Jul 17 (AD) It has been reported that former IGP C.D. Wickramaratne has been found dead and is suspected to have committed suicide. He had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his residence in Athurugiriya. C.D. Wickramaratne, who served in the SL Police for more than 30 years, was the country's 35th IGP. Prior to his appointment as IGP, Wickramaratne served as Senior DIG for Southern Province. more..

Jul 17 (DM) Irrigation Dept has urged farmers and the public to use irrigation and drinking water carefully as Sri Lanka faces a higher risk of drought and rising temperatures due to the expected El Niño weather pattern. Director of the Water Management Division H.M.P.S.D. Herath said that the total water storage in the country’s 80 major reservoirs currently stands at around 48%. He said the available water is expected to be sufficient for the ongoing Yala cultivation season, more..

Jul 17 (FT) NPP Govt is targeting its first sovereign credit rating upgrade since the debt crisis, with Treasury officials telling the CoPF they expect the country’s rating to improve to B- by early 2027 as fiscal reforms and debt reduction continue. Officials said discussions were underway with the three major international credit rating agencies, which are reviewing SL’s recent macroeconomic and fiscal performance. Officials confirmed SL’s current sovereign rating is CCC+ and said more..

Jul 17 (TM) Despite SL's Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) indicating that the first set of gambling regulations would be published by 30 June, Authority now looks forward to presenting the draft regulations later in 2026, GRA Chairperson informed the COPF. “The authority did not expect full operationalisation until 30 Nov 2026 but rather that regulatory activities would commence in phases with a first set of regulations more..

Jul 17 (Island) Following the death of a 75-year-old woman who owned a large estate at Kiribathkumbura in the Daulugala Police Division, a dispute has arisen among four parties claiming her remains. Inquirer into Sudden Deaths Senaka Karunaratne has ordered that the body not be released to anyone until a court order is obtained, as none of the four parties who came forward to perform the final rites could legally establish their claims. The deceased had been living for more..

Jul 17 (DM) Turkiye has offered the sale of military drones to Sri Lanka, and a technical team is expected to arrive here soon for a presentation, an official said yesterday. Addressing a seminar, Turkish Ambassador Dr.Semih Lutfu Turgut said that his country was planning for enhancement of bilateral relations with Sri Lanka encompassing all spheres. He said a technical team would come to Sri Lanka soon to make a presentation on drones manufactured in his country. more..

Jul 17 (Island) Ambeon Securities recently hosted an exclusive investor forum, bringing together clients, investors, business leaders, and market professionals for an insightful discussion on SL’s economic outlook and investment opportunities amidst a challenging global landscape. The event was organized with the objective of providing investors with valuable insights to make better-informed investment decisions while further strengthening the firm’s engagement with its more..

Jul 17 (DN) India Under-19s took a first-innings lead in their drawn four-day cricket fixture against SL Under-19s at Galle yesterday. India Under-19s made 576 all out in reply to SL Under-19s’ first-innings total of 424 for 9 declared. At the close of play yesterday, SL Under-19s, in their second innings, had reached 178 for 6 declared as the match ended in a draw. Both teams’ batters dominated proceedings on the Galle wicket, with the two sides scoring a combined 1,178 runs during the match, more..

Jul 17 (FT) The Govt has stepped up plans to accelerate strategic energy infrastructure projects ahead of the Budget 2027, with Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake reviewing a pipeline of electricity transmission, renewable energy, and petroleum storage investments while directing officials to transform Delft, Analaitivu & Nainativu into Green Energy Islands. At a pre-Budget review of the Energy Ministry yesterday, Prez assessed more..

Jul 17 (NW) The United States has announced new visa regulations that will impose fixed periods of stay for foreign students, exchange visitors and journalists, replacing the current duration of status system. Under a final rule issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), F visas for international students, J visas for exchange visitors and I visas for foreign media will no longer remain valid for the duration of a programme or employment. more..

Jul 17 (ST) The govt should adopt realistic strategies when fixing prices for paddy, Dudley Sirisena, Chairman of the Araliya Group of Companies, has said. He was speaking at the reopening of Lanka Tractors showroom in Colombo this week. Marking the return of one of Sri Lanka’s most recognised agricultural machinery companies, Lanka Tractors reopened its original showroom in Colombo 11 and launched the ACE Tractor brand in the country. Located at 343, Olcott Mawatha, more..

