Jun 25 (FT) Sri Lanka, as reported in the Daily FT on Wednesday, has signalled a major reset in its economic engagement with India. The Govt announced that its review of existing Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) is nearing completion, while policymakers and business leaders called for a shift beyond traditional trade towards deeper integration in investment, technology, logistics, and digital commerce. This is precisely the approach SL should pursue with other key markets as well. more..

Jun 25 (FT) SL is soon to be shocked by another wave of rupee depreciation after mid-August this year unless the Govt and monetary authorities do something proactively to avoid it. Necessary conditions have already been set for the crisis. The previous time (in May, 2026) the domestic conditions for rupee depreciation were set, perhaps unknowingly, by the Govt and the Central Bank. This time, the necessary conditions have already been set by the Govt and the CB under the pressure of the IMF. more..

Jun 25 (DN) National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) warned that several major hospitals, including the National Hospital of SL in Colombo, are operating near maximum capacity amid the surge in dengue cases, raising concerns that the outbreak could escalate into a hyper-epidemic. 750 dengue cases were reported on Tuesday (23) alone, bringing the total number of infections recorded this year to 48,287. more..

Jun 25 (Island) Leader of the ITAK and MP Sivagnanam Shritharan recently met the BJP’s Tamil Nadu state president, Nainar Nagenthran in India during a three-day visit in which discussions centred on the political and livelihood challenges facing Tamils in the North-East of SL. Talks ranged across a number of contemporary issues confronting the Tamil people among them the demolition of ancestral Tamil Hindu temples and the construction of Buddhist viharas in their place, more..

Jun 25 (DN) Sri Lanka A will meet India A in the first four-day match of the series, scheduled to begin today at the Galle International Cricket Stadium. Sri Lanka A will be led by all-rounder Sahan Arachchige, while India A will be captained by wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel, with Devdutt Padikkal serving as vice-captain. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sai Sudharsan are among the experienced players in the India A squad. Dhruv Jurel comes into the series following his most productive IPL season, more..

Jun 25 (TM) The Govt is weighing the option of increasing the prices at which the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) purchases paddy during this year’s (2026) Yala cultivation season or adopting an alternative mechanism, amid concerns that an increase in procurement prices could prompt rice mill owners to push up retail rice prices. Agriculture Minister K D Lal Kantha said the PMB has already begun purchasing paddy as harvesting for more..

Jun 25 (AD) Governor of the Northern Province, Nagalingam Vethanayahan has ordered the removal of the Mayor of Vavuniya Municipal Council and Vice Chairman of Chavakachcheri Urban Council following the conclusion of official inquiries into alleged irregularities. According to extraordinary gazette notifications issued under the Municipal Councils Ordinance No. 29 of 1947 and the Urban Councils Ordinance No. 61 of 1939, read together with Provincial Councils Act No 12 of 1989, more..

Jun 25 (FT) A dispute over the allocation of a Parliament committee room has disrupted the work of the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF), its Chairman MP Dr. Harsha de Silva told Parliament yesterday. Raising the issue in the House, Dr. de Silva said the activities of the CoPF had effectively come to a standstill after the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) sought exclusive use of the committee room from Tuesday to Friday, from morning until evening. more..

Jun 25 (Island) Front-line Socialist Party (FSP) alleged that the NPP govt’s move to amalgamate the Employees’ Trust Fund (ETF) and the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF), under a unified, tripartite governance framework, would be detrimental to the private sector workers. FSP spokesman Duminda Nagamuwa said that the Cabinet of Ministers approved this proposal on 15 June. Nagamuwa claimed that the NPP was trying to implement what Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa had sought to do, more..

Jun 25 (AD) Private bus operators have requested the National Transport Commission (NTC) to implement the annual bus fare revision from July 1, citing rising operating costs and industry concerns. The request was submitted in writing on June 24, according to Gamunu Wijeratne, the Chairman of the Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association (LPBOA). Wijeratne said discussions with the NTC on the proposed fare revision are expected to take place within the next five days. He noted that while more..

Jun 25 (TM) CoPF Chairperson MP Dr Harsha de Silva has welcomed the decision by the Govt to withdraw its proposal to lower the VAT registration threshold, allowing businesses with annual turnover below Rs 60 million to remain outside the VAT net. The decision follows weeks of criticism from business groups, tax professionals and opposition lawmakers, who argued that the move would have placed an additional more..

