Jul 17 (AD) US has offered to accept 70 to 80% of products exported from SL without imposing any tariffs, Minister Anil Jayantha Fernando stated. The offer has been made during on-going discussions between SL and the US following the decision by US Prez Donald Trump earlier this year to impose reciprocal tariffs on countries based on existing trade deficits. He confirmed that the US has offered SL a list of 1,161 products for more..

Jul 17 (AD) Sri Dalada Esala Perahera of the Sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy is scheduled to commence on July 25. The annual Kandy Perahera will commence with the ‘Kap planting’ ritual at the four main devalayas which will be followed by the five-day process of Ethul Perahera, , Diyawadana Nilame of Sri Dalada Maligawa Pradeep Nilanga Dela said. Accordingly, the Kumbal Perahera and Randoli Perahera are scheduled to parade the streets for 10 days, starting from July 30. more..

Jul 17 (EN) Sri Lanka's TWC Holdings said it provided advisory services to Blackstone, a private equity group in its acquisition of Altair Colombo via its take over of South City Mall in India. TWC Development Management (Pvt) Ltd, the real estate advisory arm of TWC Holdings, had provided technical due diligence, market analysis, regulatory review, and long-term asset strategy for the Colombo property. “As the new shareholders assume responsibility for Altair, more..

Jul 17 (DM) Canada’s Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree is facing mounting scrutiny after Global News revealed he had written letters supporting the immigration application of a man deemed by federal officials to be a former member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a group listed as a terrorist organization in Canada. The letters, dated 2016 and 2023—before Anandasangaree joined the federal cabinet more..

Jul 17 (Island) A commemorative event was held in Bondy, a suburb of Paris, on 12 July 2025 to mark the foundation stone-laying ceremony for a statue of Dr. Anton Balasingham, the former political advisor of the LTTE and a central figure in the Tamil Eelam liberation struggle, Tamil Guardian reported on July 15. report said: “The Mayor of Bondy, Stephen Hervé, participated in the ceremony and lit the public flame in remembrance. Members of the Bondy City Council also took part in the proceedings. more..

Jul 17 (CT) Minister Chandana Abayarathna said that providing separate special security to individual Ministers or officials is not a viable solution to control organised shootings. Instead, he emphasised that ensuring the security of the entire country is the key to addressing such threats. Minister stressed that the Govt has no plans to grant special security arrangements to Ministers on an individual basis. He said the Govt is committed to maximum intervention to prevent incidents more..

Jul 17 (NW) Three officers attached to Police Stations in the Matara Division have been suspended from duty over misconduct at a spa in Matara. The suspension order was issued by the Acting Superintendent of Police (ASP) for the Matara Division. The three officers had reportedly visited a spa located in the Walgama area of Matara, where they engaged in a heated verbal exchange with the manager. They then allegedly attempted to obtain services from establishment free of charge. more..

Jul 17 (AD) A Danish national woman has been arrested at the BIA in Katunayake for attempting to smuggle a consignment of Kush cannabis, estimated to be worth over Rs. 50 million, into the country. According to the Airport Unit of the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB), a total of 5 kilograms and 356 grams of Kush cannabis was found carefully concealed inside 25 food packets in her luggage. The 23-year-old passenger, a citizen of Denmark, had arrived at BIA from Chennai last night more..

Jul 17 (NW) A legal controversy has emerged following the sentencing of a Thai tourist in Arugam Bay, after a journalist questioned how a Sri Lankan court interpreted gender in a topless incident involving a foreign national. The 26-year-old Thai tourist was handed a suspended five-year prison sentence by the Pottuvil Magistrate’s Court after pleading guilty to charges of indecent behaviour and causing public disturbance. more..

Jul 17 (DM) The CIABOC filed an indictment before the Colombo High Court against former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and four of his family members, over the alleged acquisition of illicit assets amounting to Rs. 97 million. The indictment was formally handed over before Colombo High Court Judge Lanka Jayaratne. Also the accused were released on a cash bail of Rs. 50,000 and two sureties of Rs. 1 million each. The court also imposed a foreign travel ban on the accused. more..

Jul 17 (NW) A woman has been arrested in Moratuwa for possession of counterfeit currency notes, according to police. The suspect, a 52-year-old resident of Rawathawatta in Moratuwa, was taken into custody yesterday evening (14), after officers recovered ten fake Rs. 5,000 notes from her possession. Following further questioning, police searched her residence and discovered a printing machine believed to have been used to produce the counterfeit notes. more..

