Aug 14 (NW) A protest has been staged in front of the Presidential Secretariat against the distribution of agricultural lands in Trincomalee to private companies and the encroachment of forest land for development projects. Protesters were seen holding banners urging the halting of 600 acres of paddy land in the Muththunagar area in Trincomalee being distributed to Indian Companies, and the encroachment of forest lands. Participating in the protest, student activists Wasantha Mudalige more..

Aug 14 (AD) A total of 30 SL students have received scholarships to undertake higher education in China. Accordingly, the Chinese Embassy held an award ceremony for the 2025-2026 academic year Chinese Govt Scholarship. Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education Madhura Senevirathne has praised the Chinese govt’s continued support for SL’s educational development through scholarship programs. He said this year’s scholarships cover a wide range of disciplines, more..

Aug 14 (DM) Elephant deaths, a topic frequently discussed these days, have drawn widespread attention. It appears that elephants are being killed with the intention of removing their tusks. DWC has confirmed that elephants are being killed using Hakka Patas (jaw-breaker bombs), Badina Thuwakku weapons and poisoning. As of mid-July this year, 219 deaths have been recorded; 37 of them dying through shootings. more..

Aug 14 (DM) Three major national hospitals in SL have been operating without permanent directors for more than six months. The affected institutions are National Hospital in Colombo, National Hospital in Kandy, and Karapitiya National Hospital in Galle. At present, the National Hospital in Colombo is being overseen by Dr. Pradeep Wijesinghe, who is also the Director of Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children. Dr. Wijesinghe has been managing both institutions simultaneously. more..

Aug 14 (NW) A series of key decisions aimed at strengthening public security in the Batticaloa District were taken at a meeting of the District Coordinating Committee held on Aug 13. The meeting, chaired by the Committee’s head Sunil Handunneththi, was attended by Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala, MPs representing the district, local council chairpersons, and senior govt officials. Discussions focused on pressing issues, including the fight against narcotics, challenges faced by more..

Aug 14 (MB) Wildlife conservationists have sounded the alarm that leopard poaching in SL is being carried out more systematically than previously thought, following the arrest in early August of a group of suspected hunters carrying a freshly skinned carcass in Maduru Oya National Park. Conservation activist Sethil Muhandiram says there’s specific demand for skin, teeth, claws and even the flesh of leopards (Panthera pardus). more..

Aug 14 (NW) Bribery Commission says the Acting Director of the Police Cultural Division, SSP Sathish Gamage, was arrested for having collected Rs. 14 million in bribes from various parties. Providing details on the arrest, the Bribery Commission said that the Police officer had obtained the bribes while being in charge of the Galle and Embilipitiya Divisions. According to the Bribery Commission, SSP Sathish Gamage had opened three bank accounts using another individual’s name. more..

Aug 14 (TS) “There aren’t any theme parks there!” “What about Wi-Fi?” Those were my twin sons’ reactions when I told them we’d be spending our family vacation in Sri Lanka, not at a Disney resort or beachside hotel. At 16 years old, Charlie and Thomas wanted pools and roller coasters, not UNESCO heritage sites or cooking with strangers. But my wife, Cecilia, and I had different plans. I’d booked cultural experiences that would push them beyond their comfort zones, more..

Aug 14 (CT) The Chairman of the Welivitiya-Divithura Pradeshiya Sabha has not granted permission to journalists other than three to enter the Pradeshiya Sabha meeting hall for media coverage of the August session held on Tuesday (12). The Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman did not grant permission to journalist Janak de Silva to enter the meeting held at the meeting hall in the Agaliya Pradeshiya Sabha building, stating that he had invited only three media personnel to cover more..

Aug 14 (AD) Bill to establish the Gambling Regulatory Authority has been approved by the Committee on Public Finance (COPF). The Bill was approved at the meeting of the COPF held under the acting chairmanship of MPs Rauf Hakeem, Dept of Communication of Parliament said. Bill was discussed on several occasions in the COPF and it provides for the establishment of the Gambling Regulatory Authority as an independent regulatory body with a broad scope to standardize more..

Aug 14 (Island) TNPF leader and Jaffna MP, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, has said that any investigation into the Chemmani mass graves must be thorough and complete if the truth is to be revealed. He warned that the govt would bear full responsibility if the life of key witness Somaratne Rajapakse is endangered while in prison. Rajapakse, a former SL soldier, is currently serving a prison sentence after being convicted in more..

