Sep 1 (AD) Lecturers at state universities will hold protests tomorrow during the lunch break, demanding permanent solutions to long-standing issues affecting the university system. Federation of Uni Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) said lecturers from all state universities would participate in the protest. FUTA Secretary Senior Lecturer Charudaththe Illangasinghe said further trade union action would be launched next week if the govt failed to address their concerns. more..

Sep 1 (AD) Sri Lanka’s total public debt stood at US$97.952 billion (Rs. 32.977 trillion) as of June 30, according to the latest report issued by the Public Debt Management Office (PDMO) of the Ministry of Finance. The report, issued by the Public Debt Management Office states that as of June 30, the govt’s debt alone amounted to Rs. 31.999 trillion, or US$95.047 billion. In addition, the report records US$20 million in debt owed by provincial councils and provincial institutions, more..

Sep 1 (Island) Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S Bodaragama has directed the police FCID to respond to Court on the written application under 124 CCPA made to the Chief Magistrate on behalf of first suspect Jiffry Mohamed of AY Investments Impex Pvt Ltd, that FCID be directed to investigate directly or through the banks and ascertain from the overseas exporters by fax or email the relevant exports made by them to SL in respect of more..

Sep 1 (NW) A vibrant evening of music and cultural exchange is set to unfold as the SL Air Force Performing Arts Wing joins hands with the U.S. Pacific Air Force Band for a joint concert titled Fusion Performance Atlas Angel 2026. The event will take place on Sept 4, 2026, from 5:30 pm onwards at Arcade Independence Square, Colombo, with free entry for the public. Organizers say the concert will showcase a blend of music, dance, and artistic collaboration, highlighting the strengthening more..

Sep 1 (NW) PHU leader Udaya Gammanpila has questioned the govt’s argument that the proposed 22nd Amendment is aimed at retaining experienced judges, pointing to the composition of the 5-member Supreme Court bench appointed to hear challenges against the Bill. The Supreme Court began considering petitions challenging the proposed 22nd Amendment on Tuesday before a 5-member bench headed by Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena. The other members are Justices Achala more..

Sep 1 (FT) SL’s national official poverty line rose to Rs. 17,679 per person per month in July 2026, up 0.5% from the previous month, according to the latest DCS data. The minimum monthly expenditure required per person to meet defined basic needs increased by Rs. 87 from Rs. 17,592 in June. Threshold was 7.2% higher year-on-year (YoY), rising by Rs. 1,195 from Rs. 16,484 in July 2025. July figure was also the highest more..

Sep 1 (EN) Cabinet has approved a proposal to sign a complementary adjustment agreement with Brazil to implement a sugarcane project, minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. Sri Lanka originally entered into a basic Technical Cooperation Agreement with Brazil on Sept 16, 2008, aimed at promoting bilateral cooperation across mutually beneficial sectors. “According to the basic agreement on technical cooperation signed between SL and Brazil, more..

Sep 1 (Island) Convenor of the Janathawadi Joint Opposition, Prof. G. L. Peiris, on Sunday said that they were suspicious of a possible attempt to put off the next presidential election. The former External Affairs Minister said that they were also seriously concerned about the holding of the next parliamentary polls. He said so at a meeting held in Galle in support of the Opposition efforts against the 22nd Constitutional Amendment. Referring to numerous NPP members declaring that more..

Sep 1 (NW) An appeal has been lodged in the Colombo Civil Appellate High Court challenging the order of the Colombo District Court, which rejected a request to compel Sri Lanka cricketer Chamika Karunaratne to provide a blood sample for a DNA test in a paternity case. The District Court dismissed the application, ruling that sufficient grounds had not been presented to justify a DNA test. The case was filed by airline pilot Rasika Sewwandi, who claims Karunaratne fathered her child and more..

Sep 1 (DM) Authorities have proposed introducing an Electric Vehicle (EV) shuttle service inside Horton Plains National Park to reduce vehicle emissions, carbon footprints and noise pollution. The proposal was made during a special field observation tour and progress review discussion held at Horton Plains on Aug 29 under the chairmanship of Deputy Minister Anton Jayakody. Under the proposed system, dedicated parking facilities would be established near the park's entrance gates, more..

