Jun 22 (FT) SL’s foreign exchange earnings from tourism declined in May despite recording its highest-ever monthly increase in visitor arrivals, highlighting persistent pressure to convert rising tourist numbers into stronger revenue growth. Tourism earnings fell 5.13% year-on-year (YoY) to $ 155.7 million in May 2026 from $ 164.1 million a year earlier. Revenue also declined marginally from $ 157.1 million recorded in April. more..

Jun 22 (Island) The NPP govt has not taken a final decision regarding filling of the vacancies in the judiciary. A group of Opposition MPs, led by SJB leader Sajith Premadasa, on 12 June, requested Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickremeratne to take up the issue of judicial vacancies with President Dissanayake. Opposition sources said that there were four vacancies, each in the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, and the inordinate delay had adversely affected the judiciary. more..

Jun 22 (NW) Court of Appeal has dismissed a writ application filed by Daya Group Ltd and Daya Apparel Export (Pvt) Ltd challenging People’s Bank’s move to auction mortgaged properties under its parate execution powers. In a judgment delivered on 19 June, Court ruled that People’s Bank was legally entitled to proceed with the recovery process after the companies failed to settle outstanding loan obligations secured by mortgage bonds. Case centred on an outstanding debt of US$1.42 m more..

Jun 22 (NW) The govt has launched a major programme to strengthen diagnostic services in the country’s hospital system with the provision of 11 advanced CT scanner machines at a cost of Rs 1,950 million, aimed at improving diagnosis of stroke, cancer, heart disease and other critical conditions. Ministry of Health is currently implementing a broad initiative to modernise and expand diagnostic services as part of more..

Jun 22 (FT) Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe has defended the Govt’s tax and economic reform agenda, pushing back against criticism from Opposition MP Dr. Harsha de Silva and arguing that efforts to formalise the economy are critical to improving SL’s fiscal position. In a statement, Abeysinghe accused Dr. de Silva of taking a political stance against measures introduced by the Finance Ministry to expand the tax base and reduce the economy’s dependence more..

Jun 22 (DM) Train guards operating on the resumed Nanu Oya–Badulla railway service have allegedly collected money from tourists in exchange for access to train compartments, railway sources said. According to a senior Railway Department official, train guards are alleged to have collected nearly Rs. 100,000 on the first day of the service's resumption yesterday (20). Train services between Nanu Oya and Badulla resumed yesterday following the completion of restoration work on more..

Jun 22 (NW) SL Police have issued a public warning over a rise in incidents involving women being targeted through social media and other communication platforms by individuals who deceive victims for financial gain, sexual exploitation and other criminal activities. Reports have been received from various parts of the country regarding cases where women were befriended online, manipulated and subsequently subjected to sexual abuse or cheated out of money and valuables. more..

Jun 22 (NW) Ministry of Health has issued a new circular banning the sale of high-sugar, high-fat and processed food items, including hot dogs, burgers, pizzas, biscuits, cakes, carbonated drinks, extruded snacks and packaged beverages, in school canteens. Nutrition Division Specialist Dr Monika Wijerathne said a guideline handbook has also been introduced to regulate and monitor school canteens. Health authorities said the move comes amid rising rates of overweight and obesity more..

Jun 22 (DM) The FCID has arrested the alleged mastermind behind a large-scale money laundering operation accused of illegally transferring more than Rs. 21 billion (over US$700 million) out of SL under the guise of importing goods. The operation had been active since 2023 and involved the unlawful remittance of foreign currency through a company identified as A.Y. Investments, based in Colombo Fort. more..

Jun 22 (DN) Dept of Import and Export Control has issued a gazette notification to prevent the illegal outflow of foreign exchange from the country. Accordingly, the President, in his capacity as the Minister of Monetary Planning and Economic Development, issued a gazette notification containing new regulatory measures effective from last Friday to effectively monitor foreign currency payments related to import activities. The imposition of these regulations will prevent illegal outflow more..

Jun 22 (EN) Central Bank has invited the general public to share their views on the inflation target and related parameters as part of the inflation target review process ahead of the decision in October this year. Central Bank was given an inflation target of 5% in October 2023 under the previous govt and that agreement will elapse later this year with the completion of three years as per the new Central Bank Act. The CB was unable to maintain its inflation target range between 3-7% mainly due to more..

