Sep 24 (Island) Sri Lanka is set to celebrate World Tourism Day 2025 with one of the most ambitious and wide-ranging series of events the industry has seen in recent years. Organized under the global UNWTO theme of Tourism and Sustainable Transformation, the programme reflects the country’s determination to place its youth, SMEs, and academic excellence at the centre of tourism’s future. From competitions in the provinces to international conferences at BMICH, more..

Sep 24 (ST) Finance Ministry has started collecting information from Ministry Secretaries, Chief Secretaries of PCs and Heads of Dept in the run-up to ordering a fleet of new double cabs to facilitate the swift and efficient implementation of the govt’s development programmes. However, the proposed double cabs should not be used as official vehicles for officers, and no fuel allowance should be paid based on them, a circular from Treasury Secretary Harshana Suriyapperuma says. more..

Sep 24 (ST) Ten coal bidders have submitted proposals, marking one of the most closely watched tenders in recent years due to the controversies that surrounded earlier awards to supply coal for the 900MW Lakvijaya power plant. The Lanka Coal Company (LCC) opened Term Tender No. LCC/25/TT/1 recently to procure 1.5 million metric tonnes (±10 per cent) of coal for the power plant located at Norochcholai, covering more..

Sep 24 (TM) Sri Lanka has an estimated 7.5 million unregistered micro-sellers who operate informally, in addition to the over one million formally registered micro-small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), Visa Country Manager to Sri Lanka and Maldives Avanthi Colombage said, at a media press conference yesterday (23). “If we deep dive into Sri Lanka there are over a million registered MSMEs, but there are also an estimated 7.5 million unregistered micro sellers in our country. more..

Sep 24 (FT) SL has overhauled the incentive regime for the Colombo Port City Special Economic Zone, cutting back generous tax holidays and raising investment thresholds in line with its IMF-backed fiscal reforms. The new framework, published in a gazette on 20 Sept, replaces the previous rules that lapsed in August and will be in force for five years. Issued by Prez Anura Kumara Disanayake in his capacity as Finance Minister, regulations scale down exemptions that once ran as long as 25 yrs. more..

Sep 24 (FT) SL’s export sector continues to show strong resilience, registering over $ 11.54 billion in total exports during the first 8 months of 2025, a 6.61% YoY growth, alongside the strongest performance recorded for the month of August. The latest figures, underscore a steady upward trajectory in both merchandise and services exports, despite growing competitiveness and uncertainties in the global markets. more..

Sep 24 (FT) SL’s tea export earnings in the first eight months of 2025 has reached its highest level since 2014. Sri Lanka exported 174.5 million kilograms (Mnkg) of tea during the period Jan-Aug 2025, up 7% from 162.5 Mnkg a year earlier, earning an export revenue of Rs. 306 billion or $ 1.2 billion in the eight-month period, compared to Rs. 288 billion or $ 942 million a year ago. “Interestingly the 2025 US dollar earnings for the period ending August are the highest since 2014 more..

Sep 24 (FT) Phoenix Ogilvy SL and SriLankan Airlines made history as the first Sri Lankan advertising agency and brand to win at the coveted APAC Effie’s, held recently in Singapore. The campaign, Relive the Epic of the Ramayana Trail, was the sole entry shortlisted in the Travel and Tourism category from the entire Asia Pacific region and was awarded a Bronze Effie, highlighting the campaign’s role in revitalising inbound tourism at a crucial time for the nation’s economy. more..

Sep 24 (FT) National Medal Awarding Ceremony of the School Industry Entrepreneurship Circles was held recently at the Nelum Pokuna Theatre. The event commemorated the program and its impact on over 32,000 students across all 25 districts in more than 603 schools. The program had also trained 1,750 teachers at schools to establish over 1,400 entrepreneurship circles. Abans PLC partnered with the SL Industrial Development Board (IDB), Industry & Entrepreneurship Development Ministry, more..

Sep 24 (ST) SL golfer N. Thangaraja emerged champion of the Chennai Open held from September 16 to 19 in Chennai where 57 professionals competed. From the outset, Thangaraja demonstrated poise and precision, carding one of the lowest cumulative scores to dominate the field with a final tally of -17, a winning margin that many will remember. On the final day, Thangaraja triumphed with a hard-fought one-over 73 in an INR 10 million event, more..

