Jul 1 (EN) Central Bank said its investigation found crypto trading platform provider Infinity Rover (Pvt) Ltd was involved in prohibited scheme. CB said that Infinity Rover has been added to the list of 25 firms involved in the prohibited scheme. “In terms of Section 83 (C) of the Banking Act, No. 30 of 1988, as amended, CB has conducted an investigation, ascertained and determined that Infinity Rover (Pvt) Ltd has engaged, conducted & promoted a prohibited scheme,” more..

Jul 1 (NW) One hundred freshly trained Aviation Security (AVSEC) officers formally joined the national service, following a transparent recruitment process free of political influence. The Passing Out Parade, held under the patronage of Deputy Minister Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku, showcased the discipline, teamwork, leadership skills, and professional readiness of the recruits. Physical fitness and special drill displays highlighted the rigorous training undertaken by the officers before more..

Jul 1 (EN) Cabinet has approved a proposal to initiate the procurement process for the construction of Phase 1 of the Central Expressway Project’s fourth phase, from Kurunegala to Galewela, govt funds and local contractors, minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. “It has been decided to implement the Phase 4 of the Central Expressway Project in two phases and to implement the Phase 1 of the 38.5 km road section from Kurunegala to Galewela using funds from the Govt of SL,” he told reporters. more..

Jul 1 (FT) IMF Mission Chief for Sri Lanka, Evan Papageorgiou, has announced that an IMF mission would visit Sri Lanka from 24 to 30 June. He confirmed that the mission would engage with the Government and a broad range of stakeholders to review Sri Lanka's ongoing economic reform program and assess the implementation of critical structural reforms. Papageorgiou stated that the IMF looked forward to constructive and productive discussions during the week-long mission. more..

Jul 1 (FT) Justice was a keyword and a foundational pledge of Maithripala Sirisena’s 2015 presidential campaign. Candidate Sirisena, Ranil Wickremesinghe, and a bunch of oppositional politicians promised to end the repression and the corruption that had become bywords for Rajapaksa governance, and to bring the perpetrators before the law. Amongst the high profile corruption cases often touted on campaign platforms was that of Avant Garde Maritime Services. more..

Jul 1 (FT) The IMF said SL’s swift response to the economic fallout from the Middle East conflict had preserved macroeconomic and social stability, while urging the Govt to pursue bold reforms as it prepares for the Seventh Review of its EFF arrangement. The Fund said stronger, more durable and inclusive growth would require bold reforms to improve the efficiency and fairness of the tax system, liberalise trade, address labour more..

Jul 1 (DM) The National Council for Persons with Disabilities has decided to introduce a special identification card to provide priority services for persons with disabilities at govt institutions. The decision was taken during a meeting of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities held today under the chairmanship of Minister Dr. Upali Pannila. According to the decision, a pilot project for the issuance of the special card will be implemented through the Kaduwela DS. more..

Jul 1 (AD) A suspect has fled following a violent confrontation with police during an attempted arrest in Kahaduwa, Elpitiya, police said. Officers from the Elpitiya Police Station had gone to the area to conduct a raid when suspects allegedly attempted to assault them. Officers fired into the air to bring the situation under control. Two suspects then fled the scene, while two police officers pursued them. During a subsequent attempt to arrest one suspect, he allegedly attacked a police officer with more..

Jul 1 (AD) Expenditure on SL’s fuel imports increased by 112% y-o-y to US$ 536 million in May 2026, driven by the increase in oil prices and volumes, according to the CBSL. However, on a month-on-month basis, expenditure on fuel imports reduced by 39.5% in May 2026. CBSL, issuing the external sector performance report for May, said SL continued to be impacted by the war in the Middle East, with current account recording a deficit more..

Jul 1 (DN) The deadline for officers who were unable to complete their registration on the centralised electronic system due to technical faults to submit their declaration of assets and liabilities has been extended until midnight on July 7. The CIABOC issued a notice stating that no fines will be charged during this extended period. The Bribery Commission took this decision following reports that users faced technical glitches due to severe system congestion. more..

