lanka news
| SL Explorer | Classifieds | Miyuru Gee | Chat Room | Malini's Kitchen | jokes |
 SL Time:
News Papers

 Ada
 Aruna
 Budusarana
 Daily Mirror
 Daily News
 Deshaya
 Dinamina
 Divaina
 Financial Times
 Island
 Lankadeepa
 Lakbima
Lakresa
 Lanka Irida
 LMD
 Mawbima
 Morning
 Nawaliya
 Rivira
 Sannasa
 Sarasaviya
 Sathhanda
 Silumina
 Siyatha
 Sunday Observer
 Sunday Times
 Tamil Mirror
 Thenee
 Thinakaran
 Thinakkural
 Today
 Uthayan
 Virakesari
News Sites

 Ada Derana
 Asian Mirror
 Asian Tribune
BBC Sinhala
 BBC Tamil
 Colombo Gazette
 Colombo Telegraph
 ColomboXnews
 DBS Jeyaraj
 Divesa
 Economy Next
 Elukathir
 Eye Srilanka
 FrontPage
 GroundViews
 Hiru News
 Ilankainet
 Jaffna Muslim
 Kottu
 Lanka Academic
 Lanka Business
 LankacNews
 LankaeNews
 LankatNews
 Lanka News Web
 LankaPage
 Lanka Eyewitness
 Lanka Papers
 Lankapuvath
 LankaSri
 Lanka Truth
 Lanka Views
 Lanka Web
 Ministry of Defence
 Neruppu
 News First
 News.lk
 News Radio
News 24
 News 360
 RepublicNext
 Roar
 Salasalappu
 SL Army
 Srilanka Guardian
 Srilanka Mirror
 Sudar Oli
 TamilNet
 ThesamNet
 Vikalpa
 Vimasuma
 VivaLanka
 World News
Radio

 Derana FM
 Gold FM
 Hiru FM
 LakHanda
Neth FM
Radio Nine
Rangiri FM
Red FM
Rhythm FM
 Shakthi FM
 Sirasa FM
Sitha FM
Siyatha FM
 Sooriyan FM
 Sun FM
 S L B C
Tamil FM
 TNL Radio
 V FM
 Yes FM
 Y FM
T V

 Derana
 Hiru TV
 I T N
 Rupavahini
 Sirasa TV
 Swarnavahini
V i d e o

Col3neg
 LankaHQ
Sri Lankan Tube
 YouTube

මහර: කරපු විනාශය රු. කෝටි 15ක් ?

Rain sends Jaffna into Playoffs, Dambulla knocked out

Aug 3 (DM) Jaffna Kings booked their place in the Lanka Premier League 2026 playoffs after persistent rain washed out their league-stage clash against Dambulla Sixers at the Pallekele Stadium. The abandoned match saw both teams share a point, ending Dambulla Sixers' playoff hopes while confirming the tournament's final four. Galle Gallants, Jaffna Kings, Colombo Kaps and Kandy Royals will now battle for the LPL 2026 title. Earlier, Dambulla Sixers posted an imposing 203 more..

Govt warns AI reshaping digital export model

Aug 3 (FT) Govt has warned that artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the economics of software exports, arguing that SL must move beyond selling engineering hours towards products, intellectual property, and higher-value digital services if it is to achieve its target of generating $ 5 billion in digital exports by 2030. Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne said the industry’s traditional business model would need to evolve as AI increases productivity and changes how technology more..

Govt to expand GovPay coverage

Aug 3 (TM) The Govt is set to expand the range of institutions covered under its GovPay digital payment platform to include schools, Local Govt (LG) authorities, district secretariats, and divisional secretariats across the island. Ministry of Digital Economy Secretary Waruna Sri Dhanapala revealed that plans were underway to link schools to the GovPay digital platform to allow parents to make all relevant payments through the platform. more..

Kavindi, Athapaththu star as all-round Sri Lanka canter to series win

Aug 3 (CI) SL's batters aced their second chase in a row, as 17-year-old debutant Sanjana Kavindi top-scored with 46 off 24 to help Sri Lanka race to a target of 176 against Pakistan. Chamari Athapaththu had lit the thrusters under the innings with 40 off 15 at the top of the order, but although she fell with 55 on the board, SL's improving middle order sent the team rocketing home with 2.2 overs to spare, and six wickets in hand. The win means SL have sealed the T20I series 2-0 with one match to play. more..

