Sep 3 (ST) Minister Ananda Wijepala said the five notorious criminals arrested in Indonesia will be detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), enabling the authorities to obtain detention orders and question the suspects. The minister said that although the govt planned to repeal the PTA Act soon, the law would be used to detain and question hardcore criminals and crack down on organised crime until a new law was adopted. more..

Sep 3 (FT) The CIABOC received 3,937 complaints in the first seven months of 2025, of which 3,836 were valid after removing repeated complains to existing files, a progress report for the period showed. 2,682 complaints were reviewed by its committee, with 288 sent for investigation, 1,011 dismissed for insufficient facts, 489 referred to other institutions, and the balance directed for statements or further reports. At end-July, 1,154 complaints remained under review. more..

Sep 3 (FT) Asian Development Bank (ADB) said that it has approved a $ 106.9 million financing package to strengthen SL’s secondary curative care services, improve communicable disease prevention and control, and enhance the healthcare sector’s governance and management capacity. The funding for the Strengthening Integrated Health Care and Governance for Universal Health Coverage Program consists of a $ 100 million loan from the ADB and a $ 6.9 million grant from more..

Sep 3 (ST) SL’s capital markets industry is waiting with bated breath as to what the market operator will do about the CEO position at the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) placed its Director General, Chinthaka Mendis, on compulsory leave, a decision that has been ratified by Finance Minister President Anura Kumara Disanayake. Mr. Mendis, who formerly served as the Litigation Director before becoming Director General in 2019, more..

Sep 3 (TM) With the global order being upended by arbitrary action from the Trump administration, concerns about global leadership are causing a turbulent period. Trump’s return to power in the US has triggered Europe and US allies around the world to face the grimmest security crisis since the end of World War II, and perhaps the Korean war in its aftermath. The last time something like this happened, the British empire was in decline, and the United Kingdom abandoned their duties more..

Sep 3 (DN) Sri Lanka team led by Charith Asalanka will get good match practice before the Asia Cup when they meet Zimbabwe in their first T-20 game of the three match series today at Harare Sports Club grounds, commencing at 5pm (SL time). The two teams have met six times in this T-20 format and SL has dominated by winning five matches, while Zimbabwe has only managed one victory. However with the home advantage Zimbabwe more..

Sep 3 (DM) Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, invested heavily in newly independent India’s relations with the People’s Republic of China, which New Delhi was among the first to recognise. Comradery with China was not just a pillar of his policy of non-alignment. It was part of Nehru’s civilisational outlook, which defined what India would become: A secular multiparty democracy, with a strong judiciary, and a military firmly under civilian political control. more..

Sep 3 (ST) Ever since the last parliamentary election perceptively changed the country’s political topography, there have been constant discussions and debates on where Sri Lanka would head in the coming decade or so. Not that the country’s politically conscious population has not been averse to sensitive change or had shut their eyes and ears to what might be ahead, sharply and devastatingly as we did some years back, imposing political and severe economic revival. more..

Sep 3 (FT) Social media is an indicator of public opinion. The quotation marks are there to indicate the imperfection of the indicator, privileging the most shrill and polarising voices. But it’s an indicator nevertheless, one that cannot be ignored. I could see that I was not winning popularity contests by pointing to the procedural flaws in the arrest of Prez Wickremesinghe. But the reactions reached a new level when I reposted a statement that former MP Nimal Lanza had been remanded more..

Sep 3 (Island) A FSP office in Yakkala came under attack yesterday morning; four persons suffered injuries. The FSP, an offshoot of the JVP, blamed a group of JVP politicians for the attack, demanding that the police arrest them forthwith. The FSP activists said the attackers were forcibly occupying their office, and named the JVP politicians who had allegedly led the attack. But the police ignored their call. What one gathers from a video footage of yesterday’s incident is that the manner more..

Sep 3 (TM) Yesterday (30) marked the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. This week, the second-phase excavations at the Chemmani mass grave site in Jaffna resumed after an 18-day pause. By Friday (29), day 37 of the second phase, 187 skeletal remains had been identified, of which 174 have been fully recovered. The exhumed remains are now stored at the University of Jaffna, pending next steps. more..