Jul 1 (FT) The IMF yesterday clarified that SL’s temporary tightening of vehicle import financing requirements did not derail its EFF program, as the Central Bank reported motor vehicle imports had exceeded $ 1 billion during the first five months of 2026. IMF Mission Chief for SL Evan Papageorgiou said the temporary measure triggered one of the program’s continuous performance criteria on import restrictions after it tightened import financing requirements for vehicles. more..

Jul 1 (TM) Electricity Consumers' Association (ECA) called for an immediate reduction in electricity tariffs following the Govt's latest diesel price cut, urging the Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) to act without delay as diesel remains a key fuel used in power generation. ECA’s General Secretary Sanjeewa Dhammika said, “The diesel prices were reduced on Monday (29). A significant proportion of the diesel imported into the country is used for electricity generation. more..

Jul 1 (DN) India men’s under 19 cricket team led by all rounder Yashbardhan Singh Chauhan arrived in Sri Lanka yesterday to play a series against Sri Lanka under 19 team. This tour will feature a three-match one day series and two four day matches. The one days will be played on July 4, 6, 9 at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Cricket Stadium, Hambantota followed by two four-day matches at Galle Cricket Stadium (first one from July 13 to 16) and R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo (second one). more..

Jul 1 (TM) LMD Business Confidence Index (BCI) fell by 16 points to 132 in June – from 148 in the month prior – marking its lowest level in 20 months, as concerns over exchange rate pressures, rising costs and broader economic uncertainty continued to weigh on the corporate sector. The decline effectively reversed the modest recovery recorded in May. From a broader perspective, barometer remains six notches more..

Jul 1 (FT) Dr. Rohantha Athukorala, one of the most respected Rotarians in Sri Lanka and Maldives, was awarded the prestigious Rotarian of the Year 2025/26 award by Governor Delvin Pereira at the Rotary Awards Ceremony, popularly referred to as the Rotary Oscars, held at ITC Ratnadipa. The distinguished global Rotary leaders, present included Immediate Rotary International President Stephanie Urchick and Past Rotary Int'l President/Rotary Int'l Trustee K.R. Ravindran. more..

Jul 1 (NW) The Supreme Court has upheld the life sentence imposed on a man convicted over the 2008 suicide bomb attack that killed retired Major General Janaka Perera, his wife, and several others in Anuradhapura. The ruling came after the court dismissed a special appeal filed by the convicted accused, Umar Hatap, seeking to overturn his conviction and life sentence. The judgment was delivered by a two-judge bench comprising Justices Shiran Gooneratne & Menaka Wijesundara. more..

Jul 1 (NW) SL Police have launched a nationwide operation to identify and remove unsafe vehicles from the country’s roads as part of efforts to reduce road accidents and minimise injuries caused by defective or illegally modified vehicles. The operation, which began on Monday, initially targeted expressways and is now being expanded islandwide. Police said vehicles found to be unfit for road use will be prohibited from operating, while legal action will be initiated through courts. more..

Jul 1 (DM) LB Finance has secured US$ 35 million in long-term funding from Norway’s Norfund and Sweden’s Swedfund. The deal is expected to channel fresh foreign capital into SL’s small business sector at a time when access to long-term financing remains limited despite the country’s improving economic outlook. The facility, comprising US$ 20 million from Norfund and US$15 million from Swedfund, marks the first partnership between two European development finance institutions more..

Jul 1 (ST) Dengue cases in the country have now exceeded 50,000, with 30 deaths reported so far this year. Nearly 750 new dengue cases are being reported daily, a situation that is expected to continue for another two weeks. However, Sandun Rathnayake, a PHI of the Mannar MC, pointed out that although officially reported cases sit around 50,000, the actual number of infected individuals is likely close to 200,000. more..

Jul 1 (Island) The Foundation For A Good Life (Guarantee) Ltd (TFGL), in partnership with Good Life X (GLX), actively repositions the invasive Water Hyacinth via the lens of responsible management and utilisation to turn the environmental threat into a valuable regenerative raw material. The Accelerator is supported through Scott Dunn’s Partnership for Nature – a collaboration facilitated by the Conservation Collective, administered by the Lanka Environment Fund (LEF). more..

Jul 1 (DM) SL’s construction sector regained momentum in May as a steady flow of new project awards helped drive activity back into expansion territory, offering fresh evidence that investment activity remains resilient despite higher borrowing costs and global uncertainty. Central Bank’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for Construction rose to 59.1 in May from 45.7 in April, as contractors resumed work following the seasonal slowdown associated with the April festive period. more..

