Jul 24 (NW) Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) says legal action has been taken against 23 private hospitals and medical laboratories across SL after investigations uncovered the use and storage of expired chemicals and medicines, along with other consumer law violations. Courts have imposed a total of Rs. 5,798,000 in fines in relation to the 23 cases filed so far. The investigations, carried out through a series of islandwide raids targeting private hospitals, laboratories more..

Jul 24 (NW) SL’s Ambassador to the US, Mahinda Samarasinghe, says the additional U.S. tariff applicable to Sri Lankan exports has been reduced to 10%, describing it as a favourable outcome achieved through coordinated efforts by the SL Govt and its negotiating team. In a statement, Samarasinghe attributed the outcome to strong bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and the United States, as well as the timely intervention and directives of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. more..

Jul 24 (DM) Environment Deputy Minister Anton Jayakody has called for international cooperation to tackle the global environmental crisis, saying no country can face environmental challenges alone. Addressing a ministerial-level workshop on Forest Resource Management and Green Development under the Global Development Initiative (GDI) in China, Jayakody said countries must work together to find solutions and promote sustainable development. The workshop, held from July 24 to 30, brings together more..

Jul 24 (TM) The El Niño phenomenon is strengthening more rapidly than anticipated and is likely to peak around November, earlier than previously forecast, Environment Minister Dr Dammika Patabendi warned yesterday. Speaking during a special media briefing on the possible impact of El Niño on Sri Lanka, he said SL could experience severe dry weather conditions during July, August and September, while heavy rainfall could occur during Oct, Nov and Dec. more..

Jul 24 (NW) Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) has emphasized that preserving colonial‑era buildings does not amount to celebrating the political order that produced them, but rather acknowledges their role as part of the nation’s cultural inheritance. CPA noted that official residences, govt houses, and country estates linked to public authority should generally be preserved, given their historic and cultural significance. The organization stressed that the most important of these structures more..

Jul 24 (Island) The sea phase of the Trincomalee Naval Exercise 2026 (TRINEX-26) commenced off the Trincomalee coast on July 21, with the SL Navy and SL Air Force conducting a series of joint operational drills to enhance maritime readiness and security capabilities. Large-scale exercise involves the participation of the SL Navy Fleet, 4th Fast Attack Flotilla, Special Boat Squadron, SL Navy Marines and SL Air Force, focusing on strengthening joint operational coordination and interoperability. more..

Jul 24 (DM) Police have freezed Rs. 150 million worth of assets said to have been illegally accumulated by two individuals in Dewanigoda, Rathgama. CID launched an initial investigation into a complaint that a resident of the Dewinigoda area in Rathgama had accumulated assets using money earned through organised crime and drug trafficking. Facts regarding this complaint were accordingly reported to the Magistrate’s Court of Galle. Based on the facts revealed during the investigation, more..

Jul 24 (NW) SL Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) has formally established the Malware Analysis & Threat Hunting (MATH) Lab, a national‑level cybersecurity capability designed to strengthen proactive defense across govt institutions and Critical Information Infrastructure (CII). The launch marks a crucial milestone in the country’s cybersecurity journey, signaling a strategic shift from conventional reactive incident response toward early detection and more..

Jul 24 (DM) The no-confidence motion brought against Minister of Justice Harshana Nanayakkara was defeated in Parliament by a majority of 116 votes, with 36 MPs voting in favour and 152 against. Some MPs were absent at the time of voting. These included members of Tamil parties and some MPs from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB). The Daily Mirror reliably learnt that Tamil parties would vote with the opposition in the future if the government fails to hold Provincial Council elections. more..

Jul 24 (DM) Fraudsters posing as police officers and Central Bank officials are increasingly pressuring victims to purchase and transfer cryptocurrency after convincing them their National Identity Cards or bank accounts are linked to criminal investigations, prompting police to issue a fresh warning over an evolving wave of financial scams. SL Police have issued an urgent public warning over a surge in financial scams involving fraudsters impersonating police officers and other govt officials to more..

Jul 24 (NW) Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam has called for an immediate investigation into allegations that hotels operating in the Pasikudah tourism zone have failed to pay the statutory 1% tax due to the local authority under the Pradeshiya Sabha Act for several years. Speaking in Parliament, Shanakiyan said Pasikudah is home to 17 hotels, which reportedly make payments to the SLTDA but have allegedly neglected their mandatory contributions to the local council. more..

