Jul 25 (AD) Govt of Sri Lanka has decided to waive visa fees for 40 additional countries to boost tourism, stated Minister Vijitha Herath. He made these remarks at a ceremony held in Colombo today.The Hotel Show Colombo 2025 exhibition was inaugurated this morning at the BMICH in Colombo. “In the past, we allowed tourists from seven countries to visit Sri Lanka without charging visa fees. The UK was among them,” more..

Jul 25 (EN) A delegation of eight officials from the Maldives President’s Office of the Republic of visited SL’s Parliament as part of a study tour aimed at enhancing institutional knowledge and operational practices. “The objective of the visit was to observe and learn from the best practices followed by the SL Parliament in these areas,” Parliament said in a statement. “The key focus areas of the study tour included archives and records maintenance, preservation of documents.” more..

Jul 25 (NF) Former Minister P. Dayaratne has passed away at the age of 89. He began his political career in 1977 when he was elected to Parliament representing the Ampara District under the UNP. He was first appointed as Deputy Minister of Power and Energy in the administration of Prez J.R. Jayewardene. Over the course of his distinguished career, he went on to serve in several key cabinet positions, including Minister of Land and Mahaweli Development & Minister of Health & Nutrition. more..

Jul 25 (DM) South Korea’s president ordered officials to find ways to prevent the mistreatment of migrant workers after a video showing a SL worker being moved by a forklift while tied up at a South Korean factory sparked public outrage. “After watching the video, I couldn’t believe my eyes,” Prez Lee Jae Myung wrote in a Facebook post. “That was an intolerable violation and clear human rights infringement of a minority person.” more..

Jul 25 (TM) SL athlete Vinod Sandaruwan, a 24-year-old triple jumper from the Uni of Sabaragamuwa, had reportedly disappeared during the ongoing World University Games in Germany, it is reliably understood. Sandaruwan was scheduled to compete today but was not present with the team as of Wednesday night, and no official updates regarding his whereabouts have emerged. This marks a worrying repeat trend: An athlete from the same uni reportedly went missing during more..

Jul 25 (AM) SL Young Journalists’ Association (YJA) has written to Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake raising serious concerns over the ongoing appointment process to fill a vacancy in the Right to Information (RTI) Commission, alleging a violation of the RTI Act. The letter, signed by the Association’s Chairperson, Tharindu Jayawardhana, and Secretary, M.F.M. Fazeer, states that the process initiated by the Constitutional Council (CC) to call for applications from the public to fill the vacancy more..

Jul 25 (CT) Govt doctors slammed Ministry of Health on its decision to instruct hospital authorities to proceed with local purchase in accordance with the Manual on Local Purchase of Medical Supplies – 2023, stating that it seemed quite unaware and unconcerned about the difficulties facing poor patients. Executive Committee Member of the GMOA, Dr. Prasad Kolambage, said that Govt and Health Ministry should take urgent steps to provide the medicinal drugs & surgical consumables more..

Jul 25 (DM) A high-level delegation of MPs from the UK, visiting SL under the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) programme, met this week with a diverse group of SL legislators, legal professionals, and civil society leaders to advance dialogue on inclusive governance, post-legislative scrutiny (PLS), and democratic reform. The engagement was jointly organised by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) and the Coalition of Inclusive Impact (CII), more..

Jul 25 (DM) National Medicine Regulatory Authority (NMRA) has suspended the licences of 219 pharmacies in the country by July 18, 2025, Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said today. He said that the NMRA had received 2,039 applications for renewal of licences for 2024-2025 and that the licences have been renewed only for 1,820 pharmacies. Minister said the licence of 137 pharmacies out of 219 more..

Jul 25 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake will undertake a state visit to the Maldives from July 28 to 30, 2025, at the invitation of Maldivian Prez Mohamed Muizzu. During the visit, Prez Dissanayake is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Prez Muizzu and witness the exchange of several MoUs aimed at deepening mutual cooperation. State Visit is also significant as SL and the Maldives commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations more..

Jul 25 (Island) The Land Reform Commission (LRC) has been embroiled in controversy following revelations at the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) that multiple irregularities have occurred during the allocation of alternative lands. The committee highlighted that individuals who did not own agricultural land exceeding the maximum limits were not eligible for alternative land. However, it was disclosed that the Commission had allocated land to such individuals. more..

Jul 25 (EN) CIABOC arrested an artist who has asked for a bribe of Rs. 30,000 each from a principal and an Air Force officer to stop a probe against them by CIABOC. The artist was arrested late on Thursday near a bus stand in Kalutara. The artist has asked a principal in Mathugama area deposit Rs. 30,000/- in a bank account in return of stopping an existing CIABOC investigation promising that he can handover the investigation file more..

