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Jul 8 (NW) Senior researcher Dr. Sanjana Hattotuwa has published what he describes as SL’s first systematic study into AI-generated fake women profiles operating on Facebook, revealing a coordinated network designed to lure users towards gambling, adult chat, crypto and other dubious financial platforms. The report examined 10 Facebook accounts and found that none belonged to real women. Instead, the accounts allegedly used AI-generated identities to create fabricated personas that attracted users more..

Jul 8 (PMD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that the 2027 Budget would place special emphasis on finding lasting solutions to the public's long-standing drinking water issues. Prez made these remarks while participating in a discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat this morning to review the progress of projects implemented under the 2026 Budget allocations for the Ministry of Housing, Construction & Water Supply and to discuss the Ministry's budgetary requirements for 2027. more..

Jul 8 (EN) Sri Lanka’s prison system is facing severe overcrowding because of the govt’s Ratama Ekata anti-drugs programme, with the inmate population nearly quadrupling its official capacity, minister Nalinda Jayatissa has said. The prison population has surged to 41,000, exceeding the system’s capacity of 11,000 inmates, he told reporters, in a sharp escalation from Sept 2024, when the prison population stood close to 28,000. “In prisons that can only accommodate 11,000 inmates, more..

Jul 8 (DM) Former Cabinet Minister Jagath Pushpakumara was arrested today by officers of the CIABOC over several alleged corruption offences. He was taken into custody this morning after being summoned to record a statement. The charges filed against Pushpakumara include allegations related to the misuse of state resources and violations of procurement procedures. The first allegation relates to 2014, when the suspect allegedly instructed the printing of 250,000 posters more..

Jul 8 (DM) Health authorities have warned of a sharp rise in skin disease cases across SL, with tinea (ringworm) emerging as one of the most commonly reported fungal skin infections. Health experts have raised concerns over the recent increase in tinea cases, noting that around 20% of patients attending dermatology clinics are being treated for the fungal infection. Dr. Nayani Madarasinghe warned that a major concern was the widespread use of steroid-containing creams more..

Jul 8 (NW) Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court today ordered that the case against former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and former Presidential Secretary Saman Ekanayake, who face allegations of misusing state funds, be called again on Sept 30 to obtain the AG’s position on the legal steps to be taken. Case was heard before Magistrate Pasan Amarasena. Officials of the CID informed the court that investigations had been completed and referred to the Attorney General. more..

Jul 8 (DM) Anthropic, company behind the Claude AI chatbot, tracks how people around the world use its models through what it calls the Anthropic Economic Index. The Index breaks down usage by country, by occupation, and by task type, using data pulled from Claude.ai conversations. SL sits at rank 83 out of 121 countries measured, with a usage index of 0.56x. In simple terms, that means Sri Lankans are using Claude at just over half the rate you'd expect for a country of its size and workforce. more..

Jul 8 (Island) Information has emerged that underworld figure Mohommad Najim Mohommad Imran, alias Kanjipani Imran, who fled the country after obtaining bail despite facing numerous serious criminal charges, including murder and drug trafficking, is continuing to direct SL’s organised crime and narcotics network from abroad. According to Police Headquarters sources, the suspect is maintaining close links with several terrorist groups based in India, Pakistan and Algeria. more..

Jul 8 (Island) Former Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris yesterday alleged that Prisons intelligence personnel were responsible for causing Monday’s riot in the Negombo Remand Prison. The Convenor of the opposition grouping, based at former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Flower Road Office, asked who had sent the intelligence personel from the Prison headquarters in Colombo to Negombo after authorities had managed to bring the previous day’s incidents under control. more..

Jul 8 (FT) SL Export Development Board (EDB), in collaboration with the Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Ministry announced that the deadline for online exhibitor registration for Sri Lanka Expo 2027 will be open till 31 July, 2026. SL Expo 2027, scheduled to be held from 14 to 17 Jan 2027 at the BMICH, Colombo, is the country’s premier international trade exhibition, aimed at showcasing SL’s export potential and strengthening global trade partnerships. more..

