Jul 6 (TM) Two inmates were killed and 29 others injured in a clash between rival groups at the Negombo Prison yesterday (5), prompting authorities to tighten security. Preliminary information indicates the violence was sparked by the exposure of a drug trafficking operation inside the prison. When contacted yesterday evening, the Police Media Division stated that the clash had left two inmates dead and 29 injured. more..

Jul 6 (AD) Commissioner General of Prisons has appointed a special investigation team to inquire into the clash that broke out within the Negombo Prison yesterday. Two individuals died and around 35 injured inmates were admitted to the Negombo Hospital, following the clash between two groups of inmates within the Negombo Prison yesterday. Police said the violence was triggered by an alleged dispute over the exposure of a drug trafficking operation within the prison. more..

Jul 6 (AD) Several hospitals across the Western Province have reached maximum capacity due to the sharp rise in dengue patients, according to NDCU. Acting Director Dr. Kapila Kannangara said the rapid increase in cases has placed severe pressure on hospitals, making it increasingly difficult to provide adequate care for patients. He warned that if the number of infections continues to rise, the dengue-related death toll is also likely to increase proportionately. more..

Jul 6 (ST) Bar Association of SL (BASL), international law organisations, and legal experts yesterday voiced concern over a govt proposal to amend the Constitution to extend the retirement age of Supreme Court and Court of Appeal judges. Speaking at a public forum organised by the BASL, BASL President Rajeev Amarasuriya said the BASL had raised objections to the proposal and requested both the Prez and the govt more..

Jul 6 (FT) Petitioners appeared before the Commercial High Court last week seeking leave to bring a derivative action against the Board of Directors and external auditors of National Development Bank (NDB), arguing that it was lack of due oversight, and not just the fraud itself, which caused the bank’s losses. President’s Counsel Faiszer Musthapha, appearing with Shaheeda Barrie, Dayasiri Jayasekara, Mehran Careem, N. Arulpragasam & Dithya Senaratne, told Court more..

Jul 6 (NW) Former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe visited the residence of former Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, following the arrest of Rajapakshe’s son by the CIABOC. Report said Wickremesinghe, accompanied by several opposition figures, met Rajapakshe to inquire about his wellbeing. Wickremesinghe told those present that due process had been followed in relation to the arrest and detention of underworld figure Nadun Chinthaka, alias Harak Kata, during his presidency. more..

Jul 6 (NW) Opposition MP Dayasiri Jayasekara says he does not use Facebook because he believes it is full of fools and is not a place where intelligent people engage in debate, despite maintaining an official Facebook page that is regularly updated with his political activities. Speaking at a public event, Jayasekara said he avoids the social media platform as he does not consider it a space for meaningful discussion. “I don’t go on Facebook because it’s full of fools. more..

Jul 6 (CI) After consecutive ICC tournaments in which they went home empty-handed, Australia wound back the clock and waltzed off with a seventh T20 title to the disappointment of a packed house at Lord's. Beth Mooney was the clutch performer once again, her third consecutive half-century in T20 World Cup finals steering a comfortable chase of 151. Cricket sets a lot of store in its history, but this World Cup final saw the statistical equivalent of the immovable object going up against more..

Jul 6 (DN) Seven large-scale water infrastructure initiatives will be vested in the public in 2026, with an investment exceeding Rs.175 billion, strategically engineered to deliver clean, reliable water access to over 300,000 families across multiple districts. Marking a significant milestone in the country’s public utility infrastructure, these initiatives will be launched through the National Water Supply and Drainage Board. more..

Jul 6 (NW) Construction has begun on 57 new houses in Kanaweralla, Passara, under Phase IV of the Indian Housing Project, which aims to build 10,000 houses for SL’s plantation community. The foundation stone for the project was laid today (5) in the presence of Minister Samantha Vidyaratne and Consul General of the High Commission of India, Harvinder Singh. The project, implemented by the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure with assistance from the Govt of India and more..

Jul 6 (NW) The final shipment of turbines for the 50 MW HayWind Wind Power Plant under construction in Mannar has arrived at the Port of Trincomalee. The first batch of turbines reached Sri Lanka a few weeks ago, with installation already underway at the project site. The ministry said the project has secured a power purchase agreement at US$0.0465 (around Rs. 14.37) per unit, the lowest tariff recorded in Sri Lanka for electricity generated from wind power. more..

