Aug 20 (CT) Olympian Aruna Darshana clocked a seasonal best of 20.52 seconds in the 200m to win Gold at the 2025 Army Athletics Championship, held in Diyagama yesterday. This was his second-best performance in the event, ranking as his personal No. 2 and the third-fastest time ever recorded by a Sri Lankan — behind his own 20.45 last year and Yupun Abeykoon’s National Record of 20.37 set in 2022. more..

Aug 20 (DN) SL’s Julie Hope, Christina Perumal, MF Muhammad and Aasif Imran, together with the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay team, all swam personal best times to finish as the best in South Asia in their respective events on the opening day of the Junior World Swimming Championships in Otopeni, Romania yesterday. Hope produced the standout performance, delivering the biggest improvement of the day by cutting 1.41 seconds off her previous best in the women’s 100m backstroke, more..

Aug 20 (TM) SL’s equity market will have to wait till 2026-27 for the foreign investors to fully enter the market, as foreign investors will want to see economic stability, Softlogic Stockbrokers CEO Dihan Dedigama said. He said that foreign investors will not enter the equity market now due to the hype created with the ASPI passing 20,000. “We are one or one and a half years from where they (foreign investors) will enter the market; they will want to see economic stability, they are not going to more..

Aug 20 (SO) Govt will work on signing more Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with countries to diversify the export market and bring in the much needed foreign exchange to the country, Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe said. He was speaking at the 10th edition of the Intex Sri Lanka 2025, the largest international textile sourcing exhibitions of South Asia on Friday in Colombo. He said the Govt and the export industry have been too complacent about market diversification which more..

Aug 20 (SO) Sri Lanka will seek help from foreign firms in accelerating AI (Artificial Intelligence) adoption which is far behind many countries in the region which have accelerated AI adoption over the years, according to a senior official of the Ministry of Digital Economy. “The government will invite local and foreign investors to develop the Cloud platform with interested parties from US and Japan,” Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne said. He was speaking at the launch of more..

Aug 20 (SO) At 7.00 in the morning, in countless Sri Lankan households, televisions flicker to life, a soothing baritone of a familiar TV presenter reading the day’s headlines off a newspaper. In other houses, the morning ritual would be the same, but on a mobile phone screen instead. What was once a traditional practice of opening up the fresh paper with a fresh cup of tea has now evolved into a rather convenient digital broadcast. more..

Aug 20 (Island) The call for profound change in Sri Lanka’s education system echoes through every corridor of society. From bustling urban centers to quiet rural villages, a consensus is growing: the current framework, a relic of a bygone era, is no longer fit for purpose. It is failing to equip the nation’s youth with the skills, knowledge, and mindset required to navigate the complexities of the 21st century. While education has historically served as a powerful engine for social mobility more..

Aug 20 (DN) A refreshing cup of Ceylon Tea is the trademark of trusted quality, refined to blissful perfection. We proudly acknowledge that Ceylon Tea is among the world’s best brands. However we are forced to see some issues which are far from beautiful in the plantation sector. For decades the estate community lives in adversity and struggles to survive. What about the welfare and rights of thousands of hard-working resilient plantation workers (majority women) who work in more..

Aug 20 (SO) The fact that the plantation workers were not given the wage increase they asked for even after a Supreme Court intervention, doesn’t mean that their problems as underpaid workers don’t exist. The fact remains that their conditions remain abysmal despite the fact that repeated union action has been mounted on their behalf. A recent visit to Nuwara Eliya and its environs by this writer made it clear that the plantation workers are still living in incredibly abject circumstances. more..

Aug 20 (Island) Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne yesterday informed Parliament that he needed more time to study the no-faith motion, submitted by the Opposition against Deputy Minister of Defence Maj. Gen. (retd.) Aruna Jayasekera, and reveal his opinion thereon. Some government bigwigs have already declared that a no-faith motion cannot be moved against a deputy minister, and therefore speculation is rife in political circles that the Opposition’s efforts will be in vain. more..

Aug 20 (IPS) The first two infographics in this blog were created with Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, resulting in production times of mere seconds. In contrast, creating similar infographics without AI would typically require several hours of work. This illustrates how AI significantly boosts worker productivity. Nearly every sector showcases examples of AI enhancing labour efficiency. For instance, online educational more..

