Sep 19 (DM) Two-day railway strike is scheduled to end at midnight today (18), but railway trade unions warned that they could launch further industrial action if their grievances remain unresolved, claiming the strike has already caused losses exceeding Rs.60 million. Railway Station Masters’ Association and other unions told a press conference that there was still no satisfactory solution to their demands, despite the disruption caused to railway services across the country. more..

Sep 19 (FT) A delegation from the South Asia Parliamentary Group of the German Bundestag engaged SL lawmakers on parliamentary reforms, women’s political participation, youth involvement and efforts to build trust among ethnic and religious communities during an official visit to Parliament on 16 Sept. The delegation, led by German MP Nicklas Kappe and comprising MPs Gerold Otten, Johann Saathoff and Ulle Schauws, was received by Deputy Speaker Dr. Rizvi Salih, who hosted a luncheon with more..

Sep 19 (PMD) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that, as children are the nation’s most precious asset, safeguarding their lives is the responsibility of a responsible Govt. Prez Dissanayake stated that, under the Diviyata Saviyak Housing Programme, Rs. 1 million was provided last year to support the construction of a secure home for children who have grown up in Child Development Centres and that this amount had been increased to Rs. 2 million this year. more..

Sep 19 (Island) Three organisations advocating Muslim women’s rights have called on the Govt to disclose the status of proposed reforms to the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA), saying the process has again stalled following a public consultation earlier this year. The Muslim Personal Law Reform Action Group (MPLRAG), Islamic Women’s Association for Research and Education (IWARE) and Human Elevation Organisation (HEO), in a joint statement, said the Ministry of Justice had reconvened more..

Sep 19 (ST) The popular Beach Wadiya restaurant, which has been in operation for more than 50 years and has attracted both local and foreign tourists, was identified to be demolished, but the Court of Appeal has issued an interim order preventing the enforcement of a notice issued by the Director General of Coast Conservation. The order will remain in effect until Sept 21. The order was issued after taking into consideration submissions made by President’s Counsel Faiszer Musthapha, more..

Sep 19 (NW) SL’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it is closely monitoring the case of Anojan Sivarasa, a SL national undergoing judicial proceedings in Saudi Arabia, amid claims by his family that he has been sentenced to death following an appeal. Ministry said the SL Embassy in Riyadh, in coordination with the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Colombo, continues to monitor developments. Ministry said it remains engaged with Saudi authorities through diplomatic channels more..

Sep 19 (DN) A 75-member strong SL Army contingent comprising 20 officers and 50 other ranks departed for Russia on Thursday to participate in Exercise Wolverine Path II – 2026, scheduled to be held at the 249th Sergeyevsky Combined Arms Training School. This is the first occasion on which Russia has hosted a military exercise on its territory involving SL military personnel. Contingent departed for Russia on Thursday and will remain there for 14 days. more..

Sep 19 (FT) Colombo stock market ended a bearish week on the up yesterday, ending a four-day losing streak. During the week, ASPI fell 1.52% and the active S&P SL20 was down 1.22% on sustained selling pressure driven by rising oil prices due to escalating tensions in the Middle East and the yields uptick of Govt Treasuries during the week. Yesterday, ASPI closed Friday up 0.16% or 32.83 points at 21,056.26 and the S&P SL20 ended up 0.07% or 3.93 points at 5,928.89 after global oil prices eased. more..

Sep 19 (Island) Batticaloa District ITAK MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam yesterday urged the Govt to take immediate action to save the life of Sivarasa Anojan, a Sri Lankan national who has reportedly been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia. In a statement posted on ‘X’, Rasamanickam said he would raise the matter in Parliament next week, while questioning the Foreign Ministry’s handling of the case and the accountability surrounding the appeal process. more..

Sep 19 (Island) Securities and Exchange Commission of SL (SEC) and the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) have taken their A Share for Everyone, A Unit for Everyone (Samata Kotasak, Samata Ekakayak) initiative to Anuradhapura and Jaffna through investor forums last week, as part of an ongoing islandwide effort to broaden investor participation. The forums were held on 10th September at the Golden Mango in Anuradhapura, and on 12th September at the Tilko Jaffna City Hotel. more..

