Sep 8 (FT) Despite the shortfall in arrivals, Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has managed to rake in over $ 2 billion in revenue during the first eight months of 2025. Tourism earnings from January to August registered over $ 2.03 billion, reflecting a substantial 7.8% year-on-year (YoY) increase. However, the sector is still grappling with a 46.3% shortfall in revenue, compared to its benchmark performance in 2018. In August, the industry registered earnings of $ 318.5 mil, down 3.1% more..

Sep 8 (AD) The strict enforcement of laws against drivers operating vehicles with dangerous and unauthorized modifications will begin today, according to Deputy Minister of Transport Dr. Prasanna Gunasena. In a statement, the Deputy Minister emphasized that special attention would be directed towards vehicles equipped with excessively loud sound systems and multi-colored, flashing lights, which are installed in violation of transport regulations. more..

Sep 8 (Island) An organised crime syndicate led by Padmasiri Perera, alias Kehelbaddara Padme, is believed to have manufactured large quantities of crystal methamphetamine (ICE) in a clandestine facility in Nuwara Eliya and distributed it countrywide. Investigations have revealed that chemicals, unearthed recently in Middeniya, had been used for manufacturing ICE. On several occasions, group attempted large-scale more..

Sep 8 (EN) SL is planning to install barrier nets in 250 reservoirs to protect fish stocks and boost harvests, minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. An estimated 20,000 to 40,000 km are washed way annually from each reservoir when water is released for agriculture, reducing fish harvest for human consumption. The loss of mature fish in of reproductive age also leads to depletion of fish stocks. The cabinet of ministers had approved a plan by National Aquaculture Dev Authority more..

Sep 8 (Island) Post-harvest losses of fruits and vegetables in Sri Lanka amount to Rs. 180 billion a year, and, according to a new study by the Department of Agriculture and several partners, the quantity lost is sufficient to feed the entire nation for two to four months. The research has found that more than 500,000 metric tons of produce goes to waste annually, during transportation alone. Of this, around 200,000 metric tons are vegetables and 300,000 metric tons are fruits. more..

Sep 8 (EN) SL Railways plans to build small trains with three cars to operate on rural tracks where passenger demand is insufficient to run larger trains, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. The cabinet of minister had given the nod to assemble the railcars locally which will be powered by a diesel engine in each compartment, and controlled by an electronic system. The small trains would be able to carry around 200 to 240 passengers. There were already some rail buses (a single compartment bus more..

Sep 8 (FT) Official reserve assets rose marginally to $ 6.17 bil as at end-Aug 2025, up from $ 6.15 bil as at end-July. Reserve assets have been inching upwards since falling to $ 6.08 billion in June from a peak of $ 6.5 bil in Mar 2025. In August, foreign currency reserves amounted to $ 6.1 bil, up from $ 6.06 bil in July, and $ 6.02 bil in June. Gold assets amounted to $ 52 mil as at end-Aug, up from $ 50 mil the previous month, with $ 4 mil held in reserves with the IMF unchanged. more..

Sep 8 (TM) Govt is yet to make a decision on approximately Rs. 200 billion in claims submitted by the local construction industry for expenses incurred due to project delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic crisis, according to the Chamber of Construction Industry of SL (CCI). CCI CEO Nissanka Wijeratne revealed that while the certified payments for locally-funded Govt projects that had been delayed due to more..

Sep 8 (DN) Sri Lanka’s motor racing super star Yevan David experienced mixed emotions at Round 6 of the Euroformula Open 2025 in Austria, where he claimed one victory but also endured two tough races that concluded yesterday. David, racing for Team Motopark, qualified third on the grid. But his hopes in Race 1 were cut short after an early incident dropped him back, forcing him to settle for sixth place. In Race 2, the 18-year-old made a strong comeback. more..

Sep 8 (FT) The Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW.ORG) yesterday said that its three-day International Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses, held from 5-7 September at the Sugathadasa Indoor and Outdoor Stadium, concluded successfully, bringing together more than 3,500 international delegates from 10 countries and over 14,000 total participants, including local members. JW.ORG said in a statement: “The convention delivered a significant boost to SL’s tourism and hospitality sector. more..

Sep 8 (FT) Business leader Dhammika Perera is set to add diversified, unlisted LAUGFS Holdings Ltd, to his fast-expanding business empire. The acquisition is via Dhammika’s latest investment holding Vallibel 3, which will maximise opportunities for 50:50 partnerships with companies which are professionally managed. The Daily FT learns that an understanding has been reached between Dhammika Perera and more..

