Aug 11 (CT) Recent passing of Prof. Wimal Dissanayake marks a major transition in post-colonial cultural scholarship, making an anthropological engagement with his extensive legacy both timely and necessary. An objective assessment of his work requires evaluating his framework in Enabling Traditions (2005), which argues that heritage is not a stagnant, regressive obstacle to modernization, but a dynamic, generative tool for indigenous identity & intellectual more..

Aug 11 (Island) Almost two years ago, despite the JVP’s violent past, many Sri Lankans placed their trust in the NPP/JVP for two main reasons. First, widespread frustration with previous govts over corruption, abuse of power, and economic mismanagement had contributed to the country’s bankruptcy. Second, the NPP/JVP’s promises of a systemic change, accountability, institutional reform, honesty, integrity, humility, and a better economic future, convinced voters that a new political more..

Aug 11 (Island) Grama Niladharis (GNs) yesterday launched a sick-note campaign, crippling the lowest rung of state administration. They are up in arms over a woefully insufficient transport allowance of Rs. 600, which has not been increased since 2018. They are demanding an allowance equivalent to 20 litres of fuel. Prez of GN Trade Union Nandana Ranasinghe has warned that his association will be compelled to intensify its trade union action unless its demand is granted forthwith. more..

Aug 11 (SO) Provincial Council elections remain on hold amid unresolved electoral issues, with the Delimitation Commission maintaining that the delimitation process itself is not responsible for the prolonged delay. The elections have not been held for a decade, following the introduction of a new electoral system that requires changes to the present delimitation arrangements. While a Delimitation Report was prepared in 2018, more..

Aug 11 (TM) SL’s location, extensive coastline and sizeable exclusive economic zone should make fishing one of the country’s important economic strengths. Yet, despite these natural advantages, the fishing industry continues to struggle from one crisis to another, while successive Govts have failed to give the country’s marine resources the sustained attention they deserve. This is not simply a matter of fishermen struggling to make a living. It is about a national resource that has been poorly more..

Aug 11 (GV) Corruption is not new. It appears wherever people have power over scarce resources. No country, ideology or political system is immune. It is not a rare mistake that a good leader can simply wipe away. It is a constant risk that must be managed every day. What changed in recent decades was the opportunity. Privatisation, outsourcing, deregulated procurement, tax competition and private political financing created more places where public authority meets more..

Aug 11 (CT) Saliya Pieris, President’s Counsel and former President of the BASL, has been a prominent voice on constitutional governance, judicial independence and the rule of law in SL. A senior lawyer with extensive experience in public law, fundamental rights and criminal law, Pieris has appeared in numerous cases before the SC and CA. Pieris discusses SL’s unfinished constitutional reform process, risks of more..

Aug 11 (DM) Sri Lanka is once again locked in a fierce national debate over retirement ages. The govt’s proposal to amend the constitution and extend the statutory retirement age of Supreme Court judges from 65 to 67 years, alongside tiered increases across lower courts, has drawn sharp criticism. This controversy closely mirrors the nation’s healthcare crisis in late 2022, when a sudden decision to revert the public sector retirement threshold to 60 yrs threatened more..

Aug 11 (DM) The leaders of the newly formed Tamil-speaking political parties’ platform have requested Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake to hold the long-delayed provincial council elections, as soon as possible. They made this request during their first media briefing following the launch of their platform on July 14 and on Aug 3 when they met the Prez. However, they got a response that had to be expected. Prez Dissanayake had told them that elections for all nine provincial councils more..

Aug 10 (DM) Govt is to give priority to schools facing teacher shortages, particularly in the Northern and Eastern provinces, while expediting the recruitment of teachers for key subjects such as Science and Mathematics. The matter was discussed at the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Education, chaired by PM Harini Amarasuriya at Parliament. The Committee highlighted the need to identify schools and areas with acute teacher shortages and take immediate steps to fill vacancies. more..

Aug 10 (Island) Website blocking alone would not dismantle SL’s rapidly evolving offshore online betting ecosystem, digital rights researcher and disinformation analyst Sanjana Hattotuwa has cautioned, following the Govt’s decision to block 24 unlicensed gambling and betting websites, reports the Centre for Investigative Reporting SL (CIR).The CIR report said that SL blocked access to the websites on August 5 in what was the country’s first major enforcement action against offshore more..

