Jun 30 (FT) Amana Bank has acquired ownership of its Corporate Office premises located at 353 Galle Road, Colombo 3 from Lee Hedges PLC in a deal worth Rs. 2.7 billion. Property transfer took place recently in the presence of Amana Bank’s Chairman Asgi Akbarally, members of the Board of Directors and the Management Committee, as well as the Directors of Lee Hedges. Spanning 95 perches, property features a modern five-storey office complex with an approximate built-up area of more..

Jun 30 (ISland) Prof. Prathiba Mahanamahewa has said that tangible measures should be taken to prevent law enforcement officers from fabricating evidence to justify arrests. In spite of this illegal practice receiving public attention, occasionally, successive govts obviously failed to take remedial measures, he said. There had been allegations regarding such cases since the change of govt in 2024, the lawyer added, adding that the ongoing stepped-up anti-narcotics drive shouldn’t be more..

Jun 30 (DM) An IMF delegation has commended SL’s economic resilience and reaffirmed its support for the Govt’s reform agenda during a meeting with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat this morning. The delegation, led by IMF Deputy Director of the Asia and Pacific Dept Sonali Jain-Chandra, met the President at the conclusion of its visit to Colombo from 24 to 30 June, more..

Jun 30 (NW) Former National Lotteries Board (NLB) Chairman Shyamila Perera has been arrested by the CIABOC. Perera was arrested over allegations that three employees recruited to the National Lotteries Board between 2015 and 2019 were deployed to the staff of former Minister Ravi Karunanayake instead of serving at the state institution. Perera, who also serves as the General Secretary of the New Democratic Party, was taken into custody by the Bribery Commission on Monday. more..

Jun 30 (NW) A nationwide programme to construct new regional cinema halls aimed at revitalizing SL’s film industry and expanding audiences has been announced by the National Film Corporation, it was reported. The initiative, aligned with the government’s A Prosperous Country – A Beautiful Life policy, seeks to modernize the local cinema sector and provide audiences with a superior movie‑going experience. The first round of discussions on the project, which will be more..

Jun 30 (DM) Sri Lanka has wooed U.S. investment in the development of the Colombo port and integrated infrastructure at a recent summit in Washington, a Deputy Minister said. The Colombo port is one of the biggest strategic assets of SL, with the govt planning for the development of a logistics park and the West Container Terminal (WTC) 2. Deputy Minister Janitha Kodituwakku, who attended a summit on maritime cooperation in the US more..

Jun 30 (AD) Three school students have died after drowning in a tank in Wanathawilluwa while travelling by raft to collect flowers. Police said that five students had been travelling at the time when it capsized, causing all of them to fall into the water. One student was rescued at the scene, while the others were admitted to the Wanathawilluwa Hospital. Three students who were in critical condition were later transferred to the Puttalam Hospital, where they were pronounced dead. more..

Jun 30 (DM) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed Rear Admiral Damian Fernando as the new Commander of the SL Navy. Concurrently elevated to the rank of Vice Admiral, he will take charge as the 27th Commander of the country's naval forces. The formal letter of appointment was handed over to Vice Admiral Fernando by the Secretary to the President, on Tuesday afternoon at the Presidential Secretariat. The new appointment is scheduled to take effect from July 1, 2026. more..

Jun 30 (FT) Children today are growing up in an online environment fundamentally different from the one their parents experienced. Social media platforms are designed to capture attention, encourage engagement, and keep users connected for as long as possible. While these platforms offer opportunities for learning, creativity and social connection, they also expose children to cyberbullying, harmful content, misinformation, online predators and may create unhealthy more..

Jun 30 (FT) The trio, Dr. Bandula Gunawardena, H. D. Premasiri, and Ravindra Guruge, have done it again. Out of sheer generosity, rather than any expectation of profit, they have jointly financed a new Sinhala film, since making money is uncertain in the kind of cinema they choose to support. In the past, each of them has been at the forefront of financing more than a dozen artistic Sinhala films. This time, their support has gone to the celebrated teledrama director Dr. Bertram Nihal, more..

