Sep 8 (FT) Australia and SL have taken another step forward in their longstanding partnership, with the Australian Electoral Commission and the Election Commission of SL signing a MoU in Colombo on 2 Sept. Strong, trusted election systems are fundamental to vibrant and well-functioning democracies. They ensure democratic institutions reflect their communities, respond to the needs of their people, and maintain public confidence. As Indian Ocean neighbours and two of more..

Sep 8 (DM) Central Bank bought a net US$ 579 million from the domestic foreign exchange market in August, its largest monthly purchase in 29 months, taking net buying for the year to close to US$ 1.5 billion as an IMF mission arriving this week, as per CB data. Central Bank purchased a further US$ 579 million on a net basis from the market in August, following net purchases of US$ 349 million in July, bringing total net foreign exchange purchases during Jan-Aug to close to US$ 1.5 billion. more..

Sep 8 (FT) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said Sri Lanka will next year begin construction on three major expressways using only Treasury funds, without any foreign borrowing, describing it as the first time this has happened in the country’s history. Speaking at a public event in Bulathsinhala, Prez said work will start on expressways linking Galagedara to Rambukkana, Ingiriya to Padukka, and Kurunegala more..

Sep 8 (Island) Serendib Flour Mills continued its longstanding commitment to rural communities through the fifth edition of Serendib Uththama Dalada, more than 100 elderly mothers and fathers from remote farming communities to experience the sacred Sri Dalada Perahera in Kandy. Held on 26 Aug, the initiative brought together elderly parents from Mahalakotuwa, Elahera and Attanakadawala, many of whom have spent a lifetime engaged in agriculture and contributing towards more..

Sep 8 (Island) National Transmission Network Service Provider (Pvt) Ltd. (NTNSP), has secured third place in SL’s fiercely contested 160 MW/640 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) tender, beating a number of established private-sector energy players in a major competitive procurement exercise just six months after the restructuring of the CEB. The result marks a significant early indication that a newly restructured CEB successor company can compete on more..

Sep 8 (FT) Renowned philanthropist and business leader Nahil Wijesuriya has donated the complete range of modern medical equipment required for the newly established National Kidney Stone Referral Centre in Meerigama, marking a significant advancement in SL’s capacity to provide specialised urological care through the public healthcare system. The contribution adds to Wijesuriya’s longstanding record of supporting nationally significant more..

Sep 8 (DM) SL is set for its heaviest Russian winter since 2024/25, with charter and scheduled capacity from eight Russian cities converging on Mattala and Colombo between Oct and Apr. According to SLTDA Chairman, pick-up already showing in forward bookings. He noted that the southern resort belt will capture most of the volume, given Mattala’s proximity to the beaches, while the east is expected to draw a share as operators extend itineraries beyond the established south-west circuit. more..

Sep 8 (NW) SL passport holders will no longer be eligible for Thailand’s visa-exemption scheme from Sept 15, under revised visa measures announced by the Thai govt. Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the revised visa exemption and Visa on Arrival schemes were published in the Royal Gazette on Aug 31 and will take effect from Sept 15. The changes follow a review approved by the Thai Cabinet in May, which included abolishing the existing 60-day visa-exemption scheme and more..

Sep 8 (Island) The arrest of SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa on corruption charges related to the massive Airbus purchase scandal of 2013 has captured the centre stage of public attention. He was arrested by the CIABOC on Sept 4 and remanded until Sept 18. The allegations concern an alleged payment of US$800,000 connected to the procurement of Airbus aircraft by SriLankan Airlines. Opposition political parties working together with the SLPP have condemned the arrest as more..

Sep 8 (ST) Sri Lanka has lost the hosting rights for the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy, and the decision should leave one person in particular asking some uncomfortable questions: the Minister of Sports. As exclusively reported by the Sunday Times last week, the International Cricket Council (ICC) this week formally confirmed India as the host of the six-team tournament in 2027 which was originally scheduled to be played in Colombo. The tournament has gone. more..

