Jul 30 (CT) Cabinet has decided to revoke a controversial Gazette Notification issued by former Wildlife Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, which released 168 hectares of land in the Vidataltivu Nature Reserve, the Attorney General informed the Supreme Court yesterday. This was revealed during the hearing of two Fundamental Rights petitions filed by Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) and Wildlife & Nature Protection Society (WNPS), seeking an order to invalidate the gazette in question. more..

Jul 30 (NW) Police say a financial transaction with another individual may have led to the suicide of the opposition leader of the Yatinuwara PS and the deaths of two members of his family. Preliminary inquiries by the Police have found a four-page letter indicating that a financial transaction may have been the cause of the deaths. The bodies of the opposition leader of the Yatinuwara PS, his wife and daughter were discovered at the councillor’s two-storey house in Yahalatenna, more..

Jul 30 (CD) In Sri Lanka, drinking black tea is practically a national pastime. So, tea lovers across the island nation can raise their cups in relief knowing that the quality of each sip can be guaranteed by Chinese green solutions. "We are currently taking actions to introduce eco-friendly pest prevention and control technologies in tea gardens overseas," Zhang Libo, a professor at Guizhou University, said during the Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2025, more..

Jul 30 (AD) Minister Bimal Rathnayake says steps will be taken to strictly enforce the seat belt regulations in the near future. While participating in the Galle District Transport Committee meeting, he stated that measures would be taken to revoke the permits granted to owners of buses that do not comply with the law. Minister noted that around 2,350 people are killed while 6,000 sustain serious injuries due to motor accidents annually. Therefore, he noted that the govt has presented more..

Jul 30 (EN) SL’s progress under the Migration Partnership between Sri Lanka and Switzerland was reviewed at the third meeting held in Bern this week, and Swiss assistance for SL migrant worker skills development was discussed. “The meeting reviewed the progress made under the Migration Partnership since its launch in 2016 and discussed the future trajectory of the partnership after the formal handing over of the bilateral Safe Labour Migration Program (SLMP) to the Govt of SL last year.” more..

Jul 30 (AD) Former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa has informed the Supreme Court today, through his legal representatives, that he is prepared to provide evidence in relation to the habeas corpus case filed by the relatives of activists Lalith Weeraraj and Kugan Muruganandan, who went missing in 2011. The statement was made by President’s Counsel Romesh de Silva, who appeared on behalf of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, when the relevant appeal petition was more..

Jul 30 (AD) The owner of a bird park in Nagarawewa, Hambantota, where several luxury motorcycles imported illegally were found recently, has been released on bail. The order was issued by the Hambantota Magistrate’s Court today. He was released on two surety bails of Rs. 200,000 each. On July 25, the bird park owner and two other suspects were remanded until today by the Hambantota Magistrate’s Court for allegedly concealing illegally imported motorcycles in a warehouse. more..

Jul 30 (AD) Dr. Tamara Kalubowila has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Sri J'pura General Hospital. The Minister of Health and Mass Media, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, officially handed over the letter of appointment to Dr. Kalubowila at the Ministry premises on July 29. Dr. Kalubowila completed his A/L studies at Royal College, Colombo, and entered the medical profession in 1986 after obtaining his MBBS degree from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo. more..

Jun 30 (FT) The Deputy Speaker of the Maldivian Parliament and five Cabinet Ministers from the Maldivian Govt visited the Kurumba Maldives resort yesterday to hold discussions with President Anura Kumara Disanayake. Those who met with the President included: Maldivian Parliament Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim, Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Abdulla Khaleel, Economic Development and Trade Minister Mohamed Saeed, Defence Minister Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon, Finance and Planning; more..

Jun 30 (FT) SriLankan Airlines has been named the ‘Best Airline for South Asia’ at the recently held International Tourism Conclave and Travel Awards in Delhi, India, cementing its position at the pinnacle of the region’s aviation landscape. The award honours SriLankan’s expansive, next-level network connecting South Asia to the world, its signature Sri Lankan hospitality and the meaningful connections it fosters with travellers across the region, as recognised by more..

Jun 30 (EN) Sri Lanka Customs is waiting to test the motor of a BYD vehicle to check the actual wattage, an official told a parliament panel, in the latest development after around 1,000 vehicles were detained over a disputed power of a motor. The agents for BYD have yet not delivered a motor which Customs wanted to test at SL’s Moratuwa University, Customs spokesman Seevali Arukgoda told the Committee of Public Finance of the parliament. more..

