Jul 8 (DM) Legal action is to be initiated against 982 individuals following a nationwide mosquito control campaign carried out by the Ministry of Health from June 30 to July 5. During the special mosquito control week, health authorities inspected a total of 144,250 premises across the country. Out of these, 35,495 locations were identified as potential mosquito breeding sites while mosquito larvae were found in 4,275 premises. As part of the campaign, 3,812 red notices were issued to warn more..

Jul 8 (NW) Cabinet approval has been granted for the appointment of a three-member committee to examine irregularities reported at the Central Cultural Fund from 2017 to 2020. According to the govt, it has been reported that various irregularities have occurred in providing financial assistance to religious places for various activities by the Central Cultural Fund during this period. As such, a decision was taken at the 223rd Governing Council meeting of the Central Cultural Fund more..

Jul 8 (NW) SJB Harsha de Silva slammed the govt for its recent decision to suspend the clearance of vehicles imported under cross-border Letters of Credit, calling the move impractical. De Silva was addressing Parliament when he said that hundreds of imported vehicles are now languishing at the Hambantota port, stating that these vehicles are now facing the possibility of re-exports. “How can they be re-exported? more..

Jul 8 (AD) Former Secretary to the Health Ministry, Janaka Chandragupta, who had been remanded following arrest by the CIABOC over allegations of unlawfully amassing over Rs. 35 million in assets, has been granted bail by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court. Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali Jayatunga issued this order after considering the facts presented by Bribery Commission officials and defence lawyers. Accordingly, the Chief Magistrate ordered that the suspect be released on more..

Jul 8 (AD) The Colombo Magistrate’s Court has ordered the remand of a Deputy Commissioner of the Inland Revenue Dept, who was arrested on suspicion of accepting a bribe from a businessman to ensure the clearance of tax arrears amounting to nearly Rs. 1.1 million owed to the Inland Revenue Department (IRD). Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali issued the order after considering the facts presented by officials of the CIABOC and the legal counsel representing the accused. more..

Jul 8 (AD) The Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval for the proposal presented by the President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his capacity as the Minister of Defence, for the Sri Lankan Navy (SLN) to conduct maritime security operations in relation to commercial ships, under the supervision of the Ministry of Defence. Cabinet Spokesman Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced this during a press briefing more..

Jul 8 (AD) Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval to pay an annual allowance of Rs. 7,500, inclusive of both the teachers’ allowance and uniform allowance, to educators serving in registered religious schools affiliated with the Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, Christian, and Catholic faiths. Religious education plays a vital role in guiding society toward spiritual development. Therefore, it has been recognized providing teachers’ allowance and uniform allowance to encourage the teachers more..

Jul 8 (NW) The proposal to sign the Convention between SL and Austria to prevent the double taxation and avoidance, and evasion of public finance, has received a Cabinet nod. According to the govt, a convention has been proposed between SL and Austria to expand economic relations between the two countries by establishing a necessary legal framework for the prevention of double taxation on income and capital and to prevent the avoidance & evasion of more..

Jul 8 (AD) Treatment for the critically injured wild tusker Bhathiya continued for a third day today, with veterinarians reporting that the elephant is showing some signs of activity. Commenting on the condition of the tusker, Veterinarian Tharindu Chinthana Wijekoon stated that today marks the third day of treatment and also noted slight progress in the elephant’s responsiveness during the session. Although the overall condition of Bhathiya is still uncertain, more..

Jul 8 (NW) The govt has decided to launch a project to maintain reservoirs and waterways within the Western Province under the Clean SL – 2025 programme. According to the govt, there are many canals in Northern Colombo and the highly dense Colombo city area that are not maintained by any state institution. Therefore, it has been planned to inaugurate a project under the Clean SL programme to clean and maintain those secondary channels that are not maintained and more..

Jul 8 (DM) SL plans to introduce a property tax by the first half of 2027, according to the latest IMF review under the EFF. As outlined in the IMF’s Fourth Review, the govt has committed to continuing the development of data infrastructure essential for property taxation. Building an accurate and comprehensive database on property values is a key step in this process. The initial phase involves digitizing historical valuation records held by more..

Jul 8 (DN) Three suspects linked to a series of murders and kidnappings are being detained and questioned for 72 hours under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), based on information revealed by Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, alias Pillayan. One of the suspects, reportedly a close associate of Pillayan and wanted for multiple crimes including murder, was arrested on July 7 in Kalmunai by CID Homicide & Organized Crime Investigation Unit. Arrests are part of an ongoing CID more..

