Jul 28 (Island) The cricketing fraternity is mourning the death of former SLC President Upali Dharmadasa, one of the game’s longest-serving administrators, who passed away at the age of 74. Dharmadasa’s association with cricket administration stretched back to 1989. A towering figure in local cricket, he headed Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club for several years and played a pivotal role in transforming the club into one of the country’s leading domestic forces. more..

Jul 28 (FT) Forward Faster Now|APAC 2026 in August will bring together leaders from business, policy makers, sustainability practitioners, and UN across Asia-Pacific to strengthen partnerships, advance dialogue and accelerate sustainable business leadership for a more resilient, inclusive and prosperous future. Titled Forward Faster Now|APAC 2026: Driving Business Leadership for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth, UN Global Compact’s flagship regional event for Asia-Pacific. more..

Jul 28 (TM) India has donated a consignment of the insecticide malathion to SL to bolster dengue control efforts after health authorities found that the chemical currently used for mosquito fogging is proving ineffective in some areas, National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) said. The request for malathion had been made by the Health Ministry after PHIs reported that the chemical currently being used for fogging is not proving sufficiently effective against mosquitoes in some areas. more..

Jul 28 (DN) Sri Lanka women are expected to continue their superb batting form to win the deciding ODI against Pakistan women today at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota. Lankan lasses won the second ODI by 8 wickets to equal the series and this third and final game will decide the series victory. SL made their third highest run chase in women’s ODI in emphatic fashion in the last game. Opener Vishmi Gunaratne and Harshitha Samarawickrama both hit centuries more..

Jul 28 (DN) The third leg of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) will commence today at Pallekele when the two teams Colombo Kaps and Jaffna Kings will meet each other in a night game commencing at 7.30pm. Colombo Kaps led by Kamindu Mendis is in second place at the points table while Jaffna Kings led by Bhanuka Rajapaksa is in third place. Both teams already played five matches and each having recorded three wins to obtain 6 points each but Colombo Kaps are ahead with better net run rate of 0.371 more..

Jul 28 (SO) The 37th Prime – Sarasaviya Film Awards organised by the Sarasaviya cinema weekly of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. (Lake House) will be held at the Nelum Pokuna premises in Colombo in the evening of Sept 9. It was revealed at a media launch to announce this year’s event, at Cinnamon Grand Colombo, that this year’s edition titled Film Awards Ceremony of the Youth – 2026 will crown cinema stars of the country for the year 2025, with over 50 awards. more..

Jul 28 (AD) High Commission of India in Colombo has issued a clarification regarding visa processes and fees for SL pilgrims travelling to India. The diplomatic mission reaffirmed its standing policy of facilitating the smooth and timely issuance of visas for all Sri Lankans, noting that while e-visas remain available, those applying through the High Commission must submit their applications online and present them at ICACs in Colombo, Kandy, Jaffna, Hambantota or Batticaloa. more..

Jul 28 (SO) Excavation work at SL’s largest mass grave site has been temporarily halted once again to allow the forensic and excavation teams a necessary respite, following more than a year of intensive field operations. Lawyer V.S. Niranjan who represents the victims said that 479 out of the 480 human skeletons identified at the site including those of young children have been exhumed so far. The complex operation at the Chemmani Sitthupathi mass grave has spanned 96 working days more..

Jul 28 (TG) Six Tamil-speaking political parties have requested a meeting with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and plan to meet the Leader of the Opposition to discuss matters affecting Tamil-speaking peoples. The announcement follows a meeting of the parties' leaders and representatives at the Parliament Complex, where they reaffirmed an earlier decision to work together on issues of common concern while continuing to maintain their individual political identities and policies. more..

Jul 28 (SO) A key witness testifying before the PCoI investigating controversial coal transactions admitted he was unable to explain how Critical Quality Indicators for imported coal shipments were altered following public controversy over the deal. Rohan Jeewantha, SL Local Manager for Cotecna (India) the testing agency tasked with assessing the coal shipments, made the admission whilst responding to panel members regarding the Gross Calorific Value (GCV), a crucial benchmark used to measure coal quality. more..