Jul 6 (CI) A day that started out as a battle of attrition, and then morphed into one painted with hope, ended far closer to resignation for Sri Lanka, as an unbroken 174-run fifth-wicket stand between Shai Hope and Justin Greaves all but averted the potential of defeat for West Indies. The hosts ended day three still 231 runs behind Sri Lanka's first innings total, but they were crucially just 31 runs away from avoiding the follow-on - though that was only ever a fleeting possibility, more..

Jul 6 (SO) Director General of CIABOC, Ranga Dissanayake, says CIABOC has held bilateral discussions with South Korea’s Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) to draft a formal MoU. He said since early 2025, the national agenda has focused on translating legal reforms into practical outcomes. He was speaking at the Int'l Anti-Corruption Forum in Seoul. He said SL is now transitioning from policy reform to the full-scale implementation of its anti-corruption more..

Jul 6 (TM) National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) is awaiting amendments to the Prevention of Mosquito Breeding Act No. 11 of 2007, particularly due to existing legal provisions that require health officials to obtain a Magistrate's court warrant before entering certain private premises to inspect suspected mosquito breeding sites when consent is refused. Acting NDCU Director, Dr Kapila Kannangara said the amendments to the Act more..

Jul 6 (NW) Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s withdrawal from the 2026 Lanka Premier League has come under fresh scrutiny after the Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batter signed for the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Global Super League (GSL), which is scheduled to be played during the same period as the LPL. Gurbaz was picked by the Kandy Royals at the LPL player draft but later announced that he would not be joining the franchise, stating that he had committed to playing in Afghanistan’s domestic more..

Jul 6 (FT) Stanley Lifestyles, India’s leading luxury furniture and lifestyle brand, has officially entered the SL market through a strategic partnership with Singer SL, introducing a distinguished collection of world-class furniture defined by exceptional craftsmanship, refined design, and uncompromising quality. The collaboration marks a significant milestone in Stanley Lifestyles’ international expansion journey while bringing globally benchmarked luxury living more..

Jul 6 (TM) Dept of Motor Traffic’s (DMT) e-Motoring digitalisation project remains stalled 8 years after it was procured, with the department confirming that the initiative is currently in silent mode and that it has no information on its future. The project, formally procured in 2018, was designed as a comprehensive digital platform to replace the department’s outdated manual vehicle registration system dating back to 1996. more..

Jul 6 (Island) Visiting Lord’s is always a special occasion. The place leaves an indelible mark on everyone who walks through its gates, even if only once. Popularly known as the Home of Cricket, Lord’s houses the England and Wales Cricket Board, the Marylebone Cricket Club, custodians of the Laws of the game, and at one stage, even the ICC before Indian cricket administrator Jagmohan Dalmiya broke with tradition and moved the organisation’s headquarters to Dubai. more..

Jul 6 (FT) Colombo Port City Economic Commission is considering using Port City Colombo as a regulatory sandbox to trial labour market reforms, arguing that rigid employment laws rather than tax rates remain one of the biggest obstacles to entrepreneurship, investment, and long-term economic growth. Colombo Port City Economic Commission Director General Revan Wickramasuriya said SL had placed excessive emphasis on tax concessions to attract investment while neglecting structural reforms more..

Jul 6 (FT) Atlas, SL’s leading learning brand trusted by parents for decades, has supported children’s growth and development through products that make learning fun and help unlock their full potential. As a brand that has been part of SL childhoods for generations, Atlas has consistently focused on creating products that inspire creativity, encourage curiosity and make learning a positive experience for children. Building on this legacy, Atlas has introduced SL’s first SLS certified water more..

Jul 6 (FT) If King Parakramabahu I were alive today, he might ask: Has Sri Lanka forgotten the foreign policy that once made the island prosperous, secure, and connected to the wider world? The great king understood that water, commerce, and diplomacy were inseparable. The hydraulic civilisation he built in Polonnaruwa, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, not only fed a unified nation but also generated agricultural surpluses that flowed through the Mahaweli River system to more..

Jul 6 (FT) Fresh from delivering record tax collections in 2025 and on course to exceed revenue targets again this year, the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) came under sustained criticism from leading private sector tax professionals at the CA SL 5th Annual Economic & Tax Symposium over what they described as an expanding role in policymaking and tax interpretation. Dept was accused of straying beyond its role as tax administrator by more..

