Jul 31 (NW) The 11th National Scout Jamboree, organised by the SL Scout Association to mark its 115th anniversary, is scheduled to be held from 17 to 23 Jan 2027 at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Int'l Sports Complex in Diyagama. A discussion on organisational arrangements and progress was held yesterday at the Presidential Secretariat, reviewing preparations for the Jamboree. Meeting focused on mobilising support from state and semi‑govt institutions and assigning responsibilities more..

Jul 31 (FT) SL’s next phase of economic development will depend less on whether it can produce ideas than whether it can convert those ideas into globally competitive businesses. This is according to economists, scientists, technology specialists and legal scholars who addressed the inaugural Alumni Association of the University of Colombo Global Hybrid Alumni Knowledge-Sharing Seminar Series on Technology and Innovation, Trade & Economics, and Law & Governance. more..

Jul 31 (NW) Lt Gen K.V.N.P. Premaratne received his letter of appointment as the 26th Commander of the SL Army from Presidential Secretary Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake at the Presidential Secretariat today. The appointment, on the instructions of Commander‑in‑Chief of the Armed Forces, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, takes effect from August 1, following the retirement of General Lasantha Rodrigo today. Major General K.V.N.P. Premaratne who has been serving as more..

Jul 31 (NW) SL’s 1990 Suwa Seriya ambulance service marked its 10th anniversary on Friday, with Minister Nalinda Jayatissa announcing plans to expand the national emergency response fleet to 470 ambulances. The commemorative event was held at the SL Foundation Institute in Colombo with the participation of Suwa Seriya founder and MP Harsha de Silva and Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha. Launched on July 28, 2016, more..

Jul 31 (Island) Uma Kumaran, Labour MP for Stratford and Bow has been appointed Parliamentary UnderSecretary of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, becoming the first British Tamil to hold ministerial office. The appointment was confirmed on Wednesday as the new PM, Andy Burnham, set out his ministerial team. Kumaran will also serve as an Assistant Whip. Foreign Office is the department responsible for British foreign policy, more..

Jul 31 (NW) Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) announced today that fuel prices will remain unchanged in August under the monthly price revision scheme. Accordingly, prevailing prices will continue without adjustment. CPC Chairman D.J. Rajakaruna made the announcement during a special press briefing held this afternoon, confirming that no revisions will be applied for the month. Last month, the CPC reduced the prices of Petrol Octane 92 and Auto Diesel with effect from midnight more..

Jul 31 (TM) Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage in a damning indictment of the current Council of Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR), stated that in his view any future upward curve of the sport here, will hinge on the shoulders of three past greats of the game the country has produced. He made this candid assessment addressing a media conference held at on Tuesday, to officially launch the inaugural Asia Pacific Lions vs Northampton Saints tour more..

Jul 31 (DN) Minister Susil Ranasinghe stated that action will be taken, based on the recommendations of a committee appointed to examine housing projects that were commenced during previous administrations but left incomplete due to various reasons. He said that there are nearly 5,000 such incomplete housing units around the country. The matter was discussed at the meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Housing, Construction and Water Supply, more..

Jul 31 (DN) The newly constructed Jana Arunagama model village was officially vested in the public yesterday (29). Initiated in 2018 as part of the Indian Govt Grant Aid Model Village Housing Scheme, the construction of this housing project had been stalled from time to time due to economic, social, and diverse challenges faced by the country. Its construction was expedited after the current Govt took over. Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, who was at the hand-over with more..

Jul 31 (NW) Former IGP Pujith Senadhi Bandara Jayasundara, once the country’s highest-ranking police officer, was on Friday sentenced to death by a majority decision of a three-judge bench of the Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar after being found guilty over his failure to act on intelligence warnings ahead of the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks. Born on March 15, 1960, in Kurunegala, Jayasundara studied at Ibbagamuwa Central School & Dharmaraja College, more..

Jul 31 (DM) Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) concluded the week with another subdued trading session, as both benchmark indices edged marginally lower amid cautious investor sentiment. Price movements remained largely range-bound throughout the day, while trading activity was dominated by high-value crossing transactions rather than broad-based market participation. Although turnover and share volume increased sharply compared to the previous session, more..

Jul 31 (AD) The Colombo Permanent Trial-at-Bar today (31) also sentenced former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando to death after finding him guilty of criminal negligence and other charges over his failure to prevent the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks despite receiving prior intelligence information. He was sentenced by the court after finding him guilty of criminal dereliction of duty, attempted murder and murder, for failing to more..

Jul 31 (DM) Journalists in Jaffna staged a protest today demanding justice for murdered journalists and calling for impartial and credible investigations into the killings of media personnel, attacks on journalists, and violence against media institutions. The protest was held on Friday in front of the Jaffna District Secretariat. The demonstration coincided with the two-day visit of Dr. Kaushalya Ariyarathna, Deputy Minister of Mass Media, who is participating in several official events in Jaffna. more..

Jul 31 (NW) Police Spokesman ASP F.U. Wootler says steps are being taken to vest with the govt illegal assets worth Rs. 3,811 million that were seized between 2024 and 2026. Wootler said authorities had moved to deactivate or seize Rs. 1490 million worth of illegal assets in 2024. He said legal proceedings were initiated to vest Rs. 1549 million worth of illegal property with the State in 2025, while action has already begun this year to confiscate assets valued at Rs. 772 million. more..

Jul 31 (AD) The Supreme Court has ordered an employee to pay Rs. 50 million in compensation to a company operating in the Katunayake Export Processing Zone for allegedly disclosing its “manufacturing secrets” and “trade secrets” to another company for financial gain. The verdict was delivered by Supreme Court Judge Mahinda Samayawardhena, with the concurrence of Justices Janak de Silva & Sampath more..

Jul 31 (AD) PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that a nation and society can only progress with a generation of young people equipped with skills and vision, and that it is essential to build the confidence of young people that opportunities exist for them while ensuring those opportunities become a reality. PM made these remarks on 30 July while attending the official launch of the Sri Lanka Skills Expo 2026 educational exhibition, held at the Colombo Mayor's Official Residence, more..

Jul 31 (DM) Leader of the Opposition, Sajith Premadasa, will host the Sri Lankan Leopard Day 2026 tomorrow from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Opposition Leader's office in Colombo 7, bringing together leading experts, policymakers, conservationists, researchers, govt institutions, civil society organisations, the private sector and young people to strengthen national efforts to conserve the SL leopard. The SL leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) is one of the country's most treasured more..