Jul 21 (DN) All rounder James Neesham and Janith Liyanage made an unbroken 115 runs fifth wicket stand in 60 balls as Colombo Kaps recorded a thrilling 6 wickets win with 2 balls to spare against Kandy Royals in their LPL match played at SSC grounds on Sunday. Colombo Kaps chasing a target of 180 were struggling at 67 for 4 wickets after ten overs. Fifth wicket pair James Neesham and Janith Liyanage came to the fore adding fighting partnership to seal their first victory of more..

Jul 21 (ST) Govt is considering reintroducing the fuel subsidy for petrol and diesel as world market oil prices continue to rise in the wake of renewed conflict in the Gulf region. Govt ended its 3-month fuel subsidy package introduced in April as the situation in the Gulf region began to ease, but with the steep rise in oil prices again, the govt wants to ensure that the burden does not fall on the public, a senior official said. The move would effectively mean that the existing fuel prices remain, more..

Jul 21 (AD) Former IGP C.D. Wickramaratne was laid to rest amid police honours and ceremonial gun salutes. The final farewell ceremony was held with the participation of senior police officers, family members, and dignitaries, as SL Police paid tribute to the former police chief through official ceremonial traditions. The solemn proceedings marked the end of the journey of a senior law enforcement officer who served as more..

Jul 21 (DM) Taiwan has suspended tourist visa applications from SL nationals in accordance with the latest visa policy of the Govt of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Taiwan Foriegn Ministry said. "In accordance with the latest visa policy of the Govt of the Republic of China (Taiwan), effective immediately, tourist visa applications from SL nationals will no longer be accepted, the Ministry said. A statement issued by the Ministry said SL nationals may still apply for a visa if they visit more..

Jul 21 (FT) World Bank Group’s Int'l Finance Corporation (IFC) and Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) are investing up to $ 40 million through financing in South Asia Gateway Terminals (SAGT) to modernise and decarbonise operations at Port of Colombo, the cornerstone of SL’s maritime trade. Investment will advance the Port’s competitiveness, resilience, and sustainability, reinforcing its position as South Asia’s leading transshipment hub and deepening SL’s more..

Jul 21 (ST) Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) has called for proposals to secure consulting services to enhance the cybersecurity resilience of the national power grid, citing the high vulnerability of the electricity sector to cyberattacks. The measure highlights a heightened awareness among various institutions about the urgency of tightening cybersecurity in the country. Sunday Times reported that SL CERT (Pvt) Ltd more..

Jul 21 (TM) A former UNP municipal councillor from Horana has been remanded until tomorrow (21) over allegations that she defrauded six textile traders in Pettah of nearly Rs 160 million using dishonoured cheques. Suspect Renuka Damayanthi was arrested by the Wattala Police following complaints lodged by the tradeRs According to investigators, she allegedly obtained goods from the traders by issuing dishonoured cheques before avoiding them for a prolonged period. more..

Jul 21 (FT) Embassy of France in SL and the Maldives has chosen to relocate its offices to Mireka Tower, one of Colombo’s premier Grade A commercial office developments, marking a significant milestone in the Embassy’s longstanding presence in the country. This decision marks its first relocation in more than 50 years. Developed and managed by Overseas Realty PLC, Mireka Tower offers premium office spaces, advanced security, sustainable building features, and more..

Jul 21 (FT) In a major push to redefine economic ties between SL and India, Lanka India Business Association (LIBA) has announced the highly anticipated corporate forum, India Calling. Scheduled for 6 Aug at Taj Samudra, Colombo, from 9 am to 6 pm, the full-day event is designed to bridge commercial gaps, unpack regulatory friction, and establish a framework for shared cross-border prosperity. LIBA is hosting the forum to actively catalyse deeper private sector integration, more..

Jul 21 (FT) Exporters Association of SL (EASL) elected its new office-bearers and Executive Committee at its 29th AGM, held recently with the participation of exporters, industry leaders, Heads of Missions, trade officials, and representatives from across SL’s export sector. The event was attended by World Bank Group Country Manager for SL Gevorg Sargsyan as Chief Guest, together with Heads of Missions, trade representatives, and senior members of the business community, more..