Aug 10 (DM) Sri Lanka has been ranked 73rd out of 123 countries and regions in the 2025 EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI), placing the country in the Low Proficiency category. The index, published by EF Education First, assesses adult English proficiency based on test results from more than 2.2 million people worldwide. Sri Lanka recorded an overall score of 486, slightly higher than India, which scored 484. more..

Aug 10 (NW) A complaint has been lodged with the Moratuwa Police over the illegal posting of a locally produced Sinhala film on social media, with producers stressing that such acts amount to a criminal offence. The Film Producers’ Association filed the complaint against an individual who had shared the movie of producer Janitha Marasinghe on Facebook and Telegram. Association Chairman Rasitha Jinaseena said that piracy of this nature is not a minor violation but a crime, more..

Aug 10 (AD) General Secretary of the SLPP, Sagara Kariyawasam has been released on bail by the Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court today. Kaduwela Magistrate Aruna Buddhadasa ordered his release on two surety bail of Rs. 2 million each. A foreign travel ban has also been imposed on Sagara Kariyawasam by the Kaduwela Magistrate. Court issued the 17-page bail order after considering submissions made by both the prosecution and the defence. CCIB arrested Kariyawasam more..

Aug 10 (FT) Parliament’s Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on Infrastructure and Strategic Development has raised concerns over delays, rising costs, and gaps in economic assessment of infrastructure serving Port City Colombo, after officials were unable to provide timelines or expected returns for key components of the Port Access Elevated Highway project. Committee, chaired by MP S.M. Marikkar, more..

Aug 10 (NW) Ministry of Health today handed over another fully equipped mobile drug test bus to the National Transport Medical Institute, strengthening the nationwide program aimed at ensuring safety in public transport. The bus, bearing number PZA – 0040, was officially presented by Minister of Health Nalinda Jayatissa, who also serves as Chief Organizer of the Government Party in Parliament, to Professor Clifford Perera, Chairman of the National Transport Medical Institute, more..

Aug 10 (Island) The govt had allocated funds to import body scanners for 33 prisons, involving visual inspection of prisoners’ anal areas, to end the practice of strip searches, Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara said. Minister said the decision followed concerns raised by politicians, human rights groups and prison rights activists over the use of such searches, which require inmates to remove their clothing and undergo visual inspection for concealed contraband. more..

Aug 10 (TG) A headless human skeleton with both hands bound and held against its chest has been uncovered at the Chemmani-Siththupathi mass grave in Jaffna, as excavations at the site passed their 101st day and the number of sets of human remains identified rose beyond 500. The remains were found during Saturday's excavation. The skeleton appeared to have been laid in a relatively normal resting position, but the neck had been severed and the skull was absent, while more..

Aug 10 (AD) Archdiocese of Colombo has reaffirmed its commitment to seeking justice for the victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, while stating that it does not support the imposition of the death penalty. Issuing a statement, the Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith said the Archdiocese remains in total solidarity with the victims and continues to seek the identification of the mastermind or masterminds and all parties associated with the attacks. more..

Aug 10 (Island) Convenor of the Joint Opposition Prof. G.L. Peiris has challenged the NPP govt to prove its much-touted claim that increasing the mandatory retirement ages of SC judges and CA judges was intended to clear the massive backlog of court cases, numbering over 1.1 mn. The former Minister said so addressing the media in Kandy over the weekend and also responding to queries after having met the Mahanayake Theras of more..

Aug 10 (DM) SL Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) will open its online registration portal today for Sri Lankans seeking employment in the restaurant and renovation sectors in Israel. The portal will open at 12 noon for registration of 4,000 applicants for restaurant jobs. Male applicants aged 25 to 40 with at least one year of restaurant kitchen experience can apply. Applicants must have completed at least eight years of schooling, possess good English communication skills, and more..

Aug 10 (NF) A man was shot dead in broad daylight today on Sangharaja Mawatha in Maligawatte in what police suspect to be the result of an ongoing conflict between organized crime groups and narcotics traffickers. Preliminary investigations have revealed that the victim was a relative of underworld figure Kanchipani Imran. Victim was reportedly standing near a building materials store when he came under gunfire. Deceased has been identified as a 54-year-old businessman from more..

