Jul 20 (AD) Train services at the Colombo Fort Railway Station have been disrupted after a train derailed at the station a short while ago, blocking operations on two platforms. The incident occurred at around 4:35 p.m. when Train No. 1164, scheduled to depart from the Colombo Fort Station for Rambukkana at 4:45 p.m., derailed while attempting to enter the platform after arriving late. According to reports, two wheels of one carriage had come off the tracks during the derailment. more..

Jul 20 (NW) Boxing Association of SL (BASL) will conduct the 2026 U-19 Men’s and Women’s Boxing Championships from 14 to 18 July 2026 at the SL Boxing Gymnasium, Diyagama. The championship will serve as a key selection event for identifying talented young boxers to represent SL at upcoming int'l U-19 competitions organized by World Boxing, making it one of the most significant events in the national amateur boxing calendar. Tournament is open to all eligible amateur boxers more..

Jul 20 (AD) Bar Association of SL (BASL) has called on the govt to halt further action on a proposed constitutional amendment to increase the retirement ages of Supreme Court and Court of Appeal judges until consultations are held with key stakeholders in the justice sector. In a letter addressed to Minister of Justice Harshana Nanayakkara, BASL President Rajeev Amarasuriya said the proposed amendment raised more..

Jul 20 (DN) Ten key locations in the Badulla District have been identified for development as tourism zones as part of a district-wide plan to enhance the tourism sector, Provincial Department of Tourism said. The initiative aims to develop these areas as environmentally and climate-sensitive tourist destinations while providing visitors with a more enriching experience through a mid-term development programme. The plans were discussed at the Badulla District Tourism more..

Jul 20 (EN) SL’s private sector has pointed out the growing need for renewable energy in meeting rising electricity demand while reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels, even as tensions around the strait of Hormuz ratcheted up. The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce recently convened Energy Transition in SL: Strategic Insights from Global Markets, bringing together stakeholders from govt, industry, academia, and the energy sector to discuss the policies, investments, and reforms needed to more..

Jul 20 (EN) Central Bank’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) imposed administrative penalties worth Rs. 14.6 million from 11 firms including Indian Overseas Bank for non-compliance with the provisions of the Financial Transactions Reporting Act (FTRA), Central Bank said. The penalties were imposed on various financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses and professions (DNFBPs) between Oct 2025 more..

Jul 20 (AD) National Election Commission has proposed a technical framework to increase the representation of women and youth in Provincial Council Elections while maintaining the existing Proportional Representation (PR) electoral system. The proposal was presented to the Parliamentary Select Committee appointed to study and recommend the electoral system for future Provincial Council Elections. Committee, chaired by Minister Vijitha Herath, discussed the EC’s report more..

Jul 20 (DN) When the Election Commission indicated this week that increasing the quota for women in local body elections from 25 percent to 33 percent was a near impossibility, given that some councils had failed to even meet the existing legal requirement, it said something that extended well beyond electoral mechanics. It confirmed, with the quiet authority of administrative fact, what the data on SL women has been saying for decades: that the barriers keeping women out of public life more..

Jul 20 (PMD) A discussion on the issues currently affecting the prison system and the measures required to address them was held under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat this morning. The meeting was attended by officials of the relevant Ministry and the Dept of Prisons. During the discussion, the President reviewed at length the proposals and views presented by the officials on addressing challenges facing prison system. more..

Jul 20 (DN) Today we are talking about one of the burning issues of the country. It is the number of drug addicts who need to be rehabilitated. Prisons are NOT the place for drug addicts because they are suffering from an addiction. Prison is for Drug Kingpins, Drug Lords and Drug Peddlers, NOT for drug addicts. When observing all issues connected to illicit drugs, we can clearly see that the root cause of all problems is keeping drug addicts in prisons without keeping them in a separate place until more..

Jul 20 (TM) The final rites of former IGP Chandana D Wickramaratne will be conducted with full police honours today. The decision had been taken as Wickramaratne was a retired IGP. The body of the country's 35th IGP is currently lying at a private funeral parlour in Colombo and was available for public respects from yesterday. Wickramaratne died at his residence on 18 July. Police suspect that incident was a suicide. more..

