Jul 17 (DM) A Court of Appeal judgment has exposed the extraordinary delays in SL’s criminal justice system, revealing that a 11-year-old victim of grave sexual abuse in 2001 was only able to testify before the High Court in 2023, approximately 22 years after the alleged offence. The judgment, delivered by a two-judge bench comprising Justices P. Kumararatnam and Pradeep Hettiarachchi, observed that the victim was 33 years old more..

Jul 17 (Island) Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu must be on cloud nine. The US is now doing exactly what he wanted it to do; it is attacking Iran without Israeli involvement. Israeli officials have told the media that they do not expect Israel to become directly involved in the new phase of fighting though the Israel Defence Forces remain on alert should the conflict expand. This can be considered another dream come true for Netanyahu, who said after the irst round of US-Israeli airstrikes more..

Jul 17 (Island) According to Sri Lanka’s diplomatic folklore, the late S.W. R. D. Bandaranaike uttered these words while explaining the reasons for Sri Lanka’s abstention on the UN resolution condemning the Soviet invasion of Hungary. Apparently, SWRD’s foreign ministry officials were asleep at home when the diplomatic cable seeking instructions was received from New York. In those days, there were no cell phones, Internet, or even fax or telex machines. more..

Jul 17 (SO) With just over five months left in the year, Govt has quietly shifted into Budget 2027 mode. While political attention remained fixed on the fallout from the Negombo Prison riot, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake spent much of the week poring over ministry performance reports and sketching out next year’s spending priorities. The President has already completed progress reviews with five of the 21 ministries, signalling that the administration intends to keep a tight grip more..

Jul 17 (TM) SL’s pursuit of gender parity in political governance has reached a critical bottleneck. The recent warning from the Election Commission that increasing the mandatory women’s representation to 33% is unfeasible under the current framework exposes a profound institutional malaise. Chairperson R M A L Rathnayake revealed that 46 Local Govt bodies have failed to meet even the existing 25% quota, while six legally elected female councillors remain unappointed due to more..

Jul 17 (TM) There is a need for the routine monitoring and verification of town-based retail open markets exposed directly to open environments to assess the efficiency of control measures and food safety recommendations. This is in the context of the microbial counts of almost all samples of chicken, beef, and mutton in open markets in the Jaffna Town exceeding the acceptable limits set by international and more..

Jul 17 (DM) The independence of the judiciary is one of the cornerstones of a functioning democracy. It is not merely a constitutional principle but a safeguard against the abuse of executive and legislative power. Any move that affects the structure, composition, or tenure of the judiciary must therefore be approached with utmost caution, transparency, and broad consultation. Govt’s proposal to extend the retirement age of Supreme Court & Court of Appeal judges has triggered strong opposition more..

Jul 17 (GV) The govt has indicated its intention to amend the retirement age of judges including judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. This has been causing to a significant debate among legal professionals, policymakers and the public. Bar Association of SL (BASL), together with international legal organizations including the Commonwealth Lawyers Association and LAWASIA as well as several regional bar associations has expressed serious concern that proposed amendment more..

Jul 17 (SO) Scattered across the country’s forests, villages, mountains, river valleys and coastlines are the enduring monuments of more than 2,500 years of civilisation—from soaring stupas (dagabas) and ancient monasteries to forgotten Hindu shrines, churches, mosques, weathered inscriptions, majestic reservoirs and long-forgotten settlements. The island’s archaeological heritage tells the remarkable story of more..

Jul 17 (DM) The six parties consist of two representatives from each community - ITAK, and TNA from the Northern and Eastern Tamils, CWC and TPA from Malayaga Tamils, SLMC and ACMC from the Muslims. They announced on Monday that they launched this platform to address common concerns of Tamil-speaking communities living in the Northern, Eastern, Western provinces and plantation regions. We describe the launch of this platform, as it is called by the media, more..

Jul 17 (CT) The lifeblood of any democracy is the people’s right to elect their representatives. Yet, in Sri Lanka, the continued postponement of Provincial Council (PC) elections has raised serious questions about the country’s commitment to democratic governance and constitutional accountability. When the NPP came to power, it pledged to strengthen democratic institutions, restore good governance, uphold the rule of law, and ensure greater transparency in govt. more..

