Aug 14 (Island) DTNA media spokesperson ex-MP Suresh Premachandran has called on the govt to begin investigations into the skeletal remains recovered from the alleged mass grave at Chemmani, in accordance with international standards and with the assistance of international organisations. Premachandran noted that more than 500 sets of skeletal remains had been exhumed and that excavation had continued for over 100 days in spite of that progress, more..

Aug 14 (Island) The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE), one of SL’s leading independent election observer organisations and democratic governance watchdog, marked International Youth Day by renewing its call for greater youth participation in the country’s democratic and civic life, and for a more responsible, informed, and rights-respecting digital public sphere, led by young citizens. International Youth Day, observed globally on August 12 each year, is a moment to recognise more..

Aug 14 (NW) Additional Solicitor General President’s Counsel Dileepa Peiris has called for an end to the practice of merely forwarding important official communications with the notation FNA — For Necessary Action — citing the handling of intelligence ahead of the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. Peiris said it was time to move away from the FNA culture and ensure officials take responsibility for acting on critical information rather than simply passing it down the chain. more..

Aug 14 (DM) A video circulating on social media has raised questions over police conduct during a routine vehicle check near the Wariyapola Police Station. According to the video, a man was travelling by motorcycle with his daughter from Kurunegala towards Padeniya at around 1 a.m. on Aug 8, when a group of police officers signalled them to stop while displaying a firearm. “On 08-08-2026, at around 1 a.m., I was travelling by motorcycle from Kurunegala towards Padeniya with my daughter. more..

Aug 14 (Island) A SL youth studying in Japan has been arrested by police in connection with an ongoing investigation into the killing of a fellow compatriot, Japanese media reported. Police in Nagareyama City, Chiba Prefecture, have arrested an 18-year-old person on suspicion of stabbing a 21-year-old man with a knife. Police described both men as international students and lived at the same residence. According to police, the incident occurred at around 10:20 a.m. Tuesday at a home where more..

Aug 14 (NW) Minister of Justice, Harshana Nanayakkara says the 22nd Constitutional Amendment Bill, which seeks to extend the retirement age of judges in SL, will be presented to Parliament on Tuesday (18). He said that on the same day the Judicial Organizations Amendment Bill will also be tabled in Parliament. The govt’s decision to extend the retirement age of judges has faced strong opposition from the Chief Prelates, Bar Association of SL (BASL), more..

Aug 14 (EN) Ceylon Tobacco Company, SL’s highest tax revenue contributor, reported a profit of 7.69 billion rupees for the quarter ended 30 June 2026, representing a 4.5% increase from the same period last year. The company recorded earnings of 41.07 rupees per share for the three-month period, up from 39.32 rupees in the corresponding quarter of 2025. Company’s turnover for the quarter was 52.44 billion rupees, a decrease from the 55.14 billion rupees recorded in more..

Aug 14 (NW) Sri Lanka will undergo its first review under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) before the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities during the Committee’s 35th session in Geneva today (14). The review will take the form of an interactive dialogue between the Government of Sri Lanka’s delegation and the CRPD Committee, with members participating both in person in Geneva and virtually from Colombo. more..

Aug 14 (CI) One of the most underappreciated aspects of Test cricket is the quality of pitches in SL. Their groundstaff - who at times were prison inmates on penal labour duties teaming up with the regular staff - are famous for covering the whole ground in no time at all when it rains but the curators' expertise in creating excellent Test surfaces often goes undernoticed. Despite all that ever-present threat of rain on the island, more..

Aug 14 (AD) The Rebuilding Sri Lanka Presidential Task Force has met at the Presidential Secretariat under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya. The meeting held yesterday (13) focused on extensive discussions on delays in contracted projects to rebuild infrastructure following the Ditwah disaster, obstacles to achieving the 2026 project targets, and the current progress of the Rebuilding Sri Lanka programme, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said. more..

Aug 14 (DM) A crocodile was found inside a banquet hall of a popular hotel in Battaramulla. The crocodile reportedly entered the banquet hall, although no function was being held at the time of the incident. Hotel staff alerted the relevant authorities, and the crocodile was successfully removed from the premises. There were no reports of any injuries or damage in connection with the incident. Hotel staff are seen guiding the animal through a door leading to the garden and lake. more..

