Jul 3 (NW) Professor Fazeeha Azmi has assumed duties as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador-designate to Iran, becoming the country’s first female envoy appointed to the post. She formally assumed duties at the Sri Lankan Embassy in Tehran on June 30. Addressing embassy staff, Prof. Azmi outlined the Govt’s priorities and stressed the importance of strengthening Sri Lanka’s longstanding ties with Iran, as well as with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, where she is also accredited. more..

Jul 3 (DN) Homagama Magistrate’s Court ordered the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) depot in Homagama to pay a fine of Rs.25,000 for maintaining dengue mosquito breeding grounds on its premises. The legal action was initiated following an inspection by the Homagama Medical Officer of Health (MOH) Office, which found mosquito larvae at multiple locations within the depot. Recent inspections by the Homagama MOH uncovered active dengue mosquito larvae breeding more..

Jul 3 (FT) Over the next six months of this year, we will see significant changes in monetary policy and the use of macroprudential policy tools to bring private credit growth back, at least to a moderate level of around 13% or so. The objective is to stabilise and prevent significant volatility in the foreign exchange rate. A stable exchange rate is crucial to a country’s economic growth. This is true for a country that plans to increase Foreign Direct Investment to balance Balance of Payments more..

Jul 3 (FT) If you are a lawyer, and you have taken an oath to uphold and safeguard the law of this land, then live by that oath. Ethics cannot be selective. Integrity cannot be situational. If you are a President’s Counsel, your obligation is even greater. With seniority comes responsibility. With stature comes accountability. You cannot preach principles in public and practice compromise in private. You cannot speak of justice while participating in systems that undermine it. more..

Jun 3 (Island) The CIABOC probing bribery allegations pertaining to the recent arrest of attorney-at-law Rakitha Rajapakshe, former SJB Horana organiser Charitha Abeysinghe and another person is expected to question drug dealer Nadun Chintaka alias Harak Kata being held under the PTA. CIABOC arrested Rakitha and Charitha Abeysinghe and former Director of Airport and Aviation Services Aruna Sri Chathuranga more..

Jun 3 (DM) A unique operation set to mark a historic moment in SL’s railway history is scheduled to be carried out tonight, with a locomotive being transported between Kandy and Peradeniya without using railway tracks. Accordingly, M5 class locomotive No. 781 is being prepared to travel from Kandy to Peradeniya via the highway, in what is believed to be the first such movement in the country’s history. The Department of Railways said the decision was taken as restoration work more..

Jun 3 (Island) Deputy Minister Hansaka Wijemunige states that the Ambuluwawa Biodiversity Complex and Reserve in Gampola is a public property and therefore it will be taken over by the govt soon. Ambuluwawa Biodiversity Complex and Reserve in Gampola is currently managed by the Ambuluwawa D.M. Jayaratne (former PM) Religious Centre and Bio-diversity Complex Trust Fund. It was established as a statutory body corporate under a dedicated Act of Parliament (Act No. 44 of 2009). more..

Jun 3 (Island) Denying social media claims that Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith used the 2019 Easter Sunday attack to have his term extended, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference in SL (CBCSL) has declared its confidence in him. The CBCSL emphasised that only His Holiness the Pope has the full authority to decide the date on which the retirement of a Bishop will officially take effect. more..

Jun 3 (AD) An Extraordinary Gazette Notification has been issued introducing amendments to the food colour-code labelling regulations for sugar-containing liquid food products. The amendments were issued by Minister Nalinda Jayatissa under Section 32 of the Food Act, No. 26 of 1980, and were published in the Extraordinary Gazette dated June 23. According to the new amendments, new regulations have been introduced for the design and display of red, amber & green colour logos more..

Jul 3 (NW) Former Minister S.M. Chandrasena was served with indictments before the Colombo High Court in connection with corruption charges filed by the Bribery Commission. The indictments were presented before High Court Judge Ravindra Premaratne, who ordered Chandrasena’s release on cash bail of Rs. 50,000 and two surety bails of Rs. 1 million each. The case has been fixed for hearing on July 22. The charges relate to the period between Jan 1 and Dec 31, 2014, when more..

