Sep 7 (NW) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has outlined a series of measures aimed at accelerating Sri Lanka’s digital transformation, including plans to make around 80% of govt services accessible from home through mobile phones. Addressing a public meeting in Bulathsinhala, Prez said Rs. 30 billion would be allocated in next year’s Budget for digitalisation, while the govt also plans to expand nationwide 4G coverage. Here are seven key updates announced by the President: more..

Sep 7 (NW) Minister Bimal Rathnayake revealed that the property used for service area on the southern expressway was leased for 99 years at an annual rent of Rs. 10,000 during the previous Rajapaksa administration. Rathnayake made the remarks while responding to concerns over poor maintenance, cleanliness and high food prices at the facility. He said only one service area is currently operating across the 312-km expressway network, while another facility is being developed in the Udukawa area. more..

Sep 7 (NW) Colombo Magistrate’s Court has rejected a request by the CID to impose overseas travel bans on racing driver Dilantha Malagamuwa and three others over an alleged land fraud involving forged deeds. Colombo Additional Magistrate Lahiru Silva instead directed the CID to take steps to name the four individuals as suspects in the investigation before seeking travel restrictions against them. CID told court that the four were being investigated over an alleged large-scale scheme involving more..

Sep 7 (DM) The Supreme Court today granted permission to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son Yoshitha Rajapaksa to withdraw an appeal challenging the Court of Appeal decision to dismiss a revision application relating to a money-laundering case. Supreme Court permitted Yoshitha Rajapaksa to withdraw his appeal, allowing him to reserve the preliminary issues he raised through this appeal if he files an appeal in the future. The Supreme Court 3-judge-bench comprised more..

Sep 7 (AD) PM Harini Amarasuriya stated that certain comments made on social media, particularly those targeting a child, a vulnerable person or a woman, clearly demonstrate the need for a cultured human being in society. PM emphasized that a cultured person is not merely someone who possesses knowledge acquired through books or is capable of presenting memorized information. Rather, a cultured person is one who undergoes an inner transformation through literature and more..

Sep 7 (DM) The Parliamentary Select Committee appointed to conduct a comprehensive study into the lack of preparedness to face Cyclone Ditwah has questioned senior Sri Lanka Police officers who were involved in responding to the disaster. The Committee, which is tasked with reporting its findings to Parliament and submitting proposals and recommendations, held the questioning recently at Parliament under the chairmanship of Minister Nalinda Jayatissa. more..

Sep 7 (NW) Venerable Ampitiye Sumanarathana Thera, who was arrested by the Batticaloa Police today, has been remanded until tomorrow (08). Police said the monk was taken into custody in connection with obstructing the duties of officers attached to the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau in Batticaloa. Following his arrest, Sumanarathana Thera was produced before the Batticaloa Magistrate’s Court, which ordered that he be remanded until September 8. more..

Sep 7 (NW) Colombo High Court today ordered that the further examination of evidence in the corruption case filed by the Bribery Commission against former Minister Kumara Jayakody be taken up again on Oct 5. The case was heard before High Court Judge Rashantha Godawela. During proceedings, former Chairman of the Lanka Fertilizer Company, Buddhika Madihahewa, testified under the direction of Assistant Director General of the Bribery Commission, Asitha Anthony. more..

Sep 7 (TM) Rural Development, Social Security & Community Empowerment Ministry unveiled plans to establish a retirement resort village in Pannala, Kurunegala, aimed at accommodating 400 elderly citizens. The initiative is part of a broader effort to improve retirement conditions for senior citizens, with the village set to be the first of its kind in the country to feature modern facilities. Deputy subject Minister Wasantha Piyathissa said that the Govt is actively more..

Sep 7 (NW) The Irrigation Department has reported that the total water capacity stored in reservoirs across the country has dropped to around 47.3% due to prevailing dry weather conditions. Irrigation Director (Water Management) H.M.P.S.D. Herath said that the major reservoirs under the department’s control currently hold 34.4% of capacity. He noted that reservoirs in the districts of Ampara, Batticaloa, and Trincomalee are at particularly low levels, averaging around 20%. more..

