Aug 31 (FT) SL last week joined a historic global milestone in space education with SL Ambassador for Mission ShakthiSAT Dr. Sulochana Segera, and young student Seneesa Goonewardena representing the country in a program that brought together young women from 108 nations. Achievement was confirmed on 28 August 2026, at Gautam Buddha Uni in India, where Mission ShakthiSAT, organised by Space Kidz India, achieved a world-record milestone for the most nationalities represented in a women’s more..

Aug 31 (FT) Home Lands Group continues to strengthen its commitment to positioning SL excellence on the global stage, with the company partnering as Principal Sponsor of Rhythms of Lanka at the iconic Sydney Opera House in Australia on 23 August with an audience of around 2,500 in attendance. For Home Lands, supporting Rhythms of Lanka comes naturally as the company continues to lend its support to platforms that celebrate SL talent and bring it to an int'l audience. more..

Aug 31 (Island) Bar Association of SL (BASL) has alleged that due to the failure on the part of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to fill the existing vacancies in the Supreme Court, a Senior Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Dhammika Ganepola, retired at the age of 63 without being considered for, or granted, a promotion to the SC, to which he was well entitled. The BASL pointed out at the time of Ganepola’s retirement there were more..

Aug 31 (NW) Veteran SL model and actress Chulpadmendra Kumarapathirana has passed away at the age of 46. Kumarapathirana suddenly fell ill while at home and was subsequently admitted to the National Hospital in Colombo, where she passed away. Kumarapathirana entered the entertainment industry as an actress and gained popularity among television audiences through her role in the teledrama Wahinna Muthu Wessak. She later became actively involved in the fashion more..

Aug 31 (NW) A 5-member Supreme Court bench has been appointed to consider petitions challenging the constitutionality of the proposed 22nd Amendment to the Constitution. The bench will be headed by Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and will also comprise Justices Achala Wengappuli, Arjuna Obeyesekere, Sampath Abeykoon and Gihan Kulatunga. The petitions are scheduled to be taken up before the Supreme Court on Tuesday (1). Several petitions have been filed challenging more..

Aug 31 (NF) Former Minister Ravi Karunanayake was granted bail by the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court on Monday evening after being arrested by officials of the CIABOC in connection with an ongoing investigation. Karunanayake had earlier appeared before the Bribery Commission at 8.15 a.m. in response to a summons issued by investigators. Following several hours of questioning and the recording of more..

Aug 31 (EN) SL Customs exceeded its monthly target for an eighth consecutive month in August, achieving the target before the end of the month. Customs’ August revenue target was set at 190.3 billion rupees. However, revenue-collecting body had already collected 199.6 billion rupees in the first 27 days of the month, exceeding the target. Customs has set a revenue target of 2,207 billion rupees for this year, 13.5% less than last year as it originally expected a significant decline in car imports. more..

Aug 31 (AD) Chief Prelate of the Asgiriya Chapter, Most Venerable Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Thero says it is completely incorrect to claim that lands donated by ancient kings to temples are enjoyed only by Buddhist monks and should be redistributed among the public. Chief Prelate made the remarks today while attending a ceremony held at the Rangiri Dambulla Rajamaha Viharaya to distribute Urumaya land permits to people residing on and utilizing lands historically granted to more..

Aug 31 (FT) Sri Lanka is not a large country by soybean standards. It grows none of its own. Yet in 2025 it imported roughly 255,000 tons of US soybean meal in shipping containers, a figure on track to cross 300,000 tons this year, with volumes climbing steadily every year. It is, by USSEC’s own numbers, the largest containerised market for US soybean meal in the world. For a country of 22 million people still working its way out of a currency crisis, that is not a small fact. more..

Aug 31 (FT) As October 2026 approaches, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) faces a pivotal monetary policy decision. Under the Central Bank Act, CBSL must sign a new three-year Monetary Policy Framework Agreement with the Government, setting the country’s official inflation target. With a new administration in office, the bank must now decide whether to retain the current 5% target, move toward the global benchmark of 2%, or adopt a more gradual transition path. more..

