Sep 1 (PMD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that during the last Prez and General Elections, the people of the North took a step forward with the NPP, not just for that single step, but with the vision of moving a thousand steps ahead. Prez assured that the trust placed by the people will be safeguarded until a truly united SL nation is built. Prez made these remarks today at the ceremony held to launch the commencement of more..

Sep 1 (NF) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has strongly reiterated SL’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding its territorial integrity, emphasizing the strategic and emotional significance of Kachchateevu Island to the nation’s fishing communities. Speaking ahead of a scheduled visit to the island this evening, Prez stated, “Kachchateevu holds immense importance for our fishing community. A major public discourse has emerged around the island, and I intend to meet with more..

Sep 1 (AM) The CID has informed former President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake that he does not need to appear before the CID today, according to former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Media Division. Earlier reports indicated that Ekanayake had been instructed to report to the CID at 9 a.m. today in connection with an investigation into a visit to the UK undertaken by Wickremesinghe. Ekanayake has previously been questioned regarding the same matter. more..

Sep 1 (PMD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that efforts are underway to enable the public to carry out all payments and transactions with the govt through online methods by next year. Prez stated that digitalisation, a key programme of the present govt, enables the decentralisation of all administrative functions, which were previously confined to Colombo, to remote rural villages, thereby giving the people more..

Sep 1 (Island) Attorney-at-law Senaka Perera said that the NPP govt should ensure the protection of those who had been arrested in Indonesia and brought back to Colombo over the weekend. Perera, who heads a civil society organisation that promotes prisoners’ welfare, said that successive govts allowed deaths in custody. “The NPP, too, is responsible for such killings,” lawyer Perera said. Pointing out that Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala and IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya more..

Sep 1 (AD) Vehicular movement will be restricted from 7 p.m. today, on a stretch of the entry road to Colombo from the Devi Balika Roundabout to the D.S. Senanayake Junction with the Borella Police Division. Police Media Division attributed the road closure to the repair work to be conducted between the Devi Balika Roundabout to the D.S. Senanayake Junction. The road has been closed sporadically in the past few days due to the risk of cracks, subsidence, and the inflow of sewage more..

Sep 1 (DM) Planters’ Association made a strong call to the govt to fast-track the extension of Regional Plantation Company (RPC) leases, warning that on going uncertainty could derail billions of rupees in long-term investment in the country’s plantation sector. PA Chairman Sunil Poholiyadde described the industry as being at a critical juncture, noting that the current 53-year leases, signed in 1992, will expire in 2045. He said the remaining 20-year window is insufficient to secure more..

Sep 1 (TM) Against the backdrop of the Govt’s decision to increase import taxes on big onions and potatoes, farmers’ groups have expressed concerns that the move appears to favor importers while adversely affecting local farmers. Noting this, NAU Prez Anuradha Thennakoon claimed that although the Govt increased these taxes targeting the harvesting period to support local farmers, importers had already imported big onions and potatoes in large quantities. more..

Sep 1 (AD) There is no longer a threat of war in the country, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has stated while attending an event in Jaffna. Prez made this statement while attending the launch of the third phase of the Myliddy Fisheries Harbour Development Project in Jaffna today. The symbolic inauguration of the third phase of the Myliddy Fisheries Harbour Development Project took place by the Prez. Under this initiative, more..

Sep 1 (NW) The programme to develop the Jaffna Library into an e-library was inaugurated under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake this morning. Accordingly, the website jaffna.dlp.gov.lk was introduced for the Jaffna Public Library, enabling readers to access its collection online through this project. The Jaffna Public Library, a symbol of pride for the people of Jaffna, is one of the largest libraries in Asia, housing an extensive collection of books. more..

Sep 1 (EN) SL’s tourist arrivals increased 20.4% from a year ago to 198,235 in Aug 2025. There were 46,473 visitors from India in July 2025, making up 23.4% of total arrivals, followed by the UK with 19,764 which made up 10% of arrivals. There were 12,500 visitors (6.3%) from Germany, 12,294 from China (6.2%), and 12,247 from Italy (6.2%). Visitors from other European countries included France 10,495 (5.3%) Spain 8,843 (4.5%) and the Netherlands 6,082 (3.1%) as the summer more..

