Jun 12 (NW) Sri Lanka’s first Boat Launching Ramp was officially opened yesterday (11) at the Beruwala Fisheries Harbour, marking a significant step in uplifting the country’s boat export industry. Constructed by the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development at a cost of Rs. 76 million, the ramp is designed to support the growth of the boat manufacturing sector, which has been identified as a major emerging export industry in Sri Lanka’s future economic development. more..

Jun 12 (DM) Dimal Arandara has been appointed as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of SriLankan Airlines Limited with immediate effect. An internal communiqué circulated within the national carrier confirmed that the top-level appointment was made with the direct concurrence of the President. He assumes leadership of the state-owned airline during a period of intense public scrutiny, as the carrier continues to grapple with severe financial challenges and a prolonged executive transition more..

Jun 12 (TM) Disaster Management Centre (DMC) has warned that if the upcoming El Niño climate phenomenon affects SL as predicted, it may even be necessary to consider steps such as the desalination of seawater to meet the drinking water requirements in the country. DMC Additional Secretary K.G.B. Dharmathilaka said that the expected El Niño event could be unprecedentedly severe this time, posing a risk of major more..

Jun 12 (UCAN) About 200 relatives of the dead and survivors of SL’s 2019 Easter Sunday bombings marched on the streets to protest what they called a concerted political campaign to save a former spy chief, who is accused of directing the attacks. The protests came as campaigns were launched in support of Suresh Sallay, the director of Military Intelligence at the time, who is suspected of being part of a broader conspiracy and failing to act on credible intelligence warnings that more..

Jun 12 (AD) A discussion aimed at providing relief to members of the armed forces and police who were disabled as a result of terrorist activities was held under the patronage of Deputy Minister of Defence, Aruna Jayasekara. The meeting took place on June 9 at the Parliamentary Complex, where attention was focused on accelerating the process of granting relief in line with a Cabinet paper relating to a committee appointed to identify military and police personnel who became disabled during more..

Jun 12 (DN) Authorities have initiated legal proceedings against 2,401 property owners who neglected health instructions during the 3-Day National Dengue Mosquito Control Programme which ended on Wednesday. Also, 3,348 Red Notices containing legal directives have been issued. The three-day special National Dengue Mosquito Control Programme, announced by the National Dengue Control Unit was conducted more..

Jun 12 (Island) PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated at the ceremonial opening of the new Sasakawa Memorial Sri Lanka–Japan Cultural Centre today (11). The cultural centre, commissioned by the Sasakawa Memorial Sri Lanka–Japan Cultural Centre Trust and situated at No. 85, Ward Place, Colombo 07, is a landmark development designed to promote cultural exchange, education, professional training and bilateral cooperation between SL and Japan. more..

Jun 12 (DM) Attorney General gave an undertaking before the Court of Appeal that an Awissawella High Court judge would not be called as a witness before the Colombo High Court in relation to judicial decisions made in the course of his official duties. State Counsel Oswald Perera, appearing for the AG, further informed Court that no further steps would be taken to call HC Judge Sahana Mapa Bandara as a witness. He also undertook that judge’s name would be removed from more..

Jun 12 (NW) Opposition MP Dilith Jayaweera has urged the govt to reconsider its decision to hold the 2026 GCE A/L exam in August, claiming that students will lose several months of preparation time. Jayaweera said A/L students would typically have around 26 months to complete their syllabus and prepare for the examination, but alleged that the current schedule would effectively reduce that period by six months. He also noted that the current batch of students had faced disruptions to more..

Jun 12 (NW) The official launch of the FIFA World Cup Fan Zone 2026 took place yesterday in front of the Grand Oriental Hotel on York Street, Colombo Fort, marking a new milestone for Sri Lanka’s sports tourism sector. At this inaugural event, led by Minister Vijitha Herath, the minister revealed many special insights about the future of football in the country, infrastructure development, and a new boom in the tourism sector. more..

Jun 12 (AD) A special operation to detect drivers and conductors of passenger transport buses operating under the influence of narcotics was carried out by the Police yesterday at the Horana main bus stand. The operation was conducted jointly by traffic officers attached to the Horana, Ingiriya, Moragahahena and Aguruwathota Police Stations, together with officials of the National Transport Medical Institute. Drivers and conductors of passenger buses commencing their journeys more..

