Jul 30 (EN) SL’s progress under the Migration Partnership between Sri Lanka and Switzerland was reviewed at the third meeting held in Bern this week, and Swiss assistance for SL migrant worker skills development was discussed. “The meeting reviewed the progress made under the Migration Partnership since its launch in 2016 and discussed the future trajectory of the partnership after the formal handing over of the bilateral Safe Labour Migration Program (SLMP) to the Govt of SL last year.” more..

Jul 30 (AD) Minister Bimal Rathnayake says steps will be taken to strictly enforce the seat belt regulations in the near future. While participating in the Galle District Transport Committee meeting, he stated that measures would be taken to revoke the permits granted to owners of buses that do not comply with the law. Minister noted that around 2,350 people are killed while 6,000 sustain serious injuries due to motor accidents annually. Therefore, he noted that the govt has presented more..

Jul 30 (CD) In Sri Lanka, drinking black tea is practically a national pastime. So, tea lovers across the island nation can raise their cups in relief knowing that the quality of each sip can be guaranteed by Chinese green solutions. "We are currently taking actions to introduce eco-friendly pest prevention and control technologies in tea gardens overseas," Zhang Libo, a professor at Guizhou Uni, said during the Eco Forum more..

Jul 30 (NW) Police say a financial transaction with another individual may have led to the suicide of the opposition leader of the Yatinuwara PS and the deaths of two members of his family. Preliminary inquiries by the Police have found a four-page letter indicating that a financial transaction may have been the cause of the deaths. The bodies of the opposition leader of the Yatinuwara PS, his wife and daughter were discovered at the councillor’s two-storey house in Yahalatenna, more..

Jul 30 (CT) Cabinet has decided to revoke a controversial Gazette Notification issued by former Wildlife Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, which released 168 hectares of land in the Vidataltivu Nature Reserve, the Attorney General informed the Supreme Court yesterday. This was revealed during the hearing of two Fundamental Rights petitions filed by Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) and Wildlife & Nature Protection Society (WNPS), seeking an order to invalidate the gazette more..

Jul 30 (TOI) As many as 14 fishermen from Rameswaram and Pamban were arrested by the Sri Lankan authorities in two separate incidents on Tuesday for allegedly crossing the IMBL. Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M K Stalin wrote to Union external affairs Minister S Jaishankar, urging immediate diplomatic intervention to secure the release of the detained fishermen and their boats. In the first incident in the early hours of Tuesday, five fishermen aboard a mechanised boat more..

Jul 30 (AD) Ministry of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs has revealed that a total of 122,913 individuals have been arrested for drug-related offenses between January 01 and July 29, 2025. In a statement issued by the ministry, it was noted that, during this period, authorities have seized 928,787 kilograms of heroin, 1,396,709 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine (commonly known as ICE), 11,192,823 kg of cannabis, 27,836 kg of cocaine, and 381,428 kg of hashish. more..

Jul 30 (DM) Dept of Immigration & Emigration (DIE) today arrested 155 overstaying Indian nationals from a Colombo office and made them pay fines and visa fees amounting to a staggering Rs.33.6 million, making it the largest and highest valued detection in SL history. DIE on information raided a building in Colombo yesterday, which had been utilised by a local company to run a back office of an international IT company that is more..

Jul 30 (DM) The Mount Lavinia Lawyers’ Association has raised serious concerns over wrongful detentions in drug-related cases following the death of a suspect who was posthumously cleared of all charges. Keerthi Fernando, Secretary of the Association, told reporters that a suspect who had been wrongfully detained and later released by the Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court yesterday was no longer alive, having died by suicide due to the mental toll of his incarceration. more..

Jul 30 (TM) Teachers’ groups questioned the effectiveness of the proposed education reforms, adding that the proposed steps not only don’t provide solutions to some of the pressing concerns in the education sector, but will also likely lead to new challenges. These opinions were expressed by the Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) General Secretary Joseph Stalin during a press briefing held yesterday where he observed: “These are not their (Govt’s) own proposals. more..

Jul 30 (DM) Motorists caught driving over 120 km/h on expressways will face court proceedings even if fines are paid through the GovPay app, DIG Indika Hapugoda said. He explained that a new Gazette notification has been issued outlining revised penalty rates for violating the maximum speed limit of 100 km/h on expressways. According to the revised fine structure for speeding on expressways, motorists driving between more..

Jul 30 (DM) Melanie Abeygunawardena, the daughter of MP Rohitha Abeygunawardena, surrendered to the Panadura-Walana Anti-Vice Squad today in connection with the investigation involving the illegal import and registration of a luxury SUV. She had been wanted by police over the sale of the SUV to the son of SJB MP Jagath Vithana. The vehicle, a high-end Jeep, was seized by the Anti-Vice Squad during a raid in Mathugama on 19 July, which also led to the arrest of more..

