Jul 27 (DN) SL’s Yevan David produced a fighting recovery to finish 11th in the Sprint Race at Round Seven of the 2026 FIA Formula 3 Championship in Hungary, narrowly missing out on championship points, before enduring a difficult Feature Race weekend with AIX Racing at the Hungaroring. David continued his promising 2026 campaign with AIX Racing as the championship entered its closing stages. SL driver impressed in qualifying by securing 16th place on the starting grid for both races. more..

Jul 27 (DN) Jaffna Kings recorded an easy 93 runs win over against Kandy Royals in a one sided affair yesterday in their LPL match at the Dambulla International Cricket Stadium. Jaffna openers Avishka Fernando and Kamil Mishara hit half centuries to come on top guiding them to their third victory of the series. Jaffna’s massive victory which is the highest margin victory so far in this series. Kandy Royals chasing a target of 200 runs were never able to pose a threat from the start more..

Jul 27 (DM) The govt is on high alert over an increasing number of crimes involving foreign nationals across Sri Lanka, following a recent abduction and murder of a Chinese national linked to a suspected rivalry between Chinese groups in Colombo. Deputy Minister Sunil Watagala said that authorities are paying special attention to recent incidents involving foreign nationals and that strict actions are being taken under existing laws. more..

Jul 27 (NW) Any proposal to extend the tenure of Supreme Court judges should be decided by the people through a referendum, SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa said. He claimed the govt had lost the people’s trust by failing to fulfil its election promises and by imposing an unfair tax burden amid the rising cost of living. He alleged that farmers, fishermen, students, businesses and investors were struggling due to fertiliser shortages, increasing food prices, high taxes & rising utility costs. more..

Jul 27 (FT) SL companies and Govt institutions continue to underinvest in cybersecurity because boards struggle to justify spending against risks that have yet to materialise, Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) Group CEO Riyaaz Rasheed warned, arguing that the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) is making that approach increasingly untenable. Speaking at the National Management Accounting Conference 2026, Rasheed said cybersecurity had become one of the telecom sector’s more..

Jul 27 (FT) Sri Lanka has emerged as one of the fastest-improving emerging market sovereigns for investor relations and debt transparency, with the Institute of International Finance (IIF) ranking the country fourth among the largest improvers in its 2026 assessment, as the Govt seeks to rebuild investor confidence following its debt restructuring. IIF’s Investor Relations and Debt Transparency Report 2026: more..

Jul 27 (FT) Pelwatte Dairy Industries has broken ground on its Greenfield Liquid Milk Manufacturing Facility in Kurunegala, at a ceremony held to mark the commencement of construction, marking a major expansion of its dairy operations. Set to open in July 2027, the facility represents Pelwatte’s transition from its longstanding leadership in full cream milk powder into liquid dairy products, strengthening access to fresh, locally manufactured dairy products for Sri Lankan consumers. more..

Jul 27 (FT) National Chamber of Commerce of SL (NCCSL) will host the National Business Excellence Awards (NBEA) 2026 tomorrow at the Shangri-La Colombo, commencing at 5 p.m. Celebrating its 21st consecutive year, the NBEA recognises and rewards outstanding business achievements. Over the years, the awards have honored companies that demonstrate excellence in business and organisational performance across a wide range of sectors. This year’s milestone event more..

Jul 27 (NW) Today’s Sunday Observer reports that the Ministry of Justice will place a proposal before the Cabinet of Ministers to amend SL’s Constitution to extend the retirement age of superior court judges by two years and also to extend the retirement age of other judges by two years. Although this measure has been touted by its supporters as a simple measure to keep experienced judges in office in order to clear the backlog of cases, it is an ill considered more..

Jul 27 (SO) As Sri Lanka enters the next phase of its digital payments journey, the quality of the online checkout experience has become critical to building consumer trust and driving business growth. In this interview, Country Manager for SL and Maldives at Visa, Avanthi Colombage outlines how Click to Pay is transforming online payments by making checkout faster, simpler and more secure, while helping strengthen confidence across the country’s digital commerce ecosystem. more..

