Aug 25 (TM) Both upcoming cultivation seasons can be successfully managed without difficulty if the Maha season is commenced early and without delay, according to Mahaweli Authority Director of the Water Management Secretariat, Nilantha Dhanapala. He said starting the Maha season early would help conserve a portion of the available water, allowing the subsequent Yala season to commence by 15 March or in early April. more..

Aug 25 (TM) Colombo Port City has secured $ 2.1 billion in confirmed investments, while the Govt is targeting a further $ 4.1 billion in investments over the next five years, Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe stated. The investment target would be supported by several major development projects currently being implemented within the Port City. These include two large-scale residential projects, a modern hotel and a convention centre. He said that the Colombo Port City was presented as more..

Aug 25 (FT) The new anti-money laundering (AML) regime widens potential criminal liability for bank managers and other financial-sector employees who knowingly handle or facilitate transactions involving illicit funds, Supreme Court Justice A.H.M.D. Nawaz said. The remarks come against the backdrop of an ongoing FCID investigation into nearly $ 1 billion allegedly transferred overseas since 2023 under the guise of imports that did not take place. Four officials attached to four private commercial banks more..

Aug 25 (FT) More than 80% of the nearly Rs. 95 billion allocated for concessionary credit to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and agriculture in 2026 has been utilised, with the amount exceeding Rs. 75 billion by the early part of the third quarter. The financing package covers enterprise development, disaster relief, agriculture, and paddy-related lending, with the credit schemes implemented principally through State and private banks. more..

Aug 25 (FT) Sri Lanka’s packaging industry is undergoing significant change as businesses face growing demands for sustainability, resource efficiency, innovation, technology and compliance with international market requirements. LANKAPAK 2026, SL’s premier int'l packaging exhibition, will bring together leading industry stakeholder from SL and overseas from 23 to 25 Oct at the BMICH, Colombo. Organised by the SL Institute of Packaging (SLIP) in collaboration with CDC Events, more..

Aug 25 (FT) National Chamber of Exporters of SL (NCE) is inviting exporters, manufacturers, aspiring exporters and other businesses interested in expanding into the Indian market to join an overseas exporters’ delegation to New Delhi and Mumbai from 24 Sept to 1 Oct 2026. India is one of SL’s most important trading partners and presents significant opportunities for expanding SL exports. In 2025, SL’s exports to India increased by 17.2% to approximately $1.04 billion, more..

Aug 25 (FT) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has instructed officials to accelerate projects being implemented by Provincial Councils using Rs. 102 billion allocated from the Govt’s Rs. 500 billion provision for the Ditwah disaster situation. The directive was issued during a meeting at the Presidential Secretariat on Friday to review the progress of development projects being implemented by Provincial Councils under 2026 Budget allocations and preparations for the 2027 Budget, more..

Aug 25 (FT) Gamma Interpharm Ltd, has commenced exports of SL-manufactured pharmaceuticals to Cambodia, marking a key milestone in its six-decade journey and strengthening the country’s pharmaceutical manufacturing presence in regional markets. The company launched its first pharmaceutical exports to Cambodia on 14 Aug 2026 at its manufacturing facility, in the presence of stakeholders and employees. Gamma Interpharm said the development makes it the first truly SL more..

Aug 25 (FT) Sri Lanka is facing a fresh export competitiveness challenge in the European Union (EU) as the recently concluded EU-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is expected to give Indian products significant tariff advantages across several labour-intensive sectors, prompting calls for urgent action to protect the country’s market access and strengthen its competitive position. The issue was raised at a meeting between the Sri Lanka EDB and European Commission consultants more..

Aug 25 (Island) It appears that the die has been cast on the 22nd Amendment. Govt appears unshaken in its determination to ensure its passage into law. From the govt’s perspective, the 22nd Amendment and associated legislation, by increasing the tenure of all judges by two years, will give them the extra time to complete their existing cases. This will do away with the need to change judges midstream and have complex legal cases go back to the beginning, which has too often been the case. more..

Aug 25 (Island) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake is scheduled to address a series of rallies across the country as part of a JVP/NPP reorganisation drive, according to media reports. A recent public opinion survey has indicated a sharp drop in the govt’s approval rating, and this may have prompted the JVP/NPP to launch a grassroots campaign. The Prez’s nationwide speaking or barnstorming tour, on the cards, can be seen as an indication of the govt limbering up for a possible referendum more..

