Jun 19 (Island) With SL javelin sensation Rumesh Tharanga continuing to make headlines through his record-breaking performances on the international stage, his success is already inspiring the next generation of throwers at home. At the Junior National Athletics Championship, Lyceum Int'l School, Wattala athlete Themiya Thabrew took a significant step towards emulating his illustrious compatriot by achieving the qualifying standard for the World Junior Athletics C'ships. more..

Jun 19 (EN) Ceylon Chamber of Commerce will focus on UK ties and sharpening private sector competitiveness at its 187th AGM, the trade body said. UK High Commissioner Andrew Patrick will deliver the keynote address reflecting the close and longstanding ties between the two countries. “His presence … is especially fitting at a juncture when strengthening trade ties, investor confidence, and sustained economic reform remain front of mind for the nation’s business community,” more..

Jun 19 (DM) SL’s fragile economic recovery faces renewed external headwinds after Fitch Ratings downgraded its outlook on a growing number of emerging market sectors, warning that the ongoing Iran conflict is weakening growth prospects, fuelling inflation and increasing financial risks across developing economies. SL has already been forced to absorb the fallout from the Middle East crisis through higher fuel costs, rising inflation, more..

Jun 19 (DM) The centuries-old standard that defines premium Ceylon Tea is at risk of becoming a fiction as climate extremes disrupt growing conditions across SL’s tea lands, Dilmah Tea CEO Dilhan Fernando warned. Cautioning that declining quality could eventually translate into lower national output, Fernando pointed out the industry is already facing the consequences of increasingly erratic weather patterns, with prolonged droughts and intense rainfall threatening the delicate environmental more..

Jun 19 (NW) A total of 1,297 people have lost their lives in road accidents across Sri Lanka between Jan 1 and June 16, 2026. Pedestrians accounted for the highest number of deaths in the affected group, with 448 deaths recorded during the period. Motorcyclists were the second most fatal, with 444 deaths. Statistics also show that 124 passengers, 109 drivers, 85 cyclists, 84 pillion riders and three others were killed in road accidents during the first half of the year. more..

Jun 19 (DN) PM, Education Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that it is the Govt’s priority to create an environment that enables all children, without discrimination, to access the opportunities in the modern world and to confidently pursue their dreams. The PM made these remarks while attending the Annual Prize-Giving Ceremony for the year 2025 at St. Bernadette’s Model School, Kurunegala, during an education inspection tour in the Kurunegala district yesterday. more..

Jun 19 (DN) SL A, led by Sahan Arachchige, will aim to enter the final of the Tri-Nation One-Day Series when they clash with Afghanistan A in their deciding game today at Dambulla Stadium. India A have reached the tri-series one-day final after defeating Afghanistan A by 101 runs on Wednesday. The final will take place on Sunday (21), and their opponents will be decided after today’s game between SL A and Afghanistan A. In the first round, SL A and Afghanistan A met each other at the same more..

Jun 19 (DN) Winning against defending champions New Zealand at Southampton gave good confidence to the SL women’s team, said bowling coach Chamila Gamage after their fighting victory in this T20 World Cup. “We had a discussion before the New Zealand game and made three changes to the team composition after our defeat against England, which paved the way for victory. Experienced Nilakshika Silva showed more..

Jun 19 (NW) A new direct air service between Ahmedabad and Colombo will be launched on Friday, significantly reducing travel time between the two cities from around eight hours to just 3 hours. Operated by FitsAir, the new route will connect Ahmedabad in the Indian state of Gujarat with Colombo 3 times a week, marking the first direct air link between the two destinations after several unsuccessful attempts in the past. The initiative has been facilitated by Cinnamon Hotels and more..

Jun 19 (NF) What was meant to be a joyful union of two families in Kotagala, Hatton, turned into an unforgettable afternoon of chaos, punches, and police drama, one that ended not with wedding vows, but with handcuffs. A lively wedding reception held at a function hall in Kotagala yesterday (17) evening spiralled spectacularly out of control when a disagreement between the bride’s side and the groom’s side erupted into a full-blown brawl. The clash was fuelled by alcohol, more..