Jun 12 (DN) The Department of Meteorology has issued a Red warning for strong winds and rough seas affecting sea areas extending from Kankesanthurai to Kalpitiya via Mannar. The warning was issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre at 10.30 a.m. today (12) and will remain in effect until 10.30 a.m. tomorrow (13). Accordingly, sea areas off the coasts from Kankesanthurai to Kalpitiya via Mannar will be very rough at times, with strong gusty winds reaching 60–70 kmph. more..

Jun 12 (DM) SL is set to receive FIFA support for the construction of a new international football stadium in Negombo, a move expected to strengthen the country's sports tourism sector and football infrastructure, Minister Vijitha Herath said. The announcement was made at the launch of the official FIFA World Cup Fan Zone 2026 on York Street in front of the Grand Oriental Hotel (GOH) in Colombo Fort. Minister said FIFA has agreed to provide financial and technical assistance for more..

Jun 12 (NW) The Cabinet has approved the appointment of a special committee headed by Presidential Senior Adviser on Digital Economy Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya to oversee the strategic review and restructuring of SriLankan Airlines. The committee has been tasked with conducting an independent assessment of the national carrier and recommending the most suitable course of action to ensure its long-term more..

Jun 12 (NW) Asian Development Bank (ADB) has moved swiftly with $4 billion in financing to help countries withstand the economic shocks of the Middle East conflict, with SL among 15 govts that have formally requested assistance. The financing includes about $3 billion requested by govts and $1 billion provided as trade finance for energy and food imports. SL’s request, alongside those from Bangladesh, Fiji, and Philippines, forms part of a broader package announced by ADB more..

Jun 12 (Island) MPs and officials participated in a technical assistance session led by the U.S. House Democracy Partnership (HDP) and Congressional Budget Office (CBO) at the Parliamentary Complex. The U.S. Embassy in SL, in collaboration with the House Democracy Partnership and the U.S. Congressional Budget Office is supporting Sri Lanka Parliament in strengthening its capacity to independently analyze govt spending, economic policies, and proposed legislation. more..

Jun 12 (SO) The structural stability achieved under the early years of the IMF EFF is being aggressively undermined by two separate, compounding factors: a widening military conflict in the Middle East and a shift in United States (US) trade policy. Together, these forces have unleashed a localised cost-of-living crisis that is not merely driving low-income families into poverty, but is systematically erasing the savings and lifestyle of the hard-working middle-income population. more..

Jun 12 (NF) No decision has been taken at this stage to arrest or detain former Senior DIG oWaruna Jayasundara under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), the Attorney General informed the Court of Appeal today. The update was conveyed when a writ petition filed by Jayasundara was taken up before court. The former DIG had sought judicial intervention to prevent his possible arrest and detention in connection with ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. more..

Jun 12 (CI) West Indies survived a spirited Sri Lanka defence in chase of a middling target of 148, before they eventually secured a final-over, but ultimately comfortable, seven-wicket victory in the first T20I at Sabina Park. The rain which had been forecast stayed away, as a raucous home crowd finally got something to celebrate following the ODI washouts. A flicked six over deep midwicket by Rovman Powell off the expensive more..

Jun 12 (AD) A three-judge bench of the Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar is scheduled to deliver its verdict on July 31 in the case against former IGP Pujith Jayasundara, who is accused of failing to act on intelligence warnings ahead of the Easter Sunday attacks. The case has been filed on charges including criminal negligence and failure to perform official duties, on the grounds that action was not taken to prevent the attack despite receiving intelligence information that more..

Jun 12 (DM) Sri Lanka stepped up efforts to attract Gulf investment this week as nearly 200 senior business and diplomatic leaders gathered in Dubai for a high-level forum positioning Port City Colombo as a gateway to South Asia. The invitation-only event, titled Globalisation and the SL Opportunity – From Recovery to Relevance: Sri Lanka’s Moment in the Evolving Global and Regional Economy, was held at the Ritz-Carlton Dubai International Financial Centre and jointly organised by more..