Aug 14 (FT) Inflation is a phenomenon faced by every citizen of a country and, therefore, warrants public attention. It affects the decisions of households, businesses, and the Govt. Globally, central banks are generally entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining low and stable inflation, which is referred to as price stability. For this purpose, central banks implement monetary policy. When implementing monetary policy to maintain price stability, central banks generally have more..

Aug 14 (FT) Dengue infections are reaching record heights in Sri Lanka, and the response appears to be the usual as well. Weather changes appear to be slowing down the daily infection rate now. Govt has just appointed Mosquito Eradication Health Service Assistants – 1500 in number! Hospitals are overflowing with patients, and patients are even advised to stay at home and follow protocols. The surge is reminiscent of the COVID-19 days. In dengue care, SL has shown excellent results. more..

Aug 14 (TM) Despite maintaining 16,966 active files on missing civilians, the Office on Missing Persons (OMP) has so far found and verified only 25 missing persons, with another six believed to be alive but awaiting verification, OMP’s Executive Director Dr Jeganathan Thatparan said. Speaking to the media yesterday ahead of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, more..

Aug 14 (AD) Dept of Examinations has assured that the GCE A/L question papers scheduled for today have not been leaked in any way and that today's exam will proceed as planned. Commissioner General of Examinations, Indika Liyanage, has urged candidates not to panic over false information claiming that A/L exam question papers scheduled for today have been leaked. The dept therefore urged all candidates to sit for the exam as per usual without unnecessary fear or concern. more..

Aug 14 (PMD) A discussion with representatives of the Catholic Church was held at the Presidential Secretariat today (13), co-chaired by Minister of Science and Technology Mr. Chrishantha Abeysena and Secretary to the Prez Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake. The meeting reviewed the administrative issues affecting Catholic schools that were taken over by the Govt, the development of a mechanism for providing teaching staff for Catholic religious studies and the progress made in more..

Aug 14 (FT) Govt is continuing negotiations with the US for better competitive trade terms while strengthening its forced labour import controls, as officials cautioned that the current 10% additional tariff treatment would not by itself provide exporters a lasting advantage over regional competitors. Trade Ministry and Commerce Dept officials told CoPF on 11 August that negotiations remained under a non-disclosure agreement more..

Aug 14 (ST) Coconut Cultivation Board (CCB) conducted an awareness session for coconut cultivators in the Mahakumbukkadawala area in Puttalam recently. They were briefed on irrigating coconut cultivations, the application of fertilizer and harvesting. Most cultivators were provided air rifles at concessionary rates to control rock squirrels and monkeys. CCB provided a 50% discount for the purchase of air rifles. The progamme was conducted by Puttalam District office of the CCB. more..

Aug 14 (FT) Eric Meyer has been officially sworn in as the new US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, marking the start of his tenure as Washington’s envoy to Colombo. Meyer took the oath of office at a ceremony held at the US Department of State in Washington, DC. “On behalf of the entire Embassy team, we warmly congratulate him. We look forward to working under his leadership to deepen the partnership between the US and SL, advancing our shared interests and priorities,” more..

Aug 14 (NF) A 4-year-old child has been rescued after being found abandoned by the roadside in the Mudunegammedda area of Wattegama in an incident that has sparked concern among local residents and prompted a police investigation. Preliminary investigations indicate that the child's mother and a man believed to be her partner had allegedly brought the child to the area before leaving him behind on the roadside. Authorities revealed that the child had reportedly been subjected to more..

Aug 14 (TM) SL’s official poverty line rose to Rs 17,592 in June, marking an increase of Rs 277 from the previous month, according to the latest data. The official poverty line represents the minimum monthly amount considered necessary for a person to meet their basic needs. It is calculated based on the cost of a specified minimum level of food and non-food consumption and is updated monthly to reflect changes in prices. June figures show significant differences between districts. more..

Aug 14 (Island) Joint Opposition requested Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake to hold a referendum on the 22 Amendment. Text of the letter released by former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Office: “We write to convey to you our firm conviction that the amendments to Article 107(5) of the Constitution, proposed by the Govt, require the holding of a referendum in terms of Chapter XIII of the Constitution to ascertain more..

