Jun 1 (DM) The UNP alleged that the govt is trying to fulfil vested interests by its proposal to amend the Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance of 1931 and by setting up a sanga court. Following is the full statement issued by the UNP in this regard. Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has recently publicly agreed to a call to take the same measures as previous kings had taken in cases where the Buddhist religion is distorted under the guise of institution of a Dhammadhikaranaya. more..

Jun 1 (NW) CPC is currently incurring a loss of Rs. 129 on every litre of auto diesel and Rs. 60 on every litre of Octane 92 petrol sold, CPC Chairman D.J. Rajakaruna said while explaining the latest fuel price increase. The actual cost of supplying a litre of auto diesel is around Rs. 536, while it is sold at Rs. 407, resulting in a loss of Rs. 129 per litre. He said a litre of Octane 92 petrol costs approximately Rs. 494 to supply but is sold at Rs. 434, resulting in a loss of Rs. 60 per litre. more..

Jun 1 (NW) SL Police reported a spate of fatal road accidents across the country between May 29 and May 31, leaving more than 20 people dead and dozens injured. The incidents involved motorcycles, three‑wheelers, lorries, buses, and private vehicles, with several drivers arrested in connection with the crashes. On May 29, a 58‑year‑old pedestrian was killed after being struck by a motorcycle in Peradeniya. more..

Jun 1 (FT) SLPA Chairman Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake cautioned against pursuing large-scale port investments in Trincomalee without proven commercial demand, stressing that future developments must be financially viable and supported by strong logistics connectivity. Responding to concerns raised over the pace of development at Trincomalee Port, Dr. Dissanayake said the existing National Port Master Plan identified several potential projects, but many had more..

Jun 1 (AD) A total of 33,572 dengue cases and 19 deaths have been reported in SL so far this year, according to health authorities. 8,321 dengue cases were recorded in May alone, highlighting the continued spread of the disease across the country. The highest number of cases has been reported from the Colombo District, Gampaha District and Kurunegala District. 72 Medical Officer of Health (MOH) divisions have been identified as high-risk areas for dengue transmission. more..

Jun 1 (AD) Supreme Court today overturned a ruling by a 3-judge bench of the Colombo High Court that had prevented the continuation of charges filed under the Public Property Act against several defendants in the 2016 Treasury bond case. The case was filed by the Attorney General against Perpetual Treasuries Ltd, former Governor of the CB Arjuna Mahendran, former Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake and more..

Jun 1 (News) PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya delivered the Bishop Cyril Abeynayake Memorial Lecture at the Cathedral of Christ the Living Saviour, addressing a distinguished gathering on the theme, Shaping the Future of Education in 21st Century SL and Beyond. Attending the memorial ceremony on 30 May at the invitation of the Bishop of Colombo, Rt. Rev. Dushantha Rodrigo, PM highlighted SL’s rich tradition of multi-faith collaboration and plurality, as embodied by the Anglican Church. more..

Jun 1 (NW) SL Police has called for greater public attention to the safety and wellbeing of elderly parents and individuals living alone, warning that they are increasingly vulnerable to crime and other risks. In a statement issued, the police said incidents involving elderly persons living in isolation have become a growing concern, particularly as many of their children have migrated overseas for employment, settled abroad, or relocated to other parts of the country. more..

Jun 1 (News) Retired Ambassador Grace Asirwatham has been appointed as the Chairperson of the National Commission on Women (NCW) by the President of Sri Lanka on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council. Established under the Women Empowerment Act No. 37 of 2024, the NCW is mandated to promote, protect, and advance women’s rights and gender equality in SL, including investigating violations or potential violations of such rights. more..

Jun 1 (TOI) A bar brawl spilled onto the road with a group of youth crashing their car into a bike, killing an 18-year-old Sri Lankan Tamil woman and critically injuring her 17-year-old female friend near Thirumangalam in the city late on Saturday night. Police said the deceased, Yancy , and five women friends went on three twowheelers to a star hotel at Koyambedu on Saturday night. They drank and danced at the pub. A group of young men who had arrived in a car joined the celebrations. more..

Jun 1 (DM) The introduction of a new Constitution including the abolishing of the Executive Presidency is not a priority for the govt at the moment though it was an election promise, a senior govt source said. The NPP, in its election manifesto titled A thriving nation, a beautiful life, pledged to repeal the current constitution in place of a new one scrapping the Executive Presidency. Meanwhile Minister Chandana Abayaratne, in response to more..

Jun 1 (Island) Former Foreign Secretary, Ambassador Prasad Kariyawasam, was elected by acclamation as the Chair of the UN Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (CMW) last Thursday at the opening segment of the Committee’s 42nd session held at Palais Wilson in Geneva. In his remarks, following the election, Ambassador Kariyawasam thanked the Committee fo electing him by acclamation and more..

Jun 1 (DM) Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, has urged the govt to reconsider the country’s open economic policies and reassess its engagement with the IMF. Cardinal said the open economy introduced in 1978 had diminished SL’s ability to become self-sufficient in many essential goods. “There was a time when SL had the capacity to produce many of the items it now imports. However, the country has increasingly become dependent on imports, and it is struggling to more..