Sep 19 (TM) The Federation of University Teachers' Associations (FUTA) said yesterday (17) that lengthy discussions with PM Harini Amarasuriya had failed to produce solutions to several pressing issues affecting the university system. The discussion, held at the Education Ministry in Isurupaya, continued until around 10 p.m., with university academics from across the country taking part amid what FUTA described as the urgency of resolving the crisis. more..

Sep 19 (ST) Kappetipola Police have arrested three suspects, including a beef stall owner from Bandarawela, after a 12‑day investigation into cattle thefts in the Welimada area. Police complaints indicate that about 100 cattle have been stolen from various parts of Uva Province in recent weeks. Suspects, from Galle and Matara, allegedly targeted dairy cattle kept in sheds across Welimada villages. Reports show cattle had been disappearing at night for nearly six weeks in Pelliwinna, Erabadda & Hettigedara. more..

Sep 19 (ST) More than 500 Kumbuk trees in the old Eluwankulama lotus enclosure in Wanathavilluwa, located on the border of the Wilpattu National Park, have been destroyed by arson by unidentified persons, an environmentalist said. This happened during the restoration of the old Eluwankulama tank embankment, which was damaged by the Nov 2025 Ditwah cyclone. The old Eluwankulama Nelum Tank, which has a capacity of over 100 acres, is being filled, and nearly 700 acres of paddy fields are being more..

Sep 19 (ST) The removal of structures along the coastal belt from Wellawatte to Mount Lavinia would be carried out in stages, with dates being allocated according to the number of officers available from the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, Environment Minister Dammika Patabendi said. He said it had been decided to identify and remove unauthorised constructions by dividing the coastal area into five zones, extending up to the Beira Lake area. more..

Sep 19 (NW) Former Foreign Minister Ali Sabry has urged Saudi Arabian authorities to grant clemency to SL national Anojan Sivarasa following reports that his five-year prison sentence has been escalated to a death sentence over an offensive social media comment. Expressing deep concern over the reported development, Sabry said SL’s Foreign Ministry had not confirmed the death sentence and that the formal written judgment was still awaited. “Respect for Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and legal system does not more..

Sep 19 (NW) ACMC leader Rishad Bathiudeen visited the family of SL national Anojan Sivarasa in Narpittimunai, Kalmunai, on Sept 18, following reports that he had been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia. During the visit, Bathiudeen met Anojan’s mother, siblings and other family members, offering his support and assuring them that he would engage with relevant authorities over the case. Bathiudeen said reports of the death sentence had also caused concern among SL’s Muslim community. more..

Sep 19 (FT) The Chamber of Lankan Entrepreneurs (COYLE) strengthened its international business engagement with the participation of Chairman Suren Chandraratne and Immediate Past Chairman Manjula Wijesundera at the G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance (G20YEA) 2026 this week in Vienna, Austria. Bringing together more than 600 young entrepreneurs from G20 countries, the event provided a platform for international dialogue, knowledge exchange, and business networking across sectors including more..

Sep 19 (FT) Minister Anura Karunathilake yesterday said the Govt will add close to 960 MW of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) capacity by the end of 2027 as it looks to absorb a growing daytime solar surplus. He said this at a ceremony to connect a 10 MW/40 MWh system in A'pura, first of 13 built by Storex Ltd, to the national grid. Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake was also at the event. The 13 systems under this project will total 130 MW/520 MWh in combined capacity once complete. more..

Sep 19 (FT) Treasury Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma said the economy grew 4.2% in the second quarter of 2026, bringing first-half growth to 4.7%, a performance he described as commendable given the strain the ongoing Middle East war has placed on regional economies. Releasing a special statement, Dr. Suriyapperuma noted that quarterly growth has moderated from 5% in the second quarter of 2025 and stood at 4% in the same quarter of 2024. more..

Sep 19 (Island) An IMF delegation is currently in SL to hold discussions relating to the Seventh Review of the country’s economic reform programme supported by the EFF. The mission, which runs from 10 to 23 Sept, is led by Evan Papageorgiou, IMF Mission Chief for SL. Successfully completing this review and continuing the IMF programme as planned are important. Nevertheless, it is our considered view that Sri Lanka cannot build a sustainable economy over the long term merely by more..

Sep 19 (Island) The US has refused to grant Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas a visa to attend the UN General Assembly in New York next week, according to a BBC report. Washington claims that it has denied visas to Palestinian representatives, including Abbas, for their failure to live up to peace process commitments. Sanctions were initially imposed in August last year, when 80 Palestinian officials were denied visas for the annual UN meeting in New York, BBC report says. more..

