Jul 25 (EN) CIABOC arrested an artist who has asked for a bribe of Rs. 30,000 each from a principal and an Air Force officer to stop a probe against them by CIABOC. The artist was arrested late on Thursday near a bus stand in Kalutara. The artist has asked a principal in Mathugama area deposit Rs. 30,000/- in a bank account in return of stopping an existing CIABOC investigation promising that he can handover the investigation file more..

Jul 25 (Island) The Land Reform Commission (LRC) has been embroiled in controversy following revelations at the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) that multiple irregularities have occurred during the allocation of alternative lands. The committee highlighted that individuals who did not own agricultural land exceeding the maximum limits were not eligible for alternative land. However, it was disclosed that the Commission had allocated land to such individuals. more..

Jul 25 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake will undertake a state visit to the Maldives from July 28 to 30, 2025, at the invitation of Maldivian Prez Mohamed Muizzu. During the visit, Prez Dissanayake is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Prez Muizzu and witness the exchange of several MoUs aimed at deepening mutual cooperation. State Visit is also significant as SL and the Maldives commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations more..

Jul 25 (DM) National Medicine Regulatory Authority (NMRA) has suspended the licences of 219 pharmacies in the country by July 18, 2025, Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said today. He said that the NMRA had received 2,039 applications for renewal of licences for 2024-2025 and that the licences have been renewed only for 1,820 pharmacies. Minister said the licence of 137 pharmacies out of 219 more..

Jul 25 (DM) A high-level delegation of MPs from the UK, visiting SL under the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) programme, met this week with a diverse group of SL legislators, legal professionals, and civil society leaders to advance dialogue on inclusive governance, post-legislative scrutiny (PLS), and democratic reform. The engagement was jointly organised by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) and the Coalition of Inclusive Impact (CII), more..

Jul 25 (CT) Govt doctors slammed Ministry of Health on its decision to instruct hospital authorities to proceed with local purchase in accordance with the Manual on Local Purchase of Medical Supplies – 2023, stating that it seemed quite unaware and unconcerned about the difficulties facing poor patients. Executive Committee Member of the GMOA, Dr. Prasad Kolambage, said that Govt and Health Ministry should take urgent steps to provide the medicinal drugs & surgical consumables more..

Jul 25 (AM) SL Young Journalists’ Association (YJA) has written to Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake raising serious concerns over the ongoing appointment process to fill a vacancy in the Right to Information (RTI) Commission, alleging a violation of the RTI Act. The letter, signed by the Association’s Chairperson, Tharindu Jayawardhana, and Secretary, M.F.M. Fazeer, states that the process initiated by the Constitutional Council (CC) to call for applications from the public to fill the vacancy more..

Jul 25 (TM) SL athlete Vinod Sandaruwan, a 24-year-old triple jumper from the Uni of Sabaragamuwa, had reportedly disappeared during the ongoing World University Games in Germany, it is reliably understood. Sandaruwan was scheduled to compete today but was not present with the team as of Wednesday night, and no official updates regarding his whereabouts have emerged. This marks a worrying repeat trend: An athlete from the same uni reportedly went missing during more..

Jul 25 (DM) South Korea’s president ordered officials to find ways to prevent the mistreatment of migrant workers after a video showing a SL worker being moved by a forklift while tied up at a South Korean factory sparked public outrage. “After watching the video, I couldn’t believe my eyes,” Prez Lee Jae Myung wrote in a Facebook post. “That was an intolerable violation and clear human rights infringement of a minority person.” more..

Jul 25 (NF) Former Minister P. Dayaratne has passed away at the age of 89. He began his political career in 1977 when he was elected to Parliament representing the Ampara District under the UNP. He was first appointed as Deputy Minister of Power and Energy in the administration of Prez J.R. Jayewardene. Over the course of his distinguished career, he went on to serve in several key cabinet positions, including Minister of Land and Mahaweli Development & Minister of Health & Nutrition. more..

Jul 25 (EN) A delegation of eight officials from the Maldives President’s Office of the Republic of visited SL’s Parliament as part of a study tour aimed at enhancing institutional knowledge and operational practices. “The objective of the visit was to observe and learn from the best practices followed by the SL Parliament in these areas,” Parliament said in a statement. “The key focus areas of the study tour included archives and records maintenance, preservation of documents.” more..

