Jun 9 (NW) An article published by BBC Sinhala has triggered a response from NPP MP Lakmali Hemachandra, who says she will raise a privilege issue in Parliament over the report. The article focused on a discussion held by the Parliamentary Women MPs’ Caucus regarding a case involving the alleged sexual abuse of a minor girl and reported that concerns had been raised over the conduct of the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) and the police investigation. more..

Jun 9 (EN) Foreign investors sold around US$14.7 million worth of Sri Lanka government securities in the week ended June 4, Central Bank data showed, despite a 100 basis point hike in the key monetary policy rate. Foreigners sold a net 4,768 million rupees (US$14.67 million at 1$=325 rupees) in the week. With the latest weekly outflow, Sri Lanka has suffered a total net outflow of around US$65 million in the last four consecutive weeks amid sharp rupee depreciation. more..

Jun 9 (TM) Asgiri Chapter of the Siam Sect stated that although the relevant Sangha Councils can make disciplinary decisions against Buddhist monks accused of wrongdoing, including removing them from their respective Sects, such monks continue to wear the robes because the Buddhist Temporalities Ordinance (Vihara Devalagam Act) is yet to be amended. Secretary of Asgiri Chapter’s Supreme Sangha Council, more..

Jun 9 (DM) Govt yesterday formally granted permanent appointments to a group of employees recruited on temporary, casual, substitute, contract and concessionary basis under the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development. Appointment ceremony was held at the Ministry Auditorium under the patronage of Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe. The move follows a proposal included in the 2026 Budget to regularise the services of nearly 9,800 employees more..

Jun 9 (EN) SL is developing a new national mineral policy to ensure local value addition and prevent the export of unrefined raw materials, Minister Sunil Handunetti has told parliament. “The current policy dates back to 1999. We are now developing a new National Mineral Policy for 2026 in a manner that fits the present day,” Handunetti said. The new policy is designed to cover the lifecycle of the sector, bringing mineral exploration, mining, processing, and value addition under a single comprehensive more..

Jun 9 (DM) Lanka Sathosa has announced a reduction in the prices of 18 essential food items with effect from tomorrow, as part of a govt initiative aimed at providing relief to consumers amid rising global prices. The decision was taken against the backdrop of increasing prices of goods and services in international markets, which authorities attribute to the global economic uncertainty stemming from the conflict in the Middle East. more..

Jun 9 (NW) The UNP has strongly condemned what it described as the inhumane treatment of former State Intelligence Chief Major General Suresh Sallay, who was arrested and later admitted to the Colombo National Hospital due to his deteriorating health condition. UNP said such treatment violates both Article 11 of the Constitution and international conventions, including the ICCPR, and warned that the matter has already drawn the attention of the international community. more..

Jun 9 (EN) Cabinet has approved a proposal to enter into a cooperation agreement with Japan to send skilled and semi-skilled workers to the east Asian country. “Japan has decided to introduce a new program called the Employment Program for Skill Development with a more transparent labor-centric and sustainable labor mobility framework, effective from 2027-04-01,” Jayatissa said. “Under this, relevant provisions have been made to provide higher protection to workers, more..

Jun 9 (NW) SL authorities have moved to tighten regulations on drone operations and imports, with mandatory licensing and registration requirements set to be enforced amid growing concerns over security and unauthorized use. Authorities have also warned of a crackdown on illegal drone imports and related activities. Officials said commercially used drones and drones exceeding specified weight categories are required to be registered under existing regulations, while a formal licensing more..

Jun 9 (Island) The US Embassy in Sri Lanka facilitated a high-level Sri Lankan delegation to the US Forum on Indian Ocean Ports and Supply Chains in Washington, DC, last week. Convened and funded by the US Department of State, the forum brought together Indo-Pacific partners, port operators, and US private sector leaders to leverage US technology for resilient infrastructure and secure supply chains and to expand investment across the Indian Ocean region. more..

Jun 9 (TM) With the ongoing energy-crisis brought on by the war in the Middle-East, SL, along with Bangladesh and Pakistan have been categorised by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as nations which run structural risks with severe levels of expected downgrades in growth this year, due to balance of payments risks and currency pressures. In its latest Global Outlook for Air Transport Energy in Crisis report, more..

