Sep 29 (FT) A Sept 2025 IMF Working Paper has said SL’s debt restructuring is nearing completion, but cautioned that fiscal discipline, stronger institutions, and careful debt management are essential to prevent a return to crisis. Report, titled SL’s Sovereign Debt Restructuring: Lessons from Complex Processes, said spreads on the country’s int'l bonds had fallen to post-restructuring norms and ratings agencies had lifted more..

Sep 29 (FT) Digital Economy Ministry, together with the Information Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), has commenced the selection and procurement process for as of industry-wide fallout from SVAT removalmore..

Sep 29 (GV) Mannar has long been a land where beauty and pain coexist. Its pristine beaches and migratory birds tell one story, while its scars of war, displacement and neglect tell another. Now, Mannar has become the frontline of a new battle: a community’s desperate cry to protect its home and livelihood from a development project imposed without their voice. The protests here are not just about wind turbines; they are about dignity, survival and democracy itself. more..

Sep 29 (Island) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, addressing the UNGA on Thursday, called for a concerted global effort to eliminate the evil of corruption. He rightly described corruption as a destructive force that undermined development, democracy and social wellbeing while perpetuating poverty. He noted that SL had already embarked on a difficult but essential campaign to eliminate corruption for the sake of future generations and urged all countries to do so. more..

Sep 29 (CT) October is marked across the globe as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and for SL it is an urgent reminder. Breast cancer has now become the most common cancer among women in the country, and the numbers are climbing rapidly. According to the National Cancer Control Programme, breast cancer accounted for over a quarter of all female cancer admissions between 2017 and 2022, the highest among any female cancers. Recent figures show that in 2025 alone more than 5,500 more..

Sep 29 (TM) The Power Sector Reforms Secretariat (PSRS) has openly challenged the CEB unions, inviting engineers to directly discuss their concerns rather than relying on politically affiliated representatives who, according to the PSRS, lack technical knowledge and fail to truly represent employees’ demands. According to the PSRS, the union actions by CEB employees have now weakened & have little impact on CEB, more..

Sep 29 (ST) It was inevitable that justice would finally prevail for the Palestinian people, long denied a state to call their home. And, ironically, Israel had quickened the process. Though still not officially recognised by a minority of states, their dream for a separate state is rapidly coming closer to being realised at the UN. After Hamas had taken 251, including foreigners, hostage on Oct 7th two years ago, Israel, as int'l law permits, exercised the right to a ‘proportionate response’ to the attack. more..

Sep 29 (TM) SL has, through much strife, reached some economic stability and is aiming to push forward towards growth and greener pastures. Almost everyone in Sri Lanka has suffered in some form or the other over the last five years, and many continue to battle austerity measures and poverty. There has been a great emphasis by the new Government and the previous one to ‘digitise’ SL rapidly. And rightfully so, most of Sri Lanka’s state services and systems are manual, outdated, more..

Sep 29 (CT) The full story behind the consignment of narcotics sent here by Unakuruwe Shantha – an organised criminal and drug trafficker – has now been uncovered by officers of the Tangalle Police. Though Shantha himself has not been caught, the Police have already arrested five or six of his accomplices. However, one of the two individuals said to have intimate knowledge of the shipment remains at large. more..

Sep 29 (DM) Winner takes everything and loser takes nothing? This seems to be the heartfelt conviction, if not the motto of many Sri Lankans. There is no place for losers in a country where so many are struggling to make ends meet. There can be many definitions of a loser. The cases which prompted this column are not my idea of what constitutes a loser. Before we call people who opt out of a race or a competitive situation losers, we need to scrutinise their cases. more..

Sep 29 (DM) The first part of this article published last week delved into the election campaign conducted by Anura Kumara Dissanayake when he contested the Sept 2024 presidential elections. The second part was to scrutinise President Dissanayake’s post-election performance in fulfilling those promises during the past year However, this week’s article will focus -- with the aid of earlier writings -- on AKD’s rapid rise in politics and the winning strategies adopted by him. more..

Sep 28 (ST) It was a memorable week for President Anura Kumara Dissanayake as he joined over 150 world leaders in addressing the 80th session of the UNGA in New York. In an Assembly dominated by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the President, who completed one year in office just a day before he took flight to the United States, used the world stage to reiterate Sri Lanka’s commitment to Palestinian statehood and called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. more..

