Aug 18 (SO) Inter-University Students’ Federation (IUSF), commonly known as Anthare, once the undisputed voice of student activism in SL, now stands at a historic turning point. Amid widening cracks in its leadership, a new faction—led by Sasindu Perera, President of the Peradeniya University General Students’ Union—has emerged with a bold claim: that the IUSF no longer represents the students it was created to serve. more..

Aug 18 (CT) Impunity for soldiers like those in Israel Defence Forces (IDF) refers to their exclusion from accountability and punishment for crimes committed, often due to a lack of legal mechanisms or political will. This can take the form of amnesty laws, sovereign immunity, or the failure of domestic legal systems to investigate and prosecute crimes. Amnesty laws promise not to prosecute past violators of human rights or int'l law, but can hinder accountability; perpetuate a cycle of violence. more..

Aug 18 (TM) The landmark talks between US Prez Donald Trump and Russian Prez Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson – a US military installation on the northern edge of Anchorage, Alaska ended with the old KGB trained spy-turned politician departing, with a smile on his face and seemingly happy with denting his pariah image. The US President had drawn a lot of flack for inviting his Russian counterpart on to US soil for the meeting, and it seems, at least from what we know more..

Aug 18 (TM) Sri Lanka Railways is once again in the national spotlight, this time amid a sudden shake-up at its highest level. Former General Manager Dhammika Jayasundara was removed by Cabinet decision, with Ravindra Pathmapriya stepping into the role the very next day. Yet, while the headlines focus on this dramatic leadership switch, the deeper, more unsettling question lingers: can an institution mired in chronic inefficiency, more..

Aug 18 (DM) SL’s youth unemployment rate has consistently been higher than the national average. In 2022, for instance, the unemployment rate for those aged 20-29 was 16.2%, significantly above the national rate of 4.7%. This issue is even more acute for young women, with female youth unemployment rates often double those of their male counterparts. A major contributing factor is the disconnect between the traditional, academic-focused education system & demands of a rapidly evolving job market. more..

Aug 18 (Island) Decades of underfunding have left our education system, overall, fractured and in urgent need of rebuilding. The virtual lack of public early childhood education, the years of neglected vocational training, and the scale of problems facing general education (widespread staff shortages, stark disparities in resources, among other things) mean that these subsectors demand immediate attention. Therefore, despite the opaqueness of the consultative process and questions we have more..

Aug 17 (ST) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s intention probably was to put the record straight and distance himself from the rather alarming remarks made by the JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva on the need for one party to stay in power for at least 15 to 20 years, but whatever the reason, the Prez’s statement this week that neither he nor his party planned to stay glued to power and are well aware of the time more..

Aug 17 (DM) Govt will reimburse only the refundable deposits placed by the Adani Group for the Mannar Wind Power project, Minister Kumara Jayakody said. He said that the Adani Group had placed deposits with regard to the project at the Sustainable Energy Authority. Minister said this while responding to a question whether Adani Group had demanded initial costs from the govt. He said any project involves refundable and non-refundable deposits and that the govt will reimburse only refundable deposits. more..

Aug 17 (TM) The Attorney General’s (AG) Department, already struggling under a severe shortage of officers, has been left in limbo as the Public Service Commission (PSC) has failed to respond to a formal request for additional appointments for over four months. Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe, PC, in a written appeal, has requested the PSC to approve 25 more officers to bolster the department, which currently handles criminal cases with only 97 officers. more..

Aug 17 (ST) SL Navy has been vested with powers again from August 13 onwards to undertake a maritime security operation project—hitherto provided by Avant Garde Maritime Services (Pvt)—to offer security services to foreign private maritime security companies to ensure the safety of merchant vessels entering SL territorial waters. A gazette notification was issued by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake this week more..

Aug 17 (AD) The leave of all employees of the Department of Posts has been cancelled with effect from today (17). Postmaster General, Mr. Ruwan Sathkumara, has officially informed all heads of the department of this decision in writing. Meanwhile, the Postal and Telecommunications Officers’ Union, together with the United Postal Trade Unions’ Front (UPTUF), has announced that they will commence a strike action from 4.00 p.m. today (17). The strike is being launched based on 19 key demands, more..

