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Samabima Party Leader Deepthi Kumara Gunaratne has asserted that economic capital controls society by permitting public expression while strictly preserving existing property ownership structures.

Speaking during a recent broadcast on the Ideas Front YouTube channel hosted by journalist Narada Bakmeewewa, Gunaratne outlined his critique of contemporary political and economic dynamics in Sri Lanka.

Explaining his theoretical position, Gunaratne highlighted the political vulnerability of ruling party supporters following judicial outcomes.

He emphasised that the inability of the National People's Power (NPP) government to intervene on behalf of individuals convicted over the fatal violence in Nittambuwa serves as a prime example of capital operating above political allegiance.

According to the party leader, political movements often allow citizens the freedom to voice dissent or support but structural economic arrangements and legal boundaries ultimately dictate the limits of executive protection and social mobility.

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved an additional foreign exchange adjustment allowance of up to Rs. 2.5 million annually for students selected under the government’s overseas scholarship programme.

The decision was taken following the depreciation of the Sri Lankan Rupee against major global currencies, which has increased the cost of overseas education-related expenses for scholarship recipients.

The additional allowance is intended to help students pursuing undergraduate programmes at internationally ranked foreign universities manage higher costs caused by exchange rate fluctuations.

The overseas scholarship programme was introduced under the 2025 Budget to support Sri Lanka’s highest-performing students from the 2024 GCE Advanced Level Examination by providing opportunities to pursue first degree programmes at foreign universities.

Under the scheme, each student is eligible to receive financial assistance of up to Rs. 20 million per year, with total support limited to Rs. 80 million over the four-year duration of the degree programme.

A total of 32 students were selected based on their Advanced Level examination results. Of them, nine students have already departed Sri Lanka to commence their studies, while arrangements are being made for the remaining scholarship recipients to travel overseas.

Officials said the depreciation of the Rupee had increased foreign currency payment requirements, resulting in the originally allocated funds becoming insufficient to cover certain expenses faced by students.

The proposal to introduce the foreign exchange adjustment allowance was submitted by Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya in her capacity as Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, and was subsequently approved by the Cabinet.

United States Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan is leading a high-level Congressional Delegation to Sri Lanka to strengthen bilateral ties and reinforce regional stability across the Indo-Pacific.

The visit, spanning 27 to 30 July 2026, involves extensive diplomatic engagements in Colombo aimed at advancing mutual security, commercial partnerships, and defence cooperation between Washington and Sri Lankan officials.

During her time in the capital, Representative Houlahan, an Air Force veteran who serves as the Ranking Member on the House Subcommittee on Military Personnel and sits on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, will confer with prominent government, military, and political figures.

Scheduled dialogue partners include Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Retired Aruna Jayasekara, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Dr Rizvie Salih, and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa. Discussions are expected to focus heavily on combating transnational crime, bolstering economic development through expanded trade, and deepening maritime and security collaboration across the region.

American diplomatic officials emphasised that the visit underscores Washington's sustained commitment to an open and prosperous Indo-Pacific framework.

They noted that maintaining strong ties with Colombo remains central to counter-narcotics efforts, maritime domain awareness, and economic resilience in South Asia.

The Vavuniya Magistrate's Court has fined a private healthcare facility Rs. 500,000 after officers of the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) caught the institution charging patients above government-mandated price caps for Full Blood Count (FBC) tests.

The CAA launched the investigation after identifying unfair pricing practices at the private medical facility. During the raid, investigators verified that the hospital was issuing bills to patients that exceeded maximum retail prices established by national health regulations for basic blood analysis.

Following the investigation, legal action was taken against the private hospital before the Vavuniya Magistrate's Court.

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Namal Rajapaksa says his party is open to alliances based on national interests but will not engage in secret political negotiations.

Speaking to the media, Rajapaksa said the SLPP believed in discussing political matters openly and transparently.

"We do not hide and engage in politics. If we hold discussions, we will do so openly because, in the end, we have to move forward with the people," he said.