Jun 1 (AD) The luxury bus service operating between BIA and Makumbura Multimodal Transport Centre has resumed operations from today. The service is implemented under the guidance of the Ministry of Transport, Highways & Urban Development and Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation, jointly by the Airport and Aviation Services (SL) (Pvt) Ltd and the National Transport Commission. Authorities said the service is more..

Jun 1 (News) The Buddha Rashmi Vesak Festival in Colombo, organized under the guidance of Venerable Kirinde Assaji Thero of the Gangaramaya Temple, was officially inaugurated under the patronage of PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya. Following the opening ceremony, PM also participated in the opening of the dansala held within the Gangaramaya Temple premises. Later in the afternoon of 31 May, PM attended the inauguration of the Sri Sarvajna Sacred Relic Exhibition more..

Jun 1 (AD) Container Transport Owners’ Association (CTOA) has announced a 5% increase in container transport charges with effect from today. Chairman of the Association Sanath Manjula said the revised rates would come into force immediately. The Association noted that the increase applies to all container transportation services from today. Ceypetco revised fuel prices, effective from midnight on May 30. Accordingly, the price of Auto Diesel was increased by Rs. 15 to Rs.407 per litre more..

Jun 1 (NW) The All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU) Irakkamam branch has refuted the Police statement claiming that an individual arrested over the sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl in Irakkamam was a Moulavi, stating it was incorrect. Issuing a statement, the ACJU said that the individual was not a certified moulavi and had not been educated at any Arabic school. The organization further said that the said individual was not a member of the ACJU or its Irakkamam branches. more..

Jun 1 (AD) SL Police have issued a new directive requiring licence holders of firearm to present their weapons for inspection every six months as part of licence renewal procedures for 2026. According to Police Media Division, licence holders must produce their firearms at the nearest police station six months after obtaining or renewing their licence. Authorities will then verify the firearm’s functionality and ensure that the serial number matches the details recorded on the licence. more..

Jun 1 (DM) Minister Anura Karunatilake said that the govt intends to strictly enforce the existing fuel QR code system moving forward. Minister said that the primary objective during this crisis period is to limit fuel consumption to mitigate its adverse effects on the national economy. Despite a noticeable reduction in fuel usage following the introduction of the QR and quota systems, consumption levels have still not more..

Jun 1 (CT) The estimated cost for holding the Provincial Council Elections is around Rs 10 billion, Commissioner General of Elections Rasika Peiris said. Peiris said, out of the Rs 20 billion allocated to the Election Commission in 2025 for three elections, Rs 8 billion was returned to the Treasury at the end of last year due to the Ditwah disaster situation. “We requested funds from the Treasury for three elections and received Rs 20 billion in 2025. However, due to the disaster, more..

Jun 1 (AD) An individual known as Dubai Sudda has been arrested in Kaduwela over allegations of recruiting Sri Lankans for employment in Dubai and Moldova using tourist visas. The arrest was made today by officers of the Special Investigation Unit of SLBFE, following a complaint received from a resident of Giriulla who alleged that Rs. 700,000 had been paid for a promised job that was not provided. Authorities said the suspect, who had previously travelled abroad and returned more..

Jun 1 (CT) More than 1,000 new import licence applications and licence renewals submitted by Indian pharmaceutical companies are currently pending approval at NMRA, raising concerns as 85% of the drugs are imported from India. The delays have prompted India to raise concerns with SL authorities, warning that prolonged regulatory uncertainty and pricing disputes could disrupt medicine supplies and discourage more..

Jun 1 (NW) Two police officers attached to the Bentota Police Station have been commended for returning a mobile phone worth approximately Rs. 150,000 to its rightful owner after finding it on the Bentota Bridge. Police Sergeant Isuru Sameera (60706) and Police Constable Ramesh Aravinda (79425), who were on traffic duty on Sunday (31), discovered the phone and remained in the area to see whether its owner would return to look for it. A young man later arrived at the location more..

Jun 1 (SLN) In line with the national initiative Clean Sri Lanka and under the theme Beautiful Coastline – An Attractive Tourist Destination, the SL Navy played a role in a large-scale beach clean-up campaign conducted across the Jaffna Peninsula on 23 May. Objective of this timely intervention was to protect the fragile marine ecosystem, maintain a pristine and visually appealing coastline and foster a welcoming environment conducive to the growth of the tourism industry. more..

Jun 1 (FT) Somebody got a tax cut. It was not most of us. Between 2021 and 2026, SL raised the tax on salaries to company profits, from electricity to gas cylinders, from bread to the bar of soap — all of it on the explicit logic that the country needed more revenue. But over the same period, the tax on a pack of cigarettes was quietly allowed to fall by 7.2 percentage points. That missing slice of tax is worth Rs. 17.3 billion a year in 2026 — money the Treasury could have collected by more..

Jun 1 (FT) Dr. Wimal Hettiarachchi who had completed a full career in the Central Bank of SL in numerous capacities is no longer with us. He completed his life journey last week. Hettiarachchi joined the Central Bank as a non-staff officer in the early 1960s immediately after he finished his school career. Though he was eligible to join the University of Ceylon to complete an undergraduate degree, pressed by economic hardships, he chose the Bank in preference to a university degree. more..

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..