Aug 18 (Island) Attorney General yesterday filed indictments before the Polonnaruwa High Court against former Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, alias Pillayan, and three others, over the alleged abduction and murder of former Eastern Uni VC Professor Subramaniam Raveendranathan. The three other accused named in the indictment are Kathirgathambi Jeyakishan, alias Jeyanthan, Nimal Devsukan, alias Jeyakandan, and Nadarasa Nagulendran, alias Simbu or Nagulan. more..

Aug 18 (TM) Sri Lanka Badminton’s (SLB) Acting Secretary Chamara Aluthge says that punitive measures against its suspended President Roshan Gunawardena, will depend on the recommendations put forth by the body’s Disciplinary Committee headed by Attorney-at-Law Panduka Keerthinanda. Gunawardena currently has been temporarily stood down by the General Committee of the SLB, following the revelation of a sexual harassment complaint lodged against him, by a newly-recruited female employee of more..

Aug 18 (TM) Parents and adults have been urged to pay close attention to children’s safety when flying kites, as kite-related accidents are frequently reported during school holidays. Acting Director of the Lady LRH, Consultant Dr Pradeep Rathnasekara, said kite flying had become increasingly popular among children amid the current dry weather and school holidays, but warned that careless practices could result in serious injuries and even fatalities. more..

Aug 18 (TM) Four Police officers attached to the Monaragala Division Crimes Unit have been arrested for allegedly accepting a Rs 500,000 bribe from a suspect to refrain from taking legal action against him over a cannabis cultivation in the Nikawewa-Demodara Wewa area of Thanamalwila. The arrested officers, who were subsequently released on bail by the Wellawaya Magistrate’s Court, include two Police Sergeants aged 37 and 45, a 39-year-old Police Constable driver and a 36-year-old Police Constable. more..

Aug 18 (Island) Fast Attack Craft (FAC) that sank off Angulana on Saturday has collided with a sunken ship. MV Thermopylae Sierra sank in Aug 2012 during a monsoon storm. The ill-fated Super Dvora Mk III has gone over the ship wreck in spite of it being clearly demarcated in the nautical chart, aka hydrographic chart available to the ill-fated vessel’s crew. But authorities had failed to mark the site with a buoy to warn maritime traffic, despite appeals from the area people and others more..

Aug 18 (NW) The Ambassador and Permanent Representative of SL in Geneva has formally presented the Extension of Service to Christian Steppan, Honorary Consul of SL in Tyrol, Austria, during a recent (12) meeting. According to the Honorary Consulate of SL in Tyrol, Austria, the discussions centered on strengthening bilateral relations, promoting cultural exchange, and deepening economic cooperation between SL and Tyrol. Both sides highlighted the importance of fostering professional collaboration more..

Aug 18 (ST) A Cabinet sub-committee – with the Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Ministry and the Trade, Commerce, Food Security Ministry as co-chairs – has been appointed to review the fresh application to qualify for the GSP+ preferential trade facility from the European Union. While Sri Lanka has had to comply with 27 international conventions divided into four main categories – human rights, labour standards, environment/climate protection, and good governance more..

Aug 18 (NW) Further details have emerged in the CID’s probe into an alleged scheme to illegally transfer around US$1 billion overseas under the guise of importing goods into Sri Lanka, with investigators alleging that private bank officials received regular payments to facilitate transactions. Four officials attached to four leading private banks were arrested by the FCID at their respective workplaces and later produced before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court. more..

Aug 18 (ST) The selection of wicketkeeper-batter Niroshan Dickwella for the ongoing Test series against India has sparked a public debate in cricketing circles, with many questioning the selectors’ thinking. The decision raises an uncomfortable question: do the selectors have a genuine plan for building the next generation of Test cricketers, or are they simply reaching for what is familiar? There is nothing wrong, in principle, with picking experienced players. more..

Aug 18 (EN) Lion Brewery reported a profit of 2.81 billion rupees for the quarter ended 30 June 2026, up 18% from June 2025. Group recorded basic earnings of 35.08 rupees per share for the three-month period. Total revenue for the quarter rose 15% to 33.41 billion rupees, compared to 29.01 billion rupees in the corresponding period of the prior year. This top-line performance supported an operating profit of 4.34 billion rupees, which reflected 11% growth over the preceding year. more..