Aug 25 (ST) Behold the majestic tusker that bears aloft on its back the sacred Sri Dalada and parades it annually on the winding streets of Kandy for ten nights at the Randoli Perahera, which began on August 18 and will reach its climax on Thursday night. Take a good look again at the majestic tuskers and the rest of the caparisoned elephants in the retinue that have become part and parcel of the spectacular pageantry held for over two thousand years on the island. more..

Aug 25 (TM) In any functioning democracy, the cornerstone of representative governance is the power of the purse. Under constitutional frameworks and public financial management laws, it is Parliament that holds the purse strings. Citizens surrender their hard-earned income to the State on the explicit understanding that the legislature will act as a vigilant trustee. Parliament exists to ensure that every rupee collected from the public is managed with strict legality, more..

Aug 25 (TM) Speaking in Parliament on 25 June, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake revealed that investigations were underway into nearly $ 1 billion systematically siphoned out of the country through fraudulent trade and banking channels since 2023. Prez told the House that funds generated through organised crime, drug trafficking, and corruption had been laundered overseas via Telegraphic Transfers (TTs) and advance payments for phantom imports, more..

Aug 25 (GV) The recent intervention in parliament by Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam has brought renewed attention to an important humanitarian issue that Sri Lanka can no longer afford to handle through bureaucracy, uncertainty and political promises: the safe and dignified return of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who have lived in India for decades. Many of these families did not leave Sri Lanka by choice. They fled during years of war, violence, displacement and insecurity. more..

Aug 25 (CT) It has only been a few hours since your physical body was cremated, so allow me to write a note for you… Because you decided to go on your final journey in a very modest manner, without any state honors or funeral speeches, today the entire nation is talking about you, because there is so much to say about you… Let me add my part as follows… Starting with your song Ammavarune, I started loving your voice, perspectives, and character ever since I left home to become a priest… more..

Aug 25 (SO) Govt says SL’s economy is on the road to recovery, but the Opposition continues to warn of another crisis. Caught between these competing narratives are millions of Sri Lankans still struggling with the cost of living and waiting to feel the benefits of an improving economy. Deputy Minister Anil Jayantha Fernando explains why the Govt believes the economy is stable while responding to warnings of another debt crisis and when people can expect to see more..

Aug 25 (DM) SL’s Jayewardene era contains a troubling chapter in which constitutional power and State machinery were deployed against rival Sirimavo Bandaranaike. If Jayewardene was determined to remove Bandaranaike from political life, it was not because he regarded her as incapable. On the contrary, he had acknowledged her abilities and achievements. In 1972, while Opposition leader and Deputy Leader of the UNP, he even suggested that he might leave the party with supporters and more..

Aug 25 (DM) The much talked of 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was tabled in Parliament on August 18 2026 by the Minister of Justice. According to the govt, the bill itself is designed to roll back the concentration of unchecked executive powers granted under the 20th Amendment (during the presidency of Gotabaya Rajapaksa) and restore key parliamentary checks and balances. The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution speaks of Trimming Executive Presidential Powers. more..

Aug 24 (DM) Sri Lanka’s major reservoirs are showing worrying variations in water storage, with several tanks recording critically low effective storage levels amid continuing concerns over water availability. According to latest reservoir data for Aug 23, the 74 major reservoirs covered in the report hold only 35.8% of their effective storage capacity. The situation is particularly concerning in several areas. Manankattiya Reservoir in Anuradhapura has just 1.5% effective storage, more..

Aug 24 (DM) A 63-year-old professor at the University of Cambridge has been arrested after a car he was driving allegedly ran over the toes of a police sergeant who was directing traffic during the Kandy Esala Perahera. The incident occurred on the evening of August 22 near the Peradeniya bus stand on Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe Mawatha in Kandy, police said. The injured officer, Police Sergeant Kumara, was admitted to the Kandy National Hospital for treatment. more..

Aug 24 (CI) Dhruv Jurel struck a 177-ball 115 as India piled on the runs on a rain-truncated second day's play in Colombo to take total control of proceedings. Having declared on 503 for 9, India had already picked up two SL scalps when play was called off for the day due to bad light. At the crease was Kamil Mishara on debut, as he watched helplessly from the non-striker's end as his opening partner Lahiru Udara, and then nightwatcher more..

