Aug 4 (FT) SL’s electricity sector needs considerable transformation. Its structure, culture and technologies are archaic. It is not conducive to delivering the dynamism, competitiveness and efficiencies that a modern economy and consumer demands. The 2024 Act was to set the path and journey towards achieving this, and the proposed 2025 Amendments arguably stifle this process. In whatever form the sector emerges, post the parliamentary debate and vote on more..

Aug 4 (AD) Singer (Sri Lanka) PLC has reportedly been appointed as the official distributor in Sri Lanka for Starlink satellite internet service equipment, which has recently gained regulatory access to the country. A post on the official Facebook page of Singer (SL) has indicated the development, while internal sources expect a formal announcement shortly. Meanwhile, the official Facebook page of Starlink Sri Lanka has published a statement confirming this. more..

Aug 4 (DM) Four members of the same family, including two children, were hospitalised following an accident involving the official vehicle of President’s Secretary Dr. Nandika Kumanayake in Thalangama. Police said the incident occurred on Saturday night along the Pelawatte–Akuregoda Road, near SL Air Force Camp. President’s Secretary’s car collided with a motorcycle travelling in the opposite direction. Four individuals were on the motorcycle at the time of the accident and were initially admitted to more..

Aug 4 (MB) Young birder Lahiru Walpita begins most of his days at dawn by scanning the skies for seabirds along the coastline in northern SL. In July 2024, during one of his routine beach surveys, Walpita noticed a large bird trailing a fishing vessel. It circled gracefully with wings outstretched, before vanishing into the horizon, he says, just long enough for him to capture a few photographs. From its shape and size, more..

Aug 4 (AD) MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake has lodged a complaint with the CIABOC. The complaint has been lodged over alleged irregularities in the recruitment of police inspectors in the year 2024. Expressing his views on the matter, MP stated that a gazette notification had been issued in 2024 for the recruitment of police officers. Following the aptitude tests conducted according to that gazette, appointments had been planned for 100 qualified individuals in Nov 2024. more..

Aug 4 (NF) Sandra Perera, the private secretary to former President Ranil Wickremesinghe provided a statement to the CID today after that lasted more than six hours. The prolonged questioning session is part of an ongoing investigation. The CID summoned Sandra Perera, a personal secretary to ex-Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, to provide a statement regarding an investigation into a foreign trip allegedly funded through the Presidential Secretariat’s financial allocations. more..

Aug 4 (TM) The Medical and Civil Rights Professional Association of Doctors (MCPA) stated that more than 80% of the total budget allocated for the health sector in 2025 has not been used. A sum of Rs. 474.9 billion has been allocated through the 2025 Budget for the health sector. MCPA President Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa said that a report released under the Right to Information Act No. 12 of 2016, and signed by the Health Ministry’s more..

Aug 4 (DM) Two Fundamental Rights petitions filed seeking an order to invalidate the MoU recently signed between SL and India, were today dismissed by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court two-judge-bench comprising Justice Achala Wengappuli and Justice Priyantha Fernando decided to dismiss the two petitions citing that there is no prima facie case to proceed with the applications. Seven MoUs between India & SL, including defence cooperation, sharing successful digital solutions more..

Aug 4 (Island) Attempts by NPP politicians to seize control over district-level branches of the National Youth Services Council (NYSC) have sparked a widespread backlash from youth participants, with some ministers being booed at NYSC meetings. Several recent Youth Society Conferences, organised by the NYSC, turned chaotic as young attendees protested against what they described as blatant political interference in a space meant for independent youth engagement. more..

Aug 4 (Island) Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) has appointed a seven-member committee to formulate a set of proposals to address issues and challenges faced by the Tamil people in the N&E provinces. The decision was made during a political committee meeting held at the party headquarters in Martin Road, Jaffna, on Saturday, under the leadership of Acting Party Leader C.V.K. Sivagnanam. ITAK sources said that a majority of members who attended the meeting had more..

Aug 4 (DM) A man riding a bicycle completely naked through the middle of Kandana town has sparked public concern after being caught on a vehicle's dashboard camera. The footage, which has since circulated widely on social media, shows the man calmly pedaling his push bicycle while holding his clothes on both sides of the bicycle’s handlebar. The incident, which occurred in broad daylight, has drawn attention from both residents and authorities. Police are currently reviewing the footage more..

Aug 4 (AD) A notorious SL underworld figure known as Kehelbaddara Padme has allegedly issued a death threat to Chief Inspector Linton Silva, the OIC of the Western Province North Crimes Division, following the arrest of one of his close associates. The threat was reportedly made via a phone call at around 8:45 p.m. yesterday. The incident follows the arrest of a 39-year-old suspect known as Gampaha Deva, more..