Jun 19 (Island) Amidst ongoing accusations that the theft of USD 2.5 mn (nearly 1 bn Rupees) from the Treasury hadn’t been properly investigated, The Island learns that the relevant payments had been made to the actual creditor on the instructions of the Finance Ministry. Confirming the inquiries made by us, authoritative sources said that payments had been made to several accounts through the US banks. more..

Jun 19 (NW) Kuwait has emerged as the leading source of foreign remittances sent to Sri Lanka by overseas SL workers, the Sri SLBFE says. SLBFE Chairman Kosala Wickramasinghe said nearly 80,000 Sri Lankans travel to Kuwait for employment each year, accounting for around 30% of the country’s annual foreign job departures. He said Sri Lankans working in Kuwait remitted US$893 million to SL in 2025, making it the single largest contributor of worker remittances to the country. more..

Jun 19 (Island) The weekly Colombo Tea Auction concluded with offerings increasing to 6.5 million kg, a marginal rise from the previous week’s 6.4 million kilogrammes. However, the market witnessed a significant pullback from key international buyers, leading to a subdued trading atmosphere and declining prices across several categories. Industry sources reported a noticeable lack of interest from shippers to the traditional markets of the UK and the European continent. more..

Jun 19 (TM) SC Jaffna Kings have assembled a strong and balanced squad ahead of Lanka Premier League (LPL) Season 6, bringing together proven SL talent, experienced international performers and high-impact associate representation. The franchise enters the new season with Bhanuka Rajapaksa as its local icon, giving the side a powerful left-handed batting option with experience in pressure situations. Known for his ability to change the tempo of a T20 innings, Rajapaksa is expected to play more..

Jun 19 (ST) Samson Trading Company, a member of the DSI Samson Group, recently opened its new TVS showroom in Malabe launching its official dealership with TVS Lanka. The partnership represents a strategic expansion for Samson Trading Company into the two-wheeler automotive sector while reinforcing its long-standing reputation within the DSI Samson Group for reliability and trust. The showroom, dedicated exclusively to TVS two-wheelers, offers customers a comprehensive more..

Jun 19 (ST) Arrest of a 24‑year‑old rapper in Jaffna under the PTA sparked protests from Tamil political parties, but the political storm eased when the magistrate released the suspect after the Attorney General withdrew the PTA charge and filed fresh charges under another law. The rapper, Ganeshkumar Sangeethsan — better known as Hiphop Sangee — was granted bail by the Chavakachcheri magistrate’s court on Friday more..

Jun 19 (Island) The first part of this article yesterday asked what growth model SL should pursue. The second seeks to show how to achieve it; how much investment is needed; where it should go, and how progress should be measured. It should move decisively from economic philosophy to economic architecture or from Economic Diagnosis to Economic Engineering. SL’s economic debate has reached an important turning point. For 3 years, policymakers, economists, int'l institutions, more..

Jun 19 (DM) Sri Lanka’s updated National Mineral Policy mandates all mineral resources to undergo local value addition before they can be exported. The policy also prevents the export of unprocessed raw materials to maximise the country’s economic and foreign exchange earnings. But mineral exploration in Sri Lanka had been a controversial issue – one that many believe is a shady business, and an industry that poses detrimental impacts on people and environment. more..

Jun 19 (TM) A private rubber plantation in Kalutara is being transformed into a protected forest in a conservation initiative aimed at reconnecting two isolated forest reserves within the proposed Navalakanda Environmentally Sensitive Zone. The project was launched in conjunction with the World Environment Week this year and seeks to strengthen ecological connectivity in an area recognised for its rich biodiversity. The proposed Zone, located in the 849D Bogodakanda GN Division of more..

Jun 19 (DN) According to our main story yesterday quoting Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, NPP Govt had not only managed to stabilise the country’s economy in 2025 but had taken another step forward by laying a proper foundation to achieve expected economic growth and development in the country. Minister said the country has managed to maintain a stable economy up to now despite the Ditwah disaster and the global crisis caused by the Iran War, which is only now being resolved. more..

