Aug 29 (NW) SL govt has rejected concerns raised by a UN Special Rapporteur over the proposed extension of judges’ retirement ages, insisting that the 22nd Amendment is part of broader judicial reforms and is not intended to prolong the tenure of particular judges. In a six-page response sent to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on Aug 21, the govt said the proposed changes were aimed at more..

Aug 29 (NW) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake today handed over the Navodayapuram Housing Project to 50 families from Poonagala, Kabaragala who lost their homes in the 2023 landslide and had been living in unsafe conditions for nearly three and a half years. The project, constructed with the active contribution of the Sri Lanka Army Corps of Engineers, was hailed as a significant initiative to improve the living standards of the Malayagam community. more..

Aug 29 (AD) According to data compiled by Visual Capitalist from ILO statistics, SL ranks 120th out of 130 countries in purchasing power parity (PPP)-adjusted monthly minimum wages in US dollars. The report highlights that SL’s monthly minimum wage stands at USD 200, placing it among the lowest globally and at the bottom among surveyed South Asian nations, behind Pakistan (68th; USD 570), Nepal (78th; USD 490), Bangladesh (89th; USD 379) & India (111th; USD 233). more..

Aug 29 (AD) Between 80 and 100 people die every day in Sri Lanka due to alcohol and substance abuse, according to Dr. Manoj Fernando. He made the remarks today (28) at an awareness press conference on illicit drug prevention and education held under the A Nation United – National Drive campaign launched by SL Police to curb the spread of narcotics across the country. more..

Aug 29 (DN) SL’s southern coastline is attracting growing interest from foreign visitors seeking to experience the country’s rich marine biodiversity and learn about efforts to protect endangered sea turtles. Turtle Conservation Centers established in the coastal belt around Ambalangoda, Kosgoda, Ahungalla and Akurala play an important role in raising awareness about turtle conservation while providing visitors with an opportunity to gain practical knowledge about marine wildlife protection. more..

Aug 29 (DN) ADB funded USD 55 million Sea Water Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) Desalination Plant the first ever in the entre ADB operation, commissioned at Thalaiyady is set to benefits 300,000 people within Jaffna District addressing the serious clean water scarcity issue prevalent in the Jaffna peninsula with 60,000 to 80,000 connections. In addition to the capital cost the contract amount is USD 49 million. Thereby ADB has provided USD 210 million in total for the water project in the peninsula. more..

Aug 29 (AD) The Society of Govt Pharmacists has decided to launch a one-day trade union action from 8 am on Monday (31). The decision comes in response to several unresolved issues concerning their additional service allowances, the association said. According to the President of the Association, Ajith P. Thilakarathna, a circular was issued by the Health Secretary on Aug 29, 2026, renaming the overtime allowances of pharmacists as additional service allowances. more..

Aug 29 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that steps are being taken to pass the Central Highlands Protection Authority Bill in Parliament by the end of this year or early next year, thereby granting the Authority all necessary powers to protect that ecosystem. The Prez made these remarks while attending the ceremonial handover of the Navodayapuram housing project to the public. The project was constructed for families who lost their homes in Poonagala Mountain landslide more..

Aug 29 (NF) SL's battle with prolonged dry weather intensified as authorities warned of rising heat levels, shrinking water resources and the growing impact of El Niño conditions that have already affected more than 84,000 people across the country. Met Dept announced that from today until Sept 7, the sun will be positioned directly overhead across various parts of SL, a phenomenon that occurs twice annually as the apparent more..

Aug 29 (TM) According to the National Dengue Control Unit, the total number of dengue cases reported in the country so far this year has risen to 94,805. Furthermore, data indicate that 72 dengue-related deaths have been recorded to date. In August alone, 9,469 dengue cases have been reported so far, following 29,962 cases recorded in July and 21,533 cases in June. The Western Province accounts for 52.92 per cent of the total cases, with 50,167 patients reported. more..

Aug 29 (DN) SL’s Rumesh Tharanga once again came to the fore when he won the men’s javelin throw at the Zurich Diamond League with a 92.07-metre effort on his final attempt early yesterday. Tharanga’s victory in Zurich adds to what has already been an outstanding season. Zurich victory also secured Tharanga’s place in the Diamond League Final in Brussels, which will be held on Sept 4-5. He heads into the final after a season that has included multiple Diamond League victories more..