Jul 27 (ST) Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has concurred with the selection of Japan’s Taisei Corporation to build a second terminal at BIA after the only other bidder, the Sojitz-L&T Consortium, was found to be technically unresponsive, the Sunday Times learns. However, a final decision—along with a restart date for the stalled project—is yet to be announced. While Taisei’s financial bid has been opened, more..

Jul 27 (Island) The rapid expansion of the annual Kataragama Pada Yatra is placing unprecedented pressure on SL’s most sensitive protected ecosystems, with conservationists warning that the centuries-old spiritual pilgrimage is increasingly being transformed into a large-scale public event at the expense of wildlife and biodiversity. Conservationist and researcher Supun Lahiru Prakash has urged the Govt and the Dept of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) to introduce urgent more..

Jul 27 (CT) “Jaffna hasn’t changed a bit since I first experienced it in the 1980s and I don’t mean the buildings or the landscape,” my professor said after a visit about eight years ago. He wasn’t commenting on how Jaffna looks to the outside world. Rather, he was reflecting on the peninsula’s political thinking, his remarks capturing how societies understand themselves and how memories shape political identities. For a community that has experienced unspeakable violence, systematic more..

Jul 27 (Island) JVP-NPP govt has met its match in the Bar Association of SL (BASL), which has vehemently rejected an allegation recently made by NPP MP Asitha Niroshana in Parliament that BASL President Rajeev Amarasuriya has struck a secret deal with Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa to become the Chief Minister of the Western Province. The BASL has stated that the utterly false and baseless allegation has been made with malicious intent. It has expressed deep dismay over more..

Jul 27 (ST) When an exuberantly young supporter of the satirically termed India’s Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) holds up a placard telling the Narendra Modi Govt and state institutions including the Supreme Court of India, We are tired of studying your failures, she might as well speak for the rest of South Asia, old and young. Certainly there is no age limit in regard to the public frustration, anger and disillusionment, in greater or lesser measure, with which much of this region’s citizenry more..

Jul 27 (TM) In the rapidly evolving landscape of SL’s digital economy, an unchecked surge in online gambling and cyber-enabled scams is quietly brewing into a major socio-economic crisis. Driven by widespread smartphone adoption, aggressive sports-betting marketing, and a complete absence of an updated legal and regulatory framework, concerns are growing that thousands of Sri Lankans are becoming vulnerable to more..

Jul 27 (DM) As SL marks Integrity Week from 27 July, the occasion offers more than an opportunity for symbolic reflection. It provides a timely moment to assess whether the country’s recent anti-corruption reforms are beginning to reshape public services in a meaningful and sustainable manner. Following years of economic turmoil, declining public confidence & increasing demands for accountability, SL has embarked on its most ambitious anti-corruption reform agenda more..

Jul 27 (DM) I was privileged to be among a distinguished gathering of judges, lawyers, academics and constitutional scholars at the launch of Dr. Jayampathi Wickramaratne’s latest work titled Constitutional Conversations held a few days ago. The occasion marked not merely the publication of another book, but the culmination of decades of dedicated engagement with SL’s constitutional evolution by one of the country’s foremost constitutional lawyers, scholars & reformers. more..

Jul 27 (SO) As SL navigates an increasingly uncertain global economic and geopolitical landscape, MP Ravi Karunanayake highlights that the country must adopt pragmatic policies to remain competitive while safeguarding its economic interests. He questioned the basis of recent US claims linking SL to forced labour, called for the repeal of the Online Safety Act (OSA) while advocating lower taxes to spur investment, more..

Jul 27 (GV) A few days ago, Black July was commemorated by people in Sri Lanka. It was the day that the 26 year civil war began. To find the roots of this conflict, we go back most often to the Sinhala Only legislation that was made into law in 1956. The Sinhala Only Act empowered Sinhala Buddhist nationalism and attempted to decolonise the country from England by making Sinhala the national language and decentring the other two recognised languages, English and Tamil. more..

Jul 27 (TM) SL is no stranger to weather extremes. Floods and droughts have long been part of our climate cycle. Yet the dry conditions now unfolding under the influence of El Niño serve as a reminder that climate events are becoming more severe, more unpredictable and more damaging. The prolonged absence of rain is not just an environmental concern anymore. It is rapidly becoming an economic, social and public health crisis that demands urgent action from both the Govt and the public. more..

