Jul 22 (Island) Public interest litigation activist Nagananda Kodituwakku has said he will initiate appropriate proceedings against Director General of Customs, Wimal S.K. Liyanagama, in terms of the Anti-Corruption Act No 9 of 2023, unless the Customs carries out a revenue fraud inquiry to recover approximately Rs 16 bn in lost govt revenue. General Secretary of Vinivida Foundation, and former Customs officer, Kodituwakku said that though the Department, more..

Jul 22 (AD) The preliminary feasibility study for SL’s first Canal-Top Solar power project has commenced along the Viyana Canal in Mahiyanganaya. The project has been planned to install solar panels over the canal, with authorities identifying the Viyana Canal as a suitable location due to its extensive length of more than 20 km and its potential to contribute a significant renewable energy capacity to the national power grid. Officials said the project would not only generate clean electricity more..

Jul 22 (NW) More details have emerged in the factory fire at the Katuwana Industrial Estate in Homagama that claimed five lives on Tuesday. The fire erupted at around 9.45 a.m. and spread rapidly through a three-storey factory building, according to the Chief Fire Officer of the Kotte Fire Brigade. Firefighters initially believed three people had been trapped in the blaze. However, search operations later uncovered the bodies of five victims, three of whom were burnt beyond recognition. more..

Jul 22 (DM) Son of former State Minister Shantha Bandara has been arrested by the Colpetty Police in connection with the alleged robbery of Rs. 20 million belonging to a Chinese national. Police said the 21-year-old suspect was taken into custody as part of an ongoing investigation into the incident, which allegedly took place on July 13. Police said the robbery occurred while the Chinese national was transporting the cash in a vehicle. Police have already arrested four other suspects more..

Jul 22 (EN) SL Central Bank kept its Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) unchanged at the current level of 8.75%, it said in a statement, after considering the evolving conditions and outlook on the domestic and global fronts. “Renewed tensions in the Middle East have resulted in a surge in global commodity prices, particularly petroleum. These developments are likely to dampen global economic prospects with potential spillover, “ it said in its monetary policy statement. more..

Jul 22 (NW) Jaffna District MP Archchuna Ramanathan said in Parliament that he does not expect to remain in the legislature for much longer, claiming he may leave within the next two to three weeks. “I won’t be in this Parliament much longer. I won’t trouble you for long. I’ll only be here for another two or three weeks,” Ramanathan said. The MP alleged that he had faced intimidation after raising public concerns during a District Coordinating Committee (DCC) meeting and claimed more..

Jul 22 (Island) History-making sprinter Yupun Abeykoon announced his retirement from competitive athletics at a hastily arranged press briefing on Tuesday, bringing the curtain down on a remarkable career in which his personal-best performance transcended medals, becoming a landmark achievement that inspired not only SL but the entire region. Yupun Abeykoon’s greatest achievement was becoming the first Sri Lankan and the first South Asian to run sub ten seconds in more..

Jul 22 (NW) United National Party (UNP) today called on the SL Police to retract its July 9 statement urging the public to report individuals who have suddenly acquired significant assets or are living luxurious lifestyles without any apparent lawful source of income. UNP argued that the directive violates the fundamental role of the police service, citing the UK’s Independent Inquiry Report which defines policing as upholding law and order and bringing offenders to justice. more..

Jul 22 (DN) Sri Lanka Under 19s were struggling 122 for 8 wickets at close of the second day’s play in their second 4-day game against India U-19s played at R.Premadasa Stadium yesterday. India under 19s piled up a challenging total of 411 all out in their first innings while SL 19s still trailed by 289 runs with two wickets in hand in their first innings. Two India over night batters Kushagra Ojha (111) and Manal Chauhan (150) were the leading scores with two centuries. more..

Jul 22 (Island) After a weekend of entertaining cricket in Colombo, the Lanka Premier League movesd to Dambulla, where another exciting phase of the tournament awaits. North Central town will host nine matches, including double-headers over the weekend. The competition will then shift to Kandy before returning to Colombo for the business end, with R. Premadasa Stadium staging the playoffs and the final. There were no clear frontrunners during the SSC leg of the competition, although Galle Gallants more..

