Jul 7 (EN) As many as 12,000 Sri Lankans a year die from accidents, with up to 3,000 after hospitalization, and a million people seek medical care each year after falls, car crashes, animal bites and deliberate bodily harm. Accidents were identified as the leading cause of hospitalization in the country. It is estimated that the number of medical visits due to accidents is approximately 3 million per year. Accidents were also identified as a major cause of disability and death. more..

Jul 8 (CT) In 2022, SL became the first Asian country in twenty years to default on its sovereign debt. Since then, the IMF has supported the country’s economic recovery through a multi-billion-dollar EFF agreement. However, as debt restructuring continues and the economy hovers between fragile recovery and renewed crisis, a national debate has emerged: Can SL reform on its own without IMF conditionality? This question involves not just economic viability but also deeper issues of more..

Jul 8 (DM) US Prez Donald Trump has claimed that Israel has agreed to a 60-day ceasefire. He had also asked Hamas to do the same or face the consequences. But, as both parties have set tough conditions, Trump’s diplomatic skills and America’s coercive power will be on test at the meetings slated to be held in Washington and Doha this week. Prez Trump and Israeli PM Netanyahu will be meeting in Washington, and delegations of the Israelis and the Hamas will be meeting in Doha (Qatar), more..

Jul 8 (CT) Defence Ministry Spokesperson Colonel Nalin Herath, who is stepping down prematurely after 31 years of service, spoke to Ceylon Today on the current state of Sri Lanka’s military affairs and its evolving role in the geopolitical arena. He revealed that Sri Lanka is actively engaging in military diplomacy across the region, forging ties with key global players while simultaneously restructuring its own Forces. more..

Jul 8 (DM) Nothing can take anyone by surprise twice, but it seems to happen given the repeated media reports and cartoons about the ironical relationship between the IMF and the NPP led by the JVP. In the latest of such media stories, Minister K.D. Lalkantha, while addressing the media had asserted that the govt would comply with the IMF programme, regardless of public protests. When a trade union leader of a political party that still claims to be Marxist who mobilsed many struggles against more..

Jul 8 (TM) Accidents and unnatural deaths cost SL nearly 10,000 to 12,000 of its citizens per year, the authorities said yesterday as the island nation traverses the National Accident Prevention week. The Ministry of Health, yesterday stated that accidents account for the largest share of hospitalisation in SL, pointing out that around one million are hospitalised as patients each year due to accidents. “That is one in every seven Sri Lankans,” Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa explained, more..

Jul 8 (TM) The recent announcement by the CEB proclaiming that SL had achieved 70% Renewable Energy (RE) generation in June has faced intense backlash from energy experts and industry insiders, who warn that the claim is misleading and risks creating a false impression about the country’s progress towards its clean energy goals. While the CEB celebrated this milestone as a major breakthrough in SL’s renewable energy more..

Jul 8 (CT) SL’s indigenous people, the Veddah, have always had a special place in our history, but are often forgotten when considering the country’s history that is in the making. Here at the beginning of our civilisation, theirs’ is a culture that has endured for generations, even through the painful centuries of colonialism. One would argue that with independence, SL would bring back the dignity and respect that the Veddah very much deserve, as a living, breathing part of SL’s cultural and more..

Jul 8 (ST) In a global arena where the UN is desperately struggling to cope with a pronounced irrelevance as the world’s superpowers continue to pound the Gaza Strip with all its might and main, of what use are symbolic visits and symbolic messages by the champions of an (increasingly tenuous) international human rights rules based order to the people of SL? To be clear, this is not to disparage the recent four day mission visit to this country by the UN High Commissioner more..

Jul 7 (Island) SL, which is struggling to put its worst-ever economic crisis behind it, finds itself in another dilemma. It had to ban vehicle imports to rebuild its foreign currency reserves. That method proved effective in the short run. But the adoption of extreme measures, such as import restrictions or bans, to tackle a foreign exchange crisis only provide short-term relief; they are unsustainable and need to be tapered off for the long-term economic health of the country. more..

Jul 7 (Island) The govt has been trying to overcome the most serious economic breakdown in the country’s modern history. By negotiating without prevarication with the IMF and by allowing the CIABOC, police and the courts to do their work, it has persuaded foreign partners and the general public that it can be trusted. That credibility now gives the govt an opportunity that its predecessors failed to obtain. It can and must use the trust it has gained to confront the legacy of war more..

Jul 8 (Island) SL batting coach Thilina Kandamby has called on Kusal Mendis to cash in on his form and convert flying starts into match-winning hundreds, ahead of the decisive third ODI against Bangladesh in Pallekele on Tuesday. Mendis lit up the R. Premadasa Stadium on Saturday night with a whirlwind half-century, racing to the milestone off just 20 deliveries — fastest fifty ever recorded at the venue, more..

