Jul 14 (DM) SL’s economic comeback has won praise from the creditors, multilaterals and investors. Yet, beneath the headline numbers is hidden a more uncomfortable question: Can the island nation create enough jobs, attract enough investment and remain competitive in an increasingly uncertain world? In an exclusive interview, World Bank Group Country Manager for SL Gevorg Sargsyan offered a frank assessment of the opportunities more..

Jul 14 (TM) Colombo Stock Exchange's 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 14 (DM) SL’s tourism strategy is shifting from a focus on raw arrival numbers towards prioritising high-yield markets, as data shows regional Asian and Middle Eastern visitors consistently outspending traditional European travellers. SLTDA Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam last week emphasised that striking a balance between high-volume baseline markets and premium niche segments is critical to meeting national tourism revenue targets. Long-haul travellers often record longer stays but more..

Jul 14 (EN) Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan have signed an agreement establishing a formal framework for regular bilateral dialogue and enhanced cooperation between the two countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. “The MoU reflects the shared commitment of both countries to further deepen engagement and strengthen institutional linkages across areas of mutual interest.” The two foreign ministries held political consultations in Tashkent, Uzbekistan last week. more..

Jul 14 (DN) Left hander Senuja Wekunagoda made a magnificent knock of unbeaten 203 as SL Under 19s scored 344 for 4 wickets for their first innings at close of the first day’s play in the first 4-day game against India under 19s at Galle yesterday. Senuja Wekunagoda anchored the Sri Lanka innings through out the day completing his career best knock of 203 in 227 balls with 31 fours. He associated in two useful combinations to build up SL innings after two openers Dulnith Sigera and more..

Jul 14 (ST) The Prevention of Mosquito Breeding Act, No. 11 of 2007 is set to be amended to facilitate the control of mosquito-borne diseases. Accordingly, the proposed amendments have now been referred to the Attorney General for necessary legal advice, Dr. Prashila Samaraweera, Consultant Community Physician, said. She pointed out that attention has been focused on amending the Act mainly to more..

Jul 14 (ST) By the time Parliament met for its first sitting week of July on Tuesday (7), the enormity of the tragedy at the Negombo Prison had become plain to the entire country. The riot had already claimed at least 27 lives at that point, including seven prison officers. Given the seriousness of the situation, House decided to hold an urgent adjournment debate on the unrest at the prison. The motion, moved by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, raised uncomfortable questions more..

Jul 14 (GV) The tragic events at Negombo Prison have once again exposed deep structural weaknesses within SL’s correctional and criminal justice systems. While investigations continue into the precise causes of the riot, early indications suggest that organised criminal activity, prison gangs, illicit drug networks and severe overcrowding created the conditions that allowed violence to escalate into a national tragedy. The loss of both prison officers and inmates is a reminder that more..

Jul 14 (Island) Paddy farmers have refused to sell their produce to the Paddy Marketing Board (PMD) at the prices offered by the govt. They are demanding better prices in view of increasing production costs, and their protests are gathering momentum. Their consternation is understandable. They backed the JVP-led NPP to the hilt, enabling it to win elections, expecting it to liberate them from the clutches of unscrupulous millers. Today, big-time rice millers are buying Rolls-Royces and more..

Jul 14 (TM) The recent US $ 2.5 million cyber fraud that disrupted the Govt’s foreign debt repayment process is a clear warning. As the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) recently highlighted in Parliament, this multi-million-dollar theft was not the work of an unstoppable cybercriminal mastermind. Instead, it was the result of systemic governance failures, institutional friction, and an almost casual disregard for basic digital hygiene across our highest financial offices. more..

Jul 14 (TM) In the late 1960s, an American newsletter popularised a powerful thought often attributed to the great Russian novelist Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky: The degree of civilisation in a society can be judged by entering its prisons. If we apply that measure to SL today, the picture beyond those prison walls is deeply uncomfortable. It is not only a story about inmates, prison officers, or a single tragic incident. It is a story about more..

