Sep 26 (NW) Minister Bimal Rathnayake says the govt intends to complete Sri Lanka’s current IMF programme when the four-year Extended Fund Facility arrangement expires in March 2027, while continuing the country’s normal engagement with the IMF thereafter. He said the govt did not currently see a need to enter another IMF programme linked to debt restructuring after the existing arrangement ends. more..

Sep 26 (NW) The 27th Colombo International Book Fair begins today at the BMICH in Colombo. Organised by the SL Book Publishers’ Association, the 10-day fair will run from Sept 25 to Oct 4 and will be open daily from 9 am to 9 pm. This year’s event brings together around 70 leading local publishers and 32 international publishers, according to the official Colombo International Book Fair website. Visitors will be able to purchase a wide range of local and foreign books, including more..

Sep 26 (NW) Nearly two-thirds of children surveyed in SL spend more than 30 minutes a day using mobile phones, tablets or other screens, according to findings of a survey revealed by Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe. He said the survey, covering 1,100 children across four provinces, examined several aspects of children’s daily habits, including screen use, sleep and eating patterns. The survey was conducted with the participation of children, their parents & preschool teachers. more..

Sep 26 (FT) Govt remains committed to raising the monthly personal income tax-free threshold to Rs. 200,000, Minister Nishantha Jayaweera said, reiterating its plan to lower tax rates while expanding the tax base. His remarks came as Prez told a public rally that the Govt would provide tax relief in the 2027 Budget. Govt’s election manifesto had promised that income tax threshold would be increased to Rs. 200,000. more..

Sep 26 (AD) Uni of Peradeniya has once again secured the No. 1 position in SL in the 2026 UI GreenMetric World University Rankings. According to the 2026 rankings, Uni of Peradeniya ranked 200th globally among 2,016 universities from 110 countries, with a score of 8,262.5 points. The achievement reflects the university’s continued progress in maintaining an environmentally friendly and sustainable campus, implementing sustainable development initiatives, and more..

Sep 26 (NW) Leader of the House Minister Bimal Rathnayake has demanded corrections from several media organisations over reports that he had acknowledged a division within the govt over the 22nd Amendment. Raising a point of order in Parliament, Rathnayake said his remarks had been misrepresented, stressing that he was referring to a division that had emerged in society over the proposed amendment and not within the govt. “What I very clearly said was that, as a govt, more..

Sep 26 (NW) The assassination of journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge was not merely intended to eliminate an individual but to send a warning to other journalists and professionals who were prepared to challenge politicians, corruption and powerful interests, CIABOC Director General Ranga Dissanayake said. Speaking at the launch of the Sinhala translation of a book on Wickrematunge, Dissanayake argued that the killing of Wickrematunge conveyed a broader warning more..

Sep 26 (FT) The 5th DG Level Talks between Narcotics Control Agencies of India and Sri Lanka was held on 23 Sept 2026 in Colombo. The talks build on the renewed emphasis on bilateral security cooperation during PM of India Narendra Modi’s State Visit to Sri Lanka in April 2025, particularly on combating illicit drug trafficking. It has added significance following President of Sri Lanka Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s recent call for India’s fullest support in combating more..

Sep 26 (TM) Average monthly expenditure on allowances and other payments made to the current Speaker of Parliament, Dr Jagath Wickramaratne, has been 75.98% higher than the monthly average recorded for former Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, according to information obtained under RTI Act. The monthly average for Dr Wickramaratne stood at Rs 502,800.75, compared to Rs 382,068.97 for Abeywardena. more..

Sep 26 (CA) Australia will travel to SL for a bilateral ODI series for the first time in more than a decade, with a three-match tour schedule in December announced today. The two sides will not have squared off in the format in more than seven years by the time the series gets underway, after their proposed 2025 World Cup clash in Colombo was washed out. Three contests will be played in the space of six days in Dambulla, with the Australians scheduled to arrive in SL on Dec 10. more..

Sep 26 (DN) World No. 1 javelin thrower Rumesh Tharanga, SL’s leading gold-medal hope at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, will begin his campaign in the men’s javelin qualifying round today at 7.35 a.m. SLT. Experienced SL thrower Sumedha Ranasinghe will also compete alongside Tharanga in the qualifying round. Nagoya Games mark Tharanga’s first Asian Games appearance. The 23-year-old athlete, who recently won Commonwealth Games gold in Scotland, will be aiming to more..

