June 19 (DM) The 48-hour token strike, which was scheduled to be launched tonight by the Railway Controllers' Union, has been postponed by two weeks, Union Secretary Duminda Prasad said. He said the decision was made despite ongoing issues that had prompted the planned strike. The union had intended to launch the token strike in protest against the authorities’ failure to resolve several longstanding problems within the department. Prasad noted that although the union more..

June 19 (CT) In line with the vision to build a transparent and corruption-free public service, Secretary-General of Parliament has taken steps to establish an Internal Affairs Unit in Parliament in accordance with the circular PS/SB/Circular/2/2025 issued by the Presidential Secretariat on 18 Feb. The newly established unit aims to achieve several key objectives, including the prevention of corruption, the promotion of a culture of integrity, ensuring accountability more..

June 19 (CT) Senior Lecturer at Dept of Paediatrics, Colombo Medical Faculty, Dr. Prasad Chathurangana, revealed that a 2019 study conducted on 10 Montessori schools to assess children’s activity levels found that only one in five children met the activity guidelines recommended by the WHO. He explained that the study evaluated how much time preschool children spent sleeping, playing, and watching electronic screens. more..

June 19 (TM) Health Ministry cautioned that the consumption of sugary food among preschool children is extremely high, and that data suggests that it could be as high as four times the recommended quantity. These foods include cake and biscuits. These concerns were raised by the Ministry’s Community Medical Specialist Dr. Inoka Wickramasinghe, during a press briefing regarding public awareness for child health promotion through social and behavioural changes. more..

June 19 (EN) The Indonesian Ambassador in Sri Lanka has offered to provide support to combat the white fly infestation affecting coconut plantations in the island. Dewi Gustina Tobing said that the techniques and remedies used by Indonesia to combat the whitefly disease and other coconut pests spreading through coconut cultivations can be provided to fight the disease that in Sri Lanka. Tobing met Minister of Plantations Samantha Widyaratne this week, who requested help. more..

June 19 (AD) Despite a prolonged fallout with Europe, US and Western nations due to the Ukraine conflict, former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe asserts that Russia is not isolated on the international stage and is continuing to work with nations in the Asian region. Former Prez Wickremesinghe made this remark while speaking to media on the sidelines of the Valdai Discussion Club in St. Petersburg. Former Prez Wickremesinghe also highlighted the importance of BRICS, more..

June 19 (Island) A group of students from Nittambuwa Sanghabodhi National School visited the Presidential Secretariat and the President’s House on Wednesday. The visit was facilitated under the Vision programme series, a collaborative initiative for schoolchildren organised by the Presidential Secretariat, the Ministry of Education and the Department of Communication of the Parliament of SL. As part of the visit, the students toured the Old Parliament building located more..

June 19 (AD) Two daughters and the son-in-law of former Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella have been arrested by the CIABOC. Accordingly, Chamithri Rambukwella, Amali Rambukwella and her husband Isuru Bandara have been arrested in relation to an investigation conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, by CIABOC. They are implicated in the investigation into undeclared more..

June 19 (DM) Former Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa, Maithripala Sirisena, Ranil Wickremesinghe, former Ministers Basil Rajapaksa, P. Harrison, Wijith Wijithamuni de Soysa, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena and Lakshman Wasantha Perera have been found to be involved in a USD 110 million cattle import scam, NPP MP Nihal Galappathi told Parliament today. He said none of these former Presidents and Ministers will be spared. "None of them will be shown any mercy," he said. more..

June 19 (NW) Dimuthu Abeyesekera has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE). Abeyesekera is reported to have served on the CSE Board over the last 06 years. Bringing over 35 years of experience in the capital markets, he is a veteran capital market professional and serves as an important resource person at Colombo Stockbrokers Association (CSBA). He currently serves as the CEO of Asha Securities Ltd, which is affiliated with more..

June 19 (AD) Preliminary investigations have revealed that a second-year student at Sabaragamuwa Uni committed suicide recently due to ragging, CID has stated. Charith Dilshan, a student studying at the Sabaragamuwa Uni, died by suicide on April 29. Subsequently, the CID launched an investigation into the incident. As a result of the investigation, a group of senior students suspected to be involved in the incident have been more..

