Aug 29 (AD) New details have emerged regarding the arrest of five high-profile underworld figures, including Kehelbaddara Padme, who are linked to multiple murders—including the killing of Ganemulla Sanjeewa—and major drug trafficking operations. The suspects were apprehended during a joint special operation conducted by a special team of SL Police in collaboration with the Jakarta Police. more..

Aug 29 (AD) Governor of the Central Bank of SL, Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, has been awarded a prestigious “A” grade in Global Finance’s 2025 Central Banker Report Card. This top-tier recognition places Dr. Weerasinghe among the elite central bank governors worldwide, acknowledging his exceptional leadership and strategic acumen in steering Sri Lanka’s economy through turbulent times. The Central Banker Report Card, published annually by Global Finance since 1994, more..

Aug 29 (DN) The Sun is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka from August 28 to September 7 due to its apparent southward relative motion. The nearest places of Sri Lanka over which the Sun is overhead today (29) are Kumulamunai, Padinaddampore, Alankulam, Thanniyuttu, Vattappalai, and Mullaitivu about 12.11 pm. Meanwhile, several spells of showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and Central Provinces and in the Galle and Matara districts. more..

Aug 29 (FT) The Govt and BOI have signalled a strong intent to strengthen laws, improve inter-agency coordination, and digitalise approval processes to make the country more competitive as a destination for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). The reforms are aimed at building investor confidence by improving predictability, transparency, and the speed of approvals. BOI Chairman Arjuna Herath said realised FDI more..

Aug 29 (TM) The suspect who was arrested for allegedly injuring a Police officer during a protest held near the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, has been remanded yesterday. The arrest was made in Kalutara by a team of officers from the CCD in connection with the incident, in which a Police officer on duty was reportedly injured by a thrown bottle. Suspect is accused of causing injuries and obstructing Police duties. Police stated that the suspect was arrested on Wednesday more..

Aug 29 (DN) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake might visit the Chemmani mass grave site in Jaffna during his scheduled visit on 1 Sept, Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar said. The Minister made this remark while addressing the media at an event in Jaffna. Meanwhile, at the Chemmani site, three additional skeletons—believed to include those of children — were identified on 27 August, bringing the total number of skeletons identified to 169. Of these, 158 have been fully excavated. more..

Aug 29 (DN) SL Air Force (SLAF) warned that flying kites in the vicinity of airport runways poses a serious safety hazard and has been identified globally as a contributory factor to air accidents. “Such activity directly obstructs aircraft operations and endangers both passengers and crew. In SL, kite flying in areas surrounding Katunayake, Ratmalana, Hingurakgoda, China Bay, Palaly, Katukurunda, Koggala, Vavuniya, Weerawila and Mattala is considered especially hazardous,” more..

Aug 29 (DN) The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) marks its 75th anniversary today, a milestone in the nation’s economic journey. Established on 28 August 1950 under the Monetary Law Act, the Bank replaced the colonial currency board. Its first Governor, John Exter, gave it a clear mission: keep prices stable, protect the financial system, issue currency, and advise the Govt. Since then, the CBSL has grown into the backbone of the country’s financial system. more..

Aug 29 (AD) CEB Engineers’ Union (CEBEU) has raised concerned about the purported assignation letters issued to employees of the CEB claiming to be under and in terms of the SL Electricity Act. In a letter addressed to the Secretary, Ministry of Energy, the CEBEU states that the Act clearly states that Voluntary Retirement Scheme should be made available at the time of providing the Assignation Letters so that the employees more..

Aug 29 (TM) SL’s non-banking financial institutions’ (NBFIs) loans are expected to grow at 18% year-on-year (y-o-y) in the next 12 months to June 2026, with rising household liquidity and recalibration of LTV (Loan-to-Value) caps for vehicle imports, NDB Research said. It said that the decisive reopening of motor-vehicle imports from February and removal of the two largest structural constraints on loan origination, LTV by the central bank, widening the eligible borrower base, more..

Aug 29 (TM) The Ministry of Fisheries & Ocean Resources has directed its Legal Division to prepare proposals for amendments to maritime and coastal laws, following the recent Supreme Court (SC) ruling on the MV X-Press Pearl disaster. A meeting on the matter was held recently at the ministry. Speaking to The Daily Morning about its outcome, Deputy Minister Rathna Gamage said: “During the meeting, we instructed our Legal Division to first consult with a group of experts. more..