Jun 22 (Island) Sri Lanka’s semi-final hopes in the Women’s T20 World Cup went up in smoke on Sunday as they suffered a disappointing eight-wicket defeat to West Indies in Bristol. Expectations had soared following their stunning upset win over defending champions New Zealand earlier in the week, but it was back to square one as the batting once again let the side down. Asked to bat first on a green-tinged surface, Sri Lanka were bundled out inside 20 overs for a meagre 98. more..

Jun 22 (EN) The Commander of US Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is in Sri Lanka and will meet with senior SL govt and defense leaders, including leadership from the Ministry of Defense and the Sri Lanka Air Force, the US embassy in Colombo said. “Discussions will focus on expanded cooperation across air and maritime domain awareness, cybersecurity, disaster response, and regional security.” General Kevin Schneider oversees all US Air Force personnel and assets. more..

Jun 22 (FT) India has signalled its readiness to fast-track an upgrade of the 26-year-old India-SL Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA) in a move that could significantly expand SL’s export, investment, and services opportunities at a time when the island is seeking new growth drivers amid its economic recovery. The neighbouring economic powerhouse has conveyed its openness to accelerating discussions on an enhanced agreement and more..

Jun 22 (NW) SL suffered a dramatic batting collapse as the West Indies Select XI secured a 15-run victory in their four-day warm-up match in the Caribbean. Resuming the final day in a strong position while chasing a target of 124, SL were bowled out for just 108, falling 15 runs short of victory. The visitors had entered the day needing fewer than 100 runs with nine wickets in hand after taking a 76-run first-innings lead. However, SL batting lineup failed to capitalise on more..

Jun 22 (FT) LOLC Divi Saviya has earned international recognition at the International CSR Excellence Awards 2026 for Community Commitment, organised by The CSR Society, a subsidiary of The Green Organisation UK. The recognition highlights its sustained commitment to uplifting communities across SL during the nation’s most challenging periods. The initiative was honoured among global Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) leaders for its more..

Jun 22 (ST) The govt has taken prompt action to prevent the outflow of dollars via forged companies registered in the country in the wake of a massive US $85 million foreign exchange fraud. Investigations revealed an organised network of 105 local companies that frequently changed names, operated for about six months, and used fraudulent Telegraphic Transfers (TT) for phantom imports before dissolving. more..

Jun 22 (SO) The number of human skeletal remains identified at the Chemmani mass grave in Jaffna has risen to 394, making it the largest mass grave uncovered in Sri Lanka intensifying calls for accountability over alleged wartime disappearances. Excavations entered their 29th day this week, with archaeologists identifying seven additional skeletons on Friday. According to officials overseeing the court-directed excavation, 370 skeletons have so far been fully exhumed, while investigations continue more..

Jun 22 (DM) Port of Colombo recorded significant growth in container transhipment volumes in April 2026, building upon its record-breaking performance in the previous year. Transhipment volumes for the month surged by 22.6% to 607,240 TEUs compared to 495,456 TEUs handled in April 2025. Cumulatively, transhipment throughput for the first four months of 2026 expanded by 14.2% to 2,321,704 TEUs. This ongoing boom follows a historic 2025, during which the port reached more..

Jun 22 (FT) Treasury and IRD officials have defended the Govt’s proposal to lower the VAT registration threshold, arguing that SL’s longstanding failure to broaden the tax base has contributed to fiscal imbalances and entrenched economic distortions. Appearing before the CoPF, officials said the proposed reduction of the annual VAT registration threshold from Rs. 60 million to Rs. 36 million is expected to bring around 10,000 additional businesses into the tax net. more..

Jun 22 (FT) Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe expressed confidence that SL’s ambitious target of increasing exports to $ 36 billion under National Export Development Plan (NEDP) is achievable, but only if the country urgently delivers long-delayed reforms, attracts strategic foreign investment and tackles high energy costs that are eroding competitiveness. Speaking at a panel discussion during the launch of the NEDP, he argued that the biggest challenge facing SL was more..

Jun 22 (CI) In what may have potentially been his last innings as an uncapped player, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashed the fastest List A half-century, off 11 balls, in an innings that eventually ended as an audacious 29-ball 94. That helped India A beat SL A by 66 runs in the tri-series final in Dambulla on Sunday. Sooryavanshi came into the final on the back of four starts that yielded 117 runs. But the focal point of his tour more..

