Aug 15 (ST) SL fishermen, whose livelihoods have been affected, confronted Indian poachers in mid-sea off the coast of Puttalam this week, fisher unions said, urging authorities to redouble efforts to curb unlawful fishing in Sri Lankan waters. SL fisher unions said fishermen from Tuticorin and Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu were emboldened enough to bring their boats just 5 km off Bathalangunduwa Island on northwest coast. more..

Aug 15 (FT) Colombo stocks market ended the week in green, extending its upward momentum to a third straight session on buoyant investor sentiment. During the week, ASPI gained 1.18% or 253.08 points and the S&P SL20 was up 1.29% or 77.56 points. Yesterday, with 113 counters closing in green against 108 in red ASPI ended up 0.39% or 84.17 points at 21,623.17 and the S&P SL20 was up 0.56% or 33.63 points at 6,065.72. Market turnover was Rs. 2.24 b on nearly 76 m shares traded. more..

Aug 15 (FT) Govt has shortlisted five out of eight interested parties for the divestiture of its stake in Canwill Holdings, with two Indian hotel companies and three bids involving SL firms advancing to the Request for Proposals (RFP) stage. Finance, Planning & Economic Development Ministry this week named India’s Chalet Hotels, and Juniper Hotels, among the five pre-qualified bidders. The other shortlisted parties are a consortium comprising Phoenix Ventures, and Bluestone Capital, more..

Aug 15 (FT) The CB expects headline inflation to remain above its 5% target in the near term, with risks tilted to the upside as energy and transport costs, exchange-rate pass-through and food prices add to price pressures. In its Monetary Policy Report for Aug 2026, the CBSL said headline inflation based on the Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI) averaged 5.9% in the second quarter, ending an eight-quarter period during which inflation remained below the target by more than the margin more..

Aug 15 (FT) Bank of Ceylon (BOC), SL’s largest bank, posted Rs. 67 billion Profit Before Tax (PBT) for the first half of 2026 as it continued to make significant contributions to the economy and growth. Chairman Kavinda de Zoysa said: “Building on our strong financial base and enduring commitment to the nation, BOC remains dedicated to supporting Sri Lanka’s economic growth and sustainable development. During 1H 2026, our focus on operational excellence, prudent risk more..

Aug 15 (DM) SL’s relationship with artificial intelligence has crossed a critical threshold. According to the Digital Outlook SL 2026 report, 81% of the island’s internet users now use AI to search for information, with a quarter abandoning traditional search engines entirely. However, as millions turn to tools like ChatGPT for educational, financial, and medical queries, experts warn that algorithmically generated confidence is dangerously more..

Aug 15 (FT) Sri Lanka at present appears to be the proposed two-year extension to the retirement age of judges which the Govt argues could assist in making a reduction in the massive backlog of pending cases amounting over 1.1 million as per the Justice Ministry. Few seem to be realising that this is only a symptom of a far more deep-seated issue arising from years of neglect of the judiciary system where under funding, inadequate remuneration, understaffing and under development of more..

Aug 15 (FT) Is Rosamund Pike somehow SL’s version of the late Diana Spencer, in her avatar as an angel of mercy? There are, certainly, worse things for a country such as we are still emerging from a crippling war, than having the Gone Girl turn up to help remove our landmines. The British actress – star of the James Bond movie, Die Another Day; and more recently, Oscar-nominated for her role in I, Tonya – was in SL this week as ambassador for the Mines Advisory Group (MAG). more..

Aug 15 (Island) A large part of the community of lawyers in the unofficial bar in this country is in uproar against a motion on the part of the govt to raise the age at which judges of some courts must compulsorily retire. Some of the most eminent scholars of law in this country and, indeed, in the world, are actively engaged in a sustained public protest campaign against the proposal and they cite the law, as is their wont. To me this is not simply a question of law and conventions more..

Aug 15 (Island) SL politicians are notorious for rushing in where their counterparts in mature democracies fear to tread. Whenever they secure special majorities in Parliament, they cannot resist the temptation to amend the Constitution to further their political interests. All previous govts with two-thirds majorities did so and plunged the country into political quagmires. Ironically, those short-sighted politicians and their parties subsequently had to vote for the abolition of such ill-conceived more..

