Jul 30 (NW) Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Sampath Thuyacontha on Wednesday (29) inspected the Doppler Weather Radar Network project site in Puttalam, a Japanese grant‑funded initiative expected to significantly boost SL’s weather forecasting and disaster preparedness. Upon arrival, the Defence Secretary was welcomed by Dept of Meteorology Director General A.L.K. Wijemannage, who briefed him on the scope and importance of the project before the site tour. more..

Jul 30 (NW) The Matara Magistrate’s Court has ordered a man to compensate the CEB for losses amounting to Rs. 201,059.90, after his protest atop a high‑voltage power pole disrupted electricity supply across several areas. Police said the incident occurred on July 21 in Kamburupitiya, where the suspect climbed a pole belonging to the high‑voltage transmission system to express dissent over a family dispute. The action caused a blackout lasting more than two hours in Thihagoda, Kamburupitiya, more..

Jul 30 (DN) The use of tobacco remains a serious and persistent public health challenge despite SL’s long-standing commitment to tobacco control. Approximately 1.5 million adults smoke in SL, contributing to nearly 50 tobacco-related deaths every day. Additionally, NCDs account for 83% of all deaths in the country, with tobacco use being one of the four major risk factors, posing a significant burden on national healthcare system. more..

Jul 30 (AD) Parliament will hold an adjournment debate on Aug 5, on the Committee on Public Finance report concerning the alleged fraud linked to the US$ 2.5 million debt repayment to Australia. Debate, moved by the Opposition, will take place from 11.30 am to 5.30 pm, according to Secretary-General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera. Meanwhile, Parliament is scheduled to meet from Aug 4 to 7, following decisions made by the Committee on Parliamentary Business more..

Jul 30 (NW) Dengue has claimed 61 lives in SL this year, with the total number of reported cases climbing to 84,091 by midnight on July 29. July alone recorded 28,717 infections, making it the worst month so far, followed by June with 21,533 cases. Earlier months saw lower but steady numbers: May (8,590), April (5,651), March (6,013), Feb (5,721), and January (7,866). District‑wise, the highest burden was reported from Gampaha (17,850 cases, 21.23%) & Colombo (16,716 cases, 19.88%). more..

Jul 30 (DM) Court of Appeal today ordered that a writ petition seeking an order restraining the Excise Commissioner General and other relevant authorities from approving the use of rice and sugar as primary ingredients in beer production be taken up on Oct 2 for the filing of objections. Petition was called before a bench comprising Justices R. Gurusinghe and Prema Shankar. Counsel appearing for several respondent more..

Jul 30 (NW) The Dept of Meteorology has issued an advisory for strong winds and rough seas for the sea areas extending from Kankasanthurai to Kalpitiya via Mannar and from Hambantota to Pottuvil. Per the advisory, effective until 9 am tomorrow, the sea areas off the coasts extending from Kankasanthurai to Kalpitiya via Mannar and from Hambantota to Pottuvil will be very rough at times with strong gusty winds up to 60-70 kmph. Naval and fishing communities are advised not to venture more..

Jul 30 (NW) Minister of Water Supply Susil Ranasinghe says the current water levels in the Labugama and Kalatuwawa reservoirs are adequate to ensure uninterrupted supply for the next three months, even if no rainfall is received during that period. Minister noted that while forecasts under El Niño conditions suggest drier‑than‑expected weather in August and September, experts from the Water Supply Board have confirmed that the reservoirs’ present capacity is sufficient to meet demand. more..

Jul 30 (DM) Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has intensified its islandwide crackdown on the manufacture and sale of motorcycle helmets that do not carry the mandatory Sri Lanka Standards (SLS) certification mark, seizing hundreds of non-compliant helmets and halting the sale of thousands more. The CAA said a special enforcement operation carried out on Monday (27) led to 98 raids across the country, during which 431 helmets without the SLS 517 Product Certification Mark were seized. more..

Jul 30 (NW) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa held talks on Wednesday (29) with a visiting delegation from the United States House of Representatives led by Chrissy Houlahan, Member of the Democratic Party, House Intelligence Committee, and Air Force veteran. The discussions, held at his office in Colombo, centered on strengthening bilateral ties between SL and US, with emphasis on economic cooperation, governance, education & regional stability. more..

