June 27 (AD) Former Minister Rajitha Senaratne is reportedly expected to be taken into custody by the Bribery Commission after being named as a suspect in a corruption case. This was stated by officials of the Bribery Commission when the former Chairman of the Ceylon Fisheries Harbour Corporation (CFHC), Upali Liyanage, who was arrested on corruption charges, was produced before the court today. They informed the court that the then Minister in charge of the subject, Rajitha Senaratne, more..

June 27 (CIM) The UK's growing role in SL's education landscape took a significant step forward recently, following Lord John Hannett's first official visit to the region. Hannett, the UK PM's Trade Envoy, joined a high-level roundtable hosted by the Department for Business and Trade, which brought together CIM and leaders from across the SL education sector. The discussion focused on strengthening UK-SL education relationships, with transnational education, vocational training, more..

June 27 (Island) Asian Development Bank (ADB), Japan Int'l Cooperation Agency (JICA) & World Bank have written to Energy Minister regarding several key issues concerning the Electricity Act 2024 Amendments published in the Gazette recently. World Bank, ADB and JICA have been the major development partners in the power sector of SL. The three institutions coordinate closely on key policy issues, investments & technical assistance. more..

June 27 (NW) Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody strongly rebuked a joint letter from JICA, ADB & World Bank, saying their public approach on the Electricity Act Amendment was undiplomatic and politicized the issue. “This is not how it should be done. They can’t work with us like this. They should have handled it more diplomatically instead of going public,” Minister said. He was referring to a joint letter by the 3 organisations, expressing concerns over certain amendments to Electricity Act more..

June 27 (AD) All academic activities at the External Degrees and Extension Courses Unit of the Uni of Sri J'pura have been temporarily suspended. As of Tuesday, the unit has suspended all external degree programs, including lectures and registration activities. When inquired by Ada Derana regarding the matter, Ven. Dambara Amila Thero, a senior lecturer at the university stated that they hope to resume academic activities in the near future after resolving the existing issues. more..

June 27 (EN) SL govt is yet to be officially informed over UN-flagged research vessel’s decision on not doing the planned research due to approval delay from the island nation’s govt, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said. Sources from the Foreign and Fisheries Ministries say the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) has informed that the research vessel Dr Fridtj of Nansen will not come to SL research purposes because SL delayed more..

June 27 (AM) Deputy Minister Mahinda Jayasinghe, who attended the recent Asia Miracle Awards ceremony as a special guest, declined to present an award to Hayeshika Fernando, who had been selected to receive the title of Best Grade 5 Scholarship Teacher. The award, which was to be presented during a segment where Jayasinghe was on stage handing out honours, was instead given to Fernando by another individual who was nearby at the time. Hayeshika Fernando, who more..

June 27 (DM) Despite the green light, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) research vessel Dr Fridtjof Nansen is unlikely to visit SL since approval came late, making timely scheduling for the survey here impossible. Initially, approval was denied for the research ship due to the delay in formulating standard operating procedures (SOP) to deal with such vessels. However, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake granted approval earlier this week for the ship to arrive here and more..

June 27 (AD) It has been reported that two members of the NPP party were allegedly abducted while on their way to cast their votes to elect the Chairman of the Weligama Pradeshiya Sabha today (27). The incident has resulted in the disruption of the council session, preventing it from proceeding as scheduled, said Ada Derana reporter. It has further been reported that a proposal was made to commence the council’s proceedings only upon the safe return of the two abducted members. more..

June 27 (CT) Govt doctors have appealed to the Health Secretary, Dr. Anil Jasinghe, to issue clear instructions and guidelines regarding outside prescriptions to safeguard those medical practitioners issuing them. In a letter to the Secretary of Health and Mass Media, the GMOA, Dr. Prabath Sugathadasa requested clear instructions and guidelines on outside prescriptions for “out-of-stock drugs and consumables.” The letter, copied to the Director General of Health Services (DGHS), more..

June 27 (CI) SL moved within four wickets of sealing a series win, with Bangladesh still 96 runs adrift of their first-innings lead in the second Test. After a dominant second day, the hosts consolidated their command on the game with another clinical display, stretching their lead past 200 before Bangladesh collapsed in their second innings. For SL, Prabath Jayasuriya led a spin-bowling attack that sent Bangladesh scrambling, more..

