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The Supreme Court determination on the 22nd Amendment will be presented to Parliament by the Speaker next week, with debate time allocated and a possible referendum if required, according to Minister Susil Ranasinghe.
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Sri Lanka’s police have identified 712 accident-prone and hazardous road locations nationwide. So far in 2026, 1,849 fatal road accidents have been recorded, with pedestrians and motorcyclists among the most affected groups.
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Sri Lanka has made seat belt usage mandatory for all expressway passengers, ending a grace period for older vehicles without seat belts. Transport Minister Bimal Rathnayake announced strict enforcement with legal action against non-compliant drivers and passengers.
The Department of Meteorology forecasts increased rainfall over southwestern Sri Lanka from today, with fairly heavy showers in Sabaragamuwa, Kandy, and Nuwara Eliya. A low-pressure area is expected to form near the Andaman Islands, increasing wind speeds over the Bay of Bengal and prompting warnings for naval and fishing communities.
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Sri Lanka's economy grew 4.2% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, with GDP at constant prices rising to 3.029 trillion rupees from 2.908 trillion rupees a year earlier. The industrial sector drove growth with 7.3% expansion, while services grew 2.7% and agriculture contracted 2.3%. The government allocated 100 billion rupees in subsidies to cushion the impact of global conflicts and rising commodity prices.
Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court further remanded Namal Rajapaksa until September 29 and said its order on his bail application would be delivered the same day. His lawyer requested bail for Rajapaksa to attend a temple pinnacle installation ceremony and a proposed visit to India, but the Bribery Commission objected, arguing no exceptional circumstances existed under the Anti-Corruption Act.
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A suspected suicide bombing in Kohat, northwestern Pakistan, killed at least 16 people, including five police officers and 11 civilians, when an explosives-laden vehicle rammed into a mosque near a police compound during Friday prayers. A shootout followed and one assailant was killed, with rescue operations underway.
Sri Lanka has reported 98,427 dengue cases so far this year, including 2,758 cases in the first 17 days of the current month, and 74 dengue-related deaths. Acting National Dengue Control Unit Director Dr. Kapila Kannangara said mosquito control programs are ongoing in 62 Medical Officer of Health divisions where dengue larvae are prevalent.
A 33-year-old man from Thelijjawila was arrested in Weligama with a foreign-made firearm, a magazine, heroin, drug pills, and cash during a raid by the Police Special Task Force. The arrest followed a search near Gadolagalla Temple based on received information.
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Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf used the Taylor Rule on social media to argue that a US interest rate hike cannot counter the economic impact of conflict-related disruptions at the Strait of Hormuz. His post came shortly before the US Federal Reserve announced a 25-basis-point rate increase, which it partly attributed to rising energy costs and geopolitical tensions.
Sri Lankan police have launched an investigation into the fatal shooting of a 50-year-old three-wheeler driver under Kalupalama Bridge in Dematagoda. Two special police teams have been assigned, and preliminary findings suggest the gunman was a passenger in the vehicle. The victim, a former Sri Lanka Army serviceman from Udugama, Galle District, was shot with a pistol.
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Sri Lankan Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara announced that the government plans to increase prison officers' salaries and allowances in the upcoming national budget. He also stated that compensation will be given to families of officers killed during unrest at Negombo Prison, and that discussions were held with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on a special allowance.
Sri Lanka Railways said train services, including morning office trains, are operating as usual despite an ongoing strike by several railway trade unions. The strike, demanding the removal of the General Manager of Railways and protesting an administrative letter, began at midnight two days ago and is scheduled to end at midnight today. Officials said steps were taken to avoid passenger inconvenience.
Police arrested a man alleged to be the cash collector for drug trafficker Salidu Malshitha Gunaratne, known as 'Panadura Kudu Salindu', along with his wife during a raid in Mount Lavinia. Officers recovered Rs 6.3 million in cash, 15 milligrams of heroin, a cash-counting machine, an electronic weighing scale, and a scooter.
The Colombo Chief Magistrate has ordered the Inspector General of Police to investigate whether statements made by politician Wimal Weerawansa criticizing the remanding of SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa constitute contempt of court. The order followed a request from the Bribery Commission during a court hearing related to an alleged Airbus bribery transaction. Additionally, the court extended Namal Rajapaksa's remand until September 29.
Namal Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP, has been further remanded until September 29 by the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court in connection with a Rs. 100 million bribe case linked to the Airbus scandal. He was arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) on September 4. Separately, he was also ordered remanded until September 23 in a related money laundering case filed by the CID.
Scientists have identified a new feline species, Leopardus tilcayo, in Bolivia's Yungas forests after DNA analysis revealed that a rescued cat once mistaken for a pet was genetically distinct. The discovery, based on a 2016 encounter, represents the first new felid species found in over a century and challenges previous assumptions about tiger cat evolution. The finding also has significant conservation implications by showing that some widespread species may actually consist of multiple rarer, more vulnerable populations.
COLOMBO (News 1st); The suspect arrested over the grenade attack on a house along Sirisangabo Mawatha in Dehiwala, which claimed the lives of two young children, has also been identified as the gunman involved in a separate fatal shooting in the Kandawala Road area of Mount Lavinia, according to ongoing police investigations. Police stated that the shooting incident had taken place on August 1…
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang urges AI companies to prioritize safety and rigorous testing, warning against releasing unprepared products, while projecting double AI chip sales driven by growing global adoption.
The article reports on the recruitment of 350 new Health Attendants in Sri Lanka's Northern Province under the patronage of Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa. These appointments cover both Line Ministry and Northern Provincial Council positions across multiple hospitals, including Jaffna Teaching Hospital and Jaffna Nursing Training School. Additionally, a new Medical Officers' Quarters complex was handed over to medical staff at Tellippalai Base Hospital.
