Sep 17 (Island) The US Embassy in Colombo declined to comment on a special police probe into the recent narcotics detection, jointly made at the China-managed Colombo Int'l Container Terminal (CICT) by the US Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Delhi Country Office and SL Police. US Embassy spokesperson said that the mission wouldn’t add to their press release, issued on 2 Sept, in the immediate aftermath of the raid. more..

Sep 17 (NW) Two people were killed and four others seriously injured in a road accident involving a car, three three-wheelers and four motorcycles in Mattakkuliya, Colombo, on Wednesday night. The accident occurred when a car collided with several vehicles travelling along the road. According to reports, the car struck three three-wheelers and four motorcycles, leaving six people injured. All six were admitted to the Colombo National Hospital, where two later succumbed to their injuries, more..

Sep 17 (AD) Despite several railway trade unions launching a 48-hour strike from midnight yesterday, all office trains are presently operating as usual, SL Railways said. Railway trade unions launched the 48-hour strike, based on several demands including the removal of the current General Manager of Railways. Commenting on the ongoing trade union action, Chairman of the Railway Station Masters' Association Sumedha Somarathna said several trains had been cancelled yesterday more..

Sep 17 (PMD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that SL’s health sector is being strengthened under three key areas to ensure healthy lives for all citizens. Prez pointed out that bringing free healthcare service closer to the people, introducing the world’s most advanced medical equipment as well as medical practices and establishing a systematic management system are the three key areas. Prez also stated that, after a considerable period, steps have been taken to more..

Sep 17 (DN) Sri Lanka Tourism has concluded its Australia and New Zealand Roadshow Series in Perth, bringing together more than 85 Australian travel agents and tour operators for a day focused on business-to-business engagement, industry networking and the promotion of Sri Lanka as a preferred holiday destination. Perth programme, the final stop of the roadshow series, provided a platform for SL tourism representatives and members of the Australian travel trade to strengthen more..

Sep 17 (DN) Deputy Minister Sundaralingam Pradeep said that SL’s coconut industry generated US$614 million in export revenue during the first half of this year, up from US$530 million during the corresponding period last year. Addressing the SL Coconut Awards 2026 organised by the Coconut Development Authority, Deputy Minister Pradeep said the growth reflected strong performance across the sector. CEO of the Export Development Board (EDB) Mangala Wijesinghe while addressing the ceremony said more..

Sep 17 (DM) The wildlife veterinary surgeon who attempted to save a hill country leopard caught in a wire trap had a harrowing experience this morning when it sprang at him causing him Injuries. When Dr. Akalanka Pinideniya from Randenigala veterinary hospital approached the trap and attempted to tranquilise the leopard it broke away from the trap, sprang at him and ran into the jungle. Veterinary surgeon received minor injuries. He said the leopard was a well grown animal and that it had not received serious injuries more..

Sep 17 (DM) Addressing the 37th Session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries in Rome, Sri Lanka called for evidence-based policies, digital innovation, and targeted support for small-scale fishers. Ministry Secretary Dr. Kolitha Jinadasa emphasized regional collaboration across the Bay of Bengal, post-harvest loss reduction, and strong enforcement against illegal fishing, urging international frameworks to account for the unique socio-economic realities of developing coastal nations. more..

Sep 17 (TM) More than 8.6 million Sri Lankans aged 15 and above were outside the labour force in 2025, accounting for 50.6% of the population in that age group, according to the Labour Force Survey 2025 released by the DCS. The survey recorded 8,625,859 people outside the labour force, while the overall labour-force participation rate stood at 49.4%. Women accounted for the overwhelming majority of those outside the labour force. Of the total, 6,185,730 were women, compared to 2,440,129 men. more..

Sep 17 (DN) SL have made two last-minute changes to their women’s cricket squad for the Asian Games in Japan, with Hansima Karunaratne and Anushka Sanjeewani joining the team as replacements for the injured Nilakshika Silva and Vishmi Gunaratne. Women’s Cricket Selection Committee chairman Hemantha Devapriya said both Nilakshika and Vishmi would remain sidelined with their respective injuries, forcing the selectors to make late changes to the squad, which left for Japan on Tuesday night. more..

Sep 17 (FT) Cabinet of Ministers has approved the implementation of the Mudun Ela Storm Drainage and Environment Improvement Project, a large-scale initiative aimed at resolving chronic storm water drainage problems affecting the Peliyagoda and Kelaniya areas within the Mudun Ela sub-catchment zone. The project, proposed by the SL Land Development Corporation (SLLDC), will be implemented in phases over the period 2027 to 2036, at an estimated total cost of Rs. 46,190.6 million. more..

