Jul 29 (TM) Major General Aruna Jayasekera (Rtd) functioning in the post of Deputy Defence Minister, could impact the credibility of the investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks, the Catholic Church stated, urging Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the Govt to make an appropriate decision on the matter. Several Opposition MPs have recently called for Jayasekera to be removed, claiming that since he was more..

Jul 29 (DM) An organized crime gang member, Sahan Sisikelum, alias Midigama Sahan, was arrested by officers of the CID at the arrival terminal of the BIA last night while returning from India. The 32-year-old suspect, a resident of Weligama, is reportedly linked to multiple murders and robberies in the Matara and Panadura police divisions. Authorities said he is a known associate of the notorious underworld leader Nadun Chinthaka, alias Harak Kata, who is currently in custody. more..

Jul 29 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, currently on his first State Visit to the Maldives, has reiterated the long-standing and cordial relationship between the two island nations, marking a renewed chapter in their bilateral ties. The visit also commemorates the 60th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between SL and the Maldives. Prez Dissanayake underscored the significance of the occasion and expressed deep appreciation for the warm more..

Jul 29 (FT) Prez Anura Kumara Disanayake yesterday said SL is seeking to elevate its economic partnership with the Maldives, with a focus on trade, investment, tourism, fisheries, and renewable energy, during his first official State visit to Malé. The visit, which coincides with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between the two Indian Ocean neighbours, underscored the growing importance of more..

Jul 29 (NW) Former Senior DIG Priyantha Jayakody has been arrested by the CID, police confirmed. The arrest is in connection with a false complaint he allegedly filed, claiming that notorious underworld figure Kehel Baddara Padme had issued death threats against him. Investigators suspect that retired senior DIG himself is behind the calls he got threatening himself. Following his arrest, Jayakody was admitted to the Ragama Hospital due to a reported medical condition. more..

Jul 29 (ST) The largest haul of narcotics detected by the Sri Lanka Customs and the Police Narcotics Bureau- 200-million-Rupees-worth of illegally smuggled Tramadol pills- was destroyed at the high intensity furnace at the Cement Factory in Palaviya, Puttalam, early this week. The haul of drugs was incinerated before Colombo Additional Magistrate Kasun Kanchana Dassanayake in the evening of Monday, July 21. The hoard had been smuggled into the country on September 10, 2018. more..

Jul 29 (TM) Ministry of Public Security stated that it has not yet confirmed if the recent elephant killings are being carried out in an organised manner, but that investigations into the incidents are ongoing. Minister Ananda Wijepala said that although the idea has been raised and a letter has been sent to the Acting IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya regarding the matter, it is not possible to come to any conclusions. “There is no clear information yet about whether this is an organised effort. more..

Jul 29 (DM) The Attorney General informed the Supreme Court yesterday that authorities have obtained a red warrant for the arrest of Jude Shamantha Jayamaha, who was sentenced to death in connection with the Royal Park murder case. State Counsel who appeared for the Attorney General, made this revelation when a Fundamental Rights petition challenging former Prez Sirisena’s decision to grant a Presidential pardon to Jude Shamantha Jayamaha was called before SC. more..

Jul 29 (EN) SL Customs has detained around 1,000 Chinese-made BYD electric vehicles in six consignments that arrived in the island over the declaration of motor capacity issue which is used to calculate taxes. Customs have been declared a motor capacity of 100 kiloWatts but there have been concerns that the car are usually produced with a 150kW motor, which attracts a higher rate of duty in SL. The excise for a 100 KW motor vehicle more..

Jul 29 (DN) Skipper Sonal Dinusha leading from the front scored an unbeaten 83 while all rounder Kamindu Mendis finished with his best figures of 4 for 43 as CCC qualified for the final defeating Tamil Union by 68 runs in their Major Club limited overs cricket semi final played at CCC grounds under lights on Sunday. Defending runners up CCC made a challenging total of 309 for 7 wickets in their 50 overs. Tamil Union led by Minod Bhanuka chasing a target of 310 were going steady scoring more..

Jul 29 (FT) In a bold move to accelerate innovation and support the country’s brightest minds, TRACE has officially opened applications for its 2025 Research and Development (R&D) Grant. The program offers funding of up to Rs. 500,000 for eligible individuals and teams working on cutting-edge research projects. TRACE R&D Grant is open to a broad spectrum of applicants including university students and academic staff, startups, and independent researchers. more..

