Sep 14 (TM) A total of 27 trade unions (TUs) within the Railways Department are set to launch a 48-hour token strike on 17 and 18 Sept, demanding the removal of Railway General Manager (GM) Ravindra Pathmapriya and the withdrawal of a letter seeking an explanation from SL Railway Station Masters’ Union (SLRSMU) General Secretary Kasun Chamara Jayasekara over comments made to the media on issues more..

Sep 14 (DM) Start with a managed demonetization and withdrawal of the Rs. 5,000 note, make it harder to hoard illicit cash, conduct anonymous transactions and keep money beyond the reach of the formal economy. Bring hidden cash into the banking system, widen the tax net, curb bribery and illicit transactions and strike at Sri Lanka’s shadow economy. This is not an untested experiment. Our big brother India and several other countries have already travelled this road, more..

Sep 14 (DM) Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama today ordered the acquittal of former Mrs. World Caroline Jurie and model Chula Padmendra in a case filed against them over an incident in which the crown worn by 2021 Mrs. Sri Lanka winner Pushpika de Silva was allegedly forcibly removed, causing injuries to her. The order was made when the Chief Magistrate delivered the judgment in the case today. Delivering the judgment, the Chief Magistrate held that more..

Sep 14 (FT) The current economic situation in Sri Lanka makes the Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) consultation on investment related to power generation important. The country is emerging from a deep economic crisis at a time when it is vulnerable to a range of external shocks, including due to the war in Iran and climate related disasters. SL is particularly vulnerable in terms of energy. At the same time, the possibility of a food crisis, affected not only by climate change but more..

Sep 14 (FT) In the global fight against ecological collapse, contemporary policymakers have routinely adhered to a top-down policy application tactic. The prevailing assumption is that sweeping international accords, macro-level economic policies, and institutional directives will naturally trickle down to alter individual behaviour. It is, therefore, believed that people in both developed and emerging economies would change themselves to make the policy work. more..

Sep 14 (DM) Dog owners in SL will be required to vaccinate and register their dogs annually with their respective local authorities under a new Bill aimed at eliminating rabies and regulating the country’s dog population. Elimination of Rabies and Registration of Dogs Bill, published as a Gazette supplement in September, seeks to introduce a new legal framework covering rabies vaccination, dog registration, population control and more..

Sep 14 (DM) Dr. Rosh Jalagge, the first Sri Lankan to own a private long-haul jet, arrived at the Ratmalana Airport in his private aircraft, according to airport sources. Dr. Jalagge arrived in Sri Lanka aboard his private jet, marking a notable development in the country’s private aviation sector. Sri Lanka’s first privately owned aircraft was a Learjet 35A purchased by businessman Upali Wijewardene in the 1980s. The aircraft had a flying range of around 4,000 kilometres. more..

Sep 14 (FT) Sri Lanka’s official reserve assets rose to $ 6.9 billion as of end-August 2026, up 4.6% from $ 6.6 billion a month earlier, according to Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) data released on Friday. This is a five-month high and the third-highest reserves position recorded this year, after $ 7.3 billion in February and $ 7 billion in March, respectively. Foreign currency reserves increased 5% to $ 6.69 billion, while gold reserves rose 9.4% to $ 210 million. more..

Sep 14 (NW) Private fuel distribution companies operating in SL have sought a cost-reflective pricing mechanism amid rising global fuel and shipping costs, as limited diesel stocks are reportedly being released to some privately operated filling stations despite adequate fuel stocks being available in the country. Private filling station employees have said they are receiving limited quantities of diesel, while signs indicating that more..

Sep 14 (NW) Sri Lanka has launched the first project under a programme aimed at adding 300 megawatts (MW) of solar power to the national electricity grid, as the country seeks to increase its reliance on renewable energy. The first ground-mounted solar project, with a capacity of 3MW, was inaugurated in Veyangoda on Sunday by Energy Minister Anura Karunathilaka. It is the first in a series of solar projects planned across the country with a combined capacity of 300MW. more..

Sep 14 (AD) Blocks 1 and 2 of the Yala National Park have been temporarily closed from today due to the prevailing dry weather conditions, Dept of Wildlife Conservation and Forest Conservation said. Accordingly, the closure will remain in effect for one month, until Oct 15. Yala National Park is home to 44 species of mammals, 215 species of birds, 47 species of reptiles and 21 species of fish. The park generally attracts the highest number of tourists from August to March. more..