Jul 30 (TM) With the El Niño weather phenomenon expected to intensify hot and dry conditions across SL, authorities are assessing urgent measures to protect people still living in Ditwah relief camps, after Rural Development, Social Security & Community Empowerment Ministry identified the challenges they could face in the coming months. Officials confirmed that discussions are underway with relevant Ministries to determine more..

Jul 30 (Island) Four members of the prefect board of a leading boys’ school in Kandy have been arrested by the Katugastota Police following a complaint received regarding an assault on a student of the same college. Katugastota police said that the complaint was received from the mother of the hospitalized student. A/L student who had been assaulted by the prefects, was admitted to the Kandy National Hospital and was also later arrested by the police and produced before more..

Jul 30 (NW) Veteran lyricist Rathna Sri Wijesinghe has stepped down from his post as Chairman of the National Library and Documentation Services Board. Wijesinghe, widely respected for his long career in songwriting and contributions to SL arts, said he resigned from the position citing personal reasons. “I have decided to resign due to personal reasons. My confidence in the President and the govt remains intact, and I will continue to extend my support to them. My decision is purely personal, more..

Jul 30 (TM) Women and Child Affairs Ministry is launching a programme for an identified group of 38 vulnerable children from Ratmalana as a pilot project, an initiation of redirecting the children in unsafe places towards safety. The project is expected to be launched in September. Ministry Secretary, Tharangani Wickramasinghe said that in the wake of it being reported that in some areas students face vulnerabilities as they come more..

Jul 30 (Island) Residents of Myliddy have declared that they will not give up land for the Palaly Airport expansion. The declaration, according to Tamil Guardian, was made at a discussion with ITAK MP S. Sritharan recently. The govt has issued written notices to acquire a section of Valikamam north land for the proposed expansion of the Palaly Airport. During the meeting, affected residents expressed deep concern over the recent announcement more..

Jul 30 (Island) Int'l Organization for Migration (IOM) and Ministry of Health, with support from the Govt of Japan, inaugurated a newly constructed Port Health Office at the Port of Colombo, signaling a milestone in strengthening SL’s border health security and preparedness for public health emergencies. Text of the Japanese embassy press release: “The new facility was handed over to the Ministry of Health to strengthen health screening, surveillance and emergency response capacities more..

Jul 30 (FT) Lawyers for Public Mandate (LPM), an organisation affiliated with the NPP, yesterday defended the Govt’s proposed judicial reforms, arguing that the measures are intended to strengthen the justice system by addressing judicial vacancies and reducing court delays. Attorneys representing the organisation rejected criticism of the proposed constitutional amendment to increase the retirement age of judges, alleging that politicians facing unresolved corruption investigations more..

Jul 30 (NW) Church of Ceylon has expressed deep concern and disappointment over the Cabinet’s decision to proceed with a constitutional amendment to raise the retirement age of appellate court judges. Anglican Church in Sri Lanka said it had hoped the President and Cabinet would heed the strong arguments of the Bar Association of SL, the wider legal community, and civil society, who warned that such a move could undermine the rule of law and public confidence in judicial independence. more..

Jul 30 (FT) SL’s tourism industry crossed the 1.3 million visitor milestone during the first 26 days of July, with strong demand from India helping the sector regain momentum and narrowly surpass last year’s arrivals pace despite lingering regional uncertainties. 167,401 tourists arrived in the country during the first 26 days of July, marking a marginal 0.11% increase from the 167,218 visitors registered during the corresponding period in 2025. more..

Jul 30 (EN) The Central Bank has warned the public against investing in informal plantation schemes promising high returns, while cautioning media organizations against broadcasting advertisements that mislead citizens into illegal deposit-taking ventures. CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said non-bank supervision officials have stepped up action following a rise in plantation and forestry companies soliciting public funds illegally under the guise of cultivation projects. more..

Jul 30 (DM) NPP cannot take disciplinary action against me as I have not gone against any decision made by the party, NPP executive committee member Lal Wijenayake said. “NPP had not discussed the proposal to extend the retirement age of Judges in any of its committee’s and had not made a decision on it. Therefore the party cannot take any disciplinary action against me” Wijenayake said. “This is not a battle against the govt but a struggle to safeguard the independence of more..