Jul 14 (Island) The prison violence in Negombo has become the first major crisis to confront the govt since it came to power. The govt may or may not be responsible for creating the conditions that have accumulated over decades and made the prison system a powder keg. The fact is the govt’s Ratama Ekata anti-drug crackdown boosted the countrywide prison population from 28,000, in late 2024, to 41,000, in 2026. Conditions of imprisonment include chronic overcrowding, poor infrastructure, more..

Jul 14 (CT) The recent Negombo incidents have brought to the forefront an issue that has persisted for many years: Sri Lankan prisons hold far more unconvicted prisoners than they have space for, even for those already convicted. The problem is well known; the question is whether effective solutions exist. Can we remove all unwanted, unconvicted prisoners from our system and thereby, first, fulfil one of our most fundamental obligations – not to illegally arrest and imprison persons – more..

Jul 14 (SO) Sri Lanka’s current debate on legal reform extends far beyond amending individual laws. In an interview, Attorney-at-Law and the Former Chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka Prof. Prathiba Mahanamahewa discussed the case for comprehensive reform, the controversy over extending judges’ retirement ages and the institutional changes needed to prevent another prison crisis. more..

Jul 14 (DM) The deadly clashes at the Negombo Prison once again revealed the ugly realities that inmates have to endure while being remanded or serving a sentence. This is not the first instance that such clashes occurred inside a prison premises in the country. But what transpires from the recent incident is that the larger issue of overcrowding, congestion and poor facilities inside prisons have been ignored by successive regimes. Prison overcrowding is only the tip of the iceberg. more..

Jul 14 (DM) Post-mortem examinations of the prison officers killed during the recent violence at Negombo Prison have revealed the brutality of the attack they endured. According to the post-mortem findings, the officers died from severe head injuries caused by blunt force trauma, indicating that they were subjected to brutal physical assaults before their deaths. The recent violence at Negombo Prison should not be viewed merely as another prison riot caused by rival gangs. more..

Jul 13 (Island) SL faces increasing disaster risks due to climate change and global warming, COPE was informed. DMC Director General Sampath Kotuwegoda has told COPE that the country’s vulnerability to disasters has risen, while the DMC continues to face shortages of staff and resources needed to respond effectively to major emergencies. He said the institution encountered severe difficulties during Cyclone Ditwah, highlighting shortcomings in its response capacity. more..

Jul 13 (FT) Sri Lanka's workers’ remittances increased to a record high in June, whilst lifting cumulative earnings in the first half of 2026 to an all-time high, underscoring the resilience of migrant worker earnings despite geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Latest data from the Central Bank showed that inflows rose 9.3% year-on-year (YoY) to $ 695 million in June, marking the sixth consecutive month of robust growth and one of the strongest monthly performances on record. more..

Jul 13 (FT) Sri Lanka's tourism industry experienced a challenging first half of 2026, with earnings declining by 12% year-on-year (YoY) to over $ 1.51 billion, according to the latest data, underscoring the mounting pressure to achieve the country’s revised tourism goals. Tourism earnings in June 2026 amounted to $ 151.1 million, marking an 11% YoY decline and the lowest monthly revenue recorded so far this year. more..

Jul 13 (TM) Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekara said that the initiative aims to reduce water-related accidents by the end of 2028. He noted that recent months had seen numerous drowning incidents reported not only at sea but also in inland reservoirs. "It is hard to give coverage to all these places where the accidents are reported by the SL Coast Guard, Life Saving Division, and the Tourism Board alone. The technology, equipment, and human resources are not sufficient. more..

Jul 13 (DM) Deputy Minister Eranga Gunasekara has warned that Beira Lake has become severely polluted after years of rapid urban development, stressing that restoring the iconic water body will require both public support and govt action. In a Facebook post, he said a special development programme has been launched to clean the lake and eliminate the foul odour affecting residents and visitors to Colombo. He said sewage, solid waste and garbage had been dumped into the lake more..

Jul 13 (Island) Mosquito larvae density in SL’s Western Province has increased significantly, making the next two weeks an extremely high-risk period for dengue transmission, according to Consultant Physician Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama, a member of the Expert Committee on Dengue Management. He warned that based on the current trend of dengue transmission, the situation could become more serious than 2017 dengue outbreak. more..

