Sep 28 (DN) SL’s promising athlete Ayomal Akalanka came up with a superb performance in men’s 400m hurdles heat 1 finishing third and securing his place in the final at the 20th Asian Games in Japan yesterday. Akalanka was placed third in his heat and finished fifth overall with a qualifying time of 49.78 seconds. Final is scheduled to run today at 4pm (SLT). 20-year-old Sri Lankan to do better aiming for a medal today but it is going to be a tough more..

Sep 28 (FT) Cabinet has approved the implementation of special programs declaring a National Children’s Day Week 2026, to be observed from 25 Sept to 1 Oct, in the lead-up to SL’s national Children’s Day commemoration on 1 Oct. The country marks Children’s Day annually with the objective of strengthening social attention toward protecting children’s rights, education, health, and wellbeing. Minister Nalinda Jayatissa last week said it has been observed that the challenges more..

Sep 28 (DM) National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) has urged lawmakers to carefully reconsider the proposed extension of the terms of judges of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal under the 22nd Amendment, warning that the reform could place the Supreme Court in a position where it has to hear a case concerning the tenure of its own judges. NMSJ General Secretary Sunil Jayasekara said the proposed amendment should be considered through a multi-party discussion involving more..

Sep 28 (TM) Concerns and proposals regarding Advance Personal Income Tax (APIT) were raised during a special discussion between Deputy Minister Dr Anil Jayantha and members of the National Executive Committee of the Banks and Finance Forum. The meeting, with banking and financial sector representatives presenting their views on APIT and expressing hope for a favourable response from the authorities. Discussions also covered SL’s recent economic progress & achievements, more..

Sep 28 (TM) Govt aims to attract four million tourists a year and generate $8 billion in tourism revenue by 2030, PM Harini Amarasuriya said yesterday. She made the remarks at the 2026 World Tourism Day celebrations held at the Western Provincial Council Auditorium under the theme Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism. PM said the 2026 Budget had allocated Rs 6 billion for international digital promotional campaigns, Rs 3.5 billion for environmentally friendly more..

Sep 28 (FT) New grid batteries will help Sri Lanka absorb surplus solar power nationally, but will not open up rooftop connections where neighbourhood transformers are already full, two Parliamentary Committees heard on 22 and 23 Sept. Households that can still connect now face either a far less favourable tariff or a battery bill of over Rs. 1 million. PUCSL challenged the premise behind the curbs on rooftop solar. more..

Sep 28 (NW) SL Navy has seized approximately 81 kilograms of ICE and heroin with an estimated street value of more than Rs. 1.5 billion during an operation off the northern coast. The seizure was made in the Kusumanthurei coastal area of Madagal, Jaffna, on Sept 27, with one suspect arrested and a dinghy allegedly used for the smuggling operation also taken into custody. The haul consisted of approximately 45.5 kg of ICE, or methamphetamine, and 35.7 kg of heroin. more..

Sep 28 (FT) Sri Lanka’s tourism sector is showing signs of stabilising in September, even as it continues to trail last year’s record pace, with India cementing its position as the country’s dominant source market. Sri Lanka welcomed 122,194 tourists between 1–23 Sept, compared with 121,1817during the same period last year, reflecting a marginal increase of just 377 visitors, or 0.31%. The near-identical totals suggest the sector has moved past the sharp contraction seen earlier in the year, more..

Sep 28 (CI) Tom Banton thumped a maiden ODI hundred, Harry Brook motored to 77, and Jordan Cox took the death overs by the collar with his 76 off 52. Up against a target of 356, Sri Lanka promptly rolled out one of their abject collapses, which have been routine on this tour. They nosedived early and nosedived hard, slipping from 53 for 3 to 77 for 5 to 132 all out inside 30 overs. Only one batter made more than 20. more..

Sep 28 (ST) Ministry of Energy has officially dismantled the traditional net metering and net accounting frameworks for all new rooftop solar installations, triggering widespread economic concern. Under recent directives, all new distributed solar setups must connect exclusively under the Net Plus mechanism, which uncouples generation from household consumption, Energy Ministry announced. Policy change marks a major setback for small and medium-scale consumers more..

