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..

Aug 6 (SO) Nearly a month after the bloodiest prison violence in SL’s recent history, the investigation into the Negombo Prison massacre has entered an even more extraordinary phase. A Court-imposed publication ban, the naming of the first inmate suspects, ongoing forensic examinations, and warnings that sensitive evidence could threaten national security have transformed what initially appeared to be a prison riot into more..

Aug 6 (DM) The passage of the long awaited Animal Welfare Bill marks a significant legislative milestone for Sri Lanka. For over a century, animal rights was treated almost as an afterthought, governed by the obsolete Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance of 1907. Except for a handful of compassionate individuals who have been voicing for the rights of all animals, irrespective of whether it is an ailing stray dog on a street or an iconic elephant injured by consuming hakka patas, more..

Aug 6 (GV) In August of 2006, the small of Muttur in the Trincomalee district was caught in the middle of fierce fighting between security forces and the LTTE, a battle won by the govt soldiers. The LTTE retreated and the army took control of the town on August 2. Sri Lankan staff members of the Paris-based international aid organisation Action contre la Faim (Action Against Hunger or ACF) were caught up in the shelling and shooting, stranded in their office compound. more..

Aug 6 (TM) The recent controversy surrounding the Kavadi dance segment of the Devinuwara Esala Maha Perahera has opened a significant public discussion about the relationship between cultural traditions, youth participation, public security, and the possible influence of hidden power networks within sacred cultural spaces. The temporary intervention by the Police, reportedly based on security concerns and possible more..

Aug 6 (Island) Two nuclear-armed superpowers are currently doing their darnedest to defeat two nonnuclear-weapon states militarily. All signs are that the US is heading into another military imbroglio. Its efforts to bomb Iran into submission have failed. Russia is fighting a protracted war with Ukraine, and there are no signs of the conflict coming to an end in the foreseeable future. However, these two wars are different. Ukraine is fully backed by the NATO members, especially the US; more..

Aug 6 (ST) It was the second successive Thursday that Aldoris, the choon-paan karaya, came down the lane in his music-blaring, food-laden tuk-tuk. “May missi, aanduwen beheth walata adika mila ganna poudgalika ispirithala allanawa (I say, Miss, the govt is catching private hospitals for exorbitant prices of medicines),” he said, doling out hot-hot maalu paans. “Eka hondai, mokada janathawa danney nae ney beheth wala hari mila mokakda kiyala (That’s a good move as no one knows what more..

Aug 5 (NW) Dept of Meteorology says rainy and windy conditions over the southwestern parts of Sri Lanka are expected to intensify from Thursday due to the active southwest monsoon and continue for the next few days. According to the latest 36-hour forecast, showers or thundershowers will occur at times in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North Western provinces, as well as the Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Galle and Matara districts. Cloudy skies are expected to prevail over these areas. more..

Aug 5 (NF) Wimal Weerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila, Sugeeshwara Bandara, Dilith Jayaweera, Asanka Navaratne and Mahinda Pathirana were today ordered by the Fort Magistrate's Court to be reported to the Court of Appeal over allegations of contempt of court. Order relates to statements allegedly made in public between July 7 and July 15 during a Satyagraha campaign protesting against the arrest of former Director of State Intelligence Suresh Salley more..

Aug 5 (Island) The govt has launched a fresh national drive to tackle SL’s long-standing human-elephant conflict (HEC), with a strong emphasis on restoring elephant corridors, establishing elephant enrichment zones and strengthening community participation as part of a new National Action Plan. The National Action Plan Monitoring Committee met in Parliament yesterday under the cochairmanship of more..

Aug 5 (NW) President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), Attorney-at-Law Rajeev Amarasuriya has rejected allegations made against him following a complaint reportedly lodged with the CIABOC, describing the claims as false and malicious. In a social media statement, Amarasuriya said he had been subjected to a series of “baseless personal attacks” in recent weeks, including allegations that he had entered into a secret agreement with Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa. more..

Aug 5 (NW) COPE says two officials of the Construction Industry Development Authority (CIDA) have apologised over their conduct during a parliamentary committee meeting, with the apologies being accepted following a review by the Committee on Ethics and Privileges. COPE said concerns had arisen regarding the conduct of two members of CIDA’s Board of Directors during a meeting held on Oct 8, 2025, which examined the Authority’s audited annual reports for 2022 and 2023 and more..

