June 23 (TM) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres yesterday called for the immediate de-escalation of the Israeli-Iranian conflict and for an ensuing ceasefire, following an unprecedented strike at Iranian critical infrastructure by the armed forces of the US. “I am gravely alarmed by the use of force by the US against Iran today. This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace & security. more..

June 23 (NW) NPP has now gained control of 192 local govt bodies across SL. Out of these, NPP secured a direct majority in 151 authorities, while they formed administrations in 41 other councils by achieving a post-election majority. NPP now governs several key municipal councils including Colombo, Kalutara, Galle, Kurunegala, Puttalam, and Nuwara Eliya. In the Pradeshiya Sabhas of Agarapatana, Kotagala, and Nuwara Eliya, the Lanka Workers Congress (LWC) holds the chairmanship more..

June 23 (AM) 31 people injured in a bus crash along the Badulla–Mahiyanganaya main road in Dunhinda are currently receiving treatment at the Badulla Teaching Hospital. The accident occurred around 6 p.m. yesterday (21) when a bus transporting a group of pilgrims overturned near Dunhinda. The group had been returning home to Thambuttegama, Anuradhapura after visiting the Muthiyangana Raja Maha Viharaya in Badulla. Three individuals—two women and a man—died in the incident. more..

June 23 (ST) The largest initial public offering in the history of SL’s stock exchange—the LTL Holdings IPO—is likely to be scuppered after private investors were spooked by govt plans to retain control of the company by getting the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) to dump Rs. 8bn on 597,267,000 shares. “Private investors, institutional as well as high-net-worth individuals, are not willing to invest in a company in which the State is more..

June 23 (AM) The CIABOC has urged members of the public who have been affected by alleged malpractices involving Consultant Neurosurgeon Dr Maheshi Wijeratne of the Sri J'pura General Hospital to come forward with any information they may have regarding the case. Dr Wijeratne was arrested by CIABOC officers on 18 June and was subsequently remanded by the Colombo High Court until 24 June. The allegations centre around a large-scale financial exploitation scheme, in which more..

June 23 (AM) The Police have announced that the nationwide operation to remove unauthorised and modified vehicle accessories will resume on 1 July. DIG Indika Hapugoda, stated that the crackdown will target illegally installed equipment such as high-intensity LED lights, loud sound systems, and metal rods. DIG Hapugoda explained that many road accident victims suffer severe injuries due to the presence of such unauthorised equipment, as observed in several recent incidents. more..

June 23 (LS) A stunning gold ring lost at a medieval castle in Slovakia over 700 years ago has been rediscovered. The jewelry was likely worn by a bishop and includes an unusual SL reddish-purple sapphire set in a band flanked by lions. "Such a ring embodied deep spiritual meanings, protective powers, and societal status, allowing the wearer to display wealth while also seeking the divine protection associated with the symbols they bore," Noémi Beljak Pažinová, an archaeologist more..

June 23 (DN) SL middle distance athlete Rushiru Chathuranga came to the highlight when he clinched the men’s 1500m gold medal in the Thailand Open Athletic Championship held in Pathumthani, Thailand, yesterday. The women’s long jump gold medal was won by Lankan athlete Madushani Herath with a leap of 6.37m which was her personal best. Singapore and Thailand athletes won second and third places. In the men’s 1500m final two Sri Lankans Rushiru Chathuranga and more..

June 23 (FT) Tourism Deputy Minister Ruwan Ranasinghe expressed concern over the impact of the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, noting that the crisis could hinder forward bookings for winter with already disrupted air routes. He acknowledged that the authorities are watching the unfolding geopolitical situation with unease. “This is usually the time to get bookings for winter and we are concerned,” he said. more..

June 23 (DM) The GMOA has requested the CID to launch an urgent investigation into what it described as a deliberate attempt to tarnish the union’s image through forged documents and false social media content. In a letter addressed to the Director of CID, Dr. Prabath Sugathadasa, Secretary of the GMOA, said that a fake letter bearing his forged e-signature and a counterfeit GMOA letterhead is being circulated online. The forged document, along with social media posts, more..

June 23 (TM) Sri Lanka needs to earn more dollars to keep its economic growth at 5% and it won’t be easy to shift US exports elsewhere if tariff talks fail, Bloomberg said. A Bloomberg report said that Sri Lanka has kept its economic growth up around 5%, and tax revenues as a share of GDP are higher by more than two-thirds. “But maintaining the recovery momentum won’t be easy. Sri Lanka needs to earn more dollars, both to buy imported fuel and to pay down debt,” it said. more..