Jul 3 (NW) JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva said JVP and the Communist Party of China (CPC) have strengthened bilateral ties through a MoU signed during President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s visit to China in early 2025, with the agreement already leading to training and exchange programmes for party members. Addressing an event marking the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Silva said the MoU has enabled several JVP and NPP activists to more..

Jul 3 (DM) Sri Lanka’s national tea sale average declined in June from the previous month, reflecting weaker prices across all elevations, although year-to-date averages remained marginally higher in rupee terms compared to 2025. According to data, the national tea sale average for June 2026 stood at Rs. 1,153.49 per kilogram, down Rs. 31.07 from Rs. 1,184.56 recorded in May. In dollar terms, the average fell to US$ 3.45 from US$ 3.65 a month earlier. more..

Jul 3 (DM) Sri Lanka has been ranked the Best Island in the World by global travel platform 'Big 7 Travel', topping its annual list of "The 50 Best Islands in the World" for 2026. Now in its seventh edition, the ranking recognises the world's most outstanding island destinations based on a combination of previous media coverage, social media popularity, emerging travel trends, and assessments by Big 7 Travel's editorial team. more..

Jul 3 (NW) Four suspects have been arrested and remanded over the alleged assault of two students from a technical college in Kurunegala following an incident that was circulated on social media, in which the victims were reportedly attacked after refusing to hand over Rs. 100. According to the police, the incident occurred on 25 June. The two 19-year-old students, who were residing in Bamunugedara while studying at Wayamba Tech Technical College, were allegedly assaulted following an argument more..

Jul 3 (FT) GovTech Sri Lanka Ltd, yesterday announced the appointment of Shevan Goonetilleke as its CEO, effective 19 Aug. His appointment marks an important milestone as GovTech enters its next phase of execution in delivering Sri Lanka’s national digital transformation agenda. GovTech Sri Lanka Ltd, is the Govt of SL’s lead implementation agency for national digital transformation. GovTech drives the design and delivery of digital infrastructure, platforms, and services that modernise more..

Jul 3 (DN) SL Export Development Board (EDB) and Import Promotion Desk (IPD), Germany, signed a MoU, reaffirming their long-standing partnership to strengthen export development and enhance market access for SL Export Oriented SMEs MoU was signed in the presence of Dr. Julia Bellinghausen, Head of IPD, together with Marcus Schwenke, Director Int'l Markets, Federation of Wholesale Foreign Trade & Services (BGA), Stephanie Weber, other distinguished representatives of IPD. more..

Jul 3 (CI) After seven defeats across their previous eight Tests, an innings victory was the proverbial monsoon in the desert as far as West Indies were concerned. A statement victory to start off the new World Test Championship cycle, and one that has no doubt reignited belief within this young West Indian outfit. Whether it was Amir Jangoo and Roston Chase's epic partnership or the fire-breathing exploits of Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales and Shamar Joseph, more..

Jul 3 (NW) Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said the Govt aims to reduce waiting times for cardiac catheterisation procedures from around one year to one month by expanding the country’s cath lab network. Speaking at the commissioning of two new cardiac catheterisation laboratories and a renovated Cardiology Day Case Unit at National Hospital, Minister said the number of operational cath labs across the state health more..

Jun 3 (FT) Scouts, Sri Lanka’s pioneering intelligent drone and robotics company, yesterday said it has closed a funding round at a valuation of Rs. 1.6 billion. In a market that has historically exported its engineering talent rather than retaining it, the round represents something more than a financing milestone. The company offers an economically viable solution for security, from small farmers to large solar farms. Scouts provides drone security services, taking responsibility for more..

Jul 3 (DN) Sri Lanka’s motor racing super star Yevan David continued his steady progress in the FIA Formula 3 Championship after producing another impressive recovery drive to gain nine places in the Sprint Race at Austria’s Red Bull Ring, despite seeing his Feature Race end in a first-lap accident. Competing in his fourth FIA Formula 3 weekend with AIX Racing, the 18-year-old showed growing confidence and maturity throughout the weekend. After learning valuable lessons in Barcelona, more..

