Jul 16 (ST) Following alarming security breaches targeting critical govt online infrastructure, Sri Lanka CERT (Pvt) Ltd has called for bids to acquire a comprehensive cybersecurity solution. SLCERT, which operates under the Digital Economy Ministry, is the national centre for cybersecurity, tasked with protecting SL’s digital infrastructure from cyber threats. The tender closes on August 13 this year. It aims to establish a specialised more..

Jul 16 (FT) Sri Lanka’s tea production rebounded in June with a 4% year-on-year (YoY) increase, although output for the first half of 2026 remained under pressure from extreme weather, the lingering impact of Cyclone Ditwah, and soaring fertiliser prices, according to preliminary data released yesterday by the Sri Lanka Tea Board. National tea production for June totalled 22.5 million kilograms (MnKg), compared with 21.7 MnKg recorded in the corresponding month of 2025. more..

Jul 16 (DM) Claiming that the govt never called him back, outgoing Ambassador of SL to the US Mahinda Samarasinghe said he is not hesitant to render his service for the country, if the govt invited him. Samarasinghe made these remarks during a felicitation and blessing ceremony held at the Washington DC Buddhist Viharaya recently. Samarasinghe said 16 out of the 17 ambassadors who had been appointed by the previous govt were called back after the present govt came to more..

Jul 16 (AD) PM Harini Amarasuriya, who is in the State of Qatar to convey condolences on the passing of the Father Amir, arrived at Lusail Palace in Doha today (15). Upon her arrival, PM was received by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Minister of Interior of the State of Qatar. PM subsequently met with His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. During the meeting, PM Harini Amarasuriya conveyed to His Highness more..

Jul 16 (NW) BIA has reported handling nearly 4.75 million passenger movements during the first six months of 2026, highlighting continued growth in Sri Lanka’s aviation and tourism sectors. In a statement, BIA said it recorded 4,748,481 passenger movements, 30,659 aircraft movements and 424,856 transit passenger movements between January and June 2026. The airport also reported that 1,146,573 tourists arrived in Sri Lanka through BIA during the six-month period. more..

Jul 16 (FT) Govt yesterday launched the countrywide Ceylon Tea Village program, a flagship initiative aimed at transforming SL’s smallholder tea sector through higher productivity, value addition and rural development, as it seeks to lift annual tea production to 400 million kilograms and increase export earnings to $ 2.5 billion by 2030. The first phase of the program commenced simultaneously across the country with the establishment of more..

Jul 16 (NW) SL Police have issued a clarification regarding a viral social media video claiming an eight-year-old child set fire to a car at a school, stating that investigations have not found evidence to support the allegation. The incident involved a vehicle worth around Rs. 14 million that caught fire within the premises of a school in Kurunegala on July 3. Following a complaint alleging that the eight-year-old child was responsible for the fire, Kurunegala Police launched an investigation. more..

Jul 16 (FT) Colombo Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasena ordered the issuance of an open warrant against Priyanka Niyomali Wijenayake, the wife of late former SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena, in connection with the ongoing investigation into the Airbus procurement case. The order followed submissions by an officer of the CID, who informed court that a warrant had already been issued against the second suspect and requested that an open warrant be issued in English. more..

Jul 16 (EN) Revenue collected by SL Customs in the first 14 days of July accounted for over 65% of the month, as the island nation is likely to outperform the target for the seventh consecutive month. Customs’ July revenue target has been set at 192.4 billion rupees. But the revenue collecting body has already collected 125.2 billion rupees in the first 14 days of this month, official data showed. The revenue collecting body has already exceeded monthly targets in the last six straight months more..

Jul 16 (FT) SL’s manufacturing and services sectors in June have expanded, though at a slower rate compared to the previous month, as per the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), its compiler the Central Bank of SL (CBSL) said. Manufacturing PMI registered an index value of 53 in June, indicating a continued expansion in manufacturing activities, although at a slower rate compared to 56.6 in May 2026. The CBSL said incoming orders in June were broadly unchanged from the previous month, more..

