Aug 24 (SO) There are singers whose voices become part of a nation’s entertainment. There are others whose voices become part of its memory. And then there are those rare artists whose voices become part of a nation’s conscience. Nanda Malini belonged to the third kind. Her death at the age of 82 has left SL not merely mourning an extraordinary singer, but listening again to a body of music that has accompanied the country through some of its most painful decades. She was the voice of love and childhood, more..

Aug 24 (SO) Last week, a man used social media and a televised media briefing to claim that the LTTE was operating a training camp in Kilinochchi in the North. This false claim was designed to spread panic and revive the familiar political message that National Security collapses whenever the Rajapaksas are out of power. In response, the TID arrested a 46-year-old man who had claimed that an LTTE training camp was operating inside the Pallai Forest Reserve in Kilinochchi. more..

Aug 24 (TM) It was the year 1956. The Borella YMBA Hall was packed with people enjoying a poetry-singing competition. Several contestants had delivered magnificent performances. Now, everyone was waiting to see who the winner would be. Suddenly, the announcer called out the name in a loud voice. Amid thunderous applause, a girl of about 13 stepped onto the stage. She was the one who had won the gold medal in the singing competition. No one present that day realised that more..

Aug 24 (TM) The recently release of the 15th Population and Housing Census by the DCS discloses a stark revelation that the total fertility rate (TFR) has dropped to an alarming decline and an unprecedented downward trend of 1.3, falling far below the vital replacement level of 2.1. The demographers attributed this sharp decline to a multiplicity of factors such as postponed marriages, rising living costs, and urban economic environments, with symptoms showing up as a rapidly ageing society more..

Aug 24 (TM) For nearly half a century, the 1978 Constitution of SL has cast a long shadow over the island's democracy. By vesting sweeping powers in the Executive President, the Constitution created an office capable of overreaching both the Legislature and the Judiciary. Nowhere has this structural flaw been more starkly exposed than in the exercise of Article 34. Designed as a humane safety valve to grant presidential pardons, this provision has instead been repeatedly weaponised as more..

Aug 24 (ST) In responding to the criticism by the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Margaret Satterthwaite, on the proposed 22nd Amendment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has cited recommendations made by her predecessor to defend the govt’s position. In a recent letter to Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Ms Satterthwaite raised concerns over the proposed constitutional amendment to increase the retirement age of superior court judges, more..

Aug 24 (ST) The publication of the JVP led NPP Govt’s draft Protection of the State from Terrorism Act (PSTA) in the gazette is awaited by Sri Lankans with bated breath. We were told this week that the Cabinet of Ministers has approved its contents. The public was assured by the Cabinet spokesman that the revised draft rectifies strong criticisms of the way that the offence of terrorism has been defined in its earlier version. Even so, the official release still continues to refer more..

Aug 24 (GV) Nurit Peled-Elhanan is a Jewish-Israeli philologist. In 1997, her 13-year-old daughter Smardar was killed in a Palestinian suicide attack. Dr Peled-Elhanan could have embraced hate and vengeance; instead she chose to work for a just peace, joining a group of Palestinian and Jewish parents who lost their children to violence resulting from Israeli occupation of Palestine. Rabbi Shneur Zalman, the Alter Rebbe, was founder and first leader (Rebbe) of the Chabad-Lubavitch Movement. more..

Aug 23 (ST) Amid vehement protests by opposition MPs, who held up placards likening the legislation being tabled in Parliament to the death of democracy, Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara presented the first reading of the controversial 22nd Amendment to the Constitution on Tuesday morning. The bill aims to extend the retirement age of judges of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal while also increasing the number of CA judges to 24. more..

Aug 23 (ST) Thirteen fundamental rights petitions have so far been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution. The proposed amendment seeks to raise the retirement age of SC and CA judges by two years and to increase the number of Court of Appeal judges to 24. The amendment came in for fierce opposition from some political parties and civil society groups, and they were among the first to file petitions more..

