June 16 (TM) SL’s electricity tariff rates are still approximately 96% higher on a net average basis since August 2022, when the Govt initially implemented the cost recovery mechanism. According to a report shared by the Dept of Economic Research of the Central Bank on LinkedIn, the recent 15% increase in electricity tariffs, following three consecutive downward revisions, has taken electricity prices up by 95.5% from where it was in August 2022. more..

June 16 (FT) This is a critical question that Sri Lanka needs to start thinking about now itself. Though, Moodys and Fitch have upgraded us from selective default status, S&P still has SL at selective default status. SL has yet to come fully out of default status. The year 2028, is when external debt repayments are coming due. What is SL’s position? From a macroeconomic perspective, SL is doing well. It has outperformed expectations with inflation coming down from 70% to deflation point. more..

June 16 (FT) Central banks have always been a puzzle to ordinary public as well as to politicians. For public, it is the institution which is charged with and holding responsibility for the country’s economic growth and prosperity. I had sat on many interview boards, during my central bank days, to examine candidates who had sought to join the Central Bank as staff members. All of them had been the cream of the local as well as foreign universities holding either first classes or second-class upper more..

June 16 (NW) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa alleged today that the govt has blatantly violated the 2025 guidelines issued by Ministry of Public Admin, PCs, and LG for electing chairpersons and vice-chairpersons in local authorities. He said that the guidelines specify procedures for situations where no party or independent group secures more than 50% of the total membership. Premadasa claimed these procedures were followed in several local bodies, resulting in the opposition and more..

June 16 (AD) Vraie Cally Balthazaar of the NPP has been elected as the new Mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC). Councilor Vraie Balthazaar was elected the new Colombo Mayor following a secret ballot. During the secret ballot, Councilor Balthazaar received 61 votes while Riza Zarook of the SJB obtained 54 votes. Two votes were rejected, according to Commissioner of the Dept of Local Govt of the WP, more..

June 16 (AD) The contempt of court case filed against Controller General of Immigration and Emigration Harsha Illukpitiya, who is currently in remand custody, was taken up for hearing before the Supreme Court toda. The hearing was conducted before a three-judge bench comprising Justices Yasantha Kodagoda, Janak de Silva, and Arjuna Obeysekera. The first witness to give evidence was Supreme Court Registrar Aravinda Gunaratne. Under the direction ofl M.A. Sumanthiran— more..

June 16 (NW) SL cricketer Dinesh Chandimal has shared a heartfelt message in tribute to Angelo Mathews, who is set to play his final Test match for SL tomorrow in Galle. In an emotional note, Chandimal described Mathews as “one of the rarest and most valuable players Sri Lankan cricket has ever produced” and reflected on the privilege of sharing the field with his longtime teammate. “I’ve learned so much from you—not just as a teammate, but as a captain, a leader, and above all, more..

June 16 (CT) Properties valued at over Rs 3,780 million, belonging to individuals suspected of crimes and drug-related offences, have been confiscated by the authorities, SL Police said. The seizures encompass assets from more than 90 individuals, 30 of whom are alleged to be involved in drug smuggling. Total value of properties confiscated from those suspects is reported to be over Rs 1,450 million. more..

June 16 (DM) Defeated SJB mayoral candidate Riza Zarook has accused the Commissioner of the Dept of Local Govt for the Western Province of acting unfairly during the election to appoint the new Mayor of Colombo held this morning. Zarook claimed that Commissioner Sarangika Jayasundara made an arbitrary decision to conduct the vote through a secret ballot, despite objections raised by his party. “At the very start, Commissioner announced that the vote could be held either by secret or open more..

June 16 (EN) A $1 million fund from the UN to carry out a comprehensive marine scientific survey in Sri Lanka’s shallow coastal waters is at a stake due to delay in the govt’s effort to come up with Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to accommodate foreign research vessels. The previous SL govt in 2021 requested the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN to conduct the survey following some strong benefits to the island nation after a similar survey in 2018. more..

June 16 (NW) The NPP has secured control of two more Pradeshiya Sabhas and the Ratnapura Municipal Council. In the secret ballot to elect the Mayor of the Ratnapura Municipal Council, K.A.D.R.I. Katugampala of the NPP was elected by obtaining 14 votes. The opposition mayoral candidate received only 12 votes. Meanwhile, the NPP’s W.M. Thilakaratne was elected as the Chairman of the Dambulla Pradeshiya Sabha. He won 15 votes in the secret ballot held today. more..

June 16 (NW) Two Sri Lankans have been injured in Israel, due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, Sri Lankan Ambassador to Israel, Nimal Bandara, said. In a post on Facebook, Ambassador Nimal Bandara said that a SL woman was injured on the shoulder in a missile attack in the Bat Yam area in Israel on Saturday. “The injured woman was treated in the hospital and later transferred to the SL Embassy for further treatment under the care of a Sri Lankan nurse,” he said. more..