Jul 28 (ST) As online shopping is gaining popularity in Sri Lanka, concerns are growing whether existing consumer protection laws are sufficient to protect consumers from risks associated with e-commerce. Social media marketplaces and online shopping platforms have made it easier to shop, but transactions usually lead to many issues, such as scams, misleading advertisements, damaged goods, delivery issues, and difficulties in getting a refund. more..

Jul 28 (FT) By questioning whether directors holding multiple board appointments can devote sufficient time to each company and whether so-called independent directors are genuinely independent, LYNEAR Wealth Management Managing Director Dr. Naveen Gunawardane delivered a pointed message to SL’s boardrooms, warning that both issues have become decisive considerations for institutional investors. Addressing the SL Corporate Director Summit 2026: Future-Ready SL Directors, more..

Jul 28 (FT) CoPF has raised concerns over whether the Finance Ministry’s Public Debt Management Office (PDMO) has the institutional capacity, governance framework, and specialist expertise required to manage SL’s Rs. 31.1 trillion Govt debt portfolio, while calling for a significant strengthening of the Office’s technical capabilities. Reviewing PDMO’s 2025 Annual Debt Management Report, CoPF members repeatedly questioned whether the Office, established under Public Debt Management Act, No. 33 of 2024 more..

Jul 28 (FT) The Court of Appeal last week dismissed two writ applications filed against Pentara Residencies, the landmark apartment development project by Home Lands Group in Thummulla, Colombo 5. A bench comprising Justice P. Kumararatnam, Justice M.C.L.B. Gopallawa, and Justice Dr. D.F.H. Gunawardhana delivered the order whereby the writ applications were dismissed by a majority decision, refusing the issuance of formal notice. more..

Jul 28 (FT) DFCC Bank has introduced SL’s first ATMs and Cash Recycler Machines (CRMs) offering transactions in eight languages, enabling int'l visitors and local customers to withdraw or deposit cash in the language most familiar to them. Now available in the arrivals area of BIA and at DFCC Bank locations in Hiriketiya, Ella, and Arugam Bay, service offers English, Sinhala, Tamil, French, Chinese, Russian, Hindi, and German, with a wider rollout across the bank’s countrywide network. more..

Jul 28 (FT) SL Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association (SLPMA) called for a national policy push to transform pharmaceutical manufacturing into one of the country’s next major export industries, arguing that the sector’s contribution remains underestimated despite its strategic importance to healthcare security, foreign exchange savings, and high-value employment. Delivering his inaugural address after assuming office as President at the Association’s 60th AGM, more..

Jul 28 (TM) Cybercrime has become one of the most serious issues affecting modern societies as technology and internet access continue to expand rapidly. In Sri Lanka, digital transformation has significantly improved communication, banking, education, business, and public services. Smartphones, social media platforms, electronic commerce systems, online banking services, and digital Govt platforms have made life more convenient and efficient for citizens. more..

Jul 28 (Island) Sri Lanka today is one of the more peaceful countries in the world. The Global Peace Index ranks it 57th out of 173 countries, a jump of more than 30 places in the past year. It is an achievement that deserves recognition after decades of political violence and armed conflict. However, it must never be forgotten that Sri Lanka has also experienced periods of gruesome violence. To forget these periods, or gloss over them, is to risk repeating them. These include more..

Jul 28 (Island) The police called for suspending the Kavadi dance segment of the historic Devinuwara Vishnu Maha Devalaya main procession amidst security concerns due to a possible eruption of violence between two Kavadi groups alleged to underworld connections. The police asked the Devalaya officials to do without Kavadi this year following threats issued by an underworld figure, known as Mohamed Imran aka Kanjipani Imran that he would not allow Kavadi dance to be performed in the Perahera without more..

Jul 28 (ST) It was Winston Churchill who said, Democracy is the worst form of govt except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time. And though an opposition may exist in any other form of govt – even as a devil’s advocate may be suffered within ecclesiastical courts to justify the ways of men to God – in a democracy worth its salt, the presence of a vibrant opposition is indispensable. A responsible opposition that is fully aware of its role in Parliament and more..

