Aug 6 (NF) "Sri Lanka does not have an Olympic gold medal. I will bring that gold medal to SL." Those were the words of newly crowned world number one javelin thrower Rumesh Tharanga, who says his greatest achievement may still lie ahead despite already rewriting the history books of SL athletics. Just days after ending SL's 20-year wait for a Commonwealth Games gold medal, Rumesh has reached another extraordinary milestone by more..

Aug 6 (NW) The Court of Appeal has postponed until Sept 23 the hearing of an appeal filed by former MP Hirunika Premachandra seeking to overturn her three-year rigorous imprisonment sentence imposed by the Colombo High Court. The appeal challenges the June 28, 2024 judgment, which found Premachandra guilty over the 2015 abduction, unlawful detention and assault of a young employee from a shop in Dematagoda. Premachandra has requested the Court of Appeal to set aside more..

Aug 6 (EN) Sri Lanka’s Hela Apparel Holdings has initiated court proceedings to wind up the company and its primary subsidiaries, marking the end of one of the country’s major apparel exporters. In a disclosure to the Colombo Stock Exchange, the company announced that it, along with Hela Clothing (Private) Limited and Foundation Garments (Private) Limited, is unable to continue business due to an inability to meet debt obligations and persistent liquidity constraints. more..

Aug 6 (FT) If a country is guided by the right ideas about the main things, it will not go too far wrong, but if it is not, it won’t succeed sustainably—whatever assets it may have. All it takes is one big bad idea. For example, there was never any chance that the tiniest fraction of the daily output of global knowledge flowing through the world in the English language, the closest humanity has to a universal language, could ever be translated into Sinhala. Therefore, Sinhala Only would have been more..

Aug 6 (FT) Central Bank of SL’s newly imposed Direction No. 2 of 2026 on gold-backed lending has stirred significant debate across the financial sector and wider society. The directive, which mandates a maximum Loan-to-Value (LTV) ratio of 70% for gold loans and pawning facilities offered by banks and licensed finance companies (LFCs), aims to strengthen prudential risk management. Yet, industry stakeholders warn that the measure is creating unintended hardships for households, more..

Aug 6 (FT) Govt has expanded investigations into the $ 2.5 million cyber theft from SL’s sovereign debt repayment system, with bank and digital transaction records being sought from six countries while international law enforcement agencies assist efforts to trace the stolen funds. Minister Ananda Wijepala told Parliament yesterday that investigations into the cyber fraud remain under the supervision of the Fort Magistrate, more..

Aug 6 (Island) In a major international law enforcement crackdown, a key police operation has been launched in Malaysia to apprehend notorious underworld leader and international drug kingpin Mohamed Najeem Mohamed Imran, alias Kanjipani Imran. Sources said that the joint operation had been launched following high-level directives issued by the Public Security Minister, the Secretary to the Ministry, Inspector General of Police (IGP), and the Senior DIG of the CID. more..

Aug 6 (ST) Between Jan 1 and July 5 in 2026, a total of 1,355 road accidents have been reported, resulting in 1,424 fatalities, said Traffic Police Director Manoj Ranagala. The figures represent an increase of more than 100 fatal incidents compared to the same period last year, depicting a considerable rise of road accidents recently. Pedestrians and motorcyclists remain the most affected groups, accounting for 484 and 488 deaths, respectively, so far this year. more..

Aug 6 (TM) Health Ministry is nearing the completion of a scientific cadre revision covering all categories of health workers, while also planning to introduce performance-based targets to ensure the effective use of human and other resources, Deputy Minister Dr Hansaka Wijemuni said. He said the new cadre revision is being carried out using a set of guidelines developed under the leadership of the Additional Secretary for Medical Services more..

Aug 6 (AD) Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has urged the Sri Lankan leadership to hold the long-delayed elections to the Provincial Councils at the earliest and to fully implement constitutional provisions to meet the aspirations of the Tamil people. Indian External Affairs Ministry said, during Indian Foreign Secretary Misri’s visit to Sri Lanka, he also highlighted bilateral discussions on Indian assistance to SL’s recovery from Cyclone Ditwah, collaborations in the energy sector and more..

