Sep 15 (EN) Sri Lanka is considering all options in its fuel price review after private fuel retailers complained of a loss of up to Rs.160 per liter of diesel, Minister Anura Karunathilaka said. His comment comes amid a demand for diesel from private fuel retailers with some pumps have gone empty. Minister said some private retailers having said they incur a loss of Rs.160 per liter of diesel and they are unable to continue in the same manner. more..

Sep 15 (Island) The Sri Lanka Navy recovered its Fast Attack Craft P 4447 following a successful salvage operation, bringing a multi-stage emergency response to a close. The craft sank during a routine patrol, on 15 August 2026, off Angulana, after colliding with a previously sunken bulk carrier. It was brought to the surface on 11 September from a depth of approximately 80 feet. It was subsequently towed to the Colombo Dockyard premises. The initial phase of the operation, more..

Sep 15 (NW) People leaving institutional care will receive housing assistance of up to Rs. 2 million under a govt programme aimed at helping them establish permanent and secure homes after entering society, Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj said. The first phase of the Diviyata Saviyak housing assistance programme will be launched on Sept. 17 at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Paulraj announced the programme on Monday (14) more..

Sep 15 (ST) Europe’s Airbus company provided material evidence to SL’s investigators showing that Hambantota MP Namal Rajapaksa, son of the then Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa, communicated directly with Airbus in the 2013 procurement of 10 aircraft for SriLankan Airlines, state prosecutors claim. Corroborating documentation provided by Police includes an email from Airbus dated March 23, 2013, more..

Sep 15 (Island) The absence of Agriculture Minister Lal Kantha and his Deputy Namal Karunaratne at the NPP’s farmers’ rally at Polonnaruwa, on Saturday revealed the govt’s failure to address the problems faced by the farming community, the SLPP says. Former SLPP MP Sanjeewa Edirimanna said that politburo member Lal Kantha, who represented the NPP’s highest decision-making body, and his Deputy, Karunaratne, couldn’t face the farmers, and hence their absence at Saturday’s rally. more..

Sep 15 (FT) Former Ambassador Mahinda Samarasinghe called for an early conclusion of the bilateral agreement with the US on the new tariff regime so as to safeguard the former’s interests in terms of crucial exports and future investments. Delivering the keynote at the SL Institute of Directors (SLID) Annual Members Meeting at the Cinnamon Grand, Samarasinghe who was SL’s envoy to the US, said that the US accounts for 25% of exports and protecting it was of vital importance. more..

Sep 15 (AD) Police have uncovered several new details surrounding the hand grenade attack on a house in Dehiwala that claimed the lives of two innocent children. Investigators suspect the attack was linked to a dispute between factions associated with organized criminals Badowita Asanka and Kudu Avishka. Police have obtained telephone data belonging to the suspect who hurled the grenade and driver of the three-wheeler used in the attack. CCTV footage has also been recovered, more..

Sep 15 (DM) A complaint has been lodged with the CID over the alleged promotion of the LTTE at the SLPP rally held in A'pura. Police Spokesman ASP F.U. Wootler confirmed today that the complaint was lodged by a group of civil society members named joint opposition following allegations that statements made during the rally amounted to promoting or supporting the LTTE, which remains a proscribed organisation in Sri Lanka. On Sunday, the opposition had raised concerns over remarks more..

Sep 15 (TM) Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) and Employees’ Trust Fund (ETF) should not be merged despite shortcomings in their administration, as the two Funds serve different purposes, National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) member Anton Marcus said. He said that while reforms such as requiring the Central Bank to submit a performance report on the EPF and ETF to the NLAC once every three months could more..

Sep 15 (NW) Court of Appeal has appointed a three-judge bench to consider a complaint against former ministers Wimal Weerawansa and Udaya Gammanpila, MP Dilith Jayaweera and three others over alleged contempt of court. The complaint, submitted to the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court by the CID, relates to statements allegedly made during protests against the arrest of former State Intelligence Service Director Suresh Sallay in connection with investigations into more..

Sep 15 (NW) Tamil political groups and activists staged protests over the weekend, accusing Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s govt of failing to fulfil commitments made to the Tamil community two years after taking office. The protests coincided with events marking two years since the President’s 2024 election victory. Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA) held a one-day fast near the Chavakachcheri bus terminal on Saturday, highlighting demands including the release of more..

