Aug 7 (NW) The Govt is planning to introduce an official national sports and events calendar and establish a Destination Management Office (DMO) as part of efforts to strengthen SL’s sports tourism sector. In a social media post, Deputy Minister of Tourism Ruwan Ranasinghe said the proposals were discussed at a meeting held today with officials from the Tourism and Sports Ministries, focusing on developing sports tourism as a key segment of the country’s tourism industry. more..

Aug 7 (AD) Minister of Justice Harshana Nanayakkara says steps will be taken to restore the possibility of seeking bail from the High Court for certain drug-related offences. He made these remarks while issuing a special statement regarding the recent incidents reported at several prisons across the country. Minister noted that delays in obtaining bail have occurred as cases involving drugs exceeding 10 grams in net weight are currently referred to the Court of Appeal for bail consideration. more..

Aug 7 (TM) National Water Supply & Drainage Board (Amendment) Bill was presented in Parliament yesterday, with Minister Dr. Susil Ranasinghe outlining 19 proposed amendments aimed at transforming the NWSDB from a basic service provider into an organised, efficient and sustainable institution for water supply management. Minister said the amendments seek to remove legal barriers that currently restrict the provision of technical expertise in water management and distribution, more..

Aug 7 (DN) The UNP yesterday pushed back against the Govt’s proposal to extend the retirement age of Judges, asserting that the IMF Governance Diagnostic Assessment prepared earlier contains no recommendation or requirement to alter judges tenures. The UNP Working Committee yesterday passed a resolution calling for the suspension of the proposed 22nd Constitutional Amendment extending the tenure of judges. The UNP said a new system to address the issues within the judiciary, more..

Aug 7 (Island) Jaffna-based journalists boycotted a media workshop attended by Deputy Minister Kaushalya Ariyaratne recently. The journalists had staged a protest, demanding justice for Tamil journalists killed or made to disappear during the armed conflict and the years that followed. The demonstration, organised by the Jaffna Press Club, took place outside the Jaffna District Secretariat, where a govt workshop for journalists from the Jaffna and Kilinochchi districts was held. more..

Aug 7 (Island) Electricity tariffs could have been reduced by around 20 percent if Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) had properly accounted for losses arising from substandard coal, Electricity Consumers’ Association (ECA) claimed. ECA Secretary Sanjeewa Dhammika questioned what had happened to the remaining Rs. 5.131 billion in losses attributed to the use of substandard coal, saying the amount had not been reflected in subsequent electricity tariff revisions. more..

Aug 7 (NW) The govt will prioritise teacher recruitment by the end of this year to address shortages in the Northern, North Central and Eastern provinces, PM and Minister of Education, Harini Amarasuriya said. Speaking at a meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education at Parliament premises on Thursday (06), PM said the upcoming recruitment drive would place special emphasis on filling vacancies in the three provinces. more..

Aug 7 (AD) CID has obtained court approval to name an additional 24 inmates as suspects in connection with the recent deadly clash at the Negombo Prison. The order was issued when the relevant case was taken up before Negombo Chief Magistrate today. Accordingly, the total number of suspects linked to the incident has increased to 62, including the 38 suspects who were previously named and the 24 suspects included today. Names of the suspects were not disclosed in open court due to security concerns. more..

Aug 7 (AD) The Prisons Department says that full control of both the Kuruwita and Pallansena prisons has now been restored and brought under its authority. The Department stated that the unrest reported at the Kuruwita Prison and the Pallansena Open-Air Correctional Centre in Dalupotha, Negombo, this morning (07) has been brought under control. Thirteen inmates from the Kuruwita Prison were admitted to hospital following the incident, while two inmates died. more..

Aug 7 (NW) A total of 3,791 specialist doctors left SL between 2020 and 2025, Deputy Health Minister Hansaka Wijemuni told Parliament. He said most had travelled overseas to pursue postgraduate studies, while others had left for employment, accompanied their spouses abroad, pursued further education or sought medical treatment. 280 doctors have applied to travel overseas so far this year. He also revealed that 1,429 doctors were granted no-pay leave to go abroad between 2020 and June 2026. more..

Aug 7 (DM) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has instructed officials to expedite the modernisation and development of the SL Police to ensure the delivery of more efficient and quality services to the public. Emphasising the need for active participation from all stakeholders in the Govt’s A Nation United (Ratama Ekata) national operation launched to eradicate the drug menace, Prez highlighted the importance of improving facilities at more..

