Sep 23 (AD) Fundamental Rights petition challenging the appointment of High Court Judge Ranga Dissanayake as the Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations against Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) and the President’s recommendation to the Constitutional Council for the appointment has been withdrawn before the Supreme Court today. The petition had been filed by a group including the Chief Incumbent of the Udawalawe Soma Viharaya, more..

Sep 23 (DM) MP Ramanathan Archuna clashed with police after being asked to remove his car, which was reportedly parked illegally near Fort Railway Station. Footage shows the MP telling a police officer, “You are talking like an idiot,” before leaving the scene yesterday (22). Archuna had arrived to support the Satyagraha organized by aggrieved school development officers, who have been protesting in front of the station for the 13th consecutive day. more..

Sep 23 (AD) A Singapore-headquartered shipping company today announced that it will refuse to pay SL court-ordered damages of US$1 billion for causing that country’s worst case of environmental pollution. X-Press Feeders chief executive Shmuel Yoskovitz said he believed paying would have wide-ranging implications on global shipping and set a dangerous precedent. Company operated the Singapore-registered more..

Sep 23 (DM) UN Office in Sri Lanka has expressed concern over Singapore-based shipping company X-Press Feeders’ refusal to comply with a Supreme Court order to pay US$1 billion in compensation for the X-Press Pearl maritime disaster. UN office said the company’s refusal to honour the ruling was deeply concerning. “We urge the shipping company to review the scale of damages to people, coasts and marine life, and to uphold justice for communities and the ecosystem,” it added. more..

Sep 23 (NW) Saudi Ambassador to SL, Khalid bin Hamoud Alkahtani, says Saudi Arabia hosts more than 250,000 SL workers, who contribute significantly to the country’s development. In his message for the 95th National Day of Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Alkahtani said bilateral relations have developed significantly under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and SL President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. He further said that several agreements and MoUs more..

Sep 23 (Reuters) Vimukthi Sandaruwan beat more than 1,000 anglers to become champion of a unique competition to protect native fish from invasive giant snakehead fish in central SL. A native of southeast Asia, giant snakehead fish are considered an invasive species in many countries. Kept as pets they can cause massive ecological harm when released into rivers or dams. Anglers from all over SL flocked to a dam on Deduru more..

Sep 23 (DM) The National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) confirmed that a decision has been reached regarding the long-delayed procurement of five Linear Accelerator Radiation Therapy Machines, with an official announcement to be made in due course. NMRA CEO Dr. K.M.G.K Bandara told the Daily Mirror that approvals for critical medical equipment cannot be granted overnight. “It has to be done systemically after undergoing proper checks and tests. more..

Sep 23 (EN) SL has prepared a national renewable hydrogen policy, to make the Indian Ocean island a regional hub, and also launched a just energy transformation (JET) study, with support from the United Nations Development Agency (UNDP). “With its vast renewable energy resources, Sri Lanka is well placed to leverage hydrogen technologies for decarbonising power generation, industry and transport, while enhancing energy security and attracting international investment,” more..

Sep 23 (FT) Prez Anura Kumara Disanayake has cast digital transformation as a stark binary: either embrace artificial intelligence (AI) and modernise, or be pushed to the margins of the global economy. His appeal identifies inefficiency, stagnation, and weak public services as consequences of past inaction. This rhetoric mirrors global leaders who treat AI as a pillar of competitiveness and a survival imperative. Yet such framing is both motivational and reductionist. more..

Sep 23 (NW) SRI LANKA MICE EXPO 2025 is a great opportunity to engage in business activities at the international level and is also a valuable platform to bring the name of SL onto the global stage, PM Harini Amarasuriya said. PM said this is not merely an event, but an opportunity for local entrepreneurs and stakeholders to directly engage in international business activities and to gain knowledge. She further pointed out that such events create opportunities for SL to become a destination more..

Sep 23 (DM) Sri Lanka is presently heading towards a no-smokers’ zone due to the youngsters aged 15-25 staying away from the habit, an official from the Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (ADIC) said. Executive Director of ADIC Sampath De Saram said that currently only 1.5 million smokers are in the country, and of these, 40+ is the leading age group for smokers. “This is entirely because, during their day and age, this was a trending habit,” more..

Sep 23 (EN) Sri Lanka’s services exports fell 6.82% from a year ago to US$ 312.75 million in August 2025, led by decline in transport and logistics, the island’s Export Development Board said. However, over the first eight months of the year, services exports are estimated to have increased 5.57%, totaling US$ 2,221.63 million. ICT/BPM exports rose 6.43% to US$ 147 million in August 2025 compared to the same month in 2024, and construction fell 28.24% to US$ 9.71 million. more..

