Sri Lanka Police have announced extensive traffic and parking arrangements ahead of the Colombo International Kite Festival 2026, which will take place at Galle Face Green on August 8–9.

To mark the opening of the festival, a vehicle parade will commence at 9.00 am on Saturday (08), travelling through major Colombo roads including Colpetty Junction, Liberty Roundabout, Bambalapitiya Junction, Thummulla, Horton Place, Lipton Roundabout, Regal Junction, Lotus Road and Port City. 

Motorists are advised to avoid these routes and use alternative roads, as traffic congestion is expected. Police traffic officers will be deployed to regulate movement and assist the public.

On Sunday (09), the Kite Festival and Musical Concert will be held at Galle Face Green, open to the public. 

Police said to ensure safety and smooth traffic management, approximately 1,000 police officers, including 300 traffic officers, will be on duty throughout the event.

The Police further said that parking arrangements have been made for visitors as follows;

Designated parking locations include:

• MOD Grounds Car Park
• Concrete Car Park near Shangri‑La
• Chaithya Road, York Street, Leyden Bastion Road, Lower Lotus Road, Duke Street, Bristol Street, Baron Jayathilaka Mawatha, D.R. Wijewardene Mawatha, Parsons Road, Port City premises, Sea Road, Green Path, and Dharmapala Mawatha (Viharamahadevi Park side).

Paid parking facilities will also be available at Access Tower Car Park (Union Place), the private car park near Gamini Roundabout, Lower Ground Car Park opposite Lake House, Chamas Car Park, and the Old Manning Market Car Park.

The Police added that traffic officers will be on duty across the city to assist visitors and minimise congestion during the festival weekend. (Newswire)

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The Colombo Central Division Criminal Investigation Unit has arrested two suspects found travelling in a car with Rs. 20.6 million in cash, the source of which could not be confirmed.

The arrests were made on Tuesday evening in the Park Road area of the Kompannaveediya Police Division. 

The suspects, aged 54 and 59, are residents of Colombo 13 and Colombo 14.

Police said the money was seized and the suspects were presented to the Kompannaveediya Police Station.

Investigations are underway to determine whether the funds were obtained through illegal means. (Newswire)

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The Stadiumgama Housing Complex, comprising 1,000 housing units built for low‑income urban residents of Colombo, has been fully completed and will be vested with the public in September, the Ministry of  Urban Development announced.

Located at Sirimavo Bandaranaike Mawatha, Colombo 14, the project was implemented under the Urban Development Authority (UDA) with financial assistance from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) at a cost of Rs. 9,850 million.

Deputy Minister of Urban Development Eranga Gunasekara carried out a field inspection of the premises yesterday (16) to review facilities ahead of residents moving in. 

The complex, built across four blocks (A, B, C, D) with 14 floors, includes a community hall, day‑care center, pre‑school, medical center, Grama Niladhari office, police post, service and maintenance unit, children’s park, public market, and 20 shops for business activities.

Speaking during the inspection, Deputy Minister Eranga Gunasekara said that housing units will be allocated to the most suitable beneficiaries without political, ethnic, religious, or regional discrimination, in line with government policy. (Newswire)

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Three pharmacy owners and a pharmacist in the Colombo area have been fined nearly Rs. 250,000 by the Maligakanda Additional Magistrate after pleading guilty to multiple charges including selling expired medicines intended for children and operating pharmacies without licensed pharmacists.

According to reports, raids carried out by a team led by Neville Wickramasinghe, Chief Food and Drug Inspector of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority, resulted in the arrests. 

The accused admitted guilt to the charges filed against them, leading to the penalties imposed.

The convicted offenders are linked to pharmacies in Maradana, Colombo 15, and Colombo 14. 

They faced charges of selling expired medicines, running pharmacies without pharmacists or licenses, issuing drugs without prescriptions, storing unregistered medicines, and keeping samples meant for doctors.

Four separate cases have been filed under these violations. (Newswire)

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The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested a female Land Registrar attached to a Colombo‑area Land Registrar’s Office on Tuesday (07), in connection with a probe into forged documents.

According to the CID’s Financial Crimes Investigation Unit, the suspect had allegedly provided second copies of deeds and register‑bound documents to outside parties, thereby aiding organized crime, conspiring, and preparing forged documents against lawful owners to unlawfully transfer lands.

The suspect is a 51‑year‑old resident of Pannipitiya.

The CID’s Financial Crimes Investigation Unit is conducting further investigations into the case. (Newswire)

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The public can make payments using credit and debit cards at all Divisional Secretariat Offices in the Colombo District from today onwards, marking a major step in the government’s digitalization drive.

The new facility was officially launched at the Thimbirigasyaya Divisional Secretariat under the patronage of Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, who ceremonially inaugurated POS machines at the Registrar’s Division and the Vehicle Revenue Licence Division. 