Sep 17 (TM) Sri Lanka is set to launch the National Business Facilitation Centre (NBFC) next week, as a central mechanism to help businesses and investors resolve issues involving state agencies, as a part of the economic transformation needed to further develop the economy, Senior Additional Secretary to the Prez Seevali Arukgoda said. Arukgoda said: “We are planning to start the NBFC by next week, 22 Sept as planned, where the Govt has determined that the country must undergo more..

Sep 17 (FT) In a strategic move to expand SL’s export footprint, SL Export Development Board (EDB), in collaboration with SL High Commission in the Maldives and key private sector partners, organised a dedicated SL Country Pavilion at the Food and Hospitality Asia Maldives (FHAM) 2026 held from 7 to 9 Sept, in Hulhumalé, Maldives for Giftware and Lifestyle products sector. SL country pavilion featured the exclusive/ niche products of the 10 selected SMEs under the Creative SL 2030 national initiative. more..

Sep 17 (TM) As SL is yet to finalise on its tariff agreement with the US, with 90% of the paperwork involving the agreement through with, it must reckon with the marked shift of the US administration’s interests in trade, from focusing on it though multilateralism to leveraging it as a strategic geopolitical tool, former Ambassador of SL to the US Mahinda Samarasinghe said recently. “I would say that we have finished 90% of the content of the agreement, as I speak to you today. more..

Sep 17 (TM) India topped Sri Lanka’s largest source market by a significant margin, as Sri Lanka’s tourism sector has surpassed the 1.6 million arrivals threshold for 2026, making 25.3% of the 1,609,759 arrivals Sri Lanka has seen so far in the year, latest arrivals data from the SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) said. India was followed by the United Kingdom (UK) with 155,798 tourists, and China with 105,294 tourist arrivals, the report stated. more..

Sep 17 (EN) SL Customs has reached Rs. 2 trillion revenue this year through Sept 15, its spokesman said, as the revenue-collecting body’s performance shows potential of exceeding the target for the second year. Customs Spokesman Chandana Punchihewa said they have reached 2 trillion rupee revenue on Tuesday (15). Customs’ 2026 revenue target was set at 2,207 billion rupees for this year. However, the revenue-collecting body collected over 90% of the target through Sept 15. more..

Sep 17 (FT) SL’s High Grown tea production fell to 3.1 million kilograms (MnKg) in August, the lowest monthly output recorded from the elevation category in any month since the El Niño-affected year of 1992. The 1992 El Niño remains one of the most damaging weather events to have hit the industry; High Grown production that year fell to just 2.2 MnKg in April. Citing Dept of Meteorology records from 1992, Asia Siyaka noted that the country experienced a severe drought that year, more..

Sep 17 (FT) Central Bank of SL’s (CBSL) Business Condition Index eased to 101 in the second quarter of 2026, from 104 in the first quarter, as heightened macroeconomic uncertainty stemming from the conflict in the Middle East weighed on firms’ sentiment. The Business Condition Index, compiled from the balance of opinion among around 100 surveyed firms selected in line with the composition of SL’s GDP, captures firms’ assessments of current and future business conditions. more..

Sep 17 (FT) In a clarion call to step up good governance in the private sector, Secretary to PM Pradeep Saputhanthri this week stressed that strong institutions need leaders who understand that authority carries responsibility. Speaking at the SL Institute of Directors’ (SLID) 25th anniversary celebrations, he also shared several useful insights to the importance of good governance, leadership, and corporate success. He said that advancing the practice of corporate governance matters today more than ever. more..

Sep 17 (FT) Roar Global has introduced Roar AI, SL’s first AI gateway, giving developers, startups and businesses access to over 200 leading frontier and open-source AI models through a single platform. Built in SL, Roar AI is designed to address some of the practical barriers organisations face when building with artificial intelligence - from fragmented access to multiple models and complex international payments to application hosting, cost management and data governance. more..

Sep 17 (FT) Hettich, the globally renowned German manufacturer of furniture fittings and architectural hardware known for its state-of-the-art manufacturing plants and magical interior solutions across the world celebrated a significant milestone in SL, marking 10 years of presence in the country with its inaugural Partner Meet in Colombo. Landmark event brought together Hettich’s key partners, stakeholders and industry leaders to celebrate a decade of growth, collaboration and shared success, more..