Jul 21 (FT) Chamber of Mineral Exporters (CME), representing exporters and explorers of quartz, graphite, mineral sands, and mica, said the recently unveiled National Mineral Policy is a welcome first step but argued that policy announcements alone will not unlock investment. Instead, it said the real test lies in how the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) and Industry & Entrepreneurship Development more..

Jul 21 (FT) A few weeks ago, I shared a music track with a close friend. The lyrics were mine, but the melody and the singing voice had been generated entirely by AI. I expected him to admire the technology. Instead, his face filled with deep concern. “Be careful,” he warned me immediately. “Relying on this machinery will rot your brain. Over time, it will diminish your cognitive power until you can no longer think for yourself.” His warning forced me to examine a fear that has gripped the more..

Jul 21 (DN) Today’s most competitive economies can’t be identified exclusively by quality infrastructure built by public works like highways, ports, or airports. Rather, they can be recognised by their public digital infrastructure. Examples of this can be seen in developments like Estonia’s paperless Govt, India’s Digital Public Infrastructure, and Singapore’s modernised digital integrated services. These countries are utilising Govt technology to modernise & improve efficiency more..

Jul 21 (Island) Academics involved in education policy like to say that there is no such thing as a private university in SL. The only universities in the country are state universities; anything else offering degrees is a private higher education institution (HEI). This position is technically accurate. Yet, in the discourse and imagination of the public, private universities are very real – people teach in them, students register in them, families pay fees, and such degree holders enter job markets in more..

Jul 21 (Island) National Council for Road Safety (NCRS) is reportedly planning to launch a countrywide campaign to inspect vehicles in the public transport sector. This is something long overdue. Police, politicians and transport authorities spring into action in the aftermath of a tragic accident and formulate strategies to ensure road safety, but they lose interest in their ad hoc initiatives, with the passage of time. Road safety programmes should be sustained over more..

Jul 21 (SO) On the afternoon of July 17, an unprecedented and highly charged meeting took place within the walls of the Presidential Secretariat. Prez was at a face-to-face dialogue with frontline prison guards, jailers and department officials. For the first time in the history of the department, ordinary correctional officers bypassed layers of dense bureaucracy to present their grievances directly to the Head of State. more..

Jul 21 (ST) Obviously, former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe had never been a scout at school, or else he would have been prepared to meet any eventuality in life. Recounting that momentous hour when fate plucked him from his party’s sole Nationalist seat and placed him firmly at the helm of an SLPP govt to steer the economically wrecked ship of state to calmer seas, he said this week, “I never prepared to take over the nation by myself during the crisis in 2022," more..

Jul 21 (GV) National security is conventionally understood in narrow terms: military strength, border protection, intelligence gathering and counter-terrorism capabilities. While these remain essential, they are insufficient. A nation that is militarily powerful but socially fractured, economically unequal and morally adrift is not truly secure. The greatest threats to national security in the 21st century are not external armies but internal fragmentation – ethnic polarization, religious extremism, more..

Jul 21 (CT) The announcement has fuelled widespread debate over whether the new platform marks the emergence of a new political force or simply an issue-based coalition within the Opposition. On 13 July, six minority parties announced the formation of a common platform comprising CWC General Secretary Jeevan Thondaman, ITAK M.A. Sumanthiran, TPA Leader Mano Ganesan, SLMC Leader Rauff Hakeem, ACMC Leader more..

Jul 21 (CT) Nearly two years into its tenure, the NPP govt, under the executive leadership of Prez AKD, operates within one of the most volatile macropolitical environments in SL’s post-independence history. Tasked with steering a highly vulnerable economy through the rigid, structural architecture of the IMF framework—a fiscal regime inherently marked by austerity, subsidy rollbacks, and demanding structural reforms—the administration has simultaneously had to more..

Jul 21 (TM) The recent report from the National Dengue Control Unit revealed that out of 53 dengue-related deaths recorded so far this year, 37 were women. That is nearly 70% of all fatalities. While dengue is often viewed as an indiscriminate mosquito-borne disease, these figures tell a very different story. The virus may not discriminate, but our social structure does. The reasons behind this tragic disparity are fundamentally rooted in gender roles and domestic expectations. more..

