Jun 1 (Island) Chairman of the COPF Dr. Harsha de Silva, MP, yesterday said that the NPP govt was going ahead with a controversial move to pass on the massive losses caused by the coal scam to the public. The govt also intended to recover USD 2.5 (approximately Rs 800 mn) lost by the Treasury from the people by introducing an amendment to the Budget, the Opposition lawmaker alleged. Dr de Silva said that the govt more..

Jun 1 (NW) The National Transport Commission (NTC) has confirmed that there will be no revision of bus fares despite the recent increase in diesel prices. The CPC raised the price of Lanka White Diesel by Rs. 15 per litre and Super Diesel by Rs. 20 per litre, effective from midnight on 30 May. However, the NTC stated that an interim bus fare adjustment will not be implemented at this stage. Meanwhile, the Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association has urged authorities to consider more..

Jun 1 (NW) Six people were killed and seven others injured after a cab crashed into a crowd waiting in a queue at a Vesak dansala near Meegoda Junction on Sunday night. According to Police, the accident occurred on the High Level Road in the Meegoda Police Division when a cab travelling from Avissawella towards Colombo ploughed into a group of people standing in line at the dansala. A total of 13 injured persons were admitted to the Homagama Hospital following the incident. more..

Jun 1 (FT) European Union (EU) has strongly encouraged SL to seek continued preferential access to the bloc’s market under the next GSP+ framework, while noting that the country has not fully capitalised on the opportunities provided by the trade concession over the past decade. Addressing the SL-German Business Forum 2026 in Colombo last week, EU Ambassador to SL Carmen Moreno said SL should use the period before the next more..

Jun 1 (ST) SL’s e-Motoring project is in a critical transition phase to digitise the Dept of Motor Traffic (DMT), aiming to eliminate corruption, with a new focus on a localised development structure following the exit of Face Technologies. While the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) commercial tender awaits final Cabinet approval, Millennium IT has finalised the core software, and the project is moving forward with a revised, locally-driven strategy, a senior official of Ministry of Transport said. more..

Jun 1 (DM) Police have arrested all suspects involved in the violent robbery of a PickMe driver, an incident that sparked widespread outrage after footage of the crime went viral across social media platforms earlier today. The incident, which took place within the Welikada police jurisdiction, involved three individuals who accosted the young driver, violently threatening him and physically grabbing him by the neck inside a vehicle. It was reported that the victim managed to stay calm and more..

Jun 1 (TM) National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) has urged the Buddhist clergy, the Govt, and key Buddhist organisations to take immediate and coordinated action to safeguard the Buddha Sasana in SL. In a statement issued by its leader and former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, the organisation stated recent incidents involving members of the Buddhist clergy had caused distress among Buddhists and created divisions within society, making urgent intervention necessary. more..

Jun 1 (FT) Sri Lanka on Saturday raised fuel prices for the fifth time since the escalation of the Middle East conflict, as the country grapples with a sharply higher fuel import bill driven by soaring global oil prices and increased import volumes. Under the latest monthly pricing revision effective from 31 May, the State-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) increased the price of Auto Diesel by Rs. 15 to Rs. 407 per litre and Petrol Octane 92 by Rs. 24 to Rs. 434 per litre. more..

Jun 1 (TM) Prices in all major fuel categories have risen sharply since March, with increases ranging from Rs 103 to Rs 155 per litre following five separate price revisions implemented between 1 March and 31 May. With the latest fuel price revision, which came into effect from midnight yesterday, prices have now risen to their highest levels this year. Compared with the prices that prevailed prior to 1 March, more..

Jun 1 (FT) EDB Chairman Mangala Wijesinghe has confirmed that SL intends to apply for continued access under the next GSP+ framework, describing the scheme as a key pillar of the country’s export strategy. “GSP+ has been extremely beneficial to SL,” Wijesinghe said. He noted that significant untapped export potential remains in the European market and said discussions with the country’s political leadership had produced encouraging signals regarding continued engagement more..

Jun 1 (FT) The vehicle imports bill, including personal and commercial vehicles, expanded to $ 208 million in April from $ 195 million in March. Imports of vehicles had fallen to $ 194 million in February from $ 224 million in January, and from a 10-year peak of $ 301 million recorded in Dec 2025, reflecting a moderation after the reopening of the sector. Cumulatively, vehicle imports during the first four months of 2026 reached $ 821 million from $ 613 million in March, more..

