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..

Sep 1 (DM) Authorities are planning to introduce daily visitor limits and an online advance booking system at Horton Plains National Park as part of measures to reduce environmental pressure on the sensitive ecosystem. The proposal was discussed during a special joint field observation tour and progress review meeting held on Aug 29 at Horton Plains, chaired by Deputy Minister Anton Jayakody. Officials said an online time-slot booking system would allow authorities to more..

Sep 1 (FT) Sri Lanka is seeking to turn its increasingly sophisticated digital-payment infrastructure into a wider engine of innovation, investment and economic growth, as Govt and industry leaders look to strengthen the country’s position within Asia’s expanding FinTech landscape. The ambition was outlined at the launch the inaugural Sri Lanka FinTech Festival 2026 by the FinTech Forum Sri Lanka, in collaboration with the Digital Economy Ministry. more..

Sep 1 (Island) The Cricket Transformation Committee met the press yesterday and offered a firm assurance that the new constitution for Sri Lanka Cricket will be in place before November, with all democratic avenues available for concerned parties to challenge it in court. According to committee head Eran Wickramaratne, the draft constitution has already been forwarded to the Ministry of Sports and subsequently to more..

Sep 1 (NF) ‎PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, arrived at Paro International Airport today, 31 August 2026, to participate in the inaugural Global Conscious Food Systems Summit, being held in Bhutan from 31 August to 04 September 2026. The Global Conscious Food Systems Summit 2026 is the inaugural global summit dedicated to exploring the role of consciousness, values, culture, spirituality and inner transformation in advancing sustainable, equitable and regenerative food systems. more..

Sep 1 (NW) ‎The govt will establish 250 King Coconut villages across the country under a new programme aimed at expanding cultivation and increasing the economic contribution of the coconut sector, Minister Samantha Vidyaratna said. The Ceylon King Coconut Villages programme will be launched to coincide with International Coconut Day on Sept. 2, with 75 villages to be established during the first phase this year. The programme had been developed through collaboration more..

Sep 1 (FT) Standard Chartered SL CEO Bingumal Thewarathanthri has made the case for Sri Lanka to consider an IMF Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) after completing its current EFF in 2027, arguing that continued engagement could support investor confidence and external market access while allowing greater policy flexibility. Speaking at a recent Global Research Briefing hosted by Standard Chartered, Thewarathanthri said the approaching end of the EFF raises a broader question more..

Sep 1 (FT) Sri Lanka’s long-awaited global destination marketing campaign is set to face a further delay of nearly one year, Deputy Minister Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe said, just days after Sri Lanka Tourism unveiled a roadmap envisaging the launch of its Rs. 5 billion global branding campaign in March 2027. Speaking at the launch of the National Tourism Strategic Planning Consultancy (2026-2031) and Global Promotional Campaign Roadmap Consultancy, more..

Sep 1 (FT) Total exports reached a record $ 10.48 billion in the first seven months of 2026, up 5.48% year-on-year (YoY), putting the country just past the halfway mark of its ambitious $ 20 billion full-year export target despite mounting global and geopolitical headwinds. The latest performance, disclosed by the EDB, surpassed the previous January-July record of $ 9.94 billion set last year, with the expansion increasingly being more..

Sep 1 (TM) SL is targeting $ 1.5 billion in export revenue from its plastic and rubber industries by 2030, while strengthening environmental sustainability, with the Govt planning to upgrade waste management and recycling systems in all newly developed industrial parks, Minister Sunil Handunnetti said in Rubexpo 2026 on Sunday. Speaking at the event, Handunnetti said: “We view the plastic and rubber sectors as industries, integrated with other sectors, more..

Sep 1 (DM) Sri Lanka’s engine displacement-based automotive taxation framework is creating severe market distortions, effectively penalising globally acclaimed, highly efficient hybrid vehicles while disproportionately favouring electric vehicle-first architectures, according to leading equities and research firm JB Securities. The current fiscal structure restricts consumer choice across the domestic market, systematically shutting out world-renowned fuel-efficient models with more..

Sep 1 (FT) Sri Lanka is preparing to fundamentally reshape its tourism model, shifting the focus from simply increasing visitor numbers towards extracting greater economic value from each tourist, retaining more visitor spending locally and spreading tourism-led growth beyond established destinations. The shift will underpin a new National Tourism Strategic Plan for 2026-2031, alongside a 5-year Global Destination Communication more..

Sep 1 (NW) Sri Lanka's GovPay digital government payment platform has surpassed LKR 5 billion in transactions, with more than 300 govt institutions using the platform. The milestone was announced by the Ministry of Digital Economy, describing it as a significant step in the country’s move toward a digitally enabled public service system. The ministry said GovPay allows members of the public to make govt payments securely and conveniently from anywhere and at any time. more..

Sep 1 (FT) Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) returned to positive territory in August, with both benchmark indices posting their first monthly gains since April, snapping three consecutive months of declines. Year-to-date, the ASPI had declined 5.68% and the active S&P SL20 was down 2.4%. The ASPI gained 0.99% during August, while the S&P SL20 rose 1.17%, reversing part of July’s 5.09% and 4.27% losses, respectively. The rebound follows a weak 3-month stretch from May through July more..

