Sep 22 (Island) What began quietly as a single-storey tourist hotel, on the edge of Katunayake-Seeduwa has, five years later, morphed into a looming five-storey cement factory and with it, a storm of fear, anger and unanswered questions. At a media briefing held on 19 Sept at St. Thomas Int'l School, Seeduwa, the community finally found its voice. Gathering included priests, school principals, environmental defenders, and parents whose children study within a few hundred metres more..

Sep 22 (DM) Cabinet approval has been granted to award a contract for the procurement of five million pre-printed polycarbonate cards required for the issuance of National Identity Cards (NICs). Approval was initially granted at the Cabinet meeting held on April 7, 2025, to commence the procurement process for pre-printed polycarbonate cards for Dept for Registration of Persons. Accordingly, bids were invited under the Int'l Competitive Bidding procedure, with eight bids submitted for the procurement. more..

Sep 22 (NW) Transport Minister Bimal Rathnayake told Parliament today that under the newly enforced seat belt law, families can install an additional seat belt in the middle of the back seat to accommodate a child when travelling as a family of five. “All we are saying is fix a seat belt for every required seat. We have no power to say only three or four people can travel in a vehicle. What matters is that every passenger has a seat belt,” more..

Sep 22 (SLN) Naval Boat Building Yard (NBBY) designed and built the country’s first waveless referee boat for rowing and canoeing events at the Navy Water Sports Centre in Diyawanna, Battaramulla. The locally built catamaran vessel was delivered to the centre in April 2026 and is currently in operational use. Constructed by the NBBY, project forms part of the Navy's Strategic Plan 2030, which focuses on self-reliance, technological advancement & local engineering capabilities. more..

Sep 22 (NW) Police opened fire at the tires of a fleeing car during a dramatic chase in Pannala on today, arresting a suspected drug trafficker and two women and seizing heroin and cash. According to police, officers from the Giriulla Police Station pursued the vehicle after receiving information about a suspected drug trafficker. The driver allegedly ignored police orders to stop and continued driving, prompting officers to fire at the car’s tires. Vehicle was eventually brought to a halt near Pannala more..

Sep 22 (NW) Govt today launched the ViYASA National Business Facilitation Centre (NBFC), a new mechanism aimed at removing administrative and regulatory bottlenecks faced by investors and entrepreneurs, with authorities expressing confidence that the initiative would help accelerate investment, industrial growth and economic transformation. Centre, established under Presidential Secretariat on a concept of Prez more..

Sep 22 (NW) Govt has taken steps to distribute 4,570 smart boards to schools across SL under several education modernization projects, PM Harini Amarasuriya told Parliament. Responding to a question raised by MP Rohini Kumari Wijerathna, PM outlined the progress of three initiatives aimed at introducing digital technology into classrooms. Under a project funded in 2024 by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, 1,000 smart boards have already been distributed to 1,000 schools. more..

Sep 22 (Island) A senior police official said that the Special Investigation Unit (SIU), inquiring into alleged loopholes and irregularities in the Aug 31 raid carried out at the Colombo Port, might seek clarification from the US Embassy here. The official said so responding to The Island query regarding the need for the SIU to get in touch with the US against the backdrop of its own admission that Senior DIG Ranmal Kodituwakku had been informed by the US Drug Enforcement Administration more..

Sep 22 (DM) SL-origin actress Bhavithra Gananathan is set to make her professional acting debut as Sita in the major arena production Diwali Story: The Journey of Ram – A Musical at OVO Arena Wembley on Sunday, (27). The 19-year-old multidisciplinary artist and university student will appear opposite Kiran Kaanan, who plays Ram, in the large-scale musical retelling of the Ramayana. The professional cast will be joined by approximately 100 community actors and dancers. more..

Sep 22 (FT) Spices and Allied Products Producers’ and Traders’ Association (SAPPTA) Chairman Ryan Rambukwella said SL’s spices industry should target $ 1 billion in export revenue at the earliest, but achieving that ambition will require a decisive shift from commodity trading towards value addition, branded products, technology, and stronger coordination across the value chain. Addressing SAPPTA’s 42nd AGM last Friday, he said the sector could not expand meaningfully if more..