Sep 8 (TM) In the wake of the National System Operator (NSO) Pvt Ltd presenting a new interim power generation plan, Electricity Consumers’ Association (ECA) has warned that the proposal could end up increasing the burden on electricity consumers and claimed that it appeared to be an attempt to cover up the failures of previous long-term generation plans. ECA’s General Secretary Sanjeewa Dhammika said that more..

Sep 8 (TM) When Deputy Minister Prabha Senarath told officials gathered at the Malimbada PS that amendments to the Municipal Councils Ordinance, Urban Councils Ordinance and Pradeshiya Sabhas Act had reached their final stage, the announcement was easy to welcome. But it should not be taken at face value. These three statutes, together with the Provincial Councils Act, form the legal skeleton of local govt in SL since the 13th Amendment created the PC system in 1987. more..

Sep 8 (TM) A memorial lecture was held on 29 Aug at the Jaffna Public Library Auditorium to mark the 99th birth anniversary of the late Appapillai Amirthalingam, former Secretary General of the TULF and one of the leaders who shaped the course of SL Tamil politics in the last century. Event was presided over by LOTE Leader and former MP Dharmalingam Sithadthan. NPC Executive Director Dr. Jehan Perera delivered the memorial address on the theme Amirthalingam’s Legacy and more..

Sep 8 (DM) There is nothing wrong with wanting a modern police force. There is nothing wrong with giving police officers better uniforms, better equipment and better working conditions. But there is something uncomfortable about the timing. At a time when Sri Lankans are increasingly worried about shootings, organised crime and the ability of the police to keep people safe, Prez Anura Kumara has announced plans for a new police uniform designed by professional fashion designers. more..

Sep 8 (ST) The passing of the 40th Chief Justice GPS de Silva a few days ago leaves a sense of profound loss. This goes beyond the personal even though this Chief Justice epitomised three rare virtues; kindness, humility and integrity. Visiting him in retirement upon being gently summoned by a call, where a preening beautifully groomed Siamese cat occupied pride of place in the sitting room, I had often joked with Justice Silva, saying that he was the last of SL’s Honourable Chief Justices. more..

Sep 8 (TM) SL is moving to expand prison capacity through the relocation of several major prisons and the temporary reopening of unused facilities as chronic overcrowding continues to strain the correctional system. Meanwhile, delays in criminal proceedings and forensic examinations continue to keep large numbers of suspects in remand custody. Under the Dept of Prisons’ longer-term plans, Welikada Prison is to be relocated more..

Sep 8 (GV) The past few months have been challenging for SL’s govt as well as its people, at least those who are not rich or well connected. Farmers and others who are financially struggling have been protesting across the island. Workers in state-owned organisations from sugar factory employees to university lecturers have taken industrial action. Stark poverty continues to blight lives and while global economic problems largely resulting from US actions and IMF measures more..

Sep 8 (CT) Some sentences acquire a different meaning after their author is gone. These words belonged to Thiagarajah Selvanithy, Selvi, a poet, dramatist and women’s-rights activist studying Theatre and Dramatic Arts at the Uni of Jaffna. She was not a soldier or a politician. She was a young woman who wrote, acted and questioned. On 30 Aug 1991, members of the LTTE abducted her from her home in Jaffna. The following day, she was due to appear in a university play about more..

Sep 8 (SO) It was Tuesday morning, Sept 1. Supreme Court complex, usually a busy hub of legal activity, was unusually crowded. Hundreds of lawyers in black cloaks flocked at the premises, while prominent political, legal and civil society figures arrived in numbers. At the main entrance, journalists stood waiting, their cameras trained on those entering the building. The heightened security presence was equally noticeable. more..

Sep 8 (Island) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has embarked on a nationwide tour to drum up support for his govt, whose approval rating has declined, according to a Verite Research opinion survey. It is possible that he has launched his re-election campaign, the way his predecessors did, as some political commentators argue. The Opposition has claimed that the President has launched the ongoing campaign with an eye to a possible referendum on 22nd Amendment Bill. more..

Sep 8 (DM) Schools are central to communities. The next generation is socially and ideologically nourished in these spaces! However, nourishment is also a material process of eating and sustenance. The lack of it leads to malnourishment. I address here the provisioning of food through the School Meal Programme (SMP), which has hardly been discussed in the public sphere in recent times. Over the last few months, I was given the opportunity to do a rapid study on the implementation of more..