Aug 20 (CT) The island-wide postal strike, now dragging into its third day, has left letters undelivered, parcels stalled, and a growing backlog at post offices across SL. What began on Sunday evening at the Central Mail Exchange has spread like wildfire across the country, with unions claiming full participation and complete success. Their demands are wide-ranging, from overtime revisions to withdrawal of the fingerprint attendance system, but at the heart of this deadlock lies a debate more..

Aug 20 (GV) Mannar Island is at the heart of a growing battle over its fragile ecology, cultural heritage and the survival of its people. Once a quiet fishing and farming community, Mannar has become a symbol of resistance against corporate greed and state-backed extraction projects. What began as exploratory drilling has escalated, resulting in a movement calling for environmental justice and community sovereignty. Although much has been written, this piece reiterates the ongoing more..

Aug 20 (SO) SL’s protected areas are not only central for the protection of flora and fauna, but they are also central to the country’s tourism. National parks and reserves generate billions of rupees each year, drawing visitors to see elephants, leopards, and a variety of other animals. These areas are also vital for water security, and climate resilience. There is also reason to believe that the biological resources they hold may be key to more..

Aug 20 (CT) Limiting oneself to a political platform and appearance, every now and then, in the House of Parliament does not promise to be a strategy that any govt, new or well-entrenched, could adopt for the long run. In the interest of the dissemination of policies and broad principles of any current situation, it always demands instant communication; it could be through the mainstream media or the social media. Whichever way one decides, what should be the central focus of the effort more..

Aug 20 (TM) Sri Lanka has a long history with state-run child welfare structures. We often hear of them when something gruesome has come to light. For decades, many children found abandoned or without adequate parental care are entrusted into the care of the state. In 2019, a report by the Dept of Census and Statistics revealed that over 10,000 children live in children’s homes in Sri Lanka, the majority are adolescent girls. Over 80% of these children have a parent or family member alive. more..

Aug 19 (AD) NDF MP Faiszer Musthapha has urged the govt to introduce stringent mechanisms to regulate online gambling in order to prevent Sri Lankans from getting addicted to this new gambling trend. Speaking during the debate on the second reading of the Gambling Regulatory Authority Bill in Parliament today, MP Musthapha said that casinos and gambling have already been legitimised in Sri Lanka, and therefore, it is imperative to introduce a stringent regulatory framework. more..

Aug 19 (EN) CEB has floated a request for information in efforts to build synchronous condensers into the grid, as the utility moves to absorb more renewable energy. In August the CEB sought information on a 75 Mega Volt Ampere (MVA) synchronous condenser system it plans to connect to a key substation in the grid. “Synchronous condenser is a new addition to the CEB, so the know-how has not developed,” Additional General Manager Transmission (No-wired) more..

Aug 19 (SM) Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Nalinda Jayatissa reaffirms that no changes will be made to the overtime allowance structure or the biometric attendance system in the postal service. He pointed out that the April overtime allowance has been calculated based on the basic salary applicable from January 2027, and not on the increments introduced in Apr 2025 or Jan 2026. Therefore, postal workers receive a higher OT payment more..

Aug 19 (Reuters) Thailand’s cabinet has approved the hiring of 10,000 SL workers as it tries to address a labour shortage caused by Cambodian workers returning home in the wake of a deadly border conflict between the two countries, a Thai senior official said. Thailand’s ageing population and shrinking workforce have forced it to rely on at least 3 million registered foreign labourers across the agriculture, construction, and manufacturing sectors, data from the ILO showed. more..

Aug 19 (AD) Gambling Regulatory Authority Bill was passed in Parliament with amendments a short while ago. Second Reading Debate of the Gambling Regulatory Authority Bill took place in Parliament today. The draft bill to establish a Gambling Regulatory Authority was gazetted under the directives of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, in May. The Bill has been drafted to grant provisions for more..

Aug 19 (TM) Observations from the Ministry of Industry audit reports reveal numerous losses that have been incurred due to project abandonment, long-term idleness, or underutilisation of land. The Auditor General’s Triennial Report 2021-2023 on Ministries and State Ministries has noted shortcomings in the establishment and continuation of industrial estates in a number of areas. According to the report, due to the suspension of more..