Sep 8 (SO) Govt will explore the possibility of introducing feasible and affordable taxes for Digital devices products and would take steps to monitor and curtail the growing grey market in the country, said Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne. He was speaking at the launch of INFOTEL, the IT exhibition in Colombo last week. He said cheap second-hand products are flooding the market due to the demand for cheaper products. “Digital Economy Ministry will check the gray market and more..

Sep 8 (DN) SL’s Hesali Peiris produced a fighting performance to claim fifth place in the Women’s Class at Round 3 of the TVS One Make Championship 2025, held at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore, India, concluded yesterday. Riding under the Two Wheels Motor Racing Club with competition number 9, Hesali took part in both the Women’s Class and Rookies Class on the TVS RTR 200 motorbikes. She qualified in fifth place in both events and showed more..

Sep 8 (CI) Pakistan will host a T20I tri-series involving Sri Lanka and Afghanistan in November. The series will begin on 17 November, with all teams playing each other twice. The first two games will game place in Rawalpindi, with the other five, including the final on 29 Nov, in Lahore. This is the second time this season that a bilateral T20I series Pakistan were scheduled to host has ended up being a tri-series. Afghanistan were scheduled to play a three-match T20I series in August, more..

Sep 8 (CI) Asian Cricket Council (ACC) can be criticised for many things. Like having Afghanistan, SL & Bangladesh in a brutal group of death, or missing the chance to ride the wave of cricket's surging popularity in Nepal. But they've often nailed one key aspect: moulding their flagship competition to suit the needs of the cricket calendar. So, two years after its 50-over edition, Asia Cup returns in 2025 as a T20 competition, aiming to be a perfect lead-in to next year's WC in India and SL. more..

Sep 8 (CI) Zimbabwe put forward a team effort led by Tadiwanashe Marumani's fourth T20I fifty to post an imposing 191 for 8. But SL's top four batters made light work of their target by ending the game with 14 balls and eight wickets to spare. With it, SL took the series 2-1. Kamil Mishara will be the name on everyone's lips after the game, though, with his 73 not out off 43 balls the shining light in an outstanding display of more..

Sep 8 (ISland) Deep in SL’s south-western hills, where mist clings to ancient trees and streams tumble over mossy rocks, lies Sinharaja, a rainforest often described as the island’s emerald heart. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, it is one of Asia’s last remaining lowland rainforests—a living relic of Gondwanaland. But this sanctuary is now under threat. An illegal road project cutting through the Ilumbakanda section has sparked outrage among environmentalists, more..

Sep 8 (SO) Katchatheevu is a low, wind-scoured speck in the Palk Strait. Uninhabited, with a small Catholic shrine to St. Anthony at its centre, it lies roughly midway between northern SL and India’s TN coast. For most of its history the island barely featured beyond fishermen’s lore and colonial charts. Today it functions as a proxy for sovereignty, livelihoods, identity politics—and great-power anxieties in the Indian Ocean. Modern Katchatheevu debate begins with colonial-era ambiguity. more..

Sep 8 (ISland) NPP govt and the Opposition have locked horns over the detection of a huge stock of chemicals, believed to have been smuggled in two freight containers, for manufacturing crystal methamphetamine (popularly known as ICE) in a factory belonging to notorious underworld figure, Kehelbaddara Padme (KB) currently in detention. NPP politicians and their propagandists are in overdrive to implicate the entire SLPP in the drug trade on the grounds that the consignment of more..

Sep 8 (CT) The nation has once again been shaken by the tragic loss of lives in road accidents. Only days have passed since the deadly bus crash in Ella. Before that, we witnessed the Ramboda disaster, and not long ago, the crash involving the KDU bus shocked the country. Each of these incidents brought grief to families, exposed the recklessness on our roads, and raised loud questions about passenger safety. Yet, beyond the mourning and the momentary outrage, more..

Sep 8 (CT) Godawaya shipwreck, located off SL’s southern coast, is one of the oldest known shipwrecks in the Indian Ocean, dating back more than 2,100 years. Its discovery has offered invaluable insights into early seafaring, trade networks, and the maritime history of South Asia. Multi-year Godawaya Shipwreck Project — funded through the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) in partnership with SL more..