Aug 4 (NW) A Three-wheeler Association has voiced its protest to the govt’s new initiative to provide driving licences to foreign tourists at BIA. A representative of the association pointed out that in the recent past, there was a significant increase in accidents involving foreign tourists driving three-wheelers. “A majority of foreign tourists use three-wheelers. Most of them are from Europe. Tourists from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh do not engage in such activities,” he said. more..

Aug 4 (DM) A flagship govt credit guarantee scheme designed to fuel the growth of SL’s small and medium enterprises is failing to gain momentum, a slowdown that Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe has blamed on a pronounced lack of enthusiasm from the nation’s banks. The National Credit Guarantee Institution Limited (NCGIL) was established by the Ministry of Finance to tackle one of the most persistent obstacles for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs): more..

Aug 4 (FT) PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, who also serves as the Education, Higher Education & Vocational Education Minister, said that the Govt will not obstruct student protests, struggles, or political activity within universities. However, she made it clear where the line would be drawn. “There will be no tolerance for violence, ragging, or any act that harms the peaceful student community within universities. more..

Aug 4 (DM) Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) will conduct a public hearing tomorrow (5), to investigate the island-wide power failure that occurred on Feb 9, 2025. The hearing will be held under Section 18 of the PUCSL Act No. 35 of 2002, allowing public participation in matters concerning utility regulation. It will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the BMICH, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7. The PUCSL said the hearing follows a notice issued on May 22, 2025, more..

Aug 4 (DM) A mismatch between official statistics and govt statements has sparked controversy over Sri Lanka’s reported tourism revenue for 2025. Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath, speaking at the inauguration of a new meditation hall at the Seetha Amman Temple in Nuwara Eliya, claimed the country had earned USD 3.7 billion from tourism in the first six months of the year. He further stated that a similar figure is expected in the second half of 2025. However, figures released by the CB more..

Aug 4 (Island) During the awareness-raising campaign on the new education reforms in the Northern Province, PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya visited the Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil, the Jaffna Sri Nagavihara, and the Jaffna Public Library on Sunday (3) morning. The Prime Minister received blessings at the Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil in the morning and stated that it was a privilege to be able to visit and receive blessings at the Nallur Kovil during the time of its annual festivity. more..

Aug 4 (DM) SL’s Ambassador to the US, Mahinda Samarasinghe said that diplomatic discussions are ongoing to further reduce U.S. tariffs on SL exports. Ambassador made these remarks during a visit to the Chief Adhikarana Sanghanayaka of North America and Chief Incumbent of the Maryland Int'l Buddhist Temple, Most Venerable Katugastota Uparathana Nayaka Thera, where he also sought the monk’s blessings. During the meeting, Mr. Samarasinghe briefed the Nayaka Thera more..

Aug 4 (TM) Uncertainty continues to surround the India-SL electricity grid connectivity project amid mixed signals regarding its status in Sri Lanka’s power development plans. Although reports suggested the Energy Ministry had requested removal of the project from the CEB's Long-Term Generation Expansion Plan (LTGEP), Energy Ministry Secretary Prof. Udayanga Hemapala denied any such removal and confirmed that more..

Aug 4 (TM) The Collective to Protect Youth Clubs, a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) comprised of former youth club members, is to take legal action challenging the recently held Youth Clubs elections, which are allegedly politicised due to interference by national- and regional-level politicians affiliated with the ruling NPP. A member of the Collective, Indunil Bandara, said that they are currently assisted by several lawyers to initiate legal action immediately against the heavily politicised more..

Aug 4 (TM) In the wake of recent criticism regarding the increasing number of Israeli tourists in Arugam Bay and the business activities they are involved in, the Police stated that the presence of any foreign national who poses no threat should not be viewed as a concern, unless they are in breach of the law. Police Spokesperson, ASP F.U. Wootler said that SL welcomes all tourists, regardless of nationality, and that the country should take pride in being a sought-after destination. more..

Aug 4 (AM) In a significant development related to the Chemmani mass graves case in Jaffna, the wife of Lance Corporal Somaratna Rajapakse—who was convicted as the main accused in the Krishanti Kumaraswamy rape and murder case—has written to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, expressing her husband’s willingness to testify if an int'l investigation is launched, Virakesari newspaper reported. more..

