Jul 13 (DN) Sri Lanka suffered a major setback ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games after leading swimmer Kyle Abeysinghe withdrew on medical advice following a positive Influenza A test, opening the door for the next highest-ranked swimmer, MF Muhammad, to earn a place in the national squad for the Games in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2. Abeysinghe, a member of Killer Whale Aquatics (KWA) Elite Group, tested positive for Influenza A earlier this week. more..

Jul 13 (EN) Foreign holdings in SL rupee bonds hit a near three-year high in the week ended on July 9 as offshore investors bought a net US$ 97.1 million worth of govt securities, Central Bank data showed, as the rupee currency recovered from a near four-year low hit in May. Foreigners bought a net 32,036 million rupees (US$97.1 million at 1$=330 rupees) in the week, which boosted foreign holdings in rupee bonds to 168,895 million rupees, the highest since Aug 10, 2023, CB data showed. more..

Jul 13 (ST) Sri Lankan officials have sought a meeting with their Indian counterparts after prices quoted by Indian companies that were technically qualified to be the Master System Integrator (MSI) under the India-backed Unique Digital Identity (SL-UDI) project were revealed to be over double the grant amount of INR 3bn (Rs. 10.5bn) pledged by the Indian govt, sources said. Five companies—Infosys Ltd, more..

Jul 13 (ST) A Turkish Airlines flight operating from BIA to Istanbul made an emergency landing due to a bird strike shortly after take-off yesterday, officials said. Flight TK-731, an Airbus A330-300, remained above 7,000 feet in Sri Lankan airspace, circulating over the Negombo lagoon area for more than three hours before returning to BIA. According to the sources, the aircraft had around 80,000 litres of fuel and was required to burn fuel while flying in order to land safely. more..

Jul 13 (DN) Bank of Ceylon (BOC) has launched SL’s first mobile wallet-based BOC Flex Tap & Pay payment service, marking a major milestone in the country’s digital banking and cashless payment landscape. The new service was officially launched in Colombo on July 9 under the patronage of Deputy Ministers Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando and Eranga Weeraratne. Developed in collaboration with Mastercard, the BOC Flex Tap & Pay solution supports the Govt’s drive to promote more..

Jul 13 (TM) SL imported 180,000 MT of rice in 2025, more than double the quantity initially planned, after the Govt determined that the original import target would be insufficient to stabilise domestic supplies. Dy Minister R.M. Jayawardana said: “We intended to import only about 70,000–75,000 MT, but after monitoring the daily situation, we found that amount would not be sufficient, so we imported approx 180,000 MT.” more..

Jul 13 (NW) The second reading of the 2027 Appropriation Bill is set to be presented in Parliament on November 12, 2026. The Ministry of Finance announced that the Appropriation Bill will be published in the Govt Gazette on September 18, followed by its first reading in Parliament on October 7. The draft 2027 Appropriation Bill, containing the proposed expenditure allocations for each ministry, is expected to be submitted to the Cabinet for approval on September 14. more..

Jul 13 (DN) SL’s exports to India have grown by nearly 160% over the past five years, significantly outpacing the growth of India’s exports to SL, Indian High Commissioner to SL Santosh Jha said, highlighting the rapid expansion of bilateral trade between the two countries. Addressing a business networking event titled Trade Connect: Interaction with FIEO Delegation, Jha said bilateral merchandise trade reached approximately US$7.2 billion during the 2025-26 period, more..

Jul 13 (TM) Economic Analyst Dhananath Fernando has stated that restrictions imposed on vehicle imports could lead to serious market complications. He further noted that, as SL’s demand for vehicles has already been met to a certain extent, tax revenue generated from vehicle imports this year is expected to decline compared to the previous year. He pointed out that the govt’s decision on whether to extend the current vehicle import policy beyond 15 Aug will be a key factor in this regard. more..

Jul 13 (TM) CSE's All Share Price Index (ASPI) is to move flat within the range of 20,500 to 22,500 for the rest of 2026, before gaining bullish momentum in 2027 – when current levels of inflation and OPR are relaxed, alongside an earnings rebound and improved turnover, First Capital Research's (FCR) mid-year outlook for 2026 shows. "Ceasefire uncertainty, elevated oil prices, moderating earnings, and a tighter OPR should keep ASPI sideways within 20,500-22,500 for the balance of 2026E. more..