Sep 28 (ST) The decision by the CIABOC to file action against Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody following corruption complaints over misappropriation of funds while serving at the Fertiliser Corporation in 2015 is on track, a senior official said. He said that action is being taken to process the file in accordance to the order they have been received. The Sunday Times learns that following the decision taken to file action against the Minister, the file had been sent to the more..

Sep 28 (EN) Classic restored films from SL, France and India will be shown in Colombo on Sept 27 and 28, at the National Film Corporation Cinema Hall, the French embassy said. “The festival is dedicated to celebrating restored cinematic classics from Sri Lanka, India and France, and to highlighting the richness of their film heritage,” the embassy said. “It also seeks to raise awareness about the urgency of conservation, restoration and diffusion of these cultural masterpieces.” more..

Sep 28 (TM) Public officials facing allegations of bribery or corruption after scrutiny by the two parliamentary oversight committees—COPE and COPA—will be referred directly to the police or CIAOBC, bypassing the Attorney General. The motion to amend Standing Orders was presented to Parliament on Friday and will be taken up for debate on a later date. The tightening of laws to stop corruption in the public sector comes on the heels of the recently passed amendment to the National Audit Act, more..

Sep 28 (TM) The Supreme Court on Thursday (25) dismissed a Fundamental Rights (FR) application instituted seeking to halt the winding-up process of the three Maga Neguma companies on the grounds that the application lacked merit. On Thursday, the FR application bearing No.281/2023 came up for consideration for leave to proceed before a Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice P. Padman Surasena, Justice A.H.M.D. Nawaz, and Justice Mahinda Samayawardhena. more..

Sep 28 (EN) Foreign investors bought Sri Lanka govt securities for a fifth straight week in the week ended on September 25 with the offshore holding in local bonds at two-year high, the Central Bank data showed, amid a surge in global investor appetite for govt bonds. Foreign investors bought a net 334 million rupee ($1.11 million) worth of govt securities in the week ended on September 25, extending the inflows to a net 14,041 million rupee ($46.8 million) in the five weeks. more..

Sep 28 (ST) Project Serendib, a newly established venture capital bridge fund aimed at connecting European investors with innovative SL companies that are ready for global expansion, was announced by Carl R. Härtlein, Managing Partner, Saint Clair Advisory & Capital, recently. This initiative is spearheaded by Saint Clair Advisory & Capital in partnership with the Information Communication Technology Agency of SL (ICTA) and has garnered support from several organisations, more..

Sep 28 (ST) Sri Lankan cardholders are paying far more than they realise every time they swipe, tap, or withdraw cash. Behind the convenience of debit and credit cards lurks a mess of hidden charges, high interest rates, and overlapping levies often amounting to a “tax on tax” that erodes household budgets. This week, the Finance Ministry confirmed it is reviewing a proposal by the Digital Economy Ministry to eliminate extra fees on card transactions. more..

Sep 28 (TM) Ministry of Digital Economy will call for Expressions of Interest (EOIs) or issue a formal tender for the proposed Govt Super App within the next two weeks, while also aiming to begin rolling out the platform in early 2026. Ministry of Digital Economy Acting Secretary Waruna Sri Dhanapala described the Rs. 500 million initiative as a central platform that would integrate the Govt’s key digital services with the national digital identity system and more..

Sep 28 (TM) The special audit report on SL’s controversial e-visa contract is set to be submitted to the COPF within a week, according to Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala. His announcement provides the latest update on the high-profile investigation into the deal, which resulted in a massive public outcry and recent arrest of former Controller General of Immigration and Emigration Harsha Illukpitiya. Illukpitiya was recently sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for more..

Sep 28 (TM) Despite Letters of Credit (LCs) for vehicle imports nearing $ 1.6 billion, the Government remains confident that the surge will not strain SL’s foreign exchange reserves. Senior officials including Director General of Customs Seevali Arukgoda, Deputy Secretary to the Treasury Ajith Abeysekera, and Cabinet Spokesperson and Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa stressed that the inflows were being managed in coordination with the CBSL and more..

