Aug 13 (FT) Sri Lanka is moving closer to a sovereign credit rating upgrade to the ‘B’ category as stronger fiscal performance, declining public debt, and sustained economic and private sector credit growth strengthen the country’s credit profile, according to a Softlogic Stockbrokers Equity Research. In its latest SL Economic Outlook, the brokerage said economic growth remained on track after 11 consecutive quarters of expansion, forecasting GDP growth of 4-4.5% in 2026. more..

Aug 13 (Island) Sri Lanka was proudly in the spotlight at the 2026 World Championships of Performing Arts in Las Vegas, USA — the event often called the Olympics of Performing Arts — held from 13 to 21 July. Representing the island nation on the global stage was dancer Natharie Wickramasinghe, who was awarded a Bronze Medal in the Cultural Dance category. Competing in the solo dancing section, Natharie performed SL’s cultural dance for an international panel of judges and industry professionals. more..

Aug 13 (FT) Hayleys Group said it has delivered a strong start to the financial year with Consolidated Revenue from Continuing Operations increasing by 38% YoY to Rs. 179.32 billion and Consolidated Profit Before Tax (PBT) from Continuing Operations surging 61% to Rs. 10.15 billion during the three months ended 30 June. Performance was driven by the Group’s export-oriented sectors, together with strong momentum in the Consumer and Retail and Transportation and Logistics sectors. more..

Aug 13 (ST) One thousand recently retired armed forces personnel will be recruited as jailers, while STF units will be set up in each of the country’s 32 prisons as immediate measures to curb the rising incidents of unrest within prisons. Special coordinating committees comprising representatives of the Prison Dept, police, the armed forces and the intelligence service will also be set up in each prison to ensure that unrest in one prison does not spread to others, a senior govt official said. more..

Aug 13 (FT) CoPF Chairman MP Harsha de Silva said the death of a Treasury official following the recent debt payment controversy need not have happened, arguing that the Committee’s investigation found broader institutional failures rather than individual culpability. Addressing officials from Public Debt Management Office (PDMO) recently at the start of the Committee’s review of the Finance Ministry’s 2025 Annual Debt Management Report, Dr. de Silva expressed condolences more..

Aug 13 (ST) Independent tests of umpire coal samples drawn from all nineteen Trident Chempar consignments unloaded at the Puttalam jetty show that none of them met the procurement’s target gross calorific value (GCV) of 6,150 kilocalories per kilogram of coal—and that all of them were below the minimum reject value of 5,900 kcal/kg. GCV is the total amount of heat released when a specific amount of coal is completely burnt. The 2025-26 term tender—which more..

Aug 13 (Island) The third Battle of the Golden Queens between Princess of Wales’ College, Moratuwa, and Yashodara Vidyalaya ended on 8 Aug at the De Zoysa Stadium in a thrilling two-run finish. Princess of Wales posted 131; Yashodara were dismissed for 129. What should have been a celebration of competitive school cricket was instead marred by a public display of poor conduct by the two principals. Yashodara’s principal announced that her school would no longer take part in the fixture, more..

Aug 13 (Island) Power politics is often seen as devoid of scruples anywhere in the world. More so in this country, where politicians are so self-seeking that they do not hesitate to safeguard their interests at the expense of others. Instances abound where state officials ruined their careers and reputations by aligning themselves with govts in power and overstepping their limits to please ruling party politicians. There is no such thing as altruism among SL politicians, and political favours always come with strings attached. more..

Aug 13 (DM) SL’s elephant problem is far from over. With each passing day, the gentle giants of our jungles are facing a worrisome plight. Statistics indicate that over 350 elephants had succumbed to injuries as a result of the human-elephant conflict. But this conflict, if managed properly, could have been averted. It is a known fact that farmers and people of yesteryear coexisted with nature. Farmers kept a portion of their harvest (known as Kurulu Paluwa) for birds and animals such as elephants. more..

Aug 13 (DM) It took almost two weeks for the Catholic Church to express its stance on the death penalty imposed on former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and former IGP Pujith Jayasundara over the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks. The Muslim terrorist group that carried out the series of suicide bombings on that fateful day targeted mainly Catholics who were praying in three churches and holidaying in three luxury hotels. Was it the Daily Mirror article published on Aug 6, more..

