Aug 14 (FT) Our dreary post-independence history seems to be that of a country going round in circles; a lot of posturing, a big noise, but a poor performance. In self-justification, it is argued by some politicians that SL had advanced relative to what prevailed in 1948. This claim is undeniably true; we are now not what we were 70 years ago. This would be true of every country on this planet, they have all advanced in these 70 years. However, this comparison is to only our country, more..

Aug 14 (FT) President Trump has informed the SL President by his letter of 9 July, “Starting on August 1, 2025, we will charge Sri Lanka a Tariff of only 30% on any and all SL products sent into the US, separate from all Sectoral Tariffs”. SL exporters were agitated, stunned, and appalled. Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF): “As one of the country’s largest export earners, the sector relies heavily on access to the US market, and such a steep increase threatens to erode competitiveness, more..

Aug 14 (NW) A 67-year-old man has died after being assaulted over allegations of stealing a chocolate from a shop in Peradeniya, police said. The victim, identified as Dharmasena Cooray from Pahala Iriyagama, was reportedly beaten by the shop owner and an employee on August 5 after they claimed CCTV footage showed him stealing. Police said he was struck with hands, feet, and an iron rod, suffering head and leg injuries, and was confined inside the shop until closing. more..

Aug 14 (NW) Large-scale renovations have commenced at the Parliament of SL, after four decades. Renovations of the SL Parliamentary Complex are taking place after a period of more than 42 years. The renovation work is being carried out under Cabinet approval and on the instructions of Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne. Accordingly, work is currently underway to remove the soil layer on the concrete roof terrace of the Parliamentary Complex and carry out repairs. more..

Aug 14 (AD) Inspector General of Police (IGP) Priyantha Weerasooriya says that the politicians who supported and gave protection to drug traffickers and underworld activities have already been identified. He further indicated that legal action would be taken against them in the near future. IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya made these remarks after assuming duties as the 37th IGP of SL at the Police HQ in Colombo this morning. more..

Aug 14 (DM) The Committee on High Posts has approved several high-level appointments, including the appointment of four new chairmen to major state institutions. Among the key appointments, Kavinda de Zoysa was approved as the new Chairman of the Bank of Ceylon (BOC), one of SL’s largest and most influential financial institutions. In the media sector, Priyantha Wedamulla was appointed as the Chairman of the Independent Television Network (ITN), a key state-owned broadcaster. more..

Aug 14 (CT) Colombo Additional Magistrate Manjula Rathnayake, yesterday (13), ordered that a timekeeper of the Western Province Road Passenger Transport Authority (WPRPTA) be remanded until 19 Aug over allegations of accepting bribes from private bus operators. The suspect, identified as Sanjeewa Udaya Kumara, a timekeeper stationed at the Borella office of the WPRPTA, is accused of taking Rs 200 per trip from a private bus in exchange for signing its running chart, more..

Aug 14 (EN) SL Customs has officially launched web-based Customs Document Notification System (CDNS), a service designed to enhance transparency, accessibility, and efficiency in the clearance process. “The CDNS enables Consignees and Declarants to track the real-time status of their Customs Declarations and Cargo Movements, offering greater visibility and accountability throughout clearance process” more..

Aug 14 (TM) Medical and Civil Rights Professional Association of Doctors (MCPA) has claimed that the Ministry of Health’s Investigation Division has overturned the acquittals of several health workers despite those decisions being reached through formal disciplinary investigations conducted by tribunals appointed by Public Service Commission (PSC). MCPA President Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa said that nearly 19 health workers who were cleared by formal disciplinary investigation committees more..

Aug 14 (EN) Agricultural production in paddy and coconut picked up in June, while tea, fish and rubber production decreased due to unfavourable weather. “Paddy production for the 2025 Yala season, based on the sown extent as of end June 2025, is forecasted at 2.19 million metric tons, a 10.8% increase from the previous Yala season,” CB’s Agriculture Sector Data Bulletin for June 2025 said. Paddy production forecasts for 2025 is estimated as 4.8 m metric tons; 2.3% increase from 2024. more..

Aug 14 (DM) The SL Salt Producers Association (SLSPA) has urged the govt to enforce the country’s packaging law on Indian salt packets currently distributed locally and to immediately release 400 containers of salt that have been held at the Colombo Port for 45 days. SLSPA Chairman Ganaka Amarasinghe told the media that salt production has been severely affected since the Yala season in late 2023, with adverse weather in the 2024 Maha season further hampering output. more..

Aug 14 (TM) Students from the Nikawewa Dewanampiyatissa Central College and the Revatha Children’s Home in Trincomalee had the opportunity to participate in the Vision programme organised by Presidential Secretariat today. Programme, implemented jointly by the Prez Secretariat, Ministry of Education and Parliament Dept of Communication, is designed for school students. During the event, the students were also briefed on the Clean SL initiative and the significance of more..