Jul 30 (TM) Committee on Public Finance recently requested that the Ministry of Finance present a document which would explain whether the Treasury spent additional rupees on foreign debt due to the depreciation of the rupee, or whether the depreciation resulted in additional Rupee revenue from import taxes. “You need to find the net difference here. There is a narrative circulating that the moment rupee depreciates, more..

Jul 30 (NW) Former SJB Horana organizer Charith Abeysinghe, who had been remanded again after failing to meet bail conditions earlier this week, was released from prison today following the fulfillment of those requirements. Abeysinghe and two other suspects, were remanded in connection with the alleged acceptance of a Rs. 120 million bribe from the wife of underworld figure Harak Kata. On July 28, the Colombo Magistrate’s Court granted bail to all three suspects. more..

Jul 30 (NW) Dramatic CCTV footage has emerged showing the fatal road accident in Bolawalana, Katana, which claimed the lives of two teenagers on Wednesday night. The footage shows two motorcycles, reportedly travelling at high speed, crashing into the trailer of a prime mover that was reversing into a container yard along the Negombo–Minuwangoda Road. The riders, aged 18 and 19, died at the scene due to the impact of the collision. Following the crash, a group of people more..

Jul 30 (FT) Few constitutional debates appear as technical as the retirement age of judges. Yet behind what may seem to be a routine administrative change lies a question that concerns every citizen: who safeguards the independence of the courts when constitutional rules affecting judges themselves are changed? SL is once again confronted with this question through Govt’s proposal to amend the Constitution to increase the retirement age of judges of the SC & CA. more..

Jul 30 (FT) Govt has announced its intention to introduce a Bill to amend the Constitution to extend the retiring age of the Judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal by two years to 67 and 65 years respectively. While it would be quite legitimate to commence a conversation on the retiring age of Judges, the proper stage to do so is when a new Constitution is being drafted. An ad hoc mid-stream peremptory announcement that it would extend judicial tenure, will inevitably be viewed as more..

Jul 30 (DN) Prez Dissanayake stated that it is not justifiable, from the perspective of the public, to allocate a larger share of resources towards maintaining Govt operations. Accordingly, he noted that the economic plans for the coming year have been formulated with the aim of reducing recurrent expenditure, which currently stands at 9%, while increasing capital expenditure, currently at 4%, to support greater investment in development. more..

Jul 30 (AD) The 1990 Suwa Seriya Foundation has announced plans to introduce a motorcycle-based emergency medical service aimed at providing faster medical assistance to patients in urgent need. According to the foundation, the new service is designed to improve response times and ensure more efficient access to emergency medical care, particularly in areas where traffic congestion and road obstructions often delay ambulance services. The motorcycle emergency units more..

Jul 30 (NW) Bar Association of SL (BASL) has sought a meeting with Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake after holding discussions with Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara on the Govt’s proposed constitutional amendment to extend the retirement age of judges. BASL President Rajeev Amarasuriya said the Association explained its position on why the proposed amendment should not proceed at this time. He said the BASL submitted to the Minister report unanimously adopted more..

Jul 30 (TM) In a unanimous show of opposition, Bar Association of SL (BASL) yesterday rejected the Govt’s proposal to extend the retirement age of judges, warning the move could undermine judicial independence. BASL President Rajeev Amarasuriya said every lawyer who participated in the Special General Meeting, either physically or online, voted against the proposal, giving the Association a clear mandate to oppose it. more..

Jul 30 (FT) Govt has invited the public to report corruption, misconduct, and administrative shortcomings in Govt institutions through multiple complaint channels as part of a broader drive to improve transparency, accountability, and public service delivery. The program, themed A Culture of Integrity – A Clean Sri Lanka, was launched for National Integrity Week 2026 from 27 to 31 July before being extended across all Govt and semi-Govt institutions until 31 December 2026. more..

Jul 30 (DN) Sri Lanka claimed a historic bronze medal at the Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) Men’s Championship after beating Uzbekistan 3-2 in a thrilling third-place playoff in Islamabad, Pakistan yesterday. It is SL’s best-ever finish in the tournament since it began in 2022. SL fought back strongly to seal the victory with set scores of 25-19, 22-25, 25-23, 19-25, 15-11 in a closely contested match. The Sri Lankans made a bright start by winning the opening set 25-19, more..