Sep 5 (FT) SL Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM), in collaboration with the Department of Samurdhi Development, has launched the Sathkaraye Shrama Sena – Hotel operations multitasker program, a nationwide initiative aimed at creating a multi-skilled workforce to serve SL’s growing tourism and hospitality sector. The official launch, held at the SLITHM Auditorium, marked a milestone in vocational training through a public-private partnership (PPP) model. more..

Sep 5 (FT) Senior Economic Adviser to the Prez Duminda Hulangamuwa last week warned that SL’s plantation industry faces an urgent need for structural reforms if it is to remain sustainable in the face of declining output and a shrinking labour force. Delivering the keynote address at the 171st AGM of the Planters’ Association of Ceylon last Friday, Chief Guest Hulangamuwa stressed that the plantation sector remains a backbone of the economy, more..

Sep 5 (DN) I just kept calm and gave of my best to reach the target said Kamindu Mendis who was adjudged player of the match in SL’s first winning T-20game against Zimbabwe at Harare We had to adjust to the situation to get success and the plan was well executed under tremendous pressure. Chasing the target of 176 SL made a solid start of 96 by openers Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis but fell 5 wickets in quick session putting tremendous pressure at 125 for 5 after 15.3 overs. more..

Sep 5 (FT) Inland Revenue Dept (IRD) announced that starting 1 Sept, all applications for both temporary and permanent VAT registration must be submitted exclusively through its online e-Services platform. Dept stated manual submissions will no longer be accepted after 31 August, making the digital platform the sole channel for VAT registration going forward. Individuals and businesses seeking VAT registration have been instructed to complete the process via IRD’s official website. more..

Sep 5 (Island) SL’s Cherry Barb (Rohanella titteya), a freshwater jewel revered by aquarists around the world, is at the heart of an explosive scientific controversy involving allegations of flawed research and illegal specimen smuggling. A 2025 study led by Yu-Hui Tao and colleagues in China has drawn sharp criticism from SL experts, who accuse the authors of violating SL law and undermining decades of local taxonomic more..

Sep 5 (EN) Prophet Muhammad’s teachings were based on the principle of equality that no person is superior or inferior to another on the basis of race, caste, or colour, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has said. “His commitment to abolishing social divides and instilling equality in the hearts of humanity stands as a timeless guide as we work today to create a lawful, ethical and virtuous society amidst contemporary social challenges,” Prez said in his message to mark Milad-un-Nabi. more..

Sep 5 (TM) Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) has considered a proposed supplementary estimate of monies to settle unpaid bills owed to the China EXIM bank, with regards to the Kandy North Pathadumbara Integrated Water Supply Project and for the completion of resolution on Sri Lanka and The UAE, meant for the promotion and reciprocal protection of investments. This was discussed at the meeting of the Committee on Public Finance Chaired by Dr. Harsha de Silva on 2 Sept. more..

Sep 5 (TM) Court of Appeal (CA) has dismissed a petition filed by organised crime suspect J.A. Ruwan Kumara alias Midigama Ruwan, through his attorney, seeking an order to remove the officers of the STF from activities such as the internal inspections of the Boossa High-Security Prison. The CA issued this decision after considering the submissions made by Additional Solicitor General Shanil Kularatne, appearing for the Attorney General, that the relevant petition could not be maintained. more..

Sep 5 (Island) Term of office of Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela, Chief Custodian of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy, is scheduled to end on Sunday (7). The tenure of a Diyawadana Nilame is ten years. Dela was first elected to the post in 2005, and was re-elected for a second term in 2015. According to the provisions of the Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance, from 8 Sept an Acting Diyawadana Nilame must be appointed, and within 3 months a formal election more..

Sep 5 (DM) Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga Bodaragama instructed the CID to submit 40 pounds of gold jewellery, seized from Shadhika Lakshani, the wife of alleged underworld figure 'Backhoe Saman' to the National Gem and Jewellery Authority for evaluation and to obtain a report. The magistrate further directed the CID to submit a comprehensive investigation report relating to money laundering allegations against her. more..

Sep 5 (AD) The first round of Political Consultations between Sri Lanka and Italy, co-chaired by Deputy Minister Arun Hemachandra and Italy’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Maria Tripodi, successfully concluded today (4) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism in Colombo. MoU on the Establishment of a Political Consultations Mechanism was signed by the two Deputy Ministers before commencing the Consultations, more..

Sep 5 (NW) The Court of Appeal today issued an interim order temporarily halting proceedings in the case against Public Security Ministry Secretary Ravi Seneviratne at the Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court. Seneviratne, a retired Senior DIG, faces charges stemming from an Oct 2023 traffic incident in which he was accused of drunk driving and related offences. His lawyers petitioned for the case to be transferred to another court, arguing that the Mount Lavinia Magistrate had more..

