Jul 14 (CI) SL A allrounder Sonal Dinusha posted an unbeaten century as Australia A bowled out the tourists for 272 on day one of their four-day match in Darwin as the visitors plucked another debutant from nowhere. Louis Smith, a 19-year-old seamer from Tasmania where he plays for the same club as Australia A coach Tim Paine, had been playing in Darwin and acting as a net bowler for the home side. He was called up for a hasty debut having never played a full state game after more..

Jul 14 (FT) Following a year marked by €540 million in bilateral trade and $485 million in French investment, France is seeking deeper engagement with SL by expanding its tourism ties, supporting maritime security, and reinforcing regional cooperation, said French Ambassador Rémi Lambert recently. This address took place at the 21st AGM of the SL-France Business Council (SLFBC) held at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. Ambassador attended the event as Chief Guest and more..

Jul 14 (DN) Sri Lanka’s national tennis team is all set for a tough challenge as the Davis Cup Group III Asia/Oceania tournament begins today (14) in Hanoi, Vietnam. The tournament will run until July 19, with some of the region’s top teams battling for promotion. SL’s first match today will see them play against Syria. After being promoted from Group IV last year, the SL side will now aim for a strong performance in Group III as they continue to climb the Davis Cup rankings. more..

Jul 14 (ST) Edward Brion, a product of St. Benedict’s College, brought honour to SL by securing the gold medal in the Senior Individual Kata event at the 9th South Asian Karate Championship, held at Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium. Displaying precision, power, and masterful technique, Brion triumphed over Bangladesh in the semi-finals and went on to defeat Nepal in the finals, marking a memorable victory for the host nation. The championship, which gathered elite karatekas from across SA, more..

Jul 14 (FT) Invest India former CEO Deepak Bagla recently stressed that effective labour reforms are essential for SL to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and export development strategy to its export sector. Delivering the keynote address at a webinar Bagla drew on India’s own experience in easing labour regulation to highlight the powerful link between labour market reform, productivity & investor confidence. more..

Jul 14 (Island) Sri Lanka’s resurgence in white-ball cricket has owed much to sharper fielding and at the heart of the transformation is former leg-spinning all-rounder Upul Chandana, now the national team’s fielding coach. A long-serving figure in Sri Lanka Cricket’s developmental ranks, Chandana was handed the senior role after the team’s dismal ninth-place finish at the 2023 World Cup in India, a tournament where dropped catches and sloppy ground work cost them dearly. more..

Jul 14 (FT) SL’s workers’ remittances remain robust, with the June inflow surging to $ 635.7 million, marking the highest since 2016. The June inflow reflects a robust 22.3% year-on-year (YoY) growth, although it registered a mere 1% dip compared to May 2025. The $ 693.3 million in March is the highest monthly remittance inflow registered so far in 2025. The improved inflows during June also boosted the cumulative remittances for the first half of 2025, which reached over $ 3.7 billion, more..

Jul 14 (ST) The govt has vowed to direct current oil-based electricity generation towards low-cost renewable solar and wind sources while implementing competitive procurement and price-calling to make SL a country with the lowest electricity bill in the region. The Energy Ministry’s official list of commitments also includes an undertaking to gradually add 2,000 MW of electricity to the national grid using solar power more..

Jul 14 (FT) Invest India former Managing Director and CEO Deepak Bagla recently urged Sri Lanka to forge the right partnerships, particularly with its neighbours, to unlock the full potential of major projects like Port City Colombo. Delivering the keynote address at a webinar last week, jointly organised by the Daily FT, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the International Chamber of Commerce SL, Women in Management (WIM), SLASSCOM, SL Institute of Directors, more..

Jul 14 (FT) SL Association of Manufacturers and Exporters of Rubber Products (SLAMERP) has called on the Govt to intensify negotiations with the US following the announcement of a 30% reciprocal tariff on SL rubber product imports, effective from 1 August. The announcement, made by US President Donald Trump, has triggered widespread concern among exporters and industry stakeholders. SLAMERP Chairman Pushpika Janadheera noted that SL exporters are already under pressure more..

Jul 14 (ST) A wide-ranging presidential investigation into enormous fraud, bribery, and procurement malpractices at SriLankan Airlines and Airport & Aviation Services (SL) Ltd (AASL) for a 15-year period from 2010 to 2025 has been launched. The Cabinet has approved the setting up of a Special Presidential Investigation Committee led by former Auditor General Gamini Wijesinghe as part of what is coming to be known as one of SL’s largest anti-corruption probes of the aviation industry. more..