Aug 31 (TM) Govt is confident that SL will meet the conditions required for the 7th Review of the IMF-supported programme, with fiscal performance currently remaining on track, according to Dept of Fiscal Policy Director General Dr. M.K.C. Senanayake. He said that the authorities expected the relevant fiscal and other programme requirements to be in line with the IMF-agreed framework by the time of the 7th Review, more..

Aug 31 (AD) The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (Ceypetco) has announced a reduction in the prices of Petrol 92 and Petrol 95, effective from midnight today (30). According to the latest price revision, the price of Petrol 92 has been reduced by Rs. 15 per litre, from Rs. 414 to Rs. 399. The price of Petrol 95 Octane has also been reduced by Rs. 20 per litre, from Rs. 495 to Rs. 475 per litre. There will be no change in the prices of diesel, Super Diesel and kerosene under the latest revision. more..

Aug 31 (Island) Former CB Governor, Singapore citizen Arjuna Mahendran has denied speculation that he has changed his name. In an email to the editor of the Sunday Island, Mahendran has said: “It has been brought to my attention that a minister of the govt of SL has made a public statement that I have changed my name. I wish to inform you and your readership that such an allegation is entirely false. I would be grateful if this statement is published by your esteemed newspaper.” more..

Aug 31 (Island) Police warned that loudspeakers, amplifiers and other sound equipment used in a manner that causes public disturbance could be taken into police custody if users disregard Supreme Court directives and police instructions. In a special notice, police have said legal action could also be taken against those responsible under Section 261 of the Penal Code for causing a public nuisance. Police said excessive noise had more..

Aug 31 (NW) SL govt has failed to adequately answer key concerns raised by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers over the proposed extension of the retirement age of superior court judges, according to an analysis by SJB MP Ajith P. Perera. In a document titled The Defence Is Worse Than the Crime, Perera said the govt’s lengthy response to the Special Rapporteur’s Aug. 7 letter leaves several of the central questions unanswered. more..

Aug 31 (DM) A group of 200 Japanese tourists departed for SL today (30) on a flight, marking a significant boost to tourism ties between SL and Japan. The group, organized by the Little Japan Group, travelled to SL on SriLankan Airlines Flight UL455 from Narita Int'l Airport. SL’s Ambassador to Japan, Prof. Pivithuru Kumarasinghe, accompanied by First Secretary (Commerce) Sandun Sameera, met the tourists at the airport and saw them off before their departure. more..

Aug 31 (DM) A 17-year-old school student was killed in a sharp weapon attack in Eheliyagoda early this morning (30), police said. The victim was an Advanced Level student at Eheliyagoda National School. According to preliminary investigations, the incident was linked to an argument that arose after another person allegedly recorded a video yesterday evening (29) near the Aarapola school junction, where a youth was seen talking to two young women. Police said the suspect had gone to more..

Aug 31 (Island) The prices of flour-based short eats, including parata and egg roti, have been increased by Rs. 5, while the price of kottu roti has gone up by Rs. 25, All Ceylon Restaurant Owners’ Association President Harshana Rukshan said. He said the price increases had been effected following an increase in wheat flour prices by suppliers. In addition, the price of a string hopper had been increased by Rs. 1 and a hopper by Rs. 2, he said. However, there had been no increase in the prices more..

Aug 31 (FT) Sri Lanka’s total vehicle registrations declined by 8.5% month-on-month (MoM) to 53,221 units in July from 58,151 units in June, continuing the moderation from the May 2026 peak of 62,776 units, according to JB Securities. The July total was 15.2% below the May peak. JB Securities said the moderation was broad-based, led by lower registrations of SUVs and crossovers, two-wheelers, three-wheelers, pickups & tractors. more..

Aug 31 (FT) Cabinet has approved a $ 12.5 million smart-meter rollout aimed at modernising the country’s electricity distribution network and introducing Time-of-Use (TOU) billing, using the remaining proceeds of a $ 15 million ADB loan. The project will see 300,000 smart meters installed over a two-year period by Electricity Distribution Lanka Ltd., as part of the country’s broader smart-grid modernisation program. On 21 Oct 2024, Cabinet originally approved $ 15 million ADB facility, more..