Sep 5 (DM) Minister Ananda Wijepala said investigations have revealed that organised crime gangs had brought in foreign nationals to run an ICE drug manufacturing facility allegedly funded by underworld figure Kehelbaddara Padme in the Nuwara Eliya area. Speaking at the opening of the new Cinnamon Garden Police Station building, Minister said information uncovered by the CID revealed that 2 Pakistani nationals were involved in operating ICE drug manufacturing facility. more..

Sep 5 (TM) CID has uncovered that organised crime suspect Mandinu Padmasiri alias Kehelbaddara Padme had been operating an illegal ice drug production facility in Nuwara Eliya. This revelation emerged during interrogations conducted while the suspect, Padme,/i>, remains in CID custody. According to information obtained through further questioning, the suspect had invested over Rs. 4 million in the operation and had rented a house in Nuwara Eliya to carry it out. more..

Sep 5 (DN) Shanudi Amaya of Sri Devananda Vidyalaya, Ambalangoda, Galle District has secured the highest score of 198 in Sinhala medium in this year’s Grade 5 Scholarship Exam. Meanwhile, A.Lakshan of Jaffna Hindu Primary School, Jaffna District, scored the highest score in Tamil medium, scoring 194 marks. Results of the 2025 Grade 5 Scholarship Exam were released online, midnight on Wednesday. more..

Sep 5 (DM) A tragic bus accident on the Ella–Wellawaya main road last night (4) claimed the lives of at least 15 people, including the driver and nine women. The incident occurred between the 23rd and 24th kilometre posts when a bus carrying about 30 municipal employees from Tangalle, returning from an excursion in Ella, veered off the road after colliding with a jeep and crashing into a roadside safety fence. Bus then plunged nearly 1,000 feet down a precipice while heading towards more..

Sep 5 (FT) Cabinet of Ministers approved fast-tracking investigations into complaints of missing and disappeared persons through a special project to be completed by the end of 2027. The initiative will be carried out under the provisions of the Office on Missing Persons (Establishment, Administration, and Functioning), Act No. 14 of 2016, which established the Office on Missing Persons (OMP) as a dedicated mechanism to investigate and report on cases of disappearance. more..

Sep 5 (FT) President Anura Kumara Disanayake on Wednesday declared that no crime will be allowed to disappear with the passage of time, pledging that the Govt will pursue offenders irrespective of when or where the crime was committed. He made these remarks at the 159th Police Day celebrations held at the Police Grounds in Thimbirigasyaya under the theme, Uphold the Law -Value Peace. more..

Sep 6 (CT) The after effects of years of lawless politics and lack of accountability among the political class and govt servants are coming home to roost SL after the NPP govt led by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) arrested former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe on criminal charges for alleged misuse of public funds on Aug 22. The arrest of Wickremesinghe had triggered a rare display of unity among leading opposition political parties who came together to address a press conference on more..

Sep 6 (DM) Life in our country has been controversial since last month. On August 22nd, we witnessed our immediate past president (Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe) being handcuffed and bundled away in a prison van. He had to remain in remand custody for two days as the Magistrate’s Court did not sit until Monday, or so we were told. Since then, we saw the arrest and detention of powerful past political figures including former MPs, past ministers and high-ranking govt bureaucrats. more..

Sep 6 (CT) When Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake arrived in Jaffna last week, the symbolism was as important as the substance. For a region still bearing the scars of war, displacement, and marginalisation, a presidential visit always carries weight. This time, Govt rolled out a carefully choreographed programme: a coconut triangle, a fisheries harbour, a tourism feasibility study, a cricket stadium, and even a promise of justice for more..

Sep 6 (CT) The govt’s decision to liquidate 33 non-functional State enterprises marks one of the most decisive moves yet in its drive to reform the public sector. Announced by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his capacity as Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, the plan is framed as a necessary step to reduce the mounting burden on the taxpayer and to redirect scarce resources towards more productive avenues. On the surface, the logic appears sound. more..

Sep 6 (DM) The Opposition party leaders seem to be in a rude shock after the arrest and remanding of former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe over allegation of using public funds for what the govt leaders say was a private visit to Wolverhampton University in England where his wife Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe was awarded an honorary professorship in Sept 2023. It is not just the shock that the long arm of the law has reached one of the few political untouchables for the first time, more..

Sep 6 (TM) From traffic fines to streamlining state payments, Sri Lanka’s GovPay is reshaping how citizens interact with Govt services. On Kaleidoscope we feature Information Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) Board Member Harsha Purasinghe to discuss GovPay, driving digital adoption, and what is next in the bold push to make Sri Lanka’s public services smarter, faster, and cleaner. more..