She also symbolically witnessed the issuance of birth certificates and vehicle licences using the new system.

Implemented under the guidance of the Colombo District Secretariat with financial and technical support from the Bank of Ceylon (BOC), the project covers all 13 Divisional Secretariat Offices in the district. It allows secure card payments for services requiring fees, reducing reliance on cash.

Prime Minister Amarasuriya said modernizing Sri Lanka’s public sector in line with global digital transformation is a key government priority. 

She noted that the system will enable citizens to obtain services more efficiently, with faster transactions, reduced risks of fraud, and improved transparency in revenue collection.

The new POS payment system offers several benefits, including convenience of direct card payments without carrying cash, faster processing of transactions and reduced waiting times, enhanced transparency through accurate recording of government revenue, and contribution to the digital economy by encouraging modern payment technologies. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka Police have announced special traffic and security arrangements across the Colombo Central Division from June 26 to July 2 for the Poson Festival. 

The measures coincide with the State Poson Festival centered on the historic sacred sites of Anuradhapura’s Atamasthana, Mihintale Temple grounds, and Tantirimale Raja Maha Viharaya. 

Within Kompannaveediya, Fort, Maradana, Maligawatte, and Aduruppuveediya police areas, a Poson zone will feature three Bhakthi Gee recitals, 70 lantern displays, and four dansals, with officers deployed for security and traffic management. 

For the first time, the Scout Association will organize a Scout Poson Zone along the road from Lake House Roundabout to Police Headquarters on June 28 and 29. 

Police have urged the public to use alternative routes provided by traffic officers to ease congestion on main roads during the festival period. (Newswire)

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The inaugural National Scout Poson Zone will take place in Colombo on June 28 and 29, coinciding with this year’s Poson celebrations, under the leadership of the Sri Lanka Scout Association.

Arrangements for the event were discussed yesterday (08) at the Presidential Secretariat between Secretary to the President, Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, and representatives of the Committee for the National Scout Poson Zone.

The zone is expected to be organized with the participation of Scout members from across the island, supported by the Tri‑Forces, Police, and other public sector institutions, along with contributions from the private sector, coordinated by the Presidential Secretariat.

Stretching from the Lake House Roundabout to the Police Headquarters Roundabout, the Poson Zone will feature illuminated pandals, lantern displays, Mihintale replicas, Bhakthi Gee recitals, dansal programmes, and other activities promoting religious devotion, cultural values, and social harmony. (Newswire)

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The Ministry of Urban Development has launched a Rs. 218 million programme to maintain and rehabilitate 31 canal roads and associated water systems across several flood‑prone areas.

Deputy Minister of Urban Development Eranga Gunasekara, who inspected ongoing projects in Kolonnawa, Kelaniya, Mattakkuliya, Meethotamulla and Kotikawatta‑Mulleriyawa, said all works are scheduled for completion before October 2026.

The initiative aims to reduce flood risk, accelerate water drainage, safeguard the urban environment, and provide long‑term, sustainable solutions to recurring flood hazards.

The programme is being jointly implemented by the Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation, the Urban Development Authority, the Colombo Municipal Council and provincial councils. (Newswire

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The Cabinet has approved a proposal to rehabilitate and upgrade the road lighting system along the Colombo–Katunayake Expressway, including the Kerawalapitiya Interchange, following extensive damage caused by theft and vandalism.

According to the Ministry of Transport and Highways, nearly 85% of the lighting system is currently inactive, raising safety concerns for motorists.

As such, under the first stage of the project, lighting will be reinstated at the Peliyagoda, Kerawalapitiya, Seeduwa and Ja‑Ela interchanges.

Thereafter, the stretch from the new Kelani Bridge to the Peliyagoda Fish Market and from Seeduwa to Bandaranaike International Airport will also be illuminated.

The government states that rehabilitation and improvement works will be carried out under two packages, with an estimated cost of Rs. 1,098.50 million.

Contractors will be selected through the National Competitive Procurement Procedure.

The proposal, presented by the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, in this regard, was approved by the Cabinet. (Newswire)

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A statue of Cuban national hero José Martí was unveiled yesterday in the heart of Colombo, marking a symbolic moment in the city’s cultural landscape and reaffirming the longstanding friendship between Sri Lanka and Cuba.

The monument, dedicated to Martí’s legacy as a poet, patriot, and advocate for freedom, was inaugurated in a ceremony attended by Colombo Mayor Vraie Cally Balthazaar. 

The Mayor described the statue as a “symbol of unity, dignity, cultural connection, and the shared values between our two nations.”

José Martí was a Cuban nationalist, poet, philosopher, essayist, journalist, translator, professor, and publisher who is considered a Cuban national hero for his role in the liberation of his country from Spain. (Newswire)

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Attention has been drawn to the Kelani River flood control project, water management initiatives in Colombo city, the restoration of Beira Lake, and the need for a special housing program for low‑income families in Ratmalana and Moratuwa. 

