Sep 11 (NW) Sri Lanka has exported its first locally manufactured amphibious craft capable of operating on both land and water to Europe, marking a milestone for the country’s marine manufacturing industry. The craft, manufactured by Ocean Voyager International, was officially sent for export at an event held at the Koggala Free Trade Zone on Thursday, attended by Minister Sunil Handunnetti. High-tech amphibious craft is the first of its kind manufactured in SL for export to the European market. more..

Sep 11 (TM) An IMF staff mission arrived in Sri Lanka yesterday for discussions with authorities as the country faces a key assessment of its economic reform programme and broader economic outlook. The IMF team, led by SL Mission Chief Evan Papageorgiou is scheduled to remain in the country until 23 Sept for discussions on the combined Seventh Review under the EFF programme and the 2026 Article IV Consultation. The mission will assess SL’s progress in implementing reforms under more..

Sep 11 (TM) Ceylon Tea exports have remained resilient despite about 85% of shipping routes being disrupted; with freight rates rising, and shipments forced to travel around the Cape of Good Hope, Tea Exporters Association (TEA) Chairperson for 2026/2027 Huzefa Akbarally said recently. Addressing the TEA’s 27 AGM, Akbarally said: “This has been a challenging year for the tea industry, with the current global conflicts and geopolitical tensions, Cyclone Ditwah, abolishment of SVAT, reduction in tea production, more..

Sep 11 (ST) The controversial emergency power purchasing agreements (PPAs) with Ace Power have been completely terminated, and a fully forensic audit is currently underway. This decision follows severe findings regarding irregular extensions and massive state expenditure, The unbundled state utility officially notified the management of Ace Power Embilipitiya that all power purchases from the plant were permanently discontinued, bringing an end to years of controversial extensions. more..

Sep 11 (ST) Sri Lanka Railways (SLR) has succumbed to institutional failure in which systematic corruption and widespread malpractice have brought about a situation of non-viability and lack of public faith. From being a vital pillar of the country’s transport system, it has become a huge drain, due to poor governance practices, rampant fraud, and leakages within procurement and finances. Findings of audit reports by National Audit Office (NAO), more..

Sep 11 (FT) The Cabinet decision of 24 August 2026 to establish the National Business Facilitation Centre (NBFC) directly under the Presidential Secretariat signals an important shift in economic policy thinking: Sri Lanka’s persistent foreign reserve fragility cannot be permanently addressed through fiscal compression, debt renegotiations, or emergency import controls. It requires aggressive, sustainable, and diversified foreign exchange (FX) generation. more..

Sep 11 (Island) Silting of reservoirs is a major problem today affecting our hydropower production and irrigation systems. The main Mahaweli reservoirs are silted to a considerable extent reducing the water holding capacity of them. Due to poor soil management practices, floodwaters deposit large amounts of silt in these reservoirs. When the Polgolla reservoir was fully drained about two years back, one could see mountains of silt in the lower reaches of the reservoir. more..

Sep 11 (Island) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s recent announcement that the govt would set up 50 new universities came while university teachers were urging the govt to solve a host of issues affecting their institutions. The FUTA lost no time in responding to the President’s grand plan. FUTA Secretary Senior Lecturer Charudatta Ilangasinghe stressed that the government should focus on maintaining, funding, and improving the existing 17 state universities. more..

Sep 11 (TM) 180 elephant deaths reported by 12 August. The number has travelled quickly because it is almost impossible to forget: more than 800 elephants dead in Sri Lanka this year (2026). It sounds like the kind of statistic that should stop a country in its tracks. It is also inaccurate. SL has not recorded 800 elephant deaths in 2026. The latest publicly reported DWC figure is 180 wild elephant deaths as of 12 Aug. The phrase over 800 refers to two earlier years combined. more..

Sep 11 (DN) SL film industry had Gamini Fonseka and Vijaya Kumarathunga when Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan dominated the Indian commercial stream films. When Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar sang for Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan in Indian cinema, H R Jothipala and Milton Mallawarachchi, having mesmerising screen voices sang for our cinema heroes. We had Latha Walpola, when India had Lata Mangeshkar. Indian films had fight choreographers like Veeru Devgan, more..