Sep 26 (DN) SL shuttler Dumindu Abeywickrama made a comfortable start to his Asian Games campaign, defeating Nepal’s Praful Maharjan 21-6, 21-8 in straight games in the men’s singles first round in Japan yesterday. World No. 80 Abeywickrama controlled the match from the outset and secured a convincing two-game victory. He will face Hong Kong’s Angus Ka Long in the second round. Abeywickrama, who recently broke into the world’s top 80, has shown encouraging form more..

Sep 26 (NW) International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has pledged support for the development of football in SL, with discussions also focusing on the construction of a football ground and the provision of equipment for players. FIFA Regional Director for Asia and Oceania Sanjeevan Balasingam made the assurance during a meeting with Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage. The meeting focused on assistance that could be extended to SL to support the development of football in SL. more..

Sep 26 (DM) 20 more forests covering nearly 9,538 hectares in six districts are scheduled to be declared forest reserves today under Govt’s Vanaspathi national programme aimed at protecting SL’s forest ecosystems for future generations. Environment Minister Dr. Dammika Patabendi is scheduled to sign the relevant Gazette notifications during a field programme at the Sadathenna Forestry College in Nuwara Eliya. more..

Sep 26 (N) Lanka Sathosa has decided to reduce the prices of six essential consumer goods across its island-wide outlet network with effect from today. State-owned supermarket chain implemented the price reductions to provide relief to consumers as part of its national mission to support poverty alleviation. Under the revised pricing, big onions have been reduced by Rs. 10 to a new price of Rs. 309 per kg, while bulk white sugar drops by Rs. 4 to Rs. 245 per kg. more..

Sep 26 (ST) Farmer organisations and villagers are opposing a govt plan to construct a large‑scale paddy mill complex in an area identified as an elephant corridor near Air Force camp in Ampara. An inspection visit is scheduled today for the proposed construction on an 80‑acre plot which, farmers say, forms part of an elephant corridor bordering wildlife parks and reservations. Their protest stems from concerns over shrinking space for wildlife and increasing danger posed to humans. more..

Sep 26 (ST) With increased rainfall in the coming months potentially creating more mosquito breeding sites, the govt should establish a rapid coordination mechanism enabling Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) to work closely with other state institutions and educational institutions, PHIs have stressed. SL Public Health Inspectors’ Association has said dengue control was not solely the responsibility of the govt, but a collective more..

Sep 26 (ST) Damayanthi Lee, who runs a moringa farm in Kanniya, Trincomalee, and hosts workshops on growing and using the plant, is campaigning to see a moringa tree in every Sri Lanka household and its leaves incorporated into everyday meals. For Ms Lee, the familiar moringa tree is not merely something to be added to fish, crab or prawn curry. She is now focusing on cookery demonstrations to show people how its leaves can be used in a variety of familiar foods. more..

Sep 26 (FT) Colombo stock market yesterday ended the week in red amid subdued investor sentiment ahead of next Wednesday’s Monetary Policy announcement of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. During the week, the ASPI declined 0.09% while the active S&P SL20 gained 0.2%. Yesterday, the ASPI was down 0.14% or 29.54 points at 21,037.35 with 106 counters ending in red against 95 in green and the active S&P SL20 edged marginally 0.03% lower, down 2.06 points at 5,940.72. more..

Sep 26 (DN) Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe has called for stronger regional economic and financial partnerships to convert SL’s recent macroeconomic stability into sustainable investment, higher productivity and long-term growth. Addressing the 49th Annual General Meeting of the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP) in Colombo on Wednesday, Dr. Weerasinghe said deeper economic integration, stronger more..

Sep 26 (ST) Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRC) will launch a new spectrum management and monitoring system next year to replace the 22-year-old system and tackle frequency issues, an official said. “This is an automatic system that will replace the legacy SpectraPLUS system, which we plan to implement with ADB assistance by next year,” TRC Director General Bandula Herath said. He said that 75% of the spectrum management part of this system will be software. more..