Sep 15 (DN) SL’s javelin champion Rumesh Tharanga continued his remarkable international medal hunt by winning the men’s javelin throw at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary on Sunday, overcoming a field of several world’s leading throwers of this event. The pre-competition favourite Rumesh got off to an inauspicious start in Budapest, though, opening with 75.89m. European champion Julian Weber impressed with his first throw which landed comfortably beyond more..

Sep 15 (FT) Sri Lanka and Germany last week identified practical avenues for cooperation with regard to maritime and logistics. This was at the sector-focused briefing titled Positioning Sri Lanka as a Competitive Maritime, Logistics and Export Hub: Opportunities for German–Sri Lankan Business Cooperation convened by the Foreign Affairs Ministry in association with the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Sri Lanka (AHK Sri Lanka) in Colombo. more..

Sep 15 (FT) SL Retailers’ Association (SLRA), in partnership with the CCC, last week successfully concluded the Sri Lanka Retail Forum 2026 under the theme Retail Without Boundaries: Building the Next Growth Engine, bringing together retailers, business leaders and industry experts to explore the changes shaping SL’s retail sector and its next phase of growth. Speaking at the event, SL Retailers’ Association (SLRA) President more..

Sep 15 (Island) Heartbreak of the T-20 World Cup earlier this year is still fresh. SL failed to reach the semi-finals despite enjoying home advantage throughout the tournament, with their batting proving the Achilles heel. Those concerns have hardly disappeared as they head into a three-match T-20 series against England, beginning today in Southampton. Batting misfired in both warm-up games against England Lions and how SL respond when real business begins remains to be more..

Sep 15 (FT) The Gem Sri Lanka 2027 was unveiled in Bangkok on 6 Sept, bringing together key stakeholders to promote SL’s gem and jewellery industry ahead of its fourth edition in Jan 2027. The launch was organised by the Ceylon Gem and Jewellery Traders Association (CGJTA). The event was attended by the Chief Guest, Minister Sunil Handunnetti, who delivered the keynote address. He highlighted the importance of value addition, innovation and international collaboration more..

Sep 15 (TM) National Olympic Committee of SL (NOCSL) Chair Asanga Seneviratne, in a scathing attack on officials of certain domestic sports federations, said it has become embarrassing to sit on behalf of the country at top global sporting events anymore. He charged that to be physically present at high-profile events such as Commonwealth Games and Asian Games on behalf of SL has become a degrading experience, for want of local more..

Sep 15 (FT) The Institution of Engineers, SL, will hold the National Engineering Conference 2026 on 24 Sept from 3 p.m. at Cinnamon Grand Colombo. The conference will bring together policymakers, senior govt officials, engineers, academics, industry leaders, investors and development partners to discuss practical solutions for several important national challenges. NEC 2026 is designed as more than a professional conference. IESL will present four policy papers prepared by more..

Sep 15 (FT) Hayleys Solar marked a major milestone in its renewable energy journey with the opening of its 3MW Veyangoda Ground-Mounted Solar Project, with Energy Minister Anura Karunathilake gracing the occasion. The project marks the first of Hayleys Solar’s planned 300MW portfolio of ground-mounted solar power projects across Sri Lanka, further strengthening its commitment to expanding large-scale renewable energy solutions. Hayleys Solar is part of more..

Sep 15 (FT) SL Economic and Investment Summit 2026, organised by The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce on 12-13 Oct will host a session titled Linking SL to Asia’s Growth Networks: Trade, Corridors, and Value Chains. The session will form part of the second day of SLEIS 2026, held under the theme Positioning Sri Lanka in a Changing Global Economy: Resilience, Reform, and the Future of Economic Policy. It will examine the opportunities for SL to deepen its integration with more..

Sep 15 (FT) Can AI bring the joy and imagination that a book gives? Can it provide the warmth of a conversation that brings soul-to-soul connection? Can it inspire a love of reading and, most importantly, can it give us the smell of a new book? These questions were among those raised at the recently held Readers’ Summit 2026, organised by Pick a Book under the theme Human edge begins with reading, which brought writers, leading entrepreneurs, readers & publishers together. more..

