June 6 (TM) SL selectors headed by former white-ball captain Upul Tharanga are expected to blood a few deserving youngsters in the absence of two stalwarts, as they look to preserve their unbeaten record during the upcoming home Test series against Bangladesh. Former captain Dimuth Karunaratne departed from the int'l game last February, following the series against Australia and his colleague-another ex-skipper Angelo more..

June 6 (ST) Finance Ministry’s Dept of Management Audit has issued guidelines to monitor and track construction and movable assets – such as vehicles, laptops and furniture – acquired in the execution of development projects after longstanding problems were identified. These projects are typically financed through foreign or domestic sources, and expenditures are incurred through the relevant ministries. But construction and movable assets are frequently not properly recorded more..

June 6 (Island) In a bold departure from tradition, The Overseas School of Colombo (OSC) hosted its inaugural Media Open Day, opening its doors to leading journalists and media professionals for an immersive, firsthand experience of life on campus. The event, held on the school’s lush Geoffrey Bawa-designed eco-premises, showcased the vibrant heart of OSC; its inclusive ethos, world-class curriculum, and deeply rooted values through an all-encompassing student-led campus tour. more..

June 6 (ST) The final rites of legendary actress Malini Fonseka, oft-referred to as the Queen of Sinhala cinema, took place at Independence Square in Colombo on Monday (26) evening amid a large crowd of mourners braving the inclement weather. She had passed away the previous Saturday at the age of 78, leading to an outpouring of grief for a cinematic icon beloved by millions of Sri Lankans. more..

June 6 (Island) He did not win a medal or break a national record at last week’s Asian Athletics Championships but with two big throws, javelin thrower Rumesh Tharanga has earned the top spot among highest ranked Sri Lankan athletes according to the latest statistics released by World Athletics. The two big throws produced by the 22-year-old has helped him earn enough ranking points to overtake sprinter Aruna Dharshana who had reigned in that position for more than two years. more..

June 6 (DN) SL broke a 16-year-long drought by defeating Brunei 1-0 in a hard-fought FIFA International Friendly for the AFC Asian Cup Qualifier played yesterday in Bangkok, Thailand. It was young replacement Leon Perera who became the national hero, scoring the golden goal in the 56th minute after a superb assist from the returning star Dillon de Silva. The solitary goal of the match came after a tense first half that ended scoreless. This famous win saw 200th-ranked SL overcome more..

June 6 (Island) Today (6), marks the 120th anniversary of Dr N.M. Perera’s birth. N.M. was born in 1905, the year of the First Russian Revolution. He passed away on 14 Aug 1979, during the month progressives in SL commemorate the 1953 Hartal, in which he played a significant role. This year also marks the 90th anniversary of the LSSP that NM and his comrades founded. NM was a multi-faceted man: the first leading man in a Sinhala film, Rajakeeya Vickramaya; captained Ananda College at more..

June 6 (FT) Reflecting its unwavering pursuit of operational excellence and innovation, New Anthoney’s Feeds Ltd. secured two Gold awards at the recent National Convention on Quality and Productivity (NCQP) 2025, hosted by the SL Association for the Advancement of Quality and Productivity (SLAAQP) at the Mount Lavinia Hotel. This national-level recognition celebrates New Anthoney’s Feeds’ bold approach to driving transformation across its production and more..

June 6 (TM) SL has spent about Rs 1.5 trillion for principal and interest payments in the first 4 months of the 2025, while utilising over 20% of the borrowing limit, Treasury officials said. Speaking before the COPF, Treasury officials said that Rs. 796 billion has been spent on interest payment, which was 27% of the total allocation by the end of April and Rs. 352 billion was spent on principal payments, which was 22% of the total allocation. more..

June 6 (DM) Six parties have submitted bids for the much-awaited Port Community System (PCS), an initiative considered as a crucial step towards digitising port operations and a stepping stone towards the National Single Window (NSW),. This project was initially put to tender by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Aviation under the previous govt but reportedly faced delays before reaching the current stage. The submission of these bids now marks a significant milestone in a process more..