Jul 20 (Island) National Movement for Consumer Rights Protection has called on the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) to make it mandatory for manufacturers to disclose all ingredients used in soap production on product packaging. Organisation’s President, Ranjith Vithanage, has urged the CAA to issue a Gazette notification requiring soap manufacturers to clearly list all ingredients on soap wrappers and packaging, arguing that consumers have a right to know more..

Jul 20 (BBC) Describing a result as a victory for football might seem like a trite cliche - but you won't find many neutrals disagreeing with that description of Spain's win in the 2026 World Cup final. When Ferran Torres slammed in the extra-time winner, and Rodri lifted the trophy high in New Jersey, it is hard to imagine many will have had sympathy for Argentina. Spain triumphed in a battle of endurance, for players and spectators, to beat the Argentines and win their second men's World Cup. more..

Jul 20 (Island) The country was losing so much revenue due to the controversial liquor bottle security sticker scam that if tangible measures were taken to stop the fraud, they could fund about eight projects on the scale of the Suwaseriya ambulance service, Chairman of the COPF, MP Harsha de Silva said. He described the security sticker, introduced for alcoholic beverages, as a major scam and called on the govt to more..

Jul 20 (CT) The CID informed Negombo Chief Magistrate Shilani Perera on 16 July that the Digital Video Recorder (DVR) units connected to the CCTV cameras at the Negombo Prison, which had been damaged and taken into custody following the unrest caused by inmates, had been forwarded to the Computer Forensics Laboratory of the Un of Moratuwa for a special forensic examination. The CID further informed the Court that the area where the clash occurred had been mapped more..

Jul 20 (EN) Foreign holdings in Sri Lanka rupee bonds hit a fresh near 3-year high in the week ended on July 16 as offshore investors bought a net US$ 23.2 million worth of govt securities, Central Bank data showed, amid a stable rupee currency. Foreigners bought a net 7,666 million rupees (US$23.2 million at 1$=330 rupees) in the week, which boosted foreign holdings in rupee bonds to 176,561 million rupees, the highest since July 27, 2023, the Central Bank data showed. more..

Jul 20 (NW) Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has introduced new safety standards for processed liquid milk to strengthen consumer protection, with stricter limits imposed on aflatoxin levels. According to Direction No. 98 issued by the CAA, all processed liquid milk sold or distributed in SL must comply with the SLS 1815 standard and contain no more than 0.5 micrograms of aflatoxin per kilogram (0.5 µg/kg or ppb). The manufacture, import, packing, storage, and sale of processed liquid milk exceeding more..

Jul 20 (TM) The All Ceylon Egg Producers' Association has announced an increase in egg prices with effect from today (20), citing rising production costs and shortages of animal feed. Association Chairperson Sarath Ratnayake said that the price of a white egg would increase to Rs 41, while a red egg would be sold at Rs 42. He blamed the Government and relevant authorities for the price increase, alleging that the suspension of corn imports had severely affected the industry. more..

Jul 20 (TM) The NDCU has urged the public to seek medical advice and treatment as soon as dengue symptoms appear, after revealing that women account for the majority of dengue-related deaths reported this year. Dr Kapila Kannangara said that 37 of the 53 dengue deaths recorded so far this year involved women. He attributed the higher number of female fatalities to the tendency of many women to continue more..

Jul 20 (DM) Inland Revenue Dept said it will initiate criminal prosecution against individuals and entities who deliberately fail to meet their specified income tax obligations. IRD said the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Act, No. 11 of 2026, which amends the Inland Revenue Act, No. 24 of 2017, came into force on 3rd June 2026 and that it introduces prosecution actions for certain compliance failures. The Department said a taxpayer who fails to comply with statutory requirements more..

Jul 20 (ST) The Public Debt Management Office (PDMO) is undergoing rapid operational restructuring to fix the systemic vulnerabilities that allowed the recent US$2.5 million cyber fraud. The Committee on Public Finanace (COPF) investigation and the Central Bank of SL (CB) revealed that the cyber heist occurred during a chaotic 18-month transition where responsibilities between institutions were poorly defined. The new framework introduces strict structural and digital boundaries. more..

