Aug 15 (TM) Asgiri Chapter of Siam Sect stated that allowing for the commercial cultivation of cannabis is not at all appropriate when the drug menace has already become a serious issue in SL. Secretary to the Supreme Sangha Council – Asgiri Chapter, Ven. Dr. Medagama Dhammananda said: “We were against this when the previous Govt tried to do it. We held meetings to oppose it then; our position has not changed. more..

Aug 15 (TM) Ministry of Public Security downplayed the need for a hartal protest in the Northern and Eastern Provinces today (15), as the suspects linked to the incident in question have already been arrested and remanded in line with court orders. The ITAK announced recently that there would be a hartal in the North and the East today. Minister Ananda Wijepala said that there is no reason for a hartal. “They say that there will be a hartal, but there is no reason to hold it. more..

Aug 15 (DM) During the Central Province Schools Sports Competition, U-19 Hockey final between Vidyartha College and St. Thomas' College, held at the Uni of Peradeniya hockey grounds, was halted midway due to the violent and unsportsmanlike behavior of St. Thomas' players, who struck opposing players with hockey sticks in a deliberate and aggressive manner. Two players were injured from the attack and admitted to Peradeniya Teaching Hospital, with one player receiving stitches more..

Aug 15 (NW) National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) says govt apartment complexes in the Colombo District over 40 years old are planned to be redeveloped next year. This was revealed during a meeting of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Infrastructure and Strategic Development held in Parliament recently, chaired by MP S.M. Marikkar. Officials from the NHDA informed the committee that there are 45 apartment more..

Aug 15 (AD) An investigation has been launched by the Nuwara Eliya Police regarding an incident where urea fertilizer was poured into the engine of a bus belonging to the Nuwara Eliya SLTB depot. The fertilizer was found to have been added to a bus that operates daily between Nuwara Eliya and High Forest area. The incident occurred on Tuesday night, while the bus was parked in the High Forest area. An unidentified individual had allegedly poured urea fertilizer into the engine. more..

Aug 15 (AD) Authorities have recovered another cache of live T-56 ammunition, following a special search operation carried out after the initial discovery of ammunition in an irrigation tank in Getalawa, Galenbindunuwewa. A total of 7,118 live rounds of ammunition used in T-56 assault rifles have now been recovered from the Getalawa lake. The discovery was initiated after an individual who had stepped into the tank had noticed several bullets submerged in the water. more..

Aug 15 (NW) An advisory meeting on data requirements for the Global Innovation Index (GII) was held in Colombo today (14), under the guidance of the National Innovation Agency (NIA), which functions under the Ministry of Science and Technology. The meeting brought together senior officials from both the public and private sectors, representing fields such as science, technology, education and industry. The purpose of the meeting was to engage all stakeholders in elevating more..

Aug 15 (FT) SL Gem and Jewellery Association (SLGJA) hailed the Govt’s newly introduced reforms for the sector as a transformative step that will boost trade competitiveness and open new growth opportunities. Central to the changes is a Gazette outlining a streamlined procedure for the import of rough gemstones, a move the SLGJA said will address a longstanding industry bottleneck by improving access to raw materials, enhancing transparency, and aligning SL’s practices more..

Aug 15 (FT) Economic think tank IPS warned that the 20% reciprocal tariff unilaterally imposed by the Trump administration could lead to export losses of $ 634 million and put nearly 16,000 jobs at risk, mostly female workers in the apparel industry. When the US announced the new tariff rate on 31 July, most business chambers in SL welcomed the move because it meant a further reduction from an earlier 44% rate. However, even at 20%, more..

Aug 15 (NW) SL Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) is organizing a special influencer familiarization tour featuring four prominent Australian social media personalities, as part of a renewed effort to position Sri Lanka as a top long-haul destination for Australian travellers. The group will arrive in Sri Lanka on 20 Aug and will explore the island until 31 Aug. This promotional initiative forms part of SLTPB’s ongoing global digital outreach strategy aimed at attracting high-yield tourists more..

Aug 15 (FT) The Sampath Group reported a Profit Before Tax (PBT) of Rs. 26 billion and a Profit After Tax (PAT) of Rs. 15.6 billion, both increasing by 32% from a year ago, while total assets crossed the Rs. 2 trillion mark for the first time in its history. At the bank level, Sampath Bank recorded a PBT of Rs. 24.4 billion and a PAT of Rs. 14.7 billion for the first half of 2025, also marking a YoY (YoY) growth of 32% across both metrics compared to the same period in 2024, the bank announced yesterday. more..

