Aug 25 (DM) Sri Lanka could experience above-average rainfall during October and November due to prevailing El Niño conditions, raising the possibility of flooding in some areas, the Dept of Meteorology has warned. Director General of the Department of Meteorology Ajith Wijemanna said heavy rainfall exceeding seasonal averages could be expected during the period. He said the forecast was based on an analysis of weather data covering the next six months. more..

Aug 25 (DM) Ranjith Rajasinghe assumed duties today as the new Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of SL (CAASL), at the authority’s premises. The occasion was attended by Ministry Secretary W.W.S. Mangala, CAASL Director General Daminda Rabukwella, Airport and Aviation Services Company Director Primal de Silva, and senior management officials of the Civil Aviation Authority. Rajasinghe is a Chartered Accountant with more than 27 years of professional experience in more..

Aug 25 (EN) Sri Lanka has offered four offshore blocks in the Northwestern Mannar Basin for int'l investors to explore oil and gas in a fresh attempt to attract investments into the sector after an earlier attempt ended in a failure due to not commercially viable production. The Mannar Basin, which lies between southern India and northwestern SL, may hold around $260 billion worth of oil and gas resources. more..

Aug 25 (NW) PAFFREL has urged Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake to reconsider several provisions of the proposed amendments to SL’s Anti-Corruption Act, warning that they could restrict public access to and use of asset and liability declarations. In a letter addressed to the President, PAFFREL Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi said the Anti-Corruption Act No. 9 of 2023 had marked an important step towards greater transparency and accountability by allowing public scrutiny of more..

Aug 25 (PMD) Eleven newly appointed Ambassadors and High Commissioners to SL presented their credentials to Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake today. The new envoys represented the Federative Republic of Brazil, Republic of Bangladesh, People’s Republic of China, Republic of Austria, United States of America, Dominican Republic, Republic of Ghana, Brunei Darussalam, Republic of the Sudan, Co-operative Republic of Guyana and Republic of Panama. more..

Aug 25 (NF) Telephone numbers belonging to 13 prison officers and photographs of seven models and politicians were discovered on the mobile phone of alleged organized crime figure Manudinu Padmasiri Perera, alias Kehelbaddara Padme, CID informed the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court today. The disclosure emerged as Kehelbaddara Padme and another alleged organized crime suspect, more..

Aug 25 (Island) Indian HC said that in line with their overall development cooperation with SL, a group of 40 SL Administrative Service Officers recently attended a comprehensive capacity-building programme on Disaster Management at National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG), India. Declaring that capacity-building stands as a cornerstone of India’s development cooperation with SL, IHC spokesperson said: “As the fifth specialised training visit under Disaster Management more..

Aug 25 (NW) The SL Air Force has revealed that more than 1,000 individuals caught spitting betel and urinating inside the renovated Colombo Pettah Central Bus Stand were compelled to clean the very areas they had dirtied. It is reported that among those disciplined were several bus drivers and conductors. The offenders were identified through a round‑the‑clock CCTV surveillance system installed at the terminal, which also monitors passenger safety and prevents harassment. more..

Aug 25 (DM) The Cabinet has approved a proposal to develop connecting roads linking Sections I, III and IV of the Central Expressway with the existing road network in the Western, Central and North-Western provinces. The project is aimed at improving connectivity, accessibility and traffic flow between the Central Expressway and the existing road network. Accordingly, a 117.68-kilometre connecting road network has been proposed for Section I of the Central Expressway. more..

Aug 25 (NW) The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal by the Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation to award concessions for operating six travel service counters at the arrival lobby of Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake. The move follows a national competitive bidding process, with ten companies submitting proposals. After evaluation, the High‑Level Standing Procurement Committee recommended awarding the concessions for a three‑year period. more..

Aug 25 (EN) SL will roll out 300,000 smart meters with a Time-of-Use billing system over the next two years to help modernize the national power grid, minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. Project will be funded using US$ 12.5 million from an ADB loan facility and will be carried out by Electricity Distribution Lanka (Pvt) Ltd following Cabinet approval. The initiative is part of broader state efforts to upgrade the power network and more..