Sep 1 (AD) The govt will not be prepared to show any leniency toward individuals involved in the sale of narcotics, Minister of Justice Harshana Nanayakkara says. He made the remarks on today during a discussion at the Mahara Prison on a joint mechanism aimed at ensuring a rapid response to emergency or volatile situations in prisons and improving the welfare of inmates. Minister said delays in issuing more..

Sep 1 (NF) Colombo High Court today sentenced former Civil Aviation Minister Piyankara Jayaratne to seven years of rigorous imprisonment after finding him guilty of corruption-related charges. Colombo High Court Judge Mohamed Mihail ruled that the former minister was guilty of the corruption offences brought against him. The case was filed on two charges alleging that, in 2014, funds amounting to Rs. 330,000 belonging to SriLankan Catering were used to provide meals to political more..

Sep 1 (AD) The Govt has commenced a project to construct 1,000 Arogya Health and Wellness Centres across the country, with foundation stones laid today for the construction of 10 new wellness centres under the programme. The foundation-laying ceremony was held under the patronage of Minister Nalinda Jayatissa. Speaking at the event, Minister stated that construction of all the wellness centres initiated today is expected to be completed by December, while more..

Sep 1 (NW) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has accused the govt of attempting to undermine judicial independence through the proposed 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, claiming the move is part of an effort to establish one-party rule in Sri Lanka. Speaking to the media following proceedings at the Supreme Court over petitions challenging the proposed amendment, Premadasa said the SJB was among the petitioners more..

Sep 1 (DM) SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa said people who had distanced themselves from the party during previous elections were now returning to its camp due to growing dissatisfaction with the government. Speaking at a divisional meeting in Jandure, Angunakolapelessa, Hambantota, Rajapaksa said the SLPP had been visiting villages across the country to reconnect with the people. “We have now gone from village to village as a party to many districts in Sri Lanka. more..

Sep 1 (Island) SJB MP Dayasiri Jayasekera has sought a clarification from Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickremaratne regarding several allegations against Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, in Parliament, recently. In a letter dated 31 August, Jayasekera has asked the Speaker whether he received any documentary evidence from MPs in support of the allegations at issue. SJB MP has also inquired about the steps taken by the Speaker regarding the allegations and whether more..

Sep 1 (NW) Sri Lanka’s merchandise exports to India increased by 7.22% year-on-year during the first seven months of 2026, reaching US$669.36 million, according to data from the Export Development Board (EDB). Exports to India during the January-July period rose from US$624.31 million recorded during the corresponding period of 2025. In July alone, exports to India increased by 9.12% year-on-year to US$129.51 million, compared with US$118.69 million in July 2025. more..

Sep 1 (FT) UN World Food Program (WFP), together with the Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment Ministry, last week handed over agricultural equipment valued at nearly Rs. 22 million to farmers and school meal suppliers participating in the Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF) program in the Nuwara Eliya District. To date, the WFP has also invested more than Rs. 92 million to support the implementation and expansion of the HGSF across the district. more..

Sep 1 (DM) A complaint has been lodged with the CIABOC against three Supreme Court judges over allegations that their actions resulted in nearly US$999 million in compensation that was due from the X-Press Pearl shipping company and its local representatives not being recovered. Dr Chamal Sanjeewa, President of the Medical and Civil Rights Doctors’ Association, submitted the written complaint to the Director General of more..

Sep 1 (EN) Cabinet has approved submitting gazetted regulations to Parliament designating 68 entities in the Colombo Port City as Secondary Businesses of Strategic Importance. The proposal was presented under the provisions of the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Act No. 11 of 2021. The designated entities span information technology, consulting services, business process outsourcing (BPO), logistics, infrastructure hybrid/combined business models & public enterprises. more..

Sep 1 (AD) Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said that the estimated crop damage caused so far by the prevailing extreme dry weather conditions is nearly 8,000 acres of farmland belonging to around 7,000 farmers. He said that the govt has allocated Rs. 3,000 million as the first phase of an expedited programme to provide compensation to farmers affected by the crop damage. Accordingly, compensation will be provided for crops including paddy, maize, big onions, potatoes, soya more..

Sep 1 (NW) Former Minister Piyankara Jayaratne has been sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment after being found guilty of a corruption charge filed by the CIABOC. The sentence was imposed by Colombo HC Judge Mohamed Mihal following a lengthy trial. Case relates to a payment of Rs. 330,000 from the accounts of state-owned SriLankan Catering Ltd. to a private catering company in Marawila to more..