June 19 (NW) In light of the escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, Govt of SL has been actively working over the past several days to ensure the safety of SL nationals in Iran. Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reached out to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs through the Indian High Commission in Colombo, requesting assistance for the evacuation of SL nationals. India has reportedly agreed to support the process, provided SL nationals can reach locations more..

June 19 (EN) Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka will officially launch the “China Visa Online Application System” from June 30, 2025, the embassy spokesman said. The spokesman in a statement explaining the new process said the applicants can visit the website https://consular.mfa.gov.cn/VISA/ to fill out the visa application form online, upload the required documents, and the application will enter the preliminary review phase. The applicants will have to handover their passports physically more..

June 19 (TM) Every rupee paid in taxes carries the silent hopes of everyday people, a mother who dreams of a better hospital for her child, a young entrepreneur investing in a brighter future, or a farmer who wants better roads to sell his harvest. They aren’t just taxpayers, they are contributors to the heartbeat of the nation. While taxpayers fulfil their responsibility with quiet determination, they look for more than just receipts in return. They seek a system that is transparent, fair, and human, more..

June 19 (TM) Alan Greenspan was born in 1926 and lived in a modest Manhattan neighbourhood, far from the power circles of Washington and Wall Street. Raised by a single mother, he lived a quiet, disciplined life in a lower-middle-class neighborhood. His father, though alive, was more of a monthly visitor than a daily presence. Those early struggles left a deep mark on him. They taught him self-reliance and restraint, qualities that would one day define his leadership. more..

June 19 (TM) The complaints received by the Anti-Corruption Committee Secretariat (ACCS) during the UNF yahapalana (good governance) Govt are still valid, and that investigations into them will be carried out by the relevant agencies, said Minister of Public Security and former ACCS Director, Ananda Wijepala. In 2015, UNF Govt established the ACCS to investigate large-scale corruption and fraud from more..

June 19 (TM) Several SL nationals in Israel for business purposes have been stranded due to the lack of outbound flights, SL Embassy in Israel has said. At present, the main international Airport of Israel, the Ben Gurion International Airport, and the Israeli airspace, remain closed to all international flights due to the conflict with Iran. The Ambassador of SL in Israel Nimal Bandara noted that Embassy officials are taking every effort to ensure the safety of the Lankans in the country and more..

June 19 (NW) In a landmark transaction strengthening its presence in Eastern India and South Asia, global investment firm Blackstone has acquired Kolkata’s iconic South City Mall and the unsold inventory of SL’s luxury Altair residential project from South City Projects for Rs 3250 crore. According to Millennium Post, the deal marks the largest real estate acquisition in Kolkata and one of the most significant in Eastern India to date. An issued statement read that this acquisition more..

June 19 (Island) A parliamentary debate on the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict was postponed yesterday as SJB MP Ajith P. Perera, who called for the adjournment debate, was not present in the House. Deputy Speaker Dr. Rizvie Salih adjourned the session until 9:30 a.m. today, despite strong objections from Opposition MPs, sparking a heated exchange of words in the chamber. The situation escalated when SLMC MP Nizam Kariyappar more..

June 19 (EN) SL’s agricultural production in paddy, fish, coconut, and rubber declined in April, the central bank said, while tea production increased due to favourable weather. “Paddy production for the 2024/2025 Maha season, based on the sown extent as of end March 2025, is forecasted at 2.62 million metric tons, a 3.8% decline from the previous Maha season,” the central bank’s Agriculture Sector Data Bulletin for May 2025 said. Fish production decreased by 0.1% y-o-y in April 2025, more..

June 19 (TM) CPC has decided to suspend issuance of fuel into cans and barrels with immediate effect. The decision was taken due to reports of members of the public flocking to fuel stations to obtain fuel in cans and barrels, causing unnecessary congestion and queues. Accordingly, the decision has been communicated to fuel station owners, and the CPC has warned that strict disciplinary action will be taken regarding distribution permits if anyone acts in violation of the directive. more..

June 19 (EN) A 100 MW wind farm project in Mullikulam in SL’s Mannar district has got initial interest from around nine investors, Power and Minister Kumara Jayakody said. CEB opened the Mullikulam site for private investors as 50 x 2 wind farms to be built as build operate own (BOO) project with an initial closing date of June 12. The deadline was then extended to July 09. Most of the prospective bidders asked for more time at pre-bid meetings and the request was granted, more..

