Jul 7 (Island) Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) Educational Secretary Pubudu Jagoda said that recent remarks made by govt ministers insulting and downgrading farmers were part of a broader political project aimed at undermining the dignity of the farming community and restructuring food production along corporate lines. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a seminar held at the Lions Activity Centre, in Rajagiriya, yesterday, Jagoda said a pattern had emerged in govt representatives more..

Jul 7 (EN) CBL Investments Limited and its group of companies (CBL Group), a Sri Lankan diversified food manufacturing conglomerate, has appointed its Group Managing Director Sheamalee (Shea) Wickramasingha, as Chairman of the Group effective July 6. A food technologist by profession, Wickramasingha joined Ceylon Biscuits in 1991 and has held several leadership roles across the Group. Wickramasingha holds a Master of Science in Food Chemistry from Purdue University and more..

Jul 7 (Island) The govt has completed preparations to launch a national programme to conserve 1,000 archaeological sites across the country, in parallel with the commencement of Archaeology Week, which begins today. Deputy Minister of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Gamagedara Dissanayake said the initiative aims to identify sites of historical and archaeological significance and expedite excavation, more..

Jul 7 (FT) SL gave the world its first female PM in 1960 – decades before most democracies were even having the conversation. It has long been able to point to women’s political milestones as evidence of progress, and more recently, women’s representation has increased in local govt and on listed company boards. That progress is less visible in the workplace. Women make up more than half the population, but only around a third of the labour force, and their representation narrows more..

Jul 7 (EN) Foreign investors bought a net US$3 million worth of Sri Lanka govt securities in the week ended July 2, Central Bank data showed, as the rupee currency was recovering from near four-year low hit in May. Foreigners sold a net 1,001 million rupees (US$3 million at 1$=330 rupees) in the week. Despite the latest weekly inflow, Sri Lanka has suffered a total net outflow of around US$13.7 million so far this year amid sharp rupee volatility in the last two months. more..

Jul 7 (AD) Multiple investigations have been launched into the recent unrest at the Negombo Prison, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa has confirmed. He said the Cabinet of Ministers approved the appointment of an independent 3-member committee comprising a retired Supreme Court judge, an official from the Attorney General's Dept and a senior attorney-at-law to investigate the incident. He said separate investigations more..

Jul 7 (AD) A discussion to review the progress of projects being implemented under the 2026 budget allocations for the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, and to consider the Ministry's budgetary requirements for 2027, was held this morning at the Presidential Secretariat under the chairmanship of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. During the meeting, the progress of projects implemented in 2026 by institutions under the Ministry, including more..

Jul 7 (FT) Choosing the optimal inflation target is a classic problem in monetary economics, lacking robust research findings to determine the most desirable number. Central banks in many advanced countries have chosen a common inflation target close to 2%. Following this trend, several analysts are of the view that an inflation target around 2% is most suitable for SL, instead of the present target of 5% with a margin of 2% on either side. The myth ‘Lowering the Central Bank’s inflation target more..

Jul 7 (DM) The controversial Krrish deal case filed against SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa was today fixed for trial by the Colombo High Court. Colombo High Court Judge Nadee Suwandurugoda fixed the case for trial on Nov 16 and directed that summons be issued to the two Indian witnesses in accordance with the Judicial Service Commission’s circular governing the summoning of foreign witnesses. Attorney General filed criminal proceedings before the High Court against Namal Rajapaksa more..

Jul 7 (FT) In recent weeks there has been a debate in the public domain on the alleged intention of the Govt to extend the constitutionally guaranteed tenure of the Chief Justice and the other Judges of the Supreme Court, as well as on the failure of the President to nominate persons to fill eight vacancies on the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. In the weeks preceding that debate, the Speaker rejected a motion submitted by 31 members of Parliament requesting the appointment of more..

Jul 7 (TM) At least 26 people, including seven Prison officers and 19 inmates, were killed yesterday after fresh violence erupted inside the Negombo Prison, just a day after an earlier clash had claimed two lives, bringing the death toll from two days of unrest to 27. Nearly 100 people were injured and admitted to the Negombo General Hospital. Eight of the seriously injured were later transferred to National Hospital in Colombo more..