Aug 17 (ST) The CIABOC has decided to file action against Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody following corruption complaints over misappropriation of funds while serving at the Fertiliser Corporation in 2015. The action is to be filed in the High Court against the minister and two others over charges of misappropriation of Rs 8 million. Mr Jayakody had served as the head of the tender board that awarded a particular tender that came under scrutiny. Investigations into the tender began after more..

Aug 17 (SO) The long-running backlog of vehicle number plates at Dept of Motor Traffic (DMT) is to be cleared soon, following the Cabinet-Appointed Procurement Committee’s review of supplier bids, Commissioner General Kamal Amarasinghe said. Committee formally opened the bids on Friday, with the Ministry of Transport expected to approve the successful supplier shortly. After it is finalised, the DMT will issue official, tamper proof number plates to all vehicles within two to 3 months. more..

Aug 17 (NW) SL Customs recorded its highest-ever monthly revenue in July, collecting 235 billion rupees, Director General Sunil Nonis said. July revenue marked a historic milestone for the institution. “In 2023, surpassing 100 billion rupees in a month was considered a major achievement. Today, we have reached 235 billion rupees,” he said. The new system was designed to improve convenience for importers and exporters, aiming to further strengthen the dept’s performance. more..

Aug 17 (ST) Sri Lanka is estimated to have recorded a sharp rise in foreign and joint-venture (JV) company registrations in the first half of 2025, reflecting the country’s rebound in investment inflows and project approvals, despite the absence of official confirmation from the Dept of the Registrar of Companies (ROC). Efforts to obtain precise data from the ROC—including formal requests, contacting high officials and more..

Aug 17 (DM) The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has interdicted another District Court judge on charges of misconduct, bringing the total number of judicial officers interdicted this month to 10. Following a separate inquiry, a Civil Appellate High Court judge serving in Gampaha has been directed to retire over allegations of inefficient performance. It has been reported that the JSC has already dispatched his retirement papers. Meanwhile, both the District Judge and more..

Aug 17 (DM) Sri Lanka should enhance trade facilitation and create a more conducive business environment by reducing non-tariff barriers, US Ambassador Julie Chung said. She urged SL to "seize this window of opportunity by enhancing trade facilitation and creating a more conducive environment, including reducing non-tariff barriers, enhancing openness, and improving competitiveness." The US envoy made this comment when she met CCC officials more..

Aug 17 (SO) Gross official reserves (GOR) have been maintained above US$ 6 billion, while meeting the debt servicing requirements, a spokesman for the CB said. GOR had remained at above US $ 6 billion during the first four months of this year reaching US$ 6.3 billion by end April 2025, amid debt servicing. Continuing the growth momentum observed thus far in 2025 and as reflected in leading economic indicators, near-term growth is likely to persist along the observed trajectory going more..

Aug 17 (NF) USS Santa Barbara, an Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship and part of the U.S. 7th Fleet, docked at the Port of Colombo this morning for its first-ever port call. The 7th Fleet commands the world’s largest forward-deployed fleet, tasked with operational control and planning in the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans, while promoting regional stability and maritime security through engagements with allies and partners. Christened on Oct 16, 2021, the visit of USS Santa Barbara to SL, more..

Aug 17 (TM) The no-confidence motion against Deputy Minister of Defence Maj. Gen. (Retd) Aruna Jayasekara, which was handed over to Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne by the Opposition led by the SJB last week, has not been officially filed and has not been subject to parliamentary procedure yet. This was confirmed by Secretary General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera. more..

Aug 17 (Island) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) in partnership with Moose Clothing Company, Official Cricket Clothing Partner of SLC on Friday unveiled the newly designed team jerseys across all formats. Crafted using advanced, newly developed fabrics, the jerseys feature refined design elements to enhance player comfort, optimize breathability, and enable greater mobility during high-intensity matches. The ODI and T20I kits will make their official on-field debut during more..

Aug 17 (SO) SLC Greens clinched the SLC T20 League when they defeated SLC Greys by 23 runs in the final played at the SSC Grounds yesterday. The SLC Greys, chasing a victory target of 189 runs managed to post only 166 for eight in their 20 overs with Dushmantha Chameera (2/26), Kamindu Mendis (2/25) and Chamika Karunaratne (3/24) sharing the wickets. The SLC Greys, of course, got off to a flying start as their openers Dinesh Chandimal and Niroshan Dickwella put on 70 more..

