Jul 7 (SO) The high-powered committee tasked with recommending a standardised admissions procedure for Medical Faculty of Kotelawala Defence Uni (KDU) has proposed that 100 civilian students be enrolled each year, out of a total batch of 150. Committee, headed by Defence Secretary Sampath Thuyakontha and comprising Education Secretary Nalaka Kaluwewa and Health Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe, has recommended that more..

Jul 7 (DN) A ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith’s priestly ordination will be held at the official residence of the Archbishop of Colombo, under the patronage of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, today (7). Religious leaders, PM Harini Amarasuriya and other Govt ministers, ambassadors, tri-service commanders and the IGP will participate in this event. The heavy vehicles will be restricted from entering several roads more..

Jul 7 (CT) Kumaraswamy Pushpakumar, also known as Iniya Bharathi, the Ampara District organiser of the TMVP and a former member of the Eastern Provincial Council, was arrested yesterday, along with another individual who is an associate of his. The arrests were made following new evidence uncovered during the questioning of former State Minister and TMVP leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, alias Pillaiyan, who is currently detained under Prevention of Terrorism Act. more..

Jul 7 (ST) Treasury has warned the Central Bank that the enthusiasm shown in the import of vehicles after the ban was lifted could have a negative impact on foreign reserves and urged that precautionary measures be taken. A senior Treasury official said that in the five months after the restrictions on the import of vehicles were lifted, LCs to the value of US$ 742 million have been opened, against the proposed target of more..

Jul 7 (SO) A joint operation is under way to save Bhathiya, a wounded elephant who fell into an irrigation well in the Nikaweratiya Wildlife Zone, after suffering complications from a previous gunshot injury. Minister of Environment Dr. Dhammika Patabendi and Deputy Minister Anton Jayakody visited the site on Friday (4) to assess the situation and instructed officials to accelerate treatment efforts. The Ministers were accompanied by Dr. Tharaka Prasad, Director of Wildlife Health at more..

Jul 7 (FT) The ICTA yesterday announced the temporary unavailability of the vehicle Revenue Licence system (eRL 2.0). In a statement, the ICTA said since 3 July, the system has experienced a critical technical infrastructure issue, rendering vehicle revenue licence issuance services unavailable. “We anticipate that these services will remain inaccessible until 9 July 2025,” it said. The ICTA said it sincerely regrets any inconvenience this disruption may cause to citizens and more..

Jul 7 (AD) PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that healthcare is not just a service but a social necessity, and that good regulation, like good governance, is ultimately about protecting and promoting that social necessity. PM made these remarks while addressing the Centenary Celebration of the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) held on Saturday (5), at the BMICH in Colombo. In alignment with the 100-year celebration, a commemorative stamp was officially released during the ceremony, more..

Jul 7 (FT) A total of 361 students from the Southern Province who excelled in the GCE A/L examinations in 2023 and 2024 were awarded an incentive of Rs. 100,000 each yesterday under a program launched by the Presidential Fund to recognise outstanding district-level performers. A ceremony was held yesterday at the Rabindranath Tagore Auditorium of the Uni of Ruhuna to acknowledge the students from the Southern Province who demonstrated excellence in GCE A/L exam, more..

Jul 7 (ST) The release of more than 300 high-risk red-labelled containers from the Colombo Port without subjecting them to mandatory physical inspection by Customs was the first major scandal to hit the NPP Govt. The release of the containers, which occurred in January as authorities struggled to clear a massive backlog of containers held up at the port, raised a number of serious questions, including what was actually more..

Jul 7 (MN) For SL cricket fans, the nickname Captain Cool is inseparably linked to Arjuna Ranatunga, the iconic captain who led Sri Lanka to victory in the 1996 Cricket World Cup. The term Captain Cool was first coined in the 1990s by veteran cricket commentator Tony Greig in reference to Ranatunga’s calm and composed leadership on the field. In later years, moniker was also used by some commentators and fans to describe former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, more..

Jul 7 (FT) The Home Lands Group has announced the successful conclusion of the acquisition of a nearly 1 acre land in Thummulla at a record Rs. 29 million per perch, the highest-ever amount paid per perch in the history of Colombo. “This record land purchase investment exceeding Rs. 4.5 billion is the largest land transaction in Colombo,” company said. Making yet another power move, Home Lands unveiled its latest Colombo City High-Rise Mega Project, Pentara Residencies, Thummulla more..