Jul 25 (AD) Govt of Sri Lanka has decided to waive visa fees for 40 additional countries to boost tourism, stated Minister Vijitha Herath. He made these remarks at a ceremony held in Colombo today.The Hotel Show Colombo 2025 exhibition was inaugurated this morning at the BMICH in Colombo. “In the past, we allowed tourists from seven countries to visit Sri Lanka without charging visa fees. The UK was among them,” more..

Jul 25 (NF) Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports & Civil Aviation has announced a significant cost reduction in the software maintenance contract for printing driver’s licenses, saving Rs. 156 million through a competitive tender process. The previous contract, which had been in place for 13 years, cost the govt Rs. 184 million annually. However, following a transparent procurement process, the new contract was awarded for just Rs. 28 million per year. more..

Jul 25 (AD) The Mount Lavinia Magistrate has directed the Fraud Investigation Bureau (FIB) to record statements from Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe, Deputy Minister Mahinda Jayasinghe, and the Mayor of the Kaduwela Municipal Council, Ranjan Jayalal. This order was issued in connection with an ongoing investigation into the alleged leasing of a property belonging to the National Workers’ Institute using a fraudulent deed. Mount Lavinia Magistrate Chathurika more..

Jul 25 (FT) The Trump tariff is a stark reminder to SL of the dangers which lurk when it is overdependent, and over reliant, on the political and economic strategies, and at times the perceived benevolence, of its key trading partners such as India and China and export markets such as the US and the EU. The days when powerful countries and trade associations showed global social responsibility by assisting developing countries such as SL, to uplift themselves through preferential tariffs more..

Jul 25 (FT) Tamil cinema fans like this writer who grew up on a diet of Tamil movies were deeply saddened when veteran South Indian actress B. Saroja Devi passed away some days ago on 14 July 2025. The octogenarian Saroja Devi after performing her daily 30-minute pooja in the mornings was seated on a sofa watching TV when she collapsed suddenly with a groan. The unconscious Saroja Devi was taken by ambulance to hospital where she was pronounced dead upon arrival. more..

Jul 25 (TM) The relevant State institutions should properly utilise the compensation that would be awarded for the environmental and economic damage caused by the Singaporean flagged MV X-Press Pearl maritime disaster in 2021, for ocean-cleaning efforts and the welfare of affected fishermen, stated several petitioners who sought compensation through the Supreme Court (SC). Concluding hearing of several FR petitions more..

Jul 25 (FT) Indian film star Hrithik Roshan is set to visit SL next month to attend the grand inauguration of City of Dreams Sri Lanka, which will officially open its doors on 2 August. An announcement on the official Facebook page of City of Dreams SL confirmed the actor’s presence at the event, stating: “We’re thrilled to welcome Hrithik Roshan to City of Dreams on Aug 2nd for an incredibly special occasion! We can’t wait for him to experience South Asia’s first integrated resort. more..

Jul 25 (TM) SJB MP, Rohini Kumari Kaviratne yesterday said that while she would withdraw her statement targeting the Speaker of the Parliament, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, made on Wednesday – where she told the latter to shut up and listen – she was compelled to make such a remark as the Speaker, who should remain neutral, was acting in an extreme manner. Making a statement in the Parliament, she said: “If there was any insult to the office of the Speaker and that role in my more..

Jul 25 (TM) Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB) is to open the 4,000-seater hall in the PM’s residence, Temple Trees, for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE), SLCB Chairperson Dheera Hettiarachchi told The Daily Morning Business on Wednesday (23). “We recently visited the Temple Trees, which has a seating capacity of 4,000 seats, and has not been promoted as a venue for MICE events. more..

Jul 25 (NF) Dr. Anil Jasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, emphasized the urgent need for SL’s healthcare system to adapt to the country’s shifting demographic and health landscape. “Sri Lanka has long been recognized for its strong foundation in universal health coverage and commitment to accessible care,” Dr. Jasinghe stated at the International Medical Congress commemorating the 138th anniversary of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA). more..

