Jun 13 (DM) Nearly one in four SL workers are exposed to generative artificial intelligence (AI), with professional and office-based occupations facing the greatest risk of disruption, prompting the govt to place AI at the centre of its economic transformation strategy. Addressing the 114th Session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva this week, Minister said research conducted by the IPS more..

Jun 13 (NW) SL has reduced its daily vehicle import expenditure to US$3.9 million following measures introduced to manage import demand amid ongoing economic pressures, Minister Anil Jayantha said. Vehicle imports had averaged US$5.27 million per day under normal conditions in 2025. He noted that import spending had at one stage increased to US$6.8 million per day due to heightened public demand and uncertainty surrounding the country’s economic outlook. more..

Jun 13 (EN) UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) will visit Sri Lanka from June 15 to 24, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The 4-member delegation will meet ministers; senior officials of ministries, govt departments and institutions; the Human Rights Commission of SL; and civil society members. The visit will be carried out in accordance with their mandate, the ministry said. “Govt of SL will engage with the Subcommittee in an open, constructive, and transparent manner, more..

Jun 13 (NW) SL Rugby says operational and administrative issues during the final stages of squad preparations led to the cancellation of its Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship 2026 match against South Korea, which has now been recorded as a 20-0 defeat. Asia Rugby announced that the fixture, scheduled to be played at the Namdong Asiad Rugby Stadium in Incheon on Saturday (13), would not go ahead after more..

Jun 13 (NW) 24-year-old Tamil hip hop artist Sangeethsan Ganeskumar, popularly known as Hiphop Sangee, who was recently arrested under Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) has been granted bail. The Tamil rapper and singer was arrested and remanded under the PTA over allegations that social media content he shared promoted or glorified the LTTE. Critics argued that he was being targeted for artistic and political expression and called for his immediate release. more..

Jun 13 (DM) Parliament is to take up the debate on the Online Safety (Repeal) Bill on June 23 as per the decision made by the party leaders, the office of the Leader of the House said. The debate is to take place from 11 am to 5 pm on the stipulated date. Online Safety Act No. 9 was approved in Parliament in Feb 2024. This legislation was opposed by many, including civil organizations and some media institutions. House is expected to take up the debate on the National Environment (Amd) Bill more..

Jun 13 (NW) Joint Opposition has requested an immediate disciplinary inquiry against the Director General of the CIABOC, Ranga Dissanayake, alleging that the Commission has adopted a lenient approach towards corruption complaints involving influential figures linked to the current government. The request was made in a letter addressed to CIABOC Chairman W.M.N.P. Iddawela and signed by several Joint Opposition leaders, including G.L. Peiris. The Opposition alleged that more..

Jun 13 (AD) Ministry of Education has informed students scheduled to sit for the 2026 GCE A/L Examination that schools will remain open until August 7, 2026, allowing students to utilize the remaining classroom sessions for revision and final preparation. According to the 2026 school calendar, the first phase of the third school term for Sinhala and Tamil medium schools will be held from July 27 to Aug 7, accounting for a total of nine school days ahead of the examination. more..

Jun 13 (BBC) El Niño - the natural Pacific weather pattern that pushes up global temperatures - has officially begun, US scientists say. US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has declared that El Niño conditions are now under way in the tropical Pacific, with sea surface temperatures having risen sharply in recent months. Many forecasts suggest this could end up as a so-called super El Niño, and more..

Jun 13 (Island) Australian Border Force and SL Coast Guard have launched Disi Rela 2026, marking the third consecutive year of the joint maritime security initiative aimed at strengthening maritime surveillance, operational capability, and public awareness across SL’s coastal regions. This year, Disi Rela 2026 expands its community engagement and public awareness activities to SL’s Eastern Province, following successful activations conducted in the Western and Southern Provinces more..

Jun 13 (Island) The Indo-Lanka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ILCCI), affiliated to The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, hosted an interactive session on SL’s Investment Future: Policy, Opportunity & Growth at Jetwing Colombo Seven. The session was attended by Dr. Satyanjal Pandey as Chief Guest, while Aritha Wickramasinghe delivered the keynote address in his capacity as Chief of Staff to the Office of Prez Envoy on Foreign Investment, Hanif Yusoof. more..

