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..

Jul 16 (DM) The Western Province Provincial Council has revised entertainment tax rates applicable to cinemas, sports events and concerts within the Colombo Municipal Council area under a new gazette notification. The revised tax schedule was published in Gazette Extraordinary No. 2489/69 dated May 22, 2026, under the authority of Western Province Governor Hanif Yusoof. The rates are based on a resolution approved by the CCC more..

Jul 16 (Island) At present, El Niño conditions have developed and are classified as being at a weak level. Forecasts indicate a 63% probability of a very strong El Niño event developing during the period from Nov 2026 to Jan 2027. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there is approximately a one-third probability that El Niño will remain below a very strong intensity. Based on analyses of past El Niño events that occurred between 1950 & 2025 more..

Jul 16 (DM) The govt will introduce a subject-based teacher recruitment system to address the country's teacher shortage, Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Govt Minister Prof. Chandana Abayaratne said. Speaking at the opening of a new classroom building at Karukkumaduwa Junior School in Anamaduwa, the Minister said the new recruitment process would fill vacancies in specific subjects, particularly those facing severe shortages such as Mathematics. more..

Jul 16 (FT) SL’s electric vehicle market in 2026 is no longer a futuristic conversation. It is becoming a live economic, consumer and infrastructure discussion. After several years of vehicle import restrictions, high vehicle prices, fuel-price volatility and foreign exchange pressure, electric vehicles are now entering the market with renewed visibility. Colombo EV Motor Show 2026, held in June, was another sign that the EV conversation has moved into the mainstream business space. more..

Jul 16 (FT) The release of a draft of the Non-Governmental Organisations (Registration and Supervision) Act, L.D.-O. 6/2026, is praiseworthy. This will allow all who care about democratic values to study the text and assess its implications. The implications are serious. If the draft is made law as is and its provisions are fully implemented, the democratic society that we are accustomed to will be severely eroded. The draft is anchored on the belief that almost all altruistic activities more..

Jul 16 (FT) Public confidence in Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake remains significantly stronger than that of Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, even as a majority of Sri Lankans say their household economic conditions have deteriorated over the past year, according to the latest CPA Social Indicator July 2026: Confidence in Democratic Governance Index survery. Survey found that 75.5% of respondents are satisfied with Prez more..

Jul 16 (Island) The govt has initiated what could become one of the most significant reforms of Sri Lanka’s social security system in decades by appointing a Senior Officials’ Committee to examine the feasibility of bringing the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) and the Employees’ Trust Fund (ETF) under a unified tripartite governance framework representing the govt, employers and employees. Cabinet approval was granted following a proposal submitted by the Minister of Labour. more..

Jul 16 (Island) Former Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris yesterday briefed the UN Resident Coordinator in Colombo, Marc-André Franche, on Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s move to extend the retirement ages of the superior court judges and the delay in filling the vacancies in the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. Prof. Peiris, the convenor of the People’s Joint Opposition, led the delegation that included UNP General Secretary and former Minister Thalatha Atukorale, former UPFA National more..

Jul 16 (ST) Following alarming security breaches targeting critical govt online infrastructure, Sri Lanka CERT (Pvt) Ltd has called for bids to acquire a comprehensive cybersecurity solution. SLCERT, which operates under the Digital Economy Ministry, is the national centre for cybersecurity, tasked with protecting SL’s digital infrastructure from cyber threats. The tender closes on August 13 this year. It aims to establish a specialised more..

Jul 16 (FT) Sri Lanka’s tea production rebounded in June with a 4% year-on-year (YoY) increase, although output for the first half of 2026 remained under pressure from extreme weather, the lingering impact of Cyclone Ditwah, and soaring fertiliser prices, according to preliminary data released yesterday by the Sri Lanka Tea Board. National tea production for June totalled 22.5 million kilograms (MnKg), compared with 21.7 MnKg recorded in the corresponding month of 2025. more..

Jul 16 (DM) Claiming that the govt never called him back, outgoing Ambassador of SL to the US Mahinda Samarasinghe said he is not hesitant to render his service for the country, if the govt invited him. Samarasinghe made these remarks during a felicitation and blessing ceremony held at the Washington DC Buddhist Viharaya recently. Samarasinghe said 16 out of the 17 ambassadors who had been appointed by the previous govt were called back after the present govt came to more..