Jun 1 (EN) SL’s Treasury is not buying dollars to service debt because it has not done so in the past, IMF Mission Chief Evan Papageorgiou, amid questions on depending on the central bank, which has to monetize the balance of payments to get reserves. “The reason is that the central bank is the intermediary of financial flows and because they have close contact with the financial markets, treasury doesn’t deal with foreign exchange issues,” Papageorgiou told reporters after approving more..

Jun 1 (NW) Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath held a meeting with members of the SL community in Melbourne, Australia, where he discussed issues faced by Sri Lankans living overseas and outlined the Govt’s ongoing and future initiatives. According to Herath, the event was organized by Sri Lankans residing in Melbourne and drew a large turnout at the Springvale Town Hall. Minister said the discussion provided an opportunity to listen to concerns raised by members of SL diaspora more..

Jun 1 (DN) SL’s promising middle distance athlete Tharushi Abhisheka (Podi Tharushi) once again came to the highlight when she clinched her second medal winning bronze in 800m women’s final at the final day of the Asian Under 20 Athletic Championship held in Hong Kong China yesterday. Tharushi is the only SL athlete to win two individual medals in this meet. Tharushi earlier won 1500 gold medal on the first day and more..

Jun 1 (DN) Abhiru Perera of Killerspin TT Academy and Jessica Venya of Holy Cross College Gampaha emerged open men’s and women’s champions in the SL Future Stars Table Tennis Championship at Gateway College Indoor Stadium Colombo over the weekend. Abhiru made two straight sets win (11-4 11-8) over K.D.Chrish of Loyala College Bopitiya to win the men’s title at the final while Jessica defeated Minuli Hettiarachchi of Horizon Int'l School Malabe with two sets (11-5,11-5) to win women’s title. more..

Jun 1 (FT) In a remarkable feat for Sri Lanka’s tourism sector, arrivals surpassed the 1 million mark on 28 May, sparking optimism about meeting the ambitious target of 3 million visitors by the end of the year. From 1 Jan to 28 May, the country welcomed a total of 1.01 million tourists, reflecting a 1% YoY decline compared to the same period last year. During the first 28 days of May, 134,530 visitors arrived in the country, up 12% YoY compared to 120,120 during the same period. more..

Jun 1 (CT) National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) Chairman Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama has rejected allegations that the regulator uses an ad-hoc pricing mechanism for pharmaceutical products, maintaining that licences are being withheld only in cases where companies seek prices that exceed those permitted under the approved pricing formula. He stressed that the regulatory process applies equally to all more..

Jun 1 (FT) Lanka Hospitals Corporation successfully hosted its exclusive Pulse of Excellence awards ceremony today. The event was organized to recognise and celebrate the institution’s remarkable milestone achievements and outstanding overall performance in 2025. The ceremony was held under the patronage of Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, who attended as the Chief Guest and delivered a special address. During his address, Minister highlighted the institution’s profound contribution to SL, more..

Jun 1 (FT) LOLC Holdings said it delivered a strong operating performance for the year ended 31 March 2026, underpinned by robust income growth, a significant expansion in core operating profitability, and the continued scale-up of its financial services-led diversified business model. With a global operating presence across 27 countries, the Group continues to strengthen its position as Sri Lanka’s most internationally diversified conglomerates, combining financial services more..

Jun 1 (FT) The most diversified conglomerate Hayleys Group has delivered a record performance during the financial year ended 31 March 2026, achieving the highest revenue in its history with a 19% year-on-year (YoY) increase to Rs. 585.02 billion, whilst Consolidated Profit Before Tax (PBT) rose by 4% to Rs. 38.04 billion. Performance gathered momentum in the fourth quarter, with revenue increasing by 29% to Rs. 164.62 billion and PBT improving by 6% to Rs. 13.87 billion. more..

Jun 1 (Island) On 6 May, I wrote an essay in this column titled, Monks, the Law and the Future of the Buddhist Monastic Order. While my point of departure was the arrest of 22 Buddhist monks on narcotics charges, my focus was the need to treat everyone in this country equally before the law – including Buddhist monks. The fact that the Mahanayaka Theros had requested in a statement that the errant monks be thoroughly investigated and legally dealt with was encouraging given more..