Jul 17 (DN) Ministerial Consultative Committee on Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education recently discussed and approved the final Report of the Committee appointed to make recommendations for the establishment of an Education Council in SL, which had been endorsed by the Sub-Committee on the Establishment of an Education Council. The approval was granted at the meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Education, Higher Edu and Vocational Edu more..

Jul 17 (FT) Business tycoon-turned-philanthropist Nahil Wijesuriya has donated Rs. 100 million towards the Nalanda Sports Arena, the second phase of the school’s Centenary Project. Nalanda College Old Boys’ Association (NCOBA) said: “His generous contribution marks a landmark milestone for the Nalanda Centenary Project and will significantly support the development of the Nalanda Sports Arena.” Wijesuriya has previously donated Rs. 3 bil to Trinity College Kandy, Rs. 1 bil to more..

Jul 17 (FT) Treasury officials on Tuesday signalled that SL’s next phase of IMF-backed fiscal reforms will shift from raising taxes to modernising tax administration, with officials revealing that a Medium-Term Revenue Strategy (MTRS) is being prepared to improve compliance, broaden the tax base, and support growth without increasing tax rates. Appearing before the CoPF, Treasury officials said the strategy is more..

Jul 17 (ST) Attorney General has instructed the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau (FIB) to submit documents and other information that can confirm the legal ownership of the building belonging to trade union National Workers’ Congress, where Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe and another individual named Cyril Ananda, have been listed as the lessors in the case involving the alleged fraudulent leasing of the said building through a forged deed. The case relates to the fraud of more..

Jul 17 (ST) Sri Lanka recorded an increase in reported grave crimes during the first five months of 2026, with May registering the highest number of incidents, while the number of cases solved by police declined steadily. According to latest monthly crime statistics, reported grave crimes rose from 3,999 cases in January to 4,355 cases in May, despite a temporary dip in February. The figures indicate that February recorded the lowest number of reported grave crimes, with 3,327 cases, more..

Jul 17 (ST) The fate of the 138-year-old Bogambara prison building is once again at a crossroads, with the Prison Dept deciding to repossess it after the structure — long regarded as an eyesore in the heart of culturally significant Kandy — was handed over to the UDA in 2014 for redevelopment. On Friday evening Prison Officers headed by a Superintendent moved into Bogambara Prisons to assess the situation of the complex, more..

Jul 17 (FT) India’s apex technology industry body, the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) yesterday launched its flagship Disha Mentorship Program in Sri Lanka, marking the first international expansion of the initiative and signalling a new phase in India–Sri Lanka technology collaboration focused on scaling technology small and medium enterprise (SMEs) through structured mentorship and cross-border partnerships. more..

Jul 17 (NW) The Commonwealth Games Association of SL (CGA SL) on Wednesday officially unveiled Team SL for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, with a 40-member athlete contingent set to compete across seven sports. The announcement was made at a press conference at Olympic House in Colombo attended by Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Sunil Kumara Gamage and British HC Andrew Patrick. SL contingent comprises 27 male and 13 female athletes, supported by more..

Jul 17 (FT) SL Export Development Board (EDB) the host institution of the SheTrades Sri Lanka Hub launched two sector-specific export handbooks in Sinhala and Tamil to help women entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) capitalise on preferential access to the UK market, reinforcing efforts to expand SL’s export base through greater inclusion of women-led businesses. Developed in collaboration with the International Trade Centre (ITC) & British HC in Colombo, more..

Jul 17 (FT) The SL Corporate Director Summit 2026, organised by the SL Institute of Directors (SLID), will be held on 22 July 2026 at the Cinnamon Grand Colombo under the theme Future-Ready SL Directors: From Compliance to Sustainable Growth. The Summit will bring together an exceptional gathering of global banking leaders, governance experts, regulators, legal authorities, diplomats, and corporate directors to exchange insights, share international best practices, more..

