Sep 24 (ST) SL golfer N. Thangaraja emerged champion of the Chennai Open held from September 16 to 19 in Chennai where 57 professionals competed. From the outset, Thangaraja demonstrated poise and precision, carding one of the lowest cumulative scores to dominate the field with a final tally of -17, a winning margin that many will remember. On the final day, Thangaraja triumphed with a hard-fought one-over 73 in an INR 10 million event, more..

Sep 24 (FT) National Medal Awarding Ceremony of the School Industry Entrepreneurship Circles was held recently at the Nelum Pokuna Theatre. The event commemorated the program and its impact on over 32,000 students across all 25 districts in more than 603 schools. The program had also trained 1,750 teachers at schools to establish over 1,400 entrepreneurship circles. Abans PLC partnered with the SL Industrial Development Board (IDB), Industry & Entrepreneurship Development Ministry, more..

Sep 24 (FT) Phoenix Ogilvy SL and SriLankan Airlines made history as the first Sri Lankan advertising agency and brand to win at the coveted APAC Effie’s, held recently in Singapore. The campaign, Relive the Epic of the Ramayana Trail, was the sole entry shortlisted in the Travel and Tourism category from the entire Asia Pacific region and was awarded a Bronze Effie, highlighting the campaign’s role in revitalising inbound tourism at a crucial time for the nation’s economy. more..

Sep 24 (FT) SL’s tea export earnings in the first eight months of 2025 has reached its highest level since 2014. Sri Lanka exported 174.5 million kilograms (Mnkg) of tea during the period Jan-Aug 2025, up 7% from 162.5 Mnkg a year earlier, earning an export revenue of Rs. 306 billion or $ 1.2 billion in the eight-month period, compared to Rs. 288 billion or $ 942 million a year ago. “Interestingly the 2025 US dollar earnings for the period ending August are the highest since 2014 more..

Sep 24 (FT) SL’s export sector continues to show strong resilience, registering over $ 11.54 billion in total exports during the first 8 months of 2025, a 6.61% YoY growth, alongside the strongest performance recorded for the month of August. The latest figures, underscore a steady upward trajectory in both merchandise and services exports, despite growing competitiveness and uncertainties in the global markets. more..

Sep 24 (FT) SL has overhauled the incentive regime for the Colombo Port City Special Economic Zone, cutting back generous tax holidays and raising investment thresholds in line with its IMF-backed fiscal reforms. The new framework, published in a gazette on 20 Sept, replaces the previous rules that lapsed in August and will be in force for five years. Issued by Prez Anura Kumara Disanayake in his capacity as Finance Minister, regulations scale down exemptions that once ran as long as 25 yrs. more..

Sep 24 (TM) Sri Lanka has an estimated 7.5 million unregistered micro-sellers who operate informally, in addition to the over one million formally registered micro-small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), Visa Country Manager to Sri Lanka and Maldives Avanthi Colombage said, at a media press conference yesterday (23). “If we deep dive into Sri Lanka there are over a million registered MSMEs, but there are also an estimated 7.5 million unregistered micro sellers in our country. more..

Sep 24 (ST) Ten coal bidders have submitted proposals, marking one of the most closely watched tenders in recent years due to the controversies that surrounded earlier awards to supply coal for the 900MW Lakvijaya power plant. The Lanka Coal Company (LCC) opened Term Tender No. LCC/25/TT/1 recently to procure 1.5 million metric tonnes (±10 per cent) of coal for the power plant located at Norochcholai, covering more..

Sep 24 (ST) Finance Ministry has started collecting information from Ministry Secretaries, Chief Secretaries of PCs and Heads of Dept in the run-up to ordering a fleet of new double cabs to facilitate the swift and efficient implementation of the govt’s development programmes. However, the proposed double cabs should not be used as official vehicles for officers, and no fuel allowance should be paid based on them, a circular from Treasury Secretary Harshana Suriyapperuma says. more..

Sep 24 (Island) Sri Lanka is set to celebrate World Tourism Day 2025 with one of the most ambitious and wide-ranging series of events the industry has seen in recent years. Organized under the global UNWTO theme of Tourism and Sustainable Transformation, the programme reflects the country’s determination to place its youth, SMEs, and academic excellence at the centre of tourism’s future. From competitions in the provinces to international conferences at BMICH, more..