Aug 29 (AD) The Secretary General of the Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera announced that the Parliament is scheduled to convene from Sept 8 to 11, 2026. The parliamentary business for the week was decided at the Committee on Parliamentary Business meeting held recently (20), chaired by the Speaker, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne. Accordingly, on Tuesday, September 8, the period from 9.30 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. has been allocated for parliamentary business specified under more..

Aug 29 (MB) SL-born conservation biologist and National Geographic explorer Ruchira Somaweera is internationally recognized for his award-winning wildlife research, photography and storytelling. Despite his global achievements, Somaweera treasures an old journal copy containing a prophecy. When he was 13 years old, Somaweera received a copy of the research journal Lyriocephalus with a handwritten note which read: “One day you will be a great herpetologist,” signed by Anslem de more..

Aug 29 (CI) Sometimes all you need is a little push. 2024 Asia Cup was a watershed for this young SL outfit. Prior to that exhilarating climax in Dambulla, SL's flashes of int'l brilliance were almost exclusively engineered by Chamari Athapaththu. Sure, they could occasionally trade heavy blows with the world's elite, but they lacked the collective capacity for a sustained fight. This was a queendom, one where removing more..

Aug 29 (EN) The Sri Lanka–China Business Council (SLCHBC) of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce recently marked a quarter-century of economic and trade cooperation between Sri Lanka and China. The event brought together government officials, diplomats, office-bearers of the cuncil, and business leaders from both countries, including Wang Gang, Chairman of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka and Managing Director of China Harbour Engineering Company. more..

Aug 29 (NW) Former national cricketer T.M. Dilshan has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Central Criminal Investigation Bureau over what he described as false and defamatory social media posts that have damaged his reputation. Dilshan said he had built his reputation over 20 years of dedicated service to the country and that the alleged false claims had caused significant harm to his name and the reputation he had worked hard to establish. Dilshan said he lodged the complaint after more..

Aug 29 (CI) Where in the past 15 years SL have at times prepared ranks dustbowls at home, head coach Gary Kirsten wants surfaces more like those seen in the Test series against India. Across both teams, seamers took 24 of the total 67 wickets taken by bowlers in this series - a share of roughly 36%. For SL, Asitha Fernando was the top wicket-taker (and second overall in the series), with ten dismissals at an average of 20. more..

Aug 29 (NW) Negombo Chief Magistrate’s Court has ordered notices to be issued to 20 people, including the chief jailer and prison officers, to appear for an identification parade in connection with the deaths of 32 people during a clash at Negombo Prison. The order was issued when the case relating to the prison unrest was taken up before Negombo Chief Magistrate on Friday. The 20 individuals have been ordered to appear before the Negombo court on Sept 8 for the identification parade. more..

Aug 29 (AD) SL Railway Station Masters’ Association (SLRSMA) has expressed its full support to the stance taken by the Bar Association of SL (BASL) regarding the proposed 22nd Amendment, stressing that safeguarding the independence of the judiciary, the rule of law, separation of powers and the sovereignty of the people is a responsibility of the entire civil society and not of any single professional group. SLRSMA said it closely followed the position adopted by the BASL more..

Aug 29 (NW) The SL rupee has depreciated by 5.7% against the US dollar so far in 2026, according to the latest Weekly Economic Indicators. CB said the year-to-date depreciation of the rupee against the US dollar stood at 5.7% as of August 28. Meanwhile, lending rates edged higher during the week, with the Average Weighted Prime Lending Rate increasing by nine basis points to 10.95%. Average Weighted Call Money Rate also rose to 8.84%, from 8.81% at the end of the previous week. more..

Aug 29 (DN) Kandy Kings, Negombo Icons, Kurunegala Royals and Jaffna Flamingos made winning starts to the inaugural SL Tennis Premier League 2026, each recording a 4-2 victory on the opening day at the SL Tennis Association clay courts in Colombo yesterday. Kandy Kings defeated Batticaloa Aces 4-2, with national champion Thehan Wijemanne playing a key role in their victory. Sandithi Usgodaarachchi gave Batticaloa Aces a good start when she beat Kandy’s Savini more..

