June 29 (ST) Sri Lanka has had a troubled history when dealing with the UNHRC for decades, but this week’s four-day visit by Volker Türk, UN Human Rights High Commissioner, passed without any serious run-ins with the Govt, unlike visits by some of his predecessors that ended with more antagonism than appeasement between the two sides. Compared to his predecessors, Mr. Türk, who arrived in the country on Monday, more..

June 29 (ST) Growing up with a dog is one of life’s greatest blessings, dog lovers would say. These four-legged creatures bring unwavering love, happiness, and priceless memories to countless lives. Illustrating the profound bond between a dog and humans, a heartwarming story emerges from the University of the Visual and Performing Arts. Kalu was a gentle and affectionate dog, and his story demonstrates love, loyalty, and the incredible impact a dog can have on an entire community. more..

June 29 (ST) A stock of luxury and reconditioned vehicles imported after undervaluing them are to be re-exported to the country of origin after the SL Customs detected the fraud, a senior Customs official said. Customs had halted clearing these vehicles after a thorough inspection revealed that the vehicles had been imported by using third-country documents. While a majority of these vehicles had been imported from Japan, the relevant LCs had been opened in a third country, more..

June 29 (TM) UDA is yet to receive any recommendations from the Presidential Secretariat or the Cabinet to move forward with development plans for the historic Visumpaya residence in Colombo. UDA Deputy Director General E.A.C Piyashantha said that the authority was awaiting approval from the appointed high-level committee with regard to further initiatives in developing Visumpaya. more..

June 29 (CT) A foreign insurance broker with a well-documented history of high-profile bribery and corruption in developing countries has been approved by the National Insurance Trust Fund (NITF), which operates under SL’s Ministry of Finance. The move has drawn sharp criticism from industry stakeholders and raised serious concerns about regulatory integrity and potential double standards. The broker in question, Tysers Insurance Brokers Ltd — a UK-based firm — more..

June 29 (DM) Govt is placing particular emphasis on strengthening the public transport system as part of its broader agenda to elevate the country to a new level, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake said. Prez made these remarks while attending the ceremonial launch of the Dream Destination project to modernise 100 railway stations. Speaking at the event, Prez Dissanayake further highlighted that statistics confirm that approximately eight fatalities occur daily due to road accidents. more..

June 29 (Island) Commissioner of Local Govt in the Southern Province Erandi Mendis yesterday postponed elections to the posts of Chairperson and Vice Chairperson in Weligama PS when the members and supporters of the NPP disrupted the council proceedings, alleging that two NPP members had been prevented from attending the council. They said the PS members had been abducted. The police said they had launched an investigation into the alleged abduction of two NPP councillors. more..

June 29 (TM) The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday postponed hearing the Fundamental Rights (FR) petition filed by former Vice President of SLC K. Mathivanan against SLC President Shammi Silva and the body’s Executive Committee to 30 October. The court postponed the case following time being sought by lawyers for the SLC President and Executive Committee to file submissions in this connection. Afterwards, the court instructed the petitioner to file counter-submissions, more..

June 29 (SO) SSP Shani Abeysekara has been reappointed as the Director of CID. Appointment has been approved by the National Police Commission (NPC). Acting IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya had earlier sought the NPC’s approval for Abeysekera’s appointment. SSP Abeysekara’s return to the helm of the CID comes after nearly five years, marking a pivotal moment for the country’s criminal justice system. more..

June 29 (TM) Govt is currently deliberating potential solutions to address the issue of hundreds of vehicles imported under cross-border LCs that remain stranded at ports, according to the Dept of Trade and Investment Policies. Dept of Trade and Investment Policies Director General M.K. Pradeep Kumara revealed that the vehicles reported as being stranded at the ports remained so because the relevant LCs had been opened through banks located in third countries, rather than more..

June 29 (EN) SL’s apparel exports to the US dropped 7.59% in May 2025, amid Trump tariff uncertainty, but shipments to other markets, allowed the almost the same revenues to be maintained, Joint Apparel Association Forum said. Exports to UK also fell 6.18%, but EU had grown 5.15%, while other markets grew 11.1% almost maintaining last years revenues of 365.08 million which was only 0.63% down. “We are encouraged by the momentum, particularly in emerging & EU more..