Jul 25 (CT) The number of dengue cases in the country from January till the third week of July 2025 has topped 30,000, with the highest (6,035) number of cases being recorded in the month of May 2025. Total number of cases in SL from January to 23 July 2025 midnight had mounted to 32,837 cases. A total of 16 dengue deaths have also been recorded within this period. From the first 7 months of the year, the highest numbers were recorded in April (5,171), May (6,036) and June (5,467). more..

Jul 25 (DM) Marking a key milestone in Sri Lanka’s external debt restructuring process, the Govts of Sri Lanka and France have officially signed the Implementation Letters related to their bilateral debt agreement. The agreement follows the MoU signed on June 26, 2024, between Sri Lanka and the Official Creditor Committee (OCC) for the country’s external debt restructuring. As part of this framework, a bilateral agreement between the two nations was signed on June 16, 2025. more..

Jul 25 (PMD) A discussion took place yesterday afternoon at the Presidential Secretariat between the Secretary to the Prez, Dr. Nandika Kumanayake and a delegation from the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, along with representatives from Japanese trade, commerce and industry sectors. This delegation from Japan has arrived in SL to explore opportunities for increasing Japanese investment in the country. Japanese delegation, focusing on new investment more..

Jul 25 (NW) Deputy Minister of Transport Dr. Prasanna Gunasena claimed that the system of the Dept of Motor Traffic (RMV) was deliberately taken offline, linking the incident to the govt’s broader efforts to combat corruption. “RMV’s system was deliberately brought down,” he said, alleging that the disruption was orchestrated by individuals with vested interests resisting reform. Gunasena said Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports & Civil Aviation oversees several institutions more..

Jul 25 (DM) In a significant step toward strengthening child protection systems in SL, the International Conference on Child Protection (ICCP’25) was inaugurated today in Colombo. The 3-day event, which runs until July 27, brings together more than 250 participants, including govt officials, child protection experts, academics, and international stakeholders, to address the urgent need to end violence against children. more..

Jul 25 (PMD) Hotel Show Colombo – 2025 was officially inaugurated this morning by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the BMICH, Colombo. This exhibition, which is jointly organized annually by the SL Hospitality Graduates Association (SLHGA) in collaboration with the public and private sectors, is being held for the 17th time this year. Colombo Hotel Show, which began in 1998, is the largest hospitality trade exhibition in SL and serves as a valuable opportunity to promote more..

Jul 25 (EN) SL’s central govt debt edged up to 96.7% of GDP by March 2025 from 96.1% in December amid some currency depreciation, official data showed. Central govt debt went up to 29,258 billion rupees in the first quarter of 2025 from 28,739 billion rupees. Domestic debt went up from 18,310 billion rupees to 18,532 billion rupees, while foreign debt went up to 10,722 billion rupees, from 10,429 billion rupees, faster than the budget deficit of the period amid some rupee depreciation. more..

Jul 25 (AD) The IMF has acknowledged SL’s continued economic progress as the country prepares for its fifth review under the IMF-supported EFF arrangement. IMF Communications Director Julie Kozack provided an update on the status of SL’s economic program and upcoming evaluations. On July 1st, IMF Executive Board completed the fourth review of SL’s program, releasing a tranche of $350 million more..

Jul 25 (BBC) Already living from hand to mouth, millions of garment workers across Asia fear for their jobs as a deadline to strike a trade deal with the US - or face punishing tariffs - looms closer. On 9 July, following a 90-day pause on tariffs for countries to negotiate deals, the US president notified several countries in the region of new levies set to begin on 1 August. The new rates, while lower than those proposed in April, have done little to allay anxieties. Among nations that received letters from more..

Jul 25 (AM) The Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) has decided to conduct an independent investigation into the nationwide power outage that occurred on 9 February, which was reportedly caused by a monkey colliding with the national electricity system. PUCSL Director of Corporate Communications Janaka Herath said the internal report submitted by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) was unsatisfactory, prompting the commission to seek an external expert analysis. more..

Jul 26 (CT) While coming to power less than a year ago, the JVP-NPP Govt of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake was destined to grabble with both legacy issues in policy-making and programme implementation, as well as more recent ones that were a product of the twin troubles of Covid lockdown and the economic crisis that followed. Yes, the economic crisis was looming, only that the Covid lockdown advanced the nation’s tryst with destiny – or was it a tryst with fate? more..

