Aug 12 (TM) Former National Cricket Selection Committee Chair Pramodya Wickramasinghe has instructed his lawyers to institute legal action against SLC's Transformation Committee, he said. He said that as there had been no positive response to a Letter of Demand (LOD), which he had sent to the Transformation Committee over the arbitrary termination of his contract, he had advised his lawyers to institute Court action more..

Aug 12 (Island) SL is witnessing an unprecedented effort to challenge a culture of impunity, with senior political figures, public officials and others facing investigation and prosecution. The significance of the present moment is whether Sri Lanka can establish a system in which no person, regardless of political position or social status, is above the law. The credibility of accountability depends significantly on an independent judiciary capable of deciding difficult cases without fear or favour. more..

Aug 12 (ST) Fouci – remember him? Does the name ring a bell? The American immunologist and expert on tackling viral outbreaks who shot to international stardom six years ago as the undisputed Czar of Covid? America’s scientific prophet who, breathing hellfire and brimstone, scared the wits out of the world to get COVID-vaccinated, masked, and isolated – and frightened the pants out of world govts, which religiously followed his dictates, to order lockdowns that ruined world more..

Aug 12 (Island) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has at long last agreed to meet a delegation from the Bar Association of SL (BASL) today to discuss issues concerning his govt’s efforts to extend the mandatory retirement ages of judges through a constitutional amendment. One can only hope that today’s discussion is not a ruse for the government to gain some legitimacy for the draft 22nd Amendment (22A), which exemplifies pretextual legislation or constitutional camouflage. more..

Aug 12 (TM) For half a century, the death penalty in Sri Lanka has existed in a state of suspended animation. The law retains it, courts routinely pronounce it, yet no President since 1976 has brought themselves to sign a death warrant. The last inmate to walk to the scaffold was D J Siripala, popularly known as Maru Sira, whose controversial execution at Bogambara Prison on 23 June 1976 left a lasting mark on the national consciousness. Since then, a strict de facto moratorium more..

Aug 12 (TM) When the distinct green-and-white units of the 1990 Suwa Seriya ambulance service first rolled onto SL’s roads on 28 July 2016, they represented a modest pilot project consisting of just 88 vehicles operating across select western and southern corridors. Ten years later, what began as a targeted intervention has fundamentally re-architected the island’s healthcare infrastructure. Today, the service stands as a ubiquitous more..

Aug 12 (CT) There is an important aspect of our present tax structure that deserves serious public discussion. The highest rate applicable to the corporate sector is 30%, with the higher 40% rate applying to specific sectors such as liquor and gambling. Corporate profits distributed as dividends may, in turn, be subject to taxation in the hands of the recipients. Against this background, it is worth asking whether it is reasonable for an individual taxpayer to be pushed into a 36% marginal more..

Aug 12 (DM) SL is once again caught between two extremes. In one part of the year, families queue for water bowsers, farmers watch their crops fail, and entire provinces struggle through months of drought. Then, almost without warning, the skies open. Within hours, roads disappear, homes are flooded, and lives are lost. This is not bad luck. This is a failure to plan. Just days ago, heavy rains triggered floods and landslides that killed people and forced thousands to evacuate in the central highlands. more..

Aug 12 (SO) Three prisons. Three deaths. Dozens injured. Tear gas, shootings, pelting of stones, damaged buildings and the deployment of police, the STF, the Army and Air Force. Within little more than 24 hours, SL’s prison system was confronted with simultaneous unrest at the New Magazine Prison in Borella, Kuruwita Prison and the Pallansena Youth Correctional Centre in Negombo, raising questions that go far more..

Aug 12 (DM) Minister Bimal Rathnayake explained in Parliament that the Govt had decided to revise the Gazette notification issued last month, which had suspended the publication of public representatives’ asset declarations and triggered widespread debate. Under the revised approach, declarations of politicians and other elected public representatives will remain available for public scrutiny. The publication of politicians’ asset declarations is, in reality, the latest chapter in a story more..

Aug 12 (GV) The country does not merely need better govt. It needs a state that protects its citizens, commands public trust and unites a diverse people through equal citizenship. SL has changed govts many times since independence. Yet the deeper challenge has remained largely unresolved: what kind of state do we want to build? The economic and political upheaval of 2022 gave the country an uncomfortable answer. The crisis was not merely the consequence of fiscal mismanagement or more..

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..