Jul 7 (TM) Several hospitals across the Western Province have reached the maximum capacity due to the sharp rise in dengue patients, according to the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU). Acting NDCU Director said the rapid increase in cases has placed severe pressure on hospitals, making it increasingly difficult to provide adequate care for patients. He warned that if the number of infections continues to rise, the dengue-related death toll is also likely to increase proportionately. more..

Jul 7 (AD) Security forces have now brought the unrest at Negombo Prison under control. A large number of Police and STF personnel have been deployed to maintain security at the prison. However, female inmates continue to stage a protest,Prisons Commissioner A.C. Gajanayake said. He stated this speaking to the media after inspecting the prison last night. Meanwhile, 20 individuals who sustained serious injuries in the prison clashes have been transferred to more..

Jul 7 (DM) Sri Lanka is preparing for significant weather fluctuations in the coming months as a rapidly developing El Niño is expected to reduce rainfall and raise temperatures in the short term, while potentially bringing above-normal rainfall later in the year, officials said. Environmental Minister Dhammika Patabandi said a special committee appointed on June 22 has been tasked with coordinating national preparedness for more..

Jul 7 (NW) All rice mill owners have agreed in principle to purchase paddy at the Govt’s guaranteed prices, with discussions continuing on measures needed to support the programme, Minister of Trade, Wasantha Samarasinghe said. Speaking to the media after a meeting with rice mill owners, Samarasinghe said the discussions focused on the practical issues involved in purchasing Nadu paddy at Rs. 120 per kilogram, Samba at Rs. 130 and Keeri Samba at Rs. 140. more..

Jul 7 (FT) The CoPF last week pressed the Central Bank (CBSL) over whether the country’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing framework is becoming more expansive than necessary, with lawmakers questioning whether successive legal amendments risk extending regulatory powers beyond what is required to meet international standards. The discussion took place as the Committee considered several Bills and regulations aimed at strengthening SL’s more..

Jul 7 (DM) A warehouse in Peliyagoda belonging to a major sugar importer was raided yesterday after authorities uncovered an alleged operation to repackage expired sugar and release it to the market at lower prices. The joint raid was carried out by the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) and the Walana Central Anti-Corruption Task Force following intelligence received by the task force regarding a large warehouse complex in Peliyagoda, Kelaniya, in the Gampaha District. more..

Jul 7 (CI) SL rolled the momentum they had built in the latter half of the second session to roll over the final two West Indies wickets, to take a 50-run first innings lead. By stumps, they had extended that to 142 for the loss of two wickets after Shai Hope and Justin Greaves had earlier taken their fifth-wicket stand to 242, the latter making 180, to keep the hosts in the contests. At the crease by the close were Kamindu Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal, on a fairly brisk third wicket stand of 60 off 72. more..

Jul 7 (FT) The deadly clashes that erupted inside Negombo Prison on Sunday and continued into yesterday, killing 26 people and injuring more than 100 others, have renewed calls for authorities to address longstanding structural problems, including severe overcrowding, inadequate infrastructure, and acute staff shortages, that have increasingly threatened the security of Sri Lanka’s prison system. more..

Jul 7 (Island) Six-time champions Sri Lanka are leaving no stone unturned in their bid to regain the Asian Netball Championship title when they travel to Hong Kong next month. Asia’s premier netball tournament will be held from August 7 to 16 at the Kai Tak Sports Park. As part of their preparations, the selected SL squad is currently engaged in a four-leg Netball Exposure Series against New Zealand’s Lincoln University team. The visitors won the opening leg in Galle, more..

Jul 7 (FT) National Sales Average (NSA) of tea declined in June, but increased marginally during the first half of 2026. The NSA for the month was Rs. 1,153.49 ($ 3.45), down Rs. 31.07 and $ 0.20 from May’s average of Rs. 1,184.56 ($ 3.65). Compared with June 2025, however, NSA increased by Rs. 50.22 from Rs. 1,103.27, although the US dollar equivalent declined by $ 0.23 year-on-year (YoY) from $ 3.68. Cumulative NSA for the first 6 months of 2026 stood at Rs. 1,162.09 ($ 3.66), more..