Sep 7 (NW) Newly registered vehicles will now be issued their number plates within one week of registration, Commissioner General of Motor Traffic, Retired Air Vice Marshal Thushara Fernando announced. Addressing the media, he explained that the production of number plates for vehicles registered between June 10 and August 31 this year has already been completed, and going forward, the process will be streamlined to ensure plates are delivered promptly. more..

Sep 7 (ST) Sri Lanka and India will sign three fresh defence-related MoUs during Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s three-day visit, which begins on Tuesday. Besides the MoUs, the two sides will also review the India-SL Defence Cooperation MoU that was signed during Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s visit to India on April 5 last year. One of the fresh MoUs will cover the supply of Indian air-defence guns, while the others will be to enhance ties between the cadet corps of the two countries more..

Sep 7 (ST) Attorney General has advised the CID to obtain a statement from former NSB Chairman Pradeep Kariyawasam over an incident where Rs. 1 million had been deposited to a bank account maintained by Siriliya Saviya Foundation following a request for a donation to help purchase a PET scanner for the Maharagama Apeksha Cancer Hospital. AG has advised the CID to record a statement from the former NSB Chairman after it was revealed that while the request for a donation came from more..

Sep 7 (NW) Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has taken legal action against a company in Seethawaka, Avissawella, and its Director, for producing and distributing bottled drinking water using a fake Sri Lanka Standards (SLS) mark and a false brand name. The case was heard before the Avissawella Magistrate’s Court after CAA officers raided the company on Aug 21, seizing more than 8,500 bottles of water labelled Aquachill instead of the Ministry of Health‑approved name Lanka Premium. more..

Sep 7 (DN) The second depot under SL’s Metro Bus Service began operations in Kadawatha today, marking another step in the expansion of the country’s modern public transport network. The newly established depot is located next to the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) Depot along the Kadawatha–Ganemulla Main Road in the Gampaha District. The first Metro Bus depot was opened in Talangama, Battaramulla, on Sept 4. Four depots are planned under the first phase of the Metro Bus project, more..

Sep 7 (NW) Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) President Steven Thiru has raised several concerns over procedural fairness, transparency and public confidence arising from the Supreme Court proceedings challenging SL’s proposed 22nd Amendment to the Constitution. In a report dated Sept 7 following his visit to SL, Thiru said he attended the second day of the Supreme Court hearing on Sept 2 as an observer at the invitation of the BASL. more..

Sep 7 (AD) A 46-year-old man known as Bhootha Kaluwa, the brother-in-law of alleged organized crime figure Kos Malli, has been hacked to death in Dehiwala early this morning, police stated. The attack took place at around 1:45 a.m. today at the victim’s residence in Orban Place of Dehiwala. Police said a group of four men arrived at the house in a three-wheeler, broke down the door and entered the premises. The assailants then attacked the victim, who was asleep in bed, more..

Sep 7 (DM) SriLankan Airlines has cancelled its scheduled Colombo-Jakarta services today due to volcanic ash from Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatoa affecting airspace in the region. The airline said flights UL 364, operating from Colombo to Jakarta, and UL 365, from Jakarta to Colombo, were cancelled as a precautionary measure following the spread of volcanic ash. Indonesian aviation authorities have also suspended operations at several airports, including Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Int'l Airport, more..

Sep 7 (FT) Given what I had written about the remanding of other politicians, it is reasonable to ask for my response to the above question. Also, I have been pursuing this matter since 2020 when the evidence first emerged. On 2 Jan 2024, in an article entitled What can (and cannot) be done about corruption, I wrote: Even more importantly, all who want to live in a decent society under the rule of law must pressure the government to accelerate the complete implementation of more..

Sep 7 (FT) British Meteorological Office has issued a chilling warning that should instantly shake us out of our collective complacency. According to their latest global climate projections, the planet is on track for a severe El Niño trajectory building toward 2027, which is estimated to be the hottest year of the century. Alarmingly, scientists warn that this atmospheric disruption could mirror the catastrophic global climate shift of 1877—a dark year in human history when more..

