Aug 21 (NW) SL Charter Private Ltd (SLC) has denied any involvement in the alleged sale or distribution of alcohol without a valid Excise licence at a yacht party held at Colombo Port City on Aug 15. The company issued the clarification following reports of raids conducted by the Excise Department at three locations within the Port City over the alleged illegal sale and transportation of liquor. According to the Excise Department, more..

Aug 21 (AD) Govt has declared three days of national morning from tomorrow in view of the passing of legendary singer Nanda Malini. Aug 21, 22 & 23 have been declared as days of national morning in SL. The remains of the late veteran singer Visharad Dr. Nanda Malini will lie in state at the Nanda Malani Sangeetha Ashramaya (Music Academy) located at No. 30, Vijayaba Mawatha, Nawala Road, Nugegoda, from 10 a.m. tomorrow until 3.30 p.m. on Saturday for the public more..

Aug 21 (AD) A total of five individuals have died and three others injured in a serious road accident involving a tipper truck and a tractor in Kumbukkana, Monaragala this morning, police said. Accident occurred on the Kumbukkana Kalu Bridge along the Wellawaya–Monaragala Road when a tipper truck travelling towards Wellawaya collided with a tractor approaching from the opposite direction. 10 people were travelling on the tractor’s trailer at the time of the accident. more..

Aug 21 (NW) Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa has acknowledged a shortage of Filgrastim injections at govt hospitals and assured Parliament that steps are being taken to address the immediate shortage within a week. The issue was raised in Parliament by MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, who said the medicine, used in chemotherapy, bone marrow transplantation and other cancer treatments, was in short supply more..

Aug 21 (Island) Indumini Thilakarathna has been appointed the 59th Surveyor General of SL. She is the first woman to hold the top post in the Survey Department’s history. Thilakarathna joined the Survey Department as a govt surveyor in 1989 and has served in a range of positions during her 37-year career, gaining extensive experience in surveying and administration before being appointed Surveyor General. She received her education at Nivithigala Sumana Maha Vidyalaya, more..

Aug 21 (TM) SL’s economy is facing a paradox that could constrain the country’s economic recovery, where the industries are still facing a critical skills shortage with around 400,000 job vacancies going unfilled, while unemployment persists, where industrial leaders struggle to find qualified workers, Minister Sunil Hadunnetti said. Hadunnetti said: “There is a shortage of essential technical experts in the industrial sector in Sri Lanka, and finding service providers is a challenge. more..

Aug 21 (ST) Sri Lanka will formally respond to concerns raised by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Margaret Satterthwaite, regarding the draft 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath said. In an official communication addressed to the SL govt, Ms Satterthwaite expressed concern over the proposal to amend the Constitution to extend the retirement age of superior court judges. more..

Aug 21 (DN) Colombo High Court yesterday served indictments on Yoshitha Rajapaksa and former Navy Commander Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda over a case filed allegedly corruption related charges. Following serving the indictment, each accused was ordered to release on two sureties worth Rs.1 mn each by the Colombo High Court. The case was taken up before Colombo High Court Judge Ravindra Premaratne. CIABOC had filed an indictment before Colombo HC more..

Aug 21 (NF) Attorney General today (20) informed the Colombo High Court that an appeal has been filed against a recent court ruling which found that charges brought under the PTA against alleged drug trafficker Nadun Chinthaka, alias Harak Kata, and several other accused could not be maintained. The case against Harak Kata and four other defendants, who face charges including allegedly conspiring to escape more..

Aug 21 (DN) SL javelin thrower Rumesh Tharanga, the recent Commonwealth Games gold medallist, returns to action at the Lausanne Diamond League in Switzerland today. Germany’s Julian Weber, who reclaimed the world No. 1 ranking last week, will also compete in Lausanne. It will be the first meeting between the two leading throwers this season. Event has attracted a strong field, with six of the world’s top javelin throwers scheduled to compete, setting the stage for a highly competitive contest. more..