4×4 community urges govt to modernise vehicle rules to boost disaster response...

Aug 3 (Island) Sri Lanka’s four-wheel-drive community last week appealed to the Govt to introduce a modern regulatory framework for professionally modified 4×4 vehicles, arguing that outdated laws are preventing the country from fully utilising an important national asset in disaster response, tourism and motorsport. Representatives of the community stressed that they were not seeking exemptions from the law but a balanced, evidence-based regulatory system more..

Sri Lanka current account deficit widens to $149mn in June

Aug 3 (EN) SL’s monthly current account recorded a deficit of US$ 149 million in June 2026, the central bank said, as the external sector continued to be impacted by developments in West Asia. This marks the third consecutive monthly deficit. The cumulative deficit for the first half of 2026 was US$ 245 million compared to the surplus recorded in the corresponding period of 2025. “The merchandise trade deficit widened on more..

CBSL warns finance companies over inflated vehicle valuations, LTV breaches

Aug 3 (FT) CBSL has directed all Licensed Finance Companies (LFCs) to strictly comply with its 2026 Loan-to-Value (LTV) Directions for motor vehicle financing, warning that inflated vehicle valuations and financing structures designed to bypass regulatory limits pose risks to the financial system. In a directive issued to CEOs of all LFCs, CBSL said it had observed instances where valuations provided by motor vehicle valuers and invoices issued by vehicle sellers significantly exceeded more..

Dr. Rohan Pethiyagoda launches The Curious Naturalist

Aug 3 (Island) That simple yet profound message echoed throughout the launch of The Curious Naturalist, the latest and, according to its author, perhaps the last solo publication by internationally acclaimed SL naturalist and taxonomist, Dr. Rohan Pethiyagoda, at the BMICH on Thursday. The launch drew an exceptional gathering of scientists, academics, conservationists, senior govt officials, diplomats, tourism leaders, environmentalists, students and wildlife enthusiasts, more..

මහර රැදවියෝ හැදුවේ තහඩු කඩාගෙන

Import of goods on advance payment terms lawful

Aug 3 (FT) The widely publicised so-called phantom transfers of payments made to overseas manufacturers and exporters by SL licensed commercial banks had been made under the Special Import Licence and Payment Regulations No. 1 of 2011, in operation in SL for over 15 years. This was revealed by President’s Counsel M.M. Zuhair in a letter dated 1 Aug, addressed on behalf of his clients AY Investments Impex Ltd, of Bankshall Street, Colombo, to Prez Anura Dissanayake. more..

Directors must focus on governance, not compliance costs: Minor Group’s Rajakarier

Aug 3 (FT) Directors should be less concerned about the cost of complying with governance requirements and more focused on ensuring boards discharge their responsibilities properly, Minor International Group CEO and Minor Hotels Thailand CEO Dillip Rajakarier said, arguing that strong governance protects corporate reputation and ultimately financial performance. Speaking during a panel discussion at the recent SL Corporate Director Summit 2026: Future-Ready SL Directors, more..

Rumesh, Palitha lift Sri Lanka to 15th at Commonwealth Games

Aug 3 (DN) Commonwealth Games’ SL gold medalist Rumesh Tharanga was elated after his milestone achievement which ended SL’s 76 years gold medal drought in Commonwealth Games’ athletics. “I am very happy to make history. I should thank everyone who helped me throughout my career. My next target is the Asian Games and ultimately Olympic gold in 2028”, said 23-year-old Commonwealth Games gold more..

Why the judges’ retirement age debate belongs to the people

Aug 3 (SO) On July 27, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal to raise the retirement age of judges at every level of SL’s Judiciary by two years, Supreme Court Judges from 65 to 67, Court of Appeal Judges from 63 to 65, with corresponding extensions for High Court, District Court and Magistrate Court Judges. Within days, the Bar Association of SL (BASL) had unanimously passed a resolution against the move, the Judicial Service Assoc. (JSA) representing District Judges more..

The 2019 Easter Sunday atrocity; is this shadow boxing with the grief of victims?

Aug 3 (ST) An interesting turn is taken in public discussion of Friday’s imposition of the death penalty by a majority of a High Court Trial-at-Bar on SL’s former IGP and a former Secretary to the Ministry of Defence for failing to take steps to prevent the Easter Sunday attacks by homegrown jihadists on churches and hotels in 2019. I was asked two questions by an excited conversationalist soon after the decision was handed down to the wildly hysterical drum beats of the media. more..