Sep 7 (TM) Following the recent revelation of shortages of cancer drugs at Apeksha Hospital in Maharagama, GMOA has urged the Ministry of Health to make maximum use of its budget allocation for pharmaceuticals. GMOA Secretary Dr. Udayabandara Warakagoda said the drug procurement process should be streamlined and fast-tracked to ensure medicines are available through the Medical Supplies Division (MSD), rather than relying on local purchases to address shortages. more..

Sep 7 (NW) Venerable Ampitiye Sumanarathana Thera, who was arrested by the Batticaloa Police today, has been remanded until tomorrow (08). Police said the monk was taken into custody in connection with obstructing the duties of officers attached to the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau in Batticaloa. Following his arrest, Sumanarathana Thera was produced before the Batticaloa Magistrate’s Court, which ordered that he be remanded until September 8. more..

Sep 7 (Island) Sri Lanka recorded its highest-ever number of blood donations, in a single year, in 2025, collecting 467,000 units, National Blood Transfusion Service Director Dr. Lakshman Edirisinghe said. Edirisinghe made the remarks yesterday while serving as Chief Guest at a ceremony held at the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital to honour blood donors and organisers of blood donation campaigns, in collaboration with more..

Sep 7 (Island) Former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday accused the govt of seeking to undermine SL’s democratic system and weaken the Opposition. Addressing a ceremony at Sirikotha, to mark the party’s 80th anniversary, Wickremesinghe said the country’s democratic system was facing a serious threat. He traced SL’s constitutional and political development since Independence in 1948, noting that the Republican Constitution had been introduced in 1972. more..

Sep 7 (DM) Department of Motor Traffic has clarified that green-background number plates issued for electric vehicles are legally valid, amid concerns over the use of such plates on vehicles. Commissioner General of Motor Transport, Thushara Fernando, said green number plates are legally issued for electric vehicles and that there is no issue with vehicle owners using them. He said the Dept is taking steps to ensure that all electric vehicles are issued with green-background number plates. more..

Sep 7 (DM) Govt is to launch mega development work across all districts next year, with Rs. 2 trillion allocated for capital expenditure and Rs. 2 billion provided for each district secretary to address priority of local development needs, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake said. A series of public rallies attended by Prez began yesterday under the theme, Two years strong. Progress for all. The first phase focused on the Kalutara District, more..

Sep 7 (NW) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has outlined a series of measures aimed at accelerating Sri Lanka’s digital transformation, including plans to make around 80% of govt services accessible from home through mobile phones. Addressing a public meeting in Bulathsinhala, Prez said Rs. 30 billion would be allocated in next year’s Budget for digitalisation, while the govt also plans to expand nationwide 4G coverage. Here are seven key updates announced by the President: more..

Sep 7 (NW) Minister Bimal Rathnayake revealed that the property used for service area on the southern expressway was leased for 99 years at an annual rent of Rs. 10,000 during the previous Rajapaksa administration. Rathnayake made the remarks while responding to concerns over poor maintenance, cleanliness and high food prices at the facility. He said only one service area is currently operating across the 312-km expressway network, while another facility is being developed in more..

Sep 7 (NW) Colombo Magistrate’s Court has rejected a request by the CID to impose overseas travel bans on racing driver Dilantha Malagamuwa and three others over an alleged land fraud involving forged deeds. Colombo Additional Magistrate Lahiru Silva instead directed the CID to take steps to name the four individuals as suspects in the investigation before seeking travel restrictions against them. CID told court that the four were being investigated over an alleged large-scale scheme involving more..

Sep 7 (DM) The Supreme Court today granted permission to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son Yoshitha Rajapaksa to withdraw an appeal challenging the Court of Appeal decision to dismiss a revision application relating to a money-laundering case. Supreme Court permitted Yoshitha Rajapaksa to withdraw his appeal, allowing him to reserve the preliminary issues he raised through this appeal if he files an appeal in the future. The Supreme Court 3-judge-bench comprised more..