Jul 16 (Island) Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha, and Secretary to Ministry of Health and Mass Media, Dr. Anil Jasinghe on Monday signed a MoU for supply of medical equipment to Base Hospital, Deniyaya. Minister Nalinda Jayatissa was present on the occasion. The IHC spokesperson said: “Under this MoU, Govt of India will provide grant assistance of SLR 600 million to equip Deniyaya hospital, which is being relocated by the SL Govt as a comprehensive disaster preparedness measure due to its current location more..

Jul 16 (FT) Treasury has authorised Govt institutions to revise prices and extend procurement contracts affected by the Middle East conflict and Cyclone Ditwah, providing temporary relief to contractors facing higher fuel, freight, and construction costs. Temporary measures allow eligible Government contracts to be repriced or extended to reflect higher fuel, freight, and material costs, giving contractors, suppliers, and consultants engaged in public projects greater flexibility more..

Jul 16 (EN) Sri Lanka plans to expand the annual passenger capacity of the Bandaranaike Int'l Airport (BIA) in Katunayake to 24.2 million by the year 2055 under a new 30-year development blueprint. The three-year efficiency and development plan was discussed during a pre-budget meeting chaired by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat to review the 2026 progress and 2027 budget allocations for the Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation. more..

Jul 16 (AD) Six Tamil and Muslim political parties that have long been aligned with the opposition coalition, Samagi Jana Sandhanaya (SJS), have decided to present their concerns to the government through a common platform, a move that political analysts believe could pose a significant challenge to the opposition. According to political analysts, the development could further fragment the country’s main opposition ahead of the anticipated Provincial Council elections. more..

Jul 16 (DN) Arogya Mobile Health Clinic implemented under the national Healthy Sri Lanka initiative by the Health and Mass Media Ministry across the country was held at Lake House – Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd, (ANCL) – yesterday under the patronage of Deputy Minister Dr. Kaushalya Ariyarathne and with the participation of ANCL Chairman Gamini Warushamana and other officials. This health camp offered ANCL employees medical consultations and screenings. more..

Jul 16 (NF) Sri Lanka's flagship digital identity initiative is now on the verge of becoming a reality, with India's High Commissioner to SL, Santosh Jha, announcing that SL Unique Digital Identity (SLUDI) Project is finally ready to move forward. High Commissioner Jha said only a few remaining procedural steps need to be completed before a formal announcement can be made regarding the launch of the project. more..

Jul 16 (NW) SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa has urged regional leaders to embrace the Indian Ocean Century, positioning SL as a trusted bridge linking Asia, Middle East, and Africa. Speaking at the Global Economic Cooperation (GEC) East Summit in Singapore, Rajapaksa joined a panel alongside Curtis S. Chin, Chair of Senior Fellows at the Milken Institute and former US Ambassador to ADB. The session was convened under the Future Economic Cooperation Council Satellite Convening. more..

Jul 16 (EN) Sri Lanka’s services sector expanded in Jun 2026, according to a Purchasing Managers Index compiled by the central bank which registered an index value of 58.5, compared to 56.9 the previous month. “Growth was primarily driven by the financial and professional services sub-sectors, alongside notable gains in the insurance sector,” CBSL said. Business activity expanded in June 2026, supported by broad sectoral improvements, the central bank said. more..

Jul 16 (NW) Supreme Court has fixed Sept 11 to confirm facts in a fundamental rights petition filed by the father of a student who died in a bus accident involving Kotelawala Defence Uni (KDU) students in Badulla in 2024. It is reported that the petition seeks compensation, alleging that the accident violated the fundamental rights of his son and two other students who lost their lives. The case was taken up before a 3‑judge bench comprising Arjuna Obeyesekere, Dr. Sobitha Rajakaruna & Menaka Wijesundara. more..

Jul 16 (NW) Former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that he was not the first choice to assume leadership during SL’s political and economic crisis in 2022, but stepped in when others declined responsibility. He recalled the circumstances under which he became President, noting that the UNP had been reduced to a single seat in Parliament. “I may have been about number four. But I thought it could be handled, and we have to go ahead, stabilize the economy, and work it out,” more..