Aug 21 (NW) The CAA has reminded traders that they are required to maintain bills, invoices or other relevant documents establishing the source of goods kept for sale, storage, distribution or display. Under Direction No. 83 issued by the CAA, manufacturers, warehouse owners, suppliers, distributors and traders must possess a written, printed or electronic receipt, bill or invoice for such goods. The document should include the supplier’s name and address, date of purchase, type of goods, more..

Aug 21 (NW) A significant number of university students are becoming addicted to drugs, with an estimated 70% to 80% of male students who drop out of university courses reportedly showing signs of drug dependence, Prof. Amila Isuru said. Speaking at a media briefing on the Rata­ma Ekatta national programme addressing drug addiction among uni students and young people, Isuru said drug traffickers were making increased efforts to expose schoolchildren and uni students to drugs. more..

Aug 21 (NW) The investigation into an alleged foreign exchange scam involving the transfer of around USD 1 billion overseas without corresponding imports began after police discovered a large sum of cash in a three-wheeler in Peliyagoda. Western Province Senior DIG Sajeeva Medawatta said the discovery during a routine police inspection led investigators to uncover a wider operation in which large sums of money were allegedly transferred overseas through more..

Aug 21 (FT) The Govt has fully implemented over 94% of its public external debt restructuring and reached agreement on terms with just under 99% of external creditors, according to the latest investor presentation by the Finance Ministry and Central Bank, with a small number of creditor agreements still to be completed. The presentation delivered by Treasury Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma at the investor call with more..

Aug 21 (FT) Hemas Holdings is setting its sights on Bangladesh as its next overseas growth market, following its recent entry into Kenya, as the SL conglomerate seeks to build a wider emerging-markets footprint in consumer businesses. Hemas Holdings Group CEO Ashish Chandra said Bangladesh offered a similar investment proposition to Kenya—a large population, sustained economic growth, and rising consumer aspirations—with the group taking a 5 to 10-year view rather than more..

Aug 21 (FT) The private sector welcomed the launch of Sri Lanka’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 21 (FT) The CoPF has exposed a series of unresolved technical and implementation roadblocks in the Inland Revenue Dept’s (IRD) planned digital point-of-sale (POS) and real-time VAT invoicing system, with officials acknowledging that full onboarding is expected to take two years despite the Govt’s push to accelerate tax digitalisation. The scrutiny revealed that key elements required for an islandwide rollout, including final software more..

Aug 21 (Island) Every dark cloud, they say, has a silver lining. And as SL’s poor run against India continued, that silver lining was young Sonal Dinusha. The manner in which this little man soaked up pressure while some of his team-mates went searching for glory shots was refreshing to watch. Sri Lanka appear to have unearthed a rare talent, one who could take them places. In recent years, we have seen how poorly our batters have handled spin. The defence against the turning ball more..

Aug 21 (FT) Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) has raised concerns over delays faced by small and medium exporters in obtaining Value Added Tax (VAT) refunds, while the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) maintained that about 95% of refunds are issued within the prescribed period. The issue surfaced during the CoPF’s scrutiny of the IRD’s tax digitalisation and electronic invoicing plans, with Committee members pointing to complaints from exporters over delayed refunds. more..

Aug 21 (FT) EO Sri Lanka officially welcomed the 2026–27 EO year on 1 July 2026 as the chapter ushered in a new era of leadership under President of W. A. Perera & Co. Ltd., (WAPCO) Director Abeetha Perera and his newly appointed Board of Directors. The ceremonial handover saw the presidency baton passed from of Stafford Motor Company Executive Director Tarindra Kaluperuma, symbolising a seamless transition and the beginning of another exciting chapter for SL’s more..

Aug 21 (FT) Port City Colombo received a high-level delegation from the Sultanate of Oman earlier this month, in what marks a significant step forward in the strengthening investment relationship between the two countries. The delegation was led by Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion Ministry of the Sultanate of Oman Adviser for Foreign Trade and International Cooperation Pankaj Khimji and included Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to SL Ahmed Al Rashdi, and more..