Sep 14 (NW) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake addressed an NPP public rally in Kahatagasdigiliya on Sunday, focusing on corruption, organised crime, economic development, agriculture and the human-elephant conflict. Here are nine key points from his speech: 1. No limit to arrests over corruption: Responding to a former Minister who had reportedly called for limits on arrests, Prez AKD said there would be no limit to action against those accused of stealing public funds. more..

Sep 14 (FT) Private sector borrowing from Sri Lanka’s banking system slowed sharply in July, with net credit expanding by Rs. 169.1 billion month-on-month (MoM), down 31% from June’s Rs. 245.3 billion increase, provisional data from the Central Bank of SL (CBSL) showed. Outstanding credit to the private sector rose to Rs. 11.45 trillion in July from Rs. 11.28 trillion in June. On a year-on-year (YoY) basis, private sector credit growth eased to 26.4% from 27.4% in June. more..

Sep 14 (NW) SL was the only country where public perceptions of the United Nations improved among 37 countries surveyed by the Pew Research Center, according to its latest Global Attitudes Survey. About two-thirds of Sri Lankans, 66%, now have a favorable opinion of the UN, up from 58% when Pew last surveyed the country in 2024. Eight-percentage-point increase stands out against a broader trend of declining or more..

Sep 14 (Island) In a major boost to bilateral economic ties, Chamber of Construction Industry of SL (CCISL) and Indo–SL Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ISCCI) have signed a strategic MoU to deepen cooperation in real estate, infrastructure, and urban development. Agreement establishes a formal framework for both institutions to drive collaborative initiatives, including business delegations, high-level conferences, workshops, B2B matchmaking sessions, technical site more..

Sep 14 (EN) Colombo International Maritime Conference this year has aimed at taking the island nation as one of best logistic hubs with a fundamental shift in the current operational model, while improving the efficiency. The goal includes increasing the contribution from the ports and logistics to 10% of the GDP from the current 2.5%. Situated along the main East-West East Asia–Europe shipping lane just 6 to 10 nautical miles off the southern tip of South Asia, SL’s Port of more..

Sep 14 (DN) Manel Abeysekera, SL’s first woman entrant to the SL Foreign Service (then Ceylon Overseas Service), passed away on Thursday. She was 93. The funeral was held yesterday (13) at the Borella Kanatte Cemetery. Ms Abeysekera was born on Aug 14, 1933. She was the daughter of a civil servant and Senator, E.W. Kannangara. Her entry into the Foreign Service in 1958 came at a time when the public service was an exclusively male domain, but she made her mark and more..

Sep 14 (ST) The US-SL Fulbright Commission (US-SLFC), in partnership with the US Embassy in SL, will host the 2026 Education-USA University Fair in Colombo, Kurunegala and Kandy between September 14 and 18. The free fairs will connect SL students directly with representatives from 11 accredited US colleges and universities to discuss admissions requirements, scholarships, and academic programmes. Students will have opportunities to learn about programmes in more..

Sep 14 (TM) Sri Lanka is yet to introduce a carbon credit registry mechanism – awaiting the existing Govt's own policy on carbon trading – following the previous Govt's decision to cap the share of emission reductions that can be credited across several sectors, including renewable energy projects, at 50% and 25%, according to Ministry of Environment Director of Environment Planning and Economics Kumudini Vidyalankara. more..

Sep 14 (FT) I have lost count of how many meetings end in much the same way. The formal business is concluded, the laptops are closed, and then comes the question that often says more than the agenda ever did: where should we eat tonight, is it safe to walk back, would this be a place to bring family next time? For years, I regarded such moments as polite afterthoughts. I no longer do. They tell us whether a city is merely being visited, or beginning to be experienced as a place worth returning to. more..

Sep 14 (FT) Prime Lands Residencies, has announced the completion of the superstructures of all three towers at The Colombo Border, marking a key construction milestone. The breakthrough follows the prior topping out of Tower Cosmos and confirms that the entire project has moved through its most complex construction phase, ahead of the original schedule. The Colombo Border by Prime Lands Residencies is a landmark residential development that redefines urban living at more..