Aug 15 (SO) Sri Lanka is once again facing a tragedy that has become all too familiar. Torrential rains, landslides, floods and powerful winds have left communities devastated across many parts of the country, exposing not only the destructive force of nature but also the country’s continued struggle to prepare for increasingly extreme weather occurrences. The latest figures released by the DMC paint a grim picture. more..

Aug 15 (TM) Sri Lanka is considering a new Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) (Registration and Supervision) Act of 2026 (the Bill), which would repeal and replace the Voluntary Social Services Organisations (VSSOs) Act, No. 31 of 1980. The Bill is being advanced during SL’s ongoing Financial Action Task Force (FATF) mutual evaluation cycle and appears intended to demonstrate progress on anti-money laundering, countering terrorist financing (AML/CTF) obligations. more..

Aug 15 (GV) SL’s crisis of 2022 was much more than an economic collapse. It was a profound crisis of governance that exposed the weaknesses of the relationship between the state and its citizens. Economic mismanagement, political upheaval, institutional decay and social divisions came together to demonstrate how vulnerable a state can become when public institutions lose their credibility and citizens lose confidence in those institutions. Lesson should be clear. more..

Aug 15 (SO) Booking a taxi or ordering food has become part of everyday life in SL. Millions of people use ride-hailing and delivery platforms expecting one simple thing: to reach their destination or receive their parcel safely. But a growing trend on social media is raising uncomfortable questions about whether customers are unknowingly becoming online content for strangers. Videos recorded by some ride-hailing drivers and delivery riders more..

Aug 15 (DM) SL’s prison system – and the judiciary – that keep flooding overcrowded prisons with an endless stream of inmates is a worthy case study of what one would call systemic incompetence. Thanks to the accumulated rot, the prison system is now exploding in violent riots with alarming frequency, reminiscent of a Latin American narco-state. The crisis in the prison system is what successive govts in the past and an inept bureaucracy made it to be. Same quarters are now blaming a conspiracy more..

Aug 15 (DM) The EU, it is reported, has called on Lanka to adopt comprehensive anti-discrimination laws to protect LGBTIQ persons as well as for decriminalisation of same sex relations as a means to achieve GST+ benefits. Wow! Same sex relationships and fluid gender expressions are widely acknowledged and recorded in regional literature. They were accommodated within pre-colonial South Asian societies. As for the death sentence, it is a dead letter. more..

Aug 14 (DM) A 53-year-old woman has been arrested by the Illegal Assets Investigation Division over properties and assets allegedly acquired through drug trafficking. Police said the investigation was launched after the IGP received information regarding a drug trafficker residing on Ferguson Road in Colombo 14, who had allegedly accumulated substantial assets through the illegal trade. Following reports submitted to court by the division, assets & properties were frozen more..

Aug 14 (DM) When a vehicle needs to be stopped for a traffic offence, police officers must carry out the interception openly and professionally at a location visible to other road users and should not hide in isolated locations or behind bushes while attempting to stop motorists, DIG in charge of the Traffic and Road Safety Range, W.P.J. Senadheera said. DIG also reminded traffic officers that departmental circulars and guidelines clearly set out how roadside duties should be performed. more..

Aug 14 (DM) An illegal betting operation known locally as Kotu Kapima has emerged as a growing social and financial concern in SL, with authorities warning that the underground scheme was attracting increasing numbers of gamblers and large sums of money. The issue was highlighted during a meeting of the CoPE Subcommittee, where National Lotteries Board Chairman Cyril Perera warned about more..

Aug 14 (CI) "The only thing I have to tell Niroshan Dickwella is to keep well. That's why he's in the team." Dhananjaya de Silva minced no words as he responded to probing questions on the recall of 33-year-old Dickwella to the SL Test squad. With no other wicketkeeper-batter selected - Dinesh Chandimal now bats at No. 3 and does not keep wicket in Tests - Dickwella is almost certain to be named in the XI on Saturday. There are few players in SL who polarise opinion like Dickwella, more..

Aug 14 (AD) More than 200,000 cases are resolved annually through Mediation Boards, Minister of Justice and National Integration, Attorney-at-Law Harshana Nanayakkara said. Minister made these remarks while attending the National Mediation Day celebration held today. He said 2026 could be considered a significant year for the mediation process, noting that more than Rs. 800 million had been allocated to the Mediation Boards Commission through this year’s Budget. more..