These priorities were emphasized during a meeting held on Monday (18) between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and senior officials of the Urban Development Authority (UDA) at the Presidential Secretariat.

Minister of Urban Development Bimal Ratnayake underscored the necessity of adopting a special model for the proper management of certain projects to ensure effective implementation and sustainability.

President Dissanayake stressed that allocations made for new UDA projects must be fully utilized within the current financial year. He also highlighted the importance of finalizing projects in consultation with relevant institutions, assigning clear responsibilities for both implementation and long‑term maintenance.

The meeting reviewed several major initiatives, including flood mitigation along the Kelani River, urban water management schemes, and housing programs aimed at improving living conditions for low‑income communities in Colombo’s suburbs.

Deputy Minister of Urban Development Eranga Gunasekara, Ministry Secretary Senior Prof. Kapila Perera, UDA Chairman M.G. Hemachandra, and heads of the Urban Settlement Development Authority (USDA), Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation (SLLDC), National Physical Planning Department (NPPD), and the Co‑Management Authority (CMA) joined the discussions alongside senior state officials. (Newswire)

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The University of Hull’s internationally recognised expertise in flood resilience and water management is extending its reach into South Asia, as Professor Stewart Mottram spearheads a new global research partnership focused on Colombo’s urban wetlands.

Backed by a £300,000 award under the British Academy’s International Interdisciplinary Research Projects 2026, the initiative will help Colombo’s communities reimagine and safeguard the wetlands they live alongside. 

These vital ecosystems not only mitigate flood risks but also support biodiversity and strengthen urban resilience, positioning Colombo as a model for climate‑adaptive city planning.

Full statement from the University of Hull, UK:

University of Hull research expertise in flood resilience and living with water is going global, as Professor Stewart Mottram leads a new international research partnership focused on urban wetlands in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The £300k award, announced as part of the British Academy’s International Interdisciplinary Research Projects 2026, will support Colombo communities to reimagine and safeguard the wetlands they live alongside – vital landscapes that play a crucial role in flood risk management, biodiversity and urban resilience.

The research builds directly on the University of Hull’s internationally recognised work on flooding, water cultures and community resilience. Professor Mottram and co-investigator Professor Briony McDonagh will apply to a global context methods developed through the AHRC-funded Risky Cities project, an earlier collaboration where they used histories and the creative arts to engage Hull communities in climate resilience.

The new project, Rewriting Colombo’s Wetlands: Harnessing stories, histories, and heritage for inclusive wetland management in Sri Lanka, brings together researchers from the University of Hull, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in Colombo, and the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. Working in partnership with diverse local communities, the team will explore how cultural heritage, memory and storytelling can inform inclusive approaches to wetland management.

Stewart Mottram is Professor of Literature and Environment at the University of Hull, he said: “By reconnecting people with the histories and stories of their wetlands, we can help foster a sense of stewardship and understanding of the value of these biodiverse habitats.”

Hull and the wider Humber region have a long history of living with water – shaped by rivers, estuaries, wetlands and recurrent flooding. That experience has informed the University of Hull’s position as a national and international leader in interdisciplinary research on flood risk, climate adaptation and water heritage.

Colombo, Sri Lanka’s commercial capital, faces parallel challenges. Its wetlands are globally significant for biodiversity and play a vital role in absorbing floodwater, earning the city recognition as a UNESCO-designated ‘Wetland City’ under the Ramsar Convention. Yet rapid urban development, pollution and climate pressures are placing these wetlands under severe threat.

Professor Mottram’s involvement came after researchers from the International Water Management Institute in Colombo approached him about a potential collaboration, recognising the distinctive perspective Hull researchers bring to questions of water and climate adaptation.

Reflecting on the origins of the project, he said: “We were approached because of the work we’ve been doing at Hull on water, flooding and environmental humanities. What we realised very quickly was that the methods we developed with communities in the Humber could help inform approaches to a different cultural context, while still addressing the same fundamental challenge: how people live with water in places shaped by flooding.”

The project aims not only to benefit Colombo, but to develop transferable models for wetland stewardship that can be applied across Sri Lanka and the wider Global South. (Newswire/ University of Hull)

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Colombo Mayor Vraie Cally Balthazaar delivered remarks on Women in Leadership to a distinguished audience of Ambassadors, High Commissioners, and members of the Sri Lankan community at a lunch hosted by the Sri Lankan High Commission in Canberra on March 26.

Her address formed part of her official visit to Australia from 21 to 29 March 2026, undertaken under the Special Visits Program of Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

According to the Sri Lanka High Commission in Canberra, the Mayor’s program included a series of engagements with parliamentarians, mayors, senior officials, think tanks, and cultural institutions across Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney. (Newswire)

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Colombo is set to welcome athletes from across the globe as the city hosts IRONMAN 70.3 on February 22, with competitors from more than 45 countries expected to take part.