June 23 (EN) SL’s Aitken Spence said it is selling a 100 MW thermal power plant instead of re-locating it overseas, after the island’s power utility said it would no longer need the plant. The last PPA expired on March 4, 2024. CEB had indicated that ” that they have not identified the requirement of purchasing electricity through the Company.” “Going forward, the Group has decided to divest the residual assets instead of relocating the plant overseas, in keeping with the Group policy of reaching more..

June 23 (DN) SL captain Dhananjaya de Silva said conceding too many runs in the first innings went against them in the first test played at Galle Int'l Cricket Stadium, which ended in a draw. I always talk about the first innings. The game slipped out of our hand, due to the way we bowled in the first innings. It was a flat wicket, but we conceded too many runs in the first innings,” de Silva said after the match. De Silva believes they need to rectify those mistakes in the second and final test, more..

June 23 (Island) While Sri Lanka grapples with the lingering impacts of its recent economic crisis, a stark contrast emerges: the banking sector is reporting robust earnings and profits, while many citizens continue to face hardships. The banking industry, often viewed as a bellwether of economic health, has seen a remarkable turnaround, with earnings soaring by 52.9% in the first quarter of 2025 alone. more..

June 23 (Island) The declaration — or rather the lack of it — in Galle on Saturday has sparked a buzz in cricketing circles, raising more than just eyebrows. Talk declarations and your mind goes back to Trinidad, 1968. Sir Garry Sobers, the West Indies skipper, made a bold, sporting declaration against England. It backfired. England chased down the target, and the hosts lost. When the team landed in Guyana for the next Test, a cheeky immigration officer asked Sir Garry, “Mr. Sobers, more..

June 23 (SO) The 36th edition of the Calin Sarasaviya Film Awards will be held at the BMICH at 7 p.m. on Tuesday (24), under the theme Cinematic Pinnacle in a Resurgent Land. The Awards, organised by the Sarasaviya Cinema Weekly published by the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited (ANCL) also known as Lake House will shine a spotlight on local films released between Jan 1 and Dec 31, 2024, including entries in Sinhala and Tamil. Of the 38 films screened across SL, more..

June 23 (DM) Sri Lanka is once again facing a significant marine environmental crisis, as tiny plastic pellets, commonly known as nurdles, have begun washing ashore along the island’s northern coastline. This time, the pollution is linked to the sinking of the Liberia-flagged container ship MSC ELSA 3 off of Kerala, India. The unfolding incident has triggered fears of a repeat of the X-Press Pearl disaster in 2021, more..

June 23 (NW) Senani Jayarathna, wife of former Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage and daughter of late PM D.M. Jayaratne, has publicly defended her husband following his recent conviction in a high-profile corruption case. In a lengthy post shared via Aluthgamage’s official Facebook page, Jayarathna claimed her husband was innocent and alleged that the legal process under the current NPP-led govt was politically influenced. She also questioned a recent remark by Justice more..

June 23 (FT) Hong Kong-based Asia Frontier Capital (AFC) has almost tripled its weightage within two years on Sri Lanka’s listed equities, a move which it said was encouraged by improving macroeconomic fundamentals, political stability, and a pick-up in corporate earnings. AFC’s Fund Manager Ruchir Desai who was in Sri Lanka recently told the Daily FT in an exclusive interview that the weightage two years ago was around 5% whereas at present, it has increased to 14% and growing. more..

June 23 (FT) SL Association for Software Services Companies (SLASSCOM) has launched its Industry Ambassador Program, a pioneering initiative designed to build strategic bridges with global markets and open new avenues for SL’s thriving knowledge and innovation sector. This program appointed, as the first cohort, six distinguished professionals as official Industry Ambassadors to represent SL’s IT-BPM excellence across key global markets that include US, UK, Australia, UAE. more..

June 23 (FT) Minister Sunil Handunneththi recently inaugurated Tokyo Cement Group’s cutting-edge cement manufacturing plant in Trincomalee. The fully-automated, high-tech cement grinding facility adds 1 million metric tons to Tokyo Cement’s total production capacity, increasing it to 4 million metric tons per annum, the largest in the country. The event was also graced by the presence of Japanese Embassy Chargé d’affaires ad Interim Naoaki Kamoshida, Finance Attache and more..