Jun 1 (TM) The latest fuel price increase, which came into effect yesterday is expected to have a significant impact on several sectors, particularly transport and agriculture, with industry representatives warning of rising operating costs and potential price increases. LPBOA President Gemunu Wijeratne said that private bus operators had decided to seek an increase in fares by five per cent following the diesel price hike. more..

Jun 1 (TM) The events that unfolded across the country on Saturday, Vesak Full Moon Poya Day, exposed a profound irony at the heart of our national energy strategy. On a day meant to celebrate enlightenment, the National System Operator switched off power to certain sections of the country. In a spectacular display of operational failure, the State grid operator first requested residential rooftop solar producers to manually deactivate their systems during the peak afternoon sun, and more..

Jun 1 (DM) The Scalloped Hammerhead is not simply a strange-looking shark. It is a test of how well Sri Lanka can see what moves through its seas, fisheries, markets and public records. At a fish harbour, morning does not wait for perfect identification. Boats come in. Boxes move. Fish are sorted, weighed, recorded, priced and sent onward before the heat settles properly into the day. A shark, if it appears, is not always a headline. Sometimes it is just another shape among many: more..

Jun 1 (Island) The latest round of fuel price hikes in Sri Lanka came on Saturday night as global oil trading closed, with the price of crude posting its biggest one-month decline (20%) in six years and with international media reporting that the oil price drop had delivered some relief to consumers at the pump in many countries, such as Pakistan, Malaysia, Spain and Portugal. At this rate, Sri Lanka’s fuel prices may continue to soar even if US President Donald Trump behaves and more..

Jun 1 (DN) Sri Lanka has more than 10,000 state schools now. Schools, teachers, teaching, and schoolchildren have long been the subject of public discussion in the country. Over the past several decades, successive governments have introduced various changes to the education system. What truly matters, however, is what is actually happening inside state schools and the impact these institutions have on society at large. This is an area worthy of close examination. more..

Jun 1 (TM) SL’s global reputation is built almost entirely on the back of its premium export: tea. Yet, behind the branding and the aromatic blends that stock international shelves lies a multi-generational human tragedy. In the Southern Province, far removed from the heavily unionised, highly scrutinised hill-country plantations, a vulnerable population of Malaiyaha workers has been enduring systemic, structural abuses more..

Jun 1 (DM) For many Sri Lankans, the idea of travelling overseas carries with it a quiet anxiety that often overshadows the excitement. It is not just about packing bags or planning itineraries. It is about doing mental calculations at every step, converting every dollar, every dirham, every pound back into rupees, and feeling the weight of how far our currency falls short. The weakness of the Sri Lankan rupee is not something new. It has been part of our reality for decades. more..

Jun 1 (CT) An eighteen month old child. Working mom. A pond with no fence. This is how the tragic incident in Medamulana, Hambantota entered the national news in March 2026, briefly painfully, and then like many other stories headlines quietly disappeared. Daycare center manager taken into custody. Yet for the mother, the loss remains beyond the reach of any judicial outcome. Across the nation, similar childcare settings persist, thousands of families continue to rely on these facilities more..

Jun 1 (SO) As SL marks World Environment Day on June 5, Ministry of Environment has outlined a series of policy measures, conservation initiatives, and legislative reforms aimed at strengthening environmental protection and addressing long-standing ecological challenges. Minister Dr. Dhammika Patabendi detailed the Govt’s progress over the past year, including the expansion of protected areas, legal reforms, and steps more..

Jun 1 (DM) The arrival of Vesak brings with it an atmosphere of devotion, reflection, and serenity. Across Buddhist communities worldwide, homes and streets are illuminated with lanterns, temples overflow with worshippers, and acts of generosity become expressions of faith. Yet, Vesak is far more than a cultural or religious celebration. It is a sacred occasion that invites humanity to reflect on the life, teachings, and timeless wisdom of Gautama Buddha. more..

Jun 1 (ST) Siddartha is perturbed. Seated beneath a grove of sal trees at Lumbini Park in his father’s kingdom to let the tempestuous storm raging in his mind break out in a downpour of doubts, he can clearly see that life lies perpetually under sorrow’s siege. The three sights he had seen that morning had left him deeply disturbed. Not that they were strangers to him. He had met them before in his father’s stately palace and found them in a villager’s ramshackle hut. more..