Aug 20 (FT) As Sri Lanka moves beyond economic stabilisation, the next challenge is turning policy direction and reform into sustained economic progress. With stabilisation no longer the only priority, attention is increasingly turning to what comes next—how to sustain growth, build competitiveness and translate reforms and investment into lasting economic progress. This will be among the key questions at the SL Economic and Investment Summit 2026 (SLEIS 2026) more..

Aug 20 (TM) Sri Lankan real estate has the opportunity to serve the middle-income segment of Maldivian diaspora looking for affordable housing, as there is a market gap within the Maldivian real estate market, Maldivian Islamic Bank Chief Business Officer Hammaad Rasheed Hussein said, speaking on a panel hosted by Research Intelligence Unit (RIU) recently. “For normal middle income level families affordability or eligibility is actually on the diminishing side. more..

Aug 20 (ST) Lengthy queues at the entrance to the Minneriya National Park during this peak tourism season have raised concerns among tourists and safari operators over delays that cut into visitors’ time inside the park, as industry stakeholders call for a more efficient digital ticketing system to ease congestion. Safari operators say the manual ticketing and verification process results in waits of up to two hours during busy periods, more..

Aug 20 (FT) Private sector welcomed the launch of SL’s new interim tourism promotion, but called for rapid expansion to more source markets, stronger partnerships with tour operators and airlines, and rigorous monitoring of campaign performance. Speaking at the launch event yesterday, SLAITO President Nalin Jayasundera described the initiative as the need of the hour, noting the industry had waited too long for a coordinated int'l marketing campaign. more..

Aug 20 (FT) Brandix was the Main Partner for the discussion around Social at CATALYZE 2026, reinforcing its commitment to placing people at the heart of sustainable progress. Hosted by the UN Global Compact Network SL in Colombo recently, CATALYZE 2026 convened business leaders, practitioners, and change-makers to explore how organisations can advance sustainability with greater purpose and impact. The opening day focused on the social dimension of sustainability, more..

Aug 20 (Island) Sri Lanka has introduced simplified immigration procedures to facilitate the voluntary return of SL refugees living in India, removing key legal and administrative hurdles faced by those who left the country without valid travel documents during the North-East conflict, Parliament was told. Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told Parliament that the move followed a Cabinet decision to allow returnees to re-enter SL, more..

Aug 20 (DN) SL head coach Gary Kirsten praised young left-hander Sonal Dinusha after his impressive performance in the first Test against India, where he scored his maiden Test century and followed it with 84 in the second innings. “He played some very exciting Test cricket. It is very encouraging to see him handle pressure at such a young age. It is also a challenge for him, but he has shown that he can perform in difficult situations,” Kirsten said at the post-match press briefing more..

Aug 20 (FT) Bank of Ceylon (BOC) is to raise up to Rs. 10 billion through a Basel III-compliant Additional Tier 1 (AT1) Bond issue, as the State-owned lender seeks to strengthen its capital adequacy, liquidity position, and asset base. The bank’s Board of Directors has approved an initial issue of up to 50 million unsecured, subordinated, and perpetual AT1 Bonds to raise Rs. 5 billion, with an option to issue a further 50 million Bonds at the bank’s discretion in the event of oversubscription. more..

Aug 20 (EN) Japan Int'l Cooperation Agency (JICA), with Kandy Municipal Council (KMC), has conducted an environmental conservation initiative ahead of the Kandy Esala Perahera 2026. This included the provision of source-segregated waste collection bins and environmental awareness signboards, as well as a city-wide clean-up campaign aimed at promoting sustainable waste management and strengthening public awareness of environmental conservation. more..

Aug 20 (ISland) Kelani Valley Plantations (KVPL) has launched an exclusive collection of single-origin artisanal and specialty teas, each produced from tea grown on an individual estate. The limited-edition range highlights the distinct characteristics of Ceylon Tea from different growing environments and marks KVPL’s renewed focus on estate-specific, value-added tea production. A pioneering member of the Hayleys Group, KVPL has built the limited-edition portfolio for tea lovers who value rarity and more..