Jul 22 (FT) WSO2 Founder Sanjiva Weerawarana said SL’s technology entrepreneurs must stop thinking small, build globally competitive companies from the region, and retain ownership of their intellectual property (IP) instead of exporting talent. He said the technology industry in South Asia possesses world-class talent, but has yet to fully capitalise on its potential because entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystems often encourage companies to relocate overseas as they scale. more..

Jul 22 (ST) The Health Ministry is looking at three models under which the fee-based mandatory health screening process for foreign resident visa applicants can be taken over from the UN agency, International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Parliament has been told. The possible templates are fully govt-run, a public-private partnership or private sector-operated, Deputy Health Minister Hansaka Wijemuni told the Committee on Public Finance (COPF). more..

Jul 22 (FT) LB Finance commenced the 2026/27 financial year on a strong note, recording a 31% increase in Profit After Tax (PAT) to Rs. 3.54 billion for the quarter ended 30 June 2026, compared to Rs. 2.7 billion in the corresponding period last year. Total income increased by 47% to Rs. 18.76 billion, while net interest income grew by 31% to Rs. 8.94 billion, reflecting continued business expansion and healthy growth in the lending portfolio. Earnings per share improved to Rs. 6.38, more..

Jul 22 (FT) Colombo West Int'l Terminal (CWIT) has reached another defining milestone in its journey to transform SL’s maritime sector by becoming the first container terminal at the Port of Colombo to achieve three internationally recognised ISO certifications simultaneously. The achievement strengthens CWIT’s position as a benchmark for modern port operations while reaffirming its commitment to delivering world-class services built on quality, sustainability and safety. more..

Jul 22 (SO) SL’s gem and jewellery industry stakeholders are calling for further liberalisation through pragmatic tax reforms to unlock over US$1 billion in export potential, while expressing confidence that several long-standing issues will be resolved ahead of the 34th edition of FACETS Sri Lanka, the country’s premier international gem and jewellery trade exhibition, in Jan 2027. The 34th edition of FACETS Sri Lanka, organised by SL Gem & Jewellery Association (SLGJA), more..

Jul 22 (DM) Describing Sri Lanka as a hidden gem in the Indian Ocean, Vietnam’s Ambassador to SL Trinh Thi Tam highlighted the massive untapped potential awaiting discovery as the two nations prepare to enter a new era of direct air connectivity. Speaking at a high-level seminar titled Amazing Vietnam is Calling, Let’s Vietjet in Colombo last week, Ambassador emphasised that the true beauty and economic synergy of both nations remained obscured by logistical barriers more..

Jul 22 (FT) Artificial intelligence is no longer a future trend; it is already transforming the hospitality industry and reshaping how people plan, book and experience travel. A 2026 McKinsey survey found that 84% of travellers who use AI say it enhances their travel experience, while around 80% report saving between one and three hours on every trip using AI-powered tools, according to the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP). These are just two future-focused insights more..

Jul 22 (FT) Hayleys Aventura Ltd, a subsidiary of Hayleys PLC and one of Sri Lanka’s leading industrial solutions providers, has commissioned the country’s first outdoor automated rotary parking system, introducing a new generation of smart parking technology to the local market. The latest installation builds on Hayleys Aventura’s growing expertise in advanced parking technologies, following the successful implementation of a 40-car automated pit-puzzle parking system in Bandarawela, more..

Jul 22 (FT) Sri Lanka risks losing one of its historic competitive advantages unless it rebuilds resilience, strengthens governance and earns greater global trust as strategic assets in an increasingly fragmented world economy, Brandix Lanka Ltd. Group Managing Director Hasitha Premaratne said yesterday, warning that regional manufacturing rivals have overtaken the country in their ability to absorb geopolitical and economic shocks. Delivering the keynote address at more..

Jul 22 (FT) Labour Minister and Finance and Planning Deputy Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando dismissed as completely false and misleading reports circulating on social media that the Govt has taken decisions regarding the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) and the Employees’ Trust Fund (ETF). Minister assured workers that the EPF and ETF funds accumulated through employees’ contributions remain secure and are not being misused or diverted. more..

Jul 22 (Island) Priya, a 34-year-old professional in Colombo, met David on LinkedIn. He claimed to work in fintech in Singapore. For six weeks they exchanged messages daily, about work, about life, about a recent trip he had taken to the Maldives. Eventually, the conversation turned, gently and naturally, to money. “I’ve been trading on this platform, let me show you,” he said, sharing a screenshot of a sleek trading dashboard showing consistent, impressive returns. more..