Jul 8 (Island) Excavation teams at the Chemmani mass grave in Jaffna uncovered four additional sets of skeletal remains on Thursday, including two believed to be children, bringing the total number of remains identified to 40. The remains are now under the custody of the Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) for forensic analysis. Material evidence recovered from the grave, including a schoolbag and sandal, have been catalogued and placed under court custody pending further investigation. more..

Jul 8 (TM) Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) stated that their course of action against consultant neurosurgeon specialist Dr. Maheshi Wijeratne, who is currently in remand custody over corruption and professional misconduct-related allegations, would be decided once the ongoing court proceedings are concluded. SLMC Registrar Dr. Hemantha Herath said that the matter is currently before the courts and that, as such, more..

Jul 8 (DM) Renowned SL mountaineer Johan Peiris, who successfully climbed the highest peaks on all seven continents, arrived at BIA this morning after conquering his final summit, Mount Denali in Alaska, North America. Peiris landed in Colombo aboard Qatar Airways flight QR-658 from Doha, where he was warmly welcomed by his family, friends, colleagues, and representatives from his sponsors. With this achievement, Peiris becomes one of the few Sri Lankans to complete the prestigious more..

Jul 8 (CT) Colombo Additional Magistrate Pasan Amarasinghe yesterday ordered the North Colombo Children and Women’s Bureau to submit a complete report to Court on the CCTV footage from the school where a teacher, accused of sexually abusing a student who later died by suicide, was employed. The directive was issued after the Bureau requested Court permission to send the school’s Digital Video Recorder (DVR) system, which had recorded the CCTV footage, to Uni of Moratuwa more..

Jul 8 (DM) Eight SL cricketers are set to take part in the fourth season of the International League T20 (ILT20), scheduled to be held from December 2025 to January 2026. Defending champions Dubai Capitals have retained former Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka and fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera. Sri Lanka’s current white-ball captain, Charith Asalanka, has been retained by Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, while wrist-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga will continue with Desert Vipers. more..

Jul 8 (NF) A man has been remanded until July 21 in connection with an alleged sexual assault on a foreign woman at a beach party in the coastal town of Uppuweli, Trincomalee. The incident, which occurred in the early hours of July 6, has sparked concern over tourist safety in the region. The foreign woman was attending a party at a hotel in Alleswatta, Uppuweli, when a local man allegedly attempted to sexually assault her. She later informed two friends—one from New Zealand and more..

Jul 8 (TM) The proposed committee to look into possible corruption and delays in the legal process related to the MV X-Press Pearl disaster will be appointed soon, according to the Deputy Minister of Environment, Anton Jayakody. It was reported recently that the Environment Ministry was looking into the possibility of appointing a committee to probe alleged corruption and irregularities within the context of the X-Press Pearl-related litigation. more..

Jul 8 (AD) The Election Commission of SL has issued a Gazette notification confirming that Ushettige Don Nishantha Jayaweera has been elected as a MP through the National List of the NPP. This appointment has been made to fill the parliamentary vacancy created by the recent resignation of Harshana Sooriyapperuma, the Election Commission said. The Secretary of the NPP submitted Jayaweera’s name to the Election Commission, and accordingly, more..

Jul 8 (PMD) President Anura Kumara Disanayake today emphasised the critical need to strengthen and digitalise the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) to achieve Sri Lanka’s strategic digital economy objectives by 2030. The President made these remarks during a discussion held this afternoon at the Presidential Secretariat with representatives from the Inland Revenue Dept, the Ministry of Digital Economy and the Ministry of Finance. During the meeting, particular attention was paid to more..

Jul 8 (EN) Central Bank will launch a week long awareness programme against pyramid schemes from July 14-18 amid scrupulous people and firms continuing such scams despite actions by the CB. Officials at the Central Bank said the anti-pyramid scam week is aimed at creating awareness over such illegal financial schemes which are now conducted by registered companies in various formats using the legal loopholes. more..

Jul 8 (DM) The local vehicle market could face sharp price hikes if the government imposes any conditions on utilising the remaining USD 200 million allocated for vehicle imports, Vehicle Importers' Association of SL (VIASL) President Prasad Manage warned. Manage said that, according to recent reports from the Central Bank, financial institutions have already opened Letters of Credit (LCs) worth nearly USD 800 million for vehicle imports. He noted that while the resumption of imports more..