Aug 21 (CI) For Sri Lanka men's new(ish) coach Gary Kirsten, the Test team is gaining some shape. By this he means players are beginning to function more consistently in their roles. Sri Lanka are yet to win a Test under Kirsten, and have lost two of the three they played, having also lost in Antigua in June. Now they have been trounced in Galle by 165 runs by India. But Kirsten struck an upbeat tone. This was SL's first Test at home in 14 months. more..

Aug 21 (GV) SL’s justice system is burdened by serious delay and reforms are unquestionably necessary. The question is not whether reform is needed. The question is whether extending the retirement age of judges of SC and CA is demonstrably connected to the causes of judicial delay and whether it is likely to produce a measurable reduction in the backlog. An assessment must distinguish a legitimate policy objective from evidence that a particular intervention will more..

Aug 21 (Island) It is a more than likely observation in this day and age, displayed as a scene that may be noted if one walks into a ward at any of the National Hospitals of Sri Lanka or any major Teaching Hospital. It is perhaps a sight that would look somewhat alien and unfamiliar to a doctor who graduated forty to fifty years ago. Where once Senior Consultants stood surrounded by eager students scribbling furiously in notebooks, today’s clinical ward rounds are accompanied by more..

Aug 21 (DN) SJB MP for Moneragala District and Chief SJB Organiser for Wellawaya, W.H.M. Dharmasena discusses the difficulties confronting the district, the shortcomings he sees in the govt’s approach and the measures he believes could help create new economic opportunities for its people. Q: The govt spends a considerable amount of money each year on subsidies for low-income earners. Accordingly, the people of Moneragala have benefited greatly, haven’t they? more..

Aug 21 (DM) The controversy surrounding the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution has eclipsed almost every political issue in the country, even though ordinary people seem to be totally dissociated with it. They do not seem to be interested in it as if it does not affect their lives. However, it is the main issue and the only issue for those obsessed with politics, and they are making a huge fuss over it. They are so obsessed with it that the govt is sneaking in another controversial piece of more..

Aug 21 (SO) For years, catching a bus in SL has often been a daily struggle — a race against time, uncertainty and discomfort. Seeking to address these longstanding shortcomings and make public transport more accessible, including to persons with disabilities, the Govt launched the pilot phase of the new Metro Bus service in April this year, initially deploying 10 buses on selected Colombo routes, with a larger rollout planned more..

Aug 21 (TM) The struggle with El Niño-induced dry weather is a warning about the country’s food security, rural economy and economic stability. When water begins to disappear from reservoirs and irrigation tanks in the country’s agricultural heartlands, the consequences extend far beyond households waiting for water bowsers. According to the latest figures from National Disaster Relief Services Centre, more than 81,000 people across seven districts are already affected by more..

Aug 21 (TM) When a constitutional republic undertakes the delicate task of altering its fundamental law, political friction is expected. The presentation of the 22nd Amendment in Parliament has ignited a spirited national debate, swiftly overtaking the political discourse within the legislative chamber and across the country. At its core, the proposed legislation seeks to extend the retirement age of SC judges from 65 to 67 years and CA judges from 63 to 65 years. more..

Aug 21 (CT) The country does not merely need better govt. It needs a state that protects its citizens, commands public trust and unites a diverse people through equal citizenship. SL has changed govts many times since independence. Yet the deeper challenge has remained largely unresolved: what kind of state do we want to build? The economic and political upheaval of 2022 gave the country an uncomfortable answer. more..

Aug 21 (ST) Many social-media influencers who visit SL often praise the island’s clean environment. But most of them see only Colombo and a few well-managed tourist spots. Their positive impressions matter, because social-media content reaches global audiences and strongly shapes travel choices. Yet for us, living here every day, the question remains: Are we truly keeping the country clean as promised by the Clean Sri Lanka programme? Have we ever carried out an effective national effort to more..

Aug 21 (Island) A suspect has been remanded over a false social media claim that the LTTE has set up a training facility in the Pallai forest reserve in the former warzone. Minister Ananda Wijepala told Parliament that investigations had revealed that there was no truth whatsoever in the social media claim at issue. The property in question was located in the Kanagarayankulam area, where approximately 10 acres of land had been cleared and developed by an individual identified as Thiyagarasa, more..