Aug 30 (TM) For Prez AKD and JVP-led NPP Govt, the country’s economic recovery is rapidly becoming more than a story of stabilisation. It is turning into a political test of whether the JVP/NPP can convince voters that the gains made since the 2022 crisis are sustainable, and that the country can eventually stand on its own without depending on another IMF programme or emergency foreign exchange support. Govt is increasingly more..

Aug 30 (TM) Even after more than 17 years since the end of the brutal three-decade war in N&E Provinces, the plight of the Tamil people who lost their ancestral lands – living as refugees, with relatives, or in rented houses – has not ceased. Recently, members of the Voice of the Landless People of North-East submitted a memorandum to PM Harini Amarasuriya during her visit to attend an educational financial assistance event for uni students at the Jaffna District Secretariat. more..

Aug 30 (CI) Medium pacers Chethana Vimukthi and Mithali Ayodhya starred with the ball as Sri Lanka began their 2026 Asia Cup title defence with a commanding win against UAE in Dubai. The duo, well supported by the rest of Sri Lanka's attack, combined to bowl UAE out for 79 with one ball remaining in the innings. In reply, Chamari Athapaththu wasted no time, blasting an unbeaten 48 off 25 balls to help Sri Lanka cruise to a nine-wicket victory with 73 balls to go. more..

Aug 30 (ST) With the ongoing Nallur Kandaswamy temple festival in Jaffna, thousands of devotees, both from the diaspora and across the island, are visiting the northern cultural city despite the scorching sun these days. Unlike in the past, huge crowds of devotees from all walks of life are participating in this year’s vibrant Hindu festival. One major difficulty they face is a lack of adequate transport facilities, particularly more..

Aug 30 (SO) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, during Wednesday’s National Milad-un-Nabi celebration in Negombo said his Govt would not allow another ethnic or religious conflict to emerge in SL. Political stability and ethnic/religious unity are central pillars for the NPP Govt and his assurance addressed a real danger that has become harder to ignore. In recent weeks, the Kalmunai hospital uniform dispute drew attention towards Tamil-Muslim rivalry; a fabricated claim about a LTTE more..

Aug 30 (SO) Wednesday’s unprecedented flash flood in Nepal and Tibet is perhaps a harbinger of things to come as Climate Change takes a turn for the worse. Glacial collapse as a result of rising temperatures has been cited as the main reason for the flood, which has claimed at least 650 lives, while nearly 2,500 people are missing on both sides of the border. Experts have blamed both Nepalese and Chinese authorities for allowing constructions in the danger zone, which probably increased more..

Aug 30 (Island) Lionel Bopage, the first General Secretary of the JVP, was here recently from Australia where he is domiciled. Now 82, Bopage was among the key figures involved in the formation of the JVP and was a member of its early Committee of 21 leadership. He joined the movement at the age of 24, influenced by his father’s involvement in the Communist Party and his own commitment to left-wing politics. He later became increasingly critical of the JVP’s position on more..

Aug 30 (Island) The global tariff blackmail of the Trump Administration in Washington ran into the Canadian Sheild last week at the 45th Parallel. After year-long efforts to salvage the legally binding free trade agreement between Canada, Mexico and the US, from Trump’s illegally executed tariffs, Canada’s PM Mark Carney said enough is enough and pulled out of all trade talks with the US. The cessation of talks is a shocking development in the geopolitics of world trade and more..

Aug 30 (Island) Politics is more about pure theatre than actual delivery anywhere in the world. This is arguably more so about SL politicians, their parties, and successive govts. It is therefore only natural that the incumbent govt ensures that maximum possible pollical mileage accrues to it from the repatriation of SL criminals arrested overseas. Among the underworld characters brought back here during the past two years or so are several drug kingpins, Shiran Basik being the latest. more..

Aug 29 (NW) SL govt has rejected concerns raised by a UN Special Rapporteur over the proposed extension of judges’ retirement ages, insisting that the 22nd Amendment is part of broader judicial reforms and is not intended to prolong the tenure of particular judges. In a six-page response sent to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on Aug 21, the govt said the proposed changes were aimed at more..

Aug 29 (NW) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake today handed over the Navodayapuram Housing Project to 50 families from Poonagala, Kabaragala who lost their homes in the 2023 landslide and had been living in unsafe conditions for nearly three and a half years. The project, constructed with the active contribution of the Sri Lanka Army Corps of Engineers, was hailed as a significant initiative to improve the living standards of the Malayagam community. more..