Jul 13 (DM) A total of 19 investment proposals have been received under the Expression of Interest (EOI) process launched to attract investors to utilize the resources of the Mattala Rajapaksa Int'l Airport (MRIA), Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation said. Among the interested parties are reportedly several leading companies from the Middle East, India and China. The opening of the proposals was held on July 9 at the Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation following the close of submissions. more..

Jul 13 (DM) More than 2.3 million people have pledged to donate their eyes after death, the SL Eye Donation Society announced. Society Chairman Ayodhya Sampath de Silva said a total of 2,307,800 eye donation pledges have been registered to date. He said 1,443 eyes were donated during June, facilitating 843 corneal transplants, including 173 for patients in SL and 670 for recipients overseas. De Silva said the Society's Corneal Transplant Programme has restored the vision of more..

Jul 13 (CB) The pitch for the opening night of Major League Cricket 2026 at the Grand Prairie Stadium resembled a batting paradise. As Tim Seifert and Shayan Jahangir made hay inside the Powerplay, every bowler seemed destined for the same fate. The new ball refused to provide any assistance on one of the flattest surfaces of the tournament and, for the first five overs, bowlers had looked little more than lambs to slaughter. Then came an over that felt entirely disconnected from everything more..

Jul 13 (EN) SL’s National Insurance Trust Fund (NITF) will pay 6 million rupees in compensation to families of eight prison officers who died in the Negombo prison riot last week, officials said. Officials of the statutory board said all eight were registered under the Agrahara Gold medical and life insurance scheme. “We have taken a very prompt decision to pay these death claims as quickly as possible,” Nuwan Dissanayake, Assistant Manager of National Insurance Trust Fund said, more..

Jul 13 (AFP) SL’s Tamil-speaking minorities launched a united front on Monday to demand a new constitution granting greater autonomy, reviving long-standing grievances two decades after the end of the island’s long ethnic war. The alliance brings together six parties representing Tamil and Muslim communities, who make up more than a quarter of SL’s 22 million people. It comes as Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s leftist govt faces more..

Jul 13 (FT) SL Institute of Directors (SLID) will welcome two of Asia’s most distinguished business leaders — CG Corp Global Chairman and President Dr. Binod K. Chaudhary and Minor International Group CEO Dillip Rajakarier — as keynote speakers at the SL Corporate Director Summit 2026, to be held on 22 July at Cinnamon Grand. Bringing together decades of global leadership, entrepreneurship, and boardroom experience, the two leaders will share perspectives on how more..

Jul 13 (PMD) Prez AKD stated that a quality and accessible public transport system that benefits every individual must be developed, adding that such a system would reduce the personal financial burden borne by the public for transportation while ensuring a quality transport service across the country. Prez therefore highlighted the importance of giving the development of public transport the same level of attention accorded to the advancement of the free healthcare system. more..

Jul 13 (FT) Sri Lanka’s fiscal position strengthened further during the first five months of 2026, with the Govt posting an overall Budget surplus of Rs. 197.34 billion, reversing a deficit of Rs. 236.63 billion in the corresponding period last year as revenue growth continued to significantly outpace expenditure. Total revenue and grants increased by 30.6% YoY to Rs. 2.54 trillion during Jan-May period from Rs. 1.94 trillion a year earlier. more..

Jul 13 (NW) SL Police has cautioned motorists against fraudulent SMS and WhatsApp messages instructing them to pay traffic fines online through suspicious web links. The messages, which appear to originate from the Dept of Motor Traffic (DMT), claim that fines must be settled within a week for alleged traffic offences. However, DIG W.P.J. Senadeera, in charge of Traffic Control and Road Safety Range, said that DMT has not issued any such notifications, stressing that more..

Jul 13 (DM) National Action Front (NAF) has requested the CIABOC to launch an investigation into the financial activities of companies providing satellite television services and solar panel installation services, alleging the possibility of money laundering through such businesses. In a letter submitted to the Commission, NAF called for a comprehensive investigation into the operations of the relevant companies, their owners, int'l business dealings and investments to more..