Aug 6 (NW) Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) Leader and MP Mano Ganesan has reassured India that SL’s ongoing constitutional reform process will not dilute the devolution framework established under the 13th Amendment, while pressing for constitutional recognition of the Non‑Territorial Tamil Community Council (NTTC) to safeguard the democratic aspirations of Indian‑Origin Tamils. Speaking at a meeting with visiting Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Mishri at India House more..

Aug 6 (DN) Sri Lanka has secured market access to export fresh pineapples to Pakistan after successfully meeting the technical and phytosanitary requirements set by Pakistani authorities.Time & Calendars The breakthrough follows the conclusion of years of technical discussions and regulatory procedures between the two countries, paving the way for SL pineapples to enter the Pakistani market. The initiative was carried out through the joint efforts of Consulate General of SL in Karachi, more..

Aug 6 (NW) According to Anti‑Corruption Act, asset and liability declarations of public representatives will be made accessible to the public, while those of non‑public representatives will remain confidential under a new amendment announced in Parliament today. Govt has decided to revise the gazette notification issued last month, which had suspended the publication of asset declarations of public representatives more..

Aug 6 (EN) TM App has engaged, conducted and promoted a prohibited scheme, SL’s central bank has said issuing a public notice on prohibited pyramid schemes. “In terms of Section 83 (C) of the Banking Act, No. 30 of 1988, as amended, Central Bank of SL has conducted an investigation, ascertained and determined that TM App has engaged, conducted and promoted a prohibited scheme.” Companies/apps that have been ascertained and determined as prohibited more..

Aug 6 (AD) Govt schools and govt-approved private schools will close for the August holidays tomorrow (7) and will reopen on Sept 7, according to the Ministry of Education. The Ministry announced that the first phase of the third school term for 2026 will end tomorrow for Sinhala and Tamil medium schools. The first phase of the third term for Muslim schools will end on Wednesday, Sept 2. The second phase of the third school term will commence for all schools on Monday, Sept 7, more..

Aug 6 (Island) Amnesty International has said that Sri Lanka should publicly explain the steps taken to date and set out how they intend to overcome the long-standing obstacles that have prevented justice for 17 aid workers, from the French humanitarian association Action contre la Faim (ACF), killed in Muttur. The AI demanded that Sri Lanka must finally deliver truth, justice and reparations, Amnesty International said. more..

Aug 6 (NW) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has underscored that new scientific research must deliver tangible benefits to citizens while strengthening SL’s economy, warning that only nations that harness the transformative power of research and development (R&D) will thrive in the future. Speaking during a review of the Ministry of Science and Technology’s 2026 projects and proposals for the 2027 Budget, Prez said R&D has been the foundation of the world’s most more..

Aug 6 (Island) Minister Ananda Wijepala yesterday said death threats directed at the IGP were an attempt by those linked to drug trafficking networks to derail ongoing investigations, but vowed that the govt would not retreat from its campaign against organised crime. Addressing Parliament during the adjournment debate on the CoPF report into the cyber theft of US$2.5 million earmarked for the repayment of an Australian loan, Minister said the rapid progress of investigations had instilled more..

Aug 6 (DM) Dept of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) has completed a comprehensive coral reef survey within the Kayankerni Marine Sanctuary and the adjacent Pasikuda coastal area to evaluate the current status of coral reef ecosystems and strengthen future conservation and management initiatives. The survey, carried out by the DWC's Marine Unit, assessed the health of coral reefs inside the protected sanctuary as well as in nearby unprotected waters. more..

Aug 6 (NW) Telecom Regulatory Commission of SL (TRCSL) will proceed with issuing directions to implement mobile number portability under the SL Telecom Act and the conditions of operators’ licences by the end of September, Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne told Parliament today. He said the govt will, if necessary, commission mobile number portability first, ahead of fixed services, so that the majority of subscribers are not forced to wait on disputes that do not concern them. more..

Aug 6 (Island) Top NPP official Lal Wijenayake said that his ruling party could still abandon the utterly damaging bid to introduce a constitutional amendment to extend the retirement ages of Supreme Court and Court of Appeal judges. Member of the NPP’s Leadership Council Wijenayake said so responding to The Island queries regarding his opposition to the govt move. Declaring that he wouldn’t support the move, more..