Aug 19 (NW) Former Executive Director of the National Lotteries Board, Thusitha Halloluwa, who was arrested today for evading court proceedings, has been remanded. Halloluwa was remanded until 28th Aug after being produced before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court today. He was arrested by the Police after a warrant was issued yesterday (18) by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court, instructing his arrest. Additional Magistrate Pasan Amarasekara issued the warrant after reviewing the facts more..

Aug 19 (IS) Sri Lanka have roped in former fast bowler Lasith Malinga as they prepare for a busy few months in international cricket. The Islanders have assembled at a national training camp in Colombo, before departing for the tour of Zimbabwe. The series will serve as perfect preparation for the Asia Cup 2025 in the UAE starting next month. Lasith Malinga was spotted working with the SL fast bowlers in a training camp. Sri Lanka are yet to announce their squad for the Asia Cup 2025, more..

Aug 19 (ST) South Korean police will launch a 100-day special crackdown on abuses against migrant workers, Korean National Police Agency said on Aug 18. Each of South Korea’s 18 regional police agencies has formed a special unit that will operate through Nov 25 to investigate cases of violence, assault, confinement, coercion, humiliation, sexual abuse and labour exploitation. The initiative follows nationwide outrage over a video showing a SL worker being strapped to a forklift and more..

Aug 19 (NW) Cabinet of Ministers has approved introducing a QR system or a suitable digital method for the distribution of fertilizer subsidies for farmers. According to the govt, this approach ensures that subsidies are delivered on time and that the financial support is fully utilized by farmers for their agricultural fertilizer needs. The need to guarantee both timely delivery and proper usage has been emphasized. To make the distribution process more efficient and systematic, more..

Aug 19 (EN) SL will call for expressions of interest from private investor to set up tourism projects in as public private partnerships (PPP) in state-run Pelwatte and Sevanagala companies, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. “We have to find income generating methods for them,” Jayatissa told reporters referring to the loss making Lanka Sugar (Pvt) Ltd properties. Based on a feasibility study by the National Agency for PPP, 4 locations more..

Aug 19 (CT) The pumpkin farmers in Galewela are requesting the authorities to fix a fair price for pumpkin as its price has dropped to Rs 35 per kilo from Rs 200 during the pumpkin harvesting season. Farmers in the Galewela area are suffering since there is no stipulated fixed fair price for their pumpkin harvest. They complain that although a kilo of pumpkin rose to Rs 200 about five months ago, the price has now dropped to Rs 35. Due to this situation, about 15 farmers in Galewela, more..

Aug 19 (AD) Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval to a joint proposal to provide financial assistance to selected groups of young people based on specified criteria. It has been planned to implement the concessional financial grant scheme with the involvement of the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, Dept of Probation and Child Protection Services, Provincial Dept of Probation and Child Protection Services, Dept of Finance Development, District Secretaries & Divisional Secretaries. more..

Aug 19 (TM) State-owned dairy company Milco, is yet to operationalise a facility with an investment of Rs. 18 billion in Badalgama, of which 95% of infrastructure had been completed in 2022, Milco (Pvt) Ltd. Chairperson G.V.H. Gotabhaya told the media yesterday. “The construction of the Badalgama factory by Milco underwent various infrastructure updates between 2015 and 2022. From 12 April 2022, more..

Aug 19 (DM) Govt has approved the establishment of a National Cyber Protection Operations Center under the guidance of SL Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) and Ministry of Digital Economy, aimed at minimizing growing cyber threats and risks. Minister Nalinda Jayatissa warned that cyberattacks targeting public institutions and financial establishments could disrupt essential services. He noted that such incidents could lead to the leakage of private and sensitive data, more..

Aug 19 (AD) The petition filed by former Minister Rajitha Senaratne, seeking a temporary suspension of the warrant issued for his arrest in connection with an investigation conducted by the CIABOC, has been rejected by the Colombo Additional Magistrate. The petition was filed by his attorneys yesterday. When the petition was taken up yesterday, Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali Jayatunga noted that such a request can only be considered when the Bribery Commission, more..