Jul 1 (TM) Veteran athletics administrator Sunil Jayaweera who was largely instrumental in the installation of the Bimal Wijayasinghe-led SL Athletics administration early this year, tendered his resignation with effect from 24 June. The unexpected resignation by the former head of the sport’s domestic governing body and ‘a key figure of the golden age of Sri Lankan athletics’ according to athletics analysts has diverted more..

Jul 1 (FT) At MWC Shanghai 2026, Sri Lanka presented a bold vision to become a trusted regional hub for AI, digital infrastructure and cross-border collaboration. As artificial intelligence reshapes economies across the world, a fundamental question confronts every emerging nation: Will they simply consume AI developed elsewhere, or will they actively participate in creating it? That question formed the centrepiece of Sri Lanka’s message at MWC Shanghai 2026, where more..

Jul 1 (FT) Sri Lanka has formally launched a unified digital decision support platform aimed at transforming how the plantation sector is monitored, managed and planned, marking one of the most significant steps yet toward data-driven governance in agriculture-related industries. Plantation Sector Decision Support System (DSS), developed under the Integrated Digital Agriculture Transformation (IDAT) program was handed over to the Plantations and Community Infrastructure Ministry more..

Jul 1 (Island) Within seven months of completing the acquisition of Mirotone NZ Ltd, JAT Holdings PLC has commenced the brand’s re-entry into Australia through its subsidiary, Mirotone Australia Pty Ltd. The milestone marks an early step in converting the growth plan presented to investors at the time of the transaction into commercial execution and reinforces the Group’s focus on disciplined post-acquisition delivery. JAT completed the acquisition of Mirotone in Oct 2025, more..

Jul 1 (DN) The Old Nalandians’ Sports Club (ONSC) honoured 93 distinguished former students who represented Sri Lanka in sports at the Nalanda Sports Icon of the Centuryat the recently concluded felicitation ceremony, held as part of Nalanda College’s centenary celebrations. The ceremony, organised as a flagship initiative of the school’s centenary celebrations, was attended by Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage as the Chief Guest. Following an extensive fact-finding more..

Jul 1 (NW) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has proposed a series of measures to strengthen SL’s climate resilience and disaster preparedness, warning that the country should act now to prepare for the anticipated impacts of the 2026-2027 El Niño cycle. Speaking at the National Council for Disaster Management, chaired by Prez Dissanayake, Premadasa said climate security has become a national priority that requires a united, more..

Jul 1 (GV) There are thousands of bodies lying in mass graves across SL, a legacy of its brutal and bloody past, which could reveal the fate of some of the thousands of missing people from the 26 year civil war and two JVP uprisings. Over the last 30 years around 32 mass graves have been identified and 20 have been partially exhumed but hardly any family has had the remains of their loved ones identified and returned. The graves are unmarked and unprotected and, in some cases, more..

Jul 1 (DM) How far does the nexus between the underworld, and the political and bureaucratic establishment stretch out in Sri Lanka? An audio clip leaked last week revealed it extended far enough to revoke detention orders, transfer a drug baron out of a high-security prison, and finally drop the charges altogether as long as the underworld pays up to political intermediaries. That is a damning indictment, not just on the suspects already in custody, but more..

Jul 1 (Island) Sunil works as a driver in Dubai. Every month, on payday, he sets aside a portion of his salary to send to his mother in Galle. For years he used his bank’s remittance service. Then, one evening, a friend at the labour camp told him something that changed his habits. “Don’t use the bank. I know someone. Your mother will get more rupees, and she’ll get it today.” Sunil hesitated, but the offer was hard to refuse. The bank’s exchange rate was lower than what his friend’s more..

Jul 1 (ST) When all seemed over, when the bombs, drones and verbal brickbats they got together and threw at each other, when the old rivalries were simmering in the backyard, His Excellency President Donald Trump seemed to call it a day. But not quite. Old sores were still festering as the verbal fisticuffs came to the fore. Trump’s anger and abrasive nature erupted as years’ old allies were dismissed in language hardly heard in decent diplomatic exchanges. more..