Aug 5 (AR) The nil manel, or blue waterlily, is the national flower of Sri Lanka: a pale-blue bloom whose Latin names are Nymphaea stellata and Nymphaea nouchali. Its natural habitat is the many lagoons that dot this island-nation, where it grows together with numerous other nymphaeas, in a stunning array of colours: many are white, with bright yellow stamens; others, like the nil rubra, are a uniform deep pink, which colours the petals and the stamens alike. more..

Aug 5 (NW) Cabinet approval has been granted for the development of the Pettah Central bus stand under the Clean Sri Lanka national program. The access roads, bus yards, passenger stands, driver and conductor restrooms, administrative buildings, and sanitation and drainage systems of the Pettah Central Bus Stand are in a dilapidated condition due to a lack of repairs and maintenance. Passengers, drivers, conductors, and operational staff who use the Pettah Central bus stand more..

Aug 5 (CT) Items recovered from the Chemmani mass grave in Ariyalai, Jaffna—including clothing and other potential evidence—will be displayed for public identification today from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. near the site of the mass grave. The initiative is part of an ongoing judicial process and is being conducted under court orders to assist investigations into the mass grave discovery. The primary aim of the display is to allow relatives of more..

Aug 5 (AD) Cabinet has granted approval to amend the Child Protection Authority Act No. 50 of 1998. Cabinet Spokesman said it has been around 25 years after passing the Child Protection Authority Act No. 50 of 1998. Due to the socio – economic, political and cultural changes, the exploitation and harassments against children have become complex, he said. Therefore, it has been identified that of the requirement of making amendments to the laws in effect at present to prevent more..

Aug 5 (Island) Chief incumbent theros of the SL Amarapura Maha Nikaya and the Ramanna Maha Nikaya emphasized to the PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya that contributing to the new education reforms is not merely a change confined to the education sector, but one that can bring about a constructive transformation for the entire nation, making it a national responsibility of the Maha Sangha. A special discussion to brief the Chief incumbent theros of the Amarapura and more..

Aug 5 (TM) SJB alleges that the Govt is in the process of politicising regional and village-level groups to establish political power at the grassroots level. SJB MP Sujith Perera levelled these allegations during a press briefing held yesterday, where he discussed the alleged politicisation of youth societies through interference in youth society elections and conferences. He added that youth societies were originally introduced through the National Youth Services Council to enhance more..

Aug 5 (EN) Cabinet has approved a proposal to resume halted housing projects at Colombage Mawatha in Narahenpita and Torrington, minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. “The estimated cost for the implementation of these projects is 7.48 billion rupees,” Jayatissa said. The Narahenpita Colombage Mawatha scheme was supposed to have 615 units, while the Torrington Mawatha scheme was to have 115 housing units. “It is expected that it will take about 2 years to more..

Aug 5 (AM) Cabinet Spokesperson Dr Nalinda Jayatissa, clarified that the decision to grant visa-free entry to Israeli nationals was not influenced by internal pressure but was based solely on economic and tourism-related factors. Responding to a question raised at the weekly Cabinet media briefing regarding reports that senior officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had lobbied the govt to include Israel in the visa-free list, more..

Aug 5 (CT) Supreme Court yesterday issued an interim order halting all silica sand mining activities at 30 sites in Madampe, following the hearing of a fundamental rights petition concerning environmental destruction caused by illegal mining. Court also granted leave to proceed with the petition, which was filed under case number SCFR 398/22. The petition was brought forward by the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) Chairman Hemantha Withanage, Ven. Medawachchiye Sumedha more..

Aug 5 (DM) Cabinet approved a proposal to reduce the annual group insurance coverage for MPs from Rs. 1 million to Rs. 250,000, with the new policy taking effect from Oct 9, 2025. The proposal was submitted by Minister Ananda Wijepala in line with an initiative of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake to scale back privileges granted to MPs. The group insurance scheme, initially introduced in May 2023, was designed to provide each MP with a maximum annual coverage of Rs. 1 million. more..

Aug 5 (Island) Prez Donald Trump has bypassed his predecessor Joe Biden’s nominee to succeed Julie Chung as the next US Ambassador to Colombo. Biden’s choice, Elizabeth Horst, on 9 May, 2024, appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee where she said that if her appointment was confirmed, she would focus on three main pillars of the US-SL relationship: broadening economic cooperation, more..

Aug 5 (CT) More than 70 schools in SL’s Northern Province are on the brink of closure, despite the region having a total of 982 schools, according to Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Ramalingam Chandrasekaran. Highlighting the severity of the education crisis, he revealed that 35 schools have fewer than 10 students, 64 schools have between 11 and 20 students, 171 schools have between 21 and 50 students, and 174 schools have only 51 to 100 students enrolled. more..