Jul 16 (NF) Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) has expressed serious concern over allegations of reprisals, torture, ill-treatment and administrative failures involving inmates transferred from Negombo Prison, while directing prison authorities to take urgent corrective measures. The developments emerged following a meeting held on July 14 between the HRCSL and senior officials attached to more..

Jul 16 (NF) Colombo High Court today fixed Aug 31 for a pre-trial conference in the case filed against Yoshitha Rajapaksa, and his grandmother, Daisy Forrest, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The order was issued when the case was called before HC Judge Rashmi Singappuli. During the proceedings, State Counsel Oswald Perera informed court that the prosecution was seeking a date for a pre-trial conference and requested appropriate directions from the court. more..

Jul 16 (NW) A conflict broke out between Jaffna District MP Archchuna Ramanathan and Minister of Fisheries Ramalingam Chandrasekar during the Kilinochchi district coordination committee meeting held today. Video footage shows the MP and Minister engaging in a verbal argument, after which a confrontation breaks out when the Minister attempts to take the files in the possession of MP Archchuna. “If you lay a hand on me, I’ll lay a hand on you too… got it?” MP Archchuna more..

Jul 16 (Island) Hospitals are coming under mounting pressure as the country’s dengue epidemic gathers pace, with nearly 70,000 infections and 48 deaths reported so far this year, prompting health authorities to launch an intensive week-long mosquito control campaign in 11 districts. NDCU said 69,951 dengue cases had been reported by July 13, with 14,572 new infections recorded during the first 13 days of July alone. more..

Jul 16 (DN) Extending the service period of experienced senior judges could help address the backlog of cases in courts while making use of their judicial expertise for the benefit of the public, former MP and DLF Secretary Vasudeva Nanayakkara has stated. Issuing a statement, Nanayakkara said any extension of the service period of Superior Court judges should clearly reflect the genuine requirements of the judiciary. He noted that, as the fundamental principle of justice states, more..

Jul 16 (NW) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has instructed officials to promptly resolve outstanding issues relating to the proposed contributory pension scheme for Sri Lankan migrant workers and ensure its inclusion in this year’s Budget proposals. Highlighting that overseas workers remain one of the country’s largest sources of foreign exchange earnings, the President stressed the need for a structured and sustainable pension scheme to safeguard their future. more..

Jul 16 (NW) The Consulate Office of the Republic of Lithuania in SL has warned the public to beware of fraudsters demanding money while falsely promising jobs in Lithuania. Consulate said it has received numerous complaints that individuals and agents are misleading Sri Lankans by claiming employment can be secured in Lithuania on a tourist visa. The Consulate stressed that such promises are illegal and urged citizens not to deposit money into personal accounts or pay anyone claiming more..

Jul 16 (FT) Corporate Management Consultants, under the leadership of Malik Rizvi Abdul Cader, is organising a timely and practical seminar for Company Secretaries on the challenges encountered in complying with the Beneficial Ownership provisions introduced under the Companies Act, No. 12 of 2025. Since the enactment of the new legislation, Company Secretaries have faced numerous practical and legal issues in interpreting and more..

Jul 16 (DM) Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has filed an intervention petition before the Court of Appeal seeking the dismissal of the writ application filed by former SIS Director Suresh Sallay, arguing that the petition could impede the ongoing CID investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday bomb attacks. In his intervention petition, Cardinal has requested the Court to reject Sallay’s writ application, maintaining that granting more..

Jul 16 (AD) China will provide as a donation the school uniform fabric required for the year 2027 for all students and student monks studying in govt schools, govt-aided schools and got-approved Pirivens in SL. The official exchange of agreements related to the donation was held at the Ministry of Education in Battaramulla. Under the assistance programme, full uniform requirement for nearly 4.18 million school students across SL will be covered for the year 2027. more..

Jul 16 (NW) The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) says it has uncovered expired and unfit medical laboratory materials during a series of special raids targeting private hospitals and medical laboratories across Sri Lanka. The CAA said 52 raids were carried out covering all districts as part of a nationwide operation aimed at safeguarding consumer health and safety. According to the authority, inspections revealed serious non-compliances at several institutions, including more..