Aug 15 (Island) The name Jayasuriya still rings loud in SL cricketing circles and now it’s the next generation making headlines. Ranuk Jayasuriya, the youngest child of former SL captain and 1996 World Cup hero Sanath Jayasuriya, struck his maiden century for SSC in the Under-23 tournament this week. Educated at a boarding school in England, the 18-year-old southpaw has already caught the eye of cricket watchers in both London and Colombo. But unlike his swashbuckling father, more..

Aug 15 (ST) John Keells Holdings says its new energy vehicle business has exceeded expectations, drawing more than 7,100 orders and that 2,307 vehicles have been sold. “A few new models will be launched over the next few months, and that could help to maintain momentum (of sales) or improve it,” John Keells Holdings Chairman Krishan Balendra told a recent investor webinar after announcing the group financials for the first quarter ended June 30. JKH Group financials were released more..

Aug 15 (TM) In the wake of reports that more countries have sought visa-free facility for their nationals visiting Sri Lanka, Ministry of Public Security stated that there is no preparation as of now to consider any other country beyond the list of 40 nations recently approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. Department of Immigration and Emigration is coming under the purview of the Public Security Ministry. Subject Minister Ananda Wijepala more..

Aug 15 (FT) The National Development Bank (NDB) yesterday announced the results for the six-month period ended 30 June 2025, reporting a total operating income and pre-tax profit of Rs. 22.3 billion and Rs. 8.6 billion, respectively (1H 2024: Rs. 22.9 billion and Rs. 6.5 billion). Net interest income, which accounted for over 75% of the bank’s total operating income, amounted to Rs. 16.9 billion for the semi-annual period; rising 2.7% over Rs. 16.5 billion in 1H 2024. more..

Aug 15 (FT) Commercial Bank of Ceylon has become the first private sector bank in SL to surpass Rs. 3 trillion in assets, a milestone achieved in the second quarter of 2025 on the back of solid growth in key indicators at Group and Bank level in the six months ending 30 June 2025. Comprising SL’s largest private sector bank, its subsidiaries, and an associate, Group reported in a filing with the CSE that Group assets totalled Rs. 3.13 trillion, and Commercial Bank’s assets reached Rs. 3.03 t more..

Aug 15 (ST) Just five out of 79 mega-scale development projects that were due to have been completed by end-March have finished on schedule, Project Management and Monitoring Department’s (PMMD) latest report states. Mega-Scale Development Projects First Quarter 2025 has been released on the website of the PMMD, which falls under the Finance, Planning and Economic Development Ministry. more..

Aug 15 (FT) Sri Lanka’s biggest bank, State-controlled Bank of Ceylon (BOC), reported a Profit Before Tax (PBT) of Rs. 59.4 billion in the first half of 2025, representing an increase of 165% compared to Rs. 22.4 billion reported a year earlier. This growth was primarily driven by a 79% rise in net interest income (NII), which reached Rs. 102.7 billion, underscoring the bank’s consistent focus on profitability, efficient cost management, and effective execution of strategic priorities, more..

Aug 15 (FT) Aitken Spence has recorded strong Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortisation (EBITDA) of Rs. 4.1 billion for the first quarter ended 30 June 2025. EBITDA reflects the Group’s earnings prior to interest expenses, taxation, depreciation, amortisation, and foreign exchange gains or losses, but incorporates the share of profits from equity-accounted investees. This reflects a 7% year-on-year (YoY) increase, underscoring the Group’s strong operational performance more..

Aug 15 (FT) SL Sustainability Awards (SSA)-2025 night, organised by the Ceylon Institute of Builders (CIOB) in partnership with the 13th World Construction Symposium, featuring academic participation from the Building Economics and Management Research Unit (BEMRU) of the Uni of Moratuwa will take place tomorrow, 16 August at 6 p.m. at Hilton Colombo. The event will celebrate sustainable innovation and leadership awards which is endorsed by the Urban Development, more..

Aug 15 (FT) Brown & Company was recently honoured with the Silver Award in the Trading Category at the National Business Excellence Awards (NBEA) 2025, organised by the National Chamber of Commerce of SL (NCCSL). Held at the Shangri-La Hotel, annual awards ceremony celebrated organisations that had demonstrated an unwavering commitment to high standards in business performance while contributing to nationwide economic development. more..