Sep 24 (CT) Cabinet Spokesman, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, announced yesterday that the Cabinet has approved the signing of an agreement between Sri Lanka and Philippines on the transfer of sentenced persons. The proposal, submitted by the Minister of Justice and National Integration, aims to provide prisoners with the opportunity to serve the remainder of their sentences in their home country. He said the move is intended to support social rehabilitation and reintegration into society. more..

Sep 24 (FT) The SL FinTech Summit 2025 has announced its confirmed line up of speakers, bringing together global and SL leaders in digital finance, technology, and regulation to accelerate the country’s transition towards a resilient and inclusive digital economy. The two-day summit will kick-off today at the BMICH in Colombo. The summit will feature more than 25 speakers across Govt, financial institutions, global fintech leaders, and industry innovators. The summit is led by more..

Sep 24 (TM) Sri Lanka is looking to provide tax concessions for individual commitments of more than $ 50 million in foreign direct investments (FDI) after convincing the IMF, BoI Chairperson Arjuna Herath said. Herath said that as part of a target to double FDIs to about $ 2 billion next year, the govt has convinced the IMF to allow tax concessions, tax-free periods, customs and excise duty concessions for individual commitments of more than $ 50m. more..

Sep 24 (TM) For the first time in history, Sri Lanka will host the Asia Pacific Motorsport Championship 2025, a landmark international event sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the world governing body for motorsport. It will take place from 26 to 28 September at the Speedbay Karting Circuit in Bandaragama, the only track in the country built to FIA-CIK standards. This prestigious championship is organised by the Ceylon Motor Sports Club (CMSC), more..

Sep 24 (NW) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who left the country to attend the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport in the United States today (23) at around 8.50 a.m. American time. On his arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport, President Dissanayake was warmly received by Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, former Chief Justice and President’s Counsel Jayantha Jayasuriya. more..

Sep 24 (DM) SL yesterday championed fair wages that uphold the dignity of workers, calling on govts, employers, and partners in the region to work together. Joining 16 other countries, the island nation asserted that living wage should not be merely treated as an economic measure but as a fundamental human right across Asia and the Pacific. Addressing policymakers, trade union representatives, employers, and diplomatic officials, Minister Anil Jayantha Fernando emphasised more..

Sep 24 (DN) Plans are underway to provide a QR code when distributing fertiliser in the future and this QR code will be implemented for the fertilizer subsidy of Rs.200 million which will be provided for tea cultivation in the near future, Minister Samantha Vidyarathna told Parliament yesterday. In response to a question raised by NPP MP Ajantha Gammedage, the Minister said that this QR code is introduced when distributing fertiliser in the future to avoid problems arising in providing fertiliser more..

Sep 24 (TM) The full report on the accident on the Ella-Wellawaya road on 4 Sept, which claimed the lives of 16 people, has been handed over to the Minister Bimal Rathnayake on Monday. According to the report, the bus involved in the accident had been driven by a 22-year-old, and it was his first time driving the vehicle. Report identified that operating a bus carrying passengers along a steep and winding road – more..

Sep 24 (DM) Safety of high-rise buildings in Colombo and its suburbs came to the limelight in Parliament with an opposition MP asking whether local bodies have the firefighting capacity in an emergency situation. "Cranes which could go as high as at least 50 floors are needed to fight a fire in an emergency. One wonders whether the CMC or other local bodies have the capacity," MP Rauff Hakeem said. Govt MP Akram Illias also questioned the genuineness of safety documents of more..

Sep 24 (DM) In the wake of public pressure to reveal names of politicians said to have been linked to underworld and the drug network, the govt today said disclosing the names of politicians divulged by suspects during interrogations will be a hindrance to further investigations. Cabinet Spokesman Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa told the weekly briefing to announce Cabinet decisions that political links with the underworld and the drug network will be revealed gradually. more..

Sep 24 (TM) The leave of all employees of the CEB has been cancelled. CEB General Manager has stated that the directive will be in place until further notice. An extraordinary gazette notification was issued by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake on 21 Sept, declaring all services connected to the supply of electricity as essential public services. The order issued by the Prez stated that services provided by any public corp, more..

Sep 24 (FT) For time immemorial, SL has been a decisive node in global trade. From the days of the Silk Route, Ceylon—as it was then called—connected East and West. Historical records from the Godawaya port in Hambantota show how this southern coast played a role in international trade centuries ago. After 75 years of independence, despite every Govt repeating Hambantota’s location-specific advantage as an election slogan, little was done to convert that advantage into real more..