Aug 18 (TM) Sri Lanka is preparing to tap into growing global demand for skilled aviation personnel, as the international aviation industry is expected to expand significantly over the next decade, creating a shortage of skilled workers worldwide, Deputy Civil Aviation Minister Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku said. He said countries around the world were preparing to meet the expected demand for skilled personnel as the aviation industry enters a period of significant expansion. more..

Aug 18 (TM) Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has achieved around 61% of its 2026 revenue target of Rs 2,402 billion, IRD Commissioner of Tax Policy and Law Nandana Kumar said. Kumar said that tax revenue collection has increased by around 16% compared to the previous year. Accordingly, he said the IRD is confident that it will be able to fully achieve the targeted tax revenue for 2026. Meanwhile, he said various measures had been taken during the recent period to expand the tax base. more..

Aug 18 (DN) SL Entrepreneurs’ Night 2026 Entrepreneur and Investor Conference organized by the Australia SL Business Forum (ASLBF) with the aim of strengthening economic, trade and investment relations between SL and Australia in a new approach was held in Melbourne, Australia on Aug 15. Minister Sunil Handunnetti, who participated as the chief guest and keynote speaker on the occasion, explained the new economic and investment framework established in SL more..

Aug 18 (ST) Govt has provided 190,408 tea smallholders with fertiliser at concessionary rates through the new QR system generated. In 2026 through the QR system 21,500 metric tonnes (MT) of fertiliser for the tea industry was distributed. This exceeds the amount allocated in the previous year, officials said. There has been considerable progress in the past six months. Govt target is to achieve 400 million kg of tea production and US$2.5 billion in export revenue by 2030. more..

Aug 18 (ST) SL’s foreign employment sector stands at a critical crossroads as of August 2026 compelling Foreign Employment Bureau of (SLBFE) into a proactive, high-value global talent exporter to shift from a traditional regulatory body into a proactive, high-value global talent exporter. This immediate, structural turn insulates the national economy from external shocks specially the geopolitical tensions in West Asia and comfortably secure the country’s 250,000 annual migration target, more..

Aug 18 (ST) Though it did not initially show on his face, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake was not happy when he sat down for a widely anticipated meeting with the BASL at the Presidential Secretariat on Wednesday. He was irked after being blindsided earlier that morning by a BASL statement regarding the topic that was to be discussed with him later that day, namely the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution seeking to extend the retirement age of superior court judges. more..

Aug 18 (Island) Tabling of the 22nd Amendment has brought the significance of constitutional change once again to the centre of public attention. Controversy surrounding the proposal has become larger than the question of two additional years for judges. It has raised a more fundamental question about the direction in which the new govt is taking SL. In its 2024 election manifesto, NPP promised to introduce a new Constitution while implementing the existing constitutional framework till then. more..

Aug 18 (Island) President of the Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association Gemunu Wijeratne has lodged a complaint with the CID over an alleged online smear campaign against him. He says he has become the target of a social media vilification campaign since he made some critical remarks about the metro bus service. Defamation cannot be countenanced on any grounds, and it is hoped that social media platforms concerned and the police will intervene to safeguard his interests. more..

Aug 18 (DN) Founded in Europe in the late 18th Century by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann, homeopathy has survived for more than two centuries and continues to attract practitioners and patients around the world. Its supporters regard it as a distinct system of medicine, while its critics question whether its highly diluted remedies can produce effects beyond those of a placebo. So, what exactly is homeopathy? How is it supposed to work, how does someone become a homeopathic practitioner, more..

Aug 18 (TM) Throughout August, the English language newspapers published a steady stream of news articles, editorials and commentary as did several Sinhala language social media channels, opposing the Govt’s proposal to raise the retirement age of Superior Court (Supreme Court [SC] and Court of Appeal [CA]) Judges. The criticism was loud, consistent, and often emphatic. What was missing however was the one thing that an informed public debate requires: an explanation. more..