June 29 (TM) The Presidential Palace in Jaffna, constructed during the administration of former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa, was built before the Govt had fully secured ownership of the land, a recent investigation by the Ministry of Urban Development, Construction, and Housing has revealed. UDA Chairman L.B. Kumudu Lal confirmed that the property comprising five residences had been developed while the legal acquisition process for the land was still underway. more..

June 29 (Island) Kumar Sangakkara’s glittering Test résumé reads like a cricketing epic — 12,400 runs, 38 hundreds, and a career that spanned over a decade of dominance. Statistically, he towers over all who wore the lion on their chest. But ask any Sri Lankan cricketer who the finest willow-wielder was and chances are they’ll whisper a different name: Aravinda de Silva. It might seem odd. Aravinda’s 6,361 runs and 20 hundreds pale in comparison to Sangakkara’s mountainous feats. more..

June 29 (TM) National Aquatic Resources Research & Development Agency (NARA) has spent over Rs. 3.23 billion developing lands it does not legally own, the latest audit report by the National Audit Office (NAO) reveals. NARA has developed four lands without securing proper ownership or completing formal land transfer procedures. These lands – located in Rekawa, Kadolkele, Kalpitiya, and Kudawa – more..

June 29 (NW) A man and a woman, suspected to have been involved in drug trafficking, have been arrested and several of their high-value assets seized under Sri Lanka’s anti-money laundering laws. The suspects, aged 43 and 45, are residents of Borella, Colombo 08. They were arrested yesterday, and police believe the assets were purchased using proceeds from illicit drug trade. The seized properties include: A four-storey house in Kandana; Two two-storey houses in Borella, more..

June 29 (AD) Dept of Immigration and Emigration has requested individuals arriving at its head office in Battaramulla not to fall prey to brokers in order to expedite the submission of passport applications. Issuing a statement, Immigration Dept noted that the issuance of tokens for passport submission under the one-day and normal service is carried out at the head office in Battaramulla from 6:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., following the decision to end the 24-hour service initiated previously. more..

June 29 (CI) SL needed just 28 minutes on the fourth morning to pick up the final four Bangladesh wickets, and with it wrap up a win by an innings and 78 runs. It was SL's ninth innings-victory over Bangladesh, which gave them the series 1-0 and also some crucial World Test Championship points. Prabath Jayasuriya did the bulk of the damage - with some handy assists from wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis, who had been more..

June 29 (SLN) On receipt of distress alert of a fishing trawler overturning on 27 Jun 25, approximately 09 nautical miles (16 km) off the coast of Galle, the Sri Lanka Navy, in coordination with the Air Force, launched an intensive search and rescue operation. Accordingly, early this morning (28), the Navy located and rescued one fisherman of the distressed trawler with the help of a nearby fishing trawler. The survivor was rushed to Karapitiya Hospital in Galle for medical attention. more..

June 29 (NW) SL is set to propose the construction of two new railway lines and revive a long-abandoned tourist route as part of a broader push to modernise the country’s rail infrastructure and strengthen public transport. Speaking at the ceremonial launch of the Dream Destination project — aimed at modernising 100 railway stations — Minister Bimal Rathnayake announced plans to introduce two new railway lines: one connecting Kottawa to Avissawella & another extending more..

June 29 (NW) The govt has opened its third state-owned Osusala outlet in Narahenpita under the current administration, with the aim of expanding access to quality and affordable medicine. Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said this is part of a broader plan to establish Osusala branches near 130 secondary and tertiary hospitals and major private hospitals across the country. The outlet in Narahenpita marks the 65th branch of the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC). more..

June 29 (NW) SL Police say a total of 1,758 kilograms of heroin and crystal methamphetamine (commonly known as ice) were seized during the months of April and May 2025, following major interdictions of multi-day fishing vessels attempting to smuggle narcotics into the country via maritime routes. According to a statement issued by the Police Media Division, four separate raids carried out by the Police Narcotics Bureau led to the recovery of these large quantities of drugs. more..

