Jul 31 (Island) A recent violent clash between rival groups of Chinese nationals at the Colombo Port City has triggered a major criminal investigation into suspected links between SL and transnational cyber fraud networks allegedly connected to Chinese organised crime syndicates. Police investigations into the July 23 incident have revealed that the murdered Chinese national was allegedly involved in more..

Jul 31 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday carried out a search at the Coimbatore residence of a man accused in the 2019 Sri Lanka Easter Sunday serial bombings case as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged money laundering and financial transactions linked to the conspiracy. The search was conducted at the residence of Azharuddin, located in Anbu Nagar in Ukkadam, by a team of ED officials assisted by central security personnel and the local police. more..

Jul 31 (NW) Colombo High Court has ruled that charges filed under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) against alleged organised crime figure Nandun Chinthaka, alias Harak Kata, and four other accused cannot be maintained. The case relates to allegations that the suspects conspired to escape while being held in the custody of the CID under detention orders. The court held that while the PTA charges cannot proceed, there is no legal impediment to continuing with the charges more..

Jul 31 (FT) SL’s leading brands have reached a significant milestone, with the combined brand value of the nation’s top 100 brands rising 17% to a record Rs. 652 billion, surpassing the pre-crisis 2019 peak of Rs. 630 billion, according to the SL 100 2026 report from Brand Finance, world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. The strong brand performance mirrors SL’s broader economic recovery following SL’s 2022 debt crisis. more..

Jul 31 (NW) Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith says addiction to mobile phones and modern technology has contributed to the breakdown of family life and human relationships in contemporary society. Speaking at a religious event in Seeduwa, the Cardinal said consumerism had intensified following the introduction of the open market economy, creating artificial desires among people and making the pursuit of profit a dominant force in society. more..

Jul 31 (FT) Shoppes at City of Dreams SL on Wednesday marked a major milestone in its evolution with the official announcement of Scope Cinemas’ inclusion. Scheduled to open on Level 10 before the end of 2026, Scope Cinemas Multiplex will become one of the destination’s defining anchor attractions, bringing next-generation cinema technology and immersive viewing experiences new to the SL market. The announcement marks a defining milestone for The Shoppes since more..

Jul 31 (Island) Sri Lanka’s leading medal prospect, Rumesh Tharanga, lived up to expectations by qualifying for the men’s javelin throw final with the best performance in his group at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games on Thursday. The world leader this season produced a throw of 82.84 metres to finish at the top of Group A during the morning qualifying session, comfortably securing his place in the final. Competing alongside World Championship gold medalist Anderson Peters and more..

Jul 31 (FT) SL’s economic stabilisation efforts, governance reforms and public welfare agenda featured prominently during talks between leaders of the JVP and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) in Colombo this week. The discussions focused on the NPP Govt’s measures to stabilise the economy, initiatives to improve public welfare, the increase in plantation sector wages and efforts to strengthen governance by addressing corruption and dismantling privilege-based politics. more..

Jul 31 (TM) SL’s long-running effort to establish accountability for alleged financial misconduct connected with its national airline has suffered another delay, after a Colombo court postponed proceedings involving former SriLankan Airlines Chairperson Nishantha Wickramasinghe until 8 Dec 2026. Delay has no immediate effect on SriLankan Airlines flights, schedules or passenger safety. However, it raises a far larger question more..

Jul 31 (DN) Lawyers must act in the public interest and support reforms that strengthen the country’s justice system, lawyer Manodhya Galpaya said, warning of the consequences if the legal profession fails to uphold that responsibility. Speaking at a media briefing on Tuesday (28), Galpaya said the current Govt had received a clear public mandate to safeguard judicial independence, uphold the rule of law, and ensure justice is delivered and seen to be delivered. more..

Jul 31 (FT) Hotel Developers (Lanka) Ltd (HDL), State-owned enterprise and owner of the iconic Hilton Colombo, said it has recorded a Profit After Tax of Rs. 48.5 million for the financial year ended 2025, marking the company’s first return to profitability, since 2017. Chairman Pravir Samarasinghe described the result as a defining milestone. “2025 financial year marks a pivotal moment in the company’s journey. Our return to profitability is the direct outcome of more..