Sep 24 (CI) An unbroken stand of 58 off 41 between Hussain Talat and Mohammad Nawaz saved Pakistan's blushes as they stumbled their way through a middling chase to eventually come away with a five-wicket win against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup in Abu Dhabi. Having been set a target of 134, on a ground where the average winning total batting first was 183, Pakistan collapsed from 43 for 0 in five overs to 57 for 4 in the ninth over. more..

Sep 24 (Island) On 25 Sept, 1959 Lankadeepa Journalist Ratnapala Vithana reported for duty at the newspaper’s editorial office, then owned by the old Times of Ceylon Group and located at the Times Building, Fort. Chief Editor was renowned Journalist D.B. Dhanapala. As Ratnapala was entering the lift to go to the editorial office on the second floor two of his colleagues ran out of the building nearly knocking him down. One of them was Peramune Tilaka, who later served at Lake House in 70s more..

Sep 24 (DM) The gloves are off, the loss-making CEB’s Ceylon Electricity Workers Union (CEWU) has warned President Dissanayake, it does not recognise the govt’s Extraordinary Gazette declaring electricity-related services as essential! The govt declared electricity services as being an essential service to prevent the CEB unions from escalating their trade union action against proposals to restructure the organisation and lay emphasis on cheaper renewable sources of energy. more..

Sep 24 (Island) A huge consignment of narcotics and several illegal firearms, including an assault rifle, were detected in Tangalle on Monday. They would possibly have gone undetected if not for the suspicious death of a person that led the police to a place where a truck used to transport some of the narcotics was parked. Two other persons were found dead on the scene. Later on, the police took into custody two other trucks with narcotics and illegal firearms. more..

Sep 24 (ST) This is a hell of a situation, no! I mean, one can understand if you take a few inches from your neighbour’s garden or push his fence back without a by-your-leave. But this is outrageous. I can understand Israel letting loose a Shylock or two, as it has when the Brits and a few others went together with shovel and pick, digging the soil in old Palestine, putting together enough sand, and singing hallelujah, “A new country is born.” Okay, so that is good for Shakespeare, more..

Sep 24 (CT) “Accessibility is not charity but a constitutional imperative,” High Court Judge K.B. Hewawasam declared in a landmark ruling on 18 Sept, sending a resounding message to SL’s public infrastructure authorities. Anuradhapura High Court ordered immediate upgrades to twelve railway stations along the Mahawa–Vavuniya line to ensure compliance with the 1996 Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act and more..

Sep 24 (DM) For those who started writing on typewriters, drove rear wheel drive vehicles, or made phone calls on ancient contraptions which insisted that numbers be dialled by turning a ring (crazy!), social media is at best a necessary evil. But it dawns upon even the most recalcitrant that Facebook or Instagram is a one-upmanship (or personship) game, and those who dread being left out in the cold would sooner or later join the ranks of social media hordes just to keep up with more..

Sep 24 (CT) National Audit (Amendment) Act, No. 19 of 2025, which became law this week, introduces important changes to the country’s financial oversight framework. At its core, the amendment aims to strengthen accountability. The creation of a Surcharge Review Committee and the new powers given to the Auditor General appear to move the audit system toward greater independence and effectiveness. These are not minor adjustments to procedure but changes that could reshape more..

Sep 24 (SO) On Monday (15), Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake launched the Govt’s plans to renovate and modernise the Colombo Central Bus Terminal as part of the Govt’s Clean SL initiative. The modernisation project comes in the backdrop of the Govt announcing plans to do major restoration and renovation work on the Colombo Fort Railway Station & Maradana Railway Station earlier this month. more..

Sep 24 (TM) After much bloodshed, torment and suffering, the world seems to be finally moving to recognise Palestine as a State. With diverse views about the move and its timing being debated across the world, some may ask, so what? What is the significance of recognising Palestine as a State, today? Some have criticised the move as a whitewashing affair for the global North. While the debate about the decision to recognise Palestinian Statehood, global action, more..