June 27 (DM) A new cargo flight service between Kunming, China and Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) commenced operations with its maiden flight yesterday. S.F. Airlines deployed a Boeing 757-400 aircraft for the inaugural flight, which arrived at BIA from Kunming at 10:50 a.m., carrying 22 metric tons of cargo. According to airport authorities, the new service will operate twice a week, with flights scheduled every Monday and Thursday between Kunming and Colombo. more..

June 27 (CI) Left-arm fast bowler Dilshan Madushanka has returned to SL's ODI squad for the series against Bangladesh, having been unavailable for the Australia series in February due to injury. He replaces the now-injured Lahiru Kumara in the ODI squad. Also in the 16-member ODI squad is allrounder Milan Rathnayake, who has played five Tests but is uncapped in white-ball internationals. His involvement depends on fitness - he is out of the ongoing second Test against Bangladesh more..

June 27 (DM) SL must shift its focus towards fostering innovation, empowering entrepreneurs, and moving beyond its current economic trajectory to achieve a prosperous future with a sustained growth rate of over 8%, according to former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank, Dr. W.A. Wijewardena. Dr. Wijewardena cautioned that the nation should not be complacent with the current nominal economic stability, arguing that more..

June 27 (FT) Capital Maharaja Group has announced that former South African Prez Thabo Mbeki would be the Chief Guest of the Group’s Annual Convention and Executive Of The Year awards ceremony. Known widely as Africa’s Renaissance Man, Prez Mbeki served as the second President of Democratic South Africa from 1999-2008, prior to which he was Deputy President under President Nelson Mandela. Widely regarded as a global statesman, Prez Mbeki was more..

June 27 (AD) Major General Kapila Dolage of the Corps of SL Engineers has been appointed as the 67th Chief of Staff of the SL Army, with effect from today (26). An illustrious military officer who possesses wealth of over 33 years of distinguished service, Major General Dolage had assumed duties as the 60th successor in the office of the Commandant of the SL Army Volunteer Force (SLAVF) with effect from 13 February 2025. Concurrently, the senior officer serves as more..

June 27 (AD) A 24-year-old youth has been reported missing while swimming in the sea off the artificial beach at Colombo Port City, said police. The incident occurred last morning (26), when a group of university students from the University of Colombo and the University of Moratuwa were engaged in research activities and observing the seabed. During the activities, one of the students, a resident of Asgiriya in Gampaha, went missing, according to police. more..

June 27 (DM) Airbus has spotlighted Meriesha Fonseka, a talented SL engineer, as part of their single-aisle wing design team at the company’s Wichita Engineering Facility in the US. According to a post on Airbus’ official Facebook page, around 15% of the engineering staff at the Wichita facility are women a group of professionals who contribute diverse experiences and perspectives to Team Airbus. Among them is Meriesha Fonseka, who has made history in her family as more..

June 27 (DM) SL Customs defended its recent decision to halt the clearance of vehicles imported under cross-border Letters of Credit (LCs), citing the measure as a crucial step to combat significant tax evasion through fraudulent under-valuation. Responding to a Daily Mirror story which highlighted the plight of importers with hundreds of vehicles stranded at the port, Customs officials clarified that the move enforces existing more..

June 27 (CT) Consultant Community Physician at the Health Promotion Bureau (HPB), Dr. Dinusha Perera, revealed that one in five SL women of reproductive age lives with domestic violence. “Women make up 51% of SL’s population, so this statistic reflects a significant number of individuals affected,” Dr. Perera said. She emphasised that domestic violence is a public health issue, noting that globally, at least one in three individuals has experienced such violence. more..

June 27 (DM) Supreme Court today issued an interim order suspending the operation of the Gazette notification issued in respect of 5,941 acres of lands in the Northern Province. The govt had issued a Gazette notification bearing No. 2430 on 28 March 2025 that stated that lands in the districts of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar & Mullaitivu will be claimed as State land if the owners of such lands do not claim them before 28 June 2025. Former MP M.A. Sumanthiran filed this FR application more..

