Jun 11 (NW) The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) today marked a major milestone in its fighter fleet modernization programme with the successful first test flight of its upgraded Kfir C12 aircraft, known within the service as the Lion Cub. Conducted at SLAF Base Katunayake, the sortie followed extensive ground validation and system integration, transitioning the aircraft from ground testing to airborne evaluation under more..

Jun 11 (DM) Colombo HC Judge Manjula Thilakaratne dismissed an appeal filed by Shashi Weerawansa challenging the two year prison sentence and fine imposed on her for possessing an irregularly obtained passport. Delivering the judgment, the judge affirmed the conviction and sentence previously imposed by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court, holding that there were no grounds to interfere with the lower court’s decision. Shashi Weerawansa had been convicted by more..

Jun 11 (NW) Three Sri Lankan nationals are among seven suspects arrested in Kuwait during separate drug‑related operations, according to a report by Arab Times Kuwait. The arrests were carried out by the General Department for Drug Enforcement Authority as part of ongoing security operations targeting narcotics trafficking networks. The suspects include a Kuwaiti citizen, an Indian national, and two Bedouns (stateless individuals), in addition to the three Sri Lankans. more..

Jun 11 (Island) TPA leader Mano Ganesan has accused the NPP govt of hypocrisy over the arrest of Tamil rapper Sangeethsan Ganeskumar under the PTA. MP Ganesan pointed out how NPP politicians themselves circulated songs glorifying the LTTE during 2024 and 2025 Sangeethsan, known professionally as Hiphop Sangee, was arrested on 2 June after SL authorities alleged that videos uploaded to social media, more..

Jun 11 (AD) Wife and legal representative of the former Director of the SIS, Major General (Rtd) Suresh Sallay have requested permission from the CID to visit him daily while he remains under treatment at the Colombo National Hospital. The requests were made through separate letters addressed to Director of the CID, following a court ruling that declined to grant such access. Suresh Sally, who is being held under a detention order in connection with investigations into more..

Jun 11 (NW) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has requested a clarification from the Govt regarding the proposal to raise the retirement age of judges in the higher courts, including the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal, warning that the issue carries national importance and directly affects judicial independence and public trust. Premadasa said the Govt must present any official requirement assessments, policy reports or data‑based studies that justify such a move. more..

Jun 11 (FT) SL is recovering, but let’s not start throwing confetti yet. Yes, growth is returning. Tourism is improving. Business confidence is better. Investment is slowly waking up from its crisis-induced coma. But many Sri Lankan companies are still trying to solve new business problems with old management habits, fear-based cultures, and departments that behave like tiny kingdoms with email accounts. The economy matters... But the deeper problem is cultural… specifically more..

Jun 11 (FT) Corruption and abuse of the public’s Employment Provident Fund (EPF) under the custody of the Central Bank of SL (CBSL) represents one of the largest financial integrity failures in the country’s history, one that continues to this day with zero regulatory obstacles. Public outrage and recommendations from the Prez Commission of Inquiry led to a comprehensive forensic audit published in 2019, which exposed systemic corruption, irregular trading, pump & dump more..

Jun 11 (Island) A total of 267,138 children dropped out of the school system between 2018 and 2024, PM and Minister of Education Dr. Harini Amarasuriya informed Parliament yesterday. Responding to a question raised by SJB MP Hesha Withanage, the PM said that the govt did not possess definitive data on school dropouts from 2010 to the early part of 2017. She explained that the figures for the period from 2018 to 2024 more..

Jun 11 (NW) A new SL-based cargo airline, WEAIR, has officially commenced operations with financial and strategic backing from Luxembourg-based investment firm IOTC, marking a significant addition to the country’s air freight and logistics sector. The airline was formally launched at an event held at the Kingsbury Hotel in Colombo on June 6, under the patronage of Minister Vijitha Herath. Speaking at the event, Herath said the launch of WEAIR reflects growing int'l confidence in SL’s economic more..

Jun 11 (AD) Sri Lanka has been ranked 67th in this year’s Global Peace Index conducted by the Institute for Economics and Peace. Sri Lanka with an overall score of 1.91 is only behind Bhutan in the South Asian region. Bhutan is ranked 16th most peaceful nation in the world. According to the report, South Asia recorded the worst deterioration in peacefulness on the 2026 GPI, with the average overall score deteriorating by 2.3%. The region is ranked seventh of the eight GPI regions. more..