Jul 26 (CT) In a ruling that will reverberate well beyond SL’s shores, the Supreme Court has handed down a landmark judgment that pierces the fog of delay, denial and diplomatic deflection surrounding the MV X-Press Pearl disaster. After more than four years of murky manoeuvring and institutional inertia, the highest court in the land has delivered what successive govts and bureaucracies failed to: a firm and uncompromising stand for accountability, justice and environmental protection. more..

Jul 26 (CT) In a long-awaited development, the National Police Commission (NPC) has decided to dismiss the services of former Director of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena, with immediate effect. The decision comes after disciplinary proceedings found him guilty of failing to act on vital intelligence that could have prevented the devastating Easter Sunday bombings in 2019. more..

Jul 26 (DM) History was made 65 years ago in July 1960 when 44 year old Sirimavo Bandaranaike assumed office as the PM of SL known then as Ceylon. Sirimavo shattered a glass ceiling by becoming the world’s first elected woman PM. It is said that the British press coined a new word stateswoman after Sirimavo became PM. When Sirimavo assumed office on July 22nd 1960, large crowds lined up along the streets of Colombo to cheer the smiling lady as she was driven from more..

Jul 26 (DM) The reports about finding skeletal remains of children from what now seems to be a mass grave at Chemmani, the entrance to Jaffna city, inevitably remind the writer of a similar scenario that occurred some forty years ago, in 1984. It was a time when the LTTE did not monopolise the armed struggle against the SL security forces. The TELO, one of the several Tamil groups that were then attempting to outshine each other, had launched a massive attack on the Chavakachcheri police more..

Jul 26 (CT) The national and political memory that has left a dark mark on SL’s recent history is Black July. This devastating event, which saw the country set on fire in a communal frenzy on 23 July 1983, cannot be erased from history. Even though it has been 42 years since that incident, it is still mental trauma to recall that unpleasant event again and again. That is why we, Sri Lankans, hope that such a terrible time more..

Jul 26 (DM) Prior to 2023, it was a very rare instance for MPs, ministers or presidents of this country to be held responsible for crimes they committed wittingly or unwittingly. It had become a culture where politicians could even commit murder with impunity. Police inquiries and judicial sentences were halted or overturned on political affiliation. A case in point being that of MP Duminda Silva. On Oct 8, 2011, Silva, in broad daylight and in front of hundreds of witnesses, gunned down and killed more..

Jul 26 (FT) The SL mercenary scandal exposes how economic hardship forces former soldiers into the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Brainwashed by spurious promises of high pay and Russian citizenship, hundreds paid towering fees to flesh-peddlers, some linked to retired generals. Instead of safe roles, they face frontline combat, with passports confiscated. As of early 2025, over 550 Sri Lankans were recruited, and at least 59 confirmed dead, though true figures are likely much higher. more..

Jul 26 (Island) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s participation in Thursday’s parliamentary debate on educational reforms can be considered an indication that the govt is very serious about implementing them. The Opposition has claimed that the Prez’s presence in the House was intended to eclipse PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, who is spearheading the educational reform initiative, as the Minister of Education. It has said the JVP is trying to take over the educational reform programme more..

Jul 26 (Island) With its natural beauty, wildlife and culture, Sri Lanka is known as the pearl of the Indian Ocean, and attracts millions of tourists every year. But my research suggests that the country might not be so reliant on tourism in the future, as it looks to become a major player in global maritime trade. The island’s numerous harbours and enviable location along int'l sea routes have led to major investment from China and the US, as they seek to extend their strategic influence in the region. more..

Jul 26 (ST) Almost all local councils, barring five, have been formed, with a significant number of them shrouded in controversies after main parties solicited support of rival parties, irrespective of policy differences. Many of the councils now face the challenge of carrying on with council work together with rival members in their camp. Commenting on this situation, Election Commissioner General Saman Sri Rathnayake said, more..

Jul 26 (FT) The Commercial Bank of Ceylon has partnered with the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Jaffna to deliver hands-on training in smart farming technologies to 100 farmers in Kilinochchi in a significant move to modernise Sri Lanka’s agriculture and strengthen food security in the face of climate change. A full-day workshop was held at the University’s greenhouses and demonstration fields under the banner of the Bank’s Agri Modernisation Village program. more..

Jul 26 (FT) The 33rd AGM of the Sri Lanka – Pakistan Business Council (SLPBC) was held recently, attended by Pakistan’s High Commissioner to SL Faheem Ul Aziz, HI (M) at Cinnamon Lakeside, Colombo. DMW Ventures Ltd. Managing Director Wasantha de Silva was elected as SLPBC President for 2025/26, while Feroze Haji Anver from Cliftex Industries Ltd. and Perakum Mahasen Abeysekera from Vinu International Trading Company were elected Vice Presidents, more..