Jun 30 (DM) More arrests of lawyers, politicians and senior police officers are likely in the near future with the further scrutinizing evidence over the alleged large-scale bribery network involving detained Nadun Chinthaka, alias Harak Kata. The CIABOC and CID are jointly conducting investigations into these allegations which follows the arrest and remanding of three individuals, including Rakitha Rajapaksa and more..

Jun 30 (Island) Youtuber Chamuditha Samarawickrema said that that he would soon move court against an injunction obtained by Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, PC, last year in respect of a Truth with Chamuditha programme. Samarawickrema said that he had decided to seek court intervention in the wake of the CIABOC taking the former Minister’s son, Attorney-at-Law Rakitha, along with SJB’s Horana organiser Charith Abeysinghe, into custody, in connection with more..

Jun 30 (Island) Central Province health officials have stated that the spread of dengue has increased in the Kandy District. Accordingly, the health authorities have identified the following areas as high-risk dengue zones: Galagedara, Gampola, Udapalatha, Illangawatta, and Kahatapitiya Amunupura. In the Kandy Gangawata Korale health division, the identified areas include Wavatenna, Ulpathakumbura Lower Iriyagama, Ampitiya, Pallegama, Thennekumbura, Mahakanda, Heerassagala, more..

Jun 30 (EN) Sri Lanka reduced fuel prices for the first time in four months after having raised them five times as the global oil prices have fallen to near pre-Middle Eastern conflict levels. In the latest revision, effective June 30, CPC reduced the price of widely used Auto Diesel by Rs.25 to Rs.382 per litre, while slashing the price of Octane 92 (petrol) by Rs.20 to Rs.414. It left prices of Super Diesel steady at 478, Octane 95 at 495, more..

Jun 30 (NW) Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Bishop Justin Bernard Gnanapragasam from the pastoral office of the Diocese of Jaffna and appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Colombo, Bishop Dr. Pillainayagam Anton Ranjith, as the new Bishop of Jaffna. The announcement was made by the Apostolic Nunciature in SL. Bishop Anton Ranjith currently serves as the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Colombo and Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Batticaloa. more..

Jun 30 (Island) UNP has asked Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake to reveal the identities of those who fraudulently transferred nearly USD 1 bn, since 2023. UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the PM, held the Finance portfolio from 25 May 2022, before he was appointed the Prez in July 2022. Wickremesinghe retained the Finance portfolio. Ex-Minister Rajitha Senaratne said that the Prez should be able to disclose whether the funds were illegally transferred from the public or more..

Jun 30 (FT) SriLankan Airlines has been cleared of any wrongdoing over a disputed payment to a Dubai-based service provider after investigations established that the funds had been successfully remitted and that the cyber attack originated at the recipient’s end, Deputy Minister Janitha Kodithuwakku said. Deputy Minister said the payment had been classified as successfully completed as the cyber compromise had occurred on the service provider’s side rather than more..

Jun 30 (FT) The Govt last week outlined an ambitious Customs modernisation program aimed at strengthening revenue administration, facilitating trade and eliminating leakages, while confirming that the phased removal of para-tariffs will commence in 2028 as part of broader structural reforms. Responding to questions on the recent visit by an IMF delegation to SL Customs, Deputy Minister Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando said the discussions centred on building a more efficient, transparent and more..

Jun 30 (TS) Faced with one of its worst outbreaks of dengue in years, Sri Lanka is using military drones to scan rooftops and find mosquito breeding grounds to eliminate. The island nation is at war with the insect that carries the dengue virus and has infected more than 46,000 people so far this year, nearly double the number for the same period last year, and killed 29. Hospitals are stretched to capacity with more than 500 cases a day. more..

Jun 30 (TM) The Govt is considering a significant increase in fines imposed on individuals found guilty of employing children, with penalties expected to rise up to Rs 100,000 under proposed legal amendments. The proposal has been submitted by the Minister of Labour as part of revisions to the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children Act, according to official sources. The amended bill has already been presented to Parliament and published in the Gazette. more..

Jun 30 (Island) Sri Lanka surrendered to an innings and 217 run defeat in Antigua as the batting folded with barely a whimper. Full credit to the West Indies fast bowlers. They may not be as terrifying as the fearsome pace battery of the 1980s, but in the modern game they have assembled a formidable attack capable of running through any batting line up. The bigger question, however, concerns fast bowler Lahiru Kumara, who broke down after bowling just one over in the first innings, more..

