Sep 17 (AD) Working Committee of the UNP has decided to lift all disciplinary orders and suspensions previously imposed on party members who had their membership suspended or faced disciplinary action for joining the SJB. At a meeting held last evening, UNP Working Committee also resolved to appoint a committee headed by former Attorney General Tilak Marapana to examine the legal background and implications that may arise during the implementation of the decision. more..

Sep 17 (NW) Minister of Transport Bimal Rathnayake says a small new service station will be launched in a location called Udukawa on the Southern Expressway. Minister said that the new service station will be launched by the end of this September. “Along the Southern Expressway, we’ve noticed that there’s only one service centre available. The construction of additional service centres was reportedly withheld due to concerns that it might negatively impact certain businesses. more..

Sep 17 (AD) Stocks of Clear Quartz is being illegally exported along with Quartz, according to a finding revealed during an inquiry conducted by the COPE. This was disclosed during a meeting of the COPE held under the chairmanship of MP Dr. Nishantha Samaraweera in Parliament. During the meeting extended attention was drawn to the issue of Quartz exports. It was discussed that Clear Quartz is being illegally exported along with Quartz, and that certain insiders within the GSMB more..

Sep 17 (DM) Chinese Ambassador to SL Qi Zhenhong extended warm congratulations on the resumption of construction of the Kadawatha–Meerigama section of the Central Expressway, said that Sri Lanka has entered a new era following the election of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Addressing the media, the Ambassador said that due to well-known reasons, the first section of the expressway project had been forced to move forward with reduced efficiency in past years. more..

Sep 17 (Reuters) India's Adani Group and its partners are set to double the capacity of a $840 million container terminal in Colombo months ahead of schedule, despite relinquishing $553 million in U.S. funding, an executive at partner firm John Keells Holdings, opens new tab told Reuters. The deepwater Colombo West International Terminal, located next to a facility run by China Merchants Port Holdings, opens new tab, more..

Sep 17 (CT) Govt Radiological Technologists’ Association (GRTA) has accused National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) of further delaying the procurement of five linear accelerator radiotherapy machines (LINAC) by failing to give its approval to open letters of credit. President of the GRTA, Chanaka Dharmawickrama, said that the decision to procure these five machines had been taken in 2013. He lamented that although the purchase of these machines had been planned over a more..

Sep 17 (DM) SL’s third nanosatellite, BIRDS-X DRAGONFLY, developed with technical contributions from SL engineers, is scheduled to be launched into orbit on Sept 19 at 2.15 p.m. SL time. The satellite was carried to the International Space Station (ISS) by NASA’s SPX33 rocket mission on August 24 and will be released into orbit from the ISS. This marks another milestone in SL’s space technology journey, following the launch of the country’s first nanosatellite, Ravana-1 in 2019, more..

Sep 17 (DM) The ceremonial synchronisation of the Kerawalapitiya Sobadhanavi 350 megawatt (MW) LNG Power Plant took place a short while ago, graced by PM Harini Amarasuriya and Minister Kumara Jayakody. This milestone project, built to secure the future of SL’s energy sector, marks the completion of a vital piece of infrastructure that contributes directly to meeting SL’s long-term electricity needs & economic growth. more..

Sep 17 (AD) Sampath Manamperi, accused of concealing two containers of raw materials allegedly used in the production of the drug Ice and reportedly belonging to underworld figure Kehelbaddara Padme, surrendered to the Walasmulla Magistrate’s Court today. An attorney representing Manamperi had informed the Court of Appeal on Sept 15 that his client was prepared to surrender to the relevant Magistrate’s Court in connection with the discovery of the two containers in Middeniya, more..

Sep 17 (NW) Minister Bimal Ratnayake says women drivers and conductors will soon be recruited into the SLTB public transport service. He made this announcement on Tuesday while attending a special program held at the Colombo District Secretariat. Minister said that the SLTB has fallen into depths deeper than the Mariana trench, and that politicians are responsible for its destruction. He further said that the SLTB depots in Sri Lanka have become hell on earth, riddled with shortcomings. more..

Sep 18 (DM) Since President Dissanayaka was elected executive president of our country and inherited the international debt the country is facing, both he and his political party, JVP, have become very circumspect and cautious regarding any comment on Israel and its genocidal war in Palestine. Just to recap, to date, Israel has, through targeted attacks, killed over 64,000 civilian Palestinians. Included in this death toll, according to UNICEF, more than 50,000 are children. more..

Sep 18 (TM) One of SL’s long-acknowledged and least acted on crises is the violence against women and children, which has been widespread in Sri Lanka. In 2023, there were over 5000 cases relating to child abuse pending in the Magistrate’s Courts. It is reported that approximately one third of cases of sexual offences in the High Courts are related to children. Also in 2023, over 25,000 cases of domestic violence were reported. According to the women’s wellness census of 2019, more..

