June 25 (AD) The Committee of Inquiry to inquire and report its findings on suspended IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon, in respect of acts of gross abuse of power, concluded recording witness testimonies from the respondent Tennakoon’s witness list on Tuesday (24). Although Attorney-at-Law R.S. Weerawikrama, representing the respondent Deshabandu Tennakoon, previously stated that 15 witnesses, including the suspended IGP more..

June 25 (EN) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayke is likely to undertake a three-day official visit to the Maldives in the last week of July and the visit will be focusing on the bilateral trade and relationship, sources familiar with the initial preparation said. Prez Dissanayake’s Maldives’ visit will be his sixth official foreign visit after India, China, UAE, Vietnam & Germany. “His visit will be along with the celebration of SL-Maldives diplomatic relations on July 29,” a diplomatic source said. more..

June 25 (FT) A top investor in listed Lankan equities from the UK, Hosking Partners LLP has said its Sri Lankan holdings have more than doubled in price since the start of 2023, yet it remains bullish. “The outlook for our SL holdings remains bright,” Hosking Partners LLP Founder and Portfolio Manager Jeremy Hosking said in a post to its clients dated June 2025. Jeremy in a Feb 2024 interview with the Daily FT said the Fund’s portfolio in Sri Lanka was over $ 60 million. more..

June 25 (DW) When 20-year-old Maya went to what he thought was a meeting with a Facebook acquaintance two months ago, it turned out to be a trap. Maya described how he was met by four men who assaulted him for being gay. "They said 'How can you be like this? This isn't legal in Sri Lanka,' and beat me," Maya told DW. "I didn't go to the police, because there's no law, and they won't take any action." Sri Lanka has not more..

June 25 (CT) The COPE has raised serious concerns over the Uni of Sri J'pura’s decision to impose excessive fines on ten students following a clash that resulted in damage to a university hostel. At the COPE meeting held on 20 June at Parliament, chaired by MP Dr Nishantha Samaraweera, it was revealed that the students were unfairly charged a penalty amounting to three times the actual value of the damaged property—the legal maximum—along with an additional 25% surcharge. more..

June 25 (MB) Nestled in the eastern edge of SL’s Uva province, Nilgala stands out as a landscape of remarkable ecological and cultural importance. Long overlooked in mainstream conservation efforts despite its significance, Nilgala finally received due recognition on June 2 when it was declared a forest reserve covering its full extent of 40,685 hectares (100,543 acres). Located within SL’s intermediate climatic zone, Nilgala is primarily covered by dry mixed evergreen forest. more..

June 25 (CT) In a significant move to strengthen child protection in Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, in collaboration with SL Police and National Child Protection Authority (NCPA), has launched a nationwide initiative to identify, rescue, and rehabilitate children exposed to exploitation and hazardous conditions. Ahead of its islandwide rollout, Ministry has submitted a Cabinet Paper seeking urgent approval to fully implement these protective measures from 1 July 2025. more..

June 25 (AD) The Chairman of the Container Transport Owners’ Association (CTOA), Sanath Manjula has raised concerns over the re-emergence of container truck congestion at the Colombo Port, attributing the situation to the failure of relevant officials to implement recommendations made by the Cabinet Sub-Committee. Manjula stated that although a fully equipped portion of land belonging to the Sri Lanka Ports Authority was recently allocated to SL Customs with the aim of more..

June 25 (DM) A massive protest commenced today in Jaffna demanding justice for the Chemmani mass grave. As the number of mass graves continues to rise and no solutions have been found so far, this protest aims to draw international attention to the issue and to emphasise the demand for justice for the Tamil people. With this goal, members of the public have united to launch a peaceful protest titled Unfading glow, more..

June 25 (Island) Govt is going ahead with moves to introduce a new anti-terrorism law in consultations with the UN amidsts protests from various interested parties, both in and outside Parliament. The Justice and National Integration Ministry said that UN representatives, via zoom, had joined a recent discussion, chaired by Rienzie Arsecularatne, PC, who is leading the Committee tasked with preparing a new anti-terrorism draft law. The NPP, in the run-up to national elections last year, more..

