Sep 30 (AD) PM Harini Amarasuriya stated that the upcoming 2027 Budget will place priority on waste management, waste reduction and recycling, emphasizing that what should be left for future generations is not contaminated soil or seas filled with plastic, but a clean and green environment where they can breathe freely and live healthy lives. PM made these remarks while delivering the keynote address at Int'l Conference on Plastic, Innovation & Environmental Sustainability, more..

Sep 30 (DM) Deputy Minister Eranga Gunasekera said the govt is committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that allegations of political crimes are investigated through the country’s legal system. He said the government is working to strengthen the independence of SL’s legal and investigative institutions, including the police and the judiciary. Gunasekera said individuals found responsible for political crimes, murders or actions that contributed to the country’s economic collapse more..

Sep 30 (NW) A bill published in a Gazette supplement proposes that the next SLC chairperson be selected from among seven Independent Directors, with the board choosing the chairperson by majority vote. The proposed SLC Act does not make the chairperson’s post a separate elected position. A candidate must first qualify as an Independent Director, be nominated by the Nomination Committee and appointed to more..

Sep 30 (EN) Central Bank left its Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) at the current level of 8.75% citing higher inflation was due to the pass-through of the energy shock across multiple sectors of the economy following the Middle Eastern escalation. Headline inflation hit 8% in August. “Headline inflation is projected to remain in high single digits through Q1-2027, before easing towards the 5% target,” CB said. “Core inflation also increased as a result of spillovers from higher energy prices. more..

Sep 30 (EN) Cabinet has approved an estimated 180 million rupee project to prepare baseline maps for assessing and regulating the country’s groundwater resources. The initiative will be carried out over a three-year period starting in 2027. It will focus on 5 districts across the island: Kurunegala, A'pura, Gampaha, Jaffna & Hambantota. The initiative is needed to address growing threats to underground water supplies, including source contamination, rising water demand, and more..

Sep 30 (Island) Senior Vice President of ITAK C.V.K. Sivagnanam has rejected TNPF’s allegation that the removal of the bronze Thileepan statue, from the Nallur memorial, was carried out at his instigation, or at his party’s request. “An outrageous allegation has been levelled that I and the ITAK were opposed to the placing of the statue, that we abetted the actions of the police, and that the police acted on the basis of more..

Sep 30 (NW) Second Reading of the Appropriation Bill for 2027, marking the presentation of the govt’s Budget proposals, will take place in Parliament on Nov 12. Budget Speech will be delivered by the President in his capacity as the Minister in charge of Finance, while the entire Budget process is scheduled to continue until Dec 14. Timetable was approved by the Committee on Parliamentary Business at a meeting held on Sept 25 under the chairmanship of Speaker Wickramaratne. more..

Sep 30 (Island) In a significant move to deepen academic research and strategic cooperation between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, a MoU was signed today between Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) and South Asia Sustainability and Security Research Institute (SASSRI), Pakistan HC said in a press release. The virtual signing ceremony took place on Monday (28) in the presence of Dr. Nayyar Naseer, HI (M), High Commissioner of Pakistan to Sri Lanka. more..

Sep 30 (TM) Public Security Ministry is holding discussions with China regarding the introduction of a new uniform for the Police, with suggestions being made to include body cameras as part of the new uniform. According to the Ministry, a smaller number of body cameras will be introduced initially, with plans to purchase a larger number after assessing the success of the initiative. Minister Ananda Wijepala said that discussions are being held with China regarding five uniforms. more..

Sep 30 (NW) Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has reminded taxpayers that today is the deadline for making the final income tax payment for the 2025/2026 year of assessment. The dept said all taxpayers paying income tax on behalf of companies, individuals and partnerships must use payment period code 25260 when making the payment. Taxpayers can make payments online or at any branch of the Bank of Ceylon. IRD warned that interest and penalties will be imposed on more..

Sep 30 (AD) Minister Vijitha Herath has concluded his visit to New York to participate in the High-Level Segment of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), today. Addressing the General Debate of the 81st Session of the UNGA on 28 Sept, Minister Herath reaffirmed SL’s commitment to multilateralism and to strengthening a UN that delivers for all, Permanent Mission of SL to UN in New York said more..

