Jun 16 (FT) Sri Lanka’s economy grew 5.1% in the first quarter of 2026, up from 4.8% in the Dec 2025 quarter. 1Q 2026 was particularly challenging. The period covered the first two months (Jan and Feb) after the devastating Ditwah Cyclone and the first full month of the US-Israel war on Iran (March). However, while lower than the 5.4% growth in 3Q 2025, it was higher than the 4.9% 2Q and 4.8% 1Q growth rates of 2025. more..

Jun 16 (DN) Minister Chrishantha Abeysena highlighted how drone technology is an excellent solution to the severe labour shortage the agriculture sector is currently facing. Speaking at a special drone technology workshop in the Kurukulawa paddy fields area in Wattala recently, he said it is a highly efficient method that saves time. ‘Introducing these modern technological tools also paves the way to create a young smart farmer generation that uses technology in the country. more..

Jun 16 (NF) Ministry of Health states that 70 Medical Officer of Health (MOH) divisions across the island have been identified as dengue risk areas. Its Acting Director, Dr. Kapila Kannangara, noted that among these, the highest risk areas have been identified as the Biyagama, Matara, and Ratnapura MC areas, as well as the Kaduwela, Maharagama, Piliyandala, and Moratuwa MOH divisions. Due to this situation, residents living in these MOH divisions must remain highly vigilant. more..

Jun 16 (BBC) US Prez Donald Trump has said a preliminary deal to end the war with Iran has already been signed and suggested that details of the agreement are set to be published pretty soon. "I am very happy to say it's signed, the deal is all signed," he said during talks with French Prez Emmanuel Macron at the G7 summit on Monday. Senior US officials also began giving some details about the contents of the deal, more..

Jun 16 (DM) A British MP has urged the UK Govt to intervene in the case of a Sri Lankan family facing deportation, arguing that they have become valued members of their local community through their work and public service. Liberal Democrat MP Victoria Collins highlighted the case of a person called Rasika, who works as a care worker, and his wife Chamila, a teaching assistant in Northchurch who supports children with special educational needs and volunteers at her local church. more..

Jun 16 (AD) SL Railway Station Masters' Association (SLRSMU) has raised concerns over what it describes as a worsening crisis in the railway service, claiming that the number of daily train journeys has fallen to below 200, compared to more than 420 services operated before the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, more than 420 daily train services, including passenger, mixed, fuel transport and freight trains, were in operation. That figure dropped to around 350 after more..

Jun 16 (DM) Sri Lanka is moving closer to establishing a regulatory framework for virtual assets, as the policymakers and financial regulators grapple with the growing risks posed by the unregulated cryptocurrency trading, offshore platforms and cross-border digital transactions. The issue took centre stage yesterday as the Digital Economy Ministry and Securities and Exchange Commission of SL (SEC) brought together the regulators, policymakers & industry experts more..

Jun 16 (AD) CID has informed the Batticaloa Magistrate’s Court regarding ongoing investigations into a series of killings in 2008 in the Eastern Province, in which five people were shot dead using T-56 firearms. Former State Minister S. Chandrakanthan, also known as Pillayan, has been named among the suspects. The report was submitted following extensive investigations into the incidents, which occurred in several locations within Batticaloa and Vavunathivu. more..

Jun 16 (Island) Director CID SSP Shani Abeysekera has declined to grant permission for Asith Siriwardena, Counsel for Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay, detained under the PTA, and now warded at the National Hospital, to visit him five days of the week, from Monday to Friday. Responding to a letter received from Manori, wife of the detainee, SSP Abeysekera has emphasised that the Counsel could meet Sallay on Wednesdays, more..

Jun 16 (FT) Rupee yesterday opened the week stronger against the US dollar in the spot market. USD/LKR spot rate closed at Rs. 333.00/334.50 compared with Friday’s close of Rs. 335.50/336.00. Currency had recorded a sharp appreciation on Wednesday after CB reduced the period within which exporters are required to convert export proceeds into rupees to 30 days from the previous 90 days. The rupee strengthened to Rs. 332.25/333.00 on Wednesday from more..

Jun 16 (DN) SL A dished out a superb display to beat India A in a super over thriller in their Tri Nation series fixture played at Dambulla Stadium yesterday. India A made 265 all out in 49.2 overs while SL A finished with 265 for 9 wickets in 50 overs. The game continued with a super over where Sri Lanka A made 16 runs in the super over while restricting India A to just 9 runs. Avishka Fernando and skipper Sahan Arachchige batted for SL in the super over while Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and more..

