June 2 (EN) Treasury Secretary, Mahinda Siriwardana will retire at the end of the month to become an alternative executive director of the Asian Development Bank, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake said. Siriwardana will represent seven nations at the ADB including Sri Lanka, he said. Siriwardene was leaving after leading reform drive in the tax system and other legislation which had helped strengthen state revenues under more..

June 2 (Island) Over 35,000 residents across Ruwanwella, Bulathkohupitiya, and Yatiyantota in the Kegalle District now have access to safe, treated drinking water following the successful completion and official handover of Phase I of the Ruwanwella Water Supply Project, said a release from the Korean Embassy in Colombo. The project, funded by Korea Exim Bank’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) and implemented with the technical expertise of Kolon Global Corp, more..

June 2 (NW) The ICC have confirmed the dates and the venues for this year’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. The 13th edition of the Women’s 50-over World Cup will run from September 30 until Nov 2, with five venues across India and SL to be used for the eight-team tournament. These will be M. Chinnaswamy Stadium (Bengaluru), ACA Stadium (Guwahati), Holkar Stadium (Indore), ACA-VDCA Stadium (Visakhapatnam), and R. Premdasa Stadium (Colombo) more..

June 2 (DM) Ashoka Sepala, former Chairman of the Lindula-Talawakelle Urban Council, was ordered to be remanded till June 11 by Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali today, over a financial loss of Rs. 2.38 million allegedly caused to the govt during his tenure as Chairman. According to investigations, the former Chairman is accused of disregarding official procedures during the leasing of Meat Stall No. 12, which belongs to the Urban Council. Despite the highest bid being more..

June 2 (NW) Uva Provincial Indoor Sports Complex in Bandarawela, constructed at a cost of Rs. 300 million, was officially declared open on Saturday. The inauguration ceremony was held under the patronage of Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage and Deputy Minister Ruwan Ranasinghe. Developed by the Dept of Sports Development with full state support, the complex spans approximately 1,188 square meters and is aimed at enhancing the skills of athletes in the Uva Province. more..

June 2 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced that he has taken measures to reduce expenditure under the Prez’s budget wherever possible, with the aim of safeguarding every rupee of public funds. Speaking at the inauguration of the National Tax Week, Prez reiterated his commitment to ensuring that every taxpayer’s contribution is protected. He emphasized that this marks the first significant step more..

June 2 (FT) With a view to diversifying its investment portfolio, Ambeon Capital has decided to invest in and become a stakeholder of a project for the mining, processing, and sale of mineral sand (which contain industrial minerals including ilmenite, rutile, zircon, and garnet), in the Eastern Province. As per a CSE filing by Ambeon, the venture Taprobane Minerals Project is one of the highest-grade mineral sand projects globally, with potential for further upgrade and resource expansion. more..

June 2 (AD) The Supreme Court today ordered that a fundamental rights petition filed naming former Minister A.H.M. Fowzie as a respondent be taken up for consideration on Nov 4. The petition seeks a ruling that former Minister A.H.M. Fowzie violated the fundamental human rights of the public by using a luxury jeep, donated by the govt of the Netherlands, for his personal use during his tenure as the Minister of Disaster Management. The fundamental rights petition has been filed by more..

June 2 (AD) Novel variants of SARS-CoV-2 virus that cause COVID-19 disease have not been detected in SL, Secretary to the Ministry of Health Dr. Anil Jasinghe has confirmed. He said in May 2025, specimens tested by the MRI confirmed the presence of previously identified sub-lineages of SARS-CoV-2 virus. Despite the presence of SARS-CoV-2 virus, novel variants were not detected during recent tests, and no evidence of increased more..

June 2 (Island) PM Dr Harini Amarasuriya has hailed Anudi Gunasekara’s participation in the Miss World 2025 pageant as a proud moment for Sri Lanka, commending the young beauty queen for putting Sri Lanka in the global spotlight. In a message shared on her official Facebook page, the Premier praised Gunasekara’s poise and presence, noting that her representation had captivated audiences both at home and abroad. “Anudi Gunasekara proudly represented SL at Miss World 2025,” more..

June 2 (EN) Several Sri Lankan parliamentarians have participated in a capacity building programme in India organized by the Lok Sabha Secretariat’s Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training (BPST). The programme included discussions on anti-defection law, role of Whips, legislative and budgetary process, parliamentary privileges and ethics, interactions with print and electronic media, and visits to Delhi Metro Corporation, IIT Delhi, and IT Parks. more..