Aug 6 (FT) Transparency International SL (TISL) yesterday urged the Government to withdraw proposed amendments to the Anti-Corruption Act, warning that they would weaken public scrutiny of asset and liability declarations and undermine a key accountability reform. The organisation said the Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Bill, gazetted on 24 July, would restrict the legitimate use of information contained in asset declarations, expand the discretion of CIABOC to redact information, more..

Aug 6 (DN) SL Air Force javelin thrower Corporal Rumesh Tharanga has been promoted to the rank of Sergeant following his historic gold medal triumph at the recently concluded 2026 Commonwealth Games. 23-year-old became SL’s first Commonwealth Games men’s javelin champion with a winning throw of 89.75 metres. His historic triumph also ended SL’s 20-year wait for a Commonwealth Games gold medal, since weightlifter Chinthana Vidanage claimed the title at the 2006 more..

Aug 6 (AD) PM Harini Amarasuriya has met with the Foreign Secretary of the Govt of India, Vikram Misri, and the accompanying delegation today (5) at Temple Trees. The discussions focused on enhancing bilateral cooperation in the field of education, with particular attention given to SL's ongoing education reforms. PM briefed the delegation on the Govt's priorities in transforming the education sector, including initiatives to advance digital education and improve access to more..

Aug 6 (TM) Air pollution is responsible for around 7,000 premature deaths in Sri Lanka each year, while pollution inside homes can be up to five times higher than outdoor air pollution, Health Ministry's Environmental and Occupational Health Unit has warned. Director of the Unit, Dr Chandani Vithana said that air pollution remained a major public health concern both globally and locally, causing an estimated more..

Aug 6 (NW) The Court of Appeal has sought clarification from the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) on whether the newly enacted amendment to the Inland Revenue Act affects its position in the writ applications filed by Sri Lanka’s national men’s and women’s cricket captains over the deduction of Advance Personal Income Tax (APIT). The applications were taken up before Court of Appeal President Justice Rohantha Abeysuriya, PC, and Justice K. Priyantha Fernando. more..

Aug 6 (Island) Long-delayed corporate conflicts are better handled through business management solutions rather than through traditional courts, a legal expert said. The twenty top companies pledge at the event is one that commits to making smart decisions about resolving disputes in the best interests of the company, thereby protecting corporate value and brand, chairman, International ADRC Centre (IADRC) Dr K. Kanag-Isvaran PC said. The initiative, organized by more..

Aug 6 (NW) A ceremonial motorcade and public felicitation were held in Colombo today (5) to honour javelin thrower Rumesh Tharanga, who won gold, and Palitha Bandara, who secured silver at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Athletes were welcomed by large crowds and schoolchildren as the motorcade travelled through the city from Torrington Square, with several institutions and organisations along the route organising special receptions in recognition of their achievements. more..

Aug 6 (ST) Just as EL Nino gathers momentum, authorities in Sri Lanka have changed cultivation patterns forewarning farmers of the precautious required to be taken ahead of impending heavy rains during the upcoming Maha season. With the predictions of a heavy rainfall during the months of October, November and December, Agriculture Department Director General Dr. Thushara Wickramarachchi said that this is likely to affect mostly the dry zone areas. more..

Aug 6 (TG) Neither hospital authorities nor the local cemetery committee hold any record of the burial of a child whose remains were recovered at Chemmani mass grave alongside a raincoat and what appeared to be a coffin, inquiries have found, as court-supervised excavations at the Jaffna site resumed on Tuesday. The remains, the 467th set identified at the site, had drawn particular attention when uncovered last month more..

Aug 6 (DM) Softlogic Automobiles (Pvt) Ltd, a subsidiary of Softlogic Holdings, has been appointed the authorized distributor for Greaves Ampere, one of India’s electric two wheeler brands, marking the manufacturer’s formal entry into the SL market. The partnership brings Ampere’s electric two wheeler range, comprising the Nexus, Magnus Neo, Magnus Gmax and Reo Vyb models, under the Softlogic Group umbrella. The brand will be officially unveiled at the Autovision Colombo Motorshow 2026, more..

Aug 6 (NW) UNP has rejected allegations that it opposes measures aimed at improving animal welfare, while clarifying its position on the proposed Animal Welfare Bill. UNP said recent media reports had incorrectly portrayed the party’s stance on the legislation. The party outlined a series of proposed amendments, including provisions aimed at safeguarding the participation of elephants in Perahera processions. The UNP proposed that regulations governing the welfare of more..

