Rajapaksa Family Under Scrutiny Amidst Airbus Probe; Economy Grows, But Dengue and Weather Challenges Persist

SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa was further remanded until September 23, 2026, in connection with a money laundering case related to the SriLankan Airlines Airbus procurement, with CID investigations focusing on how funds were received

. Separately, Shiranthi Rajapaksa departed for Singapore for medical treatment, receiving an FCID summons at the airport for a 'Siriliya' account probe, a development her family denies was a prior summons

. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa questioned the President's knowledge of a secret court decision on the 22nd Amendment, warning of impacts on judicial independence, while advocating for Sri Lanka as a FinTech hub

. Thailand has ended visa-free entry for Sri Lankans from September 15, 2026, though diplomatic efforts are underway to re-establish the facility

. The 48-hour railway strike has expanded to 28 unions protesting against General Manager Ravindra Padmapriya, causing significant train cancellations, though the Locomotive Operations Engineers' Union is not participating

. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake pledged to elevate Sri Lanka's healthcare to international standards, overseeing the foundation stone laying for new cardiac units in Anuradhapura and Trincomalee, funded by JICA

. New Chinese Ambassador Wei Huaxiang met with former President Ranil Wickremesinghe to discuss bilateral ties

. Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya announced plans for a new National Youth Policy by early 2027

. Canada and UNDP have boosted Sri Lanka's DNA forensic capacity with 17 pieces of critical equipment to aid in justice for SGBV victims

. Former MP Tissa Kuttiarachchi provided a five-to-six-hour statement to the FCID and has since left the premises

. Minister Lal Kantha affirmed the NPP's commitment to power and dismissed rumors of the PM going independent

. The case against Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero for alleged Islam insults is set for a June 30 hearing

. Sri Lanka Police introduced a temporary procedure for Police Clearance Certificates due to online system maintenance, requiring manual submissions at police stations

. A Galle school principal, Ranjith Ponseka, was arrested and granted bail for allegedly accepting a bribe for school admissions

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Sri Lanka and Thailand have agreed to expedite a visa exemption for ordinary passport holders to boost travel and bilateral ties, following a meeting between their Foreign Ministers

. The Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board has allocated Rs. 3,000 million to compensate approximately 7,000-7,500 farmers for crop damage from the El Niño-induced drought, covering 8,000 hectares at Rs. 100,000 per hectare

. Sri Lanka's economy expanded by 4.2% in the second quarter, with strong growth in industry (7.3%) and services (2.7%) despite a contraction in agriculture

. TikTok founder Zhang Yiming has become Asia's richest person with a net worth over $105 billion, surpassing Gautam Adani, driven by ByteDance's growth in social media and AI

. A new factory will be established in Embilipitiya to produce finished garments from banana stems, aiming to boost the economy for local banana cultivators with Chinese technical assistance

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Sri Lanka continues to experience extreme weather, with some areas in Galle, Matara, Kalutara, and Ratnapura districts receiving over 50 mm of rain on September 16th, alongside forecasts for strong lightning risks in several provinces

. The Meteorological Department revised its forecast for September 16th, anticipating heavy rainfall above 75mm in several provinces, as a low-level atmospheric disturbance near Sri Lanka is now moving away

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Sri Lanka's dengue crisis has deepened, with the year-to-date case count surpassing 98,081 and the death toll at 74, while 35 MOH divisions are identified as high-risk zones

. Construction has begun on a new Rs. 600 million Accident and Emergency Treatment Unit at Mannar District General Hospital, funded by a Government of India grant, aiming for completion in the first quarter of 2028

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Sri Lankan authorities have frozen over Rs 215 million in assets linked to drug trafficker Jayasinghe Arachchige Hemantha, alias 'Bathala Heen Mahaththaya', including a luxury SUV and other properties

. The STF apprehended a 43-year-old former Navy soldier in Wellampitiya, an alleged accomplice of underworld figure ‘Angoda Priyankara’, seizing 716 grams of heroin, 255 grams of 'Ice', a Russian-made micro pistol, and ammunition

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University lecturers across state universities began a 'black week' protest, wearing black attire to work, highlighting grievances including a shortage of lecturers and student admissions issues; the Prime Minister has scheduled a meeting with the unions

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In a significant development, businessman Dudley Sirisena has pledged to provide javelin star Rumesh Tharanga with a top-tier javelin set every year to support his Olympic gold medal ambitions, following an inquiry into damage to his previous javelins

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Veteran artist Daya Nellampitiya passed away at her home in Kalubowila at the age of 91, with funeral arrangements set for next Wednesday; she was renowned for her contributions to dance, folk/Virindu singing, and acting, including 40 years of background vocals for 'Nari Bena'

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A woman was fatally struck by a train near Wellawatte Railway Station on Saturday evening while traveling from Panadura towards Colombo; her identity remains unestablished, and police are investigating

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The Sri Lankan Consulate General's Office in Jeddah issued an emergency security notice for citizens in Western Saudi Arabia, urging them to follow national warning alerts and seek shelter due to missile and drone attacks from Houthi militants in Yemen

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