June 2 (Xinhua) In a gesture of sports diplomacy and cultural exchange, the Chinese Embassy in SL has donated five 12-person international-standard dragon boats to SL's Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The donation was formally made on Saturday at the 2025 Dragon Boat Festival China-SL Friendship Cup Dragon Boat Championship. The championship, held at the Diyawanna Oya Amateur Rowing Association of SL (ARASL) Rowing Center in Kotte, a suburb of Colombo, more..

June 2 (NW) The COPE has flagged financial and administrative irregularities at the SL Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), including the unplanned expenditure of over Rs. 1.3 billion on two programs not included in the agency’s 2024 action plan. Rs. 63 million was spent on the Vigamanika Harasara initiative and over Rs. 1.25 billion on the Glocal Fair program, the latter launched before securing Cabinet approval. Questions were raised about the scale of spending, more..

June 2 (AD) Number of individuals seeking employment overseas has reduced by about 20% in comparison to recent years, according to Association of Licensed Foreign Employment Agencies (ALFEA). The reduction has been attributed to the eroding public trust in both recruitment agencies and SL Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), which according to the Secretary of the union Mohamed Farooq more..

June 2 (CT) The Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) has voiced serious concerns over the slow pace of investigations into the suicide of a schoolgirl in Kotahena, alleging institutional failure and a lack of urgency by the relevant authorities. Joseph Stalin, General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers’ Union, criticised the Ministry of Education, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), and the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) for the sluggish progress in their investigations. more..

June 2 (DM) Five diesel locos from the city to roar on SL tracks as India sends 22 power-packed engines across the sea; these WDM3A Alco-class locomotives have been workhorses, powering top-tier trains across Indian Railways, especially on the Konkan Railway before electrification. Five of the 32 locomotives selected for export to SL, following a formal request by the neighbouring country, are from Mumbai. Of the 32 locomotives listed, 22 will be sent for regular use as a friendly gesture. more..

June 2 (AD) Anudi Gunasekara, who represented SL at the 72nd Miss World pageant held in India, returned to the island today. Upon her arrival, Gunasekara expressed her gratitude to those who supported her throughout her journey. “This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a truly beautiful memory. All I wanted was to bring pride to my country — and I believe I achieved that,” she said. “I think Miss World 2025 was crowned to more..

June 2 (UN) Hundreds of people from SL's historically oppressed Malaiyaha (hill country) community held demonstrations to emphasize their basic rights as citizens of the country. “We demand that Malaiyaha Tamil people be accepted as free and equal SL citizens,” said Shalini Manori, a 54-year-old tea estate worker, who participated in the June 1 demonstration in Hatton town in Nuwara Eliya District of Central Province. The majority of the community’s 1.5 million people work in tea more..

June 2 (BP) A Sri Lankan tourist was assaulted by a transgender woman armed with high heel shoes on the city’s beach road Saturday night after he daringly touched her genitals twice to verify her gender--then refused to pay or proceed with any services. Police and rescuers from Sawangboribul Foundation were called to Soi 13/3 on Pattaya Beach Road at about 10.30pm where they found a 54-year-old Sri Lankan man, identified only as Sepala, bleeding from the head. more..

June 3 (DM) The term of the 339 local govt bodies for which elections were held on May 6 was scheduled to commence on June 2, according to a gazette extraordinary issued by Minister of Provincial Councils & Local Govt on Feb 17. Out of the 341 local councils established in the country, the election for the Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha was held earlier on Oct 26, last year, while the election for the Kalmunai Municipal Council has been indefinitely deferred due to a legal issue. more..

June 3 (DM) The 1955 Bandung Conference was a key moment when newly free countries met to decide their path in a divided world. The then Ceylon’s PM Sir John Kotelawala deserves credit for defending small nation rights against big power attitudes. The Bandung idea actually came from Sir John’s 1954 Colombo Conference. Yet, when the bigger meeting happened in Indonesia, he was expected to follow India’s lead instead of speaking for his own country. more..

June 3 (CT) It was a long day for 35-year-old Kumudu Nisansala. The mother of three from Karangoda, Ratnapura, had just returned from the garment factory where she works and was resting in her living room before it was time to make dinner for her family. When she first started working at a garment factory, Nisansala was 23 years old. It is the only work she believes she is skilled at, and now uncertainty looms over her future as more..

June 3 (CT) China is a sleeping giant (dragon), when she wakes (up) she will shake the world. The above quote is popularly attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte although there is no hard evidence to show that he said so. Yet, since the 19th century there was a fear about China especially among spokespersons for the British Empire, and the two Opium Wars, one fought between China and Britain (1839-42) and the other between China and France (1856-60), over opium trade were more..