Jun 13 (AD) A SriLankan Airlines flight bound for Sydney, Australia, was forced to return to Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) shortly after takeoff early today (12) after the aircraft was reportedly struck by lightning, according to an airport duty officer. SriLankan Airlines flight UL-606 departed Katunayake Airport for Sydney at approximately 1:00 a.m. The aircraft, a wide-body Airbus A330, was carrying 217 passengers and 16 crew members at the time of the incident. more..

Jun 13 (DM) District Court of Mount Lavinia has been moved to issue an enjoining order against a defendant, accused of unlawfully subletting a disputed property in Dehiwala and carrying out unauthorised activities on the premises. Appearing for the plaintiff, Attorney-at-Law Roshanara Fernando informed Court that her client had been in occupation of approximately 13.5 perches of land in Dehiwala for a considerable period. She submitted that only 1.1 perches of the property had more..

Jun 13 (ST) Despite facing heavy challenges with collection and disposal, local councils and entrepreneurs are pushing forward with new ways to keep waste out of our garbage. Vignesh Kumar and wife Chamudi Fernando have been running a recycling centre – Divish Resources Bank at Kerawalapitiya junction for over a year and is gaining attention of the residents. Mr Kumar said Pradeshiya Sabha provided additional land, more..

Jun 13 (DN) Sri Lanka A, led by Sahan Arachchige, is expected to come back strongly today in their second one-day match of the tri-series against Afghanistan A at the Dambulla Stadium. India A and Afghanistan A have both won one match each in their opening games, while Sri Lanka A narrowly missed victory, losing by eight runs against India A. Their aim is to build a winning mentality going forward. India A posted a challenging total of 349 but suffered a shock defeat by four runs under more..

Jun 13 (DM) Amidst various forecasts regarding the impact of the El Nino phenomenon expected to hit Sri Lanka in the coming months, Minister Anura Karunathilaka said yesterday that the Ministry of Energy has forecast that the impact of the El Nino phenomenon could result in the reduction of 127 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in the national grid in the coming months. The Minister told Parliament that the Ministry has already discussed the possible alternatives to face the situation. more..

Jun 13 (CI) Danni Wyatt-Hodge led a command performance with the bat, and in the field, as England defied the gravity of their home World Cup opening match, to produce a thrilling statement victory over SL, in front of a 14,865 crowd at Edgbaston. Aided and abetted by Amy Jones and Nat Sciver-Brunt, Wyatt-Hodge dominated a toiling SL attack with a superb unbeaten 105 from 62 balls - her third in the T20I format and more..

Jun 13 (ST) SL’s broader external debt servicing and normalisation efforts remain intact and are advancing without any more issues, after the recent heist of US$2.5 million, Finance Ministry sources confirmed. The ministry and its debt-restructuring advisers are in ongoing discussions with Export Finance Australia (the intended recipient of the $22.9 million settlement installment of $42.5 million) to settle the accounting treatment of the diverted funds without triggering sovereign credit penalties. more..

Jun 13 (DN) SL junior golfers Jaeden Sathasivam and Abhiman Abeywardhana recorded top-10 finishes at the Mandiri Ciputra Golfpreneur Junior World Championship 2026 in Jakarta, Indonesia yesterday. Jaeden finished eighth in the Boys Development-C Division with a three-round total of 256 after scores of 83, 83 and 90. The young Sri Lankan remained competitive throughout the tournament and secured a place among the division’s top ten golfers. more..

Jun 13 (NW) Central Bank of SL (CBSL) has rejected claims made by a director of Kasagala Green Plantation (Pvt) Ltd. during a television programme, describing the statements as factually incorrect, misleading, and without legal basis. CBSL said it had been informed that Ranjith Pieris, a director of Kasagala Green Plantation, had stated during the Pini Viyana programme aired on ITN on 8 June that the company was regulated by the Central Bank, submitted information to the regulator more..

Jun 13 (NW) Home Lands has officially launched Central Park Boulevard Port City Colombo, a landmark US$300 million luxury development that is expected to become one of the most iconic residential projects in Port City Colombo. The project was unveiled at a star-studded event attended by Bollywood actors Shilpa Shetty, Aditya Roy Kapur, Jacqueline Fernandez, and cricket legend Mahela Jayawardene, who was also introduced as Home Lands’ newest Brand Ambassador. more..

