24 SL leaders from 14 political parties visit India today

A 24-member delegation of young political leaders from 14 Sri Lankan parties arrived in New Delhi on today July 16 for a two-week visit aimed at deepening India-Sri Lanka relations. The group met Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who highlighted their key role in shaping the future partnership between the two nations. Discussions focused on regional geopolitics and ongoing security …

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3M tourism target 2025: SL falls behind

Sri Lanka’s target of attracting 3 million tourists in 2025 is facing significant challenges, with the latest figures pointing to a considerable shortfall. According to official data, a total of 1,247,815 tourists had visited the country by July 13, representing just 41.6% of the annual target. Between July 1 and 13, Sri Lanka welcomed 79,771 foreign visitors, a mere 0.9% …

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Reggae legend Alpha Blondy lands in Colombo today

World-renowned reggae legend Alpha Blondy arrived at Bandaranaike International Airport today (16) ahead of his debut performance in Sri Lanka. Blondy, widely celebrated as the most iconic reggae star after Bob Marley, was warmly welcomed by officials from the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau. He is set to perform on Sunday (19) at the Air Force Grounds in Colombo, backed …

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SL Customs seize biggest gold smuggling ever

A 32-year-old passenger who attempted to smuggle the largest quantity of gold ever into the country was apprehended by Sri Lanka Customs at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) yesterday, July 15, 2025. Customs officers discovered the entire gold weighing over 35 kilograms, valued at more than Rs. 1.1 billion. It included 195 gold biscuits and approximately 13 kilograms of gold …

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US to fund $15m high-tech lab in SL

An MoU was signed yesterday at the Presidential Secretariat between the Sri Lanka Institute of Biotechnology (SLIBTEC) and US-based STEMedical to establish a state-of-the-art laboratory with international accreditation under a $15 million investment. The agreement, facilitated by the National Initiative for Research and Development Commercialisation (NIRDC), was signed by STEMedical founder Prof. Hans Keirstead, SLIBTEC Chairman Prof. Samitha Hettige, and …

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