Sep 1 (TM) The crucial technical evaluation of bids for the long-stalled BIA expansion project has faced delays, with Deputy Minister Janitha Kodithuwakku now expecting the process to conclude by the end of September. This marks a new timeline, given that the Deputy Minister previously anticipated the evaluation to be completed by the first week of July. “The technical evaluation of the tender process is still more..

Sep 1 (DM) Supreme Court today granted leave to proceed with a Fundamental Rights petition filed by the Centre for Environmental Justice against former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and several others. The petition challenges the sale of Eppawala phosphate by Lanka Phosphate Limited to three companies at prices allegedly far below the world market rate, which is said to have caused losses to the govt. The petitioners state that on the 6th of July 2023, Lanka Phosphate Ltd more..

Sep 1 (NW) Dept of Meteorology has issued an advisory for warm weather for the Northern, North-central and Eastern provinces and Monaragala and Hambantota districts. Amber alerts have been issued to 12 districts, effective tomorrow (2). The dept states that the Heat index, the temperature felt on the human body, is likely to increase up to Caution level at some places in the districts. The public has been warned that fatigue is possible with prolonged exposure and activity, more..

Sep 1 (FT) Parts 1 and 2 of this article highlighted two fundamental rights of taxpayers: the Right to Know the Legal Basis for Taxation, and the Right to Know the Reasons for an Amended or Additional Assessment. It must be reiterated that when taxpayer rights are violated, the resulting official actions—and in particular tax assessments—stand to be nullified and set aside, for taxpayer rights take precedence over the taxing power of the State agencies, be it the IRD, more..

Sep 1 (FT) Sri Lankans have been offered once again an opportunity to savour another set of proposals for education reforms and live in hopes of having an education system comparable to those prevailing in countries like Singapore, Finland or Norway. The proposals prepared by a team of experts attached to the National Institute of Education or NIE have been presented in the form of a PowerPoint presentation by the Ministry of Education, Higher Education, and more..

Sep 1 (CT) Two special Police teams have been assigned to conduct investigations into five notorious organised criminals – Kehelbaddara Padme, Commando Salintha, Backhoe Saman, Panadura Nilanga and Thambili Lahiru who were arrested in Indonesia and brought back to SL. CID has begun questioning Kehelbaddara Padme, Commando Salintha, and Panadura Nilanga, while investigations into Backhoe Saman and more..

Sep 1 (AD) Minister Sunil Handunnetti says that if the technical expertise available in the country is insufficient to resolve the issues caused by the irregular construction of the salinity barrier on the Nilwala River in Matara, govt will seek foreign assistance to find a permanent solution. Minister made these remarks during a recent visit to the site. The barrier, originally built to address drinking water shortages in Matara, has not worked as intended allegedly due to substandard construction. more..

Sep 1 (AD) The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (Ceypetco) has announced a revision of fuel prices effective from midnight today (31). According to the announcement, the price of Auto Diesel will be reduced by Rs. 6 to Rs. 283 per litre, and Super Diesel will be reduced by Rs. 12 to Rs. 313 per litre. Petrol 92 Octane will be reduced by Rs. 6 to Rs. 299 per litre. Meanwhile, there will be no change in the prices of Petrol 95 Octane and Kerosene. The revised rates are as follows: more..

Sep 1 (FT) Giving investors a strong signal on the economic recovery and future stability, the Govt continues to report impressive gains in fiscal performance, with the Budget deficit in nominal terms falling by 36.3% to Rs. 556.1 billion in the first seven months of 2025, down from Rs. 872.6 billion in the same period of 2024. According to the latest Fiscal Review Report, declining Budget deficit is mainly due to revenue growth more..

Sep 1 (DN) A special ceremony was held at BIA on Saturday night to appreciate the Indonesian Police Special Task Force for their assistance in arresting a group of Sri Lankan organised criminals in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Indonesian officers arrived at BIA on the same flight with the deported criminals. Upon their arrival, they were welcomed with garlands and presented with commemorative gifts. The event took place in the special at the airport’s VIP lounge. Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala, more..

Sep 1 (AD) Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, has planned to hold discussions with High Commissioners and Ambassadors in Colombo, human rights activists, scholars, and attorneys in the country ahead of the 60th session of the UNHRC. The discussions will be held next week. The 60th session of the UNHRC is scheduled to commence in Geneva on Sept 8 and will continue until Oct 8. Accordingly, Foreign Minister is scheduled to brief the diplomatic community on the measures more..