Aug 5 (DM) The Govt will continue to prioritise investment in education despite Sri Lanka's economic challenges, Additional Secretary to the PM A.B.M. Ashraf said, stressing that the country's future depends on developing its human capital. Speaking at a ceremony where 50 Lenovo laptops were distributed to outstanding G.C.E. A/L students, Ashraf said Sri Lanka has never reduced spending on education, health and more..

Aug 5 (NW) The Court of Appeal has rejected revision applications filed by three individuals, including former Minister of Cooperative and Internal Trade Johnston Fernando, and ordered that the High Court cases against them continue. The allegations concern the misuse of employees of the Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) for non‑official duties, with salaries and overtime allowances paid from CWE funds, causing losses of nearly Rs. 60 million to the Govt. more..

Aug 5 (NW) The Department of Examinations has announced strict prohibitions on conducting tuition classes and related activities during the upcoming 2026 G.C.E. A/L Examination and the Grade 5 Scholarship Examination. For the A/L Exam, scheduled from August 10 to Sept 5 at 2,532 centres, all tuition classes, subject‑related lectures, seminars, workshops, and the printing or distribution of model question papers were banned from midnight yesterday until the end of the exam. more..

Aug 5 (NF) Bar Association of SL (BASL) has expressed strong concerns regarding the actions of Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, sending him a letter over a request made to the Speaker to facilitate a meeting with Members of Parliament on issues relating to the extension of the retirement age of judges without obtaining the Association's prior approval. In a letter addressed to the Speaker on Aug 2, Sajith Premadasa had informed that the BASL had been invited to Parliament at more..

Aug 5 (Island) SL abstained as the UNGA voted to extend Volker Türk’s term as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, one of only 13 countries out of 167 to decline to take a position on the future of the official who has continued to press SL over accountability for alleged wartime atrocities. Assembly extended Türk’s mandate for a second four-year term, from October 2026 through 2030, by 144 votes to 10, with the extension proposed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. more..

Aug 5 (DN) The Govt has launched an ambitious initiative to develop Delft Island into SL’s first Zero-Emission Eco-Tourism Destination, marking a significant step towards promoting sustainable tourism while preserving one of the country’s most unique natural and cultural landscapes. The proposal was discussed during a special site inspection and stakeholder consultation led by Deputy Minister of Tourism more..

Aug 5 (NW) Sri Lanka and India today exchanged agreements on INR‑denominated Lines of Credit worth USD 350 million, forming part of the USD 450 million reconstruction package extended by India in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah. The agreements were signed following a meeting between visiting Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Colombo. The agreements will support reconstruction, infrastructure development, and more..

Aug 5 (EN) Govt is set to re-call Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the long-delayed Dedduwa Lake-Based Tourist Resort Development Project in Bentota, after previous investment proposals failed to clear financial evaluations, PM Harini Amarasuriya told parliament. The proposed initiative aims to transform 694.54 hectares of acquired inland territory into an eco-friendly integrated lake resort featuring floating accommodation, water sports, nature activities, & agri-tourism programs more..

Aug 5 (CI) Anchor Sports AB, a Stockholm-based sports ownership group co-owned by former India fast bowler Zaheer Khan and businessman Nagendra Siddoutam, has acquired Lanka Premier League (LPL) franchise Jaffna Kings. The team will now be rebranded as Anchor Jaffna Kings. Anchor Sports AB's step-in returns the team to a structured environment. It had been under the emergency regulatory control of SLC and more..

Aug 5 (Island) A vibrant celebration of Korean culture, the Eoullim Sri Lanka K-Culture Festival, is scheduled to take place on Saturday, 29 August, at the Bishop’s College Auditorium in Colombo. The event, themed Freshly Baked Peaches, aims to bring a new wave of Korean cultural experiences to the island, crafted with a local touch. The festival is jointly organised by Far East University of the Republic of Korea and IDM Nations Campus International (IDMNC), Sri Lanka, more..

Aug 5 (NW) The Supreme Court today ordered that a fundamental rights petition filed seeking to postpone the upcoming GCE A/L Examination be dismissed without being taken up for hearing. The petition had been submitted by five students scheduled to sit for the examination for the first and second time. 2026 G.C.E. A/L Examination is set to be held from Aug 10 to Sept 5, 2026. The petition was taken up before a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena. more..