Jul 7 (FT) The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) last Friday officially revived its Tourist VAT Refund Scheme (TVRS) to incentivise visitor spending on local goods and encourage greater formal-sector activity in the retail trade. The revamped service was inaugurated at the Departure Terminal of BIA with Industries and Enterprise Development Minister Sunil Handunneththi and Labour Minister and Finance Deputy Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha presiding over the opening of the new VAT counter. more..

Jul 7 (FT) Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has posted a moderate rebound in the first half of 2025, with earnings rising 10% year-on-year (YoY) to over $ 1.71 billion, according to the latest data released by the Central Bank. Given the ambitious targets by year-end, the sector faces an uphill battle to meet $ 5 billion in earnings and 3 million arrivals after a mixed performance in the first half of 2025. In June, tourism earnings stood at $ 169.5 million, reflecting a 12% YoY increase. more..

Jul 7 (FT) Treasury Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma yesterday clarified that the Govt has not imposed any new tax on e-commerce transactions, whilst expressing willingness to explore a de minimus system, similar to that used in many countries. He addressed public concerns stemming from confusion over recent Customs procedures for importing small parcels through e-commerce platforms and clarified more..

Jul 7 (DM) Credit to the private sector by the licensed commercial banks picked up pace in May. This is after a brief slowdown in April caused by the festive season holidays. The movement indicates that appetite for credit remains high under considerably low borrowing costs while the banks kept their lending spigots wide open, seeking to extend their roughly two year long growth in private credit. Licensed commercial banks have expanded their total outstanding private sector credit more..

Jul 7 (FT) The Parliamentary Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) MP and economist Dr. Harsha de Silva on Saturday firmly rejected accusations that he is seeking to curtail e-commerce in the country, calling recent claims baseless and misleading, whilst insisting on the need for fair and transparent reforms in online trade taxation. “On 3 June 2025, CoPF inquiry exposed Customs’ informal weight-based tax system for e-commerce, which lacked legal backing for years,” he clarified. more..

Jul 7 (CT) The cost of food for an average Colombo household rose by Rs 2,461.81 in June 2025 compared to the same month last year. A major part of this increase was due to a sharp rise in the cost of coconuts, which went up by Rs 2,001.35, fresh sea fish by Rs 940.01, and salt by a record Rs 403.56. Fish remains the most widely consumed source of animal protein among Sri Lankans, making the increase particularly significant. more..

Jul 7 (SO) Excise Department has recorded a sharp increase in revenue for the first half of 2025, collecting Rs. 120.5 billion — a 102.6% rise compared to the corresponding period last year and exceeding its mid-year target. Dept’s senior officials said it is on track to surpass its annual target of Rs. 242 billion, up from last year’s target of Rs. 230 billion. In 2024, the total collection stood at Rs. 226.7 billion. The surge has been attributed primarily to a rise in legal alcohol sales more..

Jul 7 (FT) Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), in collaboration with the Securities and Exchange Commission of SL (SEC), SL Institute of Directors (SLID), and KPMG, recently hosted a successful Family Business Forum themed Building a Lasting Family Legacy: A Strategic Approach to Growth and Continuity. The event brought together family business owners, industry leaders, and experts to explore critical topics including planning for the inevitable change within family businesses, more..

Jul 7 (CI) Matt Renshaw continued his return to runs by producing a swashbuckling century for Australia A but couldn't prevent them falling to a 51-run defeat. Renshaw hit 106 from 75 balls for the hosts in Darwin on Sunday as Australia A lost 8 for 65 to be all out for 243 in reply to the visitors' 294 for 7. His century included nine boundaries and two sixes, coming after he also hit 80 in an emphatic win on Friday. Renshaw drove powerfully against the spinners, hitting Dushan Hemantha inside-out more..

Jul 7 (Island) Close on the heels of a warning that the UNESCO World Heritage status of Sigiriya is in jeopardy due to unauthorised structures and settlements in the archaeological reserve around the world-famous rock fortress, govt has unveiled a grand plan to use the bund of an ancient irrigation tank, of all places, to promote tourism in Anuradhapura. An attempt to reopen the road on the A'pura Nuwara Wewa bund, which was closed to vehicular traffic years ago reportedly over more..