Jul 30 (TG) SL is preparing to launch a new licensing round for offshore oil exploration in the Mannar Basin, Minister Kumara Jayakody announced in parliament on Thursday. He confirmed that cabinet approval had been granted to appoint a marketing consultant tasked with attracting investors to explore the Mannar Basin, a region located off the north-western coast of SL. “The cabinet gave approval to appoint a marketing consultant to attract investors for the area (Mannar Basin),” more..

Jul 31 (DM) Much has been spoken about SL’s administrative service and its culture of lethargy and inefficiency. While certain citizens have had the privilege of getting the required services within a span of a few hours or in one day, most citizens have experiences of walking in to govt offices on multiple rounds to obtain a simple document. This is quite ironic given the fact that the SL Administrative Service (SLAS) is built on a motto of Service First! and a commitment to serve the nation. more..

Jul 31 (TM) Sri Lanka often boasts about its free (taxpayer-funded) public education system and its contribution to the rise of the nation’s post-independence. While the State education system has delivered much progress and helped elevate millions out of poverty, the system’s shortcomings and structural failures have been well documented for decades. The latest round of education reforms which the Govt plans to roll out will be hotly debated, and rightfully so. more..

Jul 31 (CT) Sri Lanka stands at a turning point in its education journey. With the Govt rolling out a broad set of reforms aimed at shifting the system from outdated exam-based learning to a more modern, skill-driven approach, there’s no denying that change is overdue. But while the ambition behind the reforms is welcome, the path being taken to get there is raising serious concerns. In a country where education is deeply tied to more..

Jul 31 (CT) Sri Lanka has found itself in an embarrassing and potentially damaging position in the international sporting arena. On 28 July 2025, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) officially declared the SL Anti-Doping Agency (SLADA) non-compliant with international standards. This declaration didn’t come out of the blue. It followed months of warnings, reviews, and a final four-month grace period that ended in inaction. The consequences of this failure are serious, wide-reaching, and more..

Jul 31 (DM) Sri Lanka is at present cock-a-hoop after topping the list in a survey done to find out the 50 best islands to travel to. Sri Lanka fared extremely well in this survey, conducted by www.enjotravel.com Sri Lanka is in search of achievements to celebrate after its economy crashed. This news is oxygen for an island which is recovering from a severe financial setback with the help of IMF loans and debt restructuring. And during this recovery process, getting to know that more..

Jul 31 (TM) Sri Lanka currently operates over 527 State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) across various sectors, with 52 identified as strategically important to the economy. Historically, concerns regarding the transparency of financial reporting and the overall performance of these SOEs have been recognised as key issues affecting the economy. As part of the IMF programme, SL committed to structural reforms and more..

Jul 31 (ST) They say a sucker is born every minute! In the Sri Lankan case it must be every second given the way people are very quickly sucked into get rich schemes particularly through the Internet and WhatsApp where secure pin numbers and bank details are freely provided by gullible persons. But today’s column is all about pyramid and bogus plantation schemes. However, before that let’s listen to what our veteran trio is discussing under the margosa tree. more..

Jul 31 (Island) Political sideshows continue to eclipse major developments on the economic front. The Sri Lankan public apparently finds them as engaging as TikTok videos. News about arrests and detentions continue to dominate the local media scene much to the glee of the NPP govt, which is trying to gain political mileage therefrom and distract the public from crucial issues that remain unresolved. It was reported on Tuesday that due to lack of evidence, more..

Jul 31 (CT) Defeating all expectations of good governance on which the NPP and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) coasted to a stunning electoral victory in 2024, the NPP Govt has stubbornly turned a deaf ear to public appeals to speedily appoint the Chair of the Right to Information Commission (RTIC) left vacant since March 4th 2025 and to fill long pending vacancies in the senior legal staff of the Commission. These appeals include a recent Open Letter sent to the Presiden more..

Jul 31 (CT) Over 300 concerned citizens gathered at Galle Face Green yesterday (30) in a peaceful protest, urging the Govt to take immediate and effective action to stop the alarming rise in elephant killings across Sri Lanka. The demonstration was organised by environmental advocacy groups, including Stand for the Voiceless, Wild Heart, and several other wildlife conservation organisations. Protesters demanded progressive and swift measures to tackle the crisis, more..

Jul 31 (Island) A fine mix of youth and experienced athletes are expected to make the men’s 400 metres one of the most anticipated events of the 103rd National Athletics Championship which will commence at Diyagama on Saturday. Men’s 400 metres has been SL’s most productive event at regional championships. A steady supply of talent from the schools circuit in recent years has helped the country maintain that status. more..