Aug 29 (TM) the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious, and Cultural Affairs stated that it would prepare a programme to release elephants and tuskers for perahera (procession) purposes in a more accountable manner, instead of allocating them based on political affiliations as had been done in the past. Deputy Minister Gamagedara Dissanayake said that a problematic situation has arisen due to the shortage of tame elephants and tuskers required for cultural processions. more..

Aug 29 (FT) Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath yesterday said the Cabinet of Ministers has given the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) the green light to implement a project to establish an optimal integrated electricity supply chain to support the resilient coolant system and boiler catchment hydro supply system at the Norocholai Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant. The move comes in response to a longstanding technical challenge at the country’s largest coal-fired power plant. more..

Aug 29 (TM) In the wake of opposition to the new circular on the water usage in schools, the Ministry of Education stated that there would be no change in the decision that the Govt will bear only a portion of school water tariffs. Ministry Secretary Nalaka Kaluwewa noted that the Govt continues to pay for the amount of water required for student consumption, which is shown separately on the water bill. more..

Aug 29 (DN) Uchitha Ranasinghe showed great control and consistency to win the Sri Lanka Golf August Ranking Tournament, which was concluded at the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club yesterday. Ranasinghe never lost his grip on the top of the leaderboard. He carded steady rounds of 74 and 75 before closing with a fighting 77, finishing with a winning total of 226. 16-year-old top junior golfer Reshan Algama battled hard in the cold winds of Nuwara Eliya but had to settle for 2nd place more..

Aug 29 (ST) New political parties aiming to register this year will undergo a second round of interviews expected to end this month, the Election Commission said. A 5-member panel is doing the evaluations. Registration of new political parties for 2025 began Feb 28, with applications accepted until March 28. This annual process was delayed after the declaration of local govt elections earlier in the year. EC received 83 applications. Of these, 36 were rejected for not meeting basic requirements, more..

Aug 29 (ST) Colombo is preparing for a comprehensive transformation under a new special Master Plan. However, this ambitious Master Plan is currently under discussion and has not yet been finalised, revealed Municipal Commissioner Palitha Nanayakkara. The plan is scheduled for its second presentation to the President next month and, while expected to be initiated next year, securing the necessary funding will require time. more..

Aug 29 (CT) Commercial Bank of Ceylon’s milestone of becoming the first bank in SL with a market capitalisation of more than USD one billion was celebrated at the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), where the Bank was invited to ring the ceremonial bell. Commercial Bank Chairman Sharhan Muhseen, CEO Sanath Manatunge, members of the board, and corporate and senior management participated in this symbolic recognition of another landmark in the Bank’s history, more..

Aug 29 (FT) The Council for Business with Britain (CBB) of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce recently celebrated its 25th anniversary in SL. The 25th AGM was held at Westminster House, followed by an exclusive networking session for members at Cinnamon Life, bringing together leading business professionals and stakeholders from the UK-SL bilateral business community. HSBC SL Chief Executive Officer Mark Surgenor was re-elected President of the Council, while more..

Aug 29 (TM) National Savings Bank (NSB) reported its financial results for the first half of 2025, marking a new high in financial performance and operational resilience. The bank posted a profit-before-tax (PBT) of Rs. 25.5 billion for the six months ended 30 June, reflecting robust bottom-line efficiency and strategic cost containment. Profit-after-tax (PAT) stood at Rs. 15.7 billion, representing a substantial 65% year-on-year (y-o-y) increase compared to the corresponding period of 2024. more..

Aug 29 (FT) Salesforce has announced the launch of Agentforce for Revenue, an AI-powered solution embedded within its all-new Revenue Cloud, which is set to redefine the sales quoting process for businesses worldwide. By dramatically cutting quoting time by 75% and reducing manual clicks by 87%, Agentforce brings unprecedented efficiency to revenue operations, enabling sales teams to focus on what matters most — building stronger customer relationships and closing deals faster. more..

