Aug 11 (DM) Attention has been drawn to the possibility of imposing the death penalty for drug-related offences during a meeting of the Ratama Ekata (Country Together) National Operation Council held at the Presidential Secretariat on Monday (10). The meeting was chaired by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, with discussions focusing on the escalating drug crisis and its impact on SL’s economy & society, more..

Aug 11 (DM) Steps are being taken to include vocational education in the school curriculum under ongoing education reforms, Additional Secretary for Vocational Education Samanthi Senanayake said at a media briefing. She said that by 2031, the vocational curriculum is expected to be introduced as a separate A/L stream, allowing students completing 13 years of continuous education to obtain either an NVQ certificate or pursue higher education based on their A/L qualification. more..

Aug 11 (EN) Sri Lanka is preparing to cement its standing as a premier global hub for experiential travel as Raid Amazones, the world’s leading women-only adventure challenge, returns to the island from Nov 2–10, organizers said. Hosted in the coastal district of Kalutara, the upcoming edition brings together over 250 int'l athletes alongside a vast delegation of organizers, media personnel, and support teams. “The event celebrates exploration, resilience and personal achievement more..

Aug 11 (NW) The unrest at five prisons has been estimated at more than Rs. 255 million, with the Negombo, Mahara, Magazine, Pallansena and Kuruwita prisons among those affected. The figure was disclosed during a Rataama Ekata national operations council meeting chaired by Prez today (10). The meeting also examined measures to curb violent incidents involving inmates, including greater access to psychiatric services within more..

Aug 11 (NW) Attorney-at-Law Jagath Abeynayake has urged the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) to take action against recent statements targeting the incumbent Chief Justice, warning that such remarks could undermine public confidence in the judiciary. In a letter addressed to the BASL President, Abeynayake said recent statements made while using parliamentary privileges and allegedly targeting the Chief Justice personally were a matter of serious concern. more..

Aug 11 (NW) Police have released details of the arrest in Malaysia of an organised crime suspect wanted in SL under Red Notices, along with two other suspects who were also brought back to the country. 41-year-old main suspect, a resident of Ratmalana, was arrested in Malaysia during an operation conducted with the assistance of Malaysian police and Interpol. He was brought back to SL by air on Monday (10). The suspect is wanted in connection with two cases pending more..

Aug 11 (FT) Sri Lanka’s finance company sector expanded sharply in the year to June, with total assets rising 41% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs. 3.2 trillion, driven by a 47.8% expansion in lending, latest CB data showed. The sector’s loan book reached Rs. 2.6 trillion by end-June, while other investments rose 19.7% YoY to Rs. 434 billion and other assets increased 25.9% to Rs. 148.6 billion. Total assets stood at Rs. 2.8 trillion a year earlier. Funding growth was also strong, more..

Aug 11 (FT) SL’s core personal data protection compliance framework will become operational on 1 Jan 2027, bringing businesses and other entities handling personal data under requirements governing processing, data breaches, contractual arrangements, and cross-border transfers. Data Protection Authority of SL (DPA) said Extraordinary Gazette No. 2498/16, published on 22 July 2026, has appointed 1 Jan 2027 as effective date for key provisions of Personal Data Protection Act, more..

Aug 11 (TM) Electricity Generation Lanka (EGL) is currently being provided fuel for electricity generation at a price Rs 25 below the prevailing market price under a concessionary arrangement, Minister Anura Karunathilaka said. Arrangement was based on a mechanism that had existed previously and had now been revisited to continue providing fuel to EGL at a concessionary rate. “CPC is currently providing fuel at Rs 25 less than more..

Aug 11 (DN) SL Netball team bounced back to register their first victory in the tourney when they beat Malaysia by 66-52 in their group match of the 14th Asian Netball Championship played at Kai Tak Arena Hong Kong yesterday. Sri Lanka so far tasted mixed fortunes in the tournament having force a draw against Hong Kong in their first match, a defeat at the hands of Singapore in the second match followed by yesterday’s win over Malaysia in their third match. more..

Aug 11 (DM) Great Place To Work Sri Lanka has officially announced the Best Workplaces in the Technology Industry for 2026. The 2026 study by Great Place To Work SL surveyed over 4,500 employees across the technology sector, including IT, IT Solutions, ITES, and Telecommunications, achieving an impressive average response rate of 85%. From 26 organizations shortlisted, the 10 Best Workplaces were selected using the globally recognized great place to work for all model, more..