Jul 7 (TM) A new initiative has been planned to provide high-quality, nutritious, and appetising meals to inpatients at govt hospitals, Ministry of Health said. Ministry noted that the project, which will begin as a pilot project at the Maharagama Apeksha Hospital was the focus of a recent meeting chaired by Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa. Senior ministry officials, hospital administrators, doctors from the SL College of Nutrition Physicians, more..

Jul 7 (ST) In celebration of their 10th anniversary, Colombo Kickerz Football Academy will collaborate with Juventus FC to host a five-day training camp in Colombo. Aptly named the Juventus Training Camp in Colombo, the programme will commence today (7), from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Racecourse Ground and will run daily until Friday, 11 July. Head Coach Fabio Cucciniello, along with Coaches Miguelangel Della Vecchia and Giovanni Giacomini, will lead the Juventus Training Camp. more..

Jul 7 (DM) Chemmani is Speaking Again. At the foot of the Kaneru flower tree; You fell down and bled from your chest; You were lost to me; Not to this country; But to the earth..Don’t get up, even though if you get up; Where should we go? Where indeed can people go when justice itself has been buried? Who will speak for them? These lines, written by Rathna Sri Wijesinghe in a sinhala poem during a time of unspeakable war, return today with even more disturbing resonance. more..

Jul 7 (Island) The former US Indo-Pacific Commander, Admiral Harry Harris, delivering his keynote speech at the Galle Dialogue 2016, attributed SL’s strategic importance to the US to three factors: Location, location, and location. These words, by Admiral Harris, amply highlight the geopolitical importance of SL in the Indo-Pacific region and in the global context. Former Indian National Security Adviser & Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon, in his book, more..

Jul 7 (CT) The rising number of heart attacks among young people in Sri Lanka is a matter of grave concern. What was once rare in those under forty has now become an all-too-common reality, cutting short lives that should have been full of promise and productivity. Behind each incident is a family left in shock, a community left in grief, and a country that cannot afford to lose its young citizens to preventable diseases. Heart disease is now one of the leading causes of death in SL, more..

Jul 7 (TM) For decades, SL farmers and small- to medium-scale rice mill owners have accused successive govts of ignoring what they describe as a long-standing monopoly within the country’s rice industry. Despite repeated promises during election campaigns and official statements pledging reforms, those involved in paddy cultivation and rice milling say a small, powerful group of large-scale millers continues to dominate both farmgate more..

Jul 7 (DM) Retiring SC Judge Gamini Amarasekara made several important observations while addressing court recently. Justice Amarasekara emphasised that while external threats to judicial independence could be collectively resisted, internal challenges posed a far more insidious danger. The eminent judge reportedly stated: “A judge with the right convictions can resist external pressure, but when the threats come from within the system, they are harder to confront.” more..

Jul 7 (DM) The Port of Colombo boasts a remarkable two-millennia legacy, evolving from the ancient Kolomthota trading harbour to a premier international hub. It serves as SL’s principal maritime gateway, strategically positioned on the southwestern coastline where the Kelani River converges with the Indian Ocean. This pivotal port has transformed through successive Portuguese, Dutch, and British colonial administrations to achieve recognition among the world’s top 25 ports, more..

Jul 7 (ST) Strict regulations were introduced by the successive govts to discourage Indian bottom trawlers from illegally entering SL waters for poaching. Despite these regulations, hundreds of bottom trawlers enter Lankan territorial waters three days a week, as the Navy adopted a soft humanitarian approach of chasing them away with mere warnings. Last Monday, Navy tracked one such Indian bottom trawler in Mannar and more..

Jul 7 (ST) Dayaabara Handun, I am writing to you after you went viral with your interview at the World Economic Forum recently, describing our country and its virtues to an int'l audience as no one had ever done before. You have received so much feedback since then, so I thought I will clarify the issues that are being raised. Handun, your predicament last week reminds me of what some of our cricketers used to say. They said it was easy to perform well and win matches more..

Jul 7 (TM) Last month’s multiple tragedies in the coastal waters of Sri Lanka highlight the need for awareness-building amongst the island's fisheries community and review the current fisheries regulatory framework, particularly with regard to safety at sea. In June, three fishing accidents were reported within two days, leaving six fishermen dead. The incidents began on 28 and 29 June, three fishing vessels faced accidents on the southern coast. In Matara, on 28 June, more..