Jul 7 (DN) Opener Dimantha Mahavithana scored a superb unbeaten knock of 155 while left arm paceman Gimhan Mendis had a fine figures of 5 for 41 as SL under 19s recorded 8 wickets win with 2 overs to spare in their 2nd one day game against India under 19 yesterday. SL U-19s lost the first one dayer at this same venue on Saturday by 4 wickets but home team led by Vimath Dinsara fought back strongly to level the series 1-1. Third and final series decider will be played at the same venue more..

Jul 7 (ST) The govt is rushing to dispose of half of its 120,000 metric tonnes (MT) of paddy stocks stored in Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) warehouses to purchase the fresh Yala harvest directly from farmers, a senior official said. Agriculture Ministry Secretary D.P. Wickramasinghe said that 60,000 MT of paddy stocks will be released to the market as farmers begin harvesting the Yala season crop. Unlike in the past, govt revived abandoned PMB warehouses to store paddy stock. more..

Jul 7 (FT) The inaugural ceremony of Badhu Shakthi 2026 National Tax Week, a year-long initiative aimed at strengthening State revenue generation and fostering a culture of voluntary tax compliance, was held yesterday at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne. Organised by the Revenue Administration Reform and Modernisation Unit of the Presidential Secretariat, the program seeks more..

Jul 7 (Island) SL’s drive towards cleaner and cheaper electricity gathered fresh momentum with the reported rapid progress in the 50 MW Mannar Wind Power Project, which is expected to produce the lowest-cost wind-generated electricity in the country’s history while saving billions of rupees in annual fuel imports. Ministry of Energy announced that the first wind turbine for the project had already arrived in the country, while the remaining turbine components have reached Port of Trinco more..

Jul 7 (FT) Sri Lanka could benefit from easing inflation across the Eurozone through lower fuel import costs, softer imported inflation, and reduced pressure on the rupee, Frontier Research said yesterday, as cooling energy prices strengthen expectations that the European Central Bank (ECB) will leave interest rates unchanged later this month. The research firm said Eurozone headline inflation slowed to 2.8% in June from 3.2% in May, while core inflation eased to 2.4% from 2.6%, defying more..

Jul 7 (ST) SL govt’s plan to integrate the EPF and the ETF under a unified, tripartite structure has triggered resistance from trade unions, reviving a decades-long battle over the control of the country’s largest worker safety nets. Tripartite National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) met on Thursday and agreed to request the Labour Minister to submit the relevant proposal for discussion at the next council meeting. more..

Jul 7 (FT) The Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC) recently concluded its 97th AGM at the BMICH. At this general meeting, Board of Trustees and Council Members representing different employer groups were appointed for the financial year 2026/27. Outgoing Chairman Dinesh Weerakkody expressed his appreciation to the Council, members, and the EFC Secretariat for the invaluable support extended to him throughout his tenure. Commercial Bank CEO more..

Jul 7 (FT) EDB Chairman Mangala Wijesinghe clarified that the proposed 12.5% tariff announced by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) is not a new tariff, but relates to the same reciprocal tariff process that has been under negotiation with the US. Wijesinghe explained that SL was initially subjected to a 44% tariff when reciprocal tariffs were announced on 2 April. Following several rounds of discussions with the US authorities, the rate was successively reduced to 30%, more..

Jul 7 (FT) The Body Shop, the iconic British-born ethical beauty brand, recently welcomed UK Trade Envoy to SL Lord Hannett of Everton to its store at One Galle Face (OGF) Mall during his official visit to the country. The visit underscores the UK’s commitment to strengthening trade and investment relations with SL, while highlighting the contributions of UK brands to the local economy. Lord Hannett, accompanied by UK Deputy Trade Commissioner for South Asia Jaya Choraria and more..

Jul 7 (FT) Melco Resorts and Entertainment, a globally recognised leader in luxury integrated resorts, continues to redefine destination hospitality through a portfolio that spans Asia and Europe. With six landmark integrated resorts across Macau, Manila, Cyprus and Colombo, Melco has built a reputation for world-class design, exceptional service, elevated dining and immersive entertainment experiences. For SL travellers and regional audiences, this global legacy now more..