Jul 13 (ST) CIABOC is accelerating institutional recruitment and implementing automated, technology -driven systems to reduce corruption vulnerabilities. As part of the structural benchmarks under SL’s EFF, IMF has directed the Commission to move away from manual oversight in favour of mandatory digital compliance, a recent IMF country report revealed. It has been directed to complete elimination of legacy, paper-based filings. more..

Jul 13 (DN) Have you ever watched the popular American crime drama Prison Break? The drama we watched on television last week reminded us of some episodes of Prison Break. But unfortunately, the drama we watched last week is not that interesting because it ended with the deaths of nearly 30 human beings. This is not the first-ever prison riot reported in Sri Lanka, and people expect this to be the last one. We are talking about Sri Lankan prisons and their culture. more..

Jul 13 (CT) But then there are those who believe that community Cats and Dogs can be shot at and killed according to their whims and fancies. A peaceful street (Lake Road, Attidiya) has now turned into a danger zone after community Cats and Dogs were mysteriously killed over the last few years. What started as mysterious deaths of Cats and Dogs soon became a startling reality when pellets were found in some of the animals that died. Animal lovers down Lake Road were horrified when more..

Jul 13 (Island) It is always a joy to arrive in Sri Lanka and I thank President Rajeev Amarasuriya for his kind invitation. There is something in the air of this beautiful island that drains the stress of big city living. I feel lighter and happier whenever I arrive, and last night was no different. I thank you for the kind words of introduction. In November 2018, I found myself in the book-lined study of the Indian jurist and friend of Sri Lanka, the redoubtable Fali S. Nariman. more..

Jul 13 (Island) Govt has come under heavy criticism over its decision to abandon a plan to convert the former Bogambara Prison, Kandy, into a modern hotel complex, restore the status quo ante and repurpose the Mahamodara Hospital, Galle, as a prison. Desperate times are said to call for desperate measures. Recent riots in the overcrowded Negombo Prison have jolted the govt into addressing the issue of overcrowding. Prison congestion did not arise after 2024 regime more..

Jul 13 (TM) The queue outside the Negombo Prison stretched along the roadside on Monday (6), with anxious families clutching parcels of food and clothing while desperately hoping for a glimpse of loved ones they feared had become casualties of one of the bloodiest prison riots in Sri Lanka’s recent history. Hours earlier, news bulletins had begun reporting that violence had erupted inside the prison, yet those waiting outside more..

Jul 13 (DM) The cause of the Negombo prison riot, which left 25 dead, is yet to be ascertained. But, as in the case of previous prison riots, it could be traced to certain chronic deficiencies in the Sri Lankan prison system. These deficiencies were identified by the Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners (PRP), a civil society organisation dedicated to advocating for prisoners’ rights. In its Status of Prisoners in SL 2025 Annual Report, it pointed to a range of issues within SL’s prison system, more..

Jul 13 (ST) People are sent to jail either as remandees or as convicts by judges of competent courts to serve specific terms of imprisonment and to be denied liberty as punishment for offences specifically spelt out in the penal code. Not to be sprayed down by rifle fire in cold blood nor to prematurely meet their maker. Six years ago, when riots at Mahara Prison broke out over corona safety concerns within the premises and prison guards’ gunfire killed 11, leaving over 100 injured, more..

Jul 13 (SO) Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara responds to questions over the deadly riot, the use of force, alleged retaliation against inmates, possible political links and reforms needed to address SL’s prison crisis. SL watched in shock as violence erupted on July 5 and escalated on July 6 in Negombo Prison, with disturbing scenes emerging of chaos, clashes and a deadly confrontation unfolding within country’s more..

Jul 13 (CT) The whole nation, and indeed many countries beyond Sri Lanka, have been shocked by the events that took place at the Negombo prison. These events have raised questions that go beyond the immediate issues of deaths and injuries. A central question is this: how much protection is actually available to prisoners, to the prisons themselves, and to those who are the guardians of these prisoners? The primary obligation to protect those in the custody of the state more..

Jul 13 (SO) Sri Lanka is no stranger to violence in prisons. In 1983, the UNP allowed racist thugs to attack and kill Tamil inmates in Welikada in a bid to divert public attention from its disastrous policies, to postpone elections that would have cost its supermajority and to proscribe several Leftist parties including the JVP that led the resistance against the UNP’s rule of violence and impunity. In 2012, a number of prisoners were targeted and killed at the same prison allegedly by more..