Jul 16 (DN) The sixth edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) will begin in spectacular fashion tomorrow at the SSC Grounds in Colombo with a grand opening ceremony, officially launching the sixth edition of the country’s premier franchise T20 tournament. Tournament Director Samantha Dodanwela said this year’s tournament will, for the first time, be held across four venues, bringing together cricket, entertainment, technology more..

Jul 16 (EN) National Institute of Business Management (NIBM) has launched the Best Innovative Business Model Awards (BIBMA) 2026 to recognize and benchmark innovative organizations across Sri Lanka. The awards aim to establish a national framework for businesses that have transformed how they create, deliver, and capture value, while encouraging long-term competitiveness and sustainability. “As a country, we are moving forward from the recovery economy more..

Jul 16 (NW) Former Minister Mervyn Silva, former State Minister Prasanna Ranaweera and four others were served indictments by the Attorney General on Wednesday over the alleged attempted sale of a State-owned land in Kiribathgoda using forged documents. Indictments were served when the case was taken up before Gampaha HC Judge Nayana Seneviratne. State Counsel Samadari Piyasena, appearing on behalf of AG, handed over the indictments to each of the accused. more..

Jul 16 (FT) SL Association for Software Services Companies (SLASSCOM) yesterday elected Sampath Jayasundara as the new Chairman for the 2026/27 term, ushering in a new chapter of leadership as SL’s knowledge and innovation industry continues its journey towards becoming a $ 5 billion export sector. A respected industry leader, entrepreneur, and educator with over 25 years of experience across SL’s knowledge and innovation industry, Jayasundara currently serves as more..

Jul 16 (DN) The openers Lakshya Ravichandrani and Sagar Virk added a record 295-run partnership as India Under-19s scored 378 for 3 wickets at the close of the rain-affected third day of the four-day match against SL Under-19s at the Galle Int'l Cricket Stadium yesterday. Right-handed opener Lakshya Ravichandrani remained unbeaten on 196 off 306 balls, striking 21 fours and three sixes, while left-handed opener Sagar Virk scored 134 off 312 balls with 15 fours and a six. more..

Jul 16 (CI) The 2027 ODI World Cup, to be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe & Namibia, will be a 14-team event but will include a Super Series round before the group stages, and a new Super 7 before the semi-finals. The new structure, announced by the ICC following the body's Annual Conference in Edinburgh over the weekend, was introduced, the ICC said, to enhance consequence in the early stages. more..

Jul 16 (FT) As organisations compete in an era defined by rapid technological change, evolving workforce expectations and increasing stakeholder scrutiny, boards are recognising that talent and organisational culture are no longer operational concerns—they are strategic governance priorities. The organisations that attract, develop and retain exceptional talent while fostering high-performance cultures will be those best positioned to create sustainable long-term value. more..

Jul 16 (FT) The Hotels Association of SL (THASL) has called for a strategic shift away from mass tourism towards high-value experiential travel, as global travel faces renewed uncertainty from geopolitical tensions, aviation disruptions, and rising costs. “SL’s next phase of tourism growth should focus on increasing visitor spending, diversifying source markets, and strengthening destination marketing, particularly by targeting resilient short-haul markets such as India and China,” more..

Jul 16 (FT) The banking sector channelled an estimated 70% of last year’s credit expansion into productive sectors, Hatton National Bank (HNB) CEO Damith Pallewatte said, arguing that the resurgence in bank lending has largely supported economic activity rather than consumption despite heightened public attention on vehicle financing. Total outstanding private sector borrowing from the banking sector increased more..

Jul 16 (GV) The NPP’s election manifesto, A Thriving Nation – A Beautiful Life, promised to launch a state-sponsored public awareness campaign on corruption, fraud and bribery with the aim of empowering citizens to resist such practices and to make Sri Lanka a corruption free country in the future. Yet, when allegations surfaced that the coal procurement process was riddled with irregularities from start to finish, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake rushed to parliament to more..