Sep 28 (FT) Newly elected SL Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) President Bobby Jordan Hansen has called for a formal role for the Association in shaping tourism policy, a genuine level playing field across the industry, and a more targeted approach to marketing the country internationally. Hansen, who became the second woman to lead the SLAITO at the 46th AGM last Friday, said the Association must evolve with an industry that has expanded significantly more..

Sep 28 (FT) Four project companies in which renewable energy firm Vidullanka PLC holds stakes have submitted winning bids to add battery energy storage to their existing solar power plants. Vidullanka’s share of the equity investment is estimated at about Rs. 600 million. Vidullanka said the bids fell within the winning threshold in a competitive tender for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). BESS are large batteries that store electricity more..

Sep 28 (FT) Six project companies of renewable energy developer WindForce PLC have submitted winning bids to add a combined 28 MW/144 MWh of battery storage to their existing solar plants. WindForce’s equity investment is estimated at about Rs. 944 million. WindForce said the bid prices fell within the winning bid threshold. The companies bid under a call for proposals to establish 150 MW/600 MWh of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), meaning large batteries that store electricity more..

Sep 28 (NW) Police have clarified the procedures governing the repossession of vehicles and other equipment by leasing and finance companies, stressing that police officers do not participate in the actual repossession process. Under Finance Leasing Act No. 56, lessors and their authorized representatives must follow prescribed procedures when seeking possession of leased property, including vehicles. more..

Sep 28 (Island) Sri Lanka’s political transition in 2024 was widely regarded as restoration of democracy, a reversal of authoritarian rule and an opportunity for constitutional recovery. The 22nd Amendment is the first constitutional amendment since this turning point. It 1) extends the age of retirement of the judges of the superior courts by two years, 2) expands the number of judges in the Court of Appeal by 4, and 3) introduces a cap of 6 years on the term of a Chief Justice. more..

Sep 28 (ST) UN General Assembly kicked off in New York this week at a time the world is in disarray, facing overlapping threats from trade wars, real wars, climate change and environmental havoc – and the latest entry to the mix – the threat to humanity from Artificial Intelligence (AI). The world body’s irrelevance in dealing with such multiple issues is becoming increasingly apparent. Yet, the UN is the one place that all 193 member-states, big, small and middle powers can come and more..

Sep 28 (Island) All low-enrolment schools across the country are being assessed for restructuring, according to media reports. While many of them are facing the prospect of amalgamation or closure, the performance of one such school has strengthened the argument against a blanket approach to low-enrolment schools. Students of Panahetagala Primary School, located in the backwaters of the Ratnapura District, have demonstrated their ability to overcome challenges and achieve more..

Sep 28 (ST) My dear Sajith, I thought of writing to you after seeing you quite active in the past few days, attending JR’s 120th birth anniversary commemoration as well as being at the centre of the demonstration against the 22nd Amendment near Parliament just the other day and then, debating the same issue in Parliament. But first things first, the Green party, celebrated their 80th anniversary recently. Your father once led that party. It was where you learnt your ABCs in politics. more..

Sep 28 (ST) The US Embassy in Sri Lanka conducted a three-day training on September 9–11 in Colombo to strengthen Sri Lanka's ability to detect and respond to maritime sanctions evasion that threatens US security interests and legitimate global commerce. The programme was conducted through the US Department of State’s Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction and in partnership with the Atlantic Council. more..

Sep 28 (TM) SL’s foreign policy has traditionally been shaped by its immediate neighbourhood, major Asian powers, ME, Europe & North America. Given our geography and history, this is understandable. India, China, Japan, Gulf, Europe & US will inevitably remain important partners. But there is another part of the world where SL has considerable room to expand its engagement: Latin America & Africa. These regions should not be viewed as distant or peripheral to SL’s interests. more..

Sep 28 (SO) The news landed in Colombo’s financial corridors with a rare sense of collective relief on Sept 22, when Fitch Ratings upgraded SL’s Long-Term Issuer Default Rating to ‘B-’ from ‘CCC+’ with a Stable Outlook. For an island nation that collapsed into a historic Sovereign Default just four years ago, moving out of the default-adjacent ‘CCC’ category marks a major milestone. The upgrade serves as a formal vote of confidence in the country’s macro-stabilisation framework, more..