June 6 (GV) A recent IPS study brings out the reality of SL Female Migrant Workers (FMWs), particularly those engaged in domestic work across the Middle East. These women juggle multiple roles across various locations handling extra tasks often beyond their contractual obligations. Despite the heavy workload, they often do not receive even their agreed upon payment, which delays the timely transfer of money to their families, making it difficult for them to meet basic needs such as more..

June 6 (Island) The current Parliament’s Caucus for Youth has reportedly been established. This vital outfit does not receive the same public attention as the high-profile parliamentary watchdog committees. Its traditional role is to ensure that the interests of the country’s youth are served by the national legislature while acting as a bridge between young citizens and the members of Parliament. One can only hope that the caucus will carry out its duties and functions for the benefit of the youth more..

June 6 (TM) Pollution and climate change are two serious challenges which SL is facing and will continue to battle for decades to come. While the State and communities often react to incidents of pollution and climate change-related disasters, there is a visible lack of a coherent long-term strategy to address both issues. While climate change is a global – juggernaut which SL can do little to stop, pollution both at home, sea and in the air is something the island can actively address. more..

June 6 (TM) Thus far, the in vitro fertilisation (IVF) service was available only in SL’s private sector and that too as a costly process. However, with the opening of the first public institution that conducts the IVF process, those in need can now obtain this service for free or at a minimal charge. Noting this, consultant in obstetrics & gynaecology and Senior Lecturer at Kelaniya Uni Medical Fac, Dr. Suranga Hettipathirana, more..

June 6 (CT) Yesterday (5), the world marked World Environment Day, placing significant emphasis on ending plastic pollution. In terms of environmental sustainability, arguably the most-pressing global concern is climate change resilience and adaptation. Although they may appear distinct, climate change and plastic pollution are not mutually exclusive; in fact, the latter exacerbates the former. There are three main reasons why plastic pollution poses such a serious problem. more..

June 6 (CT) The month of May saw Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake coming to terms with the pleasures and pains of democracy in action. This was brought out starkly in two equally important events during the month. The first was the LG elections where the ruling NPP’s vote share declined to almost 43% from the whopping 62% of votes it had obtained at the Parliamentary election. Though the Prez and PM had extensively campaigned, decline in voter turnout in the LG election is more..

June 6 (SO) Assuming office at a time when SL faces both new opportunities and challenges, the 25th Commander of the SL Army brings with him over three and a half decades of military experience and leadership. In his first in-depth interview with a newspaper following his appointment, Lt General Lasantha Rodrigo speaks candidly about his journey from a young cadet to the apex of Army leadership, the evolution of the Army more..

June 6 (DM) Today, June 06, will mark 37 years since the killing of human rights activist and Catholic priest Rev. Fr. Chandra Fernando at his church residence in Batticaloa. He was Chairman of the Batticaloa Citizens’ Committee at that time and Parish Priest of St. Mary’s Church (The Cathedral) in Batticaloa. The IPKF had been controlling Batticaloa during that period. I have heard accounts of survivors of torture, families of the disappeared, extrajudicial executions, eyewitness and more..

June 6 (DM) Many years ago, foreign news editors and environmentalists were shocked to see a photograph of a dead fish floating on a pond alongside a single-use plastic wrapper that was uploaded to the Agence France-Presse, better known as AFP. The year was 2022 and the date was Sept 28. The country where the photograph was produced was India, a nation that is guilty of producing 1/5 of the plastic garbage annually produced in the world. more..

June 5 (NW) A tree planting and conservation initiative was launched Wednesday along Marine Drive, from Kollupitiya Railway Station to Wellawatte, in observance of World Environment Day. The project, part of the Clean Sri Lanka programme, is being led by the Clean Sri Lanka Secretariat Office. On its first day, 1,600 Takkada (Scaevola taccada) saplings were planted, with a target of reaching 6,000. Scaevola taccada, listed as a threatened species on the Red Data List, more..

June 5 (CT) As the world marks World Environment Day today (5), environmentalists are calling for swift and practical action to combat plastic pollution, warning that the crisis is spiralling beyond control both globally and locally. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has commemorated World Environment Day annually since 1973, making it the largest international platform for environmental awareness. The theme for this year, Ending Plastic Pollution, shines a spotlight on more..