Aug 17 (ST) The national selectors have rung the changes once again, signalling SL’s urgency to shape a settled Twenty20 line-up ahead of the Asia Cup next month. The shake-up follows the heartbreak of a 2-1 home series defeat to Bangladesh, a loss that exposed glaring weaknesses and demanded firm action. Both the ODI and T20 squads have therefore been reshuffled for the upcoming series against Zimbabwe, more..

Aug 17 (EN) SL has conducted a workshop for govt officers on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to transform the public service into a productive and efficient service. The AI for Transforming Public Service program was attended by executive officers from 10 ministries, including the Prime Minister’s Office and the Cabinet Office. “The objective of the workshop was to raise awareness and prepare govt officials as an initial step in the state’s digital transformation agenda and more..

Aug 17 (Island) Dharmapala College, Pannipitiya hurdler Pawan Bimsara and Lyceum International sprinter Jithma Wijetunga won the best athlete awards at the Western Province Schools Games Athletics Championship held at Diyagama. The outstanding 13.9 seconds feat to win the Under 18 boys’ 110m hurdles title earned Bimsara the coveted award. Jithma was the winner of both the 200metres and the 400metres. From the time she clocked 54.5 seconds to win the Under 20 girls’ 400 metres more..

Aug 17 (TM) SL Test Captain Dhananjaya de Silva says that although his players have been reduced to mere spectators as per the ongoing Future Tours Programme (FTP) for his country, they are continuing to maintain physical fitness by turning out for regular practice sessions. He said that despite his team being starved of Tests for the foreseeable future, they were not prepared to use it as an excuse to twiddle their thumbs, but rather intended to use the ongoing break to sharpen more..

Aug 17 (ST) The ruling party that fanned a trade union strike culture when in opposition is now getting hoist on its own petard while in power and place. The Govt is facing a string of strikes and general agitation among different sectors. The latest comes from a group calling themselves tourism taxi service personnel, many self-employed, protesting against the latest move to grant foreigners driving licences (DLs) on arrival. These service providers have threatened to bring the entire more..

Aug 17 (SO) Over 2,000 Sri Lankans marched in Colombo on Friday, calling for an end to the ongoing war in Gaza and against the aggression of Israel towards Palestine. March concluded with what many say was the largest pro-Palestine rally held in SL in recent times. Civil society members and politicians from both Govt & Opposition called on the Govt to take action against Israel and to show support to the freedom of Palestine. more..

Aug 17 (SO) Trinity College will have the edge when they take on their traditional rivals Royal College in the first-leg of the 79th Bradby Shield Inter-School rugby encounter at the Trinity College Rugby Stadium in Pallekele, Kandy on August 23. Trinity will take the field as the reigning League champions for 2025 having just completed a successful season where they finished on top of the points table with nine victories and only a solitary defeat. The Trinitians also had the satisfaction of more..

Aug 17 (Island) In the universe of human rights, SL has become notable for two dubious records. For disappearances of people stretching over several decades, SL is in the top tier of countries. It is easily a world leader when it comes to commissions of inquiry that successive govts have appointed to investigate various instances of human rights violations, including commissions that are appointed to summarize the work of preceding commissions. Nothing conclusive has flowed out of more..

Aug 17 (GV) Every day we witness the same troubling pattern: companies fire workers to boost stock prices, forests are cleared for short term profits and public services are cut to balance budgets. Meanwhile, the crises keep mounting – climate change, inequality, financial instability and social breakdown. What if these are not separate problems but symptoms of a single, fundamental error in how we organize our economy? The problem is what I call capital inversion – we have our more..

Aug 17 (ST) My dear Harini sahodariya, I thought of writing to you because you are in the news after a long time, although not exactly for the best reasons. People are questioning your wisdom, political maturity and what not, after you answered those questions regarding Chi Chi baby’s rocket in Parliament. Some even want you to resign! You are learning quickly that politics is a beastly sport, far removed from the genteel world of academia that you were used to. more..