Jun 16 (NW) Former SL captain Anura Tennekoon has advised Indian teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi to stay focused on his game and ignore the outside noise surrounding his rapid rise in cricket. Tennekoon, who had travelled to Dambulla to watch the India A-SL A Tri-Nation Series match, met the 15-year-old after the game and offered words of encouragement. According to reports, Suryavanshi sought Tennekoon’s blessings before the former SL captain shared his advice. more..

Jun 16 (FT) SL’s manufacturing sector is undergoing a gradual shift towards greater automation, precision engineering and sustainability driven production, with companies increasingly investing in technologies aimed at improving efficiency and strengthening long term industrial competitiveness. Against this backdrop, Alumex PLC has unveiled a major expansion of its aluminium extrusion capabilities with the introduction of a new high-capacity production line at its fully owned more..

Jun 16 (FT) SL and India are exploring the potential to convert the $ 6 billion bilateral trade to Rupee basis on the basis of multiple advantages. A top level roundtable titled Rupee to Rupee: Strengthening the India-SL Commercial Corridor was held yesterday in Colombo involving multiple stakeholders to drive home the benefits as well as address challenges and tap the potential. India’s High Commissioner Santosh Jah told the forum at which more..

Jun 16 (FT) SL’s banking sector must strengthen governance, internal controls, and institutional resilience to navigate an increasingly complex operating environment marked by cyber threats, technological disruption, climate risks, and evolving regulatory demands, leading banking executives and regulators said at a webinar on future-proofing the industry. Speaking at the event, CB Governing Board Member Manil Jayesinghe said governance should remain the foundation of sustainable banking, more..

Jun 16 (DN) Australian High Commissioner Matthew Duckworth has reaffirmed Australia’s commitment to supporting SL’s efforts to strengthen evidence-based governance, emphasizing that accurate and reliable data remains the cornerstone of effective policy-making for tourism. Echoing sentiments recently expressed by Minister Vijitha Herath in Parliament, High Commissioner Duckworth underscored the importance of transparency, accountability, and and data integrity in shaping the future more..

Jun 16 (FT) SL’s fiscal position strengthened sharply in the first four months of 2026, with the Govt posting a Budget surplus of Rs. 105 billion compared to a deficit of Rs. 261.6 billion in the corresponding period of last year, driven by a surge in revenue collection led by taxes linked to motor vehicle imports. Total revenue and grants increased by 34.6% to Rs. 1.958 trillion during Jan-Apr 2026 from Rs. 1.455 trillion a year earlier, more..

Jun 16 (FT) SL stepped up efforts to position Port City Colombo as a gateway to South Asia’s fast-growing markets, using a high-level investor forum in Dubai to court Gulf capital and highlight the Special Economic Zone’s role in the country’s strategy to attract foreign direct investment, deepen services exports and strengthen its presence in regional value chains. Consulate General of SL in Dubai, in collaboration with SL Embassy in Abu Dhabi, Colombo Port City Economic Commission more..

Jun 16 (Island) Sri Lanka have little room for error when they take on defending champions New Zealand in their second game of the Women’s World Cup at the Rose Bowl today. After suffering a crushing 87 run defeat to hosts England, Chamari Atapattu’s side saw their Net Run Rate take a severe beating, leaving them with almost no margin for error. Another defeat could virtually shut the door on their semi-final aspirations. NZ, meanwhile, are also under pressure after suffering more..

Jun 16 (FT) As part of its 25th Anniversary celebrations, SL Institute of Directors (SLID) has launched the Public Sector Forum – a dedicated platform aimed at strengthening governance, accountability, and board leadership within SL’s public sector institutions and State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs). The Forum is chaired by governance professional Arjuna Herath, who will lead its efforts to promote governance excellence, capacity building, & thought leadership more..

Jun 16 (DN) Young sailor Haren Wickramatillake of S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, created history by becoming the first Sri Lankan ever to represent the country at the prestigious International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA) World Championship currently being held in Tangier, Morocco. The landmark achievement marks a major milestone for Sri Lankan sailing as Haren competes against some of the world’s best young sailors at one of the sport’s most respected youth events. more..