Sep 18 (TM) The recent visit to Katchatheevu Island in the northern territorial waters by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake during an official visit to Jaffna has swung the regional spotlight back on a matter which has been until now a seasonal bilateral irritant that both Govts across the Palk Strait have often brushed off. The unprecedented move by a SL Head of State ignited the imagination of some segments of more..

Sep 18 (DM) In a 1996 speech to the Singapore Press Club, Lee Kuan Yew addressed the challenge of ensuring Singapore’s survival beyond his leadership and laid out the core principle of its success. He explained that Singapore prospered by creating first-world conditions in a third-world region and becoming a base camp from which entrepreneurs forayed into the less developed areas around it. It did this by offering speed, certainty and clean governance at a time when more..

Sep 18 (ST) For SL’s one-year-old govt, it would be a new experience. Particularly for the new foreign minister, who has already made an appearance at the current sessions of the UNHRC now meeting in Geneva. I am not quite certain when SL would have to face a debate—if there is a debate—on the Core Group report. This is of special significance to the NPP govt, its adherents and diplomats, as this is the first time this govt has had the opportunity to officially respond to the report from the Core Group more..

Sep 18 (TM) The plantation sector in SL continues to grapple with long-standing challenges, particularly concerning workers’ wages and living conditions. Despite repeated discussions in the Parliament, including debates over raising the daily wage to Rs. 1,700, little progress has been made either at the policy level or by plantation companies. This was pointed out by TPA Deputy Leader and SJB MP Palani Thigambaram, more..

Sep 18 (GV) In today’s interconnected world, Sri Lanka finds itself at the heart of many global currents from economic shocks and shifting power rivalries to climate challenges and regional security concerns. In a CPA and Groundviews podcast Shakthi de Silva, lecturer in Int'l Relations, explores how a small island state like SL must navigate these changes with agility, foresight and balance. Drawing comparisons with other island nations such as Mauritius & Maldives, discussion highlighted more..

Sep 18 (Island) Nothing can exist without energy. Nothing is possible without energy. Despite being invincible and intangible energy can be stored. Such a fundamental physical quantity has no rigorous definition. Science texts empirically define energy as the capacity to do work. Plowing a paddy field, driving a vehicle or reading a newspaper are examples of numerous types of work we do and all these activities require energy. Production of things we need and our engagement in activities more..

Sep 18 (CT) In a democracy, the right to vote is sacred. It is not merely a civic duty, but a powerful tool through which citizens shape their country’s future. Yet in Sri Lanka, too many eligible voters are still denied this right—not because they are ineligible, but because the system does not make room for them. Among those left behind are individuals in remand prison, workers engaged in essential services, and now, even Sri Lankans living abroad. It is time we fixed this gap by more..

Sep 18 (FT) For nearly 40 years, Alumex PLC has been a cornerstone of Sri Lanka’s aluminium industry. Established in 1988, the company has transformed from a modest joint venture into the undisputed market leader and a growing regional player. Its journey has been marked by resilience, innovation, and a relentless focus on quality and sustainability. Today, Alumex is not only Sri Lanka’s leading aluminium extruder but also a trusted solutions provider and training hub, more..

Sep 18 (DM) Dambulla has become a hotbed for illegal activities, especially for grabbing land in the most shocking manner. Wasantha Herath’s right hand was severely injured in a brutal, Chicago-style attack in broad daylight on the afternoon of July 30 on the road adjacent Thimbiriatthawala Wewa in Kumbukkandanwala, Sigiriya. Although more than 20 days have passed since the incident, there has been no progress in identifying the suspects more..

Sep 18 (Island) Implausible excuses and unbelievable claims are the stock-in-trade of SL politicians and their lackeys in the public service. They remind us of folk stories about the legendary King Kekille, whose monumental stupidity was such that in every case heard by him, the innocent party was invariably found guilty and punished, while the culprits went free. When one hears senior Customs officers giving lame excuses for having released two shipping containers with kudu (narcotics) more..

Sep 18 (FT) SL’s tea crop posted mixed results in August, with monthly production falling year-on-year (YoY), while cumulative output for the first eight months of 2025 showed healthy growth compared to both 2024 and 2023. Tea production in August 2025 amounted to 19.68 million kg (Mnkg), down by 1.66 Mnkg or 7.77% YoY against 21.34 Mnkg recorded in August 2024. All elevations registered declines during the month, except for the Green Tea segment, which managed to record gains over more..

Sep 18 (FT) Delmege, one of SL’s most enduring and diversified conglomerates marks its 175th year in business. Since its founding in 1850, Delmege has grown from its trading roots into a multi-sector powerhouse, delivering trusted and meaningful products/services that touch almost every aspect of daily life. From consumer goods to interiors, healthcare to shipping, insurance to travel, Delmege has become synonymous with resilience, innovation, quality service across generations. more..