Aug 11 (Island) With more than 1,000 major surgeries performed each month, Lanka Hospitals is strengthening its position as a leading centre for safe, specialised surgery in SL. The hospital combines internationally recognised clinical standards, experienced multidisciplinary teams and structured recovery pathways to help patients move from diagnosis to surgery and back to daily life with greater confidence. The scale of the hospital’s surgical programme is supported by more..

Aug 11 (DN) The vibrant SL community in New Zealand can play a greater role in strengthening bilateral trade, investment, tourism and economic relations between the two countries, NZ High Commissioner to SL David Pine said in Colombo yesterday. While addressing a media briefing yesterday on Lankan Fest 2026 festival, he said plans to establish a regular annual event bringing together the SL community in NZ would not only foster community pride but also create more..

Aug 11 (FT) SL’s tax concessions to Board of Investment (BOI) enterprises and Strategic Development Projects (SDPs) remain substantial, with official data putting identified tax expenditure across corporate income tax, VAT, and border levies at over Rs. 276 billion, highlighting the fiscal cost of investment incentives at a time of increased focus on revenue mobilisation. This is according to a Finance Ministry Tax Expenditure Report more..

Aug 11 (TM) SL’s economic growth requires stronger productive investments, but the country is failing to fully utilise its capital expenditure around Rs 1.2 to 1.4 trillion, warning that a budget surplus resulting from unspent capital expenditure should not be viewed as a fiscal strength, Gajma and Co, Founder N R Gajendran said speaking on Advocata Institute Why Tax Policy is Hurting Sri Lanka’s Economy programme on Monday (9). Speaking at the programme, Gajendran said: more..

Aug 11 (Island) The warm-up game in Colombo has been done and dusted and the protagonists of the first Test are beginning to make their way to Galle. There are few better places to watch Test cricket anywhere in Asia than Galle and Dharamsala and an intriguing contest is in prospect when Sri Lanka and India lock horns later this week. India are expected to arrive on the south coast tomorrow (Tuesday), having been given a day off at the fabulous City of Dreams resort. more..

Aug 11 (ST) SL’s car rental industry has grown into a billion-rupee market with a 22% annual growth rate, driven by the lifting of vehicle import restrictions and a surge in tourism. Presently the sector faces security risks from organised criminal syndicates using forged documentation, high-tech GPS jamming, and identity theft, prompting major operators to implement stricter verification protocols. Due to widespread security risks, more..

Aug 11 (FT) Companies and investors could be placed at a disadvantage under SL’s beneficial ownership disclosure regime because Company Secretaries may be unable to sign declarations required for incorporation despite the statutory obligation to disclose beneficial ownership resting with shareholders, LOLC General Insurance PLC Chairman Kithsiri Gunawardena said. Addressing a seminar on Beneficial Ownership Compliance Under the Companies Act, No. 12 of 2025 more..

Aug 11 (FT) AMW CEO Jawahar Ganesh has called for SL and India to establish a direct Indian rupee (INR)-SL rupee (LKR) settlement mechanism, insisting that it could reduce businesses’ exposure to US dollar (USD) volatility and ease pressure on SL’s foreign exchange reserves. Speaking at the India Calling forum last week, he said AMW currently imports around $ 200 million worth of goods annually, predominantly from India, but continues to settle transactions in USD. more..

Aug 11 (FT) Laptop.lk, The Technocity Ltd, recently recognised outstanding academic excellence by presenting state-of-the-art Lenovo laptops to exceptional GCE A/L students representing all 25 districts of the country. The prestigious awards ceremony was held at the 606 The Address, Colombo and was attended by PM’s Office Additional Secretary A.B.M. Ashraff, Zonal Directors from the Education Ministry, Lenovo South Asia Director Naveen Kejriwal, Lenovo India more..

Aug 11 (FT) SL Ambassador to Egypt Ambassador Sisira Senavirathne, accompanied by officials of the Embassy, met with the Egyptian Businessmen’s Association (EBA) Executive Director Dr. Mohamed Youssef, and senior officials at the EBA Headquarters in Cairo on 20 July 2026 to discuss avenues for strengthening bilateral trade, investment, and broader economic cooperation between SL and Egypt. The discussions focused on expanding bilateral trade & investment ties more..