Jun 11 (FT) Investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks will not be halted due to protests, demonstrations or Satyagraha campaigns, Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala told Parliament yesterday, while alleging that investigators had gathered sufficient evidence to establish the involvement of former State Intelligence Service (SIS) Director, retired Major General Suresh Sallay, in a conspiracy linked to the attacks. more..

Jun 11 (FT) Ceylon Motor Traders’ Association (CMTA), affiliated with The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, yesterday issued an urgent appeal to the Govt to abolish the 15% depreciation currently granted on used vehicle imports, warning that the concession is causing massive revenue leakages at a time when the country can least afford them. The Association estimates that the existing depreciation mechanism resulted in approximately Rs. 40 billion in lost Govt revenue in 2025 alone. more..

Jun 11 (TM) Director of the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS), Dr Lakshman Edirisinghe said that Sri Lanka continues to meet its total national blood requirement through voluntary blood donations, with nearly 467,000 units collected last year (2025), helping to save the lives of more than one million patients. The country requires around 1,400 to 1,500 units of blood and 700 to 750 units of platelets every day, which are carefully managed by forecasting on a weekly basis more..

Jun 11 (NW) Department for Registration of Persons has warned the public against fraudulent individuals misusing the department’s name to obtain personal information and carry out financial scams under the guise of registering citizens for digital identity cards. In a public notice, the dept said it had received reports of individuals contacting members of the public through telephone numbers resembling its official hotline and claiming to conduct registrations for digital identity cards more..

Jun 11 (FT) SL rupee strengthened sharply against the US dollar yesterday after the CB tightened regulations governing the conversion of export proceeds, reducing the mandatory conversion period from 90 days to 30 days. USD/LKR spot rate closed at Rs. 332.25/333.00 yesterday, appreciating significantly from Tuesday’s close of Rs. 337.00/337.75. The currency had come under pressure in recent sessions, with the spot rate closing at Rs. 335.75/336.25 on Monday more..

Jun 11 (TM) Dengue mosquito larvae were found in 50 premises out of 189 Govt institutions inspected during the first day of the three-day national dengue prevention and control programme, NDCU said. Out of a total of 31,196 premises inspected on the first day of the programme on Monday (8), a total of 2,097 premises with dengue mosquito larvae were identified. Of these, a total of 8,121 premises were identified as potential dengue mosquito more..

Jun 11 (FT) Sri Lanka is better positioned to absorb the economic impact of a potential El Niño climate event than in previous years, owing to stronger fiscal and external sector buffers built up since the economic crisis, according to Frontier Research. The research firm said the global economy is facing growing uncertainty amid the lingering effects of trade disruptions and the recent oil price shock linked to tensions in the Middle East, while the prospect of a strong El Niño event presents more..

Jun 11 (ST) Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe has agreed to file charges against Buddhist monks arrested over various crimes under the names listed on their birth certificates, provided the respective sect (nikaya) of such monks take steps to disrobe them. Agreement between the AG and senior members of the Buddhist clergy had been struck when the clergy met with the AG recently to discuss the situation that has arisen owing to monks arrested as suspects in various crimes being put more..

Jun 11 (DN) Senior DIG Waruna Jayasundara, one time STF Commandant has filed a writ petition in the Court of Appeal seeking judicial intervention to prevent his arrest or detention without probable cause in connection with ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks. In his petition, Senior DIG Jayasundara has sought appropriate relief from the Court to ensure that no action is taken to arrest or detain him in relation to the Easter Sunday investigations more..

Jun 11 (FT) SL Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) has called for the immediate withdrawal of the draft Bill seeking to establish a regulatory authority for media professionals, arguing that the proposed framework is aimed at controlling rather than protecting the media. In a statement, association said journalists and media stakeholders had long discussed the need for an independent institution to safeguard media freedom, professional standards, welfare, ethics and education. more..

