Jun 9 (FT) MP Dr. Harsha de Silva recently criticised the CEB's proposed electricity tariff revision for the latter half of 2025, arguing that the financial calculations presented by the utility are fundamentally flawed and violate principles of fairness and transparency. Speaking at the PUCSL public consultation held on 3 June at the BMICH, he dismantled key elements of the CEB’s financial projections and accounting methodology. more..

Jun 9 (FT) Vallibel One, SL’s leading diversified holding company, has announced its consolidated financial results for the financial year ended 31 March 2025, reporting robust performance across all key sectors. Group recorded a consolidated revenue of Rs. 122.8 billion, reflecting a marginal year-on-year (YoY) increase from Rs. 122.3 billion, driven by continued expansion across its finance, tile, aluminium, and consumer segments. Group reported a profit after tax (PAT) of Rs. 16.02 billion more..

Jun 9 (FT) In a remarkable leap from local acclaim to global recognition, Modern Pack Lanka Ltd., in partnership with SLINTEC, has won the WorldStar Award 2025 in the Sustainable Innovations Category, judged by a panel of 51 international experts. The award, presented by the World Packaging Organisation, is the highest global honour in the packaging industry, with this year’s competition drawing over 550 entries from more than 100 countries. more..

June 9 (DN) The veneration ceremony marking the conferral of the title of Deputy Chief Sanghanayaka of Southern SL to Venerable Mapalagama Buddhasiri Thera, the Chief Incumbent of the Weherahena Rajamaha Viharaya in Matara, was held yesterday at Ananda College, Colombo, with the participation of PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya. Addressing the event, PM stated: “We are pleased by the conferral of the Deputy Chief Sanghanayaka of Southern SL to Ven Mapalagama more..

June 9 (FT) Maxtherm Lanka Ltd., a leader in sustainable thermal energy solutions, has helped Sri Lanka save valuable foreign exchange by significantly reducing the country’s dependence on imported fossil fuels. Founded by experienced engineers Eng. Gaya Siriwardhana and Ajantha Muhandiram 14 years ago, the company has consistently pioneered technologies that improve energy efficiency and integrate renewable sources across Sri Lanka’s industrial landscape. more..

June 9 (ST) A draft amendment to the Companies Act which will for the first time compel businesses to disclose their beneficial owners has been placed on the order paper of Parliament. The passing of the law will meet another IMF structural benchmark. The govt undertook to enact amendments to the Companies Act to make the beneficial ownership framework consistent with FATF standards by the end of April 2025. more..

June 9 (CT) Approximately 60,000 handbooks titled My Meals Book, issued by Ministry of Health, have remained undistributed to schools for nearly four years, gathering dust in Store A of the Pitipana Book Store Complex—raising serious concerns over administrative negligence and resource mismanagement. Pitipana Complex, which comprises three major warehouses—Stores A, B, and C—is primarily used to store school textbooks and educational materials. more..

June 9 (DN) Three cricketers, pacemen Milan Ratnayake, off spinner Nishan Pieris and all-rounder Janith Liyanage are fighting to win Emerging Player of the Year award in the Home Lands -SLC awards 2024 which will be held today at Cinnamon Life Hotel in Colombo, commencing at 7 pm. Test skipper Dhananjaya de Silva, Kamindu Mendis and and Dinesh Chandimal were nominated for the Best Test Batsman award while Prabath Jayasuriya the leg spinner and two pacemen Lahiru Kumara more..

June 9 (EN) SL’s gross foreign reserves dropped US$ 42 million to US$ 6,284 million, below the level seen in Oct 2024, amid rising concerns that another cycle of policy errors is starting. SL’s gross official reserves hit US$ 6,472 million in Oct 2024, amid warnings of money printing, as large volumes of excess liquidity were dumped into the banking system to mis-target interbank call money rates. more..

June 9 (Island) Dilhani Lekamge excelled with a silver winning performance at the Chinese Taipei Open Athletics Championship on Sunday as she reached her seasonal best feat, a distance of 56.62 metres to finish second in the women’s javelin throw in Taipei. Lekamge produced her best feat in her second attempt. India’s Annu Rani won gold with a throw of 56.82 metres. Lekamge’s other successful throws were measured at 54.06m, 53.60m, 50.17m and 53.13 metres. more..

June 9 (FT) Sri Lanka's workers’ remittances is on a roll, with May inflow surging to $ 641.7 million, marking the third consecutive month of record inflows for 2025. May inflow reflects a robust 18% year-on-year (YoY) growth, although it registered a mere 1% dip compared to April 2025. The April 2025 figure is also the fourth-highest monthly remittance inflow in history, behind $ 812.7 million recorded in Dec 2020, $ 729.35 million in Jan 2018 and $ 693.3 million in March 2025. more..