Aug 6 (DM) A woman who has spent her own money caring for street dogs has received support from the Animal Welfare Coalition (AWC) after an incident involving her while feeding animals in the Malabe area went viral on social media. The woman, who has dedicated her time and personal resources to helping stray dogs, provides food, arranges rabies vaccinations and supports sterilisation programmes aimed at controlling the street dog population, according to the AWC. more..

Aug 6 (AD) An Indian fishing vessel with 11 crew members met with an accident in SL waters, prompting a rescue operation by the island nation’s navy. According to the SL Navy, trawler had reportedly crossed the International Maritime Boundary Line into SL waters and allegedly engaged in bottom trawling before it ran aground. The incident occurred on a coastal reef off Delft Island, also known as Neduntheevu, located in the Palk Strait off the northern coast of mainland SL. more..

Aug 6 (NW) Ministers Nalinda Jayatissa and Harshana Nanayakkara met His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith at the Archbishop’s House in Colombo today for a special discussion on judicial and prison reforms. The meeting aimed to update the Archbishop on the govt’s reform agenda and to clarify facts amid what officials described as the spread of misleading information. The ministers outlined more..

Aug 6 (AD) Minister Dr. Upali Pannila has stated that the govt has allocated Rs. 44 billion for the National Housing Development Programme. The Minister made the announcement while handing over a house built under the A Comfortable House - An Empowered Family Ran Vimana housing scheme to a homeless Aswesuma beneficiary family in the Pelanwatta West Grama Niladhari Division of the Kesbewa Divisional Secretariat Division (DSD) in the Colombo District today. more..

Aug 6 (NW) Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said Sri Lanka should transform its long-standing relationship with India into a stronger and more productive economic partnership by expanding cooperation in investment, industry and innovation. He made the remarks while addressing the opening session of India Calling, a business forum organised by the Lanka India Business Association (LIBA) to strengthen SL-India economic relations. The event, held at the Taj Samudra Hotel in Colombo, more..

Aug 6 (DM) The SL Foreign Employment Agency (SLFEA) has taken steps to expand employment opportunities in Japan for Sri Lankan professionals through a new partnership with Japan-based METATECHNO INC. SLFEA, an affiliate of the SL Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) under Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, signed a MoU with METATECHNO INC. to strengthen the recruitment and placement of qualified SL professionals in Japan. more..

Aug 6 (AD) Central Bank of SL (CBSL) has issued a public notice warning citizens against engaging with a number of companies and applications identified as prohibited pyramid schemes under the Banking Act, No. 30 of 1988, as amended. CBSL stated that an investigation conducted under Section 83(C) of the Act found that TM App had engaged in, conducted, and promoted a prohibited scheme. Following the investigation, Central Bank has determined several other companies more..

Aug 6 (EN) The govt is preparing changes to doctors’ allowances, professional pathways, and hospital cadre lists while taking steps to process an internship backlog of nearly 2,000 medical graduates, Deputy Minister of Health Hansaka Wijemuni told Parliament. Addressing questions, he said the govt is evaluating revisions to allowances, working conditions, and rules governing medical officers. more..

Aug 6 (DM) The monthly salaries of MPs have been increased by Rs. 60,000, MP Ramanathan Archchuna told Parliament. He said the new salary of an MP is now Rs. 484,000. "You can increase salaries for MPs but are unable to increase the salaries of poor state workers," he told the MPs on govt benches. The MP was engaged in a showdown with govt MP Upul Kithsiri who asked him to speak to the point. "You allow others to speak of many things while only I am prevented. This is unfair," more..

Aug 6 (TM) Health sector authorities warned the public to exercise caution during the upcoming perahera season in the backdrop of the El Nińo triggered rainy season, emphasising the need to prevent the creation of dengue breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Acting Director of the National Dengue Control Unit, Dr Kapila Kannangara said that while the number of reported dengue patients is currently declining, a surge could be expected if the public acts negligently in the face of upcoming more..

Aug 6 (NF) "Sri Lanka does not have an Olympic gold medal. I will bring that gold medal to SL." Those were the words of newly crowned world number one javelin thrower Rumesh Tharanga, who says his greatest achievement may still lie ahead despite already rewriting the history books of SL athletics. Just days after ending SL's 20-year wait for a Commonwealth Games gold medal, Rumesh has reached another extraordinary milestone by more..