Aug 14 (TM) Although tooth-whitening toothpastes are becoming more commonly used, they should be avoided entirely as they scratch the teeth, which is significantly harmful to dental health. Dental experts made this observation during a press briefing held by the Health Ministry’s Health Promotion Bureau (HPB), where it was stressed that the use of fluoride-containing toothpaste should be promoted among the public, especially given the high rate of tooth decay in Sri Lanka. more..

Aug 14 (CT) Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) Chairman Manjula Pinnalanda, stated that the Govt has allocated Rs 6 billion to purchase the Yala Season 2025 paddy harvest from farmers. He said 139 PMB-owned paddy facilities are currently operating across the country, with more than 15,000 MT of paddy procured so far. He also assured that procurement would continue without interruption. Meanwhile, U.P. Saman Kumara, President of the Mahaweli Bedumulla Farmers Association, more..

Aug 14 (NW) The Pagariya JBN Power Conclave 2025, set to take place in Colombo from Aug 15 to 17, will feature an impressive lineup of prominent Indian leaders from politics, business, and the entertainment industry. Among the keynote speakers is Dr. Shashi Tharoor, MP and former UN Under-Secretary-General. Tharoor is also a celebrated author, best known for works such as the Sahitya Akademi Award-winning An Era of Darkness. more..

Aug 14 (TM) Students from the Nikawewa Dewanampiyatissa Central College and the Revatha Children’s Home in Trincomalee had the opportunity to participate in the Vision programme organised by Presidential Secretariat today. Programme, implemented jointly by the Prez Secretariat, Ministry of Education and Parliament Dept of Communication, is designed for school students. During the event, the students were also briefed on the Clean SL initiative and the significance of more..

Aug 14 (DM) The SL Salt Producers Association (SLSPA) has urged the govt to enforce the country’s packaging law on Indian salt packets currently distributed locally and to immediately release 400 containers of salt that have been held at the Colombo Port for 45 days. SLSPA Chairman Ganaka Amarasinghe told the media that salt production has been severely affected since the Yala season in late 2023, with adverse weather in the 2024 Maha season further hampering output. more..

Aug 14 (EN) Agricultural production in paddy and coconut picked up in June, while tea, fish and rubber production decreased due to unfavourable weather. “Paddy production for the 2025 Yala season, based on the sown extent as of end June 2025, is forecasted at 2.19 million metric tons, a 10.8% increase from the previous Yala season,” CB’s Agriculture Sector Data Bulletin for June 2025 said. Paddy production forecasts for 2025 is estimated as 4.8 m metric tons; 2.3% increase from 2024. more..

Aug 14 (TM) Medical and Civil Rights Professional Association of Doctors (MCPA) has claimed that the Ministry of Health’s Investigation Division has overturned the acquittals of several health workers despite those decisions being reached through formal disciplinary investigations conducted by tribunals appointed by Public Service Commission (PSC). MCPA President Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa said that nearly 19 health workers who were cleared by formal disciplinary investigation committees more..

Aug 14 (EN) SL Customs has officially launched web-based Customs Document Notification System (CDNS), a service designed to enhance transparency, accessibility, and efficiency in the clearance process. “The CDNS enables Consignees and Declarants to track the real-time status of their Customs Declarations and Cargo Movements, offering greater visibility and accountability throughout clearance process” more..

Aug 14 (CT) Colombo Additional Magistrate Manjula Rathnayake, yesterday (13), ordered that a timekeeper of the Western Province Road Passenger Transport Authority (WPRPTA) be remanded until 19 Aug over allegations of accepting bribes from private bus operators. The suspect, identified as Sanjeewa Udaya Kumara, a timekeeper stationed at the Borella office of the WPRPTA, is accused of taking Rs 200 per trip from a private bus in exchange for signing its running chart, more..

Aug 14 (DM) The Committee on High Posts has approved several high-level appointments, including the appointment of four new chairmen to major state institutions. Among the key appointments, Kavinda de Zoysa was approved as the new Chairman of the Bank of Ceylon (BOC), one of SL’s largest and most influential financial institutions. In the media sector, Priyantha Wedamulla was appointed as the Chairman of the Independent Television Network (ITN), a key state-owned broadcaster. more..