Sep 18 (FT) Bank of Ceylon (BOC) has appointed Thulci Aluwihare and Sharmini Ratwatte as Independent Non-Executive Directors to its Board on the recommendations of a 5-member special selection committee appointed by the Finance Ministry. Thulci Aluwihare is Deputy Managing Director at CHEC Port City Colombo Ltd., with more than 25 years of experience in corporate wealth, investment, transaction advisory, divesture, capital raising & restructuring in London, Melbourne, more..

Sep 18 (CI) Pathum Nissanka remembers being around cricket from his earliest years. "I've been playing since I was in year one or year two," he says, the game as present and natural a feature of his life as the brooding Kalu Ganga, which meets the Indian Ocean in his home town of Kalutara. He had had this cricket-soaked childhood because his father, Sunil Silva, was then a groundsman at the biggest club in town. more..

Sep 18 (FT) The Cabinet of Ministers on Monday approved a major procurement package aimed at strengthening local pharmaceutical production and ensuring uninterrupted medical supplies in 2025. Speaking at the weekly post-Cabinet meeting media briefing on Tuesday, Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said under the latest approval, the State Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing Corporation (SPMC) will be entrusted with the supply of 24 categories of pharmaceuticals worth Rs. 1.148 billion. more..

Sep 18 (FT) Bank of Ceylon (BOC) announced the launch of SL’s first-ever biodegradable banking card. The card is made from non-edible, corn-based polylactic acid from renewable sources and is industrially compostable, providing an environmentally responsible alternative to traditional PVC-based plastic cards that often end up in landfills and take centuries to decompose. The bank in a statement said that the initiative was a key part of BOC’s commitment to embedding more..

Sep 18 (ST) Gold is hovering at eye-watering levels at Sri Lanka’s jewellery retailers, prices rolling over as if on an airport flight display board, reflecting a surge to record highs in global markets. At state and commercial banks, Sri Lankans who have borrowed by pawning mostly 22-carat gold are confronted with volatile prices and interest rates. Gold price has rallied in global markets, financial news providers report. more..

Sep 18 (DN) Sri Lanka, who have already won both their group matches against Bangladesh and Hong Kong, will be looking for an improved batting performance in their final Group chasing a spot in the Super Four, and after their narrow eight-run loss to Bangladesh on Tuesday (16), Afghanistan have high hopes of bouncing back strongly. Sri Lanka survived a scare in their previous outing against Hong Kong at the Dubai Stadium last Sunday, where their batting faltered during the chase. more..

Sep 18 (Island) National Building Research Institute Bill, scheduled to be taken up for its second reading in Parliament on 23.09.2025, was considered and approved by the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection. This took place at the meeting of the Committee in Parliament on the 11th under the Chairmanship of MP Dr. Najith Indika. Although the National Building Research Organization has been functioning since 1984, & smart card system on Sept 1. more..

Sep 18 (ST) Insufficient staff is a big setback for Jaffna Public Library’s e-library project, according to the Chief Librarian Anusiya Sivakaran. “Limited staffing has slowed the e-library’s progress. Users will have to wait longer to access the remaining 11 sections — counter, periodical, lending, children, Indian corner, computer, archive, reference, special youth and Ceylon Collection,” she said. Prez launched e-library website (jaffna.dlp.gov.lk) and smart card system on Sept 1. more..

Sep 18 (DN) Sri Lanka Under-19 women’s cricket team is well prepared to take on the Australia Under-19 women’s team in a series comprising five T20 matches and one Youth ODI, starting on the 20th at Rangiri Dambulla Int'l Cricket Stadium. The 15-member squad will be led by all-rounder Manudi Nanayakkara, who has also represented the senior national team in recent series against New Zealand and South Africa. Rashmika Sewwandi has been named deputy skipper. more..

Sep 18 (DM) For Sri Lanka’s public sector workers, the pay raises have failed to keep pace with the soaring inflation, leaving the families struggle to cover the basic living costs, World Bank said. Despite the high nominal growth of wages and pensions over 2018-23, WB noted that high inflation has eroded the purchasing power of the public sector employees and pensioners in recent years. In cumulative real terms, more..

Sep 18 (EN) Talks are starting on resuming stalled projects and starting fresh ones, on the policy priorities of SL’s new govt, a top official of the French devel agency, Agence Française de Développement (AFD) said. SL had US$ 426 million of bilateral loans from France of which US$ 138 million were in arrears as of March 2025 and as well as unpaid interest. A June debt bulletin said it was turned into US$ 478 million of loans. Restructuring agreements between France & SL were signed in August. more..