Aug 14 (DN) Sri Lanka are ready to face Singapore in today’s semi-final of the Asian Netball Championships at the Kai Tak Arena in Hong Kong, with the players in a positive frame of mind, said national coach Somitha de Alwis. SL lost 51-62 to Singapore in their group match, but de Alwis said that result would not affect the team’s approach to today’s semi-final. “Our players made a few mistakes in the group match against Singapore, and that was the main reason for the defeat. more..

Aug 14 (NW) All police stations have now been equipped with the facilities required to accept traffic fine payments through GovPay, DIG W.P.J. Senadeera, Director of the Traffic Control and Road Safety Range, said. ‎He said police officers assigned to traffic duties have been provided with sufficient mobile devices to facilitate GovPay payments and are required to carry them when conducting traffic operations. ‎Accordingly, motorists issued traffic fines should be able to make the payment at more..

Aug 14 (FT) Oman has expressed interest in encouraging SL businesses to explore investment opportunities in the country, as Colombo and Muscat seek to further strengthen their longstanding economic relationship. The matter was discussed at a meeting held yesterday between Omani Ambassador to SL Ahmed Ali Said Alrashidi, Oman’s Adviser for Foreign Trade and Int'l Cooperation Pankej Khimji, and Finance and Planning Deputy Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando more..

Aug 14 (FT) SL’s premium exhibition for the food processing, packaging, and agriculture sectors, ProFood ProPack and AgBiz 2026, will return to BMICH from 21 to 23 Aug 2026, bringing together local and international industry leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, and consumers for knowledge exchange, innovation, and business networking. Organised by the SL Food Processors Association (SLFPA) together with the professional exhibition organiser, Lanka Exhibition and Conference more..

Aug 14 (Island) A USD 328.25 million project aimed at strengthening SL’s electricity transmission network and facilitating the integration of renewable energy got underway yesterday with the commencement of construction of a new 132/33 kV grid substation in Homagama. Minister Anura Karunathilaka, speaking at the launch, said the project would significantly strengthen the reliability and operational stability more..

Aug 14 (Island) India will resume their World Test Championship (WTC) campaign on Saturday when they take on Sri Lanka in Galle, with an injury hit squad facing the twin challenges of a turning track and a home side armed with a battery of spinners. It will be India’s first Test in the WTC this year and they need to get their act together quickly after suffering a shock home series defeat to South Africa last year. The series gets underway on India’s Independence Day and the tourists arrive without more..

Aug 14 (FT) Sampath Bank yesterday said it has delivered a strong financial performance for the six months ended 30 June 2026, reporting Total Operating Income of Rs. 63.3 billion, an increase of 17% compared to the corresponding period last year. In a statement Sampath said the bank’s performance was driven by sustained growth across its core revenue streams, with Net Interest Income increasing by 11% and Net Fee and Commission Income rising by as much as 26%. more..

Aug 14 (CI) Between 2010 and the end of 2017, SL and India men's sides played 26 internationals in SL, nine of which were Tests. This was cause for much haw-hawing back when there were far fewer televised cricket matches than now, but it was more fashionable to turn up your nose and proclaim there was too much cricket on the calendar, as if there could ever be such a thing. But the modern cricket schedule is best understood more..

Aug 14 (FT) The National Chamber of Exporters of SL (NCE) has opened applications for the NCE Export Awards 2026, the country’s premier national awards program dedicated to recognising and honouring the best-performing exporters. In its 34th year, the awards have become a continuous and consistent feature of Sri Lanka’s export calendar, providing national recognition to businesses that have contributed to the country’s export performance and the overall economy. more..

Aug 14 (FT) Commercial Bank of Ceylon said it has reiterated leadership in financial intermediation, becoming the first private sector banking group in Sri Lanka to cross the Rs. 3 trillion threshold in deposits, a new performance benchmark established in the second quarter of the 2026 financial year. Group’s deposits grew by Rs. 315.13 billion in the six months ending 30th June 2026, at a monthly average of Rs 52.52 billion, to end the first half of the year with deposits of Rs. 3.02 trillion. more..