Aug 14 (NW) The Pagariya JBN Power Conclave 2025, set to take place in Colombo from Aug 15 to 17, will feature an impressive lineup of prominent Indian leaders from politics, business, and the entertainment industry. Among the keynote speakers is Dr. Shashi Tharoor, MP and former UN Under-Secretary-General. Tharoor is also a celebrated author, best known for works such as the Sahitya Akademi Award-winning An Era of Darkness. more..

Aug 14 (CT) Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) Chairman Manjula Pinnalanda, stated that the Govt has allocated Rs 6 billion to purchase the Yala Season 2025 paddy harvest from farmers. He said 139 PMB-owned paddy facilities are currently operating across the country, with more than 15,000 MT of paddy procured so far. He also assured that procurement would continue without interruption. Meanwhile, U.P. Saman Kumara, President of the Mahaweli Bedumulla Farmers Association, more..

Aug 14 (TM) Although tooth-whitening toothpastes are becoming more commonly used, they should be avoided entirely as they scratch the teeth, which is significantly harmful to dental health. Dental experts made this observation during a press briefing held by the Health Ministry’s Health Promotion Bureau (HPB), where it was stressed that the use of fluoride-containing toothpaste should be promoted among the public, especially given the high rate of tooth decay in Sri Lanka. more..

Aug 14 (Island) TNPF leader and Jaffna MP, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, has said that any investigation into the Chemmani mass graves must be thorough and complete if the truth is to be revealed. He warned that the govt would bear full responsibility if the life of key witness Somaratne Rajapakse is endangered while in prison. Rajapakse, a former SL soldier, is currently serving a prison sentence after being convicted in more..

Aug 14 (AD) Bill to establish the Gambling Regulatory Authority has been approved by the Committee on Public Finance (COPF). The Bill was approved at the meeting of the COPF held under the acting chairmanship of MPs Rauf Hakeem, Dept of Communication of Parliament said. Bill was discussed on several occasions in the COPF and it provides for the establishment of the Gambling Regulatory Authority as an independent regulatory body with a broad scope to standardize more..

Aug 14 (CT) The Chairman of the Welivitiya-Divithura Pradeshiya Sabha has not granted permission to journalists other than three to enter the Pradeshiya Sabha meeting hall for media coverage of the August session held on Tuesday (12). The Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman did not grant permission to journalist Janak de Silva to enter the meeting held at the meeting hall in the Agaliya Pradeshiya Sabha building, stating that he had invited only three media personnel to cover more..

Aug 14 (TS) “There aren’t any theme parks there!” “What about Wi-Fi?” Those were my twin sons’ reactions when I told them we’d be spending our family vacation in Sri Lanka, not at a Disney resort or beachside hotel. At 16 years old, Charlie and Thomas wanted pools and roller coasters, not UNESCO heritage sites or cooking with strangers. But my wife, Cecilia, and I had different plans. I’d booked cultural experiences that would push them beyond their comfort zones, more..

Aug 14 (NW) Bribery Commission says the Acting Director of the Police Cultural Division, SSP Sathish Gamage, was arrested for having collected Rs. 14 million in bribes from various parties. Providing details on the arrest, the Bribery Commission said that the Police officer had obtained the bribes while being in charge of the Galle and Embilipitiya Divisions. According to the Bribery Commission, SSP Sathish Gamage had opened three bank accounts using another individual’s name. more..

Aug 14 (MB) Wildlife conservationists have sounded the alarm that leopard poaching in SL is being carried out more systematically than previously thought, following the arrest in early August of a group of suspected hunters carrying a freshly skinned carcass in Maduru Oya National Park. Conservation activist Sethil Muhandiram says there’s specific demand for skin, teeth, claws and even the flesh of leopards (Panthera pardus). more..

Aug 14 (NW) A series of key decisions aimed at strengthening public security in the Batticaloa District were taken at a meeting of the District Coordinating Committee held on Aug 13. The meeting, chaired by the Committee’s head Sunil Handunneththi, was attended by Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala, MPs representing the district, local council chairpersons, and senior govt officials. Discussions focused on pressing issues, including the fight against narcotics, challenges faced by more..

Aug 14 (DM) Three major national hospitals in SL have been operating without permanent directors for more than six months. The affected institutions are National Hospital in Colombo, National Hospital in Kandy, and Karapitiya National Hospital in Galle. At present, the National Hospital in Colombo is being overseen by Dr. Pradeep Wijesinghe, who is also the Director of Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children. Dr. Wijesinghe has been managing both institutions simultaneously. more..