Aug 11 (FT) SL’s beneficial ownership disclosure regime under the Companies Act, No. 12 of 2025 requires urgent regulatory reforms to preserve its anti-money laundering (AML) objectives without undermining investment and creating impractical compliance obligations, Heritage Partners Precedent Partner Dr. Arittha Wikramanayake said. Addressing a seminar on Beneficial Ownership Compliance Under more..

Aug 11 (ST) When SL’s Justice Minister tells the nation that the JVP led NPP Govt is firmly of the opinion, citing its Peoples’ Mandate, that there is no need to obtain the views of key stakeholders prior to the Cabinet approving the draft 22nd Amendment to the Constitution increasing the retirement ages of sitting superior court judges, that should not be dismissed with a shrug. Implicit in this statement, extracted by the clever probing of journalist Kalindu Karunaratne during more..

Aug 11 (CT) Recent passing of Prof. Wimal Dissanayake marks a major transition in post-colonial cultural scholarship, making an anthropological engagement with his extensive legacy both timely and necessary. An objective assessment of his work requires evaluating his framework in Enabling Traditions (2005), which argues that heritage is not a stagnant, regressive obstacle to modernization, but a dynamic, generative tool for indigenous identity & intellectual more..

Aug 11 (Island) Almost two years ago, despite the JVP’s violent past, many Sri Lankans placed their trust in the NPP/JVP for two main reasons. First, widespread frustration with previous govts over corruption, abuse of power, and economic mismanagement had contributed to the country’s bankruptcy. Second, the NPP/JVP’s promises of a systemic change, accountability, institutional reform, honesty, integrity, humility, and a better economic future, convinced voters that a new political more..

Aug 11 (Island) Grama Niladharis (GNs) yesterday launched a sick-note campaign, crippling the lowest rung of state administration. They are up in arms over a woefully insufficient transport allowance of Rs. 600, which has not been increased since 2018. They are demanding an allowance equivalent to 20 litres of fuel. Prez of GN Trade Union Nandana Ranasinghe has warned that his association will be compelled to intensify its trade union action unless its demand is granted forthwith. more..

Aug 11 (SO) Provincial Council elections remain on hold amid unresolved electoral issues, with the Delimitation Commission maintaining that the delimitation process itself is not responsible for the prolonged delay. The elections have not been held for a decade, following the introduction of a new electoral system that requires changes to the present delimitation arrangements. While a Delimitation Report was prepared in 2018, more..

Aug 11 (TM) SL’s location, extensive coastline and sizeable exclusive economic zone should make fishing one of the country’s important economic strengths. Yet, despite these natural advantages, the fishing industry continues to struggle from one crisis to another, while successive Govts have failed to give the country’s marine resources the sustained attention they deserve. This is not simply a matter of fishermen struggling to make a living. It is about a national resource that has been poorly more..

Aug 11 (GV) Corruption is not new. It appears wherever people have power over scarce resources. No country, ideology or political system is immune. It is not a rare mistake that a good leader can simply wipe away. It is a constant risk that must be managed every day. What changed in recent decades was the opportunity. Privatisation, outsourcing, deregulated procurement, tax competition and private political financing created more places where public authority meets more..

Aug 11 (CT) Saliya Pieris, President’s Counsel and former President of the BASL, has been a prominent voice on constitutional governance, judicial independence and the rule of law in SL. A senior lawyer with extensive experience in public law, fundamental rights and criminal law, Pieris has appeared in numerous cases before the SC and CA. Pieris discusses SL’s unfinished constitutional reform process, risks of more..

Aug 11 (DM) Sri Lanka is once again locked in a fierce national debate over retirement ages. The govt’s proposal to amend the constitution and extend the statutory retirement age of Supreme Court judges from 65 to 67 years, alongside tiered increases across lower courts, has drawn sharp criticism. This controversy closely mirrors the nation’s healthcare crisis in late 2022, when a sudden decision to revert the public sector retirement threshold to 60 yrs threatened more..

Aug 11 (DM) The leaders of the newly formed Tamil-speaking political parties’ platform have requested Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake to hold the long-delayed provincial council elections, as soon as possible. They made this request during their first media briefing following the launch of their platform on July 14 and on Aug 3 when they met the Prez. However, they got a response that had to be expected. Prez Dissanayake had told them that elections for all nine provincial councils more..