Aug 5 (NW) SL Singers Association has requested Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake to amend the necessary laws to grant full and legal rights to singers and composers, as well as lyricists, for a song. The request was made during a meeting between Prez Dissanayake and the SL Singers Association at the Presidential Secretariat today. During the meeting, the SL Singers Association highlighted that many well-known singers are facing an issue due to the fact that the lyricist more..

Aug 6 (GV) Within months of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake lifting the import ban on private vehicles, Colombo’s streets have morphed into a glitzy display the latest automobile concoctions. Petite Suzukis jostle past glamorous BMWs while spaceship-esque BYDs make their debut on the roads. Salespersons celebrate the surge in demand, consumers revel their new commuting machines and the govt accelerates road construction to keep pace. Yet, beneath this automotive spectacle lurks more..

Aug 6 (DM) Last week, SL secured a major reduction of Trump’s import tax on goods, placing it on par with its regional competitors. Sri Lanka’s revised tariff rate of 20% would put it on par with Cambodia 19%, Bangladesh 20%, Vietnam 20%, Philippines 19%, Thailand 19% and Pakistan 19%. India, which is still negotiating, is slapped with a 25% plus penalty over energy exports from Russia. While reduced Trump’s import tariffs on goods would not make SL exports magically competitive, more..

Aug 6 (TM) There are few creatures as intrinsically tied to SL’s cultural and ecological identity as the SL elephant. A subspecies unique to the island (and the largest Asian elephant), it is, in short, one of our most iconic national treasures. Elephants form a significant part of our national iconography, not just as symbols of pride and power in religious and cultural life, but also as a key part of our global appeal and more..

Aug 6 (TM) Online gambling is taking SL by storm, with many youths increasingly getting involved in a web of cyber gambling and associated services and scams. This latest iteration of online gambling, practically linked to short forms of cricket sponsorship, is finding itself into the homes and pockets of many in SL, through various mobile phone-friendly gambling websites and dedicated apps. One only has to scan the World Wide Web about local issues or content and more..

Aug 6 (DM) Just three days after Sri Lanka commemorated leopard day on August 1, the skinned carcass of a leopard was recovered from the Maduru Oya National Park on Monday. Despite this species being recognised as an iconic and charismatic species, poachers continue to prey on this elusive cat. Anybody who have had the luxury of going on a safari at Wilpattu and/or Yala National Parks would know how difficult it is to spot a leopard in its natural habitat. more..

Aug 6 (CT) Serious concerns have emerged regarding the integrity of the Attorney-at-Law exam conducted by SL Law College, as students claim that the exam paper bundles were being opened well before the scheduled start time — without proper procedural safeguards. This practice not only violates basic exam protocols but, has sparked fears over the transparency, security, and fairness of one of the country’s most more..

Aug 6 (Island) A news report states that the Mayor of Bondy, Stephen Hervé lit the public flame at a ceremony on 12th July 2025 to mark the foundation stone-laying ceremony for a statue of the late Anton Balasingham, the political advisor and chief propagandist of the LTTE. Bondy is a suburb of Paris in the North East, specifically one of the poorer, often overlooked, areas on the outskirts of the city characterised by high-density housing projects and an immigrant population. more..

Aug 6 (SO) Every dog has its day, is the old adage. Every mediocrity has its day as well. In these times, the people of this country can see in stark relief the past parade of mediocrity that marked the days of post-independence politics, and post-independence civil administration. However, at the time these mediocrities ruled the roost, unfortunately members of the public and academics were compelled to pay obeisance to such rank misfits, and sundry grifters. Some of the mediocrities that more..

Aug 6 (Island) We come across, in science fiction, the concept of mirror universe, which is an alternative reality or a parallel version of our universe with dramatic, ironic and inverted differences. What reminded us of this well-known sci-fi trope was a scathing propaganda attack carried out by a former JVP heavyweight on the incumbent JVP-led NPP administration, which resembles a mirror-universe version of the govt it promised to create; it has the same characters but more..

Aug 6 (ST) Sri Lanka must heave a collective sigh of relief following the announcement that U.S. President Donald Trump has reduced the reciprocal tariffs on Sri Lankan exports to 20%, down from the previously punishing rates of 44% and 30%. While still steep, this reduction marks a significant diplomatic victory and provides much-needed breathing space for an economy that has been struggling to recover from the devastating financial crisis of 2022. more..

Aug 6 (FT) The men’s 400 metres of the 103rd National Athletics Championship saw as many as four teenagers advancing to the final with Ananda Sastralaya, Kotte sprinter Kalhara Idupa securing a well deserving podium place. The obsession of the one lap race has powered schools athletes to be on par with the seniors and close the gap of standards. It was no surprise as teenagers had already featured alongside seniors more..