Sep 27 (ST) The age-old parliamentary adage the opposition must have its say, but the govt will have its way came to pass this week when the much-debated Twenty-Second Amendment (22A) to the Constitution got parliamentary approval with all 158 NPP lawmakers voting in its favour. The debate was held on Thursday and Friday after the five-member Supreme Court bench, which looked into more..

Sep 27 (NW) Minister Vijitha Herath has held discussions on the possibility of hosting the Miss Universe pageant in Sri Lanka, a move that could boost the country’s tourism profile and international visibility. Herath met Olivia Quido, Vice President of Global Partnerships at the Miss Universe Organization; Caroline Jurie, former Mrs. World 2020 and Chairperson of Caroline J Global Holdings and Nishan Deepal and Kusal Perera, Directors of Caroline J Global Holdings. more..

Sep 27 (ANI) A five-member delegation of JVP, led by its General Secretary Tilvin Silva, will visit India from Sept 27 to Oct 1 at the invitation of the Bharatiya Janata Party, as per the release. The delegation comprises Tilvin Silva, General Secretary; Chandrika Adikari, Central Committee Member; Aboobucker Athambawa, MP; Kabilan Suntharamoorthy, District Committee Member; and Kalpana Madhubhashini, Member of the Int'l Dept, and is scheduled to visit India more..

Sep 27 (TM) SL is set to begin rolling out its SL Unique Digital Identity (SLUDI) project by the end of this year, with the first digital IDs to be issued to a selected cohort as a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) developed in-house. The initial rollout will proceed while the Govt awaits the finalisation of an Indian grant and the selection of a vendor for the full SLUDI system. Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne said that full rollout of the SLUDI more..

Sep 27 (AD) The founder of , a renowned name in the SL music industry, Ananda Ganegoda, has passed away. Ganegoda was a veteran artist who made a significant contribution to the revival and development of Sinhala classical and quality music (Subhavitha Geetha) in SL. Working closely with local musicians and creators, he established Singlanka, a cassette production company aimed at ensuring the creative independence, artistic quality, and economic well-being of artists more..

Sep 27 (NW) Police will strictly enforce regulations governing bus priority lanes in Colombo and surrounding areas from Tuesday (29), as authorities step up efforts to reduce traffic congestion during peak hours. Chairman of Metro Bus S.M.U.P. Thilakaratne said the programme covers seven bus priority lanes in the Western Province and aims to ease congestion while enabling passengers to reach their destinations safely and on time. 104 luxury buses operated by Metro are also more..

Sep 27 (EN) English Writers Collective of SL (EWC) has launched Channels 2026, the latest edition of its annual anthology of short stories, poetry and essays by established and emerging SL writers. “The EWC has always championed the power of original storytelling. Our annual competition continues to uncover an incredible depth of raw talent across the island, and we are thrilled to reward these brilliant minds and offer them the wide readership they truly deserve,” Chair Keerthi Wijekulasuriya said. more..

Sep 27 (NW) Police have urged property owners to exercise caution and conduct proper background checks before renting out houses, business premises or other properties. Senior DIG Sajeewa Medawatte said drugs, weapons and other items linked to criminal activity are frequently being recovered from rented properties. He said some property owners rent out their premises without checking the background of prospective tenants. Police also warned property owners that more..

Sep 27 (TM) The IMF has not rejected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s proposal to provide a fresh fuel subsidy to cushion consumers against rising global fuel prices during its latest discussions with the Govt, according to Ministry of Energy Secretary G.M.R.D. Aponsu. Aponsu said that several possible measures to address the impact of rising fuel prices had been discussed, with a subsidy emerging as more..

Sep 27 (SO) Investigations into the murder of rugby player Wasim Thajudeen have reportedly uncovered information that three vehicles suspected of being linked to his killing were also allegedly used in several other crimes. The three double-cab vehicles had been provided through the Presidential Secretariat for the security of then First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa and her son Yoshitha Rajapaksa. Investigators had earlier found information directly linking the vehicles, more..

Sep 27 (TM) Sri Lanka’s tea industry has remained resilient in the face of adverse weather and challenging external market conditions, with auction prices holding up even as production and export earnings have declined, according to Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLTB) Chairman Rajpal Obeyesekere. He said that auction prices remained at comparatively satisfactory levels, having improved slightly and avoiding a crash despite the current crisis in the Middle East. more..