Aug 29 (AD) According to data compiled by Visual Capitalist from ILO statistics, SL ranks 120th out of 130 countries in purchasing power parity (PPP)-adjusted monthly minimum wages in US dollars. The report highlights that SL’s monthly minimum wage stands at USD 200, placing it among the lowest globally and at the bottom among surveyed South Asian nations, behind Pakistan (68th; USD 570), Nepal (78th; USD 490), Bangladesh (89th; USD 379) & India (111th; USD 233). more..

Aug 29 (AD) Between 80 and 100 people die every day in Sri Lanka due to alcohol and substance abuse, according to Dr. Manoj Fernando. He made the remarks today (28) at an awareness press conference on illicit drug prevention and education held under the A Nation United – National Drive campaign launched by SL Police to curb the spread of narcotics across the country. more..

Aug 29 (DN) SL’s southern coastline is attracting growing interest from foreign visitors seeking to experience the country’s rich marine biodiversity and learn about efforts to protect endangered sea turtles. Turtle Conservation Centers established in the coastal belt around Ambalangoda, Kosgoda, Ahungalla and Akurala play an important role in raising awareness about turtle conservation while providing visitors with an opportunity to gain practical knowledge about marine wildlife protection. more..

Aug 29 (DN) ADB funded USD 55 million Sea Water Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) Desalination Plant the first ever in the entre ADB operation, commissioned at Thalaiyady is set to benefits 300,000 people within Jaffna District addressing the serious clean water scarcity issue prevalent in the Jaffna peninsula with 60,000 to 80,000 connections. In addition to the capital cost the contract amount is USD 49 million. Thereby ADB has provided USD 210 million in total for the water project in the peninsula. more..

Aug 29 (AD) The Society of Govt Pharmacists has decided to launch a one-day trade union action from 8 am on Monday (31). The decision comes in response to several unresolved issues concerning their additional service allowances, the association said. According to the President of the Association, Ajith P. Thilakarathna, a circular was issued by the Health Secretary on Aug 29, 2026, renaming the overtime allowances of pharmacists as additional service allowances. more..

Aug 29 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that steps are being taken to pass the Central Highlands Protection Authority Bill in Parliament by the end of this year or early next year, thereby granting the Authority all necessary powers to protect that ecosystem. The Prez made these remarks while attending the ceremonial handover of the Navodayapuram housing project to the public. The project was constructed for families who lost their homes in Poonagala Mountain landslide more..

Aug 29 (NF) SL's battle with prolonged dry weather intensified as authorities warned of rising heat levels, shrinking water resources and the growing impact of El Nińo conditions that have already affected more than 84,000 people across the country. Met Dept announced that from today until Sept 7, the sun will be positioned directly overhead across various parts of SL, a phenomenon that occurs twice annually as the apparent more..

Aug 29 (TM) According to the National Dengue Control Unit, the total number of dengue cases reported in the country so far this year has risen to 94,805. Furthermore, data indicate that 72 dengue-related deaths have been recorded to date. In August alone, 9,469 dengue cases have been reported so far, following 29,962 cases recorded in July and 21,533 cases in June. The Western Province accounts for 52.92 per cent of the total cases, with 50,167 patients reported. more..

Aug 29 (DN) SL’s Rumesh Tharanga once again came to the fore when he won the men’s javelin throw at the Zurich Diamond League with a 92.07-metre effort on his final attempt early yesterday. Tharanga’s victory in Zurich adds to what has already been an outstanding season. Zurich victory also secured Tharanga’s place in the Diamond League Final in Brussels, which will be held on Sept 4-5. He heads into the final after a season that has included multiple Diamond League victories more..

Aug 29 (AD) The Secretary General of the Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera announced that the Parliament is scheduled to convene from Sept 8 to 11, 2026. The parliamentary business for the week was decided at the Committee on Parliamentary Business meeting held recently (20), chaired by the Speaker, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne. Accordingly, on Tuesday, September 8, the period from 9.30 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. has been allocated for parliamentary business specified under more..

Aug 29 (MB) SL-born conservation biologist and National Geographic explorer Ruchira Somaweera is internationally recognized for his award-winning wildlife research, photography and storytelling. Despite his global achievements, Somaweera treasures an old journal copy containing a prophecy. When he was 13 years old, Somaweera received a copy of the research journal Lyriocephalus with a handwritten note which read: “One day you will be a great herpetologist,” signed by Anslem de more..