Jul 8 (DM) SL has emerged as one of the most sought-after travel destinations for the 2025 summer season, according to new data released by Emirates. The airline revealed its latest travel trends based on global flight searches and bookings for July and August, placing SL third on its list of top destinations, with a 32% surge in interest compared to previous periods. Known for its lush tea plantations, ancient heritage sites, golden beaches, and adventure-friendly landscapes, more..

Jul 9 (TM) Yesterday, the Colombo Magistrate’s Court ordered a Deputy Commissioner of the Inland Revenue Department (IRD), who was arrested on suspicion of accepting a bribe from a businessman, to be remanded till the 22nd of this month. It is alleged the state official attempted to aid in the clearance of tax arrears amounting to nearly Rs. 1.1 million owed to the State by the businessman. The Courts order the suspect to be remanded following facts present before Court by the CIABOC, more..

Jul 9 (CT) If the figures were not so grim, they might have seemed absurd: 2,793 individuals arrested, 2,474 detained, and just 184 indicted. Over a period of twelve years, these are the numbers unveiled through a Right to Information (RTI) request from the Counter Terrorism and Investigation Division (CTID) — numbers that, more than anything else, expose the stark truth about Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). What is clear from all the past incidents of using PTA is that more..

Jul 9 (CT) If the people of a country are healthy, that country is fortunate. There are many commitments that need to be made to bring the health mission to a higher level in developing countries. Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC), which has fulfilled its mission with utmost responsibility for a century, celebrated its centenary on 25 June. The national commemoration ceremony for this was held on 5 July at the BMICH. more..

Jul 9 (DM) In parliament yesterday, out of the blue, so to speak, the Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, announced that within a period of three months, a national media policy will be brought into effect. He added the policy will be formulated by media stakeholders themselves, while the government will only play a facilitator’s role. Is he referring to the July 2024, draft published by the Ministry, which has not been discussed either officially or unofficially by any of the stakeholders? more..

Jul 9 (DM) The Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC), as the sole regulator of medical professionals in Sri Lanka, has played a vital role in shaping the nature, quality, and character of medical professionals and the medical profession for a century. The speech made by a Judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, His Lordship Justice Yasantha Kodagoda, on July 5, 2025, at the Centenary Celebrations of the SLMC, deserves praise and our sincere thanks for its forthrightness. more..

Jul 9 (DM) The healthcare waste management crisis at Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital surfaced once again when media reports indicated massive piles of waste dumped in an adjacent land named Paldoruwa. Medical experts point out that the non-inclusion of a healthcare waste management system – which is an integral part of any national health system has been a major drawback in national planning policies. more..

Jul 9 (GV) Over the past elections, the people of SL have spoken clearly. They placed their trust in the NPP, not out of blind loyalty, but out of desperation for change, for what was popularly called system change. However, that electoral victory did not grant the NPP the licence to act with impunity. Rather, it created a moral and political obligation to deliver on the promise of fairness, opportunity and resilience for all citizens. I listened to Minister Lal Kantha who, in a moment of rare clarity, more..

Jul 9 (Island) The Opposition has been asking the NPP govt to release the report of a special committee appointed by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake to probe an alleged racket where 323 red-flagged freight containers were green-channelled at the Colombo Port in January 2025. Its efforts have been in vain. The govt has sought to deflect criticism by saying that the committee report will be presented to Parliament in due course. The President’s Office, during previous govts, more..

Jul 9 (ST) The scandalous arbitrary release of 323 red-flagged containers from Colombo port, without a mandatory physical inspection carried out to expeditiously clear a supposed port backlog, was illegal, a committee appointed by the President has found. The bombshell findings of the committee’s damning report were first revealed by SJB MP Mujibur Rahman on Monday in Parliament, where he tabled the committee’s report, which delivered a strong indictment on the port authorities. more..

Jul 9 (TM) It is unfortunate to raise a question of this nature in the wake of the visit of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk to SL. The people hereto known as the people of the plantations or Indian Tamils, now demands that they be recognised as Malaiyagam people (Maali – hills, Agam – home; people who have their habitats in the hills) instead of calling them as plantation people or as Indian Tamils, which identifies them with their place of work or with an alien country. more..

Jul 9 (Island) Former Governor of the CB Dr. Indrajith Coomaraswamy stressed the importance and the responsibility on the part of new Secretary to the Treasury Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma to strictly follow Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) to ensure macroeconomic stability. Dr. Coomaraswamy warned that any sort of deviation from clear framework embedded in the PFMA would be catastrophic. more..