Sep 19 (DN) “We have got only the govt into our hand. We have no State power as yet.” This is the puzzling explanation provided by Lalkantha, the NPP’s affable Minister of Agriculture, Land and Irrigation, several months ago, when some NPP supporters began to complain that the govt was slow in implementing its key election promises. Lalkantha’s numerous detractors with opposing political views wasted no time to label him a Marxist, worse still a Leninist, while also thanking him for being candid in more..

Sep 19 (TM) Cybercrime has emerged as one of the most significant issues of this current era, and most honest evaluations show that we are still losing momentum. Global cybercrime expenses are expected to increase from US $ 11 trillion by 2027 to $ 12.2 trillion by 2031, according to Cybersecurity Ventures. That is more than a figure that economists can argue over. The result of cybercrimes could have a great negative impact on the financial aspect or losses, downfall in businesses, critical infrastructure more..

Sep 19 (TM) Four offshore blocks covering nearly 34,000 sq km, two previous discoveries, estimated reservoir capacities exceeding one trillion cubic feet (TCF) of natural gas and 10 million barrels of condensate, and more than four decades of seismic and drilling information are among the assets Sri Lanka is putting before international energy companies in its latest attempt to unlock the petroleum potential of the Mannar Basin. more..

Sep 19 (FT) Sri Lanka is going through a major shift in public health. A nationwide study, the SL Health and Ageing Study, found that nearly one in four adults now has diabetes, and close to one in three has prediabetes. That’s a higher rate than any other Asian country currently on record. People are also being diagnosed much younger than before. Type 2 diabetes used to typically show up around age fifty. Now it’s increasingly common in people in their thirties, and prediabetes, the early-warning stage, more..

Sep 19 (FT) I visited Colombo in 2010 as Administrator of Lakshadweep Islands, to evaluate the progress of a newly built ship made specifically for the islands. When I was invited last week by the Indo-SL Chamber of Commerce and Industry, for a webinar on advancing Indo-Sri Lanka trade, MSME cooperation and investment partnerships, on 25 Aug 2026, I felt drawn towards it. In the course of 90 minutes of online discussion, I saw enormous potential of growth between the two countries. more..

Sep 19 (SO) The 37th Sarasaviya Film Awards Ceremony, organised by Sarasaviya newspaper, was held on Sept 9 at the Nelum Pokuna Theatre in Colombo, attended by a large gathering of cinema stars. Acclaimed as the grand festival of SL cinema, the highly-anticipated Sarasaviya Film Awards Ceremony was a truly exceptional, vibrant and beautiful night. This year’s ceremony, held under the theme The Film Festival of Youth, was main-sponsored by Prime Group more..

Sep 19 (CT) For some time, the senior members of the govt are talking about the state power. What they say is that they did not get the state power although they got the governing power. Going deep, we realize their claim is that they do not have the power to operate the governing apparatus effectively. In order to get this control on one hand they try to put their confidantes in the key positions and on the other hand they try to spread the idea that they did not get the state power. more..

Sep 19 (DM) Galilee BESS (Pvt) Ltd, a subsidiary of WKV Hydro Technics (Pvt) Ltd and wholly owned by Khen Energy Ltd, has successfully completed the commissioning process mandated by the National System Operator (NSO). This milestone culminated in the commissioning of SL’s first-ever 10MW/40MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Galle on 10th September 2026. The achievement was made possible not only through corporate commitment and technical expertise, but also through more..

Sep 18 (NW) Police Illegal Assets Investigation Division has taken action to freeze properties and vehicles worth over Rs. 125 million, allegedly purchased with money earned through drug trafficking. The orders were issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, preventing disposal or transfer of the assets for 14 days while investigations continue. A resident of Wattala had acquired multiple properties and a vehicle using proceeds from narcotics trafficking. more..

Sep 18 (NW) Heads of foreign diplomatic missions based in Colombo began a three-day tourism development study tour of the Eastern Province on Friday, organised by Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism. The group departed from the Colombo Hilton Hotel in the morning and arrived at the Anantaya Resort and Spa in Pasikuda. The diplomats were scheduled to visit an exhibition of products by small and medium-scale handicraft producers in the afternoon after more..