Aug 29 (DN) Sri Lanka will start as clear favourites in the ODI series against Zimbabwe, which begins today at the Harare Sports Club at 1.00 pm SL time. Led by Charith Asalanka, the visitors bring a strong and experienced squad and are expected to dominate Zimbabwe in most aspects of the game. Of the 64 ODIs played between the two countries, Sri Lanka have won 49, Zimbabwe 12, with three matches ending without a result. more..

Aug 29 (Island) In a landmark achievement for SL science, a team of local researchers has identified Culex (Lophoceraomyia) cinctellus, a rare mosquito species, in the country for the very first time. The finding was confirmed through meticulous morphological analysis and molecular DNA testing, cementing its place as a new addition to SL’s mosquito fauna. The research, spearheaded by Dr. Tharaka Ranathunge of the Dept of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Eastern University, more..

Aug 29 (SO) Just over a year ago, I was arrested—not for crime, but for defiance. The hand that struck then belongs to the man arrested yesterday: former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. At that time, my mother was in her final days. I could not be with her. My passport was seized, travel banned, my work disrupted. Legal experts—SL’s senior counsel and international human rights lawyer Jared Genser—confirmed plainly: my detention was political. Jared even warned me before I boarded that flight. more..

Aug 29 (Island) Govt politicians are taking great pains to have the public believe that they have not misused state funds for private purposes. The Opposition says it is convinced otherwise. It argues that since the govt claims that expenses the state had to bear during an unofficial leg of an overseas tour of Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, in 2023, amounted to a misuse of state funds, a ride his successor, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, took in a state-owned helicopter, more..

Aug 29 (TM) This week’s tragic accident in Pallewela, Kuliyapitiya when a van transporting schoolchildren collided head-on with a tipper truck travelling in the opposite direction, calming the lives of two schoolgirls and their 64-year-old driver has once again pushed another long-standing crisis back into the public spotlight. Accident saw nearly a dozen other students who were in the vehicle being admitted for treatment to hospitals close by, some remain in serious conditions as of yesterday. more..

Aug 29 (TM) SL stands at a critical crossroads. With bold ambitions for 2030, the nation has the resources, talent, and potential to reshape its future. But turning vision into reality requires timely decisions, innovative strategies, and the courage to act. This article explores the economic strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats facing the island nation and the roadmap that could transform it from the Pearl of the Indian Ocean more..

Aug 29 (CT) The tragic accident that took place near the Wilapola Bridge in Kuliyapitiya last week was indeed shocking news to be awakened to, especially considering how it involved three deaths; two of which were schoolchildren. The accident occurred when a school van carrying children to school collided with a lorry/tipper carrying sand in the early hours of 27 August. The innocence of the students and the responsibility and the carefulness of the seasoned driver – more..

Aug 29 (ST) It was around 8 a.m. on Thursday and I was woken up by a call on the landline, a rare call indeed as most of our calls are now received on our mobiles. It was Pedris Appo, short for Appuhamy, a retired agriculture expert who does farming, and still prefers landlines to mobile phones. He has retained the old instrument with the dialling format. “I say…..I read somewhere about crowdfunding of elections. Do you think this would happen in the Sri Lankan context,” he asked. more..

Aug 29 (SO) On Wednesday (20), Lanka Salt Limited – Sri Lanka’s largest salt producer announced a price reduction of its iodised salt products as they claim that salt production in the Hambantota and Bundala salterns have increased. Despite the island-wide salt shortages, a table salt blackmarket has come about, and the climate crisis that has directly impacted the country’s salt production, SL’s salt industry has become more..

Aug 29 (DM) As SL prepares to appear before the UNHRC in Geneva this September under Resolution 51/2, govt will need to show more than promises. UN Human Rights High Commissioner’s 2025 report recognises that the new govt has both a historic opportunity and a clear mandate to deliver results. Continuation of arbitrary arrests under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, custodial deaths, intimidation of civil society and the discovery of mass graves such as at Chemmani the UN report more..

Aug 29 (DM) The recent postal service strike taught us many lessons. We know that postal workers are not the best paid employees. But the service they provide cannot be measured only with money. Hence do such workers always have to demand or call for a strike to earn a pay raise or enjoy more facilities at work? There are so many jobs in Sri Lanka which pay well. But when it comes to some of the essential services, the job revolves around dedication and not sophistication. more..