Sep 13 (ST) When the then Indian Defence Minister Krishna Chandra Pant visited SL in June 1988, Indian troops under a peacekeeping flag (IPKF) were assigned to ostensibly subdue the LTTE in the north and east of the country while govt troops were redeployed to put down an insurgency by the JVP in the rest of the country. Mr Pant had arrived in Colombo as Indian troop casualties had begun to mount after the LTTE launched attacks more..

Sep 13 (DM) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake said claims of political revenge and attempts to gain public sympathy would not deter the Govt from taking legal action against those accused of corruption and misappropriation of public funds. Addressing the farmers’ rally in Polonnaruwa, the Prez said the Govt had no personal disputes or desire for revenge against anyone, but had a responsibility to bring to justice those responsible for damaging the country through corruption. more..

Sep 13 (NW) SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa, currently in remand custody, has sent a message to supporters attending the party’s Jana Satana rally in A'pura, saying he would not bow to what he described as the govt’s political pressure. In the message issued from the Colombo Remand Prison, Rajapaksa thanked supporters for their solidarity and described the A'pura rally as a decisive new beginning for the SLPP’s political movement. “I see you from behind the iron bars of more..

Sep 13 (ST) Early last month, the TRCSL, operating under the Ministry of Digital Economy, blocked access within SL to 24 websites that it said had been unlawfully providing online gambling and betting services without obtaining the required licences. Citing Gambling Regulatory Authority Act of 2024, it said that any person or entity providing or promoting online gambling services in SL without obtaining a valid licence commits an offence: more..

Sep 13 (SO) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has requested India’s support to repatriate 10 drug traffickers and organised criminals currently in Indian custody after fleeing SL and taking refuge in India. The President made the request directly to Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during a meeting held during Singh’s official 3-day visit to SL which concluded on Sept 10. President Dissanayake also sought India’s intervention to curb the repeated intrusion of Indian fishing vessels into more..

Sep 13 (ST) The govt may consider a request by private operators to adjust their fuel prices according to the landed cost in view of the fluctuating world fuel prices, Minister Anura Karunathilaka said. “There is no legal hurdle to such fuel price adjustments going by the agreements in place with these private operators,” the minister said. Meanwhile, private fuel operators have informed the govt that escalating landed costs for fuel due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East are making it difficult more..

Sep 13 (ST) Attorney General’s Dept has directed the CID to produce MP Namal Rajapaksa in courts on money laundering charges. Accordingly, Mr Rajapaksa, who is currently in custody over allegations of receiving a bribe in connection with the Airbus deal, is due to be produced in the Colombo Fort Magistrate courts on Sept 16. On the advice of the Attorney General, CID had submitted a motion to court regarding the issue. Earlier the SriLankan Airlines’ former CEO, Kapila Chandrasena, more..

Sep 13 (TM) As the crucial December festive season approaches, SL’s retailers are bracing for a challenging peak trading period, with rising operating costs eroding margins while weak consumer demand leaves little room to raise prices. SL Retailers’ Association founder Prez Hussain Sadique said that retailers had seen their bottom lines erode due to the increase in operating costs observed over the recent past amid external economic pressures stemming from ME crisis. more..

Sep 13 (Island) Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero was not at his temple in Rajagiriya when prison officials visited the premises yesterday to take steps following the Supreme Court ruling that nullified the presidential pardon granted to him. Prison officials who visited the temple on Nawala Road, Rajagiriya, were reportedly informed by those present that the Thero’s whereabouts were unknown. The development comes a day more..

Sep 13 (MB) As dusk settled over the paddy fields at Puwakpitiya, a village on the northern edge of Knuckles Mountain Range locally known as Dumbara mountains in Central SL, researchers began laying traps along the uneasy boundary between farmland and forest. They were targeting small terrestrial mammals moving through the landscape. On the ground, drift fences were created to lead animals to pitfall traps, while box style Sherman live traps were baited with feed. more..

Sep 13 (AD) PM Harini Amarasuriya says that art, together with unity, mutual understanding and harmony, is essential for people to lead fulfilling and happy lives. She further emphasized the importance of preserving the SL identity while remaining open-minded and prepared to face the challenges of a rapidly changing society. PM made these remarks on Saturday while participating in the opening ceremony of a special educational and cultural trade exhibition and festival organized jointly by more..