He said that any alliance would be formed based on the needs of the country and its people rather than the interests of individuals.

Rajapaksa also said anyone who agreed with the SLPP's political ideology and programme was welcome to join the party.

He added that while some members had left the party in the past, others had joined, and it was his responsibility to unite all those who believed in the party and build a stronger political force.

The Lawyers for Public Mandate organisation has accused politicians facing pending corruption charges of fabricating claims that the government's proposed judicial reform Bill threatens court independence, following Cabinet approval to raise the retirement age of judges.

Speaking at a media conference in Colombo, representatives from the legal group asserted that the legislative changes form an essential component of the administration's anti-corruption mandate and broader court reforms.

Under the approved proposals, the retirement age for Supreme Court judges will increase from 65 to 67 years, while Court of Appeal judges will retire at 65 rather than 63.

The tenure of the Chief Justice will be capped at 67 years or six years from appointment, whichever occurs first. At the lower court level, High Court judges will see their mandatory retirement age rise from 61 to 63 years, with Magistrates and District Judges moving from 60 to 62 years.

Attorney Akalanka Ukwatta supported the framework by pointing to international precedents, noting that retirement ages stand at 70 in Australia and Denmark, 75 in Canada and Brazil, and remain lifetime appointments in the United States.

Citing the classic work of American jurist Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr, Ukwatta noted that legal practice relies on experience as much as logic, arguing that retaining seasoned judges will bolster rather than weaken the administration of justice.

The organisation emphasised that addressing acute institutional shortages is vital to clearing chronic backlogs across the legal system.

Attorney Anuradha Kiralawella highlighted that out of 110 approved judicial posts in the High Court, only 93 serving judges are currently in office, alongside significant deficits in physical courtrooms and staff.

Kiralawella firmly rejected allegations that the amendment seeks to favour specific sitting judges, maintaining instead that politicians implicated in past public thefts are raising alarms about judicial independence purely to protect themselves from impending prosecution.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has accused the government of attempting to erode judicial independence by proposing a constitutional amendment that seeks to alter the retirement age of judges.

Addressing the media, the Opposition Leader said that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake holds a public mandate exclusively to reform the Executive Presidency through constitutional changes, rather than interfering with the judicial branch or subordinating the courts to executive authority.

He claimed that the administration, which assumed power on the promise of systemic reform and democratic strengthening, is instead adopting measures that threaten to pave the way for authoritarian rule.

Emphasising the constitutional separation of powers among the legislature, executive, and judiciary, Premadasa warned that executive interference in judicial matters poses a severe threat to democratic checks and balances.

He remarked that if the President or the Minister of Justice failed to comprehend these foundational principles, they should consult the works of French political philosopher Montesquieu, specifically 'The Spirit of the Laws'.

He also said that pushing forward with the proposed constitutional amendment despite widespread concern risks undermining public trust in the credibility, integrity, and impartiality of the legal system.

The controversy surrounding the proposed amendment underscores growing national concerns over the preservation of democratic governance and the rule of law in Sri Lanka, as political opposition mounts ahead of upcoming parliamentary discussions on the matter.

Sri Lanka will regulate cryptocurrency and virtual asset trading for the first time following Cabinet approval of a proposal to establish a comprehensive legal framework for digital assets and service providers.

The regulatory initiative, presented by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his capacity as Minister of Digital Economy, was sanctioned on Tuesday to bring informal online trading under direct state oversight.

The government move aims to eliminate a critical supervisory gap created by local investors accessing digital assets through unregulated offshore exchanges and peer-to-peer platforms.

Under the recommendations of a special sub-committee chaired by the Deputy Minister of Digital Economy, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka will be appointed as the primary regulatory authority for virtual asset service providers.

To mitigate risks associated with money laundering and terrorism financing, the regulatory body will operate within a joint supervisory network alongside the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, the Financial Intelligence Unit, and the Department of Inland Revenue.

The introduction of mandatory registration, reporting standards, and compliance obligations will formally integrate virtual assets into the national financial architecture while establishing tax monitoring mechanisms.