June 9 (EN) Distribution of Elephant House beverages in India has started, under a partnership struck with Reliance Retail Ventures Limited, Ceylon Cold Stores, a unit of SL’s John Keells Holdings said. A fee-based franchise partnership that was formed in Feb 2024 with Reliance Consumer Products Limited (RCPL), to manufacture, market, distribute, and sell Elephant House beverages. “Although the partnership’s contribution to beverage business profitability is minimal at present, more..

June 9 (FT) SL’s tourism earnings in May was $ 164.1 million, reflecting a 7% increase year-on-year (YoY), but also marking the lowest monthly income in 2025 so far, the latest data released by the Central Bank showed. Despite the positive annual uptick, May marked the lowest monthly revenue figure so far in 2025 in tandem with the low footfall during the month. On a month-on-month basis, earnings from tourism saw a steep decline of 56.4% in May, underscoring the volatility of tourism more..

June 9 (DM) State bungalows which were assigned to Cabinet Ministers as their official residences in the past currently remain idle under the current govt even after months despite its pre-election promise to repurpose them for economically viable activities. In the run up to the elections last year, NPP pledged that such valuable properties would not be assigned to ministers, a departure from the practice of the past govts, in a bid to more..

June 9 (CT) Minister Harshana Nanayakkara has issued several new regulations and amendments under Sections 45 and 61 of the Judicature Act concerning the recruitment of Justices of the Peace (JPs). These changes were published in the Extraordinary Gazette No. 2439/34, dated 4 June 2025. According to the new Gazette, future appointments of JPs will be made exclusively for specific administrative districts. This effectively ends the practice of appointing JPs with powers more..

June 9 (DN) A Blue-and-Yellow Macaw, estimated to be worth over Rs. 500,000, was reportedly stolen from the Dehiwala National Zoo on Wednesday night. The incident came to light when a zookeeper, while reporting for duty the next morning, discovered the lock of the bird enclosure had been broken. Upon inspection and notification to senior zoo officials, it was confirmed that one of the Macaws housed in the aviary was missing. CCTV footage from a nearby shop captured a picture of more..

June 9 (DN) Four individuals, including three women, drowned in the Bala Ella Wewa reservoir in Polonnaruwa yesterday (8). The victims, all residents of the Ratmalana area, included a married couple and two female relatives. They had been visiting a relative’s home in Aralaganwila when the incident occurred. Among the deceased are a man and three women, including a mother and daughter. The deceased have been identified as Lihini Pathirika de Silva (13), K. Menaka Darshani (30), more..

June 9 (AD) The State Veterinary Surgeons’ Association has launched a token strike today. The strike began at 6 a.m. today, based on several demands. During a press conference, the Chairman of the Association, Dr. Upul Ranjith Kumara, announced that the decision to launch the strike was made in response to the Agriculture Ministry Secretary’s continued attempts to sabotage the govt’s efforts to establish a separate service constitution for veterinary surgeons. more..

June 9 (AD) Assistant Commissioner of Anuradhapura Prison has been arrested by the CID over allegations of unlawfully releasing an inmate of the A'pura Prison under the Presidential Pardon granted for Vesak Poya. He was arrested by the CID this evening (8). Earlier today, a statement was recorded from the Commissioner General of Prisons regarding the controversial release of prisoners on a Prez Pardon for Vesak. more..

June 9 (CT) Kushani Nanayakkara, wife of former State Minister Dunesh Gankanda, was arrested on Saturday by the CID in connection with a longstanding income tax evasion case filed by the Inland Revenue Dept. The arrest follows a Court Cas filed in the Colombo Magistrate’s Court No. 9, accusing Nanayakkara, a businesswoman, of failing to pay more than Rs 700 million in income tax over several years. Nanayakkara serves as a Director of Green Lanka Travels, Green Seed Lanka, more..

June 9 (TM) Minister Ananda Wijepala, said that the CID is investigating the release of an inmate who was allegedly not on the list approved for the President’s Vesak pardon, and that there were also reports of similar incidents in the past. He said that CID has recorded statements from Commissioner General of Prisons Thushara Upuldeniya on 7 June, soon after the relevant complaint was filed on the same day. "The complaint was filed on 7 June through an Additional Secretary to the Prez more..

June 9 (DN) SL Customs has clarified that the 323 containers recently released without physical inspection primarily contained raw materials required for various industries. Customs firmly stated that the release of these containers was part of standard Customs procedures and was not influenced by political or other external factors. Customs Spokesman and Additional Director General Seevali Arukgoda explained that, more..

June 9 (FT) Sri Lankan novelist and social critic, Vishnu Vasu, launched his newest book in Sinhala, a disjointed travelogue viewing India’s unseen social, cultural, political, and religious scenarios not visible to an ordinary person, titled Made in IndiaA Dream of an Uncultured Person, Simple Simon, and Men in Sarees. He has his own genre of writing, looking at people and events from a non-conventional and non-traditional angle. Made in India also has followed this writing style. more..