Sep 13 (EN) A 5-day training course on the Sovereign Risk and Debt Sustainability Framework (SRDSF), held in Colombo, focused on developing the technical skills of SL officials and international participants. IMF South Asia Regional Training and Technical Assistance Center (SARTTAC) organized the training on the SRDSF at the Taj Samudra from Sept 7 to 11, as part of the IMF’s capacity development program. The event brings together international participants alongside officials more..

Sep 13 (TM) Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has intensified islandwide raids against businesses selling plastic bottled drinking water above the stipulated Maximum Retail Price (MRP), warning that offenders could face court-imposed fines ranging from Rs. 100,000 to Rs. 5 million. A senior CAA official said that enforcement operations were underway across the country, with the authority conducting raids and instituting legal action against businesses violating gazetted price ceilings. more..

Sep 13 (TM) National Water Supply & Drainage Board (NWSDB) is proceeding with three seawater desalination projects in the Jaffna Peninsula to address acute freshwater shortages in areas with scarce natural surface water resources. The move comes as dry weather conditions continue to affect 35,169 families, comprising 115,586 people, across seven districts. Three sea water purification projects are currently underway under more..

Sep 13 (NW) Attorney-at-Law Achala Senevirathne has called on the govt to take responsibility for any threats to her life or the safety of her clients, particularly victims she represents in legal proceedings. Addressing the media Senevirathne said she was deeply disappointed with the govt’s performance over the past two years and accused the administration, including Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, of appearing to have forgotten the role of public support in bringing it to power. more..

Sep 13 (ST) SL power sector is undergoing a massive liquidity and technical crisis. The newly established National System Operator (NSO) and the unbundled entities of the former CEB are facing severe financial constraints, resulting in billions of rupees in unpaid dues to renewable energy developers and commercial solar owners. Compounding the financial delays, the NSO has repeatedly forced commercial solar installations to shut down during low-demand holiday more..

Sep 13 (SO) SL must accelerate its reform momentum and maintain prudent economic policies as it enters the final stage of its US$3 billion IMF EFF programme, amid continued external and domestic risks, IMF Resident Representative to SL Martha Woldemichael said. She said SL’s programme performance was generally strong but stressed that debt vulnerabilities remain high and that completing the debt restructuring and more..

Sep 13 (Island) Development Lotteries Board (DLB) has launched its second digital lottery, Wasi, offering a Rs. one million jackpot and electric motorcycles among its prizes. The new seven-day lottery was released to the market on Sept 10, with the inaugural draw, titled Raja Wasi, scheduled for Oct 1. DLB said the introduction of Wasi marked a major technological step in its 43-year history and was aimed particularly at attracting younger consumers increasingly engaged with digital platforms. more..

Sep 13 (NW) A Hambantota Port employee and a businessman have been arrested over an alleged racket involving the theft and sale of smart keys belonging to vehicles imported through the Hambantota Port. Investigations by port security personnel identified an employee suspected of stealing smart keys from imported vehicles. The employee was subsequently handed over to Hambantota Port Police for further investigation. Police investigations have revealed that more..

Sep 13 (SO) SL schools rugby is set to enter the franchise era with the launch of the Next XV, a groundbreaking new competition bringing together 140 of the country’s leading schoolboy rugby players across four city-based franchises. The inaugural league will be played every Saturday from Sept 19 to Oct 10, with double-headers each week and one match played under lights. The first three Saturday’s will feature the league stage followed by the third-place playoff and the final on Oct 10. more..

Sep 13 (TM) Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage recently reiterated that the Sports Ministry had no authority over the issuance of visas to SL athletes, urging sporting bodies not to pass the responsibility back to the ministry. He requested sports federations to take greater responsibility in managing overseas travel arrangements of teams coming under their purview, instead of shifting responsibility to the Sports Ministry and the Govt. Minister emphasised that there had been a long-standing more..