Jul 8 (DM) Several individuals and organisations, including prominent Buddhist monks, have sought the permission of the Court of Appeal to intervene in the writ application filed by Suresh Sallay, former Director of the SIS, challenging the legality of his arrest and detention. Lntervention petitions were filed by Dr. Gunadasa Amarasekera, Ven. Bengamuwe Nalaka Thera, Ven. Dapane Sumanawansha Thera, Dimbulagala Rahulalankara Thera, and Global SL Forum. more..

Jul 8 (AD) Opposition MPs staged a protest by wearing black armbands at the commencement of the parliamentary session this morning. The protest was held to demand that the govt accept responsibility for the deaths of 27 people following the recent clash at the Negombo Prison, according to opposition MPs. MPs entered Parliament wearing black bands in a show of protest over the incident. A total of 27 individuals including seven prison officers died in the clashes while over 100 sustained injuries. more..

Jul 8 (DM) A locally made firearm turned out by a young man in the Wellawaya area to scare giant squirrels, monkeys and macaques causing crop devastation was sold in Badulla town to the public. Inventor Supun Disanayake said the use of that gun was quite easy and safe. “A cracker should be inserted to the muzzle of the gun and a cigarette lighter fitted to the gun sparks off a flame just as the trigger is pulled and ignites the cracker which explodes. A marble or a pebble inserted to the muzzle more..

Jul 8 (DM) The flooding of the domestic market with imported rice ahead of the harvesting season has triggered the current crisis in the paddy marketing sector, according to analysts. As much as 156,285 tonnes of Ponni Samba rice from India and another 519 tonnes from China had been imported in recent months after the Govt relaxed import restrictions despite the approaching Yala harvesting season. In addition, 3,797.5 tonnes of Basmati rice had been imported from India, more..

Jul 8 (AD) A female Land Registrar has been arrested by the CID over her alleged involvement in a large-scale racket of aiding organised criminals by forging documents and unlawfully transferring ownership of properties. The arrest was made yesterday following an extensive investigation conducted by the FCID. Investigation revealed that the suspect, who was attached to a Land Registry Office in Colombo, had allegedly provided second copies of extracts and deeds of properties to external parties. more..

Jul 8 (NW) The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has raised concern over the violent incidents at Negombo Prison between July 5 and 7, which left 27 dead, including seven prison officers, and more than 100 injured. In a strongly worded statement issued today (08), the BASL condemned all acts of violence within detention facilities, warning that such incidents undermine the Rule of Law, erode public confidence in justice, and endanger both inmates and prison staff. more..

Jul 8 (FT) Sri Lanka has incurred an estimated foreign exchange loss exceeding $100 million as a result of the Govt's delay of more than one year in deciding the fate of approximately 50,000 metric tons of imported salt. The consignments comprise approximately 42,000 metric tons imported in 1,500 containers and a further 10,000 metric tons imported as bulk cargo. The prolonged delay has resulted in substantial economic losses, including the locking up of scarce foreign exchange, more..

Jul 8 (FT) SL’s private sector is facing a structural labour shortage. This is no longer a temporary disruption caused by the pandemic or the economic crisis. It is a long-term constraint driven by declining labour force participation, large-scale outward migration, demographic shifts, and outdated labour market intelligence. Across agriculture, construction, manufacturing, logistics, and services, businesses are struggling to fill vacancies. Recruitment cycles are longer, more..

Jul 8 (TM) Minister Harshana Nanayakkara yesterday alleged that the deadly violence at Negombo prison was an organised attempt by criminal elements to cripple the prison's security systems and protect an illegal drug network operating inside the facility, as the Govt announced sweeping reforms to address long-standing weaknesses in the prison system. His remarks came after 27 people, including prison officers more..

Jul 8 (AD) A new prison is set to be established in the Mahamodara area of Galle, according to an Extraordinary Gazette notification issued by the Minister of Justice and National Integration, Harshana Nanayakkara. The gazette notification was issued under the powers granted to the Minister by Section 2 of the Prisons Ordinance (Chapter 54). According to the notification, the facility will be established as the Mahamodara Prison, with its jurisdiction covering the entire country. more..