Jul 14 (EN) About US$ 250 million of SL sovereign bonds which are under litigation has been excluded from a most favoured creditor clause in newly restructured bonds, according to IMF program documents. A most favoured creditor clause refers to the right of all creditors to receive the same treatment if any creditor is given special benefits. “The litigation entails risk to debt sustainability,” the IMF report said. “However, the risk is contained given the limited size of bonds under more..

Jul 14 (TM) SL Customs has provided necessary support and evidence to the CID regarding the ongoing investigation into the controversial release of 323 shipping containers earlier this year. The revenue and enforcement agency added that a post-clearance audit of the containers in question is currently underway. Customs Spokesperson, Additional Director General Seevali Arukgoda said: more..

Jul 14 (DM) SL Pharma Manufacturers Association (SLPMA) issued a stark warning, stating the country’s domestic pharmaceutical production could plummet to a mere 5% of govt supply if critical buyback agreements are not extended. This dire prediction came during an address by SLPMA President Nalin Kannangara at the Association’s Post-AGM session held in Colombo last Friday. Despite starting its pharmaceutical manufacturing journey alongside neighbours India, more..

Jul 14 (FT) The Govt has reaffirmed its commitment to retaining the CEB under State ownership, whilst assuring that no employee rights or privileges will be curtailed through the proposed restructuring process of the utility. This assurance was made during a high-level discussion held at the Energy Ministry last week under the patronage of Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody and 42 trade unions affiliated with the utility to gather feedback on the draft Bill and restructuring program of the CEB. more..

Jul 14 (AD) The son of actress Piumi Hansamali has been arrested by the Welikada Police in connection with an assault on an individual in Kalapaluwawa, Rajagiriya. He was taken into custody over an alleged assault carried out along with a group following a motor accident. The assaulted individual has been hospitalized. The son of actress Piumi Hansamali is scheduled to be produced before court. Further investigations are conducted by the Welikada Police. more..

Jul 14 (DM) The mother of Ishara Sewwandi, the main suspect in the murder of Ganemulla Sanjeewa, has died while in remand custody at Welikada Prison. It was reported that she passed away on the 11th of this month due to a heart attack. Both the mother and brother of Ishara Sewwandi were arrested earlier on charges of aiding and abetting the murder. They were produced before court and remanded pending further legal proceedings. Meanwhile, police investigations are more..

Jul 14 (DM) NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa has alleged that the Punarudaya govt has handed over the tender to develop SL’s electronic National Identity Card (e-NIC) system to an Indian non-profit company, raising serious concerns over national data security. Weerawansa claimed that the tender allows the Indian company access to highly sensitive personal data of SL citizens, including biometric information such as fingerprints, more..

Jul 14 (NW) Manthri.lk, a platform of Verité Research, announced the launch of Anura Meter, an online tracker that monitors the progress of selected promises made in the 2024 prez election manifesto of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The 22 promises selected for tracking focus on proposals considered to be of high public interest and important in relation to economic reforms, governance, anti-corruption, law and order, and social protection. more..

Jul 14 (TM) There are 33 primary hospitals in the Northern Province operating without even a single nurse, said Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa. Speaking at a function to open the Nagadeepa Hospital, Minister said that such hospitals must be given special attention and developed into secondary and tertiary hospitals over time. He stated that the Govt is planning to recruit 300 new nurses within the next two months, and another 300 nurses will be released in the following month. more..

Jul 14 (DN) Central Bank is launching a major awareness drive, Anti-Pyramid National Awareness Week, from July 14 to 18, to educate the public about the dangers of illegal pyramid schemes and unauthorised deposit taking. The campaign, organised by the Financial Consumer Relations Dept, will utilise various channels, including schools, Grama Niladhari divisions, and mass media, to reach a wide audience. more..

Jul 14 (DM) The participation of Colombo Mayor Vraie Cally Balthazaar in a traditional Japanese dance at a public function has become one of the most sought after stories in social media. The Mayor participated in a traditional Japanese dance act which was a part of an event held at the National Youth Council to mark 73 years of SL - Japan friendship. The video of the mayor’s dance act was being shared on social media. Ms. Balthazaar in her Facebook post said she was honored to meet more..

Jul 14 (FT) I sense the long weekend – we Sri Lankans being past-masters at combining a Thursday poya with the traditional brace of days six and seven – somewhat dampened any marked commemoration of the apex of our erstwhile Aragalaya. There was no noise from even those who manned the barricades way back then. Social media, bowing the knee to our panopticon state’s Online Safety Act perhaps, was as dark as the other side of the moon. more..