Aug 7 (AD) Police Headquarters has taken steps to transfer several high-ranking police officers, subject to the approval of the National Police Commission. Accordingly, Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) Sampath Kumara has been transferred from the Special Bureau to the Eastern Province. Meanwhile, SDIG Kithsiri Jayalath, who served as the Senior DIG in charge of the Southern Province, has been appointed as the Senior DIG in charge of the Sabaragamuwa Province. more..

Aug 7 (EN) SL govt under Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has moved to raise the mandatory retirement age of judges by two years across the judicial hierarchy to 65 and it has been stubborn on the move despite concerns raised by top lawyers. Cabinet has already approved the proposal and under the plan, Supreme Court judges would retire at 67 instead of 65, Court of Appeal judges at 65 instead of 63, High Court judges at 63 instead of 61, and District Court judges and magistrates at 62 instead of 60. more..

Aug 7 (CI) Chamari Athapaththu and Pathum Nissanka stole the spotlight at the Sri Lanka Cricket Awards, walking away with the Women's and Men's Cricketer of the Year honours. The lavish ceremony, held on Thursday night, celebrated outstanding individual performances across the Test, ODI, and T20I formats for the 2025 calendar year, recognised efforts in domestic cricket, and honoured legendary figures for their lifelong contributions to the sport. more..

Aug 7 (EN) SL govt under Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has moved to raise the mandatory retirement age of judges by two years across the judicial hierarchy to 65 and it has been stubborn on the move despite concerns raised by top lawyers. Cabinet has already approved the proposal and under the plan, SC judges would retire at 67 instead of 65, Court of Appeal judges at 65 instead of 63, High Court judges at 63 instead of 61, and District Court judges and magistrates at 62 instead of 60. more..

Aug 7 (AD) The COPF of Parliament has approved the salary of the Auditor General following an extensive discussion on the salary and allowances attached to the office. The decision was taken when the Committee met in Parliament on 4 Aug, 2026 under the Chairmanship of MP Harsha de Silva, with the participation of Deputy Ministers Chathuranga Abeysinghe and Nishantha Jayawera, and MP Ravi Karunanayake, Nimal Palihena, Wijesiri Basnayake, M.K.M. Aslam, Thilina Samarakoon and Champika Hettiarachchi. more..

Aug 7 (NW) Twenty SL students have been selected to study Hindi in India under the Govt of India’s Propagation of Hindi Abroad scholarship programme. The Govt of India will sponsor the students’ travel, academic fees and local hospitality for the 10-month course at the Kendriya Hindi Sansthan (KHS) in Agra from August 2026 to May 2027. Ahead of their departure, Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha met with the students on Aug. 4 and highlighted the role of the Hindi language and literature more..

Aug 7 (DM) Jaffna Magistrate’s Court has ordered former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa to appear in person before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court on Sept 29 and provide testimony online in connection with the case concerning the disappearance of Lalith Kumar Weeraraj and Kugan Muruganandhan in Jaffna. Lalith Kumar Weeraraj and Kugan Muruganandhan, who were involved in organizing a planned protest by relatives of missing persons in Jaffna on Dec 10, 2011, International Human Rights Day, more..

Aug 7 (EN) Sri Lanka is anticipating a boost to its tourist numbers with a kite festival that will bring 80 foreign kite flyers from 30 countries and over 1,500 local participants. The Derana Digital Colombo International Kite Festival 2026 has evolved from a one-day celebration into a week-long cultural and educational programme, featuring kite-building workshops, a vintage vehicle parade, night kite displays, and cultural excursions. more..

Aug 7 (NW) The Embassy of SL in Addis Ababa says all judicial procedures and consular formalities relating to the three Sri Lankan nationals rescued from human traffickers in Ethiopia have now been completed. The Embassy said it worked closely with the Ethiopian authorities to conclude the required legal processes following the rescue operation. As part of the process, Ethiopia’s Immigration and Citizenship Services (ICS) granted a full waiver of the visa overstay fines more..

Aug 7 (CI) Seven batters passed thirty, three reached fifty, but none scored more than Ravindu Rasantha's 71. That pretty much summed up the SL Cricket XI's batting effort on the opening day of India's sole tour match, as 363 runs were scored and eight wickets fell on a sweltering day at the NCC in Colombo. At the crease at stumps were Dilum Sudeera (1*) and Kesara Nuwantha (9*). India will be pleased with their efforts and their spinners in particular, with each of Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja more..