Aug 6 (DM) Over Rs. 108 billion in disputed tax revenue remains locked up in an unresolved backlog at SL’s Tax Appeals Commission, a scathing new audit report has revealed, exposing severe administrative paralysis and crippling delays within the state’s tax dispute resolution mechanism. According to the National Audit Office’s performance report for year ended Dec 31, 2025, there were 626 unresolved appeals registered with the commission. more..

Aug 6 (DN) Opener Kamil Mishara smashed a career-best unbeaten 108 off 55 balls (10 fours and 7 sixes) to guide Jaffna Kings to a 14-run victory over Galle Gallants in Qualifier 1 of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) at the R. Premadasa Stadium yesterday. Mishara anchored a superb Jaffna innings as they registered the highest team total in LPL history, scoring 242 for 2 in 20 overs. Galle Gallants fought hard in the chase but finished on 228 for 8 in a high-scoring contest. more..

Aug 6 (FT) Intex–InMac SL, South Asia’s premier int'l textile sourcing and garment manufacturing technology exhibition, was officially inaugurated yesterday by Minister Sunil Handunnetti. Held at BMICH, the event was attended by Industrial Development Board (IDB) Chairman Yasas Hewage, Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) Chairman Felix Fernando, senior Govt officials, ambassadors, industry leaders, representatives of business chambers and trade associations, exhibitors, more..

Aug 6 (EN) Ceylon Chamber of Commerce has released its Motor Vehicle Industry Report 2025/26, which examines the challenges and opportunities facing the industry as it adapts to a renewed import environment, changing consumer preferences, technological developments and an evolving regulatory landscape. The publication comes after six years, following the suspension of motor vehicle imports in SL. “The report provides comprehensive insights into industry trends, more..

Aug 6 (FT) The Govt has reopened investigations into two overseas procurement transactions worth a combined $ 17.79 million, including payments for Australian milch cows and Chinese fertiliser, as part of a broader review of historic public expenditure, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told Parliament yesterday. Wijepala said authorities were investigating a payment of $ 11.09 million made during 2014/15 for the procurement of 20,000 milch cows from Australia. more..

Aug 6 (FT) Sri Lanka’s post-crisis fiscal recovery has been achieved at a significant economic and social cost, with the gains in Govt revenue and public finances yet to translate into a comparable improvement in employment, poverty and household welfare, according to Verité Research Lead Economist Raj Prabu Rajakulendran. Addressing a forum titled Navigating the New Tax Landscape Together more..

Aug 6 (Island) Sri Lanka has long been celebrated as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean; a nation blessed with an extraordinary concentration of natural beauty, ancient history, fertile lands, and strategic maritime real estate. The dazzling brilliance of a pearl has been the hallmark of this island from time immemorial. Yet for all that, to look closely at how these immense gifts are currently managed is to witness a tragedy of the most loathsome systemic neglect. more..

Aug 6 (DM) Last Friday (31), Sri Lankans were thunderstruck with the news that former Defence Ministry secretary Hemasiri Fernando and former IGP Pujith Jayasundara were sentenced to death by the Colombo High Court in a 2-1 decision over the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks of 2019. Fernando and Jayasundara had separately been indicted by the Attorney General on charges including criminal neglect of duty by failing to take action to prevent the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks, despite more..

Aug 6 (DN) The death sentence imposed on former IGP Pujith Jayasundara and former Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Hemasiri Fernando was the focus of attention last week, while the govt went ahead with its attempts to raise the retirement ages of all judicial officers. Jayasundara and Fernando became the highest-ranking officials to be found guilty of negligence that led to the deaths of about 270 persons in the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks on Apri 21 that year. more..

Aug 6 (TM) Govt’s latest proposal to extend the retirement age of Police officers by another year may appear to be a practical response to a genuine problem. Police Dept is short of personnel. Officers are overworked and crime is becoming more sophisticated. Investigations are more demanding than ever. Experience, therefore, has undeniable value. But the proposal raises a much larger question than whether a few thousand experienced officers should remain in uniform for another more..