Jun 30 (AD) Several young individuals have lost their lives in a series of road accidents reported across SL yesterday. The fatal accidents had occurred in Anuradhapura, Galkiriyagama, Samanalawewa, and Giranegama Police Divisions. A motorcycle travelling towards Rambewa had collided with a bus while attempting to make a right turn near the Galwala Junction on the A'pura–Rambewa Road early yesterday. The rider and pillion passenger had sustained injuries and more..

Jun 30 (FT) UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake has called on CoPF to launch an urgent institutional inquiry into the alleged $ 1 billion foreign exchange fraud highlighted by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, urging the committee to summon senior Central Bank officials, Customs authorities and the chief compliance officers of 13 commercial banks. In a letter dated 29 June to CoPF Chairman Dr. Harsha de Silva, Karunanayake argued that the alleged large-scale foreign exchange losses more..

Jun 30 (ST) As the fluctuation of gold price continues, the industry is facing a period of stagnation. Last Friday (27th), a 24-carat gold sovereign price was reported as Rs 381,000. Gold prices fluctuated sharply during the first six months of the year. A 24-carat gold sovereign sold at Rs. 397,000 in January, rose to Rs. 420,000 in February, and peaked at Rs. 425,000 in March before falling to Rs. 420,000 in April. more..

Jun 30 (AD) Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has decided to conduct a public consultation on the government’s proposal to extend the retirement age of judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. According to the BASL, the programme is scheduled to take place on July 4, 2026. The decision was reached during a recent meeting of the BASL Executive Committee, convened to discuss the govt’s proposal to increase the retirement age of Supreme Court and Court of Appeal judges. more..

Jun 30 (EN) Arkurugraphy, a new exhibition at the Geoffrey Bawa Space, explores the history, culture, and future of letterforms across SL’s three official languages. Akurugraphy is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10.30 am – 5.30 pm, and will be on view until Nov 8. Presenting the decade-long practice of Colombo-based type foundry Mooniak, it examines how decisions about the digitisation of Sinhala, Tamil, and Latin scripts impact legibility and carry deep consequences for who is seen, more..

Jun 30 (DM) A young woman on a visit to meet her lover in Wilgamuwa town in Matale District had been gang raped by the lover and three of this friends at a house belonging to one of them. She was a resident of Kandy. The woman who was taken ill after the incident had been admitted to the Kandy General Hospital where she had revealed the incident to the JMO to whom she was referred to by the doctor who examined her. more..

Jun 30 (AD) The Municipal Council has commenced taking steps to remove garbage accumulated along roadsides across the Kaduwela Municipal Council area following complaints from residents over prolonged delays in waste collection, according to Mayor Ranjan Jayalal. The Mayor was responding to allegations that garbage collection vehicles had failed to service some areas for nearly three weeks, leaving large quantities of waste piled up in public spaces. more..

Jun 30 (FT) The Port of Colombo has continued its strong growth trajectory in 2026, reinforcing its position as South Asia’s premier maritime hub and one of the most important transshipment centres in the Indian Ocean region. According to the latest operational statistics, the Port of Colombo handled 3,702,265 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) during the first five months of 2026, representing a 13.5% increase compared to the corresponding period in 2025. more..

Jun 30 (FT) Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, Uni of Sri J'pura, in collaboration with Port City Colombo, has co-authored and internationally published an academic case study and accompanying teaching notes for students, examining the project’s potential role in shaping SL’s long-term economic future. Published by Nova Publishers, New York, USA, the study titled Port City Colombo: Catalysing SL’s Emergence as a Global Investment Hub provides a multidisciplinary more..

Jun 30 (DN) Former National champions dominated the Ceylon Masters Badminton international championship winning many titles at Air Sports Cub Indoor Stadium Rajagiriya over the weekend. Niroshan Wijekoon the former National champion and first SL Olympian badminton player came to the fore winning men’s over 60 title. He producd two straight sets win 21-4, 21-5 over Indian shutter Narendra Raju in the final. Niroshan partnered by Krishna Veni Matter of Switzerland won more..