Sep 3 (CT) As law abiding citizens we are happy to note the developments in the arrest of most wanted criminals who operate criminal offences living in exile having fled the country. This is a menace that we were plagued in an unprecedented manner in the recent past. The wave of crimes, some blatant open day light massacres in callous disregard of Law and Order of the country and the Law enforcing authorities were shockingly incredible. There is no doubt that citizens love to live in a peaceful more..

Sep 3 (CT) Justice delayed, they say, is justice denied. For SL’s coastal communities, who lost their livelihoods in the wake of the X-Press Pearl disaster, justice has not just been delayed. It has been smothered under layers of red tape, official excuses and endless meetings. Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture & Resource Sustainability has now confirmed what affected fishermen already knew. Money meant for them has been gathering dust in the State coffers. more..

Sep 3 (CT) “The domestic salt industry, which suffered a severe setback for nearly six months due to inclement weather last year, and led to a severe shortage of salt in the local market, is returning to normal, thanks to the ongoing favourable weather conditions. The newly set production target to meet the rising demand is expected to be achieved within the next couple of months”, said Lanka Salt Ltd Chairman more..

Sep 3 (SO) Is the prison hospital a shield for privilege? In this island fractured by politics and power, where protestors still gather in the streets of Colombo, the hospital has taken on a role beyond healing. For some, it has become a refuge—a softer alternative to the harshness of a prison cell. Those with influence, a name, or simply the means to afford connections are often escorted not to the cold floor of remand, but to a prison hospital. Here, comfort tempers consequence, and justice wears more..

Sep 3 (Island) Katchatheevu Island is located in the Palk Bay, one and half nautical miles from the India-SL International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), on the Sri Lankan side of IMBL. This boundary line was ratified in 1976 in a tri-lateral Maritime Agreement signed by India, the Maldives and SL; it indicates territorial waters, Contiguous Zones and Exclusive Economic Zones of three countries and agreed/ ratified by the United Nations. So, Katchatheevu Island is Sri Lanka territory. more..

Sep 2 (AD) Police have obtained detention orders under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) to detain and interrogate five high-profile underworld figures, including Kehelbaddara Padme, Commando Salintha, and three others, for a period of 90 days. The suspects, who were arrested in Jakarta, were brought to the country last Saturday. Of the five suspects, three are currently held in CID custody, while the remaining two are in the custody of the Western North Crime Division. more..

Sep 2 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has affirmed that no opportunity will be given for the resurgence of racist politics in the country. Prez made this statement while participating in the inauguration ceremony of the national program කප්තුරු සවිය. Prez emphasized that racist politics have never served the general public and have merely been a tool used by politicians. He further stated that if such racist politics were to arise in any form or place, he firmly believes more..

Sep 2 (DM) For years, plantation workers’ demands for fair wages have been dragging through negotiations, court rulings and collective agreements. Yet many like Janaki remain uncertain whether any promised increase will reach them. She worries, but her need is urgent. She had to support an unwell husband and help her son continue his studies. Fifty-two-year -old Sivalingam Janaki, plantation worker from more..

Sep 2 (EN) A state-of-the-art banana tissue culture planting material production laboratory has been set up in SL’s North Central Province, with technical assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) under the South-South Cooperation (SSC) Programme with China. The lab is at the North Central Provincial Agriculture Department’s In-Service Training Institute in Maha Illuppallama. It will provide high-quality banana tissue cultured planting materials to farmers more..

Sep 2 (AD) Wildlife photographer Lakshitha Karunarathna has once again brought pride to SL by being awarded at the world-renowned Wildlife Photographer of the Year (WPY) competition, organized by the Natural History Museum, London. This marks his second recognition at what is often described as the Oscars of Wildlife Photography, making him the first Sri Lankan to be awarded multiple times in the competition’s 61-year history. The WPY, which began in 1965, more..

Sep 2 (TM) Urban Development Authority (UDA) has so far not received detailed plans and recommendations from authorities to develop the state-owned colonial property, Visumpaya, located in Union Place, Colombo. “We have still not received approval from a high-level committee on further initiatives,” UDA Deputy Director General E.A.C. Piyashantha said, with regards to the long-coming, proposed plans more..

