Sep 16 (AD) A 3-judge bench of the Colombo High Court has ordered the release on bail of former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and other defendants, who are accused of misappropriating govt funds by purchasing substandard medicine during the previous govt. Accordingly, each defendant was ordered to be released on a cash bail of Rs. 500,000 and two surety bonds of Rs. 5 million each. The court, which imposed a foreign travel ban on the defendants, also ordered that their more..

Sep 16 (FT) Digital Economy Ministry announced Sri Lanka TechFront Fortnight, a flagship series of events running from 17 to 30 September as part of the Govt’s Digital Economy Month initiative. This national campaign is designed to accelerate Sri Lanka’s journey towards a digitally empowered, knowledge-based economy, while positioning the country as a regional hub for technology, innovation, and AI-led transformation. Digital Economy Month is a national initiative aimed at more..

Sep 16 (Reuters) Sri Lanka is aiming to boost its economic growth to up to 6% in 2026, partly through record govt capital expenditure, though delays in passing the budget could drag on its performance this year, a minister said on Monday. Anil Jayantha Fernando, deputy minister of economic development, said Sri Lankans and investors should be hopeful as the island nation climbs out of economic crisis that hit in 2022, more..

Sep 16 (DM) CEB Engineers’ Association has decided to step up its protest against the govt’s proposal to divide the CEB into four separate entities. Dhanushka Parakramasinghe, a member of the Association’s Executive Committee, said the first phase of their work-to-rule campaign concluded on Sunday (15), with the second phase beginning on Monday (16). Outlining the next steps, Parakramasinghe said the union will escalate its trade union measures in the coming days, more..

Sep 16 (AD) Cabinet has granted approval to select a consultancy agency, through the procurement process, to conduct a detailed feasibility study aimed at formulating a sustainable solution to improve connectivity with major transport corridors and minimize traffic congestion at the Lotus Road crossing in Colombo, including the ramps of the Port Access Road and the extension of the coastal road. The decision has been taken considering the heavy traffic congestion at Lotus Roundabout area more..

Sep 16 (DM) The discussion on introducing condom use into SL’s school curriculum has stalled, with no progress made since the initial round of talks. A top source said that, the no progress has been made since the initial discussion. Daily Mirror earlier reported that a tussle had developed between the Ministries of Health and Education over the proposal, which seeks to integrate HIV & sexually transmitted infection more..

Sep 16 (AD) Former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and several other defendants, accused of misusing govt funds through the purchase of substandard human immunoglobulin vials during the previous govt, were indicted before a three-judge bench of the Colombo High Court today. After serving indictments, Deputy Solicitor General Lakmini Girihagama informed court that AG opposes granting bail to the defendants. Subsequently, defense counsel commenced presenting facts in support of more..

Sep 16 (Island) Dept of Immigration and Emigration earns between Rs. 3 billion and Rs. 5 billion a month from issuing passports, Deputy Controller Mahesh Karunadasa, has said. Karunadasa said a passport could be obtained within four hours of submitting an application. Under the one-day service, 1,500–2,000 passports were issued daily, while under normal service around 1,000 passports wereissued aday. In total, 4,000–5,000 passports were issued daily on average, he noted. more..

Sep 16 (CT) A senior MP within the SLPP revealed that a new political initiative titled Mahinda Sulangen Namal Suwanda is set to be launched in the coming weeks. The development comes as former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa, who recently vacated his official residence in Colombo, has reportedly resumed political activities while residing in Tangalle. Rajapaksa has been holding a series of meetings with party supporters, signalling a renewed phase of engagement with the SLPP grassroots. more..

Sep 16 (Island) Investigators have uncovered a plot by the underworld gang, led by Kehelbaddara Padme and Commando Salintha, to assassinate underworld figure Harak Kata by targeting a prison bus, transporting him to court, with a Claymore mine. Plan came to light during the interrogation of an Army Lt Colonel arrested on allegations of supplying weapons to a criminal known as Commando Salintha. The officer reportedly admitted that Salintha had repeatedly called him, more..

Sep 16 (CT) Minister Bimal Ratnayake announced that funds will be allocated in the upcoming budget for the construction of 15 multimodal transport hubs in Colombo. Minister made the remarks while addressing the inauguration ceremony for the redevelopment of the Pettah Central Bus Station yesterday, held under the patronage of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Colombo Central Bus Terminal Renovation more..