Aug 13 (CT) The recent spell of heavy rainfall that swept across parts of SL reminded people of the country’s vulnerability to extreme weather conditions. People believe that El Niño is the culprit behind the overflowing rivers, inundated roads and displaced communities. By now, El Niño has become a familiar phrase, associated with droughts, floods or unusually high temperatures. However, despite its frequent appearance in weather reports, more..

Aug 13 (ST) This ongoing tussle between the JVP/NPP govt and those opposed to its attempt at constitutional amendment extending the mandatory age of retirement of judicial officers by two years was a slow build-up that has now dragged even the world’s biggest int'l association of judges into criticising the SL govt for interfering in judicial independence. But that is not the only international legal body that has taken umbrage at the govt’s moves, which have only exacerbated the problem, more..

Aug 13 (TM) 17 years have passed since the final guns fell silent across the N & E provinces. In May 2009, when a devastating 26-year war reached its conclusion, the nation inherited a land deeply wounded. Beyond the visible destruction was an insidious, hidden legacy: an estimated 1.6 million landmines and unexploded ordnance buried beneath the paddy fields, schoolyards, and village roads. The war was officially over, but for hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians waiting to return home, more..

Aug 13 (TM) SL has spent the past four years rebuilding confidence after one of the worst economic crises in its history. Tourism has recovered remarkably. Export industries are regaining momentum. Airlines have gradually restored frequencies, while the Govt continues to position the country as a regional aviation and logistics hub. Yet, beneath this encouraging recovery lies a strategic vulnerability that has received remarkably little public attention. more..

Aug 13 (GV) The Colombo Port City project was promoted as the largest foreign investment initiative in Sri Lanka’s history. It promised to transform the nation’s economy by attracting $15 billion in foreign direct investment, creating more than 80,000 jobs and positioning Colombo as a leading international financial and commercial hub. These promises formed the basis upon which SL agreed to lease 116 hectares of strategically valuable reclaimed land for 99 years. more..

Aug 13 (CT) I write this brief missive on 12th August. If I am published tomorrow 13th August and wake up, it happens to be my 84th birth anniversary. As my shadow length opens across the evening of my life, it is time I added my non-lawyer’s two cents to the debate. Justice has remained the most elusive goal of humankind. Justice has been continuously redefined across human history—from cosmic harmony as explained by Plato in ancient times, to obligation-based ethics of Immanuel Kant more..

Aug 12 (NW) The 21st commemoration of the late former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was held today with a religious almsgiving ceremony organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism together with the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of Int'l Relations and Strategic Studies (LKIIRSS). The ceremony took place under the leadership of seven members of the Maha Sangha, including Royal Pandit Venerable Kandy Amitha Gaveshi Thera of more..

Aug 12 (TM) Disaster Management Centre (DMC) has raised concerns over poor public compliance with technical disaster warnings, despite procedural challenges faced by the Centre in gathering data, and called on academia to help devise more effective methods of public outreach. DMC Director Chathura Liyanarachchi said that although a system is in place to issue notices and warnings at the earliest possible stage, there is a persistent issue of the public failing to act on such information. more..

Aug 12 (NF) Yoshitha Rajapaksa, was questioned by the CID for nearly two hours on Tuesday, with investigators recording a statement as part of an ongoing probe into an alleged illegal vehicle assembly and sales network. According to investigators, questioning was linked to a wider investigation being conducted by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) with the assistance of SL Customs into suspected illegal importation, more..

Aug 12 (TM) The restructuring of SriLankan Airlines is expected to commence in six months, following the guidance and recommendations provided by the expert committee appointed to restructure the institution. The Civil Aviation Ministry is expecting to receive the expert committee report within the given time. The Deputy Subject Minister, Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku said the expert committee the Ministry has appointed is currently evaluating the proposals and their own ideas on restructuring more..

Aug 12 (NW) The mother of alleged underworld figure Backhoe Saman has died after being shot in Middeniya, Police said. The woman was initially hospitalised after two assailants travelling on a motorcycle opened fire at her in the Ulahitiyawa area of Middeniya. Police later confirmed that she had succumbed to her injuries. Investigations are underway to identify and arrest the suspects involved in the shooting. The latest incident comes days after a relative of alleged more..