June 19 (FT) PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya yesterday stressed the need to address food loss and food insecurity on an urgent basis. She made this observation when she participated in the High-Level Policy Dialogue titled Beyond Waste: Optimising Food, Water, and Energy for Better Nutrition in South Asia which kicked off yesterday at the ITC Ratnadipa Hotel, Colombo. The policy dialogue was co-hosted by World Bank and Govt of SL through the PM’s Office and the Ministry of Agriculture, more..

June 19 (FT) Outgoing Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana yesterday described his three-year tenure at the Finance Ministry as the most significant period of his professional life. He made these remarks during the farewell ceremony held at the Presidential Secretariat. Reflecting on his term, Siriwardana acknowledged the immense challenges and critical decisions that shaped his time as Treasury Secretary. more..

June 19 (TM) Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC) noted that it is in accordance with the past practice of supporting the party with the majority LG councillors or members that CWC backed ruling NPP in votes taken to elect top LG bodies’ officials in areas where the NPP had no majority power in the LG authorities. In this regard, CWC President Senthil Thondaman said: "If a Municipal Council or Urban Council or Pradeshiya Sabha (PS) does not have the majority, you have to definitely join more..

June 19 (TS) Sri Lanka has urged Bangladeshi entrepreneurs to invest in its growing pharmaceutical sector and explore new opportunities in export-oriented industries, as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral trade ties. The call was made during a business plenary session titled SL & Bangladesh Economic Ties: Building Bridges for Growth, held at National Chamber of Commerce in Colombo on June 18. Around 150 meetings were held during the visit, involving over 70 SL firms. more..

June 19 (Island) SJB has expelled two of its local govt members and suspended six others for defying party directives and backing the NPP in the contests to elect heads of hung local Councils. SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara confirmed that Kolonnawa Municipal Councillor Susil Kumara Costa & Kandeketiya PS Councillor Navarathna Wijepala had been expelled with immediate effect. The SJB has suspended the membership of six councillors from Dambulla PS. more..

June 19 (DN) SL’s hopes of an unbeaten run at the Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Asia/Oceania Group III Tennis Tournament were dashed yesterday when they suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat to Myanmar at the SL Tennis Association’s clay courts in Colombo. After a clean 3-0 sweep against Qatar on the opening day, the home team faced a strong Myanmar challenge in their second group clash. In the first singles match, Myanmar’s top player Nilar Win dominated from start to finish, more..

June 19 (FT) Former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, his wife Kusum Epa, and their daughter Chandula Rambukwella, were remanded yesterday after failing to meet bail conditions set by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court. Trio was arrested by the CIABOC on charges of money laundering in connection with an ongoing investigation into alleged illegal asset accumulation amounting to Rs. 97.35 million. more..

June 19 (Island) Hosts India will get their 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup campaign underway in Bengaluru against SL on Sept 30. Per the unveiled full schedule, Colombo – a neutral venue picked to host Pakistan’s league games – has been allotted 11 round-robin games, including four of SL’s. All matches are slated to be day-night affairs with a 3 PM IST start. SL will have the opportunity to host Australia (Oct 4), NZ (Oct 14), South Africa (Oct 17) & B'desh (Oct 20) besides Pakistan (Oct 24) more..

June 19 (DN) Young Maheli Navithma of St. John’s Girls’ School, Panadura, continued her sensational form by setting her second meet record in the Girls’ Under-12 50m Breaststroke heats on Day 2 of the 50th MILO SL Schools Swimming Championship at the Sugathadasa Swimming Pool yesterday. Navithma clocked an impressive 40.97 seconds, breaking the long-standing record of 41.34 seconds set by Lashini Apsara Rajasinghe of SOU back in 2010. In a thrilling final later in the day, more..

June 19 (ST) Sri Lanka, with 167 ship wrecks submerged across its seas, is an ideal location for a niche tourism segment – marine tourism. This view emerged at a weekend conference in Colombo organised by the newly-formed Indian Ocean Divers Association (IODA) where SL’s potential as a sustainable tourism product was highlighted. So far dive tourism, focusing on visiting ship wrecks, and underwater tourism hasn’t more..