Sep 16 (DM) SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa met with Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha in Colombo, where the two discussed ongoing developments in both countries and ways to further enhance bilateral relations. Rajapaksa said it was a pleasure meeting the High Commissioner, adding that the SLPP greatly values our longstanding friendship and strong bilateral ties with India and looks forward to further strengthening the partnership. The Indian High Commission in Colombo also confirmed more..

Sep 16 (EN) SL is likely to miss 2025 tourist arrival and tourism revenue targets set by the govt, though the sector is performing well, a forecast by broker firm CT Smith Securities showed. SL’s new govt has aimed at an ambitious US$ 5 billion revenue and a 3 million arrival target this year. Sri Lanka’s new govt has aimed at an ambitious US$ 5 billion revenue and a 3 million arrival target this year. Revenue for the first eight months has seen a rise of 5.7% to US$ 2.29 billion from a year ago, more..

Sep 16 (MB) Claims of a spike in elephant deaths in SL this year — amplified by social media and public officials — don’t add up. In fact, analysis of the existing data shows a slight decrease from recent years. The claims are fueled by several headline-grabbing elephant deaths in SL that triggered public outrage. These include deadly train collisions that killed multiple elephants, and painful death of the iconic tusker Bhathiya more..

Sep 16 (AD) Cabinet has granted approval to provide compensation to sugarcane farmers whose crops were damaged due to fires that broke out in the sugarcane plantations of the Sevanagala Sugar Factory. Accordingly, a committee comprising officials from the Sugarcane Research Institute and Lanka Sugar (Pvt) Ltd in Sevanagala has been appointed to collect accurate data on the extent of sugarcane destroyed and the farmers affected. Compensation of Rs. 7,000 per metric ton more..

Sep 16 (DM) The recent appointment of Kedeeshwaran Ganeshanathan, a supporter of the JVP, as SL’s Deputy High Commissioner to Chennai has sparked significant concern among diplomatic circles and within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Kedeeshwaran, who has no prior diplomatic or foreign service experience, has been named to one of SL’s most strategically important overseas postings. Deputy High Commission in Chennai plays a critical role in managing the country’s more..

Sep 16 (SLN) During a search operation in the sea area off Sand Dunes, Talaimannar on 13 Sept, SL Navy took hold of six SL nationals who were victims of human smuggling and abandonment. Navy conducts regular search operations and patrols covering the sea and coastal areas around the island to curb irregular migration and human smuggling. Acting on credible information received by SLNS Thammanna of the North Central Naval Command, the search was initiated in more..

Sep 16 (AD) Cabinet has approved the proposal to obtain additional provisions to implement purchase of paddy from farmers in the 2025 Yala season under controlled price announced by the govt. Accordingly, the govt has allocated Rs. 6,000 million for the program to purchase paddy for the 2025 Yala season, and the Paddy Marketing Board has already purchased 43,891 metric tons of paddy, using Rs. 5,288 million in 16 districts. Therefore, the Paddy Marketing Board has planned to purchase more..

Sep 16 (DM) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake is set to sign key bilateral agreements during his upcoming state visit to Japan, securing a total grant of 963 million yen (Rs. 1.94 bil) from the Govt of Japan. The grant includes 463 million yen for the enhancement of SL’s dairy production sector and 500 million yen for an official security assistance project to strengthen the SL Navy. Under the dairy sector initiative, more..

Sep 16 (NW) The proposal on the completion of the remaining work on the Kohuwala flyover in Colombo and the resumption of the construction of the Getambe flyover in the Central Province has received a Cabinet nod. Kohuwala and Getambe flyovers were implemented under the framework agreements for financial cooperation signed by SL with the Hungarian govt. After the termination of the provision of funds by the Hungarian Exim Bank due to the economic crisis that prevailed in more..

Sep 16 (DM) The ill-fated bus that was involved in the fatal accident had been lavishly modified at a cost exceeding its original purchase price, officials revealed yesterday. Nuwara Eliya District Chief Motor Vehicle Examiner Jaliya Bandara said that, during interrogation, the current owner disclosed he bought the vehicle from its previous owner for Rs. 5.5 million, but had subsequently spent around Rs. 7 million on extra fittings and cosmetic upgrades to make it more appealing for pleasure tours. more..