Jun 13 (ST) SL water polo was thrown into fresh controversy when national coach Thanura Abeywardena resigned from his post, alleging political interference, unfair selection practices and a lack of respect for coaches who work tirelessly without any financial reward. His departure has exposed what he describes as a broken system that threatens the future of the sport in the country. In a strongly worded statement, Abeywardena said more..

Jun 13 (DM) A powerful rendition of theatre, movement, music and storytelling brought to life Stories of the Sea: Voice of Mannar at the Kamatha, BMICH on Sunday (7). At the heart of this performance were the stories of coastal communities in Mannar. It reflected on their memories, livelihoods, impact of climate change on their lives and how they are bouncing back as a resilient community. The performance was the result of a collaborative creative process involving more..

Jun 13 (TM) The NPP Govt is yet to fulfill its Election campaign pledge to repeal the controversial Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act (PTA) and it has come to the limelight once again with the detention of the former SIS Director, Major General (Retired) Suresh Sallay. On Wednesday (10), the Government reiterated its commitment to replace the PTA with a new legal framework, a move that has reignited debate over the balance between national security and civil liberties. more..

Jun 13 (DM) Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) is an innovative renewable energy technology that generates electricity by utilizing the natural temperature difference between warm surface seawater and cold deep-ocean water. In tropical regions such as SL, this temperature gradient remains nearly constant throughout the year, enabling OTEC systems to produce stable and continuous power. Unlike solar or wind energy, OTEC does not depend on sunlight or more..

Jun 13 (Island) Every year on 07 June, the world pauses to reflect on a truth that is at once mundane and profound: the food on our plate should not make us sick. This year, the WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN have chosen a theme that is both a diagnosis and a directive The framing is deliberate. For too long, conversations about food safety have been dominated by the language of loss counting the sick, tallying the dead, lamenting the economic damage. more..

Jun 13 (DN) SJB Gampaha District MP Prasad Siriwardana discusses the critical structural reforms needed to revive SL’s economy. He shares his insights on the current economic landscape, the fluctuations of the rupee, and outlines the opposition’s strategy to alleviate the ongoing hardships faced by the public. Q: Are you satisfied with the path Sri Lanka has taken since the economic collapse? A: Absolutely not. more..

Jun 13 (TM) Food safety and food waste are often treated as separate policy concerns, but, in reality, they are closely intertwined issues that shape SL’s food system in very practical ways. On the one hand, the country continues to face recurring concerns over foodborne risks, weak storage practices, and the uneven enforcement of food safety standards. On the other, significant quantities of food are lost or discarded at different stages of the supply chain, from import and distribution to more..

Jun 13 (GV) Despite global acceptance of the LGBTIQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer/Questioning) community, SL is one of the 72 countries in the world – almost half of which are members of the Commonwealth – that criminalises private, consensual, same-sex sexual activity among adults. Same-sex sexual relations among consenting adults are criminalised by Section 365 and 365A of the Penal Code, which state that carnal intercourse against the order of nature more..

Jun 13 (SO) Office on Missing Persons (OMP) continues to play a central role in addressing one of Sri Lanka’s most complex and long-standing post-conflict challenges — the fate of thousands of individuals who disappeared during and after decades of conflict. Established under an Act of Parliament in 2016 and fully operational since 2018, the institution forms a key pillar of the country’s transitional justice framework. more..

Jun 13 (DN) According to a front page story we carried in yesterday’s edition, 51 individuals have been convicted by Courts of law in bribery cases brought before them. Among the 51 individuals, 41 were public officials. Three were convicted by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court while the remaining 48 were convicted by the Colombo High Court. According to the CIABOC, 2,686 complaints were lodged with the Commission and 501 complaints were formally ordered for investigation. more..

Jun 13 (Island) PM Harini Amarasuriya has informed Parliament that as many as 267,138 students dropped out of school between 2018 and 2024. Pointing out that figures for the period from 2018 to 2024 had been derived from annual school census reports, using an internationally recognised methodology that takes into account student enrolment figures and dropout rates from Grade One to Grade Ten. PM added that definitive data on school dropout were not available for more..