Jul 28 (DN) Behind every drowning statistic is a family whose life has been changed forever. A child who leaves home for a holiday but never returns. A father who sacrifices his own life to save his son. A family outing that ends in unimaginable loss. These are not isolated tragedies. They are painful reminders of one of SL’s most overlooked public health challenges. For the country surrounded by the sea and criss-crossed by thousands of rivers, reservoirs, irrigation canals and more..

Jul 28 (DN) PM and Minister of Education, Harini Amarasuriya, has critically addressed the country’s 13-year formal school education system, stating that spending 13 years in the current framework is widely viewed by society as a waste of time: The current timeline spreads roughly three years of actual syllabus content across 13 long years, causing students to wait around just to grow older. We, SL parents and children salute our PM for her stand on the current education system. more..

Jul 28 (TM) For over a century, SL’s legal posture toward animal rights remained trapped in a colonial time capsule. Under the obsolete Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance of 1907, maximum monetary fine for inflicting unspeakable torture, starvation, or maiming upon a living creature was capped at a trivial sum, often as low as one hundred rupees. In a modern society aspiring toward ethical governance and moral maturity, such archaic provisions were an embarrassment to our national conscience. more..

Jul 28 (TM) SL’s chronic prison overcrowding has long been blamed on delays in Police investigations and prolonged court proceedings. Yet another critical bottleneck in the criminal justice system continues to receive far less public attention: the mounting backlog of forensic examinations at the Dept of Govt Analyst. AG’s 2024 audit report has laid bare the scale of the problem, revealing that more than 30,000 case materials remained pending at the dept by the end of last year, more..

Jul 28 (GV) It is 75 years since the Geneva Refugee Convention was adopted but the world is still debating what protection for refugees means. Refugees are in extremely vulnerable circumstances, lacking the protection of their own countries and facing immense challenges to their safety and wellbeing. The 1951 Refugee Convention, supplemented by its 1967 Protocol, help protect them. The convention provides the internationally recognised definition of a refugee and outlines the legal protection, more..

Jul 28 (CT) The whispering winds have fallen silent; the gushing waters of the streams have slowed down their pace; the usual buoyancy of the village’s neighborly exchange of gossip and information has died down. The high expectations are still high and the hope is still alive. But the mood of each hamlet in the most remote corners of the land has changed from aspiration to despair. How long this lingering rural life will continue is anybody’s guess. NPP politicians are not all that visible as they were before. more..

Jul 27 (NW) Cabinet has approved the controversial proposal to extend the retirement age of judges by two years. The move has drawn opposition from senior members of the legal fraternity, Bar Association of SL (BASL) and opposition political parties. Proposal will now have to be presented to Parliament for approval. As the proposed change requires a constitutional amendment, it would need a two-thirds majority in Parliament. Govt currently commands the required two-thirds majority more..

Jul 27 (AD) The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vijitha Herath has held discussions with ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn on strengthening engagement with ASEAN and enhancing regional cooperation on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) 2026 in Manila. In a post on X, Minister Herath said the meeting was productive, with both sides exchanging views on ARF-led activities and the importance of closer engagement between Sri Lanka and ASEAN member states. more..

Jul 27 (AD) A total of 45 Kavadi dance groups that took part in last year’s Devinuwara Uthpalawanna Sri Vishnu Maha Devalaya Esala Perahera have been granted permission to participate in this year’s procession as well. The decision was reached during a special discussion held at the Matara District Secretariat this afternoon, with the participation of Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala & other senior officials. more..

Jul 27 (DN) SL Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA), in collaboration with the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) – Western Province, conducted a 2-day Solar Energy and EV Charging Systems Training Programme recently at the IDA auditorium, Nugegoda. Programme brought together industry professionals, engineers, technical officers, entrepreneurs and stakeholders to strengthen technical knowledge and promote best practices in renewable energy technologies & more..

Jul 27 (EN) Colombo Dockyard reported a profit of Rs. 86.28 million for the quarter ended 30 June 2026. This represents a turnaround compared to the 808.36 million rupee loss recorded during the corresponding period the previous year. Group reported earnings of 0.22 rupees per share for the 3-month period. For the same quarter in 2025, company had recorded a loss per share of 3.51 rupees. Group revenue for the quarter fell 6.8% to 5.84 bil rupees, down from 6.27 bil in 2025. more..