Aug 14 (AD) Inspector General of Police (IGP) Priyantha Weerasooriya says that the politicians who supported and gave protection to drug traffickers and underworld activities have already been identified. He further indicated that legal action would be taken against them in the near future. IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya made these remarks after assuming duties as the 37th IGP of SL at the Police HQ in Colombo this morning. more..

Aug 14 (NW) Large-scale renovations have commenced at the Parliament of SL, after four decades. Renovations of the SL Parliamentary Complex are taking place after a period of more than 42 years. The renovation work is being carried out under Cabinet approval and on the instructions of Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne. Accordingly, work is currently underway to remove the soil layer on the concrete roof terrace of the Parliamentary Complex and carry out repairs. more..

Aug 14 (NW) A 67-year-old man has died after being assaulted over allegations of stealing a chocolate from a shop in Peradeniya, police said. The victim, identified as Dharmasena Cooray from Pahala Iriyagama, was reportedly beaten by the shop owner and an employee on August 5 after they claimed CCTV footage showed him stealing. Police said he was struck with hands, feet, and an iron rod, suffering head and leg injuries, and was confined inside the shop until closing. more..

Aug 14 (FT) President Trump has informed the SL President by his letter of 9 July, “Starting on August 1, 2025, we will charge Sri Lanka a Tariff of only 30% on any and all SL products sent into the US, separate from all Sectoral Tariffs”. SL exporters were agitated, stunned, and appalled. Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF): “As one of the country’s largest export earners, the sector relies heavily on access to the US market, and such a steep increase threatens to erode competitiveness, more..

Aug 14 (FT) Our dreary post-independence history seems to be that of a country going round in circles; a lot of posturing, a big noise, but a poor performance. In self-justification, it is argued by some politicians that SL had advanced relative to what prevailed in 1948. This claim is undeniably true; we are now not what we were 70 years ago. This would be true of every country on this planet, they have all advanced in these 70 years. However, this comparison is to only our country, more..

Aug 14 (Island) The number of senior citizens, those above 60 years, has risen to about 18%, according to provisional findings of the 2024 Census of Population & Housing, showing an increase from 12.4% in the 2012 census. “Our preliminary report states that the total population increased to 21.7 million in 2024, while the growth rate declined to 0.5 % from 0.7% in 2021. The feminisation of ageing trend for those over 70 more..

Aug 14 (Island) SL’s bond auction on August 12, 2025 sent a stark warning to policymakers: despite macroeconomic stabilisation under IMF reforms as deep-seated investor skepticism remains. Central Bank sought to raise LKR 65 billion through bonds maturing in 2032 and 2035, but the market delivered a brutal verdict – zero uptake for the 2032 bond and tepid demand for the 2035 issue, leaving the auction LKR 46.5 billion short of its target. Here is a summary of the bond market operations. more..

Aug 14 (TM) The Govt stated that the political situation surrounding the recent incident where PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya provided details about the revenue generated through the Supreme SAT 1 satellite, which were later confirmed to be inaccurate, has not led to any rifts within the Govt as claimed by some parties. Minister Bimal Rathnayake made this statement yesterday while speaking to the media. Rathnayake emphasised that the Govt remains committed to protecting its Members, more..

Aug 14 (TM) Alcohol & Drug Information Centre (ADIC) questioned the Govt as to whether any studies have been conducted on the potential economic benefits as well as the social and environmental impacts of the Govt’s recent decision to allow the commercial cultivation of cannabis, and urged to reveal the findings of any such studies. ADIC Executive Director Sampath De Seram made these remarks with regard to the Govt’s decision to more..

Aug 14 (DM) The wild elephant known as Kandalama Hedakaraya, who had been receiving treatment in the Kandalama area under the Dept of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), has died this evening (13). The animal, estimated to be between 25 and 30 years old, had been under veterinary care since March 30, 2025, after officials were alerted to its condition. Initial examinations revealed a foreleg injury suspected to have been caused by gunshots, with X-ray scans detecting 4 metallic objects more..

Aug 14 (Island) ASP F.U. Wootler said that they respected people’s right to protest and demonstrate but the law enforcement authorities couldn’t turn a blind eye to any efforts to disrupt civil life. Wootler said that they would be closing watching the situation. Police Spokesman said so when The Island sought their response to the ITAK’s plan to shut down the Northern and Eastern provinces tomorrow (15) in protest against the killing of 32-year-old Ethirmanasingham Kapilraj, more..