Jun 22 (DM) As a retired SSP with decades of experience in intelligence, counter-terrorism, and strategic security coordination, I have repeatedly seen how short-sighted decisions undermine long-term national resilience. The adage penny wise, pound foolish perfectly encapsulates Sri Lanka’s vulnerabilities exposed during the 2022 economic collapse. Austerity measures, delayed reforms, and isolationist tendencies conserved minor resources in the moment but more..

Jun 22 (ST) If one quarter of the political and media indulgence lavished on the degrading detention and treatment of ex-spy chief Suresh Sallay under Sri Lanka’s ferociously misused Prevention of Terrorism Act had been reserved for the thousands of so called anti-State detainees who suffered and died under the PTA since its enactment in 1979, perhaps this nation would have had a happier destiny than what it currently suffers. This week, Mr Sallay’s wife said that the CID had, for the first time, more..

Jun 22 (Island) An ecosystem is defined as a geographic area where biotic (living) organisms—plants, animals, microorganisms interact with each other and with the abiotic (non-living) components like air, water, sunlight, and soil, creating a self-sustaining unit of life. A pond with its attendant diversity is the ecosystem that supports pondlife, from frogs to fish or dragonflies, while an ocean is an ecosystem that supports fish to whales. So, it will be seen that ecosystems and their components more..

Jun 22 (Island) JVP-NPP govt, like all its predecessors, has got obfuscation down to a fine art. It muddies the water whenever issues concerning fuel prices are raised in Parliament or elsewhere. Its leaders give evasive answers to questions about fuel cost calculations in a way that makes one wonder if they stretch the truth and pluck figures out of the air to support their arguments. Curiously, their claims go unchallenged. The Opposition is apparently at sea; it lacks focus. more..

Jun 22 (TM) Every year, the script plays out with a tragic, predictable rhythm. The monsoon rains arrive, and within weeks, the headlines are dominated by the same grim statistics of dengue cases. As of mid-2026, SL has already surpassed a staggering 43,000 recorded dengue cases, with health authorities scrambling to manage over 600 new infections daily. While Sri Lanka’s clinical management of the disease is world-class – more..

Jun 22 (SO) The arrest of the former Director of the SIS Major General (Retd.) Tuan Suresh Salley has again brought forth one the most painful questions left by the Easter Sunday attacks. That is, did SL merely fail to stop a terrorist attack, or did elements within the State enable, guide or manipulate the attackers in ways that led to the deaths of 269 people? That question cannot be answered by Satyagrahas or fasts unto death. It cannot be settled by television debates, party speeches or more..

Jun 22 (DM) It’s six months since Ditwah hit. It will be another six or seven months before it will be possible to take the train to Kandy, according to the govt. How long will it take for the Uva Railway from Peradeniya to Badulla to be fully operational again? The express train from Badulla to Colombo took 11 hours to complete its journey of 292 km before Ditwah. That is an average speed of 26.5 kmph. By road, the distance is 331 km and the time taken would be less than 6 hours, using southern more..

Jun 22 (SO) Govt has introduced financial discipline and managed the economy responsibly. Ultimately, it is the people who will decide whether we failed or whether we succeeded in rebuilding the country, Minister Vijitha Herath said. Q: The Opposition continues to say on social media that the Govt has failed and that the economy is collapsing. What is your response to these allegations? A: The Opposition has been more..

Jun 22 (DM) Yesterday (21) was dedicated to the fathers in our country. Father’s Day in our country, is relatively a modern-day observance. None of the major religions in our country designate a specific calendar date exclusively for fathers. Rather, they promote a universal approach -- teaching that every day is an opportunity to honour, respect, and show gratitude to both mothers and fathers. Father’s Day unfortunately was popularised in our country as part of a commercial trend more..

Jun 22 (CT) The post-World War II economic and monetary order structured on the edifice of Keynesianism but driven by conspicuous consumption led by Veblen’s leisure class and Marcuse’s one-dimensional man has produced world’s first trillionaire while an estimated 847 million or 8% of world population are left to live in abject poverty. In this contrasting scenario is the world going to celebrate and glorify the success of one man for his trillion-dollar AI investment or more..