June 25 (EN) Profits at Sri Lanka Ports Authority rose 75% to 34.93 billion rupees in 2024, as container transshipment volumes rose amid Red Sea troubles, a Finance Ministry report showed, as domestic imports also recovered. Total revenues rose to 98.2 billion rupees in 2024 from 84.2 billion rupees in 2023, with stevedoring revenues rising to 33.9 billion rupees from 27.4 billion rupees. “Despite a 33.5% drop in total ship arrivals in 2024 with only 3,426 ships compared to 5,155 in 2023, more..

June 25 (NF) The CID has informed the court that a special investigation has been launched into a private overseas trip allegedly undertaken by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe using govt funds. According to the police, the details of the investigation were submitted to the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court through a B-report. Investigations have revealed that former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe traveled to UK to attend more..

June 25 (AD) The Anuradhapura Magistrate’s Court has issued an order summoning Arjun Aloysius, the Chairman of the W. M. Mendis and Company, to appear on July 23rd pertaining to an ongoing case, Ada Derana reporter said. The case has been filed pertaining allegations Arjun Aloysius misappropriated Rs. 52.9 million by obtaining a large quantity of maize without making the relevant payment to the Nochchiyagama-based P.D.G. Agri Business Company, and thereby breaching trust. more..

June 25 (NF) South Indian cinema legend Mohanlal is currently in Sri Lanka for the much-anticipated shooting of Dharmayuddhaya 2, a sequel that promises to elevate the benchmark set by the original. During his stay, the Padma Bhushan awardee met with one of SL’s finest actors, Bimal Jayakodi, at the iconic Galle Face Hotel in Colombo—an interaction that lit up the local film community. "During the Dharmayuddhaya 2 filming, meeting Mohanlal - the lead actor of the Malayalam more..

June 25 (AD) A special traffic plan will be in place in several areas of Colombo due to the conduct of the Global Bohra Conference and Spiritual Convention from today. The Global Bohra Conference will be held under the patronage of the spiritual leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community from today (25) at the Sri Lanka Exhibition and Convention Centre (SLECC) on D. R. Wijewardena Mawatha in Colombo Fort. The conference will be held from today (25), and then from June 27 to July 05. more..

June 25 (AM) The Acting Magistrate of Dehiattakandiya, Y. Rajapaksha, yesterday (24) directed the SL Police and the SL Air Force (SLAF) to conduct separate investigations into the fatal crash of a SLAF Bell 212 helicopter into the Maduru Oya Reservoir in May. The court ordered both institutions to determine and report the cause of the crash, which occurred on 9 May during a demonstration flight at a dispersal ceremony at the Army Special Forces camp in Maduru Oya. more..

June 25 (CI) Sri Lanka dropped five catches, had a couple of edges fall short, and missed a run-out chance. But such was their dominance with the ball on day one of the second Test against Bangladesh that they still managed to pick up eight wickets. It meant that at stumps, on a rain-affected day, Bangladesh, who had won the toss in the hope of setting an imposing first-innings total on what was supposed to be a generally batter-friendly more..

June 25 (Island) SL’s wildlife conservation is teetering on the brink of collapse due to systemic neglect, mismanagement, and a crippling shortage of trained personnel, warns veteran conservation researcher Sameera Weerathunga. Speaking on the state of the Dept of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), Weerathunga said the institution — once a respected guardian of SL’s unique biodiversity — is now being stripped of its core identity and responsibilities through arbitrary restructuring more..

June 25 (EN) The cabinet of ministers has approved a proposal for the SLTB to purchase 29 new super-luxury buses for expressway operation using their own funds, minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. “The cabinet approved the proposal to purchase 29 super luxury buses through the financially capable depots and to purchase the remaining buses by making a down payment using SLTB funds and the balance to be paid in monthly instalments over a period of 5 years,” Jayatissa told reporters. more..

June 25 (AD) The National Transport Commission (NTC) has approved a 2.5% reduction in bus fares from 01 July 2025. Earlier, it was reported that the govt had informed bus associations that steps will be taken to reduce bus fares by 2%, following a discussion held today between the Ministry of Transport and representatives of various bus associations. The meeting was convened to discuss the annual bus fare revision, more..

June 25 (NW) A Parliamentary delegation from SL, led by Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage, has visited China to attend a Workshop for MPs of Sri Lanka. The workshop, organized by the International Cooperation Centre of the National Development and Reform Commission of China and sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce of China, commenced on 20 June and will conclude on 06 July. The delegation consists of both govt and opposition members who are office bearers and executive more..