Jul 31 (FT) Asian Development Bank (ADB) is set to deploy $ 450 million to protect poor households and strengthen the economies of Sri Lanka and Cambodia as the conflict in the Middle East drives up costs and deepens uncertainty across Asia and the Pacific. “No family should be pushed deeper into poverty by a conflict thousands of kilometres away,” said ADB President Masato Kanda yesterday. “We are moving quickly to protect more than 1 million struggling households in Cambodia while more..

Jul 31 (FT) Australia’s Special Envoy for Indian Ocean Affairs Tim Watts has concluded a visit to SL, reaffirming Canberra’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties while announcing fresh funding for dengue prevention and highlighting cooperation in maritime security, trade, investment & disaster preparedness. During the visit, Watts announced Australia would provide AUD 2 million in development assistance to support the proposed SL Wolbachia Project aimed at controlling more..

Jul 31 (FT) Govt has moved to address implementation delays affecting Indian-funded development projects, focusing on removing bottlenecks, renewing key agreements, and strengthening project oversight through a dedicated monitoring unit at the Presidential Secretariat. Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando and Indian HC Santosh Jha reviewed the progress of projects financed by the Govt of India more..

Jul 31 (FT) Seylan Bank PLC yesterday said it recorded a Profit Before Income Tax (PBT) of Rs. 9,298 million during the first half of 2026, compared to Rs. 8,444 million recorded in the corresponding period of 2025, reflecting a year-on-year (YoY) growth of 10.10%. For the six months ended 30 June 2026, the bank recorded a Profit After Tax (PAT) of Rs. 6,080 million, representing a growth of 10.78% compared to Rs. 5,489 million recorded in the corresponding period of 2025. more..

Jul 31 (DN) Two uncapped players, Chamudi Praboda and Sanjana Kavindi, have been included in the SL women’s T20I squad for the three-match series against Pakistan, which begins today at the Dambulla Cricket Stadium at 10.00 a.m. The second and third T20Is will also be played at the same venue on August 2 and 4. SL Cricket Selection Committee named a 15-member national squad for the T20I series following SL’s 2-1 ODI series victory over Pakistan at Hambantota on Monday. more..

Jul 31 (ST) Sri Lanka has begun talks with asset manager and financial advisory firm Lazard Freres to overhaul a part of the foreign debt, head of the public debt manager said. Public Debt Management Office Director General Udeni Udugahapattuwa told the COPF that Lazard advised Zambia to restructure its debt. She said a debt buyback would be considered as a part of liability management, but expert assistance is needed because more..

Jul 31 (FT) The Central Bank of SL (CBSL) will commence compensation payments to insured depositors of Nation Lanka Finance PLC from 1 August through selected branches of People’s Bank, following the cancellation of the finance company’s licence earlier this month. The payouts will be made under the Sri Lanka Deposit Insurance Scheme (SLDIS), with eligible depositors entitled to compensation of up to Rs. 1.1 million based on the aggregate value of their insured deposits. more..

Jul 31 (NW) SL Customs has urged the public not to carry parcels or baggage belonging to others when travelling, warning that unsuspecting passengers could be used to transport illegal items, including narcotics. Customs Spokesman said individuals can become involved in serious criminal offences without being aware of what they are carrying. “We would like to request the public not to carry parcels or baggage belonging to someone else during air travel or any other journey,” he said. more..

Jul 31 (DM) SriLankan Aviation College (SLAC), the training arm of SriLankan Airlines, has been recognised by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as an IATA Authorised Training Centre (ATC) Preferred Partner for 2026, reaffirming its commitment to excellence in aviation training and further strengthening its position among the IATA’s leading global training partners. The college, recognised as one of the 10 best-performing IATA training centres in the world, more..

Jul 31 (FT) Importers, exporters and Customs clearing agents have been urged to prepare for SL’s transition to a paperless Customs declaration system, which is scheduled to commence from 1 October as the Government moves to digitise trade-related public services. The Paperless Customs Declaration Processing System will enable businesses to submit Customs documentation electronically through the integration of LankaSign digital signatures with the ASYCUDA more..