Jun 30 (PMD) In conjunction with the state visit of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake to the Maldives, Govt of the Maldives has announced that Sri Lankan citizens traveling to the Maldives for tourism purposes will be granted a free 90-day on-arrival tourist visa. This visa facility will take effect from 29th July 2025, and to obtain the visa, travellers must possess a valid passport and proof of sufficient financial means to cover their expenses during their stay in the Maldives. more..

Jun 30 (DM) Responding to a question as to whether SL's Opposition in Parliament is pro Palestine while the govt is pro Israel, Opposition MP Mujibur Rahman said that what the Opposition intends doing is maintaining SL's traditional non-aligned foreign policy, while the JVP led NPP govt seems to have changed its stance. "The action by the govt to grant visa free entry for Israeli tourists makes one think that its policy has changed," MP said, recalling that the JVP has traditionally been pro Palestine. more..

Jun 30 (IE) "I make these items for sports kits so that one day, I can send my kids abroad to university.” Those are the words of 54-year-old Renuka, based in Piliyandala in the Colombo district of SL. She is one of thousands of SL women who have taken on the role of family’s breadwinner through skills that they have repurposed over several years. Women in Sri Lanka have resorted to setting up businesses in their own homes to support their families and more..

Jun 30 (DM) The CID has issued an urgent warning to the public about fraudulent schemes targeting WhatsApp users through fake calls and messages aimed at stealing One-Time Passwords (OTPs). Police said cyber criminals are using unauthorised WhatsApp communications, including voice calls and deceptive text messages, to trick individuals into sharing their OTPs. Once obtained, fraudsters gain full access to the victim’s WhatsApp account, allowing them to impersonate the user and more..

Jun 30 (AD) Commander of the SL Army, Lt General Lasantha Rodrigo, has been granted one-year service extension by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The extension, effective from Aug 1, was granted by Prez Dissanayake. Lt General Lasantha Rodrigo officially assumed duties as the 25th Commander of the SL Army at the Army Headquarters on Dec 31, 2024. Before assuming the duties of Army Commander, he previously served as the Deputy Chief of Staff of the SL Army, demonstrating a distinguished career more..

Jul 30 (FT) This article explores the legal and policy mechanisms the United States employs to counter foreign trade practices, with a particular emphasis on Digital Services Taxes (DSTs) and how they differ from Value Added Taxes (VAT). It also analyses the Trump administration’s strategic use of these tools—especially trade threats and Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 investigations to challenge DSTs, which are often seen as discriminatory toward US tech companies. more..

Jul 30 (FT) In October 2024 the President had requested Governors to improve the living conditions of the people. President Anura Kumara Disanayake instructed the Governors to prepare and submit a new proposal aimed at rationalising the Provincial Council mechanism. The President also stated that, given the current Government’s transitional period, the provincial councils must strive to deliver the best possible services to improve the living conditions of the people. more..

Jul 30 (EN) Sri Lanka’s authorized distributor of BYD vehicles John Keells CG Auto (Pvt) Ltd (JKCG) is actively engaged in discussions with the relevant govt authorities to clarify an issue with regard motor power, the company said. Sri Lanka Customs has detained around 1,000 Chinese-made BYD electric vehicles that arrived in the island this month over a motor capacity issue which is used to calculate taxes, official sources have said. more..

Jul 30 (CT) Colombo Additional Magistrate M.N. Rizwan ordered the remanding of a crane truck driver involved in a fatal accident near the Borella Cemetery roundabout until 7 Aug, while releasing the truck owner on bail. The driver, Nimantha Senadeera, was placed in remand custody, while the truck’s owner, Malan Sri Fernando, was released on a cash bail of Rs 500,000. The two were arrested by the Borella Police Traffic Division following the tragic crash which occurred on 28 July. more..

Jul 30 (DM) All intelligence reports about the next presidential election have already confirmed that Namal Rajapaksa will be the next President of SL, former Minister Johnston Fernando said. He said even people in the villages are talking about Namal becoming the next leader. “There’s talk in the village that Namal will be the next President. All reports have already been given,” Fernando said. He challenged the government to hold any kind of test or investigation regarding the reports. more..

