Aug 11 (DM) Cabinet has approved the signing of financial agreements to secure a US$100 million facility from the World Bank’s Int'l Development Association (IDA) to implement an integrated regional development programme in N&E Provinces. The funding is part of a broader commitment by the World Bank Group to provide US$1 billion to SL between 2026 and 2031, with US$100 million earmarked for the N&E Provinces Integrated Regional Development Programme. more..

Aug 11 (DM) Cabinet has approved a plan to convert 30,000 metric tonnes of paddy held by the Paddy Marketing Board into rice and release it to the market. The decision follows a recommendation made at the 34th Food Policy and Security Committee meeting held on July 22, 2026, with the aim of supporting the govt’s paddy procurement programme and ensuring an adequate rice supply. Under the approved programme, CWE will arrange for the 30,000 metric tonnes of paddy more..

Aug 11 (EN) Sri Lanka has decided to grant long-term leases on 247 hectares of underutilized state plantation land to returnee migrant workers and young entrepreneurs who remit foreign exchange to the country. The land plots belong to three state-owned plantation entities. Govt will dispose of 117 hectares from the SL State Plantations Corporation, 88 hectares from Janatha Estates Development Board, and 42 hectares more..

Aug 11 (Island) A 29-member delegation of professionals from SL’s Gem and Jewellery sector recently participated in a specialised training and capacity building programme in India. Indian HC said that the programme was organised pursuant to the announcement made by PM of India, Narendra Modi, during his visit to SL in April 2025, under which India committed to offering 700 customised training slots, annually, for SL professionals, as part of ongoing bilateral capacity-building more..

Aug 11 (NW) Bar Association of SL (BASL) has responded to Attorney-at-Law Jagath Abeynayake over concerns he raised regarding recent statements targeting the incumbent Chief Justice amid the debate over extending the retirement age of judges. In a letter dated Aug 11, BASL President Rajeev Amarasuriya & Secy Nalin De Silva expressed concern that Abeynayake’s letter had appeared on social media before the association had an opportunity to formally consider its contents. more..

Aug 11 (EN) Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal to provide equity to Lanka Metro Transit (Pvt) Ltd, allocating 800 million rupees within this year and an additional 267.5 million rupees for operations in 2027. The funds will be utilized for infrastructure development, including a central workshop in Ekala, modern bus depots in Talangama, Kadawatha, Ratmalana & Homagama, as well as internal roads and parking yards, more..

Aug 11 (DN) The Department of Govt Printing is set to commence operations of a newly installed double-sided four-colour printing press and relaunch its revamped official website today. The events will be held at the Dept of Govt Printing under the patronage of Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa. The new printing press has been installed to increase the Department’s printing capacity and improve its efficiency in meeting govt printing requirements. more..

Aug 11 (NW) The Cabinet has approved the award of a contract worth US$ 3.04 million and Rs. 2.796 billion, excluding VAT, for the construction of three new fuel storage tanks at the Muthurajawela terminal. The project, funded by the Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Limited (CPSTL), involves the construction of two 15,000-cubic-metre fuel storage tanks and one 10,000-cubic-metre tank. Cabinet approval for the project was initially granted on June 2, 2025. more..

Aug 11 (NW) Cabinet has approved long-term contracts for the supply of petrol, Murban crude oil and diesel to the CPC, following an evaluation of bids submitted under a limited international competitive procurement process. The procurement was conducted among suppliers registered with the CPC. The approved contracts cover three petroleum products to be supplied between Sept 2026 and Feb 2027. Aditya Birla Global Trading (Singapore) Pte Ltd was selected to supply 1.2 million barrels, more..

Aug 11 (DM) The provision is aimed at facilitating the implementation of a biometric data entry system for electronic passports to be issued in the future, under a new Immigration Bill approved by the Cabinet. Cabinet has approved the publication of the Bill in the Govt Gazette and its subsequent submission to Parliament for approval. The Bill is intended to replace the Immigration and Emigration Act No. 20 of 1948. A previous Bill prepared for this purpose had been presented to Parliament, more..

Aug 11 (NW) Govt has called for investment proposals to commercially develop and operate a number of State-owned bungalows in Colombo under 30-year lease agreements. Ministry of Finance has invited eligible investors to submit proposals for the adaptive reuse, refurbishment, development, operation and maintenance of the properties. Six listings are included in the proposal: B13, B14 and B20 at Stanmore Crescent, C61 & C62 at more..

Aug 11 (NW) Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has launched a sweeping island‑wide crackdown on irregularities in the sale of Atapirikara and Pirikara items, conducting a total of 127 raids in 2026, including 92 successful raids during a special operation on Aug 10. According to the CAA, the raids targeted establishments engaged in the sale of Atapirikara and related Pirikara items, with the objective of protecting consumer rights and ensuring compliance with legal requirements. more..

Aug 11 (DM) Cabinet has approved the purchase of new vehicles and machinery worth an estimated Rs. 1.2 billion for the operation and maintenance of SL’s expressways.SL currently has around 312 km of expressways, which have been in operation for about 10 years. Three more expressway sections, covering around 92 km, are expected to be opened between 2027 and 2028. These include the Port Access Expressway, Central Expressway Section I from Kadawatha to Mirigama, and more..