Aug 4 (AD) Concerns pertaining to e-commerce platform taxation that affected products that were purchased through websites such as AliExpress, Amazon and Temu have been resolved, according to officials who were present during a meeting of the Committee on Public Finance in Parliament. According officials, operations are now flowing smoothly following earlier delays caused by the switch back to HS code-based taxation, the Dept of Communication of Parliament said. more..

Aug 4 (NW) Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne today endorsed the certificate on the Companies (Amendment) Bill, which was passed in Parliament with amendments in July this year. This bill was presented for first reading in Parliament on June 5, 2025, by Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe. Following the Speaker’s endorsement, the Companies (Amendment) Bill is now enacted as the Companies (Amendment) Act No. 12 of 2025. more..

Aug 5 (DM) Once the Presidents’ Entitlement (Repeal) Bill was gazette on July 31 to abolish the entitlements for the past Presidents, as its name indicates, Opposition parties seem to be gradually teaming up against it, and another law for the annulment of similar facilities provided for the MPs is to follow. Bill provides for the deprivation of official residences, monthly allowances, secretarial allowances, official transport and such other facilities provided to former Prezs and their widows. more..

Aug 5 (CT) The month of July is remembered in SL for many eventful things that changed the course of history. But two events – the Black July Pogrom carried out on July 23, 1983 and the Indo-SL Accord signed between Prez JR Jayawardane and Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi on July 29, 1987, stand out among them. Both the events have a Cause and Effect relationship as Tamil refugees fleeing the Black July Pogrom in thousands to Tamil Nadu resulted in India taking serious interest in SL Tamils more..

Aug 5 (TM) As Sri Lanka undertakes significant education reforms to better prepare students for the challenges of the modern world, the question arises: should financial literacy be included as a compulsory subject in the school curriculum? With the Govt considering the introduction of financial literacy education for students from Grades 6-9, there is growing discussion on whether such knowledge is essential for young learners. more..

Aug 5 (DM) There are two kinds of cross-border invasive action one sees today – cross border terrorism and transnational repression. The former is perpetrated by non-State actors and the latter by States. Even as the world is trying to find ways to check cross-border terrorism, transnational repression has gained ground in Western democracies, requiring attention. While cross border terrorism grabs attention instantly because it is violent & is intended to shock the adversary, more..

Aug 5 (ST) Lanka breathed a sigh of relief after receiving a reprieve with Trump letting his tariff axe fall lightly on her neck. In what would have amounted to a decapitation of the apparel industry, the chop, though damaging, was not fatal, not serious enough to start digging its grave. At least for now. With a welcome 10 percent reduction to what had been threatened before, Lanka’s exports are placed on even keel with her nearest rivals, Taiwan and Bangladesh, at 20 percent each, but more..

Aug 5 (ST) Executive Director of the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS) and diplomatic historian Dr. George I. H. Cooke reflects on how Sri Lanka can regain strategic poise. He said the country must move from ad-hocism to a coherent, strategised foreign policy: using its Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) chair, aligning diplomacy with IMF-era reforms to win markets, investment and debt closure, more..

Aug 5 (TM) Sri Lanka has had a long and complex relationship with what national security is. It has never been clearly defined by the State in any policy document which is accessible to the public. It is a term widely abused by the polity of the island to suit their own agenda and has lost its currency with the public due to it becoming politicised. As such, when practitioners speak of national security challenges today, few take them seriously. The damage the politicisation of national security more..

Aug 5 (CT) For any nation or people to make progress and derive an increase in livelihood, economies must grow, and that is only possible when connected to the global economy. This fact is especially true for Sri Lanka, which is home to an educated population with a workforce that has proven its capability in the global skills arena. Unlike many other nations, Sri Lanka simply does not have the capacity or the resources to manufacture at scale, but if knowledge and services are more..

Aug 5 (Island) The news from the US trade office was better than expected. Sri Lankans, who had been shocked by the sudden imposition of a 44% tariff by the U.S. authorities in April 2024, were relieved to see it reduced to 20%. This was a significant concession for a country that could have been penalised on the basis that it has had strong trading and political ties with China, which the US views as its main global rival. Revised tariff now brings SL more closely to other Asian more..

Aug 5 (Island) SJB-led Opposition is given to selective amnesia, just like the NPP govt, which has conveniently forgotten most of its election pledges. It turns a blind eye to the issues that are politically disadvantageous to it and takes up the ones it can flog to gain some political mileage. It has suddenly become concerned about devolution and remembered that the Provincial Council (PC) elections are long overdue! SJB MP Dayasiri Jayasekera yesterday called upon the govt more..