June 9 (FT) The Indian Ocean Region—home to 35% of the world’s population across 36 nations—stands as the backbone of global commerce. With 70,000 km of coastline and over 100,000 ships transiting annually, carrying 50% of global containerised cargo and 42% of crude oil, this region holds immense strategic weight. As Chair of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), SL had a historic moment at the 24th Council of Ministers Meeting to unite maritime powers including more..

June 9 (AD) Medical Laboratory Technologist and prominent trade union activist Ravi Kumudesh has been suspended from duty for violating the Establishments Code by contesting at the 2024 Parliamentary Election. According to the letter issued by the Director General of Health Services, Ravi Kumudesh, employed at the Medical Laboratory of the Colombo National Hospital, had contested the election from the Colombo District in violation of the regulations that prohibit certain public more..

June 9 (NW) The Colombo High Court today ordered the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) to facilitate the Bribery Commission to obtain a statement from notorious underworld figure Nadun Chithaka, alias Harak Kata, who is currently detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). The order was issued when a case related to Harak Kata was called before Colombo High Court Judge Sujeewa Nissanka today. During the hearing, State Counsel Sajith Bandara informed the court that more..

June 9 (TM) SL Test captain Dhananjaya de Silva firmly believes that SL’s perceived paucity of Tests in the World Test Championship (WTC) Cycle for 2025-27, will place an extra burden on his players to be in the running for the next final. However, he is hopeful that SLC will intervene and arrange a few more red-ball fixtures for his men, as they kick off the latest Cycle with a two-match series against Bangladesh commencing at Galle more..

June 9 (CT) A special security arrangement and traffic management plan has been put in place by the Sri Lanka Police for the Poson festive season, with particular focus on the sacred cities of Anuradhapura and Mihintale. The plan will come into effect today, 9 June, according to ASP F.U. Wootler. Nearly 3,500 Police officers have been deployed to ensure the safety of pilgrims and manage the expected influx of devotees. These officers will be responsible for maintaining security, more..

June 9 (CT) Minister Harshana Nanayakkara said that immediate steps are being taken to relocate the Matara Prison to Kotawila. He made this announcement following an inspection visit to the Matara Prison on the afternoon of 7 June. The visit was followed by a special discussion held under the Minister’s leadership, focusing on the current condition of the prison. Minister highlighted that the existing premises of the Matara Prison do not provide adequate space for the essential more..

June 9 (DM) Leader of the PHU, Udaya Gammanpila today revealed the detailed list of 323 controversial shipping containers released by SL Customs earlier this year. The list includes company names, countries of origin, descriptions of the imported goods, and corresponding reference numbers. Former Minister Gammanpila was questioned for approximately three hours by the CID. Full list publicized by Former Minister. more..

June 9 (DM) Cabinet has decided to suspend Commissioner General of Prisons Thushara Upuldeniya over allegations of the unauthorised release of inmates under the pretence of a Presidential pardon. Upuldeniya was questioned for more than 10 hours yesterday by the CID as part of the ongoing investigations. The inquiry follows a complaint filed by the Presidential Secretariat, alleging that the Presidential pardon was misused to facilitate unlawful release of certain prisoners. more..

June 9 (Island) The highest levels of govt have expressed serious concern about the sluggish pace of capital spending by Ministries, with some having utilised as little as 11% of their allocated budgets, according to sources. With more than half the fiscal year having elapsed, it is increasingly likely that no Ministry will be able to utilise its capital expenditure allocations fully by year-end. The underutilisation has prompted Prez himself to initiate reviews of Ministry project performance, beginning more..

June 9 (AD) Former Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage’s lawyers have filed an appeal before the Supreme Court against the sentence imposed by the Colombo High Court in May. Former Minister who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted in a case involving the alleged unlawful purchase of 14,000 Carrom boards and 11,000 draughts boards during the 2015 presidential election period, and causing a loss of over Rs. 53 million to the govt by distributing them among more..

June 9 (CT) Amnesty International has called on the SL Govt to ensure transparency and public accountability as authorities begin excavations at a second mass grave site in Chemmani, located in the Northern Peninsula. In a statement, the organisation said the excavation could be a significant step towards truth and justice for the victims and their families—provided the process is conducted in accordance with international standards. Amnesty International urged the authorities to more..

June 9 (NF) Minister Ananda Wijepala, has announced a major recruitment and restructuring initiative aimed at strengthening the police force and support services. He revealed that the govt has approved the recruitment of 10,000 personnel into the Police Support Service, with a Cabinet paper already being prepared for submission. Proposal includes enlisting individuals under the age of 45 who have legally retired more..