Jul 26 (ST) As leaders and other senior officials of various opposition political parties started arriving at the Office of the Opposition Leader on Thursday, a throng of media personnel was already waiting. This gathering of parties representing the opposition, convened by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, was billed by many as a key development in the fight against the NPP govt’s plans to introduce a constitutional more..

Jul 26 (ST) Sri Lanka on Friday abstained on a UN General Assembly vote to extend Volker Turk’s term as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Sri Lanka was among just 13 countries out of 167 that abstained from voting. The others were Belarus, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guyana, Iraq, NZ, Paraguay, Peru, Republic of Korea, South Sudan, Suriname and Uganda. There were ten votes against: Argentina, Burkina Faso, Republic of Korea, Israel, Mali, Nicaragua, Niger, Russia, more..

Jul 26 (Island) While still at school, I had the good fortune of captaining the SSC Under-25 side. One day I was told that Sir Garry Sobers was at the ground along with Board President Gamini Dissanayake. Sir Garry was the ultimate hero for every young cricketer of that era. What he had achieved on the cricket field was simply legendary. After stumps, I received the biggest compliment of my career. Sir Garry walked up to me, shook my hand and said, “Hey kid, you reminded me more..

Jul 26 (ST) A difference of opinion between the IMF and the govt has emerged over a proposal to introduce the secondary property tax in the 2027 budget proposals. IMF has proposed that the property tax targeting additional, or secondary, residential properties be introduced in the upcoming budget, but the govt is of the view that the tax was not required as other revenue measures were available and that the revenue targets have more..

Jul 26 (SO) The proposal to extend the retirement age of Justices of Supreme Court (SC) and Court of Appeal (CA) by two years is to be submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers tomorrow. Cabinet Memorandum is also likely to include a proposal to limit the tenure of the Chief Justice to a single term of four years, regardless of his or her age at the time of the original appointment. As at present, Chief Justice, appointed at any given age (generally after 35), can serve in that position until retirement, more..

Jul 26 (AD) Former President of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), Upali Dharmadasa, has passed away at the age of 71. Mr. Dharmadasa was also a high-profile Sri Lankan industrialist who made his mark among Sri Lanka’s top business community and possessed decades of experience and expertise in business management. He has immensely contributed to SL’s cricketing arena during his tenure as the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in SL (BCCSL), and as the President of SLC. more..

Jul 26 (NW) The reports published in certain media outlets alleging that outsiders have been accommodated at Presidential Residences are entirely false and misleading. The claim that 3,089 individuals were accommodated at Presidential Residences across the country during 2025 is inaccurate. During the course of 2025, officers attached to the security services, the President’s Media and other official institutions were provided temporary accommodation, on various more..

Jul 26 (ST) Sri Lanka and Qatar of the Davis Cup Asia Oceania Group IV Tennis Tournament, came out victorious in the decision-promotion match played at the SLTA tennis courts in Greenpath, Colombo yesterday, to earn promotion to Group III. Sri Lanka won their match against Kuwait by 2-0, which was decided by the two Singles events that won by Apna Perera and Thehan Wijemanne. SL in the process ended their campaign by ending as the only unbeaten side of the tournament. more..

Jul 26 (TM) The proposal by Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) to introduce a Feed-in Tariff (FIT) for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) has come under scrutiny, with industry experts questioning whether the proposed tariff structure could result in unnecessary costs being passed on to electricity consumers. The concerns follow the commission’s publication of its Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff Review – July 2026, more..

Jul 26 (NW) High Commission of India in Colombo has clarified that there has been no change in the visa fee policy for SL pilgrims travelling to India, stating that eligible pilgrimage groups can obtain visas on a gratis (free) basis. High Commission said it continues to facilitate the timely and smooth issuance of visas to SL citizens, who can also make use of India’s e-visa facility. Sri Lankans who apply through the High Commission are required to submit their online applications more..

Jul 26 (EN) India’s recent amendment to its Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with Sri Lanka is more than a routine treaty update. According to Deloitte SL, it reflects a global shift towards stronger measures to prevent tax avoidance and raises an important question, should Sri Lanka now modernise its own tax treaty framework to keep pace with international developments? The Protocol amending the India–SL DTAA was signed on 16 Dec 2024 and entered into force on 19 June 2026 more..