Sep 24 (FT) Among the hopes many had for the NPP Govt when it was elected one year ago was that it would move Sri Lanka to actually opposing the devastating genocide Israel was carrying out against the Palestinian people in Gaza. What the NPP Govt has gone on to do since then has been the opposite. A look at its positions on Palestine, its actions while in Govt and its own past unearths a shamelessness which all Sri Lankans must contend with. During his pestilent, unelected presidency, more..

Sep 24 (NW) Ada Derana posted a video featuring the ruling party JVP MP Sunil Handunneththi, who is currently the Minister of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development. The video was posted to Facebook, as well as to YouTube. The exchange is completely in Sinhala. The segment begins with the Ada Derana TV anchor Kalindu Karunaratne observing that many asset declarations appeared incomplete, lacked credibility, and perhaps made a mockery of the law, questioning more..

Sep 24 (DM) Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake today proposed that students who complete their A/L exams be granted Rs. 5,000 to engage in recreational activities such as watching a movie or visiting the beach. Speaking in Parliament, the Minister said students should be encouraged to watch movies and dramas, listen to good music, visit beaches and participate in cultural activities. “I once reminded the PM about this matter, as it is an important step for the younger generation as more..

Sep 24 (DM) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who is currently in the United States to attend the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, met with President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy for South and Central Asian affairs, U.S. Ambassador to India and Director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, Sergio Gor on 23rd afternoon, US time. The meeting took place at the Office of Sri Lanka’s more..

Sep 24 (AD) Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe is reportedly preparing to travel overseas due to health reasons, according to informed sources. It is reported that former President Wickremesinghe is considering traveling to either France, the UK, or India. In view of the current climate in the country, the former President was recently invited by opposition political parties to take on a leadership role and contribute to future political activities. more..

Sep 24 (CT) A total of six complexes in the Accident Service Building of the National Hospital, Colombo, have been severely affected for nearly 12 months due to a faulty central air-conditioning system, causing serious discomfort to patients and staff and placing the machinery housed there at risk. Sources within the hospital yesterday (23) said that although two surgical complexes, two intensive care units (ICUs), and two radiotherapy units in the building must be maintained under more..

Sep 24 (Island) SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa warned Parliament that SL’s international standing could be jeopardised following a statement made to the Office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) by the father of a child killed in the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks. Premadasa said that the father of Vihanga Tejan, a young boy who lost his life in the suicide bombing at the Shangri-La Hotel, more..

Sep 24 (AD) The Digital Task Force was appointed to facilitate education reform and that digitalization can bring a significant transformation to the education sector in the country, said Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Training, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya. PM made these remarks while participating in the quarterly progress review meeting of the Parliamentary Digital Task Force for Education, held to inform Members of Parliament. more..

Sep 24 (CT) A restaurant owner in the Pelwehera area of Dambulla has returned a lost handbag belonging to a foreign tourist, which contained over Rs 1.8 million in local currency and a large amount of foreign currency, to the same tourist. The Australian national, Tennie Martin Stime, who has been permanently residing in Australia, revealed that he was born in Sri Lanka and migrated to Australia 50 years ago. He encountered this unexpected incident while visiting his motherland. more..

Sep 24 (DM) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who is currently in the United States to attend the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, met South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the One Plaza in New York. President Dissanayake was warmly welcomed by the President of South Africa. Bilateral discussions commenced between the two parties, during which attention was focused on further strengthening the existing relations between the two countries. more..

Sep 24 (NW) The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has issued a stern warning to former MP Tissa Kuttiarachchi over making irresponsible statements in public meetings. It is reported that SLPP General Secretary, Sagara Kariyawasam, had issued the warning to Tissa Kuttiarachchi over his recent statements. The warning comes after Tissa Kuttiarachchi said he will serve as Sri Lanka’s unofficial president when SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa is elected head of state. more..

Sep 24 (EN) Nations Trust Bank said it has entered into a sale and purchase agreement with The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation’s SL branch (HSBC SL) to acquire its retail banking business for 18 billion rupees, and applicable taxes if any. The proposed acquisition covers HSBC SL’s retail banking business including premium banking customers, credit cards, retail loans and accounts of approx 200,000 customers. more..

Sep 24 (EN) SriLankan Airlines’ said its new five-year strategic plan will focus on achieving financial stability, and recovery from recent fleet disruptions, among other matters. “SriLankan Airlines’ comprehensive five-year strategy is steering the airline towards operational efficiency and recovery from recent fleet disruptions,” the airline said in a statement. “Moving forward, SriLankan will focus on achieving financial stability through ongoing debt restructuring, fleet expansion, more..