Jun 9 (AD) A woman has been arrested in connection with an incident of defrauding money by falsely using a brand name and claiming that a high income could be earned through the internet. The arrested woman has been identified as a 28-year-old resident of the Udugampala area in Gampaha. Police stated that the suspect was arrested yesterday (08) following an investigation conducted based on a complaint received by Police Computer Crime Investigation Division (CCID). more..

Jun 9 (DM) A mother has emerged victorious in a 30-year legal battle against her son over a residential property after the Supreme Court dismissed the son’s appeal, ruling that the property had been transferred to him solely to facilitate a bank loan, not with the intention of transferring its beneficial ownership. Accordingly, SC has dismissed an appeal filed by the son challenging lower court rulings that declared he was holding a residential property in trust for his mother, more..

Jun 9 (DM) Sri Lankans have increasingly turned to personal and consumption-related borrowing over the past two years, with personal loans recording a sharp 35 per cent increase between Dec 2024 and March 2026, latest data show. According to a research conducted under the leadership of Prof. Wasantha Athukorala, an Economics Professor at the Uni of Peradeniya, outstanding personal loans rose from more..

Jun 9 (FT) South Asian Policy Leadership for Improved Nutrition and Growth (SAPLING) high-level policy dialogue will kick off in Ahmedabad, India, today in a major push to promote collaborative effort to overcome common challenges in the region. Led by the World Bank Group in partnership with the Gates Foundation, SAPLING over the next two days brings together around 200 participants from govts, the private sector, innovators, investors, researchers and academia, and development partners. more..

Jun 9 (NW) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa today (09) urged the Govt to immediately table in Parliament the Treasury’s report on the loss of USD 2.5 billion. Addressing Parliament, he stressed that contradictory statements between the Central Bank and the Treasury have created a serious crisis in the country’s economic policy. He said such disputes undermine coherence at a time when fiscal and monetary policies must be implemented with clarity and consistency. more..

Jun 9 (AD) Department of Examinations has announced that the 2026 GCE A/L Exam will commence on Aug 10 and conclude on Sept 5. The announcement was made through an official statement issued by the Department. Dept has also released the official examination timetable for the 2026 A/L Exam, providing details of the dates and times for all subjects. Candidates have been advised to refer to the timetable and make the necessary preparations ahead of examination period. more..

Jun 9 (AD) Three individuals have died following a fire that broke out at a restaurant near Thalawathugoda Junction on Monday morning, police said. The victims, who sustained injuries in the incident and were admitted to the Colombo National Hospital for treatment. Police said all three individuals injured in the incident later succumbed to injuries while receiving treatment. The fire erupted at the restaurant during the morning hours, prompting authorities to deploy three fire engines from more..

Jun 9 (DM) Schools have emerged as one of the key areas of concern in an islandwide dengue eradication drive, with inspectors discovering mosquito breeding sites and larvae in several educational institutions. Data released by the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) showed that dengue mosquito larvae were detected in seven schools during inspections conducted on the first day of a 3-day special dengue prevention more..

Jun 9 (AD) The Govt of Japan and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the Govt of Sri Lanka, have launched a joint initiative to restore inland fisheries livelihoods and strengthen the resilience of cyclone-affected fishing communities in Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province. The initiative was formally signed by Akio Isomata Ambassador of Japan and Vimlendra Sharan, FAO Representative for SL and the Maldives, in the presence of more..

Jun 9 (PMD) A discussion between Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake and representatives of the Committee for National Scout Poson Zone was held this afternoon at the Presidential Secretariat. The meeting focused on arrangements and preparatory activities for the inaugural National Scout Poson Zone, which will be held in Colombo on 28 and 29 June in conjunction with this year's Poson celebrations. National Scout Poson Zone is expected to be organised more..

Jun 9 (AD) Former Deputy Minister Sarana Gunawardena, who was found guilty on four counts of corruption charges, was sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment for each count by the Colombo High Court. Accordingly, the court ordered a total sentence of 16 years of rigorous imprisonment. The verdict was delivered today by Colombo HC Judge Mohamed Mihal. In addition, court ordered Sarana Gunawardena more..