Aug 29 (ST) Activities at the famous Nil Diya Pokuna natural attraction in Ella, deep inside a cave, will be regulated after being reopened for visitors. It is a physically challenging, treacherous journey to reach the pond underground and is not for everyone. The entry to the natural wonder is a narrow opening. From the road it is about a 2.5-hour trek through the jungle footpath. It is located within a cluster of caves in Rawana Ella Sanctuary more..

Aug 29 (ST) Dry weather and strong winds are proving to be serious impediments in controlling a fire spreading in the Maiyawa tank system of the Anawilundawa Ramsar Wetland Sanctuary. Wildlife officials say the blaze has spread over more than 100,000 acres of land within the Maiyawa tank system. The Anawilundawa tank system was completely dry due to severe dry weather when the fire broke out. Wildlife officers had arrived at Maiyawa tank system and had tried to control more..

Aug 29 (GV) The debate over how govts treat NGOs and civil society in Sri Lanka is not new. Civil society organisations have long been viewed through the lenses of national security, sovereignty and foreign interference. Seventeen years after the war, organisations working on enforced disappearances, land rights, the right to remember, human rights violations, torture, deaths in custody and corruption continue to face monitoring and pressure. The proposed Non-governmental Organisations more..

Aug 29 (DN) A few weeks ago, SL’s judicial and legal community celebrated the 225th anniversary of the inauguration of SL’s Supreme Court. SL’s community of legal scholars by and large seems to have treated this important historical moment with intellectual indifference. Distracted by a intense public debate on some institutional reforms to the country’s venerable institution of judiciary proposed by a non-ruling class regime, tyhey obviously have very little time to devote to scholastic topics. more..

Aug 29 (ST) Vendors operating at the Galle Fort Court Square Market premises claim they are being priced out of business by rents that have doubled under the Galle Municipal Council’s 2026 budget. For vendors who have spent years building a regular clientele at the Fort, the increase has come at a time when tourism remains seasonal and operating costs continue to rise. Fruit juice seller Sumith Deshapriya, 55, said the market had been rented to a group of vendors for Rs 60,000 for a weekend, more..

Aug 29 (SO) On Monday, several plain-clothes police officers, posing as ordinary customers, were seen entering the head office of a leading private bank in Colombo. Minutes later, they emerged with a bank employee in handcuffs, placed him in a double-cab before driving away. Three other bank employees employed at three other banks also suffered a similar fate on the day. The arrests were made as part of an ongoing investigation more..

Aug 29 (ST) Trust. The doctrine of Trust, another pillar in the success and governance of Sri Lankan corporates. Among firms that value shareholders, the standard flag bearers of success are transparency, accountability and reliability (which connects a company’s reputation to its customer base). While customers must have faith in a company’s ability to deliver reliable products, shareholders must trust a company with their investment and that it is well-spent. more..

Aug 29 (ST) NPP govt on Tuesday (18) defied calls to hold off its controversial 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, which aims to extend the retirement age of superior court judges, by presenting the draft bill on the proposal to the House. MPs from SJB, led by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa held up placards condemning the controversial amendment, and claimed it would herald the death of democracy even as Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara presented the bill to the House. more..

Aug 29 (ST) Nearly seven years after the Easter Sunday attacks, the main criminal case against 24 defendants entered its final phase on Monday (17), as the defence began presenting its case before the Colombo High Court Permanent Trial-at-Bar. The trial is being heard before a 3-member bench comprising Judges Nawaratne Marasinghe (Presiding Judge), Sujeewa Nissanka, and Ramanathan Kannan. more..

Aug 29 (DM) Sri Lanka stands at a crucial point in its history. After years of economic difficulties, political uncertainty and declining public confidence, the country needs the govt to provide stability, restore investor confidence and deliver meaningful improvements to the lives of its people. While accountability for past wrongdoing is important, Govt must ensure that its pursuit of those responsible does not overshadow the equally urgent task of national development. more..

Aug 29 (DN) A simple question. Whose Court house is it? People’s or BASL’s? Outrageously unrestrained outcry of the Bar Association of SL (BASL) against the 22nd Amendment presents an all too familiar anxiety. Accessing Online Public Court Records The legal establishment frames its opposition as a defense of Judicial Independence. However, a closer look reveals it as an elite perception of the law: a worldview that treats the legal and judicial apparatus as the exclusive, untouchable preserve of a more..