Jun 16 (Island) Former Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, CID to question former Attorney General Dappula de Livera, PC, regarding his claim that the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage was a grand conspiracy. He pointed out that the former Director of the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) and the ex-head of State Intelligence Service (SIS) had been arrested under the PTA on the basis of unsubstantiated more..

Jun 16 (Island) Mediation Bill was passed by the Parliament on June 11. Minister Harshana Nanayakkara introduced the Bill, and explained its provisions and value for SL and global developments in the use of mediation. Encouragingly, it was passed unanimously. SL’s commitment to provide legislative support for the use of mediation is timely and most welcome. Given that the backlog of cases pending before courts is over a staggering 1.1 million, it is clear that SL is yet another more..

Jun 16 (CT) In Nov 2024, when the NPP led by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD), came to power, SL was bankrupt and in the grips of a corrupt and authoritarian govt. Poor economic discipline and reckless borrowing, coupled with the pilfering of public funds, had crippled the national economy. Supreme Court had ruled that former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa, former PM Mahinda Rajapaksa, former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa and senior officials of the CB and the Treasury had breached more..

Jun 16 (DN) Last week, a significant Cabinet decision was made on behalf of the families of migrant workers. It is the first time in SL’s history that a Govt has given focused attention to the welfare and safety of the children of migrant workers, particularly those whose mothers are employed overseas as housemaids. The approval was granted to implement the Integrated Systematic Approach Project for the Development of Migrant Worker Families. Cabinet decision noted that while more..

Jun 16 (Island) The world must have breathed a sigh of relief yesterday following the announcement that the US and Iran had agreed to sign a peace deal soon and begin negotiations in earnest to resolve contentious issues. The peace plan has renewed hope that no more lives will be lost due to military strikes in West Asia; precious assets, especially oil infrastructure, in that part of the world will be safe, and disruptions to global oil supplies will be over. Interestingly, as US President Donald Trump more..

Jun 16 (SO) Sri Lanka is expected to face increasingly complex weather in the coming months as developing El Niño activity in the Pacific Ocean begins to influence regional climate patterns. Although the phenomenon has not yet fully matured, the authorities say there are strong indications that El Niño will come into effect next month onwards and is likely to affect SL until March next year. Acting Director General of more..

Jun 16 (SO) When the Parliament of SL enacted the landmark Central Banking Act of 2023, it was heralded as a historic institutional decoupling, the legislative silver bullet required to permanently break the island’s devastating, decades-long cycle of politically motivated boom-and-bust macroeconomics. Passed under the strict conditional scaffolding of the IMF US$ 2.9 billion EFF, law stripped the Ministry of Finance of its historic, overbearing foothold within monetary more..

Jun 16 (ST) SL’s ex-intelligence head, Suresh Sallay, languishing under a Detention Order (DO) on allegations that he aided and abetted the 2019 Easter Sunday jihadist attacks on churches and hotels may well contemplate the solitary riddle as to what he has in common with a Tamil rapper, a Muslim lawyer on one occasion and a Muslim poet on another as well as scores of Sinhala & Tamil activists and journalists? This may not be quite what the mythological Sphinx posed as a question more..

Jun 16 (TM) 31 May night marked the 45th anniversary of the burning of the Jaffna Public Library in May 1981. If the Socialist Lead of Sri Lanka and South Asia (SLLA), the Revolutionary Left Faction of the Socialist Equality Party, was present at a commemoration event before the Jaffna Public Library on 31 May, and asked to address an audience of Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim brothers and sisters, friends and comrades, more..

Jun 16 (GV) Dr. Devanesan Nesiah spent decades in service to a country that rarely made it easy for him. A Tamil civil servant of uncompromising integrity, he worked through pogroms, broken political compacts and civil war, holding fast to a conviction that SL’s crisis was not irresolvable, only unresolved. His death on June 12 closes a witness account that the country could not afford to lose. When the July 1983 pogrom erupted, Dr. Nesiah was Govt Agent of Jaffna. more..

Jun 16 (FT) The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) can significantly influence rainfall patterns across SL and India and may either strengthen or weaken the effects of El Niño. While climate forecasts indicate a high likelihood of a strong El Niño event during 2026, some of the claims circulating online appear overstated. Recent discussions in both social and print media have raised concerns about the potential impacts of the developing El Niño on SL. While climate forecasts indicate a high likelihood of more..