Jun 11 (FT) SJB MP Harsha de Silva questioned the rationale behind CB's latest regulations requiring exporters to convert residual foreign currency earnings into SL rupees, warning that the measure risks undermining investor confidence and business freedom. Speaking in Parliament, he likened the regulation to the forced foreign exchange conversion measures imposed during SL’s economic crisis between 2022 and 2024. more..

Jun 11 (FT) Cementing its status as a global New Energy Vehicle (NEV) trailblazer, BYD has topped the global rankings for Most Innovative Automotive Group in the Automotive INNOVATIONS Report 2026 published by Germany’s Centre of Automotive Management (CAM) – the first time in the study’s 21-year history that a Chinese automaker has claimed the top position. BYD secured the ranking with an innovation index score of 157 points, ahead of Volkswagen Group at 143 points and more..

Jun 11 (Island) Sri Lanka will open their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaign against hosts England when the 12-nation tournament gets underway in Birmingham on Friday. The event carries a prize purse of USD 8.7 million, underlining the remarkable growth of the women’s game in recent years. Every participating team is guaranteed a minimum of USD 250,000, even if they fail to win a game during the group stage. Sri Lanka have been drawn in Group A alongside hosts England, more..

Jun 11 (FT) Colombo Port City reached a significant milestone in its development as a leading regional business and investment destination following Cabinet approval granted in April 2026 to 77 Businesses of Strategic Importance (BSIs) under the Regulations of the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Act. The approvals represent a major step forward in the growth of the Colombo Port City Special Economic Zone more..

Jun 11 (DN) John Keells Properties (JKP) has announced that Vauxhall DSTRCT, its latest residential development in the heart of Colombo, has surpassed 300 apartment sales within the first three months of launch, reflecting strong market demand and continued confidence in the company’s developments. The milestone highlights the positive response from both local and overseas buyers and reinforces the growing appeal of well-positioned urban residential developments that offer more..

Jun 11 (FT) Mastercard has announced significant leadership appointments aimed at strengthening South Asia operations by creating a more integrated model for SL, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan. The growing synergies within these countries, especially with regard to the focus on tourism and cross-border trade and payments innovation, make this integration crucial in scaling operations and underscores the company’s commitment to unlocking shared growth more..

Jun 11 (FT) Toyota Lanka has strengthened its presence in the Central Province with the enhancement of its after-sales service capabilities in Kandy, as part of a wider nationwide expansion strategy aimed at bringing world-class automotive services closer to customers. The company says the initiative reflects its commitment to customer convenience, technical excellence, and long-term investment in SL’s automotive sector: “Toyota Lanka continues to shape the future of more..

Jun 11 (FT) Home Lands is set to make history with SL’s largest-ever real estate launch, unveiling Central Park Boulevard Port City Colombo, The Indian Ocean’s Next Wonder. The launch, titled The Grand Launch Weekend, will comprise a series of events taking place from tomorrow to 14 June 2026 at the Lumina Ballroom, Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams. Grand Launch Weekend will commence with The Night of Emeralds tomorrow, marking the official launch of Central Park Boulevard more..

Jun 11 (FT) Sri Lanka’s vehicle market recorded its strongest monthly performance since the reopening of imports, with total registrations surging 19.7% month-on-month (M-o-M) to 60,444 units in May as consumers accelerated purchases ahead of tighter financing rules and higher import taxes. The sharp increase reversed the softer trend seen in April and extended the recovery that has been underway since the beginning of the year. more..

Jun 11 (FT) Govt Budget recorded an overall surplus in the first quarter of 2026. This is significant because it occurred after about seven decades. SL has not recorded an overall Budget surplus since 1955. Govt’s overall Budget surplus was Rs. 116.35 billion. However, in the second quarter of 2026, the currency came under pressure to depreciate, experiencing significant exchange-rate volatility. If the currency depreciates, Budget surpluses may not be sustainable. more..

Jun 11 (DM) Ask SL football fans who they think will win the 2026 FIFA World Cup and you are unlikely to get a unanimous answer. A recent Daily Mirror poll conducted across its website and social media platforms reflected exactly that. The results showed a mixed reaction among supporters, with votes spread across several leading contenders and no clear favourite emerging. The passion for the game in SL is undeniable. Football Federation of SL (FFSL) President Jaswar Umar believes more..