Sep 1 (FT) Beyond its refreshed spaces and stunning beachfront setting, Citrus Hikkaduwa is embracing a new identity as one of the South Coast’s most exciting entertainment hubs. At the heart of this transformation is Summer Salt, the hotel’s signature social and entertainment venue, positioned as the new address to be seen in Hikkaduwa. Designed to capture the energy of modern beach culture, Summer Salt brings together everything that defines today’s lifestyle more..

Sep 1 (FT) Agriculture in SL, and in many other countries, is sitting on a ticking time bomb. The burning signs are no longer hidden. We see it in erratic monsoons, prolonged dry spells, flash floods, landslides, heat stress, damaged irrigation systems and repeated crop losses. Now another warning light is flashing. On 13 Aug 2026, NOAA reported that El Niño was strengthening, with a greater than 90% chance of becoming a very strong event. Met Dept had warned of substantial rainfall changes, more..

Sep 1 (ABC) A SL-origin Australian couple and their two young sons are among dozens of Australians still missing after catastrophic floods devastated areas along the Nepal-Tibet border, according to Australian media reports. Chandrasekaran Muralitharan, 47, his wife, Shylaja Muralitharan, 42, and their sons Ashwin, 14, and Aarush, 11, were travelling with a Himalayan Glacier Adventures group when contact with them was lost. The family lives in northwestern Sydney. more..

Sep 1 (FT) SL is at an important crossroads in its economic recovery. Having gone through one of the worst financial crises in its history, the country is now trying to rebuild trust, restore stability, and set the stage for steady growth. As the current monetary policy framework comes up for review, one question keeps surfacing: should the CB change its inflation target? The short answer is no — not because 5% is some magic number, but because the existing framework fits SL’s economic reality. more..

Sep 1 (SO) Govt is moving to make teaching a regulated profession, with teachers and other education professionals set to come under a new system of mandatory registration, professional licensing and quality assurance, Education Ministry officials said. “It is fast-tracking legislation to establish an Education Council, with the Legal Draftsman now instructed to prepare the relevant Bill,” Edu. Min. Secy Nalaka Kaluwewe said. more..

Sep 1 (FT) Sri Lanka yesterday welcomed its largest-ever privately organised Japanese visitor delegation, as over 250 travellers arrived in Colombo through the Little Japan initiative, in what organisers are calling a landmark moment for tourism and bilateral cooperation between the two nations. The arrival marks the culmination of months of planning under the campaign banner Japan Returns to SL, and is being positioned as a defining moment in the renewal of people-to-people, more..

Sep 1 (SO) SL is unlikely to see a significant reduction in its import bill in the immediate future, with most current imports being essential goods, but the Govt expects to bring down import expenditure within the next one to two years by increasing domestic production and exports, the Trade, Commerce & Food Security Ministry stated. Deputy subject Minister R M Jayawardena said SL is now importing mainly essential goods and could not simply stop imports altogether. more..

Sep 1 (FT) Corporate earnings of companies listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) rose 10% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs. 168.3 billion in the second quarter of 2026/first quarter of FY27, led by a strong performance from the banking sector, according to Softlogic Stockbrokers (SSB) Research. Despite the YoY improvement, earnings fell 10% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) from Rs. 186.6 billion in 1Q2026/4QFY26, more..

Sep 1 (PMD) A discussion on developing SL’s mineral industry in line with the export-oriented National Mineral Policy 2026 was held this afternoon (31) at the Presidential Secretariat, chaired by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, with the participation of officials from the SL Mineral Sands Association (SLMSA) and the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau. The discussion focused on the exploration, extraction and value addition of mineral resources, as well as the measures required to more..

Sep 1 (AD) Three more suspects, including two Pakistani nationals, have been arrested in connection with the seizure of nearly 463 kilograms of suspected crystal methamphetamine (Ice), from two containers at the Colombo Port earlier today (31). According to police, the arrests were made by officers of the Central Crimes Investigation Bureau (CCIB) as investigations into the drug consignment continue. The seized narcotics are estimated to be worth more than Rs. 8 billion, more..