Sep 30 (NW) Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court today ordered that the case filed by the CID against former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and former Presidential Secretary Saman Ekanayake be taken up again on Nov. 11 to obtain the Attorney General’s advice. The case was heard before Colombo Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasena, with both Wickremesinghe and Ekanayake appearing in court. Court issued the order after considering the progress of the investigations and the need to obtain more..

Sep 30 (ANI) A delegation of SL’s ruling Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), led by its General Secretary Tilvin Silva, visited the Delhi BJP office on Wednesday and was welcomed by Delhi BJP President Harsh Malhotra. The visit was part of the JVP delegation’s ongoing India visit from September 27 to October 1 at the invitation of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The five-member delegation comprises Tilvin Silva, General Secretary; Chandrika Adikari, Central Committee Member; more..

Sep 30 (TM) Govt yesterday denied any fuel shortage in the country and urged the public not to form queues, as it moved to absorb a further Rs 40.65 billion in diesel costs over the next three months amid rising international petroleum prices. Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said there was no shortage of fuel, noting that the CPC and other fuel companies had imported sufficient stocks to meet domestic demand. more..

Sep 30 (AD) The overall rate of inflation, as measured by the Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI) on Y-on-Y basis, stood at 8% in Sept 2026, compared to 8% in Aug 2026, according to the Department of Census and Statistics. Food inflation has increased to 8.7% in Sept 2026, from 8.5% in Aug 2026, the department stated. Meanwhile, the Y-on-Y inflation for the non-food group remained unchanged in Sept 2026, at 7.7% which was reported in Aug 2026. more..

Sep 30 (DM) Digital technology will be integrated into the teaching-learning process, school administration and teacher transfer mechanisms, while policies will be formulated to ensure student safety in the digital space, Deputy Minister Dr. Madhura Seneviratne said. He made the remarks while participating in the foundation-laying ceremony for a new three-storey building with Advanced Level science laboratories at Kirimatiyana Buddhist Girls' National School on Sept 29. more..

Sep 30 (AD) SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa, who had been remanded over alleged money laundering in connection with the Airbus case, has been ordered to be released on bail by the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court. Colombo Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasena ordered that MP Namal Rajapaksa be released on a cash bail of Rs. 500,000 and two surety bails amounting to Rs. 100 million each. The court also imposed a travel ban on the suspect and directed that the relevant order be more..

Sep 30 (FT) When I read Professor G.L. Peiris's commentary on the Supreme Court determination on the 22nd Amendment in the Daily FT, I couldn’t help but recall Antonio Gramsci’s core dictum on elite class power and his theory of cultural hegemony. Gramsci asserted that a ruling class maintains power primarily by winning the active consent of society rather than relying solely on physical force or coercion. On reading it, I sent a WhatsApp text to Emeritus Professor Jayadeva Uyangoda more..

Sep 30 (TM) The number of schools in SL has fallen by nearly 240 since NPP Govt came to power, with Ceylon Teachers' Union (CTU) alleging that the Govt is using a two-pronged approach that could eventually lead to the closure of more schools. CTU Prez Priyantha Fernando said SL had 10,290 National and Provincial schools when the current Govt came to power, but that the number had since fallen by around 240. more..

Sep 30 (FT) SL’s leading corporates have endorsed the 47th National Conference of Chartered Accountants, organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA SL), reaffirming its stature as a flagship business summit that helps shape the future of business and the economy. Held under the theme FUSION: Connecting Ideas | Creating Impact, the conference will take place from 7 to 9 Oct 2026 at the Monarch Imperial, Sri J'pura, bringing together more than 2,500 corporate more..

Sep 30 (DM) World Bank today approved $110 million to help SL repair and reconstruct 600 km of roads that were severely damaged by Cyclone Ditwah. The new financing, provided through the International Development Association's Crisis Response Window, will prioritize roads that restore access to markets, schools, and health facilities in the communities most severely affected by the cyclone. Reconstructed roads will be built to climate-resilient standards incorporating improved more..

Sep 30 (DM) A group of civil society activists visited the proposed Miracle Dome City project site in Katunayake following reports and social media claims raising concerns about the project’s potential environmental impact. During the site visit, the activists inspected the premises and reviewed measures related to environmental protection, land preservation and the development plans for the property. Speaking to reporters after the visit, more..

