Fri, Aug 7, 2026
12 headlines
SRI LANKA DAILY NEWS DIGEST - Friday, August 7, 2026
LAW AND ORDER
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has ordered officials to fast-track the modernisation of the Sri Lanka Police, aiming at more efficient and higher-quality public service, alongside a unified push on drug rehabilitation. The directive comes as a tense situation erupted at the Magazine Prison in Borella on Thursday night, forcing authorities to tighten security in and around the facility.
In a separate move against illegal activity online, the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission has instructed all telecom service providers to block access to 146 unlicensed online gambling websites.
COURTS
The Colombo District Court has permitted former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and former Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara to be removed as defendants from a civil lawsuit filed by an Attorney-at-Law injured in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombing at the Shangri-La Hotel.
PARLIAMENT
The Animals (Amendment) Bill and the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (Amendment) Bill were both passed in Parliament on Thursday.
MARKETS AND COST OF LIVING
The Colombo Stock Exchange extended its rally for a second consecutive session on Thursday, with broad-based buying lifting both benchmark indices and turnover reaching LKR 12.24 billion, despite another substantial foreign outflow. Households get some relief on the utilities front: LAUGFS Gas confirmed there will be no change to domestic cylinder refill prices for the month of August.
TRANSPORT
Lanka Metro Transit has launched a Metro Bus Weekend Pass offering unlimited travel on Metro Bus services across the weekend for a one-time fee of Rs. 799. Cashless travel is also coming to state buses, with Transport and Highways Deputy Minister Prasanna Gunasena saying the SLTB will introduce a card payment system for bus fares soon. Internationally, Qatar Airways resumes flights to Bahrain, Kuwait and Erbil from August 8 as it continues rebuilding its regional network.
WEATHER AND FISHING
The Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has issued an urgent warning to fishermen to avoid venturing out in the sea area from Matara to Pottuvil via Hambantota, due to rough sea conditions.
INTERNATIONAL
Iran has launched a concerted diplomatic push with Gulf states, explicitly warning that Tehran will strike their oil, power and water plants unless they persuade US President Donald Trump to halt American strikes on Iran and pursue a negotiated end to the war.