Aug 20 (FT) Sri Lanka Tourism announced launching a Rs. 1.5 billion interim tourism promotion campaign covering six priority markets, as the Govt seeks to revive long-delayed international destination marketing ahead of a larger global campaign planned for March/April next year. Deputy Minister Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe said the interim public relations (PR) and digital campaign would run from Aug 2026 to Apr 2027, more..

Aug 20 (Island) Sustaining humanism in a more power de-centred, polycentric and pluralistic international order emerges as a principal question from a thought-provoking public lecture that was delivered in Colombo recently. The fact that yesterday was World Humanitarian Day lends immense topicality to the poser. The main speaker was Prof. Amitav Acharya, Distinguished Professor of International Relations at the American Uni, Washington D.C. and more..

Aug 20 (SO) For nearly eight decades, Sri Lanka’s economic journey has resembled a Sisyphean tragedy. Time and again, the island nation has pushed the heavy boulder of structural reform towards the peak of modern prosperity, only to watch political cowardice, partisan violence, and reckless policy reversals roll it back down to the baseline. Today, as Prez Dissanayake navigates the post-bankruptcy landscape under an IMF EFF, the shadow of this history looms large. more..

Aug 20 (GV) Last month, a video showing Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe removing the microphone of a private television channel while saying, Remove this, brother was widely circulated. A single incident cannot by itself establish that media freedom in SL is under threat. However, it raised a fundamental question: who determines the terms of engagement between those in power and the media? Who is recognised as a journalist? Who should have the authority to define the professional standards more..

Aug 20 (ST) Things do happen unexpectedly in this day and age. I mean, shouldn’t we have one eye open for flying drones and other weapons of mass dispute (WMD) since we have helped that Trump-crazy administration come closer to our increasingly sensitive territorial waters? Perhaps somebody should take note of the rising number of high-ranking US military personnel who congregated on our small island, particularly in the early days of the Trump-Netanyahu military foray in Iran and more..

Aug 20 (DN) The Asian elephant is considered an auspicious animal and signifies good fortune. They were used as one of the four-fold armies (chariots, elephants, cavalry and infantry) throughout history. The association of elephants with Buddhism dates back to the beginning of Buddhism. Elephants are associated with the stories of the life of Noble Buddha such as the conception of Prince Siddhartha and featured in a number of Jataka tales. more..

Aug 20 (Island) Ongoing political battles have eclipsed the unfinished economic war. The JVP-NPP govt is in overdrive to amend the Constitution to raise the mandatory retirement ages of the judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. With its approval rating dropping, the govt is apparently trying to consolidate its grip on power through politico-judicial means instead of intensifying its focus on developing the economy and granting the public much-needed economic relief. more..

Aug 20 (DM) European Union has outlined a set of recommendations for SL to comply with in order to continue its preferential access to the EU market under the GSP+ trade programme post-2028. Among the main recommendations are repealing the PTA in place of a law in line with international standards, amending or repealing the Online Safety Act, a formal moratorium on the death penalty, and enacting anti-discrimination laws & decriminalisation of consensual same sex relations. more..

Aug 20 (SO) Aswesuma programme was introduced by the Govt as a lifeline for SL’s most vulnerable families, providing much-needed financial support to those struggling to meet their basic needs. But an investigation into the Norwood DS has now uncovered startling allegations that more than Rs. 16 million of these welfare payments may have been siphoned away from the very people the scheme was designed to help. more..

Aug 20 (DM) For decades, Sri Lanka sat at an agonisingly strategic crossroads in the Indian Ocean, acting as a vital maritime trade route and a fertile transit hub for international drug cartels. The roots of this national crisis run remarkably deep into our history. During the long years of the LTTE conflict, northern coastal stretches like Velvettithurai, Point Pedro and Mannar were routinely exploited by contraband smuggling networks moving across the narrow waters of the Palk Strait. more..

Aug 20 (CT) I was introduced to the bits and bobs of SL’s legal system at a very tender age when other children were just learning to hold a cricket bat or throw a ball at the batsman. My father was a constant litigant (cf. constant gardener) who had unstinted faith in, and undwindling respect for, the legal system. He had earned a good living in the Mediterranean Las Palmas island in the 1920s and 30s, and as a result owned quite a few extents of land & houses, once I counted up to sixteen. more..