Aug 6 (NW) The Court of Appeal has postponed until Sept 23 the hearing of an appeal filed by former MP Hirunika Premachandra seeking to overturn her three-year rigorous imprisonment sentence imposed by the Colombo High Court. The appeal challenges the June 28, 2024 judgment, which found Premachandra guilty over the 2015 abduction, unlawful detention and assault of a young employee from a shop in Dematagoda. Premachandra has requested the Court of Appeal to set aside more..

Aug 6 (EN) Sri Lanka’s Hela Apparel Holdings has initiated court proceedings to wind up the company and its primary subsidiaries, marking the end of one of the country’s major apparel exporters. In a disclosure to the Colombo Stock Exchange, the company announced that it, along with Hela Clothing (Private) Limited and Foundation Garments (Private) Limited, is unable to continue business due to an inability to meet debt obligations and persistent liquidity constraints. more..

Aug 6 (FT) If a country is guided by the right ideas about the main things, it will not go too far wrong, but if it is not, it won’t succeed sustainably—whatever assets it may have. All it takes is one big bad idea. For example, there was never any chance that the tiniest fraction of the daily output of global knowledge flowing through the world in the English language, the closest humanity has to a universal language, could ever be translated into Sinhala. Therefore, Sinhala Only would have been more..

Aug 6 (FT) Central Bank of SL’s newly imposed Direction No. 2 of 2026 on gold-backed lending has stirred significant debate across the financial sector and wider society. The directive, which mandates a maximum Loan-to-Value (LTV) ratio of 70% for gold loans and pawning facilities offered by banks and licensed finance companies (LFCs), aims to strengthen prudential risk management. Yet, industry stakeholders warn that the measure is creating unintended hardships for households, more..

Aug 6 (FT) Govt has expanded investigations into the $ 2.5 million cyber theft from SL’s sovereign debt repayment system, with bank and digital transaction records being sought from six countries while international law enforcement agencies assist efforts to trace the stolen funds. Minister Ananda Wijepala told Parliament yesterday that investigations into the cyber fraud remain under the supervision of the Fort Magistrate, more..

Aug 6 (Island) In a major international law enforcement crackdown, a key police operation has been launched in Malaysia to apprehend notorious underworld leader and international drug kingpin Mohamed Najeem Mohamed Imran, alias Kanjipani Imran. Sources said that the joint operation had been launched following high-level directives issued by the Public Security Minister, the Secretary to the Ministry, Inspector General of Police (IGP), and the Senior DIG of the CID. more..

Aug 6 (ST) Between Jan 1 and July 5 in 2026, a total of 1,355 road accidents have been reported, resulting in 1,424 fatalities, said Traffic Police Director Manoj Ranagala. The figures represent an increase of more than 100 fatal incidents compared to the same period last year, depicting a considerable rise of road accidents recently. Pedestrians and motorcyclists remain the most affected groups, accounting for 484 and 488 deaths, respectively, so far this year. more..

Aug 6 (TM) Health Ministry is nearing the completion of a scientific cadre revision covering all categories of health workers, while also planning to introduce performance-based targets to ensure the effective use of human and other resources, Deputy Minister Dr Hansaka Wijemuni said. He said the new cadre revision is being carried out using a set of guidelines developed under the leadership of the Additional Secretary for Medical Services more..

Aug 6 (AD) Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has urged the Sri Lankan leadership to hold the long-delayed elections to the Provincial Councils at the earliest and to fully implement constitutional provisions to meet the aspirations of the Tamil people. Indian External Affairs Ministry said, during Indian Foreign Secretary Misri’s visit to Sri Lanka, he also highlighted bilateral discussions on Indian assistance to SL’s recovery from Cyclone Ditwah, collaborations in the energy sector and more..

Aug 6 (FT) Transparency International SL (TISL) yesterday urged the Government to withdraw proposed amendments to the Anti-Corruption Act, warning that they would weaken public scrutiny of asset and liability declarations and undermine a key accountability reform. The organisation said the Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Bill, gazetted on 24 July, would restrict the legitimate use of information contained in asset declarations, expand the discretion of CIABOC to redact information, more..