Sep 30 (EN) SL govt’s fuel subsidy and surcharge on vehicle import tax helped to curb inflation, CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s govt early this week approved Rs. 41 billion fuel subsidy for the next three months on top of Rs. 57 billion provided from April-June. “If not for fuel subsidy and surcharge on vehicle imports, the inflation would have been higher than the current level,” Governor Weerasinghe told reporters at a media briefing in Colombo more..

Sep 30 (NW) Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court today ordered the forfeiture of bail money deposited by former SL cricketer Aravinda de Silva and his wife on behalf of Priyanka Niyomali Wijenayake, a suspect in the investigation into the Airbus deal. Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasena issued the order in relation to the bail provided for Wijenayake, the wife of the late former airline executive Kapila Chandrasena. Wijenayake had been released on two bail bonds of Rs. 20 million each. more..

Sep 30 (FT) The IMF staff team that concluded its visit to Sri Lanka on 23 Sept, relating to the seventh review of the IMF Extended Fund Facility, left behind an end-of-mission written statement in the register of relief: growth has held for eleven consecutive quarters, gross reserves have been rebuilt to $6.9 billion, which the statement folds into its account of an economy that has proved remarkably resilient to successive shocks, inflation expectations remain broadly anchored even as more..

Sep 30 (NW) A security officer attached to former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has lodged a police complaint alleging that a television cameraman assaulted him outside the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court on Sept. 30, according to the UNP. The UNP said the incident occurred near the court gate as Wickremesinghe was leaving after a hearing in a case filed against him by the CID. According to the party, the cameraman allegedly struck the officer on the head with his camera while more..

Sep 30 (Island) Civil society activist Gamini Viyangoda on Monday lambasted the NPP govt for its failure to act promptly on the Supreme Court cancelling the presidential pardon granted to the General Secretary of BBS Galagodaatte Gnanasara. Addressing a gathering at the SL Foundation to mark the launch of Rajapaksha Samagama and Pasku Praharaye Thoththa Babala by Lasantha Ruhununuge and Tharindu more..

Sep 30 (FT) India has informed SL investigators that illicit funds were used in the Krrish construction project in Colombo, CIABOC told the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court. Information came through a mutual legal assistance communication, a formal channel through which govts exchange evidence and information for criminal investigations and prosecutions. CIABOC Assistant Legal Director Ama Wijesinghe said the communication was held by the CID, which is conducting a joint investigation more..

Sep 30 (NW) Former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa told court he could not recall details of the abduction of journalist Keith Noyahr or whether anyone had contacted him about the incident while he was Defence Secretary. Rajapaksa testified on Tuesday from the Colombo Magistrate’s Court via Zoom in a case before the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court concerning the disappearance of social activists Lalith Weeraraj and Kugan Muruganandan in Dec 2011. Relatives of the two men filed the complaint, more..

Sep 30 (Island) A Rs.160 million-plus diesel discrepancy at the Lakvijaya power plant in Norochcholai has triggered an internal investigation, raising questions over the handling of public funds and the controls governing fuel purchased for electricity generation. The discrepancy surfaced during an internal audit of diesel supplied to the plant from Kolonnawa & Sapugaskanda fuel terminals, according to senior officials familiar with more..

Sep 30 (Island) Following a gazette notification issued by Minister of Justice Nanayakkara re-establishing the old Bogambara Prison as a correctional facility, 75 inmates were sent to the renovated prison recently. These inmates were transferred from the Colombo Remand Prison and the Magazine Prison. Meals for them are provided by the Dumbara-Pallekele Prison. This prison was originally established in the year 1876. Under the Kandy Development Project, Prisons Dept more..

Sep 30 (DN) Sri Lanka needs to establish a minimum level of sovereign artificial intelligence (AI) capability to ensure that technologies increasingly driving the economy, public services and national development remain under adequate national control, Chief Advisor to the President on Digital Economy Dr. Hans Wijesuriya said. Delivering the keynote address at AI Amplified Sri Lanka – AI Week 2026 in Colombo, Dr. Wijesuriya said in Colombo yesterday, AI should be embedded into more..