Sat, Aug 15, 2026
22 headlines
SRI LANKA NEWS DIGEST - Saturday, August 15, 2026
CRIME AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
Notorious drug kingpin Shiran Basik was flown back to Sri Lanka last night (14) from Dubai, where he had been arrested, along with two other suspected underworld figures, in the custody of Sri Lankan law enforcement authorities. Separately, the two men who stormed a birthday party at a Wattala hotel on July 23 and opened fire before fleeing to India by boat have been arrested and sent back from Chennai. Police have also arrested two suspects who assaulted and abandoned a four-year-old girl in a deserted area in Wattegama.
Additional Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris said marking sensitive intelligence as FNA (For Necessary Action) and passing it down the chain does not release a senior officer from accountability before the courts. Meanwhile, a video circulating on social media has raised questions over police conduct during a routine vehicle check near the Wariyapola Police Station. Police headquarters has instructed all stations to take legal action against drivers who park in a manner that obstructs designated bus stops.
POLITICS AND THE JUDICIARY
The government rejected claims that it is undermining the courts, with a minister insisting President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has not meddled with the judiciary and that the proposed 22nd Amendment is not designed to extend the retirement of any specific judge; judges who wish to retire early remain free to do so. SJB MP Harshana Rajakaruna countered that the government is ignoring the Mahanayake Theras and the international community over the same amendment, calling it an attempt to bring the judiciary under political control. Agriculture Minister K.D. Lal Kantha said he will not contest the next parliamentary election from the Kandy District, while maintaining the NPP government will stay in power.
ECONOMY
President Dissanayake called for a stronger co-operative movement and more active state retail institutions to help regulate market prices. Araliya Group Chairman Dudley Sirisena announced that paddy will be bought at government-certified prices from this morning (15), following talks with the President. The government has extended its 50 percent surcharge on Customs import duty for specified motor vehicles until December 31, 2026. Japan has confirmed that construction of the second passenger terminal at Bandaranaike International Airport will begin before November.
FESTIVALS AND RELIGION
Nearly 8,000 police and tri-forces personnel will be deployed under a comprehensive security and traffic plan for the 2026 Kandy Esala Perahera, running from August 18 to 28. In Jaffna, preparations are underway at the historic Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil for its 25-day annual festival, opening August 17 with the ceremonial flag hoisting. Catholics today mark the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the south, villagers and Buddhist monks in Hiriketiya protested to demand an investigation into, and the removal of, a newly opened Chabad House in the coastal tourist area.
WEATHER AND INFRASTRUCTURE
The Department of Meteorology warned that the heat index will reach the Caution level in parts of seven districts during daytime hours. The Gampola-Panangammana road, temporarily repaired by the RDA with community help after Cyclone Ditwath, has washed out again in adverse weather.
ALSO TODAY
The Ministry of Justice and National Integration said more than 200,000 disputes are referred to mediation boards nationwide each year. And in Battaramulla, staff at a popular hotel found an uninvited guest in the banquet hall: a crocodile.