Jul 29 (AD) The Colombo High Court has ordered that the case filed by the Attorney General against Yoshitha Rajapaksa, son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and his grandmother, Daisy Forrest, over the alleged unlawful acquisition of assets worth approximately Rs. 73 million, be recalled on Sept 22. The case was taken up today (28) before Colombo High Court Judge Sahan Mapa Bandara. President’s Counsel Sampath Mendis, appearing on behalf of Yoshitha Rajapaksa, more..

Jul 29 (FT) Sarvodaya has launched the Sarvodaya Online Store, a major milestone in its mission to empower community entrepreneurs and promote a people-centred, inclusive economy across Sri Lanka. This new digital platform (https://sarvodaya.store/) brings together community-based producers, innovators, Sarvodaya Shramadana Societies, and partner groups from across the country, offering a unified online marketplace for ethically made, locally sourced products. more..

Jul 29 (TM) SL is planning to slap an 18% VAT on platforms like PayPal and Stripe starting October, a move that is already raising eyebrows among freelancers, tech firms, and tax experts. For a country trying to modernise its tax system under the watchful eye of the IMF, this move is bound to stir debate. The rule brings payment processors into the VAT net, treating them like any other digital service. But in countries with more stable tax frameworks, more..

Jul 29 (FT) Commercial Bank of Ceylon has announced plans to raise up to Rs. 15 billion for lending to sustainability-linked projects via a Green Bond approved in principle by CSE for public listing. The Green Bond issue opening on 4 August will comprise of an initial issue of 100 million Basel III compliant Tier 2 Listed, Rated, Unsecured, Subordinated, Redeemable Green Bonds with a Non-Viability Conversion feature, at the par value of Rs. 100 each, to raise a sum of Rs. 10 billion; more..

Jul 29 (FT) Sri Lanka has been recognised among the first jurisdictions in the world, and in South Asia, to join the global drive to adopt the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards (ISSB Standards). As part of this effort, the IFRS Foundation has released an initial set of 17 jurisdictional profiles, including Sri Lanka, offering capital markets greater transparency on how countries are aligning with the ISSB Standards. This also marks a significant milestone more..

Jul 29 (CT) A Rs 1.95 billion modern communication system introduced to SL Railways remains largely idle nearly five years after its implementation, with a performance audit revealing that the system has failed to meet its intended goals of enhancing safety, communication, and operational efficiency. Launched in 2020 under the Railway Efficiency Improvement Project, the system was designed to upgrade the railways’ outdated more..

Jul 29 (FT) The Asia International Digital Economy and AI in Finance Summit 2025 — featuring the Asian Digital Finance Forum and Awards — will convene global leaders on 23 October, at Port City Colombo to shape the future of inclusive, AI-driven financial systems across Asia through policy, regulation, and technological innovation. Organised by the Asian FinTech Academy (AFTA) in collaboration with the Fintech Association of SL (FASL), and in strategic partnership with more..

Jul 29 (FT) Hayleys Electronics Ltd (HEL), part of the Projects and Engineering Sector of Hayleys PLC and a pioneer in engineering accessories and services in SL for over 90 years, has unveiled a purpose-built flagship centre at No. 311, High Level Road, Gangodawila, Nugegoda. The new one-stop trading hub brings together HEL’s full portfolio of solar power, smart lighting, air conditioning, and industrial infrastructure solutions under one roof, streamlining service delivery more..

Jul 29 (FT) SL Anti Doping Agency (SLADA) launched an online doping awareness E- learning course in Sinhala yesterday at the SLADA auditorium in the presence of Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage. The objective of the SLADA is to give proper knowledge of doping awareness for athletes and this online doping awareness learning course gives more value to the athletes career, said Minister Gamage. “After the success of this course they will receive a certificate,” more..

Jul 29 (FT) The National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka has announced the successful conclusion of the National Business Excellence Awards (NBEA) 2025, marking a remarkable milestone of 20 years in celebrating and recognising business excellence in the country. The grand awards ceremony was held on 24 July at the Shangri-La Colombo, in the presence of a distinguished gathering comprising corporate leaders, business community members, and esteemed guests. more..

