Sep 28 (FT) A proposal for a fuel subsidy of Rs. 41 billion covering the next three months will be presented to Cabinet today, with a decision expected, as world oil prices climb again following a renewed escalation of the US/Israel-Iran war. Govt said Rs. 41 billion had been allocated for fuel subsidies for the next three months so that the burden of high world market prices would not be passed fully on to the public. more..

Sep 28 (AD) Police are investigating a possible link to imprisoned drug trafficker Loku Patty following a deadly shooting targeting a three-wheeler in Halpathota, Baddegama, this morning (27). Two people were killed and another seriously injured after a group travelling in a car allegedly pursued the three-wheeler and opened fire with a T-56 assault rifle. One of the deceased was identified as a 47-year-old woman known as Kalu Nona, a resident of Ambalangoda. more..

Sep 28 (FT) Govt cannot yet give electricity users a specific timeline for electricity tariff reductions despite its plans to expand solar power, renewable energy and battery storage, Minister Anura Karunathilaka said. Responding to queries, on when households and businesses could expect lower electricity bills as renewable energy projects are added to the national grid, Karunathilaka said tariff reductions would depend on how generation costs evolve over successive years. more..

Sep 28 (DN) Amid a surging global travel rebound that saw a record 1.5 billion tourist arrivals in 2025, SL has emerged as a standout narrative in World Economic Forum’s latest Travel & Tourism Development Index, produced in collaboration with Zurich Insurance Group. Sri Lanka secured a position among the ten fastest-improving economies globally, registering a notable 4.3% jump in its overall index score between 2024 and 2026. more..

Sep 28 (ST) Govt is looking into three options on how it plans to move forward, with the country’s 4-year IMF EFF arrangement nearing completion in March 2027. While another EFF, like the one in place, is off the table, among the proposals are re-negotiating another EEF with country-friendly conditions, a standby arrangement or exiting all such programmes, Minister Vijitha Herath said. “We are looking at the best and most suitable solution for the country. An overall analysis is now underway” more..

Sep 28 (Island) Police have removed a memorial statue of former LTTE member Rasaiah Parthipan, alias Thileepan, from the Thileepan Memorial Square in Nallur, Jaffna, following the conclusion of commemorative events, marking the 39th anniversary of his death. The statue was removed in the early hours of yesterday, a day after the final day of the commemoration was held at the site. CCTV footage from the memorial reportedly shows police officers removing the statue & taking it away more..

Sep 28 (TM) COPE stated it would lodge complaints with the CIABOC and the CID over the move to bring Avant Garde into the maritime security services being carried out by Rakna Arakshaka Lanka Ltd, together with the SL Navy. COPE Chairman Dr Nishantha Samaraweera said the Govt had lost a substantial amount of money as a result of bringing the private company Avant Garde into the maritime security operations. Officials of Rakna Lanka were recently summoned before COPE, more..

Sep 28 (DM) URF leader Patali Champika Ranawaka, speaking at a public discussion on his latest book, Ekata Getuma, cautioned that several geopolitical alliances had been formed across the region and warned that it would be dangerous if the MoU signed among the UAE, India & SL turned out to be a stepping stone towards, or a counter-formation to, any of them. Ranawaka, who has delved extensively into the evolution of power struggles in world history in his book more..

Sep 28 (ST) Association of Creators and Publishers of SL (ACPOSL) amended the implementation of its new music licensing system following discussions with industry representatives, limiting the scope of licensing. ACPOSL recently introduced a licencing system for the commercial use of music work at events and functions. The system is intended to ensure that composers, lyricists and publishers receive royalties for their work. more..

Sep 28 (FT) Prime Marina 2, rising within Port City Colombo, is the newest marina and waterfront development by Prime and Melwa, positioned at the entrance to Port City and facing the marina and surrounding waters. This combination of visibility, accessibility, and waterfront connection creates an address that is exceptionally difficult to replicate. This is not simply another development within Port City. It is positioned where Sri Lanka meets its newest waterfront destination. more..

Sep 28 (DN) The National Regulatory Conference on Food Safety, organized by the SL Accreditation Board (SLAB) under the guidance of the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security, and Cooperative Development, was held on Sept 23, at Water’s Edge, Battaramulla. The central theme of the discussion was a Regulator-owned, SLAB-enabled model aimed at integrating the currently fragmented food safety system. The event was attended by the Minister in charge of the subject, more..