Aug 31 (DN) Sri Lanka ended their Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Sevens Series opening leg on a high note, crushing Malaysia 36-5 in the seventh-place playoff after suffering defeats against Japan and Thailand on the final day in Suzhou, China, yesterday. SL produced their best attacking display of the day in their final game, scoring six tries to comfortably overcome Malaysia after leading 17-0 at half-time. Kavindu Perera, Gayan Perera, Naveen Marasinghe, captain Srinath Sooriyabandara, more..

Aug 31 (ST) Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) has decided to hold a public inquiry to determine the accuracy of figures quoted by Electricity Generation Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. regarding the cost incurred when generating electricity using fuel. PUCSL’s investigation has been prompted by reports that the state-owned company has been submitting inflated figures regarding the fuel cost incurred in the generation of electricity. Accordingly, representations have been made to the regulator more..

Aug 31 (ST) Well known author and journalist, Vijita Fernando passed away on Thursday, a few months short of her 100th birthday. She was born in Hikkaduwa in 1926 and at the time of her death, she was probably the oldest living graduate of the Uni of Ceylon. She is considered one of the country’s most accomplished literary personalities. Winning numerous State Literary Awards and the Gratiaen Prize in 2002 for her translation of creative Sinhala fiction into English, she has also served as more..

Aug 31 (TM) The professional valuation of the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery’s assets is expected to be completed by the end of October, as CPC moves ahead with preparations linked to the future development of the country’s only oil refinery. CPC Managing Director Mayura Neththikumarage said that professional services firm EY had been engaged to carry out a comprehensive valuation of the refinery’s assets, more..

Aug 31 (FT) The first meeting of the SL-Japan Joint Working Group (JWG) on Export-Oriented Industrial Corridor Development was convened in Colombo last week. Representatives from the Embassy of Japan, Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry (METI), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), as well as officials from more..

Aug 31 (Island) For generations, the Jaffna Peninsula has relied almost entirely on an underground freshwater lens. With no major perennial rivers to lean on, the region has long walked a tightrope between water scarcity, seasonal droughts, and a creeping groundwater salinity that has challenged communities across the North. Today, however, a monumental shift is underway along the windswept Vadamaradchi coast. To understand how Sri Lanka is rewriting its more..

Aug 31 (TM) Govt cannot immediately enforce strict standards on private hospitals as this could result in many hospitals facing difficulties in continuing their operations and even being forced to close, Deputy Minister Dr Hansaka Wijemuni said. He said govt was planning to gradually strengthen the regulatory mechanism for the private health sector, with several regulatory measures expected to be introduced over the next few months. more..

Aug 31 (Island) What happens when readers finally see themselves in the pages of a book? For Amendra Haputhanthri, Director of Sarasavi Bookshop (Pvt) Ltd, the answer is profound: something changes. A place, a culture, a memory and an identity that may have remained invisible suddenly become visible through literature. “Nothing is as exciting for us as finding our own place or our own stories in a book,” Haputhanthri says. It is this conviction that lies behind Fairway Street of more..

Aug 31 (FT) The Tourism Ministry will today (31) launch consultancies for the development of a Global Promotional Campaign Roadmap and the National Tourism Strategic Plan 2026–2030, with support from the World Bank’s Grant Facility for Project Preparation (GFPP). The Ministry is expected to brief the media on the two initiatives, including their objectives and significance for the future development, competitiveness, and int'l promotion of the tourism industry. more..

Aug 31 (FT) National Savings Bank Group (NSB) recorded resilient core banking performance during the first six months of 2026, supported by stronger net interest income, a notable expansion in fee-based earnings and continued growth in loans and advances. The results demonstrate the Bank’s capacity to maintain business momentum while navigating cost pressures and volatility in market-related income. Bank reported total operating income of Rs. 45.8 billion for the period, more..

Aug 31 (DN) Unbeaten Colombo South U-17 emerged champions of the SLC U-17 Sri Lanka Youth League Cricket tournament 2026 conducted by SLC on Saturday. Unbeaten Colombo South U-17 beat Galle U-17 by 198 runs in the final played at Samadhi ground Anuradhapura on Saturday (29). Galle U-17 won the toss and elected to field first. Colombo South U-17 scored 297 runs for 7 wickets in 50 overs. Reshon Solomons scored 87 runs in 90 deliveries with 13 boundaries and a six. more..