Jul 7 (FT) H One, a leading innovator in enterprise AI solutions and a trusted Microsoft partner, has announced its victory at the regional Microsoft Agentic AI Hackathon. Held in a hybrid format and featuring top talent from across the region, the event brought together pioneering minds in technology to showcase next-generation Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions. Team H One emerged as the winner for SL with two transformative innovations tackling challenges in the insurance & data analytics more..

Jul 7 (FT) In a moment of well-earned global recognition, Prassanna Pathmanathan, one of Sri Lanka’s foremost names in fashion and pageantry, was awarded the Creative Visionary in Fashion and Pageantry title at the Passion Vista Glamour and Style Awards and Global Leadership Forum held recently at Waters Edge Hotel. Hosted by Passion Vista, a globally renowned luxury, lifestyle, and business magazine published by Unified Brainz Media and Publication House, more..

Jul 8 (FT) SL’s economy could face a significant blow, with the Free Trade Zone Manufacturers’ Association (FTZMA) cautioning that the proposed tariffs by US Prez Donald Trump may trigger the loss of up to 50,000 jobs in the initial phase and undermine SL’s competitiveness across South & Southeast Asia. FTZMA Chairman Dhammika Fernando expressed deep concern over the situation, noting that nearly 20% of SL’s trade earnings, driven largely by exports, could be in jeopardy. more..

Jul 8 (FT) Advocata Institute urged the Govt not to drive away what’s helping consumers when it comes to e-commerce and recommended adopting a Vendor Collection Model. It said thousands of parcels ordered by Sri Lankans from popular e-commerce platforms like Temu, AliExpress, and eBay are now stuck at Customs, caught in a legal grey zone that is choking the flow of goods. Advocata Institute warned ensuring consumer choice through a competitive market is more..

Jul 8 (ST) Under an IMF-recommended amendment to the National Audit Act (NAA), the Auditor-General (AG) will be bound to notify the Chief Accountant of an audited entity to immediately complain to law enforcement if the AG, or anyone authorised by him, has reasonable grounds to believe fraud, corruption or misappropriation has occurred. If the accused is the Chief Accounting Officer (CAO), more..

Jul 8 (DM) National Transport Commission (NTC) is advancing its plans to modernise Sri Lanka’s public transport system by introducing a prepaid transit card and integrating bus routes into Google Maps. These technological upgrades come as the commission faces significant criticism from the Auditor General, regarding its operational and financial performance in 2023. A key initiative is the implementation of a prepaid card system for electronic fare collection. more..

Jul 8 (DN) The third and deciding ODI between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be played today at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium under lights, commencing at 2.30pm. This match is crucial for both teams with Bangladesh seeking their first ever ODI series victory in Sri Lanka while SL led by Charith Asalanka wanted to come back strongly to gain another series win. However SL has a big advantage over Bangladesh to ensure the series win. SL is looking to make a good start. more..

Jul 8 (TM) Attorneys representing both the petitioners and the respondents in the Fundamental Rights petition filed by a group of students seeking an interim injunction to prevent the implementation of a decision not to admit local students to study for a medical degree at the Kotelawala Defence University (KDU), informed the Supreme Court yesterday that the case could be settled amicably. more..

Jul 8 (DN) St. Joseph’s College Colombo and Ladies’ College Colombo clinched the top spots in their respective categories at the Western Province Swimming Championship, which concluded on July 6, at the Sugathadasa Swimming Pool Complex in Colombo. St. Joseph’s College, who recently won their 20th consecutive title at the 50th MILO All Island Schools Aquatic Championship, once again won the boys’ competition, amassing a total of 125 points, well ahead of runners-up Ananda more..

Jul 8 (ST) Usage of around 10 to 15 ground mounted solar projects under Special Power Purchase Agreement (SPPA)s has been stalled by the CEB with the CEB board have deciding to temporarily hold back until the ongoing curtailment issue especially on Sundays and Public holidays is resolved. Further, Ministry of Energy is holding on to Provincial approvals already approved by the Project Approving Committee (PAC) at SEA, which officials are saying is a clear violation of sections more..

Jul 8 (DN) Pathum Nissanka has been nominated for the ICC Player of the Month June award along with South Africa batter Aiden Markram and fast bowler Kagiso Rabada. Markram and Rabada were the stars of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final while Nissanka’s fine form in the two-Test series against Bangladesh helped him edge ahead of other performers. The 27-year-old opener Nissanka set the platform for a huge first innings score in the drawn first Test in Galle, more..