June 29 (TM) Amidst an emerging trend of an increased reliance on credit cards in SL, questions arise about whether this surge reflects economic recovery, rising consumer confidence, or hidden financial strain. Outstanding credit card balance increased from Rs. 155,455 million in March to Rs. 159,836 million in April, indicating that licensed commercial banks had extended credit card debt worth Rs. 4,381 million for the month. more..

June 29 (Island) As Chandrika Kumaratunga, SL’s first female Executive Prez, turns 80 on June 29, a timely question arises: how will history remember her legacy? Born into a political family as the daughter of two PMs, her path to leadership was steeped in legacy. But it was not lineage alone that defined her public life. Chandrika Kumaratunga, commonly known as CBK, carved out a political identity marked by her bold decisions, reformist ambition, & resilience in the face of violence more..

June 29 (Island) Attorney General’s Department has filed indictments, before a three-judge bench of the Colombo High Court, against former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and 11 others over the procurement of fake human immunoglobulin, etc. The charges include a conspiracy to misappropriate state funds amounting to Rs. 144.4 million by procuring 6,195 phials of substances falsely labelled as human immunoglobulin and Rituximab for the Medical Supplies Division of Min. of Health. more..

June 29 (SO) The 4-day visit of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) Volker Türk to SL was marked by deeply moving engagements with victims, civil society actors, and political leaders and has ignited renewed conversations around human rights, justice, and international accountability. Türk’s remarks struck a delicate balance between optimism and realism. He acknowledged what he called a momentum of change under the new Govt, more..

June 29 (GV) As large scale rights violations in the Middle East left senior UN figures struggling to prevent even worse harm, one of them visited SL for three days. Taking time to respond to concerns raised by people in this country might seem odd amid all that was happening globally. The issues addressed there about present and past misuse of state power, how societies deal with (or overlook) injustice to the poor and marginalised and the relative role of local and international action more..

June 29 (ST) India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said Friday that SL authorities were arresting Indian fishermen because of an emergency-era agreement that gave up fishing rights in some areas. “At the time, several big decisions would be taken without a debate. These days, there is a discussion about our fishermen going to SL and getting arrested there. That is because of an agreement signed with SL more..

June 29 (ST) If the UN was a hapless spectator on matters of international peace and security last week with the reigning superpower calling the shots, a UN visitor was very much centre stage here in Sri Lanka. The Govt rolled out the red carpet for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) this week. A post-visit media release by his office (the OHCHR), in a surge of optimism, describes SL at a transformational moment in its social contract and transition to a human rights economy, more..

June 29 (CT) The brutal war that has engulfed Gaza — a narrow, besieged strip of land barely 141 square miles in size — has now sent ripples of military tension stretching from Tel Aviv to Tehran. The consequences have left not only the Middle East but the entire world on edge, holding its breath. But what is unfolding in Gaza is not merely a war; it is a humanitarian catastrophe of devastating proportions. One cannot help but wonder — if there were another Anne Frank alive today, more..

June 29 (TM) SL is yet again in the spotlight of the UNHRC following UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk’s visit to the country last week and Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) and his JVP-led NPP Govt have received a report card on SL’s current human rights situation and the issues in need of urgent action. Human rights commitments undertaken by SL at the UNHRC have been on the backburner in the past few years more..

June 29 (TM) Ever since the outbreak of armed ethnic conflict in the early 1980s, SL has remained under intense scrutiny for its human rights record – both on and off the battlefield. It is an open secret that the war was a convenient cover for all manner of abusive acts, from the imposition of draconian legislation with political motives to settling personal scores, including and not limited to media witch hunts that have led to the murder of journalists, almost all of which remain unresolved to date. more..

June 29 (SO) War is easy, peace is not. That is a lesson that humanity has learned after all wars, modern or ancient. Peace is almost always fragile, especially in tinderbox areas such as the Middle East and the Persian Gulf. In the immediate aftermath of the Iran-Israel ceasefire, the world is waiting with bated breath, hoping that no more missiles and drones will fly over Tehran and Tel Aviv. Missiles even rained down on a US base in Qatar, though no harm was done as Iran gave more..