Aug 11 (PTI) SL's govt has approved special immigration arrangements to facilitate the voluntary return of refugees in India who left the island nation without valid travel documents during its decades-long civil war, according to a cabinet note issued. The measures, to be implemented for those returning under the auspices of the UNHCR, are aimed at removing legal hurdles faced by refugees who left SL through unauthorised routes. more..

Aug 11 (DM) Six planets—Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune—are expected to form an arc across the eastern and southern sky before sunrise tomorrow, Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies said. The celestial event, commonly known among astronomers as a planet parade, is expected to offer skywatchers a notable opportunity to observe several planets at the same time. Four of the six planets are expected to be visible to the naked eye. more..

Aug 11 (TM) SL outfit featured at the World Youth Scrabble Championship 2026 which commenced at the Trademark Hotel, Village Market in Nairobi, Kenya recently. Tournament ended on Sunday. This Championship attracted young Scrabble players from more than 22 countries, providing an opportunity for the world's best emerging talents to compete at the highest level. SL squad included Inam Irshad, Kevan Croos, Pasindu Wijewardena, Aathif Rishard, Tharin Kariyawasam, more..

Aug 11 (Island) Uma Kumaran has urged the Foreign Office to work with British experts on mass grave protection and to press Sri Lanka over the unpunished killing of 17 aid workers at Muttur, in a parliamentary exchange that took place days before her own appointment as a Minister in the Dept. Questioning the then Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper at the Foreign Affairs Committee, the Labour MP for Stratford and Bow raised the excavation of the alleged Chemmani mass grave in Jaffna, more..

Aug 11 (Island) NPP-led Parliamentary Committee on Ways and Means has emphasised the need to expand the country’s tax base further, enforce tax compliance strictly and digitalise tax administartion. Committee discussed the matter at a meeting in Parliament chaired by MP Wijesiri Basnayake, with officials from the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and the Inland Revenue Dept. The Committee reviewed the 2026 tax plan, tax revenue collection up to June 30, more..

Aug 11 (Reuters) SL's central bank sees no need for more interest rate increases this year after its big, unexpected hike in May, with inflation expected to peak around current levels before easing back towards the 5% target next year, Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe told Reuters. SL's central bank surprised the markets with a 100 basis-point hike in May, its first increase in more than 3 years, to contain inflation fueled by Iran war. more..

Aug 11 (ANI) Former Sri Lankan allrounder Farveez Maharoof said that the Lankan Lions need to be more consistent in the longer format and added that the veteran batter Dinesh Chandimal is going to be an important cog in the wheel during the two-Test series against India at home. Maharoof is a part of the expert panel for India's Test tour of Sri Lanka starting from Aug 15 onwards on Sony Sports Network, the official broadcasters of the series. Ahead of the all-important WTC series, more..

Aug 11 (FT) SL’s improved tax revenue performance has yet to be matched by reforms to the underlying administration system, with a Parliamentary committee flagging continuing gaps in digital infrastructure, data integration, institutional capacity, and coverage of the informal economy. The Committee on Ways and Means, chaired by MP Wijesiri Basnayake, highlighted the administrative constraints while reviewing the Govt’s 2026 tax plan and revenue collection through 30 June, more..

Aug 11 (MB) Sri Lanka is probing online gaming operations as the South Asian island and its Port City Special Economic Zone is gaining ground as a safe haven for criminal syndicates ejected from areas like POGO compounds in the Philippines. Thousands of workers from China, Philippines, Vietnam & Cambodia have shifted to SL with and without legal work permits to work in illicit online gaming operations targeting more..

Aug 11 (AD) Minister Nalinda Jayatissa today confirmed that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has received a letter from the Chief Prelates of the three main Buddhist chapters expressing concerns over the proposed constitutional amendment to extend the retirement age of judges. Minister Jayatissa said he and the Minister of Justice had met the Chief Prelates and provided clarification on the matters raised in the letter before the proposed 22nd more..

Aug 11 (NW) Sri Lanka will host the 2026 edition of the World CIO 200 Awards & Roadshow and an international Tech Marathon in September, following Cabinet approval for the country to serve as host. The four-day World CIO 200 programme is expected to bring together more than 400 senior executives from over 50 countries, including chief information officers, digital transformation leaders, innovators, investors and business executives. The programme will feature an int'l conference, more..

Aug 11 (FT) Opinions may differ, but the facts are stubborn: the NPP Govt has made more progress in the past 18 months than any previous Govt in implementing public sector and state-owned enterprise (SOE) reforms. Whilst there are still vestiges of political patronage, not free of blemishes and still a long way off from the pursued totality, the signs are encouraging. For eons, the discourse surrounding SL’s public sector and SOEs has remained trapped in a perpetual cycle of more..

Aug 11 (FT) On 12 Aug, SL will celebrate a landmark achievement as the nation marks the awarding of One Million National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Certificates at the BMICH. The ceremony, to be graced by PM Harini Amarasuriya and Deputy Minister Nalin Hewage, is far more than a ceremonial event. It celebrates one of SL’s greatest investments in human capital and reaffirms the country’s commitment to building a skilled workforce for sustainable economic growth. more..

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..