Sep 1 (ST) All CEB employees are to retain their initial working locations, duties, functions and remunerations despite the utility being divided into four separate entities under the recently passed SL Electricity (Amendment) Act. Power Sector Reforms Secretariat (PSRS) has issued a circular to the heads of CEB divisions and branches, stating that these provisions will “not be made less favourable than the current terms and conditions under their contract of employment with the CEB”. more..

Sep 1 (DM) Sri Lanka will accelerate education reforms and foster innovation to prepare the economy for rapid technological and structural change, PM Harini Amarasuriya said last week, pledging a policy environment that supports startups and attracts investment. “The future strength of Sri Lanka’s economy will not rely on traditional sectors alone,” Amarasuriya said at the launch of the National Institute of Business Management’s (NIBM) New Ventures initiative in Colombo. more..

Sep 1 (DN) Western Province (WP) emerged Overall Champions while Central Province finished as overall runners up in the 49th National Sports Festival concluded at Dadalla Sports Complex, Galle yesterday. Western Province dominated this Sports Festival collecting 83 gold, 55 silver and 71 bronze medals. Runners up Central Province won the 43 gold, 64 silver and 68 bronze medals. Third place was won by Southern Province winning 33 gold, 52 silver and 46 bronze medals. more..

Sep 1 (FT) Govt has introduced a new voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) for employees of the CEB who do not wish to transfer to the successor company. The move follows the approval of regulations under Section 50 of the SL Electricity Act, No. 36 of 2024. The Extraordinary Gazette dated 26 Aug was issued by Minister Kumara Jayakody, setting out the terms and conditions of the scheme. According to the regulations, more..

Sep 1 (AD) Sri Lankans will have a rare opportunity to witness the phenomenon known as blood moon next month, said Prof. Chandana Jayaratne, Head of the Department of Physics and Director, Astronomy and Space Science Unit of the Uni of Colombo and the Chairman of the Arthur C Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies. The spectacular celestial event is set to light up the skies on Sept 7, as the Moon undergoes a total lunar eclipse, turning an eerie, deep red for 82 minutes. more..

Sep 1 (AD) The govt has taken steps to implement a special program starting today to dispose of unnecessary items that have accumulated in all state institutions. The program announced as Seiri Week, will be carried out over four days, from today to Sept 4. It has been launched with the aim of creating a clean, healthy, and safe environment that enables govt officers to perform their duties more effectively and comfortably. Accordingly, Secretary to Ministry of Public Admin, PCs and LG more..

Sep 1 (NW) Ministry of Public Security has rejected the circulation of a doctored image falsely attributed to Minister Ananda Wijepala on social media, calling it a deliberate attempt to mislead the public. The ministry said the image is being shared alongside fabricated news reports following the arrest of Kehelbaddara Pathme and others, who were detained in Indonesia in connection with organized crime operations in Sri Lanka. The arrests were made through a joint effort between more..

Sep 1 (SO) Minister Ananda Wijepala said the Govt is moving decisively to dismantle underworld violence in the country, in the backdrop of the extradition of several leading criminals to SL from Indonesia yesterday evening. He said the Govt has secured greater international cooperation to apprehend drug traffickers and organised crime figures operating from abroad. Indonesian-SL joint Police operation to nab notorious more..

Sep 1 (DN) Nadeesha Ramanayaka 400m National champion athlete has been selected to represent SL at the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan from Sept 13 to 21. This is a good opportunity for the 30-year-old Army athlete who won 2023 Asian Athletic Championship 400m gold medal. With no SL female athlete meeting the qualification standards for the event, SL Athletics nominated next best in SL, Javelin Thrower Dilhani Lekamge and 400m specialist Ramanayaka more..

Sep 1 (EN) SL’s Pick Met, a ride hailing company said it had tied up with the university to study and find solutions to communities who are facing difficulties in accessing transport and also looking at multi-modal transport. “The collaboration aims to address long-ignored mobility challenges across diverse segments of the population,” the company said in a statement. “With a population of 22 million people facing a wide range of mobility needs, from rural villages with unmarked roads to more..