Jul 12 (ST) This week saw the NPP govt jolted out of its sense of complacency following the incidents at the Negombo Prison which left 29 people, including eight prison officials, dead. It’s the worst such incident since the NPP took power in Sept 2024 and one that has found the govt wanting on many fronts. While all the details of what led to the unrest at the prison, which later escalated into a full-blown revolt by the prisoners, more..

Jul 12 (ST) The govt is proposing to extend the retirement period by two years for all judges, revising its previous position of granting the extension only to Court of Appeal and Supreme Court judges. Govt sources said they have taken into consideration the shortage of judges and delay in concluding cases and have proposed to extend the retirement age of magistrate, district and high court judges in addition to the superior court judges as proposed earlier. The extension of the retirement age of more..

Jul 12 (ST) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who was scheduled to undertake an official visit to France later this month, has postponed it until the end of the year due to domestic compulsions, including the fallout from the Negombo prison violence. The French authorities have been informed, and a new date later this year has been requested, Minister Vijitha Herath said. The invitation for Prez Dissanayake to visit France had been extended by French Prez Emmanuel Macron when more..

Jul 12 (TM) The CID has deployed six specialised investigation teams as part of a parallel probe into the Negombo Prison riot that left 28 people dead, as authorities seek to establish how one of the country’s worst prison disturbances in decades spiralled out of control. The tragedy, one of many which have plagued the island’s corrections system, exposes systemic issues of overpopulation, under-resourced administrative structures, more..

Jul 12 (CT) The Uni of Moratuwa has temporarily closed its campus for two weeks amid a dengue outbreak, as Sri Lanka recorded 65,034 dengue cases in 2026, with 45 dengue-related deaths reported so far. The country’s dengue case fatality rate stands at 0.07%, according to the latest data from the National Dengue Control Unit. The university closure, effective 6 July, was announced after authorities identified an increased risk of dengue transmission within the premises. more..

Jul 12 (FT) The Colombo stock market ended an eight-session slide yesterday to close the week on the up. During the week, the ASPI fell 1.86% or 413.17 points and the S&P SL20 fell 1.88% or 116.76 points. Yesterday, the ASPI was up 0.31% or 67.84 points at 21,765.56 with 135 counters closing in red against 77 in red. The active S&P SL20 was up 0.25% or 14.94 points at 6,081.43. Market turnover was over Rs. 2 billion on nearly 65.4 million shares traded. more..

Jul 12 (CT) ITAK MP S. Sritharan has alleged that gold jewellery belonging to Tamil civilians, which was taken from banks in the former LTTE-controlled areas and transported in containers, is still being preserved after being allegedly taken to Uganda. MP said that former Presidents Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Minister Basil Rajapaksa had invested assets seized from Tamil people through former LTTE arms procurer Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP in several countries. more..

Jul 12 (Island) SL’s excise revenue has surged by more than 60% over the past three years following the introduction of a revenue sticker system for liquor products, which authorities say has helped curb widespread tax evasion and counterfeit operations without costing the govt a single rupee. Excise Dept’s revenue increased from Rs. 170 billion in 2022, when the programme was launched, to Rs. 226 billion in 2024, with further growth recorded in 2025, according to a senior dept official. more..

Jul 12 (TM) COPF has concluded that the Central Bank of SL (CBSL) cannot completely absolve itself of responsibility for the $ 2.5 million cyber fraud that disrupted the Govt’s foreign debt repayment process, despite legal arguments that primary responsibility rested with Ministry of Finance and Public Debt Management Office (PDMO). In its investigative report tabled in Parliament on Friday, committee found that the fraud was more..

Jul 12 (ST) Sprinter Ayomal Akalanka Liyanage clocked an impressive timing of 49.03secs to claim the silver medal of the Men’s 400m Hurdles event at the Asian Under-23 Athletics Championship 2026 at Ordos, China yesterday, which renewed a two-decade long Sri Lanka record. Ayomal made an impressive run from Lane 7 among nine competitors to finish behind China’s Xinfeng Xu, who finished the race at 48.68secs to create a New Meet Record and his personal best timing. more..

Jul 12 (CT) With less than a month remaining before the 14th Asian Senior Netball Championship, SL's national women’s team received a timely and demanding test against Lincoln University New Zealand in a six-match international series, gaining valuable experience ahead of the continental showpiece. The series highlighted the competitive standard SL can expect at the Asian C'ship, with the visitors edging the home side 5-1 after six closely contested encounters. more..