June 5 (TM) The Govt is set to formally recognise the three-wheeler industry as part of the country’s public transport network. Amendments to the National Transport Commission (NTC) Act will introduce new guidelines and regulatory measures to bring structure and recognition to the sector, which has played an essential role in Sri Lanka’s transport landscape for decades. more..

June 5 (AD) Indian Defence Secretary Mr. Rajesh Kumar Singh, leading a high-level delegation, held separate meetings today (Jun 05) with Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Defence Major General (Retd) Aruna Jayasekara and Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Sampath Thuyacontha. The meetings were also attended by the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, reflecting the importance accorded to strengthening bilateral defence relations, a statement said. more..

June 5 (DM) With the onset of the monsoon season increasing the risk of mosquito-borne diseases, authorities have instructed all Provincial & Zonal Education Directors to ensure that school environments across the island are kept clean and free of mosquitoes. The directive comes in response to a rising threat of dengue and Chikungunya virus infections reported in several areas. Health authorities have warned that a significant number of dengue cases recorded up to May 31 involve more..

June 5 (DM) Colombo Port, long considered the economic heartbeat of SL, is heading towards a 'natural death' due to administrative mismanagement at the SL Ports Authority (SLPA), Co-Convenor of the Joint Alliance of Port Trade Unions (JAPTU) Shyamal Sumanaratne warned. He questioned whether Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake is fully aware of the deteriorating state of affairs within the Ports Authority and more..

June 5 (NF) Minister Bimal Rathnayake, defended the govt’s recent decision to lease a new aircraft for SriLankan Airlines, highlighting both public enthusiasm and the financial prudence of the move. Speaking in Parliament, he said the newly leased aircraft, which arrived yesterday from France, was met with overwhelming public appreciation. “Even those who have never flown in their lives were visibly moved to see the plane. It shows how deeply people care about our national carrier,” more..

June 5 (TM) SL’s Data Protection Authority currently faces recruitment issues, though positions in its topmost layers have been filled, Digital Economy Minister Eranga Weeraratne said in a Meta post made on his official page. “The Data Protection Authority was established in Aug of 2023, which by now has a Chairperson and a Board of Directors, however in terms of human resources, there has been a delay in recruitment. It is now in the process of recruiting persons,” Weeraratne said. more..

June 5 (IFEX) It has come to light that photojournalist Lahiru Harshana removed a photograph of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, which had been published on his personal Facebook page, due to external pressure to do so. According to reports received by us, some form of influence or request to remove the said photograph had been made through a third party by the President’s Media Division. While attempts are being made to verify the truth of this claim, the stance of the FMM more..

June 5 (DM) The goods in the 323 controversial containers included weapons belonging to slain LTTE Leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, MP Ramanathan Archchuna told Parliament today. “I have been told that the containers carrying the goods belong to Prabhakaran. I may get shot for saying this as I have not been provided with security,” the MP said. “Prabhakaran tried to import goods from Thailand before 2009,” he added. Govt MP Devananda Suraweera who responded more..

June 5 (DM) A serious incident was narrowly averted this morning when two trains were found running dangerously close to each other on the same track along the coastal railway line, due to a fault in the signals system. The incident occurred at approximately 9.45 a.m, when slow train No. 328, operating from Panadura to Colombo Fort, was given a green signal to proceed between Panadura and Moratuwa. However, another train was more..

June 5 (NF) Mount Lavinia Magistrate Chathurika de Silva today ordered that former Minister and SLFP General Secretary Duminda Dissanayake, along with three other suspects, be remanded until June 19. The order follows the discovery of a gold-colored T-56 assault rifle at the Havelock City apartment complex in Wellawatte. The suspects were arrested in connection with the incident, which is under investigation by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID). During today’s court proceedings, more..

June 5 (AD) PM Harini Amarasuriya has emphasized that through the collective efforts of the govt and the citizenry in the Clean Sri Lanka initiative, the destruction of the country’s environment caused by plastic pollution can be effectively halted. In her message for World Environment Day, the Premier highlighted SL’s rich natural heritage, describing the country as blessed with “an exceptional natural ecosystem, surrounded by a unique maritime zone, enriched by over 100 major river systems, more..