Jun 14 (ST) Investigations into the multiple terrorist attacks carried out on April 21, 2019 – Easter Sunday – were never going to be clear-cut given the level of politicisation of investigations of crimes in the country over the years, but one thing that is becoming clearer with each passing week and seven years later is that all sides are more fixated on scoring political points than allowing a transparent, independent & evidence-based investigation more..

Jun 14 (DM) The govt is yet to convert the state bungalows, previously occupied by various ministers in the past, to valuable commercial entities despite promises made ahead of the Prez Election in 2024. The NPP, in the run-up to the Prez Election that was concluded on Sept 21, 2024, pledged not to assign these bungalows to the ministers of the govt led by it. Instead, the NPP said it would assign them for commercial use. However, the govt has not yet established commercial entities more..

Jun 14 (ST) A 100-page report submitted by the Treasury to Parliament on Tuesday on the US$2.5 million Business Email Compromise (BEC) heist has revealed administrative lapses, missing timelines and compromised internal controls. Cyber criminals breached the Treasury External Resources Dept’s (ERD) email system and changed beneficiary details, diverting a $2.5 million debt payment, which is part of a larger $ 2.9 million bilateral loan repayment, to an unauthorised bank account. more..

Jun 14 (TM) Govt’s proposed demerit point system for traffic offenders is set to be rolled out nationwide as a pilot project in September, with authorities currently working on the necessary digital infrastructure and administrative framework required for its implementation. DIG W.P.J. Senadheera said that groundwork for the demerit point system was already underway, with two committees established to oversee the process. more..

Jun 14 (ST) Govt is closely monitoring international developments and fuel price fluctuations before taking a decision on subsidies on local fuel prices, officials said. The move comes as the govt-provided fuel subsidy is due to end by the end of June. “It is too early to take a decision regarding the fuel subsidies, in view of international developments,” officials said. CoPF was told this week that the govt-provided fuel subsidy of Rs 100 for diesel and Rs 20 for petrol per litre will end this month. more..

Jun 14 (CT) A team of officials from the Netherlands Dept of Archaeology, invited by SL’s Dept of Archaeology, is currently engaged in extensive research activities in the Northern Province, particularly in Jaffna. The expert team is conducting a 15-day field study across various locations in the North, focusing on archaeological and geological investigations. During the study, data related to soil composition, underground archaeological traces, and historically significant more..

Jun 14 (AD) Organized criminal suspects Bloemendhal Sanka and the brother of Modera Nipun, who are involved in organised crimes, have been deported from Abu Dhabi and were arrested by police on arrival at the BIA last night, police said. The two suspects, who had fled Sri Lanka and were reportedly hiding in Abu Dhabi, were arrested by security authorities in the UAE after allegedly being found in possession of photographs and video footage of drones and missile attacks by more..

Jun 14 (NW) Govt intends to allocate around Rs. 2,000 billion for capital expenditure in the upcoming year, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. He said the govt has also allocated approximately Rs. 1,350 billion for capital expenditure this year. He made these remarks while attending the inauguration ceremony for the development of 14 carpeted roads in Kalutara District on Saturday under the Integrated Road Investment Program (iRoad), the govt’s main rural & regional road development initiative. more..

Jun 14 (TM) Disaster relief efforts following the devastating Cyclone Ditwah are still ongoing, with ground-level officials stating that only about 40% of those affected by the cyclone have received relief funds so far. In Dec 2025, Cyclone Ditwah struck SL, triggering the worst flooding and landslides in recent memory. In response to the Govt’s request, UN and its humanitarian partners launched the Humanitarian Priorities Plan more..

Jun 14 (ST) Legislation to replace the PTA will be passed within two months, a senior minister said. The bill, which has incorporated public and civil society recommendations and is in line with int'l frameworks for anti-terrorism legislation, will be titled the State Prevention of Terrorism Act (SPTA), Minister Vijitha Herath said. He said that the bill had been finalised and would be first presented to the Cabinet and then published in the Gazette before being presented to Parliament. more..

Jun 14 (DM) PM Harini Amarasuriya met with a delegation from UNICEF on June 12 at Temple Trees to discuss ongoing efforts to support the recovery of the education sector following the impact of Cyclone Ditwah. The discussions focused on the implementation of activities outlined in the report titled Cyclone Ditwah Education Emergency Response Plan: Phase 1 Progress Updates (Jan–Apr 2026). The meeting reviewed progress achieved during the initial phase of the response and more..

