Sep 13 (SO) SL must accelerate its reform momentum and maintain prudent economic policies as it enters the final stage of its US$3 billion IMF EFF programme, amid continued external and domestic risks, IMF Resident Representative to SL Martha Woldemichael said. She said SL’s programme performance was generally strong but stressed that debt vulnerabilities remain high and that completing the debt restructuring and more..

Sep 13 (Island) Development Lotteries Board (DLB) has launched its second digital lottery, Wasi, offering a Rs. one million jackpot and electric motorcycles among its prizes. The new seven-day lottery was released to the market on Sept 10, with the inaugural draw, titled Raja Wasi, scheduled for Oct 1. DLB said the introduction of Wasi marked a major technological step in its 43-year history and was aimed particularly at attracting younger consumers increasingly engaged with digital platforms. more..

Sep 13 (NW) A Hambantota Port employee and a businessman have been arrested over an alleged racket involving the theft and sale of smart keys belonging to vehicles imported through the Hambantota Port. Investigations by port security personnel identified an employee suspected of stealing smart keys from imported vehicles. The employee was subsequently handed over to Hambantota Port Police for further investigation. Police investigations have revealed that more..

Sep 13 (SO) SL schools rugby is set to enter the franchise era with the launch of the Next XV, a groundbreaking new competition bringing together 140 of the country’s leading schoolboy rugby players across four city-based franchises. The inaugural league will be played every Saturday from Sept 19 to Oct 10, with double-headers each week and one match played under lights. The first three Saturday’s will feature the league stage followed by the third-place playoff and the final on Oct 10. more..

Sep 13 (TM) Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage recently reiterated that the Sports Ministry had no authority over the issuance of visas to SL athletes, urging sporting bodies not to pass the responsibility back to the ministry. He requested sports federations to take greater responsibility in managing overseas travel arrangements of teams coming under their purview, instead of shifting responsibility to the Sports Ministry and the Govt. Minister emphasised that there had been a long-standing more..

Sep 13 (CI) If spin is to decide the Women's T20 Asia Cup final, both India and SL have plenty to call upon. India's spin attack, led by Deepti Sharma, has taken 26 wickets in the tournament, the most by a side. SL are next with 25. That makes it seem like a spin vs spin and more spin kind of title contest. On the plus side for India is that they have appeared well-rounded on the whole. Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma more..

Sep 13 (NW) PM Harini Amarasuriya has praised Transport, Highways and Urban Development Minister Bimal Rathnayake and his ministry, saying its work is increasingly being felt by the public and has become a subject of positive discussion. Speaking at the launch of the govt’s Life Cities programme, PM said she was proud of the work being carried out by the ministry. “I am really proud, Bimal. I think I said this yesterday as well when we opened the Bambalapitiya Railway Station. more..

Sep 13 (Island) Red flags have been raised over the culture within SL dressing room, with administrators concerned by low energy levels, poor attitudes and even drinking issues among some fast bowlers during the recent series against India. Test captain Dhananjaya de Silva is expected to get the axe ahead of the next tour of Pakistan, but changing the man at the helm will hardly cure what appears to be a much deeper malaise. More worryingly, there is no obvious successor being groomed for the job. more..

Sep 13 (GV) Govt is coming under increasing pressure from the opposition and civil society as well as India for failing to hold Provincial Council elections in keeping with a constitutional requirement as well as its own election promise. Accusing the govt of stalling without taking a firm decision, despite the existence of practical and legal solutions to hold the elections, four opposition members boycotted the 10th meeting of the Parliamentary Select Committee on the PC Elections. more..

Sep 13 (Island) 22nd Amendment has given the govt’s critics a convenient cudgel to beat up the govt. But there has been no crushing blow by any effective opponent. Too many people have been taking too many turns and striking too many blows, but no one has landed anything to shake the govt in any way. The whole drama is the new SL parody of Lilliputians taking on Gulliver. Nonetheless, the critics have found an opening to keep haranguing the govt. There are two prongs to their exertions. more..

Sep 13 (SO) SL came under renewed scrutiny at the UNHRC this week, with the UN Human Rights Office calling for stronger action on accountability, torture, enforced disappearances and civic freedoms, while the Govt defended its reform record and called for a clear pathway towards ending country-specific scrutiny. Exchanges came during the opening days of the Council’s 63rd regular session in Geneva, which began on Sept 7. more..