June 16 (EN) Sri Lanka’s gross domestic product expanded 4.8% in the first quarter of 2025, despite a contraction in agriculture helped by exchange rate stability and lower rates. The agriculture sector contracted 0.7% in the first quarter. Industry grew 9.7% with manufacturing up 9.6% and construction up 10.7%. Services were up 2.9%, with financial services up 14.6%, hotels and restaurants up 14%. more..

June 16 (CT) A staggering sum of over Rs 5.7 billion was spent by the Presidential Secretariat on vehicle-related expenses between 2012 and 2022, according to official documents released under the RTI Act, No. 12 of 2016. The information was disclosed through a file numbered PS/RTI/04/2023, obtained under the Right to Information Act, detailing various administrative expenses incurred by the President’s Office over a ten-year period. According to the data, Rs 1,865,640,511 was spent more..

June 16 (DM) Sri Lanka is closely observing the current development of tension in the Middle-East since instability in the region involves greater implications for the country’s economy recovering from the crisis, a source from the Foreign Ministry said. The global fuel price is the immediate implication for SL which completely depends on imports for petroleum requirements. Global oil prices rose sharply after Israel struck Iran in a dramatic escalation of tensions in the Middle East. more..

June 16 (PMD) Prez Anura Kumara Disanayake, delivering the keynote address at the international conference SL’s Road to Recovery: Debt and Governance in Colombo today, declared that by 2028 SL will have laid the foundation for a stable and self-reliant economy, one capable of independently meeting its external debt obligations. Emphasizing that true sovereignty cannot exist amidst economic collapse, he asserted, more..

June 16 (AD) A tender has been called for the sale of used vehicles belonging to the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure. According to the Ministry, the vehicles include 16 luxury vehicles, three other vehicles, and three condemned vehicles. Only SL citizens or companies registered in SL are eligible to participate in the tender. Individuals must attach a certified copy of their National Identity Card (NIC), and owners of the companies or organizations must attach a more..

June 16 (EN) Sri Lanka’s complex debt restructure which involved state contingent instruments and no principal reductions on domestic debt held by banks and pension debt will speed up future resolutions, a top IMF said. “The Sri Lankan debt restructuring experience provides several lessons that will help make the process simpler for other countries that need restructuring in the future,” IMF’s First Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath said in a forum in Colombo. more..

June 16 (AD) The President’s Fund has launched a program to honor students who excelled at the district level in the 2023/2024 G.C.E. A/L Examination. Under this initiative, 60 top-performing students from each district—representing all subject streams—will be selected and awarded financial scholarships and certificates of recognition. The selection is based on official results issued by the Department of Examinations and the University Grants Commission (UGC). more..

June 16 (NW) A special workshop on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to transform the public service into a more productive and efficient entity was held today (15) at Temple Trees. Titled AI for Transforming Public Service, the workshop was attended by officials of the Presidential Secretariat. It aimed to serve as an initial orientation for a major government initiative, the digitalization of the public service, by raising awareness and preparing officials, while also fostering a positive perception more..

June 16 (DM) A host of senior public officials including that of the Ministry of Finance have boycotted an awareness programme organized in line with the National Tax Week, as a top liquor company said to have sponsored the event had promoted its products during the event. A number of senior govt officials had been invited to an awareness programme organized at a hotel in Negombo during the weekend to mark more..

June 16 (CT) Matale District Development Committee has approved the construction of a Safe Detention Centre for torque monkeys at a cost of Rs 283.87 million near the Kalugaga Reservoir in Matale. DWC has also recommended that torque monkeys roaming in urban and rural areas causing damages to the cultivation in Matale District be caught and kept in this detention centre. This detention centre is to be built on a 425-acre land near Kaluganga Reservoir in Laggala . more..

June 16 (NW) ICC today announced the schedule for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, where hosts India will get the tournament underway against SL in Bengaluru. Two countries will get the tournament started at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on 30 Sept, with action starting at 15h00 local time. Defending champions Australia, then get their campaign up and running against neighbours, NZ, at Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on 1 Oct, while B'desh face Pakistan a day later in Colombo. more..

June 16 (FT) The CID last week informed the Colombo Magistrate’s Court that the Attorney General has concluded that no criminal offence had occurred in the process of reducing the special commodity levy on imported sugar from Rs. 50 to 25 cents per kg, a decision made four years ago. Further investigations have been recommended to determine if any party or individual had gained undue benefit or committed acts of bribery more..