Aug 14 (DM) Elephant deaths, a topic frequently discussed these days, have drawn widespread attention. It appears that elephants are being killed with the intention of removing their tusks. DWC has confirmed that elephants are being killed using Hakka Patas (jaw-breaker bombs), Badina Thuwakku weapons and poisoning. As of mid-July this year, 219 deaths have been recorded; 37 of them dying through shootings. more..

Aug 14 (AD) A total of 30 SL students have received scholarships to undertake higher education in China. Accordingly, the Chinese Embassy held an award ceremony for the 2025-2026 academic year Chinese Govt Scholarship. Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education Madhura Senevirathne has praised the Chinese govt’s continued support for SL’s educational development through scholarship programs. He said this year’s scholarships cover a wide range of disciplines, more..

Aug 14 (NW) A protest has been staged in front of the Presidential Secretariat against the distribution of agricultural lands in Trincomalee to private companies and the encroachment of forest land for development projects. Protesters were seen holding banners urging the halting of 600 acres of paddy land in the Muththunagar area in Trincomalee being distributed to Indian Companies, and the encroachment of forest lands. Participating in the protest, student activists Wasantha Mudalige more..

Aug 15 (DM) Youth are one of our major assets. This is why our hearts melt when we see unemployed youth playing cricket during daytime when elsewhere youth in large numbers are either at university or serving institutions as employees. Any government must have a plan for unemployed youth. They must be given opportunities to hone their skills. Generally, youth are mostly spoken about and used during election campaigns. Leave the elections aside, we have a day to celebrate youth and more..

Aug 15 (CT) This article comprises two parts. Part 1 discusses the JVP‘s commitment or lack thereof to the principle of self-determination. The fundamental issue of Palestine is about its right to self-determination as a nation. Part 2 will widen the discourse to look at the complex phenomenon of how the current tragedy engulfing the Palestinian people is being played out in the SL Govt’s policy. The govt has to balance two seemingly contradictory political trajectories. more..

Aug 15 (TM) Traditional Value-Added Tax (VAT) frameworks are unable to capture tax from cross-border digital services that are prevalent with the rapid growth of the digital economy. This has allowed large multinational technology companies to provide digital services to Sri Lankan consumers without paying VAT. This is while local providers domiciled in Sri Lanka are still subject to SL tax codes, resulting in an uneven playing field. more..

Aug 15 (FT) Lakshman Kadirgamar was assassinated by a Tiger sniper 20 years ago this week. He epitomised an enlightened way of being Sri Lankan, and positioning and representing SL in the world. To borrow terminology that emerged during JFK’s presidency and the Cuban Missile Crisis, one way of being is as a dove. A SL dove was for federalism and endless, repeated appeasement of Prabhakaran in the absurd hope of peace, despite the evidence to the contrary. more..

Aug 15 (CT) In Japan, local govt transport authorities famously kept an underperforming train station running, even at a loss, to facilitate a solitary high school girl until her graduation. Although this touching story highlights a remarkable act of compassion and support from authorities, facilitating public transport in rural areas – even when profit margins don’t encourage such services – is, in fact, the duty and responsibility of any State. While Japan may have been blessed with more..

Aug 15 (SO) SL’s ethnic problem is rooted in decades of mistrust, discrimination, and violence between its major communities, Sinhalese, Tamils, and Muslims. What began as political grievances after independence in 1948 gradually hardened into ethnic polarisation, fuelled by language policies, uneven economic development, Sinhalisation, and competing nationalisms. By the late 1970’s, tensions between the State and more..

Aug 15 (ST) Sri Lanka is blessed with more than 100 rivers flowing through all around the tropical island. These rivers begin their journey in the central highlands, where steep slopes and abundant rainfall make the region a natural watershed. Then, they descend through valleys and traverse fertile plains, distributing water across the country. All 25 districts of Sri Lanka are traversed by rivers and perennial watercourses, their paths sculpted by the island’s diverse topography. more..

Aug 15 (TM) SL’s sugarcane farmers and domestic sugar production are struggling to sustain themselves with unresolved grievances and many unpaid for the produce and services rendered thus far. Recently, farmers staged a protest outside the Sevanagala sugar factory, accusing authorities of halting sugarcane purchases and worsening tensions in the area. Many sugarcane farmers, especially those in Monaragala, have linked the industry’s crisis to govt tax policies that distort more..

Aug 15 (Island) Most Sri Lankans, or at least those Cassandra exchanges views with, are satisfied with the present govt and particularly approve of President AKD and PM Dr Harini. Recently over the satellite sent to outer space during Prez Mahinda R’s time, dubbed ‘Chi Chi’s rocket’, since his third son was an aspiring astronaut, controversy arose with Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe, addressing Parliament saying that figures and info supplied by the PM were incorrect. more..