Jun 12 (AD) Sri Lanka's updated National Mineral Policy has officially come into effect after 27 years, introducing a ban on the export of the country's mineral resources in raw form without value addition. Under the new policy, mineral resources can no longer be exported as unprocessed raw materials. Framework will regulate the entire mineral value chain, including exploration, mining, processing & value addition. more..

Jun 12 (NW) The first batch of successfully repaired, modernized, and redesigned medical equipment was officially handed over to the Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Hospital in Ragama during a ceremony presided over by Minister Chrishantha Abeysena. According to the Ministry of of Science and Technology, this milestone comes under a wider initiative launched to upgrade the hospital’s medical equipment and technological infrastructure, carried out under the direct guidance and more..

Jun 12 (EN) Sri Lanka is set to launch its strategic export roadmap for the next five years with the primary objective to achieve an export revenue target of 36 billion dollars by 2030, the country’s export development board said. National Export Development Plan (NEDP) 2026–2030 was developed by the SL Export Development Board (EDB) with technical assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). “The national plan is structured around two main pillars, more..

Jun 12 (TM) While scrolling through my Meta account recently, I came across a post by a Senior Lecturer at the Open Uni, Dr Edirimuni de Silva. His message was not a grand manifesto; it was a beautifully simple, low-bar request. Addressing the high-profile Clean Sri Lanka programme, he basically said: “Look, no need to do anything heroic. Just arrange to clear the rotting garbage in the Maharagama Urban Council (UC) area”. Almost in the same breath, two Instagram posts by more..

Jun 12 (DM) The SL rupee weakened further against the US dollar today, with several commercial banks recording higher exchange rates compared to Thursday. The dollar’s selling rate exceeded Rs. 340 at some banks, reaching Rs. 340.33 at People’s Bank and Rs. 340.00 at NDB Bank. At NDB Bank, the buying rate of the US dollar increased from Rs. 328.00 to Rs. 331.00, while the selling rate rose from Rs. 337.00 to Rs. 340.00. People’s Bank also reported an increase, with the buying rate more..

Jun 12 (FT) A dispute between the Treasury and the Central Bank of SL (CBSL) over accountability for the $ 2.5 million cyber theft involving public funds has come under scrutiny at the CoPF, with Chairman Dr. Harsha de Silva warning that weak systems, outdated technology, and unclear lines of responsibility had created a situation where institutions are now shifting blame onto one another. Committee recently examined a report more..

Jun 12 (DN) Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara, told Parliament that no official Cabinet approval has been taken to extend the retirement age of judges in the judicial system, including the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. Minister said this in response to several questions raised by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa. Eventhough, various professional groups have requested higher retirement ages due to increased life expectancy and brain drain, more..

Jun 12 (DN) The UDA has planned to transform Kandy into a branded city to elevate its global standing, attract foreign investment, boost tourism, and showcase its unique heritage and culture. The authorities aim to leverage Kandy’s history, heritage, culture, natural beauty and the historic Esala Perahera festival. UDA Project Management Director Uthpala Uyanwatta stated that this programme is being implemented by collaborating with various Govt and religious institutions, as well as more..

Jun 12 (TM) A sustained Police crackdown has left organised criminal networks facing a growing shortage of illegal firearms, forcing some gangs to turn to locally manufactured weapons, according to DIG Chandana Kodituwakku. Head of Police Crime Division said authorities seized 10,804 machine guns and assault-type weapons between 2021 and 2024, while organised crime-related killings have dropped sharply, more..

Jun 12 (DN) A discussion on expediting the implementation of the Galle City Development Project, being carried out under the Major Urban Development Programme, was held at the Presidential Secretariat with the participation of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Wednesday. The President reviewed the progress of initiatives being implemented to develop Galle, a World Heritage city, as a leading cultural and tourist destination. Discussions also focused on challenges more..

Jun 12 (Island) Losses incurred by several SLTB depots are largely attributable to their location in rural areas and the limited number of bus services operated daily, Deputy Minister Prasanna Gunasena told Parliament. Responding to a question, Deputy Minister said the Govt had already initiated measures to address the issue through a more systematic operational framework. He noted that the deteriorating condition of the SLTB fleet had resulted in frequent repairs and maintenance, more..