June 16 (Island) British Tamils Forum (BTF) has written to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk urging him to visit Mullivaikkal, the site of the 2009 genocide, and Chemmani, where mass graves have been unearthed. The UNHRC Head is scheduled to visit SL shortly. In a letter dated 27 May 2025, the BTF welcomed the visit and stressed its importance ahead of the 60th session of the UNHRC in September. The letter noted that the trip should help substantiate the findings more..

June 16 (TM) Ministry of Trade, Commerce & Food Security stated that there are plans to establish only four new dedicated economic centres in the country, and that no further expansion is required to meet the current national need. Deputy Minister R.M. Jayawardana said that no large-scale expansion of economic centres is required at this stage. "Only about four new centres are being considered, with two likely to be set up in Bandarawela and Monaragala. The locations for the remaining more..

June 16 (CI) Ahead of his final Test match, Angelo Mathews became the latest voice to sound the alarm around the lack of Test cricket for nations outside of India, England and Australia. SL will be playing just four Tests in 2025 - their lowest number of Tests in a calendar year since 2013, not counting a Covid-curtailed 2020. If you look at the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, an even bleaker picture begins to emerge. more..

June 16 (AD) Two sisters died after being hit by a speeding car while crossing at a pedestrian crossing in Koralaima, Polgasowita, police stated. Two children of one of the deceased also sustained serious injuries in the accident and have been hospitalised. The incident occurred at around 9:25 p.m. yesterday along the Horana–Colombo road in Koralaima. The two women and the children had visited a relative’s funeral home and were on their way to another relative’s house, more..

June 16 (NF) The goal is not only to recover from the crisis and restore macroeconomic stability, but also to lay the foundation for a stronger, more resilient and more inclusive economy going forward, said Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Governor of the Central Bank of SL on Monday. Governor , speaking at the SL’s Road to Recovery: Debt and Governance delivered an optimistic update on the country’s economic trajectory, highlighting a significant turnaround following years of crisis. more..

June 17 (DM) Barely a month after the suicide of Sabaragamuwa Uni student Charith Dilshan, the entire episode seems to be forgotten. There are new scandals and shocks almost on a daily basis. A disastrous bus accident, cyclonic weather and a new Covid variant have dominated the curriculum of daily worries. This is precisely the climate in which raggers and their obnoxious subculture of ragging thrive. They know that public outrage won’t last, and they will be free to carry on as usual until more..

June 17 (DM) The case against certain prison officials including the Prisons Commissioner General for allegedly releasing prisoners illegally in the guise of a presidential pardon is not merely a corruption case, it is a matter of paramount importance as it concerns rights of the judiciary. Nobody has the right to deliver judgements on the proceedings of a court that investigates a matter. It is a fact well-known especially to the lawyers, MPs and journalists making public statements more..

June 17 (TM) A storm of controversy has engulfed Sri Lanka’s justice and prison systems, centred around the highly irregular release of a convicted financial fraudster named W.H. Athula Thilakaratne. What began as a seemingly innocuous Vesak presidential pardon has spiralled into a full-blown scandal, exposing alleged corruption, abuse of power, and a shocking disregard for due process at the highest levels of the State. more..

June 17 (TM) The recent escalation in hostilities between Israel and Iran, emanating from the long-drawn-out and devastating Israel-Palestine conflict, has caused tensions globally. This time, it has reached as far as SL. Several Sri Lankans have reportedly been injured in attacks on Israel, prompting immediate and commendable action from the Sri Lankan authorities to assist Sri Lankans in both the countries. Mechanisms have been put in place to respond to concerns, offer support, more..

June 17 (CT) In branding, legacy can be a double-edged sword. In politics, where identity and emotional resonance are key, this becomes even more complex. SL’s political landscape offers a fitting case study: Namal Rajapaksa and Sajith Premadasa — both sons of former Presidents — have inherited not only a surname but a legacy that shapes their personal brands. Both have been strategically styled and positioned to evoke memories of their fathers. Namal Rajapaksa continues to wear shawl more..

June 17 (CT) Born on 18 August 1933 in Kalukondayawa, Malwana, Hamilton Wanasinghe was the second child of Henry and Charlotte Wanasinghe. His father, a proprietor planter in Dompe of Siyane Koralaya, was widely known as Rubberwatte Mahattaya. Young Hamilton began his education at the primary school in Gampaha. After excelling in Year 5 Exam as one of the top students in the island, he gained admission to Ananda more..

June 17 (CT) Through information released under the Right to Information Act, it was revealed that Rs 5.7 billion was spent by the Presidential Secretariat on vehicle-related expenses between 2012 and 2022. Out of which, over Rs 1.8 billion was spent on vehicle maintenance, and over Rs 1.5 billion on vehicle upgrades and other improvements. It goes without saying that vehicles are a necessity for any administration to operate, whether it be part of the State, or within a private organisation. more..