Jul 3 (FT) Although Sri Lanka has restored macroeconomic stability and completed its sovereign debt restructuring, international investors continue to demand yields well above US Treasury benchmarks to hold the country’s debt, signalling that investors have yet to price in Sri Lanka’s economic stabilisation, Advocata Institute CEO Dhananath Fernando said yesterday. Delivering the keynote address at CA Sri Lanka’s 5th Annual more..

Jul 3 (ST) Central Environmental Authority (CEA) is failing to properly fulfil its responsibility to protect environmentally sensitive areas in SL, experts have alleged. This issue was highlighted during a workshop for environmental journalists held recently in Colombo, organised in conjunction with World Environment Day 2026. Addressing the workshop, which was attended by a panel of environmental experts, Dr Ravindranath Dabare, senior advisor and lawyer at Centre for Environmental Justice, more..

Jul 3 (Island) The vibrant celebration of Canada’s 159th National Day in Colombo brought together diplomats, govt representatives, leading business executives and members of the SL and Canadian communities, highlighting the growing strength of bilateral economic and commercial relations between SL and Canada. Hosted by the Canada SL Business Convention (CanCham SL), the event attracted one of the largest gatherings in its history, providing an important platform for more..

Jul 3 (DM) Dr. Sulakshana Jayawardena, a senior SL civil servant with more than two decades of experience in public administration and energy sector reforms, has been appointed Director General of the BOI. “Stepping into the role of Director General means moving from high-level governance to direct, decisive execution,” he said, adding that the agency would focus on streamlining processes, reducing barriers for investors and promoting a digitally enabled business environment. more..

Jul 3 (FT) After reaching a three-year high in June, inflation is expected to remain elevated over the coming months, but easing global oil prices have reduced the likelihood of a further monetary policy tightening if inflation expectations remain anchored, Central Bank of SL (CBSL) Economic Research Director Dr. Lasitha Pathberiya said yesterday. Addressing the CA SL 5th Annual Economic and Tax Symposium, Dr. Pathberiya said the recent acceleration in inflation to 6.8% remained more..

Jul 3 (ST) Challenges are aplenty for authorities trying to restore the Pettah floating market, which had been opened with much promise in 2014 and now lies wrecked. It was renovated once in 2021 and fell back into neglect. Even though the stalls and shops alongside the Beira Lake remain in a dilapidated state, the water in the lake too is stained with green algae. Garbage bags, discarded water bottles and cans litter the water. more..

Jul 3 (Island) Foreign Relations are all about Control particularly in the context of Relations between Major Powers such as the USA, China and India and small sovereign States such as Sri Lanka. While in the case of such relations, benefits to both parties are inevitable, the need to do so is invariably driven by the national interests of the Major Powers because their interests far outweigh those of small States. This mismatch of interests is what calls for Control of relations more..

Jul 3 (Island) JVP-NPP govt has decided to allow the Emergency regulations to lapse. This is something welcome, but it should have been done months ago. Better late than never. The govt has apparently made a virtue of necessity. It incurred public opprobrium and came under heavy pressure to end the protracted state of Emergency, which was declared in the aftermath of the landfall of Cyclone Ditwah towards the end of last year to facilitate disaster management and relief operations. more..

Jul 3 (TM) The recent announcement of a reduction in fuel prices by the CPC should have been a moment of collective respite for the consumer. The reduction of Auto Diesel by Rs 25 per litre and Petrol 92 Octane by Rs 20 per litre comes as a direct consequence of falling global oil prices, finally reversing the relentless upward trajectory triggered by the outbreak of war in Iran. Yet, instead of celebration, the public reaction has been one of cynicism. more..

Jul 3 (ST) Ethics, governance, transparency, accuracy, accountability and add – sustainability: you are looking at some of the new buzz words claimed by most businesses as they profess a cleaner and more honest engagement with the public-at-large. It is in this context that we must examine the high-end, non-stopping drama and embarrassment that has rocked the global accounting world; KPMG fallout in Australia that has led to a string of resignations and warning from regulatory bodies after more..

Jul 3 (TM) Sri Lanka has long been recognised for its remarkable achievements in education and health. Free education and healthcare, and high literacy rates have enabled the country to achieve social indicators that surpass many Nations with a similar economic status. Yet, beneath these successes lies a silent crisis that threatens the future of the country's education system and its human capital development. more..