Aug 7 (DM) Gazette containing the Bill for the proposed 22nd Amendment to the Constitution has been published, proposing to revise the retirement ages of superior court judges and increase the number of judges in the Court of Appeal. According to the Bill, Article 107(5) of the Constitution will be amended to provide that judges of the Supreme Court shall retire upon reaching the age of 67, while judges of the Court of Appeal shall retire at the age of 65. more..

Aug 7 (DM) SLC has announced free public admission for the upcoming ICC World Test Championship Test series between Sri Lanka and India. The two-match series will be played from August 15 to 19 at the Galle Cricket Stadium, with the second Test scheduled from August 23 to 27 at the SSC Grounds in Colombo. According to SLC, spectators can enter the Galle Cricket Stadium free of charge through Gate No. 4. At the SSC Grounds, public access will be available through Gates 3, 4, 5 and 7. more..

Aug 7 (NW) Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe says SL’s apparel industry remains resilient despite recent developments involving Hela Apparel Holdings, urging calm. In a Facebook post, Abeysinghe said the industry has weathered previous crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the country’s economic crisis. Keep Calm, Keep Moving, he wrote, adding that the apparel sector has always been resilient and has faced no major internal issues in recent times apart from global challenges. more..

Aug 7 (FT) The Non-Governmental Organisations (Registration and Supervision) bill (L.D.-O. 6/2026) seeks to repeal and replace the Voluntary Social Services (Registration and Supervision) Act, No. 31 of 1980. It will extend govt supervision beyond voluntary social service activity namely “any activity intended or carried out for the purpose of providing relief or for the welfare of physically, mentally or socially handicapped persons, including the destitutes, more..

Aug 7 (FT) Given the volatility of the prevailing global economic environment, caused primarily by a collapsing post-World War II economic order, but worsened by the two wars in Europe and the Middle East, developing countries like SL are left with no other option but to be extremely pragmatic rather than sticking to dictates of economic theories and political doctrines so that at least a respectable level of growth and development could be achieved. This basic fact should be kept in mind by more..

Aug 7 (DM) Colombo District Court permitted former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and former IGP Pujith Jayasundara to be removed as defendants from a civil lawsuit filed by an Attorney-at-Law who was injured in the 2019 Easter Sunday suicide bombing at the Shangri-La Hotel. The plaintiff, Moditha Ekanayake, had instituted the action seeking Rs. 500 million in compensation for the severe injuries, permanent disabilities more..

Aug 7 (AD) A tense situation has been reported at the Magazine Prison in Borella. SL Police said that security forces have been placed on alert. The unrest reportedly began at around 10.20 p.m. when a group of inmates detained in the 'E' ward of the prison suddenly behaved in a disorderly manner after exiting the ward. It is also reported that the cause of this tense situation was a conflict over drugs. However, in order to control the situation, the Police, Police Riot Control Unit and STF more..

Aug 7 (ST) The two-dose TAK-003 vaccine regimen provides sustained protection against dengue, a clinical trial conducted in multiple countries, including SL, has found, it is learnt. These data, including an exploratory analysis of a booster dose, confirm the favourable benefit and risk profile of TAK-003 and its efficacy in preventing Virologically Confirmed Dengue (VCD), said Dr Eduardo Bittencourt de Gomensoro, explaining that VCD is usually tested through PCR more..

Aug 7 (FT) SJB MP S.M. Marikkar yesterday alleged in Parliament that five coconut oil importing companies had evaded Rs. 9.7 billion in taxes over the past two and a half years, raising questions over why only a handful of companies continued to avoid paying taxes. Marikkar said he had raised the question with the PM, twice with Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe, twice with Deputy Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, and again yesterday, more..

Aug 7 (Island) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday met a group of youth seeking employment in Israel, during a peaceful protest at the Polduwa Junction, expressing concern over what he described as irregularities in the overseas recruitment process. Premadasa said thousands of SL youth aspired to secure employment overseas to earn a stable income and support their families, adding that migrant workers make a significant contribution to the country’s foreign exchange more..

Aug 7 (DN) BRC and Bloomfield were declared joint champions after their Under-23 Inter Club cricket final ended in a draw at the CCC Grounds yesterday. Bloomfield finished the match on 250 for 7 wickets at the close of play, after BRC had declared their first innings at 402 for 8 wickets. BRC resumed the second day on 340 for 5 wickets and added a further 62 runs before declaring before lunch. Bloomfield reached 37 without loss at lunch and had only two sessions to bat on the final day. more..