Sep 8 (ST) When I am asked as to whether Sri Lanka has a genuine chance to bring about justice for survivors of the country’s many conflicts, this time under a NPP Govt which excels in rhetoric promising the same, the question calls for a longer pause that would be merited. This is a loaded question to which there are no easy answers. There is, of course, no limit to the many instances where the leaders of the JVP led NPP, including Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake have publicly pronounced more..

Sep 8 (DM) OMG! The UN wants to help resolve land issues in the north-east of our country. Wow! sounds like something out of Bob Ripley’s Believe it or Not. Sunday Times quoted UN Resident Co-ordinator Marc-Andre French as saying, a new UN programme aims to assist our govt in resolving long-standing land-related issues in our country’s war-affected northern and eastern provinces. According to Marc-Andre, a large number of claims remain unresolved despite it being 16 long yrs since more..

Sep 8 (TM) SL’s law enforcement system is undergoing an intense period of scrutiny as authorities investigate hundreds of Police personnel on allegations of corruption and misconduct. Inquiries have been launched against 338 officers, with several already interdicted and others facing legal proceedings. This development comes at a time of heightened public debate about accountability in law enforcement, more..

Sep 8 (TM) Geopolitical contestation in the Indo-Pacific continues to gather steam as the region responds to existing security architecture being tested by arbitrary action by the Trump administration, and an increasingly assertive China. Second Trump administration seems to be upending decades of efforts by the US and others to help the rise of India, which they envisaged would be an effective democratic counterbalance to the rising Asian giant, China. Over last two decades, more..

Sep 8 (DM) In Sri Lanka, older people are commonly called uncle or aunty by those younger. This term denotes blood relationships, but is commonly used to as a term of respect when greeting older people, derived from the Sinhalese usage of mama and nanda (usually in rural areas). It’s the same case in much of the subcontinent, in contrast to Western societies where older strangers are usually addressed as Mr. or Mrs, and older friends by their first names (uncle and aunt used more..

Sep 7 (ST) With only 3 weeks to go until he completes his first year in office, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake chose to kick off September with a visit to Northern SL. It was an extensive and busy programme that saw him attend several events. He spent the first day of his visit in Jaffna, taking part in a number of public events, including the launch of the third phase of the Myliddy Fishery Harbour, the opening of the Jaffna more..

Sep 7 (DM) Business magnate Dudley Sirisena announced that he will demolish the portion of his Sudu Araliya Hotel identified as an unauthorised construction. Sirisena said he will comply with the law by personally removing the section, while hotel operations and bookings would continue till May. Earlier in July, Minister K.D. Lal Kantha rejected claims that the hotel had been excluded from the govt’s programme to remove unauthorised structures along irrigation tank reservations. more..

Sep 7 (CT) Five more human skeletons were identified during the excavation at the Chemmani mass grave on Friday (5), bringing the total number discovered at the site to 240. Of these, 235 have been fully exhumed. Among them, a skeleton labelled as No. 227 within the cluster of skeletons was found to have been buried in a seated position with its legs bent. Experts consulted Senior Lecturer Ramanarajah from University of Jaffna regarding this unusual burial posture. more..

Sep 7 (TM) Despite ongoing trade union actions and the ongoing restructuring process, State-run CEB submitted its proposal for the next tariff revision to the Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) last week, according to highly-placed sources. A senior PUCSL official confirmed receipt of the proposal but would not discuss the details of the CEB’s suggested tariffs. The commission is expected to release the proposal this week. more..

Sep 7 (AD) Within the past 12 hours, four separate shooting incidents have been reported from different parts of the island, leaving one person dead and another injured, police confirmed. Accordingly, the total number of shootings reported so far this year has risen to 96, which have resulted in 50 fatalities and injuries to 53 other persons. The first of the four shooting incidents occurred in Grandpass at around 11:45 p.m. yesterday (5), resulting in the death of a 26-year-old youth, more..

Sep 7 (AD) Sri Lankans will have a rare opportunity to witness the phenomenon known as blood moon later today (7), said Prof. Chandana Jayaratne, the Head of the Dept of Physics and Director, Astronomy and Space Science Unit of the University of Colombo and the Chairman of the Arthur C Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies. The spectacular celestial event is set to light up the skies tonight, as the Moon undergoes a total lunar eclipse, turning an eerie, deep red for 82 minutes. more..