Jul 25 (DN) The annual Kandy Esala Perahera Festival will commence today with the traditional Kap Situweema at the four main devalayas, Natha, Vishnu, Kataragama, and Pattini at 6.05 am. Following five days of Devale Peraheras (inhouse processions), the first Kumbal Perahera will parade the streets on July 30. The Kumbal Perahera will continue from July 30 to August 3, followed by the first Randoli Perahera on August 4. The final grand Randoli Perahera will take place on August 8. more..

Jul 25 (Island) The government plans to expand Sri Lanka’s IT workforce from 800,000 to two million within the next four years as part of a broader strategy to drive the country’s digital economy, a top official from the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) revealed. ICTA CEO Sanjay Karunasena stated that the digital economy is a key growth agenda, with targets to increase the sector’s revenue from $5 billion to $30 billion in the next three to five years. more..

Jul 25 (PMD) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake held a discussion this afternoon (24) at the Presidential Secretariat with relevant Ministers and Officials regarding the protection of wild elephants and the safeguarding daily lives of rural community. During the meeting, the President inquired into the current situation regarding the increasing harassment incidents involving wild elephants and their disruptive impact on the daily lives of rural populations. more..

Jul 25 (NW) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa says education reforms must ensure inclusivity and recognize education as a fundamental human right, not merely a service or privilege. Speaking in Parliament during the debate on proposed education reforms, Premadasa stressed that a strong conceptual framework is essential to carry out reforms effectively. He said that unlike the British parliamentary tradition, more..

Jul 25 (DN) Deputy Minister of Tourism Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe said that the govt has identified SL’s MICE sector as a key economic driver within the tourism industry. In SL, the MICE sector, which stands for Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conferences and Exhibitions, is a significant part of the tourism industry and a major contributor to the country’s foreign exchange earnings. It encompasses various corporate events, congresses, conferences, and exhibitions that attract business travellers, more..

Jul 25 (FT) Transparency International SL (TISL) welcomed the Supreme Court’s landmark decision to hold both State officials and corporate actors accountable for their roles in one of the worst environmental disasters in the country’s history. TISL noted that the judgment underscores the critical need for transparency, institutional and corporate accountability, as well as stronger enforcement of legal obligations, to prevent future environmental harm, governance failures, and corruption. more..

Jul 25 (DN) One of the world’s oldest and most respected inter-club golf tournaments, the 122nd Burdett Trophy, will be played this Saturday, July 26, at the Royal Colombo Golf Club (RCGC). The annual event, which began in 1902, brings together two of SL’s most iconic clubs – RCGC (founded in 1879) and Nuwara Eliya Golf Club (NEGC, founded in 1889) – in an intense yet friendly competition. Remarkably, this tournament is 25 years older than the Ryder Cup, making it a rare piece of more..

Jul 25 (AD) The bodies of a mother and her two daughters have been recovered from a well located in the garden of a residence in the Panikkankulam area of Mankulam in Mullaitivu today (24), according to Mankulam Police. Police said that the bodies were found based on information received from the residents of the area. Accordingly, the bodies of a 38-year-old mother and two children, aged 11-year-old and 4-year-old have been found, the police said. The bodies were found inside the well more..

Jul 25 (FT) Sri Lanka’s real estate sector is demonstrating robust signs of recovery and renewed investor confidence in 2025, buoyed by a stabilising economy and favourable market conditions. The latest Real Estate Market Outlook Report 2025 (REMOR25) by LankaPropertyWeb (LPW) highlights a significant resurgence across the property landscape, with key indicators pointing towards sustained growth. more..

Jul 25 (Island) Just two days after renewing her national record in the 10,000 metres, Kelaniya University undergraduate Rasara Wijesuriya reached her personal best time to secure a place in the women’s 5,000 metres final at the World University Games in Berlin on Thursday. Rasara clocked 16:00.30 seconds to finish the heat won by Kenya’s J.J. Kosgei. Her performace was rated by Sri Lanka Athletics statistician as the second fastest feat by a Sri Lankan woman in history. more..

Jul 25 (DN) The two semi-finals of the Major Club Limited Over Cricket Tournament will take place at the CCC Grounds, with both matches set to begin at 2:30 pm as day-night fixtures. In the first semi-final scheduled for today (25), Police SC will face off against Colts CC. The second semi-final between CCC and Tamil Union is set for Saturday (27) at the same venue. Police SC, the Group ‘A’ table-toppers, stormed into the semis with five consecutive wins before falling to Tamil Union more..