June 25 (FT) Dear Sirs, Essential regulatory reforms for securities market operations to minimise money laundering and other securities market risks. Media reports published over the last nine months have reported significant investments made by high net worth local and foreign investors in Govt securities, the stock market and as Board of Investments approved private investments. These high-profile news making investments raise questions as to whether essential and optimum regulatory more..

June 25 (AD) Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) has assured that there will be no fuel shortage in the country under any circumstances. CPC Chairman D.J. Rajakaruna stated that the necessary fuel orders for the next two months have already been procured. According to Rajakaruna, the CPC has already placed and confirmed orders for the fuel required for the next two months and there is absolutely no reason for a fuel shortage in Sri Lanka during this period. more..

June 25 (FT) Innocent until proven guilty is a fundamental of our judicial system, however no such standard has been applied to the events of the final stage of the war which ended at Nandikadal. The cry of genocide has become louder and louder with the City of Brampton, in Canada allowing the building of a Tamil Genocide memorial. None of the international human rights organisations or international NGOs have accused the SL govt of genocide. It is only members of Tamil more..

June 25 (DM) During the ongoing corruption case involving Dr. Maheshi Surasinghe Wijerathna, a consultant neurosurgeon at Sri J'pura General Hospital, CIABOC told court yesterday that she had allegedly performed surgeries on brain-dead patients. The neurosurgeon had performed surgical procedures such as the insertion of External Ventricular Drains (EVDs) and Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts on patients who had already more..

June 25 (FT) The Colombo stock market yesterday staged a strong rebound following the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. ASPI gained by 2.5% and the active S&P SL20 by 2.8%. Turnover was Rs. 5.2 billion involving 235 million shares. Turnover was boosted by JKH (Rs. 345 million) COMBN (Rs. 258 million) PABC (Rs. 238 million) and CFIN (Rs. 209 million). The value of the market rose by Rs. 157 billion after having dropped by Rs. 117 billion on Monday. more..

June 25 (ST) Govt has made a fresh attempt to revive a much-talked-about mixed development project on a prime piece of land at No. 40, D.R. Wijewardena Mawatha, Colombo 10, following a series of failed attempts at attracting investors in the past decade by successive governments. The property, which covers 3 roods and 13.85 perches of land and belongs to the UDA, is available now for investment offers on a 99-year lease. The move, sanctioned by the Cabinet, is part of more..

June 25 (DM) Suspended IGP Deshabandu Thennakoon appeared before a parliamentary committee yesterday investigating his conduct during his tenure. This was his first appearance before the committee, and the session lasted nearly 11 hours, from 9 am to 8 pm, at the Parliament complex. Additional Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris led a series of questions focusing on Thennakoon’s whereabouts during more..

June 25 (DM) Rising global oil prices, a stronger US dollar, and widening geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are fuelling inflationary pressure and currency depreciation in SL, First Capital Research said in a fresh analysis this week. “Israel–Iran conflict is pushing up global oil prices and strengthening the U.S. dollar, which directly raises SL’s fuel import bill and weakens the rupee,” the report said. It noted that local fuel, transport and food costs are rising as a result, more..

June 25 (FT) The Govt is set to consolidate its fragmented tourism governance structure through the creation of a powerful National Tourism Council, with policy paper already submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers approval last week. “The proposal has been forwarded to the Cabinet office. With approval, we can start and until such time, the new Presidential Unit will carry out the Council’s functions,” Tourism Deputy Minister Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe told the Daily FT. more..

June 25 (DN) Lack of consistent policy framework and frequent changes in energy policies especially in the field of renewable energy sector in the country, discourage long-term investments in the country’s renewable energy sector, a spokesman of Renewable Energy Developers Association (REDA) said. Besides, the lengthy approval processes for renewable energy projects is also a great hindrance for new investments. Also inefficient implementation of policies such as Soorya Bala Sangramaya more..

June 25 (CI) After a draw in the first Test in Galle, the action moves to Colombo with more World Test Championship (WTC) points on the line for a Test arguably more important for SL than Bangladesh. As their remaining two home series in this cycle are against India and South Africa, two Tests without a win against a lower-ranked Bangladesh might leave the hosts feeling like they left points on the table. As for the visitors, they were the closer of the two sides to getting a positive result in Galle, more..