කඩිමුඩියේ කෙටුම්පත සූදානම්!

Vehicle import bill falls 27% M-o-M in June

Aug 3 (FT) Expenditure on imported motor vehicles declined 27% month-on-month (M-o-M) to $ 182 million, according to CBSL. Cumulative expenditure on motor vehicle imports amounted to $ 1.254 billion during the first half of 2026. CBSL noted that this was lower than the $ 1.572 billion recorded during the second half of 2025. Separately, JB Securities said total vehicle registrations declined to 58,151 units in June from 62,776 in May, with motor car registrations easing to 3,929 from 4,738 more..

From Negombo to Mahara

Aug 3 (Island) Saturday’s riot at the Mahara prison came as no surprise. It became obvious after the Negombo prison uprising, which claimed the lives of 22 inmates and 10 officers during two days of violence in early July, that there would be copycat riots elsewhere. If the prison authorities had kept an ear to the ground, they would have been able to take preemptive action at the first sign of trouble on Saturday. Was there a lapse on the part of the prison intelligence unit? more..

Too few prosecutors, too many cases

Aug 3 (TM) SL’s criminal justice system is under increasing pressure not only because of mounting court delays but also because there are too few prosecutors to handle an ever-growing caseload. The Attorney General’s Department, which is responsible for prosecuting serious criminal offences, advising the Govt, and representing the State in courts, is operating with hundreds of vacancies, according to AG’s 2024 report. more..

Have our prisons become powder kegs?

Aug 3 (TM) The violence that erupted at Mahara Prison this weekend is more than another isolated prison disturbance. Rather, it is the latest warning that our prison system is edging closer to a point where unrest is becoming predictable rather than exceptional. One person has lost their life, several others have been injured, and significant damage has been caused to prison property. While the authorities deserve credit for bringing the situation under control before it spiralled into another more..

A Day of Fellowship at the School for the Blind, Ratmalana

Aug 3 (DM) Education is often thought of as something found within the four walls of a classroom. Yet some of the most valuable lessons cannot be found in a textbook. On June 9, Sub-Prefects’ Guild of Wesley College visited the School for the Blind, Ratmalana, for a day of fellowship and learning. While the visit included music, games, conversation, and shared laughter, it also offered something far more meaningful: the opportunity to better understand a way of life unfamiliar to more..

Easter Sunday reckoning: Pujith and Hemasiri pay the price of failure

Aug 3 (SO) On Friday, SL’s 34th IGP Pujith Senadhi Bandara Jayasundara walked into the Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar to hear his fate as the Court prepared to deliver its judgement in the case over the deadly 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. Despite the gravity of the moment, Jayasundara wore his familiar smile as he entered the Courtroom. Minutes earlier, a much more sombre former Defence Secretary more..

Achieving durable reform in Sri Lanka

Aug 3 (CT) Time and again, countries that have experienced repression and armed conflict have an opportunity to transition to a better future. Yet, only a minority succeeds. The challenges may appear obvious, but the path forward is rarely so. And, as the initial optimism generated by the 2015 elections comes to an end, the SL case is proving no exception. Many Latin American States overcame military dictatorships, but still experience very high levels of violence and inequality. more..

Post-IMF road ahead

Aug 3 (DM) Sri Lanka’s 17th IMF agreement that ends in March 2027 is no doubt the most consequential international agreement in the history of the country. It has drastically redrawn the workings of public finance and state institutions; from the Central Bank and the financial sector to the State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and welfare programmes. The question before the country now is the post-IMF road ahead. The 2020s marked by the Covid pandemic, tremendous BOP crisis more..

Case against Govt bid to extend judges’ retirement age reaching critical point

Aug 2 (ST) Tucked in between the Amalgamation of Department of Social Services, the National Secretariat for the Elders and the National Secretariat for Persons with Disabilities and Conducting the Regional Dialogue for East and South Asia Regions of Green Climate Fund in the list of Cabinet decisions issued on Tuesday by the Dept of Govt Info. was Cabinet Decision No. 12. The proposal, presented by Justice Minister more..