Sep 16 (DM) In the wake of SL facing headwinds in its export growth because of US tariffs and GSP+, it is now poised to encounter further challenges to overcome in accessing the European Union market because of new laws that will come into effect after 2027, according to a German expert. In a virtual address to the SL stakeholders from Berlin last week, Markus Loning, an expert on human rights and more..

Sep 16 (DM) Leader of the SJB Sajith Premadasa has taken a firm stance against party members who publicly criticise the party leadership and its decisions. Thereby, those who criticise the party and the leadership in public will face the axe, Chief Opposition Whip Gayantha Karunatilleka announced. He said Premadasa had informed the SJB Working Committee that disciplinary action would be taken against members who make public statements undermining party leadership more..

Sep 16 (NW) Cabinet has approved the appointment of a committee to study particulars relevant to amending and formulating laws to enable Sri Lankans living overseas to vote in elections. As per the Constitution of SL, the right to vote is reserved only for citizens living within SL and who have registered their names in the electoral register as per the elections law. According to the current election law, there is no provision to secure any method to allow citizens living overseas to vote, more..

Sep 16 (FT) Housing is a fundamental human need. Yet, for many Sri Lankans, the dream of owning a home remains elusive due to rising property prices, volatility of interest rates, and limited access to affordable financing. In this context, it is both timely and necessary for the Govt of Sri Lanka to reintroduce housing loan interest as a qualifying payment relief under personal income tax—reviving a policy that once existed in the Sri Lankan income tax Law. more..

Sep 16 (FT) When the NPP Govt assumed office in Sept 2024, it inherited more than a fragile economy and the hopes of a disillusioned citizenry. It also assumed responsibility for steering SL through arguably the most significant moment of international recalibration since the end of the Cold War. The global order is shifting once again, with China and Russia presenting themselves as alternatives to Western dominance, and smaller states forced to reposition themselves in ways that are both more..

Sep 16 (FT) Sri Lanka’s economy in the second quarter of 2025 has inched upwards after losing momentum in the previous two quarters. The DCS yesterday confirmed that the country’s GDP grew by 4.9% in 2Q 2025, slightly up in comparison to 4.7% achieved a year ago. The economy declined since peaking at 5.5% in 3Q 2024 to 5.4% in 4Q 2024, and 4.8% in 1Q 2025. However, the encouraging development is that more..

Sep 16 (CT) The administration of the National Hospital of SL (NHSL) is allegedly under pressure from a top official of the Ministry of Health and Mass Media to resume local purchasing of reagents without investigating a scandal involving expired laboratory stocks worth over Rs 13 million, health sources claimed. In July, Acting Deputy Director General of the NHSL formally wrote to the ministry seeking guidance after a startling audit report revealed that reagents purchased locally more..

Sep 16 (EN) Net foreign reserves of Sri Lanka’s banking system have started to go on reverse gear after April 2025, amid rate cuts and a pick-up in private credit, while central bank net reserves are also struggling to grow. Net foreign assets of the banking system peaked at around US$ 3.3 billion in April 2025, just before a rate cut, central bank data show, amid a strong pick up in credit. In May bank NFA fell to US$ 3.15 billion, in June to US$ 2.96 billion and in July to US$ 2.90 billion. more..

Sep 16 (DM) Police have intensified attention to address the rapid rise of online prostitution platforms, amid growing concerns over cyber fraud, exploitation, and the involvement of vulnerable individuals, including minors. It was revealed that several tourists on tourist visas are engaging in such activities, further raising alarm. It is learnt that dozens of websites and mobile applications now openly display hundreds of advertisements more..

Sep 16 (FT) Central Bank of SL (CBSL) recently said its Business Outlook Survey (BOS) Business Condition Index rose to 130 in 2Q 2025, the highest since falling to a low 28 in the 2Q 2022, which would extend further to 138 in 3Q 2025. CBSL on Friday said the Business Condition Index indicates a notable improvement in business confidence in Q3 2025, extending the upward momentum observed in Q2 2025. This suggests a continuation of positive momentum in the overall business climate. more..

Sep 16 (TM) The Ministry of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education stated that it is not appropriate to draw premature conclusions about the proposed Education Council, in the wake of criticism from the Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU). Ministry Secretary, Nalaka Kaluwewa said: “The Education Council has not been established yet. We have only appointed a committee to study the matter, and it is still taking the necessary steps to set up the council. more..