Sep 14 (FT) The Opposition SJB last week accused SL Customs of running an organised extortion racket against importers, warning that unchecked harassment by officials was driving micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) out of the import trade and threatening jobs, incomes, and tax revenue. SJB MP Mujibur Rahman said imports had declined steadily in recent months as importers, particularly MSMEs, more..

Sep 14 (DM) SL javelin star Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage capped his remarkable season with another major victory, winning the men’s javelin at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26 on Sunday. Pathirage produced a winning throw of 91.09m to claim the title, becoming the first athlete to throw beyond 90 metres in Hungary. The victory adds another milestone to a stunning season for the Sri Lankan, who had won 11 of his 12 competitions before arriving in Budapest. more..

Sep 14 (DN) Sri Lankan driver Yevan David completed his rookie season in the 2026 FIA Formula 3 Championship with 35 points after the final round at the Madring Circuit in Madrid, Spain yesterday. The 18-year-old finished 18th among 34 drivers in the FIA Formula 3championship standings. The AIX Racing driver collected his final championship point by finishing 10th in the second Feature Race. He started from ninth place and fought hard to remain inside the points. more..

Sep 14 (CI) England Lions routed SL by nine wickets in the second T20 warm-up at Beckenham, coasting past a DLS-adjusted target of 73 from eight overs with 10 balls remaining. Kamil Mishara was the tourists' top-scorer with 31, as they posted 156 for 9, but rain fell at the innings break, initially reducing England's innings to 12 overs and then eight. Paul Walter top-scored with 34 not out and he sealed the win with a huge six. The sides agreed to play 13-aside, with a maximum of 11 players batting. more..

Sep 14 (DN) Int'l athletes came to the fore at the Colombo Marathon while Julius Ugandan Ochieng of Uganda and Aynalem Kasahun Teferi of Ethiopia emerged men’s and women’s champions in the full marathon event at the inaugural Colombo Marathon held in Colombo yesterday. The experienced Uganda marathoner Julius won the men’s full marathon comfortably with a timing of 2 hr 18.54 sec followed by Kenyan athlete Geoffrey Brgen at second place with a timing of 2 hr 20.43 sec. more..

Sep 14 (CI) A commanding opening stand between Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana, followed by an excellent overall bowling effort, gave India their eighth Asia Cup title, fourth in T20 format, as they beat previous champions SL by 72 runs in Dubai. Shafali and Mandhana put up 129 for the first wicket, the highest partnership for any wicket in the Women's T20 Asia Cup, to power India to 183 for 5. Sri Lanka's chase never got going, more..

Sep 14 (Island) Sri Lanka’s state university system, long celebrated as the crown jewel of the nation’s free education policy, is currently navigating one of the most perilous periods in its modern history. What was once envisioned as a reliable engine for social mobility and intellectual leadership is now burdened by severe operational deficiencies that threaten its fundamental integrity. The recent decision by the FUTA to stage a trade union action, following a week of growing unrest, more..

Sep 14 (Island) Hurly-burly was done over the weekend, with the SLPP and the govt holding two rallies in Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, respectively, but the propaganda brigades of the JVP/NPP and the Opposition are still clashing over crowd sizes. The SLPP and its allies are over the moon about their rally’s impressive turnout. The JVP-NPP social media activists claim that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s meeting had a higher crowd density. more..

Sep 14 (CT) On 11 Sept, Young Lawyers’ Association held a public seminar at the National Library Auditorium in Colombo titled Why Should We Mobilise for a New People’s Constitution? The panel featured distinguished legal experts, including Professor Savitri Goonesekere, Rohan Edrisinha, President’s Counsel Geoff Alagaratnam, and President’s Counsel Saliya Pieris. In this article, I contend that authentic renewal requires transcending Majoritarian-Minoritarian Trap more..

Sep 14 (SO) Why does a Govt with a two-thirds Parliamentary majority need to return to the streets? Prez AKD answered this at the NPP meetings to mark two years in power in Bulathsinhala and Beruwala. Some previous administrations too had possessed Executive Power and large Parliamentary majorities. However, for these administrations, these advantages only triggered disdain for public opinion and a sense of entitlement, which ultimately led to the loss of public support. more..