Jul 8 (CT) Presidential Secretariat has declined to disclose the names of officials attached to the President’s Media Division, citing privacy concerns under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. In response to an RTI appeal filed by law student and activist Anuruddha Bandara, Senior Assistant Secretary to the President, G.P.H.M. Kumarasinghe, stated in writing that the names constitute personal information protected under the RTI Act No. 12 of 2016. After initially receiving no response to more..

Jul 7 (FT) Local industries called for a comprehensive overhaul of the country’s cross-border e-commerce framework, warning that gaps in Customs processes and policy loopholes are enabling tax evasion, distorting the local market, and threatening legitimate businesses. Addressing the media in response to a large-scale campaign led by groups with vested interests to shield cross-border e-commerce platforms, more..

Jul 8 (DM) NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa is set to release a new song he has written in response to the recent airstrikes on Iran and the ongoing violence against Palestinians. Weerawansa said the song, titled ‘Whose Bullets Are These?’ (Kageda Me Moonissam?), will be officially launched at the NFF headquarters in Battaramulla. The NFF leader, who has previously penned and performed songs addressing political and social issues, noted that this latest creation is intended to more..

Jul 8 (EN) SL’s shippers, who included importers and exporters, said shipping agent were attempting persuade the new govt into re-instating a Terminal Handling Charge, separate from freight charge. When the terminal handling charge is imposed as a separate fee from freight rate, exporters cannot recover it from buyers abroad, threatening the country’s exports, exporter said. In 2013-2014 under SL’s then Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa, a gazette had been issued to consolidate various separate more..

Jul 8 (DM) Dept of Motor Traffic (DMT) and Vehicular Emission Test Trust Fund (VETTF) have introduced a web portal that enables vehicle owners to check whether their vehicles have been blacklisted a service designed to improve transparency and enforce emission regulations. Accordingly, vehicle owners can check their vehicle status through the official Vet.lk website. This user-friendly online facility allows motorists to verify the blacklist status of their vehicles by simply entering vehicle number. more..

Jul 8 (DN) B.C.C. Lanka Limited which rebounded remarkably from a loss-incurring business to a profit making entity in a short span of time recently, has embarked on a digital transformation. Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe, launching the digital transformation and relaunching the social media and website of BCC Lanka opined that people who ruled this country previously were afraid of transparency, information and data but now it’s not so and the govt has given instructions more..

Jul 8 (BBC) President Donald Trump has delayed imposing higher tariffs on US imports, while sending letters to 14 countries including Japan and South Korea detailing the levies they face. The latest development on global trade by Trump comes as a 90-day pause the White House placed on some of its most aggressive import taxes was set to expire this week. Prez renewed his threat of a 25% tax on products entering the country from Japan and more..

Jul 8 (DM) The govt will have to subject itself to a probe (Rajayata Rajayama Parikshanayakata Bajanaya karanna wenawa) to uncover the truth behind Easter Sunday attacks, and it is a challenging task, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said today. Speaking during an event held to mark 50 years of Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith's religious life, the President assured that the truth behind the Easter Sunday attacks will be unveiled and justice meted out to the affected. more..

Jul 8 (DM) SL’s cement industry is showing early signs of a resurgence, with domestic demand rising to 4.71 million metric tonnes (mn MT) in the past year, up from 3.96mn MT a year ago, according to Tokyo Cement Group. The increase was attributed to the latent demand and low base effect of the previous year, the company said, as the broader construction sector begins to regain momentum after a prolonged slump. However, Tokyo Cement noted that the market dynamics have shifted more..

Jul 8 (DM) Sri Lanka's law enforcement authorities have intensified large-scale joint search operations across the country in response to a sharp rise in drug trafficking, underworld violence and gun-related crimes. The operations, led by the SL Police in coordination with the STF, SL Army, SL Navy, and SL Air Force, are being carried out as part of a high-priority crackdown aimed at restoring public safety and dismantling criminal networks. more..

Jul 8 (FT) In recent months, a striking pattern has emerged at regional investor forums in places like Singapore, New Delhi, and Bangkok: SL is consistently on the radar—but often for the wrong reasons. While foreign investors speak warmly about the country’s natural beauty, resilient people, and strategic location, many also voice deep concerns about how difficult and risky it is to do business in SL. This isn’t an old story—these are fresh observations, shared by participants in more..

Jul 8 (FT) SL has achieved progress in smoking control, with an adult smoking prevalence of 8.7% — well below global averages and approaching the 5% threshold that defines smoke-free status. Yet this overall figure masks disparities: male smoking rates reach 17.7%, suggesting that while aggregate numbers appear promising, significant challenges remain within specific demographics. Compounding these challenges, certain regulatory gaps may be hindering the country’s progress toward more..