Aug 10 (DM) Court of Appeal has issued an interim order preventing a SL company operating under a licence issued by the BOI from removing, exporting, shipping, transporting, selling, transferring, alienating, encumbering or otherwise parting with possession, custody or control of two 2024 Lincoln Navigator L Black Label vehicles. Accordingly, Court of Appeal has permitted an application to be heard on an urgent basis more..

Aug 10 (NW) Award-winning Hollywood actress and international landmine clearance ambassador Rosamund Pike has praised the progress of SL’s demining programme, describing it as highly successful. Pike made the remarks during a meeting with Minister Dr. Susil Ranasinghe on Aug 10, where she discussed the progress of mine clearance operations in the country. Officials said around 90% of areas previously identified as contaminated with landmines have now been cleared. more..

Aug 10 (Island) Mahanayake Theras of the Malwathu and Asgiriya Chapters have commended former SL Ambassador to the US Mahinda Samarasinghe for his outstanding service as a diplomat. Mahanayake Theras expressed their appreciation when Samarasinghe called on the Asgiriya Mahanayake Most Ven. Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Thera and Malwathu Mahanayake Most Ven. Thibbotuwawe Sri Sumangala Thera yesterday to receive their blessings more..

Aug 10 (AD) The possibility of imposing the death penalty for drug-related offences was discussed at a meeting of the A Nation United (Ratama Ekata) National Steering Council held at the Presidential Secretariat this morning. The meeting was chaired by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The discussion focused on the growing drug menace and its impact on the country’s economy, tourism industry and social values. The need for stronger laws to combat drug trafficking and more..

Aug 10 (Island) Parliament is moving ahead with plans to establish a Parliamentary Research and Studies Centre, with the Speaker’s official residence being considered for conversion into the proposed institution. Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne discussed the next steps for establishing the centre with representatives of the Max Planck Foundation for International Peace and the Rule of Law at Parliament on Thursday (6). During the meeting, the Max Planck Foundation, more..

Aug 10 (FT) Sri Lanka ended the first half of 2026 with an overall Budget surplus of Rs. 9.51 billion, reversing a Rs. 405.6 billion deficit a year earlier, although the surplus narrowed sharply from Rs. 197.34 billion at end-May as expenditure accelerated in June. Total revenue and grants increased by 27.1% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs. 2.96 trillion during the January-June period from Rs. 2.33 trillion a year earlier. more..

Aug 10 (FT) A SL diplomat has reached a settlement with European Radio for Belarus, a Warsaw-based publication, following two court-ordered injunctions in defamation proceedings in Poland, resulting in the outlet removing the disputed articles, issuing an expression of regret, and agreeing to bear legal costs, according to case records and a published statement by the outlet. Sanaka Samarasinha, a senior career UN official, brought the action over articles published in 2023 concerning his more..

Aug 10 (NF) The woman alleged to be the principal suspect in the assassination of organized crime figure Ganemulla Sanjeewa has been remanded until August 21 after being produced before the Colombo Aluthkade Magistrate's Court today. The suspect, Ishara Sewwandi, had been under detention orders and questioned by the Colombo Crimes Division for nearly ten months as part of the ongoing investigation into the high-profile killing. Ganemulla Sanjeewa was shot dead on more..

Aug 10 (CI) The newly formed SL Professional Cricketers' Association (SLPCA) was officially launched on Saturday, with men's white-ball captain Kusal Mendis appointed as its inaugural president. Backed heavily by prominent stars like women's captain Chamari Athapaththu and allrounder Wanindu Hasaranga, the association has been established to serve as an independent and collective voice for professional cricketers more..

Aug 10 (NW) Three Sri Lankan suspects arrested in Malaysia, including alleged organized crime figure Dhanushka Kaushalya alias Ratmalana Saima, have been brought back to Sri Lanka under a special security operation. Ratmalana Saima has been identified by police as a key associate of alleged organized crime figure Kanjipani Imran. The three suspects were arrested in Malaysia following a joint operation involving Sri Lankan and Malaysian law enforcement authorities. more..