Aug 13 (TM) Energy Ministry, which expects a potential electricity generation shortfall of around 200 megawatts (MW) during the first quarter of next year due to possible dry weather conditions associated with the El Niño weather phenomenon, is planning to cover the anticipated gap through increased battery storage capacity, Minister Anura Karunathilaka said. He said that SL had initially expected rainfall to decline more..

Aug 13 (TM) Teacher and principal trade unions (TUs) are planning to launch a protest campaign in October, claiming that the Govt has not presented any clear plan to increase funding for education or resolve the long-running teacher-principal salary anomaly through next year’s Budget. Ceylon Teachers' Union President Priyantha Fernando said there had been no indication that the Govt was preparing to address the teacher-principal salary anomaly. “The last time one-third of more..

Aug 13 (FT) Govt has approved a special coconut land rehabilitation program aimed at increasing productivity, promoting sustainable cultivation, and strengthening the resilience of coconut plantations against El Niño conditions expected in the coming months. The 3-year program, which is scheduled to cover around 85,000 acres of coconut land by 2026, will focus on encouraging small-scale coconut growers to adopt improved cultivation & water management practices. more..

Aug 13 (DM) Court of Appeal ordered the Uni of Peradeniya to appoint a Senior Lecturer Grade II in Buddhist Studies to the post of Senior Lecturer Grade I, after finding that the selection process had been tainted by illegality, procedural unfairness, favouritism & mala fides. The petitioner Dr. Iromi Ariyaratne had filed a writ petition challenging the selection process for the post of Senior Lecturer Grade I/II in the Dept of Pali and Buddhist more..

Aug 13 (Island) SL was proudly in the spotlight at the 2026 World Championships of Performing Arts in Las Vegas, USA — 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 int'l panel of judges & industry professionals. more..

Aug 13 (Island) One of cricket’s most iconic venues, the Galle Int'l Stadium, is set to host its 50th Test when SL take on India on the visitors’ Independence Day this Saturday. Magnificent 17th century Dutch Fort and its famous clock tower have helped put the venue on the world cricketing map. These days, an aspiring cricketer’s bucket list does not merely contain Lord’s and the MCG. Galle, with the Indian Ocean on one side and centuries of history towering over the other, is very much on it too. more..

Aug 13 (NW) A total of 66,000 fish fingerlings were released into the Castlereigh Reservoir on Wednesday (12) as part of an initiative aimed at improving nutrition among estate communities and supporting the livelihoods of local fishermen. The fish fingerlings were obtained from the Udawalawe Fish Breeding Centre using funds provided by the Castlereigh Reservoir Fisheries Society. The fish are expected to reach a weight of about 1.5 kilograms within six months. more..

Aug 13 (DM) Sri Lanka and the European Union (EU) have placed the continuation of preferential market access under the GSP+ scheme at the centre of high-level economic talks, as the current EU trade preference framework reaches its end on Dec 31. This was presented at the ministerial-level SL-EU Investment Dialogue held in Colombo on July 31, alongside the discussions on policy consistency, investment approvals, investor protection and modernisation of customs & industrial zones. more..

Aug 13 (Island) Former Minister and senior opposition politician Prof. G.L. Peiris has accused the govt of pursuing proposed changes affecting the judiciary without adequate consultation, describing the meeting offered to the Bar Association of SL (BASL) as an eye-wash. Prof. Peiris said so addressing the media yesterday after a meeting between the leaders of the Joint Opposition and British HC to SL Andrew Patrick, in Colombo. more..

Aug 13 (DM) SL Police have warned the public against spreading fake news and unverified information on social media following the circulation of a viral image purportedly showing a dead man on a motorcycle beneath the Kohuwala Bridge. Police said the circulation of false information, misinformation and content capable of inciting violence can cause serious harm to society and may constitute a punishable offence under SL law. Authorities urged social media users to verify more..

Aug 13 (DN) SL engineering and technology company ISF has launched what it describes as the world’s first fully automated coconut dewatering system, marking a significant milestone in the country’s engineering, manufacturing and technology sectors. The groundbreaking innovation developed in SL, was officially launched yesterday in Peliyagoda, with Minister of Science and Technology Prof. Chrishantha Abeysena highlighting the achievement as an example of more..

Aug 13 (DN) Sri Lanka produced a strong performance to beat Maldives 78-33 in their final group match of the 14th Asian Netball Championships at the Kai Tak Arena in Hong Kong yesterday, securing a 45-goal winning margin. The victory was SL’s third successive win in the tournament and gave them further confidence ahead of their semi-final tomorrow at the same venue. SL controlled the game from the start, using their full strength in the first two quarters to build more..

Aug 13 (Island) The proposed Animal Welfare Bill could have far-reaching legal and economic consequences for fisheries, poultry production, pet breeding and even small-scale ornamental-fish breeding, biodiversity expert Dr. Rohan Pethiyagoda has warned. The long-awaited Bill, nearly two decades in the making, seeks to replace the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance of 1907 with a modern framework for animal welfare. However, Pethiyagoda says several 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. 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 (DM) Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Ministry and UN Development Programme (UNDP) have partnered to establish a specialised unit to strengthen the govt’s technical capacity in implementing industrial and entrepreneurship reforms. Expert Support Unit will be embedded within the ministry and will provide technical, analytical and coordination support across areas including small and medium enterprise development, industrial zones, trade policy, more..

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, more..

Aug 13 (DN) SL Export Development Board (EDB) has stepped up efforts to strengthen the export readiness of local jewellery manufacturers, with a team led by EDB Chairman Mangala Wijesinghe conducting an observation visit to Ashadi Jewellers (Pvt) Ltd. Established in 1988, Ashadi Jewellers has grown into a major handmade jewellery manufacturer, employing around 330 people. The company combines traditional craftsmanship with modern technologies, including 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 (NW) Construction of three major bridges along the Orugodawatta-Ambatale main road is being expedited as part of a project aimed at easing traffic congestion on the key route connecting the area with Colombo. The No. 2/3 Kalu Bridge and No. 9/1 Bridge, where construction began in January 2025, are scheduled to be completed before the end of this year. Work on the No. 4/1 Bridge began in February this year and is expected to be completed by May 2027. 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 (MB) Sri Lanka – Prior to the 1940s and the Green Revolution, SL paddy farmers cultivated traditional rice, locally known as purana haal. These rice cultivars were resilient and known to possess various nutritional and medicinal properties yet were soon replaced by new improved rice varieties to obtain better quality and bigger yields. Karu Herath, an heirloom paddy farmer in the village of Dunuwila, bordering the Wasgamuwa more..

Aug 13 (Island) 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 (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 (Kurulu Paluwa) for birds & animals such as elephants. 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 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 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 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 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 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 (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 more..