Jul 20 (Island) SL exporters targeting the European Union are being urged to prepare immediately for sweeping new sustainability regulations that will fundamentally change how businesses market products, manage supply chains and demonstrate environmental and social responsibility. Beginning Sept 27, 2026, companies selling goods and services into the EU will face tougher scrutiny under the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (EmpCo), which is designed to more..

Jul 20 (TM) Ministry of Public Admin, PCs and LG has stated it has not received any formal complaints regarding allegations that certain public officials are preventing Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) from taking legal action against Govt institutions where dengue mosquito breeding sites have been detected. Ministry Secretary S. Alokabandara said that while there may be incidents occurring in certain places, no specific complaint had been officially submitted to the Ministry for investigation. more..

Jul 20 (TM) Operational inefficiencies, prolonged project delays, and weak financial management at the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) have indirectly contributed to the steep water tariff increases imposed on the public, a special audit report by the National Audit Office (NAO) has found, indicating that consumers have effectively been made to absorb the cost of the board’s own shortcomings. more..

Jul 20 (DM) SL’s banking and finance sector has been issued a blunt warning to abandon its heavy reliance on collateral-backed loans and transition to risk-based credit evaluations. The stark directive was delivered by top financial regulators during the launch of the Credit Information Bureau of SL’s (CRIB) new customer-facing mobile application, myCRIB, held in Colombo last Friday. Speaking at the launch, CRIB Chairman and CB Deputy Governor K.G.P. Sirikumara directly more..

Jul 20 (DN) Sri Lanka’s Jayden De Silva and Hashel Senarath continued their impressive run at the 12th Asian Age Group Aquatic Championships by reaching international finals in the boys’ 200m butterfly, while Rushalee Dissanayake capped another memorable day by breaking the Sri Lanka Under-17 National Age Group record in the girls’ 800m freestyle in Bangkok, Thailand yesterday. Hashel produced a personal best of 2:16.15 to finish sixth in the boys’ 13-14 200m butterfly final. more..

Jul 20 (CT) This is the first of two articles on the coconut sector based on a draft report released by the Plantation Ministry. This gives a brief overview of the sector and future plans, while the next includes plans by the Govt to develop a Northern Coconut Triangle. The coconut sector, a vital pillar of SL’s plantation economy, contributes approximately 6-7% of total exports and 1% to national GDP, sustaining the livelihoods of more..

Jul 20 (DN) Jaffna Kings the defending champions fought back to gain 5 wickets win with six balls to spare against Dambulla Sixes in their LPL cricket fixture played at the SSC grounds yesterday. It was a low scoring game which Dambulla Sixes was restricted to 130 all out in 19.3 overs while Jaffna Kings chasing their target lost their openers Avishka Fernando (15) and Kamil Mishara (9) during first power play with spinners Maheesh Theekshana and Vishwa Lahiru made early breakthroughs. more..

Jul 20 (TM) Though 22% of all containers processed through Sri Lanka's ports in the first quarter of 2026 were referred to Other Government Agencies (OGA) for mandatory inspections, only 13% were selected for intrusive examination by SL Customs, according to the Progress Report for end-March. “It is important to note that a significant portion of these referrals, specifically 22% of the total containers, is due to regulatory requirements enforced by Other Govt Agencies (OGAs),” more..

Jul 20 (NW) Lanka Premier League’s newly introduced Impact Player rule has come under scrutiny after teams used it to field five overseas players during the opening matches of the 2026 season, despite the tournament’s long-standing limit of four foreign players. The rule was introduced this season to add a tactical element to matches while also creating greater opportunities for local players. Under the new regulation, teams are permitted to make one tactical substitution during a match, more..

Jul 20 (DM) Govt is rapidly advancing a comprehensive digital economy blueprint designed to dismantle long-standing barriers to finance, with plans to introduce an artificial intelligence-powered horizontal lending rail that will connect micro-enterprises directly to mainstream credit markets, revealed Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya, Chief Advisor to the Prez on Digital Economy. Delivering the keynote speech at the launch of the Credit Information Bureau (CRIB) customer-focused mobile more..