June 23 (FT) The SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) last Friday announced a major initiative to unlock State-owned land for tourism, offering over 3,000 acres to domestic and international investors to woo $ 50-60 million investments. The move seeks to revitalise the tourism industry through structured, sustainable, transparent processes. “The initiative includes a land bank which is clear & ready for investment” more..

June 23 (DM) Is there a connection between popular English novelist Frederick Forsyth who breathed his last on 9th June 2025 and the LTTE that was militarily defeated by the Sri Lankan armed forces in May 2009? The answer to this question would be a simple “no”. However It must be said that for a while there was intense speculation that a device featured in a novel written by Frederick Forsyth had been copied by the LTTE known as the Tigers to assassinate people! more..

June 23 (CT) In 2010, the WHO warned that physical inactivity was the fourth leading risk factor for deaths worldwide. That warning has grown more urgent today, as children everywhere, including in SL, move less and sit more, facing health risks once seen only in adults. Physical inactivity does not just harm growing bodies; it shapes the future of an entire generation. Children who do not play, run, or move enough face higher risks of obesity, diabetes, poor sleep, weak bones, delayed speech more..

June 23 (Island) US Prez Donald Trump stopped vacillating and ordered attacks on three Iranian nuclear sites, which he subsequently boasted of having obliterated. He has repeated his call for Iran’s unconditional surrender. His action has made it abundantly clear that Israel would not have launched unprovoked attacks on Iran without an assurance from Washington that the US would join its bombing campaign. Iran struck back with might and main, taking as it did targets in Tel Aviv itself and more..

June 23 (Island) Directed an accusation at me, asking, “Why do you criticize the way Buddhism is practised by many in Sri Lanka?” I was chastised; he spoke the truth. Even in my last article on Mihintale in this column, I said most Buddhists did not follow the Buddha Word – his Dhamma – but created their own version of the philosophy of the Buddha’s advice to work towards the ending of samsaric existence. They create a religion of rites, rituals and behaviour, concentrating on worship and more..

June 23 (TM) Sri Lanka has recently been urged to maintain its reform momentum, a key message emphasised during the recent visit by the IMF. While this emphasis highlights the need for commitment, it also suggests that there is limited scope for tax revisions, particularly reductions, in the current year. Discussing the implications of this on the economy, experts agree that, despite the challenges, it is essential for SL to adhere more..

June 23 (ST) Bitterly fought battles to form the administration of local councils where no political party or independent group had obtained an outright majority reverberated in the House throughout this week. The first day’s debate of this Parliamentary week on Tuesday (17) followed the controversial election that saw the ruling NPP win control of the CMC the day before. Tuesday’s debate however, saw the SJB led opposition walk out in protest at the conduct of Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne. more..

June 23 (DM) Not so long ago, when comrade Anura Kumara Dissanayake was an ordinary MP in the last parliament before presidential elections were held. At that time he breathed fire and brimstone regarding clauses in the IMF agreement signed by then Prez Wickremesinghe. MP Anura then claimed that the IMF agreement unfairly targeted the poor. Prior to his change from comrade to His Excellency, his party -the JVP- was also in the forefront of condemning Israel’s continuing genocidal more..

June 23 (SO) Breaking the long-standing grip of Colombo’s traditional green parties, Vraie Cally Balthazaar, a long-time activist has taken office as the city’s second female Mayor, and its first female leftist Mayor. Backed by the NPP, her election marks a dramatic shift in the city’s political landscape. But as Balthazaar is quick to point out, the real work is just beginning. In her first wide-ranging interview, she speaks about her vision more..

June 23 (DM) Sri Lanka Railways is in the news for neglect and shame, and an underlying reason for this state could be political in a way. The Daily Mirror carried in its June 18th issue a comprehensive feature article about the state of present railways in the island. The writer reveals, among other pathetic reasons, the absence of a proper Human Resource Dept as a major contributing factor towards the downfall of SL Railways. There is a school of thought that politicians love to see places and events more..

June 23 (TM) The controversial decision by the US President Donald Trump to enter the ongoing Israel-Iran war has once again thrown the world into a state of chaos. Speaking after US forces attacked three key Iranian sites linked to their atomic energy programme in Isfahan, Fordo and Natanz, Trump said Iran’s key nuclear sites were “completely and fully obliterated” by US strikes. Speaking at the White House hours after the attacks, he threatened more strikes and said more..