Sep 22 (DM) The Govt is set to take full ownership of the Dr. Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital (NFTH), with the SL Air Force entrusted with its day-to-day management under a new hybrid operational framework approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. Under the new arrangement, the hospital and its assets will be transferred to a company wholly owned by the Treasury, while the Air Force will be responsible for the hospital’s admin more..

Sep 22 (Island) Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha and Minister Bimal Rathnayake jointly laid the foundation stone for the construction of the Moragahakanda Bridge, in Matale, yesterday. IHC spokesperson said: “The Moragahakanda Bridge is the first of 13 permanent bridges to be constructed across different provinces of Sri Lanka under grant assistance from the Govt of India. Project forms part of India’s wider USD 450 million reconstruction and rehabilitation package announced more..

Sep 22 (AD) The govt has taken a series of measures to secure a pardon for SL national Sivarasa Anojan, who has been sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. He said the govt had been making diplomatic interventions on the matter since the incident was first reported, including through SL diplomatic missions abroad. He said arrangements were also being made for Prez to send a formal appeal to the King of Saudi Arabia, more..

Sep 22 (NF) According to doctors, Former SIS Director Suresh Salley, who is currently being held under a detention order in connection with allegations of aiding, abetting and conspiring in relation to the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks, will require medical treatment until Sept 28. The court was informed of the recommendation by Additional Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris, who presented medical reports before more..

Sep 22 (NW) Central Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) has launched an investigation into whether former Minister Wimal Weerawansa committed contempt of court through remarks made at an SLPP rally in Anuradhapura on Sept 12. Police said the investigation was initiated on the instructions of the IGP, following a directive issued by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court. The court order came when a complaint involving MP Namal Rajapaksa in connection with Airbus issue was taken up. more..

Sep 22 (TM) It comes as a surprise to find ex-SL skipper Kumar Sangakkara continuing to dissect the three embarrassing outings of SL in the concluded three-match T20I series which they lost 3-0 to England over the weekend, as an expert commentator on Sky Sports. This is notwithstanding the fact that the eloquent speaker and legendary batter is continuing to serve as a member of the SLC’s Transformation Committee, to introduce long-sought reforms to its governance structure. more..

Sep 22 (NW) Cabinet has approved the awarding of contracts to renovate and upgrade rural roads in the Western and Northern Provinces under the Rural Ways Programme, following a competitive bidding process. Seventeen bids were submitted under the national competitive procurement methodology, and after evaluation, the High‑Level Procurement Committee recommended awarding three packages to M/s RR Construction (Pvt) Ltd, identified as the lowest substantially responsive bidder. more..

Sep 22 (DM) Cabinet has approved the publication of a new SL Cricket Bill aimed at reorganizing and strengthening the administration of cricket in the country. The decision was taken at the Cabinet meeting held on June 8, 2026. Under the proposed legislation, Sri Lanka Cricket will be authorized to govern, control, regulate, promote, develop and administer the sport of cricket in SL. The Bill has been prepared by the Legal Draftsman to establish the legal framework governing the structure, more..

Sep 22 (CI) India thrashed SL by 147 runs in the Asian Games women's cricket competition final in Nisshin to win the country's first gold medal of the multi-sport event, with Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Richa Ghosh and the bowling group starring in the dominant display. That made it back-to-back gold medals for India in the event after their triumph in 2023. Mandhana and Shafali laid the foundation of the win for India with a 99-run opening stand more..

Sep 22 (DM) Central Environmental Authority (CEA) has urged consumers visiting the Colombo Int'l Book Fair to bring an environmentally friendly, reusable bag to carry the books they purchase and contribute to protecting the environment. CEA Director General Kapila Rajapaksa said it had been observed in recent years that plastic bags, particularly silly sili bags, are extensively used to carry books at the Colombo Int'l Book Fair, where a large number of consumers purchase books. more..

Sep 22 (EN) Cabinet has approved awarding a contract to China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Company Limited to build an aviation fuel storage complex and a dedicated transport pipeline to BIA in Katunayake. Project is valued at 40.84 million US dollars alongside Rs. 8,548.75 million, inclusive of applicable taxes, minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. The project involves building an aviation fuel storage tank complex with a total capacity of 92,000 cubic meters & related facilities at Muthurajawela. more..