Jun 25 (DN) A number of transportation facilities, including free train services and passenger bus services, are being implemented for devotees visiting Anuradhapura during the Poson season. SL Transport Board, Road Passenger Transport Authority and SL Railways Department have taken steps to ensure proper passenger transport facilities. Accordingly, bus services will be operated from Colombo and other distant areas to Anuradhapura, while three special train services will also more..

Jun 25 (CI) Apparently, Sri Lanka are about to begin a Test series against West Indies on Thursday. Huge if true, because that would mean that Sri Lanka still have a Test team. And that West Indies also still have a Test team. SL haven't played this format for exactly a year, and West Indies haven't played since December 2025. SL have 12 Tests in the entire two-year World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle, which is the minimum allowed amount. West Indies have 15 Tests, more..

Jun 25 (DN) Skipper Chamari Athapaththu struck her maiden ICC Women’s T20 World Cup century as SL recorded a commanding nine-wicket victory over Ireland with 27 balls to spare at the Bristol County Ground on Tuesday, keeping their semi-final hopes alive. The experienced left-hander once again made Bristol her stage, where she had earlier scored an unbeaten 178 against Australia in the 2017 World Cup. This time, she brought up a 58-ball century and powered SL to a win in just 15.3 overs. more..

Jun 25 (EN) Sri Lanka has completed 50 percent of its nationwide census to update its social safety net registry, aiming to transition from a single temporary relief scheme into a comprehensive, system-driven social protection framework. Welfare Benefits Board (WBB) has deployed over 12,500 trained govt census officers across all 25 districts, covering 340 Divisional Secretariat divisions to clean up the existing data. The legal requirement for annual updates had faced prior delays, more..

Jun 25 (TM) A staggering quantity of narcotics worth approximately Rs 226.4 billion was seized in SL between 1 Jan 2025 and 30 April 2026, with heroin and crystal methamphetamine ice accounting for a significant share of the haul, according to Minister Ananda Wijepala. He said that the law enforcement authorities had seized 2,761 kgs and 116 gs of heroin, 17,899 kgs of cannabis, 300 kgs of cocaine, 1,959 kgs of hashish, and more..

Jun 25 (DN) Opener Sineth Jayawardena struck a brilliant 118 off just 63 balls, hitting 13 fours and 8 sixes, as SL Emerging registered a commanding 125-run victory over West Indies Emerging in the second one-day match of the 3-match series at the SSC Grounds yesterday. Fellow opener Vishen Halambage also impressed with a quick 50 off 45 balls, including 3 fours and 4 sixes. The pair gave SL a flying start, adding a rapid 164-run opening stand off just 98 balls, setting the platform for a more..

Jun 25 (ST) The recent cyberattack on the SL Railways website has raised concerns about cybersecurity across multiple sectors, with experts warning that outdated systems could leave digital services more vulnerable. The official website of SL Railways was targeted in a cyberattack last Sunday, disrupting online services, including access to train schedules. Nirosha Ananda, Chief Information Security Officer at SL Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT), more..

Jun 25 (FT) SL’s export sector posted its highest-ever first five months’ performance, with total earnings surpassing $ 7.39 billion and reflecting a 7.56% year-on-year (YoY) growth, despite global headwinds. The previous high was $ 6.8 billion registered last year. Latest data released by the EDB showed that merchandise exports shipped in May were up 18.25% YoY to over $ 1.22 billion, whilst estimated services earnings more..

Jun 25 (FT) The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, is supporting New Anthoney’s Farms Group (NAF) to expand operations, strengthen efficiency, create jobs, and enhance rural livelihoods at one of SL’s top poultry producers. The IFC will invest up to $ 10 million, including up to $ 5 million from the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) Private Sector Window. At full capacity, NAF is expected to export 1,936 metric tons of more..

Jun 25 (NW) A discussion to review the progress of the housing project under which 4,700 houses are being constructed for the Malayagam community with Indian assistance was held this afternoon (24) at the Presidential Secretariat under the chairmanship of the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr Prabath Chandrakeerthi. Under this housing programme, 2,026 houses are to be provided to families identified by the National Building Research Institute (NBRI) as being at disaster risk. more..