Sep 13 (Island) Oil prices are surging again. The global benchmark, Brent crude, has surpassed USD 108 per barrel, and West Texas Intermediate has risen to USD 102 per barrel for the first time since May. They are expected to rise higher, making the global economy scream. At this rate, most countries, including Sri Lanka, will have to tighten restrictions on fuel consumption and increase prices. US Prez Donald Trump and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu obviously did not bargain for more..

Sep 13 (CT) Twenty five years ago, the US endured one of the darkest days in its history. On Sept 11, 2001, alQaeda terrorists led by Osama bin Laden hijacked four airliners. Three were flown into iconic targets—the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The fourth crashed in a Pennsylvania field after passengers fought back. Nearly 3,000 people were killed, and thousands more injured. Two decades later, the Never Forget Fund, launched by more..

Sep 13 (TM) President AKD's revelation about the planned health sector reforms during the NPP new round of public rallies has given rise to unintended consequences, with his trivialisation of the public’s use of healthcare triggering backlash in Parliament and on social media platforms. The blunder came even as Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa was overseas receiving recognition for Sri Lanka’s healthcare system. more..

Sep 13 (TM) The NPP Govt came into office with a mandate for a system change; that is a fact. However, increasingly, some of the proposed changes and reforms which it plans to enact have cast a long shadow over what is really behind such action. With his Govt turning two years in power, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake took to the stage at a public gathering in Beruwala, where his comments about how citizens use the public health system failed to resonate well with many. more..

Sep 13 (SO) We will never, ever, forget. These are the words of US Prez Donald Trump who spoke at a solemn ceremony held in New York on the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attack on the twin towers of the World Trade Centre on Friday. Prez Trump is correct in saying that no one can forget the ghastly images of hijacked planes striking the twin towers on 9/11 – as the day and the attack have come to be known. To this date, it is the worst terrorist attack ever, with over 3,000 killed, more..

Sep 12 (DN) Minister Anil Jayantha Fernando told Parliament that the number of Aswesuma welfare beneficiaries has dropped to 1,251,522 as of August 2026. This is down from the 2,439,917 beneficiaries recorded in 2025, representing a reduction of nearly half the recipient base. Dr. Anil Jayantha clarified that the reduction is not an arbitrary cut. Original Welfare Benefits Act governing Aswesuma programme mandates more..

Sep 12 (Island) Workers carrying out maintenance work at an old elite bungalow in Kahapathwela, within the Galagedara Police Division, unearthed a cache of 3,711 rounds of ammunition, including ammunition for various firearms, pistols and automatic weapons. The workers made the discovery while excavating a concrete-sealed pit on the premises. Four weapon storage boxes were also found at the site. The businessman, who owns the bungalow, subsequently informed the Police, more..

Sep 12 (FT) Consumer sentiment in the country continued its gradual stabilisation in Aug 2026, improving marginally to 81 from 80 in June, marking the third consecutive monthly rise since May 2026, according to the Consumer Sentiment Survey. This marks the first instance since Jan 2026 of consumer sentiment stabilising gradually over three consecutive months, survey showed. The uptick tracks movements in the Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI), more..

Sep 12 (DM) Govt has allocated Rs. 65 billion to develop 26 cities across the country under its Life Cities development programme, Minister Bimal Ratnayake said. Speaking at the inauguration of the programme in Colombo, Minister said the Govt had initially selected 10 cities for the first phase of the project. He said the programme would focus on people-centred and sustainable urban development suited to the needs and more..

Sep 12 (Island) An investigation would be launched to determine whether former State Minister Sasheendra Rajapaksa was involved in demolishing a tank bund in Monaragala in an alleged search for treasure, Deputy Minister Aravinda Senarath told Parliament yesterday. Senarath said discussions had begun with relevant officials to initiate an investigation while steps were also being taken to resume and complete the long-delayed rehabilitation of the tank. more..

Sep 12 (FT) SL batter Sonal Dinusha, England pace bowler Ollie Robinson and Bangladesh fast bowler Hasan Mahmud feature on the men’s shortlist for the ICC Player of the Month award for August, while Thailand’s Suleeport Laomi and Nannapat Koncharoenkai are in contention for the women’s honour alongside Lucy Barnett, who becomes the first player from the Isle of Man to make the shortlist. Three players in the race for men’s award this time have impactful performances in Test cricket. more..