Jul 17 (AD) Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan who was scheduled to arrive in SL on 2 August, will not visit the country as planned, according to organisers. He will not visit SL due to unavoidable personal reasons, said the organisers who were planning to bring the Bollywood star for an event in Colombo. Popularly known as King Khan, Shah Rukh Khan was scheduled to arrive in Colombo for the opening ceremony of City of Dreams SL more..

Jul 17 (DM) Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali Jayatunga today rescheduled the trial of former Minister Diana Gamage, who faces seven charges including providing false information to the Controller of Immigration and Emigration to obtain a passport, and remaining in SL without a valid visa in violation of the Immigration and Emigration Act. The trial, initially set to commence on July 31, has now been postponed to Aug 21. Although the court had earlier fixed July 31 more..

Jul 17 (CT) Between 2017 and 2022, a staggering Rs 127.4 million was spent from the Customs Officers’ Management and Compensation Fund (MCF) on postgraduate courses for SL Customs officers. However, as of 31 Dec 2022, only 149 out of 323 officers had completed their courses and submitted their certificates, according to official records. The status of the remaining 174 officers remains unclear. Dept of Customs has no information on whether they dropped out, failed, or are still continuing their studies. more..

Jul 17 (FT) The US is making revisions to its reciprocal tariff regime, which was initially presented in early April this year, and subsequently deferred for a 3-month period to be ended on 9 July 2025. The US President has since then revised the tariffs applicable to certain countries after negotiation with the counterparts. SL also engaged with US trade officials (USTR) expecting a revision to the tariff applicable to SL; which was initially one of the highest rates in the world at 44%. more..

Jul 17 (FT) Gambling in Sri Lanka has long been governed by a patchwork of laws and casinos have operated for decades under various licensing regimes. So why is the Gambling Regulatory Authority Bill creating such a buzz? Is it the potential for stronger governance and investor confidence? Or is it excitement driven by the big names behind the scenes, like Melco Resorts & Entertainment, a global casino giant now entering the SL market? Or perhaps is it the rumours of Bollywood more..

Jul 17 (TM) Govt has denied allegations that it is preparing to privatise the Eastern Container Terminal (ECT) of the Colombo Port, following criticism by Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) over the recent formation of a limited liability company to manage the terminal. Deputy Minister Janitha Kodithuwakku said that the newly-formed company, Colombo Eastern Container Terminal (Pvt) Ltd is a 100% Port-owned entity and more..

Jul 17 (Island) The first ever wax museum of SL, housed in the Ehelepola Walawwa, on Raja Veediya, Kandy, will be opened today by President Anura Kumara Dissanayaka. The home of Ehelepola Adikaram, whose family was brutally killed by the last King of Kandy, Sri Vikrama Rajasinha, was used for several purposes during the British rule, and by the SL govt, before it was handed over to the Sri Dalada Maligawa. The Wax Museum is the brain-child of the Diyawadana Nilame of more..

Jul 17 (Island) The owner of the Hambantota-based Bird Park, Ajith Gallage, has gone missing amid a major police investigation into the concealment of a stock of illegally imported high-end motorcycles worth over Rs. 250 million. Police said a court warrant has been issued for Gallage’s arrest, but the suspect is believed to have fled his residence and gone into hiding. A special operation has been launched by the Police Central Investigation Division to track him down. more..

Jul 17 (EN) SL will change the governing law of the Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) to make it more accountable for the finances of the CEB, IMF documents show. “We will improve the transparency of electricity tariff revisions and strengthen accountability of the regulator towards CEB’s finances,” a memorandum on economic policies said. “We will amend the PUCSL Act to mandate PUCSL to submit to parliament more..

Jul 17 (DN) With a more peaceful environment emerging in Israel following the recent end to hostilities with Iran, the country has begun recruiting groups of Sri Lankans for employment, SL’s Ambassador to Israel, Nimal Bandara said. He noted that the easing of tensions in Israel has created favourable conditions for resuming employment programmes that had been temporarily suspended due to the conflict. He confirmed that SL workers are now being brought in as groups more..