Jul 14 (FT) With this 750th piece, My View completes fourteen and a half years of unbeaten record. First appearing in January 2011,1 it has been published as an opinion column on every Monday, and if Monday is a holiday, the next working day. It is meant for those who are not conversant with economics and not for professional economists, though there are some belonging to this latter category being its regular readers. The tagline, Economics Matters, refers to the fact that more..

Jul 14 (NW) Court of Appeal has dismissed without a hearing the petition that was filed over the dispute on the selection process for key leadership roles in the Seethawaka PS. During the inaugural session of the local council, 24 council members had submitted a written request advocating for an open vote to appoint the Chairman and Vice Chairman. However, the Western Provincial Commissioner, Sarangika Jayasundara, had disregarded the appeal and proceeded with a secret ballot on June 17. more..

Jul 14 (DM) India's Adani Green Energy and the govt authorities are poised to be involved in a legal wrangle over the reimbursement of initial expenses made by the company before it withdrew from the renewable energy projects in SL. The company withdrew from the project after the SL govt, led by the NPP was unprepared to press ahead with it according to terms agreed upon by the previous govt which struck the agreement. more..

Jul 14 (NW) Ministry of Education says the number of school periods will be reduced from 8 to 7 starting from 1st January next year. Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Nalaka Kaluwewa, said each school period will also be revised to 50 minutes, and all classroom timetables will be reorganized accordingly. Ministry of Education, together with the National Institute of Education and Provincial Councils, plans to train 100,000 teachers for grades 1 and 6 during this year. more..

Jul 14 (AD) The Managing Director of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Limited (CPSTL), Dr. Mayura Netthikumarage, has announced that there will be no new recruitments at the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC). He stated that the adoption of modern technology has enabled the corporation to reduce its human resource requirements. Speaking further, Dr. Netthikumarage assured that current employees need not fear for their job security. more..

Jul 14 (TM) As the excavations of the Chemmani mass grave in Jaffna come to a temporary halt until recommencement, scheduled for 21 July, the decision to conduct carbon dating for the site remains in the hands of the courts, according to the Office on Missing Persons (OMP). OMP Executive Director Dr. J. Thatparan said that carbon dating was conducted as one method of determining the timeline of a burial. more..

Jul 14 (AM) Age is just a number for K. Misalin Nona, an 88-year-old retired teacher from Prabuddhagama, Anguruwathota, who recently sat for GCE O/L Tamil Language paper and obtained a credit pass. “I was expecting something better—at least a B grade—I was quite confident I’d get it. But I’m still happy with the result and with getting placed. “Now, I’m preparing to sit the Tamil paper again and get an ‘A’ That’s my plan.” Born in 1937, Misalin Nona lives with her eldest daughter and more..

Jul 14 (NW) Minister of Education, PM Harini Amarasuriya, says the selection of underprivileged schools for development should be made with the approval of the District Development Committee and not based on favouritism. PM Amarasuriya further stated that the new education reforms would ensure that all children would have the opportunity to either pursue employment or continue higher education after leaving school. PM made these remarks while addressing the awareness program held more..

Jul 14 (NW) The ICTA has announced that a nationwide system will be implemented to allow citizens to pay local fines digitally, from September this year. ICTA Board member Harsha Purasinghe said that steps will be taken to enable the payment of spot fines issued by the Police for traffic violations through the GovPay app. Revealing details about the new online traffic fine payment system, he stated that the first phase would be launched by the end of this month in connection with more..

Jul 14 (AD) Former Minister Duminda Dissanayake, who had been arrested and remanded in connection with the recent discovery of a gold-plated T-56 firearm at an apartment complex in Havelock Town, Colombo, has been granted bail under strict bail conditions. The order was issued after he was produced before the Colombo High Court this morning. Accordingly, Colombo HC Judge Manjula Thilakaratne ordered the former minister to be released on a cash bail of Rs. 250,000, more..

Jul 14 (AD) The COPE recently recommended that legal steps be taken to take over the SL Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), which previously belonged to the Mahapola Trust Fund as an institution administered by the Mahapola Trust Fund, citing that its transformation into a fully private entity was carried out unlawfully. Accordingly, COPE Chair Nishantha Samaraweera made this recommendation to the Secretary to more..

Jul 14 (NW) MP Sujeewa Senasinghe appeared before the CID today to provide a statement regarding an illegally assembled vehicle. Having arrived this morning, Sujeewa Senasinghe left the CID after approximately three hours of questioning. Speaking to the media, he stated that this was the fourth time he had been called in to record a statement and that the current govt was targeting political figures. Claiming that such actions are intended to discourage politicians from more..