June 3 (ST) It was the family funeral of the nation that people, engulfed in tears of sorrow, mourned in black and white upon hearing the breaking news last Saturday, that the queen of Sinhala cinema, Malani Fonseka, had passed away that early morn. Some broke down in a flood of tears, while some were too distraught to cry and stayed benumbed in disbelief that the Goddess of the Sinhala screen, who had lived enshrined in their hearts, had bid her last farewell and taken the last curtain call. more..

June 3 (TM) Concerns are growing within the healthcare system nationwide as medical officers warn of a potential shortage of critical medicines. This looming crisis threatens to disrupt patient care, especially in rural hospitals that are already struggling to meet treatment demands. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior medical officer from a major hospital in the Southern Province shared the emotional toll of more..

June 3 (CT) The Govt launched its National Tax Week programme with an aim to raise public awareness on taxation and to strengthen public participation and compliance in tax paying. This initiative will extend throughout the first week of June, and will include several programmes to help educate the public on tax-paying. The push to increase public engagement with the Inland Revenue Department aligns with broader efforts to make tax compliance more comprehensible. more..

June 3 (TM) With World Environment Day (WED) around the bend (5) the Govt is scrambling to organize the state apparatus to make it appear that tangible action is being taken to address the serious issue of this year’s global theme of Ending Plastic Pollution. As such, this week has been labelled National Environment Week with the Ministry of Environment taking the lead in organising several plastic-linked pollution reductions programmes. SL’s plastic pollution problem is massive, more..

June 3 (FT) At the heart of the National HR Conference 2025, organised by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) SL, international keynote speaker Andrew Bryant delivered a captivating and thought-provoking address on the power of self-leadership in transforming individuals, institutions, and nations. Held under the theme “Empowering People for a Thriving Nation,” the two-day conference at the Monarch Imperial brought together more..

June 3 (Island) The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, is expected to visit Sri Lanka later this month. This will be an important visit as he will be seeking to assess the progress that the new govt has made in implementing resolutions passed by the UN Human Rights Commission which his office facilitates. The last such visit was by former High Commissioner Al Hussein in February 2016, during the period of the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe govt. more..

June 3 (TM) Govt is planning to introduce the necessary legal amendments to protect tank-based reserves and prevent further encroachment by individuals, including politically connected persons, according to the Ministry of Land and Irrigation. Deputy Minister of Land and Irrigation Dr. Susil Ranasinghe said that a considerable extent of land within tank reserves has been occupied. more..

June 3 (DN) Sriyani Kulawansa the former Olympian and the Commonwealth Games silver medalist hurdler has been appointed chairman of the National Selection Committee (NSC). Kulawansa who also the President of the SL Olympians Association represented SL team in Olympics in 1992, 1996 and 2000. Kulawansa is also a former member of the National Sports Council. Ravi Pathiravithana was appointed Secretary of the National selection committee while Major Rajitha Samaraseka more..

June 3 (Island) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, speaking at the commencement of the National Tax Week yesterday, stressed the need to boost the tax revenue substantially, and spelt out the measures his govt had adopted to achieve that goal. The govt must pull out all the stops to increase state revenue and shore up the country’s foreign currency reserves. Politically motivated tax cuts the SLPP resorted to as part of its strategy to endear itself to the public and win elections more..

June 3 (FT) Asian Development Bank (ADB) hailed the official launch of the National Credit Guarantee Institution Ltd., (NCGIL), a transformative step in SL’s efforts to enhance finance access for the country’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Speaking at the launch, ADB Director-General Sector Department-3 Leah Gutierrez highlighted the critical importance of the new institution, calling it a milestone in Sri Lanka’s financial sector development and more..

June 3 (SO) The newly elected Sri Lanka Badminton (SLB) President Roshan Gunawardena has promised a new chapter for the sport in the country, declaring that his mission is not only to produce national players but to raise champions who can compete and win at international level. In an exclusive interview, the experienced administrator and successful entrepreneur said the time has come to take bold, serious decisions to lift Sri Lanka’s global standing in badminton. more..

June 3 (FT) Deputy Finance Minister Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma pledged the Govt’s continued support to empower micro, small & medium enterprises (MSMEs) through accessible, collateral-free credit. Delivering the keynote address at the official launch of the National Credit Guarantee Institution Ltd, (NCGIL) yesterday, he acknowledged the initiative as a mammoth step in the country’s financial sector development, more..