Aug 23 (DM) Ensuring equal rights and equal opportunities for all citizens, without leaving anyone behind, is a fundamental policy of the Govt, PM Harini Amarasuriya said. PM made these remarks today (22) while attending the Sarasavi Diriya Abhiman ceremony organised by the President’s Fund at the Jaffna District Secretariat Auditorium to recognise university students with disabilities. At the event, 75 uni students with disabilities from the Northern Province were presented more..

Aug 23 (ST) Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who will visit SL in the first week of next month, is expected to push for implementation of the MoU on defence cooperation signed between the two countries in April last year. During his first visit in his capacity as defence minister, Mr Singh will have discussions with Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who holds the defence portfolio; PM Harini Amarasuriya; and Defence Secretary more..

Aug 23 (ST) The recent incidents of prison unrest are among several issues UNHRC has raised with the govt to be addressed during the council’s 63rd session, which gets underway in Geneva next month. The delay in repealing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) will also figure during the session, where the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) will present a written update on the progress in reconciliation, accountability and human rights in SL. more..

Aug 23 (NW) Sri Lanka has held a special workshop on using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the legislative drafting process, with the technology proposed to be piloted in drafting legislation governing Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs). The workshop, themed Better Tools for Better Lawmaking, was held at the Legal Draftsman’s Department on Aug. 21 and was jointly organized by the Ministry of Digital Economy and GovTech Sri Lanka. The session, chaired by Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne, more..

Aug 23 (TM) Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLTB) is set to introduce Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification for the local tea industry from 2027 as part of its five-year action plan. SLTB Chairman Rajpal Obeyesekere said that the board had commenced the process to introduce GAP and GMP certification for the local tea industry, adding that it expected to commence the certification process by next year. “All the formalities have been completed, more..

Aug 23 (Island) The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) has sought Opposition Leader and SJB leader Sajith Premadasa’s support for its campaign to pressure the Govt to hold the long-delayed Provincial Council elections. CaFFE Executive Director Manas Makeen and Director of Administration Surangi Ariyawansha met Premadasa at his office last Monday (17) as part of a campaign to rally political parties behind the demand for the elections to be held without further delay. more..

Aug 23 (TM) SL entities that offer services to US-sanctioned vessels and banks which enable such activities may run the risk of backlash by the global power, with SL yet to warn local entities about the risks, while Ministry of Ports and Shipping awaits notification about sanctions from the US authorities. This, as over a dozen – 16 by our last count – Iranian-flagged Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) tankers idle at the edge of SL more..

Aug 23 (PTI) The UN on Saturday welcomed SL’s decision to simplify immigration procedures to expedite the voluntary return of refugees from India who left the country without valid documents during its decades-long war. SL govt earlier this month made special arrangements for the initiative aimed at streamlining the process to facilitate the return of refugees from India. SL refugees began arriving in Tamil Nadu in large numbers after ethnic violence in the island nation that started in 1983, more..

Aug 23 (NF) Two organized criminals arrested in Dubai, Bus Lalith alias Lalith Kannangara and Wanathe Chathu, are scheduled to be brought back to SL on Monday (24) night. Police said that a team led by SSP Kamal Ariyawansa, Director of the Central Crime Investigation Bureau, along with officers from the State Intelligence Service and the CID, has already travelled to Dubai for this purpose on the instructions of the IGP. Bus Lalith was arrested in Dubai in November 2025. more..

Aug 23 (NF) A special audit has revealed that, during the final two years of the 9th Parliament, which began in 2019, unlimited fuel allowances were provided to officials holding positions including the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Deputy Chairperson of Committees, and Secretary-General of Parliament. The Speaker alone had used 3,994 liters of fuel in 2023 and 6,122 liters in 2024. This represents increases of 66% and 155%, respectively, compared to the year 2022. more..

Aug 23 (NF) A fresh legal development has emerged in the case concerning the disappearance of journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda, with the accused filing a petition before the Supreme Court challenging a decision to allow a key witness to retake his testimony. Matter was raised today before the Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar in Colombo, where defence lawyers informed the 3-judge bench that a petition had been filed before the SC against the decision to permit the fourth witness more..