Sep 13 (CI) If spin is to decide the Women's T20 Asia Cup final, both India and SL have plenty to call upon. India's spin attack, led by Deepti Sharma, has taken 26 wickets in the tournament, the most by a side. SL are next with 25. That makes it seem like a spin vs spin and more spin kind of title contest. On the plus side for India is that they have appeared well-rounded on the whole. Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma more..

Sep 13 (NW) PM Harini Amarasuriya has praised Transport, Highways and Urban Development Minister Bimal Rathnayake and his ministry, saying its work is increasingly being felt by the public and has become a subject of positive discussion. Speaking at the launch of the govt’s Life Cities programme, PM said she was proud of the work being carried out by the ministry. “I am really proud, Bimal. I think I said this yesterday as well when we opened the Bambalapitiya Railway Station. more..

Sep 13 (Island) Red flags have been raised over the culture within SL dressing room, with administrators concerned by low energy levels, poor attitudes and even drinking issues among some fast bowlers during the recent series against India. Test captain Dhananjaya de Silva is expected to get the axe ahead of the next tour of Pakistan, but changing the man at the helm will hardly cure what appears to be a much deeper malaise. More worryingly, there is no obvious successor being groomed for the job. more..

Sep 13 (GV) Govt is coming under increasing pressure from the opposition and civil society as well as India for failing to hold Provincial Council elections in keeping with a constitutional requirement as well as its own election promise. Accusing the govt of stalling without taking a firm decision, despite the existence of practical and legal solutions to hold the elections, four opposition members boycotted the 10th meeting of the Parliamentary Select Committee on the PC Elections. more..

Sep 13 (Island) 22nd Amendment has given the govt’s critics a convenient cudgel to beat up the govt. But there has been no crushing blow by any effective opponent. Too many people have been taking too many turns and striking too many blows, but no one has landed anything to shake the govt in any way. The whole drama is the new SL parody of Lilliputians taking on Gulliver. Nonetheless, the critics have found an opening to keep haranguing the govt. There are two prongs to their exertions. more..

Sep 13 (SO) SL came under renewed scrutiny at the UNHRC this week, with the UN Human Rights Office calling for stronger action on accountability, torture, enforced disappearances and civic freedoms, while the Govt defended its reform record and called for a clear pathway towards ending country-specific scrutiny. Exchanges came during the opening days of the Council’s 63rd regular session in Geneva, which began on Sept 7. more..

Sep 13 (Island) Oil prices are surging again. The global benchmark, Brent crude, has surpassed USD 108 per barrel, and West Texas Intermediate has risen to USD 102 per barrel for the first time since May. They are expected to rise higher, making the global economy scream. At this rate, most countries, including Sri Lanka, will have to tighten restrictions on fuel consumption and increase prices. US Prez Donald Trump and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu obviously did not bargain for more..

Sep 13 (CT) Twenty five years ago, the US endured one of the darkest days in its history. On Sept 11, 2001, alQaeda terrorists led by Osama bin Laden hijacked four airliners. Three were flown into iconic targets—the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The fourth crashed in a Pennsylvania field after passengers fought back. Nearly 3,000 people were killed, and thousands more injured. Two decades later, the Never Forget Fund, launched by more..

Sep 13 (TM) President AKD's revelation about the planned health sector reforms during the NPP new round of public rallies has given rise to unintended consequences, with his trivialisation of the public’s use of healthcare triggering backlash in Parliament and on social media platforms. The blunder came even as Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa was overseas receiving recognition for Sri Lanka’s healthcare system. more..

Sep 13 (TM) The NPP Govt came into office with a mandate for a system change; that is a fact. However, increasingly, some of the proposed changes and reforms which it plans to enact have cast a long shadow over what is really behind such action. With his Govt turning two years in power, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake took to the stage at a public gathering in Beruwala, where his comments about how citizens use the public health system failed to resonate well with many. more..

Sep 13 (SO) We will never, ever, forget. These are the words of US Prez Donald Trump who spoke at a solemn ceremony held in New York on the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attack on the twin towers of the World Trade Centre on Friday. Prez Trump is correct in saying that no one can forget the ghastly images of hijacked planes striking the twin towers on 9/11 – as the day and the attack have come to be known. To this date, it is the worst terrorist attack ever, with over 3,000 killed, more..