Aug 24 (DM) SJB MP Chaminda Wijesiri, who was sentenced to 18 months in prison for threatening and assaulting two police officers, has been granted bail by the Badulla High Court pending his appeal. The court sentenced Wijesiri on July 28 after finding him guilty of charges including wrongful restraint, assault, causing injuries, issuing death threats and causing bodily harm to two police officers in 2019. The case was filed against Wijesiri, his driver Bandula Rathnayake and a police officer more..

Aug 24 (TM) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake is set to lead a series of public rallies of the NPP covering all districts from 5 Sept, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. Jayatissa said the rallies would be accompanied by a programme to reorganise electoral committees at the Grama Niladhari Division level. He also challenged opposition groups to take to the streets and hold public meetings to demonstrate their support, instead of engaging in what he described as nightly conspiracies more..

Aug 24 (Island) Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) MP S. Shritharan has criticised Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara for what he describes as double-standards regarding the mass killings in the country. The Minister referred to the Sooriyande massacre in the South but failed to recognise the Chemmani incident as a mass killing. MP was speaking to the media after visiting the Chemmani mass grave site in Jaffna recently. more..

Aug 24 (DM) A suspect who allegedly stole a passenger’s bag at the Pettah bus stand was swiftly arrested with the assistance of CCTV surveillance, SL Air Force personnel said. The theft occurred yesterday and was detected through the CCTV monitoring system at the newly established operations room at the upgraded Pettah bus stand. Air Force personnel on duty immediately identified the suspect and handed him over to the Police. The CCTV surveillance system, established under more..

Aug 24 (Island) Pubudu Jayagoda, Education Secretary of the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) has alleged that the govt is bent on securing the passage of the 22nd Constitutional Amendment to remove obstacles to its neoliberal programme. Stressing that there was absolutely no basis for govt claims the 22nd Amendment was needed to clear the current case backlog, Jayagoda said that corruption and fraud cases were heard in the High Courts and Magistrates’ Courts. more..

Aug 24 (PMD) A high‑level discussion was held this morning at the Presidential Secretariat between a World Bank delegation led by Gevorg Sargsyan, Country Manager for SL and the Maldives, and Prabath Chandrakeerthi, Chief of Staff to the Prez, on the project to develop Colombo Fort as a tourist zone under World Bank loans and assistance. The talks also reviewed matters raised during a previous meeting chaired by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, which focused on developing more..

Aug 24 (Island) Vinivida Foundation has sought 3 documents, namely the affidavit filed by the Attorney General, dated 22nd Sept 2025, the motion dated 18th Sept 2025, and the motion dated 13th Jan 2026, pertaining to USD 1 bn compensation awarded by the Supreme Court in the X-Press Pearl case. The General Secretary of Vinivida Foundation Nagananda Kodituwakku, on 22 Aug, requested documents from CJ Preethi Padman Surasena, in terms of Article 14A of the Constitution more..

Aug 24 (Island) Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners (CPRP) said that the Justice and National Integration Ministry was yet to respond to their request for adequate compensation for the 22 suspects who died during the Negombo Prison riot on 5 and 6 July. Executive Director of CPRP Senaka Perera said that on behalf of the families of the victims he had made a formal request in writing to Justice Minister more..

Aug 24 (Island) PM Harini Amarasuriya participated in a special & blessing ceremony held in conjunction with the annual festival of the historic Munneswaram Sivan Temple in Chilaw on Sunday. The annual festival of the historic Munneswaram Temple, located in the Puttalam District of the North Western Province, is celebrated over a period of four weeks during August and Sept, centred around the Nikini month. In addition to the ceremonial hoisting of the Kap, Ganesh Puja and more..

Aug 24 (DM) SLPP National Organiser and MP Namal Rajapaksa said the party would strengthen its grassroots engagement by visiting communities across the country as it prepares for future elections. Speaking to journalists at the SLPP headquarters on Nelum Mawatha today, Namal said the party had contributed to bringing the President closer to the people and would continue to focus on engaging directly with communities. “We have to go from village to village for the presidency today. more..