Sep 23 (NW) Cabinet approval has been granted to award the contract for the renovation of the section of the road from Kottawa to Dodangoda of the Southern Expressway. The section of the road from Kottawa to Dodangoda on the Southern Expressway, which was opened to traffic in 2011, has not undergone any major repairs to date. Govt states that the expeditious renovation of the expressway section from 0 km to 19 km and the expressway section from 19 km to 34 km of more..

Sep 23 (TM) SL has no immediate plans to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from India, as the required infrastructure including storage facilities is yet to be built, the country’s energy minister said on Tuesday. India announced last year it would supply LNG to SL’s power plants and work on cross-border energy connectivity, including a petroleum pipeline and power grid link. However, no progress has been made on supply of LNG. more..

Sep 23 (NW) The govt will not allow an electricity crisis or a power cut in Sri Lanka, despite the ongoing trade union action by electricity workers, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. He assured a continuous electricity supply, stating that the necessary steps will be taken to ensure this. “The govt will not allow any sabotage. If such a thing occurs, we will ensure the stringent imposition of the law,” he warned. Minister pointed out that Sri Lanka will face a crisis if the CEB is not restructured. more..

Sep 23 (EN) SL will call for expressions of interest from local and foreign investors to produce caustic soda and chlorine as a public-private partnership project at the Paranthan Chemicals Ltd factory, minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. “Paranthan Chemicals Ltd has completed a feasibility study on restarting the caustic soda, chlorine manufacturing plant at the premises where its Factory is located,” Minister said. The proposal to look for investors for the proposed project more..

Sep 23 (AD) Chief of the Naval Staff of India Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi on Monday laid a wreath at the IPKF Memorial in Colombo, honouring the courage and supreme sacrifice of Indian soldiers who served during the IPKF operations. “The solemn ceremony was a tribute to the courage, valour & supreme sacrifice of Indian soldiers who served with honour during IPKF operations. It also reflected the shared history between India & SL and the enduring bond forged through sacrifice.” more..

Sep 23 (AD) The govt signed a grant agreement with the European Union (EU) today to launch a new initiative aimed at fostering sustainable economic recovery through improved biodiversity conservation and solid waste management. EUR 8 million grant, provided by the EU, will support a project jointly developed by the Ministry of Public Admin, PCs and LG, Ministry of Environment, and the EU. The initiative will support biodiversity conservation by restoring degraded ecosystems, more..

Sep 23 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's first leftist president has surprised investors by embracing pro-market reforms in his first year, and plans fresh steps to boost investment and energy supplies after crippling shortages during the 2022 economic collapse, officials say. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's election promise to rework a $2.9 billion IMF bailout and seek better terms from creditors had raised investor concerns. more..

Sep 23 (NW) Cabinet approval has been granted to develop a Govt SuperApp that will enable citizens to access govt services through a single digital application. It has been observed that citizens currently face significant difficulties due to the fragmented nature of service delivery, requiring repeated data entry across different systems, multi-layered authentication processes, and various govt departments. Estimates indicate that this inefficiency results in an annual economic loss more..

Sep 23 (NF) A moment that blended elegance, excitement, and national pride. The coveted trophy of the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup arrived at the MTV network Headquarters, marking the beginning of a historic countdown to the global sporting spectacle. At precisely 3 PM, the gleaming symbol of cricketing excellence was escorted to the MTV/MBC City Office premises in Colombo by the SL Police Mounted Division, flanked by the ever-charismatic brand mascots Blaze and Tonk, more..

Sep 23 (AD) The post-mortem examination on the bodies of the three persons who died under mysterious circumstances in the house, where drugs were later found in the Seenimodara area of Tangalle, has revealed that they died due to overdosing on a mix of heroin and beer. The post-mortem examination of the bodies was conducted by the JMO of the Tangalle Base Hospital, Ruwan Nanayakkara. more..

Sep 23 (AD) SC today sentenced Harsha Ilukpitiya, the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration, to two years of imprisonment after being found guilty of contempt of court. The verdict was pronounced by Justice Yasantha Kodagoda, with the concurrence of Justices Janak de Silva and Arjuna Obeyesekere. While delivering the ruling, Justice Kodagoda stated that Harsha Ilukpitiya had committed a serious act of contempt against judiciary through his actions. more..

Sep 23 (PTI) SL govt said it will consult the Attorney General on the next course of action after the owning company of a vessel failed to honour a court order directing it to pay USD 1 billion in compensation for a mishap, considered to be the worst marine disaster in the Indian Ocean. Singapore-flagged container vessel MV X-Press Pearl caught fire in May 2021 off Colombo port and burned for nearly two weeks while carrying 81 containers of hazardous chemicals, more..