Aug 25 (DM) Ministry of Health and Mass Media has called for applications from journalists for the Homagama Journalists’ Housing Scheme, introduced for media professionals working in print, electronic and online media institutions. According to the Ministry, applicants must be permanent residents of SL and should not own a house or land suitable for the construction of a house. Applicants must also have completed at least 10 years of service in the media sector. more..

Aug 25 (EN) Cabinet of Ministers has approved the establishment of a National Business Facilitation Centre under the Presidential Secretariat, minister Nalinda Jayatissa said, to streamline investment approvals and remove administrative bottlenecks. “Local investment in the country faces a number of challenges due to the existence of an approval process spread across various govt institutions, institutions operating in isolation with minimal internal communication.” more..

Aug 25 (NW) Metro bus service is expected to expand in Colombo with all 121 buses currently available to be deployed under a year-long project from the end of September, Minister Bimal Rathnayake said. He said the initial service, which involved 10 Metro buses, had already made a significant impact on the public, although it could not yet be considered a pilot project. He said the govt also plans to introduce Metro bus services more..

Aug 25 (Island) Australia has declined to provide citizenship details of Finance Ministry Secretary Harshana Suriyapperuma. Public interest activist Nagananda Kodituwakku said that he had sought information about the Treasury Chief’s citizenship from the Department of Home Affairs, Australia, following the disclosure of the theft of USD 2.5 mn from the Treasury. Kodituwakku said that having promised to look into his request, Australia declined to do so subsequently. more..

Aug 25 (CI) Prabath Jayasuriya has been handed an official reprimand and had a demerit point added to his disciplinary record for smacking the boundary wedges with his bat on his way back after being dismissed on the second day of Sri Lanka's ongoing second Test against India in Colombo. The demerit point is Jayasuriya's first in a 24-month period. The offence is a breach of Level 1 of the ICC's code of conduct for players and player support personnel, which relates to more..

Aug 25 (NW) The govt will continue the QR system for fuel distribution as Middle East conflicts remain unresolved, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said today. Responding to a question at the post-Cabinet media briefing, Minister said the QR mechanism must remain in place to manage supplies, noting that while consumption has reduced, the impact is limited. Minister further explained that instability in the Strait of Hormuz continues to affect global oil prices, with barrel costs fluctuating. more..

Aug 25 (FT) In Sri Lanka, as in many countries, unpaid and under-supported care responsibilities continue to fall disproportionately on women, creating barriers to employment, entrepreneurship, and economic advancement. Research shows that while Sri Lankan women and girls achieve high educational standards, nearly 75% of working-age women are excluded from the labour force, primarily due to caregiving responsibilities.​ Strengthening social care systems including more..

Aug 25 (CI) Sonal Dinusha was fighting a lone battle unbeaten on 85 as play came to a close on day three, Sri Lanka still 238 runs behind India's 503 for 9 declared, with just two wickets in hand. At the crease alongside him was Lahiru Kumara, who had done well to hold his own during a 50-ball vigil for eight runs. Dinusha's fifty was his third such score in this series as he showcased the resolve that had been sorely lacking more..

Aug 25 (AD) The govt intends to hold the Provincial Council elections as soon as possible, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa stated. He stated that if parliament enacts the necessary legislation and the delimitation process is completed within this year, funds have already been allocated to conduct the elections. Minister made these remarks in response to a question regarding a recent statement by MP Nilanthi Kottahachchi, who claimed that the PC elections would not be held. more..

Aug 25 (NW) Cabinet has approved contracts worth more than Rs. 5 billion for the construction of a new cardiac unit at the Trincomalee District General Hospital and a cardiac and cardiothoracic surgery complex at the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital. The projects are being implemented under a health and medical services improvement programme launched in 2018 with financial assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), according to the Cabinet decision. more..

Aug 25 (ST) National Film Corporation (NFC) has opened the process for selecting the country’s official submission for the Int'l Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards, scheduled to be held in 2027. The NFC, the statutory authority responsible for regulating, promoting and developing SL’s film industry, has established the National Oscars Selection Committee of SL (NOSCSL), which has been duly approved by more..