Jul 24 (NW) Indian MP and renowned author Shashi Tharoor joined the launch of the Colombo Literary Festival 2026 in Colombo on Friday (24), as SL officially opened what organisers describe as the country’s first international trilingual literary festival. Tharoor attended the opening ceremony at the Arcade Independence Square alongside Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, Colombo Mayor Cally Balthazaar, Festival Director Pradeep Samaranayake and representatives of the local literary community. more..

Jul 24 (NW) The CIABOC today announced the arrest of former Southern Province Chief Secretary Rannulu Chandrasiri de Soysa over corruption charges. According to the Bribery Commission, in 2019, under the Southern Provincial Ministry, the Southern Provincial Development Authority allocated Rs. 16.5 million from council members’ proposals to provide chairs for voluntary organizations. A manufacturing institution was selected outside the prescribed procurement process, more..

Jul 24 (Island) More than 108,000 complaints of child abuse had been received by the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) between 2015 and 2025, Women and Child Affairs Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj told Parliament yesterday. Responding to a question raised by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa under Standing Order 27/2, the Minister said 4,421 child abuse cases were pending before High Courts as of April 30 this year, with indictments already filed against the accused. more..

Jul 24 (FT) Japanese automotive giant Niterra Co. Ltd, the proprietor of the NGK brand (with Douglas and Sons Ltd being its sole authorised agent for NGK spark plugs in SL), recently pursued criminal action directly against several wholesale entities including Sajana Motors, involved in selling and possessing counterfeit NGK-branded spark plugs in Sri Lanka. As a result, the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) conducted criminal raid operations against the said spark plug dealer located in Horana, more..

Jul 24 (AD) Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vijitha Herath, held separate bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers of the Netherlands, Canada and Singapore on the sidelines of the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Manila, the Philippines. In a post on X, Minister Herath said he held a productive discussion with Netherlands Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen, during which both sides explored ways to further strengthen relations and enhance cooperation in areas of mutual interest. more..

Jul 24 (NW) Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara says SL's prisons are holding around four times the number of inmates they were designed to accommodate, as the Govt looks at legal reforms and technology-based alternatives such as house arrest to tackle severe overcrowding. Speaking at the opening of the new Pugoda Court Complex, Nanayakkara said the country’s prisons have capacity for 10,375 inmates but are currently accommodating approximately four times that number. more..

Jul 24 (NF) As part of a grant extended by the Govt of Japan, seven low-floor buses have arrived at the Hambantota Port, marking the latest step in efforts to strengthen SL's public transportation sector. Cabinet approval for the acceptance of the buses as a grant was granted in May this year, paving the way for their transfer to Sri Lanka. The donation is the result of discussions held last year between Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Japan's Parliamentary Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs more..

Jul 24 (Island) Minister Bimal Rathnayake yesterday criticised the conduct of MP Archchuna Ramanathan in Parliament, describing the behaviour of certain lawmakers as uncivilised, disgraceful and indecent, while a heated exchange followed between government and opposition members. Rathnayake made the remarks when Ramanathan attempted to raise a point of order during parliamentary proceedings. “This parliament has one or two members who behave in a very uncivilised, more..

Jul 24 (FT) Digital Economy Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne yesterday stressed that the tone for data protection within organisations must be set from the top, calling on business leaders to elevate data privacy and cybersecurity from an IT function to a priority. Addressing a packed 2nd Data Privacy and Protection Summit 2026, he said privacy and data protection must be designed into digital systems from the outset rather than being treated as an afterthought. more..

Jul 24 (AD) The Lalith Athulathmudali Mahapola Higher Education Scholarship Trust Fund has announced that the final selection list of recipients for the 2024/2025 Mahapola Scholarship has been forwarded to the respective universities, urging selected students to complete their online registration by August 17, 2026. According to the Trust Fund, students whose names appear on the final selection list must register through the Mahapola online website https://mahapola.lk/BankApp2025/ more..