Jul 30 (TM) Out of the Rs. 311 million received into the Easter Attack Victim Fund established by the Office for Reparations (OR), a total of Rs. 310.2 million has been disbursed among 663 individuals affected by the terror attacks on Easter Sunday of 2019, and their families, under several categories of support. The remaining balance as of 21 May of this year stands at Rs. 581,413.80. more..

Jul 30 (EN) Investors resident in SL had bought restructured sovereign bonds from foreign investors in the first quarter of 2025. In Dec 2024 Sri Lanka restructured defaulted sovereign bonds of US$ 12,550 million in an exercise which left US$ 10,585 million of so-called macro-linked bonds, as well as some other bonds including governance linked bonds. By end Dec 2024, US$ 9,315 million of sovereign bonds were owned by foreigners and 1,270 million owned by residents, more..

Jul 30 (DM) A Fundamental Rights petition has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking an order directing the President to appoint an acting Chairperson to the Right to Information (RTI) Commission. Journalist Mithun Jayawardena along with the Deyata Saviya organisation filed the petition, naming President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the Secretary to the President, the Speaker and the members of the Constitutional Council as respondents. more..

Jul 30 (Island) Kayts Magistrate has remanded eight persons, including the chief organiser of the ruling NPP for Kayts until 11 August, over damages inflicted on a local Catholic Church. Kayts Police produced the suspects before the Magistrate on 28 July. They were arrested after the parish priest lodged a complaint with police regarding the damages caused on 26 July. According to police, a group of persons, led by the NPP organiser, attacked the Church after priests, based at the Church, more..

Jul 30 (CT) In a bid to revitalise entrepreneurship across Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Industries and Enterprise Development has introduced a new cadre of Relationship Officers under the Small Enterprise Development Division (SEDD). This marks a strategic transformation of existing Development Officers (DOs) and Enterprise Development Training Officers (EDTOs) into internationally-aligned business advisors capable of providing hands-on support to small & medium enterprises more..

Jul 30 (Island) Sri Lanka has won a historic legal battle. In a long-awaited judgment, the Supreme Court has ordered the owners of the X-Press Pearl container ship to pay USD 1 billion in initial compensation for the catastrophic marine disaster caused when the ship caught fire and sank off the coast of Colombo in 2021. But even as environmentalists and legal advocates celebrate the ruling, a pressing question looms: more..

Jul 30 (CT) SL Anti-Doping Agency (SLADA) has officially been declared non-compliant by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) following months of unresolved issues with its national legal framework, an official communique from WADA stated on Monday. This cast uncertainty over the country’s international sports hosting privileges and governance participation. The decision came after review by WADA’s independent Compliance Review Committee (CRC), which flagged SLADA’s more..

Jul 30 (FT) Seylan Bank said it recorded a robust performance with Profit Before Tax (PBT) of Rs. 8,444 million for 1H 2025, against Rs. 7,331 million in 1H2024 demonstrating a growth of 15.18%. For the six months ended 30 June 2025, Profit After Tax (PAT) recorded by Seylan Bank was Rs. 5,489 million a growth of 20.41% against Rs. 4,558 million recorded in the corresponding period of 2024. Net interest income decreased from Rs. 18,590 million to Rs. 17,762 million, a decrease of 4.45% more..

Jul 30 (DM) A move by SL Customs to detain over 1,000 BYD Atto 3 electric vehicles over allegations of misdeclared motor capacity is being slammed by a top motor industry expert as a misguided action that sets a dangerous precedent for the rule of law and investor confidence in SL. The criticism comes from economist and Former Chairman of the Ceylon Motor Traders Association (CMTA), Sheran Fernando, who argued that the customs authority is unilaterally redefining globally accepted more..

Jul 30 (Island) Reputed sprint coach and administrator Sunil Gunawardana, Mercantile Athletics Federation official K.A.Prasanna Indika and Upali Kumarasiri are the contestants for the post of president of Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) according the list of nominees announced by the election committee of the sport’s governing body. Gunawardana’s name has been proposed by eleven clubs for the post of president. The election committee of SLA has requested more..

Jul 30 (CT) Sexuality education in SL schools is far too limited and must move beyond basic illustrations of reproductive organs to address broader social, health, and legal issues, said Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, President of Medical and Civil Rights Professional Association of Doctors (MCPA). Dr. Sanjeewa emphasised the urgent need to introduce a comprehensive sexuality education curriculum that includes not only biological more..