Sep 22 (AD) A total of 15 of the 24 accused standing trial over the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks in Sri Lanka have been found guilty by the Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar. The landmark verdict in the long-running Easter Sunday attacks case, involving Naufer Moulavi and 23 others, was delivered today by the Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar. The remaining nine accused have been acquitted & ordered to be released, more..

Sep 22 (DM) SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa accused Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake of travelling across the country and telling new lies, claiming that the Govt has little to show for its achievements over the past two years. Speaking in Parliament, Rajapaksa said the Prez appeared to have moved away from his earlier promises and was now presenting a fresh set of pledges at public rallies across the country. He called on the Govt to stop making false promises and instead focus on more..

Sep 22 (NW) Police have warned that passengers travelling on expressways without an available seat belt could face legal action. Deputy Inspector General of Police W.P.J. Senadheera, who is in charge of the Police Traffic Management and Road Safety Division, said vehicles using expressways should carry passengers according to the number of seats equipped with seat belts. He said that if the rear seat has only two seat belts, only two passengers should travel there. more..

Sep 22 (FT) SL’s company law has a blind spot that is quietly discouraging honest professionals from serving on corporate boards: it does not create a comprehensive statutory classification of directors into Executive, Non-Executive; and Independent Non-Executive directors. For example, section 201 simply requires a public company to have at least two directors. Registrar of Companies currently lists the Companies Act No. 7 of 2007 together with the Companies (Amd) Act No. 12 of 2025. more..

Sep 22 (FT) Every Sri Lankan who has tried to build something knows this story. Someone has a good idea. A buyer abroad is interested. Then the idea meets the State. One institution is waiting on a clearance from another. A regulation written twenty years ago never imagined this kind of business. Two officers read the same rule in two different ways. Months pass. The buyer places the order in another country.Ask afterwards who refused, and you will not find anybody. Nobody said no. more..

Sep 22 (FT) Colombo Special 3-Judge High Court will today deliver its verdict in the main trial over the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks, bringing to a close one of the longest and most closely watched criminal proceedings in the country’s history. The judgement will be delivered by the bench comprising Navaratne Marasinghe, Sujeewa Nissanka, and Ramanathan Kannan. Today’s verdict is separate from more..

Sep 22 (EN) SL’s nation-wide inflation index, as measured by the National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) on a year-on-year basis, was 8.1% in August 2026, compared with 7.2% in July 2026, data from the state statistics office showed. The NCPI, an alternative to the widely watched Colombo Consumer Price Index, rose 0.2%, in Aug 2026, registering 223.9, compared to 223.4 in July 2026. Year-on-year inflation of food group increased to 6.6% in Aug 2026 from 4.9% in July 2026. more..

Sep 22 (NW) Seat-belt use helped prevent serious injuries in the multi-vehicle accident on the Southern Expressway between Gelanigama and Dodangoda, according to DIG W.P.J. Senadheera. Senadheera, who is in charge of Police Traffic Management and Road Safety Division, said all the schoolchildren travelling in the bus involved in the crash had been wearing seat belts. Eight children were admitted to the Kalutara Nagoda Hospital following the accident, but none had suffered serious injuries. more..

Sep 22 (FT) National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) has reported around 35 minor land instability incidents over the past three days amid heavy rainfall, warning that the situation could worsen if rains continue. Rainfall over the past three days had exceeded 300 mm, and continued intensity at this level could trigger landslides, rock-falls, subsidence and slope failures. No major incidents had been reported so far, more..

Sep 22 (NW) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa met the family of SL national Sivarasa Anojan, who is reportedly facing a death sentence in Saudi Arabia, at the Opposition Leader’s Office in Colombo on Monday. Anojan’s father, Thambiraja Sivarasa, mother, Rasamanickam Yogalakshmi, and brother, Sivarasa Hamsithan, attended the meeting to discuss his situation and efforts to secure his release. During the meeting, Premadasa contacted Saudi ambassador to SL by telephone more..

Sep 22 (NW) SJB MP Prasad Siriwardana has claimed that Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake will face imprisonment after the current govt leaves office in 2030, accusing him of allowing the misuse of public funds and failing to ensure accountability. Siriwardana alleged that the Prez could face legal consequences over a reported cyberattack on Finance Ministry that resulted in loss of $2.5 m in public funds. “Once this govt is removed from power in 2030, Anura will definitely go to jail,” more..