Sep 11 (ST) The current drought in several regions of the country and the prospect of El Niño followed by floods threaten our food security. Being prepared for these climate disasters is a challenging task. These climate disasters that are affecting the country are also affecting other countries in South and Southeast Asia. They threaten our food security as well as that of the region. The prospect of an El Niño drought later this year haunts us. Already several areas in the North, East, more..

Sep 11 (CT) As SL once again comes under scrutiny at the ongoing 63rd Session of the UNHRC in Geneva, familiar questions concerning accountability, disappearances, reconciliation and the final stages of the armed conflict have returned to the international agenda. The latest report of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, A/HRC/63/18, continues to emphasise accountability, truth-seeking, institutional reform and reconciliation. Seventeen years after the guns fell silent, more..

Sep 11 (TM) “We truly experienced and enjoyed the beauty of SL; it is absolutely magnificent. The country’s beaches, in particular, captivated us instantly. Surfing at Arugam Bay further enriched our experience; SL is an ideal destination for surfing.” These were the words of a foreign tourist who recently visited the East Coast. We Sri Lankans are now very familiar with the delightful and captivating sport of gliding across ocean waves, known globally as surfing. more..

Sep 11 (DM) When the UNP celebrated its 80th anniversary last Sunday, it did not appear that anyone considered it a major political event in the country. Had they been in power, the event would have been the lead story in many national newspapers the next day, but this time media attention on it seemed to be insignificant. The UNP is a party that deeply impacted SL history. When SL gained independence from the British in 1948, power was transferred from the British to the UNP. more..

Sep 11 (DM) A recent video of a poacher waiting for his kill inside Yala National Park exposed the harrowing realities that happen even within Protected Areas. The video was captured by a safari jeep driver and submitted to the Wildlife Conservation Dept. The incident was recorded on Aug 10 and the Department has launched a probe to apprehend the suspect. This is one among many incidents that largely remain unreported when it comes to poaching attempts inside SL’s national parks. more..

Sep 10 (NF) Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh departed SL on Thursday afternoon, concluding a landmark official visit that underscored the growing strategic, defence, and economic partnership between India and SL, while reaffirming the importance of the two neighbours in shaping stability across the Indian Ocean region. The visit, the first by an Indian Defence Minister to SL in 38 years, was marked by a series of high-level engagements aimed at expanding cooperation more..

Sep 10 (Island) Tensions ran high yesterday when shops located on the Mahaweli River reservation in the Thennekumbura area, within the Gangawata Korale PS, were ordered to be removed. Court officials, officers of the Mahaweli Authority and police arrived at the site to implement a court order directing the removal of the shops, prompting an angry reaction from the traders. State officials warned that, as the action was being carried out under a court order, anyone obstructing more..

Sep 10 (TM) The Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed around 40 Fundamental Rights (FR) petitions filed by nearly 1,050 Police officers who were not promoted and had challenged promotions granted to various ranks within the Police Service. The judgement was delivered on Tuesday by Justice Mahinda Samayawardhena, with Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and Justice Sampath K B Wijeratne concurring. more..

Sep 10 (TM) The individual who was arrested in Maradana by the FCID of the Police for allegedly transferring USD 80 million, equivalent to more than Rs. 23 billion, to overseas accounts through telegraphic transfers (T/T) between 2023 and 2025, has been remanded until Sept 17. The suspect was arrested following a complaint lodged by SL Customs regarding several companies suspected of remitting large sums of money overseas under the guise of importing goods. more..

Sep 10 (NW) Four Opposition Members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Provincial Council Elections today boycotted the Committee’s tenth meeting, citing frustration over the lack of seriousness and urgency in advancing the long‑delayed polls. The boycott was led by MPs Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Mano Ganesan, Shanakiyan Rasamanickam & Nizam Kariapper, who expressed strong concern about the manner in which the Committee’s proceedings were more..