Sep 26 (ST) Although the state hospitals are supposed to provide free healthcare, with the prevailing shortage of medicine and medical equipment, it seems that free health is gradually in decline. Patients, caretakers and nurses claim that free healthcare is in name only. Most patients are often told to buy medicine from outside. Medical practitioners said that in emergency situations specific drugs are needed, while specific more..

Sep 26 (Island) Commemorative events held at the newly installed bronze statue of the late Rasiah Parthipan, alias Lt. Colonel Thileepan at Nallur, Jaffna, caused controversy. A section of the Opposition accused the NPP govt of encouraging separatist movement by turning a blind eye to the growing hero worship of an LTTEer. Unveiling of the statue took place on 15 Sept, day the Tiger launched his fast unto death, in 1987, to become a hero in the eyes of his equally misled community. more..

Sep 26 (Island) The outcome of yesterday’s parliamentary vote on the 22nd Amendment (22A) came as no surprise. The ayes had it with a two-thirds majority. Now, the Speaker will sign the 22A bill into law posthaste, increasing the mandatory retirement ages of the judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. However, even a special majority cannot make a bad law good. It was speculated in some quarters that some NPP MPs would break ranks and vote against 22A. more..

Sep 28 (TM) The much-awaited verdict delivered this week in the marathon Easter Sunday attacks case marked an important moment for Sri Lanka's criminal justice system. After more than seven years of uncertainty, investigation and political controversy, a 3-Judge High Court Trial-at-Bar convicted 15 of the 24 accused in the principal case, while nine were acquitted. The case involved 23,270 charges and more than 2,300 prosecution witnesses. This perhaps is the most eagerly awaited case more..

Sep 28 (FT) First, the good news. The second iteration of the Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill (PSTB2), law to replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), has addressed certain shortcomings in the previous version (PSTB1). But there’s bad news. The current Govt, like past Govts, seems determined to cling to repressive provisions that do not adhere to human rights standards. Why would a Govt that won the election on a mandate of system change refuse to ensure that more..

Sep 28 (TM) SL’s expanding reliance on digital payments for Govt services highlights the importance of platforms like GovPay, which were launched to make public sector payments more convenient, transparent, and efficient. As more Govt agencies and services adopt the platform, the volume and significance of transactions and services processed by the system are also growing. GovPay was officially launched on 7 Feb 2025, and more..

Sep 28 (ST) SL is growing old — and it is happening faster than many of us realise. For decades, when we spoke about the country’s population, our attention was naturally directed towards children, schools, maternal health, employment for young people and the needs of a growing workforce. Today, however, SL is entering a very different demographic era. According to Census of Population & Housing 2024 around 18% of Sri Lankans are now aged 60 years or older, compared with 12.4% in 2012. more..

Sep 28 (FT) Two years after the NPP swept into power, Sri Lanka is still neither the nation its then-opposition promised, nor the country that the present regime inherited. That may be both its achievement and its dilemma. Two years ago, Sri Lanka gave Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the National People’s Power an extraordinary mandate to change the system. First, with the Presidency in September 2024; and then, two months later, with a mammoth 159 of 225 parliamentary seats. more..

Sep 28 (DM) Rainwater harvesting is the practice of collecting the rain that falls on your roof, storing it in a covered tank or drum, and using it later. In SL, it can cut water bills, help households through dry spells, and ease pressure on drains. A single 100 m² roof collects about 2,000 litres from one heavy shower. The timing matters this year. As of Sept 19, drought has affected 169,071 people from 51,959 families across 10 districts, more..

Sep 28 (GV) As the NPP govt completes two years in office, the question before SL is not merely whether it has governed differently from previous regimes but whether it has changed the deeper political culture of the country. A successful democracy is not measured only by elections, parliamentary numbers or popular slogans. It is measured by whether the state protects the equal rights, dignity, land, language and political voice of minorities even when the majority may not more..

Sep 28 (CT) The inauguration of SL’s National Business Facilitation Center (NBFC)—known locally as ViYASA—Visionary insight of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake marks a profound turning point in the nation’s economic history. For decades, the island nation has grappled with structural trade and fiscal imbalances, chronically spending more than its income and relying heavily on foreign debt to survive. Moving past the conceptual phase, this institution translates visionary reforms into more..