Jun 9 (FT) Consumer complaints provide a transparent view into the public’s interaction with financial services and frequently act as preliminary indicators of potential dangers within the financial network. Acknowledging the importance of these observations, Central Bank of SL (CBSL) examines complaint statistics to detect behavioural risks, service deficiencies, and sectors that require oversight. The establishment of the Financial Consumer Relations Department (FCRD) more..

Jun 9 (NW) SL’s Food Policy and Security Committee has turned its focus to preparing for the potential impacts of the global El Niño phenomenon, with ministers stressing the need for contingency planning to safeguard agriculture and water supplies. The committee met yesterday under the co‑chairmanship of Minister K.D. Lal Kantha and Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe. Particular attention was given to the possible effects of El Niño on the agricultural sector. more..

Jun 9 (EN) Cabinet has approved a proposal to have the Legal Draftsman prepare a draft bill to amend the Customs Ordinance based on recommendations made by a steering committee, minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. “With the aim of creating and establishing world-class revenue administration mechanisms in the country,” Jayatissa said. A Steering Committee on Customs Affairs has submitted recommendations on the restructuring and modernization activities to be implemented more..

Jun 9 (FT) Every time the SL rupee comes under pressure, a familiar chorus rises from the export lobby. A cheaper rupee, they argue, makes our products more attractive to buyers abroad. It helps our tea farmers, our garment factories, our rubber producers. It is, they insist, good for exports. It is a comforting argument. It is also, for the most part, wrong — and Sri Lanka has paid a steep price for believing it. Here is the reality of how a currency depreciation works for a typical SL exporter. more..

Jun 9 (Island) Following letters sent by former State Intelligence Service Director Maj. Gen. (retd) Suresh Sallay’s wife Manori and counsel Asith Siriwardena to the Director of the CID SSP (retd) Shani Abeysekera, permission was granted for family members and lawyers to visit Sallay for 15 minutes each. Siriwardena requested Sallay to discontinue his hunger strike. However, Sallay refused to comply and asked the latter to tell more..

Jun 9 (NF) CID informed the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court that a group of politically affiliated individuals, including Udaya Gammanpila, Wimal Weerawansa, and Dilith Jayaweera, are allegedly engaged in a planned effort, indirectly interfering with and obstructing ongoing investigations into the Easter Sunday attacks. CID made this submission to Fort Magistrate while informing the court, through a motion, that steps had been taken to admit former SIS Chief Suresh Salley, more..

Jun 9 (FT) Senior lawyer Hejaaz Hizbullah, who spent 22 months in detention without bail under the PTA commented on reports that former State Intelligence Service (SIS) Director Major General (Retd) Suresh Sallay had commenced a hunger strike, urging him to remain strong and contest the case through legal channels if he is innocent. In a post on X, Hizbullah drew parallels with his own experience in detention and said those accused should focus on pursuing their legal defence. more..

Jun 9 (TM) Catholic Church has called for the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks to continue without interruption, stressing that no political influence should be allowed to hinder the search for the truth. Spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Colombo, Cyril Gamini Fernando said former State Intelligence Service Director, Major General (Retd) Suresh Sallay had previously sought an out-of-court more..

Jun 9 (FT) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday called for deeper economic engagement between SL and India, arguing that businesses and entrepreneurs will play a decisive role in driving South Asia’s future growth and regional integration. Addressing the Vestige Investor and Dealer Conference at Cinnamon Life, Premadasa said the region’s economic resurgence would depend not only on Govt policy but also on the efforts of business leaders, manufacturers, distributors more..

Jun 9 (NW) SL mangoes took centre stage at Bahrain’s vibrant Mango festivals this May and June, featured prominently by two of the country’s largest Supermarket chains, Lulu Hypermarket and Al Jazira. The Embassy of SL in Bahrain, as part of its economic diplomacy initiatives, has been actively encouraging leading Bahraini retailers to source fresh mangoes and other fruit varieties from Sri Lanka. LuLu hypermarket at The Avenues launched the Mango season on 23rd May with more..