Jul 20 (DM) The govt has initiated discussions on introducing stricter measures to prevent the use of toxic chemicals for ripening fruits, amid growing consumer complaints over unsafe practices in the market. A high-level discussion chaired by Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe was held at the Ministry today with the participation of CAA Chairman Hemantha Samarakoon and officials from several state institutions, including the Department of Agriculture, Gannoruwa Agricultural Research more..

Jul 20 (DM) A Fundamental Rights petition challenging the legality of Govt circulars permitting individuals to change their gender identity through medical procedures was today dismissed by the Supreme Court. The petition was filed by retired SL Air Force veteran Shantha Jayathilaka, naming former Presidents Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickremesinghe, incumbent President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and several others as respondents. A 2-judge bench of the SC more..

Jul 20 (TM) In the wake of the Consumer Affairs Authority's (CAA) nationwide inspections that uncovered the use of expired laboratory chemicals in certain hospitals and medical laboratories, the Authority stated that it has reached an agreement with the Ministry of Health to jointly educate the public on consumer rights in the healthcare sector. Acting Director General and CEO of the CAA, M M S K Karunarathne said more..

Jul 20 (Island) Appointments were given to 582 Health Care Assistants (HCA) on Saturday in line with an NPP initiative to strengthen primary health services in govt hospitals in Colombo and Gampaha hospitals. Health Ministry has said it is the second batch to receive appointments since the launch of the project. Earlier 627 HCA had received appointments, the Ministry said, adding that nearly 89,000 were eligible for selection out of 92,000 applicants. more..

Jul 20 (NW) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has warned that the govt’s proposal to raise the retirement age of Supreme Court judges from 65 to 67 and Appeal Court judges from 63 to 65 is an attempt to establish a one‑party authoritarian command rule under the NPP govt. Speaking at a public lecture organized by the Samagi Lawyers’ Association yesterday, Premadasa said the move undermines judicial independence, erodes public trust in the courts, and destroys democracy. more..

Jul 20 (DM) Attorney General’s Dept today informed the Supreme Court that it will institute action before the District Court to recover the tax arrears owed by liquor manufacturing companies. Additional Solicitor General Nerin Pulle, appearing for the AG, made this disclosure when a Fundamental Rights petition filed by 17 social activists challenging the alleged default of more than Rs. 6 billion in taxes by liquor manufacturing more..

Jul 20 (DM) Churches facing closure as Christians are giving up the practicing religion, Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith said during the week end. Speaking during a service he said Christians including Catholics are today drawn towards events which they could enjoy. “Even large cathedrals and basilicas may have to be closed before long” he added by highlighting that people today only focus on materialism rather than focusing on their spiritual and moral upliftment. more..

Jul 20 (Island) Merchant Shipping Secretariat (MSS) is investigating a complaint received from the Captain of an Indonesian flagged vessel Sensho that he had to pay an official USD 5,000 bribe to facilitate what our sources called port state control inspection. Sources said that the cement carrier arrived at the Colombo Port, on Friday, and departed after having passed the rigorous inspection. Responding to queries, sources said that after paying the bribe, vessel’s Captain has lodged complaints more..

Jul 20 (DM) Registered marriages in Sri Lanka have declined by nearly 28% over the past 15 years, while the number of births has also continued to fall, official data show. According to the DCS, the number of registered marriages dropped from 200,985 in 2010 to 144,182 in 2025, recording a decline of around 28%. The number of marriages, which remained above 170,000 in several years before 2020, fell sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching 143,808 in 2020. more..

Jul 20 (Island) 10th volume of the Neetham law journal, published annually by the Dept of Law and the Law Students’ Union of the Uni of Jaffna, was launched at the Medical Faculty Auditorium of the university under the patronage of SC Judge Sampath Abeykoon. The event was held with the participation of Court of Appeal Judge Sashi Mahendran, Deputy Solicitor General of the Attorney General’s Dept Suharsha Herath, Additional Editor of the AG’s Dept Gunapala, more..