Jun 25 (FT) EDB Chairman Mangala Wijesinghe said SL expects rupee-to-rupee trade with India to significantly boost bilateral commerce, with authorities targeting around a 30% to 40% increase in trade exchanges within two years and a 15% to 20% rise in the first year of implementation. He described the initiative as a progressive step that would reduce transaction costs, eliminate currency conversion losses, and lessen dependence on the US dollar for bilateral trade. more..

Jun 25 (FT) Sri Lanka is looking to leverage its strategic location and expand petroleum-related and logistics exports as part of an ambitious plan to more than double export earnings to $ 36 billion, according to EDB Chairman Mangala Wijesinghe. He revealed that several proposals aimed at boosting petroleum-linked export activities are currently under evaluation, following discussions involving the Board of Investment (BOI), relevant Ministry & Ceylon Petroleum Corporation. more..

Jun 25 (FT) SL’s leading exporters have endorsed the Govt’s ambitious plan to boost exports to $ 36 billion by 2030, but warned that success will hinge on policy consistency, stronger global market access, supply chain reforms, and a decisive shift towards premium, value-added products rather than competing on volume. Speaking at a panel discussion, Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company Chairman Dilhan Fernando and more..

Jun 25 (Island) The govt has decided to scrap the long-held legal requirement to mark voters’ fingers with indelible ink at polling stations. It is in overdrive to introduce necessary legal amendments, we are told. The reasons given for its decision is that the practice of using indelible ink causes operational inefficiencies and significant additional costs. Election Commission has claimed that the scrapping of the indelible ink requirement is its brainchild. JVP-NPP govt is busy amending election law more..

Jun 25 (Island) For quite some time, there has been no agency of govt dealing with long-term economic and social policy questions. Nor have universities been of any help. There has been a National Planning Dept in the Ministry of Finance but we have not seen any worthwhile reports from them. M.D.H. Jayawardena, in 1956, presented in Parliament the Six-Year Programme of Investment. Soloman Bandaranaike established a National Planning Council and a Planning Department, more..

Jun 25 (CT) As Indonesia embarks on one of the most ambitious national transformation projects in Asia, SL is increasingly emerging as an important partner in Jakarta’s long-term strategic outlook. Speaking at a recent roundtable organised by the Pathfinder Foundation, Indonesian Ambassador to SL, Dewi Gustina Tobing, outlined Indonesia’s roadmap towards achieving its Golden Vision 2045 while highlighting the growing importance of bilateral cooperation between 2 Indian Ocean nations. more..

Jun 25 (TM) The approval of the long-delayed Animal Welfare Bill by the Cabinet marks a profound turning point in the history of animal rights in Sri Lanka. This week, the Govt finally green-lit the publication of this vital piece of draft legislation in the Govt Gazette, clearing the way for its presentation to Parliament. This decision represents the culmination of an exhausting 20-year battle fought by activists, legal experts, and compassionate citizens against institutional inertia more..

Jun 25 (DM) IMF Resident Representative Martha Woldemichael responds to questions regarding the economy and the impact from the Middle East war. Q: What is your assessment of the impact of the Middle East war on Sri Lanka? A: The war in the Middle East constitutes a major external shock for Sri Lanka. This is because the Middle East accounts for roughly half of SL’s petroleum imports, around 40% of remittances, more..

Jun 25 (TM) Sri Lanka spent decades lamenting the corrosive influence of big money in its democratic processes. For generation after generation, citizens watched multi-member districts under the proportional representation system transform elections into high-stakes financial contests. The playground belonged exclusively to deep-pocketed oligarchs, established political dynasties, and candidates backed by corporate interest groups expecting post-election procurement favours. more..

Jun 25 (DN) For nearly three decades, SL’s ethnic conflict was largely viewed as an internal struggle. Yet, on two dramatic occasions, SL Tamil militant groups carried their violence beyond the island’s borders, posing grave threats to regional security. One was an audacious attempt to overthrow the govt of the Maldives in 1988. The other was the assassination of former Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. Together, these episodes revealed how terrorism born within SL could transcend more..