Aug 12 (TM) Asgiri Chapter of the Siam Buddhist Sect has stated that Govt representatives had informed it that the proposed Animal Welfare Bill would not have any adverse impact on Buddhist religious events, including peraheras (processions), but urged the Govt to carefully review the legislation and take action if any provision could affect such traditions. Secretary of the Supreme Sangha Council of the Chapter Ven. Dr. Medagama more..

Aug 12 (NW) Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatta Chapter of the Siyam Nikaya, Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Sumangala Mahanayake Thera, has said that the Prez has not responded to a letter sent by the Mahanayake Theras regarding the proposed extension of judges’ retirement age. Speaking during a meeting with representatives of a human rights organisation in Kandy, Thera said that, from ancient times, Maha Sangha had advised rulers, both verbally and in writing, more..

Aug 12 (NW) CAA has urged sellers, suppliers and consumers to pay close attention to the quality, completeness and required product information when buying or selling Atapirikara and Pirikara items. CAA said Direction No. 55, published in Gazette Extraordinary No. 1918/20 dated June 11, 2015, requires Atapirikara and relevant Pirikara items, or their packaging, to display the Maximum Retail Price (MRP), the manufacturer’s or importer’s name, address, telephone number and more..

Aug 12 (Island) A SL Air Force tip-off led to the arrest of two suspects and the seizure of a haul of parts of protected wild animals, allegedly kept for sale, in a joint raid, in Kuruwita, yesterday (11), according to a senior official of the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC). Acting on intelligence received from the Air Force, Wildlife officers and STF personnel, conducted a raid in the Kuruwita Police Division. The haul included three sambar deer antlers, four deer antlers, an ivory pendant, more..

Aug 12 (NW) Construction of the Anuradhapura South Multimodal Transport Centre has entered its final stage, with the project expected to be completed before the end of this year. Deputy Minister of Urban Development Eranga Gunasekara inspected the project on Aug. 8 to review progress on the remaining construction work. The project, which began in 2022 but was subsequently halted due to various challenges, resumed in 2025 with the involvement of a new consultancy firm. more..

Aug 12 (Island) As Sri Lanka marks World Elephant Day today, the Govt has stepped up an ambitious programme aimed at transforming the country’s long-running human-elephant conflict (HEC) from a cycle of temporary interventions into a scientifically managed effort to achieve long-term coexistence between people and elephants. Environment Minister Dr. Dhammika Patabendi said protecting the Asian elephant more..

Aug 12 (Island) The COPE of Parliament recently discussed ways and means to overcome difficulties caused by academics who, in terms of bond agreements, had obtained study leave to go overseas but failed to return. Attention was drawn to the need to recover funds from those who had violated such bond agreements, both at the Uni of Peradeniya and across the university system. Uni officials informed the Committee that the Uni of Peradeniya had recovered Rs. 201 m in 2025 more..

Aug 12 (PMD) A meeting between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and small and medium-scale paddy mill owners was held at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (11) to discuss securing the contribution of small and medium-scale businesses towards maintaining a stable price for paddy and ensuring that paddy is purchased from farmers at a fair price. During the meeting, the mill owners briefed the President on the issues they have encountered in conducting their operations. more..

Aug 12 (CI) Niroshan Dickwella returns to the SL Test squad three years after he last played internationals. Also in SL's squad for the Tests against India are uncapped offspinner Keshara Nuwantha, uncapped top-order batter Pasindu Sooriyabandara - who had also been part of SL's last Test squad, and left-arm fast bowler Dilshan Madushanka, who has only played one Test, 3 years ago. Unavailable for selection were more..

Aug 12 (DM) Leading Indian Economist, Montek Singh Ahluwalia shares his views on India’s reforms drive. He was in Sri Lanka to attend the India Calling event organised by the Lanka-India Business Association. He was a key member of the team that drove economic reforms in India in 1991 under the P.V. Narasimha Rao Government. He later served as Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from 2004 to 2014. Q: As far as the reform process which more..

Aug 12 (Island) Attorney-at-law Manoli Jinadasa told the Court of Appeal that her client Dr. Kumara Kaluarachchi, head, Dept of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Rajarata Uni, believed that Suresh Sallay, former head of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), had been targeted by the very elements responsible for terrorism in SL. Appearing on behalf of Intervenient-Petitioner Dr. Kaluarachchi in Sallay’s petition against his arrest under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), more..