Jul 16 (AD) PM Harini Amarasuriya, who is in the State of Qatar to convey condolences on the passing of the Father Amir, arrived at Lusail Palace in Doha today (15). Upon her arrival, PM was received by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Minister of Interior of the State of Qatar. PM subsequently met with His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. During the meeting, PM Harini Amarasuriya conveyed to His Highness more..

Jul 16 (NW) BIA has reported handling nearly 4.75 million passenger movements during the first six months of 2026, highlighting continued growth in Sri Lanka’s aviation and tourism sectors. In a statement, BIA said it recorded 4,748,481 passenger movements, 30,659 aircraft movements and 424,856 transit passenger movements between January and June 2026. The airport also reported that 1,146,573 tourists arrived in Sri Lanka through BIA during the six-month period. more..

Jul 16 (FT) Govt yesterday launched the countrywide Ceylon Tea Village program, a flagship initiative aimed at transforming SL’s smallholder tea sector through higher productivity, value addition and rural development, as it seeks to lift annual tea production to 400 million kilograms and increase export earnings to $ 2.5 billion by 2030. The first phase of the program commenced simultaneously across the country with the establishment of more..

Jul 16 (NW) SL Police have issued a clarification regarding a viral social media video claiming an eight-year-old child set fire to a car at a school, stating that investigations have not found evidence to support the allegation. The incident involved a vehicle worth around Rs. 14 million that caught fire within the premises of a school in Kurunegala on July 3. Following a complaint alleging that the eight-year-old child was responsible for the fire, Kurunegala Police launched an investigation. more..

Jul 16 (FT) Colombo Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasena ordered the issuance of an open warrant against Priyanka Niyomali Wijenayake, the wife of late former SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena, in connection with the ongoing investigation into the Airbus procurement case. The order followed submissions by an officer of the CID, who informed court that a warrant had already been issued against the second suspect and requested that an open warrant be issued in English. more..

Jul 16 (EN) Revenue collected by SL Customs in the first 14 days of July accounted for over 65% of the month, as the island nation is likely to outperform the target for the seventh consecutive month. Customs’ July revenue target has been set at 192.4 billion rupees. But the revenue collecting body has already collected 125.2 billion rupees in the first 14 days of this month, official data showed. The revenue collecting body has already exceeded monthly targets in the last six straight months more..

Jul 16 (FT) SL’s manufacturing and services sectors in June have expanded, though at a slower rate compared to the previous month, as per the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), its compiler the Central Bank of SL (CBSL) said. Manufacturing PMI registered an index value of 53 in June, indicating a continued expansion in manufacturing activities, although at a slower rate compared to 56.6 in May 2026. The CBSL said incoming orders in June were broadly unchanged from the previous month, more..

Jul 16 (DN) The sixth edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) will begin in spectacular fashion tomorrow at the SSC Grounds in Colombo with a grand opening ceremony, officially launching the sixth edition of the country’s premier franchise T20 tournament. Tournament Director Samantha Dodanwela said this year’s tournament will, for the first time, be held across four venues, bringing together cricket, entertainment, technology more..

Jul 16 (EN) National Institute of Business Management (NIBM) has launched the Best Innovative Business Model Awards (BIBMA) 2026 to recognize and benchmark innovative organizations across Sri Lanka. The awards aim to establish a national framework for businesses that have transformed how they create, deliver, and capture value, while encouraging long-term competitiveness and sustainability. “As a country, we are moving forward from the recovery economy more..

Jul 16 (NW) Former Minister Mervyn Silva, former State Minister Prasanna Ranaweera and four others were served indictments by the Attorney General on Wednesday over the alleged attempted sale of a State-owned land in Kiribathgoda using forged documents. Indictments were served when the case was taken up before Gampaha HC Judge Nayana Seneviratne. State Counsel Samadari Piyasena, appearing on behalf of AG, handed over the indictments to each of the accused. more..