June 27 (DM) Former SriLankan Airlines Chairman Nishantha Wickramasinghe has been arrested by the CIABOC in connection with an ongoing investigation into aircraft procurement during his tenure. He was arrested on charges of causing a financial loss of USD 4,512 to the government by altering the destination of flight UL319, which was scheduled to operate from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to BIA on Jan 22, 2014. more..

June 27 (AD) An estimated 500,000 students and 150,000 teachers across SL are set to benefit from a new $50 million additional financing package approved by the World Bank yesterday through its ongoing General Education Modernization Project. The additional funding will help keep vital education reforms on track, improve teaching quality, upgrade school facilities, and enhance student well-being, with a strong focus on underserved schools, including those in plantation communities more..

June 27 (FT) Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga – who celebrates her 80th birthday on 29 June 2025 – made history in Nov 1994 when she was elected as SL’s first female Executive President. Kumaratunga known popularly as Chandrika and CBK, won the 1994 election with 62% of the votes polled. Subsequently she was re-elected President in Dec 1999 with 51% of the votes. Chandrika Kumaratunga has served for 11 years as SL’s president from 1994 Nov to 2005 Nov. more..

June 27 (FT) In spite of many ardent attempts to highlight the fallacy of the arguments of the CEB and the many unanswered questions of the true status of the finances of the CEB, particularly over the past two years, the consumer tariff has been hiked once more by 15%. No lesser expert than Dr. Lakshman Watawala, the head of the National Accounting Standards body outlined the unacceptability of the submissions made by the CEB claiming for an increase of consumer tariff of 18.3%. more..

June 27 (EN) Employees Provident Fund, a retirement fund for private sector and some state enterprise workers has paid 10% in interest and dividend to members in 2024, a report shows. The same nominal return was paid in 2023. But the 10% in 2024 indicates a higher return than normal, with the central bank missing its 5% target to increase the cost of living in 2024 and maintaining monetary stability with the inflation index falling by 1.7% compared to a 4% increase in 2023. more..

June 27 (CT) The Attorney General, yesterday, filed indictments before the Colombo High Court Permanent Trial-at-Bar against former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and 11 others over the controversial procurement of substandard immunoglobulin vials, allegedly purchased in violation of procurement standards and using State funds. The case is being heard before a special Trial-at-Bar comprising HC Judges more..

June 27 (PMD) UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has expressed his complete support for the direction SL is pursuing under the leadership of Prez Anura Kumara Disanayake to strengthen national unity, promote reconciliation and safeguard Human Rights. He made this statement during a meeting with Prez Disanayake at the Presidential Secretariat this afternoon (26), as part of his visit to SL. High Commissioner commended the current political and social transformation more..

June 27 (DM) Sri Lanka’s barter trade with Iran (tea for oil) to settle dues for a previous transaction is likely to be hit by tension in the Middle-East at the moment, a Minister said. Sri Lanka started bartering tea to Iran in 2023 in lieu of $250 million owed for oil. The barter was agreed in 2021 for oil imported in 2012, but the exchange was delayed after Sri Lanka's unprecedented dollar shortage last year plunged the economy into its worst financial crisis in more than seven decades. more..

June 27 (EN) Despite SL govt’s assertion of local mechanism to address the past human rights abuses, the visiting UN Human Rights high commissioner Volker Türk insisted that the international mechanism is vital for confidence building of the victims. The UN has passed resolution to look into Sri Lanka’s past human rights abuses including alleged war crimes through an independent international probe. more..

June 27 (DM) Attorney General yesterday informed the Court of Appeal that Jaffna District MP Dr. Ramanathan Archchuna continues to hold office as a public officer, raising serious threat to the principle of separation of powers. Additional Solicitor General Sumathi Dharmawardhana PC, appearing on behalf of the State parties, made this revelation when the writ petition challenging Dr. Archchuna’s eligibility to serve as a MP was taken up for support before the Court of Appeal. more..

June 27 (ICC) Zimbabwe will host Sri Lanka for two ODIs and three T20Is, all to be played at the Harare Sports Club. The white-ball series will kick off with the two ODIs scheduled for 29 and 31 August, followed by the T20I leg in early September. The tour holds added significance for Zimbabwe, with the T20Is serving as crucial preparation ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Regional Final, which Zimbabwe will host from 19 September to 4 October. The regional final will determine more..