Jul 6 (FT) New Anthoney’s Feeds won four Gold Awards and one Silver Award at the National Convention on Quality and Productivity (NCQP) 2026, claiming recognition across all five improvement projects it entered. The results, announced on 17 June at the Mount Lavinia Hotel, Colombo, mark a significant step up from the company’s double-Gold performance at NCQP 2025 and reinforce its standing as one of Sri Lanka’s most quality-driven agri-food businesses. more..

Jul 6 (Island) Before the MoU between the US and Iran was signed, Prez Trump let slip something crucial at the G7 meeting in France. When he was asked how Iran’s enriched uranium was to be removed from the country, Trump said that the enrichment facility had been placed beneath a mountain by the Iranian govt but US B2 bombers caved-in the mountain itself, burying the uranium under its rubble, making it almost impossible to retrieve. He claimed that the US was more..

Jul 6 (DN) The decision by the Govt to regulate the employment of foreigners among the country’s workforce, indeed, is a welcome step which would encourage the enhanced participation of the domestic labour force. The Labour Ministry is set to introduce new regulations governing foreign workers in SL. Concurrently, the Ministry is also launching a programme to facilitate the entry of foreign workers who possess advanced technology and specialised expertise that is not available locally. more..

Jul 6 (CT) The month end saw Daily Mirror blaring More arrests of lawyers, politicians and senior police officers are likely in the near future following the arrest of Nadun Chinthaka alias Harak Kata and the uncovering of his criminal network. His deeply entrenched criminal network centred around notorious drug kingpin highlights a dangerous nexus between transnational narcotics syndicates and state-level political corruption. Harak Kata is said to be heading a multi-million-dollar drug more..

Jul 6 (CT) US Embassy in SL marked America’s 250th Independence Day anniversary—celebrated as Freedom 250—with a cinematic-themed commemoration held Thursday on its premises in Colombo, highlighting the role of American cinema in reflecting and shaping the ideals of liberty, creativity, and expression. US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Jayne Howell said the celebration was a tribute not only to American independence but also more..

Jul 6 (ST) The anti-corruption drive of the JVP led NPP Govt has cannily targeted two political birds with one stone as the old adage goes. Piece by piece, the Opposition is being ruthlessly tackled through a rash of cases filed by the country’s anti-corruption watchdog and the CID working at a glorious speed seldom seen before. Opposition MPs whimper that the swiftness of those steps is markedly absent in processing complaints of corruption lodged against ruling politicians. more..

Jul 6 (Island) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s recent attempt in Parliament to defuse the ongoing controversy over his govt’s plan to extend the retirement ages of the judges of the Supreme Court (SC) and the Court of Appeal (CA) has been in vain. He spoke at length, offering excuses for his failure to initiate action to fill judicial vacancies, but they did not sound convincing. They have only prompted the Bar Association of SL (BASL) and other lawyers’ associations to reiterate more..

Jul 6 (SO) When Dr. Nihal Jayawickrama became Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Justice at just 33, he was handed an extraordinary mandate to modernise Sri Lanka’s legal system. More than five decades later, many of the reforms he introduced have been dismantled, while the delays and inefficiencies he sought to eliminate continue to plague the Courts. In this interview, he looks back at the battles over justice reform, more..

Jul 6 (TM) Independent SL has seen three Constitutions: the Soulbury Constitution (1948–1972), the first Republican Constitution (1972–1978), and the second Republican Constitution (1978 onwards). Among these, the second Republican Constitution, introduced by the UNP Govt led by Prez J.R. Jayewardene, has been in effect for the longest period (48 years). Before it crosses the half-century mark (within the next two years), will the NPP Govt be able to bring more..

Jul 6 (GV) In the coming months, a climatic shift in the distant Pacific Ocean will deliver a blow to SL’s fields, reservoirs and kitchens. An El Niño event, forecast to intensify through the latter half of 2026, historically suppresses the life giving Northeast monsoon. While govt agencies prepare their internal protocols, a crucial truth remains: the state apparatus, however well-intentioned, cannot reach every village tank, every malnourished child or every indebted farmer with the speed and trust more..