Sep 6 (CT) If someone thought that Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s surprise visit to the barren Katchatheevu islet would provide adequate diversion from his everyday hiccups in office, he is mistaken. Yes, the brief speedboat ride in the open seas with breeze gently hitting your face might have been refreshing for the Prez and his civilian entourage on board, but to the nation at large, it was at best a Page 3 news bit. Certainly, the Katchatheevu ride by itself, and even Prez’s public engagement more..

Sep 6 (Island) Laws are said to fall silent in times of war, but in this country, they fall silent even when the ruling party politicians go on the offensive to further their interests. The FSP has complained that a group of JVPers who grabbed its party office in Yakkala, the other day, by attacking its members and driving them away, continues to occupy it, under police protection. In the aftermath of Tuesday’s barbaric attack on the FSP office and its workers, the JVP members produced a document calling it more..

Sep 6 (FT) UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has been in politics for more than five decades. Wickremesinghe who has served as MP, Deputy Minister, Cabinet Minister, leader of the Opposition, PM and Prez has often been described as a spent force in politics. Resilient Ranil has always proved his detractors wrong by bouncing back into the ring spiritedly. Recent events seem to indicate that the irrepressible Ranil Wickremesinghe may yet again demonstrate that he is a person who more..

Sep 6 (FT) The curious case of an ex chief executive’s indictment has brought on a battery of psychiatric symptoms among denizens of the Demotic Social-media Republic of SL. Demotic in the sense of the common people and Social-media is self-explanatory. The hoi polloi have waged psychological warfare online – hat in hand, a PDA in the other – ever since the shock arrest. Far more interesting to followers of social studies is the plethora of symptoms suggesting that more..

Sep 6 (FT) Virtusa’s new leadership has set an ambitious vision to transform the company into a $5 billion enterprise by 2030, positioning it as the world’s leading domain-driven engineering partner for the AI-enterprise. On his first visit to SL since taking over as CEO earlier this year and in what marks his first series of global media engagements, Nitesh Banga sat down for an exclusive interview. He outlined Virtusa’s immediate priorities in AI more..

Sep 6 (ST) Following the recent impressive rise in FIFA global rankings, Sri Lanka has shown keen interest in upholding their growth at the international level, with more international games to follow. Next week, Sri Lanka is set to host Maldives at the Racecourse Ground in Colombo for two international friendlies, just a month before they resume their campaign in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. Sri Lanka will meet Maldives on September 6 for the first time since June 14, 2022, and more..

Sep 6 (DM) Global cybersecurity giant Kaspersky is calling on SL regulators to establish clear cybersecurity guidelines for mobile financial services amid a surge in digital threats. As SL embraces a mobile-first digital economy, the growing reliance on smartphones for banking and shopping is exposing millions to significant financial cyber risks. According to a 2024 Kaspersky cybersecurity report, the threat landscape is worsening globally, with data foreshadowing an imminent rise more..

Sep 6 (NW) A group of 16 SL journalists has arrived in Israel on a five-day study program aimed at providing foreign media and policymakers with a clearer understanding of the country’s current situation, SL Ambassador to Israel Nimal Bandara said. The visit, organized by the Israeli Embassy in New Delhi, would give the delegation opportunities to meet senior officials from Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense. “Our journalists will also observe humanitarian aid operations in more..

Sep 6 (Island) Vigneshwaran Akash and Chamika Heenatigala took four wickets each before the top order batting line up clicked together as Sri Lanka Under 19s beat their West Indies counterparts by eight wickets to take a 2-1 lead in the five match Youth ODI series in Antigua on Thursday. ‎Chasing 139 runs to win open batsman Viran Chamuditha cracked an unbeaten 64 runs to seal the victory with 28 overs to spare. Chamuditha’s opening partner Puleesha hammered 21 runs with four fours. more..

Sep 6 (ST) SL’s number plate issuance has been at a halt for months with Dept of Motor Traffic (DMT) conceeding that an estimated 95,000 vehicles and more than 80,000 motorcycles are yet to be issued official number plates. An investigation found the shortage was due to a cancelled contract in Apr 2025, chronic delays in tenders, and an outdated registration system that is unable to cope with the demand. more..

Sep 6 (Island) Deputy Minister of Technology and Innovation Chathuranga Abeysinghe has called on Sri Lanka’s engineering community to take the lead in driving industrialisation and positioning the nation as a global hub for innovation. Besides he stressed that engineering must extend beyond infrastructure, with a greater focus on research, development and exportable solutions. Speaking at the National Engineering Conference 2025 held for the second consecutive year recently, more..

Sep 6 (ST) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has once again drawn attention for the manner in which its finances are managed. A review of SLC’s latest financial statements shows extensive related-party transactions, raising questions about governance, transparency, and possible conflicts of interest within the organisation. Payments categorised as Transactions with Related Entities amount to over Rs. 2bn (Rs. 2,041,383,177) in 2024 and again over Rs. 2bn (Rs. 2,078,418,418) in 2023. more..