Aug 14 (DM) More than 25,000 patients across SL are currently awaiting heart surgeries, major surgical procedures and essential medical tests, with the waiting list for some heart operations reportedly extending as far as 2029, raising fresh questions over the Govt’s response to the country’s growing healthcare backlog. Doctors' Trade Union Alliance for Medical and Civil Rights President Specialist, more..

Aug 14 (NW) Former SL cricket captain Sanath Jayasuriya officially launched the Dongcheng Hand Tools range in SL at the BMICH in Colombo on Friday. Dongcheng, Asia’s No. 1 power tools brand, expanded its product portfolio in SL with the introduction of its new hand tools range through Deen Brothers (DBL). The range was unveiled during the Construct Exhibition 2026, with Jayasuriya officially launching the products in the presence of DBL and Dongcheng more..

Aug 14 (NF) The Govt has extended the 50% surcharge imposed on customs import duties for imported vehicles until December 31, continuing a measure initially introduced to reduce foreign exchange outflows. The surcharge was first imposed on May 16 as part of efforts to contain the country's expenditure on foreign exchange arising from vehicle imports. The Ministry of Finance initially introduced the measure for a period of three months. That period was due to expire tomorrow. more..

Aug 14 (PMD) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has emphasized that, in a small market such as Sri Lanka, it cannot be expected that the prices of goods and services will be regulated solely through market competition. Prez stressed the need for the Govt to establish a strong price regulation mechanism and towards this end, to further strengthen Lanka Sathosa and the co-operative movement and utilize them as key market players, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said. more..

Aug 14 (DM) Police have arrested a woman and a man in connection with the abandonment of a four-year-old girl on Gammedda Road in Yatirawana Mudune, Wattegama yesterday. According to reports, the child had been brought to the area in a three-wheeler before being abandoned there. The two suspects were arrested by officers attached to the Hali Ela Police Station today. The female suspect is reportedly the mother of the child, while the male suspect is alleged to be her paramour. more..

Aug 14 (DM) The Govt’s proposal for the re-introduction of capital punishment will have a direct bearing on its lobby to retaining the GSP+ trade facility when exporting to countries in the European Union (EU) which has traditionally opposed it. The decision was announced by the Govt after a meeting chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake last Monday. The EU, in its latest GSP+ review report on SL covering more..

Aug 14 (AD) An investigation has been launched into the disappearance of a stock of school textbooks and activity books issued by the Dept of Educational Publications, according to the Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Nalaka Kaluwewe. He said that a complaint had also been lodged with the Police regarding the incident. He explained that the transportation of textbooks and activity books issued by the Dept of Educational Publications is carried out by a private transport company more..

Aug 14 (NW) A knowledge exchange and orientation programme for 20 High Court Judges from SL was conducted at the Indian National Judicial Academy (NJA), Bhopal, from August 10–14, 2026, according to the High Commission of India in SL. The programme featured nine thematic sessions covering judicial function and decision‑making, leadership and strategic thinking, integrity and accountability in governance, technology use in courts and digital transformation, court and more..

Aug 14 (Island) DTNA media spokesperson ex-MP Suresh Premachandran has called on the govt to begin investigations into the skeletal remains recovered from the alleged mass grave at Chemmani, in accordance with international standards and with the assistance of international organisations. Premachandran noted that more than 500 sets of skeletal remains had been exhumed and that excavation had continued for over 100 more..

Aug 14 (DM) A video circulating on social media has raised questions over police conduct during a routine vehicle check near the Wariyapola Police Station. According to the video, a man was travelling by motorcycle with his daughter from Kurunegala towards Padeniya at around 1 a.m. on Aug 8, when a group of police officers signalled them to stop while displaying a firearm. “On 08-08-2026, at around 1 a.m., I was travelling by motorcycle from Kurunegala towards Padeniya with my daughter. more..

Aug 14 (NW) Additional Solicitor General President’s Counsel Dileepa Peiris has called for an end to the practice of merely forwarding important official communications with the notation FNA — For Necessary Action — citing the handling of intelligence ahead of the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. Peiris said it was time to move away from the FNA culture and ensure officials take responsibility for acting on critical information rather than simply passing it down the chain. more..