Sep 28 (DN) SL’s promising athlete Ayomal Akalanka came up with a superb performance in men’s 400m hurdles heat 1 finishing third and securing his place in the final at the 20th Asian Games in Japan yesterday. Akalanka was placed third in his heat and finished fifth overall with a qualifying time of 49.78 seconds. Final is scheduled to run today at 4pm (SLT). 20-year-old Sri Lankan to do better aiming for a medal today but it is going to be a tough more..

Sep 28 (FT) Cabinet has approved the implementation of special programs declaring a National Children’s Day Week 2026, to be observed from 25 Sept to 1 Oct, in the lead-up to SL’s national Children’s Day commemoration on 1 Oct. The country marks Children’s Day annually with the objective of strengthening social attention toward protecting children’s rights, education, health, and wellbeing. Minister Nalinda Jayatissa last week said it has been observed that the challenges more..

Sep 28 (DM) National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) has urged lawmakers to carefully reconsider the proposed extension of the terms of judges of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal under the 22nd Amendment, warning that the reform could place the Supreme Court in a position where it has to hear a case concerning the tenure of its own judges. NMSJ General Secretary Sunil Jayasekara said the proposed amendment should be considered through a multi-party discussion involving more..

Sep 28 (TM) Concerns and proposals regarding Advance Personal Income Tax (APIT) were raised during a special discussion between Deputy Minister Dr Anil Jayantha and members of the National Executive Committee of the Banks and Finance Forum. The meeting, with banking and financial sector representatives presenting their views on APIT and expressing hope for a favourable response from the authorities. Discussions also covered SL’s recent economic progress & achievements, more..

Sep 28 (TM) Govt aims to attract four million tourists a year and generate $8 billion in tourism revenue by 2030, PM Harini Amarasuriya said yesterday. She made the remarks at the 2026 World Tourism Day celebrations held at the Western Provincial Council Auditorium under the theme Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism. PM said the 2026 Budget had allocated Rs 6 billion for international digital promotional campaigns, Rs 3.5 billion for environmentally friendly more..

Sep 28 (FT) New grid batteries will help Sri Lanka absorb surplus solar power nationally, but will not open up rooftop connections where neighbourhood transformers are already full, two Parliamentary Committees heard on 22 and 23 Sept. Households that can still connect now face either a far less favourable tariff or a battery bill of over Rs. 1 million. PUCSL challenged the premise behind the curbs on rooftop solar. more..

Sep 28 (NW) SL Navy has seized approximately 81 kilograms of ICE and heroin with an estimated street value of more than Rs. 1.5 billion during an operation off the northern coast. The seizure was made in the Kusumanthurei coastal area of Madagal, Jaffna, on Sept 27, with one suspect arrested and a dinghy allegedly used for the smuggling operation also taken into custody. The haul consisted of approximately 45.5 kg of ICE, or methamphetamine, and 35.7 kg of heroin. more..

Sep 28 (FT) Sri Lanka’s tourism sector is showing signs of stabilising in September, even as it continues to trail last year’s record pace, with India cementing its position as the country’s dominant source market. Sri Lanka welcomed 122,194 tourists between 1–23 Sept, compared with 121,1817during the same period last year, reflecting a marginal increase of just 377 visitors, or 0.31%. The near-identical totals suggest the sector has moved past the sharp contraction seen earlier in the year, more..

Sep 28 (CI) Tom Banton thumped a maiden ODI hundred, Harry Brook motored to 77, and Jordan Cox took the death overs by the collar with his 76 off 52. Up against a target of 356, Sri Lanka promptly rolled out one of their abject collapses, which have been routine on this tour. They nosedived early and nosedived hard, slipping from 53 for 3 to 77 for 5 to 132 all out inside 30 overs. Only one batter made more than 20. more..

Sep 28 (ST) Ministry of Energy has officially dismantled the traditional net metering and net accounting frameworks for all new rooftop solar installations, triggering widespread economic concern. Under recent directives, all new distributed solar setups must connect exclusively under the Net Plus mechanism, which uncouples generation from household consumption, Energy Ministry announced. Policy change marks a major setback for small and medium-scale consumers more..