Sep 12 (NW) In early 2025, SL Police launched eTraffic under the govt’s Clean Sri Lanka programme. It skipped Google’s Play Store entirely, required sideloading from a Vercel website, sought background location, camera and storage access, and carried a tragi-comically weak privacy policy. That same week, hackers had seized the Police’s own social media accounts. I critiqued it on launch day. Two days later, when confronted with questions posed by journalists who had read my article, more..

Sep 12 (NW) A 5-megawatt (MW) solar power pilot project is planned over the Viyana Canal in Mahiyanganaya, with the govt beginning preliminary work on what is expected to be SL’s first canal-top solar project. The project will initially cover about five km of the canal with solar panels, according to SLSEA. Ministers Samantha Vidyarathna and Anura Karunathilaka reviewed the progress of the proposed project at a meeting held at the Parliament complex on Wednesday (09). more..

Sep 12 (Island) Prof. G.L. Peiris has challenged the assertion that the Supreme Court’s determination on the 22nd Amendment would be based solely on law and not Buddhist teachings, arguing that such a position is inconsistent with Article 9 of the Constitution and established judicial precedent. Prof. Peiris has said the issue had arisen during the 22nd Amendment determination proceedings when Ven. Balangoda Kassapa more..

Sep 12 (DN) More than 5,000 athletes are set to take part in the Colombo Marathon 2026, organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Dept of Sports Development in conjunction with the 50th National Sports Festival. The event will be held tomorrow at the Galle Face Green in Colombo. The marathon has attracted strong international interest, with 130 foreign competitors from 25 countries, including elite runners from Kenya and Ethiopia, joining SL athletes on the starting line. more..

Sep 12 (FT) Colombo stock market yesterday shrugged off a 3-day losing streak to end the week in green. During the week, the ASPI and the S&P SL20 lost 1.1% and 0.9% respectively. Yesterday, despite losers edging gainers 100 to 99, ASPI ended up 0.12% or 25 points at 21,382.74, but the S&P SL20 ended marginally 0.02% down, or 1.46 points at 6,002.46. The positive contributors to the ASPI were HAYC, CARG, SAMP, LOLC, SEMB and DIMO. Market turnover was over Rs. 1.1 billion more..

Sep 12 (FT) Minister Aruna Karunathilake said that the Govt is preparing to grant systematic concessions on batteries used in renewable energy storage, beginning with systems above 100 kilowatts. He said discussions had recently been held with the President, and a framework is being developed to ensure concessions are provided under a structured process. Minister cautioned, however, that SL has yet to establish quality standards for battery systems. more..

Sep 12 (PMD) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed Dr. Roshanie Dissanayake as the Secretary to the Ministry of Science and Technology. The letter of appointment was handed over to Dr. Dissanayake by Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (11). Dr. Roshanie Dissanayake has also served as an Additional Secretary (SLAS – Special Grade) at the Ministry of Public Admin, PCs & LG. more..

Sep 12 (ST) There has been a notable rise in the reporting of child abuse cases in recent years, with this year’s reported cases escalating to 6,615 by August alone, compared to 5858 cases reported by August last year and 5725 cases by August in the year before that. In addition, a seasonal pattern is suggested in the data as well, with case reports peaking during June and July each year. Experts note that high-temperature weather, more..

Sep 12 (Island) Ceylon Motor Traders’ Association (CMTA), established in 1919 is the most senior automotive association in SL affiliated with the CCC, is calling for greater consistency, transparency and fairness in the policies governing the country’s automotive sector, stressing that a sustainable vehicle import framework must ensure a level playing field across the entire industry. The Association’s concerns come at a time when the automotive sector continues to operate under more..

Sep 12 (CI) Sri Lanka survived an all-time all-round display from Fatima Sana to triumph over a spirited Pakistan and seal a second-straight Asia Cup final berth against India. Sana, a rare Player of the Match from the losing side, struck 47 off 36 to drag Pakistan to 130 for 5, and then finished with figures of 4 for 38 - inclusive of two double-wicket overs - but SL's all-round excellence eventually overcame Sana's bloodymindedness. In their chase, SL were reduced to 5 for 2, and then 33 for 4, more..