Sep 2 (DM) Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar has said that a feasibility study is underway on a proposed tourism development project to connect Neduntheevu & Katchatheevu. He made the remarks during an observation visit to Katchatheevu yesterday, accompanied by the Prez. He said discussions were held with the Navy regarding the safety of local fishermen operating in the Katchatheevu area, the challenges they face, and upcoming development initiatives. more..

Sep 2 (AD) Popular rapper Madhawa Prasad, known by his stage name Maduwa, who was recently arrested with a fake pistol, has been taken into custody once again—this time for the possession of explosives. Officers seized three sticks of gelignite, five detonators, and 3.5 kg of ammonium nitrate from the suspect, said police. The rapper was previously arrested on Aug 25 with a fake pistol and later released on bail after being produced before the Kesbewa Magistrate’s Court. more..

Sep 2 (NW) Italy’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Maria Tripodi, will undertake an official visit to Sri Lanka from 3–5 Sept. According to SL’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the visit is the highest-level incoming visit from Italy to Sri Lanka in almost a decade. During her visit, Deputy Minister Tripodi will co-chair, along with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment Arun Hemachandra, inaugural session of the SL–Italy Political Consultations. more..

Sep 2 (DM) MP Namal Rajapaksa said it would be beneficial for the UNP and the SJB to unite, noting that every govt in history has collapsed due to internal conflicts. He said his party has long urged unity between Ranil Wickremesinghe and the SJB, noting that politics should not be conducted by dividing people but should be free of hatred. Rajapaksa said the next presidential election is still far away, and the government must first address pressing issues facing the people. more..

Sep 2 (TM) SL govt’s total external debt stood at $ 37.1 billion at the end of first half of 2025, with a nominal reduction of $ 104 million from Q1 and total debt servicing of $ 952 million in Q2. The total govt debt remained unchanged at $ 102.6 billion by end of Q2, from the Q1 figures. Accordingly, external debt stood at $ 37.1 billion while domestic debt stood at $ 65.5 billion by the end of the June quarter. more..

Sep 2 (AD) Acting Director of the Police Cultural Division, SSP Sathish Gamage, who was arrested by the CIABOC has been further remanded, until Sept 16. The order was issued by Colombo Chief Magistrate after considering the facts presented by officers of the Bribery Commission and the defense counsel. SSP Sathish Gamage was arrested and produced before court by the Bribery Commission in connection with allegations of accepting bribes amounting to approximately Rs. 14 million more..

Sep 2 (AD) Ambassador and Permanent Representative of SL to Thailand Edirisinghe has held discussions with the Director General of the Department of Employment of Thailand, Somchai Morakotsriwan to review progress on the proposed recruitment of 10,000 Sri Lankans to Thailand under a Govt-to-Govt (G-to-G) mechanism. The discussion followed the Ambassador’s earlier courtesy call on the Minister of Labour of Thailand and the subsequent decision of the Thai Cabinet to more..

Sep 2 (PMD) The first coconut seed production unit in the Northern Province was inaugurated this morning in Pallai under the patronage of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, as part of the Northern Coconut Triangle Project. The initiative is being implemented as a collaborative programme between the Coconut Research Institute of SL and the Chilaw Plantations Company. Govt has planned to promote Jaffna, Mullaitivu and Mannar as more..

Sep 2 (PMD) The first phase of the national programme Dream Destination, which aims to renovate 100 railway stations across the country, was launched today at the Talpe Railway Station under the patronage of Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways Prasanna Gunasena. This initiative, implemented as a joint effort of the govt, private sector and the public, seeks to rebrand SL’s railway stations with a modern identity that aligns with international standards. more..

Sep 2 (NW) FSP has accused a group of NPP members of having forcibly taken control of its Office on Kirindiwala Road in Yakkala, Gampaha. It is reported that the NPP members had allegedly assaulted the persons at the office and later taken control of the property. A Police Officer at the scene informed FSP members that the NPP had filed a complaint with the Yakkala Police, stating that a court order had been received regarding the property. more..