Sep 15 (FT) Advocates compliance-led revenue growth, digital transformation, taxpayer fairness and more competitive business environment. Proposes revising Advance Personal Income Tax threshold to Rs. 200,000 per month, providing relief to middle-income earners. Estimates measure would result in approximate revenue contraction of Rs. 26 b against 2026 baseline and Rs. 79 b compared with 2025 actual revenue. more..

Sep 15 (Island) The ongoing 63rd session of the UNHRC, which runs from Sept 7 to Oct 7, in Geneva is important to Sri Lanka. Its outcome will send a signal to other international actors, including the European Union, as to whether SL’s reform policy is on track. The written update on SL, prepared by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights under High Commissioner Volker Türk and presented by Deputy High Commissioner Nada Al-Nashif, has taken a more holistic approach to more..

Sep 15 (DM) Arrest of SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa over alleged corruption linked to SriLankan Airlines’ Airbus procurement has revived one of the most troubling chapters in the national carrier’s history. Predictably, some welcome the arrest as proof the Govt takes corruption seriously, while others see a politically motivated probe. Both reactions miss the main point. The Airbus affair is ultimately about establishing who was responsible for exposing billions of dollars of public money, more..

Sep 15 (ST) ​There is reason to cautiously applaud the raft of arrests of racketeering politicians of previous regimes taking place currently, subject to the reminder that the law must not be weaponised against political opponents. In that context, the clearance of a proposed Prevention of Organised Crime Bill aimed at establishing a dedicated legal framework to combat organised criminal activity by the Cabinet of Ministers is of particular note. This recognizes that a separate law will more..

Sep 15 (GV) ​If you grew up in SL over the last decade, your introduction to the state was direct and unforgiving. You didn’t just read about policy in a textbook; you lived it in fuel queues, during rolling power outages, through hyperinflation that slashed the value of your savings and amidst an overnight policy shift that disrupted agriculture nationwide. For Gen Z, these weren’t isolated bad luck events. They were the natural end result of a system built on top-down state control, political price fixing more..

Sep 15 (SO) Former UNP National List MP, Prof. Ashu Marasinghe has found himself at odds with his former party over his recent comments on the political situation in the country. While expressing support for several measures taken by the present Govt, Marasinghe has also been openly critical of the UNP’s current political approach. The UNP has since announced that he is no longer a member of the party and is not authorised more..

Sep 15 (TM) Two boys were asleep in their home in Kawdana, Dehiwala, in the hours before dawn on Friday, when a hand grenade meant for a house they did not live in tore through their world instead. They did not wake up. Their father, badly wounded, remains in hospital, left to make sense of a loss no parent should ever have to comprehend. Police now say the attack was a case of mistaken identity, the intended target was a neighbouring house linked to a narcotics dispute between two rival more..

Sep 15 (TM) On 27 December 1864, Ceylon's first train pulled out of Colombo, hauling the promise of a modern age into the interior of the island. One hundred and sixty-one years later, that promise remains largely unfulfilled. Thousands of commuters, mostly government employees and students who buy the cheapest season tickets in the country, still climb into overcrowded carriages each morning, uncertain whether they will reach office or classroom on time, or at all. more..

Sep 15 (TM) There was a time when a ship could determine the fate of a port simply by refusing to call there. For centuries, Galle was Ceylon’s principal maritime gateway, a familiar stopping place for the great steamship lines and an important coaling station on the routes to the East. Colombo was a less impressive proposition, an exposed roadstead whose limitations were obvious to mariners. more..

Sep 15 (Island) Printing is becoming increasingly challenging in Sri Lanka. This is more so about printing newspapers and books owing to the ever-rising cost of paper, ink and high taxes, which even threaten the very survival of the printing and publishing industries. Printers and publishers are struggling to keep their heads above water. Today’s comment however is not a tale of woe about the predicament of printers and publishers. Instead, it is about the fact that under SL law, more..

Sep 15 (DM) Political revenge, they say. But why is accountability suddenly political revenge? When allegations were made, where was this outrage? When questions were raised about public money, govt contracts, questionable deals and the misuse of state resources, where was the concern for the people? Govts changed, politicians crossed the floor, and cases dragged on for years. Meanwhile, the public paid the price. Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has taken a direct swipe at more..