Aug 25 (AD) CIABOC has informed the Colombo Magistrate’s Court that investigations are continuing into the alleged loss of more than USD 6.7 million to the government over the importation of substandard organic fertilizer during the administration of former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The case has been filed against former Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage and other suspects over the alleged importation of a shipment containing 20,000 metric tonnes of substandard organic fertilizer from more..

Aug 25 (NW) CID has obtained approval to detain and continue questioning Suresh Sallay, the former head of the State Intelligence Service, for an additional 90 days in connection with the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks. The extension was granted under Section 9(1) of the PTA No. 48 of 1979, following an order issued by the Minister of Defence. Sallay was arrested on Feb 25 at Peliyagoda and has since been held by the CID as investigations into the 2019 attacks continue. more..

Aug 25 (FT) SL’s post-2022 macroeconomic trajectory has often been described as a textbook recovery. Single-digit inflation, a stabilised rupee, replenished central bank gross official reserves, and primary budget surpluses reflect the fruits of disciplined fiscal management under the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF). Yet, macroeconomic stabilisation is merely the bridge out of insolvency; it is not an engine of long-term prosperity. As the grace periods of external debt restructuring more..

Aug 25 (FT) For many years, widening the tax base has been rightly recognised as one of the most important priorities for SL. A country cannot build a sustainable revenue system if a relatively small group of taxpayers continues to carry a large share of the burden. Bringing previously unregistered individuals and businesses into the formal tax system is therefore essential. The renewed public attention on Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) registration and the expanding role of TINs more..

Aug 25 (TM) SL could face a fresh threat of power cuts as the prevailing El Niño conditions push up electricity demand while reducing hydropower generation, PUCSL Chairman K.P.L. Chandralal warned. He said electricity demand could increase under the prevailing weather conditions, while hydroelectricity generation could decline if water sources begin to dry up. He warned that the combination of rising demand and more..

Aug 25 (TM) The body of an anaesthesiologist attached to the Badulla Teaching Hospital, who had been reported missing since 23 August, was found on a rock near Mapakadawewa in Mahiyanganaya yesterday (24). Police said the doctor had been on duty at the hospital on 23 August but was subsequently reported missing. Investigations found that the doctor’s car had been captured on CCTV cameras in the Meegahakiula area travelling towards Mahiyanganaya. more..

Aug 25 (NW) Colombo Permanent Trial-at-Bar has fixed Sept 22 to deliver its verdict in the case against 25 accused persons charged over the 2019 Easter Sunday bomb attacks. 3-member High Court bench hearing the case announced the date on Monday (24). Attorney General has filed 23,270 charges against the 25 accused, including allegations of conspiracy, aiding and abetting the attacks, collecting arms and ammunition, and attempted murder under the PTA. more..

Aug 25 (FT) The Tourism Ministry has played down concerns surrounding Jewish Chabad Houses, noting the local Muslim community, in particular, has no objection to their presence, and warning that isolated issues were being amplified by parties seeking to disrupt tourism. Tourism Deputy Minister Ruwan Ranasinghe said he had discussed the matter with community representatives and the Minister about two weeks ago and more..

Aug 25 (Island) C. Sallay, mother of former Head of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) Major General (retd.) Suresh Sallay, has requested an opportunity to meet Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. In a letter dated 23 August, she has urged the President not to extend her son’s detention. Sallay has been detained in terms of the PTA. Arrested in the last week of February this year, Sallay has been held on second detention order issued by Prez Dissanayake in his capacity as the defence minister. more..

Aug 25 (Island) Bar Association of SL (BASL), in a motion filed in the Supreme Court yesterday, suggested that Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena recuse himself from hearing petitions challenging the 22nd Amendment, which seeks to extend the retirement ages of superior court judges. The petitioners, BASL President Rajeev Amarasuriya and BASL Secretary Nalin de Silva, named the AG as the respondent in the motion filed under Articles 120 and 121 of the Constitution, more..