Sep 24 (CT) The loudest voices of criticism today do not come from the majority of ordinary citizens or the country’s intellectuals. They come instead from the remnants of the defeated political establishment, the same forces swept away by the people’s mandate in the last two electoral tsunamis. Their accusations follow a familiar script: that the AKD-led govt is (a) suppressing trade union actions, (b) failing to fulfill its election promises, and (c) dragging the country toward another crisis. more..

Sep 24 (TM) After much bloodshed, torment and suffering, the world seems to be finally moving to recognise Palestine as a State. With diverse views about the move and its timing being debated across the world, some may ask, so what? What is the significance of recognising Palestine as a State, today? Some have criticised the move as a whitewashing affair for the global North. While the debate about the decision to recognise Palestinian Statehood, global action, more..

Sep 24 (SO) On Monday (15), Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake launched the Govt’s plans to renovate and modernise the Colombo Central Bus Terminal as part of the Govt’s Clean SL initiative. The modernisation project comes in the backdrop of the Govt announcing plans to do major restoration and renovation work on the Colombo Fort Railway Station & Maradana Railway Station earlier this month. more..

Sep 24 (CT) National Audit (Amendment) Act, No. 19 of 2025, which became law this week, introduces important changes to the country’s financial oversight framework. At its core, the amendment aims to strengthen accountability. The creation of a Surcharge Review Committee and the new powers given to the Auditor General appear to move the audit system toward greater independence and effectiveness. These are not minor adjustments to procedure but changes that could reshape more..

Sep 24 (DM) For those who started writing on typewriters, drove rear wheel drive vehicles, or made phone calls on ancient contraptions which insisted that numbers be dialled by turning a ring (crazy!), social media is at best a necessary evil. But it dawns upon even the most recalcitrant that Facebook or Instagram is a one-upmanship (or personship) game, and those who dread being left out in the cold would sooner or later join the ranks of social media hordes just to keep up with more..

Sep 24 (CT) “Accessibility is not charity but a constitutional imperative,” High Court Judge K.B. Hewawasam declared in a landmark ruling on 18 Sept, sending a resounding message to SL’s public infrastructure authorities. Anuradhapura High Court ordered immediate upgrades to twelve railway stations along the Mahawa–Vavuniya line to ensure compliance with the 1996 Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act and more..

Sep 24 (ST) This is a hell of a situation, no! I mean, one can understand if you take a few inches from your neighbour’s garden or push his fence back without a by-your-leave. But this is outrageous. I can understand Israel letting loose a Shylock or two, as it has when the Brits and a few others went together with shovel and pick, digging the soil in old Palestine, putting together enough sand, and singing hallelujah, “A new country is born.” Okay, so that is good for Shakespeare, more..

Sep 24 (Island) A huge consignment of narcotics and several illegal firearms, including an assault rifle, were detected in Tangalle on Monday. They would possibly have gone undetected if not for the suspicious death of a person that led the police to a place where a truck used to transport some of the narcotics was parked. Two other persons were found dead on the scene. Later on, the police took into custody two other trucks with narcotics and illegal firearms. more..

Sep 24 (DM) The gloves are off, the loss-making CEB’s Ceylon Electricity Workers Union (CEWU) has warned President Dissanayake, it does not recognise the govt’s Extraordinary Gazette declaring electricity-related services as essential! The govt declared electricity services as being an essential service to prevent the CEB unions from escalating their trade union action against proposals to restructure the organisation and lay emphasis on cheaper renewable sources of energy. more..

Sep 24 (Island) On 25 Sept, 1959 Lankadeepa Journalist Ratnapala Vithana reported for duty at the newspaper’s editorial office, then owned by the old Times of Ceylon Group and located at the Times Building, Fort. Chief Editor was renowned Journalist D.B. Dhanapala. As Ratnapala was entering the lift to go to the editorial office on the second floor two of his colleagues ran out of the building nearly knocking him down. One of them was Peramune Tilaka, who later served at Lake House in 70s more..

Sep 24 (CI) An unbroken stand of 58 off 41 between Hussain Talat and Mohammad Nawaz saved Pakistan's blushes as they stumbled their way through a middling chase to eventually come away with a five-wicket win against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup in Abu Dhabi. Having been set a target of 134, on a ground where the average winning total batting first was 183, Pakistan collapsed from 43 for 0 in five overs to 57 for 4 in the ninth over. more..