Sep 1 (FT) Board of Investment of SL (BOI) recently hosted a tailored knowledge-sharing workshop led by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), focused on Austrade’s strategy and practices for promoting and attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Workshop follows an earlier session on Austrade’s Trade Promotion and Facilitation program and forms part of an identified activity under the bilateral Trade & Investment Facilitation Agreement (TIFA) Action Plan more..

Sep 1 (Island) The ICRC mission in Colombo said on Sunday, they honoured the thousands of people around the world who are either missing or separated from their families due to armed conflict, violence, disasters and migration, standing in solidarity with families who endure the pain of not knowing the fate of their loved ones. The text of the statement: “In Sri Lanka, thousands of families of missing persons from all communities across the country are still waiting for answers. more..

Sep 1 (TOI) Kumar Sangakkara is a name that needs no introduction. Everyone who follows cricket or even who doesn’t, knows the SL cricket legend. But what people don’t know is that back in 2008, Kumar Sangakkara along with his wife Yehali bought a house inside Galle Fort, also known as the Dutch Fort or the Ramparts of Galle. Couple were already in love with its scenic coastal location, but were not aware of what was inside the fort. more..

Sep 1 (SO) Among the majestic tuskers and elegantly adorned elephants that brought splendour to the historic streets of Kandy during the 2026 Esala Perahera, it was not the famed tuskers Wasana, Miyan Raja or Sinha Raja who stole the spotlight on social media this year. Instead, one tiny, gentle elephant with a little tuft of hair captured the hearts of devotees and visitors alike. Walking through the sacred surroundings of the Sri Dalada Maligawa, Dewmini, SL’s only known more..

Sep 1 (DM) SL has learnt many painful lessons from depending too heavily on the outside world. Fuel shortages taught us about energy security. Food shortages reminded us about agricultural security. The economic crisis showed us the dangers of depending on foreign exchange to pay for almost everything we need. But there is another area where SL remains heavily dependent on imports - medicines. Around 85% of SL’s pharmaceutical requirements are still met through imports. more..

Sep 1 (Island) The government is preparing to meet the challenge of the UN Human Rights Council next month. A Sri Lankan delegation led by Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath is expected to attend the 63rd session of the UNHRC in Geneva, where the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights will present a written update on Sri Lanka. The government has already submitted its response to the advance version of the report prepared by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. more..

Sep 1 (ST) Six years after Harry and Meghan made their much-publicised dash to freedom to escape the tyranny of a racist Britain, the disgruntled duo crawled back to the sceptred isle on Thursday after their American dream turned out to be pie in the sky. The news that Harry and Meghan were returning back and trying to creep into the royal fold left Britain alarmed and the royal family terrified and distraught beyond measure. If members of the royal household had got the jitters about more..

Sep 1 (TM) As global tech giants race to secure the massive computational backbones required to fuel generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), SL is poised to step onto the digital real estate stage. However, following a flurry of preliminary discussions with international hyperscalers and key infrastructure players, the island now faces a sobering reality check: ambition is plentiful, but foundational readiness remains tethered to more..

Sep 1 (TM) As international climate agencies issue fresh warnings regarding a powerful El Niño event strengthening across the Asia-Pacific region, Sri Lanka finds itself caught in a compound environmental crisis. While several Southeast Asian nations prepare exclusively for scorching droughts, our island faces another volatile scenario: an agonising dry spell currently scorching heavy agricultural zones, closely followed by forecasts of an unseasonal deluge. more..

Sep 1 (TM) When a massive section of hanging glacier sheared away high in the Himalayas at over 5,000 metres, the catastrophic consequences were felt far down the river valleys of Nepal. Millions of tonnes of ice and rock plunged into the gorge below, sending a seismic shockwave across the region before damming the Lhende Khola. What followed was a devastating outburst flood, a torrent of mud, ice, and debris moving with the lethal density of liquid concrete. more..

Sep 1 (SO) SL is facing a growing economic risk due to the prevailing dry weather conditions and the possible development of strong El Niño effects, with agriculture, hydropower generation, food security, water supplies and the exchange rate among the areas identified as vulnerable. The potential economic consequences have emerged as the authorities attempt to manage an immediate shortage of water while more..

Sep 1 (Island) Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala recently claimed that efforts to bring back former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran, a citizen of Singapore, wanted in connection with the 2015 Treasury bond scam, had run into a brick wall as the latter was living under a different name in Singapore. According to information received by the CID, Mahendran had changed his name to Harjan Alexander, Wijepala said. Mahendran has denied Minister Wijepala’s claim as baseless. more..

Sep 1 (DM) One cannot look at SL’s constitutional history without a profound sense of regret. Opportunities for meaningful constitutional reform have repeatedly appeared and been squandered. Gots have promised new constitutions; political leaders have spoken of reform; commissions have been appointed, and proposals have been produced. Yet the 1978 Constitution remains. The reasons are depressingly familiar: political opportunism, indecisiveness, lack of political will and, more..