Aug 19 (NW) Former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella was arrested yesterday by investigating officers of the CIABOC over allegations of corruption, aiding and abetting corruption, and conspiracy, according to a CIABOC notice. CIABOC said Rambukwella was arrested at around 11.30 a.m. and 1.15 p.m. in connection with two separate allegations. One allegation relates to the recruitment of six employees to SL Rupavahini Corporation beyond its approved cadre more..

Aug 19 (NW) India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal appeared to win a brief battle of words with SK’s Niroshan Dickwella during the first Test in Galle, with the light-hearted exchange ending in a wicket on the very next delivery. With Dickwella at the crease, Jaiswal was heard encouraging the Sri Lankan batter to go for the big shots. “Come on, we need to see some sixes from you!” Jaiswal said. Dickwella responded: “If you take me to the IPL…” Jaiswal quickly replied: “Hit some sixes, then I will.” more..

Aug 19 (NW) Farmers affected by the prevailing dry weather conditions are to receive agricultural insurance compensation promptly, according to Agricultural & Agrarian Insurance Board. Crop damage, including to paddy and maize, has been reported in several districts, including Monaragala, Polonnaruwa, Hambantota, Ampara and A'pura, due to water shortages caused by the drought conditions. Paddy cultivation damage more..

Aug 19 (DM) UN Population Fund (UNFPA), in partnership with the National Youth Services Council (NYSC) and under Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, recently conducted a national simulation-based programme to strengthen youth participation in disaster preparedness and response. Held at the NYSC Auditorium in Maharagama to mark Int'l Youth Day 2026, the programme, titled The Resilience Lab: Local Youth Action in Crisis Response, brought together more than 100 youth leaders from more..

Aug 19 (AD) The Pakistan Cricket Board will host Sri Lanka and England men’s cricket teams for bilateral and tri-series from 9 October to 21 November, it was announced today. Sri Lanka will arrive on 4 October to feature in a three-match T20I series, which will be played in Rawalpindi from 9 to 13 October. Following the T20I series, England will arrive in Pakistan to take part in an ODI tri-series, scheduled to be played in Rawalpindi and Lahore from 18 to 31 Oct. At the conclusion of the tri-series, more..

Aug 19 (Island) Former Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) Dr. Deepika Udagama says that she is against the extension of the age of retirement of senior judges in an ad hoc manner. The legal scholar said that she had already expressed her views during discussions with the Bar Association of SL (BASL). She said so responding to The Island query regarding the developing situation. more..

Aug 19 (DN) Sri Lanka Embassy in Doha recovered Rs. 80,886,895.32 from January to July 2026 as death compensation on behalf of the Next of Kin (NoK) of Sri Lankan nationals who had passed away in Qatar, despite the challenges arising from the tense situation in the region. The recovered funds were remitted to the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Colombo and to the respective deceased persons’ NoKs. The amount also included cases pending since 2023. more..

Aug 19 (AM) The wife of former Cabinet Minister and Monaragala District MP Jagath Pushpakumara has died following an accidental fall from a building under construction. The deceased has been identified as 55-year-old Deshani Gunaratne, a mother of two. She had reportedly fallen from the second floor of a newly constructed building belonging to the family. Gunaratne, who was receiving treatment at the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital following the incident, died this more..

Aug 19 (AD) SL Book Publishers’ Association has warned that taxes imposed on printed books are placing growing pressure on the publishing industry, with an estimated 50% to 60% of authors turning to other occupations over the past three years. The association also claims that around 40% of publishing companies have exited the industry during the same period. Introduction of VAT and other taxes on printed books in Jan 2023 has contributed to a sharp increase in book more..

Aug 19 (NW) Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam has urged the government to remove legal and practical barriers faced by SL Tamil refugees in India seeking to return to SL. Raising the issue in Parliament today, Rasamanickam said returnees continued to face uncertainty over citizenship verification, security clearance, travel documents, housing, land, employment and resettlement. Responding to the MP, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala more..