Jul 16 (CT) Recently, during a commute in the UK, I noticed something that, at first glance, seemed entirely ordinary. The train driver and the conductor were women, and several members of the platform staff were women as well. As the day went on, I found myself paying closer attention. Women were working as paramedics, bus drivers, taxi drivers, security officers, restaurant staff and office professionals. None of this seemed to attract any special attention. more..

Jul 16 (DN) This week began with a timely intervention by education authorities to safeguard schoolchildren from dengue. Education Ministry has permitted students to attend school in clothing that covers their arms and legs, recognising that reducing exposure to mosquito bites is one of the most effective ways to curb infections. The decision places children’s safety ahead of rigid adherence to uniform regulations. The move comes as the nation grapples with another wave of dengue. more..

Jul 16 (ST) Planet, people, profit. This is the sequence on how sustainable businesses promise to be crafted and some institutions profess to do so. But is this happening today in this order or is it the other way around? Are businesses responsible today – to the people, to the environment, to the society at large? This is also a Catch 22 situation: Balancing the interests of people and environmental concerns versus business versus employment generation versus economic development! more..

Jul 16 (TM) Elephant deaths reported in 2023 – 488. Tourist arrivals in 2024 – 2.05 million. Tourism receipts in 2024 – US $ 3.17 billion. In Jan 2012, a double tragedy was reported near the northern boundary of the Lunugamvehera National Park. A female elephant had been shot, and the post-mortem revealed that she was pregnant. The bullets had therefore ended two lives: the mother and the unborn calf that she carried. more..

Jul 16 (TM) Following years of deep institutional scarring and economic turmoil, the restoration of public trust in State organs remains the country’s most critical challenge. In this delicate landscape, the independence of the judiciary stands as the ultimate guardrail against political overreach. Yet, a controversial Govt proposal to introduce a constitutional amendment extending the retirement age of Superior Court judges threatens to crack this very foundation. more..

Jul 16 (CT) The month-end saw Daily Mirror blaring More arrests of lawyers, politicians and senior Police officers are likely in the near future following the arrest of Nadun Chinthaka alias Harak Kata and the uncovering of his criminal network. His deeply entrenched criminal network centred around a notorious drug kingpin highlights a dangerous nexus between transnational narcotics syndicates and state-level political corruption. Harak Kata is said to be heading a multi-million-dollar more..

Jul 16 (SO) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Friday commissioned the Rs. 32 billion Thambuttegama Water Supply Project, ending nearly a decade of delays, public protests and financing challenges to deliver safe drinking water to almost 92,000 people in the North Central Province. The project will provide clean drinking water to 91,810 residents in the Thambuttegama, Thalawa and parts of more..

Jul 16 (Island) Occasions are not rare when absurd twists and turns in Sri Lanka’s legal system remind us of Mr. Bumble, the famous Dickensian character, who declared, The law is an ass. The police arrest criminals, after months of meticulous planning, risking their life and limb, but the latter obtain bail, go into hiding, either here or overseas, and continue to run their illegal operations. The police have to launch fresh operations to arrest the criminals on the run. The police have sought information more..

Jul 16 (Island) It was a few years back that a former President of Sri Lanka took it on himself to pronounce SAARC dead. Since then there have been other sections of SL opinion that have joined the critics of SAARC and taken the solemn stance that SAARC has indeed died what may be called a natural death. Their fatalism is understandable. SAARC has failed to meet at heads of govt or state level for the past several years to take the SAARC process notably forward. more..

Jul 15 (DN) The probability of a super El Niño event, which could have a significant impact on SL’s weather, has increased to 81% for the October to December period this year. Director General of the Dept of Meteorology Ajith Wijemanna said the latest reports issued by international weather forecasting agencies show clear indications of the developing climate pattern. He said the initial effects of El Niño are already evident in SL’s weather, with the southwest monsoon recording more..

Jul 15 (DM) The third segment of the third phase of excavation at the Chemmani mass grave in Jaffna resumed on Wednesday morning. The court had granted permission for the third phase of excavations to be carried out over a period of 56 days. However, after 32 days of excavation, the work was temporarily suspended on June 23 and The third segment of the third phase of excavations has now recommenced today. The first phase of excavations at the Chemmani mass grave more..