Jul 22 (Island) Nicaragua’s long-serving President Daniel Ortega, 80, is always in the news for the wrong reasons. He has captured the headlines again by declaring that Nicaragua will not have elections hereafter as he wants to build a wall against the Opposition. A former Marxist guerrilla, he made this announcement during a recent ceremony to mark the 47th anniversary of the Sandinista revolution, which overthrew Anastasio Somoza’s dictatorship. It is said that Russia got rid of the Tsar but more..

Jul 22 (GV) Jaffna hasn’t changed a bit since I first experienced it in the 1980s and I don’t mean the buildings or the landscape, my professor said after a visit about eight years ago. He wasn’t commenting on how Jaffna looks to the outside world. Rather, he was reflecting on the peninsula’s political thinking, his remarks capturing how societies understand themselves and how memories shape political identities. For a community that has experienced unspeakable violence, systematic discrimination and injustice, more..

Jul 22 (TM) Every morning across the country, millions of parents pack small lunchboxes or set down simple plates of rice for their children. For the vast majority of working-class households, these meals rely heavily on a single staple to provide real nutritional value: the humble egg. Long regarded as nature’s ultimate multivitamin, the egg is the most affordable, highly bioavailable source of animal protein available to our nation. When the retail price of a single egg creeps up to Rs 42, more..

Jul 22 (TM) In the shadow of SL’s busy ports and bustling markets, driven by a volatile mix of steep excise tax hikes and inflation that has squeezed consumer wallets, a surge in the influx of illicit cigarettes has created its own black market. While legal sales decline, low-cost brands of contraband – frequently smuggled through maritime routes, hidden inside industrial cargo containers, or smuggled by airline passengers – are flooding the streets. more..

Jul 22 (DM) SL is once again in the grip of dengue. But this time, it is no longer just another seasonal warning. It has crossed into something far more serious. By July 2026, more than 50 lives have already been lost and tens of thousands infected. The numbers continue to rise, particularly in high-density districts such as Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara. Hospitals are under pressure. And yet, the most troubling part is not the scale of the outbreak. It is the fact that we have seen this all before. more..

Jul 22 (CT) July 1983 was a devastating month for SL. What started in Thirunelveli, Jaffna, at around 11:30 PM on the night of the 23rd, exactly 43 years ago- when an ambush by the LTTE killed 13 govt soldiers- triggered a sea-change in the country’s body politic. The state-sponsored anti-Tamil pogroms that followed, known permanently as Black July, fundamentally broke the nation. Viewed from either the Sinhalese or Tamil perspective, the emerging picture is deeply unsettling. more..

Jul 22 (SO) On the sun-drenched plains of Mannar and in the cool highlands of Matale, a macabre geography lies hidden just beneath the topsoil. For a post-war traveller, SL is a paradise of emerald tea estates and sapphire coasts. Yet beneath the lush greenery and the smiles of the locals lies a gruesome history of enforced disappearances, torture and unmarked mass graves. Especially for the families of the disappeared, the land remains a vast, unmarked cemetery more..

Jul 22 (DM) South Asia suffers from an ungainly reputation for being dirty and messy. That is not always an exaggeration, for the region is overpopulated; its explosive population growth in the past has burdened the states and thinned out per-capita social investment; and local govt bodies have often done a sloppy job of keeping their precincts clean and organised. Sri Lanka, by and large, has been an outlier to this particular South Asian ailment — though the locals have to be reminded of more..

Jul 22 (DM) The powerful testimony of retired Major Ajith Prasanna on WANESA TV has laid bare the scandalous state of SL’s prisons. A war hero, lawyer, and former parliamentarian who endured nearly four years of rigorous imprisonment, Prasanna described abysmal food rations, chronic shortages of basic hygiene items, degrading body searches, woefully inadequate medical care, and, most damningly, systemic corruption in which some prison officers allegedly profit from more..

Jul 21 (AD) A discussion to review the progress of projects implemented under the 2026 budgetary allocations for the Ministry of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources and to consider proposals for the 2027 Budget was held today at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Progress of recurrent and capital expenditure undertaken in 2026 by institutions under the Ministry of Fisheries, Aquatic & Ocean Resources was extensively reviewed. more..