Jul 17 (DM) A Court of Appeal judgment has exposed the extraordinary delays in SL’s criminal justice system, revealing that a 11-year-old victim of grave sexual abuse in 2001 was only able to testify before the High Court in 2023, approximately 22 years after the alleged offence. The judgment, delivered by a two-judge bench comprising Justices P. Kumararatnam and Pradeep Hettiarachchi, observed that the victim was 33 years old more..

Jul 17 (Island) Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu must be on cloud nine. The US is now doing exactly what he wanted it to do; it is attacking Iran without Israeli involvement. Israeli officials have told the media that they do not expect Israel to become directly involved in the new phase of fighting though the Israel Defence Forces remain on alert should the conflict expand. This can be considered another dream come true for Netanyahu, who said after the irst round of US-Israeli airstrikes more..

Jul 17 (Island) According to Sri Lanka’s diplomatic folklore, the late S.W. R. D. Bandaranaike uttered these words while explaining the reasons for Sri Lanka’s abstention on the UN resolution condemning the Soviet invasion of Hungary. Apparently, SWRD’s foreign ministry officials were asleep at home when the diplomatic cable seeking instructions was received from New York. In those days, there were no cell phones, Internet, or even fax or telex machines. more..

Jul 17 (SO) With just over five months left in the year, Govt has quietly shifted into Budget 2027 mode. While political attention remained fixed on the fallout from the Negombo Prison riot, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake spent much of the week poring over ministry performance reports and sketching out next year’s spending priorities. The President has already completed progress reviews with five of the 21 ministries, signalling that the administration intends to keep a tight grip more..

Jul 17 (TM) SL’s pursuit of gender parity in political governance has reached a critical bottleneck. The recent warning from the Election Commission that increasing the mandatory women’s representation to 33% is unfeasible under the current framework exposes a profound institutional malaise. Chairperson R M A L Rathnayake revealed that 46 Local Govt bodies have failed to meet even the existing 25% quota, while six legally elected female councillors remain unappointed due to more..

Jul 17 (TM) There is a need for the routine monitoring and verification of town-based retail open markets exposed directly to open environments to assess the efficiency of control measures and food safety recommendations. This is in the context of the microbial counts of almost all samples of chicken, beef, and mutton in open markets in the Jaffna Town exceeding the acceptable limits set by international and more..

Jul 17 (DM) The independence of the judiciary is one of the cornerstones of a functioning democracy. It is not merely a constitutional principle but a safeguard against the abuse of executive and legislative power. Any move that affects the structure, composition, or tenure of the judiciary must therefore be approached with utmost caution, transparency, and broad consultation. Govt’s proposal to extend the retirement age of Supreme Court & Court of Appeal judges has triggered strong opposition more..

Jul 17 (GV) The govt has indicated its intention to amend the retirement age of judges including judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. This has been causing to a significant debate among legal professionals, policymakers and the public. Bar Association of SL (BASL), together with international legal organizations including the Commonwealth Lawyers Association and LAWASIA as well as several regional bar associations has expressed serious concern that proposed amendment more..

Jul 17 (SO) Scattered across the country’s forests, villages, mountains, river valleys and coastlines are the enduring monuments of more than 2,500 years of civilisation—from soaring stupas (dagabas) and ancient monasteries to forgotten Hindu shrines, churches, mosques, weathered inscriptions, majestic reservoirs and long-forgotten settlements. The island’s archaeological heritage tells the remarkable story of more..

Jul 17 (DM) The six parties consist of two representatives from each community - ITAK, and TNA from the Northern and Eastern Tamils, CWC and TPA from Malayaga Tamils, SLMC and ACMC from the Muslims. They announced on Monday that they launched this platform to address common concerns of Tamil-speaking communities living in the Northern, Eastern, Western provinces and plantation regions. We describe the launch of this platform, as it is called by the media, more..

Jul 17 (CT) The lifeblood of any democracy is the people’s right to elect their representatives. Yet, in Sri Lanka, the continued postponement of Provincial Council (PC) elections has raised serious questions about the country’s commitment to democratic governance and constitutional accountability. When the NPP came to power, it pledged to strengthen democratic institutions, restore good governance, uphold the rule of law, and ensure greater transparency in govt. more..