Jun 14 (DM) A group of former MPs has written to Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake urging the govt to uphold the rule of law amid growing controversy over the treatment of former SIS Director General Major General (Retired) Suresh Saleh, who is currently in police custody. The letter, titled Let’s Uphold the Rule of Law, was sent in response to an ongoing public debate regarding what the signatories describe as the harsh treatment of the former intelligence chief following his arrest. more..

Jun 14 (CT) Residents of Valikamam North, marking 37 years since their displacement, are planning a protest on 15 June (tomorrow) demanding the release of their lands, which remain under a High Security Zone. It has been 36 years and five months since they were forcibly evicted from their villages on 15 June 1990, and they will enter the 37th year of displacement on 15 June 2026. Although the war ended in 2009—17 years ago their situation remains unresolved. Large portions of their lands, more..

Jun 14 (TM) The deadline for accepting Expressions of Interest (EOIs) to develop and operate the Mattala Rajapaksa Int'l Airport (MRIA) has been extended by one month to 9 July, after authorities failed to receive any formal proposals despite more than 30 interested parties participating in a pre-proposal meeting. Deputy Minister Janitha Kodithuwakku said that the deadline, initially set for 8 June, had been extended to give more..

Jun 14 (DM) PM and Minister of Education, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya says the government is firmly committed to protecting education in the face of any global crisis, stressing that significant budget allocations have been made for human resource development despite economic challenges. PM made these remarks while addressing the ceremony held on June 13 to officially hand over a newly constructed three-storey building at Al-Mubarak College in Dadalla, Galle. more..

Jun 14 (TM) Govt has no plans to remove the Special Commodity Levy (SCL) as proposed by the previous regime due to the need to keep food prices in the market in check, according to the Department of Trade and Investment Policies. Dept’s Director General I.J. Abeyratne noted that a decision had been made under the previous regime to remove the application of the SCL. However, that decision was revoked by the incumbent Govt. She further stated: “Right now there is no decision to remove more..

Jun 14 (EN) CoPF grilled top CB officials, including Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe, over severe regulatory blind spots and oversight failures that allowed a catastrophic Rs. 13.2 billion internal fraud to go undetected at National Development Bank (NDB). The high-stakes hearing exposed vulnerabilities in the island’s banking infrastructure, drawing critical attention from international lenders, including the IMF. more..

Jun 14 (EN) Chairman of Beijing’s state-owned construction firm China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) met Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Saturday and expressed confidence on investing in the Indian Ocean island nation. Bai Yinzhan and a delegation from CHEC met the Prez at the Presidential Secretariat. “During the meeting, Mr Bai Yinzhan stated that Prez Dissanayake’s direct and visionary leadership had greatly enhanced the company’s confidence in investing in SL,” more..

Jun 14 (ST) SLC has enlisted the services of former ICC Head of Legal David Becker to assist in drafting the governing body’s proposed new constitution, a key step in its ongoing governance reforms. Becker, a distinguished South African sports lawyer, is expected to arrive in SL tomorrow to begin consultations on the constitutional framework. During his tenure with the ICC from 2007 to 2012, Becker oversaw the organisation’s legal affairs, governance structures, commercial more..

Jun 14 (ST) An unbeaten century from opener Avishka Fernando and a match-winning third-wicket stand with Sadeera Samarawickrama powered SL ‘A’ to a commanding 8-wicket win over Afghanistan ‘A’ in the Tri-Series encounter at Dambulla on Saturday. Chasing a revised target of 231 in 41 overs, Sri Lanka ‘A’ stormed to 231-2 in just 28.1 overs, with Fernando producing a masterclass in strokeplay to finish unbeaten on 108 from 79 balls. His innings, studded with 14 fours & 3 sixes, more..

Jun 14 (ST) Specialist power-hitting coach Julian Wood and biomechanics expert Rene Ferdinands have been shown the door less than a year after being brought into the system amid much fanfare, as the newly-installed Transformation Committee continues its sweeping overhaul of the country’s cricket structure. Both coaches are expected to leave SLC at the end of this month despite initially being given three months’ notice. Wood, recruited last year to address SL’s chronic struggles more..