Jul 29 (FT) Despite global uncertainties, SL’s export sector continues to show strong recovery and resilience, recording an all-time high of $ 8.3 billion in total exports during the first half of 2025—a 6.7% year-on-year (YoY) growth—alongside the strongest performance recorded for the month of June. The latest figures underscore a steady upward trajectory in both merchandise and services exports, despite more..

Jul 29 (Island) My friend Priyanwada and I were driving along a street in the Tyreso municipality of Stockholm, Sweden, and she suddenly stopped her car recognizing a familiar figure at a bus stop and saying, “Ah, our former PM is at the bus stop.” Ingvar Carlsson, a two-time PM of Sweden, was waiting for a bus to travel to Stockholm for a political event. He only drives to Stockholm when it is absolutely necessary. “People recognize me on the bus and train and talk to me. I like that,” more..

Jul 29 (Island) A Magistrate is reported to have told a Buddhist monk, produced before him in a case against the construction of an unauthorised building in a railway reservation in the Gampaha District, a home truth. Ordering that the illegal structure be demolished within one month, the judge stressed that religion and the law must not be confused with one another, according to media reports. The conflation of religious faith with immunity from legal accountability amounts to a distortion of more..

Jul 29 (ST) There were no tears shed nor any wept by wailing women over the death of an elephant that had been fatally electrocuted in the jungles of Pothuvil this week due to an illegally laid live wire set by some farmers to protect their crops. It died unwept, unsung and unmourned; its death merely marked another notch in the statistic books recording the rising toll of casualties in the perennial human-elephant conflict existing in villages. This was quite unlike an animal-loving nation more..

Jul 29 (TM) The tragedy which occurred in Borella yesterday morning claiming the life of one motorcyclist and seriously injuring six others, is only the latest in a long list of issues. A fatal road accident occurred near the Cemetery Roundabout in Borella, during the peak morning tariffc. The deceased was a 62-year-old resident of Athurugiriya. A crane truck with malfunctioned brakes, travelling from Rajagiriya towards the Bauddhaloka Mawatha, collided with multiple vehicles more..

Jul 29 (SO) The Inter Uni Students’ Federation (IUSF), a longstanding champion of free education and students rights, is beset by a leadership crisis as a newly formed group claims the mantle of the organisation. The organisation which played a vital role during 2022 Aragalya protests has caused much controversy following the incident as the dispute has sparked intense debate over the legitimacy of student representation across SL. more..

Jul 29 (CT) Various beliefs, including religions, have existed since the birth of man and continue to be a recognised and valuable part of human society. At its best, a person’s faith edifies, uplifts, and helps bring purpose, direction, and nurtures love and humility. With no offence, the remarks of Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith’s declaration that same-sex marriage exhibits an uglier side, when religion is used to degrade and dehumanise, are blind to its own hypocrisy and hubris. more..

Jul 29 (CT) There is a high level of political polarisation in the country today. Specific manifestations of this polarisation can be seen in the criticism of the govt’s proposed educational reforms. There is reluctance on the part of the opposition to give the govt any credit for what it is doing. Even what it is doing well, such as keeping the economy stable, is downplayed due to a simple following of the policies of former president Ranil Wickremesinghe. more..

Jul 29 (TM) In a groundbreaking move set to reshape SL’s tourism landscape, Govt is not merely removing illegal structures from vital irrigation tank reserves but is also prepared to acquire and potentially operate these unauthorised tourism ventures as State-Owned Enterprises. This strategic approach, underpinned by new legal amendments, aims to transform illegally occupied State land into assets for national dev. more..

Jul 29 (DM) Education Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, travelling around marketing her education reforms says, they would be implemented from Jan 2026 despite false accusations, criticisms and protests. She is yet to release the complete draft of the proposed Education Reforms. What has now been hastily released through social media is a PowerPoint (PPT) presentation that the Ministry of Education perhaps uses to explain reforms to provincial and zonal education bureaucracy. more..

Jul 29 (DM) Despite every government since the nineteen sixties having promised to replace the existing Constitution with a new one, only two governments did so, but only to be rejected soon, resulting in an eternal pursuit of a new Constitution. In spite of the leaders of the current National People’s Power (NPP) also having pledged to introduce a new Constitution, there are no signs of the govt planning to bring in one or at least recalling such a promise. more..