News Room : Island Life – Sri Lanka announced as the new rebranded identity of Maitland & Knox Heritage Hotels
Maitland & Knox Heritage Hotels, the homegrown luxury boutique chain behind Galle Fort Hotel, Thotalagala, and The Warden’s House, has officially rebranded as Island Life – Sri Lanka. This is among the biggest rebranding exercises carried...
News Room : No New/Additional VAT Imposed on the Public – Deputy Minister Anil Jayantha Clarifies on ‘Digital Tax’
There has been no imposition of any new or additional Value Added Tax (VAT) on the public, stated Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Dr Anil Jayantha Fernando, addressing the media today (8 July). Responding to concerns over the VAT applicable to digital services in Sri Lanka from 1 October 2025, the Deputy Minister clarified that the recent gazette only outlines...
News Room : Illegal Assembled V8 Case: Sujeewa Senasinghe Failed to Provide Statement on Six Occasions
Colombo Fort Magistrate Nilupuli Lankapura yesterday (7) ordered the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to produce former State Minister Sujeewa Senasinghe before court on 16 July and to submit medical reports confirming his overseas medical treatment. The order was issued in relation to an ongoing case involving the alleged illegal assembly of a luxury V8 motor vehicle, reportedly worth around Rs....
News Room : National Security Worse Off Than During LTTE Era – Sagara Kariyawasam
Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam claims the country is facing a more dangerous situation today than during the time when the LTTE was active. Speaking at a press conference held at the party’s headquarters, Kariyawasam accused the current government of normalising killings and suppressing dissent under a fascist-style regime. He cited the recent killing of Dan Priyasad...
News Room : Kotahena Schoolgirl’s Suicide: Accuracy of School CCTV Under Court Review
Colombo Additional Magistrate Pasan Amarasinghe has ordered the North Colombo Division for Women and Children to submit a comprehensive report on CCTV footage related to the suspected abuse of a schoolgirl who allegedly died by suicide in the Kotahena area. The court directive was issued yesterday (7 July) during a hearing on the incident, in which the girl is believed...
News Room : RTI Blocked: Presidential Secretariat Under Fire for Refusing to Reveal Names of PMD Staff
The Presidential Secretariat has come under fire for refusing to disclose the names of officials attached to the President’s Media Division (PMD), citing privacy provisions under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The denial came in response to an RTI appeal filed by law student and activist Anuruddha Bandara, who had initially submitted a request for the names of PMD...
News Room : Mulder’s 367 not out headlines South Africa’s day of domination
July 7, 2025 may not invoke the same grand feeling of that unforgettable summer afternoon at Lord’s last month, but it’ll still have a reverence of its own for Wiaan Mulder, who, only weeks earlier, stood on the winner’s podium as a newly crowned World Test Champion. One of cricket’s most iconic and celebrated records – Brian Lara’s majestic 400...
News Room : Substandard Medicinal Drugs: Keheliya and 11 Others Summoned by Colombo Trial-at-Bar
The Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar in Colombo has issued summons for former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and 11 other accused to appear in court on 11 July in connection with the alleged purchase of substandard immunoglobulin injections. The summons were issued to serve the indictments, with a total of 13 charges filed against the accused. The case relates to the controversial...
News Room : 18% VAT on Digital Services in Sri Lanka from October: What You Should Know
The government of Sri Lanka has announced that Value Added Tax (VAT) at a rate of 18% will be imposed on a broad range of digital services provided within the country, starting from 1 October 2025. This decision marks a significant shift in the taxation of the digital economy and aims to bring Sri Lanka’s tax framework in line...
News Room : Veteran Civil Servant Bradman Weerakoon Passes Away at 94
Renowned senior civil servant Bradman Weerakoon has passed away at the age of 94, according to family sources. Weerakoon’s distinguished public service career spanned nearly five decades, during which he served as a senior staff member to nine Sri Lankan leaders — seven Prime Ministers and three Presidents — from 1954 until 2002. An old boy of Holy Cross College, Kalutara,...