Sep 24 (CT) The loudest voices of criticism today do not come from the majority of ordinary citizens or the country’s intellectuals. They come instead from the remnants of the defeated political establishment, the same forces swept away by the people’s mandate in the last two electoral tsunamis. Their accusations follow a familiar script: that the AKD-led govt is (a) suppressing trade union actions, (b) failing to fulfill its election promises, and (c) dragging the country toward another crisis. more..

Sep 23 (PTI) SL govt said it will consult the Attorney General on the next course of action after the owning company of a vessel failed to honour a court order directing it to pay USD 1 billion in compensation for a mishap, considered to be the worst marine disaster in the Indian Ocean. Singapore-flagged container vessel MV X-Press Pearl caught fire in May 2021 off Colombo port and burned for nearly two weeks while carrying 81 containers of hazardous chemicals, more..

Sep 23 (AD) SC today sentenced Harsha Ilukpitiya, the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration, to two years of imprisonment after being found guilty of contempt of court. The verdict was pronounced by Justice Yasantha Kodagoda, with the concurrence of Justices Janak de Silva and Arjuna Obeyesekere. While delivering the ruling, Justice Kodagoda stated that Harsha Ilukpitiya had committed a serious act of contempt against judiciary through his actions. more..

Sep 23 (AD) The post-mortem examination on the bodies of the three persons who died under mysterious circumstances in the house, where drugs were later found in the Seenimodara area of Tangalle, has revealed that they died due to overdosing on a mix of heroin and beer. The post-mortem examination of the bodies was conducted by the JMO of the Tangalle Base Hospital, Ruwan Nanayakkara. more..

Sep 23 (NF) A moment that blended elegance, excitement, and national pride. The coveted trophy of the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup arrived at the MTV network Headquarters, marking the beginning of a historic countdown to the global sporting spectacle. At precisely 3 PM, the gleaming symbol of cricketing excellence was escorted to the MTV/MBC City Office premises in Colombo by the SL Police Mounted Division, flanked by the ever-charismatic brand mascots Blaze and Tonk, more..

Sep 23 (NW) Cabinet approval has been granted to develop a Govt SuperApp that will enable citizens to access govt services through a single digital application. It has been observed that citizens currently face significant difficulties due to the fragmented nature of service delivery, requiring repeated data entry across different systems, multi-layered authentication processes, and various govt departments. Estimates indicate that this inefficiency results in an annual economic loss more..

Sep 23 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's first leftist president has surprised investors by embracing pro-market reforms in his first year, and plans fresh steps to boost investment and energy supplies after crippling shortages during the 2022 economic collapse, officials say. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's election promise to rework a $2.9 billion IMF bailout and seek better terms from creditors had raised investor concerns. more..

Sep 23 (AD) The govt signed a grant agreement with the European Union (EU) today to launch a new initiative aimed at fostering sustainable economic recovery through improved biodiversity conservation and solid waste management. EUR 8 million grant, provided by the EU, will support a project jointly developed by the Ministry of Public Admin, PCs and LG, Ministry of Environment, and the EU. The initiative will support biodiversity conservation by restoring degraded ecosystems, more..

Sep 23 (AD) Chief of the Naval Staff of India Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi on Monday laid a wreath at the IPKF Memorial in Colombo, honouring the courage and supreme sacrifice of Indian soldiers who served during the IPKF operations. “The solemn ceremony was a tribute to the courage, valour & supreme sacrifice of Indian soldiers who served with honour during IPKF operations. It also reflected the shared history between India & SL and the enduring bond forged through sacrifice.” more..

Sep 23 (EN) SL will call for expressions of interest from local and foreign investors to produce caustic soda and chlorine as a public-private partnership project at the Paranthan Chemicals Ltd factory, minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. “Paranthan Chemicals Ltd has completed a feasibility study on restarting the caustic soda, chlorine manufacturing plant at the premises where its Factory is located,” Minister said. The proposal to look for investors for the proposed project more..

Sep 23 (NW) The govt will not allow an electricity crisis or a power cut in Sri Lanka, despite the ongoing trade union action by electricity workers, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. He assured a continuous electricity supply, stating that the necessary steps will be taken to ensure this. “The govt will not allow any sabotage. If such a thing occurs, we will ensure the stringent imposition of the law,” he warned. Minister pointed out that Sri Lanka will face a crisis if the CEB is not restructured. more..