Aug 18 (SO) Senior Professor of Archaeology Raj Somadeva, overseeing the Chemmani mass grave excavations, has recently submitted a formal document to the medico-legal inquiry titled Chemmani Mass Grave Excavation: A Proposed Road Map for the Continuation of the Medico-Legal Investigation. The document provides the most systematic account to date of the excavation’s findings and sets out what would be required to complete the investigation properly. more..

Aug 18 (ST) When bare knuckle prize fighting was civilized with the advent of the Queensberry rules in the 19th century, an element of basic sportsmanship was introduced into a brutal game. Aficionados of the sport however protested against requiring boxers to wear padded gloves and other safeguards, wanting instead the full measure of blood to be drawn. Post-independence politics in Sri Lanka, particularly from the late seventies, has been like boxing without fair-play, ie, more..

Aug 18 (TM) The drop in cumulative water storage across 74 major reservoirs under the Irrigation Dept to approximately 37% of total capacity provides evidence of an escalating climate and governance crisis. In the agricultural heartlands of the Dry Zone, particularly in Ampara, water levels in nine major reservoirs have fallen to roughly 23%, whereas four key reservoirs in Batticaloa stand at 26%, and primary storage bodies in Trincomalee sit at 28%. Major agricultural centres more..

Aug 18 (TM) An allegation by SJB MP Mujibur Rahman that an unnamed former SL MP had been detained and questioned by immigration authorities in the UK after his new SL passport could allegedly not be properly read has brought the quality of the country’s new passports under fresh scrutiny. Raising the issue in Parliament, Rahman claimed that British immigration officials had experienced difficulties reading the passport, prompting suspicion that the document could be fraudulent. more..

Aug 18 (CT) In central banking, accumulating reserves by flooding the domestic market with liquidity is like trying to put out a fire with a hose connected to a gasoline tank. SL’s macroeconomic recovery remains precariously balanced. Recent figures from the banking system highlight a startling expansion of excess rupee liquidity—surging from approximately LKR 40 billion in mid-June 2026 to LKR 200 billion—largely driven by the CB purchasing roughly USD 475 million from commercial banks. more..

Aug 18 (GV) Once again, the spectre of the hangman has returned to SL’s policy discourse. At National Operations Council convened at the Presidential Secretariat on Aug 10, the imposition of the death penalty for drug-related offences was raised as a possible response to the country’s deepening narcotics crisis. The cabinet spokesman has since clarified that no final decision has been taken. Before any such decision is reached, policymakers would do well to pause and reflect on history, more..

Aug 17 (NW) Sri Lankans working overseas do not need to fear additional taxes when sending their legally earned income to SL through the banking system, the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has said. Senior Deputy Commissioner of the IRD Hiran Meneripitiya said no separate tax is imposed through the banking system when money earned overseas is remitted to SL. He explained that the tax treatment of foreign income depends on whether an individual is considered a resident of SL for more..

Aug 17 (Island) SL’s escalating human-elephant conflict has reached a tragic stage, with more than 400 elephants and nearly 200 people dying each year, environmental activist Ananda Dissanayake said last week. Addressing a press conference at SL Foundation in Colombo to mark World Elephant Day, Dissanayake said the govt and relevant authorities were implementing various measures to address the conflict, but elephants and their offspring continued to die on a daily basis. more..

Aug 17 (EN) SL’s economic growth could slow down between 4-5% in the second half of this year due to tight monetary policy and higher prices, CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said. CB raised the key monetary policy rate by 100 basis points in May after inflation started to rise from around 2%. It jumped to 7.3% in July. “There could be some slowdown in the second half, but still, it could be around within 4-5%. more..

Aug 17 (NW) The Irrigation Dept has urged the public and all water users to use water sparingly as water levels in the 74 major reservoirs under its control have fallen to around 37% of total capacity. An Irrigation Dept official said the available water is expected to be sufficient for the remainder of the Yala cultivation season and for drinking water requirements in areas supplied by the major reservoirs until the expected monsoon rainfall in November and December. more..

Aug 17 (EN) Anton James, founder of The Tree House International, Sri Lanka’s school for children with special needs, has been elected a Fellow of the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI). “This recognition belongs to the educators, therapists and families in Sri Lanka who strive every day for better neurodevelopmental care, and strengthens my resolve to ensure that every child with special needs has access to world class, evidence-based intervention,” said Anton. more..