Indo-Lanka projects: KKS MOU negotiations reach final stages

Aug 2 (TM) Govt is in the final stages of negotiations with India on the proposed renovation of the Kankesanthurai (KKS) Port, with feasibility studies, design, and other major technical decisions completed. Deputy Minister Janitha Kodithuwakku said that the MOU governing the project was still under negotiation between SL and India. “MOU with India is still at the negotiation stage right now,” he said. Kodithuwakku confirmed that physical construction work on the project had more..

Visa for Taiwan nationals only with sponsorship letter

Aug 2 (ST) Visitors from Taiwan travelling to Sri Lanka on tourist and business visas will be required to produce a sponsorship letter from a local sponsor under newly revised visa regulations. Official said that requiring such a sponsorship letter is part of the new upgrades made under the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system. Earlier, visitors from Taiwan were only required to produce a landing endorsement form to obtain a Sri Lankan visa, but under the new regulations, more..

Mahara Prison unrest reportedly contained; Police curfew remains in force

Aug 2 (AD) The state of unrest that that prevailed at the Mahara Prison has now reportedly been brought under control. The incident began yesterday evening (01) following a dispute between inmates and prison officers, resulting in a tense situation within the prison premises. Seven inmates sustained injuries during the unrest and were admitted to Ragama Hospital for treatment. One of the injured inmates later succumbed more..

Metro bus service to expand to Jaffna, Kandy by year-end: Minister

Aug 2 (DM) Minister Bimal Ratnayake says the govt's Metro bus service will be expanded to Jaffna and Kandy before the end of this year, with a fresh fleet of buses set to enter service in the coming weeks. 121 Metro buses have been acquired from China and several other countries, and are currently undergoing legal procedures, including registration, before being deployed. The buses are expected to be put into public service by the end of August once the necessary documentation is completed. more..

Ravi, Shani could face stronger charges over Easter Sunday attacks, says Gammanpila

Aug 2 (DM) In the wake of former IGP Pujith Jayasundara and former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando being sentenced to death for failing to prevent the Easter Sunday bomb attacks, PHU leader Udaya Gammanpila claimed that similar or even stronger charges could be brought against Public Security Ministry Secretary Ravi Seneviratne and CID Director Shani Abeysekara. Gammanpila said that while the two convicted officials did not have the earliest opportunity to learn of more..

දෙරණ අරුණ

Eight identified over abduction, murder of Chinese national at Port City

Aug 2 (Island) Eight suspects have been identified in connection with the abduction, assault and murder of a Chinese national following a clash between two groups at the Colombo Port City, police said. Three of the suspects had fled the country shortly after the incident, while three others believed to be in SL were evading arrest. Overseas travel bans have been imposed on the suspects. Two suspects have been arrested at the BIA, and legal proceedings have already been initiated against them. more..

Colombo Port records 11.9% growth in 1H container throughput

Aug 2 (FT) Colombo Port has handled 4,444,034 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) during the first six months of 2026, representing an 11.9% increase compared to 3,972,053 TEUs handled during the corresponding period in 2025. Transshipment continued to be Port’s main business, accounting for 84.7% of total container throughput. Transshipment volumes increased by 12.6% over the corresponding period of the previous year, while domestic container volumes recorded a healthy growth of 8.3%. more..

Govt launches sweeping public investment reform before 2027 Budget

Aug 2 (ST) Sri Lanka is executing a sweeping, structurally aggressive overhaul of its Public Investment Management (PIM) framework, on the eve of the 2027 Budget, representing a structural pivot from economic stabilisation to aggressive growth. Anchored by the strict enforcement of the Public Financial Management (PFM) Act, the administration has shifted its approach from post-crisis economic stabilisation toward more..

New Colombo Port Health office opens

Aug 2 (Island) A newly constructed Colombo Port Health Office, aimed at strengthening SL’s public health infrastructure and emergency preparedness, was inaugurated on July 28 at the Port of Colombo. The facility, designed by Design Consortium International (DCIL), was constructed through a grant from the Government of Japan and implemented by International Organization for Migration (IOM), a UN agency. Officials said the new facility marks an important step in enhancing more..

80 officers quit AG’s Department in decade

Aug 2 (CT) A total of 80 officers attached to the Attorney General’s Department have resigned from service between 2016 and 2026, according to reports. The highest number of resignations was recorded in 2022, when 17 officers left the department. The figures show that four officers resigned in 2016, five in 2017, nine in 2018, three in 2019, five in 2020, two in 2021, 17 in 2022, 15 in 2023, 13 in 2024, and six in 2025. One officer has resigned so far this year. more..

Google