Jun 14 (ST) UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) will return to SL from June 15 to 24, seven years after its last visit, to assess whether the authorities have followed through on reforms and strengthened protections for people in detention or other places where they may be deprived of their liberty, UN Human Rights Office announced. SL acceded to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman more..

Jun 14 (Island) Before Sarath Fonseka was arrested, he had to be rebranded as a traitor. Until he had his fallout with the Rajapaksas, Gen Fonseka was a pre-eminent member of that most protected of protected species – the War Hero. In mid-2009, Gotabaya Rajapaksa took a verbal pickaxe to several journalists for being critical of Gen Fonseka. “You are attacking (Lt Gen) Sarath Fonseka who has committed his life for the past 18 years to waging a war. This is no laughing matter. more..

Jun 14 (ST) Published this week, the National Mineral Policy of Sri Lanka 2026 reserves the award of mining and exploration rights competitively to investors who prove they will provide the highest economic, technological and sustainable value to the country. The policy states that the activities and proposals of prospective investors—whether private or State-owned—will be carefully evaluated to ensure their operations generate the maximum possible benefits. more..

Jun 14 (ST) Dear Wimal, Udaya, Namal, and Delete, I thought I must write to all of you because you have been busy staging the Sallay ballet in front of the Fort railway station this week. It didn’t attract a cast of thousands and the show ended too soon, after just a few days. Still, it generated what many would have thought was way too much publicity. To begin with, I am a bit confused about all the demands you were making. You wanted Sallay, a suspect in a case related to the Easter attacks, more..

Jun 14 (Island) Minister Ananda Wijepala has informed Parliament of some root causes of the country’s foreign exchange woes. He told the House the other day that a mega fraud involving the transfer of millions of dollars overseas under the guise of payments for non-existent imports, had been uncovered by the police and the Customs. However, the racket of phantom imports is a common mechanism that facilitates capital flight and illicit financial outflows. It's not of recent origin more..

Jun 14 (CT) The Govt’s Thursday pledge to bring in a Bill to replace the existing Prevention of Terrorism Act comes as a possible release of the pressure that is building around it, with the past week’s allegations of violations being carried out under its provisions under the NPP Govt. Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara said that the abolishment, which he has been a committed legislator to since taking office, will come into effect in two months. more..

Jun 14 (CT) Sri Lanka, with its current financial status, dependent heavily on foreign assistance, needs to take extreme care in how it handles international concerns. The vigilance that the superpowers place on countries such as SL when they distribute aid is an inconvenience that the country has little control over. Throughout independence, successive governments have had to depend extensively on these provisions coming in many different guises, for their survival as more..

Jun 14 (TM) As the SL Rupee continued to depreciate against the US Dollar as of last Friday, public concern about the state of the economy is once again beginning to intensify. The timing could hardly be more consequential as Sri Lanka is expected to resume servicing portions of its restructured external debt obligations from next year and every depreciation of the rupee increases the local currency cost of meeting those commitments. For ordinary citizens, a weaker currency more..

Jun 14 (TM) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) and his JVP-led NPP Govt continue to face a series of political, legal, and economic challenges. While the administration has thus far managed to withstand pressure from both political opponents and interest groups, several developments over the past week have once again placed the Govt under intense public and political scrutiny. The detention of former Director of more..

Jun 14 (CT) Participating at the All Party Conference that then Prez Jayewardene convened in January 1984 in the aftermath of the watershed violence of 1983, Dr. Colvin R de Silva characteristically perorated that the structure of the SL state is incongruent with the country’s ethnopolitical reality. He said it more as a Historian than as a Lawyer or as the architect of the 1972 Constitution. This gap between state structure and ethnopolitical reality was somewhat bridged by 13th Amendment more..

Jun 14 (SO) After more than 100 days of intense aerial and Naval combat operations, the US and Iran are reported to be ready to sign a peace deal today in the Swiss city of Geneva. Pakistan, the key mediator, is confident that a deal can be sealed – its PM Shehbaz Sharif said the final text of a deal has been reached. It echoed a statement by Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who said a deal has never been closer. This, if it finally materialises, will mark the end of a conflict more..