Sep 28 (FT) Newly elected SL Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) President Bobby Jordan Hansen has called for a formal role for the Association in shaping tourism policy, a genuine level playing field across the industry, and a more targeted approach to marketing the country internationally. Hansen, who became the second woman to lead the SLAITO at the 46th AGM last Friday, said the Association must evolve with an industry that has expanded significantly more..

Sep 28 (FT) Four project companies in which renewable energy firm Vidullanka PLC holds stakes have submitted winning bids to add battery energy storage to their existing solar power plants. Vidullanka’s share of the equity investment is estimated at about Rs. 600 million. Vidullanka said the bids fell within the winning threshold in a competitive tender for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). BESS are large batteries that store electricity more..

Sep 28 (FT) Six project companies of renewable energy developer WindForce PLC have submitted winning bids to add a combined 28 MW/144 MWh of battery storage to their existing solar plants. WindForce’s equity investment is estimated at about Rs. 944 million. WindForce said the bid prices fell within the winning bid threshold. The companies bid under a call for proposals to establish 150 MW/600 MWh of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), meaning large batteries that store electricity more..

Sep 28 (NW) Police have clarified the procedures governing the repossession of vehicles and other equipment by leasing and finance companies, stressing that police officers do not participate in the actual repossession process. Under Finance Leasing Act No. 56, lessors and their authorized representatives must follow prescribed procedures when seeking possession of leased property, including vehicles. more..

Sep 28 (Island) Sri Lanka’s political transition in 2024 was widely regarded as restoration of democracy, a reversal of authoritarian rule and an opportunity for constitutional recovery. The 22nd Amendment is the first constitutional amendment since this turning point. It 1) extends the age of retirement of the judges of the superior courts by two years, 2) expands the number of judges in the Court of Appeal by 4, and 3) introduces a cap of 6 years on the term of a Chief Justice. more..

Sep 28 (ST) UN General Assembly kicked off in New York this week at a time the world is in disarray, facing overlapping threats from trade wars, real wars, climate change and environmental havoc – and the latest entry to the mix – the threat to humanity from Artificial Intelligence (AI). The world body’s irrelevance in dealing with such multiple issues is becoming increasingly apparent. Yet, the UN is the one place that all 193 member-states, big, small and middle powers can come and more..

Sep 28 (Island) All low-enrolment schools across the country are being assessed for restructuring, according to media reports. While many of them are facing the prospect of amalgamation or closure, the performance of one such school has strengthened the argument against a blanket approach to low-enrolment schools. Students of Panahetagala Primary School, located in the backwaters of the Ratnapura District, have demonstrated their ability to overcome challenges and achieve more..

Sep 28 (ST) My dear Sajith, I thought of writing to you after seeing you quite active in the past few days, attending JR’s 120th birth anniversary commemoration as well as being at the centre of the demonstration against the 22nd Amendment near Parliament just the other day and then, debating the same issue in Parliament. But first things first, the Green party, celebrated their 80th anniversary recently. Your father once led that party. It was where you learnt your ABCs in politics. more..

Sep 28 (ST) The US Embassy in Sri Lanka conducted a three-day training on September 9–11 in Colombo to strengthen Sri Lanka's ability to detect and respond to maritime sanctions evasion that threatens US security interests and legitimate global commerce. The programme was conducted through the US Department of State’s Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction and in partnership with the Atlantic Council. more..

Sep 28 (TM) SL’s foreign policy has traditionally been shaped by its immediate neighbourhood, major Asian powers, ME, Europe & North America. Given our geography and history, this is understandable. India, China, Japan, Gulf, Europe & US will inevitably remain important partners. But there is another part of the world where SL has considerable room to expand its engagement: Latin America & Africa. These regions should not be viewed as distant or peripheral to SL’s interests. more..

Sep 28 (SO) The news landed in Colombo’s financial corridors with a rare sense of collective relief on Sept 22, when Fitch Ratings upgraded SL’s Long-Term Issuer Default Rating to ‘B-’ from ‘CCC+’ with a Stable Outlook. For an island nation that collapsed into a historic Sovereign Default just four years ago, moving out of the default-adjacent ‘CCC’ category marks a major milestone. The upgrade serves as a formal vote of confidence in the country’s macro-stabilisation framework, more..