Sep 7 (NF) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has declared that the country’s long-running Cops and Robbers game in politics is finished, promising swift action to clear a massive backlog of corruption and crime cases and to ensure punishments are delivered while evidence is still fresh. He said only his NPP govt would cleanse the system, even as entrenched interests scramble to protect themselves through embassies and more..

Sep 7 (FT) Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will undertake an official visit to SL from 8 to 10 Sept, according to a statement issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) in Delhi. Singh will hold consultations with SL’s leadership on a range of issues during the visit and interact separately with the Indian diaspora in Colombo, the statement said. He will lead a high-level delegation comprising senior officials from India’s Defence Ministry and External Affairs Ministry. more..

Sep 7 (DN) The second phase of the third term for 2026 for government and govt-approved private Sinhala and Tamil medium schools resumes today. The Education Ministry announced that schools were closed on August 7, concluding the first phase of the 2026 third school term. For Muslim schools, the third term vacation came into effect on Sept 2. The second phase of the third school term for all Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim schools will commence today 7 and continue until Dec 4. more..

Sep 7 (Island) The CID recently found that former SLPP Deputy Minister Premalal Jayasekara, better known as Choka Malli, had left for Thailand when the Supreme Court imposed an overseas travel ban on him last Friday. CID discovered that Jayasekara had left Sri Lanka on Aug 31, while authorities were taking steps to enforce the travel restriction imposed by the Supreme Court. Department has subsequently informed more..

Sep 7 (Island) The Labour Ministry has rejected the interpretation that SL currently ranks 120th globally in terms of minimum wages, saying the ranking was based on 2024 data and does not reflect subsequent increases in the country’s minimum wage. Ministry said the comparison, published by Visual Capitalist, was not an International Labour Organisation (ILO) report. The ILO has confirmed that it was not involved in preparing or publishing the ranking, according to the Ministry. more..

Sep 7 (FT) Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe was drawn into a public dispute on LinkedIn over the past day after a technology entrepreneur accused the Govt of repeatedly changing the tax terms offered to companies registering at the Colombo Port City Special Economic Zone (SEZ). The exchange was triggered by a post from Shavini Fernando, Founder of a Virtual Reality (VR) and web design and development firm, who said her company more..

Sep 7 (TM) Building on the yield trend observed in July and August, investor sentiment in SL govt securities has shown continued improvement, despite a volatile geopolitical climate and selective investor positioning across maturities. At the T-Bond auction held on 25 August, PDMO raised the full Rs 50.0 billion on offer. This comprised a Rs 30.0 billion bond maturing in 2030 and a Rs 20.0 billion bond maturing in 2035, with coupon rates of 10.00% and 11.50%, respectively. more..

Sep 7 (ST) Colombo Port is currently witnessing a resurgence of the congestion that had been experienced soon after the crisis in West Asia erupted following tensions between Iran, Israel and the US. This has led to exporters rushing to authorities insisting on immediate solutions to delays and congestion build-up at the port. Delays and congestion is witnessed in a number of global ports enroute to West Asia. But shipping industry analysts noted that Colombo is a bit tight as it has more..

Sep 7 (FT) UNP, one of SL's oldest political movements, marked its 80th anniversary yesterday, with its leadership and representatives of several Opposition parties reflecting on the party’s political legacy, whilst warning of challenges to democracy and the country’s constitutional order. Addressing the anniversary event, UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said the party, founded on 6 Sept 1946 under leadership of D.S. Senanayake more..

Sep 7 (Island) The number of deaths from dengue fever in Sri Lanka has risen to 73 this year, with 96,228 cases reported across the country so far. The latest figures indicate that dengue continues to pose a significant public health concern, with 737 new cases recorded during the first four days of September alone. Dengue infections peaked in July, when 29,964 cases were reported, according to the latest data. June recorded the second-highest monthly total, with 21,533 cases, more..

Sep 7 (Island) Top order batter Pathum Nissanka has rejoined the SL squad after three months on the sidelines following wrist surgery. Nissanka suffered the injury during SL’s tour of the West Indies in June and subsequently flew to London for surgery. The setback ruled him out of the LPL, the Test series against India and the start of the domestic season. He returned to action for NCC in the domestic T20 competition last week, using the outing to prove his fitness and earn a recall to the national side. more..