Aug 23 (TM) Govt is looking to expand the capacity of Terminal I of the BIA to 10 million passengers per annum within the next 12 months, even as it finalises the recommencement of the stalled BIA Terminal II project. Deputy Minister Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku said that JICA had informed the Govt that the contractor for the Terminal II project would be selected and appointed by December. more..

Aug 23 (AD) SL Police today announced that applications for police clearance certificates can now be submitted through the usual online procedure as the digital data system has been restored. Police clearance certificates issued by Police HQ are processed by the Police Clearance Division located on the 17th floor of the Suhurupaya Building, Battaramulla. The submission of applications, requesting of relevant reports and issuance of clearance certificates are carried out through more..

Aug 23 (CI) It has been 10 years since Sri Lanka won a series anywhere against India, England or Australia. This is the sixth straight home series against these teams that they have failed to win. Against India, they haven't won anywhere since 2008. This general decline has coincided with the end of the career of Rangana Herath, who provided SL competitiveness once Muttiah Muralitharan retired. Since Herath's retirement, SL have struggled to find one spinner let alone two, more..

Aug 23 (SO) SL’s economy is on track for major gains by the year-end, with some goals even exceeding the set targets, Deputy Minister Anil Jayantha Fernando said. He said that IRD, SL Customs and the Excise Dept are all expected to exceed their revenue targets for this year, repeating a feat achieved in 2025. “The first quarter showed that, even amid the conflict in the ME, economic growth was around 5%,” more..

Aug 23 (Island) Former Atamasthanadhipathi Ven. Pallegama Hemarathana Thera, who is facing allegations of sexually abusing a girl, allegedly entered the A'pura Magistrate’s Court through the entrance reserved for the Magistrate on Friday, prompting the Magistrate to order an inquiry into his entry. Magistrate directed the officer in charge of court security to investigate how the monk entered the court premises and submit a report. The matter was raised when the case concerning more..

Aug 23 (NW) SL Police is expected to introduce a new uniform early next year, Minister Ananda Wijepala said. He said the proposed change was being made in consultation with police officers and could be introduced by Jan or Feb. “We are attempting to introduce this change by next Jan or Feb,” he said. Govt’s plans were not limited to changing the appearance of police officers, but also included measures aimed at improving the quality of the service and making it more public-friendly. more..

Aug 23 (ST) On the cusp of an extensive period of dry weather and an unprecedented drought in Europe, Australia and the Americas, water that covers more than 70% of Planet Earth and which is vital for plants, animals and humans alike to live has come into global focus big time. Last week, ADB hosted a discussion in Colombo as a part of its 2021 Serendipity Knowledge programme to explore ways and means for private hands to make money from SL’s upper watersheds (ST of Aug 16). more..

Aug 23 (TM) SL school rugby is set to enter the franchise era with the official launch of Next XV, a groundbreaking new competition bringing together 140 of the nation’s leading schoolboy rugby players across four city-based franchises. Details of this novel concept were revealed by officials of Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) during a press conference held at Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams in Colombo on Thursday. The first-ever edition of the league is set to be played each Saturday from 19 Sept to more..

Aug 23 (Island) The next crop of Sri Lanka’s Test cricketers will be on show when the second Test against India gets underway at the SSC on today. All these rookies must be wondering what exactly is in store for them in the longest format of the game moving forward. Every administrator, before coming to office, tells us how much he loves Test cricket, how it remains the ultimate form of the game and how nothing could ever replace it. more..

Aug 23 (Island) As an island economy with a maritime space significantly larger than its land area, Sri Lanka’s future economic opportunities extend well beyond its coastline. Coral reefs, mangroves, sea-grass beds, lagoons, beaches, fisheries and offshore waters are not merely biodiversity assets; they are productive economic infrastructure supporting tourism, fisheries, shipping, coastal protection, food security and livelihoods. For the private sector, a healthy ocean presents more..

Aug 23 (DM) Fisheries, Aquatic and Marine Resources Ministry has initiated a programme to strengthen the management of SL’s shark fishing industry in line with international standards. A special discussion on the sustainable management of shark fishing was recently held at the Ministry under the patronage of its Secretary, Dr. Kolitha Kamal Jinadasa, with the participation of Director General of the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Susantha Kahawattamahathaya. more..