Jul 31 (ST) A green energy ferry boat manufacturer has plans to set up a boat manufacturing facility in Sri Lanka. “SL has a lot of sun, and we are trying to find the possibility of setting up a solar electric boat manufacturing facility here,” Sandith Thandasherry, CEO, Navalt Solar & Electric Boats, an Indian company, offering solar-electric and hybrid ferries as sustainable alternatives to diesel-powered vessels, said. Discussions in this regard with the Ministry of Tourism & Min. of Transport will start soon, more..

Jul 31 (DM) SL’s tourism sector risks falling short of its recovery potential without a focused and well-funded international marketing campaign, the industry leaders warn. SL Tourism Alliance Chairman Malik Fernando stressed the pressing need to move beyond visa waivers and adopt a coherent, strategic approach to brand building. “The visa waiver initiative should not serve as a smokescreen for the continued absence of a coherent international marketing campaign,” Fernando said. more..

Jul 31 (FT) SL Export Development Board (EDB), under the patronage of Industry & Entrepreneurship Development Minister Sunil Handunnetti successfully conducted the Regional Exporters Networking Forum on 29 July, at the Mahaweli Reach Hotel, Kandy. The forum was organised with the objective of enhancing regional export capacities and fostering greater participation from exporters in the districts of Kandy, Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, and Kegalle in achieving the goals of more..

Jul 31 (FT) The third session of the SL-Türkiye Joint Committee for Economic and Technical Cooperation (JCETC) was successfully held on 24 July at the Hilton Colombo, marking a major milestone in deepening bilateral ties between the two nations. The meeting underscored both countries’ renewed commitment to expanding cooperation across a wide range of sectors, from trade and investment to agriculture, education, maritime affairs, transport, health, tourism, technology & innovation. more..

Jul 31 (DN) Pavan Ratnayake produced a breathtaking unbeaten 158 off just 94 balls as CCC powered to 387 for 5, thrashing Police SC by 187 runs to claim the Major Club Limited Over Cricket title at CCC Grounds yesterday. Chasing a mammoth total—the highest of the tournament—Police SC were dismissed for 200 in 40.2 overs. Only Priyamal Perera put up a fight, scoring 57 off 56 balls with five boundaries and a six. more..

Jul 31 (FT) Top blue chip John Keells Holdings (JKH) has begun the new FY26 on a strong footing in the first quarter, with EBITDA reflecting a 69% year-on-year (YoY) growth to Rs. 12.97 billion. “Group recorded a significant growth in revenue and EBITDA primarily on account of the Retail industry group, aided by the performance of the Supermarket and New Energy Vehicle (NEV) businesses,” JKH Chairperson Krishan Balendra said in his review accompanying the interim results released more..

Jul 31 (FT) Digital Mobility Solutions Lanka PLC., owner of Sri Lanka’s leading technology-based mobility platform PickMe, announced its financial results for the first quarter of financial year 2025/26, delivering exceptional growth across all key performance indicators. The company reported a consolidated revenue of Rs. 1.8 billion for Q1, representing a robust 50% increase from Rs. 1.2 billion in the corresponding period of the previous financial year. more..

Jul 31 (TM) E-commerce retailers such as Temu and AliExpress have rescheduled their shipment deliveries to Sri Lanka from daily to three times a week to minimise costs with the new duty structure by Customs, SL Customs said. Speaking at the COPF, Customs officials said that they have cleared the backlog of e-commerce shipments that were stuck at Customs by mid-July. Customs officials said that e-commerce platforms from China more..

Jul 31 (DN) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is set to host a domestic T20 triangular tournament starting August 7 at the SSC Grounds, following the postponement of the Lanka Premier League (LPL), which was originally scheduled for August. With no international matches until the Zimbabwe tour begins on August 29, SLC has seized the opportunity to organize a high-intensity, competitive series aimed at sharpening the national T20 squad. The tournament will feature three teams— more..

Jul 31 (DN) Harshitha Samarawickrama returned to form in sensational fashion, smashing a career-best 140 to lead Navy SC to a thumping 253-run win over Baduraliya SC in their Major Clubs Women’s Limited Over Cricket Tournament match played at the Surrey Grounds in Maggona yesterday. Batting at number three, the elegant left-hander anchored the innings with a 131-ball knock that included 16 boundaries. She shared a crucial 139-run fourth-wicket partnership with skipper Hansima more..

Jul 31 (DM) Supreme Court declared that the former Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Hasalaka Police Station had violated the Fundamental Rights of a woman who was arrested and detained for wearing an item of clothing bearing a ship’s wheel, which was mistakenly interpreted as a depiction of the Dhammachakra. Accordingly, the Supreme Court ordered the former OIC to pay Rs. 30,000 in compensation to the petitioner, through his personal funds. The petitioner, Abdul Masaheena, 47, more..