Aug 15 (TM) Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) has planned 20 initial public offerings (IPO) this year, which are in various stages of preparation with the respective investment banks, CSE CEO Rajeeva Bandaranaike said. He said that the 20 IPOs are not sitting with the CSE at the moment and they are in various stages of preparation with the investment banks. He added that CSE has 3 IPO listing applications more..

Aug 15 (Island) Newly appointed IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya has promised to crack down on the netherworld of crime and drugs. He made this pledge at a media briefing, after assuming duties in his new position, where he had been acting previously. Stressing the need for new laws to combat crime effectively and expressing the hope that NPP govt would make them soon, he identified a nexus between criminals and politicians who had been in power previously as one of the key more..

Aug 15 (Island) Most Sri Lankans, or at least those Cassandra exchanges views with, are satisfied with the present govt and particularly approve of President AKD and PM Dr Harini. Recently over the satellite sent to outer space during Prez Mahinda R’s time, dubbed ‘Chi Chi’s rocket’, since his third son was an aspiring astronaut, controversy arose with Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe, addressing Parliament saying that figures and info supplied by the PM were incorrect. more..

Aug 15 (TM) SL’s sugarcane farmers and domestic sugar production are struggling to sustain themselves with unresolved grievances and many unpaid for the produce and services rendered thus far. Recently, farmers staged a protest outside the Sevanagala sugar factory, accusing authorities of halting sugarcane purchases and worsening tensions in the area. Many sugarcane farmers, especially those in Monaragala, have linked the industry’s crisis to govt tax policies that distort more..

Aug 15 (ST) Sri Lanka is blessed with more than 100 rivers flowing through all around the tropical island. These rivers begin their journey in the central highlands, where steep slopes and abundant rainfall make the region a natural watershed. Then, they descend through valleys and traverse fertile plains, distributing water across the country. All 25 districts of Sri Lanka are traversed by rivers and perennial watercourses, their paths sculpted by the island’s diverse topography. more..

Aug 15 (SO) SL’s ethnic problem is rooted in decades of mistrust, discrimination, and violence between its major communities, Sinhalese, Tamils, and Muslims. What began as political grievances after independence in 1948 gradually hardened into ethnic polarisation, fuelled by language policies, uneven economic development, Sinhalisation, and competing nationalisms. By the late 1970’s, tensions between the State and more..

Aug 15 (CT) In Japan, local govt transport authorities famously kept an underperforming train station running, even at a loss, to facilitate a solitary high school girl until her graduation. Although this touching story highlights a remarkable act of compassion and support from authorities, facilitating public transport in rural areas – even when profit margins don’t encourage such services – is, in fact, the duty and responsibility of any State. While Japan may have been blessed with more..

Aug 15 (FT) Lakshman Kadirgamar was assassinated by a Tiger sniper 20 years ago this week. He epitomised an enlightened way of being Sri Lankan, and positioning and representing SL in the world. To borrow terminology that emerged during JFK’s presidency and the Cuban Missile Crisis, one way of being is as a dove. A SL dove was for federalism and endless, repeated appeasement of Prabhakaran in the absurd hope of peace, despite the evidence to the contrary. more..

Aug 15 (TM) Traditional Value-Added Tax (VAT) frameworks are unable to capture tax from cross-border digital services that are prevalent with the rapid growth of the digital economy. This has allowed large multinational technology companies to provide digital services to Sri Lankan consumers without paying VAT. This is while local providers domiciled in Sri Lanka are still subject to SL tax codes, resulting in an uneven playing field. more..

Aug 15 (CT) This article comprises two parts. Part 1 discusses the JVP‘s commitment or lack thereof to the principle of self-determination. The fundamental issue of Palestine is about its right to self-determination as a nation. Part 2 will widen the discourse to look at the complex phenomenon of how the current tragedy engulfing the Palestinian people is being played out in the SL Govt’s policy. The govt has to balance two seemingly contradictory political trajectories. more..

Aug 15 (DM) Youth are one of our major assets. This is why our hearts melt when we see unemployed youth playing cricket during daytime when elsewhere youth in large numbers are either at university or serving institutions as employees. Any government must have a plan for unemployed youth. They must be given opportunities to hone their skills. Generally, youth are mostly spoken about and used during election campaigns. Leave the elections aside, we have a day to celebrate youth and more..