Jul 24 (NW) Communities in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province are spearheading mangrove restoration in Nayaru Lagoon, Mullaitivu District, under a climate resilience project funded by the Adaptation Fund. The initiative, implemented by UN‑Habitat with the Ministry of Environment and the Mullaitivu District Secretariat, has already planted 24,000 saplings, achieving nearly half of the target of 50,000. The programme places communities at the centre of restoration. more..

Jul 24 (FT) CPA’s latest poll made headlines. The headline-getter was the contrast between President AKD’s approval rating and that of Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa. “…The survey found that 75.5% of respondents are satisfied with President Dissanayake’s performance, compared to 29.4% for Opposition Leader Premadasa”. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. If AKD was even remotely as popular as the CPA figures claim, it just does not figure why the ruling JVP-NPP fails to: more..

Jul 24 (FT) The proposed 2027 Budget presents Sri Lanka with a historic opportunity to move beyond macroeconomic stabilisation and begin genuine economic transformation. While achieving a (i) primary surplus, (ii) reducing inflation, and (iii) restoring fiscal discipline have laid the essential foundations for recovery, these achievements alone cannot deliver long-term prosperity or generate the resources needed to repay external debt. This article argues that the 2027 Budget more..

Jul 24 (AD) Sri Lanka is among 60 countries to be hit by new import tariffs from the US ranging from 10 to 12.5% - scheduled to take effect today. US Prez Donald Trump's administration is set to impose sweeping tariffs on 60 trading partners, including SL, India, Pakistan, UK & EU, according to a notice from US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer's office released on Thursday. Greer said Thursday that the 10% to 12.5% tariffs were more..

Jul 24 (TM) SL Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) has set a target of securing overseas employment opportunities to 250,000 Sri Lankans during 2026. These job opportunities will be facilitated through SL Govt and recruitment agencies registered with SLBFE. Although the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has led to a slight decline in the number of Lankans seeking overseas employment, bureau is taking steps to direct workers towards higher-paying jobs in safer destinations. more..

Jul 24 (NW) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake emphasized that a change in attitudes is essential to make sport an integral part of people’s daily lives and a culture. The President stated that fostering such a sporting culture would play a vital role in addressing current social challenges, including the rising number of road accidents and the increasing involvement of young people in drug abuse, while helping to build a healthy, disciplined and responsible future generation. more..

Jul 24 (FT) The Govt is preparing to restore criminal sanctions for serious foreign exchange offences after investigations into approximately $ 715 million remitted overseas through fraudulent import transactions exposed a gap in Sri Lanka’s legal framework. Deputy Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando said that the Govt intends to present a Cabinet paper to amend the Foreign Exchange Act, No. 12 of 2017. more..

Jul 24 (FT) Negombo Magistrate’s Court has been informed that 17 of the 28 deaths linked to the incident inside Negombo Prison were caused by gunshot injuries, while the remaining 11 resulted from assaults with blunt weapons. Negombo Chief Magistrate Shilani Perera disclosed the findings in open court after considering the results of 28 post-mortem examinations submitted by the JMO. After the findings were presented, the Magistrate said the court would not differentiate between more..

Jul 24 (AD) Dept of Examinations has announced that the 2026 Grade 5 Scholarship Exam will be held on Aug 9, from 9.30 am to 12.15 pm, at 2,723 exam centres across the island. The attendance records of candidates who applied for the exam have been forwarded to the relevant Zonal Education Offices through their respective schools. If any amendments to candidates' information are required, the facility has been provided to make such corrections online from today (23) to August 03. more..

Jul 24 (DM) The Ministry of Defence has reviewed progress on measures to strengthen Sri Lanka's domestic aviation sector, with discussions including a proposal to establish a dedicated helicopter landing facility within Colombo Port City. The progress review meeting was chaired by Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd.) and focused on balancing operational efficiency in domestic aviation with national security requirements. more..

Jul 24 (FT) Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) has exited its investment in unlisted Canwill Holdings Ltd., recovering its Rs. 5 billion capital after transferring its stake to the Govt as part of a restructuring arrangement, Central Bank of SL (CBSL) officials said yesterday. The investment no longer appears in the EPF’s portfolio following completion of the transaction by the end of last year, allowing the Fund to redeploy the recovered capital into other income-generating assets. more..