Announcing the event, Colombo Mayor Vraîe Cally Balthazaar said the city is proud to be the host and emphasized the importance of collaboration in planning global events.

“Colombo is not merely a pit stop, but a city of activity, purpose, and action. Working with leaders from the hospitality and wellness industries ensures we can drive our vision forward and showcase Colombo as a destination ready for the world,” she noted.

The Mayor added that the event highlights Colombo’s growing role on the international stage and reflects the city’s commitment to positioning itself as a hub for sports, wellness, and global engagement. (Newswire)

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Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya has stated that there will be no permission granted for unauthorized constructions within the Colombo District, nor any form of residential developments that endanger the public by being carried out under the guise of a development agenda.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing the media at the conclusion of the Colombo District Disaster Management Committee meeting held at the Colombo District Secretariat yesterday (09). 

“The Colombo District has become vulnerable to this extent due to the constructions carried out without any proper planning or understanding of regulations, along with personal and politically motivated decisions that have placed both the district and its people at risk. Compared to the districts that suffered severe loss of life and property due to the recent cyclone, the damage to the Colombo District has been relatively lower,” she said.

PM Amarasuriya pointed out that, however, special intervention is being carried out together with the relevant institutions to manage the potential future flood risks in the district.

“This matter was also given special attention during today’s District Disaster Management Committee meeting. We cannot allow the annual flooding to become a regular part of the lives of the people in Colombo. All relevant institutions will come together to put forward a common plan for flood control in the district, and the necessary steps are being prepared to implement it accordingly,” she said.

The Prime Minister further stated that discussions are already underway to provide sustainable solutions for the people living in high-risk areas within the Colombo District.

The discussion was attended by the Deputy Minister of Urban Development Eranga Gunasekara, Deputy Minister of Mass Media Kaushalya Ariyaratne, and Colombo District Members of Parliament Aruna Panagoda and Chandana Suriyarachchi. (Newswire)

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Traffic disruptions have been reported on several roads in Colombo due to the adverse weather conditions experienced in Sri Lanka.

According to the Police, traffic disruptions have occurred due to flooding and tree falls. 

As such, the affected roads are;

• Premasiri Kemadas Mawatha near the Lionel Wendt Theatre and Kepitipola Mawatha
• Near Entrance 04 of the Colombo National Hospital
• Elvitigala Mawatha
• Queens Road Junction
• Armour Street Junction 

Motorists have been requested to use alternative routes. (Newswire)

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The government has introduced hotlines for reporting emergency disaster situations arising in the Colombo District due to the prevalent adverse weather conditions. 

The emergency contact numbers were introduced during a meeting of the Colombo District Disaster Management Coordinating Unit today (27).

The meeting was held at the Parliamentary Complex under the patronage of Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya to discuss precautionary measures and necessary actions to be taken in response to potential risks caused by the adverse weather conditions expected over the next 48 hours.

During the meeting, as per the instructions of the Prime Minister, a set of emergency contact numbers was introduced to the public of the Colombo District for the immediate reporting of urgent situations.

Accordingly, the 24-hour official emergency hotline 117, the Colombo District Disaster Management Coordinating Unit at 0112434028, and the Disaster Management Coordinating Unit at 0112136136 were announced.

The public is urged to remain alert to news updates and emergency advisories issued through the media. (Newswire)

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A 10-hour water cut will be imposed in Colombo and several other areas tomorrow (23), the National Water Supply and Drainage Board announced today. 

According to the Water Board, the water supply will be disrupted from 10.00 am to 8.00 pm tomorrow due to a power interruption affecting the Ambatale Water Purification Plant.

As such, the water cut will be imposed in Colombo 1-15, Battaramulla, Mirihana, Madiwala, Nugegoda, Nawala, Kolonnawa, IDH, Kotikawatta, Angoda, Wellampitiya, Orugodawatta, Maharagama, and Boralesgamuwa. (Newswire)

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The University of Colombo has warned the public about several misleading social media posts that misuse the university’s name in relation to research and development activities.

Issuing a statement, the university said it will be compelled to take action against the spread of misleading information, considering the serious impact on the university’s reputation and patient safety.

“The General public will be kept informed regarding the research and development activities of the university only through the official web page or social media page of the university.

“Even though there are several research studies conducted by the University, investigating the medicinal properties of herbal preparations, they are yet to reach the clinical trials stage or drug registration, and cannot be considered as medicines,” the university said. 

The University of Colombo further said that patients are advised to adhere to the registered medicines prescribed by qualified physicians.

The University of Colombo added that it is committed to the highest ethical and professional standards of research and innovation. (Newswire)

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