Sep 10 (NF) Attorney General's Dept informed the Colombo High Court that the prosecution's evidence in the money laundering case filed against Yoshitha Rajapaksa could be concluded on the next hearing date. The announcement was made by Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara, appearing on behalf of the Attorney General, when the case was taken up before court. The Attorney General has filed the case against the accused under more..

Sep 10 (AD) PM Harini Amarasuriya has stated that steps are being taken to reduce the use of paper in Parliament and the public sector through digitalization. PM made these remarks in Parliament today in response to a question raised regarding digitalization and the use of paper. “The total expenditure incurred in 2023, 2024 and 2025 for the provision of Hansard reports, Order Books, Agendas and other parliamentary printed materials provided to MPs & Ministers for use within Chamber more..

Sep 10 (TM) Opposition MP Ajith P Perera yesterday claimed that an investigation had been initiated into Police officers who carried out a major drug raid at the Colombo Port, including Senior DIG Ranmal Kodithuwakku, warning that such action could discourage honest officials from performing their duties. Perera questioned the decision to investigate the Police team responsible for the recent seizure of more than 471 kgs of crystal methamphetamine Ice at the Port, despite the Govt and its Ministers more..

Sep 10 (NF) Colombo High Court ordered that the case filed against 11 accused, including former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake and former CB Governor Arjuna Mahendran, in connection with the CB Bond Scam, be recalled on Oct 4. Order was issued by Colombo High Court Judge Lanka Jayaratne. During today's proceedings, the High Court Judge ordered that the case be postponed until the appointment of a new Permanent Trial-at-Bar, noting that the previously appointed more..

Sep 10 (Island) Mass grave excavations in SL are a stark reminder that thousands of cases of enforced disappearance remain unresolved, the SL Core Group has told the UNHRC, urging Colombo to translate its stated commitment to reform into concrete progress, while again stopping short of calling for the international accountability that Tamils have long demanded. The statement, delivered in Geneva, on Tuesday, during the Council’s 63rd session by UK’s Human Rights Ambassador more..

Sep 10 (DM) Health officials are urging people to use condoms correctly and consistently to reduce the risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), while warning against the use of substandard condoms. Call comes as the National STD/AIDS Control Programme (NSACP) steps up efforts to expand HIV testing and improve access to HIV prevention services. As part of these efforts, NSACP is encouraging the public to use more..

Sep 10 (TM) Banks have been instructed to ensure that elderly persons, persons with disabilities and customers with limited financial literacy have fair and accessible access to banking services, with the Govt warning that it will intervene if implementation is delayed. Deputy Minister Nishantha Jayaweera gave the assurance in Parliament yesterday, responding to a question raised by MP Sugath Wasantha de Silva on access to banking facilities for customers with special needs. more..

Sep 10 (AD) SL's govt, employers and workers are collaborating with the International Labour Organization (ILO) to strengthen the country’s wage-setting institutions, so they remain responsive to the needs of workers and enterprises as well as to changing economic and labour market conditions. It said that a 3-day workshop organized by Ministry of Labour and Dept of Labour in partnership with the ILO reviewed Sri Lanka's existing wage-setting institutions and practices. more..

Sep 10 (FT) ITAK MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam raised a series of questions in Parliament under Standing Order 27(2), challenging the Govt over what he described as a distortion of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ recent report on Sri Lanka. Rasamanickam said some media reports had sought to portray the High Commissioner’s statement as an endorsement of the Govt’s actions. more..

Sep 10 (NW) Sri Lanka’s first female Permanent Representative to the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Nirmala Paranavitana, presented her credentials to Executive Secretary Claver Gatete, marking a new phase in SL–Africa relations. According to the SL Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the appointment was hailed as a breakthrough for women’s leadership in SL’s foreign service and a step towards building practical, inclusive partnerships more..

Sep 10 (EN) Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of SL (TRCSL) has launched an automated online platform to clear imported telecommunications equipment, replacing a manual process. The new Equipment Clearance System (ECS) enables importers to secure necessary regulatory recommendations online for SL Customs and the Controller of Imports and Exports. The first phase of the system targets terminal equipment due to high market demand and import volumes. more..