Jul 31 (FT) A parliamentary oversight committee has raised concerns that delays in expanding Port of Colombo risks eroding SL’s competitive position as India accelerates the development of the Vizhinjam Int'l Seaport and regional port capacity expands. The concerns were raised by the Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on Infrastructure and Strategic Development during a review of the SL Ports Authority’s (SLPA) operations, more..

Jul 31 (DM) The debate over extending the retirement age of superior court judges has brought into focus a much larger question that SL has struggled with for decades: how to create a judicial system that delivers timely, accessible and credible justice. While the proposal to retain experienced judges beyond the current retirement age may appear to offer a quick solution to the mounting backlog of cases, it risks addressing only the symptoms rather than the underlying causes more..

Jul 31 (Island) Last week, tens of thousands of public officials across the country raised their right hands and recited a pledge against malfunction, inefficiency, bribery, and corruption, the Integrity Oath (Supilipanna Divuruma), before returning to their desks to continue doing exactly what they were doing before lunch. That, in a single sentence, is the risk facing National Integrity Week 2026 – a well-intentioned campaign that, unless it is backed by something considerably less photogenic more..

Jul 31 (DN) The latest move by the Police to come down hard against motorists who cause noise pollution, indeed, is a welcome move. In this regard, IGP Priyantha Weerasuriya has issued instructions to Traffic Police islandwide to prosecute those motorists who have fixed gadgets to their vehicles that cause excessive noise, distracting the public and other motorists as well. He has ordered that, in future, motorists causing excessive noise through their horns and other devices, more..

Jul 31 (ST) As the rays of the sun filtered through the branches of the trees in the garden, Aldoris, the choon-paan karaya, came down the lane in his food-laden tuk-tuk with music breaking the silence of the neighbourhood. “Mata poddak parakkuwuney dengue gana hoyana aya ava apey paththa pariksha karanna (I got a bit late as dengue inspectors had come to our area),” he said, doling out hot maalu paans. Mae sarei dengue prashnaya wena avurudu walata wada godak ugrai wagey more..

Jul 31 (SO) The launch of the Ocean Watch web-based mobile application by the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) marks another step in the Govt’s digitalisation agenda, using technology to strengthen environmental governance while improving coordination among State institutions, local authorities, the private sector and the public. Designed to improve waste management more..

Jul 31 (DM) Disregarding weeks-long agitations by the Opposition parties and a section of the legal fraternity against its move to extend the retirement age of the judges, NPP govt at last has clarified its stance on the matter. Cabinet had on Monday approved a proposal to go ahead with the move, allaying speculations on the existence of such a move and whether it concerns judges of all courts or only the superior courts. Minister Nalinda Jayatissa stated that the purpose of the proposal more..

Jul 31 (DM) Colombo’s literature scene came back to life with the inaugural Colombo Literary Festival which concluded on Wednesday (29). This trilingual celebration of literature, cinema, history and music brought together authors, artistes and literature lovers from across the country under one roof. At the core of this event is the commitment to provide an equal space to celebrate literary works done in Sinhala, Tamil and English. Sri Lanka carries with it a rich literary heritage that spans more..

Jul 31 (SO) As Sri Lanka advances towards its target of generating 70 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030, a deeper question is beginning to shape the national conversation: whose energy transition is this, and who will ultimately benefit from it? A forum was convened by the Law and Society Trust (LST) in Colombo on July 8 titled Powering a just future: Creating a ‘good energy’ framework for Sri Lanka’s energy transition. more..

Jul 31 (TM) For decades, elections have been dominated by speculation over who spent the most, who bankrolled whom, and whether financial muscle ultimately decided electoral outcomes. The introduction of the Regulation of Election Expenditure Act, No. 3 of 2023, was intended to replace speculation with transparency. It was a landmark reform that finally brought campaign finance within a legal framework after decades of regulatory absence. more..

Jul 31 (CT) Recent reports circulating on social media have claimed that a Sri Lankan employed in Saudi Arabia has been convicted by a Saudi court for allegedly making remarks deemed offensive to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), resulting in a prison sentence and a substantial financial penalty. While the facts should be confirmed through official channels and the judicial process respected, the reports have understandably generated concern among Sri Lankans both more..