Sep 17 (FT) CT Smith Securities, in an analysis of CB data, said that the construction sector is expanding at pace on the ground, but bank lending to the industry is growing more slowly than credit to the rest of the economy. CT Smith Securities Associate Vice President – Research Kasun Herath said real construction sector GDP grew 16.3% in the first quarter and 13.9% in the second, and the CBSL’s construction Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) has continued to expand. more..

Sep 17 (Island) Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) will bring the country’s wildlife conservation debate directly to the institution responsible for much of it, when the Director General of the DWC, Ranjan Marasinghe, delivers the Society’s September Monthly Lecture. Titled SL’s Wildlife Heritage: Conserving Nature for Future Generations, the Nations Trust WNPS lecture comes at a time when the country’s wildlife is facing increasingly complex pressures more..

Sep 17 (Island) The police have been grappling with a chronic manpower shortage, but they have not allowed it to stand in the way of investigating Opposition politicians. They are going to probe an NGO activist’s complaint that the LTTE, a banned organisation, was promoted at a recent SLPP rally in A'pura. Presumably, the complaint is about Jaffna District MP Ramanathan Archchuna’s admission during his speech at the SLPP rally on 12 Sept, that he was a Tiger (LTTE member). more..

Sep 17 (TM) Dept of Census and Statistics has just published its Labour Force Survey for 2025. Alarmingly, just 49.4% of Sri Lankans aged 15 and above are in the labour force, leaving more than 8.6 million people of working age neither working nor looking for work. Unemployment, at a mere 3.9%, will be read by some as good news. It is not. A low jobless rate is meaningless if half the country has already stepped out of the race. Compare this with the rest of the world and the problem becomes clear. more..

Sep 17 (ST) I never thought SL had enemies. I mean enemies who required our artillery to be turned to the skies to bring them down from wherever they came. The only time we turned to the skies in some trepidation was when Minister Basil Rajapaksa told some visiting airline high-ups about the crows. Apparently too many crows in the Katunayake area made flying difficult because of the vast numbers of kaputas, as he called them, taking flight and making it rather hazardous for aircraft operating there at the same time. more..

Sep 17 (Island) Brain drain in SL is at an all-time high. The latest Human Flight and Brain Drain Index for 2024 shows that we are 16th of 175 countries on this count, and first in South Asia. That this is a crisis goes without saying. Brain drain affects all sectors, and is a huge strain on the resources of a developing country. Particularly in SL, where considerable public investment is made in the moulding of professionals through the system of free education, more..

Sep 17 (GV) On Sept 16, 2000, M.H.M. Ashraff boarded a SL Air Force helicopter in Colombo. Its destination was Ampara, the Eastern soil from which much of his political life had grown. He never arrived. The helicopter crashed near Aranayake, bringing to an abrupt end one of the most consequential political careers in contemporary SL Muslim history. Ashraff was only 51. Twenty six years later, his photographs still return to public stages every September, his speeches are remembered more..

Sep 17 (CT) Ape Aanduwa; Wasara Dekayi, Ratata Subai is the strategic narrative advanced by President AKD and the NPP govt to mark their two-year milestone in office. The ruling dispensation formally translates it as Our Govt: Two Years – Good for the Country. The word Subha (සුභ) in Sinhala literally means auspicious,. It is not just plain good. It is promisingly good. In English it conveys of something such as boding well. It portends a bright future. more..

Sep 17 (TM) Open Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok this week, and you will quickly notice that half of the internet has decided to travel back in time to the 1980s. Your daily feed is likely overflowing with soft, glamorous studio lighting, thick retro sweaters, and grainy film textures. Friends, family members, and old colleagues have smoothly transported themselves into a decade that many of them barely remember, and some never even lived through. more..

Sep 17 (DM) 18th BRICS summit held at New Delhi on Sept 12–13 managed to resolve sharp internal contradictions and produced a joint declaration, which was the best that could be, given the complexities of international politics, individual members’ concerns and ambitions, and above all the need to keep the organisation together in the face of unprecedented challenges from the US under the mercurial Prez Trump. Delhi Declaration (DD) of 2026, was forthright in demanding much-needed changes in world governance. more..

Sep 17 (DM) As if justifying the delay in the implementation of govt’s promises, Deputy Minister Dr. Prasanna Gunasena has stated that although his party, the NPP has gained power of govt, it has not gained the state power in its entirety. He apparently means that state machinery, mainly the officialdom, is not under the full control of the party and hence, things are not moving at the pace the party and the govt desire. This is the standpoint of the NPP leaders since they took the reins two years ago. more..