Jun 19 (TM) Justice delayed is justice denied is a well-tested dictum in SL. Details of the cases of child abuse, particularly by clergy, in a number of instances, revealed a common trait of long, drawn-out legal procedures, only to be thwarted due to discrepancies in evidence. Despite the gravity of the accusation, procuring a girl and raping her, the Police did not take prompt action to arrest a particular leading monk and more..

Jun 19 (DM) History is full of bizarre twists where events take surreal turns. Those who appeared to be the saviours of the Easter Sunday terrorist attack victims – victims of one of the most heinous crimes in SL history committed seven years ago, now stand accused of the same crime. SLPP that accused the then ruling parties, UNP and the SLFP of weakening the intelligence apparatuses of the country leading to the terrorist attacks that took place on April 21, 2019, are awkwardly struggling more..

Jun 19 (GV) 15 years ago on June 16, a sunny day in Switzerland, millions of domestic workers worldwide gained the recognition they had long deserved. The adoption of the Domestic Workers Convention 2011 during the Int'l Labour Conference (ILO) in Geneva was a landmark moment, one that recognised domestic work as work like any other. Domestic workers play a critical role in sustaining families, societies and economies. They clean homes, cook meals, guard households and more..

Jun 19 (SO) Southern Mist Triangle — a new tourism zone development program spanning the Southern and Sabaragamuwa provinces and encompassing Galle, Matara and Ratnapura districts — was formally inaugurated on May 14, 2026 at the Thawalama Divisional Secretariat. The ceremony was attended by the Southern Province Governor, Deputy Minister of Tourism, a delegation of MPs, senior national and provincial govt officers, more..

Jun 19 (Island) US Prez Donald Trump has revealed what really compelled him to agree to stop the Iran war. After signing an interim peace agreement with Iran, on Wednesday, he defended his deal with Tehran, telling the media that he wanted to avoid an economic catastrophe that could have resulted if the Iran conflict had continued. Tycoons like Trump are known to prioritise economics over everything else, but reflected in his thinking is an emerging security paradigm in the modern world. more..

Jun 19 (TM) Govt’s announcement regarding proposed legislation to protect abandoned elders should ignite a crucial national conversation. As revealed by Deputy Minister Wasantha Piyathissa, the State is drafting a framework to seize properties transferred by elderly parents to their children, if those parents are subsequently neglected. The revenue generated from these recovered assets would then be channelled directly into State-managed care, medical support and more..

Jun 18 (NW) SL’s Taavi Samaraweera, ranked world No.1 in the under‑11 table tennis category, returned to the country this morning after a triumphant European tour where he captured gold, silver, and bronze medals across two international tournaments. The 11‑year‑old, a Grade 6 student at St. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, arrived at BIA at 8:45 am with his mother on Qatar Airways flight QR‑664 from Doha. Samaraweera’s tour reportedly targeted three world ranking events, more..

Jun 18 (NW) Ministry of Public Admin and Home Affairs has announced the establishment of active special committees at district and divisional levels to monitor dengue control activities. Minister Chandana Abayaratne said that these bodies will not remain nominal but will plan and implement programs to eliminate mosquito breeding sites. The committees will oversee inspections of residential areas and official premises, ensuring strict measures are taken to destroy breeding grounds. more..

Jun 18 (NF) The hearing of the writ petition filed by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, seeking an order preventing his arrest in connection with investigations into the Easter Sunday terror attacks, commenced today before the Court of Appeal. Petition was taken up before a bench comprising Court of Appeal President Judge Rohantha Abeysooriya and Judge Sarath Dissanayake. more..

Jun 18 (EN) Sri Lanka’s top govt official reviewed the implementation of ministry-level projects and key policy initiatives under the 2026 budget proposals, amid delays in capital investment projects. The review meeting was held on Wednesday at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of Secretary to the Prez Nandika Sanath Kumanayake. The meeting comes amid slow progress in projects planned under the 2026 budget. SL has spent only 17.4% of the allocated total capital more..

Jun 18 (AD) Disaster management officials from the US and SL have met in Galle from June 16 until today for a three-day workshop focused on strengthening preparedness for natural disasters and humanitarian emergencies. Organized by U.S. Embassy in SL in partnership with U.S. Pacific Command’s Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CFE-DM), Montana National Guard, Montana Disaster and Emergency Services (DES), and more..