Aug 6 (DN) Kaya Daluwatte and Adithya Weerasinghe emerged as the top performers in the qualifying round of the SL Junior Match Play Championship 2025 for the Rukmini Kodagoda Trophy, sponsored by Perera and Sons Bakers (Pvt) Ltd. Both players carded impressive rounds to top the Gold Division leaderboard at the Royal Colombo Golf Club yesterday. Daluwatte, competing in the Girls’ Gold Division (15–18 age category) from the Red Tee markers, delivered a composed more..

Aug 6 (FT) Cabinet of Ministers at their meeting on Monday granted approved enterprises status for four local companies engaged in the processing and re-export of selected spices in the form of oil extracts, oleoresin and residue. Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said Stay Naturals Ltd., Verger Naturals Ltd, Plant Lipids Lanka Ltd, and HDDES Extracts Ltd were granted the designation after fulfilling all requirements under the approved procedure established in Dec 2023. more..

Aug 6 (EN) Power-hitting specialist Julian Wood completed his week-long training programme with the SL cricketers and coaches yesterday. Both National men’s and women’s team players got chance to get the services from Julian Wood during this short training and it will be a great experience for all National players for their upcoming cricket series. SLC decided to obtain Julian’s services aimed at enhancing the power-hitting skills of both the men’s and women’s national players. more..

Aug 6 (FT) US Ambassador Julie Chung last week cautioned SL risked falling behind without bold reforms and structural change as the global economy is becoming increasingly competitive. She made this observation as the Chief Guest at the ninth AGM of the SL-USA Business Council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. MAC Holdings CFO Tilak Gunawardena was appointed as the President of the committee for 2025/26. Emphasising that growth depended on more than just recovery, more..

Aug 6 (DM) Social media had been abuzz with the news of a child selling dodol (a sweet, toffee-like confection) in Bandarawela. Following the social media post published by an individual with the intention of helping the child and his family, there have been mixed reactions towards this gesture of kindness. Some argued that the child’s privacy was violated since his photo was posted on Facebook, while some appreciated more..

Aug 6 (NW) Court of Appeal on Tuesday said it will reconvene on August 7 to further review a petition filed seeking the release of nearly 1,000 BYD electric vehicles currently held by SL Customs. The petition, filed by John Keells CD Auto Pvt Ltd, claims that the decision by Customs to detain the vehicles is unlawful. Lawyers, appearing on behalf of the petitioner, argued that the vehicles could be released under a bank guarantee and that the detainment violated legal procedure. more..

Aug 6 (EN) The Japan National Cricket Team visited Sri Lanka on a practice tour in preparation for qualification in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup from the Asia-Pacific region. The cricket exchange adds a new layer to the bilateral relations between Japan and Sri Lanka, Japanese Ambassador Akio Isomata said, and celebrated the beginning of cricket diplomacy. Sri Lanka Cricket has arranged a series of seven T20 practice matches against four Under-19 squads from Sri Lanka. more..

Aug 6 (EN) Sri Lanka’s anti-dumping and countervailing duties will give more protection to domestic producers like tiles, shoes and sanitary clothes, Minister Sunil Handunetti said, naming businesses which have lobbied for the heaviest protection and do not have to be export competitive as a result. “In the recent past the biggest complaint is that SL’s open economy has put domestic industries in danger,” more..

Aug 6 (DM) New threat research from Kaspersky has revealed a startling figure for SL’s gaming community and its corporate sector with at least 10,877 gaming accounts in the country compromised by infostealer malware in 2024. The findings were part of a larger, alarming global trend presented this week during Kaspersky’s Cyber Security Weekend held in Vietnam. The research, conducted by Kaspersky’s Digital Footprint Intelligence (DFI) team, shows that more..

Aug 6 (TM) SriLankan Airlines announced the unsuccessful conclusion of recent restricted discussions with key bondholders regarding the restructuring of the airline’s defaulted $ 175 million guaranteed bonds. Despite constructive engagement between 28 July and 1 Aug, the parties failed to reach a consensus, citing significant differences between proposals put forward by the airline and the ad-hoc group of bondholders. As part of the exchange, the company submitted more..

Aug 6 (ST) The Finance Ministry would have to look at increasing taxes on vehicle imports and vehicle financing facilities in the next Budget if the demand for vehicles remains high in the coming month and impacts the country’s foreign reserves. Car importers have opened letters of credit valued at USD 1.2 billion since restrictions on vehicle imports were lifted in February this year. Of this, USD 550 million worth of Letters of Credit have been cleared so far while others are pending. more..