Presidential Secretariat, more..