Sep 28 (TM) Govt is awaiting the advice of its re-appointed Transaction Adviser, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP on whether the divestiture process of Canwill Holdings Ltd. should commence afresh or proceed from the stage it had reached prior to its suspension following the change of govt. Treasury Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma stated that in terms of the Cabinet decision dated 27 May, Cabinet had resolved to resume the suspended divestiture process of Canwill Holdings. more..

Sep 28 (ST) SL’s one-time champion Chanaka Perera stormed into his third final at the 134th Sri Lanka Amateur Golf Championship 2025, and will face Saad Habib Malik of Pakistan in today’s title clash at the Royal Colombo Golf Club. In the Women’s Championship, Kaya Daluwatte will meet Asara Sawhney in the final after both produced commanding wins. In the Plate event, Viv Fowler Watt claimed honours with a 4/2 victory over Aaraadhi Samaratatne. Perera, employed at Sitrek Group, more..

Sep 28 (SO) Sri Lanka-Maldives relations will be stronger as it had been irrespective of what goes around, said High Commissioner of Maldives, Masood Imad. “Our relations with Sri Lanka go back several centuries and it will continue to be strong,” said the Ambassador. He was addressing the Sri Lankan media in Colombo last week on certain misconceptions about the Maldives Media and Broadcasting Regulation Act. He said Maldives will always extend its hand of friendship to Sri Lanka and more..

Sep 28 (DM) Only three months remain until the grand opening of FACETS Sri Lanka 2026. This will be the 33rd edition of Asia’s premier gem and jewellery exhibition, organised by the SL Gem and Jewellery Association (SLGJA) in collaboration with the National Jewellery Authority. The event will take place from Jan 3, 2026 to Jan 5, 2026, at Cinnamon Life – The City of Dreams. This landmark edition of the exhibition is set to introduce a futuristic two-floor showcase that celebrates more..

Sep 28 (SO) Sri Lanka’s pharmaceutical industry is dominated by imported products meeting over 80% of market demand while local manufacturers are struggling to penetrate the private market. The Buy Back Agreement signed between the local manufacturers and the Ministry of Health has helped them immensely to develop the local industry. The current Buy Back Agreement has come to an end and extension up to 2030 will pay dividends to the country in the years ahead. more..

Sep 28 (ST) Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup campaign came to a dramatic end on Friday night as the tournament favourites, India, survived a mighty scare before claiming victory in a Super Over. At the heart of the contest was Pathum Nissanka, who produced a career-defining innings with his maiden T20 international century, scoring 107, that almost carried his side to a famous win. It was a night of high drama and breathtaking cricket. India, batting first, posted 202 runs, more..

Sep 28 (SO) The skippers of all teams participating in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 spoke at a special Captains’ Day event which was held simultaneously in Bengaluru and Colombo, expressing their eagerness and confidence with just four days to go before the tournament starts. A unique format saw them all together on one forum even though they were in different countries. Alyssa Healy (Australia), Nat Sciver-Brunt (England), Sophie Devine (NW), and Harmanpreet Kaur (India) more..

Sep 28 (Island) In a surprising discovery, a recent survey of Kola kenda, a traditional Sri Lankan herbal porridge, vendors revealed a widespread adherence to food safety regulations, with all vendors possessing the required certifications under the Food Act No. 26 of 1980. This unexpected finding challenges the common assumption that many small- scale food businesses operate outside the legal framework. However, a closer look at the situation highlights a critical gap: more..

Sep 28 (ST) My dear Handun, I thought of writing to you because you have suddenly become the talk of the town, beating the tonnes of chemicals used to manufacture Ice being discovered in Tangalle, and Anura sahodaraya’s maiden address to the UN. Who knew that two words from you could create such a hullabaloo! Those two words are what you said on a television talk show when you were asked to explain your assets. Oyaata Paanda, you asked the interviewer in return. more..

Sep 28 (ST) The ‘United’ Nations of the world, arguably more divided than ever before in recent history, met in New York this week on the 80th anniversary of the world body. In spite of the commemorative flavour, disruptions such as the host country’s visa denials, delays to visiting dignitaries and technical malfunctions in escalators and teleprompters sounded discordant notes as the sessions got underway, in a way mirroring the deep malaise in multilateralism and more..