Jul 8 (NW) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa on Tuesday said the recent deadly unrest at Negombo Prison demonstrated the Government’s failure to ensure national security, questioning how it could protect the public if it could not guarantee security within prisons. Speaking during the adjournment debate in Parliament on the Negombo Prison incident, Sajith said the Govt bore full responsibility for the deaths and injuries sustained during the violence.. more..

Jul 8 (TM) 27 people, including seven Prison officers, have died in the worst violence to hit the Negombo Prison in recent years after a second wave of clashes erupted inside the facility on Monday, prompting multiple investigations, a Cabinet-appointed inquiry, and the transfer of hundreds of inmates to prisons across the country. Although authorities said the unrest had been brought under control by yesterday more..

Jul 8 (DN) Experienced Lankan National women’s cricketer Nilakshika Silva is among the ICC women’s T-20 World Cup team of the tournament. ICC has been named a 12-member team and Nilakshika is the only SL player with other top players who performed well in the recently concluded T-20 World Cup. Nilakshika is named for number six batter of this team. She is the most consistent batter of SL team in this T-20 WC having won two Player of the Match awards against NZ & Scotland. more..

Jul 8 (TM) The Govt removed the fuel restrictions previously imposed on Ministers, MPs and other public officials as part of measures to curb public expenditure during the energy crisis. According to reports, the Secretary to the Finance Ministry has issued a circular informing all Secretaries of Ministries, Provincial Chief Secretaries, Heads of Commissions, Govt Departments, District Secretariats, State Corporations and statutory Boards of the decision. more..

Jul 8 (DM) Acting Commissioner General of Prisons Prasad Hemantha Kumara has defended the actions of an officer seen opening fire through a gate during the recent unrest at Negombo Prison, saying the officer acted to prevent a catastrophic prison breach and protect prison officers trapped inside. Addressing widely circulated social media footage of the incident, Acting Prisons Chief said the video showed only a small part of the confrontation and failed to capture the critical situation unfolding more..

Jul 8 (NW) Construction of Sri Lanka’s first public heated swimming pool began in Bandarawela on Tuesday (07), with the government saying the facility is aimed at improving access to modern training infrastructure for athletes from rural areas. The foundation stone for the project was laid at the Uva Provincial Sports Complex. The facility is being developed under the direct supervision of the Department of Sports Development at an estimated cost of Rs. 144,191,250. more..

Jul 8 (TM) Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Ministry acknowledged yesterday that it did not carry out a direct assessment to determine whether the economic benefits that SL receives from mineral extraction and imports outweigh the related environmental, social, and economic impact and resource depletion costs before drafting this year’s National Mineral Policy. Subject Minister Sunil Handunnetti also said more..

Jul 8 (DM) The Sri Lanka Navy has continued its support for the national dengue prevention campaign for the third consecutive day, joining efforts to strengthen the Towards a Dengue-Free Colombo initiative. More than 50 naval personnel attached to the Western Naval Command took part in the campaign today alongside Medical Officers of Health, Public Health Inspectors, Divisional Secretariat officials and members of the International Committee of the Red Cross. more..

Jul 8 (NW) A man has been arrested by the CIABOC over an alleged fraud involving the illegal registration of two vehicles that were imported into Sri Lanka without customs clearance. The suspect is accused of assisting in the fraudulent registration of the two vehicles by allegedly working with officials at the Department of Motor Traffic to enter the vehicles into the department’s computer system. Investigators allege the vehicles had been imported without paying customs duties more..

Jul 8 (Island) A capacity-building programme for 30 officials from the National Audit Office (NAO) of SL was held at the International Centre for Information Systems and Audit (iCISA), Noida, India from 22 June to 03 July 2026. Text of the Indian HC statement: ”The programme was conducted at iCISA, a premier institution established in March 2002 and recognized as a Global Training Facility of the Int'l Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) Working Group on IT Audit. more..

Jul 8 (Island) Book lovers in Sri Lanka are preparing to write a new chapter in its cultural history with the launch of the country’s first-ever Colombo Literary Festival, an ambitious six-day celebration of books, ideas, history, cinema and creative dialogue that organisers believe will, eventually, stand alongside some of the world’s most respected literary festivals. From July 24 to 29, the historic Arcade Independence Square will transform into a vibrant meeting place for readers, more..