Jul 17 (TM) The Central Bank is likely to cut policy rate by 25bps in the third quarter of 2025 to counter the slow growth in the economy whilst ensuring that inflation returns to the envisaged target of 5%, First Capital said. In their mid-year outlook, First Capital said that the central bank will go for another rate cut of 25bps in the third quarter to boost the economy which is slowing down due to limited government spending and weak consumer demand. “We expect CBSL to support accelerated growth more..

Jul 17 (CT) A senior Health Ministry spokesperson said that, given the current shortage of nurses in the Northern Province, discussions will be held with the Public Service Commission (PSC) to explore the possibility of increasing male recruitment into the nursing service. According to SL’s nursing constitution, only 5% of nursing recruits can be male. It was noted that around 190 male candidates are currently awaiting entry into the profession. more..

Jul 17 (AD) The Attorney General’s Department informed the Colombo High Court that the incumbent Director of the CID, Shani Abeysekara, has been named as a witness in the case concerning the alleged abduction and forced disappearance of journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda. The case was taken up before a three-member High Court bench comprising Justices Dr. Namal Balalle, Mahesh Weeraman, and Sujeewa Nissanka. President’s Counsel Upul Kumarapperuma, more..

Jul 17 (DM) Be it asweddumized fields or mallung in a rice and curry meal, kiribath for a special occasion, sizzling kottu, scrumptious watalappam or a happening baila song – each one of these examples provides a glimpse of Sri Lanka in a nutshell. The aforementioned words have been used in our vocabulary for decades, highlighting the unique cultural, social and culinary diversity of Sri Lanka. more..

Jul 17 (DN) The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) initiates a constructive dialogue with the National Initiative for R&D Commercialization (NIRDC) to explore avenues of support for strengthening the Sri Lankan pharmaceutical sector through Research and Development. The meeting took place on July 7, 2025 at the EDB premises, with the participation of private sector representatives from the pharmaceutical industry, NIRDC and EDB. Mangala Wijesinghe, Chairman of the EDB, more..

Jul 17 (Island) A representative team of TikTok platform in SL visited the secretary to the PM on Wednesday (16) at the PM’s office focusing on how TikTok as a digital platform can be used in creating opportunities in economic platforms and digital education going beyond entertainment. The representatives pointed out the importance of the Inclusion of Legislation, Research and amendments into the curriculum on the knowledge of digital education and addressing Digital hygiene, more..

Jul 17 (ST) For eight years, the Lunawa District Hospital morgue has been non-operational, forcing Moratuwa residents to spend a significant amount of money transporting bodies to the Kalubowila Hospital or Panadura Base Hospital. The residents explained they have to bear the cost of funeral parlour vehicles to transport bodies to other hospital morgues and despite repeated pleas to authorities no action has been taken all these years, residents complain. more..

Jul 17 (DM) Sri Lanka, a global leader in solid tyre manufacturing, faces a critical challenge to its market leadership as a 30 percent US import tariff on Sri Lankan rubber goods is set to take effect on August 1, 2025. The Colombo Rubber Traders’ Association (CRTA) has issued a dire warning of industry-wide fallout, emphasising the severe threat to the nation’s US $ 1 billion rubber export revenue and the livelihoods of over 150,000 rural families. While the tariff has been reduced from more..

Jul 17 (FT) The Ceylon Chamber of Coconut Industries (CCCI) issued an urgent appeal to the Govt in response to the US’ decision to impose a 30% import tariff on coconut-based products from SL, effective 1 August. The move threatens to upend one of SL’s most valuable export sectors, which currently generates over $ 857 million in annual revenue, and risks pushing thousands of rural livelihoods into uncertainty. more..

Jul 17 (FT) The SL-India Media Friendship Association (SLIMFA) held its General Meeting on 14 July at the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC), Colombo. The Patron of the SLIMFA, Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha graced the occasion. The Indian High Commissioner highlighted the role of the SLIMFA in promoting deeper engagement and collaboration between the media fraternity in SL and India. He also congratulated the Association for conducting some impactful more..

Jul 17 (DN) A promising squad of 20 young badminton players from Sri Lanka is all set to take on Asia’s best at the 2025 WONDR Badminton Asia Junior Championship, running from July 18 to 27 in Indonesia. Featuring an even mix of 10 boys and 10 girls, the team is ready to face strong competition from 19 other countries. The team departed yesterday for the nine-day tournament, which is being organised by Badminton Indonesia with the support of Badminton Asia. more..