Aug 29 (CI) Sometimes all you need is a little push. 2024 Asia Cup was a watershed for this young SL outfit. Prior to that exhilarating climax in Dambulla, SL's flashes of int'l brilliance were almost exclusively engineered by Chamari Athapaththu. Sure, they could occasionally trade heavy blows with the world's elite, but they lacked the collective capacity for a sustained fight. This was a queendom, one where removing more..

Aug 29 (EN) The Sri Lanka–China Business Council (SLCHBC) of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce recently marked a quarter-century of economic and trade cooperation between Sri Lanka and China. The event brought together government officials, diplomats, office-bearers of the cuncil, and business leaders from both countries, including Wang Gang, Chairman of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka and Managing Director of China Harbour Engineering Company. more..

Aug 29 (NW) Former national cricketer T.M. Dilshan has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Central Criminal Investigation Bureau over what he described as false and defamatory social media posts that have damaged his reputation. Dilshan said he had built his reputation over 20 years of dedicated service to the country and that the alleged false claims had caused significant harm to his name and the reputation he had worked hard to establish. Dilshan said he lodged the complaint after more..

Aug 29 (CI) Where in the past 15 years SL have at times prepared ranks dustbowls at home, head coach Gary Kirsten wants surfaces more like those seen in the Test series against India. Across both teams, seamers took 24 of the total 67 wickets taken by bowlers in this series - a share of roughly 36%. For SL, Asitha Fernando was the top wicket-taker (and second overall in the series), with ten dismissals at an average of 20. more..

Aug 29 (NW) Negombo Chief Magistrate’s Court has ordered notices to be issued to 20 people, including the chief jailer and prison officers, to appear for an identification parade in connection with the deaths of 32 people during a clash at Negombo Prison. The order was issued when the case relating to the prison unrest was taken up before Negombo Chief Magistrate on Friday. The 20 individuals have been ordered to appear before the Negombo court on Sept 8 for the identification parade. more..

Aug 29 (AD) SL Railway Station Masters’ Association (SLRSMA) has expressed its full support to the stance taken by the Bar Association of SL (BASL) regarding the proposed 22nd Amendment, stressing that safeguarding the independence of the judiciary, the rule of law, separation of powers and the sovereignty of the people is a responsibility of the entire civil society and not of any single professional group. SLRSMA said it closely followed the position adopted by the BASL more..

Aug 29 (NW) The SL rupee has depreciated by 5.7% against the US dollar so far in 2026, according to the latest Weekly Economic Indicators. CB said the year-to-date depreciation of the rupee against the US dollar stood at 5.7% as of August 28. Meanwhile, lending rates edged higher during the week, with the Average Weighted Prime Lending Rate increasing by nine basis points to 10.95%. Average Weighted Call Money Rate also rose to 8.84%, from 8.81% at the end of the previous week. more..

Aug 29 (DN) Kandy Kings, Negombo Icons, Kurunegala Royals and Jaffna Flamingos made winning starts to the inaugural SL Tennis Premier League 2026, each recording a 4-2 victory on the opening day at the SL Tennis Association clay courts in Colombo yesterday. Kandy Kings defeated Batticaloa Aces 4-2, with national champion Thehan Wijemanne playing a key role in their victory. Sandithi Usgodaarachchi gave Batticaloa Aces a good start when she beat Kandy’s Savini more..

Aug 29 (ST) Activities at the famous Nil Diya Pokuna natural attraction in Ella, deep inside a cave, will be regulated after being reopened for visitors. It is a physically challenging, treacherous journey to reach the pond underground and is not for everyone. The entry to the natural wonder is a narrow opening. From the road it is about a 2.5-hour trek through the jungle footpath. It is located within a cluster of caves in Rawana Ella Sanctuary more..

Aug 29 (ST) Dry weather and strong winds are proving to be serious impediments in controlling a fire spreading in the Maiyawa tank system of the Anawilundawa Ramsar Wetland Sanctuary. Wildlife officials say the blaze has spread over more than 100,000 acres of land within the Maiyawa tank system. The Anawilundawa tank system was completely dry due to severe dry weather when the fire broke out. Wildlife officers had arrived at Maiyawa tank system and had tried to control more..

Aug 29 (GV) The debate over how govts treat NGOs and civil society in Sri Lanka is not new. Civil society organisations have long been viewed through the lenses of national security, sovereignty and foreign interference. Seventeen years after the war, organisations working on enforced disappearances, land rights, the right to remember, human rights violations, torture, deaths in custody and corruption continue to face monitoring and pressure. The proposed Non-governmental Organisations more..